This was perhaps my favorite chapter to write so far. I had this vision of what this chapter would look and like and really wanted to be able to convey it in story form. Hopefully, I was able to convey that vision I had to my readers.

Enjoy…

Chapter 5

It had been two weeks since the almost disastrous hunt. Both hunters had buried that memory deep within the confines of their memory, with the hope that it would never need to resurface again. The event itself was a serious blow to their pride, evident from the embarrassing and pathetic way they almost lost their lives. Their own lack of cooperation nearly had them killed, all due to their stubborn personalities and their refusal to work together properly. Compared to Rowan and Romero, who individually weren't as skilled as neither Siegfried or Eris, they made up for it with impeccable teamwork, allowing them to overcome their respective weaknesses and take down their prey efficiently.

At the very least, however, they were compensated for it with a hefty sum of money that would easily last them for nearly half a year.

Still, the entire ordeal had left a bitter taste in their mouths and they hoped to god that they would never cross paths again…

It was a busy day in Dundorma as per usual. The markets were teeming with people and the hunters and merchants gathered around to converse and trade. Surrounding the square was a small garrison of armored Guild Knights, whose watchful eyes scanned the area for any signs of trouble. It was here that Eris conducted her weekly shopping trips as she needed to stock up on ingredients and supplies. As a Havencroft, her family was relatively wealthy, and they owned a rather expensive looking home around the outskirts of Dundorma, just outside the town walls. After the death of her mother and her father's absence from the house, however, no longer were they as wealthy as before. In the end, Eris took it upon herself to manage the home, living a relatively frugal life alone and using the funds she received from hunting to pay taxes and purchase supplies.

"Hmm…" Eris' blue eyes scrutinized the ingredients in front of her as she contemplated on what to make for lunch and dinner tonight. I have some leftover meat back at home…perhaps I should make use of that.

The shopkeeper smiled and pointed at a green vegetable, "I'd recommend that lettuce over there. It's the newest breed grown on the snowy mountains of Minegarde, freshly picked for your enjoyment."

"I see. How much is it?"

"1000 zenny."

Eris blinked, "T-That's highway robbery!"

"For your information, that lettuce is a rare species that only grow in cold temperatures no normal cabbage could handle. As a result, its texture is crisp, and it doesn't spoil easily."

"You could buy a whole week's worth of Aptonoth meat with that much money!"

"Sorry, take it or leave it."

Eris glared at the shopkeeper but as her eyes landed on the lettuce, she couldn't help but imagine all the delicious dishes she could cook with that lettuce. The thought of it nearly made her mouth water. Eventually, after some time, she relented and begrudgingly took out her wallet to hand over the cash when suddenly, a commotion from behind her catches her attention. At first, she paid no heed to it, deeming it as a waste of her time but when she heard the distinct voice of a child, she immediately stopped what she was doing and turned towards the crowd. She pushed through the mass of people and stopped to stare at the source of the commotion.

It was a hunter and, on the ground, battered and bruised was a child.

"Damn brat! How dare you try to steal from me!"

The child whimpered, "I-I'm sorry mister, b-but I really needed the m-money you see. My mother is sick, and she needs medicine to cure her- "

"I don't give a flying fuck about your mother. Now, give back what you stole!"

"P-Please mister, I really need the m-money!"

"You little shit!" The hunter raised his fist into the air, intent on punishing the boy. The child closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable…But it never came. He opened his eyes and stared in shock.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, "Eris warned threateningly, tightening her grip on the hunter's wrist.

The hunter looked back and found himself in the clutches of the infamous Ice Queen. "You…" he muttered with a gulp. Eris released her grip and the hunter stumbled away, clutching his wrist.

Eris lifted the child onto his feet and rubbed his head affectionately, "Run along now. It's not safe whenever dumbasses like him roam around." The nameless child nodded and ran off, disappearing amongst the crowd.

"Now then…" With her hands on her waist, Eris sent an ice-cold glare directed at the hunter, "How would you like to be punished?"

"Punished?! The nerve!" The hunter stomped towards Eris and scowled at the huntress, using his bulk and height in an attempt to intimidate her. The woman, however, simply rolled her eyes.

"Is that a threat?" she asked him, smiling maliciously. She stepped closer, staring directly into his eyes. The hunter backed away, clearly not expecting the coldness and hostility of her reply.

"Harming a child yet cowers in fear of an adult. How deplorable." The hunter took a quick glance around the area. Immediately, he noticed the crowd staring at him, stares full of mockery, contempt and a handful of pity. The hunter shook, rage swelling within him like a dam ready to burst. He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, mortification, and shame clouding his mind. At this point, he had enough.

"Y-You, y-you…You bitch!" He rapidly swung his right fist, intent on clobbering the woman. But Eris, a skilled fighter with years of practice, expertly ducked underneath the punch, retaliating with a potent uppercut to the hunter's groin. Though not as physically powerful as most hunters, she made up for it by targeting the weaknesses of her enemies. It was the reason why she utilized the Longsword's precise and accurate slashes and stabs.

The resulting hit to the man's unarmored groin was devastating. He toppled onto the ground like a lifeless doll, clutching his family jewels as the men watching from the crowd cringed.

"Aghhh, son of a bitch! What the hell?!"

Eris strutted towards the downed hunter and placed her foot onto his chest. She leaned over him, scowling condescendingly. "So, how does it feel to lose against someone weaker than you?"

"Damn hussy! You cheated!"

Eris placed a hand on her chest in mock surprise, "Cheated? Heaven's no! As the last and only child of the Havencroft family, there are standards I must abide by in order to preserve the honor of my family. I most certainly cannot injure the conga of men whom I've only met once right?"

"Why you- "

"You two stop!"

Eris turned to find two guards moving toward them. Based on their heavy armor, she deduced that they must members of the city guard.

"Officers help, this woman assaulted me!"

The guards turned towards Eris, giving her a skeptical look, "Is this true?"

"It is not a lie," she stated bluntly. The guards flinched at her honesty, surprising the hunter underneath her as well, who had expected her to deny it.

"Then we must arrest you- "

"However, due to your incompetence, a child was hurt in the process. So, who am I to blame for the harming of a child?" She lifted her foot off the hunter's chest and stepped towards the knights. She pointed her finger at both of them, "The Guild."

One of the guards grimaced at her accusation, "Listen here- "

"Don't even start with that time you people supposedly saved a region from collapsing simply because you killed a fanatical king and his followers. It took the Guild decades before they did anything and by that time, thousands had suffered under the rule of that king."

"Lady if you don't- "

"What else yeah? Oh yeah, the stance on protecting and controlling the monster population? That's a load of bullshit. I know you people engage in acts of poaching yourself for the money, don't you? Not to mention, assassination, political usurpation, covering up of information just to name a few."

Eris flipped her hair and gave the guards her sharpest glare, "In short, you're all incompetent hypocrites!"

The knight who had stayed silent snapped, "That's enough!" He stepped towards her in an attempt to arrest her…only to be met with a fist directed at his face. The knight stumbles back, clutching his bleeding and a broken nose. Around them, the crowd chanted.

Furious, the other knight scowled at Eris, "You bitch! Harming an official knight is against the law! We're bringing you in whether you like it or not!" He attempted to grab the huntress, only to be met with the same fate as his partner. "Aggh! My noth!"

"Knights? You're not knights. You both are just a couple of city guards assigned to Dundorma's town square."

The guards shook with rage, "Gaagh! Geth fer!"

Before the fight could escalate, suddenly a figure moved between them. "Stop this at once!"

Immediately, the crowd went silent at the arrival of this newcomer. The two guards stopped at once the moment they saw who this newcomer was. They gulped and backed away slowly.

"I-It's you…"

Eris blinked twice, confused. "Who?" she asked, observing the figure. She had zero clues as to who this person was. She noted the figure's attire: a red coat over an armored torso, gauntlets, a waistcoat and shin guards. From this, Eris concluded that this person was a Guild Knight, the elite force of the Guild tasked with both hunting and punishing offenders.

The injured hunter on the ground scoffed, "You don't know? What a- Oof!"

"You shut it!" she snapped. The hunter yelped and promptly shut his mouth.

"Wait, you don't know who I am?" The figure's voice was muffled, possibly by the imposing cage visor covering the figure's face. The person then removed the visor, revealing itself to Eris.

It was a man. Handsome, tall and slim, with slick chin-length black hair. All in all, a perfect specimen of a renowned Guild Knight. However, Eris was unimpressed.

"Do I need to?" she said, crossing her arms.

The man sighed, "Forgive me for my late introduction…" He bowed, "Edmond Curtis. Guild Knight. It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Eris Havencroft."

"You know who I am?"

"Of course. Not a single soul in this region does not know the name "Ice Queen" without the mentioning of your name. And if I may, I'd say you're even more beautiful than your descriptions."

Eris rolled her eyes, "Flattery won't get you anywhere."

"Haha apologies. Anyway…" He turned his attention to the two guards, who shivered at the sight of their superior. "What seems to be the problem here?"

The guards pointed their finger at Eris, "S-She attacked us!"

"That's right! She- Ack!"

She whispered furiously, "If I hear another word from you, your groin won't be the only thing that's damaged."

Edmond scratched his chin, "Umm…"

Eris sighed, "Right…my answer is yes. It is not a lie."

The guards brightened up, "See?! She- "

"Be quiet!" Edmond snapped, eliciting a yelp from the guards. Eris raised an eyebrow but was nonetheless mildly impressed. He gestured for her to continue.

"Thank you. Now, it is true that I did attack those guards…and this man on the ground. But do you know why I did it?"

"No. Do tell."

"Well to put it simply, I was fed up with the incompetence of you people of the Guild. All the things you've done and strived to accomplish…do you realize just how hypocritical you people are?"

"What are you talking about?"

Eris sighed. She was beginning to get tired of this. Coupled with the fact that a whole crowd of people watched her, she felt extremely uncomfortable. There was no point arguing. It was time for her to leave. "Whatever, I'm leaving. Goodbye."

Edmond blinked twice before running towards her, "Wait! You cannot leave without clearing things up!" He grabbed her shoulder, only for her to slap his hand away. She turned and glared at him, "Don't touch me."

"…Really?! Woman, is this really important now?"

"What's important is that you mind your own business." She turned to leave, only for him to grab her wrist. She froze, clearly not expecting him to be so bold. But the fact that he boldly grabbed her like that…it infuriated her. "Let go."

"Not until you tell me what happened. As a Guild Knight, it is my duty to keep order within the capital, and as your superior, you must follow orders."

Eris gritted her teeth. This man had the audacity to touch her, let alone claim he's her superior simply because he was a Guild Knight? She didn't have time for this. "Piss off, will you?" She yanked her hand off him and walked away.

Edmond clenched his fist and called out towards her, "What about your public image?!"

She waved her hand back, "My public image is already tarnished enough to the point where I don't give a damn anymore. So, leave me alone!" The distance between them grew ever so farther.

"Hey!" he called out. "Hey! Hey!"

And then she was gone, vanishing behind a passing cart as the crowd watched in silence.

Coincidentally, in the same town in an inconspicuous looking building located on the outskirts of the town, a man sighed in exasperation. Behind him, a rather naked woman laid under the covers, idly playing with her auburn colored hair.

"I think you need to learn to let it go."

The man sighed as he put on his chainmail, "That's not the first time I've heard someone tell me that."

The woman gave him a tender look, "Siegfried darling listen to me. I'm no hunter, but I do know that it's not healthy for you to be so affected by something as trivial as this."

Siegfried groaned and turned towards the woman, "Look, I don't need advice from someone like you alright? You have no idea what I felt that time and you have no right to lecture me on something you can barely understand."

The woman smirked, "Does that mean that you have no right to require our services just because you're not like us?"

Siegfried opened his mouth but stopped the moment he realized he had no way to rebuff. He audibly groaned in defeat and went back to putting on his chainmail. Just as he finished fixing his chainmail, he felt a pair of arms snake itself around his waist. Oh, dear god…

"Carla." Siegfried tried to pry her hands off him. "I just put on my mail. I do not want to take it off again."

Not minding the feeling of her bare skin against his cold chainmail, she tightened her grip around him. "C'mon dear, it can't hurt for another quickie…"

"…You just want me to pay more don't you?"

"Hmm."

"Am I wrong?"

"Perhaps. Or, it could be that I simply like the company of my favorite client."

She was caught off guard when he suddenly turned around and enveloped her in an embrace. His hands moved from her slim waist towards her rear, eliciting a whimper from the woman in his arms. He then pressed his lips against the side of her neck, lightly nipping at the sensitive skin there, forcing her to cling onto him for support. He spoke in a low voice.

"Carla, I'm a hunter. I don't have time for this."

She smirked, "Then mind telling me what you're doing now oh good hunter?"

He pulled her closer to his body, meshing her exposed breasts against his chest. "You're making this very difficult for me."

She retaliated by lightly biting his earlobe, "What are you waiting for then?"

Siegfried was just about to give in to his urges once more when he quickly remembered that he had just slept with the woman known as the 'Scarlett Hustler', a woman infamous for deceiving her clients with false promises, blackmailing them and then running off with a whole lot of extra cash. It baffled him as to why she hadn't treated him like anyone of her other clients.

"…Sorry." Siegfried promptly released her and continued to dress, putting on his chest piece and waist guards. The woman in question pouted before she sighed and went back to pick up her clothes.

"You know, I've always wondered about something."

Carla slipped onto her red dress, "And what is that?"

"You've never treated me like your other clients. I know who you are, yet you never tried to stab me in the back. Why is that?"

Carla laughed, "Oh my dear Sieg, it's rather simple." The woman tied her hair into her usual ponytail, something that brought back memories of a certain ice-queen that Siegfried loathed to remember.

"It's because I like you. You're a genuinely interesting person you know that?"

"I'm flattered to hear that."

"No, I'm not kidding. From the get-go, I knew you weren't like any other client I've serviced before. You're different. You're also hiding something, and I intend to find out what."

"Then why not blackmail me like anyone else?"

"Ah, perhaps because as I have said before, I like you? Perhaps I find sex with you to be extremely pleasurable? Perhaps it's because I intend to stay by your side?" She pondered for a moment. "Maybe it's something else? Something far deeper perhaps…Who knows?"

Siegfried clicked his tongue, "Tch. Damn snake."

She simply stuck her tongue out.

Half an hour later…

Siegfried let out a tired sigh as he called for yet another shot. The bartender, a gruff-looking Felyne simply shook his head as he delivered him another shot of ale.

"It's been two weeks already…Stop looking so pathetic."

Siegfried glared at the Felyne, "Oh, shut up. I don't need another person telling me the exact same thing again and again."

The Felyne shrugged, "Suit yourself."

It had been two weeks since the disastrous hunt and unlike Eris, Siegfried still had trouble letting go of that particular experience. He was an extremely prideful man so to have him fail almost spectacularly would haunt him for a rather long time. To counteract this, he resolved to drown away the particular memory through drinking. However, as a hunter, his rather high alcohol tolerance proved to be troublesome.

"Goddamn it…"

He groaned in frustration as he pushed his now empty mug away. He desperately needed something to take his mind off that painful experience. If alcohol wouldn't work, what would?

"Take back what you said to her!"

The accusing voice caught his attention. Siegfried looked back to find a small crowd gathering around the middle of the tavern. He recognized that voice. Could it be?

"You son of a bitch! That hurt!"

Suddenly, a figure was flung towards his direction, crashing next to him and breaking the long wooden bar, prompting Siegfried to nonchalantly move to the right. The Felyne bartender let out an exasperated sigh at the broken bar. "Not again…"

"Shit what a throw…" the figure muttered, groaning in pain. The figure's voice, a man's voice to be precise was oddly familiar. As the person lifted himself up, Siegfried's eyes widened in surprise. There was no mistaking that lock of blonde hair.

"Jason?"

The figure turned towards Siegfried, his own red eyes widening. "Siegfried?"

"Hey, we're not finished yet!"

The perpetrator of the throw, a large muscular bald man wearing heavy armor strutted towards Jason, cracking his knuckles and grinning devilishly. The blonde-haired man pulled himself up, brushing the wood pieces and dust off him as he raised his fists in a defensive stance, preparing himself for the second round.

The large man cackled, "Weakling! How can you possibly win against me?"

"Shut up!" Jason roared out as he charged recklessly towards the man. The man, however, simply lowered his body and shoulder bashed Jason, sending the blonde man crashing down onto the ground. The man's larger and bulkier body proved to be nigh impenetrable.

Siegfried let out a huff at Jason's idiocy and went back to staring aimlessly at his empty cup.

The larger man laughed once more before walking towards the downed hunter and picking him by the throat, lifting him high into the air and leaving his legs dangling in the air.

"Yield! Or else you'll leave with more than just broken bones!"
Jason gritted his teeth, clawing at the man's arm in an attempt to break free. "Never! Not until you apologize!"

"Hahaha! You're a stubborn one ain't ya?" He whistled. "Bring her here!"

If Siegfried hadn't spared single care in the world for what was currently happening, then he would certainly do now. He stood up and placed a few coins on the table. "Keep the change." The Felyne bartender simply groaned and hurriedly took the coins. This isn't enough to fix the goddamn table!

Behind the larger men, two of his cohorts appeared behind him, their hands firmly grasped around the arms of a brown-haired woman in armor. They locked her hands firmly behind her back for they were aware of how strong this woman was. The woman herself did not struggle. It was useless anyway because no matter how strong or skilled she was, fighting more than four armored men bigger and taller than her at once was not something she would want to do.

"You're a deplorable asshole!" the woman shouted, fury lacing her voice. "Don't you dare hurt him!"

The large man smirked, "Already did missy. And now I'm going to finish it." He began tightening his grip around Jason's neck, suffocating the blonde man as he gasped for air.

The woman slammed the back of her head against one of her captors before immediately barreling towards the large man, intent on saving her brother. But before she could get close, she was promptly tackled onto the ground by another one of the man's cohorts. This time, she was pinned face down, her arms behind her back rendering her unable to move. She screamed out repeatedly, "I'll kill you! Kill you! Kill you!"

The large man laughed, unaware of the figure approaching him. "Hah, you can try- "

Suddenly, a fist violently collides with the man's cheek, rupturing his jaw and sending him tumbling onto the ground face first. The man's cohorts froze in shock, so did the crowd around them as well as the woman underneath them. The moment she recognized the perpetrator however, she couldn't believe her eyes. Oh, my Gog, is it…is it really him? Memories from 10 years ago began to resurface as she struggled to comprehend if that person was him, the man she had fallen in love with during her time in the Academy.

Siegfried glared at the man's unconscious body, "Bastard, the only person can hurt him is me!"

"…"

Begrudgingly, Siegfried extended his hand towards Jason, who gave him a confused look. Siegfried noticed this and groaned.

"Look, I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for her, so please do not make a big deal of it."

Jason rolled his eyes and reluctantly took his hand as Siegfried pulled him onto his feet. The two men exchanged hostile looks with one another before facing the men who had harassed them.

"I don't see you for 5 years and you just show up out of nowhere to save my ass? You've got a lot of explaining to do old friend," Jason whispered.

Siegfried scoffed, "Pfft, same as always."

Meanwhile, snapping out of her shock, the woman took advantage of her captor's loosened grip and pushed him off her back, kicking the man in the face and knocking him out. She then turned her attention to the Gammoth in the room. Slowly and cautiously, she made her way towards Siegfried.

"S-Siegfried? I-Is that you?"

Siegfried grinned awkwardly, "…Amber, you look well."

She reached out her hand to touch his cheek, slowly moving it down his neck and onto his armored chest before traveling up his body once more and resting her hand against his cheek. Siegfried's body shivered from her touch.

Meanwhile, Jason watched with a scowl, not keen on watching his younger sister touch Siegfried so tenderly. "Amber get your hands off- "

He stopped short on his words when he watched Siegfried reel back from a vicious punch against at his cheek, administered by none other than Jason's own sister.

"What the hell woman?!" Siegfried cried out, rubbing his bruised cheek.

"What the hell? Are you shitting me?! Are you a dumbass?! Do you think you can just show up after I don't know, 5 years and save us like it's nothing? Do you even realize what happened after you left us? Hell, do you even care?!"

"…" Siegfried remained silent, opting not to answer, which infuriated Amber even further. I do care but…

Amber grew desperate. "Say something will you?"

"…I'm sorry." Siegfried knew his apology meant nothing and he knew it won't equate to anything.

"And you have the balls to apologize?! I-I…I can't believe it…" She dropped to her knees. "After so long, y-you're finally…you're finally here…"

Siegfried could not do anything but stay silent. He wanted to comfort her right there but a part of him forcefully held him back. He felt like shit for not wanting to comfort this woman, whose own predicament was caused by him.

"As much as I want to pummel you for what you've done to us, we have a bigger problem as of now," Jason said, pointing at a certain man who Siegfried had previously knocked out. The three of them then poised themselves for battle as they watched the man slowly rise up onto his feet. The man then turned towards them and flashed a bloody grin, showing the missing teeth within his mouth.

"That hurt y'know? So, it's only fair that I get to return the favor."

Soon, the man's henchmen gathered around him and stood by his side. The man wiped the excess blood off his mouth and crossed his arms.

"The name's Claudius, and these two idiots are Matthew and Patrick." The aforementioned henchmen looked away in embarrassment. "You," Claudius said, pointing at Siegfried. "You're strong. What's your name?"

Siegfried scoffed, "Why do you want to know?"

Claudius' eyebrow twitched in irritation to his answer. "You've got a big mouth. Perhaps you're a strong one…perhaps you're not. Alright then "nameless one" I, Claudius shall teach you exactly why you don't fuck around with the likes of me!" He poised himself for combat. "You would do well to remember that name."

Around the same time, Eris was currently making her way back to her home to settle her groceries. She planned to cook some before heading out once more to hunt – as she had always done every day ever since she became a hunter. This way, she wouldn't have to solely rely on the canteen food for pre-hunt sustenance.

"I wonder what I should make with this…" Eris had managed to purchase extra vegetables and bread, which she planned to make use of in her cooking. "I have leftover meat from yesterday…Perhaps a sandwich would suffice."

Eris' house was located outside the town walls, situated in the area where a small village resides on the outskirts of the wall. Her parents hated the enclosed feeling of living inside the town walls, so they set up home outside those walls, wanting to bond with the townspeople who also lived outside the fortress town. They knew, however, of the risk of living outside, namely rampaging monsters who run the risk of destroying the town completely. As a result, the Guild set up a defensive barrier of soldiers around the town, effectively doubling Dundorma's already formidable defense. It gave the townspeople peace of mind and enabled them to live their lives with little to no worry.

"I wonder if- "

Suddenly, a loud crash interrupted her thoughts when the window on the nearby building shattered into pieces, as a figure was promptly flung out of the aforementioned window. As Eris moved closer, she noticed the armor the person wore. She deduced that this person must be a hunter. However-

Eris' eyes widened. "No way…" Anyone could have worn a classic Rathalos armor set, but she immediately recognized that distinct fiery red hair, sharp facial features, and numerous scars.

"Son of a- Ughh, bastard really can throw…" The person quickly regained his bearings and slowly got onto his feet. He took a moment to glance around him before his eyes inevitably landed on the nearby huntress. "What are you- "

He froze. No fucking way… There was no mistaking that waist-length silver hair, pale complexion, and the Barioth X set she wore.

"…It's you," Siegfried spoke first in disbelief. He couldn't believe it. The source of his ire this past week was standing right in front of him.

Eris remained silent, looking away and avoiding eye contact. Why him?! Just when I thought this day couldn't get any worse…

Their silence was interrupted by the sound of the door to the tavern slamming open as a large man stepped out of the building.

"I'm not done with you just yet!" The large man stopped short when he noticed not only his target but an extremely beautiful woman standing there next to him. He, like many of the men before him, was immediately entranced by Eris' ethereal like beauty but like many men before him, she considered him to be nothing more than a mere pebble.

The large man grinned and moved closer to her. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Eris retaliated his advances with an ice-cold glare, "Back off."

The large man didn't falter. "The name's Claudius. What's yours?"

"I said back off."

However, when he ignored her warnings again and moved to touch her shoulder, Eris took action, slamming the back of her fist against the man's nose. The man stumbled back, clutching his now bleeding and possibly broken nose.

"Vhy you- Damn whofe!"

"I warned you, didn't I?"

"Bitfch, you'll fay for vhis!" Claudius exclaimed in fury as he barreled towards the woman with the intent to seriously hurt her. Eris poised herself for combat, ready to retaliate with a counter. But before the hit could connect, however-

BAM!

Siegfried intercepted the hit, stepping in between them and blocking it with his arms. The sheer force of the punch, combined with Claudius' immense physical strength, shatters Siegfried's arm gauntlets. Staggered from the force of the hit, Siegfried was left vulnerable.

"Shit!"

"Hiyaaaah!" Claudius spun around to deliver a second hit. Before he could comprehend what happened, however, he felt a pair of hands grab him by the arm as he found himself forcefully flipped onto the ground, slamming the back of his head and body violently against the solid stone floor. Shocked by the sudden burst of pain, Claudius just laid there, unconscious.

"The heck was that?" Siegfried asked, curious as to what move Eris had pulled off.

"Just a simple arm throw. Something the likes of you won't ever understand."

"Why you- "

"Also, you didn't have to do that you know," Eris said as she crossed her arms. "I don't need you of all people to assist me with trivial matters."

Siegfried scoffed, "Bitch please, we both know your physical strength is lacking. If I hadn't stepped in, that punch would have demolished you."

"Lack of physical strength? Excuse me but I threw this man – who probably weighs a whole lot more than me – onto the ground rather flawlessly."

Siegfried grew flustered, "W-Well yeah, that's exactly why I had to step in!"

"Then why? Why bother trying to save me- "

Suddenly, two armored individuals burst out of the tavern doors. As soon as they saw the large man lying still on the ground, they panicked. "Boss! Boss are you alright?!" They shook his body, but their leader never responded. When their eyes landed on the two hunters standing by the side, fury took over the two.

"You! What did you do with him?!"

Eris sighed, "He's not dead. It's just a concussion, there's no way it can kill a man his size…" She paused for a moment. "I think?"

One of the henchmen charged at her. "You'll pay for this!" He swung his right fist at her, only for Eris to swerve her head away. She then grabbed his arm, twisted her body around and flipped him violently onto the ground.

Meanwhile, Siegfried raised his arms defensively as he blocked and withstood the other henchmen's' barrage of furious punches. Idiot, he's going to waste all his energy! Siegfried waited patiently for the man to tire out, constantly blocking his attacks and maneuvering his body to lessen the impact of the hits. Then, when he felt the punches grow weaker, he retaliated. As soon as he saw a fist coming his way, he used his free arm to guard the hit, lowered his body and delivered a punishing uppercut using his other arm to the man's chin, rupturing his jaw and sending a few teeth flying. The force of the hit flung the man into the air before landing onto the ground with a loud thud.

Siegfried clapped his hand, "That should do it." He looked at Eris and noticed that she too, had managed to defeat the man in front of her. That move she did…rather impressive.

"Took you long enough. You must be that bad if it takes you that long to beat one man."

"Shut it, woman."

About a moment later, two more hunters came out of the tavern. This time it was a blonde-haired man and a red-haired woman.

The blonde-haired man held his forehead, "What the- "

"I can't believe it…" said the red-haired woman, staring incredulously at the scene before her.

The two of them then noticed the woman standing next to Siegfried. Immediately, Jason recognized the woman. Like any other hunter, he reacted accordingly.

"I-It's the Ice Queen…"

Amber tilted her head in confusion. "The who?" Unlike her brother, Amber was not aware of who Eris was.

"You don't know? She's the Ice Queen! One of the best hunters on the frontier. A ruthless prodigy, skilled in the art of the Longsword. Everyone knows of her."

"Really? Funny I've never heard of her before."

"Well, maybe because you spent the last 5 years brooding over him and missing his di- Mmmpf! "She quickly covered his mouth with her hand.

"Okay, that's enough…" Amber said, sending her older brother a glare that would have made Eris proud (or not because its Eris).

No sooner had she said that however, a familiar figure groans in pain as he slowly regained consciousness. "Ughh, son of a bitch…" Claudius slowly rose to his feet, visibly in pain but otherwise conscious.

Siegfried and Eris poised themselves for battle again, "Guess we're not done here…"

As soon as Claudius sees the two hunters standing before him, he flew into a vengeful rage. "You jackasses! The two of you actually managed to defeat me. The great Claudius?!" His eyes landed on his two unconscious henchmen lying by the side of the street. He shook his head in disappointment. "Of course, those two worthless idiots were defeated as well. Damn good for nothing men." In a shocking move, the large man reached for his carving knife. "Fine then. I'll do it myself."

The crowd watching gasped in surprise. "Are you insane?!" Siegfried asked, shocked that he would stoop that low. "You're going to try to kill us?!"

"Yes."

Even Eris was surprised, her facial features contorted into an unnerved scowl. "The Guild Knights will arrest you. And you'll be executed for the murder of a hunter."

Claudius snickered, "At the very least, we get to meet in hell."

"Stop this at once Claudius!" Siegfried pleaded, not wanting to get in trouble.

"Too late. I've already made up mind. Now- "Suddenly, he leaped towards them. "Die."

He targeted Eris first, intent on paying her back for body-slamming him onto the ground. Violently, he rapidly stabbed the knife towards her, all while she dodged each subsequent stab. When he switched to slashing his knife around, Eris quickly reacted, parrying each slash with her hands. But Eris soon found herself cursing her weaker physique as Claudius' strength began overpowering her parries. Without a second thought, she shoved him away with her palm to reset their positions. Behind her, Siegfried capitalized on this maneuver by charging forward and wrapping his arms around Claudius' waist as he attempted to bring him down onto the ground. Soon, however, he realized it was a foolish mistake as he finds himself unable to bring the larger man down.

"Get off me!" Before Siegfried could react, Claudius brought the knife onto his lower back, piercing through his armor and penetrating his flesh.

"Siegfried!" Amber screamed out.

With gritted teeth, Siegfried pushed the man away as he stumbled back, bleeding and heavily wounded. Jason then charged in and forcefully shoved Claudius away with his shoulder. Amber then rushed in to tend to the injured Siegfried.

"Don't worry, I'll- "

"Pull…it out…"

"What?"

"I SAID PULL IT OUT!"

"No! If I do that, you'll- "

Siegfried groaned loudly in a mix of frustration and pain. "Fuck it. Eris! I need you to pull the knife out!"

Eris promptly ran over to him and gripped the handle of the knife tightly. "Don't blame me for this…" And one swift maneuver, Eris pulls the knife out of Siegfried's back, causing the man to let out a pained scream. As Amber crouched down help, Siegfried held out his finger. "Don't…" He frantically searched his pocket for something before taking out a vial of yellow-green substance. He chugged down its contents and threw the empty vial away as he shakily stood up – and just in time too, for Jason was easily defeated by the larger man as he threw the blonde-haired hunter's body towards a nearby vendor. Fortunately, he was alive but is down for the count.

"Go…help your brother," Siegfried said to Amber.

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine. Now go!" Amber bit her lip and reluctantly nodded before moving away to assist her brother. Now all that's left where the two hunters and the large man before them.

"Still got some fight left in you?" Siegfried asked, glancing at the woman beside him.

She snorted condescendingly. "Ask that to yourself."

"Good. Now then…" The large man before them grinned devilishly. "How did it feel Siegfried? How did it feel to have a knife embedded within your back?"

"I've experienced worse."

Claudius cackled. "Hah, that attitude of yours is hilarious!" His grin turned sinister. "Once I'm done with you, I'm gonna make that woman my bitch. How does that sound?"

Unfazed by his taunts, Eris scoffed. "You can try. After all, troglodytes like you deserve to learn right? I mean, you call that fighting? Please, even this buffoon next to me is a better fighter than you. So, go back to your man cave and rot like the trash you are. I don't need your animalistic scent disrupting everyone's lives, otherwise, I would have to call in other hunters. Perhaps they would be interested in some new quarry."

"Gee, thanks for defending me…" Siegfried grumbled. Eris simply ignored him. Her comment, however, had a different effect on the larger man.

"Why you- Damn bitch!" In a fit of rage, he rushed towards them. Eris and Siegfried, however, were more than ready to retaliate. As soon as Claudius swung his fist, Eris parried the hit with her hands, leaving him vulnerable in which Siegfried landed a powerful punch directed at the man's cheek. Quickly recovering from the hit, Claudius attacked again, and Eris parried the hit once more. But in a surprise maneuver, the man twisted around to hit her with his elbow…only for Siegfried to move in between them and block it with his palm. Before Claudius could retaliate, Eris used her free arm and delivered a powerful jab to the man's groin.

"Ack!"

Gritting his teeth through the pain, Claudius attacked again…and soon found out that together, the Fire King and the Ice Queen were unbeatable. The crowd watched in amazement as the two took turns countering and retaliating against Claudius' attacks relentlessly and brutally. None of Claudius' attacks were able to hurt them. Within minutes, the large hunter's face was almost unrecognizable. A broken nose, bleeding lips, bruises everywhere, broken limbs and most of all a shattered ego. His eyes ceased to function due to the heavily swollen areas as he stood there, dazed and about to collapse. Not willing to show the man any mercy, the two hunters simultaneously grappled both his right and left arms as they violently pushed him onto the ground. They then pressed their elbows against the man's throat, suffocating him.

"Yield! Now!"

Claudius laughed, coughing out blood in the process. He spoke, but his words came out all muffled. But his body language was enough to send a message – a firm "Never". In response, the two pressed their elbows harder against his neck. Just as they were about to lose control, a voice called out to them.

"Stop!"

All heads simultaneously turned towards the source of the voice. It was one of the henchmen. The two of them had regained consciousness. "Please. Don't kill him, "pleaded one of them.

"As much as I hate to agree with people like him, he's right," Amber said, hauling an injured Jason on her shoulder. "Not like this. Not in front of a crowd. We're monster hunters. We don't kill other hunters."

The two hunters looked around them, eyeing the judgmental stares of the people. Begrudgingly, the two hunters released their grip on the downed hunter and walked away as the two henchmen moved to drag their boss away from the crowd. One of them whispered a silent 'thank you' as they disappeared amongst the people.

Siegfried glared at the crowd, "What are you looking at? Scram! Shoo!"

Soon, the crowd of bystanders dispersed, and everyone went back to whatever they were doing before.

Amber looped her brother's arm around her shoulder, "I'll take my brother to the nearby clinic. I, however, expect you to talk to us after this got that?"

Siegfried sighed, "Fine."

"Good. We'll be taking our leave then." A minute later and they were gone as well.

Siegfried glanced at Eris, who was busy rubbing her knuckles. She appeared to be deep in thought. The two of us…we're unstoppable. I cannot deny the fact that this woman is a skilled fighter and perhaps an excellent hunter. But…

"…Hey."

Eris stopped. Not bothering to look at his direction, she spoke coldly, "What?"

"You…did great." He looked away, unable to comprehend why he said that. What am I doing?! She's not going to say anything anyway so why bother? He turned to leave when he heard the shuffling of feet behind him. And then he heard it.

"…You too."

For some reason, he smiled.

I've always wanted to display the two main character's fighting prowess whenever they work together. I wanted to form the ultimate battle duo (or couple) so I made sure that I conveyed properly here.

Siegfried is stylized as the 'in-your-face- 'kind of fighter, who relies on his strength and endurance to win fights. Eris, who is lighter and physically weaker (but far from weak mind you) makes use of counters and parries to make up for her weaker physique and retaliates with precise and powerful blows to the critical areas of her enemies. When you combine the two together, they are virtually unstoppable.

Anyway, if you enjoyed the chapter do comment or review. Your feedback is always appreciated so as long you aren't a pretentious prick.

Thanks for reading guys and see you next chapter!