(Violet)
The next day, 3rd floor Zumfut
Last night became chaos when I revealed the news to everyone. Mortifer was first to react by utterly destroying the dining table. We had to restrain him as well as use a poison that Paradox has just created recently that would put him to sleep. Mortifer should be awake by now, but he's already too late in terms of stopping us.
The coalition is being led by Asuna, and she's stated that nobody is to leave the room or the group until the job is done. If we do that, apparently the consequences are severe. Even so, this is my one and only chance to help Mortifer get rid of his dark past, so there's no way I'm going to run away now.
Though that resolve still sin't helping my anxiety. This raid isn't just any normal raid. It is a raid against players who are all murderers. Mortifer has already stated that if we show them mercy, they will kill us, and I don't doubt him. Even so, the plan is to ambush Laughing Coffin and put them behind bars.
This raid would also be harder than a normal boss one too. For one, they are players, not NPCs. That means they can actually think up of strategies, unlike NPC bosses and monsters that use an attack algorithm. At the same time, we're trying to use stealth and ambush them rather than a straight up fight. I find it slightly ridiculous to fight assassins with abilities they themselves have basically mastered already.
If we had ten Mortifers, this would be a walk through the park because of his superhuman senses and strength. Unfortunately, the closest we have to Mortifer here is Kirito. Although he is strong, I don't think he can even compare up to his Nii. Either way, he is also worried about the outcome of this raid. I can see it just by looking into his eyes. They reminded me of Mortifer's eyes whenever he is trying to come up with a decision on something important.
"The meeting will now begin." Asuna shouted out to everyone in the room, "Remember, whatever happens in this room, stays in this room. Nobody is to speak a word about it, okay?""
Everyone in the room nodded their heads in agreement. Asuna then pointed at a poster with multiple names and a few pictures posted on it. Of the numerous number of names on there, I recognized three of them. Those three also happened to have the faces of the players. PoH, Johnny Black, and XaXa.
"Red-Eyed XaXa… That's Mortifer's buddy, right?" Zed whispered to me. I replied with a nervous nod.
"As some of you may know, these three players up here are Laughing Coffin's top murderers." Asuna began explaining to all of us, "PoH, is the leader. You can distinguish him easily by a blue mark across his face as well as his weapon called Mate Chopper, which resembles that of a butcher knife. For now, he will be our main objective in this raid, though we still haven't really decided if we can just kill him or capture him alive."
During our training to fight against Laughing Coffin, Mortifer said that Mate Chopper has a special ability that ignores the armor of those he attacks. That means that no matter how thick your armor is, getting hit directly by a dagger that powerful is like embracing death itself, especially if PoH happens to use a Sword Skill to empower his attacks.
"These two other members are his right-hand men." Asuna continued explaining, "XaXa and Johnny Black. According to witnesses and spies, XaXa is an estoc master, capable of maneuvering attacks and land them with great accuracy. Black is also known as The Poison-Dagger, as he is a user of weapons dipped in potent poison. If their weapons give off a weird aura or looks weird, try your best not to get hit as they may be dipped in the poison."
First a weapon that ignores all armor, and now there's a master estoc user who has a buddy that uses powerful poisons? My anxiety is only building up even further, and there's nothing that can help to bring it down. In the back of my head, I'm wishing that we didn't poison Mortifer so I can hug him or have him deal with Laughing Coffin. Well, that is if he can survive a fight from that many members.
The thing about an estoc, is that it isn't used as a slashing weapon like my rapier or Zed's sword. It has an immensely sharp point that is used to pierce through chain mail armor, or plated armor. It is insanely hard to block or parry something that small. When Mortifer fought XaXa long ago, I saw his estoc skills with my own eyes. Even though Mortifer triumphed over XaXa utterly, I don't think I can stand a chance against him. He is after all the lieutenant of Laughing Coffin.
Furthermore, everyone in our guild has already experienced what it is like to be poisoned thanks to Paradox. Although we have never used an actual poison on each other, we've used paralysis poisons multiple times in order to test them out for Paradox. On one such case, Rizer couldn't even move for a good five minutes. The only time we use lethal poison on our weapons is during boss fights or farming sessions. If this Johnny Black guy uses those poisons on us, I don't know how long we will have until our avatars perish.
A vague memory of the time when I first met Mortifer went rampant in my head. The two of us know the fear of dying from poison, even though Mortifer himself wasn't poisoned at that time. I don't want to experience such a nerve-wracking thing ever again.
Asuna continued to read names off of the list. All of the members had a variety of different skills such as Whips, Claws, and even Flails. The most terrifying one I saw was a Battle Scythe, which is exactly what it sounds like. The one who wielded it however is unnamed. What surprised me though is that Asuna informed everyone that he is The Reaper of Laughing Coffin.
When she said this, murmurs filled the room, and my whole body went stiff. They think that guy is The Reaper? If they think he's The Reaper and not Mortifer, that could mean that he may have a chance. I looked to Rizer and Zed and they also seem to notice this miraculous opportunity. Then again, there are still some things we have to look out for.
We already told Asuna and Kirito that Mortifer is dead. If they happen to see Mortifer alive and well, they will grow suspicious, especially Kirito. If they see Mortifer's tattoos, then it's all over for him and for us as well. At the same time, maybe Laughing Coffin will reveal to them information about us and where Mortifer is hiding. This situation really is a dangerous one. This raid alone could spell death for all of us, and we can't abandon this mission too.
"At seven o' clock sharp, we will all rendezvous at the entrance of the Forest of Wavering Mist. Inside that forest is a large cave which is the supposed location of Laughing Coffin's base. We will enter using the dark of the night as cover, and attack."
Now I see why Mortifer did not want to go to that place. If we went into Laughing Coffin territory, it would prove very troublesome to Mortifer if he sees XaXa, and even more troublesome if they were to go after us. Why does everything have to be so complicated around Mortifer?
Either way, the raid is still four hours away. Zed, Rizer and I should take that time to get mentally prepared for the attack. Anything can happen during that raid. Anything…
Later that night, Forest of Wavering Mist
Ever since we entered this forest, I've already felt an evil lurking inside it. I could sense the bloodlust of so many players, yet I have no clue why. I informed Rizer and Zed about my suspicions, and they also feel that something isn't right. The only other person who is extremely cautious is Kirito, who is right beside us.
"The cave is up ahead!" someone shouted out in a low voice, "Let's move now!"
The slow and steady pace quickly turned into a sprint. Everyone ran for the entrance of the game, ignoring all forms of stealth. When we entered upon the dungeon, we climbed down two flights of stairs before reaching an open room.
The room was big enough to be an actual floor Labyrinth. It amazes me how secretive this place is, despite its insanely large size. Two whole boss monsters could fit inside here no problem. The only thing was, it was insanely quiet.
Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked around. The silence was nervewracking. I strained my ears to listen for sounds but couldn't hear a single thing except for the breathing of people around us. If there are at least fifty Laughing Coffin members, surely there would be some sound inside a cave this silent.
"Something's not right…" Zed murmured, "It's way too quiet in here…"
"I half-expected the silence. But indeed, it is way too quiet in here." Kirito concurred.
As a group, we all tip-toed towards the other side of the cave. The concentration of everyone doubled as soon as we entered the room. That is how tense the mood is right now. When the silence proved too much for me, I saw a flash of steel in the corner of my eye.
If it weren't for Zed's quick reaction time, I would've been wounded seriously. He deflected the oncoming blade with his own and held his arms out to protect me. Just then, from the top of a small cliff hidden in the dark, numerous players wearing black cloaks appeared.
"Ambush!" Zed shouted out from the top of his lungs.
It took mere seconds for the once silent cave to transform into a battlefield. I fought side-by-side with Zed and Rizer, who each had their own person to fight. In fact, everyone in the coalition had someone to fight, which is the troublesome part. And when I saw who I was forced to fight, I wanted to crawl into a hole and cower in fear.
"May death rain upon them…" XaXa recited as he began approaching me slowly. An evil smile formed in his face, making me even more terrified, "Isn't that what he says when he's about to kill someone?"
(Mortifer)
A few hours later, Algade
If it weren't for the system making these walls invincible, they would've been destroyed already. Hell, maybe this whole house might have come down already. Nobody has dare come near me, not even Paradox who is always there to calm me down. Trish has tried playing her soothing music, but unfortunately for all of us, it didn't help me.
"You just had to drug me didn't you Paradox…" I mumbled as I rested my head on the walls, "Just had to keep me from stopping them."
"Dude chillax!" ViVi encouraged, "Violet has Zed and Rizer with her. There's no way those guys would lose to people like them."
"Then do you mind explaining to me why they aren't here yet?" I snapped at him, "According to Zed, the raid starts at seven in the evening. It is now ten o' clock, and they haven't returned. A fight between players should not last that long, no matter what the circumstances are."
ViVi opened his mouth to talk but stopped right away. He didn't have anything to say which relieved me a little bit. I've heard enough words of stupidity coming from his mouth today. Right now, I'm just desperate to see everyone safe and sound.
As if God heard my pleas, the door to the house shook violently as someone rapped on the door. As a precaution, I put on my hood as well as my mask. I opened the door and got face-to-face with Zed, who had a shaking Violet in his arms. Rizer stood behind him, carrying all of their weapons.
"You better tell me everything that happened." I threatened Zed, whose face held a traumatized expression.
"Don't worry… I plan to tell you everything…" he mumbled quietly, "But first, you need to take care of Violet."
He handed me Violet, who ran into my arms and embraced me hard. I embraced her back and led her to the couch. I sat her down and felt her hands. They were terribly cold and couldn't stop shaking. I took a nearby blanket and wrapped it around her.
"I-I…" Violet tried to speak but her voice kept failing her, "I killed someone."
My mind went blank as I tried to process her words. She… Killed someone? The innocent and caring Violet, killed someone? No, that can't be right. There's just no way she would ever do that, even if it is Laughing Coffin. That is one of the reasons why I decided to use the Yami no Saji that one time they invaded the Island, so Violet and the rest wouldn't have to deal with the memory of killing someone.
"The raid was a success, but our strategy failed miserably." Rizer explained to us, his voice seemed extremely hurt.
I looked at his face and saw tears forming in his eyes. Again, something that I can't believe: Rizer crying. This will be the first time I've seen him cry, and now it really tells me what truly happened in there.
"It wasn't even a raid god damnit…" Zed shivered as he spoke, "It was just a bloody massacre… Twenty-one Laughing Coffin members died. Eleven clearers perished along with them. Violet and I caused two of those deaths from LC…"
"XaXa was there…" Violet murmured. Hearing XaXa's name, the Voices already began screaming but I decided to bear with the pain, "He fought me, but Zed, Rizer, and even Kirito protected me. You were right Mortifer… Those guys… If we haven't trained and participated in the Front Lines, we would've died for sure. Those guys… They're complete monsters."
"Did… Did you kill XaXa?" I asked her nervously.
Even if he is my enemy now, XaXa still has a place in my memories as well as my heart. A dark part of my heart that won't go away. The dark part of my heart that makes me who I am. If he goes away, that part of me will be lost forever.
"No… He and Johnny Black got captured and sent to Black Iron Prison." Violet explained to us, "I killed a guy, by the name of Mephisto. Everyone mistook him for you. Everyone thought that he was The Reaper."
"Wait… So you mean?" my voice faltered. If they think I'm dead, then do I need to hide any longer?
"No… XaXa told everyone that he isn't The Reaper." Violet continued, "He said that The Reaper left their guild to go into hiding. He didn't mention your name though, or anything about us having a relationship to you."
"So I still have to hide from my past sins…" I sighed out.
That was my only chance to be free, but XaXa ruined it for me. Though I guess I should be grateful that he still kept his promise to keep my identity a secret. But with them behind bars, anything could happen. An absurd plan built up in my head, but I shook it away for now and went back to caring for Violet.
"Someone had leaked information about the coalition against Laughing Coffin. That is why we got ambushed and that massacre occurred." Rizer informed us, "There's also one thing you may want to know Mortifer… Of all the people who got captured or killed, PoH was neither one of them."
"So you mean…" I looked down on the ground, knowing what the answer is and disappointed about it.
"Yeah… He escaped the raid. In fact, he's the only one who did. Every other member who survived got captured."
"That sneaky bastard. He probably didn't even participate in the fight and ran away before it occurred. Though I need full confirmation that PoH indeed ran away before the fight."
"And how are you expecting to get that?" Rizer questioned me
I was about to answer when I stopped to think. How would everyone react if I were to tell them of my absurd plan? If I were talking to the old me, he would've definitely protested against such a plan. It is a plan that would hand me my death on a silver platter if even one thing goes wrong. Plus, the only benefit I get from doing it is more information.
"Never mind that…" I quickly told him, "You guys don't just deserve rest, you need it. Oh and Zed…"
The Steel Tempest looked at me, his eyes filled with fear and body shaking. Just looking at his eyes tells me that he really did protect Violet from danger. I don't know how, but I one day I will repay him for I am in his debt.
"Thank you for protecting Violet. You have my gratitude…"
"No, you don't need to thank me." Zed shakily spoke, "But there was this one thing… XaXa gave me a message that I am supposed to deliver to you."
A message from XaXa? What could he possibly want to tell me at a time like this. Either way, I'm going to get more information off of him before its too late to do so.
"What's this message he told you to deliver?" I asked him.
"I don't really understand it myself, but he told me to tell you this: May death rain upon them."
Three days later, 1st Floor Starting City
How stupid and reckless can I get? Surely something bad will happen. In fact, the best case scenario right now is that I only get spotted. I don't even need to explain the worst case since its quite obvious what it is. Nonethless, I'm already here. If I back away now, I just wasted my time completely. Plus, I forgot to bring a Teleport Crystal
I didn't even take a second thought when I decided to use my Cloak of Darkness. Despite being the 1st floor, this place is the second-most populated city in Aincrad, only beaten by Algade due to The Army controlling the whole place. Even with it being so populated, not many normal players were in the streets. That's because they've been replaced by clearers of different guilds.
Two days ago, all Laughing Coffin members who were captured got sent to Black Iron Prison to stay there for the remainder of the game. There's no possible way to escape the prison unless someone else opens the door for you and lets you leave. Of course, my punishment is most likely execution rather than life in prison.
Using my Darkness Blade ability, I snuck past the groups of Army soldiers and the occasional KoB and DDA. I ran straight towards the giant black palace, taking the most straightforward route there. Even from where I'm at right now, I can see guards waiting outside the doors of the palace. Why does there have to be guards I'm the only person stupid enough to go have a conversation with a bunch of criminals?
A few minutes later
How many people have I knocked unconscious? Six to Eight? I'm for sure going to get spotted now. I just hope I can escape this maze of a building. I've been trying to find the prison but I never really explored Black Iron Palace when I used to work for The Army.
I've delved deeper and deeper into the palace, behind enemy lines until I spotted a black door with two players guarding it. One of them wore The Army's uniform and the other wore a white-and-red uniform. The Knights of the Blood Oath.
After that massacre at the Forest of Wavering Mist, I'm guessing they are keeping this place completely safe from danger, like a maximum security prison. Again, I'm the only one stupid enough to enter this place, and I'm doing it for the stupidest of reasons too.
Regardless, I need to find a way to get past these guys. Should I disguise as a criminal trying to break people out? No that won't work. This door seems to be the only way in, so I guess fighting them is the only way I can get past them and see if that black door leads to the prison.
I pulled out my sword and held it in my hands. The blade that I'm wielding now is neither the Sword of Light nor the Sword of Darkness. I stashed them into my chest back the Island since I didn't want to lose them. This blade is one of those throw-away blades Rizer forges to improve his Smithing skill.
Other than that, I kept Scorpion Shredder equipped since I don't mind losing this. I've already maxed out Martial Arts so my punches are already doing some ridiculuous damage. With my blade in hand, I turned the corner and revealed myself to the guards, who noticed me right away.
I began slowly approaching them, letting my sword grind against the stone walls of the palace. The two guards began talking to each other, making worried faces and pointing at me. They then drew their weapons and shields, standing their ground and not moving.
"Hey you!" the KoB guard yelled, "You are in a restricted area! Leave now or we will use force."
"No…" I responded to their threats, "It is you who has to leave."
The guy from The Army materialized a tiny trumpet like instrument and put it to his mouth. At that moment, I used my speed and threw a dagger at the horn while I charged the both of them. I incapacitated The Army member by knocking him off of his feet. I then started to fight the KoB member who proved a bit more troublesome.
Nonethless, I easily defeated the two guards and they are now sprawling on the ground. Being a Safe-Zone, nobody got hurt. That also means I can't kill them though I wasn't planning to anyway. Using Scorpion Stinger, I smashed their heads with a powerful jab, knocking them out. To make sure they won't wake up anytime soon, I smashed both of their heads together and threw them against the wall, head first of course.
Their bodies went limp and they both fell on the floor. I quickly dragged their bodies and tried to find a spot to hide them. I was in a rush since I don't want to get spotted. Instead of finding a spot, I found an opening in a window and threw them out. Thankfully, they both landed out of sight in a bush. I hurried back to the prison door and slowly opened it.
The palace's prison reeked of human stench. I could hear the coughing of many of the prisoners and the conversations of those who are cell mates. A few were already looking at me since they probably heard the fighting. Signs labeled each cell. Thieves, Blackmailers, Murderers, Sexual Harrassers and etc.
There were even cells for certain groups or guilds, which makes it easier for me to find Laughing Coffin. All of these cells were big enough to hold twenty people. I walked by one cell, labeled Titan's Hand. A single red-head girl and a couple of guys were inside. The girl made eye contact with me and charged at me. I backed away as she wildly thrashed from the inside of the cell.
"I'll have my revenge on you, Black Swordsman!" she angrily screamed.
"Black Swordsman? Kirito?" I asked, confused. Her livid eyes calmed down a little bit.
"You're not him?" she asked.
"No…" I declared. I didn't want to say anything else since I didn't want to reveal that Kirito and I are actually brothers, which explains our resemblance.
I left her and her guild back in the cell and continued on. So many cells filled with people. Some even had their cell for themselves, which I think means they commited some serious crimes. Soon I eventually got to the place where I wanted to get to.
Two jails parallel to each other had the signs labeled Laughing Coffin. I slowly approached both jail cells and drew the attention of some of the imprisoned members. I stood inbetween the cells and looked around. About thirty members are left and imprisoned. I killed four when I first encountered them. Six when I turned against them and protected my friends. One when I saved Argo, and sixteen when they came for Zed, ViVi, Konno, Aqua, and Trish. A total of twenty-seven Laughing Coffin members have perished by my hands. Some had to be friends with those who are in the cells right now.
I tried tapping on the jails' bars to try to get their attention but they seemed unfazed by it. I kept doing this for a good minute but they seem to be resilient when it comes to annoyingness, which surprises me a little bit.
I guess the only way to get their attention is to show them who I am. I removed my mask and began taking off my cloak, as well as my leather tunic. The cold air of the prison stung my bare skin. There was a part of my back that didn't feel any coldness however, and it seems to be where my tattoo is placed. I unwrapped the cloth on my right arm, revealing tha tattoo. I tapped on the bars once more and they all looked at me once again, though now, I've received their attention.
"It's you! You traitorous bastard!" one of the Laughing Coffin members closest to me shouted.
"It's The Reaper!" another one of them shouted.
It didn't take long before the whole prison became loud with sound. The other prisoners, even those who weren't Laughing Coffin began shouting from across the hall. If they become too loud then I'll be caught right away…
"The Reaper? Where!" A voice from down the hall exclaimed.
"Why are you here Mortifer…" a familiar voice spoke. I turned to the cell behind me, where I heard the voice come from. I turned to face XaXa.
"Can't visit the guild who gave me my memory back?" I pointed out. Even through his red, opaque eyes, I could tell XaXa was very angry with me. "You didn't really do a good job of making a name for yourself, Red-Eyed XaXa."
"Shut up." XaXa snapped. "Why are you here?"
"I told you why I am here. To see the guild who helped me get my memory back." I told them.
"We didn't tell them." Another familiar voice spoke. A figure emerged from the shadows. Johnny Black.
"Tell them what?"
"Who you are, where you are, and whom you are with." Johnny continued. "PoH still seems to be fond of you, so he commanded us not to tell them about your whereabouts. Though if you were the one that ratted us out, we will tell them everything. But we now know that it wasn't you who did so."
"It was a scout for the clearing group, wasn't it?" I asked him.
"Yes…" XaXa spoke. "One of our members failed to detect the guy following him. He died by the hands of the Black Swordsman."
My eyes widened in shock. Kirito killed someone? Why didn't they tell me about this? I sighed and looked around the jail cell for PoH. If I'm not mistaken, he isn't among these people, but it doesn't hurt to check.
"Where's PoH?" I wondered.
"Not here." XaXa declared.
"He bailed before the raid began. Even we don't know where he is. Probably going to different floors, hiding from the clearers and possibly from you." Johnny started. "Other than him, you are the only one who still holds that mark who isn't imprisoned. And what about you? What have you been doing?"
"My friends and I repaired the island that you demolished. And we created a guild." I told them.
"Let me see… The Reapers of Sorrow?" XaXa guessed.
"How did you know?" I asked him, curious.
"We have a spy who goes into cities to get information. Word got around that a guild has become quite famous in the Front Lines, even though they've only been there for a mere three months." XaXa explained, "She may have told you this, but I fought that girlfriend of yours. Violet's her name right? Anyways, why did you create a guild? More so, why did you join the Front Lines?"
"It wasn't my decision to create one nor join the Clearing Group." I told them. "I was outvoted by my peers since they wanted to participate in the clearing of the game. I couldn't turn them down since they wanted to do it so badly, even though it puts all of them at risk."
"You're already level ninety-five. Why not just leave the guild and just stay in that island you so truly love? Then your friends won't have to worry" One of the members pointed out.
"And that's what I was planning to do, but for some reason they think I should stay. Thank you for mentioning that." I addressed to the guy who spoke. He grinned evily at me but I just ignored it. "Had my guild let me leave they wouldn't have to worry about being accused of hiding a red player. All their worries would just go away, and most of mine too."
"Not all of them will disappear of course." Johnny pointed out. "I hear that the bounty is still live, even after all of these months you have been inactive.
"And what will you do if you get caught Mortifer? There are ways that the system can be used to obtain information from you." XaXa muttered. "If they find out you're in a guild with the Reapers of Sorrow, they will probably think they are also murderers. And the Flash has even asked me directly if I knew anything about you. You seem to have some sort of connection with her don't you?"
"It doesn't matter to me anymore. As long as my guild is safe." I told him.
And at that moment, I knew everything is going to go wrong and that I jinxed myself. The sound of a horn blowing could be heard even through the thick stone walls of the prison. Loud shouting of players from above could also be heard. All of the members sat down right away but XaXa remained standing.
"You may be my enemy now, but I still consider you to be one of the best friends I've ever had." XaXa proclaimed. "I'll have my revenge on you someday Mortifer, but for now, I hope you get out of here, which you probably won't. You got your cloak thing?"
"Unfortunately no. I used it to sneak into the palace." I sighed.
"If you get caught, good luck. The Paladin and the Flash, they're not nice people. I think they're even scarier than PoH when they get serious" XaXa spat. He sat back down next to Johnny and gave me a quick wave good bye.
"Good bye XaXa…" I muttered.
I quickly opened my inventory and requipped all of my armor. There is only one way out of the prison, which is through the front door. I need to get to that door fast enough so they can't prevent me from escaping.
I ran past all of the cells and followed my steps back to the prison door. I could hear players at the other side so I used my momentum and rammed the door open. At the other side, there were ten players from The Army and three from the Knights of the Blood Oath.
"That's him! The intruder who knocked us out" a voice spoke. I scanned their faces and saw the same two guard I had knocked out before I entered the prison. They woke up fast… "Don't let him escape!"
I drew out my sword as a guy started charging me. I took him down with ease, but two more soldiers appeared down the hallway, heading to our direction. If I continue to fight, I'll be overwhelmed. And so I ran. I combined my sprint and Acrobatics skill and wallrunned above them. Once I got behind them, I vaulted over the two soldiers who were running to us. Then I kept running and running and running.
I could hear the soldiers behind me, but they are falling behind. I could see the front door of the palace, exit. I thought I was home free until I saw a flash of light in the corner of my eye. The blade moved so fast, I could barely even see it. I got stabbed in the side multiple times and I lost my momentum. I tried to stand up but noticed that I couldn't feel my body. I looked at my health bar and saw that I was paralyzed. No… This can't be... Violet, everyone… I'm sorry…
"Bind him!" a feminine voice commanded.
My arms were moved behind my back and I felt ropes rubbing against the skin of my hands. And that voice… I didn't even need to see her face to know who it was. The speed of that blade was enough information. I opened my eyes and looked up at a familiar face. I looked to see the face of Asuna. The Vice-Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath. The Flash.
"Relieve him of his weapons. And take that blasted mask off of his face as well!" Asuna shouted out to the rest of the players.
They proceeded to disarm me, first taking my sword, then unstrapping Scorpion Stinger from my hand. They pulled down my hood and ripped the mask off of my face, letting everyone see my real face.
"Wait… You... That face…" Asuna crouched down and inspected my face, "You're Mortifer! Violet told me you were dead! Did she lie to me?! And what the hell do you think you're doing in this place? Why is your cursor orange? Wait a minute… Are you?"
I gave no response.
"Check his equipment and remove his clothes! Pull up his sleeve while you're at it." Asuna commanded the players.
They followed her orders and someone unwrapped the cloth on my arm while one checked my inventory using my numb arm. They saw the slightly faded Laughing Coffin mark and gasped. The few of them who weren't confiscating me backed away in fear.
"He's definitely Laughing Coffin" A player spoke. Used to be at least…
"All he has is his currently equipped items, a couple of daggers and a single Healing Crystal." The player forcefully moving my hands to configure my inventory spoke.
"Then take all of his items except for his pants and trousers. We're taking him to the Commander." Asuna demanded.
My face tensed as I felt and heard my cloak and armor being removed. When they removed my final shirt, I heard everyone gasp.
"Asuna-sama… His back!" one of the soldiers stuttered.
Asuna moved behind me and also gasped. Someone then kicked my back, sending me sprawling unto the floor. A slim rapier was put against my throat.
"So you're this Reaper of Laughing Coffin we've been searching for!" Asuna exploded, "I thought you were a good person but it seems my judgement is incorrect. Take him to the Commander right away! I need to go have a talk with someone."
"Please don't hurt-"
I tried pleading to Asuna to leave Violet and the guild alone, but someone bashed me hard with their shield. As my vision began to fade, I saw Asuna begin messaging her comrades and telling them to head to Algade. Violet, everyone… I'm sorry…