12A/N. This chapter is intentionally short both to test the waters if you guys like my writing and to help establish the background of the story. I have some questions at the end that I hope you guys will provide feedback on. Oh yeah, spoilers for the end of the first half of Alicization.
"Is it over now?", Kirito looked over at his best friend, the flaxen haired boy nearly unconscious from what he just experienced. He was turned into a sword and defeated Quinella's Sword Golem, however when he turned his blade on Quinella he was bisected. Eugeo then let became one with his sword, the Blue Rose Sword, turning it into the Red Rose Sword, which Kirito used to defeat Quinella. Anyone other than Kirito would have felt accomplishment from this victory, but the sacrifice of his best friend was the only thing on Kirito's mind. "Eugeo..." Kirito put his hand in front of Eugeo, generating light that should restore his Life. Unfortunately, the boy was already bleeding out before any noticeable healing was apparent. "Eugeo, come back. EUGEO!"
"Stay cool, Kirito." The boy missing his legs told the other boy missing his right arm. "It's fine this way. If it didn't end up this way, you and I, we would've had to fight on behalf of our own Alice. Me to get her memory back, and you to save Alice Integrity Knight's soul."
"Then fight! After you get healed, we can fight all we want! So please! Don't leave me."
"I've always been envious of you. Stronger than anyone. Loved by everyone. Perhaps even Alice herself, loves you..." With great difficulty, Eugeo raised his other hand, which held Alice's memory crystal, memories of the time they spent together as kids. "But I understand now. Love isn't something you seek. It's something you give. Alice taught me that." Touching Alice's memory crystal, Kirito understood what he meant, seeing their locked memories as kids once again. "Where are you, Kirito?"
"I'm right here, Eugeo." Seeing Eugeo's pale face, and his hollow eyes, Kirito knew that he was rapidly losing his best friend. He gently embraced Eugeo into a hug.
"Yeah, I see it. I see your sword, sparkling as the night sky. That's right. Your blade, as gentle and black as the night sky, should be named the Night Sky Sword. " Eugeo was struggling to even talk, but being held by his best friend gave him the strength to hold on.
"Yeah, that's a great name. Thanks Eugeo." Eugeo was silent, and Kirito as well. Kirito couldn't accept it, the boy who was the reason they were in the Central Cathedral in the first place, the boy whose determination overcame all odds just for the chance to meet his childhood friend once again, the boy who has suffered so much, why must he be the one to die? Eugeo's the reason a sacrifice as big as half of the world's population was prevented.
"Eugeo, stay cool." Kirito was determined not to lose his best friend. There was still hope. If this world ran on Imagination, then it makes sense that a strong enough will can influence it. "System Call." Kirito started chanting. Whatever can let him save Eugeo, he was willing to do it. This world was built on memories. Everything on this world had memories. Fluctlights were a special case, being part of the Light Cube Cluster instead of the Main Visualizer. While the Main Visualizer held all the objects and environmental data of the world, the Light Cube Cluster held all the souls within. As long as Life was still present, the data is still part of Underworld. If Eugeo existed as a memory fragment, was it possible to restore him from that state? Kirito knew it was possible, considering Alice's own memories managed to stay this long. Kirito imagined a memory fragment, visualizing it just like the one he held. "Remove Memory Fragment." Focusing everything he had onto Eugeo's forehead, a blue prism slowly emerged from Eugeo's dying body. Successfully pulling out Eugeo's memory fragment, his body disappeared into a mass of light not unlike when someone dies in Underworld. But Kirito knew that Eugeo is still alive. Gripping both memory fragments of his childhood friends, Kirito whispered, "Don't worry Eugeo, this way we won't fight anymore". He didn't care how, just as long as he gets to give Eugeo and Alice back their lives. He began, "System Call. Memory Fragment Template, Generate Unit Body" The words could have been put differently, but this was how Kirito could put into words the image of building new bodies for Eugeo and Alice based on their memories.
A flash of light emerged from Kirito's own body, taking away the memory fragments he held. "Uwooohhhhh." Focusing all he had, the fragments started glowing, bright enough to nearly blind Kirito. Still, he kept going, putting all his hope that this method was going to work. A flash of light burst forth from the heavens, piercing Kirito before redirecting towards the two floating prisms. Just as the Stacia account had full control over the geographical aspects of Underworld, anyone with a high enough level of System Control Authority could influence the system and do whatever they desire, provided they had the Imagination for it. The death of Quinella transferred over her parameters to the ones present, giving Kirito just enough authority to attempt a unique command. However, just as with the Stacia account, this comes at the price of the System expending not its own resources, but that of the user's in doing these feats. At this moment, Kirito was essentially using his own mind to create new bodies for these fragments. Just as the light emanating from the heavens died down, the light from Kirito's eyes also disappeared.
What Alice Synthesis Thirty woke up to was nothing short of a miracle. The Administrator and Prime Senator were gone, though it was obvious that a great fight occurred in the battlefield. The survivor himself was kneeling, unconscious, but alive. But what surprised the Integrity Knight was something beyond that. In front of Kirito was a boy and a girl, holding hands. The boy had the same features of Eugeo, the one who was fatally wounded during the battle, and the girl had the same features as herself, the girl who emerged as an Integrity Knight six years ago.
A/N. So this chapter is meant as a prologue of things. I want to know two things. If you guys think that Eugeo and Alice should regress back to being children, or if they should become teenagers. I also want to know if they should stay in Centoria or go back to Rulid eventually. Rest assured I would still logically follow what happens after.
And if you were wondering whatever happened to the STL being shut down, that still happens, I just didn't want to elaborate on it now.
Thanks, and feel free to leave your thoughts on the box below!
