(OP-F3) The Iron Breathes

[Arekkusu Sepera 0]

Arekkusu felt himself shaking, his blood turned so cold and his veins pump blood with fear. He then started to slowly break down... he thought about how easily it would be to slit and escape. This is not what he imagined to happen in SAO, now he was losing his own mind.

 

"Please..." Arekkusu said. "Just stop... no one has to get any more hurt on this day... everyones feelings I will not judge on because I don't know the story and because they are all probably valid, but if none of this is stopped the chaos will begin to spread, I've been stopped once from killing someone and that made all the better, so no one shed any blood from anybody!"

[Celesmeh 0]

Celes stepped in front of Unyie "Dont worry Unyie-chan. Kazuya I attacked because I wanted you to know I am serious. Mari defended me when Argumail attacked. That is a debt I intend to repay. Walk away now, your brother... He tried to attack innocent players. My friends. and I stood against him. I told him to stop, that i was not afraid of him. He proceeded to attack me. I will not back down when those I love are in danger. MAybe i would have killed him, too. I do not know, but mari stepped in. She saved me, and now i will repay her. Walk away kazuya, Now." 

[Rintaro 0]

Rin was stood close by Unyie-san, he knew he was outmatched in this fight and had been with her, silently watching events unfold. As the life faded from Argumail's eyes all he thought was one thing - good riddance. His face, however, betrayed none of his thoughts. Rin was in the shadows just behind Unyie.

[Zero 0]

"She's giving you a choice, try and pick the right one." Zero lowered his swords, slowly making his way back Celesmesh and Unyielding's side. "Argumail attacked an innocent player without any actual need for doing so, Celes tried to help the player in need and tried to convince him to stop yet he did not. Mari came to her aid, as did I, and Argumail met the fate that he brought upon himself." He glanced at the three players beside him, and gave them a slight nudge, telling them to walk away. "Celes, take the kid with you." The boy looked back at Kazuya, not a shred of hesitation in his eyes. "You so much as try and touch a hair on any of their heads, and listen closely to this. I. Will. End. You." He raised the sword in his right hand in front of him, and pointed it at Kazuya. "Is that clear? Now, back away and leave. Now."

[Akumu 0]

I watched the entire scene from a distance. I saw players I didn't know fight each other, Argumail was fighting too. This was something I saw all the time but this time it was different. I didn't know why but it was almost as if the tension against Argumail was growing stronger by the second, especially from the pink-haired player. The girl had a raged look in her eyes, she was scaring me a little bit too. As the pink haired girl began to strike Argumail I started to pick up the pace into a run. I needed to protect him at all costs before something horrible happened.

 

But it was too late. I watched the painful events of the young woman making a final blow....Argumail falling to the ground with a strange look in his eyes. Argumail's body shattered into pixel looking things, nothing suited for him. I skidded to a stop to where he was, almost tripping over myself while I was at it. He disappeared from Aincrad in seconds, it was all over. I sank to my knees with the vibrant purple color draining from my eyes. The sword in my hand fell into the grass and I stared at the ground. At everyone around me. No....H-he can't be... I squeaked out, still wide-eyed. Memories of Argumail flooded into my head as I lost sight of everyone around me. Him laying in front of me in the forest, bleeding like always, and calling me Lousie....The hood I wore, attached to the red cape, had fallen off a long time ago, as I was running. Now my scarred, pale face was in the open, with tears. All you could see was a fifteen year old girl crying, as everyone else around her spoke of how he deserved it

 

Thought I knew nothing of his crimes, if he even did do any of those things, he was still there for me when I was in trboule. So many missions...

[Celesmeh 0]

Celes saw the girl, realizing the severity of what had happened. She slumped down, in tears. A man was dead because of her, but the alternative could have been worse.... "Cant  you see?!? please, i had no choice... please.... dont.... I needed to defend them...." She continued to cry, slumping against her spear. She felt so exhausted after all of thing...

[Tristan Delaney 0]

Tristan only saw part of the events of what had occurred here from a distance, but his reaction was mixed to say the best. Argumail had been the man he had played music with to earn his profession. It was a village full with NPC's who cheered as they played their guitar and violin. Now, he was killed by Mari to support his brother Celes, who in turn protected another, something he also would do.

 

Tristan walked towards the scene beside Celes, putting an arm around her as part of her family. "I don't care honestly so much what happened here, that is between the players. But I will always back up my brother Celes, so if they are attacked, you go through me." It was true. What happened here was probably too complicated for him to make moral judgement upon. For him though, Celes was his brother and he backed her in anything she did. His spear was by his side and his Twinfire Reflector hanging on his spare arm ready to block any attack that came toward him.

Tristan held closely to Celes, who cried.

[Lessa 1]

His words pained her, and despite her concerns with the Crimson Inquisition and their late guild later, Lessa knew what she had to do.

"I know, Ryuu," she began. Her voice was soothing, motherly almost. It was calm, even, and revealed none of the fear she was experiencing. "I know that they killed Argumail. I'm sure he did not have to die. I'm sure it was all a mistake. But you know what, Ryuu? This is a mistake too. I think, deep down, you know that."

With her hands outstretched, the woman took a few hesitant steps in his direction. "I know you're hurting," she continued. "I would be hurting too. But giving up your own life will not make things better. Do you understand me, Ryuu?" Her blue eyes found his, and she held his gaze. "Put down your weapon. Live another day. Spend time with your wife. Please." She placed extra emphasis on the last word, begging him to retreat. "Just let this end here."

[Guest]

Alkor watched as Kazuya fell to pieces proverbially watching his only friend do so literally. Mari was safe so long as Kazuya decided to back off now. He had no reason to continue fighting. "Highly or not," he said sliding the weapon back into its sheath. "You attacked another player. Since you did it out of passion, I understand, and I have no quarrel with you."

He turned and looked at Mari, clearly broken from the act of taking another life. These instances were small, unrelated, but they wove Web-like cracks in the woman's mind he could not even begin to fathom. That she was even partially functional was astounding.

"The rest of you," he said with a warding gesture. "Leave him be. Let him think about his actions."

Alkor lowered his head as he walked past Lessa, not looking up to regard her. "No one should have to die," he said, hissing through gritting teeth. "This world is going to hell."

Almost gone. Almost free. "No one should be dead." Oh, how badly he had failed. Alkor stepped between Zero and Kazuya. He placed a hand gently on one of the white haired boy's swords. "No more. No more thoughtless killing. He's already broken."

He released the other man, knowing he would do whatever he wanted. If there was to be more blood today, Alkor wouldn't have it on his hands.

[Arekkusu Sepera 0]

Damn it damn it damn it! ARGH! WHY!? Arekkusu thought to himself. In the broken states everyone was in, no one would speak right except for those who told him and everyone else to get away. This one chance... lost... he had the chance to speak about his problem and now it burnt to bits. The one chance Arekkusu had, he now lost. But he wasn't going to create any more chaos than the chaos that went down. He slowly walked back up the hill he walked in from. Once he made it to the top, he looked back to the ground in which he saw everyone... damage has been made on this very day.

 

"When I said we would see each other again." Arekkusu whispered to somewhat himself. "And that there would be the next time... I didn't mean for it to go down like this."

 

Arekkusu then walked out of the scene with nothing more to do there, but he was shaken up by the game and so is everyone. Chaos is coming upon the game... soon everyone will be at each others necks for trying to say Hello to one another. In fact, if authority were not there on this day, today could've left the blood painted in more red than what actually did happen.

[Zero 0]

Zero looked at Alkor as he intervened, and told him to stop and put awaynhis weapon. He listened to the player tell him that it was enough, but a part of him did not want to stop, the part of him that was the cause of all the cracks in his mind, it wanted him to keep going. After a few seconds his hand began to shake, and shortly after he lowered his sword. "Alright Alkor." He put away his swords, though part of him still wanted to continue, and let out a slight sigh.

The boy passed his hand through his white hair, and glanced at Celes and the rest. "Come on, let's go and leave them to mourn." He felt his hand shake again, and stopped it with his free hand. "Though let it be made clear that any attempts on those we care for will be met by a force greater than you can handle." He tooks a few steps, and clenched his teeth together as muttered under his breath in German. "Gott verdammt bastard, hoffe He verrottet und auch seine törichte Anhänger." ("God damn bastard, hope he rots and so do his foolish followers.")

[Guest]

When Zero agreed, Alkor let out a long sigh. A nod was his response, and as he began walking, he looked up at a dark sky. Perhaps Aincrad had always had a sense of humor. Perhaps this was a sick joke, and the thunder that rattled the entire world was senseless, rhythmic laughter.

Alkor had never believed in that kind of artificial intelligence, but SAO had him convinced that technology could easily be made evil. All it took was the right hands. The crunching of leaves and grass beneath his feet were drowned by a deluge of heavy rain that numbed his quietest thoughts out.

That was how he would leave them. The discord was beautiful and heart wrenching, all at once. He grew smaller with each few seconds, disappearing finally between a copse of trees.

Once he was gone from view, Alkor decided to head for his next destination. The others would sort this out without him.

[Alkor leaves]

[Celesmeh 0]

Celes sat behind tristan, tears streaming down her face. She had used her spear to destroy a man's life... the reality began to dawn on her as she went over everything that had happened. She wasnt sure what she would do now. She needed to find peace.... She needed......... She no longer knew. Nothing in her life had prepared her for the reality of death....of murder. She no longer had a frame of reference for her life, and it disturbed her.... She looked at those around her. the seemed so sure of their paths, how could she compare?

[Guest]

Unyie followed Celes, and sat down in front of her. She leaned on the crying woman while holding her arm close to her. "Onee-chan.." Unyie wanted to say more but nothing else would come out her mouth. She could feel the pain Celes was feeling. After all she felt this whole event was her fault. If she had stayed a solo player... non of this would happen. If she had been strong enough to defend herself, if she had fought her own battles. It just wasnt fair. All she could do now was be there 

[Mari 1]

Mari let Kazuya scream- he had a right to scream, she had just murdered someone.

Again.

Mari, with her face still buried in her hands gave a wry smile, would his so called inner demon come out and demand retribution? Would she have to strike him down too in order to protect the innocence of the other players? Just as Life told her? Were they all murderers? No. Mari was the only murderer here today.

“I incited it.” Mari murmured quietly- attempting to break his attention from the rest of the group, Kazuya called her a monster, Mari merely shook her head, “No, I am human.”

Mari lifted her head, just barely out of her hands as she heard Celes shout, her voice sounded pained- tortured. Shaken and afraid, was she afraid of Kazuya? Of Mari. Celes readied her spear and Mari’s eyes went wide – how? How could the girl be so willing to attack again? “Please…don’t…” Mari whispered, but she feared her words went unheard. Zero stepped in to protect Celes – was Mari really so useless? She tried to get up, she tried to stand on her own two legs but it was as though they refused to listen to her, to her resolve. Why? Why? She had killed again and for what? What was she doing?

 

Then, another player ran into the midst; Lessa. Mari felt somewhat relieved to see Lessa,  that relief quickly turned to dread, Lessa – she hadn’t seen much of the girl, but her presence – her attitude. Lessa did what Mari never could, she stopped the fight, without violence. She was everything Mari used to be – before she had accidently committed such a deadly sin, first unwittingly then willingly. Mari felt a touch of resentment toward Lessa, she remained true to her resolve – and Mari…she didn’t…

Kazuya called Celes a monster, that girl – that sweet, innocent girl – the one who so full heartedly tried to help Mari when she was down, who happily healed her and offered her attempted words of comfort. How could she be a monster? Mari slowly, with a great deal of struggle lifted herself to her feet, head downcast – She stumbled over standing between Kazuya and the girls. Celes, and Unyielding.

Mari turned her face toward Unyielding and Celesmesh. “You two are innocent – I believe if I had not intervened you would not have landed the killing blow. You will all walk away here, dismayed at what was witnessed- but with a clear soul and conscious.”

For now, it seemed like the battle had ended, but emotions were still high. Emotions…Mari felt…somewhat dead inside. She didn’t want any more death to occur. “No more.” She murmured, Alkor soon left, and Mari felt horrible. Alkor…”A-Alkor…” She murmured, but he was already gone, what was she supposed to say? Sorry? Sorry she dragged him into this again? Why? Why did she message him? How did he appear so quickly?

Mari turned back, there was an audience, a dismayed audience. Mari gave the girls, and even Tristan a small nod, eyes darkened by what she had done today. “I’m sorry.” She turned to Lessa, there were no words she could say to her.

Mari gave a soft sigh, her presence here was not welcomed, and she could feel herself beginning to break down. She had to leave. Mari pushed past the others, and left the area.


[Mari leaves the RP]

[Mari 1]

COMPLETE



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