Mikoto's dreams were a bit disturbed that night.  That night, in her deepest nightmares, she was back in the dusty sands of the BoB, fighting Death Gun.. her photon sword clashed against Red-Eyed XaXa's thin Starship Metal Estoc.

Through the winds.. and the sands, their blades clashed again and again.. as the burning flames of the wrecked Banshee nearby threw terrifying shadows against the desert floor.. shadows that all shaped themselves into laughing ghoulish figures.

"You're never going back Railgun!" XaXa growled in his staticky warped voice. "You're trapped in that place.. in that Virtual World.. just another guinea pig for another bunch of invasive scientists.. who knows? Maybe they'll make 10,000 more sisters out of that Fluctlight of yours?"

"SHUT UP!!" Mikoto roared. "I defeated you!! You're finished!! You can't hurt me anymore.

"Can I!?" XaXa said. "I told you, the both of us are two halves of a whole. We will continue to fight until one of us or both of us are dead.. we are the heaven and hell of this story.. only time will tell whether heaven rises.. or hell burns all!! Just you wait.. you WILL BURN!!!"

XaXa's Estoc drove straight through Mikoto's chest at that moment..

"Misaka! Misaka! wake up!!"

Mikoto awoke with a start, sure that Red-Eyed XaXa had just stabbed her.

Selka put a hand to Mikoto's forehead worriedly. "You're burning up.. are you okay?"

"N-nightmare." Mikoto muttered. "It's okay.."

Selka smiled at Mikoto. "You remind me of my sister.. she used to be the one who studied under Sister Azariya in the Sacred Arts before me.."

"Oh?" said Mikoto. "Your Sister Alice sounds nice.."

"I-I don't usually talk about her.. not with anybody.. Eugeo doesn't even smile anymore ever since she was gone.. but.. you remind me so much of her, I guess I can't help it.."

"She was the one that used to bring Eugeo bentos and disappeared.. wasn't she?" Mikoto said.

"Yep.. I joined the church in her stead, cause I felt somebody needed to fill her shoes." said Selka. "But.. everyone keeps on trying to compare me to her.. and the thing is, I'm nowhere near as good in the Sacred Arts as she is.."

"Well, it's not like I've seen any Sacred Arts so far besides the Stacia Window thingy." said Mikoto. "But, you're working so hard.. and you've shown such kindness in your work, so I know you're doing wonderfully."

"H-how would you know?"

"I just do." said Mikoto. "Call it a gut feeling."

Selka smiled. "Anyways.. I came to wake you, because it's almost time for morning worship, and you're the Priestess's Caretaker, so it's your duty to get her ready.."

"Oh, right.." Mikoto said grumpily. "Erm.. what do I do?"

"I have a list here." said Selka, giving Mikoto a sheet of paper. "It also holds instructions on how to do some of the ceremonial preparations. I have your clothes ready right here."

"Thanks." Mikoto said.

After getting dressed, Mikoto walked over to the bed next to hers and nudged at the lump under the blanket. "Yo.. Yuniko.. get up.. Yuniko."

"Hit her head with a book or something.." Nox appeared on Mikoto's shoulder in kitten form, almost like a shadow. "Something really really hard."

"That's.. evil." Mikoto muttered. "You don't like her?"

"I'll admit, I've grown a little fond of you." said Nox. "And I find blackmail distasteful."

"Hey! Ms. Priestess or whatever!" Mikoto shook Yuniko awake. Yuniko sat up drowsily, letting the blanket fall off her head..

"Oh.. it's you mule.." Yuniko muttered. "Oh bother.. another worship, another acting session.. "

Yuniko took a deep breath and suddenly put on her cutsy misleading smile. "How do I look?"

"You could fool a profiler." said Mikoto.

"Good." said Yuniko, resuming her frown. "Let's get this over with."

Mikoto, as it turned out.. had to do even more then Yuniko. She had to wait for her while she bathed, and keep a certain distance, while handing her several jars of holy serums, made by the church using Sacred Arts. Supposedly the serums increased Object Control temporarily, and allowed access to hidden system commands.

She then had to help her dress, check her food for poison by eating it herself, then join Yuniko in her daily lessons on the sacred arts.

As it turned out, the Sacred Arts were as Sinon said, they were actually a voice command system that allowed one to access the System and bend a few rules. And the Sacred Language was actually American English. For example, the start of the chant would be: "System Call!" then they would say more commands in English, like "Transfer Human Unit Durability Right To Left!" Which would mean to take the Life of the human on the right, and transfer it to the left one... of course that particular Sacred Art, according to Selka, was highly dangerous.

Mikoto began to learn more and more about the social hierarchy of the Human Empire as she worked on helping Yuniko get ready, as well as the girl she was in charge of.

First of all, she learned Yuniko really wasn't an unkind person, as she would thank Mikoto gratefully with every task she completed.. though Mikoto suspected she did so unconsciously, and that her demon grit might also be a cover up of her real persona to make herself seem tough... but she couldn't imagine how she could have picked up that kind of habit in IRL.

According to Yuniko, she played a VR where she was a leader of a large legion of players, one of 7 of the strongest players in the game, so despite her age, she learned to summon up her inner cranky boss. As it so happened, she had met Tempo, a time manipulating Viros, somewhere in the game, dying, and having escaped to the VR world to heal himself.. unsuccessfully. In a show of kindness, Yuniko allowed Tempo to merge with her and form a Viral Symbiosis to save his life.

The second thing Mikoto learned, was that the Church really was the main law of the empire. All the laws went without saying, and crime in fact, was quite scarce. Of course their were the obvious laws such as, 'you shall not reduce another person's Life unless one of the other clauses say otherwise'. Pretty much meaning, 'Don't attempt murder unless in self defense.' Then there were rather stupid ones like. 'you shall not kiss another on the lips unless you are married.' She hoped Touma never got stuck in this world with her forever, or it would be ages before a first kiss with that idiot.. then again, if she didn't get out of here, it would take even longer..

It really broke Mikoto's heart just thinking about that.

"You'll get over it." Yuniko grumbled as she got into her nun's habit and popped her neck. "I did.. and I've only been here 2 months. In about 30 years or so, in Underworld time anyways, they'll let us out, which will probably be a couple of days or weeks depending, in the Real World.. so technically you won't miss anything.. but they can't keep us in here too long or we'll get brain damage."

"I don't want wait that long.." Mikoto murmured.

"Neither do I." said Yuniko as Mikoto handed her a large book labeled: Taboo Index. "But the people in here are living breathing beings as well who need our guidance too. At least we can grant them a bit of the wisdom we pick up IRL and hope they better themselves in here. After all.. the original programmers are what raised the first Fluctlights and guided their values.. if they can do something like that.. then why can't we? Think of it as a remake of Tron.. we're Users.. they're Programs in need of a light."

"That's.. actually wise." said Mikoto.

"You pick things up when you're the Red King." said Yuniko.

"Red.. what?"

"Not important! Come on! Time to go to worship!" said Yuniko.

Everyone had already gathered in what was apparently the Sanctuary hall. The pews.. the stain glass windows. As Mikoto walked down the aisle behind Yuniko and Selka, Yuniko turned her head and whispered just out of earshot.

"So.. what do you believe about gods..?"

"What Captain America said in the Avengers when he saw Thor." whispered Mikoto.

"That is?"

" 'There's only one God ma'am, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that' ."

"Heh, I've gotta watch that 30 year old classic some time." Yuniko whispered. "So are you Jewish or are ya Christian or-"

Mikoto gave Yuniko a look that said. "really? You're going to ask this now?"

"Whatevs, believe what you like.." Yuniko muttered.

Yuniko stood up at the podium as Mikoto sat down next to Kirito and Sinon in the pews.

"So.. why are you suddenly her caretaker?" Kirito whispered to Mikoto out of earshot.

"I was black mailed." Mikoto said. "She's like us.. she's trapped in here with us.. and not only that.. she's merged with a Viros named Tempo. Apparently.. if anybody found out about my powers, and I became a Priestess like her, I'd be stuck in this church forever.."

"Oh.." Kirito said. "Wow.. that's harsh. Well, me and Eugeo found a little something in his room that might cut down that tree faster then that axe, probably do way more damage."

Mikoto chuckled and handed Kirito her sheathed Master Sword. "You could try this too if you like. Apparently I don't have the OC for it.."

Kirito felt the weight in his hands and sighed. "I don't either.. if feels way too heavy.."

Worship was kind of odd to Mikoto. Unlike a Catholic church, which Index had taken her to on numerous occasions when she, Mikoto and Touma had gone on vacation to Britian for a week, apparently they spent the first half of the service reciting the Taboo Index. It felt almost like a brainwashing dictatorship, not a religion. Then the second half of the service was spent singing songs, and telling the story of creation by the Creation Goddess Stacia.

Mikoto learned a bit about the gods that Underworlders believed in at this point.

Of course there was Stacia, the main goddess, who was said to have provided the Sacred Arts. (Mikoto believed Stacia was probably the Administrator ID of one of the people who built Underworld.. and the same was probably true of all the other goddesses.)

There was the sun goddess Solus, whom everybody believed Yuniko was a daughter of.

The Goddess of the Dark Territory where the monsters dwelled, Vector. (Mikoto had to stop herself from thinking of a goddess Accelerator.) who only the monsters and goblins of the Dark Territory ever worshipped.

Then there was Lunaria, the goddess of the moon.

And Terraria, the goddess of the land who helped crops grow and was related other stuff having to do with earth or something.

After that, sick and people who had been through misfortune would come forward, and Yuniko would bless them.. and after that, it was time for everyone to proceed to their Sacred Tasks.. Another ordinary work day.

"Hey, I thought I'd stay here, and give you a hand." said Sinon as Kirito and Eugeo began to make plans to get back to the Gigas Cedar.

Thinking about the torture Sinon would be going through with what Yuniko would probably force her to do, Mikoto shuddered. "Ahhh.. no.. you go.. I can handle it."

"HEY!! Miiiiiissaaaaaakkaaaaa!" Yuniko skipped over, in her fake cute skip to my lu manner. "Sister Azariya says that today is Friday, which means I need to go among the hard workers and check the fruits of their labor.. sooooo.. I'm going to watch Kirito-kun and Eugeo-kun cut the Gigas Cedar! Carry me there!!"

"Least you won't be alone.." Kirito whispered.

And so Mikoto went with Eugeo, Kirito and Sinon, carrying Yuniko on her shoulders.

"Keep up the pace mule.." Yuniko growled. "I wanna get there and get it over with.."

Sinon, who just so happened to be within earshot, frowned, as if she was finally understanding the situation. Her job right now was to carry the Bentos, which they could now bring more of now that there was an extra pair of hands to carry them.

Mikoto gave Sinon a look that plainly said she was perfectly capable of handling it.. but still the worry in Sinon's eyes didn't vanish.

"Hey, Yuniko-chan." said Sinon. "Why don't I carry you? Your caretaker must be tired.."

"No!! I want Misaka-sempai to carry me!" said Yuniko in her cute voice. "Only Misaka-sempai can carry me!!"

"Well, that's nice.." said Eugeo. "It looks like Yuniko's grown fond of you Misaka-chan."

"Yay..." Mikoto moaned sarcastically.

Eugeo laughed a little uneasily. "Oh dear.. she's shown you her.. 'other side'... hasn't she?"

"WAY TO BLOW MY COVER EUGEO YA CRAP ATTACK!!!" Yuniko roared, her face once more becoming bad tempered. 

"Whoah!!" both Kirito and Sinon stared at Yuniko, frightened by her change in persona.

"Oh get over it!" Yuniko said, rolling her eyes. "It's not like every little girl has to be a saint!! Eugeo, me and Misaka are making a detour right here.. tell Sister Azariya that I blessed your axe or something! And save some lunch for Misaka, she's going to need it.."

"R-right!"

"Is it okay to let them go like that!?" Sinon exclaimed as she watched Mikoto and Yuniko's retreating figures in the distance.

"She may be scary." said Eugeo. "But whenever she makes a request like this, her reasons are usually good.  Anyways, Kirito, did you bring it?"

Kirito nodded and brought out the Blue Rose Sword.. it's sparkling blade looked amazing in the light. "Wow.. we're going to use this huh?"

"If we can.." said Eugeo. "I have no doubt this tree will be down in 5 days at the least!"

Meanwhile.. Mikoto and Yuniko stopped on a remote hill, and Yuniko leapt off Mikoto's shoulders with ease and grinned as Tempo's snail form appeared on her shoulder.

"What's this about?" Mikoto asked.

"Lessons!!" said Yuniko. "That's what!! You're a total noob in the art of Viral Symbiosis! And I'm going to teach ya a thing or two!!"

"What Yuniko is trying to say." said Tempo. "Is that she's taking you on as a Symbiotic Apprentice."

"A What?"

"Symbiotic Apprentice." said Nox, suddenly appearing on Mikoto's shoulder. "Believe it or not, there used to be numerous humans fused with Viros. Each human who gained Viros within them had many capabilities, whether it was inheriting the Viros's skill or entering Symbiont Assault Form,  like Viral Railgun for example. An experienced master at using the Viros's power would tend to take a newbie as an apprentice and teach that student their ways.. it's a huge honor usually.. and it is known as a Symbiotic Apprenticeship."

"There are very few of us Viral Symbiotes left in the world, even 20 years in the future from which we hail." said Tempo. "Which is why Symbiotic Apprenticeship is highly important on Earth. "

"But there's one tradition that each master passes on to a new apprentice!" Yuniko growled. "And that's the Number One Viros Philosiphy: There's no such thing as a Free Lunch!! It's not an exact translation.. but it's the same idea basically! You either earn your skills, or you're not worthy of em!!"

"Every Master always puts their apprentice through some rather dastardly chores.." Nox said. "What a pain.. I can't believe I didn't see what she was doing sooner when she had you start scrubbing that floor."

Mikoto frowned, a sweatdrop going down her forehead. "What if I don't want to learn?"

"YOU'RE GOING TO LEARN AND YOU'RE GOING TO LIKE IT!!" Yuniko roared. "I can't believe I had enough of a bleedin' heart to take you on as my student, and you treat me with that ungrateful tone!!"

"Alright alright!" said Mikoto. "Sure, I want to learn.."

"Good.." said Yuniko. "We're going to use this hill every day from now on, to practice the most powerful ability granted by Viral Symbiosis.. granted, under a normal apprenticeship, I would teach you Skill Inheritance before we moved onto this.. but under the circumstances where we have goblins running around everywhere in this world.. I think this is more important."

"Symbiont Assault Form." said Tempo. "It is the most powerful form you can access with Nox. I understand you mentioned something called Viral Railgun? Yes, that is your Symbiont Assault Form."

"I always wondered about that form." said Mikoto. "Whenever I used it, I got a bunch of new powers.. and my Esper powers were boosted to the extreme."

"Of course." said Yuniko. "A Symbiont Assault Form reads the human brain and soul, and creates a new form for you based on your values and ability. A Symbiont Assault form's appearance and powers always varies with every human, as well as the name of the form.. like yours, Viral Railgun.. I bet it's powers and form are based off the fact you're the Level 5 Railgun, and that's defined a big part of your life.. and then the whole Viral part of your name.. well from what I know from the History Books, you were one of those chumps trapped in Sword Art Online, so VR reality was also a heavy hitter probably.. and voila, you have the perfect recipe for Viral Railgun.!"

"So.. what's your Symbiont Assault Form.?" Mikoto asked. "Angry Priestess?"

"Haha!" said Yuniko sarcastically. "I'm going to show you.. after all.. this lesson is all about how to access your form!! A newbie like you can usually only change into SAF form when your Viros allows it, cause she feels you're way too new.. plus I bet the Viros Council thought you were the only Viral Symbiote currently in existence and tried to kill you.. they went through a deep killing spree of us back in 2015.. won't go into the details, they're boring as hell.  The thing is.. once you start learning, you'll be able to decide when you go SAF, not Nox!"

"Which I'm not sure if I like.." Nox muttered.

"Here's how it goes!!" Yuniko growled. "First.. feel Nox's mind inside yours.. GO ON!! It's not complicated! About as easy as riding a bike!!"

Mikoto did what Yuniko said, partly so she would stop yelling at her.. and partially because she actually was curious to learn.

"There we go!!" said Yuniko as Mikoto's body began to glow. "Now.. here's the tricky part.. a person can only access SAF for around 5 to 30 minutes a day.. 30 minutes is rare, not even the masters ever reach that time often, usually we've got around 20 minutes. you've only got 12.. however, to increase the time.. you have to go through a heart wrenching combat situation each day while in that form.. and.. well.. you're about to figure out why we don't use SAF except as some major last resort."

"To put it in short.. " said Tempo. "And I think you noticed after your first time you accessed it.. it's so exhausting that it even drains your Life a bit while in the Underworld. That's why we usually stick to Skill Inheritance.. which you will learn of later.."

"So go on.. imagine converging with Nox's mind.." said Yuniko. "Should only take a few seconds.."

Indeed it did.. for in an instant.. Nox disappeared from Mikoto's shoulder.. and a holographic familiar black liquid wrapped around Mikoto, until she was  a levitating black humanoid shaped like a black silhouette of herself.. green glowing eyes opened up on her face.. and multiple lines of 1s and 0s began to run around over the surface of her body.

"So.." said Viral Railgun in her echoing computer-like voice. "How are you going to put me in some 'combatively stressful whatever'?"

"Didn't I say!?" said Yuniko with a grin as her body glowed with red light. "I was going to show you MY Symbiont Assault Form!?"

red metal armor suddenly appeared around Yuniko and slammed into her body.. turning her body into a small red mecha robot-like avatar. Her shape and pigtail like protrusions on her head still gave her the initial appearance of her original form. The small feminine mech girl had bulbous green eyes,  and what appeared to be a blaster-like handgun holstered to her waist.

Viral Railgun blinked for a minute. "That's your Symbiont Assault Form? It's.. er.. "

"JUST AS SHORT AS ME IN REAL LIFE!!" Scarlet Rain roared. "I GET IT ALREADY!!"

"I was going to say it's a robot.."

"NEVER MIND!!" Scarlet Rain growled. "Prepare for the most painful training you've ever had in your freaking LIFE!!!"

Suddenly a massive set of ginormous metal rectangular pillars fell around Scarlet Rain.. they shifted and opened and transformed as gears and mechanized structures grew from it and fused to her.. when the transformation was finished, a ginormous fortress with four giant sturdy anchors stood towering above Viral Railgun..

Two giant barrels, like the guns on a tank jutted out from either side.. and there seemed to be a number of closed compartments on the giant fortress that hid plenty of other possible nasty surprises.

"My SAF form is my Avatar from the VR I played in my time period!!" Scarlet Rain's voice echoed from within the humungous tank of a fortress.  "They called me the Immovable Fortress.. cause I never needed to move when I took out every single friggin enemy in my way.. I have you for 12 minutes a day Misaka.. and each time.. you're going to spend those 12 minutes dodging everything I throw at you!!!

The compartments on Scarlet Rain's fortress opened to reveal multiple holes.. missile launchers...

Every single piece of massive artillery on the fortress fired.. and rain upon rain of missles and other explosive weapons scattered down upon the hill.. exploding violently as if an entire armada of battleships were coming to destroy an island.

Viral Railgun flew through the air.. dodging the blasts, her form shifting and morphing at odd angles to avoid trickier fire.

"ALRIGHT!!" said Scarlet Rain. "First day of lessons is a go!! I'd do a training montage, but I ain't Rocky Balboa!!!"