Hyde practised swinging his Morningstar as he walked along the dirt path. As far as he was aware, he was alone. He could see nobody ahead or behind him. And that worried him. It was a prime environment for Outlaws to strike. Granted, most were low level players looking to make an easy score, but there were the few high levels that worried Hyde. He kept his wits about him, checking over his surroundings every few minutes to make sure he wasn't being followed or something was lurking in the bushes on either side of the road, waiting for him to drop his guard and move in for the kill.

Hyde checked his messages and notifications as he went along. Nothing except that announcement from the Black King that Hyde still disbelieved ever so slightly, yet he was still heading off on his way to check it out. He wasn't planning on joining, but if he liked what he saw, he probably would end up doing so. Hyde closed the messages, closed his eyes and yawned. He'd been walking for a good half an hour. But when he opened his eyes, his worst fears were standing ahead of him. Three Outlaws, confirmed by the icon above them.

They were NPCs, and relatively low levelled, so Hyde wasn't too worried about the oncoming fight. He took up a fighting stance, Morningstar raised, ready to strike. They began to advance, and Hyde steeled his nerves. But then they seemingly began to teleport all over the place. Hyde didn't know what to do. Was this some kind of new attack style? Were they hackers disguised as NPCs? His questions were answered in big red letters plastered in front of him moments later.



And with that, Michael was booted out of the game and back into reality. He sat up on his bed, and headed out of his room and onto the landing. He didn't know what to do. Nobody was home since every member of his family worked late. He sighed, headed into the living room and turned on the TV, but then the chip in his head began emitting a noise, followed by a speech.

"Attention all students of Purple Crown Academy and of the World Interface. Please, do not be alarmed by the sudden technical difficulties we are enduring right now. Our team is investigating the matter thoroughly and it appears that it was only a massive lag caused by an influx of enemy NPCs. Deep Ground Online will be functional again in the following afternoon. However, it would seem that any Players who died in DGO before the crash are still able to log on to the system."

The following afternoon? That seemed like a lifetime.

"And now, a message from the Black King. She deeply apologizes for the missed opportunity for the majority of you in meeting her. However, she states that for all of those who pledge allegiance to the Ebony Strykers, the next Guild meeting shall be tomorrow within the Black Kingdom, the same as today. And….the Black King has made her first orders to her new Guild. She desires for all of her followers to hunt down any stray Outlaws still remaining in the Black District as soon as possible. That is all. Thank you for your time and patience. Oh…and welcome to the Ebony Strykers."

Once the speech had finished, Michael realised the announcement from the Black King was not faked, and was indeed very much real.

Once she was sure her message had gotten through to the entire student populace, Tsugumi leaned back in her revolving chair and sighed for what was the third exact time that day. Glitches and downed servers and all sorts of pissed off gamers....and who did they put in charge? Her of course. How gratifying. The girl with the glasses immediately sat straight up though when the door to her small office opened without warning.

Entering into her domain was a girl with red hair and dressed in the standard Purple Crown uniform. She glanced nervously towards her senpai, though it was Tsugumi who should have felt flustered. Suddenly self-conscious of herself, the dark-haired girl fiddled with her glasses to avoid direct eye contact. Taking this as a sign of disapproval, the red head immediacy bowed in respect.

"A-Ah, Tsugumi-sama! S-Sorry for the intrusion! I-I mean, you did a lovely speech and well I...er...um...."

A soft sigh from the President.

"Go ahead Tokisaki-san," she said gently. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Ah! Of course not! It's just, well with all this talk of the Black King returning, and everyone knowing you're her public representative and all that, the rest of the Student Council wanted to offer you a break...maybe coffee or something? It’s still early in the evening and you had to come all the way back to your office so…"

Yoshino's initial blank stare turned to one of a small smile. The Student Council had always backed her up in any matter, even when her job as speaker proved to be much too enigmatic or time-consuming for either of them to comprehend. They were good people, and they really did mean well. But even so....

"Sorry Tokisaki-san, but I have a lot of work to catch up on. My client and I both agree that only those of diligent work can prosper. Right?"

Tokisaki looked a little crestfallen, but nodded in understanding.

"R-Right....Senpai, you're so devoted to her."

"Indeed. I guess you could say our partnership runs deep, huh?"

She said this teasingly, knowing this would only cause more rumors to surface about the two; some were just plain funny not to cause a little mischief though.

"Maybe I'll catch up with you all tomorrow?"

The red head brightened at that.

"Alright, tomorrow it is! And we're all paying for you, ok? No trying to steal the check like last time!"

Before Tsugumi could protest, the other girl had already left in a hurry with a closed door following behind her. Allowing herself a small chuckle, the School President leaned back once more and closed her eyes to focus. Right then.

It was time to put some plans in motion. Using the mental link of her mind, she utilized the transmitting device near her ear to log into Purple Crown’s personal databanks of which only she and a few members of the Student Council had access to. Scrolling through the various threads of numerous names and profiles, she found the one person she was searching for. A member of the Erasers huh?

“Five, six, four….”

That was the dorm room number of Retsu Goroshi. It was settled then. Dark Wraith was in fact this girl. But to give our her personal information to the Black King in DGO like that…either Retsu was bold enough or she genuinely wanted to help. Well, only time would tell which was the truth.

Pondering her words carefully, she typed away at a personal message using the holographic keyboard hovering above her desk before sending the message. Now all she had to do was wait for whatever happened next.
-------
To: Retsu Goroshi
From: Yoshino Tsugumi
Subject: Your Offer
-------
Greetings Dark Wraith. This is your School President. I understand that you made contact with my client in Deep Ground Online and would like to meet with me. If you can at the moment, please make your way to my office immediately so that we may discuss our next step forward regarding your involvement with the Black Guild. My client is very interested in the services you can provide for the Ebony Strykers. I await your arrival.

Sincrely,
President of Purple Crown Academy, Yoshino Tsugumi.
-------

As that message was sent, two more were followed in its wake, each responding to two different individuals.

-------
To: Unrelenting Jukebox
From: Your King (Who Else?)
Subject: Good Work Buddy!
-------
Hey what’s up buddy? Yeah, I heard about the massive lag that took place. Forced me to log out too you know. Though I gotta say, it puts us Fanged Rangers in quite the position don’t you think? Anyway, given the lack of logging in taking place, I’ll be hosting a special meeting in Purple Crown’s Recreational Center tomorrow afternoon. Green Guild only. You didn’t forget my real life face, right? Heh, course you didn’t. I’ll catch you later right as school let’s up.

As always,
Still Your King
-------
The third message was much more enigmatic and was sent to Erika Mitsuki. In fact, what was most strange was that it was almost an exact replica of the message from earlier. The only difference was the formatting and the very last line.

-------
To: Erika Mitsuki
From: A Friend
Subject: A Proposal
-------
Greetings Erika Mitsuki. Would you like to become a hero? Please head towards the Black Guild then and open your doorway towards glory. Beware of the lying thief. You are not alone.

Your Friend
-------

Back in Deep Ground Online, the Corpse Collector’s initial glee at having the whole game was quickly spoiled by one obvious revelation. Driving her motorcycle in circles, shooting down random Dissolutions with her Death Penalty, she bent her head back and sighed loudly and obnoxiously in annoyance.

“I forgot….there’s no one else to screw over now! Fuck my life!"

Cassandra didn't seem to know what to do, outside of DGO, she didn't really do much after school. She didn't even really have friends, doubted anyone had noticed her. She wondered if she could find anyone from DGO that she knew, but doubted it. People tended to change when they didn't have to use their real faces, when they hid behind anonymity.

Even she did. It was nice to...let everyone go, and be someone else. Maybe one day, Nies Hellum would truly be apart of her. She hesitated, wondering if she could at least try and find someone to talk to. She shoved her hands in her pants pockets, and rocked back on her heels uneasily.

She had a moments thought, wondering if she should be more outgoing with so many siblings, but she wasn't. Maybe that was because she hadn't wanted to cause her parents more stress. They worked so hard, and her oldest brother and sister just...made it seem like she was a burden. She loved her siblings, but sometimes felt like she was an outcast with them.

She shifted uncomfortably, and looked down the hallways. just another reason to be around others my own age, around different kids she thought to herself, starting to walk again, just go see if you can find someone that shouldn't be hard to do, what with everyone not being able to log into DGO. That wasn't the case it seemed.

So she just wandered.

Alex had just jogged down to the main auditorium of Purple Academy and was happy to find he wasn't out of breath. Reaching into his pocket Alex retrieved a small key to the side entrance and let himself in. A combination of being friendly with the Academy's night staff and being asked to stay late to clean up after school rehearsals for productions had allowed Alex some small privileges.

His four month DGO hiatus was actually put to good use, learning some things, helping others, things good for the soul. DGO had actually left Alex a bit broken, realising every time he 'killed' someone in DGO that he was ruining their future prospects and everytime he 'died' his own prospects were being ruined. This cycle rolled around Alex's head for months before he took his break. Eventually he came to the conclusion that he wasn't helping anyone by moping in the real world and decided to suck it up and do what he could.

As Alex was in the sound booth attaching his music player, he received a reply from his King.

-------
To: Unrelenting Jukebox
From: Your King (Who Else?)
Subject: Good Work Buddy!
-------
Hey what’s up buddy? Yeah, I heard about the massive lag that took place. Forced me to log out too you know. Though I gotta say, it puts us Fanged Rangers in quite the position don’t you think? Anyway, given the lack of logging in taking place, I’ll be hosting a special meeting in Purple Crown’s Recreational Center tomorrow afternoon. Green Guild only. You didn’t forget my real life face, right? Heh, course you didn’t. I’ll catch you later right as school let’s up.

As always,
Still Your King
-------

Real life in the Rec Center? Well at least I'm just a face in the crowd.
Sighing Alex finished hooking up his player to the auditorium speaker system and took a remote so he could opperate the booth from the stage. Walking to center stage Alex laughed at himself My first time on stage in real life and there is no audience. Well here it goes: Lights The lights turn on Music



and... Action! With that Alex sprang into a bit of swing, dancing with an invisible partner. As he moved he couldn't help thinking If I hadn't been forcibly ejected from DGO a sharp spin movement with the imaginary partner I would have died anyway and have achieved a grand total of NOTHING! the imaginary partner span back into Alex's chest. I wanted to be good, build up my levels, help who I could. metaphorically kicking up his heels Alex and his imaginary partner got more energetic BUT I AM SO WEAK! abandoning any pretense of dancing Alex silently fell to his knees and punched the stage and silently screamed. WHY CAN'T I DO ANYTHING!

Turning off the music and killing the lights by remote Alex lied down, tears in his eyes, and just let it out on the empty stage...

Asahi and his friends were booted off Deep Ground at the same time. They snapped awake and cursed up a storm. Eventually Asahi had to calm them down. "Hey. Guys. GUYS! Shut the fuck up. Calm yo tits." Rubbing his head Asahi was trying to log back into Deep Ground, but he kept getting error messages. Looks like Deep Ground was going to be shutdown for the night. It was getting late too, and Asahi didn't intend to hold a sleep over. "Alright, party's over. That raid didn't go out very well, but ya know, fuck it. See you guys tomorrow." Asahi's friends gathered their things, took bits of food, and left his house. Soon they all received a message from the Black King and he was contemplating following it. He didn't really get a chance to talk to the Black King, or Queen as it where, himself. As far as they knew he was just a player who took the chance to fight some of the Outlaws. He supposed that as a Sweeper, it was only his job to do that. He wondered if he'd get a request to do some clean up by the Sweepers tomorrow. He wondered if Yoshino was a Sweeper herself.

Walking around his home Asahi was lost in thought. Most of the servants were off asleep, and even the ones he did find he didn't pay attention to. He was debating what to do tomorrow. He couldn't get his guys from the other guilds to raid the Black City and give Arms Slave all the glory, not if the full force of the Black Guild was going to be there. He supposed he could just have them pose as Outlaws but he didn't want to harm their KDR anymore then necessary. He was still wondering if he should join the Ebon Strykers. Shrugging his shoulders he figured that it was something he could worry about tomorrow. Grabbing a bite to eat from the leftovers, Asahi went to bed. He had to call up some people tomorrow but hopefully it won't be too boring with Deep Ground down.

---

Laying in bed Retsu pondered her recent actions. She had just opened her doors to a complete stranger. She has no clue what Moon Rider was like. She had guesses and speculations as to who she was, but until she meets them there wasn't really much she could confirm.

Sitting up in her bed Retsu debated what she could do. She's already dressed for bed, but frankly, she wasn't that tired. She was actually hoping to fall asleep playing Deep Ground. It was late in the afternoon and she didn't feel like eating anything. She finished most of her school work that's due soon, though she suppose she could work on some due later. But that was boring. Crawling underneath her bedsheets Retsu was going to go to bed when she felt a ping in her head. She had an Email.

To: Retsu Goroshi
From: Yoshino Tsugumi
Subject: Your Offer
-------
Greetings Dark Wraith. This is your School President. I understand that you made contact with my client in Deep Ground Online and would like to meet with me. If you can at the moment, please make your way to my office immediately so that we may discuss our next step forward regarding your involvement with the Black Guild. My client is very interested in the services you can provide for the Ebony Strykers. I await your arrival.

Sincrely,
President of Purple Crown Academy, Yoshino Tsugumi.

Sighing Retsu shot a quick message back.

To: Yoshino Tsugumi
From: Retsu Goroshi
Subject: Re: Your Offer
-------
I'm going to bed. You can come wake me up or wait until tomorrow.

Goodnight.

Retsu didn't think that Yoshino would actually come to her dorm. And given who Retsu was, it would be risky if Yoshino did arrive. Who knows what she could do, knowing that Retsu was an Eraser. She might send someone to take her out while she was asleep. Not that Retsu wasn't used to that sort of thing...

Back in the Student Council office, Yoshino narrowed her eyes. If her suspicions about this girl wasn't high already, it certainly was now. Going over to some stranger's dorm in the middle of the night...the Student President was much too cautious and paranoid for that kind of behavior. As the sole spokesperson for the Black King, Yoshino had enough enemies to deal with as a public figure.

Still, to lose this chance now would ensure a waiting period that her client could not afford to endure. Perhaps a different tactic was needed? Something to draw this girl out and somewhere where there could be witnesses...and yet, somewhere that they could discuss their topic in private.

To: Retsu Goroshi
From: Yoshino Tsugumi
Subject: Re: Your Offer
-------
Apologies if I sound blunt, but that will not do. As I recall, you came to my client first; therefor, it is only sensible that you do not keep her waiting Retsu Goroshi. Meet me at Cafe Nowhere in thirty minutes and we will discuss your offer there. I will be expecting you.

Sincerely,
President of Purple Crown Academy, Yoshino Tsugumi.

Another ping. "This girl..." Retsu didn't have to read it. She could guess that Yoshino still wanted to meet Retsu. Since she wasn't going to be sleeping any time soon Retsu figured she might as well get dressed. She changed into some casual wear instead of her usual uniform. red jeans, a white-t-shirt with a cartoon broom on it, and a black-white zipper hoodie. She put on some shoes, grabbed her wallet, and headed out.

It wasn't until she was on her bike that Retsu actually looked at the email. She knew were Cafe Nowhere was at and could make it there in ten minutes. It was getting late however, and Retsu knew creepers liked being out at this hour. She supposed she wouldn't really accept letting someone like Yoshino get harassed by stalkers or perverts either. Sighing the red-haired young woman rode to the cafe as quickly as she could. Before she arrived, she did send a curt message.

To: Yoshino Tsugumi
From: Retsu Goroshi
Subject: Re: Your Offer
-------
Fine. You're paying.

Yoshino saw the message and instantly suppressed the urge to send one right back. No, the Student President couldn't be seen getting her feathers riled up. Letting out a sigh of her own, she got up from her seat, locked the door to her office, and headed out to their picked location on foot.

Retsu arrived at the cafe quickly. Locking her bike on the bike rack she entered the little cafe. There weren't many people around and the barrister looked like a bored twenty-something. Walking over to this person Retsu got his attention. "I'm waiting for my friend here. She might try to pay for our drinks, so I'd like to pay in advance instead. Don't tell her I did this." Retsu made a forward payment for the drinks and snacks that might be ordered. A bit unusual, but Retsu said it with such confidence that it seemed like something she was used to doing. The barrister seemed to know what he was doing as well, accepting Retsu's money and offering her a cup of coffee for her purchase.

Getting herself a small joe, Retsu sat at a booth the furthest away from the entrance. Not only would it make it easy for Retsu to be spotted, but also ensure that Yoshino would have to take the longest route to get to her. Unless she decides to break through the window or something.

Retsu's predictions were correct. When Yoshino walked in she spotted the girl sitting at the very back. Really, could she make herself any more obvious? Still, she had chosen the location and Retsu had every right to pick their sitting arrangements considering that she had arrived first. Walking through the rows of booths, she sat down across from Retsu with a stoic expression.

When the server came up to her, Yoshino ordered a simple coffee, black with just sugar. She was about to ask for the check right then and there given that Retsu had apparently already placed her order, only to blink in surprise when the server told her that their meal had already been taken care of.

"Do you this often?" she asked Retsu, finally turning to talk to the redhead. "Or did you just pay because of my status?"

Retsu said nothing, simply sipping her coffee. It was kinda of hot, so she reached for one of the glasses of water which was given to them amongst the other drinks. She took a ice cube out and put it in her coffee. "Not often that I get to use your money. I decided to splurge." Once her coffee had cooled down, Retsu gulped down her coffee in one go. She wiped her mouth, rubbed her eyes, and looked at Yoshino. "Now what would the enigmatic Tsugumi-san want with the likes of me?" While it was obvious that Yoshino was here to talk to Retsu about her deal back in Deep Ground, but that still didn't answer what exactly she wanted.

Yoshino shrugged as she took a sip of her own coffee once it had arrived. If she was concerned about the heat radiating off of the black liquid, she didn't show it. Even so, something about this girl made her curious, curious enough to disregard the temperature of her beverage and study her. Adjusting her glasses, Yoshino clasped both hands together, interlacing her fingers, and rested her chin.

"It's as I said in my message Goroshi-san. I came here on behalf of my client, the Black King. You two met in Deep Ground and you spoke to her about your desire to assist the Ebony Strykers. You already know what we want. Now it's my turn to listen to what you have to offer."

"Simply an alliance."

Getting herself a new cup of coffee Retsu seemed more interested in eating and drinking. The server came back with an arrangement of snack food from the display, a bit old but still fresh from today. And cheap too. Retsu helped herself to various macaroons. The coffee was a bit plain, and looking at the menu she was thinking that maybe she should try something cooler. They had this rainbow soda with flavored ice, but she wasn't certain they would make something this extravagant so late. She noticed an eye catching drink known as "The Azure" which says it can be made during open hours. And it was open hour right now.

""Mhmm..."

"For someone who wants to fight for the Black King, you seem awfully calm about the whole situation," Yoshino commented evenly. She only took a small helping of macaroons while Retsu seemed to be enjoying herself. That was fine with the Student President since right now, she had all the time in the world.

"Well I'm not going to turn down your offer. In fact, your judgement is sharper than most Goroshi-san. Assistance from the Erasers would prove most beneficial for both of our parties. Though I am concerned. Don't you only lead the Erasers in title?"

"The Erasers have no leader. Least of all me."

Which is true to an extent. Retsu did lead the Erasers before, more so then their actual leader. But she did so from behind the scene, under the table, behind the man. Retsu wasn't one for the spot light. That's why she wasn't a guild leader, or even a well known student. Her only reputation at school is "Is part of the programming club and tends to clean after the class". No, she didn't lead the Erasers. That's what Moon Rider was suppose to be for. The others Erasers knew that: they need a face for their operations that will take the brunt of their actions.

"This alliance will bring them together. It will show them... Purpose. I trust that the black king will use them responsibly."

Of course just because Retsu doesn't have as great of authority over the Erasers as she used to, doesn't mean they would actually follow the black king. Most were still allied to the other colored kings after all. This alliance would actually help solidify her own authority amongst the kings. She was the first, and only, person to actually communicate to her directly in Deep Ground. At least as far as she knows... Perhaps she needs to clean house a bit first.

"The black king knows who the Erasers are. They... Could contend for king themselves, if they wanted the responsibility. With that in mind she should take care of her court... Or allow me to sort them out."

"Are you questioning the abilities of my client?" Yoshino asked as her eyes sharpened just slightly as she processed Retsu's words. "Hmm...even so, I can understand your concerns. Your help will be much appreciated, but you will also be kept close to the Black King. It'll be easier to keep an eye on you that way. That being said, I assume you hope to gain the Eraser's loyalty once again by pledging an allegiance to my client?"

"Simply an alliance."

The server came back to pick up the empty cups and plates. Retsu ordered The Azure and was told it would take a few minutes to prepare. Retsu was willing to wait and when the server left, she turned her eyes back at Yoshino. "Is she keeping her allies close..." A smirk appeared on Retsu's lips. "Or her enemies closer?" Retsu continued to smile but something was wrong. It was as if she was laughing at Yoshino without letting a breath out.

"The Erasers do not care for Deep Ground. I do not care myself. That is why they have not become kings or even well-renowned players. They... Will tell you more themselves. Have you tried The Azure? It looks interesting."

Yoshino frowned at the silent laughing, keeping her eyes on Retsu even as the server picked up their dishes. Seriously, what was with this girl? Maybe it was an Eraser thing? The question did catch her momentarily off guard but she brushed it off simply to Retsu being as enigmatic as herself.

"No, I've never tried it. Though if I'm paying, I suppose now would be the best time to do so, right? Also...may I ask why you're trying not to laugh at me?"

Her smile growing wider, Retsu crossed her hands together and scanned Yoshino. "I am imagining how the black king is like when she isn't Moon Rider. My character in Deep Ground is much like myself. I dislike wearing masks. And what about you, Tsugumi-san? Do you wear a mask in Deep Ground, to hide your feelings and desires... Or do you wear your mask now?" Retsu's smiled faded a little, looking more sad and contemplative.

"There are so many rumors about the black king. Who is she? What is her name? Why has she been so reclusive? People are attracted to that mysteriousness. They see the unknown and think of the potential. I find this funny... Because to me, I simply see loneliness. Someone who has to stand by themselves because it's expected of them. And I do not even know why she would do this to herself. It's... Sad."

Yoshino was silent, only moving to adjust her glasses but doing nothing more. Her eyes were trained on Retsu, staring right through her. The Student President did not expect their conversation to take this kind of route though she supposed she should have seen it coming. As Retsu had just stated, people were naturally aroused by the aloofness that was Moon Rider. It was basic human curiosity and with her acting as the only link to that mystery, it was understandable for this topic to come up.

"But isn't that the fate of all Kings Goroshi-san? All people who are placed in power are alone in some way. To say that my client is lonely is simply admitting the truth to all great men and women in history. Besides, why would you care about the feelings of my client anyway? I thought you were only here to help, not get sentimental."

Her voice was harsher than it should have been and she immediately regretted acting defensively. She couldn't help it if she saw Retsu's words as just another ploy to lower her guard, earn her trust, and get to the Black King.

"Apologies. I misspoke," Yoshino remedied, shifting her eyes away. "And you of all people should know that I only play Deep Ground minimally. It's required after all. I can't stand the program you know. As Student President, I need to keep some form of contact with the rest of the world."

"No offense taken." Retsu also looked away, staring outside. A few cars passed in the night. Retsu contemplated how she was taking this conversation with Yoshino. Most of it was just rambling, but she also knew she could prod some more information out of her. She just needed to... Chose her words wisely.

"As for your first question, you do raise a point. Many kings are raised on a pedestal. But you're wrong about everything afterwards. Mostly. I am only here to help, but I am capable of feeling emotions as well, Tsugumi-san. It's why I feel... Pity for the black king. She sits not on a throne, but a prize. There are those who would throw her away to obtain the vanity she posses. I understand her position, and here I sit, wondering how and what I could do to help her escape such a fate."

The idea of being nothing more then the wrapping for something "greater" rubbed Retsu the wrong way. She hated the idea that Moon Rider's only purpose was to serve as some final boss to ruling or dominating the Ebon Strykers. She's a person too, and frankly, Retsu wanted to know her more as a person. She wanted to feel like she could care about Moon Rider. And the only person who actually knows who she is is Yoshino.

"That's what I despise about Deep Ground. All the fighting I do, the efforts I put into it, and it is nothing more then a mindless grind. No many how many Dissolutions I slay, there's always more to fight. No matter how many players I kill, they will always be fools. The act of playing Deep Ground means nothing, and the only reason why anyone would participate is the reward. They say life is not about the destination, but the journey... With Deep Ground there is neither. Because of Deep Ground you cannot chose your destination in life. Because of Deep Ground, your journey does not matter. Because of Deep Ground, all you can do is follow their directions, and pray that they lead you to your goal. Such a thing disgusts me."

Soon the server arrived with The Azure. It was a mysterious blue drink, somewhat gelatinous, with a cherry. It was glowing. Somehow. Retsu amused herself by tapping the side of the cup, watching the cherry float aimlessly around. It's movements were sluggish due to the consistency of the liquid, but it floated nonetheless.

"But there's not much to do about it, is there?"

"For someone who was once a member of the Erasers, you talk a lot like a pacifist," Yoshino commented; she immediately cursed herself yet again, becoming aware of how harsh that sounded. "But you're wrong too Goroshi-san. Because through my client, there is a way to change Deep Ground. Maybe even a way to liberate and...destroy it."

Yoshino let out a sigh. If they were to get anywhere at this point, she figured she would have to reveal some of Moon Rider's plans. After all, Retsu was much too valuable to lose now and she needed to ensure the Eraser could be relied on. That meant making herself appear the same way. Receiving her own Azure drink, Yoshino took a long sip, features cringing at the raw sweetness of it, before fiddling with her glasses.

"Moon Rider's ultimate goal is to tear down Deep Ground Online," she sound bluntly. "Frankly, my client feels the same way towards the program. It's nothing short of an insurance program governed by the World Interface, giving us a world where people have to rely on a video game rather than their real world accomplishments. As a Colored King, you might be surprised to hear such a bold proclamation from my client. I suppose...that's why we need your help, Retsu Goroshi."

Retsu chuckled lightly as she drank from her Azure, taking in the overly sweet nectar and pulpy texture. "To be a pacifist would mean that I would not fight for what I believe is right. No... I fight even if there is no hope or victory to be had. That is what faith is. To believe so strongly for something, without and against evidence. That is why I've come to seek the alliance of the Ebony Strykers."

But now this was an interesting development. "Liberating and destroying Deep Ground". This was what Retsu wanted to hear. But question is, did Yoshino already know this and is simply leading her on? But if what Yoshino said is true, then their goals are aligned. Retsu's and Moon Rider's anyways. It would be more difficult leading the new recruits, and some of the Erasers... But the Sweepers as a whole, and those who would soon become the Ebon Strykers? They just need to play their part. Retsu swiped the cherry out of Yoshino's Azure, popping the whole fruit into her mouth.

"No... I'm not too surprised. Because before she was a king she is also human. The game goes to great lengths to make us seem like more, but it's an illusion of granduer. I'm glad to hear that the black king can see past those delusions. Heh he, but do not worry. Your alliance with the Erasers have been sealed. You have their support, Yoshino Tsugumi. But a question still lingers in me mind..."

"And what question would that be, Goroshi-san?"

She had a faint clue of what the question was but whether she would answer truthfully had yet to be seen. So many things were developing all at once and it was getting pretty late outside. She could sense that their conversation was coming to a close. It seemed that the Black King had gained more than just an ally in this chance encountering.

"Whatever it is, just know that from now on, Dark Wraith will be working as the Black King's Deputy in-game. Furthermore, you will also be working close to my side as well. With an Eraser by Moon Rider's side in Deep Ground and you working beside the Student President in the real world, there's no doubt that the other Guilds will become intimidated by our joint alliance. Soon, people will start to doubt their own standings and flock to join the true side. The winning side."

"One question that I'm still wondering, is if you'd be willing to join me for coffee tomorrow. It's a force of habit, but I always make too much for just myself. It'll be nice to actually finish a pot before I have to throw it out by the end of the day." Not the actual question Retsu wanted to ask, but it was getting late. Besides, this way would allow more interpersonal interaction between herself and Yoshino, which will be necessary to maintain communication between their real lives and Deep Ground.

Finishing her drink Retsu stood up and bowed her head towards Yoshino. "No need to actually give me an answer. No doubt you already know where my dormitory is. Should you be willing to take me up on my offer feel free to knock. It's quite late now, we should return to our rooms. We have a long day ahead of us. Would you like to accompany me?"

Yoshino widened her eyes, quickly finishing her drink as well. Okay, so she wasn't expecting that question to arise. Didn't Retsu know that the Student President wasn't known for small outings or even interacting with the other students? Her work simply didn't allow for such a luxury. Still, the girl was willing to offer so she might as well accept it.

"If it's alright with you," she answered to both questions, standing up and leaving her empty glass for the servers to handle. "And there's no need for formalities like bowing. We're both students of Purple Crown Academy and despite my status and title, I'm just the same as you."

Truthfully, Yoshino didn't know if she should feel happy that Retsu had bothered to stay with her for this long or not. All of this was just a little too new for her and it left her feeling confused. Friends did this, right? Friends offered each other coffee and wanted to walk home together...right? Yoshino assured herself that it would be beneficial for them both given that they were both school girls walking out in the middle of the night.

"Thank you Goroshi-san," she said with a little more emotion than she was used to.

"Please, call me Retsu. I live at the student dormitories, I assume you do as well?"

Together the two girls walked out of the cafe. Retsu unlocked her bike from the rack and walked alongside of it instead of riding. She could let Yoshino ride on her bike as well, it was somewhat large enough, but also a bit dangerous.

Again, Yoshino raised an eye at how forward this girl was being. They had just met and now they were on a first name basis? Well she could accept that but she wouldn't be riding the bike. Things were happening too fast for her to process.

"Yes, I live in the dorms. It's easier on my job that way. Anything else you'd like to ask?"

"Nothing in particular, Tsugumi-san. Anything you have to ask of me?"

"Not particularly," Yoshino replied. "Though I really have to wonder if you're this straight forward with all the people you buy coffee for. Apologies if I sound blunt, but don't you think this is a little much? We just met each other an hour ago. Unless you just want to appease my client by getting close to me?"

As they two girls chatted, the school dorms became easier to see with the distance closing between them. Soon enough, they reached Purple Crown's dormitories.

"Apology accepted. And not typically. Times are changing... I'm hoping to do a little changing myself. If you think it's a bit much, I can stop. I'm... A bit new to this whole "nice" thing. " Frankly, if Retsu wanted to get closer to the Black King, she would pour more resources into finding out who the Black King was. But if there was one thing that she's learned to do from her family, it's to respect one's subordinates.

Eventually the two girls reached the dormitories. Retsu's dorm was a bit up and she'd still need to walk her bike all the way, so she figured she should go on ahead. "Goodnight Tsugumi-san. We'll have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Yes. You too....Retsu," Yoshino said back, already heading for her dorm. She wasn't expecting the night to end like this but it wasn't too far off from her predictions. Still, it could have much worse. But at least her client was satisfied with the meeting.

Night passed by with little effort or event. The Student President woke up and immediately set to her own routine of getting ready for her meeting with Retsiu. Then she remembered that it was much more informal than that. Sighing, she sent a message over to the school letting her know that both her and Retsu would be late today before getting about her business. Being the Student President did have its perks after all.

---

Outside of the life of Student President Yoshino Tsugumi, life carried as always. Granted, there were a plethora of students upset over the fact that Deep Ground wouldn't be up until later in the afternoon, but the teachers saw that as an opportunity to cram the joys of learning into their heads. One could tell how they missed DGO themselves with their "enthusiasm".

There was still some time before classes began so students were free to converse with each other and socialize. After all, these were teenagers and not Avatars. As much as the World Interface wanted everyone to believe, life did not revolve around Deep Ground Online. At least, not yet. These would be the last few years of freedom for many of today's youth, given how their past choices would ultimately dictate their future selves.

They were to enjoy it while they could.

The sunlight unceremoniously filled the room of Emma Rocha. The mechanical beep beep beep of the alarm blared, waking her as she scrambled to silence it. "Another day, another dollar." She remarked sarcastically to no one in particular. Every morning seemed to follow the same monotonous routine unending. Wake up, take a shower, get dressed, brush your teeth, the joys of cosmetics, and than it was time to go downstairs for breakfast downstairs for breakfast. She wasn't a complicated dresser. A sweatshirt (It was cold out, after all), a plain white t-shirt, and tight jeans. She still pulled it off, at least in her opinion. Breakfast wasn't so simple. Due to the families schedule breakfast was often the only meal she actually ate with her parents, so it had a certain flair. Today it was chocolate chip pancakes. Fattening, but delicious all the same. As the sound of clicking utensils filled the room Emma's thoughts wandered, There's something devilish about DGO... last night I seemed to be fighting for my life, pledging allegiance to a king who was merely another teenager struggling to succeed. It feels so unreal... DGO seems so ephemeral, it's all just simulated experiences with no meaning... but sometimes the question rises, if a world like DGO can be so immaculately faked what's to prove this world is real?

Her train of thought was suddenly disrupted by the sound of her father clearing his throat, begging her attention. "You're zoning out, Emma, have you been playing that game all night again?" He questioned disapprovingly. "No." She said, shaking her head. She wasn't very convincing. She didn't like lying, least of all to her parents, but she wanted to avoid another lecture. It came anyways. "I know when you're lying young lady. I know that game seems important... I mean, it is, but there's more to life than it. Once you get through school it'll be gone, and what'll really matter is what's up here." He pointed to his own head. It was a lecture she got often. Her dad did not make his dislike of DGO a secret. Only because he was never any good at it. She thought glumly to herself. She finished her meal, excusing herself. Time to put everything together for school. Her thoughts turned back to the events of last night. I wonder who you really are, Black King? Yoshino Tsugumi? I'll find out... to think I so sternly swore my loyalty to a kid my own age, maybe even younger, whose power comes from a video game. How silly.

Emma's supplies gathered in her backpack she left from Purple Crown Academy. She shouted goodbye. She wasn't entirely sure if anyone heard her. The walk there was short. Luckily enough her home was very close to the Academy, only a few minutes away. She arrived. Class wasn't starting for a while, so it was off the the enigmatically named 'Arena'. Fortunately there was no actual fighting on campus. The school-sanctioned kind, at least. Emma headed inside. It was always a hive of activity, with food, people, and games. It was interesting the way Purple Crown embraced 'gaming', not only for recreation, but in the form of DGO, a part of the curriculum. She caught sight of her usual group of friends. She strode over and greeted them. If she could, she would search for one of the players she met in DGO last night, but that was near impossible. They're only a drop in an ocean of students.

Morgan Hazelnut - Flan

"Uuuuuuuuuuugh" It was 4:30 in the morning when Morgan got out of bed. This was the last day before the weekend and there was a lot of preparation to do. The plan, as it stood, was to break into the Records and Administration, but slowly that seemed more and more like an impossible task. Not to mention that there was a significantly higher chance to get caught, than the things of the past. It was decided that today would be a day to play hooky, though, it wouldn't be a bad idea to make the meeting this afternoon. Locking the door, Morgan left the apartment and did some necessary shopping for the equipment needed as well as a small prepaid phone to call the school with.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 1.5 hours till school ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Um, Purple Crown Academy? Yeah, I'ma" *cough cough* "sorry, This is Morgan Hazelnut, grade 7. I'm afraid I won't be able to make it today." *cough* "I was just calling- Uh, yes ma'm. mmhmm. uhhuh. Sorry, thank you. Bye." With that, Morgan was surprisingly able to get out of school. Of course, they did know that the guardian is unavailable and it isn't like Morgan the only student living alone that has to call the shots.

Morgan has been staking out the R&A office, for the past couple of hours. Though, it wasn't until fifteen minutes after the call that anyone showed up. It was only one person so far, but it wouldn't be until everyone left that a move would be able to be made. For now, Morgan could only wait, bento and toolset in hand, watching the clouds go by and trying to not fall asleep.

"Let the lord of darkness cometh." He muttered under his breath.

There were many ways to deliberately piss someone off, and against his home room teacher he used all of them. His home room teacher was one of the rare teachers in Purple Crown that was tight in terms of homework. It was sort of understandable as Deep Ground usually ended up making students rather complacent but there was no reason to be a dick about it. Once Kosuke had seen him send a student to referral in tears because she hadn't finished her homework, and ever since then he'd become his mortal enemy.

He was Kosuke's english teacher and he was rather quick to criticize but he sort of had to thank him for that. He was a harsh marker, and Kosuke strived to do really well in his class just to spite him. It wasn't quite home room yet but Kosuke had his books on his desk ready to go, just for when his teacher came in.

This was a technique which would only work in Kosuke's situation, when his teacher walked in he'd make unflinching eye contact as he started to work on what was obviously the assigned homework he was supposed to have finished the night before, driving him to despair as he wouldn't be able to punish Kosuke because he only ever said homework had to be finished before his class.

Yes, there were only two kinds of people in the world. People he didn't like, and people he didn't mind.

Well actually... He thought, I kinda do have someone I like now, don't I?

Alex woke up stiff as a board. It was 5:45am, light barely leaking over the horizon sun not yet visible. I’m going to be in so much trouble if I don’t get out of here! hoping to escape the area before the morning staff made it Alex snuck out the way he came in, through a side door. Locking it behind him Alex made it back to his dorm room.

A fresh outfit was needed after sleeping on a hardwood floor in the previous day’s uniform. As he took off his jacket the remote to the auditorium sound booth fell out of his pocket.
As it sat on the carpeted floor, Alex was confused Wait... why is that here? the oddness of the situation seemed to stop Alex's train of thought. If the remote is here... that means my music player is still hooked up in the sound booth... realising it was too late to do anything about it now and the fact that he was too exhausted to actually care, Alex hung up his coat on the edge of a chair, put the remote back in the pocket and decided to have a shower as hot as he could possibly bare.

After the scalding shower Alex grabbed some fresh clothes and got redressed. Looking at the clock it was just past 7 so he had plenty of time to get to class. Grabbing his jacket Alex wandered down to the Academy and joined the sea of arriving students.
It feels so weird to not have headphones on. the lack of headphones, for the first time in almost two years, meant he had to listen to what other people were saying. There was nowhere to really wait for classes to start, except for the ‘Arena’ so like most of the students he made his way there.

As he entered the fray Alex was extremely glad that this wasn’t DGO, if it was some song would start blaring out, announcing his presence and all eyes would be on him. He couldn’t stand that, sure it was fine in DGO, but no one knew who he was. Alex went to great pains to ensure that no one would be able to tell he was. Alex found his way to a relatively empty area and sat down, a combination of exhaustion and nerves finally caught up with him and he lent back in his seat looking straight up to the sky hoping for the grating babble to fade away.

As he was hoping, Alex’s hand brushed his pocket holding the sound booth remote I could, but it would be pointless. It’s has to be out of range. Also there would be no point if no one can hear it... taking the remote out On the other hand... if no one else can hear it, what’s the harm? as he thought this an oddly Unrelenting Jukebox smile made its way onto his face and he hit play.
Despite expecting it, Alex was a bit disappointed that nothing happened he studied the remote more closely. Fiddling with the parts of the remote he was unfamiliar with Alex hit one a button here, a volume slider there and next thing he knew,



Wait, what?! How did I... what! Why is the auditorium linked to the PA system?! a panicked Alex scrambled and shoved the remote back into his pocket. It was only after he heard the familiar opening guitar riff he started enjoying himself, relaxing and listening to the music instead of the people.

Cassandra hadn't interacted with anyone the night at the school, but had just enjoyed...being there. She had only been there an hour, before returning home, just before her parents. Cassandra hadn't given her siblings a chance to talk with them, instead she had shuffled through them, and wrangled some time with them. She had stumbled through what she wanted, until she had finally articulated what she wanted.

Now she was more nervous as she approached the school, an hour early, so she could organise a dorm room. And thrilled when it all seemed to happen well. And then she began to get scared as she realised just what she had done. No time to think on it, she started to the her first class, bag over her shoulder, figuring that she'd think on everything else later, and just how she was going to move.

She jogged down the hall, realising she was in danger of being late, but stopped as Music came over the PA system. It was inappropriate, impulsive and certainly not something she had ever heard on the PA system. She blinked, that's almost...yes. It's like Jukebox and his music she thought, with amusement, wondering if whoever Jukebox was had done that.

She hurried on, clambering into her classroom, and searching for a seat, stumbling towards one, practically falling into her usual seat, she blushed, glancing about hoping that no one had noticed, and got her things out, staring down at the desk. She ran a hand through her hair, missing the more subdued colour of her Avatar's hair. This bright scarlett red colour made it seem to her that she was just crying for attention. The blonde of Nies Hellum was just better.

And she felt more confident with it. Sighing at her thoughts, she opened her notebook, and made it seem like she was reading from it.

Tim woke up nice and early. At 5:00 am, to be specific. While no self-respecting normal teenager would wake up that early, especially one who lived so close to the school, Tim did because he had morning exercises to do. Jogging, stretches and flexibility stuff. He had an itinerary from his parents which had been modified by his sensei, but it was flexible enough to add in deep ground and school. Tim shrugged on his tracksuit, laced up his runners, grabbed his bottle and made his way outside the dorm. Outside was pleasantly cool, typical of a spring morning.

"Nice morning for a run, if I've ever seen one." Tim said, stretching, before making off on his circuit.

An hour later, his run was done. He'd just finished his stretches and had taken a shower. Next was a healthy breakfast of cereal, toast, fruit and juice. His parents had sent him some healthy stuff, and he often brought from the nearby grocery store. After breakfast was done, he packed his bags and made for school. It was only 7:00 am, but that was fine, because he had to do something very important...

---

"Darn it, I still don't get this." Tim said in his homeroom. Unfortunately, academics existed, and he had to do them. It's not that he was failing, but he was average. Average people still had trouble with it. Many students in Purple Crown shirk academic pursuits in favour of deep ground, as with deep ground it's somewhat easier to secure a living. Nevertheless, Tim wanted to go through life giving 100%. He vowed to himself to give his all to everything, ever since that day...

Scrawling down some answers, Tim held up the page quizzically.

"This'll have to do." Tim said, putting it back down with a worried expression. "Gotta move on to maths."

Between DGO, his fitness stuff and his training, he didn't have that much time to study unless it was on weekends, and even then he worked his part time job on Sundays. That's why he did most of his homework in homeroom, because he didn't have that much time to spend on it. Yeah, he studied, but homework was different, sort of.

Tim looked down at his work, unsatisfied. Nevertheless, he closed his books.

"Well, that'll probably do." Tim sighed. "Class is starting soon anyway."

The class was filling with people, his homeroom class.

"Heya, Fred!" Tim called. "Wassup, Steve?"

He chatted with his friends as they came in the class, before music suddenly started playing through the PA system. Pretty much everyone was pretty surprised, though Tim tried not to show it. The music was pretty good, though, but he wasn't exactly a musician or anything.

"Woah, that's kinda weird." Tim said, a little taken aback. "But hey, it aint bad."

Sam woke up at 4:00 AM. It was early, even for him, but this was because today he was moving to the dorms at Purple Crown Academy. He got up from his bed, and looked at his packed bags. He had mixed feelings about this. He could focus more on DGO at school, but on the other hand he was in the place he felt at his worst: school. It wasn't the teachers, the lessons or the homework he hated: He hated the people. As long as Sam could remember, he was an outsider, never someone that could fit in with others. Blending in was easy, as you didn't actually needed to keep connected with the people. But getting friends? That seemed to be a whole different story. No one seemed to remember him besides his family, which were family after all, and the bullies.

As his father and mother brought him to school in the car, bags in the back, Sam thought about how it was in DGO. In DGO everything was different. There he was Shadow Shot, the mercenary. He was strong, a bit unexperienced, but with a lot of possibilities for the future. If he would succeed in DGO, and he knew he was, then everything would get better in the 'real' world. He was sure of it. If he just be the best in a game, he would actually have a future. It seemed too good to be true, but it was true. DGO was his golden ticket, and he would definitely grab it.

As he stepped out of the car, got his bags out of the back and said goodbye to his parents, he walked towards the familiar sight of Purple Crown and made his way to the dorms. Once at his dorm, he got his bags on the bed, and started placing stuff around his room. It took him some time, but eventually he was finished. There weren't many personal belongings in the room, except for stuff like pictures of his family. He didn't need many of them anyway. The only thing the stood out was a small colored statue of Shadow Shot. His parents had it made for him for his 14th birthday. It was their second best gift ever, besides DGO itself.

Now his dorm was finished, Sam made his way to the classes. He heard music on his way there, but he didn't put too much attention towards it. Instead, he just walked into the class and went straight to his usual seat in the back.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP CLICK!

Asahi grumbled as he smacked his alarm clock with his hand. He knew it was about 6ish in the morning and as usual, he didn't want to get up. He quickly fell back asleep less then a minute later, but five minutes afterwards another alarm across his room began to buzz. He laid in his bed ignoring it for a few more minutes before climbing out. He shuffled towards the alarm and turned it off. Now that he was up, he guessed he needed to wash up and such.

Slowly the big fat boy walked into his bathroom. He grabbed the toothbrush off the cup, took a tube of toothpaste, and walked into the showers. Inside his shower was a little cubby that held some sponges and a make shift stand where a rigged smartphone stood. "Shiny teeth."



About two minutes later Asahi left the bathroom, much more awake then before. He stretched and limbered up as he went to get dressed into his Purple Crown uniform, with his signature pink button up underneath. It was his own way of customizing it. Train the cat began to walk and curl himself around Asahi's feet. He picked up the black kitty after he got dressed and headed to get breakfast. "Hello Train. How was yesterday? I hope my friends didn't scare you, I know you're not good with people. Also you need to stop coming to me school. Purple Crown doesn't allow pets and I don't want you getting into trouble." Train seemed to mew in respond, but Asahi doesn't speak cat. Not while he was lucid anyways.

Asahi arrived in the kitchen and already there were house staff there to make him waffles. He let Train go to eat his breakfast too while he had his own. He went to go check on Deep Ground, but when he tried to log in he simply got another "Down for maintenance" sign. Sighing, Asahi guessed he'll just hang out with his friends today. Maybe expand his circle, since he's growing tired of the usual stooges that he hung out with. Most of whom where the kids of his father's co-workers. It's not as though Asahi doesn't value their friendship, but it's obvious to him that their companionship is a bit forced. He wanted something more... Platonic. And real.

After breakfast Asahi went outside where his friends were waiting for him. He noticed a few missing and waited for them too, and once they all arrived they walked to Purple Crown. They heard music being played in the distance which brought a smirk to Asahi's mouth. He started moving his body to the beat, sliding and shuffling. The others followed suited, copying his movements. They practiced this, though not to this song. They had practiced this on a whim back when they signed up for an Improv Everywhere skit. Soon Asahi and his friends, 12 people in total, were shuffling and dancing down the street, by the rhythm and music blurring from the Purple Crown PA.

---

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP CLICK!

Retsu stood over her alarm, groggy and tired. She had a bit of a hard time sleeping last night thanks to the sugar rush brought about from the coffee and Azure drink, so she spent it the deepest reaches of the net. And hour of tireless and frankly boring investigation, she fell asleep, only to wake up sore due to her sleeping position and failing to clean up after herself. It was a good thing she lived in the dorm alone or that would have been an awkward sight to stumble upon.

Retsu moved from her room to the bathroom. It was fairly large if only because her dorm was technically suppose to house four people. No one ever showed up however, so she has the entire pad for herself. Grabbing her toothbrush Retsu walked to the shower. She brushed her teeth while showering, and about three minutes later she left the bathroom. She dressed up in her school uniform before doing the usual morning routine of applying makeup. While she doesn't really dress to impress, she at least has some standards.

It was about 6 in the morning, give or take. She knew that Yoshino might show up for coffee. Then again, she might not. Whether or not she did Retsu went to the kitchen and made herself a pot of coffee. She had a really good coffee machine, but the issue was that it could never make a small amount. The smallest amount still filled up at least 30 ounces, and that was too much for Retsu to drink alone. As she waited for the coffee Retsu also made herself a bowl of cereals. She had a few boxes she brought, some of them old, some of them new, and mixed them together. A mixture of marshmallow bits, yogurt chips, and honey-oat grains mixed with milk. Retsu would give Yoshino about thirty minutes to show up, otherwise she's going to assume that she's a no show.

Michael awoke in a daze. He wasn't sure where he was. Ahead of him was a blurry, yet blinding light. He was still half-asleep, and was having trouble getting up. But, he was slowly regaining his wits. The blurry light came into focus. It was his TV. He'd fallen asleep watching it! Michael glanced over at the clock next to the television.

5.03am.

Relatively early. He lazily stood up and casually made his way upstairs, still half-blind. The morning daze was not over yet. It took him a good ten minutes to change into his schoolwear, and another five to brush his teeth. Michael was not a morning person. He despised them. Another school day, another day of goofing off in class or pretending he was working when he was actually staring out the window, wishing to be at home and playing DGO. But he couldn't do that today, because of what happened the day before. Michael wondered what had caused the crash. It must have had to be something big to bring down the entire game. Maybe it had something to do with the message he received a few minutes after it went down.

He hopped downstairs. Michael had fully woken up now, but still dreaded going to school. He made himself a bowl of cereal and ate it while watching television. He proceeded to head out the door, steeling his nerves, forcing himself to go to school and not skip and hang out somewhere else. Michael didn't bother saying goodbye to his family since they were all asleep, and wouldn't get up for about three more hours. He locked the door and headed towards Purple Crown Academy, debating whether or not to pay a visit to the Student Council President in regards to the message he heard yesterday.

"REBECCA!"
Rebecca rolled over and pulled the quilt over her head.
"REBECCA!"
There was silence for a moment as whoever was calling listened for a response, getting none they clearly decided to investigate as the sound of someone walking up the stairs reached her ears. Trying to delay the inevitable Rebecca sat up in bed.
"5 more minutes!"
The voice, now just outside her room was not impressed.
"Nope, you will not-"
The door opened revealing her mother.
"Be late for your first day at the academy"

And so it was that Rebecca found herself at the kitchen table spooning Cheerios into her mouth at a rate of knots, her mum and dad sat opposite with a cup of tea each.
"Now Rebecca, remember if you need anything you've got our number, don't hesitate to call!"
Rebecca rolled her eyes at this.
"It's just down the road! If I need you I can just get on a bus and be here in 20 minutes!!"
As she said this she gestured wildly with her right hand, it just so happens that her right hand was holding her spoon, which had before shed spoken been deep in the bowl of Cheerios. Her parents milk splattered faces spoke of oncoming doom, she glanced at the spoon in her hand, then to the Cheerios, then to her parents.
"urrrrrmmmm, Sorry"
A smile replaced the dark expression on her fathers face as he burst out laughing.
"Eat your cereal girl! I hope you won't eat like that at the academy or by god they'll send you right back to us!"

10 minutes later the front door of a small house, in a row of small identical houses, opened and out walked Rebecca pulling along a huge suitcase, She dragged the suitcase up to an old yellow hatchback and with a struggle managed to lift the suitcase into the boot.
Her Dad sat in the drivers seat and she slipped into the passenger seat, as the car pulled out into the road her mum waved them off, tears in her eyes.

The engine stopped it's quite growling and she looked over and hugged her dad.
"See you soon dad, love you."
He smiled and hugged her back.
"You take care of yourself, see you soon sweetie."

With suitcase in hand she watched the small yellow car pullaway and then she turned to the School. It is at this moment that she realized she had no idea where to go.

It was September, but the rays of the sun were poking out at the unholy hours of 5AM, regardless of Yuuki’s half-asleep protests. Crawling out of her futon and rolling onto the wooden floor of the dorm, she laid down on the cool surface as her bed-warmed body began to cool, until it was too cold to stay down any longer. She shivered in the chill room as she got up, stretching out her slim arms and arcing her delicate back until a nice crick could be heard. Then, the plain-faced girl sneezed. Sleeping naked had its benefits, but she wasn’t looking forward at all to the winter months. Didn’t help that the dormitory’s heater had been broken since ten months past.

Smiling slightly at Erika, who was tucked away in a bed that Yuuki never actually used, she scratched an itch on her crotch as she strode a few feet to the small kitchen of the single-person dorm. An apron was draped on, the coarse fabrics rubbing in a mildly irritating fashion against her chest. Well, no matter. A small knife was pulled out of the block as she surveyed the contents of the refrigerator. Her parents had sent her a shipment of soy beans two weeks ago, so she should probably use that…and perhaps with the three day old rice that she planned to use for Chinese-style fried rice but never got to? Then there were that bag of frozen peas and carrots, as well as the discount eggs that she got on the weekends…

Yeah, the fates were pretty much aligning towards fried rice for breakfast, huh?

With that settled, Yuuki tied her hair back with an elastic band, washed her hands, heated up the stove, and got started. Eggs cracked and mixed, oils were poured, chives were chopped, rice was fried, and then everything was tossed together, with a liberal amount of salt and soy sauce put in as well to give it a nice, golden texture, before she finished, just twenty minutes later. As an afterthought, she made a pot of miso soup on the side as well, before putting a lid on the both of them to let the dishes retain their warmth.

With breakfast and lunch made at the same time, the girl smiled at her one stone, two birds methodology, before tossing off the apron, undoing the ponytail, and spending the next ten minutes basking in the warmth of a hot morning shower, finally shaking off the autumnal chills. The goosebumps retracted from her skin and she felt positively amazing as she stepped out of the bathroom, beads of bathwater still clinging to her skin as she marveled at just how overpowered that lifehack was. To think that using a hairdryer while a towel was over your hair would be THAT effective.

It was another reason for her to smile while she set aside a bowl of vegetable fried rice for lunch, before sitting down to eat, her baby blue bathtowel draped over her nude, petite body.

It would appear that Yuuki wasn’t going to be putting on any clothes any time soon.

Erika cracked open her eyes at the sound and smell of food cooking. Her world was one of fuzz and moving colors with no distinct shape without her glasses, which lay on the nightstand beside her. She could see Yuuki's general shape in the kitchen, working away at preparing breakfast. She smiled and closed her eyes with a sigh, rolling over to face the wall. Her clusters of black curls were entangled and stretched out over the pillow behind her and she curled up, trying to drift away... And she must have dozed off again because the next thing she knew, she heard the shower running.

She blinked a few times, sighing gently as she turned over, feeling around the nightstand for her glasses. She put them on and groggily sat up, rubbing her eyes beneath the thick black rims. She hadn't come prepared to spend the night in her friends dorm, and still wore her school skirt and sweater from last night. No doubt she'd need to ask to borrow one of Yuuki's. Hopefully it wouldn't be an issue for her laid-back friend and they were about the same size albeit Yuuki being taller and Erika being a little more 'hippy.' Seeing as she already had the skirt, she didn't figure it would matter.

It was then that she realized she had a message... it was the same one from before with an added message. Not alone... Huffing, she closed the message and buried her head into her pillow. And it begins. Not awake for a few minutes without being hounded. If anything, now she really DID want to help take down the Black Guild. Who could be sending her these messages? If they were after her for the Mitsuki name then maybe they were bothering her brother too? Busy in her thoughts, she didn't notice Yuuki come out of the bath. Checking her messages and finding concerned texts from her brother and parents, she sighed. Right, she just ran off tonight without warning. Of course they were scared. Her family had always been concerned about going out in public. Something about how her great-great-great aunt was crushed by a falling piano when the person operating the wynch to hoist it up to a new floor recognized her as the Mitsuki that backstabbed them in order to up her rank in Deep Ground.

Comical as fuck, if you asked Erika.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a baby blue color and looked up. She blanched and began blushing like mad at the sight of Yuuki only clad in a bath towel. Her glasses slid down the bridge of her nose and she could feel the heat of her own beet-red face.

"G-G-Good morning Yuuki...!"

She took off her glasses immediately for.... for what reason? To show Yuuki respect or...? Bah, it was done now. She exhaled, calming down and went to the table, bumping into literally everything possible before sitting down opposite Yuuki and fumbling her way to a bowl of what Yuuki had made and eating. This was weird. It was weird, right? Or was she the one being weird? She couldn't bring herself to ask but at the very least all she could see were blurred out versions of everything.

Yoshino sighed loudly.

She didn't want to do this. She really, really didn't want to do this. But here she was, standing before Retsu's dorm door, ready to knock on it to announce her presence. The Student President had skipped breakfast to make time for Retsu's coffee, figuring that the other girl would give her a time limit or something. After all, Yoshino didn't expect Retsu to wait all day for her. And it wasn't like this was the first time Yoshino had gone off without breakfast. Just another trial to be faced and overcome by the one titled with Student President. Ignoring the slight rumbling of her stomach, Yoshino stood at attention and lightly rapped on the door.

"Mhmm."

Retsu had her mouth full, but wanted to let Yoshino know she was there. Putting her bowl down, finishing her food, and wiping her mouth, Retsu grabbed two cups of coffee with one hand and headed to her door. Checking the peep hole, she saw that it was Yoshino. Alone. The door opened.

"Hello. I'll admit, I'm surprised you actually took me up on my offer. Cereal?" Retsu beckoned for Yoshino to join her for breakfast. While she still had an incomplete bowl of cereal to finish, Retsu did also take out an empty bowl for Yoshino to eat out of.

"Greetings. I'm fine," Yoshino lied, entering into the dorm room and taking a good look around. To be honest, she was surprised Retsu had such a large space all to herself, especially when it looked like it could house two or even three more people. The Student President sat down at the seat across from Retsu, not exactly sure what was the point of this session.

"It would be impolite of me if I didn't come. So here I am Goroshi-...Retsu. May I ask why you have such a big living quarters? The Purple Crown maintenance usually doesn’t make mistakes like this and if you want, I can arrange to move you to a more suitable dorm."

It was a nice start, considering Yoshino wasn't used to this interacting thing.

Retsu shrugged and went back to her cereal. Yoshino wanted to know why she lived in such a big room despite the lack of evidence that other people lived here. "I was assigned dorm mates. It lasted for a little while before they simply left. I was told that more would be coming. Evidently that hasn't happened yet." What Retsu didn't tell her was that said dorm mates were the children of her father's friends. Retsu never really... bonded with them. They had their own circle. Retsu knew they didn't want to be with her, so she gave them permission to leave. It wasn't as though she really used everyone else's room for anything. The most she does is keep it from getting dusty.

"I'm fine where I am. It'll be too much of a hassle to have to move to another dorm anyways. I keep my things in my room." Retsu finished up her cereal and began to wash her bowl.

"Also Yoshino? I know that our alliance requires you and me to be in contact, but for the sake of both our secrecy it would be best if we don't see each other too often during school. While you may have the reputation of the student president, closest to the Black King, I have no such reputation. I intend to keep it like that. If I were to suddenly make appearances around you so soon after the Black King has opened her door to the Ebon Strykers, others may take notice and inquire about who I am. And the best way to keep a secret is to make sure no one ever has a reason to think about it. Not even my fellow Erasers know my true identity, while they at least know that you have some involvement with the Black King. Indeed, I've actually participated in an operation to investigate your own subordinates and to discover who they are in relation to the Black King. Nothing panned out, but I'd rather not be the one investigated myself."

"Yes, that makes sense," Yoshino said with a nod, eyeing the empty bowl of cereal. "I could always have you assigned into the Student Council though I doubt that wouldn't end up blowing back in our faces. Besides, you don't strike me as the type to make herself known anyway. Though my client will have to inform the other Ebony Strykers that Dark Wraith will be the Black King's Deputy. At least that way they won't question your sudden appearance."

The bespectacled girl shifted her glasses, lifting the mug up and taking a small sip. Once again she only put about two spoonfuls of sugar with no cream, leaving the liquid bitter and almost tasteless. Taking in the comforting scent of the hot drink, she checked the time to see that they had half an hour left before school started.

"I went ahead and informed the school that we'll be coming in late due to official Student Council business. Just in case you wanted to chat more with me. I won't lie, it's nice to speak to someone that isn't part of the Student Council. As you can imagine, my job takes up most of my time," she said mechanically.

"I would imagine so. It does make me question... what's your stake in all of this?" Retsu looked directly at Yoshino. This was what she wanted to ask yesterday, but couldn't due to the time. Yoshino came off as the "perfect student council president" and yet she has an abysmal of DG Credentials, or so she claims, and allied directly with the Black King. And she knows fully well that the Black King wants to shut down the system; that was almost counterproductive to what a School President should do. Even if she dislikes games, they were part of the life and culture here. So why would Yoshino be so willing to risk her neck out for something that would tear apart the entire city?

"It does seem rather strange to me that the Student Council President would be so willing to ally with the Black King, certainly after the controversy that destroyed the Black Guild last time. You know... if we start making progress... you'd be in danger. There's a reason why the Erasers work in secret. Despite what we want, no one wants Deep Ground gone. And if they figure out that's what the Black King is trying to do, they'll come after you."

"Very perceptive Retsu," Yoshino said dryly. "But yes, I know the risks of getting involved. However, I've known the Black King since before the fall of the last Black Guild. I'm quite used to people putting their curiosities where they shouldn't be. I've managed to deal with things you couldn't imagine by myself. And I'll continue to do so for the sake of my client. I'm just a figure head for Moon Rider's plans. We both share the same goals and outlooks. That's all."

Yoshino stared into her coffee cup as she said all this, keeping from making direct contact with the other girl in the room. Yes, she had worked alone so far. This prospect was nothing new to her and it was the only way she knew now how to function.

"Besides, if I have to be perfectly honest with you Retsu, if something were to happen to me, the world would never know Moon Rider's secrets."

She left those words hang in the air, testing to see how sharp Retsu really was. It wouldn't surprise her if the redhead had already figured it out and from her stand point, it wouldn't change much. If Retsu defected, she was willing to find her own outcome alone once more.

"Be that as it may, I doubt Moon Rider could operate so well without you." Retsu had her hunches. Yoshino was Moon Rider. Just about everyone had that guess, and frankly, Retsu figured it would be the case. But she never said it explicitly. "Or could she? She's already been this quiet. If you were gone, who's to say she wouldn't simply choose another? Someone who's gullible or malleable enough? I doubt it was because of your status as student president that why you of all people were chosen to be the spokesperson of the Black King. Our goals align... and despite what little we know, it's uncanny how similar we are in perspective."

Retsu sat next to Yoshino, sipping her own coffee. She had poured a bit of her cereal milk into the coffee to cool it down and give it a creamy flavor. "Everyone wants to know who the Black King is. But I want to know who Tsugumi Yoshino is. Without the Black King, without Deep Ground, without the school or the council... Who's this girl?"

Yoshino glanced over, not sure how to feel with how close Retsu was being and how she was asking such probing questions. Though even she had to be amazed that this girl was genuinely curious about her, and not her client for once.

"Can I answer that with a question of my own? Why do you care so much? I keep saying this, but we only just met last night. And I know it's probably for business reasons that you would want to know me better...but it really doesn't sound that way. Retsu, why do you care about me, about Tsugumi Yoshino?"

"Because if I wanted to know more about the black king, I would speak to Moon Rider. But right now I'm in the presence of Tsugumi Yoshino. Why should I speak about anyone else?" Simply blunt. Retsu downed her coffee quickly, standing up to get herself a second cup. She didn't pour any milk in it this time however, though she did drop a sugar cube and stirred.

"Without a doubt anyone who meets you only wants to know about Moon Rider. Who she is, what you do for her, if you are her. They see you as just a... a door to someone greater. That sickens me. Moon Rider is a character, and nothing more. Maybe if I was interested in her I would be in Deep Ground right now, talking to her. But I'm not. I never asked for you to bring Moon Rider, or for you to arrange a meeting for her and myself. I want to know you because you are a person worth knowing. You do so much for the school, not just the black king." Retsu took a sip.

"But that means nothing. They only see Moon Rider, the enigmatic ruler of the Black City. As far as they care, you're not any more important to Moon Rider then Moon Rider's sword. I don't want to be like that. I don't see you as merely a tool, a means to an end, a method to a madness. I don't care about masks and the roles we play. I want to know about someone. And you're the only one who's important enough for me to know." Retsu took another sip of her coffee. She added another sugar cube.

To say that the Student President was surprised was a gross understatement. She listened on with slightly widened eyes, taking in Retsu's speech. This girl....she was simple but she saw through what most people could not see or perceive with uncanny ease.

"Well...it's been a long time since I've heard anyone say something like that, let alone to me," Yoshino said with a growing smile. "Are you sure you don't want to join the Student Council? You have refined speech giving skills Retsu. But joking aside...there's nothing much to say about me really."

Yoshino played with her glasses as she leaned forward in thought. There were quite a few people she could think of that would kill to be in Retsu's position right now. To have the enigmatic Student President talking one on one with them was almost as good as talking to the Moon Rider's real world Player. It was almost like they were one and the same, though it was too early to be jumping into conclusions.

"I can list off the name of everyone currently attending or staffing Purple Crown Academy," she offered, hoping that was an acceptable starting point. "I don't have a favorite color specifically since I like them all, though I guess you can say purple and white are close competitors. Figures, right?"

Retsu smirked. "It's a start."

An alarm rang in Retsu's head. Checking it, it said that they had ten minutes until seven. Retsu could make it on bike, but not on foot. "We have ten minutes to get to class. We'll never make it on foot. Care to ride with me?" Walking towards the closet Retsu took out her bike. Same as before, though with a bit of adjustment, she would be able to give a bit more space for Yoshino to sit. "We can talk more while we head to class."

"If you don't mind the extra weight," Yoshino answered as she sat behind Retsu. "Though I can guarantee you that people will stop and stare. They'll recognize me and you. They might even think that we're..."

She didn't finish that statement, letting her new....friend fill in the blanks. Not that Yoshino cared either way given that it wasn't true but she didn't want Retsu to be the subject of teasing or threats from people already crushing on the Student President.

"Don't worry. They won't see a thing."

Once the two girls were on the ground floor and mounted, Retsu kicked her kick-stand and rode off. Fast. "Hang on and stay close." Retsu's normally ten-speed bike went about 40 mph down the hill, and from her furious pedaling, she intended to keep that speed. While she did eventually slow down, it was only to 20 mph, which was still rather fast for two girls on a bike. They sped past many people, including a gang of boys dancing in the street, but they never stayed around long enough for them to be seen.

Thanks to Retsu's need for speed, it only took them five minutes to get to the school. Their last obstacle was the Rules and Administration Office. Normally, Retsu would need to take a long winding turn through the parking lot and sidewalks to get by. But she could also just cut through the grass, and at this speed nothing short of the wall could actually stop her. Well, a wall, or a person.

Retsu turned a corner sharply, too sharply. Too fast, because she didn't see Morgan before Retsu reared up her bike and was about to run him over. Or her.

All the while, Yoshino clung on for dear life, casting an mildly annoyed glare at Retsu's back. She was all but launched off as the redhead screeched to a deafening grind near the Rules and Administration Office. It was a good thing she did though because Yoshino directed her glare at someone else hiding suspiciously. Someone that had better move before they get themselves run over.

Hm…she should have added some honey to it. Get that sweet and salty taste and all. Licking a grain of rice from the corner of mouth, she watched with some amusement at Erika’s fumbles, wondering why exactly she removed her glasses upon seeing breakfast. While fried rice wasn’t generally the prettiest looking of meals, Yuuki didn’t think that it looked THAT bad. And it would be pretty messy as well, especially with…

She winced as the messy-haired girl bumping into the small table, sending the contents of the bowls of soup wobbling from one side to the other. Some of the liquid splashed onto the surface itself, the sheen obvious even in the dim natural lighting of the room. Drawing out a tissue to wipe it up, Yuuki wondered how exactly Erika planned to eat breakfast while causing so much collateral damage, before getting off her seat. Daintily picking up Erika’s hipster glasses, she spun it between her fingers before sliding it in front of her half-blind friend.

“Fried rice and miso soup is sorta hard to consume when you can’t see too well, Erika,” she stated, seating herself down once more, “Might want to put those back on.”

Morgan Hazelnut - Flan

Morgan's eyes blew up like balloons the instant the tires started screeching against the pavement. An overloaded bike had just turned the corner into the R&A lot and headed straight for Morgan, with little chance of stopping in time. Quickly, Morgan dropped everything and fell back out of the way; managing to only get a foot caught in front of the bikes tire, crashing it and its passengers into the nearby shrubbery.

It could've been the adrenaline rush that came from the sudden chance with death, but Morgan's foot wasn't in any pain. In fact, all current trains of thought, personal ideals, and the day's activities had been stripped from mind, leaving only concern for the two seniors that suddenly came to an unlucky stop. Feeling nothing but guilt and worry for the two girls, Morgan rushed over and helped up Retsu then Yoshino, recognizing the president only after a good look at her face. "EHhhh! S-sorry, I'm sooo sorry. A-Are you two okay? Do I need to get the nurse?"