Morgenstern

He spun on his heel, watching the great dragon slowly rise from his position on the ground. A low rumble seemed to emanate from the beast, its eyes bearing down on each of them. After the dragon seemed to analyze them, it moved straight onto the offensive, its claws raking forth and striking Hestia. It's speed was impressive for a monster of such scale, though it seemed to focus on the tank. The dragon didn't quite seem done however, a red light coming from the maw of the monster as a heat began to seethe from it. "A fire attack?" Molten hot flames spewed from the monsters mouth, spraying everywhere as well as pooling on the very floor they tread upon. Gritting his teeth, Jonathan would act fast darting to a large rock that would remove him from the ground that was far to dangerous to walk upon. "An interesting mechanic, I wonder if the ninth-floor boss was anything like this" he would mutter to himself. 

He focused himself once more, the majority of color fading from his vision as everything around him seemed to slow down, everything becoming acute. Recovering from the dragon's attack faster than his allies, a blue light would emanate from his body as a torrent of aura was released with his emotions before it calmed into a sparking yellow along his weapon. He burst forward, the speed making him a blur among the battlefield, leaping from rock to rock, dodging the spray of fire that covered the molten battle field. Finally reaching his target once more, the blonde leapt straight forward at the dragon, kicking upwards off of it to propel him high into the air. At his highest point, he shifted his position in the air, honing his focus to the maximum. A golden light shone throughout the battlefield as his energy and blade became one. Tendrils of yellow energy crackled around his weapon and into the air, a heat being produced similar to that of the molten ground. His form flickered in the air as he shot back down towards the dragon like lightning, hitting it directly at full force. Electricity arced around the opponents battles, the force breaking one of the dragon's scales on impact. A tempest of air shot out form every direction, causing the molten lava on the ground to splash like the waves in the ocean. The hum in the air would quiet and Jonathan would leap off of the dragon to another rock, escaping its future attack. 

ID:135713
BD: 9
DMG: 22+1=23*15=345-150=195 DMG Dealt. <<PARALYSIS INFLICTED>> <<Poison Inflicted 24 DMG (3)>>

Stats

[1] @Baldur: HP 1540/1540 | EN 130/130 | MIT 94 | EVA 5 | ACC 6WF/5MM5 | DMG 24WF/27MM | BH 62 | ANTIDOTE 0/2 | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2 | QChange 0/3 | TOX (9-10) 23
[4] @Hestia: HP: 1970-236-38=1696/1970 | EN: 176/176 DMG:17   MIT:214  THRN: 99 ACC:1 Eva: -1  BH: 98 Rec:+3 Stonewall: 25% DoT redux 2-1=1 Snowfrost: 1/2 fire dmg   Antidote: 3
[1] @Ariel - The Crowned Lion: HP: 1630-49-75=1506/1630  | EN 140/140 | 24 DMG | 103 MIT | AA +4(6) BD | +1 EVA | 16 BH | 24 HB | 50 THRNS | +4 Fallen (8-10) & 24 DoT3 (8-10)  | 2 Antidote | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2
[3] Morgenstern: HP 1680/1680 | EN 110/138 | 22 DMG | 171 MIT | 4 ACC | -1 EVA | 84 BH | 91 THRNS | Para. Venom (8-10) | 25% DoT Reduce | 3 Antidote | 24(3) Poison (9-10)
[2] @Macradon: HP 1885-37-75=1773/1885 | EN 187/187 | 23 DMG | 127 MIT | 4 ACC | 1 EVA |  94 BH | 50 Immolation THRNS | 36 Frost THRNS (21 on crit) | 6 Freeze 0/2 | Antidote 1 | Justified Riposte | +12 Holy | Phase | Disguise | +1 Hate | -1 Energy Cost 0/2 | -3 Energy Cost | 6 Recovery
[2] @Zandra: HP 2,020/2,020 | EN 187/187 | 22 DMG | 144 MIT | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 101 BH | 70 THRNS | Toxic venom (9-10) 24(3) | 25% 1st DoT Reduce | 2 Antidote | 12 Fallen | 36(2) BRN(8-10) | Probiotics -27 | Antioxidants | Well rested 3/3

His stare unwavered even as Hidden promised him that she wasn't going to allow herself to be caught that easily. He shook his head, according to the stories he had heard, she was far too dangerous to allow on the streets. Now, she was the leader of some criminal group under a new alias. He hardly felt the hand on his shoulder and ignored it all together. He heard Violet's words but disregarded them. "Perhaps, but she is exhausted of options and I am almost fresh." He watched as the target grabbed something from her belt, a black crystal. Eyes widening, Jonathan's weight shifted forward, but he remained put as a smoke billowed from her location covering them in fog for a good minute. As the air slowly cleared, he looked frantically around, finding all of their enemies were gone. Mina placed her hand on the hilt of his weapon, pointing it downward telling him that it was over. He nodded, the sharpness in his eyes clearing as he stopped focusing his body for battle. The yellow light that gleamed from his weapon dispersed as a Sword Art was deactivated. Sheathing his weapon, his eyes would turn towards Rosa and his hand would move to scratch the chin of Violet's familiar. "Hmmm. Agreement, a short one at that. More of a Pact of Neutrality. You promised her to leave her alone and let her go in exchange for her leaving your guild alone? Just going to let her run rampant and have her murder other random people? She's got a bunch of people under her now, how long before thats turned on the innocents of Aincrad?" Jonathan looked away. 'How long before someone else has to go through what I did?' He scratched the back of his head turning to Violet. Personally, he didn't like her having been there, but she was her own person and was free to make her own decisions. 

Almost like a lightbulb appearing in his head, Jonathan would move to his inventory and return the bouquet of flowers to his hand and hold them out for Mina. "Returning to the normal part of my day, I got these for you. There no roses, but they're still pretty." 

Having clung to the backside of Heart for the entire fight, it seemed to be weird for Hidden to suddenly put her on the spot again. Though unlike minutes ago, Hidden was softer. The kindness that very rarely came from her. The kindness that made her believe that there was something deeper within the cloak that the girl kept down as a defense mechanism. "I hope you find what you are looking for" she returned in reply. As the battles came to an end, they were left as the only people in the Warehouse. She wasn't sure if the battle was considered as won or lost. She watched as Rosa began stepping forward towards her. Was she going to subdue her? After everything that had happened? The girl pulled an outfit from her inventory."Would you be willing to complete my team of Arbiters..? Would you become my wild card, my Joker?" Mujo stood aghast. She had thought the woman was kidding. She hadn't done anything nice for the Arbiters. And now they were going to take her in? "Wait, but all I am is a liar, cheater, and thief! In the beginning of the day, I was taunting and tormenting you! There is no wa-" She stopped herself. If there was anything she observed from Rosa in the short time they had spent together is that she was never without a plan. She was never without a reason. There was something for her to do as well. She gingerly grabbed the garments and added them to her inventory. Bringing them back up to her inventory, she qould equip them. In a flash of blue light, she had transformed from her normal clothes into Joker, the wild card. She took a moment to assess her new outfit. "This is way cooler than my last get up!" She sighed. "Could use those bladed throwing cards though, that would bring it all together. All right! Count me in!"

Mujo's New Appearance:

As the two players interlocked blades he noticed a powerful wind sweeping over him and his own opponent. His eyes moved over to the battle between Hidden and Rosa, a fierce one that proved each sides determination. A punch to the gut would send him flying back and bring his attention back to the fight. "I don't know why you are looking over there. Your opponent is me". Picking himself off the ground, Jonathan would wipe his face with his hand and hold his blade in front of him. "I guess you are right." Closing his eyes, he would take a deep breath, inhaling deep and slowly exhaling. Calming his breathing and heart rate, he would focus his mind and body to sync perfectly as one. Baldur taught him to use his emotions, but to use them with control unlike fiery inferno. Inferno's burned down everything, including the one that gave it life and everything they loves. A controlled but passionate flame singed those that opposed its wielder. The blue hue that encircled Jonathan's weapon would close into his blade, becoming a bright electrifying yellow that sparked within his blade. 

Charging forward, he would close the distance between him and his opponent almost instantly, his weapon bringing in an attack not long after. A look of surprise sprouted on his opponents face as the blade flashed towards his body. Ain managed to block the attack in time, a bright flash appearing as the clash of blades sung together, the resonating sound of metal filling the air once more. He felt the wind and energy coming off the duel next to them though his eyes never adverted from his opponents. However, Ain's eyes drifted off to the other battle, his face dwelling in shock. "She was holding back when she fought me? I never once seen her do anything like th-" Jonathan's blade cut him short and the man slammed into the wall, his weapon clattering to the ground. The metal building they stood in creaked as the force of the blow threatened to push it over. 

Celestane sat proudly on his fortress of ice, the princess remaining safe within as the guards fought gallantly to protect the fortress from harm. His eyes watched the battle between the man that brought him food and some masked fellow though he had no worries. His personal chef was far better at fighting than bringing him gourmet meals. To be honest, he wasn't that good of a cook. Feeling a tremble he flew up form his seat on his fortress and looked down. No way could anyone have breached through the rank of knights! Wait... the princess was escaping! Huffing angrily, he watched as the girl broke through the fortress with the help of some silly pet and pokey stick. The dragon would swoop down, encircle the girl twice before giving up and sitting on the girl's shoulder. 

Jonathan walked forward, his blade held out on his side as he stepped forward. "What is the reason you fight battles that you know you can't win. What is there to gain?" Ain looked up at him, a sneer playing on his face. "Strength. All the Detriment in this world comes from an individual's lack of Ability. Any weakness that you may have can be your undoing." The man cast his eyes over to where Mina now stood. "Speaking of weaknesses" In a flash, the man stood, retrieved his weapon and then charged at Mina, full speed preparing to slash her to ribbons. A flash of memory embedded itself in Jonathan's vision of the guildmates that he lost that day. "Not her." he whispered. Activating the charge skill, he would race after his opponent, catching up to him and managing to get in front of him right before he got to Mina. "All who touch her will know the end of my blade. She is not my weakness, she is a part of my strength." He lifted his weapon up high, bringing it down with such a force that a shockwave of electric energy blasted into his opponent, knocking down and stunning his opponent. The ground in front of Jonathan now remained charred from the electrical energy that spouted forth from that attack. With his opponent down, he turned his attention on Hidden who seemed to have wrapped up her fight with Rosa. They now seemed... content? Gritting his teeth he pointed his Katana at Hidden. "I'm sorry to interrupt your chat, but as a member of the APD, I will be bringing you in for questioning on the account of suspected murder and for endangering the residents of Aincrad by releasing a dangerous criminal. Come with me quietly, or I shall be forced to deal with you like I did you friend" He gestured to Ain who was struggling against paralysis. 

With the combined efforts of the players, the large bolt they fired brought the dragon down to the ground, too stunned to fight back. Nodding to himself, he would bring his hand tentatively to the hilt of his own katana, Raikiri. His eyes would make contact with Baldur's and he offered the older man a smile. "Let's slay us another dragon" His eyes cast upon the area in front of him, towards the dragon. With the dragon being down its weaker areas were exposed to them. He closed his eyes for a second, the smile wiping itself from his face as he focused himself, body and mind on the battle. The world around him would blur, leaving his target the only item in perfect focus. His eyes opened and he darted forward, his body almost becoming a blur as he crossed the distance between him and his target. Exhaling, his weapon would be freed from its sheath, a bright blue light flashing as it happened. A blue flamed danced on the edge of his weapon as his own ki exploded from his body. The flames would subside into the weapon, leaving the weapon sparking with a yellow light. Keeping his forward momentum, his strike would cut into the scales of his opponent, creating a red gash along the dragon's side. Red shards danced into the air and his attack would finish. "Lightning Flash," he would breathe out as his attack ended.  He would sheathe his weapon, the metal hissing as it slid back into its home. He spun on his heel and leapt backwards, creating distance between himself and the dragon that would surely be recovering any moment. The electric that resided in his eyes during the attack faded and the color returned to him. 

ID: 135543
BD: 5+4-1(Charge) = 8. Hit. 
DMG: 22+5*15=405-75= 330 DMG Total

[0]Baldur: HP 1540/1540 | EN 130/130 | MIT 94 | EVA 5 | ACC 6WF/5MM5 | DMG 24WF/27MM | BH 62 | ANTIDOTE 0/2 | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2 | QChange 0/3 | TOX (9-10) 23
[4]Hestia: HP: 1970/1970 | EN: 171/176 DMG:17   MIT:214  THRN: 99 ACC:1 Eva: -1  BH: 98 Rec:+3 Stonewall: 25% DoT redux  Hate: +2 Snowfrost: 1/2 fire dmg   Antidote: 3
[0]Ariel: HP: 1630/1630  | EN 140/140 | 24 DMG | 103 MIT | Abs Acc +4(6) BD | +1 EVA | 16 BH | 24 HB | 50 THRNS | +4 Fallen (8-10) & 24 DoT3 (8-10)  | 2 Antidote | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2
[1]Morgenstern: HP 1680/1680 | EN 123/138 | 22 DMG | 171 MIT | 4 ACC | -1 EVA | 84 BH | 91 THRNS | Para. Venom (8-10) | 25% DoT Reduce | 3 Antidote | 24(3) Poison (9-10)
[2]Macradon: HP 1885/1885 | EN 184/187 | 23 DMG | 127 MIT | 4 ACC | 1 EVA |  94 BH | 50 Immolation THRNS | 36 Frost THRNS (21 on crit) | 6 Freeze 0/2 | Antidote 1 | Justified Riposte | +12 Holy | Phase | Disguise | +1 Hate | -1 Energy Cost 0/2 | -3 Energy Cost | 6 Recovery (-9)(+6)
[0]Zandra: HP 2,020/2,020 | EN 187/187 | 22 DMG | 144 MIT | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 101 BH | 70 THRNS | Toxic venom (9-10) 24(3) | 25% 1st DoT Reduce | 2 Antidote | 12 Fallen | 36(2) BRN(8-10) | Probiotics -27 | Antioxidants | Well rested 3/3

He watched open-mouthed as the dragon came back to life with the help from several glowing orbs. The dragon quickly swept upward, taking to the skies of the large cavern. The target was far too high for their melee-ranged attacks. He looked in awe at the battlefiled, almost stunned for a moment. He heard his allies calling, them gathering around one of the balistae that the Minotaur had left behind. "So we're going to be using what was left to us huh?" Joining the rest of the team, he would help draw draw the string back with the team. His knuckles whitened has he pulled against the string, bringing it back far enough that it would hit their target. "Alrighty, Put the bolt in and then on the count of three, lets release this thing!" He shouted to the rest of them, eager to bring the second coming of the dragon in front of them to a swift end. As soon as they managed to bring it back to the ground, they could attack with their weapons. 

135399 LD:19 - Goal Met!

Baldur  HP 1540/1540 | EN 130/130 | MIT 94 | EVA 5 | ACC 6WF/5MM5 | DMG 24WF/27MM | BH 62 | ANTIDOTE 0/2 | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2 | QChange 0/3 | TOX (9-10) 23
Hestia: HP: 1970/1970 | EN: 176/176 DMG:17   MIT:214  THRN: 99 ACC:1 Eva: -1  BH: 98 Rec:+3 Stonewall: 25% DoT redux  Hate: +2 Snowfrost: 1/2 fire dmg   Antidote: 3
Ariel HP:    1630/1630  | EN 140/140 | 24 DMG | 103 MIT | AA +4(6) BD | +1 EVA | 16 BH | 24 HB | 50 THRNS | +4 Fallen (8-10) & 24 DoT3 (8-10)  | 2 Antidote | Conc 0/3 | Parry 0/2
Morgenstern HP 1680/1680 | EN 138/138 | 22 DMG | 171 MIT | 4 ACC | -1 EVA | 84 BH | 91 THRNS | Para. Venom (8-10) | 25% DoT Reduce | 3 Antidote | 24(3) Poison (9-10)
Macradon HP 1885/1885 | EN 187/187 | 23 DMG | 127 MIT | 4 ACC | 1 EVA |  94 BH | 50 Immolation THRNS | 36 Frost THRNS (21 on crit) | 6 Freeze 0/2 | Antidote 1 | Justified Riposte | +12 Holy | Phase | Disguise | +1 Hate | -1 Energy Cost 0/2 | -3 Energy Cost | 6 Recovery
@Zandra HP 2,020/2,020 | EN 187/187 | 22 DMG | 144 MIT | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 101 BH | 70 THRNS | Toxic venom (9-10) 24(3) | 25% 1st DoT Reduce | 2 Antidote | 12 Fallen | 36(2) BRN(8-10) | Probiotics -27 | Antioxidants | Well rested 3/3

After making a quick stop back to grab the items he left in the supply closet of his home, he returned to find that everyone had already left. "Shoot. Again? Always getting left behind!" He quickly began to move down the trail, out of the city and into the labyrinth, ignoring the man who was offering chalk. If he didn't catch up quickly, they would be too far for a return. After several minutes running down various paths in the labyrinth, he came to a stop, eyes filled with worry. "How could I let this happen?" He slammed his fist in the wall, losing a small fraction of health from the recoil. "Dang it. I've lost them, and now I've lost myself in here! Now how am I going to..." 

His eyes caught a small picture etched in chalk on the wall. 'A penguin?' His eyes followed along the walls and found another. Slowly, he traced his hand along the wall and followed the penguins. 'There isn't any monsters this was and the markings must be fresh because the owner is still within the labyrinth. Could it be the team?' He quickly moved through, following the trail of flightless birds. 

He charged into the area, noticing the dragon lying in a pool of red and the group of players standing before it. "You guys already got it?" He bound up to them. "I noticed the items sent to the party and already took them, but they were a waste to take if the monster is already dead." Though, after a bit of talking, he deduced they had yet to fight. 'Why is the boss already dead then?' He looked over to Hestia, who would be in charge of tanking for the event. He had armor that would be great for tanking, but with her the effect would only matter in the case of Area effect attacks. He stepped over to Hestia with a smile. "If you get hurt too bad, we'll get you get healed so don't worry about it too much!" He knew every time when he used to tank that he would get a bit nervous. 

Stats
Morgenstern | 1680/1680 HP | 138/138 EN | 22 DMG | 171 MIT | 4 ACC | -1 EVA | 84 BH | 91 THRNS | Para. Venom (8-10) | 25% DoT Reduce | 3 Antidote | 24(3) Poison (9-10)

Items Taken

1x Filed Ration from Baldur
1x Immolation potion from Baldur

1x  ... from Zandra

• Superior Powerful Blood Dragon Potion (+90 Max HP)
• Immolation Potions (+30 Thorn Damages)
• Vicious Dragon Fang Potion (+3 DMG)
• Superior Armoured Dragonscale Potion (+45 MIT)
• Superior venom resistance (Antidote-3-)
• Superior dragon venom (Toxic venom 24 (3/3))

Jonathan's eyes turned to the player that was approaching him. "I am just gonna come out and say to turn around. None of you really can stand on level ground with me." He watched the player grin and point his sword at him. "Fabulous, that is exactly what I am looking for. No holding back, alright?" The player charged him head on, bringing surprise to Jonathan's face. It was all he could manage to throw up his weapon and begin deflecting the weapon that was coming at him directly on. 

Ain charged the blond player viciously, a violet aura surrounding his weapon. With each and every thrash of his weapon, sparks flew into the air causing the battle between them to become a dance of light and metal. His grin became almost menacing as his attacks became faster and more violet. So far, unlike the other player, he hadn't managed to touch this one yet. Ain loved to fight, especially those who were stronger than him. He was obsessed with finding new boundaries and toppling them.  Activating his Martial Arts skill, he would send a swift kick just to create distance between the two and leap up, allowing the momentum to increase the power of his next attack. With the momentum added, when the blades struck again a powerful vortex would sweep across the room. The stood there, weapons interlocked. "So who'd you put in the ice block? Somebody important? Mind if I pay them a visit?" 

As they interlocked swords, Jonathan's eyes darkened after listening to the masked man's words. "You touch that ice block, and I will be the last thing you see" Jonathan pushed off the man, quickly taking a second to focus as Baldur taught him. Opening his eyes, he would become focused on his target, the myriad of colors around him becoming a blur. His weapon would crackle with electricity, a hum emanating from the steel. A yellow hue escaped from the weapon, making it obvious exactly what element he was taking after. He charged forward, becoming a blur as he activatedhis strongest Sword art <<San Ge>>. His weapon struck against Ain's weapon a few times before making its mark, cutting deep gashes into the man's avatar. The man rolled back, escaping his reach. Despite taking damage, the man's smile still remained. "Satisfied?" Ain extended his weapon. "Not in the slightest." Jonathan shook his head. 'I need to deal with him. I can't let this guy or Hidden near her.' 

Approved, Welcome to SAO-RPG!

His eyes opened wide with astonishment as he seen Baldur still facing him, completely unfazed by his feint. He carried through with his attack, but once again was stopped by the seemingly impenetrable guard of Baldur. After the clash, Baldur gave a push, sending him backwards once again. 'He turned and was prepared to defend that quickly? What kind of reflexes does he possess?' Baldur didn't seemed exactly focuse don the fight either, it seemed entirely focused on Jonathan and his movements. Composing himself once more, Jonathan would stand face to face with Baldur. 

"When I look at you, I see your determination, but not so much your pain." Baldur's words however seemed to make him understand something. Baldur within Aincrad had suffered losses just as he did, but while it drove him it didn't comprise entirely of those feelings. His fighting wasn't just the feelings, the feelings were just behind, pushing for Baldur's goal. 'I don't exactly know how to do that... How do you control something without unleashing it first?' 

He watched as Baldur's stance would return to a fighting stance and said, "Now come at me as if her life was on the line, and you only had one shot save her. Make it count." Jonathan nodded, assuming a Longpoint Guard. He inhaled sharply, his eyes still focused on his opponent. "One shot is all I need" He closed his eyes, focusing his mind as well as relaxing his muscles. 

Shadows flickered throughout the scene, creeping towards the center point of his vision. The air was still and Jonathan's own breathing began to accelerate. The shadows formed together, a silhouette of a man now stood there, a long blade in his hand. He raised it high, threatening to strike, threatening to destroy everything. 

His eyes opened and with a blur he had crossed the distance between the two players. His eyes were focused on Baldur's own, a fierce blue challenging the steely blue of his opponents. Despite not having activated a Sword Art, a bright blue would emanate from his wooden weapon. This blue was produced in a raging fire, wild and free.

 "KIAI!" 

The blue flame would solidify, becoming calmer, the hue become a shocking yellow. The power remained, but it was focused within the weapon, much better suited for the strike. With the transition happening all within the same second, Jonathan was still quick when it came to speed. His weapon slashed forward, the shocking yellow hue flashing forward without hesitation at his target. Despite the strength behind his attack, speed still remained, his own power directly challenging that of Baldur's. At this point, if Baldur would react with a strong blow in kind, the wooden weapons would break on contact. 

135035 CD:5 (Rock) Strong Blow



He took a breath, standing up from where he stood at the rock. He had made peace with the darkness inside of him once again. 'I think the idea is that you can't actually defeat your demons, it is always something you have to make peace with. Not just one time, but over and over again'. The nerve gear was an interesting concept, being able to read pieces of one's mind. To waste that technology on a video game was almost evil. Instead, it should have been used as a form of being able to repair those who were mentally damaged. He turned, leaving the waterfall behind. If he was going to redeem himself, then there was one final step on the way. He needed to erase the mark of the killer that tainted him. The first floor was his next destination, the place where he would wipe himself free of the orange cursor. His left hand moved to the hilt of his weapon as he entered the town on the sixth floor, ignoring the cries of the NPC's. As he stood on the teleport pad, he would shout "Floor one! Starting City!" with a flash of a brilliant blue light he would escape the sixth floor. 

-Note: This is held within an AU in which Morgenstern and Tricolor_Mina and the majority of Jonathan's friends survived Aincrad. I will be trying my best to not to talk about any information from the SAO RP that has not happened to keep the story consistent with the one on site. Enjoy!

Slowly, the blonde's eyes opened, his grogginess obviously contributing to the blurred image that he was perceiving. 'Am I back?' He asked himself. He could see next to nothing.... 'My eyes... why can't I see anything?' His hands moved to the helmet on his head with much struggle. Just moving his arms was almost next to impossible. He knew before even trying that getting the Nerve Gear off of his head wouldn't be happening. 'Where am I? Everything is blurry...' He noticed a faint noise, a constant beep. 'Am I in a hospital?' His arms drifted back down to his sides. Foot steps were heard and a door opening. He lifted his hand as high as he physically could to gather their attention. "Master Jonathan! You have awakened!" A voice spoke to him. He recognized the voice, but couldn't remember who it belonged to. Within an instant, he was gingerly helped to sit up and his nerve gear was removed. Despite sitting up, he still couldn't manage to perceive anything other than blurs and was unable to move hardly. "Master Jonathan, can you hear me? Are you all right?" He swallowed, attempting to wet the dryness of his throat. "C-Can't See" he managed to croak out, almost inaudible to even himself. "Of course, I shall fetch your glasses quickly and notify the nurses and your father that you have awakened." The footsteps would retreat and return rather immediately. The person put the glasses on Jonathan's face, his own eyesight returning. 'Glasses? I forgot I needed those. It has been so long since I have worn them. I didn't need them in Aincrad. They feel so unusual."While his head movement was quite limited, he took in his surroundings. He was in no hospital. He was in what appeared to be his old room. It had been so long since he had seen it, except now it was covered in hospital equipment. Instead of bringing him to a hospital, his father brought the hospital to him. His eyes finally drifted over to the man that had helped him. He focused for a second, recalling the man's identity. "W-Wilson?" he asked. The man nodded with a warm smile. "Glad to have you back, Master Jonathan. The nurses should arrive shortly, I shall accompany you until then. They will want to do a complete vital check and gauge the seriousness of your current physical state." Jonathan's eyes widened. "Please... Show me... a mirror. I need to see" he said through breaths. Wilson stood up and grabbed a large mirror and laid it at the end of his bed so that he could see himself. 

Jonathan was terrified. His blonde hair was now quite long, pale and tangled. His skin's appearance was gray in color and his face was sullen with dark circles around his eyes. He was extremely thin, lacking almost all of the muscles he had previously. He slowly turned away, not wishing to see anymore. At that moment, two women rushed in to his side. The nurses had arrived to check up on him. He watched as Wilson left the room to let them do their job. Wilson had been in the family for as long as he could remember, tending to him and his father's every need as a servant to the family. Of course, his father treated Wilson fine and the man received a great salary and his own quarters within the mansion. Wilson also held authority of every servant within the mansion and was directly responsible for all of the goings inside of the residence. Jonathan had always really liked and respected him and Wilson always had talked to him before even over private matters concerning his feelings about his father. 

Character pictures

Wilson

Hikoru seemed displeased with his retort. "I've never had the sharpest tongue, or have you forgotten that? I've never really been the leader, just the one standing in front. Itzal was always the one to do the talking." It was interesting however to know that Hikoru and Baldur were closer than just frontliners working together. 'What is Baldur too Hikoru? I had heard Hikoru learned from a man named Lowenthal.' "You see people I am close too huh? Afraid I haven't seen any of them for a while, my path fell astray and I needed to pave myself a new path" He stated to Hikoru before the man began shadow jumping, making it hard to locate him. Instead of worrying where Hikoru was next, he simply smiled ad closed his eyes. Taking a breath, he followed the steps that he had practiced with Baldur. Exhaling, he calmed himself and focused. 

He opened his eyes, the world around him seeming duller in color but more precise in appearance. He assumed a new stance, not a defensive stance, but instead a counter-stance. He was willing to take Hikoru's attack, but Hikoru wouldn't be getting by unscathed. He needed to ruin Hikoru's shadow rotation of Vanish and Stuns. The only way to do that would be to strike critically, and show Hikoru exactly what he was capable of now.  

@Hikoru: 1200/1570 HP | 123/154 EN | 17 DMG | 79 MIT | 4 ACC | 0 EVA | 79 BH | 12 Holy (9-10) | 1 LGT Momentum [Vanish: 3/3] 

Morgenstern 1223/1450 HP | 110/136 EN | 19 DMG | 126 MIT | 4 ACC | -1 EVA | 73 BH | 61 THRNS | 6 F. Thrns (9-10) | Para. Venom (8-10) | 25% DoT Reduce

As he charged forward at Baldur, the man quickly sidestepped and with a swift powerful strike, Jonathan was moving forward far too fast. Crumpling to the ground, he sat for a second. A heavy sigh would escape his lungs. Despite his feelings he appeared to have accomplished nothing with that attack. He stood up, turning back towards Baldur and wiped the dirt from his face. He listened to Baldur's words and was almost instantly confused. While Baldur took a defensive stance, Jonathan didn't take any fighting position. "Are you saying that you want me to combine a raging inferno with a calm sea? That doesn't make any sense. You can't flip both sides of a coin at the same time."

"You must learn to do both at the same time. Pause. Take a breath. Feel your surroundings. Be one with the moment. One with your sword, with me, with the field we're in. Pay attention to everything around you. Think about what you will do next, visualize what you want to make happen, but do not over-think. Do not lose initiative because you are paralyzed by options. Make your mind a razor's edge, choose an outcome and enact it, and then let the fire inside of you, the flame within the void give you power."

Squinting, he would stare bewildered. Baldur was actually serious now. 'I suppose there is nothing more to do than try. He told me not to over-think.' He closed his eyes, taking a breath. A second passed, followed by another. He felt the cool wind that wafted onto his body, rustling his hair and clothes ever so slightly. With an exhale, he returned his focus to Baldur, except this time his mind was utterly focused on Baldur. His surroundings seemed almost void of color while Baldur remained vibrant in color. Almost out of instinct, the Charge skill was activated, increasing his speed towards the Samurai. Speed was everything at the moment. If he could attack before the man could even make a move than the match was won. Instead of attacking straight on however, he darted past Baldur, maing only a few steps past him before stopping in his tracks and reversing his motion to strike at the exposed side of Baldur. 

134894 CD:2 Quick Strike(Rock) -> Again. I can't roll anything else. 

He watched as Stryder burst into an AOE attack, dealing a good amount of damage to the henchman of the enemy and bringing them down to the point that he could begin cleaning up. "Good, this should wrap up rather nicely." He brandished he curved blade, smiling wickedly at his targets. "Let's finish this, shall we?" He rushed forward, his blade alighting with a blue aura. He barreled forward at his first opponent, his blade cutting through it cleanly. The data shards would fill the air as he charged the next opponent, making four slashes at its body. The tip of the blade scratched the clothing of his opponent but didn't cut it to defeat it. It retalliated with a slash, cutting into him but not dealing any damage to be considerable. It did throw him off balance to give the deckhand a change to get in and attack through his defenses, actually dealing something to him. "That smarts" he stated plainly. "Stryder, be a good man and finish those off would you?" 

134885 BD:9 Hit. Enemy Ded. 
134886 BD:5  MD:5 DMG:1
134887 BD:2 MD:9 175-50=125 DMG

[1/1/1] @Morgenstern  1317/1370 HP <> 86/124 EN [ +3 ACC | -1 EVA | 16 DMG | 151 MIT | 68 BH |+6 HM | Para Immune
[1/1/1] @Stryder 700/700 HP <> 44/70 EN] [ +4 ACC | 3 EVA | 15 DMG | 62 Mit | Concentration 3/3 (Ready)

Enemies

Boatswain Jessamine HP: 35/350 | 175 DMG | 50 MIT | 2 ACC

Chain of Command: When first engaged upon by a player, two <<Pirate Deckhands>> will instantly spawn and attack the player once regardless of Hate. If all 5 <<Pirate Deckhands>> have already been previously spawned (and/or defeated), none will spawn upon engaging the <<Boatswain>>.

Crow’s Nest: On nat. BD rolls of 9-10, <<Boatswain Jessamine>> rears her boot. If the CD is 1-6, she sweeps low and knocks the target over, lowering their Accuracy by 3 for one turn. If the CD is 7-12, she aims high and launches an attack that bypasses 2/3(rounded up) of the target's mitigation.

Pirate Deckhand A HP: 0/250 DMG: 85 MIT: 40
Pirate Deckhand B HP: 40/250 DMG: 85 MIT: 40

He looked onward to the center of the room where the Arbiters seemed to be holed up and attacked on all sides. 'Not good, they seem to be fine now, but what about when they run out of consumables?' He made his way towards the center, whacking all the players who came at him with the flat of his blade. He was almost there when Violet's voice caught his attention. His eyes drifted up again to them and he watched as one of the enemies slammed into her face, forcing her to fly back through the air. Activating the charge skill, he pushed off the ground, moving quickly to catch up to Mina, catching her in his arms before setting her down gently, a dark expression in his eyes. "Celes!" he shouted. A proud white dragon familiar would soar through the air. "Ice wall" The dragon would began to circle around Mina, a white mist emitting from its mouth. Once she was completely surrounded with the white fog it would close its mouth, forcing it all to instantly freeze, forming a barrier of ice around Mina. "Stay in there." he would state plainly. "Celes, don't let anyone near that wall" his dragon sat atop the wall proudly, his eyes almost daring anyone to approach. It made a quick glance at Mina here and there, ensuring he wasn't try to break out. 

Activating the <<Charge>> skill once more, he burst forward at the man who had hit her. Electricity gathered on his weapon and her thrust it into his opponent, sending the man flying with the single strike. "Only I can touch her" he stated plainly. He looked around at the Arbiters. "Move over to that chunk of ice." he demanded from them, taking two quick strokes of his blade to send a few enemies back. He noticed a player slowly approaching him, one with a mask that only covered his eyes, a smile on his face. 'How can you face a frontliner with a smile on your face?' His eyes drifted for a second over to Rosa who was fighting the cloaked player, Hidden. After he sent the majority of the enemies running he would join her in defeating and capturing Hidden. It should't be too hard. 

'They invited me to come and then they left me'. After a few minutes he would open his menu and take a look at Mina's location. She was on the seventh floor it appeared, moving through its mountain range. He found himself sprinting towards the Teleport Gate shouting "Floor Seven!"With a flash of a bright blue light he was whisked away, reappearing on the seventh floor. He used to hang around on this floor a lot and once had his alchemy shop based here. It took him several minutes to finally arrive to the place that he tracked Mina. It was a large metal building hidden within the mountains. There was quite a bit of noise coming on from the inside. 'Tch... how much problem could a single player cause' He peeked through through the ajar door, finding several masked players fighting other masked players. With a myriad of light effects created by various sword arts that were commencing at the same time. His eyes caught the figure of what he thought was Rosa fighting Hidden. That was the main target. If she was in charge here as soon as she was dealt with than the rest would crumble. That was in the center of the room however, and he was at the edge. He would have to fight to make his way to the center. 

With a flash of yellow light, he charged in to the nearest masked player and rapidly slashed, the precise cuts appearing as red gashes on the targets body. At the end of the Sword art he drew his katana back and thrust forward throwing the player a distance to hit the ground. The player was still alive but had taken a bit of damage. He lifted his weapon up allowing the yellow light to die. His armor was glowing a dull red, ready to punish any of those who touched him. These opponents were far under his level, hopefully they would just surrender before they got in his way. 

Stryder's attack against the woman was rather powerful, bringing her down below even the deckhands in health. It seemed that this would be over faster than he thought and he had just overexaggerated how long this would take. With another couple AoE's, all the enemies in front of him would be down for the count and leave them only the captain and their rewards. "Nice, lets keep up the momentum!" Jonathan charged forward with his sword, targeting one after another with a set of slashes against their chests. Each of his attacks met their back and knocked back the deckhands, however, the Boatswain fought back fiercely, sweeping low and knocking him to the ground. Her damage of course was not near enough to actual get through his myriad of defenses, but his accuracy stat seemed to be temporarily lowered. "Finish her off with an AOE!" 

134267 BD:4 MD:3 15*8=120-40=80
134268 BD:7 MD:2 15*8=120-40=80
134269 BD:4 MD:10 15*8=120-50=70

[1/1/1] @Morgenstern  1370/1370 HP <> 96/124 EN [ +3 ACC | -1 EVA | 16 DMG | 151 MIT | 68 BH |+6 HM | Para Immune
[1/0/0] @Stryder 700/700 HP <> 53/70 EN] [ +4 ACC | 3 EVA | 15 DMG | 62 Mit | Concentration 3/3 (Ready)

Enemies

Boatswain Jessamine HP: 35/350 | 175 DMG | 50 MIT | 2 ACC

Chain of Command: When first engaged upon by a player, two <<Pirate Deckhands>> will instantly spawn and attack the player once regardless of Hate. If all 5 <<Pirate Deckhands>> have already been previously spawned (and/or defeated), none will spawn upon engaging the <<Boatswain>>.

Crow’s Nest: On nat. BD rolls of 9-10, <<Boatswain Jessamine>> rears her boot. If the CD is 1-6, she sweeps low and knocks the target over, lowering their Accuracy by 3 for one turn. If the CD is 7-12, she aims high and launches an attack that bypasses 2/3(rounded up) of the target's mitigation.

Pirate Deckhand A HP: 90/250 DMG: 85 MIT: 40
Pirate Deckhand B HP: 90/250 DMG: 85 MIT: 40

"Well if your energy is back, I suppose we had better get back to the fight. I feel like this has taken an entire year man!" He pulled out his weapon. "I'll keep it up with my AOE attacks, just pummel that other Boatswain lady Jessamine thing!" He leapt up forward, his curved sword in his hand. Although it was the only weapon he had used, it felt like it had been so long since he had used it. Was that weird? Activating his Butterfly Illusion Sword art, a bright blue flash would ignite from his weapon. "TAKE THIS MATEYS!" His weapon slashed into each of his opponents and only one of them managed ot hit him back. Weaklings all of them. They were mid-tiered and he felt like had had frontlined for years and fought much harder enemies than this. "Hit that boss lady!" He told Stryder, moving out of the way so that the man could get involved on the action of fighting. 

134233 BD:6 15*8=120-40=80
134234 BD:6 15*8=120-40=80
134235 BD:5 15*8=120-50=70

[1/1/1] @Morgenstern  1370/1370 HP <> 110/124 EN [ +3 ACC | -1 EVA | 16 DMG | 151 MIT | 68 BH |+6 HM | Para Immune
[0/0/0] @Stryder 700/700 HP <> 70/70 EN] [ +4 ACC | 3 EVA | 15 DMG | 62 Mit | Concentration 3/3 (Ready)

Enemies

Boatswain Jessamine HP: 280/350 | 175 DMG | 50 MIT | 2 ACC

Chain of Command: When first engaged upon by a player, two <<Pirate Deckhands>> will instantly spawn and attack the player once regardless of Hate. If all 5 <<Pirate Deckhands>> have already been previously spawned (and/or defeated), none will spawn upon engaging the <<Boatswain>>.

Crow’s Nest: On nat. BD rolls of 9-10, <<Boatswain Jessamine>> rears her boot. If the CD is 1-6, she sweeps low and knocks the target over, lowering their Accuracy by 3 for one turn. If the CD is 7-12, she aims high and launches an attack that bypasses 2/3(rounded up) of the target's mitigation.

Pirate Deckhand A HP: 170/250 DMG: 85 MIT: 40
Pirate Deckhand B HP: 170/250 DMG: 85 MIT: 40

The blonde was baffled by the sight of everyone, and most of them just seemed to ignore him. Mina spoke to him and explained that things were chaotic right now and that she didn't have time. "Oh... well maybe these flowers were for me then. He placed them back into his inventory. "Hidden? Like the most wanted player in Aincrad, Hidden?" He frowned, he had to do something about that. He was part of the APD or what was left of it. Mina was also pleading with him to go. "Yeah, just let me get ready!" He watched as she turned to run after the others. He opened his inventory and moved to his battle-ready inventory, equipping his strongest items. 'Hidden from what the posting said was said to require a few players to bring her down, those with Searching skills as well. Though, her power was ranked at a High T2 level meaning S-tier. This should be a fun one. My question is, how did a single player kidnap Rosa out of this fortress of a bar?' Shaking his head he moved out the door. There was no time for questions! 

Other than one. "Where did they go?" 

The blonde was having a good day, did some leveling in the morning on Floor 24, ate some lunch down at one of his favorite places to get a burger. Now that he was green again, it was easy to move from floor to floor. He had just popped over to the third floors and purchased some flowers before moving back up to the nineteenth floor to Rikers Edge where his person was currently at. Technically, the girl lived there, but he found her over at his place very often. He figured the flowers would be a nice surprise. Wearing his favorite jacket, he would push open the door to the bar, flowers in hand. He froze, eyes widening at the sight at the door. Heavily armed members of Rosa's guild stood at the door. He shifted his weight backwards out of sheer surprise. "Hey uh guys.... Wonderful weather we're having?" He took a moment of silence just to stare at them. "Is Violet here or is this just a bad time? I could come back orrrrr" He didn't like clowns, especially ones that were armed to the teeth. He was stronger than all of them individually, but the appearance he really didn't like. 

His attack had been successful at throwing Hikoru off, but it didn't seem to last long enough to make any forward progress. In fact, the man seemed more interested in his changes in attire rather than the fact that he was using a myriad of styles. "Yeah, picked them up not to long ago. They are great for battles that I am the main target. I don't tank much anymore, but this armor punishes anybody who feels they can touch me. The question is Hikky, can you withstand this heat?" 

His answer was the man slipping away into the shadows, out of sight. The man's power over shadows made it difficult to keep track of him. He felt a pierce at his shoulder and once again felt numb throughout his body. Like his entire body fell asleep. He hit the ground, unable to move his body. 'Hmmm... I feel like stun sword arts are cheating. Not fair, I don't want to use one but if that is how he is going to play, than I'll just have to play that way back.' 

"Why are you interested in Baldur? He teach me something you've been trying to learn or something?" He would reply almost jokingly. 

Hikoru loses 61 HP due to Thrns on the previous turn
Jonathan gains 73 HP due to Battle Healing

@Hikoru: 1127/1570 HP | 122/154 EN | 17 DMG | 79 MIT | 4 ACC | 0 EVA | 79 BH | 12 Holy (9-10) | 1 LGT Momentum [Vanish: 2/3] [BURN 1/2 6 DMG]

Morgenstern 1150/1450 HP | 108/136 EN | 19 DMG | 126 MIT | 4 ACC | -1 EVA | 73 BH | 61 THRNS | 6 F. Thrns (9-10) | Para. Venom (8-10) | 25% DoT Reduce

With his second attack in motion, he watched as Baldur quickly shifted his weight into an attack, Baldur's weapon slamming into his own. The force was strong and threw his weapon out of its path and strike him. Had the game not featured pain absorbers, the wind would have been knocked the air out of him easily. His stumbled back, his left arm instinctively covering the area that had been struck. He glanced up at Baldur, who was holding his finished attack's position. 

"More Heart, Less Wild that before." Jonathan would repeat back to Baldur, watching as the man would move forward with another attack. While the attack lacked the games flashy effects, it did however seemed to be accompanied with a powerful force behind it, as if the blow consisted of all of the man's willpower in a single blow. The attack unnerved Jonathan a bit, he hadn't felt something like this before. His mind was slow to react, only giving him enough reaction to lift his weapon in defense. Baldur's weapon would crash against his own, the force of Baldur's strength and will bearing down on Jonathan and his own. He fell back, the whack leaving a mark on the side of his face. 'That was intense' he thought to himself. Picking himself up off the ground, his eyes would meet that of Baldur's. 'Where do I draw my strength from? There is more than what I want to achieve to draw from.' He stood there for a second thinking. 'My strength comes from those around me, those who give me the reason to fight in the first place. My strength comes from the hardships I've faced.' 

His eyes flashed with determination. "You want to feel me?" He dashed forward, while he made no noise, each kick he made off of the ground indented it. He thrust his weapon forward, the force and speed matching the pain he felt and endured, the tears he shed, the loss he had endured. All of this was thrown at Baldur in one quick strike. 

134218 CD:2 Quick Strike(Rock) Lost to Baldur's Paper
134219 CD:1 Quick Strike(Rock)

@Baldur

                                                                                    Morning Rose Manor                                                                                     
<<Floor Twenty-Two>>
Estate
Buffs Available from Rooms:

Outside of the town of Coral within the trees lays a grand estate that seems to placed in an area where the trees around it seem to have grown around the house instead of the house being built in the center. With patios, ponds, and a large flower garden(containing mostly roses), the area is quite spacious. The Manor also features a paved road from the front door that leads directly back into the town of Coral. The house is made of brick with Rose vines creeping up the side walls, making it appear to belong to the nature around it. The Manor is two-stories, but also features a basement and attic, making plenty of room for several different offs and breads. 

Room One
<<Master Bedroom>>

Room Two
<<Master Bathroom>>

Room Three
<<Basic Workshop>>

Room Four
<<Basic Kitchen>>

Room Five
<<Storage Closet>>
Assigned Players: Morgenstern 
Buffs: Item Stash : +1 Battle-Ready Inventory Slot

Room Six|Seven
<<Living Room>>

Room Eight|Nine
<<Dining Room>>

Room Ten
<<Attic: Storage>>

Room Eleven
<<Basement>>

Room Twelve
<<Guest Room>>

Yard One
<<Fishing Pond>>

Yard Two
<<Slime Farm>>

                                                                                    Morning Rose Manor                                                                                     
<<Floor Twenty-Two>>
Estate
Buffs Available from Rooms:

Outside of the town of Coral within the trees lays a grand estate that seems to placed in an area where the trees around it seem to have grown around the house instead of the house being built in the center. With patios, ponds, and a large flower garden(containing mostly roses), the area is quite spacious. The Manor also features a paved road from the front door that leads directly back into the town of Coral. The house is made of brick with Rose vines creeping up the side walls, making it appear to belong to the nature around it. The Manor is two-stories, but also features a basement and attic, making plenty of room for several different offs and breads. 

Room One
<<Master Bedroom>>

Room Two
<<Master Bathroom>>

Room Three
<<Basic Workshop>>

Room Four
<<Basic Kitchen>>

Room Five
<<Storage Closet>>
Assigned Players: Morgenstern 
Buffs: Item Stash : +1 Battle-Ready Inventory Slot

Room Six|Seven
<<Living Room>>

Room Eight|Nine
<<Dining Room>>

Room Ten
<<Attic: Storage>>

Room Eleven
<<Basement>>

Room Twelve
<<Guest Room>>

Yard One
<<Fishing Pond>>

Yard Two
<<Slime Farm>>

Payment: Donation
30,000 col for two(2) upgrades sent to banker.

"Oh hush! It's not like I'm Sleeping with you right now, We're just sharing a bed for the night!" she snickered, gently punching him in the shoulder. "Anyways, I'm exhausted to begin with, so I'm going to sleep. Night Jon~!" His face flustered even more. "Wait... right now?" he managed to stutter to her. She had said the words right now indicating later things. 'WHAT!' he would mentally scream. He watched a blue flash of light as she put on a pair of shorts and a black tank-top, crawling into bed next to him. She wrapped her arms around his body, snuggling next to him in the bed. "Goodnight Violet" he would say, wrapping his arms around her to keep her close to him. He could feel her breathing on his chest and her the breaths drawing and closing out. After a few minutes, her breathing would slow as she would fall asleep. 'Mmmkay, this will go well until she has a nightmare and punches my lights out.' he told his own mind to shut it, and embraced the warmth she was providing. Closing his own eyes, it would be a mere minute before he managed to drift soundly to sleep.