The cloudy skies are threatening to rain at any second, but a shiny golden armor along with a long sword, in a sheath with intricate golden marks, and a long red cape fluttering about seem to shine up the area.

A dozen meters away from Xal stands a tall blonde man. He has a well-sculpted jawline, descending at a sharp angle into a flat, prominent chin. His eyebrows, firm and straight, give his yellow-golden eyes a calm but serious look, while his straight nose, slightly pointed at the tip, descends with the tall cheek-lines into the narrow lips, giving his face a divine, statue-like aura.

His legs are separated at shoulder width, one hand on his side close to the sword's hilt. Several meters behind him are carriages and dozens of knights in less shiny, matching iron armor. Their faces are stoic and they stand still, awaiting their next order. An intimidating sight that would cause any ordinary citizen to shriek out of fear.

「You look well, friend」 Hero says, 「must be someone taking care of you」

「So do you」 Xal replies with a grin, 「must be all the palace cooking... did you have them make your armor a size bigger?」

Looking unamused, Hero shouts, 「Cut the nonsense Xalvari, where is she?!」

Xal slowly approaches him with steady steps prompting several knights standing behind the Hero to unsheathe their swords and prepare their stance.

Unperturbed, Xal continues his walk, carelessly.

When he is up close enough to the Hero to see the whites in his eyes, he looks at him with a haughty expression and leans into his face to say, 「Not available right now」

From around the surrounding trees, several archers pop up, their bowstrings already drawn and aiming toward Xal.

An intense silence fills the air as the troops wait for Hero's signal, but he raises his hand in a gesture that tells them to stand down.

Xal glances around, noticing the archers, and smirks.

「I see that you brought your lap dogs with you」 he says.

「I'm here on the request of the Crown. The country needs its Princess to be safe and sound. They are here to ensure that」 Hero says, staring him right in the eyes with an unwavering gaze before adding, 「I'm not here out of my... our personal disagreement-」

「Bullshit!」 Xal cuts him off.

He turns around swiftly, letting his short grey cape violently swing around toward Hero's face, but, as if protecting him, the wind suddenly changes direction, blowing against the cape so it stays still.

「The princess is safe and sound! Right here!」 Xal shouts while walking back towards the door.

「Xalvari, we need Her Highness in the capital!」 Hero shouts.

Upon reaching the door, Xal turns around, revealing a hatred-filled grimace. His eyes are filled with resentment as if they are looking at the devil himself.

「Alright, then take her and leave my sight」 he spits out. With a short pause, he adds, 「don't ever appear before me again, you filthy traitor!」

At that moment, the door flares open, and out comes Rosaria running.

「No! Xal, what are you saying!?」 she asks with a frantic expression on her face.

「Your savior in shining armor is here for you, get going」 Xal says, averting his gaze by looking to the side with irritation.

Before Rosaria can respond, Hero puts out his hand, and as if the skies are at his will, a break conspicuously opens up inside the gray clouds, as if an angel is about to descend, and a beam of bright golden light shines onto him.

Several of the knights and archers surrounding him gasp.

「Princess Rosaria!」 Hero shouts, his voice strangely booming and gallant, deeper than what it was before.

Taken aback, Rosaria stares wide-eyed at Hero. She puts a hand on her chest and mutters, 「Hero...」

「Come, come back to your kingdom where we shall prosper together」 Hero says.

The light on him makes him look like a messiah sent from the heavens to guide humanity. The rims of his armor glitter from the reflections of the sun, sending bright rays around, lighting the ground and the chainmail of the archers and the armors of the knights. His otherwise chiseled facial features appear blurred in the glow, which envelops his entire figure, a sphere of warmth extending from his torso and making the air around him shimmer. There's a rumbling sound, coming from above, like a thunderstorm brewing. With the way he's extending his hand and waiting for the princess' hand, he looks as if he's inviting her to the heavens.

Goosebumps appear on the princess' skin and she unwittingly blushes, struck by the Hero's divine appearance. A slight push, seemingly from nowhere, makes her take a step toward him as if mesmerized.

However, she stops mid-step and manages to get herself out of the daze.

With a pained expression on her face, she slowly shakes her head, biting her lips, and says, 「Hero, I... do not think this is a good idea... Why did you come?」

Hero opens his eyes wide in shock, then looks down, and goes into deep thought.

The rumbling stops and the shining light gets dimmer as the knights and archers murmur among themselves in the background.

「Ha ha ha ha ha!」 suddenly, loud, shrill laughter echoes around the area, shocking everyone. Xal is facing the sky and has his eyes closed while laughing without a care.

He takes his time until, suddenly, he spreads out his hands theatrically and makes a serious face as if the laughter from before was a lie.

「You heard her! She doesn't want the Goddess' chosen!」 Xal bellows at Hero.

「No, wait, that's not what... Xal!」 Rosaria tugs his shirt repeatedly as if to scold him.

「I suggest you take your entourage and scram now, Hero」 Xal says with a haughty grin and steps closer to the princess.

Hero finally raises his head and looks at the two. With a pained expression, he watches how Rosaria is leaning up against Xal, seeing her ample breasts pushing against his chest, causing them to flatten on the front and squeeze out of her cleavage, all the while his hand is greedily coiling around her waist.

She doesn't seem to dislike it, nor look like she's being forced against her will. On the contrary, he realizes the way she still keeps tugging at his shirt, she would actually be pulling him closer to herself, bringing her stomach to touch his body too.

Hero steps closer and speaks through clenched teeth, 「Rosaria... yes, this might be personal. But it's also more than that! Honor and glory await us on the throne! Think of the life we should share together. The two of us, leading the world into a brighter and righteous path! Rosaria, please, stop this foolishness at once, you already know which path is destined for you! The stage has already been set! Come to me and let us carry out our duties!」

The princess shuffles her feet awkwardly and looks down with guilt written all over her face.

「She already said she doesn't want to」 Xal says and looks at Rosaria with a knowing smile. On her behind, having moved away from Hero's sight, his gripping hand is roughing up her ass cheek. It begins sliding on the backpiece, mushing up the folds in her skin through the smooth fabric. Dragging the cloth down, stretching it until it's taut, it then releases it, making her cheek bounce.

「Princess Rosaria, why?!」 Hero asks, looking at her in disbelief.

Rosaria bites her lips and, already having lost her composure, she enters a long monologue.

【What do you mean why? There's absolutely no way I can tell you that...】

Her hands grab onto her white one-piece in frustration.

【To begin with, it's... all your fault.】

Laughing inaudibly in a self-deprecating manner, she's reminded of her own issues with Xal.

Becoming aware of her surroundings again, she feels the hand that has been gripping her behind all this time even more sensual when the fingers dig into the skin more eagerly.

【That's right. I couldn't take it anymore.】

She discreetly pushes out her ass, further into the fondling hand, which begins to make circles, pinching through the fabric, as if asking to be let under.

【Ahn~ ❤ There's no way I can resist...】

Forcing her legs together while blushing, she finally mutters, almost in a whisper, 「It's too shameful, I can't tell you, just... leave us alone already.」

Xal, hand still trying to wiggle in between her buttcheeks, adds, 「Like I said, why don't you go back to your capital, to your palaces, and enjoy whatever harems they rewarded you with?」

Hero looks back at him angrily, and Xal glances left and right, smirks, and says,

「Or is that what you've brought today?」

Hero puts his hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword, and at the same moment, sounds of bowstrings being stretched and swords being unsheathed echo throughout the area.