Ch13

The castle was dimly lit with various soldiers and other people lined up around the side while up ahead the king sat. "So tell us your secrets!" King Aultcray spat his voice echoing throughout the audience chamber. "Do not dare try and deceive me!"

Man what a piece of work. Keyaru stood next to Naofumi as they stared at the king. He didn't know why the people of Lute Village wanted them to pay king a visit but so far it was as going as well as he thought it would.

What an obnoxious fool. You know when I'm done with my list from my world I may add you to it. He didn't want to be here and he could tell Naofumi didn't either.

Naoufmi smirked and pointed to the ground. "In my world when people ask for something they get on their knees and beg. So go ahead and repeat after me, how I can enlighten such an ignorant person as myself."

The king's brow twitched in irritation. "YOU DARE SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT!"

The soldiers around them immediately drew their weapons and encircled them but Naofumi remained eerily calm. "You all think you can take us? The two heroes that took down the raid boss?" His gaze then turned deadly. "If you both think you can by all means do it, but trust me your lives will be on the line."

A smile spread across his face as he activated his gauntlets. "I'll blow up anyone who comes near me or my party like a party balloon."

The soldier looked at each other with unease, they knew they couldn't win against them. "We are done here," Naofumi said as they turned around the soldiers quickly making way for them.

King Aultcray stood up and shook his finger. "IF YOU BOTH DON'T' TELL ME ANYTHING I'LL GO AFTER YOUR PARTIES!"

Naofumi froze his eyes burning with rage as he slowly turned around and face the king. "Touch my party and it'll be the biggest regret of your life."

He also calmly turned to face the king. "Touch mine and it'll the last thing you do." His voice was low and cold while his smile as devious.

King Aultcray met his gaze and slowly sat down his gaze betraying a bit of fear/. "YOU! What happened to Lady Flare!"

He shrugged. "I don't know why don't you check the trash." His gaze then hardened. "It would be a shame if the populace knew of how she really is. I would wonder what they would say about a king who tortured a cardinal hero?"

Their gazes met and he made sure to but his coldest gaze forward. This piece was trash enabled so many things he deserved to be on his list but alas he figured he'd let Naofumi take care of him when the time came. King Aultcray slowly sat down his gaze betraying fear. "G-Get out of my sight!"

However, by then they were already headed out the door which opened for them. "That went better than I thought," he said. "Is Melty ready? The sooner we leave the capital the better."

Naofumi frowned. "She said she had some family business to take care of."

"I wonder how she turned out so normal with a father and sister like that," he muttered as they walked down the garden.

"You tell me," Naofumi muttered just as a small pebble was thrown in front of them.

Turning around they saw a familiar robed woman in the shadows who gestured for them to approach. What now. He looked at Naofumi who eyed the woman cautiously.

They quickly went to the corner where they found the woman in the shadows. "Can we help you?" Naofumi asked.

"I don't have much time," The woman said quickly. "Keep Melty safe and be aware of the church they intend to harm you."

Naofumi looked at the woman with a cold stare. "Why should be trust you?"

The woman looked Naofumi in the eyes. "My lady will do her part to help you when the time comes." She then turned to him. "The man known as Sir Bullet is with the church, take him out for his crimes greatly offend her majesty and are a disgrace to humanity."

His brow twitched as a cold sensation washed over him. "Just point me to him and I'll take him out." Damn freak. Just thinking of Bullet and his sadistic unnatural urges made him sick to the core.

"Be safe," The woman said before disappearing in a flash.

Naofumi turned around. "Come on. Melty said we'd meet up at the city gate."

When they arrived at the gates they found both of their parties waiting for them. "Naofumi-sama where is Melty?" Raphtalia asked.

Naofumi frowned and turned to the castle. "She said she would meet us here."

"Hey I'm here!" They quickly turned around to see Melty come to them escorted by a group of armored knights.

"Friends of yours?" He asked.

Melty nodded. "They're just here to escort me."

Looking the men over he didn't recognize them but something about them seemed off. The way they looked at him and Naofumi was like a potential thief analyzing a store to break into. It made all the hairs on his neck stand up.

"Freia you and Setsuna prepare for anything," he whispered. His party nodded as they gripped their weapons tightly.

"Well come on we don't have all day," Naofumi said.

As they exited the city walls the hairs on his neck stood up. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw the knight behind Melty draw his sword. "Melty look out!" He quickly pulled her away as one of the knights tried to slash at her.

Melty's eyes widened. "What is the meaning of this!"

The soldiers drew their weapons. "Only orders my lady. Kill them and take the princess alive!"

"Look out!"

Freia blasted them back with magic sending them flying while Setsuna and Filo knocked the others down "Retreat!" The men yelled as they hurried back to the city.

Naofumi swore as he and Raphtalia knocked down two knights.. "Melty are you alright?"

Melty nodded her body shaking as she looked around in shock. "Why would they do such a thing? Damn it, I swear if my sister did it she will pay."

Naofumi frowned and picked something off the ground, it was a pendant from the church. "Lets get out of here quickly."

"I feel like we are walking into another trap," he said as they quickly ran out of the city.

They didn't make it far as horns began to blare from the city. Naofumi swore. "Great looks like your sister is trying to set us up."

"Wait I can talk to them," Melty said as they headed towards the woods.

"I hate to break it to you but it looks like your sister wants you dead," he said as he pointed to a large group of soldiers led by Myne.

They quickly drew their weapons as the army of soldiers formed a defensive position with their weapons drawn. Myne stepped forward. "Release my sister at once!"

His gaze quickly scanned the crowd as he noticed the other three heroes and their parties. The spear hero met his gaze and turned pale before hiding behind Ren.

"She's with us willingly," Naofumi said as he stepped forward. "Did you order those soldiers to attack her?"

Myne's brow twitched. "They were obviously trying to save my little sister." Her voice was low like a snake as she looked at Melty. "Come on dear lets go home."

"Wait! I'm fine I really am," Melty stepped forward as the tension in the area increased. "Let us go I'm with the Shield and Heal heroes voluntarily. Sister you better not harm me or else mother will hear about it."

Ren and Itsuki both looked at each other in confusion. "She does look like she's with them voluntarily," Ren said carefully.

"Oh nonsense! They both have the ability to mess with the human mind and implant fake memories," Myne pointed her finger at them. "Seize them at once!"

Her soldiers raised their weapons while the three heroes looked at the situation in confusion. They are so slow to realize what kind of person she is. His gaze met Montoyasu and the Spear Hero's face paled as he awkwardly stepped forward quaking in his boots.

"M-Myne how about we just talk about this," Montoyasu said his voice half trembling. "W-We don't want to hurt your sister after all."

Myne frowned. "Are you stupid? Why would we let them get away?" She raised her hand. "Archers fire!"

"Get back!" Naofumi yelled as he activated one of his shields.

"Freia reinforce him," He yelled as a volley of arrows fell upon them.

Freia enhanced Naofumi's shield which managed to block all of the arrows. "Stop this sister!" Melty yelled.

Yet Myne only smiled cruelly. "Finish them!"

He swore. "Freia blast them away and create a diversion."

Freia nodded and gripped her staff. "As you command Keyaru-sama!" Her staff glowed red as she began to chant a spell, in an instant a powerful blast of fire separated them from the enemy soldiers.

"Lets go!" Naofumi yelled as he began to run into the forest.

"Freia cover us! Setsuna make sure Melty is safe!" He yelled as they quickly ran towards the woods.

Looks like this kingdom really is rotten to the core. He turned and wasn't sad to hear the screams of Myne's men in pain. With any luck she'd be dead too. But he didn't want her dead yet, he and Naofumi hadn't gotten their revenge yet.

As they entered the forest a figure lunged from the woods. "Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia quickly drew her sword and parried Ren's attack just as Itsuki came from behind them with his bow in hand.

"Surrender," The bow hero said as he raised his bow at them.

"Wait! I really am ok," Melty said as she stepped in front of them. "Are you two blind to see that my sister just tried to kill me?"

"Yes for the millionth time listen to her," he said as he met their gazes. "We aren't controlling her and she is free to leave as she pleases but she has chosen to be with us." I'm really close to wanting to heal the nonsense out of you both. But they both looked as if their braincells were starting to work.

The two heroes looked at each other cautiously their eyes betraying doubt. "What are you saying?" Ren asked as he pulled away.

Naofumi stepped forward and took out the church pendant they took from the other soldiers. "The Church of the Three Heroes is up to something. If you want answers I suggest you look there." He tossed the pendant to Ren who caught it. "As for Melty as you can see her sister isn't on the best of terms with her."

The sword hero slowly nodded as he looked up at them. "I hope for your sake you are right."

"Ren." He looked up at the Sword hero. "Something is going on in this kingdom and that church is up to something. But if you find a man named Bullet…" He paused as his anger swelled inside of him. "Do not trust him for he is not your friend."

Ren looked at the pendant in his hand as he returned to his party. "The Church of the Three heroes?"

Itsuki frowned. "You think they could be lying?"

He looked at the woods which was now in flames thanks to the orders of Myne. "If she were kidnapped she'd have ran to us." If Myne wanted to save her she wouldn't have tried to kill her. Thinks weren't adding up, the more he looked at the situation the more the nagging feeling inside of him grew.

The memory of Keyaru's replayed in his head. Bullet. He did not know the name but the anger in Keyaru's gaze was very real.

Montoyasu only looked at the woods with a fearful expression. "Oh god if they're alive…" His face paled like a dead man walking.

He didn't know what Naofumi and Keyaru did to frighten him so much or make his dick disappear but the dread in his eyes was real as if he knew that they would come back and seek retribution for this.

The bow hero frowned. "Are you saying Myne might be doing this?" He asked softly.

He looked down at the pendant and at the burning woods. "We'll have to investigate ourselves. Something isn't right about all of this. Are you in?"

The bow hero met his gaze and nodded. "Yeah lets go."