"So wait, this isn't just a piece of jewelry?" Lizbeth asked, looking at her finger. Argo nodded, a cheeky grin on her face. The two girls sat in the living room of the farm house with glasses of milk on the table.

"Nope, you literally married the bugger." Argo said, suppressing a laugh. Liz became flustered, fidgeting with the ring absentmindedly.

"Hmm." Liz looked over the ring harder, examining the details. It was a stainless steel band lined with tiny light pink and blue gems that ran around the whole ring, ending in a larger green octagon made of emerald in the center. "It would be a shame to take off such a pretty thing, but I don't want to be married yet..."

"I wouldn't do that if I was you." Argo said, propping her feet up on the coffee table.

Liz shot Argo a questioning look, a hint of annoyance also occupying her eyes. At least Ezra never put his feet on that. "What do you mean?"

Argo just continued smiling and reached into her pocket, pulling out a small blue box. A recording. "I'm not going to ask for money for this, since it also helps me in the long run." Without explaining she pushed the button on the box and put it on the table.

The small blue box hovered just an inch or so off of the table, the words stored on it playing for its audience to hear.

"Dear Liz, if you're hearing this it probably means I'm dead."

"I didn't want to tell you this, but it's gotten to the point where I'm useless in the field. My weapon can't hold up to the enemies levels anymore and unless I do something, I'm going to die anyway."

"Anyway, since you're hearing this it's already true, I might as well come clean. I tried to trick you. When I gave that ring my original plan was just to connect our storage so that you inherit my stuff when I'm gone."

"But you know, sometimes you just being you is hard for me. I hate to believe I left anyone behind that I considered family. But that's just what you did. You managed to get me to tell you the truth I've been hiding behind my so called jokes."

"The truth is, I really do love you. Out of all the things I never expected to find in life, love was one of them. I've been built since young to be successful, graduating college at the age of twelve and being an intern at my parents corporation a few days later. I've been trained since young to be a money machine. There was no room for emotions, nothing but programming."

"I thought that changed when I met Kazuto and learned the experience of a full dive, believing I had finally found what free felt like. I saw the world in a different light. I felt like I finally knew what a human felt like."

"I was wrong. The freedom I gained from that experience was only just that, freedom. I only learned what it was to be a human later. In fact, you taught it to me."

"You taught me what it's like to care for someone else like they were family. You taught me what it was like to do something not because I was told to, but because I genuinely wanted to. You taught me how to be gentle with someone. And you taught me love. You taught me what it's like to have one person rule over your world by your own will, not because you have to. And with that you gave a reason to live and push on, gave me a reason to never go back to the way I was before. You taught me how to be human, just by being the person I love."

"But you also taught me something else. You taught me loss. If I died in battle and Argo delivered this as we agreed, then I already know how I'm going to feel. I know I will regret not telling you sooner, and that I only got one day to be with you."

"Ezra, what are you doing?" A quite voice interrupted the recording.

"Oh, nothing. Just getting some stuff ready for tomorrow."

"Come to bed. You don't have to sleep in that corner any more."

There was silence for a few seconds. "Yes Liz." The recording ended and the blue box fell down and stopped glowing. Lizbeth clenched her fist, anger coursing through her.

"When is he going to the dungeon?" She asked Argo, her words sharp like a sword thrust.

"He's heading there at two in the afternoon." Argo replied, tossing a coin from hand to hand. "I told him I'd meet him in an hour." She grinned. "Just something between girls, I think that would be the best time to stop a guy from doing a really stupid move."

Ezra's eyebrow twitched as he watched Argo approach, wondering if he could get any last minute exp. with his hiding skill. He stooped outside a small canyon that led to the instant dungeon that held the dragon he was going to kill or die trying. "Argo?" He asked, his displeasure heavy in his voice.

"Yes?" The small girl asked innocently, a snobby smile on her face that went well with the three whiskers she painted on each cheek.

"Didn't we have an agreement?" He asked. The rat cackled, pleased with herself for put him in the exact situation he wanted to avoid.

"What agreement?" A rather angered Liz said, storming up to him with an aura that could scare a bear. "Not telling your wife that you originally meant those words as a way to get me to put on this damn ring?" She threw metal ring at Ezra, who caught it before it could get more than two feet from his face. "Do you honestly have to do everything by lying, you dumb jerk!"

"Liz, look-" Ezra started, only to get cut off.

"Don't you Liz look me!" The girl yelled, slamming her hands into his chest. "Do you have any idea how I felt when you told me those words? I thought that the guy who finally managed to show me his nice side was real! Instead, you just want to leave behind items when you drop dead! What are you, a mob!?"

"Lizbeth-"

"I'm talking right now!" Liz yelled. "How dare you! How could you make me happy, make me believe those earnest, loving words of yours!? That's a real cruel prank, even for you! I'll be with you forever, never mind, I'd rather die!"

"Rika Shinozaki!" Ezra yelled, causing the girl to jump. "If I truly didn't care about you, do you think I would have left that message as a back up plan? Do you honestly think I would have tucked you in every night for the last few weeks? Do you think that, even for a minute, I would even bother to take care of your every waking need? Damn Lizbeth, I thought you were smart." He took a step closer to Liz, taking a punch in the process. "If I didn't love you, I would have gotten rid of you long ago. If I didn't love you, I wouldn't have stopped you from leaving. If I didn't love you, I would have already walked into that canyon and I would be fighting a dragon instead of talking to you now." He grabbed a hold of Lizbeth and pulled her in, ignoring her struggles to break his hold. "If I honestly lied to you, I wouldn't be holding you like this and making you hear my words." She stopped fighting. "If I had lied to you once, even back when I asked you out at the start, I wouldn't be having major doubts about what I am going to do."

Ezra sighed, releasing all efforts to hold her now that he told her what was on his mind. Lizbeth stayed in his arms, her own findings their way around him. "If you seriously doubt it, why do you still go?" She asked quietly.

Ezra didn't answer immediately, spending his time holding Lizbeth in his arms. "When I first met you Liz, you reminded me of my mother. And I hate that woman. But I never knew what hate was until I first stepped foot in here." He smiled gently at Liz as she turned to face him. "I first learned free will when I walked in here, yes, but I learned what it was like to truly feel emotions when I met you. I already knew some from Kazuto, but it never went more than friends. You taught me the full spectrum. And for that I am grateful beyond belief. That's why I've kept you, even after my life has gone crashing down. But the only difference it is I was happy in the crash. I'm doing this, because if I don't I won't be able give you anything. As it is, I'm at the end of what I can do."

"Then let me help. I'll support you, I'll fight on the fields for you." Lizbeth pleaded. "If you truly love me, then you won't take this risk."

"And if you honestly knew me, you would already know that I can't let you back on the front without me. Not after what happened in the forest." Ezra said, placing a kiss on her lips.

"Then get rid of the weapon." Lizbeth responded before kissing back.

Ezra smiled. "No." He kissed her again, holding it for as long as he could before he had to breath. "You know, I thought you didn't like me. So why did you put on the ring?"

Lizbeth laughed. "I guess stupid is contagious. What else is a girl supposed to do when the first guy who ever showed her so much as even a hint of love asks her to stay by his side?"

Ezra laughed. "You really took that ring seriously, didn't you?" Lizbeth didn't answer, instead she kissed him again. He didn't need to know she didn't have a clue till earlier today.

The two of them stayed like that for some time, unable to do anything else as they were caught in the moment. Eventually Argo cut in, breaking them apart. "Look, you two have been arguing and making out for the last twenty minutes. If we're going to call this off, say so. Otherwise, I came to record a fight against a dragon!"

"Oh, uh... umm..." Ezra mumbled, suddenly flustered. He had been so focused on Lizbeth he had forgotten completely about Argo. Lizbeth giggled, enjoying the rare anomaly of Ezra being caught off guard.

"So what you say?" Liz asked Ezra, taking a hold of his hand. "Do you still want to die fighting a dragon, or do you want go home." Seeing Ezra's smile, almost apologetic she added seductively. "I'll wear something worth looking at."

Ezra chuckled. "Nice try, but I dare say I won't be dying anytime soon." He opened his hand, revealing that he still had her ring. "Tell you what. When I walk out of that dungeon in one piece, I'll give this back. Then I'll let you do anything you want to me." Lizbeth was about to complain when Ezra grabbed her and pulled her into a kiss.

When they broke apart, the first thing Lizbeth saw was Ezra's mischievous smile and knew that she could do nothing to stop him now. "You have an hour. If you're not back by then I'm leaving you." She told him as he started to walk into the hall of stone.

"Yeah right." Ezra called back. "You'd first make sure my HP's not in the red then beat the shit out of me."

"How mean!" Liz cried, stamping her foot.

"Love you two." Ezra called with a wave. Soon after they he entered the canyon he turned to his left. "What's with the hiding skill? I can feel your presence just fine."

"Really?" Argo replied, popping into existence next to him.

"Naw. Just making sure that your next to me and not off causing trouble." Ezra said. "You know, I don't know whether to hate you or thank you."

"You should thank me." Argo said confidently. "And maybe give a generous donation of money."

"I'll just leave you for the dragon to eat." Ezra joked. "Give it such a stomach ache it would die of indigestion."

"Then I'd get to keep the weapon." Argo shot back. It was then that something occurred to her. "Now that I think about it, when I first met you, you would have just gone back on your word and disappeared into the dungeon. What changed?"

"Two reasons." Ezra said, stopping outside the entrance of a cave. If a player didn't have the Red Claw with them all they would have found was an empty crevice at the end of the canyon. But since they were in a party and had the weapon, an instant dungeon was formed. "One, you totally screwed up my plan. That in the end didn't matter much, in fact I get the feeling that I have less chance of dying recklessly now."

"The idea of Liz dressing special for you does that much?" Argo teased, her grin on shit eating level nine thousand.

"No. But how could I just die after saying all of that?" Ezra laughed, shaking his head. "It's funny, I never saw myself the nice guy character. It's almost as if God is telling me to enjoy my life now, cause a lot of shits going to happen very soon." Dear author, please tell me I'm not going to die in this fight.

"Oh, so your Christian?" Argo asked, appraising Ezra's words.

"No. The only religious texts I ever read were the text books shoved down my throat at the age of five." Ezra replied. "When most kids were playing in the dirt, I was top of my class in fifth grade."

"Yeah right." Argo said, thinking he was joking.

"Eh, I skipped past the first four." Ezra claimed. "They got me talking at just under two. Put me through a concentration camp of school till- well, they never really stopped. But that's a story for another time." He sighed, nodding to the cave. "We've wasted a lot of time here, and I still haven't answered the first question. The second reason I waited is I need your hiding skill. My best sword skill requires time to charge, and at that point it would be really great if someone would draw its agro."

"And how long do you need it off of you?" Argo asked, her smile disappearing off of her face.

"It requires at least five seconds, but I would prefer longer if you can buy me the time." Ezra said.

"I don't know Ez." Argo said, doubtful of his plan. "That's a lot to ask for."

"If you don't do this, it pretty much guaranties my death." Ezra said seriously. "This is something I've trained for since I started the game. My goal isn't to kill the dragon with sheer strength, but by outlasting it."

"Are you even a good level?" Argo asked.

"Seventeen." Ezra said, pulling up his stats window. "Last I checked, that's average for the front line."

Level 17

Hp: 2750

Str: 16

Agi: 29

Vit: 21

Available points: 0

"Wow Ez, how did you do that?" Argo asked, looking over the list. "And you joined a month late."

"Bad luck, being notoriously good at predicting the movements of the AIs, and sleeping an average of four hours in between raiding the dungeon, leveling/taking care of Liz, and when I used to have an important role to play."

Argo thought it over, comparing the risks.

"Fine, but you owe me." Argo finally said.

Ezra let out a sigh of relief. "My life is in your hands."

Hey guys, Found a lost chapter I forgot to add before I went on break.