Laura
***"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME!!"***

Aatkei screamed in the ferocity of hatred at Kuouo, who had taken him out of his sprint by surprise, entrapping him in a sort of lock that he certainly had the sheer *Might* To break from, but not the *Experience* To do so. The molten flames of hatred that coursed throughout his veins empowered his muscles above and beyond their typical limits, and as he resisted Kuouo's grab, it felt as though he had a *Bull* In his grip. Yet he could not break free; the force was all too unevenly distributed, his legs and arms working counterintuitively, as his motions, hate-driven, were guided with not intelligence, but the sheer barbarity of his instinct — a terrible, terrible *Hatred,* And one that boiled from within. A hatred imbedded within him since childhood; a hatred that lingered in his soul as he continued for years on-end, in suffering; a hatred that only gruesomely expanded itself further and further, sending cracks throughout his very mind—

His head tilted back, and his eyes shifted up, and he stared at Kuouo, and his irises shivered, and the grip on his makeshift weapon tightened, and all reason seemed to seep from the seething landscape of his mind, and his balance shifted, and, and, and—

***He took a stab at the bandit.***

*The piece of shrapnel glided mere millimeters from Kuouo's neck, shaving clean the tips of his fur, only hindered from piercing his throat due to the awkward angle at which Aatkei's arms were restrained.*

*`Why?`*

His eyes that overflow with hatred shivered again, and as his grip on the shrapnel only tightens and tightens, he clenches tight his teeth, a sense of helplessness beginning to set in—

***`Why?!`***
_ _

He gave a dire grimace, an uneasy breath of air shakily erupting from between his teeth, groaning—

**"WHY ARE YOU IN MY WAY, YOU BEDAMNED OUTSIDERS?!"**
**"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU ALL! GET OFF OF ME! 𝙂𝙀𝙏 𝙊𝙁𝙁!"**

***`None of you understand...! Not one bit! You fucking bastards!`***
David
She turns on a heel, shifting around the corner, as, in the emergence of her sight—

*The knelt Root-Crown, lacking of his thorns,*
*The outsiders,*
__*And Aatkei, her **Younger brother**, in danger.*__

Her eyes, so oft dazed by the persisting effects of the *Taarei* Pellet, and so oft lacking of either emotion or drive, were, in this moment, filled with something they had only rarely seen before—

***Fire.***

She did not, at this moment, need reasoning. She did not, at this moment, need context. She did not, at this moment, need duty, and at this moment, she did not need the guidance of the *Root-Crown,* The one and only person to whom she could swear fealty. Kovrot, despite her external façade of severance and stoicism, was, too, one who, deep within, possessed emotion, too. 

Pride. Sorrow. Anger. Envy. Joy.
And *Love.*
Familial love for one, who, despite her memory being so distant, she could never relinquish such a feeling, even in a dream.

*A purple energy crackled off her fingertips, as she, with twofold the speed of Aatkei's dash, approached Kuouo.*
***She would vaporize him in a single touch.***
Beverly
```diff
- "𝒪𝒩 𝑀𝒴 𝒩𝒜𝑀𝐸 𝒜𝒮 𝒯𝐻𝐸 𝒮𝒪𝐿𝒜𝑅 𝒢𝒰𝒜𝑅𝒟𝐼𝒜𝒩—"

- "𝓐𝓛𝓛 𝓞𝓕 𝓨𝓞𝓤, 𝓢𝓣𝓞𝓟!"```

***The Solar Guardian, who had yet been silent up until this moment, finally cried out.***
The flickering false-flames of individuality that fluxed about Aazkue's figure flared in intensity, the effulgence that mirrored the very wrath of a dying star embering, burning bright, from within the midst of his heart. The miraculous — nay, *Divine* — manas that erupted from Aazkue's body fueled again the incantation of *`Quetaa Ezuek,`* His demanding presence sending a tangible chill down each of their spines.

Indeed, in his prime, he was perhaps one of such sheer magical caliber that he could be called the *Greatest warrior of the whole Ark.*

The burning manas of pure, crystalline, crimson-red nature condensed at Aazkue's fingertips, as he hurriedly attempted to make sense of the situation. He demanded order, and yet he did not know how to bring it about; he was not as swift of mind as his brother, Ukue. Raw strength and valor were his greater virtues. He hadn't an idea how to disarm the hostility that, so virulent, coursed throughout the atmosphere, and so he hesitated, even if only for a moment. *How could he resolve this? How could he stop their attacks? How could he make them all see reason?—*
_ _

*`Blast it all!`*
***`I'll use force instead!`***

***The divine mana that coalesced at his fingertips emitted itself not as a miracle, but as a forceful blast of pure energy, shattering the atmosphere before him and forcing Kovrot to fly, hurtling backward.*** Tabby, Kuouo, and Cumhall could feel the sheer heat and energy that resided within the 'nonlethal' attack — and, indeed, it was *Terribly forceful.* It felt as though the full gust and heat of a flaming hurricane blasted past them, the whole of its tremendous force used to harshly impact and incapacitate Kovrot before she could lay hands on Kuouo.
Laura
Aatkei could only watch in horror as his sister was flung from her feet, hurled like chaff in the wind, and thrust horridly across the surface of the stone behind, the hate within his eyes briefly departing, thusly replaced with shock and terror. The guardian had, without even so much as lifting himself from his nonchalant, kneeled position, mustered such a terrifying attack — and, more importantly, *Harmed Kovrot.*

He gnashed his teeth, and that brief moment of horror was again replaced with a swirling flurry of emotions — an atrocious furor of thoughts, and a chaotic range of sensations whose only common denominator was sheer *Hatred.* The raw anger intermingled with fear, and with fear mingled the sensation of helplessness, and with helplessness reflection, and with reflection sorrow, and with sorrow frustration, and with frustration, again, *Anger.* The revolving loop of emotion twirled and twirled, spiraling in a cycle endlessly, as the subtle glitter of tears welled in his eyes—


***"YOU!!***

He screamed as the cycle crept again upon anger, his throat crackling with the sheer force of the air blasting from his lungs, as though it were glass readily about to crack.

***"IT WASN'T ENOUGH?!"***

Anger spiraled into reflection, as he recollected, and recollected, and recollected, every moment of shame, every comfortless second at night, every pathetic failure, every ounce of suffering, and every one of those many *Losses.* He could hardly bite back each and every one of those reflections, rushing forth, turbulently tearing throughout his mind as he sought reasoning — an *Answer.*
_ _

***"Why?!"***
*"...Did Father and Mother"*
*"Die so pitifully, because of what you fucken' did...?!"*

The glimmer of tears welled into a stream, and that stream trickled down his face, as reflection turned to sorrow.

*`The soul that sinneth, it shall die.`*
 *`The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him,`*
 *`and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.`*

*"Why did I have to be born in suffering because of your betrayal, you bedamned monster?*
***"It's all because of you...!"***
***"You bedamned basterd!"***

Sorrow turned to frustration, as he sucked back in all the regrets that trickled forth, his mind again going hot in the prison that was *Fate.*

Perhaps Aatkei, was, in this moment, a reflection of the *True* Nature of the Exile's Watch—
***A rotten little hamlet filled with those who only existed to suffer, and suffer for the consequences of Aazkue's actions.***

***"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!"***

Frustration turns to anger, and Aatkei's eyes again seethe in the sight of naught but red, his vice-tight grip on the shrapnel returning. His resistance against Kuouo's grapple renewed in sheer strength, as he ***Forced*** His body forward. He could not hold him for long, as, in the sheer intensity of that anger, he began to ***Burst forth.***
Keri
```diff
- "Allright playtimes over bud"-
```
He walked, no, strolled over to where Aatkei lay grappled and as he thrust the sharpened piece of metal towards Kuouo *-dink-* He blocked it with his metal hand which, was not actually connected to the socket on his right shoulder but held in his left hand.
He clicked it back into its place with a snap and a hiss and the metal hands grip closed around the shard yanking it from Aatkei' grip and then promptly crushed it, the mechanical might would bend the shard of metal into a shape that would make stabbing, not possible.
He was content to leave it at that but Aatkei continued to struggle against his restraints.
```diff
- "Are you a fucking moron, that man may as well be a demigod and you plan to raise a hand against him? You would rather see yourself die here than see the chance to escape from this hell?" -
" ... This is for your own good" -
```
He reared back, and with his less powerful - less *Lethal* Left arm he would strike Aatkei across the side of the head.
```diff
- "God you people are so barbaric, always fighting first and never seeing reason, i hope every floor is not so" -
```
Vernon
Remaining sturdy in their defense, Tabby raises her arm quickly, sending a visual command to her Guardian as she swings her hand like a pendulum, ceasing as soon as it hits the apex of turning left, and the defense is shuffled to something she deems stronger, as — *FWOOF* — Kovrot is sent sprawling into the air as per the magic caused by Aazkue's *Diplomatic* Use of magic 

*Holy hell, maybe he doesn't need help at all...* Yet, the cat must continue to play defensively.

The Defender moves to one side of Aazkue, sliding Tabby off it's shoulders and in front of the VIP, landing with a soft *Thud* As she readies her crossbow, taking great care to not put weight onto her injured foot as her aim steadies and hones in on a potential target should Cumhall's assault not hinder — and, of course, her target would be not unlike the ones she took on Otaaraa, scoping out his knees, shoulders, and insides of his elbows, yet she does not shoot until it is absolutely required. With *Thaumaturgy* Still very much active, she barks another loud command. **"STAND DOWN, NOW."**

She raises her hand again, speaking a command in *Latin*, of all languages **"CUNEUM FORMATE."** 

The Defender & Guardian respond to the calls, flanking Aazkue on the *Left*, in the Defender's case and *Right* For the Guardian. **"LET'S JUST TALK THIS OUT."** The automatons form a very small *Wedge* Formation with Aazkue at the center, and Tabby as the top rank, sitting at an odd angle so as to allow Aazkue the ability to cast without hitting her; her leg is still screwed regardless.

The Defender butts its fists together menacingly, though, it too does not make an outright attack, instead taking the *Ready* Action. Should a blow originate from the angle that it covers, it would trigger a powerful retribution from the Defender, remaining close in rank to potentially prevent damage to *Both* Tabby and the Solar Guardian it now found itself beside.

_ _
The *Shield* Guardian takes its turn differently, standing a few inches *Off-formation*, and commits to *Dodge*, being unable to take its action as apart of this round due to economy running out.

Tabby, too, takes the *Ready* Action, preparing to fire 4 bolts from her crossbow — one for each limb — should the defense Cumhall puts up be ineffective, yet remains easily swayed by the words that Aazkue himself speaks, hesitant to shoot in the event things turn out amicably, however unlikely that is.
Robin
```fix
"Gghh— Stop, moving, around!!"```

Kuouo genuinely struggled against the exile's ***Fury*** Pushing him forward. He shuffled backwards, trying to reel him in with the best of his ability. The only thing keeping Aatkei from progressing forward were his erratic movements, anger leaving the ex-highwayman without the proper coordination to break free. Aatkei's head tilted back, the bandit half-wincing at a probable headbutt - instead, they locked eyes, the bandit gazing into the *Piercing* Rage burning behind the windows of Aatkei's soul, jaw-shattering clenched teeth clamping down below before a sudden shift in weight put Kuo into disadvantage, allowing Aatkei's makeshift blade a bit more range than the bandit would like.

*Clink!*

Although the blade would've only shaved the mere tips of Kuo's thick fur, Cumhall suddenly intercepted the attack with an extension of his other hand - literally. The bandit strenuously exhaled, sweat breaking out onto his forehead from the close call before bringing Aatkei closer into the hold — His leg buckles, however, allowing Aatkei a few steps forward, *Avoiding Cumhall's strike* Before barely becoming enclasped once more.

***```fix
"IN YOUR WAY!? I'M TRYNA SAVE YER LIFE ASSHOLE! YOU CAN DIE!```***

** **
It then occured to the bandit — Although rage pulled its crimson red curtain over Aatkei, designating his every action with reckless abandon... It certainly was not without reason. The exile was willing to throw his life away, attempt an impossible assassination on the one responsible for it all... For what reason was there to continue living in the Exile's Watch? A grungy village rattled with the abuse of *Taarei* - that of which affected his own *Sister* To a degrading matter - while being paid pennies on the dollar — All for **[Eternity.]**

... But it was with all of these reasons, Kuo's determination to change the Exile's Watch for the better was reinforced. He opened his mouth, attempting to try and reason with Aatkei and talk him down —

But before his voice could even escape his throat, he choked up on that feeling of purple, *Malicious* Mana buzzing through the air - an arcane mana that could disintegrate one's flesh with a simple graze - Only this time, it wasn't used as a warning shot in a familial dispute - no, it's weight meant life and death for the struggle she'd decide to intervene in. Kuo's eyes widened, feeling the immense pressure of Kovrot's intent to kill - to **Vaporize** - the bandit whilst staring into her cold windows. Kuo was in an absolute rut, for if he were to keep Aatkei in his full-nelson hold, then he would *Most certainly die.* If he were to do otherwise, however, it put the exile in *Immense* Danger, whether it be retaliation from Aazkue, a preemptive strike from Tabby, or both - All of which could lead to the exile being in grave danger of being gravely injured or *Killed.* Furthermore, the latter action didn't guarantee Kuo's safety from Kovrot's attack either. Kuouo breathed in-and-out, drawing shallow breaths as she drew closer with mighty speed. The only thing he could do in this situation was————

```diff
- "𝒪𝒩 𝑀𝒴 𝒩𝒜𝑀𝐸 𝒜𝒮 𝒯𝐻𝐸 𝒮𝒪𝐿𝒜𝑅 𝒢𝒰𝒜𝑅𝒟𝐼𝒜𝒩—"

- "𝓐𝓛𝓛 𝓞𝓕 𝓨𝓞𝓤, 𝓢𝓣𝓞𝓟!"```

** **
Aazkue once again demonstrated his *Frightening* Power, a true prodigy in warrior arts and usage of his innate, *Divine,* And arcane nature. Kovrot, just meters away with her arm extended towards the bandit, is sent flying back by the pure energy emitted from the Root-Crown's mere *Fingertips* With the force of an infernal storm... In all honesty, the feeling replacing the dread caused by Kovrot's own magic was not much better - but a breath of relief did purse through Kuo's lips. Knowing that Aazkue's intent was '*Nonlethal*' and the above peak-human form of the lifeforms on the Vektet, Kuo rested easy knowing that Kovrot was more than likely still alive. Furthermore, while Kuo put a temporary embargo on helping Aazkue, he knew the doctor would immediately take up the chance to help the girl in need for it was in his innate nature to help those injured.

Kuo focused back on Aatkei, who, with the lack of reasoning Kuo held, most likely did not think the same. The display of Aazkue's sheer aptitude against Kovrot did not spark any rationality within Aatkei's mind. Although it brought out the inner-most emotions within the exile, some of which the bandit sympathized with, it only set more fuel to the fire - **With his powerful burst forward, the ex-highwayman nearly broke the hold. Their entanglement reeled Aatkei backwards, causing him to stumble back onto Kuo's bad leg, misplacing his weight on Kuo's right foot. He'd fall backwards onto his rump... If Kuo's leg had not broke his fall.**

```fix
- *BLEᴀᵃᵃᵗ!* -```

***```fix
"AAGGGGGHHHH FUCK FUCK FUCK GODDAMN COCKSUCKER SON OF A MOTHERFUCKING BITCH RRRRAAAGGGHHHH!!!"```***

** **
Kuouo let go of the Exile trapped within his hold, tears welling up in his eyes as he fell onto his behind and held his leg in extreme pain. He looked up, face going numb as the realization of his failure set in upon seeing Aatkei blistering forward towards the divine Root-Crown.

```fix
"Ngh- Somebody fuckin' stop 'im! He's gonna get 'imself hurt!"```

With Aazkue incapacitating Kovrot, it was less than likely that Aazkue would move to kill him - But it still put a strain on things. Tabby, acting as Aazkue's own stand-in guard, readied her defenders and aimed her crossbow at the ex-highwayman; although she expressed diplomacy, it was more than obvious that Aatkei lacked the rationale to comprehend that statement. He moved towards the Root-Crown as he did before, not caring for the outsiders nor their intent for being there, acting solely on the emotions stirred. Despite the pain, despite the struggle, despite the notion of near-death, Kuo still empathized for the disheveled man, for he, more than likely, represented the majority of the first floor's emotion and trauma. Unable to do anything other than crawl forward for the moment, he shifted his maw towards Aazkue and Tabby, crawling forward and using his external pain to boost the voice from deep within his stomach,

***```fix
"DON'T FUCKIN' HURT HIM!"```***
Vernon
**"NOT PLANNING TO."** She calls back, simply, yet her focus does not waver. If he makes a truly frightening attempt, there must be someone to stop it. **"THAT'S WHY I WANT HIM TO _STAND DOWN_ SO WE CAN TALK THIS OUT."**
David
In the chaos of the battlefield, and in the fiery pain that engulfed her own body, Kovrot did not falter.
The *Taarei's* Numbing effect had begun to wane, and yet she brushed aside the pain.
In this moment, Kovrot was clear of mind, focused, and determined, her sights set not upon the opponents before herself, but on Aatkei, her darkened irises with clear sight focused on the only thing that truly mattered, in this moment, before her.

Were the Sun, Moon, and Stars to fall on her very head, here and now, she would not waver in her determination — for that *Drive,* That call to *Move forward,* And to defend the things close to herself, were all she had left.

Kovrot stood, and with a sharp gasp inward, she damned the pain of her burned body to nihil, unfurling her left hand with its fingers wide-extended, the devious necrotic energy of a violet twinge sparkling with a horrific aspect of death, the overflowing mana that manifested its arcane nature empowering its glow into an almost electric crackle, buzzing in a dazzling, yet horrific light off each finger. The air and world around her seemed to go deathly chill, the harrow wrought by the heretical nature of the forbidden magicks she brought forth infecting the very atmosphere that engulfed her body with its malicious purple. 

*Her flesh could hardly contain such a terrible presence, and yet she cared little.*
_ _

She grasped with a choking grasp about the base of her left arm, and withheld the further spread of the terrible purple's coursing energy, her eyes still focused upon the distant form of Aatkei, on the precipice of breaking free. In the ignorance of her pain, injuries, and the very world around her, Kovrot sprinted forth with a wholly superhuman gait, her long strides thrusting her meters-on-end, as she explosively dashed forth from her knocked-prone position mere moments after she had taken the brunt of Aazkue's attack. Her darkened eyes, in unbroken focus, locked on the outsider's — Cumhall's — fist, as it soared forth, to strike and to incapacitate Aatkei, and she knew naught but her own will to defend. Their words of shock and of panic, of anger and of frustration, of explanation and justification — all so easily brushed past her ears, as she sought only to *Nullify the threat.*

*Her arm would extend forth, and she would continue in sprint, enclosing on Cumhall as his fist approached Aatkei's face. **In the moment that it would nearly collide, Kovrot would seek to lay hands on his flesh — and succinctly render him no more than __dust.__***

So it would be, if it were not for the fact that **She was intercepted.**
Beverly
```diff
- "𝐼 𝒸𝒶𝓃𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓁𝑒𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓃𝓊𝑒 𝒻𝓊𝓇𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇!"```

Aazkue yelled out, his piercing, crimson eyes settling again upon the form of Kovrot, fast in approach. He grit his teeth in alarm, his eyes wide open, shocked at the very fact that she could *Still get up after taking such a blow.* The guardian again raised his right hand ahead of his kneeled self, miraculous manas from the surrounding atmosphere abundantly collecting in intense concentrations at the subtlest of his commands. The fiery-red hue of the nonmiraculous magic which he incanted forth became tangibly visible in an incandescent glow that warmly emanated at his fingertips, densening, refining, and heating, again into a terribly-forceful attack to intercept the woman with murderous intent.

*`I know not how much more her body can take...`*
*`But if she progresses any further, she will vainly take the life of a man without guilt!`*

Briefly, Aazkue hesitated. He scorned his own lack of ability as he breathed a harsh blast of air from between his teeth, his eyes glittering briefly with guilt and remorse as he set his gaze on the oncoming energy of deathly violet. And yet, as he swiftly clarified in his conscious — *He had no other choice.* There was none, whatsoever, intent for him to permanently harm Kovrot, and if it were even possible, even less so to *Kill* Her. Still, if he did not stop her here and now, she would certainly use the deathly aura that engulfed her left arm to severely harm the outsider Cumhall, or worse...

So he swallowed his hesitation, bowed his head slightly in regret, and **Again launched forth a furious blast of raw, scorching energy, so to send Kovrot hurtling back.** Thankfully, due to the outsider Tabby's advance positioning, and the angle at which Kovrot approached, he could send the shockwave of unrelenting force directly ahead, without worry of striking either.

It was a regrettable action to perform, but indeed entirely necessary.
Anne
***THUMP***

—Before **Cumhall** Could even see what his fist struck, it stopped abruptly, as if it had impacted a wall made of solid stone brick. A frightening grasp tightens about his hand, and he realizes it is not a *Barrier* He has impacted, but *Another person's hand.* 


**```fix
=☾ 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐌 ☽=```**

*—a cold born of sheer absence of energy consumed the air immediately surrounding Cumhall, Kuouo, and Aatkei, as the oncoming wave of fiery heat launched by Aazkue **Dissipated**—*

**```fix
= ───────────── • ───────────── 
= 𝑨𝑹𝑼𝑬 𝑨𝑹𝑪𝑨𝑵𝑨
= 𝑷𝑹𝑨𝒀𝑬𝑹 𝑰𝑽
= ❛𝒁𝑬𝒁𝑹𝑨𝑨𝑬❜
= ───────────── • ─────────────```**

***`Zezraae.`***
*`Umbra's Retaliation.`*

**Nullified, absorbed, and redirected, the blast of raw mana that shot forth from Aazkue's palm dissipated as it passed close to Cumhall and the one who grasped his fist, before violently re-manifesting, launching straight into the ground just ahead of Aazkue, himself.**

***`A prayer of the Arue.`***

*Besides Ve, there was only one person left on the First Floor who could incant such a miracle.*
Chasity
***`Emerging between Aatkei and Cumhall`***
***`rising from the depths of the shadows, manifesting in an instant,`***
***`was Vaazva — 𝐕𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐯𝐚𝐚𝐳𝐯𝐚, the elder of the Exile's Watch, who had now departed from his mask.`***

***His golden glare pierced like spears through each of their souls, digging deep beyond their hearts with the tangible presence of hostile intent.***

*`First, he locked eyes with Cumhall.`*

```fix
"𝑺𝒐 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖."```

An austere tone broke forth from his lips, his face shaded still by the presence of the tenebrous of the darkness-unifying prayer which he utilized to manifest instantaneously before him. The golden glare of the Eyes of Providence glistened with a soul-scrying nature, peering deep into the farthest recesses of Cumhall's soul — in which he found *Blood.*

***The blood of Otaaraa, no doubt.***

He squeezed tight his grip on Cumhall's fist, his eyes shifting over his shoulder and toward the one who the outsider attempted to strike: *Aatkei.*

As he validified his secondary assumption that Cumhall was indeed in an attempt to attack Aatkei — one who, even despite ~~||Veit||~~***V***Aazva's harshness, saw as something akin to *Family,* And perhaps even as a *Son* — he could no longer withhold himself. The wretched hatred which he had long sealed away within his mind having long burst free. His *Urges* Now surfaced, and his old nature made renewed reared its ugly, blood-stained head. 

**This** Was the essence of the exiled Veitvaazva, the former Archregistrar and the Arue's *Eyes of Providence.* Upon his fall from glory, he was filled with nothing more but *Bloodlust,* And a seek to crush each and every intruder who would dare step foot within the *Ark.* 
_ _

*`Second, he locked eyes with Tabby.`*

```fix
"𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆."```

Veitvaazva disavowed his former conclusion. He thought himself to be better in control of himself, concluding that he should stray from the path of blood and spare the life of the outsider — even though her hands, too, were stained with the blood of the Watch's protection. Now, he could not be more certain. Now, he had determined that his choice of mercy was a mistake. Now, he had affirmed, that his initial path was true and just — *For every last outsider was one of malevolent intent, and certainly deserving to be killed without explanation.* She took the side of a demonous traitor; a *Monster* Who had condemned each and every last life within this decrepit floor to an eternity of suffering. She, too, was soaked in blood, as was the outsider whose fist he grasped tight. She, too, must perish.

*`Third, he locked eyes with Kuouo.`*

```fix
"𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒈𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒆."```

***Traitor.***

*`The gleam of Veitvaazva's eyes glow, and settle finally upon Aazkue, the guardian knelt before him. Hostility erupts from his form as would flames from an open furnace.`*

**```fix
╭╼|═════════════════════════════════════════|╾╮
 "𝕀'𝕞 𝕘𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕠𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦."
╰╼|═════════════════════════════════════════|╾╯```**