Return to the Citadel
The journey back to the Aurekawa Citadel was undertaken with cold, professional silence. Hayate and Neshuda were no longer just running from trouble; they were returning to face their greatest threat: Lord Henudra.
They arrived late at night. Hayate, still feeling the faint ache in his own ribs where Neshuda had been hit, ordered the guards to report the ambush as a simple bandit attack, focusing only on the swift defense by the King's men.
The next morning, the Citadel was already buzzing with whispers. Henudra had been busy.
Hayate stood with Neshuda in his private chamber, preparing for the day's council meeting.
"He will watch us, Neshuda," Hayate said, adjusting his royal tunic. "He will look for any sign of weakness, any sign of our connection."
Neshuda, now fully recovered from his fever and injuries, was already a shadow. He was perfectly still, silent, and his dark eyes were alert. He had taken Hayate's order—no more reflected pain—as an absolute command.
"He will find nothing," Neshuda replied, his voice low and firm. "I am your shadow, Hayate. I am not human to him. I am simply a guard."
"But you are not just a guard," Hayate whispered, walking closer, his gentle eyes filled with gratitude and a deep, worried affection. "You are my anchor. My home."
Neshuda didn't react physically, but Hayate felt a sudden rush of warm, fierce resolve in his own chest—Neshuda's intense devotion was burning bright, giving Hayate the courage he needed to face the day.
The Cold Confrontation
The council meeting was held in the grand throne room, a cold, marble space designed to emphasize the King's power.
Lord Henudra was waiting. He was the picture of courtly concern, dressed immaculately, his expression smooth and professional.
"Your Majesty," Henudra greeted, bowing low. "We are profoundly relieved to see your safe return. We heard rumors of an attack near Hoshimura. Were you unharmed?"
"Completely, Lord Henudra," Hayate replied, his voice steady. "The attackers were disorganized bandits. My loyal guard handled them with exceptional skill."
Henudra's cold eyes flicked past Hayate to Neshuda, who was standing a deliberate distance away, expressionless. Henudra was searching for hesitation, a tremor, or a hint of pain on either of them.
Henudra then turned his attention to the true issue. "I must confess, we have received unsettling reports from the villages near the River Tsukikawa. There is chaos and fear. The people believe the new King is too distracted by his own secrets to focus on the needs of the realm."
This was a direct, public attack, using the very chaos Henudra himself had caused.
Hayate felt his blood boil, but he remembered Neshuda's vow. He took a deep breath. No anger, Neshuda. Stay calm.
Hayate felt a flicker of pain—a brief, sharp sting of injustice—but Neshuda managed to suppress his rage instantly.
"Lord Henudra," Hayate said, his charisma now commanding the room. "My focus is on justice. I have proof the fires in Hoshimura were sabotage, not a peasant uprising. I have already dispatched my most skilled investigator to find the traitors responsible for using the suffering of our people for political gain."
It was a bold counterattack. Henudra's eyes narrowed slightly, but he quickly recovered, smiling politely.
"Excellent, Your Majesty. I only pray that your investigator is someone with reliable origins."
The Shadow in the Palace
In the days that followed, Neshuda became a true shadow. He was rarely seen, never spoke unless directly addressed, and moved with a silent, stealthy efficiency that earned him the nickname 'The King's Ghost' among the palace staff.
Neshuda's duties were no longer just to guard the King's life, but to guard the King's well-being—which meant guarding his own health and emotions.
He trained in private, avoiding weapons that might accidentally injure him. He only practiced stealth and martial arts against soft surfaces. He monitored his mood constantly, never allowing anger or sadness to swell too large, lest it reflect upon Hayate.
One afternoon, Hayate was holding a stressful meeting with disgruntled nobles in a private study. Neshuda was stationed right outside the door.
Hayate felt a sudden, mild discomfort—a low, humming anxiety that settled in his stomach. He knew Neshuda was near.
Hayate excused himself briefly and stepped into the outer hallway. He found Neshuda standing against the wall.
"What is it, Neshuda? I feel anxious," Hayate whispered.
Neshuda's voice was flat. "It's nothing, Hayate. The noble outside is wearing expensive perfume, and it smells like the chemicals used to clean the torture room at the Guard Trials. It's an unpleasant memory."
Neshuda was censoring his trauma—reducing a terrifying memory of torture to "unpleasant memory" to protect Hayate.
Hayate felt a wave of deep, almost unbearable sadness reflecting from Neshuda, mixed with Neshuda's fierce determination to ignore the feeling.
Hayate quickly put his hand on Neshuda's shoulder, pushing his healing aura to soothe the memory.
"Don't do that, Neshuda," Hayate said gently. "Don't pretend it's nothing. I need you to be honest, even if it hurts me. We need to manage the pain, not bottle it up."
Neshuda looked at him, his dark eyes vulnerable. He knew Hayate's pure-hearted affection was genuine, but he struggled with the idea of being a burden.
"I am just trying to ensure the kingdom's stability," Neshuda insisted, quoting the ancient scroll.
"And I am trying to ensure my Life Anchor doesn't shatter," Hayate retorted. The tension between Neshuda's self-sacrificing loyalty and Hayate's desperate need for connection was constant.
The Disguised Mission
Henudra, noticing Neshuda's sudden perfection, realized he needed to disrupt the balance. He couldn't attack the bodyguard's body, so he attacked his reputation.
Henudra started circulating a rumor that Neshuda was not just a stray, but a known criminal who was once part of a band of thieves operating out of Barrackwall Town.
The nobles demanded proof of Neshuda's past.
"Your Majesty, if this Guard has a criminal past, he must be investigated," Henudra insisted during the next meeting.
Hayate knew this was a trap. If they tried to investigate Neshuda's past, they would learn nothing but the torture that brought him to the riverbank, which would trigger a catastrophic emotional reflection.
Hayate made a split-second decision.
"Very well, Lord Henudra," Hayate announced. "Neshuda and I will go to Barrackwall Town ourselves to interview the victims and clear his name."
This was a terrifying risk. Leaving the Citadel meant exposing both of them to danger, but Hayate trusted Neshuda completely.
That evening, Hayate told Neshuda the plan. Neshuda was instantly ready for the danger, but his eyes softened with gratitude.
"You believe me, even when the council doubts me," Neshuda said.
"Of course I do," Hayate replied, giving him a confident, charming smile. "You are my anchor. Let's go prove them wrong."
Under the cover of night, the two inseparable young men slipped out of the Citadel once more. They were headed back to the very place where Neshuda first smiled and tasted freedom, but this time, the stakes were much higher. They were walking straight into Henudra's next trap.