E1 - Underworld

Source: Crunchyroll
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Editor:
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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
SIGN    July 18, year 372 in the time of the realm of humanity
[00:16] ---
    Forty-seven!
[00:30] ---
    Fifty!
[00:49] ---
    I only heard three good hits out of fifty.
[00:53] ---
    Let's see, that brings it to 41 total, huh?
[00:58] ---
    Looks like you're treating me
    to the siral water today, Eugeo.
[01:04] ---
    Says the guy who's only at 43 good hits.
[01:06] ---
    I'll catch up in no time.
[01:08] ---
    Come on, it's your turn...
[01:11] ---
    Kirito.
[01:12] ---
    Yeah, yeah.
[01:16] ---
    One year and three months.
[01:18] ---
    After swinging that ax this much every day...
[01:22] ---
    I can't take much more of this.
[01:24] ---
    There's no point complaining.
[01:27] ---
    After all, it's our Calling
    to cut down the Gigas Cedar.
[01:31] ---
    Sure, I know that, but there's no sense
    of accomplishment in this job.
[01:39] ---
    Let's see. How much was its life before this?
[01:43] ---
    Something like 235,590.
[01:48] ---
    A measly 50!
[01:49] ---
    After toiling away for two months,
    just a measly 50 out of 235,000-something?
[01:54] ---
    We could keep going forever
    and never cut it down!
[01:58] ---
    Well, it is a tree that's renowned
    for its steel-like durability.
[02:02] ---
    The six generations of carvers before us
    worked on it for 300 years.
[02:06] ---
    So it should take another 18 generations...
    about 900 years.
[02:10] ---
    Listen, you...
[02:18] ---
    Ouch.
[02:20] ---
    Why are you such a goody-goody?
[02:22] ---
    Figure out how to deal
    with this unfair role of ours instead!
[02:26] ---
    Wh-What are you doing?
[02:28] ---
    D-Darn you!
[02:31] ---
    Let's see how you like it!
[02:34] ---
    Why, you—
[02:36] ---
    All right, do you give up?
[02:38] ---
    Now you've done it!
[02:41] ---
    Take that!
[02:42] ---
    Payback time!
[02:44] ---
    - Cut it out, Kirito!
    - How about here!
[02:47] ---
    Hey! I caught you slacking off again,
    didn't I?
[02:51] ---
    Crap.
[02:53] ---
    H-Hey, Alice.
[02:56] ---
    Y-You're done with your sacred arts class?
[02:59] ---
    I mean, you're pretty early today.
[03:02] ---
    I'm not early at all.
[03:04] ---
    It's the same time as always.
[03:08] ---
    Since you have enough energy to wrestle,
[03:11] ---
    maybe I should tell Old Man Garitta
    to increase your cutting quota?
[03:16] ---
    N-No, anything but that!
[03:18] ---
    I'm only kidding.
[03:20] ---
    Now then...
[03:23] ---
    ...let's have lunch.
[03:28] ---
    It's hot today...
[03:32] ---
    ...so eat fast before it all spoils, okay?
[03:35] ---
    - Right!
    - Right!
[03:39] ---
    The pie sure tastes awesome today!
[03:43] ---
    Your cooking skills are really improving, Alice!
[03:47] ---
    Y-You really think so?
    I felt like it was still missing something.
[03:55] ---
    Still... This lunch is so tasty,
    I wish we could've taken our time enjoying it.
[04:01] ---
    Why does the heat make it spoil so quickly?
[04:04] ---
    What do you mean, why?
[04:05] ---
    During the winter we can leave
    salted raw meat outside and it'll keep for days.
[04:10] ---
    Sure, because it's cold during the winter.
[04:14] ---
    That's right. So if we keep it cold,
    our lunch will last longer, even at this time of year.
[04:21] ---
    Are you going to use the forbidden
    weather-altering arts to make it snow?
[04:25] ---
    An Integrity Knight from the Axiom Church would
    show up before you could blink and spirit you away.
[04:36] ---
    Ice.
[04:39] ---
    We could keep our food cold enough
    if we had lots of ice.
[04:42] ---
    And then we could enjoy these delicious lunches
    for as long as we want!
[04:46] ---
    That's it! Ice!
[04:49] ---
    Let's go search for ice!
[04:50] ---
    Listen, you...
[04:52] ---
    It's summer. Where would we find ice?
[04:56] ---
    I'm sure there isn't even any
    in the Centoria market.
[05:06] ---
    Hey...
[05:07] ---
    Do you remember the story
    about the hero Bercouli?
[05:12] ---
    Which one?
[05:13] ---
    You know.
[05:15] ---
    "Bercouli and the Northern White Dragon."
[05:21] ---
    The hero, Bercouli,
    followed the Rul River to the north.
[05:26] ---
    Inside a cave in the End Mountains, he found
    a huge white dragon asleep atop a pile of treasure.
[05:31] ---
    He took hold of a beautiful sword
    in the treasure, but the instant he did...
[05:38] ---
    According to the story, he found giant icicles
    hanging just inside the cave, right?
[05:44] ---
    So if we break some off...
[05:45] ---
    Look, you...
[05:46] ---
    That's not a bad idea.
[05:48] ---
    Come on! You do know, don't you?
    Under the laws of the village...
[05:52] ---
    The village law forbids any child unaccompanied
    by an adult from playing in the End Mountains.
[05:59] ---
    But searching for ice doesn't count as playing.
[06:02] ---
    If it means extending the life of our meals,
    it will benefit the villagers, won't it?
[06:07] ---
    So this should be interpreted as work.
[06:11] ---
    I agree.
[06:13] ---
    You're absolutely right.
[06:14] ---
    Yeah, but going to the End Mountains
    isn't just against village law,
[06:19] ---
    it's forbidden by "that," right?
[06:20] ---
    "That"?
[06:22] ---
    You know what I mean.
[06:23] ---
    The Taboo Index, of course.
[06:26] ---
    We can't just violate the Taboo Index, can we?
[06:31] ---
    Eugeo, this is what it says in the Index.
[06:34] ---
    Taboo Index, Book One,
    Chapter Three, Verse Eleven.
[06:38] ---
    "Thou shalt not cross the End Mountains
    that encircle the Human Empire."
[06:43] ---
    By "cross," it means entering the Dark Territory
    on the other side of the End Mountains.
[06:49] ---
    That doesn't include entering the cave.
[06:52] ---
    But...
[06:54] ---
    Ouch!
[06:55] ---
    All right, it's settled! Our next day off
    will be spent looking for the white dragon...
[06:58] ---
    no, I mean the ice cave!
[07:02] ---
    Yeah!
[07:03] ---
    Okay, then we'll meet at the North Gate at 7:00 AM.
[07:05] ---
    Right! And don't oversleep!
[07:07] ---
    Right back at you!
SIGN    July 21, year 372 in the time of the realm of humanity
[07:16] ---
    Jeez. Making us carry everything...
[07:21] ---
    Well, you shouldn't complain.
[07:23] ---
    I mean, we might not get to go out with Alice
    like this much longer.
[07:28] ---
    Since Alice is the daughter of the village elder,
[07:31] ---
    I'm sure she'll get even more tied up
    with her studies.
[07:36] ---
    Well, the reason
    she hasn't been given a Calling
[07:39] ---
    is so she can study
    how to hone her sacred arts skills.
[07:42] ---
    And she might be forbidden
    from playing with boys too,
[07:44] ---
    to act as a role model
    for the other villagers.
[07:47] ---
    Hey!
[07:49] ---
    What are you two whispering about?
[07:52] ---
    U-Uh, nothing! Right?
[07:54] ---
    Yeah.
[07:55] ---
    We were just saying, we have to head back
    to the village before the evening bell.
[08:00] ---
    Oh?
[08:01] ---
    That's true.
[08:03] ---
    Then let's turn back
    when Solus reaches the middle of the sky.
[08:07] ---
    Now that that's settled, let's hurry!
[08:19] ---
    By the way, did you know?
[08:22] ---
    When this village was first founded,
[08:25] ---
    occasionally evil spirits like goblins or orcs
    would come from beyond the mountains,
[08:30] ---
    and steal sheep or spirit away children!
[08:33] ---
    What? Are you trying to scare me?
[08:36] ---
    I know about that.
[08:38] ---
    In the end, the Integrity Knights came from Centoria
    and drove them away, right?
[08:42] ---
    Ever since then, on sunny days,
[08:45] ---
    you can see a Silver Dragon Knight
    soaring far above the End Mountains!
[09:00] ---
    There's no way... right?
[09:21] ---
    A cave...
[09:23] ---
    Is this the cave in the End Mountains?
[09:34] ---
    Well, we have no choice but to go in now, right?
[09:39] ---
    System Call.
[09:41] ---
    Generate Luminous Element.
[09:43] ---
    Adhere!
[09:55] ---
    Hey, didn't you say that
    the icicles were hanging just inside the cave?
[10:00] ---
    Did I say that?
[10:02] ---
    You did!
[10:08] ---
    Eugeo?
[10:12] ---
    Bring the light a little closer.
[10:21] ---
    See? You saw that, didn't you?
[10:24] ---
    Seriously? No wonder it feels colder now.
[10:28] ---
    It's summer outside,
    but it's winter inside this cave.
[10:32] ---
    I'm sure there's ice, too!
[10:34] ---
    Yeah. Let's go a little farther in.
[10:37] ---
    Hey, what are we going to do
    if we really come across a white dragon?
[10:41] ---
    We'll have to run, of course.
[10:44] ---
    Don't worry. The white dragon won't mind
    if we just take some icicles.
[10:51] ---
    But it would be great
    to grab at least one scale...
[10:54] ---
    Hey, what are you thinking?
[10:57] ---
    Because if we can bring home proof
    that we saw a real dragon...
[11:07] ---
    Hey, it's ice!
[11:08] ---
    There's ice! There's ice here!
[11:11] ---
    I bet there's more up ahead!
[11:22] ---
    That's...
[11:45] ---
    This much ice should be enough
    to keep all the food in the village cold.
[11:49] ---
    Are you kidding?
[11:50] ---
    We could make it winter
    in the village for a while!
[11:55] ---
    - Hey, don't stop all of a sudden!
    - What is this?
[12:00] ---
    Just what is...
[12:02] ---
    ...this?
[12:08] ---
    The bones of the white dragon?
[12:10] ---
    It died?
[12:16] ---
    Hey...
[12:17] ---
    This is all scratched up.
[12:19] ---
    And the tip's been cut off cleanly.
[12:21] ---
    Was it fighting with something?
[12:23] ---
    But what living creature could kill a dragon?
[12:27] ---
    These are blade marks.
[12:30] ---
    This dragon was killed by a human.
[12:35] ---
    B-But...
[12:37] ---
    ...even the hero Bercouli
    only managed to get away.
[12:43] ---
    An Integrity Knight?
[12:45] ---
    Don't tell me that an Integrity Knight
    from the Axiom Church
[12:50] ---
    killed a white dragon,
    a protector of the realm of humanity?
[12:54] ---
    I don't know.
[12:55] ---
    There might be really powerful knights
    in the Dark Territory, too.
[13:00] ---
    But if there are, then the forces of darkness
    could just cross over the End Mountains.
[13:06] ---
    What are you doing, Kirito?
[13:09] ---
    This is really heavy!
[13:13] ---
    Could this possibly be...
[13:15] ---
    Yeah. What Bercouli supposedly tried to steal.
[13:19] ---
    It must be the Blue Rose Sword.
[13:30] ---
    No good. It's too heavy.
[13:34] ---
    Even Eugeo and I together couldn't carry it out.
[13:39] ---
    Looks like there are all kinds of treasure, too.
[13:42] ---
    Yeah. But we can't just take them, can we?
[13:47] ---
    That would be like grave robbing.
[13:50] ---
    But the White Dragon won't mind
    if it's just some ice, right?
[13:57] ---
    So pretty!
[13:58] ---
    What a waste,
    bringing it back just to have it melt.
[14:02] ---
    But if it means our meals will last longer,
    what does it matter?
[14:05] ---
    You mean everybody's meals, right?
[14:08] ---
    We'd better get going,
    or we won't make it back by evening.
[14:12] ---
    You're right.
[14:17] ---
    Hey...
[14:19] ---
    which way did we come in from?
[14:26] ---
    We've been walking a long time now.
[14:29] ---
    Do you think maybe
    we came from the opposite direction?
[14:32] ---
    You're the one who picked this path
    because you thought it was closer.
[14:37] ---
    Did you say something?
[14:38] ---
    No, nothing!
[14:48] ---
    Is that the wind?
[14:49] ---
    We're almost outside!
[14:51] ---
    We picked the right path!
[14:53] ---
    Hey! You'll fall if you run in a place like this!
[15:06] ---
    There's the exit!
[15:23] ---
    This is...
[15:25] ---
    ...the Dark Territory.
[15:30] ---
    We can't go any farther.
[15:44] ---
    Dragon Knights...
[15:46] ---
    The white one...
[15:48] ---
    Is that an Axiom Church Integrity Knight?
[15:51] ---
    So the black one's from the forces of darkness?
[16:57] ---
    No!
[17:11] ---
    Alice!
[17:24] ---
    Taboo Index, Book One,
    Chapter Three, Verse Eleven.
[17:27] ---
    "Thou shalt not cross the End Mountains
    that encircle the Human Empire."
[17:33] ---
    Alice!
[17:38] ---
    I-I...
[17:39] ---
    I-It's all right, Alice.
[17:42] ---
    It's not like you left the cave.
    Right? Isn't that right, Kirito?
[17:47] ---
    Kirito?
[17:55] ---
    What's that?
[17:56] ---
    Singular unit detected.
[17:59] ---
    Tracing ID.
[18:01] ---
    Coordinates fixed.
[18:03] ---
    Report complete.
[18:07] ---
    It's gone?
[18:08] ---
    What was that just now?
[18:10] ---
    I don't know.
[18:11] ---
    Let's just head back!
[18:31] ---
    All right, let's go home.
[18:36] ---
    Right.
[18:38] ---
    Okay, I'm going to go put this
    in the basement.
[18:41] ---
    Okay.
[18:42] ---
    See you.
[18:51] ---
    Look forward to tomorrow's lunch, okay?
[18:54] ---
    Sure!
[18:55] ---
    S-Sure.
[19:20] ---
    Alice...
[19:26] ---
    Don't go! Alice!
[19:30] ---
    Alice!
[20:07] ---
    Hey, Kirito!
[20:09] ---
    Yeah. It's the Integrity Knight from yesterday.
[20:13] ---
    No way! Alice...
[20:16] ---
    It can't be.
[20:18] ---
    Just for something like that?
[20:22] ---
    Let's go!
[20:24] ---
    Hey!
[20:44] ---
    Alice!
[20:47] ---
    Kirito! Eugeo!
[20:48] ---
    Quiet.
[20:50] ---
    You'd better get away while you can.
[20:59] ---
    Father!
[21:06] ---
    I serve as the village elder.
    My name is Zuberg.
[21:12] ---
    I am the Axiom Church Integrity Knight
    overseeing northern Norlangarth,
[21:16] ---
    Deusolbert Synthesis Seven.
[21:18] ---
    For her crimes against the Taboo Index,
    the child of Gasfut Zuberg, Alice Zuberg,
[21:25] ---
    will now be apprehended, taken in,
    and, after questioning, executed.
[21:32] ---
    The charge is Taboo Index, Book One,
    Chapter Three, Verse Eleven,
[21:37] ---
    trespassing into the Dark Territory.
[22:01] ---
    Sir Knight!
[22:03] ---
    A-Alice never went into the Dark Territory!
[22:07] ---
    She just touched the ground with one hand
    for a second!
[22:11] ---
    That's all she did!
[22:12] ---
    What more do you think she had to do?
[22:16] ---
    Th-Then we're just as guilty as she is!
[22:19] ---
    We were there in that same place!
[22:21] ---
    If you're taking her, then take us, too!
[22:26] ---
    Eugeo... listen.
[22:29] ---
    I'm going to swing the ax at him.
[22:31] ---
    You grab Alice then and run!
[22:33] ---
    K-Kirito... but that's...
[22:36] ---
    Who cares about taboos?
[22:38] ---
    Are you saying they're more important
    than Alice's life?
[23:01] ---
    Kirito!
[23:03] ---
    Escort those two kids from the square.
[23:07] ---
    Dammit!
[23:18] ---
    Eugeo, please! Go after her!
[23:40] ---
    Eugeo! At least get these guys off me! Then I'll...
[23:44] ---
    Eugeo!
[24:13] ---
    Alice!
SIGN    Underworld
SIGN    Saturday, June 27, 2026
[25:37] ---
    This is a fully-automatic Tanegashima!
[25:43] ---
    You dirty PK jerks, how do you like this?
[26:04] ---
    Damn!
[26:08] ---
    You're up! I'll cover you!
[26:39] ---
    Photon Swords?
[26:41] ---
    Teams B and C,
    head to Grid 4-6 to back up Team A.
[26:45] ---
    You have permission to use grenades.
[26:47] ---
    Hey, Boss, can I go too?
[26:50] ---
    It's probably too late for that.
[26:53] ---
    Just sit back and watch.
[27:17] ---
    Leave this to me!
[27:43] ---
    Again?
[27:49] ---
    Time's up, huh?
[27:51] ---
    All teams, retreat.
[27:54] ---
    Move away from Grid 1-9.
[27:58] ---
    That would've been
    the last prey for today, right?
[28:01] ---
    You sure you want to end on a loss, Boss?
[28:05] ---
    Battling an irregular squadron like that
    won't do much good, training-wise.
[28:10] ---
    We wouldn't want any negative effects
    to carry over into the actual operation.
[28:14] ---
    Let's go.
[28:20] ---
    Till next time.
[28:26] ---
    Man, I'd heard the rumors,
    but GGO sure is a hardcore game.
[28:32] ---
    I mean, you're allowed to PK all you want
    wherever you are on the field!
[28:36] ---
    Yeah, but even with no-holds-barred PK-ing,
    that squadron we just fought was an anomaly.
[28:42] ---
    Normally, you'd PK for money or items...
[28:46] ---
    But those guys only seemed to be
    focused on killing us.
[28:50] ---
    They were tossing grenades and smoke
    without restraint.
[28:52] ---
    Wouldn't that put them in the red?
[28:54] ---
    Probably. But they're always like that
    whenever they show up.
[28:59] ---
    They attack squadrons that are left isolated
    on the field, massacre them,
[29:03] ---
    then vanish without even looting items.
[29:06] ---
    Is it true they have a 100% win rate?
[29:09] ---
    As far as I know, yes.
[29:11] ---
    So...
[29:13] ---
    I thought we could win
    if we went after them in a really unusual style.
[29:17] ---
    That's why I asked you all for your help.
[29:19] ---
    Sorry. My plan had too many holes.
[29:22] ---
    I never thought they'd just retreat like that!
[29:25] ---
    But hey, it's not a defeat, right?
[29:28] ---
    Nah, they're the ones who ran,
    so it's the same as a win!
[29:31] ---
    Not that we have any idea who they really are,
    or what they're after.
[29:36] ---
    Well, that's just... um...
[29:39] ---
    I wish we could've
    at least found out their leader's name.
[29:43] ---
    It wasn't even clear which one of them
    was the leader, though, was it?
[29:49] ---
    Hey! Don't crash out like that!
[29:52] ---
    He said he's been taking time off from school
    since Thursday, touring companies.
[29:56] ---
    He's probably tangled up
    in some bizarre business again, huh?
[30:03] ---
    You guys, thank you so much
    for helping me out.
[30:06] ---
    Hey, no biggie!
[30:08] ---
    Later!
[30:09] ---
    I had fun!
[30:11] ---
    See you!
[30:13] ---
    All right, I'm off, too.
[30:15] ---
    Um... Asuna.
[30:16] ---
    What is it?
[30:17] ---
    There's actually something I need your help with.
[30:20] ---
    You mean with the PK squadron?
[30:22] ---
    Actually, it's something else.
[30:27] ---
    Could you and Kirito meet with me
    on the other side tomorrow?
SIGN    Coming at the end of 2026
[30:31] ---
    Let's see... the evening should be okay.
[30:35] ---
    Is Agil's shop all right with you?
[30:37] ---
    Of course.
[30:38] ---
    Oh, I'll email you the gist of what
    I'm going to ask you. Read it over, okay?
[30:43] ---
    Roger that!
SIGN    Saturday, June 28, 2026
[30:51] ---
    Hey, did you lose more weight?
[30:53] ---
    You think so?
[30:56] ---
    Never mind that.
[30:57] ---
    Didn't you want to ask me something?
[31:00] ---
    Is it about BoB?
[31:02] ---
    Yeah.
[31:03] ---
    There's a player named Subtilizer
    who won BoB IV.
[31:07] ---
    He also won the very first one.
[31:12] ---
    We were all so fired up, you know.
[31:14] ---
    About getting the chance
    to face the legendary Subtilizer.
[31:17] ---
    From what I could tell from the live feed,
    he's got a silent, matter-of-fact fighting style.
[31:23] ---
    It seemed similar to the vibe I was getting
    from yesterday's PK squadron.
[31:27] ---
    Hey, now that you mention it, it is.
[31:30] ---
    The only difference is that
    Subtilizer's on a whole other level.
[31:35] ---
    It was the same with me, too, but...
[31:37] ---
    He read my every move,
    and forced me into extreme close combat.
[31:42] ---
    I was killed
    before I could even aim my gun.
[31:45] ---
    That's incredible.
[31:46] ---
    To be able to anticipate the moves
    of BoB veterans.
[31:52] ---
    After playing enough to be considered a veteran,
    you find yourself bound by theory,
[31:55] ---
    so it might be easy to recognize patterns
    in our movements.
[31:59] ---
    Which brings me to my request.
[32:03] ---
    The way I see it, a player who acts totally off-script
    might be able to outmaneuver Subtilizer.
[32:09] ---
    It may be a little early, but I'd like your help
    in the fifth one at the end of the year.
[32:14] ---
    That's why I've asked you here today.
[32:17] ---
    Huh?
[32:18] ---
    Whoever we're up against,
    we're definitely going to win the next one!
[32:22] ---
    Whatever it takes!
[32:24] ---
    Looks like you're pretty much over it now.
[32:29] ---
    It isn't like I'm not scared at all,
    but I'm getting better.
[32:34] ---
    By the way, how's he doing?
[32:38] ---
    Shinkawa is...
[32:41] ---
    Yeah, his condition's starting to stabilize.
[32:44] ---
    I'm planning to visit him again soon.
[32:47] ---
    I see.
[32:49] ---
    Then that means the Death Gun incident
    is wrapped up now, huh?
[32:55] ---
    Although there's still one perp on the run.
[32:58] ---
    Kikuoka said it's just a matter of time
    before he's arrested, too.
[33:02] ---
    Yeah. I guess so.
[33:05] ---
    Hello!
[33:07] ---
    Hey, there, Shino-non!
[33:09] ---
    A-Asuna!
[33:10] ---
    Hello, Asuna!
[33:14] ---
    About BoB V, it's okay with me!
[33:16] ---
    You asked Asuna, too?
[33:19] ---
    Yes. I was a little nervous that
    you'd spin out of control on your own,
[33:23] ---
    so partly to serve as your limiter...
[33:27] ---
    Hey, Kirito.
[33:29] ---
    You've lost weight, haven't you?
[33:32] ---
    You think so?
[33:33] ---
    You see? Even Asuna thinks so!
[33:36] ---
    It's because of your part-time job, isn't it?
[33:38] ---
    Really. Overdoing it again.
[33:42] ---
    It doesn't seem to be
    affecting you physically, but...
[33:44] ---
    What are you looking at?
[33:48] ---
    What's this?
[33:50] ---
    Don't stare at it like that.
[33:53] ---
    Hold on, is this Kirito's...
[33:55] ---
    You guessed right!
[33:57] ---
    B-But how does that work?
[34:00] ---
    I have a miniature sensor implanted right here.
[34:05] ---
    It sends information more or less in real time
    over the internet to Asuna's smartphone.
[34:11] ---
    Wh-Wh-Why would you...
[34:13] ---
    It wouldn't be an anti-cheating system,
    would it?
[34:16] ---
    - No, no!
    - It's not!
[34:18] ---
    They recommended it to me
    when I started at my current part-time job.
[34:22] ---
    Because it would be a hassle
    to stick electrodes on me every time.
[34:27] ---
    And when I told Asuna about it,
    she started using it for this.
[34:31] ---
    Well, looking at it
    really sets my mind at ease.
[34:35] ---
    To see that Kirito's heart is beating.
[34:38] ---
    It makes me trip a little, you know!
[34:43] ---
    That doesn't sound very good, Asuna.
[34:46] ---
    Anyway, having you on my side
    gives me an edge.
[34:49] ---
    It's like having a heavy machine gun
    in a pillbox!
[34:53] ---
    You won't be sorry you picked me!
[34:57] ---
    Now, then...
[34:58] ---
    Let's hear about your sketchy new job.
[35:02] ---
    Though I'm sure it's as an alpha tester
    for some new VRMMO game.
[35:07] ---
    What I'm testing isn't a game app.
[35:10] ---
    It's a brain-machine interface
    for a new full-dive system.
[35:15] ---
    It's being developed by Rath.
[35:18] ---
    I've never heard of that company.
[35:20] ---
    That's the name of an imaginary creature
    that appears in Through the Looking-Glass.
[35:25] ---
    Some say it's a pig,
    while others say it's a turtle.
[35:29] ---
    So they're going to release
    a next-generation full-dive machine?
[35:33] ---
    I don't know about that.
[35:35] ---
    In the first place, it's completely different
    from the current full-dive tech.
[35:40] ---
    Different? What's the in-game world like?
[35:45] ---
    I don't actually know.
[35:48] ---
    I'm sure it's for the sake of confidentiality,
[35:51] ---
    but any of the memories
    the machine creates in this VR world,
[35:54] ---
    I can't bring back to the real world.
[35:57] ---
    Whatever I saw during the tests,
    whatever I did,
[36:00] ---
    I've forgotten every last detail.
[36:04] ---
    Forgotten every last detail?
[36:06] ---
    Don't tell me it's the same as the Augma?
[36:12] ---
    Uh... no, it's not!
[36:14] ---
    It doesn't put any stress on your brain
    like the Augma did.
[36:17] ---
    It's just that I can't remember,
    since the Fluctlight is blocking the path.
[36:22] ---
    Fluct...?
[36:25] ---
    Should I explain the general concept?
[36:27] ---
    About this machine...
    the Soul Translator technology?
[36:34] ---
    Where do you think the human soul is located?
[36:37] ---
    Soul?
[36:38] ---
    In your head... the brain, right?
[36:41] ---
    The brain is more or less
    a clump of brain cells, right?
[36:45] ---
    So where among the brain cells
    does the soul exist?
[36:50] ---
    All cells, including brain cells,
    are supported by a structural network.
[36:55] ---
    Apparently, they're called microtubules.
[36:59] ---
    Tubes. In other words, hollow pipes.
[37:02] ---
    And there's something
    sealed inside those hollow pipes.
[37:06] ---
    What's inside them?
[37:09] ---
    Light.
[37:11] ---
    Light. A fluctuating light photon.
[37:14] ---
    And that's what comprises the human soul,
    according to Rath.
[37:17] ---
    You mean that cluster of light is the human soul?
[37:25] ---
    And at Rath, this thing that might be
    the human soul is known as...
[37:33] ---
    The Fluctlight.
[37:36] ---
    So the machine that reads Fluctlights
    is called the Soul Translator?
[37:41] ---
    But you could do the opposite as well, right?
[37:43] ---
    Opposite?
[37:44] ---
    The Amusphere allows us
    to experience the virtual world
[37:49] ---
    by sending visual and audio signals
    to the brain, right?
[37:52] ---
    So couldn't the Soul Translator send information
    to the soul in the same way?
[37:58] ---
    Yeah, that's right.
[38:00] ---
    The Soul Translator,
[38:02] ---
    or STL, writes short-term memories
    onto the Fluctlight to insert information
[38:07] ---
    of the sights or sounds
    it wants us to experience.
[38:11] ---
    Apparently, it's called mnemonic visual data.
[38:14] ---
    I have memories of my test dives
    at the very beginning,
[38:20] ---
    but it was different.
[38:21] ---
    It was completely different.
[38:23] ---
    Nothing like the VR world
    created by the Amusphere.
[38:27] ---
    At first, I couldn't even tell it was a virtual world.
[38:31] ---
    But is it really safe?
[38:35] ---
    It scares me.
[38:38] ---
    It was Mr. Kikuoka of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
    who offered you that job, wasn't it?
[38:44] ---
    It's true that I have to be on my guard
    around that guy.
[38:48] ---
    But I want to know.
[38:52] ---
    Where full-dive technology is headed.
[38:55] ---
    I have a feeling.
[38:57] ---
    There's something about the STL.
[38:59] ---
    I mean, sure, terms like "Fluctlights"
    and "mnemonic visual" sound complicated.
[39:05] ---
    But the world created by the STL
    is like a realistic dream.
[39:10] ---
    A dream?
[39:11] ---
    For example,
    you have long dreams sometimes, right?
[39:14] ---
    And when you wake up, it feels like
    you've been dreaming for two or three hours.
[39:20] ---
    But chances are, you've actually
    only been dreaming for a few minutes.
[39:25] ---
    The STL creates the same kind of phenomenon.
[39:28] ---
    Um...
[39:30] ---
    The same way that humans see dreams
    spanning several hours in a matter of minutes,
[39:34] ---
    you can also experience the virtual world
    several times longer than the actual dive time.
[39:40] ---
    That's the STL's featured function.
[39:43] ---
    Fluctlight Acceleration.
[39:45] ---
    FLA for short.
[39:49] ---
    I'm so confused.
[39:51] ---
    So during the three days you were diving,
    about how much time did you spend inside?
[39:58] ---
    I'm not sure.
[39:59] ---
    I don't remember
    whether it was ten days or a month.
[40:05] ---
    The only thing they told me was the code name
    of the experimental virtual world.
[40:10] ---
    What's it called?
[40:12] ---
    The Underworld.
[40:13] ---
    Under... an underground world?
[40:16] ---
    You know, that could be from Alice too.
[40:19] ---
    See, that was what the manuscript version
    of Alice in Wonderland was called.
[40:26] ---
    The original title was
    Alice's Adventures Under Ground.
[40:31] ---
    Is something wrong?
[40:33] ---
    Well, when I heard the name Alice,
    it felt like a memory was about to surface.
[40:38] ---
    Does that mean...
[40:40] ---
    It's like...
[40:42] ---
    It's like there's something
    I need to do right away.
[40:50] ---
    We'll be back soon, Agil!
[40:53] ---
    Right.
[41:00] ---
    Okay, I'll be in touch again about BoB.
[41:03] ---
    Thanks for coming today.
[41:05] ---
    Sure! See you, Shino-non!
[41:07] ---
    Later, Asuna.
[41:10] ---
    Let's go.
[41:13] ---
    What's wrong?
[41:15] ---
    N-Nothing. Let's go.
[41:35] ---
    Kirito?
[41:39] ---
    Asuna.
[41:42] ---
    I'm thinking of going after all.
[41:45] ---
    America?
[41:46] ---
    Yeah.
[41:48] ---
    The next generation full-dive tech research
    is more advanced over there.
[41:53] ---
    I have to see it.
[41:55] ---
    The moment the next world is created.
[41:59] ---
    It wasn't all just fun and games.
[42:01] ---
    There was so much pain and sadness, too,
    wasn't there?
[42:05] ---
    Of course you want to find out
    why that castle summoned you,
[42:09] ---
    and where it all leads.
[42:11] ---
    Not even living several centuries
    would be long enough to find that out.
[42:17] ---
    So...
[42:19] ---
    I-I want...
[42:21] ---
    I want you to come with me, Asuna.
[42:25] ---
    I know that's asking a lot.
[42:27] ---
    But even still, I...
[42:31] ---
    I can't live without you!
[42:40] ---
    Of course I'll go. With you.
[42:43] ---
    I'll go wherever you go. No matter where!
[42:46] ---
    Asuna...
[42:59] ---
    But don't you want to research
    the Soul Translator?
[43:03] ---
    It's a next-generation interface, too, right?
[43:07] ---
    I'm not sure about that.
[43:10] ---
    I have a feeling it's not just a machine
    that enables people to full-dive into virtual worlds.
[43:15] ---
    Then what is it?
[43:16] ---
    It might be a machine for learning more
    about Fluctlights... about human consciousness.
[43:23] ---
    And also...
[43:25] ---
    I think the STL is an extension of his...
    of Heathcliff's philosophy.
[43:31] ---
    The commander's?
[43:32] ---
    Why that guy used the NerveGear
    and SAO to cause thousands of casualties,
[43:39] ---
    why he burned out his own brain,
[43:41] ---
    and on top of that scattered something
    like the Seed all over the place...
[43:46] ---
    I guess I do want to find out,
    but I don't want that to be my career path.
[43:51] ---
    Because that would feel like
    he was still manipulating me.
[43:54] ---
    Didn't you have a talk
    with the commander's consciousness?
[43:58] ---
    Yeah.
[44:00] ---
    I have a feeling that the reason
    he left a copy of himself behind
[44:04] ---
    has something to do with what
    Rath is trying to accomplish with the STL.
[44:11] ---
    Excuse me!
[44:13] ---
    Um, which way is the station?
[44:16] ---
    Let's see...
[44:19] ---
    Kirito?
[44:21] ---
    You were skulking around the Dicey Cafe,
    weren't you?
[44:25] ---
    I guess an ambush isn't going to work.
[44:28] ---
    Who are you?
[44:29] ---
    Hey now, don't be like that, Kirito.
[44:33] ---
    Oh wait, I always had a mask on
    over there, didn't I?
[44:37] ---
    Now that XaXa's been caught,
    I have to show some grit, right?
[44:43] ---
    As the last survivor of Laughing Coffin!
[44:48] ---
    Johnny Black!
[44:57] ---
    Nope! No sword there!
[45:00] ---
    So you're still on the run?
[45:03] ---
    Of course!
[45:05] ---
    But really, Kirito...
[45:07] ---
    Without your sword,
    you're nothing but a feeble little brat, huh?
[45:11] ---
    I can't believe you're the same swordsman
    who beat the crap out of me!
[45:16] ---
    What about you?
[45:18] ---
    You don't have your poisoned weapon of choice.
[45:21] ---
    Oh, I have it!
[45:22] ---
    I have a poison weapon, all right!
[45:26] ---
    Death Gun!
[45:35] ---
    Asuna! Run!
[46:02] ---
    Kirito!
[47:36] ---
    Next time: The Demon Tree.