Clover Kingdom's Champion

"I cannot believe, I'm allowing this to happen, in my own tavern." Kali grumbled, as she was at the bar counter, looking at a table, where four of the eight guests for the reservation, were seated, waiting on the other half of the party to arrive. "I'm so charging Finral for any damages that may occur during this mixer."

"Kali relax, at least Asta's coming to a place he's familiar with." Noelle said, wearing her tavern waitress outfit.

"Yeah, but one of those girls, if not all of them, Finral had to bring from Nean. Do you have any clue how far that is?" Kali asked.

"True. She does look uncomfortable with being here. I wonder if her friends forced her to come." Noelle sighed.

"Probably convinced her through peer pressure more then anything. There are some people who feel inclined to do that if they think their friends aren't being proactive in their social lives." Kali said, cleaning a glass. "Any other orders at the moment?"

"Table7 ordered the house special for the night." Noelle said. "An' they wanna take on the Heart Attack Challenge with the house special as the challenging dish."

"Oh, someone's feeling hungry and daring tonight." Kali said, before the bell over door rang. "That must be Finral and the rest of his party. Mind seating them while I take care of this order?"

"Sure thing." Noelle said, going to greet Finral's party, but stopped when she saw who had come with him. "Uh, Kali…"

"Yeah?"

"You might wanna seat these four, before cooking up the dish." Noelle said.

Kali sighed, and just set the stove to a simmer with low levels of fire magic, and went to the entrance, stopping when she saw who had come with Finral. The trio, that came with the playboy, were not who she was expecting. Kali was looking at Finral, Luck, Asta, and Asura.

"Hey Kali. What's up? Day going good?" Asta questioned.

"Kali, we're needing more bread baskets at tables 3, 5, and 9." Niji said flying up to Kali.

"I'll get right on that." Kali said. "Niji, could you seat these four at the table reserved for eight?"

"Sure thing." Niji smiled, turning to the four customers. "Gentlemen, if you'll please follow me."

Using her magic to quickly get things done, Kali hid behind a pillar with Noelle, as they spied on Finral's mixer.

"What the hell? I knew Finral was gonna drag Asta here, but Luck and Asura too?" Kali whispered. "There's definitely gonna be some damage with the lightning boy here."

"I know. It doesn't seem natural for Luck or Asura to be here. But… why should I care what Asta's doing in his free time?" Noelle questioned in her tsundere tone.

"Because you got the hots for him, and won't admit it?" Kali teased.

"Well you got the hots for Asura." Noelle stated.

"An' it's no secret sweetie. As soon as Vanessa found out I had a crush on someone, she blabbed it to everyone on the team when she found out who it was." Kali stated. "Now, we just gotta figure out, why Finral would choose to bring those three along. I mean, Luck is bound to want to start a fight with the girl he's paired up with."

"An' Asura isn't the type to be into this sort of thing. He's royalty, he could have any girl he wants." Noelle said.

"Says the royal who actually enjoys working as a barmaid in my tavern." Kali chuckled. "As fun as this is, we can't really spend the whole night, spying on the mixer. We have to get back to work."

Getting back into the swing of things, Kali couldn't help but feel like there was something wrong with what was happening with the Mixer. Eventually, she found herself behind the bar, cleaning some mugs, trying to keep her mind off the Mixer, before she was approached from behind.

"So, I take it you're not liking the Mixer?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that." Kali smiled, turning to look at Asura. "What about you? I thought a royal such as yourself didn't need to come to meaningless gatherings like this? An' what happened with your date for the Mixer?"

"I sent her home, with the money for the broom fair." Asura stated. "I only came, because your squad mate, Finral, promised me something."

"An' what did he promise you that a royal wouldn't possibly be able to get on their own?" Kali asked turning to look the other way.

"He promised me, you'd be here." Asura said.

Kali paused when reaching to put a mug on a higher shelf, hearing that, and blushed heavily hearing he only came because Finral promised she'd be there.

"He didn't exactly lie, but he didn't tell me you weren't actually part of the Mixer, either." Asura chuckled.

"R-right." Kali mumbled.

"So, how's life been now that your tail's grown back?" Asura questioned.

"It's been good. Didn't take a lot of getting used to. I mean, I was already used to it, so I just added it to my daily life now that it's back. This time I don't plan on getting rid of it though." Kali smiled. "What about you, enjoying the night?"

"Well, Finral's Mixer isn't doing so bad. Luck and Finral have managed to take their girls somewhere else, while Asta… yeah he's a lost cause that one." Asura sighed, as he turned to look back as Asta was trying too hard to make small talk.

"So um… do you have a favorite food or anything?" Asta asked the redhead across from him. "Me, I like pop-potatoes."

"This is painful to watch, and listen too." Kali groaned.

"You don't have to try so hard to make conversation, it's okay." The redhead, Rebecca sighed, before reaching up and pulling a decorative piece of jewelry out of her hair. "Getting all dressed up, and coming out was Erica's idea. She thinks I need a man for my siblings sake. But I don't even want to be here, I've spent the whole time worrying about my brothers and sisters back home in Nean."

"Wow, how many siblings do you have?" Asta asked.

"Five." Rebecca asked, sounding a bit shocked.

"This seems like it's going somewhere, Noelle might get jealous though." Kali smirked.

"Hey, that sounds like me, only I got one more sister, and she's older than I am, but just by about six months." Asta said.

"Really?" Rebecca asked.

"Well, we're not actually related or anything. I have six sorta siblings. I miss 'em now that I'm gone. We had fun, even though we didn't always get along, and the oldest of us was hardly ever around. But whenever she wasn't around, we all slept squished like sardines. When I joined the Magic Knights, I got a room all too myself, which was nice, but you know, it's kinda lonely not having a pack of restless little kids in there with me."

"Oh, yeah!" Rebecca smiled. "They can be so annoying, but then you miss them once they're not around."

"I know!" Asta smiled. "Plus, they helped keep me in line sometimes, because I always want them to think the best of me. It's weird. Even Kali would help to keep me in line."

"I totally understand." Rebecca smiled.

"Noelle if you break that plate, it's coming out of your pay." Kali called to the royal as she spotted her shaking in jealous anger.

"I'm not surprised you're a big sister. You seem like the type." Asta smiled.

"I have to admit, you don't really come across as the oldest in your family." Rebecca stated.

"I'm not, like I said, I have a big sister. In fact, you see the woman over there behind the bar counter, the one talking to Asura?" Asta questioned looking back to Kali and Asura, who instantly acted like they were enthralled in their own conversation. "She's the owner of this place, and the older sister I was talking about. An' she's an amazing chef as well. She came to the capital six months before me, and opened this place to make some money while she waited for the exams to come around. In fact, not too long ago, our Squad Captain officially adopted her as his daughter."

"Did he have to tell her that?" Kali questioned with a blush.

"Heads up, someone's marching to their table." Asura pointed out, putting Kali on alert.

"Well, well!" A drunk man said walking up to Rebecca and Asta's table. "Having some fun over here are we? Mister Fancy Magic Knight. Whoa, you're a runty thing. An' you're in the Magic Knights? Really? Must not be too hard to get in. Maybe I oughta give it a try, I mean they let you join."

"Yeah, sometimes I still don't even believe it myself." Asta said.

"Typical Asta. Always turns the other cheek when given an insult." Kali smiled proudly.

"Hey now…" The drunk man said, turning to look at Rebecca. "You got a lot of nerve going after a pretty lady like her. What she want with you anyway? Got a thing for Magic Knights?" He stated, receiving a growl from Rebecca in turn, neither of them noticing how people were looking at the man, like he just did something to warrant the looks of amusement on their faces.

"Want me to handle him Kali?" Asura asked.

"Nah, it's my establishment, you just take a seat, and enjoy the show as I handle this." Kali said, moving around from the back of the bar counter, while putting a mug of ale down in front of him.

"Huh? Oh. You look familiar." The man stated. "I've seen you somewhere."

"Unless you've been to Nean Village, then I doubt it." Rebecca said.

"Nean? I moved from there last week. Now I remember you. Working in that restaurant, with a kid strapped to your back. You're always sweating your tail off, surrounded by a bunch of brats." The man stated before he began laughing. "Those your kids, hanging around, huh?" He questioned. "Did your man leave ya high and dry?"

"No, I am not their mother." Rebecca said.

"No wonder you're trying to land a Magic Knight. That sure would make your life easier." The drunk man stated, before he grabbed Rebecca by her shoulders. "Well, you're pretty enough, if you want a man that bad? Lemme help ya sweet cheeks."

"Poor bastard's done it now." One of the regulars said.

"The owner is gonna kill him. No way she's gonna let assault like this, on a woman slide." Another said.

"Hey, get off. Let me go." Rebecca said, struggling in his grasp.

"Excuse me sir." Kali stated, grabbing one of the man's wrists, and prying his hand off Rebecca's shoulder, which from his perspective, was quite painful, he could even feel it through his intoxication. "I'm gonna have to ask you to leave the premises. We don't tolerate our patrons being treated with such disrespect and lecherous behavior." She growled.

"Oh crap. C'mon Rebecca we gotta scram." Asta said, grabbing Rebecca's wrist.

"Why, what's the matter?" Rebecca asked as Asta dragged her away.

"When Kali gets like this, she's usually not one to go through with a fight, but the guy is drunk to a fight is gonna happen, and we don't wanna be here when it does." Asta said.

"Asta." Kali called to him. "If you see Finral, tell him that any damages to my restaurant tonight are gonna be added to his bill."

"Right." Asta called back as he left the building with Rebecca.

"Who the hell are you toots?" The Drunk man questioned.

"I'm the owner of this tavern, and you need to leave. So pay your bill and get out." Kali stated.

"Fat chance, I ain't paying for shit after you ruined my night." The man said, pulling his arm away, before looking Kali up and down. "But I do know one way, you could make it up to me." He stated in an interesting tone, as he reached down and put his arm around Kali to grab her ass.

"He's dead." Asura said, as everyone else in the tavern thought it.

"An' not because Kali's angry." Niji added, sitting on Asura's shoulder, as the royal drank his ale.

Kali's hand instantly shot to her backside, and grabbed the man's arm, prying his hand from her glutes, before pulling it up, and throwing his arm back, and causing the man to lose his balance, before he was stopped by a hand being placed on his back.

"Because he's here." Niji sighed.

"Hey, thanks for stopping me from falling. That bitch is…" The drunk man stopped talking when he saw that the man who caught him, had a dark aura around him, and has a hand gripping his katana, with the intent for murder. "Y-Yami Sukehiro?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing to my daughter?" Yami questioned.

"Your daughter? You mean the redhead who left?"

"No, he's talking about me." Kali stated, as the man looked back at her in shock. "But Captain, what are you doing here?"

"What, can't a father come and support his daughter's business by ordering his favorite dish?" Yami asked. "An' would you call me dad? I did change your diapers when you were a baby."

"Captain." Kali practically shouted, her face flushed red.

~Later Black Bulls Hideout~

"That was an intense evening." Kali groaned flopping back on the couch with Vanessa.

"Trouble at the tavern?" Vanessa asked, handing Kali a bottle of wine.

"You could say that." Kali sighed.

"Let's just say, Yami didn't take too kindly to someone groping Kali's ass." Niji smiled.

"Sounds like Yami's gonna be busy tonight hiding a body." Vanessa chuckled.

"No he's not. The creep was just taken in for sexually harassing a Magic Knight. But it's safe to assume Yami didn't bring him in, in one piece." Niji chuckled flying to the bar.

"True that." Kali sighed, after downing nearly half the bottle of wine in one go.

Kali and Vanessa looked up at the sound of one of Finral's portals opening, and saw the beaten and dejected Finral coming through with Luck, and Asta, as well as a surprise guest.

"Hey guys, look who we brought along." Asta smiled, as Asura smirked.

"Asura, what are you doing here?"

"Just thought I'd come and give my condolences to the Black Rose." Asura said.

"Condolences?"

"What for?" Niji inquired, coming back with a thimble as a cup.

"Do to the fight involving a Squad Captain happening at your tavern, you are required to shut it down, until further notice." Asura said.

"What?" Vanessa asked.

"Shut it down? But it was just some perv who got grabby with me." Kali said, jumping to her feet.

"An' normally this wouldn't happen. But Captain Yami of the Black Bulls got involved, which means the building has to be shut down until a proper investigation clears it of any suspicions." Asura said. "I'll put in a word with whoever's in charge. The fact it was just a father helping his daughter out, should hold some weight on the investigation, but it won't stop it completely, just slow it down."

"This is just great." Kali groaned exasperated.

"So is there anything else you came here for, or are you done?" Vanessa questioned.

"Well, I do have one other thing." Asura said. "I've recently received word that my mother, will be returning to the Capital to take Fuegoleon's place as Squad Captain until he awakens."

"Why are you warning us about this?" Asta questioned.

"Well… My mother tends to be, not the kindest of women. In fact, the moment she hears about Kali having a tail like mine, or having the same magic as me, she's bound to come track you down, and do something." Asura explained. "What she plans on doing, I don't know. It's just how she is, unpredictable."

"I guess that is fair warning." Kali sighed, before noticing Niji flipping through her Grimoire. "Hey Niji, what are you doing?"

"Hmm? Oh nothing much, I'm just going through the spells, seeing which ones would be a hindrance or a help in battle." Niji stated, drinking wine from her thimble.

"I really need to get a lock for that thing." Kali said, before turning back to Asura. "Thanks for the heads up. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for her."

"Just be careful around my mother. The last person who tried to actually do something about her behavior, was found with third degree burns all over his body shaped like claw marks." Asura stated.

"Just how crazy is this woman?" Kali questioned.

A/N: Please leave a review. No flames please.