03x19 - The Seal of the Right Eye

[bunniefuu]

Speak. However,
if there's any trace of deceit in your words,

I will slay you on the spot.

That's fine.

If your decision to slay me is your own.

The reason I say that is because

there's an order inside you that you're not aware
was put there by someone else.

You Integrity Knights were summoned
from the heavens to maintain order and justice

by the surrogate of the gods, Administrator,
the pontifex of the Axiom Church,

or so you believe.

But...

Alice, you don't remember who gave birth to you,
or where you were raised.

I was told it's because the moment
Integrity Knights are called here,

the goddess Stacia seals our memories
of the heavens.

It's true that your memories have been sealed.

It wasn't the goddess Stacia who did that,
but the pontifex herself.

And it's not your memories of the heavens
that were sealed,

but of having been born and raised
as a human child in this world.

Your real name is Alice Zuberg.

You were born and raised in a small village
in the northern hinterlands called Rulid.

And when you were eleven,

you went to explore the cave
through the End Mountains

and ended up barely crossing the boundary
between the Human Empire and the Dark Territory.

In other words, the taboo you violated
was "trespassing into the Dark Territory."

Alice Zuberg.

That's my name?

Rulid... The End Mountains...

I can't remember any of it.

Don't force yourself to remember.
You'll end up like Eldrie.

Why would you say that now?

I... want to know everything.

The Seal of the Right Eye

Your father is Rulid's village elder,
and his name is Gasuft Zuberg.

Unfortunately, I don't know your mother's name,

but like I said before,
you have a younger sister. Her name is Selka.

Selka.

She's been worried about you
ever since you were taken away by the Church.

When you were living in Rulid,
I'm told you were called a prodigy of the sacred arts.

And she's working hard to become a good Sister,
to follow in her older sister's footsteps.

You told me something.

That you planned this rebellion

in order to correct the pontifex's wrongs
and to protect the human world.

Yeah. That's right.

Yet it's a fact that the pontifex's primary order
to us Integrity Knights

is to defend against an invasion
from the Dark Territory.

Even if you managed
to defeat every Integrity Knight,

as well as slay the pontifex herself,

then who would be left
to protect the Human Empire?

Then let me ask you this.

If you Integrity Knights counter
at full strength,

do you really believe that you can definitely repulse
the entire Dark Territory forces?

Prime Senator. Can you have a serious talk
with the pontifex soon?

The Dark Territory is steadily building up its forces.

There’s a limit to how much we can fight back
if we're the only—

Like I said!

It's your job as Integrity Knights
to do something about it!

Geez, you never shut up!

You just need to do as you're told! Seriously!

It's true that Uncle...

that His Eminence, Knight Commander Bercouli,
seemed to have the same doubts.

But even so, it's also a fact that aside from ourselves,
no other battle-ready force exists in the Human Empire.

But that's a situation of Administrator's own making.

The pontifex feared the emergence
of a force in the Human Empire

greater than her own absolute power.

So she allowed the high-ranking nobles,
who should reach for their swords first if w*r breaks out,

to lead indolent, lavish lives,
and as a result, their souls were corrupted.

But that doesn't mean it's too late.

Before the Dark Forces close in,

if we can raise the largest possible army
within the Human Empire—

There's no way we can do such a thing!

You just said it yourself.

How corrupt the nobles of this world have become!

Yeah, that's true. But not everyone is like that.

Among the lower-ranking nobles
and commoners,

there are a lot of people
who want to protect this world.

Commoners?

That's right.

If we distribute the huge stash of weapons
stored inside this tower,

and then teach them the same real sword skills
and sacred arts you all have been refining,

it wouldn't be impossible
to raise a solid army within a year.

But the way things are,
that can't be made a reality.

Because an army
whose loyalty to her can't be forced

is just as terrifying to Administrator
as the forces of darkness.

In other words, there's only one conclusion.

Our only option is to crush the pontifex's absolute rule,
maximize what little time we have left,

and then build up a defensive force
that can counter the imminent invasion.

That there are minions of darkness here...

That fact alone is irrefutable proof
that the pontifex is deceiving us, her loyal servants.

Will I get to see her?

If I agree to help you,
and regain my sealed memories,

will I get to see Selka...
my younger sister again?

You will.

But listen. I want you to hear me out.

It'll be someone who's both you and not you
that will see Selka.

The moment you get your memory back,

you'll go back to being Alice Zuberg
from before the Synthesis Ritual.

At the same time, the Integrity Knight
Alice Synthesis Thirty will cease to exist.

Selka. Selka.

I can't remember. Her face or voice.

But this isn't the first time
I've called that name.

My mouth, my throat,

my heart all remember.

Alice.

I called it over and over.
Every day, every night. Selka. Selka.

It's true. I have a family.

A father and a mother.

And a sister who's my own flesh and blood.

Somewhere underneath this night sky.

Once you told me that we Integrity Knights
were created by the pontifex,

I suspected that this might be the case.

That I'd stolen this body
from a girl named Alice Zuberg,

wrongfully occupying it for the last six years.
Isn't that right?

I must return what I've stolen, right?

I'm sure that's what Selka, her parents, your friend

and you yourself wish for.

Alice.

But there's just one...
one favor I'd like to ask of you.

Before the original Alice's personality
is restored to this body,

will you take me to Rulid Village?

And just one look while hidden is all I ask.

I want you to show me Selka,
my younger sister, as well as my family.

If you could just grant me that, I'll be satisfied.

Okay, I promise. I swear to you.

Before we restore your memories,
I'll definitely take you to Rulid Village.

No matter what, all right?

I've made up my mind.

In order to protect the Human Empire,
and those who reside in it,

I, Alice Synthesis Thirty, hereby forsake my mission
as an Integrity Knight and—

Alice?

Alice!

Kirito.

Alice.

A bar code?
No, nothing like that exists in this world.

It's like my right eye is on fire.

And I can see some words.

Don't think!

Empty your mind!

What's happening to you

is probably some kind of psychological barrier
that activates when you try to defy the Church.

If you keep thinking about it,
your eye's going to burst!

How cruel.

What a cruel thing to do.

For not only my memories, but even my mind
to be controlled by someone else.

The one who b*rned this red sacred script
onto my eye...

was it the pontifex?

No, I don't think it was her.

It's one of the entities who created this world
and observes it from the outside.

One of the gods
that don't appear in the creation story.

Gods...

We Integrity Knights have fought endlessly
to protect the world that the gods created,

and yet they refuse to trust us?

Robbing me of my memories
of my family and my sister,

and on top of that,
placing such a seal on me

to force me to obey... how dare they.

I'm not a puppet!

Even if I am an entity created by another,

I still have a mind of my own!

I want to protect this world
and the people who live in it!

That's the one and only mission I must carry out!

Alice!

Kirito.

Hold me down firmly.

Right.

Pontifex Administrator,
as well as you nameless gods...

in order to accomplish what I must do,

I will fight you!

Eugeo.

Eugeo!

You must be cold over there.

Now then, come here, Eugeo.

Mom? Is that you, Mom?

That's right. I'm your mother, Eugeo.

But where's Dad?

Where did my brothers go?

You silly child.

You k*lled them all, remember?

What happened to me?

What am I doing here?

Bercouli, the knight commander...

I fought the hero of the old legend.

And afterward, a little man named Chudelkin
or something showed up.

I can't remember what happened after that.

Is this...

Is this the top floor of the Central Cathedral?

If I'm on the top floor of the Cathedral,
then that's...

No, Eugeo! Run!

This person is the pontifex, Administrator.

If I do it now...

But this is for Alice, I can't use it now.

Eugeo, run!

You poor child.

Huh? Poor?

That's right. So very pitiful.

You're just like a withered potted flower.

A potted... flower?

And you know very well yourself.
How you thirst... how you starve.

For what?

For love.

Did you say love?

You make it sound like I don't know what love is.

That's right. You're a pitiful child
who doesn't known what it's like to be loved.

That's not true! My mom loved me.

Whenever I had a nightmare and couldn't sleep,

she'd hold me and sing me lullabies!

But was that love really meant only for you?

You know it wasn't.

It was what was left over
from what she'd divided among your brothers.

That's a lie! Mom loved only me.

You wanted her to love only you.
But she wouldn't do that.

That's why you hated them.

Your father and your older brothers
who stole your mother's love.

That's a lie! I... I don't hate my father
or my brothers at all!

Is that true?

After all, you did slash him.

Who?

That red-haired girl might've been
the first person who loved you and no one else.

When that man tried to take her away by force
and defile her, you tried to slash him.

Because you hated him.

Because he'd taken something
that was only yours.

You're wrong.
That's not why I raised my sword against Raios!

But your thirst remains unquenched.

No one will ever love you.
They've all forgotten about you.

"We don't need you anymore," they said,
and discarded you.

That's not true. That's not true.

I... I haven't been discarded.

That's right. It's not true. I have Alice.

Is that really true?

Does that girl really love only you, I wonder?

You've forgotten.

I'll help you to remember.

The real memories you've buried
deep inside your heart!

I haven't seen Kirito or Alice all morning.
Where could they be?

A—

Hey, let's head back now. Or they'll find out.

We still have time.
A little longer... just a little bit, okay?

That's a lie.

This is all lies!

See? I told you.

Do you understand now?

Even that girl's love doesn't belong to you alone.

No. Actually, did she even have any for you
from the start?

But I'm different, Eugeo.

I'm willing to love you.

I'll give all of my love to you. Only you.

Only me?

Now, come here, Eugeo.

Now you can experience the joy
of being loved to your heart's content.

And if you love me,
I'll return that same amount of love.

The deeper your love for me,
the more I'll bring you to the ultimate pleasure,

one beyond your imagination!

Is that really what love is?

Is it like money,
that you use to buy things of value?

Is that all there is to it?

Eugeo-senpai.

That's not what it is, Eugeo-senpai!

You're wrong, Eugeo!

Love isn't something you can get as a reward!

Eugeo!

Don't you want it, Eugeo?

To forget everything that causes you sorrow,
and consume all of my love?

But not yet.

Didn't I tell you? First, you have to love me.

Now, chant exactly what I say.

Be thinking that you trust only me,
and you're offering yourself to me fully.

Now... First, the initial line of the sacred art.

System Call.

That's right. Now keep going.

Remove Core Protection.

Remove...

Was this the best thing to do?

Core...

But I don't want to be sad
or in pain anymore.

That's right.
Now, come to me, Eugeo. Into me.

Into eternal stasis.

...Protection.

Next time: Synthesis.