In regards to the information detailed at the end of the last chapter, the whole harem thing will have a very minor focus outside of the times where it's prudent to talk about it. It won't become an integral part of the story. I understand that a lot of people dislike it when things like this happen, so I'll keep it to more of a side note outside of relevant conversations between characters.

"So you want us to scout ahead so that the demi-human children can make it to the Reichnott Territory without getting ambushed by church knights?"

Chazon's party sans Amber and Obsidian was up early the next morning discussing with Mirellia on what to do with the liberated slaves. Because it was a military camp, it was ill suited for taking care of children, even if the vast majority of the soldiers and knights share the Queen's wish for equal rights.

All four of the older girls still had their chat with Mirellia last night fresh in their minds and they were all determined to love Chazon and each other. However, the prospect that he could marry them all without consequence left them feeling a bit awkward on how to approach it, as well as how to approach the Spear Hero with it. Chazon was confused as to why they were acting funny that morning and, despite knowing that they were lying, knew it should just be dropped.

Mirellia sighed as she held her fan up. "Not just the church knights, but personal soldiers of a noble named Idol Rabier due to his land's proximity to the Reichnott Territory. He is one of the many nobles who hold demi-human slaves and- Rifana, are you alright?"

Rifana had started suffering a major panic attack upon hearing Idol's name, causing Chazon to hug her tightly. "Rifana, it's okay! We're right here for you!"

"I-Idol Rabier. H-he's the one w-who tortured me s-so much…"

The black veins of hatred immediately crept into Chazon's vision at those words, but his hatred slipped away rather fast even without manually calming down. Shaking his head, he hugs Rifana tighter. "Don't worry, you won't ever have to worry about him torturing you ever again."

"B-but... Keel-kun... all of the k-kids from my v-village..."

Kardia gave a determined nod. "We'll find a way to save them one day, okay?" Rifana finally started calming down.

Rino frowns in disgust. "I'm guessing he's another vile noble?"

"Indeed. He takes absurdly great pleasure in the torture of demi-human slaves. He's also a major devotee of the Church of Three Heroes, meaning that the church will support him and his activities. That is why I wish for your party to scout ahead. If they find the children while they're being transported, then they will fall into his clutches without a heavy escort, which I can ill afford to provide."

And we can't protect them properly while fighting off hordes of knights. Our meeting with Queen Mirellia has resulted in one blessing after another.

Merlay traced the map in front of them with a frown. "I have to wonder why a territory that practices equal rights would be so close to a noble like him."

"Idol's settlement came some time after the Reichnott family started theirs. The only thing that was keeping him from simply attacking the settlement was my threats of disembowelment... and believe me that I made sure to get my point across." Mirellia grimaced when she realized something. "But… if the church is starting to make their moves, then he might feel empowered to ignore my warnings…"

"Meaning that Reichnott Territory might be in danger of invasion…" Chazon folds his arms before nodding. "Then our mission is two-fold. Scout to make sure no church soldiers are milling about and ensure that our destination isn't already in enemy hands."

Mirellia was about to speak further but was interrupted by a Shadow suddenly appearing in the tent. "Your majesty. We just received word that Idol Rabier is intending to invade the Reichnott settlement personally."

That made everyone stare in shock, though the Queen quickly recovered. "So he finally acted upon his true beliefs?"

"Apparently he received a report that the Shield Hero was in the area and wanted to forcefully invade to take him out. From what I could glean, he'll settle with taking Lord Reichnott if he refuses to tell him where the Shield Hero is." There was a slight hesitation before the Shadow continued. "Also… it seems Princess Melty is in the area and, considering that the church already knows she's with the Shield Hero, may be kidnapped along-side Lord Reichnott during that invasion."

Mirellia kept a calm face, but Chazon could see a raging tempest behind her eyes. Based on that, he decided on a change of plans. "Then… instead of merely scouting ahead, our mission now is to infiltrate Idol Rabier's property and, if that vile man goes through with his plan, rescue lord Reichnott and Princess Melty from his clutches." He motions at Rifana. "This is also an excellent opportunity to rescue all of his slaves as well. He's not going to be in any condition to torture them once we find him anyways."

Sheer happiness spread throughout Rifana's body as she quickly nodded. Keel… everyone… I know I'm late, but I'm finally coming for you. Just hold on a little longer!

Kardia smirked at his new plan. "Are you sure you want to infiltrate and not do a quick smash-and-grab?"

"Not unless he's properly distracted by something. I want to avoid a hostage situation, so we'll sneak in and secure everyone before fully confronting him. If any of our rescues are near him at the time, then we'll have to take care of him right then and there."

Merlay nodded at that. "Then let's not waste time. If we can get there by nightfall, we'll be able to easily infiltrate his property under the cover of darkness. Obsidian should be fully rested, so he'll be able to quickly take us all there, even while pulling his carriage."

Rino gave a determined glare at the map. "Then let's grab Obsidian and Amber and get going! The sooner we rescue everyone the better!"

"Take some of the pure holy water we have in our encampment as well. Rino may be capable of casting purity magic, but it never hurts to have a back-up plan." Mirellia noted with a slight nod.

Kardia bowed. "Thank you, Queen Mirellia. We'll rescue your daughter if it comes down to it, make no mistake about it!" With that, the party rushes out to gather Amber and Obsidian to head right for Rabier Territory.

While she kept the fan up at her mouth, Mirellia sported a soft smile now. The Spear Hero's party is a force to be reckoned with. That might be the real reason why the church sent so many knights to take them down.

The knights had the pure holy water by the carriage by the time the party arrived. Chazon made sure to stuff as many as he could into his inventory before everyone took off towards the north. Obsidian, despite having only a single night's rest, was pulling the carriage with great speed and aplomb upon hearing that he was going to be helping rescue Rifana's friends and family.

Chazon, remembering that his Atlas Spear enhanced his status magic map to allow the marking of important people, made sure to mark Queen Mirellia as one so that he knew where she was once his mission was complete. Marked as a star on my map no matter where I am, huh? Way to turn me into a stalker...

By the time the party of 7 reached their target, the sun was beginning to set. There was enough light to see someone entering the mansion that was at the back of the settlement with a group of knights escorting a beat-up man with blue hair and Melty. Chazon scowled at the sight. "So he kidnapped the both of them after all… the prick."

Kardia leered at the group entering the mansion grounds before scanning the area. "Getting into the grounds undetected will be difficult because of the cliffs. Obsidian can climb up them just fine and Amber can fly, but we won't be able to get everyone in."

Chazon gave Kardia a flat look. "You forgot I can jump high too, Kardia?" She glances at him for a second before facepalming.

Rino nodded at that. "Obsidian and Chazon-kun can carry two at a time and Amber can fly. Shall we decide on how to do this while we wait for night to fall?"

"Yes, but the moment it gets dark enough, we head out. Rifana, I'll let you find the slave cells with Rino. You deserve the opportunity to save them yourself," Rifana nods at that with a determined glare. "Amber and Kardia, you two can accompany them. Obsidian, Merlay, and I will head inside the manor proper and see if there are any slaves stuck inside. Once we've liberated them, we'll rescue the other prisoners and confront Idol."

Kardia looked at him questioningly. "I can understand Amber and Rino-chan going with Rifana-chan, but why me as well?"

"You're a demi-human so the slaves will gravitate to you much faster than me or Merlay. Plus, I want a larger group with all of the slaves in case you guys get attacked after freeing them." Kardia nods at that.

Rifana stares at the mansion, remembering how much torture she and everyone else went through. Keel… everyone... just hold on a little longer…

As the sky darkened, everyone noted that the walls surrounding the manor next to the cliff hardly had any guards, presumably because the walls were too high and vertical to climb normally. There was still the occasional guard, but they never really looked down; the perfect way to sneak into the manor. Kardia, Merlay, and Chazon all had dark-aspected sleeping spells, so they could force sleep onto the guards and slip by without raising any alarms. Chazon also made sure everyone had at least two bottles of pure holy water on their persons as insurance.

Their cue to start their mission came from when a mob of demi-humans and humans alike started gathering at the gates of the manor with angry voices. Obsidian noted their words. "They want Lord Reichnott back?"

Rifana's eyes widened at that. "Then they must all have come from the Reichnott Territory to try and free their Lord!"

"Regardless, they are providing the perfect distraction. Most of the guards will be sent to the gates in case the doors break down, leaving the outer walls unattended." Chazon observed the scene a bit longer before nodding. "Let's go now!"

With those words, the entire party scrambles to the cliff-side and scales it. Chazon had to get a little creative with his High Jumps and Air Dashes, but he made it to the top with Merlay and Rino clinging onto him.

After jumping over the walls and quickly casting a Zweite Nocturnal Sleep on the guards nearby, Chazon and Merlay managed to secure a safe spot for everyone to enter from. Rifana looked around, her tail flicking haphazardly. "I think I know where the prisons and torture rooms are from here."

Rino nodded at the weasel. "Then lead the way. Chazon kun, Obsidian-kun, Merlay-chan. Be careful in the manor."

"You should be careful down below as well. Who knows how many guards are stationed down there, so be prepared to fight." Merlay noted with a resigned look. The slave-rescue team followed Rifana as the manor-infiltrators snuck around to find a side entrance.

There were two guards at the entrance leading down to the slave blocks, which were taken care of simultaneously by a cloaked Rino and Kardia casting Zweite Nocturnal Sleep. Making sure they were bound and gagged they headed down the stairs. They took out any other guards that were present, which amounted to four more down in the block.

One was taking some pleasure in torturing a child, which Rifana cut short with a lightning spell. "Leave her alone, you monster!"

"E-enemy attack on the-" his shout got cut off when he got throat-chopped by Rifana's Siderite Shield before being promptly electrocuted into unconsciousness.

The child looked up at Rifana with tears in her eyes. "W-who are you?"

Rifana, recognizing the child from her old village and realizing that she herself looked a lot different from how she looked as a kid, kneeled before the slave. "It's me, Rifana! I've finally come to rescue you all!"

"R-Rifana-chan?! You're all grown up! How did you get so strong?"

"Hard work, determination, and being a part of the Spear Hero's party all helped." The child widened her eyes; she thought that if any hero would rescue them it was the Shield Hero. To hear that it was the Spear Hero's party was shocking to her. "Can you guide us to all of the imprisoned demi-humans?"

"Y-yes! Follow me!" The little girl ran off with everyone right behind her. Rino barely managed to heal her before they found a slave cell. "We're being rescued by Rifana-chan!"

"Rifana-chan? She's here again?"

"She's all grown up!"

"Did she take after the Shield Hero's example?"

"The Spear Hero is here?"

Many confused murmurs were spoken, but they were all changed to cries of happiness when they were released from their cells. One adult demi-human took note of Rino's presence and smiled gratefully at her; not all humans hated demi-humans after all. Amber was quick to lift everyone's spirits, being the ray of sunshine that she was, while Kardia's serenity was a source of calming.

After a good number of slaves were gathered, Rino casted her brand-removing spell and rid everyone present of their brands, depleting all of her MP. She made sure to chug an MP potion so that she could keep casting in case there were more slaves than their holy water could handle.

What sickened her was the amount of injuries all of them had; they were tortured without mercy. Between her and Kardia's healing magic, they were able to remove any gashes or gouges from anyone inflicted with them. The fact that even the smallest of children were tortured without mercy boiled her blood.

Rifana was keeping a sharp eye out for one person in particular. After rescuing another batch of slaves from her old village she asked, "Do you guys know where Keel-kun is?"

The oldest child grimaced at the question. "He's… over in that cell over there…" He points at the cell in the back corner.

Rifana quickly busts the lock open and enters… only to stare in stunned silence before collapsing onto her knees, tears gathering in her eyes.

Keel was there… and he wasn't moving.

Kardia came by and realized what was going on. She went up to Keel and checked his pulse… before shaking her head. "I'm sorry… but he's dead, Rifana-chan. He's been dead for some time now..."

"No… Keel… please… I'm right here… everything will be okay…"

No response.

Rifana's tears were streaming down her face now as she grabbed her friend's cold, lifeless body and held it against her. She stayed like that for a bit before she started crying into her friend's hair.

She remembered all of the talks that she, Raphtalia, and Keel had regarding various things, including love.

She remembered playing with them under the warm sun as their parents watched over them.

It was so long ago.

And now... one of her best friends was dead.

Rino heard Rifana's crying and clenched her hand, a pained expression on her face. Even Amber couldn't keep a smile on her face, tears of her own gathering as she heard one of her big sisters crying.

A cold mist drifted off Rifana's body. After some time, she suddenly let out a rather feral cry before she bolted out of the room, berserker tears running down her face. Those who knew her in the past were shocked at seeing the look on her face as she passed by them.

Kardia hissed in rage at her party member's distress, not even bothering to stop her. "Rino, let's double-check and make sure all of these slaves are free from their brands." She turns to the group. "Anyone still afflicted with the brand, come forth now! Once we're done here… that noble is dead!"

Chazon, Merlay, and Obsidian had managed to find a side-entrance and broke the lock with an earth spell. Merlay also made sure the door wasn't rigged with an alarm spell before the group proceeded. With a way in, all three rushed inside and split up; they needed to do a clean sweep of the manor to make sure no slaves would be caught in the cross-fire or used as hostages.

I'm so glad I was able to Spirit Enchant a Stealth bonus onto my Ultralight Metal Lance. I was never the sneakiest person, so anything that helps me make less noise is welcome here.

He quietly opened doors and peaked into the room to confirm if anyone was inside. The stealth bonus seemed to apply to silently opening doors as well; he opened the door to a room full of guards, but nobody noticed when he shut it almost in a panic.

One room, however, would change his life's course once again.

Opening another door, he suddenly heard someone bark, "I told you to clean FASTER! The only reason you haven't been tortured like the rest of your filthy kind is because Lord Rabier had other plans in the works when you came around!"

Chazon leered at the guard, only to hear a young girl whine, "But I'm so hungry! How am I supposed to work like- AAAGH." There was a purple glow and Chazon checked where it came from. There was a black-haired girl with red, slitted eyes, wearing what appeared to be high-grade leather armor with a cape, and her teeth had two very pronounced canines.

Is that a…? No, I'll question it later.

"I told you before that you're not getting a meal until-" The room rang out with a hollow metal sound as the knight suddenly dropped onto the floor. Chazon had smacked his head with the flat of one of his spears.

The girl looked at Chazon in surprise. "Who are you?"

"Chazon. Me and my party are here to rescue all of the slaves Idol has under his thumb." He pulls out a bottle of holy water. "Hold still, I'll get rid of that brand."

The girl winced as the holy water melted the slave brand off her skin. "Thanks. Could you give me something to eat, please?"

"Is this really necessary right now? I know you're hungry, but-"

"I need a meal! I haven't had one since I was enslaved a few days ago! Pleaaaase?" She gives him a pleading look as her stomach growls loudly.

This girl… for some reason, I get the feeling she's going to be a massive pain. Even so, I'd feel guilty if I just left her hungry. Chazon let out a soft groan. "Fine, just let me get something from my inventory." After a couple of seconds, he procured a Purple BioFruit and gave a few morsels to the girl, figuring that it would be enough.

"Oh you are a lifesaver! Thanks for the meal!" She devours the fruit with gusto. After wiping her face she looks at him for a bit before widening her eyes, seemingly entranced by him. She then suddenly smiles. Before Chazon could comment she said, "And thank you for you!" She suddenly bit down on his neck and started sucking.

FUCKFUCKFUCK SHE REALLY IS A VAMPIRE! Chazon forced her off his neck and covered his bleeding bite mark with a rather angry look. "Is that how you repay someone who just saved you from slavery AND fed you?!"

"Mmm… while I don't know where most of the blood I've drank in the past came from, I have to say yours is the tastiest I've ever tasted!" She points at Chazon with a confident smirk. "You! Be honored, for the great Vampire Lord Kekal has deemed you worthy of becoming my servant for-"

Veins bulge in Chazon's forehead at those words as he recalled an unpleasant relationship he had in the past. "Yeah no. Goodbye, I hope we never meet again." Chazon exits the room unceremoniously, healing his bite so that he wasn't bleeding everywhere.

"HEY! I wasn't done talking to you!"

And you're too loud…

Thankfully there weren't any other slaves inside the manor; the vampire named Kekal was the only one. Chazon found it strange that a level 40* demi-human was here and enslaved, but figured that perhaps she came to rescue the slaves not too long ago, only to get stuck in the hostage situation he's trying to avoid. It would explain why she was still in adventurer's gear.

Sadly for Chazon, she had followed him outside of the room he had found her in much to his annoyance. "Why the hell are you following me? I have a job to do and you're disrupting it!"

"If you had just listened to me, then you'll know why." Kerkal clears her throat. "I, the great Vampire Lord Kekal, deem you worthy of becoming my servant for the rest of my days!"

"Cute. What's a Vampire Lord to a Cardinal Hero?" She stared at him for a couple of seconds before recoiling in surprise. "Congratulations. I normally don't parrot my title around, but you made me not care. Hope you're happy now, so go away."

"W-wait! Couldn't you at least consider-"

"Don't care." Chazon didn't find anyone else on the base floor, so he found his way to the stairs to rejoin the other two. "Last warning, get out of here before you make me regret saving-"

He got cut off when an overwhelming amount of despair suddenly rushed into his soul. W-what? I wasn't even…? He suddenly heard a voice in his head.

"Keel-kun…"

No… Rifana found someone from her village dead? But… I thought only Kardia would be affected by my corruption series… though I still question how Amber can take advantage of my Spear of Hope. Doing some deep breathing to try and force the despair back, he climbed the stairs. His spear suddenly turned into Despair's Pike from how much there was and he knew why. Idol Rabier has a lot to answer for…

Kekal noted his spear changing forms and finally took the hint, watching with a pained expression as the spear hero got further away from her. It can't be… the one who's blood I suck directly from the neck should be my… She began to wonder if her instincts were too hasty in influencing her decision before shaking her head with a determined look. No! I chose him because he saved me and… I saw something in him that I've never seen in anybody else, so I can't back down now!

Chazon got to the second floor where he met up with Merlay and Obsidian, who were shocked at what was on his neck and what he was holding. "Chazon-sama, what happened to you? And why are you holding-"

"A vampire happened, that's what. She's an annoyance to a high degree, so ignore her if she comes around again." Merlay sighed at that, but nodded. "Also… it seems Rifana discovered one of her friends dead in the dungeons…"

"How…? No, more importantly what's going to happen?"

Chazon looked around quickly. "I'm willing to bet that she'll be rushing right to where Idol is. Let's make sure she isn't by herself when she confronts him."

"Rifana-nee…" Obsidian had a determined glare. "Daddy, let's go get that bad man for all the suffering he's caused!

Chazon was about to answer when the entire mansion rocked with what sounded like an explosion. Merlay widened her eyes. "I forgot to mention! Naofumi-sama's party is here now as well! I already know where Idol Rabier is, so let's go. His only hostage right now is Princess Melty!"

"Right!" Keeping a lid on his rampant despair, he jumped onto Obsidian's back after he transformed into his Filolial King form with Merlay. The mage guided Obsidian to where she had found Idol and Melty and, after fighting a few guards along the way, Chazon busted down the door on top of a hapless guard. "Knock, knock."

Idol Rabire was a fat, grotesque pig of a man with blond hair, a whip, and a sword. He stared in shock. "Who are you?! You're not the Shield Devil!"

"Because it's the "fake" Spear Hero at your service… provided the service you requested is a beat-down!" Chazon didn't even let Idol respond as he grabbed the noble by the neck and slammed him into a wall.

"Mel-chan!" Obsidian transformed again and rushed over to Melty. "I'm glad you're safe!"

"Kuro-kun! Chazon-sama as well?"

Chazon was about to answer when the wall suddenly exploded open, courtesy of Filo. Idol took the distraction and hit Chazon's bite mark, which made the Spear Hero recoil and back off, hissing in pain.

Naofumi appeared and threw a bottle at a guard before he ran off. "Looks like we weren't the only ones assaulting the place." He grimaced upon seeing Despair's Pike in Chazon's hand, remembering when he was on the business end of it.

Raphtalia said nothing as she glowered at Idol Rabier on the floor. "You…" The amount of hate in her voice was palpable and her tail was bushed to an extreme.

Idol had managed to get up and leered at the group. "So both the Shield Devil and the fake Spear Hero deign to show up on my doorstep?" He noted Raphtalia approaching with a face of tranquil fury on her face and readied his whip. "You think you can just approach me like this, you damned-"

He was interrupted when he got hit in the face by a thrown Shield of Despair, inflicting him with Despair's Chill. Everyone looked and saw Rifana with angry tears streaming down her face. "You… you killed him! YOU KILLED HIM!" Even Raphtalia was surprised by the enraged anguish in her friend's voice. She suddenly rushed forward and started attacking Idol, even with her feeble attack stat. "GIVE HIM BACK! GIVE KEEL BACK TO US!"

"Keel is…?!" Raphtalia stood there in shock before her face twisted in pure rage, her own berserker tears running down her face. She joined Rifana in beating up the pig that had dared to kill one of their friends.

Naofumi moved to stop them, but Chazon prevented him. "Let them vent. I felt Rifana's pure and utter despair when she found her friend's body. She needs this… both of them do."

"But letting them lose themselves like this is-"

"Naofumi… bottling up that kind of resentment is a potential disaster waiting to happen. Plus, some people deserve this kind of punishment, especially when they've been doing the exact same thing for god knows how long." He approached the now battered and bruised noble after the two demi-humans had a chance to vent their frustrations on him. "Hope you're happy with your choices in life, Swine Flu. How many innocent people have you killed? How many more have to die before you're satisfied?"

Idol spat on the ground before glaring up at Chazon. "You don't know… just how savage your demi-human filth is. The war with Siltvelt has shown us-"

"The war of the past should have no real bearing on the problems of today. You're torturing people who had nothing to do with ANY of that." Chazon cut him off with a growl. "I told the King this and I'll tell you now: those who are stuck in the past have no future."

"I'm better than you who turned against his own kind and sided with such monsters!"

Chazon felt the veins in his head bulge at that. Not at the accusation, but at hearing his friends and family being called monsters. "Oh? Seems little piggy here needs another lesson." He looks back at the two demi-humans. "Need any more frustrations vented on him?"

Raphtalia shook her head, despite her still hateful look. "We've gotten our point across already… we're washing our hands of his filth." Rifana nodded at that, feeling numb to everything outside of despair now.

Chazon calmed down a bit and sighed. The temptation to kill Idol was great, but there were more important things to worry about. "Then I guess we'd best get going. Rino, Kardia, and Amber should be finishing up rescuing all of the slaves now." He noted the blue-haired man from before was present and nodded at him. "All of us should rendezvous with them for now. If you girls think we should spare this rotten hunk of pork, then I'll respect your-"

"Behind you!"

Chazon reacted before he could comprehend who said that and blocked Idol's sword-strike. His mind clicked with who said that. "Wait, Kekal? Why the hell are you still here?!"

She flashes a confident grin. "I haven't given up on making you my servant, Spear Hero!"

Chazon forced Idol's sword away and gave her a glare as Naofumi blocked a strike for him. "Has anyone ever told you you have an unappealing personality? I REALLY don't care for it." Naofumi couldn't help but snort in laughter at that, despite the situation.

"Stop ignoring me, fake hero!" Idol picked up his whip and tried to use that, only to have it ripped out of his hands and frozen by the ice on Chazon's pike.

"We're talking here, Pork Cullington." Chazon quickly stabs at Idol a few times before managing to graze the fat bastard again, inflicting even more chill onto the noble. That left Idol VERY little time to react to Chazon skewering his pike into his shoulder and lift him by it. "I'll say this now and forever more. You can never suffer enough for all of the lives you have ruined and stolen."

Idol tried to turn Chazon's actions back on him as he gripped the pike, frostbite creeping into his bare fingers, to try and reduce gravity's pull on himself. "If you kill me… then you'll be no different from me or your filthy companions! I'll have turned you into a monster nobody will trust!"

Chazon did wince at that, but looked at Idol coldly once again as he disregarded the threat. "You and yours have already turned us all… into monsters." He proceeds to throw Idol out the nearby window as hard as he could, having caused enough frostbite in the noble's shoulder.

After breathing a bit, he turned back to Kekal with tired irritation on his face. "Look, I really don't care about anything you have to say right now. I don't really trust someone who's way of thanking me is to suck blood from an unwilling victim. And I ESPECIALLY don't trust someone with your personality."

"I don't do that just for anyone!" Keka's face was losing confidence and was turning into desperation. It didn't help that she was somewhat intimidated by what Chazon had just done. "Look, I'm just bad at wording things properly, so-"

"How is calling me your "servent" simply wording things badly?!" To say Chazon was now triggered was putting it mildly.

Merlay sighed. "Okay you two. If you're done yelling at each other we should vacate before we get caught unawares."

Chazon pinched the bridge of his nose with a suffering sigh. "Fine, but I refuse to speak with Blood Breath over there anymore."

"Why you-" Kekal noted that everyone except lord Reichnott just left without even waiting for her to start speaking again. "Am I really that ignorable?!" She deflated as he pats her comfortingly before quickly moving to rejoin them.

As the group moved to exit the mansion, the blue-haired man quickly caught up and introduced himself as Van Reichnott. Chazon inquired to him about accepting some other rescued demi-human slaves and he confirmed that his territory can accommodate them. "I must ask, Chazon-sama, how much do you know about vampire demi-humans?"

"They suck blood, that's all I know and need to know." He stated with a huff, massaging his bite-mark; even with healing magic it still bugged him.

"They can, but it's not completely necessary for their survival." Chazon gave Van a flat look. "Before I continue, what led to Kekal draining your blood?"

"I had just rescued her from cleaning a room on an empty stomach and gave her a fruit… that's it. If she had just wanted more to eat than just what I gave her, she should have just asked for more rather than just biting me in the neck. She also shouldn't have tried calling me her servant. Then I wouldn't be so ill-tempered with her."

Van had a puzzled look on his face. "What possessed her to do that?" He pondered that for a bit before shaking his head, deciding to ask her later. "Regardless, she's part of my territory, though she disappeared a few days ago. I guess she came here to rescue her fellow demi-humans and failed."

"She doesn't seem very reliable." Chazon noted with a frown.

"You say that now, but she's a very skilled bow user. Not only can she use her dark and lightning affinity magic to enhance her arrows with various effects, but she has the unique ability to enchant weapons with an HP stealing effect." Van closes his eyes with a smile. "Idol had tried plenty of times in the past to invade my territory in subtle ways, but she had proven instrumental in keeping his forces at bay."

Even so… that personality of hers can go suck it for all I care. "Deem you worthy of becoming my servant for the rest of my days"? Gimme a goddamn break. "Regardless, keep a leash on her until we're gone. I'd rather not have to deal with her anymore." Van simply sighed somberly at that.

"Chazon-sama…" Merlay was exasperated at how much he didn't like Kekal. Then again, I'm not the one she snacked on unwillingly, so I don't have much room to judge…

When the group came outside, they saw the other half of Chazon's party waiting outside with a tied up and gagged Idol at their feet. Kardia looked at the obese man with utter disgust. "He got launched out the window, landed right in front of us, and tried to crawl away into town. We decided to capture him just to make sure he didn't do anything dirty. If you're wondering about the number of injuries he has, let's just say I let all of his former slaves take turns venting their rage onto him."

Chazon noted he still had Despair's Pike in his grip; Rifana's despair was still deep. Sighing, he decided to try something out that would hopefully bring her out of it. "Crown princess Melty, will you give me the honor of silencing this noble forever?"

Melty grimaced before nodding. "I can't see him ever changing his ways. But what do you have in mind?"

"I'm going to make an example out of him. Everyone step back!" The area around Idol cleared as he whimpered in pain and fear. Chazon held out a hand and began chanting, the cold aura around him beginning to swirl violently, which attracted a guard's attention. "You who perpetuates my misery, I condemn thee! The endless cold of winter's touch ever grasps at your mind and body! Within this prison of ice, I sentence your soul to freeze unto eternity and forever more! ABSOLUTE ZERO!"

There was a pause before Chazon's hand erupted into red ice; his blood instantly froze so violently it came right out of his veins, causing him to collapse onto one knee in numbness. Everyone, in their concern, almost missed the swirling mist around Idol, flowing ever faster until it all gathered on top of him.

After another delay… the noble's body erupted into a giant cluster of grey ice crystals that stood as tall as the mansion. It pushed the temperature of the nearby air down so harshly, it felt like a winter night. Everyone could see what was left of Idol's body: various limbs were in different parts of the ice.

"Chazon-kun!" Rino rushed over as Chazon fell onto his butt, still holding out his hand in shock at what happened.

As Chazon's party members tried to defrost his blood ice and heal him, Naofumi could only stare in shock at what unfolded in front of him. Is this… the true power of the Corruption Series? Even my Iron Maiden Wrath skill fails to compare to how powerful Absolute Zero is. And even higher is the potential cost of using such a skill.

Chazon managed to recover enough to pull out Yggdrasil's Drought. If he didn't use it, he would lose his right hand forever, not counting any other potential problems that come with having frozen blood. Thanks to all of the healing spells and fire spells for heat, the Drought was able to save his hand. "Looks like… that skill is a last resort…" Thankfully he no longer was holding Despair's Pike.

"Never…" Rino shuddered violently in fear before she hugged him tightly. "Never do that again!" Everyone in his party hugged him at that.

Kekal came outside in time to see Chazon's party hugging him tightly and she felt her heart drop. He already had a party of his own… and I still have nobody. Why did I think marking him like that was a good idea?

Kardia, after breaking her hug on Chazon, motioned towards the slaves that were nearby. "We managed to free all of Idol's slaves down there from his grasp. We were able to heal any injuries they had, but they'll need further care to recover fully."

Melty took a long look at them before gasping at the state they were in; despite being healed up, it was clear they had all been through severe abuse. "Slaves…? Is this… what Mother has been fighting against all this time?"

"It is indeed, Melty-sama. Idol wasn't the first noble to commit such acts and most likely isn't the last. Many others across Melromarc commit similar atrocious acts while the church encourages them on." Van put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "However, with both the Shield and the Spear Heroes on our side, we may yet save many more slaves from their misery."

"Rifana-chan, Raphtalia-chan." One of the older demi-humans walked forward with Keel's wrapped-up body. "Perhaps… you would like for us to give him a proper burial?"

Raphtalia's tears started up again as she nodded. "If at all possible… could we bury her near the ruins of our old village? I know… it's a journey, but… I feel he'll appreciate it." Naofumi started patting her on the head in comfort as Rifana nodded.

"Rifana-neesama, Auntie Raphtalia?" Amber came forward with a hopeful look on her face. "Would you like to bury Keel-kun with some of my scales? I wish to give him my own sending off as well."

Both Raphtalia and Rifana tearfully smile at that and hug Amber. "Thank you. It means a lot to us, Amber-chan."

As the two heroes checked up on the slaves to make sure they were ready to travel a bit, Van noted Kekal standing away from the group with a lonely look and approached her. "Kekal-chan, are you not joining us?"

"Honestly… I'm not wanted anyways. The Spear Hero has made that extremely clear." Kekal looked away with a pained face.

Rino noted the conversation with rapt interest. Was Chazon-kun being unreasonable? First I've heard of him doing something like that… but what was it about?

"I've been meaning to ask. Why did you mark Chazon-sama's neck with a bite? That's normally reserved for a vampire demi-human marking a mate, correct?"

She nods at that. "I saw something in him at that moment… a kindred spirit I suppose. Something that made me want to claim him before anyone else, but… he was claimed long before he even got here. Besides, he made it obvious that he wants nothing to do with me." The way he harshly talks to her made that abundantly clear to her. "If only I didn't say he was going to be my servant..."

Van flicked her forehead and she gave him a baffled look. "That's not the Kekal I know. She's a determined and kind person who doesn't let failure get in her way. Sure she's overly boisterous at the oddest of times, but she never lets that get in her way of her duty." He nods at her. "Just change how you interact with him. Certainly a bad first impression makes for a difficult obstacle to overcome, but you've never let that get in your way before."

Kekal stared wide-eyed at Van. He had always been there to encourage her whenever she was put down enough to be dispirited. Perhaps, in another world, you would have been the one… even though you treated me with such kindness, I only ever thought of you as a good friend and you thought that way of me as well.

After a bit of silence, Kekal nodded. "I'll keep trying. I'll convince him somehow to at least let me in his party."

"That's the spirit. I already put in something of a good word about you with him, so try your best!" Some shouting was heard over a roaring fire and he blanched. "I almost forgot, I should tell everyone that I'm safe now."

"You should go do that, else they might petition the Vampire Lord to drag you to them!" Kekal stated with a big grin, earning a laugh out of Van. Rino started contemplating the information she heard.

The earth suddenly shook violently, catching everyone off guard. Amber looked around. "What's going on?"

"Over there!" Both Filo and Obsidian pointed at an obelisk in the middle of Idol's mansion plaza in the distance, which was shooting off lightning somehow.

In front of the statue was a guard with a Three Heroes Church rosary who looked like he was praying. Suddenly the ground around the obelisk lit up with magic, earning a horrified look from Van. "He's not seriously doing that?!"

Kardia, sensing unstable magic in the air now, grimaced. "Feels like a seal is being undone!"

"Because that's exactly what that monument is! Why is that guard undoing the seal placed on that monster by the past Cardinal Heroes?!"

The guard suddenly got up and shouted, "By the will of Idol Rabier, come forth and destroy the Shield Devil and the fake Spear Hero, o mighty beast!" The monument shattered and in its place was a powerful-looking giant T-rex-like monster. The guard had a deranged smile on his face. "My lord gave his most elite of guards one order if he should fall: release the monster from its prison and have it kill his assailant! No one, not even THE fake Spear Hero, can stop this-"

He was promptly stepped on as the monster roared with power never felt before.

Tyrant Dragon Rex

Level: ? ? ?

EXTREME DANGER!

EXTREME DANGER!

EXTREME DANGER!

Sorry to those looking forward to seeing Keel, but I had to. Someone had to pay the price for Rifana's survival in this story.