Ren sighed as he felt his mouth itch under his orange scarf/cloth wrapped around his lower face and neck, several times. He was now dressed in the male version of the hostess uniform with the vest and apron missing as he had just finished his shift.

Putting his hand on his black pants' pocket, he wondered if something good will happen today.

"Hmph," Other than Anya pouting at him due to his lower amount of work hours.

"What?" Ren asked as he looked at the cat people on top of the refrigerator. Don't ask him why she was there. "I know it's hot and Mia left the hostess, but you really should start working," Ren told the brown-haired cat people who jumped down and landed on his back.

"But it's so hot nya!" Anya whined, resting on his back.

"It's not that bad," For him. After all, growing in a tropical country made this heat feel like home. He could only chuckle at the reaction of his co-workers. It seems like he was the only one used to this heat, after all, he is used to more humid climates.

Even Ryuu, who used to live in a forest is looking sluggish. Props to him, he does live near green mountains.

"You do know that it will feel less hot, if you get off me," Ren told her with a sigh.

"No, nya! If we suffer, then you too as well, nya!" Anya said stubbornly, making him sigh as the cat people pressed herself tighter at him.

"A little help here," Ren said to his other co-workers who shook their heads.

"Nuh-uh!"

"You take care of her,"

"I'm busy,"

Ren was about to look at Syr but stopped as he saw that smile on her face. There is no way he was gonna give her more blackmail material like last time.

Sighing, he looked at Ryuu only for his eye to twitch at her smirk. Fine, I'll do it myself. Reaching behind his back, he grabbed Anya by the back of her collar and hoisted her in front of him, reminding them of someone picking up a cat by the back of its neck.

"What?" Ren asked, seeing the pout Anya gave him. It was adorable really.

"Why do you get fewer work hours than we do nya?" Anya asked him, with a pout on her face. He could feel the looks of his co-workers and the enjoyment from the elf at his predicament.

"Well... My work is usually more taxing mentally than you girls do. I have to be perfectly precise with what I write and stuff. If I mess up just a single figure, I will have to do it again from the start," Ren told her, hoping that it would calm them all down. Luckily, it did.

"I'm amazed that the dwarf is letting you do that job," Ryuu said, sitting down in front of him, and was prepared to laugh at him.

"Of course, boss ma'am knows what my capabilities are," Ren said with a smirk. "Oh, look at the time. I should get going," Ren said, standing up he stretched a bit and fixed his scarf. He went to his locker and took out a bag. Raising his hand, he caught a spearhead and let it turn to a spear.

"Where are you going nya?" Anya asked, looking at him and tilting her head to the side. "Does Mama Mia know you're heading out?" She asked, looking at Ren.

"Yeah, I might head back home late in the evening in a few days from now," Ren told her with a smile.

"Where are you going? Are you perhaps planning to get yourself eaten?" Ryuu asked with a smirk. Almost every girl looked at her before shrugging. They were all concerned with their co-worker's hangout, and they knew she was worried for Ren.

"As a matter of fact. I have a date," Ren told them smugly. It was a total lie, no girl had approached him and most of them were huddling away from him. In fact, he was to meet a new friend.

Ren rolled for persuasion, nat 20.

Unknown to him, Syr grew a happy smile before hiding behind the former adventurers at the aura Anya released. Her tail was wagging erratically and her eyes were dark and hollow. She was clenching her hand tightly.

"Uhm, Ryuu, I think we-," Syr paused as she looked at Ryuu. The elf, just like Anya, has a cold aura around her. Her face, although it was greatly hidden under her almost perfect poker face, Syr was able to see the annoyance, anger, and frustration, by the slight grit of her teeth, the ways she clenched her apron.

Syr could only look at Ren with a sigh. He really was a sinful man.

"She must be a purr-ety woman, right, nya?" Anya said lowly, tail wagging dangerously as she eyed Ren could. This behavior change made the other girls huddle up closer while shivering.

"I admit, it is quite vexing for a cretin like you to have a woman that fancies you enough to go on a date with you," Ryuu's cold words stuck Ren mentally as memories of being ntr'ed reappeared. Hiding his pain behind a mask of playful airheadedness of his fantasies, he started to think.

"Yep, she's a very beautiful young woman around my age. She has pale blond hair, pale skin. She has a bit of a habit of telling the opposite of what she wanted to say but she is pretty sweet, kind, and caring," Ren described Joanna Fleur, his beloved childhood friend and one that he missed dearly. through different dimensions, Joanna Fleur sneezed cutely while hugging Rain Cruz and giggled happily.

Ren rolled for persuasion. Nat 20. It was very effective to Ryuu and Anya, the others... not so much

"Well, I gotta go," Ren said, humming as he walked out of the employee's room, loosening his scarf to allow him to breathe but still secure enough to hide his face. He was walking down the street side-by-side with a brown-haired young woman, wearing a muffler like him.

It has been three days since Ren disappeared to who knows where. The girls were worried, even Ryuu, although, she tried to hide it. They had gone to Mia to let her know and it seems like Ren went on an expedition, not a date which made Anya relieved and for Ryuu to be less worried.

Ryuu had promised to make Ren regret making her act that way before he left. She had even readied her kind smile on to ask him to train (read: beat up) with Ren.

"Since mama and Syr are not here," Anya announced with a smile. They had closed the shop earlier today, as the two were gone on an errand. "Let's party!" Anya said happily as the co-workers cheered that the tyrant was gone and now they could play happily.

The girls one by one slowly started to cook food, for the party. Anya lead the charge as she coordinated the impromptu party by herself happily, tail and ears wagging and twitching happily.

'Oh no, they're using the kitchen's pantry stock to throw a party in the restaurant without permission,' Ryuu thought dejectedly. Mia was gonna have their heads and her debt was gonna be increased. This was all because she could not stop them.

'it's all inevitable now.' Ryuu thought as she ate some snacks given to her by her co-worker/

-flashback two days ago-

A rather gloomy Anya worked hard, angry at Ren for going on a date with someone else, and for not going back home.

"What's wrong with you two?" Mia asked, looking at the dejected cat and the rather clumsier elf. It has been a day since she noticed and just wondered if they missed Cruz. Seems like Cruz did something to them. Mia thought as she saw the face of his little brother disciple's face.

"Oh, mama," Syr said, playfully wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. "Those two haven't been the same since Ren-Kun went on a date and he still did not go home last night," Her words made the elf perk up and about to deny being worried for the cretin while Anya, slammed a tray down after being reminded of Ren's whereabouts.

"What? Oh," Mia said with a grin. "Those two are jealous aren't they?" Mia said with a smile aimed at a dejected yet working Anya and an elf in denial. Ryuu Lion did not miss or was jealous of that cretin.

"yes, mama. It was terrible," Syr said with a teasing grin. "Anya was so depressed she messed up more orders than usual,"

said cat perked up and hissed at Syr, playfully.

"I was not jealous nya!" Anya said with a pout. While Ryuu stayed silent yet her ears were burning red.

"Don't worry, Ren is not on a date," Mia said with a chuckle. Her words made everyone look at her and for Anya and Ryuu to perk up. Ryuu, let out a sigh of relief making Syr smile mischievously. "He is on a solo expedition to Beor mountains,"

"I see, nya!" Anya said, tail and ears twitching happily at the news. Puffing out her chest proudly she decided to work harder while Ryuu. Looked outside and watched Anya play in the rain.

Splash, splash. The sounds of her jumping on top of puddles happily.

'Why am I so relieved?' Ryuu thought as she looked at her hand. Suddenly, a tick mark appeared on her head as she remembered what Ren said about her chest. 'Not so impressive chest,' The elf thought dejectedly.

'I can at least make him his favorite cup of coffee as a thank you for helping me,' Somehow, her body warned her that it would be a bad idea to do anything with his coffee reserve.

As if sensing her intent, Mia looked at her. "I will not help you if Cruz decides to kill you for messing with his coffee stash," Mia said, remembering the time she had visited their teacher and was almost killed when she spilled his coffee. Her, Demi-Ymir, was almost killed by a level 1.

Yeah, her little brother disciple was weird. She had half a mind to sick him on people with false pretenses of them trying to steal his coffee and she knew he would wipe them off the face of the earth.

Lying down on her bed, Ryuu laid in content.

'So comfortable. I may get a good night's rest for once,' Ryuu thought as her consciousness started to slip in. 'Such... a... sweet scent..' Eyes opening, Ryuu immediately stood up, eyes widened in panic.

'This smell! Sweet scent,' Ryuu thought as she stood up. 'For someone with resistance like mine to become this drowsy,' Ryuu thought.

'I can't stay too still for long,' Ryuu thought. Just how much did they pay for the ingredients? The maker must have a top-class synthesizer class.

'How careless, I knew there would be an attempt on my life in the near future,' Ryuu thought, putting on her shoes and taking out her swords under her pillows. 'But, I've never would've thought that they'd try it at the bar, which is filled with skilled employees,'

'I should be the only target. However, the mist should have spread on all three floors. it was powerful enough to make me nearly lose consciousness. So those in the dining area are unlikely to awaken. I should move before Anya and the others get taken, hostage,' Ryuu thought, however, after she took a step, she froze as a rather familiar runic array symbol, she had seen Ren put up on the bar appeared. It had a pair of numbers, a number 1 and a number 4. Deciphering the numbers' meaning, she knew that the one on the hallway was a level four.

'It seems like Cruz knows his stuff in preparing the defenses. I can see why Mia trusts him so much,' Ryuu thought with a smile, calming herself before coming out of her room. A level four is inside the pub, other than her co-workers. Stepping out, she found nothing.

'Nothing?' Feeling as if something was watching, a bright light soon glowed behind her, blinding her would-be killer. 'Light runes? Cruz!' Turning around she saw a black-haired white-floured collared cat people holding a knife.

"Aww, this would have been easier if you were asleep and when these traps were not armed," Ryuu looked at her would-be assassin and giggled. The cat, probably unknown to her was now collared, and covered in flour.

"Any by that, *snicker* knife, you must be the black cat," Ryuu said, chuckling to herself as she saw the cat people's face twisted in annoyance. Her dark clothes were stained white in flour, her new collar was heavy, yet it did nothing to her. She felt like a pet.

Sighing in irritation, The black cat calmed herself. "Ah, well, assassination failed," She said with a smirk, letting go of her weapon.

'She dropped her weapon? ' Ryuu looked at the black cat, her drowsiness affecting her. Then, in a burst of speed, the black cat kicked her blade towards the elf. Dodging the knife, Ryuu was not able to stop the black cat from doing what she planned,

"Guess, it's time for brute force 'kay?" The black cat said, throwing balls on the ground which erupted into smoke.

"Frolic,"

'A spell! An extremely short incantation? Where is she?' Ryuu thought looking around, trying to extend her senses. Ryuu perked up, twisting her body to use her blades o cut a shadow that escaped from the smoke.

'When did she get behind me?!' Ryuu thought, only for her blade to cut through the mist. "An illusion?!"

"Bingo," The black cat said, knife aimed at the elf's back. feeling the intent, Ryuu twisted her body

'This is the real one!' Ryuu thought as she used one of her blades to block the black cat's knives. The two clashed and jumped away from each other.

"Never thought you'd block that... level fours are the worst. That's supposed to be my trump card," Ryuu went to a fighting stance, wondering why one of the runes glowed purple on her line of vision. "But... I did cut you,"

Eyes widening, Ryuu connected the dots together, the purple flash, the cut, the sleeping scent. She was poisoned! Seeing her expression the black cat smirked and held up her knife.

"This one is called 'Violator' It's cute, right? I lather her up with lots of poison. A special concoction of my own. And today's mix is," The black cat said playing with her knife and catching it. "Liquid poison Vermis,"

"?!" Ryuu's expression showed what she felt. 'The poison so strong that even with resistance skill it's deadly?' Ryuu asked before calming down. She could use this. to her advantage. 'Damn it, Cruz! Looks like I owe you another one,' She thought with a mental smile at the image of the orange muffler-wearing human that had made the arrays in the pub.

You don't have an antidote, now do you? Even if ya did, not that I'd let you use it," The black cat said with a cruel smirk as another version of her self formed.

'That's it, be more overconfident,' Ryuu thought as she felt the poison slowly be filtered from her body. Luckily, Ren had formed the area around the pub and even the surrounding neighborhood in case that Syr decided to feed him her cooking. It was even strong enough to hold back the effects of a poison like this. 'Wait, could Syr's cooking be deadlier than a liquid poison Vermis?!' Ryuu thought, remembering the reaction Cruz had. The young man had vomited and wished for a swift death.

Looking at the assassin, Ryuu suddenly noticed that one of them glowed with a light sheen. 'Just like you to form these kinds of arrays, Cruz, no, Ren-Kun,' Ryuu thought with a smile, finding the real one was easy as long as they are in the hostess, due to Ren's runes. One of the runes near the window flashed to life. Ryuu, knowing that it was wise to trust Ren's runes, prepared herself.

The duo was about to fight again when suddenly. 's attention. Suddenly, the area they were in exploded. "HI. I'M BUTTING IN," Someone said, catching the duo off guard.

"NYA?!" The black cat squealed as she was blown back by the force of the attack while Ryuu. The elf landed gracefully on the ground. Her expression showed despair at the sight of the brutalized Hostess.

'Ah, it's wrecked. Mama Mia will have my head,' The elf thought with a shudder before shaking her head. She saw what seemed to be paper falling from the sky and froze. Ren's room was next to her.

'Well, we're doomed. If it is not the owner, then it's Cruz who will make us pay,' Ryuu thought, eyes hollow at the sight of the falling papers.

"I should've known that it wouldn't have been that easy... Well, sneak attacks don't really sit well with me anyway... so I guess it's okay," Their attacker and destroyer of the pub and Ren's work said.

"What are mew doing Nya!" The black cat shouted angrily from the ruined wreck. "WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?!" Looking closely, the black cat twitched as she looked closely at the woman. "Hm? HANG ON A SEC. ARE YOU REALLY THE BLACK FIST?!" The black cat said.

"Does that make you the black cat?" The black fist asked. Fixing her scarf, she looked at the black cat with a grin. "It looks like we got a double bounty," She said as she looked at the black cat. Her grin was cut short when a collar formed around her neck. Runes appeared in the sky, cutting off escape from the human and cat people, as a blur of orange flashed between the black fist and Ryuu. Before anyone can react, the black cat fell on her knees, panting and sweating heavily while the black fist was blown away, bouncing from the floor several times like a rock skipping on the water and crashed through the warehouse, slowly slipping down the enchanted wall.

"What was that mew!" The black cat said, only to freeze at the sight of a person with an orange scarf/muffler around his neck. On his hand, he held a simple yet beautiful spear that hungered for blessed blood and flesh. Her hairs stood up, warning her to not cross this man.

"R-ren-Kun," Ryuu said, blushing slightly as she got a full view of her housemate's face for the first time ever since they first met. She was far younger than she imagined, and that she was being carried easily, princess style and protectively.

She was then shocked as the Youngman looked at her coldly, letting her down and throwing a vial of antidote on her lap. She could only watch as Ren shifted his hold on the spear and it sung.

"What hit me?" The black fist asked, freezing at the cold sensation on her neck. A collar!? Since when?! Looking up, The black fist can only shiver at the horror she was looking in. An orange scarf danced on the wind along with his dark jacket made up of monster hide, a Nemean Lion, a shirt, black pants from another high-level monster, dragonhide boots from the Amphisbaena. His eyes reflected the glint and singing from his spear.

"I'm sorry, Lady Demeter," The black fist whispered in fear at the sight of the spearman in front of her.

"I'm dealing with you later," Ren said calmly, looking at the black cat. Ryuu shivered as she looked at her housemate. Holding his hand out, a sphere formed and a chain materialized from the black fist's collar.

"I really fucking hate it when someone destroys my hard work," Ren said calmly as the runes around glowed brightly, The black fist immediately panted and dropped to her knees as she struggled to look at the young man. "And you just wrecked a month's worth of hard work," All she could see was the tip of the spear approaching her face quickly.