Coming out of the locker room uneasy Lass was finally ready to head out with the two excited girls for their expensive night out.

"I think the number is too small. These things are latching on to me like glue!", Lass said in discomfort, pulling the tie off his neck and the clothes away from his skin.

"I may have underestimated some...areas. But ordering another pair right now will come as soon as the reservation is over so...gotta make dew with that I guess!"

"I hate you, you damn mutt."

"Come on, let's hurry! We don't want to miss that!", said Ikarisa as she pushed Lass forward.

"Fine fine! Stop pushing me will you?"

Getting out of the arena they were all greeted by the dimly illuminated streets of Reingard in the night. A sight to behold they started hastily making their way to the reserved table.

"Oh wow! Look at all these flowers! The shops are lit up too! Oh my me this is so pretty!", said Ikarisa with a laugh.

"She certainly is enjoying it.", said Anya chuckling.

"At least she isn't scared half to death this time around. Some progress was made...", Lass said with a sigh.

"That being said. I do have some questions to ask you. Just to start making progress on your 'magic powers' or whatever they are...if that's ok with you that is."

"Thank god that after handing me a lethal weapon of mass destruction, and shoving me into a life-threatening scenario, you asked for my consent on a line of questions."

"So, you in or not?"

"God damn mutt. Fine. Let's get to the restaurant first. Can't be walking with the reservation expiration looming over us for it."

"Sounds good to m-", Anya cut her words when she took a swift look at Ikarisa. "Oh, Risa wait! That's not a normal-"

"A-Ah!", Ikarisa screamed as she got splashed all over.

"Flower...", she failed to catch up with her in time.

Without knowing it, Ikarisa had started to temper with a nearby flower not so commonly found in a lot of places. The result was a huge splash of paint laid on top of her beautiful night dress.

"Man, I can’t keep babysitting you all the time without something going wrong, can I?", Lass angrily said, worried about Ikarisa.

"Ok calm down, it's nothing. These are called Splashers...I suppose you figured out the reason why. Much like how demi-humans mutated into...well, demi-humans with Obsulyte powers, it's a plant crossbreed that's unusual compared to others. In the fashion industry, they're used for their colours during manufacturing. Due to Obsulyte overflow, they gather a lot of water on their head and seal it with their leaves. But don't worry in this pure form their paint is easy to clean off with even a single drop of water. Let's head to the restaurant and use the bathroom there shall we?"

And with that, had they survived another incident, they finally reached the glamorous and luxurious-looking restaurant.

"Welcome, miss Golver.", the maid bowed in front of their presence.

"Hey, Valian. Table for three per request."

Lass’s eyes widened, “Wait, what? That’s the maid from the hotel that delivered the present.”, Lass thought.

"Certainly. Follow me."

"Let me guess...", Lass tried to speak.

"Yes, I'm a regular, not to mention me and Val knew each other for a long time. She was told to deliver my package to you, she was never in the maid staff of the hotel. Though...yea. It's not that I’m the normal type of regular."

"Do not worry ma'am. I have prepared your special dish.", Vali politely smiled.

”A multi-tasking maid.”, Lass checked Valian out.

"You are the best Val!"

"Huh? Special dish?", Ikarisa said quirkily asked.

"I'll explain later. For now, we will get to the table on the second floor. Val, can you please escort her to the bathroom and help her clean her dress? Nothing big just a Splasher stain."

"As you command. Please, petite guest, follow me."

"I-I-", Ikarisa hesitated.

"Don't worry Risa. If anything happens, I'll be there.", Lass reassured her.

"If Lass says it's ok, then let's go!"

The humble maid then took Ikarisa towards the bathrooms for her to get cleaned, leaving behind Lass and Anya.

"Well then. Shall we get going?", Anya said impatiently.

"Sure."

When they proceeded to the second floor Lass was surprised to see it being completely empty, when all he was worried about, was it being filled to the brim.

"What in the hell?"

"Surprised? Yea I made a reservation for the entire second floor. I figured you wouldn't like to be around a huge crowd of people and Risa just stutters every time she's drowned in a crowd so...hell here you go I reserved the entire second floor."

"This is too far.", Lass said as he looked around the empty restaurant floor.

"Don't lay the cost on you. It's all on me whether we stick or part ways after this. But do try to live a little and let a bit of the city nightlife consume you."

"Fine, we will go with that."

As they sat down to open the expensive wine bottle in front of them Lass was quick to notice a few things that seemed rather out of place...

"You're not enjoying this are you?"

"Ah don't worry! I will in a sec, as soon as Vali gets here. She works fast you know. Here you can have some.", Anya said as she handed him a glass of expensive wine."

"I uh...I don't like alcohol. Just not a fan of its taste."

"More for me!", said Anya as she gulped the wine down.

"You sure do love it though."

"You kidding me? This right here is the essence of life! Friends, family and guests can all enjoy a glass of expensively squeezed wine no matter the occasion!"

"Suit yourself."

"Come on don't be so distant and on edge all the time! I'm not gonna kill you, ok?"

"It's just...my way. And I suppose this marks the beginning of the questions you wanted to ask. Out of the sheer volume of things you've done for us, I will be obliged to answer them."

"Why the straight face all the time?"

"Hmm? Is it wrong?"

"Not really but you need to have a little more life in you...it's pretty obvious you're holding back most of your emotions all the time. Why's that?"

Before they could continue they were briefly interrupted by the faithful maid, approaching them with a box of sorts.

"Here you are ma'am.", the maid calmly said.

"God I love you. Thanks a bunch, Val!"

"No need ma'am. Your special steak has been issued and should be arriving shortly. As for your guest...what will they be having?"

"I'll take my time. Speaking of which, where's Risa?"

"The young goddess will be arriving shortly too, as she is waiting for her dress to dry."

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"I knew something was off.", Lass said, jolting up.

"Easy.", Anya firmly held Lass down. "Got it, we'll wait a little longer."

"What do you know and how do you know it?”, Lass demanded.

"I will more than humbly apologize for my intrusion into the young goddess's personal information. But do rest assured that you have my word as a maid. The secret is safe with me.", the mysterious maid calmed everyone down.

"To the grave and the ground bellow. Don't worry if there ever was a stranger to trust it'd be her. Thanks, Val!"

"It is my pleasure. Now please excuse me."

As the maid left and the room emptied again Anya opened the box only for her to pull out a pair of casual-looking shoes that she was quick to wear.

"Ok, what is this? An all-knowing, spy-maid getting you a pair of clean sneakers and telling you that a dish commonly served in junk food restaurants is being prepared for you just happens to be here? All while you reserved the entire second floor?"

"Ok...relax.", said Anya as she put on her new pair of shoes. "I'll start with answering your questions first."

"Why all this?"

A heavy sigh could be heard and an ill expression on Anya's face as she unwantedly started to answer that question.

"Alright...I'll start from the beginning. Anya Jahy Golver...daughter of Gado Sado Golver. As far as my memory serves me I have always choked in luxury and lavish...well lavish life in general. My father always had insanely high expectations of me. No matter the place or the time I'm supposed to act according to that. The reason I reserved the entire second floor is to do exactly the opposite of that. When we first came to this restaurant is when I first came across Val too. I was a kid back then. And even then I was still not putting up with all this. Val, like you just saw, is quick on catching ques like that, and when my father was looking away she finally gave me a breather from this "luxury" I was living in. I don't fantasize about all these rich life dishes where you go for the quality instead of the quantity. Sometimes I just want to stuff myself to the brim too! And well I'm not that used to dresses and high heels. I always much preferred some casual, easy-to-move-in, clothing. But as it stands the daughter of the magnificent and high-class Gado Golver to be seen in such a place, in such fashion would be...yeah."

"Sounds like both a bother and a huge drag. So that’s how your relationship with this one came to be? Quite interesting…", Lass placed his finger on his lips, striking a thinking pose.

"It is. But there are those few special people in my life I can be like this around. I always wanted to also research things. Like...for a living. Especially demon-like entities and items. But I was born, crafted, and built into taking over for my father when the time comes. If you ask me, it's a bunch of bullshit. Thankfully because of the nature of my profession though, I can find some solitude in the excuse of 'researching items to know how to promote them to be sold better'."

"Has it...always been like this? Sounds like a living hell. Being forced to be who you don't want to be, while also watching who you could be slipping away from the grasp of your reality."

"Woah, slow down their mister poet. I mean...it somewhat was like that, but after my mother disappeared, it got a hell of a lot worse. Don't get me wrong I know he loves me but...I didn't ever wish for things to be that away."

"Oh...if I may ask. How did she um-“, Anya interrupted him swiftly.

"'How did Mrs Golver disappear', we get that question a lot. My mother is that one looming mystery that the media never managed to find out. I only know what my father told me and what little I remember. Some invasion up in a distant town in the Victoria area had several of my friends, family's friends, and mother slain. Sad, yes, but you come to terms with it. What my father roughly told me is that well...it was at least better for me to learn about this at an age where I could understand why it all happened, but also better that I wasn't there to witness it for myself. And you? How about your family?

"Dead. All of them.", Lass said in a chilling, calm manner.

"Woah, slow down. That's goddamn awful! I mean I get coming to terms with it but you could at least apply some more sorrow in those words!”

"What is there to say? My mind from when I was a kid is hazy as hell, I never met my mother and...well my dad..."

"It's a fresh wound isn't it?"

"You can tell?"

"I can figure. Let me guess, Leviere as in Lass Leviere and Gladon Leviere? The Obsulyte forge up at the west of here. You were regularly ordering a decent supply of valuable ores for your smithy business, for which I was the one signing the papers from here, but for a while now no order was placed. Given how you're here and the smithy hasn't operated in such fast fashion..."

"For a dirty mutt, you sure are smart."

"I get that a lot.”, Anya replied with her usual smugness, “My turn to ask. How did it happen?"

"We were having a supply of Hyperblack Maganese from Kolumbia. A special order had been placed that demanded that ore so we had to make a run to get it. We tried to return but we were ambushed by some monsters...these nasty bastards..."

"I'm sorry...monster sightings have been rather rampant these past few days-", Anya got stopped by Lass.

Cutting her words and for the very first time showing a trace of emotion Lass had finally cracked his heart to reveal his true feelings about his trip and past.

"It's not the monsters. It's me. You saw what I did out there today. You know what I'm capable of. I could have saved him...instead, I kept it to myself, so much so, that the last words I'll ever remember from him will always be, 'Lass just go! Run!'."

"Hey, you didn't know it back then! Neither do you now. You need to find out more about it before you can fully use this power anyway...isn't there anything else? Can you not remember much else from your past regarding these powers? Did your father have them before you, or did you come into contact with something that gave them to you? This world's weird you know...technology combined with magic and swords. Surely there must have been some sort of special event like that before you got your powers...or at least something of the sort."

"As I said, my mind's hazy after a while. The only things I remember are those that will haunt me forever. Maybe I should have just stuck to the smithy like my dad always wanted me to. The last contact I ever had with people outside Sonia, your employee, was that lady that stopped coming after a while to see him before he died."

"Nah, I can't imagine you be behind the counter making swords instead of using them on the field. You kick some serious ass with a blade...you're a natural, and I can tell by merely spectating! You did what you thought was right. And I'd love to see where that'll get you.”

"You won't be going away that easy, huh?"

"Heh. Haven't you seen my demi-human characteristics? I'm man's best friend. Inseparable!", said Anya, wagging her tail and stretching out.

"Hmm. We'll see, mutt.", Lass said with a small smirk.

Before they could continue their private chat before they came again the faithful maid and Ikarisa all springing with life.

"Sorry for the wait you guys! But I'm dry and starving!"

The maid, waiting for Ikarisa's arrival to formally bring all the dishes to the table entered the room, holding a massive tray with all sorts of food.

"Please, help yourselves.", the maid said as she laid the dishes down, bowing and walking away.

"Hell yea!", said Anya before she started to eat everything in front of her.

Wasting no time they had all begun to dig down to all sorts of colourful and tasty-looking dishes. Not before long, with three monstrous appetites present the plates once laid full of food in front of them became hollow and empty as they stripped the food given to them from every last bite...

"Hnn...I'm so stuffed.", said Ikarisa as she groaned. "Lass...I'm tired.", she said as she dowsed off.

"'Aight, the time has passed as well. I'll leave you two lovebirds to it. The big day will be coming tomorrow too!"

"Don't put any ideas into her air-filled head. Not interested, so shut it mutt.", Lass angrily said, glaring at Anya. "And don't you think this is over? We still have a score to settle for all the crazy shit you put me through up until now."

"I was so hoping you'd say that. Don't worry big guy. We will be over with this very, very soon.", Anya said mischievously, chuckling and going away.

Without another word, the mischievous wolf-girl disappeared into the night as both parties went their separate ways. This time around, instead of an easy rest, Lass was rather tracing back on what had been said in that table. He had come to realize that for once besides doubts about himself, there were doubts about those close and around him. Questions of how and why he had those powers, he could not remember, the way he obtained them, he could not remember...why he couldn't remember...he just didn't know. And among the shine of the morning light, after a night full of tormenting thoughts had come the time for him to yet again challenge fate in the arena he had signed himself in. And much to his pleasure, the surprise would strike him again.

"You'll be alright...right?"

"Yes.", Lass said while stretching.

"I can use my powers to grant you a small boost you know...for better and faster recovery while fighting?"

"That's cheating.", he said as he put his gear on.

"But I can't see you being pummeled like that again! You almost died last time!"

"'Almost.'", Lass pointed out at Ikarisa.

"Lass!", she scolded him.

"Risa, I'll be fine.", Lass said as he softly pats Ikarisas's head. "Trust me. Whatever is to be done out there I want to do it myself. With no one else's help."

"But why?"

"Because...that's the path I chose. I will be honest Risa. If someone told me that one day I’d wake up to follow the person rumoured to create this world and leave everything behind, I’d call them crazy. And I don’t know why I’m here…hell, I don’t have a clear goal in mind either. Stay at the smithy, waste my life away, travel the world, and make something out of it. I struggle to find meaning in anything so…it’s better if I do the second part. Once I help you out, I’ll see what I’ll do with this misery. But until then, it is and will always be my choice. So please, bare with me.", Lass spoke out of his heart, in a most melancholic manner as he voiced the words of his loss for both himself and his path.

"Ok...but still, please be careful. Despite everything, I don’t want to see others around me get hurt like this. And although it’s your choice and I may not completely like it…I'll still provide support by rooting for you from the crowd, Lass!"

"I'm sure you will. On that note, where's Anya today?"

"Probably waiting for me in the benches or something. Don't worry about that now! Stay focused. And do your best!

"Right."

The call for the challengers to step in came, as Lass entered the arena on his usual side, waiting for his opponent to enter on the other.

"Ready for another round village boy?", said the announcer in excitement.

"You realize that the place I'm from isn’t even a village, it’s very much a town, right? Are you doing this on purpose?", Lass said as he started to get angry.

"Just getting you riled up and ready. This will be a doozy you know. Next one gonna be hard...of course, you can choose to forfeit at any given moment."

"Right. Bring it on.", Lass said with confidence.

"As you wish. Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome, all again to day two of the Knight of Knight tournament! Whether watching from home or are here with us today fear not...a sight is to behold either way!”, the announcer hyped the crowd.

Once again the stadium filled with the now familiar roar of the crowd all eagerly waiting for the first match of the day.

"On this side. By now you know him, you love him! The rising star of our grand tournament and a promising champion on top of it. Two spectacular, breathtaking matches and performances on day one, Lass Leviere!"

Even before the announcer could speak his name the crowd had already started to cheer lass on as they were yet again, looking for an epic scene to behold.

"Alright. Let's go.", Lass said as he took his stance.

"And on this side, the previous holder of the Knight Of Knights title since last year, here once again to defend her title. The charming but powerful Wolf Of The North, Anya Golver!"

"What?!", Lass said in surprise.

From the other side of the arena came a fully suited and ready-for-battle Anya, filled to the brim with excitement for the upcoming battle.

"Yo, big guy! What's up?!", said Anya laughing. "Stunned I see...can't be because of my amour, can it? Had to fix my style a bit for the battle but I still know it suits me! Now get ready, I'll start you off easy, ok?!"

A match and a sight to behold, a demonstration of true power and will was about to unfold in the calm, dusty arena grounds...