Having resolved the issue of the sudden Enmity attack, Lass and Ikarisa had finally reached Reingard front gates. The crowd thickened as they quickly made their way to the city center in order to get a hold of something to lead them closer toward their goal as Lass suggested. This had ended with Ikarisa having tightly wrapped herself around Lass's arm and not letting go of the slightest things, completely overwhelmed by the sheer presence of people in the streets. Knowing full well what she had gone through recently, despite his own dislike for massive crowds of people after being locked inside for what seemed forever, he mustered his strength to endure the awkwardness of the situation.

  But still, after a couple more hours of enduring said awkwardness and still getting out with nothing, he started to get tired along with Ikarisa, the fatigue from the long journey and the given situation getting to them.

  "Look, I really can't say anything given what hell you had to go through with the bastards you last interacted with. But can you try and tap into that previous excitement of yours? Seeing you like this is...", he said with a hint of worry.

  "Oh, yeah, sorry.", she let go of him, "Just needed a little of getting used to."

  "Gotten anything on your part from all this back and forth we did up until now?"

  "No, not at all. Which is weird in itself, considering how my Obsulyte works. If anything, I should've picked up on signatures that strong from the very moment we passed the gates.", she yawned, "Maybe routing back a bit towards the main area?"

  Lass picked up on the fact that they were both tired, "No, were both a bit out of it. But I do suppose it's been a long day, a hotel will be our best bet. Hopefully, the hotels here aren't- you've gotta be kidding me..." he reached into his pockets.

  "What happened?" Ikarisa mumbled as she rubbed her eyes.

  "My wallet. I left it back home. That, or I was pickpocketed by my AI as revenge for what I did."

  "If we tell them what this is all about, won't they let us stay at a hotel anyway?"

  Lass facepalmed, "This ain't how the world works in this day and age, rightfully so. The best thing that will land us if we even try to explain this is either a one-way ticket to prison or a rehabilitation center, so don't even try and do something so stupid. Money is the one language everyone speaks and the one key that unlocks all doors. Without it staying at a hotel is but a dream. God dammit, do we have to go all the way back now? I knew leaving in such a hurry was a bad idea.", he got irritated.

  After looking around to explore their options, Ikarisa came across a bunch of fliers that drew her interest. The announcement for the event described was to be held a bit off from where they were, so as a last-ditch effort, she put and followed the address on the phone. Lass followed closely behind, but they only had to go a few streets down.

  When they arrived, they were surprised to see a somewhat luxurious setup, for an announcement that only a handful of people were interested in hearing. That aside, the heavy security around the large area where the stage for the announcement was being held only reinforced its importance for what it was to be.

  "Hey, over there." she said.

  They managed to get to the middle part of the announcement, "-and that's why those of you who can should all come to the Arena of Insinia's Capital and compete against other warriors in the annual Knight Of Knights tournament! The Grand prize is one million Merits and a personal invitation from the King of Reingard to a super luxurious party! All warriors must sign themselves up and stay at the Astron Hotel, where they will also get a free stay for the entire duration of the event! A reminder that to enter the event, you must be at least 18, with your sign-up being in-person only. The forms should be handed at the front desk of the hotel only and failing to show up on the first day will result in penalties such as the overnight stay fee being charged personally.", the announcer was yelling at the streets.

  As soon as Lass gazed at the prize pull for the event behind the sign-up form, he was left in awe by the amount of a hundred thousand Merits, along with other amenities.

  "Can't we stay at that hotel? I'm tired..."

  "Yeah, if I have a death wish. It's the Knight Of Knights tournament, it's a major event they hold four times a year in each trimester. This thing is very serious business because it's also used by both public and private parties to scout potential recruits for our offensive against these monsters. And I read the small letters too. A small section is dedicated to basically saying "We absolve ourselves of any potential mortal or otherwise injuries or accidental deaths'. It's a pro-only tournament, and although I know how to use weapons because I make them, it doesn't mean I spent half my life in the mountains playing hero and mastering them.", Lass got worried.

  "But the way you took down that Enmity and saved Ana, could there be someone even stronger than that? You really did frighten me there for a second too, but even your injuries healed with me not choosing to intervene whatsoever. Lass...I think you may actually have a chance! Seriously!"

  Lass paused looking at his arm, having completely healed from the move he performed earlier. The more he gazed at it, he couldn't help but feel a faint sense of accomplishment and joy. It was after all a natural product that his body produced that he suppressed for years on end, only slightly loosening his shackles recently. Such a sense of freedom washing over him was something entirely new, frightening him in the process.

  "You're thinking about it, I can see that!", Ikarisa playfully joked, "But regardless, Lass. I'm serious when I say this, your using them was amazing. Now, there are sure stronger people out there, but I'll help you face them too. You do realize, I can heal you after every match as well, right? No way I'm letting you go through with another plan of mine without pulling my weight!"

  Lass had second thoughts, "I don't know...to be honest, would it be reasonable for me to say that I've felt like an entirely new person these past few hours? Like my past self just wasn't me. All that from using these stupid powers that my...", he paused again briefly as if he lost his train of thought, snapping back quickly as he realized he was spacing out, "...dad. My dad, yeah. They didn't save him then, so why appear now?"

  "Don't worry, I get that, not doing this is fine too. There's other ways to do things, that's the one thing I'm sure never changed in the world.", Ikarisa tried to back him out of the idea, worried that it might have been too great of a push.

  Reading her genuine and kind intentions, and giving in to his fatigue -and probable laziness-, Lass breathed in as he tightened his hand and waved it back. With the ecstasy of it all, on the same day, yet another decision of massive importance was made. Something which had started building more of his confidence as he found ropes to tug on, something to pull and force the pieces of his life back together.

  "We don't have another choice do we?", he said letting out a long sigh, "Fine...hey, you! Where's the hotel supposed to be?", he said to the announcer.

  "On the left and straight ahead. You won't be able to miss it, given the event decorations they've put up. Have a good night's rest and good luck on your future battles!"

  "Got it, thanks.", he said, nodding at Ikarisa to follow him along.

  Truly, just by turning a simple left down the very center of the main plaza's road, it was impossible to miss. A red carpet flowed around the sidewalks in every way, as lights lit up a massive statue of a faceless knight, firmly holding his stance through the rain and the snow. All around were the shops that could easily be considered the sellers of the most up-to-date, state-of-the-art equipment for anything from battling to simple household electronics. Even the supermarket visited by dozens of patrons seemed luxurious despite the simplicity of its wares, giving even more life to the already bustling plaza. In the main advertisement screen in the middle, several things were displayed from bets on online sites, nearby stores, and of course, sponsors of the actual event, all played in a loop of commercials, while several smaller ones viewed more miscellaneous things such as brief background checks on recent sign-ups and scoreboards.

  Although mostly ignored by them both due to their tired bodies and minds, it was impossible not to take in the glamorous sights laid right in front of them as they made their way towards the hotel. All along, murmurs and whispers of excited fans and onlookers were heard in every direction, some of said excitement eventually brushing off on them as well, further enhanced by the atmosphere of the capital's major festivities.

  Eventually reaching the hotel, they were baffled by the extremely high-end looks of the entire building, almost feeling as if they had paid for a trip they most definitely couldn't afford. Busy staff at every corner tended to the rooms and the guests, with abundant food and drinks at a nearby buffet, all around an area laced in red cloth, marble, and gold, it resembled more of the king's actual castle than a simple, or even prestigious hotel.

  Lass was taken away, "What the hell..."

  "This place is so amazing and shiny looking!", Ikarisa looked like she was reinvigorated by the mere sight of things.

  "Doubts aside, swapping this event from being only state-sponsored to actual sponsors was such a right move. This might actually get me going...that, or the glamour of it all is getting to me.", he thought, "Maybe taking a step back and letting the excitement die down a bit will be better. Eh, I'll at least let you have fun with it."

  Walking up to the main desk, despite the heavy crowd around them, they were able to quickly get to the front of the somewhat small line and get a hold of the receptionist, who seemed somewhat calm, unlike his overwhelmed team behind the desk, who's the clacking of their keyboards raged on and phones rang relentlessly.

  "Welcome. Are you here to sign up for the event, or simply looking room to stay with us?", the receptionist asked.

  "Signing up. Did we make it in time to get a spot?"

  "Plenty of time ahead, sir. There should be around 6 rooms left to allot for the combatants of the event. That said, name and stage nickname please."

  "Lass Leviere. And do I need a stage name?", he asked awkwardly.

  Ikarisa jumped into the conversation, "Oh, oh, how about 'Red Lighting'?! It does match."

  Lass got weirded out, "What am I, a horse or a car? Please, Risa.", he tried to signal her to stop, being completely ignored, as Risa got over-excited by the hype of it all.

  "If you would like, you can leave that field open. However, if you are aiming to win a crowd, potential deals, and future opportunities, a nickname that sticks out could be a major contributor to making you stick out more. Some even provide a small description that they want to be vocalized by the announcer before the fight."

  "Then, 'The Decapitator', he who will make your last sight be your lifeless body, a casket of your extinguished soul!", Ikarisa through all her constant excitement put up a face that felt...metal.

  Lass got swapped to being creeped out, "Yeah- uh, holy shit? Even then, I'm here to compete not cause a bloody massacre. Did you have too much coffee or got mixed with bad crowds already when I wasn't looking?"

  Even the receptionist was amazed by the contradiction of Ikarisa's looks and gentle nature, compared to her words, "So, do I type that down or..."

  "Hell no you're not. Just leave the field open. Nothing more, nothing less, just my full legal name."

  "Ok, and getting back into the speed of things, will the petite...", he very briefly hesitated, "cute lady be staying with you?", he did his best to forget the incident while putting on a fake smile.

  "Yeah, that's the plan. Will that be a problem? I don't know if you have set the rooms as one-bed only for the contestants and stuff."

  "Oh, not at all. Plenty of rooms come with large beds enough for two, if not multiple. You're allowed to bring up to three people with you, however, if they interact with you in a way such as maintaining gear or attending to injuries after matches besides our own teams, they also have to be signed up."

  "Her Obsulyte has healing abilities, so she is who I'll lean on for my injuries."

  "She's not a necromancer or something?", he got confused.

  "I haven't tried actual resurrection and stuff yet-", she got stopped by Lass.

  "Doctor, nurse, medic, support, back-liner, heal-bot, anything will do.", he suggested.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  "Alright, and full name to round things up."

  Lass was stunned along with Ikarisa as he quickly tried to come up with something as he locked her in a staredown, "Roseanne...Martin."

  "Roseanne?", Ikarisa wondered.

  "Shut up, you almost screwed things up completely when I told you not to run your mouth. It's a country-appropriate name and you damn look like a Rosa...and a Martin.", he scolded her silently.

  "S-Sorry!", she grounded herself from all the excitement.

  Being almost completely over them both, the receptionist politely hurried the process along and gave them the key within just a few seconds after receiving Ikarisa's fake name. With yet another fake smile, he turned at them to briefly finish the process.

  "Here's your key, the rules to the tournament are: no performance-enhancing drugs, no continuing after the announcer or the opposing contestant declares round end due to incapacitation, injuries or otherwise, and resignation respectively, anything else goes. Your room is on floor 7, along with the rest of the contestants, have a good night.", he turned around and tried to look busy.

  Lass tried to shake off the entire experience that derailed very, very quickly, while Ikarisa instead tried to shake off Lass's judging glare, they made their way towards their room without saying a word to each other.

  Going inside the room, the atmosphere started to lighten again rather quickly with them both entering a luxurious suite, with everything from a massive TV with a huge lounge area, to a birds-eye view of the entire city and a bathtub large enough for a group of 4. All the while, the light of the soon-to-be midnight moon reflected what Lass's experienced eyes saw as genuine, gold-layered surfaces.

  "Honestly, might be worth it if I'm going to be stabbed.", he joked to forget the scenario at hand.

  "It all turned out great!"

  "Alright, how about you go check out the place and let loose your resurfaced energy while I go take a shower and wash my clothes? Then I can make something you and I can eat before we go to bed."

  "Sounds great! Oh, can we see an action movie afterward?! Like the one where a lady spreads her hands on the front of a huge ship before they crash into a massive iceberg and they try to get away before the ship explodes!", she said as she calmly nodded.

  "I'm pretty sure you got both the scenes and the genre confused, but anything that will let me sleep at night, I'll do for you. Just please don't make something else explode instead. With my wallet at home and the bank closed these hours...", he got worried.

  "Come on, I'm not that much of an air-head and you know that! I'll flick through the movies and find a good one while you're gone before seeing everything else in here! Now go take a bath, you smell.", Ikarisa ordered, pointing at the bathroom.

  Doing as told and with a small hint of a hurry, Lass finally had the chance to step into the shower after a tiring day of being out in the open, traveling along the path to the capital. But for what should've been a moment for him to empty his head and relax, he could not but dwell on his thoughts. Why did he so suddenly and so eagerly throw himself into such a journey? How did he manage to land such a move before having never trained with the blade fully? This girl he just met gave him so much encouragement and care while being so aggressive and closed a mere night before, that made zero sense. This desperation to escape stemming from himself made him feel like an entirely different person submerged within him. Or rather, so many different people left sealed and forgotten, so many parts of him that he willingly shattered and scattered. A magical journey like this one...could he finally be living a dream instead of a nightmare? So many questions but not a single answer.

  And then he was forced back into reality. Or rather, forced himself. The most dreadful mistake he could make, knowing it full well by now, was losing himself within his thoughts. That's when his head would feel fuzzy, unable to connect dots, paralyzed, and end up hurting. Luckily, a knock on the door would accomplish his own goal of a distraction.

  "Excuse me, sir. There was a package with your name written on it.", said the maid outside the room.

  "A package? Uh- sure. Thanks.", he said, putting on his shirt and then opening the door.

  "Pleasure to be serving you sir.", the maid said as she bowed.

  Somewhat eagerly opening the package from the curiosity to discover what's inside, he was still puzzled about the identity of the sender.

  "Word of your arrival in Reingard came to my ears, and it was thanks to you I've reached my shop in -luckily- one shape. Could've sent an email too, had my hustling made me not forget to get your info, but oh well. News travels fast around these parts...and small-town boys with a pretty young girl next to their side do tend to stand out. Especially when walking into the hotel that signs people up for that kind of major event. I was surprised to hear that you're going to be taking part in the Knight Of Knights tournament, though after what I saw, hell, you might as well try. I put this thing together in like 20 minutes to catch the courier, since I saw you carrying absolutely nothing else with you out there (pretty suicidal considering what you signed up for). In it is a pair of reinforced clothes with a light metal enhancement which is perfect for keeping you safe against slashing attacks, as well as a pair of leg and arm guards. I would've sent more stuff, but guns and swords were 'illegal' to be sent over, according to my friend. Makes sense, I guess, and all this event stuff is preventing me from pulling my usual strings without complications, so yeah. Of course, some clothes for the goddess too, and food to last you guys through the night. I'll definitely root for ya in the tournament, and I might hop by the lockers behind the arena too, so be on the lookout for that!"

  "Yours truly, Ana."

  To receive such things as the results of his actions served as a huge morale boost that almost eradicated all doubt from his mind about this. To receive praise for something he had done, rather than something he gave was a complete mystery, and an almost intoxicating feeling of pleasure was derived from such a kind act. Nevertheless, he still felt that cursed guilt hammering his heart, for no reason other than sheer sadism to ruin his happy mood.

  Lass then spotted a large piece of beef in the package, among many other things he fiddled around with, all the while thinking about the entire thing, "And I was just starving for some meat too. Man, this must have cost a fortune. Never mind the food, the way the gear feels on my hands, and how it looks...this ain't from the back of her wares for sure. Who is this girl, seriously?"

  He placed the food at the counter of the large room kitchen and separated his clothes from Ikarisa's, looking around but failing to get an answer, her being too consumed in her exploring.

  "Hey, Risa!", he called out to her, "Come check this out! We got some gifts."

  Her eyes lit up as she faced the box full of goods, "Woah! These are so cute!"

  "Yet another thing for you to do before I make dinner. Go check them out, I'm sure they'll fit you way better than whatever I put together for you back home."

  "Who even sent that? Is it part of the tournament thing?"

  "No. It's that girl again, Ana."

  "Wow, she's so kind!"

  "I mean, she sure is. These are all really expensive and high quality, perfect for this caliber of fighting. Just that...I do feel a bit guilty now that I think about it. A thanks would be just fine, which she already gave."

  "Lass, think of it in a whole other way: Would she want you to feel this way when making this package?", she tried to make him understand.

  He nodded back, "Yeah, you're right. That said, let's get this entire thing done so I can get to cooking."

  A few straightforward words from her was the only thing she needed to receive a few straightforward words from him. It was this simple back and forth that she slowly realized he would heed to.

  She waited for him to go to the kitchen, watching him with care before going away, "The many things I know about this, I'll do my best to give them all to you. Right or wrong with this image, the difference in character never fails to land me. You will also see...he's not a bad person. I knew it then and now. He isn't like them!", she got angry from nowhere, then blushed suddenly "A-And I'll let him show you."

  As she dashed back to her room for a long while to contemplate, Lass instead spent that time making a simple pasta dish, mincing the meat, and adding it to a red sauce mix. However, coinciding with him rounding up the cooking process was a surprise standing behind him...

  "S-So...what should I wear?", she said, blushing from top to bottom while facing his back.

  “Eh, anything is fine so long as you're comfortable. Besides I'm not one to take fashion advice from considering the only thing I wear is- oh, shit. Ok, maybe too comfortable, my god.", he looked at her with a straight face as he turned his head around to meet her face, making her die inside as he kept staring up and down...and then, without saying a word and catching her by surprise instead, he looked back at his cooking pot.

  Whatever she was trying to put to the test, presenting herself naked with nothing but two outfits held in each hand to block her body's view from the world, it very much looked like she had failed. No jumping around or straight panic, but a rather bone-crushing silence she desperately tried to break as she could see herself being swallowed whole from the ground opening beneath her feet.

  "What happened...?", she awkwardly questioned back, lowering both outfits she had held on to while getting wholly confused.

  "What happened? You tell me. Judge off the air you can feel on your skin.", he continued cooking, "Had these options in both hands and instead decided to go with your birth suit? You do realize that, you know. We just met and everything...right? Ok, you're cute and pretty. Wouldn't that suffice instead of this fiasco?", he seemed almost annoyed, although desensitized at the entire situation.

  "Isn't that how you repay a favor? I-I only did it because I thought you'd like it.", she scarily said, covering her naked body as she played dumb. Her tenacity, although admirable, still failed to get a reaction out of him.

  "Honestly, I both don't care and am not into this so...that's not the way to do this at all. Dress up. You have no idea where that sort of thinking will get you when you meet some perverts out there.", he said with a bored expression on his face.

  "Is it that you were...disgusted with what you saw?", she worryingly asked.

  Lass first made sure that the food was cooking correctly, leaving her standing. He then walked towards Ikarisa while looking her dead in the eyes, grabbing her head and turning her around while placing one of the two outfits behind her back to cover her further and pushing her into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

  ”Minutes prior you almost lectured me about 'Oh, I'm not that big an air-head'. This is exactly the reason why I came here. Thank god I didn’t leave you strolling around like a moron, because I’m seriously starting to understand why you got into the previous troubles you said. What the hell did you try to get out of this even?”

  "S-So you liked it?" she said, blushing again in an instant behind the door.

  “Out of everything I said, this is what you pinpointed to? God dam- I'm in over myself here. Yeah, yeah, millennia-old goddess, my ass, what a dumbass trope. Looks my age and acts like an absolute air-head. Piss off...”, he muttered to himself.

  The silence following his scolding, Ikarisa began changing in the other room while Lass kept mumbling on and on in the kitchen, making their dinner.

  "That idiot, I don't know if I should be grateful she did that here instead of somewhere else or wonder why she is breathing and living with that mindset she's got. And here I was thinking I am the one who was oblivious to situations and people.", he said as he took a deep breath, "How the hell did I manage to even brave through that scenario...", he felt something as he retrospected the situation.

  When he finished setting up the table and serving the freshly made dishes, he approached the shut bedroom door having his words set at the tip of his tongue, for what seemed like a full-on college course of a scolding, attempting a gentler approach as he seemed desperate to figure out how to get through to her. Why she was so all over the place, only she would know, as her mind seemed as scattered as his, with her knowing but failing to put the pieces back together...it was as if her own body, her life, was put on the line for anyone but her, without a care for consequences following after.

  "Risa? Hey, listen, I didn't mean to be so harsh on you. But you caught me off, guard! I wanted to make a point so that you could be a little more thoughtful and careful about your decisions. What I meant to say is that you need to watch out more.”

  Before he could finish his words, Ikarisa, now wearing clothes and what looked like an expression of mixed sadness and relief opened the door to face him.

  “My head is always fuzzy…I swear, I’m not stupid. Please don’t think that I’m an air-head…” she sadly said.

  "I didn't mean it when I said that. But you can’t disagree with the fact that you’re acting like an idiot. Seriously, what the hell was that?"

  ”She…said so too. I just wanted to make sure you won't leave me. I'm always so confused..."

  Lass got utterly confused by her hasty and desperate wording, "What? You're not making much of any sense, but from what little I can make out, who said I'll leave you? And there are more ways than 'that' to bond with another person."

  "That's true, and I know that, but no matter how hard I try to remember everything from my experiences…I get stuck. You won’t be leaving me…right?”

  "Of course not.", he said, nodding calmly, “You’re weird, I’ll give you that. But from now on, please do me a favor. Clothes on.”

  ”Y-Yeah! Let's just forget this all happened!”, she seemed relieved.

  Lass, given everything he had gotten through in one singular day only kept adding questions under the rug, not understanding at all what this all meant and what it was happening for. And even then, with the way he faced such things with a calm he never knew he had...what would it all collectively come to be?

  ”Alright then. Food’s up. Let’s eat and sleep…I’m probably going to be a national sensation on TV tomorrow. Can’t wait. Sorry about the movie, but we'll watch it another time. I've had my action cut out for me for today.”, he faked excitement.

  Without a hint of disagreement, they indulged in the culinary "wonders" of Lass's simple pasta dish. Becoming quite apparent quite fast, Ikarisa loved it more than him, perhaps burying the anxiety of the situation under buckets of red and beef.

  "Mmm, this is so good! Your cooking is so good!" she spoke with her mouth full.

  "Yeah, no kidding...that's plate number four you're going down on. And I barely started plate two.", he said in surprise, “Though if I were alone, it’d be over rather fast as well.”, he whispered.

  "Can't help it! Where did you learn how to cook like that?"

  "I dunno. Probably just the time spent in the house myself. And I did read a lot of articles and recipes out of boredom online so, there’s that. Also, that being said, this will be your last plate."

  "Hmm?! Why?", she said as she tried to guard the bowl of food in front of her.

  "You're gonna have a stomach ache if you keep this up. The food also has a lot of spices in it. I am certainly a glutton when it comes down to it too but I can't quite say the same about you yet."

  "Can't say you're wrong...but you don't have to call me fat.", she said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

  "What the- hey! Could you not put words in my mouth here? I’m just being cautious. And stop acting like a little kid! If anything, there’ll be more tomorrow anyway, unless I’m planning on starving us, or you let me die."

  "The only one that will die is me for this dish tomorrow then!", she said as she giggled, "I never did learn cooking actually, since it was handled by others all the time. I'll watch and learn next time, since that too is something that I really want to get to know as well!"

  "Certainly easy to please her...", he thought.

  Finally rounding up the night, as soon as he finished cleaning the provided kitchen equipment, Lass was faced with but one last problem. No matter how hard he looked, only one master bedroom was available, despite the provided details of him and Ikarisa being a team. Looking back at everything that had happened tonight, he felt almost completely uncomfortable sharing the same bed with how randomly she was acting. But still, with the excitement and the adrenaline now completely gone, picking up another such debate felt like a dream...or rather, a nightmare.

  "Hmm...", she looked at him awkwardly.

  "Couch or bed?", he gave her a choice.

  "Left half of the bed, please?"

  He contemplated for a long while, choosing not to drag this out any further, "Fine, but please, just straight to sleep, nothing else."

  "Fine by me. A-And sorry again...", she nervously laughed, "Point proven at a major cost.", she muttered.

  "Yeah, let's just...let's just go."

  With utmost haste, as if they were pulling out a band-aid, both of them turned to their respective sides to avoid all contact with each other both being able to quickly lose themselves into their dreams. A surprisingly calm and decisive end to a hectic and distorted day, both of them waiting in excitement for the adventures of tomorrow that were yet to come...