03x16 - The Osmanthus Knight

[bunniefuu]

Enhance Armament!

Kirito!

Kirito!

Are you all right? Kirito!

The Osmanthus Knight

Kirito!

Kirito!

System Call. Generate Luminous Element!

System Call.
Transfer Human Unit Durability, Self to Left!

Kirito.

Thanks, Eugeo.

I'll be okay now.

Hey, don't overdo it.

After all that,
you probably have internal wounds we can't see.

It's not as bad as what the goblins did.

Anyway, I'm more worried about her.

But she...

But she tried to k*ll you.

You just said that
you can't defeat someone with hatred.

True, I don't think that Integrity Knight was driven
by any personal grudges or hate. But...

But I... just can't bring myself
to forgive the Church or the Integrity Knights!

Not just their devastating power,
but also what they aspire to.

If they really have the desire
to protect the Human Empire,

why wouldn't they use that power for more...

I'm sure those knights are struggling
with their own conflicts.

I think we'll learn more about that
if we meet up with their commander.

Eugeo, your Perfect w*apon Control art
was incredible.

You're the one who defeated those knights.

So now...

you have no reason to hate Fanatio as a human
or the Four Whirling Blades anymore.

Human. Yeah, I guess so.

That's the one thing I sensed during our battle.

She was human.

That's why she was so powerful.

That's exactly right.
They see themselves as absolute good,

but to you they must've been absolute evil,

but you, me and those Integrity Knights
are all human.

There's no way humans can determine
absolute good or evil.

Oh, I almost forgot.

Use that to counteract the poison in the kids.

Before you give it to them,
break the poisoned swords

and make sure
they don't have anything else suspicious.

Kirito.

Can you feel the same way,
even towards the pontifex, Administrator?

System Call! Generate Luminous Element!

Kirito!

Help me! I can't stop the bleeding!

All right.

It's useless, Kirito. She's lost too much blood.

But... if she dies, she'll be erased.

After living for a hundred years,
wavering, falling in love, suffering...

I can't erase a soul like that!

Can you hear me? Anyone at all!

I know there are more of you Integrity Knights!

Come save your companion!

A monk or priest! Somebody come help!

I'm begging you,
if you're watching, come help us!

That's right!

You can't, Kirito!
You're supposed to use it on Administrator!

I know that!

But I can save her if I use this.

I can't have a way to save her and not use it!

Jeez, you really are something else.

Cardinal, is that you?

I'm sorry. I just...

There's no point in apologizing now.
I understand the situation.

I agree to undertake the treatment
of Fanatio Synthesis Two.

However, since a full recovery will take some time,
I'll take her body into my care.

As far as I can tell, it's highly likely
that Administrator is still in her unawakened state.

If you can make it to the top floor
before she awakens,

you can still eliminate her
without using the dagger.

Hurry. There are only
a few more Integrity Knights left.

Sorry I lost control, Eugeo.

No, there's nothing to apologize for.

Now that I think of it,
Cardinal said something strange.

Something about Administrator's
unawakened state...

Did she mean she's asleep?

Cardinal told me Administrator and the Integrity Knights
have to strain their resources in various ways

in order to be able to live for centuries.

Administrator especially
spends most of the day sleeping, it seems.

Well, I guess we'll find out
when we get up there.

What's this?

Hey, something's coming!

Thank you for your patience.
Which floor would you like to visit?

Did you say which floor?

Does that mean you're going to take us
to the higher floors?

Um, we're fugitives who broke into the Cathedral.

You sure that eleva— uh, not that...

You sure it's okay
to let us ride that floating platform?

My job is only to operate this floating platform.

I've received no other orders.

Is that so? Then we'll accept your offer.

Hey!

Are you sure it's okay?

There doesn't seem to be
any other way up.

That's... You have a point, but...

Okay then, can you take us
as high as you're able?

Understood.

System Call. Generate Aerial Element.

Burst Element.

How long have you been doing this?

This year marks the one-hundred-and-seventh year
since I received this Calling.

O-One hundred and seven years?

And you've been operating this floating platform
that entire time?

Not the entire time.

I am granted a lunch break at noon,

and I sleep at night, of course.

No, that's not what I meant.

What's your name?

My name is...

I've forgotten it.

Everyone calls me the Operator.

Um... So, we're on our way to defeat
an important person in the Axiom Church.

The one who assigned you this Calling.

Is that so?

If the Church ceases to exist and you're released
from this Calling, what would you do?

Released?

I have no knowledge of the world
other than this shaft.

Therefore, I cannot say
what new Calling I would choose.

But if you mean what I wish to try, then...

I would like to fly freely through the sky
on this floating platform.

Thank you for your patience.

This is the eightieth floor, the Cloudtop Garden.

I used to think that nothing could be
more endless then my previous Calling.

But it was a gift
to be able to retire when I got old.

Compared to that girl's Calling...

Cardinal said that even if you freeze
the natural degradation of life with a spell,

you can't stop the soul from aging.

The memory is affected bit by bit,

until it's destroyed in the end.

What the Axiom Church is doing is wrong.

That's why you and I came all this way
to defeat Administrator.

But...

But that doesn't mean
things will end there, Eugeo.

The real challenge is still ahead.

As long as we defeat Administrator,
can't we let Cardinal handle the rest?

No. I'll explain after we get Alice back.

Kirito?

This is...

Alice.

Please wait a little longer.

Since the weather's so nice,

I want to give it ample time
to bask in the sunlight.

Don't fight, Eugeo.

Just focus on piercing Alice with Cardinal's dagger,
no matter what.

I'll block her att*cks,
even if it means risking my life.

But...

There's no other way.

I'll take Alice's first strike intentionally
and then restrain her,

so use that dagger immediately. Got that?

Sorry.

No need to apologize.

You're paying me back double
as soon as I can make you!

She doesn't seem to have her sword.

If we att*ck now, she won't have time
to recite the Perfect w*apon Control command.

To be honest,
it'd be best if we didn't have to use it.

I guess you're right.

Even though I think I can use
my Perfect w*apon Control art two more times

without restoring its life
using the scabbard.

That will help. I can only use mine once more.

And after Alice, we'll still have to deal
with the knights' commander.

All right, let's go.

I see you've climbed all the way to these heights.

Even if you did manage
to escape the underground prison,

I expected Eldrie to be able
to deal with you on his own.

Yet you two overcame him, Sir Deusolbert,
and even cut down Sir Fanatio,

before setting foot in the Cloudtop Garden.

What is imbuing you with such power?

Why are you disrupting the order
of the Human Empire?

As I thought,
I can only ask you with my sword.

Don't tell me...

Don't tell me that sword...

is already under Perfect w*apon Control?

Could it be you're mocking me?

To run towards me
without drawing your swords...

I held back on that att*ck as a warning.

But with my next att*ck,
I shall erase all of your life.

Show me the full extent of your power,

for the sake of the knights you've defeated, as well.

System Call.

We apologize for showing such disrespect
to an honorable Integrity Knight.

I, Disciple Kirito, formally challenge you,
Knight Alice, to a fair duel.

Very well.

I shall test the limits of your evil designs
through your swordsmanship.

Tell me one thing.

I assume the tree we saw on top of the hill earlier
was your Divine Object's ancient form.

How can such a small tree wield so much power?

In ancient times,
the spot where the Central Cathedral now stands

was the Place of Beginning bestowed upon humans
by Stacia, the Goddess of Creation.

A beautiful spring gushed
in the center of a tiny village,

and on its banks grew a single Osmanthus tree.

That tree was the original form of my Divine Object,
the Osmanthus Blade.

The reincarnated form of a tree
created by God.

It is the oldest existence in creation.

Its attribute is "everlasting eternity."

Even a single fluttering petal can split rock
or pierce the ground it touches.

I see. So it's the first indestructible object
installed by God.

Not that I can afford to be amazed.

Now then, Integrity Knight Alice.
Once again, I challenge you!

You're the second person
to have withstood my att*cks this long.

You must've climbed this tower
with such resolve and conviction.

But it's not nearly enough to sway the Church.

I cannot allow you two to disturb the peace
of the Human Empire.

Now then... prepare yourself.

Enhance Armament!

That was rather entertaining,

but you have no hope of stopping my flowers
with mere ice.

I'll fight you next,
so stay there and wait your turn.

Enhance Armament!

He aimed for the sword?

Eugeo!

Kirito?

Alice?

Kirito!

Alice!

Next time: Truce.