Yami, Kirito and Eugeo enter the arena was greeted by a blond-haired woman with blue eyes wearing golden armor, a blue cape, white leather boots, and a white skirt. She looked serious and professional while Yami, Kirito and Eugeo were in their world.

Kirito: Wrong if she is one of the integrity knights. However, where did I see that face before...? Hmm...

Eugeo: Alice... is that you?

He held out his right hand to reach for the knight's shoulder only to be smacked by the knight's sword sheath, knocking him to the ground.

Kirito: Eugeo! What did you do that?

Alice: Watch what you say and do. I'm authorized to decrease your lives by 70 percent. The next time you try to touch me without permission, I will cut off your hand.

Yami: I'm sorry for my friend's rude behavior toward you, Miss Knight. I'll make sure he won't get near you without permission!

Alice: Hmm, for a criminal, you seem pretty discipline, unlike your friend.

Yami smiled, then helped Eugeo back on his feet and whispered into his ear when he noticed his friend about to do something again.

Yami: Calm down, Eugeo. If you don't want to die, just do as she told. Even if it's as criminals, as long as we get inside the Central Cathedral, we should understand the situation a little bit better.

Kirito: I don't know what happened to her, but she looks different than Eugeo told me. Something must happen to her inside the tower.

Alice: Come with me. Elite Disciple Eugeo, Elite Disciple Kirito, Elite Disciple Yami, For running afoul of the Taboo Index, you will now be apprehended, taken in, questioned, and executed.

Yami: Well, shit.

——

After wrapping the restraints around Yami, Kirito and Eugeo's arms, chest, and waist, Alice went outside and connected their backs into a gigantic, silver dragon with triangular scales adorning its entire body; Amayori, Alice's personal dragon.

Yamk: Not too tight, Lady Knight. I hate being tied by someone other than my girls.

Alice glared at the white-haired boy and did the opposite by tightening the leather strap around his body.

Yami: Ouch! I'm sorry if you are not into that kind of thing.

Alice ignored him and climbed on Amayori's back, ready to take off. Yami, Kirito and Eugeo turned their head when they heard a pair of footsteps and something being dragged on the ground and saw it was none other than their disciple, Ronye and Tiese, carrying Blue Rose Sword and Night Sky Sword with them.

Eugeo: Tiese!

Yami and Kirito: Ronye!!

Alice jumped from Amayori's back and stood in front of Tiese and Ronye as the girls immediately fell to their knees in front of Alice.

Tiese: L-Lady Knight! W-We have a request!

Ronye: Please permit us to return these swords to our masters!

Alice just looked at the two of them and took both of the swords from them.

She bowed her head after staring down at the girls for a while.

Alice: Fine. However, I cannot allow criminals to carry swords. I'll hold onto them.

She took the Blue Rose Sword in her right hand and the Night Sky Sword in her left before facing them again.

Alice: If you wish to speak with them, I'll allow one minute.

Ronye and Tiese smiled and went to their respective mentor, while Alice returned to the dragon and stashed the weapons in the storage bag from which she had removed the handcuffs.

Yami: Yo. Hehe... we're sorry for being a lousy mentor to you. Because of us, you and Tiese might have to repeat the grade or something.

Ronye: No! You have nothing to be sorry for, Kirito-senpai!! Yami-senpai! This is our fault... if you, Kirito-senpai and Eugeo-senpai didn't have to come to save us none of this would have happened.

Yami: No. You and Tiese did the right thing in helping your friend in a pinch. Despite your fear, you remained firm against Raios and Humbert. I'm proud of both you and Tiese. You are what nobles should be, actually care for people.

Ronye is about to weep, but she pushes back her emotions and tearfully places a small paper bag in Yami and Kirito's shackled hands.

Ronye: Um... this is a lunch for you. If you get hungry, please eat.

Kirito: we will. Thanks for the meal.

Yami then looked at Eugeo and saw he had finished talking with Tiese. He then locked eyes with Tiese and saw her approach him next.

Yami: Hey are you finish your talk with Eugeo?

Tiese: Yes...

The two fell silent for a few seconds, unsure of what to say. Knowing Eugeo, he must've already talked to her about yesterday's thing, leaving him with nothing.

Yami: So...

Tiese: Next time... Next time, I'll save you and Eugeo-senpai. I'll work hard to become an Integrity Knight and then save you and Eugeo-senpai! So please, wait for me, all right?

Yami nodded and grinned. Amayori's wings then suddenly fluttered, causing a tremendous blast of wind and drawing everyone's attention.

Alice: Time's up. Step away.

Yami: Read the dam atmosphere!!

She whipped the reins, making Amayori flap her wings, pulling Yami, Kirito and Eugeo's chains upward, and lifting them. Tiese and Ronye took a few steps backward as the dragon began to soar away and carry Yami, Kirito and Eugeo to the Central Cathedral.

(Meanwhile back at IRL)
(July 6, 2027 7:15AM Ocean Turtle)

Meanwhile, back in the real world, Sachi and Asuna looked at Yami, who kneeling on the floor with the machine STL connected to him, with a sad expression.

Sachi: Yami...

She reminisced about the good old days when Yami would always cheer her up following an exhausting Floor Boss in Sword Art Online battle or when Yami asked her out on dinner when they had nothing to do.

Both girls sighed and headed to the main room to meet with Rinko and others to discuss their following action. They climbed the stairs while deep in thought and slow to notice someone coming down the stairs from above.

Asuna: Oh, sorry.

She walked to the left, and the other person continued down the hall without saying anything. She snapped back to reality when she heard footsteps that were not human-like, and she whirled around to see a robot passing by her.

Asuna: A-A robot?

Sachi: who created it?

The robot abruptly came to a halt and proceeded to walk backward toward Asuna, startling the chestnut brown-haired young lady. Asuna was then inspected by the robot, forcing her to retreat away before finding her back against the stairway wall.

???: Hey! Knock it off, Ichiemon!

Asuna and Sachi relaxed when Higa came to her rescue and was curious about his relationship with the robot. He seems to know the robot's identity.

Sachi: H-Higa... What is this?

Higa: Er, well... it's Ichiemon. Its official name is Electroactive Muscled Operative Machine or EMOM. I added "Ichi" as in the number one, so...Ichiemon, kay?

Asuna: And... what is this Ichiemon doing here?

Higa: Well, actually—

Rinko: Higa's just helping me tune my program. Even though we're not colleagues in college seminars anymore.

Rinko answered Asuna's and Sachi's question while descending down the stairs.

Rinko: Good morning, Asuna, Sachi.

Asuna: Good morning, Rinko.

Sachi: Good morning, Rinko.

After saying their greetings, they returned to the laboratory.

[Date: May 25, Year 380, Human Era Calendar
Location: Central Cathedral, Underground Prison]

Kirito: I think it's been about a day and a half since we were put in here. So feeling a little calmer now?

He asked Eugeo, who lay on the bed to his right. They were held in a dungeon at the Axiom Church after killing those ungrateful nobles whose names were already forgotten.

Eugeo: Somehow... it all seems like a dream. Me slicing off Humbert's arm... Not to mention Raios ending up like that. Now Yami has been separated from us.

Kirito: Don't overthink about it. Yami did most of the work by cutting Raios's wrists/stomping his head and Humbert's heads, and he do not regret doing those things because they deserved it. Anyway, it would be best if you were thinking about what will happen next right now.

Eugeo: What happens next..?

He carefully considered Kirito's words and agreed to let go of his guilt.

Eugeo: You're right, Kirito. We have to break out of this cell somehow and find out what happened to Alice.

Kirito: Yeah. There has to be a way out of here.

He examined the chain that was fastened around his right wrist. He attempted to liberate himself using sacred arts but discovered that this was impossible due to the prison's anti-sacred arts policy.

Eugeo: I wonder if Alice was locked up here, too, eight years ago?

Kirito: I wonder... Maybe. Hey, Eugeo. I want to make sure of something, okay? That Integrity Knight who called herself Alice Synthesis Thirty, there's no question that she's the Alice you've been searching for, right? Our childhood friend, Alice Zuberg?

Eugeo: That voice, that golden hair and those deep blue eyes. I could never forget them. But she just seemed like a totally different person.

Kirito: Well, I still can't recall anything aside from that I was Alice and your childhood friend. However, for a childhood friend, she sure didn't hold back when she hit you. Did you do something stupid before she left the village?

Eugeo: Of course not! I'm not like you!

Kiriyo: okay that's rude. Back to the topic. Does that mean her memories or her mind are being controlled somehow?

Eugeo: But I didn't find any sacred art spell like that in the textbooks.

Kirito: The church's higher-up ranking priests can manipulate life, right? I bet controlling someone's memories is child's play for them...But if that knight really was Alice, they what was that? Two years ago. In the northern cave of Rulid...

Eugeo: Yeah... you told me. That when you left the cave, you heard a voice that sounded like Alice's.

Kirito: I can be wrong, though. However, waiting at the top of the Central Cathedral, huh? It's still so far away... Ahh, I wonder if God exists here. I'd like to strangle that holy neck until I finally get the entire truth!

He pictured Kikuoka's stupid face in his mind. Eugeo chuckled nervously, wondering if his friend was serious or joking.

Eugeo: Come on, you shouldn't insult Stacia while we're inside the church. You don't want divine retribution.

Kirito: I'm not a Stacia or another goddess cult follower, unlike you and others. As far as I recall, I'm still in [REDACTED] religion, where anybody may do anything they want.

Eugeo shook his head, giving up. Kirito grinned and thought of something. He immediately opened the Stacia Window on the chain, and it worked.

Kirito: Bingo! It's no surprise they won't budge no matter how hard we tug! We'll also need a weapon or item that's at least class 38 to break these bonds.

Eugeo: hey umm Kirito.

Kirito: yeah?

Eugeo: There's something that bothered me for a bit.

Kirito: what is it?

Eugeo: do you have some sort of relationship with Yami?

Kirito widen his eyes a he blushes with steam coming out of his ears.

Kirito:*blush* y-yes for years. When did you notice it?

Eugeo: It was when we were still traveling to Zakkaria. One of the nights umm*blush* you two had s-sex...

Kirito: eh!?

Eugeo: also I heard you s-saying; "Breed me, Yami, my king, breed this boy p-pussy."

Kirito:*blush* Yami, I'm gonna kick your ass!!

Eugeo: I started to develop feelings to Yami.

Kirito: you did?

Eugeo: yes because well he helped me along with you, his personality is random, the eyes he has are filled with calm and brings salvation and it actual made feel happy inside. Even Sortilina, Tiese and Ronye had develop feelings towards Yami.

Kirito: I-I see now. Well let's look around the room

Eugeo did the same thing and was shocked. Kirito then looked at the room, trying to find something that could help him but all the room contained was the crude metal beds and an empty waterskin.

Eugeo: No matter how hard you search, there are only the beds, water skins, and chains here.

Kirito: Only the chains...

He locked his gaze on the chain on his right wrist, then on Eugeo's wrist. When he realized what he needed to do, he grinned.

Kirito: Nope, that's not all. We've got two whole sets of these damn chains!

Eugeo: Huh?

Kirito noticed his friend was confused and not convinced, so he sighed and executed his plan. He got on his feet and told Eugeo to follow him. The flaxen-haired boy reluctantly agreed and got off the bed.

Kirito then crossed his and Eugeo's chains into an X pattern. Eugeo realized what Kirito was planning to do and doubted if his plan would work.

Eugeo: Um, Kirito... You're not actually thinking of pulling on them like this, are you?

Kirito: That's right. Since two chains have similar priority levels, pulling on them with our Object Authority Control over 40 should theoretically be the same as them wearing down each other one's life. Hold on tight, okay?

Eugeo remained doubtful but still did what Kirito instructed and grabbed the chain attached to his right wrist with both hands, then squatted a little. On his end, Kirito did the same.

Kirito: Ready, set... go!!

At the same time, the two wrenched on the shackles with all their might. Just like he predicted, the chains' durability value was descending.

Kirito smirked at Eugeo as the flaxen-haired boy groaned in a mix of frustration and joy when the plan worked. The two continued to decrease the chains' life until it hit zero in five minutes while carefully not to wake up the guard.

Kirito: See what I told you~ I'm rarely wrong.

Eugeo: Yeah, yeah.

Kirito: What are you waiting for? Let's go. We're going to save your princess in trouble! The moment we escape the cell, the world will probably turn its back against us, but I'm sure we're unbeatable together. Are you ready to face against the whole world, Eugeo?

Eugeo: Yeah. I know. But I've already made up my mind. I'll even defy the Axiom Church if it means that I can go back to Rulid Village with Alice. To draw my sword and fight, again and again, if that's what it takes. If that Integrity Knight is the real Alice, I will find out why she lost her memories and turn her back into who she was before. That's the most important thing to me. That day we went into the woods with Ronye and Tiese, Yami said so himself, Kirito. That there are things, we have to do even if they're against the law. I finally understand what you meant now.

Kiriyo: I see...

He held out his right fist and continued.

Kirito: Your resolve... couldn't be more precise. Let's make a run for it before the guard comes.

Eugeo: Right!

He nodded and pressed his right fist with Kirito's fist as they both grinned, preparing to stake out their everything for their beloved Alice.

End of Volume