I took a deep breath as I looked at Ronye. The two of us were standing outside of the room of the 1st and 2nd seats; Raios and Humbert. After what Humbert had done to our friend Frenica, we wanted to confront him to ensure that he didn't do it again.

Frenica had initially confided in us and had asked us to help her. We, in turn, went to our Elite Disciples, Kirito and Eugeo. We told them about the actions that he was taking, and the effect that it was having on our friend. Naturally, they were upset as well, and spoke to them about it.

Afterwards, we were told that Humbert had said he would stop. However, later, Frenica came to the two of us and let us know that he had not stopped, and the acts that he was having her perform were increasing in intensity. This infuriated me, and together with Ronye, I decided that we would have to take matters into our own hands. So, later that night, we went down to their room, determined to try and prevent the abuse of our friends.

I raised my hand and quietly rapped on the door, careful to not be too loud but also wanting to make sure that we were heard. I looked to Ronye, noticing a bit of fear crossing her face. I shot her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry. I'm sure it'll be fine, and we can make sure that Humbert stops forcing Frenica to perform those indecent acts." In reality, my heart was pounding just as fast as hers, if not faster. My anxiety that I didn't know I had was skyrocketing as we awaited the two Disciples to answer the door. My bottled up rage sitting underneath the surface was clouded with this newfound fear that the thought had evoked. I reminded myself why we were here as we patiently waited.

We heard a bit of noise from around the room, and then footsteps approaching the door. I turned back towards Ronye, and nodded, a confident smirk appearing on my face. Under the surface, anxiety and tension rocketed as I heard them come closer. "Please, protect us..." I said a quiet prayer under my breath, quiet enough that Ronye could not hear, and anxiously awaited as my heart pounded. I heard a hand grasp the knob, before turning it and opening the door. In front of me stood the 1st seat of the Swordcraft Academy; Raios.

His confident and smug smile was plastered upon his face, as usual, with his messy blonde hair barely covering it. He wore his typical red Disciple outfit, a trademark of his first place seat. I personally hated the guy just due to his personality and attire. As a noble, I believed that my job was to assist the common man with benefits that they don't have the privilege to have. However, Humbert and Raios were the type of nobles that went on a power trip, believing that they can and would do and get away with anything.

"Oh, Tiese and Ronye! What a pleasant surprise for you two to show up! Please, do come in." He said in his typical smug voice. As usual, a smirk crossed his well-kept face. He gestured into the room, where Humbert sat waiting on a couch. I gulped, anxiety shaking within me. "Remember; you'll be fine. Just remember that you're here for Frenica, and remember to stay calm." I thought to myself, as I prepared my next words.

"Actually, we aren't here for a casual visit. We are here to have a discussion about the treatment of our friend." Raios feigned surprise at the sound of that as Ronye and I walked into the room. He gently shut the door behind us. I gulped as I continued to walk into the room. The further I went into their room, the more uncomfortable I seemed to feel.

"Really? Then, why, we will be just thrilled to listen!" He gestured towards Humbert, who sat awaiting us on the couch. "I'll go and prepare something for you three, so why don't you have a nice talk?" Raios smiled and walked into the bedroom next to the room that we were in. I peered over to Ronye to see that she was feeling the same emotions that I was. Her eyes showed a bit of fear, and she was biting her lip. I felt extremely uncomfortable as we continued.

"I hear that you are here to talk to me about Frenica… what might be the issue here?" He said, looking at me with the same smug smirk as Raios as I twirled my crimson hair in my hand nervously.

"Well, she told us some of the acts that you were having her perform… and we wanted to ask that you please stop them." I looked up to him with pleading eyes. "They are bothering her more than you could know, and it would mean the world to us if you could please just stop having her perform those indecent acts." I put on the act of a small, innocent girl in hopes that I would convince him. In reality, I was more upset than anything with their actions.

"Well, she is my page. Having her perform these measly acts for me is part of the job description." Humbert said, looking at me with a smile. "What? Part of the job description?" I thought to myself, my rage beginning to build up. "Like hell that's part of the job for a trainee!" I felt the temptation to yell at him, but the pleading look on Ronye's face was enough to calm me down.

"These acts are affecting her more than just a simple job. Please, don't make Frenica do this…" Ronye said, looking up to him. I opened my mouth to speak, but Ronye made me be quiet. I reluctantly bit my lip, and glared at Humbert. He smirked back at me, causing me to let out a mild and quiet growl.

"And who are you to stop me? After all, I am a third-rank nobleman, and you're only a sixth-rank. By that note, I'm better." I closed my eyes, rage seething within me. I gritted my fists, hatred towards this man building within me.

"Tiese..." Ronye began, but I glared at her. I couldn't let this spoiled rotten brat get away with anything else. I allowed the anger and hatred to flow, and released my frustration.

"You having her perform blatantly sexual acts is the act of a bitch! Taking advantage of your noble status to get away with anything is the exact definition of rotten!" I said, before instantly covering my mouth. Shit. I had just given them a loophole through the index.

"My, my… insulting a noble, are we?" Humbert said, his smirk growing darker. "Fuck..." I thought to myself, biting my lip. Ronye gave me a certain look, causing me to become even more uncomfortable. I had made this situation much worse. "This is a deed that cannot go unpunished… and thankfully, my fellow Disciple has just the punishment set up for you two rebellious trainees."

I looked at Ronye with fear as Raios came out, carrying two red winds of ribbon. "Why the hell... no..." I thought, looking at the ribbon that they carried out. "The only reason they could need ribbon would be... to wrap us up. But why would they..." I thought. "What are you doi -!" I was instantly quieted as Humbert held a knife out, holding it out at my face.

"You will do as we say, or I may… slip a bit." I squealed, shutting my mouth. All of my rage and confidence instantly faded away as fear took over and paralyzed my body. "Take your punishment like a true noble, not like one of cowardice." Raios handed him two pieces of the ribbon, in which he looked at nicely.

"Wha... what the hell are you planning on doing to me?" I cried out, before I felt the knife touch my neck. I looked down and to my horror saw a bit of blood trickle out onto the knife. "He cut me..." I thought, fear grabbing ahold of my heart. The rage and hatred I held within for them and for what they did to Frenica faded away as my survival instincts kicked in.

"That was my warning strike."

I was silent as I watched Ronye and myself be tied up by the two Disciples. They then lugged us over their shoulders, and threw us onto their bed. "Now then, just to wait for the two of them… heh." Raios said, a devilish smile on his face. "You won't get away with this!" I attempted to scream, but it only came through in my head. I struggled a bit, but only ended up moving slightly. The two of them walked out of the room cackling, leaving the two of us tied and unable to move on the bed.

"Damnit..." I thought to myself, sitting on the bed. My quest had been to try and help someone else, but all I did was wind myself and Ronye into a situation that was much much worse. My heart tremored in fear, uncertain of what was held for either of us in the future. The ribbons dug into my skin, leaving indentations and most likely bruises later where they had been. I curled up into a ball as much as I could, and began to cry just a little.

I didn't know how long it had been before I heard the click of a door lock opening, revealing the bedroom to the room outside. As I looked, I saw Raios, Humbert, and Eugeo walk in. "Eugeo!" I thought to myself, a small feeling of relief being administered throughout my body. Perhaps we would be saved after all. As soon as Eugeo locked eyes with me, I saw the horror of realization cross his eyes. "What the hell are you doing to Tiese and Ronye?!"

"They got a little… mouthy with us, so we decided to administer acceptable punishment." I wanted to scream, letting Eugeo know of the injustice that had occured and the pain that we were in. Eugeo gasped, as the realization of what they were going to do to us crossed his eyes.

"You… you bitch! That is not an acceptable form of punishment!"

"Eugeo, no!" I thought to myself as I struggled against my bonds. Fear filled my body as Eugeo had told off the noble, a violation of the rules that govern us all. I shook in terror as I anticipated what would happen to Eugeo. "Eugeo..."

Raios smirked. "Ah… congratulations. You just also mouthed off to a noble… which seals your fate as well." He walked over to the corner of the room, grabbing his blade off the wall. He pointed it at Eugeo. "Enjoy your execution, traitor."

"Damnit... Eugeo!'" I thought to myself, struggling once again against the bonds. I wanted to scream, wanted to cry, wanted to do anything to help Eugeo! I couldn't let him die like this! "Come on Tiese, you have to help him! Some how, some way... save him!"

Eugeo was powerless as Raios walked over and began to lower the blade towards his neck. "EUGEO-SENPAI!" I cried, through the bounds over my mouth, but to no avail.

My mind raced as I watched Raios move closer and closer. The demonic grin on his face drove my head into insanity, my rage growing and advancing above my fear. "Gh..." I groaned, struggling back and forth to move. As I shook, I felt a slight bend in the bonds. "That's it!" I thought, and closed my eyes again, thinking about Eugeo. I gritted my teeth as I shook and spun, trying to escape the bonds in any way possible.

As I struggled against the bonds, I remembered what Kirito had told us back at the picnic just the previous day. "There are some things that you shouldn't do, even if they are permitted by law. And likewise, there are some things you should do, even if the law says not to."

I clenched my eyes shut, struggling as the power of my personal sense of justice overpowered the feeling of the index. I noticed a slight tinge of pain beginning in my right eye, but decided to ignore it as I worked to break the bonds. "I fight not for the Index, but I fight... and I believe... in what I know is right!"

The ribbon wrapped around me began to grow looser and thinner as my determination overpowered it. "Aaaaah!"

I broke through my bonds, tearing them to shreds. I leapt off the bed, walking over towards the other sword mounted on the wall. As I walked, my right eye began to throb. I ignored it, and continued my trek across the room.

I took another step towards the wall, determination flooding through my body. The pain in my left eye intensified, causing me to want to vomit from sheer pain. "Come on, Tiese... you can't stop!" I howled again, and walked another step forward. Once again, the pain intensified.

"Damn the system. Damn it all! This injustice... it's not right!" My willpower sealed itself and I took another two steps, reaching the sword mounted on the wall. My hands shakily reached towards it, my eye throbbing and beginning to pulse as I continued to defy the Taboo Index. "Gaaah!" I cried, lugging the sword off the wall and curling over.

"I can't stop here... for Eugeo! My Eugeo!" I thought internally, as I began to walk towards Raios.

"Oh, what are you going to do here about it?" He cockily said, looking back at me before laughing and continuing to lower his blade towards Eugeo. I grimaced as I took another step.

My head throbbed with pain as every sign in my body told me to stop. The weakness shrouded within my limbs gave root, and clasped each muscle in my body. But I couldn't stop here. My seething anger and rage allowed me to take another step forward, solidifying my reach towards Raios. I took a deep breath, and signaled to my body to raise the sword. However, I froze in place. My right eye began to glow red, and a certain message appeared across it.

"SYSTEM ALERT CODE - 871"

"No..." I thought to myself. I tried to scream, but no voice came out. I was paralyzed in place, unable to move a muscle or commit an action. I heard a noise within my head each time my eye pulsed, one that felt like it would tear my very skull apart. The pain was unbearable - but so was the thought of losing Eugeo.

"Eugeo. That's why I continued to do this... that's why I'm defying everything I've been taught since birth!" I thought to myself, before letting out another howl internally of fleeting willpower. I noticed then that my hands slowly inched upwards, moving the sword just a bit. "Come on Tiese, fight for Eugeo!" His blue coat, his green eyes, his blonde hair... each of his features clouded my vision.

Each thought was tinted with rage, thinking about the pain and stress that he must be undergoing... and each thought brought my sword up just a bit higher. "I'm doing this for Eugeo! For every noble bitch who thinks they can do anything because they have power and riches!" I screamed, as my movement began shaking and ascending faster. My eye began to pulse in place, causing an eerie feeling in my eye socket. The pain was unbearable.

"I can't let you win!"

I howled a deep guttural howl as my right eye exploded in pain. My vision on that side went black as my faint vision in my left eye pulsed red. I didn't pause. I couldn't. If I faltered, even for a second, Eugeo could... no. I stopped myself from doubting and continued to swing the blade down.

I felt the blood pouring out of my eye socket, my vision completely gone and the organ demolished. My determination solidified as I swung the blade, reaching further and further within to activate my own personal sense of justice.

Raios turned around in shock, swinging his blade down in an attempt to counteract my attack on him. However, he did not react in time as my blade sunk into his body. My blade tore into his shoulder, letting out a tearing sound as it ripped through his flesh. The blade sawed off his arm cleanly, letting it drop to the ground with a sickening splat.

Raios screamed as blood began to pour out of the wound. "Gaah! My arm!" He turned towards me, his eyes wide and shaken with fear. "You... you monster! Help me, now! I'm bleeding! I'm dying!"

I started to move towards Eugeo, before he gestured behind me. "Ignore me! Get him away from her, before he hurts her!" He gestured towards Ronye, still constricted and lying on the bed.

Humbert had turned around and saw the scene, and had decided to get more violent with Ronye. He had started with a slap to the face, before taking the sharp blade of a knife out of his pocket. Ronye screamed as he lowered the blade towards her cheek, laying it down and grazing it across. As the blade danced across her pure flesh, a trail of crimson blood trickled out from inside her skin behind.

"Ronye!" I cried, rushing towards Humbert. Each step felt like a breeze with the adrenaline that was coursing through my veins, empowering every movement of my body. "Don't you even think about hurting her!" I screamed, my eye flooding with rage. I felt nothing but anger and hatred at this point, both for these two nobles and for the system. "Get away from her!"

I leapt towards him, swinging his own sword at him, in an attempt to save Ronye from the pain that she was currently experiencing. In my hatred and anger, all I wanted to do was kill Humbert. I wanted to see his body lifeless, bleeding on the floor in a desperate attempt to save his pathetic soul. I wanted him to feel half the pain he had made us feel. I wanted him to pay. I realigned my sword with his neck, aiming for a fatal shot rather than a cut to the arms.

My blade connected with his neck, slicing through the esophagus on the inside and creating a clean cut. Humbert's head flew across the room as his body crumpled towards the floor.

I looked towards Ronye in relief, only to see a complete look of horror run across her face. She pointed at my chest, and to my own personal horror I peered down and saw Humbert's blade nested within my stomach. I felt the pain next; a stomach lurching pain that evoked nausea from deep within me as I ripped out the blade and dropped it to the ground.

"So this is the price... that I pay..." I thought, pain rocking my body back and forth. My dizziness consumed me as I attempted to stand, the world rotating and spinning in a blur around me as I struggled to maintain consciousness. I heard Eugeo's voice, but the sound was a blur as I fought to maintain focus on the world.

I was losing too much blood at this point, both between my eye and the wound on my stomach. Blood pooled out under me as I fell to my stomach on the blood, my vision phasing in and out. "No, Tiese... don't die..." I thought, my red eye tearing up as I vomited on the floor. I looked at the sea of red around me, lurching out another nauseous spurt. "Monster... that's what I am... isn't it..." I collapsed onto my stomach, barely staying awake.

I heard the sound of Eugeo running towards me, his blue Disciple's jacket covered in tears and blood. "Tiese!" He knelt down in front of me, and I saw the same crimson blood dripping from my eye dripping from his as well. "Oh, for hell's sake, please stay with me Tiese!" He reached his hand forward, closing his eyes. "System Call..." I grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Please... you're too... weak." I quietly let out. I couldn't allow Eugeo to risk his own safety to try to ensure mine. I was sure that Kirito would be able to help heal us both. My eyes watered as I grabbed his hand, my consciousness slipping away.

"Tiese!" I heard again, this time a shriek from another person. I saw the blurry figure of a man coated in black, a dark-as-night sword in his hand. It was Kirito, finally here to help us. If only he'd been here a minute earlier... maybe...

"Kirito..." Eugeo started, not taking his eyes off me. As I faded out of consciousness, I took the chance to lighten up the situation with a slight bit of humor through the pain.

"You're... late..."