Nero numbly rolled over as he was struck, landing square on his ass as he looked up at the two of them in disbelief. His hands balled into fists at his sides as they spoke so coldly, chilling him to the bone. He felt his spine shiver as his breathing became ragged, "You... You bastard..." He said quietly as his voice started to rise in fury, tears welling up in his eyes as he dazedly pulled himself to his feet, swaying as he wiped at his eyes. Of course she cried... She was scared... And he wasn't there. Why did he ask them to go? If he'd just gone on his own, he would have found them and she would still be here. His mind was clouded by visions of Yuna, alone, waiting for him.

Did she say anything? He looked up, thinking to ask the question - but Rose wouldn't care... She would have likely not known or cared to remember, even if Yuna had given her a message. What would she think now? Knowing that he had sent the two most dangerous players in the game, tossing foresight to the wind, would she scold him? No, but far worse... There would be nothing but disappointment. He could feel it; therew as nothing but despair as his hand trembled beside him and he pulled his blade from his hip. "Don't... Ever... Accuse me of associating with that filth... They weren't murderers - you would know that if you cared about even a single person in this world," He said coldly, his closing through choking him every few words as he stared straight at Nikolai.

"I'm going to find something you care about... and... and wrench it away from you with some half-ass excuse," He snarled.

Depression was a feeling that would often dissipate shortly after it had begun to affect Nero, but loss was something he was very minutely familiar with. It turned into rage... Blind fury that burned white with intensity as he looked out of the corner of his eye at Rose, and then Nikolai. These two were invincible... But why? What made them so absolutely powerful? Was there no hope to stop them? No, thinking that way was something he'd been doing since they had become a problem. But the entire world had learned they were not the only force to be reckoned with when they overcame the twenty-fifth floor. But they had to be stopped... By any means possible. This was fact.

Nero felt his lip twitch slightly as he launched forth, his blade flashing in blue as he moved to hit Nikolai. There was no health drop in the safe zone, but the message was there. No matter how his irrational moved turned out, it would be accompanied by a promise. "You'll both be ruined... I don't know how, and I don't care... But I'm going to have a hand in it." He fought the tears, but they still rolled down his face; he managed only to keep the annoyance of actually [I]crying[/I] at bay, even as the salty liquid ran over his cheeks and disappeared once they fell from his face.

Moments later, flashes would start to appear around them as players came to see the new floor, some were clearly agitated that it had been done without them. It was likely that the two friends Nero still had would be there quickly to see exactly how his rash action would result.