S.A.O Project Alicization - OC/Male Reader Insert

Project Alicization ----- Chapter Three

July 372 HE, Underworld Human Realm
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Three hundred years ago, Bercouli the chief guardsman had trod on this very same ground-a thought that urged Shi forward into the cave. The temperature dropped, and he rubbed his bare forearms.

Once he heard the other two following, he took another ten steps inside. That was when Eugeo realized his terrible mistake, and he turned to announce, "Crap...I didn't bring any light. What about you, Kirito?"

They were barely five mels inside the cave, and already it was hard to make out one another's expressions. Eugeo was disappointed that he hadn't even considered the obvious fact that it was pitch-black inside a cave. The only response he got from his partner was an oddly confident, "How would I remember something that you failed to remember?!"

"Okay, boys, listen up..."

Shi turned toward the faint shine of blond hair, wondering how many times they'd already heard that annoyed tone today. Alice shook her head several times, reached into her apron pocket, and pulled out something long and narrow-the stalk of grass she'd been carrying since they left the village.

She put her left palm to the tip and shut her eyes. Her little lips moved, and she chanted a strange mantra in the sacred tongue. Lastly, she made a quick, complex sigil in the air with her left hand, and the rounded tip of the stalk of grass began to glow. The pale light grew stronger and stronger until the darkness of the cave was kept at considerable bay.

"Whoa!"

"Wow..."

"Oh"

Kirito and Eugeo could not contain their amazement. They knew Alice was studying the sacred arts, but they had hardly ever seen her execute them. According to Sister Azalia's teachings, all the arts that drew upon the power of Stacia, Solus, and Terraria-the dark arts of Vecta's servants excepted-existed only to protect the order and tranquility of the world and were not meant for everyday use.

The only times Azalia and her apprentice, Alice, used the sacred arts was when a villager became sick or injured in a way that herbs could not heal. So the sight of this stalk of grass glowing in the darkness came as some surprise to him.

Alice puffed out her chest at their amazement while stomping on Shi's foot as hard as possible.

"You could have done this too Shi, why didn't you? And why do you sound so bored?"

He asked, "Uh, Alice...are you allowed to do that? You won't get punished, or..."

"Hah. If I was going to get punished for something like this, I'd have been struck by lightning ten times before now."

"..."

Before he could ask what she meant by that, she thrust the glowing stalk of grass toward Eugeo. He took it without thinking, then blanched.

"I-I have to go first?!"

"Of course. Are you going to make the delicate little girl lead the way? Eugeo goes in front, Kirito in the back, me in front of him and Shi in front of me. Now let's get going before we waste any more time."

"R-right."

More out of her momentum than any desire of his own, Eugeo held up the tiny torch and started treading farther into the cave.