「Hero!」 Rosaria calls out.

「Xalvari, why are you making me do this! You know you're wanted for kidnapping the Princess, and,」 he relaxes a bit and looks Xal in the eyes, 「And as a friend, I wanted to give you a chance」

「Chance?」 Xal scoffs while Rosaria is tugging at his shirt.

「Chance to walk out of it. As if nothing happened. Just let me take Princess Rosaria back」 he says with a firm expression.

Xal looks at him, then around. The knights behind make small steps to get closer with their swords out. Xal scoffs.

「Xalvari, we've known each other for so long, we fought together!」 Hero says loudly. 「Doesn't that mean anything to you anymore?」

「Not with how it turned out, do promises mean anything to you, Hero? What about the rank? The riches and lands that were promised to me? Or the rest of the rewards? I was also a part of that party!」 Xal looks at him with burning eyes.

「You bring that up now?」 Hero asks sternly.

「When else? Ever since your puny kingdom made me a patsy for the elf diplomats to crucify, nothing of what I was promised was given to me! Instead, I get cast away and left to rot! And what do you do in my defense?」 Xal shouts, having let go of Rosaria's body, glaring and flexing his muscles.

Hero pulls out his sword and swings it around before pushing it into the ground in anger, causing a sonic wave of air to quickly expel outwards while he shouts in a deep voice, 「It was the right way, the only way!」

A surge of wind blasts the area, forcing everyone to guard their heads against the debris.

Xal, looking unperturbed, looks at him with distaste.

「That's what you keep saying, but face it Hero!」 he says with a pause before ominously emphasizing every single word, 「You abandoned me!」

「No, y-you're wrong!」

For the first time since he has arrived, the Hero's expression wavers and looks conflicted.

「I did what was right. There was no question you made a mistake, just like what you're doing now. I'm only correcting what is wrong! As is my right!」

「Hahahahaha!」 another sudden burst of laughter escapes Xal. This time, however, his eyes lack the amusement he was sporting the previous time.

「I was right! You really have gone crazy! To hell with your Goddess, you have been obsessed!」 he shouts.

「Xal!」 Rosaria calls out to him with a dismayed expression and puts her hand on his chest, a fruitless attempt to calm him down.

「You know what, Hero? I've always resented you too, not just the kingdom! Even before we joined hands to defeat the Demon King! I'll let you know that you have always been a torn in my side!」 as if gone mad, Xal yells with a shrill voice.

｟Gasp｠

A loud gasp escapes Rosaria and she promptly lets go of Xal as if was she touching fire, and steps away from him.

「To think I once thought of you as my best friend. Princess Rosaria, get away from this madman, now!」 Hero commands while preparing his battle stance.

Rosaria's eyes jump between him and Xal repeatedly. Biting her lips, her eyebrows are in disarray, and the confusion and conflict are written on her face when trying to choose between the two.

「I... Why can't you make amends!? Surely, there has to be... something... something that can be done!」 Rosaria shouts, her voice on the verge of crying.

Xal scoffs before turning around and saying, 「Alright... So you want your Princess, back at the capital.」 he pauses for a moment, then looks back at him, 「Give her a day to pack all her belongings and she'll take them with when you two depart」

「Xal...! But.」 Rosaria panics and leaps forward, holding on to him, preventing him from going back inside the house.

「Unacceptable」 Hero says, 「We go today. Her servants will come to retrieve her items at a later date」

「Hero!」 Rosaria whips her head and stares wide-eyed at Hero.

「Looks like we're not going to have a deal then」 Xal says before grabbing and turning the door handle, 「let's go Rosaria!」 he commands.

With her attention back to Xal, she's dragged along as she's still holding on to his shirt. She cries, 「W-wait, wait!」

She looks back for a moment, daring to meet Hero's gaze dead-on for the first time. Her face scrunches up in a look of pain and, shakily, she starts mouthing words of apology, but Hero doesn't let her finish as he takes a step, and with the shining light following him, he says, 「Have you forgotten about the prophecy, Rosaria? You belong to me. I don't know what despicable tricks that vile man has used against you, but you can't let him corrupt you any further! Come back to your rightful place beside me」

「Despicable tricks? Hah! So you've realized it! She will never choose you over me!」 Xal snarls while looking behind him.

「What did you just say?!」 Hero growls.

「You heard me, oh chosen one. Screw your stupid prophecies and fate, I have already completely trained her into picking me! You can take your pitiful deity and the whole of her pious church with you and never come back」 Xal says with a half-concealed smirk and a glint in his eyes.

The air suddenly starts feeling heavier, as if gravity has increased tenfold, forcing everyone around Hero to squint their eyes and duck, overburdened by their armor.

The surrounding attendants look at each other in confusion.

「H-hey what's going?」 one of the knights agitatedly mutters.

「The sky! Look at the sky!」 another knight points at the sky, watching as the clouds start swirling and gathering, and turn darker from their grey color, the earlier shiny light gone.

「Everyone! Brace yourself! Shields out!」 another knight commands.

「N-no... This is... We must run!」 one of the archers at the back yells.

The Hero swiftly points his sword at Xal. A glowing aura is beaming around him.

「Xalvari!!!」 he roars and in that instant, a powerful force of air suddenly spreads out from him and blasts everything away. The horses and carriages behind him all struggle to stay upright, leaning away precariously. The knights and archers who didn't heed the warning fly a few meters backward.

In front of Hero, a shining white translucent magical barrier has been erected covering both Xal and Rosaria. The shockwave from the force blasts into the barrier, and Rosaria, holding up her hand to sustain it, is forced to close her eyes as she's struggling to keep her feet on the ground. Being imbued with the blessing of the goddess, even the simplest of Hero's abilities require all her power to counter them.

「What's he doing? What if Princess Rosaria gets harmed?!」 exclaims one knight, struggling to stand.

「Don't worry, she's no ordinary mage」 another reassures him.

Xal's smirk has turned into a scornful grin while he looks down at Hero. His arm coil around Rosaria's waist while being protected by her barrier.

Hero shoots him a look of disdain. With his sword still pointed at Xal, he pulls it back in a single breath. Suddenly a force pulls Xal towards Hero, trying to push him outside of the barrier, but Xal digs his heels into the ground, straining to resist the force.

「Don't play games with me!」 Hero's voice is strangely booming, even deeper than what it was before, and his eyes seem to give a stronger golden glow.

Xal groans as his muscles are being turned for him, stretching his joints and contorting his body in an awkward pose, making him take another step.

「No, stop!」

Rosaria waves her arms, dispelling the shield to quickly stand in front of Xal, with her arms outstretched, blocking Hero's view.