03x11 - Central Cathedral

[bunniefuu]

Alice?

Alice, is that you?

Eugeo!

Watch what you say and do.

I'm authorized to decrease your lives
by percent.

The next time you try to touch me without permission,
I will cut off your hand.

Alice...

So that knight's the Alice
you've been searching for?

Let's do as she says.
Even if it's as criminals,

as long as we get inside the Central Cathedral,
we should understand the situation a little better.

Come with me.

Elite Disciple Eugeo. Elite Disciple Kirito.

For running afoul of the Taboo Index,

I shall apprehend you, take you into custody
and, after questioning,

I shall execute you.

Central Cathedral

Tiese!

Ronie!

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

Please grant us permission
to return these swords to our senpais!

Fine. However,
I cannot allow criminals to carry swords.

I'll hold onto them.

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

Eugeo-senpai!

Eugeo-senpai, I'm so sorry.
This is... this is my fault...

because I did something so foolish.

You didn't. You're wrong.

You're not to blame.

You did the right thing for your friend.

It's my fault that this happened.

You have nothing to be sorry about.

This time, I'm going to save you!

I'll work hard to become an Integrity Knight,
and then I'll save you!

So please, wait for me, all right?

I promise... I promise!

Um... this is your lunch.

Please have it when you get hungry.

Tha—

Time's up. Step away.

July , : AM Ocean Turtle

If only I could dive into the Underworld
and rescue you...

Excuse me.

A-A robot?

Hey!

Stop that, Ichiemon!

M-Mr. Higa... what is this?

Uh, well... it's Ichiemon, 'kay?

Its full name is
Electroactive Muscled Operative Machine.

EMOM for short.

I added "Ichi" as in the number one, so...

Ichiemon, 'kay?

So what is this Ichiemon doing here, exactly?

Well, actually—

Higa's making me help him tune the program.

Even though we're not colleagues
in a college seminar anymore.

Ms. Rinko!

Good morning, Ms. Asuna.

Just as we thought,
the balancer's processing speed is the bottleneck.

You have the budget, don't you?

Can't you use a faster chip?

If you factor in the exhaust heat
and battery consumption,

this is the best I can do for its mind, 'kay?

The only option is to curb it
by tuning the EAP actuator.

Those polymer muscles are last generation.

Why don't you use CNT?
Doing that will make it lighter, am I right?

I'm sorry, Asuna, for being so rowdy.

It's fine.

I'm sure Kirito likes it better
when it's lively around him.

We're building this thing
at the old guy's request, too, 'kay?

Mr. Kikuoka? Why would he...

I don't have any idea how serious he is, either.

If we're going to invite Fluctlights
raised in the Underworld here,

he says they're going to need bodies
they can operate as well.

Then you mean this robot
is being built to house an AI?

No way. We're definitely not
housing it in this thing, 'kay?

Other than Ichiemon, we have a second unit
designed for an AI to test-pilot.

And it functions way better, 'kay?

A second unit?

And what would its name be?

Niemon, 'kay?

'Kay— No, I mean... is that so?

By the way, why would it function better
if it's piloted by an AI?

The human brain adjusts balance on its own.

When you attempt
to replicate that system mechanically,

the body will balloon in size no matter what.

So if its mind is an artificial Fluctlight,

the auto-balancer would perform
just like a human's.

Yes! And if that happens,
we can create a near-perfect humanoid body.

Or so we hope.

But it's still just a pipe dream.

But Niemon back at the development department
looks pretty human, or at least its silhouette does.

If you're going to be so proud of it,
show it to me, alread—

This Niemon still can't walk autonomously yet, can it?

Well, of course not, 'kay?

It may have a CPU loaded,
but the control program itself is empty.

I see.

Ms. Asuna?

Are you going to have breakfast now?

Oh, yes.

Then let's go down to the cafeteria together.

Since it seems like
Higa will be eating here with Ichiemon.

Take your time, 'kay?

See you later.

What's the matter, Asuna?

No, it's nothing!

Okay.

May , in the time of the realm of humanity
Central Cathedral Underground Prison

I think it's been about a day and a half
since we were put in here.

So? Feeling a little calmer now?

Somehow, it all seems like a dream.

Me slicing off Humbert's arm...

Not to mention Raios ending up like that.

Don't think too much on it.

Right now, you should be thinking about
what happens next.

What happens next?

You're absolutely right, Kirito.

We have to break out of this cell somehow,
and find out what happened to Alice.

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

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

I wonder. Maybe?

Hey, Eugeo. I just want to make sure, okay?

That Integrity Knight
who called herself Alice Synthesis Thirty,

there's no question
that she's the Alice you've been searching for?

That voice... that golden hair
and those deep blue eyes...

I could never forget them.

She just seemed like a totally different person.

For a childhood friend,
she sure didn't hold back when she clobbered you.

Does that mean her memories or mind
are being controlled somehow?

But I didn't find any sacred art spells like that
in the textbooks.

The church's higher-ranking priests
can manipulate life, right?

I bet they could easily control memories.

But if that knight really was Alice,
then what was that?

Two years ago, in the northern cave of Rulid...

Kirito, Eugeo, I'll be waiting for you... always.

At the top of the Central Cathedral.

I'll always be waiting for you both.

Yeah... you told me.

That when you and Selka
were trying to treat my wounds,

you heard a voice that sounded like Alice's.

Waiting at the top of the Central Cathedral, huh?

It's still so far away...

That's right, do you think
we can access our Stacia windows here?

We never tested that.

Let's try now.

Okay.

It appeared!

No wonder they won't budge
no matter how hard we pull on them!

To break these chains, we're going to need a w*apon
or tool that's at least class as well.

I guess you're right.

No matter how hard you search, there's only the beds,
water skins, and chains in here.

Only the chains...

No, that's not all. We have two of them.

These damn chains.

Um, Kirito...

You're not actually thinking
of pulling on them like this, are you?

That's right.

Since these two chains
have identical priority levels,

pulling on them
with our Object Authority Control over

should theoretically be the same
as them wearing down each other one's life.

Hold on tight, okay?

Ready, set...

All right!

Keep your voice down! The guard will wake up!

All right, let's go.

- Ready, set...
- Ready, set...

That knocked at least off my life!

Well, isn't that a small price to pay?

Here, look.

Now then.

I'm going to ask to be sure,
but you're okay with this, right?

Eugeo, if we escape from this cell
and start searching for the truth about Alice,

we'll be directly defying the Axiom Church.

From now on, there'll be no time to feel conflicted
every time we take action.

If you can't prepare yourself for that now,

you're better off staying behind.

Yeah. I know.

But I've already made up my mind.

To even defy the Axiom Church,
if it means that I can go back to Rulid Village with Alice.

To draw my sword and fight, again and again,
if that's what it takes.

If that Integrity Knight is the real Alice,

I'm going to find out why she lost her memories,
and turn her back into who she was before.

That's the most important thing to me.

That day we went into the woods with Ronie and Tiese,
you said so yourself, Kirito.

That there are things we have to do
even if they're against the law.

I finally understand what you meant now.

I see.

Your resolve... couldn't be more clear.

All right. Let's make a run for it
before the guard comes.

I think we should be okay now.

Kirito, these are...

Wh-What? What's wrong?

I've never seen any before...

but I'm positive.

These are... roses, Kirito.

Roses?

Are you serious?

All of these flowers growing in this labyrinth?

For there to be so many precious roses here...

Even now, I just can't believe any of this.

You and I are in the Central Cathedral.

Well, not as Integrity Knights like we planned,
but as escaped prisoners.

But this might've been the right thing all along.

Since if we'd become Integrity Knights,
we might've ended up like Alice, too.

They could've controlled our memories, too, huh?

But if that's true of all Integrity Knights,

who do they think they are, I wonder?

I don't know.

In other words, even if those knights' memories
have been sealed away,

they should know things like who their parents are,
and where they were born, right?

After all, that's the fundamental root
of being human.

That's why I think it would be hard
to fake knowledge like that.

Right, those knights can easily go anywhere
in the human realm on their flying dragons.

Even if the memories of their real birthplace
were sealed away and replaced with fake ones,

once they actually visited their hometowns,
they'd know right away that it was a lie.

I see.

You!

You just realized we might find a way
to restore my memories in this tower, didn't you?

Uh, n-no, I...

Come on now!

Wha— Stop that, Kirito!

You're still such a worrywart! I told you.

Whether I get my memories back or not,
I'll be with you on this journey till the end.

Don't treat me like a kid.

It's not like I'm doubting your word.

I mean, you've said it so many times.

But when I think about how our journey
might be coming to an end, somehow...

If it's going to end anyway,
let's make it a happy... no...

Let's end it on a blissful note.

You're going to restore Alice's memories,
and go home to Rulid with her.

Hey, but in that case,
you'll have to choose another Calling, right?

You should start thinking about that now.
Since the next one might last the rest of your life.

I think you're getting ahead of yourself.

Well, but either way,
I've had it with being a woodcutter!

I don't doubt it!

All right, let's go.

As expected.

My mentor, Lady Alice is very perceptive.

After all, she predicted the very unlikely escape
of our prisoners.

"My mentor"?

Anticipating that you would break out,
I was ordered to spend the night here.

To be honest, I was extremely skeptical,
but for you to really show up...

An Integrity Knight!

Lady Alice? "My mentor"?

Needless to say, I will be sending you back
to the underground prison,

but first, it looks like
I'll have to administer some harsh punishment.

I'm sure you two are prepared for that.

Then you must also be prepared for us
not to take that punishment without a fight, right?

So spirited!

Out of respect for your bravado,
I shall tell you my name.

I am Integrity Knight Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-One.

As I was summoned a mere month ago,

I am just a novice,
without my own territory...

Perhaps you'll be so kind as to forgive that?

Next time: The Sage of the Library.