Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld

Have you ever had a premonition about death?

A premonition about death?

When I was less experienced,

and either the previous dark general or the one before him easily defeated me,

I thought that might be it for me.

But you brought back his head quite some time ago.

You haven't had any since?

You know, I can't really remember.

But why would you ask me that so unexpectedly?

Surely Your Eminence is free of such sensations.

You don't understand, do you, Bercouli?

It's every day. Every day, I sense death.

Every morning when I open my eyes...

No, even in my dreams.

And why is that? Because I still don't control everything.

Because I have enemies who are still alive.

And because the possibility of a new enemy emerging at some point in the future is always looming.

Well, well...

Being the pontifex certainly isn't easy, huh?

Your Eminence...

I think I finally understand what you meant now.

Heartless Choice

Here, Senpai.

You look a bit healthier today, Kirito-senpai.

And you have a good appetite!

Perhaps sleeping beside four beauties did him good!

I see.

The enemy from the real world really has some unique strategies.

Emperor Vecta is taking a risk.

This is war.

Unlike the outsider, little Asuna, this is no time for us to feel sorry for the forces of darkness.

We have to take this chance.

Chance?

That's right.

Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!

Have your people climb across ropes cast over the chasm to reach the other side.

I don't care if there are casualties.

You're to enforce the tightrope walking no matter what.

They're dying in vain!

Not for the five tribes of darkness's long-cherished goal, the invasion of the Human Empire...

but for something called the Priestess of Light!

Hurry! Hurry up!

Before something else comes to get in your way! Just make it over, all of you!

Enemy attack! Protect them! Protect those ropes at all costs!

They're only a small force! Don't let them get near the ropes!

Stop!

So this... So this is war, huh?

How can you call this a battle?

No way did they endure all that grueling training just to die like this!

Forgive me. Forgive me, all right?

Just as I suspected, the AI of the Human Empire units appear to be slightly superior.

No.

Strictly in terms of adaptability, they're in a different class.

Don't mess up, Critter.

Tuesday, July 7, 2026 12:05 AM Ocean Turtle

Syncing of the Underworld and the real world times is complete!

What?

Hey, is this for real?

Are they crazy? A PvP with life-like human avatars AND realistic violence?

You mean we can like, cut off arms and heads and stuff? No way!

No restrictions? Hell to the yes! The developer is adventurous!

I'm so signing up for this beta!

I'll let you have the dark knight accounts.

Go on and massacre the Human Empire Army to your heart's content!

Oh, no!

Daddy and Mommy are in danger!

Tuesday, July 7, 2026 3:02 AM Shino's apartment

Incoming Call

Kazuto Kirigaya

Sinon! It's Yui!

Y-Yui?

I'll explain later!

Get ready to go out right now, leave your apartment, and get into a taxi!

I'm sending the address and the fastest route to get there to your phone!

A-A taxi? To where?

Please hurry! Daddy and Mommy are in danger!

Tuesday, July 7, 2026 3:02 AM Kirigaya residence

Um... can you take me to Minato Ward in Tokyo, please?

Sorry, Mom. I promise that I'll rescue Big Brother, okay?

It's already been ten hours since Ms. Asuna logged into the Underworld, huh?

Which means that about a year should have gone by over there.

Was the World End's Altar that far from the Human Empire?

M-Mr. Kiku! The phone!

Sub Control Room. This is Kikuoka.

U-Uh, that's the Rath main location STL Development headquarters, right?

This is Hiraki at the Roppongi Branch. We have a problem, or should I say,

something odd is going on.

Someone from outside Rath just showed up without an appointment.

Outside? You mean clients?

No. It has nothing at all to do with clients.

And they don't look to be anything but high school girls.

And there's two of them.

D-Did you say high school girls?

Yes.

And they asked me to contact Seijiro Kikuoka of Rath headquarters right now,

to tell you to check the Underworld FLA rate immediately.

I-It's the same? Since when?

N-Names! Did those girls give their names?

Uh, yes! Actually... This is going to sound crazy, too, but...

Tuesday, July 7, 2026 4:34 AM Rath Roppongi branch

There's no way it's their real names.

Uh, let's see. They told me to tell you that it's "Sinon" and "Leafa."

I mean, they look totally Japanese to me, but...

Tuesday, July 7, 2026 4:40 AM ALO New Aincrad Floor 22

For crying out loud.

Damn him, he had to go off on his own and get mixed up in some trouble again?

A virtual world created by the SDF, and an honest-to-goodness AI named Alice?

But that's so beyond the realm of a game!

Not only that, but they're going to load her into a fighter jet and make her wage war?

Apparently, for now, Rath intends to use that technology in demonstrations both domestically and internationally.

But my guess is that the attackers occupying the Ocean Turtle

have a more specific application in mind.

Who the heck are these attackers, anyway?

It's extremely likely that the U.S. military or a U.S. intelligence agency is involved.

Th-The U.S. military? You mean the American army?

If Alice were to fall into the hands of the U.S. military,

in the not-so-distant future, she'd most likely be deployed in battle as an unmanned AI weapon.

I'm sure Daddy and Mommy want to prevent that, if nothing else.

Because...

Because Alice...

is proof that all VRMMO worlds, beginning with SAO,

and the people who lived in them, really existed,

and she's also the fruit of massive amounts of time, material, and mental resources!

I am convinced beyond a doubt that the true objective created by the Seed package

is none other than the birth of Alice.

Throughout countless connected worlds,

so many people have laughed, cried, grieved, and loved

and because the radiance of their souls resonated, a new form of humanity was born in the Underworld.

Daddy. Mommy. Leafa. Klein. Lisbeth. Silica. Agil. Sinon.

As well as so many other people. It was from the cradle woven by your hearts that Alice was born!