It was a special day for the country of Melromarc.

The day where heroes of old legends become reality. The day which also marks the turning point in humanity's inevitable battle against the cataclysmic Waves, as it was foretold centuries before.

The summoning of the Four Cardinal Heroes was a day that was greatly rejoiced by the people of Melromarc. Shining beacons of hope in these trying times.

Truly, the thought of four heroes from another world all in one place, swearing upon their name to fight back the Waves and save the great country of Melromarc, was almost too good to be true.

And perhaps it was.

For as three of the Heroes had departed along with their companions to train themselves to become stronger, with the hope of eventually gaining enough strength to rise over any obstacles they may come across, one of them had other plans. Something so important that even the fate of the world must be put aside, for there are other matters of even greater importance.

"I'm telling ya, all I need is a nice bottle of lye water or some baking soda, and I'm willing to pay extra for it!"

"And I'm telling you, I don't know what lye water is, and I don't know what it looks like, so find someone else, you metal man thing!!!"

"Alright fine! I don't need your 'top quality' ingredients anyway. They stink, just like your service! 'Good' day to you, sir! "

Cayde, the legendary former Hunter Vanguard of the Last City, and self-proclaimed most badass Hunter who had ever lived, was having perhaps the greatest predicament in his entire second life.

It had been 4 grueling hours, and after dozens of stores and markets, and hundreds of misunderstood arguments, he had only been able to find wheat flour, eggs, some salt and water for his ramen noodles recipe. Which was barely enough.

These might have been enough for regular noodles, but without the distinguishing lye water or at the very least some baking soda, he would never be able to replicate the alluring taste and texture of his all-time favorite meal.

It also didn't help that most of the storekeepers he met was either apprehensive when talking to him or just straight up avoided making eye contact with him entirely. He had a feeling it had something to do with his metallic face. Are these people really that scared of him? It's not like he was ever going to bite.

Everywhere he went, it felt like a thousand stares pointed at him at every moment. These people really had never seen anything that is equivalent to a cyborg before. But what was he supposed to do? Wear a human face like a psychopath?

The only other move is for him to wear a mask of some kind and mask over his face, but he never liked wearing masks before. It makes it look like he's insecure about his own image, and he definitely isn't.

But if he wanted to fit into this world, perhaps he might have no choice but to swallow his pride for once.

And what a coincidence, there just happened to be a store that sells masks not far ahead. He wondered if there's a Kitsune-themed one.

-

"Seriously? You people don't know what 'miso' is? What about soybeans, fermented mind you? Not even those?"

"Sir, this is a tavern. We only sell beer."

"But you're the only shop that sells stuff similar to food that's still open this late! Ughh... you know what? I'm starting to lose my mind here.. never mind, just give me a shot of... whatever you got."

"Umm about that... we're also closing early tonight, so if you may... "

"... damn it."

Luck wasn't on Cayde's side today.

Granted, it hadn't really been on his side since he was first resurrected into this other world, not even before that when he received a bullet from his own gun straight into his chest. But now it's really pushing it.

Slowly walking out of the now closed tavern, he was hungry, alone, and worst of all, sober. His hope of creating his own brand of ramen, now still remaining just that, a sliver of hope.

"Hey, creepy masked guy! Ya need a place to crash?" Shouted an old man from something like a mile away from where the Hunter was. Presumably he's the owner of some cheap motel, or whatever they're called here.

Cayde glanced at the old man, pondering on whether he should get a room of his own or just sleep on the rooftops, and decided that he was already too used to the comfort of a bed.

"... *Sigh*... what's your price?"

-

The former Hunter Vanguard sat on his slightly clean bed and pulled away the mask he had been wearing the whole time. It was pretty uncomfortable to use even on his metallic Exo skin.

Oh yeah, he was also wearing a hockey mask to hide his face. Well, it was actually called a "haunted mask", because hockey doesn't exist in this world obviously, but it looked pretty damn close to one. Still better than nothing, though now he definitely looked like a psychopath.

Why a hockey mask, of all things? Because the shop owner refused to sell him anything else, saying that he "only serves humans".

That wasn't the only instance of obvious racial discrimination he had encountered.

The reason he had to spend an entire day looking for food stores and markets, was because around half of them simply refused to let him in because he looked different. And the ones that do actually let him in, they only did because of his status as the Bow Hero.

And it wasn't just him, either.

He had witnessed first hand what "Demi-humans" are. Humans with animal traits. Some possessing animal ears and tails, others are far more obvious, even having claws and fur over their entire body. In short, they're like humans, but at the same time, they're not.

At first glance, it seemed like demi-humans and humans are living together peacefully, but one need only to look under the curtains to realize the real truth. Slavery is a real thing in this world, and in this country, demi-human slavery is legal.

He couldn't for the life of him figure out why in this country, Melromarc, demi-humans were not exactly viewed or even treated the same way ordinary humans are. Just because they looked different. And unfortunately for Cayde, he was considered as part of the former.

Oddly enough, even the demi-humans stared at him wherever he went, but strangely not the same way the normal humans did. Some looked at him as if they were looking at something that shouldn't exist, others had a feeling of... admiration? Personally he wouldn't mind people admiring him at all, but in this case it was rather puzzling. The mixed reactions he was getting convinced him that this hero job wasn't going to be very straightforward.

This is going to be quite a problem. How in the Traveler is he supposed to be a hero when most of the people he's trying to save looks at him like they're looking at a criminal suspect?

By now, he assumed that the other Heroes are having a much better time than him, considering they didn't need to hide their identities. They had probably already gone to fight monsters and the like along with their parties and "leveling up" among other adventurous things, and here he was, wandering from shop to shop, still trying and failing to find items he would've easily found in a grocery store back on Earth.

... Was he taking this whole hero gig too nonchalantly? That king did say something like the fate of the entire world being at stake, but back on Earth, that statement basically translates to "another day in the Vanguard".

Oh well, he had spent years surviving on his own before his time in the Last City, and it wasn't like all the comfort and commodity he had experienced was going to dull his skills. He'll find a way to persevere and make it through anything. Always.

Well, maybe not always, but he's working on it.

"Huh?"

He heard something outside. Sounded like footsteps.

His Hunter senses are tingling again. Just like last time. There was no coincidence. Someone was spying on him.

For what reason? No answers he could think of, other than maybe one of the king's spies monitoring him as the Bow Hero. Not surprising since... well, it's pretty obvious. Doesn't mean he's gonna consent to it though.

He had made sure to lock the doors and cover the windows of his room with curtains beforehand, but they could still be trying to eavesdrop him.

That, or they're waiting for him to fall asleep. He's not going to stay around to find out why.

The footsteps had stopped, but it sounded like it came from above him. This room is on the highest floor. Whoever they are, they're on the roof. So, like ninjas? Are they going to throw shurikens at him? Well, he's about to find out soon enough.

He focused, letting the Void flow within him.

The Way of the Trapper, a specific form of the Nightstalker tuned for the fine art of outwitting and trapping your enemies, like a hunter ensnaring their prey. Perfect for the occasion.

He made sure to open the door as silently as possible, not letting out even a creak.

The hallway was silent, and with no one else in sight but him alone. He saw a window of opportunity at the end of the hallway, both figuratively and literally.

With light steps, he moved towards the window. Taking a peek outside, he leapt out of the building, then leaping twice more in the air, using the Light to push him towards the roof.

As he landed on the cold hard clay surface, his eyes fell onto a dark silhouette kneeling on the roof, right above where his room was. They were wearing a dark hooded cloak, masking their figure and face. But under the dim moonlight, his Exo eyesight was far more advanced than a normal human's, and he could slightly make out their face under the shadow.

And judging by the shocked look on the silhouette's face, they weren't expecting company.

The response was quick. They leapt back, throwing a suspicious cylinder onto the surface. Cayde was able to figure out what it was, but the smoke bomb had already done its work.

The explosion was swift. Smoke covered the entire rooftop, masking the spy's movements. They quickly jumped towards the roof of another building, trying to outrun the Bow Hero before the smoke cleared.

Whoosh

Thang

"Huh!?"

A strange-looking knife was thrown seemingly out of thin air, and hit the hooded figure's cloak right near their neck, only to stick firmly onto a nearby wall of a chimney, trapping them.

The spy tried to pull the knife out of the solid brick wall, but they were stopped by another knife hurling towards them, sticking itself onto the same brick wall just inches away from their face.

"Yeahhh don't bother, these babies are sharp enough to break through Cabal armor. You're not going anywhere."

The Bow Hero suddenly materialized out of thin air, much to the spy's shock. He was twirling a similar looking knife in his right hand, and from the looks of it, also quite eager on using it.

Desperately, the spy immediately unsheathed a dagger of her own while taking a defensive position, though their movements have been severely limited by their cloak still stuck on the brick wall.

"Stand back!! I'm warning you!" Shouted the spy in a female voice.

The Bow Hero stood still for a moment, unshaken by the threat. And then, faster than the eye can see, his knife flew.

Clang

Hitting right at the blade of the spy's dagger with a staggering amount of force, forcing her to immediately drop it.

Cayde silently smirked. 'Still got it.'

He was prepared to get closer to the spy, while pulling out another knife from his pouch, but not before he noticed the expression on the latter's face, now being clear to see under the moonlight.

Fear. Unbridled fear, noticeable from her face and her body language, now trying her best to hug the wall behind her. Considering her own nature and the fact that she was unarmed, it would've made sense. But he had a feeling that wasn't the source of her fear.

It was his face. She was afraid because of what he looked like. Like he wasn't human. But he was, he was sure of that.

Unfortunately for the inhabitants of this world, they don't see it the same way.

All his life as a Vanguard, he had struck enough fear into the hearts of his enemies through his actions. And it honestly felt good. But that was different. They were enemies of humanity. And furthermore, they weren't human.

He had never thought about how other humans would actually think of him, appearance-wise. It never seemed like a problem back in the Last City, even with normal humans, Exos and Awoken living together in such a cramped space. After all, they were all considered part of humanity. With a common enemy, and a common goal. And a common belief in the Traveler's Light and its Guardians.

That was what kept the unity strong. The need for survival overcame any other strong opinions towards one another.

But here? Humans aren't in the threat of extinction. At least not yet. There was no real drive to achieve unity and understanding, since there was no common goal, at least not before the Waves thing started appearing. A society divided.

And now he could plainly see the effects of such a society, right in front of him.

Sighing, Cayde put his spare knife back, and walked slowly, getting ever so slightly closer to the spy he was confronting.

"Calm down... I'm not gonna hurt you." He spoke softly. It wasn't quite enough to absolve the spy of her own fear, but it did calm her down a bit.

He had a feeling that the spy wasn't trying to hurt him, at least not directly, otherwise she definitely wouldn't have tried to run away in the first place. But he couldn't really be sure of anything. Maybe there's a way to resolve this without violence, hopefully.

"Listen, I'm not gonna do anything to you, but I do have some questions, and I need you to answer me, kay? I didn't do all this work for nothing.

Now what I want to know is: Why are you spying on me? Who do you work for? And do you know any stores that sell miso?

...Okay, maybe scratch that last one."

He got his answer in the form of a deathly stare.

Nothing. Of course she wouldn't say a thing. Either out of fear or loyalty to another.

"Playing the silent treatment, huh? Oh that's fine. Ya know, I got all the time in the world to wait. I could sit here and wait for you to open your mouth, maybe grab a sandwich while I'm at it. I'm used to not getting sleep anyway. But I dunno if I could say the same for you."

Still nothing. Alright, she's a little stubborn, he could see that.

Maybe, there is another way to get her to talk. The only way he knew how to get anyone to talk to him, or to stop talking to him.

"Hmm. Okay then. Now, since we still got a whole night ahead of us, why don't we take this time to introduce each other? I'll start first.

Got a good feeling you already know this, but for good manners, the name's Cayde, maybe you already knew that, I mean.. the hero summoning ritual thingy was pretty open to public ya know? And I'm guessing you already know about me being the Bow Hero, right? So let's just uhh.. skip over all the boring parts, and how about I tell you about what I used to do back before I got here?

So, long story short- I'm a Guardian, you know, people who protect others from bad guys and whatnot. It's an actual job, trust me. Not a really well-paying one lemme tell ya- but what I'm getting at is, I get to go to really cool places and do really cool stuff, and most people like me for it, like for example..-"

And he never stopped.

-

"-So I told the guy something like, 'I don't have time to explain what I don't have time to understand- yadda yadda- please get me get me the hell outta here'- now I'm kinda paraphrasing, it's been a while and my memory's a bit fuzzy- but I swear that guy's as dense as a sack of rocks, coz it took him a good while to get what I was saying, and the whole time I was still stuck that godforsaken space-time continuum glitch, just dangling in the air like a puppet, and it was really annoying because my back was itchy and I can't reach around with my arms to scratch it coz of, ya know, being suspended in the fabric of space and whatnot, and... well now that I'm thinking about it, you kinda remind me of this same Guardian fella, the uhh.. strong, silent type that you usually hear about- pretty cool guy, also never says a word, although he likes to move his hands alot to get his point across, not sure if it's actually sign language though, I mean- heh, It's not like I ever-"

"-SHUT UP!!! Just shut up!! I'll tell you anything, just stop talking please!!"

And the wall had finally been torn down.

Only took him a solid 35 minutes.

Annoying someone so much until they eventually break down, never thought it would be this effective. He should do this more often.

The spy who was still stuck in the brick chimney wall, looked like she had endured too much to handle. Heavy sweating, irregular breaths, and ruined fingernails from scratching the brick wall too much. All that from just listening to him talk for just a little over half an hour.

There was nothing she could do. She wouldn't dare to escape with him still around, and when she tried to close her ears, he just pulled out more knives and pinned her sleeves to the wall as well, rendering her unable to move her arms.

It was truly an unforgiving torture.

Cayde sat down, legs crossed. "Well, took you long enough... gonna talk now?"

Taking a closer look, the spy seemed to be a young woman in her early 20s, with short chestnut hair and a pair of blue eyes. Eyes once full of fear, now replaced with outright hatred.

...And she still wasn't talking.

"...Or, you could keep quiet and let me finish my story. Now, where was I? Ooh, so have I ever told you about this guy named Zavala-"

"FINE!" She couldn't even last 10 seconds this time.

The woman took a deep breath and released it. "Fine."

Cayde was all-eared now. Thank god he wasn't drunk before doing this. Or rather, not drunk enough anyway.

"... I... I work for the king. The kingdom of Melromarc needs to keep tabs on all the Heroes, to make sure they don't do anything reckless. I was sent to watch over you. My only mission is to ensure your safety." She explained.

Cayde took a moment to process her explanation. Before he suddenly began to crack up.

"Pfft- ha ha ha ha ha HA HA HA HA HA HA! OKAY!! Okay! That's- heh... that's a good one, I'll give ya that.."

The look on the woman's face revealed the obvious. She was confused at his response. But her confusion did not last long.

"Okay... listen here, lady... I think you're underestimating who I really am. I mean, obviously I'm different than the other Heroes, but what you don't know is how old I really am. See, I've seen and done way more than these teenagers ever did in their previous lives, and if there's one thing I learned from my centuries of existence, it's how to spot a liar. And lady, you are not a very good one."

The woman stared at him with contempt and mild confusion, before eventually losing her strength and laying her head down in defeat. She knew there was no way out of this without compromising herself.

"Tch... fine... I lied. But not all of it. I... do work for the king, but I wasn't sent to watch over you, I was sent.. to make sure you're not a threat. And report anything you do back to His Majesty. As far as I know, you are the one Cardinal Hero King Aultcray Melromarc worries the most."

The revelation sparked an interest Cayde never knew he had.

"And why would the king be worried about me?"

"He's worried of what repercussions you will bring, because you're an anomaly. A non-human, or beastman as a Cardinal Hero, was unheard of in all of known history. It means that even demi-humans and beastmen, who are always viewed as inferior to humans in this kingdom, could become Heroes. Such a drastic shift in our social views may.. 'trigger' unwanted attention."

Beastman? Is that another subspecies of demi-humans he hasn't heard about? And that's what these people perceive him as? So his existence may bring about a racial conflict within this country? This was... unprecedented, to say the least. And definitely worrying to some extent.

But wait, "in this kingdom", she said? Does that mean that other kingdoms, or rather countries in this world may have different views on demi-humans and their rights? He may be onto something here.

"You said, 'in this kingdom'. What about others? What do they think of... well, me?"

She hesitated to answer, but remembering the dread of listening to the Bow Hero's endless and ridiculous tales forced her to speak again. "The... other kingdoms? Well, there's... Faubrey, they don't seem to have a problem with.. your kind. Zeltoble, all I know is that they're a nation of merchants and nothing more, and...

..No. I- I can't tell you anymore."

Her sudden shift in tone was alarming. Was she hiding something?

"Can't tell me.. what, exactly? You know you don't really have much of a choice right now, I could keep you here as long as I need. And don't try to lie, you're just gonna waste both our times. Well, you could try, but it's not gonna work."

The woman remained silent, avoiding her gaze from the Bow Hero. She wasn't willing to risk exposing vital information which may endanger all of Melromarc. Even if it meant having to endure another hour of his insane ramblings of his impossibly far-fetched life in the other world.

Cayde, however, was getting impatient.

"Oh come on, how bad of a person you think I am? I am a legitimate hero, okay? Did you even hear anything I've been telling you before? Ya know, the whole Guardian stuff I do- well, used to do?

Look, as much as I love talking about myself, I'm no fan of a mute audience. I got other things I need to do. And spending my entire first night in this place sitting here, telling my backstory to a woman who haven't even been polite enough to introduce herself, is certainly not on my to-do list."

No response. She was no longer willing to cooperate, it seemed. It felt like he was talking to a literal wall. Should he torture her with more of his past-life tales again to get her to talk?

... Nah. Maybe not. He knew she was hiding something important, but was he really in a hurry to find out? He still wasn't done with his spicy ramen quest after all.

But now came another issue. What is he going to do with her ?

Let her go and then have her report everything to that douchey king? Probably not a good idea. But then again, she wouldn't be able to say a thing about this conversation, or she could be punished for revealing information to the enemy.

On the other hand, he could knock her out and keep her hostage. Sure it sounded a little bit unsavory on the moral side of things, but being a Guardian didn't mean things are always black and white. Cayde wasn't as virtuous as Zavala or Ikora would seem like. He was willing to cross some lines if it meant getting things done right.

Cayde released a long breath of air, unsure of his next step.

And that was then a question popped into his head. One that he had actually been meaning to ask towards the woman.

"Look, I don't know how things work around here, but it's common manners to introduce yourself, right? A name, at least?"

All he got in response, was a menacing glare.

'What the hell is going on here...?'

The Shield Hero, was currently experiencing possibly the worst day of his entire life.

Naofumi Iwatani was innocent. He knew he was. There was no way he did anything he had been accused of.

But no one believed him. And no one cared enough to take his side.

And all because of that damn bitch.

He knew he went immediately to bed last night. Never once did he think about taking advantage of Myne. But his words fell on deaf ears. Instead Myne's false testimony was all it took for the entire world he knew to turn against him.

It only became much worse when one of the guards supposably presented a woman's undergarments as "evidence". There was no way that thing came from his room, it just couldn't be.

Unfortunately, his words no longer carry any weight. The king, the public, even the other Heroes, had already picked a side. And no one was on his.

And to think, that if it wasn't for the mere fact he bore the title of a Hero, he would've been executed. All for a crime he never commited.

"You think that just because you're a hero that means that you could do whatever you want and get away with it. I'm disappointed in you, Naofumi."

"You're not the main character of this world. You don't deserve to be called a Hero! Know your place!!"

Stop it. None of those sentences fit him. Motoyasu and Ren, why couldn't they just believe him? They were all supposed to be working together!

He wasn't the bad guy. He swore to himself he wasn't. He promised himself he'll save this world from whatever impending doom may come. He's supposed to be a Hero, damn it! Why was he getting humiliated like this!? What did he do wrong!?

'No. I didn't do anything wrong.'

It wasn't him. It was her. She lied to everyone. She did this to him.

It was all a ruse. Her smiles. Her kindness. All a false pretense, to destroy him right here.

And Motoyasu, he could be in on it as well. Why else would Myne give him the chain mail that he bought, with his own money? Money that was also no longer with him, because she stole it when he wasn't looking.

He didn't know why they would do this. Why she would do this. But he didn't care anymore. They will pay. He'll make sure of it.

Screw them. Screw them all.

"Damn you all... you tricked me!!!"

SLAM

All manner of thoughts and arguments were cut off by the sudden sound of the throne room's door being pushed open.

The culprit? None other than the last of the Heroes, the one who had been mysteriously absent since the beginning of this ordeal.

"-sorry, sorry! I uhh.. had a few troubles um... waking up, right! Yep, that's what happened, no doubt about it. Now, pardon my late entrance, ladies and gentlemen and your Mightiness, and please, continue.. whatever was going on.

...Whoa hold on, what's going on here?"

Cayde, the Bow Hero, power walked his way into the throne room, while coming up with a weak excuse for his late arrival.

It was only after he finally landed his attention onto the sight of the Shield Hero being held down by armed guards, along with the unamused faces of everyone else in the room, that he finally realized something went horribly wrong while he was gone.

The gazes of everyone in the room upon his unexpected arrival seemed like he had unknowingly ruined what must've been a serious situation. Perhaps the equivalent of which being a circus clown accidentally walking into a funeral without any prior invitation.

The king of Melromarc was the first to finally speak. "Sir Cayde... how nice of you to finally present yourself. Though I must say, we did not expect you to return. My guardsmen could not find you this morning. We had assumed you already left the capital town. How were you able to find out about this trial?"

Cayde didn't say anything, but he could tell the sarcasm in the king's words. His face alone could tell a thousand words. He did not want the Bow Hero here.

Wait a minute. Whose trial?

Judging from how the Shield Hero was currently being restrained by a bunch of armed guards, he may have found his answer.

Regardless, deciding that manners are still important, Cayde answered with his chivalrous tone. "Well, your great Highness... I heard from word of mouth, that the Heroes have been called back into the palace for a formal business of sorts. So naturally, I had to bring myself back. Wouldn't wanna be disrespectful now, would I?"

"Hmm. No matter, there are current matters at utmost urgency. Do you, sir Cayde, by any chance know about what happened last night?"

Cayde had a feeling he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Cayde, didn't you hear? Naofumi here tried to take advantage of this young, innocent woman while drunk, and now he's trying to play it off as if nothing ever happened! He committed the worst crime in this country!" The Spear Hero confidently stated, holding Myne closer.

"Nothing happened!!! I'm being framed!!! You're just trying to make me out to be the bad guy!!" Naofumi howled back in response.

"SILENCE!!! You have desecrated the title of a Hero, but it was obvious you never deserved it from the beginning." The king responded.

"Always lying through your teeth. When would you realize to just give up?" Ren added, rubbing salt onto the wound.

"Stop putting the blame on someone else, scum." Motoyasu spat out, kicking Naofumi's statement to the curb.

Cayde had never expected to see anything like this. One of the Heroes had apparently commited a crime, one so foul that even the king had to take action? And now the other two Heroes are taking the king's side? Weren't they supposed to be working together?

Cayde wasn't the absolute best at telling apart people's lies and truths, but there was nothing in Naofumi's tone that would indicate he was bluffing. Not unless he was really good at acting. But even so, it didn't seem like it was going to help him much. Every single person in the room was already against the Shield Hero in this trial.

Granted, he didn't know much about this Naofumi, they've all only known each other for one night, but as far as he could tell with his Hunter wit, Naofumi would never seem like the type of person who would immediately take advantage of someone else. He seemed more like a shy nerd who'd be too nervous to even flirt with any women, much less trying to sexually assault them. But then again, one could never truly judge a book simply by its cover.

If this was all truly a setup, and that Naofumi was really telling the truth, then what's the purpose behind it? An attempt to desecrate the Cardinal Heroes' image in the eyes of the public? If so, why only Naofumi alone? Surely whoever was behind this would know that wouldn't be enough.

Or was the target not the Heroes, but just the Shield Hero himself? If so, why? A personal vendetta? Or something else entirely? Too many questions had to be asked. And figuring out the answers would take a longer time than he'd like to spend.

"Whoa hold on hold on- how do we know this Shield Hero guy actually did anything wrong? Who's the first person to call him out? What's the evidence?" Cayde asked, eager to find out more.

"Myne was the one who told me about Naofumi last night. She was his only companion. She came to me wearing almost nothing, and told me he sexually assaulted her. I was ready to cut down Naofumi myself, but she had the decency to wait until this morning to finally alert the authorities." Motoyasu explained.

Listening to his story, Cayde finally remarked, "Hmm. And.. you never once even think that she may be, just maybe.. lying to you?"

Motoyasu merely scoffed. "Huh? Why would she do that? Of course she told the truth. Women would never lie to me."

The final sentence that came out of the blonde Hero's mouth almost forced Cayde to pop his eyes out of their sockets.

'Holy shit, this guy's an idiot. Either that or he's really proud of his own looks.'

Everyone can lie, that's one of the things Cayde always remembered in his mind. Drifter would be one good example, but even the Exo himself had lived a life of deception, long before he was ever fit to be called a Guardian, though it wasn't like he ever admitted it to anyone.

Eyeing the woman who was presumably the victim of this supposed crime, Cayde noticed an unsettling air of contempt from Myne. Most of it directed towards himself. Not a fan of demihumans too, apparently. Now that's already one reason not to like her.

"We already have evidence that proved Myne's testimony. The guards found a women's underwear in his room, which was undoubtedly Myne's." Ren revealed.

"Huh, so.. where is this supposed 'evidence', if I may ask?" Cayde questioned.

The other two Heroes exchanged some looks, curious at what the Exo was getting at. One of the guards stepped forward and presented the purple negligee that was supposed to be the 'proof' of the crime.

The Bow Hero walked closer, eyeing the negligee with careful attention, before turning his gaze towards Myne. The redhead began feeling unsettled, as if the Bow Hero were eyeing her from top to bottom.

King Aultcray narrowed his eyes in doubt, not knowing what the non-human Hero was trying to do. Feeling impatient, he took action with his words.

"Sir Cayde, while we appreciate your arrival, however late it may be, to this trial, please do not halt it. We have no time to waste."

"Yea yea, just one sec... Uhh, you there.. what was your testimony again? I mean, there's nothing with me asking, is there?" Cayde asked, his finger pointing towards the redhead adventurer beside Motoyasu.

The Spear Hero raised an eyebrow at this sudden request, and couldn't help but question in response. "Why are you so keen about this? Are you on Naofumi's side for some reason?"

"I'm not on anyone's side, I'm just trying to figure out the truth for myself. Now I wasn't here before, so I don't know much about anything going on here. So if it isn't too much to ask.. can I please listen to your side of the story, dear lady?" Cayde further requested.

Myne hesitated to answer, curious as to what hidden motive the Bow Hero may have, but a glance towards the king, who firmly nodded in response, gave her a reason to repeat her story.

"Well.. last night, the Shield Hero came to me in my room while drunk, and pinned me onto my bed. He looked at me with a lecherous gaze, before...before tearing away allmy clothes!

I narrowly managed to escape his grasps, and found Sir Motoyasu, who was staying in the same inn as we were. I told him everything that happened, and asked to wait until the morning to tell the knights-"

"-Liar."

Myne was suddenly cut off by Naofumi, who now bore eyes filled with hatred towards the woman who had betrayed him.

"Myne... you backstabbing liar!"

"Silence, you criminal! You have no right to interfere with the victim's statement!" The king interjected.

"I knew that we shouldn't have summoned all four Heroes at once... we never needed the Shield anyway..."

"Who would've thought the Shield Hero would be so crude and brutish..."

Naofumi gritted his teeth in anger and frustration. It's always with the Shield. Just because he was the Shield Hero, everyoneturned their backs on him. Because he was weak.

Wait, not everyone. Naofumi immediately turned towards the only person who hasn't antagonized him throughout all of this.

"Oy, Cayde! You gotta believe me! I didn't do any of the things Myne said! I'm being framed! Come on, you know I wouldn't do those things, right!?" Naofumi desperately tried to convince the Exo about his innocence.

Cayde kept quiet. He closed his eyes, wondering what would be the next best step.

King Aultcray, no longer willing to suspend the trial further, opted to cut straight to the point. "Sir Cayde, you have heard what the victim said, and now you've seen all the evidence. So, is there anything else you would like to add to this trial? "

"*Sigh*... No. I've got nothing."

All semblance of hope that the Shield Hero still had, were now reduced to ashes.

Ren. Motoyasu. Even Cayde. None of them were willing to stand by his side in the end.

None of the people of this world were willing to listen to him. None of them cared. So why should he ?

"Fine... just send me back, then. You can summon a new Shield Hero if you want! Just send me back to my world already!! I don't give a damn about this world anymore!!"

The king rubbed his forehead, preparing to reveal the unfortunate news. "As much as we would like to send you back, the records state that new Heroes can only be summoned once all four Cardinal Heroes have perished. However, by fighting back against the Waves, you may be able to return to your world."

This revelation was expectedly surprising for the Heroes, mostly for Ren and Motoyasu as they realized they had to keep working together with Naofumi, whom they no longer wish to he affiliated with.

"Fine then! Then I'll deal with the Waves my own way!!" Naofumi violently exclaimed, prompting the guards around him to act swiftly to pin him down.

Their judgements were a mistake, as the power of a Hero was too much to fight back, and the guards were almost effortlessly thrown back by Naofumi's sudden newfound surge of power.

"So... what're you gonna do now? Lock me up til the Waves come?" He intimidated the king.

The latter responded, disgust apparent in his tone, "We have no such time to lock you in our dungeons. As much of a criminal as you are, you are still one of the four Cardinal Heroes. Your power is still needed to thwart the incoming Waves.

However, your misdeeds have been known by the citizens of this nation. You shall no longer be deserving of a decent life in our lands. Consider that your punishment."

"Tch... I know that already."

And with that, the Shield Hero's trial has ended. Naofumi turned his back on the other two Heroes, along with the rest of the people of this country.

Taking a stash of coins from his shield compartment, he threw the last of his money towards Motoyasu's feet. "Here you go. Take them all. That's what you wanted, right? I don't need it anyway."

"Hey, you-!!" The Spear Hero shouted in anger, but his voice never reached Naofumi. He simply continued to walk away from everyone else, uncaring of what the world thought of him.

However, before he left the room, he walked past the Bow Hero, whom without warning, whispered something into his ear that he would've never expected to hear.

"Sorry, kid... there's nothing more I could do."

Naofumi stopped in his tracks, turning his eyes towards Cayde, questioning the meaning behind his words. But alas, he couldn't come up with a solid reason to continue to stay.

It seemed like the Bow Hero was the only one who even thought about defending him, but in the end, the outcome did not change.

'Well, at least he tried... unlike Motoyasu and Ren, those bastards...'

And so the Shield Hero marched forward in his path, alone and shunned by the rest of society. Whatever fate may come of him, none could predict.

Cayde stood alone, his stare never wavering away from the Shield Hero's back as he went out the door of the throne room, possibly to never return.

Should he have done something? Perhaps. His heart told him that what he did was wrong. But his wit told otherwise.

That woman, Myne... she lied. Her acting skills was almost on par with that of an inexperienced stage actor. Her emotions felt almost fake, just like her entire story. So why didn't he say anything about it?

Because Cayde had a feeling she wasn't the only one in on this setup. He didn't know why, but apparently almost everyone in the room hated the Shield Hero. Almost like they wanted Naofumi to be deemed guilty, even if he didn't actually do the crime he was accused of.

There was also the matter of the rumours that were spread from mouth to mouth by the citizens outside the castle. Most of which sounded like they were slandering the Shield Hero to an alarming degree. That was how he even knew about what was happening in the castle before rushing his way back. It was a strange sight to behold, and he needed to know why.

Cayde didn't actually wake up late in the morning. He was busy avoiding the numerous wandering knights, who were looking for him since dawn. He thought that he was the one being targeted, not Naofumi. It was only after listening to the news of Naofumi's arrest that he was finally able to calm down. But knowing what really transpired, still wasn't enough to cull his distrust.

It wasn't quite a tangible theory, but he had suspicions that Myne may be in cahoots with the king himself to bring down Naofumi, or maybe with the other Heroes. Motoyasu and Ren both seemed to antagonize Naofumi far more than reasonably needed, despite the fact they were all Heroes.

Not to mention he already had his own reasons for being suspicious of the king. The events of last night proved that his presence in this country was less than welcomed by the ones in charge of it. Hell, there's a very reasonable chance that if he never caught the spy that was following him, he may have ended up being held in trial as well.

Cayde was no stranger to espionage and deceit. He had previously delved into both, and being on the receiving end would bring trouble that he'd rather not deal with.

If he were to defend Naofumi, he may be accused of conspiring with the Shield Hero, and have his name be taken down as well for defending a well-known criminal. That'll only bring more complications into the table. And it was already bad enough that he had to deal with the racist antics of the citizens of Melromarc.

No, he wasn't being selfish. He wanted to help Naofumi, but right now was not a good time to do so. Cayde didn't like abandoning other people, that wasn't part of his job as a former Guardian, but he needed to preserve whatever reputation he still had to help himself first before he could help the other Hero. If they were both ostracized, neither of them would be beneficial to the other.

Maybe there was a much better way to do so, but this was the best he could think of.

For now, he'll need to somehow be able to get strong enough to fight through the Waves, however that's supposed to work, and he needs to gain the trust and assistance of anyone whom he may be able to help. That means making sure people would have faith in him despite his status as a non-human.

Only afterwards, would he be able to finally lend a hand to Naofumi and restore the Shield Hero's image, however he possibly can. Assuming the latter would still be willing to accept it by that point. Hopefully that kid's got a forgiving heart.

And after all that? Maybe open up a ramen shop. There's always a first for everything.

Okay, maybe that ramen shop will have to wait a while longer. The problem right now is having to deal with the unstable underlying political and social views of this country, some of which seem to be working against him.

None of these were supposed in his job prescription. He just wanted to save people and kick some ass, damn it.

'Oh man... I never asked for this.'

Author's Note

No, this is not an April Fool's joke. I finally did update this story.

Alright first of all... I'm sorry for the unexpected hiatus. I'm not going to tell you why, and I don't wanna make excuses, so in return, please enjoy this large update. I swear I didn't plan for this chapter to be this long. But at least it's finished now.

The events of the story for now is largely unchanged from the canon, but whatever happens from now is still undecided. I have several plans on who would be Cayde's eventual party members and what he'll end up doing in the story. But whether I'll end up using them is still a huge question.

As for any more Destiny characters possibly appearing? Well, we'll see. Wouldn't be fun to spoil them now, would it?

Thank you for reading, and until next time.