Declaration

"Power without justice is incompetent. Justice without power is also incompetent."

- Silver Knight

Declaration is the eighteenth episode of .hack//SIGN.

Story
Subaru confronts Silver Knight about him lying to Bear, Mimiru, and Tsukasa about her unavailability. Silver Knight claims that Subaru associating with them would bring harm to her and all the Crimson Knights. Silver Knight also begins to mention that there are those within the ranks that have started rumors about Subaru. Subaru relates her fears to Crim, who tells her that The World is only a game and that she should play according to what she wants. Although Crim ultimately wants Subaru not to pay much mind to Silver Knight's words, he is worried that Silver Knight may go a step too far one day.

Silver Knight reports to Subaru about the progress the Crimson Knights have made in locating the Player Killer of Carmina Gadelica. When he states that the Knights are willing to bind and interrogate the player, Subaru chides him, stating that the Knights exist only to preserve order and back up auto-purification activities. Silver Knight complains that the Knights need more authority to maintain order. Subaru tells him that that is the job of system administrators. As soon as Subaru leaves the Knights to do as she wishes, they begin to display their disapproval. Silver Knight goes against Subaru's wishes and orders the knights to make the Player Killer wanted throughout Carmina Gadelica and that he is to be bound as soon as possible. Crim watches his actions from afar.

Subaru arrives in Dun Loireag to meet with Mimiru and Bear and learns that Tsukasa no longer remembers when he learned that he had found the Key of the Twilight. Bear decides that Tsukasa is definitely linked to the Key and that they should focus on learning more about the broken man they met at the upside down castle. At this point, Subaru decides to leave them and meet with Tsukasa at a certain field.

When Subaru returns to meet with the Crimson Knights, she learns that they went against her orders and used force against various "criminals." Angered, Subaru orders that Silver Knight be brought before her. As she gives the order, she receives an important e-mail from CC Corp. Subaru once again confronts Silver Knight about his disobedience and is outraged that he had requested that CC Corp send the Knights authorization to view personal log data on all active members of The World. The request was denied on the grounds that the Crimson Knights are an unsanctioned organization of normal players. Subaru requests that Silver Knight return to the original ideals of the Knights, but he refuses and accuses Subaru of being afraid of fighting injustice. He and others feel that she has made an exception for Tsukasa, who is an illegal character, and that this is preventing her from doing her job properly. Having had enough of Silver Knight's words, Subaru disbands the Crimson Knights.



Trivia

 * This episode marks one of the few appearances of the alleged Archer class.