"God, my back hurts.", Lass stretched.

"I mean, full scale fall on to a pile of sharp bones is gonna do that to ya. To be honest the fact you're alive is even a miracle.", Anya shrugged.

"Yea no kidding. After enduring this fall and your fat ass as a finisher landing on top of me, I'm questioning wether my plot armor is above and beyond, or the fact I'm not even human."

"Did you just call me fat?!"

"Seriously? That's all you got from this?! Look around, mutt! We're stuck down here without a way of getting out!"

"Ah, not really. There's always a back door to these kind of dungeons. Kinda like a side reward for everything.", Anya shrugged.

"Side reward?"

"Essentially, we failed the puzzle. Now, if it was a good dungeon, we'd simply be pushed out of it and locked out permanently. But, because it's a bad dungeon, I suspect that this is essentially a two part death trap."

"A two part death trap? So this pit straight to hell wasn't a good enough death trap?"

"I mean it did it's job, yes, but again, there's a metric ton of creatures and beings in Riza that can fly. So I guess this means because the back door closed and there was no way out, people who could fly softly descended down here. Which means...probably dungeon boss time."

"You're seriously treating this as a game?", Lass folded his arms.

"I'm not, but if the long, torch filled corridor behind you tells me anything, it's probably that there's a room specifically design to deal with the people who had the means to survive the initial fall. And given how this most likely will go, somebody managed to shove a monster at the end of that corridor. It's fun time.", Anya took out her sword and rested it on her shoulders.

"Whatever, I'm fine with it either wa-". Lass reached behind his waist. "Oh...oh right.", he facepalmed.

Anya and Lass looked up to see a fade spark coming from the perturbing light of the top floor, realizing that Lass's sword was still pinned to the side of the openable floor, supporting them before their fall...

"Hand to hand it is for you."

"You wish. I can't dwell on the sword being up there...for now, we have to keep going. I'll treat this as an opportunity to train with weapon summons like Yuno taught me a little bit."

"Alrighty then.", Anya grabbed a torch. "In we go."

The two of them then started walking along the long dusty path to the end, where the monster was supposedly waiting...

"So...what now?"

"What do you mean, mutt?"

"I mean come on, I get it that I was a little bit drunk, but still! No need to be so cold..."

"Look...I wasn't as mad as I was worried, ok?", Lass sighed.

"What?"

"You brought us into a literal death trap where one wrong step could end the both of us!"

"Alright, I'll admit it a little bit, my bad."

"Yeah, damn straight your bad. You need to cut down the drinking."

"I would if I could, but it feels too damn good!"

"You're impossible."

"Big guy, for real. It is one of the only ways to get free for this kinda job."

"Dying is also getting free."

Anya sighed. "I started drinking young anyway, helped calm the nerves."

"Business and everything?"

"Yeah, mostly that. Another thing was that I wanted to 'be an adult' and I ended up convincing an old friend of mine to help me sneak drinks out. But as it all moved on and situations became more stressful, I found myself doing it more and more."

"Coming out of someone so carefree looking, that's a miracle to hear."

Anya chuckled. "C'mon big guy, we both know you're wrong there. Like we both know people ain't what they look or act most of the times. Hence why I really like you! Cold and unapproachable but warm and shy on the inside!"

"How can you be so sure?"

"So about that kiss I wanted to see with Ikarisa-", Anya got stopped by Lass.

"Oh shut it, mutt."

"See what I mean?", Anya smugged. "It's easy to judge outside, but you most likely will never get to know what's going on deeper inside unless you approach someone!"

"On a side note, are you talking out of heart and boredom or is this drunk speech?"

"A little bit of both, Gardardian vodka hits like a meteor colliding with a planet."

"At least you're somewhat sensible."

"Seriously though, I'd like to get to know more about you big guy. I get to know you, but not a lot about you, if that makes any sense."

"What is there to say? We've said it all back at the restaurant."

"Did we though? There were a hella lot cliffhangers and unsatisfying answers. Like, where you're from, what was your childhood like and all that."

"That...I don't know. I seriously feel hazy sometimes..."

"Aha. So it was amnesia!"

"Pretty sure my dad would've told me something that important if it happened and try to snap my memories back."

"So were you beat until a blackout to not remember?"

"I'll beat you in a second."

"Kidding, kidding! But kinda sucks you can't really remember..."

"I can try but it will be meaningless."

"Something my big sister always used to tell me is that there's really nothing meaningless in this world. It only matters as to what meaning you choose to give a certain something or someone. And I can tell you give meaning into most things."

"What about you then? What means a lot to you?"

"Well, my family. A big ass family that is. They all mean a lot to me, and we truly bonded after mom was gone, so..."

"Does your dad mean a lot too?"

A short pause came from Anya as she sighed and looked forward.

Anya chuckled. "It's a bit insensitive to say that given how recent this is..."

"Oh...damn, sorry."

"You and Risa sure don't know a lot about social interaction I'll give you that much. But it's fine. Yeah, he does mean a lot to me. But the main issue I've had for the longest time is that I have too much meaning to him and his words to be able to give meaning to myself. One day we will get back, that's a given. There's nothing stronger than family. But until then, I have to find meaning of my own. You should honestly do the same big guy!"

"Huh? I know what I mean and my meaning. Honestly, if you think I don't then you're mistaken."

"Hehe, we'll see about that! Anyhow...welcome to the boss chamber!"

Reaching the end of the corridor, a large, body filled room was waiting for them. The room itself was sealed, top to bottom, not showing a single opening. Despite that, a large pile of rocks was set in the middle, and above them a chunk of soft color lit crystals, illuminating the room dimly, reflecting off the walls.

"Wow...this is beautiful...", Anya gazed around.

"Yea...the bodies of the dead really add to the feng shui of the place.", Lass grabbed a skeleton and pointed at the wings. "Here's that flight ability we were talking about. Didn't get him far now did it? What's in for us?"

"Hey, come out! We don't have all night! Move it!"

"What the hell are you doing, mutt?!"

"Provoking the boss to face us in an attempt to lure it out by sacrificing the element of surprise, which in this case is the only thing we had going for us. Now come out!"

"Why did I lose the stupid ass card game?"

Anya's provoking did not go to waste, as the entire room soon began to shake before coming to a sudden stop.

"You're so incredibly stupid I can't even begin to imagine what to do with you after we're done!"

"Relax. See, we're fine!", Anya climbed on top of the rocks and crystals. "Come on! Bring it! We are gonna win-Waah!"

Anya was knocked down to the ground as the rocks she was standing on began to rise up. Bit by bit, limbs started to also emerge from the ground, as countless weapons were pinned onto the monsters rock body. The crystals of celling began to also drop down as they too got pinned inside the monsters limbs and body, hardening the surface and giving it a dim glow.

"What?! A Goliath?!", Lass backed up. "How did they fit this in here?!"

Anya recovered. "Ok, this is a bit bigger than I thought...we need a plan."

"Oh, really? Well we could've had one if you didn't scream for this thing to come out-dammit!", Lass blocked an incoming attack, getting knocked back. "This thing is massive..."

"No time to plan, brute force it.", Anya kicked up her chainsaw blade.

"Look at its arms and body. This thing has gotten through much worse punishment than what you twig of a chainsaw can dish out."

"Bet. Hrea!"

Instead of blocking the hit like Lass, Anya instead send a brutal slash directly to the arm of the golem. The force of the impact was immense, but she successfully parried the attack and bits of rock flew off the beast's hand.

"What the hell is that?"

"I told you big guy, you need to get to know me a lil bit better.", Anya took her fighting stance. "Obsulyte infused weapon tactics. With my signature, this basically makes so that the crusher here breaks through hard surfaces like this things. Now get up, we've got work to do!"

Lass swiftly got up and lodged a lance at the rock the golem threw at Anya, crushing it to bits.

"Ha! Thanks big guy!"

"You're not the only one who can crush rocks. Care for a lift?"

"Would love to! Up I go!"

Lass threw Anya upwards and positioned her directly above the golem. Backflipping and setting herself up, Anya began to do a downward slash to the golems head. Her enemy faster than expected, the beast blocked the attack by putting its hand in front. Anya's attack instead landed on the crystals stuck in its hand and the sheer force of concentrated Obsulyte backfired at her, launching her back.

"Anya! You ok?!"

"D-Damn...", she stood back up and placed her left bloody arm on her right shoulder. "Whatever the hell those crystals are, they're way too hard to penetrate with regular force. This Goliath is smarter than the norm, it's attacks aren't savage so much as they're methodical."

"Let's fight it with speed!"

"What's the plan?"

"We can crush normal rock parts. Break a ton of them until it submits!"

"Got it!"

Anya and Lass launched an all out attack at the monster, slowly chipping away at its softer rock parts. But by bit, the monster seemed to get slower and slower, as it's injuries took over it.

"Not half a bad plan big guy.", Anya grunted. "Man...the wound's deeper than I thought..."

"Can you keep up?"

"Not for long. Hurts more every time I move it."

"Right. Let's end it now then! Focus on one slash on its chest!"

"In for the final strike!"

As the monster kneeled down from the injuries on its legs, Lass and Anya focused all their remaining strength on one final blow directly to the core. The force of the impact knocked the kneeling monster back, leaving it motionless on the ground...

"Hah...ha. Whew. That was something.", Anya dropped and sat down.

"Yeah no kidding. I thought Goliaths were extinct..."

"Given the sight in front, we might as well say we caused them to be extinct. Damn..."

"Don't move around so much, mutt."

"I know, I know. I'll be fine. Help me up a bit."

Lass picked Anya up. "I can already see a world where Risa scolds us both."

"Better than dying."

"Relatively speaking."

As they both tried to leave the room from the door on the other side, a tremble once again shook them both to the core. The door in front of them shut tight disposing of their last hope of a narrow escape...

Lass turned around, holding on Anya. "You've gotta be kidding me!"

The monster once again started to lift its body up, recovering it's missing bits from the nearby terrain. The moment it was half up, it reached out to do a massive strike as a form of desperation against Lass and Anya.

"Watch it!", Lass blocked the incoming slash next to Anya.

"Aghah!"

Anya herself tried to help Lass block the attack with her left hand, which only resulted in them both being send flying backwards. As Lass got up, he looked next to him to find a bleeding, unresponsive Anya...

"Anya! Anya! Come on wake up!", he worryingly nudged Anya.

To no avail, Anya was knocked out cold, her weapon drenched in her blood right next to her. Lass being in better condition stood up, grabbing Anya's weapon and summoning his on his other hand...

"This time, you'll stay down! Come on you bastard!"

The monster united both his hands and began descending them full force down at Lass. Almost freezing out of fear, his only reaction was to put both weapons at the front, trying to once again block the massive incoming attack.

"D-Dammit.", he took a step back and closed his eyes.

In a split moment, a red flash appeared as everything turned white, right before the impact. Lass opened his eyes, only to find a golem knocked down, this time with its limbs shattered to bits, and it's head and chest turned to dust...

"God dammit...there's no way it's now.", Mellistar echoed.

"What the hell happened?! Melli, did you do that?!", Lass looked at the destroyed monster...

"The door behind you is open. You have to get out, now!", Mellistar yelled.

"What the hell is going-hah!", Lass barely dodged a red flash.

The origins of the red flashes seemed to be coming from the other side of the room, from the long corridor where they came from. This time, however, the red flash passed right by Lass, hitting the door and pinning it shut. In the swift moment that followed, Lass gazed at the weapon that caused it. It was a big, dark lance, brimming with what seemed to be a dark, reddish gloss, before it disappeared into particles...

"Those particles...a weapon summon? But...it wasn't transparent. Is it a real weapon and not an Obsulyte crafted one?"

Another flash appeared from the other corridor, in the shape of the lance, signifying that it was indeed a weapon summon. Lass then heard another noise. It wasn't something be alarmed of, rather than something to signify what was approaching. Tip, tap, tip, tap, the sounds of reoccurring footsteps and the constant grinding of steel was getting louder and louder. Finally, he saw the figure of the approaching nightmare. The only thing he wished would not come out of his dreams. He froze in an instant, none of his limbs obeying his commands and all frozen stiff out of the sheer fear of realizing that what he thought to be a simple nightmare, was coming into a horrifying reality.

"Y-You..!", Lass remained still.

It was a tall standing girl in a full black, spiked armor. She held on her mighty looking lance with one hand and Lass's sword on her other. Her face with an aggressive look, it was obvious that talking was not what she had in mind. She tossed Lass's sword right to his feet, pinning it in front of him and pointing her lance directly at him.

"I refuse to take your life, so long you don't struggle or surrender.", she spoke.

Lass gathered a piece of his strength, picking his sword up.

"I can't believe it...y-you're...real..."

"No shit. Now get ready.", she took her stance.

"Stop it! Just stop it already! Why are you here?! How are you here?! And why do you insist on hurting me?!", he yelled.

"You're doing it again...you dare mock me by playing dumb?! You took it all...you took everything from me! And now...I'll take your life!"

She bashed Lass with her shoulder and smacked him upwards with her lance. She jumped right away and kicked Lass back on the ground, lodging her lance straight at him. Lass was barely able to roll over and narrowly avoid being crushed to smithereens. The force of the impact had the ground next to him collapsing, and the entire dungeon shaking as if an earthquake had occur. She dropped down and re-summoned her lance right back in her hand as she slowly walked towards him. Lass picked up Anya's weapon in his other hand and stood back up.

"I don't know what or who the hell you are...but I won't back down. Not this time!"