An hour earlier...
Charles walked through the empty corridor of the castle. After restraining Euphie and locking her into a room, he had to escort Sarah to another room.
That girl was traumatised. She'd probably never get close to another woman, even as a friend.
Charles thought that it was a waste. He thought he had finally found a comrade.
"Tsk. Well, maybe it's better this way..." He muttered as he entered his room. He looked around the spacious room and found the thing he was looking for.
A fancy-looking sabre, hanging from the wall just below her dead mother's portrait.
He gently took it down from the wall, and unsheathed the blade. A silver glow emitted from the holy looking blade.
It was the blade used by the previous hero, Val's father. It was a holy sword called "Kusanagi No Tsurugi".
He didn't understand what those weird sounding words meant, but as the hero called it that, surely they held some meaning.
He strapped the sword to his waist, and moved out of the room. Usually, the crown prince wouldn't do something like this, but Charles was different.
Soon, the soldiers fighting in the garden in front of the castle saw their prince coming out of the castle gate.
"My prince! Why are you here?!"
The captain of the Royal Guards, an old man named Robert rushed to him.
"Enough of that, Robert! I can fight too!"
"But my prince..."
"I am not a lady that needs to be protected!" Charles snapped.
"You are now being a sexist! Go back to your room, my prince!" Robert retorted.
"No, I won't!"
"Gah, you..." Robert tried to drag him back by force.
"If you try to drag me in, I'll tell your wife about Clarissa!"
"Gah! How did you..." Robert started sweating, and Charles grinned.
The soldiers around them looked at Robert with cold eyes.
"Pervert."
"Cheater."
"Imma gonna tell your wife."
"Your life is over, old man."
"Clarissa was my idol... huhuhu... waaaaa!!! I'll take revenge I swear!"
Soldiers started cursing and crying around them.
"The popular dancer Clarissa is sought by everyone it seems~"
Charles smiled mischievously.
"Gah, alright, fine! I ain't taking the blame if you die, brat!" Robert shed his gentle mask and showed his true nature.
"Good, I'd like nothing else~"
Charles pulled out his sword, and rushed towards the demons. With swift motions, he cut down the enemies in front of him.
"Valkyrie Skills: [Phantom]"
Charles's body turned into a haze, passing through the enemies like a breeze. Only his sword materialized as he cut down the demons surrounding him one by one.
"Gah! Boys, we can't be outdone by that brat! Whoever kills the most demons get to meet with Clarissa in private!"
"Hoooo, now ya're talkin'!"
"Gaaaah! I'll meet with her first!"
"We'll take down the demons here dammit!"
The guards around Charles got fired up, and rushed into the fray.
The demons couldn't stand a chance against the now-motivated soldiers.
It seemed that they really loved that dancer.
"... Though Clarissa has already left the city a few days ago..." Robert muttered.
Sadly the soldiers wouldn't get to meet her, even if they killed all the demons here. Such sadness.
As the now-fired up-for-no-particular-reason soldiers cut down the remaining the demons, Charles finally materialized his whole body.
He didn't even have a drop of blood on him. As expected of the prince of the one of the strongest kingdoms.
"Well, I'll be heading towards the slums now." Charles started walking away from the garden.
"The slums?"
"Yeah."
Even though Shadow Breaker was going to handle it, Charles still felt anxious about Val's wellbeing.
"Oh my, you seem to be in a hurry."
A voice suddenly called out to him.
Charles turned around and found himself looking at a carnage.
All the guards including Robert were torn apart. Their limbs were scattered here and there. The green grass of the garden was now deep crimson.
It had only been a few seconds since he had turned around.
And just within a few seconds, all of these guards were killed. No, they were massacred.
And the one who did that stood among the pile of corpses, grinning. Long lustrous dark hair, shiny silver body, ominous black horns. Charles immediately recognised the person who stood there.
"Heavenly King... Gorloban..." Charles hissed while gritting his teeth in frustration.
He didn't even notice the demon approaching. He couldn't save the royal guards.
He was incompetent.
Gorloban's grin became wider while looking at his frustrated face. Charles exploded.
He rushed forward with his sabre, aiming to take down the demon. He moved in an amazing speed, too fast for human eyes.
But alas, his opponent wasn't human.
Gorloban swatted his sword away like a fly, and punched him in the stomach, all while yawning.
Charles's body flew back and crashed down. However, he immediately got up again, and rushed at his enemy.
His attacks were futile. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't damage the demon.
"Hah, this is boring."
Gorloban yawned and finally looked at Charles, who was desperately trying to kill him.
"Demonic Skill: [Bartonam]"
A ball of light appeared in Gorloban's hand, and flew at an amazing pace towards Charles.
His body was blown away by the explosion.
"Gah! Even if you..."
"[Bartonam]"
"Gah! I won't..."
"[Bartonam]"
"Gah! I shall..."
"[Bartonam]"
"Gah! Let me talk..."
Gorloban kept hurling light balls at Charles, who was blown away again and again.
Soon, his clothes, which were enchanted with highly-defensive skills, were in tatters. His fair skin was burned here and there, and his mana was depleted.
In other words, he was done for.
Gorloban decided to finish the now-pitiful Charles. But just as he was about to, a shadow fell down from the sky.
Charles's eyes widened as the familiar back of Shadow Breaker came into his view. But just as his hopes were about to go up, he saw something.
Aurora was in Shadow Breaker's arms, but Val was nowhere to be seen.
In other words... Val was dead.
"Shadow Breaker-sama... Then Val..."
"Yes..."
Shadow Breaker's words confirmed his suspicion.
Val was dead.
He was no more.
And with his loss, Charles lost the only thing that kept him living.
If Val wasn't here anymore, then he wouldn't stay here either.
That was what he had decided.