Kaiden’s weapon slipped past his guard, grazing dangerously close and forcing Shuu to react at the last possible moment. He managed to recover, but the gap had already been exposed, and the strain on his body became harder to ignore.

His breathing grew uneven, his muscles tightening as fatigue began to set in.

For the first time, doubt surfaced.

If this continued, he might not be able to keep up.

The realization settled heavily in his mind, cutting deeper than any physical blow.

And then, just as the fight seemed ready to tip beyond his control, Kaiden stopped.

The shift was so sudden that Shuu nearly stumbled forward. The pressure that had been bearing down on him vanished completely, leaving behind an unsettling silence in its wake.

Shuu remained where he was, his weapon still raised as he stared at Kaiden, unable to understand what had just happened.

"...Why did you stop?"

Kaiden let out a quiet breath, rolling his shoulder as if the fight had been nothing more than a brief exercise.

"Because I have to. Why? Did you want to continue this fight?"

He replied, his tone casual, though something beneath it suggested there was more he was not saying.

He looked at Shuu again, his gaze steady.

"I would prefer to finish this, but there are other matters that require my attention."

He continued.

Shuu’s grip tightened around his weapon, frustration rising again.

"That’s not an answer."

"It’s the only one you’re getting."

Kaiden turned away without hesitation, as though the fight had already ended the moment he made that decision. He did not look concerned about leaving his back exposed, nor did he seem worried that Shuu might try to stop him.

"Next time, try not to look like you’re about to break before I do."

He added, glancing over his shoulder with a faint smirk.

Before Shuu could react, Kaiden disappeared, his presence fading as abruptly as it had appeared.

The battlefield fell into silence once more.

Shuu stood there for a long moment, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to steady his breathing. His hands trembled slightly, not out of fear, but from the frustration that refused to settle.

"...Damn it."

The fight had ended without a conclusion once again, and this time, it left behind a bitter aftertaste.

Because he knew if it had continued, there was a real chance he would have lost.

Slowly, Shuu lowered his weapon, his thoughts tangled and restless as Kaiden’s presence lingered in his mind. Nothing about this felt right anymore, not Astoria, not this place, and not the way he found himself drawn into battles he could not fully understand.

After a while, he finally turned back.

His steps were slower now, heavier than before, as he made his way toward the castle.

The unease had not faded.

Since there was nothing he could do about the situation, he decided to head back and face Goddess Astoria. She must have known that he had disappeared by now, but she had not sent him a signal to come back.

It meant that she trusted him enough to give him this much freedom.

Shuu did not bother cloaking his presence as he entered the Goddess’s domain. He was going to face whatever she had to say to him.

The generals noticed him first. They were still drunk from their earlier victory and quickly walked over to him. Their breaths stank, and Shuu pulled his hand back to smack them if they tried anything with him.

But all they did was pat his head and his back to make sure he was alright.

"Hey kid, are you hurt anywhere? You can tell us. Should we take you to the medical wing anyway? Someone, get the doctor—"

"I am fine. My wounds have healed by now. There is no need to cause such a panic."

Shuu assured them, but no one heard him. He was grabbed and taken to the medical wing before he could let out another word.

It felt unnecessary, but also... nice? Shuu had never felt such conflicting emotions before, so he was not sure what he should do next. Was he... supposed to even do anything?

While he was busy thinking about this, Goddess Astoria entered his room. Her back was straight, and her regalness shone through her posture. But her eyes were as cold as ice, and her disappointment shone clearly on her face.

"Shuu, did you head out without my permission? This has made me disappointed in you."

Goddess Astoria sounded serious. Shuu could feel her disappointment rolling off her in waves, and he instinctively felt his body flinch at her reaction.

He did not feel afraid of her, but a part of him felt sad to know that he had disappointed her in this way.

"I... will try my best to make sure this does not happen—"

"Goddess Astoria, isn’t this too much? Sir Shuu might look like a kid, but he’s not actually a kid. Besides, he came back, so that shows that he is loyal as well. It would be a good idea to give him more freedom."

One of the generals immediately spoke up with a determined face. He looked certain that Goddess Astoria would not deny his request.

Goddess Astoria looked at her general with a blank expression, and everyone suddenly looked uncomfortable.

The general who had just spoken looked shocked as well and immediately tried to get himself out of trouble.

"G-Goddess, this was not what I—"

"Hmm, you are right. Shuu is not a kid, and he did come back on his own. Maybe I can afford to let him have a little more freedom."

Goddess Astoria’s sudden forgiving nature made everyone sigh in relief. It seemed like she was in a good mood today.

Her generals sighed in relief at her mood. They knew that the only reason their Goddess was in such a good mood was because Shuu had returned to her side, so they silently thanked him as well.

"Well, since nothing else needs my interference, I will take my leave now."

The generals finally let go of the breath they had been holding. Their shining eyes turned toward Shuu, and they grabbed his hand.

"Kid, you have no idea what you just did. Goddess Astoria never fails to deliver her punishment, but she took a step back for the first time, and it’s all because of you."

"Hey, aren’t you lucky that you had the kid here? And how can you lose your mind and ask the goddess such a thing?"

"I don’t know. I think I lost my mind for a second. My mind just went blank, and before I knew it, those words crossed my lips."

Shuu watched all of this happen from the sidelines. He did not want to speak up and draw attention to himself, but his heart felt warm from seeing such a close bond between his companions.

He had never felt this appreciated before, and his throat threatened to close due to his intense emotions. His vision had also gotten a little blurry because of his feelings.

"Tsk, look at what you all did. You made the kid cry. Tsk, have a little sense. Hey kid, it’s alright. There is no need to get so emotional. Here, do you need me to lend you a shoulder?"

Shuu looked up with slightly moist eyes and shook his head. The feelings inside him were slowly calming down, but they still left a residue.

It was an exhausting day, but somehow, Shuu did not mind enduring it.

It did not take Shuu long to get along with others after that. They took it upon themselves to greet him whenever he passed them. It startled Shuu every time, but he also returned the greetings with the same enthusiasm.

He was learning to get along with others, and this also made him feel a little off. It was almost as if he was doing something he was not supposed to.

That was how time passed, and Shuu helped himself forget about the annoying demon king until it was time to face him once more.

Under Goddess Astoria’s banner, Shuu went against other gods and helped elevate her standing until the demon army invaded his battle against a no-named army.

One second, Shuu was fighting the other gods; the next second, he had a sword swinging toward his face. He turned to look at the one who had swung the sword at him, only to face the demon king.

Kaiden looked different from any other time Shuu had seen him before. The soft and teasing look was gone and replaced by a battle-hardened expression. It made him feel unfamiliar, almost as if Shuu was looking at someone he was not supposed to.

But his blood boiled to cross swords with the demon king once more, and he got ready to attack Kaiden. Unfortunately, Kaiden did not return his enthusiasm in the same way.