Merry Christmas to all those who have been following the story since chapter one, and too those who have just started reading! I wanted to release chapter nine, and eight together on Christmas, but sadly... I got behind. So I'll go ahead and release chapter eight! Enjoy your first glimpse into a darker side of Kane/Stance. As always, please inform me of any spelling, or grammar errors!

.Hack// Vision

Chapter 8: Reason

Important events in the .hack Timeline: Guardians are starting to appear at random throughout The World

Perspective: Stance

"I will not stay here another day" I said. "And just what are you going to do? People don't just pass out like you did; there are reasons" Natsuko said. "Reasons you've failed repeatedly to find. I can't put my life on hold so you can discover the reason I passed out, as long as it does not happen again… That is all I am concerned about." I said firmly. "And what of your condition? You're barely able to walk" Natsuko said. "I know my own limits. I've a class that needs to be run, a house that needs to be taken care of, and many other duties. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check out now" I said as I pushed Natsuko aside. "Yes, what would I know? I've only been going to school half my life" Natsuko sighed to herself as I left the room.

"Such an irritating woman…" I sighed to myself as I limped down the hospitals corridors. Since day one of my hospitalization Natsuko has been a pain in my side, I can't count how many test I've had to endure; they wanted to know the reason I had just passed out, of course I already knew the reason; but I wasn't about to tell them the truth. I approached the receptionist, and demanded to be let go. "But Takeshi… You're still far too weak, and we've yet to diagnose the problem" The receptionist said. "I will not spend my time, wasting away in these halls. Now I suggest you discharge me; if you do not, I will walk right out those doors." I said firmly. "Alright…" The receptionist said.

I slowly made my way out of the hospital; the sun was just starting to rise. "Did the knights capture Tsukasa? Is Subaru alright…?" I asked myself as I staggered along the sidewalk. "I asked James to find out… He undoubtedly logged on last night… All the more reason to hurry to school. It was a long walk to school, I had to stop several times to rest, and luckily it was extremely early when I left the hospital, so I was able to make it to school.

"Earlier than normal…" I sighed as I entered the school building.

I clumsily made my way over to my locker, surprisingly enough, there was a student standing in front of my locker. What is she doing? "May I assist you?" I asked as I tried to fix my sluggish posture. "Hmm?" The female student said as she looked over at my direction. "Oh… It's just you, Takeshi" The student said as she continued to tinker with my locker. That's Aoi Tsukio, but what is she doing to my locker. "What are you doing to my locker?" I asked. "This is your locker?" She asked as she adjusted her glasses. "It is" I said with a nod. "I saw someone sticking something inside; I figured it was some kind of prank, so I decided to take a look" She explained. "Did you get a good look at the vandal?" I asked. "No" She said firmly. "How uncivilized…" I said bitterly. "I don't know if you're aware Takeshi… But a lot of people don't think highly of you" She explained as she adjusted her glasses. "I'm not concerned with their feelings towards me. But if they are going to vandalize school property, I will not hesitate to take action." I said firmly. "They are cowards" She said softly. "Agreed, I must thank you for protecting my locker." I said with a bow. "Yes… Just make sure you keep an ear out for those idiots." Aoi said as she turned on her heel. "Understood." I said with a nod. "Oh…" Aoi sighed to herself. "James… He is your friend correct?" She asked. "He is" I said. "He is American… Correct?" She asked timidly. "That is correct." I said. "He is… Odd…" She said to herself. "Something that makes him unique" I said. "I suppose… Good bye, Takeshi" Aoi said as she walked off, down the hall. I turned towards my locker, and opened it quickly; inside was another anonymous love note. "Aoi must have seen the author of these notes… This is starting to become annoying" I sighed as I placed the note back into my locker. I stumbled my way towards the stairs; it was going to be difficult to walk up and down these stairs with the condition my body was in… "Complaining will not help" I sighed to myself as I pulled myself up the stairs.

I opened the door to my classroom, and stumbled inside. "What… Senpai!? What are you doing here!?" Asaoka shouted. "I have duties I must attend to" I said. "Nothing the doctors can do about what happened either; so it is pointless to stay there" I added. "But… Are you sure you're well enough to be here?" She asked. "I haven't passed out yet" I said. "Yesterday's lesson plan; give me it" I said as I sat on top a nearby desk. "Yes, Senpai" Asaoka said as she handed me a large notebook. "You two did not return to school yesterday… I expect you to have all of this make up work completed tomorrow" I said firmly. "Tomorrow? Sensei would give us at least three days" Asaoka explained with a smirk. "You missed an entire day's work, it should only take you one day to make it all up" I said firmly. "But!" Asaoka pouted. "You have no need to continue this charade; I know you have already completed it all" I said with a dismissive way. "Oh? How did you know?" Asaoka asked. "Humans are predictable; a simple judge of character can reveal a lot about someone" I explained. "So you judge people?" Asaoka asked. "Of course I do. Everyone does, I observe people; I watch their actions, their attitude. I get a feel for their character…" I explained. "Then I start to guess at how they will act" I added. "I have done it for so long, I suppose it's become second nature" I explained. "Wow… Senpai you should" Asaoka tried to say but I interrupted her. "Become a judge?" I finished her sentence. "Yeah" Asaoka giggled. "I haven't the patience to deal with so many criminals, and to be honest, sooner or later I would have to convict an innocent men… Or let a guilty person go…" I said. "You don't think you could do it?" Asaoka asked. "That's not it at all; it's not my decision to make, it's the jury's so I have no problem convicting the innocent, it is the law after all. But to be honest, sooner or later, my coconscious would get the better of me. I'd start losing sleep, and then who knows where all the guilt would take me" I explained. "But you just said…" Asaoka started. "I said I would convict an innocent man because the law required it. Of course doing that would only make me hate the person I see in the mirror…" I explained. "Again…" I sighed silently to myself. "Not a judge" I said with a dismissive wave. "Well, I think you'd make a great one. You're a very fair person!" Asaoka said. "You have been pitching career ideas at me for awhile now Asaoka…" I said firmly. "Oh… Do you want me to stop?" She asked sheepishly. "No. Please continue doing so, I still haven't fully decided on what I plan on doing with my life" I sighed. "Right! Just leave the career counseling to me!" Asaoka said cheerfully. "Very well, just make sure you don't neglect your other duties. This class will not run itself, and not to mention your duties with the school tennis club" I said. "I'm just a manager" Asaoka said with a shrug. "What do you mean "just a manager" The whole club depends on you! You must work extra hard to set a good example, and work hard to lead our team to victory, do not ever belittle yourself" I said firmly. "So… Being a manager is important?" Asaoka asked. "You shouldn't ask such foolish questions. It is clearly the most important job on that team, and you should feel honored to hold such a position. People strive for equality, so I doubt anyone would admit you are superior to them, but I'll tell you right now: you are" I said with a nod. "Wow… So… Since you're the class rep… Do you think you're superior to everyone else in the class?" Asaoka asked with a giggle. "Would it be such a bad thing if I did? People may view that as arrogance… But I represent them! Shouldn't they want the best representative? I'm not saying I think I am the best… But I will admit that I try to be the best" I explained. "I see… Then I to shall try to be the best" Asaoka said with a nod. "Lead your team to victory" I said as I clenched my fist. "Yeah!" Asaoka said as she raised her fist high into the air. "Oh wait… Senpai… You have to complete yesterday's assignment too" Asaoka said. "No, I did it last night. The school administration dropped off my work at the hospital" I explained. "Oh…" Asaoka sighed. "So you've still got one day" I said with a chuckle. "I suppose I'll give James two" I added. "What!? Why does he get two days?" Asaoka shouted. "Well he does have the highest grade in class" I said bluntly. "Going up to him, and telling him to finish his work would make me look stupid, since his grade is better than mine" I explained. "Yeah… But he wouldn't say anything if you were to tell him that." Asaoka explained. "Of course he wouldn't, but then again… He doesn't know what his grade is, nor does he have any idea what mine is" I said with a chuckle. "So you're going to give him one day, right?" Asaoka asked. "He spends too much time with Hagiya, and that band of his. A little school work is good for him." I said as I struggled to my feet. "Remember Asaoka, arrogance has to be earned" I said. "Understood" Asaoka said with a giggle. "Oh, by the way… Kane, about yesterday, was that girl really your sister?" Asaoka asked. I froze for a moment, trying to think of what to say. "Asaoka, after school… Could you come over to my house?" I asked seriously. "Wha!? Your house!?" Asaoka shouted. "Yeah… It will be easier to explain there, I'll see if James can come along, that way you both can hear" I said softly. "Oh…Yeah… Alright…" Asaoka said quietly. "Class will be starting soon, let's prepare the room" I said as I stumbled around the room; cleaning it. There was an awkward silence all the way up until the bell rang; I sluggishly stood up in front of the class, as the bell rang. Students began to poor into the classroom, all of them taking their respective seat, everyone, except James, of course. I could hear the students talking about me as I took roll; I decided not to pay any attention to it, no use starting a fight… Just as the second bell was about to ring, James burst into the classroom. "Did I make it!?" He shouted. "Barely… Right on schedule" I said as I marked him present. James gave me a sly nod, obviously telling me he was happy to see me; I returned the nod quickly, and double checked the roll.

"Class… Give me your attention"

Natsuko wasn't lying, my body was still weak, and I had to fight the urge to fall asleep in class, thankfully no one had noticed my struggle. Class was dismissed for lunch; I as usual, stayed behind. "Staying behind again?" Asaoka asked. "Yeah" I sighed. Asaoka giggled, and grabbed my hand; "Hey… Come with me to the roof, ok?" Asaoka said as she tugged on my hand. "The roof is off limits, you know that" I said strictly. "Aww, but Kane…" Asaoka pouted. "But I suppose… Just this once" I said. Asaoka didn't say another word; she pulled me all the way to the top of the school building, and shut the door firmly behind her. "Kane…" Asaoka started. "Yes…?" I responded. "How… How are you feeling?" She asked nervously. "I'm fine" I said dismissively. "You're a liar" Asaoka said as she poked my cheek. "I saw you nodding off in class, not only that… You're barely able to stand aren't you? There is no way they'd let you out of the hospital like that… You forced them didn't you?" Asaoka inquired. I nodded my head wordlessly. "I thought so… It's just like you to not ask for help, you're so stubborn" Asaoka admitted. "A quality I'm proud to possess" I said. "A quality that's gonna get you in trouble" Asaoka said firmly. "You never ask for help, if you had help… Maybe Tsukasa wouldn't have knocked you out" Asaoka said to herself. "Tsukasa would have knocked someone else out if I hadn't stopped him, that's what I'm there to do, protect others." I said firmly. "I do not need protection" I added. "I knew you'd say that" Asaoka giggled. "Listen Kane… James may have already told you…" Asaoka started. "He hasn't said anything to me" I said, correcting her. "Well… It's about Subaru; she's fine" Asaoka explained. "Good." I said with a nod. "But…" Asaoka started. "I thought I had the courage to do this… But you'll just get mad…" Asaoka sighed. "Mad at what?" I asked. "I'll let Subaru explain it" Asaoka said as she shook her head. "Explain what?" I asked again. "Nothing… Don't worry about it Kane" Asaoka said as she waved her hand dismissively. No use pressing the issue… I sighed to myself, and turned my attention towards the cityscape below. "Hey Kane… What did…? What did it feel like?" Asaoka timidly asked. "I assume you are talking about Tsukasa's attack. It's strange to be honest… Silver Knight complained about memory loss, but honestly… I remember it all. I cannot say what being impaled feels like… But I'm sure I felt it when Tsukasa's monster attacked. I could feel it's tentacle inside my body… Then suddenly it felt like my very mind was being ripped from my body, then it felt as though he was overloading me with something… I can't describe it… But I defiantly felt like something was being pushed into my very mind. I was able to stand from my seat, and I even remember ripping the HMD off my head, but soon after everything got blurry" I explained. "One of my neighbors heard all the commotion, he burst into my house, and found me at the bottom of the steps. Apparently I stumbled out of my room, and passed out at the top of the stairs; that would explain this horrific knot on my head" I explained. "A game… That can do all of that…" Asaoka sighed to herself. "It isn't to strange, do you remember Deadly Flash?" I asked. "Yeah… It caused people to have seizures…" Asaoka said. "And it brought death to many as well; it affected the victim's brain. Those that were lucky only suffered mild seizures; some suffered irreversible brain damage, and many unlucky few fell into a vegetative state" I explained. "Truly a horrific display of what modern technology is capable of" I added. "Yeah…" Asaoka nodded in agreement. "Tsukasa wasn't actually using Deadly Flash; I suppose I should be thankful" I said to myself. "Yeah, and you should be more careful!" Asaoka said as she playfully shoved me. "Understood, I will try to avoid this in the near future" I said playfully. "Oh you'd better! You've got responsibilities here at school, your job; and back in The World. Falling into a coma is no excuse!" Asaoka said playfully. "I understand, now… Let's get back to class before someone sees us up here" I said. "You that worried about rumors?" Asaoka asked with a grin. "We will be expelled if we are caught up here" I said seriously. "It's a pretty dumb rule, but you're right. Let's go" Asaoka said.

Asaoka and I returned to the classroom just before lunch finished, I felt better having talked to Asaoka, at least mentally… My body was still in bad shape, and I nearly fell asleep multiple times. Finally after what seemed like ages, school was finished.

"A lot of rumors going around" James said as he walked over to my desk. "I do not concern myself with gossip" I said with a grunt, as I stood from my desk. "Heh, I know that, but what I mean is; the gossip is about you. A lot of people wondering where you were yesterday, and why you're acting so sluggish today" James explained. "Let them say what they will, they will forget about it all soon enough" I said as I walked out of the classroom. "You're probably right, but I just thought I'd tell you" James said as he caught up with me. "Gossip about me is nothing new. It always passes, the students here find something new to gawk at" I said harshly. "That's high school" James said with a grin. I continued down the stairs, and paused when I saw a large crowd of students at the bottom; I recognized them all as students from my class. "I was barely able to push her out of the way, luckily the car swerved at the last second" I said loudly to James. The students below stopped their discussion and glared up at me. I continued casually down the stairs, and greeted each of the students as I passed. James ran up beside me once we were out of earshot. "Just what was all that?" he asked. "Gossip is easily molded, like clay. I wonder what kind of rumor will start now." I asked myself. "I thought you didn't care about gossip" he said. "I do not, but it is fairly entertaining to hear these rumors" I said. "So… You thrive on drama?" James asked sarcastically. "No… It's kind of like reading a book. Do you remember that one rumor, the one about me belonging to the Yakuza?" I asked. "Oh! Yeah! That was back at the beginning of school! It all started because you stood off by yourself, and had this cold look on your face" James said as he tried to imitate my cold glare. "Then everyone started making up weird stories, truth be told it was fairly entertaining" I admitted. "I remember that… There was some murder in the next town, and some students started making up those stories" James said with a chuckle. "A shame really, some of those stories were really entertaining, we have many aspiring writers here" I said with a chuckle. "I do not fully understand why people gossip; boredom would be my best guess… But let them talk about me all they want, it takes attention away from those who truly have something they wish to hide" I paused as I thought about how James would react when I told him the story about Yoko… "Wow, pretty noble of you Kane" James said with a grin. "Perhaps… But I still need your help James…" I said as I turned around and looked him dead in the eye. "Wha… With what?" James stammered. I paused until two female students were close enough to hear me, "You are my man on the inside" I said seriously. I watched the students as the passed by us; they began to whisper to themselves as they hurried down the hall. "Hey! Don't drag me down with you" James shouted. "Take one for the team, besides… I need a partner anyway" I said with a chuckle. "You've got a real twisted sense of humor" James said with a sigh. "Just thought I would try to lighten the mood" I said as I approached my locker. "You'll be coming to my house after school today; I know you do not have to work. I would just be sent home if he saw me in this condition" I explained. "To your house?" James asked. "Correct, gather your belongings, and meet me outside the main gate" I said as I closed my locker, and made my way outside.

Asaoka and I met up outside the schools main gate, we had to wait for James to show up, since after all; he was late.

"Haven't been to your house in a long time, any special occasion?" James asked as he ran up to the school's gate. "No, now let's go" I said as I pushed myself off the gate, and started walking towards home. James stopped to look at Asaoka, "Asaoka is coming too?" He asked. "Yes, now stop lagging behind" I said seriously. The walk home seemed longer, I'm pretty sure they both knew what I was planning on doing. I started to get real nervous as I approached my apartment. James and Asaoka were whispering to each other the whole way home, I didn't bother to listen, I doubt I could have anyway. I led Asaoka and James upstairs and let them into the door. I really should thank him… I'll do it later… I closed the door behind me. "You'll have to excuse the mess, as you know I haven't had a chance to clean up" I apologized. Asaoka, and James's attention was centered at the foot of the stairs, where my HMD lay. "Oh…" I sighed to myself as I picked it up. "As I said before… I fell down the stairs…" I said softly as I examined my HMD. "Luckily this was not damaged" I said as I curled the cord up around the HMD. "Must have been one heck of a fall" James said trying to lighten the atmosphere. "Come" I said softly as I walked up the flight of stairs. "My room" I said as I pointed towards the open door. My room was just as I had left it, my chair was kicked over, and my keyboard was game controller was hanging off the side of my desk; my terminal's monitor was flashing a large message that read: System Error. "Tsukasa's doing?" Asaoka asked. "Undoubtedly" I said as I straightened up my desk and shutdown my terminal. "Please, sit" I said as I slid my computer chair over to Asaoka, I assumed she'd be more comfortable in the chair, than on my bed. Asaoka politely nodded, and took her seat, James on the other hand plopped down on my bed, and stretched his legs out. "So what's up?" James asked. I made my way over to my closet, and reached inside; I pulled out an old dusty newspaper. "Here" I said softly as I tossed the news paper over to James. Asaoka sat next to James and eyed the newspaper curiously. "Bottom left side of the page" I said softly

I remember perfectly what the paper says… Word for word…

Police arrested a small boy that has been accused of murdering a 28 year old male. The male has been identified as Hotaka Ichiro. Hotaka was found stabbed to death in a home he had allegedly broken into, during the break in, he shot, and critically wounded a small child living in the home. A member of the family retaliated and attacked Hotaka with a pair of scissors; stabbing him multiple times in the chest, and head. Police are currently holding the 11 year old assailant, and plan to charge him for second degree murder.

"So what...what's this all about? Wait a second, Kane...this was you...and your sister?" James asked seriously. Asaoka looked up at me and gasped. "He shot her in the chest. It really messed up her heart. Of course at the time I thought she was dead. I grabbed the nearest object… Which happened to be a pair of scissors" I explained as I hid my face from their view. "I mean...I guess...I would have done the same..." James said as he studied the paper seriously. "Kane…" Asaoka sighed. "She tried to tell me someone was in the house, but I didn't pay attention; I was such a fool." I nearly shouted. "It's alright, man...that was years ago, wasn't it?" James said, looking at the newspaper article again. "I mean...your sister is happy now, you saw her." James said with a nod. "She's stuck in that hospital waiting for a new heart." I sighed. "Of course they won't take mine! It'd be too cruel to do something like that! So they just lock her up in that hospital, and let her waste away! She has no friends, her education must be suffering, I cannot begin to fathom what her life is like" I said. "It's alright, Kane...just calm down. I'm sure your sister doesn't blame you; I mean she looked incredibly happy to see you. I don't really know what to say though...I know she'll get the heart she needs...before..." James explained, but Asaoka cut him off, urging him not to continue. "Forgive me… But it is not a subject I like to talk highly of" I said as I straightened out my shirt.

"I suppose I should have been more trusting of you two. My parents of course do not want this story being leaked out, as they worry about their own reputation" I explained. "I was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, and was forced to undergo counseling for many months." I added. "Wow, I never even guessed...I- I just didn't have any idea, man." James sighed. "I've killed a fellow human, and I feel no guilt about doing so; tell me… Can you still stand to be around me knowing that?" I asked seriously. "I can, because I know you only did it for your sister's sake, Kane...I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing." James said seriously, as he patted me on the shoulder. "Kane… I understand why you would hide something like this, but you don't have to worry. Like James said… I probably would have done the same thing" Asaoka said seriously. "I understand… I shouldn't have kept it a secret. I just didn't want this story to leak out… Although I do not regret it… It is not something to boast about" I explained. "I understand of course..." James said. "Good, then you both understand; you are not to tell a soul about this" I said in my typical serious voice. "Of course, I won't tell anyone." James said as he waved his hands. "You don't have to worry about me Senpai, I won't tell a soul" Asaoka said seriously. "Very well… Have you any questions? If you plan on asking me about the incident, I would prefer you do it now" I said as I turned towards them. "No...I think I'm better off not knowing." James said seriously. "Very well" I said with a nod. "What about your sister?" Asaoka asked. "She is waiting for a heart. Despite what you may think, a working heart in a dead person is hard to come by. Until then, I shall continue to visit her" I explained. "I see… By the way, Kane, where are your parents?" Asaoka asked. "My best guess would be America, their jobs often have them overseas" I explained. "What!? Don't they know what happened to you?" Asaoka asked. "I am sure they do, but they obviously do not think it is serious enough to return" I explained. "But that's… Heartless" Asaoka stammered. "They have their own lives to live. Them being here would not comfort me much anyway" I said bluntly. "I see…" Asaoka sighed to herself. "But Kane… Can I visit your sister?" Asaoka asked cheerfully. "Visit her… Yes… She would enjoy that" I said with a nod. "Alright!" Asaoka said cheerfully. "Yeah, I think I'll do that too...it's gotta get lonely being cooped up in that hospital all the time; especially with just Kane visiting." James said with a sarcastic smirk. "You are only allowed to visit when I am with you; I do not want you corrupting my only sister" I said. James just smiled, and shook his head "Whatever you say Kane" he said with a smirk. "I believe I have said everything I wish to say. All of this aside, I want you both to focus on your duties. James, you and Hagiya have your band, not to mention you've also got a job you must focus on" I said seriously to James. "And you Asaoka; are my assistant, and I require you to be at one hundred percent, at all times. Not to mention you have duties with the tennis club, I expect you to lead our school's team to victory" I said seriously to Asaoka. "A lot is going on inside The World right now, but that is my concern, I don't know Tsukasa's fate; but I will find out when I log in tonight. You both keep sight of what's important right now." I said seriously. James nodded firmly at me, and Asaoka clenched her fist and placed it over her heart. I stood there dumbfounded by what she had done… That is… The salute of the Crimson Knights… She must be imitating me… "Are you going to return the salute?" Asaoka asked with a grin. "What? Oh, of course" I said as I snapped to attention and returned the salute. "Well… I do not want to keep you all day" I said as I made my way downstairs. I opened the door, and let James, and Asaoka outside. "James, I can't say I would be of much help, but if you require assistance with your band, do not hesitate to ask me… As for your job, I expect you to do that on your own." I said seriously. "And Asaoka, if you require assistance with your management duties, then please do not hesitate to ask" I said seriously. "Heh, you got it Stance. Goodnight." James said with a wave as he walked towards the stairs. "I'll see you later Kane" Asaoka said with a smile. "Watch your back on your way home" I said seriously. "Of course, I'll keep on the streets" Asaoka said with a giggle, as she ran down the stairs. I watched Asaoka, as she left, an unpleasant feeling settled in my chest. "Good and evil are just words… Humans act naturally to different situations." I repeated the philosophy my mother had taught me before she died. "I acted naturally to that situation? Killing him was natural…?" I asked as I looked off into the sunset and hoped for a reply. "Of course I did" I said with confidence. "When a loved one is in danger, any one would be driven to murder" I said firmly. I looked off into the sunset, and thanked my mother. "I should report in with the knights" I said as I turned around, and made my way inside.

I appeared in Mac Anu, the peaceful scenery was welcoming, although I could feel that something was not right. "The guard team is gone…" I said to myself as I studied the area containing the chaos gate. I made my way down to the central part of Mac Anu, several players were crowded on the banks of the river, and many were talking on the bridge. "It seems normal enough" I said with relief. I scanned my surroundings and found a knight conversing with a player on top of the bridge. I made my way over, and listened in on his conversation. "But… He won't stop harassing me" A small female wavemaster sighed. "That isn't of my concern anymore. There's nothing we can do to help." The knight said harshly. I felt a nerve in my head snap as I listened to him. "Knight!" I shouted loudly. Everyone in the immediate area stopped their conversation and glared at me. I marched over to the knight, "What did you say to that player?" I asked. "I told her there is nothing we could do to help, we're just players" the knight said defiantly. "Just players?" I asked. "That's what Subaru said" the knight said as he pointed towards the docks. "Lady Subaru is our leader, you will show her respect" I said coldly. "Some leader she is" the knight said harshly. I threw my hand forward, and grabbed his neck before he could continue. "Perhaps you should reconsider your selection in guilds" I said as I choked the knight. Since we were in a root town, I wasn't causing any superficial damage; his character was just bound by my grip, since he didn't posses the strength to break free. "The Crimson Knights have always been players, nothing more" I said as the knight fell to his knees. "We are not administrators, nor will we ever be" I said coldly. The knight had his hands wrapped around mine, trying to break free. "Do I make myself clear?" I asked as I tightened my grip around his neck. The knight tried to speak, but only coughed instead. "I find your lack of competence disturbing" I said as I loosened my grip. "W-Whatever! I understand! Ju- Just let me go!" The knight gasped. I let go of his neck, and he fell to the floor gasping for air. "What kind of knight are you!?" the knight shouted. "A fiercely loyal one" I said coldly as I clenched my fist. "You're crazy!" the knight shouted. "You would do well to remember where your loyalties lye" I said. "I pray that you find a solution to this player's problem. I cannot promise you a future in the knights if you do not" I said as I continued across the bridge. Players looked at me with shock and awe as I made my way past them. "I've never gotten angry like that…" I said to myself as I crossed the bridge. "I would do well to watch my behavior when in public, although I find it increasingly difficult to restrain myself when surrounded by such fools" I said to myself. "For Subaru's sake..." I said as I neared the docks

I was getting anxious to see Lady Subaru, and the anxiety only worsened when I had noticed she was online. As I entered the docks, I could feel Silver Knights cold gaze "Stance…" he said to himself. "Where is Lady Subaru?" I asked. "Subaru? Oh… That's right. You don't know do you?" Silver Knight asked with a grin. "What?" I asked. "She's over there, on her boat. You should talk to her, you will like what she has to say" Silver Knight said with a grin. I pushed past Silver Knight, and marched towards Subaru's docked vessel. I kneeled down before her "M'lady" I announced my presence. Subaru turned towards me, and let out a sigh of relief. "Stance… Come forward" She commanded. I stood up straight and marched forward onto her gondola. I stood at attention, and focused my gaze directly into her eyes. The boat shook as it began to travel down the rivers of Mac Anu. "Stance, I can't thank you enough for what you did for me" Subaru suddenly spoke up. "Nonsense, it is my du-" I said seriously. "No" Subaru said sharply. "Putting your character at risk is one thing… But I cannot allow you to put your real life self in danger" Subaru said sharply. "With all do respect, M'lady… I took an oath to protect all players of The World; we Crimson Knights are players as well. Although we have organized ourselves into a guild; we are still only players" I said seriously. "Are we…?" Subaru timidly asked as she turned her back to me. "That is how you explained the knights to me long ago" I said. "Stance… Please forgive me…" Subaru whispered to herself. She slowly turned around, her face riddled with sadness. "I let Tsukasa go" Subaru timidly admitted. I felt my heart stop momentarily, but I kept calm. "May I ask why, M'lady…?" I asked, trying to mask my anger. "I… I do not think we should blame him for his actions…" Subaru timidly said. "Why shouldn't we…?" I asked as I cast my gaze downward. "Your friend… Did he not show you…?" Subaru asked. "My friend…?" I asked. "Dash… I gave him something to show you" Subaru explained. "No… He did not show me anything… One moment please…" I said to Subaru. I lifted my HMD off my head, and picked up my cell phone. "What's up Kane?" James asked as he answered his phone. "Did you forget to give me something today?" I asked. "Forget… Oh! Yeah! I totally forgot!" James said as he laughed to himself. "Subaru gave me something…Ah… Here it is" James said. "It's Tsukasa's access logs, she told me to give them to you, but I guess I left them at home" James laughed. "Why did she give them to you? Is their anything significant about them?" I asked. "Well… It all seems normal enough until this entry point… According to the logs, Tsukasa has been logged on for two weeks straight" James said. "Two weeks…? I don't get it… So he left his character logged in…?" I asked. "Who knows" James said. "Thanks James" I said before I hung up. I dropped my phone back down on my desk, and slid my HMD back over my head. "What is the significance of that access log, M'lady?" I asked. "You've seen it then?" Subaru asked. "Two weeks straight… But I do not understand why that would influence you to let him go" I said. "I don't believe Tsukasa is playing a game" Subaru said. "M'lady, I do not understand" I said as I shook my head. "The player Tsukasa… I don't think he is… I don't think he is in front of a terminal" Subaru said firmly. "That does not make any sense how would he acc-" I stopped myself as I thought about what Subaru said. "You are saying… He is… "Inside" The World?" I asked seriously. "I believe so" Subaru said. "If that is true… I think I can understand his actions" I said seriously. "You believe me?" Subaru asked. "He was able to effect my real life self from inside a game, although I'm not entirely convinced, I will not discount the possibility. And I know that you have no reason to lie; nothing to gain" I said seriously. Subaru smiled, and nodded at me. "You let him go, out of sympathy?" I asked. "Yes… He has promised not to use his creature against any other players, so long as we do not bother him" Subaru said. "Then the situation is resolved?" I asked. "Not quite… I haven't told the knights the reason I let him go…" Subaru sighed. "I see… I doubt they would believe you M'lady" I said. "So they think that I just let him go for no reason… On top of that, many players were injured in Silver Knights unauthorized raid… They think that I'm neglecting the well being of the knights…" Subaru sighed. "The knights have grown treacherous; this is not something new… Do not blame yourself M'lady" I said trying to comfort her. "You may be right… But now there are knights openly disrespecting players, and even their commanders." Subaru sighed to herself. "They must be dealt with, M'lady" I said seriously. "You are correct; the image of the knights has already been tarnished enough." Subaru said firmly. "I await your orders" I said as I kneeled before her. "Stance, I've received very disturbing reports from the captains of squad's five, and eight" Subaru explained. "I will assist in any way possible" I said with a nod. "Many knights have begun to ignore the orders of their commanders, and some have even gone as far as to form small groups…" Subaru explained. "What you are saying… Is there is a rebellion taking place within the knights?" I asked. "Yes… If they no longer agree with the way I lead, they are free to quit, but I will not have members of this guild ignore my commands" Subaru said sternly. "Stance, I'm promoting you to captain of squad 1, additionally I'm giving you administrative rights… I want you to find these players; they will either follow my commands, or leave the group. If they refuse to leave… Then kick them out of the guild" Subaru commanded. "M'lady, you are aware of… My methods, correct?" I asked. "I need someone efficient, and loyal. That is why I chose you" Subaru said seriously. "I will not fail you" I said as I saluted her. "But… Are you sure about leaving Tsukasa alone?" I asked before she could speak. "I actually regret the decision…" Subaru sighed as she dropped her shoulders, and lowered her axe. "Why is that M'lady?" I asked. "Shortly after I released him, I received a message from the leader of the Cobalt Knights" Subaru said seriously. "The Cobalt Knights…" I gasped as I looked around the area, making sure no one was listening. "Although I've told no one else this… The cobalt knights have taken charge of the investigation" Subaru explained. "The administration chooses now to act?" I asked harshly. "There is nothing I could do, they warned me to keep all knights as far away from Tsukasa as possible" Subaru explained. "The Cobalt Knights… To think I even considered joining them…" Subaru sighed to herself. "You wanted to remain a player, and I choose to remain your knight, in the end… We both wanted to be ordinary players, nothing more." I said trying to lift her spirits. "But… With the Cobalt Knights hunting him, won't Tsukasa resort to violence against players?" I asked seriously. "I'm aware of that… That is why… I am going to seek him out" Subaru explained. "I understand… I will find this rebellion, and crush it before it becomes a problem. But M'lady, please be careful… With the Cobalt Knights involved, you stand more to lose than your character" I said seriously. "I understand the risk. Stance… Thank you for all your help, I will dismiss you now" Subaru said with a smile. "As you wish M'lady" I said with a salute. I jumped off her boat, landing on the bank of the river, near the weapon shop. "I don't know what's going on… But I have my orders, that's all I need for now, regardless of what I believe, Lady Subaru has her reasons… Tsukasa is to be left alone." I said as I checked through the newly opened "guild administration" menu. Lady Subaru has given me administration rights over the Crimson Knights… "I will find these rebels, and crush them" I said as I slammed my fist together.

I switched over to guild chat

Stance: Attention all Crimson Knights belonging to Squad one, you are to report to the following area immediately Θ Rejecting Oblivious Wave Master. Those that are online, but fail to show up will be removed entirely from the Crimson Knights, and will be bared from re-entry. I am your commander now.

I started towards the chaos gate, but stopped when a familiar player hailed me from across the bridge. It was Dash, as I neared I noticed four other players standing with him; I recognized these players as the ones who I found defeated by Tsukasa. "Hey Stance! Come here!" Dash beckoned me towards his group. "Something I can assist you with?" I asked to Dash. "That's my friend Stance, he's the one who came and saved me that night" James explained to his five friends in English. I've rarely ever heard James speak English… That's actually pretty polite… His five female friends huddled around James, and started to whisper. Just when I thought about leaving, Dash turned back to me, "They just want to say thank you for… Well ya know…" Dash said. The red haired female stepped forward. "You'd better not misinterpret me, Joker!" The red haired female shouted to Dash. "He does not need to interpret for you, I am capable of speaking, and understanding English" I said in English. James spun around at me, his eyes wide with shock. "You speak English! Why didn't you tell me?" Dash shouted. "You never asked, it's not too uncommon, infact most students take English classes at school, were you not aware?" I asked in English. "No… I normally have that period off, that's when I take my naps!" Dash boasted. "Of course" I said as I rolled my eyes. The red haired female walked up to me, and smiled. "So you speak English then? Well that's great!" She said as she slapped me across the shoulder, nearly knocking me to the floor. "Ah… Yes… My name is Stance, it is an honor to meet you, Miss…?" I said as I regained my posture. "Don't be so uptight! You can call me Spade!" She said happily as she draped her arm around my neck, and gave me a nuggie. I struggled against her, and finally freed myself. "Ah… Yes… Well, it is an honor to meet you, Miss Spade." I said with a bow. Dash was laughing at my obvious embarrassment. Gah… Are they all like this? "Just Spade" Spade said cheerfully. "Very well, an honor, Spade" I said, stopping myself from bowing. The blue haired player shouldered her halberd, and stepped forward. "Hello Stance. You may address me as Club, it is a pleasure to meet you" She said politely. This one is much more polite…"Yes, it is an honor to meet you as well, Club" I said with a deep bow. "I have seen others that look like you. Is that the current trend in your country?" She asked politely. "He's a Crimson Knight" Dash explained. "Crimson Knight…? What is their purpose?" Club asked curiously. "They're pretty much police, fight against PKers, safe guard players, things like that" Dash explained as he yawned. "I see." Club said as she stepped back towards the other females. I stood there, awaiting the next female to introduce herself, but neither of the remaining two came forward. "Oh come on, don't be shy Diamond" Dash said as he grabbed the blonde haired female's hand, and drug her forward. She cried out with resistance, and nearly tripped over into me. "Uhh… I'm… I'm Diamond… Thanks for… What you did" Diamond said timidly. "It was my duty, thanks are not necessary. But it is an honor to meet you Diamond" I said with a bow. She didn't bother to acknowledge me, and instead she spun around and returned to the other females. The final female stepped forward, only to stumble and fall down onto the ground below. "Are you alright?" I asked worriedly. "How typical" Spade sighed aloud. "Saw that one coming" Dash said with a chuckle. The pink haired female stood up, laughing at her mistake. "Hiya! You can call me Heart! It's nice to meet ya!" Heart said cheerfully as she held her hand out. Her upbeat attitude caught me off guard; all I could do was stare at her hand, which was inching closer to me. "Hand Shake" Dash whispered to me. "Oh… Yes, of course" I said as I grasped her hand, and shook it. "You're a knight huh?" She asked merrily as she shook my hand. "Yes, I am a Crimson Knight" I said trying to withdraw my hand. "You look so cool in that armor… Oh how I wish Joker was a knight, he would look so good in armor…" Heart sighed to herself as she still shook my hand. "It would be perfect! He could save me from a bunch of villains! Riding on a noble Grunty, and shouting: Leave my fair maiden alone!" Heart said to herself as she began to droll. She's still shaking my hand… I looked towards Dash who just shrugged, "Sounds like she should hang out with you, Stance" He said with a chuckle. "He'd look a little weird since he doesn't cut his hair, but it'd be so romantic…" Heart sighed to herself as she continued to shake my hand. I stood there listening to her fantasy for nearly ten minutes before she realized what she was doing, and apologized to me.

"You are all Dash's friends?" I asked. "Yep! We all know him in reality" Spade said as she elbowed Dash. "I see, well… I happen to be friends with Dash in reality as well" I explained. "Oh yeah? You been taking care of him?" Spade asked. "It's Joker were talking about, if anything he's been nothing but an annoyance to him" Diamond said harshly. "Hey, come on now!" Dash cried. "He can be somewhat troublesome, but I suppose that is what makes Dash, Dash." I said with a chuckle. "Really? He's was a real pain back home, we all had to watch over him, and keep him out of trouble" Spade said. "Hey! That's not true!" Dash shouted. "Shut up Joker!" Spade shouted. "Yes" Dash sighed as he turned away from us. "Joker… A nickname?" I asked Spade. "His older character back in the American server" Club said. "Looks a lot like his character now, don't see why he'd change his name" Heart said. "Just thought it was time for something new" Dash said with a shrug. "I see… Spade, Diamond, Club, Heart, and Joker… Playing cards?" I asked. "Yep! That's us!" Spade said cheerfully. So back in America, Dash was… Joker?" I asked. "Yeah, we were all part of a guild I had created" Dash explained. "You? In a guild?" I asked with a chuckle. "Yep, Royal Flush!" Dash said as he gestured towards the four females. "And these were the members, I see… How fitting" I said with a nod. "Yep, and we're making a comeback in the Japanese server!" Spade declared. "Wait!? Really!?" Dash shouted in surprise. "It's to dangerous for you Joker, we've gotta watch your back, especially after that hunt you organized ended like that! We passed out in reality!" Spade declared. "Yes… That hunt… That you organized…" I shot Dash a cold stare. "We'll just have to hunt him down again, and this time we'll kick his butt" Spade said with a shrug. "That will not be necessary; the situation has already been contained, Tsukasa has been dealt with" I said as I shot another cold glare at Dash. "Yeah… The knights got him, so it's all good" Dash said as he nodded towards me. "Oh… Well that's good. Whatever they do to him, he deserves worse!" Spade declared. "Yes, well if you ladies will excuse me, I've an important meeting with the Crimson Knights, I must bid you farewell" I said with a bow. "Don't work to hard, or you'll stress yourself out!" Spade said as she slapped my shoulder. "It was nice to meet you Stance, I hope to meet you again" Club said with a bow. "Bye…" Diamond said under her breath. "See ya! Hey Joker, you should become a knight too!" Heart shouted. "An odd bunch…" I said under my breath. "Oh, Stance!" Spade shouted to me. "Yes?" I turned around. "Good luck finding the bath room!" Spade shouted in Japanese. Everyone stopped and stared at her when they heard this, some players began to whisper, and some began to laugh. Dash started to back away from the group, as the other players began to stare. "Her Japanese is horrible, please forgive her" Club explained in Japanese. "Oh… Well… Good luck to you as well" I said with a nod as I hurried towards the chaos gate.

As I neared the chaos gate, I noticed an unfamiliar sight: A female Crimson Knight, I approached her and tapped her on her shoulder. "Knight, what squad are you with?" I asked seriously. "Huh?" She gasped as she turned towards me. "Oh! Captain Stance! Congratulations on your promotion!" The knight said as she knelt before me. "My promotion… What squad have you been assigned too knight?" I asked again. "Ah… Yes, Lady Subaru told me I should report to you for my assignment. I saw your message in the guild chat so I decided to wait for you here" She said politely. "Report to me? Very well, you picked one heck of a time to join, I hope for your sake you are a loyal knight" I said seriously. "Don't worry Senpai, I'll follow your orders no matter what!" the female knight said as she saluted me. "Very good, now then, we sh-" I stopped myself as my brain had processed what the female knight had said. "Naito!?" I shouted in surprise. "Yes captain?" Naito asked politely. "What are you doing wearing that? This is no time for games" I said seriously. "I joined the Crimson Knights Stance, this is the standard issue female armor" Naito said. "You… You joined the knights…?" I asked in disbelief. "Yep, I decided I'd give you a hand, and from the looks of things, you need it" Naito said seriously. "Yes but… That armor…" I said as I pointed towards Naito. She was wearing the Crim designed armor for females; it was comprised of a fairly revealing breast plate, and a very unnecessary mini skirt. "What..? I think it's kind of cute, although it doesn't leave much for the imagination does it?" Naito said as she blushed. "Crim… You idiot…" I sighed to myself as I studied my armor. "Senpai… Please stop starring at me" Naito said bashfully. "Let's go, I've kept this squad waiting long enough" I said hastily as I added Naito into my party.

Naito and I warped into the area, and were confronted by a mass formation of knights. The former commander of squad one ran up to me, and saluted me. "Welcome, captain Stance. This is… rather unexpected… But rest assured we are honored by your presence" the former captain was obviously angry about his demotion. "You may dispense with the pleasantries, knight. This squad is now under my command. Now I want a report; how has the squad been functioning as of late?" I said sternly. "Morale has been an issue as of late" the knight admitted. "Perhaps I can find new ways to motivate them" I said coldly. "But I can assure you, these knights are as loyal as they come" he said cheerfully. I stoped my march, and held my finger up to his face, "I do not share your optimistic appraisal." I said harshly. "But… This is preposterous; you just waltz in here, and take command like this! Who gave you the right?" the knight nearly shouts. "Lady Subaru" I said. "What? Lady Subaru did?" his eyes wide with shock. "That is correct, and she is most displeased with the way you have run this squad" I said seriously. "But… Please! Forgive me!" he shouted. "Unfortunately, I am not as forgiving as she is, your time as a knight is now over" I said coldly as I opened the administrative menu, and booted him from the guild. "Wait! Please!" he pleaded. "Your services are no longer required" I said as I waved my hand dismissively towards the former knight. "Come, Naito" I said. I approached the mass formation of knights; another knight marched up to me, and saluted me. "Sir! I am Lieutenant Teruko second in command of this squad, it will be an honor to serve under you" he said. "Have you assembled a list of those who have not shown up?" I asked firmly. "Ah, yes sir, I had expected you would want that, so I went ahead and compiled a list" He explained as he sent me a flash mail containing the list of knights who were present. "Naito, review this list please" I said as I forwarded the list to her. "Yes sir" She said with a nod. I waited; Naito ran through both platoons, checking each knight to make sure the list was correct. She returned to me with a frightened look on her face. "Sir, this list is incorrect, there are knights that are marked absent, but are clearly here. There are also missing knights with no excuses that are marked present" Naito explained. "Lieutenant." I sneered as I studied the squad. "Ah… Yes sir?" He asked as he positioned himself in front of me. "Sir! Please! I'm sorry, I didn't mea-" I shoved my fist into his throat before he could finish. "Do you take me for a fool?" I asked as I began to choke him. "This squad has failed Lady Subaru for the last time…" I said as I watched Lieutenant Teruko, struggle, his health slowly depleting. "Private Naito!" I shouted. "Yes, my commander?" Naito asked timidly. "That list holds the names of traitors in this squad, compile all the traitors names' together, anyone that is marked present, but is not actually here is a traitor. You are my second in command now, Lieutenant Naito" I said firmly. "Thank you commander Stance" Naito said with a bow. I held my grip firm on Teruko, his health slowly depleting under my grip. Suddenly a knight stood forward, and drew his weapon, "Alright that's enough, I don't know who you think you are, but you can't just come into our squad and do that! I don't care what Subaru says!" He shouted loudly as he raised his weapon. "Perhaps you think you are being treated unfairly?" I asked rhetorically. "Damn right!" He said as he charged forward. Naito drew her weapon, and blocked his attack easily. Many other knights broke rank, and drew their weapons. "And now all the traitors have been identified" I said as I threw the dead Teruko to the floor. I stood next to Naito, and slowly drew my weapon "There is no escape, surrender now, and your characters will walk away; unarmed." I said as I drew my blade. "You'll be the one begging to escape. You have no pride as a knight! By following Subaru you support her foolish decisions!" one of the rogue knights shouted as he joined the others. Twelve knights stood with their weapons drawn, more than half the squad. "Unwise" I sneered as I charged forward, and drove my blade straight up into a knight, killing him instantly. "Ani Crack!" I shouted, as I jumped into the air, and brought my blade driving down into the ground below, the force of the blow sent the group down to the floor. I drove my blade hard down into the chest of a fallen knight; killing him. I jumped backwards, and repositioned myself with Naito. "The squad is divided" I said. "I'll stand with you, Senpai" Naito said as she readied her sword. "Cover me, Naito" I said as I slowly approached the group of rogue knights. One of them jumped forward, I parried his attack, and counter attacked by shoving my blade right through his chest, "You lack form" I said as I spun my body around, sending the dead knight off my blade. "There is no hope for you traitors, if you continue to attack you will only be destroyed" I said firmly. "Shut up!" one of the knights yelled as he charged forward. Naito ran forward cutting him off before he could reach me, "If respect has to be forced… Then so be it!" She shouted as she began an onslaught of attacks against the rogue knight. "This squad is poorly trained, its knights are weak." I taunted the remaining knights. "I'll show you" one of the rogues shouted as he charged forward. He waved his sword wildly through the air; I easily reached forward, and grabbed his face. I brought my knee forward, and kicked him hard in his stomach, he fell forward, and I drove the hilt of my blade down into his back, as he struggled to stand. I finished him off by driving my sword down into his back, killing him.

Naito disarmed her opponent, and unleashed a barrage of attacks on his defenseless body, killing him. I ran forward into the group of knights, I grabbed one of them by the neck, and punched him in the stomach using the hilt of my sword; as he bent forward in pain I shoved my sword through his gut, and drove it up, splitting his chest, and head. The other knights started to understand they couldn't beat me by themselves, so they began to attack as a group, and I was forced to defend myself from their barrage of attacks. "Only after half of you are defeated do you start to understand the truth, even if you were able to defeat me, you would still be kicked out of the guild, it was pointless from the beginning" I taunted as I struggled to parry all their attacks. The remaining five knights were focused on me, and didn't notice Naito behind them. Naito grabbed one of the rogues by the helmet, and punched him hard in the back of the skull. She followed up by kicking the back of his knee, and forcing him to kneel; she skillfully shoved her sword through his chest, killing him. The knights scattered when the realized they were surrounded. "Routed so easily, how typical" I said as I grabbed one of the fleeing knights, and threw him to the floor, I slashed at his neck, decapitating him. "What should we do?" Naito asked. "I have yet to collect all their names, go Naito, do whatever you must to collect their names" I said as I sheathed my sword. "Yes Senpai!" Naito said as she chased after the fleeing knights. "You knights follow her; assist her in retrieving their names." I said coldly. "Yes sir!" the senior ranked knight shouted as he unsheathed his blade, and followed Naito. I turned away from the battle, and opened the administration menu, using the combat log; I removed the rogue knights one by one.

"Squad 1 has been purged of it rebels, but I shouldn't lower my guard yet, I may still have traitors in my squad" I said to myself as I studied the area. "The other squads will not be so easily purged… All new recruits are assigned to squad one… Normally they are all low level… It was easy, but not a victory to boast about. Things are only going to get harder from here on." I sighed to myself. "Senpai" Naito said as she approached me from behind. "Lieutenant Naito?" I said as I turned towards her. I gazed at the remaining members of Squad 1, all five of them snapped to attention the moment my gaze met theirs. "Leave us" I said to the remaining knights. "As you wish, sir" The senior ranking knight said with a salute, with that each one of them gated out of the area. "Senpai… Don't you think all that was a little… Much?" Naito asked. "Perhaps… But I've been tasked with finding these traitors, I've got to be hard on everyone, those that are truly loyal, will respect my authority" I explained. "Yeah… I guess your right" Naito sighed. "I'm hard on the knights because I care for them, and I want them to succeed, just like I'm hard on my friends" I explained. "You're no where near as hard on me" Naito said with a giggle. "That is because you can be trusted" I said. "You trust me?" Naito asked. "Of course I do" I said as I turned my back to her trying to hide my blushing face. "I may have been hard on this squad, but now I have five loyal knights that are ready to serve Lady Subaru. I would rather have five extremely loyal knights, than seventeen knights that lack loyalty" I explained. "Quality, over quantity" Naito said. "Exactly" I said with a nod. Naito and I stood there in silence, the sun was starting to set, and the field had an eerie feel to it. "Hey, Asaoka" I said, making sure to use her real name. "Hm? What's up Kane?" She responded using my real name. "I was going to wait until tomorrow to tell you this, but while I was in the hospital I came to a decision… The Student Council elections are approaching" I explained. "You're thinking of running this time?" Asaoka asked with a grin. "I chose to run as a class representative for two reasons; I wanted to make sure I had what it takes… A test for myself, if you will…" I explained. "And the other?" Asaoka asked. "I needed a vice president" I said as I turned to meet her gaze. "Are you asking me to be your vice president?" Asaoka asked. "I am" I said with a firm nod. "Are you going to treat the council like you treated your squad today?" Asaoka asked with a grin. "I do not think the council will rebel against me, after all I have the student's best interest in mind" I said confidently. "You're running straight for president? That's pretty bold considering you've never served on the council before" Asaoka said with a chuckle. "You are surprised?" I asked seriously. "Not at all" Asaoka admitted with a smile. "It'll be tough, normally the seat of president is held by a senior" Asaoka said. "I think it's time for change" I said seriously. "Is that what our platform will be based upon?" Asaoka asked. "Our platform? Does that mean you will run with me?" I asked seriously. "Of course I'm running with you, I can't let you do something like this alone" Asaoka said with a grin. "I can't thank you enough" I said with a bow. "No need to thank me" Asaoka said with a dismissive wave. "We shall win this election" I said confidently. "We should start planning soon" Asaoka said. "You are right, but for now… I want you in bed" I said seriously. "You want what!?" Asaoka shouted out. "Do not twist my words, you know what I meant. I want you to sleep, that is an order" I said seriously. "Your no fun, I was only joking" Asaoka pouted. "And you are too bold in your attempts at flirting, now do not make me repeat myself" I said with a grin. "Yes sir" Asaoka said with a sarcastic sigh. Asaoka waved at me as she gated out of the area. I turned away, and looked off into the setting sun. "That outfit… Is far to revealing…" I sighed to myself as I gated out of the area.

"Stance!" Silver Knight shouted immediately as I entered Mac Anu. "Silver Knight?" I crossed my arms as he approached. "What are you thinking? I heard about everything. You must have lost your mind when Tsukasa knocked you out" He said. "I am only following orders" I said seriously. "You booted a commander from the guild without authorization from the other captains, not only that, you attacked, and killed knights in your own squad!" Silver Knight shouted. "They are no longer knights" I said correcting him. "You can't just kick them out of the guild on a suspicion" Silver Knight shouted. "Their leader was clearly a traitor, I did what had to be done" I said as I pointed my finger towards Silver Knight. "And what of the others?!" He shouted. "The other rebels rushed in to save their traitorous commander" I said. "And on top of that, I find that those I have removed from the guild, have clearly run to you for help, rather than Lady Subaru" I said menacingly. "They came to someone that could help them, unfortunately they've been blacklisted" Silver Knight spat. "And only Lady Subaru can approve them for reentry" I added. "Your style of leadership is foolish" Silver Knight sneered. "But it is far more useful than your indolent ways." I said as I stepped around him. "Stance… What happened to you? You used to be my most loyal knight" Silver Knight said. "I was never your knight. Lady Subaru is my mistress" I said harshly. "I will be on the look out for traitors in other squads, for your sake commander, I pray I do not find any that belong to squad nine" I said coldly. I left Silver Knight before he could respond. Silver Knight has changed… He is no longer the man I once knew

He may even be… A traitor…

I boarded Lady Subaru's gondola as it neared the docks. "M'lady" I said as I knelt before her. "Stance…" She said as she turned her back to me. "I have taken command of squad one, and I have cast out the traitors that occupied it" I explained. "So I heard…" Subaru said. "I thought I would be prepared for this… But your methods have still shocked me" Subaru sighed deeply. "I did what I had to do. It is unfortunate that I had to act in such a harsh manner, but in doing so, I have cleared squad one of traitors" I explained. "Yes… But still…" Subaru sighed to herself. "The knights should have been expecting this. Betrayal is a harsh crime that should be met with nothing short of expulsion" I added. "But if word gets out about your actions" Subaru sighed. "This is an internal affair, knights that leak the story out of the guild are clearly traitors, and will be dealt with as such" I said. "A knight that is no longer loyal to you M'lady is an enemy, and a hindrance to the rest of the knights, removing them is the quickest solution, but many retaliate in violence" I added. "But that's just it Stance… I was told that you were the instigator…" Subaru said sadly. "I did attack the former lieutenant, but only because I branded him as a traitor. With his position in the squad, he obviously held some form of command over the traitors. The list he provided me only gave away traitors that were not present. My actions caused the other traitors to come forth" I explained. "I see… But Stance you have to understand, you cannot be so violent with the knights, at least not unwarranted." Subaru explained. "I understand M'lady, I will try and restrain myself" I said sincerely. "Good…" Subaru heaved a sigh of relief. "You are dismissed Stance" She said as she turned away from me. "As you wish, M'lady" I said before I leapt from her gondola, back onto the walkways of Mac Anu.

I made my way towards the chaos gate, and inputted the coordinates: Δ Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground

"The never changing cathedral" I said to myself as I entered the area. I made my way towards the large doors of the cathedral, and slowly pushed them open. I often do my best thinking here, it's no wonder I find myself coming back here often…

That dream… That dream I had while I was in the hospital…

I entered the cathedral, and gazed at its wondrous beauty, "Why am I here…?" I asked myself. A player jumped at my comment, and turned to face me. "Who's there!?" She shouted. I had to squint hard to see her, she wore a dark blue dress that made her meld into the shadows quite well, her white hair being the only part of her body that really stood out. "Forgive me, I wasn't aware another player was here" I said apologetically. The player did not so much as look at me before she drew her axe, and dashed forward. Her axe slammed into me hard, knocking me backwards into the wall. I grunted as I tried to stand, only to be silenced by the player's axe being shoved into my gut. "I was looking to blow off some steam" The female player grunted. I reached for my weapon, and batted her axe away. "Hold on! Just what are you doing!?" I shouted as I struggled to my feet. "Killing you" She said coldly. She charged forward, and brought her axe crashing down next to me. Damn she's fast! I stepped backwards, trying to gain some distance between us. "Stop your attack, I do not wish to fight!" I said, trying to reason with her. "A shame" She sighed as she bolted forward, shoving the butt of her axe into my stomach. I cried out, and knelt forward in pain. The player sighed to herself as she brought her axe upwards, into my chest, her attack so strong it killed me instantly, and sent me soaring through the air.

"I don't feel any better… What a waste" The female sighed as she exited the cathedral.

I lay there dead, waiting to disappear, when my abdomen starting to ache, I tried to cry out, but my voice was silenced. What's happening to me…? I can't move…I struggled hard against an invisible force, but my body refused to move; the pain in my abdomen slowly started to spread. Soon my whole body was aching, as I lay there in the middle of the cathedral. I tried desperately to open my mouth, but it simply refused. As I lay there writing in agony, something shot forth from my abdomen, it was a large tentacle, various other tentacles soon shot forth from my body, I tried desperately to move, but the only thing that emerged from my mouth was another tentacle. Soon the tentacles wrapped around me…

"Who was that player?" I asked myself as I scanned cathedral. "Better yet, what was that coming out of my body?" I asked seriously. "What was what coming out of your body?" A voice echoed from behind me. "Who's there?" I asked as I drew my weapon, and turned to face the player. "Whoa, calm down!" Kasey said as she held her hands up to show she was unarmed. "It is only you" I sighed with relief. "What do you mean, "It's only you?" Kasey asked as she sighed. "Calm down, I meant no disrespect" I said seriously. "So what's up?" Kasey asked as she skipped over to me. "I haven't seen you around lately…" I muttered. "I could say the same too you" Kasey said. "I have duties a must take care of" I said. "Like finding Tsukasa?" Kasey asked. "No, that situation has been taken care of" I said seriously. "Really? How many knights did it take?" Kasey sarcastically asked. "A little over thirty" I said seriously. "What? That many?" Kasey asked, obviously shocked by my answer. "How many did he… Ya know…" Kasey asked curiously. "One" I said coldly. "Not too bad, it could have been worse" Kasey said as she stretched. "I suppose you are right" I said with a nod. "So now that Tsukasa is out of the way, what'cha been up to?" Kasey asked as she leaned on the railing. "I was promoted, and given leadership of a squad" I explained. "Promoted? What for? Sucking up?" Kasey asked as she playfully elbowed me. "She probably promoted me for my actions against Tsukasa" I explained. Although she may just feel sorry for me… "So you're the one that got him huh?" Kasey asked with a grin. "Not exactly" I said with a sigh. "Well whatever you did I'm sure it was worthy of a promotion" Kasey said as she slapped my back. "Well Stance, it was good seeing you again, we'll have to go out and adventure sometime, and hopefully we won't be enemies!" Kasey said as she cart wheeled towards the exit. "Yes… Hopefully we shall be allies" I said as I watched her exit the cathedral. "Strange girl…" I sighed to myself as I turned back towards the altar.

"I suppose for now… I will let Subaru deal with Tsukasa… Not much I can do anyway…" I sighed as I came to that realization. "I am obviously holding a grudge… How uncouth…" I sighed to myself. "But for now, I'll deal with the traitors. That is my mission now. Nothing else matters." I said trying to psyche myself up.

"I will find them all!" I said with confidence.