It was just after a while of partying in Cal Mira that Naofumi snuck out. Walking along the beach, he finds a suitable, secluded spot.

The sky was full of stars, the moon high overhead, its light shining brightly over the island.

Taking a deep breath, he changes his shield from his normal small shield to his Wrath shield. He had wanted to practice controlling it himself rather than have his party hurt just helping him.

Reddish-black flames ignite, and Naofumi hears that voice…a dragon's voice. Those hate filled thoughts flowing into him like a river. Holding his head in his hands, he tries to resist, to not listen to that voice's words…but it just keeps getting louder and louder.

Then, he remembers what Trash and Bitch did to him…his hatred reaching its peak, eyes turning a demonic red. A hatred that would've consumed both himself and the world…until he hears someone else's voice.

"Hey, what're you doing out here, kiddo?"

L'Arc was approaching him.

Eyes widening, Naofumi shouts, "Don't come over!"

'I don't want to hurt you!' Naofumi tries to stop himself, but it's too late. Subconsciously, the flames attack.

Luckily, L'Arc was quick enough to block it with his scythe, the embers hitting his skin, scorching him a bit.

Naofumi breathes deeply, trying to calm himself down, his eyes returning to normal.

"You OK, kiddo?" L'Arc asks, putting his hand on Naofumi's shoulder.

"I'm fine L'Arc…are you OK though?" Naofumi asks, his eyes filled with worry.

L'Arc smiles, "I'm fine! A bit of fire won't scare me!"

Then, he notices those tiny burns of L'Arc's arms and the side of his cheek, instantly struck with guilt.

"Idiot! Those were cursed flames!" Naofumi scolds as he forces the red-headed scythe wielder to sit down as he goes into his inventory, getting some holy water. Changing his shield again, he uses it to power up the water's quality and effectiveness. He pours the holy water onto a cloth, soaking it before pressing it gently on the burns, L'Arc grimacing at the pain, the wounds smoking a bit.

As L'Arc's wounds were being wrapped in bandages, he asks, "Just what is that shield? Ow!"

As Naofumi dabbed the soaked cloth on L'Arc's cheek, the wound smoking a bit, he sadly smiles, "The Wrath shield…a shield born of hatred as strong as a dragon's."

L'Arc blinks at him as Naofumi puts a small bandage on his cheek. Sighing in relief, Naofumi finished L'Arc's treatment. The burns were only minor, but he still felt a bit guilty about it.

"Will you use that shield again?" L'Arc asks, suddenly serious.

Naofumi lowers his head, "I hope I won't have to…" 'But I probably will…' he thinks to himself.

Then, he feels a hand on his wrist.

"C'mon, let's go back, kiddo," L'Arc getting up and dragging Naofumi back, smiling as he leads the way.

Perplexed, Naofumi could only look at L'Arc's back, asking himself, 'Why didn't I want to hurt him?' and 'Why'd I tell him about the Wrath shield?'

Then, it came to him… 'Oh… I like him…' he realizes, blushing slightly as he's dragged back to town.

"What happened?" Therese asks when she sees L'Arc covered in bandages.

"Just a little mishap…right, kiddo?" L'Arc smiles, trying to reassure her.

"Yeah…" Naofumi nods.

'Honestly…Just the thought of hurting L'Arc scares me…and I told him because he deserved to know about it…' is what Naofumi thinks to himself logically as he goes to bed that night.

When the Wave hit, L'Arc and Therese betrayed them…

As they fought, Naofumi blocked L'Arc's attack with his shield.

"Are you going to use that shield?" L'Arc asks, the distance between the two about a meter apart.

Naofumi stubbornly shakes his head, "I won't."

"Why not?"

"Because… I don't hate you, L'Arc," Naofumi smiles sadly, admitting that despite being betrayed like this…he just can't bring himself to hate the guy.

'He…really doesn't hate me? Even after I've betrayed him like this?' L'Arc pauses before quickly blocking another attack.

'I don't want to kill you either… I like you…' Then, L'Arc comes up with an idea and smiles.

Charging in again, he turns his scythe at just the right angle, Naofumi preparing himself to fend it off…only for the scythe's blade to get in behind the shield itself.

Naofumi expresses his alarm while L'Arc smirked, "Gotcha, kiddo," and with one swing, Naofumi's arm, the one with the shield, was forced upward. Then…Naofumi felt a crushing force on his stomach, his eyes wide.

L'Arc had used that moment to close in and punch him in the stomach, "Sorry, but I need you to sleep for a bit."

Naofumi's eyes closed as his vision when to black, L'Arc catching him in his arms.

"Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia yells, but before she could attempt to do anything, L'Arc angles his scythe towards Naofumi's back.

"Don't come any closer," he warns before he puts the scythe away, gathering Naofumi in his arms.

"I'll be taking him back with me now," he declares as he holds Naofumi up.

"L'Arc! What're you going to do when he wakes up?" Therese asks.

As L'Arc carried Naofumi like a princess, holding him close, he smirks, "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it…either way, I'll make him mine."

Just as the others were about to attack again, the Wave ended. Time was up.

Waking up, Naofumi blinked, seeing the ceiling. He was on a bed, his armor gone, and… he remembers the Wave and getting knocked out by L'Arc.

Sitting up abruptly, he sees that he's in a room, sunlight coming through the window. As he tried to get out of bed…he pauses, seeing the long heavy chain around his ankle, the other end attached to the bed.

Eyes widening, he goes to a mirror, checking himself. He's dressed in his normal clothes, the ones he wears under his armor, then…he notices something on his chest. Pulling back his shirt, he recognizes it as a slave crest. When he checks his status…

Iwatani Naofumi; Shield Hero Lv. 75

[L'Arc's Slave]

His stats were normal but… his party members were gone…and yup. He was L'Arc's slave now.

He trembles in anger, gritting his teeth as he looks down. He goes to sit on the bed, the chain dragging behind him before he puts his head in his hands. Then, he hears footsteps.

L'Arc comes in with a tray of food, "Hey, you awake, kiddo? I brought food."

Naofumi throws something random at him, only for the man to easily dodge it, the random thing falling with a thud to the floor.

Glaring, "What did you do?! What happened during the Wave?!"

Sighing, L'Arc puts the tray down on the nightstand, "I kidnapped you," he calmly says.

"Did you-"

"I didn't kill your friends, so don't worry about it. The Wave ended right after I captured you."

Naofumi sighs in relief before asking, "Then why am I chained to the bed?"

"I didn't want you to run away."

"And the slave crest?"

"You woke up from the initial pain of it, but fainted again after a while."

'That explains why I don't remember getting it…' Naofumi thinks to himself.

"I'm sorry for doing that but…" L'Arc told him.

"But?"

"I like you," he admits.

"?!" Naofumi couldn't believe it, blushing slightly before shaking his head, "Then why did you kidnap me?"

"I figured without you commanding, they would be nothing…and I didn't want to kill you, so I kidnapped you instead," he answers.

"You didn't think of anything else?" Naofumi asks.

"I decided to do it on the spot…so, no," L'Arc honestly admits, smiling as he rubs the back of his neck.

Naofumi could only flop onto the bed, an arm over his head as he sighs, questions of 'What did I do to deserve this?' and 'How am I going to get out of this?' going through his head.

Then, someone's stomach growls. Naofumi blushes, and the atmosphere is silent.

As the growls get louder, L'Arc smiles, "You want that food now?"

"…yes," Naofumi softly mutters.

"OK!" L'Arc cheers happily.

After Naofumi ate, his stomach satisfied, he asks, "Where are we anyway?"

L'Arc smiles as if he's glad he asked, "My world…but this cottage is secluded and I only come here to relax."

"Can you at least get this chain off me? I promise I won't run," Naofumi tries to plead.

"Really?" L'Arc raises an eyebrow, skeptical.

"Really. You know this world better than I do, so I wouldn't know where to go anyway. Besides, you could always just order me to stay with you," Naofumi reasons.

After thinking about it, he nods, "…fine. But you better keep that promise."

After L'Arc unlocks the chain, freeing Naofumi, Naofumi smirks, his shield changing, "Shield Prison!"

L'Arc is instantly trapped in a ball of shields and chains, "Oi! Let me out!"

He tries punching it, but it just won't budge.

Naofumi laughs, "Nope! Consider this punishment for kidnapping me!"

"Kiddo!" L'Arc yells as he hears Naofumi's footsteps walk away.

Naofumi found his armor and put it on before leaving the cottage…only he got shocked the second he got a foot out the door.

"Ngh!" the shock was painful… 'Is this how Raphtalia and Filo feel?'

Taking a step back, the shocking stopped. Sighing, Naofumi turned around only to see L'Arc out of the prison already, catching up to him.

"I order you, Naofumi, to stay by my side," L'Arc sternly says as he glares.

Having no choice, Naofumi nodded, accepting the order from his "Master."

Sighing, L'Arc put his arm around Naofumi's shoulders, "Don't try that again."

"Fine…" Naofumi frowns, his shoulders slumped…but to L'Arc, it was more like pouting.

L'Arc smiles as he drags Naofumi back inside and onto the bed.

Naofumi gives him a questioning look before he's pinned down. L'Arc was on top of him, staring intently. Naofumi's eyes went wide, too nervous to move. Sure, as an otaku, he's seen this kind of situation happen in anime, but he's never been in this kind of situation himself before.

'Too close!' Naofumi could hear his heart beat faster.

"I do like you, Naofumi," L'Arc says.

"…" Naofumi stays silent, looking to the side, trying to calm himself and his beating heart.

But L'Arc asks, his voice slightly deeper than usual, "Do you like me too? Be honest."

After a short silence, Naofumi blushes as he has no choice but to answer honestly, "…yes. I like you."

Smiling, L'Arc kisses him on the lips. Naofumi didn't know what to do, unsure of all this…but then L'Arc started moving his lips, tongue easily opening and invading his mouth, claiming it all as his.

Naofumi shudders, closing his eyes as he grabs onto L'Arc's shoulders, gripping his clothes tight. He simply let L'Arc do what he wanted.

When they part for air, they both pant. L'Arc's gaze was heated while Naofumi's was teary.

Just looking at Naofumi's blushing face, plump lips, and beautiful teary green eyes… L'Arc licked his lips before going for another kiss, more chastise then the last before stripping Naofumi of his armor.

Then, he brings Naofumi into his arms, breathing in his scent and sighs, content. Naofumi blinks at him, a bit confused before sighing himself, cuddling with the man.

From there, they travel together until the next Wave starts.

Omake:

L'Arc insists on them sharing a room and sleeping in the same bed…aka L'Arc is a cuddler.

Omake 2:

"You're a King?" Naofumi asks, a bit surprised at this information.

"Yeah…" L'Arc nods, but Naofumi gives him a look, "What?"

"It's just…you really don't seem like a King to me nor act like one," he admits, "I don't know what to make of it."

"Well, I AM a King here…but I hate the paperwork that comes with it," L'Arc also admits.

"Haa…well, good luck with that."

"Kiddo…Naofumi, can you-"

"No."

"But…" L'Arc tries to beg.

"No. I refuse!" Naofumi firmly rejects him, "Besides, I can't even read it unless I use the shield to translate for me…"

Having forgotten about that, L'Arc sighs, "Fine…I'll do it myself."

"Good."

Omake 3:

When L'Arc tried Naofumi's cooking, his eyes sparkle as he yells, "Delicious!" Then asks for seconds, which Naofumi complies with.

"I think I love you!"

Naofumi blushes heavily, "Uh…" as L'Arc tears through another bowl before asking for thirds.

Sighing, Naofumi could only comply with his "Master"/boyfriend(?)'s demands.

Omake 4:

L'Arc kisses Naofumi…in front of Therese, who just blushes then cheers for them.

Naofumi was so embarrassed that he used Shield Prison to hide for a while, L'Arc saying comforting words next to him until he calmed down enough to come out.