Incarnation

**Incarnation** (心意, *Shin'i*?, lit. *Mind*) is a strange concept that has little to no basis in the system yet is considered a game mechanic in the world of «Underworld», the main setting of «Project Rhealization».

## Overview

Originally touched upon by Kazuto Kirigaya in his duel with Heathcliff on the 75th Floor, the concept was only named when Seijirō Kikuoka observed Ayanami Shiratsuyu using the "skill" within the ARMMORPG, «Ordinal Scale», powered by Tetsuhiro Shigemura's invention, the «Augma». To put it simply, the concept of «Incarnation» is originally described as the usage of sheer willpower to temporarily overload and bypass the system of a game in order to perform unnatural feats beyond even the scope of the system. However, the *true* definition, according to Seijirō, changes depending on the game it is used in. He also mentions that true «Incarnation» is the concept used in «Project Rhealization» and that the others are not exactly '*Incarnation*' per se, but in fact a sort of «proto-Incarnation».

### In Sword Art Online

According to Ayanami, when Kazuto '*used*' «Incarnation», it allowed him to cheat death just long enough so that he could deliver one final attack on Heathcliff which unfortunately, did not kill him. When discussing the strange anomaly with Eiji Nochizawa and Yūna Shigemura, they all concluded that Kazuto managed to pull it off because he was using Asuna's «Lambent Light» which she had dropped when she was killed by Heathcliff directly before. Akihiko Kayaba attributes the ability to use «Incarnation» in *SAO* to the «NerveLinker» which establishes a surface-level connection to the player's «Fluctlight»; this is exactly what the «Soul Translator» does, albeit on a far deeper level.*[citation needed]*

### In Ordinal Scale

Due to the deeper connection that the «Augma» establishes with the brain and its memory-scanning capabilities, Seijirō concluded that within the augmented reality of «Ordinal Scale», a player can utilize their memories and their willpower to perform feats that normally wouldn't be possible, such as the usage of «Sword Skills». It should be noted, however, that due to the fact that «Ordinal Scale» takes place in AR, no player can actually perform «Sword Skills» at the speed that *SAO* allowed them to be performed at; the only exception to this being Maria who isn't human.

### In Project Rhealization

The «Soul Translator» takes the «Augma» one step further. Due to the nature of the «Fluctlight», «Incarnation» here allows the user to literally *alter* the state of the world through their imagination and will. In the world of «Underworld», the slightest hesitance will result in sure failure.*[citation needed]* Due to the nature of the mind, the unconscious mind exerts a much stronger force than the conscious mind and as a result, unconscious thoughts of hesitation will overrule conscious thoughts of determination.*[citation needed]*

## Specific Applications

* «**Incarnate Arms**» (心意武装, *Shin'i Busō*?) is a skill that allows its user to summon their weapon to their hand by simply using their mind. With enough practice, this skill can also be used to bring items other than weapons to the user should they at any particular moment find themselves unable (or not wanting to) go and grab the item themselves.*[citation needed]*
* «**Incarnate Attacks**» (心意攻撃, *Shin'i Kōgeki*?) is a skill in which the user unleashes a "mind weapon" that will deal damage should it land. This attack can only be blocked and/or defended against by an equally powerful «Incarnation».

## Known Users

There are multiple users of this interestingly peculiar skill throughout the series. Listed below are the players who are known to have used Incarnation.

* Kirito: on multiple occasions.
	+ In his duel with Heathcliff on the 75th Floor, Kirito's intense emotions on not wanting to let his efforts go to waste allows him to transcend the boundaries of the system, allowing him to deliver a final strike on Heathcliff before breaking into particles although this wasn't enough to kill him.
* Shiranami: on multiple occasions.
	+ During multiple particularly difficult boss fights in Ordinal Scale, Shiranami used multiple sword skills in each battle (albeit at much slower speeds than what they normally would be performed at) which should've been impossible and are not limited to but includes «Slant», «Sonic Leap», «Horizontal», «Vertical», «Vertical Square», and «Vertical Arc».
* Asuna: on multiple occasions.
	+ After Kirito had accidentally unleashed «The Eclipse» in his final duel with Heathcliff and was inevitably caught in the painfully long post-motion delay, Asuna forcibly broke through the paralysis that was placed on her by Heathcliff prior to the duel and used her own body as a shield to protect Kirito, dying in the process.

All Underworld Residents have the ability to use Incarnation. Listed below are the most notable users and their most noteworthy uses of Incarnation.

* Allyria Báthory: on multiple occasions.
* Olívia Báthory: on multiple occasions.
* Kieran Domhnall: on multiple occasions.
* Ernest Farrington: on multiple occasions.
* Chantelle Rosenberg: on multiple occasions.
* Emilia Rosenberg: on multiple occasions.
* Hildegarde Strauss: on multiple occasions.
	+ Upon finding out that she was being rescued by her loved one, Hildegarde escaped from her bindings by slashing at the ropes with an Incarnate Attack and fleeing until she ran into her loved one's arms.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Volume 1, *The Torch's Inheritance*, Part 7
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Volume 15, *Ordinal Numbers*, Part 2
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Volume 15, *Ordinal Numbers*, Part 5
4. ↑ Volume 2, *Facing the Evileye*, Part 3
5. ↑ Volume 15, *The Collapse of the Numerals*, Part 2
6. ↑ Volume 24, Chapter 6, Part 7
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Volume 23, Chapter 3, Part 4
8. ↑ Volume 15, *Ordinal Numbers*, Part 4