Sword Hero Who Dances in the Shadows chapter 07: Turning Point

Lyall the Werewolf: Regarding Asuka's Curse Series; I agree whole heartedly with THE-Twilight-BlazeKnight. The Greed or Gluttony Series wouldn't fit into Asuka's character. She's never been shown to be overly greedy. At least, not greedy in turns of being power hungry. Asuka trains for power and seeks to improve upon herself as a result, not actively seek power for power's sake. That goes against her principals as a Good Shinobi. She will get a Curse Series, though. As for what it is, you'll just have to wait and see.

Also, someone mentioned Asuka becoming a traveling merchant, similar to Naofumi. Sorry, but that's not going to happen either. I can't picture Asuka as a traveling merchant. I do plan to have her do something to earn money, but it won't involve the merchant trade and such.

I tried looking up more information about Rino, and have even asked around, but nothing came up then what we know from the side story, and that she shows up in Volume 19 of the Shield Hero light novel, which hasn't been translated yet. She might show up in the anime, or in the manga at some point, or their might be a translation in the future, but I don't think I can wait long for any of that, so I make up what I can and role with it.

So, that's that. On with the chapter.

(I don't own Senran Kagura or Shield Hero)


When dinner was over, Asuka and Rino had decided it was time for a well earned bath.

Now soaking in the large bathtub built in the middle of the room, the two women simply relax and let their stress melt away. That would be the case, if Rino was distressed over how big the younger girl was in comparison. She was fairly busty herself for her age, but she found it hard to believe that a teenager younger than could be so well-endowed.

"S-Sword Hero-sama…?" Rino meekly said, as she bathed on one side of the tub, opposite to Asuka, whose chest was floating above the water, in plain view of her bathing partner.

"Just call me Asuka. I'm not interested in formalities and such." said Asuka

"O-Okay… Asuka, this is going to be really weird, but I really wanna ask you something since it's just the two of us here…"

"What is it?"

"How did your breasts get so huge?" asked Rino, embarrassing both herself and Asuka.

"Eh?! T-That's…" a bashful Asuka quickly covered her chest.

"Sorry! I'm just so curious! Those things are… so huge… And correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm older than you! How does this even make sense?" Rino's stare became very intense at the sight of younger Sword Hero's endowments; much to the latter's discomfort.

"W-Well… in all honesty, I don't really know myself… I think it might have something to do with my diet, or training… or maybe it's a hereditary thing too. My mom and grandma are pretty big. Although, I think I'm bigger…" Asuka answered hesitantly.

"Oh, wow..." Rino gazed at Asuka with bewilderment. The women of the Sword Hero's world must be incredibly stacked to varying degrees.

"Yeah… mind blowing, isn't it?" Asuka said, followed by a sigh, "Seriously, these things are a pain to lug around. My shoulders and back get stiff. It's difficult to find the right bra size for them. And though they may not look it, they can get in the way when I'm in a fight. Not only that, I get stared at a lot, mostly by guys who don't seem to know how to talk to me while looking me in the eye."

"Ahh… I can see where you're coming from. Sometimes I get the occasional flirt because of how pretty I am or sexually attractive I am. Those bandits kept talking up what a great body I have, too. And then there was… Motoyasu, who often gave me and the others girls stares like that before I was sold away."

"Ugh, I know! I really can't stand him!" Asuka grumbled, remembering the times he snuck peeks at her chest, the time he hugged her just to feel her boobs against his body, in which she could have sworn he was feeling up her back as well, and deluding himself into thinking she hated him because of a make-believe drug. There were the rumors about Motoyasu's party being mainly a cheerleader squad as well, which really painted him in a bad light in her eyes, not just most of the men in Melromarc.

Those girls in his party, baring Myne, couldn't possibly be that dumb, could they? They acted like a bunch of obsessed fan girls when she met them at the guild. Surely being with him for the past two weeks clued them in that he was a perverted idiot.

"Oh yeah, you mentioned that you were weirded out by how Motoyasu-kun's party operated while you there. How weird was it?" asked Asuka.

"As weird as you could possibly expect it to be." Rino answered as her face hardening, "Like I said before, I was excited to join his party after he approached me, but those girls seemed really flighty, and they like to spend loads of money on expensive things. Not to mention, they were all too happy to cheer for him and give some magic support on the side, and when they weren't doing that, they sometimes sit and watch while eating a snack. He didn't let us fight either. He even said "cute girls aren't suited to bloody battles, so you don't need to fight. Just leave all the fighting to me and cheer me on!" It kinda makes me mad."

"Yeah, I can just picturing him saying something like that…" Asuka said with an angry smirk. The more she heard about him and his party, the more she hated him.

"He also talked a lot about you, Asuka." Rino said.

"Did he now?" Asuka asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He always went on and on about how you're such a sweet and cute girl, and that he wouldn't forgive the Shield Hero for drugging you into like him."

Asuka felt the urge to punch him in the family jewels again after hearing that.

"But, I do believe he is right though. Not the drug part, that is." Rino smiled, "You're very kind, considering you saved me from becoming a slave. You also helped that Demi-human boy."

"O-Oh geez! It wasn't that big of a deal. I just did those things because it was the right thing to do." a blushing Asuka said, "And I really needed the money."

"Nevertheless, I'm really grateful for what you did." said Rino.

"So, what're you going to do now that you're free?" asked Asuka.

"Hmm… I think I'll stick around and lay low for a while. I don't think I'd want to go on adventures after what happened."

"Eh? Are you sure? You're not even going back to Motoyasu-kun's party?"

"Yeah. I really don't want to go back to them. Especially while that woman is there..." Rino answered as her face darkening as she mentioned 'that woman'.

Asuka immediately knew who was talking about. It was understandable that she would hold a grudge against Myne for what she did. She understood that fairly well, as she held the Vile Princess in very low regard as well for how she framed Naofumi and made her look stupid during that trial, not to mention suggesting that duel, where she was sure to pull something dirty the minute things went south. Her senses wouldn't fail her if that were the case.

"She won't get away with what she did to you. I promise!" Asuka swore.

"Thanks… you really a true Hero." said Rino, "You know, I always wanted to meet the Cardinal Heroes, and join them on their adventures. I heard stories of how they fought evil and protected the innocent, and that's what inspired me to be an adventurer."

"Really? Then what do you think of us? The Cardinal Heroes, I mean, individually?"

"Oh? Well, I guess the Bow Hero's okay. I hear he has a huge party because of his charisma." answered Rino, "I thought the Spear Hero was really handsome and I was really excited to join his party when he asked, but after spending time with them and what happened afterward, I'd say his looks are about the only thing good going for him now." she added bitterly.

Asuka waited potentially for one opinion that was really important.

"As for the Shield Hero… You probably won't like this, but I'm kind of indifferent to the Shield Hero."

Asuka sighed, not surprised that she would say that.

"At the same time, though… I honestly think that trial he had was excessive."

"Huh?"

"I don't really believe in the teachings of the Three Heroes Church, or the rumors about the Shield Hero. If you think about it, it really doesn't make sense to pin him for heinous crimes and expect the 'Three Heroes' to get along without him."

"That's what I told them! But, they refused to listen." Asuka bemoaned.

"And that's really stupid in my opinion! I mean, you're wonderful! I don't care about this 'Fake Sword Hero' nonsense! You were so brave to help me and that boy! Not only that, but you're so skilled and strong for someone so young! Taking down those bandits all by yourself was amazing!"

"P-Please stop! I think I've received enough praise for today!" Asuka exclaimed, blushing madly from receiving such praise.

"Oops, sorry!" Rino giggled.

A few seconds afterword, Asuka calmed down a little.

"Anyway, Rino-san, when you get some fighting spirit back, do you want to form a party with me?"

"Eh?"

"It's totally up to you if want, but after the sacred duel with Motoyasu-kun, there are the Waves of Catastrophe and other adventures waiting, and the next Wave is coming soon. It doesn't matter how strong I am right now, I doubt I'll get very far during the Waves on my own. So, it's definitely a good idea to form a party with someone I trust."

Rino stared at Asuka blankly for a while, making the latter uncomfortable.

"O-Of course, that's totally up to you. I mean, the last thing you would want is to party up with another Hero after-"

"Sounds good to me."

"Huh?"

"I owe so much for saving me life. Joining in the fight against the Waves with you is my way of repaying that debt. Plus, I like the idea of fighting beside you more than I do with the Spear Hero." Rino smiled.

"You mean it? Awesome!" Asuka cheered.

"I look forward to working with you." Rino smiled.

"Thanks. I'm really glad we're getting along, Rino-chan!" Asuka smiled back at her. She was relieved that Rino was holding up okay after her ordeal. Still, that didn't mean she was unlikely to carry a grudge against Myne for selling her off.

And there was Motoyasu, who was none the wiser about Myne's true nature. She wasn't sure of what kind of training he was undergoing for the duel or the Waves, but given how nonchalant he was when she met him earlier today, he clearly wasn't training at all. Or rather, not training as much as he should. It was obvious that, aside from his gaming knowledge at least helping him along, he had no idea how to truly fight. All he knew was to hunt the monsters, get the girls, and so on. She knew right away that she would take no pleasure or honor in fighting a weakling. But, if she was going to help Naofumi, she had to win.

"Hey, I think it's time to get out." said Rino.

"Huh? Oh yeah." Asuka nodded.

Both women exit the bath, and after putting on their night clothes, the two went to their respective assigned rooms to sleep for the night.

Unlike the rooms in the palace, this one was both simplistic and fancy, with a single bed, a wardrobe, and dresser.

Asuka had quickly thrown off her clothes, dressed in her tank top and shorts, and was about to go to bed, that is until she heard faint whimpering from the guest room next door.

Intent on investigating, Asuka snuck over next door. Upon entering, she found Conan curled up in a ball on the bed, shivering like mad beneath the bed sheets.

He was given a room by Vento by request of Asuka herself, due to not wanting to force him to go back out into the wild. Because he didn't seem to have any animosity towards Demi-humans like the people at the capital, he happily obliged her request.

She remembered seeing his face full of reluctance to even walk inside. It took him a few minutes to even process that this was for real, slowly walking inside, and pretty much locking himself in. He must not have known how to properly lock the door from the inside, since Asuka was able to sneak in and check on him.

"Conan-kun?" she said in concern. He didn't hear her, thus he continued to tremble.

She assumed he was probably cold, but that didn't appear to be the case. The fearful look on his told her that he was having some kind of nightmare.

Asuka wasn't quite sure what to do, but she remember back in her childhood, when she had nightmares, her parents would comfort her by sleeping close by her side. So, maybe he would calm down if she did the same.

With that in mind, she crawled into Conan's bed and lied beside him, holding him close. It didn't take him long for him to calm down. Asuka was pleased that it worked, but she felt fatigue get to her, and fell asleep beside him.

[-Forest Area-]

"NNOOOO! MOM! DAD!" Raphtalia cried, after having woken from yet another nightmare. Ever since the first Wave destroyed her home and one of those horrible monsters stole her parents' lives away, the slave girl had been suffering from these night terrors. She still remembered it vividly, how her parents sacrificed themselves to throw her onto the ocean to save her from being devoured by that giant three headed dog monster. It was despairing beyond belief that her peaceful life had been stripped away from her in the most nightmarishly cruel way possible.

Being enslaved to multiple masters who had little patience for the screaming did not help. Thankfully, her new master seemed to be at least willing to comfort her.

"Raphtalia, it's okay!" Naofumi said, holding her close.

Because they had no money to pay for a room at an inn, Naofumi and Raphtalia were forced camp out in the woods.

This was not the first time Raphtalia had a nightmare and crying fit like this. He was told by the slave merchant who sold her to him that she often woke up from these nightmares screaming and crying.

He thought was just going to be a minor annoyance, but after seeing it firsthand the other night, seeing how terrified and miserable she looked as she rose up in a frightened frenzy, he couldn't bring himself to scold her.

This, along with all the things that happened up to this point made it clear to the Shield Hero just how real this world was. This wasn't some game. It was reality.

A little later, Raphtalia calmed down, but was still shivering in her master's arms, as they both lied down.

"I-I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I keep having t-these nightmares and disturbing you…" Raphtalia sobbed.

"You're going to have to get over this at some point." said Naofumi, with a gentle scolding tone, "You can't fight monsters while you're scared."

"Y-Yes sir…" Raphtalia eventually fell asleep again, this time more peacefully than before. Deciding it was too much hassle to get back to mixing medicines, Naofumi stayed put with Raphtalia.

As much as he wanted to, Naofumi couldn't bring himself to be a grueling task master he wanted. The best he could manage was being a strict parent of sorts. Was it because of what Asuka said to him before? No, it couldn't be.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder what she was doing. Was she going on quests on her own, like the people in Castle-Town kept buzzing about?

He missed what happened after the trial, but after he stormed out, she apparently assaulted that Trash King and threatened to leave Melromarc. At this point, he would have paid to see that bastard get what he deserved. But then, Myne butted in and suggested that duel. It really pissed him off when the old guy at the weapon's shop informed him of that bitch being the Princess of this country, which explained how she was able to trick Motoyasu, Itsuki, and all those others into thinking he was some cowardly criminal rapist. Because of her royal status, she could get away with anything, no thanks to her piece of shit father.

A large part of himself said it was their fault for not believing in him, and Asuka's for failing to clear up Myne's lie. But, deep down, he began to feel like this was his own fault. He really should have thought to check his Status Magic's HUD to look up the |PARTY Menu| for Myne's entry, or see if there was a party invite waiting. He even heard Motoyasu and Itsuki talk about it the night before the trial, but was too tired to think about it. When he checked after the trial, there wasn't anything resembling a party invite.

Naofumi didn't even know about the party function until he looked at the built in help guide in the HUD, which was a clear sign of his lack of knowledge regarding RPGs.

And then, there was Asuka. She tried to warn him about Myne, but he let his new status as a Hero, and fascination with this world go to his head, which led to him brushing her off. Despite having the Shield for a weapon, having some setbacks, he was having so much fun. He still missed his home and family, even if his parents were fed up with his life style.

Despite being upset at being brushed off the night before, she went out of her way to try to help him during the trial, but look where it got them now.

He had an attempted rape charge hanging over his head like a noose, and Asuka's popularity took a hit, with people calling her a Fake Hero for standing up for him, attacking the King in a rage, and treating Demi-humans with decency. Just how warped were these people? Wasn't taking a stand against injustice bread and butter for a Hero?

And of course, there was that so-called sacred duel. There was no way anything good could come out of that. He had a gut feeling that the King and his daughter would pull some cheap crap if the unfavorable should happen. Like Asuka beating Motoyasu and winning the whole contest.

The idea of a girl beating the piss out of that clown was something he had to see.

Speaking of which, he heard somewhere in town that she actually clocked him in the balls for something he said. How he wished he could have seen the look of pain and misery on that asshole's face.

Naofumi chuckled at the thought of that. Still, it caused him some worry about her.

Of his family back in his home world, he had a younger brother. Because Naofumi chose the otaku's life style, his parents got fed up with him and decided to focus their attention of his little brother, making him study all the time for a prestigious high school. This caused him to develop a ton of stress, which eventually led to him acting out, bleaching his blonde and behaving like a punk. Knowing that it was partially his fault, Naofumi took it upon himself to straighten him out, by introducing him to a dating simulation game, which helped relieve his stress so much, he was able to study and get into that school their parents were hoping for.

Asuka, whether he wanted to admit it or not, actually remained Naofumi of his brother a little bit, the only difference being that she was a girl, with far less of a chip on her shoulder, and possibly really stiff shoulders because of certain… assets.

Anyway, Naofumi started to think that Asuka might be developing as much negative stress from this whole thing as he was beneath the surface. She appeared cheerful externally, but it was there. She was just very good at hiding it. It wasn't just from her negative reputation. Maybe it related to her death in her old world. That traumatize expression and almost puking up her lunch told him as much. She didn't even want to talk about it when the discussion came up during their first night in this world.

Whatever happened, it must not have been pretty compared to the humiliating deaths of Motoyasu and Itsuki.

If this were to keep up, Asuka could become much worse off than his little brother.

But, why should he care? She was just another woman like the rest, right? More than that, she was one of the other Heroes who betrayed him. Why was he still concerned about her, despite his best efforts to forget all the nice things she did for and said to him?

"Dammit!"

Naofumi decided to stop thinking about annoying crap and go to sleep.

[-Luxurious Hotel Room-]

Motoyasu had a hard time sleeping. Not because he just had a great night with Myne and that he was too exhausted to think about sleep, mind you. For once, he was thinking about some things.

He was so busy with leveling and showing off to the girls that he hadn't realized there were things off about Melromarc. The whole slave thing totally blindsided him. Myne had told him a few things about the country, but said nothing about the people of Melromarc enslaving Demi-humans.

As much as he detested the idea of slaves, there probably wasn't anything he could do about it. Maybe saving one or two slave girls from an abusive master, sure, but trying to convince the King to revoke slavery in the country when he apparently hated Demi-humans was next to impossible.

More than that, he thought about Asuka. Of the girls he's befriend and loved, Asuka was a first, for she didn't seem to admire him. When they first met, she seemed rather indifferent to his flirting. He assumed she was being coy, so he figured he have to keep trying until he won her over. But then, the trial happened.

Despite what Myne said about Naofumi's assault on her, Asuka tried to disprove of Myne's claims, until Myne finally came clean about Naofumi's lecherous desires toward the younger girl, which gave Motoyasu more than enough reason to condemn Naofumi and to protect Asuka from him.

Instead of feeling thankful for saving her from Naofumi and falling in love with him, she got angry and rejected Motoyasu.

He swore he would never forgive Naofumi for what he tried to do to Myne and Asuka. But, for some reason, Asuka still didn't appreciate his sincerity.

"I don't get it… what did I do wrong?"

Motoyasu just couldn't wrap his head around it at first. Why was Asuka so angry at him after Naofumi left the throne room? She even called him out for his… less then positive traits. It wasn't as if he could help himself. She was cute and had a great figure. It would have been perfect if she fell for the old Motoyasu charm like all the cute girls did.

He was reliable, and easy to talk to. So, why did she resist him?

Was it because of that drug Naofumi slipped her? It had to be. Only he would do something that cowardly.

If it wasn't for that drug, Asuka wouldn't be so blind to reality, showing favoritism to and defending the Shield Hero whenever he came up in conversation. It was tolerable before, since she was just being nice to Naofumi despite feeling the same as Motoyasu and Itsuki on the inside about him.

How did the Shield Hero repay her kindness? By drugging her into liking him and becoming hostile to anyone who wasn't him. The punch in the nuts just went to show how badly the drug affected her. Just remembering the incident made his friend downstairs ache. Thankfully, the girls' moral support, and healing magic managed to help it recover, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to have sex with Myne. He had to thank them again with his special homemade cooking later.

Anyway, once he wins the duel and the drug's effects have been cured, Asuka will realize her true feelings and come running into his arms like she was meant to.

"I can see it now… Asuka-chan will fall so deeply in love with me, she'll want to be the heroine of the story." Motoyasu whispered to himself with glee, especially at the thought of just one night with her.

"Oh, so I'm second fiddle that Sword Bimbo, after all?" asked Myne, as her bare form laid next to the equally nude Spear Hero in bed.

"Of course not. I'll always love you just as much, Myne." Motoyasu smiled.

"You know, Motoyasu-sama, you should really chose which one of us you want." Myne said with a seductive smile, "Me, the Crown Princess and next Queen of this country, who can give you anything your heart desires. Or that little girl who couldn't possibly rise from her station and will only resist you, no matter how much you try to appease her."

"W-Well, that's…"

"You don't need to decide right now." Myne said, pressing her body, specifically her breasts, against him, "After all, upon your victory, she'll have no choice but to stay in Melromarc and do as we say. But on the bright side, she'll realize how much you really care for her, and be so thankfully that she'll be begging to be loved by you! She'll stop caring for the Shield Hero entirely after you win the sacred duel!"

"Yeah… Yeah!" Motoyasu smiled, "I hate the idea of having to fight a girl, but if it's to save Asuka-chan from Naofumi's bad influence, I'll do everything in my power to do so!"

"That's the spirit, Motoyasu-sama! And naturally, my strategy will prove beneficial in your victory!"

"Hopefully I won't need it, but it's greatly appreciated that you thought so much ahead for me, Myne."

"It's no trouble, but what makes you think you won't need it?"

"Because, even if she got lucky with catching your father off guard, I doubt it'll happen with me. Besides, I'm already above level 20, and I have my doubts she'd even consider leveling up as seriously as I do. After all, girls really don't like to fight and get their pretty hands dirty, right?"

"Exactly! I bet she's really panicking on the inside knowing that she's going to fight a mighty warrior who's the very picture of masculinity."

"I know right! No girl can resist this beautiful manly package!" Motoyasu boasted, while breaking into a hardy laugh.

Meanwhile, Myne silent snickered at how easy it was to manipulate this idiot. All men were the same in her mind. They were all so stupid, getting them to fall in love with her charm and beauty wasn't so hard. The only good merits to having the Spear Hero around was being a faithful attack dog, so much so that he'd defend her no matter what others would say. That and he could rake in tons of money for her and the others could spend at their leisure, provided they weren't stupid enough to question the group dynamic like that blonde woman, whose name she couldn't be bothered to remember. Not to mention, he was admittedly good in the sack.

The only downside? His terrible cooking.

As for the Sword Bimbo… Myne would definitely make sure she'd pay for making a fool out of the vile Princess and reminding her of how that bratty little sister of hers stole the right of succession from her, the eldest sister and rightful next Queen of Melromarc.

The first thing she would do was ensure that the Sword Bimbo wouldn't have a warm welcome once she returned to Castle-Town. First, she would need to have a talk with her father.

[-Morning: Vento's Mansion-]

"Live Conan! You must live!"

"Mother!"

"Please, be brave and strong! Promise me!"

Those were the final words the young Demi-human would hear from his mother as she went on distract the human hunters that dogged their steps.

While Conan succeeded in escaping, he later found his mother's bloodied corpse. He was forced to bury her, wiping and trembling with sorrow and anger. He was terrified of being alone after being driven out of his home, losing both his parents along the way. But, he promised his mother he would be strong.

"Mother… I'll be brave… and strong…"

For the next two years of his orphaned life, Conan lived as a lone scavenger, living off the land and developing the skills needed to survive this cruel land. He learned to avoid human hunters planning to sell him off to some noble, or monsters intending to prey upon him.

He hated it, being hunted left and right every day for the past two years, but the only thing keeping him going to this was his mother's final words to him. He would never forget them for as long as he lived.

He would keep going and surviving until-

SQUISH!

"Squish…?" Conan woke up to find something soft and squishy pressed against his face. Something smelled good too. It was kind of familiar. Absentmindedly, he looked up and saw the face of the girl who saved his life, sleeping closer beside him.

"Gya!" Conan quickly panicked and jump out of bed, upon which he realized that they slept in the same bed last night. But, when did she come in? And how? Didn't he lock the door when he closed it? Wait, how does one lock doors again?

Doesn't matter. What matters was why the girl with the sword suddenly appeared in his room.

"Huh…" Asuka stirred awake due the sudden shift. Opening her eyes, she saw Conan standing next to the bed with an anxious look on his face. "Conan-kun… good morning." she murmured as she sat up.

"W-What're you…" Conan uttered, still confused and uneasy.

"Eh?"

"What're you doing here?!"

"Oh… well, last night I heard noise coming from your room. I came in to check on you, and it looked like you were having a nightmare. So, I figured I'd keep you company until you were comfortable again, but I fell asleep." Asuka explained.

"O-Oh…" if reliving the memory of your mother's death and surviving off the land a nightmare, then yes, it was pretty bad.

"Sorry about that. I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable."

"N-No…" Conan mumbled.

"Great! I'm glad to hear it." Asuka smiled, "So, was your nightmare… that bad?"

Conan fell silent, unsure of how to answer. It was confusing for him. She was human, and humans in this country would either try to kill him or capture and enslave him if he wasn't quick on his feet. Yet, she continued to show him kindness. What he couldn't understand was why.

"I see. You don't need to answer."

"Why…?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you concerned about me? I'm a Demi-human, and humans in this country hate Demi-humans, so why did you save me, and get me a room here?"

"Wouldn't you do the same thing? I just did what anyone would." Asuka answered. Of course, not anyone in Melromarc would do anything to save a Demi-human, so it was presumptuous of her to assume anyone would help a Demi-human out of the goodness of their heart.

"I'm not from this country."

"Eh?"

"I originally came from a country known as Siltvelt, but I fled here because of some things that happened."

"Like what?" asked Asuka, both curious and concerned. She was aware of some of the other countries, thanks to using some of her free time to study this new world's geography.

"That's… none of your business." said Conan.

"I see. Sorry for prying." Asuka said. She felt a little dejected, but understood his need for privacy. She got out of Conan's bed and was about to leave the room. Before that though, Asuka thought she should tell Conan something. "Oh, before I forget, after breakfast, I'm going back to the capital. I need find another job and level up. Dealing with those bandits may have gotten me paid and yielded me a great secondary reward, but the job didn't get me EXP. I really do need it if I'm going to get stronger."

"Why is that important?" Conan asked, now curious about Asuka.

"You know about the Waves of Catastrophe, right?"

"Who doesn't know about the Waves?"

"Well, I'm training in preparation for the Waves. I'm the Sword Hero, after all." Asuka answered.

"Oh yeah. I forgot those knights were calling you 'Sword Hero' yesterday." Conan said, "But, if you're the Sword Hero, then why are you being nice Demi-humans."

"I'm sure you've figured it out by now, but I'm not from around here either." Asuka replied, "Where I come from, things like slavery and racism are frowned upon, and I'm certainly one of those people who think it's wrong to enslave and judge others based on appearance."

"The only Cardinal Hero who was ever kind to the Demi-humans and Beastmen was the Shield Hero."

"I know. That's why you worship him, right?" Asuka remembered those two mothers who spoke of the Shield Hero being worshiped by Demi-humans. If only Naofumi knew this, he'd probably go to Siltvelt right away instead of putting up with this treatment.

"You must be thinking how odd it is for the Sword Hero to show kindness to a Demi-human."

"Well… you are different from what legends in Siltvelt say about you."

"I'm not sure if there were others before me, but I guess I am a unique case, huh?" Asuka shrugged, "Anyway, do you want to come with me?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Vento-san was nice enough to let us stay the night, but I'm still not sure I should him completely trust just yet. I don't know what his motives are behind all of this. And, I'm worried about what might happen to you if I leave you alone here."

Conan didn't respond right now. He wasn't sure if he should go with her or not.

"It's okay if you don't want to. I'll ask Rino-chan to look after you while I'm away. She did say she was going to stay for a while to recuperate." said Asuka, "I'll talk to you later. Bye, Conan-kun."

Asuka exited Conan's room to get changed back into her armor, leaving the canine boy alone.

Conan couldn't comprehend the Sword Hero. She was the Sword Hero, one of the Three Heroes the people of Melromarc worship, and it was often said the Three Heroes weren't as charitable to Demi-humans and Beastmen as the Shield Hero was. Additionally, those who live Siltvelt held humans in low regard. In fact, there were human slaves in Siltvelt. In stark contrast, Melromarc had Demi-human slaves, and the humans showed nothing but contempt for Demi-humans and Beastmen.

Yet, Asuka was a human, and Sword Hero showing him genuine compassion. He had grown used to humans hating him because of his race, but Asuka, and some of those other humans, weren't like the ones he had encountered during his time in this country.

It was baffling, and but in a way, comforting.

But, he couldn't let his guard down. She was still human. She could turn his back on him at any given moment. Any time he was near a human settlement, they'd either chase him away, or try to trick him into coming close so they could capture and sell him into slavery. She could do the same thing.

[-Later in Castle-Town-]

After breakfast at Vento's Mansion, Asuka ventured back to the capital to get a new quest from the guild.

However, as she passed through the streets of Castle-Town, she quickly noticed an even more oppressive atmosphere. It happened when the citizen so much as spared her a glance.

She began to hear whispers from some of them. Things like "child abuser", "ball buster", and "loose woman". It didn't take long for the Sword Hero to realize where these whispers originated. Those two mothers must have been responsible for the "child abuse" rumors being spread, while Myne and her posse were going around telling everyone about that "nut punch" incident with Motoyasu. The "loose woman" was probably, no, most definitely Myne's fault too.

Irritating as this was, Asuka didn't let it get to her. After all, she had more important things to do than worry about petty grudges and false rumors.

Not too long after, Asuka arrived at the Adventurer's Guild. Her first action, aside from ignoring the apprehensive and possibly hostile stares from the other adventurers, was to talk to Evelyn at the reception desk.

"Evelyn-san, I'm back."

"Asuka-san, how did things go with Lord Vento's job request."

"I cleared out the bandits. Vento-san paid a huge reward, and he gave me a free sword to help improve my Legendary Sword."

"That's wonderful news. I knew we could count on you." said Evelyn. There seemed to be more melancholy as she spoke than delight. Asuka quickly noticed this.

"Is something wrong?"

"I… I don't know how to tell you this, but…" Evelyn fell silent, with sadness and guilt pictured across her face, confusing Asuka even more.

"Hey! Look, it's the Ball Busting Fake Sword Hero!" called out a boorish male voice. Asuka turned around and saw three thuggish looking men approaching her. All three were wearing arrogant smirks.

"Poor girl, don't even know she's out of the job!" another thug laughed.

"Yeah, guess bein' a ball buster might have something to do with it!"

"What're they talking about?" Asuka asked Evelyn, who looked even more apprehensive to speak.

"By King Aultcray's order, your right take on quests in this establishment has been restricted."

"W-What?"

"This order was decreed early this morning. The Captain of the Royal Knights confirmed it with the director." Evelyn said solemnly. She distinctly remembered the smug look on that cretin's face as he made to declaration.

Asuka quickly grew angry and slammed her palms on the desk, "Why would the King do that?!"

"You can talk with the guild director about the details, but…"

"There's no need for that! I already know." Asuka growled, "She did this. After what happened yesterday, she did this to get back at me! She convinced her father to hamper my progress!"

Evelyn knew who she was referring too, and frankly, she did not approve of this either. Doesn't she and the King understand that all Four Cardinal Heroes are needed to stop the Waves? What good will it serve to accuse the Shield Hero of attempted sexual assault, and restrict the Sword Hero's movements? The Waves will get even more difficult without all four up to speed.

"Don't worry, honey! There's way you can still go on quest!" said the third thug.

"Yeah, pretty easy loophole. Just let us join your party, and let us pick the quests for you." said the first thug, "That way, you can still level up in time for the next Wave."

"Good plan right?! Of course, we need some compensation." said the second thug with a lecherous smirk, "If money's an issue you for ya, we'll spot you. Just give us a little treat in exchange, okay?" he and his friend chuckle. It was obvious what they were demanding, and needless to say, this drew the ire of not just Evelyn, but also the female receptionists in the guild. These three were infamous for making passes at any girl they come across, and now, Asuka had wound up the next victim of harassment.

"You whacked that Spear guy in the crutch 'cause you didn't like it, right? I think you'll like ours way better!"

"I bet the Sword Hero likes 'em big and hard!"

"Yeah! Yeah!"

"You three! Keep your crass comments to yourselves!" Evelyn yelled at the thugs, "I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation for the Sword Hero! This is a serious problem, not just financially, but we can't forget about the Waves! Especially the one that's approaching!"

"Hey, we can handle the Waves!" refuted the second thug, "And if the Sword Hero wants money, we can give her as much as she wants, as well as something special!"

Evelyn glared at these lecherous idiots with pure venom. Clearly, they have no intention of fighting the Waves of Catastrophe. All they want to jump the bones of any woman they could get with it. Even more appalling was that they extend their preferences toward a teenager like Asuka, even believing that terrible rumors about her being a loose woman.

Meanwhile, the Sword Hero was silent through this exchange. Instead of responding the lecherous trio's comments, Asuka walked passed all three of them without looking them in the eye.

The thugs were not amused.

"H-Hey! We ain't finished!" the first thug called out, trying to grab her shoulder, only for his hand to get crushed by the vice-like grip of the Sword Hero. "Aghh! L-Let go! Let go!"

Asuka turned her head toward the thugs, meeting them with a calm but enraged gaze, "Get out of my face…"

A moment later, she let go of the pervert, who scurried behind his friends. The three thugs backed down immediately, clearly terrified of the Sword Hero and her aura of fury. No one said a word as Asuka trotted away and left the guild to confront the source of this new issue.

During her trek the castle, the townspeople got a good look at her face, and it was clear she was in no mood to listen to whispers, or receive scornful looks.

This quest restriction was the final straw.

[-Castle: Throne Room-]

King Aultcray was bemused to see the Sword Hero barging into the throne room unannounced, followed my several knights filing in after her.

"Asuka-dono, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" asked a composed Aultcray, as Asuka calmly walked to and stopped at the center of the throne room.

"You guards! Why is the Sword Hero here and how did you let her get through?!" the Prime Minister demanded.

"We apologize, sir! We tried to stop her, but she insisted on an audience with his Majesty!" one of the knight's bowed nervously, while his comrades close the doors.

"Incompetent buffoons." the Minister grumbled.

"It's fine. I can already surmise what this intrusion is about." said Aultcray sternly, "I take it you're aware of the restrictions I placed on you."

"I am, and I have three questions regarding that." Asuka raised one finger, "One, why did you do restrict my questing knowing it would hamper my progress?"

Aultcray sighed deeply, "Believe me when I say I take no pleasure in doing this. In fact, it deeply pains me to even consider it, especially since you're one of the Three Heroes, but…"

"Stop stalling, and answer." Asuka demanded.

Aultcray frowned at the level of defiance Asuka was displaying, but it was better to answer now then to provoke more defiance, "I received reports about you speaking out against Demi-human slavery."

"Again… that's what this is about? Is it so wrong that I don't agree with slavery and oppression of another race?"

"No. You are entitled to your opinions and beliefs. However, this is how our country works. I suggest you get used to it."

"Surely there's more to it then me challenging the rules and beliefs of your country." Asuka scowled, "I simply can't imagine that being the only strike that would give you cause to restrict my quest privileges."

"In addition to showing disdain for our laws regarding slavery and showing sympathy to Demi-humans, I also heard rumors about you abusing children and striking men in the groin. Not to mention being rather promiscuous…" said Aultcray with a layer of disgust.

"Oh… those things too…" Asuka grumbled.

"Do you deny of these claims?"

"No. And I can explain why they are exaggerations." Asuka answered, "These incidents only happened once, and they were just yesterday. The "abused children" were disrespectful and were harassing a girl, so I slapped them across the face to teach them a lesson."

"I see." Aultcray nodded, with some relief.

"As for the groin incident… let's just say Motoyasu-kun didn't know when to keep his mouth shut." Asuka explained with an irate expression, "Other than that, I've never hit a man in the groin, and unless warranted, I don't intent to do that any more then I have to."

"Then, I shall take your word for it." Aultcray grimaced.

"And, I'm not promiscuous in the slightest. There were three men harassing me over it, but I brushed them off and made certain they knew not come near me again."

"Well, it is good that you admit to having dealt with these rumors with more maturity than expected." said Aultcray, "Regardless, there was also the altercation you had with the Captain yesterday after your deeds at Callma Village."

"And what did he have to say about it?"

"That you shamed and questioned his work ethic regarding how he protects the people of Melromarc."

"Or arrived fashionably late, and not really doing any protecting at all, which I gave him mild criticism for." Asuka refuted, "Given that he seems to have blown it out of proportion, I'd say he didn't take it to heart."

"Asuka-dono, whatever your intentions, in a place of good they may be, there are certain actions you cannot take as the Cardinal Sword Hero. Let's not forget how you attacked me before. I was lenient then because my daughter insisted on it. But, this time, I can't overlook how you've disrespected our knights and have not lived up to teh faith of Melromarc's people. Therefore, restricting your right to take on quests was suggested to be a suitable punishment."

"Which leads to my second question: Who was it that suggested that punishment?" Asuka asked darkly. She already knew the answer, but wanted confirmation first.

"This was my decision alone. As I said, I take no pleasure in doing this." said Aultcray.

"Who suggested my punishment without my consent?" Asuka pressed.

The King didn't give in, as a silent stare down ensued. This short battle of wills was soon interrupted by the throne doors swing open once more.

SLAM!

"Your Majesty!" Motoyasu cried as he barreled in frantically through the throne room doors. Itsuki was behind him, albeit more calmly.

In the background, the prime minister was rubbing his temples, irritated at the rudeness of these Heroes.

"Motoyasu-dono, Itsuki-dono, what is the meaning of this?!" Aultcray shouted in annoyance.

"I heard that- Asuka-chan?!" Motoyasu spotted Asuka in front of him, and dashed over to her.

She turned with an exasperated face, clearly wondering why the Spear Hero seemed showed up almost everywhere she went lately.

"Asuka-chan, yesterday was… look, I admit yesterday wasn't our greatest day together, but I swear, I said I would save you and I meant it. I care about you so much, which is why I can't stand these things happening to you!"

"Sure you do…" Asuka said, crossing her arms.

"Speaking of which… sir, why did you restrict Asuka's questing?!" Motoyasu yelled at Aultcray, "Do you know how much this is going to hurt her chances of leveling up in time for the next Wave?!"

"Well, at least he has some standards, beyond being a pervert rejecting reality."

"Isn't it obvious, Motoyasu-san?" interjected Itsuki, "All the rumors about her, like her standing up for Naofumi-san and Demi-humans, abusing children and attacking men in the groin, the latter proven by the fact that she physically assaulted you in broad daylight, and getting into a verbal spat with the Captain, and the whole 'loose woman' thing. These are causes for concern if you ask me."

"Well, forgetting about Naofumi and that thing yesterday, she stood up for the Demi-humans because she's such a kind girl! And Asuka-chan would never hurt kids or have sex with random guys!" Motoyasu asserted.

"So now you believe me?"

"Motoyasu-dono is correct. She just finished explaining the incident regarding the children as striking them once in order to teach them respect. And, your brief scuffle was a onetime occurrence according to her, and she is confirmed to not be 'loose' as one would say."

"See, Itsuki?! Asuka-chan didn't do anything wrong!"

"She still embarrassed a high ranking officer in the Royal Knights. According to what Mald-san has told me, anyway." Itsuki said. As it turned out, Mald and the Captain were well acquainted, considering they were nobles who shared the same interests and beliefs.

"That is also correct. Even if she had good intentions, which unfortunately escalated into these rumors, I cannot allow her to take on quests freely unless she conforms with our society." said Aultcray.

"N-No way!" Motoyasu exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Itsuki turned his gaze to the silent Asuka.

"Asuka-san, these people have high expectations of you. So far, you've done nothing but disappoint them, which has lead to these absurd rumors spreading about you. You said to me that I don't know the first thing about being a Hero after Naofumi-san's trial. You also said yesterday that you'll let your actions speak for you. But, look where you are now. Without quests or job requests, you won't get nearly as much EXP as us, and you won't have enough money to go around. So, after all this, what right do you have now to condemn me for not knowing any better?"

"Did you really just come here to lecture me? They're the ones twisting the truth."

Instead of answering, Asuka turned away from Itsuki, and faced Aultcray. "King Aultcray, you still haven't answered my question. Who made the suggestion to punish me like this?"

Itsuki was surprised and annoyed at being ignored. Meanwhile, Aultcray was still tight lipped, intent on not spilling who suggested the punishment.

"Papa, allow me to handle this." announced Myne as she casually strolled into the throne room, to the surprise of everyone baring the Sword Hero.

Asuka slowly turned toward the vile Princess, who was smiling quite smugly. She showed up just in time, like she had planned for it.

"Malty…" Aultcray muttered.

"I know what I'm doing Papa, trust me." Myne's arrogant gaze fell to Asuka, "To answer your question, Sword Hero, I was the one who talked Papa into restricting your right go on quests." Myne bragged as she walked past the silent Sword Hero, and over to her father.

"Tch…" Asuka clicked her tongue, with confirmation from the vile Princess herself now heard. "She must really think she's so clover, but I can tell who the real bimbo is."

"M-Myne, why would you do that to Asuka-chan?" Motoyasu asked.

"Don't misunderstand me, Motoyasu-sama." Myne said, looking all innocent, "I was worried because of all the stressful things happening lately she might do more bad things. So stopping her from taking more quests was the only thing I could think of!" Myne got teary eyed for dramatic effect. The only one who fell for it was predictably Motoyasu.

"Myne… you're so kind!" Motoyasu bellowed.

Itsuki wasn't so easily fooled. It was clear this was to spite Asuka for yesterday. Something also told him that she was also responsible for at least half the rumors going around about the Sword Hero. Naofumi was one thing, seeing as his crimes were laid bear, but Asuka's worst crime at best was this cheating ability she had, one that he had yet to figure out.

Meanwhile, Asuka's scowl grew more intense as Motoyasu turned his attention back to her.

"Asuka-chan, I know you and Myne don't get along, but she did this for your sake! You don't need to be angry over this! Just cool down for a while, and everything will be square!" Motoyasu said to Asuka, "I'm sure the King will lift the restriction if you-"

"You're taking her side again." Asuka interrupted Motoyasu, "Just a moment ago, you were protesting in my defense, but now, you're taking her side, after she lied AGAIN! How does it make logical sense to switch sides so easily?"

"Taking her side again? Oh!" Motoyasu came to another 'realization', "Is that what this is about? Are you jealous of Myne? Is that why you're so hostile toward her? Because I spend more time with her than I do with you?"

In the background, Itsuki faced palmed. Did Motoyasu have a death wish?

"I mean, sure, she's mature and pretty, but you don't have to worry about growing up to be like her! You have your own charm! You're adorable! Like the perfect little sister! I wouldn't mind if you called me Big Brother!"

Aultcray's eyebrow twitched as he and the other staring in disbelief. A few even cringed at what Motoyasu was saying. Was the Spear Hero this accustomed to embarrassing himself?

"Of course, we can skip all that, and be more than friends! The first thing you might have to do is admit that you're envious of Myne. Once that's down, you two'll be the best of friends!"

Myne's lips curled into an uncomfortable smile while a vein was ready to pop. Had this idiot not been so useful, she'd have burnt him to a crisp by now.

"It'll be great! Just the three of us, hanging out and having fun! Especially in-"

"I will punch you in the balls again." Asuka said with a menacing glare, with her balled fist ready to strike.

"O-Okay now! Let's not throw jokes like that around!" Motoyasu blanched, "I-I got carried away! Sorry!"

Asuka put her fist down, accepting the fearful apologize.

After that, the awkward silence ended when Myne spoke up, "Ahem! Anyway…"

Her green eyes bore down on Asuka, who stared right back at her.

"Your defiance to the royal family is an affront, Sword Hero." Myne declared, "We do what we must to maintain order in our country. If you intent to disrupt that order, then we have no choice but to carry out judgment."

"Even though I wasn't present for it, like Naofumi-kun was dragged up here for his trial?"

"A trial you foolishly tried to derail, drugged as you were." Myne smirked, "Shield Hero was scum for thinking he could touch me and was punished fairly and accordingly. Of course, you should have considered yourself fortunate that his true colors were revealed, otherwise, you would have ended a victim like me."

Asuka had no response. She could point that Myne was acting far too smug and haughty to be a victim of attempted rape. At the same time, she knew it wouldn't make a difference if she tried to refute. It'd just be a waste of energy, since no one would believe her, anyway.

"But, that's beside the point, isn't it? We're talking about you, and how you've broken the faith of Melromarc's people."

"Only a small percentage as far as I'm aware. The majority being in Castle-Town. The people of Callma Village seemed pleasant enough, and they even thanked me for taking care of those bandits. How did you miss that?"

"Rest assured, this punishment is not permanent, like the Shield Hero. If you behave accordingly, like not being protective of lowly Demi-humans, you'll be allowed to go on quests again. In fact, if you forego the sacred duel with Motoyasu-sama and swear loyalty to the royal family of Melromarc right now, we would gladly lift the restriction immediately." Myne said with a confident smile.

"W-What?!" Aultcray gasped.

"Also, apologize for the way you attacked all of us on the day of the trial, especially my father." Myne demanded, "Do that, and you'll even get the same privileges as Motoyasu-sama and Itsuki-sama. And of course, those awful rumors about you will go away."

"Seriously?!" Motoyasu grinned, "Asuka-chan, this is your chance! The rumors will clear up! You can go on quests again, and get proper support from Myne and her father! Best of all, we don't have to fight! Deep down, I know you don't wanna fight me over someone like Naofumi!"

"Sounds too good to be true." said Itsuki, "So, what you are going to do, Asuka-san? If you ask me, you should accept this deal. You'll be in good graces with the King, and Melromarc will support you in the fight against the Waves of Catastrophe."

"That's right. All you have to do is forget about the Shield Hero and accept our generosity."

"H-Hold on! Malty, you can't make decisions like that without-"

"Papa." Myne gave her father an angelic smile. That was all it took for him to back down. In the end, he couldn't say no to his beloved daughter. Myne turned back to the Sword Hero, who was once again silent as can be. "So, what do you say, Sword Hero?"

"When I came in here today, I had three questions. Two of them were answered, but now I have one left, and it's directed at you." Asuka looked Myne square in the eye, "Princess Malty, how stupid are you?"

Everyone who heard that guffawed.

"Was this really because I criticized the captain for not doing his job properly? Or because of the rumors going around? Somehow I don't think so. Otherwise, why would you offer me such a long winded deal that if I give up on the duel and become subservient to the royal family, while leaving someone I consider a friend in the dust, all of my troubles would be over? No, this sounds personal to me, wouldn't you say Princess?"

Myne's eye began to twitch with irritation.

"So tell me, were you offended that I gave you a harsh assessment of your character yesterday? Were you offended that I compared you to your little sister, whose going to inherit the throne because of her maturity? If that's the case, then this pretty much proves how you're an immature brat throwing a tantrum, despite being royalty." stated Asuka, "I can't believe you'd go this far to try and get under my skin over something so trivial."

"D-Do you want those rumors about you to keep spreading?!"

"Sure, it would be nice if they cleared up, but not the way you envision it. I still want people to see me for who I am, not this imagined variation of a Cardinal Hero. Besides, I have a suspicion that you're the one behind at least half of those rumors, simply to spite me for what I said. Like I said, you're a brat throwing a tantrum."

"Y-You…" Myne growled as her beautiful face went red. Any semblance of composure she had was gone, and was replaced by slowly bubbling anger.

"Asuka-dono, you dare to insult Malty in this manner?!" Aultcray yelled.

"I'm the one who's insulted! This is only the natural response. Her status doesn't matter to me. She's antagonized me, so I'll retaliate in kind." Asuka replied calmly, much to Aultcray's annoyance.

"Hmph! I was thinking of lifting the restriction placed on you if you apologized and agreed to Malty's offer, but if you're going to be that way-"

"That's perfectly fine. You don't need to waste your energy." Asuka said, to the shock of everyone else in the room.

"W-Wait, Asuka-chan! Think about this! You already disbanded your party on the first day! If you can't go on quests, how are you gonna level up and get money for equipment and stuff?"

"I'll think of something. It's not like I need to keep going on quests necessarily." Asuka said with a confident smirk, "Training on my own is more than enough for me."

"Training by yourself? You can't be serious." said Itsuki, shaking his head, "I'm sure you've gather an assortment skills to use in battle, and materials to sell, that's not enough. You'd be nowhere without the King's financial support. And he said he'd reward us each month, remember? You realize the money you have now will only last so long until then, don't you?"

"I do. And quite honestly, I don't need the King's financial support." Asuka declared, "I can't count on his support if he's going to punish me like this over a petty grudge and flimsy reasoning, so I won't accept any more aid from King Aultcray."

"Asuka-dono, have you gone mad?!" Aultcray bellowed, "If you continue like this, you're going to wind up like the Shield Hero!"

"Being poor is preferable to swearing loyalty to a cowardly King and his spoiled daughter."

"Grr!" Aultcray growled.

"Enough!" Myne shouted, "I don't think we should delay any longer. If the people really want to see the Sword Bimbo and Motoyasu-sama fight in a sacred duel, then let's oblige them."

This came as shock to everyone in the throne room.

"So, you want us to fight now, despite me not being level 20 yet?"

"You're close enough, aren't you?!" Myne yelled, "You'll fight Motoyasu-sama and prove you can survive on your own! And if you can't, you will pay for your insults! Especially toward me, the next Queen!"

"H-Huh?" Motoyasu gasped, "W-Wait a sec, Myne! You know I'm over level 20 right now! Asuka-chan just said she hasn't reached that level yet, so it wouldn't be fair…"

"Motoyasu-sama, she's under the influence of the Shield Hero's drug, remember?! Free her by defeating her in the duel! You promised her you'd save her, right?!"

"O-Oh, right…" Motoyasu said, before donning a determined expression, "I'd still rather not fight a girl, but if I can save Asuka-chan from Naofumi, then yeah, I'll fight!"

"You won't hear any complaints from me." Asuka said, "Clearing Naofumi-kun's name was the precise reason I agreed to this duel."

"Then it's settled. Tonight, we'll hold the sacred duel at the castle courtyard!" Myne declared, much to the frustration of the King.

"Malty…!"

"Papa, just leave everything to me." Myne whispered to Aultcray.

Asuka's sharp ears caught this. Naturally, it was easy to suspect that she'd pull something sneaky, like Naofumi and Erhard predicted. But, calling them out now would be meaningless. The fight had to take place, then she would show them just what she was made of.

[-Erhard's Weapon Shop-]

Asuka sighed, now realizing that she just made an even bigger mess then before.

"I can't believe this is happening." she bemoaned.

"I can't believe you're here whining about it." Erhard scolded.

"Indeed! Just what were you thinking? How much do you intend to provoke King Aultcray and Princess Malty until you're satisfied?" asked Evelyn with a frustrated look on her face. After the news about the sacred duel taking place tonight reached the receptionist, she quickly met up with Asuka just outside the old guy's shop and was about to lay into the Sword Hero about this mess, had the blacksmith not stepped in and urged them to talk inside the shop.

"I'm sorry. But, I don't see any other way out of this. I have to fight Motoyasu-kun."

"Huh… you're going through this much turmoil, just for the Kid?" Erhard asked.

"Well, honestly it's mostly for myself now. I do still want to clear Naofumi-kun's name. But, at the same time, I'm just tired of all this nonsense." Asuka answered, "With the exception of a few, the people here are selfish, and they won't stop projecting their narrow-minded views onto me, and spreading rumors because they can't wrap their heads around the idea that I'm not the Hero they envision. Motoyasu-kun and Itsuki-kun aren't helpful in the slightest, especially the former. And that King and Princess… they think they can do whatever they want because of their royal status. That Princess especially is too spoiled for her own good! I just want to shut her up!"

"Believe me, we feel the same way." said Evelyn, "I'm certain the Queen would have choice words for their conduct in her absence."

"Seconded. But, more importantly, they're definitely going to rig this match in favor of the Spear Hero. There's no way this ends good." said Erhard.

"I know. But, I'm not backing down. Nothing you two say will change my mind." Asuka declared.

The two adult sigh in unison.

"What's the point in trying? You're pretty stubborn, that's for sure." Erhard smiled.

"I'll cheer for you in the crowd. Good look to you, Asuka-san." an encouraging Evelyn said.

Asuka smiled back them, "Thanks. I'll do my best out there."

[-Meanwhile: Naofumi and Raphtalia-]

As he and his slave were making the rounds, they heard the news about Asuka and Motoyasu's duel. The people have been chatting nonstop about it, and this was after those bullshit rumors they were spreading in such a short time frame. It was ridiculous how easy these people got excited over a charade despite believing all that crap. It was like they saw the Heroes fighting each other like a spectator event.

"What a farce." Naofumi grumbled. If this was how it was going to be, then there was nothing stopping him from not attending. One of those royal knight bastards even came up to him and demanded he be in attendance, since the sacred duel was happening because of him. Naturally, the Shield Hero refused and turned the knight away, who simply walked away, not caring.

"Master, aren't we going to watch Asuka-san fight?" asked Raphtalia.

"What would be the point? Whether she's doing it to clear my name or simply to shut these damn people up, it changes nothing. She's got nothing to prove to any of them. Worse than that, if she loses, and I'm sure they'll make it happen, she won't have anyone to blame but herself."

"C-Clear your name…?"

"Never mind that!" Naofumi snapped, "We're not going to the fight, and that's final!"

"B-But, she's your friend!" Raphtalia said back. This earned a glare from Naofumi. "I-I mean, if my friends were trouble, I'd do everything I could to help them… she's doing the same thing for you, her friend. Wouldn't you do the same for her?"

"Tch…" Asuka was not his friend. That was what Naofumi told himself. She was a woman and a Hero who left him to rot. Why was it so hard to think that?

"N-Naofumi-sama…"

"Fine. You wanna see the fight?" Naofumi asked.

"Y-Yes!" Raphtalia chirped, her tail wagging excitedly.

"Great…" Naofumi sighed. He was really reluctant to go the courtyard, but something told, no, nagged at him that he needed to be there, just in case…

"Excuse me, you must be the Shield Hero, correct?" asked a gentlemanly voice.

The Shield Hero turned and saw a middle aged nobleman, a blonde woman, and a Demi-human boy with canine features.

"And what will say if I answer yes...?" Naofumi glared at the man.

"I would say it's a pleasure to finally meet you, but I doubt you'd believe it." the man said with a faint smile. Naofumi stared at him with full suspicion.

"Lord Vento, we're going to be late! Asuka's going to need us supporting here!" said the blonde Woman.

"I know, you're right, Rino-san." said the man named Vento, "Conan-kun, are sure you you want to go see this?"

The boy, Conan, nodded silently.

"Then stay close to me. As long as you're with me, no one else will bother you. They'll just think you're a slave I decided to let tag along." Vento instructed to Conan, who again, nodded silently.

"You guys know Asuka?" asked Naofumi.

"Yes, she helped us out not too long ago." said Vento, "After we heard that the duel was being held today, we rushed over."

"By the way, it's really cool to meet you, Shield Hero!" Rino said excited, only to get a sneer from Naofumi, who still had trust issues with women. Rino became a little comfortable after seeing that.

"Anyway, I heard just now that you were making plans to see the duel. Since that's the case, how about we all go as a group? I'll pay all our seats. And I suggest you take my offer before blowing me off, because you'll want to save money, and I doubt you want to have to deal with the royal knights not letting you through."

"Fine by me. Less money I have to spend, the better."


Lyall the Werewolf: So the duel is a thing! Next chapter, which will be coming very soon.

Also, big thanks to JGResidentEvil giving me a heads up for the fanart of Asuka's Sword Hero appearance (which I'm using as the cover image for this story from now on). If anyone is curious, check out AlineSM on DeviantArt. She's the one who came up with the art, and has some other amazing artwork too.