Nero's gaze held steadfast on the ground as he felt Suto's hand on his shoulder. He didn't falter in the slightest, though his eyes remained wide open in terror. He waited... and waited... and finally, he looked at the boy, opened his mouth as if he were about to speak, and then thought better of it. His head turned away again and he rose to his feet, reclaiming his sword before slicing the air and slipping it back into its sheath. Kazaro, who had been furious moments before, softened slightly as he stood there, silent as a rock. Nero strode directly past him and as Alphard rallied herself he didn't reply. The indicator above his head was a vibrant green, but it may as well have been red, the way he saw it. He never should have invited them to join him - he could have lived and died alone. That would have been fine. But no, he had to have the power over this game... The squads, the parties, the clans, the guilds... whatever it was, he swallowed it up and left nothing but suffering behind him. That was what it was, right? Yari, Kenshin... who was next? Yuna? Kimi? Suto? He shoved those thoughts deeper and exhaled very slowly, gradually cutting each of those cords which the held him, a puppet to his conscience.

Meanwhile, Kimi was catching her breath from the most recent of fights. They weren't the most difficult of enemies - or they wouldn't have been, had they been able to actually fight. Sadly, Nero refused to fight back, and so the others had to double their efforts to finish the AI before it could kill him. Her rapier was long-since sheathed back at her hip as she puzzled over the reactions... The boy had seemed familiar, if only the very slightest amount... But the girl was absolutely a mystery to her. She had such a profound effect on Nero, and even Suto for a few moments. She thought back to when she had first encountered their group and wondered if she had been the one they were grieving that day... Even beyond the game's distortion of her, Kimi could tell that she was a very pretty girl, and Suto had spoken so highly of her before. She sighed and let her eyes scan over the entire group. Everybody wore their scars beneath their coats and their armours, but those old wounds seemed quite sensitive still, to her, as they were all shaken in their own ways by what just happened and the effects showed after. Save for Kazaro and Kimi, the entire group was incredibly rattled - but then, they were the only two who hadn't recognized the shapes that came forth from the sarcophagi.

Nero paused as eyes fell on him. When Yari had died - he was there. But he hadn't frozen, not like Fitch had. He fought all the harder for it. When Kenshin died, it was even his mission. But again, he was only fueled by it... So why, under this pressure, did he lock up? Everybody was still regrouping for themselves, but there was no denying what had happened against Yari. The hair on the back of Nero's neck pricked at him slightly and he knew that Suto was still behind him. He turned, keeping his voice low, "I very well can blame myself, Suto," He said, his voice almost venomous. Even his mind was telling him to shut the hell up and let it go, but his mouth had other ideas... He knew how much Suto had endured from the others in the past couple of months, but... He couldn't stop himself.

"Do you know why?" Lightning sparked between their eyes as Nero squared off, his gaze mere inches from Suto's as he spoke slowly. "Because... I wasn't their friend," He said flatly, swallowing as he worked to maintain his composure. "I'm not yours... and I'm not seeking your forgiveness for their deaths. Unless you and either of them were the exact same person, you don't have the authority to forgive me for it. Nobody does. We were business partners and it was on my watch that Kenshin died. I wasn't paying attention because I was busy trying to bolster my coffers. I didn't give them anything but suffering and danger... I haven't given that to any of you," He pointed out. "And in case you've forgotten, it was my inability to convince Kazaro otherwise that caused you to feel a need to stick your neck out for him."

His jaw set as he stopped talking for several moments, his eyes fishing for any kind of reaction in Suto's before, shakily, he continued, "Do you have any idea... what it's like..? You can try to think of it, Suto, to spend every night... every single god-forsaken night thinking about two people that you don't even know... or more... who have lost their lives due to your selfishness." His lip twitched slightly in contempt... but it wasn't for the boy in front of him, not even a little bit, it was all hatred toward himself. "To know that you've caused more tears... more sorrow... than you have smiles or gazes of hope. People who look at Kazaro? They see a leader... They see hope. People who look at you? They see a party - a way to escape from the horrible reality of this place. They look at... at Alphard, or Jason, or Kimi, or Sasayaku... And they see... something. They see a person. I've become nothing to the people of this world. They don't see a murderer. But I do. They don't need to see it because they see a greedy, self-righteous know-it-all with no sense of limitation." Nero's voice was void of emotion, despite the very occasional stutter or glance away. "So I have one question for you, Suto..."

The boy took a single, solitary step back, his brow furrowed deeply over his tired eyes. "What do you see... when you look at me?"

All of them had suffered upon the loss of their friends. Yari, Kenshin, both of them had left holes in their hearts that had only begun to seal. Suto had never thought for a moment Nero had been so deeply effected though, not to the point of becoming invalid in battle. To see his superior like that, completely submissive and ready to die, it was... Unsettling. In away, he reflected, it didn't make sense. Nero had no real personal relationship to either of them, certainly not to the degree Suto and Fitch had to Yari, or Alphard to Kenshin. And yet, when it came time to trade blows he was the only one who couldn't muster the courage to do so. Why was that? What about their deaths had managed to affect this other boy so badly that he just crumpled? Suto didn't know what to do to help, nor had he felt the desire to be compassionate as of late, yet seeing Nero in such a sorry state he had to try something. Going to join his superior he knelt down before Nero, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder and offering what few words of condolences that he could muster. What little meaning they must have, words were hollow and worthless at the end of the day, but he had to at least try.

Whatever his reasons for blaming himself it had to be made clear that Nero couldn't do that. None of this was his fault, to say it was also put the blame on every other person who was there that day. None of them could have prevented it, they couldn't fight against a crooked game like this. That didn't stop Nero however, and the venomous tone that he took with Suto made the younger boy back off slightly, shocked by the response he had gotten. Why... Why was he so set on blaming himself? Their deaths, Yari and Kenshin, they were unavoidable. Seeing Nero so distraught over it only made Suto feel infinitely worse, both for himself and for his friend. Maybe... The others could have been saved, and no one would be suffering now. Or... If someone else had died in their stead. If he had been quicker, maybe he could have thrown Yari out of the way. Then she would be here, and so would Fitch. Yari could have saved Kenshin easily, the only one that would be gone was... No, he couldn't think like that. Those lines of thought were precisely what put Nero in this dark place he was now lost in, he couldn't let himself slip like that. If anything he had to try and be positive, or at the very least attempt to change the other boy's outlook. If Nero continued on this path, Suto thought, then it could only end badly for him.

Not... Their friend? For some reason that comment bit, harder than any blade ever could. Sure, he and Nero hadn't always been exactly close, but he liked to think them friends. In a world like this where faces could come and go in the blink of an eye it was hard to become attached to anyone. With how much time they had spent together though, both as fellow KoB members and just in parties prior he thought they had developed some semblance of friendship. To hear otherwise, that hurt. Lowering his head Suto closed his eyes somberly, biting his lower lip as he felt himself trembling. Anger, sadness, the two emotions were clashing together like massive waves, his insides in turmoil right now. "I'm not going to say I forgive you, don't worry..." he replied, his tone barely above a whisper, "Because there's nothing to forgive!" Suto lifted his head back up, looking at Nero through a blurry gaze as tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. "Don't you get it? None of us blame you for what happened. It was the game that killed Yari, and it was the game that killed Kenshin! None of us could have stopped that! So if you are to blame then so are we, because we didn't do anything to stop it either!"

Suto was again stricken with silence as Nero went on, very determined to putt he blame on himself. No, it was all wrong, none of this was Nero's fault. He hadn't drawn weapons against them, he had no part in making this game. Sure, perhaps he was a bit too focused on making a profit, but Suto knew this boy well enough. No way in hell would Nero have willingly let someone else die to make money, he wasn't that sort of person. To suggest otherwise, well it was akin to blasphemy. Strongly as he may feel about it Suto wasn't sure what could be said, if anything, to make this right. These feelings, it had been so long since Yari and Kenshin were taken from them, so they had been festering for some time now. Nothing that he could say would immediately fix it, he knew that. Having to listen to this, to Nero talking of himself as nothing more than scum, it was sickening. The real people who were like that existed and his superior wasn't one of them. The bastard who took Fitch away, those who killed for personal gain, those were the real monsters. Nero was a good guy, otherwise they wouldn't all be associating with him. If only he could see that for himself, maybe he wouldn't feel so negatively. When addressed directly Suto lifted his head again, his own eyes meeting Nero's as he too rose to his feet. What did he see...?

"A sad, scared boy..." Suto answered, frowning as he spoke. His body gained a bit of slack as his shoulders sagged, his eyes dropping to the floor between himself and Nero somberly. "I see someone who's been trying to be brave, and now its finally all come crashing down on you. And... You don't know how to handle it... You're afraid, and you feel guilty... It's the same way I am..." He had always hid behind parties and other events, anything to numb the pain that this world brought. Before and after the deaths of their friends he always put up a wall or a fake smile on, anything to reassure those around him. While the agony of loss was slowly subsiding there were still those pangs, and the constant 'what-ifs' that raced through his mind. Feeling a few tears slipping out of his eyes Suto shook his head, sniffling before looking back up at Nero. "You have to understand, it's NOT your fault! I knew Yari better than anyone here, and she wouldn't be blaming you for what happened! She was never the kind of person to hold a grudge, not unless you hurt one of her friends! And... You never hurt any of us Nero! Hell, you've helped us more times than I can count! She's not blaming you, I'm not blaming you, and I'm sure no one else is either!"

Emotion had boiled over and Suto found himself yelling, probably drawing the attention of those around him. He couldn't let someone else slip away though, not while he was there to help it. Nero wasn't his closest friend but he meant something, and that was worth trying to fight for. Even Kazaro, much as he may not like the guy, would have Suto's support in the thick of it. Sniffling again the younger boy raised an arm, wiping his face on his sleeve to dry away some tears. "I'm not going to let any more of my friends die, or be hurt. I swore that after Yari died, but I let Kenshin go too. Well not anymore, I'll do everything in my power to keep the people I care about safe! And that includes you, Nero!" Clenching his hands into fists Suto marched over to the other boy, reaching out and grabbing a fistful of his shirt. Since he was a bit smaller than Nero he pulled his superior down slightly, staring up at him with watery eyes. "So get this idea out of your head that you're the reason they're dead! Or that you deserve to die, got it? Because none of it is due to you, and... And they were your friends too! Do you think they'd want you to just throw yourself away, after everything we've been through? How is that honoring them?"

Jason had had enough. He squeezed Alphard closely once more and whispered to her that he would be back in just a moment. The tall warrior then strode purposefully over to Suto and Nero. The two boys were standing scant inches apart, practically screaming at each other in pain and desperation. Jason stepped up to them, grabbed them firmly by the scruff of their shirts and slammed their heads together forcefully. They fell away, and Jason towered over them like a vengeful god. He glared down at the two friends and fairly snarled at them “get up, you sons of bitches.”

Without waiting for them to comply, Jason went on in the same harsh tone. “I don’t know how either of you think you can got off saying things like that, but it was uncalled for from each of you. Someone has to set you straight and I gladly accept that position.” First, he set his glare on Nero. “You are completely out of line, asshole. So out of line, I don’t even know where to start with you,” he growled. “No you very well can’t blame yourself. The deaths of your two friends were brutal and horrifying. But they were also accidents. According to what I have learned from Alphard, Yari was killed by a Boss. No one goes up against a Boss unprepared to sacrifice their lives so that others might live. And Yari sounds like she was a truly fantastic person. If whatever I’ve heard is even close to being correct, then Yari was exactly the kind of person that went into each fight ready to die to defend her comrades. Now Kenshin? He was killed by a sick twist of fate or the most sadistic monster programming ever.”

Jason paused for breath, then went on. “Additionally, who the hell do you think you are telling your comrades that you aren’t really their friend? I understand if you don’t consider me a friend, you don’t know me. But these people have fought beside you for longer than any of us care to admit and you just cast them aside at a moment’s notice because you decide to pitch a bitch-fit? NO. The only reason you are alive right now is because they defended you in the fight that just happened. You whimped out, and they saved your ass. Get over yourself and thank them.” As an afterthought Jason added, “And if they weren’t really your friends, why do you feel guilt over the deaths of Kenshin and Yari? Finally, what do I see when I look at you?” Jason put his face centimeters from Nero’s and stared him right in the eye. “I see a scared boy carrying the weight of the world on his back and pushing the friends that seek to help away because he thinks it makes him a man.” He paused to let that sink in. “A real man would know when to go to others for help.”

Next, Jason turned his furious glare towards Suto. “And you. Really? You see your friend hurting and you try to help him. Good, it’s what he needed. And you brought up very valid points. But then you had to try to go all pity party with him too! ‘I’m not strong enough. I’ll get stronger and not let anyone else die.’ Bullshit. Getting stronger may help to save some, but you’re not going to be able to save all of them. More people will die, and it’s highly likely that some of them will be your friends. It’s sad, yes, but it’s LIFE! That would happen even if you weren’t in this game. People die! If you can’t get over that, then something’s seriously wrong with you. You can’t save everyone, I can’t, Alphard can’t. No one can. We can make it as safe as possible, but never promise to save everyone. It’s an unattainable goal.”

Jason stepped back and looked at the two men in front of him. “Neither of you are responsible for the deaths of anyone lest they be at your hand. There is only one person responsible for the deaths that have happened so far. Kayaba Akihiko. He is to fault, ono one else.” A breath, to compose himself, and Jason concluded his rant. “Now, let’s do as Alphard suggested and finish this quest. Then we can all go our separate ways and forget all about each other if that’s what you so desire.”

Scared...

Afraid...

The words rang in his head over... and over... He stared at Suto in shock. He pressed his index finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. He wasn't afraid of anything... There was nothing to be afraid of - he wielded nearly every ounce of power that was possible in Aincrad. He had the wealth, the rank, the guild, the gear, the levels... What was there to frighten him? Red eyes flashed into his vision behind his eyelids, growling and snarling in his mind. It had no form, this cretin of the subconscious and yet it held every form. It was all the Yaris, Kenshins, Fitches, Sutos, and Alphards of the world. It was an embodiment of white lies gone wrong, a projection of arrogance and pride, of avarice and greed. The face staring back at him was himself, ready to do whatever it takes to get ahead. It was prepared to lose others for the sake of a weapon that would only last for five or six floors. He opened his eyes breathlessly, only to see Suto grasping his coat in tears and fiery passion. Nero couldn't remember the last time he felt so strongly about something, the last time he was so sure of anything as Suto was about this.

The next thing he knew, he was reeling back from the force of having his forehead smashed into Suto's. At first, he thought that the boy had struck him, and then he saw Jason standing there above them. The boy didn't respond with epiphany or the realization that they were being ludicrous. Then the word struck again. Fear... But what did they think he was afraid of? His teeth ground together, "I didn't as-" He started, rising to his feet until his collar was yanked back slightly. Kazaro strode past, silently announcing his involvement.

"Stop. There's a time and place," He said calmly, "All three of you."

"But, si-" Nero started before being silenced by his superior.

Kazaro's blade was confidently sheathed at his hip as he stared directly at Jason just as he had finished his piece, "I suggest you not speak to my men as though they are children. We've all been here for a long time and age has very little to do with how we've all been affected. I wager that few, if any, of the people here were able to cope with it properly. By laying blame on Kayaba, you find the easiest way to shrug off your own guilt. He may have trapped us here, but the dangers and deaths... those aren't him. Those deaths go to the people tackling obstacles far too big for themselves or their groups. That guilt does rest on our shoulders. A PK'ing guild doesn't say ridiculous things like 'it's Kayaba's fault that we kill people.' Taking responsibility for something is different from blaming yourself," he said flatly.

Nero couldn't help but think of the story that Kazaro had told him about his first day in Aincrad... He's had to live with that burden since they got here... But he couldn't have possibly known what would happen from that duel, so did that make it harder for him or easier to keep moving?

"I will keep my men under control, you worry about yourself, Jason," Kazaro didn't raise his voice or speak pointedly, not an ounce of anger or disrespect came from him. "We'll all work better if we keep to our pairs and keep an eye on one another's backs. If any of you want to address this subject, you can do it when we're in a safe zone, or you can all split up, I don't really care."

His eyes moved to Nero, then to Suto, "You two will be fine - stand up, brush yourselves off, and get yourselves ready. This fight's gonna be big for just the six of us."

Kimi had remained silent through the entire altercation, striding to Alphard as soon as Jason walked away. The girl was so much taller and armour-clad than she seemed from the air, as Kimi had often seen her since the start of the fight(s). However, now that she was up close and they were standing still, she was just massive compared to the young teen. However, she didn't back down at all, holding her back erect and respectable, clearing her throat to gain Alphard's attention. "Lady Alphard," She started, choosing a fitting honorific for her - the people of Aincrad who knew of her would often refer to her by the knightly title. "I was hoping you would allow me to join you and Jason come the end of the next fight, officially. I know you don't know me well, but I wanted t o start working my way into a more proactive role for the people of Aincrad and I think that the best avenue would be through your team," She finished, her hands clasped behind her back in a reserved, but confident stance.

Suto found himself being torn up over Nero's self-condemnation, perhaps more than he ought to have been. They were alike, him and Nero, both carried that guilt of their friend's deaths. Only recently however had he managed to tell himself he wasn't wholly to blame, that other things had been at work that day. It could have ended differently, or maybe not, it was impossible to know. Berating themselves now and trying to throw their lives away wasn't going to do anyone any good. It wasn't honoring their friends, or the commitments they made to finish this game. And it sure as hell wasn't helping all the other players rooting for and counting on the Clearers. They had a duty not only to themselves but to all of AIncrad to succeed, there wasn't time for self-loathing. Nero had to see this, he had to understand they were not to blame. It was like talking to a brick wall though, Suto felt nothing he was saying got through. Frustration turned into desperation as he made a tearful statement, desperate to prevent a friend from being lost due to grief. In the midst of their exchange that meddlesome American, Jason, opted to intervene. And he did so in such a way that only served to aggravate Suto, not what he needed.

Suto so readily wanted to tell off Jason for what he had said. To snap and tell him that he would protect his friends at any cost and no one else would be lost. It wasn't an unattainable goal to him, quite the contrary. Before he could get so much as a word out however Kazaro intervened, trying to settle the arguments between the three of them. He wasn't going to snap at his superior for getting involved, not like he had wanted to do with Jason. Suto simply had lost his fire after a moment, feeling tired and just emotionally raw right now. Letting Kazaro speak with Jason he took a moment to settle down, sniffling and wiping his face dry with the back of his arm. He was going to protect them all, every single person that he could. He knew he couldn't save every single soul, but he could save those who were dear to him, even at the cost of his own life if need be. Once his superior had finished his lecture with Jason it looked like the group was going to get back on the move, to the boss of the tower. After something as unnerving as this Suto couldn't say he was particularly looking forward to the battle, but he wasn't going to turn around either. They had come here to clear the place and they were going to do that, like it or not.

Right, it was time to suck it up and get moving. They could be miserable later, there was a job at hand to take care of. Nodding in silent agreement, Suto stepped away from the group, bringing up his menu and checking his gear. Everything looked to be just fine, he would be okay for this battle. He still had a health crystal if need be, and their teleportation crystals as well. Hopefully they wouldn't need the latter, these were best saved for a dire situation after all. After making doubly sure everything was in order he sighed, running a hand through his hair tiredly. Just a few more rooms, then they would be there. By then he hoped everyone would have calmed down, they would really need to focus for this fight. If they made even a single mistake it could be quite costly for them. As Kazaro pointed out they were already in a precarious position because of their group size, they hardly had the recommended party for taking on the quest. This group was anything but regular however, it was comprised of some of Aincrad's best players. Hopefully then what they lacked in quantity they could make up for in quality.

Back in town, Doku was feeling quite pleased with himself. Another job well done, and a handsome profit to boot. Far as Fitch was concerned they had collected a bounty on some wanted PK'ers, and as such took his share of the coin without question. Ignorance is bliss, as they say. If they could keep Fitch in the dark long enough they could thoroughly corrupt him, and then they would at last share the true purpose of their guild. All in due time however, hastiness would only complicate their plans. And besides, there were things to do now other than go over guild particulars, like spending their hard earned money. Both himself and Fitch now had a sizable amount of spending Col, and a plenty busy town to do it in. Of course they would need to fly under the radar a bit due to their nature as players, but Doku knew plenty of stores where they could get their hands on some good gear and items. Smirking beneath his hood the older boy pocketed his money, glancing over at Fitch.

"Excellent job today, by the way. For your first assignment you did very well." Butter the kid up and he'd come to love doing this, it was almost made Doku feel guilty. Almost. "Like I said earlier, you've got some things to perfect, but I feel like you'll make an excellent bounty hunter. And the more of those scum we kill the safer this game becomes for everyone else. Just think about it, Fitch. Aincrad could become a game free of PKers. Then players can focus on clearing the game and not having to watch their backs all the time." Certainly a noble, if not hollow dream. Whatever it took to gain Fitch's allegiance though. Slowing his pace down slightly, Doku reached over, placing a hand on the other boy's shoulder as he gestured ahead to a tavern. "What do you think? Let's get us something to drink as celebration, my treat. Then we can spend the rest of the day lazing about."

Jason took Kazaro’s chastisement calmly and silently. The man had a valid point, Jason really didn’t have any sway over Nero and Suto. It wasn’t his place to interfere in their squabble, and was rightly called out for it. Jason felt a small surge of anger when Kazaro ridiculed his blame of Kayaba for all the deaths, but he shoved it down and focused on the task at hand. He had said his peace, now they could all get on with clearing this Tower. Jason nodded his acceptance with what Kazaro had said and moved over to join his Lady for the final floor. As he strode over he saw that she was already busy talking with Kimi and stopped short so he could listen in.

Alphard had turned when she heard her name and found Kimi standing before her, back straight and confident. Damn, she thought, this girl’s got guts. Here we are, complaining about ourselves, when this little kid is right out there with us, kicking ass just as well as any of the rest of us. “What’s up, Kimi,” Alphard asked, resting her armored forearms on her tower shield. Kimi gave her request, never faltering once, and then fell silent. Alphard could tell that she was clearly expecting a response immediately, but the tall girl truly didn’t know what to say. She let out a gusty sigh. Well, I guess the truth will just have to do…

“Well Kimi- may I call you Kimi?- you’ve caught me rather unawares by your request, I’ll admit. But it just so happens that what you are asking is also pretty relevant right now. You see, Jason and I were just talking about whether or not we could have more people join us before entering this Tower. He and I are approaching the limit of what we can do alone, so accepting another team member would be rather prudent. The issue, however, is the danger that we would be putting a new teammate in.” Before Kimi could object, Alphard charged on, “Now I know that you can handle yourself, you are a clearer after all, but Jason and I have been- and will continue- taking many of the hardest missions of each levels first. And we usually do it alone. There is no support for us; if we get overwhelmed in the field, there’s no second wave ready to rush in and save us. There’s no one watching our backs but each other. One mistake and we die.”

Alphard shuddered. “It’s a pretty intense way to play this game, but it’s all I know, and Jason agrees with my methods.” She looked deep into Kimi’s determined eyes and sighed. “If all that sounds alright with you, then fight alongside us here in the Boss Fight. If we feel that you can handle the stress we’ll put on you, then you can come with us to go talk to, uhhh, Kazuma! Yeah, that was his name… he’s another person seeking admittance to our little group. My information broker made talking to him the price for info on this place, so we at least have to give him a chance. You will both be tested in a little underground training area Jason and I set up back on 27 and, if you pass, you can come along with us in the future. If not… I’m sure any other sane team would accept you in a moment.” With that, Alphard tugged her helmet on over her long silver hair and walked away.

Once she was out of earshot, Jason paced over to Kimi and clapped her on the back, saying, “Welcome to the team, I’m sure you’ll do fine”

The girl took the answer in stride, "No need to worry. I've been watching my own back for months with little, if any, assistance," she replied confidently. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, her entire being tensing for a moment as a hand met her back. Touching, touching, touching, touching, her brain screamed in paranoia and discomfort. It took her no more than a quick moment to realize and fix her reaction. She looked up at Jason and nodded, "Thanks - if not, I'll just have to find somebody else," She said, waving her hand in dismissal. She wasn't quite so lax as she let on, but if she showed any desire or vulnerability, it could be consequential.

Nero had kept his gaze firmly on the ground, taking a few long breaths. When he finally looked back up, his eyes looked almost normal again and his expression was nearly deadpan. Jason walked away, Suto was recovering, and he felt a hand tug him away from the two other guys. Kimi crossed her arms and looked up at him, "Get your crap together and put your game face on," Her voice was low and firm.

"I am, now leave me alone," He snapped at the small girl, causing her to physically wince and step back.

She hesitated before recollecting herself, giving him a small nod, and walking away in silence, rejoining Suto. "Ready for this?"

---

Kazaro decided to take the lead throughout the rest of the floor, though it seemed that both he and Alphard were vying for the space at the head of the party. It didn't really bother him much... At least, not that it showed. It was very subtle, but he was take just one stride a little bit longer at a time until he was rather clearly at the helm. The unconscious power struggle was of little importance, of course, as everybody split off into pairs for the fighting. Finally, they came to the door for the very top of the tower and everybody began sifting through their inventories for preparation. Kimi took a seat against a pillar near Suto, closing her eyes in relaxation, keeping one of them very slightly open, watching Suto.

Nero was double checking the durability of his equipment and Kazaro was watching everybody in the party, waiting for them all to be ready to proceed.

What a drama club this whole day was turning into. Suto just wanted to be done with this place and leave already, fighting your dead friends really took it out of you. While he was still not fond of Kazaro he was grateful his superior had broken their bickering up, that wasn't conducive in the slightest. Goodness knows they had enough to deal with right now without being at one another's throats. Besides, this dungeon wasn't going to clear itself. Whether they liked one another or not right now they had to see this through, otherwise it was a wasted effort. And after being taunted by the game with the visuals of Yari and Kenshin there was no way in hell Suto would leave without clearing the place. Right, time to get moving then. With Nero's panic attack over they would hopefully have their heads in the game, no pun intended. Since it would only get tougher from hereon out they really needed to do their best. Beginning to walk off once more, Suto paused when Kimi came over to join him. Right, he'd forgotten they were working together. Smiling sheepishly at almost leaving her he nodded his head, "Uh, yeah! I'm always ready, you can count on that."

---

Ready for what, exactly? Walking? Suto was prepared for more fighting, he wanted to do something that would keep his hands, and mind, preoccupied. Seeing Yari again in any shape or form had brought about all sorts of nasty thoughts, none of which he wanted right now. The fights were far and few between unfortunately, and compared to the surprise earlier they were quite easy. To preoccupy himself Suto began reciting what little English he had learned in school, hoping for anything to keep him busy. After so long he remembered just a tiny bit, barely enough to converse with Jason if need be. Once they cleared this game they were going to have to go back to school, and he'd have to restart his English classes. Maybe a lot of the classes for that matter, not something he was looking forward to. Hm, maybe being stuck in the game wasn't half bad after all!

The ascension to the top went by quickly, and in no time at all they stood at the precipice of the boss room. As usual it was signified by grandiose doors and just an air about it that warned of danger ahead. Rushing in would be reckless of course, so as a habit everyone took a moment's reprieve, going through their items meticulously. With the exception of Suto, he had done that mostly while they walked between encounters. Now he had nothing to do while they waited, he was just a boy alone with his thoughts. Alone if you disregarded the others in the room, anyways. Where his mind was right now he certainly felt alone in spite of Kimi being nearly within arms reach of him. All of these dungeons that they were tackling, everyone had their own reasons for undertaking them. Nero enjoyed loot, Kimi probably wanted the experience and perhaps loot as well. He didn't quite know Jason or Alphard's reasoning, and Kazaro was here just as a formality as far as Suto was concerned. For himself there was only one reason that he was doing all of this. The KoB, training excessively, it was all done for one single purpose, with one goal in mind. Fitch.

Just what was his friend doing right now, he wondered? Suto dreaded to imagine it, especially because of who Fitch had wandered off with. Doku... That name was like a curse to him, he loathed the man even if he had never really met him. From what the others told him of Doku though his hate was perfectly justified, even if one of his friends hadn't been stolen away from the guy. He seriously doubted Fitch would be killing other players, it just wasn't in him. Sure he had fallen on some hard times since Yari's death, but becoming a player killer was extreme. He might not be an exemplary player any longer, but to think that Fitch would be counted among those scum was just farfetched. All of this work he was putting in now, it was going to pay off someday. The power and influence he was gaining, he'd use it to try and bring back his friend. Come hell or high water he'd do it, even if he had to beat Fitch down and drag him back. Sighing somberly Suto laid his head back against the pillar, glancing up at the cavernous ceiling. "Where are you Fitch...?" he mumbled, lowering his gaze, "What are you thinking about right now...?"

Feeling someone watching him, Suto turned his head slightly, managing to just catch Kimi gazing at him. He was fairly perceptive, she wasn't going to get by him doing that. Well, she probably had been doing it for a while, he just hadn't been paying attention. Smiling slightly he reached out, snapping his fingers in her face playfully. "What are you staring at, huh?"

This was it. The moment of truth. They were on the precipice, staring into the abyss. Quite literally, perhaps. The small party stood just outside the door that would lead them to the Boss’ chamber. The double doors were comprised of two massive blocks of sandstone, each easily weighing in at several tonnes. Scrawled across the doors were more pictographs like those found on the walls in each of the passages leading here. The carvings depicted some sort of massive worm in a barren landscape. Laying around the worm and under its astounding girth were the scattered corpses of armored, weapon-bearing men and women. The human figures lay broken, limbs twisted into grotesque positions. In the flickering lights of four torches flanking the doors, the images seemed to crawl and move across the rough sandstone into which they were carved.

Jason ran his fingers over the carvings and let a grim grin split his face. Glancing at Alphard, he rapped the doors lightly with his hammer, “They’re gonna hafta change the decorations here after we’re through with this place. I wonder if we can find someone with a high enough Masonry Skill to put our pictures up here with chopped up worm in the background.” No one laughed. Even Jason knew it was a weak joke, but he had to try to alleviate the dark mood in the room. The Tower of Lingering Regrets had been getting to them all. Surveying the somber looks of his teammates, Jason sighed and checked his inventory, making sure that his two health crystals and his multitudinal health potions were still prepped and ready within easy access. Then, without looking back to his team, he set the top of his hammer against the massive sandstone doors and pushed.

The doors led to what must have been the roof of the Tower. The area was vast and open to the sky, allowing the dark desert sun to beat down on what appeared to be a coliseum. In the center of the coliseum lay a stretch of sand nearly one hundred meters in diameter. Spaced evenly about the sand were tall stone pillars dangling blackened and rusted chains. Ringing the sand was five or six tiers of rough-cut stone seating. Alphard charged out onto the sand shield first, blade raised high. Jason bounded out behind her, using his superior speed and agility to spring up one of the pillars. He clung to the chains hanging from the pillar and drew his hammer. The two warriors glanced around, searching for the Boss and found… nothing. Jason slowly made his way down the chains, landing softly beside his Lady and she lowered her guard for just a moment. In just that moment, a ripple ran through the sand and three meters of Boss rose up in a geyser of silicon, throwing Jason and Alphard into the air. The monster was indeed the sand worm from the hieroglyphs on the doors. The worm was colored a sandy dun and what was visible aboveground seemed to be approximately one fifth of the overall beast. Alphard had time only to wonder how the worm had stayed concealed before she crashed hard to earth. The worm towered above her, preparing to devour her whole and Alphard thought, is this the end?. She prayed that her teammates would reach her before it was too late.

Why was Suto so hung up on this kid? Whoever he was, he must have done something moronic, otherwise he'd be here with people who cared about him so much. The girl snapped from her reverie when Suto clicked his finger in front of her face. Her relaxed state tensed instantly, a glare replacing the lackadaisical gaze. "Force of habit. If I'm paired with somebody it's usually because they need their slack picked up - I was just making sure you didn't get distracted by a shiny and go running off like a child," She replied with ice in her voice.

The young girl rose to her feet as she noticed Jason beginning to open the door, "Come on." She said, beckoning for the Suto as she drew her rapier and began heading for the threshold.

---

The entire party was on-edge as they opened the doors, Kimi had to squint and use her hand as a visor for a moment. They were on the roof? What was the point of all of that? She sighed and slashed the air, "Dammit - what kind of bullshit goose chase was that?" She asked as she saw Jason and Alphard heading into the open. Something trembled and she saw it before the others - her Searching skill was likely one of the highest here. Nero was likely only a moment behind her, but it was a critical moment. "Alphard, move!" She cried out, launching herself for Jason's first vantage point, taking hold of the chains. Even from up here, it was impossible to tell exactly how the worm had hidden beneath the floor of the roof - it must have been in the programming of the surface here. A bit illogical, but inconsistencies had to exist sometimes... The young girl saw Alphard hit the ground and her rapier flashed a bright pink as she launched herself acrobatically from it, speeding like a cruise missile. <<Shooting Star>> was a Sword Skill she'd acquired only the other day, but she had been using it often - the speed it gave her was phenomenal. As her fine blade sunk into the flesh of the beast, the worm recoiled, taking the girl's momentum from an angle and having to reel back. However, it was also a sturdy monster, having such a solid center of gravity and massive weight. However, one could only hope that the surprise attack was the most dangerous part of the beast...

Nero saw Alphard get thrown to the floor and somehow Kimi was already responding. He looked over to one of his only "friends" in the world and called out, "Suto! On me!" He brandished his blade - somebody had to block for the other boy and Kazaro never really needed a partner. The silver-haired baron readied tipped his hat cockily and readied his sword, sprinting for Jason, who was likely already on his way for Alphard. They needed to group up - they didn't have much in the way of defense, but they could all fend and typically dodge for themselves. Alphard was the exception.

Finally, as Kimi yanked her blade from the flesh of the sand worm, she gave it a good hack before using it as a springboard. The monster was recovering and when it readied itself again, the small girl was already on the ground beside the rest of the party. A gut-wrenching scream tore through the air as the worm let out its cry.

Just what in the world was Kimi staring at? Maybe she had that thousand yard stare people sometimes got, Suto had seen a few other players get it after a traumatic experience. Though nothing recently had been even remotely traumatizing, maybe she was just zoning out. Smiling he stuck a hand in her face, snapping his fingers to try and rouse her back to reality. It worked, and she was all moody with him when she looked over. "I don't have any slack Kimi, sorry to disappoint you. No guarantees on the shiny things though, I really do like them." he replied teasingly, giving a cheeky grin. All business, she really should lighten up a bit and enjoy herself. The sound of creaking doors drew both their attention elsewhere, and after watching Jason open the way to the next area he glanced back at Kimi. "Yes boss, on my way!" he chimed, folding his hands behind his head and strolling after her. If she couldn't handle that then she was going to be in for a real fun time with him. Now that things were back to a sense of normalcy he could really relax and goof off a bit, and by the looks of things it would only annoy her.

---

Hm... Who would have thought that there would be a giant sand pit so far above the ground? Aincrad really had this weird thing for towers, this final room just didn't make an ounce of sense. This had to be the boss room, everything pointed out that it would be, yet there was no boss. Nothing really but sand, pillars and chains. Maybe someone had beat them to it and it hadn't respawned yet, that would be a real pain. As Alphard and Jason went on ahead he paused at the entryway, giving his head a scratching as he looked around. Hopefully the boss was here somewhere, it would be such a letdown if they came all this way for nothing. Experience told Suto that their enemy was here, just not in plain view. Often times the boss was concealed, something had to be triggered in order to make it appear. Whether that was entering the room, finding a switch or triggering some event he didn't know, but there must be some trick to it. Frowning he put his hands on his hips, walking towards the coliseum while staring down at the floor. With a building that large it might take some time to figure this one out. Or maybe they just had to enter the sand pits, who knows. No sooner had he finished that thought did he notice a faint trembling sound, noting that some of the pebbles on the ground began bouncing. Furrowing his brow in confusion Suto lifted his head, eyes widening and jaw slacking just in time as he saw a massive worm erupt from the ground, sending both Alphard and Jason flying away.

Welp, they found the boss! And it was kind of big! Far as he was there was little that Suto could do immediately, which was bad considering the position his friends were in. Thankfully the others were much closer, and Kimi was quick enough to save Alphard from an untimely demise. Man, exactly the kind of enemy he had no desire facing. It wasn't that the size of the beast intimidated Suto, or he was afraid of worms, nothing remotely like that. His battle style revolved around speed, quick hits and small, bursty stuns. He wasn't so sure any of that would work against something like this. Sure he could pound away all day, but was it going to do anything? He didn't have much time to debate that as he was called by Nero, being made to join the other boy. Now that the battle was beginning they had to pair up, and he certainly didn't mind fighting alongside Nero. Nodding his head he tightened his hands into fists, his combat gloves appearing on his hands with a blue flash. A neat trick he'd learned, it was really quite simple, just making a sort of shortcut to equip his weapons. With himself being armed he hurried in after Nero, joining up with the others in the sand. Up close the worm was even bigger than it appeared initially, and it was massive before. Staring up as it let out an earth-shattering roar Suto smiled sheepishly, "Uh... So how do we wanna do this?"

Alphard covered herself with her chitin shield and braced for impact. Instead of eating her, the worm reared up and sought to crush her under its enormous girth. The monster’s body crashed down on Alphard and she felt her shield let loose an ominous groan. Without warning, the shield’s durability gave out and shattered into billions of shining shards. In the split second between the shield giving away and the Boss crushing Alphard, Kimi sprang in and sunk her rapier into the beast repeatedly. The worm reared back in an attempt to shake the girl loose and Alphard rolled out from under it. Escaping backwards, Alphard quickly drank a health potion, her last one.

As Alphard recovered from her ordeal, Jason sprang in to assist Kimi. He leapt far into the air and unleashed a special Sword Art uniquely designed to be used during a jump. <Defiler> began to glow with a shining blue light as <Orbital Drop> activated. The blow smashed deeply onto the crown of the worm’s head. Jason was rewarded with watching a full eighth of its health drop. The second step of the art was a short leap backwards. Jason’s enhanced mobility turned this hop into a great leap that ate up distance like a hungry teen. The unfortunate side effect of this Sword Art was that it had an obscenely long cooldown time. Jason was frozen in place and would be for fifteen more seconds.

Alphard then took her turn in covering her teammate. She charged the Boss’ flank, sinking her scythe deep into the monster’s side. She then ran up towards its maw, drawing the blade along with her. The resulting gash was wide, but it seemed to barely do any damage. In light of this, Alphard brought out her javelin and used a recently acquired Art, <Greater Thrown Weapon> the lance flew true and buried itself completely into the wound she had just made. well, that’s one javelin I won’t be getting back she thought. At precisely that moment, Suto and Nero arrived to offer their support. “Hey boys, welcome to the fight! Took you long enough, though!”

"We'd have been here sooner, but we're not really partial to being crushed - no shields!" He reminded her teasingly before looking to Suto, "Get ready, I'm going first," He said holding his sword behind him as it flashed blue. A moment later, he was behind the worm, a large gash appearing around its side as he kicked off his own fight with his signature <<Sonic Leap>>. Kazaro was shortly behind, following Alphard's strike with his own skill, <<Ukifune>>. On smaller monsters, it usually threw them up into the air with its power, but Kazaro modified his body's positioning for such a large beast so that the attack actually copied Alphard's. The blade sunk into the monster's skin and as he ripped his sword upward, he leapt and the mark in the beast's body overlapped the one left behind by the scythe user. As Kazaro's feet struck the floor, he went rigid - something he avoided at all costs by linking his higher leveled attacks with very low ones in order to make the cooldown far shorter. Three seconds could be the difference between life and death, after all, but his health was good and there were more than enough of them to keep this thing on the defensive. In all honesty, Kazaro was wondering if the worm was a boss meant for a three or four person team, rather than seven.

Kimi, however, didn't like to waste a moment as she sprinted forward and kicked from the ground.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!" Kazaro yelled out in aggravation as the small girl's foot landed on his shoulder and thrust her higher into the air and delivered her <<Quadruple Pain>> attack. Work, work, work... she pleaded, but to no avail. As the final strike sunk into the beast's flesh, it didn't stun at all. Worse yet, her blade actually remained inside the beast as her cooldown started, leaving her stuck there for several seconds.

Nero hit the ground as he continued gliding forward from his previous attack, his feet pivoting as he slid, kicking up sand and dust. By the time Kimi finished her attack, he was fully recovered and sprinting at the monster again, this time using <<Fell Crescent>> to close a smaller gap with a higher jump, his blade tracing the beast's back. As he kicked back and away to keep himself safe during cooldown, he seemed to be getting his spirit back, "This is way easier than it should be!" He called out, part of him relieved and another part feeling cautious. He lost focus for a short second and, as he fell to the ground, his knees buckled and sent him rolling onto his back with an "oof!"

"I'm alright!" He called out, glad that he hadn't lost the grip on his sword with a small laugh - he rarely fell down, but sometimes a miscalculation could mean everything.

"Idiot!" Kazaro shouted at him, as he regained body control and sprinted for Nero, grabbing the boy's shirt and lifting him back onto his feet, "Don't joke around during a fight like this."

"Whoa, lay off, Kaza-"

"Vice Commander Kazaro," The older man spat, still gripping Nero, "You're going to get yourself killed." The venom in his voice was clear as he let go of the younger boy and slashed the empty air next to him in frustration before turning around and closing the small distance between himself and the worm to beginning linking his lower level strikes into its base again.

Nero furrowed his brow in agitation, The hell was that about...?"

Suto was all ready to fight, the only thing was he hadn't a clue how he was going to go about it. Most enemies up to this point weren't quite as large as the Sand Worm was, and even if they had been he was never quite a frontline fighter. Now he found himself facing off against a foe most likely immune to all of his status effects, meaning the best he could do was chip away at its health and avoid turning into a human pancake. If Nero wanted to take point and lead then by all means he could, he was better suited for that sort of thing anyways. The heavy hitters were the first to go in and he wasn't far behind, dashing along and leaving a slight blur in his wake. Being so light certainly had its bonuses, Suto could move about faster than the others and strike quicker, and that would prove handy in a battle like this. It stood to reason the boss would be slow and sluggish with its overwhelming size, so if he kept moving he could avoid taking a hit. Going off of Nero's initiation he pushed off the ground with one foot, getting a fair amount of air in his leap as he soared towards the worm. With a shout his opposite leg lit up in a blue glow, and his entire body spun around as the side of his leg slammed into the flesh of the boss, causing the spot he struck to cave in slightly. After dropping back onto the ground he vanished again, moving at such a speed that it was hard to follow him. He hadn't gone far, a few meters from his original spot from before. Bringing both arms back by his side at an angle he began throwing forward palm strikes, 32 in all as he batted away at the worm mercilessly. Bit by bit the boss' health was lowering, not substantially but most certainly gradually. If they kept this pattern going they should finish the battle soon.

Suto was too busy with his own assault to pick up on what was going on with Kazaro and Nero, more concerned with putting out damage as was his job. After he had gotten through the cycle of strikes he used one last skill, a simple, low level strike where his fingers elongated and he drove his arm forward like a sword, <<Embracer>> as it was called. A low level skill sure, but in the hands of a high-level Martial Artist it packed quite a punch. Dealing nearly the same damage he had through his 32-strike combo Suto finally peeled off of the boss, getting some space to let the others rotate in. It was only now that he noticed Kazaro and Nero had been bickering, and he picked up on something else as well. In almost a comical fashion he spotted Kimi simply hanging from the worm, her blade apparently imbedded so deeply in it that she couldn't pull it free. Unless the worm fell over on its side she should be safe, but he still couldn't well leave her there. Running back to the Worm he completely bypassed Kazaro and Nero, again making a leap into the air but this time going for Kimi, not the boss. Getting both arms around her he managed to yank both her and her blade free, holding her against himself as they fell to the ground. Since he'd gone in at an odd angle he couldn't properly catch himself and had to roll, still keeping a hold of her as they did until they finally came to a stop some feet away.

Suto was all sorts of disoriented from that, having a hard time telling which way was up right now. If there was a "Dizzy" status ailment he'd have that times ten right now. Finding himself staring up at the sky above he blinked a few times as his head settled, relieved that he hadn't accidentally hurt himself in that. Were you even able to hurt yourself that way? He wasn't too sure that it was even possible, which was nice. A fall like that in reality would lead to broken bones easily, but all it did here was make him feel sore. His chest sure was sore, more so than any other part of him, why was that? Groaning he lifted up his head, eyes widening slightly when he saw Kimi sitting on top of him. Unable to help himself his face heated up and he let out a gasp, lifting his hands awkwardly to move her but pausing as he didn't want to touch her and make her made. "K-Kimi, uh... You're kinda s-sitting on me!" Suto remarked, trying instead to push himself out from under his friend. Not far away he could hear their friend still fighting, and a loud roar from the boss was a hopeful sign they were making some progress. If he and Kimi got back into the fray they may be able to end this pretty quickly.

As Jason launched himself back into the fight, he glanced to the side and happened to catch a glimpse of Suto and Kimi’s ... predicament. He grinned and let out a deep belly laugh. Damn if he couldn’t see those two becoming a couple. Then again, Kimi always got strangely flustered whenever dealing with Nero. Ah well, he was probably looking too deep into it. He let out another deep laugh at his own stupidity and at the pure joy of combat. Charging the worm’s flank, next to Alphard, Jason lowered his shoulder and activated the Art <Bull Rush>. Impacting heavily, he actually managed to flinch the beast before flipping head over heels over it. Landing on its other side, Jason drove his feet into the worm and rocketed away.

He hit the ground running and, while passing hooked his fingers in Kimi’s armor, yanking her to her feet and skidding to a stop with her in his arms. “You alright, Kimi? Looks like you and Suto landed pretty hard there.”

At her nod, Jason smiled wolfishly and handed her a heath potion. “Here, take this, you might need it after what I’m planning is done. Think of this as a preliminary test to get onto Alphard’s team.” He winked slyly, “Have you ever heard of the Fastball Special?”

Alphard was standing directly in front of the worm, hacking away at its face and dragging its aggro back to her. As she landed the final hit of her Art, she had the satisfaction of seeing the Boss’ health finally drop into the red. Suddenly, it lunged forward and clamped its gaping maw down around her midsection. “Oh we’ll have none of that now, you slimy bastard!” she yelled, and brought her scythe down hard into its left eye. The beast screeched in pain and Alphard managed to wriggle free. Just as she regained her feet, Alphard saw a brilliant golden comet streak past her and imbed into the worm’s head. The comet resolved itself to be none other than an extremely shaken Kimi, coming off the cooldown from her Sword Art <Flashing Penetrator>. Kimi retreated back to Alphard and took a health potion, muttering under her breath the whole while. It seemed to Alphard that she was repeating the same sentence over and over again, “Never again, Jason, never again.” Alphard grinned, sure that Jason had just launched her off the head of his hammer with a devastating Sword Art. Possibly even <Gravity Crush>. She turned back to the Boss just in time to see Nero run in and cleanly bisect the worm with his crimson glowing blade. Finally, the fight was over, time to reap the rewards. Alphard waited for the victory screen and checked her loot to find a strange black gem labelled <Shadow Crystal>.

"Gyah!" Kimi cried out as something hit her from the side and threw her to the ground. Up became down, left turned to right, and the small girl's senses were were distorted by all three dimensions. Over and over... her body and... something else tumbled repeatedly. "Ugh..." She groaned, finally coming to a stop. Her cheek was pressed flat against something and as she opened her eyes, she saw her hand and wriggled her fingers. Okay, she was... conscious. She shook her head, pushing herself up with her hands slightly. "What?" The last thing she remembered, she was just about to unfreeze from using a sword skill and was going to retract her blade. So... What hit he-

She cried out in terror, "What are you doing lying under me?!" She shouted out, closing her fist and bringing it down on his chest. It looked like every ounce of blood in her veins had run directly to her face. "Are you some kind of... pervert?" The girl asked before looking down and seeing... Oh god, why was she straddling his upper abdomen? He'd tackled her off of the worm? What kind of idiot... "Baka!" She shouted before she was yanked off of the other boy by Jason. "J-Jason, what are you doi-" She was about to ask before having a potion thrust into her hands. She started to drink it, "Wait, what are you planning to..." An expression of pure horror came across her face, botching the pronunciation of Jason's suggestion with more vowels than it needed.

It was mere moments before she found out exactly what he meant. At the top of her lungs, she screamed out, activating a very extraordinary single-hit rapier sword skill <<Flashing Penatrator.>> "I'm going to kill every single guy in this damned room!!" Her voice rang throughout almost the entire desert as she flew directly through the worm. She came out the other end and landed on the other side of the mob, her feet slamming into the ground as they sent her sliding several metres forward until her momentum died. She slashed the air with her rapier and spun on her heel, preparing for the next attack. Nero was already on it however. He'd been waiting through the events of the last round, waiting for the very last second to release his <<Vorpal Strike.>> His blade had directly lined up into the beast's already cut-up midsection, slicing it cleanly in half with the skill extending the effective range of his blade.

As the monster disappeared, Nero noticed he had received an item labeled <<Ice Crystal.>> Curious object, that... He'd have to see if Yuna knew anything about it. He'd also been granted a bonus for getting the last hit on such a powerful opponent, it was just material for gear. More for Yuna to look at, he supposed. Kimi on the other hand, found something labeled <<Lightning Crystal>> in her loot rewards. Whatever it was, she assumed it was powerful. Once everything called down, Kimi sheathed her blade and clenched her fists, trembling slightly in humiliation.

She marched straight toward Suto, thrust a finger into his chest, and spoke loudly, "You! I was perfectly capable of handling myself up there. What the hell were you thinking, tackling me like that?! Not to mention that embarrassing position you put us in... Baka... I can take care of myself." She then turned her fiery gaze to Jason, "And you! Don't go smashing me with that hammer when we're not even in danger! The recklessness you practiced just there was... potentially fatal! Not to mention it was terrifying and unorthodox and absolutely insane!" She walked past him with dignity, sneering until she had moved beyond him by just a step. She cocked her head over her shoulder, "It was exhilarating... Don't do it again without some kind of planning first," She said quietly, placing her hands on her hips, a thumb hooked into her sheath's connection with her belt.

Nero, however, was looking to Kazaro as the virtual samurai sheathed his katana and observed his new <<Fire Crystal.>> What was with him? Why was he going so ballistic before? Of course, it was rare that Nero broke formation or screwed up, but he put his guard down for a moment... It was a dangerous thing to do, of course, but it wasn't something he would have let happen had he felt unsafe. Everything was fine when it happened, was Kazaro really just that obsessed with keeping things uniform?

Maybe Kimi was going to be perfectly fine, maybe there was no reason to pull a Superman and dive after her. Suto wasn't very keen on waiting to see if she was going to be alright, a bit paranoid maybe over past events to chance it. He saw nothing inherently wrong with what he was doing here, even if Kimi were to have been fine he wasn't really inconveniencing her in anyway, so it was alright for him to pull her away. Making a leap after the smaller girl he grabbed a hold of her, trying to position her in a way to keep her from getting hurt as they fell to the ground and tumbled, rolling away some few feet before coming to a stop. Ugh, tumbling like that really stunk and left him quite dizzy. For a moment Suto's head was spinning, he hadn't a clue where he was really. After the room finally stopped turning he found out he was on the ground with a bit of extra weight on him, something he hadn't a clue where it came from at first. When he lifted his head though and found Kimi on him his face reddened up like a ripe tomato, his mouth opening and closing like a fish as he struggled to find words for their situation. Oh boy, this was awkward.

Naturally Suto was able to handle the situation he found himself in with finesse and smooth talking. Yeah right, who was he kidding? Even when Kimi had found what position she was in he was hapless, bright red and stammering like a moron in an attempt to defend himself. "I-It was an accident Kimi, h-honest, I didn't mean-" he began, gasping when he was punched in the chest, letting out a squeaky sound afterwards as his hands shot up to cover where he'd been struck. The next accusation only made his face redden even further, his head might explode if any more blood rushed up to it. "No no no, I'm not a pervert, honest! I didn't mean for this to happen!" Cringing as he expected another punch the martial artist watched warily as Kimi was plucked off of him graciously, Jason being the one to save him from a pounding as he gave the girl a potion. Not wanting to be in such a compromising position any longer Suto scrambled to his feet, smiling nervously at Kimi as he did so. She wasn't still mad about it, was she? After all he'd just tried to help her, not get into bed with her, sheesh. Judging by the scream she made before charging the boss like a wild bull yeah, she was still mad. And all that anger was probably going to be directed right back onto him. Sigh... Why did he even try being helpful sometimes?

Suto never had an opportunity to rotate back in, Kimi and Nero were quick to put the boss down at last. Of course the latter was waiting on the last hit too, in such a Nero fashion to claim the best of the spoils. Not that he particularly cared, if his guild mate got some thrill out of having more virtual spoils than everyone else fine, he could have it all. All Suto cared for at that moment was the fact the battle was over and they could get back to town. They still had made a decent sum of money through the dungeon and even more so from beating the boss, that mean it was time to have a little fun back in town. Ugh... Though come to think of it there was the routine of reporting in to KoB first, which would take goodness knows how long. In the midst of his internal grumbling he scarcely noticed Kimi come back over to him, glancing down at the finger prodding at his chest before smiling at her sheepishly. "Hey... I was just trying to help, I didn't want you getting hurt," he said defensively, "And I didn't mean to end up like that! I don't know if you've ever fallen off of a giant-sand-worm-monster-thing, but it's hard to land the right way, especially when you're holding someone!" Why couldn't he catch a break?

---

There was no reason to linger in the dungeon any longer, what with having cleared it in its entirety on the way up. And using a teleport crystal in an empty dungeon was a waste so the group opted instead to walk back, saving their crystals for a real emergency. Suto personally would have preferred to have used a teleport, it would save him the danger that was Kimi. Every time they looked at one another she looked as though she might kill him, evidently still fuming over his botched save earlier. Jason was off the hook pretty much for getting in the way too so why was he being drilled? Just to be safe he spent the majority of the trip back at Nero's side, hiding behind the slightly smaller boy more often than not which might have been quite the sight. Realistically Kimi hitting him had no effect but that didn't mean he wanted her to go all bonkers and try burying him out here in the desert. When he finally spotted the town up on the horizon it was literally like finding an oasis in the desert, a wide grin spread across his face and he let out a happy cheer. Hah, he made it back without getting pummeled, let it be known he had averted Kimi's wrath! Picking up the pace slightly he moved to the front of the group, beaming as the town came ever closer and closer. "I'm thinking it's time to celebrate!" Suto exclaimed, his mindset quickly turning gears.

Sure, they were probably going to have to settle down and go report in at some point, Suto knew how strict KoB could be with that. But since they technically had a few hours left for that he opted instead to have a little fun. To the chagrin of probably all his friends he had promptly thrown a little celebration once they arrived at the inn, and why not? The fight hadn't been particularly dangerous but they had beaten a boss, and gotten some decent loot along the way for it. It was a good outing and it deserved celebrating, threats of being emasculated aside. Laughing happily as he clanged his glass against some stranger's he took a long sip of his cider, beaming as he looked over at the NPC musicians playing away. Hey, you had to have fun in this world, it was what made it worth living in, right? He hadn't done this in a while and it felt over due so gods know he was going to play it up for all it was worth. If everyone else around him didn't mind a party now and again then all the more reason to throw one too, others could probably use the distraction from the game. Hah, compared to how he was faring earlier this was much better, he could relax and enjoy himself, not a worry in the world.

"SUTO! WHERE DID YOU GO!? SUTO!"

Busy humming along to the music Suto hadn't a clue who was calling out to him, nor was he really paying attention. Even when a few people around him moved away he ought to have taken some kind of notice, stopped what he was doing and face whoever was calling for him. But nope, he was caught up in the celebration and wanted to keep it going no matter what. When he felt a hand grab his shoulder he finally settled down, only out of annoyance as he frowned and lowered his glass. "We'll turn the music down if it's bothering you, though I already had to do that twi-" he began, turning around and coming face to face with Luna. Blinking owlishly he broke into an embarrassed grin after a moment, chuckling uneasily as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Oh, hey Luna! What's up?"

"DON'T WHAT'S UP ME! YOU LEFT WITHOUT ME AGAIN!" Luna steamed, shouting mostly just because the music was so loud. "Seriously we're supposed to be a team and you keep going out without so much as an invitation, what gives?" Judging by the celebration going on it had been a decent outing at that, something she could really use. The discrepancy in their levels and gear was slipping because she had fallen to the wayside as of late, and as a result she felt a bit inadequate. Actually quite inadequate, she was supposed to be right alongside her friends in terms of their standing. She was a clearer too, but now she was a bit sub par since there was such a difference. Growling in annoyance she swung out a knee and tried nailing Suto in his groin, frustrated when she got the error message for trying to hit him. Letting out a huff she stormed around her friend, going over to Nero and Kazaro, putting her hands on her hips as she stood before them. "Maybe you two can explain why my partner keeps abandoning me like that, hm? This behavior is unacceptable, how am I supposed to be of any use while clearing if I fall behind since I'm being left out? Please, if there is a method to this then I would oh so love to hear it!"

Jason barely suppressed the massive grin that threatened to split his face at Kimi’s sudden flash of anger at him. Sure his unorthodox ‘Fastball Special’ was risky, but where was the fun in always playing it safe? Anyway, the real danger hadn’t really come from him, he hadn’t so much struck Kimi as he had shoved her. The real danger came from her landing. If it had been just a little off perfect, she might have taken some serious injuries. After seeing her amazing acrobatic leaps and tumbles while fighting the <Dark Reflections>, Jason had been pretty sure that Kimi could handle such an improvisation flawlessly though. He tried to look properly chastened as Kimi berated him, even going so far as to apologize for his recklessness. But when Kimi herself admitted to the rush the Fastball Special had given her, Jason simply couldn’t let it go. “Don’t do that again without warning, eh? So if I warn you first, it’s completely fair game?” At the girl’s scowl, Jason let rip with a deep laugh, “Tiny gods below, woman, but you’re going to make a fantastic addition to our team!”

His look took a more serious turn then. “Alphard and I are going to head out to meet up with the other possible addition to our little group and then go train for a while. If you still intend on joining us, I can come and get you when we’re ready to leave?” At her nod, Jason smiled and headed over to give the news to his teammate.

On his way, Jason checked his inventory and found, along with a sizable chunk of cash, he had obtained an item called an <Air Crystal>. He brought the crystal out and grunted in surprise when it turned out to be a perfectly cut, fist sized, blue and white gem. Equally surprising, however was the fact that it had almost no weight. Indeed, the gem actually floated several centimeters above his palm as he held it. Jason grunted again and shrugged: he’d figure out what the strange crystal did later. He reached Alphard just in time to see her swap out her usual one-handed scythe for the slower, more common two-handed style. She nodded in greeting and slung the weapon across her back. “Is Kimi ready to head out to meet up with Kazuma? For some reason, I’m suddenly itching to see how he measures up for teaming up with us.”

Jason grinned and responded, “I’m feeling the same. It’s kinda exciting getting a party together. Well, in any event, Kimi is indeed ready and will be joining us whenever you are. I have no further business to attend to before we go meet up with Crona and this Kazuma guy.” Alphard gave the go-ahead and they gathered Kimi and moved back out across the desert. After only about an hour’s walk, the party reentered this floor’s main town. They moved swiftly to a small, adobe house on the outskirts where Alphard knocked once. The door swung open, revealing the tall blond known as Crona. “Come in, come in, I’m glad you came. Please meet Kazuma, he’s right inside.”

---

Meanwhile, at the same oasis that had seen Fitch’s first kill, a short, thin man dressed in a long black duster crouched and studied the tracks and scuffs left over from the encounter there. On the opposite side of the oasis, two heavily armored warriors stopped momentarily under a tree for some shade. The short man paid them no heed, focused instead on what the tracks told him of the battle that had transpired here. After a moment, he found what he had been looking for, the long drag made by the trailing foot of a one-handed sword user as they made a straight lunge. Judging by this track’s length, breadth, and depth, the cloaked man could tell it was made by none other than Doku, the notorious (in some circles) murderer. Finding a point where one of Doku’s targets had perished, the man made a disgusted sound deep in his throat. Not at the notion of murder, the man was well versed in that art himself. No, he was sickened by Doku’s sloppy thrust. Any half competent fighter could have blocked a thrust like that and Doku was only further weakening his skills by fighting those that could be caught by such an attack.

The black-clad fighter’s path eventually took him over to where the two adventurers were lounging. The man growled when he noticed that they had completely destroyed all of the tracks in this area, robbing the man of important information regarding the mysterious sword-and-shield user that Doku had brought with him. One of the lounging fighters stood and clapped the cloaked stranger on the back, grinning like an idiot. “Hello, friend, lose something?”

The cloaked man’s response was chilling when it came, “First, I am not your friend. I am Kote the Hunter. Secondly, I did indeed lose something: my piece of mind. You and your ruffian friend have obscured a path I was tracking and you will pay dearly for it. I rarely kill without pay, but I am willing to make an exception for you two since you have potentially robbed me of an important opportunity.”

The first speaker backed away swiftly, attempting to draw his sword in the process. Kote was on him before more than three inches of steel had left the scabbard. He drew a long knife and slipped it across the man’s throat in one smooth motion, following up the motion with a short stab to the ribs. As that man dissolved into shining powder, Kote pounced towards the other man. The terrified man lunged with his spear, which was easily parried. He let out a small cry as Kote’s knife slid into his leg, releasing a paralyzing toxin into his system. Kote followed the man down, ending up on top of him while pulling out another knife. “Now my boy, let’s see how long I can keep you alive.”

Every time Suto opened his mouth, Kimi thought about the reward from the worm... <<Lightning Crystal...>> It sounded incredibly useful, especially for... particular people. Was she really that mad? No. Was she really that embarrassed? Yes. Every time she felt him looking over, even if he wasn't looking toward her, her eyes sharpened and met his with incredible ferocity. In response to Jason, she shook her head, "Planning is different from warning. But yes, I'm ready when you are." The group formed up for the walk back to town. However, partway there, the trio split away from their "knightly" party-mates and the party was thusly dissolved. Once in town, the Knights headed straight for the teleport plaza where Kazaro told Suto and, surprisingly, Nero to go on ahead. After the day's events, particularly Nero's, he figured they both needed some time off. He, on the other hand, needed none. In a flash of light, he was gone and Nero looked to Suto with some unease... This was awkward. Pulling out his Menu, the "Squire to the Vice Commander" (oh, how he loathed having the official title, but dared not say a thing) changed into 'normal' attire. Rather than a long coat, he decided on a cape, gilded in a dark honey-gold. Primarily it held the crimson signature to the Knights of the Blood, with their insignia embroidered in solid white at the center. His boots remained, but his armour was swapped for more plain equipment - low-level leather armour of black with royal blue accenting... Plain by Nero's standards, anyway.

As he swiped his menu away, having spent literal minutes sifting through his items, he noticed Suto's clear impatience and preparedness to move into the nightlife. This was where the awkward would begin. After the day's events, he'd really prefer not to be seen... by anybody... for days. However, he knew that Suto was one to enjoy the more festive sides of Aincrad. Especially with the main town being so recently found, it was nigh impossible for Suto not to host yet another party. Of course, his shenanigans had decreased heavily since joining the nights, but he wasn't forbidden from fun. Besides, if Nero, resident Stick In the Mud, was around, what could possibly go wrong?

NPCs were far less interactive than live entertainment... But players who took up an Instrument skill were far between, those who did well with the skill were even fewer, and still there were those among them who didn't sound quite so well... Perhaps the game, at times, could read somebody's real skill and merit their real life abilities, but who could honestly tell for sure? The one person who could was waiting for them, seventy floors away. It made Nero's stomach drop just thinking about it. He stood beside Nero, hands behind his back, beneath his cloak as his eyes moved over the dimly lit tavern. It was a nice evening, actually, not too busy... Knowing Suto, however, there would likely be dozens of people showing up, one at a time, to his party. He may have started partying less since joining the Knights, but he certainly partied harder and had become more popular since as well. Nero couldn't quite understand why anybody would waste time trying to stay current on Aincradian news and politics. But to each their own. Then, from nowhere, he heard it. Oh dear god, where could he hide?

"Uh... Suto, I think Lu-" too late. He was cut off and boxed out as Suto had an angry girl shoved in his face. Nero looked around a bit awkwardly before pulling up his friends list and deciding that if Suto was about to throw a party, he ought to at least help... He may not be the most popular, but he had the deepest pockets, and that certainly didn't hurt when it came to a party that he was attending. It was hard to concentrate with the music and Luna and the commotion, but it didn't take long to get the message out to the one person he figured would be the biggest selling point to the party. He'd met her a few floors back and she was suddenly seeing a spike in... fame, he supposed. Whatever this place called glory for skillers who avoided combat. And of course, she agreed to attend, for the right price. Thank god, I'll pay anything to shut the NPC band up...

---

As the band of misfit warriors tread across the dessert and eventually found the small dwelling of whoever it was they were looking for... Kazuma? The name Crona rung a bell for Kimi, but she'd heard very little of Kazuma. Where had she heard Crona before, though? It itched at the back of her mind and balanced precariously upon the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't place it. That is, until the door opened up and a blond, stunning girl stepped into view and invited them past. Crona, the information broker, and one of Sasayaku's competitors. Lately the Information Broking field had grown tough, with the few remaining ones having to work on their price schemes and available information to keep up. Kimi couldn't keep up with the drama, but Sasayaku still managed to maintain her position as top dog... Only because she had been the first to start spying on people and working as a private investigator. She kept business because she lived dangerously. Kimi had only just recently found out where the girl was living, and even so, she was not often there.

The small rapier user didn't say anything, however. The brokers weren't putting bounties on each other, after all. It was just a way to make a living and it was not the kind of business Kimi stuck her nose in unless she was acting as escort.

Another successful outing by him and his friends, which meant a bit of celebration was in order. Really anything called for celebration in Suto's eyes, he just wanted to have fun. In a world as miserable as Aincrad it was only natural you combated it with extravagant dances and parties. Sure, maybe his pockets resented him a bit for throwing these get togethers, and maybe his superiors weren't fond of his attitude, but he didn't particularly care. Everyone had their own means of dealing with the stresses of the game and this was his. It had become increasingly difficult to organize one as well, being in the KoB left little free time to its members, especially when you were so closely connected to one of the higher-ups. Whenever he got the chance to let loose he was going to, and he was going to make sure people knew it. Gamers in this world were renown for many things, some their skill, others like Nero their wealth. For Suto he was fairly famous, or infamous depending on your circle for throwing over the top parties. And tonight he was going to live up to that reputation even if it drained every Col he had earned in that dungeon. What bit he had left was spent on a simple set of dress clothes for the evening, consisting of a dark blue tuxedo jacket which, in typical Suto fashion, was left unbuttoned and open, sitting on top of a black button down shirt. He had a pair of dark blue tuxedo pants to match as well, though he wore his typical combat boots simply for comfort. Overall his 'fancy' attire was rather casual still, which might come to the chagrin of Nero who was as usual rather extravagant.

In spite of a bit of a slow start it was pretty soon a very lively outing, encompassing most of the town center. An NPC band was playing and while not the greatest would do just fine for their needs. Just as well, Suto didn't have much cash left to pay any real musicians. There was food, games, even a few drinks here and there for people who felt like it, not that they generally did much. For someone who wasn't typically a party animal in reality here he found himself mingling will all sorts of folks, enjoying the company and carefree nature of everyone around him. It was a breath of fresh air, a break from the game of death they were trapped in. Maybe it was just a sorry excuse for an escape, like pulling a blanket over your head to tell yourself there were no monsters there. Even so, he was going to keep doing this. He'd party right up until the game was cleared, and at the end he'd probably end up throwing some bash he couldn't even fathom at the moment. Beaming at a pair of girls who said hello to him he chuckled and waved, watching them leave before abruptly being pushed by someone. Stumbling and catching himself Suto blinked in confusion, his face paling considerably when he saw Luna glowering up at him. "H-Hey Luna, long time no see!" he said nervously, letting out a short laugh.

"Yeah, no kidding, long time no see my foot!" Luna snapped, balling her hands into fists at her sides. "I've been busy training by myself while you've been off playing with your Guild and the rest of our friends, but did you think to invite me at all? Oh heavens no!" She was quite clearly steamed, if her shouting weren't evident enough. It was probably a good thing for Suto the music was loud enough to drown her out from anyone not in the immediate area. She had gone through the lengths of getting dressed up for the party as well, wearing a deep purple dress with frilled shoulders, and a strip of lighter, almost pink fabric hanging down from the front of her waist to her feet. Her arms had long gloves of the same color as her dress, and her hair had been tied back into a neat and tidy bun. Puffing up her face slightly in indignation she growled and tried stomping on Suto's foot, then proceeding to stick a finger in his face. "Am I or am I not part of this group of ours? Because I will so gladly walk away and find another group to work with if all I am is some friend on the side!"

Suto really didn't know where or how to even begin. Luna was pretty pissed, and rightfully so. He kept on meaning to invite her along but things moved so fast, and he may have sort of forgotten on one or more occasions. Wincing as his foot was stomped on he drew it back reflexively, hopping slightly with a nervous smile on his face. "You are definitely a part of our group, you know that!" he said hastily, putting his hands up defensively, "I got a bit busy with things and maybe it slipped my mind to invite you, I'm sorry! Tell you what though.. Tomorrow we'll go hit the fields, just us, and we'll train just like we used to. And I'll fill you in on what the next dungeon we'll be tackling is so you can get ready, how's that sound?"

Luna wasn't so much looking for an offer for a run as she was an apology. She sort of got one in the form of a hasty 'sorry', which wasn't quite good enough. But she had been given the chance to go in a party again, something she hadn't done with the others for some time now. If she was going to reject that then she'd also seem totally insufferable, and that wasn't what she wanted. A bit red in the face she huffed softly, folding her arms and turning her head away, lifting her chin haughtily as she did so. "I suppose that will suffice for now, yes. I just hope you're willing to be patient with me, seeing as I am of lower level than you all are now." Looking back at Suto and Nero she smiled slightly, tilting her head to the side. "I expect you to help me reach your level before the dungeon, and I want to party up with you and the others, not some randoms. Also, I expect you to keep me in the loop about what we're doing, it's only fair, don't you agree?"

"Hah... Ha... Yes, yes it's fair, it's all fair," Suto agreed, sweating a bit on the spot as he rubbed his neck uncomfortably. Sheesh, was Luna always so demanding? And scary? It was like having your mother scold you but ten times worse, yikes. Though it was asking quite a bit he acknowledged he was at fault here, and if this was what he needed to do to make it up to a friend then he would. Reaching over with one arm he slung it around Nero's shoulders, pulling the other boy closer before pointing at him. "Nero here will see to it you get outfitted with the best gear for your level, isn't that right buddy?" he asked, laughing before patting his chest, "You know Nero, a charity case and all. I'll even try getting it together by tomorrow so you can train in your new gear!" What a start to his party, he was being extorted by one of his friends! If he had the money left over he'd buy Luna's gear himself but for obvious reasons the bulk of his wealth had gone elsewhere.