Night of Infamy
Mt. Meggido Grand Hall, Remnant (Brotherhood HQ)
20:00

"You bring shame upon our Brotherhood with your senseless violence!"



"And how do you intend to convince the Knights of Blood Oath that you slaughtered nearly a dozen of their soldiers, all of them high-leveled players, just because they would not show you the respect you think you deserve?"



"Show some humility, boy. You are testifying before your brothers and sisters."

@Ezmeralda @Rekaigan @Shadow Daedalus @Celaira @yoshua171 @Grey @iHxzardx @OneWayOut @akirashadow @ClocktowerEchos @Lunaeria @Jinxlynx@RyoRyoRyoken @ColorMeEvil

Mt. Meggido Grand Hall served as a special meeting place for the inhabitants of Remnant. Every member of the Brotherhood convened at this location for only the most dire of situations. With its interior matching that of a gothic cathedral's, complete with stained glass windows and a throne where the altar would be placed, the Grand Hall was treated as sacred ground. As such, under the Grand Master's decree, all attending were to equip item <<Regent of the Masquerade>>, a dark crimson hooded cloak that concealed the wearer's face under impenetrable shadow.

"Don't you feel any remorse for what you have done?"

"That's enough, Fenixrite." The Grand Master raised a gloved hand, palm up towards the prosecutor. The simple gesture was also a non-verbal command for everyone else to maintain their silence. Like everyone else, The Grand Master's appearance was concealed under a red hood. She remained seated in her throne, keeping her voice tame but stern with authority. "It's quite clear that he has no regrets. Does the defendant have anything else to say?" She turned her attention towards the youthful avatar.

The defendant examined his surroundings before a contemptuous smirk formed on his lips.

His admission was met only with silence. He could only imagine the looks on their faces, something that would greatly satisfy him.



He let that last part sink in, knowing it was sentiment that some shared within the Brotherhood. He chuckled with disdain as he turned to face the Grand Master.



He smiled one last time before drawing his sword. Fenixrite was the first to react as he raised a hand in protest. He shouted at the young one, ordering him to stand down and to stop wasting everyone else's time. This was Guild grounds, and it wasn't the time and place to challenge anyone to a duel. Within arms reach now, Fenixrite blinked as the blade came for his head. To everyone's horror, the familiar red gash glowed around his throat like a fiery necklace. Fenixrite held a trembling hand to his damaged neck, eyes wide with disbelief. His knees buckled beneath him before his body went rigid with fear. It only took seconds for the system to register a depleted HP and shatter him into fragments.





The Grand Master rose in a panic. "Everyone, close your eyes!"

It was as if the Heavens shined its holy brilliance over the Grand Hall. The origin of the light was impossible to determine, but it shined with so much power as if it had weight to it. Even with eyes closed, the light threatened to blind everyone within the Grand Hall. The illumination only lasted seconds, just long enough to doom everyone present. Blurred vision and a ringing in the ears was a common side effect of <<Spiritual Light>>.





How is this possible?

Vegnya watched helplessly as the massacre began to unfold. One by one her children turned against each other, drawing their weapons and cutting at the first person they laid eyes on. It was a sea of rage, panic, and sorrow. Glowing crimson gashes appeared among them like aimless fireflies in the dark. There was no blood in Sword Art Online, but the red <<Regent of the Masquerade>> cloaks made the throng look like a violent current of that familiar scarlet liquid.

The Grand Hall was ground zero for Armageddon.



"Hikaru." A slight illumination appeared around Vegnya as she removed her <<Regent of the Masquerade cloak>>. She stood only a short distance from the person responsible for the brawl. She desired nothing more than to end his existence, but heartbreak weakened her to an apathetic numbness. Still, she fought for answers. "You have more than one Breaker, don't you?"



"Come back here, coward!" Vegnya charged after him as <<The Cresent>> materialized into her hands. Hikaru was a slippery one, unfortunately. In just a blink he disappeared into a sea of blade-clashing frenzy. Instead of encountering the head of the snake, two lesser serpents she once called her children, prepared to devour their oppressor. Their forms were hidden in their red cloaks, but Vegnya could see the battle axe and broadsword. With a heavy heart she marched forward to end their misery.

Now was the time for survival.



Brotherhood members in attendance: 40

Those affected by status effect <<Hate>>: Unknown

Boss: Hikaru <<The Enlightened>> (Currently Engaging: No one)

Directions: Fight for your lives. Clearly state the number of enemies you have dispatched and use @Mentions as necessary.

Example:

Nyx sighed inwardly, crossing her right leg over the left as she leaned back in her seat and lowered her head to her chin. This was not the first time a meeting like this was called... Though something of this magnitude had never come up before, she knew it was all going to be a pain at the end of the day. She cursed aloud, softly, not that she cared that anyone would hear-- she sat abnormally far away from the others who naturally gathered at the front-- but because she wanted to be sure she heard everything the GM and the accused were saying.

Of all the dumb things to do, Hikaru had to fuck with the KOB. The thought again of the backlash the Guild would receive this time made her cringe. Somehow, as a close friend and ally to the GM, she always got wrapped up in whatever shit the Brotherhood was accused for. Sad part was, Nyx was also rather close to the bastard in question. The man had some serious issues, no one could doubt that, but he was an asset to the Guild that was too precious to give up. It was always something with him... He was never satisfied with anything. But this... This was him going too far.

As Hikaru began to plea his case so to speak, Nyx couldn't help but see the truth in his words. They WERE all killers... Even someone like her, one who had never the need to raise her sword to another player, was responsible for the death of dozens of players... Idiots who thought her Alias was just a Myth. She scoffed.

"Iron Maiden... Of all things. I'll be the one to end the bastard who came up with that name. Though... It's not the worst among those here." she mumbled under her breath. A small smirk formed on her lips; not that anyone would see it with what she was wearing.

Focusing again on what Hikaru was preaching this time around, she couldn't help but notice some things he was saying, he'd confessed to her once before in Private. The one thing she had in common with him were the treatment of Breakers within the game. It was true there was only a handful of them left... The lucky ones who managed to make it into the Brotherhood before they were hunted or tossed in jail just for existing. Hiding in plain sight... Having to walk around this already fucked up world in fear of those who all just want the same thing as they do... To be free of this damned game. Nyx herself was less than happy about the circumstances. She couldn't blame Hikaru for how he felt. Whatever the glitch was... A cheat or a blessing... It certainly gave Breakers a one-up so to speak... And it was wrong that they had to live believing they were inferior. Her agreements with Hikaru stopped there, however, as his whole plan to "rule" was just him being a nutcase. Fair treatment was what she wanted... In a world where tomorrow was uncertain and death was inevitable, The Brotherhood provide Breakers with something as close to that as they could get.

The sound of metal brought her eyes back up to the front of the Hall, as Hikaru charged forward and without a moments hesitation, slit the throat of the GMs right hand man. Nyx was on her feet in the blink of an eye. To her horror, the man seemed stunned as he clutched his throat before combusting into a mist of crystals, pronounced dead.

"What the-"

Her words were cut off by the sound of the GM yelling for everyone to close their eyes. Nyx did so in an instant, bringing her arm up to cover her face on instinct. A moment passed and she lowered her arm, blinking and looking around her. The whole room seemed stunned and Hikaru's voice pierced through the silence and he demanded the death of the GM herself. Nyx thought for a moment the bastard had completely lost it... And then all hell broke loose.

In a matter of seconds, people began turning to their friends, swords raised and ready to fight to the death. Nyx regained her composure and paid them all no mind. With her right hand dead, she knew the GM would need someone by her side, and so she began to move towards her, pushing through the crowd. From the corner of her eye, she saw a shadow move towards the exit and she cursed again. The bastard was trying to get away was he? Biting her lower lip in thought, Nyx pondered whether to protect her GM or go after Hikaru. With a roll of her light blue eyes, she I equipped her uniform cloak and replaced it with her armor set, equipping Rapture at her back. With one last look at Vegnya, she decided the woman would be alright on her own and began the pursuit of Hikaru.

She had barely reached the edge of the massive brawl before a light pain pierced her chest as a sword tore through her body, the end exposed at the juncture between her breasts. With a sigh, she closed her eyes.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked, annoyance weighing heavily on her tone.

"Finally... I get to kill you like I've always wanted, you bitch." Said the voice of a cloaked guild mate. Slowly she stepped away from the man, the sword slowly pulling away and out of her chest. She turned to him then and placed a hand on her hip. "You can't kill me." she said, watching as her health already started to regenerate.

"Dont think so? We all know your Breaker, bitch. You think you're invincible? Huh! Anyone who has more health than you can take you down, and I'm just the one to do it." The guy said with a smirk as he raised his sword and swung at her. Nyx allowed the weapon to slash her, and she watched curiously as his health began to drop along with hers. His health was good she would give him that. Obviously he was a VIT based Tank. He made the same mistake as the rest however, assuming her light armor meant she was sporting lower health than in reality.

Reaching up, Nyx pushed aside some of her hair that had fallen into her face. "You seem like the type that doesn't have a fully functional brain so I'll talk slow so you can understand. You can't kill me. It took a long time for me to figure it out... Dumb players like you think it's all about your stats don't you? Never thinking about what equipment you should wear that suits you best. I can tell by looking at you... You're the type to buy the most expensive gear you can find, regardless of what it does to your skills. Since I'm feeling nice, I'll fill you in." she told him, crossing her arms across her chest. "I'm a STR/VIT build. At the start of the game I knew I wanted to be able to dish out damage and survive. That was all I cared about. As time went on I managed to figure out exactly what equipment fit my stats so I can have the exact build I want. Put simply, you could call me a Tank. My sword raises my strength stat by nearly half so long as my level is under seventy. This armor set gives the added effect of a boost in vitality based upon my strength stats, my head piece gives a boost in agility based on my strength. My cloak gives the me a boost of Defense based on vitality, and that coupled with my Battle Healing skill, I've made it so that I'm virtually unkillable at this level. If you got all that, it essentially means that not a single soul in this room has the DPS or the Health Points to kill me before me and my Breaker kills them, simple as that. Unless of course they were about twenty or so levels above me, then I'd have reason to concern. Get all that through that thick helmet of yours?"

Without another word, Nyx turned on her heels and began to walk out of the room and after Hikaru. He may have been long gone by then, but Nyx wanted to have no part in the death that was sure to ensue. She was about ready to leave all this behind in fact, walk right out the doors and never come back... But well, that probably wouldn't turn out as well as she wanted.

Ezmeralda frowned, eyes ahead at who she knew was Vegnya and Hikaru. Even with the cloak she could tell by their voices. She knew the former pretty well, but she often stayed clear of Hikaru. He always gave her bad vibes. He acted civil enough usually, but his eyes held a dsturbing quality. Like a man that could cause trouble at any given time. Ezzy wanted none of that. Even on missions where they had to work together, she kept her distance and would have prefered to have gone solo or with someone much weaker. She didn't need much help to take down high level bosses. With a bit of time and someone to tank for her she could take down almost anything even without her Breaker due to her ridiculous attack values. Her Crossblade grew as she did exponentially and she was now one of the highest.

That said, she didn't quite understand the situtation here. She never undertsood why players wanted her and people like her dead. Wouldn't it make more sense to friend someone with this kind of power so they could clear the game together? Ezzy was happy to help anyone if they asked her. She could only break it down to simple jealousy. It's not like she asked for this, though....it just happened. She didn't even like using her Breaker. It made her go a little wild, and the longer she used it, the worse it got.

Ezzy snapped out of her thoughts as she noticed motion where Vegnya and Hikaru were. She gasped and dashed to help. But it wasn't long before someone managed to grab her by the arm. The fact that he managed to stop her with her speed was actually quite impressive. "Let go. I don't have time for this..."

"So it is you, Ezmeralda. That gasp gave me a hint, but your voice confirms it." He said taking off the Regent. She had seen him a couple times, but never met him. He looked like a pretty average guy even as far as the Brotherhood went, he wasn't even a very high level. She took off hers as well. Ezzy didn't like using it anyway. He sized her up before speaking again, "Such nice....equipment. Did the GM buy that for you?" She realized he was now mocking her.

"No, actually. I did. And the sword I've always had. Please let go. I have more important things to deal with than you." He didn't. Instead he drew a sword with his other arm and stabbed it at her stomach. Ezzy wasn't too worried about it, but why get hit when you could avoid it? She took a step back and let it pass by before planting a knee firmly in his stomach. The man finally released her, allowing her to draw her Crossblade. She gripped her blade firmly and sent a slash across his chest while he was still trying to get his breath back.

She then watched as his health appeared and dropped down to a mere smidgen. "Try me again when you're stronger, however I would expect the same result..."

"Wh-What kind of....hack is this?" he said, obviously struggling.

"I may be an IT Security Specialist, but I'm no hacker. I'm what you could call a reverse hacker. A glitch is not a hack, anyway. Please learn your terms." And with she turned and headed to Vegnya at a dash. Her Sprint and speed bringing her there very quickly. Ezzy skidded to a stop next to her, "Boss! Are you alright?" she asked, concern obvious on her adorable features. The woman didn't appear hurt physically, but her eyes held a more emotional pain.

Ezmeralda || Dispatched: None || Invovled with: Vegnya (whose name is very hard to spell!)@Volenvradica

Akira was stood over to one side of the Grand Hall, maintaining his distance from his 'brothers' and 'sisters'. This was very typical of how he dealt with any situation that involved the guild in its entirety. The occasion, one of the members of the Brotherhood was standing trial for PKing members of the Knights of Blood Oath. Although run ins with the Knights of Blood Oath wasn't a rarity these sort of trials were. After all the Brotherhood typically tried to avoid un-necessary confrontation with the assualt team wherever possible, at least that was Akira's understanding of the situation. Akira simply watched as the trial unfolded before them, occasionally glancing round at the other guild members. With such a large collective of players one should always keep their guard up, many of the Brotherhood members had different beliefs and outlooks and this was a dangerous catalyst.

Hikaru's ramblings would continue. But within the ramblings of a madman some might oft finds words with at least some meaning to them. True, they were all murderers, if you could really word it as such. Most within the brotherhood had only killed as a matter of self defence, many of its members had been targeted by the Laughing Coffin for one reason or another. If it wasn't the Laughing Coffin then one of the next most likely suspects was The Army. All breakers suffered from this affliction of Guilds gunning for them simply for being who they were. It wouldn't be surprising if members of the Brotherhood that have had particularly nasty occurences with other guilds were Hikaru's target audience.

Though it would appear that Hikaru was trying to play certain breaker mindsets to his advantage, as shortly into the trial he was shouting trying to incite the guild members who looked on. Akira couldn't tell if the talk of unrest within the guild was a big a threat as people made out, his intel on the matter was limited as most members of the guild chose to actively avoid him.

Akira gave a side ward glance as he watched over the room once more, beginning to feel uneasy about where Hikaru's speech might eventually lead his right hand moves down the side of his robe and rests softly atop the pommel of his weapons grip. "This guys losing it..." Akira mumbled to himself as he continued to watch on, talk of ruling over the normal players. Although the idea was slightly enticing it was also stupid, the guild didn't have the numbers to enforce such a ruling and the Oath sworn to the guild would strongly oppose such thinking. Though Hikaru spoke of people fearing guilt of defecting it seemed evident that what he feared was the uncertainty of his fate. As Akira raised a brow in confusion Hikaru had chosen the solution to cement his fate certainty.

The event was almost instantaneous, for within a moment Fenixrite became nothing more but raw data as he dispersed from existence within the game, his data deleted. Temporarily stunned by what had unfolded there was an inevitable delay in his response to the Grand Master's warning as Akira instinctively raised his arm towards his face and clenched his eyes shut. It was clear that Hikaru was still shouting to the other guild members but the ringing in Akira's ears, and his distance from the front of the hall made it impossible for him to make out.

By the time Akira's vision had returned to him the players within the Grand Hall had resorted to violence. Akira confused looks on as he notices that this violence was infighting, there was no attacker other than Sister and Brother against one another. "What the hell is going on..." Akira glanced back towards the front of the hall as he saw Vegnya heading toward the crowd of fighting players. "Grand Master!" His voice was drowned out by the clashing of weapons in the background, though it would appear it had drawn unwanted attention as a player broke off from the crowd approaching Akira. Akira responded in turn as he drew his weapon steadying in his hand as his opponent approached him, clearly someone did not know who they were picking a fight with. "Stand down Brother, if you come at me you'll regret it." Akira took a defensive stance, he had no intention of engaging his opponent unless he had to. Though the necessity would soon be made clear as the robed figure charged at Akira ready to cut him down where he stood. "You swore the oath!..." Akira shouted as the players blade was swung down towards Akira who parried away the attack as a small drop appeared on his HP bar as the sword skimmed down the side of his arm. "Now pay the price for breaking it." His opponent would be offered no opportunity to follow up, nor shown any sign of mercy as Akira forced his sword through his opponents gut, the small amount of health he lost replenishing itself. "Farewell brother." Akira speaks as his opponents body slopped against the hilt of his weapon before the word DEAD appeared above his head and he disappeared without a trace of existence.

Akira headed toward the frey, though he was intent on avoiding confrontation. Off on another edge of the madness he could make out a familiar player walking away from it all as a robed player impaled her through the back. Another misfortunaye player, though it wasn't much of a stretch to consider people picking a fight with Nyx to be within the un-educated ranks of the guild. Though it seemed Nyx would maintain the calm to overlook the transgression as Akira watched her walk away. "Where the hell is she going?..." Though an answer to the question would definitely be worth seeking Akira pushed it from his mind, there was more pressing matters to attend to. The Grand Master was towards the front of the hall, or at least that was where he lost sight of her. Pulling down the hood of his robe, Akira slowly edged toward the death match occurring before his eyes, he had to find the Grand Master no one player could handle this on their own. Akira brought up his menu setting his tracker on Vegnya so that he could locate her easier, assuming she didn't block the marker at least. Sword ready Akira stepped between combating guild members, those already engaged seem to be completely ignorant of his presence as though guided by some underlying rage forcing them to see the battle through to the end. Amongst the madness Akira noticed a player hesitating as he approached. "Fight, if you don't fight, you'll die." Akira says as he steps before the player deadlocking an attack meant to slay the hesitant target. Akira overpowered the player and forces him back several paces as he lifts his hood, and disappears back into the sea of robes, only to pull it down again moments later. "Come on, where are you..." Akira mumbles as he goes to check his tracker once more.

Akira Shadow || Dispatched: 1 || Players Directly Involved: None || Tracking: Vegnya @Volenvradica

The Dollmaker. A man known for his penchant to craft unbelievably powerful boss weapons, sat to the left of the Grand Master; head careened down to look at the accused through the shadows of his «Regent of the Masquerade» hood. The man’s body language was stoic, though there was a clear emotion of disappointment, or possibly anger visible in his posture. Even hidden by the equipment that he wore, it was impossible for those in the guild to not know it was him. The Grand Master’s left hand.

By his side as always was the woman he had made his bride not that long ago. Hidden by the equipment they were required to wear, he could feel her eyes intently watching him.

She, herself, was largely new to the Brotherhood, and he knew that this was her very first summit meeting. He was curious how she was handling it. After a moment or two, he leaned over to her and whispered, ”So, what do you think?”

The woman’s hooded visage turned to him, her body language imperceptible. ”If I’m being honest… I think that his power has gone to his head.” Her voice was a low whisper, allowing only the Dollmaker to hear her words.

The man smiled thoughtfully. She seemed so innocent at times.

Just as he was about to say something else, the change in Hikaru’s tone caught his attention, and he found himself looking back down at the boy. This type of talk didn’t bode well for the Guild as a whole. It was in that same moment that the boy decided to prove himself by attacking Vegnya’s Right Hand.

With a flash of red, and the widened eyes of realization from the man who sat at Vegnya’s right, it was made clear that the boy had succeeded as DEAD appeared above the man’s name, followed swiftly by his avatar shattering into nothing.

The Dollmaker rose abruptly from his seat, only to find himself shielding his wife as Vegnya’s words caught up with his panicked mind.

After a moment his wife’s hand touched his chest. ”It’s over, love.” Her voice was warm against his ear, allowing him a comfort he hadn’t entirely realized he needed. It was in that moment that he felt a strange sensation wash over him.

In an instant, he was filled with an incomprehensible rage.

As if she could feel the change, his wife, Raema reached out to touch him. She had removed her «Regent of the Masquerade», allowing him to see the worry on her face.

How he hated that look.

As his eyes met hers, something dark began to well up inside of him. She was holding him back. Ever since he had met her, he hadn’t been able to think of anything else. Everything was about her. How was her day? Had she been safe on the upper floors? Was she doing alright? Did she need her weapon sharpened? Did she need a new weapon?

His eye twitched.

He hadn’t been able to work through a day without wondering about her. It had affected his job. He had botched orders because of her.

He hated her.

_{”You’re holding me back.”}



Raema’s head tilted to the side, worry written all over her face as she watched her husband’s demeanor change. He seemed so… angry. It was unlike him.

As she was about to ask him if he was alright, he said something. However, in the chaos that was going on around them, she was unable to catch exactly what he had said. ”What did you say, darling? I couldn’t hear you.” Her voice was gentle, but held a clear note of fear in it.

She was understandably afraid. Why had everyone started attacking each other? What was going on?

After a moment of pause, the Dollmaker smiled at his wife, ”I said, you’re holding me back!” As he repeated himself, he drew his twin swords. Both had been crafted by his own hand from a floor boss’s leftover carcass. They were strong, and so was he.

Raema, with fear in her eyes, took a step away from the Dollmaker, her body visibly shaking.

Why had he drawn his swords? What was he planning to do?

As if in answer to her silent questions, the Dollmaker struck out at her, landing a blow along her side.

As her health began to drop, her eyes widened further, her face contorted with a mixture of pain, betrayal, and fear. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breath.

She was terrified.

Taking advantage of her being frozen with fear, the Dollmaker put away one of his swords, and picked up his wife by her throat. ”Goodbye, my love.” He spoke, a twisted smile on his lips as he raised his sword to stab her through the heart.

Raema struggled for breath as her husband held her by her throat. Her mind was reeling from the shock of the situation. She didn’t know what to do, she couldn’t kill him… she just couldn’t! However, as he drew back his sword, the realization that he was indeed going to try and kill her set in.

In that moment, her mind snapped. Eyes still wide with fear, and brimming with tears, she equipped her sword.

Just as he began his thrust, he stopped short, his eyes slowly widening. He hadn’t seen her draw it. His head moved so that he could look down at his chest, where her sword was firmly planted. His health swiftly plummeted until they were both greeted with a familiar sight: DEAD.

In the instant before he shattered, he put Raema down on the ground, his smile softening. He said something to her, but she was unable to make it out before his avatar disappeared forever. Once he was gone, she was left on her knees with tears rushing down her face.

Gods help whoever tried to attack her next.

---

---

Tensions were high in the Grand Hall on Mt. Megiddo, and for good reason. It wasn’t often that the Brotherhood held these trials, but when they did, it was not something to be taken lightly. This time, the one being put on trial was Hikaru. Unlike many other members of the guild, Ramiela hadn’t had too many interactions with the man, as he seemed keen on keeping his distance. Perhaps if they had talked more, he wouldn’t have strayed down such a dark path? Ramiela frowned under the covering of the Regent, disappointed that the accused’s outlook on player bonds and lives was so dismissive. It was… un-knightly. Frankly, there was a lot about the Brotherhood that came off as being rather shady. Namely the Regent itself, which Ramiela never felt quite comfortable wearing. But, she went along with it for the sake of the rules, regardless of any misgivings she may have had about the Brotherhood’s aesthetic. That being said, the effect it might have had on some of the younger members was noticeable, especially when combined with some of the more radical rhetoric that those like Hikaru peddled.

Within moments, chaos erupted as Hikaru killed Fenixrite before he even had a chance to defend himself. At Grand Master Vegnya’s warning, Ramiela quickly shielded her eyes against the bright light that filled the hall. The sounds of battle rang out through the Grand Hall as Ramiela was greeted by the sight of Brothers and Sisters fighting against one another. ”What manner of trickery is this?” Ramiela muttered, only to see a player charging at her with sword held high. Unequipping the Regent, Ramiela’s hand snapped up and caught the blade in between her fingertips mid-swing, stopping the Brother’s <<Avalanche>> skill with ease. While it was not the day time, Ramiela was still among the highest leveled players in the Brotherhood, so things like this were child’s play.
”You think you’re so high and mighty, don’t you? ‘Saint of Daybreak’, huh? I’d like to see what kind of saint you are when I get my hands on those mel-” a gauntleted palm impacted the Brother’s solar plexus and a shockwave erupted from the point of impact before he was sent flying with incredible speed, knocking the other guild members over like bowling pins before finally slamming into a wall. He had not been killed by the blow, but another strike would have easily finished the job. Something was seriously wrong here, and the source would have to be Hikaru. Seeing that Vegnya was in pursuit of said quarry, Ramiela followed suit, carving her way through a swath of challengers using only her fists and feet even though there was a sword sheathed at her side.

”Draw your sword, goddamnit! All that nonsense about not drawing it on the unworthy…. Do you really think that low about us?! I’m gonna make you draw that damned sword if it’s the last thing I do!” the Regent-clad axeman swung his large weapon, only to have it meet air as Ramiela sidestep the downward swing as it careened into the floor, cracking the surface with the force.
”I refuse to draw my blade here, especially against those who aren’t in their right mind. I apologize, but you’ll have to be satisfied with this.” Ramiela raised her fists and began to sway in a figure-eight motion before throwing a punch that caught the axe-wielding Brother across the face, knocking him off balance before he was hit with yet another punch from the other direction. This continued until he was left with a smidgeon of health and Ramiela was stepping over his prone form. While it was easy to blame it on Hikaru’s actions, there was nothing saying that those weren’t the man’s true feelings. Did others feel the same? Perhaps in keeping her own code, she was insulting the honor of all those she considered comrades? The Saint put that thought out of her mind in favor of dealing with the situation at hand. Many of the guild members she’d knocked down earlier were now defending themselves from those who were leaping on the opportunity to kick them while they were down. Ramiela could only hope that this would end once Hikaru was dealt with, whatever which way that happened.

While Ramiela would certainly have preferred that the man not be executed on the spot, she was abundantly aware that someone as black-hearted as him, with the abilities he possessed, posed a great threat to everyone in the game. Vegnya, Ezmeralda and Nyx already looked to be in pursuit of the man who caused all of the chaos. ”Thank goodness I’m not the only one with my mind intact.” she mused, looking around the scene of carnage in the hall to see if anyone else was unaffected by the madness-inducing flash.
It was then that Ramiela caught sight of Raema, who had dropped to her knees in distress. Though, much to Ramiela’s surprise, she was without her husband, the one referred to as the “Dollmaker”. Surely he hadn’t….? No. Best not to consider that right now. Ramiela would have to hope that the three who had gone after Hikaru would be enough, for she decided to forgo giving chase in favor of making sure that the Dollmaker’s Bride was in any condition to defend herself.
”Lady Raema, can you stand? Loathe as I am to be insensitive to your plight, but this is not the time to despair. If you would join me, I would like your help in trying to stop these fools from slaughtering each other.” Ramiela placed a hand on Raema’s shoulder as she knelt down, noting that tears were streaming down the woman’s face. While the Saint of Daybreak did not know how it had happened, those tears confirmed to her that the Dollmaker had perished. She only wished that she had time to properly console her Sister.

"Hiki-chan what are you up to now?" Jester played with one of this throwing knives with his claw hand, this "trial" being the most interesting part of his day. He paid attention to what Hikaru was saying with great intent for he shared some of the madman's views. Some of them. Needless to say, this was brilliant entertainment, the back and forth banter, the subtle ideological meanings and now, the death of Fenixrite, things were getting quite interesting.

Jester just leaned back in his chair as the chaotic infighting ensued, blades and red pixels flying everywhere as he just picked at his nails while rocking in his seat, seemingly unaffected by <<Hate>>. "Seems like some of us are already mad enough", the man yawned as he caught an incoming blade with his bony hands and turned to face an enraged sword maiden with a bored face, "Others still need to work on this fine craft."

With a quick use of his Breaker, Jester disoriented the swords woman as he flipped through the air behind him, throwing a trio of his signature whistling knives into the girl's back. Even with their horrible accuracy, they couldn't miss at such close range and dug themselves into the girl. Quickly spinning around, Jester dug the <<Claws of Abhorash>> into the girl, watching as its bleeding effect shrank her HP bar to nothing and replaced by four simple letters, DEAD.

Satisfied with his work, the Circus Master decided he had no part in this mess and opted to exit stage right to watch it all from a safe distance. Or in the case, stage up. Inverting his gravity with his Breaker, Jester found himself on the ceiling of the great hall that was once the home to their little Brotherhood, <<Battle Healing>> patching him up from any fall damage he might have taken. Being completely honest, Jester was quite thankful that Hikaru had done what he did, Jester never had a feeling that this whole Bro-hood would last, to many hoes here. Now a safe distance away from everything, Jester resided to cheering people on with slogan like "Fight! Fight! Fight!", "Good Luck!" and "Blood for the Blood God!" while throwing down hail after hail of inaccurate throwing knives; now it seemed like today was going to be interesting.

---

---

Ornstein had been standing on the right of trial as he always did, He was an intimidation factor for the accused. He had wicked armor and armaments that looked hellish. The metal made him someone he was not but so did the world he was trapped in. As he stood there the accused started mouthing off and getting a little cocky so Ornstein had intensified his intimidation factor however to no avail.

Ornstein saw it in his eyes, That awful look.

He heard it in his voice, that putrid sound

He could feel it resonating off the accused, That horrific sensation.

Ornstein was convinced he was about to make a move to put the accused in its place but suddenly it lunged forward. Ornstein was so taken aback by the attack that he didn't notice the Tank next to him equip his axe and take a step towards him. "Oh SHI-" Ornstein dodge rolled out of the way of the cleaving axe aimed for his back. He whipped out his Spear and quickly rushed at the tank, weaving to and fro taking stabs when he could. Eventually he knocked the tank off balance with a perfect parry. "You're wasting my TIME" He yelled as he drove the tank back against the wall pinning both arms with his twin blades, Letting him suffer as he feels like he burns from the inside until he finally explodes into shards.

As another attacker approaches him, he sidesteps and sends the man reeling for balance after missing such a heavy attack. Ornstein can feel his breaker kicking in, he was getting less tired the more he worked. He rushed to grab his swords and turned as his attacker got his bearings. With one fluent movement he swiped the hostile Estoc off course and drove one of his Chaos blades through their abdomen, while he grabbed his second and shoved it downward through the shoulder between the shoulder blade and clavicle. He let them drop to the ground as they shuddered and writhed in burning pain.

He sheathed his twin blades and grabbed his Spear, taking a single look at his target he let loose and hurled the spear with unrivaled speed and accuracy at the accused. It hit its mark but with such force behind it and the way that it hit, the spear didn't stay in its target. Ornstein charged the accused with a single chaos blade drawn, only to be knocked away which pushed him off balance leading him to trip and slide across the floor on his back near his spear had stuck into the wall. He grabbed his spear and readied himself to fight. Ornstein took a quick check of his health bar and decided he shouldn't rush back into a crowd, that was for tanks, he isn't a tank. Instead he ran in search of Vegnya, who he was unbreakably loyal to. Eventually he found her and covered her left flank with Ezmeralda at her right. "At your service, Vegnya. How long do we stay and fight? If I may, I would suggest retreating as soon as possible and recovering as many loyal Breakers as possible. But I will fulfil any order you give, so say the word."

---

Barely listening to the proceedings of the hearing, Kirameku remained near the entrance, and thus far from the accused, his back leaned against the wall, eyes closed. He heard the man's words, but didn't mind them much, till they rose in intensity and became...hostile...crazed even.

Then he heard the sound of a blade being drawn and his eyes shot open in time to see the explosion of red shards that only occurred when a player died. At that, the vagrant pushed from the wall and began making his way through the loosely spread crowd full of his Guildmates. He donned his helmet and then came a flash of light and the prickling sensation which rolled over him. Having heard the Guildmaster, his eyes had shut, though they opened a moment after wards. Hearing weapons being equipped, Kirameku equipped his own and immediately activated his Breaker. However, he had yet to unequip the _^<<Regent of the Masquerade_^>> so his three attackers would not see his weapon at all before it--in three parts--cut through the cloak and blocked each of their strikes, knocking two of them back from the velocity.

Swiftly, Kirameku took hold of one of the small dagger-like arcs and pushed his foe back, before kicking their knee and knocking them over. He took a step forwards and then pivoted on his foot, blocking another strike even as the second shard of his weapon merged with the first, forming a short sword. His other foot met ground and he pushed backwards, his foe's momentum taking him towards him and causing the player to stumble. In that moment he disarmed the player...by chopping both of his hands off.

He raised his right hand above his head, particle dagger in reverse grip, to block the downwards swing of his third adversary. Once he'd deflected the strike in the moment it contacted his blade, the Vagrant pushed forwards, kneeing the handless figure in the stomach and pushing him back. His foot slid into the space near the figure's groin, using the ground there as purchase while Kirameku turned and sliced his attacker's offhand clean off, before the third shard came from behind and sliced off his other hand. "Sorry man, but I'm not about to kill you and this will keep you from hurting anyone else...though I suppose now you're in danger of eing hurt yourselves haha," Kirameku said through his mask, though he supposed he was talking to himself for the most part.

He wished he'd thought this through as now it meant he couldn't help Vegnya nor pursue the retreating Hikaru, he'd instead have to defend those he defeated.

Well, it was probably better this way, he figured, after all pursuing someone who possessed two Breakers sounded far too tiring...and he figured Vegnya had plenty of back up to watch her back if she needed someone to.

As if to further reinforce his lack of options, several more of his guildmates began approaching. He sighed at the sight and dispersed his weapons beneath his cloak where they remained out of sight. He kept his stance ready, but his arms at his sides to conceal his movements. The poor sods wouldn't see it coming, but they'd all fall to his blade--though not permanently.

The slender hooded form of Hikaru laid comfortably on the marble floor in a supine position. Why he decided to chill right next to the exit was anyone's guess. What he said next removed all doubts. His tone changed this time, harboring a bad mix of bitterness and carnal desire towards the Iron Maiden. He smirked under the hood while he eyed her adorable rear end.



Hikaru let out a sharp cackle as he rose, exaggerating amusement by hugging his ribs as in agony from laughter.

---

---

Aster had positioned himself upon his usual perch high above the proceedings down below. It afforded him an overall view of the Grand Hall whilst still allowing him to hear everything that was being said as the words echoed softly off of the stone walls. He had been close to Hikaru up to this point and had seen, with his own eyes, the events that had played out between him and the now slaughtered Knights of the Blood Oath. Though Aster didn't quite share the same ideology as the accused, he saw no real wrong-doing over the matter.

These thoughts he would keep to himself, however. Another secret to be kept from the Brotherhood. One more to add to the amassing pile he kept locked within the dark recesses of his mind. If the other members knew of his true thoughts, surely he would be next to stand trial. If that were to happen then it wouldn't be long before his long list of player killings came to light. Fortunately, he didn't need to worry about his cursor colour remaining orange. Nearly all members of the Brotherhood had killed before, it was simply an occupational hazard of being a Breaker. The people of SAO called for death and there were a few amongst the Brotherhood who were more than happy to oblige, Aster was one of them.

Pulling his mind away from his musings and focusing back on the trial, Aster furrowed his brow as Hikaru began spouting off like a madman. He talked about ruling the SAO community and using their Breaker abilities to subdue any would-be opposition, of which there would no doubt be plenty. It was only when Hikaru drew his blade and swiftly dispatched of the Grand Master's right hand, Fenixrite, did he slowly place a cautionary hand on his favourite dagger, «Ghoul's Grin». The situation was about to explode and Aster would have the best seat in the house.



A blinding flash of light suddenly stole his vision, forcing him to stumble back on his perch and rub his eyes ferociously. As his vision cleared he could see the chaos that had erupted all around the Great Hall below. He witnessed various members of the Brotherhood attacking each other for seemingly no reason. It was only then that he noticed that the status effect, «Hate», had appeared next to his health bar. His expression of amazement soon turned into that of a snarl as he peered down upon his brothers and sisters. As he watched each ensuing battle, Aster remained still; ready to swoop down like a hawk and pierce his dagger deep into his prey.

He quickly singled out his target. A girl by the looks of it. Her «Reagent of the Masquerade» wrapped tightly around her figure, as she slowly backed away in horror from the sight of one Brotherhood member hacking into the face of another with an axe. His snarl morphed into a wry smile as the sounds of her crying drifted up to him. He'd already drawn his dagger by this point and equipped his «Lord of the Asylum» armour-set. Dark leather armour that remained wrapped in various black, torn cloaks, which allowed him to confuse his opponents as to where their strikes were truly going to hit. All he needed to do now was wait for the right moment to strike.

As the source of girl's terror finished hacking away at his victim, she took a singular step back that placed her exactly where she needed to be. It was then that Aster pounced. He made barely a whisper as he launched himself from his high perch and began descending rapidly, feet first, towards his prey. In mere moments it was over. The weight of his avatar crashed down upon the girl with a practiced grace, leaving him crouched directly over her as she was sprawled out upon her back. It took her a few seconds to even realize what was happening before she noted the glint of his blade in his right hand. Her bloodcurdling scream filled his ears like music before he uttered a single word, "Pathetic." And slashed his dagger across her neck.


Aster stood immediately, facing the earlier approaching member, whose axe remained brandished and ready to strike. "That was my kill!" He yelled, the anger in his tone trying to give off a more intimidating demeanor.

Aster simply laughed as he settled back into his fighting stance, slowly swaying his blade back and forth. His posture, mixed with his tattered cloaks and deathly gaze, exuded an air of sheer horror. "You're all my kills." He growled.

---

Prometheus' cold red eyes watched the trail with a resounding apathy though the entire event from the side of the hall, only reacting with a sharpened glare at Hikaru's accusations. He wasn't going to deny that he had killed players before, and probably will have to again, but as a Breaker it's a cross that they must bare. The arrogance of him comparing what many Breakers had done to purely survive and his own killings, Murders committed for the sake of Pride, burned at him but he didn't let it affect him. The deranged psychopath wasn't worth it.

What did gain a reaction was the shattering of a player's avatar, and Vegnya's resultant shout. Instantly, Prometheus was moving as a searingly bright light assaulted the guild hall, an accompanying ringing sound filling his ears.

---

By the time he recovered his senses, all hell had broken loose. All around him, his brothers and sisters struck at each other with rage and bloodlust, hate brimming in the eyes of those that had lost their hoods. A sudden feeling of rage and hatred carved at his mind as he gripped his head, forcing the feeling away. He just had time to see the visual standoff between the Grand Master and the Accused before he was set upon by a rapier-wielding figure.

He tilted his head a second before it could skewer his eye, the tip of it instead tearing away the <<Regent of the Masquerade>> less than an inch from his face. His hand was moving before his thoughts caught up, drawing his sword with a retaliating slash that just managed to return his sudden de-cloaking onto his attacker. Looking at the no-longer hidden figure, he froze. His attacker was a girl, probably no older than 17, and a dreadful spark of realisation hit him. This girl was one of the guild blacksmiths, and the girl he had been tutoring as a blacksmith personally. Her eyes locked onto him as they swam with rage and sorrow, her rapier pointed at his heart. His own sword raised in a defensive stance.

"You! Oh, Why did it have to be you!"

"Listen to me, you don't want to do this. Just walk away. I'll get you out safely so trust me..."

"Trust you!? Why should I do that? So you can keep me around as your little student? Do you have any idea what it's been like!? To work so hard to get better at smithing while you don't have to do anything at all and create perfect gear without even trying!?"

"Calm down... I'm not trying to belittle you... Just, walk away. Please."

"No, I've had it with you!"

And with that, she charged at him with intent to kill. His reaction was instant as he reached out with his armoured left arm and activated his breaker <<Standing Forge>>, his eyes and the edges of his armour glowing like a lit furnace, as his hand closed around the narrow blade. Manipulating the weapon's stats, he reduced its durability to 0, causing it to shatter in his hand before he knocked her back with his right arm, his legs anchored in place. As she stumbled back, Prometheus gripped the blade of his sword with his left hand, giving it a molten appearance before he quickly moved his hand as if throwing off a sheath. The sword rapidly lost its molten effect, leaving behind a seemingly unaltered sword. Prometheus dismissed his breaker and burst towards her, a deep red line appearing on her left leg as she fell to one knee, unable to move.

"W-what?"

"I reduced my sword's damage and applied the strongest Paralysis effect I could onto the blade. I didn't want to kill you."

With that, he pulled her arm over his shoulder and carried her quickly to a small alcove in the wall, away from the fighting. He laid her down and as he went to step away, a pair of axes appeared in his peripheral vision, one of either side. He jumped back and ducked just in time to avoid the attack. Two men stepped into his vision, a pair of twins that looked like a mirror image of each other. In their hands they both held a wicked-looking one-handed axe, one with it in his left and the other with it in his right.

"I'm impressed. You're quick." The one on the left spoke.

"Hey Brother, look at this!" The one on the right replied, hauling the paralysed girl up by her hair. "What should be do with her?"

The left brother's face twisted into a nasty grin. "What else? We kill her! She's obviously not gonna wanna be our little toy with Mister 'Forge Blade King' over there."

"Good Idea, Brother!" With that, he threw her at his brother, who without mercy swung his axe, carving a gruesome red line across her chest. She fell away, stumbling towards Prometheus until she fell and he barely caught her. Her eyes locked his, the rage absent as she whispered.

"I'm sorry..."

Finally, her avatar shattered. Prometheus froze, his eyes turning a shade more becoming of frozen blood as the feeling of rage resurfaced, but this time, it was cold, unforgiving and Raw.

"I guess she was too weak for us to have any fun. What a shame..."

Prometheus snapped. Activating his breaker, gripping the blade and pulling it away all in a fraction of a moment, his sword was replaced by a pole arm with three blood-red blades, a process he called 'Reforging'. Without any hesitation, he plunged it deep into the heart of the first brother before he pulled it out and quickly 'reforged' it again, this time a deadly katana with a blood-red blade. A smoldering red line was carved into the second brother's chest as Prometheus took a single lunging step towards him. The twins seemed to freeze, tiny flames dancing around their wounds, as they registered what had just happened. But it was too late. The burning damage forged into Prometheus' weapon took effect and the minuscule health they still had burned away to nothing, their avatars shattering in perfect synchronicity.

---

'Reforging' his blade for a third time, he began to storm towards the exit after Hikaru, without heed to anyone around him. A spear was stabbed at him, only to be grabbed and shattered using his breaker, its wielder receiving a burning, fatal attack from his red bladed longsword in response.
A dagger wielder was swiftly ended with a brutal spin-slash that nearly took his head from his shoulders.


Suddenly, and without warning, a heavy blow from a two-handed war-hammer pushed Prometheus a few metres across the hall, his sword taking most of the blow but doing nothing to stop the force of it as he slid backwards through the melee of battle. Digging the clawed fingers of his left arm into the ground in an attempt to slow himself, he lost sight of the person that hit him. Probably a STR-build Tank if they could knock him a good 4 meters through a crowd of people. Realising he had stopped, he quickly looked to his right to see two women seemingly unaffected by whatever tried to throw him into a blind rage the first time, less than a meter away. After a second he recognised them. The woman with the sandy blonde hair was Ramiela, the <<Saint of Daybreak>>. He was fairly familiar with her skills as a warrior, despite him not being a front line fighter, and was definitely relieved to see her with her wits about her. Next to her was a sight that gave him a sad pause. Kneeling down in tears was Raema, the Dollmaker's recently married wife. He was good friends with the Dollmaker and he didn't like seeing his friend's wife cry... It was then that he realised that the man in question was missing and it didn't take him long to work it out...

With a serious tone a little darker than he intended, he called over to them as he tried to calm himself down, the rage from seeing his student murdered still simmering in his eyes.
"Are you two okay?"

---

As she exited the area where the fighting took place, with eyes facing forward and heels echoing loudly, Nyx did not at first notice Hikaru had not strayed far from the exit. She'd kept walking forward slowly, as she had been, when his familiar voice made her stop in her tracks. Clicking her teeth as he said that dreadful nickname he sometimes called her, she turned and her blue eyes fell upon his figure. She studied him as he spoke, seemingly unafraid of her even though it was clear she came to stop him. He was flirtatious with her, as usual, and his words had some small impact on her. She wouldn't ever make it known to him how she felt... Now more than ever it was useless anyways, so she kept her expression neutral as he spoke to her.

"I find your insanity sexy sometimes, and even now, Hikaru. Had the situation been even a little different, I'd be inclined to listen to you. However, don't say useless things like that to me know. We both know I can't just let you go after this." she told him as he slowly regained his composure after laughing like a mad man.

"Just what is it exactly were you trying to do, Hikaru? After all we had been through together? To what end is all this?" she asked him coolly, raising an arm and pointing towards the hall where many of their own friends were falling. "If you were not happy here you could have..." she paused, taking some steps towards him until they were only steps apart. "We could have... Left this all behind a long time ago. You know I was never someone who thought this could be a permanent solution. But we... We could have left it all and tried to make some life for ourselves somewhere no one could find us."

Had Nyx not been so steel cold and had a rock hard grip on her emotions, she may have chocked up while saying all this to him. Her blue eyes searched his face, hidden by his hood, but she knew it by heart already. Reaching out, she would slowly place a hand upon his cheek.

"I can't let you go. So just stop this now... Before one or both of us gets killed here. Is that what you want?" she said to him, knowing he was likely far past the point of reason. She didn't want to draw her sword against him, but he was someone she felt she would have to defend herself against.

"If it is..." she continued, leaning in close enough to kiss him, "We'll get to see which of us is sexier with a sword in their chest."

Laying in a far corner of the room, was Espio. Laying across a long bench with one leg crossed over the other and both hands behind his head Dozing of all things during Vegnya's speech. For someone so fast he was certainly lazy. However he was more alert that he seemed. Espio chose not to act because Hikaru had many valid points. But also many that he was unable to agree with. Damn it all to the reasons they have these abilities or why it chose them. He never had many run in's with people that tried to apprehend him, majorly because they simply can't catch or stop him. Fact was, Hikaru's points did not fall on deaf ears. However he chose to snooze off once more.

The fighting began and the sounds of metal and armor hitting one another reverberated through the halls still Espio was unmoved, Daggers flung from the ceiling that landed near his body and beneath his shoes, still Espio was unmoved. If anything it seemed as if he was snoring. A cloaked member wielding a curved blade started walking closer to the sleeping Espio. " Bastard do you think you're better than us, that you feel no need to heed these warnings, i've wanted to plunge my blade into your smug chest for the longest time and now the god's have blessed me with this moment..." The figured raised his blade slowly a grin full of malice ran across his face as he slammed down the blade at an alarming speed.

" Nope"

Espio literally just rolled over to the side dodging the blade " Wha...What! you arrogant bastard you were awoke this entire time....no matter you die here! the crazed man began hacking away at Espio's General direction each swing was a miss as espio moved his body at the perfect moment at the perfect angle only to lift his leg up kicking the man swifly in the chin. " You son of a..." slowly standing up with a yawn Espio removed his own cloak revealing his usual blue jacket and headphones. Activating his breaker suddenly in a tuft of wind he was gone. Just as quickly many after-images surrounded the lunatic. " See you thought i was sleep...but" Tapping his headphones as he removed them and laid them around his neck. " Good tunes but now it's my turn! The crazed fool started slashing widly at the images each with a miss and with each miss Espio began the counter measure. " See the difference between me and everybody else is some of these folks actually care enough to not harm each other. But that's where i draw the line, see me...i just...i don't give a fuck!"
With that Espio began a flurry of punches and kicks laying into the man at an alarming rate. Red flickers filled the area as if to mimic blood itself. His opponent dropped the blade and knelled down. Espio leaned down and lifted his chin with two fingers. " Consider this a warning.." Lifting his leg he shoved it with massive force into the mans chest sending him flying across the room. " Now that that's settled, i certainly Hope Hikaru doesnt think he can outrun me..." In the same thought he saw Nyx go after him in pursuit. " Eh boss can handle herself and knowing Nyx this may end well it may not, i'll just watch.." Espio bolted off in full sprint and hopped along the walls. He moved so fast it was almost as if he was flying. It's how he earned the Title Sky King.

Before he knew it He was upon them both. Before he walked out he stood behind the wall and listened closely. One phrase stood out to him that Nyx said ""We'll get to see which of us is sexier with a sword in their chest."
"God damnit Nyxie..."

Espio - Players Dispatched: 0 - Directly Involved With: None

Noya - Listen Up, Listen Up, There's a Devil in the Church
Remnant, Mt. Megiddo Grand Hall // Interacting With: For convenience I've done my @s by section

---

---

Noya could feel the gears of the online bureaucracy slowly grinding his soul into dust. Jury duty in real life was bad, but at least there was that element of mystery to it. No, this spectacle laid bare before «The Brotherhood» was little more than a farce, a glorified circlejerk with a foregone conclusion. After all you can't really say "oops, my bad" and get a "k bro ur cool" after you kill a dozen people just for slighting you. That said, the expectation of Hikaru's execution was like the promise of food and beverage after a long, boring meeting, and he was already here, so he might as well stay for the long haul.

Noya leaned back into his seat, edging it precariously close to tipping over much to the chagrin of whoever was behind him. The cut and thrust of rhetoric was less important in his mind than the ramifications of this event. All this talk about ideals smelled like the makings of a martyr to him. Personally, instead of executing the bugger, he would've had him shipped off to the KOB to do with as they please. Less risk of a schism, a good show of faith, and an emphasis on the consequences of breaking the status quo.

At any rate, the ramblings of the wannabe-revolutionary did little to sway Noya's increasingly abyssmal opinion. Hikaru continued to demonstrated a clear lack of planning and tact on his part. Murdering everyone who opposes you just leads to sycophants, stagnation, and a motley crew of heroic villagers with plot armor coming to overthrow you. Bread and circuses with a side of black helicopters and secret police, now that was where it was at.

But to each their own.

"Poor Glowstick," the bastard remarked, safe beneath the shroud of anonymity, "So insecure about himself that he needs to overcompensate. Most normal folks would've just bought a Hummer." Then he eyed Hikaru as he moved to draw his blade. "...Or maybe a particularly long sword...?" Noya raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, setting his chair back on all four legs as a sense of morbid curiosity began growing in his core. A duel here? Maybe this court hearing was gonna be a lot more entertaining than he'd expected.

'What.'

Suddenly, the red glow of fading hitpoints shined from the throat of Right Hand, quickly ending the player's life and satisfying Noya's curiosity (albeit maybe not how he had expected it to). As grim as it was, he was reminded of that anecdote from the 19th century about a doctor who had performed a surgery with a 300% mortality rate. Immediately the Faceless Bastard threw himself and the chair backwards, just in time to avoid the enraging light of Hikaru's glitched «Spiritual Light» skill. As the flare consumed the grand hall, leaving only a flashbang-esque ring and Hikaru's speech about oppression in his ears, Noya had only a single thought going through his head:

'God, I hate social justice warriors.'

---

"Well someone's certainly taking that whole 'rage against the dying of the light' thing a bit too seriously."

The blond's eyes locked on the man who had been seated behind him, gauging the player's state of mind from his position strewn out on the ground. He held «Mumei» at his side, hand firmly on the hilt, prepared to draw the blade at any moment. "You gonna do that too, my guy?" The red cloaked ruffian equipped a particularly large sword and raised it skyward, looking all the world like an executioner. Noya sighed, tensing his muscles in preparation for his next move. "Well okay then." He threw his legs over himself, kicking the chair out from underneath the maddened player and, for a brief second, unsteadying his form. The momentary pause was all he needed to finish his roll, draw «Mumei» like an ice pick, and carve a straight, vertical red line from his opponent's groin to solar plexus.

Now back on two feet, the faceless bastard sheathed his aesthetically-inappropriate blade and took stock of the situation. 'Implying I need a «Hate» effect to want to kill all my coworkers.' He rolled his eyes. Still, this conflict still left a bad taste in his mouth. It had no sense. No intimacy. No style. It was just a mass of chaos and violence. He took the pause in the battle to unequip the «Regent of the Masquerade» and get his equipment in order. Anonymity was fine and dandy, but anyone with right sense would have unequipped their Regent in favor of more practical garb. And since he wasn't what one would call a melee supercombatant', he didn't want to become more of a target than he already was. Briefly he considered using «Smoking Mirror» to assume the form of someone like Nyx or Ramiela, but the intimidation factor of turning into a Brotherhood heavy hitter would be lost on the hateful - and there was always that off-chance that he might become one of their targets instead.

The thought of fighting either sent shivers down his spine.

But there were better things to think about right now. Like the group of rough-looking red capes that had assembled around him. He registered them speaking - no doubt saying something disparaging about his person or how he had wronged them by killing their friend or whatever - but paid little mind to the actual content of their words. From his analysis of their actions, he could tell they were uneasy about something, but still riled up as a result of the «Hate» status effect.

Then it hit him.

"Ah, that's right. You guys don't know my Breaker." The blond leaned forward, his bangs casting his face in shadow as a wide grin spread across his youthful face. While «The Faceless Bastard» was most definitely his epithet, it wasn't his epithet, strictly speaking. To most people, he was just no-name Noya. He began laughing madly. "Well then, let me show you." He rested his hand on the hilt of his blade and stepped back with one leg. "...As a gift to those about to die."

He inhaled sharply - a quiet action that seemed to have resonated within each of his opponents. The air was static. The sounds of battle around them were muted against the defeaning silence.

It was fast.

It was powerful.

It was unexpected.

It was a jump.

He landed behind his opponents, a cheeky grin on his face as multiple avenues of escape were laid bare to him. "Unfortunately I've got better things to do than get into a fight with you guys," he called back, casting «Raijin Shuriken» into the crowd of assailants for good measure, "Maybe next time 'round!" Between the mass melee in the grand hall and the edgelord with delusions of grandeur, Noya trusted his chances of survival with the latter. Therefore, it was only natural for him to prioritize escape over all things at the moment. Unfortunately for Noya, he wasn't so lucky with triggering the «Stun» effects on his opponents so now all he had to show for his efforts was an angry mob chasing him around the hall.

"Oh boy."

Normally he'd be fine with this arrangement, but the longer he spent here was more time that Hikaru could escape (not to mention more time to attract an even bigger crowd of undesirables). As he jumped, ran, and slid in the direction of the exit, he began going through plans to shake these people. His eyes locked on the trio of apparently sane players grouped around each other. Rami-neechan, not-Hephaestus, and his boss' wife - as good a combination of people as any, he supposed. He leapt next to them and quickly explained his plight:

"Sorry to interrupt folks, but I'm not all that suited to mass-melee, so unfortunately I've gotta leave these guys to you," he gestured behind himself, sidestepping the group to quickly transit into a run, "Don't worry about the traitor; I'll see to breaking the Glowstick myself."

He gave a quick salute, and promptly ran off.

---

"Ohohoho. Now what do we have here?"

From the doorway to the Mt. Megiddo Grand Hall stood a figure draped in the crimson «Regent of the Masquerade». Even from under the concealment of the red cloak, both parties would feel a perverse gaze cross them. "Leave some room for Jesus, lovebirds. Don't you two know that this is basically a cathedral?" He put a hand up to his mouth. "Plenty of body and blood to go around in there if you wanna purge your sinful ways." He moved a hand to his hip. "But damn dude, if you wanna turn people over to your side, you gotta do it with a bit more finesse," he gave an exaggerated head-shake of disapproval, "Turning guildmates against each other is what most people would call 'a total dick move bro'." He airquoted that part. "Can appreciate the whole light and dark angle you've got going on. Very aesthetic. Does the username emphasize that fragment of good in your dark heart, just waiting to be released by a little lovin' from a cute girl?"

There was a pause, and in that pause he directed his gaze to the wall where Espio the Sky King was hidden. He said nothing about it and shrugged.

"Oh right, I ought to introduce myself."

The «Regent of the Masquerade» was tossed into the air. For a moment, the speaker was concealed by red and shadow, but as the cloak fluttered to the ground, all was laid bare. That voice. That face. That shit-eating grin. It was all Hikaru's. But wait, Hikaru was already over there by Nyx. That could mean only one thing: the sudden appearance of this second Hikaru could only be...

"Woo~OO~oo~~I'm~YO~ur~consc~IENCE~" 'Hikaru' spoke in a high-pitched vibrato, like he was some cheap ghost from a kindergartener's Halloween haunted house. The whole farcical display was complete with jazz hands emphasizing how completely serious he was about this. Indeed, all signs pointed to the conclusion that this was not a supernatural apparition, and instead just that one asshole.

They knew the one. That motherfucker. That piece of shit. Everyone knew the one, even if they didn't know his real face.

"Your~sOUL~is~TAINted~and~there~IS~Only~one~wAY~out~!"

The bastard's voice dropped into Hikaru's regular cadence as the thing wearing his face clasped his hands in prayer.

"Death! Now if you would kindly kill yourself to save us all the trouble of a prolonged boss fight, that'd be dandy."

There were a few things that Oswyn really disliked in this world and in the real one. Things like the title of <<The Mad Doctor>>, and people like Hikaru who let power go right to their head and think the world owes them everything. Oswyn wasn't very fond of Hikaru to begin with. The guy was a little sketchy and like a few in the guild, a pervert.. Or that's just how he saw it anyway. It was only a matter of time before he was brought to trial for something.

It was quite unsurprising that it was for murder, to Oswyn that is. And how many proceedings go, persecutors start shouting at the persecuted and then the persecutor dies.. Wait What?

Things were starting to get a little out of hand. Oswyn merely watched as shock spread through the hall, although all he could think of at the time was what he usually said to his guild-mates, "I can't heal dead people." He wasn't really close with Fenixrite to begin with. The guy's fondness for Phoenix Wright games were a little too.. overwhelming. Hence the guy's name. Suddenly there was a bright flash of light. Unfortunately for Oswyn, he wasn't really listening out for someone to tell him to cover his eyes, thus he was blinded. He looked at his HUD whilst everything was white. Status: <<Blindness>>, Of course being <<The Mad Doctor>>, he carried a large stock of potions and crystals with him at all times. Getting an Status Cure potion out of his inventory was second nature to him, he could do it with his eyes closed. Or in this case, blinded. It was still a pain in the ass.

He crushed the antidote in his hand, triggering his <<Forced Consumption>> breaker. However, when his sight had been restored, he noticed a debuff suddenly begin to spread through the group. <<Hate>>.
People started turning on each other, he wondered why, but he didn't have enough time to think about it before he was suddenly hit by a blunt force that sent him sprawling across the floor. Oswyn recovered quickly, jumping back onto his feet, only to see three players standing before him. He didn't know who they were, since they were still wearing the <<Regent of the Masquerade>>. "I caught me a Doctor!" One of them laughed stupidly. Seemed that he had a shield on him, which meant that he most likely shield bashed Oswyn in the back. How they knew it was him was a mystery. "Yeah! He crushed a potion in his hand! It's definitely him!" another said. 'Oops, my bad.' He thought as he pulled off his Regent. He didn't like it anyway.

"Okay, you caught me. Now what?" He responded blankly, raising his hands as if he was surrendering. "Now, we kill you!", 'You've got to be joking.'
"What for?"
"Because.. Uh.. Y-you.. Uhm.. You hog all the potions materials!" He shouted after stuttering more than he should've. How convincing. Such a stunning reason.

"I'd understand if you said that I let your friend die. Which I probably did. But, killing me for that reason? That's really dumb. You should probably re-evaluate your decisions." He retorted, completely unimpressed with what he had to deal with. He didn't fight people unless he had to. He was effectively a healer and nothing else, it was pretty disadvantageous to kill him.

"But since you're affected by <<Hate>>, you probably don't care about what I have to say. So I'll be leaving you with a nice 'going away' present." He said as he retrieved three potions from his inventory. The potions began to glow for a moment as he charged up a shot, he flicked his wrist, letting the small bottles fly out of his hand. Each bottle crashed into the heads of his foes with deadly precision, immediately disintegrating into small pixels. The three stooges immediately crumpled to the ground, their bodies completely limp, save for the twitching. "W-what did.. y-you do to us?!" One of them spluttered, unable to move his face away from the floor. "Well, my diagnosis would be that you're all paralyzed. Isn't that great? You're not going to die, but you'll be like this for a long time. I'd say about.. Hmm.. two hours? Maybe five? I've already forgotten how strong they were. What a pity. It'll be way passed bed time before you can get back up." Oswyn said rather nonchalantly. Perhaps he was mad after all.

And with that, he strolled away from the disabled bunch as he brought out a teleport crystal. The doctor took a good look around him. Nothing but angry people and fighting. Perhaps he shouldn't leave just yet, he might miss out on something interesting if he did. Pocketing his crystal, he walked over to where Hikaru, Nyx and... another Hikaru stood. As he approached them, he heard one of the Hikaru's making weird noises and generally being an idiot. It must be Noya.

"Somehow I don't think this is really the time to be doing that, Noya." Oswyn commented as he joined the three. He understood the humour of it though, but taunting a psycho like Hikaru wasn't going to help anyone.

The Grand Master's throne was cleaved into two before it disappeared into shiny fragments. It unnerved Vegnya how everything was the same in death for Sword Art Online. The end for a glorified gold-plated chair was no different from the demise of the one foolish enough to damage it.

"Boss! Are you alright?"

Vegnya recognized the voice of the guild's unofficial yandere. Was she not affected? Ezzy had a talent for hiding a bloodlust under a smile, but genuine concern was a difficult thing to fake. Still, there was a risk to the beserker. You never turn your back on one. Vegnya spun on a heel, flinging her pink kimono into air to conceal her next move. This was it, Vegnya's particular test of loyalty for the guild's Berserk Blade. She waited for the kimono to drop out of view before stepping forward. To Ezzy's point of view, The Grand master rushed in with her arms stretched out for an embrace. Then she disappeared in the blink of an eye, only to show up in her previous position as if she never moved.

I know my sheep and my own know me.

In instant Vegnya wrapped her arms around the Berserk Blade in a loving embrace. By now Ezzy should have known that Hikaru wasn't the only one capable of multiple Breaker abilities. That little bit of Deja Vu was just a secret kept between them.

"Ezz!" She cried out, letting the tears flow in her moment of relief. "My children are killing each other, and I don't know what to do." She ignored the approaching sound of metal armor, trying savor in every second with the first sane guild member since Hikaru's betrayal. The next person to interrupt won't even have time to---


"At your service, Vegnya. How long do we stay and fight? If I may, I would suggest retreating as soon as possible and recovering as many loyal Breakers as possible. But I will fulfill any order you give, so say the word."

With no time to weight the options, Vegnya prayed for forgiveness in her attempt to eliminate all immediate threats. "Many of us are past the point of no return. A swift death is the only act of mercy we can give them. Please, Stein, time is against us. Those who have turned cannot leave this Grand Hall. Ezzy and I will look for anyone who remains loyal. Let's go, Ezz!" Before departing, Vegnya reached forward and slapped the armored Ornstein on the shoulder. A small gesture of affection and a promise that they would meet again. Alive.

The two raced towards a large mob of red hooded madmen. The sound of smooth metal clashing and glowing charged attacks showed just how violent and uncontrollable they were. Some were engaged in one-on-one fights, while others brawled in small groups. What shocked Vegnya the most was that some were to insane to even draw their weapons, and instead used their hands to strangle or thrust directly into their opponents' chests. Intending to stop the madness, or at least to distract them, she slammed the bottom end of her sheathed sword on the marble floor.

"HEY! It's me you want, right? Come and---!" A large broadsword came at a horizontal slash, too quickly for her to react. The attack connected, launching Vegnya into the air. She gasped in pain as she flew, giving her attacker long enough to follow up with two more strikes at her chest. She impacted with the floor and rolled until she laid motionless. Rushed steps approached her, a sign that her attacker was about to finish the job. She lifted her head and saw a red blur coming at her with a shiny double-edged blade. "Enough." she said while standing up. She unsheathed her long nodachi and took just a single step. Her attacker stopped in his tracks, his blade held high to his face as if bracing for an attack. He flinched as if seeing the blade coming, but Vegnya had yet to even move since stepping forward.

"Your death means life for us all!" Her attacker shouted, clearly motivated by Hikaru. "Kill. Kill! KILL!" He charged forward once more, this time ignoring Vegnya's movements. A horizontal cut came low, cutting his legs from under him. He wailed in disbelief and anger, using his arms to crawl towards his opponent. "KILL! KILL!" His tirade was quickly cut short when his face met the point end of the Grand Master's sword.



The demise of her attacker drew the attention of others. She returned their faceless glares with a sorrowful grimace. She was not going to enjoy this. A mob advanced towards her numbering in at least a dozen. She did her best to parry and dodge, cutting only when she had a chance to evade immediately after an attack. She did not, however anticipate how reckless they were. One came close enough to grab her legs, while another tackled her to the ground. Kicks connected with her ribs while punches were thrown at her face. One even tried to smash her head against the floor. Vegnya screamed in rage as rolled away, grabbing someone's ankle in the process. She took control of the unfortunate assailant and quickly eliminated him by thrusting a charged fist through his chest. That took some effort on her part, giving time for the other assailants to pull her away and restrain her.

She resisted, but the combined strength of blood-thirsty former-comrades overpowered her attempts at escape. Two of them ran forward, swords in hand and ready to impale. She faced her impending doom with a smirk. They would never see her lose hope, even in the face of death.

"Isn't that right, Ezzy?"

Ezzy caught the kimono and then gave Vegnya a big hug <3 She would've slashed through it, but it was such a pretty kimono! She smiled at her, "I don't think this is the time for a test, love. Be strong and focus on staying alive, okay?" she nodded as the woman gave orders and followed her wherever she went.

She tried to take down anyone that came at herself and Vegnya, but they were coming in such numbers now that she couldn't stop them all from getting to the Grand Master. If this continued it might be trouble. Ezmeralda didn't want to use it but the risk was too great to avoid.

"GO AWAY! Morph Crossblade!" she shouted, closing her eyes her blade transforming into it's larger, more powerful version. The hilt and crossguard becoming far larger than would be practical. The blade even became wider and longer. She opened her eyes revealing the change her Breaker caused in her. Rageful, unfocused, and glossed over. As if now she wasn't looking through them. Her lips widened into a sadistic grin. Together they were very unsettling. "Let's dance~"

She quickly cut down anyone trying to stop her from helping Vegnya. Her movements became lightning fast, becoming a deadly blur of blade and red shards of DEAD players as she spun faster than anyone's eye could follow. She lost count of how many she took down, then again she didn't bother to start. Ezzy then rushed over to the two heading at Vegnya, she held her blade with both hands as she ripped through them both, instantly turning them into more red shards. She skidded to a stop, and closed her eyes again and let her Breaker subside before opening them again. Her red eyes became bright and cheery again, and her sword returned to it's normal size. She held her other hand to her forehead, to help suppress the headache.

Ezzy turned to Vegnya and dashed to her, carrying her away from the group surrounding her. She put the woman down once she got a bit of distance and turned back towards them, putting herself between any threats and Vegnya. She sighed, "Was that really wise? They already want you dead, drawing them to you only makes it worse. Please be more careful, okay?" she said softly over her shoulder, her voice seemed a little strained from using her Breaker. "Take a moment to recover and let me handle these fools." she brought her attention back to the bloodthirsty mob, holding her blade aloft towards the group as they approached. "Come if you must! But know that you are beyond mercy now. Hurting me is one thing. Hurting my friend is another!"

Ezmeralda || Dispatched: 8? Maybe more idk || Players invovled with: Vegnya @Volenvradica

As far as Hikaru was concerned, only two things were certain in Sword Art Online: Death and Nyxie's ass. Everyone in the Brotherhood praised the Grand Master for being the most strong-willed member in the guild. That her very presence commanded respect and admiration. Sycophants aside, Vegnya had to be a special kind of lady to build what they stood in and recruit whom they once fought with. But, Nyxie was another kind of woman. An Iron Maiden whose resolve was unstoppable once she made up her mind. She confessed to have a hopeful fantasy of the two sharing a future together.

Hikaru tilted his head, unexpectedly puzzled at this. He felt too familiar with Nyxie, hell, why else would he affectionately butcher her name? He averted his gaze, eyes searching nowhere in particular. Memories of this lovely woman felt...scarce. Why? Images flashed in his mind's eye, blissful times they shared together, days of dungeon crawling, even a night when he savored the light in her eyes as he activated the «Moral Code Removal». Images, sadly, was all he had. Like photographs, they only captured a second of the most precious moments.

Something was wrong.

Hikaru returned his attention to Nyx, oblivious to how she got close enough to stroke his face. Not that he had any complaints.

"I can't let you go. So just stop this now... Before one or both of us gets killed here. Is that what you want? If it is...We'll get to see which of us is sexier with a sword in their chest."

Hikaru had the perfect comeback prepared, but locking lips with Nyxie, even if the for last time, had to be postponed due to a savage case of cockblockery.

"Somehow I don't think this is really the time to be doing that, Noya." said one more person of no consequence. Actually wait, did he share drinks with this guy once?

"Noya," Hikaru sighed disappointingly. "I had no problems with you. I thought you were actually cool. You minded your own business, your Breaker's actually funny, and not once did you make the mistake of mocking me. Until now. To top it off, you ruin a potentially bitter-sweet goodbye, in front of all these people. Yes, I see you, okay? My «Searching» skills have been maxed out. King of the Skies? Hi, your music box is in my room, you can have it back, I'm done here. I can seeeeee eeeeeeevery siiiiiingle oooooooone ooooooof youuuuuuuu. Seriously, this is one stupid joke of a surprise attack. The only thing you've done is piss me off!"

Hikaru turned to Nyx and gazed at her brilliant pair of Lapiz Lazulis. God, how she hated when he called her eyes that. "You know I cannot stop this. There is a storm coming for us all, one that Vegnya failed to warn us about. I did what was necessary and cut away her pride, liberating us so that we could save ourselves. As you can see, the weak would not survive, and so I mercifully snuffed them out. He drew in closer, worry and uncertainty clear on his face. "A future with you..." Hikaru shook his head. "I would have loved for us to escape this place, this damn prison. But there is something I must do...for our sake. I can't explain it right now, but this will all be over soon, I promise you that. Until that time comes, I'll be thinking about you." With that he leaned forward and closed his eyes.

I love it when you gloss.

Now....

"As for the rest of you...NO, NOYA YOU LISTEN TO ME! YOU WERE NOT HERE AT THE BEGINNING AWF THIS ROMANCE SCENE! YOU DID NOT HEAR NOR RECORD ANY OF THIS SCENE--do you understand? DO YOU UNDERSTAND? YOU CANNOT POSSIBLY ASK ME TO OFF MYSELF WITHOUT WORKING HARD ENOUGH TO TAKE ME OUT! Come on, Brothers! I'll take all of you at once! I'll show you who is truly deserving of the title of Grand Master!" Hikaru materialized a double-edged broadsword, shifting into a two handed stance. "Let's see if any of you were worth saving."

"Many of us are past the point of no return. A swift death is the only act of mercy we can give them. Please, Stein, time is against us. Those who have turned cannot leave this Grand Hall. Ezzy and I will look for anyone who remains loyal. Let's go, Ezz!"

Ornstein departed in a sprint. He wanted to position himself at the Main door with a view of two side doors in case someone tried to exit any of these positions. It took him no time at all to get where he wanted to be and looking back at the chaos was not a pretty sight. People dying all over the place with fragments of peoples remains raining down on the horror below. It dident take long for a group of <<Hate>> afflicted players came at him. One of which he knew quite well, He was going to despise killing him but do what needed to be done. For half a second before the rag-tag ruffians attacked him, he wondered if <<The Mad Doctor>> could cure this effect, which would in turn would spare him from killing one of his friends. "Get him boys." He heard as he looked up to find a paralysis effect on his character. He took hit after hit, draining his HP. He was angry now, both at himself, and the people taking advantage of his moment of vulnerability.

<<Paralysis>>: 0:01 --- 0:00

Ornstein exploded out of Paralysis, Quickly grabbing a three paralysis crystals of his own and smashing them into the three attackers closest to him. With one he drove a chaos blade through both arms and into his chest, pinning him to where he can't move. The other got the second chaos blade right through the bottom of his chin and out the top of his skull. Finally he grabbed his spear and thrust it into the third attackers chest, slamming him into the ground. All three shattered. DEAD. DEAD. DEAD.

He turned to the other two attackers and just stared at them as the twin chaos blades disappeared and reappeared on his back. The attackers charged... Only to have both of their torsos jerk backwards and knock them onto the floor. Two more shatters. DEAD. DEAD. Ornstein felt horrible for killing so many good people, but emotions had no place on a battlefield. Ornstein grabbed a health crystal and crushed it in his hand, He felt rejuvenated as he looked around for more <<Hate>> effected players. His eyes quickly fell upon Ezmerelda standing between Vegnya and a small horde of attackers. Without a second thought he charged towards them.

His run was cut short as a huge bearded axe clotheslined him. He got up quickly, dazed after the hit. The axe came again but Ornstein had no time to play with tanks. He parried and knocked him off balance then drove his one of his chaos blades through the girl's arm and around to her back where he pinned the arm by thrusting the sword through the tanks back until it was visible from the front. Her blood-curdling scream was sure to attract more attention. DEAD.

Ornstein ran, hoping to get away from any more attackers before he could aid Ez. Just when he was about two strides away he jumped, balling up to increase the amount of concentrated weight and mass that he would slam into the attackers. When he hit, all four of the players closest to Ez were knocked over, Stein landed on his feet and slammed the butt of his spear into the head of the first attacker he saw, followed by him stomping on the attackers head when he hit the floor and thrusting a chaos blade into another player before grabbing his spear and throwing it through all four of the attackers he had knocked over a second before. The spear stuck into the wall behind them as they all dispersed into a cloud of shards, Ornstein then pulled his sword out of the chest of the player in front of him that he stabbed just a second ago and charged a punch with his metal caestas and shattered the characters appearance. DEAD x7. "Vegnya, Please be careful. Ezzy do you need any more help? I am trying to keep people away from the doors, Have either of you seen <<The Mad Doctor>> or <<The Forge>>? I was hoping to join up with one of the two, In hopes that they aren't turning against us also. Ornstein collected his weapons and readied himself next to Ezmerelda as he awaited his answer.