Without a moment’s hesitation, the six scaled women all charged at Lacey. Even though she still had some aches courtesy of that black knight, she held tightly onto the spear’s pole and launched out to counter her foes.

However, they all scattered from her, some even agility leaped over her head. Lacey was confused at first, but she soon realized her position. They have me surrounded! She thought as she looked around. All six scaled women primed their claws and give out hisses as Lacey’s teeth clenched against each other.

Which side, or are they all coming? Her head swiftly turned about as she readied herself for them to charge her.

“Lady Lacey!” the woman soon cried out, Lacey immediately turned and as she did, three of the scaled women came right for her.

Lacey saw the sudden movement from the corner of her blue eyes and swung her spear as she turned to face them. A ding sounded put as the foe’s claws collided with the spear. She quickly shoved it back and countered the other, but then the other four all came right for her.

Merde! She cursed out as she twisted her body to avoid the incoming attacks.

“Argh!” Lacey cried out as one of their claws slashed into her. She countered with a blow from the back of her spear’s pole and retreated back. As she stepped back, she looked down at the side of her chest, where four lines of claw marks, dyed in red marked her body.

Not good…there’s so many… her brows frowned as she looked at her wound then back towards her opponents.

“Lady Lacey!” the woman shouted once more as she saw Lacey’s wound.

“Don’t w-worry, I’ll be fine, just stare back,” she flashed a smile back at her, but as she turned back to face the six scaled women, it quickly faded. Didn’t I say I was going and prove my worth here! Her grip on her weapon tightened, Come on Lacey, you can’t afford to be weak here!

While she thought that the scale women charged once more. Lacey stood in place and readied her fighting stance. Some leaped into the air once more, however that was what she was hoping for as she too leaped to meet them. One tried to slice at her, she shifted her head and with a swift thrust jammed her into its throat. As it pierced the scale woman’s neck and blood flowed out, Lacey immediately swung the spear with the body still attached into the other airborne foe nearby, sending it crashing into two others on the ground.

Loud screeched sounded out as the other two on the ground approached ta each side as she was about to land. Lacey quickly adjusted her spear and stuck it into the ground as she came close to landing and immediately used the falling momentum to swing around it and delivered a kick into the one to her right.

Though it blocked she used that to launch back into the air and pulled her spear out at the same time. She landed behind the one on her left and immediately pierced the creature’s head as it turned around to face her.

“That makes two,” she said as she swung the spearhead out of its face, which caused bits of blood and flesh to fly out as well. Lacey panted heavily as she entered another stance. The pain began to really set in, both from that claw wound and the remnants of yesterday’s beating. Even so, Lacey decided to take the offensive and went straight for the group of three before her.

However, the single one ran up claws primed to slice her from behind, with a smirk, Lacey stopped as she backflipped right over the sneaky foe and unleashed a barrage of pear strikes from above it. The scale woman screeched out as the metal tip assaulted its body. As Lacey landed back on the ground the creature collapsed as blood flowed out of its numerous stab wounds. The remaining three hissed out at her as she readied themselves to avenge their fallen kin.

Come on Lacey, you can keep going…just three more… she thought to herself as sweat drenched her body and her vision blurred a bit. What a time to miss breakfast.

Suddenly, though, while she tried to fight against the fatigue and pain, the remaining scaled women turned and hissed at each other. Then they retracted their claws and with a few more screeches directed at Lacey, they ran away into the forest.

Wait…what was that about? She thought as she witnessed their sudden retreat, I guess, I win then…

Lacey knelt down as the lingering pain from yesterday’s fight with that black knight combined with her recent wound rippled throughout her body. She pushed herself a lot in the fight, but if she didn’t give it her all she’d never be able to get Dante’s attention.

Now that this lady was safe, no doubt Dante would see her as a capable woman, one that deserves the same kind of treatment as Marilyn and Kayla. Perhaps maybe even more than those two. Once more thoughts of her being held in is burly arms. The heat that they exchanged as their flesh come together, the shocks of excitement that fired off throughout her body from every touch of his big and rough hands. It wasn’t long before her facial expression had become something most unbecoming of a knight maiden. All the while the woman she just saved tried to get her attention.

“La…cey…” the faint words slowly entered her mind, “Lady…Lac…!” once again the words sounded out to the daydreaming knight, “Lady Lacy! Please, you're bleeding!” the woman’s cries finally returned her to the moment at hand.

So caught up in her delusions, Lacey completely forgot her current situation, but it wasn’t long until the moistness of her clothes and the continuous pain streaks reminded her of her position.

“Argh! Sorry, guess I lost my head for a while there.” She finally replied to the woman.

“I’m so sorry, you got hurt because of me,” the woman began to stream tears as she gazed up at Lacey’s face.

“Ah, don’t worry, it’s the honor of a knight maiden to protect the innocent,” she strained a smile through her pain, “besides, I have been through worst. Th-Ah!” she yelped as she tried to move, “T-this is nothing,” She continued to smile before the woman. Lacey had no idea who this lady was, but it was always important for knight maidens to uphold an air of reliability and honor. No matter what, as a knight maiden she must never appear weak, for they are the guardians of Arthrain and knights of the Queen.

Showing weakness would cause people to lose faith in the order of knight maidens as well as Her Majesty, which would be unacceptable especially to Lacey since she was the most renowned of all knight maidens. Though there was another reason as well.

I have to stay strong, if Dante saw me like this it might have the opposite effect of him recognizing me over the others. She thought as well as she fought through the pain to stand. Though it would appear her actions were in vain as the person she least wanted to see her in such a state appeared.

“Lacey! What’s going on?” from the shrubbery Dante appeared as he ran up to the two women.

“D-D-Dante?!” she exclaimed, “w-why are you here?!”

“I heard some commotion and came over to see what was causing it.”

“I see,” she tried to hide her pained expression.

“Are you all alright?”

“I’ll be fine, but Lady Lac-”

“I’m fine, just great!” Lacey tried to cover the fact she was quite the opposite, even stopping the woman from talking.

“Don’t hide it Lacey, I know you're hurt.” He said.

“W-what do you mean, I’m f-”

“You're bleeding…” Silence soon entered the area as Lacey couldn’t find words to explain herself.

 

---

 

How’d it end up like this… She internally mopped as Dante looked at her wound, I know he did it before, but I want him to see me as better as the others, not some helpless woman.  Lacey couldn’t help but decry her current situation. After going all the way of saving that woman from all those creatures to show off her worth to Dante, now she could only lie back helplessly as he examined her injury, like some child who fell and skid their knee.

“Still, you really are amazing Lacey,” Dante said. The words completely caught her off guard, “I knew you were strong, but to think you could take on all of these by yourself and while protecting someone too,” he smiled at her as he spoke, “you really are amazing.”

Lacey couldn’t even voice a single word to respond with. So, enthralled by his words of praise, Lacey didn’t even notice the woman she saved, slip a bizarre bottle to Dante.

“I really want to get to know you better.” He said as he poured the red liquid into a piece of cloth.

“R-really?!”

He nodded his head as he responded, “I want to be more connected with you too.”

C-connected?! She internally shouted as her mind tried to keep up with all that was happening.

Dante leaned in close to her. Her eyes were completely focused on his as he pressed the cloth into her wound. It stung really badly, so much so she cut off her eye contact with him to gaze down. However, a sudden throbbing in her head caused her sight to become dazed.

“But there’s something I need you to do, in order for us to get closer.”

“Huh…?” her mind felt off, random thoughts suddenly infiltrated and piled up inside her head.

When she caught Dante with Kayla and Marilyn. How he rejected her Last night and the words he said to her right now and more all circled through her thoughts. Along with a rising feeling, something deep within her suddenly began to want to come out. Envy, rage, lust all began to flow into her thoughts as well.

“Lacey, do you want to be closer to me?” he asked.

“Yes…! I do!”  she immediately replied, it was such a quick response part of her consciousness didn’t even register what she said.

“I ‘m glad to hear, but I need you to show me, not with words, but with actions.” He whispered into her ear.

“Actions…?”

“That’s right, show me that your better than your friends,” a smirk parted his lips as he whispered, “if you could defeat them, we’ll be able to become closer.”

“Show you… that I’m better… by beating Kayla and Marilyn?”

“That’s right, can you do it for me,” he continued to smirk, “for us.”

As she heard those words, the overflowing negative thoughts enveloped her. The envy of seeing her friends be with him, the despair of being rejected, and the rage of having her pride hurt. It all was fighting to be released. She reached out for her spear as she stood up. A red hue appeared in her eyes as she replied to him, “I’ll do it.”