Motoyasu was exhausted, physically and mentally. He often had nightmares about his death prior to being summoned to this world, plus with the constant fighting and training and developing of his spear it was weighing on him, slowing him down. He felt terrible about making his girls fight, he promised to protect them! But he couldn't even keep up with that.

He turned to the sleeping red-head next to him in his bed, her nakedness just covered by the blanket over them. She looked so peaceful, so vulnerable that it made Motoyasu want to protect her with his life. He felt guilty when he learned Naofumi raped her, and just a single day after he honored her request to go with the shield hero.

He reached a hand out and twirled a strand of red hair around his finger, suddenly angry and… so very upset. How could Naofumi do something like that!? Despite how useless his shield was, he genuinely liked Naofumi and thought he was a good person.

How could Lucatiel and Ren take his side also!? Only Itsuki had remained steadfast in his disgust, but he immediately went off with his party and disappeared soon after. Motoyasu had heard rumors of the bow hero being a vigilante, saving people under the cover of the night.

Motoyasu had also heard whispers of Lucatiel killing a former member of Ren's party, did that mean he was just as bad as Naofumi!? Yes that had to be why he defended him! They must have tricked Ren!

But… then again… the day that Lucatiel showed up in the courtroom and declared Naofumi innocent… he didn't seem to be lying, and he even got that pretty girl out of jail… and… Myne seemed so shocked and angry, not the scared victim she was supposed to be… she even had sex with him that night as thanks, that wasn't how a rape victim normally acted right?

"M-Myne…" Motoyasu didn't know what he was doing, his body and mind moved in tandem against his heart. "You… didn't lie did you? You're telling the truth right?" the moment he asked he felt like shit, she was his friend! He had to believe her.

"Mmm, Motoyasu-sama?" Myne opened her eyes a little, a sly smile coming to her face as she moved closer and pressed her lips to his, rolling him onto his back as she climbed on top. "Motoyasu-sama… put it in me again, don't take it out this time."

His body shivered with ecstasy. Of course, what was he thinking? This wonderful girl couldn't do something like that. He regretted that moment of doubt he had, he'd never voice it and he would never think of it again. As the two enjoyed each other again, his spear in the corner began to glow with an ominous aura.

"Your mine, M-Motoyasu-sama." Myne gasped. "A-all of you is mine."

"I'm yours." Motoyasu agreed. "Forever, me and my spear will be yours."

Line Break

Itsuki vomited in the bushes so hard he got dizzy, he still wasn't used to blood despite his actions and sometimes it was too much to take. For a moment he wished he was back in his own world, sure he may have been pathetically weak for an esper but at least he didn't have to take matters into his own hands to deal out proper justice.

This one was particularly rough this time, a noble was literally in the middle of raping one of his demi-human slaves when Itsuki came in, he didn't even wait for him to speak, just shot an arrow through his skull and watched as his brain matter splattered over the walls, then got the demi-humans out of his captivity. Slavery… how damn incorrigible.

He felt a surge of rage and an immense desire to seek out and put Naofumi to justice, not only was he a rapist, but apparently he also bought a slave himself! God, Itsuki thought he was going to be sick again.

"Sir Hero? Are you well?" One of his party members asked. Did he detect a note of real concern In his voice? Dammit that's not good, Itsuki refused to be weak ever again. He will never be that pathetic loser again! He was already the strongest among the heroes, so he damn well better act like it.

He plucked up his guts and rose to his full height. "I'm fine, I think I ate something bad. That's all."

"If your sure, Sir Hero."

"That's what I said didn't I? Now leave me." Itsuki snapped, he heard his party member shuffle away and he sighed. He probably shouldn't have reacted like that, but in the end it didn't matter. They were Npc's. They didn't have any emotions.

That's right. This blood wasn't real, even if it felt like it was. This was just a game, and eventually… all games end. He felt a bit of phantom pain spread throughout his entire body and he groaned, this happened sometimes. It was likely related to his death, he'd been killed in an almost anime-esque way, by being hit by a truck on his way home from school. He'd just failed that stupid ESP test and was going home to blow off some steam on his favorite console game Dimension wave.

Next thing he new, he was holding a bow in his hand and was inside a magical circle. It happened so fast that for a little while there Itsuki wasn't sure he died, then he remembered and his pains started.

He wasn't bothered by it, in fact he was rather happy. At least here he was a somebody rather than a nobody that got bullied relentlessly for his weakness, now here he was powerful. He could do anything thanks to his hero status. There was only thing that still pissed him off…

Lucatiel… the bastard lucked out and got a ring that rivaled his own weapon in strength, he found the hidden class from the cheat code, or met god or the admin or something dammit!

Itsuki picked up a rock and hurled it into a tree, receiving a light shock to his arm for trying to use a rock as a weapon, he didn't even feel it. He was too busy steaming mad. Right then and there, he resolved to keep doing what he was doing. To never stop in the name of justice and grow more powerful than all of the other heroes, it didn't matter if Lucatiel met god. No… Itsuki was still stronger.

"I am the strongest of the heroes." Itsuki said to himself. "I am the most just, without flaw."

On his back, his bow began to glow in the same ominous aura that Motoyasu's spear did…

Line break

"Tomorrow, the first wave will come. And it'll be up to us to stop it, I wonder what drops we'll get from the boss." Ren cut a monster in half after a failed sneak attack, after that chimera… nothing seemed to pose much of a challenge.

Ren felt frustrated, it wasn't a challenge. That fight with the Alpha Chimera was a death sentence, a suicide battle that turned in their favor because Lucatiel one shot it with a bad-ass Liberation attack. Ren had done virtually nothing to the boss, his sword unable to cut it.

"DAMMIT!" Ren kicked a tree, yelping as he hurt his foot. "This… stupid feeling."

Inferiority was what it was, Ren was an elite solo player that defeated a legendary player from another game once. That chimera shouldn't have been so hard! Yet he needed someone who had virtually no knowledge of games to win the fight for him, that Ultimate item creation skill he had was just dumb luck!

Ren sighed and slumped against the tree and slid down until his butt hit the dirt, he was glad he was alone right now. He didn't want the others to see him like this, so bitter and resentful when he should have been grateful, especially since thanks to Lucatiel's Item creation. He'd learned a Liberation attack of his own that he was itching to use in battle.

"Blade of ultimax." Ren read the name to himself, he chose the skill because it sounded cool. He wanted to look cool and be cool… but he just felt like a loser, he wanted to take back his pride and prove himself.

Ren felt like something had been stolen from him, a little corner of his mind admitted that it was a tad dramatic but dammit he was the sword hero! He wanted it back, even if he had to take it.

Another monster came out of the underbrush, a small goblin that leapt and tried to snag his money. A deep rage overcame Ren and he grabbed the goblin by the throat and launched it into a tree, as it tried to scramble away the sword hero drew his blade and stomped on the head of the goblin.

His sword began to glow ominously. "You wont take anything away from me. Ever again." He brought down the sword on the goblins neck, severing it in a single swing.

Disturbingly similar to a guillotine.

Line Break

Naofumi watched Raphtalia sleep since he couldn't himself. Every time he tried tonight his mind would immediately go to thoughts of Bitch and Trash, waking him up angry and spiteful. He'd even snapped on Eclair, who was currently asleep in the other bed in the room. (Naofumi took the floor).

He didn't mean to do that, he felt terrible about it. It was just that every once in a while Eclair's hair would piss him off, it was strawberry blonde. Which meant that there was some red in there, and this particular time when Naofumi woke up... Eclair was beside him concerned for his well-being. The first thing he saw was her hair and he just… got angry.

He would definitely apologize for it, and even cook her whatever she wanted and brush her hair for her, that's what girls liked right? Naofumi sighed, he was tired and couldn't sleep which made him angry.

He felt angry at so many things it was overwhelming. His weakness, his situation, the accusation against him, at Bitch, at Trash… it filled him with so much wrath that he wanted to just… burn it all down and destroy it. Damn the waves, damn this stupid world! He hated it all! All he wanted was to go home… and he couldn't even do that!

His shield glowed ominously. "I'm tired of this bullshit, it's not fair. Why'd I have to be stuck with the shield?" Naofumi felt angry tears build in his eyes and holding them back was giving him a nasty headache.

So he let them out, just a little. As he watched Eclair and Raphtalia sleep he let his tears fall silently. Eventually he would leave, he didn't give enough of a shit about this world to stay. But… he couldn't let it die, because in the end there were people that believed in him. And for now, that was enough. That was enough for the shield hero.

The ominous aura faded away, and the shield seemed to be at piece. Eventually Naofumi fell asleep, his thoughts finally at rest.

Line break.

Lucatiel was laying down staring at the night sky outside of the village, he was tired enough to fall asleep. But he wasn't ready to do so yet, a part of him was scared to sleep. He was afraid that he'd have nightmares, he already had enough PTSD attacks for one lifetime. The battle with the chimera was affecting him more than he liked… the sound the trees made when they shattered made his spine crawl.

Lucatiel did not like this, did not like how afraid he was now. It was like that fight woke up something buried inside him, and now loud noises made his heart palpitate. Sudden movements made him dizzy, a combination of both made him have a full on panic attack.

He was scared of tomorrow, and he hated it. It felt similar to how he felt back in his world, how often he woke up expecting to see his mother or brother dead beside him. Or how he'd come home from work and Noah was alone because their mother had left to do more drugs. He was always afraid back then of those things.

Now he didn't have to worry about that… yet a part of him did, and he was still afraid. Afraid of dying, afraid of the people that he cared for dying. And afraid that he'd never get over this fear. It sucked, it sucked so much.

Lucatiel held his hand to the sky, his ring gleaming in the moonlight. Oh how he wished he was one of those stars. Now more than ever he could understand why his little brother loved those stars, he assumed… to Noah at least, that those stars represented freedom and a healthy, happy life. To Noah they represented bravery in it's purest form.

When he dropped his hand, he didn't notice that the Ring started to glow an ominous aura. Lucatiel suddenly felt very tired, so he got up and began his short journey back to the village.

A/N: Not any action in this chapter, just an intermission before the next chapter. I wrote this one to make up for being late on the last one. Hope you enjoyed it. What do you folks think the aura means :)