Lying down with his back to the earth, Lazerus looked upwards at the fluffy clouds as they passed overhead, driven onwards by a gentle summer breeze. This was a peaceful picture. Unfortunately, Lazerus did not see it in such a relaxing light. He had been in this situation before, and not for a good reason.

Lazerus rolled to his right and pushed himself off the ground to his feet. As Lazerus came to his full height, he glanced down at his leg, which he expected to have a huge chunk missing, but instead only saw a jagged hole in his beaten and burned trousers, and through that jagged hole, an unscratched regular healthy thigh.

No injuries? Was it just a dream?

Lazerus assessed his body further and noticed with great surprise that not a single wound, scar, or scratch could be found on his entire body. On top of this, he felt incredibly refreshed, as if he had just eaten or woken up from a ten-hour sleep. Lazarus closed his eyes and focused on his Spirie sense, and found that his inner Spirie was also very active and energized, circulating around inside him at a faster rate. However, he also felt a foreign Spirie from a familiar person. Lazerus, in his amazement, didn't realize a pair of eyes watching him from only a few meters away.

Ann smiled at Lazerus as they made eye contact and greeted him.

"Good morning. I'm glad your feeling better."

" Did you save me . . . again?"

Lazerus forced that last word out of his mouth with great effort as his face twisted in a grimace. Ann's smile faded as she nodded.

Lazerus's brow fell downwards into a frown. His fists tightened and his muscles tensed, however, Ann felt none of his anger. It wasn't directed at her.

Damn it . . . Damn it . . . Damn it!

Lazerus felt his temper rising despite how little he knew it would do. Lazerus didn't even offer a word to Ann this time as he turned, and began to walk away. He heard Ann sigh, followed by an annoyed tone of voice as she called out to his back.

"Alright, head off again to almost die and make me save you again."

Lazerus turned around and spoke coldly, his temper rising like a roaring fire inside his heart.

"I don't need your help."

"What are you going to do when you run into another Turtle Bear?"

"I will . . . I will-"

"You'll what? Get your ass kicked again, make me save you, and then storm off again?"

" . . ."

Lazerus was dead silent as he faced her undeniable truthful words. What he was doing was childish and impulsive, and Lazerus knew that.

"And what would you have me do!? Become a coward and run away? You don't know what it's like to be weak!"

"I know exactly what it's like. I remember not being able to even touch a turtle bear, just like you."

At this moment, something inside Lazerus cracked. For as long as he could remember, he had always felt in control of himself. His mother and father taught him how to act, and their loved shaped him into the person he had been before they had gone away.

However, now was different. His mother and father were gone. He had starved on the streets. For months, he did nothing as his soul rotted away inside him.

Then, he finally began to do something again. He had been beaten almost to death by the Ravenous Rabbit, a creature so weak it was more of a nuisance to villages than a threat. Next, a Turtle Bear had completely shredded him without taking any significant damage. Lazerus was frustrated by his lack of progress.

And now, on top of that frustration, this woman was telling him that she knew what it was like to be weak. She, who slew that beast in one swipe, was telling him how she knew what it was like to be weak.

Even despite all logic and reason which dictated Ann as right, Lazerus cracked. He gave in to his emotion fully, and without realizing it, activated two skills inside him.

Tenacity (ACTIVE)

Spirie Tenacity (ACTIVE)

"DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS!"

His Spirie exploded inside him, rising up and swelling ten times its normal magnitude. It danced outside of his body with a crimson glow, wriggling and twirling randomly like the flames of a bomb fire. The air crackled and snapped, infused with his Spirie which was on the edge of manifesting into the physical world. The air began to distort and wobble as his crimson Spirie circulated through the air, orbiting around Lazerus's body as a red ring.

Lazerus's grey eyes had a crimson aura to them, not visible with the normal human eye. His whole body was alight with rage and fury. He was primed for a fight and not a single shred of doubt inside his mind. At this moment, he was more a beast than a human.

However, it was useless.

Ann didn't even stand up, only putting her right on on the hilt of her sheathed blade. Her eyes shined blue, and from her soul, an incredible Spirie formed. The world seemed to crackle and pop as a lightning-like Spirie manifested itself, completely overpowering Lazerus.

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There was no contest, let alone a fighting chance in Lazeru's favor.

Just like that, Lazerus's was crushed and his Spirie extinguished. All his anger, rage, frustration, and 'fire' were quenched in an instant by Ann, like a cold tsunami of water on a bomb fire. For a moment, when Lazerus looked at her blue eyes, he felt death looming over him, just waiting to claim his soul. Every inch of his body screamed at him in terror at the mere thought of fighting with her. The only reason his heart didn't stop beating was because of her calm, gentle voice which reverberated inside his ears many times over. She, unlike Lazerus, was in control of herself completely. That powerful lightning Spirie wrapped itself around Lazerus, silencing his Spirie like a mother hushing a crying child.

"Enough."

Lazerus fell to his knees, completely lacking any form of the man he had just been a few seconds ago. The fire inside his soul faded, leaving behind nothing but ash and dust. Lazerus felt tears fall down his cheeks, ashamed of his lack of control. She had not meant to demean him or humiliate him. She had just wanted to show how foolish Lazeus was being, and how foolish he was indeed.

I can't believe I lost myself . . . what the hell is wrong with me?!

The anger which had been present only a few seconds ago was completely overtaken by a feeling of deep sorrow. Never in his life had he let anger rule him as it did only a few moments ago. Never had he fully been ready to take the life of another so easily. The more he thought about it, the more confused and ashamed he became. Tears fell down his face like a waterfall as the stress got to him.

He expected Ann to berate him further on his foolishness, however, no such words attacked him. Lazerus instead got a sad smile and comforting words.

"You don't need to feel sad, Lazerus. I understand the pain of losing loved ones, and how it can make someone lost."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean- I don't"

Ann sighed and shook her head as she stood up. She offered Lazerus a hand and spoke to him in the most calming voice she could manage.

"Didn't I say it was alright? Now stop crying, you'll make me cry you know?"

Lazerus sniffled, and with great effort, took her hand and stood up shakily. It seemed like he was a completely different person from before, and Ann knew why.

Is this how you felt when training me, Aidan?

When someone gets hurt, they form a wall between them and anyone else to protect themselves, however, this only delays the problem. By sealing themselves off mentally from the world, they become seemingly unemotional and distant, however, this is only because they are hurting.

Just now, Ann knew that Lazerus's own anger had burst forth from this wall, revealing the sad, scared child beneath. No matter how strong he looked on the outside, a child will always be affected by the death of their parents.

Ann knew this well. The more she looked, talked to and observed Lazerus, the more she saw herself in him. That's why she couldn't bear to let him go off on his own. She couldn't bear to him, someone she related to so much, go through that same pain. Suddenly, Ann remembered words that her master had said to her.

"Its ok to be sad, Lazerus, but you must keep moving, ok? Don't let your sorrow keep you down. No matter what happens, you must keep moving."

"Right . . ."

Lazerus didn't respond with much enthusiasm, but at least he stopped crying. His head was downcast, and his posture was not the best, but it was a start. Ann knew he was hurting, so she left him alone for now, and focused on making a nice dinner.

A calm stomach leads to a calm mind, another teaching she had gotten from her master.

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After Lazerus had eaten, it was already mid-day, and since waking up, he had done a lot of thinking.

I need to focus on getting stronger, no matter the cost. Pride is a useless thing . . . I need to just ask her.

Lazerus stood up and walked over to where Ann was still eating, and bowed deeply to her, and spoke in the most respectful tone he could manage.

"I apologize for being so rude to you, the one who saved me twice now. Please, teach me how to be strong. I don't want to be a burden to you."

Ann looked up at the bowing Lazerus with a surprised expression, and then put her bowl of rice down. She looked at Lazerus for a moment before speaking.

"Look at me, Lazerus."

Lazerus stopped bowing and looked at her crystal blue eyes, and listened attentively.

"If I teach you how to be strong, you must listen to my teachings, no matter what. If you, under any circumstances deviate from these teachings, I will never give you a word of advice, ever again. Do you understand?"

There was no hesitation. Lazerus desired strength, at any cost.

"Right, Master?"

Ann laughed.

She offered a hand to Lazerus.

"Call me Ann."

Lazerus nodded and helped her to her feet. As soon as she reached her feet, Ann began to use her Spirie, summoning tiny bits of rock from the earth and formed a sword from said stone. Then, she tossed it to Lazerus, who tried to catch it, but instead felt his body buckle from its weight.

"Why is it so heavy? Nobody could wield this!"

"Pick it up and swing it."

"but-"

"Remember what I said?"

Lazerus, upon remembering what she said, brought it above his head with great effort and swung it downwards. The stone sword planted itself into the ground with an anti-climatic 'plop'. Lazerus looked at Ann, who smiled like a devil and said . . .

"Again."

And so, Lazerus picked it up from the earth with great effort and swung it down into the earth.

"Again."

And so on and so forth. By the time Lazerus reached the tenth time, he was sweating profusely. His muscles burned from such a heavy sword, mainly his upper arms, but his legs also hurt from stabilizing his body, as he would fall over from the sword's extreme weight.

Little did Lazerus know, this blade had been formed from pure lead within the dirt, making the sword weigh a staggering 50 pounds. That might not sound like a lot, but lifting the blade from the hilt was near impossible for Lazerus, who was scrawny from eating very little over the last two months.

Just like that, Lazerus's hell on earth training had begun.

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Upon a high castle inside the city of Almes, Prince Terrick, ruler of the Principality of Santinte, sipped a wine glass with a grim face. The day had been a long one, with many disputes and crimes of which he had to preside over.

"Bastard peasants, making me work so hard for them . . ."

Terrick muttered with anger, however, he dropped his wine glass as a golden beam of light arose from a Forrest, not a few miles outside of town. Terrick remembered that light well and began to smile. He stood up from his chair, and yelled with great vigor.

"BUTLER! BUTLER GERALD!"

From the back door, a small short and stout man scuttled into the room with a worried face, however, he quickly felt his draw drop to the floor as he saw the light.

"Cou-could it be?! The Golden Lightning Hero has returned? I thought she was dead sire!"

Terrick laughed and spoke in a booming voice.

"So did I! What a wonderful occurrence! Round up all the forces we have at the moment and gather them at the town's square. Contact the Freelance and Adventures guild and request support, I will lead everyone we have to personally force her to serve our great nation! Why, with her, we can finally subdue those Freixia freedom suckling bastards!"

"Yes sir! I shall go right away."

Gerald quickly scuttled back from whence he came from, spreading the word quickly of the Golden Lightning's return. Terrick remembered her almighty power, back when Freixia had first separated and declared war on Santinte. Thousands dead in one attack, entire cities leveled. . . with that kind of power, Terrick would unite Santinte once more.

Just wait, Ann! I can't wait for our reunion, sister!