“Patient?” Euryale’s growl was subdued for the hatchling, but all too clear. “They’d be fools to come, knowing what they know. Even if they have no idea we’re under assault right now, they learned enough of our lore to realize the Five Nations have their own ways of scrying the future. And they won’t let this pass unchallenged. They’ve seen it coming-”
Stheno straightened, a tingle of the Planes passing through her bones. “They won’t see this coming.”
It started with a flicker of sun off the chains; a spark, no larger than a firefly….
The spark bloomed, shimmering into a light the size and shape of a man. Power gathered, more sparks flying; a dozen, no a myriad of lights, blazing into life in Aincrad’s main courtyard, more and more-
Two dozen. No, fifty. No, more than that, far more; gods, there were only a few hundred clearers, how many chose this-?
Stheno squinted against one particularly bright fire. Far too big to be a person, more the size of a small dragon. Yet nothing alive, not unless gelatinous cubes were native to Earth; a massive rectangle with lacings of darkfire everywhere, radiating from four corners-
That light died, solidifying into a massive box of steel wreathed about with enchanted ropes, even as more sparks flew and bloomed into breathing bodies. Stheno only had eyes for the small group clustering at one rope-tied corner. One medusa, one blue-winged draconic, the green-haired swanmay who was one of Euryale’s agents… and four humans, all of whom looked alike enough to be family even if one had feathers and the younger girl was blonde.
Stheno knew those feathers, even before Kirito blinked off the shock of transit, and looked up at her. And smiled.
Crossover Queen's Creative Chaos 
Hee.
I’m really happy to see this.
Thank you.
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And of course he knows exactly where to look. He’s been well trained.
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How long I wonder, before Yui starts calling Kirito “Papa” and Asuna “Mama”? And how long until she starts calling Argo “Aunt” or “Auntie”?
…on that last one I’m pretty sure she’s already called her that at least once with Argo gently “correcting” it to something else, but the Troll-side is strong with Kirito and he’d certainly encourage Yui’s growth in her own use of it.
*yawns*
Too tired to do much more in terms of commentary or be more coherent.
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“Fools rush in, where angels fear to tread.
Now the angels are all in Heaven, while few of the fools are dead..”
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Wow, looks like several hundred at least, likely more, considering that Stheno thought there was significantly more people coming than there had been Clearers. I see they aparently managed to transport one of those standard shipping containers. Ought to be quite a bit they can fit in that cubage… Perhaps it will actually serve as part of a system for more regularized passage of people, goods, and information.
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“Stheno knew those feathers, even before Kirito blinked off the shock of transit, and looked up at her. And smiled.”
Then, alas, everyone turned to stone, because the Medusas had forgotten their glasses.
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*Bap* The medusas know who’s supposed to be coming.
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oh, what tech did they bring i wonder…
any such item could be gamechanger, and these people had time to prepare for their isekai journey
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Volunteers work better than slaves or draftees…. Nicely done. Leaves us wanting more.
Frankly, if you want to do a second part, it would be better to file off the serial numbers. Isekai and portal fantasy is money.
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I have ideas for 2 completely different portal fantasies. Just need to get Tales to the point I have enough energy to start a new rough draft. 😉
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Good.
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*G* The one I mostly have good bare-bones elements worked out for involves a guy kidnapped into a different body in a world where Lovecraft was more right than anyone ever wanted him to be… but some of the inhuman monsters can be thrown in the local drunk tank like anyone else.
The other is a lot more fluffy (nekomimi! fantasy setting! Adventurers!), but the bunnies came up with an odd use for a ring of levitation and modern wingsuits… there’s just something about it that doesn’t quite feel like it fits. Grumble.
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Scale breaking mass plane shift, nice. Soooo many implications there.
As far as how many came…..
How many players of an mmo do you think would jump into an opportunity to go to another world with just the promise of ‘become your game avatar?’ With the possibility of becomming someone who matters, instead of a wage slave? Just for the love of wonder, for the dream? For opportunity they don’t have here?
1/10 th of sao would only be a few hundred. 1/10 th of /alo/….
And these were all people who were escapist to some extent before the possibility became real. Chances are the fraction willing to say yes was higher than one in ten
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Interesting, very interesting indeed. Though I’m still uncertain what Euryale thinks about them. As I recall she doesn’t think fondly of humans. I wonder, has that changed? Or perhaps she makes an exception for those of SAO. Or at least some of them, since it seemed like she was impressed by Kiritos tactic of annoying Kayaba to madness.
That said, it appears as if the transition restored them to their previous in-game state. I believe Asuna will be glad to have her wings back, her mother probably not so much. What they do now depends on a great deal of things. As Euryale pointed out they don’t know that they are under attack, but know enough that the five nations have their own ways of scrying the future… which could possibly mean they know a lot more than first anticipated.
It would, in theory at least, be possible for them to study what they know of Aincrad and the five nations, and come up with their very own method of scrying. Meaning they quite possible are very much aware of what is to happen. Though precognition certainly does add further complications to traditional warfare. If they can harness it like Aeldari Farseers it will be a potent force multiplier to say the absolute least. I doubt that Kirito is about to become a seer anytime soon, but even some minor form of precognition coupled with his reflexes? Ouch.
Back on topic, I doubt that they’ll just accept the news that Aincrad is under attack easily. Though what form their reaction may take is mystery to me. In theory they could attempt to strike at one of those fronts with devastating force. Hard enough to send the five nations reeling, to make them hesitate enough that they can strengthen their defenses. Though if such a bold plan is even feasible I can’t say. It is something different to stick your blade into a living being and see what comes out of him… not pretty. If they can shoulder such horrors is uncertain, and yet at the same time I can’t see a peaceful solution. It seems unlikely that the five nations would suddenly just stop, especially since they seem to have no problem with killing their own people if they show undesirable traits. I’m most curious as to what will happen next.
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Depending on closely Beniryuu made ALO reflect the nations, they might have a pretty clear idea.
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I think that shipping container is a bootstrap kit for their brainstorming for an industrial-magical infrastructure.
And they aren’t coming in as drabs of tricked and/or shell-shocked surviving clearers. They had time to step back, and enter this with full foreknowledge, prepairation, and reading the rules, wiki, and seeing a playthrough before creating their Avatars.
To quote Mark Watney “we are going to Munchkin the shit out of this” 🙂
Also the numbers I suspect are high enough for a critical mass. These aren’t going to be parceled up and added to exisiting kingdoms and tribes. To be slowly absorbed till they are just more bodies to throw at the same problems in the same way. This is another society to add on its own terms, a Sixth Nation. Or at least the nucleus of one. And perhaps like all Sixth Rangers, representing a step up in the hero’s ability and firepower.
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Munchkin indeed. *G* And I’m not sure Kirito thought it through, but a lot of the ALO faction leaders and people they were consulting with in the Taskforce did – and yes, they were trying for “enough of us to make a significant difference as a culture”.
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*evil grin* Oooh, luggage!
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Bringing the important things. Like how to make coffee, and chocolate….
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Uh… Cacao trees may be evergreen, but they’re only really able to grow in tropical regions. Ditto for coffee trees.
Does Aincrad/Droaam have the climate to cultivate those?
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They can keep enough growing in greenhouses until they establish a colony on Xen’drik. 😉 Which will be tons of adventures all in itself.
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Exactly.
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Heck, creating “greenhouses” ought to be a (relative) snap, considering how the poisoned mountain range was turned green again. Would need some extra layers of magic for setting the proper microclime, likely with gadgetry for tracking temperature and humidity tied into the spellwork.
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Luggage? Poor Aincrad. Because that’s just what they need, Pratchett fans with magic and time to spare. And the motivation to speed things up.
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…I’d actually be quite interested in reading that.
Sequel, plz? *puppy-dog eyes*
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Bunnies currently up to their ears in Kabane. Noted, though!
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Post-Bitter Dregs, or post-movie?
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Wait, never mind – the movie isn’t even out yet in Japan!
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*Wry G* Post Bitter Dregs, which has been made AU by movie canon we can see from the trailer bit. So it goes in fanfic!
…The bunnies may be having entirely too much fun setting up Creeping Horror and then action.
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At least this Creeping Horror is one that you can not only shoot, but actually have [the individual instances of] go down for keeps when you do!
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About that shooting bit…. *G*
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>Bringing the important things. Like how to make coffee, and chocolate….>
Along with a selection of any and all other plant seeds, cutting etc that might be useful/valuable. I’d lay odds on there being a ton of various manuals on all sorts of topics, solar panels and a selection of light industrial equipment etc.
/One medusa, one blue-winged draconic, the green-haired swanmay who was one of Euryale’s agents/
Huh, I guess the connection was strong enough that Argo and Asuna could transfer over in what they now consider their ‘real’ forms instead of having to come as humans and take up a bloodstone.
/ and four humans, all of whom looked alike enough to be family even if one had feathers and the younger girl was blonde./
Cool, the Kirigayas managed to get over while remaining human. Though blonde? Either Suguha chose said color deliberately or she identifies enough with Leafa that there was a certain amount of overlap/contamination during the transfer. Though come to think of it, was it ever mentioned what species Lefa was supposed to be?
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Don’t have time to do a full careful read. Didn’t see mention in the scene that intro’d her and Recon. Which does call Recon a half-elf.
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Importing your SAO account/avatar into ALO is also a thing, don’t forget.
And given that this ALO was designed to simulate all of Galifar’s various races…
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