Gabriel's eyes caught in full detail the sight of the young knight in her shining golden armour, standing on the back of the dragon in the distant night sky. Straight, long golden hair. Pure white skin. Blue eyes as cool and crisp as the midwinter sky. In Gabriel's mind, these features perfectly matched the image of the beautifully matured Alicia Clingerman, the very first victim of his desires. He failed to capture Alicia's soul the first time, but now he knew she had returned to take her place in this virtual world.

This time.

This time she would be his. He would take the lightcube that contained her fluctlight and devour it to his heart's content.

As the knight pulled the dragon's reins and flew to the south, Gabriel poured into her a gaze like blue fire. He leaned toward the master skull and rasped an order, quiet but fierce.

Gabriel: All troops, prepare to march. Pugilists in front, then dark knights, nonhumans, and supply, in that order. Proceed south. You must capture that knight, the Priestess of Light, unharmed. The commander of the unit that captures her will be given control over the entirety of the human realm.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

The dust cloud kicked up by the march of the army of darkness was gray against the night sky of the Dark Territory and its red stars.

Commander Bercouli took his eye away from the simple eyeglass made from crystal elements and growled,.

Bercouli: Well, this certainly looks like Vecta's got an obsession with you. He's sending their entire army.

Kitsune: 30,000 if what I'm sensing is correct.

Remarked Kitsune sitting on the ledge they were standing atop.

Kirito: This obsession is very concerning.

Kirito muttered, both he and Kitsune thinking back to right after they were freed from SAO.

Alice: It's certainly a much better outcome than being ignored entirely.

Alice muttered, washing away her nerves with a swig of lukewarm siral water than handing it to Eugeo.

After proceeding about five kilors directly south through the uncharted- at least by inhabitants of the human realm- wastes of the Dark Territory, the guardian army's decoy force took its first break on a small hill.

The guards' morale was high. The dreadful magic the enemy had used on them had been briefly terrifying, but the sacrifice of a signal Integrity Knight had both relieved them and filled them with determination to succeed in his memory.

Bercouli: So about our strategy going forward. The raid unit and I will keep leading the enemy away, and reduce their force's numbers. Does that sound right?

The commander glanced at the others on the hill.

Alice: Yes. We've already annihilated half of the invading forces, which leaves only the enemy's main force of the dark knights and the pugilists. We'll wear them down to a certain point, and if we can defeat the Dark God Vecta, it's highly likely that the remaining enemies will be open to a truce.

Two people arrived and it was Medina and Edith.

Medina: hey sorry we were taking care of Yami for a while.

Kirito: is he okay?

Edith: yes he's okay nothing harmed him.

Alice said as she watched the dust cloud getting closer. Kitsune lifted his arm in the air still gazing over at the approaching army.

Kistune: I think I have another version if master who can deal with this.

Eugeo: who is it?

He snapped his fingers until they heard a dark laugh.

????: finally I'm awake now...

They looked around to see Kitsune's shadow moving around as it moved Kirito's shadows and everyone else until he grabbed the ground and pulled himself up. He's a tall blue hedgehog but then he reveals his face, revealing a black and white glove, an almost eye burning shade of blue for his quills, and long legs we never get to see end. The most noticeable feature is that a shadow covers his entire face except for a single eye

Kitsune: hello there, Cyclops.ISO.

Fanatio: I don't know if I should be impressed or be scared.

Medina: both really, lady Fanatio.

Cyclops: you're lucky it wasn't Fatal Error. His voice is annoying and he's British.

Alter Saber: okay calm down with the whole british jokes, okay?

Cyclops: okay sorry but still kicking his ass.

Alice: he's a what?

Kirito: what until this war is over.

Cyclops: as in right now Vecta has gained some souls that includes the dark knight general Shasta's soul.

Then they saw a couple of explosions at the distance.

Kitsune: seems Ichigo and the rest are having fun.

A moment passed and Eugeo's voice spoke up.

Eugeo: We have incoming.

They snapped around to see something coming.

And fast.

Upon closer examination, the enemy forces that should have been slowly following near the horizon were sending forth a unit of about a hundred that was closing the gap at astonishing speed. It was faster than any cavalry. Alice, Eugeo and Kirito almost thought they were dragon knights, but there were too many of them, and they were clearly marching on foot.

Bercouli: Those are the Pugilists.

Commander Bercouli grumbled next to them.

Eugeo: Pugilists?

Eugeo repeated as he had never encountered any in his lifetime which was fairly understandable considering how different his life has changed since Kirito entered it.

Bercouli: They're going to be a handful. They'll gladly take injuries from a bare fist, but they absolutely refuse to be slashed with a sword."

Kitsune: They sound like an interesting bunch. Maybe I could deal with them since I don't mind fighting barehanded.

Kitsune said, sensing the presence of an army running toward them.

Kirito: But how do they just... refuse to be slashed with a sword?

Kirito asked since refusal and acceptance weren't even a question when it came to a sword.

Bercouli just shrugged.

Bercouli: The more training those pugilists undergo, the more they're convinced 'a blade is nothing to be afraid of.' That becomes their willpower, and they literally harden their physical bodies to deflect any blade."

He makes a motion of a blade hitting the skin with his hands.

Bercouli: Either way, we'll need to prepare ourselves to defend against them.

They all narrowed their eyes at the approaching group.

Suddenly, a woman's quiet voice came from behind them.

????: I shall go.

Alice and Beroucli turned around in shock, their eyes wide at the woman, but Eugeo and Kirito merely turned to the voice not knowing who they were. kept his head in the direction of the incoming Pugilists.

Standing there was the final Integrity Knight that came along with them. She was tall and thin, with a dull and drab set of gray armour. Her dark gray hair was split evenly over her forehead, practically plastered tight to it, and tied into a ponytail behind her neck. Her features were clear and, while not unattractive, utterly emotionless. Like the three younger adults next to Bercouli, she appeared to be around twenty years of age.

Her name was Sheyta Synthesis Twelve. The Divine weapon at her side was the Black Lily Sword.

But she was almost never referred to by the moniker of her weapon. There was a different nickname that the other knights used on the rare occasion that they spoke about her.

She was known as Sheyta the Silent.

It wasn't Sheyta's volunteering to fight the enemy Pugilists alone that had shocked Alice.

It was that she had just heard Sheyta the Silent speak for the very first time.

Kitsune: well how about I join you, can't have all of the fun, Sheyta-chan~

Sheyta: yes, Kitsune. You can join me.

This shocked them more that Sheyta would accept someone to join her.

Bercouli: Am I dreaming?

Kirito: this is gonna be a splash zone!!

Alice: Kirito?

Eugeo: are you okau?

Kirito: I'm totally fine to see Kitsune commit manslaughter!!

———
Iskahn and his group of Pugilists were running through the wastelands of the Dark Territory, their goal was the Integrity Knights- more specifically the Priestess of Light. Iskahn jumped from rock to rock before destroying one with his foot.

Iskahn: Pretty soon, I'll get to fight an Integrity Knight... someone powerful!!

He excitingly told himself as he kept running.

They got a glimpse as they ran further, one of the knights and one other person was standing just ahead of them and Iskahn had one thought going through his head. He was too thin. No, not he- it was a woman. One was a young man with a fox mask. Iskan halted to stop and held up a hand stopping the Pugilists behind him.

His eyebrows, which curled up at the ends like flames, rose as he said.

Iskahn: Who the hell are you? What are you doing there?"

The Knight tilted her head, and betrayed no emotion whatsoever in saying,

Sheyta: I'm here... to keep you from advancing.

Kitsune: really painfully.

Iskahn snorted Tremendously, though it wasn't clear whether it was out of mirth or anger. He shrugged.

Iskahn: You couldn't stop a single child from getting past you. Or let me guess... Are you a knight who also cast arts?

This time, the knight paused just long enough to be irritating.

Sheyta: I am not skilled at sacred arts.

Getting irritated that his finely honed spirit for battle was beginning to wilt, Iskahn spat.

Iskahn: Okay, fine. Whatever.

He gestured to one of his followers.

Iskahn: Yotte, deal with her.

Yotte: Here we go!!"

After another pause, the knight opened her mouth to say.

Sheyta: Just one?

Yotte: That's what I'm saying, you beanpole!

Shouted Yotte, her thick lips curled back in scorn.

Yotte: Shut up and draw your sword!

The knight gripped the hilt of the sword, looking as if she thought even the idea of replying to that taunt was a waste of time. She pulled her weapon loose without much fanfare.

Iskahn: What is that?!

Shouted Iskahn from his vantage point farther away, arms crossed.

It wasn't just thin. If the sheath itself was as thin as a meat skewer, the blade when drawn was barely even a cen across, no thicker than a child's pinky finger. And it was as thin as a sheet of paper and matte black in colour, such that with no light brighter than the stars around, it barely seemed as though there was a weapon there, to begin with.

Scarlet fury rippled across Yotte's face.

Yotte: Think I'm some kind of joke...?

Her feet beat a brief combat dance, more of a tantrum, and the pugilist crossed the gap between them at once. Yotte's fist lunged forward, audibly tearing the air around it. Rather than dodging the punch headed for her face, the knight made to block it with her slender sword.

The resulting sound was high-pitched, like two pieces of metal striking. Orange sparks flashed around them. Suddenly the black needle bent until Yotte's fist continued forward, the knight moved her head to the left dodging the fist.

Without a sound, a split appeared between the middle and ring finger of Yotte's clenched fist. The tear extended from her lower arm to her elbow, then to her biceps and the top of her shoulder. The cut was pristine, absolutely preserving the bone, muscle, and narrow capillaries along its length, until the outer half of Yotte's right arm toppled to the ground. Only then did hot fountains of blood spray like mist from the wound.

Yotte: Aaaaaaaahh!!

Shrieked Yotte. She fell to the ground, clutching her arm.

The knight stood straight again. A brief sigh escaped her lips as Kitsune was not really having it.

Kitsune: well this is getting boring, how about I do the same with your other arm?

So he taken out Yamato and did the same. Without a sound, a split appeared between the middle and ring finger of Yotte's clenched fist. The tear extended from her lower arm to her elbow, then to her biceps and the top of her shoulder. The cut was pristine, absolutely preserving the bone, muscle, and narrow capillaries along its length, until the outer half of Yotte's left arm toppled to the ground.

The blood was spraying as it fell in Kitsune's hair, his clothes and the fox mask.

Kitsune: the fountains of sorrow~

He sees a male Pugilist charging towards him but punched his stomach as he grins when he took out a baseball bat this confused everyone even Sheyta.

Ishakn: the hell is that?

Kitsune: something that you'll soon feel later.

He slams the bat on the man's head, he was on his knee as Kitsune was ready up and slams the bat to the male Pugilists' face as blood and three of his teeth were flown out. Everyone felt the pain that the male Pugilist felt. He grins as he takes out a pistol.

Kitsune: game over.

He blasted the Pugilists' head off as everyone felt a bit fear coming from Kitsune.

Kitsune: so who's next?

———-
Sheyta the Silent did not maintain her silence during her stay in Central Cathedral out of some kind of introverted personality or dislike of interacting with others. Instead, she was utterly focused on avoiding the attention of the other Integrity Knights----ensuring that none of them thought to ask her to train or duel with them. In fact, it was the fear that if she crossed swords with anyone, even Commander Bercouli himself, she might accidentally cut off his head that made Sheyta choose to live out her time at the Cathedral, over a hundred years, in absolute silence.

Sheyta was a true savant of the sword, synthesized following her victory in the Four Empire Unification Tournament. But the results of that year's tournament had been struck from the record. It had been covered up, because instead of stopping at the last possible moment, as custom dictated was most appropriate and graceful, Sheyta had slain every last opponent she'd fought.

Long ago the Administrator told Sheyta to get a plant from a battlefield in the Dark Territory to test the mastery of spatial sacred power, which all who wielded the sacred arts now considered to be common sense.

Quinella: You will go to that place alone and look for something in the battlefield. Some kind of living magical beast that would have avoided the slaughter that unfolded there. If not magical, then some kind of large animal. A bird or an insect at minimum. I just want something that has absorbed that spatial power. If you find it for me, I will create a divine weapon from it, just for you. The highest priority sword you could imagine. Capable of cutting anything...

After three days and three nights of searching, she finally found a single black lily waving limply in the wind. It was the only object that had the ability to absorb spatial resources that had survived the battle.

Administrator generated a sword with the thinnest and smallest blades from that flower and gave it the name of the Black Lily Sword.

The next year, Sheyta was challenged to a duel by another Integrity Knight, whom she killed with that sword. By her own request, she was put into a long, long sleep.

She could not place why she came along with the decoy unit, the mystery was eating away at her. Maybe... Did she want to protect the realm, as the other knights did? Or did she just want to cut enemies? Perhaps she really wanted them to cut her?

She heard about Yami and the situation he was in. She might not known him for the longest time but being around his presence she felt warm like a cozy fireplace in a cold winter.

She sees the eyes on him and saw the pain and sadness that he was losing his hope as she heard that he killed his older brother. She heard that he purified the Administrator of Quinella.

She thought if he could purify the coldness within her. She was also was confused why Yami's inner hollow/demon was acting like a mad man. She wondered if he fought her at full power maybe she would been defeated as Yami was much more powerful that even Quinella could barely make a scratch on him.

Sheyta raised her head and glanced at the frozen, shocked pugilists.

The gray Knight Raised her slender black sword and plunged into the midst of a hundred enemies without a moment's hesitation. Kitsune who takes out a knife was created a wave of energy taking out another hundred enemies with a grin on his face.

———
Alter Saber: Is this normal for her?

Alter Saber asked not even facing the battle.

Bercouli: Yes.... Just between us, when we pulled her out of Deep Freeze six months ago, I was actually a bit scared."

Alice: I had no idea that Sheyta was capable of such things...

Alice mumbled watching the battle- no it couldn't be called that.

Below them, Integrity Knight Sheyta was simply severing every living thing. Her sword, so thin its shape was almost difficult to make out, whipped left and right, each high pitched zip easily cutting off another arm or leg of whatever enemy happened to be nearby.

Eugeo: I'm more shocked about Kitsune. He looks crazy with this battle if you even call that.

Alter Saber: Not a single ounce of hostility coming from her. That's actually frightening given her fighting style.

Alter Saber commented watching the knight easily swing her sword around the group of hundred.

Bercouli: Don't think about it. I've known her for over a hundred years and I still have no idea what she's and Kitsune are thinking. No clue.

the commander grunted. He turned his back.

Bercouli: It's fine if we leave this to them. The enemy's main force will catch up soon. We have to get ready for their attack.

Alice: Yes, sir.

Alice said. Most of them tore their gaze away from the massacre down below. Eugeo who was thinking about Kitsune who was the inner demon of Yami.

Eugeo: is Kitsune in some sort of way that Yami is releasing the frustration, sadness, and madness that he was suppressing?

Then he realize that Kitsune is suppressed and not using any transformations which shocked him.

Eugeo: how was he suppressed? Wait that means....Yami is in the vegetable state and this suppressed him!!

——-

A shadowy figure moved silently, despite the full-body metal armour in unreflective black and the helmet with demonic horns. It headed for a young guardsman from the Human Guardian Army who was ceaselessly glancing left to right- but never over his shoulder. There should have been other guards looking in that direction.

The shadow slid closer, remaining in the guard's blind spot. There was an excellent longsword hanging from its waist, but it remained there as the figure lifted a tiny dagger.

The figure's left hand reached forward, a black serpent, and covered the guard's mouth and nose. The right hand flashed as the blade slid across the guard's exposed throat.

The body bled out the flicker of life it still contained in absolute silence, then slumped over dead, and the shadow pushed it beneath a nearby shrub.

Through the black fabric that covered its face, the shadow muttered "Five down" and chuckled. It was spoken not in the ancient sacred tongue but in modern English.

This shadow was none other than one of the four current inhabitants of the Underworld who were actually from the real world- subordinate officer to Gabriel Miller, one Vassago Casals.

About an hour before this, Vassago had been chugging yet another glass of red wine in the huge carriage at the rear of the Dark Territory's army when the dark mages' attempt at a grand spell had failed. At last, he'd needled Gabriel.

Vassago: Hey, Bro. Don't you think we've delegated enough of the work? Why don't we get our own hands dirty already?

Gabriel glanced at Vassago, a golden eyebrow raised.

Gabriel: You can go first, then.

A small orb appeared on his left finger

Gabriel: Let's see...

He pointed forward at a map and the orb dropped down at the area south of the ravine-where Vassago was right now.

Gabriel: Stand by in these woods.

Vassago slammed a fist on the small table,

Vassago: So if I stay there, something fun will happen?

Gabriel: Go and have fun. PK-ing, that is.

Gabriel wore a thin smile on his face as he said those words.

———
Iskahn boiled with rage at the sight of the fighters he had personally trained being chopped to pieces before his eyes. He heard Kitsune laughing as he was mocking them as gunshots were heard easily taking them down.

Kitsune: what's wrong?! I thought you guys are the fighters to handle such damage but all I see are nothing but weak warriors!! YOU ARE NOTHING!!

His teeth were clenched, his skin turning fiery red as his fist clenched in anger.

Iskahn: Don't get so...

He barreled forward, his legs working so hard they put cracks in the ground. Flames covered his right fist, a manifestation of the burning fury that consumed him.

Iskahn: Full of yourself, dammit!!

Iskahn thrust that fist at the base of the gray Integrity Knight's neck. Sparks spilled over the sides of his hands, leaving a brilliant trail in the air. The knight, who had just finished swinging her sword, made to catch Iskahn's punch with her gauntleted free hand. His punch, brimming with pure incarnation, collided with the knight's palm and sprayed a huge wave of sparks outward in all directions.

Iskahn: To my fists... your armour is like paper!!

Iskahn exclaimed in anger. There was an explosive ripping sound, and the gray gauntlet shattered, followed by the metal pieces up to her shoulder. He knew she had to be in intense pain regardless of the fact he didn't feel any bones break, but the only thing the knight did was lower her eyebrows a bit. With her left hand squeezing his fist, she whipped the narrow sword to the other.

Iskahn concentrated his will, the sword collided with his buffed-up hand, but he indeed feel a bit of pain. It wasn't like any other sword he had taken to his body before. On sheer instinct, Iskahn punched with his other hand. It rippled through the air, bursting into the place the knight had stood just an instant before. She was incredibly nimble but did not evade it entirely; his hand made slight contact with her gray breastplate.

It cracked and split as she jumped away, just like her gauntlet had. Just before the whipping black sword could touch Iskahn's left shoulder, the pugilist hit her left leg. When her sword should have won the battle of distance. He had kicked her, not punched. The toe of his right foot swung low off the ground and hit her gray shin guard directly.

With extraordinary reflexes, the knight stopped her sword and lowered her waist, keeping her from tumbling, but the guard protecting her left leg immediately shattered. The impact ripped the skirt wrapped around her waist, exposing thin but chiselled legs.

Iskahn: Don't think that the only move a pugilist has is punching!!

Iskahn smirked. He whipped his left leg into a high kick. The knight turned her wrist so that her sword would meet the kick. He didn't stop there and punched her straight into the breastplate causing an explosion to go off,

Iskahn: Take that!

Iskahn noticed a wound on the leg he had kicked the black sword with, a dribble of blood came down from his own shin. He checked on the state of the Integrity Knight as the smoke revealed her slim figure. The impact of his fist had completely shattered her breastplate, leaving only the gauntlet on her right arm and the gray cloth around her chest. On her lower half were just the torn skirt and the armour over her right leg.

Iskahn snorted and spoke towards her.

Iskahn: You're starting to look like a real fighter now. But you don't have nearly enough muscles. Eat and train more, woman.

But Iskahn was not unharmed, either. The inside of his right elbow, which the sword had touched for less than a second, had a very thin cut on his skin. A tiny bead of blood bloomed in the center of the line. One drop of blood- just one.

The young pugilist licked it off and grinned fiercely at her.

Iskahn: Damn you, woman, your appearance is totally misleading, huh?

The gray knight did not respond in the way he'd expected.

Sheyta: I'm... older than you.

Iskahn: Huh? Well, of course, you are. You Integrity Knights are monsters that don't age for decades, right? So should I call you grandma instead?

The knight's eyelids twitched through her cool gaze. That was all the reaction she showed, however.

Sheyta: I will allow it. You are very hard. I almost cannot find a place to cut.

Kitsune: if master saw this you might want to cover yourself.

Sheyta: why?

Kitsune: that's what your mind should do. I recommend you rest Sheyta, like I said can't have you take all the fun.

Sheyta: I understand, Kitsune.

Kitsune created a comfortable chair and Sheyta sat down.

Kitsune: I'll be taking her place, Iskahn.

Iskahn: Kitsune or whatever your name is, you really dare that my people are weak?

Kitsune: yes because they never witness my power. If my master was here this war would be over already.

Iskahn: don't you dare mock us!!

Kitsune: how about we settle thing with out fist? That's what you're good at?

Iskahn: now you're talking my language!!

Kitsune: fine but be warned I'm not gonna sugar coat it.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

(Have MaxOr take the bullet since I was watching Yakuza incorrect summary)

He take off his top clothing off revealing a dragon and a snake with a hannya mask and taking off his fox mask. Some of the females even to her shock Sheyta blushed to see his body. Both males started at each other as they screamed their names.

Kitsune: ISKAHN!!

Iskahn: KITSUNE!!!

Both charged each other, colliding their heads as they glared each other.

Iskahn swings his right arm as both backed away. He punches Kitsune's face and stomach with one more punch but Kitsune did a Tiger Drop, picks him up and slams him to the floor. Iskahn groans in pain as Kitsune stomps him and he switches to Rush Style.

He rapidly punches Iskahn with kicks, a spinning kick, he switches to Dragon Style, he grabbed his head with his fists, pulls his head and slams his face on his knees. Then he taunted Iskahn.

Kitsune: come on call yourself a leader but you can't even beat me!!

Iskahn got up as he did a high kick but Kitsune went down and sweep the legs off the ground. Iskahn lands on the ground to see Kitsune ready to punch his head but he dodges the punch and Kitsune punching the ground.

Iskahn: got you!!

He charges towards Kitsune and tackles him to the ground and punches fast. He picks u p and punches him rapidly.

He slams both fist but Kitsune quickly dodges the attack and kick the back of Iskahn's head. He rushes towards him and gave the leader of the pugilists' face as he landed on his back.

Kitsune: this is actually really fun!!

Iskahn: yeah more than before!!

Flames covered his hands and legs, a manifestation of the burning fury that consumed him once more.

Iskahn: your blocking won't help you!!

Kitsune: yeah about you....FEEL THE HEAT!!

He switches to Brawler Style. A blue flame aura surrounds him as he screams. He wipes the blood as his body slowly regenerates.

Kitsune: how about I take the heat to the extreme?

Both did high kicks and colliding their legs. The pugilists were amazed that Kitsune made Iskahn use the flames once more. Sheyta is also amazed but she looks at Kitsune who was smiling to fight Iskahn. She wondered if Yami who is Kitsune's master is having fun despite him in a vegetable state.

Both males were hitting each other's parts of their bodies. The stomach, the hips, the chest, the shoulders and their heads. Iskahn did a drop kick which burned Kitsune's chest and he got up as he charges towards him and punches his cheek hard as they might've heard bones breaking.

The punch send Iskahn flying to the ground as he was breathing a lot.

Iskahn: I yield....

(End of them)

Kitsune: yeah....that's more like it. I remember a guy saying when he fought a legendary warrior. "The man who gets down isn't the loser. The guy who can't tought it out to the end, he's the one who loses." That's what he told him.

He regenerates the damaged inflicted opened him as he uses his heal to heal up Sheyta's damage.

Sheyta: shall we leave?

Kitsune: yes we have to return back to base because the forces are coming up.

Iskahn: hey this doesn't mean we're doing battling!!

Kitsune takes out Yamato as he pointed to the man's neck.

Kitsune: I would recommend for you to rest and we can settle this later, now rest.

He puts away the katana as Sheyta's dragon arrived and went back.

Iskahn: Kitsune...Sheyta....this is gonna be something....

——-

Ronie in the Supply Corp walked out of a carriage, she slowly made her way into the dead woods. Vassago who was hiding behind one of the dead trees, peeked around to watch the approaching girl come into the forest.

Vassago: That's right. Keep coming straight this way.

When she was within ten feet, the girl suddenly turned to her right, moving in the direction of the body Vassago had hidden. He'd been hoping to draw her even closer, but this would have to do.

He slid, silent, out of the darkness, closing in on her, hand reaching for her back. He would cover her mouth, and when her throat convulsed with fear, he would draw his sharp dagger right across it...

The premonition, the anticipation of the moment was so strong and real that Vassago failed to react immediately to the blade that flashed before his eyes.

Vassago: Whoa!

He darted backward just as the tip almost grazed the exposed skin under his chin.

The girl shouldn't have been aware of him at all, but she'd drawn and swung her sword from an away-facing position. It was a brilliant swing, if he'd been one step closer, she would have slit his throat.

When she faced him, sword held in two hands, the girl's navy blue eyes were full of fear and hostility but no surprise. Vassago had to reluctantly admit that she had seen through his attempt at hiding quite a while ago.

He spun the dagger in his fingers and said.

Vassago; Hey, baby.

Im English, then recalled that it wasn't spoken here, so he switched to perfectly accentless Japanese instead.

Vassago: How did you know, Miss?

The girl kept her sword up, not letting her guard lapse, and said harshly

Ronie: My mentor taught me not to rely on my eyes... but to feel with my entire being. He taught me some abilities that would make a fight a bit more longer. Strange I thought of something that you did something that triggered my mentor to target to you.

Vassago: Y-Your mentor...?

Vassago repeated, blinking. He felt some distant memory being triggered, a quote he'd heard years ago...

But before he could travel back to the source of that memory, the girl sucked in a deep breath and shouted, incredibly loud, "Enemy attack!! Enemy attaaack!!"

Tiese, Rukia and Orihime who both came back after finishing their battles along with other guardsmen appeared from the camp, heading toward the source of the voice. Vassago clicked his tongue, Ronie ran past him as he was distracted.

Vassago raised his left hand and shouted.

Vassago: All right, boys... Time to go to work!!

This time, there was a shock in the girls' eyes.

A hundred or so feet behind Vassago, the brush rustled as people stood up - thirty lightly armoured scouts handpicked from the dark knights.

——-

Renly: The enemy's behind us?! Dozen of them?!

Renly shouted back when he received the report from the supply team.

This is bad! If they burn our supplies it would immobilize the whole army. I should call for backup.

Renly: But if we move the raid unit now, it'll give away our strategy to the enemy. No, our ambush has already been compromised, right? Then we should send the entire force south-

????: Who would've thought they figured out our plan to head south, and placed soldiers here.

A voice behind Renly brought him out of his thoughts.

Renly turned back to see, Commander Bercouli, Alice, Eugeo and Kai returning from the hill to the north.

Renly: My lord Knight Commander!

He exclaimed rising to his feet. Bercouli briefly closed his eyes, then opened them, the gray-blue portals piercing.

Renly. Give the order to retreat. Little one, Youngster, rush over and help the Supply Corps.

He glanced over at Medina, Edith and Kirito.

Bercouli: You three should come along with me and the young man.

Kirito turned toward the direction of the Supply Corps before nodding.

Alice: You say you'll both hold them off... But Uncle, Eugeo, Kirito, Medina, the enemy pugilist guild numbers close to 5,000.

Alice voiced her worry.

Bercouli: We'll find a way. Now get going!

Eugeo: Good luck.

Eugeo said before taking off toward the Supply team along with Alice who also said the same thing before following behind Eugeo.

Bercouli drew his Time Splitting sword from its sheath. The faded colour of the aged blade made it clear at a glance that there was very little life left in it. Kirito and Medina brought out their weapons, both of them were not that great when it came to taking a human life but they knew this needed to be done.

———

Three bursts of spark lit the darkness in succession.

The brown-haired girl had blocked each of Vassago's swings the first time she saw them. And he had used continuous sword techniques. So when the third blow knocked the sword loose from her hands and caused it to stick into the trunk of a nearby tree, the assassin couldn't help but whistle in appreciation.

The girl bravely put up her fists, but he dropped her to the ground with a sweep kick. She landed hard on her back and grunted in pain.

????: Ronieeee!!

Screamed the second and third girls, racing closer.

Vassago put the tip of his sword against the throat of the girl on the ground, forcing the black and orange-haired girls to stop. Their legs halted, trembling.

Vassago: Heh...heh, heh...

he chuckled unable to help himself.

Vassago: This is it! This feeling! The pleasure from playing with someone's life, their bonds, with the tip of your sword!

He leaned down to the girl below him.

Vassago: No wonder I can't give up player-killing!

Ronie's eyes big eyes began to fill with tears of fear and humiliation. All the determination that had rippled through her was turning to despair...

Vassago: ???

Suddenly, her eyes were focused not on Vassago's face but on the sky above him. Something was reflecting in those wet irises.

Light.

Motes of milky white light, falling from above. They drifted downward as soft as snowflakes. Vassago looked up slowly, feeling an eerie thrill of dread down his spine.

Black sky. Stars of the colour blood.

And floating against them, were two small silhouettes- but they radiated immense power.

Two people. Two women.

Ronie: Lady... Stacia... Lady... Lunaria...

Ronie mumbled from the ground.

Vassago never heard her say it. The instant that he caught a glimpse of both women's faces descending from the starry sky above, the assassin rose to his feet, drawn to the sight of them.

——
Free from his threat, Ronie scrambled back to her friends, but he did not even look back at her.

The figures floating in the air reached out their right hands.

Ten slender fingers lightly swiped sideways.

Laaaaaaah.

Two distinct things happened in the sky. First, a tremendous, rich harmony shook the world, like a chorus of thousands of angels bursting into song. A curtain of light, like the Aurora Borealis, shot from the first figure's fingers and rained down behind Vassago.

Next, the second finger's hand emitted a light so bright that Vassago's eyes were burning but he did not tear his gaze away from them. The light enveloped the Aurora Borealis, the already bright light intensity.

Rumbling ensued- and screams.

Vassago spun around to see a yawning, bottomless ravine in the earth- and his thirty followers being swallowed up by it.

Dumbfounded, he turned bulging eyes to the sky. The women lifted their right hands again and this time waved them toward the north. There was another angelic chorus. The Aurora that shot down was dozens of times larger than the first, and the effect it had on the ground below was beyond the capacity of his mind to envision. Pale light engulfed the Aurora until one similar appeared with light shades of the pale light filling the colours like the one before.

——-
Elsewhere, Commander Bercouli and Edith were both staring at the sky in shock as the light passed by in front of them, But Kirito and Medina took off without a single word. Alice and Eugeo were sprinting toward the Supply Corp at full speed worried that for many different reasons.

Lastly, the first woman looked directly down upon Vassago. Her index finger flicked the empty air.

Laaaaaaaaaaah.

Rainbow light enveloped him. The ground beneath his feet vanished.

As he plunged into the endless darkness below, Vassago thrust his hand upward, trying to grab the tiny figures.

Vassago: Are you kidding me? Hey, are you kidding me? Those faces. Those hairs. Those presences. The KoB's Lightning Flash and that Devil Hunter's bitch!!

He said, his voice tremulous.

End of Volume