The next day, Kenji walks outside looking at the damage from yesterday.
Ava: "Yo." She walks over to Kenji, with her hands in her pocket and Lucy following behind.
Kenji: "Hey Ava, have you heard from Yami yet?" Ava shakes her head, Lucy points towards the street and there they see Kei, Konami, and Kyoya.
Kenji: "Hey Kei, Ms. Konami, and Mr. Kyoya. What are you guys doing here?" Kenji asked.
Daiki walks outside yawning with bags under his eyes. "They're going to see the Queen and the Princess. And sadly, so are we." Daiki said with annoyance.
Araki: "Don't be like that, she let us stay here for free Daiki." She hits him over the head. "I see you two are still lively." Kyoya said, laughing a little. "I find it hard to believe that Shiro and Yami went before us.. Let's hurry up, I don't trust either of them." Konami turns walking away, she looks focused. "Does... Does she still hate The Queen?", "She has since… 'his' death. We all should be but we aren't as mad as her." Kyoya replied. Araki sighs before running to catch up with her. "Let's go. Wait, who are you?" Daiki asked Lucy and Ava, itching his head in confusion. "Really, dad? You met them yesterday." Kenji shakes his head in embarrassment. "It's fine Kenji. My name is Ava, and this little girl is my... sister, Lucy." Ava replied with a calm expression. "Sorry about that. But I don't know if you'll be able to go with us." Daiki said with a huge nervous smile. "I can go, just leave me to the guards if they say anything." Ava said with a misfit smile. "Why say that?" Kyoya asked. "I can't say much, but I can say me and Futaba Asai, go way back." Daiki looks at Kyoya and he pushes his glasses up. "How do you know her full name? And aren't you afraid of what she could do to you? She's a Princess after all." Kenji asked with his voice shaking as he spoke. "We just know each other, and if I do go seeing her fear will be funny, so I'm going." She said with a smile. Daiki and Kyoya look at Kei and Kenji, they're as lost as they are. A few moments later, they all approached the huge castle behind the fountain. Araki had her arms crossed and tapped her foot. "About you show up! What's with your faces?! And isn't that little girl from yesterday? Y'know what, I don't care, just hurry up, Konami is waiting with The Queen, and I don't think her being in the same room as her is a good idea." The guards let everyone in but steps in front of Lucy and Ava. "Just who are you? Do you have a meeting with the Princess or Queen?" Ava unbothered looks up at the two guards, her eyes glowing. "Lucy, can you give me, my swords please?" Lucy nods as a portal appears next to the girl, she digs her hands in the portal and pulls out a dragon-slayer sword. "Thank you." Ava picks up the sword with ease. "Can we go in?" Ava asked nicely. "Tch, as if we'll be threatened by a little girl with a big sword." Ava smiles as something cuts their weapons, they still don't know about it. "Look at her smiling, she really thinks she can beat a royal guard. Hahahaha.", "Maybe when you grow up little runt~ Hahaha." They laugh at Ava as Lucy points at them looking at Ava. "Are they dumb or just air-headed?" Ava shrugs and she walks by them with Lucy. "They're the 'pride' of this Kingdom." The guards turn around to shout at them but they notice their weapons are broken and their armor falls apart. Lucy turns around sticking her tongue out. They all enter the castle and they are surrounded by gold and silver and paintings of what they guess is the Queen's father and mother and many other classy things. Guards all down the hall like they were waiting for them to get there. "Why are there so many guards?" Kenji whispered to Kei. "It makes sense, the Heroes Party is here with the Queen so you would think they'll need protection but this much is... Not normal..", "What's that supposed to mean?" Ava watches them and doesn't say anything. They reach the end of the hall reaching a door with two guards waiting for them. "Open the door and move." Araki ordered them and they did as they were told, as the door opened into a huge throne room with a table in the middle of the room with Konami sitting at one end and the Queen and the Princess at the other with Shiro standing guard behind her. "It's good to see all of you!~" A red eyed lady with blond hair or known as The Queen stood up greeting them.
At the table everyone is quiet, minding their own business. The Princess who looks just like her mother but her hair is a mix of white and blond, is biting her nail nervously. "Shiro, where is Yami?" Daiki asked but he ignored him. Araki is annoyed that he didn't answer. "You can answer Shiro~" The Queen ordered him. "He's training. Learning not to let the thing that happened yesterday happen again." Konami's anger can be seen on her face. "I don't believe you… neither of you.", "You're still mad at me for what happened to Subaru Mitsuharu? His death saved the world.." Konami, jumped up from the table, almost knocking her chair over. The kids are shocked but Ava is calm. "You don't say his name..", "I don't care who you are, you of all people know not to talk about him like that!", "We said we wouldn't talk about him!", "You should be thanking him, Chiziwa.." Araki, Konami, Kyoya, and Daiki shouted at the Queen. "Should I remind you just who I am? You all should be thanking me. Daiki Hisahsi, you would've died if I didn't send him into that cave! Kyoya Yasutoki, your whole kingdom would've fallen if he wasn't there! Araki Genichi, you would've bled out if he didn't save you. I honestly wanted to leave you there. And finally you of all people Konami Akeno, those bandits would've taken your "pride" away, but he was there and almost died. He saved all of you while he was still weak. And he was still weak when he died! He never listened to orders no matter what." Chiziwa shouted at them all before sitting down fixing herself. "I didn't mean to raise my voice, I just wanted to see the kids and see how they're doing." The Heroes Party looked towards Shiro and he just stared blankly at them blankly. "Shiro? Are you really just going to let her talk about him like that?! You knew him way before us! He called you his brother!", "Shut up Daiki, what the Queen said is true. He was weak and never listened, that's how he died." Shiro said with an angry look on his face. Konami locks eyes with Shiro with an angry and disgusted look. "We're done here.. Kei, Kyoya, come on." Kei gets out of the chair walking towards the door with Kyoya behind him. "Not so fast. I invited you guys for a reason. All of you are invited to my daughter's personal knight celebration." Shiro vanishes from behind the Queen and appears in front of the door, blocking them. "You can't be serious Shiro.." Kyoya said in disappointment.
"No, I think that's enough from you Queen, Chiziwa Asai. I think you crossed the line." Ava stood up looking towards the Queen, she looked at the little girl in confusion. "And just who are you little, girl?" The Queen asked with an annoyed look, Ava had a grin before looking right into her eyes with a smug smile. "Just who do you.. Oh, Princess, Eiko Furusawa… what brings you here today?" The Queen smiled at Ava, changing her expression completely. "It's been a while hasn't it? If I were you I'll let the Heroes who saved us all from the Demon Queen go or every kingdom will be your enemy and I know you can't have that. Or should I remind you, summoning a hero wasn't needed yet you broke the biggest law, you'd be lucky he was a good man." The Queen with a vein appearing on her head. "Shiro, move out the way for these 'kind' people~" Ordered Shiro to move and he did, everyone walked out and as they did Ava was the last one to walk out but she stopped. "I'll be sure to report this to my father. And Shiro, (She turns to look into his eyes with anger) You better get him out of this damn castle and stop torturing him.." After that she walked out and the doors closed behind them. The room is silent, The Queen flips the table knocking everything off, she bites on her nail showing she's annoyed. "Mom?", "Go to your room." The Princess steps out the chair and walks to the other door on the other side of the door going up the stairs. "Did he fail to kill that little tramp!?" Shiro drops to one knee as if he's waiting to be ordered to speak. "Speak!", "He was about to but Yami got in his way." The Queen claps her hands and a maid comes out holding a tray with gloves. "Your gloves, my Queen.." She takes the gloves and puts them on her hands, her eyes glow. "That.. Damn Princess will pay for dragging my name through the mud!" She turns facing the maid and starts choking the maid who brought the tray, she drops the tray as the Queen chokes her. She does this for a solid ten to eighteen minutes. "Sigh, that feels so much better~" She claps her hands again and two more maids come out dragging the other away. "That boy is lucky… make sure he's out of his "room". Leave me Shiro." Shiro gets up and walks towards the door, he grabs the doorknob. He thinks about something but walks out without saying anything.
As they walk out of the castle Araki is staring at Ava. "So you're Eiko Furusawa, the only Princess of the Hope Kingdom. How didn't I know that.." Ava sighs, but before she could say anything the guards run past them, going towards the castle. "A messenger? What are they doing here and quick at that." Kyoya looked at Konami and she sighed. "I knew who she was, I thought you all did too. We were at her birthday party when she was three.", "Ohhh." Daiki, Kenji, Kyoya, and Kei all said it at the same time. "I always knew there was a sixth hero but just who was he?" Lucy asked. "Well, let's ask his former members, who knew him well." Ava said in front of the group with a smile. "We can't keep this from them forever. The defeat of the Demon Queen wasn't fully told.. Yes there were six of us but you already know that, there is one thing missing from that story."
The scene changes to a boy with dark red hair and his eyes filled with despair chained up inside of a place that looks like a prison but there's a whole army outside his cell, standing guard. There's many magic symbols surrounding this prison with many chains. A white haired man walks up to the cell ordering the guards to move, inside the cell the Princess is stepping on the boy's head with an evil look in her eyes. "Mother sent me away, I never knew you were friends with that 'witch' from the Hope Kingdom! Maybe I should double punish you." She said with an evil grin. "Futaba." Shiro stood at the entrance of the cell with an annoyed look. "F-Father? I mean… Mr. Shiro..", "What are you doing.." He asked her, annoyed. "I-I was just t-teaching this boy a lesson… Mother shouted at me because of his friends!" She replies, removing her foot from his head. He looks up at them both with his eyes lost of life, he has slashes on his body and other bruises, marks that have been there way before this like this been happening for a while. "Don't you stare at me like that you monster!" She was about to stomp on his head again but Shiro stopped her. "That's enough. He needs to be ready to leave, go back upstairs before your mother gets mad." Futaba doesn't say anything, she just walks out of the cell. "You idiots." Shiro called in a few guards with a wave of his hand, and they ran in a rush. "Clean him up, and make sure he's… cooperative." Shiro orders the guards and they pick him up and another comes in with water that looks dirty, splashing him with it, he falls to the floor. "Get up you monster!" The guard picks him up, punching him in the stomach making him cough up blood. "Get another bucket!" Another guard comes in with a bucket splashing him with it. "Clean yourself off, we need to get ready for the party. And I expect you to be on your best behavior.." Shiro walks out and Yami is on the ground looking towards him as he walks away. "Hurry up!" The guard shouted at him.
Inside The Harmonic Heaven, it's empty. "Do you think they let him out?" Lucy looks towards Ava and she shrugs. "They have to, they can't have a party without Shiro and his son who is going to be the personal Knight of Princess Futaba.", "When did she say anything about a party?" Lucy asked. "You really need to stop blocking things out Lucy. We're supposed to be going with Father.", "Is Mother going?" Lucy asked another question. "Of course, she is my father's assistant, and closest friend." Ava replied, closing her eyes and leaning back in the chair. Kei walks in with Kenji and their carrying food, they make it to the table where Ava and Lucy are sitting. They place it down and sit in a chair. "So the party we were invited to, are we going to look for Yami?" Kei asked, pushing up his glasses. "We already know where he's going to be, he's going to be with that Princess, she always wanted her hands on him. I don't know why but I find it really odd." Kenji said before eating a chicken leg. "She's just like her mother, wanting the man that they can control. The Queen's past husband was killed for not pleasing her and just like her mother, The Princess is just like that. She will chew him up then spit him out when she gets bored of him." Ava explained. "Should we still call you Ava? Or Eiko?" Kei asked and she shrugged. "Call me whatever you want, now that the Queen knows who I am and that person who tried to kill me knows I don't care anymore." Daiki and Kyoya walk into the restaurant that's empty, about to ask something. "Before all of you ask why am I not acting like a Princess? I'm a Princess that doesn't care about such small things like this title. I'm a Princess that wants the world to be a free place to live no matter if you're a demon or human. We all bleed and we all have feelings but I know some… Gods don't agree with me but I do enjoy their reactions." Everyone is yet again dumbfounded after she said that. "You really know how to surprise everyone Princess Eiko." Araki said, walking out the kitchen. "She's just like her mother, isn't she?", "Just who is her mother?" Kei asked Konami. The old Heroes Party sat next to the table their kids plus Lucy and Eiko or Ava sat at. "She was the Princess of the Hope Kingdom, when we met her and we didn't even know until she knew who I was. We saved her from goblins. To be exact Mitsuharu saved her. He just ran off one day and came back with a badly injured girl who was around the same age as us, and his armor and sword was broken.", "Yeah, we thought he just took some random girl, I hit him on the head then I shouted at him, Konami healed the girl and she jumped up grabbing my dagger and pointing it at Mitsuharu." Araki took over telling the story from Konami. "That was funny, she just called him a monster and kept waving around the knife. After everything calmed down, Mitsuharu came into the cave with his armor damaged. She told us he swung his sword once killing everything but he broke his sword while doing that.", "I was annoyed because I had to fix it." Daiki thought back on it as well. "She knew Konami, she shook her hand and said it's an honor to have met her, she told us her name and if I remember correctly it was, Asuka Furusawa." Ava smiled as Kyoya explained his part of the story. "She had the same mindset as you Eiko, and I think Mitsuharu thought about it as well because since we dropped her off he's been showing mercy to the demons without a home. Not that it was a bad thing but one person always had a problem with this, Shiro hated it and you could see it. One day he helped a whole village of demons by using his power. To help them hunt for food, but Shiro didn't like that, he hated everything about him helping." Daiki jumps in. "Shiro and Mitsuharu fought, one protected them and the other wanted to destroy everything in his way, I can tell he wanted to kill Mitsuharu but he couldn't match him." Kenji looked at him in confusion. "If he was the strongest, how did he die?" Lucy asked. The Heroes Party looks at each other before looking at the kids. "We don't know..", "One day we found him, he died with a smile on his face.." Araki said, looking away from them. "Shiro went missing but after half a year we found him near the Demon Queen's castle, he was attacking alone, it's like he didn't even see us. He was fine, but The Demon Queen aura was suffocating and from what I could tell, she was pissed… She wasn't mad that we came it was like she was grieving, it was unlike her. The reason she was is unknown. We couldn't get into the castle but somehow Shiro got in and defeated her with ease." Kyoya explained. "So, how did all of this even happen?" Kenji asked while eating. "We lost the two back when they were fighting near a demon village. We found Mitsuharu dead a few months almost a year later and Shiro was different. Mitsuharu and Shiro were a pair you couldn't break apart, they were dangerous together but after that village incident we haven't seen them at all. We were busy helping a nearby Town with repairs and the Queen who summoned Mitsuharu told us to stay there for a little while." Ava raised an eyebrow after Daiki told his part of the story. "You're telling me, they went missing and the Queen told you not to look for them, and you listened? If that town was under her banner, she should've taken care of it herself." Araki looked at the map near the door, annoyed. "The Town was full of rich nobles that didn't care about the people below them. They were attacked by a man wearing in black armor, we called him Black Knight, turns out that was his name anyway. He was stronger than any of us but he wasn't trying to hurt us. While we were fighting him, he touched my dagger and it blew up in my hands but it didn't hurt. He looked as if he was trying to apologize to me, and he took the army he had behind him and left. I'm not sure why but he couldn't speak." She explained. "The army of demons never attacked. He walked up to the gate ordering the nobles to give money to the poor or the Kingdom will be destroyed, believe it or not he wrote the whole thing down on a huge flag. That's when we attacked him but the damage... was because of us, he used one hand to beat all of us. After he disappeared, at the fight at the Demon Queen's castle he wasn't there." Daiki explained, making all the kids confused.
"He wasn't there, now that you said that. That day the demons didn't want to fight they just gave up but some did fight but as they were defeated they had tears in their eyes.." Araki places her hand on her chin confused. "The Black Knight was killed.." Lucy stood up shouting with her own eyes full of tears. "What do you mean?" Konami asked her. "I was told that some Black Knight saved my father who was protecting demon kids and humans who lost their parents. My father told me a story, that he saw him getting killed but he doesn't know by whom. If that is true the Black Knight was holding back! He was killed protecting people… I'll never forgive that person!" Lucy said with fire in her eyes. "Lucy's father was saved by this Black Knight, and if what you said were true that means this person attacked the people knowing he'll protect them." Ava said, getting up out of her chair. "We need to get ready, father is coming and we have a party to go to." Ava yawed while walking into the back room with Lucy. "You guys get ready, we'll deal with these nobles.", "Isn't Kyoya a noble?" Araki asked. "Yes but so am I." Konami said walking upstairs, Kyoya followed. Araki gets up walking out the restaurant with Kenji and Daiki. The only one there is Kei who has to put away all the dishes. "Why do I have to do this?" He said with pain in his voice.
A few hours later, the night sky is bright as many people from nobles and merchants are heading into the open door of the castle. Araki wears a beautiful short dress that matches her hair. "I know you heard me say it before but you're looking quite beautiful Araki." Daiki wears a suit that looks tight on him. "Tch, I told you to stop that." She looked away from him blushing, while he laughed it off. "I think we all look great!" Kenji wears the same suit as his father but it fits. "About time you guys got here." Araki said looking down the stairs and saw Kei who was in a white suit, Kyoya who was wearing the same thing, and Konami who was wearing a long blue dress. "Sorry Kei or Kyoya didn't know how to tie a tie." Konami laughed looking back at the two and they were embarrassed. Many people are flooding through the doors of the castle, a chariot comes rolling in and two people with horns step down blowing a tune, they stopped to say at the same time. "Here is His Majesty Sosuke Furusawa The King Of Kingdom of Hope, and his daughter Princess Eiko Furusawa Of Kingdom Hope!" They open the door catching everyone's attention. The King walks out with a green suit, dark blue hair and green eyes, a woman with blond hair and pink eyes is behind him with an white and green suit. After they walk half way up the stairs The King turns around looking for someone. "Come on Eiko, your friends are waiting for you." As he said that Lucy walks out with a dress that matches the lady with The King, Eiko steps out with a heel that looks made of glass, and an emerald green dress that's long and her eyes sparkle. "Is that the same girl we know?" Araki asked with a questioning look. Eiko walks up meeting with Kenji and Kei, they look at her stunned. "Are you going to keep staring or are we going to go in?" They all walk up behind her meeting with her father, the lady behind them turns away but Lucy walks up to her tugging her pant leg. "You must be the Heroes Party that stopped the Demon Queen, it's an honor. My wife always talked about you guys." The King bowed his head but Konami shook her head. "T-There's no need for you to bow your head to us. We just did what we were told." The King smiles as he shakes everyone's hands. "So what happened to that air head? Knowing her she's probably lost somewhere." Araki asked him, Sosuke looked sad but before he could say anything the lady behind him jumped in. "My Lord doesn't have to tell someone like you, Araki.." Araki steps up to the lady with a smile. "Why do you say that, Ayako Hatsuyo, we came from the same place so you should be calling me big sis.", "The Queen passed away when giving birth to our daughter.." The King said with a sad expression but kept a smile anyway. The Queen walks out into the hall meeting them. "It's nice seeing you, King Sosuke.", "Thank you for having us, Queen Chiziwa. This must be an important day for your daughter." The Queen nods while walking down the hall with them. "Yes it is, my daughter's personal Knight is everything to this Kingdom. One day she'll be doing the same for her own blood later down the line. But for now, enjoy the party." She opens the door to the huge Ballroom.