A/N: Hello, people. Before I continue, I wanted to thank Nate The Golem for continuously supporting this story. I decided that he would make a really good partner for the rest of this story, so I had him create a character that he would, in a sense, be in control of. Hope you all like the chapter.

Oh, I probably should have mentioned this in the last chapter, but Elrick, Z.W.E.I. and Astaroth have been traveling together three days prior to their meeting with Tira, so if they seemed to friendly for just meeting each other, my mistake.

...

Elrick's eyes fluttered, not quite recognizing the cave ceiling. He blinked a few times, before realizing where he was, before sitting up.

"Finally awake?" Called the familiar voice of his Oni friend, Naobi. She came and steadied him, smacking his hand away from the bandage on his chest.

"Hey, Naobi." He winced slightly. "Been a while." She smirked at him.

"Why is it that almost every time you visit, you have some kind of life threatening injury?" Asked the Red Oni. "I think you're more trouble then you're worth." Elrick laughed, but winced in the process.

"Yeah, I can't disagree with you on that part." He remarked. "How'd I get here?" Naobi laughed.

"You're friends brought you. The big one knocked in my door." She pointed to the door, which was lodged in the wall a bit to the right from Astaroth bashing it in so hard. "I told them to come back in two hours, about an hour ago." Elrick's eyes narrowed.

"You know full well it'd only take me an hour to recover." He said suspiciously.

"Yes, well, I know of plenty ways we could pass the time." She grinned at him. He should have seen this coming. She was a Red Oni. Of course she'd try this.

"No, I'm fine waiting." He replied. "I see through your shit."

"Oh, really? How are you going to stop me?" She grinned wider, obviously intoxicated slightly. "You're wounded. Ain't going too far, too fast, any time soon." She sat on the side of the table he was on, making her larger size compared to his much more obvious. "And besides, (hic) you wouldn't be able to get up if I held you down, wounded or not." He nodded.

"Yeah, that's true. However, I don't think you'd go through with it." Replies Elrick. "You're too nice."

"Not in a couple minutes." Says Naobi, taking a large swig of sake she pulled from nowhere. "Just wait till I'm nice and drunk." Suddenly, she straddled his waist, causing Elrick to wince, due to her heavier form. Her face hovered inches from his own. Her breath smelt of freshly made sake. "On second thought, I don't think I can wait." Naobi's face slowly approached the nervous Elrick.

"Now, Naobi you know how I-"

"GET OFF HIM, TRASH!" Suddenly Eiserne Drossel came flying in through the busted open door, barely missing Naobi by mere inches, lodging itself in the wall, next to the door. Tira walked in, looking disgusted.

"Tira!?" Yelled Elrick, trying hard to look over Naobi's large frame.

"Who the fuck're you!?" Yelled Naobi.

"Get the fuck off him!" It was obviously Dark Tira in control at this point. She somersalted over to Eiserne Drossel, pulling the blade from the wall easily. "Or I'll cut your head off." Naobi was not amused.

"You come into my cave, try to kill my, and now you're making demands?" She climbed off of Elrick, much to his approval. Naobi grabbed a large, spiked club(Ogre, Siegfried Style.) and prepared to fight. Tira laughed cruelly.

"I'm going to kill you, ogre bitch." Said Dark Tira.

"Please." Scoffed Naobi, before getting a better look at Tira. "You know, come to think of it..."

"What?" Dark Tira became confused as Naobi continued to stare at her.

"You know, I just might be drunk enough to share him." Naobi licked her lips. "Especially with a fine body like that..." Dark Tira's face became horrified.

"No, no, no, no, no." Dark Tira backed away, terrified. Naobi laughed.

"Well, then-"

"EL! 'BOUT FUCKIN' TIME YOU WOKE UP!" Shouted the Raging Black Giant, Astaroth, Z.W.E.I. trailing somewhat behind as they entered the cave. When they both saw Tira, they went for their weapons, but a look from Elrick stopped them.

"Okay, get this, Naobi," Elrick said, stamding up, thankfully still in his leather pants. "Nobodie's fucking me, nobodie's fucking Tira. Nobodie's fucking, got that?" Naobi laghed, before taking another large swig.

"Yeah, yeah. Just wait 'till I get you drunk." Said the Oni.

"I don't drink. You know this." Replied Elrick, searching for his clothing, armer, and sword.

"Where do you think you're going?" Asked the large red woman. "You're wounded."

"I'm fine." Said Elrick. "And besides, you once said it yourself. I'm a very fast healer." Tira handed Elrick his sword, which was sitting by the door. He thanked her, and put on his clothes, completely oblivious to the blush everyone else could see.

"Wait, are we going?" Asked Z.W.E.I. when Elrick walked past him to the exit.

"Obviously." Grumbled Astaroth.

"Why would we stay? The sake's here. We can leave. right?" Elrick looked at his two nervous traveling companions. "Right?"

"W-well, you see, El. We..." Z.W.E.I. trailed off.

"We drink it while we were waiting." Finished Astaroth, lacking any sense of tact.

"Do you even know what you've done!?" Elrick shouted. The two looked confusedly at each other.

"No." They replied in unison.

"Did I hear that correctly?" Called Naobi, grinning happily.

"Shiiiiiiit." Elrick face palmed. "You don't even realize. You fuckers just got me married."

Everyone except Naobi: "WHAT?!" Astaroth put his hands on both of Elricks shoulders, and looked him dead in the eye.

"Explain." Said the Black Giant. Elrick sighed, but nodded. They all re-entered Naobi's cave, waiting for the story.

"Okay, I guess I should start with the deal, yeah?" Everyone nodded. "Well, I guess something happened about seventeen years ago. I must have been a big part of it, to some extent, but I can't remember anything from it."

"That's where I came in." Said Naobi, smiling fondly at the memories. "I still remember him showing up at my cave that day. All beaten and bloody. I took him in, and he started talking about memories he wanted erased, so, I made an offer, and he accepted it."

"What offer?" Asked Light Tira, her head tilted in innocent confusion.

"Well, she offered to erase my memories if I agreed to bring her sake once a year, until I became to old to walk." Replied Elrick." However, if I failed even once, I would-"

"Get married to a big sexy Oni." Finished Naobi. "Hah, it's ironic. The past sixteen years I would set up traps to make him fail, and the one year I didn't set up any traps, you two morons do my work for me! Thanks!"

"YOU IDIOTS!" Dark Tira suddenly took over, clubbing both Astaroth and Z.W.E.I. over the head so hard, steam was coming off.

"Wait." Z.W.E.I. rubbed his head. "So, what did you want to forget?"

"I don't know." Elrick shrugged. "Whatever it was, it must have been pretty bad if I was willing to cut off the first fifteen years of my life."

"Well, that doesn't matter, now." Naobi hugged Elricks arm, which was awekward due to their hight differences. "I finally got myself a brand new hubby."

"Uh, Naobi, hubby isn't a word that's been invented yet..." Said Elrick, trying to discreetly reclaim his arm.

"Who cares? The author's the one that decided to throw that in here." Replied the Oni.

"QUIT BREAKING THE FOURTH FUCKING WALL! IT'S GIVING ME A HEADACHE!" Shouted Astaroth. Everyone stared at him for a moment, before going back to their conversation as if he hadn't just screamed about breaking an interdimensional barrier.

"Anyway, I can't marry you, Naobi. I still plan on doing a lot of traveling." Says Elrick, hoping she wouldn't want to leave her cave.

"I've been meaning to do some traveling." Counters Naobi. "Face it, hun. You're not getting out of this."

"Fuck, fine." Growls Elrick, before heading for the door. "we're leaving now." Elrick, Naobi, Z.W.E.I. and Astaroth leave, leaving Tira behind, looking sad.

"Come on, Tira!" Shouts Elrick. Tira looks up, surprised. "You coming, or not?" She grins and runs after them.

(A VILLAGE, NOT FAR AWAY.)

"Cormack Veyn!" The voice was shouted from the entrance of the small inn. "I've finally found you!"

"Good for you." Replies a youth at the bar. "Let me finish my drink. Go away."

"Hah, right. I thought you were supposed to be some hotshot hidden-weapon master. Maybe I should be after that bitch of a sensei of yours, Setsuka." Cormack was suddenly on his feet, his eyes cast in shadow.

"Take... That... Back..." Said the oriental styled man(Slightly deeper Veteran Knights Voice.). He was lightly tanned, and dressed in an obviously oriental fashion.

He had a handsome face(Unspecified.), with midnight black hair, in a Samurai Tail. A long scar cut diagonally down his face, making his hazel eyes seem even more deadly. His clothing are as follows:

Head Equipment: Dark purple Headband
Upper Body Equipment: Dark purple Samurai's Haori with gray trimmings.
Lower Body Equipment: Dark purple Leather Pants, gray buttons.
Hip Equipment: Marquis' Belt, the jewel medal silver and the belt dark purple.
Neck/Back Equipment: Pioneers Cloak, gray with a dark purple collar.
Hand Equipment: Dark Purple Fingerless gloves (or Rockers Gloves).
Feet Equipment: Dark purple Kung Fu shoes with a gray bottoms.

"Take what back, huh?" Asks the thug. "The fact that your so-called master is nothing more then a pathetic oriental slut?" Cormack said nothing, merely brushing past the offender as he excited the inn. The offender followed him out, and watched as Cormack pulled his sword(Dainslef(silver blade, purple sheathe, and silver trimmings,) Alpha Patroklos Style.), from behind him. Cormack's enemy grinned. "Hah, about time-"

"What's your name?" The younger man asked. The other man looked at him, surprised.

"My name is Urgoff, the Hunter." He became even more surprised when Cormack pulls a small book from behind him, and writes in it for a moment. "What was that?"

"I always write down the names of the people I kill." Replies Cormack, putting the book away, and getting in his stance. He smirked. "I can see fear in your eyes."

"Bah, I'll be glad when I end you." Urgoff pulls out his own weapons(Hunting Knives, Taki/Natsu Style.) and gets in his own stance. Before he even has a chance to move, Cormack whispers the last words Urgoff will ever hear.

"Critical Edge." Suddenly, he jumps forward and slams the butt of his sword into Urgoffs face. He then takes a few steps back, pulls his sword out, and throws it into his torso. He then dashes forward and jump-kicks onto the butt of the sword, pushing Urgoff down onto the ground, with Cormack standing on the butt of the sword with one foot, arms crossed. He then steps off and pulls the sword out, returning it to his sheath. He walks away from the barely breathing Urgoff.

"Pathetic. They don't even make good assassins these days." Grumbled Cormack. "Lady Setsuka was right. The old days must have been much better." He continued on his way, walking in a direction that, unbeknownst to him, would change the course of his life forever.

...

A/N: Well, there he is. Cormack Veyn, AKA, my new partner, Nate The Golem. Hope I got him right, and, as always, R&R, my supporters.

Colin Chambers, signing off.