Despite the larger amount of work, Kobayashi and Hutch still managed to finish it all before it became too late at night. The two co-workers left the office with the usual enthusiasm.

"My arms are sore. I just want to flop on my bed." Kobayashi complained, noticeably tired from her day.

"And it's not even the end of it all. There's still that... thing at your house you have to take care of." Hutch pointed out the grim reality of this day, to Kobayashi's exasperation.

"I didn't need to be reminded of that. Well, at least tomorrow's Sunday, I can afford to suffer a bit more."

"I don't mind helping out. I didn't pay you back for what you did for me." Hutch inquired, which got Kobayashi thinking before she responded.

"How many time do I have to say it? There's none of that between u..." Kobayashi interrupted herself as she turned to her old friend. This dreamy face contrasts with the jovial persona she got so used to know. She never saw him like that and even grew to think nothing was able to get to him. She quickly changed her tone to adopt a more serious conversation.

"That girl, Tohru. What's your story with her?" While she was far from understanding the whole story, Hutch seemed to be very involved, and she needed to understand the wild situation she was thrown in.

"How good are you with long stories?" Hutch asked, not taking a second to look Kobayashi in the eyes and focusing on his walk.

"I'll manage. Don't worry about me." Kobayashi dismissed the concern with a wave of her hand.

"Alright then." Hutch stops walking and kneels on the ground, looking at his friend. "This is that long of a story." He states, waiting for a response.

"I'm almost entirely convinced you have an ulterior motive. Not that I dislike it." Kobayashi smiles lightly before taking upon the offer. "So, where do you both stand?" Kobayashi questions, and as she gets lifted up for the rest of the road, Hutch obliges.

"If I were to say it in a single world. We are enemies."

"Do you dislike her?" She questions, being more lost than she was at the beginning

"Not in the slightest. As far as dragons go... she's actually bearable. She does burn cities from time to time, but strength catches her attention. So it makes it very easy to protect vulnerable people. "

"So... what is your issue with Tohru then?"

"The fact she's here really. Dragons are a greedy kind. And she seems interested in you for some reason. And you know the story of dragons and human women."

"Sounds like you have some prejudice against dragons." This answer piqued Kobayashi's interest. She felt like she had to probe a bit better

"I would love to see even a single dragon who isn't driven by greed and destruction!" Hutch raised his voice, seemingly irritated over this discussion. Kobayashi decided to not ask any more questions on this sensitive topic.

"So you're saying that she wants me. But why me? I'm just an office lady."

"Well, you're reliable, friendly, fun to be around, ado-" Hutch got cut off by his workmate hitting him on the top of the head.

"I've hit my daily limit of flirting. Please keep the rest of it in your head."

Hutch laughs a bit before resuming the conversation. "Can't come up with anything else. You have no other choice than to admit you are desirable."

"Even in a world full of dragons, this is the most outlandish thing I've heard! Well, I'll just ask her once we get here."

The serious conversation ended on that note and the transition to more lighthearted subjects was well on its way. By the time they arrived to Kobayashi's house, the whole dragon thing was a long gone memory.

"The very concept of a maid is to be supportive and lovely. A sadistic maid is just counterproductive."

Back on the ground, Kobayashi took the lead and put the key into the hole, opening the door.

"All I'm saying is that the darker color panel has me desiring a cold personality."

"On the contrary big guy. The cold colors serve to highlight the warm soul of the one wearing it."

The cause of our problems peeked from the end of the corridor. It was a girl wearing a French maid uniform, with blazing eyes and a radiating happiness.

"Hello Ms.Kobayashi! How has your day bee.... What are you doing here?" The maid's mood quickly soured, her look formerly brimming with joy now turned into a killing glare.

Hutch returned the politeness with a glare of his own before he started talking. "Took the words right out of my mouth. What's your deal in this world?"

"None of your concern! What matters now is that you're less than half a world away from my Kobayashi!" Kobayashi looked at the two opponents and took the wisest approach. Leave them alone and grab a beer. In the meantime, Tohru stomped towards Hutch while he responded to Tohru's words.

"Your Kobayashi you say!? Will you keep her in a cave and forget to take care of her like you do the rest of your treasure!?" The two of them were now at close proximity, and sparks were flying all around them. This isn't a metaphor, they were both attempting to strike the other with air blades.

An open beer can in hand, Kobayashi steps up to save whatever bit of the wall didn't take massive damage.

"Guys! Guys! I'm sure there's a way to settle your differences without breaking the house in the process."

The two foes calmed their anger to figure out a solution to the whole collateral damage issue. And a consensus was reached in record time.

"Well I do have an idea that you might like." Hutch told, stretching out every word due to the dodginess of the idea.

"I assume we have the same idea. For a human, you are not entirely stupid." Tohru looked down on Hutch, despite being a whole 70cm shorter. "I challenge you to a duel to the death. The winner gets to keep Kobayashi."

"I don't remember being anyone's property." Kobayashi stepped forward, until Hutch puts his arm right in front of her in a protective stance.

"It's up to the knight to protect the princess from the dragon. I accept your challenge."

"I'm not sure how I feel being compared to a princess." Kobayashi could feel her face heating up and looked away. Tohru just got angrier at that reaction.

"That settles it! You're going down!" Tohru growled, turning her face into a more beastly one.

Hutch casts teleport, the scenery turns from the small and rather crowded house to a lush green scenery with grass as far as the eye can see. The wind caught up to their bodies, everyone's hair flowing in the same direction.

"This place would make for a terrific vacation. What are you guys going to do here?" Kobayashi looked around at the unknown area, marveling at the sight.

"Well, mainly kill each other. Don't have any plans afterwards." Hutch geared up the moment he arrived in front of Kobayashi and cast a forcefield on her. "This should let you spectate without putting you in meaningless danger."

Kobayashi was probably screaming with everything she had. The problem with protective barriers is that neither side can hear the other. And so Hutch walked away towards his next fight.

"Ready when you are." Hutch spawns his set of armor and launches a fierce glare on Tohru, while he prepares his stance.

"Don't think I didn't notice you spending your mana before this fight." Tohru turns most of her body to dragon form, while keeping a human body.

An air of silence settles, the two opponents focused solely on each other, the only noises coming from Hutch's sword and the wind blowing.

That silence breaks the moment the fighters clash for the first time. In an instant, the bright day sky turned red and the ground cracked open. Eventually, the two fighters gained distance from each other and amped up the pressure, to the point where every attack was too fast for human eyes.

The battle continued on with no clear winner in sight. Sparks flew and beams were fired around. What was once a luxurious plain became a place of death where even the smallest bug turned into ash at the contact of this battle of titans.

Eventually, the deadlock was lifted as Tohru slammed Hutch into the ground and fired a beam from her mouth. The hero managed to control his landing well enough to block the incoming attack and jump back in the offensive, his strike quickly backhanded by Tohru.

While she used her free hand for an attack, Hutch poured as much power as he could into his sword to cut off the arm Tohru used to block the attack. But that left him defenseless to Tohru's other attack which left a gash into his right side.

The wounded warriors were both bleeding profusely, despite the clear difference in demeanor. While Tohru remained stoic and ready for anything, Hutch was gritting his teeth, clearly pained by the chunk of his flesh removed from him.

Without even catching her breath, the dragon launched another beam at the hero, which he tried defending from using a magical shield. It seemed to be an uphill battle, Hutch was digging his heels to the ground, and yet he was getting pushed back. The situation seemed desperate and there was very little room for mistake from our hero.

From seemingly nowhere, a white ball appeared near Tohru's face. Before she could do anything, the ball exploded into a flash, surprising Tohru just long enough for Hutch to counterattack. A massive sword beam struck the dragon dead on, ending the duel in Hutch's victory.

The victorious hero trudged through the battlefield, slowly but surely closing in on the collapsed dragon. Once he reached her position, Hutch raised his blade, before placing it right on her neck, drawing blood.

"I've lost, so I know it's a bold move... but I need to ask you something." Tohru struggled to express herself, her breathing growing harder with each word. "If you have... even a shred of respect for me... end it all."

Hutch looked at the dying dragon, an empty look in his eyes. He looked over to the open wound in his side, and at his blade then back to the dragon.

He pulled the sword away and stabbed it straight into the ground, leaning on it as he was sitting down.

"I refuse." Hutch stated, crossing his arms and looking directly at Tohru, who was trying to raise her head off of the ground.

"You... how dumb are you? Or maybe... maybe the rumors were true. Are you that cowardly?" Tohru raised her voice at that last sentence, cursing the hero for this strange decision.

"Tell me. What do you want to do? What were you fighting for?" Hutch questioned further, avoiding Tohru's own question.

The dragon decided to not look into it further, and answered the Hero's question. "All I want... is to be close to... Kobayashi... as a maid... or maybe... more than this." She smiled at that last bit, weak as it was, it was truly genuine. Hutch could tell that much, despite not being good at reading people.

"And wouldn't that be hard to do that without a life?" Hutch argued.

"I lost the fight... I'm not allowed to-" Tohru got cut off by the knight. "You lost the fight, and so I set the rules!" Hutch shouted, before he struggled to get up, pointing his sword at the dragon girl.

"From this day onward, you, Tohru, will devote your life in serving Kobayashi, as her trusted dragon maid! Furthermore, you will no longer oppose me, and any attempt at winning Kobayashi's heart will make those terms void and your life forfeit!" Hutch proclaimed, his eyes meeting Tohru's, despite her great difficulty at keeping her head up.

Tears start welling up in the dragon's eyes, with what remains of her voice, she answers. "Your terms are... acceptable." Almost right after, she collapses on the ground, out cold.

Hutch claps his hands, turning the wartorn field back to green. He then walks some more, with great difficulty, towards Kobayashi who's been knocking over the force field for the longest time. With his touch, the field dispels, allowing Kobayashi to finally move freely. She used this opportunity to hit Hutch right in his largest wound.

"Ow, I hope it won't get infected." Hutch winced in pain, a tear forming into his eye.

"That's for risking everyone's life!" Kobayashi cried out, before jumping on the hero, putting him down on his butt and into her embrace. "And that's because I was so damn worried about you!"

Hutch patted his co-worker's back. "Hey now, I would never leave you without a warning." He whispered reassuringly at her ear, returning the hug. "It's been a long day. What about we all take some much needed rest?"

No answer, Hutch noticed Kobayashi was already asleep in his arms. He teleported everyone back to her house and before he could even get up, fell asleep, leaving everyone to sleep on the floor.

---------------

You ever write a chapter, and fix a sentence, but then the flow isn't natural so you end up changing half of it. Because that's what just happened.

One chapter every other week is the best I can do.