Chapter Text
Edit (10/26/2021): This chapter has been revamped to better fit the continuity of Accel World: The Ashen Wolf
Xander woke to the feeling of something soft being pressed against the crook of his arm. Letting out a light groan, he reluctantly opened his eyes and was taken aback by the sight. Bathed in the early morning light, the Aegis, Mythra was sleeping peacefully beside him, a stark contrast to her usual snarky attitude. There was one problem with this picture though. Her…voluminous chest was uncomfortably close to his left arm.
For a brief moment, the flustered Leftherian wondered why Mythra was in his bed. After taking a second to calm down, he remembered that the Light Blade pretty much forced her way into sharing a room after learning that Kos-Mos preferred to share a room with their Driver, which was already something that Xander wasn't too keen on as he wasn't a child anymore. One of these days he needs to find a way to convince his longtime partner that he doesn't need her looking after him twenty-four seven.
Seeing that this could easily be taken the wrong way by the Aegis, Xander began to stealthily pull his arm free, careful not to wake the girl. Somehow, as if the Architect took pity on him, he was able to move his arm away and sit up without disturbing the girl next to him.
"I knew this was a bad idea," Xander murmured with a groan.
"I concur, Master. Mythra's presence here is largely unnecessary."
He nearly jumped out of the bed from the sudden monotone voice. To his right, he saw a familiar pastel-blue-haired android sitting in a wooden chair, observing the duo. Of course, she'd already be up. It quite literally Kos-Mos's routine to wake up at first light. While Blades did have same needs as humans, like sleep and food, Kos-Mos was always a bit more unique. Sure, she still ate plenty of food and drank enough water, rest was a bit more complicated. Because of their past days of struggling to survive, the android Blade made a mission for herself to only get the minimum amount of sleep needed to perform her self-appointed mission of protecting her Driver effectively. When they were alone in the wilderness, she kept taking watch-duty and only rested when she had to, no matter how much Xander protested. Even if she were to get some sleep, the moment she sensed even the smallest hint of danger, she would bolt awake and prepare to defend her master.
While this was difficult to deal with, Xander couldn't really complain since Kos-Mos is the reason he's still alive. She may not express emotions all that much, but she wouldn't go to such extreme lengths to protect him if she didn't care about him. Naturally she would deny this, saying that she was simply doing her duty as a Blade, but Xander felt that there was more to it than that. It was almost like the android inherited the wish of his deceased mother, Ceres, the wish to keep the boy safe no matter what.
"Morning, Kos-Mos," Xander said softly, keeping his voice low to not disturb his other Blade. "Did you sleep well?"
"Good morning, Master," she greeted in her usual robotic manner, but she at least courteous enough to not be too loud. "It currently 6:45 AM, earlier than your usual time. As for my rest, despite the crude condition of this bed, I managed to acquire an adequate amount of sleep. I should have no problems with maintaining my duty as your protector."
"That's good to hear, but don't try to push yourself too hard. You've got Mythra to help ease the burden now. Not to mention the other Origo Mercenaries."
For the briefest of seconds, Kos-Mos's left eyebrow twitched in irritation. "While I am willing to allow the other Origo Mercenaries to assist me with my duty, I see no reason why the Aegis should be included among them. If I may speak openly, it was a mistake for you to resonate with her, even if you never intended so. There is a ninety percent probability that Torna, the group that attacked us on that ancient ship, will come after us to claim Mythra for their own intentions. There is also the possibility that we will be attacked by other greedy Drivers so that they can take the Aegis for themselves. I believe the wisest option is to leave Mythra behind and return to Alrest without her."
While the android's statement was rude, he couldn't deny that there was logic behind it. It would be foolish to think that Julius and Malos won't try to take Mythra from them again. It also won't be long until rumors about the Aegis's awakening will spread across Alrest, meaning that selfish Drivers may attack them to claim Mythra as well. Temporal Island, while still very much a mystery to the Leftherian-Ardainian Driver, seemed to be in its own dimension, separate from the world he called home. While it was extremely hostile, there was a good chance that Torna couldn't follow her here if Mythra stayed here.
However, the mere thought of leaving an innocent being behind did not sit well with him. It went against everything his mother stood for when she was still alive. He couldn't in good conscience abandon someone to save himself, especially if that person was his own Blade. One of Ceres's teachings when Xander initially awakened Kos-Mos was that a Driver and Blade were one in body and soul, neither one can unleash their full strength without the other. He may not have been Mythra's Driver for long, but that shouldn't justify the idea of abandoning her to save his own skin. It would betray the legacy of his family.
Xander prepared to utter a stern retort, but a certain someone beat him to the punch.
"As tempting as that is, I've got my own reasons for wanting to return to Alrest," Mythra retorted, now wide awake and sitting up, tossing a fierce glare at her fellow Blade. "It's not just because Xander's my Driver, but because there's something I have to do." She then cracked a confident smirk. "Besides, I am the Aegis. I'm more than strong enough to protect everyone from any threat, be it overconfident Drivers or Torna."
Kos-Mos simply narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "And strong enough to destroy three continents," the android replied coldly.
That took the Aegis by surprise she fell unusually silent, her gaze falling away from her roommates. Xander was a bit hesitant as well. He remembered the stories of the Aegis War that he learned in school, about how nearly all of Alrest was razed from the terrible battles and how three continental Titans were sent to the Cloud Sea's bed. Curiously, whenever he would discuss what he learned with his mother, Ceres always said that history tends to dramatize certain events to make things seem bigger than they actually are. She never really went into more detail though, saying that she'll tell more once he reached eighteen but with her death, that promise could never be fulfilled.
Mythra may be his best chance of learning what truly happened five hundred years ago. It was almost like the Architect was giving him a second chance, not only to fulfill that promise, but also to protect someone close to him. He couldn't save his mother when she needed help the most, he wasn't about to turn his back on Mythra.
"That's enough, Kos-Mos," Xander said with authority, taking the girls by surprise. "Neither of us knows what really happened during the Aegis War. It's not fair to hold Mythra accountable for things she might not have done, or her reasoning behind them. You say that having her around would make protecting me difficult, but you forget that this is a two-way street. Just as you protect me, Kos-Mos, I protect you. The same applies to Mythra, but you both have each other to rely on. I'm sure that if we all work together, we'll be just fine."
Kos-Mos fell silent while Mythra eyed their Driver in astonishment. Once again, the Aegis noticed the similarities between Xander and her previous Driver. Both were full of compassion and empathy, never willing to turn their backs onto someone in need. It brought warmth to her heart, but it made her feel even more guilty. She didn't deserve his sympathy. What she did five hundred years ago was irredeemable, unforgivable. That was why she…
There was a sudden knock on the door. "Hey, are you guys awake?" It was that boy, Marth.
"Yeah, we're all up," Xander answered. "You can come in if you want."
The old door opened with a loud creak from its hinges. Stepping into the room was the Dark Swordsman himself dressed back into his familiar black coat and clothes, all freshly washed and rid of any dirt or mud. His twin swords, Lunara and Solaris, were in their matching color scabbards and strapped to his back.
"Uh, hope I didn't interrupt anything, but Asuna and the others are preparing some breakfast downstairs," Marth said slowly, taking into account the weird atmosphere of the room. "Also there's a blonde-haired man wearing a lab coat here. He said he knows you guys and brought this weird flying submarine with him."
"Klaus is here?!" the Aegis Driver exclaimed in disbelief. That was great news to hear. If anyone knew a way out of this world, it had to be Klaus. There was barely anything the man didn't know, and he brought the Galahad which means their transportation issues were solved.
Marth nodded his head in confirmation. "Yeah, that was his name. He arrived during my shift for watch duty," he explained. "That ship of his is certainly impressive. No way my world could build something like that."
"I thought that I had heard the sound of something large approaching during the night," Kos-Mos added. "I kept my sword in reach but chose not to investigate further in case something befell my master." She then looked the Spriggan over. "By the way, how did you get your clothes cleaned so quickly?"
"Eh, was feeling a little antsy during my watch so I decided to pass the time washing my outfit. Kisara was having trouble staying asleep so she decided to help out and even used her flames to help dry them off. She's got a steady hand with her fire magic so I didn't have to worry about any accidents."
"Heh," Mythra chuckled in amusement. "Magic sure comes in handy, especially in a place like this. Well I'm starving so I think I'll go downstairs and help with breakfast."
Before she could even make her way downstairs, Marth blocked her path with his left arm. "About that, Mythra," he said slowly. "Jin said that you're not allowed in the kitchen. Apparently he's heard horror stories of your cooking from the Aegis War."
That came as bit of a surprise to Xander. He didn't recall any history book mentioning the Aegis's culinary skills, or lack of them. How exactly did Jin know about it? More questions keep piling against the mysterious masked swordsman.
Not surprisingly though, Mythra took offense to that as she practically threw herself off the bed and glared at the Dark Swordsman, who was merely a messenger. "Oh, come on!" she protested loudly. "It's not that bad. There's nothing wrong with a little carbon."
Marth let out a slight groan as he scratched the back of his neck with his gloved hand. "If those stories are true, then your cooking is just as atrocious as mine," he said rather calmly. "Given our situation, I'd rather not have to worry about my stomach suddenly rebelling when I'm in the middle of a fight. For everyone's best interest, it would be best if you left the cooking to someone else."
The Aegis growled in frustration as she folded her arms and looked away in a pout. It was actually a little adorable, like a child being refused to help with a particular chore from their parent.
With that out of the way, the quartet decided to head downstairs, where they could already smell their next meal being prepared in the nearby kitchen. Everyone else was already there, minus Asuna, Jin, Yuuki and Kisara, who were obviously in the kitchen. The Drivers and the Alfheim Warriors were all back in their usual attire as well. Man they sure worked fast. Xander wondered if his own clothes were clean as well. Klaus was present as well, conversing with Kirito about the Galahad and its technology, before taking notice of his leader approaching.
"Good morning, Xander," the older man said with a light smile. "I hope you didn't get into too much trouble while I was away."
The Aegis Driver had to fight the urge to run up and hug him like he did when he was younger. He wasn't a child anymore, but the leader of a mercenary corp. It was still awesome to see his surrogate father here though. While he had no doubt that with their joined coalition, they could easily survive this strange place, now that Klaus was here, they might actually be able to escape and return to their worlds.
"It's good to have you back, Klaus," Xander said warmly. "How did you manage to find us?"
The scientist/researcher simply chuckled. "You know me, Xander. I have my ways. I'm just glad the Galahad survived the trip. Traveling between worlds isn't easy."
The Titanless ship could be seen outside in the city plaza. There weren't any large bodies of water nearby so the Galahad must have used its flight functions to go this far inland. While Xander was still clueless as to how such an ancient ship could do that, he certainly wasn't complaining. It won't be long before they're all back home.
Breakfast was soon ready, and everyone began to dig in, though the mood was much more lively as they were almost free of this place. However, that was when Marth said something that easily soured the mood.
"You want to stay here?!" Ethan exclaimed in disbelief. "Are you crazy or something?"
The Dark Swordsman was silent for a brief moment, collecting his thoughts, before finally answering. "Look I don't want to stay here longer than I have to either," he replied. "But I can't shake this feeling that it would be a mistake to try to leave now. There's something wrong with this place and I need to find out why."
Nia rolled her eyes as she took a quick bite from her fish. "Yep, you're crazy. No one in their right mind would want to stay in this terrible place."
Both Kisara and Kirito, as well as the other Alfheim Warriors (minus Klein) looked uneasy as well. Were they in on it too or was it something else? Again, his suspicions towards the Dark Swordsman came to light. Was he trying to kill them all and brainwashed Kirito and the others into agreeing with him? Klaus also looked nervous, though it was hard to notice. Xander only did because he had been around the man for so long.
"Actually, Marth's not the only one getting this strange feeling of familiarity," Kirito spoke up. His eyes were hesitant, but they didn't seem to hold any ill intent. "I'm getting it too."
"Me three," Kisara added before bringing her right palm to her upper chest. "This air, this land, this sight, they all feel like I've been here before. If this land really is the place I think it is, then we have to investigate."
"Weird," Yuuki said with interest. "Me, Sinon and Asuna were discussing that last night because we got the same feeling. What could that mean?"
Silence fell across the room as no one dared to speak. Strangely enough, it was broken by the most unexpected person.
"I think I know why," Klaus said solemnly. "While this floating isle may not be a part of Alrest, I have managed to learn a bit about its history. This is Temporal Island, the only surviving remnant of a forgotten era from your world. It is both a memento and a prison."
Everyone was shocked at what they heard, especially Xander. The Leftherian may have occasionally taken peaks at the older man's archeology notes but none of them ever hinted at a floating island hidden in a different dimension. It reminded him of how little he knew about his surrogate father. Just who was Klaus?
"How do you know that?" Kirito rightfully asked in suspicion, while his partner narrowed his eyes at the older man. "You're from Alrest, not Earth. How would you know if something is connected to our world?"
"It's…complicated. Keep in mind, even I don't know everything about Temporal Island. The most that I know are mere fragments of what transpired. You see, long ago on your Earth, the humans lived alongside mythical beings, ranging from gods, divine beasts, to even demons and human-sized fairies. But, as with all tales, it did not last as one of the gods, Zeta the God of Destruction, decided to wipe out the humans and all beings of the light. This was known as the War of Light and Shadow."
Shulk was having a strange dream. It was all colorless, similar to the one he had back in Tephra Cave. This time he wasn't on some strange floating building, but instead in a large city with gothic architecture. It was way bigger than Colony 9 and was surrounded by a thick wall made of brown stone.
However unlike his previous dream, this one was a lot more graphic. The entire city was burning, plumes of dark smoke rising towards the dreary night sky. His eyes were already feeling watery from it. Civilians screamed in terror as they fled from the pursuing monsters and the humanoids that fought beside them, slaughtering anything that came their way. There were soldiers trying to hold off the invading army, though, but unlike the military force in Colony 9, these soldiers were completely covered in metal armor with a design he has never seen before. None of them were using firearms, instead they relied on swords, shields, to spears and axes.
"What in Bionis?" he asked aloud as he examined the carnage.
It painfully reminded him of the Mechon attack on Colony 9, but unlike his home, this city, most likely a capital, was clearly on the brink of falling. The invaders were too numerous, and the defenders were in complete disarray. It won't be long until this battle was decided.
But where did this happen? Nothing about this place reminded him of the Bionis. The Titan's limbs weren't anywhere in sight, much less the Mechonis. Was this a different world entirely?
"Zeta's forces attacked out of nowhere, taking all of the different kingdoms at the time by surprise."
That voice. It was the same one he heard from his other dream. Shulk quickly looked around, grateful that he could actually move in this dream, and sure enough, hiding in the smoke was a familiar young man. He was the only other one in full color, his shoulder-length hair a deep silver while wearing his usual purple top under a white waistcoat with gold buttons, a long-sleeved purple jacket with a grey fur collar, silver buttons and a symbol on the back, purple trousers, and white boots with grey soles that attach around his waist. His back was turned towards the blonde, keeping his face hidden from sight.
"Out of all of them, two kingdoms were hit the hardest," the unnamed figure continued. "The human kingdom of Arcadia and the demon kingdom of Eternus. Eternus fell to an army of insurgents that were loyal to the Dark God, its king murdered by one of its champions, and its capital, Obsidia, purged of any who opposed the new ruler. As for Arcadia, Zeta's forces easily overwhelmed the capital defenses and took the city, Zophia, as his own. He executed its king, Lambert, himself and left the kingdom in ruin. Barely any from those two cities managed to escape the slaughter. And thus, the War of Light and Shadow began."
"No way," Shulk said in shock. "That can't be true. I haven't heard anything of this scale before. There's no way this could have happened."
"Understandable, given that this all happened in an alternate world," the figure answered. "As I said, there were in fact survivors of this massacre. One was Altena Umbris, Lambert's husband and the true heir to the Eternian throne. She was one of the six demon lords, champions of their progenitor, the Goddess of Shadow Sinestra, and arguably the strongest demon to ever exist. While she was in Zophia at the time, rather than join her husband to hold back the enemy forces, she instead helped the civilians, and her children, Zane and Lucia, escape the carnage. Unfortunately Zane and his childhood friend, Kaito, got separated from her in the chaos, and she was forced to abandon them to protect the humans. Luckily, one of her old friends, the immortal warrior, Scathach, managed to find the two boys and got them to safety, taking them in as her own."
That was a lot for the wielder of the Monado, the only weapon capable of piercing through Mechon armor, to process. This all sounded so unreal. He was well aware of the Homs war against the Mechon, but that paled before a war of this magnitude. But that raised one question?
"How do you know all this?" Shulk asked in suspicion.
The silver-haired Homs merely chuckled. "I have my ways, also a certain goddess filled me in a little. While I do not know Sinestra or her sister, the Goddess of Light Mitra, personally, I cannot exactly turn down a request from two primordial gods, especially given the stakes."
"What are you saying?"
"There's been a situation. Zane's reincarnation, Marth, and his friends, as well as people from a world called Alrest got transported to Temporal Island, the only remnant of Arcadia left that serves as a prison for the Dark God after Zane's forces defeated him. Zeta is close to breaking free of his bonds and if that happens, he could easily threaten other worlds, including the Bionis and the Mechonis. Goddess Sinestra feels that you and your companion will be of great use to Marth and his allies."
While Shulk did feel honored that a goddess felt that him and Reyn would be useful to this Marth person, he naturally felt hesitant to accept. All he wanted to do was stop the Mechon and get revenge for Fiora, his other oldest friend who was tragically killed in the attack on Colony 9. Opposing a god seemed a little too much for him to handle, even with the Monado.
As if reading his thoughts, the young man turned towards him, revealing his silver eyes. There was something red on his chest, but the smoke made it hard to make out. For some reason, it reminded him of the Monado.
"You will be fine," he assured in a calm tone. "While there is no ether in Temporal Island, the magical energy there should be sufficient enough for you to use Arts and the Monado. So then, are you prepared to fight a god?"
"Uh, not really. I still don't fully understand anything, but it seems like this is a big threat to the Bionis. If I can keep everyone back home safe, then I'll be glad to help."
The young man cracked a light smile. "Good, because I've already taken the liberty and allowed Sinestra and Mitra to transport you and your friend to Temporal Island. You will find yourself in ruined town where Marth and his friends are located. While it may be tempting to simply escape the island, Zeta and his second-in-command, Zarc another of the six demon lords, will not allow that to happen. The only way to escape safely is to defeat Zarc and Zeta."
Shulk nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Okay, but are we really enough to stop a dark god and a demon lord?" he asked nervously.
"It will have to do. It's not exactly easy breaching the heavy defenses of the island. Ideally the twin goddesses would come themselves, but that would directly go against the order of the God of Creation, Aesir. Even they cannot do that, so this is the only workaround."
That only made Shulk even more concerned. Not only was he going into a world he never heard of, but he would be trapped there until the threat was dealt with, not to mention that the beings sending him and Reyn there can't offer much support. Unfortunately, if the silver-haired Homs was right, it was out of his hands since he had already been sent to Temporal Island. He'll just have to hope that he can get himself and Reyn out safely.
"Alright," Shulk said in defeat. "I'll do my best then. I do have the Monado with me after all."
"Indeed. While you have not fully grasped its true power yet, it should be enough to get you by. I'll leave the rest to you then. I do hope we meet again. There is still much for you to do after all."
He didn't even get a chance to question it as the dream quickly faded. The next thing he knew, his vision was dark and he heard a male voice calling out his name in worry.
"Shulk! Shulk! Come on, wake up already!"
He let out a grunt as he slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the early morning light while also adjusting his wavy blonde hair out of his face. He found himself on a dirt road just outside of a ruined town to his right. His short red jacket, a black sweater with pink and purple patterning, grey shorts with straps and flat-soled boots were all undamaged, which was a welcome relief. In his right hand was a large two-handed red sword with a single edge and an empty circle by the hilt. Blue lines of light pulsed across the weapon. The Monado.
To his left was a young man (around his age, which was eighteen) with tan skin and a muscular build. He had short spiky auburn hair and brown eyes. His outfit consisted of a silver, gray, and orange metallic top, dark grey pants, dark grey and orange fingerless gauntlets, and near black boots that reach near his knees. Strapped to his back was the gunlance that Shulk built out of spare parts, which had helped to protect them both from monsters.
Caressing his head with his spare hand as he sat up from the cold earth, he asked, "Reyn, are you okay?"
The other Homs nodded. "Yeah, I'm a bit sore but I'll manage. Where in Bionis are we? Last I remember, we were just about to reach the Gaur Plains on the Bionis's Leg after leaving Tephra Cave. How'd we get here?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Shulk said dismissively. He held the Monado in front of him with both hands. The Homs from his dream said that it should work here just fine despite the lack of ether but he needed to test to be sure. Focusing his energy into the red sword, the weapon soon opened up and generated a large blade made of blue energy.
Well that was a relief. Without the Monado, he was practically powerless.
Reyn, however, rolled his eyes at that. "Yeah, you said that about your visions yet you managed to use them to save my life from that Arachno Queen," the gunlance user chided. "I don't think anything can surprise me now."
Shulk let out a heavy sigh and braced himself. "Okay. We're on a floating island that serves as a prison for a dark god that nearly destroyed an entire world. Two goddesses sent us to help other people that are trapped here defeat the god so he can't escape and threaten other worlds, including the Bionis."
To absolutely no surprise, the former member of the Defense Force said, "Okay, yeah that is crazy. I know that the Bionis is a dead Titan, but to think that actual gods exist is a little hard to believe." Reyn rested his palms on the ground and looked up at the sky. "But it's the only explanation we've got so I guess we'll go with it. Fighting against a god can't be that hard, right?"
He couldn't help but chuckle at that. While some things may roll over Reyn's head, he certainly didn't let that keep him down. So Shulk shouldn't let it bother him either.
"Maybe," Shulk replied. "Supposedly the reincarnation of the guy who defeated the dark god is here as well. With him and his friends, we might be able to pull it off."
"Great!" Reyn said eagerly as he slammed his palm into his friend's shoulder. "Now that's what I'm talking about. So where are they?"
"Thankfully, they shouldn't be too far from us. They should be in this town. We should hurry before they leave. We have to warn them that they can't leave until Zeta is defeated."
The auburn-haired Homs nodded in agreement before they both hurried to their feet. They then ran into the ruined village, with Shulk filling his friend in on the situation as they moved.
Needless to say, Marth was shocked to hear that Klaus knew he was the reincarnation of Zane Umbris, the half-demon prince who fought in the War of Light and Shadow and was the one who defeated the God of Destruction, Zeta, here in the fallen kingdom of Arcadia. The man's knowledge of the events weren't that great, about as helpful as Shiraki's account of the story. Weirdly enough though, Shiraki had called Marth and his sister as full demons except they were half human in their previous lives. Perhaps they simply lost their human side when they were reincarnated in this era.
Naturally, Klaus also knew of Kisara's origins as Zane's younger sister, Lucia Umbris. He didn't know much about her except that she was strong for a half-demon but wasn't quite as powerful as Zane. He also mentioned Kirito's first life, Kaito, who was Zane's right-hand man during the war. Asuna and Sinon's previous names in that era were apparently Stacia and Solus, but Klaus didn't have much information on them, just that they were Zane and Kaito's comrades. Finally, he mentioned Celine, Yuuki's previous self, who was the princess of the fairies. Kind of ironic she feel for a demon since both races hated each other even before the war.
"So what do we do?" Klein questioned after a period of silence.
"Isn't it obvious?" Nia replied. "We get the hell out of here. I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't fancy staying in a god's prison any longer."
"I concur with my lady," Dromarch added. "There's no telling what will happen if we stay here. It might be best to leave here while we still can."
While Marth did agree with their logic, he couldn't shake the feeling that that would be a mistake. Someone had brought them here. That much was clear. It was no accident that they found themselves on this island of frozen time. That meant that if they tried to leave, that person would do whatever it takes to keep them here until they got what they wanted. Whatever it was, it made him feel uneasy.
"I don't know," he spoke up, trying to sound as reasonable as possible. "I just don't think that's a good idea."
"What other choice do we have?" Azurda questioned. "While we may not have to worry about the monsters here, a real god may be more than we can handle. If it breaks free, there's no guarantee that we'll be able to survive."
"I…agree with Uncle," Xander said slowly. "Fighting Drivers and monsters is one thing, but a god is in a league all of their own."
Mythra simply shrugged. "Even I don't know if we can win against something that strong, and I'm the strongest Blade there is. I hate to say it, but retreat may be our best option."
"Hold on," Sinon interjected inquisitively. "Even if we are able to escape Temporal Island, what's stopping Zeta from doing the same if he manages to break out of his prison? If we leave him be, he might try attacking both our worlds once he gets free."
Asuna nodded her head in agreement. "Sinon's right. It's too risky to leave without ensuring that Zeta can't follow us off this island. Not to mention that unlike you Drivers and your Blades, my friends and I can't use our abilities in the real world. If the God of Destruction attacks us there, we're finished. I don't think any weapon we have is capable of defeating him."
As expected of the Lightning Flash, the former sub-commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath (well he says that but she more of a liaison to the K.O.B. since she was already a member of the Dark Swordsman's guild, the Harbingers; Heathcliff and Zelgius just gave her that position to honor her skills as a player). Marth had to agree with his guildmates. Zeta was too much of a risk to leave unchecked. No matter what happens, they have to ensure that the Dark God cannot become a threat for any world, not just their own. He was the wielder of Lunara and Solaris, two of the strongest weapons in ALO. He and Kirito defeated Heathcliff and Zelgius (aka Akihiko Kayaba and Satoshi Shiraki), the creators of SAO and were practically virtual gods, how hard can the real thing be?
"Sorry Xander, but the Alfheim Warriors can't ignore this," he said firmly. "As Zane's reincarnation, and the crown prince of Eternus, I feel that it is my duty to ensure that Zeta can't escape from his prison. If you don't help us, then we'll just handle it on our own."
"Yeah," Kirito added. "Right now, we have the power to make a stand and ensure this guy can't escape. If we run now, it'll make it even harder to stop Zeta if he manages to leave to another world."
Jin narrowed his eyes as he stared at the Alfheim Warriors. "Are you crazy? You're talking about fighting against a god. It's suicide."
"Maybe," Kisara replied, her eyes not wavering. "But it has to be done. There are just some fights you can't run from. I learned that from watching my brother. Neither he nor Kirito ever backed down from a fight that mattered, even when the odds were stacked against them, and they always managed to pull through. This time though, my brother has me for support. We won't go down so easily."
Marth couldn't help but feel proud of his little sister. She had come a long way from the shut-in she used to be before they got trapped in SAO. No matter what happens, he'll ensure that Kisara will survive this. He owed that to her and to their past lives.
"Yeah!" Yuuki added energetically. "Zeta's got nothing on us. You with us, Klein?"
Not surprisingly, the samurai slammed his right fist into his other palm. "Hell, yeah!" he said eagerly. "Just say the word and his ass is grass. We may not have the rest of the Alfheim Warriors with us, but we'll make do. We always do after all."
The Dark Swordsman chuckled at the redhead's enthusiasm. He then locked eyes with the Aegis Driver, his resolve not wavering. "Your move, Xander. If you choose to leave, then I won't try to stop you, but its in our best interest to work together. Please, lend us your strength."
The Leftherian's gaze fell to the wooden table, no words leaving his mouth. Marth couldn't blame him for his hesitation. He was asking a simple mercenary to help him defeat the God of Destruction. It felt like something out of the fantasy games he used to play, not something that would happen in the real world. Then there's the fact that he's a demon, meaning that the Aegis Driver had a hard time trusting him. He wouldn't be surprised if Xander wasn't able to let go of his doubt and take the leap of faith. In all honesty, he'd just be disappointed.
"I…"
"You can't leave!"
Everyone stood to alert as they all saw two young men in their late teens storm into the inn. The first one had wavy blonde hair, silvery-blue eyes and wore a short red jacket. A large red sword with glowing blue lines was strapped to his back. The second young adult had short spiky auburn hair, brain eyes, and wielded a strange weapon that Marth had never seen before. It looked as though it was made from scrap metal.
"Who are you?" Xander said cautiously as he reached for Kos-Mos's sword.
"My name's Shulk and I'm here to tell you that leaving Temporal Island right now is a mistake. The only way we can leave is by defeating Zeta. There's no way he'll let us leave otherwise."
To be continued
Not exactly how I intended for it to end, but it works. So now Shulk and Reyn are on Temporal Island. With XC1 and XC2's stories being connected and happening simultaneously, I felt it was right to have the two parties meet. This felt like the best time for their first encounter since Xander and Marth need all the help they can get. I do plan on Xander meeting Shulk after this arc again with more of the latter's party, likely through a certain Challenge Arena. I might even do a Xenoblade 1 story, though it will probably be a novelization of sorts, but I'll be changing Shulk's endgame pairing to Melia (best XC1 girl, fight me) if I do it. Anyway, I'll see you guys next time!