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Chapter Text

It was eleven days before the next Wave was going to hit Melromarc.

Naofumi sat in the front seat of his wagon, holding the reins to his daughter Filo as she ran at a brisk pace down the road cut into the side of the cliff face. The slope on their right was steep and dotted with trees near the top. On their left was a steep drop that flattened out around 75 feet below.

The area... looked vaguely familiar to the Shield Hero.

Raphtalia was napping in the back of the wagon, having fallen asleep after a night of keeping watch and training. Filo was humming a tune to herself. Naofumi tuned the both of them out as he tried to remember why this area looked familiar.

...

It was when he looked above again that it finally clicked. He'd taken this exact route once before with Raphtalia back when they were first making their way towards Mirso Village.

'We kept to a path up above, but it allowed us to view if any knights were patrolling the road down here or not. It's funny how long ago that seems now with everything that's happened.'

He moved the Mask Shield to his arm before changing it to the Book Shield so he could look around at the familiar surroundings. It was the first time since Lute that he recognized a place he was traveling through. Being an outcast had forced him to flee all over the Kingdom over the last month.

As he was thinking about whether or not it'd be safe to travel this road, Filo started to hum a familiar tune in front of him. He couldn't place where it was from. But her humming brought his mind to the present reason why they were traveling by his and Raphtalia's old stomping grounds.

Filo had hit level 40 last night. And with the next Wave so close, it was now or never finding a country to get their class-ups done. If that wasn't an option with the amount of time they had though, the next best thing was to get his equipment up to date, and possibly see if Filo could get a weapon too.

She fought just fine in her large bird form. But if they could find something like Claws for her to wear that'd boost her attack power, it'd make his daughter more useful in fights, and lessen the chances of her hurting her feet against a tough enemy.

He pulled up his party HUD while he was thinking. He was at level 41 since he didn't have a level limit. Both Raphtalia and Filo were level 40 and had stars next to their names, indicating they'd need a class up before they could continue progressing. He then pulled up his help guide and looked up the information on class ups.

If worse really did come to worst and they couldn't reach another country's dragon hourglass in time, they could ask Jerry after they arrived in Mirso if he'd be willing to go to the Capital or another nearby city to get the gear they needed. Naofumi would even lend him his Barbarian Armor to see if old Elhart could improve on it while they hid in a nearby forest to prepare themselves for the next wave.

He planned out what he'd say to Jerry in his mind if that happened.

Heh, if they couldn't travel to another country and they did see Jerry, maybe he could ask if he had any shields in his shop that Naofumi could copy. He'd had a hard time finding shields in other shops wherever he went. And he'd recently learned it was because of the country's religion affiliating the shield with the devil.

Thus, many of the blacksmith's he'd visited in other villages hadn't had many, if any, shields for sale. Jerry would be his best bet for copying more shields.

Though, would the weird blacksmith have something in his shop he hadn't already copied from Elhart? He didn't sound all that good of a blacksmith since he had to smuggle Naofumi and Raphtalia into the capital before so Elhart could help them out.

Raphtalia lightly snored behind him. "Why are you insulting that nice man Master Naofumi?" She talked in her sleep.

Too bad the half-Tanuki girl was asleep. Her mind tricks didn't count if she couldn't remember it! He grinned evilly to himself.

"Daddy, are you thinking something mean?" Filo asked without looking back.

"... Of course not." Naofumi dryly said.

"But Daddy has an evil smile on his face. The one he normally gets when he's thinking about doing something rotten."

...

"You're imagining things Filo. Go back to humming." Naofumi said.

"Okay daddy." Filo went back to humming.

Now, back to Naofumi's original thought process...

By this point, through no lack of effort on Naofumi's part, the Shield Hero had managed to unlock the equip bonuses of many different shields. This meant the ones he had left to unlock didn't have equip bonuses he'd consider 'good' or 'important'. But if he wanted more shields to unlock, that meant he either had to hunt down new monsters, or copy shields he hadn't found yet. And copying shields would be a lot easier in the short term than hunting down new monsters.

And if it came down to him paying to do it, he had plenty of money now thanks to the Nocturnal Doctor.

He'd struck a gold mine in that regard.

Naofumi's mind wandered to another possibility with Jerry that appealed to him.

If there was another Dragon Hourglass within their eleven day timeframe, maybe the kind blacksmith would be able to smuggle them out of Melromarc like how he'd smuggled them into the Capital?

It would likely be much harder, but...

Well, there was one thing other than time that could ruin that plan… if the country east of Mirso was Siltvelt.

For obvious reasons, Naofumi refused to go there. And it wasn't just because the few demi-humans he'd met from there had wanted to kill Raphtalia.

So if that happened, this plan would depend on the distance to the eastern border, and the countries that were northeast, east, or southeast of Mirso, and if any of them had a Dragon Hourglass within eleven days.

Oh... he'd just realized. This also depended on if Jerry was still in Mirso or somewhere else on business like he'd been in Algade.

Crap! If he wasn't there then all of his ideas were shot! They might as well wander east for all the good it'd do them!

Naofumi was so lost in thought about the matter, he didn't hear Filo for a few seconds…

… "Daddy? Daddy?"

Naofumi finally shook himself from his thoughts. "What is it, Filo?" He asked with some annoyance in his voice.

"There's someone up ahead. He looks tired to Filo." Filo pointed with one of her wings.

Up ahead, there was a person slowly jogging in the middle of the road. He was dressed in normal clothes. He looked to be carrying a vial in one of his hands.

Naofumi changed his Book Shield to his Mask Shield and put the mask back over his face. "Slow down. Let's see what's going on with him."

Filo slowed down as she approached the jogging man. Then he stopped and collapsed in exhaustion as she was about to stop by him. "Hey, are you alright?" Naofumi jumped out of the wagon

The man couldn't answer. He looked very worn out. As if he'd run several marathons one after the other.

"Hey, are you okay? Do you need a hand?" Naofumi asked dryly as he shook the guy.

...

"Please, kind stranger... could you... could you give me a lift in your carriage?" The man said in a worn-out, pleading voice.

"First, I need you to tell me why you're running yourself so haggard," Naofumi said as he gave the man a container with water. Despite all his peddling, he'd had as of yet to transport someone from one village to another after the incident with the Accessory Merchant.

He swore, if this man had a group of bandits behind him, Naofumi would have Filo unleash her special move on all of their ^%$es for wasting his time.

The man took deep gulps of water in between ragged breaths. Then he took another moment to calm his breathing to a manageable rate. "I have to get this medicine to my village. The one just past the mountain. It's urgent, I beg you." The man said tiredly. He held up the clear vial of medicine he was holding.

Naofumi pulled out his map, ignoring the medicine for the moment. "Is this the village you're talking about?" He asked, pointing to an area north of where they were currently at.

"Yes, that's the one!"

Naofumi inwardly grimaced. It was off the path they were taking to get to Mirso. They wouldn't get to Mirso until late that night or early the next morning if they did this. "Tell me. How urgent is it?" Naofumi calmly asked.

The man looked up at Naofumi as if he was his last hope. "It's… it's my mother." He admitted.

"Her health has been going downhill ever since the last wave. I got the right medicine the first time, but I accidentally dropped it on my way back. I've had to make this trip several times since then trying to find the right medicine for her. The last time I left, she was… she was..." Tears started forcing their way from the man's eyes. "This is my last chance to help her out. Please! I beg you!" He pleaded as he bowed, almost slamming the medicine bottle in his hand against the ground.

"Careful, you're going to break that!" Naofumi shouted.

The man quickly stood, and the medicine nearly fumbled from his tired, sweaty hands. "Here, let me hold that!" Naofumi took the vial from the guy before he could do something stupid like drop it.

Its item description showed up on his HUD, and Naofumi did a double take as its name appeared over the bottle.

'YGGDRASIL ELIXIR?!'

His medical grimoire had mentioned it in a footnote as being one of the most powerful medicines in this world. And the hardest to make. He stood no chance of making it at his current skill level. The book mentioned only those with years upon years of experience would ever attempt to gather its ingredients and try to make it.

How the hell had this guy's mother even managed to afford this?! And twice?!

Either it was cheaper than the book let on... or she must have been one important person.

"Please, can you help me?" The man begged again. His eyes shining with tears at the thought of losing his mom.

Whatever the case, there was no chance in hell a group of bandits would trust someone like this with something this important. Not unless they were completely stupid and had a few screws loose in their heads.

"Fine, we'll help you get to your mom." Naofumi said.

The man beamed with happiness on the ground. "Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!"

Naofumi climbed onto the wagon. "Raphtalia. Wake up." He shook her sleeping form with one hand to wake her. "Filo, how quickly can you get us past that mountain at full speed?" He asked.

"Not too long. Maybe an hour. Filo could probably get Daddy there in fifteen minutes if Filo left the carriage behind." Filo said optimistically.

Raphtalia let out a yawn that sounded cute to Naofumi. "Is something going on?" The girl blinked tiredly as she transitioned back to the land of the living.

"We have a man here who needs help getting to his village. I need to leave the wagon behind. Can you safeguard our possessions while I'm gone?" Naofumi asked.

"Thank you! Thank you again for doing this!" The man continued to thank Naofumi.

"Don't thank me yet. We'll have to see if we get to your mother in time." Naofumi said dryly back to the man.

Raphtalia was blinking in surprise, now trying to comprehend the situation she had just woken up to. "What do you mean Master Naofumi-" She tried to say.

"Don't worry. I'll be back as soon as I can." Naofumi said in an attempt to ease her worries.

Raphtalia was still worried. She still didn't fully understand what was going on, but she quickly realized whatever it was had to be important. "Right. I'll make sure nobody tries to steal our supplies." She said.

"Thank you." He gave her a quick hug and a peck to the forehead. "I'll let you drive Filo with me once we get back."

"O-Ok!" Raphtalia was blushing at the hug and peck, but smiling widely in happiness. Naofumi rubbed her head, just as an extra to express his gratitude to the girl.

Filo pushed the wagon to the side of the road and then moved away from the wagon. Naofumi climbed onto her back, holding onto the reins with one hand as he pulled the guy up to sit behind him. "Is this safe?" The man asked.

"Yeah, just make sure you hold on tight," Naofumi said dryly. "Filo, let's go!"

"Righteo," Filo said happily before she burst forward along the road in a blaze of speed.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" The man behind Naofumi screamed in surprise as they hit speeds no human in this world had ever experienced before. Leaving a dust trail in their wake behind them as they disappeared down the road.

Raphtalia watched them leave from the front seat of the wagon. She was still a little surprised to have been left behind the way she had. But the tiredness was fleeing from her mind, and she was still very happy from the affection Naofumi had expressed to her.

"Hopefully they'll get back from treating that patient soon." She said to herself.

Raphtalia jumped off the wagon, pulled her sword out, and started to go through sword forms on her own.

"Mother. I got you the medicine."

The man Naofumi had picked up earlier stood at the foot of his mother's bed. Holding the vial of Yggdrasil's Elixir unsurely. His mother stirred and weakly opened her eyes to look at her son. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but then she started coughing.

"Oh, I really hope I bought the right medicine this time." The man said sadly to himself. "I've never had a good appraisal stat for examining items." His mom looked like she was on death's door. But the son still felt her burning 'Don't be a wimp' gaze striking into him. And as weird as it was for this man to admit it, he'd give anything if it meant his mom would have the energy to berate him herself again.

Naofumi saw how nervous this man looked and sighed to himself. "Listen, go boil some water. I can give the medicine to your mother."

The man looked at him in surprise. "But, but I-"

"Relax. I'm doing this part for free." Naofumi calmly, easing the man's worries. "Bringing you here was free too since I'm betting you already paid a lot for that medicine."

The man looked down at the vial. Then he sighed, already knowing it'd be better for this man to give the medicine to his mom.

Knowing himself, he'd probably find some way to accidentally mess it up. Just like he had the first time.

At least it'd be hard for him to mess up boiling water. That was something he could reasonably do. The thought made him sad, and his regret for not doing much with his life before this only increased.

He gave the vial to Naofumi and then left the room.

...

Naofumi took a few seconds to examine the medicine in his hands.

As he thought, he couldn't identify a single ingredient. All he could get was the name. It was so high class that only a master apothecarian could have made it.

Which made him wonder again how this woman in front of him could afford it.

The old lady in bed rolled over and started coughing again. Naofumi threw the thought away and focused on his patient. "I just need a moment," Naofumi said as he examined the woman to identify her ailment.

After a second, his HUD showed the lady's almost empty health bar. Besides that, he didn't get any other information.

Either this woman had an illness he was unfamiliar with, or her level was way above his. It'd happened from time to time when he was treating nobility. Their levels were normally a lot higher than the common folk he did most of his work with.

He considered sending her a party invite to get info on her that way when she coughed loudly again, and her health bar dropped a little more.

Naofumi pushed the thoughts from his mind. He had no time for collecting info. This lady was dying. He had to help her.

Yes, he didn't like going into these situations blind, and he'd prefer knowing what her sickness was in case he came across it in the future. But then, he figured that since he was currently holding the most powerful medicine in the world that he'd be fine not knowing what it was.

After all, if this didn't help her, then it was likely nothing would. "Okay. I need you to lie on your back for me now," Naofumi said.

The old granny complied and rolled on her back. "Good. Now all you have to do is drink this." Naofumi said as he raised the vial to her lips.

She gave him a weak nod, and then he lifted the vial. Slowly allowing the contents to go down her throat.

When she finished, her body gave off a soft glow. She visibly sighed, and her pale skin started to regain color at a quick rate. Naofumi's stat screen showed that her health bar was already slowly starting to fill up again.

Naofumi sat back, sighing in relief. He had no idea what sickness she'd been suffering from, and he'd likely never know what it had been. But whatever it was hadn't stood a chance against the top tier medicine he'd used. His job was done…

'I'll watch until the son gets back from his task. Just in case.' He couldn't leave until he felt sure that this old lady was out of the danger zone.

"Ow! Ow ow ow ow ow!" The man dipped his burned hand into a bucket of cold water. The boiling water he'd prepared was all over the floor because he'd accidentally tripped while carrying it to his mother's room.

"How could I mess up boiling a pot of water?" He said depressedly. It was no wonder why he was still living in his mom's house.

He couldn't even accomplish this stupid simple task.

After a little bit, he gingerly grabbed the handle of the pot. It still had a little hot water in it, but not a lot. He dumped the remainder into a small cup. 'I hope the man treating my mom is better than me.'

What a joke. He couldn't even prepare a pot of boiling water without messing things up.

He walked into the room holding the cup, half expecting to be chewed out again-

"Thank you so much."

The man stopped in surprise. "Mother, the medicine… it's helping already?"

His mom was sitting up in her bed now. For the first time, her face was relaxed and not twisted in pain. "Yes, the pain went away in an instant." She responded. Sounding a little more energetic and relieved with each word she said.

"... Oh, thank the Gods." The man had to quickly set the cup of water on the stand next to him. Because he fell down on his knees right after doing that and started to bawl uncontrollably.

"Thank you, good sir… tell me, what is your name?" The old lady asked curiously, finally beginning to recognize that she didn't know the Masked Man who had given her the medicine.

"My real name is unimportant," Naofumi said calmly. "Nowadays, I go by my title. The Nocturnal Doctor."

"... Well whoever you are, you're a godsend." The lady said thankfully, before sitting back in the bed. "I'll be okay now, thanks to both of you."

Naofumi nodded his head. "That's good to hear. I still have as of yet to hear your name though."

The granny smirked. "My real name isn't important either, Nocturnal Doctor. If you wish, you may call me Granny."

"Hmmm, Granny? You sure about that? It makes you sound old." Naofumi smirked in response.

"I have lived long enough to earn that title." Granny's smirk turned into a smile. "I have no qualms with being old, as long as I can still move the way I want."

"I wouldn't recommend anything too strenuous until you've rested up. I have no idea how good Yggdrasil's Elixir is, but you can't be too careful at your age." Naofumi turned to walk towards the exit.

"Wait, Nocturnal Doctor!" Naofumi turned around. The man had managed to get back up off the floor. He then surprised Naofumi by giving him a respectful bow. "I don't have anything to give accept my utmost gratitude and respect. But please, if you stop by our town tonight, feel free to use my house as a place to rest from your journey." He said gratefully. "We'd be honored to have you!"

…

Naofumi studied the man behind his mask for a moment, gauging in his mind if he was being sincere or not. But he was quick to tell the man was being absolutely and honestly sincere.

A smile worked its way onto his face, and he turned to leave again. "If we come by this town, I'll keep that in mind." He said, waving a hand over his shoulder at the two of them.

The man said a silent prayer to the Gods. Thanking them for putting the Nocturnal Doctor in his path.

"And just who gave you permission to allow random strangers into my house?" Granny asked from her bed.

Her son immediately straightened. "Gah, um, I'm sorry mom! I didn't know what else to do to thank him-" He tried to say, thinking he had messed up again.

The old lady laughed, feeling delighted that it no longer hurt her to do so. "It's okay, my son. That Hero seems like a good man to me." Granny opened her eyes to softly smile at him. "I'm so proud of you, my boy. You finally managed to do something right."

...

The man's eyes widened. He couldn't remember the last time his mom had ever said such words to him. The way he'd been raised and all…

"Wait, he was a Hero-" He started to say as he realized what Granny had said.

"Go wipe that look off your face! Of course he is you dolt, couldn't you tell with the aura coming off him!? Now get cleaning! If we're going to have important guests in our house tonight, then I want to make sure this place is spotless!" She snapped at him. "Gods know how dusty you've left it wasting all that time trying to purchase the right medicine after you dropped the first one all over my floor! And did I hear you drop another pan while I was coming too!? If you dented the wood in my kitchen again, I'm going to make you sand it down with your bare hands!"

"Ah- Sorry, Granny! I'll get right on it!" The son said, bowing quickly to his mom.

"Don't just stand there blabbering you idiot! Get! Get!" Granny ordered.

The son quickly ran out of the room, heading for the cupboards with all the cleaning supplies. "And there's the mother I know and love." He said under his breath.

Yet he was still smiling as he said it.

He'd missed having Granny lecture him for his mistakes. His life felt oddly incomplete without that happening. Did he really take so much joy from being ordered around like this?!

He also couldn't help but wonder, which Hero was it that'd visited them. He hadn't seen any weapons on them at least...

Oh well! It was time to clean!

"Daddy, is everything okay?"

Naofumi pulled himself out of his train of thought to look up at Filo. She was still running down a mountain path back to the road their wagon was on. She had turned her head to look back at him.

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" Naofumi asked curiously.

"Daddy hasn't said one word to Filo since leaving that weird guy's home. Did something happen inside that Filo isn't aware of?" She asked.

Naofumi chuckled a little bit and started ruffling her neck feathers. "No, nothing bad happened. In fact, they offered to let us stay the night. I've been wondering if I should take them up on their offer or not." Naofumi responded honestly.

"Were they nice?" Filo asked.

"Very nice. Nicer than other people I've met." Naofumi said, feeling more uplifted than he had before.

"Then let's go there after Filo picks up mommy!" She said happily.

"Well, the problem Filo is that we were planning on going somewhere else. And…" Naofumi stopped as he thought over what had happened to himself.

It still felt nice to help other people out. And it wasn't like that man and his mom were the only ones in that village. It was a lot closer than Mirso. They could get there just after sunset, do business as usual, and stay in the man's home for the night. Then they could arrive at Mirso by midday tomorrow and have time to talk to Jerry if he was there. "You know what, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea."

"Yayyyyy! Filo saw all sorts of fun places Filo could run around and explore in!" She said happily while running.

A free night would be more than enough in payment for helping out that man and his mom. And based on what he'd seen, he'd have a decent kitchen to cook breakfast before they left.

Yeah. Filo and Raphtalia would definitely appreciate him cooking for them.

Still, he was liking this idea more than just traveling straight to Mirso. He decided he'd ask Raphtalia about it when they reached her.

Almost on instinct, he checked the corner of his HUD for her. Though he couldn't see how Raphtalia was doing, he could see her Health and MP gauges. Seeing both of them full let him know nothing had happened at the wagon.

'I could see her agreeing. And it'd be nice, getting time to relax in a house instead of a crowded inn or the back of a wagon-' Naofumi pondered the scenario in his mind, and almost missed it when it changed.

Raphtalia's Health gauge had lowered slightly. He leaned forward in the real world, focusing on Raphtalia's status bar.

He saw her MP gauge go down a little bit. But her Health gauge didn't go down again. Naofumi sighed. 'I guess she was just ambushed by a monster and now she's taking care of it-'

His eyes widened as he saw her Health gauge drop again, but by a larger increment than before. Her MP gauge also took a rapid plunge. Raphtalia never allowed a monster to get more than one hit on her. And for her to plow through MP that quickly meant the situation she was in had to be life or-

"Filo! We have to get back to Raphtalia now!" Naofumi yelled.

"Huah!"

Raphtalia deflected the sword of the Knight away and then kicked him hard in the stomach, causing him to keel over. She lithely backed away. Parrying the blade of another knight before quickly closing in again and headbutting the poor sap, dropping him to the ground.

"Hah!"

Raphtalia jumped far back, avoiding the spear that dug into the ground where she'd been standing. Motoyasu pulled his spear back out. He was dressed in the same armor as before. Now, however, his previously beat-up silver armor looked cleaned and polished, and his red worn out underrobe had been replaced with a fresh blue one.

"Mirage Sword!"

Raphtalia sliced the air in front of her and disappeared into her illusion magic.

"Chaos Spear!"

Motoyasu unleashed his skill in the area she had just been standing. Instead of just keeping it to that area though, he quickly spread his quick thrusts outwards around him. Turning his piercing attack into an AoE attack.

His strategy worked.

Raphtalia reappeared from her illusion to the side of him. She quickly backed away while gasping in pain. She held a hand to the new bleeding thigh wound she'd received from Motoyasu's skill. She had another bleeding gut wound to worry about too. She kept one hand gripping her sword, however, to defend herself.

"Why, why are you doing this Spear Hero!?" Raphtalia asked angrily.

The knights fighting with Motoyasu gathered behind him. There were several squads of men. Myne was nowhere to be seen. Behind them was the wagon she was supposed to protect. The Knights were ignoring it for now, but it cut her off from any of the supplies she needed to heal herself and restore her MP.

Motoyasu grimaced but held to his spear tightly. "I don't want to hurt you anymore Raphtalia. I just want to know where Naofumi is." He said in a calm voice.

"Why?! What did he ever do to you?!" Raphtalia asked angrily.

"Naofumi raped the royal princess!" Motoyasu said stubbornly. "He has to answer for his crimes-"

"How can you still believe that pig! After all the pain she's tried to cause to Naofumi!?" She yelled at him. He again clutched his spear tightly. "Please, Sir Spear Hero! A part of you has to know that the Princess has been lying to you! That she's been lying to everyone around her about Naofumi and-"

Motoyasu spun his spear. "Meteor Thrust!"

Raphtalia gasped in surprise and tried to jump back from the skill that came out of a portal above her. However, the wound in her leg impeded her jump, and she didn't jump out of the way in time.

Boom!

Raphtalia was caught on the edge of the explosion. It sent her flying back several dozen feet before she impacted hard against the rocky ground of the road. She coughed and felt blood in her mouth. She had bitten her tongue when she hit the ground. A small pool of blood was forming beneath her from her now screaming wounds.

Had that attack hit her head on, she realized she wouldn't have survived.

When the smoke cleared, it showed a large crater in the road. Along with one angry-looking Motoyasu. "I don't believe you!" Motoyasu yelled angrily. "My friends would never lie to me! There's no way that would happen! It's all Naofumi's fault!"

Raphtalia held her side and thigh, forcing down whimpers of pain that wanted to escape. She looked up again, only to gasp in surprise at the crazed look in Motoyasu's eyes.

They weren't the same as before. No, they were filled with some emotion. Was it envy, but that didn't feel right. Was it that he was in pain? Then she realized that it was a mixture of both.

It was like a part of him knew that Myne had lied to him. That the King had lied to him. That, even now, what he was saying was a lie.

Naofumi was the real hero and he was not. But believing a lie felt better than believing the truth. Because the truth would have meant that he had been the bad guy all this time. And because of that, he was jealous of Naofumi for having everything. For having people who respected him for being a hero despite being an outcast. For doing something heroic that saved the lives of many fair maidens in Lute. And for having a beautiful fair maiden, who, even now, was sacrificing her own life for his sake.

"Sir, Sir Spear Hero-" Raphtalia tried to say.

"I'll give you one last chance! Where, is, Naofumi!?" Motoyasu angrily demanded while pointing his spear threateningly at Raphtalia. He didn't care now. Raphtalia was in his way. He had to get Naofumi and make him pay for everything he'd done. "Tell me, or I'll end you right now!"

...

Raphtalia painfully stood up. Her body was wracked with pain. She felt like passing out, but her eyes glinted with determination as she raised her sword. She glared at the Spear Hero and the Knights behind him.

Her bad leg strained to hold her up, and the pain was almost overwhelming. But she stood, defiantly. "You will never have him." She said, each word sounding colder than ice. "I won't let you."

...

Motoyasu scowled. "Have it your way." He raised his spear to launch another skill.

"Air Strike Shield!"

Before Motoyasu could react, a green shield slammed into his stomach. Spittle flew from his mouth as the force of it sent him flying back between the knights. "Huh?" "What?" A few of them started to say in surprise.

"High Quick!"

Suddenly, a large, familiar owl-shaped bird started appearing and disappearing in the midst of the knights. Kicking out left and right, and swinging her wings in between each appearance. Filo sent one knight after the other flying.

"Raphtalia, are you okay?!"

Raphtalia quickly turned, collapsing on her bad leg as she did so, but Naofumi caught her under her shoulder before she fell. "Master Naofumi. You made it." She said, her eyes shining with happiness and pain.

"Of course I did," Naofumi said, flashing her a small smile. "I told you I watch your Health gauge when I'm not around."

"N-Naofumi," Motoyasu growled as he got back up.

"Hey Motoyasu, did you do this to Raphtalia?!" Naofumi angrily asked.

"Of course it was me!" Motoyasu said angrily. A large bird that had been busy beating up all the knights gasped when she heard that. "And now, I'm going to do the same thing to you for-"

"You were the one that hurt Filo's mommy!" Filo yelled as she appeared in front of Motoyasu, stopping him in his tracks.

"Yep, that's the Spear Hero for you Filo," Naofumi said sarcastically. "Always trying to find some way to hurt us."

"He's a bad guy. A very bad guy."

Motoyasu was momentarily confused by this large fat bird and the fact that this bird was saying he'd hurt her mommy. Quickly looking around showed there were no other birds like Filo anywhere nearby. He was so distracted he didn't notice what was coming until it was too late.

"Spear guy is a very bad guy for hurting Filo's mommy!"

Crack!

Naofumi had to slow down what happened next in his brain so he could fully capture the kick Filo had just delivered to Motoyasu.

Filo had been in a ready stance, which meant she was able to use the full strength of her leg as she kicked. The kick itself first parted the bottom part of Motoyasu's robes as he was trying to figure out who this bird was talking about. His eyes began the process of widening as his brain rapidly ignited, letting the body know the danger it was in. But even with all those synapses firing off saying to jump the hell back, it was already too late.

The kick connected. Filo's foot looked to sink in as far up as Motoyasu's gut. And as Motoyasu flew up into the air, he came to understand in part the pain a woman in labor felt.

His insides contracted. Pain, unbelievable pain, lanced up his spine into his skull. His second brain felt like it had been crushed along with his crotch.

In short, Motoyasu was sent flying into the air from a kick to his crotch. And it was beyond glorious to behold.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" His screaming in extreme pain sounded on a pitch that would have sent dogs running and made opera singers envious.

Naofumi, as well as the rest of the knights, stared in shock. Then, the Shield Hero started to smile widely. 'Filo, that one kick made all the effort of raising you worth it.'

He finally understood what it meant to be proud of your kids for doing something great. 'Oh man, you're going to eat good tonight Filo. I'll see to that myself.'

"Are you thinking something rude Naofumi?" Raphtalia asked.

"Are you seriously asking me that in the middle of a battle?" Naofumi glared at Raphtalia for ruining his thought process.

Was it that bad for him to enjoy seeing the Spear Hero get his just deserts?

Filo set her foot back down and harrumphed. "Did Filo do good kicking the bad guy Daddy?" She asked.

"Filo, you did so good that you earned yourself an all you can eat buffet," Naofumi said proudly.

"Yayyyyy!" Filo cheered.

"Naofumi! You shouldn't be rewarding our daughter for kicking people!" Raphtalia argued. She was badly hurt, and the knights were watching them in stunned amazement.

Yet, she was still worried about Naofumi raising their daughter incorrectly.

Speaking of the knights, they finally seemed to come to their senses. "Grab him!" "Take down the Shield Demon!"

They charged at the three of them. Filo took a stance next to Naofumi. "Shall Filo deal with these bad men too Daddy?"

Naofumi was about to answer when Raphtalia's other leg gave out. She looked exhausted and pale. There was another small pool of blood gathering beneath her.

Damn it! He'd been so entranced with Filo kicking Motoyasu that he forgot to heal Raphtalia!

"Filo! Get Raphtalia to the wagon!" He threw Raphtalia onto her back and then held his shield up.

Both Filo and Raphtalia looked to Naofumi in surprise. "But, but what about you?" Raphtalia asked.

"I'll distract them while you get the wagon! Don't worry about me! Find my Health potions, and bandage up whatever they can't heal!" Naofumi's shield changed to the Chimera Viper Shield. "Now, Shield Prison!"

Several of the Knights in the middle of the charging group were suddenly surrounded in a ball of chains and plates. "Go!" Naofumi ordered.

Filo quickly secured Raphtalia on her back with her wings. Then she ran to the wall of the cliff face, latched onto it with her claws, and started to run sideways over some of the Knights. "Stop that bird!" One of the Squad Captains yelled.

"Fast Tornado!" A tornado of wind burst from Filo, kicking up dust and clearing some of the knights that charged for her out of the way.

"Air Strike Shield!"

Naofumi pointed, and three charging knights tripped over a shield that appeared in front of their legs, tumbling them to the ground. Naofumi then pointed at the Shield Prison as it was about to disappear. "Change Shield. Animal Needle Paralysis Shield!"

Screams of pain came from inside as porcupine needles suddenly lined the interior of the Shield Prison. Then the ball of plates and chains disappeared, dropping the paralyzed knights onto the ground.

"Oof!" A knight tried to tackle Naofumi from behind, but Naofumi's high defense stat made it feel like the Knight had just tried to tackle a brick wall.

Naofumi gripped the knight by the top of his chest plate and lifted him up. "Thanks for volunteering to be my balloon,"

Before the Knight could make sense of that, Naofumi turned and threw the knight with surprising force at the three knights who'd tripped over his shield. Instead of being hit by Naofumi's attack stat, the men were hit with the force of a flying knight in armor. The four went tumbling, almost rolling over the cliff face.

"Huahhhh!" Motoyasu finally came running in, screaming several octaves higher than normal as he used his spear to try and thrust at Naofumi. He, however, was still very much in pain from a hit that had almost nearly incapacitated him. And the attack didn't have as much strength behind it as it should have.

Naofumi blocked the spear with his Shield. "My name is Motoyasu Kitamura! And I'm not letting you get away this time Naofumi!"

Naofumi narrowed his eyes. After Filo's kick, he figured he could handle Motoyasu easily.

The shield's counter Snake Venom Fang (medium) activated, and a viper detached from Naofumi's shield and bit down on Motoyasu's arm in between his new armored greaves. "Ahhhhhh!" Motoyasu yelled angrily. "You think one bite is going to stop me!?"

Naofumi was surprised. Then a burst of energy came off of Motoyasu, sending Naofumi tumbling back.

Naofumi grimaced. He could have sworn the ability that had freaked Motoyasu out last time in their duel would hurt him more. And now Motoyasu looked really angry and was holding a new sinister looking spear. "I'm taking back everything you took from me!" He yelled angrily.

"What are you blabbering about now-" Naofumi was asking when Motoyasu jumped at Naofumi with such speed that Naofumi barely raised his Shield to defend himself in time.

The Legendary Spear slammed into the Shield with more force than anything else Naofumi had blocked before. A shockwave came out from the hit, sending rocks and nearby knights flying away from the force of the attack.

Holy hell! Hadn't he just been incapacitated thanks to Filo's kick!? Naofumi jumped back, avoiding another strike from the crazed Spear Hero. The strike made another crater in the ground. Seeing his health gauge, he found that even though he'd blocked that last attack with his shield, he'd still taken a little damage.

That was scary. What weapon form was Motoyasu using that could possibly damage him?!

"Ha!" Another knight tried to slash at Naofumi from behind. But the sword broke at the hilt when it hit against Naofumi's armor. Naofumi then jumped out of the way and watched as Motoyasu's Spear barely missed impaling the stunned knight.

"Get out of my way! Naofumi is mine!" Motoyasu then grabbed the knight by his collar and threw him at the cliff face so he could continue fighting Naofumi. The knight hit the rock wall so hard that an indent crater was left behind, and he collapsed unconscious.

Okay. Naofumi was actually fearing for his life now. He didn't like the look in Motoyasu's eyes, which seemed to have a swampy green aura emanating from them.

"Air Strike Javelin!" Motoyasu's spear glowed and released a familiar green javelin at Naofumi. He remembered what had happened last time he'd tried to block it with a skill and instead used his own shield to block the impact.

Naofumi was knocked back by the explosion. His health gauge went down again even though he'd managed to successfully block Motoyasu's skill.

"Master Naofumi!" Naofumi looked, seeing that Filo had managed to grab the wagon, and Raphtalia was waving for him to run.

Motoyasu charged forward again, yelling as he prepared to unleash another assault on Naofumi. It was then that Naofumi knew he wasn't seeing things.

Motoyasu was moving around faster than normal, and he'd definitely powered up. He couldn't face him in a head-on fight now without getting himself killed.

So Naofumi decided to play dirty.

Instead of moving to block the attack, Naofumi quickly changed to the Voice Gengar Shield and brought the megaphone attached to it up to his mouth.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The Shield Hero's scream echoed off the tops of all the nearby mountains, sending monsters running or flying into the air in their rush to get away from the scary sounding scream.

Motoyasu stopped in his tracks and covered his ears. Naofumi's voice was nowhere near as loud and shrill as Filo's when she yelled into it. But it amplified his battle cry many times over, causing the Spear Hero to cover his ears as it felt like needles were stabbing into his eardrums. Some of the still conscious knights fell to the ground, crying out in either pain or terror.

With Motoyasu not moving, Naofumi quickly put his last-ditch ploy into play.

"Air Strike Shield! Lasso!" Naofumi quickly shouted one after the other.

A green shield appeared behind Motoyasu, and then rope burst from it. In one quick move, Naofumi had Motoyasu wrapped to the skill, struggling to move his upper body. "Damn it! Stop it with your stupid tricks!" Motoyasu yelled angrily as he tried to free himself. His awkward position, however, made it hard for him to maneuver his spear to cut the rope.

Hopefully, this would hold him for long enough.

Naofumi ran away from the fight. Filo ran, using more wind spells to clear the knights out of her path that were dumb enough to think they could stop a few hundred-pound chicken pulling over a ton of weight behind her. She jumped the crater Motoyasu had made in the road earlier, and Raphtalia held on for dear life as the wagon jumped the crater with Filo.

"Master Naofumi!"

Filo was running past on his right. Raphtalia reached out from the back of the wagon to grab his outstretched hand.

Just as Naofumi's hand was about to grab hers. A loud shout came from behind.

"METEOR THRUST!"

Naofumi's eyes widened. Motoyasu had been tied to the Air Strike Shield, but he could still launch that skill from a portal by spinning his spear!

Sure enough, he saw a portal form in the air above and behind the wagon.

He knew from experience that his Shield Prison couldn't stand against the skill, even before Motoyasu had powered up. His Air Strike Shield was already in use. He was still a couple of levels off from being able to use Meteor Shield. And if Motoyasu could injure Filo and take down the wagon, with Raphtalia still hurt and unable to run…

Naofumi reacted instinctively, throwing away his self-preservation for the two people he most cared about in this world.

Instead of grabbing Raphtalia's hand. He jumped in front of the portal, right as the biggest, bluest blast of energy he'd ever seen came barreling out of it.

KABOOM!

What happened in the few seconds after that was a blur.

He could remember himself flying, longer than he'd ever flown before. His arm was numb from blocking the force of that blast. His right arm was covered in burns. His Health Bar had also dropped a good half from the power behind the hit.

It was a miracle he'd survived the attack. In his spinning and flailing when he couldn't tell what was up and what was down, he couldn't think straight.

"OOF!" Naofumi suddenly slammed into the hard ground. Like a car slamming into a brick wall. He'd just fallen seventy-five feet and flown a good distance from the road up above and landed on his pack. Liquids leaked out from it, showcasing the health potions and magic healing waters he'd stored inside had just been broken.

"Naofumi!"

Naofumi's eyes cleared a little, and he saw Raphtalia up above holding to the wagon. The back covering of the wagon had been burned away, but the rest of the wagon was still intact and being pulled by Filo. Both of them were looking down at him in horror.

"I'm fine! Get out of here before Motoyasu launches another skill!" Naofumi yelled up to them as he stood back up. His Health gauge had fallen another fourth from that fall. Much like long ago when he'd jumped from the second story of the inn onto the streets of the Capital. Leveling up his defense really had done wonders for him. But now he was at around 25% health. He began the chant for his healing spell.

"But-" Raphtalia tried to say.

"Now!" "Take down the Shield Hero while he's weak!"

A squad of five knights that had been hiding out down below just in case Naofumi tried to escape that way burst from their hiding places. All five tackled Naofumi back down to the ground before he could cast healing magic on himself. Raphtalia gasped in shock up above.

"Don't worry! I'll catch up! Get out of here before Motoyasu kills you both!" Naofumi yelled up at them from under the Capital Knights. A few of which were trying to hack at him with their swords. Had they been working together as those Church Knights had long ago in the arena, they could have combined their defense skills and outclassed his defense in a grapple move. They had worked together to tackle him down. But each was swiping one at a time, and they weren't even giving him a paper cut. Barely an itching feeling on his skin. And without all five working together, they were finding it very hard to force him into a grapple effect.

Growling, Naofumi raised his Chimera Viper Shield up and blocked one of the knight's strikes with it.

Snake Venom Fang activated once more, biting the man whose strike he'd blocked.

"AH!" The knight screamed as he fell back, gripping his arm and dropping his sword.

"Huah!" Naofumi deflected another Knight's sword at just the right moment, causing it to instead slash into the armor of one of his compatriots while simultaneously activating the counterattack again, causing another viper to bite the knight who's sword he'd deflected.

"Augh!" Both screamed in pain as they let go of his arms.

Up above, Filo was still running, but looking down below as the area where Naofumi was fighting disappeared from view. "Filo and Mommy have to help Daddy!" Filo yelled in worry.

Raphtalia was in the back of the wagon, trying to find where Naofumi had stored his various potions in the crates. She needed to use several Health Potions to recover now so she could help! But the explosion had made a mess in the back of the wagon. And looking back down the road, she saw Knights on horseback trying to pursue them. "Filo, run as fast as you can! Try to find the closest path down to Naofumi up ahead!" Raphtalia yelled to Filo.

"Okay! Filo believes that Filo saw one up ahead mommy!" She started running harder than ever, and the knights chasing them on horseback fell behind, and then out of sight.

Raphtalia kept on looking but glanced through the back of the wagon down at the forest below where Naofumi was fighting the Knights. 'Please, just fight for long enough so that we can find you.' Raphtalia thought in worry.

She finally found and grabbed a health potion from a crate that had been stuffed away in the bottom of the pile.

Health Potion

Quality: Below Average

Urgh, it'd been too long since it'd been made... Raphtalia uncorked it and began to drink it.

"Lasso!"

Naofumi thrust forward with a thing of rope at one of the remaining knights that tried to back away. Roping him around the chest. "Ah! Ahhhh!" The Knight screamed in terror.

With a mighty tug, Naofumi swung the Knight through the air into the last standing knight.

"Shield Prison! Change Shield! Animal Needle Paralysis Shield!"

In quick succession, the last two knights were encased in the infamous ball of chains and shields, and Naofumi used almost the rest of his SP as he punctured the knights inside with porcupine needles dripping with paralysis venom.

The skill dissipated, and the two knights dropped to the ground. Unable to move.

Around Naofumi, the three other knights were either unconscious or trying to take anti-venom for their bite wounds.

It sucked that he couldn't attack directly. But at least he'd managed to deal with them by himself-

"Naofumi!"

Naofumi turned just as Motoyasu slid the rest of the way down the cliff face, digging his spear into the wall to slow him down enough that he took no fall damage when he hit the ground. He stood awkwardly and still spoke an octave higher than normal, but he still looked angry and willing to fight. His spear was also cloaked with a mysterious sinister miasma.

"It's time we end this!" He said, raising his spear at Naofumi before he charged forward again.

Naofumi grimaced and held up his shield in a defensive pose. He didn't have enough SP for any more skills. And after Motoyasu's last attack, another Meteor Thrust would very likely kill him.

"Damn it Motoyasu!? I haven't even done anything bad since our last duel-" Naofumi started to say.

"Shut your mouth Naofumi!" Motoyasu said angrily as he slammed his spear into Naofumi's shield again. Snake Venom Fang activated once more, but Motoyasu didn't even look phased as the viper bit into his arm.

Naofumi's already numb arm burned from the force behind the attack. "You've done plenty of bad things! You turned the people of Lute Village against me! You took the miracle I gave the town of Leruno and mutated it into a monster! You made me doubt my friends and live in exile for a long time! Everything is your fault!"

"What the hell are you talking about Motoyasu?! I wasn't even near Lute when all that crap went down. And I've never heard of a town named Leruno before-"

"Shut up!" Motoyasu slammed his spear into Naofumi's shield again, and Naofumi flew back into a tree. "The Shadows already told me you'd try to lie to me again so that you could brainwash me into letting you rape and pillage your way to Shieldfreeden! I won't allow it!"

'Shadows? Does he mean the Church's Shadows?' Despite the thought, Naofumi felt himself getting pissed. He'd imagined his next meet up with Motoyasu being somewhat better than this after his experiences with the other heroes.

"Are you trying to act like an idiot!?" Naofumi asked Motoyasu angrily. "I don't know how to mutate something into a monster! I haven't raped or pillaged from any towns! Hell, I've been traveling around as a freaking night merchant! Selling medicine to those who need it! If you had only looked in the back of my wagon you would have seen the truth-"

"STOP LYING TO ME!"

Naofumi was stunned by the force in Motoyasu's voice. He was clutching his spear angrily, and his eyes looked even more crazed.

"You're a monster! A horrible monster! You're brainwashing poor Raphtalia into loving you! You're the one who turned my friends against me! You're brainwashing everyone you meet to turn against me, and I'm going to stop you!" Motoyasu yelled with determination, taking on a fighting stance. "I'm going to turn you in and take everything you took away from me back! My friends, my honor, my status, my money, everything!"

Naofumi grimaced. This was different. Motoyasu had always seemed like more of an easy-going skirt chaser. But his tone, his stance, his eyes, everything was different. Everything about him screamed that he genuinely thought that Naofumi was a monster.

Why was he acting like this? Bitch wasn't around to control him or anything. So... why?

"... Motoyasu, do you really think that I'm a monster?" Naofumi asked seriously.

... Motoyasu looked a little confused by Naofumi's question. "What?" He asked.

"Think about it. If I'm raping and pillaging. If I'm going around killing everyone I meet... if I'm brainwashing Raphtalia... to love me…" He had to pause to say that last part, because of how cruel it sounded to him. Could Motoyasu really think he'd sink that low? "Then why did I protect her from that skill of yours? Why didn't I use it as an opportunity to escape? You can see how much that cost me. I have no SP, and I'm at low health. You won't give me enough time to cast magic on myself. So why? Why did I do it Motoyasu?! Is that the action of a monster?!"

...

Motoyasu looked unsure how to respond to that. In his opinion, Naofumi hadn't needed to use his own shield to block the skill. He could have let his two party members get hurt in the blast so he could escape.

And yet... he hadn't.

He lowered his spear, which lost some of its sinister miasma surrounding it. "No…"

"Then please, just listen to me for one moment-" Naofumi started to say. Maybe he could still somehow reason with him.

He felt something slightly prick his neck, causing him to gasp in surprise.

"Excellent work. Spear Hero." A familiar-looking nun came out of the underbrush. A pair of Church Shadows flanked her. "You distracted the Shield Devil perfectly."

"M-Motoyasu-" Naofumi's voice started to slur.

Motoyasu's thoughtful look was replaced with sadness. The aura around his spear disappeared entirely as it changed into a different weapon form. "I'm sorry Naofumi. It has to be this way." He said, sadly holding his spear to the side. "I can't fail again. I need what you have back."

Naofumi dizzily felt at his neck and pulled out a familiar-looking dart. A little drop of his blood was on the tip. It had barely pricked his skin because of his defense stat. But the concealed, high leveled Altara's attack stat had been enough.

It had pierced him, and it had delivered its contents into his system.

His eyesight started to dim, and Naofumi staggered to the ground. His hand reached into his pack to pull out a Sleep Resistance Potion, only for it to come back wet.

Right, the fall... everything he'd had on hand had broken in the fall.

"You bastard… I didn't do… anything wrong..." Naofumi drawled, feeling tiredness encroaching on him.

"You've done plenty wrong Shield Demon." Altara said accusingly. "And now, the time at last has come to make you pay."

Naofumi crawled forward, reaching for Motoyasu.

Motoyasu backed away, letting Naofumi fall flat to the ground. "I need to bring you in Naofumi. I need you to fall if I ever want to rise to what I was before."

Naofumi couldn't keep his eyes open. The tranquilizer quickly putting him to sleep. Motoyasu turned to speak with the most hateful nun Naofumi had ever met.

'Damn… I should have seen this coming... I'm sorry Raphtalia… Filo… I won't be… cooking that all you can eat buffet for you two… after all…'

Naofumi felt cuffs being placed on his wrists, and seconds later, he passed out.

A half hour went by.

The wheels of the wagon rattled against the rocks on the ground. The cliff face of the road passed high on their left. On their right, the trees of the forest reached out to the sky. Thunder boomed up above, and rain started to fall.

Raphtalia sat in the driver's seat despite the falling rain. She clung to Filo's reins like a lifeline. Her injuries had all been healed up thanks to Naofumi's potions, and her MP bar was almost full. Though, she still had a bad taste in her mouth from the potions that'd probably been past their expiration date.

At least they'd worked.

'Naofumi… please be okay…' She thought in worry.

It'd taken them longer than she'd hoped to find a path down the cliff into the forest. It'd also taken them some time to find a route through the trees that their wagon could fit through. And with Filo pulling the wagon, the extra weight slowed her down. The mud forming from the rain would only make things worse if they didn't get to Naofumi soon.

'Please, please let him be okay.' Raphtalia prayed as she kept a lookout for Naofumi and for danger.

The trees thinned out into a small clearing, and Filo stopped. "Filo, what is it…"

...

...

"No…" Raphtalia whispered.

"Daddy…" Filo whimpered.

Damage had been done to the trees all around because of Naofumi's struggles with the knights and Motoyasu. There was a Naofumi shaped impact crater filling with rainwater. Bark and branches littered the ground alongside bits and pieces of armor.

Their owners were long gone. The area was empty. Except for the broken soldier's armor and weapons, and one other major thing.

"They… daddy…"

Raphtalia jumped out of the wagon and ran up to what was lying on the ground. "No, Gods please, NO! NO!" Left to rust and rot away in the weather was Naofumi's Barbarian Armor. His breastplate, his arm guards, his leg guards, all of it. Discarded by the people who had captured him.

The intent was obvious. Naofumi would no longer need them where they were taking him.

"No…"

Raphtalia picked up the breastplate, tears appearing in the corner of her eyes as she saw her own sad reflection staring back at her. The rain continued to fall against it, blurring her image with the small droplets of water. She hugged the breastplate close. "NAOFUMIIIIIIII!"

She'd failed him. The moment he'd needed her the most, she'd failed him.

If only she hadn't gotten herself hurt. If only she hadn't been taken by surprise when Motoyasu attacked. If only a million other things she could have done had happened, then maybe this scenario wouldn't have happened.

...

"Mommy…"

She'd failed him. She'd failed the man who saved her. The man she loved with all her heart.

Raphtalia cried, her tears mixing with the rain falling on her cheeks. If only, if only-

"Mom!"

Raphtalia looked up as Filo grabbed her shoulders with her wings. Filo was looking down at the ground. She sniffed, not having realized that she'd been crying the whole time. "What is it Filo?" She asked, wiping away rain and tears from her face.

"Mommy... We can't give up now! Daddy still needs Mommy and Filo!" Filo yelled. Her eyes looked at her mom's, and they went aflame with determination and indignation that Daddy had been taken away from their family.

"Daddy would never give up if Filo or Mommy were taken! Now Filo and Mommy can't give up on Daddy! Filo and Mommy have to go after Daddy!"

Raphtalia blinked in surprise at Filo. This Filolial, who thought of them as her parents…

Raphtalia's face hardened with her own determination. "You're right. We can't give up now!"

She grabbed Naofumi's armor and placed it in the wagon. She'd hand it back to Naofumi herself, even if it was the last thing she'd ever do. She then jumped into the driver's seat, and grabbed Filo's reins. "Filo! We're going to the Capital!" She ordered Filo.

"Okay!… …"

...

Filo didn't move.

…

...

...

"Um, mommy, where's the Capital?" She asked.

…

Raphtalia facepalmed. 'Filo's never been there before… and Master Naofumi held all the maps of Melromarc.'

She knew where they'd been before. She could remember the Capital being northwest of them. But she didn't know where since they had only gone there twice, and the first time was while they were smuggled away in the back of a wagon.

Looking down at the ground, the rain was washing away the tracks of their pursuers too. What a brilliant time for the weather to get in their freaking way.

"... let's head back to the town you and Naofumi visited to get directions." Raphtalia took the more logical approach. "Then, we'll go save Master Naofumi!" She said determinedly.

"Okay!" Filo yelled with more excitement. She turned the wagon around, and then booked it at high speed back the way they came.

Raphtalia held tightly to the reins. Despite the sense of loss she felt, she smiled. The reasons why being: one, she was glad that she wouldn't be impeded by motion sickness for the ride that was to come. And two, because she was determined not to give up on Naofumi.

She was going to break into the Capital, rescue him, return his armor, and, if she was forced too, she was going to fulfill the promise she made back in the duel arena after standing up for him.

'Those knights are dead.' If they'd inflicted any kind of harm to the Shield Hero…

Well, she'd repay them in kind. Tenfold.

Hero Clips!

My Name is Motoyasu Kitamura

"My name is Motoyasu Kitamura! And I'm not letting you get away this time Naofumi!"

Naofumi blocked Motoyasu's attack. "I don't know. Don't you think that introduction sounds a little too villainous for a hero?" Naofumi asked while blocking the Spear.

...

Motoyasu thought about it. "Yeah, you're right."

Their weapons fell to their sides, and the two took a step back from each other to think things over. "Now that you say it, that kind of introduction doesn't sound very heroic to me." Motoyasu said.

"Yeah, it seems to… what's the word? Edgy." Naofumi said.

"You're right. I need to think of something else to say… Wait, I got it!" He leveled his spear again. "My name is Motoyasu Kitamura, and I'm going to avenge my friends!"

"Have I been hurting your friends lately?" Naofumi asked curiously.

"Ugh, no, you're right. That isn't it either." Motoyasu said as he relaxed his stance and got back to thinking.

"Maybe drop saying your last name. It makes the introduction sound too long, and maybe it'll help make it easier to think of what to say next." Naofumi suggested.

"Alright, I'll give it a try!" Motoyasu readied his spear again. "My name is Motoyasu, and I'm the one that's going to take you down!"

"A little better. But I still think it needs some fine-tuning." Naofumi said blandly.

"Damn it!" Motoyasu repeated his pose. "My name is Motoyasu the Love Seeker, and I'm gonna-"

"Love Seeker?" Naofumi interrupted.

"Sorry. My spin-off got to me for a moment there." Motoyasu apologized.

"Try again."

"My name is Motoyasu! And… um… damn it! I can't think of something good to say after that!"

"Try thinking about this. What has been your greatest desire since coming to this world?" Naofumi suggested tiredly. How much longer was this going to go on for? Was it really that hard to come up with a nice introduction?

"My greatest desire… Alright! I've got it! This will blow everyone away!" Motoyasu took an offensive stance.

"My name is Motoyasu and I'm going to make love to this spear!"

...

...

...

...

…

Naofumi was stunned. Actually, scratch that. Human words wouldn't have sufficed the shock he felt at Motoyasu saying such a thing.

"Huh, don't you think that's like the best introduction ever?" Motoyasu asked. "Sometimes, I imagine my Spear being the embodiment of some cute angel waifu, and you know how much I'm into angels..." Motoyasu trailed off while dreamily looking at his Spear.

"... yeah… I'd like to order a mind wipe before the next chapter please Allen." Naofumi said while facepalming.

"You and me both..." A voice muttered from the sky.

Too bad it would be impossible for the author to wipe this from his memory. Or the memories of everyone else, for that matter.

Now, you get to suffer, just like me.

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

"Urgh… My head..."

Naofumi blinked as he slowly blinked open his eyes. He had the mother of all headaches going on in his brain. He could tell he was lying down on something hard, but he couldn't tell what it was.

He could hardly recall what'd happened, and wasn't sure how he'd gotten himself into this mess.0

His vision was clouded with tiredness and pain. As he slowly sat up, he heard a strange clinking sound. When he tried to rub his eyes, he felt something on his wrists weighing them down.

"What the-" Naofumi's eyesight cleared enough that he sprung to awareness. He was only dressed in the clothes he normally wore under his armor, which was missing. He had chains on both his wrists and his ankles. He was sitting on a stone bed in a dark dungeon cell. The only light came from a small window in the door to the room. He couldn't see anything beyond arm's length with how dark the room was.

Naofumi groaned and clutched his forehead. His pain spiked from his movement. "What happened... I remember trying to reason with Motoyasu, and then that stupid nun and those Shadows appeared, and..."

After a moment, he finally recalled what'd happened to him only earlier that day.

"Oof!"

Naofumi was thrown roughly against the ground. The impact caused him to groan and stir from his slumber. The front of his body felt sore from the 75-foot drop he'd sustained. His Shield arm also felt sore from the powerful attacks he'd had to block. He tried to move, only to feel he was chained up and restrained like an animal.  He opened his eyes and found himself laid on a red-carpeted floor.

Quickly checking his HUD, Naofumi saw there was ten days until the Next Wave. He'd been out for almost a whole day.

Looking up, he found he was in the same throne room he'd been led to back when he was first summoned to Melromarc. A line of chandeliers hung on both sides of the ceiling. Around him, standing guard in lines were several squads of heavily armed Capital Knights and a few Shadows. Outside on the outskirts of the throne room, watching from between ornate pillars were some of the country's nobility along with advisors and Representatives from the Church.

There were noticeably fewer nobles than before.

One of the Church's Representatives, a nun, grinned from ear to ear. Happiness was written in her eyes along with her smile.

It was Altara. Here to see the great Shield Demon brought to justice.

It only took a second and Naofumi remembered what had happened. His blood boiled at the sight of the nun. He might have been knocked out, but he couldn't forget her! Not when this nun had been plotting with Bitch in the beginning!

"So, you finally wake, you blasted Shield!"

Naofumi looked up. The red carpet led up to a small series of steps that ended at a platform with two thrones on it. Sitting on the left throne was none other than the Trash King himself. He stared with hate at the sight of his most hated enemy bound in chains before him. One of his ministers was behind him on his left. "How does it feel, knowing you can't run from your crimes anymore?"

His face brought feelings of rage to Naofumi that were even greater than what he'd felt for the spiteful nun. He struggled against the chains binding him to no avail.

"Air Strike Shield!" He tried forming a shield close to his body to break the chains. A thin-looking green shield flickered in front of him for a second, and then it disappeared. "What the hell…?" A notification had just popped up on his screen, telling him he couldn't use the skill due to Outside Interference.

"Try all you like. These chains were especially enchanted by mages from Faubley long ago to bind Heroes that turned on the world." The King said, his voice barely containing the rage he felt towards Naofumi. "You can't get out of them unless I say so!"

'No, it's not possible.' Naofumi strained, but he couldn't break out of the chains no matter how hard he tried. He sagged after only a moment from being unable to do anything.

"Your Majesty, I managed to bring Naofumi in as you requested," Motoyasu said, further catching Naofumi off guard as he appeared from the side. He bowed to the King.

"Good work, Sir Motoyasu." The King told him calmly. "For once, you have done well."

"Motoyasu! You bastard!" Naofumi yelled at him.

He thought Itsuki told him that Motoyasu cut off his attachments to the King. That the two of them had had a falling out or something. Did that mean Itsuki was wrong or … had he been lying to him about Motoyasu?

Motoyasu didn't look at Naofumi when he yelled. He just stayed in his bow until the King spoke again. "You made some mistakes in the past. But I am grateful to see you have refused to let them define you." Aultcray said as he stood up. Opening his arms as if he was welcoming a prodigal son home. "You are hereby redeemed from your self-punishment and shall be entrusted with the care of my daughter and her friends once again."

"I... I accept your gratitude, your Majesty." Motoyasu bowed his head lower.

Aultcray lowered his arms and a bit of a smile finally came onto his face. "You may return to your room now. Your funds and your party members will be waiting for you there." The King sounded genuinely happy and proud of Motoyasu.

Motoyasu looked… was it just Naofumi, or did it seem like Motoyasu was uncertain for a second? Did he, perhaps, have second thoughts about his actions?

But it quickly passed as if it'd never happened and Motoyasu stood back up, bowing his head respectfully to the King. "Thank you. Your kindness and forgiveness are much appreciated." Motoyasu responded formally, before turning around to leave.

"... I hope it's worth it Motoyasu," Naofumi said bitterly as Motoyasu passed him again. "I hope you enjoy being the hero that everyone else wants you to be instead of the hero that you should be."

...

He didn't get a reply from Motoyasu or see if Motoyasu had heard him or not. It didn't matter to Naofumi either.

He doubted Itsuki had lied to him about Motoyasu. It'd merely turned out that he'd been wrong about him.

Motoyasu was still the same naive idiot who did whatever he felt was right, no matter the consequences. 'I should have never tried reasoning with that blonde fool. I should have just run while I had the chance-'

"Now, Shield, the time of your trial has come at last!"

Naofumi focused on the King again, who was looking down on him as if he was the filth of the world. "First, in your long list of crimes, you attempted to rape my daughter, the first princess Malty Melromarc, and fled the city after doing so to escape punishment!" Aultcray's voice boomed authoritatively.

"I did not rape that pig." Naofumi immediately refuted in a cold voice.

"You will not call my daughter by such a foul term!" The King yelled in an enraged tone at him.

"Also, I ran away from a plot to have me killed. It wasn't because I tried to rape anyone." Naofumi could already tell he was going to get a guilty verdict.

This wasn't a trial. It was a sham. A show. His sentence had been determined long ago. So he spoke dryly, refuting the King.

"And do you have evidence that what you say is true?" The King mockingly asked.

"Why? You wouldn't believe me if I had any." Naofumi coldly replied.

"If you truly have no evidence, then why should I believe you over my own flesh and blood?!" Aultcray demanded.

...

Naofumi grimaced. All he had was his word. There was nothing solid to back him up. No recording of Bitch's talk with the nun. Nothing to expose her or the Church of their wrongdoing.

He hadn't gathered any evidence because he'd never thought he could convince anyone that royalty and the state religion were a bunch of shams. That was coming to bite him in the butt now.

The King continued as if Naofumi hadn't interrupted. "You broke into our holy Church! Brainwashed a 'demi-human' to serve by your side! Committed various crimes and atrocities in killing the nobility across my country! And worst of all, you are responsible for the disappearance of the Holy Sword and Bow Heroes!"

"BULL^%$&!" Naofumi finally yelled.

He had broken into a Church, yes, but saying he had brainwashed Raphtalia to serve him was rubbish. Saying he was the one killing nobles was also rubbish. That was Itsuki, not him.

He should have asked what he meant about Ren and Itsuki disappearing, but he was far too angry with Aultcray to think rationally then. "YOU'RE REALLY PILING THE RUBBISH ON NOW YOU PIECE OF TRASH! I GUESS IT FITS YOU THOUGH SINCE TRASH AND RUBBAGE GET ALONG SO WELL!" Naofumi continued to yell in anger. Even in chains, defenseless and powerless, there was an intimidating air around Naofumi. One that made Trash pause for a moment.

Naofumi stood up in his chains. "Yes, I broke into the Church! But before that, I asked the priests nicely to let me register for the wave! They were the ones that forced me to break in since they think of me as a devil! Their actions nearly cost the lives of all the people who'd been trapped in Lute Village!" Naofumi said, gesturing angrily with his head at Altara and the other Church Representatives.

"Secondly, I didn't brainwash anyone!" Naofumi continued. "If I could do that, I wouldn't be in this situation right now! Actually, I would have brainwashed Motoyasu so I wouldn't have to be here!"

"Lastly, how can I kill a noble when my &^%$ing attack stat is so low?!" A knight had gotten close to him because of Naofumi standing up, and Naofumi swerved and punched the man in the face before anyone could react.

CLANG!

The other knights had quickly raised their weapons in response. But the loud familiar sound that rang through the room made them pause.

Naofumi turned back to the King. "You want evidence that I didn't do it?! There's your damn evidence!" Naofumi gestured at the knight who, besides looking surprised, was completely unharmed from Naofumi's attack.

His rage finally subsided for a moment as he stared at the King, wondering what he'd do.

"..."

Aultcray said nothing in response, and whispered with one of his advisors. A representative from the Church walked forward and heatedly argued with them both in quiet tones.

After a moment, Aultcray dismissed them and looked at Naofumi again. "Very well. Had those noble men been killed by poison or some other method, there'd be room for debate. However, as they all died to physical attacks, I cannot argue the merit of your evidence in that regard. My knights will need to gather more evidence to find who's truly responsible for their murders."

Wow. His lack of attack stat had actually helped him out, for once.

It was still seriously low even after all this time. He'd gone from taking five minutes to kill a level one balloon by punching it to four and a half minutes. There was no way he himself could actually kill someone unless he used his Chimera Viper Shield's counterattack. And that was because the counterattack inflicted the attacker with poison.

In other words, it would have required someone to attack him in order for Naofumi to kill them via that method.

Too bad his lack of attack stat couldn't explain away the other crimes he'd been accused of though.

"Do you have anything else you have to say?" The King asked, glaring hard at him. "Anything that could cast reasonable doubt on your other crimes?"

Naofumi should have continued on. He should have mentioned his stint as the 'Nocturnal Doctor'. It would have been ridiculously easy to send people out to verify, and find that it was impossible for him to be responsible for the other crimes he'd been accused of besides Bitch and the Church.

But his Rage came back with a vengeance at the King's glare. And so, Naofumi did the stupidest thing he could possibly do and gave in to it.

"... I have nothing to say except this." Naofumi breathed in angrily before starting his tirade. "YOU CALL THIS A TRIAL?! BULL&^%$! THAT'S WHAT THIS IS! IF YOU WENT OUT YOURSELF, YOU'D FIND MOUNTAINS OF EVIDENCE THAT GO AGAINST WHAT I'VE BEEN ACCUSED OF BUT I DOUBT YOU'D CARE SINCE YOU BELIEVE I'M THE DEVIL HIMSELF!

"IF YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS CRAP BECAUSE YOU'RE A &^%$ING KING THEN YOU HAVE ANOTHER THING COMING YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF TRASH!" Naofumi could have sworn the gemstone turned red on his shield while he was yelling. It was only thanks to these chains and the knowledge that he had no attack stat that he didn't run up to the King to deck him in the face.

He continued breathing in and out heavily. Glaring at the King and everyone else in the room with complete and utter hatred in his eyes.

In the rafters up above, a Shadow sighed to herself. "I daresay, the Shield Hero could have not been more foolish if he'd tried."

...

"I see." Aultcray stood up. A vein bulged in his forehead as he glared at the Shield Hero. "If that's what you wish for, then fine! This trial will be put on hold until the evidence you desire is gathered!" He slammed the end of his staff authoritatively on the ground. "In the meantime, Shield; I, King Aultcray Melromarc the XXXII, pronounce you to be held in the Dungeons until we've gathered all the evidence! You shall not be let out, not even for a wave! You will sit in a cell and rot like the scum you are until the evidence you are looking for has been gathered and you are inevitably found guilty of the other crimes I listed!"

"What!?" Naofumi snapped out of his rage in surprise.

"Be grateful I'm even considering this. For raping my daughter alone, I would have shown no mercy on you." Aultcray stated, his tone laced with genuine anger.

"But I'm supposed to fight in the waves! You can't keep me from fighting in them!" Naofumi screamed. That could have been his chance to reunite with Raphtalia and Filo and escape!

"I can, and I will!" The King yelled. "You want evidence of your crimes and yet you refuse to abide by our laws! Is it no wonder the people believe you're a demon!?"

Cheers erupted from the people on the sides. Altara the nun looked ecstatic at the Shield Hero's fate after being briefly worried by the King dropping the one charge against him.

But now, the Shield Demon would be thrown into the dungeons. His scourge on their country would then be eradicated there. The Church was making sure of that.

"You… you're insane!" Naofumi clenched his fists angrily. "Do you even care about the lives of your people?!" Naofumi accused him. "If Ren and Itsuki have disappeared, then you'll need me there! You can't just throw everyone's lives away!"

"Then I shall pray that my knights are swift, and that those two are found. Perhaps they might have evidence that'd work in your favor." Aultcray said tiredly. "Do not let me see his face again until the evidence is gathered."

"JUST HOW STUPID ARE YOU-" Naofumi tried to speak, to say something, but he felt something prick his neck again. Was it just him, or had it pricked him more easily? Looking down, he saw his shield, covered in chains, in its default form. In other words, one of his lowest defense rating shields. "No… Filo… Raphtal-"

Naofumi fell forward, the tranquilizer already taking effect.

"You… bastard…" Naofumi faintly whispered before he blacked out.

Naofumi returned to the present. 'Oh, I remember now… there wasn't anything I could do… that piece of Trash threw me in here to rot.'

Gather evidence, yeah right. It was more like the King had been looking for any excuse to keep him locked up for all eternity. At least, that's what it'd felt like to Naofumi.

It hadn't been a trial he'd seen back there. It was a sham. It was one big, twisted, ugly sham meant to keep him imprisoned.

Well, he'd show him. One way or another, he'd get his payback on the King.

...

Naofumi still felt like he had a major headache. It was likely a side effect of the tranquilizer that had been used on him to knock him out. He hadn't fully slept it off yet.

'I just… I don't get it.'

How could so many people in this world hate him this much? That they'd lock him away even if it meant losing their own lives.

Was it because of people blindly believing in their religious leaders? Was it because people in power abused their authority? Was it just because people hated the Shield Hero and wanted to make him the scapegoat for all the problems they were suffering from? Was that all he was, a scapegoat in demon form?

And Ren and Itsuki… the King had blamed him for their disappearances…

What had happened to the two of them? By disappear, he couldn't possibly mean...

'You know what, forget it.' Whatever their situations were, they couldn't possibly be as bad as his. For now, he needed to figure out what he could do to get out of this mess and reunite with Raphtalia.

She and Filo were out there somewhere, waiting for him. There was a wave coming that he had to fight to keep their world alive. And if he didn't fight it, then other innocent people would die. And Raphtalia wouldn't be happy letting that happen.

He had a painful headache, and he was exhausted, but he couldn't take this lying down! He had to fight back!

He checked the timer on his HUD again. The red hourglass showed there was still ten days until the next wave. Based on the time left on it, it was most likely evening outside.

'I could wait the ten days out and then be teleported to wherever the wave is to escape... but I get the feeling that the chains I'm wearing will restrain me from teleporting. And I'd rather not wait ten days. So that option is out.'

What else could he do?

...

Naofumi focused on the status icon in the corner of his view, hoping that the rest of his HUD hadn't been restricted.

Fortunately, it wasn't. Naofumi sighed in relief as Raphtalia and Filo's stats appeared under his own in the corner of his vision. Even though they'd locked him up, they hadn't been able to remove his party members. All of their gauges were full.

They were still alive...

Naofumi quickly checked his own stats. There was a notification to the right of his stats saying his shield was locked in its default form. He still had a higher than normal defense stat due to stat boosts he'd unlocked from some of his other shields. However, being locked with his weakest shield, and because he was missing his Barbarian Armor… his defense stat was far, far lower than what it normally was.

It made Naofumi feel vulnerable... and he didn't like the feeling.

Just to check and make sure, he tried accessing the Shield Menu to see if he could change shields that way.

Unable to Access. Locked due to Outside Interference

He tried thinking of the shield form he wanted, but got the same message once again.

So he really couldn't switch to a shield that provided higher strength so he could break himself out of these chains... damn them.

He didn't have his pack on him. Meaning all of his maps, potions, and other items he'd been carrying before being captured were gone. Fortunately, his money was still being held in his shield. Apparently, even if he was a criminal, they didn't have the power to access it and take it away.

They could only take away the armor he wore as well as the pack he'd been carrying around.

Then again, he didn't see how money would get him out of this situation. Unless he bribed a guard or something.

The odds of that working seemed drastically low thanks to how much everyone hated him.

"But what else can I do?!" Naofumi asked himself in frustration. He didn't want to wait! He wanted out of there, now! Damn it, if only his shield had an inventory option or something so he could have stored his items that way! Man, what he'd give for even one of the tools he used to craft accessories! It would have been sharp enough to cut through these chains with ease!

Unless, of course, they were enchanted to not take damage by normal means. Naofumi scowled and pulled on them again. His defense stat was enough that the skin on his wrists didn't break, but his wrists did feel sore from all the pulling.

They continued to clank loudly as Naofumi attempted to rip his hands out. Still managing to not break the skin of his wrists, and-

"It's no use. If there was a way, I would have escaped long ago." A feminine voice said opposite him.

...

Naofumi slowly looked up at the person who'd spoken.

Because of the low light, he'd thought he was the only one in this cell. However, after having been given some time for his eyes to adjust, he was now able to make out the outline of another stone bed at least a dozen feet across from him. Someone was laying on it.

"I'm sorry. Who are you?" Naofumi asked rather rudely.

The woman, for Naofumi, had deduced by this time that it was a woman lying on the bed, sat up. The faint torchlight fell over her, and he was genuinely surprised at her appearance.

Unlike himself, dressed in the clothes of an adventurer, she was dressed like a noble. She wore a mostly blue outfit, with gold colors on the shoulders, the collar, and the center of her outfit. A series of light metal diagonal squares were spaced evenly throughout the center of the gold-colored part of her attire like buttons, traveling up to a red jewel holding the collar together. Looking closely at it, the jewel kind of resembled his shield.

Naofumi thought it was a dress at first, but then he realized that wasn't it. It looked more like the chainmail he'd first worn, only fancier and made from better materials.

Naofumi shook his head to clear it and scowled at her. "Why is someone like you here?"

This was the last place he'd ever expected to meet someone that struck him as a noble. No, it wasn't just her armor, but even chained up, this woman held an air of authority around her.

She lifted her face to look at him. She had long strawberry-blonde hair and startling blue eyes. In the faint torchlight, her face could have rivaled Raphtalia in beauty... if it wasn't for the scruffs and cuts on it. Along with the look of hopelessness in her eyes that had come from her time in prison.

"I am here awaiting a trial that will never happen." The woman said in a broken voice. "For a crime I never committed."

"... Well," Naofumi said, feeling he should address what she'd said earlier. "I'll break out of these somehow. They're not going to keep me here."

"Even if you could use magic, it'd be impossible to break those chains." The woman said defeatedly. "They also keep magic users from using magic. Otherwise, I would have escaped too." The woman held up her wrists, revealing the same chains that Naofumi was bound with.

'... well, there goes another option I thought about trying.'

Not that it'd help him much since he didn't know any magic that could destroy anything.

"These chains are enchanted to prevent prisoners from accessing anything other than status magic." The woman continued, before looking down at the shield on his arm. "That would include access to skills and any other powers possessed by Cardinal Heroes."

…

"I take it you know who I am then," Naofumi said dryly.

"Of course I know who you are, Shield Hero." She said. "After all, I signed up to become a member of your party when you were first summoned to my world."

… Naofumi was confused at what she'd said. Or maybe it was the pain of his headache clouding his mind. 'She signed up to join my party? I don't remember anyone other than Bitch joining me that first day...'

"I'm sorry. I don't know if you already said it... But… who are you again?" He asked confusedly.

The woman let out a defeated sigh. She hadn't expected her first meeting with the Shield Hero to be here, chained up as cellmates in the Castle Dungeons. But…

"My name is Eclair Seaetto." Eclair introduced herself. "I am the daughter of the late Lord Seaetto. And I am a Knight for her Majesty, Mirellia Q. Melromarc."

"Thank the Gods you're alright."

"I can say the same to you."

"Were you and your party also attacked?"

"Yeah, we barely made it out alive."

"Same here. My party… it isn't good. I almost killed one of them."

"You what?"

"I..."

"..."

"..."

…

...

"It doesn't matter now. You heard what Motoyasu did, right?"

"... Yeah, I did."

"Do you think he realizes what the Church is twisting him to do?"

"I doubt it."

"Then what do you think we should do?"

"They tried to kill us. If I learned anything down in those Archives, they'll try to kill Naofumi while he's jailed up."

"Then we need to rescue him."

"Right. You have the closest waypoint saved to your weapon. Mine were erased by what happened at the Church."

"The closest I have is a day's journey away. We'll have to move quickly."

"Gather your party members. And any other volunteers who want to help us. We can't let Motoyasu's mistake kill Naofumi."

Hero Clips!

All You need Is Money

Naofumi had nothing on hand. No armor. No items. No medicines. No potions.

The only thing he had was all the money held in his shield.

'I really don't see how this'll do anything.'

Then again, it wasn't like he had any other choice. So he might as well give it a shot.

"Hey, you." Naofumi called outside his cell to the knight patrolling.

"Hmm?" The man looked at him in boredom.

Naofumi pulled out five silver coins from his shield. "What would you say about letting me out?"

...

The knight shook his head and continued with his patrol. A few day's salary wasn't worth the wrath of the King.

Naofumi frowned, then he thought about it and took more money from his shield. "Hey!"

The knight looked at him again. Naofumi waved one hundred silver coins around.

...

The knight didn't look away this time, and actually looked really tempted by what was to him, a large amount of money. He'd never been able to save up that much before in his entire life. But he had to remain strong! He couldn't be tempted! He-

Naofumi took out another four hundred silver coins. Making in total five gold coin's worth of silver. "All this is yours if you open the door, unbind my chains, and let me go."

...

Without a word, the knight opened the cell door, spoke a command, and the chains came off Naofumi. The Shield Hero gave the man his money, and he began to leave, staring down at it in wonder.

"Oi, one more thing!" The man turned, and Naofumi offered an additional 500 Silver Coins as he smirked. "For directions out of here. And I need a distraction."

"Booooooo! The Three Heroes Church stinks!"

The knight from before threw eggs at the front entrance of the large building. The knights standing guard in front of it and around the square stared at the man in shock.

"W-What the heck are you doing man-" One of his comrades began to yell at him.

The knight threw an egg at the guy, hitting him square in the face and covering him with the gooey contents inside. "The Three Heroes Church was wrong! All the Heroes are devils!" The bribed knight yelled giddily, feeling an odd sense of freedom and purpose for once in his life. 10 whole gold coins! He could finally quit his job and do what he wanted!

Of course, that'd come after he was done with this.

"Blasphemy! Get him!"

Those in the square that were actually Church Knights roared in anger as they ran towards the former knight to restrain him. But he danced out of their grips, being higher in levels and having a class-up over them, so thus he continued throwing eggs at them or the Church while laughing and yelling obscenities in their faces.

As that went on, a cloaked figure walked past the square, chuckling to himself at the chaos he'd caused. Nobody paid him any attention as he headed towards the gates to the south.

'Who knew. All you really need is Money.' Though, Raphtalia might kill him for how much of it he gave away, but eh, it was a necessary sacrifice, and she'd most likely be happy to see him again.

And thus, Naofumi proceeded to escape the Capital on his own. And nobody was the wiser until his cell was found empty.

Wait, was it empty...?

Nah, he was sure he'd been the only one in there. It would have looked really bad on him if he hadn't noticed somebody else important that was trapped in there!

Yeah, he was certain nobody else had been in there with him!

Meanwhile

"Wow... he really left me behind, huh."

Eclair sighed as she laid back on her stone cot. "And to think I wanted to join his party."

Here was to another thirty chapters of being stuck in the same cell as before.

...

She really should have thought about bribing the guard sooner.

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

Naofumi was confused for a moment. The Knight Eclair stared at him from her bed while the Shield Hero's mind processed what she'd said.

Though his head still ached, Naofumi's brain recalled something. Remembering part of the conversation he'd overheard between Bitch and the nun long ago.

"But Princess, what about those adventurers who signed up to work for the Shield Hero?..."

"It was only a few demi-humans and some knight from Seaetto that wanted to help him. The knight has been arrested and jailed in the castle dungeons for murdering her assassin..."

Naofumi looked at Eclair. "... You're... the knight who was falsely imprisoned by that Bitch Princess for wanting to help me," Naofumi said.

Eclair nodded. "Yes."

...

Naofumi looked stunned. "And you've been here... ever since..." It had been over two months since that day. "... Ever since the day I was summoned?"

"... Yes." Eclair said sadly after a pause. "You are the first person in months that I've seen… other than the knights tasked with bringing me my meals."

...

Wow. If he'd been forced to live alone for that long… if he hadn't had Raphtalia to help him, he had no idea where he'd be right now. Physically, or mentally. "How has no one else been able to see you? Family… friends?"

"My father was the only family I had left before the Wave killed him," Eclair said. "And since we're likely in the lower levels of the Castle Dungeons... where royal brats can keep people like me hidden away so their schemes aren't interfered with... it's likely none of my former comrades know that I'm here."

Did the King even know one of his knights was being held down here? Or did he not care because Eclair had wanted to help Naofumi.

Eventually, Eclair sighed and rubbed a hand to her head. "I'm sorry, Sir Shield Hero." She apologized. "I'm not normally this bitter."

"It's Naofumi." He said. Sir Shield Hero reminded him of what Bitch had called him. "And you don't have to apologize. I'm plenty angry myself."

He was angry with 'never my fault' Motoyasu. He was angry with the stupid Trash King. He was angry with the knights and religious fanatics of this kingdom.

Oh, and he was angry with Bitch. He couldn't forget that. He was always angry because of Bitch in one way or another.

"And anger won't get us anywhere. All it did for me was this." Eclair shuffled her cuffs up, revealing scarred skin on her wrists from when she'd pulled endlessly on the chains in an attempt to free herself.

'... Ugh…' Eclair had a point. Getting angry about being able to do nothing was only making his headache worse.

He almost wanted to sleep it off and see if that'd help or not.

Eclair curled her legs up and hugged them. "I never imagined this would be how I'd first meet you, Sir Naofumi."

He barely took notice that she wasn't dropping the Sir title. "You never thought that we'd meet as prisoners, chained up, sharing the same cell?" Naofumi asked sarcastically.

She nodded. "Growing up, I'd always wondered what it'd be like to meet the great Shield Hero. Would it be on the field of battle, or would I meet him as he went through a field hospital helping the injured? I pictured a thousand different scenarios where I'd be lucky enough to meet him… but I never could have imagined our first time meeting each other would be in some dark, lonely cell."

"Ha, I doubt anyone would expect to... did you say you wanted to meet me before?" Naofumi asked in surprise.

"Yes? Is that wrong?" Eclair asked.

Naofumi didn't answer for a moment. According to his knowledge, Melromarc worshipped the Three other Heroes. So why would some random knight ever want to meet him, much less, help him?

He still had a headache, but he put it to the side for the moment. It was time to get some answers. "Why?"

Eclair took on a nostalgic look. Thinking about a time from long ago. "II grew up in Seaetto. When I wasn't training with a sword at my Father's manor, I was in Faubley training to be a knight or visiting Lurolona Village to spar with a friend of my father's living there. In both places, they respected and worshipped all the heroes equally. But Lurolona did tend to focus their worship on the Shield Hero...

"Because of them both, I didn't grow up indoctrinated to think of the Shield Hero as a Devil. Instead, I was taught to look at him as a great hero... That's part of why I wanted to meet you. I wanted to see what a real hero looked like." Eclair admitted.

Naofumi had several more questions forming in his mind. Was Faubley another country or a city in Melromarc? Were there actually places in the world that worshipped all four heroes equally? Had she ended up here because she wanted to meet him? However, the last question was the main one bothering him. "Was Lurolona Village the demi-human village hit by the first wave?"

"Yes."

Naofumi gulped. "Then that means it's the village that the Knights destroyed."

Eclair went wide-eyed and uncurled her legs. "How do you know about that?!" She asked.

"Because…" He wasn't sure how much to share at first. Hell, he still couldn't believe the odds. His cellmate across from him was the one and only Knight who had been falsely imprisoned by Bitch because she'd signed up to help him out. And somehow, he'd ended up being placed in the same dungeon cell as her. And not only that, she knew of Raphtalia's home.

Whether that was so it was easier to keep watch over the both of them or because of some actual divine intervention, he wasn't sure.

"One of my party members is a demi-human from that village. She told me some of what happened during the wave and after." Either way, the Shield Hero felt that he could kind of trust her for now.

Eclair's face melted with... relief? "Thank the Gods. Some of them did survive…

"Did you think they were all dead?" He asked.

"Yes… after what I heard, I thought nobody from the village was left alive…" Eclair said sadly while looking down at the ground. "I thought all the people my Father died trying to protect from the wave had been killed. And that his sacrifice for them had been in vain… tell me, how did you end up meeting her?"

"I bought Raphtalia from a Slave Trader," Naofumi answered. "She and some of her friends weren't killed by the Knights, but were sold off into slavery."

...

Eclair's face hardened with anger. "They what?"

"Enslaved kids. Yeah." Naofumi sighed. "You can blame the Trash King for that since he hates demi-humans so much,"

"King Aultcray is not Trash. And he would not allow such an act to happen, Sir Naofumi." Eclair said.

…

Naofumi glared at Eclair.

To think he'd been talking with this skank.

"He is a piece of Trash. He's tried several times in the past to have me thrown in here. He doesn't care about the lives of his people. He forced me to run and hide from place to place. And now I'm stuck in here waiting for a trial that won't happen, and I'm not being allowed to fight the Waves, meaning people are going to die when I'm not there to protect them. How could you defend him and say HE ISN'T TRASH!?" Naofumi yelled angrily.

…

Eclair looked to the side. "I cannot claim to know all that you've gone through... You are right that King Aultcray doesn't like demi-humans. His dislike for the Shield Hero would stem from that."

...

She redirected her gaze firmly to his. "However, that isn't all there is to his Majesty. He does care about his people. And I can tell you with certainty that he didn't order the attack on Lurolona Village." She corrected him. "He would never do such a thing."

"And why do you say that?" Naofumi spat.

"Because he made a promise long ago to his wife that if he tried to do anything bad that affected the people in Seaetto, he would lose his title as royalty, and be as the dust under her feet."

...

Naofumi looked baffled at what she'd just said. "But, but that makes no sense-"

"Melromarc is a matriarchy Sir Naofumi," Eclair answered. "King Aultcray may look like the ruler for the moment, but when his wife returns from the International Meeting with the other nations, she will be the one in charge again. And if he had ordered the attack on the demi-human region, she would punish him in ways you couldn't imagine..."

...

Naofumi was silent for a moment. Her answer only led to more questions. Questions he didn't know if he wanted the answers to or not. "... But, but I assumed he ordered the attack on that Village since it was knights that did it."

"Were they Royal Knights, or Church Knights. Were they Mercenaries dressed as knights, or knights from the nobility?" Eclair asked. "There are more variants of 'knights' than just those under the country's command."

Eclair leaned back against her stone wall as Naofumi thought what she'd said over. "And what do you know about King Aultcray Sir Naofumi? Do you think he would risk breaking a promise and lose his status as King just to kill and enslave a small group of people?"

...

Naofumi opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to think of something to say. Other than the fact that the King hated his guts and the guts of demi-humans, there wasn't really that much to the guy. He'd never really had a heart to heart with the guy, and for good reason. He'd never bothered to talk to anyone about the King because the royalty of this country seemed downright rotten…

Hell, he'd probably heard it once or twice before, but he hadn't really taken note of the Queen before since she probably was like Bitch...

Naofumi's head started to hurt again. "I… I don't know what he'd do…" He admitted.

...

He eventually looked up. "Do you know why he hates me and demi-humans so much?" He decided to ask.

"Yes. But it would require me telling you a story about a part of Melromarc's history so you'd understand." Eclair said.

…

Naofumi sat back against his stone wall. There were still other things he wanted to ask her about, but they could wait. He'd put off learning these details for long enough.

"Might as well explain it. Since we're kind of stuck here." He said sarcastically.

Eclair smiled a little at his words. "I'll tell you what I can remember my father telling me," Eclair said, settling herself as comfortably as she could on her stone bed.

"King Aultcray first came to recognition a couple of decades ago, back when Melromarc was at war with the nation of Siltvelt."

The prison cell faded away, showing a land different from Melromarc.

"Melromarc is a country well known for its mountains and forests. But Siltvelt is well known for its wide variety of ecosystems thanks to all the different demi-human species that live there,"

"Deserts where Lizardmen thrive in the extreme temperatures."

The scene showed a city in the middle of a desert. Demi-humans with lizard-like skin walked the streets. The males were dressed in only a white robe covering their lower half. And the women were dressed the same, with the addition of a leather vest covering their chest ending just above their midsections.

"Underground systems that Lumos over generations painstakingly dug out with their own hands and magic."

The next scene was that of an underground city. Low lit lanterns adorned the walls of streets. Barely lighting the short mole-like demi-humans going about their underground business. The ceiling up above was lost in darkness hundreds of feet above.

"Lakes, rivers, and the ocean where the Orca and the Genmu reign."

The next scene showed an underwater city in the ocean bordering Siltvelt. Here, demi-humans with turtle-like shells on their backs swam from one place to another. Large, armored, human-shaped killer whales patrolled the fortifications on the outskirts. Holding harpoons and other underwater weapons while they kept watch for any sign of danger against the city.

"Tall mountains that house the Aouatsu near their peaks, and the Kitsunes near their base."

The next scene showed mountains, taller than anything shown in Melromarc. Near their peaks, instead of a city, were small huts. Out of one of them walked a human. She was short, and had blue-hair that flowed past her shoulders. Yet she fearlessly jumped off the cliff of her home.

Partway into the freefall, the woman quickly transformed and turned into a large, roaring, Azure Dragon. She leveled out and flew over a marvelous marble city at the mountain's base.

"The most abundant type of land in Siltvelt, however, is its plains. Miles, and miles of plains. The home for the Hakuko, the Shuzaku, the Dog, the Lion, and many other species of demi-human, including formerly, the Raccoons."

The scene first showed miles upon miles of plains. Some of the plains were untamed, and some were farmland. Little kids with raccoon-like ears and tails played with tiger-like, wolf-like, and lion-like demis. Chasing after kids trying to escape into the air using their underdeveloped wings under the watchful eyes of caring parents.

In the center of it all was a marvelous city built on a hill in the center of the plains. The city looked to be surrounded by layers of terraces. Each one housing a different section of the city and a different environment fit for the race living in that section of city.

The architecture of the place was amazing. Adult demi-humans of various kinds shouted out their wares to the tiger-like Hakuko, the Wolfman therianthropes, the winged Shuzaku, the shelled Genmu, and the various other demi-human nationalities walking the streets of the Siltveltian Capital. Large, armored, demi-human therianthropes patrolled the streets keeping an eye out for trouble.

"Okay, how does this all relate to the King?" Naofumi asked.

"I'm getting there Sir Naofumi. While Siltvelt is currently governed by a council of all the various demi-humans from these various areas, the norm is for them to be led by a King. The last King was a Hakuko, the Claw Hero Tai-Lon."

"At first, he was fine with only ruling his country, and treated other nations amicably. Soon, however, he sought to expand his lands, and brought death and destruction to the countries around him."

The next scene showed the palace in Siltvelt. A large demi-human that looked more white tiger than human roared out orders to his soldiers. Lashing out with a very long set of claws attached to his hands to empathize them.

The scene then expanded out, showing the nation of Siltvelt and its surrounding neighbors. One by one, these nations fell to the onslaught of the fearsome Siltveltian army, led by their ferocious Hakuko leader and his strongest warriors.

"His goal was simple. World domination. And the eradication of normal humans so the supreme races would rule all."

The scene focused on a small village. The army that had been protecting it was in retreat. A little girl cried on her fleeing mother's shoulders while reaching out towards her Father. Who was held dead in the grip of the Claw King. Behind Tai-Lon was a massive army of demi-humans roaring in victory.

"At first, Siltvelt appeared unbeatable… they were winning battle after battle, slaughtering everyone in their way…"

The scene showed a struggle in a valley. The various demi-human soldiers of Siltvelt were pushing a human army into a corner. Their victory looked assured.

"And then, when it seemed like no one could stop them, His Majesty appeared."

A lone figure appeared on the rise above. The human army looked up and started to cheer. The Siltveltians, who had been on the verge of victory, stopped to look up themselves. The young figure lowered a staff down at the opposing army.

"Drifa Chain Lightning!"

A lightning spell came out from his staff, striking through a legion of Siltvelt's soldiers. They fell like limp burned rag dolls. "Now!" At his signal, reserves appeared behind the Siltveltian army. Secret Ballista and Catapults that had been concealed around the valley appeared and unleashed volley after volley on the surrounded and trapped army.

The army that had been about to clinch victory began to retreat. But even that was cut off as Aultcray unleashed a powerful Earth Spell that closed off the entrance to the valley. Siltvelt's army was boxed in by the smaller, yet superior force.

The young Aultcray watched calmly as, mere moments later, the enemy army finally surrendered. The combined army of Melromarc and other nations cheered, having accomplished their first victory against Siltvelt.

"Aultcray, at the time, was the head of Melromarc's military. No one was sure where he came from, or what his family background was, yet he'd worked his way up through the ranks. And his wisdom and his intellect alone were so great that he managed to turn the face of the whole war around. Suddenly, a foe that had seemed unbeatable was glaring with weaknesses. Environmental issues for certain races of demi-humans. Unprotected supply lines. Ambush sites perfect for hit and run tactics.

"His Majesty found so many advantages that the enemy was almost resoundingly beaten every time. He planned everything down to the tiniest of details, ruining the plans of others before they could ever think of a counter-attack that could slow him down. Nothing of the sort had ever been seen before. I am unsure if anything like it will ever be seen again."

The scene showed Siltvelt and the territories it had conquered marked in red on a map of the world. Slowly, those previously captured territories turned to blue. Marking where Aultcray turned the tides of the war around.

He outmaneuvered enemy armies. Struck Siltvelt in places where they least expected it. And overall, sowed panic and confusion amongst the ranks of Siltvelt's greatest warriors and leaders.

"My Father liked to tell me of those days. How the King would fight alongside his soldiers, and how he'd fight so strongly against the demi-humans he faced… that drive drove him from battlefield to battlefield... from place to place... Till one day, four years after the war had started, he had the majority of Siltvelt's armies along with their King trapped in a valley near their border."

Aultcray stood in a general's tent. He was deliberating with his commanders over a map of the valley that led into Siltvelt. Blue flags indicated where his army was positioned along the valley, keeping the red flags representing the enemy army pinned down. Aultcray was going over the plans with his commanders, who were giving him every piece of information their scouts had acquired about the enemy forces. From their numbers to their level of morale.

Eclair's Father. A man dressed in armor with the same strawberry blonde hair as her, stood among his closest commanders and advisers. Taking stock of the whole situation.

"The plan was to strike a critical blow against their forces. A blow that would force the enemy King to surrender, and make the subjugation of the rest of Siltvelt easier…"

"If we launched brush close to their positions here, we could use fire magic to cause them to smolder and smoke them out." Lord Seaetto suggested.

"That could put our mages at risk." Another commander said.

"Unless we fired the brush over with our catapults. It'd be a simple task attaching it to large rocks so we'd get them to land where we want."

Aultcray and the others pondered over the potential strategy.

"But then one day, when my Father and all of Aultcray's other commanders were planning what would be the final attack… something happened that the Wise King hadn't accounted for."

A soldier ran into the tent suddenly, looking out of breath. "General!"

Aultcray stood at alert, all the knights in the room grabbed for their swords, expecting an attack. "What is it?" Aultcray asked. "It'd be suicide for them to launch a counter-attack now with the way our forces our positioned around them."

The messenger took a moment to catch his breath.

"It's…"

...

"It's your sister…" He finally managed to say. "Her convoy. She's… she's…"

Aultcray's full attention was on the messenger.

His lips moved, but the words weren't caught.

...

Aultcray's eyes started to widen. "No… NO!" He ran out of the command tent, pushing Lord Seaetto and the others out of the way.

"Wait, General Aultcray-" Some of the commanders tried to yell for him to stop. His heart-rending scream, however, echoed off the mountains around the valley into eternity as he ran into a portal formed by his staff.

"LUCIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The scene returned back to the cell. Eclair looked up at Naofumi. "What... what happened after that?" Naofumi asked.

Eclair looked down at the ground again. "His sister, behind his back, had been meeting with a delegation of Siltvelt demi-humans. One of them was one of Tai-Lon's younger sons. They'd claimed they wanted peace, and they'd met several times in the past with Lucia to forge a peace treaty together that'd end the war.

"She had been on her way to see him to get the details of the peace treaty finalized. And during her journey, she and her guards were ambushed. Aultcray rushed from the battlefield to the sight of the attack using the power of his staff, but he arrived... too late. The carriage transporting his sister had been torn to pieces. Blood was all over the scene. His sister Lucia… her body was never found. And no one knows what's happened to her since."

…

The silence that followed was deafening.

…

Slowly, the words sank into Naofumi. "You're saying... the reason King Aultcray doesn't like me... or demi-humans..."

"Is because he believes they were the ones that killed his Sister," Eclair said calmly.

…

"Please, continue," Naofumi said seriously.

She took a shuddering breath. "Since Aultcray believes the demi-humans killed his sister, and since the demi-humans treat the Shield Hero as their God, in his mind, he links you to them as his enemy. An enemy that could harm his current family just like they did back then."

…

Naofumi sank down on his stone bed.

It didn't excuse his actions… yet he could understand the way better than before. He couldn't imagine how traumatizing that might have been.

Not that it'd make him ever have a heart to heart with that garbage. But he could understand… had anyone kidnapped or killed his brother, he would have never forgiven them or anyone connected to them.

"While Aultcray had been searching for his sister, Tai-Lon managed to lead his army out of the trap Aultcray had set up for them in the valley. Dragging an already long and bloody war on for another two years." Eclair said sadly. "The toll on everyone was tremendous. After losing his blind sister, the Wise King was never really the same. He pinned all his anger on the demi-humans. And that anger eventually rubbed off on some of his commanders.

"He couldn't just beat Siltvelt anymore. He wanted to make them suffer. He wanted them to know the pain he was experiencing. Because of that, his plans became more rash. His soldiers were put into riskier scenarios compared to before. The armies of Siltvelt were finally able to counter him, and the war became a stalemate for a long while up until the final battle. Where Aultcray unleashed the full power of his anger and his Staff against the Claw King."

Naofumi found himself picturing it. A major battle. Both sides screaming and roaring for each other's blood.

And one man in the midst of it all. His hair likely white even back then. Screaming in anger as he unleashed death on anyone in his way.

The thought chilled him to the bone.

"The final battle of the war was a slaughter unlike anything else both sides had ever seen. It was a battle so fierce that my Father said the heavens themselves quaked in their boots. The Hakuko fought bravely alongside their King, as did every other race present... but in the end, after many Hakuko had been killed, Aultcray dueled and killed the Claw King Tai-Lon. Forcing the rest of his army to surrender, and bringing the war to an end."

Eclair sighed. "After that, Queen Mirellia, who'd married Aultcray sometime during the war, led the negotiations between nations for a peace treaty." He wanted to ask about Queen Mirellia, but he sat, still remaining silent. "During the process, the majority of Siltvelt's representatives blamed the war on the Raccoons. Claiming they had been the ones to convince Tai-Lon to start the war by using Illusion magic to twist his mind. The Hakuko had been devastated by the war, but still, a few of them tried to speak out, saying that Tai-Lon hadn't been twisted into the war and he'd done it for glory and honor for their race. But those that spoke out to defend the scapegoat race were exiled from Siltvelt along with all the noble Raccoon families. The commoner Raccoons that couldn't afford to be exiled were instead enslaved and put to forced labor, and have been ever since."

That was an unexpected piece of information Naofumi hadn't expected to learn.

'So… the reason why Raphtalia was considered unworthy… was because a bunch of people in power decided to blame one race for a bloody war?!' Naofumi hated Siltvelt even more now. Being a scapegoat was something he was very familiar with.

Just when he thought things in the world couldn't get any more stupid, he was proven wrong. A whole nation possibly hated his demi-human companion just because of her race.

Despicable.

"Fortunately, as part of the peace treaty, Queen Mirellia managed to take most of these refugees along with many of the other outcast demi-humans who spoke out against the cruelty of the Council's decision into Melromarc to form a demi-human friendly region in my Father's domain. As long as Siltvelt would similarly form a safe region for humans inside its borders, peace would remain between the two… I will admit, my Father told me that the Wise King hadn't wanted to agree to it. But because he loved his wife and daughter more than ever after the loss of his sister and would rather have peace so they'd remain safe, he agreed. He made her the promise that he wouldn't try and interfere with the region, or else his life would be in her hands." Eclair breathed a sigh of relief. "That's everything I know."

...

"... Fine. So he has his reasons to hate me." Naofumi admitted grudgingly. He would have said Trash, but he found it likely Eclair would scold him if he called him that after hearing some of the King's own tragic backstory.

Plus, the other information Eclair had mentioned helped him to understand more about the world than he had before. In a way that made him hate it more.

Would he ever learn something that'd make him want to stay here?

"I'm sorry, I haven't spoken to anyone in a while." Eclair suddenly apologized. "You probably didn't need to hear all the history relating to the Siltvelt War. It's just been awhile since I've had the chance to talk with someone. And the guards won't talk to me or let me do any sword training, so I'm always cooped up in this cell without anything to do-" Eclair began speaking quickly.

"It's fine." Naofumi dryly interrupted her. "I didn't need to hear all of it. But I did learn some important things."

...

Eclair breathed deeply to calm herself.

It was at this point Naofumi realized something. They'd been taken so far off-topic he'd forgotten to ask. "Now that you've gotten that out of the way. How about you tell me how you ended up here?

"Alright." Eclair thought for a moment so she could explain more simply. "Before the first wave struck, I was supposed to be part of the Queen's personal guard for the conference about the next Waves of Catastrophe.

"However, on our way there, I had a bad feeling, and I got my Queen's permission to return home. The Wave was to hit any day now, and... I wanted to be there, on the low chance that it impacted my Father's region.

"By the time I made it back, however, the wave had already hit. The Seaetto region had been badly hit. Lurolona was completely destroyed, and the nearby town where my Father and I had lived..."

...

...

Naofumi stared as the knight choked on her words.

"The Knights guarding the roads to the region weren't allowing anybody inside. They told me everything had been destroyed, and wouldn't let me do something as simple as retrieve my Father's remains," Eclair muttered, her hands forming fists. "They said the area was unsafe for someone like me. So I tried going to a nearby town outside my Father's region to send a message through the guild. My goal was to contact the Queen and receive her permission to use her authority to be able to enter. However, I was told she was too busy dealing with the other countries who'd realized the danger of the waves and were in an uproar about it. So I tried to get in contact with her personal Shadows, but found they were busy dealing with other matters. There was nothing I could do..."

So her Majesty also used Shadows. Interesting. Why hadn't he seen any working for her before now?

"What happened after that?" Naofumi asked.

"I eventually returned to the Capital two weeks after the wave hit. There, I tried to seek permission from the Knight Commander to be stationed at Seaetto. But I was told only elite knights were being allowed in the area to dispatch of the monsters. I then tried to tell him I was one of the Queen's personal elite knights, that I was the best swordswoman in the nation, and that I could handle myself. I then added that as the daughter of the former lord of the area, it was my right to oversee my property and everything in it."

Her hands formed fists again. "He had the gall to laugh at me. And told me that if I didn't leave him alone, he'd have me escorted out. Whether I was the daughter of that lowly demi-human loving Lord or not."

...

It was a moment before she spoke again. "I should have realized by the way he talked about my Father that something was very wrong. I should have realized it..."

She calmed down and looked back up. "I soon found myself in the Three Heroes Church. I'd wanted to find a way of letting go of these feelings of frustration, and though I'd never thought much of the Three other Cardinal Heroes as I did the Shield Hero, I found myself sitting in one of the pews to pray for help and guidance."

Eclair sat in a soft-seated pew inside the Chapel of the Three Heroes Church. In front of her was an altar with the rosary symbol on the front. Behind the altar was a stained-glass depiction of the Sword, the Spear, and the Bow. Making a triangle around the rosary of the Three Heroes Church.

The chapel itself yelled money and power instead of humility and faith.

"Oh Gods, please, soften the hearts of my commanding officer. Please, let me see if my friends are safe, and let me retrieve my Father's body so he can be at peace." Eclair's head was bowed, and her hands were clasped fervently in prayer in front of her. "I will do anything. I just ask for a miracle to happen, so I may go and-"

"Lady Altara, have the King and the Pope come to a decision?"

Eclair stopped praying and looked up curiously as one of the doors near the altar opened. A middle-aged nun came out with a young acolyte.

"They have. The Pope has, at last, managed to convince his Majesty of our dire need." Altara responded to the acolyte. "Soon, our best mages will be using the rare artifact we've kept for centuries to summon our Gods back to our world," Altara looked up at the stained-glass depiction of the rosary. There was a look of excitement on her face.

Eclair found herself stooping lower in her pew. Hiding from sight so she could listen in.

The Gods… were they… talking about the Cardinal Heroes?

"I learned that the Pope was working together with the King to summon the Cardinal Heroes of Legend without the permission of the Queen. The last wave had struck Melromarc, and according to the Hourglass, the next wave would strike Melromarc within the month. They'd need all the help they could get if they wanted to survive the waves of Catastrophe." Eclair said in the background as the nun and acolyte talked in quiet tones to each other. Summarizing what Eclair had overheard.

"This is great news. But what'll happen if the Shield Demon gets summoned with the other Cardinal Heroes?" The acolyte asked curiously.

Eclair raised an eyebrow at that. But continued listening in.

"Do not worry, my child," Altara said, resting a hand on the younger acolyte's shoulder. "Even if the Shield Demon is summoned, I'm sure it'll be easy to keep him from getting in the way of the Cardinal Heroes. After all, the Pope sent me along with many of our Church Knights to the region of Seaetto for that reason."

...

Eclair's blood ran cold. "The Pope, in his infinite wisdom, saw he would convince the King to go forward with the summoning if it truly looked like the Wave had destroyed an entire region of our country. And thus, to weaken our enemy and strengthen his benevolence's argument, he sent me to lead the Church's loyal Knights, knowing I would make sure with my abilities in magic that no word of our deeds would ever get out to anyone." Altara said gently as if she were talking to a child. "And I did just that. Those that survived the Wave of Catastrophe have been dealt with. And those not loyal to his Benevolence saw nothing but complete and utter destruction upon their visit.

"Not even the King knows of our plans child. All will be well."

Eclair waited a little while longer as Altara finally turned away from the rosary. "Come now. We still have a little more to do before the preparations for the summoning are complete." Altara said to the acolyte, walking back to the door. "If the Shield Demon is summoned, we'll have to make sure all our plans are in place. There's so much left to do... I must speak with our informant inside the castle to make sure all is ready before we go forward with our plan to destroy the Shield Demon, once, and for all."

"... Yes, my lady." The acolyte followed.

Eclair was left alone in the room. Sitting quietly in the pews. Her eyes filling with tears. "No…" She finally started to cry.

Not only her Father. Her lizardman friend. And everyone else she'd sparred with... they'd all been killed.

Only, they hadn't been killed by the Wave, like her Father.

" I was overwhelmed with grief, unlike anything I'd ever felt before… but after overhearing what that nun said, I knew what I had to do."

Eclair wiped her tears away, stood up with a serious expression on her face, and walked out of the chapel.

" Instead of going to inform my Queen, I made the choice to stay in the castle and see which heroes would be summoned.  Despite my grief, I knew if the Shield Hero was to be targeted that I had to be there to assist you.

"I hadn't met you, but I knew I couldn't let you die. So I stayed in my quarters in the castle until the time came when you and the other Heroes were summoned."

The scene changed, showing a calm Eclair disguised in normal knight armor, standing guard beside a pillar. With her hair tucked away, she looked like any other ordinary knight.

She watched as the throne room doors opened, and as the Cardinal Heroes of Legend walked in. The Sword Hero, the Bow Hero, the Spear Hero… and lastly, the Shield Hero.

" Seeing that you had been summoned, I knew what I had to do next."

Eclair walked in, standing guard with the other knights in the throne room. Watching as the Heroes introduced themselves. Watching until the meeting was over.

Then, she quietly returned to her quarters. Where she got rid of the bulky knight armor and put her own armor back on.

"The call had already gone out that adventurers were needed to assist the Cardinal heroes. And so I went to the Royal Knights that had been assigned to sort through the adventurers that wanted to fight alongside the Cardinal Heroes. They wanted to give me some trouble about signing up to join the Shield Hero's party, saying I wouldn't be able to meet him for a few days, and I… persuaded them not to mess around over important matters."

Eclair calmly stood by an upturned desk. Some adventurers peeked out from the line, looking at her in surprise. She had the two still surprised Royal Knights roughly pressed against the stone wall of the castle. Convincing them that continuing to get in her way would be a very bad idea.

"When everything was done, I went back to my quarters to prepare for the next day. The day I was supposed to meet you and become a member of your party."

The scene changed again, showing a large room in the castle. Eclair was kneeling next to her bed, whispering her prayers under her breath before she'd turn in for the night.

"Please, protect me from harm. Protect my comrades from harm. And help me to be able to do my duty, and-" In the middle of her praying, she suddenly stopped.

"I don't know how I realized it, but… I thought I was in great danger."

She stood back up, pulling her sword from her sheath. "Who's there?!"

Eclair held her sword threateningly in front of her, looking in the darkness around her. She had a strong feeling that she was being watched at that moment. But she couldn't tell why.

…

Eclair lowered her sword point slightly. Then she started to shake her head to clear it. The stress of tomorrow must have been getting to her. She began to turn back to her bed-

Her body reacted before her mind did. Her sword moved, deflecting a black dagger that appeared from the darkness. Before she could yell, she had to jump to the side, avoiding a second and third one that immediately followed. They dug deep into the wall behind her. "Stop!-" She tried to yell but quickly raised her sword again to block another thrown dagger.

In desperation, realizing that she didn't know how many daggers her attacker had and that the person was trying to kill her, she jumped forward, moving her sword in a wide-sweeping arc.

The move worked, and she felt her sword tug through flesh. In the darkness in front of her, the would-be assassin fell backward away from her.

Eclair quickly lit a lamp, revealing a black-robed figure who was quick to get back up. He kept a grip on his dagger this time, and Eclair barely avoided the stab to her shoulder. The man proceeded to move rapidly, trying again and again to slash at her.

Yet Eclair skillfully blocked or parried all of his strikes. And when he overextended on a strike that left him open, she slashed the man across the chest.

The blood from both wounds stained the floor. Yet the man kept his grip on the hilt of a fifth dagger. In his other hand, the assassin was gripping a rosary. "Who are you? Why are you trying to kill me?" Eclair asked angrily, pointing her sword at the assassin.

The figure coughed up blood, looking up at Eclair with hate. "All those… that support the Shield Demon... must… DIE!" The assassin somehow jumped forward despite his injuries. Trying to stab at Eclair with the dagger.

On instinct, Eclair evaded and thrust her sword backward through the assassin's heart from behind.

A dying gasp escaped the man's lips, and he slumped forward.

Eclair quickly pulled her sword out, and the assassin dropped to the floor. She was breathing heavily, filled with adrenaline from the sudden fight. An exp notification appeared in her vision, and she realized with sinking horror that she'd just killed another person.

Yet, even as that thought occurred, another one quickly followed it, making the knight freeze in terror. 'All those who support the Shield Hero... THE OTHERS!'

She quickly opened her door and ran out into the hallway. Booking it towards the rooms where the other adventurers were being housed until the morning.

She opened the door to the room, and her heart stopped at what she saw.

'My… Gods…'

There were signs of a struggle in the room. Claw marks on the floors and walls. Small pools of blood here and there on the ground. But no sign of the demi-human adventurers.

Wherever they'd been before, they were all gone.

Eclair felt sick to her stomach. This, this went beyond what she'd been expecting. Such barbarity, and all too...!

'I have to warn the Shield Hero.' Eclair realized.

The first part of the scheme she'd heard about, her reason for joining the Shield Hero's party, had already been put into motion.

She quickly ran away from the area, heading in the direction of the Hero's Quarters.

Eclair turned another corner and nearly ran into Princess Malty. "Princess!" Eclair said in relief. "It's not safe for you here! There are assassins, in the castle," Eclair said, sounding out of breath.

"Assassins?" Malty said curiously.

"Yes! One of them was in my room. I killed him, but the rest kidnapped the adventurers for the Shield Hero's party." Eclair continued to explain in between breaths. "The Heroes… they're not safe here!"

Eclair made to run past Malty, but Malty got in her way. She had a smirk on her face now. "Did you just say, you killed one of these, 'assassins' in your room?" Malty asked for clarification.

"Princess, I have no time for your games," Eclair said impatiently. "I need to warn the Heroes before-"

"It seems you know too much about what's going on," Malty said, smiling bitchily. "Sorry, but I can't have you warning the Shield Demon about my plans."

Eclair backed up. Why was the First Princess acting this way?

"Arrest her!" Malty ordered.

Before Eclair could realize whom Malty was talking to, she was grabbed from behind by two knights. "Wait! What did I do?!" Eclair screamed angrily.

"It's obvious you hold the same evil as the Devil of the Shield in you," Malty said haughtily. "You killed someone in cold blood. The body in your room is evidence!"

"What are you talking about!? The person in that room was trying to kill me! What I did was self-defense as a knight to your Mother Queen-" Eclair screamed angrily.

"Take her to the dungeons! Just for mentioning that false queen, she deserves to rot in a cell." Malty said dismissively.

Eclair barely noticed the rosaries around the necks of the two knights that were pulling her away. "Princess Malty!" Eclair screamed.

One of the knights knocked her out, making her world go black.

The scene moved back to Eclair and Naofumi.

...

...

...

Naofumi honestly didn't know what to say after hearing that.

Eclair looked down at the floor. She had realized it shortly after she woke up in this cell almost two months ago.

The nun had said she had an informant inside the castle helping them. She'd realized too late though that the informant could have been a royal. A scheming, backstabbing, manipulative royal who lied and cried crocodile tears on a daily basis to disguise her true intentions.

She had been a fool to have not run away from Princess Malty.

"I failed to protect you. I failed to protect those who wanted to support you. And worse, I was unable to inform you of the princess's or the Church's scheming in time Sir Shield Hero." She finished sadly. "I'm truly sorry for all the trouble I caused to you..."

…

"Well, actually… I have some stuff I need to tell you now." After everything he'd heard, it sounded like Eclair needed some good news in her life.

They'd only met, but he found he could already trust her. So he proceeded to share with her what had happened ever since he'd been summoned to this world.

He started with how Bitch had joined his party under the guise of Myne. Then he told her how he'd learned about her scheming in time to escape. How he'd bought Raphtalia and then Filo to help him while on the run, leveling up, surviving the waves, becoming the Nocturnal Doctor, and so on from there till the moment when he was captured.

When he finished almost an hour later, Eclair looked stunned at hearing his story. "By the Gods. I'm surprised the King didn't try to have you executed outright instead of throwing you down here."

"What makes you say that?" Naofumi asked.

"Sir Naofumi. As I told you before. Melromarc is a matriarch country. Raping a woman in Melromarc alone is punishable by death. Being accused of raping a royal and running away from your crime..."

She left it hanging. But a chill struck Naofumi to the bone. "… you should be dead ten times over." Eclair said. "Any rational father alone would want to kill you."

"Are you saying the King actually wants to keep me alive then?" Naofumi asked.

"Yes. Either he realizes that your death would anger the other nations. Or that it would anger the Queen. Perhaps both. So the best he can do right now is hold you here until her Majesty returns to give her verdict on the matter." She frowned. "Still, to think you had to go through all that."

"Yeah, it's been tough, but it hasn't been all bad." He said in a surprisingly optimistic tone. He felt a lot better now. It even felt like his headache from earlier had almost disappeared. "If it hadn't been for what had happened, I would have never met Raphtalia or Filo. I probably wouldn't have ended up getting so close to either of them... I just hope that they're okay."

He worriedly checked his HUD again to see if they were ok. They looked to be ok since the various gauges were still full

It didn't feel the same. He wanted to see them both… he wanted to hug them. Let them know that he was okay. That he wasn't alone in some dark cell with nothing to do... even with Eclair there, it didn't feel okay without the two of them beside him.

Especially Raphtalia...

"... How much do these two mean to you?" Eclair asked quietly.

Naofumi wasn't sure or not, but it seemed like Eclair was a little shy as she spoke. "Well, I mean, Filo, for all her faults, is like my daughter now." He answered.

"And this girl, Raphtalia?" The knight pressed.

Naofumi frowned a little. "I'm still not entirely sure. But I know she loves me... and I feel something similar for her… I honestly don't know. But it feels clearer every day, so I think I'll know eventually."

Now Eclair looked... disappointed. "I've honestly never thought much about girls before because of stuff in the past. So I'm not sure what my feelings are exactly… But…" He frowned again and looked to Eclair. "Why do you ask?"

"... it's nothing." She shook her head. "I prefer sword training anyway."

That was out of left field. Naofumi had no idea what the comment was supposed to mean. Why even ask that question only to follow it up with something like that?

He then groaned. His headache, which had felt like it was receding, was coming back with a vengeance.

Eclair heard him. "Is there something wrong Sir Naofumi?"

"Nothing… it's just my head…"

Eclair quickly pieced together why. "With your defense stat, they probably used tranquilizer or something similar on you to knock you out and transport you here. If your head is still hurting, the only thing that'll help is to sleep it off so the rest can work its way out of your system."

Naofumi was still confused about some stuff. He wanted to ask more questions. Like what was Queen Mirellia like? Would she be a possible ally? But his head was really starting to hurt like hell, and he honestly felt very tired.

And as grim as the thought was, there was always tomorrow since he had nothing better to do trapped in this stupid cell. So he laid back down. "Alright... and Eclair."

"Yes, Sir Naofumi," Eclair responded.

"I'm sorry it's because of me that you were put down here. But... it means a lot to me that there were people at the start that wanted to help me." Naofumi admitted.

...

…

…

"You're welcome, Sir Naofumi." Naofumi heard as he was drifting off to sleep.

The pain faded away as Naofumi fell back into dreamland.

A small figure and a large figure peeked out from behind a tree in the darkening night.

"There it is." Ahead of them were the gates to the Capital. With the coming night, it looked like the knights were preparing to close them.

"Mommy, are you sure Filo can't bring the wagon along?"

"Yes, I'm sorry sweetie. But it's too big for me to sneak in."

"Awwww…" Filo looked back at the area where she and Mommy had hidden the wagon. It was covered in branches and mud. 'And Filo spent so much time polishing it so it'd be nice and shiny…'

A wagon was approaching the gates.

"You ready, Filo?" Raphtalia asked.

Filo looked at her wagon a moment longer, then nodded to Raphtalia. Raphtalia climbed onto her back and clutched to her neck feathers. "As source of thy power, I order thee. Decipher the laws of nature, and hide us from sight." Raphtalia quietly chanted. Filo bent down as Raphtalia selected the both of them on her HUD.

The knight on guard started to talk to the driver of the wagon.

"All Hide Mirage."

Raphtalia's magic covered herself and Filo. Immediately after the spell was in effect, Filo ran out from the cover of the trees towards the gates.

The knight was in the middle of talking with the driver of the wagon when a whoosh of air suddenly blew past him, springing him to alertness. "Who's there?!" He pointed his pike around, looking for whatever monster had caused the gust of air.

There was nothing around him.

"Is something wrong?" The wagon driver asked.

"Hey, Roark, is something going on down there?" A knight from the wall up above yelled down.

The knight looked around for a moment more. "No, I'm just getting tired." The knight said while rubbing at his eyes. "Welcome back, Second Princess." The knight directed the wagon in. "I don't think any other travelers will be out at night. Let's close the gates!" The knight yelled up above.

"Right away."

Inside, behind a farmer's stall by the wall near the South Gate, Raphtalia reappeared from her magic spell. She had a hood over her head to hide her face. Filo also reappeared as a little girl next to her. "What now, mommy?" She asked quietly.

Raphtalia gripped one of Filo's hands gently. "We're going to find an old friend. One you haven't had the chance to meet yet, Filo." She said quietly.

It had been a while since Raphtalia had last been in the Capital. Most of the streets she and Filo quietly walked were unfamiliar. Knight patrols appeared every now and then, forcing the two of them to hide and watch quietly from the Shadows hidden from the light of hanging lanterns.

Raphtalia wished that she was searching for Naofumi. But she had no idea where they were hiding him. She also couldn't sneak around in the dark forever trying to find him. She needed somewhere in the Capital where she and Filo could rest, find out where Naofumi was being held, and then formulate a plan to rescue him. And Raphtalia knew of just the place…

...

At last, they arrived in front of the door of the place she'd been looking for.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

…

The door slowly opened. "Now who in the blazes are you to knock this late at-" Elhart stopped speaking in surprise. "Little miss, is that you?"

"Yes, it's me, Elhart," Raphtalia said, smiling at the sight of the kind blacksmith.

"What are you doing back here? Why isn't Shield Bro with you?" Elhart noticed Filo. "And who's the little girl?"

"I can explain. But not out here." Raphtalia told him.

"Yeah… yeah you're right." Elhart was a smart man and quick to read the situation. He opened the door the rest of the way. "Come in. I'm sure there's a lot I need catching up on."

Raphtalia and Filo entered the kind blacksmith's shop, and he closed the door before a patrol rounded the corner on the street. They passed on by, unaware that the Shield Hero's party members had just gone inside.

Elhart could already tell he was going to be in for a long night.

"Now tell me, what happened, and why the hell is Shield Bro not with you?"

"Thank you for the ride, kind sir."

"No problem Miss. I'm always happy to help out royalty." The wagon driver who'd last been seen at the South Gate snapped his reins and left the little blue-haired girl behind.

She calmly, and tiredly approached the castle doors. It'd been a long journey on her part. Made all the longer by an unintentional detour she'd taken. But she'd finally made it home.

Before she even reached the doors, however, they opened. King Aultcray came rushing out.

"Daughter!"

"Father!"

The two embraced happily. The stress of the journey quickly became worth it as the young girl hugged her loving and caring Father for the first time in months.

"Oh, my dear Melty. I've missed you so much." King Aultcray said, happiness clear in his tone.

"I missed you too Papa." Melty smiled brightly for him.

They stayed in their embrace for a moment longer, and then Aultcray separated to look down at her. "What brings you back so soon dear daughter? Is everything alright abroad?" Aultcray asked worriedly.

"Mother gave me permission to return home a month ago to see you, Father," Melty said happily. "Sorry, the journey took so long. But I ran into some issues on the way here."

"You can tell me all about it later." King Aultcray said, noticing his daughter's tiredness. "I'll take you to your room. There you can rest, and we can talk more in the morning."

"Okay... Before that though, I must ask about the current whereabouts of the Shield Hero." She said. "Mother wanted me to check in on how things were going in that regard."

...

King Aultcray's smile was replaced with a grimace. "You do know where he is, do you Father?"

"Yes, my dear. But first, you should rest-" He tried to say.

"Father. Please don't hide things from me." Melty looked at him insistently.

...

"He was captured recently by the Spear Hero. He's currently being held in the dungeons while evidence is gathered for the crimes he is accused of." Aultcray could never resist his youngest daughter when she looked at him like that.

"... alright." Melty thought to herself. "I shall rest in my room for the night. But in the morning, I will meet with the Shield Hero myself."

"But, Melty, he hurt your sister, it wouldn't be safe for you to try and see him-" Aultcray was about to burst in anger. But then, he could never be angry with either of his daughters. So he managed to control his tone. "I can't let you meet him. He has done terrible things, dear daughter. Things you aren't old enough to-"

"I know what rape is, Father." Melty said calmly. "You forget that Mother has taught me how to defend myself from such advances. Though, me and her are both at a loss for how the Shield Hero, a hero recorded in history books the world over to have little in terms of attack power, and who had just been summoned to our world, could have raped the First Princess when she was level 20 when I left."

...

Aultcray stared, dumbfounded at his daughter. "Father, I do not know if the Shield Hero is guilty or not. I would be just as angry as you if it is true and he hurt dear sister. But whether he has committed any crimes or not, we cannot afford to antagonize the Cardinal Heroes during the Waves of Catastrophe. Besides giving me permission to see you, Mother also wants me to verify the Shield Hero's innocence on her behalf. And should he have committed the crimes he's been accused of, then he should be punished. But if he's innocent, he should be freed as soon as possible."

"But... why would Mirellia do that?!" Aultcray looked genuinely worried. He'd already lost some of his family in the past. What if... the Shield Hero tried to do something to his young daughter while she was with him and-

"Father. You know we need the help of all the Cardinal Heroes if the world is to survive the Waves of Catastrophe. The other nations are mad that Melromarc summoned them all. And Mother has had to deal with the consequences of that the last few months."

"Do you really want Mother to come back after dealing with that political fallout only to find that you've made a further mess of things during her absence?"

...

Melty's face softened. "I say this only because I love you Papa. Please, let me help you."

...

"Alright." King Aultcray relented. If it had been anyone other than his own family, he would have refused. But like Malty, he could never say no to Melty. It was probably his greatest weakness.

He couldn't say no to the wishes of his daughters. "You can meet him yourself tomorrow morning. After you've rested tonight. But I plead with you to be careful."

Melty hugged her Father again. "Thanks Papa." She looked up to him and began to smile again. What Mirellia had told her to tell her Father was done.

"Will you escort me to my room? There is much I have to tell you about my travels before I go to sleep." Melty said happily as if the former subject had never been brought up. "And it's been such a long time since you told me a bedtime story!"

Aultcray started to smile again. "Of course. I'm sure you've seen some interesting things since you left. And I'd love to hear about it while I tucked you in like old times."

The two walked through the castle doors. Heading down the main hallway as they talked with one another...

...

From the shadows, a certain red-haired bitch slowly crept out. "So, my sweet little sister returned to free the Shield Hero..."

She laughed bitchily into her hand. "Oh, poor naive Mel. It pains me to have to do this." She didn't look pained at all as she held a hand over her heart. "But this works in my favor. Now, neither of you will be surviving tomorrow."

It had already been planned that the Shield Hero would be assassinated in his cell. But if the young heir to the throne was killed too... well, kill off two birds with one stone.

The annoying Shield Hero would, at last, be dead.

And no one would be standing in the way of Malty 'Bitch' Melromarc from becoming Queen!

"Yes, I couldn't imagine anything more perfect." She said happily to herself. She loved it when her plans came together so beautifully.

Too bad she only thought of her plans in the short term. Otherwise, she'd be able to see how this would REALLY screw her over in the long run.

The First Princess disappeared into the shadows of a side hallway.

Hero Clips!

The Tragic Story of King Melromarc XXXII

"My name is Aultcray Melromarc. I am the current King of the mighty nation of Melromarc." Aultcray sat on a throne, holding his normal staff in one hand.

At one point, he'd held the Vassal Staff, or the Staff of the Seven-Star Heroes as it was called in his world. But long had been the days when he'd been worthy of holding it.

"Long before I became the King, I was a prince of Faubley. My real name back then was Luge Faubley. I was only thirteen years younger than the current King, and 52nd in line from the throne." Aultcray began to explain his tragic backstory. "I knew I'd never be destined to sit in the throne of Faubley, being so far down the line. So I thought my life would be that of a lowly prince, living in the shadows of all his other relatives."

"However, one day, in the middle of the night, my life changed forever when a group of Hakuko raided our manor. Killing my mom, my servants, and everyone else except me and my blind Sister, Lecia, who I managed to save from the destruction of that terrible day."

Aultcray sighed sadly. "I tried to ask my country for help, but they were more than willing to dust my family's tragic ending under the rug. It was likely those Hakuko were mercenaries hired by a prince in line behind me who wanted my family out of the way. Since I couldn't find justice in Faubley, I took my sister, the last family I had in this world, and what little money I had on my person, and left the toxic political atmosphere of Faubley behind for Melromarc. There I joined the military with the hope of one day being able to avenge my family of those damn Hakuko, and so I could get the money I needed to help take care of my poor little sister."

Aultcray stood, making a dramatic pose. "I worked hard to take care of my sister amongst all my studies and travels. I had the worst time starting out as a recruit. But I quickly made a name for myself with my genius and superb tactics. And when the day came that the Staff chose me to wield it to defend the world against the Claw King, I finally saw my chance to turn my life around and to avenge my dead family-"

"Just cut the crap already!" Naofumi yelled.

A record scratch sounded somewhere in the background.

"What in the holy blazes!" The King was brought out of his personal monologue by the sight of a chained up Naofumi still sitting in front of him. "What are you still doing here?! I thought I ordered to have this scum thrown in the dungeons!"

"We were just about to do that when you began monologuing your Majesty." Aultcray's minister apologized.

"... What?"

"We felt it'd be rude to interrupt, sire." The minister added to his previous statement.

"Gosh, you're like the most generic King I've ever seen!" Naofumi complained. "You think you're all high and mighty because you get to sit on your King throne in your King robes. Wearing your king hat talking about all that and-"

"Silence! I refuse to allow you to disrespect the Great King, Aultcray Melromarc XXXII any further!" Aultcray's minister yelled at Naofumi.

"Are you kidding me?! There were 31 others just like him?!" Naofumi asked in disbelief. "No wonder this world is screwed!"

...

...

Aultcray and his minister were so stunned by that response that it took the King a moment to recompose himself.

"Throw him in the dungeons now."

"That's right. Cut off the conversation you stupid generic King! You know you can't fight against the facts!" Naofumi yelled as the guards began dragging him away.

"Will somebody please knock him out!" King Aultcray demanded.

"The issue with that sire is that none of us have a high enough attack stat to accomplish such a feat." Aultcray's minister informed him.

"Aw yeah! I get to be as loud and annoying as possible on my way out! That's what you get for separating me from my party you old ugly bastard!" Naofumi's voice was still quite audible despite having been dragged out of the throne room.

Aultcray sighed heavily. "Why did the Staff stop working for me all those years ago?"

"Because their purpose is to either save the world or assist the Holy Heroes sir. It won't come back to you until you make the conscious decision to let go of your grudge against the demi-humans and assist the Shield Hero."

"Ugh..." Maybe it was a good thing the Staff had stopped responding to him.

"You can still hear me, right?! Right you piece of Trash?!" Naofumi's voice sounded loud and clear from down the hall. His Shield changed to the Voice Gengar Shield and he yelled through the mic so the words reverberated through the whole castle. "I know, I'll tell you the poem I wrote about Bitch!

"In a field near Swig, amongst a herd of pigs, was the royal swine named Bitch!"

Aultcray literally couldn't imagine anything worse than being forced to assist a Hero like this.

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

Naofumi opened his eyes. He was surrounded by nothing but dark shadows. He looked to be floating in midair.

"Where… where am I?" He muttered in confusion.

...

"Nothing you do will stop what's coming…"

Naofumi turned, trying to find where the voice had come from. But he saw nothing. Just darkness and shadows stretched taut and black all around him.

"Who are you? What's coming?" Naofumi asked desperately.

…

The shadows to the right of Naofumi retreated back several feet. His eyes widened as he saw the body of a very familiar companion laying there.

"It's already too late."

"Raphtalia!" He flipped her body, which was covered in burns, over. He was met with a cold body and glassy eyes.

He gasped in pain, pressing his hand to her cheek. It was devoid of any warmth. "No, why... WHY!" Naofumi yelled.

"This can't be!"

"It can, and it will. No matter what you choose, all paths lead to this moment."

In front of Naofumi, a face appeared leeringly from the darkness. It was blurry, and he could have sworn it was Bitch. And yet...

Naofumi quickly stood up. He was beyond angry. "No, I won't let you kill her! I won't let you harm anyone close to me ever again!" He said as he took a defensive position over Raphtalia's body.

…

The shaded figure covered their mouth and laughed. It was dry, devoid of anything positive. "Oh, poor naive Naofumi..." They didn't move, yet their voice sounded as if they were whispering into his ear.

"When are you going to realize that you are her executioner?"

...

Naofumi was shocked speechless, and the blurry face retreated back into the darkness. "Haha, ahahahahaha!" Their laugh echoed in the darkness all around Naofumi.

Suddenly, Naofumi's shield came to life on his arm.

It was a different design, covered in dark flames. Flames… flames just… just like...

'No, I couldn't! I wouldn't!'

He fell to his knees, putting his hands over his head. Around Naofumi, the shadows retreated. Showing not just the body of Raphtalia, but also the bodies of Filo, Elhart, Ren, Itsuki, Motoyasu, the King, the Pope, the Shadow who'd helped him, and many, many more.

It was like a battlefield, and Naofumi was the epicenter. Everyone was covered in burns.

He was covered in black burns. It felt like he was suffocating. Being consumed… by something inside him.

"No, stop this, please stop!" Naofumi screamed.

"One way or another, your path will lead to here. She will die. And many more, in turn, will then die by your hands. All because you don't accept me." Their voice said somewhere around him. He wanted to say it was Malty's, but he really couldn't tell.

"And in the end, as your own hatred consumes you, I will be there to laugh in your pitiful little face as you finally wither away and I assume control."

Naofumi turned his head, only to come face to face with-

"Second princess! What are you doing down here!"

Naofumi sat up straight in his cot.

'What the &^%$ was that!?' The memory of the dream was quickly leaving his mind, but his body was still shaking uncontrollably. His breathing was panicked. He curled into the fetal position and held his head between his knees.

'No, it can't be true. I wouldn't kill all those people! I wouldn't hurt-'

"Sir Naofumi, are you alright?"

Naofumi looked up. Though the cell was still dark, he could see Eclair was starting to sit up and was rubbing at her eyes like she'd just been woken up.

Naofumi worked on taking deep breaths instead of panicked ones. As he did so, the rest of the nightmare faded to the back of his mind. Losing its significance until only the memory that he'd had woken from some nightmare remained.

What had he been dreaming about? He could hardly recall anymore. Something about...

"I'm fine." Naofumi finally answered.

"Are you sure? It sounded like-" Eclair was saying.

"Again, I'm here to see the Shield Hero... and the Knight Eclair." A voice sounded outside their cell.

The two turned their heads. Before Naofumi could even attempt to use it as an excuse to change the subject, Eclair stood up off her bed, looking in surprise at the cell door. "There's no way… the country of Faubley is three weeks away… how is she here already?" She said to herself in disbelief.

Now that he wasn't so panicked, Naofumi realized his pounding headache was gone. And though he felt hungry now that he didn't have sedatives in his system, he felt oddly refreshed.

Before he could think more about it, the voices outside spoke up again. "Princess Melty, I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to meet them-"

"I have my orders from the Queen. My Father has also given his permission. I will see the Shield Hero and the Knight Eclair. Now, unlock their cell." A young, authoritative voice said.

"But, but the Shield Hero's dangerous! And the Knight has been charged with murder by the First Princess, and is still awaiting trial! You could be in danger if I let you in there-" The Knight tried to say.

"Shall I repeat myself again? You dare to disobey a royal order given by both the King and Queen?"

Naofumi and Eclair scooted closer off their beds to overhear the next part. It sounded like the knight was sputtering outside, trying to think of something to say.

"Have you forgotten who holds the authority in this country? Should I send word back to my mother about your insubordination to her orders?" The young voice asked authoritatively. A hint of a threat in her undertone.

…

"No, right this way Second Princess!" The knight said in a scared tone.

Naofumi and Eclair looked at each other. "It sounds like you have an idea of who's out there?" He asked.

Eclair finally had a smile on her face. It kind of looked good on her despite the relative darkness of the room. "I can't believe it. She finally came. Someone finally came for me..."

"And just who exactly came for us?" Naofumi asked, sounding a little frustrated. 'Why isn't she just telling me who the hell it is? Don't tell me this is going to be some big reveal trope where no one tells the protagonist who's actually coming until he or she appears! Ugh.' He really wanted to think of this world as a real world. But not only the game mechanics, but sometimes the people's behavior could paint it out to be from an anime, a light novel, a manga, or a game.

Before Eclair said anything else, the lock to the cell door clicked, and then it opened. Torchlight flooded the darkroom, nearly blinding Naofumi since his eyes had been accustomed to the dark.

"Now, go back to your post." The young voice said, still out of sight. Standing in the doorframe was a lanky knight dressed in armor that looked two sizes too big on him.

"But, but my lady, these two-" The Knight looked at the two of them fearfully as he spoke. Naofumi still couldn't see who it was he was talking to. However, he made the best threatening face he could at the knight.

The poor sap almost pissed himself in terror. He, he couldn't even attack the guy and he was scared he was going to beat him up.

Or, perhaps he was more afraid Eclair would beat him up? You know, since Naofumi could do diddly squat with his fists.

He was almost able to picture Raphtalia lecturing him at that moment for enjoying the man's frightened face. Then he imagined coming up with some snarky comeback that would lead to them bickering childishly with each other… then he imagined them ultimately compromising and hugging it out… she'd remind him that she loved him, and he'd respond saying he knew that. And then Filo would interrupt, and the two of them would both play with her and continue on as if nothing bad had happened… their relationship would be stronger than before...

He really missed the two of them. It had only been two days. Yet it felt like two lifetimes even though he'd been asleep for most of it.

"I will be just fine. Leave us now."

The knight finally left the doorway, and Naofumi's face fell. 'What I'd give to see them both again.'

As Naofumi was stuck in his depressing thoughts, wondering what was about to happen, his chains and Eclairs magically released themselves and dropped to the floor. It felt like a rush of energy flowed back into his very being from the action. He rubbed at his wrists in surprise. The depressing thoughts he'd been pondering on were pushed far away.

"Ok. I was not expecting this."

Eclair looked very ecstatic. She still hadn't said who was seeing them either! But trope or not, now he was actually starting to feel hopeful that maybe whoever it was was here to help them! 'Come on! Just appear already damn it!' Naofumi stared at the doorway intently.

...

Finally, a small, maybe ten-year-old girl walked into view of the torchlight in front of the cell door. The first thing Naofumi noticed about her was the amount of blue. Her hair was blue. Her eyes were blue. The two ribbons holding her two curly blue pigtails in place were also blue. And besides the various white areas on her fancy frilly clothes, her outfit was almost entirely blue.

That was a lot of blue to take in.

'Uhhhhhhhh…' Naofumi had been expecting something a little… more...

"Princess Melty! You have no idea how good it is to see you again!" Eclair said happily.

Melty smiled happily at her friend as she walked in and held her hands. "It's good to see you too Eclair."

"Princess… Melty?" Naofumi asked in confusion. This little blue loli girl... was a Princess?!

"Yes, Sir Shield Hero. I am Princess Melty Melromarc. Daughter of Aultcray and Mirellia Q. Melromarc, and current heir to the throne." She said matter of factly in a formal way. If her clothes hadn't already depicted her royal status, her formal tone sure did. "I am here to determine if you are guilty of what you were accused of, and if you aren't guilty, I am to release you, and convince you to talk things out with my Father.

"After all, there can be no bickering among us if my world is to survive the Waves of Catastrophe."

It was around a week before Naofumi was captured.

"Urgh…"

…

The Hakuko demi-human, Dou-Lon, slowly opened his eyes, revealing his gold-colored pupils.

He was lying on something soft and was covered in something warm. Up above him, he saw a wooden ceiling. 'What… the…' Was this heaven?

But if it was, why did he feel so tired… he would have thought heaven would be more energizing than this. Yet he felt so lethargic...

He tried to sit up, and a groan of pain escaped him. His eyes closed tight with pain. His stomach felt like it was on fire. 'No, not heaven, and probably not hell...'

He was alive. Yet he didn't know how...

Before he could ponder it more, an old wrinkled hand pressed against his chest, pushing him back down onto the bed. "No!" A voice snapped. "Lie down! You still badly injured!"

He opened his eyes and slightly turned his head. If he hadn't been so tired, he would have been more surprised by what he saw. Or rather, who he saw.

"You Hakuko all the same! You take severe injury! You hang on verge of life and death for weeks. You finally begin recovery! And then you think to go back to doing everything you did before! Bah! You Hakuko all the same!"

The oldest, grouchiest, and the shortest lady he'd ever seen was currently bent over a pot beside his bed. She had wrinkles like waves on her face, from the base of her disheveled white hair, all the way down to the tips of her hands. It seemed like a miracle that this old hag was even alive, much less, that she'd somehow managed to drag him from the forest where he'd been left for dead onto this bed.

He immediately assumed magic was involved. Magic... or she had someone help her. Due to his status as a demi-human, it was far more likely she'd used magic to move him. His odds of finding two people in Melromarc willing to work together to help a demi-human were incredibly low.

"Who… who are you?" He tiredly asked.

"You lucky that Raccoon lady used light magic to make wound!" The old hag continued as if she hadn't heard him. "You lucky that Raccoon Lady missed major organs. Raccoon Lady's magic mostly cauterized wounds and kept wounds from bleeding out!" She said, each sentence being empathized as she pounded something in the pot.

"Um-" Dou-Lon looked confused. Raccoon Lady?

"No! You still badly hurt! You need rest!"

The Hakuko demi-human sighed as he rolled his eyes. "I can't rest." He said with frustration in his tone. "I have to-"

The hag-like lady slapped the hakuko across the face with surprising force. There wasn't much pain, but it shocked him into silence. He was far bigger than this lady, but she was treating him like a kid. "Enough talk Hakuko. Now, drink." She ordered. She lifted a bowl from the pot up to his face. It held a weird green liquid inside.

The Hakuko glared at the old hag, but her unrelenting gaze stared back even more intensely. After a moment, seeing that he didn't have a choice, he opened his mouth and allowed her to pour the mixture in... The taste surprised him. It tasted like berries, like some of his favorites from the plains back home. And that's what he realized it was doing.

It was reminding him of home as he drank it.

The bowl emptied too quickly, and he found himself wishing for more. "What was that?" He asked, genuinely sounding curious.

"Medicine. Good medicine. Not as good as Yggdrasil, but good enough." The hag answered, sounding a little more cheery than grouchy now. "Hard to make. But very effective. Been giving to you every day." She said, putting the bowl back in the pot before lifting them both up. Even though the pot looked fairly big, she carried it with ease.

He was surprised by that. Maybe this old hag wasn't as weak as she appeared. But then he was also surprised by the fact that his gut wasn't hurting as much anymore. He tried to use an arm to lift up the blanket to see his wound.

"Ow!" His arm was slapped back down by the old lady. Hadn't she just been carrying that pot around?! How had she moved so quickly?!

"No moving! You hurt yourself by doing that!" The old hag snapped grouchily.

Dou-Lon found himself biting his tongue to keep himself from yelling in frustration. That slap had hurt more than his wound! Her counter logic was mind-boggling! "I just... want to see how bad my wound is now." He explained.

"You can see wound after it heals up." The old hag said simply. "For now, you need rest."

How did one see a wound after it was healed?! He was starting to think that maybe he was dead, and now he was stuck in some weird form of Limbo with this crazy lady that wanted him to keep as still as possible for some eternal torture.

"Alright. Why can't I move?" Dou-Lon asked sarcastically to humor the old hag.

"Medicine is very effective, but volatile too." The old hag said grouchily. "One wrong move. You go boom boom."

…

The Hakuko blinked his eyes. Had he heard that right? The old lady grouchily looked at his dumb expression. "Look." She started to explain. "This medicine meant for healing serious wounds back to full health. Even missing parts of organs grow back. But it can only be given in doses. Given too much, or one wrong move... you blow up my house!" She snapped at the end.

Feeling threatened, the Hakuko laid stock still on the bed. "What the hell?! Why even give me medicine like that to begin with!?" He yelled in fear. "Why not use restorative magic on me or something?!"

The old hag chuckled. It was weird coming from her. It wasn't evil, but it certainly was creepy. "Does silly old lady who knows no healing magic need reason to help near-dead Hakuko?" She asked.

He groaned at that. Again wondering how he'd gotten into this freak show of a mess. "I'm no human." He muttered angrily. As if that was all the explanation needed. "I'm a demi-human. And a Hakuko at that. Everyone in this country hates us. And my race bears the greatest shame of all."

He stayed lying down on the bed, his eyes staring at the ceiling. "I don't even know why you helped me. You probably hate demi-humans just as much as everybody else."

...

"Hmmm… My husband was half-orca. We all do weird things in our lives, eh?" The old lady said as she went about organizing stuff on her shelves with a shrug.

The Hakuko turned his head to look at her disbelievingly. There's no way a lady that small could handle an orca...'

"Are you serious?" He asked.

"Very," She said more happily. She pointed to a hand drawn portrait hanging over her fireplace. On it was a younger, more beautiful looking picture of a short brunette woman in her early 40's, being hugged by one of the biggest black whale therianthropes he'd ever seen.

Had she said her husband had been half-orca? His size would have easily placed him among the large full-blooded orca captains in the Siltvelt army. If not their freaking general! He looked to be at least seven, no, eight feet tall in the picture!

"Best man I ever knew... Bravest man too. He died in petty war Siltvelt had with neighboring country many years ago." The old lady said nostalgically.

"Was it... the recent war with Melromarc, or..." Dou-Lon trailed off.

"No, this conflict... further back. Much further." The old lady smiled sadly. "Well before you were twinkle in mother's eye."

She wasn't joking. This small 4'6" lady had been married to a half-orca. And he had died during a war…

"I, I'm sorry-" Dou-Lon tried to apologize. He suddenly felt like it was all his fault. Or rather, the fault of his nation. He'd immediately assumed that Siltvelt had drafted her husband into some petty war. And that she had been living here alone ever since, sad over the fact that it was all their fault for going to war so often in the past.

Rather, her next action surprised him.

Slap!

He was slapped hard across the face again by the old lady.

She must have really loved slapping him or something.

"I don't need pity boy." She said more loudly than before. He stayed silent, stunned by this ferocious old lady who pulled him up by the edge of his shirt so he was face to face with her. Had she not told him he needed to lie down otherwise HE'D EXPLODE!? HOW CRAZY WAS THIS HAG?!

Most likely, it wouldn't be the last time he thought this.

"My husband was good man." The old lady said angrily. "He went to battle willingly, wanting to defend his family back home. He died for good cause."

The Hakuko was more than floored by that statement. It made him forget that any wrong move could make him explode. "Wha... what?"

And here he'd been assuming that someone else would be bitter over Siltvelt's warlike history.

"Were you not fighting that Raccoon Lady in forest for good cause?" The hag asked.

"I… I…" He hadn't really thought it over before. He had gone into Melromarc on the orders of the Grand Council. He'd been tasked with several teams to help locate and bring the Shield Hero to Siltvelt.

He thought he wanted to find the Shield Hero and bring him to where he'd be safe and worshipped… but then he also remembered what Siltvelt had done to his raccoon friends as a kid. He remembered some of the conversations he overheard in the Palace during patrols. The plans to obtain more power and influence… would taking the Shield Hero back to Siltvelt where these different political factions could try to manipulate him into putting them in power only make it worse for his country?

Then there was the fact how his fellow Hakuko friends had wanted to kill the Shield Hero's companion if she tried to interfere with their mission... only because she was a Raccoon, and was thus unworthy to travel with the Shield Hero… if they had only looked as closely as he had... if they hadn't bought into Siltvelt's lies... would they have also seen how happy their God had looked despite living in exile?…

'... was my mission… was all my sacrifices to get here and meet the Shield Hero...'

"Bah!" Before he could think of an answer, the old lady pushed him back down onto the bed. "Sitting up won't help wounds recover. And it won't help my sanity thinking of you as ticking time bomb!"

"But, but I-" Dou-Lon tried to say. 'You were the one who held me up! Don't you even want any answers from me?!'

Though, if he was being completely honest, he didn't know if he had any answers to give.

"Enough talk, now rest!" She ordered.

Was that magic lacing her voice?

He suddenly found himself tired again and laid like a stone. But before his eyes closed, he looked towards the old hag who was heading for a door. "Can I… can I at least know your name?" He groggily asked.

The old lady paused.

...

"... I will give you name when I think you worthy to hear it." She snapped.

He found himself chuckling at that. 'What kind of mess have I gotten myself into this time?' The hakuko began to fall back towards the oblivion of dreamless sleep. This was even weirder than the time he and his friends had tried to sneak into the public baths as kids. But definitely not as exciting...

"If it means anything, my name is Dou-Lon," Dou-Lon said tiredly.

…

The lady's voice followed him into blackness.

"Dou-Lon. Yes. Very good Hakuko name indeed. One of honor and commitment."

"Just like the rest of your race."

It'd been a few seconds since Melty's statement.

At first, Naofumi was dead silent. Processing what he'd just heard.

…

And then...

...

...

…

"Ah!...

"Aha...

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Naofumi started rolling. Literally.

He was rolling on the floor of his cell, laughing his head off because of the ridiculousness of it all.

First, he was being saved after being falsely imprisoned by royalty. Second, it was a royal of all people who was freeing him. Third, of course, the good royal also had to be a loli, making it seem like a moment out of a popular anime in Japan. And fourth, to top things off, this loli was saying she wanted to prove his innocence so he could talk things out with her deadbeat of a Father?! After her father had gone through all the work of capturing and imprisoning him and framing him for Gods knows what evil had been done under the sun!?

'Oh hell, this is too good! This loli has to be joking!' Naofumi continued to laugh from the absurdity of it all.

There was no way this could actually be happening. Maybe he was still dreaming? He was almost tempted to pinch himself, but it wouldn't have worked. His high defense stat would have prevented him from feeling any pain. So he just continued rolling on the ground, laughing his head off.

Princess Melty, though still standing up straight... slowly started to look more and more indignant the longer Naofumi laughed. Eclair just… kind of awkwardly stood where she was.

She wasn't sure if she should get the Shield Hero to stop, or if she should awkwardly laugh along with him.

She'd just met him the day before after all.

...

After another minute, Melty finally had enough. "And just what is so funny Sir Shield Hero!? Did I have something on my nose when I spoke?!" She asked, trying to sound formal and mature.

However, it sounded more indignant and childlike.

Naofumi's laughter had cut through years of hard effort to control her voice in the space of a minute! That made her even more angry with him!

"You… You want me…" Naofumi was finding it hard to speak in between his laughs and was also finding it hard to breathe. "To… to talk to that… to that… that piece of &^%$!?" He couldn't continue speaking. He continued laughing like it was the best joke he'd ever heard.

Eclair cringed. 'Oh no. This… might not bode well.'

The second princess Melty started to turn red in the face. Her face scrunched up angrily. She looked a lot like Raphtalia when she'd pouted as a kid.

It was rather cute actually.

"My Father is not… what... what you just called him!" She yelled indignantly. To say such a word would have been very unladylike.

Not that she was being ladylike now. "I was sent by mother after the last wave to get you two to get along with each other! And we're going to get along now!" She yelled like a little kid.

Had she already forgotten the part where she was supposed to determine if he was innocent or not?

It was almost too much. Naofumi was barely able to breathe by this point. He still thought it was a joke. One big, freaking hilarious joke.

Eclair was now looking at him with a stunned expression. She had not imagined a hero ever being this care-free before. She'd imagined Naofumi being more rugged and serious after recovering from the sedative… not like this!

"Hey, Eclair, how far, away is this, this Faubley place again?" Naofumi asked in between breaths.

"It's… about three weeks journey... I think. If she left after the last wave, it'd make sense why Princess Melty is here now..." Eclair answered unsurely. "But, but I thought you told me the last wave was 36 days ago Sir Naofumi…" Eclair looked to Melty again for an answer.

Melty had the audacity to blush. "I swear, I would have gotten here sooner. But I had an incident chasing this rare Filolial… and my carriage broke down… and I was attacked by a dragon… and then, for some reason, the Filolials who were taking me to the Capital left me stranded near a village a few days ago… and it took me a while to find someone willing to transport me the rest of the way to the Capital..." She said nervously.

Naofumi started to laugh again. This girl's story was sounding even more ridiculous the more she talked!

"But I'm here now! And I'm going to make things right between you and my Father!" Melty said determinedly. "Now we need to get going! Before he changes his mind!"

...

"Look, second princess." Naofumi finally managed to gain control of his laughter. He wiped away a tear from his eye. "Whoever you are. I don't know if you realize or not, but your Father and I kind of hate each other's guts at the moment. He also kind of framed me for a bunch of things and separated me from my party and all that." Naofumi said, though his voice still sounded upbeat. "So right now, talking to him is the least of my concerns. But thanks for freeing me and Eclair. I can say the only crime I actually did was breaking into the Church since they were trying to keep me from registering at the dragon hourglass so I could fight in the Wave. You can tell Trash I said that, and I'll remember to pay you back some other time, but right now we'll be leaving and-"

He tried to step past Melty while still chuckling, but then she blocked the way out, continuing to pout. She dug her heels into the ground. "No! My Father is supposed to get along with all the Cardinal Heroes!" She said angrily. "You aren't going to leave! Not until you talk things out with each other!"

...

Naofumi felt the cheery feeling disappearing from inside him as he looked into this girl's serious blue eyes. Suddenly, it wasn't a royal loli like one of the classic loli characters he'd read about in Light Novels standing in front of him. It was an actual royal ordering him to speak with her deadbeat of a Father.

Oh crap. This wasn't actually a joke. She actually wanted him to go with her to talk with the King. 'I mean, I kind of understand why Trash hates me now. I could probably tell him I have no intention of allying with Siltvelt and that might solve a lot of issues and maybe even lessen my demon status, if not eliminate it entirely, in the eyes of the Church...'

But...

"Come on already!" Melty said impatiently.

"I'm sorry, but your Father has gone out of his way to hurt me in the past. So I'm afraid I won't be seeing him at this time." Naofumi finally said, dry anger leaking into his voice.

Understanding could only go so far when the person who'd been manipulated into wronging you had gone out of his way to make you suffer. And while Naofumi was getting better at trusting people or forgiving others, he was still flawed.

"Why not?!" Melty angrily demanded. "I'm releasing you on the Queen's orders and allowing you a fair chance to prove you didn't rape my sister! I even talked with Father about it, so you should be able to talk it out with Father now without worrying about him chaining you up and refusing to listen or anything!"

"THAT'S THE THING! I HAVE NO PAST MISDEEDS!" Naofumi roared angrily. "And I know that piece of Trash doesn't want to speak to me no matter what you have to say about it! And I don't want to speak to him! I'd rather rot in this cell than speak with him again in the next few decades!"

"But you have to!"

"Actually, I don't!"

The two proceeded to become absorbed in a back and forth argument with each other.

"Just come up with me to the castle! You have to talk things over with my Father!"

"Your Father separated me from my party! They're still out there somewhere waiting for me! They're my greatest concern right now, not that damn deadbeat!"

"My Father is not a deadbeat! And we can find your party members after you talk things out with my Father!"

"If I try to speak to that piece of Trash, I'll never see my party members again! Because he'll throw me right back into this dungeon before I even have the chance to speak!"

"My Father is not Trash! And you're not being reasonable! My Father can't go against what Mother says! He'd be punished severely if he did that!"

"Well golly, that certainly hasn't stopped him the last couple of months!" Naofumi said sarcastically, much to Melty's ire. "And if I was really that important, why isn't your mother here to help me?! Hell, how in the world were you sidetracked by something as stupid as a rare Filolial!?"

"You're… you're being unreasonable Shield Hero!" Melty replied indignantly. Blushing that she couldn't defend herself from his statement. "My mother's trying to keep the other countries from going to war and-"

"I'm the one being unreasonable Second Princess!" Naofumi retorted. "Who the hell is ten days late to fix something important because of a stupid Filolial sidetracking them!?" Naofumi again pressed his advantage. "I could have avoided being in this cell to begin with if you hadn't been late!"

Eclair put a hand to her face, groaning to herself at the argument.

"My name is not Second Princess! I am Princess Melty Melromarc-" Melty probably realized she couldn't defend her position. And was resorting to bickering now in a childlike attempt to retake control of the conversation.

"No, you're Second Princess! Children of Trash don't deserve to have names! And I'm Naofumi! Not Shield Hero!"

"Why do I have to call you by your name when you won't call me by mine!?" Melty angrily asked.

Her plan was failing. Little did she know that Naofumi had plenty of experience arguing with children now thanks to taking care of Filo.

"Because I can tell how much it annoys you, Second Princess!" He said mockingly.

"It does not annoy me!" Melty said angrily. "And I said my name is not Second Princess!"

"Oh, it definitely annoys you, Second Princess!"

"It does not! And stop calling me that! It's Melty! Melty! Melty! Melty!" She stamped her foot for emphasis with each Melty.

It was definitely annoying her.

The two continued.

Without the feeling of being chained down for the first time in two months, Eclair felt many different things at once. The desire to practice her swordsmanship. The desire to go out and see the sun. The desire to return to her home. A desire to report to her Queen. And so much more that she couldn't keep track of it all...

Yet these two… MORONS! Were just standing there, ARGUING!

"If I'm really that important, why doesn't your mom come to see me herself?!" Naofumi demanded.

Eclair was finally free, and finally able to do something other than depressedly pass along her existence... and yet these two were arguing like LITTLE KIDS!

"I've already said she's doing everything she can to prevent wars from happening with the other countries!" Melty answered angrily. "Now you need to come with me and-"

"I could damn well start a war with her after the way your cowardly Father has treated me!" Naofumi interrupted. "Did she ever think of that?!"

"My Father is not a coward!"

"He is too!"

"He is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not-"

Finally, after the argument had progressed to Gods only know what, Eclair grabbed Melty by the shoulders and shook her. The action startled both her and Naofumi out of whatever they'd been arguing about at that point since Eclair had stopped paying attention long ago to the idiotic bickering.

"Listen, Princess Melty!" Eclair said authoritatively, a serious expression plastered on her face. "I didn't just sit all alone in this cell for two months, living off of food that made me homesick for the Knight's rations and a bed that's made my back ache in ways I didn't think it could do, just to have you argue irrationally with the Shield Hero because he wasn't getting along with his Majesty!

"In case you didn't notice, the King placed him in here on charges he didn't commit, just like the First Princess did with me!" Eclair yelled angrily. "As much as I care about you, you need to realize what Sir Naofumi says holds a bit of truth! It's time for you to see that!"

Melty blinked in surprise at her friend's words. "W… What?" She asked in shock.

Naofumi sighed in relief at Eclair taking his side, and he looked down at Melty with calm indifference. "Look, I'm not going to talk to your Father no matter what you say, Second Princess." She looked angry at being called Second Princess again, but he continued. "He threw me in here on crimes I didn't do without presenting a single scrap of evidence… all because he and the rest of this country hate the Shield Hero.

"Even if you talked to him, and even if he decides to free me, I doubt that anything I say could change his mind. Much less, the minds of everyone else here that hates me." Naofumi said.

Melty… looked up sadly at Naofumi. "But Father... he'd never do something like that. He promised he'd listen and-"

"Princess," Eclair spoke again. This time softly. She was still holding Melty's shoulders, but she didn't look angry anymore. Rather, she looked like she understood where Melty was coming from. She'd hate to hear if her own Father had imprisoned someone so erroneously. She'd defend his name and his title with her life if she had to. And she hated to have to tell Melty this, but...

"As hard as this is to believe, Sir Naofumi is right. Unless your Mother herself was here, it wouldn't be safe for him to talk things out with your Father right now. This goes far deeper than that."

"But, but-" Melty tried to say.

"Princess, I was put in here because I killed an assassin who was assigned to kill me for signing up to party with the Shield Hero. I know things that you don't. Things I need to report to your Mother. There's more at work here than just some squabble between the Shield Hero and your Father. We could be putting you in danger just by standing here and having this conversation." Eclair said seriously as she stood up again.

…

"But, but-" Melty tried again to think of something to say. She had to think of something to say! Something!

"Forget it," Naofumi said, coating his voice with indifference to let her know they were done. "Thank you for releasing us. But I have two members of my party out there waiting for me right now. And they're important to me. Much more than your worthless deadbeat Father." Naofumi allowed a little bit of hate to leak into his voice at the end.

He really missed Raphtalia and Filo. His number one task now that he wasn't going to be stuck in a cell chained up was to find them. He wanted to see for himself that they were okay and not rely on his status magic to see that… then, when he met up with them again, he'd hug them both close and vow not to let them go ever again.

"But, but my Father…" It looked like Melty was close to crying. She buried her face in her hands.

"Melty, there's something I need you to do for me."

Melty looked up in curiosity at her mother. Both of them were in Faubley's palace, sitting on nice plaid chairs. The Queen's maids were at both ends of the hallways, holding fans to their faces, watching for anyone trying to peek in on their mistress's conversation.

"What is it, mother?" Melty asked curiously.

"I need you to go to the Capital, and admonish the King for his unjust treatment of the Shield Hero," Mirellia said authoritatively. She pulled her fan out and covered the bottom part of her face with it.

Melty blinked in surprise at that. "Are you... are you mad with Father?" She asked.

"Not yet," Mirellia said, hiding her facial expressions from her daughter. "But if he doesn't stop what he's doing to the Cardinal Heroes soon, I will be." She spoke calmly. At a hidden signal, another maid entered the room, carrying a portrait of King Aultcray.

"Why, what has Father done to the Shield Hero?" Melty asked curiously.

"What he is doing to him now is none of your concern," Mirellia said, looking out the window next to her at the smokestacks of Faubley. "I'm sure you'll learn what it is after you arrive. And when you do arrive, I give you my express permission to use my name to help the Shield Hero in any scenario should the situation require it." She said seriously. The maid set the portrait up and then walked out of the room. Likely to retrieve another portrait. "It's likely he'll need all the help he can get when you arrive."

Melty looked confused, but more importantly, she was genuinely concerned for her Father. 'What has Father been doing since me and Mother left the Capital?' She thought worriedly. Even with her fan over her face, Melty could tell that her mom was scowling. It was like an ominous chill was coming off her in waves.

"Tell your Father as well to truly seek to find if the Shield Hero is guilty of the crimes he's been accused of. If he honestly listens and does care for my country, he will do so." Mirellia said. "That is all."

"Okay… but are you sure you're not angry with Father?" Melty asked calmly.

"You have your orders Melty. I suggest you follow them." Mirellia said coldly. It was a sign that the conversation between mother and daughter was over.

Melty knew when she was venturing into dangerous territory. And she'd done it the moment she'd asked if her mother wasn't angry with Father. "I'll leave at once!" Melty said seriously, getting up to go find her guard. She knew not to push anymore.

"Good." Melty was about to leave when Mirellia spoke again. "And know this Melty." Melty looked back and saw Mirellia staring at her with the coldest gaze imaginable. Melty had never seen a more deadly look her whole life. "If your Father hasn't shaped up by the time I get back... I'm going to be more than just angry at him." She glanced at the portrait of her husband that had been set up. "I'm going to be furious."

She then gestured with her hand as she quickly chanted. "And impale my target! Zweite, Icicle Spike!"

A large spike of ice appeared from the Queen's hand, and it impaled Aultcray's head on the portrait. "As the Queen of Melromarc, I order thee, decipher the laws of Nature, and burn my targets in a fiery blaze of destruction that shall leave nothing in its wake! Burn even the ashes of their ashes to cinders!" The Queen yelled with authority. The maid had returned, putting up another portrait of Aultcray, and an additional portrait of Malty next to the original portrait of Aultcray before getting out of the way in time for the Queen's next powerful spell. "All Drifa Inferno!"

The three portraits were consumed in a blaze of fire so hot, the large ice spike almost instantly melted as all three portraits turned to ash.

Melty swallowed a gulp, nodded, and left her mother in the hallway. Another maid was already bringing in a small statue of Aultcray. "More! Bring me more depictions of my idiotic husband and my bitch of a daughter!" The Queen ordered loudly.

It would take so much more just to appease the anger and frustration with her family that she felt at that moment.

Melty's mind returned to the present, and she looked up at Naofumi with tears in her eyes. "You have to talk to my Father! Please! I'm begging you!" Melty cried. "You have to talk to him! Otherwise… Mother will be more than angry… she could kill him… she could kill my Father!"

Naofumi looked surprised at that and looked to Eclair. "Is that true Eclair?" He asked.

Eclair also looked stunned at those words. "I… I mean… it's possible." She admitted. "Melromarc is a country that follows a matriarchal lineage. The Queen not only has the authority to do it. She could kill King Aultcray herself if she wanted to and no one would question it."

It was one thing for Melty to try and order him to see that piece of trash. And being a royal didn't help her standing in that regard either.

However, this was also a little kid crying in front of him. A little kid who really cared about both of her parents. And one of them was very much in danger of being killed by the other... patricide at its finest.

Naofumi sighed. "Look, I would talk if I could," Naofumi said honestly, almost a little begrudgingly. "But I can't. Your Father made it abundantly clear to me yesterday that he doesn't want to talk."

"Did he though?!" Melty yelled desperately. "Did he not listen to even one thing that you said?!"

Naofumi grimaced. There had been the case with the noble men... but it hadn't been from any listening. He'd clearly demonstrated that he couldn't do it. That was entirely different... right?

Melty looked up at him sadly, and he shook the thoughts from his head. "I don't know how much you know." Naofumi continued calmly. He figured the least he could do was try to give a summary of his situation to this girl before leaving. "But your Father has disliked me since the day I was summoned to this world.

"By my second night here, he tried to have me arrested for raping your older sister when it would have been impossible for me to do, and I was forced to run away from the Capital. He then tried to rig a duel between me and the Spear Hero after the first wave so he could throw me into this cell. And even after that, he hasn't stopped trying to hunt me down while keeping me contained to this country.

"He didn't listen to me before, and he won't listen to me now. Hell, I doubt he'll ever want to listen." Naofumi looked at the shackles that had been holding him before. "He knows the loss of one Cardinal Hero will make it impossible for the other heroes to deal with the waves. Yet he still locked me away down here. He was consigning some of his own citizens to die in the next Wave, and yet he didn't care... So unless he comes down here, crawling to me on his hands and knees while begging me for mercy, I will never so much as look at him. And that is all you'll get from me, Second Princess." Naofumi said with finality.

...

Melty gasped in surprise. Naofumi sighed again. 'Figures, even if she knew about the plot with the Church, she likely wouldn't believe me.'

Besides Elhart, Itsuki, Ren, Raphtalia, and now Eclair, there was no one else who knew about it and believed he was innocent. He figured it was for the best if Melty didn't know. At least she wouldn't become a target then.

"Look, I'm sorry for causing you the trouble of having to free us." Naofumi exited the cell into the hallway. Eclair followed behind him. Melty stayed staring speechlessly into the cell. "But right now, we have to get going-"

Melty suddenly grabbed one of his hands, holding him in place. "... Wait." He looked down, and she looked pleadingly up at him. "Shield He-... Naofumi. I'm sorry. I know... I know I'm in no position to say this…" Tears fell lightly down her face. "I'm… I'm truly sorry for my Papa's behavior! I'm sorry for my behavior earlier! I just… I don't want to see my Papa die! I don't want to see anything bad happen to my family!" She cried, tears falling onto her dress.

Naofumi gasped in surprise at the look of pleading in her eyes. "Look, I'm sorry too... but there's nothing I can do about it now. Me and Eclair need to get going before your father changes his mind and has me hunted down and chained up again." Naofumi said dryly. "It's not the first time it's happened."

"But… but… what if I..." Melty's eyes finally met his, and then she looked down, crying again in hopelessness.

She'd finally seen it in his eyes. A glimpse of the pain Naofumi had been suffering from for so long.

The pain of having almost everything torn away. The pain of having to hide your identity from those you helped. The pain of being forced to flee from place to place with only the select few that cared about you staying at your side. Living off of the generosity of those who'd turn on you in an instant if they ever figured out who you were. Not having a home because you were constantly on the run because of a lie that had branded you into a criminal. A lie that had come from the lips of the first person in the world you had trusted with your life and soul. On top of the pain of being summoned from his world only to be persecuted and betrayed here.

It was all that, along with the pain of being separated from Raphtalia and Filo. Which, somehow, outweighed all from before.

She'd seen it, and she knew now that she'd never be able to convince him to go and apologize to her Father. He'd simply hurt him too much by this point. So she broke down and cried.

The task her mother had assigned her was impossible. "Mother… I'm sorry… I can't do it..." Melty continued to cry like a little kid.

...

'I can't meet with that piece of Trash...' Naofumi grimaced. 'But damn. This is making me look like the villain here. I can't just leave some random little girl crying... ... …'

Naofumi sighed in frustration. Eclair got down on one knee and hugged Melty to her shoulder. Where she continued to sob as she comforted her.

'Damn it! Now I feel guilty about having to do this!...' Naofumi did feel conflicted. As much as he hated the man, he didn't exactly deserve death! He'd done what any Father would do! He should have understood that better than anyone now that he was a Father to Filo!

'You know what, &^%$ it!  I'm sick of being on the run everywhere. I'm sick of subjecting Raphtalia and Filo to that kind of life! If I could at least get a guarantee that I wouldn't be hunted anymore, I could end this stupid mess once and for-'

...

A chill traveled down the Shield Hero's spine as he looked around the empty stone hallway they were standing in. Something... wasn't right.

Besides Melty's sobbing, the dark hallway was quiet.

Too quiet. And too dark. 'Why aren't there more torches lit? And where's that knight from before?'

He looked away from Melty and Eclair. The Knight that should have been on guard at his post down the hallway wasn't there. Both ends of the hallway were shrouded in darkness, like the torches had been-

He gasped, and gripped his chest. He got that feeling. The same feeling he'd gotten listening to Bitch talking to that one nun long ago. That same feeling he'd felt back in that forest before the ambush. That feeling he'd felt in his nightmares. The only thing he could distinctly remember from them.

Something bad was about to happen.

Eclair reacted first, grabbing a black dagger out of the air before it hit Melty from behind. Melty looked to the side with wide eyes. "Princess, you're in danger here!" Eclair yelled, pushing the princess to the side into the safety of the cell. She then used the dagger she'd caught to deflect two more similar black daggers into the walls as she charged forward.

Naofumi stared in shock for only two seconds before he realized.

Somebody had just tried to assassinate Princess Melty. And they'd done it in front of him.

Crap... had he just been set up again?!

Another black dagger flew at his face from the other hallway. He deflected it to the side with his shield easily and changed to the Chimera Viper Shield. 'That damn loli brat!' Had that whole situation all been an act?! And to think he'd almost been convinced to try and patch things up with TRASH of all people!

"Help! Princess Melty is being kidnapped by the Shield Demon and the rogue knight!" A voice down his end of the hall yelled loudly. The echo reverberated through the dungeon. "We need all the Knights now! Put the place in lockdown-"

"Air Strike Shield!"

A green shield formed in front of Naofumi and thrust down the narrow corridor into the man screaming in the shadows. His shouting cut off.

As he did that, Eclair managed to rush down the other hallway, using the black dagger she'd caught to deflect several more that had been thrown at her. Before she used the pommel of the dagger to knock out an individual only she could make out in the darkness. A gasp of shock came from a second individual at how Eclair had seen through their stealth stats in the darkness. But she quickly knocked him out too before he could react.

"What the hell!? You set this whole thing up, didn't you?!" Naofumi yelled angrily at Melty. Blocking another black dagger with his shield. A third one went below his shield, hitting his unarmored gut. But it didn't even cut him. Even though he didn't have his armor on, the assassin's attack stat wasn't high enough to damage him. At seeing that, the figure hiding in the darkness turned tail and ran.

"Help! The Shield Demon's going to kill me!"

"What… what are you talking about?!" Melty asked in disbelief. There were still fresh tear tracks going down her eyes. "I have no idea what's happening!"

She didn't just look scared, she looked terrified. Like...

Like she honestly had no idea what was going on.

Naofumi, fortunately, was quick to pick up on that…

Not that it soothed his anger.

"Sir Naofumi…"

Eclair appeared, dragging two limp bodies behind her. "There was another one, but he escaped while I took care of his comrades."

Naofumi's eyes widened in recognition as the individuals were dragged into the torchlight. They were dressed in the black garb of Church Shadows. A rosary hung around each of their necks. He got even angrier seeing the rosaries. "DAMN THEM!" He punched the stone wall next to them.

Melty looked in surprise at them. "These… these aren't my mother's shadows… what were they doing down here… and why didn't my Royal Knights keep them out." She said, still shocked that an attempt on her life had been made. And that one of these Shadows had yelled, blaming it on the Shield Hero.

Eclair held up the rosary on one of the assassins to examine it. "It appears some of the Royal Knights might have different loyalties than we thought, Princess Melty." She said calmly.

"That's… that's impossible! They're supposed to be loyal to my Father! And I know he'd never do such a thing-" Melty was yelling angrily at Eclair for even suggesting such an idea.

"Actually, you're both right." Naofumi interrupted. He was still angry, but he had to keep a clear head now more than ever "As much as I hate your Father, I can't see him doing this. If he loves his family so much, he'd never put you in danger to get at me. But that doesn't mean I don't know others who wouldn't." The rosaries were a big freaking clue as to who.

Eclair threw the unconscious bodies into the cell they were formerly being held in before slamming the door shut, locking it, and putting a wooden beam over it to keep the assassins inside from being able to open the door even if they managed to pick the lock.

"What… what do you mean?" Melty asked, looking scared for her life. "Who could they possibly be loyal too besides my Father?!"

It had been silent all around up to this point. But then, above, below, almost from all around, the sounds of yelling, pounding feet, clinking armor, and more started to echo into the dark hallway.

"Somebody unlit all the torches!"

"The Princess is in danger!"

"It must be because of the Shield Demon!"

"Capture the Shield Demon!"

"Protect the Princess!"

The cavalry was coming. And it was likely to not be Royal Knights if this had been set up by the Church.

Naofumi paled. 'Damn it! Can't I just get one break!' He'd been hoping that no knights had been around to hear the Church Shadow's shouting. But that had only been wishful thinking.

So much for just walking out of here thanks to the Princess freeing them.

"My sword! The lockers should be this way!" Eclair said, pointing down the hallway where she'd taken down the two Shadows.

'There's still that third Shadow and the other one I couldn't deal with creeping around down here, and who knows how many of these knights are actually loyal to the crown…' He didn't like it, but his resolve as the Shield Hero couldn't allow him to leave Melty there. That first dagger had gone for her. It was likely he and Eclair weren't the only ones the Church had been targeting. "Come on Second Princess! I'll explain what's happening on the way!"

Whether he liked it or not, he had to protect her too, if so he wouldn't have the death of a child on his conscious.

"Where are you taking me?! And my name is not Second PrincesSSSSSSSSSS!" Melty yelled in surprise as Naofumi grabbed her by the hand and forced her to run with him and Eclair down into the dark hallway.

"Alright Second Princess, here's a more detailed rundown of the &^%$ going on in your country! Pay attention because I'm not repeating myself!"

The royal mustached knight commander hummed to himself as he sipped from a nice cup of hot tea. 'Ahhhh… I can't wait to hear the news of the Shield Demon's demise in the dungeons…' He took another sip of the hot drink, relishing in the thought.

He'd already given Melty's entourage of knights 'orders' to vacate the scene. As the story would go, the Second Princess had been killed by the Shield Demon in an attempt to try and reason with him. He'd then bravely go in and 'kill' the Shield Demon, claiming all the credit for avenging the death of the Queen's daughter.

Then, not only would he receive the highest honors in the kingdom, but he'd be given the highest honors amongst the saints of the Three Heroes Church for helping with the death of the Gods' greatest enemy.

Not only would he be set for this life, but for the next one too.

He could imagine it now. The cheers he'd receive as he walked past the pearly gates. The seat at the large gold table reserved for only those who'd overcome the greatest of evils... all meant just for him-

The door crashed open. "Sir! We just received word that the Shield Hero escaped his cell!"

The commander looked up in surprise at one of his captains. He wasn't sure of his name. All he knew was that he was the Captain who'd helped the Shield Demon out at Lute.

"What are you blabbering about?"

The Captain stood at attention. "The Shield Hero escaped his cell. According to one of the knights who ran up, he took the Second Princess hostage and is currently fighting the other knights patrolling the Castle Dungeons with the help of a traitor.."

…

The Knight Commander scowled. He threw his cup of tea onto the floor, shattering it into a million pieces. 'Can they not do one damn thing right?!' He would have sworn the plan the First Princess had presented to him last night would be foolproof.

This only went to show, however, that you shouldn't trust the hands of fools to get the job done properly. Or a princess who was incapable of planning beyond the first step as she wanted the pleasure of accomplishment as soon as possible, consequences past that be damned. "Mobilize the other Captains! Get our strongest knights ready immediately! I will not have the Shield Demon escaping our city again!" He said angrily as he put his helmet on, walking past his Captain to go out the door.

"... It's the Shield Hero. Not Shield Demon, sir."

...

The Commander stopped in his tracks and looked back at the Captain. The Captain was glaring at him as he put on his own helmet. "I will do as you order me. However, while he is a criminal, the Shield Hero is one of the Cardinal Heroes tasked with protecting our world, just like the others. I will not disrespect him by lowering myself to call him by such a foul name."

The Commander had to try his hardest not to scowl at the Captain. He also had to try his hardest not to show the fear he felt at the Captain's intense glare. 'Does he know? But how could he know? Is it possible he overheard me talking with the nun about the whole plan to take down the Shield Demon, or is it-'

...

He smirked. 'No, if he really thought I'd done something, he would have gone to the King by now. He's only trying to bait me into showing my hand so he can accuse me and take my place. Heh, as if I'd fall for that.'

"Get to it, Captain. Otherwise, if the Shield Demon escapes with the Princess, it'll be on your head."

The Captain's glare hardened at the use of the Shield Demon term again, but he nodded and rushed out of the room. Heading in the direction of the barracks to mobilize the Royal Knights.

The Commander scowled once the Captain was out of sight. 'He's even more of a danger than I thought. It's obvious where his Faith lies, and it's not with the truth.'

He left the room preparing to give orders.

After this whole mess was over, he'd not only have to find out a way to realistically kill off the Shield Demon and the Second Princess but this Captain too. The Gods would expect nothing less of him if he ever wanted to feast with them at their table.

Hero Clips!

Babysitting the Kids

"It's all your fault it's broken!"

"I didn't mean to break it!"

Eclair sighed to herself. When the Queen had assigned her with taking care of her daughter and the Cardinal Heroes, she had not thought she meant this.

'Why did the Queen have to assign me to take care of all of them? Why couldn't she have hired someone else to babysit them!?'

A… um… Kid Naofumi that was around eight years old, cried while a Kid Melty, who was around five years old, bawled together with him. Between them was the broken remains of a toy shield.

"Stop crying! Maybe I can use my magic to fix it!" Kid Melty suggested through her tears.

"If you hadn't used your water magic, Second Princess, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Kid Naofumi cried.

"If you'd stop calling me Second Princess, I wouldn't have gotten mad and broken your toy shield!" Kid Melty cried.

"You did it on purpose!" Kid Naofumi cried.

"I did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

A small hand tugged on the skirt of Eclair's armor. "Miss Eclair?"

Eclair tiredly looked at the raven-haired kid tugging at her skirt. His other hand held a plastic toy sword, and a girl with amber eyes, light brown hair, and dog ears stood next to him, a sad look on her face as she hugged Ren's arm while trying desperately not to cry. "What is it, Ren, Wyndia?" She tiredly asked.

"Itsuki's being mean to me and Wendy again." Kid Ren said sadly.

"Ha! Take this you poohead!" Itsuki released the string on his toy bow, releasing another nerf dart arrow that hit kid Motoyasu in the back of the head.

"Fueh!" Itsuki's kid friend, Rishia, whimpered beside him, wondering why her friend was bullying the others.

"STOP IT ITSUKI!" Motoyasu swung a toy spear angrily at the blonde kid. Who jumped back out of reach, releasing another nerf dart arrow that hit Motoyasu's face. "I SAID STOP IT!" He swung his spear again, hitting Itsuki on one of his arms.

"OW! That hurt!" Itsuki cried. Rishia began to cry along with him.

"THEN STOP BOTHERING ME WITH YOUR STUPID TOY ARROWS!-" Even as Motoyasu yelled that Itsuki released another nerf dart arrow that hit one of Motoyasu's eyes. "THAT DOES IT!"

Eclair sighed once more and raised her hands to the ceiling. "Why did the Cardinal Weapons have to summon little kids to save our world?" She despondently asked the heavens.

The heavens did not reply. For they were just as unsure as her why the Cardinal Weapons did what they did.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"OW! STOP HITTING ME MOTOYASU!"

"YOU'RE DEAD! YOU HEAR ME! DEAD!"

"FUEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Yep, Eclair was sure of it.

She was definitely not having kids of her own.

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty-Three: Religious Hatred, Tearful Reunion, and Bitch

"So… what you're telling me... is that all this is because of the Three Heroes Church?!" Melty exclaimed.

"Yes! Even those Shadows who tried to kill us back there were from the Church!" Naofumi replied.

"But then, that'd mean some of the Royal Knights-"

"Are more loyal to the Church than to your Father," Naofumi said back seriously.

Naofumi, and his new allies, Eclair and Melty, were running down a dark stone hallway of the Castle Dungeons. The tunnels were dark, because of the nine out of ten torch sconces they ran by that weren't lit. The stones of the hallway looked old, worn, and even cracked in areas. There was no furniture and decorations of any kind. It looked dark and bleak, just like their chances of escape.

Naofumi was in the front of the group with his Chimera Viper Shield. He also held a lit torch he'd grabbed so they could see where the hell they were going in the maze of stone, doors, and noise. Eclair was in the back. She had her royal knight's helmet back on and was giving her newly recovered sword a few test swings.

The Second Princess, Melty Melromarc, was protected in the middle between them.

While Eclair had been checking her sword over to see if it had been tampered with or not, Naofumi had given Melty a more detailed explanation about what was going on. From finding out about her sister's plans to betray him, to the Three Heroes Church and their excessive hate boner for him. To fleeing the Capital and having to survive with only the help of two people.

It was very condensed and summarized, but he managed to get the main points across.

"It's also likely my former Commander also holds a higher loyalty to the Church," Eclair commented in the back.

"Along with most of the nobles in this kingdom," Naofumi said with a grimace. It was definitely not a pretty picture. It was like he was surrounded by enemies on all sides.

"But, but why would they do such a thing-" Melty tried to say.

"Because your country is so messed up that they'd rather kill the Shield Hero than protect themselves from the Waves!" Naofumi said. "Don't ask me why religion turns people into idiots! I've dealt with too many of them by this point! Now, which way do we go Second Princess?!" Naofumi answered irritably.

The weaving corridors of hallways and cell blocks were like a maze to him. The lack of efficient lighting thanks to many of the torches having been put out also didn't help. The stone hallway still shook and rang with the echoes of the knights flooding into the dungeons. Trying to find the Shield Demon and the captured Princess.

At this point, he didn't know how they'd find their way up into the castle, much less, how they'd fight their way out with all the knights that were mobilizing to capture him for yet another false charge. And he found it likely that, even if by some miracle he got to the Castle, the King would no longer be willing to listen to him.

They started to run past a hallway. "There's the Shield Demon! Take him down!"

Naofumi glanced to the side to see a group of at least a dozen knights running their way. The hallway was so narrow, however, that they couldn't all charge forward at once.

"Air Strike Shield!"

After they'd passed the hallway, Naofumi summoned a large green shield blocking it off. As they ran on, the knights ran into and pounded against the skill shield. But it didn't budge. It would stay until they either destroyed it or its timer ran out.

'Are they always going to try and find something to accuse me of to make me look like a devil!?  Because that tactic is really annoying at this point!'

They hit another intersection and made a left. "Second Princess, which way do we go?!" Naofumi asked again, frustration leaking into his tone at her silence. By the sounds of it, they could be running into more knights any minute now.

"I… I don't know!" She said fearfully.

"How could you not know?! Isn't this your castle!?" Naofumi angrily asked.

He probably shouldn't be shouting so loudly. But he couldn't help it.

"Give me a break! I've hardly had reason to come down here! You also told me my Sister and Melromarc's State Church are part of an elaborate plot to have you killed! My country is ignoring all sorts of problems and being corrupted! My Papa's in danger if at least half of this is true! And for the last time, stop calling me Second Princess!" Melty snapped angrily at Naofumi.

Her sheltered life was falling apart at the seams. Couldn't the Shield Hero at least be a little more understanding about it?!

"Right, my bad Second Princess," Naofumi said sarcastically.

"I said my name is not Second Princess!"

"Now isn't the time for playing around." Eclair interrupted seriously before a fight could break out. "What cell block were we being held in back there Princess Melty? Can you remember at least that?"

"No, some of my Knights led me a short distance away from your cell! They were supposed to be our escort on the way out!" Melty replied.

They hadn't seen said Knights since they'd booked it from the cell block they were being held in.

"Do you know the layout down here?" Naofumi asked Eclair. He really hoped she did. Otherwise, their escape was going to be the shortest-lived in the history of escapes.

"I did more than my share patrols of the castle dungeons," Eclair answered. "But if I want to get us out of here, I need a point of reference to know where we're at!"

"Well, I didn't realize a point of reference could exist down here!" Naofumi yelled back irritably. Since every single dark hallway looked the freaking same to him!

'I knew I should have taken my freedom when I had the chance. Now I'm caught up in another damn mess!' Though the chances were pretty good that he'd be just as lost as he was now. And Melty would be dead. And the blame would be placed on him. And then it'd be screw what any other country thought. Aultcray would have had a very good reason to have Naofumi executed. And he, and almost everyone else in this country would never learn that it had all been because of the Three Heroes Church.

Still, Naofumi didn't understand one thing. 'That one Shadow also attacked me.' He felt his gut where the dagger had bounced off. 'If their goal was to assassinate the Second Princess and pin the blame on me... why even attack me?' He knew the people from the Church hated him. But was killing only the Princess their original intention, or had they planned on killing him and Eclair too? And if that was the case, then why?

Before he could think more about it, the group rounded another corner. Naofumi almost ran into two knights. They were far too close to try and block them off and go down a different hallway.

The two knights backed up, but then they lowered their two pikes, leveling them at him. "Halt Shield Demon-"

Before Naofumi could react by saying something like, "You've got to be kidding me." Or, "We don't have time for this." Or even something like, "Perfect! Now I can vent some frustration on you bastards!": Eclair vaulted over Naofumi.

"Huh?" That was what he ended up saying instead because of how much the action caught him off guard.

The knights were even more off guard. And, unfortunately for them, they didn't raise their pikes in time to try and skewer Eclair while she was in the air.

It would have saved them from the beatdown that happened next.

"Hiyah!"

Eclair landed in between the knights, too close for them to use their pikes. She knocked one's weapon out of his hands, before bashing his helmet in with her sword hilt. She followed it up by kicking the knight back into the wall, before turning slashing the second guy's pike in two, and then headbutting the poor sap in the head so hard that his helmet was dented.

Both knights slumped against both sides of the wall, unconscious.

Naofumi stared in shock. The fight itself hadn't lasted long. Barely more than two seconds. Eclair had been chained in her cell the last two months, unable to hone her sword skills or fight, and yet she'd taken down these two knights like they were nothing.

If he were to use gaming terms, he would have called the pair of knights noobs. And Eclair, an inactive player logging in for the first time in several months.

Which meant that the swordswomen had just turned these noobs into a pair of ultra noobs.

Eclair put a hand to her head. "Wow… it's been a while since I headbutted someone… my sword skills must be rusty if I had to rely on such crude ways of fighting." She stood up straight and looked up from the two knights at the shocked Naofumi. "What are you two standing around for?! I finally recognize where we're at, the exit is this way!" She yelled seriously, pointing her sword down a side hallway.

Naofumi quickly looked around. He didn't see any distinguishing features in this hallway with its intersections. Was it the random crack in the stone of that hallway? Was it the small piece of vine growing out of the floor?

'Screw it, I'll just think it was the headbutt that jogged her memory.' Naofumi was not going to question any way of escape. "Right! Lead the way!" He threw the torch to Eclair.

The swordswomen led the way through the corridors of the dungeons. Naofumi didn't mind her taking the front. She seemed more than capable of defending herself if that last display revealed anything.

Eclair didn't even break stride when she threw the torch back to Naofumi and dispatched the next pair of knights that came across their path. She ducked below a sword thrust, using her blade to deflect it away, and then she grabbed the knight under his chest plate with one hand before he could recover. Then, while still running with the flailing knight, she threw him down the side hallway where the 2nd knight had been running to assist from. She then requested the torch again and continued leading the way.

'How the hell did she manage to do that!? Her strength and agility stats must be off the charts!' He checked her level on his party HUD, only for his eyes to widen at what he saw. 'SHE'S ONLY LVL 25?!

Her agility and strength were above average for such a low level. "What is the average level of knights we're facing?!" Naofumi asked Melty.

"If they're knights posted in the dungeons, their levels are typically around level 30," Melty answered.

...

Okay. Naofumi knew this was real life and not a game. But he also knew that the world had game-like mechanics to it too. Did Eclair have some hidden stats that he didn't know about that made her a better fighter against higher-leveled enemies, or had all the training she'd undergone to become the best swordswomen in the land given her a stat build larger than the higher leveled knights?...

Seriously. Just what the hell kind of knight had he unleashed?

...

Naofumi actually started to ponder a different scenario in his mind.

If Eclair hadn't been imprisoned in the beginning. Would he have ever needed to buy Raphtalia or Filo to help him out? Heck, just her influence as the daughter of an important nobleman could have been enough to net him new party members.

His whole freaking journey up to that point could have been changed…

...

Did it make him a terrible guy than to feel relief that she'd been imprisoned up till now? After all, because of that, he met Raphtalia and Filo.

He couldn't imagine anyone else being as important as those two.

His thoughts were cut short as at the very next narrow hallway, four knights came charging single file at them. All four of them held swords instead of pikes. At seeing Naofumi's group, they yelled and charged. Eclair was smirking this time as she charged right into them. Moving so quickly from one knight to the next it was almost comical how quickly they went down and stopped yelling.

Naofumi thought nothing more as they ran past each knight Eclair knocked out. Whether by using her sword hilt, the flat of her blade, the torch itself, or driving them head-first into a wall. It didn't matter.

Eclair was a machine, and the short confines worked perfectly in her favor for setting up one v one situations.

"So your mother said to have her released too?" Naofumi finally decided to ask Melty.

Melty was breathing a little heavier than before due to the constant pace… yet she smiled sheepishly. "Well… that was more because Eclair's a good friend of mine. Not because the Queen said to do it." She admitted.

"Wait, what?!" The two almost ran into Eclair, who'd slowed in front of them.

"My mother only gave me orders to help out the Shield Hero," Melty said nervously. "But my Mother's Shadow told me before I came down here that you were likely in the same cell as him. And… well... I sort of improvised from there."

If this had been an actual anime, Eclair would have shattered into glass on the spot.

'But… but I thought I was being freed for being one of the Queen's loyal knights… ahhhhhh!'

Naofumi and Melty didn't notice Eclair's distress.

They turned another corner and ran out into what looked like an underground garrison room. There were wood lockers on the sides, and several different hallways branching out. Eclair mentally forced herself back to the task at hand. "Our exit should be down that hall-" Eclair was pointing at one of the hallways when a dozen knights came charging out from it. More followed from the other hallways.

Yep, that was definitely a lot of knights.

Yet Eclair immediately ran into battle again. Being in a larger room, and with many more opponents than before, Naofumi joined in with defending Eclair while Melty hung back behind them.

"Air Strike Shield!"

A large green shield formed on Eclair's right side, blocking a pair of knights while Eclair disarmed one of the three in front of her. She threw the torch back to Naofumi, grabbed the knight's sword out of the air, and started attacking with both swords. Weaving in between swipes and thrusts with the form of a deadly dancer. She wasn't aiming to kill, but these knights were a different story.

Naofumi charged forward into the battle himself, letting his instincts take over. He wasn't much of a fighter, but even without his armor, he could damn well grab their attention. Especially those Knights who had rosaries hanging around their necks.

"Stop this at once!" Melty yelled at the knights.

"Kill the Shield Demon!" A group of Church Knights charged at Naofumi.

"Shield Prison!" Oh yeah. He should have mentioned this earlier, but he was super happy to have access to his skills once again.

A green-plated chain ball surrounded the group of knights. They screamed in confusion inside. Or maybe they actually thought the skill would dirty their souls. Naofumi blocked another knight's sword strike. He saw another one charging for Eclair from behind her while she dealt with a pair of knights, and he dropped the torch (his shield would have zapped it out of his hands anyway if he'd tried to use it as a weapon) and pointed his free hand at her. Selecting her as the target of his next spell with his HUD, all while chanting the spell. "And shield my target! Fast Guard!"

The support spell took effect. The knight brought his sword down on the back of her armor, but it bounced off as if it'd hit a brick wall. Eclair pushed both the knights she'd been facing back with a well-timed block, and quickly turned, grabbing the knight by his armor before throwing him at the two backpedaling knights. She then ducked a slash from a different knight that'd tried to sneak up on her and knocked his legs out from underneath him with the flat of her blade.

'Again, how is she doing that?!' Naofumi tried to use skill Royal Shield to knock the knight he was facing back. However, the skill dissolved as soon as he tried to use it as a battering ram.

It still caught the Knight off guard and allowed Naofumi to punch him in the face with his Chimera Viper Shield. Activating the counter Snake Venom Fang (Medium).

The knight collapsed, gasping in pain from the poison.

"I order you knights to stand down at once!" Melty yelled furiously somewhere behind Naofumi and to the side. Yet none of them listened to her.

He directed his attention back to the Shield Prison. "Change Shield! Bee Needle Paralysis Shield!" The screams inside the prison cut off.

The Knight he thought he'd taken care of got back up. Slashing at Naofumi while he was focused on the Shield Prison.

"That does it!" Melty uttered a chant so quick that Naofumi didn't catch a word of it as he blocked the knight's strike on his arm. It barely left a scratch on his skin. "Fast Aqua Shot!"

A ball of water slammed into the knight's gut with such force, he went flying back, taking down several other knights in the process. Naofumi quickly looked back to Melty, and her hands were raised. Glowing blue from the spell she had just cast. "What?!" She asked indignantly when she saw Naofumi staring at her.

"You couldn't have done that sooner Second Princess?" Naofumi asked as his shield prison disappeared, dropping the paralyzed Church Knights onto the ground.

"What have I told you about calling me Second Princess!?" Melty angrily asked. "I just saved your life! And my name is Melty! Melty Melty Melty-" She stamped her foot in time with each Melty in her childlike tantrum despite the battle going on.

"Air Strike Shield!"

A large green shield appeared beside Melty, blocking a sneak attack from one of the earlier Shadows who'd tried at that moment to sneak up on the princess from behind. The look of shock on her face was priceless.

Before the Shadow could recover, Naofumi appeared in front of the Shadow and punched him in the face with his shield several times, activating the counter again and again. The Shadow screamed in pain as the poison status took effect. "There, now I just saved your life again! Help us get out of here and I'll think about calling you by your name!" Naofumi yelled, blocking another attack from a different knight.

The knight screamed in pain when Snake Venom Fang (Medium) bit the knight. He then grabbed the knight by his armor and her across the room at another knight. Sending both sprawling across the ground.

Melty glared indignantly at Naofumi and then glared at the Church Shadow who gripped at his face where he'd been bitten repeatedly. She stepped back. "As source of thy power, I order thee, decipher the laws of nature..."

Naofumi blocked a knight again and used his arm to block another strike. The sword left another small scratch on his unarmored arm. Then, when both knights refused to back up, he changed his shield to the Two-Headed Dog Shield. A risky maneuver that left him with a far lower defense stat than the Chimera Viper Shield.

"Ah! Ahhh!" The pair of knights both screamed though as the shield's counter activated and two long dog heads bit down on their arms, raising them up in the air.

"You still doing okay back there Second Princess?" Naofumi asked without looking back.

The Church Shadow jumped for Melty. Trying to stop her from chanting. But he was already too late.

"Zweite All Aqua Shot!"

Naofumi looked back at the end of the chant and saw an astonishing sight.

Many balls of water almost like a wave came from the princess, who had both her hands raised. The Wave first slammed the Church Shadow away into one of the side walls where he didn't get back up. Then the wave of water balls split, all flinging themselves at every standing Knight in the room. The remaining knights who'd been coming in or who were fighting Naofumi and Eclair only had enough time to widen their eyes before they were blasted away by the powerful spell.

When the spell was over, all that was left was a pile of knocked out and injured knights lying on the floor.

'Yep, still okay.' Naofumi thought as the dog heads, who'd managed to hold onto their two knights despite the force of the water, threw the two soaked unconscious knights away. And he'd thought the first spell had been impressive. Maybe if they somehow made it out of this, Melty could make for a good party member too.

Eclair nodded approvingly to the princess, who was breathing in and out heavily from the spell she'd cast. "Well done Princess Melty. Your spellcasting has improved since last time." She then looked at the one knight's sword in her hand and tossed it back to the ground. "A little too much on the heavy side for me. But it was well made."

Naofumi decided after seeing the spell to send Melty a party invitation. The girl was definitely stronger than he'd given her credit… however, his eyes only widened again when she accepted it and he saw that her level was even lower than Eclair's!

'How the hell is she casting a Zweite tier spell at only level 17?!' Granted, her MP bar was very low. It'd taken almost everything for that one spell.

Was there something to Eclair and Melty that he was missing?

He decided to think about it later. Right now, he was hearing a lot less commotion in the dungeons than he had been before. Something that surprised him. "Was that the last of them?" Naofumi asked.

"No. But the majority of knights should be searching the areas behind us for now. If the shifts and posts haven't changed since I patrolled down here, these are the knights who were positioned far away from the castle exit. The rest of our way should be clear." Eclair explained calmly.

Naofumi didn't ask what exit she was talking about as they continued running down the hallway Eclair had pointed out before the fight.

Also, to Naofumi's relief, they could see where they were going since none of the torch sconces had been put out.

True to her word, over the next minute and a half, Naofumi didn't see any more knights. In fact, the clamor of armor, footsteps, and yelling grew dimmer and dimmer the longer they ran. Something Naofumi found confusing as he would have sworn they'd be coming out in the castle.

Finally, Naofumi saw light other than torchlight. The three kept running towards what looked like a translucent stone wall... and ran out… onto a busy street?

Unfortunately, some unfortunate street vendor had his cart set up in front of the stone wall they ran out of. And Naofumi didn't stop in time to keep himself from slamming into the cart and knocking it over.

"No! My cabbages!" The vendor ran after his dropped produce.

Naofumi looked back in surprise. The exit they'd run out of wasn't visible. The sun's position in the clear sky indicated it was still morning. And the street in front of them was busy with Melromarc's citizens going about their business. The only real ruckus for the moment was being made by the poor cabbage vendor who was trying to gather his cabbages before people tromped all over them.

"What, where are we? What happened to the exit we came out of?" Naofumi asked Eclair in confusion.

"It's there, but it's covered by advanced Illusion magic. Only knights that know the right spell can access it from this site." Eclair answered. "We should be halfway between the castle and the city wall."

"Why does this even exist?" Naofumi asked.

"This was made in case royalty ever needed to flee the Castle in the case of an attack or attempted assassination. Now come on. We won't have much time before they've realized we've used it to escape." She urged both Naofumi and a tired Melty onward into the city streets.

Naofumi didn't ask any more questions He'd already seen some weird stuff since being summoned to this world. This would just be the latest on that list.

He quickly bought two spare cloaks from a vendor and placed one over himself and the other over the tired princess, who accepted it without question and put it over herself.

She might have been annoying, but at least she caught on quickly.

However, as they walked down the street, he realized he might have bought the disguises too late as he and Melty were attracting stares and whispers from some of the citizens they passed.

"Isn't that the Second Princess?"

"What's she doing out in the city streets?"

"I thought she was with the Queen over in Faubley?"

"And is that the Shield Hero she's with?"

"What would she be doing with that devil?"

"Doesn't she realize he already raped her older sister?"

"Damn it." Naofumi clenched his fists. Already some of the stares were turning into glares at him specifically. He changed his shield to the Book Shield and opened it. But it was already too late.

He was recognized. And all he could do was follow behind Eclair since he still didn't know the layout of the Capital very well.

"Naofumi. The people-" Melty started to say in surprise.

"I know... I'm used to this treatment by now." Naofumi said, having to hold back bitterness from his tone.

He'd been going around as a night merchant for so long that he'd almost forgotten that his real identity would attract this kind of attention…

"You mean, because of my sister?" Melty asked.

"Yeah. Just about everyone hates me now because of her, your Father, and the State Religion." Naofumi said.

The Church had spread the rumors. The Princess had accused Naofumi. And the Father had upheld the punishment.

It was all their damn fault.

Melty looked conflicted. "I didn't think it was this bad…"

"Believe me, this isn't the worst I've experienced."

Melty didn't want to imagine how it could be worse...

They were still walking down the middle of the street. Trying to find an alleyway they could dip into so they could lose the crowd of glares and go to a street where they wouldn't be recognized. But then a squad of knights, not Church Knights, turned around a corner. They looked to be on high alert.

Fortunately, they didn't give Naofumi and Melty a second glance thanks to Eclair. She had her helmet on, and, due to the look of her dirtied custom armor, she looked more like an adventurer than a knight. Leading a small group of adventurers with her.

The knights walked past their small group.

Naofumi breathed a sigh of relief at that. 'Alright, now we just keep on walking, and-'

"Knights! That's the Shield Demon!" A random bystander yelled, pointing at Naofumi. The bystander was wearing a rosary around his neck.

'... &^%$!'

"He's kidnapping the Second Princess!-"

Before the knights could act on the realization that they had just passed Naofumi, Eclair jumped into their midst.

The scene that followed caused every bystander on the street to scream in terror and run away.

"No! Sir Naofumi isn't kidnapping me-" Melty tried to defend Naofumi.

"The Shield Demon is slaughtering our knights!" The original bystander yelled.

"Run, run for your lives!"

"Sound the alarms! The Shield Demon is in the Capital and he's going to butcher us all!-"

"Shield Prison! Change Shield! Bee Needle Shield!" Naofumi used the skill to paralyze the man screaming for his downfall, but the damage was already done.

Naofumi clenched a fist at all the screaming. His prior worst experience with people had been at the Sacred Duel. But this… "Sir. Sir Naofumi-" Melty tried to say. Looking extremely sorry.

"I don't want to hear it!" Naofumi yelled at her in frustration. Just as Eclair knocked out the last knight of the squad. "Now come on! They know we're outside now! So we might as well make a run for it!"

Eclair agreed and they took off.

A minute later, they ran out onto the main street. No pedestrians were around anymore. "The West Gate should be a half-mile down this way-" Eclair was yelling.

"There he is!" "It's the Shield Demon and the Murdering Knight!" "They've kidnapped the princess!" "Kill them!"

Naofumi groaned. Several squads of knights were already running towards them from down the street. Pouring out of different alleyways like ants.

'You know what! I REALLY hate this &^%$ing city!'

Melty looked harshly at the knights. "Will you all just stop attacking us for one minute-"

"Save your breath, Second Princess." Naofumi interrupted. "Those are Church Knights coming after us. They won't care what you have to say." He was able to see the rosaries hanging around their necks despite the distance.

Melty, despite being tired, had the energy to pout at him. "Are you ever going to call me by my name?" She complained.

"Is that really important right now?!"

Eclair took on a sword stance. "I think I should still be able to handle a group this size with your help Sir-" Then some of the knights stopped and pulled out bows. The others continued to charge toward them.

She grimaced, it'd be one thing to fight these knights in close quarters. It'd be another thing having to do that and worry about arrows at the same time. "I'm starting to think they really dislike you Sir Naofumi." She said calmly.

"You're telling me that now?" Naofumi raised his shield protectively in front of him. "I think the term hate would be more fitting to be honest."

Either they could stay and fight up close. Or run and have to deal with the arrows. Either option would cost them precious time. Time that would allow reinforcements, more knights, maybe even Motoyasu to catch up to him.

Naofumi would literally give an arm if something good happened to them for once-

"Stay away from Daddy!"

A giant, familiar, owl-shaped bird jumped off the roof nearby over the charging Knights. The large shadow passing over them caused many to look up in surprise.

Was it a bird? Was it a plane?

Nope. It was one very unhappy-looking Filolial named Filo.

"You bad people stole Filo's Daddy!"

The knights barely had a chance to look confused at who the giant chicken owl was before Filo dropped/plowed into their ranks like a large fluffy and deadly bowling ball. The knights screamed in terror as they began to get mowed down.

"What is this thing?!"

"It's another demon!"

"Run for your lives!"

"No, stand and fight!"

"High Quick!" Filo started to move as a blur in the knight's ranks. Sowing discord... and very hurt groins in her wake with her fierce powerful kicks. She kept on aiming into the crotches of most of the knights for some weird reason.

Naofumi would probably need to teach her in the future how that wasn't the only area you should target. But for now, he just stood in amazement. His mind trying to catch up to what was happening…

The knights farther back with the bows were shocked at first, and then they recovered and started firing arrows at the large bird despite the risk of hitting their comrades. "Decipher the laws of nature and blow my targets away! Fast Tornado!" Naofumi didn't even have to act. Filo summoned a tornado of wind in between her and the bow-wielding knights. The high-velocity winds sent the arrows flying sideways into the stalls and buildings. Allowing her to continue dishing out punishment to the knights around her, who were trying to rally, but were failing miserably.

"So coooooooool!" Melty suddenly looked awestruck beside Naofumi. Stars were over her eyes, glued to the sight of the strange and powerful Filolial.

"What's… happening Sir Naofumi…" Eclair dropped from her stance as she stared in confusion as the Church Knight's charge disintegrated into utter chaos.

All because of one big fat groin-kicking wind-manipulating extremely awesome bird daughter.

Naofumi's mind finally clicked back into place, and for once, he smiled broadly. "Filo! You're getting one hell of a feast for this!" Naofumi yelled happily.

He already owed her an all you could eat buffet. But now that all you could eat buffet was going to be combined with a feast. He didn't even care if it'd take all day to make and cost several gold coins. This awesome girl more than deserved it by this point.

"Thanks! Filo's glad to see that Daddy's safe!" The bird raised a wing to her mouth in happiness, right as she kicked another knight in the groin with all her strength.

The knight screamed in pain as he was launched through the air Motoyasu style, dropping his sword and gripping his groin. It was done so casually that Naofumi started to laugh in delight. Again, he'd probably have to teach Filo not to only go for the groin when attacking bad people, but he didn't mind much at the moment since it was so damn funny.

"You mean, that's the daughter you told me about?!" Eclair asked in stunned disbelief. Recognizing the name Naofumi had told her yesterday.

Naofumi kept looking. "Of course. And If Filo's here, then that means Raphtalia isn't far behind-"

Yep, he finally saw it. The tornado disappeared, but the knights in the back didn't resume firing. They were too busy swinging their swords around, trying to slash the hidden individual knocking them out one by one. Looking closely, another one of the knights randomly collapsed with a sword-hilt-shaped dent in the back of his helmet.

Naofumi started to laugh in relief. Raphtalia was there too. Both she and Filo had somehow managed to sneak into the Capital. He couldn't think of a time when he'd been happier to see them.

Well, see one of them. Raphtalia was invisible for the moment.

"Naofumi... Is that your Filolial by any chance?" Melty asked Naofumi in a barely controlled voice that was on the verge of fangirling. Filo had almost entirely decimated the whole charging knight squad by herself at this point. Those that hadn't passed out were lying on the ground, clutching their balls in pain. Wishing they were passed out like their comrades.

"Of course. I raised her, Second Princess." Naofumi said happily. He started to walk forward to meet up with his party.

...

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Melty released something that could only be described as a high-pitched fangirlish shriek. She looked too distracted and excited to realize Naofumi had just called her Second Princess again. She and Eclair followed behind him.

"Fast Tornado!" With one last large gust of air, Filo sent the remaining knights around her flying in various directions. The knights impacted various walls, wagons, and other various objects. None of the Church Knights got back up after the brutal treatment they'd received.

They were either too hurt, or too scared.

She looked around, making sure the knights around her were incapacitated. Then she charged toward Naofumi.

"Daddy!" In mid-air, she changed in a poof of feathers. Naofumi laughed as he caught the little girl in his arms, circling as he hugged her. "Filo missed Daddy so much! Filo and mommy were both so worried about Daddy!" Filo cried happily.

"Yeah, I was worried about you too!" Naofumi said, feeling on the verge of crying.

"Ah! Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Melty looked even more awestruck at seeing Filo change forms.

It looked like she would really transform any second now.

"Who's that Daddy?" Filo asked curiously as he set her down.

Before Naofumi could answer, he was pushed out of the way by Melty. Stars once more covered her eyes. "I'm Melty! But my friends call me Mel!" She said happily.

"Nice to meet you, Mel!" Filo said while smiling happily.

Melty almost looked like she'd had a heart attack. Filo had just given her a nickname! That meant the two of them were ALREADY FRIENDS!

"Here, try this!" Melty randomly pulled some jerky from her dress and offered it to Filo. Naofumi rubbed at his eyes and stared at the girl in confusion.

Did she just randomly have jerky on her at times just in case she got to meet a Filolial!? Maybe he wasn't that far off thinking of the Second Princess as a fan girl after all!

"Yayyyyy!" Filo transformed back into her large Filolial form and gobbled up the jerky like it was candy. "Thanks, Mel!"

Melty started rubbing Filo's feathery wings. "So… cool…"

Eclair just kind of looked wide-eyed at the display.

She still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that this cute little transforming monster girl was actually Naofumi's daughter.

"I can tell you're already going to get along with each other," Naofumi said dryly, right as the last knight in the distance was dropped to the ground. He left the three behind to approach the person he'd missed the most the last two days...

Raphtalia's illusion magic dropped as she approached. She looked as well-groomed as always, but the bags under her eyes and the slight slouch in her stance indicated how she hadn't slept well since Naofumi had been captured. She had a look of exhaustion that made his heart hurt at the sight.

But his heart warmed at her smile of relief.

She had managed to find him, and he was okay.

"Naofumi!" She said happily.

She looked even more beautiful than he remembered at that moment. He opened his arms to hug her. "Raphta-"

Slap!

Imagine his surprise when she then slapped him across the face.

Hard.

And yep, her attack stat was still as high as ever.

He gripped his face in pain. Raphtalia now had angry tears coming out of her eyes. "Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?! What the hell were you thinking telling us to run away and getting captured like that?!" She yelled angrily at him. "Don't you ever tell me to leave you behind again! Otherwise, otherwise-"

He quickly defended himself. "But you were hurt! And I wasn't planning on getting myself captured by Motoya-"

He shut up when she hugged him tightly. The angry tears had changed to tears of sadness and worry that fell down her face and landed on his cloak. "I'm… I'm so glad that you're okay." She whispered for only him to hear. "I… I couldn't bear to think about what they were doing to you… I was... I was so scared..."

Like a dam breaking inside him, Naofumi hugged the Half-Tanuki girl back. Some of his own tears of sadness and relief escaped and landed on her shoulder and hair.

He had been asleep for most of the last two days. He'd woken in chains in front of the Trash King. He'd been humiliated in front of everyone... but being separated from Raphtalia and Filo, not knowing if they were okay without him there, not knowing if they were trying to find him, not knowing if he'd ever see them again…

That had hurt more than anything else he'd ever been through.

To be able to have her back. To have this swell of emotions going through him. To be able to hug her body close, to feel her hair, to be surrounded by the familiar scent that was her...

It was one of the best feelings in the world… a feeling he didn't want to end...

…

"Eh hem." A strained cough sounded nearby. They both stopped hugging and looked to see Eclair standing awkwardly nearby next to Filo and Melty, who had been talking with each other up till that point.

Naofumi and Raphtalia started blushing, realizing how intimate the moment had been. And was it just Naofumi, or was Eclair also blushing awkwardly? "I'm sorry to interrupt your reunion, but we're in the middle of trying to escape!"

"Daddy?" Filo grabbed Naofumi's attention. Melty had stopped petting Filo's wings to look up at him too. "Who's the Strawberry Vegetable Girl over there?"

'Ahhhhhh!' Again, had this been an anime, Eclair would have shattered into pieces of glass on the spot. 'I am not a vegetable whatever! I am a loyal knight to Queen Mirellia Q. Melromarc, and I-'

"That's not important right now."

'... … AHHHHHHH!'

You know what, this was an anime.

The world behind Eclair shattered into bits of glass at what Naofumi had said. The color leeched from Eclair's frame, leaving her pale. A mini ghost dangled out of her mouth. And she turned around and almost took the fetal position on the ground.

'Does the fact that I gave everything to try and help him before truly not matter?'

If only that'd been what'd happened. Nah, in all actuality, that was all in her mind.

In real life, Eclair was turned around, shaking at what Naofumi had said.

"She's right. We should be escaping-" Naofumi was continuing.

"Um… is she okay Master Naofumi?" Raphtalia interrupted.

Naofumi looked. "You okay, Eclair?" He asked.

Eclair quickly turned back around and stood at attention. "Never better, Sir Naofumi!" She lied with a smile on her face.

"Good, then as I was saying, let's get the hell out of here." He said.

A vein bulged in Eclair's forehead. 'That's literally what I just suggested!'

Maybe it'd be for the best if she stuck to sword training. The rose-haired knight had never had much interest in romance, to begin with. And getting involved with the Shield Hero as more than a party member seemed like more trouble than it was worth.

Especially because of how dense Naofumi was.

"Hey, do you want to ride me?" Filo asked the still tired Melty.

Melty went from looking tired to looking like she had been infused with the energy of a hundred caffeinated drinks. "Would I?!" Melty swooped onto Filo's back in an instant. "So soft and warm!" She said gleefully, not even trying to hide the fangirlish voice anymore.

It was rather creepy, the double context of that whole scenario.

'You know. I could see why the Second Princess would prioritize chasing after a rare Filolial instead of coming to the Capital now.' The Shield Hero sweat dropped at the scene. He still didn't know what Filo was. But he knew whatever it was she was one of a kind since he hadn't found another Filolial like her. And Melty seemed to agree.

"Alright, let's go!"

The remaining half-mile to the gates passed by quickly. Eclair ran ahead of the group and took down whatever knights tried to get in the way. She tried not to stare back too jealously at Naofumi and Raphtalia as she went.

Naofumi was holding Raphtalia's hand while they ran. He was filling her in on what had happened to him. From the trial, talking with Eclair, finding out how she'd signed up to join his party only to be falsely accused of murder by Bitch and thrown into prison, and how the Second Princess had been letting them out of their cell when Church Shadows attacked.

Raphtalia attentively listened. Not asking any questions. Just, absorbing in her mind all that her Naofumi had gone through until he'd finished.

"And did they try and hurt you?" She finally asked.

"Other than knocking me out, that assassination attempt, and all the knights that have attacked me up to this point, no," Naofumi said.

"Alright." She didn't say anymore. 'Those people will regret the day they were born.' She promised to herself ominously.

The knights she'd spare since they couldn't really hurt Naofumi. But the Shadows, oh the Shadows would pay dearly.

At seeing the dark ominous aura coming off of Raphtalia, Naofumi sweatdropped and focused on Filo and Melty. They were already at the point of telling each other about their various adventures. It was… weird seeing how quickly the two had become friends.

Still, he didn't focus too much on it. Since, even with the dark murderous aura coming off her now, gripping Raphtalia's hand in his again made him happy in ways he never could have imagined. Like holding her hand despite fleeing for their lives felt... right?

'I really need to put a label on what I feel for her...'

When they finally arrived at the square block before the West Gate, they found it had already been shut. However, Eclair had just taken care of the last knight guarding it. The few knights who'd been on guard duty in the square were all in a pile, knocked out. Meaning they had a clear path. Only the black gate stood in the way between them and freedom. "Filo, take down that gate!" Naofumi yelled.

"Okay! Time to get off Mel!"

Melty jumped off into Raphtalia's arms, and Filo rushed towards the gate. "High Quick!"

She blazed forward through the air and slammed into the gate with one of the strongest, most powerful kicks she had. A shockwave burst out from the point of impact. However, when she jumped back, Naofumi and the rest of the party came to a stop. Her kick had barely left a dent in the black iron bars.

"What the hell?" Naofumi muttered. "Air Strike Shield!"

The green shield appeared, jamming itself against the gate. It looked no different than before. It had been well built for its job.

Raphtalia pulled out her sword. "Light Slash!" She slashed towards the gate, and a slash of light traveled off of her sword. It slammed into the two areas Naofumi and Filo had hit but didn't do anything.

"Second Princess, you released some pretty strong magic earlier. Do you have something that could bust the gate or the wall down?" Naofumi asked.

"These gates were built to withstand a siege battering ram and magic attacks. Even if I had the MP to cast that kind of spell, it'd hardly do anything." She said, "And stop calling me Second Princess!"

Naofumi ignored the last statement and examined their predicament. Looking closely, he realized that two black iron gates were in their way. Both of which were around twenty feet apart. Even if they dealt with the first one somehow, there was still the second one. On top of that, the stone passageway that went inside the walls up to the control tower for the gates was between the two. Meaning they couldn't access it from where they were.

He also took note that the walls here were taller. This part of the city was at a higher elevation than the lower part. There was a bridge spanning either a moat or something he could barely see from this side of the wall. And that only a wide wooden bridge on the other end passed whatever the gap he was seeing between the walls and the ground was.

Naofumi sighed. "Fine then, I guess we'll just use Filo to jump us carefully over the walls one or two at a-"

"Naofumi!"

'... Damn.' Naofumi turned around. Sure enough, another legion of knights was coming down the main road towards them. The mustached smug Royal Knight Commander bastard himself was leading them with his array of Captains behind him. And approaching beside the Commander was none other than the other memorable bastard.

Motoyasu himself.

It looked like the Capital had brought all of its forces to bear to recapture him too. Not surprising since they thought that Naofumi was kidnapping the Royal Princess and all that nonsense.

"You've gone too far this time Naofumi! Release the Princess this instant!" Motoyasu angrily demanded as he approached. He was still a good 100 yards out.

Naofumi couldn't use Filo to jump over the wall now. She wouldn't be able to get everyone over in time. And that'd be too many knights to fend off, not counting the trouble Motoyasu could cause even from a distance. "Release her, hell, I don't even have her bound!" Naofumi said angrily.

"Don't lie to me Naofumi!"

Wow. Talk about deja vu.

Motoyasu started to go on one of his long-winded rants about how Naofumi was evil and how everything was his fault and that he'd make him pay and so on. Naofumi was honestly tuning him out so he couldn't tell. He started moving his hand in sock puppet motions, mimicking what he thought Motoyasu was likely saying to him.

Motoyasu finally seemed to realize what Naofumi was doing after a moment and stopped his speech 50 yards away from Naofumi. "Are you even paying attention!?" He angrily demanded.

"I don't know, you don't seem to pay attention whenever I talk to you, idiot!" Naofumi responded back heatedly. "How do you like having a taste of your own ignorance thrown back at you!?"

"Master Naofumi. Your antics aren't helping our situation." Raphtalia said with a sigh.

"How dare you respond so disrespectfully to the Spear Hero, Shield Demon!" The mustached Royal Knight Commander yelled angrily. Most of the knights cheered behind him. Now that they were closer, Naofumi took notice that these Knights weren't Church Knights. Some of the knights at the front were donned differently than the lesser knights he'd dealt with before. Their armor looked more refined, and stronger… were these elite knights perhaps?

Eclair looked like she'd been slapped across the face. She stared furiously at the Royal Knight Commander.

"Now do as he says and release the Princess this instant!" The Commander demanded.

"Again, does it look like I'm trying to keep the Second Princess here captive?!" Naofumi angrily demanded.

"Daddy, do you want me to kick Spear Guy for you?" Filo asked.

A pale look went over Motoyasu's face at Filo's words. And he clutched tightly at his spear. However, before he, Naofumi, or anyone else could say anything or do anything, Melty moved several steps in front of Naofumi so that everyone could see her.

Unbound. Unharmed. Tired. And very much pissed off. "Sir Spear Hero, Commander, in the name of her Majesty Queen Mirellia Q. Melromarc, I order you to stop this foolishness at once!"

...

Motoyasu and all of the knights stopped after only a few seconds. They were a hundred feet away from Naofumi's party. And filled in most of the square block. Melty took a few more steps forward. Seeing how she'd grabbed their undivided attention now.

"I am not being kidnapped by the Shield Hero! He is not taking me against my will away from the Capital!" Melty said authoritatively. "In fact, I was sent by my mother to escort the Shield Hero, his companions, and the knight Eclair to Faubley. Where she wishes to meet with all of them." She continued.

Wow. She was actually lying for their sake now. That was thoughtful of her.

"No!" The Knight Commander started to say as the knights began murmuring. "It's obvious the Shield Demon is forcing her to say this! He's using her to try and escape-"

"Shut your mouth Commander! Did I not just say that I am here on orders from your Queen!" She snapped with authority at the Commander, silencing him. "Tell me, since you're so intent on labeling the Shield Hero a criminal. What logical reason would he have to kidnap me when I was the one that released him from his cell?!"

Even before all this, she'd never liked the choice Father and Mother had picked to become the Commander over all the knights. The way he was acting now like he was supposed to hold all the authority here only cemented that fact.

The Commander didn't speak, and he and his knights didn't try to advance any farther forward. Motoyasu looked stunned. "The Shield Hero didn't try to kidnap me." Melty began speaking again. "In fact, he saved me from an assassination attempt right after I released him and the Knight Eclair. When it failed, the assassin yelled false accusations in an attempt to gather his cohorts to kill me. That is why we are leaving so abruptly without meeting my Father. I will not have my life, nor the Shield Hero's life risked any further than they already have been."

"But, but Naofumi and his party have been taking down knights left and right! We found some of them in the dungeon-" Motoyasu tried to say angrily.

"Those knights are not dead, I assure you," Melty said calmly. "I took some of them down myself because, unlike you, those idiots were too intent on fighting instead of listening to me. Even my own worthless knights who were supposed to be there to protect me were nowhere to be seen." Hearing the second princess call some of the knights in attendance idiots or worthless was like a blow to the gut to the pride they'd built.

It was never a good day when the royals you were sworn to protect called you a worthless idiot.

"Now, I have orders to bring the Shield Hero and his party with me to Faubley to meet the Queen. So if you wouldn't mind giving the order to open the gates so we can leave, Commander -" Melty was about to finish.

"Don't listen! My sister's been brainwashed by the Devil of the Shield!"

All of a sudden, Myne made her bitchy appearance from the ranks of the knights.

The bitch looked as bitchy as ever. Dressed in the same bitch armor that Naofumi had foolishly bought for the bitch that day so long ago.

Murmurs came from the knights again.

Even Melty looked caught off guard. "Sister, stop fooling around! You can't go against what our mother has said-" She tried to say seriously.

"The Devil of the Shield used his powers to brainwash my sister! That's why she's denying the kidnap charges! That's why she's saying they need to leave the country! The Devil of the Shield has her under a spell just like the rest of his party!" Bitch pointed accusingly at the group. "Now he's trying to influence all of us so he can escape with my precious little sister!"

It took only those few words from her to convince everyone. The knights roared in anger, glaring at Naofumi with hate. Though Motoyasu seemed a little conflicted by what Myne had said. "Myne, I thought I told you to stay with the other girls at the castle-"

"ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?! ARE YOU ALL REALLY THAT STUPID TO BELIEVE THAT!?"

Everyone looked at Naofumi. He'd never looked so pissed off before in his life. He almost did look like a devil. "If I really had a shield like that, why am I not using it on all of you right now!?" He angrily demanded. "Hell, if you even try to use your brains to think about it, I wouldn't even be in the Capital in the first place if I could brainwash everyone in my way! I could have just brainwashed Motoyasu instead of letting him capture me!"

"Shut it Naofumi! Myne's right!" Motoyasu looked pained to say it, but he still took an offensive stance again. "I'm sure it costs a lot of SP to brainwash someone! And that's why you aren't using that shield on all of us right now!"

What was up with the Spear Hero? One moment he seemed all fired up to take him down. And then the next, it was like it pained him to have Myne there. And now he was supporting her again.

Was he bipolar, or just lethally stupid?

Whatever it was, the comment he'd made actually made a lot of sense. Maybe he couldn't brainwash everyone because of the amount of SP it'd take. 'Motoyasu isn't totally brain dead after all.' He was almost proud that Motoyasu showed something of a brain.

Fortunately, Naofumi had a backup, thanks to Raphtalia bringing his pack with fresh bottles in it. "You sure about that?!"

He pulled out something that required a little backstory.

Soul Healing Water. It's damn hard to find the ingredients for it since they're not used in most medicines. And after gathering the necessary herbs in the forest, Naofumi found that they were one of the more difficult medicines to compound at his current skill level.

He'd only managed to make a few of these bad boys thus far. And he'd found they had no effect on normal people.

Raphtalia said they tasted like chemicals. Filo said they tasted really weird. He'd tried it himself and agreed with Raphtalia that they tasted like the soda Mountain Dew from his world. However, while it hadn't affected his party members, Naofumi's SP gauge refilled whenever he drank them. So that meant it was a medicine specifically for heroes…

Although he really wished it tasted better than chemical soda.

Anyway, back to the present. Motoyasu seemed to recognize what Naofumi was holding. "If it did cost me a lot of SP, then all I'd have to do is drink one of these to be able to brainwash you? Is that right?" Naofumi asked sarcastically.

Motoyasu grimaced. "Fine, I guess you're right about that-" Motoyasu was actually agreeing with Naofumi on a point.

"Don't even bother!" Bitch said accusingly. "The castle mages are all casting magic on the area now to prevent your Shield from brainwashing anyone else you demon!"

And thus, the stupidity deepened as everyone looked to Myne again. "If your mages are able to do that, why don't you have them cast magic on my party members to free them from their brainwashing?!" Naofumi refuted.

"It's too late. Those monsters of yours have been around you too long for the mage's spell to have any effect on them!" Myne answered haughtily.

Naofumi clenched his fist at Myne calling Filo and Raphtalia monsters. But then he smirked. "Fine. Cast it on those two then." Naofumi said as he pointed at Eclair and Melty.

His surprise comeback caught Myne off guard. "What are you talking about?!" She demanded.

"They haven't been around me for even more than a day. If you're not lying, then those mages should be easily able to free them before they're too far gone, unless your mages are weak bastards such as yourself."

"Don't listen to his words! That is how the Devil of the Shield brainwashes you!" Myne yelled at the knights who'd nearly been swayed by Naofumi's common sense. In fact, quite a few looked like they'd been swayed already.

"But you've been talking back to me this whole damn time!" Naofumi snapped at her. "Stop being backward with your logic and just admit you're lying!" He'd just shown a major flaw in her argument and she was just going to pull something like that?! Even some of her own knights were looking at her weirdly.

"Since when do we have magic to prevent brainwashing?" One smart individual asked.

"Draw swords!" The Commander, however, wasn't going to stand by idly any longer. "We must protect our princess!"

The majority of his Knights needed to be convinced of the justice of their cause, so he forced the Captains to make their subordinates draw their weapons. The elite knights near the front pulled out blades that shined in the sun.

The only Captain behind the Commander that wasn't along for the ride was the same one who'd informed the Commander about the Shield Hero escaping his cell. He was frowning actually. As were some of the knights he commanded behind him. A few of whom had fought alongside the Shield Hero in Lute Village.

Naofumi looked frustrated, but Eclair grabbed his shoulder while glaring at the Knight Commander. "Trying to use Common Sense won't get us out of this Sir Naofumi. The Commander and First Princess want you dead. And the knights won't disobey their orders."

She was right.

"Urgh!" Motoyasu readied his spear. It almost looked like he didn't want to fight. However, he trusted Myne was doing the right thing here. To go against that trust would be to go against his very being.

"We don't have any other choice now." Eclair took up a sword stance a few steps in front of Naofumi.

"Filo won't let you meanies hurt Filo's Daddy!" Filo got in a ready stance.

Raphtalia said nothing, but she took a protective stance next to Naofumi. Ready to act as his sword.

"Sister, why…" Melty trailed off. By this point, she had moved to Naofumi's opposite side. Having backed away in fear of her older sister.

"My dear precious Melty," Malty said, feigning worry as if she was finally taking notice of her little sister again. "Don't you worry. You'll be freed from the Shield Demon's brainwashing soon enough... I'll make sure of it, personally." Her voice was that of worry, but there was a threatening undertone to it.

"Sister, you're… you're insane," Melty said as if she was finally realizing it herself.

"Don't speak like that to your own sister. Now, come. If what the Shield Demon said really is true, then we can break your brainwashing together."

"Come. Let's go home together now to Papa." Myne said as she held her hand out towards Melty.

...

"No…"

Naofumi was still trying to think of something to say, anything that could prevent the situation they were in from breaking out into a one-sided fight when a small hand grabbed the side of his shirt. He looked, and, for once, Melty looked more like a scared little girl in his eyes.

"I… I can't go back." She whispered. "I'll be killed... I know it. My sister… she'll kill me."

...

Naofumi looked from Melty to Bitch. She still held her hand out, but the look in her eyes. Her face was a mask of sympathy and care, but her eyes said otherwise. They looked at her little sister with contempt and spite. Just like whenever she looked at him. Just like whenever she looked at anything that could get in the way of her ambition to become the next Queen.

It was despicable. It was monstrous. Twisted. Ugly. Even Melty, a young girl, Bitch's OWN SISTER could see it.

Naofumi took in a sharp gasp of breath as realization struck. 'That's why the Church Shadow attacked me.'

The original plot hadn't been to assassinate Melty and pin the blame on him. No, the original plot had been to have all of them killed in one fell swoop. While they were down in the dungeons, where anything could have happened. Where blame could have been assigned without the need for witnesses. It'd be like killing two birds with one stone.

And of course, there could be only a few people in the castle who would have known exactly when Melty had planned on freeing him... and one of those was standing a hundred feet in front of him. The puzzle pieces came together in his mind like an easy puzzle, because it didn't take much brainpower to figure it out.

'She's… she's so evil that she'd even kill her own sister...' Melty had said she was the heir to the throne instead of her older sister. So that meant if she died... then Bitch would become the heir instead...

"Give the Second Princess back Naofumi!" Motoyasu threatened, pointing his spear at Naofumi. "If there's any good left in you, do it now so we won't have to fight!"

It was right there. The answer to possibly avoiding this whole fight. And yet...

"Come to me, dearest little sister."

…

"Please, Sir Naofumi… please help…" Melty quietly pleaded.

Melty continued to quietly cry… then she felt a hand pat her head. "Don't worry."

She looked up in surprise. It was Naofumi that was reassuring her. "I'm the Shield Hero. I won't let anyone harm you while you're with me." He said seriously.

Naofumi glared angrily at Motoyasu. It was one answer to their situation. But he knew it wasn't the right one. 'But I'm done. I've run away for long enough.'

Raphtalia was readying her sword to fight. "Raphtalia, I need one of your gloves." He said in a cold voice.

Raphtalia looked at him in surprise at first... But then she nodded and took off her right glove, giving it to Naofumi without question. It was at times like this he was grateful she could read what was on his mind. Even when he had a maelstrom of thoughts swirling through it, she almost always seemed to know what he was thinking about.

Without looking back, he walked calmly forward towards Motoyasu. The Commander was on Motoyasu's left, and Bitch was on his right.

"Wait, what are you doing?!" Motoyasu asked fearfully. The knights behind them stirred uneasily as the Shield Hero slowly approached all by himself.

"What I should have done back at the celebration long ago," Naofumi said flatly. After a moment, he stopped ten feet in front of Motoyasu, looking him in the eyes. "I thought I didn't have a choice back then. I thought my only way out was to go through you. I thought that was the answer then." He'd thought the only way out was to follow Ren's plan. To duel Motoyasu, beat him, and prove that he wasn't who the people thought he was.

But that wasn't going to happen. That was never going to happen. Not when there were people like Pope Balamus, Bitch, the Royal Knight Commander, and God knows how many other horrible people in power.

He was never going to make a point to the people. As Firo the beast tamer had said to him long ago, it wouldn't have mattered if he had raped the Bitch or not. He and others would still think he was nothing more than a devil because of evil people saying he was.

So if nothing he did really mattered... "I know now what I should have done."

He raised the glove and threw it to the ground.

Everyone there went wide-eyed at the action. But not because it had landed at Motoyasu's feet. He shouldn't have gone for the dog on the leash. Instead, he should have gone for the girl that had been pulling the strings herself.

The glove landed beside Motoyasu, at the feet of Bitch.

Her smug look evaporated faster than the morning dew in the sun.

Naofumi glared at her. "If you want to keep on hiding behind your lame schemes and convince everyone that I'm a brainwashing demon, then fine! I challenge you, Princess Malty Melromarc to a Duel!" Naofumi formally challenged the First Princess.

Hero Clips!

The Taste of Magic Healing Water

"Naofumi, what does this taste like to you?" Motoyasu asked, showing a glass vial full of Magic Healing Water.

Naofumi took an experimental sip of the potion that helped replenish MP. "Hmmm, It tastes like Dr. Pepper. Why do you ask?" Naofumi replied.

"What's Dr. Pepper?" Motoyasu asked confusedly. Before Naofumi could answer, Motoyasu shrugged and continued. "Anywho, I'd say this tastes more like Mountain Lightning to me."

"... Mountain Lightning?" Naofumi asked in confusion.

"Yeah, it's like, the most popular soda in Japan right now," Motoyasu replied.

"But I've never even heard of that soda in my Japan," Naofumi said.

"I haven't heard of yours either," Motoyasu said.

"How could you not have heard of Dr. Pepper?!" Naofumi angrily asked.

"How could you not have heard about Mountain Lightning!?" Motoyasu asked indignantly.

"You're both wrong." Ren and Itsuki appeared. "It obviously tastes Clang Cola."

"No, it's more like Second Maid Lemonade!" Itsuki yelled.

"For the last time Itsuki, I've never heard of Second Maid Lemonade in my life!" Ren yelled at Itsuki.

"Second Maid?" Motoyasu started to giggle. "What happened to the first maid? Did she not taste good enough?"

"Don't you dare make fun of my favorite drink!" Itsuki yelled at Motoyasu.

It looked like a fight was about to break out between the three heroes.

"Wait, hold on a moment!" Naofumi said in realization. "I think I understand what's going on here." He pointed at Motoyasu. "Your Mountain Lightning is like my world's Mountain Dew." He pointed at Ren. "Your Clang Cola is like my world's CocaCola." He pointed at Itsuki. "And your Second Maid Lemonade is like my world's Minute Maid Lemonade."

The heroes all looked at each other.

"You know, that actually makes a lot of sense," Itsuki spoke first.

"We come from alternate Japans. I guess even the sodas we'd be familiar with would go by different names in our worlds." Ren said logically.

"Yeah, good on you for figuring it out Naofumi," Motoyasu said happily.

"... although, I have bad news for you Motoyasu," Naofumi said. It sounded oddly reminiscent of their first night together when they'd told him the bad news of the Shielder class.

"What do you mean?" Motoyasu asked.

"Your Magic Healing Water tastes like chemicals," Naofumi said with a smirk.

"What! No way!" Motoyasu said angrily. "You take that back!"

Ren and Itsuki thought over Naofumi's words. "If Naofumi's theory is correct, then I'd have to agree," Ren said. "Mountain Ew tastes like chemicals in my world too."

"And Mount Stew tastes worse than that." Itsuki agreed. Motoyasu looked at him in shock. "I'm sorry. It just doesn't taste very good."

"No, it can't be!" Motoyasu fell to his knees. "Mountain Lightning is supposed to be the best! I'd drink five of them each night because it was my favorite drink to help me stay up gaming!" The Spear Hero cried in agony over his favorite drink not being well-liked in other worlds.

"No wonder Motoyasu's brain dead. All the chemicals probably killed his brain." Itsuki said.

"And they probably killed his taste for good women too," Ren added.

"Considering how he still hangs out with Bitch. I could agree with that." Naofumi agreed.

"SHUT UP!" Did they really have to rub salt in the wound!?

Motoyasu couldn't wait until his character development finally allowed him to not trust Bitch for good.

He'd be so much happier when she was out of his life.

Hero Clips!

Fangirls

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"Oi, what's with that annoying sound?!" Naofumi yelled crankily. He stumbled out of his wagon, only to stop in shock.

"I'm, like, your biggest fan ever!"

"M-M-MELTY!?" Naofumi was so surprised that he forgot to call the young girl Second Princess like normal.

The formerly blue-haired princess was in the most ridiculous cosplay he'd ever seen.

Her usual dress had been replaced with the exact outfit that Filo wore. Her hair was dyed blonde now to try and match Filo's hair color. She even had a pair of wings taped to her back that looked eerily similar to Filo's.

Like, it was very creepy how similar they looked. Had the girl made them from Filo's feathers?!

He thought they'd only met her TODAY!

"Hey Mel! You're looking great!" Filo complimented.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" The Second Princess let out another fangirlish shriek at being addressed by her number one favorite person in the entire world!

Even though she'd only met her that day!

Naofumi would have said something, but then he noticed something even more ridiculous!

Even though they both had blue eye colors, Filo's eyes were a lighter blue than Melty's. Which the girl had fixed, BY WEARING FREAKING LIGHT BLUE CONTACTS THAT MATCHED FILO'S EYE COLOR EXACTLY!

"WHAT THE LITERAL-" Naofumi was about to cuss, but stopped just short of dropping a cuss word before his daughter.

The last thing he needed was for Filo to start going around cussing at random times. Raphtalia would not have been very happy about that.

"Want to go play Mel?!" Filo asked excitedly.

"Would I ever!?" Melty shrieked happily.

"Wait, you two can't just-" Naofumi froze up again.

MELTY HAD EVEN STYLED HER HAIR IN THE SAME FASHION AS FILO'S!? HOW THE HELL WAS HE ONLY NOTICING THAT NOW!

"Yayyyy~!" Filo transformed into her large bird owl form, whatever the heck it was called. Naofumi still didn't know, after all. And he thought the ridiculousness would end there.

"Wait, just a..." Melty pulled out another outfit that just about made Naofumi faint.

It was utterly ridiculous. How anyone could think it'd look like his daughter was beyond him. But with the help of stints and a very creative pulley system on the inside, Melty had managed to make a costume that resembled Filo almost perfectly. "Don't run too fast! I'm still not used to this thing yet!" Melty yelled from inside the thing.

"Kay!" Filo took off at a brisk pace, and her loyal fangirl followed right behind her.

...

"Naofumi, you don't look okay. Is everything alright?" Raphtalia asked worriedly.

"No, I don't think I'm okay." Naofumi shook his head.

And thus, the Shield Hero acquired not only a brave knight to his ever-expanding party but a fangirl that could mimic his daughter almost perfectly in either form. As stupid as that sounded.

"Yep, this is definitely more crack than I can handle for a day." Naofumi shook his head and began to walk away from the scene.

And yet it was scary how this actually looked plausible, considering how much Melty loved Filolials.

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

…

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Sometime before what happened at the Capital, the scene was chaos.

"Ahhh!" Aksel screamed like a barbarian as he swung his war ax.

"Zweite Barrier!" The Shadow he'd tried to attack summoned a glowing barrier of energy in front of himself. Blocking the strike.

"Come on!" Aksel parried a blow from a mercenary. The party had been split due to the multiple attackers. They were interspaced across the tavern. The main Church Shadow who'd questioned Sir Itsuki stood near the closed-off entrance. He watched as Itsuki's party slowly tired themselves.

"Huah!" Crystal spun around and kicked a large and burly mercenary away. Before she turned and skewered another one on her spear. "You're lagging lolicon!" She yelled at Aksel.

Aksel jumped back, avoiding a strike from a different mercenary. Crystal was closest to him. "How many times do I have to tell you!-" He swung sideways, beheading the poor mercenary. "I'm not a damn lolicon!" He then jumped back to avoid a spell from the protected Church Shadow.

"Ahhh-" A mercenary that charged Aksel from behind was suddenly cut down before he could strike.

Aksel turned again, right as Maya reappeared from her illusion spell. "You could at least try a little harder to keep me from having to save your skin every few seconds Axie-poo." She teased him.

"Why now?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" It wasn't certain whether Aksel's face was red because of the blood of his enemies, or because he was embarrassed.

"Ah!" Marx fell to the ground on the opposite side of the tavern. A shadow's sword impaled in his gut.

"Get away from him!" Before the shadow could retaliate, Karn knocked the two mercenaries he'd been sword fighting with to the sides and threw his sword. It stabbed through the Church Shadow's heart before he could react. The hooded man gurgled on his own blood as he fell to the ground.

Karn ran up and pulled his sword out of the shadow's limp body. The mercenaries he'd knocked back charged again with more reinforcements. "Rach! Marx is badly wounded!" Karn yelled across the room as he defended the downed mage.

"I'm a little busy!" She rolled to avoid two mercenaries who charged into each other. "Zweite Shadow Strike!" A dark shadow came off from her and zoomed towards the main Church Shadow leading the attack.

"Anti-Zweite Shadow Strike." With a calm wave of his hand, the Shadow dispersed Rachel's spell before it reached him.

'Damn it. I hate counter magic.' Rachel ducked a spear from a mercenary. That was how Marx had gone down. He couldn't cast any of his spells either without one of the Church Shadows countering it. And he wasn't as agile as she was.

"Fuehhh!" Rishia barely avoided being cleaved in two by a mercenary wielding a great ax. She dropped her sword to the ground and raised her hands as she quickly chanted. "F-F-Fast Gust!"

Because of how close he was, the large man got slammed by the surprisingly strong wind spell before a Church Shadow could counter it. He was sent flying across the room into a group of three mercenaries who were charging Aksel and Crystal. Maya had disappeared again.

"Thanks, Rishia!" Aksel waved his ax to her before trying to attack the same Church Shadow as before.

"Fueh! FUEHHHH!" Rishia looked stunned that her spell had worked. And almost didn't dodge the next mercenary in time.

"Show these criminals of God no mercy." The lead Church Shadow said calmly despite the bloodbath going on. He'd expected there to be losses. Enemies of God almost never gave up easily. But it wouldn't matter in the end. The false hero's party was outclassed and outnumbered. One was already down. Soon, the rest would fall.

'No… I can't be the criminal here… I can't be the criminal…' Itsuki wasn't exactly fighting. He was defending himself from the mercenaries and Shadows attacking him. A Shadow used ice magic again, but he used a Fire arrow skill to counter it. A mercenary tried to chop off his head, but he ducked it and sent an arrow into the man's gut, knocking him back. But it was all automatic.

His body reacted instinctively to survive. His mind was locked in a state of turmoil.

'I'm supposed to be the warrior of justice. The embodiment of my favorite hero in this game… how could I be the villain? How could my party be seen as criminals?'

"Urgh!" Aksel was struck back into a table by a powerful blow from the Church Shadow he was facing. His armor was dented from the many hits he'd taken. Immediately after, mercenaries swarmed him. Battering down on him with their variety of weapons. Aksel raised his arms to protect himself.

Aksel, the former knight, had confided to Itsuki once about his past shortly after he'd joined the party.

His family had grown up in the region of Seaetto in the same town the Lord had resided in. He wanted to become a knight so he could protect his demi-human friends from the slavers who tried every now and then to enter his home region. He'd failed the Royal Knights entrance exam, but the Church had seen the potential in him and trained him.

He'd been away at the Capital going through his final knight exams in preparation for moving up from the Church Knights to the Royal Knights when the Wave of Catastrophe struck. Because he was still in training, he hadn't been sent with them. But being amongst their ranks, he heard his comrades gloat about what they'd done to his homeland.

It was why he'd secretly left the Church Knights altogether. If it hadn't been for Itsuki helping him to find those who had been enslaved, he would have lost faith in all of the Cardinal Heroes.

Aksel wanted to free his friends. He also wanted to make the Church pay for destroying his home.

Crystal jumped back to avoid a mercenary wielding a sword. Her eyes widened at Aksel's predicament. But as she tried to run to help, she was tripped up by another mercenary wielding a spear. She grimaced when her head hit the wood.

Itsuki had learned about a week after his one-on-one chat with Aksel about the silver-haired girl's background. She had lost her parents as a child to some rare illness she didn't know the name of. She somehow survived the same illness, but it had changed her hair color from brown to silver. The rest of the village, thinking it was a bad omen, shunned her. Eventually forcing her to leave.

She had been forced to thievery and squatting in abandoned places to stay alive. However, one day, when she had been stealing from a demi-human's stall, she was discovered. She'd already been weak from malnourishment and was sick with something else. Having grown up on tales of demi-humans being murderers and animals, she'd thought her life was finally going to end then and there.

But the silver-haired demi-human, instead of harming her, helped her. He, his wife, and their son and daughter took her in. They bandaged her cuts and scrapes. They gave her medicine, food, a warm bed to stay in, and a place to call home. Something she hadn't had for years.

Crystal had later learned that the father of this kind demi-human family had lost his parents to the same illness that had taken her parents. And, because of his kindness, she stayed and left her old life and beliefs behind.

She was emotionally distant at times because of her past experiences with people. But she did care about others. She'd gone out on this adventure because this man's son, now her best friend, and maybe something more, had been kidnapped in the middle of the night by slavers. She hadn't even hesitated when she told the man who helped her so much that she'd find his son and bring him back.

She had a debt to repay for his family's kindness, and a desire to bring the slavers responsible for kidnapping him to justice.

Karn dispatched the last mercenary who had charged to attack him. "Don't worry man." He told the grimacing young man still on the ground in pain. "We'll get you out of this-" Karn was knocked back by a spell from another Church Shadow. Who hadn't taken kindly to him killing one of them.

"None of you are leaving here alive." The Church Shadow muttered as he calmly approached. And then, while Karn struggled to get back up, the Shadow impaled the young Marx's chest with his sword.

"NO!" It wasn't Karn that'd screamed, but Itsuki.

Marx's eyes widened in shock and pain. Itsuki's eyes also widened. 'No…'

Marx had the most tragic backstory of them all. One Itsuki had only learned a couple of days ago when Marx had been frustrated after saving some slaves from a noble.

The normally quiet and reserved teen had grown up in a mixed household. His dad was human, but his mother was a Kitsune demi-human. He was the oldest of four siblings, and he was the only one who had been born without any Kitsune like characteristics. Keeping only his mother's blonde hair while inheriting the rest, even his magic affinity, from his father.

Two years ago, his house had been raided by the town's Three Heroes priests and Elders. His Father had been whipped in front of the entire village to be made an example of. His mother and siblings were taken and sold to slavers.

Marx had only been spared since his Father lied to the priests and convinced them that he was the child of a woman he'd had an affair with. They had considered that a far lesser sin than marrying a demi-human and had allowed Marx to stay with his Father instead of being enslaved. But the image of seeing his mother and siblings being dragged off in the prison wagon had been engraved in his mind forever.

He'd spent the next several months helping his Father to recover. And he had promised him that he'd get stronger. He'd find his mom, his siblings, and all their friends who had been taken by those evil and corrupt priests/slavers. And he'd make those corrupt priests pay for hurting their family.

Marx looked across the room at Itsuki. Who stared in shock. Despite all the mercenaries and Shadows that were surrounding him. Time seemed to slow. Tears were leaking from his eyes as he mouthed words to Itsuki.

Find them… save them... for... me...

His last breath left him, and his eyes turned glassy. His head slumped back against the floor. His stats disappeared from Itsuki's HUD.

Marx was dead.

"BASTARD!" The Shadow suddenly pulled his sword out of Marx's body and defended himself. An enraged Karn struck at him repeatedly. His blade was almost a blur in the air.

Itsuki stared at all that was going on in the room. His eyes watering with tears at the injustice of it all.

"Fast Darkball!"

"Anti-Fast Darkball!"

Rachel's magic once again failed. She ducked a strike from a mercenary and stabbed him in the chest with a dagger. But at least five more were surrounding her. She was breathing in and out heavily. Tears fell from her eyes. She'd seen what had happened to Marx.

They were all from different backgrounds. Rachel had a demi-human fiance she wanted to protect. The timid and scared Rishia had been a slave herself. Karn had his own agenda which he hadn't expounded much on. Maya had hope restored to her after being freed from slavery. Aksel had his friends to save. Crystal, a debt to repay. And Marx… Marx still had a family to find.

A family he wouldn't see ever again. And a Father waiting at home, hoping to see the day when his son would return, the rest of their family in tow.

Karn leaped for the Church Shadow again. His sword was to the side as he screamed in anger. Rachel backed away in fear. A group of mercenaries surrounded her. Maya's invisibility spell was finally countered, and she reappeared in the midst of a group of mercenaries. All of whom turned to attack her. Aksel was being pounded again and again. His armor cracked and dented.

Lastly, Rishia cowered under a table, crying with her hands over her head as several mercenaries surrounded the table. 'It's useless… I'm useless…' She felt terrible. She couldn't even find the courage to protect the hero who had saved her life.

His whole party was on the verge of being slaughtered.

Just like Marx.

Itsuki's eyes darkened. 'They accuse me of being the criminal here?!' He thought darkly. The accusations stung. Everyone in the tavern turning on him hurt. Learning this had all been a setup just to kill him hurt even more. But seeing Marx die. Seeing someone, who'd only wanted to fix the injustices caused to his family, get slaughtered in the name of that same injustice! All of it combined together and caused something in Itsuki to snap.

The last thread that had been binding him to his sanity.

'Do they accuse me of not being on the side of Justice?! Do they accuse me of being in the wrong?! When they stoop so low and do THIS!'

His bow changed to a pure white with strange symbols on it. He didn't care if this was a game anymore or not. These pathetic fools had gone too far. Their injustices deserved to be fixed!

'This isn't enough! I need more Justice! I NEED MORE TO PUNISH THESE FOOLISH SINNERS!'

...

Ç̵͖̭͓̟͍̪̳̪̗͕͖̤̾u̵̢̫̦͙͎̥̗͖͚͖͖̯͊͐́́̉̆͛̃̀̀͠͠͝͠͝ͅŗ̸̟̞̥̞̠̻̟͚̭̜̻̗̟͎̉̌̉̄͆͘͜s̴̨͌̋̅͊̿̔͋̀͗͌̾̕̕̚ȩ̷̗̈́̊͐̋̎͒ ̶̡̢̢̨̹͇̙̙̯͍͓͔̹̀̎͜ͅS̸̨̛̜̥̐͝e̶͔̞̬͕̐̋̆̈̈̈̆̐͐̓͝ŗ̵̯̳̤͈̪̥̘̲̰̬̍̐̏͘ị̷̰̲̙̺͈̘̖̩̦̿͐͋́̂̅̎̆̉̊̋͑͐̈́e̸̲̻̞͖̠͚͈̟͍͍͚̳͌̃́͗̍̉̊͐̈́͜͝͝ş̸̲̞̦͓͎͇̗̼͗͑͑̃̑̕͜͝:̸̧̰̠̠͚̼͔͈̱̹̜̘̽͋͜ ̵̺̠̯̯̞̩͓̜͉̂̂́̇Ḇ̷̆͐̋̈́̀̃o̴̝͆͗̾̎ẉ̵̲͓͈̹̙̯̣͈̱̟͓͙̋́̅͐͗̿̒̊͛̉͘̕͘͜͠͝ ̶̛̛̣̬̯̯̹̥͔̠̪̼͕̊́̎̎̄͂̽o̴̢̬͈̱̣̥̯̙͔͚̦̫̤̥͑f̶̡̢͓̙̰̥͙̣͔̠̰̹̳̯̤͛͋̾̄ͅ ̸̨̛̮͕̺͖͔̫̻͍̠͍͌̇̾̀͌̿̓̌̚̚͝J̶̛͔͍̳̦͉̱̤̋̉̄̽̽̚͠u̸̟͕͇̬̍s̴̢̡̢̛̛̞̩͇͙̬͉̩̙̙͙̩͗͐̈͐̈́͑ţ̸̛̘̼̭̜̣̞̫̰͇̪̣̰͓̥̈́̌͋͐͒̃ȉ̴̺̭̣̩̗̫̎̏͗́̈́̇̃͋́̿̑̚͝c̵̨̗̯̒̂͐̄̿̔́ȅ̴̹͈͉͒͂̔̔̓̏ ̶̨̯̤͖͚̩͔̮͛̆̆̀̿̒̍̀͐̎͘͜͝Ä̶̢̳͖̫̞̙͕̻̣̬͍̗́b̵̡̝̬͉͇̞̙̼̩̦̤͓̥̮̈ͅị̶̹̻̠̟̹̹̮͓̺͈̱̻̌̂̈́̈̽͌̔̚ͅḽ̶̨͔̣͇͕̪̫͍͉͙̫͍̌͆̓̒̅̽̊̄̍͋̃̾̀̄̀̚ͅi̶̠̎̂͒͊̉̐͘͝t̴͔̫̫̘͙̹̙̣̘̉̉̓̆̐̋̅̓̀̕͜ȉ̷̢̫͇͚͖̣̗̣̮̣̩̹͚̩͔̒̀͂̒̏̀̃̐̕ȩ̷̣̙̳̃͛͗͐̏̈͗ṡ̵̨̢̧̧̲̬̯͕̟̤͇͖̈́͊̈́̀̃ ̸͇̖̞̲̻̹͍̖̖͈̹̽̀͋͋̈́͆̊͗͐̈́͐͂̕͘͜͜͝͝I̵̼͕͇̺̣͇͉̳͕̗͍̙̹͑̔ͅņ̵̥̰̼̖̍͐̿̓͛͐̏̃̕̚͝c̶̨̦̽̊̿͐̀͘ŗ̷̝̳͇̲̖͓̙̜͑̀é̷̢̡̙͈̩̝̖̥̦̤͔̱͙̑̀̓̈́̈̌͂̚ͅͅǎ̴̛̛̠̭͖̹̯͔͖̣̼̹͕͇̽̌̎͆͆̓̅̓̽̿s̴̡̨̻̪̪̳̳̯̘̪͕̞͖͎̃̈́̈̀͂̾̈́̄̓̆̽̑̈́ę̶̡̛̻̳̥̥̥͖͈͉͎́̊̐̽̔́̕͜ḋ̶͉̗̳̩̯̱́̄̎̀̇͂̚!̴̴̛̺̪̙̬͚͇̳̳̻̫̫̬̲̳͊͌̌̊͂́͂̓́̒͘̕̚̚͝

̷̜̺͓̭̠̗͈̙͙͈̼̼̫̒͑̋̿͌̇̈́̈́̇͘͠͝B̷̙͔͔͈͋̃̊̑̂͂̈́̉o̷̤͇͈̥͖̦̲̤̖͔̣͐̆̃ͅw̵̡̡̝̱͓̤̳͊̆̏͝ ̵̢̤̝̳̮͓̫̌͐͗̒͋̈́̽̉ͅo̸̡̢̹͉̞̹̦̯̠̝̾̏̃͛͊̀͋̋͜͝f̶̛̠̜̤̝͍̈́́̏̑͒̚ͅ ̷̧̧̨̡͈̫̤̻͇̦̱̞̠͎̹̑̋̔̇͆̆̓͗̉̌̅͒̋͂̚͝J̶̢͇̥͇͉̮̱̿̓̑͌͋̾͝ư̴̖͇̝̖͑͋̒͑̎̌̾̑̈̑̎̚͝ş̵̡̰̗͈̝̰͈̣̪̭̺̆̑̓͗́̂͊̓͂͘͘͝ț̸̨̨̗̮͓̯̟̺̦͎̳̻̠̂̊̔͒̽̍́̉̒̇̌̏̒͘͠ͅį̷̹͎̠̻̤̦͚̩̼̌̅̈́̐̓̂̌̈́̇̔̔̅̕̚͝͠ͅc̸̡̨̨̩͉͉̙̪̺̲̲͗͊̇͋̈̋̃̆̕͝͠ḙ̴͙̭͎̹͍͎̠͐̈́̐̍̐̓̅͘ ̸̢̛̦͍̞͓̞̙͍̇͋͆͑́͗͂̓̿̂́Ì̶̡̳̺͍͖͙͍͎̻͔̭͍͒͊͒͌̿͛͑̚͜͜ͅI̷̜̳̖͕̱̥̤̐́̏̓̈͘̚ ̶̳̼̑̏̿̽͌̅͂̐͂͗̓̆͗̌̋ȕ̵̧̟͚̠͓͉̮͙͈͉̲̻̰͚͆̋͂̂̆́͋̚̚͜ń̸͎̳̲̈͛̀͆͌̓̕̚͝l̴̨̞̘̗͚̦͛͗̍͑̕͝ȏ̵̱̮͛̃̅̀̔͛̄̈͊͘ç̷̨̱̬̩̠̥̣̋̓̄̔̀̿̿̌̓͊͠k̷̡̞̘̜̦͕̩͛̍͆͌̕͜͜ę̸̢̢̧̱̝͔̝̯̘̬̥̳̝͎͆͜ḑ̷̡̨͖͎͕͕̳̣͖̤̰̲̘̆̈́̓̀̔̽̀̌͘͘̚̚̚̕̕!̵̵̧̡̨̭͖̱͖̗̖̒́̃̄̍͒͛̆̑͌̄͂͝͝

̴̝͇̭͊E̶̡̝͙̺̬͓͉̓̂̆̿̒͂̍͒́͌͌͘q̵̢̢̹̰̜͈͓̤͍͙̞͊̅̍̇̎͛͗̈́͂̕͝͝ͅǘ̶̢̡͖̭̭̘̦̩̳͉̦̼̞͉̪ͅi̸̡̙̿̋p̵̢̨̻̺͙͈̭̱̤̜̟̗̜͓̅̂̇̀͂̈́̉̕ ̷̠͕͖̦̻͉̲͇͙̑͝͠B̸͇̩̞̣̖̭͙͈̠̣͋͋́̿̇̔ͅȯ̸̺̆́͗̽̂̍̕n̸̨̨̧̪̮̭̫̩̠̞̘͈̙̤̳͊͋͊̈͐̽̈́͆͑͒̔͗͝͝ͅù̸͖͙̞̦̝̰̥̫̼̬̦̖̯͍̘̟͗̀̾̍́͛̒̒͑̕s̶̤̙̜̠̳̓̒̀̂̊̑̍̕͠͠ ̵̛̭̉̔̇̔͛͛̈́̋S̴̮͚͚̹͎̤̳̫̀̌͜k̴̨̨̧̜̖̖̳̲̫͈̼͚͓̇̄͘͜ͅį̸̮̥̗̦̳̱͙̹̼̇͌̽͌̓̊̏̓̒̿̀̚l̵̩͎̰̈͂̌̃̋͑́̇̿͜l̷̨͓̘͉̙͙̥̰̙̾̂͂̆͗͐̐̈́̈́̔̃̅́͆̍̈́͜͜:̵̭̺̔ ̵̧̡̥̘̱̙̱̖͚̑͗̈́͌͆͒̈́̕̕̕ͅ"̷̨͖̘͙͈̬͙̱̞̯̣͔̺̰̙̇͜C̷̥̬̎h̵̡̺̜̭̱͍͗̀͆͛̀͝͝ͅa̴̢̿͂̎̈̈́ň̴̢̡̨̼̹̱͔̪̦̞̠͓͎̩̜̍͆̅̑g̵̜̲͊͛̔̉̂̂͌̃͐͘ͅẽ̷͇̳͇̤̩͖̩̆̐̀ ̶̨̨̧̥͙̯̝̜̦̹̹̱̳̭̈́̏̊́̓͂̚͝͝B̷̡̗̝͙̣͓̱̤̹͉̬̯̬̊͌̚ͅò̵̘͓͈̻̠͇̙̮͙̋̇̉̈́̕͜͝ẇ̴̧̡̯̣͓̱̫̱̊͂̎͛̃̓̔̏̕͜ ̴̡̢̢͇͕̥̱̪͚̻̱̮͊̓̌͊̐͑̑̑̈́̅(̶̨̧͈̝̠͉̥̳̣̻̗̺̃́̆̃͛̔̈͜͜Ā̷̢̛̲͈̠͓̱͖̻̜̹̞̳̯̼̼̬͊̉͂̂͐̃͠t̷͓͑̽̈́̊̊̈̌̀͠t̴̡̡̛͙̗̦̮͇̠̱̪̜̫͉̩̋̂̋͊͆͆́͗̌̑̑͠ä̶̦͍̤͚͔̠̦̼͚͚̠͔͔̻͛̂̓́͑̽̉̾͒͘͜c̵͚͎͈͕͎̝̭͛̈ķ̴̰̫͚̬̻̦̼̖̙͉̞̯͕̓͗̈́̆̒ͅ)̵̠̗̤̬̲͎̘̇"̷̞̞͖̈́̆̆̽́͆̓̍̀̍͘͘ ̵̨͖̭̘̠̮͚̖̞͕̼͋̇͆̏̈́̋̈́́̀̆͘͜͠à̴̧̳̩̟̖̹̮̲̫̫͉̰̪̩̿̄́̚͜͜͠͠n̷̢̡̛̛̼̫̝̦͓̙͚̲̹͖͚͖̍̑̃̃̆̏͆̈̒͊̄͑͝ͅd̶̢̨̗̠̦̤̩̘̟͈̯̺̪͉̠̚ͅ ̷̨̟̪̗̟̰̱̺̮́̅́̎̔̀͋͂̌͆̔͆͝ͅ"̴͉̱̊̅̍̈́́̑́̑̈́̄͐̕͝B̶̧̨̟͚͚̖̙͚͈̦̹͙̘̰̩̓͋͝ų̴̡͇̖͖̱͎͔̰̰͔̟͇̹̠̹̋̄̓͊̅͂̀̏̔̕̚͝͝ļ̷̹͈̺̝͔̻̝̙̩̗̼̙͛̀̉̐̑̈́͒̃̅͠͝l̸̟̪̤̩̪̼̣̺̥̳̎͌̅͛̉̏͗̈́̐ ̶̨̢͚͙̣͓̯̝͔̖͙̓̀̐̔̀̾ơ̴̧̢̨̩̬͍̥̤̰̲̗̺̎̔́͂̿̍̕ͅf̷̨̧̛̱̺̻̩͈͚͚̯͓̬̙͐̾ ̴̯̩̞̲͓͍͙̠̞͍̹̭̥͘͜P̶̨̨͓̹̬̹̪̩̩̫̫͎̣̗̹̉͊̾̌̏͋͒̅͒h̷̬͍̻͙̱̬̻̩̄͌̆̈́͝ȃ̶̢̝͉̿ḷ̸̥̌͒ą̸̨̤͔̭̺̲͙͕̻̃͒̒̄̂͛̒͌͑͝ŕ̵̛̞͎̐̀̂͑̅́͆̿̿͋̑̑͝͝ị̴͙͙̠͚̾̍́̃̋̊̐̂̈̾͂̔͂̚͝͝s̸͉̳͉̝͈̠̲͖̗̃̐̃͐̍̄͗͑͘͝"̸͕͎͍̤̝͙̼̹̤͍͕̺̂̈̓͒̓̏̏͊̿͛̈̉̚͠

̵̨͍͎̪̹̝̭̮͙̺͊̀̐͌̀̏͆̄̑̌̅̈́͘͜͝͝͝...

The white, if it was possible, leached out more color from the bow. It was unnaturally white. More pale than white. The symbols on it deepened their etches into the bow. The dark aura coming off of it intensified. Like an invisible gas of miasma was coming off it. The mercenaries and Shadow attacking Itsuki stumbled back. Suddenly wary of this new bow. But it was too late.

It was time for them to pay.

The Church Shadow Karn was facing kicked him back. He rolled over a table and landed painfully on the ground. The Church Shadow approached, several mercenaries flanking him. "I think it's time we finally got to purifying your soul." A fireball appeared in the shadow's hand.

Karn grimaced. He wished they hadn't blocked portaling. This could have been so much easier. "I'll make you pay... I swear I will..."

The Shadow smiled under his hood. "Oh, but I have nothing to pay for. After all, everything I do I do in the name of-"

The mercenary wielding a bow next to the Shadow suddenly fell to one knee. "Brocko, you okay?" One of his fellows asked.

…

"Yes... That is what I should be doing." The mercenary muttered weirdly as he stood back up. He pulled out a dagger.

The Shadow turned to face the mercenary in confusion. And then before he could react, the mercenary stabbed him in the chest with the dagger. A crazed look was in his eyes. "I need to dispense justice on those who deserve it."

Karn looked wide-eyed. The Shadow was also wide-eyed as he collapsed onto his knees. The dagger was still in his chest. The mercenary twisted the knife, and the Shadow collapsed completely in a spray of blood.

"Brocko, what are you-" One of the other mercenaries was saying in surprise when the mercenary quickly turned and sent an arrow right into the forehead of his former friend.

"Ah!"

"What!?"

"Why?!"

The lead Church Shadow looked around in surprise. A few of the mercenaries. Even one of his own Church Shadows had suddenly turned. Attacking each other instead of Itsuki's party. "No, what are you doing-"

Itsuki launched an arrow from his bow. Striking the mercenary in the side. "I fight... for the right!" The same mercenary plowed into the other mercenaries that had piled on Aksel. Swinging his mace like he was trying to break open a pinata instead of people's skulls.

"I fight... for the downtrodden!" Another mercenary hit by Itsuki's arrows impaled a Church Shadow next to him instead of Crystal.

"I fight-" Another mercenary tried to charge for the main Church Shadow. The shadow stabbed him through with his sword, but the man thrust forward, ignoring the pain. "-for Justice!"

The Church Shadow screamed in pain. The sword had thrust through his side. He slashed again, beheading the mercenary. He then held his side, gasping in pain. 'No… what's… what's happening…'

"No, stop it, please-" Another mercenary was beheaded by his fellow.

Itsuki fired another arrow. It went through a mercenary's chest. Instead of killing him though, a crazed look entered the man's eyes. And he proceeded to turn on his comrades just like several of the others.

"No, what are you do- AHHHH!" The Church Shadow Aksel had been facing screamed as he was impaled from several different directions all at once.

The lead Church Shadow looked from them to the next group. A single mercenary was taking on his comrades. Laughing maniacally as he did so. 'Something… something's wrong here… it's like… it's like they're being brainwashed into serving him!'

A figure approached through the chaos. The Shadow turned.

It was Itsuki. But it wasn't.

"Zweite Aqua Shot!" Muttering a quick chant, a ball of water launched at Itsuki. It slammed into his chest.

He stumbled, but then he scowled as he stood up again. What damage the spell had done healed over within seconds.

"What… what are you…" The Shadow said fearfully.

Itsuki glared at the wounded piece of scum as he approached. "What am I?" His voice was darker than before. His eyes glowed a light violet. "I am your judge, your jury, your executioner." He darkly answered. "None shall escape my grasp."

The Shadow's eyes widened. "I decree you guilty, and sentence you to death."

The Shadow tried desperately to cast a spell. Any spell that would come to mind. He was a servant of God! He was only trying to fulfill his holy will!

"Shadow Bind!" The Church Shadow's own shadow froze in place. With it, the Shadow himself stopped moving.

"Wha- No!" The Church Shadow yelled.

"Bind Arrow!" Itsuki released an arrow from his bow. The already bound Church shadow was slammed painfully back into the ground. Like his shadow was being stitched into place.

"Foolish Sinner! Your transgressions have filled the cup of iniquity to full! Writhe in pain as you're roasted alive, and as your dying screams are converted into the cries of a raging bull!"

"No, please, have mercy-" The Shadow begged.

"I call forth The Bull of Phalaris!"

A giant, grey-horned bull about ten feet tall and fifteen feet long appeared above the Shadow. Its weight crushed the tables around it.

"Sir Itsuki!" Maya yelled. She had a wound on her thigh but was otherwise unharmed. All around, mercenaries screamed in pain or in calls of Justice. Slaughtering each other while Itsuki's party members watched with stunned faces.

Itsuki didn't pay attention. He instead opened his fist. Similarly, the bottom of the bull opened up, like a fiery pinata awaiting its candy. "No! NO! PLEASE!" The Shadow begged pathetically. He was being raised off the ground. Heading towards the hot fiery insides.

"There shall be no mercy for those that go against Justice," Itsuki murmured.

"You call this Justice!" The Shadow finally snapped. "You might kill me today! But the messengers I sent before coming in here will still make it to the Capital! Your safe haven for demi-humans will be no more, and you won't be able to stop it! Oh God, receive my soul-"

Itsuki closed his fist.

"Ah! AH! AHHHHHHHHH!-" The Shadow was thrust into the grey bull. And the bottom of it closed.

"Rahhhhhhh!" The golden bull let out a screech. Its eyes glowed bright gold.

And then, it was over.

The bull disappeared. Flames, dark flames flaked onto the ground like snow.

The Church Shadow was gone.

Itsuki collapsed to the floor, his bow changing forms. He was breathing in and out heavily. 'What... what was that...'

"Sir Itsuki…"

He turned his head. All the mercenaries and patrons who had been in the tavern before. Even the owner of the tavern who had locked them in, they were dead. Their blood coated the floor, broken furniture, and walls like fresh paint. Several of the torches had fallen from their scorches. Their flames licked against the wood of the floor.

The only ones left alive were his party.

"What…" He trailed off. It had all happened so fast...

"We were about to die... but then mercenaries suddenly turned on each other… and those that turned against their comrades attacked each other once their comrades were dead…" Rachel said. She was staring at Itsuki.

"They said they were fighting in the name of Justice… but they killed each other..." They had never seen anything like it before. They had all fought until the last two had killed each other. That was...

'No… forcing people to attack each other isn't justice!' Itsuki looked at the new bow on his bow menu. It was labeled Bow of Justice II. There was a new effect on it, specifically labeled Self-Curse Brainwashing. 'Brainwashing… but Dimension Wave… that game never had something like this…' Dimension Wave hadn't had many of the things he'd just witnessed. Dimension Wave hadn't had a lot of what he'd seen as of late.

Before any more could be said, Crystal screamed. "Rishia!"

Itsuki quickly turned. Crystal was by one of the tables that had been crushed by the appearance of the Phalaris Bull. She had moved many of the broken pieces of wood aside to reveal Rishia underneath.

His face paled at the sight.

Rishia was in bad shape. Blood stained her clothes. Burns covered her skin. Like the bull hadn't only tried to crush her, but its hot cursed skin had tried to cook her too. "Rishia…"

She didn't give a Fuehhh in response. She was still.

"No… I… I didn't mean to…" Itsuki crawled over. Crystal laid Rishia across her lap. Looking sadly down at the girl.

Karn limped over, and an armorless Aksel walked up supporting a wounded Maya. His armor had been so badly damaged he had to tear it off in order to get up.

Itsuki felt more tears fall from his eyes, seeing the poor green-haired girl's still body.

This wasn't real... this wasn't supposed to be real!

'No… I only wanted to punish the mercenaries… I wanted to punish the Shadows… but not like this! I didn't want to punish her too!' He gripped Rishia's hand and cried.

The girl reminded him too much about his past before being isekaied… he hated his past… he hated how much she reminded him of it...

But he didn't hate her… he hadn't wanted to kill her…

Why... why had he done this!? Why was he like this!?

WHY!?

…

Maya's ears flickered on her head. "Aksel, can you help me down next to her?" She asked, her voice serious.

Aksel complied, helping her down next to Itsuki. Maya leaned over Rishia. Placing her ear near her mouth. After a few seconds, Maya gasped. "She's still breathing."

Itsuki jerked his head. "What?"

"It's faint. But I hear it." She placed a hand against Rishia's chest. "She has a heartbeat. But it's weak. She doesn't have long."

Itsuki finally looked closely at Rishia's HP bar. While it looked empty. There was just the faintest sliver of red on the left side. Like she was just barely hanging on by a thread.

"She's still alive… There's a chance Van could-" A loud snapping sound interrupted Itsuki, and everyone turned their heads towards the entrance. The torches flames from before were slowly turning into a bonfire. The leftover cursed flames nearby were also starting to flare up.

"Sir Itsuki, are you able to teleport us now?" Rachel asked.

Itsuki checked. The notification he'd been receiving before was gone. There wasn't interference with the portal skill anymore. 'There's still a chance.' They could still save her. "Gather close..." He trailed off and looked at Marx's body. Lying in the midst of the bodies of the mercenaries and Shadows. More tears leaked from his eyes.

They could still save Rishia… but it was too late to save Marx...

"Allow me." Aksel went over and picked up Marx's body. "He deserves a proper burial." He had tears coming from his eyes too. Most everyone in the party did.

Itsuki looked at the flames. The ones that were going to consume this whole place. The flames that would hide what had happened here…

'If only I'd acted a little sooner… if only I hadn't frozen...'

In the cursed flames, he saw the face of his best friend, Jaylee, staring back at him. The same sad smile was on her face. Just like when he'd stared at her back then. Frozen as she raised the knife she held to her own throat.

He had failed once again.

"When are you going to realize it wasn't your fault?" The memory of her voice asked him in his mind.

Itsuki closed his eyes tight and raised the bow over his head with a clenched fist. "Transport Bow!"

A dome of light surrounded the group, transporting them away from the slowly growing fires.

Only the bodies were left behind. The bodies, the blood, the discarded weapons and armor, and the slowly growing fires consumed it all.

"NO! RAPHTALIAAAAAAA!"

Naofumi lifted Raphtalia's cursed limp form so she was lying on his lap. Now that he was no longer blinded by his Rage, he could see how hurt she was. He was all sorts of confused and terrified at the same time.

'What have I done?!' She was barely breathing. Most of her body and clothes were covered in black burns.

He forced down his confusion and terror and tried to focus on his spell tab. Selecting Raphtalia as the recipient of the spell.

"As Shield Hero, Source of thy power I order thee! Decipher the laws of nature, and heal my target! Fast Heal!"

Green energy covered Raphtalia's body from head to toe. However, when the spell finished, she didn't stir. She was still covered in cursed burns. Her HP bar barely moved. "And heal my target! Fast Heal!"

Again, green energy covered Raphtalia's body. But she didn't move. The curses not only stayed, but they interfered heavily with the healing spell. To him, it looked like her HP bar was dropping despite his efforts.

A desperate look came onto Naofumi's face. "No! Damn it! Fast Heal! Fast Heal!" Naofumi yelled again and again. "Raphtalia, stay with me! Fast Heal!" He was steadily freaking out. 'No, please be okay Raphtalia!' "Fast Heal! Fast Heal! FAST HEAL!"

"No… Miss Raphtalia." Eclair said.

"She… she pulled Naofumi out of his Cursed Series." Melty realized.

"M-Mommy…" Filo looked sad. The three of them were near a charred building close to the wall.

Nearby, the Shield Prison shattered. Malty fell to the ground. Covered in cursed burns and bleeding from several different areas.

"Myne!" Motoyasu grabbed her under one of her shoulders, helping her up.

"Am… am I…" She coughed weakly. She looked to be shaking in terror. Looking around herself as if she was afraid she had actually died.

"It's okay, you're okay now." Motoyasu hugged the red-headed girl.

Myne still looked to be in shock and pain. "What…" Her arms hugged Motoyasu. "What happened…" She asked.

"Raphtalia stopped Naofumi from using whatever skill he was about to use. She's badly hurt though." Motoyasu was saying, leading Myne away back towards the safety of the other knights.

"Fast Heal! Please, work damn it! Fast Heal!" He could see out of the corner of his eyes Naofumi trying desperately to heal Raphtalia. He was going to get Myne back to the other knights, and then send for some holy water. Hopefully, the rest of this mess could be resolved peacefully so no one else got hurt.

She coughed as she forced herself to drink her last elixir.

"Come on. We're going to get some holy water for you and-" Motoyasu was saying.

Myne looked to Naofumi and growled. She resisted Motoyasu's pull and tried to face them.

"Wait, Myne-" Motoyasu tried to say.

Angry was too weak a word. Pissed off came nowhere close to what she felt towards Naofumi. 'How dare he hold that kind of power! How dare he make a fool of me and make me beg for my life!' Despite the burns, she started to smirk. 'Well, since he's tied up with trying to keep that mangy mutt alive. I can spin this to my advantage.' Oh, how she loved the way her twisted mind worked.

"The Shield Demon is down! Seize him!" She pointed at Naofumi as she ordered the knights. Even though many of them were already tired out or out of it because of their injuries.

"No! That's enough older sister!" Melty yelled. She marched out into the center of the square.

"Wait, Princess Melty-" Eclair followed behind her.

"I have had it with you!" Melty glared at the knights who were still capable of fighting and following Malty's orders. "Don't listen to her! Parts of the city are still on fire! Your first priority should be to help the citizens evacuate and fight the fires!" Melty yelled to the knights.

"No, she's still under the Devil of the Shield's mind control-" Malty started to yell.

"As the current heir to the throne and by the authority of the Queen I command you to help the citizens of Melromarc!" Melty ordered the knights. She was in the center of the former battlefield now. There were blast marks and bits of broken armor scattered around her. By her count, at least five knights had died from their injuries. "There has been enough bloodshed caused today by the foolish actions of my older sister! I will not allow her stupidity to throw away any more lives!"

Malty scowled. "Why you little-"

"I am not being brainwashed! The Shield Hero is incapable of doing such a thing! If you are really loyal to your Queen, you will listen to me as if I were her and do as I say!" Melty ordered. Her voice sent shockwaves down the souls of all those that listened to her, even Malty. "HELP OUR CITY, NOW!"

"No, you can't!" Malty screeched. The Knights looked from Malty to Melty in shock.

They knew the King would want Naofumi in a cell after all the damage he'd caused during the duel. But Melty looked very fierce and intimidating now, just like her mother. And the people in the city behind them were starting to panic. They could hear screams and calls for help! Even the possibility of Melty being brainwashed wasn't enough to make them want to abandon the civilians. Especially since some of them had families living in the Capital.

"Myne, stop! Your sister is right! We can't risk another fight-" Motoyasu tried to say, pointing at the fires. Melty had convinced him, at the very least. Actually, he'd long since been convinced.

"I don't care! My little sister's been brainwashed by that, that, FIEND! I won't stand to the side and allow him to get away with this!" Malty yelled as she pointed a hand at Naofumi to hurl a spell at him.

Little did she know that Melty had been chanting under her breath up until that moment. Expecting her sister to still try and attack. "Zweite Aqua Slash!"

Malty and Motoyasu turned in surprise. The water spell barely missed. It flew and hit the ground behind her. However, part of Malty's hair on her right side fell off. The spell had cut them clean off and given her an impromptu haircut.

Melty still had her hands raised determinedly. "I won't miss next time! You've gone too far, dear sister!"

Malty's eyes flashed with rage. Her pathetic little sister dared to make her look like a fool?! She raised her hands. Her sister should have struck her down while she had the chance. She'd give her something far worse than a haircut. "Zweite Hell-"

"Fast Tornado!" This time, Filo in her Filolial form materialized in front of her and Motoyasu. Malty barely had time to blink before she got hit by Filo's wind magic and was slammed into Motoyasu. Both of them were thrown back toward the knights. Motoyasu instinctively covered his groin area with one hand, expecting a kick there after his last experience facing the large bird.

Filo, however, jumped back to stand by Melty's side. The spell had cost the last of her MP. But she still had her immense strength. "Leave my mommy and daddy alone!"

"Just leave us alone! Haven't you hurt the people enough because of your actions!?" Eclair yelled angrily. She brandished her sword. "How could you think to call yourselves knights after today?!"

Melty glared. "You've accused a Cardinal Hero of the impossible and caused a mess of our city! You worked with the Three Heroes Church to have me killed! And it's only because of Naofumi that I'm still alive! Back down and let us depart, and maybe I won't mention any of this to mother!" She yelled angrily. She might have been annoyed with Naofumi refusing to call her by her name, but she wasn't going to allow Malty to cause any more harm.

"What… is that true?" Motoyasu asked Myne.

"No, of course, it isn't Sir Motoyasu! I would never try to harm a hair on my sister's head!"

Some of the knights looked shocked. Including the Captain. "The First Princess… working with the Church…" They started to murmur.

"Why are you just standing there?!" Malty yelled back at the Royal Knights. "Your princess was attacked! Capture them!" She yelled.

Altara finally came to on top of the wall. She sat up, rubbing at her forehead. Filo's kick hadn't knocked her out, but the impact with the stone had. She checked her hood to make sure it hadn't come off.

Thankfully, it was still in place.

"Miss Altara." A Church Knight helped her up. "The Shield Demon and his party are trapped. But the Second Princess is starting to sway some of the Royal Knights."

The gates finally started to open. The inner wall gate opened more slowly, however, due to all the damage it had taken from one of Naofumi's cursed fire blasts.

Altara looked over the side. Melty, Eclair, and Filo were a little over a hundred feet away from the gates near the center of the battlefield. "It is okay." She found the Shield Demon, desperately trying to heal his party member. "Our forces should be plenty to handle the rest by ourselves."

"No! Stand firm! The Shield Demon is finally in our grasp-" The Commander was yelling, but some of the royal knights finally listened to Melty instead of him and Bitch. They broke ranks and ran to deal with the growing fires and the panicking civilians. The Captain and the majority of his men were among them. Some carried those who couldn't fight to the hospital where they would have their cursed burns treated.

The Captain and a few of his best men ran in the direction of the Castle. To report to the King what had happened and what they'd learned.

Melty grimaced. A good portion of the knights that could still fight had left. But the Commander still had over a hundred knights. And that didn't include the Church Knights that were about to flood in behind them with whatever reinforcements the Church likely had on their way. "Eclair, Sir Naofumi is still trying to heal Raphtalia. He'll need your light magic to assist him."

"But Princess Melty, you'll be in danger here," Eclair said.

Melty grimaced. The odds didn't look in their favor at all. "Don't worry. Filo will protect me." She gave Filo a Magic Healing Water, which the filolial girl drank down. "The Shield Hero needs you more than I do. We can't get out if he's focused on trying to keep Raphtalia alive." She said.

"I can't abandon you in your time of need!" Eclair was torn. She wanted to support her friend. But the Shield Hero also needed her support! She couldn't be in two places at the same time!

"Myne! This needs to stop!" Motoyasu yelled into Myne's face.

"No! I'm not done yet! I'm not going to let them make a fool of me!" Myne yelled.

"But, but what about the people? What about your sister! What about Naofumi and Raphtalia-" Motoyasu tried to say. Naofumi hadn't even acknowledged anything else that was going on. He was still trying to heal Raphtalia, and his MP points were getting low from the process of doing that.

"Screw the damn demi-human! I don't care about her! She can die for all I care!" Malty yelled. "My sister is letting herself be brainwashed, and I need to free her from the grasp of that demon!"

Motoyasu was stunned by that response. Malty glared with absolute hatred at where Naofumi was desperately trying to heal his beloved companion. "That peon has defied me for long enough! It's time I finally put an end to him!"

"But, but-" Motoyasu tried to respond. It was like some inert sense was finally activating. Seeing the look on Myne's face. It was warning him to get the hell away from this girl right now.

But Myne was his friend! She wouldn't stab him to death like his last two girlfriends had! Would she?

Filo took a ready stance to the front right of Melty. Eclair sighed but took on a sword stance on her back left. Unless they had more help, she couldn't just abandon the Second Princess.

The inner gate was almost high enough to allow a surge of Church Knights to swarm in. The Church Knight helped Altara along the wall so she'd be able to watch their moment of triumph when the Shield Demon and his party were finally dealt with.

Motoyasu watched what was going on. Naofumi and Raphtalia were near the wall. Naofumi was looking increasingly desperate trying to heal Raphtalia. Melty, Filo, and Eclair were a hundred feet away halfway down the square. He and Myne were only fifty feet away from them. The Royal Knights had divided. Those that remained with the Commander were moving up to Motoyasu and Myne's position. Ready to plow through the three girls to get to Naofumi. If the Church Knights entering through the gates didn't get to him first. With him being so close to the edge of the square by the wall with Raphtalia.

What could he do? What should he do? What was right in this situation?

Unfortunately, before he could decide, a shout came from a nearby rooftop.

"Meteor Arrow!"

Boom!

A large blue arrow struck the pavement behind Motoyasu to the side. A burst of energy exploded outwards, sending a large group of screaming knights back. Myne covered her face with her arm, and Motoyasu did the same. "Wh-What the hell-" A second arrow landed in front of Motoyasu and Myne, blasting them both away into more knights.

Eclair and Melty were confused. But Filo started looking around herself. "I'm sensing magic similar to mommy's."

A group of people walked almost as if out of light. Two of the original party members were missing. But in order, there was Maya, Aksel, Rachel, Karn, and with them, a whole squad of demi-humans. Dog demi-humans. Raccoon demi-humans. Kitsune demi-humans. And a couple of large demi-human therianthropes covered in armor. Almost all of whom Itsuki had freed from one noble or another.

The therianthropes looked like a mixture of a bear and a human. Large, eight-foot-tall, and covered in black fur under their armor.

"Huh, if that bird was able to sense us, then I guess our combo illusion spell still needs some more work Rachel," Maya said while grinning.

"It got all of us this far. Your progress in magic is astounding." Rachel replied dryly. The Royal Knights still standing looked stunned at their appearance.

"Who, who are you-" Eclair tried to ask.

"Oh, us? We're with him, apparently." Karn pointed towards a building with his sword.

A lone bowman stood on the edge of the roof. Itsuki no longer wore his hooded cloak. His light leather armor had been updated. He didn't have sleeves, but instead had green bands of cloth wrapped around his wrists and light leather gloves on his hands. His Legendary Bow reflected the light of the morning sun.

His party members were also outfitted in the latest gear. Aksel swung his black war ax menacingly. Crystal spun her spear deftly. Karn held his sword to the side. And dark magic crackled on Rachel's fingertips.

They looked pissed.

"Attack!" Itsuki ordered.

Before the knights could recover, Rachel and Maya quickly chanted and cast another combo spell. "Fast Shadow Illusion!"

A wave of darkness traveled over many of the knights. A lot of them started to scream in confusion as they flailed around blindly.

"No! Get into formation! Captains, get-" The Commander tried to order.

Aksel bellowed like a war bull as he charged. The two large demi-human bear therianthropes followed right behind him. The three together plowed into the knights' ranks. Sending many of them flying into the air. "Ahhh!" "AHHHHHH!"

"Fast Fireball!" Some of the demi-human mages began casting spells too. Aiming at the Church Knights that finally started to charge in. At seeing who was launching the spells, the Church Knights roared in anger and determination.

They didn't spread out across the square as any smart army would.

They ran right for Melty and the demi-humans.

Altara's eyes widened above. "No! What are the Bow Hero and his party doing?! Why is he with those abominations?!"

Itsuki stayed on his perch. Raining down arrows and skills on the Church Knights that tried to flow out of the gates en masse for the abominable demi-humans.

"Shining Arrow!"

"Arrow Squall!"

'Oh, they'll like this one.' "Saint Arrow Rain!"

Knights screamed from minor explosions caused by the spread skill Arrow Squall. Others collapsed to the ground because of the light arrows that went right through them thanks to the spread skill Shining Arrow. A few ran around in a panic, their armor on fire thanks to the spread skill Saint Arrow Rain. And Itsuki still had many more spread skills to dish out on this army.

His spread skills were generally weaker than his other skills, but damn, were they perfect for dealing with an army.

"This isn't right!" Altara yelled. The Bow Hero was supposed to be on the side of God. Not on the side of the Shield Devil! "Why is the Bow Hero-"

"Miss Altara!-" The Church Knight with her tried to point, but then a large explosion rocked part of the wall. A whole squad of knights was sent flying off.

Ren appeared out of the smoke on the other side of the wall opposite Altara. He was running, and his sword was still glowing from the skill he'd released.

His armor also had some updates. He had some new black arm guards made of dragon scales over his sleeves. His blue cloak was gone. His chest plate and shoulder guards had been strengthed with Dragon Steel, giving the black more of a black/grey look. Despite the changes and updates, he still had a calm look on his face. And he charged toward Church Knights in his way.

"Bakta! Take point!"

"You got it, Sir Ren!" Bakta ran in front of Ren. And crossed his armored arms as he increased his speed. "Hahhhh!"

"Ow! Ah! Wha! Oof!" The tank plowed through the ranks of surprised knights on the wall like a wrecking ball. Their swords and spikes bounced off of his armored shell. Even if they had gotten a solid strike, Bakta was easily double their level. They were sent flying off the wall on both sides.

"As the source of thy power, we order thee!" Tersia and Farrie jumped down. Several demi-humans followed them. Also casting magic.

"Decipher the laws of nature and summon a mighty gust of wind!"

"Summon a fire, a burning current of flame!"

"Grow together to form a blazing inferno to clear our path!"

"Go!" Tersia and Farrie yelled at the same time, landing on the ground. Their hands pointed toward the Church Knights focused on Melty's group. "Inferno!" A maelstrom of wind came from the two mages, and it burst aflame. Bursts of light and shadow along with more fire from the other demi-human mages with them surrounded it. The firestorm slammed into the Church Knights, dropping many almost instantly.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Those that got past the flames or that weren't brought down by the other spells or Itsuki's skills divided their focus. Some continued on, while the rest charged towards Tersia and Farrie's part of the square. They crossed blades with the demi-humans surrounding Farrie and Tersia. Who charged in a semi-circle towards where Itsuki's group was defending Melty and the others.

The Church Knights were now focused on one side of the square. Completely ignoring Naofumi on the other side.

A Church Knight came running for Eclair. But one of the demi-humans, Maya, came out of an illusion right before tripping the knight. Before he could get up, she stabbed him in the back. "Don't worry. I overheard what you said. We'll protect the Second Princess. Right now, you should help the Shield Hero while they're focused on us."

Eclair looked at the demi-human in shock. But then she shook herself and nodded. "Alright. I'm entrusting the Second Princess's safety to you." She ran away from the group, who'd formed a protective circle around Melty. Melty was plenty protected now. Naofumi needed her now.

"Ah! AHHHH!" One of the knights was lifted up by the armored bear therianthrope and thrown away from the battle.

Ren knocked a blade from a Church Knight and then kicked him over the edge of the wall. "You ready Itsuki?!" Ren yelled over the sound of battle as he held his sword up high.

Itsuki pulled his string back, and a red glowing arrow appeared on it. Ren jumped off the wall. Itsuki jumped off his perch on the rooftop too. Now that they were fully committed.

"Air Strike Spread!"

"Air Strike Bash!"

The two launched two skills consecutively at the still recovering army of knights. Itsuki's red arrow split into a series of red arrows that all struck the front line of knights, dropping them to the ground, gasping in pain. Ren's skill threw almost an entire column of soldiers into the air.

He landed on top of another knight, bringing him down to the ground. Another knight charged for him, but Bakta landed on top of the poor guy.

"As source of thy power, I order thee, decipher the laws of nature, and strike my targets with a darkness so deep as to not be comprehended!" Rachel chanted. "Zweite Dark Slash!"

Another line of Church Knights in front of Ren and Bakta was hit by a shadow darker than night. Giving room for Wyndia, Welt, and the other demi-humans to jump down from above.

"Bakta, protect the right flank. Wyndia, take the left. I'll spearhead this one." Ren calmly ordered. "Welt, lead the rest, and protect the Second Princess!"

Bakta and Wyndia ran to the sides he'd indicated. Wyndia brandished a finely crafted katana. Bakta finally unsheathed a large greatsword. Welt and the demi-humans turned, running to support Tersia and Farrie. Whose group was slowly making their way toward Melty.

"Give them hell!" Ren ordered.

"Huah!" Filo kicked a royal knight hard in the groin, sending him high up into the air.

"Zweite Hellfire!"

Malty unleashed more flames, but they were considerably weaker than before. They didn't even reach the group before they were dispelled.

"Myne! You're too hurt to continue fighting!" Motoyasu was forcibly dragging Myne back from the fight.

"No, I have to-" She tried to yell crazily through the pain she felt.

"Ahhhh!"

The knight Filo kicked landed on top of Myne. Motoyasu rolled the groaning knight off of Myne. Who was, for the moment, briefly knocked out. 'Not what I wanted… but at least I can get her to safety now.' He hefted Myne up again and limped back to where the Commander was still trying to organize the remainder of his knights.

"So what was your plan?" Melty asked.

Aksel deflected a Church Knight's blade away with his axe. Then punched him hard enough to drop him. "Our plan is shock and awe."

"What does that mean?"

"Basically, we're a distraction." Crystal answered as she took a step back to take a breather from the fighting. "When we arrived, we noticed the Shield Hero was too close to the walls with an injured party member."

"So we're grabbing everyone's attention until we're able to group back together safely where Sir Itsuki can pull us out." Rachel said quickly. She threw another spell out. Blasting a line of knights with darkness incarnate.

"You mean this wasn't planned out?!" Melty asked incredulously.

"We just got back to the Capital. We didn't know what to expect. So we planned as we went along." Crystal said sarcastically.

Melty looked over. Naofumi was still trying to heal Raphtalia. 'I hope she's okay.' She thought sadly, unable to help. Well, besides this.

"Zweite Aqua Shot!" She launched a large water ball into a group of Church Knights. "My mother was right! You are nothing but a cult that's jealous of the power of the Shield Hero!" She yelled.

Their reaction was as expected. "You will pay for your blasphemy!"

She could be a very good distraction.

"Fast Heal!" Green energy covered Raphtalia's body again, but she still didn't stir. "Raphtalia, please." Naofumi had tears coming from his eyes. 'It's my fault… it's all my fault-' HHe looked pathetic as he cried.

He couldn't help her. She was going to die and he couldn't do anything to-

"Sir Naofumi!"

Naofumi looked up. "Eclair, nothing's working on her!" He said desperately.

Eclair ran up and got on her knees next to Raphtalia. "Oh, Gods." She could feel the power of the curse on the poor Tanuki girl. "My light magic won't be enough for this."

"But can your magic help?" Naofumi asked desperately.

"Sir Naofumi-"

"Please," Naofumi begged. "I can't lose her… not after everything we've been through together... Please."

"... Alright…" She didn't know if her magic would help. She could only heal the lowest tier of curses at best. But that didn't mean she couldn't give her all to help. "Let's drag her under some cover so I can work," Eclair said.

"Why would we-" Naofumi finally looked away from Raphtalia and Eclair. He'd been so absorbed with trying to heal his companion, that he didn't realize till that moment there was a major battle going on. "What the hell."

"I'd rather not allow my enemies to fire arrows down on me from above when they notice us here Sir Naofumi," Eclair answered seriously as she grabbed Raphtalia under her shoulders. They were lucky no one still hadn't taken note of them yet.

Naofumi lifted Raphtalia by her legs, not questioning Eclair further. Together they carried her over to one of the few untouched buildings where they'd be out of sight.

Ren dropped another knight to the ground, slashing the man across the thigh before knocking him out. He looked at where Naofumi had been formerly, only to find he wasn't there.

'Where did Naofumi go!?' He started to look around at the chaos, trying to locate where Naofumi had been frantically.

He slashed down a large Church Knight wielding a Warhammer. He grimaced at the blood covering his sword. He was trying his best not to kill anyone. That was the last thing he wanted.

'There!' He finally saw Naofumi.

He was in front of a building. It had an overhang, which he, Raphtalia, and a knight were under. The knight's hands were glowing, and he was messing with something in his hands. The Church Knights hadn't gone anywhere near them, as they were distracted by all the action. But that could change at any moment.

"Wyndia. Could you use one of those spells again?" Ren asked.

"Not without becoming useless, Sir Ren," Wyndia replied with a bit of frustration in her tone. "Only ask if you feel it's absolutely necessary."

"Alright. I was just checking." Ren switched to a longer blade. He then swung to force many of the knights back to avoid being sliced. Which gave him room to swing down. "Hang on. Air Strike Bash!"

Bakta and Wyndia grabbed Ren and jumped with him right as he unleashed the skill underneath them. The blast of air jettisoned them over the knights. Wyndia parried a few blades that tried to swipe at them as they flew. But thanks to the chaos being sown by Itsuki who was still releasing skill after skill from the safety of the group. Many of which were exploding, Ren and his group of two were able to land safely right on the other side of the battle.

"Ugh, I hate it when you use that trick." Bakta looked queasy after flying through the air.

A group of Church Knights came charging for them. "As source of thy power I order thee, decipher the laws of nature and blast my targets. Zweite Dragon's Flame!" A ball of fire appeared in Wyndia's hand. She chucked part of it at the closest knight. He fell screaming to the ground. She then deftly knocked the blade out of the second and slammed the remainder of the ball of fire into his chest. Sending him crashing back.

Bakta, who'd forced down his nausea, jumped in front of her, blocking a string of attacks with his greatsword and armor. He then swung his greatsword in retaliation, slashing a line of Knights down. "Hold them off!" Ren ordered them.

"Got it!" Wyndia positioned herself beside Bakta. Wielding her katana in one hand while creating more fire in the other.

Ren ran towards Naofumi.

"Now!" Naofumi ordered.

"First Cleansing!"

Eclair's hands glowed brighter. Light surrounded Raphtalia's body. A black mist came off parts of her. The skin around her face cleared up somewhat, but the burns still looked serious.

"Fast Heal!"

Naofumi cast the spell right as he helped Raphtalia drink the best Healing Potion he could make.

The combination of the healing magic, the cleansing magic, and the healing potion finally worked. Her HP bar moved from the red to the yellow zone. Raphtalia started to cough weakly as she came to. "Nao… Naofumi…" She said quietly.

"Oh, thank the Gods!" Naofumi finally looked somewhat relieved as he hugged the weak Tanuki girl. Eclair looked tired out from the amount of light magic she'd used. She uncorked a Magic Healing Water and began to drink.

"Thank you Eclair. You did amazing." Naofumi said sincerely.

The knight almost choked on the potion at Naofumi praising her.

"What's… what's happening-" Raphtalia tried to say.

"Don't worry." Naofumi pulled back and rubbed her hair reassuringly. "You're going to be okay. I'm going to get us all out of here!" He was still highly worried about how serious her cursed burns were. But getting her and his party to safety was now his utmost concern.

"And how are you planning on doing that, Naofumi, when there's an army in the way?" Ren asked.

Naofumi finally looked up in surprise. "Ren, what are you doing-" He started to say in disbelief. Then he saw an arrow skill land in the crowd of Church Knights. "Is Itsuki here too-"

"Sir Naofumi. Were you not paying attention when I told you what was happening?!" Eclair asked in disbelief.

"Enough. I'm getting you two out of here. Now come on!" Ren said. Wyndia and Bakta were a force to be reckoned with. But there were still more knights pouring into the square from the gates.

"But why are you two-" He tried to say.

A squad of Church Knights got past Ren's party members and ran for them. Ren scowled as he saw the battle was beginning to turn. While they were Cardinal Heroes, the enemy still had numbers on their side. And Itsuki had to pause every now and then to drink a Soul Healing Water. Allowing for more openings the enemy could use to attack. One of the knights ran ahead of the group, and Ren used his sword to block the knight's strike.

"You imposter! You were never the Sword Hero! Neither you nor-" Ren sent the Church Knight flying back before he could finish his sentence. "Meteor Slash!" He sent a slash of blue light from his sword, blasting away the rest of the squad of knights without hitting them directly.

Ren noticed his own SP reserves were getting low.

"I need you to trust us Naofumi," Ren said seriously. "Things are a lot more serious than before. If we don't get out now, it'll be too late."

Naofumi looked at Raphtalia worriedly, and she tried to smile for him despite the pain. Why had Ren been called a fake Hero? What was going on to make Itsuki and Ren help him out like this...

"Okay." He couldn't question it now. They needed to get to safety first.

He lifted Raphtalia bridal style, and she weakly wrapped her arms around his neck. "Eclair, can you watch our backs?" Naofumi asked.

"Yes."

"Then lead the way, Ren."

They ran back towards the knights. Noticing what was happening, Itsuki accurately sent a skill right over the knights Wyndia and Bakta had been facing. While the Church Knights immediately broke up and tried to avoid the rain of arrows, Ren's party members broke off and joined up alongside Ren, making a piercing formation. Eclair stayed in the back by herself. Protecting Naofumi's rear.

"Rahhhh!" Finally noticing the fake hero and the Shield Demon charging towards them, a large pocket of Church Knights surrounding Naofumi's allies roared in anger and turned to meet them.

"Meteor Arrow!"

A blue arrow exploded in their midst, sowing confusion.

"Thunderbolt Slash!"

Ren swept his sword, releasing a slash of lightning on more of the knights. Dropping them to the ground.

They started running through the pack.

"First Technique! Dawn's Strike!" Eclair knocked a large Church Knight away.

"Fast Fireball!" Wyndia slammed a fireball into the chest of another knight.

"Ahhhh!" Bakta once more charged like a bull. Allowing his size, armor, and greatsword to plow down all in his way.

Naofumi held Raphtalia close. But he wasn't going to stand idle in the center of the group.

"Shield Prison!"

A group of nearby knights on Wyndia's side were encased.

"Air Strike Shield!" Naofumi formed a shield in front of Ren. Who used it to jump and vault into the middle of a group of knights who'd gotten back to back.

"Crimson Blade!" Ren spun a 360, knocking all the knights away with the fiery flat of his blade.

"Change Shield! Bee Needle Paralysis Shield!"

The Shield Prison disappeared, and the knights slumped to the ground. All of them were paralyzed.

"Zweite Dark Slash!"

The last bit of the path was cleared by a spell from Rachel. Who sent a wave of darkness crashing into the Church Knights.

Ren, Naofumi, and their allies ran over the downed knights before they could get back up and ran into the circle of allies.

"Daddy, is mommy okay!?" Filo was still kicking and knocking away any knight who dared to get too close. But she looked in worry at her parents.

"She is for now," Naofumi answered as he looked around.

Karn and the dog demi-humans with him struggled against the abundant amount of swordsmen. Several of the demi-humans were either dead or having their wounds treated so they could get back to fighting. Eclair immediately moved next to Karn and assisted. Holding that part of the line.

Tersia and Farrie were next to Rachel, Maya, and Melty in the middle with some other raccoons and Kitsune demi-humans. They were either sending blasts of magic where the knights were the thickest, using illusion magic to confuse the enemy, or using healing and support magic on their allies.

Aksel defended another part of the circle with one of the bear therianthropes. The second one was also in the center of the circle, getting treated for his still bleeding gut wound.

Itsuki was in the middle of the group too. Unleashing skills like he was raining God's justice all around. Ren unleashed skills sparingly from the safety of the group. But they weren't going to hold forever. They had already defeated many knights, but there were hundreds more to take their place. And maybe even thousands more that were on the way to crush them.

"We're all here. You ready to get us out of here, Itsuki!?" Ren asked as he sent a fire skill in the shape of a dragon into a group of knights. He prepared his portal skill.

"Almost! I just have to add Naofumi- damn it! They're interfering with my weapon again!" Itsuki cursed.

A look of panic came onto Ren's face. "Mine too."

"What does that mean?" Naofumi asked.

"It means neither me nor Ren can portal us out of here!" Itsuki yelled.

Ren still tried, but he couldn't activate his portal skill. "But that's impossible! We checked! No one is at the Church right now! There's no way they could block us using the Dragon Hourglass!" He looked to be on the verge of having a panic attack.

"What are you two talking about-" Naofumi was saying. Ren had promised to get them out of here!

"Sir Heroes." Ren, Itsuki, and Naofumi looked to Melty. She looked pale. "I think I know what's causing the interference."

Itsuki, who had the best eyes of the group, looked where Melty was pointing. And his eyes went wide. "What the hell is that?!"

Outside, on their knees behind the water, were at least a thousand robed individuals. Their heads were bowed as they chanted. Mana was beginning to gather above them.

"That is a high-level ritual spell they're preparing to cast," Melty answered.

There weren't many the others heroes knew of that could interfere with the portal skill. But high-class ritual magic being cast nearby was one of them.

The Church Knights started to back away, dragging those who were wounded with them. However, mages and Knights on the walls and on the ground started firing arrows and spells at the group. While they no longer had to deal with any swordsmen, they now found themselves in the midst of many different ranged and projectile weapons.

"Air Strike Shield! Royal Shield!" Naofumi cast the two barriers on the front and back. The Air Strike Shield was cracking against the attacks of so many Church Knights. But the Royal Shield was also cracking under the less numerous Royal Knights barrage. Without the upgrade from the cursed Series, it was the same old useless skill as before.

Well, not as useless since he was now defending Melty with it. But it wasn't holding under such a barrage.

"We order thee! Decipher the laws of nature! Summon a barrier of wind to protect us from all harm! Deflect our enemy's attacks away and bring us safety!" Tersia and Farrie chanted at the same time. "Drifa Protection Tornado!"

A tornado of wind formed around the whole group just as both skills shattered. The arrows that had been sent their way were redirected. The variety of spells were either thrown or impacted harmlessly against the tornado of wind.

"High-class ritual magic." Ren looked pale. His internal panic reached new levels.

"Um... how bad is that?" Naofumi asked.

"If it's the same thing from the game I played…they're about to unleash a spell whole guilds of mages would use to take on world bosses," Ren murmured. "Any players caught in it…"

He didn't need to finish. It was going to be bad.

"Lady Altara. The mages are ready to cast Judgement. Should I give the order?" The Church Knight asked Altara.

Altara looked unsure. The Shield Demon was down there. But so were the Bow and Sword Heroes. She didn't want to believe that they had really changed sides. It couldn't be… all her hard work to forsake her former life to worship the true heroes of this world...

"Sir Ren, our barrier won't hold against that if they cast that spell!" Farrie yelled.

"It's barely holding against everything they're already throwing against us out there!" Tersia added, sweating in concentration.

"Itsuki, my SP's too low," Ren said. Even if he had a full bar, he doubted he could even put a dent in any high-level ritual magic spell.

Naofumi looked down at Raphtalia in fear. He felt the temptation to switch to the Rage Shield again. But he'd already hurt her so badly. If he equipped it again...

Was this how it was going to end for them?

Itsuki looked at Ren. And then his eyes lit up. "Wait, I might have an idea!"

Itsuki explained it to Ren, who looked at the dog girl of his party. "Wyndia, would you be able to use your magic to help us now?"

"Well, it's either that or die." The girl shrugged. "Sure, let's go for it. I'll just need a lot of vitality to pull from."

She tried to look indifferent as gratitude filled the Sword Hero's gaze. But ultimately failed.

"Zweite Air Slash!"

"Zweite Earthball!"

"Zweite Hellfire!"

Motoyasu set the injured Myne back next to the Commander behind the line of knights firing off different spells. She had woken up again and looked like she still wanted to fight. But her injuries were taking too much of a toll. And she was out of MP with no more elixirs to restore it.

"Stay here! I'm going to try and stop this!" Motoyasu ordered her.

"No, I have to…" Myne looked to be in a lot of pain.

"Lady Altara!"

"Yes, cast it now while they're pinned down." Altara finally ordered.

She had to remember the Shield Demon was down there. He was associated with the demi-humans that had ruined her life before.

He couldn't be allowed to escape!

Naofumi suddenly received three different notifications. Melty and Eclair were requesting to join his party. And Itsuki was requesting him to join his party as a squad leader.

"I'd really appreciate it if you didn't reject this time!" Itsuki said to Naofumi.

"But why do I-" Naofumi tried to ask.

"Just do it Naofumi!" Itsuki yelled. The wind spell was already weakening.

"Daddy! Something big is coming! We have to get out of here now!" Filo yelled in worry.

'But…' He felt a hand on his cheek, and looked down at Raphtalia. She didn't speak, but she didn't have to.

He understood. He wasn't going to reject Itsuki's party request a second time. Not when they'd come to rescue him and his party.

He quickly accepted all three invites.

Itsuki nodded gratefully. "Everyone! Gather close! I'm going to try and use a combo skill with Ren!"

Everyone backed away from the failing wind tornado. Outside, the Church Knights were starting to hastily retreat from the square. Calling for the Royal Knights to do the same.

"Go! Release as much wind as you can!" Ren yelled to the mages.

"Help them, Filo!" Naofumi told her.

"We order thee! Decipher the laws of nature! Summon the great winds of old! Blow our target away in a cyclone of power and bring about our triumph! Drifa Gale!" A blast of wind came out from the mages, who shot it into the tornado of already existing wind.

"Zweite Tornado!" Filo assisted as well.

"Now, use your Dragon Vein Magic Wyndia!" Ren yelled to Wyndia.

Wyndia took point. "I call upon the power of the wind to come to me and take form." She started to chant. Naofumi stared, having never heard the beginning of such a chant before. "Dragon Vein, hear my petition! Earth Vein, lend me your strength! Help my targets! Expand their reach, and imbue their weapons with the power to turn our defeat into a victory!" Wyndia chanted, channeling the power of the wind before pointing to Itsuki and Ren.

"Support of the Valkyrie!"

The wind magic the other mages were casting channeled from the tornado into Wyndia. The tornado around them gradually shrunk. Ren and Itsuki's weapons began to glow more brightly.

Before the tornado broke, Itsuki pointed his bow up and Ren held his sword up.

The magic was enough to overcome the interference. However, a bright light was starting to come down. A beam of energy more powerful than what they'd hope to survive. If the interference came back in the middle of the skill, they were done for.

"Combo Skill!" Both Heroes yelled. "Dual Transport!"

Normally, their portal skills restricted them to only teleporting their immediate parties and a couple of others at a time. But because of the combo skill being made possible through Wyndia's Dragon Vein support magic...

Itsuki released the string as Ren's sword shone brightly. A dome of light and wind appeared around everyone inside, engulfing them entirely. Naofumi felt a jerk. Like a hook had lodged in his spine, pulling them from the normal plane of existence.

Archers continued to release their arrows at the group. Mages sent spells raining down on the spot. Judgment rained down from the sky.

Malty's eyes widened when she saw the dome of light and wind. "No!" She yelled angrily.

"Ren! Itsuki! Nao-" Motoyasu covered his eyes as the light glowed too brightly.

The dome of light and wind collapsed. Everyone who had been underneath it disappeared from the battle-torn square.

Malty cursed angrily. "Damn it! Damn it all-"

Then, Judgement struck down.

"Ah! AHHHHHHH!" The Church and Royal Knights who hadn't fled quickly enough were sent flying by the initial explosion.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" Despite the distance, Myne screamed as a shockwave carried her away.

"No, Myne-" Motoyasu jumped for her. The shockwave also sent him flying.

"Nooooooo-" The Commander was also sent flying.

"Lady Altara!" The Church Knight gripped the wall tightly. They were close. Too close to the radius of the blast.

"No!" Altara was sent flying by the force of the blast.

A sound like a very high-pitched whistle reaching further and further intensity filled everyone's ears. Judgement continued to destroy the former battlefield, the wall, and part of the city.

"Your Majesty!"

King Aultcray looked up from his throne. A squad of Royal Knights stood guard in a semi-circle in front of him. "What is it?! Have you managed to rescue my daughter from the clutches of that cursed demon!?" He yelled angrily. He did not look happy.

The Captain breathed in and out heavily after running so far. "Your Majesty, Princess Melty was fine last we checked. But our city is not. Parts of it are on fire due to the actions of Princess Malty."

"What?" The King stood up from his throne.

"There's more. My men and I heard it ourselves. Princess Melty accused Princess Malty of working with the Three Heroes Church to have her murdered. That was the incident that occurred in the dungeons."

King Aultcray's face became even more incredulous. "... What?"

The Captain stood erect. "Your Majesty, my men and I also found the Sword and Bow Hero as we fled. They claimed the Church tried to have them both killed. That was why they disappeared. The Royal Commander lied to all of us about the reports."

The King was silent. He was speechless at what he was hearing. "I don't think the Shield Hero was trying to escape, nor was he responsible for what we accused him of. He was trying to protect the Second Princess. Not just from the First Princess, but from the Commander and the Three Heroes Church! Their followers are outside the city right now, trying to kill him, the Second Princess, and the other heroes! We need to act now!"

"What, what are you talking about?!" King Aultcray asked. "That's absurd! If they were doing that then that would mean-"

"That your Captain speaks too much, your Highness."

The Captain and his knights turned to a hallway. The Pope walked out of it. He was smiling happily as a pair of Church Knights on either side flanked him.

"Balamus, tell him you're wrong!" Aultcray said in desperation.

Balamus had been his chaplain during the Eight-Year War. There was no way he'd try to have his own daughter killed off.

"Unfortunately, your Captain is right. In every regard." Balamus said, sighing heavily. "I'm sorry old friend, but what I do now, I do for the sake of God's plan for our world."

Suddenly, Church Knights appeared from the main doors. The hallways. Every available entrance to the throne room. They surrounded the Captain and his men, who immediately circled around their leader to protect him.

"No, stop this at once-" The Royal Knights in front of the King turned, pointing their pikes at him. He immediately stopped speaking, staring at his 'loyal' knights in shock.

"You should really check the loyalty of those serving you, King Aultcray the XXXII… or should I call you Luge, since you're no longer the proper King of Melromarc anymore," Balamus said, smiling as he held all the cards in his hands.

"What?" Even the Captain looked surprised. To think even some of their own knights were actually traitors.

"Why, why are you doing this Balamus!?" Aultcray asked angrily.

"Why?" Balamus continued to smile. One of the knights moved to take the crown off of Aultcray's head. "Because it is God's will that I should take command of his kingdom. After all the foolish actions of royalty, it has become obvious that you aren't capable of eradicating a demon and his country anymore. A shame, since you were once one of the brightest minds in our crusade against the demi-humans and their Demon God so many years ago-"

Before the knight could take the crown off, Aultcray finally acted.

"Huah!" The staff in his hand, while not the weapon he'd wielded long ago, smashed into the man's chest. He fell to the ground screaming in pain as the armor caved in.

The other traitorous knights immediately tried to attack their 'former' King with their pikes.

"Fast Gale!" A burst of wind came from the King's outstretched hand. The soldiers lost their grips on their pikes, which went flying across the room, almost hitting Balamus who was barely shielded by his men in time.

Aultcray then moved like a hurricane. Bringing down the traitors before him one man after the other with either the might of his ornate staff or a spell of his choice.

One knight managed to get behind the King and swipe at him with his sword.

Clang!

However, Aultcray was far higher in levels than the knight. He was not only a King but also a former war hero. He was far more powerful than anyone realized.

While the young man reeled in shock, Aultcray used an Earth spell to bury him into the floor of the throne room.

The poor guy disappeared with a scream.

It seemed like only seconds later, but the King stood in the midst of those who'd betrayed him. All of them were dead. The Captain and his men were staring at Aultcray in awe.

"Hmmm? I must admit, I did not expect this." Balamus said nonchalantly. "Does this mean you support the Shield Demon, then?"

"The Shield Hero is not a demon!" The Captain yelled angrily at the Pope. "Do not mistreat the Cardinal Heroes you filth!"

"But I'm not mistreating the Cardinal Heroes." Pope Balamus said, opening his arms wide. "I am simply purging the world of that which goes against our God's will. And that appears to include two of their mighty champions that have decided to rebel."

"Such talk, from a man I once called a friend," Aultcray growled as he gripped his jeweled staff tightly. Blood dripped off the end of it as he pointed it at Balamus. "I will put a stop to this nonsense now!"

"Hmmm… aren't you worried about your daughters though?"

Aultcray's eyes narrowed in confusion. Before he could ask what the Pope meant though, a bright light appeared near the outskirts of the city.

Boom!

A large explosion shook the castle.

Aultcray looked out the window. His eyes widened in astonishment. "What, what are you-"

The remaining Church Knights in the room parted, allowing Aultcray to run up to a window.

A beam of light that he recognized was decimating the western wall of the city. The buildings that had survived the fight were catching on fire or disintegrating. "What… what is this?"

Up close, people who had been running from the western part of the city in terror stopped and stared up in shock. Royal Knights who had been trying to fight the fires and direct the civilians to safety stared up as well. Anyone around could see the beam of light raining judgment on that part of the city.

"Anyone who supports the Shield Demon, and anyone who gets in God's way, whether they be commoner or royalty, shall receive the same purifying light that your daughters are receiving now," Balamus said. Smiling as he approached. "For there is no other way for a soul tainted with the influence of the Shield to be purified."

The Captain looked horrified. His men stood in stunned shock.

Aultcray looked stunned. "No…

"No..."

The jeweled staff fell from his hands. He clutched at his head. "My dear Melty… Malty..." Tears were leaking from his eyes.

A knight began to move forward, but Balamus held up a hand, gesturing for him to wait.

"No... No! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Aultcray slammed his fists against the floor.

"Y-Your Majesty-" As the Captain ran forward to try and help, Church Shadows sprang from the ceiling, surrounding him and his men.

Aultcray continued to scream as his fists beat into the floor again and again and again. Leaving indentations in the stone as big fat tears ran down the sides of his face.

He eventually stopped screaming and bawled over the loss he was feeling.

This was worse than when he'd lost his original family.

This was worse than when he'd lost his sister.

This was even worse than when he'd lost his son.

He began to weep uncontrollably. His body rested on the floor as he cried over the loss of his precious daughters.

He had no progeny left now. No one to teach magic to anymore. No one to cuddle with at night while reading a bedtime story.

He'd lost it all.

"Take them to the dungeons," Balamus finally ordered his knights. "And do make sure that Luge has a comfortable cell. Somewhere where he can think over his sins in peace."

Aultcray continued to cry on the ground. His staff was taken from beside him, and he was bound. He didn't even attempt to fight back.

"Your... your Majesty..." The Captain said sadly. He and his men had been disarmed and bound as well.

They were all led out of the throne room. Behind them, the light of Judgement finally began to fade.

'No... Melty... Malty...' Aultcray continued to weep.

His family had been taken from him again, but not by the demi-humans this time.

They had been taken by one of his own friends.

Elhart stared hard out of his bedroom window. Having witnessed the beam of light that had struck down part of the city, waking him from his nap.

'They actually did it…'

He'd been warned by someone after Raphtalia and Filo left and before he'd gone upstairs that the Church was going to assume control of the city. He vaguely remembered her looking a lot like the lady who had given him the note about Belouka's tent. But he hadn't given it much thought.

But once more, she'd turned out to be correct.

He immediately got dressed. And then he pulled a large wooden crate from his bed. 'If the Three Heroes Church really is taking control, then it's time I went into hiding for a while.'

He was no idiot. The Church knew he and his shopkeeper friends had assisted Naofumi in the past. They couldn't do anything to him before since he was one of the best blacksmiths in the kingdom. Well respected by both the King and Queen. But now…

He opened the crate. His old, but trustworthy adventurer armor lay on top of old blankets. His warhammer still gleamed as he pulled it out and hefted it. It still felt light in his hands despite its weight. He donned his armor, a calm look on his face.

'I'm going to miss this shop... I really hope they don't burn it down while I'm gone.'

He pulled a hood over his head and left out the black door.

Sometime later, a group of Church Knights broke down the front door and searched the place. But besides the weapons and armor that had been left on their stands and displays, there was no sign of the blacksmith that had helped Naofumi.

He, and as they'd soon find out, the other shopkeepers closest to the blacksmith; were already long gone.

At the edge of a forest, a dome of light and wind appeared over the ground. After a few seconds, the dome disappeared, revealing Naofumi, Ren, Itsuki, and their respective parties. Several of the mages, including Wyndia, collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.

"Wyndia? Are you okay?" Ren helped Wyndia up.

"What have I told you about touching me?!" Wyndia snapped at him in her exhausted state. "I'll be fine. I'm just a little tired is all."

Ren, though shaking, still tried to help her up. She sighed, but didn't complain about it further.

There was also a hint of red in her cheeks for some reason. But Ren didn't notice.

"Where are we?" Filo asked as she looked around curiously.

"Away from the Capital. That's for certain." Eclair said in relief.

It was over. They had finally escaped.

"Oh, that was so stressful," Melty said as she sank to her knees with relief. Facing her sister and everyone else like that had absolutely terrified her. It was a miracle she had managed to keep her composure at all!

She had a newfound respect for her mother and what she did on a daily basis.

"Good work Itsuki," Ren said happily to the Bow Hero.

"Yeah. We just had to face all the knights in Melromarc and make ourselves even bigger enemies than we were before. But it wasn't too hard for me if I'm being honest." Itsuki said sarcastically.

Ren chuckled a little at that. "Yeah, I could have easily taken on all those knights if they hadn't cheated there at the end." Some of their party members on both sides also chuckled.

They found humor in the fact that they'd managed to escape death once again.

"No, Raphtalia! I need you to stay awake!"

All talk stopped as they looked. Naofumi set Raphtalia on the ground. Her HP bar had dipped back into the red zone again.

"But… I'm so tired Naofumi…" Raphtalia said tiredly. "Can't I sleep for a while please?"

"No, Raphtalia…" Naofumi looked up at everyone, desperation in his eyes. "Please, she needs help!"

The group stood stunned. Filo more so than the others. "M-Mommy-" She tried to say.

"One of you, any of you please! I can't treat her!" He yelled in desperation. He'd tried all his different types of potions. He'd tried using a medical skill to find out how to treat her burns, only to receive nothing because he'd never treated cursed burns before. He'd tried a potion he'd created that could heal any status effect a person was suffering from.

But it didn't work on the cursed burns inflicting Raphtalia. He could only try to keep her HP bar from dropping, but he didn't know how to heal her burns!

When no one responded, he desperately raised a hand over Raphtalia. "Fast Heal!" However, he received a notification when he tried that.

Out of MP.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

"No, I can't be out of MP now! Damn it!" Naofumi yelled angrily. He opened his pouch, but he had no more Healing Potions or Magic Healing Waters left.

"Somebody! Please! HELP HER!" Naofumi yelled desperately to the sky.

"I'm here."

More of the scene came into view. By the forest was a large manor. The neatly dressed nobleman who owned it bent down near Raphtalia, almost as if he'd come from out of nowhere. He quickly examined her burns, his eyes looking serious.

Naofumi almost fell backward at how this man had appeared so suddenly.

"Don't worry. It's not as bad as it appears." He finally said. "She'll live, but she needs holy water for her burns." He said calmly.

"Who are you?" Naofumi asked the million-dollar question.

Before the nobleman could respond, and before Itsuki could answer, Melty gasped in surprise. "I remember this region now... You're Van Reichnott. One of my mother's royal advisors."

Van Reichnott nodded to her. "It's been too long Princess Melty. But we'll have to save the pleasantries for later." He looked to the demi-humans who had volunteered to go with Itsuki and Ren to save Naofumi. "Get the wounded into town. And have my best nurses brought in. We'll need to work fast if we want to give her the best chance of recovery."

Anything else could wait. Right now, Raphtalia's treatment took top priority.

The demi-humans that weren't wounded bowed respectively. "As you wish Master Reichnott."

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

It'd been several hours since Naofumi's life had turned upside down.

The Shield Hero sat in a chair next to a bed. His damaged armor was gone. He was dressed in clothes he normally wore when he went to bed at night in an inn. He still had dried blood on one side of his neck, courtesy of Motoyasu. Dried tear tracks ran down both sides of his cheeks.

He stared at the sleeping figure below him.

Lying in the bed on her back was Raphtalia. Her damaged armor had also been taken off, and she was dressed in a white nightgown. A blanket covered her up to her chest, and her arms were resting on top of the blanket. They were covered in bandages soaked with holy water like the rest of her body. From the balls of her feet all the way up to the top of her neck.

There was also a large bandage wrapped around the top of her head. Her face was exposed, but the black signs of the curse she was inflicted with poked out from the edges of her bandages around her cheeks and hair. The only sign that she was still alive was the gentle up and down motion of her chest as she breathed in and out. And the grimace that appeared every now and then on her face when pain intruded on her sleep.

'... I … I did this to her…'

Van, Eclair, and he had carried Raphtalia into this room earlier. He had been such an emotional wreck and so close to a complete mental breakdown by that point from all that had happened that he was pushed out of the room so Eclair and Van's nurses could treat Raphtalia without him getting in the way.

He couldn't even calm himself to help her... he'd been so scared...

Sensing his growing unease, Eclair tried to tell him what happened wasn't his fault. She probably said some other things, just like the few other people that came by to try and talk to him. But he couldn't remember who or what they'd said. His mind had too much to process. And, finally, when his brain had settled somewhat, the nurses and an exhausted Eclair came back out, having finished their job.

He was allowed back in. And he had been in here ever since. Sitting dutifully in his chair, holding one of Raphtalia's bandaged hands in his.

This feeling that was filling him now… was it numbness? He swore he couldn't feel anything. Nor did he want to feel anything.

Raphtalia was sleeping peacefully, but he knew no such peace. These last few hours had been absolute hell… his brain had processed what had happened, but he couldn't allow himself to think about it. He couldn't find it in him to care about it.

He couldn't care about the fact that he'd escaped the Capital. He couldn't care that he'd saved both Eclair and Melty from horrible situations and that they were both safe. He couldn't care that he'd been reunited with Ren, Itsuki, Filo, and Raphtalia…

He couldn't even be happy about the fact that he'd finally been able to punch Bitch in the face and actually hurt her. It had been his dream to do that and get revenge.

It had all come at too high a price. And if he were to allow himself to feel anything now after shakily building himself back up to this point, he was going to lose it. He was going to break down. He was going to suffer.

So he just sat there, staring at her steadily breathing form.

...

'... I… I killed people today.'

His mind betrayed him, thinking over what had happened. He thought of the knights he'd killed. Three or four of whom hadn't even tried to attack him.

They had been some random guys trying to pull their wounded friends away to safety. One had even been trying to put out a fire.

He'd killed those that were trying to protect others...

'I tried to burn down a city…'

His cursed flames had torched many of the buildings around the square he and Bitch had been fighting in. Though some of Bitch's spells had also gone astray, his flames had caused far more damage and were harder to put out. There had also been fires deeper in the city that Melty and Eclair couldn't reach. Who knew how many more people had been killed from that… who knew how many more had suffered from the loss of their homes or their families because of him...

And then... there was the wonderful person lying on the bed in front of him right now.

'I did this to her… I hurt her… I hurt Raphtalia…'

He had attacked everyone that came close. Including her.

He'd almost choked her to death. He'd tackled her to the ground, burned her with his flames repeatedly, and thrown her into a wall.

But she still got back up. She still kept on trying to reach through to him despite the pain he caused her. He tried to tell her to run, but it was only because of her that he was sitting here now. Freed from the Shield that had blinded him and almost consumed him.

...

…

One of the nurses from earlier came back into the room. Why... he wasn't sure. He assumed it was a verbal lashing for what he'd done to his companion. Or maybe she was delivering some bad news. Either way, he was already preparing himself for the worst. Mentally trying to shut himself down again and stay numb...

The nurse sat in a chair next to Naofumi. She didn't speak at first…

"How is she?" Naofumi dryly asked.

…

The nurse opened and closed her mouth several times. She looked conflicted as to what to say. Had he turned his head to look at her, he might have taken note that this nurse was a cute young demi-human. She was blushing and muttering to herself nervously since she was in close proximity to the Shield Hero. A being revered and worshipped by almost all demi-humans.

"... She isn't going to make it, is she?" Naofumi asked quietly. Van had told him earlier that she would live. But that had been a noble, not some doctor.

The nurse quickly snapped out of her daydreams at his words. "No Sir Shield Hero!" She said quickly. "The healing spells you applied along with your friend's light magic were more than enough! She's going to survive!"

Naofumi continued to stare at Raphtalia's peaceful face. A part of him should have felt relieved. He was grabbing the memory of those previous nightmares and kicking them in the balls with the news that Raphtalia was going to live… Van was right... she was going to live…

But... "Then, what's the bad news?"

The nurse looked surprised, and then concerned at the Shield Hero's tone of voice. She also felt guilty about having to tell him any sort of bad news. "I'm afraid…... My senior, Rebecca, tells me that the holy water we have isn't strong enough to completely remove this curse... we're fortunate it's one of the lower-tier curses and not something higher… but it's going to take some time to get the holy water we need for it." She said quietly. "And longer before she's fully healed."

"And what does that mean?" Naofumi dryly asked.

"I'm… I'm afraid that means if the shipment of holy water we requested for isn't delayed... it'll be at least two weeks before she fully recovers... if other complications don't pop up that is."

...

Naofumi was quiet. His expression unreadable in the presence of the nurse.

Again, the thought ran through his numb mind. He had done this to her. He'd let his hatred for Myne consume him, and Raphtalia had paid the price. The next wave was nine days away… if she tried to fight in her condition, she could die… and that was only the tip of the iceberg for a slew of other problems he probably had to be informed of but didn't have the capacity to bring himself to care about at that moment.

"If she had a class up, and if she somehow got ten levels higher... she could recover more easily from this curse… but without a way to get her a class-up…"

…

"I'm afraid there's nothing more we can do for her until the original shipment of high-quality holy water Master Van ordered for a member of Sir Itsuki's party arrives from Faubley..." The nurse finally said sadly. 'If it arrives…' With the dangers mounting around the kingdom, who knew if it would arrive before the problems did?

...

Naofumi said nothing. He felt nothing but that numb feeling. The feeling ate away at his insides. Van had tried his best with the nurses he had on hand as well as Eclair. But…

The nurse got up. "I'll leave you now, Sir Shield Hero." She said quietly. Guessing by Naofumi's silence that there was nothing more he required from her.

Naofumi said nothing and kept his grip on Raphtalia's hand. He heard the door open and close.

And then there was silence… He knew he was alone in the room with just her now.

…

He didn't want to think more about it… he wanted his mind to leave him alone… but...

'In my dreams before... I succumbed to the Cursed Series.' It made sense now. It was like his mind had been trying to warn him what would happen if he let his anger and hatred get the better of him.

'I gained all that power, but I paid a terrible price... I haven't killed her now. But what about the next time? What about the time after that? What then?'

His Shield Menu finally showed the Shield of Hope and the Shield of Rage on the skill tree, side by side with each other. He had the first tier of the Blessed Series unlocked, but he had unlocked the second tier of the Cursed Series during his duel with Myne.

He hated it... Yet, ironically, it was only because of that shield that he and his party had survived long enough for Itsuki and Ren to arrive.

What would happen the next time he had no choice but to equip the shield to survive? Would he unlock a third, a fourth, maybe even a fifth series? Would he even be able to stay in control if he tried again? And then what? Would Raphtalia be fully recovered by then… would she have a class up and be able to stop him… or… or would she be in her current condition… would he end up killing her and everyone he cared about in another senseless rampage…

'I could end up doing the same thing again…' He clenched the hand that wasn't holding Raphtalia's. 'I don't want to use that shield… but I might not even have a choice!' He wasn't naive enough to think he wouldn't use it again. He'd already seen its stats. It outclassed all his other shields in every way, even the Shield of Hope I.

Not only that, but it also allowed him to dish out damage! If he was put in a situation where they were going to die, he'd have no choice but to equip it if he wanted his family to survive.

But if he equipped it, there was the chance that he could kill his family!

"Damn it!"

It was all his fault. If he just hadn't picked that fight with Bitch. If he had only chosen to walk away instead of stopping to gloat at the end of the duel. If he hadn't let his anger get the best of him…

"Just damn it all!" His fist pounded the leg of the chair under him. It didn't even scratch the wood because of his low attack stat.

Much to his frustration and irritation.

He finally had a Shield that allowed him to attack. It didn't lower a target's defense. It didn't trap them or rely on environmental factors to cause damage. It gave him a deadly counter along with Iron Maiden. It gave his shield bash skill an attack boost. It was a shield meant to be used to attack others!

But what had he done with it?! What had he done when he was finally given the chance to pay back every wrong he had ever received!?

He hurt her. Out of everyone he could have tried to hurt, he hurt Raphtalia...

He'd thought it was impossible for him to hurt anyone before, especially Raphtalia. But when he'd unlocked this shield, when he'd been given the power to hurt Bitch, when he'd finally been given the ability to make her pay for existing, he killed others instead! He destroyed part of a city! He almost killed Raphtalia! The one person he valued more than anyone else in the whole world!

He almost killed Raphtalia... He almost killed RAPHTALIA OF ALL PEOPLE!

Guilt pressed on Naofumi's mind. He felt tears of frustration prick at the edge of his eyes. And he squeezed them shut as he tried to force them all back.

'No, I can't let this break me now! I have to be strong! I have to be numb! I have to… I have to be numb… I can't let this… I can't let this break me… not in front of her… not… not like this...'

Of all the things he could have thought about, a memory came to his mind.

"You've always believed in me. Now I will prove that I believe in you…"  The two of them were in the duel arena. And she was smiling for him. That smile that said that everything would be alright.

"I swear to be your sword forever, and to always stand beside you, through hellfire and brimstone.

"I could never hate you Master Naofumi. Never."

He gasped in shock at recalling the memory.

...

'She's always believed in me. She's trusted in me since the beginning… and now… ... ... I…'

...

The floodgates broke, and Naofumi started to sob.

It was his fault.

It was all his fault.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry Raphtalia." He said to her quietly between sobs again and again.

He couldn't try to hide it. The pain of the guilt flooding his soul, making it feel impossible to breathe. Like he was choking on empty air.

He had killed people. He had set fire to a city. He had done terrible things.

But worst of all, he had hurt her. She had loved him and trusted her life to him when she got her slave crest, and yet here she was. Hurt. Because of him.

How could she ever forgive a monster like him for hurting her and so many others with a hateful shield? 'If I only hadn't allowed myself to use that stupid shield! If I had only tried to think of something else. If I had only… if I had only…' He continued to sob. Feeling like his world was coming apart…

How could Raphtalia trust and love him now?

…

"Nao… Naofumi…"

He heard his name come softly off her lips and felt her hand in his move. He looked down at her face. Tears were still escaping from his eyes, but he could see her trying to smile. Tears were also in her eyes, but her smile drew him in. The smile that said that everything would be alright.

She had been sleeping when his mental turmoil woke her up. It made her sad to see Naofumi like this. And the bandaged hand he had been holding moved up to wipe the tears from his face. The simple action stunned him.

How could she still be so kind after what he did to her?

"I'm so happy that you're safe now." Her voice… it had no spite in it… it was pure, just like her soul.

How could she look so happy… when he'd… "No... no! Don't talk that way to me!" He said, suddenly feeling furious. He looked away from her. "You saw what I did back there! I don't deserve any forgiveness from you! I'm… I'm a monster! I'm a-"

"Naofumi…" Her hand grabbed his chin and forced him to look back at her. Raphtalia's face was rock hard. She suddenly didn't look so pure anymore. "Stop belittling yourself right now. Or I'm going to smack some sense into you this instant."

...

Naofumi went silent in shock. Her face softened, but she grimaced and lowered her hand. 'Just gripping something caused her pain. And it was because of the curse. The curse I inflicted on her-'

"Stop thinking you inflicted this on me Naofumi." Raphtalia interrupted his line of thought. "Because you didn't. It was my fault I wouldn't give up on you, not yours."

Damn, even while cursed and in pain, she could still read his mind.

Just how good could she get?

She softly smiled again. "Please, please don't beat yourself up because of this Naofumi. It hurts me when you do this to yourself." She whispered.

He looked at her in disbelief. "W… what?"

She continued to smile for him. "Back there, I had this feeling... That power you unleashed… you were hurting because you couldn't control it… you couldn't control what you were doing… I knew deep down you didn't want to do any of it… And I couldn't bear that you were being forced to act against your own will... so, given that I was able to save you, this doesn't bother me in the slightest." She finished happily.

He continued to stare at her. How could he not beat himself up? He had killed people? He had destroyed homes. He had hurt her! The pure, genuine Raphtalia of all people! He couldn't even find it in himself to smile! It was like he'd reset to his own cynical self back when he'd learned about Bitch betraying him! Only the cynicism wasn't being directed at other people. It was being directed at himself!

He couldn't trust himself anymore!

Raphtalia sighed. "What did I tell you about beating yourself up over this?"

"But how can't I when I'm the one that hurt you?" He asked, mainly to himself. He put his head in his hands and started to cry again. He'd hurt the person who trusted him the most in this world. How could he not be hurt after doing that?

"I'm alright. I'm stronger than I look. And I know if I just rest then I'll feel better soon." She still continued to smile hopefully for him while consoling him.

"But… what if I do this again… what if… next time you don't recover…"

Naofumi sniffed. Raphtalia's hands raised again and moved his hands away. She cupped his face. He tried to look down at the floor. But her soft, understanding, deep tea-red eyes continued to hold his in place. "That will never happen. Not as long as I'm around." She promised. "If I have to, I'll get stronger. I'll become strong enough so you don't have to use that shield again. And if you do have to use it, I'll be right there with you to pull you out."

Naofumi stared at her. Despite the pain, Raphtalia moved one of her bandaged fingers to wipe away tears from under one of his eyes. "Please, I want you to forgive yourself Naofumi." She said. "Don't carry this burden alone. You've already had to carry too much since being summoned to my world. Please don't feel like you have to take anymore because of this."

She was already tired again. But her hands stayed in place. "But, but I, I can't-" Naofumi said.

"Yes, you can." She said quietly. Her hands moved behind his neck, and he instinctively leaned forwards so she could sit up and hug him. His head rested on her shoulder. His hands felt the bandages covering her back. It brought more tears to his eyes at how thoroughly Raphtalia had been hurt for his sake.

"I know in my heart you didn't mean to hurt me or anyone else back in the Capital. I know you didn't mean to kill those knights... And I know you'll try your hardest in the future not to let that happen again." She felt his hair. "You'll be okay. I know you will."

"But Raphtalia, I'm not okay!" He embraced her tightly while crying into her hair. Her hand continued to move comfortingly through his spiked hair. "Please… please Raphtalia." He whispered. "I don't know what to do anymore. I, I thought I had everything figured out, but now, I'm so lost. I'm… I'm afraid... I'm so afraid that I could end up doing this again. To you... to Filo..."

Had he not promised to keep them safe? Had he not promised as the Shield Hero that he'd protect the innocent from harm… then how could he have lost control today? How could he have lost it and hurt everyone? How could he have killed a knight that wasn't trying to attack him... how could he have attacked Filo and everyone else that tried to stop him… how could he have possibly hurt her?

How could he have hurt his Raphtalia of all people…

…

"Naofumi." She whispered back. "I know you… I know that you're a good person… I know you have a kind heart… and I know that, even though you lost today, you'll come up with a plan. You'll find a way to prevent what happened from happening again. I know you will. It's in your nature."

"But… what if I can't…" He whispered softly. What if the next time he was forced to use that shield...

"You will… because you're the Great Shield Hero… and the man I fell in love with… there's no force in this world that can hold you down forever, Naofumi," Raphtalia whispered in his ear. "I should know. I have tried and failed too many times to hold you back from what you want to do."

Her quip at him actually elicited a small chuckle. Raphtalia was definitely fine. Somehow, she really was okay and didn't think any less of him. But it didn't stop him from holding her close to him or keeping one of his hands moving along her hair. It still felt as soft to him as ever.

"I don't know what to do Raphtalia…" He whispered. "And… and that scares me more than anything else… I don't want to lose you or Filo..."

"Then… for now... will you stop beating yourself up, and hold me until I fall asleep?" She asked.

He sniffed and pulled back a little. Her tired eyes stared into his. "I don't want you to blame yourself for this. It was my choice to try and bring you back from that dark abyss, and I won't regret having done so." She repeated firmly, yet lovingly to him.

He continued to stare into her eyes. They stared at him with kindness and care. Deep down, no matter how she acted, no matter the mistakes she made, she always seemed to bounce back from it. She was more special than anyone he'd ever met.

"O… Okay." He finally whispered.

He could try and do that, at least for her.

Raphtalia smiled for him. "I love you Naofumi… and thank you for staying with me..." She closed her eyes, and Naofumi cradled her close. Despite the curse, her hair still smelled of her. Bringing him some comfort.

Her arms relaxed at her sides, and, within minutes, she fell into a more peaceful sleep. Her pain from the burns melted away into comfort, being held in Naofumi's caring embrace.

…

'Raphtalia…' He pulled back after a moment and laid her down gently. He continued to hold one of her hands in his. And he wiped a few more tears away from his eyes as he looked down at her beautiful face. Calm and peaceful in sleep.

She wasn't the lucky one… he was. To have someone like her in his life… "I… I love you too… Ra-Raphtalia." He finally admitted, his voice breaking. "... So… so much…"

His words broke into sobs at the end.

He'd realized it. It had taken some time away from her, worrying if he'd ever see her again to help him along the path. But he'd finally realized it, right before his duel with Myne.

He was in love with this girl from another race and another world. She'd grown up over the last two months, broken through all of his defenses, and taken his heart before he knew what hit him.

She was still fast asleep. Yet her hand gripped his comfortingly. As if she were still telling him that everything would be okay. She loved him enough that she'd make sure of it.

…

He sighed. Love could only do so much. Love wouldn't bring those he killed back. Love wouldn't undo what he'd done back in the Capital… love wouldn't get rid of her curse, nor his cursed shield...

After a moment, he finally stood up. He laid Raphtalia's bandaged hand down next to her side. He then moved a lock of hair away from her face as he stared at her one last time to make sure she was okay... 'I'll try... Raphtalia... just...' He sighed, and then he left the room.

The comfort left.

He felt guilt for what he'd done all over again.

"Sir Itsuki."

Itsuki looked up from his chair. "Is everything okay Rachel?" He asked.

Rachel nodded as she entered the room. She'd changed out of what she had been wearing for the battle for some simple black mage robes. Her dyed black hair draped itself freely on her shoulders. "I just wanted to inform you that Aksel is recovering well from the gash he got on his arm during the battle."

"Okay. How about the others?" He asked.

"Crystal is in our room resting. Karn is training with one of Sir Naofumi's party members. I'm taking a break from training the demi-human mages in Lord Reichnott's village."

"That's good… and Maya?" Itsuki asked.

"... What do you think?" Rachel dryly chuckled after a moment.

"Oof... Poor Aksel." Itsuki said tiredly.

"I don't know what he did while she was growing up. But she loves to bother him more than anyone else in the party Sir Itsuki. I'd almost swear she's actually infatuated with him if it wasn't her nature to be playful."

"Yeah…" Itsuki said.

"No matter how much he acts like it bothers him though, I'm sure he likes Maya's company. He grew up around demi-humans. He's probably happy to have a demi-human to talk to again." Rachel said.

"Yeah…" Itsuki was faced away from his party member, looking at the girl in the bed next to him.

"... Is Rishia's condition still the same?" Rachel asked. Taking a seat on the bed next to Rishia's prone form so she'd be in Itsuki's line of sight.

...

Itsuki slowly nodded. "She's just as we left her when we traveled for the Capital." He said, his voice containing a tinge of sadness. Even though it had been four days… he'd hoped when he left with Ren that she'd be better when he got back…

But after coming in here earlier… he'd found her condition still hadn't changed.

Rishia had bandages soaked in holy water wrapped around parts of her body similar to how Raphtalia looked now. The curse afflicting her wasn't near as bad as Raphtalia's. Her HP bar was back in the yellow zone. The holy water Van already had on hand was enough to start lifting it from her skin.

Yet, for some reason, even though she was slowly recovering, the poor fueh girl still hadn't woken up.

"Are you worried about her Sir Itsuki?"

Itsuki looked from Rishia to Rachel, who was staring at him in concern. Itsuki was about to ask what she meant when he realized it. Tears were falling from his eyes again. Just like when he'd first walked into the room earlier to find Rishia still asleep.

He wiped them away. "A little bit, but I'm sure she'll be fine." He answered.

"Are you sure that's what you're thinking right now Sir Itsuki?"

"..."

Rachel decided not to press. It looked like if Itsuki was pushed anymore, he was going to break down just like when he'd discovered what he'd accidentally done to Rishia. "If you need me, I'll be training Lord Reichnott's mages. It's sounding like we're going to need them soon. Let me know if you need anything."

"... Alright. Thanks, Rachel." Itsuki said sadly and tiredly.

Rachel got up, bowed respectively to Itsuki, and left the room.

'Rachel… she really is concerned about my well-being…' Another tear escaped, and he wiped it away. He went back to staring at Rishia. As if somehow hoping that staring at her would be enough for the Fueh girl to stir in her cursed sleep.

…

After another moment, another person entered the room. "Is she still not awake?"

"... No… unfortunately not, Ren," Itsuki answered.

Ren walked up beside the blonde bowman. He wasn't really good at comforting others, so he was silent, thinking over what to say to his friend…

"Is… are Raphtalia and Naofumi okay?" Itsuki asked. Wiping away another single tear with his arm.

"Haven't you checked on them since they're on the other side of that wall?" Ren asked, pointing at the wall behind Rishia's bed.

Itsuki didn't answer, and his face became more downcast. Ren, realizing what he said, mentally facepalmed at his insensitive answer. "I just tried to stop by… she was awake, but I decided it'd be better not to walk in." He said.

"Why? What happened?" Itsuki asked.

"Well... Raphtalia was hugging and comforting Naofumi when I peeked open the door." Ren said. "He… he was taking what happened pretty hard."

He still couldn't get the image of Naofumi looking so utterly destroyed out of his mind. "And I felt it'd be better not to bother them…"

"Oh…" The two were silent for a while.

...

Outside, a door opened. Footsteps traveled down the hallway away from the two. Naofumi had just left.

...

Itsuki balled his hands into fists. Tears of frustration were gathering in his eyes. "Why… why did all this have to happen?!"

"What do you mean-" Ren was asking, surprised at Itsuki's outburst.

"I was only trying to free demi-humans that were being abused by their masters! Naofumi and Raphtalia were out there trying to do good as Night Merchants! And you were actually being a hero defeating dangerous monsters and protecting villages! So why did everyone out there turn on us!?"

"Slow down Itsuki. What brought this on?" Ren asked incredulously.

"We're Cardinal Heroes Ren! We're supposed to be the ones right here! We're supposed to be on the side of justice! Yet the people out there turned on us! They turned on Naofumi and, and-" Itsuki looked like he was going to pull his hair out, trying to explain his thoughts.

"Yeah, we are heroes. But this isn't a game Itsuki. This is real-" The Sword Hero tried to explain. He'd already told Itsuki before that he didn't see this world as a game anymore. He'd played freaking VR but had come to terms with it before freaking Itsuki and his console gaming past!

"But I don't want to think this is real! This is supposed to be my favorite game, Ren! We've been trying to do good! Heroes aren't supposed to be treated this way! We aren't-"

Slap!

Ren slapped Itsuki across the face, hard enough that he was sent flying off his chair to the floor. "Don't you dare say that to me!" Ren yelled furiously.

His attempt to have a calm and aloof manner after all they'd gone through that day had vanished. "Don't you dare give me that crap that we're supposed to be above it all and that we're perfect! I am the last person you should be telling that to! I know you've done some messed up crap, but I doubt you're responsible for killing SOME GIRL'S FATHER!"

Itsuki stared up at Ren in shock. "I already tried to warn you before, but you were too stupid to listen! So listen now Itsuki! That party member of yours that died wasn't an NPC! Raphtalia isn't an NPC! Van isn't an NPC! And that girl you're crying over right now isn't a damn NPC! Get that through your thick skull and stop complaining to me about how unfair this world is!"

Itsuki was still stunned as Ren continued. "This world isn't our fantasy games come to life! It's as real as you, me, Naofumi, and that freaking idiot Moto! The people here aren't limited by programming! They'll make their own decisions whether they're good or bad! We might have a leg up since this world reflects our games in one way or another, but at the end of the day, it's real! Everything in it is real! All the people in it are real! Our mistakes are real! Nothing we do can hide us from that! Nothing... nothing we do..."

Ren trailed off. Itsuki had more tears falling down his face now.

"I know…" The Bow Hero whispered.

"... what?…"

"You think I don't know by now…" Itsuki put his face into his hands and started to cry.

Ren had completely misread the situation. Itsuki already knew the answer. But he hadn't wanted to admit it to himself.

Maybe it had been some mentality he'd been gripping onto. Some defense mechanism to help shield himself from the true darkness he'd encountered again and again in this world. But he couldn't hide from it anymore. Ren had hammered that nail deep into the coffin.

This game wasn't Dimension Wave. It wasn't any game Itsuki had ever played before to escape reality. Hell, it wasn't even a game. It had never been a game.

It was reality.

The reality he'd been trying to escape from all along.

"Hey… I didn't mean-"

"I've seen some terrible things, Ren… I've done some terrible things… I was only able to get by because I thought this was all a game… I thought this was like the isekai stories from my world come to life... I thought this was just some major story quest that would have a happy ending… but I was wrong."

Ren stayed quiet. More tears fell from Itsuki's face. The normally composed teen who wouldn't have looked out of place playing a piano cried. "I killed people Ren… I killed them because I thought they were evil NPCs… and when I failed to rescue demi-humans, I only pushed on because I had to think of them as NPCs for the sake of the story quest… and then... when I realized it wasn't a game… I froze… and my indecision cost Marx his life… and led me to hurt Rishia in an attempt to save the rest of my party…"

He continued to cry. The green-haired girl next to him didn't stir. "It's all my fault..."

"Hey. " Itsuki continued to look down. "Look at it this way. At least we haven't been as bad as Motoyasu." Ren said.

...

Itsuki looked at Ren through his tears. He didn't feel any better. "You're not very good at comforting others… are you?"

"I'd say that's one of his more noticable flaws."

Ren and Itsuki looked at the doorway. Wyndia was leaning against it, staring at the two of them.

"Wyndia, I thought you were resting-" Ren began to speak hastily.

"And I have rested." She interrupted him calmly. "And you are not doing well at helping Sir Itsuki out, Sir Ren."

"I-" She walked in. Ren sighed but didn't try to stop her. His attempts at trying to comfort Itsuki had face-planted into ten feet of concrete. It was impossible for her to mess up worse than him.

She gave the Bow Hero a lookover. Not saying anything for a while…

...

"Sir Itsuki." She finally said. Her voice was softer than before. "Is it true that you seek justice for the demi-human races?"

Itsuki was somewhat caught off guard by her question. "Well, at first, it seemed like an excellent quest to undertake…" Itsuki admitted.

"At first?" Wyndia clarified.

"..." More tears leaked from his eyes. "After seeing the terrible things your people were being put through, it became more than just a quest. I wanted to help, but I-"

"And have you not helped them?" Wyndia interrupted.

"Well… Yeah, but I failed so many times-" Itsuki looked annoyed at her interrupting him.

"Do you think the demi-humans out there would agree that you failed?" Wyndia pointed outside towards the village. She didn't care that she was interrupting a Cardinal Hero of Legend. Itsuki did not need soft words, just like how Ren didn't need to be coddled.

What he needed was to see the good he'd already accomplished.

Itsuki opened and closed his mouth… words wanted to come out. But he couldn't think of how to answer that. 'Do… do all the demi-humans I rescued out there think I'm horrible?' He honestly thought about it.

He'd had the opportunity to meet Lily's mom once a week and a half after Lily's death. She'd still looked depressed about the loss of her daughter. But she'd been happy to see him.

She'd taken the time to stop and thank him for saving her and her friends… and there had been similar experiences with other demi-humans even though he'd failed to save those close to them too from their nobles...

Wyndia's face softened some more. "I haven't had much chance to talk with everyone in the village here yet… but almost everyone I've talked to so far has the highest respect for you, Sir Itsuki. They wouldn't be here now if it weren't for you standing up to their owners. They wouldn't be free of the abuse and torture they were going through if it weren't for you. They look up to you almost as much, probably even more than the Shield Hero."

If the history she'd read really was correct. Then the Bow Hero and the Shield Hero had been introduced to this world when it fused with the other world, whatever that meant.

It was like the Bow Hero had rediscovered his roots, and was fighting to fix the damage his forebearers had caused in the past.

Itsuki was silent. Wyndia graced him with a small smile. "You might not think it. But you are their hero now, Sir Itsuki. You saved them and gave them real value when no one else wouldn't."

More tears came to Itsuki's eyes. "But the Church knows they're here now… they'll be coming to slaughter them soon... it's my fault."

"And are you going to allow the Church to have their way?" Wyndia asked. "Are you going to allow a group of innocent people to be slaughtered? Are you going to let their hope get snuffed out right after they've been given a second chance at life?"

Itsuki stared at Wyndia…

...

...

...

After a while, his face hardened. "No." He stood up. "I refuse to let that happen."

Ren stared up at his friend. He recognized that glint in his eyes. It was the same thing he'd felt that first day after he'd been confronted with reality. It was the same glint he'd gotten after Wyndia confronted him in Leruno and forced him to accept her and the other's help.

"I won't let them. I'll stop them. No matter what it takes. I'll bring those criminals down! I'll protect the innocent all over this damn world! And I'll bring them to justice even if it kills me!" Itsuki said with conviction.

Ren finally smiled where he was sitting.

This was far better than seeing his friend down and depressed.

Wyndia's smile dropped. "That's good, Sir Itsuki. But I'd prefer it if you didn't die, or go it alone." Her voice was calm and neutral again. "I'm still trying to get that lesson through to this idiot here."

"Hey..." Ren's face fell as she pointed him out.

A brief look of guilt flashed across her features, but she quickly hid it. "Rely on your party members. They'll help you to hold to that promise. As I do now for the promise Sir Ren made to me." She did give the Sword Hero a softer look, though not too soft.

"... I know they will," Itsuki said. "They stuck by me through the worst already. I'll trust them with my life."

Wyndia stared at Itsuki a moment more. A sigh of relief escaping her soft lips. "That's good..." She looked to Ren again, and a flush of red entered her cheeks, but before Ren could figure out why she huffed and walked to the doorway again.

"Stay strong, Sir Itsuki." She said as she left. "Our world will need the help of all the Cardinal Heroes to survive the Waves."

...

The two were left alone in the room with Rishia.

"You… have an awesome party member there, Ren," Itsuki said after a moment.

"Yeah… I don't deserve to have her help…" Ren said in a depressed voice. "I killed her Father. Yet… she still helps me even when she doesn't have to."

"Did… did you ever get over what you did to Wyndia?" He still remembered Ren telling him the story about being fooled into killing the dragon.

"I… I don't know if I'll ever get over that…" Ren said, looking to the opposite wall. The dragon Gaelion had imprinted his memories into his brain. He could never forget the sorrow that dragon had held.

"There are times where it still hurts a lot to think about it… but I know if I let it stop me, I'll never be able to make it up to her. So I'm trying to get stronger. At least for her sake."

Itsuki continued to look at Ren. "Yeah… I guess we're both on the same path."

"No, I think we're on the paths we were supposed to be on now. Something Naofumi knew long before either of us." Ren said.

"..."

"..."

Itsuki got back into his chair. "We have things we need to talk about." He said seriously. He looked much better now than before.

"Wouldn't it be better to go see Naofumi now-" Ren began to ask. After all, now that Itsuki was better, they'd stand a better chance at comforting Naofumi.

"Trust me. With how attached he is to Raphtalia, it'd be better to leave him be for as long as possible." Itsuki said seriously. "He's deeply hurting. And if my guess is right, he also succumbed to a Cursed Series like me. He'll need time to think it over. And if I'm being honest, I'm not much better than you at providing comfort to other people."

Ren frowned. "Alright. But we can't leave him out of the loop forever."

It was official. Itsuki was ready for business. Wyndia had managed to pull him fully out of the bog he was in. At least for the moment.

"I should ask. What is a Cursed Series, Itsuki?" Ren asked.

"I'm not entirely sure. All I know is that I think I unlocked it after killing the first noble I confronted over slavery." Itsuki said with a grimace. "I used it every time we faced nobles after that. It's on another level power-wise, but it left me feeling weird, almost empty afterward. And when I unlocked the next tier when my party was ambushed, it was like I wasn't the one in control anymore." It was called the Bow of Justice. But it couldn't possibly be that.

It was like it was hiding its true identity from Itsuki. A possibility he wouldn't have honestly considered before if he'd thought this was still a game.

"And Naofumi also has something like it unlocked?" Ren asked.

Itsuki nodded. "We didn't arrive in time to see the main fighting. But I checked one of the black fires on my way over. It was definitely cursed flames, like the ones that were unleashed from one of the Cursed Skills I used on a Church Shadow."

Ren grimaced. He'd seen plenty of those black fires running along the outer wall of the city. "Do you have a Cursed Series too Ren?" Itsuki asked.

Ren... shook his head after a moment. "No. At least, I don't think I do." He muttered.

"What do you mean?" Itsuki asked.

Something pricked at the edge of Ren's mind. Like a memory that wanted to resurface.

"Mama… papa…" The little Wyndia sat back against the wall of the cave as she cried into her small, little hands.

"Protect her…"

Ren shook his head. Maybe he was just overthinking it. Still, though he hadn't noted it back then, it'd almost looked like there was something in that blackness after he passed out. Something he couldn't remember...

"Well, anyway, I also need to go over with you what you learned from the archives of the Three Heroes Church. Along with how your party got away intact." He said. "Then we can move on from there."

Ren shook his head. "Actually, our escape there was also thanks to Wyndia."

"Seriously? Can I trade party members for her?"

Ren glared at the Bow Hero…

"Alright, I was kidding. But how did she do it?" Itsuki asked.

"It involved the magic you saw back in the square," Ren said, thinking back on what had happened. "And a whole lot of running."

"Bakta, switch!"

Bakta, who had been taking the knights' attacks on his armor, sword, and shield, jumped back at Ren's yell. Welt and Ren rushed into his place, attacking back.

"Ahhh!" Two of the Church Knights in front of them fell back from the wounds they received. But then three more knights took their place, and Welt and Bakta jumped back to allow Bakta to tank again.

"As source of thy power we order thee! Decipher the laws of nature, and blow our targets away in a gust of wind! Zweite Gust!" Farrie and Tersia chanted.

"As source of thy power we order thee! Decipher the laws of nature, and blow our targets away in a gust of wind! Anti-Zweite Gust!" The Church mages chanted almost simultaneously.

Tersia and Farrie's wind spell died out before they could cast it. The two of them grimaced where they were being protected in the corner behind Ren. "Sir Ren. We can't cast any of our magic! They keep interfering!"

Ren scowled. He wasn't going to go down like this! "Switch!" Bakta jumped back, and this time Ren and Wyndia jumped forward.

"Crimson Blade!"

"Fast Fireball!"

Ren sent a slash of fire into several knights. Wyndia slapped the blades of several knights away with her katana to slam a fireball she formed in her hand into the chest of a knight before the Church Mages could dispel it. The Church Mages immediately began casting spells in retaliation.

"Fast Gust!"

"Fast EarthBall!"

Tersia and Farrie tried again to cast their magic while the mages were trying to cast their own spells.

"Anti-Fast Gust!"

"Anti-Fast EarthBall!"

The Church mages dropped their spells and retaliated. Wyndia had been lucky enough to have said the spell right as she was slamming it into a Church Knight. The less time it took the spell to hit the target, the harder it was to interfere with it. The longer the chant was, the harder it was to stop it too.

Bakta took Ren and Wyndia's place again. They'd taken down several knights, but none of the Church Mages. And the Pope was still standing there. Smiling down at them as if he had all the time in the world. "For walking corpses, you don't know when to give up. It would be so much simpler if you allowed God to purify your souls."

"As source of thy power we order thee! Decipher the laws of nature! Cleanse our target in the flames of the holiest! Purify their souls, and offer them up unto the true Gods of our world!" Drifa Holy Flames!" The Church Mages cast the spell together.

The Church Knights jumped to the sides, right as a bright white flame appeared out of a pentagram over the Church Mages. "Get back!" Bakta got in front of everyone and braced his shield.

The spell slammed into it. And the resulting explosion destroyed Bakta's shield and sent him flying into a bookcase behind the group.

"Bakta, no!" Farrie screamed.

The Church Knights roared in anger as they charged forward again. Ren, Welt, and Wyndia were forced to take Bakta's place and fight. The noble knight looked out for the count. And it took all three just to keep Tersia and Farrie protected.

Ren wanted to send another skill at the Pope. But after how his last one had been easily deflected, he was too afraid to try. If any of his high power skills got deflected on him and his own party, then it would be game over.

But he could already hear the sounds of more knights charging down the stairs, and without Bakta, they weren't going to be able to block more of the mages magic barrages. 'What do we do?!'

He deflected two blades, and a third left a small gash on his arm.

That was the other thing. Despite his effort and training, he still wasn't greatly skilled in using a blade. He needed more training to sword fight with multiple opponents.

"Thunderbolt Slash!" He retaliated with launching a skill against the knights.

"Aughhh!" A few dropped to the ground in front of him. But more took their place.

This wasn't going to end well at this rate.

"Sir Ren, do you trust me?" Wyndia suddenly asked him.

Ren was surprised enough that another Church Knight slashed his chest plate. He retaliated by kicking the knight away. "Do you have an idea to get us out of here?" Ren asked.

"Possibly. But I'll need a moment to focus." She said. She deftly knocked away a knight's blade and then slashed him across the chest. Forcing him back to deal with the new wound.

"As long as we have a chance, then go for it. But be careful." Ren pleaded.

Wyndia jumped back at receiving confirmation from Ren. "Welt, help me out! Tersia, Farrie, cast as many spells as you can! Empty your MP bars if you have to!" Ren ordered.

His party members immediately obeyed without question. Even Farrie and Tersia began chanting like there was no tomorrow.

"Fast Wind Shot!"

"Fast EarthBall!"

"Fast Fire Ball!"

"Earth Hole!"

The Church mages dropped their spells to retaliate once again.

"Anti-Fast Wind Shot!"

"Anti-Fast EarthBall!"

"Anti-Fast Wi-"

"Anti-"

Tersia's spells started to break through the Church Mage's attempts at interference magic. Even as the opposing mages managed to interfere, the two girls immediately moved on to other spells. Spamming them out as fast as they could.

The Church Mages couldn't keep up with the two of them after almost fifteen seconds of nonstop chanting and spellcasting. The weaker spells managed to come to life, hitting the Church Knights and the mages.

Their MP bars also started to drop like crazy in Ren's status vision. While they'd overcome the Mages' abilities to counteract their spells, Farrie and Tersia wouldn't be able to keep the barrage up for long.

Wyndia moved along the bookshelves. Feeling with her hands and most likely with her magic.

"Air Strike Bash! Crimson Blade! Thunderbolt Slash!" Ren was also casting all the skills that he could one after the other. Protecting both himself and Welt.

His weapon was covered in blood. Bodies kept piling up in front of him.

Welt also pushed himself. He didn't use magic. But he knew his way around a sword. He was so used to protecting Tersia and Farrie that protecting Ren between skills came naturally. The two of them together managed to hold the horde of Church Knights back for the moment.

"Your struggles are meaningless. You will be purified. That is your fate. It is as God has decreed." Pope Balamus declared triumphantly as if he had already won.

Wyndia stopped. She was near where Bakta had hit the bookcase. He was groaning and getting onto his knees. But she could hear something else. A distant memory came to her mind. How the parents she could hardly remember had managed to escape from under the Church before.

It was on the other side of the wall.

She hadn't used this magic in front of any of the others before. Not even Sir Ren. But now...

'I can't hide this part of me from them any longer… either I trust him to get us out of this… or…'

Without thinking more about it, Wyndia started to chant. "I call upon the power of the Earth to come to me and take form."

Ren paused in-between skills while Welt protected him. 'Is she saying a chant for a spell?' He thought confusedly. Glancing over at Wyndia. It was unfamiliar. It didn't even match with any of the high-leveled spells he'd heard others use in his game before coming to this world.

Pope Balamus paled. "No, she couldn't have."

"Couldn't have what?" A Mage asked.

"Stop that girl right now!" He suddenly ordered his mages.

Ren didn't recognize whatever magic Wyndia was using. But he realized enough when Balamus started freaking out that it was a good sign for them. "Air Strike Bash!" He launched another skill, sending more of the knights flying backward into the Church Mages. Sowing confusion among them.

"We don't know what kind of magic she's casting!" One of the mages said fearfully.

"No! Knights, stop her before-"

While Pope Balamus had been speaking, while Ren was fighting, while Welt was protecting, and while Tersia and Farrie spam launched spells. Wyndia continued chanting.

"Dragon Vein, hear my petition! Earth Vein, lend me your strength! Give me the power needed to break us from this prison! Give me the power to turn our defeat into a victory and pave the way for our escape!" Wyndia chanted, before placing both hands on the wall in front of her. "Come forth! Black Fire Explosion!"

Boom!

A burst of energy came out from Wyndia's hands, slamming into the wall with the force of a wrecking ball. The shockwave from it sent many of the knights flying back. Pope Balamus raised his robe, grimacing as the shockwave and accompanying wave of dust washed over everyone.

After almost a minute of coughing and complaining, the dust finally cleared.

Ren's party members were gone, including Bakta. Though the fragments of his shield had been left behind.

There was a big hole in the wall where Wyndia had cast the Dragon Vein magic. On the other side was the Melromarc Sewage system. The same way her parents had managed to escape before after a stranger had freed them from their slave crests years ago.

Just barely, the Pope was able to make out Ren carrying a very tired Wyndia before they turned a corner deep in the sewage tunnel and disappeared.

"After them!" The Pope ordered the Church Knights that were getting back up. One of them was missing. "Make sure the false Sword Hero and his party don't make it out of those sewers alive!"

"But what about the demi-human?" One of the knights asked.

"Didn't you say she was your property?" A Mage asked.

"Kill her." Pope Balamus said.

"Um, but didn't you say she was valuable to you since she holds the blood of a past Sword-"

"If she was blessed by a dragon, then she's far too dangerous to be allowed to live now. Go! Purge them all in the name of God!" The Pope ordered, barely keeping his voice from sounding angry and frustrated. "Those are orders from God!"

"Yes, your excellency!" The Church Knights ran into the sewers after Ren and his party.

They instead ran into a large cream alligator monster that was pretty hungry.

Some of them got lost in the maze of tunnels and were forced to the surface.

Some didn't make it out at all.

But they never did find out where Ren and his party had gone. Along with their missing comrade.

"So that's how you escaped…" Itsuki looked to be thinking to himself.

"I know I already told you about it before. But I never asked if Dragon Vein Magic existed in your game or not?" Ren asked.

Itsuki shook his head. "No, the first I heard of it was when you told me on our way to the Capital that Wyndia could use it." He said.

Ren hadn't had much time to explain since they'd rushed to the Capital as quickly as they could. Now that things had settled down for the moment, they could finally talk.

He was thinking hard to himself. "So that's more evidence that this really isn't like our games at all." Itsuki continued.

"Either that, or it was deep lore I never learned about in my world," Ren said with a nod. While some things were different than the actual game, the class system and events lined up pretty well. The fact that the next wave was happening in nine days also matched up with the game.

"Do you know how to learn Dragon Vein Magic?" Itsuki asked.

"Wyndia told me it requires receiving a blessing from a Dragon," Ren answered. "Beyond that, I have no idea. She hasn't told me much about it. I'm guessing it takes a lot of energy to cast though since she's always been tired out after using it."

"... Okay." Itsuki thought some more… if it took a dragon to learn how to use Dragon Vein Magic, it was no wonder either of them had heard of it before. And they weren't sure if it could be just any dragon.

Plus, normally, when a giant fire breathing lizard was placed in front of you, your first instinct was to either run away or kill it. Talking was out of the question. "Are you sure you wouldn't want to trade Wyndia-"

"Stop asking that please." Ren said sadly.

"Okay. How about you tell me about the Leruno incident then?" Itsuki asked.

"You mean Motoyasu's major plant blunder?" Ren sarcastically asked.

"Yeah, how did that go down?"

"I have to say. I am never going to look at plants the same ever again. It took us three days to kill the boss plant the first time. Then we were heading back, thinking we killed it, when its seeds sprouted into a stronger boss. So we had to regroup and…"

The two continued to talk. With Itsuki laughing about some of the details of Ren's misadventures with mutated plants. And though Ren didn't realize it, just doing that was helping Itsuki to feel better. Even though Rishia was stuck in a cursed sleep. Even though Marx was dead and he'd have to avenge him, doing something this normal with Ren was working wonders.

They'd eventually have to go and talk to Naofumi. There were many things that were about to go down. But today, it was good to just sit and talk with a friend.

No matter how much the two sucked socially.

Hero Clips!

Embarrassed Tsunderes

"Sir, Sir Ren!" Wyndia was blushing madly and looked super embarrassed.

"What is it Wyndia?" Ren groggily asked. He'd just finished using Van's bathhouse to clean up after the battle and had walked out with a towel wrapped around his waist. This left the rest of his body on display for the poor demi-girl.

"You, you're, you're…" Wyndia was seriously blushing.

'Oh no! I didn't, I didn't realize Sir Ren looked so hot underneath that armor!' Her tail was wagging like crazy behind her.

This was… this was!... HE WAS SO HOT AND SHE WANTED TO PIN HIM TO THE GROUND AND-!

"Hey, Wyndia, are you okay?"

"Gah!" Wyndia shook herself out of her daydream. Ren was in front of her, fully dressed, and looking at her weirdly.

"Wh-What?!" She asked.

"I was saying thank you for helping Itsuki earlier, but then you started staring at nothing-" Ren was saying in a concerned voice.

"No, I wasn't you idiot!" Wyndia hit him over the head with a fist.

Either her face was red because she was really angry, or really embarrassed. Had she really just imagined herself mating with this idiot Sword Hero!? The thought was unthinkable!

The hit dropped Ren to the ground because of the surprise of the sudden attack and the force behind it.

"Ow, what was that for-" Ren was trying to say.

"Idiot! Idiot! IDIOT!" Wyndia started hitting him over the head again and again.

"Ow! Stop it! Ah!" Ren covered his head, trying to protect himself.

"I'll teach you to make a fool out of me!" Wyndia continued to pommel him. Forcing Ren into the fetal position.

'What did I even do?!' Ren thought, thinking he was going crazy. One moment he'd been thanking Wyndia for helping Itsuki, then the next, she'd been looking at him weirdly, then her face started to heat up, and now, she was beating the living hell out of him!

"GAHHHHHHH!"

Naofumi watched what was going on with a smirk. He was having to do his best not to laugh.

"Master Naofumi, what are you thinking about now?" Raphtalia asked with a sigh beside him.

"I'm just thinking I'm glad I didn't have a Tsundere girl fall in love with me." He said happily.

Raphtalia blushed at the comment. But didn't deny it as they held hands and watched.

"Wyndia, please, what did I do wrong-" Ren pleaded.

"EVERYTHING YOU DAMN IDIOT!"

The embarrassed tsundere girl was too afraid to admit she'd been daydreaming about seeing him naked and wanting to try out his sword for herself.

Ah, the thrill of being young, stupid, and horny teenagers.

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Ray of Hope

"Urgh… ugh…" The burned, red-haired bitch lay unconscious in a bed in her room in the castle. Her entire body was wrapped in bandages soaked in the strongest holy water the city had. Even her face was covered, and that was where the worst damage was.

Motoyasu leaned against the wall nearby. His arms were crossed and his Holy Spear rested on his side. "Damn it…" He muttered.

To his left, doors led to the balcony overlooking the city. The sun was lowering in the evening sky. The rays of light intermingled with the smoke rising from the last fires.

Entire sections of the western part of the Capital had burned to the ground due to the fighting. Knights were still out there pouring holy water onto small fires while tearing down larger buildings and clearing the debris out of the way to keep the larger cursed fires from growing larger and spreading to the other sections of the city. Every knight in the city, both Royal and Church, was being put to work...

Except for those who had been imprisoned under the Pope's orders. Their fates were yet to be decided.

With the citizens evacuated and with the final fires being dealt with, a final casualty report had been generated.

About a hundred knights were dead. Whether from fighting the Cardinal Heroes, the fires, or being caught in the blast of Judgment that had formed a large deep crater where the west gate had formerly been. Hundreds more had injuries and burns, normal and cursed. Only a few civilians had perished in the fires. The vast majority had fortunately fled from the western part of the city when the fighting had first started.

Still, a lot of people had perished. Way more than what there should have been.

Myne had been extremely hurt too… by Naofumi, and by the blast from Judgment. Because he hadn't acted quickly enough. Because he hadn't tried to find another solution. Because he hadn't tried hard enough to talk down Naofumi in settling things peacefully... He was only fortunate the rest of his party had been resting in the Castle.

He didn't know what he'd do if he had more than one hurt girl to worry about. Worry about… and...

"Sir Spear Hero."

Motoyasu looked at the doors. Altara the nun entered the room. Her white hooded robe covered her head and body. "Pope Balamus wishes to know the condition of the First Princess."

...

...

Motoyasu stared for a few seconds. The nun began to shuffle where she stood.

...

"She'll live." He finally muttered. "The doctors said she should be okay in two or three days." Her class-up and her high level, along with top-grade Holy Water meant she'd be up and walking far more quickly than normal adventurers. But it'd still take at least a week before her curse status was fully healed.

"Alright. I will deliver my report to him then." Altara said, bowing respectively to the Spear Hero before turning around to walk out.

"I was told that Naofumi was responsible for Ren and Itsuki's disappearances." Motoyasu suddenly said.

The hooded nun stopped in her tracks.

"If that was true, then why were they there? Why did they fight against us? Why were they helping Naofumi?!" He angrily asked.

…

Altara didn't know why the two heroes had appeared to help Naofumi. She hadn't been told anything about what was happening with Ren or Itsuki. She'd only known that the Shield Devil had been the cause of them disappearing.

"I will… I will bring your concerns up to Balamus-" The nun said, her voice unsure. And worried for the Spear Hero.

"I'm not concerned!" Motoyasu snapped. "I want to know why those two were helping Naofumi when he was kidnapping Myne's little sister!"

Altara sputtered. Trying to think of what to say to calm the Spear Hero down.

"Because we were unsure before if the rumors were true or not."

Motoyasu stopped speaking. Altara looked stunned at Balamus's entry, and then quickly bowed in reverence. The smiling Pope was still arrayed in his Church robes. However, this time, he had a crown on his head. The one that Aultcray had been wearing only hours before.

"Rumors?" Motoyasu asked.

"Sorry, Altara. I decided I should check on the former First Princess myself after sending you. And it appears it was a good thing I did too." The Pope said, giving a weary sigh. "I haven't shared any of this with anyone yet. So I guess it falls on me to explain the finer details of what's been happening."

Motoyasu remained silent. Altara got up and moved reverently to the side to listen. "There have been rumors, unconfirmed before a few days ago, that the Sword and Bow Heroes were meeting the Shield Devil in secret. Going back even before the previous Wave of Catastrophe occurred." The Pope said. "It appears they aren't rumors any longer. Sirs Ren and Itsuki showed today that they are working with the Devil of the Shield for the destruction of our world."

"Wh… what?" Motoyasu asked in surprise.

"I caught the Sword Hero a couple of days ago. Going through the Archives we've faithfully kept on the Waves of Catastrophe. He caused an explosion and escaped, but I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Then I received reports of an army of demi-humans that broke through our border with Shieldfreeden to the East." He informed. "Along with those reports were rumors that the Sword and Bow Heroes led the attack. Massacring all our guards there before opening up the gates for those dreaded abominations." The Pope said.

Motoyasu remained silent. Altara placed a hand on her chest. 'No… it can't be… after all these years…'

"I sent several of my shadows and knights to see for myself if the rumors were true. And two days ago, I received word that they had been brutally butchered by the two. Only one of them made it back alive to tell me."

Both Motoyasu and Altara looked shocked. "What… that… that can't be…" Motoyasu tried to say.

"I kept the information about the Sword and Bow Heroes to myself because I still didn't want to believe it." He looked like an old man whose heart was breaking. "Nor did I want to cause a panic among the people.

"But it appears I was wrong, and a fool. The Sword and Bow Heroes have forsaken us. They have chosen to side with the devil and his abominations over the true Gods and humanity." He said sadly. "And now, they are probably at the heads of those demon armies. Ready to move with them to wipe us all off the face of our world."

…

"What can we do?" Altara asked.

The Pope straightened his posture. "I've already dispatched several squads of Shadows to slow their army. As of now, they are only a week's march from our Capital. I'm hoping they will buy us enough time to gather our forces from other parts of the Kingdom so we can plan a counter-attack and rescue the Second Princess."

"But what about Ren and Itsuki?" Motoyasu asked.

"... I'm afraid the only thing we can do now is end them... before they cause their Gods to fall. Just as the Shield Demon did to his long ago."

Motoyasu looked stunned. "No… there's no way." He muttered. Sure, Ren and Itsuki hadn't been his best friends. But that didn't mean he didn't care about them.

He couldn't believe that he was being asked to… kill them...

"There is, however, another matter I need to address." The Pope said, changing subjects. "Since it was found out that Aultcray had been committing treason behind our backs in keeping the Devil of the Shield alive, I will need you to stay with the former First Princess over these next few days to determine where her loyalties lie."

"But, but I'm going to be needed out there! And how could you doubt Myne after everything she's been through-" Motoyasu was yelling in anger.

"I do not personally doubt her, Sir Motoyasu. But there are others out there that do. If her Father, our greatest hero in the war against Siltvelt, could be influenced so subtly by the Shield Demon to keep him alive, what are the chances that she could also end up doing the same?"

Motoyasu opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. If he was being honest, as much as most of him wanted to believe Myne would never betray him, he couldn't forget those times of self-doubt he'd had in the past.

His fists gripped his Spear tightly in frustration.

"If the Spear Hero, however, were to stay and vouch for her. That could change their minds about where her loyalty lies. And once she's recovered, they may even welcome her and you as the new King and Queen." Balamus said with a smile. "After all. Out of the three heroes. Only you were the one to bravely take up your weapon to fight the vicious Shield Demon. The people would trust your word more than anyone else."

If only Motoyasu had realized how much the Pope was lying to both him and Altara then. He could have realized there was more than one reason why the Pope wanted him to stay with Myne. Instead of going outside and taking a good look at what was happening.

...

"... Fine. I'll do it. For her." Motoyasu said. Sitting in a chair next to Myne's bed. "But as soon as you learn where they went, then I want to know. So I can put a stop to them myself." He said, referring to Ren, Itsuki, and Naofumi.

"Of course." The Pope gave a slight bow of respect to Motoyasu, then he turned and left the room. Altara obediently left behind him. Leaving Motoyasu to himself inside Myne's room in the castle.

Motoyasu went over and checked on Myne's wounds again. She hissed in her sleep like a feral cat from the pain. She'd recover more quickly than a normal adventurer, but that didn't mean it wasn't going to hurt any less. 'I can't doubt those I trust now... I have to get my party through this... for her sake... for all of our sakes.'

Despite his thoughts, Motoyasu couldn't get rid of the lingering doubts at the edge of his mind. The lingering doubts... and his jealousy.

"Altara, will you oversee the preparations for our armies to march east?" The Pope politely asked.

"Of course," Altara said obediently.

"Good… that'll give me time to put things in order. And to make sure our coup-de-taut isn't opposed by the people." He said, smiling brightly. As if he would win everyone who'd oppose with a soft smile instead of a ritual-class spell.

He already knew he wouldn't be opposed. Using Judgment inside the city to try and end the Devil of the Shield had either raised his popularity among the Followers of the Three Heroes Church or struck fear into those who wanted to help the Shield Demon, yet were too afraid to do so. And those who'd rather be onlookers than participators had no choice but to pick a side, or otherwise be crushed for their negligence to their Gods.

It was perfect. Besides one small wrinkle.

"And one last thing. I want knights sent to aid our friend and loyal follower, Idol Rabier."

Altara looked up at the Pope's back. She had questions she wanted to ask. Like why did the noble need an army sent to him? Why had she been left in the dark instead of being told all the info he'd just told Motoyasu. But she didn't know how to ask in a way that would be considered respectful… nor did she know the lies and half-truths Pope Balamus had slipped into his talk with the Spear Hero.

Eventually, she shook her head to clear it. 'I have trusted Balamus with my life these last twelve years. He must have his reasons for not telling me all this before.' She rationalized.

She could still remember what she'd been like twelve years ago. When she had been a wanderer in Melromarc. Lost, widowed, betrayed, malnourished… and alone.

He had been the one to find her and take her in against every other priests' advice. He had been the one to nurse her back to health. Give her a new life, a new name, and a new purpose. He had helped her learn to serve the true Gods. He had helped her to become the head of the nuns despite not growing up worshipping the Three Heroes. And he had trained her so she'd have the power and the pleasure of slaying those that had destroyed her life before.

She couldn't doubt him now. Not when her soul was finally purified to the point that she could see her family again when she eventually passed on. She had to trust that the Gods were still watching over them. And that they were guiding her religious leader in their grand plan for this world.

So she followed behind Balamus. Refusing to let little doubts dissuade her now. "Of course, your Excellency."

The Shield Demon had to be dealt with.

Only then would she know for sure that she was clean enough to be with her family once more.

Naofumi sat in a room Van Reichnott had provided him and his party. He worked on an accessory at a desk to try and distract himself. It had been a few hours since he'd left Raphtalia to rest so he could try and do something else. Compounding. Studying. And now, crafting.

But it wasn't helping. He still felt empty and guilty inside. Not even Filo had been able to spark a smile out of him after leaving Raphtalia's room. Mostly because he thought he'd seen her looking at him with fear in her eyes before going in to see her mommy.

Not only had he attacked Raphtalia while under the effects of the Cursed Series. He'd also tried to attack Filo. He could still remember her looking at him in fear as he rampaged on during the battle. The look of shock on her little face as he-

'Urgh!' He accidentally hammered the gemstone socket on the gold band too hard. The bracelet warped from the hit. A notification appeared on his screen, saying he'd destroyed the accessory.

"Damn it!" He threw the useless band to the side. Landing it amongst a pile of other destroyed accessories he'd failed to make. Along with a few black tar-like substances that had come from his previous attempts of compounding potions. And an open magic grimoire he hadn't been able to focus on reading.

"DAMN IT ALL!"

He'd been doing it so often by hand in the past that he could compound most of the basic medicines without even thinking about it. But now he couldn't even compound the simple cold medicine he'd first made for Raphtalia! Nothing worked! Nothing helped!

Because, despite her telling him not to, he was still beating himself up over what had happened… and nothing he did helped to ease that burden on his mind...

The door to the room opened. Naofumi grumbled. "What is it now-?" He was turning around as he coldly spoke, only to stop speaking.

A demi-human stood in the doorway. She had light brown hair done in a french braid. She was dressed in a blue cloak with a white undershirt. She had patches of light metal armor covering parts of the outfit.

It looked like a custom design that left plenty of room for mobility while protecting vital areas. She had a katana sheathed at her side. Her arms were crossed guardedly in front of her.

"Is now a good time?" She asked.

Naofumi forced himself to calm down. He recognized this demi-teenager was either one of Itsuki or Ren's party members. He couldn't exactly remember who's. "What is it?" He asked.

"I have nothing better to do. So I thought I'd meet the Shield Hero Ren's told me about," Wyndia said with a shrug.

She walked in, looking around the room. "Were you… attempting to craft something there?" She asked politely.

"Yes. I'm still trying to craft it. Now, what do you really want?" Naofumi coldly asked.

He was not in the mood for talking with other people, especially those he didn't know. He wanted whoever this was to just get to the point so he could get back to doing whatever it was he was trying to do.

"Again, I wanted to meet the Shield Hero Ren told me about," Wyndia said calmly. If not, a little condescendingly.

"Alright, fine, you've met him. Are you happy now? Will you leave me alone now?" Naofumi asked, looking irritated.

"... Is there something wrong Sir-" Wyndia was saying.

"I DIDN'T MEAN TO! OKAY?!"

Wyndia didn't flinch at Naofumi's explosive outburst. "I didn't mean to &^%$&^% lose control, damn it! Do you think I would have intentionally tried to kill a bunch of people!? Huh!? Do you all think I'm a devil now too!? Well!? Do you!?" Naofumi yelled at her in anger.

"... I wasn't accusing you of anything, Sir Naofumi." Wyndia coldly responded. "Calm down and think rationally."

"I am calm! Calm enough to beat your puny little no good a-" Naofumi stopped yelling, looking shocked for a moment.

What the hell was he doing lashing out in frustration like this? Guilt flooded him again, and he sat back in his chair.

"Actually, I'm not okay." He finally admitted. "I can't get over what I did today… how I hurt my party… how I did something so stupid… I can't stop feeling guilty about it..." He was stuck in a cycle of depression and anger.

"You and him both." Wyndia shook her head.

"What was that?" Naofumi asked.

"Did you think that yelling at me when I was trying to be polite would somehow help?" Wyndia asked, not addressing Naofumi's question.

...

Naofumi shook his head. Hanging down like a scolded puppy.

Which was ironic, since Wyndia was the dog demi-human here.

"Sir Naofumi." Wyndia approached, getting down on one knee in front of Naofumi. Her face held some care in it. No matter how cold she appeared to look at times, Wyndia wasn't cold-hearted. Being raised by a dragon taught her to respect strength.

She could tell that Naofumi was strong. Ren had alluded to that himself despite being strong himself. But sometimes, even the strong needed some help. As she'd had to learn ever since joining Ren's party.

"You know no one here thinks less of you for what happened, right?" She asked.

"I… I know… but… I just... I can't." Naofumi choked on his words for a second. "I can't talk about it…" Naofumi hung his head. "I want to forget about what I did… what I caused back there…"

Wyndia studied the Shield Hero for a moment. "There's stuff I'd rather forget from my past… but forgetting it would be a crime to me, Sir Naofumi."

Naofumi stared emptily down at the ground like he was broken. "Did you kill people… did you hurt someone you cared about in a blind rage?" He sadly asked. "Did you fear that those few who trusted you would turn their backs on you?"

"... No." She admitted that much. But she didn't disclose more than that. "It hasn't happened to me nor Sir Ren… but it did happen to Sir Itsuki."

This finally caused Naofumi to look up. "What?" He asked.

"Didn't you know? Or have you really been that busy sulking in here to learn what's going on with your fellow Heroes?" Wyndia asked coldly.

Wyndia wasn't cold-hearted. She had respect for the Shield Hero because of his strength. But damn, she didn't mince her words. "No, I didn't…" Naofumi said.

"So you think that you're the only one allowed to suffer here?" She asked. "Is that it?"

"No… I just…" Naofumi trailed off, looking ashamed. Had Itsuki really been going through this too?

Wyndia realized she was probably laying it on a little too thick too soon. "Look, I didn't come in here to belittle you, Sir Naofumi. I really did want to meet you. Ren holds a lot of respect for you. A lot of people here hold a lot of respect for you. But you need to pull yourself together. We have a couple of days to prepare before the Church arrives here."

"The… what?" Naofumi looked surprised.

"We got word from some scouts Van sent out to neighboring villages that the Pope of the Three Heroes Church has taken over Melromarc. A majority of the surviving nobles are backing him, including Idol Rabier. They're sending word for the kingdom's forces to be gathered at the Capital except for Idol's forces. Which means we likely have two days, at best, before Idol attacks Van's estate." She explained the situation simply.

Naofumi paled. The Wave was nine days away. But they were about to have another battle in just two days. 'No, if there's a battle…' Raphtalia wouldn't be able to fight. If they somehow got into the manor, she wouldn't be able to protect herself.

"Do you understand the gravity of our situation now, Sir Naofumi?" Wyndia asked.

Naofumi was silent, and then he nodded. "Okay… I'll try… I'll try to get over this..." Raphtalia was going to need him. Eclair, Filo, Melty, everyone here was going to need him to get over this. But could he get over this?

Wyndia gave him a curt nod. "Good. I hope what I said here helps." She got up to leave.

"... Do the others really not think less of me?" Naofumi suddenly asked. "Does Ren... really respect me?"

...

Wyndia paused and turned her head. "He does."

Naofumi stayed silent. "And that little girl out there, Filo, I think her name was. I found her wandering the hallways a little while ago, worried sick about you." Wyndia added. "She said she's never seen you like this before. And she has no idea how she can help you. She wants to help, but doesn't know how."

Naofumi stared at Wyndia in shock at those words. "I'd suggest you don't try to yell at her like how you yelled at me. You're lucky I hardly know you, and that I understand how much you're hurting.

"I lost my Father to someone I care about... I don't think this little girl of yours should experience the same thing." Wyndia finally left the room.

...

Naofumi stared at the door in silence. For how long, he didn't know. He'd been sitting here, thinking that he was a monster… thinking he was the only one going through this...

Unconsciously, his hands grabbed his compounding set and made something. When he finally looked down and saw what he had unconsciously created, he felt tears in his eyes again. He wiped them away.

"Please… forgive yourself…" Raphtalia's words went through his head again as he stared at a simple vial of cold medicine.

'But… how can I do that…' Was this demi-girl really right about the others? Was she really right about Filo?

...

"Da… Daddy?"

Naofumi almost dropped the medicine as he looked at the doorway again. Filo was standing in the doorway with Melty. He could have sworn Wyndia had only left a minute ago. "Yes, Filo?" Naofumi quietly asked.

He felt so bad about earlier. Was it possible the cute little girl was still scared of him, despite what Wyndia had claimed?

Filo was shyly staying in the doorway. "Mel and Filo were wondering if we could explore the forest together?" Filo asked.

"Mel-" At first, he was confused. But then Princess Melty appeared behind Filo. The Second Princess was really nothing like her older sister. While Bitch always liked to be all high and mighty in looking down on other people, Melty had a nicer air about her. And she looked just about as shy as Filo right now. Definitely more innocent and childlike instead of regal and mature. Though that could change with the flip of a coin.

"Is there any reason why you want to play with my daughter, Second Princess?" Naofumi dryly asked. The Second Princess had earned his respect by dedicating her energy to putting out his cursed fires amongst other things during the duel. But not enough for him to drop calling her by the dreaded nickname.

Melty flinched at the nickname but didn't childishly react to it like before. "I… I was really hoping for the chance to enjoy riding around on Filo's back," Melty said shyly. "It's not often I get the chance to do something so carefree… and with everything going on... I… um... thought it'd be a good way to distract us both."

...

Naofumi stared at the two for a moment. Wondering if these two were really scared of him or not... Then he sighed. "Fine. Go ahead." Smiles lit up on both of their faces. "But make sure you stay safe out there. I don't want anything bad to happen to you two." The Fatherly side of Naofumi peeked its head out. Telling him to Protecc his daughter and her friend.

"Kay! Filo will keep Mel safe!" Filo said while smiling brightly. A similar aura of Protecc also seemed to be around her in regard to Melty. She then ran in and gave Naofumi a big hug, shocking him while he was still sitting in his chair.

Tears came to his eyes. Tears that he quickly hid as he hugged the little girl. "Thanks, Filo. I needed this." He whispered to her.

She let go and smiled brightly. Helping to brighten his day some more. "I'll see you later Daddy! Come on Mel!" Just as quickly, she ran back out, grabbing a smiling Melty by the hand. A Melty who had been too busy 'awwing' over how cute the scene of Father and Daughter had looked.

"Wait, slow down! Filoooooooo-" Melty's scream of surprise faded off as Filo changed forms and disappeared down the corridor with the Second Princess in tow.

Naofumi stared at the doorway for a moment more. He honestly did feel a little better, like the guilt over what had happened retreated somewhat... he looked down at the medicine again, then he placed it in his pouch and got up. He set the compounding tools to the side and walked out of his room.

'They have the right idea… I should explore the manor to distract myself. Staying cooped up in a room isn't doing anything to help.'

And so he did.

Naofumi wandered aimlessly at first. Going from room to room.

He found a kitchen area. Then a nice living room with soft couches in front of a warm fireplace. Next to it was a library. He absentmindedly grabbed a thin book off of a bookshelf to glance at a couple of pages. His reading skills still weren't that great, but he was actually able to read the small book, which turned out to be a children's story.

It was related to the Cardinal Heroes of Legend. How they worked together to defeat an evil monster in ancient times. It was about the bonds of trust and friendship and all that wonderful stuff.

Blech.

He shelved it and then continued on his way. Making note of the library. He'd been a big book reader back in his world as well as a gamer. He no longer had games to comfort him. But maybe a book or two would do the trick?

If he survived what was coming, maybe he could put more time into reading books again with Raphtalia. He remembered how doing that before with the medical grimoire and the magic grimoire had made them both happy… and hey, it'd been a children's book he found. Maybe they could include Filo in the fun too?

If Raphtalia wasn't into children's books anymore that is.

Would it be a good idea to tease her about that? Probably not.

Was he going to do it? Absolutely!

If h didn't forget about it, that is.

He was walking down another random hallway when he passed by a dining room full of food. He stopped in his tracks, took a deep sniff, and his stomach growled hungrily.

He turned around. 'Maybe just a few bites…'

The door closed behind Naofumi. A moment later, the sounds that came out from the room were sounds no human ear should ever have to hear. Food and drink had been beyond calling for Naofumi since he hadn't eaten anything since being captured. Two whole days!

HE NEEDED TO EAT!

...

A few minutes later, the stomach-wrenching sounds finally stopped, and Naofumi exited the room. His mouth was puffed out like a chipmunk's from the amount of good food stored in his cheeks. He held a hand to his stomach, which sighed in happiness at finally being fed. His pouch held some more snacks he could munch on later when he didn't feel like a bloated whale.

He hadn't stayed too long since he didn't want to risk talking with other people yet. But he was starting to feel somewhat better than before.

Going out to explore had definitely helped him more than staying locked in some room. He swallowed the rest of the food in one gulp and then continued on.

He wasn't sure how long he wandered the manor after that. He didn't meet many other people besides house servants, both human and demi-human, going about their business of taking care of the manor. He snacked on what was in his inventory as he went. Examining the art on the walls and looking out the windows over Van's Estate.

Eventually, he found Eclair out back going through a series of advanced sword forms with one of Itsuki's and Ren's party members. There was also a group of mages that either sat in circles reading from grimoires or who were facing the tree line nearby. Practicing different levels of magic. He didn't recognize any of them, but it might have been because of the distance. So he focused on Eclair and the forms she and the two other swordsmen were going through.

A couple of the sword forms Naofumi recognized only because he'd watched Raphtalia trying to practice some of them before the whole recent fiasco. Ren and Itsuki's party members were both tired and panting, but the sweating Eclair was the picture of calm.

Seriously, for a woman who had just spent the last two months trapped in a dungeon, fought her way out of a Capital, and exhausted herself trying to heal Raphtalia, she was putting these two swordsmen to shame.

"Come on! Put your whole body into it!" Eclair ordered.

"But… but we've been going at this for two hours straight," Welt complained.

"Gods woman, at least give us a break?" Karn complained. He figured himself to be a competent swordsman, but this was ridiculous!

"Don't slack! Otherwise, your skills will always be subpar compared to the enemy!"

"Ahhhhh…" Both of them finally collapsed to the ground after another minute.

"Fine, you can have a five-minute break. After that, you two will be dueling me." Eclair said.

"Ugh…" Both of them groaned in agony.

When they'd asked the knight for a training lesson, they hadn't been expecting torture instead.

They didn't notice Naofumi, and he eventually moved on. Honestly, the knight Eclair scared him just a bit more now than before. To find her already recovered and pushing two of Itsuki and Ren's party members to exhaustion was mind-boggling.

Finally, when he was near his room again, he decided to stop and look out of the clear glass windows again. The sun was beginning to lower in the sky towards evening. He breathed in calmly and allowed the events of the day to wash over his mind. 'To think… I started this day waking up in a cell…' And he was going to end it in a bed on the top floor of a noble's manor.

There had been so much that'd happened. Almost too much. A lot of it hurt to think about… but there were still some good things that had happened… thanks to him deciding to leave his room. This whole day wouldn't be as depressing to think about as before.

He looked for a while longer. Outside, in view of Van's manor, groups of demi-humans were doing different things. Some were working the soil as farmers. Others were wearing armor and patrolling the fields for monsters or other dangers. Filo appeared from the tree line, Melty and a few other laughing kids clung to her back. The sight caused Naofumi to crack a smile.

His attention was captured by a few kids playing around with a ball near the front of the manor. Looking closely, it wasn't just demi-humans, but also human kids that were playing together. Humans and demi-humans… both getting along.

...

"Sir Naofumi… I take it since you've decided to leave your room and take a tour of my manor that you're feeling better now?"

Naofumi almost jumped when Van appeared almost from out of nowhere beside him. Had the guy been stalking him ever since he'd left or something?! "Yeah, a little bit," Naofumi answered defensively.

"It's been a while since I read the children's book you picked up." He continued as if he was having a normal conversation. Yep, he'd definitely been shadowing Naofumi without him realizing it this whole time. "It's one of my favorites involving the Cardinal Heroes. My father used to read it to me all the time as a child."

Naofumi continued to look outside and decided to move the subject away from children's books. "Why are there demi-human and human children playing around together out there?"

"What do you mean?" Van asked curiously.

Naofumi pointed out the group he was watching play around. It looked like they were kicking a ball, similar to the one he'd bought for Raphtalia as a kid. "Oh, those are just some of the kids from the local village. This is one of the few safe areas in my domain where they can play, so I allow them to as long as they don't get in the way of the farmers." Van said, smiling at the sight of a group of innocent kids playing around with each other. "Or break any of my windows. It's happened a few times in the past. Did you know that windows can be expensive to replace? And the glass is really hard to clean up too."

Naofumi grit his teeth. "What I meant was why are humans and demi-humans getting along with each other here? I thought most of Melromarc was prejudiced against demi-humans."

"... Oh. Well, most of Melromarc is. But my family isn't like most of Melromarc." Van said as he watched the kids playing around. "My father and his father enlisted in the latter end of the war when I was a young boy. When they came back, unlike those who became more hardened because of the war, their hearts were softened along with a few others after the things they'd witnessed. And so, when they came back, I and a precious few others were raised to treat demi-humans as equals."

Van smiled brightly and affectionately, adjusting his glasses as he recalled the memory. "My Father taught that same philosophy to everyone living in the village. And we've been living it even after the both of them died several years ago from sickness."

Naofumi continued to stare out the window at the group of kids playing with each other. Even though the Waves of Catastrophe were going on. Even though diseases and famines were striking places with the world going out of whack. Even though the majority of Melromarc didn't get along with, and even despised demi-humans... Even though a million things were going wrong, this small group was still here. Playing with each other.

Happy, carefree, joyful... hopeful…

"Of course. There are times when the people here don't get along with each other. We have our petty disagreements from time to time." Van said with a shrug. "As Lord, I'm obligated to have to hear their complaints with me or with each other and address them. It saddens me whenever it's based on the issue of them vs us. But I doubt my job would be half as fun if we didn't have our disagreements every now and then.

"It's because of them that we've progressed to where we are now compared to the rest of Melromarc. The understanding we've gained working together instead of distrusting each other has helped us immensely."

Naofumi finally looked at Van. Van had been looking at him when he spoke that last part. His carefree face turned serious. "I can tell how conflicted you feel, Sir Shield Hero. You were summoned to protect us from the Waves of Catastrophe. And yet you've been mistreated by our people to the point that you hurt many of them, along with those closest to you. You're in disagreement with yourself. A disagreement that you know you have to settle for your good and the good of all those around you."

…

Naofumi hung his head. It was only his second or third time meeting this noble… but despite his appearance, and how annoying he could be, Van was pretty damn smart and insightful. He almost seemed to know what Naofumi was going through without having experienced it. And, unlike the other pretentious nobles he'd had the misfortune of meeting at the celebration, he didn't shy away from him. He was actually trying to help him. "How do I resolve it?... how do I…" He wasn't even sure what to say.

Fix it? Fix what? Could he fix this? And if he could, how?

Van studied him for a long moment. As if weighing what to say next. "Stop beating yourself up over the matter and thinking about how you should feel…" He finally said after a moment.

Naofumi continued to look down at the ground. Expecting that to be the end of it. "And have a little faith in yourself."

That caused Naofumi to look up in surprise. "What?" He asked.

Van nodded. "You're the great Shield Hero, are you not?" He asked.

"I am the Shield Hero, but I'm not great! Being a Hero doesn't mean I can fix what I've done-" He was saying.

"I'm not talking about fixing your actions. I'm talking about you."

Naofumi stared at Van. "You've just discovered a problem that you didn't know you had before. A problem that caused you to hurt other people, which is against what you desire, is it not?" He asked.

"Yeah, but-" Naofumi was saying. Of course, he didn't want to hurt and kill everyone he met!...

But then it hit him. Whether he liked it or not, the Cursed Series was there to stay. Unless he forgave Bitch, which he doubted he'd ever do, he'd have to deal with it for the rest of his life...

But it wasn't like Rage was the only thing he had.

"Then what should I do?" Naofumi asked.

Van shrugged. "I'm sorry, I'm not you, great Shield Hero. I don't know much about the power you and Sir Itsuki wielded in your different situations. Only you know better than anyone else what you can do. And who knows how many times you'll have to do it in order to get it right." He turned around to walk off. Then he stopped as if considering something.

"I can give you some advice… there's an old saying the Queen once told me… emotions are the driving forces of our lives. No one can resist them. No one can hide from them. They are as inevitable as death himself.

"Yet without emotion, one can never find their true selves and move forward." He looked back at Naofumi. "Legends state the same thing about the Cardinal Heroes of old, Sir Naofumi. Whether they lost the will to live or went on to fight with all their hearts for what they believed in. I have no doubt that, like them, you and the other Heroes will manage to overcome your trials and forge a bright path that leads to our future."

"No matter how many tries it takes."

With that, he walked back down the hall.

…

Naofumi went back to staring out of the window. Contemplating what Van had just told him.

The kids were still out there. Playing, hopeful, and carefree…

He turned and entered his room.

"Mmmm… so soft… so warm..."

Melty talked in her sleep. Filo lay asleep on a large bed in her Filolial Queen form. Melty's head stuck out of her feathers. A peaceful look on her sleeping face.

"So... big..."

Um... ok. No idea what she's dreaming about.

Naofumi laid back in his own bed. His Legendary Shield was in its default form on his right arm. He was looking up at the ceiling, still contemplating what Van had told him.

He'd given it a lot of thought. Blocking out even the guilt he'd felt over his actions as he looked the problem over from every angle.

He was angry. He was depressed. And, quite honestly, he felt extremely guilty about what had happened. It formed a vicious cycle that fed into each other. However, throwing that aside, that didn't mean he could lie back and take this sitting down. He couldn't hide from his problems.

He had to face them.

'Is it possible…' When he'd first unlocked the Curse series, he'd felt like he had nothing left in the world. That, after what he'd had to suffer through, having what little he'd had left stripped from him unfairly would be the end. The same thing had happened when he finally unlocked the Shield of Rage in that square. He'd felt like he had nothing left except his anger. His complete and utter hatred for the Bitch that had ruined his life...

Yet Raphtalia came in both of those times and restored what he'd thought he'd lost. Her subsequent actions the first time had led to him unlocking the Shield of Hope. She'd helped him, nourishing his hopes and dreams until they'd come full bloom in the middle of his duel with Malty. Bringing about the first shield of that Blessed Series.

'Raphtalia's been helping me for so long…'

…

Naofumi looked over his Shield Menu again. The Cursed Series stared temptingly at his face with its major stats and offensive option… his Blessed Shield was weaker than it.

He couldn't hide from them... they were inevitable...

…

'Maybe…' He stared at the shields for a moment longer… he wasn't entirely sure. His past experiences with the Blessed Series had coincided with the Cursed Series too many times to be a coincidence… but...

Naofumi got out of bed. 'I have to try.'

He quietly exited the room. Making sure not to wake Filo or Melty from their sleep.

It took him a moment to navigate the hallways in the darkness. He accidentally opened the wrong door and found Itsuki asleep in a chair. In the bed next to Itsuki was Rishia.

Ren was sitting down, napping against the wall. A blanket had been placed over him carefully and tenderly. Wyndia napped on the floor next to him.

Naofumi carefully closed that door, making sure not to disturb any of them.

The next door was the right one. He opened it, and went inside, softly closing it behind him.

Raphtalia was still asleep. Breathing in and out softly. The moon outside was positioned just right. The moonlight was flowing through the windows and landing around her peaceful form.

He took a deep breath. 'I… I don't know the answer to how I'll fix this… but I do know one thing. I don't want to be stuck relying on my hatred to help me and my friends live. If there's something I want to feel...'

He raised his Light Metal Shield. 'And if there's anyone that can help me… if there's anyone that could help me get through this… if there's one person I trust to carry my burdens more than anyone else in this world… it's Raphtalia.'

He had foiled Myne's plot during the Sacred Duel. He had foiled the Church's plot to have himself and Raphtalia killed in the mines. He had survived the pathetic attempt on their lives during the wave. The Ambush in the woods. And so many other things because Raphtalia had been there with him.

She had never given up on him. She had inspired him to keep going. She never lost hope or faith in him even when he'd had no hope left… and he trusted her.

He trusted her more than he trusted anyone else, including himself.

"Raphtalia… I'm sorry. My Rage did this to you." Naofumi said through gritted teeth. He felt guilt pricking at him again. "I did this to you… I, I know you told me not to beat myself up over it, but it's the truth Raphtalia. It's my fault that you had to pull me back from my hatred before it consumed me. It's my fault that you had to pay the price for my stupidity…"

His eyes glinted over with determination… determination, and hope. "But you're right. I'm not quitting now. I have a plan. And it requires your help Raphtalia." He came close and gripped one of her hands in his. "Maybe, just maybe, this Shield I was given… maybe it isn't just to give me another way to protect you guys… maybe, it was given to me so I could have something other than anger to rely on. Something better from you."

No one was there to hear him. Had there been anyone, they would have been confused as hell and wouldn't have understood what he meant. But Naofumi was starting to somewhat understand. Van's words had helped him to take a good long look at himself.

Yes, he held a lot of hate deep in his soul. He hated a lot of things. And that Hate had been what allowed the Cursed Series to manifest in the first place. When he'd been at a low so low that he'd rather kill himself than keep on going, that hate had manifested itself into a force to keep him alive and to give him purpose to continue living.

But alongside that hate had been something else.

Hope.

Hope that things could get better. Hope that the world he hated could improve. Hope that people who didn't like him could become better. So he wouldn't have to stay on the run all his life… so he'd find a place where he could belong.

And Raphtalia had been the one to give him that hope. She had given him another purpose besides Hate to keep himself going. She had helped him overcome his trials time and time again. She had helped him to hope for that which was good...

The Shield of Hope had first manifested during his fight with Motoyasu. Then, it finally made another appearance during his fight with Myne. It had come both times because he'd had hope that he could win. That he could stop them from hurting more people. That he could overcome the obstacles placed in his way, escape with his party, and continue on with life...

While the duel after the Shield of Rage was unlocked was a mess, he remembered all that it had taken for him to unlock the next tier of Rage was for him to be overloaded with more anger and hatred. So maybe… just maybe… if he could do that now for the Shield of Hope, if he could have more hope, he could unlock the next tier… so he could get over what happened, and have something better to rely on in the future.

Taking a deep breath, he selected the Shield of Hope I and equipped it. A translucent blue glow came off of it. Blending with the moonlight coming in. Naofumi gasped as he felt other feelings surge into him besides guilt and sadness.

That was the danger, he realized. This shield could help him. But if his negative feelings fought back and made him fall with them… like the angels falling from heaven, it wouldn't end well for him. Loss of hope led to despair. Despair to hate. And hate to suffering. Suffering he would cause personally if he lost control.

"Raphtalia, I need you to hold my guilt… will you… will you help me?" He asked her sleeping form.

She was still asleep. Yet he still felt her hand squeeze his.

He nodded. "Thank you." He whispered. Even asleep, she was there for him. Asleep, she was there to push the darkness back.

It was a long shot, but... 'I have to try. For Raphtalia's sake and everyone else's, I have to!' Problems were coming soon. He needed something other than hate to defend with. He had to be able to protect Raphtalia and everyone else!

He focused on Raphtalia's form. She was still fast asleep. Snoring peacefully, grimacing every once in a while in pain because of a curse he'd inflicted on her.

At the thought, his body wanted to break down again. The guilt and sadness surged once more. His body wanted to cry more tears. He wanted to give into depression, and only imagine a future where his nightmares came true.

Raphtalia's hand gripped his tightly, dragging him back into the real world. He shook his head. 'No.' He had to keep himself from thinking about that. It would only lead to more despair and hatred. What he needed was hope!

'Damn it! Come on!' He gripped Raphtalia's hand tightly in return. He forced himself to hope. He didn't care if it seemed ridiculous or not. He had to have hope for a better future! He had to have hope for Raphtalia's sake! He had to have hope if he didn't want to be stuck relying on a cursed shield!

His shield, which had lost some of its glow, began to glow more brightly again. He ignored the hatred and other feelings swirling around in his mind. Instead, he forced himself to think of the bright memories he shared with Raphtalia.

The memories of her healthy vibrant self. The good times they shared together when they first started adventuring. The countless times he'd held her close to comfort her from some nightmare.

Then there were the times that came after she grew up into a woman around his age. The awkward times when their weird relationship was starting out. All the times she'd helped to keep him in line. All the moments in between when everything was so conflicting and he wasn't sure what he wanted their relationship to turn into. And then those rare moments where everything pieced together and felt so… right.

His mind threw out the other memories, focusing on those few when everything felt so perfect.

Those thoughts led to a different future. One he hadn't thought about before. A time years after the waves were over.

They were married, happy, and in love. A couple of kids, at least five of them, were running around in the background. No one was there to cause them problems.

No one was there to cause any trouble.

He was ok. The other Heroes were ok. They had bright lives. They had a bright future.

He felt tears prick at his eyes. But not tears of sadness. He hadn't known what he desired from this world before. He'd worked under the assumption that he'd protect the world from the waves, and then he'd go back to his own when it was all over. Now, he realized he wanted more than to just protect it. He wanted to protect it so he, Raphtalia, and every other great person he'd ever met could live. Happy, and at peace.

The picture solidified in his mind. They had their own home. In a place that accepted them both. It was definitely five kids that looked like them running around in the backyard. Filo was playing with them in one corner while he and Raphtalia cuddled on a swing and watched their real kids playing with their adopted daughter. There was a pet playing with them too, something in the likeness of Raphtalia.

Elhart pounded away on his latest gear in the blacksmith shop. Melty helped with running the town... Eclair was still training and going through various new sword forms she'd learned after being freed. Ren, Itsuki, and Motoyasu were going around the world. Helping those in need and really being Heroes.

The three Heroes were happily married and had kids of their own. Their girls looked incredibly happy standing by their sides.

Best of all, there was no sign of Bitch.

They were all happy. And so were Raphtalia and him. Just being there in that small moment with each other.

They no longer feared the Church. They no longer feared the royals or other countries trying to separate them. They were able to live in peace, happy with each other and their little family. When others around them had problems, they helped in any way they could.

And when they had problems, they worked through them together. It wasn't one or the other.

It was them.

It was his hope for that to happen. Hope that, despite how bad the situation was now, the future was possible for them both.

'To hell with it! Van's right! I'm the damn Shield Hero! One of the Cardinal Heroes of Legend brought to life! Screw this world and its desires! Screw what this world has planned for me! Screw it if this world wants to screw me over repeatedly! I'm not going to let anyone crush my hopes and dreams! I have to hope that this works!' He thought. 'No… I know that this will work!'

He'd safeguard this world so he could bring about that future.

He'd use his power as the Shield Hero to make that future dream a reality.

A sharp pain went through Naofumi's mind. 'GahhhhhHHHHHHHH!' One hand gripped at his head. The other continued to grip Raphtalia's bandaged hand as the pain increased exponentially. It was like his anger was clashing with something. A tide that refused to stop. A tide that refused to bend.

All of a sudden, like a barrier being completely shattered. His shield glowed brighter than before and expanded in size. A new notification appeared on his stat screen.

The Cursed Series manifests itself when a Hero crosses the Despair Event Horizon. This is the point when a Hero would rather die than keep fighting. The resulting Cursed Series takes a flaw in the Hero's personality and expands on it. Making it the driving force that keeps them alive. Whether it be Wrath, Pride, Envy, Greed, or something else entirely. This cursed personality, if left unchecked, will eventually take the Hero over. Making them save the world in the worst ways imaginable.

However, when a Hero overcomes their trials. When they regain, even without realizing it, their purpose for fighting for the world; whether by overcoming their Curse or by receiving their purpose to fight from someone else, they unlock a new series. Corresponding to either the virtue of the sin the Hero overcame or the person that overcame their own trial to help their Hero regain his purpose to live again.

And that Series is called:

Blessed Series: Shield of Hope Abilities Increased

Shield of Hope II unlocked

Equip Bonus: "Hope Asunder" "Change Shield (Expand)" and "Pandora's Box"

Special Effects: Magic Defense Up, Strength Up, Hope Springs Eternal, Robe of Michael, Ray of Hope

At that moment, the door opened. "Naofumi, are you- Gah!" It was Ren and Itsuki. They thought they'd heard him and had gone out to check, only to find Filo and Melty. They'd just noticed he was gone, and all four of them had been looking around the manor frantically for him when these two had finally opened the door, only to be met with a blinding light.

"Itsuki, what is that?!" Ren asked.

Itsuki squinted. "It's… it's…" His eyes widened in surprise. "It's Naofumi!"

Naofumi looked in disbelief at his shield. It was as big as the Shield of Rage II, but still in the shape of the Light Metal Shield. It was like looking into a sea of bright glowing clear glass, the light moving like waves along the surface of it. There was a design in the light that he couldn't quite make out. The light blue glow spread from the shield to cover the left side of Naofumi's body. Opposite where the Shield of Rage's armor had covered him.

It made it look like he was half-clothed in glowing flowing robes. Robes fit for an angel rather than a demon.

His eyes also glowed blue.

The feeling that filled him now. It was… warm… soothing… just like Raphtalia.

It wasn't hostile. It was pure.

The light of the transformation faded enough for Ren and Itsuki to be able to see him. Looks of amazement came onto their faces as they saw Naofumi's new form. They then looked at each other with stunned expressions, before looking at Naofumi.

It had actually worked. Naofumi, by tapping into his emotions and directing them, had unlocked a powerful shield in a series. Just by hoping against all odds of hope existing, Naofumi had unlocked another shield. From what he could see of its stats, it was comparable to the Shield of Rage II.

It was a powerful shield. One he could rely on when he needed it.

'This Shield…' He read over one of the last special effects, and his eyes watered. He'd already unlocked the new shield. He wouldn't have to rely on only his hate anymore. But the last effect was like an extra gift from the Shield itself. A thank you for choosing not to rely on only his hate down the road.

'Raphtalia… I'm… I'm paying you back...' The effect was different than any other he'd seen for any shield.

Naofumi took in a deep breath and looked down determinedly at Raphtalia. Gripping her hand in his. For once, there was no hate in the way whatsoever. The next few thoughts melded into a blur for him. Thoughts on memories from what felt to be so long ago.

"You've gone through a lot of pain," Raphtalia spoke softly, her hand making similar motions on the back of his head that he'd used so many times to comfort her before. "But from now on, you won't need to be alone with that pain." She rested her head against his. "I'll shoulder it with you forever, Naofumi Iwatani. Because… because I love you."

She had no problem admitting it out loud now. After everything Master Naofumi had done for her, she could hold no other emotion towards him. "I love you." She confessed again. "And because I do, you'll never be alone. Don't ever forget that."

The next day came to his mind.

"First, I want to get myself a new slave crest." She decided.

Naofumi sputtered in surprise. "Are you sure- I mean, no, I don't want you to get one-" He tried to say.

"Master Naofumi." She said seriously. "I want you to be able to trust me at all times to never lie to you. Even about my feelings. And if I need something to scold me to help me remember to fight at your side, then I don't care." She said determinedly. "I want it back. I want the symbol of my loyalty to you."

He stared down at her in surprise. She didn't say it, but even after hearing the false accusations against him she was willing to go as far as trusting him with herself. To put herself in a position where she'd have to follow any order he gave, no matter what…

A random moment in time.

For a moment as they walked down the street, the two were silent… then Naofumi felt one of Raphtalia's arms hug him from behind. She leaned up against him while still walking. "And... thank you for saying I'm beautiful Naofumi." She whispered quietly so only he would hear.

Naofumi smiled and put an arm over her shoulders. The two looked like a cute young couple now to passerby. "No problem."

And then the experience in the cave. The one that had entirely shifted his entire mental perspective without him having realized it.

He gripped her hand tightly. "Raphtalia… I need you too. There hasn't been a day that's gone by where that isn't the case." He said sincerely. "I'm grateful to have you at my side. I'm grateful that I chose to buy you that night when I found out I'd been betrayed." Naofumi said seriously. "I'm grateful you stuck by me even after you were freed from your crest. I'm grateful that you help me try to be a better person even when I don't want to be."

...

"And... I don't care what others say. I don't care if your race possibly came from humans and monsters." He said smiling. "I don't mind that you're a demi-human. You're not an abomination to me. You're more human than I am... And as I told Beloukas before, I'd be crazy to let someone as beautiful and amazing as you go." He said with all the honesty and sincerity that he could muster.

He still didn't know for sure what his feelings were. He didn't fully understand why it was so hard for him to identify them... But whatever they were towards this girl, they were positive and warm. Like a ray of sunshine on what would otherwise be a bitter soul. So he knew he meant it.

He meant every last word.

...

Tears touched the corner of Raphtalia's eyes again, and she leaned her head against Naofumi's shoulder as she started sobbing. She'd already known the voice from before hadn't been Naofumi's. She'd realized everything it had said had been a lie... But to hear Naofumi refute those words for real… to hear him say her worries and fears were unfounded... she continued to cry. Her tears landing on his cloak. It was... too much...

He embraced both her and Filo tightly.

"Thank… thank you... Naofumi..." She whispered gratefully.

He kissed the top of her head, and then rested his head against hers.  "Let's stay like this for a moment." He suggested. Similar to the time when she'd suggested to stay in his comforting embrace a little longer in that mine long ago.

The three of them remained silent.

For once, no one appeared to ruin their moment.

His mind returned to the present. All these moments and more had nurtured his hope. Had kept it alive and burning in his soul. Had made it so that even when he fell into the darkest pit, a light could still shine and lead the way back to the surface.

'Raphtalia…' Light began to gather around Naofumi as he selected the effect. It automatically chose Raphtalia and someone else in the party system on the other side of the wall to cleanse. 'You have never given up on me. Even when I gave up on myself. You've helped me out since the day I met you. You were the one that inspired me to keep going. To fight for this world, to fight to save its inhabitants.

'I could never pay you back for what you've done. I could never deserve someone like you... But for choosing to stay with me back then…' For trusting him with everything, including herself. 'Because you chose to stay with me back then Raphtalia. I'm… I'm choosing to stay with you! Because above all, you are my-'

"Ray of Hope!" Naofumi commanded. A notification came up in Naofumi's vision, asking if he was sure he wanted to pay the price for the curses.

He immediately selected yes.

A wave of blue aura burst from Naofumi, causing the other heroes to shield their eyes. The aura pulsed off him in waves throughout the room and through the walls. Each one gradually sank calmly into Raphtalia's prone form. And the prone form of the other target close by that Naofumi had inadvertently selected with the effect.

Then in what felt like the space of a millisecond, the light disappeared, only to be replaced with a brighter light that burst from Raphtalia's body and from the wall. Like two bright rays of light that absorbed themselves into his shield continuously. In the bright light, the heroes fell to the ground, their eyes covered as they took the fetal position. Expecting an explosion or something similar.

"AUGHHHHHH!..." Naofumi screamed in agony, falling onto one knee. He felt pain, unlike anything else, exploding through his body. It hurt... so much worse than the time with the Two-Headed Dog.

It hurt a trillion times more. It was like his defense stat didn't even matter. His body could have been melting. His skin could have been turning to ash. Hate, anger, rage, and other emotions he didn't recognize were flooding him, hacking at his very soul. His own cursed flames, and someone else's, had become manifest and turned on him.

Had Raphtalia been dealing with all this? Or was it only from her?

He hadn't expected this overwhelming pain. It made the mental agony he'd been going through look tame. His body pleaded with him to cut the ability short before he passed out, but he kept pushing through it.

This pain was nothing! He'd suffer worse if it meant she could continue to help keep him on the right path! So that she and no one else he cared about would ever have to suffer like this again!

"Not yet. Keep going… not until… not until it's done!" He yelled.

'AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!...' His vision became clouded with white light, and a shrill whistling sound filled his ears.

…

…

Eventually, the bright light finally faded, until only the afterimage was left. And that faded away too, leaving the room darker than before.

Naofumi stood stock still over Raphtalia, his shield still held in front of him. He subconsciously changed it to his default Small Shield. Seeming to know that keeping it equipped would not be a very good idea.

It had felt like an eternity… but in reality, it had only taken around fifteen seconds for the cleansing effect to work.

Everything hurt… everything hurt so much… He stared down at the Tanuki girl in wonder and amazement. One of his hands still gripped hers. Wondering if it'd worked.

Below him, Raphtalia took in a sharp breath. Her eyes didn't open, but her peaceful breathing, which had been intermingled with pain from the curse, became more relaxed. On his stat screen, it showed that her HP gauge, which had been refilling slowly due to the effects of the curse, was increasing more rapidly. The cursed status effect had also disappeared.

It had worked.

Raphtalia was okay.

Seeing Raphtalia okay made him feel… happy…

'Thank… God…' Naofumi's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed onto the floor.

...

Healing two people of their curses for the first time had been a bit too much.

"Naofumi!" Itsuki and Ren finally recovered from where they were laying near the doorway. There had been no explosion. They rushed in and quickly checked the unconscious Shield Hero.

It was only a moment later that more people came running from the other parts of the manor. "What happened?!-" Eclair asked frantically. She was still sweating from sword training.

"What was that bright light?!-" Melty asked just as quickly.

"Is Mommy okay?!-" Filo asked worriedly. They were all followed by house servants, the other heroes' party members, and Van himself. Who'd either seen a bright light from outside or who had heard Naofumi screaming in agony.

Any further questions stopped at what they saw. Itsuki and Ren were silent. Naofumi was unconscious, but okay. There was nothing visibly wrong with him… but the thing that stunned them the most was Raphtalia herself.

The signs of the curse had disappeared from her neck and hair. The bandages had unwrapped from her arms, hands, and the other afflicted parts of her body. She was still dressed in her nightgown. There were scars shaped like flames, almost unnoticeable on her arms. But besides that, she was okay.

She was more than okay. She looked healthier than ever. Her hand was still gripping Naofumi's in their sleep.

The others look from Naofumi to the heroes, and then back to the bed.

"The curse… it's… gone…" Ren said, sounding shocked.

"What happened here, Sir Bow Hero?" Melty asked in shock.

"I'm… I'm not sure." Itsuki said.

"Was it a miracle?" Ren asked calmly.

"Was it an intervention?" Itsuki asked.

"No." They all turned to look at Van. Who smiled knowingly in the midst of it all. "I believe what you two witnessed here... was the true power held by the Cardinal Heroes." He said confidently.

"What…" Ren and Itsuki looked down at Naofumi and Raphtalia…

As ludicrous as it sounded, they believed it.

"Come now, I don't think Sir Naofumi will appreciate sleeping on the floor. Will someone put him in bed with his Tanuki friend please?" Van said happily. "I doubt she'll be letting go of him anytime soon."

Before Ren or anyone else could move, Maya's ears twitched on her head. "Sir Itsuki… it… it sounds like Rishia is waking up."

At first, Itsuki didn't know what the demi-girl meant. And then, on the other side of the wall, he heard a very familiar noise.

"Fueh. Fuehhhhh… where, where am I?"

Itsuki clutched at his chest. "Wh-What-" He pulled up his HUD. He saw the gauges and everything for his party members. And that was when he finally realized it.

It hadn't just been Raphtalia who was cleansed of her curse.

"RISHIA!" Itsuki immediately bolted out of the room. Running to the next one over. Tears were coming from his eyes. A look of happiness and relief was on his face.

"Wha, Sir, Sir Itsuki, is that you- Fueh!" Rishia's shriek of surprise at Itsuki tackling and embracing her tightly could be heard by everyone in the manor.

"Don't you ever worry me like that again! You hear me!" Itsuki cried. Refusing to let the green-haired girl who'd just woken up go. "DON'T FALL INTO A COMA EVER AGAIN!"

"FUEHHHHHHHH!" Said green-haired girl was extremely confused and terrified at what was going on.

Hero Clips!

Protecc the FUEH Girl

"Protecc."

"Fueh… Um, Sir, Sir Itsuki, what are you doing?"

"Protecc." Itsuki didn't say anything more. He merely nuzzled the scared green girl he had hugged close in his warm embrace.

"Fueh! Ra-Raphtalia!?" Rishia screamed in terror. A mad blush on her face. "H-H-Help!"

"Protecc."

"Protecc."

Raphtalia didn't acknowledge the green girl's predicament. Naofumi was hugging Raphtalia close while muttering Protecc. And Raphtalia was hugging Filo close while also muttering Protecc.

"Protecc." Filo was similarly hugging Melty close. Muttering the same thing as her parents.

It was the family of protecc.

"M-Maya!" Rishia cried out.

"Sorry, can't help right now Rishia," Maya said. She was on her favorite Knight's shoulders, hugging his head with her body.

"Maya… Do you really have to do this?" Itsuki's tank asked with an embarrassed sigh.

"Protecc," Maya replied.

"Is… is there anyone out there not-" Rishia tried to call out for help.

"Protecc."

She managed to look behind her and Itsuki. Ren was hugging Wyndia close while patting her on the head.

"Must protecc." He added.

Wyndia was flushed red with embarrassment. "Mmmmm…" She looked like she wanted to lash out at Ren for his behavior. But her tail was wagging crazily, indicating that she really enjoyed the headpats and possibly even the hug too.

Though she kind of wished it was the other way around. With her being the one to mutter "protecc" while holding Ren instead.

"Protecc." Even Motoyasu was there. Holding an injured and beat-up-looking Myne to himself.

"HISS!" She hissed like a feral bitchy cat. Trying to claw her way out of his embrace.

"FUEHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Protecc." Everyone said at once.

It was obvious what they needed proteccing from now.

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

It was the next morning.

"Urgh…" Naofumi ached as he started to wake up.

What had happened to him?

As he came back to the land of the living, he became aware of something large and warm pressed up against him. And when he took a deep breath, a very familiar scent filled his nostrils.

...

He finally peaked open his eyes, and his suspicions were confirmed.

He was lying on his side in bed. His head rested against a pillow. Cuddled up next to him like a warm body pillow was his beautiful Tanuki companion. Her hair framed the sides of her face. The blanket had moved off of the two of them in their sleep. Raphtalia's tail was slowly wagging happily behind her.

It honestly would have been cute… if she hadn't been cuddled up against him in a way that his arm was pressed up against her gown between two certain large… assets…

'Um… uh…' Naofumi carefully moved his arm out from its resting spot. Doing his best not to wake the peaceful-looking half-tanuki girl as he did so. He had to stretch his shoulder back, grimacing from the soreness and aches, but he was able to get his arm free. Now he just had to get the rest of his body-

"Mmmm…" Raphtalia, at the loss of contact, cuddled up higher on his body in her sleep. Pressing her face into the crook of his neck. Her chest pressed up against his. Her arms moved and hugged around Naofumi. Keeping him pressed against her, and keeping him from escaping.

"... Alright, alright. I'll stay then." Naofumi said, rolling his eyes in mock annoyance while trying not to blush.

"Hmmm…" Raphtalia let out something that sounded like a satisfied purr. Her tail wagged even more happily behind her in her sleep.

Naofumi chuckled to himself. Wrapping his arms around her and rubbing his chin into her hair. 'Damn, Raphtalia, you're cute even when you're fast asleep…' Only a few days ago, he'd been unsure about what to think in regard to Raphtalia, and now...

After a moment, he stopped and frowned. 'Holy hell… just how much happened these last few days...'

It'd honestly felt slow for the most part since the last wave. With hardly much of note happening to him during that time. Yet the past few days had been packed.

First, he'd helped to heal someone's old mom. Then, idiotic Motoyasu attacked him and his party. Next, he'd woken up in chains in front of the King and had a scam of a trial. Followed by waking up in a cell with the same knight who'd been imprisoned by Malty for wanting to join his party.

Soon after that, he met the Second Princess, got released by her, and was framed for trying to kill her. Then he was chased through the Capital, reunited with his party, trapped at a gate, had a duel with Bitch… he unlocked shields in the Blessed and Cursed Series. He almost won. He hurt people. He burned part of the city. He hurt Raphtalia. He and his party were saved by Ren and Itsuki. He almost lost Raphtalia. She comforted him. He spent most of the rest of the day having a gradual mental breakdown. He wandered around, read a book, ate some food. And then finally, after thinking over advice he'd received from both Van and one of Ren's party members, he unlocked another tier in his Blessed Series, healing both Raphtalia and one of Itsuki's party members with an effect from it.

Man. That was a lot to process through...

He quickly checked Raphtalia over with his HUD. Besides being dressed in only her gown, there were no signs of the curse. Her skin was clear, besides a few flame-shaped scars on her arms. All of her gauges were full.

Naofumi closed the HUD and buried his face in her hair again, taking another deep breath of her scent. He'd never felt so relieved. Whatever he'd done, it had worked. He was sad Raphtalia had some scarring from the experience, but it was far outweighed by the relief and gratitude that she was going to be okay.

…

Since Raphtalia still had him trapped, he pulled up his HUD again and looked at his own stats. The Shield of Hope II would likely be something that'd give his own base stats a nice little boost-

'Wait, what the hell happened to my defense stat!'

His other stats were still the same, including, unfortunately, his attack stat. No boost for unlocking a cool new shield there. But his magic and physical defense stats had both dropped. At least a good 20%. While it was still high for Naofumi's level, it was a considerable drop.

'How did that happen?!... I don't remember it dropping because of using the Shield of Rage…'

He moved from his stat screen to his Shield Menu. His skill tree of shields popped up in front of his eyes. He pulled up the Shield of Hope II and looked over the new Shield and its skills.

'Hope Asunder... I figured that was what that skill did… Pandora's Box? It doesn't have a description available yet. I guess I'll need to use it to find out what it does... Hope Springs Eternal? According to the description, it's supposed to increase the effectiveness of any healing spell or potion I use on myself or on my party, neat. I could take advantage of that in the future.

'Robe of Michael? Description: ?... It doesn't have a description for it yet either?!… Ray of Hope…  it's supposed to be a special effect that allows me to heal curses from nearby party members. It takes some of my HP and makes me suffer in their place. But there's another cost… and it has ?'s by it too.'

Apparently, he didn't know enough about this world to know what was supposed to be in those question marks. But maybe whatever it was was part of the reason why his defense stat had dropped. It also explained how he healed both Rishia and Raphtalia at the same time. His screen still showed him being listed as a subgroup in Itsuki's party system alongside Ren and his party.

He poked around some more. Fortunately, it looked like it was only going to be a temporary debuff. The debuff had ?'s for its name too. But it was ticking down from two days. Hopefully, when it was done, he'd have his normal defense stat back.

He was about to close his HUD when he glanced at the Cursed Series. He shuddered and closed the HUD. He focused on breathing in Raphtalia's scent to calm him down. 'I'm glad… I won't have to rely on only that Shield in the future…'

It was a powerful Shield. He'd give it that. He'd love the day when he'd grow strong-willed enough that he could use its execution skill, "Iron Maiden" on a certain Red-Haired Bitch without wanting to go into a blind rage.

But as much as he hated the Bitch, as much as he wanted to punch her so badly in the face… which he'd forgotten to list he'd been able to do yesterday too… he didn't want to murder everyone in his path to do it. Hell, he didn't want to kill anyone else unless it was either necessary, or he had no other choice.

Bitch's death was completely necessary. No argument there. He hoped the next time he saw the damn Bitch, she'd be on the receiving end of his execution skill or Raphtalia's blade.

But he was meant to protect… he had to protect… so he wanted to kill only if it meant protecting others.

'But why is one of my shield's only options for attacking something so monstrous?' Naofumi thought. 'Couldn't there be a better option? One that doesn't involve using that series?' He'd tried so many other things already to try and get around the Shield's weapon restriction. But nothing he'd tried so far had worked. Hope was the closest thing he had. Yet its skills didn't increase his attack stat. It only made it so his own measly attack stat could do something.

Maybe someday, down the road, he'd discover something...

Most likely, he was going to be stuck in his role of tanking damage for everyone else.

...

"Mmmm… Nao… Naofumi?"

Naofumi was brought out of his thoughts. He looked down in surprise at Raphtalia, who was starting to blink open her eyes. Glazed over from sleep.

"Hey... You feeling okay?" Naofumi asked.

"Huh-" Raphtalia finally seemed to realize her very close proximity to Naofumi and his face. Before she could freak out about that though, she also realized that she wasn't feeling any pain. The surprise from that offset the embarrassment and caused her to look down at herself. All the bandages were gone.

Naofumi was smiling. Everything was okay. It was like she'd woken up to paradise. "What, what happened?" She asked Naofumi.

"I don't really remember much myself, to be honest." He sat up in the bed, and Raphtalia sat up with him. Looking at his face curiously. After using the effect last night, he'd gone through so much pain. He could hardly remember how he'd unlocked the Shield of Hope II. "I know I came in here last night… and that I decided that I refused to rely on my rage alone to carry me forward. And then, I somehow used you to help unlock the next tier in my Blessed Series. And it had an ability that healed you of your curse."

...

Raphtalia looked down at her skin again, this time in awe. She didn't look bothered by the fact that she had faint flame-shaped scars on her forearms. "I guess that means you have another reason to love this shield now," Naofumi said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. While he still didn't like his Shield all that much… he was appreciating having it more.

"You mean…" It looked like tears were forming in her eyes. "I'll get… to fight beside you still?" She wouldn't have to rest for a long time. Watching from the sidelines as her favorite person in the world risked his life to fight the Church and the Waves of Catastrophe. She'd still get to fight alongside him.

Naofumi looked caught off guard by her response. "Of course."

Her mouth was open as if she was going to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. He wondered what was going through her mind, and then she spoke in a small voice. "I… I…"

"Is there something wrong?"

He didn't know if it was because he looked Raphtalia in the eyes at that moment, or if he finally overcame his nervousness and became more aware, but he realized that Raphtalia was crying. Silent tears traveled down the sides of her face. Her tail was bristling behind her, but not from anger. A few of her tears fell onto the bed. "I'm… I'm glad you're okay Master Naofumi!" She said loudly as she hugged him.

Naofumi's body reacted instinctively, hugging the crying girl close while they sat on the bed. His mind was stunned at what was going on. She continued to cry into his shoulder. She could tell, after having looked into his eyes. They weren't haunted or full of guilt like before. They were back to what they were.

A little shadowed from the memory of what he'd done. But he was still there. He was still him.

He was okay. He wasn't hurting because of what happened in the Capital anymore. She was so happy...

"I'm so sorry..."

"Wha… What for?" Naofumi was finally able to ask.

She continued to cry, unable to say more. She was sorry for the pain he had gone through. Sorry that she couldn't have done more to protect him. Sorry that she couldn't have arrived sooner to save him. Sorry that she'd gotten herself hurt in order to help him.

He continued to hold her, his mind gradually realizing what was happening. Tears started to leak from his own eyes, and he buried his face in her hair. Her auburn, soft hair. He had almost lost her. He had almost lost himself. Yet they were still here, they were still together. They were scarred, but they were okay.

That was all that mattered to him at that moment...

After a few moments, Raphtalia's sobs had died down to sniffles. "I'm sorry… I was so afraid that I was going to be useless and a burden… but I guess I did help you…"

…

Naofumi sighed as if releasing a heavyweight from off his back. "It's okay… it hurt a lot… it still hurts to think about it… but I'm fine with it now. I'm fine with what happened. Because I'm not going to allow it to happen again."

The two finally separated, and Naofumi looked her in the eyes. Her deep tea-red eyes were swollen from crying. Her lips trembled, and her nose was a little runny. Yet she still looked beautiful. "I'm not carrying this burden alone anymore, after all."

Raphtalia shakily nodded her head, looking back down to the bed afterward. He then patted her on the head, and the surprise action caused her to look up at him. He was smiling. "You've helped me for so long... going through all that pain to heal your curse was worth it. In a way, it kind of felt like walking through fire and brimstone." He said, chuckling at the end. "Now I know how it must feel to stay with me on a daily basis."

It was only a joke, but fresh tears came to Raphtalia's eyes again. "Naofumi, there's no one here to interrupt us… right?" She asked, one of her hands moving to hold his. The feeling coursing through her. This desire… she couldn't resist it anymore. She had to do it!

"Um, yeah. Why do you- mmph!" Raphtalia jumped forward, tackling Naofumi off the bed. Cutting him off with the force of a semi as she embraced and kissed him on the lips all at the same time.

There was no stopping the tears this time. She was so relieved that he didn't think less of her for what she did. She was so relieved that he was okay. That he loved her. That he wanted to share everything, including his burdens with her. That he'd walk through fire and brimstone for her, just as she would for him.

It was a heat-in-the-moment action, and her body had screamed for her to take it. And take it she gladly did.

He embraced her back after a few seconds. One of his hands moved to rub the back of her head comfortingly as he kissed her again and again. Unlike the first time, there was no blood or sweat. Her lips were moist instead of dry. Fresh and not burned. They tasted sweet instead of salty from her tears. And her skin and hair. They were soft, healthy, and alive!

It was a mess of sloppy kisses because of their inexperience, but it was so much better than what they'd shared in the square...

The two of them separated after a moment to breathe. Feeling so high that they could see the clouds they were floating on. "I meant what I said before," Naofumi said between breaths. "I love you." He said honestly.

This time around, the confession felt so much easier. Even though Raphtalia wasn't lying asleep in a bed. Even though the world wasn't ending… even though part of him wanted to hold back because of Bitch, he knew it. He knew it deep down. Somehow, he would never be the same if this wonderful girl wasn't at his side.

He'd won the lottery obtaining Raphtalia and falling in love with her. And he didn't want to let her go. Ever.

Raphtalia laid on top of Naofumi, allowing herself to relax in his embrace. She could hear the sincerity in his words. The fast beating of his heart in his chest. And after finally hearing him say them… she just felt so happy. So… complete...

"I love you too, Naofum-"

"Uhhhhh." She was moving to kiss him again when somebody cleared their throat.

Raphtalia and Naofumi jumped with a start and quickly separated, looking in shock at the doorway.

Ren stood there, looking uncomfortably away from the two of them. Naofumi and Raphtalia started to blush heavily as they realized the Sword Hero of all people had just walked in on their little moment. Raphtalia quickly adjusted her nightgown to make sure it was still properly on.

"What is it, Ren?" Naofumi asked as he adjusted his shirt. Hoping his cheeks weren't too red from embarrassment like Raphtalia's.

"Um… Van told me we should gather in the dining room to discuss some things… he wanted me to pass the message on to you…" Ren glanced at them and then turned his head away again.

Was he… thinking they'd been doing something else on the ground? "If you need more time though… I could just… um…"

\Naofumi almost wanted to laugh as he realized it. 'Holy hell! Ren probably thought we were about to have sex!' He cackled like an immature madman in his mind. 'Oh, man! This is comedy gold! We couldn't have timed it more perfectly!'

"Are you thinking something rude Naofumi?" Raphtalia asked with her hands on her hips. She was still blushing heavily too, which made it look even funnier!

Oh, how he loved this side of her. "Nothing at all," Naofumi responded before looking back to the sixteen-year-old hero with a grin on his face. "We'll go down in a moment." Naofumi didn't clarify on why they wouldn't go down immediately while still grinning. He even threw in a wink while he was at it.

Man, it was great to be Twenty.

"Oh, um, great… then… I'll just-" Ren turned around and bolted out of the room. Too afraid to try and say anything more. His social ineptitude spanned far more than being bad at comforting others.

He did not want to face this.

Naofumi finally started to laugh. "Oh, that poor boy." He said happily. He could hold an aloof manner in the face of danger, but he couldn't handle the thought of two people being intimate. "I almost feel bad for him. Almost."

"Naofumi. That wasn't very nice of you." Raphtalia said poutingly. She still wasn't sure what was going on. All she knew was that Naofumi had just played around with Sir Ren.

Naofumi shrugged, patting her on the head. "Are you complaining that we're alone now?" He asked.

"... Eep!" Raphtalia put her hands over her cheeks to hide the rapid blush that came over them again. They were indeed alone. And they had already kissed. And he'd confessed to her. Which meant… if Rifana was right, that meant they were now dating! Which meant even more kissing! 'AH! AHHHHHHHHH!'

Naofumi smiled and found her so adorable that he pecked her on the lips again. "Don't worry. If you want, I can go join them right now." He said. "It sounds like important things are about to happen. And I'm sure Filo and the others will want to see that you're okay now."

Raphtalia blushed even more deeply after Naofumi kissed her lips. But again, at his care, the feeling felt so good. So right… she honestly wanted to kiss him more for it. "Alright, then-" She stopped speaking as she finally remembered something very important.

'Oh no… I can't believe I forgot! Oh no oh no OH NO!'

Kissing people made you pregnant. She'd already kissed Naofumi once back in the Capital. And now they'd gone and had… Gods know how many more in the last few minutes! If she hadn't been pregnant after the Capital, she'd definitely be pregnant now!

'What do I do!? What do I do!? WHAT DO I DO!?' She thought in a panic. If she didn't tell Naofumi now, then in a few months it would really become obvious that she was pregnant! What when her stomach started to expand, and she wouldn't be able to excuse it by saying she was getting more stout for him.

"So, um, was there something else you wanted to talk to me about?" Naofumi asked. Again, unaware of what Raphtalia was thinking. She'd been saying something, but then had suddenly stopped speaking.

Raphtalia was heavily blushing now. "Well… um… uh..."

Naofumi looked at her with growing concern. He cupped one of her hot flushed cheeks with his hand. "Hey, Raphtalia?" He asked worriedly.

His concern for her melted through to her heart. '... I have to tell him.' She realized with a sigh. 'I can't hide something like this.' There was no way she could hide something this important from him.

"Naofumi… there's something I need to confess." She said, lowering her hands while she looked shyly down at the ground. Her tail wagged apprehensively behind her. Her hands moved to her stomach.

Naofumi was confused by the 180 in her emotions. "What is it Raphtalia?" He asked. His hand still cupped her cheek.

Raphtalia stared at the ground a moment more. Than she looked up at Naofumi. "I… um… I might have… ImighthavekissedyouonthelipstobringyoutoyoursensesbackintheCapitalandgottenpregnant!" Raphtalia blurted out quickly.

…

Naofumi tilted his head to the side in confusion. "What...?"

Raphtalia breathed in deeply to calm herself. "I kissed you on the lips back in the Capital, Naofumi," Raphtalia said more coherently.

…

He stopped cupping her face. He was looking at her weirdly. He could remember the kiss. It had been his first, and he hadn't exactly been in the right mood for it, but he knew why Raphtalia had done it. So why was Raphtalia treating it like it was the end of the world? Especially after what they'd just shared. "And why is that…" Naofumi trailed off as he realized it. 'No! I just realized that was probably her first kiss too! I can't believe I blew it so badly yesterday! Damn it!

That wasn't how first kisses were supposed to go between people in love! It was like a trope out of an anime! 'Maybe I could suggest a do-over, but I don't know if it would be awkward or not to suggest that! I mean, we just made out- Holy hell, did I seriously just make out with Raphtalia!? How did I manage to do that-' He was starting to blush and freak out too. How the hell had he, an average-looking otaku, made out with a hot girl like Raphtalia!? Like, had he just gone past winning the lottery to freaking ruling the universe or something!?

This was awesome! This was epic! This was...

Naofumi cut his thoughts off as he looked at Raphtalia and saw her gradually looking sadder and sadder. "Hey, um, I'm sorry, but I don't really remember it all that well," Naofumi said nervously. Hoping Raphtalia wouldn't see through the lie. He could remember the first kiss very well. "But, if you want, maybe, we could, um, you know… try it again?" He said awkwardly.

'Damn it! What's wrong with me! I was just making fun of Ren a moment ago and now I'm tripping over myself trying to ask Raphtalia if she wants to try a redo a damn kiss! DAMN IT!' He took back what he'd said before. Being a twenty-year-old otaku with no experience with girls sucked! It'd be even worse if they ever worked themselves up to get past first base.

...

Raphtalia looked less shy and more confused now. "But… Aren't you afraid I'll really get pregnant if we do that?" She finally asked. 'If I'm not already pregnant from the first one… or the second one… or the third one… or the fourth...' How many had they just had? She honestly wasn't sure.

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Naofumi looked at Raphtalia as if she'd grown a second head. His mind, which had completely and utterly stopped, started to creak into motion again after a very long pause.

"I'm sorry... What?" He finally asked, sounding very confused, and maybe even a little concerned. He'd never expected to hear those words leave Raphtalia's mouth.

Why was Raphtalia worried that she was pregnant?! Had they actually… but that was impossible! He would have definitely remembered doing something like that!

"I mean…" Raphtalia started to play with one of her hair braids. "I asked my parents about it once, and my dad said pregnancy happened when a boy and girl kissed each other. And we kissed yesterday… and I lost track on the floor... so wouldn't it follow that I might be pregnant now if we kissed more?" She asked meekly.

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'Wait… is she saying…' A light finally went on in Naofumi's mind. He'd been worrying like crazy that somehow he and Raphtalia had had sex. Or that if he were to kiss her now, it would lead to them having sex right then and there. Upon realizing her explanation for it though, he internally sighed with relief. Almost wanting to laugh at the absurdity of it.

'Oh thank the Gods. I was worried she'd meant that we'd-...'

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His mind frozee again. Longer than the last time.

"Um, Nao-Naofumi?" Raphtalia asked in concern. "Is everything okay?" Was he taking the news really badly? Did he not want to be a father?

Raphtalia's voice finally got the wheel in his head turning again. '... Wait a minute, does she actually think that she can get pregnant just by kissing someone… … …!'

"Naofumi… um, is it okay if I'm pregnant?" Raphtalia asked, sensing his mind going into a panic.

His eyes had widened in realization. A cold sweat broke out on his skin. A cold, dreadful feeling ran down his spine.

It'd been so long since he last thought about this happening. Raphtalia had been acting mature and grown-up for so long that it was hard to picture the little girl she'd been over two months ago.

Now, he wanted to run. He wanted to hide. He wanted to face anything and anyone but this. Hell, he'd rather face Bitch and the knights of Melromarc all over again! Even that would be better than this!

"Naofumi?"

No, he was cornered in this room. His worst dream had been realized. There was no get-out-of-jail-free card. There was no demi-human that could help him out. He was all on his own. Because of the one thing he'd forgotten to do. With the one problem he had never wanted to face

Especially after having kissed her plenty of times, the last one of his own volition. His feelings for her had also sealed the deal.

"Naofumi… are you okay?" Raphtalia asked worriedly. Naofumi had paled considerably over the last few seconds. She didn't know why. 'What's wrong? Is he… is he going to leave me because I'm pregnant?!' Raphtalia thought frantically. Her ability to read his mind stopped working as she grew more and more panicked. Would Naofumi really leave her because of this?

'WHY!? WHY DOES THIS WORLD HATE ME SO MUCH!?'

There had to be some group of divine beings out there right now laughing their ^%$#$ off right now. He had forgotten all about the Talk. And now, not only did Naofumi, the otaku, have to give someone 'The Talk.' That someone happened to be his new 'girlfriend' of all people.

It was the worst sick joke in the history of sick jokes that a group of divine narrators could play on him.

'DAMN IT! DAMN IT ALL!' He took back what he'd thought before. This wasn't like ruling the universe. This was like winning the lottery and then finding out how much was being taken away because of tax reasons!

He'd rather face both Bitch and Motoyasu along with everyone else in this world that hated him instead of this!

"Naofumi?" Raphtalia asked again. On the verge of crying and having a full-blown panic attack.

"... … Well, um, Raphtalia…" Naofumi finally got to talking. Placing a hand on her shoulder helped delay her mental breakdown. He sounded very much like a man in a desert trying desperately to find something to end his suffering. "What I'm about to tell you is very awkward… but you don't get pregnant by kissing someone." He explained.

…

…

...

Raphtalia looked at Naofumi for a long moment. Trying to understand what he'd just said. "You mean… so I'm not pregnant?"

"Yes. I mean, that isn't how it works. At all." Naofumi clarified. He'd somehow managed to stay completely calm as he spoke.

…

A small part of Raphtalia honestly felt disappointed at hearing that. It was like a part of her had actually wanted to become a mother.

Still, it was small compared to the overwhelming relief that flooded her. She wasn't pregnant. She wasn't going to have to not fight for nine months, or possibly longer.

If that was also the case, then that meant she could have been all over his lips before with no consequences! As much as it made her blush to think about it, she wanted to kiss him right then and there again out of sheer relief that it would bring nothing but happy feelings out of each other.

'Please don't press further. Please give me an out from this situation. Please, if there really are Gods in this world, then I ask, no, I'm begging you to please not have her-' Naofumi was thinking. Seeing the happy look on Raphtalia's face.

"But if kissing doesn't get me pregnant, then… Then how does it work?"

"... How does what work?" Naofumi asked, hoping that by playing dumb she would think he had no idea.

"How do I avoid getting pregnant?" Raphtalia asked. Putting her hands on her hips.

Her face became stern. Clearly, she wanted an explanation.

...

…

Naofumi looked up at the ceiling. As if he was asking the heavens, 'Why me?'

The Gods of this world were likely rolling around on their heavenly floors, laughing their butts off at Naofumi's predicament.

So much for pleading for mercy.

He was desperate enough that he would have even preferred it if Filo, Eclair, or Melty came in to interrupt them. Hell, he would have preferred it if Itsuki came to bail them out. Yet for some damn reason, everyone was finally leaving them the hell alone!

He didn't want to be left alone! He wanted someone to bail him out of this so he wouldn't have to face the fact that he had to give his girlfriend the talk!

"Well… Raphtalia… you see…"

Raphtalia was still sternly looking at Naofumi. She wanted to know desperately what it was they needed to avoid doing so she wouldn't be burdened with a child during the waves.

"Naofumi, are you in here?"

Naofumi looked to the doorway. The Gods of this world had finally granted him mercy! Itsuki had just walked through the door! Looking for him!

"Askooneoftheadultdemi-humanservantshereaboutit!There'splentyofthemaround!" Naofumi quickly said as he bolted for the door, grabbing Itsuki's arm like a wild daredevil. "ComeonRentoldmetherewassomemeetingweweneedtobeat!"

"Wait, Naofumi, slow down!" Itsuki yelled as Naofumi left a dust trail in their wake fleeing the room. He just wanted to thank him for healing Rishia. "NaofumiIIIIIIiiiiiii…" Itsuki's voice faded away as they got farther away from the room.

'DAMN YOU WORLD! YOU'RE NOT GETTING THIS OTAKU WITH THAT TRICK NOW!'

…

Raphtalia slowly poked her head out of the room. Looking confusedly down the hallway where Naofumi and Itsuki had disappeared. 'What was up with Naofumi?...'

She hadn't really gotten what he'd said there… she hadn't learned how to avoid getting pregnant either, but then she started to grin. 'So kissing Naofumi won't make me pregnant! That's great!' Oh, she couldn't wait for the meeting to get over so she could kiss him all over again! Hell, she was thinking about all sorts of scenarios now where she could just ambush him out of nowhere and kiss those delicious lips of his.

...

At the thought of ambushing Naofumi out of nowhere with a kiss though, Raphtalia started to fiercely blush. Her tail wagged so fiercely behind her. It was like she was about to lift off the ground from the force of her tail wagging. 'Oh nooooOOOOOOOOOO!'

Even if she wouldn't get pregnant. The thought of kissing Naofumi repeatedly still made her feel really embarrassed.

She fled the room to find someone to talk with.

Maybe they could help by giving her some relationship advice so she wouldn't get so embarrassed at wanting to kiss Naofumi all the time.

Ren leaned on the balcony railing, looking out over Van Reichnott's land. His Legendary Sword was in its sheath form on his back. The wind blew through his hair while he observed the day outside… and yes, the remnants of a blush were disappearing from his cheeks.

'Did I have to walk in on that?!' He shuddered to himself.

He was glad Naofumi and Raphtalia were feeling a lot better. But … he shook his head, trying to erase the image of what he saw from his mind. 'No, I'm not going to think about it. I'll just be happy that they're feeling better. Like Itsuki...'

…

He managed to get his mind off of it. But then his mind brought up a memory from yesterday.

"You imposter! You were never the Sword Hero! Neither you nor-"

Ren grit his teeth and clenched the balcony railing. He'd tried being the strong one yesterday. The pillar of reason and support. But he'd also been struggling with his own issues. They just hadn't seemed as major as what Itsuki and Naofumi were going through.

Now that they were okay though, and since he was all by himself, he couldn't avoid it any longer. 'Are the NPCs in this country that far gone to believe such idiocy?!'

He'd defeated bandit hordes along roadways to make traveling from place to place safer. He'd helped Leruno out after Motoyasu's idiocy had nearly destroyed the village. He'd been defeating strong monsters everywhere he went so normal adventurers could have a safer time leveling up.

But no. The Pope had him labeled as a false hero. And because of his word alone, everyone in Melromarc believed it.

It was stupid! He was wielding the freaking Legendary Sword for crying out loud! He had powers no normal NPC as that knight had ever experienced! How could he and the others be programmed to believe such idiocy!? How could the developers-

He gasped in realization, and his grip on the railing loosened. He was still scowling at himself as he hung his head. 'Even now? Even after everything I've experienced?... Why do I still default to thinking about everything from a gamer's perspective?'

Was it his own form of mental self-defense like Itsuki? Did a part of him still not want to think that this couldn't be a game? '... Or is it because that Knight is right… and I want to blame what's happening on poor programming?'

He became depressed at the thought.

He'd already had the experience with the slavers in the guild using him. The Church trying to get him to go along with their agenda. Nobles wanted him to do jobs for them through the guild that were questionable at best, and highly illegal at worst. And then there was the Pope, who'd tried to have him eliminated when he showed he wouldn't go along with any of it.

But on the other hand. It wasn't like he'd been a good hero either. He'd focused most of his attention before the First Wave on leveling up out in the wild. He hadn't been helping anyone or doing many quests. He'd been solely focused on increasing his own strength rather than increasing the strength of his party and helping people out. And then after the First Wave, he'd taken a quest to kill an evil dragon...

He looked back up at Van's domain. In the distance, he could see his party members at the edge of the forest. Doing their early morning training by dealing with some monsters that 'spawned' in the area.

Sure, that was game-like. Monsters just randomly appearing out of nowhere. He'd seen that plenty of times in his games. Including Brave Star Online. The potions or medicines he took activated almost immediately, that was game-like. The status magic icon in the corner of his vision was definitely game-like. There were still so many different factors pointing to this being a game...

But who was he kidding? Those monsters weren't spawning. They lived in the forest like any other creature. And while the potions and medicines healed damage and diseases, it didn't take away the fact that you felt pain when you took damage. Or sick when you got sick.

He focused on his party members. Welt took down a large frog monster all by himself using a sword form Eclair had taught him last night. Welt pulled his sword out of the creature and cheered happily. Farrie and the others surrounded Welt, praising him for his accomplishment.

He couldn't tell, but it looked like Batka was harrumphing since he'd killed five of the large frog monsters by himself and he wasn't being praised for it.

'They're real…' He looked out at the fields where the demi-humans were at work. The crops were being tended by only a necessary few. The rest were preparing the land for combat. Combat, or retreat. 'They're real too… even if this world is different from my own… even if it reminds me of Brave Star Online… it isn't Brave Star Online. This is all real…' Which made his mistakes all the more apparent.

He had, regardless of what happened before, been tricked by a group of slavers representing the Guild to do an illegal quest. He'd killed the dragon Gaelion. He'd possibly done Gods know how many other things on the few quests he did do before the First Wave. And the first Wave, if he'd actually taken the fight seriously and tried his hardest to kill the Wave Boss, could he have prevented some of the casualties that happened in Lute Village? Could he have chosen another route entirely that wouldn't have resulted in him making Wyndia an orphan?

…

"What are you doing up here?"

Speak of the devil.

Ren turned away from the fields to look behind him. Wyndia stood in the doorway of the balcony. It was like a slap to the face because of where his line of thought had been going.

In the sunlight, the small, flexible, interconnected plates protecting her torso glistened, reminiscent of a dragon's scales. Her arms were crossed, and she looked at him with the same face she'd worn ever since the day she joined his party.

It was still surprising to think that despite how short she was, she was a teenager just like him. She looked far more confident and powerful than he could ever be.

In some ways, her walk, her attitude... her willingness to reach out and help those around her, reminded him of his best-

Ren shook his head to clear it. 'No, this is Wyndia. Not… her.' She might look like her, and sometimes act like her, but she wasn't her. He knew he'd never see that girl from his world again. Not since he'd been killed in his old world.

He sometimes wondered if his best friend was happy or not. And that only made him feel worse. "What is it, Wyndia?" Ren asked sadly.

"I was wondering why you were up here all alone when you should be getting ready for the hero's meeting," Wyndia answered. "Didn't you just go to tell the Shield Hero about it?"

"Well... I could ask you why you're not out leveling up with the rest of the party," Ren responded.

"Then you'd be avoiding my question." Wyndia calmly responded.

"... yeah..." Ren admitted.

…

Wyndia joined him at the railing. She was silent for a moment, looking out at the demihumans working in the fields, her tail trailing from side to side behind her...

"Thanks, by the way, for helping Itsuki and Naofumi yesterday," Ren said.

She didn't respond. Still looking out over the fields. "I know I'm not the best with others. And the fact that you went out of your way and helped them both… I really appreciate it…" She still didn't say anything. So he went back to being awkwardly silent. Not sure what he should say.

...

"I'm worried." She finally admitted.

"... About what?" Ren asked.

"It's not about what, but whom." She looked at him with her reflective amber eyes. "Why are you really up here all alone, Sir Ren?"

Ren met her gaze. For a moment in time, neither of them looked away from each other. Like an almost invisible battle of wills was going on between them... Then, at last, Ren looked away from her. "I've been thinking… that the Legendary Sword chose the wrong person." He finally admitted.

Wyndia stayed silent, watching as Ren gripped the railing tightly with one hand. "I died in my world protecting my best friend. I died. I shouldn't have died and left everyone behind. And yet I did… and I appeared here in this world, holding this sword… and I don't know why anymore."

Ren hung his head. "I don't know why the Sword chose me. I'm not strong like Itsuki and Naofumi. I'm not good with people… I'm not the type that gets along with others."

He looked down at the Legendary Sword in his hand. He looked defeated as he spoke again. "The Sword chose the wrong person… I'm too flawed… I couldn't even save… my best friend back home without dying-"

Slap!

"Ow!" Ren held the side of his face.

"I'm sorry. Are you going to snap out of your pity party now?" Wyndia asked sarcastically. She had just slapped Ren.

Ren looked at her in surprise. She didn't look calm anymore. Literal fires burned in her eyes and laced in her words. "Whether you like it or not, the Legendary Sword chose you, Ren Amaki, to wield it. Not me, not Welt, not Bakta, not Sir Naofumi or Sir Itsuki, or anyone else. It chose you." She said, poking him in the chest hard. He winced a little at that.

Her Attack stat, another game-like feature, had gotten high enough where that poke hurt.

She continued to glare at him. "You might have killed Gaelion. But you had the strength to beat him!" She said. "You suck at helping people. You're always distant and want to be alone. But I've been with you long enough to know that you try your best. I know that you want to do what's right. And I know that you're strong! No matter what anyone else says, you're the Sword Hero! You hold the power to stop the Waves of Catastrophe! So stop getting down on yourself! I'm sick of seeing you like this!"

Ren stared at her in amazement for a moment. For a moment, it had been like he was back home. Doubting himself again for the choices he had made. Only for the best girl he'd known in the entire world to drag him by the hair out of his self-pity.

Of course, she did it because she loved him. Wyndia... he still thought that she hated his guts. "So stop standing around and shutting yourself out like this! This isn't going to help you become a better Hero! This isn't going to help you make up for your past mistakes!"

...

Ren recomposed himself. A tear fell from his eyes. "You're right, I'm sorry I'm like this."

Her hand froze at her side. She struggled to drain her voice of the angry frustrated retort she wanted to give. "Please, remember what I told you at Leruno." She said pleadingly. "Crying doesn't suit you, Sir Ren."

...

Wyndia looked surprised when Ren started to smile. He rarely ever smiled. He either portrayed himself as calm and aloof, or sad and depressed. "The opinions of other strangers don't matter. If I'm being honest, it was just what some random knight said in the battle that made me start to doubt myself." Ren looked out over the grounds again at his party. "I know who my friends are. And I know that their opinion is what really counts."

Besides, he hadn't had it as bad as Naofumi or Itsuki. If they could still smile and hope after everything he had been through... then maybe he could do the same.

He started to walk past Wyndia to head for the doorway. He paused for just long enough though to give her a head pat. She'd gone out of her way to help Three of the Cardinal Heroes. Itsuki had informed him recently that head patting was the appropriate way to show demi-humans your appreciation. "Thank you, Wyndia. I really needed to hear that… and I also appreciate what you did last night with the blanket. I'm glad to have you as my friend." He then walked back into the manor.

…

Red adorned Wyndia's face. Her tail was wagging crazily behind her. Whether out of anger, indignation, or possibly embarrassment at the possibility that she had enjoyed that head pat way more than she should have, she didn't know. She put her hands on her head and covered her ears while trying hard not to scream.

This guy had killed her adoptive Father! She couldn't forgive him for that! She was only staying by his side to make sure he upheld his promise! That he… he…

'Gahhhhhh!' Wyndia covered her red face. She was definitely embarrassed about enjoying that head pat. Very much enjoying it way more than she should have. His hand had felt so firm, so strong.

She honestly wasn't angry about that anymore. She'd long since moved past it. She just, she just-

"I didn't say you could touch my head Sir Ren!" Wyndia yelled indignantly, running back in after Ren. She had enjoyed it, but that didn't mean she couldn't be mad about it.

Or maybe she was mad that Ren had called her a 'friend.'

SLAP!

"YEOW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR-"

SLAP!

"IDIOT! DUMMY!"

A war camp was nestled at the base of a hill. Large tents were set up. Groups of knights in freshly polished armor bustled about hurriedly. They were busy taking down the camp and preparing to march. Large flags with the symbol of Melromarc flew in the breeze on poles over the busy camp.

"My lady."

Mirelia looked down from where she was being outfitted in her armor. One of her Shadows was kneeling nearby. "What's the status of the Kingdom?" The Queen asked.

"I daresay, the status of our Kingdom is grave indeed." The Shadow said calmly. "Siltvelt has broken through our south-eastern border, and is entering Melromarc by the thousands."

"I thought Siltvelt was in the Northeast," Mirellia said calmly.

"It appears one of the leaders in Shieldfreeden gave them permission to cross through their lands. I daresay, we did not realize they'd pull such a move until they'd broken through our defenses."

Mirelia frowned deeply at that. One of her arms was finished being outfitted with armor. To get to Shieldfreeden also meant they had to go through several other smaller countries. She hoped that they were okay.

She moved her hand to position her fan in front of her face. "So we will have to fight them within our own country?"

"I'm afraid so, my lady."

That put a headache into her plans. But it wasn't the worst possible scenario. "We will manage somehow. What of the situation with the Cardinal Heroes?"

"The Sword and Bow Heroes came to the Capital and rescued the Shield Hero, his party, and your daughter using a portal skill. Where they went, I daresay, is a mystery."

The Queen frowned behind her fan. "It's better that they disappeared somewhere instead of being killed. If you don't know where they are, then neither will our enemies-"

"I'm afraid there is worse news from the Capital, my Lady." The Shadow interrupted, looking up at the Queen.

"What could be worse than the Cardinal Heroes going missing-" The Queen was asking.

"Pope Balamus has taken control."

…

…

The Queen was fully outfitted in her armor when she turned to face the Shadow. "What?"

"I daresay, my lady." The Shadow bowed in respect. "He used the Shield Hero's escape as an excuse to depose your husband. He even went as far as casting Judgment on part of the city to try and kill the Cardinal Heroes during their escape. The people there who aren't loyal to the Pope are too afraid of him to act. I daresay, he now holds the reins to what's going on inside of Melromarc. He has cast your husband into the dungeons."

"Did my foolish husband even try to fight back-" Mirellia began to ask angrily.

"Yes, he did." The Shadow answered. "He even killed some of the knights that'd turned on him."

...

The knights in the room paled. The Queen's face had hardened exponentially. "How did Balamus accomplish this?" She asked. "Even with the threat Siltvelt poses, he shouldn't have been able to march in and defeat Aultcray."

"I daresay, there were traitors all over in the ranks. Including the Royal Commander. When the time was right, they swore their loyalty to their religious leader and deposed your husband from the throne. When he tried to fight back, Judgment hit the city, and Balamus claimed both of your daughters died in the blast."

…

Queen Mirellia's face became sad. "… Aultcray..."

"Your husband and every knight loyal to him and you are imprisoned in the dungeons. I daresay, it's likely that when the city recovers from the fight, the Pope will put them all on trial and have them executed in public for their 'crimes.'" The Shadow said calmly. Having not moved an inch while Mirellia processed the news.

Mirellia almost didn't hear it. She was picturing another time. When she and Aultcray had lost another child.

He'd been devastated back then. And if he'd been led to believe it'd happened again with their only daughters...

Her Majesty's attributes were fire and water. Fire because of her fiery personality. Water because of her calm and collected behavior. A lifetime of work had helped her to control them both. And had helped her to unlock an ability that combined both affinities together. While there were times Fire would flare out when she was alone or times when she appeared calmer than an untouched lake. If she were truly and thoroughly pissed off, yet had a level head...

"Is that so?" Mirellia's voice was cold as ice behind her fan. Despite the lack of expletives, or anger, the knights paled even more at those three words. Along with the change of atmosphere that filled the room.

This, this was the Vixen of Melromarc people had grown to fear. The one who hid everything behind her eyes, a fan, and a voice lacking any and all emotion. That was when her enemies knew she was dangerous. When her very presence exuded such coldness that everyone in the room could feel it.

It wouldn't be enough to just burn her enemies away in a blazing inferno or to drown them in a calm torrent of blood and backstabbing politics.

No, her wrath would be as cold as the ice she wielded.

"Continue watching the Capital. Do not interfere unless it's absolutely necessary. I have lost enough Shadows to get this information already. That is all." She turned around, walking towards the entrance to her grand tent.

"Yes, my lady." A blink later, and the Shadow was gone.

A set of servants pulled aside the tent flaps. All activity stopped as Mirelia walked outside. Her chilly armored presence sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.

"What are your orders, your Majesty?" A Knight-Captain got on one knee as she approached. Bowing his head respectively.

"We are moving too slowly. I want us to double our speed to the Capital at once." She ordered.

"My lady, I beg your pardon, but were we not coming back to deal with the Siltvelt army-"

"You heard me, Captain Fullock." The Queen said, her tone sending shivers down all the men nearby. "The Capital has demanded my attention." She looked at the knights all around.

"Pope Balamus and his followers have revealed themselves to be traitors to the crown!" She loudly pronounced, so every knight nearby could hear. "They have taken control of our Capital, deposed the royal family, and are actively working to kill three of the Cardinal Heroes of Legend! Our war with Siltvelt can wait! Right now, Pope Balamus must be stopped before he brings about a catastrophe worse than any Wave upon our Kingdom!" She yelled authoritatively. "I know it is a lot to ask, but will you fight for me?! Will you fight for the sake of our Kingdom!?"

The Knights all around cheered for their Queen. There was no question as to where their loyalty lay. She had done more than enough for their kingdom to earn their respect. They would follow her even to the grave.

"As you wish, your Majesty. We will do as you have commanded." The Captain bowed his head lower in respect and trust. "You heard your Queen!" The Captain stood up, yelling at the other knights. "We will march in the hour towards the Capital, and we will double our current pace! Move it! Move it!"

The Knights immediately complied. Moving like a hive of bees bringing down the rest of the tents and getting all the supplies on the wagons.

Mirellia looked around, frowning at it all. They were motivated, and more than willing to go at an exhausting pace to reach the Capital. But even at double the pace, it was going to take them several days to get there. And then they'd have a formidable enemy to face once they arrived. 'To think… I'd thought Siltvelt would stay out of my kingdom's business and prevent this from happening.'

This had been the worst scenario she could think of happening. She'd thought she made it clear at the conference of Nations in Faubley. She'd thought she had been explicit that no one was to interfere. That she was dealing with a dark faction in her kingdom and that any outside interference could drive them underground. What she hadn't revealed was how it could also drive them to power if the situation was played right.

If any other nation had attacked, the Pope's coup wouldn't have stood a chance. But because it was Siltvelt that was attacking, it gave him and his followers everything they wanted. It gave them a rallying cry to keep the people in line. Ignorant and obedient in the face of the current threat while they followed their own dark objective in obtaining power.

Now, it looked like she didn't have a choice. Pope Balamus had made his finishing move much earlier than she had predicted. Siltvelt's actions had given her an excuse to leave the conference and return to her kingdom. But now she didn't only have to deal with a large army of demi-humans eight days before the next Wave of Catastrophe, but she also had to deal with a man hungry for power. A man trying to murder all the Cardinal Heroes while trying to appear like a saint.

'Balamus, I don't know what I'll do when I get home.' She thought darkly. 'But when I get my hands on you. When I am through with you and Siltvelt's politics... I will make sure your death is worse than ice.'

Hero Clips!

Teaching The Talk

"Alright, listen up kids, I'm only going to go through this once,"

Naofumi stood in front of a chalkboard in a part of Van's Estate. He was wearing a teacher's outfit but didn't look pleased.

This was obviously not a subject he wanted to go through several times.

In front of him seated in chairs were Raphtalia, Filo, Melty, and Eclair. Sitting beside each other on one end was Wyndia and Ren. On the other side were Itsuki and Rishia.

"Why do I have to be here?" Ren asked, looking embarrassedly down at his chair.

"Because you need to understand people better Sir Ren," Wyndia said, not turning to face him.

"But this isn't what I meant when I said I was bad with people-"

"Hush!" Wyndia still didn't turn to look. She was red in the cheeks as it was herself.

Gaelion might have given her the talk on the birds and the bees. Well, the dragons and everything else as he put it. But she still knew what sex was and what it meant when two people chose to engage in it.

"But, Naofumi, I think me and Rishia already had the Talk ourselves-"

"FUEH!" Rishia screeched in fear.

"Not that we'd be doing… that anytime soon," Itsuki added.

Rishia clearly had a long way to go.

"Mommy? What is The Talk?" Filo asked Raphtalia.

"I don't know. Daddy's about to teach us." She told her happily.

"It worries me that Naofumi's going to be the one trying to teach it," Melty commented.

"Shouldn't we be out preparing for battle or something-" Eclair tried to say.

"Hush! I really need to hear this!" Raphtalia cut the knight off.

"Why are you even in a relationship with Naofumi when you don't know what sex is?" Ren asked Raphtalia.

"Sir Ren!"

Slap!

"Ow! Come on!" Ren complained to Wyndia. Sure it was insensitive to ask, but somebody needed to ask it!

"Fuehhh! P-Please don't have me listen to this again Sir Itsuki! It's embarrassing!" Rishia covered her head.

"May I please be excused for sword training, Sir Naofumi?" Eclair asked, raising her hand.

Naofumi sighed, hiding his face behind his Shield. "Why do the Gods of this world hate me so?" He whispered quietly to himself.

We don't hate you, Naofumi. We just enjoy seeing you suffer over ridiculous things.

"It's not my fault Naofumi forgot about giving me the Talk?!" Raphtalia said embarrassedly.

Seriously, had she known kissing wouldn't get her pregnant, she would have been all over Naofumi's lips a hell of a lot sooner.

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

"Huah! Hah! Huah!" Eclair grunted with each wide sweep she took with her sword.

She was in Van's backyard again. Practicing various sword forms like yesterday. She was dressed in her custom armor. But her helmet was off. Letting her long clean strawberry hair flow with her movements.

Welt, who'd come back from monster grinding, laid on the ground nearby. He'd passed out from trying to train with Eclair.

Karn was nowhere to be seen. Likely because Eclair was too much to train with. A lesson Welt hadn't come to realize yet.

'Those months of imprisonment made me rusty. I have to improve!' The swordswoman thought determinedly. She thrust and then feinted back.

She wasn't going to take her unfair imprisonment sitting down. She had to get to where she was before being imprisoned. Sir Naofumi's safety, Princess Melty's safety, and the Queen's safety depended on her perfecting her sword skills again!

That was another thing. Now that she was free, she somehow had to inform the Queen about what had happened to her and the Shield Hero. But she'd asked Van Reichnott about it, and he said the Queen wasn't in Faubley anymore. No one was sure where she'd gone, though Van assumed she was returning to the kingdom to deal with all the messes going on.

Knowing that, Eclair wanted to make sure she was ready in case the Queen needed her aid.

'But it's not just the Queen. I have my obligation to help Sir Naofumi and Princess Melty…' The two being in the same party made helping them both easier. The Second Princess wanted to stick to Filo like a glove. Yet her own heart still ached somewhat thinking about…

She threw herself into the sword forms she'd learned. Both in Melromarc and in Faubley. 'I can't distract myself with those thoughts. I have to improve.' She had more responsibility than ever before now. 'I have to get stronger. I have to get better. I have to-' She cut sideways, brought her sword up, and turned to thrust again.

Her reflexes stopped her just short of accidentally skewering the auburn-haired demi-woman who had been quietly approaching her.

"Eep!" Raphtalia jumped several feet back to avoid being stabbed. "I'm sorry." Her armor had been badly damaged by Naofumi's flames. So she was dressed in a set of extra clothes. It was like her regular outfit, but without armor attachments. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"... No, it's me who should apologize Miss Raphtalia," Eclair breathed in calmly and sheathed her sword. "Are you feeling better?"

Raphtalia nodded. She looked oddly shy compared to before. "I am. Much better." Her tail wagged slowly behind her.

"Good... Is there something you need from me?" Eclair asked. Glancing at Raphtalia's nervous tail wagging.

Raphtalia gulped. "Well, um… since you asked... Do you… could you give me advice?" Raphtalia asked.

"About what?" Eclair asked.

"About… about..." Eclair stared at the grown Tanuki, who was beginning to tremble. "About..."

"About what?" Eclair impatiently asked.

"About being in a relationship with someone you love?!" She nervously asked.

'... ... What?!'

Raphtalia's tail was wagging fast and embarrassed behind her. "I, I mean, I, I keep on going around, trying to find someone to talk to about it, but I, um, it's so hard for me to try and ask someone I haven't met yet about something as important as this!" She said. Blushing bright red like a tomato.

…

On the outside, Eclair stared calmly at the nervous Tanuki girl. On the inside, she was screaming her head off.

'No, no, no, God please, no, no... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!'

It was bad enough that the Shield Hero already loved Raphtalia. It was even worse that the half-tanuki woman loved him back.

The worst was that she was asking Eclair for relationship advice about being in love with somebody!

"Um," Eclair muttered, trying to keep the bitterness out of her tone. "I don't have any advice to give on that."

'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!'

"It's, it's just," Raphtalia didn't look like she heard Eclair. "I want to do things around Naofumi. Like, um, sneaking up on him, and um, surprising him out of nowhere with a, a, a, k-k-ki-k-k-kiss-" Raphtalia covered her head again. "-But it's so embarrassing! I don't know what to do! I just feel so good around him, but, but then, um, uh, AHHHHHHHHHH!" She started rolling around on the ground in her embarrassment.

It was a good thing Raphtalia was trying to speak to Eclair first about it. Only Eclair might have been capable of keeping a calm face at the scene. "Oh dear," Eclair muttered.

She proceeded to try and help Raphtalia to calm down.

It took a while, but Raphtalia eventually did calm down somewhat. "There. Are you feeling better?" Eclair asked.

Raphtalia shakily nodded. "S-Sorry about that," Raphtalia said, looking down ashamedly.

"It's fine," Eclair said calmly. It wasn't really fine for various reasons. Some are more obvious than others.

Raphtalia was quiet. "Also, I'm sorry, but I'm not the person to ask about relationships," Eclair said. Had Naofumi been there, he would have thought the whole scene was right out of an anime. "I don't think I could be of help to you."

Raphtalia was surprised. Eclair had a face that would have been considered beautiful by almost every man in the world. "But… but haven't you been in a relationship before Eclair?" Raphtalia asked curiously. It seemed almost unbelievable that someone like her wouldn't have been in love before. And she remembered her being the daughter of Lord Seaetto, a nobleman.

Shouldn't she have had all sorts of suitors asking for her hand?

Eclair grit her teeth. 'No. Because the only person I was ever remotely interested in is already taken. And he turned out to not be anything like what I pictured.'

Her heart ached for more than one reason. Besides the fact that he was already taken, the Shield Hero she'd pictured was tall. A white knight, a handsome guy. His voice was smooth, and his charisma knew no bounds. His prowess in combat was excellent. He fought fair and treated his enemies fair.

He was a true knight among knights.

Naofumi did not fit the ideal description of her Shield Hero, at all.

In fact, from what she saw in the Capital and since then, none of the four Heroes fit her ideal fantasy of a Cardinal Hero. Each of them was flawed. Young. A little ill-tempered or envious. And from what she'd seen of the kid Sword Hero's skills during the battle, they were sloppy and all over the place. He had no form whatsoever.

He was pathetic as a swordsman.

It really goes to show how childhood imagination and reality don't quite match up. It had been a silly childhood crush. She couldn't believe she'd ever actually put any thought into something as ridiculous as that.

Eclair didn't voice any of that though, keeping a calm serious look on her face. "No, I have not." She said. "I'm afraid my interest in swordsmanship kept everyone else around me at arm's length."

That was probably the biggest truth about her character. If there was anything she truly loved with a passion, it was swordsmanship.

You could always rely on the strength of your arm. And Eclair didn't feel like she needed anything besides her sword on her side in her life.

"Oh…" Raphtalia perked up somewhat. "Then maybe… Could you teach me some swordsmanship then?" She asked.

Eclair looked only slightly caught off guard. "Teach you?"

"It might help to take my mind off of what's been happening… and I've been trying my best to help Naofumi for a while… but I rely too much on magic to help me get through a fight." She admitted. Magic had worked against normal knights and adventurer bandits. But it had failed incredibly against Motoyasu when he used an area of effect skill to attack her.

If she could learn how to fight better then maybe she'd be able to better defend herself against melee opponents.

And as much as she wanted to learn how to avoid getting pregnant, she wanted to improve so she could better help Naofumi on the field of battle. And maybe letting off some steam would make it easier to talk about it with someone else. "So, could you help me to improve my swordsmanship, please?" Raphtalia asked.

...

Eclair looked slightly concerned. But it was genuine and not faked. "Wouldn't it be better if you didn't push yourself so soon after recovering from a curse-"

"No, I'm perfectly fine now! Watch!" Raphtalia got down. Holding herself on her feet and one hand. She put her other hand behind her back.

"One, two, three, four…" Raphtalia started doing push-ups. Using just her left hand to push up each time.

Eclair's eyes were wide. Then, she was further impressed when the half-Tanuki girl started pushing up and down using only her left thumb. 'What in the world?!' Her STR stat must have been off the chart!

When she hadn't been reading, hunting monsters, or driving Filo, Raphtalia had been training hard to get stronger.

"Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen!" She wasn't slowing down. In fact, she was warming up.

Eclair couldn't watch any longer. "Fine, I'll teach you some sword forms to practice," Eclair said quickly.

Raphtalia jumped back up, smiling happily. "Yay! Thank you Eclair!" She said, bowing happily.

…

"Out of curiosity. How many of those can you do?" Eclair asked. The musclehead part of her was curious.

Raphtalia thought to herself for a moment. "I think the last time I really pushed myself… I did almost a thousand." She said.

"A thousand!?"

"But then I switched to my strong hand. And I think I did an extra fifteen hundred." She said, thinking it over.

Eclair was a musclehead when it came to training. But besides an old adventurer, she hadn't heard of anyone else accomplishing such an astonishing physical feat. To think this girl needed help with training with a sword!

Then again, sword training required much more than just strength and endurance. It required skill, reflexes, intuition, patience, a touch of instinct, and other attributes that could only be learned through practice. Brute force alone was never enough to win every fight. Eclair had shown that perfectly back in the Capital against many of the knights she'd faced.

They'd trained to overpower their opponents. She trained in every step of every form to take down all types of swordsmen.

"I did train a lot in my free time to get stronger. But sometimes, when Naofumi unlocks shields, a couple of them made me feel… lighter." Raphtalia answered.

"Lighter?"

"It's hard to describe. After that, I had to push harder to feel like I was getting stronger..." Raphtalia shook her head. Naofumi's Shield really was a strange little thing. It made her wonder if there were other ways she was getting stronger from it. "Anyway, where do you want me to start?" She asked.

Eclair thought to herself for a moment. "Take this." Eclair picked up a wooden sword and threw it to Raphtalia, who caught it. "I'd like to see your skills for myself," Eclair said.

Raphtalia felt the weight of the sword. It felt too light to her. "Alright, what should I do-" She turned, and her eyes widened in surprise as her reflexes barely reacted in time to block Eclair's downward strike.

"Survive." Eclair's voice was calm, but she looked excited.

Right now, it did not matter if this girl was in love with the Shield Hero or not. If she could do over two thousand one-finger push-ups, then, finally, Eclair might actually have an opponent that could push her to her limits!

Who was she to hold on to a childhood crush?! This was the real stuff that sent excitement through her veins!

The two quickly separated. And then flew forward to go all out in the clash.

"Hey, Rach. You doing anything?"

Rachel calmly breathed in, moving some of her black hair away from her face. Karn was walking up to her. "No. The demi-humans I'm supposed to train aren't going to be here for another hour."

Rachel had been calmly sitting out front by one of the pruned trees. Observing the morning sky and doing a form of meditation before Karn had appeared. "Well, you should come to see what Aksel's doing then." Karn chuckled into his hand.

"You're interrupting my peace and quiet for something ridiculous, aren't you." Rachel said calmly.

"Why of course! Do I ever come to you with serious news?" Karn said jokingly.

"Rarely." Rachel stood and stretched herself. "Let me guess. The big oaf's gotten himself into trouble already?" Rachel asked.

"It depends on what your version of trouble is," Karn said while still chuckling.

Rachel patted the dust off her mage cloak and sighed. "Well, I have nothing better to do. Tersia and Farrie are off doing whatever until training. Let me see what our favorite lolicon is up to now."

The two of them walked through the front doors into Van's manor. A demi-human servant bowed to them as they passed. "Now. Do you want to tell me what Aksel's doing? Or is it going to be one of your usual guessing games?" Rachel calmly asked.

"If you guess it in three tries, I'll tell you if you're right or not," Karn said with a smile.

Rachel stayed calm as they continued on. "Does it involve Maya?" She asked since that was the first thing to come to mind knowing the young raccoon girl.

"Nope, good guess though!" Karn said with a laugh.

Rachel smirked. "If he's not doing something with Maya, it has to be something else… is he pestering Rishia about what it was like to be in a coma for over half a week?" She asked.

"Nope. As far as I know, Sir Itsuki kept anyone from disturbing her up till the meeting." He said with a shrug. "She should be in the library now actually."

The poor Fueh girl must have still been shell-shocked about waking up to Sir Itsuki like that. And was finding solace in the comfort of books. Understandable, since Rachel loved books.

"Hmmm…" Rachel thought long and hard for the last guess. It couldn't involve any of their party members since they were all accounted for.

She recognized that they were walking up to one of the two rooms Van was letting them use as Sir Itsuki's party members. Aksel, Karn, and Marx had shared this room before. But now, with the addition of Sir Ren and his party, who'd come back in earlier after grinding some monsters, there was the swordsman who was probably training with Eclair, the demi-girl who was out killing monsters herself now, and-

"It involves one of Sir Ren's party members. The tank." Rachel dryly guessed. She didn't know Ren's party all that well. But she had a very good guess as to what their tank was like.

"Ding ding ding! We have a winner! And her name is Rachel!" Karn opened the door wide with a flourish right after her guess.

"You think you're so tough, don't you!?"

"Yeah, tough enough to beat you even with this dumb injury?!"

Aksel sat on one end of a table. His right elbow was pressed into the wood. On the opposite side of him was Ren's party tank. Bakta. His right elbow was also pressed into the wood.

"URGHHHHHHHH!" And yes, both of them were arm wrestling. Even though Aksel's right arm was still bandaged around his bicep where he'd been hurt. They were neck and neck, each giving it their all to try and beat the other in a game of strength.

Rachel sighed. "Why am I not surprised?" It seemed men were the same, no matter where you looked. Put two large guys with the same job in the same room, and fireworks were almost guaranteed to happen.

"Don't think just because you're part of the Bow Hero's party that I'm going easy on you!" Bakta yelled.

"What's that!? Is the poor noble going to cry when he gets his butt handed to him by a wounded commoner?!" Aksel taunted. "Don't hold back! Not like it'll help you win if you try anyway!"

"Oh, now I'm really going to kick your-"

"Fast Shadow Hand."

Their little game was suddenly brought to a grinding halt. A dark hand made of Shadows gripped them in the center of the table by their arms, lifting them up into the air. The look of confusion on Bakta's face was already worth it. The way blood drained out of Aksel's face when he realized who the hand belonged to, however, was priceless.

Karn was already super happy that he'd thought about bringing Rachel along.

"What do you think you're doing, idiots." Rachel suddenly looked way larger than the two tanks. And far more intimidating too from where they dangled in the air by her magic.

This spell was one Rachel didn't use often. It had a weak magic attack stat. And it didn't do well with blocking magic. However, in situations like this against non-magic opponents, it came very much in handy for intimidation purposes.

"Eep!" Aksel quickly bowed repeatedly in the air again and again in apology. "I'm sorry Rachel! I'm sorry! He was calling me a weakling, and I wanted to prove him wrong!"

Bakta still looked confused. Though he grew more worried at Aksel's reaction to the mage.

"So you risked opening up your injury again after I did my best to heal it in an attempt to satisfy your pride?" Her voice was chilly, so much so that Bakta froze in fear. He was finally realizing the danger they were both in.

"And you." She glared at the cowering tank. "Who are you to pick a fight with someone that's wounded? Would you rather I be your opponent you worthless piece of &^%$?"

Another hand made of shadows appeared behind her, and she clenched it as if in anticipation of crushing something, or someone.

"EEP! NOPE! NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE!" Bakta started freaking out from the scary aura coming off the calm and reserved mage.

"... Good." Satisfied with their reactions, both shadow hands disappeared, dropping Bakta and Aksel to the ground. They both groaned in pain from the impact. Rachel checked her gauge using her HUD and was pleased to see the two weak spells hadn't cost her too much MP. And both victims looked sufficiently frightened.

"We don't have time for petty squabbles. I hope you've both learned your lesson."

The two tanks got on their knees and bowed to Rachel. "Yes, we understand! We'll work on getting along in the future!" They both said at the same time.

"... Now, is there anything else you wanted me to deal with, Karn?" She politely asked.

Karn stood back, looking off to the side in disappointment. The fun had ended far too quickly in his opinion... Though it had been entertaining to see the two party tanks almost piss themselves in fear.

"You could have torn into them a little bit more." He said teasingly.

"What was that?" Rachel raised one of her hands. Shadows came off from it.

Karn chuckled while holding up his hands. "Nothing, nothing at all!" Karn grinned widely. "Yep! Good job Rach! You always know how to handle a situation!" He gave a thumbs-up as he said it.

"... Good. I'll see you after training." Rachel gave one last calm look at the two tanks, before dispelling the dark shadow magic from her hand. She walked out of the room.

…

"No offense… but your party member scares me," Bakta admitted. The poor guy looked ready to pee his pants.

"She has that effect on people." Aksel agreed, a nervous sweatdrop falling down his forehead.

"Eh. Don't let that turn you off from her though." Karn said, laughingly taking his own seat. "She might not look like it, but she has a kind heart inside that outer shell of hers."

Aksel grimaced and put a hand over his bicep. "Yeah, I guess. She has her quirks, but once you get beyond that shell, she isn't a bad friend to have." He admitted.

"But wasn't what she did there a little… I don't know, overkill?" Bakta asked.

"Well. You already saw what one of her magic affinities is. She gets Shadow for being so calm and reserved all the time... Want to take a guess as to what her second one is?" Karn asked.

Bakta chuckled. "I don't even use magic. How the hell should I know what someone's affinity is?"

"But don't you wear that dull bulky enchanted armor?" Karn asked. "Surely you'd know something about magic from wearing that."

"It's not dull! It was a gift from my parents!" Bakta bellowed angrily. "And just because I wear it, it doesn't mean I understand how magic works-"

"Wow. Your parents must not like you very much." Aksel sarcastically interrupted. "That armor looks like it needs some upgrades."

"... You little…" Bakta grumbled at Aksel.

"I'm rather amazed actually. For a noble's son, you're even easier to rile up than the other brats I knew growing up." Karn said with a smile. "If you're not interested in magic, I'm going to guess you're illiterate too." It was a guess on Karn's part.

Bakta looked shocked at that. "How did you know that?!" He asked.

"Wait, seriously?" Aksel asked. "I'm a commoner and my dad still taught me how to read and write."

"Well... I know a little, but not much… I'm the fifth son of a noble, so I didn't think I'd have to run my Father's estate. I thought it'd be better to become an officer in the Royal Knights." Bakta said, to his embarrassment.

"But you can't become an officer in the Royal Knights if you can't read or write!" Karn was laughing at the end.

"That's…" Bakta deflated. "True."

"I mean, I might not use magic, but I understand how it works somewhat," Aksel said. "I wouldn't use enchanted armor if I didn't understand how it worked or what its limitations were." Some armors had great enchantments which sometimes came at a price. Like greater defense for the cost of mobility. Or resistance to water and fire for the cost of being weaker to earth and wind. The best armors, in fact, were the ones that didn't have these downsides to them!

"But my parents gifted my armor and Shield to me when they heard I'd joined the Sword Hero's party. I thought since it came from them that I should wear it."

That comment actually took some of the wind out of Karn's next planned comment to jab into the noble's son. "Oh… really?"

"Yeah. I don't have the Shield anymore, but it was enchanted too like my armor. It broke during our encounter with the Pope in the Church Archives. I tried to block a strong magic spell with it, and it shattered. I didn't realize trying to do that would break it..." Bakta sighed. "I'm not sure what they'll think now. Hearing that I'm a criminal alongside the Sword Hero."

"... Out of curiosity, who are your parents?" Karn asked after a moment. Bakta was already an oddity being illiterate and untrained in magic. To hear about a pair of nobles gifting their son a Shield in Melromarc though?

The Shield was a symbol of the enemy. No noble he'd met would ever gift that to someone unless they utterly despised them. And for all of Aksel's jabs, the enchanted armor Bakta wore was pretty good. It'd only need replacing once he got to even higher levels of strength.

"I doubt you'd know them. They live in one of the outer western provinces of Melromarc now-" Bakta was saying.

"Try me." Karn interrupted.

"... Aren't you coming on a little strong there, Karn?" Aksel asked.

"I worked for plenty of nobles in my former life Axe. I'd like to know if I worked with his parents at one point or not." Karn said, sounding oddly serious for once instead of laidback.

Batka looked surprised at that and then thought about it some more. He didn't remember ever seeing Karn before. But... "I mean, they're not really popular… okay. But if I tell you, you can't share it outside of this room." He finally agreed.

Karn nodded. And waited while Bakta gathered up his courage. "My parents are the… the… … … the Paynes." He finally said.

…

Aksel burst out laughing. "Wait, so your last name is Pain?! HAHAHAHAHA!" He started rolling around on the floor.

"Shut up! It's not spelled like pain! But this is why I didn't want to share it!" Bakta said, flushing red with embarrassment. He hadn't even told the rest of his party his last name.

Tersia and Farrie would make fun of him till the day he died.

"Bakta! The noble Payne!" Aksel continued laughing as the other tank flushed redder and redder.

"Hmmm..." Karn thought to himself for a moment as a fight was on the verge of breaking out again. "Yes, I remember them now. An older gentleman with greying hair and thick glasses. And a short wife a bit on the stout side." He said. "She had… I think her hair was blonde. But it might have been greying too. She was strict, but she was nice like her husband."

Bakta stopped and looked at Karn in surprise. "Yeah, that's them." He said.

He shrugged. "They were actually pretty nice compared to other nobles. They didn't treat me like crap for helping them out... Though I'm surprised your mother didn't teach you to at least read and write. She didn't seem like the type to allow her children to grow up stupid."

Bakta still looked stunned, and a little embarrassed. He didn't want to admit she had tried to teach him in the past.

Karn thought about it more. "Now that I think about it, weren't they moved to one of the poorest provinces in the west? Over near Zeltoble's border?" He asked.

Bakta started sweating bullets. "Um… uh… m-m-maybe?"

"Hmmm... I take back what I said before. You're not a spoiled brat... You're a fallen noble spoiled brat." He said while smiling.

"Fallen what?" Aksel asked.

"His parents were moved to a province suffering from severe famine, bandit attacks, and slaver raids. They're losing money trying to protect the place and bring in supplies from neighboring regions. It's probably reached the point where they're having to live at almost the same level as us commoners, just like the Ivyreds in the North." Karn said.

Bakta grimaced. "We still have some money left… but I don't know how much my parents used to gift me my armor, broadsword, and shield." He said sadly.

He felt worse now about breaking that piece of equipment. But at least it'd been broken protecting the party instead of for something really lame and stupid like a bar fight.

He could easily picture something like that happening a couple of months ago before the Wave of Catastrophe struck.

"Hey, it'll be alright. I remember that they don't worship the Three Heroes Church either. And the fact that they haven't given up on their province must mean they're somewhat good." Karn replied.

"Yeah, but they didn't worship any of the Cardinal Heroes before the Waves. Knowing them, I doubt they'd start believing the legends now."

"Eh, hard times are hitting everyone. And you're working alongside a Cardinal Hero to stop a legend from destroying our world." Karn said with a shrug as he stood up and stretched. "Might get them to change their minds… probably." He shrugged. "They're pretty stubborn. Kind of like you. But they're good people. Maybe some of that goodness rubbed off on you too... probably."

"Wow, thanks a lot," Bakta muttered sarcastically.

"Are you already leaving Karn?" Aksel asked.

"Yeah, no point to stay if you aren't going to fight and entertain me," Karn said with a bored chuckle. "I prefer that over sentimentality."

"Careful. Rach might be hiding behind the door to make sure we don't start fighting again." Aksel said.

Bakta paled at that. "Wait, you don't mean she heard what I said!"

"Don't worry. Even if she did, she wouldn't tell anyone else your last name."

"And how do you know that-" Bakta was angrily replying.

"Healing,"

...

Bakta stared in confusion at Karn as he was walking out the door. He gave him a smirk. "Rach's other magic affinity is healing. She wouldn't share stuff to hurt other people without good reason. And you seem nice like your parents despite your... noble tendencies.

"So don't worry about her." He shrugged playfully. "If worse comes to worst and you piss her off again, she'd take it out on you personally. And I'm sure afterward that she'd use a spell or two to stitch you back together." Karn left, laughing his head off as whatever blood that had been left in Bakta's face drained away.

"He's, he's not being serious… is he?" He squeaked out.

Aksel was groaning, sitting on the edge of his bed again. "I don't think so… but I'd rather be safe than sorry." Rachel had managed to use healing magic to stop the bleeding and close his arm wound. But she didn't practice Healing magic very often. So it wasn't as strong as her Shadow/Dark magic. Her offensive magic could very well do what Karn had implied.

It was something he didn't want to mess with after seeing the ways she took down monsters and slavers in the past.

Bakta sighed forlornly. "Let's save the rematch for after you're healed up then." He finally said. "I'd rather not get on her bad side…"

"Yeah, I'd rather not-"

...

It took a moment for Aksel to realize what Bakta had said. "What the hell do you mean by rematch?"

Bakta smirked. "Your arm was just slightly lower than mine when she interfered, so technically, since the match was interrupted, I won."

"Bull &^%$!" Aksel yelled. Sitting up again. "Your arm was lower, not mine!"

"You're just mad because I beat you, stupid commoner!" Bakta said proudly.

"Don't call me stupid when you don't even know how to read, idiot Pain!" Aksel yelled angrily.

Bakta flushed red with anger. "Is that a challenge small stuff?!"

Aksel was already up and in position at the table again. "Bring it, big boy!"

And just like that, the two meatheaded tanks of the Sword and Bow parties resumed their arm wrestling match anew.

At least they had a way to train. Or get on Rachel's bad side if they didn't specify it was training for her next time.

"I'm going to throttle you!" They both yelled at the same time.

It'd been half an hour since the two woman had started their practice duel with one another.

"Gasp!" "Gasp!"

Eclair and Raphtalia were both on the ground, panting hard, and covered in sweat. Raphtalia had light bruises all over her arms and legs. Eclair had only one slightly red mark on her cheek. Eclair got it when Raphtalia, out of desperation, used her only magic sword technique to disappear and reappear to the side of Eclair.

The trick, which had caught Eclair by surprise, only worked once. She'd not only countered it after that, but punished the half-tanuki girl with a series of melee attacks that resulted in a lot of the bruising Raphtalia had now.

Eclair had thoroughly schooled the Tanuki girl every time she tried to use it after that. And schooled her in everything else too while she was at it.

"How… how did you get so skilled?!" Raphtalia asked incredulously.

Eclair's attacks weren't particularly strong against her. But the strawberry swordsman had gotten hits on Raphtalia so many times she'd lost count.

"Training… years and years… of training," Eclair answered between breaths.

She may have beaten the hell out of Raphtalia. But the half-tanuki girl definitely had endurance. And she could take a hit. She could take a lot of hits from the rose-haired swordswoman.

"That's… amazing," Raphtalia said. It had been like trying to fight a river. Everflowing and ever-changing. Even her speed hadn't been enough to give her an advantage over the strawberry swordsman.

"Indeed." For a hero's companion, she was definitely strong, fast, and had good endurance. Had Raphtalia had more stamina, Eclair would have eventually faltered and ended up covered in a lot of bruises too.

She definitely had to train her endurance levels again. They'd proved to almost be her downfall in the practice duel.

...

The two panted for a little while, gradually recovering from the bout.

"So how… how did I do?" Raphtalia finally asked.

"Besides the parts where you tried to cheat?" Eclair asked for clarification.

"We never specified that there'd be no magic." Raphtalia said with a pout.

"There is no room for magic in an honorable duel," Eclair replied. Much to Raphtalia's chagrin and pride. "As for how well you did-"

"Aw come on, where's the fun in not using magic?"

The interruption surprised them. Both Raphtalia and Eclair both stood up, brandishing their wood swords in self-defense. "Who's there?" Eclair said calmly. Welt was still passed out on the ground from overtraining.

"... Relax. There's no reason for me to attack you." Light twisted in the air in front of them, and then Maya reappeared. The raccoon demi-human grinned widely at them as she held up two water canisters. "It looked like you were fighting pretty hard there." She tossed them both the canisters. Which they caught.

"Um, thanks, I guess," Raphralia said unsurely. Not recognizing the demi-human in front of her.

Maya took a vial of Magic Healing Water out and drank it. "Awesome fight by the way. It was definitely something interesting to watch."

"Wait, you're that girl from yesterday," Eclair remembered this demi-girl materializing out of nowhere to take down a knight. "Are you one of the Hero's party members?"

"Yes, I'm with Sir Itsuki. The name's Maya." She smiled happily. "It's a pleasure to meet you again Raphtalia!"

Raphtalia drank from her canister. The water was refreshing after trying so hard to get a hit on Eclair. "Maya…" Raphtalia thought the name over. She also looked at the smiling black-haired demi-human more closely. Did she recognize her from somewhere-

"Wait, you're the little girl from before!"

"The same one you held in your lap while Sir Itsuki and Sir Naofumi talked in that one inn," Maya said happily. She was happy to see that Raphtalia still remembered her.

Raphtalia smiled brightly, dropped the wooden sword, rushed forward, and embraced the raccoon girl. "I'm so happy you're okay!"

Maya let out a surprised gasp at Raphtalia's strength but hugged the older girl in response.

They pulled back. "You're already so big." She looked just slightly younger than Raphtalia. "And you're casting illusion magic too?"

Maya laughed, looking genuinely happy. "Sir Itsuki and the others helped with Powerleveling me. I didn't think it was possible to grow up so quickly before." She said. "As for the magic. Well. That involved a lot of studying at night. And maybe a crystal ball or two from Sir Itsuki so I could learn to use magic."

Maya stepped back and said a quick chant. "First Hiding." She disappeared into a haze of light. And then, two seconds later, she reappeared a few feet to the right, rubbing the back of her neck while still smiling. "Since I learned that spell from a Crystal Ball, it doesn't hide me for long. But it helped me with understanding how to use magic." She said happily. "I can use other spells to hide my presence besides that one."

"It wasn't too difficult for me to pick up magic," Raphtalia said, smiling brightly herself at being reunited with the young girl. "It was like rediscovering an old friend."

"That's what it felt like for me too!" Maya said happily. The two looked like they would have gone on and on if allowed.

"I'm sorry to interrupt." Eclair butted in. They looked at her. "I can see you two know each other. But may I finish what I was going to say to Miss Raphtalia first?" Eclair asked.

"Oh, yes, of course," Raphtalia said, standing at attention.

"Not like I'm going to stop you." Maya playfully teased.

Eclair frowned at the raccoon girl and faced Raphtalia again. "Your forms are full of holes." She said, not sugarcoating how horribly Raphtalia had done. "Anyone with half your speed could have seen your movements a mile away. And anyone with a little bit of skill could easily defeat you. It's almost like you tried to teach yourself in the past."

Raphtalia sweatdropped. "Well, I did teach myself." She said embarrassedly. "I only ever got taught the basics. And that was back before the Second Wave struck Lute."

She also hadn't had the opportunity to spar against many human opponents. Her main specialty was killing monsters. Not long drawn out duels. Watching swordsmen in towns practice their forms and stances could only get her so far too.

Eclair thought to herself. "That's no excuse for your form to be so terrible. I'm not near as fast as you Miss Raphtalia. And yet I still beat you after months of imprisonment." She said seriously. "Imagine if a competent foe attacked you and the Shield Hero."

Raphtalia looked tired. "However, it's quite commendable that you've already managed to integrate magic into your sword forms." Eclair continued. "That requires a level of skill most knights never achieve. That means you have the potential to become a much better swordsman than you are now."

Raphtalia blushed at the praise. "Does that mean you'll teach me?" She asked.

"You're the Companion of one of the Holy Heroes. I would be doing Sir Naofumi a disfavor by allowing you to stay in your current shape." Eclair said seriously. She looked Raphtalia over and grimaced. "I'd recommend stopping for today though."

Eclair really had left quite a number of bruises on Raphtalia's arms and legs. And that likely didn't include what was under her clothes. She hoped that the Shield Hero wouldn't get mad at her for this.

"Yeah, you look a little banged up there, Raphtalia." Maya agreed.

"It's fine. I can hardly feel the pain. I'm sure Naofumi could heal all this up after we're done..." It came out fine. But then Raphtalia remembered why she'd dueled Eclair, and her cheeks flushed red again. "Um… M-M-Maya… could I ask you for some ad-ad-advice?" She turned to the other demi-human girl nervously.

Eclair sighed to herself. Raphtalia was already on the same path of embarrassment as before. 'Here we go again.'

"Yeah, what is it Raphtalia?" She asked.

"Do you… do you know how to avoid… avoid getting pregnant?" She asked, her tail wagging embarrassedly behind her. But not as much as when she'd talked to Eclair.

…

'Wait, she didn't say that earlier?! She asked for relationship advice, not that?!' Eclair thought incredulously.

Maya looked confused. "Um… I mean I've grown up too… but I… I honestly don't know." She admitted. "My parents never got the chance to sit down to have that chat with me."

"Heheh, me neither," Raphtalia admitted. Looking a lot less embarrassed. It seemed having known Maya a while back made it easier to ask her about it.

'My Gods, BOTH OF THEM DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS STUFF?!' Eclair thought in bewilderment. What was up with their parents!? Did they have some reason not to teach their daughters the Birds and the Bees?!

"My parents told me all it took was a kiss." Raphtalia quietly admitted. "But then Naofumi told me that wasn't how it worked after I kissed him."

"Whoa, were you trying to get yourself pregnant Raphtalia?" Maya asked curiously.

"N-N-NO!" Raphtalia nearly shrieked. "I just, um, wanted to thank him for healing me! That's all!"

"... okay... but you're sure that kissing doesn't make you pregnant?" Maya asked.

Raphtalia nodded. Maya looked stunned at the revelation. And then she started grinning widely. "Oh yeah. I know what I'm going to do to my knight in shining armor next time I get the chance." She started rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

It was really hard to tell if she was joking or being serious.

"Oh, are you in love with someone too?" Raphtalia asked curiously.

Maya flushed in embarrassment. "N-NO!" Her sleek black tail wagged embarrassedly behind her. "OF COURSE I'M NOT!"

It was amazing how easy it was to read that she was lying there.

Eclair shook her head in disbelief. 'If she'd just started with that, I could have easily explained it for her.' She'd had the privilege of getting the talk from her Father. And she wouldn't be shy in explaining such a simple thing to these girls.

Besides that, Raphtalia looked way more relaxed talking to Maya instead of Eclair about this. "Well. My other problem though is the thought of ambushing Naofumi out of nowhere with kisses, I want to do it, but it's so… embarrassing…" Raphtalia trailed off. Her ears twitched on top of her head. Maya's ears also twitched, and she jerked her head around. Embarrassment forgotten.

Eclair was snapped out of her thoughts. "What is it?" Eclair asked. She couldn't hear anything, but she'd been around demi-humans long enough to know their senses were more finely tuned than humans'. Whether it was smell, sight, hearing, or in some cases, instinct.

Maya set herself against the ground. Tilting her head so her ear could be pressed against it. "I'm hearing rumblings. It's like…" She muttered to herself, and then she disappeared.

"Hide Mirage." Raphtalia cast the spell over herself. Disappearing from view.

"Wait, Miss Raphtalia-" Eclair tried to stop Raphtalia to ask what was happening, but Raphtalia had already disappeared. 'What's going on-' She was thinking.

"Don't act out of character. Something's out there. We're going to check it out."

Eclair almost flinched at Maya's voice but kept her cool.

She started doing basic downward thrusts in front of herself as Maya whispered into her ear. "Just in case. Stay here and act normal until we get back. And whatever you do, don't allow anyone to go into the forest."

She didn't say more. A few seconds later, the branches of a tree slightly shook, but other than that, there was no sign of where the girl had run off to.

"I guess... while they're practicing magic together, I can stay here… and practice my sword forms… again…" Eclair got into the sword form she had been doing before Raphtalia interrupted her, and continued.

'Am I going to have to be the one that gives those two the Talk?' She pondered as she lost herself in her sword form… 'Nah, I'm sure they'll ask someone else about it. It's not something for me to worry about.'

She just had to act normal for now. And hope that what they'd heard wasn't bad news.

"Ugh..." Well, it was about to get a lot easier to act normal.

"It's about time you woke up!" Eclair yelled at the tired swordsmen from Ren's party. "What are you doing slacking off on training!?"

Welt immediately jumped up. "Wh-Wh-Wha-" He was saying in confusion.

"Come on! Your form is still nowhere close to perfection!" Eclair charged the poor guy.

"Wait, but I already passed out once from training-" POW! "Owwwwwww!" Welt nearly collapsed when Eclair's wooden sword struck him across his chest.

"No slacking! Stay on your feet and fight like your life depends on it!" Eclair ordered. "The enemy will show you no mercy, and neither will I!"

'Why did I have to choose to be a freaking swordsmannnnnnnn!' Welt lamented inside his mind as he once again had to defend himself from the Rose Knight. Failing very miserably in the process as he could hardly keep up with her fast-flowing movements.

"Now put your whole body into it! Come on! Where did you learn to parry!? Your grandpa! Don't you dare hold back anything from me!" Eclair continued to yell, fighting Welt with the ease of destroying a level 1 monster.

She was a monster herself.

How the hell was she still this good despite being imprisoned for almost three months and pushing herself to exhaustion again and again?

'Wahhhhhhh!' Welt complained inside his mind.

Being part of the Shield Hero's party was so unfair!

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

Raphtalia ran through the wooded forest. Fast and lithe, unseen because of her illusion spell.

That rumbling. She couldn't hear what it was yet. But she felt something every time her feet hit the ground. The ground gave soft, almost unnoticeable vibrations. Like something large was moving in the distance.

A horrid feeling traveled up her spine. It felt, cold, uninviting...

"So, any guesses about what's out there?"

Raphtalia almost stumbled but managed to stay upright while keeping herself moving. A branch opposite her to the side shook slightly. "Maya, can you see my spell?" Raphtalia asked.

"Not really, I'm not good at perceiving other people's illusion magic yet. You're just making a lot of noise." The invisible Maya commented. "I'd recommend making a lot less. I get the feeling we're not alone out here."

Raphtalia grimaced and made efforts to reduce her noise output. "There, I can hardly hear you now. So want to take a guess what we're running towards?" Maya asked.

"I don't know what it is. But there's a large number of them." Raphtalia said.

"Think it could be a herd of large monsters preparing to attack a town?" Maya asked.

"No… even a hundred large monsters together wouldn't make this much noise so far out."

The two girls said nothing more and continued running through the forested hills. Avoiding branches or kicking rocks and the like. The closer she got, the worse the feeling got.

'Why… why do I want to turn and flee?'

She didn't know what it was. But there was something… very wrong about the direction they were heading. Like her body was screaming at her not to go that way. And it wasn't because of what they were hearing.

They traveled a few miles under the disguise of illusion magic. As they got closer, the rumbling got louder. If it wasn't for the bracelet Naofumi had made for her and a couple of Magic Healing Waters Maya had on hand, Raphtalia would have run out of MP long before they got there.

They stopped at the edge of a hill, looking down on a road cut into the forest. The vibrations through the earth had become more discernible. And the noise had gradually gotten louder and louder as they approached. Still, they could have never guessed what appeared below them.

Down below was an army.

On the wide dirt row, row upon row of knights in shining polished armor marched in sync with each other. Their weapons were sharp and glistening on their backs and on their sides. Their hard stomps with their boots sent pulses of vibrations throughout the land as each footfall echoed with each other like the inside of a drum. Monsters and all other forms of life fled in terror before them.

"What… the…" Maya whispered in shock.

It wasn't only knights. Rows of robed figures were interspersed here and there. Mages.

Several figures also flitted throughout both sides of the forest around the traveling army. One of them passed overhead right above the silent Raphtalia and Maya. Another one jumped through the trees farther back from them. They kept on glancing left and right, looking for the faintest sign of enemies as they continued on.

'Church Shadows...' Raphtalia shivered slightly.

"I'm really glad we chose to keep ourselves hidden," Maya whispered in Raphtalia's ear. Afraid of being overheard.

There were wagons protected by knights on horseback. Pulled by horses, Filolials, and Rider dragons. All of which wore armor and looked bred for war. A lot of the wagons had coverings over them. But there was one wagon with an assembled ballistae sticking out from it.

As they watched, several knights on horseback marched by below their hiding spot. Several of them held banners, inscribed with depictions of the rosary of the Three Holy Heroes.

It didn't take a genius to figure out where this army's loyalty lay.

If they were forced to count. There had to be hundreds, no thousands. Marching in sync towards a location. Like a well-disciplined machine. "How did an army this large get past Van's scouts?" Maya asked in disbelief.

Her question was soon answered.

Another wagon passed. Maya put a hand over her mouth in horror. There were cages in the back. Sitting dejectedly in them were demi-humans. Beaten and battered.

Even from a distance, Maya still recognized a few that Van had had spying on the routes from the Capital to his property. And there was more along with them. Demi-humans who had been living freely in the Capital, who'd had the misfortunate of not getting out in time after the Church's takeover.

"What… but… why?" Maya whispered in disbelief. Where were they taking them?

Raphtalia looked down the road, and she recognized the mountains in the distance.

'No…' She couldn't believe it.

She recognized them. They were the same ones she'd seen only twice. The first time when she had been taken out of a slave wagon and led down into a cellar. And the second time soon after she had been bought and taken at night.

Even in the dark, she could remember the outline of those mountains under the light of stars.

It was the mountain range next to Idol Rabier's Estate.

She'd forgotten how Van's lands were right on Idol's doorstep.

Maya realized it too. "This is bad." For once, there was no joking in her voice. "If they're going to Idol…"

Raphtalia started breathing in and out heavily. Had she not been hidden by her illusion spell, it would have been easy to see how on the verge she was of freaking out. 'No... NO!'

She slapped herself, forcing herself out of the thoughts that attacked her mind.

"Raphtalia, are you alright?" Maya asked in concern.

"I'm fine." Raphtalia looked over the army with growing concern. "Weren't you-" A Shadow paused on a nearby tree. And she stopped talking in fear. But the Shadow quickly moved on after the others. "Weren't you expecting Idol Rabier to attack with an army?"

Maya's ears flickered on her head. "Yes. But only with his local army… but with this many..." Maya backed away, and Raphtalia did the same. They were both running low on MP, and there were Church Shadows around. In fact, another one flew through the trees overhead again right as they got up.

Raphtalia and Maya drank the last Magic Healing Waters Maya had. Then they quickly fled back in the direction of Van's Estate.

Van and the Heroes had to know what was going on.

And Raphtalia had to distance herself before she cracked.

It was nerve-wracking the whole trip back. Raphtalia and Maya ran out of MP a ways away from the traveling army. Raphtalia didn't have her sword on her either. Something she really wished she'd grabbed beforehand.

They almost thought a couple of times when they heard a sound that they were going to get ambushed by Church Shadows, but every time it turned out to be some random monster wandering around in the forest. Fortunately, Maya's daggers were enough to easily dispatch the lower leveled monsters. And Raphtalia didn't have to help.

If she hadn't been struggling with repressing thoughts from her mind. Raphtalia would have been proud of Maya for how strong she'd become.

Despite the lack of Shadows, the two didn't let their guard down. Not until they'd finally gotten to Van's Estate.

When they got back, they nearly collapsed in relief as they informed Eclair about what they'd found. They then sent her and Welt off to find those who'd been training in the forest. And then went in and reported to Van and the Heroes what they'd discovered while they were still in the middle of their meeting.

That was where they were at now.

"... What?"

The Three Heroes looked shocked. Maya and Raphtalia stood at the end of the table opposite Van Reichnott. Van's expression was surprisingly calm.

Melty and Filo, who were still in the room, sat silently at the table. Filo, because she recognized something serious was going on and was staying quiet. And Melty… because she didn't know what to say.

Naofumi looked Raphtalia over in shock and worry. She was still covered in light bruises from her bout with Eclair. She wasn't wearing any armor and was dressed in an extra set of her regular clothes without armor attached to them.

She'd been far too under-equipped for going out to scout an enemy army!

"It looks like the Three Heroes Church sent an army to reinforce Idol Rabier," Maya said. "We didn't get a number. But there were thousands marching down the highway north of us."

"There... there were Knights, mages, cavalry, and a few Church Shadows as well as some armored wagons," Raphtalia said. "I didn't get a good look at what was in the back of some of them. But I saw a Ballistae on one of them."

"... what the hell…" Itsuki looked astounded. "Thousands?"

Van thought to himself. "I didn't think the Pope would send such a large army our way…" Ren said. Van had, at best, several hundred demi-humans and villagers who could fight, along with the Three Heroes and their parties.

"I mean, he doesn't realize we're here, does he?" Itsuki asked.

"It's either that. Or he really hates demi-humans that much." Ren responded with a shrug.

Naofumi was still quiet. Looking at Raphtalia in quiet shock and worry. She noticed his worried glance and gave him a small smile, letting him know she was okay.

Still, he felt oddly concerned for her seeing all those bruises. He wondered how she got them, and maybe it was just him, or did Raphtalia look tense to him? Was there something else she was struggling with too?

Was this what it was like to worry over your girlfriend?

That was a thought his otaku self never thought he'd experience back in Japan.

"As much as I'm worried about the army, I've even more worried about the Shadows going along with them…" Van said forebodingly. "If I know Idol from what my Father told me during the war… he'd order the Shadows to encircle my lands while his forces integrated with his new reinforcements."

Ren started thinking to himself, while Itsuki looked bewildered. "You're saying we're going to have to deal with those guys again as well as this army?!"

Maya looked downcastedly down at the ground. "I… I personally don't think it'd be a good idea to try and fight against that large a force, Sir Itsuki." She suggested.

They'd managed to defeat several hundred knights back in the Capital. But they'd had the element of surprise on their side then. Even if they didn't know the Heroes were here, the surprise factor wouldn't be as grand as the Capital.

"But if we don't fight, then that'd mean we'd have to get everyone ready to flee before they attacked-" Itsuki was saying.

"No, if Van's right about Idol's strategy... fleeing before the attack would be the worst possible thing to do," Ren said seriously.

"And why is that?" Itsuki asked.

"Because if the Shadows encircle Van's lands before we leave, it'll be over," Ren answered before Itsuki could finish.

All eyes turned to him. Waiting for an explanation. "It's a strategy people in my world used against me since… I preferred playing by myself." Ren looked down at his sword. It was weird to find even this lining up with a strategy from the games he played.

Then again, it had been a strategy that real-life players had used on him, not NPCs. It'd make sense for them to do it.

It wasn't a game, but it was real people they were fighting against here. Sometimes, strategies from games mirror real-life strategies. "It's a cowardly strategy. But, sometimes, when large groups attack a solo player or a smaller group, they send scouts to surround an ambush area. That way, if the player catches wind of the ambush and tries to flee, they can warn the main group where he's headed and then slow him or her down. If Van's correct about Idol, they're going to attempt to do the same thing to us here.

"Either they'll kill us here, or follow us to kill us wherever we flee."

…

"That would… fit Idol's cowardly tendencies. According to my Father, it was one of his favorite strategies during the war with Siltvelt." All the heroes looked to Van, who didn't look quite so cheerful anymore. "I'm sorry… this surprise army has put quite a wrinkle in our plans. I'm unsure why my scouts didn't inform me about it…"

Maya looked at him dejectedly. "I saw some of them. Beaten and chained up in cages in the back of one wagon." She said. "There were other demi-humans with them too. I don't know if that was the only wagon holding them or not."

Raphtalia's hand clenched at her side.

"That explains why a couple of them haven't returned." Van looked older than before. "I should have told them to be more careful."

Melty placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You couldn't have known this was going to happen Lord Reichnott."

"No, but I could have tried harder to keep them safe." Van said, sighing at the end.

Maya and Raphtalia felt fortunate that they'd followed their guts and snuck up on the army using illusion magic. Had they not done that. Had they used their illusion magic even a mile out to conserve MP, they could have been ambushed themselves by a patrolling Shadow before realizing what was coming.

"This is just what we needed. Another thing on our plate of crap that we already had to deal with," Itsuki said grumpily.

"No kidding," Naofumi said dryly. "Just when things can't get any worse, they get worse."

First, they'd had the problem of defending the Estate from Idol Rabier's imminent attack. There were the slaves from Idol they needed to free. Then, of course, there was also the problem Melty had told them about earlier before Raphtalia and Maya came in.

"If what Sir Ren described to me is correct… the Pope is wielding an ancient weapon that's capable of taking on the form of all the Cardinal Weapons.' Melty said.

"A weapon that takes on the form of our weapons?" Itsuki asked.

The other Heroes sat in silence. Listening quietly as Melty explained.

"There's only one weapon I know of that's capable of replicating the skills of the Cardinal Heroes… A long time ago, an unknown alchemist, a genius for his time, tried to find a way to duplicate the four weapons of the Legendary Heroes. He wanted to make an ultimate weapon that could change forms between all four to use the skills of each. But he did so not to help the people, but to use it for personal gain.

"His attempt was successful, and the weapon he created was called the Replica. However, he was ultimately defeated by the Cardinal Heroes summoned back then before he could take over the world. After the battle, the Heroes found his body. But they didn't find the weapon. It was presumed to be lost. And it's been lost ever since… until now."

"... Is it really possible for a weapon like that to exist?" Itsuki asked.

"I can't even imagine the materials he would have needed to create it," Ren said to himself.

Naofumi was quiet, thinking it over. "If it's the stuff of legend, then how do you know about it, Second Princess?" He asked.

Melty frowned but was too busy being serious to throw a tantrum at the nickname. "Anyone familiar with the History of Melromarc, or Church History has heard the stories about it. It was a one-of-a-kind weapon based on your weapons, Sir Heroes."

"I have heard some of the stories myself," Van affirmed. "I wasn't sure if the weapon Ren described was the Replica though. But if Princess Melty believes it to be the case, then I agree with her. Such a weapon would be far more dangerous in the hands of the Pope than the current Waves of Catastrophe."

Itsuki and Ren looked between Van and the Second Princess. Itsuki in disbelief. Ren in anxious acceptance. For him, it was just another shot out of left field that proved how this wasn't Brave Star Online.

"But… if it's really something from legend, then finding it should have been big news," Naofumi said. "That is, unless…" Naofumi thought about it more. "Unless it wasn't lost, to begin with."

"It's likely that the Church stole the weapon in the aftermath of that battle and hid it away for all these centuries," Melty said while frowning.

Her mother hadn't prepared her for any of this.

"If you had a weapon like that. You wouldn't even need to summon the Four Heroes." Ren commented.

"It is powerful, Sir Sword Hero. But it requires a tremendous amount of MP for anyone to use it. It's one of the weapon's few drawbacks. And if the legends really are correct, it wields only a fourth of the power of the original Cardinal Weapons. If the Heroes themselves could barely beat the Waves, then a fourth of the power would never cut it."

'Only a fourth of the power… yet it still used one of my skills to reflect my strongest attack.' Ren thought somberly. 'I probably didn't even see the full extent of its capabilities if it can transform into all our weapons!'

"We're getting a little off subject here. We must deal with the Pope after my neighbor Idol is defeated." Van said seriously. "As long as the Pope's in charge, demi-humans all over the country will be in danger."

"And if my Mother tries to attack the Capital while the Pope possesses the Replica. She and the rest of her soldiers would be annihilated." Melty said.

"That's how powerful it's supposed to be?!" Itsuki asked in disbelief. "But you said it had only a quarter of the power our weapons have!"

"It's said that the heroes of legend were capable of destroying entire mountains with their weapons, Sir Bow Hero," Melty informed him to his shock. "If those legends are true, imagine what someone with a fourth of that power could do."

"If it can use all our skills, even those we haven't unlocked yet… he could trample everyone under his feet," Ren said. "And if it only takes a large amount of MP… then the more people that joined him, the harder it'd be to win,"

"Yes. And right now, the Pope has one of the more populous countries in the world at his disposal. Imagine what he could do if he managed to gather the Church's Followers from all over the country to the Capital?" Van asked.

"... He'd be damn near impossible to stop. Not without slaughtering a bunch of people." Naofumi said to himself.

"Which is why the sooner you face him while his forces are divided. The better your chances are of ending this entire conflict once and for all."

The discussion went on for some time after that. There were details about how they'd draw the Pope out to confront them. Where the best place to fight him would be so he wouldn't be able to easily gather his Followers. And things like that.

But they had been nowhere close to having a plan set up for when that time came before Raphtalia and Maya arrived with their piece of news.

So to list everything off, there was the problem of Idol's imminent attack. There was the Pope taking over the country and being in possession of the Legendary Replica Weapon. There were Gods know how many demi-humans being targeted all over the country. And now, they had an army of thousands right on their doorstep. Ready to wipe out one of their only sources of allies in all of Melromarc. Along with a bunch of innocents.

The three heroes truly looked at a loss for what they should do. Raphtalia and Maya took their seats at the table. Not having anything more to say about what they saw. Both of them felt like they'd put a damper on the Cardinal Hero's moods. Raphtalia still looked somewhat tense. Prompting Naofumi to gently massage her shoulder.

He muttered a quick Fast Heal under his breath. A light green glow surrounded the half-tanuki woman, healing her bruises. She briefly rested her hand on the hand massaging her shoulder, smiling to let him know she appreciated it. But the tenseness didn't go away and she focused on the meeting again. He eventually stopped and rested his hand on his lap again.

Ren gave the two of them a glance but didn't comment.

"Holy Heroes, I am open to your suggestions and great wisdom," Van said after they were silent for a while.

Itsuki and Ren both thought to themselves. "I… ... ... I really don't know what we can do here," Ren said in a defeated voice. "We're just three people against a kingdom…"

Silence surrounded the table for a moment. Naofumi clenched his fist underneath. 'Damn it…'

"... we could try to portal everyone away in the time we have?" Itsuki asked.

"With the skill's cooldown and the limited number of people we can portal at a time. We'd be nowhere close to getting everyone away." Ren said.

"Then we portal away the women and the children," Itsuki said. "And we attack Idol before he attacks us."

"That'd be walking right into his hands. We might make it out alive, but almost everyone else wouldn't." Naofumi said. "And he'd kill those slaves before we broke down the doors… if we made it that far."

It was odd for him to think about it now. He'd spent so much time running away. And here he'd been for the last several hours, trying to plan a stand against Idol and in turn the Pope. Now, with the news of the large army assisting Idol, it seemed like the only option was to run.

Was this what it boiled down to? Was he going to have to run away from all his problems again?

"Should we risk being followed and evacuate the people as fast as we can before Idol attacks?" Naofumi suggested.

Raphtalia's shoulders visibly tensed. But she didn't voice anything.

...

"I don't know if we could evacuate everyone quickly… but, if me, Ren, and Naofumi upgrade our best weapons, we could probably still defend this place long enough for everyone to get away safely," Itsuki said.

"That's suicide. Even with our parties for support, we wouldn't be able to hold back thousands of Knights and mages." Ren said.

"But the Second Princess told us our weapons are capable of blowing up mountains!"

"That's also from an ancient legend!" Ren argued back. "Even if we can get that strong, there's no way we could get there by the end of the day! We need time and materials for that!"

"Fine! Then how about we use the-"

"No." Itsuki and Ren looked at Naofumi. "We're not going to use the Cursed Series. Not when it could risk hurting our own."

Raphtalia, without turning, gripped his hand under the table comfortingly.

...

"Then... what are we supposed to do?!" Itsuki defeatedly asked. The morning had started out so optimistic… and all of a sudden their plans for the defense of Van's estate, the counter-attack on Idol's city, and taking down the Pope had all gone up in flames. "If we can't get everyone away… then all my efforts to rescue those slaves…"

"... Do not worry, Sir Bow Hero. Not all is lost." Van said. "If there is no other choice, then I have another measure at the ready."

"You do Lord Reichnott?" Melty asked.

Filo looked at the noble curiously. "Does it involve food?" She finally spoke up.

"Filo!" Melty complained.

Naofumi almost snapped at his daughter for her rude timing. But, when he thought about it, he couldn't remember the last time he'd personally cooked for her with everything going on.

He'd have to remedy that soon.

Van smiled at Filo's cute comment. "Of course. I was afraid it'd come to this. But if we truly don't stand a chance even with Three Cardinal Heroes on our side, then I have no choice." He looked to Itsuki. "While you brought the rescued slaves here, my people and I have been preparing for the day when we'd have to give up our lands and hide. His face turned a tad serious. "If we can't defend, I can promise my people will be ready to evacuate within the hour. We will be long gone before the Church's Shadows ever arrive to encircle my lands…"

"But… Where would they flee to?" Naofumi asked. "Would they be safe there?"

Van pulled out a map and smoothed it out on the table. "Our planned route would be South to here." He said, pointing at a southern portion of the map. "I've already had runners map it out over the last two weeks just in case something like this happened... There aren't many towns between us and there. And there shouldn't be anyone living in the area. After the Wave that hit the area, as well as the atrocities the Church committed there."

Raphtalia didn't gasp, but her hand gripped Naofumi's hand more tightly when she saw where Van's finger was hovering over. Naofumi couldn't read the characters on the map very well. But… it looked like the region Van pointed at was labeled Seaetto. "My people are industrious. We can use magic to clean our tracks the whole trip there. And, once we arrived, we could turn some of the abandoned buildings into temporary shelters while we planned our next course of action."

"So we can flee now before they have the chance to attack…" Itsuki seriously considered the idea.

"Yeah…" Ren looked surprised. Suddenly, solving this problem seemed to be a lot easier. "We could take the time to flee now. Upgrade our weapons, and then-"

"But what would happen to the Slaves Idol is holding?" Raphtalia asked. "What about the demi-humans that the Knights captured?"

…

The table had gone silent again. If Van's ploy worked, everyone would get away safely. However, if they fled…

"Knowing Idol… he wouldn't be happy about us escaping… so he'd take his anger out on the demi-humans he's holding," Van said.

Raphtalia gripped Naofumi's hand even more tightly, enough that it almost hurt. Her tail bristled behind her. She became taut like she was about to pounce. "Then we can't leave!" She said angrily. "We have to attack Idol and rescue those slaves!"

The other two heroes looked at Raphtalia in surprise. "But they have an army, and we have to save the people here. Why on earth would we want to attack when we can come back another-" Itsuki was asking.

"How dare you!" Raphtalia yelled, shocking the blonde boy into silence. "You put in more effort than anyone else to free this country's slaves! And now you want to flee and allow that vile coward to kill more innocents?!"

"We're not saying that," Ren said in a calming voice. Causing Raphtalia to face him. Ren nearly gulped under the glare she was giving him. He suddenly wanted to melt into the chair and hide, but he stood his ground. "We're saying this is the best course of action we can take right now. We can't prioritize the lives of the few over the lives of the many-"

"You don't get it, do you?! Idol doesn't just torture slaves!" Raphtalia yelled. "He breaks them! He whips them until they scream! He takes away their will to live any way he can! He makes them wish that they'd never been born! And he takes pleasure throughout the whole process! That's what you're dooming those demi-humans too if you flee right now!"

...

The whole table stared at her in shock. The look of anger and hatred on her face was feral. She looked like she wanted to murder someone. "He did that to women! He did that, TO INNOCENT CHILDREN! HE DID THAT TO ME! HE DID IT TO MY BEST FRIEND! I HAD TO LISTEN TO HER AND SO MANY OTHERS SCREAM OUT FOR FRIENDS, PARENTS, SIBLINGS! SOME OF WHOM HE TORTURED TO DEATH RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM! AND YOU WANT TO RUN AWAY AND LEAVE THOSE PEOPLE TO DIE AT THE HANDS OF THAT HORRIBLE MONSTER-"

Naofumi squeezed her hand, looking at her worriedly. The action caused her to stop yelling.

Everyone at the table stared at her in shock. "Raph… Raphtalia?" Melty said in shock.

"... ... Naofumi… I'm going to go somewhere else." Raphtalia couldn't say more. With eyes filling with tears, she got back up and ran out of the room. Still shaking in almost unrestrained anger and sadness.

Naofumi looked back at her, and then back at the table. All of them were still silent.

Van's plan would save his people. But it'd likely cost the lives of every slave Idol held hostage in his estate... along with the lives of those being transported there right now.

"... Daddy, why is Mommy so angry?" Filo asked.

"I… I think I know why… How about we agree to think it over and meet back in a half-hour to decide on what to do," Naofumi suggested.

"Every minute we spend could be one minute closer to our window of opportunity closing-" Itsuki was saying.

"No, the Shield Hero is right," Van said, interrupting Itsuki. "There are times when we should listen to our emotions. And then there are times when we should listen with calm minds. There are many things troubling us now. Maybe a break and some time to think will reveal a better course of action. I can get my people prepared in the meantime."

Naofumi bowed his head in respect to Van. "I'll be back." He promised. He then got up and quickly left the room. "Come on Filo!"

"Okay!" Filo ran out after Naofumi.

"Wait, I'm coming too!" Melty ran out after Filo and Naofumi.

"I can talk to the parties about what's happening," Maya said to Itsuki. Hopefully, by now, Eclair would have found and brought back the mages training in the forest.

"Yeah, thank you, Maya," Itsuki said. Looking off to the side. Maya ran out of the room. "You can go to Ren... I'm going to stay here to think."

Ren stood up. "Alright." He left to make sure his party members were safe.

Van stood up. "I will inform my people to begin preparing now. And then have them leave when it's decided on what we should do." Van said.

Itsuki stayed silent, pondering over the problem to himself as Van left.

" After the wave… Knights came and killed all the parents in front of their children. They then enslaved me and everyone else that was left... Before Naofumi, I was owned by two different slaveholders. They were both nobles. The first one tried to train me to be a maid, but the second one…" She paused to sniff, and wipe away a tear from below her eye. "I saw him at the celebration last night. I saw you talking to him shortly before the Spear Hero challenged Naofumi. He was the one who tortured me. Idol Rabier." She admitted.

"There were others just like me he owned. Most of them were women and children, including my best friend Rifana. That noble loves to torture others, especially demi-humans… he hates them… And he tortured my best friend, even though she was sick, even though she was only a child. I don't even know if she's still alive or not since it was a little over a month ago when I last saw her..."

Itsuki grimaced, remembering some of what Raphtalia had said in the past. 'If I'd only chosen to go after that large bastard first…'

…

He sighed, putting his face into his hands. 'What is the right thing for me to do here?'

He wanted to save everyone, including Idol's slaves… but how could he save them? How could he save Raphtalia's best friend when there was an army in the way? Wasn't it for the best if they chose to flee now?

But then what if Crystal's friend was held by Idol? Or Marx's family? Or Aksel's friends? Could he live with himself if they were there, and that they'd be killed if he didn't do something about it?

Even if the chances of them being there were low...

Raphtalia stood in Naofumi's party room. Looking sadly out the window at Van's Estate.

'I'm so close… I'm so close, yet I'm so far.' Raphtalia thought sadly, looking in the direction of the mountain range signifying where Idol's Estate was at.

'Ri... Rifana...'

Crack!

Rifana screamed out in pain. And Raphtalia screamed with her too. "No! Please stop it!" She begged the fat noble whipping Rifana. "Please stop hurting my best friend!"

Raphtalia's hands clenched.

"That's right! Scream for me, little demi! Cry as I hurt the ones you care for!"

Crack! "AHHHHHHHH!"

Raphtalia blinked. Her fist was buried in the wall. She'd punched a hole right through it.

It hurt.

She took her hand out, massaging it while trying to hold back the memories again. 'That man… that wretched, horrid, vile man…' She shuddered, a single tear escaping her eye.

It hurt. It hurt so much to think about it. She could almost feel the harsh whip digging into her back all over again... hear the screams of her best friend... see everything she'd held dear being taken away by the monster holding a whip...

"Mommy?"

Raphtalia turned from the window in surprise.

Filo ran into the room. Melty followed right behind her. "Is everything okay, Raphtalia?" Melty asked.

Raphtalia looked away from Van's lands down to Filo. She mustered up a smile and patted the girl on the head. Melty walked up beside Filo. "Yes, everything is okay." She said, trying to appear happy. Trying to hide the fact that she'd punched a hole in the wall and almost broke down in frustration.

"Then why was Mommy so tense during the meeting?" Filo asked innocently. "Why did mommy get so angry? Why is mommy crying?"

Raphtalia looked caught off guard. Filo, surprisingly, was becoming more observant. She was barely over a month old, yet she was making leaps and bounds in growing up. "You did look pretty upset Raphtalia. Is there any way we can help?" Melty asked genuinely.

…

Raphtalia looked sad again. "Yes, mommy is upset." She admitted. "But I'll be fine. I've suffered much worse than what I'm experiencing now."

"Is it something Mommy wants to share with Filo or Mel?" Filo asked, reaching up with one hand to rub one of Raphtalia's cheeks. "Filo knows it's easier to get through sad times when Filo's with family."

Raphtalia smiled somewhat at Filo's attempt to comfort her. "No, I'd rather not share this with you or Mel, Filo," Raphtalia said, hugging the two cute little girls close. "This is something mommy doesn't want to burden you or your friend with." Melty and Filo hugged Raphtalia back. Both girls looked cutely sad together.

"Is it something you'd burden me with?" Naofumi asked calmly from where he observed the three in the doorway.

Plan one had failed. Filo's cuteness and Melty's sincerity hadn't worked. So it was time for him to try.

…

Raphtalia looked up at him, her face unsure. And then she looked down sadly at Filo and Melty again before nodding her head. "Filo, Melty, can you leave us alone for a moment?" She asked.

Filo nodded. "Okay. Filo and Mel will leave. I love you, mommy." Filo hugged Raphtalia one more time, and then she and Melty quickly ran out of the room. Likely in search of some food. Leaving only Naofumi and Raphtalia inside.

When they were gone, Naofumi walked up to and gripped her hands in his. "Talk to me, Raphtalia. What's going on? Why were you so tense during the meeting? What happened out there that made you explode in there?" Naofumi asked like rapid-fire.

He couldn't contain his worry any longer. It felt horrible to see Raphtalia angry, tense, and sad. He wanted to help if only to see her smile again.

…

Raphtalia looked to Naofumi at last. There was anger flashing in her eyes. "I don't… I don't want to flee." She said. "I don't… I don't want any more people to suffer what I suffered in that horrid place." She said.

Realizing how close she was. Sharing these things with Naofumi. Memories unbidden traveled through her mind. Memories she'd suppressed of that horrible time of her life.

Crack!

"Come on little girl!? Scream for me!"

Little Raphtalia hung from a chain connected to the ceiling. Oddly smiling as the whip cracked against her back again and again. Flecks of blood flew off from it onto the floor and the walls. Holding the whip was a fat man that looked like a bad man.

She'd only been here a few days. Yet it felt like an eternity.

She tried to act like it didn't hurt. But whenever she did, the slave crest on her chest burned a bright purple. Inflicting more pain on her already frail body. It drove her crazy. But she couldn't lose that smile, not now. Not after Mother and father had told her to always smile. Not when she had to bear this for her parents and everyone in the village who hadn't made it. So no matter how bad things got. No matter how much she suffered without them there to help. She had to smile. For their sake, and for the sake of everyone around her. She had to.

"Come on! Scream for me damn it!" The bad man holding the whip yelled as he cracked the whip against her back more and more. "Stop smiling you damn demi!"

Blood slowly dribbled down her legs and onto the floor below. He whipped her again, and again, and again in frustration. She still smiled throughout the whipping process.

Was this the day it'd end? Was this the day it'd finally be over? Was this when the mean man would go too far and finally end everything so she could be reunited with her parents again?

It hurt. It hurt so much.

"Fine, if you're going to be boring!" One last whip slashed against her back, and then the chains came off. An assistant bandaged her back, making sure she wouldn't bleed out from her injuries. Then, she was tossed into her cell like a useless rag doll next to her friend. That same broken smile still on her face.

'Mommy… daddy… I miss you so much... I want to see you again...'

Raphtalia trembled at the memory. Naofumi stared back at her calmly. "I don't… want them to suffer as I did." She whispered. Tears appeared in the rims of her eyes.

"I know. I don't want that to happen either." Naofumi said.

"Then how... how can they think about fleeing!?" She bared her fangs as she yelled. "How can they do that knowing what would happen to the slaves that Idol's holding!? How could you go along with that!?" She angrily asked. Looking out the window again in frustration in the direction of Idol's estate.

"AHHHHHHHH!" Little Raphtalia woke with a scream. "Mommy, daddy-"

"Shhhh, *cough cough*, it's okay." A sick Rifana hugged the crying girl close on their shared cot of hay. "It's going to be okay."

"No… they're gone… they're both gone…" Raphtalia whimpered.

Her nightmares. They were getting worse ever since she'd entered this place. She saw her parents' deaths over and over again. Every night like clockwork. They kept on telling her to be strong... they kept on telling her to smile...

"We… We still have each other, Raphtalia. We still have each other." Rifana tried to comfort her best friend. Although she was crying herself.

Raphtalia continued to cry into her best friend's embrace. "Mo-Mommy… I miss you so much."

They told her to be strong. But she missed them so much. Everything hurt so much.

"Just keep smiling for me please." Rifana cried. "Please don't *cough cough* lose that smile Raphtalia," Rifana said, rubbing Raphtalia between her ears. "That's all we have left down here…"

It was getting so hard to smile.

What did this bad man want from them that he'd go to such lengths just to take her smile away?

Raphtalia was clenching up. That feral look entered her face again. "Hey. Look at me," Naofumi said calmly.

Raphtalia put her hands to her head. "I can't leave them! Not after what that vile monster did to me and my best friend! I can't leave without trying to-" Raphtalia was saying.

"LOOK AT ME!" Naofumi grabbed Raphtalia by the shoulders and surprised her by making her face him. "I don't want to flee either, damn it!" He yelled much to her shock. "This… this bastard was the one that tortured you, correct?" He asked. He also looked angry, very much so.

Raphtalia, though slightly surprised, nodded. Her memories of that place still playing in her mind.

Crack!

"AHHHHHHH!"

"That's right! Scream for me! Scream with what little worth you have left rodent!"

Raphtalia watched in shock as her best friend in the entire world was whipped in front of her again and again. The vile man no longer whipped her as often, even though she wished he would so someone else wouldn't have to suffer. He'd learned Rifana was Raphtalia's best friend. And was using that to his advantage to break the demi-girl.

"AHHH!" Rifana screamed in anguish.

"Hahahaha! That's more like it! Scream, scream, and regret your cursed existence you useless filth!" Idol yelled manically.

Rifana screamed again as the whip cracked against her back again.

"Why do you have dreams of a better life?!" The man cracked his whip against Rifana again. "You're just a couple of worthless demis!"

"R-Rifana," Raphtalia sniffed. But she couldn't cry now. Otherwise, she'd never be able to bring herself to smile again.

Naofumi stared at her. Miniature storms brewing in his eyes.

"What did he do to torture you?"

Raphtalia stared at him. "He... he..."

...

"He broke me... he broke me, and then tortured me even after I was broken."

Raphtalia held the weak hand of her unconscious best friend. An empty bowl of soup lay to the side. The only meal they'd get for the day. She'd already fed it to her friend. Hoping it'd give her another day of life.

Hope was so hard to come by down here...

"Hey, demi! You're always muttering about some village, aren't you?! About going back and rebuilding it!"

Raphtalia shakily looked up. The bad man stood behind the bars, smirking in satisfaction. "Turns out, the whole village was destroyed! Here's proof!"

He held out a crystal ball. A beam of light traveled out from it, projecting an image onto the wall.

It was her village. She could recognize the landscape from anywhere. But it was destroyed. The buildings had all collapsed. The bones of the dead littered the ground. The flag she and Rifana had promised to raise one day laid on some rubble. It was tattered and burnt. Surrounded by the bones of those who'd tried vainly to protect it.

"It looks like all your hard work is over. Everyone left the entire region to rot!" The man flashed an ugly smile. He'd gotten Raphtalia to scream in pain. But he'd never gotten her to cry.

"No… ug…" Raphtalia tried to hold it in. She tried to smile. She tried to…

"Wahhhhh!" Raphtalia collapsed to her knees. Bawling at the site of her village, her home being utterly destroyed. Part of her had held out hope that somebody had survived and stayed behind. Like Sadeena, or Keel… or someone…

But no one was left. The village her parents had entrusted to her was gone.

"Hahaha! Yes! Cry! Cry harder!" The man yelled. Laughing all the while at her misery. He pulled her out of her cell, strung her to the chain, and whipped her even more fiercely than he had before as she cried.

Something had snapped in the poor girl. This pain she felt now, it was so intense she thought she would go crazy. Her heart was so empty. Weeks of sadness that had pent up inside her cascaded out like a waterfall as she was beaten, whipped, and psychologically tortured. The projection of her destroyed village was still on the wall.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, sorry." She cried to herself. Fat tears ran down her small cheeks and dribbled onto the floor below.

What felt like hours later, the horrible man stopped. "My work here is finished." He turned off the projection. Dropped Raphtalia to the ground. Turned around, and walked out of sight. Still laughing in pleasure at what he'd witnessed.

…

"Rifana… I can't… I can't do it anymore…"

The horrible man had finally done it.

The smile she'd protected ever since the Wave struck her village was gone.

She had been broken.

Raphtalia couldn't stay silent any longer. She laid herself bare before Naofumi about what had happened in that place. What she'd experienced in Idol's cellar. She felt tears fall from her eyes as she described what had happened. This felt so much worse than when she'd told him about her village. But she couldn't relive it alone in her mind any longer.

She needed someone she trusted to know what had happened, and why she wanted to go back. And she couldn't keep it from Naofumi. Not when his angry, caring eyes begged to help her out.

When she'd finished, Naofumi scowled. "That's it. We're not going to flee." He said. "Not until we rescue those slaves. And punish that noble for what he's done."

Raphtalia looked surprised. Naofumi was taking her side so easily. But then again, this wasn't just some noble torturing people. This noble had tortured Raphtalia. And he'd done it to pleasure his sick, sadistic self.

Naofumi didn't just want to rescue those other slaves now. He wanted to make the fat bastard PAY!

"But, but it doesn't sound like the others would agree to it-" Raphtalia was saying.

"Then I'll make them agree," Naofumi said determinedly. "I'll twist their arms and make them help."

He remembered Malty threatening to have Raphtalia killed by this sick person. He growled in anger. "I won't leave. I won't stop. Not until that bastard pays with his life for what he did to you-"

"Naofumi."

Raphtalia didn't look angry anymore. She gently cut him off. "I… I appreciate that you care about me… but they're right. If we do this wrong, we risk Idol killing those slaves… and we risk getting many other innocent people hurt." She looked sad again.

…

Naofumi sighed and hugged the Tanuki girl close. Even now, she still worked on keeping him in check. Even if she wanted to punish the fat bastard too. "I'm sorry. I'm not sure what we should do then." He said, rubbing a hand through her hair.

Raphtalia rested her head on his shoulder. Snuggling into his embrace. "I don't know what to do either." She said. Tears appearing in her eyes again. "I just..."

"Ra… Raphtalia?"

Raphtalia looked at Rifana. She was staring weakly up at the ceiling.

"What… is it?" Raphtalia coughed after speaking. She had recently caught whatever it was her best friend had.

Maybe that was for the best. There wasn't anything left for her to live for anymore. If the beatings didn't kill her, surely this would.

"Do you… do you wish the Cardinal Heroes would come… come rescue us?" Rifana tiredly asked.

Raphtalia sat at the base if Rifana's cot. "Would the Cardinal Heroes even care about us?" Raphtalia said sadly.

Would they really care about two little slave girls on the verge of dying?

...

"*cough cough* I… I want… I want to go back to our village." She held a small stick, like a toothpick in one hand. Attached was a small piece of cloth. Like a small flag. "I want to go back to raise our flag… and I, I still want to meet the Shield Hero." Rifana said tiredly. "Like we talked about... on the log... before the Waves came."

Raphtalia stared at her friend. How could she still have dreams and hopes? How could she still remember life in the village?

Raphtalia sniffled and coughed once more. "Save your energy, Rifana," Raphtalia whispered. "I don't... I don't want you to die..."

Rifana was all she had left anymore...

Raphtalia sniffed again. "I miss her... I miss Rifana so much." If there was even a chance that she was alive, no matter how small, she wanted to save her.

She wanted to save her most of all.

…

...

"... I miss your armor." Raphtalia sadly said in Naofumi's embrace.

"... What?" Naofumi asked.

"It was uncomfortable to hug you when you wore it, but it was really cool… and I miss you wearing it." She said sadly.

She missed it when things had started out. When it'd been a little more peaceful. When they had been on the run from place to place by themselves. Living off of what they hunted and the mercies of nature itself.

At least back then things had seemed more simple...

"I… I do too," Naofumi admitted. He wished his armor hadn't been damaged to the point that he couldn't wear it until Van's blacksmith repaired it. He wished that they didn't have to be embroiled in such a major conflict when they were still recovering from escaping the Capital.

He wished life could be a little more peaceful for once...

But he was a Hero. If they didn't do something, all the demi-humans here risked being wiped out. But if they did do something, they risked Idol either torturing or killing his slaves… if he hadn't done so already that is.

'Damn it… there has to be some way to get through this… but what is it?' He didn't want Raphtalia put into battle so soon after recovering. He didn't want Filo to have to fight in such a large conflict. He also didn't want Melty or Eclair to get hurt since they were level 19 and 25. Hell, he'd hoped that they'd be able to grind somewhere nearby so they could become stronger by the time the next wave hit, but it didn't sound like they'd have time for that... 'Oh yeah, Raphtalia was covered in bruises earlier.'

"Is it alright if I ask why you were covered in bruises?" Naofumi asked.

Raphtalia chuckled. "I asked Eclair to help me train, and she tested my abilities with a practice duel. She was much better than I was." She admitted.

'Oh… at least it wasn't from a monster or Shadow ambush.' He thought gratefully. Though hearing Eclair had managed to beat his Companion made him somewhat fear the Rose-haired knight a little more than before. She was, what, fifteen levels below Raphtalia and wasn't being boosted by any bonuses from his shield? How had she managed to beat Raphtalia black and blue?!

Maybe he should ask her to take it easier on his girlfriend. He didn't want Eclair to-

"You better not be thinking about stopping me from improving," Raphtalia said. "If it helps me to better protect you as your sword, I won't stop."

"Alright, I won't." She loved him, but she was stubborn and wasn't afraid to speak her mind. He loved that about her. Even though she loved him, she still followed her own wishes and desires. He knew better than to fight against her desire to get stronger.

Though that didn't mean he couldn't worry…

Naofumi rested his head against Raphtalia's. "What do you think we should do?" He asked.

"... I don't know." She couldn't see either course of action working… and if she admitted that part of her wanted to sneak in alone to deal with Idol, she knew that Naofumi would never agree to it. And as much as she wanted to sneak in herself… she knew Naofumi would come charging in after her if she did so. Which would put him, Filo, Melty, Eclair, and possibly the other heroes in danger. "I just… don't want to flee if there's a chance… a chance that she's there, and that she's still alive. Waiting for me to come rescue her."

The door to the cell opened.

Raphtalia weakly looked up, seeing a strange noble lady standing there. Her hair was black. She was dressed in a long dark dress. And she held a fan in front of her face. The fat man was next to her.

"Yes. I daresay, this is the one." The lady said. Dropping a sack full of coins into the man's grubby hands.

"Hohoho, I know it's supposed to be a rental. But…" He counted the silver coins in the bag. "I'm sure this will more than make up the fine for selling it to someone else."

Raphtalia was too tired and hurt to think about what was happening. Rifana was dying. And she'd soon be in the same boat.

She didn't want to live anymore. She'd lost the will to ever since she'd seen the complete destruction of her village.

The bad fat man looked at the noble lady curiously. "Who are you buying it for again?" He asked curiously.

"My employer is none of your concern, I daresay. I can handle 'it' from here." She said dryly, walking into the cell.

"Yes yes. My knights will be waiting to help escort you out." The man bowed happily, before running off to count his new small fortune.

With it, he could rent at least a dozen, no, TWO dozen demis!

Raphtalia stared listlessly at the lady as she approached. She took out a key Idol had given her, and unchained Raphtalia's ankle. Her other hand still holding the fan in front of her face.

"Wh… why…" Raphtalia murmured. She was useless. She had no purpose left. Why would someone want to buy her?

"I daresay, you will not understand if I told you, dear child." The Shadow in disguise said. She then took out a bottle from behind her fan. "Drink this, it will help with your sickness."

"Wh… what?" Raphtalia looked broken and confused.

"There isn't much time, I daresay. I will be taking you to the Capital soon. But first, you must take this. Otherwise, I fear for your survival."

Raphtalia stared at the vial she was given. She still looked sad and broken.

*Cough Cough*

Coughing sounded behind her. Raphtalia turned her head and looked.

Rifana lay asleep in her cot. It was hard for her to sleep because of Raphtalia's nightmares. Which had gotten worse ever since Idol had shown her the destroyed village. Now, instead of cheering her up, her parents were disappointed in her. They told her she was a horrible excuse for a daughter. That it would have been better if she'd died instead of them.

It'd gotten to the point where she believed it.

Yet the sickness was so close to taking her friend…

She looked at the vial, and then at the noble lady again. She sniffed. Tears she didn't know she had anymore entered her eyes. "Please… give it to my friend… take her away instead of me…" She quietly begged.

She didn't have anything left to live for. She was broken beyond repair. Her parents berated her in her dreams repeatedly… her waking hours were like a nightmare on repeat. Hopelessness and despair had been pounded into her soul.

...

But if there was a chance she could save her best friend, she'd rather do that than take the medicine for herself.

At least she'd have done something good before leaving this cruel world behind...

The noble lady stared at her from behind the fan for a long moment. Raphtalia was broken, but she looked determined that she'd rather save her friend first before she saved herself. The disguised shadow nodded. "You are the one I am looking for, I daresay."

She grabbed the vial and walked past the confused, broken Raphtalia. Then, looking around to make sure no one else was looking, she gently lifted her sick friend's head with care. And let the contents of the vial fall down her throat.

It took a moment, but the lady set Rifana's dirty body with the utmost care back against the cot. Whatever she'd given her was already working. Color returned to Rifana's skin. And she looked much more at peace as she stepped back. "If you are willing to put your friend's life in front of your own in this place. I daresay, you will do wonders where you're going, dear child.

"Do not worry about her. She is at the end of her contract too. Hopefully, with this, she will be bought by someone kinder than the man in charge here."

Raphtalia still looked confused. But just like Rifana's skin regaining its color, a little ember of hope burned in her chest again.

It had been so long since she'd seen someone else perform such an act of kindness...

"Now, come. There is no time to waste."

Raphtalia stared, unresisting as the lady pulled her along. Unsure of what would happen now, and what this lady's intentions were. Soon, she stepped out of the cellar into a dark night. The mountains she'd seen before entering the first time came into view. The stars were prettier than she'd ever remembered.

The lady had whispered one last thing to her. Something she couldn't recall.  And then she passed out.

When she woke up the next time. She found herself, broken, sitting in a cell in a slave tent. But she hadn't had much time to think about that. As she'd woken up just minutes before someone walked in, and changed her life forever.

Raphtalia looked sad. She hadn't thought about it for so long… 'Why… why did that lady save me…' She had given the medicine to Rifana as she'd asked. But why? For what purpose?

On the other side, Naofumi was still straining his mind. Trying to come up with an idea that would work. 'Come on… there has to be something… there has to be!' He didn't want to give up on these slaves.

…

He sighed, still not thinking of anything. 'Damn it. I can't do it. No matter how I think about it… there are too many people that hate us in the way... This is pointless-'

…

…

...!

Naofumi looked like he wanted to facepalm.

There were people that hated him in their way! HIM!

"Idol Rabier worships the Three Heroes Church, correct?" He asked for clarification. Snapping Raphtalia out of her thoughts.

"Yes." Raphtalia looked at Naofumi confusedly. Sensing he was growing excited.

"Meaning he hates my guts. And he'd want to go after my guts. Along with possibly every other damn knight, mage, and shadow in that entire army." Naofumi really looked like he was getting excited. "I think… I might have an idea that'll work!"

Raphtalia looked him in the eyes. Likely using her mind tricks to figure out what his plan was. "You're not… planning on using yourself as bait, are you?!" She asked quizzically and in fright.

"No, of course not," Naofumi said. "At least, I'm not planning on using myself as bait." He said happily.

"... I'm so confused," Raphtalia said.

Naofumi pecked her on the cheek. "Don't worry. I'm still piecing it together. But it should be ready by the time we meet up with the others."

Raphtalia blushed, and her tail started wagging fiercely behind her. Maybe it hadn't been all bad that she'd been saved that day instead of Rifana. She'd been broken by that horrible man.

But Naofumi had caringly pieced her back together. He'd protected that ember of hope the noble lady had given her and nurtured it with his care and protection until it grew into a blazing bonfire. Giving her a new purpose to live for in life, and a reason to smile.

She still missed her parents. But she no longer had nightmares about them dying. Or about them calling her a disappointment. Her life had changed all because of Naofumi.

"Oh… did you happen to…" Naofumi trailed off, unsure if he wanted to finish that sentence or not, seeing how Raphtalia was reacting to the cheek peck.

"I'm fine!" Raphtalia quickly said. Trying to calm the blush in her cheeks. "I'm fine! I just, get embarrassed when you do that to me out of nowhere!" She admitted.

Oh no, she was the one that was supposed to ambush him out of nowhere! Not admit that it flustered her when he did it to her!

Naofumi smirked, assuming Raphtalia had gotten the talk after all. "Well, as long as someone gave The Talk to you. You'll know that isn't how you get pregnant." He ran out the door of the room.

"Wait, Naofumi, what's the Talk-" Raphtalia trailed off since Naofumi had already run out. 'Ohhhhhh, I guess I can just bring it up another time.' She ran out after Naofumi.

Raphtalia and Naofumi eventually met back up with the other Heroes and Van, half an hour after they had taken a break. "So, have we decided on what course of action we should take?" Van asked. "My people are ready to move."

"I'd like to propose an idea," Naofumi said. "If that's alright?"

"Go ahead, Sir Shield Hero." Van agreed.

"Do you know if Idol Rabier hates the Shield Hero?" Naofumi asked Van again for confirmation.

"With a passion," Van said affirmatively. "I haven't met a noble that hates you more than he does."

Naofumi smirked. "Great. Give your people the order to flee. Ren, Itsuki, how would you feel about the three of us working together to rescue those slaves?" Naofumi asked.

Itsuki went wide-eyed. "But how? They're going to have a freaking army in the way!" He said incredulously.

"No, they're not," Naofumi said with a grin. "Not when the army, Idol, and the Shadows think they're chasing after the Shield Hero."

He outlined the plan he'd come up with while going over it with Raphtalia in the hallway.

Itsuki still looked confused, but Ren started to grin widely. "Naofumi, that's genius."

"Genius? It's crazy! It's insane!" Itsuki yelled.

"Illusion magic to make it look like they're chasing after the Shield Hero…" Van looked impressed.

Naofumi nodded. "Raphtalia told me once illusion magic wasn't just for making objects or hiding. If the illusion is realistic enough-"

Itsuki finally caught on and looked at Naofumi in shock. "You want to use an illusion of yourself to bait them away?" He asked.

"And go through the back to rescue the slaves while they blindly chase the illusion through the forest," Naofumi said.

He'd seen it plenty of times by this point. Their zealousness was so intoxicating that it blinded them to everything logical. He wanted to use that against them so they could accomplish some good for once.

"And if Idol and his commanders stayed back to direct the army in capturing the illusion, Itsuki could sneak into wherever their place of command is and assassinate him and the other commanders. Putting the army in a state of confusion when they finally realize they were chasing after an illusion." Ren said.

"Giving my people all the time they need to get out of my lands." Van nodded affirmatively. "This, this could work."

"... I like it. Don't get me wrong. I want to stop that noble for everything he's done... But do you really think they're going to be that stupid?" Itsuki asked. He'd spent all this time preparing to eventually face down Idol in his fortress.

Would such a simple trick actually work on him?

"Yes," Naofumi said seriously. "Since these are people from the Three Heroes Church. They might be even more stupid than I'm predicting."

"And besides, once Naofumi and I are done evacuating the Slaves. You can use your Portal Skill to escape with your party." Ren said. He wasn't all that comfortable with killing people. But Itsuki had plenty of experience in that regard.

Even if he knew it was real, he was the best one for that job since he had a strong desire to enact justice on those that were evil. And these leaders were definitely amongst the worst of the worst.

Itsuki seriously thought it over some more. "Alright… I'll trust you on this. But I'd want most of your party with me including Wyndia. Just in case they try using ritual magic or something else to block my Portal skill." He also wanted Ren's higher-leveled party members on hand in case Naofumi's illusion trick ended early and they got ambushed.

Ren grimaced but nodded. "Alright. I don't see another option." He said. "Anything else?"

"I just want to say... I'm agreeing to this because Raphtalia's right. I haven't given up rescuing slaves before. I won't give up now if this has a shot of working." Itsuki said seriously.

Naofumi felt proud of the blonde-haired boy. He'd come a long way since the day he was summoned over two months ago. Raphtalia also looked very appreciative of the Bow Hero's words.

Van stood up. "I'll send out the order to begin evacuating immediately then." He also took out five vials from his jacket and handed them to Ren. "Make sure to pour these over the crests of the slaves when you get there. You have no idea how hard it was to acquire a blood sample from Idol Rabier without him realizing it." He said. "That should hopefully be enough if you pour it sparingly on everyone's slave crests."

"Hope is what we'll need if we want this to work. Let's get our parties ready," Ren said, pocketing the vials. "We'll need to make sure we're ready for anything."

"Right!" With that, the First Meeting of the Three Heroes finally dispersed.

Raphtalia looked happier than before. 'Rifana. Don't worry. If you're still there somehow, I'm going to rescue you! I promise!'

Hero Clips!

Clark Kenting

"They can't be that stupid."

"Just watch." Naofumi grabbed his Shield, changing it to the Mask Shield.

The Three Heroes were hiding on the road leading to the gates of Rabier's fortress city. Their parties were hiding with them.

Naofumi put it over his face. And then walked onto the road, approaching the gates.

"Ah, good evening Doctor. Been having a good day today?" One of the knights greeted happily.

Naofumi nodded. Walking past the guards into the city. "We hope you enjoy your time here in Rabier." The other knight greeted happily.

Itsuki and Ren looked at each other in surprise. Were they so stupid as to not recognize Naofumi because he was wearing a mask?!

"Ah, young miss. What brings you and your daughters here today?"

A hooded cloaked Raphtalia with a happy Filo and a hooded Melty had just approached the gates. Raphtalia's sword hung at her side in plain view. She smiled happily. "I'm bringing the kids to see their Father." She said happily.

"Yay! I can't wait to see daddy again!" Filo cheered happily.

"M-Me too!" Melty said, trying to sound excited.

The guards shrugged. "Hope you find your Father then." The group of three happily strolled in. The guards didn't even mind that Raphtalia looked suspicious with the covering and being so obviously armed.

"They… really are that stupid," Ren said in shock.

"Ah, what brings such fine young misses to our fair city?"

It was Rishia, Maya, and Wyndia's turn. Rishia was in the lead and looked very frightened. Wyndia and Maya both wore long suspicious thick cloaks with hoods to hide their demi-human features. "Fueh… we're, um… uh…"

The knight laughed. "No need to look so nervous pretty lady! You three aren't anywhere close to the demis we're looking for."

"That's right. We aren't. Now come on Rishia." Maya said, helping to push the frightened Rishia forward.

"Is it that hard for you to admit we're visiting here with our boyfriends?" Wyndia asked in a deadpan.

"FUEHHHHHHH!"

Wyndia glared at the Church Knights as they walked in. Her tail briefly poked out from behind. But she just grumbled and said something about the stupid sword not staying put while walking in.

THE KNIGHTS BELIEVED IT!

...

"I guess… this might work?" Itsuki looked at Ren.

"I guess?" Ren wore a pair of glasses on his face.

He was still dressed in the same armor and everything. His Legendary Sword and its gemstone were sheathed on his back in plain view!

Itsuki also wore a pair of glasses. His Bow was in plain sight on his back on top of his normal attire.

Literally, the only thing different about them was the glasses.

They finally walked out. Praying that the guard's stupidity would hold out.

They were about to pass under the gate. "You there! Halt!"

The pair stopped.

"Do I… recognize you from somewhere?" One of the guards asked.

Itsuki gulped. "Nope. Just passing through." He said nervously.

"Hmmm…"

...

Just when they thought they were screwed, the guard shrugged. "Sorry, the glasses made me think you were my long-lost cousin for some reason. Enjoy your stay!"

Ren and Itsuki walked into Rabier city.

They were both stunned beyond belief.

"They, really are that stupid."

Ren pulled off the glasses Naofumi had crafted for him. Staring at them in awe. "They didn't recognize me… because I was wearing glasses… just like Naofumi said."

The Church Knights would forever be stupid in their minds now.

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

It was evening. Yet Van's estate and the nearby town were abuzz with activity.

Demi-human Guards who'd been patrolling the land before now stood on large crates. Helping to direct the people out the town gate and towards the South. The bear therianthropes Itsuki had saved from slavery patrolled along the forest. Their noses sniffed for any sign of danger. Servants carried food and other things out of Van's manor and put them into his people's wagons.

Despite the evacuation, despite leaving their crops and homes behind, the people were calm. Many already had wagons loaded with supplies, family heirlooms, and other essentials. Van supplied food to those who didn't have enough to get by on their own. And former slaves who were still recovering from the effects of slavery rode in other's wagons.

Van's people would not leave a single person behind. Human, or demi-human. Even if they didn't get along at times, they banded together as one to help everyone they could.

Itsuki and Ren stood in front of Van's Estate. Together, they were going over the details of what they'd be doing once they got to Idol's city with their party members. This was going to require even more cooperation than the Capital. And they couldn't just bull crap a plan like last time.

They had to make sure they and the slaves got out alive.

Van had offered magic support. But they'd decided the smaller the group, the better their chances. So it would be only the Three Heroes and their parties carrying this out. If things went south, Ren and Itsuki would be capable of teleporting their parties, along with Naofumi's out.

Hopefully.

Naofumi sat at a desk inside his party's room. Compounding Magic Healing Waters, Soul Healing Waters, Healing Potions, and everything else they'd possibly need for tonight. All the ingredients came from his monster drop inventory. And all his finished products were stored away inside his Shield instead of in a pouch or on his person.

This would make holding things SO much easier!

Naofumi muttered a silent thank you to Itsuki and Ren for the information they'd provided earlier. He was multi-tasking in compounding the potions, reading the help guide for all the new information he'd acquired, and-

His shield popped out medicine onto the desk. Naofumi stopped compounding, moved the medicine out of the way, and got back to it. I was just like Itsuki had explained earlier. The medicine was of Average Quality and wasn't affected by any of Naofumi's shields that boosted the quality of medicines. But his shield automatically made it for him.

Using his HUD, he assigned more materials to it to make more before continuing his other tasks.

Naofumi felt good. Really good. The familiar activity of compounding was helping him mentally. Along with the knowledge that he wasn't just helping out a group of people. He was helping Raphtalia to come to terms with her past with Idol.

He was going to support her no matter what she chose to do when the time arrived.

Speaking of her, he saw Raphtalia through the window. She was a good distance away from the other two parties. She wore her armor, which had been repaired by Van's blacksmith. She wielded her Magic Silver Sword and followed Eclair's movements as she taught her sword basics and had her practice again and again. Eclair helped with correcting her form and stance.

She had a long way to go. But she didn't mind the corrections. She was willing to swallow her pride if it meant getting better.

Welt also practiced alongside Raphtalia. Filo and Melty were nearby. Practicing magic together. Besides Ren, everyone else was going to be assisting Itsuki. So they had the chance to practice now while they still had time.

His whole party was preparing for this. Even though he'd only met two of them over the last two or so days. They all wanted to help.

That was good.

Naofumi finished compounding one last Soul Healing Water. Then he proceeded to inventory all the potions and medicines he'd created.

'Alright. I just need to do a couple more things.'

With his Shield still working, he got up and got dressed in some black chainmail he had laid out on his bed. It was an item drop from a monster.

Black Frog's Chainmail

Equip Effects: Defense Up (Medium), Water Resistance (Small)

The chainmail reminded him of the black and grey chainmail he'd first worn as a beginner. It made him wish Van's blacksmith could fix the Barbarian Armor in time, even if it did make him look like a bandit chief.

Its better stats would have been appreciated...

'I've been running for so long… ever since I was summoned to this world I've been running.' As he examined himself in a mirror, he came to realize how things were really changing.

He had stood up and fought Bitch before. Now he was going to fight today, and if he survived, he'd be on his way to the Capital. To fight the people who had been ruining his life in this world.

'I'm fighting back for my right to fight for their world…' It was such an odd thought. He almost wanted to chuckle. 'Maybe if this all works out… I'll take Raphtalia and Filo somewhere for a vacation. They could use a break after everything they've done for me.'

He checked his inventory to make sure everything he prepared was at the top where he'd easily be able to select it and pull it out. Then he walked over to the window again and looked outside. The sun hadn't set yet, so it wasn't time to go.

Ren and Itsuki had finished talking to their parties. Ren was talking to that one demi-girl party member of his. Was her name Wyndia or Valley Girl?

Itsuki was talking with a green-haired girl. The one he'd accidentally healed the curse from.

The green-haired girl whined in fright at something. And the demi-girl just stared at Ren. The Sword Hero shuffled in place anxiously, and then she pulled a lock of hair from her tail and handed it to him.

Rishia eventually cut off a small lock of her own hair and gave it to Itsuki. Both Heroes absorbed them into their weapons.

'So they're seeing if they can unlock weapons to boost the stats of their parties…' If they had unlocked new weapons, Naofumi couldn't tell. But Itsuki went to Maya next and did the same thing, while Ren went to Welt.

His Shield was still making the next batch of medicine, so he opened his own Shield Menu to make sure he was ready.

He'd finished unlocking the Dragon Fang Shield for the +1 Attack stat. He'd also carefully read the help guides for the new strengthening methods Itsuki and Ren had shared with him so he could strengthen his best shields.

[Level Link]: This was Ren's core method. Basically, as Naofumi leveled up, the stats of his weapons would also increase. It made sense why the Sword Hero spent so much time grinding for levels before this.

[Mastery Level]: This was Ren's mastery method. By equipping a weapon or using it in battle, you could raise a weapon's mastery level to 100, increasing its stats along the way. At anytime, you could reset the weapon's mastery level, putting its stats back to normal but obtaining energy for the third method.

[Energy Transfer]: Using this method, you could use the mastery energy to awaken a weapon. This was permanent and not only increased a weapons stats but also upgraded or revealed abilities the weapon form didn't have before.

[Rarity Up]. This was Ren's last method. All weapons started with a C, or Common Rating. Using Mastery energy, you could upgrade a weapon form's rarity. Each tier up would increase the weapon's overall stats, with higher tiers providing higher stat increases than lower tiers. It had a chance of failing though, which could reset a weapon's rarity back to C. Meaning you had to be careful when using it.

That covered Ren's methods.

[Rarity Strength]. This was Itsuki's core method. It passively increased a weapon's stats based on how rare it was. It did not, however, base it on Ren's rarity method, but rather how rare the weapon itself was.

If Naofumi were to describe the difference between the two methods. It'd be like having an Excalibur, and then having THE Excalibur. One method worked on ranking up a weapon's rarity to that of Excalibur. The other became immensely powerful if it copied THE sword of legend itself and not a fake.

His Chimera Viper Shield, which was classified as a Rare weapon under Itsuki's method, had been upgraded to SR or Super Rare under Ren's method. He got the Rare bonus for Itsuki's method, and the Super Rare bonus for Ren's Method separately. Making it even more powerful than they would alone.

[Ore Enhancement/Equip]. This allowed the Hero to insert ore into ore slots on a weapon via the HUD. The ore inserted into a weapon upgraded a certain stat, and there was a finite amount of ore slots per weapon. Also, it ONLY took ore. You couldn't insert monster materials or anything else related to the Shield. It had to be ore.

It hadn't hurt for Naofumi to try. But it still failed. He'd just have to mine some more ore later.

[Item Enchantment]. This turned unwanted items and monster corpses into energy to enchant Shields. There was supposed to be a chance of failure every time he upgraded the Enchantment, and the enchantment would reset if it failed...

...

Naofumi glared at the Cooking Efficacy bonus tied to the Chimera Viper Shield.

Cooking Efficacy, LV 12: +60% Cooking Efficacy

The level 12 enchantment alone had literally been a 12% chance of success, and it still succeeded!

He looked over a couple of his other shields he'd used Item Enchantment on. Including the Shield of Hope II.

SP Regeneration, LV 4: 18 SP Regeneration

At least it was trying to be useful!

Item energy was also added to the Mastery Energy pool. Meaning you could use Mastery Energy or Item Energy to use [Rarity Up] or [Item Enchantment]. So at least he could rely on that instead of just equipping random weapons to gather more mastery energy.

[Job Levels]: This one made the least sense to Naofumi. It was Itsuki's last method, and one he'd discussed the least before. It looked like he could use a lot of materials to upgrade a stat by... +1.

Yeah, he didn't think it was worth it. Naofumi had tried it on defense since he couldn't use it on his attack stat, but it had a cooldown of twenty-four hours before he could use it again. And the cost for increasing the stat to the next level, which granted +2, was higher than the first level.

It definitely didn't seem worth it. Naofumi wasn't going to focus on this much in the future.

Oh yeah, Naofumi would be remiss if he didn't note that NOT ONE OF THESE METHODS INCREASED HIS ATTACK STAT A SINGLE POINT!

Not even the Rarity methods, which increased all the stats on a Shield, increased the Shield's attack stat.

Granted, it didn't help that zero times any number was still zero, but Naofumi was still pissed about that! Why couldn't the strengthening methods improve his own stats instead of the Shield's stats!?

Seeing how some of these methods worked, Naofumi wished he'd done a lot more fighting with Raphtalia and Filo whenever they went monster-grinding. He would have had more shields to reset so he could obtain energy that way. He would have had more monster drops. And he would have had more monster corpses to use as fodder for enchanting shields.

Oh well. Hindsight is 20/20.

He still had the 20% defense buff affecting him. But because of all the active and passive strengthening methods Ren and Itsuki had shared with him; having the much stronger Awakened Chimera Viper Shield equipped made his defense stat far higher than before.

'Heh. I wonder if Raphtalia would be capable of hurting me now…'