You stretch awake, sunlight filtering through the curtains of your Gluttony Ring apartment. The scent of something burning drifts from the kitchen, drawing you from your comfortable bed two months after that fateful day you found Striker in the Wrath Ring.

You pause in the kitchen doorway, unable to suppress a small smile. The fearsome assassin who once struck terror across all rings stands before your toaster, looking genuinely perplexed. His tail flicks with irritation as he prods the appliance like it might attack him.

The morning light catches the golden scales along his arms and the sharp points of his horns. Despite his intimidating appearance, there's something endearing about his frustration with such a mundane human device.

He turns as you enter, those slit-pupil eyes locking onto yours. "Hey, partner," he drawls with that unmistakable accent, "can ya help me with this infernal contraption? I've taken down overlords less stubborn than this toaster." He gestures emphatically at the appliance, clearly offended by its resistance to his legendary skills.