No one's POV

Enemy attack. The army of the Dark Territory was attacking Rulid.

Alice:...Selka!!

Alice shrieked, racing back to the cabin. But the moment she reached the porch, she suddenly had doubts. She had to save her sister and parents at all costs. But what about the other villagers? If she tried to save as many of them as possible, she'd have to fight the dark army directly. Did she even have the strength to do that anymore?

The source of Alice's power as an Integrity Knight was her nearly blind loyalty to the Axiom Church and its pontifex. Now that her faith was lost along with her right eye, could she actually swing the Osmanthus Blade and cast sacred arts anymore? Then, while frozen in place, she heard a thunk from inside the cabin. Her left eye widened. In the center of the darkened living room, a chair was overturned, and beside it, a young man with black hair was crawling along the floor.

Alice:...Zora...

Alice entered the cabin with wilting legs. There was still no willpower in Zora's eyes, but there was a clear purpose in his sluggish actions. His arm extended straight ahead to the three swords on the wall.

Alice: Zora...are you...?

Something hot and hard blocked the passage from Alice's chest to her throat. It took her some time to realize that the cause of her blurring vision was tears.

Zora:...Ah...aaah....

Zora croaked, not stopping his determined crawl toward the swords for an instant. Alice rubbed at her eye and raced straight for the boy, picking his skinny body up from the floor.

Alice: It's all right—I'll go. I'll save the villagers. Please, don't worry. Just stay here.

She whispered quickly, clutching Zora. She could feel his heartbeat as their chests met. Even if his mind was absent, that sound contained the unstoppable strength of burning will and purpose. Faint though that flame might be, Alice could feel its heat. After pressing her cheek to his for a moment, Alice easily lifted him up and put him in the chair.

Alice: After I've rescued the villagers, I'll come right back. Zora!

Alice said again, getting the armor and sword belt she kept in the wardrobe and putting them on over her pajamas. Then she rushed to the eastern wall and grabbed her sword without a second thought. The powerful weight of the Osmanthus Blade pushed against her palms for the first time in half a year. She fastened the sheath to her belt, tossed a cloak over her shoulders, and stuck her feet into boots, then raced back outside.

Alice: Amayori!!

She called toward the dragon's bed on the eastern end. Instantly, a huge shadow surged forward with its head low. She leaped onto the base of the long neck and commanded.

Alice: Go!!

Silver wings beat the air, and after a short run, the dragon soared up into the night sky. Just gaining a bit of altitude made the state of Rulid very clear. It was mostly the northern end of the village that was burning. The invaders must have come from the Dark Territory through the northern cave.

Last night, Eldrie had claimed there was nothing wrong with the cave, which had been sealed on Bercouli's orders. If they had removed all the rubble in a single day, they must have marshaled far more than just ten or twenty soldiers for this raid.

Since ancient times, it had been common for small groups to infiltrate the three caves in the End Mountains under cover of night so they could work mischief in the human lands. Zora and Eugeo had said that before they'd come to Centoria, they'd fought goblins in the northern cave. But she'd never heard of such a huge and brazen attack. Perhaps the entire Dark Territory really was preparing for an overall invasion of the realm.

As Alice pondered this topic, Amayori promptly crossed the thick forest and reached the airspace over the barley fields surrounding Rulid. She didn't have reins, but a light slap on the dragon's neck with her palm got her orders across; she told it to hover.

Alice leaned forward and focused on the village. The northern end of the main road that ran north to south through Rulid was glowing with fire, casting the silhouettes of the attackers into relief. They were goblins, leaping lithely back and forth. A short distance from them, much larger orcs were approaching. Just to the north of the center clearing was an impromptu defensive wall made up of furniture and lumber supplies, but the goblins were already there, and she could make out the glinting of blades clashing just beyond the obstacles.

The village's men-at-arms were fighting back. But their numbers, gear, and experience were inferior even to the goblins'. When the rumbling orcs marched up to them, the humans would be utterly crushed.

She kept watching, avoiding the urge to leap directly into the midst of battle. There were a number of fires burning on the east and west edges of the village, too, but the central clearing and south side were unharmed for now. All the villagers aside from the guards—including Selka—must have escaped through the south gate into the forest, she presumed. So when she looked more carefully at the central clearing, Alice gasped.

Alice: Why...?!

Surrounding the fountain at the center of the round empty space in front of the church was a tightly packed crowd of figures. There were so many of them that she at first didn't recognize what she was seeing. It had to be the entire population of Rulid.

Alice: Why aren't they evacuating the village? Why don't they flee south where there aren't any enemies?

If the main force of the invaders reached the defense line, the guards would be scattered in an instant. If they didn't get moving now, they wouldn't be able to evacuate in time. Alice slapped the dragon's neck again, intending to ride it directly over the clearing.

Alice: Amayori, wait here until I summon you!

Then she leaped from her mount's back, dozens of mels off the ground, cloak flapping wildly as she split the cold night air. The circular mass of three-hundred-plus villagers had the adult men on the edges bearing farming tools like plows and scythes, indicating their willingness to fight. Alice landed right near two men who seemed to be giving constant orders.

The paving stones split outward from her landing point with a rumble like thunder. An incredible impact ran from her soles to her crown, indicating some loss of life value.

Selka: That's...

The two men—Nigel Barbossa, the farm owner, and Gasfut Zuberg, the elder of Rulid—fell silent in shock at the sudden arrival of a visitor from above. Alice felt a tiny twinge of pain in her breast at the sight of her father's face, but she used the moment of silence that resulted to shout an order to the crowd.

Alice: We can't possibly defend against them here. Please have everyone take the south road to evacuate!

Nigel was the first to recover, however.

Barbossa: Don't be ridiculous! Abandoned my mansion- no, I mean the village and run off?!!

Barbossa bellowed, veins bulging on his forehead. Alice shot back.

Alice: You have enough time to make a clean escape from the goblins if you move now! What's more important to you, your riches or your life?!

Nigel only mumbled under his breath, so it was Gasfut, the elder, who spoke up next.

Gasfut: It was Chief Man-at-Arms Zink who ordered that we shore up our defenses in a ring at the center of the village. In this situation, even I am at the mercy of his instructions. That is imperial law.

Now it was Alice's turn to be speechless. In times of emergency, whoever had the calling of chief man-at-arms gained the right to temporarily issue orders instead of the village or town elder. It was indeed a part of Norlangarth Basic Imperial Laws.

But Zink was still very young and had just inherited the position from his father. He couldn't possibly give wise, rational orders in the midst of such an abnormal situation. The anxiety on Gasfut's pale face made it clear he was thinking the same thing.

But to the villagers, imperial law was absolute. In order to begin a prompt evacuation, she'd have to grab Zink from the northern defensive line where he was giving orders so he could change his tune—but there clearly wasn't time for that now.

Alice(mind): What to do? What could I...?

It was then that a young but strident voice piped up.

Selka: We should do what Sister says, Father!!

Alice gasped and looked at the interior of the circle, where a young apprentice nun was using sacred arts to heal burned villagers.

Alice:...Selka!

Relieved that she was alive and well, Alice started heading for her beloved sister, but Selka stood up and marched through the crowd for the trio first. Selka spared only the barest hint of a smile for Alice as she approached Gasfut, all business.

Selka: Father, has Sister ever been wrong about anything in her life? Even I can tell that at this rate, we're all going to be slaughtered!

Gasfut: B-but...

Gasfut stammered, pained. His graying mustache quivered, and his eyes wandered. Nigel Barbossa filled the silence for the elder instead.

Barbossa: Flee? You're just child, so stay out of this! The village must be protected!

Nigel exploded, his bloodshot eyes fixed on his mansion located close to the clearing. Nigel was only thinking of his fresh harvest of barley and the sacks of coins he'd amassed over the years. The rich farmer glanced back at Alice and Selka and screeched.

Barbossa: Oh...oh! I understand now! You brought those monsters down upon the village, Alice!! When you crossed the End Mountains years ago, you were despoiled by the power of darkness! You witch...This girl is a witch!

He jabbed a fat finger at Alice. She was stunned. The murmuring of the villagers, the sound of battle at the defensive barrier, even the incoming war shouts of the monster army to the north all faded away.

Since she'd begun living outside the village, Alice had cut down a number of huge trees on Nigel's behalf. Every single time, he positively writhed with delight and gratitude. And now he was making these accusations out of the pure desire to protect his own wealth.

The middle-aged man's expression was as ugly and hateful as an orc's. Alice looked away from him.

Alice(mind): Then do as you will. And I will do the same. I'll take Selka, Garitta, my parents, and Zora and leave this place to find a new home, far, far away.

She clenched her teeth and closed her eye. But even then, her mind kept working.

Alice(mind): But if Nigel Barbossa and the other villagers seem stupid to me, it is the centuries of the Axiom Church's rule that made them this way.

The Taboo Index and the countless other laws and rules beneath it constricted the people, giving them the lukewarm bath of safety, while robbing them of something much more important.

The power to think independently. The power to resist.

Over that eternal length of time, where had that invisible power of humanity been collected?

Into just thirty-one Integrity Knights.

She sucked in a deep breath, exhaled, then opened her left eye so wide, it was practically audible. When it focused on Nigel, his face went pale with fright. But at the same time, Alice felt a strange sense of power welling up from within. It was like a pale flame—quiet but hotter than anything. It was the power she'd thought she'd lost for good at the end of the battle atop Central Cathedral—the power that had helped Zora, Eugeo, and Alice face off against the greatest ruler of humanity.

She then took a deep breath.

Alice: I am annulling the order of Chief Man- at-Arms Zink. I order all the people in this clearing to evacuate to the forest south of here, with those of you who are armed in the lead.

Her voice was calm and controlled, but Nigel was bowled over, as if struck by invisible hands. It was a credit to his spirit that he even managed the mewling argument he did.

Barbossa: Wh...what authority gives a runaway girl like you the right to—?

Alice: My authority as a knight.

Barbossa: Wh...what do you mean, knight?! There is no such calling in this village! You cannot simply call yourself a knight because you can use a sword! If the great knights of Centoria found out, they would...

He stammered, spraying spittle. She stared him right in the face, then moved her left arm across her body to grab the cloak on her right shoulder.

Alice: I am...My name is Alice. I am third among the Axiom Church's Integrity Knights in the central district of Centoria: Alice Synthesis Thirty!!

Alice announced, throwing off her cloak. The moment the heavy cloth was free, the blazing fires reflected in a dazzling array off her golden armor and Osmanthus Blade.

Barbossa: Wha...? An I-I-Integrity Knight...?!

Nigel shrieked in falsetto, falling to his ample bottom in shock. Gasfut was equally stunned. Alice's introduction could not have been false. There was no one in this entire world who could lie about being an Integrity Knight—and thus defy the very authority of the Axiom Church. If anyone could, it would only be Zora and Alice, but even having escaped from Centoria, Alice had not abandoned the sword that marked her as a knight.

The murmuring villagers went utterly silent. Even the shouting and clashing from the battle to the north and the bellowing of the guards and goblins got quieter. It was Selka who first broke the silence.

Selka: Sis...ter...?

She whispered, clutching her hands before her chest. Alice smiled kindly back at her.

Alice: I'm sorry for hiding this from you for all that time, Selka. This is the true punishment I've been given. And...my true duty.

Large wet orbs collected in Selka's eyes.

Selka: Sister...I...I believed in you. I knew you weren't a sinner. You're so...so beautiful...

The next to act was Gasfut. He fell loudly to a kneeling position on the paving stone, and with his head down, he called out.

Gasfut: I shall follow your command, Lady Integrity Knight!

Then he swept to his feet and turned to face the villagers.

Gasfut: On your feet, everyone! Run to the south gate, with those of you armed at the front! Once out of the village, head into the forest south of the cultivated clearing!

An uneasy murmur ran through the crowd. It lasted only a moment, however. They had no possible alternative to obeying the elder's orders, especially if he was speaking for an Integrity Knight.

The hardier farmers at the perimeter of the crowd stood and motioned for the women, children, and elderly to get to their feet, too. Before Gasfut could stand at the head of the group, Alice beckoned him over and said quietly.

Alice: Father, please take care of everyone...and of Selka and Mother.

For just an instant, Gasfut's expression softened, and he replied simply.

Gasfut: Please...do take care, Lady Knight.

Alice knew he would never call her his daughter again. That, too, was a price of the power she'd been given. It was with this thought weighing on her that Alice pressed Selka to stand next to Gasfut.

Selka: Sister...don't push yourself, okay?

Selka said through teary eyes. Alice favored her with a smile and turned to the north. Behind her, the villagers all began to move.

Barbossa: Oh...oh...my...my poor mansion...

Wailed Nigel Barbossa, who was still sitting flat on the ground. He glanced back and forth between the retreating villagers and the fires approaching his home. Alice decided to ignore him and focus on the state of the village as a whole.

She'd succeeded at moving the villagers, but there were three hundred of them. It would take time for all those people to leave the village. Meanwhile, the defensive line was bound to break soon, and the marching footsteps of the enemy were approaching from the east and west, too. Then there was a scream from a young man at the north end of the clearing.

Zink: It's no use! Pull back! Run awaaay!!

That would be Zink, leader of the guards. The shout seemed to spur Nigel Barbossa on; he leaped to his feet and snapped at Alice.

Barbossa: There...you see? We ought to have stayed here and defended! We'll be killed! We'll all be slaughtered!!

Alice shrugged and said quietly.

Alice: You'll be fine with the head start you've got. I will hold them off here.

Barbossa: You cannot! You cannot possibly do such a thing! Even...even if you are an Integrity Knight, what can one person do against such a numerous horde?!

The fearsome sight of goblins was visible to the east and west by now, but Nigel remained, shrieking invectives. Alice ignored him and glanced behind her. The last row of villagers was still in the clearing, but they were a good distance away from the center, where she was standing now. Alice grabbed Nigel by the collar and hurled him southward. Then she thrust her hand into the night sky and called her mount.

Alice: Amayori!

Instantly, there came a tremendous bellow from above. As she waved her hand from west to east, she commanded.

Alice: Burn them all!!

There was a storm of wings beating as Nigel and the inhuman goblins who were racing into the clearing all looked up at the same time. The massive dragon plunged toward them, its shape dark against the fire-reddened sky, and opened its jaws wide. There was a bright flicker in its throat, and—Shwoom!!

Brilliant light shot forth. The beam of heat landed on the street to the west and passed right before Alice's and Nigel's eyes, sweeping over to the street east of the clearing. After the briefest of pauses, a line of tremendous flames erupted from the ground toward the sky. Engulfed, the goblins shrieked and screamed as the force of the eruption threw them off their feet.

The dragon's breath had dispatched over two dozen attackers all at once, simultaneously evaporating the water of the fountain in the center of town and turning it into a cloud of steam. Amayori skimmed over the vapor as Alice gave the order to wait, then glanced behind her. Nigel Barbossa was back on the paving stones in terror, his beady eyes bulging.

Barbossa: Wh...wha...? A d...d...d-d-drag...?!

The middle-aged man's pudgy cheeks quivered pathetically. Just then, the steam gave way to reveal Rulid's men-at-arms sprinting forward, wearing matching leather armor. The timing of the order to retreat had paid off in the end, as while the dozen or so guards had wounds here and there, none of them seemed too serious. Admirably, the large chief named Zink was running in the very back row. When he noticed that the clearing was empty, he was stunned.

Zink: Wh-where did the villagers go?! Didn't I tell them to shore up our defenses back here?!

Alice: I sent them into the southern forest.

Alice answered, and he blinked as if finally noticing her presence. Once he had looked her up and down from head to toe, he gasped.

Zink: Are you...Alice...? Why are you...?

Alice: I don't have time to explain. Is this all the men-at-arms? There are no stragglers left behind?

Zink: N...no, there shouldn't be...

Alice: Then I want you all to join them and escape. And take Mr. Barbossa there with you.

Zink: B-but...they're nearly upon—

Before he could even finish his sentence, the open space rumbled with a fierce growl.

Goblin: Gee-heeee! Where are they?! Where have the miserable white Iums run off to?!

Charging through the vapor mist into the clearing was a group of goblins wearing crude armor of metal plating, wielding barbaric blades like hunks of steel, and sporting long feathers on their heads. They were apparently from a different tribe than the ones who'd been burned by Amayori's flames along the side roads—a bit bigger and better built.

Alice sized up the demi-humans and put her hand on the hilt of her sword. The dragon couldn't use its flame twice in a row. Alice would have to fight them off by herself until Amayori could restock its flame elements. One of the goblins noticed Alice in her golden armor and turned its greedy yellow eyes with all their cruelty and avarice upon her.

Goblin: Gee-hee!! An Ium woman! Kill her! Kill and eat her!!

It swung its sword with freakishly long arms, sending the other creatures racing straight for her. Alice waited as they approached.

Alice(mind): What incredible power I've been gifted. Almost as though my entire existence is a sin. This Integrity Knight's body.

Goblin: Giyaaaa!!

A thick machete came leaping toward her, but Alice neatly and efficiently blocked it with her left hand. It left a dull impact on her bare palm, but her bones didn't break; her skin didn't even split. She grabbed the lead weapon in her fingers and crumpled it as if it were made of thin ice.

Before the twisted shards of metal could even fall to the ground, her other hand had the Osmanthus Blade loose, swiping sideways through the goblin's body. The golden breeze of the sword caught the handful of goblins behind it, too, eliminating the heavy block of water vapor in the air, too. The four hostiles looked around with their yellow eyes, uncertain of what had just happened until, without a word, their upper and lower halves separated and fell to the ground.

She took a step back to avoid the sprays of blood that erupted a moment later.

Alice(mind): You were wrong, Administrator. You concentrated all this power into just thirty-one knights and turned us into your puppets. In doing so, you had the collective power that should have gone to all the people of the realm in the palm of your hand instead. But such a grotesque power misleads the one who wields it and those around them. You were consumed by a power that was too great and became something no longer human...

With the pontifex now dead, there was no way to rectify that mistake. So if she could at least use this power to the utmost, for the sake of others, then it was what she would do. She would fight not as an Integrity Knight of the church but as an individual swordswoman, of her own free mind and will. Just as those two brave warriors had done.

Alice's closed eye flew open as she paused at the end of her swing. At the same moment, the impromptu defensive line built at the north end of the clearing was splintered into pieces from the other side.

The main invasion force plunged through, filling the wide main street from end to end. There were at least fifty goblins and a smaller number of much larger orcs bearing tridents, their round bodies covered in thick metal armor.

At the sight of their flashing yellow eyes and the sound of their roars of hatred and greed, Zink and his guards and Nigel Barbossa all let out desperate wails. But Alice's mind was calm.

She wasn't simply relying on her battle ability as an Integrity Knight. Even a knight would suffer if so many spears managed to surround and pierce them. It was one new piece of understanding that was giving Alice her power.

Alice: I'm about to fight for a cause that I accepted and wanted. To protect my sister, my parents. And... I will fight to protect the people of the Human Empire Zora and Eugeo tried to preserve.

She could practically feel that lingering self-doubt and powerlessness evaporating inside her, engulfed in the blast of that pure white light. The light raced throughout her body, eventually gathering in the eye hidden behind her black bandage and giving off an incredible heat.

Alice:......!

A fierce pain shot from her eye socket through the back of her head, causing her to grit her teeth. But this pain was old, familiar, and almost like a long-lost friend. With her left hand, she grabbed the scrap of cloth that crossed her head and ripped it loose.

Her right eyelid, which had remained closed for nearly half a year, now lifted. In the middle of her darkened vision, red light was spreading and pulsing, until it turned into a flickering flame. The sight of the burning houses from her good eye overlapped the image until the discrepancy eventually dissolved—and the image became whole.

With both eyes, she looked down at the black cloth in her free hand. The bandage, faded from repeated washing, was a piece of Zora's clothing that he had ripped loose for her. It had protected her right eye for months after the seal had blown it out of her head, and just now, its life had been exhausted. The cloth began to vanish into thin air, starting at one end. Watching the precious, delicate scene play out helped Alice understand.

She thought she'd been protecting and caring for Zora for the past months, after he'd lost his mind and arm. But she was the one who'd truly been under protection.

Alice:...Thank you, Zora.

She whispered, pressing the black cloth to her lips just before it could vanish entirely.

Alice: I'm...all right now. I'm sure I'll still be uncertain. I'll worry and come close to falling apart...but I'm going to move forward. For you, and for what I seek.

As the scrap vanished, she looked up. With her improved vision, she could see nearly a hundred goblins and orcs roaring and charging into the open space. To the rear, she heard the sound of the guards and Nigel Barbossa running away. There was no fear in Alice's heart as she faced the enemy army by herself. She sucked in a lungful of scorching air and shouted.

Alice: I am Alice, knight of the human realm! As long as I am here, you will not find the blood and slaughter that you crave! Go back through the cave and return to your lands!

The goblins running at the lead slowed down just a bit, as though blown back by the force of her ringing statement. But then an especially large orc at the middle of the pack, apparently their commander, lifted his two-handed ax and roared back.

Morikka: Graaaah! Morikka the Foot Harvester will make quick work of one little white Ium girl!!

His roar emboldened the goblins once again. They washed forward like a black wave. Alice tensed in preparation.

Alice: Amayori!

She shouted, and a huge shadow plunged from the sky above. It didn't have enough accumulated fire elements to use its fire breath again just yet, but it did intimidate the enemies with its size and tremendous cry as it flew so close to the ground, it nearly clipped their heads. The creatures were even more rattled than they'd been before.

Determined not to lose her advantage, Alice brandished the Osmanthus Blade high overhead and shouted.

Alice: Enhance Armament!!

It was the first time in half a year—and merely an initiation of an abbreviated version of Perfect Weapon Control—but the sword obeyed her anyway. With a crisp, clear, ringing sound, the golden blade split into countless tiny pieces, reflecting the light of the fire as they danced up into the air.

Alice: Storm and churn, my flowers!

With a buzzing rush, the golden petal blizzard pelted down on the enemy. The first fountain of blood rose from Morikka, the orc leader. Numerous
little flowers pierced his body, wiping out his life and sending him falling straight backward with a terrible crash. The other orcs around him wailed and prostrated themselves.

The Osmanthus Blade was one of the greatest divine weapons, born from the oldest tree in the world, which grew at the center of the human realm. Like its other name of everlasting eternity implied, Perfect Weapon Control could split the weapon into hundreds of flower petals, and each one had a priority level that was equal to one or more famed master blades. You couldn't block them with simple cast-iron armor.

With their main force and leader lost in an instant, the other invaders quickly lost spirit. The speed of their charge slowed until they came to a stop about ten mels into the clearing. The goblins in the very front row couldn't decide whether they wanted to give in to desire or fear, so Alice swung the sword in her right hand one more time. The weapon's hundreds of petals scattered through the air, lining up into a strict grid pattern between her and the enemy army. Alice stared down the demi-humans through the sparkling golden fence and quietly announced.

Alice: This is the wall that separates the human realm from the dark lands. Dig up the cave if you will, but as long as we knights live and breathe, you will not be allowed to defile this land! Now choose—come forward and drown in a sea of your own blood or back away and flee to your land of darkness!!

It took less than five seconds for the goblin in the lead to turn the other way.

(Timeskip)

A pleasant chorus of hammer strikes rose up into the stark winter sky. Alice put a hand to her forehead and glanced across the barley fields at the jutting silhouette of Rulid.

A week had passed since the invasion by the army of darkness. Many of the homes on the northern side of the village had burned down, but because the elder ordered that almost the entire village put their callings on hold to work on construction, the rebuilding was proceeding quickly. Sadly, twenty- one villagers had been too slow to escape and had lost their lives. Three days ago, there had been a ceremony at the church to mourn them all.

Alice was asked to join in the funeral, and after it was over, she rode on her dragon to inspect the northern cave. The long cavern, which Bercouli had ordered sealed, had been excavated to a width large enough for a burly orc to fit through comfortably, and the part that was closest to the Dark Territory showed signs of a longtime camping area.

The invaders hadn't opened up the entire length of the cave in a night. They must've sent in a team of engineers from the dark side and then resealed that end. When Eldrie checked on the status of the cave, he had no idea that behind the cave mouths, a team of goblins was already inside and working on reopening both ends.

It was a level of tenacity and prudence that was unthinkable from goblins and orcs in the past. Just this one incident alone made it clear that this was not at all like the simple scouting raids that used to happen time and again.

Rather than recollapsing the cave mouths, Alice temporarily blocked the brook that flowed from the center, where the white dragon made its nest. Once the cave was flooded, she unleashed the multitude of frost elements she'd prepared, sealing the cave with ice rather than rock.

Now, unless an arts caster on Alice's level used heat elements to melt the ice, no one would be able to pass through. Alice looked from Rulid back to the snowcapped mountains in the distance and attached the last sack she had to Amayori's left leg.

Selka: Um...Sister?

Selka asked, who'd been helping her pack for the journey with a brave and unfaltering smile.

Selka: Father...wanted to see you off, too. He's seemed absent all day, ever since he woke up. I'm... I'm sure that deep down, he was happy that you came home. Please, I want you to believe that.

Alice: I understand that, Selka.

Alice whispered, hugging her sister's little body.

Alice: I left the village as a criminal and came back as an Integrity Knight. But the next time...if I finish all my duties, I will come back as Alice Zuberg. And then I'm sure I'll be able to say, 'I'm home, Father,' like I should.

Selka:...Yes. I'm sure that day will come.

Selka said with a sob, looking up and rubbing at her face with the sleeve of her habit. Then she turned to the black-haired young man sitting in a nearby wheelchair and energetically told him.

Selka: Be well, too, Zora. Get better soon, so you can help my sister.

The young nun put her hands around his downturned head, made the sign of blessing, and stepped back a few paces. Alice approached Zora, gently took away the swords he was holding, and placed them in the sack fixed to Amayori's saddle. Next, she easily lifted the slight young man and sat him on the front part of the saddle.

She'd considered leaving Zora behind in the village and asking Selka to take care of him. If she headed for the Eastern Gate, where the real battle against the forces of darkness would commence, Alice would be overcome with duties as one of the guardians of the human army. She wouldn't be able to care for Zora all day long like she did now.

Even still, she decided to take him along. The night of the attack last week, Zora had taken his sword and tried to go to the village. He still had the will inside of him to fight for others. It only made sense that the key to getting his old self back would be at the battle to protect the human realm. She would tie him to her own back with ropes if that was what it took to protect him. Alice embraced her beloved sister one more time.

Alice:...Well, I should get going, Selka.

Selka: I know. Take care...and make sure you come back, Sister.

Alice: I promise. And...say good-bye to Old Man Garitta for me, too. Be well...and study hard.

Selka: I will. I'll be a good and proper holy woman...and then...one day...

Selka couldn't finish her sentence. She put on a brave smile, her face crinkled and tearstained. Alice caressed her head, then let go and walked over to her dragon, feeling her reluctance to go, and got onto the rear of the saddle, behind Zora.

She nodded down to her sister, then turned her gaze to the blue sky. With a light crack of the reins, the dragon began bounding powerfully through the barley field, scarcely affected by the weight of two humans and three swords.

Alice(mind): One day, I would return back to these village.

Even if she fell in battle, at least her heart would come back. Alice brushed aside the droplets stuck in her eyelashes and barked.

Alice: Hah!

She felt weightless as the dragon left the ground. Amayori caught the updraft, circling as it raced up into the sky. She burned the images into her mind: vast fields and forest, Rulid with its brand-new roofs sparkling in the sun, Selka racing after her with both arms waving. Alice tapped the dragon's neck, directing it to the east.

(Timeskip)

Even Takeru Higa, who was well aware of his first-class genius status, couldn't have predicted the various events of the last two hours. But what was playing out before his eyes at the present moment was by far the most shocking of them all. A delicate girl, only eighteen years old, was lifting a man six inches taller than her by his collar. His flashy Hawaiian shirt was stretched enough to tear, and the soles of his sandals hung in the air. As she glared at Lieutenant Colonel Seijirou Kikuoka with radiant fury, Kotone Takamiya's shapely lips formed a razor-sharp ultimatum.

Kotone: If Sora doesn't wake up, I'll make sure you regret it!

From Higa's position, the lenses of Kikuoka's black-framed glasses reflected the lights in the ceiling, so he couldn't make out the man's expression. But the Self-Defense Force officer, who was a black belt in both judo and kendo, swallowed as though intimidated by her threat. He lifted up his hands in a sign of surrender.

Kikuoka: I know, I know. And as it is my responsibility, I will absolutely see that Sora is restored.

A tense silence filled the gloomy sub-control room. Neither Higa, sitting before the control console, nor Rinko Koujiro, who stood next to him, nor any of the other Rath staffers in the room could speak a word before the overwhelming force of the youngest person present. In the back of Higa's mind, he recognized that she was indeed a true survivor of life-and-death battle.

Eventually, Kotone slackened her grip. Finally free, Kikuoka nearly fell to the floor, exhaling heavily. The girl faltered, too. Rinko leaped forward, white coat flapping, to put a hand on her back for support. The physicist, who was Higa's friend and mentor from their college seminar, clutched Kotone to her chest and murmured.

Rinko: It's all right. I promise you it'll be all right. He'll definitely come back to you.

Kotone's tension finally broke, and her face crumpled.

Kotone:......Yes, of...of course. I'm sorry... I went too far...

Tears formed at the corners of her eyes; she hadn't cried even during the attack. Rinko gently rubbed them away. The mood in the room eased up at last, only for the tension to return when the sliding door opened manually. Lieutenant Nakanishi raced inside.

His white shirt was stained with sweat and dust, and the grip of his large pistol was visible in the shoulder holster. He glanced at the women first, then found Kikuoka in the back and said.

Nalanishi: Report, sir! Primary and secondary pressure-resistant barriers are closed, and noncombatant evacuation to stern block is confirmed complete!

Kikuoka strode forward, fixing his collar.

Kikuoka: Thank you. How long will the barriers hold?

Nakanishi: Well...it depends on what they brought with them, but they are indestructible to small firearms. If they've got circular saws, you're looking at no less than eight hours to penetrate. They could break through with explosives...but I doubt that's an option. After all, the center barrier is very close to...

Kiukoka: The Lightcube Cluster.

Kikuoka finished, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He stopped to think, then lifted his head and looked around the cramped Subcon room.

Kikuoka: Let's get a picture of the situation. Lieutenant Nakanishi, give me a casualty report.

Nakanishi: Sir! Three minor injuries to researchers on the civilian project team, recovering in the stern medical bay. Two heavy and two minor injuries to our combatants. They are also recovering, nothing life-threatening. Including the two who sustained minor injuries, we have six sailors in battle condition.

Kikuoka: It's a damn fortunate turn of events not to have any deaths, for all that fighting... Next, damage report on the ship.

Nakanishi: Control room on the bilge dock is Swiss cheese, sir. No way to open or close it remotely. Same for the corridor from the dock to Main Control, but it's more scratched than anything. The real trouble is that the main power line has been cut... Our power's still stable because it's coming through auxiliary lines, but if we don't reactivate the control systems, we can't rotate the screws.

Kikuoka: We're like a turtle without fins—and with a shark clinging to its belly.

Nakanishi: Yes, sir. All twelve sectors of the lower shaft and the bilge dock are under enemy control.

Nakanishi's chiseled features twisted in frustration. While his hair was close-cropped, Kikuoka had longer bangs like a teacher. The superior officer rested on top of the nearby console and let his wooden geta sandals dangle from his toes.

Kikuoka: So they've got Main Control, STL Room One, and even the nuclear reactor... I guess the silver lining is that they don't seem to be intent on destruction.

Nakanishi: You...think so, sir?

Kikuoka: If they just wanted to destroy this facility, they didn't need a sub and a grand infiltration plan; they could've just shot it up with cruiser missiles or torpedoes. So the question now is, who are these people? Any thoughts, Higa?

Higa blinked, not expecting to have the conversation thrown his way. Eventually, he was able to get his brain running again after the shock of their recent experience.

Higa: Ah. Right. Um...

Higa murmured unhelpfully. He turned to his console, grabbed the mouse, and opened up the ship's security camera footage on the large monitor. The video clip was dark and unclear, so he stopped it at a random point and adjusted the brightness and contrast. It brought into focus a group of figures moving through the ship interior in a crouching position. They wore black combat suits and helmets with multifunction goggles that covered the top half of their faces, and they carried menacing assault rifles.

Higa:...So as you can see, they've got no flags or other identifying features anywhere on their helmets or suits. The color and shape of their gear isn't official military hardware of any country on Earth. The rifles look like Steyrs, but those are everywhere... About the only thing I can estimate is that, based on their average size, I don't think they're Asian.

Kikuoka: So at the very least, they're not our country's special forces. What a relief.

Kikuoka deadpanned. He scratched his chin, his normally gentle eyes narrowed and hard as he stared at the monitor.

Kikuoka: There's one more thing we can tell... These people know about the existence of Project Alicization.

Higa agreed.

Higa: Yes, that would be true. They came in from the bilge dock and raced straight up for Main Control. They've got to be after the STL...No, they're after the true bottom-up artificial intelligence, A.L.I.C.E.

That meant they'd had a very serious, long-term information leak. But Higa didn't say that out loud, and he suppressed the urge to examine the faces of every last Rath employee in Subcon, choosing to be optimistic instead.

Higa: Fortunately, we did lock Maincon up in time. In other words, I made it so they can't directly interface with the Underworld—much more reliable than just smashing the console. They can't interfere with the simulation or eject the lightcube containing Alice's fluctlight from the cluster.

Kikuoka: But the same goes for us, doesn't it?

Higa: Sure does. We can't perform any operations requiring admin access here in Subcon, either. It's impossible to eject Alice's lightcube from the outside, either at Main or here... Doesn't that mean we've essentially won, Kiku? They can't access the cluster either physically or electronically, and once our defense ship cruises in with backup, those punks are toast!

Kikuoka: I'm not sure what makes them toast... but you've actually hit on the problem.

Kikuoka said, frowning. He asked Nakanishi.

Kikuoka: Will Asahi come for us?

Nakanishi: Well...sir...

Nakanishi replied, lines deepening around his stern jaws.

Nakanishi: Asahi has orders from fleet command in Yokosuka to maintain its present distance and remain on standby. Command seems to think we've been taken hostage by the attackers.

Higa: Wha...?

Higa gaped, his jaws open.

Higa: Hostage?! But all the crew evacuated to this side of the barrier, right?!

Kikuoka said calmly.

Kikuoka: I suspect those men in black have a channel to the top brass of the SDF. Asahi left the side of the Ocean Turtle at eight hundred hours, six hours before their attack. By the time Asahi gets the order to engage, they'll already have secured Alice's lightcube. Of course, they probably have a time limit of their own...

Higa: So those guys definitely aren't garden-variety terrorists, then. That's bad...If they've got experts, they might actually be able to figure out the trick to recovering Alice...

Kikuoka: An operation from within the Underworld, you mean...? They've got the first STL room under control, and you can perform the eject command from the virtual console within the Underworld...

Rinko: What happens if you make that command?

Rinko Koujiro asked. Higa made a gesture with his hands.

Higa: The corresponding cube will be extracted from the Lightcube Cluster in the center of the main shaft and sent to the requested control room through the air tubes. That's where it can be retrieved.

He pointed at a square hatch in the corner of the console desk and looked at the door on the wall behind it. The aluminum alloy door had a small metal plate screwed into it. The letters engraved on the plate said STL ROOM TWO.

On the other side of the door were two Soul Translators. One of them was under supervision by the nurse Sergeant First Class Natsuki Aki—it contained a young man. He'd played a major role in Project Alicization since the early stages and was now practically responsible for the outcome of the project itself: Sora Yatagami. Kikuoka looked forward once more, folded his arms, and said heavily.

Kikuoka: Once again, our final hope rests with him...Higa, how is Sora's condition?

There was an intake of breath, and Higa looked at Kotone Takamiya, who was still being held upright by Rinko. Their eyes met. She was the girlfriend of Sora, aka Zora. How could he explain the present situation? While it was hoarse, her voice was firm.

Kotone: I'm fine. Please, tell me the truth.

Higa took a deep breath, exhaled.

Higa: Summed up as briefly as possible...he's holding steady one step short of the worst-case scenario... Miss.

Higa said, trying to soften the blow. He grabbed the mouse and took down the still image of the attackers, opening a new window instead. This one displayed a colorful, three- dimensional graph that swayed and rolled gently.

Higa: This is a visualization of Sora's fluctlight.

He explained. Everyone in the room stared at the screen in silence.

Higa: In Tokyo, one week ago, he was injected with a muscle relaxant and fell into cardiac arrest. He did survive, fortunately, but he suffered brain damage...technically, fluctlight-network damage. It's something that existing neural medicine finds very difficult to treat, but there is the possibility of recovery with the STL. So we put Sora into the STL without any limitations, hoping it would prompt the growth of a new network and restore his fluctlight to wholeness.

He took a breath and grabbed a bottle of mineral water off the desk, quenching his dry throat after the unfamiliar act of continual talking.

Higa: In order to make use of this treatment, he needed to dive into the Underworld. It won't take hold unless the fluctlight is active the same way it is in the real world. So like we did when he went on a test dive at the Rath office in Roppongi, we blocked his memories and dumped him into the outer regions of the Underworld...or we tried to. For reasons that remain unclear, probably having to do with the damage to his fluctlight, his memories weren't blocked. Zora was sent into the Underworld as himself—Sora Yatagami. And we didn't know this until we received his contact from within the simulation...

Rinko: W-wait a moment. Are you saying that in the Underworld, with time accelerated, he's been living as himself, as Yatagami? For...how many months...?

Higa:...About two and a half years.

Higa's answer caused Kotone to twitch in Rinko's arms. It was a shocking thing for her to hear, no doubt, but he had to trust in her earlier reassurance.

Higa: For all that time, Sora's been around artificial fluctlights in the Underworld. And probably with the knowledge that they are bound to be erased with the conclusion of the current simulation... So he would have headed for the console that makes contact to the real world, which is located in the center of the Underworld, where the first village was installed. To ask you. Kiku to protect all the Fluctlights.

Higa glanced sidelong at Kikuoka, whose glasses reflected the graph on the screen he was reading. The researcher turned back to Rinko and Kotone.

Higa:...It couldn't have been an easy task. The console was incorporated into the base of a ruling organization known as the Axiom Church. The fluctlights belonging to the church have absolute numerical superiority, far beyond any common citizen's, which is what Sora was assigned to be. Normally, he should have died soon after infiltrating the church and gotten logged out of the Underworld... but instead, he survived. I couldn't check the event log while the attack was going on, but it turned out that he had a number of helpers—artificial fluctlights, of course...He had friends. Most of them died in the battle against the church, but when he finally succeeded in opening the circuit to the outside, he was strongly blaming himself. In other words, he was attacking his own fluctlight. Just then, our shady attackers cut the power line, and the momentary power surge caused an instant spike in the STL's output. The result was that Sora's self- destructive impulse was actualized...and his ego was deactivated...

Rinko: What do you mean...his ego was deactivated?

Rinko asked. Higa turned to the console.

Higa: Take a look at this.

His fingers flew across the keyboard, enlarging the real-time graph of Sora Yatagami's fluctlight activity. At the center of the erratically undulating rainbow-colored cloud, there was a small, persistent void, like a dark nebula.

Higa: Unlike a fluctlight contained in a lightcube, a human being's organic fluctlight is still far from being fully understood, but we've still got a pretty rough map of the structure. The part here, at this black hole, is what should normally contain the subject...the self-image.

Rinko: Meaning...the actualization of the self, as determined by the individual?

Higa: That's right. When we express our will, it happens through simple yes/no logic pathways in the fluctlight: whether I will or will not do this thing in this situation. For example, Rinko, have you ever ordered seconds at a beef-bowl restaurant?

Rinko:...I haven't.

Higa: Even if you wanted to or thought you had the room?

Rinko: Correct.

Higa: So that was the result spit out by your self-image pathways. Virtually none of our decision-making leads to proper action unless it happens through those circuits. In Sora's case, the majority of his fluctlight is unharmed. But because the area in question isn't functioning, he cannot process exterior input, and he cannot output his own actions. I would guess that all he's capable of is...reactions, things based on traces of familiar, rote memories. Eating, sleeping, things of that nature.

Rinko bit her lip, considering this for a moment. Then she whispered.

Rinko: And...what is the status of his conscious mind right now?

Higa:...I'm afraid to say...

Higa started to answer, then paused and looked away.

Higa: He might not be aware of who he is, or what he should be doing... unable to say or do anything...

Yet again, silence filled every inch of the melancholy control room.