03x13 - Ruler and Mediator

[bunniefuu]

Under the rule of the absolute Administrator,
this world entered a long period of peace and idleness.

But years after Quinella became Administrator,

she became aware
that she had undergone some kind of change.

To her astonishment, her soul's capacity
for preserving her memories had reached its limit.

But this only drove her to come up
with yet another demonic solution.

I appreciate your coming here.

Now, this way.

Yes, ma'am.

If I can copy my own Fluctlight's thoughts
and memories by overwriting this child's Fluctlight...

Close your eyes.

And so Administrator,
through this diabolical ceremony...

the Synthesis Ritual, a secret technique
signifying the fusing of soul and memory,

finally succeeded in seizing control
of another's Fluctlight.

But that ended up being Administrator's...
no, Quinella's mistake.

Mistake?

That's right.

Because after she'd taken over the young girl,
for the split second that she disposed of her previous self,

she and the girl had become
two gods wielding equal authority.

Kirito, you're familiar with my original version,
are you not?

Tell me the features of the Cardinal System.

Um...

To operate over an extended period of time
without any adjustments or maintenance by humans?

Correct.

To achieve that, the Cardinal System
has two core programs, a main and sub.

While the main process performs balance controls...

The subprocess does an error-check of the main.

That's right.

It wasn't just the preservation of order
Quinella had etched into her own Fluctlight.

Deep inside her soul,
I had this thought as her subprocess...

"I must correct this woman's errors."

I... I steadfastly waited for that moment.

For long years!

Ruler and Mediator

And now, this child's Fluctlight is mine.

System Call.

Generate Luminous Element.

Lightning Shape.

Discharge!

What?

System Call!

Generate Luminous Element!

System Call! Generate Umbra Element. Ball Shape!

- Discharge!
- Discharge!

System Call! Redefinition Object!

Sword Class!

System Call. Redefinition Object! Rod Class!

System Call! Change Field Attribution!

Impossible.

She made this a restricted area
for System Commands?

I can't defeat her in this body.

System Call! Generate Aerial Element!

Stream Shape!

There are just two locations in this world
that even Administrator can't control.

One is the other side of the End Mountains.

And the other is...

System Call!

Generate Blizzard Gate... Zero One!

...the Great Library!

In that instant, this place was completely isolated
from the outside world.

In the years since, I immersed myself
in nothing but observation and deliberation,

working on a plan that would allow me
to strike back against Administrator.

But she anticipated my ambush
and assembled a retinue of loyal and powerful followers.

Through the Synthesis Ritual,
this man will be reborn.

As the ultimate warrior,
a Integrity Knight swearing absolute fealty!

The first to become an Integrity Knight

was a true hero known as an extraordinary swordsman
who hated the church's rule,

who, with his comrades, made his way
to a remote region and founded his own village.

The name of that knight was Bercouli Synthesis One.

Administrator and I are nearly on equal footing
in one-on-one combat.

But with the situation changed,
it became clear that I also needed a collaborator.

I tried to find that collaborator, no matter the risk.

Each time, I would open a door
as far away as possible,

I would cast Sensory Sharing and other arts
onto the nearby birds and insects,

and release them all over the world.

See.

Her name is Charlotte.

She's been observing the two of you
ever since you left Rulid Village.

From time to time, she did more than just watch.

She guided us when we were running
from the Integrity Knight?

Th-That's right!

When all my zephilia buds were cut off,
was it you who encouraged me?

Charlotte's the most ancient of the observation units
that I enchanted and released into the world.

Her long, long mission
is finally coming to an end, now, eh?

Since I froze the degradation of her life,
I've had her working for me for more than years.

Thank you.

So you've been searching for a human collaborator
while barricaded in this Great Library for over years?

Indeed. But as I observed this world,
even I couldn't figure it out.

Why would the gods of the outside world turn a blind eye
to the tyranny of this fake god, Administrator?

As I pondered, and referred to the database
stored inside the Cardinal System,

I arrived at one conclusion.

That the true god, Rath, doesn't wish
for the people of this world to lead happy lives.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

They're observing how the people will resist
as they slowly tighten a vise about them.

That load is increasing by the day,

until eventually, the greatest trial of all,
the final phase of the load test will arrive.

Final phase?

You know it well yourself...
what lies outside the realm of humanity.

The Dark Territory.

Correct. That world of darkness was created
to subject the people to the ultimate agony.

The monsters who have Fluctlights like humans,
except for their greater impulse to slaughter and plunder.

They can hardly wait to inv*de the realm of humanity,
and commit atrocity upon atrocity.

Most likely, that day isn't too far off.

Is Administrator aware of that?

She underestimates the forces of darkness,

convinced that she and her Integrity Knights alone
can repulse them.

She even had the guardian dragons
of the north, south, east, and west slain,

despite their valuable fighting power,
because she couldn't exert control over them.

But it's not possible for them
to defeat the forces of darkness on their own.

Their overall numbers are too few.

But doesn't that mean
that whether or not you defeat Administrator,

the path this world is destined to take
will stay the same?

That's correct.

At this point, I have no way of stopping the invasion
from the Dark Territory.

In other words, once you've attained your objective,

you couldn't care less
what happens to this world afterwards?

Is that what you're saying? Cardinal?

Perhaps I am.

However, I...

For having engineered the end of the world...

I will never accept a god like Rath!

Therefore, I arrived at the only possible conclusion.

That I would return the Underworld, both
the human realm and the Dark Territory, to nothingness.

Return it... to nothingness?

Just what I said.

I'm going to delete every Fluctlight
stored in the Lightcube Cluster.

Of every last resident of both
the realms of humanity and darkness.

Kirito.

If, with your help, I'm able to eliminate Administrator,
and regain all my authority,

then, before I extinguish this world,
I'll grant you a wish, to a degree.

If there are people you'd like to save,

I won't delete their Fluctlights,
and leave them archived instead.

I believe it should be possible,
after you've escaped to the outside world,

for you to secure the Lightcubes of ten or so.

I... I...

Cardinal.

You just told me that your soul
was a copy of Quinella's, right?

Then that means that the pure blood of the nobles
flows in your veins as well.

The genes of those
who seek their own profit and desires.

So why didn't you abandon everything
and try to escape?

Why would you continue to wait alone
in a place like this for years?

For me, as the Cardinal subprocess,
all profit and all desires amount to just one thing.

Eliminating Administrator and normalizing the world.

In my eyes, a normalized world is no longer possible
unless it's returned to complete nothingness.

Therefore... Therefore, I...

No, perhaps I'm wrong.

Even I have a desire. Just one...

In the last years,
there was something I was desperate to know.

Hey, Kirito. Stand up, too.

That should do it.

Hey, Kirito, come over here.

Come closer.

No complaining.

Raise both arms.

Like this?

Hold them in front of you and make a circle.

Really! Do I have to spell it out for you?

I see. So this is...

This is what it means to be human, huh?

So warm.

At last, I feel rewarded.

Those years I spent weren't in vain.

Just discovering this warmth
is enough to satisfy me.

I feel rewarded... more than enough.

How long are you planning to stand there in a daze?

No way.

So? Have you made a decision?

Are you going to accept my proposal, or reject it?

All right.

I'll take part in your plan. But...

But I'm not going to stop thinking about it.

I'm going to keep searching for a way.

A solution to somehow avoid tragedy
and allow this world to survive peacefully.

Geez, what an absurdly optimistic person you are.

After all, I don't want you to disappear, either.

When you tell me to pick ten people,
you'll definitely be among them.

And you're also a fool.

Who's going to extinguish this world if I escape?

Hey, I'm just saying that I understand the situation,
but I won't give up on struggling in vain!

One day, you too will know the bitterness of giving up.

Not of coming up short
after giving your all,

but of being forced
to accept the likelihood that you'll fail.

Thanks for waiting!

Sorry we left you on your own.

Kirito! And also, um...

Yeah, this person, Cardinal was banished
by the current pontifex, Administrator,

and she used to be another pontifex.

Pontifex?

She's going to help us fight the Integrity Knights.

H-Help?

Yeah, she has a goal to defeat Administrator
and regain her status as pontifex.

So... well, I guess that means we're joining forces.

Indeed.

Then do you know if Alice...
the Integrity Knight, Alice Synthesis Thirty,

is the same person
as Alice Zuberg from Rulid?

I'm sorry, but the information I can access here
is extremely limited.

I do know that an Integrity Knight named Alice
was indeed born, but...

However, what I can do is tell you how to reverse
the Synthesis Ritual for producing Integrity Knights.

How do we do that?

Simply remove the Piety Module
embedded in their foreheads.

It looks like a triangular prism.

Like the one we saw...

The Piety Module is inserted in a way
that blocks links to memories.

This seals away the past
of the person becoming an Integrity Knight,

while simultaneously forcing absolute fealty
to the Axiom Church and the pontifex.

In other words, to break the spell we have to
jog the Integrity Knight's memories of their past, huh?

That alone wouldn't be enough.

There's one more thing that's absolutely necessary.

Wh-What's that?

What originally existed
where the module's been embedded.

In other words, the memory fragment
most valued by the Integrity Knight.

Administrator's a cautious woman.

The memory fragments extracted from these knights
are without a doubt stored in her chambers...

on the top floor of the Central Cathedral.

You mean...

to restore an Integrity Knight to their former state,
we'll need the stolen memory fragment.

But to get our hands on it,
we'll have to breach the knights' defenses

and somehow make our way to the top floor
where Administrator is.

Don't be so naive as to think you can
defeat an Integrity Knight without k*lling them.

The most I can do for you is to provide you
with equipment equal to that of the Integrity Knights.

The rest depends on
whether you're able to fight your best.

But what if Alice is the one who shows up?

I can't bring myself to fight her.

I came all this way to get Alice back!

Indeed. You have a point.

Eugeo, I understand your goal.

Fine. Should Integrity Knight Alice be the one
standing in your way, then use this.

What is it?

Whoever is stabbed with this dagger will be linked to me
by an inseverable connection.

Meaning that any sacred arts I use
will affect her without fail.

Eugeo, use this to s*ab anywhere
on Integrity Knight Alice's body.

In that instant, I'll send Alice into a deep sleep
using my sacred arts.

Until you've regained her memories
and are prepared to remove the Synthesis.

Understood.
If I can't talk sense into Alice, I'll use this.

I originally created it to use against Administrator,

and kept another one as a spare, but well...
if you can succeed on your first try, it should be fine.

That's a huge responsibility.

What you just said, "equipment equal to that
of the Integrity Knights," did you mean...

You and Eugeo have your own powerful swords,
don't you?

I'm going to help you get them back.

You mean my Blue Rose Sword
and Kirito's black one?

I'm quite certain that your swords are being stored
in the armory on the third floor of the cathedral.

By the way,
what floor are Administrator's chambers on?

The Central Cathedral grows by the year, so...

it should've reached floors by now.

Unfortunately, there's one more thing you need to do.

Wh-What is it?

I know you two have powerful swords,

but that alone won't be enough
to bring down the Integrity Knights.

That's because they have the terrifying technique
of amplifying their weapons' abilities multiple times.

Do you mean the Perfect w*apon Control Art?

Weapons of the Divine Object class take on
the properties of the object they're fashioned from.

By fully releasing a w*apon's memories,
so to speak,

the Perfect Control Art realizes offensive powers
more potent than normally possible.

Both of you close your eyes and think of your sword.

All right, that's enough.

There.

Memorize that thoroughly.

Eugeo... and Kirito.

The fate of the world rests on you.

Whether it's engulfed in hellfire,
or sinks into nothingness.

Or perhaps you'll find a third path.

I've told you all that I can tell,

and given you all that I can give.

All you have to do now
is follow the path you believe in.

Thank you very much, Ms. Cardinal.

I'll definitely get to the top of the cathedral

and restore Alice back to who she was.

Now...

Go!

Next time: The Crimson Knight.