[I]Scared...

Afraid...[/I]

The words rang in his head over... and over... He stared at Suto in shock. He pressed his index finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. He wasn't afraid of anything... There was nothing to be afraid of - he wielded nearly every ounce of power that was possible in Aincrad. He had the wealth, the rank, the guild, the gear, the levels... What was there to frighten him? Red eyes flashed into his vision behind his eyelids, growling and snarling in his mind. It had no form, this cretin of the subconscious and yet it held every form. It was all the Yaris, Kenshins, Fitches, Sutos, and Alphards of the world. It was an embodiment of white lies gone wrong, a projection of arrogance and pride, of avarice and greed. The face staring back at him was himself, ready to do whatever it takes to get ahead. It was prepared to lose others for the sake of a weapon that would only last for five or six floors. He opened his eyes breathlessly, only to see Suto grasping his coat in tears and fiery passion. Nero couldn't remember the last time he felt so strongly about something, the last time he was so sure of anything as Suto was about this.

The next thing he knew, he was reeling back from the force of having his forehead smashed into Suto's. At first, he thought that the boy had struck him, and then he saw Jason standing there above them. The boy didn't respond with epiphany or the realization that they were being ludicrous. Then the word struck again. Fear... But what did [I]they[/I] think he was afraid of? His teeth ground together, "I didn't as-" He started, rising to his feet until his collar was yanked back slightly. Kazaro strode past, silently announcing his involvement.

"Stop. There's a time and place," He said calmly, "All three of you."

"But, si-" Nero started before being silenced by his superior.

Kazaro's blade was confidently sheathed at his hip as he stared directly at Jason just as he had finished his piece, "I suggest you not speak to my men as though they are children. We've all been here for a long time and age has very little to do with how we've all been affected. I wager that few, if any, of the people here were able to cope with it properly. By laying blame on Kayaba, you find the easiest way to shrug off your own guilt. He may have trapped us here, but the dangers and deaths... those aren't him. Those deaths go to the people tackling obstacles far too big for themselves or their groups. That guilt [I]does[/I] rest on our shoulders. A PK'ing guild doesn't say ridiculous things like 'it's Kayaba's fault that we kill people.' Taking responsibility for something is different from blaming yourself," he said flatly.

Nero couldn't help but think of the story that Kazaro had told him about his first day in Aincrad... He's had to live with that burden since they got here... But he couldn't have possibly known what would happen from that duel, so did that make it harder for him or easier to keep moving?

"I will keep my men under control, you worry about yourself, Jason," Kazaro didn't raise his voice or speak pointedly, not an ounce of anger or disrespect came from him. "We'll all work better if we keep to our pairs and keep an eye on one another's backs. If any of you want to address this subject, you can do it when we're in a safe zone, or you can all split up, I don't really care."

His eyes moved to Nero, then to Suto, "You two will be fine - stand up, brush yourselves off, and get yourselves ready. This fight's gonna be big for just the six of us."

Kimi had remained silent through the entire altercation, striding to Alphard as soon as Jason walked away. The girl was so much taller and armour-clad than she seemed from the air, as Kimi had often seen her since the start of the fight(s). However, now that she was up close and they were standing still, she was just massive compared to the young teen. However, she didn't back down at all, holding her back erect and respectable, clearing her throat to gain Alphard's attention. "Lady Alphard," She started, choosing a fitting honorific for her - the people of Aincrad who knew of her would often refer to her by the knightly title. "I was hoping you would allow me to join you and Jason come the end of the next fight, officially. I know you don't know me well, but I wanted t o start working my way into a more proactive role for the people of Aincrad and I think that the best avenue would be through your team," She finished, her hands clasped behind her back in a reserved, but confident stance.