Sword Art Online Vol. 15 – Alicization Invading Chapter 15 - In Northern Lands 28 | P a g e It was only at such times when she strongly wished she could flee from the intense pressure weighing on her heart. What a relief it would be if she could forget the guilt from turning her back to the duties of an integrity knight and spending her days, quietly, deep in this remote forest. Still, Alice knew at the same time that she should never forget that. The end was approaching from beyond the mountain range at the edge, moment by moment, even while she embraced her little sister. At the very end of the fierce battle at the Axiom Church Central Cathedral— Having suffered enough injuries to drain her Life away, Alice lay on the marble floor, immobile, vaguely aware of the flow of the battle. The struggle to death between Administrator the highest minister and Kirito who wielded two swords. The highest minister’s annihilation, incinerated in the flames of Chief Elder Chudelkin’s captivated delusions. The death of Kirito’s best friend, Eugeo, whose flesh was split apart alongside his cherished sword. Kirito who was caring for Eugeo had vehemently cried out to a mysterious crystal plate that appeared on the north edge of the hall. At the end of the exchange that Alice hardly understood, Kirito’s entire body suddenly stiffened up and just as she thought so, he fell onto the floor—with that, the world sank into silence. Right as Alice recovered a mere, slight amount of her Life and became capable of moving, Solus’s dawn shone in from the east window. With that light as a source of sacred energy, Alice first healed the fallen Kirito’s wounds. However, his consciousness remained lost and she reluctantly laid him down, and then attended to herself with healing arts before inspecting the crystal plate he spoke to. However, the surface that had shone pale purple already lost almost all of its light and there was no reply no matter how many times she touch or spoke to it.