Sword Art Online Light Novel Volume 17

Alicization Awakening (アリシゼーション・アウェイクニング) is the 17th book in the Sword Art Online light novel series, published on April 9, 2016. It is the third volume in the War of the Underworld sub-arc of the Alicization arc.

Part 1
Kirito's friends: Agil, Klein, Lisbeth and Silica, gathered at the World Tree in ALfheim Online (ALO) along with three thousand other virtual reality game players from ALO or converted from other games. Lisbeth gave a speech and attempted to persuade the crowd to convert their accounts to Underworld to help its residents defend against the incoming foreign players. However, the crowd was discouraged when they discovered that Underworld did not have a Pain Absorber and that their avatars might be lost if they died there. Despite facing hostility from the players, Lisbeth continued her speech.

In Underworld, Asuna and the Integrity Knights continued cutting the ropes that bridged the ravine that Asuna created with her Stacia super account. As they were about to cut the sixth rope, thousands of red light beams streaked down from the sky. While both the Human Empire and the Dark Territory armies watched in amazement, approximately thirty thousand warriors clad in crimson armor began to form. Asuna realized that the soldiers were Americans when they began to yell in English while attacking the Fist Fighters, who were supposed to be their allies. As the situation grew worse, Asuna was approached by Iskahn, who proposed a deal to her. In return for creating a bridge across the ravine to allow the Fist Fighter forces to regroup, the Fist Fighters began repelling the crimson army.

In the fray of the battle, Alice Synthesis Thirty went ahead of the rest of the Human Decoy Army, rendering her vulnerable. Atop a black dragon, Vector, the avatar of Gabriel Miller, snatched Alice and rendered her unconscious with his Incarnation power. Bercouli Synthesis One took Alice's dragon Ayamori, the deceased Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-one's dragon Takiguri, as well as his own dragon Hoshigami in pursuit of Gabriel and Alice. The Human Decoy Army began to move south after Bercouli and Vector, while the Fist Fighters and Integrity Knight Scheta Synthesis Twelve remained to occupy the attention of the Americans.

Part 2
Meanwhile in the real world, Vassago Casals awoke in the main control room of the Ocean Turtle and found that the Fluctlight Acceleration (FLA) had been disabled. He thus decided to dive back into Underworld through the use of his old Sword Art Online avatar.

At Kirito's wagon in Underworld, Asuna healed herself while talking to Ronye and Tiese about Kirito. After the preparations were complete, Integrity Knight Renri Synthesis Twenty-seven ordered the decoy squad, reduced to seven hundred, to head south to rescue Alice. However, the squad soon stopped, as thousands of red columns of light rained down from the sky and transformed into players clad in red armor. As Renri prepared to sacrifice himself to open a path for the Human Empire decoy force, a blue light shone through the clouds and there the figure of Sinon, logged in with the Solus super account, appeared. Using the power of her «Annihilate Ray» long bow, she slaughtered much of the enemy army. Solus also had the power of unlimited flight, thus Sinon flew down to where Asuna was waiting. After greeting Kirito, Sinon was sent by Asuna to fly in pursuit of Alice. The Human Empire decoy force continued south through a detour, with the second wave of the crimson army chasing from the north. On her way south, Sinon wondered where Leafa was, since they both dived in at the same time.

Part 3
In the wilderness on the other side of the Great Eastern Gate, Orc Chief Rirupirin spent a long time to find an earring that belonged to his childhood friend Renju. As he pondered on what meaning the death of thousands of his tribesmen had, Leafa appeared right behind him, logged in with the Terraria super account. He was about to draw his sword to kill her, but feeling the influence of Renju, he stopped. To his shock, Leafa spoke to him like a person rather than showing revulsion, scorn or fear. She then allowed him to bind her hands and take her to Vector as a prisoner, but as they began walking, a black haze, along with the supposedly dead Dark Sorceresses' Guild leader D.I.L., appeared.

Meanwhile, after more than two hours of pursuit, Bercouli Synthesis One fell into despair as he could not close the distance between him and Vector, despite alternating between three dragons. Thus, he decided to use his Time Piercing Sword's Release Recollection Art, «Arcane Slash», to sever the left wing of Vector's black dragon far ahead.

In the meantime, D.I.L. transformed the fingers on her left hand into long, worm-like creatures, stabbed them into Leafa and began absorbing her Life. As Leafa's Life continued to be depleted, the ground below her began to glow green and sprout with plant life and Leafa's Life was completely recovered due to Terraria's unlimited healing abilities. Shrieking in surprise, D.I.L. transformed the fingers on her right hand into the worm-like creatures as well and began draining more of Leafa's Life. Rirupirin tried to stop D.I.L. by attacking her with his own sword, but as he was doing so, an enormous pain erupted in his right eye and it ruptured. At the same time, drew and swung his blade at D.I.L., but due to perception errors stemming from the loss of his right eye, he was not even able to graze her. D.I.L. turned to him in fury, and, after flinging Leafa behind her and transforming her fingers into black blades, swung down. But, at that moment, D.I.L.'s arms fell to the ground as Leafa severed them with her sword from behind. Claiming that she was vanquishing evil to save another person, Leafa severed D.I.L. in half.

Part 4
As his dragon's Life diminished, Gabriel, Emperor Vector, decided to kill the Knight chasing him, take over one of his dragons, and continue flying south. While waiting, he wondered whether to incarcerate Alice or not, but ended up not doing so. Unbeknownst to him, Super Account 04, Emperor Vector, had the power to tamper with Fluctlights. What he did was place Alice's Fluctlight somewhere else, robbing her of her dynamism and putting her into a forced sleep. Bercouli urged his dragons to move faster towards the ruins where Vector had landed.

Asuna and the Human Empire army began to pull ahead of the crimson army, but it was impossible for them to run on forever. Coming upon a shrine, they decided to wait there and fight the crimson army when they arrived. As the Americans came, seeking to kill mere NPCs, the defenders surprised them with their ferocity to protect Alice. As the crimson figures fell, one man stood behind, watching. He was clad in a black poncho-like coat. His real name, Vassago Casals. As he watched Asuna kill his men, he remembered watching her fight in Sword Art Online and vowing to kill her and the swordsman in black who was always by her side.

As Bercouli drew near the ruins, he jumped off the dragon and he swung his sword at Vector as he fell. Bercouli missed and followed up with another attack, but Vector caught the blade by clapping his hands over the sword with his back turned. Then they resumed fighting.

Asuna stood in the middle of the road, defending. On her right was Renri, who was faring well in the battle. On her left were the Guardians that were slowly being pushed back. As she ordered healers to prioritize the left flank, the Americans organized 20 lancers to charge at the Human Empire army. Most were successfully blocked, but a few of the Guardians were skewered. In order to protect a fallen Guardian, Asuna was pierced by a lance.

Bercouli and Vector locked swords. Bercouli began pressing down on Vector's sword with his own Time Piercing Sword, which pierced Vector's shoulder. Vector pushed Bercouli away, and shot a beam of dark blue light that hit Bercouli in the chest. The beam rendered Bercouli unconscious, and Vector cut off the left arm of the helpless Knight.

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Volumen 17 (novela ligera)