It was a beautiful day outside, birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and Ren is...

"ACHOO!" Sneezing, the young man laid on his bed, a damp towel on his forehead. A red face, as he tried to wipe his nose. His body felt heavy and his strength was failing him. "Why are we -sniff- here? Just to suffer," he said only to sneeze once more.

"You shouldn't have gone on that expedition," Looking to the seat beside his bed, he saw a rather beautiful girl.

"Shut it," Ren whispered, pain echoing his voice as he looked away. A chuckle from the girl made him look at her. "What?"

"Nothing, usually, you would have been trying to do something to get you out of the bar and escape from Mama's orders," Chuckling, Ren sat up and smiled as a wolf around the size of a dog jumped on the bed and licked his cheeks.

"I know," Ren answered, petting the wolf's fur tenderly as it coiled on his lap.

"You know, Not once have I asked but where did that wolf come from?" Looking at the girl, Ren gave her a smirk before putting the wolf out of his lap.

"That's a secret, his name is Wahrheit," Ren answered her, patting the wolf. "Honestly, I can't believe it's been a few months since you started to work here, Lunoire," Ren told the brown-haired girl, the bounty hunter black fist, Lunoire Faust. Lunoire chuckled as she cut some apples for him.

"Same here, Mama Mia was very strict with us," Lunoire said to Ren as the two remembered the dwarf's wrath.

"You did ruin her stores of wine," Ren added before breaking into a coughing fit. Curse this sickness! Lunoire immediately took a glass of water and patted Ren's back.

"Thanks, Lunoire," Ren said with a small yet sincere smile, taking the glass of water and drinking it.

The sincere smile made the former bounty blush. It was rare for any member of the staff, other than Mia, to see his whole face. She had even heard some bets and rumors from the customers that Ren had some sort of deformity due to the way he hides his face.

"It's fine, but still, what happened to you to end up like that?" Lunoire asked, helping him, lie down and put on another damp cloth on his forehead.

"I... tripped and fell down a hole," Ren said with a blush. His answer made the former bounty hunter giggle and laugh silently.

"It's not funny!" The sick young man shouted with a red face, "Because of that, I suffered from an Ignis Fatuus and overused my mind. I hate it when this happens," Ren moaned out, remembering the times he suffered a mind down due to being an accomplice with an old man.

"You were able to hold Chloe and me off without any problems but a hole defeats you without any problem," Lunoire said, giggling at the scenes on her mind, they were too funny. "You, a fearless man able to mock anyone and even tease us all was defeated by a hole in the ground? That's rich, wait till Syr hears this,"

"No! Anyone but her!" Imagining the amount of teasing that he will get from the silver-haired waitress made him shiver slightly. Oh, gods! That woman was more dangerous than any monster he had fought with, hell. He would even rather fight a monster rex alone, naked, and without a weapon, than give her any blackmail material.

He could even imagine her smile. Oh, Gods! That woman was evil! Well, she was still his friend, so, it's fine.

"Speaking of which, isn't Syr supposed to be on a break today?" Ren asked Lunoire. The bounty hunter hummed, tapping her chin.

"She is not on the bar downstairs," Lunoire said, the brown-haired girl feeding him an apple much to his embarrassment and her delight. It was adorable to feed him, like feeding a pet or child.

"You can help out at the bar, I'll be fine," Ren said with a smile while lying down. "Besides, I have Wahrheit with me," Said wolf pup barked in agreement.

"It's fine, Ren," Lunoire said with a smile, tying her hair back. This action made Ren gulp slightly as he was able to see the way a drop of sweat dropped slowly and intoxicatingly dropped on her raw skin.

It seems like a new fetish has been born. Seeing his reaction, Lunoire could not help but feel a bit self-conscious. Here she was, nursing an admittedly rather handsome young man that was always supportive of her ever since she started to work, an awesome sparring partner, and a great friend, and she finds him, checking her out.

'Welcome back, Lunoire,' An older Ren, wearing an apron and plain casual clothes, greeted her. Slowly her imaginations started to get more graphic and more mature to the point that she could almost feel a blood vessel pop on her nose.

Shaking her head to rid her head of her... rather inappropriate thoughts... Lunoire smiled at Ren, only to perk up at the glare from one of her co-workers, peeking from behind the door.

Chloe Rollo, formerly known as the black cat, glared at her current co-worker. It was not fair that she was working her shifts and that Lunoire was here having fun taking care of a sick Ren.

No fair! She wanted to spend more time with him as well!

"Get back to work you dumbass!" Mia shouted, hitting the girl on top of her head lightly. Hissing a bit, Chloe immediately escaped back to the 1st floor to start her shift.

"Hey, Lunoire. Leave Ren be, you need to start your shift," Mia said, entering the room where one of her daughters and his little brother disciple was in. A smirk appeared on her face at the sight of a red-faced Lunoire leaning into Ren whose eyes were closed and his mouth was opened.

Hearing her voice, Lunoire looked at Mia with a heavy blush. Seeing her smirk, she squeaked and fed Ren the strawberry in one go.

"Was I interrupting something?" Mia asked with a smirk, only to see her stand up and run away.

"Bye Luno," Ren said, watching the brunette girl go with a confused expression.

"You are a sinful man," Mia said with a smirk. Looking at the confused expression of the young man made her sigh. "So, an Ignis Fatuus?"

"Yeah, I suffered a mind down and had to fight while unconscious," Ren answered, sitting properly.

"I'm sending Ryuu to take care of you," Mia said, making the young man stop and look at her in shock.

"If she kills me, destroy my books," Ren said seriously, voice filled with seriousness as he eyed his books.

"Relax, she won't do that," Mia said with a smirk, leaving his room. "Although, she might make sure that you will rest,"

"Oh, Great," Sighing, the young man lied on his back. The sweet embrace of unconsciousness enveloping him. Turning to his side, Ren let out a single thought as a vision of his home appeared.

'Where are you? Please, don't leave me,'

Arriving in the room where the young man was, Ryuu Lion opened the door. It was around 6 in the evening, the sun had just set a few minutes ago. Curiously, ever since she had started living in the hostess, Ryuu had not once been in the young man's room. A rather familiar smell assaulted the young girl's nose. It was the smell of the forest, sun, and sweat.

"Hmm... Mom, I can't... Marco, stop," Ren mumbled in his sleep, flushing lightly as his fever acted up.

Saying nothing, Ryuu walked towards the chair near the bed, stopping as a wolf pup sat in front of her.

'It's Ren's pet.' Ryuu thought, kneeling on the ground, reached her hand towards the pup. Smelling her hand, Wahrheit barked quietly, leaning into her hand. The moment her skin brushed its fur, a vision appeared on her mind.

'What is this?' Memories of a young man wielding a sword, holding a bundle on his arms appeared. He was covered head to toe in blood. The sound of wing beats echoed in the air and soon, a stream of flames illuminated the area, revealing that it came from a dragon. The light from the flames revealed the countless dragons, fighting each other in the air. As if sensing her presence, the young man looked at her, an explosion from behind him revealed a younger version of the young man she had come to see as a friend, one of the very few people that had touched her hand, Ren Cruz.

"Woof! Woof!" Barks from the wolf pup snapped her out of her vision. The white-furred pup looked at her, head tilted in worry.

"I'm fine," The elf smiled towards the pup gently, getting a happy yet quiet bark. Sitting on the chair, Ryuu looked at her fellow employee. He was paler than usual, and from his shivers, it seemed like he was suffering from his nightmares. Cold sweat drenched his clothes as he tossed and turned on the bed.

Moving quickly, the young elf soaked a piece of cloth in a bowl filled with water, squeezed out the excess, and put it on his forehead. The tired look from the young man lessened as the cool cloth was put on his forehead. Opening his eyes, hazy dark orbs looked at the elf's sky blue ones.

"Lion?" Ren asked, looking at her before weakly trying to get up. Raising her hand to stop the young man, Ryuu looked at him.

"You should rest. Here, let me wash your back," She said, putting on a pair of gloves. Not offended by the young elf's actions, Ren knew and understood that elves hated being touched by other people directly, he just did not know about the reverse.

Sitting up, Ren turned his back to her before removing his shirt, showing her his bareback. Blushing slightly, she soon started to use a spare towel to wipe the sweat off of his back. His back was broad and wide, filled with several scars. What was the eyecatching for the elf was the rather beautiful tattoo on the middle of his back, It was that of a stylized clock bound with chains on top of a cross that started from his nape to the end of his spine, the hands of the cross spreading on his shoulder blades.

"That's not my familia if you're wondering," Ren answered her unspoken question. "That appeared on my back last month after Wahrheit appeared,"

"I see," Ryuu answered, taking the cloth and gently using the damp cloth to wash the sweat off his back. "I never did get to thank you for your help for back then," The elf told him kindly.

"Hmm," Ren's reply was short,

"You must have had a great teacher," Ryuu told him, remembering the way he moved during the battle that happened a month ago.

"Yeah, my teacher was very strict, most of my scars came from my training with him, and from two years ago when we visited Orario," Two years... That was during the great feud.

"The one on my back, below my rib," Looking at the spot, Ryuu saw a scar that looked like a blade ran through it. "My teacher and I got separated, luckily or not, I had some knowledge of suicide bombers. It was horrifying," Ren said, shaking a bit, remembering the kid that had been used to try and kill him. "I killed a kid,"

Hearing his confession, Ryuu's blood ran cold. Impossible, the kindhearted idiot would not have done something like that.

"I reacted on instinct," Ren said, shivering slightly. "I kneeled in front of the kid, she was a young girl, a werewolf, around seven. I tried to comfort her, but I saw the flash from the stones," Sobbing, Ren held his face. "I moved and used my spear, stabbing her, and took out my shield. I killed her before she was able to activate the bombs," The sight of his beloved spear impaling a young girl's head burned on his mind.

Freezing, Ryuu had seen the aftermath of the great feud a few years ago, it was horrifying, while she and her familia members were fighting Silence, the ones above were facing their own horrors.

"I can't remember much," As if sensing his friend's turmoil, Wahrheit jumped on Ren's lap, nuzzling his side. "But when I woke up, I was covered in blood. My teacher had taken me out of Orario and back to where we stayed," He said, holding the pup close.

"It's not your fault," Ryuu said, removing her gloves, gently holding his shoulder. Squeezing it to let him know she was by his side, Ryuu gently let go and hugged him. The young man's trembles calmed down, he was warm.

"They called me a hero," Tears fell from his eyes, remembering the way those he helped on his travels, "Me, a murderer!" Ren sobbed, "I killed them all! I spared no one!" His tears fell on his lap. This was the first time the elf had seen Ren like this.

Ryu said nothing but kept on embracing him, watching as he let it all out.

"I just want it all to end," Ren said, flushing heavily, his fever assaulting him. "I just want someone," Sighing, Ryuu watched as the young man passed out from exhaustion. Looking at the beautiful spear on the side, her eye widened before she gently laid Ren down. Smiling gently, she let his head on her lap and played with his hair.

"I haven't thanked you for what happened these last few months yet," Ryuu said with a smile, playing with his hair giving the young man a smile. She watched the young wolf pup nuzzle his side,

A memory of that day two years ago, during their, ascend after their fight with Silence. The members of the Astraea familia had been ambushed on the 3rd floor of the dungeon. The members of Evilus were able to kidnap their goddess but were foiled by a young man. Ryuu could still vividly recall that day.

An exhausted group of people struggled to stand up. They could only watch as their beloved Goddess was held hostage in front of their very eyes.

"Glory to Evilus!" One of the men in white robes said, only to be cut off as a dark blur crashed on him, making him crash to the floor and break off his neck. A man landed on a crouch and thrust his spear to the side with pinpoint accuracy, effectively and efficiently taking out those that held Astraea hostage.

Ryu could only watch the young man wearing a dark and battle-worn chest plate with pauldrons, a tasset, and a pair of gauntlet and greaves, his face was hidden by a helmet with blood splatter.

She and her other Familia members could only watch as the young man both protected their goddess and killed her attackers. They could only watch as to how the man took Astraea in his arms, jumped off the ledge, and threw his spear on the ground. Landing on it gracefully, he had used some sort of enchantment from his shield to protect them. After the attack, his shield crumbled alongside his helmet, revealing short black hair and dark orbs, bleeding from the side of his head and the side of his mouth.

Gently handing Alise a shocked Astraea, he looked at them before kicking his spear up and throwing several knives on some advancing people's heads, killing them quickly. A kind smile on his bloodstained face.

"Go, I'll take care of this," His voice was soft and calm. Catching his spear, he held the remains of his shield. Using it as a frisbee, he killed several white-robed Evilus members with it and drew a sword, a Kopis from the shape.

Looking back, Ryuu could only see a smile on his face as their eyes met for the last time.

"I wouldn't have recognized that it was you who had saved us two years ago if it weren't for your spear," Ryuu said, smiling gently as she played with the young man's hair. "We searched for you in the dungeon after we had recovered," Ryuu said.

"Lady Astraea was thankful for what you did for us back then, I would never have thought that we would meet here in the Hostess again out of all places." The elf smiled, playing with the young man's hair. "Thank you for saving us and being our hero, Cruz, no, Ren-Kun," Ryuu said, a gentle smile appearing on her face as she let him sleep on her lap. She supposed that she could let him rest like this.

Behind her, peeking from the slightly opened door, Syr Flovis, looked at the duo with a smile. Closing it gently, she hummed and walked with a skip on her legs. It was after all, rare for her to get any sort of blackmail from her closest friends.

In another place,

A beautiful blue-haired girl around 17 years old smiled as she held her sword and tightened her glove. She looked outside of the city before pulling something out of her pockets. It was a white handkerchief with a name embroidered on it.

"I wonder when will I see you again?" She said, smiling before flushing lightly.

"I'm starting to think that this is an obsession of yours, Ardi," An older blue-haired girl said, leaning on the doorpost with her arms crossed said with a smile.

"No, it's not big sis!" Ardi said, pouting before hiding the handkerchief in her pocket.

"I AM GANESHA!" A muscular man wearing an elephant mask announced proudly as he looked at the two girls. "Are you two ready, Shakti, Ardi?" The god asked two of his children.

"Yes, Lord Ganesha," The sisters answered with a smile.

"Good, there are reports that the Thermopylae Enomotia was spotted entering the city," Ganesha said, a smile aimed at the youngest of the sisters.

"I-is that true my lord?" The younger sister asked, looking at the Hindu who smirked.

Rearing his head back, he drummed his chest. "YES! I AM GANESHA!" The Hindu god announced happily before smiling at his children.

"Well, on the bright side, you get to see your crush," Shakti said with a smile aimed at her younger sister, who blushed darkly.

"Hoh, it seems like one of my beloved children has a crush on someone," Ganesha said. "Have no fear my child, for I shall help you. FOR I AM GANESHA!"

"It's not like that!" Ardi shouted with a red face before running away from her room and Ganesha.

"I don't know what you're planning, Allen, but it better not hurt your sister," Standing on top of a building, the form of the king of Orario, Ottarl, Freya's battle boar, told his companion, a level four and a cat people.

"Hmph, I just want to fight that guy and kill him," Allen said, a proud smirk on his face before it turned to a scowl at the sight of Ren's head being put on the elf's lap.

"You know, our lady would be happier if you were more to show how much you really love your sister," Ottarl said, making the black-haired cat people blush lightly. "Our lady said that it would be better to have him tested, not just as a potential recruit but as a mate for Anya,"

The statement made the black-haired young man freeze before a wave of killing intent washed over his body.

"That bastard! Anya's mate! I'm going to kill him!" Allen said, gritting his teeth as the hold of his spear tightened. Sighing lightly, Ottarl merely watched Allen jump away before looking at the young man one last time before freezing up. He had seen a symbol on the wolf pup's forehead and there was no way that he will mistake it for anything else.

"It seems like a monster has been unleashed in Orario. Grow stronger, and I will wait for you young man," Ottarl said, a smile appearing on his face. His challenge has finally arrived! After all these years! The last ones who had done so were those survivors from two years ago.

Stopping, the battle boar of Freya froze as a man blocked his path, a sword on its mouth. "Now, now, Stalking my students rather rude, Ottarl-Kun," His eyes widened at the familiar voice of the man that was hailed as one of the strongest during his time, before his retirement.

A golden bow on hand, dressed in white robes, the man's smile was warm and welcoming, yet he knew that with one wrong move, he would die.

"Level 9 adventurer, Great sage," Ottarl said, voice filled with respect. "Since when have you arrived here?"

"I have just arrived a week ago, to visit my student,"

"I see," Ottarl said, lowering his weapon as a sign of goodwill. "is he a part of your familia then?"

Hearing this, the great sage hummed, smiling as he answered. "Yes, despite his comments about wanting to leave and find a new one, he is still a loyal member of our family,"

"If you taught him, then yes, his potential would be brought out," Ottarl said, thinking about the skills that the young man possessed.

"Yes, he was able to push Zald back and hold him off for a few minutes before retreating," The great sage answered, his bow lowered.

"That is impressive," Ottarl said. "Then it was either of you who had rescued Silence back then,"

"Why, who knows, Ottarl-Kun," The great sage answered before smiling. "But in a few years, I am sure he will be as strong as you," The sage said. "I am confident that right now, he will defeat that young man planning to stop him from getting close to his sister,"

"Allen will be stopped, our lady had expressed her interest towards him. Not as a lover, but as a lover for Anya," He said making the sage nod.

"Very well, you may go Ottarl-Kun," The great sage said, putting the arrow back on the quiver.