03x20 - Synthesis

[bunniefuu]

Central Cathedral, Ninety-Fifth Floor Morning Star Lookout

Kirito.

You didn't carry me all this way, did you?

I did.

It was a hassle.

So a little appreciation—

What're you doing?

Oh no! You're drenched with sweat!

And my clothes are stained!

Get away from me right now!

What did you say?

Ouch!

Synthesis

Where's your comrade?

You mean Eugeo?

Where do you think this Eugeo is right now?

If he took the stairs from the Cloudtop Garden,

he must've run into the most powerful opponent
before reaching this floor.

Most powerful opponent?

Uncle...

His Eminence, the Knight Commander Bercouli.

Eugeo, where are you?

I know!

System Call.

Generate Umbra Element.

Adhere Possession.

Object ID, WLSS .

Discharge.

What are you doing?

I'm trying to locate the Blue Rose Sword.

Since Eugeo would never let it go.

Below us.

Wait.

Did you treat my wound?

Yeah.

I managed to stop the bleeding,
but my sacred art skills can only do so much.

Can your right eye be healed?

At this time,
there aren't sufficient spatial resources.

It won't be possible to treat it
until Solus has risen.

I still feel some pain,
and the vision in my right eye is somewhat limited,

but neither will prevent me from fighting.

B-But...

Besides...

I'd like to feel it a bit longer.

This pain, which is the proof
that I've decided to fight the Axiom Church.

Alice.

All right.

If we go into battle,
I'll protect your right side.

Did Eugeo cause this?

Yeah. There's no doubt.

This is his Blue Rose Sword
under the Perfect w*apon Control art.

Still, who knew it would be this devastating?

Uncle? Uncle!

Is that...

Uncle?

This isn't Eugeo's art.

Long ago, Uncle told me...

that Prime Senator Chudelkin was given
the authority to turn anyone to stone.

I believe the name of the command is Deep Freeze.

Then it was his own ally, the prime senator,
who cast the art on the knight commander?

But why?

Uncle seemed to have secret doubts
about the orders issued by the senate.

But he told himself the Human Empire
could never know peace

without the Axiom Church's rule,
and spent countless days battling.

The senate may have all the authority in the world,

but this... there's no reason
for him to receive treatment like this!

Uncle!

Uncle...

Stop it! Please stop now!
Your body will break! Uncle!

Hey, little one.

Don't cry so much.

It'll ruin your good looks.

Uncle...

I see.

You've overcome that wall at last.

The Seal of the Right Eye I couldn't break,
even after years.

Uncle... I... I'm...

Don't make that face. I'm happy.

Now there's nothing left for me to teach you.

That's... that's not true at all!

There's so many things
I want to learn from you!

I know you can do it.

Guide this twisted world to its proper state.

Hey, brat.

Look after her for me.

I will.

Your partner was taken away
by Prime Senator Chudelkin.

Most likely to the pontifex's chambers.

Hurry, before that boy is deceived
by the labyrinth of his memories.

Uncle...

This is...

Usually, the only person mad enough to wield two swords
is a pretentious high-ranking noblemen,

but for some reason, it suits you.

You think so?

Still, there's no way
I can swing two swords at the same time.

Anyway.

It seems that Eugeo has already been captured
by the pontifex.

We'd better hurry,
because her actions aren't bound by human logic.

Have you spoken to Administrator before?

Only once.

It was six years ago.

I awoke, having lost all of my memories,

and faced my summoner, the pontifex said to be
ruling the Human Empire on behalf of the gods.

Those mirror-like silver eyes
that reflected all light...

Yes. I understand now.
I was deeply afraid of the pontifex at that time.

"I can never defy her.

I'm to accept her every word without question,
and offer her my everything."

I know now it was that overwhelming terror
that compelled me to feel that way.

Alice.

I'll be fine.

I've already made up my mind.

For the sake of my younger sister
residing far away in the north...

For the family I've never seen yet,
and for all of the people,

I'll do what I believe is right.

Now then, let's hurry.

For all we know,
before we confront the pontifex,

we may have to battle the prime senator.

H-H-Hey! Is it okay
to leave the knight commander like this?

We can either force Chudelkin to reverse the art,

or else slay him. That's all there is to it.

Hey.

What is it?

I keep hearing the name "Prime Senator Chudelkin,"

but who are these senators, anyway?

To be honest, that's never been clearly explained,
even to the Integrity Knights.

I heard that they're on floors ninety-six and above,
but knights are prohibited from entering that area.

What's their job?

The Taboo Index.

They confirm and monitor whether all residents
of the Human Empire are obeying the Taboo Index.

That's the senate's job.

And whenever someone runs afoul of the Taboos,

they send an Integrity Knight
to deal with the situation.

In other words,
the senate is like a proxy for the pontifex?

But how could someone as cautious as Administrator
give them that much authority?

This is the senate?

Yes. It should be.

Sacred arts?

It doesn't seem to be an att*ck spell.

Let's go in.

S-Severed heads?

No. They seem to have their bodies attached.

They're like the one from that time!

Do you know them?

Yeah.

One appeared after we fought Raios and Humbert
at the Swordcraft Academy.

There's no doubt it was these guys.

System Call.

Display Rebelling Index.

So these are the senators of the Axiom Church,
which rules the Human Empire.

Was it the pontifex who created such a spectacle?

Yeah, probably.

She must've abducted people skilled in the sacred arts
from all over the Human Empire,

and turned them
into surveillance devices called senators.

Unforgivable!

Oh no! Oh no, this won't do!

This won't do!

Whose voice is that?

The Prime Senator... Chudelkin.

This won't do!

This won't do! It won't! It simply won't do!

If you try to initiate a sacred art,
I will cut out your tongue at the root.

You...

Number Thirty! What are you doing here?

By rights you should've perished
along with one of those rebels!

Don't you dare call me by a number!

My name is Alice.

And I am no longer Thirty.

You! Why are you...

Thirty— Knight Alice,
why aren't you slashing this guy?

He's a rebel against the Church.
A pawn of the Dark Territory, don't you remember?

It's true that he's a rebel.

But he's not a member of the realm of darkness.

He's just like I am now.

You're planning to betray us,
you miserable knight?

You damned Integrity Knights are nothing but puppets!

Mere dolls who do exactly what I order you to do!

It was the Axiom Church
that turned us into puppets.

You sealed away our memories
through the Synthesis Ritual

and instilled fealty into us by force,

after which you made us believe the myth
that we were knights summoned from the heavens.

Yes. That's exactly right.

I still remember it clearly.

The sight of you, so young, innocent and sweet,
with tears streaming down your face as you begged!

"Please! Don't let me forget!
Don't let me forget the people I love!"

Even now, I can enjoy
just thinking about it all night long!

You were brought here from some rural area,
and for the first two years,

you were raised as a sister-in-training.

You were such a tomboy, you'd find ways around the rules
to sneak off to the Centoria summer solstice festival!

Still, you did your best, believing that if you studied hard,
you'd get to go home one day, right?

But that was never going to happen.

Once you'd raised your sacred art authority level
high enough, it was time for forced synthesis!

That tear-stained face of yours
when you realized you'd never go home again...

Really, I wanted to turn it to stone right then,
so I could display it in my room for all eternity!

You just said something odd.

Forced synthesis?

If I didn't know better, I'd suspect
there was a Synthesis Ritual that wasn't forced.

Your ears are sharper than I thought.
That's exactly right.

Six years ago, you stubbornly refused

to recite the secret commands
required for a normal Synthesis Ritual.

Really, you were the most insolent brat imaginable!

So we had no choice
but to pause the automated senators,

and have them conduct a ritual to pry open the door
protecting what you held so dear!

Well, I did get to see the rarest of shows...
what a feast for the eyes!

He's waiting for something.

Is this rambling story of his
a ploy to keep us in this room?

Prime Senator Chudelkin...

I can see that you've enjoyed your circumstances.

In that case, you should have no regrets.

I'm tired of hearing your stories.

It's not all about commands! Idiot! Idiot!

Chudelkin!

Hey!

System Call! Generate Lu...

Watch out for a sacred art surprise att*ck!

Roger that!

I thought I heard him chanting.

Could it be that Chudelkin escaped
to the hundredth floor?

But then where are the stairs leading up there?

So there were still Integrity Knights remaining?

No, that can't be.

Eugeo!

You...

It can't be.

It's too soon.

Too soon for what?

For the ritual to be completed.

Your partner...

Eugeo has already been synthesized.

No way.

It can't be. Because...

Yes. Even though it hasn't been even an hour
since Eugeo fought Bercouli.

That's right. It's not possible.

Eugeo can't...

Pull yourself together!

If you waver now,
you'll lose any chance to save him!

Save?

That's right.

You told me so yourself.

That there's a way
to restore an Integrity Knight's true memories.

So we should be able
to restore Eugeo back to who he was.

To achieve that, we must overcome this dilemma,
no matter what.

Leave this to me.

Don't let your guard down.

That knight is no longer the Eugeo you knew.

Right.

Eugeo, do you know who I am?

I'm Kirito. Your partner.

Since we left Rulid two years ago,
we've been together the whole time, remember?

Sorry. I don't know who you are.

But thank you.

For what?

For bringing me my sword.

Incarnate Arms?

What's that?

A secret art used by Integrity Knights
since ancient times.

It's neither a sacred art
nor Perfect w*apon Control art,

and you can move objects
solely with your own willpower.

I've heard that only a handful of knights,
including Uncle, can use it.

It's not a ritual that a newly-created knight like Eugeo
could have mastered.

What do you plan to do with that sword?

I'm going to fight you.

Because that's what she wishes.

Eugeo, just because you've been ordered to,

you're going to fight
without even understanding why?

I don't need a reason to fight.

She gives me what I want.

That's enough for me.

What you want?

Is it more important than Alice?

I don't know. I don't want to know.

About you, or who you are.

I've had enough.

Eugeo...

I have nothing more to say to you.

Eugeo, you probably don't remember,
but you learned your sword skills from me.

As the master,
I'm not ready to lose to my student just yet!

Next time: The nd Knight.