Light replaced the darkness.

Through the light, several figures stepped into the small space now fully occupied with brightness.

“Greetings, Monster.”

The block faced man by the name of Kenrik spoke with unhindered disgust.

“Greetings old friend.”

Hikaru looked up with a gentle smile, throwing Kenrik into confusion followed by irritation.

“Considering you a friend is the same as considering a tornado to be your friend. You exist to destroy and not make friends.”

“Those two things are not really in conflict with each other, i am able to make friends if i simply don’t destroy them. You might want to ask yourself why i hadn’t destroyed you during our adventuring days, despite you being completely useless in battle..and out of it”

Hikaru felt an old part of him reawaken by simply being near Kenrik. Despite the man in question showing only hatred towards him, Hikaru still remembered their old fond days.

“A monster dares act superior-!?”

The people behind Kenrik chuckled and smirked.

“What is so funny!?”

“Oh Kenrik, you’re too uptight, that’s why it’s so easy to make fun of you. So this is that Hikaru you told me so much about?”

One of them stepped up to Hikaru and closely observed him.

“From the way you described him..i imagined him to be some sort of hybrid between man and a sword swinging muscle..or from how fondly you often spoke of him..i sometimes imagined him to have the visage of a beautiful woman..?”

The man who was obscured by the light became visible to Hikaru’s eyes.

He was wearing similar clothing to Kenrik. Which he assumed meant they held a similar position in the church.

“My best friend here always reminisces about his old adventuring days..never fails to mention this Hikaru who was like a rolemodel to him, said he was the one who taught him how to be a proper knight, right?”

The man turned back to Kenrik.

“What- you shut your mouth! I have no respect for murderous monsters. Do not soil my honour.”

Kenrik answered with irritation.

“He’s so dishonest. You know he didn’t eat for several days once we got a sketch of the supposed fallen god we were meant to capture. Poor guy.”

The man leaned in close to Hikaru and whispered so Kenrik would not hear.

“I’m Rekar by the way, nice to finally meet the man of Kenrik’s daydreams.”

Rekar extended his hand for a handshake, then quickly pulling it away.

“Ah my bad, i forgot about the whole…” He gestured to Hikaru’s restraints “..yeahh.”

“You’re Kenrik’s friend..? I’m glad he’s at least not alone, he always somehow alienated himself..”

Hikaru smiled with relief.

“I know right? It was like that when he started out here as well, no one would talk to him, he even had to eat his meals alone!”

Rekar laughed loudly.

“Why are you talking about that!? No in fact why are you having an enjoyable chat with a horrible monster and war criminal!?”

Bursting out in anger, Kenrik pulled Rekar back away from Hikaru.

“Sorry, sorry, was i intruding, i shouldn’t have come in the way between you and your strong and inspiring model of humanity huh?”

Rekar kept smiling while taking a step to the side, allowing Kenrik to resume his talking.

“...I shall have a talk with you about your big mouth later.” Kenrik gritted his teeth at Rekar and walked up to Hikaru.

“...”

The air was now too awkward for Kenrik to continue. Rekar had completely shattered the serious and ominous atmosphere and had made Kenrik at a loss for words.

“...Your friend seems nice”

Hikaru broke the silence with an innocent remark.

“Friend..? He is nothing but a leech parasitizing itself on my hard work.”

“Hello! I’m Rekar the parasite, nice to meet you”

Rekar chimed in from behind.

“I told you to shut up already!” Kenrik snapped.

“Pleased to meet you, Rekar the parasite.”

Hikaru nodded, misunderstanding it for his title.

“And you, don’t actually answer him!”

Kenrik snapped at Hikaru.

“I was merely being polite-”

Hikaru began.

“No being polite to Rekar ! And you, no stupid remarks!”

“Stupid remarks..? Like that time i told everyone that you make clay figurines of your beloved Hikaru in your spare time..?”

Rekar said after musing.

“WHAT!?”

“Ohh no never mind, i hadn’t actually told anyone, false alarm.”

Rekar waved his hands innocently.

The rest of their companions still standing at the door were now snickering among themselves.

“REKAR WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?”

“...I never knew your obsession went this far..”

Hikaru looked down seriously.

“DON’T YOU START TOO!?”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Kenrik breathed in slowly and yelled out.

“EVERYONE. SHUT. THE. HELL. UP...or i will report your actions to the archbishop.”

Everyone promptly quieted down at that threat.

“..Now” Kenrik tried to manage his breath.

“The reason we are here. Is to take you to your trial. It is starting. And your death is certain, do not misunderstand, this is nothing but a formality.”

“I see, very well” Hikaru nodded understandingly.

He attempted to stand up, only managing to fall on his chest, his limbs being tied up restricting his movements. The main reason for his lack of ability to move even this much was due to the supposed ‘Cleansing’ which had drained him of his mana, and would normally take days to recover.

He was truly completely subdued.

Several of the Kenrik’s companions stepped up and lifted Hikaru up with two blades resting against his jugular vein.

Slowly carrying him out, Hikaru found Rekar walking next to him.

“Don’t worry i won’t let Kenrik see your execution, it might be too much for him to handle despite how he is trying to act. Sorry i can’t help you out, but you understand, Business is business.”

“That is fine, i thank you for taking care of Kenrik during the time i have neglected everyone i knew. It gives me peace of mind to know he has someone to bring him out of his shell.”

Hikaru nodded at him, slowly being carried away from Rekar who was slowing down his walking speed.

“He didn’t seem like a monster to me, you know”

Rekar glanced back at Kenrik who was still standing in the room where Hikaru was held.

“...I know that more than anyone..”

Kenrik mumbled to himself. His face hidden from the light.

--

“Damn it all to hell!!”

A boy wearing a poor self made imitation of some sort of rusty armour rushed through the forest, the heavy sword that was all too large for his large frame, scraping on the ground.

“Shit shit shit shit!!”

Vines and leaves cut lightly into his face as he burst through them. Not bothering to dodge anything in his way.

His breath was heavy and his throat was sore from how hard he was sucking in air. Not due to his running, although that had a part in it, but due to fear.

For there was something much more painful than a sore throat awaiting him if he were to stop running.

The sound of falling trees and rupturing wood filled the forest with its deep echoes.

Slowly moving faster, at a great speed.

Despite his motivation to run, the boy was forced to stop.

For there was no longer anywhere to run. His path blocked by a deep fall, ending in sharp rocks.

There was no surviving such a fall, even if he were to somehow survive the fall, the rocks would help do the rest.

“Damnit! No...But i tried so hard..why..i worked for a year and got this sword..so why…”

His cheeks moistened with tears.

“Why was all that hard work for nothing!”

Turning around and swinging his sword with fury, his blade snapped in half, colliding with green scales harder than any metal.

Sinking to his knees, the boy looked down at his broken sword, feeling his heart snap in half at the knowledge he had wasted his life on an end like this, to be snapped in half like his cheap sword.

He stood up.

If he was going to die anyway, he might as well try and do something with his death.

Looking up at the scaled creature with fear in his eyes, his legs began to shake.

“H-hey! T-think you’re so great huh..well you’re not so g-great if you can’t even catch me!”

With those words, he jumped off the cliff.

Preparing for his unsightly death, with the small hope that the creature might have jumped after him.

Looking up, he found only the creature's gaze. No pity or even disappointment. Only boredom, watching its prey jump to its own death.

“Of course it wouldn’t follow..it’s not stupid like me..”

The boy mumbled, closing his eyes, quickly nearing the spiky rocks.

He felt something around his waist.

Suddenly he felt an immense pressure on his body.

It wasn’t the pressure of being splattered on the ground.

It was the pressure of a sudden powerful movement. A movement up.

Opening his eyes, he saw a dark haired man, dressed in brilliant silver armour that glittered like the most precious of gems.

The dark haired man landed back up on the cliff and set the boy down.

In his hand he held a brilliant sword, even to the boys unskilled eyes, he knew the sword was made by a world renown craftsman, it was something one could not buy with mere money.

The dark haired knight lifted his sword and with barely a movement, he had done several slashes towards the creature, slicing it into clean square pieces that slid apart.

“W-wow...that..that things scales were harder than metal! You could cut through it so easily!?”

The boy exclaimed in wonder, the fear for his life quickly forgotten.

“.....Not easily.”

The knight responded, holding up his sword, cracks began to form in it, until it shattered like glass. The strain it received from slashing through the material of the scales too much of a burden to keep its form.

“U-um..thanks for saving me. Your sword um..i’ll pay you back for it..”

The boy stuttered, although he knew he would never have the ability to repay an item of that rarity.

“You will do so without you having to offer. Begin by carrying the pieces of this creature.”

The knight spoke coldly. Despite his brilliant appearance, there was nothing brilliant about his voice, it was dull and sounded quite bored.

It sounded hollow, like it possessed a deep emotion which was now absent. It was so strangely obvious that even this boy could feel it.

However he had other things to think about. Like not angering the man who saved his life and could easily make mincemeat out of him.

--

The memory faded, revealing the now older version of the boy.

Kenrik still gazing into the dark room that had housed Hikaru.

“..No matter how i think about it. Your voice is now filled with energy. I wonder..what was it that could fill the hollow part of your soul that nothing could during those years..or perhaps..who..”

--

“Achoo!”

Yuri sneezed and wiped her nose with her tied up hands.

“Keep moving prisoner.”

Mako looked at Yuri, blank faced, still trying her best to act as what she thought was a powerful bishop.

They had been driven by the guards to the church by wagon.

Now Yuri was standing in front of a gigantic church, many times larger than the church Mako resided in. This was something close to a city in the shape of a building. Large enough to house people and everything required to sustain them, such as fields and livestock.

Yuri’s mouth almost dropped at the sight and she looked back at Mako curiously.

Mako could only avoid her stare, seeming to imply that its size was not a big deal.

Although she could not help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

“You’re right on time. I heard they were going to have the trial today, so they might need some sort of witness to confirm his crimes.”

One of the guards poked Yuri’s back with his sword, motioning for her to keep moving.

“Trial!? What trial?”

Yuri asked, hoping it was not what she thought it was.

“The trial of the horrible monster. The fallen god who destroyed cities and ruined people’s lives. The one who brainwashed you into helping him.”

The guard explained.

“..Shit i don’t have time for this bondage play then..i need to hurry!”

Removing the rope that was only loosely tied around her wrists, Yuri began running into the inside of the gigantic church city.

“Hey! The prisoner is escaping! Catch her!!”

The guards began yelling, rushing after Yuri.

Their yelling quickly died out somehow.

Something had lodged itself into their mouths.

Their mouths were filled with bandages, materialised through Mako’s magic. Which quickly extended and wrapped themselves around their entire bodies.

“I can’t let you do that. After all, my little Yuri has a boyfriend to go save.”

Finally dropping her lackluster acting, Mako was now making her normal happy facial expression, albeit a slightly more serious one than usual.

Yuri was breathing heavily while running. Running past people of various shapes and sizes. Running past sights that would have probably impressed anyone who looked upon them. She was ignoring everything around her except for one thing, her goal. She needed to find Hikaru before it was too late.

She thought she could sneak into the prisons by pretending to be captured and rescue Hikaru, but she had no time for that anymore. She needed to save him at all costs.

There was no time for planning, no time for thinking, only just barely enough time for action.

“I’m coming Hikaru..! Don’t you dare die yet..! Not when i’ve finally realised my feelings..! Don’t you dare!”

Her eyes leaving behind a trail of water droplets in the air behind, She continued running through the crowds, without any clue where she was actually running, only aware of having to keep moving.

In a deep part of the church, inside a building that existed within the gigantic building that was the church, another church built inside it.

It was a place of worship. Built for only the most dedicated and high ranking members of the church of Frigga, to come pray to the goddess of love and destiny.

But today, it was not a place of holy work, but holy destruction.

Hikaru had been brought to this most holy of places in order to be judged in the presence of the goddess herself. His crimes were that heinous in their eyes.

Not the acts of supposed murder and destruction that he was openly accused of.

But the act of his very existence, was a sin deeper than any other.

Someone who had tasted the air of the goddess herself, if someone like that was banished from the realm she resided in. Then that someone has surely already been judged by the goddess.

The goddess Frigga is one who rules over destiny. Thus his destiny has already been decided the moment he was flung out of the heavens.

Her greatest act of love towards her unworthy companion, was to be banished, sentenced to to his destiny where the other gods would not see him.

That was her greatest act of love.

Granting him the privilege of not receiving the shame of dying in the presence of gods.

Or so the followers of Frigga believed.

Thus they believed that Hikaru’s destiny, and his greatest blessing, was to die.

Hikaru was shoved to his knees in front of a pedestal depicting the figure of Frigga, holding in her arms flowers and a map.

“...Yuri..you are not here yet...forgive me Yuri..but i think i feel something i have not felt in a long time.. I feel fear...fear of not being able to see you once more before my end…”

Hikaru mumbled to himself.

“Praying won’t help you now.”

A bearded man wearing expensive white robes stepped out. It was the archbishop of the church of Frigga. Hikaru’s trial has now begun.

“Yuri...i wish to see your face. This urge is incessant. I feel regret blooming in my heart..but regret over what..?”

Hikaru sighed.

On the other side of the church larger than any city. Yuri was running as fast as her lungs allowed her.

Her breath beginning to hurt her throat.

“...Don’t worry Hikaru! I’m coming..! This time i’ll be the one saving you..!”