Sao 16.docx
-
Upload
tityh-owicatly -
Category
Documents
-
view
220 -
download
0
Transcript of Sao 16.docx
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
1/123
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
2/123
(left to right)
The Integrity Knights
First Army, draw your weapons and prepare for battle!
Vice Commander Heaven iercin "word# Fanatio
$t%s all ri&t, don%t worry' Frarant (live "word# Alice
$%ve let down) Alice*sama%s e+pectations) Frostscale
&ip# -ldrie
.eneral) /ar0 .od Vector, &u&' Commander 1ime
iercin "word# 2ercouli
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
3/123
ae 3*4
(left to right)
The Army Invading the Human Empire
1rample t&em' .iant 1ribal C&ief "irosi
$, 5uberi*sama, will be ta0in your &ead' lains .oblin
1ribal C&ief 5uberi
1&e 6adiant 7edium needs to be captured wit&out &armin a
&air on &er &ead' -mperor /ar0 .od# Vector
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
4/123
8et%s o say &ello to t&ose $nterity 5ni&ts! 1ent& C&air
of t&e Fist Fi&ters% .uild $s0a&n
$ will eliminate t&e five $nterity 5ni&ts wit&out fail'
Head of t&e /ar0 "orceress% .uild /'$'8'
.oddamn &umans! (rc 1ribal C&ief 6irupirin
ae 9*:
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
5/123
(left to right)
;ou brou&t about a miracle) and saved me' 1rainee
"wordswoman 6onye
"tacia) sama
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
6/123
Chapter 18 War of the Underworld
Chapter 19 The Radiant Medium
Seventh Day of the Eleventh Month of the Human EmpireCalendar, 380
20:00
1
The Dark Army had just begun to move, kicking up
a huge dust cloud behind. The dust cloud began to
color the sky of the Dark Territory, already dotted
with blinking, blood-red stars, a deep shade of
gray.
Peering into the simple telescope generated with
rystal !lements, "night ommander #ercouli
looked up and mumbled softly$
%This is astonishing& 'eems like that so-called
Dark (od )ector has his heart set on you, lil* miss.
The entire army is coming after you.+
%e should be& happy, suppose. At least this is
much better than being ignored.+
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
7/123
Alice muttered as she swallowed her nervousness
along with some lukewarm 'iral ater.
n the uneplored / only to those of the 0uman
!mpire, of course / Dark Territory wilderness, on
a small hill about 1ve kilol south from the valley,
the Defense Army decoy division was having their
1rst short break.
The (uards were very ecited.
'ince an ntegrity "night had sacri1ced himself to
nullify a large-scale art that had plunged everyone
into the abyss of despair, they were all determined
once again, believing that they should treasure
their given chance.
2eanwhile, however, Alice was still unable to
accept the reality of !ldrie*s death.
Although it had not been long since they 1rst met
in the entral athedral, much had happened.
3ecommending that Alice try some wine or snacks
when he discovered them4 telling her bad jokes
from time to time4 there had not been a 5uiet day
with !ldrie.
'he had often pu66led over whether this young
man was here to learn swordsmanship and arts, or
just to be troublesome. #ut now, she understood.
'he understood how much !ldrie had been 1lling
her heart with levity.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
8/123
These things just seemed so normal that I took
his presence for granted. Why am I just realizing
how precious he was when hes not here
anymore
As she ga6ed towards the 2ountain 3ange at the
!dge that spanned the northwestern sky, she
gently touched the coiled whip strapped to the
back of her waist. 'he could now well understand
why "irito would not want to relin5uish !ugeo*s
sword.
As though he were waiting for Alice to open her
eyes again, the "night ommander said$
%About the current strategy& #asically, until all
four ntegrity "nights in this decoy division are
fallen, we*ll keep drawing the enemy away and
shaving them o7. Are you okay with that8+
Alice vehemently nodded to the "night
ommander, who stood beside the tallest boulder
on the topmost part of the hill.
%This is how see the situation$ we*ve eliminated
half of the invading army of 1fty-thousand and
have almost wiped out the most troublesome Dark
'orceresses. e*re left with wearing out their
main forces to some etent, which are the Dark
"nights and the 9ist 9ighters& and also defeating
Dark (od )ector. :nce we achieve these, the
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
9/123
remainder of the enemy would be very likely to
agree with a peace treaty. hat do you think
about that8+
%0mm& the last problem is, who*s gonna be the
one to head over there. f that 'hasta kid*s still
around&+
%'o, the Dark (eneral is really& Are you certain
about that, :ji-sama8+
%0e wasn*t there when took a glance a while ago.
;ot only 'hasta, but his apprentice, the female
knight who fought you once wasn*t there either,
lil* miss.+
0e sighed roughly. Alice knew that #ercouli
secretly had great epectations of the Dark
(eneral and his apprentice.
'haking his head slightly, the oldest "night
muttered in a low voice.
%;ow we can only hope that the Dark "night who
took over 'hasta*s place would be happy to pass
on his will. ;ot very likely, though&+
%;ot very likely8+
%;ope. Those who live in this Dark Territory don*t
have any written laws like the Taboo nde.
There*s only an unwritten rule ordering them to
obey the strong. And& unfortunately, the
ncarnation of Dark (od )ector is overwhelming&
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
10/123
A novice youngster obviously won*t be powerful
enough to resist&+
ndeed, when she declared her own identity in
front of the enemy a while ago, a terrifyingly cold,
bottomless dark energy had reached out from the
core of their formation, and she clearly felt it
sticking to her. t was the 1rst time she had this
sort of feeling since awakening as an ntegrity
"night. f one were to say the ncarnation of
0ighest 2inister Administrator resembled
crackling bolts of lightning, what she had felt
would be pitch-black emptiness.
'he was getting goosebumps just thinking about
it. alming herself, Alice nodded.
% see& don*t epect many people to disobey a
god, anyway.+
3ight after she said so, the "night ommander
chuckled and slapped Alice*s back.
%!ven though you say that, lil* miss, you, "irito
and !ugeo, you three appeared over there in the
0uman !mpire. apping wings, the
two looked up.
3enri*s dragon, "a6enui, was descending to the
ground. The young knight deterously leapt o7
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
11/123
before the dragon*s claws even touched the earth.
0e jogged over to #ercouli and urgent words
began to tumble from his mouth.
%ommander ?our 0ighness, report@ There is an
area of shrubbery about one kilol south that would
be suitable for an ambush on the enemy.+
%(reat. (ood work on the scouting.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
12/123
Alice thought for a moment, then a similar smile
spread across her face$
%;o one can become an ntegrity "night without
altering their memories and free6ing their
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
13/123
uninterested in anything other than training to
improve his body. n his mind, even if he became
the target of large-scale arts like those he had just
seen, he had absolute con1dence in repelling
every single one of them using only his 1sts and
spirit.
The 9ist 9ighter tied belts onto his naked, muscular
torso burnt to a reddish-copper color, wearing only
shorts and sandals. 0e turned to the 1ve-thousand
powerfully built men and women as their leader,
and to the Dark "nights following them. They had
hardly begun moving for 1ve minutes, but already,
there was a nearly thousand-mel gap between the
9ist 9ighters and the Dark "nights.
%The "nights are riding on horses but they*re just
too slow, as usual@+
A hulking man stayed by skahn*s side, taller than
him by more than a head. 3ight after hearing his
insult, the man*s rock-hard face smiled wryly.
%That*s inevitable, Champion.+
Addressing the currently strongest 9ist 9ighter in
Dark Tongue, the hulking man continued.
%They and their horses are wearing armor as
heavy as themselves.+
%ompletely useless, though@+
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
14/123
oncluding thusly, skahn faced front again.
'haping his right hand into a tube, he 5uickly put
it against his right eye.
At the center of the >ame iris, his pupil enlarged.
%:h, the 0uman !mpire guys have started to
move as well. 'eems like they*re& not coming this
way. They*re still trying to run away8+
0e clicked his tongue.
Though they looked as dim as the stars above
them, skahn could perfectly capture the enemy*s
activity 1ve thousand mel away. 0e thought for a
moment, then said$
%0ey, Dampe. The !mperor*s command was to
chase after her and capture her, right8+
%'eems like it.+
%3ight&+
0e rubbed his nose with his right inde 1nger,
then grinned with con1dence.
%
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
15/123
were wrapped with white straps of decorative
rope.
%
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
16/123
#oth the swordsmen and the sorceresses
considered the summit of all arts to be Cinterruptin
a taret wit& $ncarnation' $n ot&er words, overwritin
e+ternal events wit& imaination'
0owever, 9ist 9ighters thought the opposite /
strengthening their own bodies with ncarnation.
'urpassing their original limits, they would
strengthen their naked bodies with defensive force
stronger than steel, and wield their 1sts with
attacking power enough to crush boulders.
And, of course, they would train their legs to run
faster than horses, while barefoot.
%:::::0, 3AAAAA0@@+
ith a powerful roar, skahn kicked the ground
and began sprinting forth. Dampe followed along
with the other hundred 9ighters in hot pursuit.
The air behind them was split apart4 the ground
shook furiously.
%//@8+
n order to keep close with the (uards who had
started moving to the shrubbery suitable for an
ambush, Alice walked a few steps, then looked
back as she soon felt something strange.
omething is coming.
nd theyre fast.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
17/123
hen she looked closely, she could see a cluster
of a hundred men bulging out of the slowly
approaching enemy army, and closing the gap at
a terrifying speed. They were even faster than the
horseback riders running with all their might. 9or a
second, Alice thought they were Dragon "nights,
but soon reali6ed that there were too many of
them, and that they were actually moving on the
ground.
%& 'eems to be the 9ist 9ighters.+
#ercouli muttered beside her.
%They are&8+
'he had heard that name before, but this was her
1rst time witnessing them with her own eyes. This
was because the ones who usually appeared at
the 2ountain 3ange at the !dge were mainly
(oblins, :rcs, and rarely, Dark "nights. The 9ist
9ighters had never even attempted to invade the
0uman !mpire.
!ven so, having the advantage of a very long life,
it seemed that the oldest ntegrity "night had
eperience battling the 9ist 9ighters. 0e continued
somewhat nervously.
%They*re a pain to deal with. Esually a sword*s
gonna hurt bare 1sts, but they*ll keep rejecting
that.+
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
18/123
%0uh&8 3eject&8+
Theres no way anyone can reject "eing cut, Alice
thought. #ut #ercouli shrugged and said$
%?ou*ll know what mean when you 1ght them.
#etter for us to handle them together, lil* miss.+
%&&+
Alice swallowed hard. #ercouli just claimed that he
could not handle them by himself4 they must be
etremely powerful opponents.
0owever, what the "night ommander said net
destroyed her painstaking concentration and
spirit.
%And, by the way, lil* miss& ?ou*re not okay with
stripping down, are you8+
%0aah@8+
nstinctively, she crossed her arms in front of her
chest and s5uee6ed out a sharp voice.
%h-what are you talking about8@ :f course don*t
like stripping down@@+
%;o, don*t mean that& ell, do mean that&
just wanna tell you that armor and clothes are
useless against their 1sts, and they may hold you
back, so&+
After saying those pointless words as he scratched
his chin, the "night ommander shook his head as
if to say, %'uit yourself+.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
19/123
%Anyway, if you*re gonna 1ght in that, get your
Armament 9ull ontrol Art ready.+
%:& :kay.+
Aniety trickled down her spine again. As it
seemed, the enemy team was composed of
around a hundred men. f she needed to utili6e the
full power of the 9ragrant :live 'word against
such a small team, they were de1nitely not easy
opponents.
0owever, there was one problem.
hen she had released the Creflection*concealed
beam art, and during her battle against the Dark
'orceresses, she had twice used the Armament
9ull ontrol Art, consuming a large portion of the
9ragrant :live 'word*s
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
20/123
#ut within their tens of seconds of conversation,
the enemy team of 9ist 9ighters had already
closed in to a distance from where Alice could
begin to make out their masculine physi5ues. 'he
could not let them get any closer to the (uards,
who were still preparing the ambush.
Alice bit her lip, nodded to the "night ommander,
and was about to slide down the rocky slope to the
north.
3ight before that, however, a timid female voice
called to them.
%*ll go.+
Alice spun around in shock4 beside her, #ercouli*s
eyes widened as well.
The one who had been standing there without
their knowledge, was one of the four ntegrity
"nights joining the decoy division / the one other
than #ercouli, Alice and 3enri.
'he was tall and slender, clad in drab gray armor.
0er hair, also gray, was parted so crisply that it
looked arti1cially plastered to her head, ending in
a tight ponytail. 0er face was refreshingly clean,
but showed not a shred of emotion. 'he was
probably around twenty, like Alice.
0er name was 'heyta 'ynthesis Twelve.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
21/123
The Divine nstrument strapped to her waist was
the C2lac0 8ily "word'
0owever, she was seldom referred to as such.
henever they happened to mention her in
conversation, the "nights addressed her by
another nickname.
C1&e "ilent'
Alice was not shocked because she had
volunteered to battle the 9ist 9ighters.
'he was shocked because this was literally the
1rst time she heard the voice of The 'ilent 'heyta.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
22/123
Territory, there was only one Dark "night whom he
had respected as a true 1ghter$ the deceased
Dark (eneral 'hasta.
#ut while he was meditating as he stood by for the
order to attack, he had sensed the ntegrity
"nights* 1ghting spirit and aggressive energy, and
that was something.t least they arent just
relying on their high+class weapons'he thought.
There must "e impressi!ely trained "odies
"eneath the armor and swords.
ith heightened epectations, skahn couldn*t be
more ecited about 1ghting them 1st-to-1st.
'o.
hen he 1nally sighted a "night in front of the hill
where the enemy army had stopped minutes ago,
the 9ist 9ighter chief*s mouth dropped open,
dumbstruck by her standing 1gure.
$ow thin.
'he seemed to be a woman, so maybe her lack of
a muscular build was inevitable4 even so, she was
way too thin.Although she was clad in metallic
armor, she still looked more fragile than any of
skahn*s female 9ighters. 0er armorless body
would only be about as muscular as a 'orceress*s.
!ven the long sword hanging from her waist
looked like a roasting spit.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
23/123
'ignaling with his right hand for his subordinates
to stop, skahn skidded to a halt, kicking up a dust
cloud. 3aising his eyebrows that were curled up at
the end like a >ame, he opened his mouth.
%ho*re you8 hat the hell are you doin* here8+
'lightly shaking her long, straight gray hair, the
female "night tilted her head. 'he looked as
though she were thinking of what to say / or
rather, pondering whether she wanted to answer
the 5uestions.
0er brows, eyes, nose, and mouth looked as
though they had been sculpted with a sharp knife.
ithout a shred of emotion on her clean face, the
female "night spoke 5uietly$
%*m here to stop you.+
skahn ehaled a large amount of air from his nose
and mouth4 no one knew whether he was laughing
or upset, but in the end he just shrugged.
%-oucan*t even stop a little kid. :h, know&
?ou*re a "night good at arts, eh8+
There was another awkwardly long silence before
she answered.
%Arts are not my strength.+
rritated by his enemy*s belittling attitude, skahn
said$ %ell, whatever,+ and called out one of his
subordinates. %?otte, 1ght her.+
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
24/123
%0ere come@@+
A rather diminutive female 9ighter leapt out of the
formation with a vigorous reply. Despite that, she
was still several times sturdier than the female
"night. 9leing her sti7 muscles and darting to
and fro, she revealed a savage leer that was
completely di7erent from her opponent.
%0AA0@+
9rom 1ve mel away, the female 9ighter punched
the air, generating wind that rustled the female
"night*s hair.
!ven then, there was not an ounce of 1ghting
spirit on the "night*s slender face. nstead, she
looked confused and whispered softly.
%& =ust one&8+
%That*s my line, you skeleton@+
urling her thick lips, ?otte shouted.
%After teach you a lesson, *m gonna stu7 lots
and lots of dried meat into your tiny little mouth
before 1nish you o7@ =ust pull out your sword
already@@+
ith a face as though saying B'o you have nothing
more to say*, the female "night gripped the
handle on her left waist.
hiyuran. atching sight of the e7ortlessly drawn
blade /
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
25/123
%&what the fuck@8+
skahn, who had backed o7 and crossed his arms,
shouted instinctively.
%Thin+ was an insuFcient description. The
scabbard already looked like a roasting spit, but
the blade inside it was just a cen wide, like a
child*s 1nger. The sword was matte black and thin
as paper4 just being able to see it was diFcult
under the starry night sky. 0ow fragile.
?otte*s face >ushed red with anger.
%& ?* gotta be kiddin* me&+
Performing a short martial dance, or rather,
battering the earth with her feet, the female
9ighter charged straight and 5uickly closed the
distance between her and the "night.
!ven to skahn, that was 5uite an impressive
sprint. Team 3abbit of the 9ist 9ighters* (uild were,
unlike their name, elites that were not only agile,
but skilled precision 1ghters.
i"at%
'plitting the air, ?otte lashed out.
Enable to avoid the close-range attack, the female
"night defended with her paper-thin sword.
The resounding noise was piercingly high, as if
created by a collision of two metal objects.
#linding golden sparks shot out.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
26/123
mmediately after.
The needlelike sword was easily bent.
skahn smiled. A normal sword would never cut
the skin of a 9ist 9ighter.
The children born as 9ist 9ighters were thrown into
the training facility as soon as they became 1ve
years of age. Their very 1rst training was snapping
a cast iron knife with one punch.
As they matured, cast iron would be replaced with
wrought iron, and knives would be replaced with
long swords. ;ot only did they have to split them,
they had to withstand slashes from the weapons
without any protection. Through their training, the
adolescents were con1dent that blades were
nothing to be afraid of. I am in!ulnera"le to
"lades.That belief / in other words, ncarnation,
turned their bodies into steel.
As the guild chief, skahn could stop a needle G
cen in diameter with his eyeball.
Although ?otte, a normal 9ighter, had not trained
her ncarnation to this etent, she was one of the
ten group leaders in Team 3abbit. 0er 1st did not
lose to any sword.
!specially not that pitifully thin one.
All of the 9ist 9ighters had one image in their
heads$ the horribly bent black needle would snap
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
27/123
with an embarrassing crack, and a 1st would sink
into the female "night*s face.
Thew.
A strange sound, like a whip slicing the air.
?otte fro6e, her 1st hovering in the air. The punch
barely gra6ed the female "night*s right cheek, and
the "night*s hand lifted up.
skahn could not see the black blade clearly from
his position.
/ What the hell Thats a pretty large target to
miss.
The chief cursed. /!en if -otte wins this "attle'
shell ha!e to start her training all o!er again in
the arenas third+class waiting room. 0o matter
how tough ones *st is' its useless if it doesnt hit
the oppone
?otte*s clenched 1st silently split apart between
her middle and ring 1nger.
%h&&&+
n front of the stunned skahn, the 1ssure
continued from ?otte*s wrist to her elbow, through
her upper limb, and passing through her shoulder.
Perfectly displaying a cross section precise to the
bone, muscles and even the thinnest blood
vessels, the outer part of ?otte*s right arm
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
28/123
dropped onto the ground. :nly after did blood
erupt in multiple jets, forming a crimson mist.
%/ (0AAAAAAAAAAAA@@+
Ettering an earsplitting shriek, ?otte collapsed to
the ground, cradling her right arm.
The female "night retracted her arm, and
breathed a small sigh.
#ack during her life in the entral athedral, C1&e
"ilent 'heyta seldom spoke. This was not due to
introversion, nor because she hated everyone
else.
=ust to avoid attention from other ntegrity "nights
/ she suppressed her own eistence, hoping that
no one would challenge her to any sparring
matches.
f she were to cross swords with anyone, even if it
had been "night ommander #ercouli, she possibly
could have killed her opponent.
9earing that this might happen, she had kept
silent in the hundred years living in the athedral.
!ven if she spoke, her familiar caretaker and the
elevating-disk operator girl were the only ones she
would talk to.
'heyta was entirely a swordsman, synthesi6ed
after winning the 9our !mpires Enity Tournament.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
29/123
0owever, the records of that year*s tournament
were completely erased. The reason was that, in a
tournament that appraised the principle of mercy
as one*s best 5uality, blood had been shed$
'heyta had brutally murdered every single one of
her opponents.
The high-ranking ntegrity "night 'heyta 'ynthesis
Twelve, in a certain sense, shared a similar
mindset with the chief of the 9ist 9ighters* guild,
skahn.
skahn thought only about beating up something
or someone, while 'heyta was interested in
nothing but slicing things in half. Despite that,
from the bottom of her heart, she had never, ever
enjoyed it.
'he would just cut. hether it be human or object,
when she was confronted with something, 'heyta
could already see its cross section sliced clean.
henever that happened, she was never able to
stop herself from reali6ing it. f her opponent were
a wooden practice dummy, she could even cleanly
sever it with her hand.
'heyta had always suppressed her cut-hungry
nature as something sinister.
The 1rst to perceive this deeply hidden impulse in
her heart was the 0ighest 2inister Administrator.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
30/123
9or two hundred years, Administrator had been
attempting to deduce the 'pacial 'acred !nergy
Theory, which was now common knowledge to
every learner of arts.
hile the 0ighest 2inister was still researching,
she became deeply obsessed with the last and
largest war in the Dark Territory that put theCAe
of 2lood and $ron to an end. Administrator was
concerned that it would be such a waste for no
one to collect the virtually in1nite 'acred !nergy
that had been released from the 1erce battle
between the 1ve Dark Territory races, which took
place in the wilderness between the 0uman
!mpire and the mperial apital :bsidia.
Despite that, she had been careful to never visit
the Dark Territory herself. nstead, she had
summoned "night 'heyta. The 0ighest 2inister
had whispered to 'heyta, who had already earned
the moniker, C1&e "ilent?
1 2ourney there alone and look for something in
the "attle*eld. demonic "east' or something of
the sort unharmed "y the war would "e "est if you
can *nd one. If not' any large animal will do.
"ird or an insect at least. 2ust *nd me anything
thats engorged with pacial acred /nergy.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
31/123
1 ring it to me' and from it' I will fashion a
3i!ine Instrument for you.
1 sword with the highest 4riority' a sword that
can slice anything in half $ow a"out that
'heyta could not resist the temptation. An
ntegrity "night could not disobey an order from
the 0ighest 2inister anyway, but she, without
taking a dragon to get over the 2ountain 3ange at
the !dge, trekking thousands of kilol deep into the
land of ash, arrived at the battle1eld that stank of
blood.
There were no moving creatures where the 1ve
races had strained their limits to kill each other.
;ot even a mouse or a crow had survived, let
alone a beast.
#ut 'heyta did not give in. sword that can slice
anything in half.The phrase had captured her
heart, leaving her unable to think of anything else.
At the end of her three day search /
'he 1nally found one lone black lily, wobbling
>imsily in the wind.
That small >ower was the only object that had
survived the vast battle1eld, charged with 'pacial
'acred !nergy.
The 0ighest 2inister Administrator generated an
etremely slim sword out of the >ower that 'heyta
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
32/123
brought back, and bestowed it upon her with the
name C2lac0 8ily "word'
A year later, after killing an ntegrity "night in a
duel, she was put into hibernation at her own
re5uest.
'heyta did not know whether she sighed out of
sympathy or intoication when she cut the female
9ist 9ighter*s 1st.
ome to think of it, she also did not understand
why she had volunteered ten minutes ago to
defend this place, speaking to the "night
ommander and breaking her silence. 3ather, she
was unaware of any motivation to join the Defense
Army half a year ago, volunteering herself while
all of the "nights were invited.
Is it "ecause I hope to protect the $uman /mpire'
like the other ,nights
#r is it simply "ecause I want to cut
#r 1 it wants me to cut
Well' it doesnt matter anymore. The situation is
what it is' and theres no way to stop the sword
anymore. 5ets just hope that there wont "e too
many li!es taken.
'heyta calmly raised her head, and glanced at the
terri1ed 9ist 9ighters who had fro6en to the spot.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
33/123
ithout a trace of hesitation or fear, the gray
"night gripped her slender, pitch-black sword, and
slashed head-on towards the hundred 9ist
9ighters.
%& hat an incredible performance.+
At Alice*s hoarse comment, #ercouli muttered in a
low voice.
%3ight&
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
34/123
'he could not feel 'heyta*s murderous intent at
all. ;ot only that, she could not even feel a shred
of hostility.
If so' then how is she a"le *ght so ferociously
%Don*t think about it. !ven though *ve been
watching her for more than a hundred years, still
understand nothing about her. ;othing.+ The
"night ommander whispered and turned around.
%e can leave this to her. The main enemy army
should be arriving very soon4 we have to prepare
for the counterattack over there.+
%& :kay.+
;odding and looking away from the battle below
her, Alice followed him.
About a thousand kilol south from #ercouli and
Alice, who were walking down the hill, the gray,
rough wilderness 1nally came to an end, where
some irregularly shaped shrubbery grew in the
area. The main formation of the decoy division
was concealed among them.
They consisted of one thousand (uards, two
hundred Ascetics, and a supply team of 1fty
people. They had to face the 1ve thousand 9ist
9ighters with such a small force.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
35/123
ntegrity "night 3enri had ordered the (uards and
the Ascetics to hide in the plants* shadows,
dividing them into twenty teams. The supply team
wagon had carved fresh grooves into the only
narrow path that stretched through the entire
wooded area. The plan was to perform a pincer
attack as the enemy followed the ruts into deep
enough woods.
3enri had already heard from the "night
ommander that their swords would be ine7ective
on 9ist 9ighters, and he had heard about their
weakness as well.
9ist 9ighters were not good at defending
themselves against 'acred Arts.
n the northern wilderness where not even moss
could grow, there was simply not enough 'acred
!nergy to deploy any high-powered arts, but the
air should be thicker in the shrubbery. The
Ascetics hiding behind the leaves would ambush
the enemy together, then retreat to the south
while protected by the (uards. 9rom the above,
1ve Dragons would torch the enemy with their
>ame breath in the midst of the chaos.
Prepared for a 5uick retreat, 3enri stationed the
eight supply team wagons at the southernmost
part of the shrubbery area. 0e determined that,
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
36/123
the further away from the front line, the safer they
would be.
0owever, just as 3enri was devoting his mind to
preparing the ambush, the 1ve (uards, who were
stations around the wagons just in case something
happened, silently died, one after another, without
uttering so much as a whimper.
ts entire body clad in glossless black metallic
armor that was 1tted with a demonic horned
helmet, a shadow moved soundlessly.
#efore him, a (uard of the 0uman !mpire
Defense Army looked left and right, alert. 0e didnot, however, look behind him at all, because the
other (uards should have been watching that
space.
The shadow entered his blind spot, approaching as
if it were gliding. A long sword was e5uipped on its
waist, but it did not draw. nstead, it casuallyraised the tiny dagger in its right hand.
t stretched its left arm like a black snake, blocking
the (uard*s mouth and nose.
At the same time, its right hand >ashed, slitting
his eposed throat in a straight line.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
37/123
n complete silence, his
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
38/123
protecting, but to travel somewhere far away from
the battle1eld, far south, in the middle of
nowhere.
hen the enemy eradicated the Demihuman
troops with a laser beam like those in sci-1
movies, (abriel had already predicted that part of
the enemy would be selected to enter the Dark
Territory.
#ut when )assago heard this, he 5uestioned why
he had to speci1cally move south instead of north.
0earing the reply %
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
39/123
A fair-skinned young girl with tea-colored hair,
which was not a face of the Dark Territory, stuck
her head out of the roof. Perhaps she had sensed
something, as she was looking around with a
nervous epression.
As )assago stayed still, it did not take long for the
girl to step carefully out of the cart. 'he whispered
something to someone in the wagon, and 1nally
began to walk slowly.
earing minimal defensive e5uipment on top of
gray clothes that looked like a high school
uniform, the girl was heading straight to )assago*s
hiding place.
3esisting the temptation to whistle, the assassin
gripped his blood-soaked dagger tightly in his
right 1st.
%/ D::::;*T&+
9orced to watch his 9ighters, whom he had
painstakingly trained, e7ortlessly defeated
nearby, skahn screamed in anger as he recovered
from shock.
%(!T T:: :"?, ?:E #T0@@+
"icking onto ground hard enough to produce a
giant crack, he 1ercely charged.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
40/123
9lames erupted on his taut right 1st as though
they were the scorching fury itself.
0e punched straight at the neck of the gray
ntegrity "night. 'parks >ew from his 1st, creating
a bla6ing tail in the air along its path.
At that moment, the "night had just 1nished a
slash with the sword in her right hand4 she tried to
block skahn*s punch with her gauntleted left
hand.
/ To my punch all armor is no more than
paper%%
The strike engorged with ncarnation collided into
the female "night*s palm4 blinding sparks burst in
all directions.
mmediately, the gray gauntlet shattered with a
deafening crack, and the armor pieces from her
arm to her shoulder were shredded and blown
away.
ountless cuts crossed the smooth, white skin of
the eposed left arm4 droplets of blood >ew into
the air like grains of sand. 0owever, surprisingly,
he did not feel any bones breaking.
!ven though it should be ecruciatingly painful,
the female "night only frowned slightly, her right
hand >ashing her super-slim sword while her left
hand grasped skahn*s right 1st.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
41/123
,iiin%A high metallic noise resonated, and sparks
burst again from the 9ist 9ighter*s elbow.
The source of 9ist 9ighters* strength was the
con1dence of being invulnerable to all blades. n
order to obtain that con1dence, they wrapped
their bodies only with belts, eposing their skin.
The moment they fell back on any kind of
defensive e5uipment, a 9ist 9ighter*s ncarnation
would be weakened.
Therefore, skahn was trying to de>ect the black
blade that was about to cut through his right arm,
just with his determination.
#ut.
The dense frigidity that almost sank into his skin
was completely di7erent from what he had felt
from any other sword, even having taken slashes
from them with bare skin.
This paper-thin sword was not just cold, hard steel4
it represented will. nstead of a desire for victory,
it was simply a thirst for division.
'ensing this, skahn re>eively punched with his
left 1st.
4o%'hattering the air, the punch pierced the
space where the female "night had been an
instant ago.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
42/123
That was impressively agile, but she did not
completely evade the strike$ the punch gra6ed her
gray chestplate. As the "night jumped out of the
way, her chestplate shattered just like her
gauntlet had.
#ut skahn was not uninjured either.
:n his inner elbow, at the point that had met the
blade for less than a second, there was a very
shallow cut. A tiny droplet of blood slowly beaded
out from its center. :nly a drop / yet a drop
nonetheless.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
43/123
%Tsk& hat the hell are you talking about8+
skahn clucked his tongue, feeling his spirit
weakened from her o7beat attitude. 0owever, as
he looked around at the 9ist 9ighters on the
ground, he recovered his anger.
Twenty of them of them, men or women, were
moaning, their arms or legs having been cut from
their bodies by the slim sword. The most
unforgivable thing was, not only did the female
"night harm his subordinates, she was apparently
merciful to them by sparing their lives. ;one of
the injured had lost their heads. ith her skills and
the sharpness of the sword, the "night could
easily have made that etra stroke if she wished.
%& 'o you treat us like wood dummies for your
fucking sword practice. Enforgivable& *m gonna
beat you to a pulp@@+
&un' zat' zun%%
The remaining active 9ighters followed the 5uick
steps of the 2artial Dance. 9ierce war cries
overlapped with their stamping on the ground.
#oh' rah' oorarah. #oh' rah' oorarah.
As they stomped and vibrated the air, the 9ist
9ighters intensi1ed their ncarnation. Drops of
sweat >ied o7 from their copper skin, transforming
into >ying, bla6ing sparks.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
44/123
The ntegrity "night did not move, as if she were
waiting for skahn to reach his maimum state.
/ Thats right.
The 9ist 9ighter champion stopped his steps4
>ames roared from his reddish golden curly hair,
and blinding light e7used from both of his hands.
The female "night, as his opponent, was
persistently calm. n her right hand, the pitch-
black super-slim sword was giving o7 a free6ing
energy.
%0eeeere come, you #T0@@+
'etting the air abla6e with apow, skahn instantly
closed the distance between them in a straight
line.
The female "night e7ortlessly swung the sword in
her right hand.
Thew.
=ust before the 1ne black line touched skahn*s
shoulder /
9aster than the sword that swung earlier than him,
a blow from the 9ist 9ighter struck the female
"night*s left leg. ;ot a punch, but a kick. 0is right
foot shot up, hitting the gray leg guard directly
with his toes.
ith astonishing re>ees, the "night stopped her
sword and leaned forward, avoiding a fall, but the
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
45/123
left leg guard was instantly shattered. The skirt
around her waist was torn4 her toned yet slim legs
were eposed.
%Don*t think 9ist 9ighters can only punch@@+
(rinning con1dently, skahn began a high kick
with his left leg.
The female "night turned her wrist, trying to parry
the kick with her sword.
The instant that the blade and the leg clashed, a
deafening crack was accompanied by a shower of
bla6ing sparks. The 9ist 9ighter hief pulled his
toned left leg back, feeling a sharp pain, and
suddenly thrust his right 1st forward.
#athed in crimson >ames, the strike hit the
"night*s chestplate s5uarely in the middle.
,a"oom% An almighty eplosion propelled the two
of them away from each other. skahn back>ipped
in midair and landed on the ground.
0is left leg stabbed with pain again. 0e glanced at
it.
:n his rock-hard shin that could easily bend a
steel bar, a fresh cut carved a straight line. Dark
red blood >owed out at once, dripping onto the
black ground.
'nickering at this small scratch, he observed the
enemy.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
46/123
The female "night managed to withstand this as
well, but she pressed her left hand onto her chest
and coughed a few times. 0er chestplate, already
damaged, had shattered completely4 her right
hand gauntlet and the gray clothing covering her
chests were the only things left on her upper body.
There was not much left on her lower body either$
only a torn skirt and her right shin guard.
!clusive to those born in the 0uman !mpire, her
snow-white skin seemed to glow even in the
darkness. 'eeing this, skahn sneered$
%;ow you look more like a 1ghter, but there just
aren*t enough muscles. (o eat and train more,
bitch.+
The 9ist 9ighters around jeered at her, but the
"night calmly tore o7 a hanging piece of cloth
from her left shoulder and raised the sword in her
right hand. Thew.
%& #ut you*ve become a bit softer just now.+
%& T0! 9E" DD ?:E 'A?8+
0is nostrils >ared and he bared his canine teeth.
!ven though he was bluFng with his epression,
skahn felt that his breaths had become slightly
5uicker.
Theres no way my spirit would decrease just "y
seeing some unco!ered lim"s. The women o!er
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
47/123
here show much more of their skin e!ery day' only
a fresh trainee kid would hesitate just "y seeing
that.
The whole world is made out of opponents that I
must "eat up with my tough "ody' e!en if its a
foreign woman whos slim enough that the wind
could "end her "ones' whose skin is shining white.
%There*s no turning back& *m gonna show you all
*ve got@@+
0owling like a wolf, skahn jabbed his inde 1nger
at the female "night$
%'o show me yours as well, bitch@@ Don*t give me
that fucking sleepy face@@+
As he said so, the "night looked confused again,
and touched her own cheeks and the middle of
her forehead with her left hand. hanging her
eyebrows* angle into a slightly 1ercer look, she
said$
%#ring it on& please.+
%&& ?eah, bring it on.+
Ill "e thinking nonsense again if I follow her pace.
skahn inhaled deeply, gathered power in his
stomach, and violently bent over.
Putting his left 1st to his waist, and pointing his
right 1st at his opponent, he noisily ehaled the
air. As he repeated the rough breathing, his parted
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
48/123
legs began to glow red, drawing power from the
ground. The energy channeled through his body
and gathered at his 1st.
rimson bla6ing >ames gradually shone yellow,
and eventually turned bluish white.
;ow skahn*s right 1st was at a temperature so
high that it could almost burn the air, making
high, sharp noises.
The female "night faced him sideways, etended
her left hand to the front with her thumb and
1ngers neatly lined up, and swung the 1ne sword
in her right hand behind her. 0er arms aligned in a
straight line, giving a feel of strength like a
catapult prepared to launch with full power.
The tension in skahn was so immense that he felt
like he was already split into half, from the head
all the way down to the stomach. And yet he
grinned ecitedly.
/ hes the *rst one to "urn me up this much.
#oth of them moved at the eact same moment.
The "night*s sword drew a pitch-black crescent
curve in the air.
The 9ist 9ighter*s 1st became a bluish white
comet. At the instant that they collided, powerful
shockwaves eploded outward, cracking the
ground on their way. The remaining 9ist 9ighters
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
49/123
surrounding the two were irresistibly blown
backwards.
The sword and the 1st were only meeting at the
si6e of a needle*s tip, yet they were battling
intensely. 'urpassing its limit, the compressed
power shot forth into a beam of light, bursting into
the night sky.
ith 'heyta*s combat skills, she could have
defeated her opponent without this kind of stupid
competition of brute strength.
'lightly surprising to her, the intensity of the
young 9ist 9ighter*s ncarnation was at the level ofa high-ranking "night. !ven so, he concentrated
all of his ncarnation at his 1st as he charged, and
other parts of his body actually looked rather soft
to 'heyta. t seemed that she could have evaded
the straight punch and cut his head o7 right away.
'heyta, however, did not choose to do that4instead, she countered the opponent*s white-blue
glowing 1st head-on. There was no rationale to
this decision4 she was simply following her body
and her sword.
'heyta was rather confused by herself. 'ince a
hundred years ago, she had already reali6ed that
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
50/123
she had none of a "night*s appraised mental
5ualities, such as pride or nobility. 'he would cut
because she wanted to, and that was all she
desired.
t should mean the same when %slice+ is replaced
with %kill+. :nly when she had been assigned with
the mission of securing the 2ountain 3ange at the
!dge, 'heyta could release her true self. 'he had
ended countless lives of Dark "nights or (oblins
by mercilessly cutting their necks.
'he had been suppressing her nature as
something sinister, so much, in fact, that she was
called C1&e "ilent, but w&y did s&e not c&oose to 0ill in
t&is particular battle< "&eyta was deeply pu@@led'
#ut even that was just too much to think about.
;ow, at this moment, there was only herself, the
#lack
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
51/123
1 o youre one of the elegant $uman /mpire
residents "orn with such a delicate *gure' "ut
were the same kind of people' huh.
6lick. A small vibration could be felt from within
his 1st.
skahn reali6ed that the noise was not because of
any cracks on the opponent*s black sword, but it
came from the fracturing bones of his own 1st.
1 0o good. /!en this doesnt get through' huh.
1 ut' well' thats how it is.
f his 1st had been completely cut, for sure the
black, slim sword would cut his entire body in half
as well. !ven though he epected for such a
result, skahn felt no fear. Im not going to meet
such a great opponent like her for a second time.
If so' well' this isnt such a dum" way to die.
3ight at the moment when he thought so, and was
about to close his eyes for a long nap.
The pressure added onto his 1st slightly
weakened.
ompressed at one point to its limit, the pressure
released all at once, blowing skahn and the
"night away from each other as if they were mere
leaves. 0e suddenly noticed why his opponent*s
ncarnation had weakened. A large silhouette had
tried to slip in between the two.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
52/123
'itting up on the ground, skahn yelled at the huge
man who fell down as he did.
%Dampe, you bastard@@ & oating dust, the enemy "night that
had lost almost all of her e5uipment and clothes
slid her slim sword back into its scabbard, as
though she did not care at all.ae B
%0ey, bitch@ Don*t think you*ve won like this@@+
The young 9ist 9ighter screamed, forgetting that
he had just been preparing his mind for death.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
53/123
'waying her gray hair, the "night >icked her head
to look at skahn, and tilted her head as if she
were searching for the right words to say.
%Emm, that, Bbitch* thing& ould you please stop
that8+
%apping wings, a mild voice came down.
%& *m not running away. *m& 'heyta 'ynthesis
Twelve.+
0e stood up with Dampe pulling his hand4 skahn
watched the Dragon*s silhouette vanishing into
the nocturne darkness, and clucked his tongue
again.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
54/123
f he were allowed, he would love to 1ght that
strong opponent again after a year of intense
training, since his reali6ed that he had a lot to
improve on.
0owever, skahn was mature enough to know that
his personal desire would be nothing in front of
the war strategy.
:nce his team rende6voused with the 9ist 9ighter
main army, they would have to crush the enemies
together with the Dark "nights. There might not
be a chance for them to 1ght again.
If only I could o"tain the 8Radiant Medium9/
After a moment, skahn clucked his tongue for a
third time, this time to himself for having such a
thought.
/ What a retard I am. egging the /mperor to
sa!e the life of that female ,night as a reward
:y entire tri"e will "e furious at me.
Pulling himself out of the thoughts, skahn went to
the subordinate that held a jar of medicine, in
order to cure his left leg.
2
Thats right.
2ust come ;ere like that.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
55/123
)assago thought as he savored the pleasure of the
ambush, like a piece of candy in his mouth.
:y hiding is perfect.Though the metallic armor
had some drawbacks, he was still able to melt into
the shadow of the shrubbery.
The black-haired girl was cautiously surveilling her
surroundings, but her eyes merely passed through
the bush that )assago was hiding behind. H
meters left& I meters&
/ ashing right
before his eyes.
%& hoa@+
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
56/123
As he hurriedly backed o7, the tip of the blade
whistled under his cheek, where his bare skin was
eposed.
The girl, who had seemed not to notice him at all,
suddenly unsheathed her sword from her left waist
and slashed towards him without even turning
around. That was one awesome counter. 0ad he
stepped forward just a little more, his throat would
have been cleaved in two.
'pinning around, the girl held her sword properly.
0e could see no surprise in her sapphire eyes,
though they revealed fear and hostility. )assago
couldn*t help but admit that his hiding was seen
through very 5uickly.
Twirling the dagger in his right hand, he opened
his mouth.
%Hey, baby.+
0e suddenly remembered that !nglish wouldn*t
work, and switched to =apanese that sounded
almost native.
%0ow*d you know, little girl8+
The girl replied coldly while gripping her sword,
fully alert.
%& 2y senpai told me$ don*t just rely on your
eyes4 feel with your entire body.+
%'-senpaaai&8+
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
57/123
As he blinked in confusion, )assago felt the sting
of some ancient memory. I must!e heard that
somewhere
#ut before he could form any substantial thought,
the girl took a deep breath and let out a deafening
scream.
%!nemy@@ There*s an enemy / @@+
0e clucked his tongue, and retracted his short
knife back to the right of his waist.
Well' guess thats the end of the game.
)assago threw up his left arm with an eaggerated
motion and shouted as well.
%(uys& (et to work@@+
This time, the girl*s eyes widened in genuine
shock.
9rom within the shrubbery tens of meters behind
)assago, there came the scuKing of rustling
branches4 it was created by the thirty lightly-
armored scouts selected from the main Dark
"night army rising to their feet, one after another.
A second girl jumping o7 the wagon, along with
the ten or so (uards dashing from the north in
response to the girl*s warning, were e5ually
dumbstruck.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
58/123
%h& The enemy*s at the back@8 And there*s
about thirty people@8+
ntegrity "night 3enri repeated loudly, hardly
believing the distress call from the supply team.
This is "ad 1 This is "ad%
f the wagons were assaulted and the supplies
were burnt or destroyed, the entire army would
grind to a halt. ;ot only that, there were three
people over there$ two trainee girls who had sworn
on their lives to defend it, and also a young man.
I ha!e to send them a rescue team of a hundred'
no' two hundred men. ut if I split the main army
e!en further' they might lose to the enemies
approaching from the north. y then' they would
immediately lose to the enemys o!erwhelming
num"er.
Wait' may"e our am"ush plan has already "een
e>posed If it has' then should I ha!e the entire
army retreat further south' and wait for another
chance
Enable to come up with a proper conclusion, 3enri
stood still. Then, a rough voice entered his ears.
% never thought that they would*ve predicted us
going south and laid an ambush here ahead of
us&+
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
59/123
"night ommander #ercouli and Alice had just
returned from the northern hill a kilol away. 3enri
viewed them both as possessing strength that
towered far into the clouds above, but no longer
could he detect even a sliver of calm on their
faces, and especially not for Alice. 'he looked as
though she were ready to >y for the supply team
at once.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
60/123
0is right hand, rough as the gnarled trunk of a
tree, slowly drew the Time Piercing 'word from his
left waist.
#y the aged blade*s fading gleam, one could
clearly tell that the sword only possessed a
miniscule amount of
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
61/123
%"ek& "ekek.+
A muKed cackle slipped out from his mask.
/ This is it. This is the feeling.
This is the joy of playing with someones life and
relationships with a "lade. This is why I just cant
stop player+killing.
%& won*t kill her, as long as you stand and watch
right there.+
hispering to the red-haired girl, he crouched
net to the girl called 3onye.
#ehind him, about thirty bloodthirsty soldiers were
inching closer, step by step.
Tears of fear and humiliation beaded within
3onye*s eyes. 0er 1erce determination sank into
the depths of despair, and //
&&&8
'uddenly, 3onye*s eyes shifted focus from
)assago*s face to the sky.
'omething was re>ected in her watery iris.
/ 5ight.
2ilky white, radiant particles descended, slowly,
gently, softly, like snow.
As a weird shiver ran down his spine, )assago
slowly lifted his head.
The night sky was pitch black. The stars were
blood red.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
62/123
n such a background, there >oated a small
silhouette / and yet its presence was ludicrously
huge.
/ Thats a person. woman.
'he wore a breastplate gleaming with a shine akin
to that of a pearl. 0er gauntlets and boots were of
the same sheen.
0er long skirt was sewed together with countless
small pieces of cloth, >uttering like wings. 0er hair
>ying in the wind was in fresh chestnut color/
%'tacia& sama.+
3onye murmured from below.
These words did not reach )assago*s ears. The
instant he had caught a glimpse of the woman*s
face descending from the sky, the assassin had
leapt to his feet as though he were being yanked
upwards.
9reed from )assago*s grasp, 3onye immediately
backed away to where the red-haired girl was, but
he did not even bother to look.
The silhouette >oating in the air stretched out her
right arm.
'he gently swept her delicate hand across.
5aa ///////L
3esembling a chorus of thousands of angels, an
overpowering harmony shook the world.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
63/123
'pectrums of polychromatic light swallowed
)assago.
The ground beneath his feet vanished.
As he fell into the in1nite darkness, )assago thrust
both hands upwards, trying to grab onto the tiny
silhouette.
%9uckin* really8 & *mon, fuckin* really8+
A trembling voice slipped from his mouth.
That face.
That hair.
That atmosphere.
%sn*t that& C1&e9lash from "o#8+
The "night ommander #ercouli stood still as he
raised his beloved sword.
#efore him, there yawned an enormous chasm in
the earth, over a hundred mel wide. 0e ga6ed far
towards the hori6on to his left and right, but there
was no end to be seen. The depth was
unpredictable4 bits of rock here and there dropped
into the abyss, yet no sign of impact against the
bottom reached his ears.
Tens of seconds ago, this rift in the earth did not
eist.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
64/123
9rom the sky, variegated rays of color had poured
down with a grandiose harmony, and as they
touched the ground, it began to fracture.
There is a"solutely no way to trigger such a
ground"reaking change' not with one thousand
scetics' or e!en ten thousand scetics. 4erhaps
not e!en the $ighest :inister dministrator
herself.
This is the power of a
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
65/123
9rom this, the "night ommander detected a
sense of hesitation towards wiping out a multitude
of lives.
n other words, this was done according to human
will.
3
1 =aster.
1 =aster' @uickly get me to the ground' to where
,irito+kun is.
?uuki Asuna had logged into the Enderworld with
'uper Account MN,C1&e .oddess of Creation "tacia.
Protected by the fall-cushioning mechanic onlyavailable on the 1rst log in, she repeated her
lover*s name in her mind.
Almost an hour had passed since an unknown
armed group had stormed the independent marine
biology research mega->oat, the C(cean 1urtle'
%*ll go,+ Asuna had declared to "ikuoka 'eijirouand company, and 9ullDived using 'oul Translator
;o. I. 0iga Takeru located her insertion
coordinates, which should have been right above
where "irito was now. hen she landed, her lover
would de1nitely be waiting there for her.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
66/123
Accompanying her nearly insane yearning, a
stabbing pain racked Asuna*s head. 'he grimaced
on re>e, resisting the discomfort.
'he had been warned about the side e7ects that
would occur with usage of the Cunlimited
landscape alteration ability, the administrative
authority given to the 'tacia account. The area*s
2nemonic Data was absurdly large4 as the data
instantly transferred repeatedly between Asuna*s
'T< and the 2ain )isuali6er, which stored the data
of the entire Enderworld, her 9luctlight would
overload.
As 3AT0*s chief engineer, 0iga had strictly told her
not to recklessly change the landscape too much
/ to stop whenever she felt a headache.
#elow her were a thousand men from the 0uman
!mpire, and two enormous crowds from the Dark
Territory that were approaching them from both
the north and south. As soon as she reali6ed that,
despite the advice, she had immediately chanted
the commands.
'he put the cluster from the north to a halt by
opening a long, wide valley in front of them. #ut
for the thirty men drawing near the location where
"irito might be, she had no choice but to erase the
ground they were standing on.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
67/123
They are all human "eings with real souls. They
are the true "ottom+up Is that ,irito has stri!ed
for two years in this world to protect.
4erhaps this sharp pain is their intense fear and
grudge Aooding into the T5.
!ven so, Asuna closed her eyes tightly, then
opened them wide and freed herself of her
hesitation.
0er priorities had been determined for years.
9or "irito / "irigaya "a6uto, she would commit
any sin. 'he would accept all deserved
punishment.
At long last, the descent came to an end in tens of
seconds that each felt like an eternity4 the tips of
her pearly boots touched the black earth.
'he was in a wooded area 1lled with twisted
bushes. ithout a moon, there were only
ominously shimmering red stars, faintly shining
down from the night sky.
Asuna shook the remaining headache away and
straightened her back. 3ight net to her feet, a
dark, deep hole opened in the ground, into which
she had plunged an armored knight-like Dark
Territory man. t would be rather dangerous to
leave it there, but she had diFculty handling the
landscape again in a such a short time.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
68/123
'he heard the neigh of a horse nearby4 looking in
that direction, she reali6ed that a few large
wagons were standing behind the bushes,
seemingly hiding.
1 Where Where are you' ,irito
=ust as Asuna was desperate to the point of nearly
crying out his name, a trembling voice called to
her.
%& 'tacia& sama8+
'he turned her head around, and saw two girls
leaning against each other as they stood. They
were both wearing gray jumper skirts, just like
school uniforms.
Their faces were a little strange. They did not look
=apanese, nor they did they look estern. Their
skin were smooth and cream-colored4 the girl on
the right had hair in maple leaf red, and the girl on
the left had hair in a dark co7ee brown.
Two timeworn long swords hung from their belts.
The red-haired girl opened her mouth slightly, and
a small voice slipped out once more.
%Are you& (od8+
Perfect =apanese, yet her intonation was very
subtly foreign. Thus, Asuna felt she had glimpsed
the Enderworld*s three-hundred year independent
history.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
69/123
1 ,ikuoka+san' $iga+san' look at what you!e
created.
1 To 7ath' this might only "e a simulation' "ut
this entire world and the people li!ing here' are
genuinely ali!e.
%& ;o& 'orry, *m not a god,+ Asuna answered as
she gently shook her head.
The girl with dark brown hair wrung her hands.
%#ut, but,+ she whispered. %?ou*ve kindly saved
my life with a miracle. ?ou*ve saved all of us from
those scary soldiers from the Dark Territory&
?ou*ve saved the (uards, the Ascetics& and
"irito-senpai.+
hen she heard that name, Asuna gasped, and a
violent twinge shot through her heart.
'he straightened her body that almost lost
balance, and 1nally s5uee6ed out a feeble voice,
her lips trembling.
%& just came here to meet him, "irito& Please
tell me& here is he8
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
70/123
The surrounding swordsmen clad in uniform armor
formed an open circle, staring at her from a
distance4 Asuna walked through its center as the
girls showed her the way.
'he was taken to the back of a wagon. A thick,
canvas-like curtain was hanging from the roof, and
she could not see inside.
%"irito-senpai is insi&+
ithout waiting for the red-haired girl to 1nish,
Asuna pushed the curtains aside with both hands
and jumped onto the deck. 'he stumbled as she
advanced.
0anging from the roof of the cabin, a small lantern
threw dim light onto stacks of wooden boes and
barrels. 'he slipped through the tiny space
between them, getting deeper and deeper into the
wagon.
'uddenly, she was hit by a nostalgic smell, as
warm as the sun, as refreshing as a slight bree6e
over grasslands and forests.
'ilvery light re>ected into Asuna*s eyes, which
adjusted to the darkness.
t was coming from a wheelchair made of a metal
frame and pieces of wood.
n the chair, there was a 1gure in black, sitting
spiritlessly, its body sagging like a shadow.
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
71/123
%&&&&(h.+
:verwhelmed by a storm of emotion, Asuna was
struck dumb. !ven though she had envisioned a
multitude of scenarios, the words for their reunion
became stuck in her throat.
;ow lying in the 'T< ;o.O on the :cean Turtle in
the real world, the one she loved most was there,
in the form of his soul.
0urt, damaged, but certainly alive.
ack when ,irito met me again in the hospital in
Tokorozawa' when I didnt wake up e!en though I
was released from the death game #' ,irito
must ha!e suBered the same pain' and was as
determined as I am now.
/ Its my turn. Ill de*nitely sa!e you' no matter
the cost.
'oftly ehaling her stuck breath, Asuna whispered$
%&& "irito-kun.+
The right arm was missing from his emaciated
body. 0ugging the black and white swords, his left
arm jerked when Asuna*s voice resonated.
0is face stared downwards, and his eyes were
empty4 both trembled in tiny spasms.
%Eh&&+
A broken, hoarse voice slid from his parched lips.
%Eh& Aaaa& Aahh&&+
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
72/123
Taka' taka.The wheelchair was shaking. 0is left
arm sti7ened, and tendons pu7ed up on his neck.
Two tracks of tears slid down his bowed face and
dropped onto the scabbards in his arms.
%"irito-kun& !nough, that*s enough@@+ Asuna
shouted.
'he kneeled, and gently but tightly, hugged her
lover. 9rom her own eyes, she also felt warm li5uid
gushing out without end.
ae 4
'eeing each other once more, curing "irito*s soul,
his consciousness would return/
t would be a lie if she said she had not hoped so.
0owever, Asuna understood that the damage
dealt to "irito*s 9luctlight was deep. "irito*s
9luctlight core, or self-image, had been destroyed.
As long as they did not reconstruct it somehow, no
matter how much input he was eposed to, he
could not articulate a proper output.
0iga*s voice resounded in her mind.
1 It seems that he has some accomplices I
mean comrades. Theyre arti*cial =luctlights' of
course. nd most of his comrades died when they
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
73/123
fought the 6hurch' so in the end he se!erely
"lamed himself when he succeeded in contacting
us. In other words' he attacked his own =luctlight.
Desolation, regret and despair had cut a
bottomless hole into "irito*s heart.
/ /!en if that hole were in*nite emptiness' I will
*ll it up. If I cant manage that "y myself' Ill enlist
the help of those who connected their hearts with
you. There just isnt any loss that cant "e
replaced with lo!e.
Asuna felt her determination replenish$ she would
not let "irito feel any sorrow again, not a shred of
it.
/ I will protect this world' which ,irito lo!ed and
li!ed in. Ill protect it from the mysterious
attackers and e!en from 7T$.
After hugging "irito tightly for one last time, Asuna
stood up straight.
'he spun around4 and as tears >owed down her
cheeks, she smiled at the two observing girls.
%Thank you. ?ou two have been protecting "irito,
haven*t you8+
The dark brown-haired girl nodded humbly, and
replied with a 5uestion in a trembling voice$
%!cuse me, may & have your name, please8 f
you*re not 'tacia-sama, then& who are you8+
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
74/123
%2y name is Asuna. *m a human like you. And just
like "irito, come from the outside world& for the
same purpose.+
4
All $ can say is) $%m rat&er surprised'
(n t&e second floor of t&e imperial t&rone carriae, beside
.abriel w&o overloo0ed t&e sudden crac0 in t&e round, came a
voice t&at seemed Duite rela+ed'
He turned towards t&e voice and saw, poppin up from one of
t&e various &atc&es in t&e dec0, t&e burly face of a middle*aed
man' He recalled t&at t&is was 8enil, t&e &ead of t&e
7erc&ants% .uild' 8enil Eoined &is lon sleeves and performed
a sincere salute'
&ile &e seemed to be one of t&e few remainin .eneral nits,
t&is man did not seem li0e &e possessed any notable fi&tin
prowess' &at was t&e matter< .abriel raised an eyebrow in
ac0nowledement' 8enil lanced left and ri&t, but &is body
remained facin .abriel' He saw t&at Vassao was not around,
but did not say anyt&in else and saluted once more'
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
75/123
;our 7aEesty' 1&e moon will rise soon) $f t&ere are no
furt&er orders to be e+ecuted accordinly, $ &umbly reDuest t&at
t&e troops be allowed to rest and dine'
(0ay'
He peered into t&e blac0, apin c&asm aain'
1&e scouts t&at &ad been sent to report on its si@e &ad not yet
returned' $n ot&er words, it wouldn%t be Eust a few mel' And by
t&e loo0s of it, it seemed t&at a &ole of t&is dept& was not one
t&at could be easily filled in wit& raw civilian manpower'
redictin t&at t&e enemy army &ad manaed to infiltrate t&e
sout&ern parts, w&ere Vassao and &is subordinates were, t&ere
was now an e+tremely &i& c&ance t&at t&ey would all be
eliminated if t&ey did not&in' 2ut even if Vassao &imself
were to die &ere, &e would still awa0en in t&e real world'
Gow &e &ad to use t&e flyin nits' 2ut t&e /ar0 5ni&ts only
&ad ten draons' He did not 0now t&e number of trips it would
ta0e to transport twenty t&ousand footsoldiers'
(r maybe it was possible wit& maic' 2ut accordin to t&e
/ar0 "orceresses &e &ad consulted, creatin a sufficient bride
for t&e entire army to cross was not possible' $f t&ey were all as
powerful as t&eir leader /'$'8, maybe, wit& more /emi&uman
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
76/123
sacrifices) 2ut reports told t&at /'$'8' &ad been vapori@ed in
battle by an enemy 5ni&t%s counterattac0'
1 =or someone full of am"ition' you left the "attle
so @uickly.
.abriel t&ou&t wit& a twine of reret' 2ut at t&e end of t&e
day, an A$ was merely a piece on a c&essboard, and &er
e+istence disappeared from &is mind'
$n ot&er words
1&at yawnin c&asm was somet&in t&at upsetted t&e ame
balance of t&is world' 1&is world &ad not&in t&at neit&er t&e
Human -mpire A$ nor /ar0 1erritory A$ were incapable of
fi+in'
$f t&at were t&e case, t&is li0ely involved interference from t&e
real world' "omebody from 6A1H, probably a &i&er*up, &ad
loed in wit& a super account li0e &im'
1&ey mi&t even &ave t&e same oal' 6etrieve Alice#, t&en
eEect to t&e real world t&rou& a system console'
Alt&ou& t&ins were ettin troublesome, at t&is point, &e
could only plan accordinly'
(r rat&er t&ins were ettin more interestin'
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
77/123
1&e corners of .abriel%s mout& lifted in t&e sli&test of smir0s'
After it disappeared, &e turned to 8enil'
Very well' e will set up camp &ere toni&t' Feed t&e troops
well tomorrow will be a busy day'
;es, sire' ;our 7aEesty%s benevolence is truly &umblin'
ayin &is respects once more, t&e 7erc&ants% .uild c&ief left
in &i& spirits'
III
From t&e same world as) 5irito*senpai
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
78/123
1&e irls loo0ed towards t&e w&eelc&air aain, e+c&aned
loo0s, t&en bot& stifled iles' 1&ey &astily adEusted t&eir
e+pressions, and nodded'
;es) ;es) 6i&t, t&ere s&ouldn%t be any ods w&o escape
from t&e academy in t&e middle of t&e ni&t to buy snac0s)
ri&t)
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
79/123
(n &is bowed face, dried tear trac0s were still visible'
1 Its all right now' its all right now' ,irito+kun.
-ou can lea!e the rest to me
Asuna said softly in &er &eart, ti&tly rippin &is left &and'
1&en s&e turned, slipped past a crate, and Eumped off t&e bac0
of t&e waon'
Kust as &er w&ite s&oes touc&ed t&e round
.olden li&t appeared before &er'
1&e lint of a sword blade'
2efore s&e could react, &er body moved on instinct' Her ri&t
&and luned for t&e rapier at &er left waist'
,yariin%
1&e sound of metal aainst metal s&attered t&e dar0 silence of
t&e woods'
&ile s&e &ad manaed to deflect t&e stri0e, t&e une+pectedly
powerful impact &ad numbed &er entire ri&t arm' &at a
&eavy sword'
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
80/123
"cattered spar0s from t&e collision w&itened across &er vision'
"&e could barely discern t&e pat& of a second instantaneous
attac0'
nbloc0able wit& a sinle stri0e'
$mmediately ma0in t&at Eudment, Asuna c&ared at &er
opponent and launc&ed a succession of rapid stabs'
Her t&ird Eab finally to parry t&e incomin stri0e' "witc&in to
t&e offense, Asuna finally cau&t a limpse of t&e attac0er%s
features'
"&e asped in s&oc0'
An astonis&inly beautiful 0ni&t wit& snow*w&ite s0in,
rou&ly t&e same ae as s&e was, was larin at Asuna' Her
sapp&ire eyes emanated an animosity t&at seemed to crac0le
li0e electricity'
Her olden &air, seeminly fas&ioned from t&e element itself,billowed in t&e air' Her &efty armor and smoot& lonsword bot&
leamed a fla+en yellow'
From a distance, t&e irls loo0ed on, eyes wide' Finally, t&ey
manaed wea0 cries'
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
81/123
5ni&t*sama, please stop!!
"&e is not an enemy, Alice*sama)!!
Alice#!
Hearin t&is name, Asuna was stunned aain'
1&is eleant swordswoman before &er, wieldin a weapon t&e
wei&t of a boulder was t&e world%s first true 2ottom*p A$,
t&e &i&ly adaptive artificial intellience, A8$C-< "&e was t&e
oal of roEect Alici@ation, and w&at 6A1H and t&e invaders
bot& t&irsted for t&e center of everyt&in'
2ut w&y was Alice attac0in &erhaustion "efore me.
o this is 1 a part of what I ha!e to do to make
sure ,irito comes "ack.
) 8et%s ma0e a deal'
Hearin Alice%s s&ort remar0, Asuna blin0ed in confusion'
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
117/123
$%ll let you see 5irito' $%ll also tell you w&at $ 0now' $n
e+c&ane, you tell me everyt&in you 0now about 5irito'
After less t&an a second of confusion, Asuna smiled
confidently'
All ri&t' 2ut it%s a lon story' (ne ni&t may not be enou& to
tell it'
$ow uncomforta"le.outin aain, Alice demanded?
How lon &ave you been wit& &im
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
118/123
1&e two lowered at eac& ot&er, as t&ou& fully clad in armor,
ready to draw swords and duel' 1&e ni&t air crac0led, and dry
leaves unluc0y enou& to land between t&em e+ploded?pishi'
pishi.
1&e one w&o bravely entered t&e battle between an $nterity
5ni&t and t&e Creation .oddess was t&e t&in voice of a
youn irl'
m)
"&oc0ed, Alice w&irled in t&at direction' Asuna followed suit'
1&e voice &ad come from a youn trainee from t&e supply team
wit& a soft cap on &er tea*colored &air and a ray ni&town
6onye' "&e s&yly clasped &er &ands toet&er in front of &er
c&est, and spo0e aain'
Actually, $, $ spent two mont&s cleanin 5irito*senpai%s room,
and &e tau&t me sword s0ills as well, and even treated us to
t&e Kumpin /eer $nn%s &oney pies several times! $t does seem
li0e very little compared to you two, but) $ also want to
s&are)
Alice blin0ed a few times before e+c&anin lances wit&
Asuna aain' 2ot& of t&eir mout&s smiled wryly at t&e same
time, as t&ou& si&in toet&er'
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
119/123
"ure, 6onye*san' ;ou were a companion, after all'
Alice s&rued and nodded towards t&e petite irl' "&e could
not &elp but praise t&e trainee e+&alin and smilin in relief?
w&at commendable bravery'
2ut s&e was not t&e only c&allener'
7ay $ parta0e in t&e information e+c&ane
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
120/123
Alice si&ed aain, raised &er s&oulders, and spo0e to t&e tall
.uard 8eader?
) And w&at sort of association is t&at, .uard 8eader "erlutB
Asuna and Alice met eyes, simultaneously displayed
e+pressions of 6eally, now, and nodded'
1&en you must &ave Duite a bit of information too, 8iena*san'
lease come in wit& us'
it& an odd atmosp&ere, t&e four of t&em bean silently
movin, and Alice led t&em into a small tent' "imple beddin
lay on top of two leat&er pads ne+t to eac& ot&er' (ne of t&em
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
121/123
was empty, w&ile a blac0*&aired yout& wit& &is eyes closed lay
on t&e ot&er' o0in out of woolen blan0et, two lonsword &ilts
were sli&tly visible'
"eein t&is, Asuna%s lips trembled wit& a deep lonin' Alice
did not discern it'
) &at%s t&e matter
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
122/123
1&e dar0 ni&t over t&e blac0 wilderness became colder and
colder, wit& only t&e violet moon s&inin silently over t&e land'
&et&er it was t&e .uards of t&e Human -mpire /efense
Army or t&e /ar0 5ni&ts and Fist Fi&ters of t&e /ar0
1erritory army in t&eir camp t&at was now split by a larecrevice, all &ad sun0 into deep sleep'
$n one corner of t&e silent ni&t before t&e final battle between
t&e two sides, only one candle inside a tent could not be
e+tinuis&ed' "ounds of Duiet lau&ter came from be&ind t&e
t&ic0 curtain, but t&e only one w&o could &ear was a lone owl
perc&ed on a tree branc&'
After t&e oil in t&e lantern was depleted, t&e four youn
women, e+&austed from tal0in so muc&, san0 into sleep beside
5irito'
A moment later, far away in Central Capital Centoria in t&e
Human -mpire, a bell steadily tolled midni&t' (f course, t&is
sound did not reac& t&e camp in t&e /ar0 1erritory'
At t&e same time
-
7/25/2019 Sao 16.docx
123/123
A sensation so faint it could be described as t&e vibration of
time# reac&ed every sinle person in t&e nderworld' 1&at was
t&e sensation of t&e F8A 6ate droppin to ?, but even
someone were awa0e, t&ey would find it e+tremely difficult to
feel it'
nderworld Human -mpire Calendar, t&e ei&t& day of t&e
elevent& mont&, ;ear B=N, N?NN'
6eal orld Kapan "tandard 1ime, : Kuly N9, N?NN'
1&e timelines of bot& worlds were completely sync&roni@ed'