[Flere821]

Originally Posted by blackwhite67

@Flere821: What is Yui doing?

AFAIK, not mentioned. I might have to go re-read the chapter to confirm this however. (yes, the WEB final part is translated, it was done before WEB 5 did. I had saw a new Alicization TL thread back then, went into it, went 'WTF?!' at what I'm reading, then figured out this was waaaay beyond what's done at the time).


In other news, another update on WEB 8 is done. Summary below:

Spoiler for WEB 8 Pt 28, 1st half:

Gabriel’s en route to the battle location with his forces. First wave of attack will be the goblin light armoured forces and the beastmen heavy armour forces, numbering 10,000. With them are 500 Giants that acts as siege weapons. Second wave consists of 5,000 Gladiators and 5,000 Dark Knights. Third wave, 7,000 man-eating demons (Cannibals in my last summary) archers and 3,000 dark mages. This final wave are for long range support.
Gabriel wanted to fight on the front lines against the Synthesis Knights himself, and if possible devour their souls. But he couldn’t risk his account somehow be defeated, the priority right now is capture Alice and escape Ocean Turtle. Afterwards he can create artificial Fluctlights as much as he wants. It’s been 8 days inside UW, about 15 minutes in RL time. After his victory it might take another 10 days before they find Alice, so Gabriel wants to finish this war within one day.

Gabriel asked why did his lieutenant wanted to work on this mission, or why work in this industry at all? The answer basically boiled down to “because it’s fun”, though Gabriel doesn’t know whether he meant fun by shooting things or killing people. Before Gabriel could ask further D came along and reported the army is in position. Apart from the 30,000 forces at the front there’s also a reserve force of 17,000 at the back made of goblins and beastmen, and 3,000 humans handling logistics. Here is the entirety of the forces Dark Territory can bring to bear, they only have women, children and elderly left behind. If this 50,000 isn’t enough to win the war then the mission would have failed. Though according to scouts, the enemy forces was only 5,000 so it’s impossible to lose. Gabriel asked how long until the collapse of the Gate, and D replied in 3 hours. Gabriel commanded for the 1st wave to enter the valley 1 hour from now, set up as close to the gate as possible. Gabriel gazed at the enormous gate over 2 KM away, and it was a impressive sight. Though he believed the thousands of souls that will shatter and die upon the start of the battle will be an even more impressive sight, and then his feast will begin.

Scene change to Alice, who returned to her normal form and equipped her normal golden armour. Her transformation didn’t last long, and Alice briefly thought about how Fanatio and others would react if she showed up in a child’s form. Alice finished her preparations and stepped out of her tent, and moments later Synthesis Twenty Six came up to her and praised her on how she looked, which Alice waved off. The sun is setting, and will completely set in 3 hours. At that time the war will begin, the seal of 300 years that was the Eastern Gate will fall. The human troops were better than expected after only half a year’s training; Fanatio taught them her multi-hit moves, with the maximum of 5 hits, but that should be enough to fight off the goblins. It would be a push for them to fight the Dark Knights with their own multi-hit skills, and for the high speed gladiator fist fighters it’ll take a Synthesis Knight to deal with them. The key to this battle is whether they can survive the first wave with minimum casualties, and if they can defend themselves from the arrows and magic casted from afar. Victory depended on Alice’s ability from here on. Alice looked back at the rear of the camp, where smoke rising showed they’re preparing their last supper. Alice promised to protect Ronie, Teiza, and Kirito who’s back there, no matter what.

Synthesis Twenty Six told Alice it’s time. Alice nodded, started to walk away bit then stopped. She thanked him for staying with her all these years; he left as Flame Bow’s student for her tutelage 4 years ago was probably because he was worried about her, becoming a Synthesis Knight at age 11 with her genius skills. After seeing Ronie and Teiza she realized how she must have looked as a young swordswoman at age 15, being timid and inexperienced. He denied this with embarrassment, and Alice smiled sincerely. She told him it was only because of his support she managed to get to where she is today, and thanked him. He then started to tear up, and said with a small voice why is Alice speaking like she’s at the end of her life? He still haven’t learned anything, and would still need her tutelage from here onwards. Alice changed her attitude immediately and shouted strictly:
--
“Integrator Knight Synthesis Twenty-six!”

“Y-Yes!”

His hand stopped, and formed into a knight’s salute.

“As your teacher I’ll give you my last command: Live. Live to see the arrival of peace. And then take it back, your own life and the one you loved.”
--
Alice knew the shards of memories belonging to the Synthesis Knights was still at the top of the Cathedral, and there should be a way to return those into the ones that lost those memories. Synthesis Twenty Six couldn’t speak anymore while in tears, and could only nod in confirmation. Alice turned and walked away, beginning to speak the longest incantation she had ever used in her life. She needs to gather up all the mana in the valley and use it in a single spell, if she loses concentration now the backlash will disintegrate her. Alice had no regrets and fear left by this point. As a Synthesis Knight, she was loved by Berculi and Fanatio. She even managed to spend 6 months with Selka as her sister. More importantly, she had fought incredible swordsmen like Eugeo and Kirito, and in her time with them she had found what it meant to be human: sadness, anger, and love. What else could she have asked for?
With the sound of her armour clinking, Alice moved towards the place where she will be stationed for this battle.

The sun has now set completely. Regardless of the 50,000 from Dark Territory or the 5,000 from Human Kingdom, they held their breath and waited for what was going to happen next. The Eastern Gate that had stood since the beginning of their world gave a sound like a behemoth’s dying roar when its HP went to zero. This foreboding thunder could be heard all the way on the other side of the human territory, and every human left behind the front lines raised their head up in response.

A few seconds later:

Down the middle of the two slabs of stone, a crack ran down its entirety and white light glowed out. Soldiers from both side shielded their eyes. The crack spread with amazing speed through the Gate, the white light following behind it. The words that were carved above the stage is now covered in flames and turned red, warping like a living creature. The words now read “Final Pressure Experiment Stage”, though only two people on this battlefield could understand what it meant. As the words burned itself out a pillar of light shot towards the sky, and the Eastern Gate began to crumble from the top.

From where Gabriel was seated, his lieutenant next to him shouted excitedly at the sight. He lamented they should have took a recording of that, and instead of the AIs or whatever they should have stolen the technology enabling this scene, make a VFX workshop and become millionaires using this technology with Hollywood. Gabriel sighed and told him that’s impossible, this can only be seen while inside a STL. Over half of the Gate had collapsed by this point, and the rocks falling from it disintegrated into particles of light. The debris from the gate would not trouble them.
Gabriel stood up from his throne and moved towards the large skull D left behind. By talking into this skull he can contact other leaders with a smaller skull bracelet. Gabriel thought this isn’t as good as Stryker vehicles’ communication systems, but it beats sending runners to convey information. He stared into the eye sockets of the skull, and said in a voice as hard as steel “The time thou have all waited for has arrived! Kill anyone you can kill! Plunder all that you can! Ravage them all!”
From all corners of his army a warcry came up that covered even the sound of the Gate collapsing. Countless blades and spears rose up into the air, reflecting the blood red glow of the braziers around them. With his right hand raised and then brought down, Gabriel gave the first order as their commander:

“First wave, begin attack!”

The mountain goblins’ new leader doesn’t care to be used as disposable pieces in the plan he thought was proposed by D, and as leaders of equal position he doesn’t have to listen to her machinations. The Emperor was one thing to be obeyed unconditionally, but this wasn’t his plan. He gave the orders to prepare for his plan, and began their assault.

Fanatio rallied her troops of 300 guards, standing 200m in front of where the Gate was with two other Synthesis Knights: Flame Bow Synthesis Seven, and Frost Whip Synthesis Twenty Six. Ironically, it’s only with the emotions Administrator tried to remove from them that they have the courage to stand here right now. Some of them left back in Central can’t even move without orders.

Synthesis Seven recalled the memory that haunted him ever since he could remember, of his wife waking him up and the silver rings they each wore. Upon his defeat by Kirito and Eugeo he realized that memory isn’t of his wife in heaven he was sent down from, but from his human past. When he had accepted that fact he broke down and cried, since with a human’s average lifespan of 70 years her wife has long passed away in his 100+ year lifespan. Nonetheless to protect the land that he and his wife and lived in together he will fight; love is what supported him right now.
He Released Recollection of his Bow, and began to attack. Giant pillars of flame shot over a 200m distance to char dozens of goblins with every shot, but with 3,000 of them bearing down on the human forces it was not enough. When there was only 50m left between the two sides he switched back to normal steel arrows. The two sides then collided.

Fanatio aimed her sword-laser at one of the ten leaders she found, the one from the Giants clan, and attacked with her Release Recollection.

Synthesis Forty-nine was hiding in a tent in the rearguard as the battle began. He deserted after the fight started, further proving Administrator was correct in labelling him a failure that was unable to fight. Despite having a Artefact level weapon, he had never managed to Release Recollection with it. The Artefacts choose their masters by affinity, how their souls resonate with each other, and do not take into account of the wielder’s skill. The Administrator gave up on Synthesis Forty-nine after 6 months and turned her attention to the newly created Alice, whose talent far surpassed his own. He felt there was something he lacked, so even though his weapon resonated with him it was never unleashed.
After being frozen for 7 years, he was woken up by the elder to combat the intruders after their trump card Synthesis Fifty vanished. Before he fully awakened though the elder and Administrator both died. He woke up to a state of confusion within the Knights. He volunteered to join the defence force after seeing how brightly other Knights had shined, maybe he can find what he lacked in battle. However he ran away, unable to bear the pressure of war. The pair of blades at his side seemed to cry and admonished him. As he was thinking Teiza and Ronie showed up, trying to find a safe place to put Kirito.

The Giants have a drive to push their fluctlights, that their greater size made them superior to humans. If this superiority was questioned at a fundamental level however, their fluctlight would collapse. Thus, the Giant leader broke down after barely surviving Fanatio’s sniping laser, with death in her eyes and him unable to fight back. Despite losing his mind however, his soul still followed the orders to attack the enemy.

Scene jumped back to the mountain goblins, explaining how they alone in the first wave didn’t look down on the Synthesis Knights. They were the ones that launched a raid at the North, unsanctioned by the council or their Emperor. There the goblin leader received word his invasion force of over 200 died because of only one knight, Alice. He decided then he’ll never fight the Synthesis Knights head on, despite orders from D to do just that. To worm his way around the orders to place his troops in the meatgrinder between Synthesis Knights and the dark mages who would rain death upon them as eagerly as they would to the enemy, the goblin leader found a alternative: the Emperor did not tell them where to attack, only be part of the first wave. After coming in close to Synthesis Twenty Six’s station he ordered his troops to launch the specially made smoke grenades, and using it as cover to sneak past enemy lines. They plan to attack the supply train of the humans, and if that failed escape into the human kingdom and launch raids there to survive. In the midst of all Synthesis Twenty Six vanished in the smoke.

One of Synthesis Seven’s guards died, his last words asking Synthesis Seven to save the world. He gritted his teeth, and channelled the remaining lifeforce into a flaming arrow to strike at the enemy. All over the battlefield the remaining life force from deaths was lifted up above the valley, into the maelstrom controlled by a golden knight.

Ronie and Teiza met Synthesis Forty-nine. He admitted he was a failure, and no longer thinks of himself as part of the Synthesis Knights. Ronie and Teiza introduced themselves, and also introduced Kirito. Synthesis Forty-nine gasped at that, recognizing the name as the one who invaded the Cathedral and killed Administrator. He also saw Kirito’s two swords are Artefacts beyond even his own. Ronie and Teiza said they can’t blame Synthesis Forty-nine for hiding, as they’re doing the same thing on request of Alice to protect Kirito. The two of them asked Synthesis Forty-nine to protect Kirito along with them, as they’re not confident they can even defeat a goblin. He thought the two girls’ willpower shined brightly, even more than he ever did. They held a determination to achieve a goal, even if it cost them their lives. Synthesis Forty-nine agreed, saying if the goblins make it past Berculi it would mean the end of the humans anyway. Neither he or the two girls realized the thousands of goblins are sneaking through with their smoke bomb cover however.

The Giant leader’s Fluctlight collapsed further, and in the process sparked off a Incarnation effect. All he had left is anger and hatred towards humans, and this lent speed and strength to his blows. Fanatio could not block it in time, frozen in fright and cowed by the killing intent. Not even when he fought Zast did she feel this pressure, even as he defeated her when both were only using sword skills; Berculi forbid them to use Release Recollection in front of Dark Knights. Zast spared Fanatio and retreated after breaking her mask and saw her face, which further made her feel ashamed. The giant approached wreathed in black-red light, and Fanatio could only watch.

Synthesis Twenty-two, part of Fanatio’s personal force, blocked the attack, sacrificing herself. When she was split open by the blow, she ignited her life force and tried to blow up the Giant with her. Part of the reason why Synthesis Twenty-two was so loyal to Fanatio was because she resembled her lover, who Synthesis Twenty-two was taken away and turned into a Synthesis Knight because homosexuality was against the laws. Synthesis Twenty-two died with a smile on her face, saying she’ll miss Fanatio.

Fanatio couldn’t forgive herself for letting her subordinate die, she treated her force like she would towards a younger sibling. That love fuelled her Incarnation, turning her sword into a 5m-long laser sword. Synthesis Twenty-two didn’t manage to kill the Giant leader, only knocking him off his feet, and he got back up. Fanatio’s laser sword scythed through him like nothing.


Original TL note summary: Not impressed with this part. Not much fight scenes, if it can be called that with just two Knights firing off attacks, and more rambling about flashbacks. Everyone that’s not a ‘heavyweight’/main fighter might as well be mooks. The only saving grace of this part was the mountain goblin leader, he might as well be Konming with his ability to plan.