The rough, jarring motion of being shoved forward jolted Naofumi from his thoughts. He barely had time to brace himself before the heavy doors of the throne room swung open, revealing a vast, dimly lit chamber. His heart thudded in his chest as the soldiers behind him pushed him toward the center of the room, the sharp clink of armor echoing with every step.
Ren was with him—he could hear his footsteps behind him—but he had no time to turn and find him in the chaos. Instead, Naofumi found himself face to face with the cold, unforgiving stares of the throne room's occupants. They had been waiting for him.
The sound of the heavy doors slamming shut echoed like a death knell.
Naofumi looked around, his chest tight. This wasn't what he had expected. He hadn't come to this world by choice—he'd been summoned here against his will to fight for justice and protect the people. He wasn't a criminal. And yet here he was, standing in front of a room full of people who had already made up their minds.
The voice of the captain of the guard broke the silence, sharp and accusing. "You stand here, Shield Hero, accused of the most heinous crime in Melromarc."
Naofumi's breath caught in his throat. His heart thundered in his chest. 'What?'
Before he could even process the accusation, Ren's voice rang out, filled with disbelief and anger. "That's insane! You've got it all wrong. Naofumi didn't do anything."
The captain's eyes flicked to Ren, unfazed. "We have credible witnesses and reports, Sword Hero. The Shield Hero's actions speak for themselves."
Naofumi's mind was spinning; his thoughts were a jumbled mess of confusion and rising fury. 'Credible witnesses? Reports?' There had to be some mistake. He had done nothing wrong—nothing. His pulse pounded in his ears as he tried to process the impossible reality of the situation.
His gaze finally lifted, eyes scanning the room, and that's when he saw them—Motoyasu and Itsuki.
Motoyasu's face was twisted in an expression of pure anger, his brows furrowed in disgust. It was a look that sent a chill through Naofumi's chest—a look that said he believed the worst of him, no questions asked. His grip on his weapon tightened slightly as if the Shield Hero's very presence disgusted him.
Itsuki, standing beside him, wasn't much better. His face was set and stiff, as though he were trying to avoid meeting Naofumi's eyes. His lips were pressed into a thin line, and despite the uncertainty that flickered in his gaze, there was no sign of the empathy Naofumi desperately hoped for. Instead, he stood silently, a passive observer of Naofumi's suffering.
Naofumi's eyes flicked to Myne, standing behind Motoyasu, her posture stiff and fragile. Something about the way she was acting didn't sit right with him. She wasn't just hiding; she was hiding from him, a fearful tremor in her stance. A cold wave of confusion washed over him, his heart tightening. 'Why is she scared of me?'
His steps were hesitant but filled with concern as he took a small step toward her. He just wanted to understand, to make sense of the sudden change in her demeanor. But the moment he moved, Myne let out a quiet, terrified scream, her body jerking back as she pressed herself even further behind Motoyasu, as though Naofumi were a threat she couldn't escape.
"Myne, are you okay? What's wrong?" His voice softened with genuine worry, but his words were cut off by the guards.
They jumped in front of him, their weapons raised and eyes blazing with fury. "Stay back, you damn scum!" one of them barked, their stance daring him to take another step.
Seeing this, Ren takes a step forward but is halted immediately by Motoyasu's voice.
"Ren, stay away from that bastard! Don't let his act manipulate you!" The frantic urgency in his voice cut through the air like a blade, raw with desperation and anger.
"Manipulate me? Wh-what the hell are you talking about?" Ren stammered, his voice shaking with confusion.
Motoyasu's grip on his weapon tightened, knuckles white, as they stepped closer to him. "Can't you see what he's doing? He's trying to twist you, to use you! Don't fall for it!"
Naofumi's anger and confusion increased twofold after hearing this.
"What are you talking about? I'd never do that! What the hell is going on here anyway? Why am I being treated like this?"
Motoyasu snarled at him "Don't act like you don't know!"
"I don't, that's why I'm asking!"
"Enough with this dumb act! You know what you did—we all know what you did!" Motoyasu snapped, his voice sharp with accusation as he gestured broadly to everyone else in the room, his eyes narrowing with unrelenting fury.
"Did wh-" Before Naofumi could finish his words were silenced by the King's.
"ENOUGH!" Aultcray thundered, silencing everyone in the room. He glares down at Naofumi as if he were a bug.
"Committing the worst crime in my kingdom, and having the gall to act dumb about it. You really are a fiend!" every word was spat out with a venom toxic enough to kill a man ten times over.
"Huh!?" Naofumi's confusion was palpable as he stepped back.
The King heaved a sigh, his expression a mix of exhaustion and irritation. "So, you're going to keep this up, huh? Fine." He turned his gaze to Myne, his tone softening slightly. "Young Myne, I'm sorry to put this burden on you so suddenly, but would you be willing to inform the occupants of this room about his actions once more?"
"She doesn't have to," Motoyasu stated firmly, his tone protective. "It'll only hurt her more." He turned sharply to Naofumi, his eyes blazing with contempt.
"She trusted you, believed in you, and this is how you repay her?" Motoyasu's voice rose, each word laced with anger. He stepped closer to Naofumi, his grip tightening on his spear. "You're nothing but a coward and a disgrace. You don't deserve to stand here with the rest of us!"
The room fell silent for a moment, the tension thick enough to cut with a blade, as all eyes turned to Naofumi, waiting for his response.
Naofumi lowered his head, his hair falling forward to shadow his eyes. His fists clenched tightly at his sides as he let out a low, furious snarl. "I don't know what you're talking about," he growled, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and frustration.
Motoyasu scoffed, his grip tightening on his spear as he took another step forward. "Don't play dumb, Naofumi! You think you can just deny it and walk away unscathed? Everyone here knows what you did!"
Naofumi's head snapped up, his eyes blazing with defiance. "What I did? You're throwing accusations without proof! How about you start explaining instead of spouting nonsense!"
Motoyasu froze for a moment as if Naofumi's words had struck a nerve. Then his face twisted into a mask of fury, his rage erupting like a volcano.
"Without proof? WITHOUT PROOF!" Motoyasu's furious scream reverberated through the room, making everyone flinch. The sheer intensity of his voice caught Naofumi off guard, forcing him to stumble back, his instincts screaming at him to create distance from the enraged blonde.
Motoyasu's entire body radiated fury, his spear shook in his hands as if he was barely holding himself back. His eyes burned with unrelenting rage, locked onto Naofumi like a predator ready to strike.
"You tried to assault Myne, and now you have the gall to act like it never happened!" Motoyasu bellowed, his voice dripping with venom.
Naofumi froze in place, his breath hitching as the accusation hung heavy in the air. His mind raced, trying to process the words, but all he could feel was the weight of the room's stares bearing down on him like a tidal wave. His fists trembled at his sides, and his voice caught in his throat. "I… what…?" he finally managed, his tone barely above a whisper, laced with disbelief.
Ren, who had been silent since the confrontation between Motoyasu and Naofumi began, felt a jolt of shock at Motoyasu's words. His eyes widened as he stared at Motoyasu, then at Naofumi, struggling to process what he had just heard.
"Wait… what?" Ren finally spoke, his voice unsteady. He looked around the room, searching for some kind of clarification. "Are you serious? You're saying Naofumi… did that?" His gaze shifted to Naofumi, his expression a mixture of disbelief and uncertainty.
"It's true," came a firm voice, cutting through the tension like a knife. Everyone in the room turned to Itsuki, who had finally decided to speak up.
"I heard a ruckus outside my room," he continued, his expression grim. "When I went out to investigate, I saw Myne running down the hallway, crying, her clothes torn up. And Naofumi… he was chasing after her. But when he saw me, he stopped, scoffed like none of it mattered, and then ran off."
His words hung in the air, the weight of the accusation sinking into everyone like a heavy stone. The room was silent, all eyes now fixed on Naofumi, who stood frozen in place.
Motoyasu's glare intensified as he stepped forward. "That's right," he said, his voice low but trembling with fury. "When I heard the commotion and stepped out of my room, Myne ran straight into me. She was crying, shaking… completely terrified. Her clothes were torn, and she kept begging for help."
He clenched his fists, his knuckles white as he struggled to keep his voice steady. "She told me everything. She told me what you did to her, Naofumi. How you tried to…" His voice broke for a moment, his anger flaring again as he pointed his spear at Naofumi. "And you think you can stand there and act like you're innocent? You're a monster! And if Myne didn't tell me to wait till dawn and call the guards I would've chased you down and killed you myself!"
The room erupted in hushed whispers and shocked gasps, the hostility palpable in the air. Every eye was fixed on Naofumi, their gazes sharp, as if they were all waiting for him to crack under the weight of Motoyasu's accusations. The atmosphere felt thick with judgment as if the very air had turned against him. Motoyasu's furious words continued to echo in their minds, solidifying the image of guilt that had already taken root in their hearts
"An illusion," Naofumi murmured, his voice so quiet that Motoyasu could barely hear it.
"Huh?"
"It was an illusion!" His scream caught everyone off guard causing them to flinch.
"Someone must have used a spell a-an illusion, to look like me!" Naofumi took a step forward only to be blocked by the guards once more.
But Naofumi ignored them, his eyes locked on the King.
"Please you have to believe me, I would never do anything like that I swear!"
The room was silent before a scoff from the King cut through it.
"To think one of the Four Cardinal Heroes could stoop to such a vile act and then dare to claim innocence!" the king roared, his voice shaking with fury. "An illusion? Don't insult me with your lies!" He shot to his feet, swiping at the air with a sharp motion, his face a mask of rage. "Were it not for your title as a hero, I'd have your head this very instant!"
"Executed!?" Naofumi said with a mixture of shock and disbelief.
The snobbish noble to the left of the King decides to speak.
"Even attempted sexual assault on a woman could get you the death penalty."
The King ignores him and sits down. Inspecting Naofumi's person he scowls when he notices what Naofumi has on him.
"Your silver, and that chainmail, you don't deserve it." Naofumi blinks in confusion.
"Huh?!"
"Guards strip him of them now!"
"Wha?! You—hey!" Naofumi protested, his words stumbling out in shock as the guards descended upon him. They tore away his chainmail with ruthless efficiency, stripping him of his gear and confiscating his funds without hesitation.
After they were finished, the guards tossed Naofumi aside, sending him sprawling onto his back. Gritting his teeth, he propped himself up on his elbows, glaring at the men who now held his gear, his eyes burning with a mix of anger and humiliation.
"Hand it over to Sir Motoyasu, such gear and funds belong in the hands of a true hero."
Motoyasu looks up at the King in surprise before it's quickly replaced with gratitude.
"Really? Thanks, I won't let you, or this Kingdom down, Your Highness!"
The King gave a curt nod before turning his attention back to Naofumi, who had risen to his feet once more.
Naofumi looks around at all the people in the room, their stares of disgust and hatred bearing down on him like a plague that refuses to go away.
"Wait, this doesn't make sense!" A voice cut through the tension, drawing everyone's attention. Naofumi's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the source—it was Ren.
Despite the attention, he continues speaking.
"If he truly did what you claim, then why would he return to his room? Would it not have made more sense to flee?"
The King turns to him.
"It's because he knew that if he tried to escape, he'd be caught—and because you were there."
"Me?" Ren blinks in confusion. If Naofumi committed the crime, then why would his presence prevent him from escaping? He was asleep during the entire thing.
"Indeed, he realized you had no knowledge of what had transpired and once he realized that he decided to manipulate you into believing his innocence."
"But that doesn't make any sense. Why would he go back to sleep so casually while knowing that Itsuki and Motoyasu knew about what he did? He wouldn't know that Myne told Motoyasu to wait for all he knew they could've started chasing him immediately. And if he did know then why wait to manipulate me? Wouldn't that just be giving you guys time to go into my room, wake me up, and inform me?"
"It's because he knew we couldn't."
"What?" Ren said, his confusion evident in his tone and expression.
"The guards had attempted to enter your chambers to wake and inform you but were unable to, Sir Motoyasu, and Itsuki attempted as well but were met with the same results."
Ren blinked, his thoughts piecing together. 'So that was all the noise last night', he realized.
"Why didn't you guys just scream or something to get me up?"
"Because if we did he would have immediately attempted to escape."
"Ya, but didn't you say if he did you guys would've captured him? Why not just let him run?"
"Because, on the off chance he did escape, we couldn't risk having an active criminal who called himself a hero running free without consequence."
Ren blinked in bewilderment. This guy had an answer to everything.
As Ren and the King continued their exchange, Naofumi noticed something. While everyone was watching Ren and the King, Myne…was watching him.
But she wasn't afraid—she was smiling, her expression filled with joy, proud of something she had done.
What she did next left Naofumi utterly stunned. She raised her hand, pulled down her eyelid with one finger, and stuck out her tongue at him in a mocking gesture.
It didn't take long for him to grasp the meaning behind her gesture. Almost instantly, his teeth clenched, and his fists tightened as he was overcome with rage.
With a deep, primal growl, he charged toward her, fury driving his every step. The guards immediately moved to intercept him, forming a barrier to block his path.
All eyes were now on Naofumi as he struggled against the guards, shoving and straining to break through, his gaze fixed unrelentingly on Myne. Meanwhile, she slipped back into her act, cowering behind Motoyasu with a trembling facade.
The blonde immediately pushed her behind him. Meeting Naofumi's glare with his own.
"First you have the audacity to lie, and now you try to attack Myne because you were caught!"
Itsuki stepped forward, his glare sharp and unwavering. "You wanted us to believe you're innocent, but your actions tell a different story. Someone like you doesn't deserve a shred of mercy."
Their words only succeeded in increasing Naogumi's rage tenfold.
"IT WAS A SETUP!" he screamed, his voice cracking under the strain of his fury.
The sheer volume caused the room to still.
"For how long? Since the beginning?! All those smiles and kind words were all fake weren't they?! You bastards have been against me since I got here."
Myne pressed herself even harder against Motoyasu, doubling down on her act.
"Sir Motoyasu I'm scared."
Motoyasu in response readied his spear as if preparing to attack.
"Shut your damn mouth criminal."
"Up yours pretty boy, I bet you were in on it. Framing me so you could steal my money and equipment!"
'Now that I think about it, she always referred to me as the Shield Hero or just Sir Hero but has no problem calling Motoyasu by name. Not to mention, my chainmail was handed to him as well.' Naofumi gritted his teeth even harder. 'If that's not proof they're working together, I don't know what is!'
The noble on the King's left scoffed. "I knew we shouldn't have summoned all four at once."
Naofumi growls at him "Just send me home then and summon a new Shield Hero or whatever I don't care. Why did you guys have to pull me from my home just to put me through this?"
Itsuki scoffs at this. "After all you've done, how could you even think about abandoning your duties?"
Motoyasu smirks at this "I say just let the coward run home, nobody would want to fight alongside a rapist good riddance I say."
"SHUT UP!" Motoyasu recoiled, flinching at the sudden outburst.
Naofumi glares at the King. "Send me back to my world this instant!"
The King sighs and places his hand on his face in annoyance.
"Believe me I want nothing more than to be rid of you, but legends say that new heroes can only be summoned once all the originals have perished."
The other three heroes gasped in unison, their shock evident at the King's words.
Naofumi's glare only intensified at the words. "So you're telling me that I can't even go home?"
"Not yet, but there is only one way that you may return home, fend, and hold off all the incoming waves."
The guards are shocked at this. They were fully prepared to deal with this criminal and not fight beside him.
"But Your Highness, that means we'll fight alongside a criminal!"
"SCREW YOU GUYS AND YOUR WORLD! Who needs you bastards anyway? I'll figure out a way to deal with the waves my way!" In a stunning display of strength, Naofumi shoved all the guards off of him, breaking free with sheer force.
The guards immediately caught themselves and ran back in to detain him.
"GET THE HELL OFF OF ME!" The guards immediately fell back as the shield's crystal began glowing.
His breath came in quick, heavy gasps as he prepared to talk. "So what will it be, King? You gonna lock me up? Have me rot in jail?"
"There's no time before the next wave arrives, so you will not be imprisoned. Scum or not, you remain a Hero—one of the few left who can fend them off. But your crime has spread throughout the people. That is your punishment. You will never again know the comfort of a decent life in this country."
Naofumi scoffs, "Yeah, no shit." He turns and begins walking away, but after a few steps, he stops, lifts his hands, and takes out the silver coins that he had stashed away in his shield. Once he collects all of them, he turns around and throws the coins at Motoyasu's feet.
"There, that's what you want right? You can go shove it up your ass!" Naofumi turns and continues his walk. Motoyasu immediately began running after him.
"Hey, wait! One second!" He called out but was abruptly stopped when Ren leapt in front of him.
"What the hell are you—?"
"Stop," Ren cut him off, his voice sharp.
Motoyasu froze, caught off guard by the sudden interruption.
"He's had enough." Motoyasu doesn't say another word as he looks up, watching Naofumi walk away.
Unbeknownst to those present, a shadowy figure had been observing the entire scene from the sidelines. Hidden beneath a dark cloak, they furrowed their brows, a look of concern crossing their face. Without a moment's hesitation, the figure turned and swiftly exited the building. 'The Queen must hear about this.'
XXX That Night XXX
Mirellia, was many things: a wife, a high-tier caster, a great leader, and a good politician. But most importantly, a Queen. But at the moment, she wasn't all that Queenly, as one might say.
She was completely disheveled. Her clothes were torn, and her room was a warzone—furniture shattered, objects scattered across the floor, everything either broken or already destroyed. The scene reflected the turmoil within her, as if the very space around her had crumbled under the weight of what had transpired.
Melty, the second princess and heir to the throne, had been trying her best to calm her mother down. Although all her attempts were completely futile she still tried her best.
"THOSE IDIOTS!" Her mother shouted, the anger in her voice nearly splitting the air. BOOM! The crash of yet another couch being thrown aside shook the room.
Melty flinched, instinctively taking a step back, her heart racing at the sound of the destruction surrounding her.
"DAMNIT, DAMNIT, DAMNIT!" BOOM!
"Uhh, Mom?" Melty's voice wavered as she cautiously spoke up.
Mirellia paused mid-rampage, her eyes locking onto her daughter. The room fell into a tense silence before Melty continued, her voice soft but firm, "Maybe you should calm down a little. At this rate, you're going to destroy the entire building."
Mirellia stared at her for a moment, her chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. She clenched her fists, the fury still burning within her, but something in Melty's tone seemed to pierce through the anger. Slowly, she took a deep breath, her shoulders slumping in defeat.
"...I can't believe they did this," Mirellia muttered under her breath, her rage simmering beneath the surface.
Melty stepped closer, careful not to make any sudden movements. "I know, Mom... but this isn't helping anyone."
Mirellia's eyes softened, though the frustration was still there. She took another shaky breath, the destruction around her a silent reminder of how out of control everything had become.
"Summoning the heroes yesterday was already detrimental to our relationship with the other kingdoms," Mirellia raged, her voice rising once more. "But to frame the Shield the very next day?! The same day I promised to return the heroes to their promised lands?!"
Her eyes flashed with a mixture of disbelief and fury as she paced in the wreckage, unable to keep her emotions in check.
"How could they be so reckless?!" Mirellia clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as if to ground herself. "They've completely destroyed what little peace we had! Once Strov and Verena hear of this, there'll be war."
Melty stayed quiet for a moment, watching her mother with concern. She knew the weight of the situation was crushing her, but pushing her further into a frenzy wasn't going to help either.
"Mom, I'm sure they'll understa-."
"Verena, maybe!" Mirellia interrupted, her voice sharp with frustration. "But Strov…" She trailed off, her gaze dropping to the ground, her face falling into an expression of dread.
The silence stretched on as the weight of her unspoken words hung in the air. She didn't have to finish the sentence for Melty to understand.
"We must do everything we can to prevent this; we cannot allow war to break out because of your— their actions." Mirellia's voice faltered, the weight of the words choking her. She couldn't even bring herself to say their names at that moment, the anger and helplessness clouding her thoughts.
Her hands trembled slightly as she fought to hold onto any shred of composure, but it was clear—her heart was heavy with the consequences of what had already been set in motion.
Mirellia looked back at Melty, her expression softening just slightly. "Come, we need to rest." She walked up to her daughter and motioned for her to follow.
"We'll need to prepare for tomorrow. By then, the others will have been informed." Her words carried a quiet urgency, though the exhaustion in her voice was undeniable. Mirellia knew there was little time left to act, and whatever lay ahead, they needed to be ready.