Once inside the grand hall, the other summoned heroes quickly followed the nobles, bowing respectfully before the king. The vast throne room was filled with the elite of the kingdom, all eyes focused on the newcomers.
But Haruki paid no mind to any of it. While everyone else bent their knee, he stood there casually, completely uninterested. He scooped his nose, inspecting his little finger for any dirt. The atmosphere grew tense as the nobles glanced in his direction, horrified by his blatant disrespect.
A young man, dressed in royal attire—likely the prince—stepped forward, his face flushed with anger. "How dare you! Show respect to the king!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the hall.
Haruki, still unfazed, casually looked at the prince. "Did you summon us just so we could bow down to "Your" king?"
The prince's eyes widened, and the room fell silent.
Haruki eyes hardened as he locked gazes with the prince. "Or did you summon us to help your kingdom?"
"Let me make something clear: I didn't come here to bow down to anyone. I don't care who you are, or what titles you hold. If you want something, get straight to the point. If not, send me back to my world."
The prince, visibly shaken, struggled to find an answer. His confidence wavered as he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. The nobles exchanged shocked glances, and the royal mages, standing near the back, frowned, clearly displeased by Haruki attitude.
Haruki stood firm, his arms crossed, making it clear he wasn't about to bend to their expectations. His gaze swept across the room, challenging anyone to oppose him. The weight of his words hung in the air, as the entire room waited for the king or someone to respond.
"I'm not playing games here," Haruki added.
Then, one of the royal guards stepped forward, moving close to Haruki. With a stern expression, the guard placed his hand on Haruki head, attempting to force him to bow. But Haruki didn't budge, not even a little. His eyes darkened as he looked up at the man towering over him.
"Get your hand off my head now," Haruki said, his voice low but filled with menace.
The royal guard, clearly underestimating Haruki, pressed harder, trying to force him down. Haruki didn't move an inch. His eyes narrowed as he glanced at the guard's hand on his head, then slowly turned his gaze to the man face.
"I said… get your hand off my head," Haruki growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Or you'll face the consequences."
The room went silent, the tension thicken. The guard hesitated, surprised by Haruki strength, but still refused to let go. Haruki patience snapped.
The guard scoffed, clearly underestimating him. "You dare to speak like that to—"
Without warning, Haruki grabbed the guard's wrist in a vice grip, twisting it with a brutal precision. The guard let out a pained grunt, his knees buckling as Haruki forced him down .
Haruki expression didn't change, calm and cold, as he shoved the guard to the floor, standing tall over him.
"I warned you, asshole." Haruki said
He released the guard, who stumbled back, clutching his wrist.
The room erupted in whispers, the nobles looking on in shock, and even the prince stepped back, unsure of what to do next.
The king watched the scene unfold, his patience wearing thin. He snapped, his voice booming through the room, "Enough!"
Haruki turned his gaze toward the king, his eyes cold. He didn't look away, standing his ground with an air of defiance. The king, though clearly uncomfortable under Haruki stare, tried to regain his composure, his face tense as he forced himself to remain calm.
"Raise your heads," the king commanded, addressing the entire room. "Stand."
The nobles and summoned heroes slowly rose to their feet. The king then gestured toward a group of high priests standing nearby. "You will now receive the blessing of the goddess," the king announced, his voice firm but strained. "Be ready."
The group of high priests began chanting, their voices echoing through the grand hall. As the air thickened with magic, a brilliant light shimmered in the center of the room. Slowly, the form of the goddess materialized, radiant and beautiful, her presence commanding awe. She floated gracefully above them, her light casting long shadows on the stone floor.
The head priest called the first name, "Kentarou."
One of the summoned heroes, a young man full of nerves and excitement, stepped forward. He knelt in front of the goddess, his hands pressed together in a gesture of prayer. The goddess smiled kindly, her glowing hand reaching down to touch his head.
"Receive my blessing, mortal, and thou shalt become my chosen pupil, guided by my divine wisdom." the goddess spoke, her voice soft but powerful.
Kentarou feel the magic flow in his body,and his face lit up with awe and gratitude. The nobles and priests murmured in admiration, their gazes fixed on the goddess blessing.
A gentle light enveloped Kentarou as goddess touch Kentarou, glowing warmly as his body seemed to absorb the divine power. He gasped, his eyes wide with amazement as the glow faded. The nobles and royal guards watched with admiration, murmuring amongst themselves about the great power bestowed upon the chosen hero.
Kentarou stood, his face filled with gratitude as he backed away, allowing the next summoned hero to step forward. One by one, the others went through the same process, kneeling in reverence, receiving their blessing, and basking in the adoration of the court.
Each of them had knelt before the goddess, humbled and honored to receive her divine favor. The room was filled with murmurs of awe, the nobles and priests watching with admiration as these chosen heroes gained their powers.
Then it was Haruki turn. The head priest called him, but Haruki just stood there, unmoved. The priest cleared his throat, calling him again, this time more sternly.
"Young man,step forward and receive the blessing of the goddess," the priest urged.
Haruki let out a small sigh, not caring about the whole ceremony. He stepped forward, but unlike the others, he didn't kneel. He simply stood there, arms crossed, staring at the goddess.
The head priest urged Haruki, his voice growing stern, "Kneel, like the others, and receive the blessing of our goddess. Show some respect."
Haruki didn't flinch. His arms remained crossed as he looked the priest dead in the eye. "Like i care.If she wants to give her blessing, she can just do it without the theatrics."
The atmosphere in the room shifted, growing tense. The goddess serene smile faded, her once gentle expression turning cold. "this mortal shall not be graced with my divine blessing.," she declared, her voice echoing through the hall. Her eyes narrowed at Haruki.
Haruki shrugged, completely unfazed. He scooped his nose, flicked the dirt in her direction, and without hesitation, raised his hand and flipped her off. "Why the hell do you need to bless heroes? If you're that strong and divine, why don't you just go kill the Demon yourself?"
The court gasped, horror and disbelief spreading through the room. The nobles and guards whispered in shock, and even the summoned heroes looked at Haruki as if he had just signed his own death sentence.
The goddess's face twisted in anger, but Haruki didn't care. He just stared back, completely unimpressed. To him, all this talk of blessings and divine power was nonsense. Maybe their so-called goddess wasn't as powerful as they thought.
The other summoned heroes, having already received their blessings, felt the surge of power coursing through their bodies. One of them, a cocky-looking guy who seemed younger than Haruki, stood up, a wild grin on his face as he flexed his newfound strength.
"You think you can talk like that to a goddess?" the guy sneered, clearly feeling invincible now. "I'll show you what a real hero looks like!"
Without warning, he charged at Haruki, his fists glowing with magic as he aimed straight for him. Haruki, however, didn't even flinch. He watched the so-called hero rush at him, his smirk growing wider.
Just as the guy got within striking distance, Haruki raised his leg and brought it down with a brutal stomp, slamming his foot onto the hero head. The impact was so hard it echoed through the hall. The hero collapsed, pinned under Haruki boot, completely helpless.
"Too slow, kid," Haruki muttered, pressing his foot down harder as the hero squirmed beneath him. The room fell into a stunned silence as the other heroes looked on, disbelief in their eyes.
Haruki glanced around, his smirk still firmly in place. "Anyone else want to try?"
( End Of Chapter 4 )