"Phoenix, hold up a second." Tatami said roughly grabbing him by the shoulder. "What the hell did you do back there?" Tem asked bewildered. "Dual wielded, it a skill you unlock at level eighty two, I was going to test it during the boss raid, but, I guess I got a little angry." Phoenix said like it was no big deal.

Phoenix knew his friends were a little ticked off that he hadn't told them. "Anything else we should know?" Mono said pointedly. "Only that I have another special perk unlocked that I will show you all during the boss fight." Phoenix said winking. And with that they set off towards the boss room. They seemed to be the first ones there. And waiting around for a while, the others tried to guess Phoenixes new skill. But to no avail. "Seriously, Phoenix, tell us what it is, please." Takara begged. "No, be patient my children." He grinned. Suddenly the small group heard heavy footsteps. It was a small party all dressed in medieval amour, and all had good equipment's. "How goes it?" Suki asked politely. But they ignored her, pushed past the group, and entered the room. "Whoa, what are you guys doing?" Tatami Spluttered. The leader for the group turned and faced them. "We are an elite team, the best of the best, we are going to kill this boss and advance to the next floor." He bellowed.

Phoenix looked at his troops. They looked like they were about to drop. "Um, yeah, maybe you should rest, your men look tired." He said evenly. The commander turned his attention fully to Phoenix. "My men, do not require rest, food, or sleep, now move out." He yelled running into the boss room, his men staggering after him. And all of the honour guard watched in horror as the small group attacked Set, The Egyptian god of evil. They held their own for a few minutes, but after a while it was clear they needed help. They had lost four players, and their commander would not let his men retreat. Phoenix and his friends were hesitant. If they ran in, they could help, but they would surely die, it was a suicide run. But, what choice did they have.

All seven of them charged in weapons drawn. There were only eight of the knights left, and all their health bars were red. "Defend the knights, then we take it down." Phoenix yelled. The knights were already moving for the door, but their commander remained. "Cowards, let me show you how a real soldier fights." He yelled, charging the Set boss head on. And with one swipe, he was dead, his head severed, rolling to phoenixes feet, and then, disintegrating.

Another player dead, but of his own accord. Still, the guilt was there. "Ok, Honour guard, hit this thing with everything you've got." Phoenix yelled.

Phoenix couldn't help but admire the pure power he and his friends had. Amara might as well be wielding a deadlier mace version of Thor's hammer. Tem was Legolas with weaponised arrows, and coincidentally, both of them never run out of arrows. Takara was still the fastest swordswoman in this world, and that was with one of the heaviest swords in the game. Tatami had the skill and precision of ten master assassins, and she matched Phoenix in magic skills, which was pretty rare. And Mono was too fast and way too strong, seriously, her rapier and amour gave her so much strength and speed, she was unhittable, and she hit like a truck. Suki was just simply awesome, more powerful then Phoenix in regards to magic, and her skills with her staff were unmatched. And Phoenix himself, had dual wielding, two of the most powerful swords in the game, apparently the fastest player in the game, and he had a hidden legendary perk. They were literally unbeatable.

But none the less this boss was really difficult. It had survived all of their attacks so far, and it still had two of its four bars of health. "Phoenix, now might be a good idea to use your special perk." Tatami yelled, deflecting another swing from Set. Phoenix looked at his friends and they had an accord. Sighing he began to conjure the skill. "Keep him busy for another ten seconds." Phoenix yelled, feeling the power flow through him. Phoenix had never felt so strong so powerful, and so ready. "Get behind me." He yelled, in a voice that was not his own. He sounded like he had been possessed.

Everyone quickly did as he said. And with that Phoenix Charged Set alone, his body covered in a rosy aura, and both swords drawn. But He yelled a single word. "Supersonic." A sonic boom knocking everyone behind him off their feet. He had just broken the sound barrier. He crashed into Set, sending him into the wall opposite. Then Phoenix went crazy. His swords were nothing but neon blurs, and Sets body was nothing but a blue glowing mess. But Phoenix was getting slower, soon he was back to normal. "Shit." Phoenix said, seeing the blow coming, but he couldn't stop it. Set caught him directly across the chest. Both, he and Phoenix were in red health, on their last bars. But Phoenix was exhausted, and he was wounded.

Set towered over him, the dog head contorted into a cruel smile. It knew it had him. But Just as it swung a body jumped in front of him. It was Tatami. And she was cut in half by the massive swing. "Noooooooo." Phoenix yelled, despair gripping him. He crawled over to what was left of her body. She looked calm, like she had been struck by a certain clarity. "Tatami, hang on, I can fix this." He said. But she knocked his had out of the way. "No, I'm already gone, she said pointing to her health bar with was, already gone. "No, no, you can't, I promised, I fucking promised." Phoenix said tears creeping into his eyes. Her body began to glow, like a body did before it disintegrated. "Don't add the weight you already carry." She said smiling, and exploding into pixels.

Phoenix didn't know what happened next. But the next thing he knew, he saw Set explode into experience, and Phoenix had both swords in hand. He had avenged his friend. Then the dread swept over him again. Another friend dead, why? Why did this have to fucking happen, they were so close. Then Phoenix saw something that made his heart stop. His health bar, it was gone, he was dead. "Shit." He chuckled, falling on his back, exhausted. He couldn't believe this was how it ends. Slowly darkness surrounded him, and he felt cold. But with that came a weird calmness, a clarity he had never expected. Why? The word travelled through Phoenixes head.

Why did the others make him leader? Why did they place so much blind faith in him? Why did they blindly follow him into battle? Why did his friends have to always die because of him? All these question and more, ran through his head. Opening his eyes he saw only darkness. So this is death, just darkness, just nothingness, just pitch black. Phoenix just laughed. So this was it, after all the hell he had been through for the last two years, this was how it ends.

He would never see his friends in real life, he would never see Cassie again, never get married, never have a chance to see the real world again. Honestly, how? How? After all he had done was it not enough for just some clarity. No that would be too much to ask, he was just some kid, who had just died, and now he could just go crazy. Of all the ways he thought he was going to go out, this was not one of them. Not so close, not after what he had been through. Then he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. Slowly he turned around. And jumped back. There was a figure stood before him. It wasn't possible. Tatami stood before him, in a white sleeved dress, her dark blue hair let down, and a solemn smile on her face.

"Tatami, but how, I'm dead, how are you here, is this some kind of,,," He began, but Tatami placed a finger on his lips. "Phoenix, I only have a minute, so I have to be quick." She said smiling. Phoenix opened his mouth to say something but then closed it and nodded. "Phoenix, I know I died, but it was my own choice, besides, I should have been holding my sword." She said chuckling. "But why are you here?" Phoenix said quickly. Tatami still smiled, and held out her hand. "To give you this."

In her palm was a small bottle, it contained a small amount of a golden elixir. Phoenix took the bottle questioningly. "It is the Elixir of life." Takara explained. "Simply drink, and you will wake up in that boss room, like it was a dream." "And if I don't drink it I die." Phoenix said glumly. "Yes, the choice is yours." She said fading into the darkness. "Wait." He called. But she was already gone.

In Phoenixes hands was life and death. He could go back, to his friends, and win the game for them, help them win. And return to a life of violence and pain. Or he could die, move on, rest in peace, it wasn't farfetched, he'd done enough already. But it came down to the wire, but quite honestly during the debate with himself, he had known what he was going to pick the entire time. It was the best thing to do in his situation after all.

When he opened his eyes, he saw five figures crowded around him. Mono, Tem, Takara, Amara, and Suki. All of them teary eyed and kneeling over him. Slowly he tried to sit up, and fell down again, too weak to stand. Then Phoenix saw his health. There was just a tiny triangle of health in the health bar. He had made the right call. After he had a small health potion Suki grabbed him in a fierce hug. She wept into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry." He croaked, tears welling up in his own eyes. "P-phoenix, I-I was so afraid, we just lost Tatami, and then we nearly lost you, I-I was so afraid." She said hugging him even tighter. Then came the group hug. "Easy guys, I might take some more damage." Phoenix wheezed. Slowly they released him, and let him stand up.

It was time to pay their respects. Phoenix found Tatamis Scimitar, drove it into the ground, and set up the funeral marker. Set up the message, and then kneeling down and grabbing the handle, he paid his respects, and apologised. For it was his fault, and nothing would change that. Sighing Phoenix sent a message to Yuma Oakenshield. Saying they had won the battle, and lost Tatami. She responded with a message asking for him and Takara to come to her immediately. After everyone was back at the Honour guard house, and had their coping mechanisms in place, Phoenix and Takara went to The dragon Rider guild.

Yuma was waiting for them. And she was not happy. "Let me get this straight, you attacked the twenty first boss with a rag tag team of knights, and this little Honour guard, my commander is killed, you nearly lose your own life, and all you can say is sorry." She thundered, pacing around her room, her anger evident. "Yuma, we had no choice, those men would have died if not for us, and we just lost our friend too, so give us a break." Takara said shakily. Yuma gave her a look, it said be quiet or else. "There must be a consequence for this, Phoenix, I am challenging you to a duel, it is optional of course, but if I win you will leave the Honour Guard, and join the Dragon riders." Yuma said a crazy look in her eyes.

Phoenix froze, this was unexpected, public humiliation, or a savage beating, but not this. "And if I win?" Phoenix asked, trying to play it cool. "Then you can do as you wish." Yuma replied simply. Takara grabbed Phoenix by the shoulder. "Do not do this, you hear me don't, this is a fight you can't win." She said, seeing where Phoenixes train of thought was going. "Game on, you pick the time and place." Phoenix said leaving the room. Takara fuming behind him. Once they left the guilds castle Phoenix received a slap so hard it left a blue glowing mark on the left side of his face. "You idiot." Takara growled completely going off at him. But Phoenix didn't care, he felt so empty inside it didn't even matter.