Utter disgrace

"Was summoning four people at once a mistake after all?"

"Exactly. If only we hadn't summoned the Shield Hero."

"But we never imagined the Shield would be so despicable."

Everyone in the hall stared at Naofumi Iwatani with disgust, sneering and mocking him.

The Shield? The Shield again?

Because I'm the Shield? Because I'm not strong, you kick me aside and twist everything to your own advantage? What a bunch of utterly vile, shameless bastards!

Naofumi Iwatani lowered his eyes and silently clenched his fists, his teeth gritted tight. Anger, hatred, and bitter resentment covered his face.

Nobody else in this country is willing to believe me either. Why should I protect people like these?

Another world? Why do I still have to put up with this crap after coming to another world? Why should I stand up and protect you hopeless pieces of trash?

A filthy world like this doesn't deserve to exist. Why not just let it all be destroyed?

As though something had taken root and begun sprouting inside him, intense loathing and hatred filled his chest, casting a gloomy shadow over Naofumi Iwatani's heart.

"That man..."

After a long silence, Princess Kaguya's lips moved. Her luminous white eyes suddenly fixed on Naofumi Iwatani, and a flicker of emotion appeared on her icy face.

Looking toward Naofumi Iwatani, Ye Uchiha asked quietly, "What is it?"

"There seems to be a strange new power within that man. It's very weak right now, but it gives off an utterly pure aura of evil. Something resembling a malicious curse has appeared on him," Princess Kaguya replied, indifferently withdrawing her gaze.

Turning dark?

That was the first phrase that came to Ye Uchiha's mind when he heard Princess Kaguya's description.

As the saying went: turn evil and get three times stronger; get redeemed and lose seventy percent of your strength!

That saying had long circulated throughout anime worlds. In some settings, a cold, outrageously badass, boss-level villain would get utterly humiliated and toyed with by random nobodies after being redeemed. Some even ended up getting killed off outright.

If possible, Ye Uchiha would have loved to write "pathetic" in huge letters across their thighs. Of course, the men and anyone who wasn't cute or beautiful could take the first left out the door. Have a nice trip, and don't expect him to see them off.

So this is where he rises up and puts everyone in their place?

I knew it. How could the protagonist possibly be one of those three idiots? Judging by the situation now, Naofumi Iwatani is definitely the protagonist.

Having lost every last shred of faith in the Bow, Sword, and Spear, Ye Uchiha showed a faint smile of relief.

If the protagonist really is one of those three morons, screw it. I'll just kill him first. Teammates who screw everyone else over are better off dead. Better nip the danger in the bud before they come back to ruin my life.

As for whether this world gets destroyed, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Worst case, I'll cut a piece of flesh off each of them when I kill them, then make them save the world through Impure World Reincarnation. Even dead, they'll have to crawl out of their graves. With immortality and unlimited NP buffs, they can work overtime for me.

At that thought, Ye Uchiha stroked his chin and began plotting when to snuff out those three teammate-sabotaging idiots. Naturally, that was only if they threatened his safety or interests.

"...Fine. I don't care anymore. If you hate me that much, just send me back to my own world right now! Then summon another Shield Hero or whatever you want!" Naofumi Iwatani abruptly raised his head and shouted, throwing all caution to the wind.

"You're running away just because things aren't going your way? Pathetic."

"Do you have no intention of fulfilling your duties properly?"

"Go home, then. Get lost. We don't want to be heroes alongside someone who does such filthy things."

The three stared at Naofumi Iwatani with coldness, hostility, or contempt, each speaking in turn without the slightest regard for their former companion.

"Shut up! Come on, send me back to my own world already!" Naofumi Iwatani glared at the three with icy, furious eyes, then shouted at the king on his throne.

"I would gladly grant your wish and send you back immediately, but there is nothing we can do until the Waves end. According to legend, new heroes can only be summoned once all of the Four Holy Heroes have died." The king sighed softly and held his forehead, looking troubled and helpless.

"Huh?!"

"What did you say?"

"How is that fair?"

The three heroes, who had been perfectly composed moments earlier, immediately lost their poise. Flustered and at a loss, they began questioning the king on his throne in shock and anger.

"You're saying we can't go back?"

The king offered only a vague answer. "Perhaps you will be able to return to your original world once you repel all the incoming Waves."

"So what now? What punishment do you intend to give me, Your Majesty?" Naofumi Iwatani asked with a sneer.

"Since you currently exist as a means of combating the calamitous Waves, I cannot sentence you." Ignoring Naofumi Iwatani's sarcasm, the king coldly pronounced his judgment. "However... word of your crime has already reached everyone in this nation. Do not expect to live comfortably in this country from now on. That shall be your punishment."

"Understood." Naofumi Iwatani gave the king a cold look, then turned and walked toward the doors.

"Oh, right."

As though something had occurred to him, Naofumi Iwatani suddenly stopped.

"Isn't this what you wanted? Here, take it." Pulling the silver coins out of the shield's hidden compartment, Naofumi Iwatani flung them at Motoyasu Kitamura and Myne's feet and spoke coldly.

"Hey! Stop right there! You..." An enraged Motoyasu Kitamura immediately ran over and grabbed Naofumi Iwatani's wrist, ready to berate him. But when he saw the utterly icy expression on Naofumi Iwatani's face, he swallowed the words he had been about to say.

"I'm weak. My time is precious."

Naofumi Iwatani fixed Motoyasu Kitamura with a cold stare. Then he shook off Motoyasu Kitamura's hand and walked straight out of the hall.

The hall remained abuzz with discussion. Most were still condemning Naofumi Iwatani's insolent behavior and singing the praises of the king's wise and mighty judgment.

"Now that this farce is over, we won't stay any longer," Ye Uchiha said calmly, looking at everyone present.

"The next Wave is approaching. Heroes, please do not stray too far from the Capital over the coming days. Remain ready to meet its arrival," the king said, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Understood."

Ye Uchiha nodded slightly and left with Princess Kaguya without a moment's hesitation, showing the king no deference whatsoever.

The king's face darkened, and he was about to lose his temper. But remembering the force of Ye Uchiha's presence when he had unleashed it in the Audience Hall yesterday, he knew that the rabble under his command clearly stood no chance against him. He forcibly suppressed his frustration and anger.

Stay calm, stay calm. I'm the king, a man of importance. I can't squabble with someone like him over such trifles.

"That fellow is utterly insolent, just like that Shield Devil. And he even defended the Shield Devil earlier. As far as I'm concerned, they're all birds of a feather!" a noble snorted, lowering his voice as he spoke to his companion.

"Let it go. Watch what you say. He's still a hero, after all. If he hears you and takes offense, you'll have to watch out for his revenge in the future." Tugging at his friend's sleeve, the other noble hastily shook his head and made a shushing gesture, warning him not to let his mouth get him into trouble.

After all, the rate at which heroes throughout history had grown was terrifying enough to leave anyone shaken. In just a few short months of adventuring, they could surpass veteran adventurers who had been famous for years, becoming beings capable of slaughtering an entire city single-handedly.

The achievements of past heroes were beyond counting: slaying dragons, repelling the Demon King, sealing the Spirit Tortoise, founding powerful forces that rivaled kingdoms... They had slain countless powerful enemies, and their individual experiences alone could fill an entire chronicle of fantastical legends.

Even if he was a hero summoned by accident and had no Legendary Weapon, he might possess potential equal to that of the other Four Holy Heroes. That possibility alone was enough to make him someone no one should cross.

Realizing his slip of the tongue, the noble turned deathly pale and immediately clamped a hand over his mouth. Looking in the direction where Ye Uchiha and Princess Kaguya had long since disappeared, he silently prayed that Ye Uchiha had not heard his complaint, or had been magnanimous enough to overlook it.