Sword Art Online 13: Alicization Dividing Part 4

"That's why I said 'just checking', right?! You don't have to get that angry!"

"It's due to that strangely insulting way you put it!"

It gradual y appeared clear that this Integrity Knight Alice's personality had a conclusively horrible affinity with me,

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Chapter 10 - Integrity Knight Alice.

without even considering our respective standpoints, but I continued my questions while restraining the urge to retort.

"...Then, I'm just checking this time too, but... how about calling for that huge flying dragon I hung off al the way here?"

"Your suggestions are becoming increasingly foolish.

Approaching any flying dragons is only permitted on the thirtieth floor's landing platform. No ridden dragon will go close to any higher, not even oji-sama... no, not even the Knight Commander's."

"Th-There's no way I would know of an arrangement like that, right?!"

"You should have realized it when you knew the flying dragon landing platform was built on the thirtieth floor!"

I had no idea how many times had we done so already, but we glared at each other for another three whole seconds before I swallowed down the anger directed at the great integrity knight's irrational remark and turned my head back, speaking.

"...Then there goes the path of escaping by flying... I guess."

Alice, on the other hand, seemed to have taken another two seconds before she regained her cool, but her blue eyes glanced this way and she nodded.

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Chapter 10 - Integrity Knight Alice.

"Not even birds approach the upper floors of the cathedral. I do not know the specifics, but I have heard a unique art wrought by the highest minister's hand is at work."

"So that's it... that's meticulous."

I surveyed the surrounding again, then saw that although there were bird-like silhouettes extremely far away, they certainly showed no sign of approaching. This could be said to be the embodiment of the transcendental magic ability and unhealthy wariness of the most influential being, Administrator.

On that line of thought, the abnormal height of this tower, too, seemed to be a symbol of her authority while being an expression of fear towards unseen enemies.

"In that case, there are three choices remaining... to descend, to ascend, or to break through the wall again, huh."

"The third wil likely be difficult. Like the "immortal walls", the cathedral's outer walls should endowed with practically infinite Life and the nature to repair themselves. The same applies to the gla.s.s on the lower floors."

"Then, that makes descending to the windows pointless too, huh..."

When I muttered so, Alice lightly nodded before she spoke.

"...In the first place, I find it hard to believe a hole could have opened up in the wal from within the tower earlier... there is no way to think about it aside from it being an one-in-a-mil ion

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Chapter 10 - Integrity Knight Alice.

stroke of misfortune caused by that abnormal power released when our armament full control arts combined. My goodness, what a meaningless deed you've done."

We would get into a spiral of quarrels if I retort here, I thought as I held it in, getting it to settle down after merely heavy breathing, before I asked.

"...But in that case, wouldn't it be logical for the wall to break if we bring about that same phenomenon again?"

"The probability is not a complete zero, but... it would be difficult to return inside in the few seconds before the hole automatically repairs and there's one more thing to note, that I have already used this child's... this "Fragrant Olive Sword"'s full control art twice. I cannot use the art unless I allow it to bask in plenty of sunlight or let it rest in its scabbard."

"That's true, it's the same for me. I'll have to put it in my sheath... or rather, there's quite a lot of stress being placed on it just by dangling like this, right? It's best to get a move on soon, regardless of whether we're descending or ascending."

I tried feeling over the marble wall with my left hand as I spoke, but the number of b.u.mps and dips was a hopeless nil.

Blocks, with sides of roughly two meters at least, piled on forever neatly, without even a window visible on this west side.

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Chapter 10 - Integrity Knight Alice.

Breaking it apparently wouldn't be possible either, even if there was one, according to Alice.

As for a method for moving across the wall, there probably weren't any aside from preparing something like a piton2 used in rock climbing and driving that into the seams between the marble. There wasn't any great difference in effort between ascending or descending, so I would rather set the floors above as my goal, but the problem with that would be that- I stared at Alice on my left with the most serious expression I could muster and asked, resigned to the low chance of getting a reply.

"If we were to head upwards... is there somewhere we can return into the tower from?"

Alice showed a hesitating expression as expected and chewed on her lips at that. If we could enter the tower by climbing, that would indeed be extremely close to the highest floor where Administrator resides. Guiding an enemy of the church to such a place would be nearly the same as committing a taboo as an integrity knight, a guardian.

However- 2 Piton Pitons are metal spikes used in climbing stuff, by driving them into holes or gaps. However, the original word used here was "haken", a German word commonly used in j.a.panese to refer to that, rather than an English word.

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Chapter 10 - Integrity Knight Alice.

Alice drew in a deep breath, then put strength into her gaze and nodded.

"There is. On the ninety-fifth floor, a place called the "Morning Star Lookout", should be entirely see-through, with only pil ars for its four walls. We should be able to easily return inside if we could climb up there. ...However."

A remarkably strong gleam resided in her two blue eyes.

"Even if we reach the ninety-fifth floor, I will cut you there without fail."

Taking on the integrity knight's gaze, filled with enough resolve to cause a p.r.i.c.kly numbness on my nape, head-on, I nodded in return.

"That's our agreement from the start, after al . Well-you're okay with climbing the wal , then?"

"...Very well. It is more pragmatic than descending to the ground from here. However... despite how a.s.suredly you said it, how do you intend on climbing this vertical wal ?"

"Wel , obviously, we're going to run vertically... no, that's a joke."

After clearing my throat in a bid to escape Alice's glance that had rapidly froze down to below absolute zero, I swapped my sword to my left hand, held out my right palm, and chanted an art.

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Chapter 10 - Integrity Knight Alice.

"System call! Generate metallic element! "

A metal ic element, s.h.i.+ning like mercury, was instantly created, so I altered its form with a supplement art and the power of my imagination. Pul ing it out to a length of around fifty centimeters and sharpening its point to the shape of a thin blade, I made an impromptu large piton which I firmly held onto.

Looking up at the stone seam my black sword was thrust into overhead, I swung my right hand with force.

"Hmph!"

Upon driving in the piton with as much strength as I could muster, fortunately, the blade portion stabbed into the narrow gap without breaking. I tried to pry it out, upwards and downwards, but it seemed like it would stay fixed without issue even if my body weight hung off it.

The Lives of objects created through sacred arts were exceedingly low, vanis.h.i.+ng in a few hours even when left alone.

Hence, the lifeline connecting Alice and myself wasn't used in the end, but it would suffice if it was strong enough to support us as we climbed the wal .

While sensing Alice's usual suspicious look, I firmly gripped the piton with my right hand and drew my black sword that had been abused to its limit with my left. I stored that into the sheath on my waist, then dangled off the piton extruding