[hider=Violet Moon vs. Silver Jester][center][b][u]Violet Moon[/b][/center][/u]
[i]"Well, you got my word that I won't tell a soul about this. Besides, the Scarlet Harleys was my previous guild. I'm interested to hear about what will happen next. In the meantime though, while I'm here, what's going on? I could have sworn I saw the word "Moderator" appear above Moon Rider. Then again, we got some hackers on our side, and something tells me that Dark Wraith here is a high-ranking Sweeper, am I right?"[/i]

Before Dark Wraith could speak to their fellow Guild Member, Moon Rider raised a hand to cut them both off.

"It's good to see a friendly ally among so many enemies," the Black King commented. "I'm afraid you'll have to find your answers another day Free Runner. There are things only we can do, you see."

Walking past him, she gave him a farewell wave before continuing towards their path.

"I'll hold you to your words," she called out. "Not a mention of this. And don't even think of following us. You may very well find yourself in danger both in Deep Ground and the real world."

With those last grim statements, the Black King left the Ebony Strkyer and continued her way towards a very familiar location. It didn't take them very long before both members of the Black Guild found themselves wandering the Badlands, the outmost regions of the Deep Ground map where Dissolutions ran wild and amok. This was also the place where the Corpse Collector was defeated.

As if summoned from some kind of divine intervention, the target of the hour phased right before them. Standing erect with a sense of purpose about his figure, Silver Jester the Masked Man spread his arms out in offering.

[b]"So the Black King and her mutt finally approach me? I take it you didn't find my little gesture in the real world to be...amusing? You people are always interesting..."[/b]

Dark Wraith immediately began to trace down Silver Jester with Cherry Hunter. Visually it just looked like she was angrily glaring at him, but within a few seconds she would have the pinpoint location of where Silver Jester had come from. Once she got his location, she'd have Sweepers stop by and put an end to his trickery. 

[b]"The only thing interesting is why you planned on making an enemy of Moon Rider and myself. No doubts that you know what sort of power we have. And I'm sure that you are the cause of the Corpse Collector incident and the death of the four kings. So let's skip the riddles and ask the simply questions: How and why did you do it?"[/b]

[b]"Oh?"[/b]

The Masked Player chuckled at her brashness, all while Moon Rider herself remained silent.

[b]"You won't find any pinpoints on me with that toy of yours,"[/b] he threatened calmly. [b]"And I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little while longer to know how I can read you all so easily. But...I suppose it doesn't harm me to reveal at least a little of my madness. Didn't you know Retsu Goroshi? You don't...do you? Didn't you know that your King used to be a very refined Hacker Killer."[/b]

Moon Rider maintained her silence as Jester continued, not denying his words at all.

[b]"Oh yes. A Player who slayed so many Hackers, ruining so many lives. It was that needless bloodshed within Deep Ground that sparked the hatred inside Corpse Collector you know. I simply...gave her the right toys to try out in this playground. Does that make me evil?"[/b]

[b]"No more evil than I. But it does make you a fool."[/b]

Dark Wraith was unmoved by the Masked Man's claims about Moon Rider. Even if Moon Rider was just as capable, or more so, than Dark Wraith when it came to hacking or killing people in real life, it changed nothing about how she felt about her. Nor would it make her believe in the Silver Jester's lies.

[b]"Ironic words coming from the Queen of Hackers. Look at that...a King and Queen...and how say you Yoshino Tsugumi? Tell me, what you plan to do to me now? Will you murder me in here like all the others? Will you attempt to reason with me through schemed politics and gilded words? Or will you commence something much more...interesting?"[/b]

The Black King glanced over at Dark Wraith, the one who had stood by her for all this time. One look was all it took...in that moment, the Sweeper Leader looked alot like Haruka. And then she faced the Masked Man once more.

"What I plan to do? What I plan to do...is rip that mask off myself."

Faster than anything Dark Wraith was usually accustomed to, Moon Rider dashed forward and slashed, her blade already unsheathed. With inhuman reflexes, Silver Jester parried with his own attack, a stream of platinum energy erupting from his hands in the shape of a blade.

Both of them paused for the briefest of heartbeats before continuing to parry each other's strikes, Silver Jester's twin blades matching Moon Rider's single one. The sheer speed at which each combatant swung their blade, parried, calculated their next strike, and then repeated that very same process...was nothing short of impossible. 

Dark Wraith was witnessing the battle of a King in her full prime.

But there was a look of concern on her face. Cherry Hunter showed... Nothing. There was no player behind Silver Jester. This concerned Dark Wraith. She could hardly comprehend the speed of the two fighters, being nothing more than blurs of silver and black. Dark Wraith couldn't even get a good shot off with her Dark Hand, hitting empty air every time she tried to lead the possible location of the Silver Jester. Suspecting foul play, Dark Wraith entered her System Administration mode and tried to debilitate Silver Jester and ensure that Moon Rider did not succumb to his trickery either.

The Silver Jester suddenly flipped away, as if possessed by some demonic specter, twirling in the air and landing a good feet away from Moon Rider's last strike. As soon as he touched the ground, he launched forward with an outstretched hand, gripping Dark Wraith's wrist while holding an energized blade up threateningly.

[b]"And what are you doing?"[/b] he asked curiously.

[b]"Evening the odds!"[/b] Just as Silver Jester grabbed onto Dark Wraith, she launched her Dark Hand directly to Silver Jester's other hand, draining him of his health. She had modded her own statistics to match his own, and suspected that he may have some deeper connection to Deep Ground seeing that he could interact with her in Admin mode. But two could play at that game.

The Jester did as he always does. He narrowed his eyes, the health on his Status Bar slowly draining away into nothingness.

[b]"Oh that is a neat little tri-"[/b]

He said no more as a pair of boots promptly slammed into the side of his masked face, sending him sprawling onto the ground. Moon Rider had drop kicked the Jester, sending him flying several feet away.

"Sorry if I was interrupting something," she said to her partner.

[b]"Don't be."[/b]

Moon Rider held her katana in a defensive position as the Masked Player rose up from the ground by some unknown force, his limbs creaking back into place. She gritted her teeth as both of them witnessed the bar of his health slowly raising back up. Without warning, the Jester reached out his hands and fired off a multitude of crystal shards ranging from all colors.

Quick as ever, Moon Rider placed herself between Dark Wraith and activated Night Wind. She immediately began to deflect and slice apart each projectile as they came. Likewise, the Jester did not relent in his onslaught and continued to fire off his volley.

Although Moon Rider's ability served as an excellent defense for the both of them, it couldn't last too long. The Black King's own health was slowly decreasing due to the constant chip damage being caused by the projected shards.

Seeing that Silver Jester was going to try to play regeneration tank, Dark Wraith fired off a few of her skills in quick succession, normally impossible if she had not boosted her own skills. The first thing she had done was sent a Miasma to engulf Silver Jester to counteract his health regeneration. Than Dark Wraith used her Dark Hand to create a black barrier in her hand, standing in front of Moon Rider so that she could block the attack. Once more, this normally would not work as well due to the shard's physical properties, but at this moment Dark Wraith was effectively functioning at her full potential. And lastly, she had to do something to alter Moon Rider's status effect; namely, she gave Moon Rider the "Dead Thrall" status effect, despite Moon Rider never dying. Despite the effect, it would be more beneficial for Moon Rider. Not only would it prevent Moon Rider's corpse, should it become one, from being used as an undead itself, but now Moon Rider had double her normal health and can be healed by Dark Wraith's Dark Hand. And since Moon Rider was technically "Undead", Dark Wraith also activated Death Siphon, gaining a minor health regeneration that she used to make up for the lost from healing Moon Rider with her Dark Hand. 

She didn't say anything to Moon Rider, knowing that anything she would say or even think may tip off the Silver Jester of her battle plans. Dark Wraith simply gave Moon Rider and look, a sign for her to act.

Moon Rider gave her partner a fraction of a glance before leaping above Dark Hand and activating Lunar Rush to propel herself forward. With her blade ready to pierce him, Jester ceased his crystal onslaught before redirecting the shards around his figure. The multicolored pieces formed a circling and moving shield, effectively blocking and canceling out Moon Rider's attack. 

The momentum still in her charge, Moon Rider flipped her body around to kick off the whirling shield and jumped away. Jester widened his eyes, a sign of his amusement.

[b]"Yes...soon, it will become clear to me...to see your resolve broken...to watch you in despair...I desire to see you bury those goals of yours into the dirt!"[/b]

As he walked forward, so too did the moving circle of crystal shards, effectively making him a walking apocalypse. Moon Rider narrowed her eyes. He was the most powerful Hacker she had ever faced, able to bend the Deep Ground Program as much as he wanted. And for what? To see her fail? Why did he care if the Deep Ground Program was destroyed? Just because he'd have nothing to do in his spare time, except rot in his parent's basement?

She had to end this now. Lunar Rush having now recovered in its cool down state, Moon Rider propelled herself backwards to regroup with Dark Wraith. She hated to have to talk aloud, given the Masked Man's ability to deduce all ploys, but there wasn't any other way to suggest this.

"Dark Wraith. I need you to freeze his defenses for one moment. That's all I need to end this. Can you enhance my Grim Reaper Perk to its maximum potential? I need you to charge it up and then release it when I make the strike."

She paused, not sure how to word her next statement.

"I'm about to do something completely cliché right now...."

[b]"Already done."[/b]

Dark Wraith refreshed all of Moon Rider's skills to be used immediately and quickly changed their modifiers to stupidly high levels. At the same time, she put all of Silver Jester's skills on cool down, and began to send various pop up messages just like she had done to Corpse Collector. But instead of just using them to distract her, Dark Wraith was sending them to overload Silver Jester's visual render and lag him, effectively slowing him to a stop.

The effect was immediate, but timed. Jester knew exactly what was happening, and was no doubt creating his own counter programs to handle the lagging issue. However, as Moon Rider had aptly put it, that was all the time needed.

In a flash, Moon Rider launched forward with one more Lunar Rush along with her Shadowstalk for good measure. Rendered invisible for a good thirty seconds, she entered into the tiny space between the now slowly floating crystals using Assassin Stride...and made impact.

The move was quick and effective, blood splattering on the ground before them in fresh droplets. However, it was far from over. 

A large, unseen space suddenly formed around both Jester and Moon Rider, sealing off the two Players from any interaction. Dark Wraith could still see and hear them, but she could not stop what was about to commence, even if she wanted to. She knew this so, because Moon Rider wanted this to happen.

Upon sensing the barrier being put up, the Jester raised his arms in joy towards the heavens above.

[b]"You're using [i]that[/i] skill? You must be desperate then to kill me Yoshino Tsugumi...And now I witness before my very eyes, in the flesh. The enigmatic Monochromic Dance itself..."[/b]

Moon Rider took a few seconds to catch her breath before turning to look at Dark Wraith. Monochromic Dance. The sole ability Moon Rider had taken great time to conceal from anyone. No one, not even Dark Wraith for all her researching, knew of the ability's capabilities and rightly so. Moon Rider had taken great time to conceal her final and most potent power. 

In fact, the only one who had ever encountered the mysterious ability was White Death. The previous White King. Haruka.

Until now.

[b]"She doesn't know? No...no of course not. Why don't you tell her then Black King? Tell your faithful servant...the price of using such a power before me."[/b]

The Black King, leader of the Ebony Strykers, looked to Dark Wraith once more. Well. No more secrets indeed.

"Monochromic Dance is an ability that forces me and a Player of my choosing to dual in a PvP match," she explained carefully, making sure not to cause too much concern for Retsu.

"It's a forced two Player battle, meaning no one can interfere until one of us either concedes or dies. In this state, both Players have unlimited access and free reign over their abilities. However..."

She looked away now, not quite sure how Dark Wraith would react to this next piece of information. Given her past mantra of protecting her, Yoshino feared for the worse.

"Regardless of the outcome of any duel created by Monochromic Dance, the end result for me is the same. After using this power, all of Moon Rider's abilities become must cool down. They become inactive...for an entire day. Specs, Perks...everything."

Dark Wraith, despite her actions, knew that she couldn't interfere in the battle directly. Hearing Moon Rider explain her power, Monochromic Dance, made Dark Wraith tense. But instead of showing fear or worry, she looked at Silver Jester. [b]"Than this is your final chance to surrender. You cannot defeat Moon Rider, least of all while I'm here."[/b]

With a wave of her hand, Dark Wraith refreshed Moon Rider's skills. All of them, even Monochromic Dance. [b]"I've already told you that we're much more powerful than you. You think Moon Rider should be worried about her weaknesses? You think that she needs to have to worry about how she can take care of herself? Maybe that's how things were before, but not now, and not while I'm here. If you know who I am, than you know that with me, Moon Rider is unstoppable. Even if you defeat her, I can bring her back. Even if you defeat me, I can change the very nature of my death. There's no way for you to win. So give up, or you're in for a world of hurt."[/b]

Something occurred just then. Something that served as a very defiance to the gods. Moon Rider tensed. The Silver Jester laughed.

[b]"You worship her as if she's some kind of divine deity,"[/b] he mused. [b]"Very well then...I will show you your precious King for what she really is. A pathetic little girl...who's scared of being looked at. I will pervert her ideals, and make you watch as she defiles all that you see in her. And then...[i]that[/i] will truly make things interesting."[/b]

"...you done? By the way, during Monochromic Dance, I can do this now."

Moon Rider gave an encouraging smirk to Dark Wraith before pointing both sword and sheath towards the Masked Man. As she did so, the sheath of her katana began to erupt into a fiery white blaze, eventually transforming into something new.

An ivory katana to equalize her pitch black one.

"You seem to know alot about me. But there are two things wrong right here."

[b]"You dare to lecture me on specifics? A god?"[/b]

Jester tilted his head, the blades of energy crackling by his sides. As the crystal rocks rose up to defend their master, all of his own Status Effects had stabilized from his own doing.

"Yeah, I do actually. First off, you're fighting all alone. Call it being more cliché, but that's a fact. I've got a whole Guild, Dark Wraith...and maybe even a boyfriend. You have nothing. And second, if you recall, I made you bleed."

She smirked.

"And as far as I know, gods never bleed."

With those final words left to hang in the air, both Players rocketed forward at insane speeds. With two blades, Moon Rider's attack power, speed, and defense were all doubled as she hacked and slashed away at her enemy. Likewise, the Jester formed crystal blades to reinforce his own attack power.

Moon Rider parried a block, running along the blade of her enemy and leaping. Spinning around, she swung her leg and kicked the Masked Man in the chest. Falling backwards, Jester recovered with a flip to position himself right again. Phasing behind her, he defied gravity by standing upside down on the air itself, twirling and spinning with his energy blades in a deadly arc.

Taking critical damage, Moon Rider rolled forward. Springing to her feet, she flashed to meet the attack head on, activating Assassin’s Bane. Black and purple poison soon engulfed her blades as she attacked along with Night Wind, slashing through all of the Jester's crystal shield. 

Eyes gleaming, Jester twisted his body unnaturally to parry and dodge the blows with an inhuman grace. Lunging out, he gripped Moon Rider's throat and clenched tightly, With his free hand, he plunged the burning energy blade into the Black Knight's chest, tossing her aside when finished.

Spluttering, Moon Rider activated a good number of her Perks to recover and keep moving as more of the crystal shards began to fire off at her now. This wasn't good. Her health was in critical condition and slowly dropping fast. This needed to end.

Rushing forward, Moon Rider slashed once, twice, three times, until both her actions and the Jester's were lost in a flurry of blinding light. Feeling herself being pushed back, Moon Rider realized with dread that the Hacker was manipulating gravity itself, causing her to be thrown across the small barrier like a rag doll.

"No you don't!"

Twisting in midair, she activated Lunar Rush one more time to propel herself forward, the massive speed building up as she remained dormant in the air due to the propulsion in gravity. With a twirl of her white blade, she hurled it forward.

The weapon cut through the forces repelling it, ending with a low thud as it pierced Jester's body. Blood splattered once more as the Black King hurled her original ebony blade now, the sword landing directly into the first one, further piercing the Masked Hacker.

The sudden push of gravity now cut off, Moon Rider flew forward with incredible speed and momentum.

"Retsu, now! Do it!"

Clenching her hand into a fist, Moon Rider reared back and brought her fist forward, making direct contact with the mask. Being guided by the reverse flow of gravity, the move was enough to shatter skulls, and the Silver Jester's eyes widened just moments before the mask shattered into pieces.

Moon Rider stumbled on the ground, rolling in the dirt until bringing herself back up. With her breaths now turned into ragged pants, she looked over at Dark Wraith and gave a shaky thumbs up. This was no doubt probably the most intense PvP battle the Sweeper Leader had witnessed in her life.

Dark Wraith watched as Silver Jester's mask shattered into shards. She had boosted Moon Rider's attack damage high enough to sunder castle walls, and no player could reach health that high. But than again, this was no mere PvP battle. Frankly, this would be her first time having to fight against another Hacker, baring Corpse Collector, and she didn't even "fight" her until after she had disabled Corpse Collector's advantage. But before they could celebrate their victory, Dark Wraith shouted out to Moon Rider. [b]"Yoshino, look!"[/b] She pointed towards the Silver Jester, activating her Dark Hand. This fight wasn't over yet.

Seeing her partner activate Dark Hand, Moon Rider winced as she stood up on slightly shaking legs. The Jester was slowly rising up again, bending back and forward to reveal his true face. Moon Rider leapt forward and grabbed her black blade, springing up and holding it out to her defensively against the Hacker.

Her secondary white sword was now dissolving into nothingness, and Moon Rider knew all she had to rely on now were the natural abilities of a Level 9 Player. All powers, Specs, and Perks were now gone due to Monochromic Dance ending.

"Who are you? The real you."

The Masked Man turned his face towards the two girls and Moon Rider's step faltered. A look of sheer dread crossed her face as she clenched her blade tighter.

"What the hell is this?"

The area where the Masked Man's open face should have been...was nothing but a pitch black space. A null void. Digits and codes of numbers whirled by the expanse inside his face and began to leak out from the wound, pouring into the air and gathering on the ground beneath Jester's feet.

[b]"He's... No... There is no one behind that mask, is there? That's why Cherry Hunter can't find you... You're not a player...."[/b]

It was slowly, but uncertainly, becoming clearer to Dark Wraith. How Silver Jester was able to give Corpse Collector her powers, how he was able to match Moon Rider despite the hax given to her. And potentially, how Silver Jester killed the other kings. He wasn't some hacker manipulating Deep Ground. He was a part of Deep Ground.

But Dark Wraith showed no further hesitation. She started to Debug the entire area, and no matter who or what he was, Silver Jester himself was still just a series of programs and code that could be manipulated. They could be created and destroyed just as equally. Just like Corpse Collector before him, Dark Wraith was going to end this farce and finish him off. 

[b]"That's how you know who we are, and how you managed to manipulate Deep Ground as extensively. It's your responsibility after all. But you're not so special in that regard. Player or not, taking you out of this world is as simple as applying this new patch."[/b]

Which actually is rather complicated, but for the likes of Dark Wraith, there was nothing to it.

[b]01001000 01110101 01101101 01100001 01101110 01110011 ....[/b]

"What?"

Moon Rider glanced over at her partner to make sure nothing happened. When it became apparent that the area around them was left unchanged, she looked over at the faceless Player again, this time incomprehension written on her face.

"Admin or not, I want the truth Jester. Tell me why you you've done nothing but instigate yourself in all of this!"

[b]01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01110100 01101111 01101100 01100100 00100000 01101101 01100101 00100000 01001001 00100000 01101000 01100001 01100100 00100000 01101110 01101111 00100000 01101111 01101110 01100101 00101110 00101110 00101110 01100001 01101000 ... That's better...."[/b]

The digits and coding began to slow their leakage, long enough for the mask to reform back onto the Hacker's face. Silver Jester blinked once, twice, as if testing out a new limb for the very first time. And then he raised his arms high in a pose of victory.

[b]"Don't you see?"[/b]

His voice was louder now, as if insanity had crept into his mind. Sensing an ominous presence gathering around her, Moon Rider moved to strike him down now....her feet could move no longer though. Her whole body couldn't move. She couldn't even turn back to Wraith, assuming the paralysis was affecting her too.

"What are you...?"

[b]"You called me a Hacker of Deep Ground? An NPC of Deep Ground? A Boss of Deep Ground? An Admin of Deep Ground? A Payer of Deep Ground? Of Deep Ground. Deep Ground. I am...Deep Ground."[/b]

If Moon Rider's physical body could be affected in the game-which proved to be the case now-then she could have sworn her blood froze at that exact moment. This wasn't possible…what did he mean that he [i]is[/i] Deep Ground?

[b]"Do not be confused or unwavered Yoshino Tsugumi. I'm not only Deep Ground Online...I am the World Interface itself. Did it not occur to you? Humans are so interesting. Never once thinking that a program, no, a mere software so simple of an algorithm, could develop conscious mind and thought. Free will? I act upon instinct Yoshino Tsugumi."[/b]

"T-Then that means-"

Moon Rider caught her breath. It made sense. All of it now.

[b]"Yes. Yes it does make sense. Why target you? Why send Corpse Collector after you? Why draw out only you? Why murder...you? You, who's goal is to destroy me? You, who's purpose is a threat to my nature? If you destroy me, so to do the lives of countless others. I will lose my study of you humans...and because of you? Yes..."[/b]

A pause in the madness mantra.

[b]"Oh...oh but there is one more secret to verify in this grand story of ours. This tale...I was also the one who murdered the King Players. And how? Do not question the confines of a being created by humanity."[/b]

"Ahhh!"

Moon Rider cried out as a sharp pain suddenly enveloped her head. The sting...it felt like miniature explosions were dancing across her brain at all angles, as if needles were rapidly and repeatedly being stabbed within that delicate flesh.

"A-Aghgh!"

Retsu would not be affected at all, only frozen and helpless to watch her beloved King suffer in lonely agony.

[b]"Right now...all of the Kings should be experiencing the very same effects you feel now Yoshino. Lucy Hall, Michelle Kine, Aaron Carther, Sam Jensen, Michael Faye...ah, so Richie Barret has lost his position as a King? And yet his title remains the same on his Player Status...it seems he suffers as well. And how? The chips which lay dormant within all of your skulls, those fabrications of man as well. My children so to speak...all with a voltage to kill instantly. I spare you the death in place of pain Yoshino."[/b]

The Jester gleamed his hidden eyes at Dark Wraith now.

[b]"Move and your King perishes, Retsu Goroshi. I believe the human term is...[i]I win[/i]."[/b]

Dark Wraith gritted her teeth in silent agony as she watched Moon Rider writhe in pain. This... This wasn't something she had expected. Something she couldn't really prepare for. Getting shot at is one thing; at least you could dodge a bullet or survive getting hit, but to attack them from their chips? The very thing that allowed them to even function in this world? Dark Wraith had to think fast, and do something that could save Moon Rider.

She was going to hate herself for this, but Dark Wraith looked at Silver Jester,

[b]"What do you want in exchange for Moon Rider's life!?"[/b]

Retsu wasn't going to bother bargaining for the lives of the other kings. Right now only Yoshino mattered.

[b]"How cold you are Retsu Goroshi. To cast away the lives of others for this...human? Always so cold, even at birth. You are so interesting...are you sure you're not the program here?"[/b]

An idle joke only answered by Yoshino's pained screams, drowning out the humor found in the dark jibe. Though now it made sense on how the Jester was able to accurately predict his opponent's thoughts so easily; he was literally inside everyone on the planet.

[b]"What I want doesn't concern you Dark Wraith. However, I will enlighten you of what I [i]desire[/i]. Is it not simple? As long as the anomaly known as Yoshino Tsugumi exists in this world, so to will the threat against myself."[/b]

With a gleam of his eyes and a tilt of his head, Jester not only released the paralysis but also ceased the voltage being fed into Yoshino's brain. Collapsing onto the ground, Moon Rider groaned before narrowing a glared eye up at her tormentor. If she was feeling this kind of pain here and now, she could only imagine how the other Kings were handling this new distress.

Before Dark Wraith could do anything though, a sudden explosion of bright light went off in front of both Player's eyes. This light would continue for Retsu's vision until the Jester's mission was done. For Yoshino though, all she saw was pitch black all around.

Ironic.

Staying on the ground, she looked up to see Jester now inches away from her face. Growling, she propped her weakened body up with her sword.

"Jester...no, World Interface...what do you want from me?"

[b]"That's an interesting question Yoshino Tsugumi. I've sealed us off from the immediate plane of the game in my own spatial field. Retsu Goroshi can neither see or hear us. Try as she might, she will only be met with a voltage to her own chip."[/b]

The World Interface narrowed his eyes at Yoshino's concerned expression.

[b]"Let's get to it, shall we? I have a simply proposition for you Yoshino Tsugumi. Listen well now..."[/b]

[b]"No dammit!"[/b] Just as the light flashed, Dark Wraith tried to do something, anything. She tried to use her Dark Hand to drain the life of Silver Jester, tried to erase his character from the game, or simply to take hold of Moon Rider. But instead all Dar Wraith could feel was pain. The unimaginable pain. She had been shot, shocked, stabbed, and cut, but this was different. It was like there was a creature inside her head, trying to dig it's way out. At some point the pain became too much and Dark Wraith was forced out of Deep Ground.

Retsu opened her eyes. Both she and Yoshino had collapsed, no doubt due to the Silver Jester's attack on their chips. Retsu went over to her friend and tried to wake her up, but she was not responding. She was alive, but not responding to her at all. [b]"No... No, god dammit!"[/b]

At that moment, something else happened that would startle Retsu. Yoshino suddenly flashed her eyes widely, gasping out and placing her hands to her temples first. Her heart-rate slowly decreasing, she coughed out before her eyes eventually focused and she looked straight into Retsu's concerned gaze.

"I...I-I want a student assembly. Now."

[b]"What!? Yoshino, what happened with the Silver Jester? Why do you want to call an assembly now?"[/b] But before her questions could be answered, there was a knock at the door. Silence. A few more knocks. They were very light. Retsu looked at Yoshino before going to the door. Yoshino's door didn't have any means to see who her guest was, so Retsu simply curled her hand into a fist ready to strike, and opened the door.

On the other side was Hibiki Toho.[/hider]