The carriage rolled steadily along the stone road, its wheels rattling softly beneath the weight of armored escorts and royal banners. Outside, forests blurred together beneath the fading afternoon sun, while inside, a quieter tension brewed.
Híroÿ sat beside the carriage window, elbow resting against the frame as he watched the landscape pass by in streaks of green and gold. Unlike Shiro, who filled silence with sarcasm or blunt honesty, Híroÿ wore silence naturally. Calmly. Comfortably.
Though lately... even his thoughts felt crowded.
"Your name is Híroÿ, correct?"
The voice pulled him from his thoughts.
Princess Lilith sat across from him, violet eyes steady with curiosity. At seventeen, she carried herself with the elegance expected of royalty, but unlike many nobles they'd encountered, there was intelligence behind her gaze. Carefulness.
"Yes," Híroÿ answered politely. "I recently arrived in this kingdom."
Across from him, Frana quietly puffed her cheeks.
Lani noticed immediately.
So did Yura.
Princess Lilith leaned slightly forward. "Recently arrived, yet already strong enough to be personally requested by the crown."
Her lips curved faintly.
"That's impressive."
Frana crossed her arms tighter.
Yura looked out the opposite window.
Lani shrank further into her seat.
Híroÿ either didn't notice...
or pretended not to.
A knock interrupted the carriage.
"Your Highness," a knight's voice called from outside, "we should arrive at Gertrude within the hour."
"Understood," Lilith replied calmly.
The knight lingered briefly afterward.
Híroÿ noticed the disapproving glance immediately.
Probably because he hadn't participated much during the earlier monster encounter.
Not because he was lazy.
Because he had sensed something wrong.
Something watching.
The knight eventually moved on.
Once he was gone, Lilith's posture softened slightly.
"Would you stay near me once we arrive in town?"
A faint blush touched her cheeks.
Frana immediately stiffened.
"Your Highness?" Yura said flatly.
Lilith smiled innocently. "What? He's reliable."
"You just met him," Frana muttered.
"And?"
"And nothing!"
Lani's tiny wings fluttered anxiously as she tried not to look directly at Híroÿ.
Meanwhile, Híroÿ simply smiled faintly.
"It's my duty to protect everyone equally."
That somehow made things worse.
"I don't mind sharing him," Lilith teased.
Frana nearly exploded.
"W-WE AREN'T INTERESTED!"
Lani nodded aggressively despite her crimson face.
Yura looked away entirely.
"Oh?" Lilith hummed mischievously. "Then I suppose I'll keep him for myself."
"NO, YOU CAN'T!"
The synchronized panic made Híroÿ laugh quietly.
For a moment, the carriage felt lighter.
Normal.
And Híroÿ realized something strange:
Shiro usually caused this kind of chaos naturally.
Without him around, things felt... quieter.
Less alive.
The thought faded as the town finally came into view.
And immediately, the atmosphere changed.
Chains.
Collars.
Bent backs.
Beastfolk filled the streets carrying crates heavier than their own bodies. Some limped. Others kept their heads lowered entirely, eyes hollow and exhausted.
Híroÿ's expression hardened.
"What are those collars?"
Frana answered first, bitterness coating every word.
"Worker collars."
Lilith's voice became colder than before.
"Slavery."
Híroÿ's eyes narrowed slowly.
"I thought slavery was illegal."
"It is," Lilith answered quietly. "Under royal decree."
The deeper they traveled into town, the uglier things became.
Bruised workers.
Starving children.
Fear.
The entire city felt rotten beneath the surface.
Even the air itself felt heavy.
By the time they reached the noble estate, Híroÿ's patience was already thinning.
An elderly beastwoman guided them through oversized halls lined with excessive gold decorations and expensive paintings clearly purchased to compensate for a lack of dignity.
At the end of the room sat a round, silver-haired man draped in silk robes.
Everything about him felt greasy.
"Noble Furtzen," he introduced himself with a disgusting smile.
His gaze lingered far too long on the girls.
When his eyes finally met Híroÿ's...
they darted away almost instantly.
Fear.
Interesting.
"What brings you here?" Furtzen asked. "Ready to finally marry me, Princess Lilith?"
The room temperature dropped.
Lilith's eyes turned sharp enough to cut steel.
"I'm here regarding illegal labor collars, missing taxes, and abuse of crown authority."
Furtzen laughed nervously.
"Surely there's been some misunderstanding."
Outside the window, a collared child collapsed carrying supplies.
Nobody moved to help him.
Híroÿ clenched his fist beneath the table.
Then a voice echoed through his mind.
> A demon is nearby.
It's corrupting the townsfolk.
Be careful.
Shura.
Immediately, Híroÿ stood.
The table shook from the force.
"Then I'll protect them," he said quietly.
His gaze locked onto Furtzen.
"Unlike you."
Without another word, he walked out.
Outside, chaos had already begun.
Screams echoed through the streets as townsfolk twisted unnaturally, their bodies swelling into grotesque masses of muscle and shadow. Bones cracked. Flesh warped.
People cried while transforming.
That was the worst part.
They were still conscious.
Lightning exploded from above as Shura descended from the sky, bolts raining onto advancing creatures.
Syrah landed beside Híroÿ moments later, golden eyes narrowed.
"These people are being consumed from the inside," she warned.
Híroÿ's jaw tightened.
"I'm sorry," he whispered toward the monsters.
"You didn't deserve this."
Light gathered in his palm.
Warm.
Gentle.
Then blinding.
The nearest corrupted townsfolk dissolved instantly into ash.
Not violently.
Peacefully.
Híroÿ offered a silent prayer afterward before drawing his scythe.
Unlike Shiro's combat, which resembled controlled brutality...
Híroÿ fought like flowing judgment.
Clean.
Efficient.
Beautiful.
He bounded across rooftops until he finally saw it.
A bloated creature perched atop a church tower.
Its owl-like face stretched too wide.
Its smile contained too many teeth.
"Found you."
The demon screeched and lunged.
Híroÿ reacted instantly.
His scythe spun through the air in a crescent of golden light, severing one wing before he vaulted over the creature entirely.
For a split second, the world slowed.
Light gathered around him instinctively.
Not forced.
Natural.
As though the world itself favored him.
His scythe returned to his hand.
One motion.
One slash.
The demon's spine split apart.
Then its head followed.
Silence fell over the city afterward.
The corrupted creatures collapsed motionless.
When Híroÿ returned to the estate courtyard, he found the girls unharmed.
Furtzen, however, was tied to a pillar while Frana repeatedly kicked him in the ribs.
Lilith adjusted her gloves calmly.
"He attempted to collar us."
Híroÿ blinked.
Syrah yawned lazily nearby.
Shura pawed at the unconscious noble.
"I'm glad you're safe," Híroÿ sighed.
Then he crouched beside his summons, gently petting them.
"And please stop calling them beasts," he added softly.
"They're family."
Syrah leaned into the touch proudly while Shura huffed dramatically.
Nearby, the girls watched quietly.
And for just a moment...
Híroÿ truly looked like the hero the world wanted him to become.