Sword Art Online:Cradle of the Moon Chapter 1

Status: Incomplete

Prologue

In a corridor lined with white columns, loud echoes of human and animal footsteps can be heard.

A girl clad in grey light-armor with a sword hanging at her waist is running forward, her slightly-long black hair wildly flying. Immediately behind her, a young dragon wrapped with yellow fur shakes its long tail. Yet, the head of the dragon is located slightly above the girl's.

The girl's name is Ronier Arabel. The young dragon's flight name is "Tsukika".

As though they are in a fairytale, the pair emerges in a beautiful and agreeable spectacle. These two cannot imagine at all that they will be the first of the <<Integrity Knights>>...which will become the largest fighting force in the Underworld, in just a few short years.

In fact, at this point, however, girls who use the sword or <<sacred arts>> may be competing against those who came from all over the world and even the Human World...even the Dark World pushed through a hundred people, even though they had little chance of success.

In that formidable <<War of the East Gate>>, and subsequently, the <<Rebellion of the Four Empires>>....That girl was always at the frontlines. For the first time in history, through her great feats of valor in combat, she was appointed to be an Apprentice "Integrity Knight".

That said --

Though more and more refined swordswomen flourished, they were not to come from the battlefield.

Because Underworld finally got the peace that came after three hundred years of disorder.

The people of the human world, the humans of the Dark World, goblins, orcs, ogres, and giants: these six tribes signed a permanent, united peace treaty. Four noble imperial families with privileges who had oppressed the common people were also abolished. Just after the collapse made by the <<War of the East Gate>>, trading wagons came in and out constantly; in Centoria, the central city, tourists from the Dark World could be seen everywhere.

Once, fear and a lack of understanding separated the two worlds, but exposure to the sun melted the remaining frost without a trace.

Again the blood of the enemy would kiss the swinging sword hung around the waist; the girl and young dragon ran past the columns which blocked slanted stripes of light to form the glorious sun (Sorusu).

• Katsu...katsu...* *Pata...pata...* Two sets of footsteps echo, and soon fade away.

Out of nowhere, a large butterfly materialized, again hovering in the corridor it came to, to enjoy the silence.

Chapter 1

"Ronier! Here! This way!"

A voice called me. It was only when I gazed beyond the crowd, that I saw a fiery redhead shaking and hopping, standing on her tiptoes.

We went through the crowd, keeping our head down and apologising. People such as calligraphers and cooks packed closely together, while mages working at the Cathedral made space. For appearing to intrude, faces turned towards us. "Fun...fun..." Behind Ronie, a snort sounded the minute that Tsukika noticed. Frightened, they cleared the road. Because of that, we, the owners, bowed less often.