Suto found himself being torn up over Nero's self-condemnation, perhaps more than he ought to have been. They were alike, him and Nero, both carried that guilt of their friend's deaths. Only recently however had he managed to tell himself he wasn't wholly to blame, that other things had been at work that day. It could have ended differently, or maybe not, it was impossible to know. Berating themselves now and trying to throw their lives away wasn't going to do anyone any good. It wasn't honoring their friends, or the commitments they made to finish this game. And it sure as hell wasn't helping all the other players rooting for and counting on the Clearers. They had a duty not only to themselves but to all of AIncrad to succeed, there wasn't time for self-loathing. Nero had to see this, he had to understand they were not to blame. It was like talking to a brick wall though, Suto felt nothing he was saying got through. Frustration turned into desperation as he made a tearful statement, desperate to prevent a friend from being lost due to grief. In the midst of their exchange that meddlesome American, Jason, opted to intervene. And he did so in such a way that only served to aggravate Suto, not what he needed.

Suto so readily wanted to tell off Jason for what he had said. To snap and tell him that he would protect his friends at any cost and no one else would be lost. It wasn't an unattainable goal to him, quite the contrary. Before he could get so much as a word out however Kazaro intervened, trying to settle the arguments between the three of them. He wasn't going to snap at his superior for getting involved, not like he had wanted to do with Jason. Suto simply had lost his fire after a moment, feeling tired and just emotionally raw right now. Letting Kazaro speak with Jason he took a moment to settle down, sniffling and wiping his face dry with the back of his arm. He was going to protect them all, every single person that he could. He knew he couldn't save every single soul, but he could save those who were dear to him, even at the cost of his own life if need be. Once his superior had finished his lecture with Jason it looked like the group was going to get back on the move, to the boss of the tower. After something as unnerving as this Suto couldn't say he was particularly looking forward to the battle, but he wasn't going to turn around either. They had come here to clear the place and they were going to do that, like it or not.

Right, it was time to suck it up and get moving. They could be miserable later, there was a job at hand to take care of. Nodding in silent agreement, Suto stepped away from the group, bringing up his menu and checking his gear. Everything looked to be just fine, he would be okay for this battle. He still had a health crystal if need be, and their teleportation crystals as well. Hopefully they wouldn't need the latter, these were best saved for a dire situation after all. After making doubly sure everything was in order he sighed, running a hand through his hair tiredly. Just a few more rooms, then they would be there. By then he hoped everyone would have calmed down, they would really need to focus for this fight. If they made even a single mistake it could be quite costly for them. As Kazaro pointed out they were already in a precarious position because of their group size, they hardly had the recommended party for taking on the quest. This group was anything but regular however, it was comprised of some of Aincrad's best players. Hopefully then what they lacked in quantity they could make up for in quality.

Back in town, Doku was feeling quite pleased with himself. Another job well done, and a handsome profit to boot. Far as Fitch was concerned they had collected a bounty on some wanted PK'ers, and as such took his share of the coin without question. Ignorance is bliss, as they say. If they could keep Fitch in the dark long enough they could thoroughly corrupt him, and then they would at last share the true purpose of their guild. All in due time however, hastiness would only complicate their plans. And besides, there were things to do now other than go over guild particulars, like spending their hard earned money. Both himself and Fitch now had a sizable amount of spending Col, and a plenty busy town to do it in. Of course they would need to fly under the radar a bit due to their nature as players, but Doku knew plenty of stores where they could get their hands on some good gear and items. Smirking beneath his hood the older boy pocketed his money, glancing over at Fitch.

"Excellent job today, by the way. For your first assignment you did very well." Butter the kid up and he'd come to love doing this, it was almost made Doku feel guilty. Almost. "Like I said earlier, you've got some things to perfect, but I feel like you'll make an excellent bounty hunter. And the more of those scum we kill the safer this game becomes for everyone else. Just think about it, Fitch. Aincrad could become a game free of PKers. Then players can focus on clearing the game and not having to watch their backs all the time." Certainly a noble, if not hollow dream. Whatever it took to gain Fitch's allegiance though. Slowing his pace down slightly, Doku reached over, placing a hand on the other boy's shoulder as he gestured ahead to a tavern. "What do you think? Let's get us something to drink as celebration, my treat. Then we can spend the rest of the day lazing about."