03x17 - Truce

[bunniefuu]

May , HE

Enough! Let go of my hand!

I don't intend to live with the shame
of being saved by a sinner like you!

Id—

Stay still, you idiot!

If you're an Integrity Knight, then realize that
despair's not going to get you anywhere! Idiot!

Y-You insulted me yet again!
Take that back, criminal!

Shut up! I called you an idiot
because you're an idiot, idiot! Idiot!

Listen!

If you fall to your death now,

Eugeo, who's still inside the tower,
will go to where the pontifex is!

Isn't it your job to stop that?

So you'd think your top priority as an Integrity Knight
would be to survive no matter what!

You're an idiot who's too dumb to understand,
so I'm calling you an idiot!

Th-That's eight times you spoke of me that way.

I see. What you're saying does make sense.

And yet, if that's true,
then why won't you let go of my hand?

Can you prove that I won't find the reason
to be less tolerable than death?

I...

Truce

Eugeo and I didn't climb this high in the Cathedral
to destroy the Axiom Church.

We also want to protect the Human Empire
from the Dark Territory's invasion.

That's why we can't let you,
one of the most powerful Integrity Knights, die now.

Because you're a valuable asset.

Then why did you wield your sword against another
and cause bloodshed,

violating the gravest taboo of all?

I...

The reason Eugeo and I slashed Raios and Humbert
at the Academy

was because the Axiom Church
and the Taboo Index are both wrong.

Just because something's not prohibited
by the Taboo Index,

that gives high-ranking nobles the right
to have their way with girls like Ronie and Tiese.

Is that what you believe?

Well?

Answer me, Integrity Knight!

The law is the law.

A crime is a crime.

If the people are allowed
to judge arbitrarily,

then how are we to maintain order?

Who decides whether the pontifex, Administrator,
who created those laws, is right or wrong?

The gods from the heavens?

Then why aren't they immediately striking me
with lightning as divine punishment and burning me?

The will of the gods... of Stacia, is revealed in due course
through the actions of us, her servants.

Eugeo and I climbed all this way
to make that clear!

To defeat Administrator, and prove it's wrong!

And for that exact same reason...

...I can't let you die right now!

Stick your sword in the seam of the wall!
Mine won't last much longer. Please!

It's not as if I saved you.
I simply returned the favor.

Besides, our duel has yet to be decided.

I see. I guess this means we're even.

I have an idea.

Right now, we both need
to somehow get back inside the tower.

So why don't we call a truce till that happens?

A truce?

Yeah.

Our odds of survival should go up if we work together,
rather than alone.

What exactly do you mean by "work together"?

To save each other
if one of us starts to fall, that's all.

It would be more certain if we had a rope,
but I guess that's asking too much.

That is a logical proposal. I have to admit that.
It can't be helped.

However, the instant we set foot inside the tower again,
I shall slay you.

Do not forget that, even for a moment.

I'll keep that in mind.

Now then, you needed a rope?

System Call.

Form Object. Change Shape.

A matter-transformation art?

What were you listening to?

All I did was change its shape.

No one can use the command to convert
an object's properties but the pontifex herself.

Sorry about that.

All right.

U-Um, let me ask you, just to be sure...

What is it?

Are you able to summon that giant dragon
you dangled me from on the way here?

Dragons can approach no closer
than the landing platform on the thirtieth floor.

Not even Uncle... no, the commander himself
can get any higher on a dragon.

Even the birds can't reach the upper floors
of the Cathedral.

I don't know the details, but I've heard that
a special command cast by the pontifex is in effect.

I see. So that leaves us with three options.

Descend, ascend, or break through the wall again.

The third option will be difficult.

Because the outer Cathedral wall is endowed
with nearly infinite life and regenerative abilities.

Is that so?

If we did head up from here,
is there anywhere we could reenter the tower?

Yes, there is.

There's a place called the Morning Star Lookout,
which has pillars on all four sides and is open to the air.

If we can make it there,
we should be able to reenter easily.

That said, even if we do manage
to reach the ninety-fifth floor,

I shall have to slay you there.

Right, that was the promise.

So it's fine to climb the wall?

It's fine.

Still, you make it sound so easy,
but how are you going to climb up this wall?

System Call. Generate Metallic Element.
Wedge Shape.

A-Are you all right?

I'm fine... at least I think so.

System Call. Generate Metallic Element.

Okay. I think this will work!

Do the same thing I did
and climb up to the first rod.

That's impossible.

What was that?

I said that's impossible!

B-But hey, I wouldn't say it's impossible.

It would be easy for anyone with your power
to hoist her own body up—

That's not what I mean!

This is the first time
I've found myself in a situation like this,

and I-I may be embarrassing myself, but...

it's all I can do to hang like this.

I can't possibly climb to such a narrow foothold.

All right! Then I'll pull on this chain
and hoist you up!

I would appreciate that.

Okay, I'm going to pull you up slowly.

Here goes!

Okay, you can pull your sword out now!

Place both hands against the wall!

All right, I'm going to climb higher.

I'll give you the signal again, so be ready.

Please be careful.

Roger.

Monday, July ,

Ms. Asuna?

Do you think they caught this fish
from the Ocean Turtle?

I-I'm not sure.

I see something over there.

It doesn't look like a fishing boat.

It has a huge array of antennas.

A warship?

That's a Japanese ship.

There are no warships in Japan.

Good morning, Dr. Kojiro, Ms. Yuuki.

Good morning!

Good morning, Mr. Nakanishi.

If it's not a warship, then is it an SDF vessel?

Close.

The MSDF vessels are called escort ships.

And that vessel is a five-ton,
general-purpose escort ship, the DD Asahi.

It's the lead ship of the second-generation Asahi-type
escort ships, the second vessel being the Shiranui.

- Huh? Isn't the ship moving away?
- These two are the only ships in the Asahi line.

Excuse me.

Lt. Colonel Kikuoka. Nakanishi here.

I just observed the Asahi
changing course to the west.

If I'm not mistaken, wasn't it supposed to escort us
until hours the day after tomorrow?

Yes sir, I'll be right there.

I apologize, but please excuse me.

I wonder what's going on?

I don't know.

System Call. Generate Metallic Element.

The sun...

Generating containers does significantly
deplete spatial resources.

Once Solus sets,
we might be lucky to create one every hour.

How high have we climbed so far?

Let's see.
I think we've passed the eighty-fifth floor by now.

The ninety-fifth floor is still quite a long way off.

Yeah.

Either way, it will be too dangerous to climb
once it's completely dark.

Hey, do you see something up there?

Could they be statues or something?
But why in such a high place?

Does it matter?
As long as we can sit on them and rest.

But they're at least six meters... six mels away.

I'm going to need two more rods, at least.

Two rods, huh?

Understood.

I was saving this for an emergency,

but apparently, now is the time.

Form Object. Wedge Shape.

Please use these.

Thanks! That helps.

Ready? I'm going to pull you up.

Okay.

Are you okay?

I'm fine.

That's...

That is one creepy design, huh?

It's from the Dark Territory!

Alice!

Alice!

Alice! Draw your sword!

Those monsters are coming for you!

Alice!

It'll be bad if they att*ck us all at once.

For me, anyway, but Alice...

Alice!

Alice!

Hold onto the chain as tight as you can!

You're not going to...

If we both survive,
I'll apologize as much as you want later!

Here goes!

One!

Two!

Three!

Why, you!

Wh-What were you thinking, you complete idiot!

It couldn't be helped, what else could I have...

We'll talk later! Here they come!

There's no doubt.

What are they doing here?

What's been bothering you?

Do you know what those monsters are?

Yes. I know.

They're soulless, evil familiars controlled
by dark art users from the Dark Territory,

who created them out of lumps of soil.

Following their lead, we call them minions.

Minions?

Why would we find a horde of those things lined up
on the wall of the most sacred place in the Human Empire?

I want to know that as well!

Without you having to tell me,
I know this is something that shouldn't be.

I simply cannot believe that minions

could slip past the Integrity Knights' watch
and infiltrate all the way to the Central Cathedral.

Not to mention...

Not to mention that someone
of high authority within the Church

might have deliberately placed them there.

Such a thing could never be.

Here they come!

Watch out! Two are heading your way!

Who do you think I am?

Do you need my assistance?

No thanks!

What is it?

Nothing. I was just thinking
how strange your moves are.

If you were to perform them on a stage
during the summer solstice festival,

you'd gather quite an audience, no?

Thanks for that.

Wait, have you been to
the Centoria summer solstice festival, then?

I mean, that's a festival for the commoners,
and even at the Academy,

almost all of the students
from high-ranking noble families didn't go.

Please don't think that I'm the same
as those arrogant nobles!

Of course I've seen—

...it before.

Alice?

No. I heard there was such a festival
from one of the monks.

We Integrity Knights

are prohibited from mingling with the townsfolk
except in the line of duty.

Minion blood will bring about illness.

Make sure you wipe it off.

Hey!

Really, why are men all so...

Do you not have even a single handkerchief?

N-No, I don't.

It's fine. Just use this.

Thank you very much.

Return it to me washed, before I slay you.

Come to think of it,
since we met two years ago,

Kirito's always been by my side.

This might be the first time
I've ever been on my own.

Kirito...

No, Kirito should already be...

I'm sure he's started climbing the tower
on the outside.

And Alice, too.

The nintieth floor, huh?

There has to be an Integrity Knight inside.

Here goes.

Is this a bath?

Sorry, but would you wait a little longer?

I only just arrived in the capital,

and my whole body is stiff from riding
on that dragon for so long.

Next time: The Legendary Hero.