[PP-KE-F7] Dharma and Baldur (Opal)

[Baldur 0]

Late Afternoon
September 2025
Floor Seven:
Outside Dharma

Dharma was one of the smaller satellite settlements on floor seven. Unlike the much larger Rig, it was also way off of the beaten path. The mountain range of floor seven also made it one of the tallest floors, and as a byproduct had the most 'natural' sunlight of any floor, especially on the edges.

This was where Baldur had managed to disappear to for almost a year. The outskirts of the mountain Dharma was located on ran all the way to the edge of the tower. Once on the edge, it was simply a sheer drop off and out into the clouds. Occasionally you could see the world down below. There had been a time not long past where Baldur had sat there, on the literal edge, as he contemplated the future and the past. He had no resolution, but he had found renewed purpose on this floor with Lessa, before she stepped back from the front line. She had helped him find her feet, but she had been too full of rage and hated at the tower and the sadness it had caused.

So now, Baldur returned to these mountains for some soul searching, and some solitude. Connecting with friends both new and old had been good for his spirit, and passing on some of his teachings to Calrex had fulfilled something in Baldur he had long forgotten. However, the events with Opal had been weighing on Baldur for longer than he had realized, and after what he had seen at the boss meeting, he was even more confused and conflicted. He could hardly reconcile the kindred spirit he had met at the festival in Taft, with the cold blooded murderer he had seen in the boss meetings.

Slowly walking through the high mountain forest, Baldur's blue and white haori did little to hide his presence, the white flames along the hem seeming to dance as he moved, and his sunset covered garb and light armor catching the sunlight that managed to filter through the trees. No, Baldur was not stealthy, nor did he mean to be. Subtly and misdirection were not characteristics which could be ascribed to him, instead Baldur was genuine through and through and wore his colors proudly. Even as a gaijin samurai, he owned her persona perhaps more honestly in the world of SAO than he did outside in Japan.

"Tsk."

Pausing, Baldur looked around among the trees. He had gotten himself lost by being so absorbed in his thoughts. Glancing around, he tried to find a familiar landmark, but other than the edge of the castle and the peak of the mountain, he saw none. Resting his left hand on one of the blades at his side, he looked around and listened for signs of anything, Players, monsters, nature. He could find his way by walking either up or down the mountain, but that would waste hours of his time.

[Opal 0]

Black lips curled into something of a frown as her violet eyes travelled upwards towards the trees. Her Masamune in hand revealed in the off center light of the floor as she took several steps back and eyed a creature in the trees. She gave a low whistle as to summon it down to her level. The odd monstrosity looked down at the member of Laughing Coffin and her pitched whistle. Snapping its attention to her, he shifted in the trees and came down with an earth shattering wake, causing the ground to bowl beneath his feet. 

"There you are..." She said, moving her hands through her inventory and retrieving an imperfect damage potion (2 available after post) as it coated her blade with a few fluid movements. With the radiant color of red coating the blade, the woman swept her blade off to the side and gave the slightest of smiles. This was something she had been hunting for a little while now, and this monster was only inhabitable on this floor. With her stance ready, the woman watched as the creature beat his chest like an ape sending out a rip roaring growl from his massive gritty chest. The noxious smell of its breath bore down on Opal as she gave a disgusted look. 

In her new armor, finally crafted vanity armor from one of the other members in her guild, she wore a more conservative look. It was a less showy armor, but the unmistakable Laughing Coffin tattoo made home on her right hip bone and coming across towards her belly. The armor itself was a deep hue or purple much like her themed color of choice. Her violet eyes were a brighter color thanks to some aesthetic potions. A short cape, quaint in nature, wrapped around from her neck down to her waist. Nothing extravagant or edgy, but it complimented her new armor well enough. Legs that once were banded in leather, now were covered in black velvet pants with armor guards that also complimented the suit of armor she wore. 

With things in place now, she could go on and get this battle started. It was nice to get away from everyone, even her guild. She had to prepare for anything and everything, her tongue got her in trouble too much these days. But then again, all the challenges she sent out were dismissed. Everyone liked to talk and poke, but no one actually had the balls to go through with it...except of course, Calrex. Her eyes narrowed thinking back at the meeting and how he indeed intimidated the woman. She could not shake that feeling, he would be a problem to deal with. She grunted and took another step back finding focus on the upcoming battle. Sweeping the blade left and right, Masamune almost seemed to cry with every thrust she would make with it. For a name such as it, the blade was tainted of its meaning. A pure name such as this...to be stained in the blood of another. 

No matter. It was of course, for the greater good. 

-

Notes: +4 Dmg Pot used from Sig, updating that now. 

[Baldur 0]

A whistle. A crash. A howl.

The sounds all came on top of one another as Baldur scanned the forest around him. He couldn't see where it was, but he could here where it came from. His <<Search & Detect>> skill allowed him to see the direction of monsters and combat, instead of just the echo of the noise off of the mountain range. With his hand on his blade, he began to run down the mountain towards where the sounds were coming form. In the real world, he might have lost his footing or tripped on a rock, or been overtaken by the moment of his own momentum, but in SAO he could run at full speed down a mountain as if it were level ground.

The branches and brush swiped at Baldur, tugging at his haori and slashing at his face, but he did not relent until he saw what he was looking for. A giant, rare spawn gorilla like monster had spawned in the area and was attacking someone. Baldur slid to a stop and caught onto a tree to arrest to keep from falling.

It wasn't attacking someone.

It was attacking [censored] Opal.

Her armor was new, but he could recognize the leggy katana users from any angle. The giant ape was a menace to the mountains, often times catching unsuspecting players off guard and killing them. Any but a full party of players who were of the appropriate level for this floor would be out-matched, but Opal was so high in level that she was able to take in on by herself. Baldur hadn't been here in so long, he was unsure if he was capable of the act himself. He hesitated a moment as he watched Opal use a damage enhancing potion. With that, her damage should be great enough to take on almost anything, but surviving the hits would be the other question. Should he help her? He couldn't imagine that even if she needed the help that she would welcome it.

With a groan of disapproval at his own decision, Baldur pushed himself off of the tree and walked the last few steps into the makeshift clearing.

Makeshift, because the Gorilla like monster had just torn a tree out of the ground and was using it like a club. As he stepped out to face Opal and the monster, Baldur raised his hands into the air as if he were giving up.

"I come in peace... just in case you need help." He hated those words, he hated this situation, but his steel blue eyes never lied.

[Opal 0]

Thunk, thunk 

Opal's shimmering eyes looked on at the giant, rare spawn gorilla like monster as it broke a tree in half and was using it as a club like weapon. Opal gave a huff, that is not at all intimidating. Her eyes rolled at the thoughts, but when she was getting ready to attack there was a noise coming from her right side. A man no doubt, who the hell was coming all the way out here anyways? No one knew she would be out here grinding for the experience alone, and yet this...Fool! 

She stood and swept her blade towards the stranger, pointing the edge of Masamune at the stranger. Finally she turned her head, eyes going wide with the sudden realization of who it was. The man from the meeting, the man she spoke with at the festival...And now getting in her way. Ferocity gripped her gaze at the warrior; how dare he disturb her, even if he had come in peace, he would leave in pieces after she dealt with this thing. 

With her distracted however, the great ape planted his foot down and the large tree came coursing over Opal's smaller body. She was the size of a pea compared to this thing as it swung the heavy trunk at her. With some quick and fleet of foot work, she danced around the attack and came to a skidding halt as she attempted to raise her blade and counter attack.

"[censored]!" she let the obscenity rip loose from her mouth, "Baldur, was it? You better leave me be till I kill this thing, or I'll come towards you and set off the aggro zone closer to yourself and let you deal with this thing." The woman's face showed sheer dislike for a brief moment, but it was her own fault for being distracted as she was. But it felt better for blaming someone else for her mistake. Finding the grip on Masamune once more, the woman got back into stance and slid her foot forward. She wouldn't miss next time, "What the hell are you even doing out here for? Don't you have better things to do?" A wind passed lifting off her body the white of snow hair, it died quietly as it shifted around her body before coming back down towards her waist and fluttering with the passing breeze. The giant, rare spawn gorilla like monster had yet to notice the new member, she didn't know his stats and she did not feel like she needed to step in and save him, should he get closer though, he'd have to deal with this thing on his own. 

 

<<Battle Engaged!>>

Opals HP: 1080/1080
EN: 106/108
Sword Art: -2 Miss 
Equipment: [Party Equipped]

A giant, rare spawn gorilla like monster: HP: 1010/1010 Dmg: 70

ID: 67835
BD: 1+3 = ;_; I blame Bal
MD: 5
CD: 1 

Edited September 14, 2016 by Opal

[Baldur 0]

It seems his instinct about Opal was right on the money. She cursed and threatened him, not wanting his help. It appeared her ego would not allow his interference. To be fair, if someone had stumbled across Baldur while he was out in the field training, he might be disappointed if he was trying to test himself. The creature lashed at her with the tree-trunk cudgel and she managed to just barely evade it, the wind from the near miss of the tree sending her white hair fanning around her. She tried to strike it back, but the creature had too much range on her.

"I'm flattered you remember my name." He couldn't help but smile slightly as he relaxedly leaned against a tree out of the way of her combat with the giant... thing. He knew his words were a bit more teasing than they should be, but he couldn't resist.

"I'm sorry to say that I visited Azide and shared the sake with him without you. For that I appologize."

He doubted that the woman remembered much of the substance of their conversation at the Taft Spring festival. Even to Baldur it seemed like a lifetime ago, and he had not been fully embroiled in the drama that surrounded frontliners at that time. Even now, Baldur was more of a peripheral player than he was a central one. The 50s club was really the center of the frontline, but Baldur was rapidly gaining on them. Hopefully he could catch up with them by the time they unlocked whatever milestone challenge may confront them for the 20th floor boss fight.

As she caught her breath and refocused on the battle, she inquired about what he was doing on the furthest end of the most annoying to traverse floor. It was a valid question. No one came out here, it was why he lived out here for almost a year.

"You, actually. Though in a round about way, not a direct way. I wasn't actually looking for you, more like I was looking to get away from you." Baldur's face was split in a self-amused, playful grin. "Your words at the boss planning meeting gave me a lot to think about."

[Opal 0]

A bellowing howl emerged from the giant ape as it smashed the blunt leafy tree down towards the ground at Opal once more. She curved violently in her mind as her feet made more of a stumbling effect, rather than a cool and collected evasive maneuver. Her sword ignited with the tree trunk as it splintered down at her, crashing into the ground and causing a mini wave of energy to disperse outwards, once more blowing back her hair and letting his monstrous wrath rip through the world as he beat one hand against his chest, "[censored], ape." With sparks of her sword against the down tree, the woman had missed her mark yet again unable to get close enough to the massive ape creature. 

Her violet eyes followed back to Baldur, "Still here?" were the words that came from out of her mouth but from the distance, possibly could not be heard. Her eyes and mind were more focused on the hulk of a creature before her. Those beady eyes and raw muscled physique and the noxious smell coming off its body almost made her keel over and vomit. With her blade flicking off the ground, the woman set back in a unorthodoxed stance. Her hands still tightly held Masamune, the long blade that was feared by many monster that fell beneath the blade. There were not many people who could wield a blade of this size; the only other she could think of was Tearye, but that was a different story altogether. 

From our of her right side, she could hear Baldur speak. She shook her head, "It's surprising you are still here then if you are trying to get away from me. I don't recall saying anything to you that would cause you to be here unless..." the woman eyed the man for a brief moment, "Did you finally realize you are a weak piece of Trash then?" One playful grin for another, but that was to be seen since she was engaged for the moment with Harry here. 

<<Battle Engaged!>>

Opals HP: 1080/1080
EN: 105/108
Sword Art: -2 Miss 
Equipment: [Party Equipped]

A giant, rare spawn gorilla like monster: HP: 1010/1010 Dmg: 70

ID: 67843
BD: 1+3 = BAL!!! >.<
MD: 5
CD: 6 [BH Activated-Max Health] 

Edited September 15, 2016 by Opal

[Baldur 0]

Baldur was glad that he had reached a place where Opal's comment about his combat ability merely washed over him without effect. It could have been the performance of the past boss battle against Leonidas, or it could have been the fact that she had just now wiffed twice when fighting the giant gorilla like monster creature. Whatever the case, her taunts fell flat.

He did feel a bit guilty letting her fight the massive monster on her own, but she had yet to take any damage from the creature at all, so he quickly stamped down on that bit of chivalry inside of himself. Opal was an enemy, wasn't she? Why should he help her when she didn't even want help herself. In fact, helping her might cause her to turn her blade to him, or if he hit it now, he'd take up aggro on the creature, and he doubted she would help him out. She'd be happy to just let the creature kill him, and not even have to turn her crystal orange.

But if this were anyone else, Baldur would jump in and help out, because that's just the type of person he was. Then again, Opal was one of the highest leveled players in Aincrad, he couldn't so much as protect her as get in her way. She would be doing more to protect him than the other way around. He hated his indecision.

"That's rich, coming from someone who contributed the least in the boss fight. Did Leonidas' HP bar even move after you hit him? I can't remember."

Baldur took a moment and closed his eyes after he quipped at her. This wasn't helping, and he was lowering himself to her level. He shouldn't let her taunts drag  him down to her level.

"To tell you the truth, I don't like seeing women drugged and hauled off by unsavory types. Not that I'm sure Volcano... was it? Has a very fulfilling private life... it's more my problem with player killing. I don't like the idea of it."

[Opal 0]

She could ignore the slandering words from the trivial player until he was talking about Player Killing. When he had said that, there stirred within her digital vessel a fire that was burning within her. With a tight grip on her Masamune, the long blade began to embezzle the air by draining power into as the violent blade began to glow an eerie dark purple. With her eyes focused on the monsterous Ape Giant, the woman took off in a flurry with her white of snow hair bounding off from her back. With the wind at her face, she gracefully took a leap at the creature sending the sharp katana point across the beast's chest. A guttural howl induced by the fiend as he was knocked back by the blow, pressing once again, she let her ferocity gathered from the point of Baldur's words into the snarling creature with several more quick successive strikes with a final overhead chop from the head down. Orange streak marks littered the Gorilla as she came back down towards the ground. 

With his massive hands, he had began to swat the damage from his face as if trying to rid an annoying fly in his face. His anger quickly triggered now as she had got the first blow on him. With his foot stomping the earth, he let out a wind ripping roar as he slammed both fits towards Opal. Her dainty body followed by graceful foot steps were easily enough able to evade the catastrophe should that have landed a hit on her. 

"You have me so figured out, don't you? That I am just some kind of murdering psychopath! Have you even looked into the matter of what I did? Who I Player Killed?" she shook her head, her eyes on Baldur, "I did it because there was no other choice. More people could have died..." 

 

<<Battle Engaged!>>

Opals HP: 1080/1080
EN: 92/108
Sword Art:  San Ge - 18x7x2 - (14 Energy) - 252 Dmg 
Equipment: [Party Equipped]

A giant, rare spawn gorilla like monster: HP: 758/1010 Dmg: 70

ID: 68257
BD: 8+3 the curse ends! 
MD: 1
CD: 11 [BH Activated-Full Health]

Edited September 21, 2016 by Opal

[Baldur 0]

Baldur shook his head when Opal asked her question of him, not that she could have seen the gesture as she flipped about, trying to evade the giant limbs and tree trunk of the giant, rare spawn gorilla like monster. No, it wasn't quite so simple as that, Baldur sought the words as the scantily clad katana user tried to turn her first hit into a second. The beast, now that it had been bloodied, seemed to be enraged, but that rage was impotent. It was unable to land upon the graceful killer.

"No, no I don't, and that's what bothers me about you." As he leaned against the tree, he passively watched her fight while his mind's eye turned inwards, replaying old events and old conversations.

"And I don't necessarily disagree with the logic of your actions. You killed an orange player, someone who had murdered another. Even Zelrius himself, through green at the time, has killed real people. Taken away real lives."

He paused for a moment as Opal seemed to evade a massive, sweeping blow.

"And given what I've heard, that Dom guy was the kind who might just go out to the starting fields and randomly kill some lowbies because he could."

And now Baldur was in a guild with Teayre, who herself was guilty of murdering two innocent players who had done nothing more than been at the wrong place at the wrong time. How could they reconcile that, and maintain moral high ground?

"Even were I there, and had the ability to end those, or even stop Teayre... I'm not sure I could bring myself to take another life. Is killing someone to save another really justifiable? I don't know. Oikawa is now an orange player, someone who killed Zelrius, a person I used to be in a guild with. Should I take his life? Is that justice, or revenge? Is it worth killing Oikawa, merely because he's orange, when he had within him the potential to save hundreds if not thousands of lives?"

Baldur paused as he watched them continue their dance of death.

"That's the kind of things that keep me up at night. Could I kill you, in order to spare all the lives you and your guild threaten to end? Could I work with you to save more? And what happened to that woman I shared sake with."

[Opal 0]

The woman stopped to look at Baldur, her eyes showed no interest in what he said, but the reflected truth was a searing spear through her heart. The loud obnoxious creature was however her priority in this little tussle. With the weapon glowing a familiar hue once more, she set forth to embark another cruel device. Sweeping the blade and allowing the after image of the glow to take wind, she shuttled once more towards the creature and ran her blade thick into the hide of his belly, curving upwards and diagonally for a two hit direct hit. Backing off for the moment, her quick foot work continued masterfully moving in to evade the strikes of the lumbering troglodyte as she swept her blade across the belly several more times and coming down with a clean chop.

"That's half..." she said narrowing her eyes at the behemoth's HP tank. With a gut wrenching growl of pain and dismay, his body lumbered forward with all the power of an earthquake to startle the woman. Yet her eyes remained poised on it, withstanding the heavy thumping of his tree trunk mace, she whipped her body to and fro dancing around the several stages of attacks that were now plowing into the land around her. Masterfully evading each blow, Opal cut across to the left and quickly brought her blade up to sweep away the next attack, "No you don't." She said deflecting the last blow, craftily expelling the attack and syphoning its energy elsewhere. 

"When you are faced with killing a friend to save a hundred more...you are willing to throw away the lives of the many to save but one? If not some form of justice, then you act as the killer yourself allowing such miserable entities to exist! You might as well be staining your hand now for those kinds of foolish thoughts! At least I take responsibility for it! I know I killed him! And I will never regret what I have done!" 

<<Battle Engaged!>>

Opals HP: 1080/1080
EN: 79/108
Sword Art:   San Ge - 18x7x2 - (14 Energy) - 252 Dmg 
Equipment: [Party Equipped]

A giant, rare spawn gorilla like monster: HP: 506/1010 Dmg: 70

ID:  68269
BD: 6+4 = hit
MD: 3
CD:  8  [BH Activated-Full Health]

Edited September 21, 2016 by Opal

[Baldur 0]

Baldur considered Opal's words for a moment while she dropped the giant, rare spawn gorilla like monster to half health. It was a question he had often considered as well, he wanted to reject it, but he needed to reason for it. He knew it wasn't right, but the why was just as important to him as anything else. He already suspected that he could kill someone to defend a friend, even if he didn't really want to admit it. He also knew that he could give his life for a friend, though he didn't want to think about that either. He knew he would hesitate. It wasn't just his life he was throwing away if he did that, but the feelings and hopes and love of the people most important to him. No, it wasn't that simple.

"I refuse to allow arithmetic to determine questions like that. If I kill you, and the other three people in your guild, and the two in mine, and every other orange player I come across. How many lives do I have to save, before I'm not suddenly worse than the people I'm killing. If I kill 10 murderers, is that worth saving 5 people? No, that's too easy, too seductive. There isn't some magic ratio I can pull out a calculator to determine if it's mathematically appropriate to kill a friend."

Baldur sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, resting his forehead against a fist for a moment.

"I really want to be able to write you off, but I guess that short conversation we had made me respect you as a kindred spirit. And the solidarity we all felt when we mourned for Azide...." Baldur opened his eyes, but he had a thousand mile stare that seemed to elsewhere. A world where the possibility had gone elsewhere, where things ended up differently.

"I want to believe you're doing the wrong thing for the right reason. I've often toyed with the question of whether I could sacrifice my honor for the greater good. Is becoming the devil to save the world a noble cause?"

Baldur shook his head, it wasn't disagreement, but instead confusion.

"Circumstances and loyalty may move a man, and justice may claim a life, but my - our - souls are our responsibility. It is entirely up to us. You cannot stand before God or a jury and say 'I was just following orders' or 'it was more convenient at the time' or 'it was mathematically expedient.' No, the end does not justify the means. If we sacrifice who we are to Kayaba's game, then we've already lost. The only real victory is to maintain our core, who we are, to the very end."

Baldur's voice had grown more and more confident as he vocalized his thoughts.

"So to answer your question: No. The blood is not on my hands if I don't kill my friend to save a thousand, or a hundred, or you. Each and every action is judged, and if all that can be written on my tombstone is 'Died doing the right thing' then I have lived and died in a way that my family can be proud of. My heart would hurt, just as it did when you betrayed your comrades. By doing so, you've created a cycle of revenge that can only be answered by more killing, and more bitterness, and driving more people to the edge. No, if we want to win, if we want to get out of here, then we need to do so the right way."

 

[Opal 0]

Over her shoulder she stared towards Baldur and shook her head at him. The roar of the Gorilla brought back her attention, causing her focus to break upon it instead of the Samurai. Her dark brows scrunched as she executed her attack. Wondering if it was by some unknown force taking stabs at her Pride, or perhaps it was the words that somehow made way to her ear by the dogmatic player, she was unable to make a sound strike with her long blade. Instead, the katana blade pierced through the trunk of the tree to which it held before she was able to make contact with the thick armored rare spawn. She gave a low a grunt, side stepping away from its thunderous attack once more as wind and debris picked up around her. Casting her long hair aside into the wind, the woman spun on the ball of her foot and attempted to gain more advantageous ground against this Brute.

She was too occupied to have a steady argument against the player and this Gorilla and the stress of the battle, as well as missing consistently seened to coincide with her rage. Not to mention on top of that, Baldur was one of those players who just did not give up hope on humanity. She admired that fact about him, and she too did not give up that same hope. However, unlike he who would not shed blood for blood was just as incapable of protecting the weak from the strong. There was no one else who could do what she would do, burdening the fact, she was the only example this Aincrad had as a resolute angel of revenge. Surely, one could question her ideals. Killing a hundred players to save even a thousand; she would do it. Because it was the right thing to do, it was coded into her blood. 

"Then you indirectly killed another person because of your selfish ideals. When will you people learn to wake up and smell the roses that taking a passive role in this will only cause more people to die in the end. I will become a symbol this world will fear, if I must. They will cower when they think about attempting to slay another player. I will carry the burden, when I am the only one who has reserved the souls of the damned to hunting me...Then in the end! It is better that they attempt to slay me instead of other innocent people! I don't care about being hunted by others, I don't care what others think. This world of Aincrad has already twisted so many souls, we are toxified by it. Slowly, you will realize one day that there will be evils born into this world that we won't be able to control anymore and you will be a slave to it, because in your past...you were just too damn pure to pick up your sword. If someone has to do it, then it might as well be me. I have stained my hands in another, I must carry that, and I will not stop now and I will not be stopped." 

<<Battle Engaged!>>

Opals HP: 1080/1080
EN: 78/108
Sword Art:   Miss
Equipment: [Party Equipped]

A giant, rare spawn gorilla like monster: HP: 506/1010 Dmg: 70

ID:  68346
BD: 1+3 = 4
MD:  1
CD:  3

Edited September 23, 2016 by Opal

[Baldur 0]

"You misunderstand me, Opal."

At least, that's what Baldur tried to say as a crash of timber struck the ground where she had been standing only a moment before, and finally it just bothered him too much. The answers weren't enough, they weren't satisfying to him. They were right, but she wasn't wrong, either. It wasn't that simple, though in the stress of battle it seemed she was betraying her motivation. She was being that Batman that Aincrad needed right now, but Baldur was no Superman. Not only because of his lack of strength, but he did not have the strength of character.

"Enough of this monkey."

Pushing off from the tree, Baldur crouched down into his familiar stance and <<charged>> the silver maned creature, a streak of blue and orange light followed him as the speed of his move caused the blue and white haori he wore to snap in the wind as the world rushed around him. Normally he would have executed <<Iai>> as his opening move, but the beast had already been stunned, and he wasn't drawing Fudoshin or Raijinken for this fight. He was using the Muramasa. The normally azure light of his sword art was instead replaced by the red of rage that the blade embodied, exploding to life as Baldur drew the cursed katana and struck in a seemless move. His boots kicking up dirt and dust as he slid and spun to a stop on the far side of the creature from where he started and followed up with more slashes, cutting the health the beast's remaining health in half.

Baldur was lightly armored, having a few plates here and there on his clothing to maximize his mitigation without interfering with his mobility, and a masterfully made and designed obi wrapped his waist where two other katana were held as well. The longer than normal haori hung over him, coming down to his knees, where white flames climbed the light blue fabric. The red of his clothing was imprinted with a heron in flight, that seemed to fly as the clothing on him rippled with movement; all of this traditional Japanese clothing contrasted with his westerner face.

"Be pissed at me after this thing is dead."

He couldn't understand why Opal could get under his skin so much. He wanted nothing more than to declare her wrong and move on with his life, being able to dismiss her as a trouble-maker who was misguided. But that seemed to be impossible. He could logic her wrong all he wanted, but he couldn't dismiss her, or what she did. Neither, however, could he reconcile her action either. She was hovering in his space in his mind somewhere between respectable and pitiable, and it... it pissed him off.

---

ID# 68356 BD: 9+3 (crit)
<<San Ge>> 17 + 2 + 1 = 20x14 = 280 DMG

<<Opal>> HP: 1080/1080 | EN: 78/108
<<Giant, Rare Spawn Gorilla Like monster>> HP: 226/1010 | DMG: 70
<<Baldur>> HP: 775/775 | EN: 76/76

[Opal 0]

"Hey! What do you think--!" Opal's gaze averted from the Troglodyte to Baldur as she watched from the corner of her eyes see his figure shoot from out and attack with a similar looking San Ge. Brows furrowed and pinched together, a scowl on her face as if to say, 'you best not bag the trophy I have been looking for,' but his attack had come up with a little more than half the remaining. The creature was unable to lift its weighted body off the ground as she shot her hand out towards his attire and grab him by the collar. 

"Who the hell do you think you are butting in? I said I would take care of this you brain dead fool!" the woman let go of his collar and her eyes shot back towards the creature who was rumbling and getting back up on his legs, the massive trunk for a mace swung down hitting the ground as the eyes began to glow red alerting them that it was about to pull out all the stops now that it was in the danger zone of being pixelated. Growling under her breath, the woman's blade lifted in her hand as the aura began to whip and spin around it curing the steel with an ominous and violent state. She shot forward once more and lifted her body into the air and slammed the katana into the creature's face, several slashes ensued and ripped through the high coloring it's body with orange glow marks signifying the damage was done. 

When her feet hit the ground, she turned around and faced Baldur as it pixelated, "Oh I hope you have a teleport crystal on hand, because I am going to BEAT THE LIVING [censored] OUT OF YOU! Why the hell did you jump in? I said once before that thing was mine! You got in my way! Grrr! Why do you have to be so goddamn problematic? Are we done here now? Seeing as it is dead, you can go bugger off and annoy someone else and leave me to my training!" 

The woman whipped her body around, her short cloak unfurling off her shoulder along with the long snow white hair that dressed her head. The Masamune began to dim down now as she held it in one hand. She looked over her shoulder, clearly a disgusted look on her face, "How the hell did you overpower me? Wait. I remember seeing that weapon but not in the hands of your own." Opal turned around, "Is that the...?"  

 

<<Battle Engaged!>>

Opals HP: 1080/1080 
EN: 65/108
Sword Art:    San Ge - 18x7x2 - (14 Energy) - 252 Dmg 
Hate: 2
Equipment: [Party Equipped]

<<Baldur>> HP: 775/775 | EN: 62/76
Hate: 2

A giant, rare spawn gorilla like monster: HP: ---/1010 Dmg: 70

ID:  68417
BD: 3+3 = hit
MD: 5
CD: 6
LD: 10 +4 = 14 [5050 Col]
1 Material to Baldur

Edited September 24, 2016 by Opal

[Baldur 0]

Baldur let Opal have her moment of fury once the beast was killed. He knew it was coming, and so the words washed over him without effect. He had given her more than ample chance to kill the beast on her own, but she had seemed incapable of the task. When she had come over to grab him mid battle, he had merely let her. He had no intention of wanting to fight her, though after her performance in the boss fight and this one with the gorilla, perhaps she wasn't as scary as she was made out to be. He did have the Muramasa now...

No, I didn't come here to fight her, I came here to try and understand her.

He did enjoy seeing that moment of rage and surprise when she confronted him about out-damaging her... and then when she realized what blade he was holding. At that moment, Baldur slowly sheathed the blade, dramatically clicking it into the saya.

"Yes, it's the demonic blade Muramasa. The most powerful weapon in Aincrad." He patted the handle of the blade at his hip, as his steel blue eyes returned to meet hers.

"Are you done hiding behind bravado, and willing to level with me now? I don't imagine the number of people lining up to hear your side of the story is particularly impressive. Especially not after the way you treated people at the boss meeting."

[Opal 0]

"How did this fool get that weapon? I thought it was sewn only to the player who had the unique skill. Well, aren't you a piece of work. I wonder what you had to sacrifice to get such a precious item. And what the hell are you talking about 'bravado'? The way I treated players is my own damn business. Both Hikoru and Lowenthal are orange players, I judge them accordingly to their crystals. Most people blur the lines, that's when you fall into a state of confusion and complexity. It is much easier when things are in black and white. Green and orange."

The woman shifted and brought a hand over her face to sweep away the violet highlights in her otherwise snow white hair. The snake scale armor polish dulled under the afternoon atmosphere and she gave him a look, "My side of the story makes no difference, does it? In the end, some people don't care about the story and just about the person. I am not out seeking people to recognize what I have done, nor do I care about their opinions towards me. So why should I say anything else on the matter? It doesn't change anything in the end."

Taking in a long drawing breath, the woman swept through her inventory quickly and her Masamune disappeared from her hand, "If you have something to say, come out and say it. Otherwise you can leave me the [censored] alone. I got more than enough on my mind and I don't need some Tom Cruise wanna-be following me around everywhere I go." And with that, the woman...sat down. She crossed her legs and hunched over slightly reading over her map data and figuring out where the next rare spawn was gonna be. She had quite a handful of these coordinates, but now was making the most of it with a little time off from 'work.'  

[Baldur 0]

Baldur seemed to prickle at Opal's worlds, not necessarily that he was so upset at what she was saying to him, but instead a reaction to her words. If he had real teeth, he would have been grinding them at the moment. This woman would be the death of his peace of mind.

"You are so full of contradictions, I don't even know where to start!"

He threw his arms up in exasperation, and then pinched the bridge of his nose as she sat down to look at her map. He calmed himself, he wouldn't let her control him or the conversation with her standard tactics. She was doing all of this to keep people at arms length, he was sure of that. What he wasn't sure of, was why. Was she afraid of people getting close? That didn't seem like it. Was she trying to keep people from discovering her plans or true meaning? It was the more likely of the two, but Baldur found it hard to believe there was some sort of plot or conspiracy going on.

"Can you honestly sit there and say your betrayal of your Knights was effortless to you? That after all the hard work you put into forging them, bonding with them, that you don't miss that at all? And furthermore, how you treat people is NOT your own damn business. Not when you bring your personal brand of drama into a Frontline meeting. There are lives at stake, and not just the ones that you don't seem to value, but the thousands of people that remain trapped in this god-forsaken game."

Baldur let out another long breath, taking control of himself once more. He wouldn't let her rile him up. He would not.

"If your side of the story didn't matter, I wouldn't be here asking for it." His words were calm now. Earnest.

"I want nothing more than for this to be black and white, and to write you off the way you've written off Hikoru and Lowenthal. The way you've cast aside everything that Azide fought for. But I can't. I don't just judge people by what they are, but by what they could be as well. Help me see what it is your are trying to do."

[Opal 0]

"Ugh, personal space much?" she said scooting over away from the player who was obnoxiously hovering or sitting too close to where he should be situated with himself. The female brushed the violet bangs of hair from her face as she looked away. Her eyes widened to this sort of interrogation she was now under, "Did Calrex tell him about me and my plans? Or is this fool actually looking past my ruse?" The woman sat there motionless for a moment looking away at the player. She did not say a word and instead bit down on her lower lip slightly. He was bringing up the past something she did not seem to enjoy very much. Taking in a deep breath the woman turned around and faced the player face to face.

She looked relaxed and calm and lowered her eyes towards her bent knees as she wrapped her arms around them as if to shield herself, "I didn't build the Knights. That was Commander Heathcliff's doing." She had used his title instead of just calling him Heathcliff. She respected the man, because he demanded respect on many levels. At first she was intimidated by his presence, whenever he would enter a room, whenever he took stance and whenever he spoke. All that accumulated into what Aincrad should be, so that is what she had set out to do. 

"Building an impressive army was my first goal. Aincrad needed stability. And as long as the Elitist Society known as Azure Brigade ran the show, then there was going to be constant bids for power in this world. I had to create something more respectable than that. So, I set out finding members that would justify my ways. I needed players with a strong resolve to help get us through this game, I needed players who were gonna be there on the Frontlines taking the hits and doing the hits. More importantly, we needed leaders more than ever. Azure Brigade only looked out for number one, themselves. They were a toxic breed of players and housed several player killers..." the woman said as she lifted her head, her eyes on the player across from her.

Slowly her arms allowed her legs to be free as she stretched her limbs out and her hands were pushed behind her to keep the woman anchored in her spot. The breeze had caught the long hair, billowing off to the side. Her violet eyes stared at the sky and slowly closed them and began her story once again, "So with that. I created an Army. I gathered strong players even merged my former guild the Crimson Blades under the banner of the Knights of the Blood. I knew with all that power they had, they could finally start moving things forward in a more respectable way." 

The woman brought one hand up to her face and brushed the wispy violet strands of hair from her face that collected from the wind. She looked down at the grass and snatched a handful and let it go to the breeze to find its own path, "However, that was only a surface dream. I had begun formulating a plan to take down the Azure Brigade but I would also be fulfilling one of my goals..." 

The woman let out a long sigh and hunched forward, "If you want to know the entire story, you should get comfortable." 

[Baldur 0]

Baldur was stunned.

No, she didn't attack him and inflict a status effect, but she seemed to agree to open up and talk about things, so he stood there for a moment, his mouth slightly agape and his steel blue eyes wide, before quickly regaining his composure and sitting down as she had instructed if he wanted to hear more. He made sure to give her the personal space he wanted. He had been ready to challenge her to a duel for information if he had to; such was Baldur's desire to understand and reconcile the Opal he believed she was, and the one who laughed at the death of others.

When she had explained her goals for establishing the Knights of the Blood Oath, and even if she credited the guildmaster he could tell it was their bond with Opal that united them. They were noble, and not unlike what they were trying to do with the Spectrum Coalition, but this time around, he and the others were fully aware of what the Azure Brigade had become, and that they had needed to be taken down. He essentially agreed with everything she was saying. Perhaps that was why he had such a hard time getting her out of his mind. He couldn't fault her beliefs, just her methods... and only that to an extent he didn't want to admit to himself.

Unfortunately, her betrayal of her family of knights had sent them into a chaos Baldur wasn't sure that they were capable of surviving, especially since Mack had now also disappeared. Opal and the large bearded barbarian had been the two dynamic personalities who had held the guild, and the frontlines, together. This one act had apparently undone all of that work she just said she set out to do.

"I'm ready." Baldur said once he was in a comfortable sitting position. His steel blue eyes had softened, and his proud shoulders had relaxed. His body language had entirely shifted. He was sitting there, with Opal and an open mind, ready to hear her side of the story.

[Opal 0]

"Huh, where to begin?" The woman took a moment to gather her legs once more and folded them into her body. Her eyes stared out past the player in front of her, looking into the endless horizon of orange and purple, "You have to be some kind of person to go through what I have gone through. When I first logged into the game, I was just a snooty science bitch. I didn't know how to play games like this, nor did I care. I came to Aincrad because of science and technology and what the Nervegear could do to the human brain after it has been exposed to such massive virtual worlds like this. But I ended up getting stuck here along with everyone else." the woman sighed and brought her hands up to her menu, and scanned its for a moment before flicking it away.

"I was confronted by a man named Sensui a few weeks into the game. He seemed harmless, very nice, quite the gentleman and quite the eager individual. He was ambitious and charismatic. I guess you could say I had a small crush on him. But then he became quite toxic; he spoke of things that would really make people wonder about Aincrad and what we could do here. We could live as Kings or die as sheep. Since I was a woman, I had a very special skill set. I was asked to do a few things for him that were a bit underhanded. Anyways, I did what I was instructed to do." 

The woman let her eyes roll and sink back down towards the ground, her hand was now fiddling with a patch of grass as she gently rolled her hand back and forth against the emerald blades. The wind softly blew, brushing stray tendrils of hair from her face as it fluttered for a moment before traveling elsewhere. Her violet eyes fell on Baldur, then quickly looked away.

"I was then confronted by an individual named Myoga. My mentor, my teacher. This was part of the plan, to have him teach me the ways of the sword. He...was more than just a teacher though, he was like a father figure. He taught me everything I needed to know about how to properly be stealthed, how to hide in plain sight, the Bushido. But I was also taught the arts of the Kunoichi. To be like a shadow, and how to kill quickly. Seems like a nice set of skills to have don't you think?" The woman's downcast gaze seemed to sadden more now as she took a moment to pause in her story. Sweeping the hair from her face before looking back at Baldur.

"I was taught how to lie very well and I was told how to keep emotions inside of you without showing your true self to people. When you lie and show off your mask, that mask soon becomes your face and you become your lie. That's what I had to do.  However, I never lost who I was. I might have been working for Sensui as a disciple under Myoga, but I was my own woman. The more toxic things I had heard from Sensui, the more I wanted to push him out of this world. When I heard of Laughing Coffin, I knew what he was planning to do and I had to become his symbol. But he did something to me. That was unforgivable, to any woman. To have someone like that torture you, so you know how to torture others. So that they feel less than human. I knew I didn't want others to be that way. So I made a promise to myself and I bid my time, then I struck. And now my plans are in motion." 

The woman stood up to stretch her legs, "I will destroy Laughing Coffin from the inside. I will make people fear me as the Reaper so that another soul would never be lost to this world. However, murder is something that can not stand in this Aincrad. I will become powerful like I had sought out to be, and I will rule with tyranny and fear if I must. I will be judge, jury and executioner when the scenario calls for it. Those who bear the Orange shall not be redeemed, there is no quest that makes you stop being a murderer. I myself am one. You must dirty your hands yourself to achieve the peace. Saying otherwise is being a coward and not accepting responsibility. So I will use my skills, I will use everything at my disposal to clean this world. I am not afraid of death, I am not afraid to kill. I have started down this road," the woman turned her face away from Baldur and looked towards the horizon, "There is no coming back from it. People will hate me, but I can live with the hate knowing that Justice has been served. My Justice."