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Chapter Text

"The two most powerful warriors are patience and time"

- Leo Tolstoy

Two figures landed on the ground together below a Wave Crack.

From all around them, the sounds of fighting could be heard. Yet in their immediate vicinity, there was a small tranquil space where no fights occurred. Wave Monsters were no longer appearing out of the various spatial rifts, due to the Wave Boss already being dead.

It was a rather peaceful return back to their world. One which had one of the two figures wistfully smiling to himself.

"... huh. It's been a minute, hasn't it?"

"Hmmm?"

"Sorry. It felt appropriate to say that for some reason." The young man in samurai armor shrugged to his wife friend, who was dressed in a rather attractive-looking miko outfit. "Feel free to ignore me for a moment while I go on a lengthy internal monologue detailing everything that happened to us recently."

"Another one?" The grown woman teased.

The second person merely laughed, before planting a tender kiss on the girl's forehead, making her giggle with delight.

The young man, with a familiar-looking Shield attached to his arm, was someone we hadn't seen in a while. Naofumi Iwatani, the Shield Hero of this world.

Next to him was Raphtalia, the Katana Hero of another world, as evidenced by the peculiar weapon attached to her side. She was originally from this world, but… Well, it was honestly kind of a long story, so Naofumi thought he'd move on from there with the annoying reintroduction thing he typically did at the start of his journals of recorded events.

Weird that he did this at the start of every journal of his, but anyway…

"Yayyyyy~! Filo's happy to be a Filolial again!" A little angel-winged girl dressed in an ocean-blue kimono was just ahead of them.

"Fitoria is interested in hearing what it was like to be a different monster for a while." A second girl, dressed in a fancy white and pink outfit who also had wings growing on her back, nodded to her friend and protege next to her.

"Filo has soooo much to tell Fitoria! Filo doesn't even know where to begin!"

Yep, those were Filo and Fitoria. Filo was Naofumi and Raphtalia's first daughter, hatched from a monster egg over a month after Naofumi was summoned to this world, while Fitoria… Well, it was another complicated thing to explain here, but to simplify, she was a millennials old monster who was part of the Hero's growing family as well.

Simple, right? Naofumi at least thought that was the case.

"Ahhhh, it's good to be back." A tall tiger man dressed in a kimono landed next to Naofumi, and then promptly laid face down on the grass. His arms were spread out as if he was giving the world a big ol' hug. "Finally, a land that doesn't shamelessly desecrate itself with things from the worlds of the great Heroes."

That was Dou-Lon. He had recently been made a Bloodkin of the Shield Hero and was the most religious person in their group. He'd formerly fought using a lance or a pair of gauntlets but had learned how to wield a katana while they were in the Otherworld.

"Rafu." A super cute and adorable creature that looked like a mix between a raccoon and a tanuki jumped off Dou-Lon's back to begin hugging the ground next to him.

And that there was Raph-Chan. She was the power couple's second daughter, and the most perfect creature to have ever walked the face of the planet.

She wasn't their daughter in that sense, mind you, but rather she was created through a ritual involving old locks of Raphtalia's hair as well as Naofumi's blood. Hence making Raph-Chan their 'blood' daughter.

…

You know what, the Shield Hero's family was quite confusing and difficult to understand in general. There was nothing simple about any of this.

"Don't get too comfortable down there, Dou-Lon. We have a lot of work ahead of us today. Five minutes." Naofumi told the tiger man with a teasing smirk.

The hakuko raised one of his thumbs in response, but otherwise gave no more attention to what was happening around him.

'Note to self. See about having some Edo Period-styled structures and gardens built in the Hero's Nation just to mess with Dou-Lon.'

"Naofumi, I can still tell what you're thinking, you know," Raphtalia said beside her lover.

"Yes. And I think we can both agree that Dou-Lon could do with a little more loosening up." Naofumi smiled in Raphtalia's direction.

The half-Tanuki girl sighed, but she could agree with that much. Though she'd prefer it get done in a way that wouldn't make the devout tiger man question his existence.

The power couple finally began walking away from the open Wave Crack, looking around to figure out where they were and so on while Naofumi continued his internal monologue.

The Shield Hero's family had just returned from the Otherworld, otherwise known as Kizuna's world. While there, they'd gone on a series of adventures, trained together, gathered levels, compounded potions, crafted accessories, beaten Kyo's &%, and reacquired the stolen energy of the Spirit Tortoise, trapped and killed hundreds of reincarnators…

You know what, they did a lot of stuff. Some good, some bad. Moving on…

Ahead of them, Filo had begun talking to Fitoria in an excited tone about their adventures in the Other World. While Naofumi could hear the sounds of battle around him, it didn't appear as though any of the fighters here were struggling with the monsters whatsoever, so he began to note down other things in his mind.

Of their trip back, there wasn't much to say. Unlike when Naofumi went to Kizuna's world, a time that seemed so long ago, this trip had been almost instantaneous. Naofumi and his allies appeared on the other side of the Wave only a second after stepping into it, flying through a tunnel with light in the center of it before landing where they were.

On his HUD, Naofumi found his level had changed back to 83, or the same level he'd been when he'd last been in this world. He still had the addition of the levels he had in Kizuna's world, but those would disappear as soon as the Wave here was over. It was the same for everyone else in his party, except for Raph-Chan, who still didn't have levels yet.

He also found that all his stats, title, etc. had returned to normal. Goodbye, life force, magic power, and soul power. Hello to the good ol' HP, MP, and SP titles.

The latter two probably did stand for magic power and soul power in all honesty, but Naofumi felt more normal referring to them as MP and SP as he had previously. What a whiplash that'd been after being in another world for a while. It really did feel like he'd logged back into a game he hadn't played in a long time after finally getting the hang of another game.

Looking at his wife friend though, Naofumi found that the title for Raphtalia's Miko Outfit was glitching on his HUD. All of its stats were bugged out too, similar to his armor after he'd first appeared in Kizuna's world.

Crap, did it mean that Raphtalia was going to have to forgo his favorite outfit?!

Raphtalia smirked. "Oh, dear, looks like I can't wear this anymore. A pity. Guess I'll just have to switch back to what I was wearing before we went to Kizuna's world.

"I'm so happy I got my old outfit back from Glass and stored it in my Katana's inventory before we left. It's almost like I thought something like this would happen." As the half-Tanuki spoke in a sing-song voice, she pulled back from Naofumi. The top of her old armor set appeared in her hands as she pulled it out of her weapon.

…

Naofumi frowned deeply in her direction, causing the girl to stick her tongue out at him before disappearing behind an illusionary veil to change back to her old outfit where no one would see her.

…

"I swear, I'll make sure you're back in a Miko Outfit as soon as possible," Naofumi promised.

"It's not practical in our world to wear miko outfits, Naofumi," Raphtalia replied in a cheery tone while still invisible.

"Screw practicality. I'll stop at nothing to get a working Miko Outfit made for you. I'll pay Elhart a hundred, no, a THOUSAND gold coins to make it happen and-"

Smack! "Ow!"

Whilst still invisible, Raphtalia slapped the back of her boyfriend's head. "I'm not some object to play dress up with, Naofumi! I'll wear what I want!" This time, she sounded genuinely angry when she spoke.

Oops, he'd annoyed her too much with his fetish, it seemed.

"But you look so cool and sexy in it!" Naofumi protested while rubbing the back of his stinging head. "What about this, can I request one to be made for you to wear when we're at home?"

"Naofumi, it's just a robe and a skirt." Raphtalia deadpanned, sounding even more annoyed than before. "There is nothing 'cool' or 'sexy' about it."

"No way!" Naofumi sighed dreamily. "It enhances your natural beauty more than anything else. And if you don't like it, then can you at least wear one when it'd just be the two of us in our room…?" Naofumi gave a roguish grin in the direction of where his wife friend was presumably standing naked right now and looked up and down hungrily.

…

…

"... if you do manage to get one made here in our world, I'll think about it." Raphtalia sighed deeply, finally relenting as she threw the outfit to her husband friend. "That one is pretty much useless since it has no stats, so if an emergency happened, I don't want to have to change if there's no time."

Yes! Naofumi would take an inch and run a mile with it! He just had to make sure what Raphtalia got would be good enough to wear in battle so she couldn't argue against it later!

"I can still tell what's on your mind, you know!" Raphtalia yelled angrily.

Yeah yeah. Naofumi couldn't wait to see Elhart now as he stored his wife's old Miko Outfit away in his weapon!

But then the Shield Hero looked down at himself, and then at Dou-Lon. Unlike Raphtalia's outfit, Dou-Lon's kimono and his Byakko Samurai Armor didn't have any glitching problems whatsoever. It appeared that their equipment had transitioned over with no issues.

Right, it was because they were made from Guardian Beast materials. It was another bit of info that they learned from Ethnobalt before they left. Naofumi should have asked Romina to make Raphtalia's outfit from the same materials as well. Oh well, hindsight was 20/20 and all that.

Naofumi still frowned though, he'd look very out of place wearing samurai armor in this world. The Shield Hero could only hope that Elhart had finished the new armor set while he was gone. It probably wouldn't be as good as this one, but the old man could just upgrade his new armor set with Guardian Beast materials down the road.

Though, admittedly, Dou-Lon looked quite good in his outfit. The Shield Hero hoped he'd continue to wear it for a while yet.

Hell, it might even draw Eclair's eye once they returned.

"Hmmm?" Dou-Lon looked up curiously, but then just shrugged and went back to hugging the ground of his world happily.

With that covered, Naofumi looked at his list of weapon forms. He was delighted to find that the shields he couldn't access before while in Kizuna's world were accessible again… though it also meant that a lot of the Shields he'd gotten while in the Otherworld were locked away now. Except for a few monster and material shields, and all the various Guardian Beast Shields he'd gotten.

Oh well, he'd figured that would happen. Which was why he'd only spent time unlocking the equip bonuses of all the important shields. The rest could wait till the next time he got to visit and-

Wait, did that mean- NO! NOT THE SHIKIGAMI SHIELD! HOW WOULD HE GET TO VIEW RAPH-CHAN'S STATS AND BUFF THEM NOW-

Wait.

Naofumi selected his second daughter on his HUD and did find that he could still pull up her stats, but- NOOOOOOOOOO! ALL THE HARD WORK HE'D PUT INTO POWERING HER UP WOULD DISAPPEAR ONCE THIS WAVE ENDED! HER STATS IN THIS WORLD SHOWED THAT SHE WAS BACK AT THE SAME STRENGTH SHE'D STARTED WITH AFTER SHE WAS CREATED! AND HE COULDN'T USE THAT SHIELD TO BUFF HER AGAIN!

WHAT DID HE DO NOW?!

"Rafu!" Suddenly, Raph-Chan jumped up, touching her nose to his weapon.

Conditions Met! Familiar Shield Unlocked!

Equip Bonus: Familiar Servant: Familiar Power-Up

…

Naofumi's fears instantly dissipated, seeing the shield was the same as the Shikigami Shield. Only that it'd work on his daughter in this world. "Awww, thanks Raph-Chan. I'll make sure you'll become even more powerful than you were in Kizuna's world in no time." He held up a fist.

"Rafu!" Raph-Chan made a tiny fist of her own before fist-bumping the Shield Hero.

Honestly, still way too adorable. Such cuteness should have been considered illegal. But Naofumi would gladly go to jail for it, for it was worth the wholesomeness his soul experienced in his every waking moment.

"Raphtalia, dear, make sure to allow Raph-Chan to touch your weapon too so you can buff our daughter!" Naofumi called out to his wife friend.

"Got it, almost done here," Raphtalia said nearby. She didn't sound annoyed by Naofumi's antics anymore, so he was almost tempted to go into a petting frenzy with the little furball.

"Daddy~! Spear Uncle is here!" But then, the Shield Hero was knocked out of his thoughts by his first daughter running back in his direction.

"Spear- oh, you mean Motoyasu." Naofumi shook his head, before frowning and looking around again. "Wait, but if he's here, then why don't I recognize any of the fighters?"

Now that he thought about it, the area they were in didn't look like anywhere he'd seen in Melromarc… actually, would Melromarc even be in the middle of a Wave right now? He didn't think they'd been in the Otherworld for that long.

As for where they were… it was a valley in the middle of some mountains. However, unlike the lush forested mountains of Melromarc, the mountains around here were mostly barren. The majority of the greenery was located by a large river that ran down the middle of the valley a distance away from the Shield Hero.

As for the fighters around them… it was a mix of beastmen and humans. A lot of them were dressed like soldiers but looked rougher and more fierce compared to regular knights and soldiers. Were these mercenaries?

Whoever they were, they were being assisted by members of Fitoria's flock, who ran around slaying everything they could get their beaks and talons on. If Motoyasu was here, then he must have made some new friends while the Shield Hero was gone.

"Gwah!" "Gwah!" "Gwah!"

Several of the Filolials broke off from the groups of fighters, running to surround Filo and Fitoria. And then…

"Yo, Naofumi! It's been a while!" A familiar-looking blonde man rode up on the back of a large orange-feathered Royal Filolial. He had a spear in an unfamiliar weapon form on his back, as well as a wide goofy grin plastered on his face. But his outfit was… completely different from before. Had Motoyasu decided to try a more 'knightly' look while Naofumi was gone?!

Right, this was, of course, Motoyasu Kitamura, the Hero of the Spear. He looked like he'd changed quite a bit since Naofumi last saw him, however. And he'd clearly come out better from it.

The Spear Hero dismounted and hastily approached the Shield Hero with the same wide grin on his face while extending his hand out.

Naofumi looked down at it and then eagerly shook it firmly with a grin of his own.

Their past was complicated to explain, but well… Naofumi had no beef to speak of with the blonde man in front of him anymore. It had been thanks to his help that the Shield Hero had even gotten off the ground while in the Otherworld.

So long as Moto didn't start simping after Naofumi's first daughter again, he'd remain in his good graces from that alone.

Yes, that was a thing Moto did. Naofumi 'really' hoped he'd moved past that in the time he was gone.

"Where's Raphtalia? Is she around? And what about Itsuki and his friends? Didn't they come with you?" Motoyasu asked while looking around, seeming eager to greet the others as well.

Naofumi was about to answer, only to frown as he recalled that Itsuki and his friends had already run out ahead of them- wait, he hadn't had the chance to reintroduce them yet though. But then, they weren't nearby. Had they gone home already or something? Actually, no, the Wave was still going on, so it wouldn't have been possible to portal back yet.

"Amber saw what looked like the Bow Hero and his friends running towards the mountains that way. Perhaps he wanted to get a good vantage point to slay the remaining monsters from?" The Royal behind Motoyasu suggested, shocking Naofumi.

Knowing how Filolials liked referring to themselves in the third person a lot of the time thanks to his daughter, that could only mean Amber… was this the very same Filolial Motoyasu had befriended before?!

Poof!

In a familiar poof of feathers, Amber turned into her teenage human form. Further surprising Naofumi. She was wearing an orange dress and had an ahoge in her hair too, meaning she'd passed Fitoria's trials.

"Huh. I didn't even notice them. I wonder if he was using one of his stealth skills to move around or something." Motoyasu looked up in thought.

Naofumi blinked. Things really could change while he was gone. Hopefully, they hadn't changed too much though, otherwise-

"Should I go after them?"

A new voice then spoke from behind Motoyasu, and Naofumi moved to see who it was, only to be even more confused.

Was that silver-haired girl holding a giant pair of scissors while hugging a doll that looked eerily like Motoyasu in her other arm?!

"If you could, S'yne. Thank you. Please direct him here. We're almost done with the Wave at this point." Motoyasu turned back and warmly smiled in the girl's direction.

The girl, S'yne, blushed lightly, yet smiled as she rushed towards the mountains. Eviscerating a few stray Wave Monsters with her scissors on the way there.

…

…

"Huh, I can't tell what you're thinking right now, Naofumi." Raphtalia reappeared from her illusion behind the Shield Hero. She was dressed in her old outfit.

Admittedly, it did look good on her still… but the Miko clothes were superior for sure!

"Oh, there you are, Raphtalia! Glad to have you back! Has Naofumi been improving his poker face since you guys left?" Motoyasu asked happily.

"Sort of. It's more like he tends to make expressions lately that I haven't seen him use before." Raphtalia answered with a smile, holding out her hand for the Spear Hero to shake as well.

Motoyasu gladly did so, and then Raphtalia went and greeted Amber while Filo ran back up with several members of Fitoria's flock to talk excitedly with the new Filolial Queen.

"Ahhhh, it's been a while since I last saw Filo." Motoyasu smiled like a dope. "She looks a lot happier. Did things go well while in the Otherworld, Naofumi?"

…

However, the Shield Hero was still staring in the direction of the girl who'd left. He didn't even notice how Moto was, against all odds, not openly simping after his first daughter. And instead, at the Spear Hero's question, Naofumi finally opened his mouth and spoke, pointing a finger in the direction of the girl that'd run off.

"Who the &%# was that?"

"S'yne? She's my latest party member, though she only joined the Hero's Nation two days ago, so there's still a lot of things to work out." Motoyasu smiled wistfully, ignoring Naofumi's rude remark. "She's super cool though. She managed to find and kill the Wave Boss before me or Fitoria could do so."

"That was only because Fitoria wanted to meet up with Naofumi and his flock as soon as possible." The Filolial Queen said as she reappeared at Naofumi's side. "But Motoyasu's new friend did very well."

…

Crap… how was Naofumi supposed to do a reintroduction on a person he'd never met before!? Itsuki and his party were one thing, and Amber was another, but this uh… how did you even spell that name!? Sine?! Saine?!

And as if things couldn't get any worse…

"Motoyasu, Hu and his men need assistance cleaning up the last of the enemies to the north! Some of the monsters are trying to run away from us!"

A large panda woman dressed from head to toe in plate armor shouted at the Spear Hero. Based on how Motoyasu smirked in her direction, it was clear he also knew exactly who she was. "Sure thing, me and Amber will be right on it, Larsa!"

"Oh, and by the way, this is Naofumi! The Shield Hero!" Motoyasu quickly gestured toward his younger brother figure.

"Naofumi, eh? The name's Larsa. Captain of Zeltoble's mercenary army. Pleased to make your acquaintance." The panda woman smiled widely, tipping the visor of her helmet to the other Cardinal Hero with a pleased expression, before quickly turning on her heels to face those following her. "This is it boys, we're almost at the end! TEAR THESE REMAINING &%$#$%# LIMB FROM LIMB!"

The mercenaries all let out battle cries as they followed their leader, charging after a horde of monsters fleeing from lieutenants Elmelo and Auber in the distance.

Motoyasu gave a smile to Naofumi as Amber ran up beside him, transforming into her Royal form again so he could hitch a ride. "I'll catch up with you later, Naofumi. There's a lot I want to discuss with you, but for now, I'm needed elsewhere!

"Hiyah!"

"Yayyyyy~! Time for a cavalry charge, I say!" Amber cheered as she ran northward. Motoyasu's spear already glowing bright with a skill.

…

…

"You okay there, Sir Naofumi?" Dou-Lon asked, having gotten off the ground at this point.

"Rafu." Raph-Chan poked the Shield Hero's cheek. But Naofumi still didn't respond.

"Mommy, what's going on with Daddy this time?" Filo asked Raphtalia innocently.

"I… think Daddy's just conflicted that his habit of reintroducing everyone out of nowhere was just ruined," Raphtalia said, sadly smiling at the fact that she could understand her husband friend a little too well at times.

…

…

It'd take another minute for Naofumi's brain to recover from the shock, but once it did, he did not try to reintroduce anyone or anything else going forward for the rest of the day.

Thank, God.

The Shield Hero eventually did return to reality. Though it was at a most unfortunate time, as things had calmed down more in the immediate area by then, and he found himself surrounded by more Filolials compared to before.

"Gwah! (Orion is starving! Can Orion finally taste the Shield Hero's Legendary cooking?!)"

"Gwah! (Ooh! Pinkie can't wait for a feast!)"

"Gwah!" "Gwah!" "Gwah!" A lot of the Filolials looked in Naofumi's direction. Eyes wide and eager with hunger.

Grrrrrr…

The sound of a flock of stomachs rumbling with desire at the same time began to fill the air.

…

Yep, Naofumi was done here. He had not gone to another world and traveled back only to immediately start cooking for a herd of ravenous Filolials.

He pulled up Portal Shield, readying it for when the Wave ended, and found two of the three old locations he had saved in this world were still there. He ignored the incessant cries of the Filolials as he did so.

There was the courtyard of Mirellia's castle. And Lurolona Village, though the title for it had changed to Lurolona Town. 'Huh, it must have grown since last time. I'll ask Motoyasu about it later, assuming it doesn't take him long to help clean up the aftermath of this Wave.'

The only location missing was the spot that Naofumi saved near the Spirit Tortoise. This made sense, as the location might have been destroyed during its battle with Fitoria.

And honestly, Naofumi would have gone straight home as well, if not for the fact that he was going to have to check in with Mirellia first. He was also going to have to stop by Elhart. Pick up his new outfit if it was ready. Put in an order for another outfit for Raphtalia. Check to see if the other projects he had the blacksmith working on were ready or not. Not to mention, there was something else that Naofumi needed from Mirellia before he went back as well.

Then it'd finally be time to head back home to Lurolona and catch up there. And with luck, Naofumi and his friends would be able to catch a break for a while and recuperate after the intense journey that they'd gone through, all so they could-

"Oh, I almost forgot. How do I return the stolen energy from my Shield to the world?" Naofumi looked down at his weapon with a frown.

"I'm… not sure. Did Ost ever explain-" Raphtalia started to say.

However, at that moment, the Wave Cracks in the sky began to glow bright, signifying the end of the Wave.

And at the same time, a bright beam of light came out of Naofumi's Shield. Going up into the sky while the glow of the Wave ending covered everything.

…

After a moment of blinking his eyes, Naofumi pulled up his HUD again and found that all his Wave Timers in the corner of his vision had paused. As well as that, a blue hourglass with an 8 on it was now located beneath the Wave Timers.

Time Remaining Till Phoenix Awakening: 120 Days

A hundred and twenty days… on the one hand, it was a relief that they had so long to prepare. On the other, after seeing how many the Spirit Tortoise had killed, it almost seemed like the cost for this much time wasn't worth it. Seeing the 8 also cemented how the Phoenix was going to be a tougher challenge than the Spirit Tortoise.

…

Naofumi looked around at the valley again. The fighters and mercenaries here were celebrating the end of a successful Wave. The first one they'd ever managed to truly fight off without suffering a lot of casualties during it. And soon, they'd have even more cause to celebrate, because they'd learn the bright light that'd gone up into the sky had paused the Waves the world over, buying them another four months to help their nation and people recover.

But somewhere, out there in the distance, Ost's body was resting on the earth. In the process of being stripped of its useful materials by the members of the coalition for the benefit of their world.

The image of the Spirit Tortoise and the destruction it brought would strike terror into the hearts of people for many generations, but the world would eventually heal. Whereas Ost…

…

Naofumi clasped his hands together, bowing his head in respect. Perhaps Dou-Lon had rubbed off on him a bit, but he felt it appropriate to pay his respects to the souls of all those whose lives had been sacrificed to protect this world for a time and allow the Heroes to prepare.

And especially to Ost, for the sacrifice she'd made so this could happen.

Next to him, Raphtalia also clasped her hands. And Dou-Lon did so as well.

…

…

After a moment, the group finished their silent prayers, and Naofumi looked at his wife friend. "After the Waves are over, let's visit Ost's body and give her a proper farewell."

"But for now, let's focus on saving the people of our world, just like she asked us to do."

Raphtalia nodded. "Yes."

As Naofumi raised his Shield, he frowned as he noticed one last thing that'd just changed with the release of energy from his shield.

The stats of the Spirit Tortoise Heart Shield, his best shield, had dropped considerably.

Had the soul energy from the Spirit Tortoise been buffing its stats a lot? Don't get him wrong. It was still a good shield overall, but some of the shields he'd gotten from the Otherworld like the Demon Dragon Shield were now stronger than it.

…

Welp, good thing he'd strengthened the Black Tortoise Shell Shield as an extra option. He could fall back onto that one for future fights until he got a Shield made from the Spirit Tortoise's materials in this world.

"Thank you for escorting us back, Fitoria. I'll meet you and Motoyasu at Lurolona later if you can make it." Naofumi headpatted the Filolial Queen. "You ready to go, Filo?!"

"Yesss~!" Filo bounded up happily.

"Okay. Hmmm…" Fitoria looked off in the distance as she started frowning.

"Portal Shield!"

As she turned back to Naofumi though, the Shield Hero had already portaled away with the rest of his family.

…

She'd just have to meet up with him later… after she met up with Moto. And calmed her flock, who were now pouting and crying out in rage at not being fed by the Shield Hero.

...

Though she frowned even more deeply at the fact that another bright light had flashed on the mountainside.

And yet Itsuki's friends hadn't been taken with it.

Naofumi and his party appeared in the courtyard of the castle right as Her Majesty was exiting her castle.

Even though they'd been quite far away, the bright light that went high into the sky had been visible even here in Melromarc through the overcast weather. Mirellia and her husband had been walking out to investigate where it'd come from.

After the Shield Hero's appearance though, the Queen's curiosity was alleviated. And so, Mirellia invited Naofumi and his family into the castle, where they could have their talk in the throne room.

"Hey, Mel's Mommy and Mel's Daddy! Filo's happy to be back!" Filo waved at the two royals after they'd seated themselves, drawing a smile from Mel's Mom.

"It is great to see you too, young Filo. Melty has been looking forward to seeing you again, as have I." Mirellia said, happiness clear in her voice.

"Yayyyy~!" Filo began spinning in her spot.

Trash briefly looked up from his throne at the young girl, but besides the corner of his lip lifting a bit, he lowered his head and tried to remain invisible to the conversation happening now.

"Naofumi, I'll take it that you and the Bow Hero were successful in recovering the stolen soul energy from the rogue Book Hero?" Mirellia then asked the Shield Hero politely.

She didn't even question why Naofumi was wearing a different outfit, or who Raph-Chan was, or anything of the sort. She instead wanted to get the most important things out of the way first so they could transition to a more… familial setting more quickly.

Filo was already too good at politics.

"Yes, it was a long and difficult mission, but we succeeded in the end." Naofumi nodded his head in affirmation. "The bright light you saw in the sky earlier was the stolen soul energy being returned to the world."

"That is good... You appear to have grown since the last time I saw you and your friends, Naofumi." Mirellia smiled warmly.

After being away for so long, Naofumi found himself smiling in return. This wasn't him doing a reintroduction, but of the people he'd missed while in the Otherworld, Mirellia was in the Top Ten.

This was, no doubt, because the politics of Kizuna's world had been complete and utter %$#$.

Honestly made him wish Corrin could have been a lot like Mirellia, or at least as good at politics as she'd been, but you couldn't win them all.

"Yes, I…" As Naofumi prepared to speak about the events in the Otherworld, he noticed Aultcray was still sitting silently on his throne, his gaze directed at his lap, unable to meet the Shield Hero's eyes.

…

Now that Naofumi thought about it, the King looked more aware compared to last time… yet he still seemed to be surrounded by the same cloud of regrets as before.

…

Naofumi focused on the Queen again. It appeared that she'd been speaking, but he hadn't been paying attention. A fact she appeared to have picked up on as well.

"Is something on your mind, Naofumi?" Mirellia asked curiously. "I believe you were about to report on what happened in the Otherworld?"

"Yeah, I am… or, I was." Naofumi shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mirellia, I know there are a lot of important things that we undoubtedly need to share and discuss, and that we're both limited on time, given that you have a country to run and I have a Nation to prepare for the Phoenix, but…

"There's something that I selfishly want to set right, before anything else, if you don't mind," Naofumi answered, sounding weirdly humble as he did so.

…

Mirellia's eyebrow went up. Weirdly enough, while the Shield Hero could be an open book at times, she couldn't tell his intentions right now. However, when Raphtalia looked to the side, she could tell what he wanted to do immediately and began to smile with pride.

"Of course, when it comes to the Heroes, I can afford to make time. No one else in this world is more important to our safety and well-being than the four of you." Mirellia said honestly. "What is your desire?"

Naofumi breathed in, relaxing before looking at Mirellia again. "The... punishment that I had you issue before. The one that involved officially renaming your husband to 'Trash'.

"I want you to rescind it. I no longer feel the same way as I did before regarding him.

"I'd prefer calling the King by his old name, Aultcray Melromarc, from now on."

…

…

"Oh, and you can add the XXXII to his title as well. I remember that being a part of his name." Naofumi added when the Queen didn't immediately respond.

…

…

…

…

…

...

...

...

...

...

Clack clack clack…

The fan the Queen held in one of her hands fell to the floor beside her.

A look of open-mouth shock was painted on her features.

Aultcray had finally looked up as well by this point, his eyes wide and his face similarly full of surprise.

"Wh… What?" The older man spoke.

Naofumi almost turned away, an embarrassed look in his eyes. "Aultcray, I'll admit that I still haven't entirely forgiven you for the way you treated me upon being summoned to this world. What I had to go through was downright horrible. For a long time, I wanted nothing but to get back at you for what I went through after my summoning.

"But… I don't feel right about calling you Trash anymore. Especially after you stood up in front of your daughter to defend me.

"Events that happened in the Otherworld may have also been a factor, but um… to keep it brief, I don't think the you now deserves the title of Trash. And that it was immature of me to want to call you that in the first place.

"I do hope our relationship will continue to improve down the road." Naofumi smiled in the King's direction. "Sound good?"

…

…

Tears appeared in the older man's eyes. His jaw shook as he struggled to think of words to say.

"Naofumi… he's serious about this?" Mirellia asked in disbelief, looking in Raphtalia's direction for confirmation.

The half-tanuki girl nodded. "He is. He came to that decision himself. And I agree with him on it." Raphtalia then smiled in the former Staff Hero's direction. "There is much I have to forgive you for as well, Wise King… but I am grateful that you are walking a better path now than the one you were on the day I confronted you in that Arena, Your Majesty.

The former Staff Hero bowed his head in shame. "I-I don't… I don't know…"

…

A hand rested on his shoulder, and the King looked up to find Naofumi had walked up to him.

"… I might not be as old as you just yet Aultcray, but being a Father to Filo, and... getting firsthand experience of seeing my daughter get hurt and mistreated. As well as seeing how awful a political scenario can be when things go to &%$#, just imagining those two happening together… I can at least understand in part why you acted the way you did when we first met, and especially after I ran…"

The man grimaced. "While I was in the Otherworld, I got to see what true trash was like, and just how meaningless their ilk was. You had reasons to hate me, at the very least."

"My r-reasons… b-b-but they w-weren't…" Aultcray couldn't continue speaking. His voice was breaking repeatedly as he tried to form words.

"Not good for a normal person. But for a Father, I would have done far worse in your shoes. And I can say that with certainty since it took someone far smarter and more level-headed than me knocking me out cold to stop me from going on a murderous rampage when I saw someone torturing Filo." Naofumi nodded his head gravely.

…

Aultcray couldn't say anything. Even Mirellia was tearing up next to him.

The ruler then waved her hand, shooing all her guards and shadows out of the room, besides her main Shadow, and then once they'd left, Mirellia embraced her husband, crying into his shoulder as he cried into hers.

Aultcray did not feel worthy of what was happening to him. But Mirellia was crying tears of happiness and relief at what was happening. She'd planned in the future about asking Naofumi, or even pleading with him to change her husband's name back, as it never did feel right for her to call him Trash in public.

And yet here he was, doing just that, with no intent of hanging it over her as a favor or anything.

Naofumi pulled back to watch alongside Raphtalia, Dou-Lon, and Filo. Raphtalia was smiling next to him, while Filo went up to pat Aultcray on the head with a smile.

"There, there. Don't cry, Mel's Daddy.

"Everything's alright now! Everything will be okay!"

The man continued to sob, his entire worldview having been flipped on its head once again thanks to the Shield Hero, the God of his greatest enemies, not only showing him mercy but compassion and even greater than that, understanding.

Because indeed, only a Father who truly loved their kids could have understood why Aultcray did what he did. And Naofumi, unrestrained by politics, had done far, far worse than the old man had done to him after he'd found that guy in Kizuna's world abusing Filo for the entertainment of others.

If Naofumi couldn't understand Aultcray's pain after that, then he wouldn't have deserved to be called Filo's Daddy.

…

During all this, Dou-Lon was staring at his Hero in awe.

"What?" Naofumi asked him.

"I just… never thought I'd see the day when you'd show such mercy on another person. Especially the former Staff Hero." Dou-Lon shook his head in disbelief.

"... Well, my bloodkin taught me that it is better to show mercy to those who deserve it, instead of being unnaturally cruel to them." Naofumi grinned.

"Oh- Ohhhhhh!" Dou-Lon began smiling wide in happiness. His tail wagged rapidly behind him.

It wasn't the entire truth. Naofumi still enjoyed making those he considered to be his enemies suffer to an unhealthy degree. Especially if they wanted to hurt the members of his family.

However, Aultcray was anything but his enemy at this point. He was not a man living off hatred. He was simply a man trying to work towards redemption. And Naofumi wasn't going to throw him an anchor after he'd worked so hard to pull himself out of the drowning pit of despair he'd trapped himself in.

Unlike those trash reincarnators in Kizuna's world…

…

At the thought, Naofumi began to frown. That was one very important thing he'd gotten out of the way. However, how was he even going to transition to explaining what'd happened while in the Otherworld?

Even now, there were still a lot of things he was still processing from the whole trip. How could he hope to help Mirellia understand it?

"Naofumi." While he was frowning, the Shield Hero saw that Mirellia had stood up this time.

And in a heartfelt gesture, the Queen bowed to him. "Thank you, so much."

…

The young man nodded. "You're welcome. But that was something I should have done before I left."

…

"..." Mirellia stayed quiet for a moment, looking at the young man over again. Her view of the Shield Hero underwent another transformation. "You… have grown so much. In such a short time too."

(Quick A/N: Yes, Naofumi is supposed to be wearing Samurai Armor here, however, Lyron has not made a model of him wearing that yet, so please ignore the fact that Naofumi is in his normal Barbarian Armor set here. Hopefully in the future, when Lyron has a model of Naofumi's Otherworld Armor made, he'll fix Naofumi's outfit here :). Thanks for the great job on this btw man!)

"Well, time did pass twice as fast in the Otherworld compared to here." Naofumi rubbed the back of his neck, smiling at his companion as he did so. "I made a lot of new connections while I was over there. They helped me out in quite a few ways."

"Rafu!" Raph-Chan raised her paw in greeting.

"Yeah!" Filo cried out happily.

"Indeed." Raphtalia held Naofumi's hand in hers.

Dou-Lon said nothing, simply having his fists raised as he was still high off Naofumi's earlier compliment to him.

...

"... I am glad to hear that." Mirellia sighed as she returned to her seat. "I'm glad your family has found happiness, Naofumi. I wish I could tell you that no problems popped up while you were gone.

"But a lot has happened here as well in your absence. More than I expected."

"As expected." Naofumi rolled his eyes, but he smiled playfully as he did so.

However, far from smiling, a frown spread on the queen's features. "I received word only yesterday that the traitor who was suspected to be in the Hero's Nation was finally discovered."

…

Naofumi frowned deeply for the first time since entering the throne room. "The one who's been tampering with all the hero-related texts we've been collecting?"

"Yes, it was a member of the Bow Hero's party. Karn, the swordsman." Mirellia continued grimly. "Unfortunately, from what I understand, he killed himself before the rest of Sir Itsuki's party could detain him for questioning. His body then vanished."

…

A sound of rolling thunder echoed somewhere outside. It was followed by the pitter-patter of droplets hitting against the glass windows of the throne room.

A deep sense of unease came over Naofumi. A chill of dread started to go down his spine. "Did he have a weird ability that he showcased before killing himself?"

"... Yes, he did. How did you know?" Mirellia asked in confusion.

"What was the ability?" Naofumi pressed further instead of answering.

"Rafu?" Raph-Chan perked up on Raphtalia's shoulder, looking up at the ceiling with a confused gaze.

"The report that I read was a bit vague in that regard. But from what I understand, Karn somehow managed to stab one of Sir Itsuki's party members in the back while still standing in front of her by utilizing some kind of unknown spatial displacement magic."

"!" Naofumi and Raphtalia exchanged tense looks.

"You mean like one of those guys Kizuna had us prepare for-" Dou-Lon started to ask but Naofumi tuned him out as the gem on the Cardinal Shield suddenly flared brightly, illuminating the room and revealing some kind of distortion in the air right behind Mirelia's throne.

It was subtle and hard to spot. Like a shimmering wispy cloud of black smoke that seemingly melded with the shadows around it.

"AIR STRIKE SHIELD!" Naofumi shouted in panic, conjuring the barrier behind the Queen.

"Wha-?" Mirelia sharply twisted her head around in surprise. 

CLANG!

A human hand clutching a short sword smashed into the construct before vanishing in an instant. Seemingly dissolving midair along with the spiraling black cloud it had come from.

Aultcray snapped out of his emotional moment, startled by the sudden sharp sound.

"MOVE TO ME, NOW!" Naofumi sprung to action, sprinting in front of both monarchs. " Meteor Shield!" His skill activated and encompassed the three of them in a dome of blue energy as the Shield on his arm changed to the Shield of Diligence.

"Raf! Rafu!" Raph-Chan began pointing toward the top of one of the pillars. Her stats might have all been reset when crossing back to this world, but her soul powers were still as sharp as ever.

Shadow sprang to life, a single dart being thrown from her hand in the direction the familiar had indicated.

It impacted against stone and then fell down on the floor with a clatter, missing whoever had been hiding behind the top of the pillar.

"What is this?! Are we under attack?!" Mirellia demanded to know as her eyes rapidly scanned the room trying to find the unknown assailant while sticking close to her husband.

Dou-Lon, Raphtalia, and Filo all jumped around the pillar, looking around intently for the would-be eavesdropper. However, the portal he'd used to escape had already vanished.

"Rafu." Raph-Chan looked around as well, frowning since she couldn't sense where their enemy had disappeared off to.

"Naofumi, what is-" Mirellia looked to the Shield Hero again, only to be awestruck at how his appearance had changed.

A white, fluffy robe fell down behind him. The edges of his hair were tinted pure white. The irises of his eyes had turned a bright, rich blue. Naofumi's breastplate had turned white as well, with it having the addition of a crest of a dove in its center, just like his currently equipped shield. He looked like the angels spoken of in some of the legends she'd read up on.

Despite his more angelic appearance, however, Naofumi's expression was anything but serene. "Before we speak any further, Your Grace, we need to get to the Dragon Hourglass. Now." Naofumi whispered in a tense voice. "Don't ask me why. Please, just trust me. I'll explain later."

"..." The Queen's eyebrow arched up again, but Naofumi's face didn't change. Neither did the expressions of his companions who formed a protective circle around them.

"I see… very well. I will withhold my questions for now."

The Queen began to move, her Shadow assisting Aultcray as well, who looked around in fear and confusion.

As Naofumi's party gathered moved around him, and as he went through the process of adding the rulers and Shadow to his party, Raph-Chan bounded into his arms. Naofumi idly petted her head once.

She had just become even more important since she could sense their enemies even while they were hiding.

She'd be especially important in that regard for the next few minutes.

"Everyone, move!"

The rulers followed Naofumi as he hastily escorted them out of the throne room, down the halls of the castle, and out into the city. Keeping his skill up the whole time as he did so.

The earlier sounds of thunder proved to be the harbinger of an oncoming storm. It had only just begun but the rain and wind were growing more intense by the moment.

"All eyes inside the barrier," Naofumi ordered everyone as they hastily ran out of the castle's gates in a tight group. "We don't know for sure what the mechanics of this reincarnator's cheat are. He might be capable of teleporting inside my skill to bypass it entirely. Get ready to defend from any angle."

"Right."

"Of course."

"Sure thing Daddy!"

"Rafu!"

Mirellia stayed silent as she and her husband were hastily escorted through the streets. The rain was starting to grow fierce at this point, but everyone was still completely dry, courtesy of the Meteor Shield preventing even the elements from entering it.

Numerous townsfolk could be seen running off to escape from the torrential downpour, hiding in their houses or various stores. A small blessing, considering what was likely about to go down. There would be no need to worry about potential civilian casualties.

"Raph-Chan, is he still following us?" Naofumi asked as they turned another corner, his memory and legs carrying him straight toward where he remembered the Three Heroes Church's main building used to be.

"Grr! Rafu!" The shikigami growled as the fur on her tail bristled.

"He's keeping his distance for now. Got it. Stay alert and tell us right away when he tries to approach. I doubt he's going to just leave now after showing his hand like that." The Shield Hero nodded with determination.

"I know this might not be the best time but..." Dou-Lon gestured at a couple of damaged buildings they passed by along the way. "Was the Capital attacked recently?"

"Yes, the city was hit by a Wave a few days ago," Mirellia answered. "Thanks to Sirs Motoyasu and Ren, however, the damage caused was small."

"I see… that'd line up with the wave that Kyo had summoned..." Dou-Lon nodded grimly.

"S-summoned?!" Mirelia's mouth went agape but Naofumi raised his hand sharply without looking back.

"Later. I promise."

…

After a bit, Naofumi noted how they were in a section of the city that'd been damaged a bit more than the others. There were numerous craters in the streets, and some of the buildings had seen better days.

But it was all in the process of being repaired by a group of manual laborers and city guards working in tandem. They were still trying to stick to their schedule despite the downpour.

A few of them turned their heads in surprise after noticing the glowing dome barrier pass by them. The guards among them quickly recognized the pair of royals and the Shield Hero. Misunderstanding the purpose of the barrier, thinking it was being used to keep the rain out, they began to approach the group on all sides to greet them.

"%&*$." Naofumi cursed under his breath. "Raph-chan, is he still keeping his distance?"

"Rafu." The familiar nodded. But then her head perked to the right, and she started growling. "Rafu! Raf!"

Naofumi quickly moved, blocking a knife that'd appeared inside his barrier before it could connect with Mirellia's throat.

"Ha!" Dou-Lon unsheathed his weapon, the Byakko Katana, which had also survived the transfer between worlds, before deflecting a pair of knives that'd flown out of another smoky black portal towards Aultcray's head.

The hakuko did not have as much experience as his hero, however, and one of the knives ricocheted off his katana at an awkward angle, slicing along his cheek with its blade.

"Argh!" Dou-Lon grabbed the side of his face with a pained hiss as the wound was suddenly set ablaze, dealing an additional burst of damage.

"Zweite Heal!" Naofumi quickly chanted and healed his friend.

Looking down, he saw the knife that'd hurt the tiger man. The weapon quickly sunk into the ground, seemingly devoured by another black cloud that had appeared underneath it, but not before Naofumi saw its stats pop up on his HUD.

Magic Mythril Knife

Quality: High

Special Effects: Attack Up (medium), Burning

Status effects. Damn, those were annoying to deal with.

"GUARDS! TO ME! THE SHIELD DEMON HAS TAKEN THE ROYAL FAMILY HOSTAGE! KILL HIM!" Mirellia's voice suddenly screamed out with desperation, its volume and clarity cutting even through the sounds of the rain and thunder.

Naofumi twisted his head at the queen with shock and disbelief, but only found her looking back at him with an equally bewildered expression.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!? HELP US, YOU FOOLS!" Aultcray's voice cried out next, but the man's mouth had remained closed the whole time.

"W-what!? The Shield Demon?"

"Hurry! We must aid Her Majesty!"

The guards snapped to attention, dropping down their tools to reach for their arms instead as they charged at the barrier from all around.

"HAHAHA! TRY IT IF YOU DARE! I SHALL BURN THIS WHOLE COUNTRY DOWN!" Naofumi's voice roared out right in front of him next, coming out of a tiny swirling black vortex in the air within Meteor Shield's diameter.

"Oh, that son of a bitch!" Naofumi gritted his teeth in realization.

"Wait, guards! Stop! This is a trick-" Mirelia tried to shout.

"KILL HIM! KILL HIM NOW!" The louder Mirellia's voice boomed with crystal clarity, covering her own.

The group of guards quickly surrounded the barrier, smashing their weapons against it in an attempt to break it. It was not dealing any damage, and the effort was only destroying their weapons, but it forced Naofumi's group to a crawl as Naofumi himself became angrier, realizing what was happening to him right now.

But he didn't have the time to vent, as thanks to his slowing down, more and more knives began to appear out of thin air inside his barrier before shooting at blinding speed toward the group. Forcing Naofumi's cohorts to defend from many different directions, finally halting Naofumi as he focused on defending the pair of Royals and the members of his family.

As expected, he and Raphtalia were doing just fine, whereas Filo and Dou-Lon were struggling to keep up with so many knives. Even with the Shield of Diligence increasing the defense stats of all his allies, if each of these knives had a different status effect attached to them, then they were in serious trouble if even one attack landed while Naofumi-

"ENOUGH! SOLDIERS! THIS IS YOUR QUEEN MIRELIA Q. MELROMARC SPEAKING!" Mirellia's voice boomed louder than Naofumi had ever heard from her.

It wasn't a voice amplifying spell or device, but rather, Mirellia using her years of practice as a royal to make her voice project over the sounds of thunder, rain, and the clanging of knives off Naofumi's defenses as well as her knight's weapons bouncing off Naofumi's skill, finally making them stop in shock.

"THIS IS A TRICK!" Mirellia glared at them with intensity. "CLEAR THE AREA OUT IMMEDIATELY! WE ARE UNDER ENEMY ATTACK! THE SHIELD HERO IS ESCORTING US TO SAFETY! I REPEAT! FALL BACK AND RETREAT FROM HERE, NOW!"

"DON'T LISTEN! THE SHIELD DEMON IS USING HIS WICKED POWERS TO IMITATE MY VOI- FU-!" The fake Mirellia tried to argue, but the barrage slowed as it did, and the voice was suddenly cut off when the Vassal Katana stabbed into the tiny vortex in the air with deadly precision, making it disappear as a cuss word nearly escaped out the end of it.

The guards saw and heard it happen too, since they stood much closer now. Shock filled their gazes, and at Mirellia's fierce expression, they bowed their heads in shame. With no further need for convincing, they immediately backed away and dispersed, clearing the way.

"Good job, Raphtalia!" Naofumi complimented the Katana Hero. "The way is clear! Keep moving!"

"Rafu!" The shikigami suddenly pointed behind a corner of one of the partially destroyed buildings. There was the sound of someone cussing there, but it stopped as soon as the group faced that direction.

" High Quick!" Filo in her human form rushed to where her younger sister had pointed, plowing through a wall before bringing her fist down… only to find no one to target with her attack.

...

"Hahaha... no dice, huh? You and your allies continue to subvert everyone's expectations, Naofumi!"

The Shield Hero's head shot up, directed at the source of the voice. This one felt only vaguely familiar to him.

The tiny swirl high in the air gradually expanded into a large spiraling circular black gate before a lone figure descended from it and landed on the street, landing on his feet in one of the freshly formed puddles with a splash, spraying water everywhere.

Naofumi did not interact with this person much, but he recognized him all the same.

Karn spread his arms out, a wide grin painted on his face. However, there was an open gash along his cheek, courtesy of Raphtalia stabbing into his portal earlier.

"Hello there!

"Nice weather, innit? Summer rain is always so refreshing."

The man still wore his tight-fitting black leather armor. But he was now also sporting a long and spacious orange trench coat made out of tanned leather. Its design and the way Karn wore it open and unbuttoned kind of made Naofumi think back on the coats that police detectives tended to wear back in Japan.

The rogue swordman's shaggy blonde hair and face were drenched with rainwater but he looked completely comfortable with it. His amber eyes burned with mirth, hiding something dark and dangerous beneath.

"Sorry bout eavesdropping on the private chat between you and your sugar momma earlier. But it seems like you've learned some things that you weren't supposed to.

And we can't allow such dangerous ideas to spread. Oh no no no..." The man extended one of his gloved hands out forward and waggled his index finger at Naofumi while still smirking confidently.

…

"Dou-Lon, Filo, move out of the barrier and make sure no one enters this general area. Things are about to get messy here." Naofumi ordered. Seeing how even Filo's fastest attack hadn't been fast enough to land a hit on Itsuki's former rogue party member, and because of the effects he'd seen on some of the thrown knives, he wanted those two out of the fight.

"Got it, Daddy." "Of course, Naofumi." Both individuals nodded, serious looks on their faces before running off toward the opposite ends of the street.

Karn made no move to intercept Filo even as she ran past while glaring at him and simply directed a curious lingering look at her while still maintaining his little playful smirk. "Kind of wasteful, innit? I doubt anyone will be coming through here during the rain. You'd be much better off having those two fight on your behalf.

"Or perhaps... is this just an excuse to get your weaker allies out of danger?"

"Perhaps." Naofumi cocked his head to the side, cracking his neck. "I'm not about to take any chances here after having dealt with Trash like you recently. I know how little you lot care for collateral damage."

"Ahhh! Hahaha! Yes, that's right! The purple-haired sugar mommy with you would be quite upset if you let any of her valuable serfs die, wouldn't she!?" Karn threw his head back and laughed before raising his hand to move a lock of his wet orange hair out of the way and look at Naofumi menacingly. "She wouldn't be too enthusiastic to shower you with gifts as she usually does if that happened."

Mirelia frowned but didn't respond to the taunt and neither did Naofumi who just shook his head before continuing to speak.

"More importantly, with those two out of the way, me and Raphtalia will be able to fight you without needing to hold back," Naofumi announced with a determined look before pulling a green potion vial out of his shield.

Before Karn could make another snippy comment about what Naofumi was doing, Naofumi threw the Green Buff Potion at Raphtalia's feet, shattering it and enveloping her in a green mist. His wife friend's blade began to flash in her grip even as a healthy green glow covered her body.

"Thrusting Technique: Lethal Formation One!"

The girl dashed forward like a bolt of lightning, energy blazing off her form as her katana cut through the rain with the intent to slash open Karn's chest.

The man blinked, eyes wide as he barely disappeared into another portal before Raphtalia's blow could land.

"Float Shield!" Naofumi summoned the skill shield on the opposite side of Aultcray and Shadow, protecting them from another pair of knives that appeared out of portals on that side of his barrier, these ones from the ground. Their stats also appeared on his HUD as they clanged uselessly off his skill.

Dragonbone Knife

Quality: Good

Equip Effects: Blood Cleansing, Hydra Venom

Magic Orichalcum Knife

Quality: Very Good

Equip Effects: Paralysis

Seeing their stats on his HUD, Naofumi moved around with his Float Shield, defending against a barrage of knives that came from multiple directions. He kept his barrier up, just in case Karn had other friends who wanted to join the fun.

"As source of thy power, the Shield Hero commands thee, decipher the laws of nature and energize my targets! ALL ZWEITE AURA!" Naofumi, using his signature spell, further boosted Raphtalia's stats, as well as his own and the Royals behind him.

"Rafu!" Raph-Chan pointed to the roof of a building on the left, and Raphtalia jumped up high in the air, faster than earlier.

"Crescent Moon!"

Boom! "&%#!"

Karn appeared out of another portal, stabbing down at Raphtalia's back with his shortsword while she was still in freefall.

Yet even as he tried to strike, Raphtalia swiftly turned around, eyes red and ablaze with fury as she knocked his blade out of his hands impossibly fast.

Karn barely disappeared into another portal, but not before receiving a glancing blow on his chest, leaving a gash along his leather armor's chest plate. His falling sword vanished into a portal before it hit the ground too.

"Ha! Is that the best you got, Karn!? I was right to call Filo and Dou-Lon off! They would have been overkill for traitorous trash like you!" Naofumi taunted.

"Ahaha! Confident, aren't you?" Karn's voice bounced from place to place across the street. "Good! Then let's raise the challenge a notch!"

One portal after another began appearing in Naofumi's barrier. The knife barrage from before was joined by other throwing weapons. Javelins, darts, boomerangs, tomahawks, chakrams, and more throwing weapons filled the air at an alarming rate with such great numbers that Naofumi couldn't read the stats on all of them.

Magic Mythril Javelin

Quality: High

Effects: Piercing, Bleeding

Dragonfang Knife

Quality: Excellent

Effects: Attack Up (large), Blood Cleansing

Orichalcum Chakram

Quality: Very Good

Effects: Agility Up (Large) Attack Up (Small)

They were coming from all over too. From the top of the barrier. From the ground around the rulers. Some of the thrown weapons even disappeared into other portals inside the barrier, before coming out somewhere else. All done with a staggering amount of accuracy and precision.

But Naofumi blocked them all, no matter how random the direction appeared to be. With the Shield of Diligence on his arm and Aura boosting his stats, it looked as if these weapons were moving in slow motion to him. He was able to read and estimate their trajectories one after the other as he blocked and parried with his shield, his skill, or his body.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

And while he did, he realized another detail about their enemy. The portals that Karn was rapidly creating seemed to only appear within a set distance of another person. Giving Naofumi at least three feet of room to react.

That lined up with what Kyo had written in his notes about the portal reincarnator's ability from Kizuna's world. This also informed the Shield Hero that the traitor would have the same limitations as that ability, such as it being incapable of forcefully portaling anyone outside of the reincarnator's party.

However, Naofumi was still trying to figure out how the traitor had changed his voice to be exactly like his, Mirellia's, and Aultcray's only moments ago. That was not something Kyo had noted about this cheat at all.

Mirellia and Shadow would begin moving to defend themselves from the attacks they did see in time, only for Naofumi or his Float skill to be there before they could raise a hand or begin a chant. Just… just how much stronger and faster had the Shield Hero gotten while in the Otherworld?!

His levels might not have gotten transferred over from Glass's world. But all the time he'd spent using the strengthening methods on his best weapons while simultaneously being trained in Hengen Muso by Rishia certainly had. Raphtalia dashed around with speed and energy too, searching for their enemy as Kyo had written one other important bit of info regarding this cheat skill.

Its base form, opening up portals all around a target, required a line of sight for the user. He had to be nearby to use it like this.

"Found you-" Raphtalia appeared on the rooftop of the building, only to scowl as Karn immediately vanished. The barrage of attacks not slowing inside her beloved's barrier in the slightest.

She jumped off to the next building, trying to figure out where Karn's next hiding spot could be.

"Rafu..." Raph-Chan looked around confusedly. She could sense their enemy was there, but with so many buildings in the way, it was hard to track where his soul signature was hiding.

'Hmph, this also feels very similar to the Gate of Babylon cheat that one idiot used.' The Shield Hero noted as the barrage of attacks went on.

However, the main difference here was that all the knives, javelins, etc. weren't made from useless low-quality materials like Pig Iron. These were all high-quality weapons, with enchantments attached to them that would have made it super dangerous to fight, if not for the fact that Naofumi's defense and status resistances were too high for these weapons to hurt him.

Because Karn only had two real targets he was aiming at since Naofumi couldn't even be scratched by any of the weapons, it made it ridiculously easy for Naofumi to defend the royals.

Shadow eventually disappeared from the group so she would be out of Naofumi's way.

Another annoying thing Naofumi noted was that most of the weapons, after getting deflected and falling to the ground, would disappear into other portals to be used in a later volley. The only ones that didn't disappear were the ones closest to Naofumi or the two royals. The Shield Hero contemplated sparing a moment to pick the throwing weapons up to absorb them into his Shield and deny their enemy a chance to recover them but didn't want to risk drawing his attention away from protecting Mirellia and Aultcray.

The two had been making an effort to help and fight back throughout this encounter, but neither Mirelia's icicles, nor Aultcray's earth spikes came even close to hitting their foe whenever he was discovered, due to how quickly he repositioned himself.

If even Raphtalia was struggling to catch up to Karn after receiving all the buffs Naofumi had available, then the royals had no hope of landing a hit.

"Looks like you're really good at blocking precise attacks, huh?" Karn's voice finally taunted from high up in the air next. "How about we try some splash damage then?"

Naofumi narrowed his eyes in confusion for a moment before another series of smoky black vortexes appeared in the air around him, Mirellia, and Aultcray. They appeared all over the inside of his barrier, each one a bit wider than the previous portals.

And Naofumi saw that aiming out of each portal was the end of a long cannon.

"Bombs away!" Karn cackled.

BOOM! BOOM! CRACK! KA-BOOM!

The area inside the skill was covered over by a lengthy series of explosions.

Nearby windows shattered from the shockwaves as shrapnel tore apart the street and the walls of buildings around the Shield Hero. Raphtalia, who was still trying to hunt down Karn's hunting spot, was forced to take cover to avoid being injured.

…

Eventually, the volley ceased, and from his hiding spot, Karn smirked as he waited for the smoke to clear to observe the damage.

…

"Ha, was that your definition of 'splash damage'?" Naofumi taunted as his face appeared again.

To the enforcer's shock, Mirellia and Aultcray were behind the Shield Hero, perfectly unharmed. On their sides were Air Strike Shield and Second Shield. Above them was Dritte Shield. Behind them was Float Shield. And in front, Naofumi.

All these barriers were two and a half feet away from the royals. Covering them in a shell of protection that Karn's attack had failed to penetrate since he couldn't form portals closer than three feet to his targets.

"If that was your best shot, then you really suck." Naofumi laughed, flipping the bird as he did so in the direction of the portal overhead. "Get better, trash."

"..."

Karn didn't verbally respond but Naofumi could feel the man's glare on his skin. And it was followed with another cannon emerging from the air in front of him.

Bingo.

" SHIELD BASH!" Naofumi cried out as he roughly smashed his skill into the cannonball it fired at him, angling up at the portal Karn was using to observe them overhead.

CRASH! KA-BOOM!

The struck cannonball sailed through, exploding after going through the other side. Destroying the attic of the building to Naofumi's right.

"Augh! Son of a bitch!"

The portal collapsed as Karn fell out of the building together with a bunch of debris into the mud with a splash. Several empty potion vials scattered around the ruined street with him as they fell out of the pockets of his coat. Judging by the color of the remaining contents they seemed to be Magic Healing Waters.

As for Karn himself, he was covered in cuts and shrapnel wounds from his attack being deflected back at him. Fortunately for him, the wounds he got weren't life-threatening, as he'd been behind a solid object.

However…

"Wait, what, my body-" He tried to get up or open another gate, but began to panic as he found himself unable to move or use his cheat. His eyes shot towards his HUD where he found a notification that he was currently inflicted with a 'stun' status effect. "Are you $% serious!? THE STATUS EFFECT GETS TRANSFERRED TO PROJECTILES YOU REFLECT TOO-"

"There you are!" Before Karn could finish, Raphtalia jumped down from the roof, descending on his collapsed form with a downward-angled leaping stab.

"ARGGHH!" The rogue swordsman cried out in agony as the Vassal Katana was driven into his chest, pinning him to the ground.

Raphtalia sharply pulled her weapon out to bring it down on his head this time, but the blade only stabbed into the mud as the body of the enforcer disappeared again, falling through the ground into a cloud of black smoke that then quickly dispersed. The stun effect having worn off since it only lasted a few seconds.

"Ha, I wanted to try that against Kyo, but never got the chance. I'm glad all that practice I did to deflect attacks in the Otherworld paid off. Also glad to learn that deflecting projectiles with Shield Bash does transfer the stun effect. That'll be a huge boon in future fights.

"I can't wait to use it against your bosses," Naofumi smirked.

"YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IF THAT'D WORK-" Karn started to scream.

"Rafu!" Raph-Chan suddenly pointed to the alleyway on the right, and Raphtalia rushed in to attack once again, slashing through the air and forcing Karn to relocate once more.

But before he could attack, another "Rafu" tore through the air, and Karn's eyes widened as Raphtalia's blade came within inches of ending his life.

Karn's moment of rage at the Shield Hero not taking him seriously combined with the scenario he was in finally made his mind realize something as he heard the now agonizing "Rafu!" a third time in a row. It appeared Raph-Chan had finally learned how to hone in on his position with surprising accuracy despite all the buildings around them.

"Wait- that damn creature can point out my hiding places?! HOW?! WHAT SORT OF BULL$%& ABILITY IS THIS!?"

Karn didn't bother with engaging the half-tanuki heroine as she rushed his hiding spot again and instead disappeared to a different spot before throwing one of his knives through a portal at the familiar on Naofumi's shoulder. The barriers the Shield Hero had summoned had vanished, allowing him to attack from behind and above the shikigami.

But Naofumi caught the poisoned knife out of the air with his hand, despite the attack coming from his blind spot.

The Shield Hero's ability to block any and all attacks around him pissed the enforcer off, but his attack had finally elicited another emotion from the Shield Hero. But not one he'd been expecting after trying to off the mangy-looking trash panda on his shoulder.

Fury.

"That does it, I was trying to hold back so we could catch and interrogate you, but now you've really pissed me off."

Naofumi crushed the knife in his grip, making it unusable as he brought his Float skill to his side.

"Change Shield! Shield of Wrath III!"

Mirellia and Aultcray's eyes both widened as the Shield Hero transformed in front of them again.

Naofumi's eyes had changed from a glowing blue to a dark cyan. Black, fiery red sabatons appeared over his feet. Spirals of fire weaved around his form like a sentinel. His hair had darkened in color again but still retained its white tint on the tips.

Mirellia trembled, feeling an overwhelming amount of power around the Shield Hero. It felt similar to her husband's in his prime, only more controlled.

"Raphtalia, dear, do hold back for a moment. Let's find out if this garbage is the burnable kind." Naofumi stated coldly.

"Got it," Raphtalia nodded as she stepped back into an illusion, disappearing from view. To the Queen's surprise, the half-tanuki girl wasn't even phased by Naofumi's transformation.

…

Karn felt sweat going down the back of his neck, but he did his best to laugh off the sudden feeling of fear gripping his chest. "Hoho! Am I finally starting to get under your skin, Naofumi? You're definitely much harder to tease than Itsuki! I'll admit that much!"

"Less talking, your idiot voice isn't worth listening to," Naofumi stated coldly.

...

The traitor felt the fear in his chest grow, but he laughed again before disappearing into thin air.

He did not sound in pain anymore either, so he must have used some kind of healing spell or a potion on himself while he was out of range.

The swarm of attacks resumed inside Naofumi's barrier in earnest. Karn gave it his all to break past Naofumi's defenses and target the troublesome royals he'd been ordered to kill.

And yet… Naofumi was blocking every single one of his attacks. Even faster than before. And with his body, no shield or skill or anything.

The spiral flames surrounding him ate up most of the thrown weapons like a starving dog before they could even reach the Shield Hero's body. Naofumi didn't bother with listing what any of the ones that did manage to strike him were since they were also eaten by the flames as they bounced off.

All that mattered was that Karn was no longer capable of recovering the contents of his armory. It was a shame to destroy so many good weapons others could have used this way, but oh well.

"Urg…" Grimacing, Karn relocated again before resuming his barrage.

He was focused on the Shield Hero since Raphtalia had gone invisible. The senior enforcer did not think Naofumi could do any meaningful damage to him, so Karn figured what he said was a lie to try and trap him. But then, there was also the worry of the Shield Hero having brought out his Cursed Series alongside his Blessed Series, an ability that was new to Karn. The short briefing that he got regarding the situation in World 1325 did not give it justice in the slightest.

But if Naofumi wasn't using his Blessed skills against him, then the only way he could hurt him was through the melee counterattacks of his Cursed Series! Yet Naofumi didn't move to close the distance between them! He was just being an idiot and standing in that useless barrier of his, protecting those two idiot royals while Karn wasted his armory!

Fine then, he'd just take the Shield Hero down a notch before dealing with the royals and fleeing. He was not going to waste the rest of his armory on this. Not to mention, he did not want to be around to witness the rabid half-tanuki's fury when he badly injured her mate.

Karn pulled out a knife from his stockpile of weapons that had a defense rating attack enchantment attached to it. It was a very rare enchantment to get and was thus a very expensive weapon. Yet he grabbed three other knives from the pile as well before throwing all four through a portal amongst some additional projectile weapons at the Shield Hero.

Ha, he'd like to see the Shield Hero block that without taking any-

Clang!

The knife flew past the spiraling flames and hit Naofumi square in the chest, yet even as the energy of the defense-piercing attack registered, Naofumi instinctively used life force to allow it to go through his body and out the other end without hurting him in the slightest.

Hence the ineffectual Clang.

And the best part was that as it fell, it was also destroyed by the spiraling flames surrounding Naofumi's body. The special knife couldn't be used ever again.

…

Karn's barrage stopped in shock.

"How?!" The enforcer screamed.

"HOW?!" The traitor roared in fury.

"HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?! WITH HOW HIGH YOUR DEFENSE IS, THAT ATTACK SHOULD HAVE DECIMATED YOUR INSIDES! WHAT SORT OF CHEAP &%# IS-"

"Drifa Tornado!"

With his voice outing his hiding spot, and with the enforcer so blinded by rage, Aultcray reached forward, having focused his mind off his mental predicament and had the spell prepared for when Karn next revealed himself.

A tornado of wind appeared directly over where Karn had been hiding.

The building was torn asunder and the traitor began to be whipped around in the air. Eyes wide and looking everywhere to find somewhere to portal even as tiny cuts appeared all over his body and outfit.

He did eventually manage to portal onto a roof. But that turned out to be a huge mistake.

"Rafu!"

"Instant Blade: Mist!"

Karn cried out as Raphtalia's weapon struck home again, stabbing through his side before he could portal away. On the heroine's shoulders was the real Raph-Chan, as the one who'd been on Naofumi's shoulder till seconds ago faded away with the illusion Raph-Chan had crafted wearing off.

Karn appeared on a faraway rooftop, gripping the painful wound in his side. Looking down, instead of blood, he saw an otherworldly red mist leaking out. His HP bar was dropping lower and lower.

By this point, Naofumi had dropped the barrier surrounding him. It was pretty much useless to keep it up since it was clear that the traitor was alone.

It also helped that the Shield Hero had his counter all charged up and ready to go, so he wanted to really piss Karn off by seemingly getting rid of his defenses.

"Thanks, dear. I'm glad you fight as dirty as me now." Naofumi grinned.

"Only because our opponent wasn't fighting fair to begin with, honey," Raphtalia responded with a confident smile while pushing her wet hair out of her face.

"Rafu!" Raph-Chan cheered.

"Double-check that building to make sure that no one is hiding in it. It's not going to be there in a moment." Naofumi announced with a grim look, causing Raphtalia and Raph-Chan to quickly retreat after confirming that no one was inside.

Karn reappeared on the building's roof, seemingly exposing himself. What they didn't know was that his cheat required him to use MP to open portals. And despite drinking several Magic Healing Waters throughout the battle, he'd run out and didn't have the time or focus to grab more from his stash in Faubley. And because Raphtalia's attack had also destroyed the remaining Healing Potions he had stashed in the pockets of his jacket, he had no way to heal his grievous wound and thus had to finish this up.

"Man, that defense of yours is something else!" The man snickered before spreading his arms out.

"You are a real walking tank, aren't you, Naofumi? Everything just bounces right off ya. You're like a solid block of steel! But you know, back in Japan, we have something to work with extremely durable materials like that. So allow me to get industrial on you for a moment and introduce you to something called a 'water jet cutter'!"

"Pfft, did you actually build one here?" Naofumi taunted confidently as he moved his cursed shield in front of him.

"Oh no, the laws of physics here are too awkward to pull something like that off. However." Karn's grin took on a manic tone as a particularly large swirl manifested in his outstretched hands, quickly growing large enough to eclipse his whole body. "I was able to improvise. Pop quiz! What's the water pressure level in the deepest part of the Mariana trench?!"

"Huh?" Naofumi blinked in confusion and then realization.

"Bam! Sorry, time's up, you're dead!" Karn laughed before using up most of his remaining MP to open the gate held in front of him. Leaving just enough for him to get out of there once he finished them off.

Time slowed to a crawl as an ear-splitting roar erupted from a spatial distortion connected to the bottom of the ocean. A colossal column of hyper-pressurized sea water shot out at Naofumi with the speed and velocity of a railgun at a downward angle.

"Vulcan's Retribution!"

Simultaneously, a beam of hellish energy erupted from Naofumi's Shield. Blasting upwards, straight towards Karn and his trump card.

Since this 'attack' was coming from Naofumi, Karn shook his head in pity. It was weird for the Shield Hero to be attacking since he'd never seen this ability of his before, but if that was what this skill was now, then it wasn't going to do anything against the might of nature bursting out from the bottom of the ocean-

BOOM!

Not only did Vulcan's Retribution evaporate the column of water in an instant, but the roaring advancing wall of hellfire wrapped around the portal as well before enveloping the enforcer behind it in its lethal embrace.

'Wait, what-' Was the only thought that Karn was able to process before Naofumi's cursed ranged counter consumed his body in an instant.

BOOM!

An explosion of cursed fire exploded outwards from the point of impact, destroying both the enforcer and the building on which he'd been standing.

Mirellia and Aultcray had to cover their faces as Naofumi stood protectively in front of them, both his Shields protecting the royals from the flames and the descending cloud of scalding steam…

…

…

When the steam cloud dispersed under the downpour and the burning debris stopped raining down around him, Naofumi sighed to himself, dissipating the Float skill.

The Shield Hero's appearance returned to his earlier angelic appearance, albeit, looking a bit weary compared to before. The lingering cursed flames around him hissed angrily as they battled against the rainwater trying to put them out.

But Naofumi held his Blessed Shield in front of him. "Ray of Hope."

A beam of light shot out from his shield, separating into many smaller beams that targeted the lingering pockets of cursed flames. Each pocket of flames shrunk and vanished as the healing light absorbed Naofumi's anger, letting him feel his Wrath all over again as his life force was used to put out the flames.

After a few seconds, the burning remains of the building had all been put out, and Naofumi's angry thoughts dissipated along with them.

…

There would be no second cursed fire fiasco for the people of the Capital to deal with. Naofumi would not sink that low ever again.

With that thought, the Shield Hero staggered and switched back to the Black Tortoise Carapace Shield. Gods, he was exhausted. And to think they weren't even done yet.

Raphtalia walked up next to him. With the enforcer's death, she had switched her weapon into its Soul Eater Katana form and was looking around the area with cautious eyes. But she still put one of her hands on her beloved's shoulders to make sure he was okay.

"I'm fine, just… wow, that bastard pissed me off more than I realized. Trying to defame me and hurt you guys and…"

Naofumi shook his head with a tired sigh. "Whatever. I'm over it for now. Raph-Chan, can you sense his soul nearby?"

"Rafu." Raph-Chan shook her head on the half-tanuki's shoulder.

"So his soul already fled then. Dammit… well, at least we bought ourselves some time. Let's hurry before he comes back with hostages or backup… or something worse." Naofumi nodded to his wife friend, who nodded to him in return.

Dou-Lon, Shadow, and Filo rejoined the group, having not only kept others from getting in the way but Filo and Shadow had also ensured that the path for Naofumi to get to the Church would be clear of any other knights who could be manipulated to fight Filo's Daddy.

Nothing else occurred or was said before the group finally arrived at the Church.

Dripping rainwater, and without even pausing to greet any of the new nuns or priests stationed here, Naofumi marched right through the open front doors welcoming those seeking refuge from the storm.

The Shield Hero then marched down the hall and went straight towards the large cathedral housing the Hourglass in the back of it.

He didn't stop until he was directly before it. Not looking at the crowd of people he'd drawn with his appearance. The crowds consisted of the priests and nuns of the Four Heroes Church, some of its congregants, as well as random people from the street who'd taken shelter from the storm inside the Church.

"Is that-"

"It's the Shield Hero!"

"You mean the one who raped the former first princess?"

"And the one who saved lots of our knights at Cal Mira?

"And who protected Melromarc from the Spirit Tortoise."

"Look, the queen and the king are with him too!"

"I heard they were being attacked on their way here by a mystery assailant!"

"What's going on?"

The tone from the crowd came out as mixed, but Naofumi didn't pay them any attention. Instead, he stared at the Hourglass before him with a frown while he compared it in his mind to the Hourglasses of Kizuna's world.

They looked exactly the same. Down to the tiniest detail. There wasn't even a single difference. He'd have to share that with Ethnobalt the next time he saw him, but that left him wondering.

Was… was it possible to use the same ritual he'd learned from L'Arc to lock down the Hourglass here in their world too?

That couldn't possibly work, could it?

"Naofumi? What now?" Mirellia asked after a moment.

"Now, we do this." Naofumi nodded to himself and then looked back at his allies, having come to a decision. "Let's seal it. Just like L'Arc taught us."

Raphtalia, Filo, and Dou-Lon hardened their faces with determination, not questioning as they moved onto Naofumi's sides. They held their hands up and began to whisper the incantation for the sealing ritual L'Arc had taught them, with Filo humming her part out loud.

Mirellia looked troubled, but she trusted Naofumi knew what he was doing, so she let the Shield Hero and his family do their work. Using Naofumi as the focal point for the Hourglass ritual they were performing.

…

It only took a moment.

Magical chains began to appear out of the air, surrounding the Hourglass on all sides to visibly bind it. The priests and nuns, Mirellia and her husband, everyone there stepped back in surprise as an indicator popped up on Naofumi's HUD, informing him that interference was preventing him from teleporting right now.

…

With that, Naofumi's shoulders and expression finally relaxed, as well as that of his friends. The exhaustion he'd felt earlier came back in full force, almost making his knees buckle, if not for the fact that the Shield Hero was, unfortunately, used to feeling like this by now.

Gods, he could use another vacation. Their trip to Cal Mira felt like such a distant memory by now.

"To think this world had a reincarnator with portal abilities too." Naofumi shook his head with a tired sigh.

"Yes. I wonder if that's how that last guy would have fought if Kizuna hadn't set up the trap with the Hourglass in Lapis beforehand." Raphtalia frowned next to him.

"Either way, good job fighting him off. You did really well." Naofumi smiled as he turned his head to her.

"Only because Raph-Chan was able to point him out for me." Raphtalia smiled too as she pet the familiar on the head. "Thank you, sweetie. You did amazing."

"Rafu!" Raph-Chan hugged the side of her best friend's face, and Raphtalia began cuddling her in return.

EVEN BETTER! Mother and daughter embracing each other with such love and affection was like balm on Naofumi's soul, I say! He could already feel his exhaustion leeching away at the sight!

If only Hoshi could be here to capture this scene on paper forever, then-!

Oh, wait. Naofumi pulled a drawing out of his Shield at the thought.

Ahhhhhh, a family picture of him, Raphtalia, Filo, and Dou-Lon, with Raph-Chan at the center, drawn by the Ofuda Hero himself.

Like that, a dopey smile overcame the Shield Hero's face.

So perfect. So amazing. So precious. So-

"Naofumi, there are people around," Raphtalia warned.

"Right, sorry." Naofumi put the picture away. He was still smiling widely as he did so, however. Had he been tired earlier? It was probably his imagination.

Raphtalia rolled her eyes at his antics, but her smile didn't lessen.

"I'm sorry, but since I can finally ask, what is going on? What are those chains around the Hourglass?" Mirellia interrupted.

"Huh- oh, right…" Naofumi tried to play it off, but he'd forgotten that a bunch of people were there.

"It's a bit complicated. But we should be safe to talk with you in private about it now, Your Grace since we used a ritual we learned in the Otherworld to lock down the Hourglass and prevent people from portaling to it or anywhere in its vicinity for about… I think the estimate is ten miles or so from it. I'm not sure, Itsuki was the one who figured out the exact distance, not me, but it should be a large enough area to keep that traitor from using his abilities anywhere inside the city now."

Naofumi coughed into his hand. "I'm glad we didn't discuss anything really important before we noticed our eavesdropper. Filo, honey, is Fitoria still listening to us through your ahoge?"

"Yes, Fitoria was talking to Filo about Bow Uncle's friends earlier, but Fitoria started paying close attention to what was going on here as soon as the fight started. She also got very mad and then very scared when Filo had to leave, and kept begging Filo to go back to see what was happening. But Filo said no since Daddy said to get out of there." Filo lifted her head proudly.

"Good job, honey." Naofumi walked over to his daughter to hug her and kiss her on the top of her head before looking at her cowlick. "And sorry about that Fitoria, but my gut was telling me that this man was too much for Filo to handle right now. No offense."

"Hmm… Fitoria says she understands." Filo hummed out loud. "Also she wants to speak to Daddy soon about this man. She says he was someone super dangerous. It's a good thing that Daddy got so strong."

"Got it. Good to know locking the hourglass doesn't block your connection out." Naofumi then took an accessory from his weapon's gemstone, before handing it to Raphtalia. Nodding, the half-tanuki pressed it to the Hourglass, and her weapon glowed.

"It says I can portal to this hourglass now, dear," Raphtalia told him.

"Can you run out of the room to make sure?" Naofumi asked. "Kyo made those things, so you never know."

Raphtalia nodded and raced out of the room.

…

A few seconds later, she reappeared in a bright light in front of the Hourglass, despite it still being locked.

"Huh, so he really could have used this to get a whole army into Sickle," Naofumi muttered to himself. "I'm glad that Yomogi allowed us to keep a few of them. Though I'm surprised it still works in our world. I wonder if it means that the other accessories I brought back can be replicated as well?"

…

"I'm… what?" Mirellia and the priests and nuns there all looked flabbergasted, while the common people looked more confused since they didn't understand what was going on.

Using the accessory, Naofumi then registered himself to the hourglass with it and saw that the portal interference indicator on his HUD disappeared. "Alright. That should keep things simple for whenever we Heroes need to make a quick trip back here. Unless we get caught somewhere that has a different suppression field up, but…"

Naofumi looked at Mirellia, whose eyes were still as wide as saucers, now openly staring at his wife friend. Aultcray was too by this point.

Had they realized that Raphtalia was, in fact, a bearer of a Hero Weapon now? It was either that or the fact that Naofumi had an accessory that allowed him to circumvent the Hourglass Portal Suppression feature. Or maybe it was because he'd used an unknown ritual to lock down the Hourglass in the first place?

Or maybe it was because of some other Earth-shattering revelations Naofumi had glossed over in the last thirty minutes or so.

How many of them had there been? Probably a dozen, at least. And to think he'd worried about trying to help Mirellia understand his trip earlier.

"By the way, I think this should go without saying, but until we hunt down the reincarnator who has portaling abilities in this world, and probably even after we manage to do that, don't think about finding a way to remove the chains from that Hourglass," Naofumi stated seriously. "It shouldn't interfere with Class Up rituals and the like, at least I don't think that'll be the case.

"Glass's world didn't have a level 40 cap to break, so I honestly don't know. They had a job change ritual instead of a level cap ritual. But regardless, the Hourglass is to remain as it is for the foreseeable future. Is that clear?"

…

…

…

"... I think I'm finally starting to realize how much there is that I need to hear from you." Mirellia finally said with sobering clarity.

"Yeah. And I wish I could say that all of it was good." Naofumi frowned.

"... Shadow, please have all of my remaining appointments with the nobility for the rest of the day canceled. I'm sure they won't be happy, but tell them it is of national importance… and put all of our knights in the city on high alert. It will slow down the repairs, but the weather does not seem to favor us in that regard anyway."

Mirellia then thought quickly to herself, before adding another order. "Lastly, keep a pair of Shadows on shifts at the Hourglass at all times. I know that'll strain your abilities to spy on my behalf, but I don't want any suspicious individuals near the Hourglass for the foreseeable future. I never realized how important it'd be to defend this structure."

"I daresay, it shall be done." Shadow disappeared in the blink of an eye to fulfill her mistress's orders.

Ah, it'd been a while since Naofumi had seen the good old disappearing act. It really did nail in the fact that he had returned to his world.

It was a good thing he was now more aware of his shortcomings compared to before, as he'd dealt with quite a few problems while in the Otherworld that'd impact his life going forward.

And so, Mirellia dispersed the crowd, who'd only been more awed as they learned of the additional protection that the Shield Hero had granted their city against an unknown threat. And Naofumi and Co returned to the Castle, where instead of the Throne Room, they were escorted to Mirellia's quarters.

And there, with Aultcray, as well as cups of tea and biscuits, the Shield Hero laid bare his trip to the Otherworld, and what he'd learned of the enemies behind the Waves.

With Mirellia likewise informing him of the things that'd happened in their world while he was gone.

"... damn that hurt."

Karn laid naked on his back in the middle of some desert.

"I really liked that coat too. $%&." He muttered in annoyance while looking up at the blue sky and the sun traveling through it.

"Gonna need to replace the upgraded translation accessory too. And all those weapons." The enforcer sighed as he closed his eyes to shield them from the burning sunlight. "Can't believe that otaku cooked me down to the bone like that. What the hell was that attack? A blast of soul energy? No, no, he released all of it as soon as he arrived."

…

Karn finally sat up with a grunt and looked around the vast expanse of sand extending in all directions. He cracked his shoulder, which despite having been respawned in a new body, still felt sore after throwing so many weapons one after the other.

"I didn't even want to fight anyone there. You're really breaking my balls, M'yne! Do you know how many good weapons I lost because of you ordering me to fight?!" Karn glared up at the sky angrily.

…

Eventually, he just shook his head. "Make up your damn mind. Either have me doing assassinations or focus on information gathering. Not both, yeesh. That was such a %##$ show."

…

"That attack… no, that counter the Shield Hero used on me. Scary! Guess he can also counter ranged attacks now. I should have realized that's why he wasn't moving into my melee range. Stupid."

Karn reached out with his hand to grab a handful of sand and then let the rough and coarse substance pour back down in between his fingers.

"On top of all the weapons he destroyed… he inflicted me with a curse debuff. So now my stats will be lowered for the next few weeks, this sucks…

…

"Raphtalia... so she is a Hero now… It sure would have been nice to get informed about that BEFORE getting into that fight. I don't care if most of this info is still classified. I need goddamn intel to work!… but more importantly, that weapon she switched to after my body got obliterated.

"It was a soul-rendering weapon. Without a doubt."

…

"Ha... hahahaha..." Karn let his new body fall back on the sand again as he laughed. "Man, no wonder the higher-ups are crapping their collective pants.

"You know what, screw it. I'm not going anywhere near that pair in the future. The bosses can shove it where the sun doesn't shine, M'yne. I'm already going to be weakened for the next while. And if the Shield Hero and his friends can spot me and know how to 'actually' kill me, then &%$# that.

"Let's see if I can find out where the kid ran off to instead. He didn't look like a happy camper when he arrived. I bet I can work with that. I just have to track down where he's run off to and get to work.

"After all, the hopeless and the miserable are the easiest to manipulate by far.

"Ain't that right, my sweet faithful Cicero?"

...

Karn's expression darkened as he recalled that his branch of the cult of the waves in this world was no more.

"Scratch that. The boy can wait. I'm going to visit the clown posse first. M'yne, do I have your permission to discipline them?

"I still need to vent about the fact that they got my entire &%$#$%& cult killed off."

…

A dark chuckle came from the prone man. "Thank you very much, 'Chief Enforcer'. I'll try my best to leave most of them alive."

With that final remark, Karn's body vanished, leaving the desert he'd respawned in empty and devoid of life.

Author's Notes:

Yeahhhhhh, Naofumi is back baby! Woot! Woot! Woot! Woot!

This was a super enjoyable chapter to write. It's so great having Naofumi back. Going to be great when he gets home. And I honestly do hope you guys are okay with his decision to forgo Aultcray's former punishment.

Now, all I have to do is figure out how Aultcray will meet Atla, lol. If his world has already been thrown upside down, who knows how he'd react to seeing the hakuko incarnation of his blind younger sister?

Hero Clips!

Recaps Are So Annoying, AmIRite Naofumi?

"Naofumi, why did we return to the Village first?" Raphtalia asked with an exasperated sigh.

Instead of appearing at the castle, the Shield Hero and his group appeared in front of Naofumi's home. A large two-story building built on the side of a cliff bordering three other homes, belonging to the other Heroes.

"Yeah, aren't we supposed to be reporting to Her Majesty before we do this?" Dou-Lon asked curiously.

"Rafu! (Yeah, I thought you needed to get ready to see Melty again! Or is that now on the back burner?)" Raph-Chan cutely asked.

"I will do my damn recap since we're in a new grand arc! I'm already arriving almost twenty chapters late thanks to &%$#$% Motoyasu hogging the spotlight! So I will recap everyone I know from the first sixty-three chapters and then recap the eighty-eight chapters after that, come hell or high water!" Naofumi raised a fist to the heavens.

His family sighed at his antics, but Naofumi wouldn't be deterred like he had earlier!

However, when he turned away from his home towards the 'Village', his eyes bugged out of their sockets. "H-HUH?!"

That wasn't a village anymore. That was a Town! And it was designed as if it was to grow into a city in the future! What the hell?!

"Daddy, Filo thinks it might be a good idea to wait for Spear Uncle to come back and provide some details so-"

"No! Just because there are a few extra buildings doesn't mean I don't know my way around!" Naofumi yelled. "I'll still know who everyone is when I see them!"

"..." His family all looked at each other and shrugged.

"Rafu." Raph-Chan shrugged as well. She knew better than to get in Naofumi's way when he was in this state of mind.

And so, they went down into the town. Using the old church as a landmark to get to the Central Plaza.

But…

"What the %$#&?!" Naofumi's eyes bugged out again.

The place looked vastly different. No longer a dirt road surrounding a main building, there was a set of administration buildings, warehouses, a park with a playground (did those even exist in this world?!), and so on! Even the Church looked different, having been painted a different color and having stained-glass windows depicting all four of the Hero Weapons on it!

He didn't even recognize most of the people walking around! Was that a lion man working on the windows?! And who the hell was that dog demi-human carrying flowers around?!

"Uhhh… wasn't the dog flower guy a character in Arc 5 and 6?" Dou-Lon asked confusedly.

"Dear, please, we've been gone for a while." Raphtalia tried to speak sense into her husband friend. She wanted to get the important things out of the way so they could spend some time together in their home.

"Aha! I see Ren!" Naofumi yelled triumphantly, spotting the Sword Hero amongst the crowds of people. "That there is the Sword Hero. He's the teenage doofus who hasn't been able to tell his tsundere party member was in love with him for the past one hundred and twenty chapters and-"

…

The Shield Hero's sentence stopped in its tracks, and then Naofumi's eyes bugged out again.

Ren was holding hands with his 'tsundere' party member, the two smiling at each other and talking about Star Wars of all things while a baby dragon laid on his head.

"Oh, hey Naofumi!" Ren waved as he spotted the Shield Hero. "Me and my mate have a daughter of our own now! Say hi, Gaelion!"

"Gah!" The baby dragon waved to the Shield Hero happily.

"Also, who are you calling a teenage doofus?!" Wyndia asked angrily, hugging the side of her favorite Sword Hero. "Ren is more than that! Be nice to him!"

…

…

"Hey, everyone! I'm back! Did you already report to Mirellia, man?" Motoyasu suddenly appeared behind the Shield Hero.

Naofumi was so deep in shock that he didn't even act surprised at Motoyasu's random appearance.

"Eh, what's going on with him?" Motoyasu asked Raphtalia curiously.

"Well, Naofumi has 'really' wanted to do his infamous recap since getting back, however, after getting here…"

"AH! Not to worry, I say! I've already gone through it once before, so I have plenty of practice!"

He then appeared behind the two teenagers, gesturing down at them. "This is the Sword Hero Ren Amaki and his loyal companion Wyndia! Their relationship had a rocky start, due to Ren killing her adoptive dragon father. Was a misunderstanding with Ren being misled there, of course.

"But as you can see, these two are in a much better place now. With Wyndia loving to learn more about Ren's world in their free time, and Ren being addicted to his girlfriend's touch whenever they're walking around together! And, of course, they have their dragon daughter named after Wyndia's father that they're raising. Ugly little red lizard that it is."

"Gah!" Gaelion raised a fist and pouted in the Spear Hero's direction. Meanwhile, the teenage couple blushed at what he'd said but then smiled as they looked at each other and interlocked hands again.

"Sir Motoyasu, what the hell is going-" Melty came out of her office, a large frown adorning her face.

"Just in time! That's Melty Melromarc, the second Princess of the nation Melromarc, and the current Lady Governor of the Hero's Nation!" Motoyasu continued excitedly. "Funny that we still haven't chosen a name for this place yet, but maybe it'll happen one day! Anyway, Melty is super fantastic, helping to develop this place in ways that have surprised even her mother! The Queen of Melromarc!

"I can't even go into half the reasons why she's been amazing and awesome! Though a good number of them would probably include how she loves Filolials as much as I do!" Motoyasu laughed, and the girl, while confused, did start smiling wide as she thought about Fitoria's promise to allow her to see the legendary Filolial Sanctuary if she worked hard.

"... Lady Governor?" Naofumi muttered in confusion.

Motoyasu led him and his group along, however, going through painfully lengthy recaps of all the changes the Hero's Nation had seen in the last month. Introducing him to new people like Rat, the new mad scientist who hadn't had much screen time yet. Blue and Rikka, two Royal Filolials under Ren's care. That lion demi-human who was making the Four Heroes Church in their town more beautiful (and who hadn't been named yet as far as Moto knew). Etc.

He then went into a long recap of past events from Hope and Diligence, followed by yet another long recap of the events that'd gone down since Naofumi had left for the Otherworld. Colored by trauma from Granny poking through throughout.

…

By the end of it all, when Motoyasu mentioned how his life goals hadn't changed from the last time, Naofumi finally decided to let go of his penchant for doing painfully long recaps at the start of his journals and never did so again for the rest of his life.

Because by the Gods are they annoying to read through.

Ain't that right, Naofumi? :)

"Just shut up and leave me alone narrator." Naofumi shuddered in his house. Surprised and disgusted that Motoyasu, after all this time, still had the goal of making sweet sweet love to his weapon.

"It's ok, dear." Raphtalia awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.

"Filo's sure that Daddy will find another annoying hobby soon enough," Filo added her own words of comfort.

"I don't think it's that annoying," Dou-Lon offered.

"Rafu."

Seriously, some things just shouldn't be recapped.

Hero Clips!

Finger Hose

"Bam! Sorry, time's up, you're dead!" Karn laughed before using up most of his remaining MP to open the portal held over his outstretched hands. Leaving just enough for him to get out of there once he finished them off.

Time slowed to a crawl as an ear-splitting roar erupted from a spatial distortion connected to the bottom of the ocean. A colossal column of hyper-pressurized sea water was about to shoot out at Naofumi with the speed and velocity of a railgun, when...

"Air Strike Shield."

The skill shield appeared directly in front of the portal, and the might of the bottom of the ocean slammed into it but didn't even crack it.

…

…

"... what?" Karn deadpanned. "Alright, I've seen some anime bull &%%$ before in this story, but are you seriously telling me that the Shield Hero is capable of blocking a pressurized blast from the bottom of the ocean?!

"Do you have any idea how many atmospheres of pressure are on this water right now?! Screw cutting through steel, you could cut through tungsten or platinum or even &%$#$% DIAMOND with this! And you're telling me that NAOFUMI CAN STILL BLOCK IT UP LIKE A CHILD PUTTING THEIR FINGER INSIDE THE END OF A HOSE WITH HIS SKILL SHIELDS OF HIS?!" The enforcer yelled at the sky.

No words were said in response, but one of the clouds changed shape, forming three letters overhead:

L…O…L

"Yeah, honestly, brilliant move on your part." Naofumi shrugged. "Love the Goblin Slayer reference. Would have been an effective weapon if, you know, you hadn't used it on me."

"&%$ OFF! EVEN IF YOU HAVE IT BLOCKED UP, YOUR SKILL SHIELDS DON'T LAST FOREVER AND-"

"Pop quiz," Naofumi interrupted, taking the same tone Karn had used on him earlier. "You mentioned how I'm blocking your portal up like a kid sticking their finger in the end of a hose, and according to my Doctorate in anime bull &%$, I'm inclined to agree that is a great comparison for what I'm doing right now.

"So my question to you is thus: What happens to all that water trying to escape behind the finger when it can't get out?"

…

…

Karn looked completely confused, but by the time his brain started to wrap itself around what Naofumi had said, his skill shield was already starting to fade.

"Time's up, better luck next time trash. Second Shield." Naofumi summoned the second barrier behind it, angled just slightly to unblock a sizable portion of the portal.

The water, already being under immense pressure, had undergone even more pressure trying to escape through the opening, before finally being freed and directed in the perfect direction by the Shield Hero's angled defense.

The burst of water that escaped before the portal's sudden collapse tore Karn's body apart and disintegrated him like wet clay.

Thus they won, without Naofumi needing to use his Cursed Counter Vulcan's Retribution to do so.

"If that was the case though, then why did you use Vulcan's Retribution during the scene?" Raphtalia genuinely asked with concern and care. "I know how much you hate tiring yourself out like that."

"Yes, thank you Raphtalia, but you know, as I stated in the chapter, that bastard really pissed me off. So I wanted to vent at him instead of bottling that anger up and venting it on someone else who didn't deserve it later on." Naofumi deadpanned.

"... Fair." Raphtalia shrugged.

"Fair." Dou-Lon and Filo also shrugged in agreement.

"Fair." The abashed knights who'd attacked Naofumi earlier shrugged, still looking ashamed of themselves as they did so. They were grateful Naofumi hadn't directed that counter of his on them.

"Fair." Even Aultcray and Mirellia agreed. The King/Prince Consort even looked relieved that Naofumi's anger hadn't been directed at him this time.

"Bruh." The couple who owned the shop, however, were the only people mad about their property having been destroyed by Naofumi's need to vent.

Oh well, they, along with all the other citizens impacted by the battle, had already been covered by the crown for the damage their properties had sustained during the Wave.

They'd just have to wait a bit longer for the repairs to be completed now, lol.

Moral of the story: Heroes always get away with property damage. Especially when the owners of said property are unnamed.

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

It was a lot to take in.

Around thirty-eight chapters, or two whole books worth, to be exact.

Naofumi didn't cover everything, obviously. It would have taken him days to explain what had happened in the Otherworld, what he and Itsuki had gone through, the connections they'd established, and more. But the Shield Hero made sure to cover every bit of info that he considered to be essential in the few hours that he spent in the company of the two Royals.

Naofumi covered how they'd been separated upon arrival in the Other World. How he'd gotten help from the Cardinal Hero Kizuna, and who Kizuna was.

How he and Rishia had escaped a place known as the Infinite Labyrinth. How they eventually got to Sickle, met up with Itsuki there, created Raph-Chan, and then went to Label to rescue Filo, Raphtalia, and the others.

He'd nearly gone on a side tangent on Raph-Chan's greatness and floofiness when it was time to finally introduce his perfect daughter to Mirellia, but Raphtalia not so subtly kicked the Shield Hero's shin under the table. And the pain from that blow forced him to get back on topic.

Thankfully, no more distractions sprung up and Naofumi was able to continue.

He talked about rescuing Filo, learning of how she'd become a humming fairy while in that world. How they'd then rescued Raphtalia, Glass, L'Arc, and Therese. How Raphtalia was chosen by the Vassal Katana and the fallout that occurred from their first encounter with a reincarnator in Glass's world besides Kyo.

This led to him explaining how he and Itsuki had prepared for Kyo, helped Kizuna with Waves, trained in life force under Rishia, etc. He then talked about how Kizuna and Itsuki participated in a Conference of Nations. How Itsuki and Kizuna then brought the other three Cardinal Heroes of that world back with them.

Naofumi mentioned the attack on Sickle. The offensive into Label and then Kyo's country, and their fight with the Demon Lord.

Then he recounted what they'd learned from Kyo's journal. Of the nature of reincarnators. Of the danger reincarnators posed to their world, from their ability to steal hero weapons by touching them to the various cheat abilities they could have. Naofumi told the Royals how they could be identified, and even more importantly, eliminated. And ended on the offers of trade and alliances with nations in the Otherworld.

Mirellia made sure to ask questions throughout. Getting clarification on things she hadn't known about, or things which she only had vague understandings of thanks to Legends she or her scholars had studied in the past. She also asked for specifics on the nations of this Otherworld and smiled after it was confirmed that L'Arc had been a royal just like her.

After learning that Raphtalia had been chosen as a Hero, even Aultcray asked a couple of questions for clarification on her weapon and abilities. All while Dou-Lon distracted Filo in the background so she wouldn't be bored.

…

By the time Naofumi had finished, the sun was getting low in the evening sky. The storm from earlier had cleared up, promising a clear night for the Capital of Melromarc.

Mirellia shook her head. "I see… there's a lot you've given me to think about, Naofumi."

"I'm grateful to know why we had a Wave earlier than normal, and to have my other questions answered… but do you think some of these other… reincarnators, as they're called, could open a Wave on their own?" The monarch asked cautiously.

"I mean… there is a possibility for it. But Kyo didn't leave any notes on how to do it behind. And of the hundreds of individuals we killed, none of them were noted to have the ability to summon a Wave.

"But even if there was someone else in our world who knew how it wouldn't do them much good right now." Naofumi smiled a little while petting the now snoozing Raph-Chan on his lap. "The barrier around our world will prevent any Waves from happening at all for the next four months. And so long as we Heroes are registered to the Hourglass, we'll be summoned to fight like any other Wave."

"..." Mirellia thought to herself. "And what about after the Phoenix, when the Waves will resume… what if we have to deal with another surprise Wave then?"

"If it does happen..." Naofumi paused for a moment. "Then we'll just hunt down whoever is responsible and kill them."

…

He stated it in such a deadpan voice that the Royals had no choice but to believe the Shield Hero could and would do it.

"In the meantime," Raphtalia spoke next. "We'll make sure we deal with the reincarnators in our world as we come across them. I don't suppose there is anyone who fits their description that you know of, Your Majesty?"

Mirellia shook her head at the half-tanuki heroine. "I know of a few such individuals I turned away in the past. But I can't think of where they'd be at this point. Between all the recent crises and upheavals, my information network has taken a lot of heavy hits.

"There aren't any I can think of who are leaders in their nations, at the very least. But the description of their personalities matches up with the individuals Sir Motoyasu has been dealing with these last couple of weeks."

"Right, I think you alluded to that earlier." Naofumi nodded his head, his face grim. "Tell me more of what's happened here since we've been gone."

Mirellia proceeded to inform Naofumi and co about the events that'd occurred while they were in the Otherworld, those she knew in regards to the Spear Hero, at least. From his fast recovery to his mission to Zeltoble. And the details he'd filled her in on from there.

Fortunately, unlike their prior conversation, it didn't take very long.

Of their group, Raphtalia looked the happiest upon hearing that the last of her missing friends had been found and returned home. She looked especially excited to hear that her older sister figure, Sadeena, was amongst them.

But beyond that, hearing of Motoyasu's battles with the reincarnators, which Fitoria also filled in on through Filo, thanks to her having observed these encounters through Amber… Naofumi's frown cemented itself on his face.

"Looks like we'll have to inform Moto and the others about how to deal with them later." He remarked to his companions. "We can't allow for even one of those &%$ stains to remain alive."

Raphtalia frowned but nodded her head.

"If they're exactly like the foes we dealt with before, then I concur." Dou-Lon nodded.

"Another question, if I may," Mirellia interrupted again. "Are these reincarnators the ones behind the Waves of Catastrophe?"

"... no. Not directly." Naofumi shook his head. "From what we learned, they're more like the cannon fodder of those who actually are behind the Waves. They do their dirty work by erasing knowledge about them and the waves and sabotaging collective efforts to put up a united front.

"They also do assassinations of key influential targets, as you saw earlier."

"... strange, the legends I've read tend to agree that the Waves are a naturally occurring phenomenon." Mirellia frowned. "And you're sure Kyo was right about all this?"

"..." Naofumi leaned back in his seat and sighed as he looked at the ceiling. "If you had asked me that before we left, I would have said no.

"That being said, as twisted as his methods were, he was acting to try and save his world. And all of this information was the last thing that he entrusted us with before he died.

"All of it has proven to be reliable so far. Almost scarily so.

"I saw for myself the fear these reincarnators had when pressed to reveal info on their bosses. Doing so could cost them their very souls. The fact that Kyo risked that to reveal as much as he did, and the results we've gotten from it thus far, is enough for me to not doubt its validity.

"At least at this moment."

…

"..." Mirellia slowly nodded at the Shield Hero. "Understood. I will provide the scholars working under me with some of this information, so they know what to look for in their research. Perhaps this will help to shed new light on the Waves I hadn't felt to consider before.

"Well if there's one thing we learned while in the Otherworld, the Waves are anything but what we thought them to be. Otherwise, Kyo would have never been able to summon one in the first place." Naofumi stated flatly.

"There are individuals behind them that are causing them to happen. And these same individuals are the reason why we haven't found any good texts on the Waves in our world so far. It's possible we'll need to defeat them if our world is to ever have peace." The Shield Hero concluded with a serious expression.

"..." Mirellia had nothing to say in response to that and simply continued to look down at the fan in her hands.

…

…

…

"All Hero texts… anything we find on the Waves… what should we do about that in the meantime?" Mirellia asked.

"If there wasn't a portal reincarnator in this world, I'd say to look for them and place them here in the Capital. Given that we have an individual like that to worry about, however, and since he's shown himself to be aware of your spy network and how it works, until we have dealt with him and his friends, it'd be best to not speak of those Hero or Waves texts outside of this room, even if they are discovered by your associates.

"We can't afford to have these texts captured en route. Actually, scratch that, if more Hero texts are found, pretend that they're still undiscovered and leave them hidden. If it becomes necessary to move them, I or another Hero can act as an escort and store the texts in our weapons to bring them here. But that should only be a worst-case scenario.

"Until we can find Karn and deal with him, keep the hunt for Hero texts on the down low. We can't risk losing any more knowledge when a single scroll could hold the keys to understanding our foes and ending the Waves once and for all."

…

…

Mirellia frowned at the weight of the Shield Hero's words.

"In the meantime," Naofumi continued. "We'll continue working as we were. Getting all four of us Cardinal Heroes, those with us who are Vassal or Seven-Star Heroes, and the people of our nation strong enough to defeat the Phoenix when it awakens in four months.

"The Spirit Tortoise was hard enough as it was. I'd rather not get nearly burned to death again when the next Guardian Beast comes around."

…

…

"… very well then." Mirellia nodded. "Again, I will trust your word in this matter, Naofumi. I shall report such things to my Shadows… as they return from their missions to see me here, of course.

"Thank you for bringing all of this to my attention, and for protecting me and my husband… as well as for recovering the energy stolen from our world and defending my people."

Mirellia sighed. "At this point, I don't know how I can reward you for all that you've done, short of offering you my throne. But I doubt you'd be interested in that."

"You're right. I won't. I have enough responsibilities as is. But some money would go a long way." Naofumi smiled. "Considering what you said about getting access to Zeltoble's gold reserve earlier, that shouldn't be a problem."

"Naofumi." Raphtalia pouted next to him.

"It'll go towards the Hero's Nation." Naofumi teased his wife friend. "Though maybe I'll spend a bit on you. Maybe a fancy date for just the two of us?"

Raphtalia's pout turned into a deep blush as Naofumi kissed her on the cheek, making her tail go wild behind her as it wagged left and right.

"Of course. I'll have the funds prepared for you to pick up at a later date." Mirellia smiled at the sight.

"... Daddy, Fitoria also wants to thank you. And… uhh... she says not to worry about Bow Uncle if he comes home late? She is going to talk to him in private."

"Huh? Oh yea, sure thing." Naofumi spoke to Filo with a smile. "I have something to discuss with her that's a longer-term plan of mine, but I'd rather talk to Fitoria about it in person instead of here. And preferably somewhere that'll be private, where she won't be disturbed by other people. It's a little crazy."

"When aren't your ideas crazy?" Raphtalia teased him.

It was Naofumi's turn to pout at her, but it didn't last long before he smiled and chuckled.

"... Fitoria says alright." Filo had been about to say that there was something else Fitoria wanted to talk about, but seeing how good of a mood Filo's Daddy and Mommy were in, the Filolial Queen decided she couldn't ruin it now and had instead turned off her connection to Filo to focus on something else.

Overall, both sides were able to update themselves on the situations of their worlds. Etc etc etc.

It was time well spent, in Naofumi's opinion.

"Is there anything else you need, before you go, Naofumi?" Mirellia asked once they'd finished discussing everything.

"Yes, actually." Naofumi stood up. "Could you help me with drafting a legal document?"

…

"It'd be between me and your daughter." Naofumi clarified at Mirellia's quizzical look.

"... Yes." Mirellia nodded in understanding. Her smile grew a little more, being filled with pride.

A servant came in soon after, holding a piece of parchment, a quill, and a pot of ink. And after it was written, signed, and stamped, Mirellia hugged the Shield Hero and his family at the entrance of the castle, bidding them farewell.

Aultcray had already been one thing, and now Naofumi was showing that he hadn't forgotten about the other member of her family. She felt anxious about it earlier, but she was more than a little relieved that her trust in the Shield Hero hadn't been misplaced, in more ways than one.

"Yayyyyy~!" Filo had already forgotten about what Fitoria told her earlier, as she pulled her favorite wagon, which had been kept at the castle after the events with the Spirit Tortoise, down into the streets of the city.

"Remember to take it slow, Filo. You're a lot stronger than you were before." Her Daddy cautioned as they left the castle's premises.

"Filo will try to be careful, Daddy!" The angel girl promised.

Mirellia waved them off while her husband leaned on a cane next to her. Having come out to see the Shield Hero off as well.

While the older man still looked tired, there was a rare smile on his lips.

"He's changed for the better, hasn't he?" Mirellia spoke next to her husband.

"He… has…

"Far more… than I… have." Aultcray looked down at the ground sullenly.

…

"..." Mirellia hugged her husband's head against her chest. Kissing the top of his head. "You'll get there, Luge. I will not give up on you yet, especially after the kindness the Shield Hero has shown us.

"I'll help you past this pain you've been harboring inside you all these years eventually, my love. I promise."

"I… know, my love… thank you… for being patient… with me." Aultcray sadly smiled. "I…"

Whatever he wanted to say would have to wait as another thought sprung in the King's clouded mind, causing a frown to appear on his face. "What Naofumi said… do you think that Malty is…?"

He left the thought unfinished. But Mirellia understood him immediately and frowned as well. "No. She was no genius growing up… but perhaps that is something we should ask her about when she is found.

"It could explain a lot."

"... of course…" Aultcray sadly sighed, before being consumed by regrets once more.

The two rulers went back into their castle. Not even beginning to realize how Naofumi had not only protected them from being eavesdropped on in the future but potentially spared them as targets in what'd happen later on.

…

As for Naofumi…

"You all understand that we aren't to speak a word of what we learned in Kizuna's world outside of that castle, correct?" Naofumi asked.

"Yep." "Uh-huh." "Mmhmm." Raphtalia, Dou-Lon, and Filo responded simultaneously. Filo from where she was pulling. And Raphtalia and Dou-Lon from where they sat near the front of the wagon.

"Rafu!" Raph-Chan echoed her agreement.

"Good." Naofumi smiled briefly, before frowning again. "So much crap to deal with."

"... at least… we're prepared for it," Raphtalia said. "And there's more than just the bad to look forward to."

"Right, your older sister has been found." Naofumi smiled at his wife friend. "I can't wait to meet her."

"Heheh, I'm almost scared of introducing you to her," Raphtalia said in a strangely nervous tone.

Naofumi frowned, but before he could ask, Dou-Lon interrupted. "No need to worry, Sir Naofumi! We know what to watch for," Dou-Lon smiled widely. "Our enemies will have no idea what'll hit them."

"It's just Naofumi, Dou-Lon." Naofumi frowned back at the tiger man.

"Ack! Sorry S- I mean, um, ju- Naofumi!" Dou-Lon managed to stutter out.

Naofumi's frown turned into a glare. Just what had Dou-Lon been about to say there? He swore if it was what he thought it was, then-

"Yeah! Filo can't wait to smash the balls of all the Trash Guys out there on behalf of Filo's Mommy and Daddy!" Filo yelled excitedly.

…

…

…

"Filo, remember what we talked about before we left Kizuna's house this morning." Naofumi sweatdropped as he turned to face his daughter again.

"Filo knows." The Royal shrugged. "But Filo still thinks it's the most effective way to punish anyone who wants to harm Filo's Mommy and Daddy! Nothing else has been near as effective in the months Filo has been using that move on Bad Guys!"

…

…

…

Both parents sweatdropped.

"Rafu?" Raph-Chan popped her head up from Naofumi's lap curiously.

Perhaps they shouldn't have delayed talking to their daughter about this for so long… since ingrained habits were the hardest to break and all that.

"I will ensure to end the suffering of her victims with a quick thrust of my blade," Dou-Lon said in a deadpan.

"Thank you… Dou-Lon. For now, let's go to Elhart. And then, we'll head home and… yeah."

Naofumi began petting the familiar in his lap again, lulling his adorable daughter back to sleep. And so the group departed in the direction of Elhart's shop.

Deciding that perhaps it'd be for the best to drop this subject until the next time it became an issue.

"Shield Broooooooo!"

Clang! "Oof!"

The bald blacksmith tackled the Shield Hero within seconds of Naofumi stepping into his shop.

However, the resulting grunt hadn't come from Naofumi being surprised. Instead, it'd come from the bald guy clanging off him as if he'd slammed into a brick wall.

"You okay down there, Elhart?" Naofumi asked with concern as he offered a hand to the old man groaning on the floor.

"What… the hell? Is your skin made out of metal?! I've never felt something so hard and immovable in my life!" Elhart asked angrily as he grabbed Naofumi's hand and pulled himself up, glaring down at the Shield Hero.

…

Naofumi stood to his full height, a confident smirk working its way up his face. "Don't tell me you hurt yourself just now, Old man. I could use some healing magic on those old fossilized bones of yours if you want?"

"Eat $%^&, Shield Brat!"

"Better than eating whatever you'd cook, Bald Face!"

The two continued with their exchange of pleasantries. Getting more and more creative with their insults until they were finally told to behave by Raphtalia, as everyone else had been patiently waiting behind the Shield Hero to enter the shop during the short convo.

"Oh, wow! Are these outfits from the Otherworld?!" Elhart asked, looking excitedly over Naofumi, Dou-Lon's, and Filo's outfits as the latter two walked in.

"Yeah, though I'm not planning to stay in this get-up if you have my new armor set ready," Naofumi said before he glared. "It is ready now, right?"

"Of course it is. Along with everything else I was working on for you. Helps that it's been a few weeks instead of a few hours since the last time you asked." Elhart smirked.

"Best blacksmith in Melromarc, yet he couldn't even have my armor set ready before the Spirit Tortoise woke up again." Naofumi rolled his eyes. "And here I thought I was paying you good money."

"Oi, it wouldn't have taken so long if you hadn't melted your previous custom set into a massive pile of slag!" Elhart refuted. "Do you know how much time it takes to make a set of high-level custom armor from scratch?!"

"More time than what you have left on this world, clearly." Naofumi rolled his eyes.

"Why you puny little-"

Ahhh, now this felt good. Daresay, normal even. Naofumi was only starting to realize how much he liked the old and kind blacksmith's antics. Romina just had too much respect for the Shield Hero to ever dare say such crap to him, and he'd definitely missed it more than he thought.

They moved to the counter, where Elhart was likely going to show off some of the items Naofumi had wanted, complaining about how much backbreaking work had gone into them and everything so he could guilt trip Naofumi into paying a higher price for his stuff. Naofumi would moan and groan about how much effort he put into collecting all the materials for Elhart, how a few such materials had even been matters of life or death for him or members of his family, and how he was risking life and limb here to save the blacksmith's world even if he didn't have much of his life left to enjoy it. This would lead to more back and forth about Naofumi calling him old again that Raphtalia would have to stamp down on again to make them become civil with each other so they could get back on track with their haggling and pricing.

Thus they'd guilt trip each other while haggling for a price that'd leave both of them happy, and then Naofumi would find happiness simply through doing what he loved since he already knew how he was going to pay the blacksmith for all his hard work, and-

"Oh, by the way, I did some upgrades to my shop while you were gone." Elhart suddenly said, interrupting Naofumi in the middle of his thoughts with a surprisingly cheerful tone.

"Upgrades? What do you-" The young man started to say.

Elhart pulled a lever under his front desk, and a part of the wall behind him spun around.

The rest of Naofumi's sentence died on his lips.

Two armor stands were attached to the now exposed section of the wall. But instead of armor, one wore a wedding dress while the other had on a fancy tuxedo.

A long wreath made of roses lowered from the ceiling, spelling out the word "Congratulations".

A pair of confetti cannons went off on the sides. Launching their contents into the air behind Elhart.

To top it off, the blacksmith activated a recording crystal under the desk, which started playing a rendition of a wedding march, hummed out in Elhart's voice.

And yes, it sounded as bad as that sounded.

"Yep! Thought I'd have myself ready for when you finally marry that girlfriend of yours! Ahahahahahaha!"

…

…

Naofumi… was completely and utterly floored. Beside him, his wife friend, who'd been just as shocked as him at first, buried her face in her hands. Her ears had turned completely red in embarrassment.

The floor around her also caught on fire.

Dou-Lon looked at the display in shock. He was torn between wanting to congratulate his bloodkin on what he thought was a surprise engagement, and simultaneously wondering if it was actually an engagement announcement or not.

Seemed especially weird since Naofumi had confided in him some of his plans for wanting to propose to his half-tanuki partner. And none of them included a public display like this.

"Rafu?" "Mommy?" Their two daughters tried grabbing their parent's attention, only to fail.

…

This had been completely unexpected. Naofumi should have realized something was amiss when Elhart hadn't teased him or Raphtalia about their relationship soon after entering their shop. It was something he'd completely forgotten about since it'd been so long.

But no, the evil blacksmith had lured Naofumi into a false sense of security, only to hit him when he was at his weakest with something that'd bypass any defense stat he had.

…

…

"So, what do you say?" Elhart asked with a &%$ eating grin plastered on his face.

…

…

'Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu…'

As Naofumi's face burned bright red in embarrassment, Elhart laughed mightily in victory.

Finally, he had been vindicated from the time Naofumi walked in and copied a bunch of his Shields, making him lose his $#%&.

It felt so nice to drop the Shield Hero down a peg this time around.

Naofumi walked out of the fitting room, wearing his new armor set.

He refused to note what'd gone down after Elhart's prank from earlier. Only noticing that the offending display was stored in the wall again and that Elhart had finished cleaning up the confetti from earlier while he'd been changing.

The old man still had a massive $%& eating grin on his face though. Naofumi was still frowning deeply despite finally wearing a set of armor from the bald man that didn't make him look like a Bandit King.

He'd rather just forget that ever happened and move on with his life.

The new armor he was wearing was a complete revamp, with one of the only few things remaining being the fluff surrounding the neck of his cloak, which came from Fitoria's feathers. Naofumi now had a bulky set of pauldrons on his shoulders, as well as metal armor covering his arms, forearms, hands, hips, shins, and feet. Underneath the armor, covering his thighs, triceps, sides, and other exposed parts of his body was chainmail, which rested under a layer of black cloth, allowing the Shield Hero to retain some of the flexibility and mobility of his old armor set while giving protection to those areas.

Outside the armor, he wore a gold-lined templar tabard, the top over the chest plate having a white symbol on it while the bottom hanging between his knees had an engraving of the Small Shield in gold. With his cape flowing behind him, Naofumi finally looked the part of a real Hero.

You know, besides the scowl and red in his cheeks from what happened earlier.

"Looks good on ya kid, but I think you might have looked better if I kept the old designs," Elhart smirked.

"Hardy har har." Naofumi glared at the blacksmith.

Honestly, he was happy to have an armor set similar to the old one Motoyasu used to wear since he'd always been a little envious of how it looked. If only he could have gotten this sooner…

After shaking his head, Naofumi checked its stats on his HUD.

Paladin Defender's Armor Set

Equip Effects: Defense Up (Large), Impact Resistance (Medium), Slash Resistance (Medium), Wind Resistance (Very Large), Fire Resistance (Medium), Water Resistance (Low), Earth Resistance (Medium), HP Recovery (Low), MP Recovery (Low), Magic Power Up (Low), Blessing of the World Guardian, Automatic Self-Repair, Growth Power

Honestly, pretty good overall. The stats and effects were impressive, and he could see how some of the materials given to him by Fitoria had influenced some of its effects. Its stats fell a little short compared to the Byakko Samurai Armor though.

Oh well, he could always upgrade this armor set in the future. Especially since he actually liked this one. And he wasn't the only one.

"Whoaaaa, Daddy looks so good!" Filo ran up, examining her Daddy from different angles with a pure, happy expression on her face.

"Wow!" Where Dou-Lon had been examining some shields on display, he looked up, only for his eyes to bug out at Naofumi's appearance. "That armor really suits you, S- I mean, Naofumi."

"Rafu!" Raph-Chan cutely posed next to a shield on a counter, giving the Shield Hero a thumbs up as she did so.

Awwwwww, Naofumi smiled at his daughters and bloodkin. He was happy the three of them approved of this new design.

But he then turned to Raphtalia to get her opinion.

She was the most important to have the approval of, after all...

…

"Raphtalia?" Naofumi perked an eyebrow in confusion when she didn't say anything.

The half-tanuki shook her head with a sigh. "Sorry, I was just thinking about how you looked in your old armor set and was comparing it to the one you're wearing now.

"... I know the thoughts you had on it, but I'm really going to miss you wearing the Barbarian Armor… it just made you look so cool…"

…

"Though, you definitely look pretty cool in this one too." Raphtalia smiled at him sheepishly.

"Cool and sexy?" Naofumi waggled his eyebrows.

"Perhaps." Raphtalia giggled, blushing lightly in response to her husband friend's teasing.

Yes, approval acquired. Naofumi's new look was solidified on the spot. He finally felt happy again as he hugged his wife friend close and kissed her on the lips.

Raphtalia melted in his embrace, kissing her husband friend back as she hugged the Shield Hero. His new armor set made him feel bigger, and also more confident.

Perhaps he had been right to change his armor design? Raphtalia would still need some more time to ponder it.

"Huh. I actually feel like vomiting after watching that." Elhart said in a deadpan.

The two lovers slowly separated from each other, Naofumi being the one to have a &%$ eating grin on his face. "If you're that envious, then maybe you should find yourself a lady friend," Naofumi snarked in response. "There's this one redhead blacksmith I met in the Otherworld that I bet you'd get along with like a house on fire."

"Ha, sure, when pigs fly bro," Elhart shook his head with a smile.

Those two really were sickeningly sweet together. It was almost illegal.

"That being said, are you sure you even need that new armor set?" Elhart finally asked in disbelief.

"... What do you mean?" Naofumi replied in confusion.

"I was looking at the armor set you were wearing while you were changing, and…" Elhart shook his head. "It might be one of the strangest outfits I've ever seen, but it's incredibly well made."

Elhart lifted one of the Byakko Samurai Armor's armguards up as he spoke. "Every piece of this looks like it was put together by a master craftsman. Hell, it looks just as good, if not better, than what my master could make. And the stats are out of this world! They outclass those on that set by a good margin! I can't even see what some of the effects of this armor are, but it's an amazing piece of work overall!"

"Well, I'd hope so." Naofumi smiled. "The woman I mentioned made this by using Guardian Beast materials from the Otherworld."

…

…

"... she what?" Elhart asked in shock.

"Yeah, that's why it's called Byakko Samurai Armor. Byakko was one of the Guardian Beasts of that world before the Heroes there slayed it. Romina knew how to work with the materials.

"She was a pretty awesome blacksmith, reminded me of you in a lot of ways." Naofumi smiled as he complimented the older man.

"Hell, now that I think about it, this wasn't even the original armor she made for me. It was just the backup I accepted after the original one she made… well anyway, she's very good at her job. You sure you wouldn't want me to introduce you?"

"... this is made from Guardian Beast materials… and you're just giving me this?" Elhart asked again, ignoring Naofumi's question.

"Yeah, I'm sure as hell not planning on wearing it. Hell, I figured I'd use it as payment since I also destroyed the set of Siderite Armor you lent me before." Naofumi grinned.

"... no, I- Lad, I'm sorry but I can't accept such a gift-" Elhart began to say in a serious voice.

"It's not a gift." Naofumi frowned. "It's what I decided to pay you with before I got here. I expect it'll pay off what I have on my tab, serve as an apology for destroying my original armor set on top of the one you lent me, and if it still has more worth more than that in your eyes, it'll serve as a downpayment and a sign of my continued trust in you and your abilities to make what I ask you for in the future.

"You can value it however you want, but given that I don't have any cash on hand besides the currency I acquired in the Otherworld, I figured this would be as good a payment as any."

"..."

Elhart continued to stand behind his counter in silence, staring down at the armor set before him. "I know it's getting late, but before I go, there are a few other things I need to discuss with you. If that's alright." Naofumi said, letting go of what happened earlier as he moved to a fully business-oriented mindset. "You have a moment while my family looks at the rest of your stock?"

"Of… of course." The old man nodded, pulling out a sheet of paper.

Naofumi in a quiet voice began to discuss other ideas he wished for Elhart to create. The top of the list being what he called a Miko Outfit meant for Raphtalia.

The old man frowned as he drew the designs down, and as Naofumi also handed him the set of Miko Clothes Raphtalia threw at him earlier so the blacksmith could use them as a base for making an outfit that'd work in this world, his frown deepened, seeing its stats glitched out on his HUD.

It wasn't something he was used to making, but he knew a friend in the city he could contact to assist him in making a version that could hopefully be battle-worthy.

…

He then realized how the ideas Naofumi was giving him weren't related to the Shield Hero at all. They were all for Raphtalia, or Filo, or Dou-Lon, or Raph-Chan (unsurprisingly), or for others back in the Hero's Nation. Things he'd thought of while in the Otherworld that could benefit others but were a bit above Jerry's expertise.

Hell, Elhart almost felt like some of this would be above his pay grade. Could he even make a good set of armor that'd fit the familiar running around Filo's feet at the moment?!

Though Naofumi gave the blacksmith scarily accurate measurements of Raph-Chan on the spot before he could ask.

…

…

"Naofumi," Elhart finally interrupted in a quieter voice. The Shield Hero's family were busy in another part of the shop, watching as Raphtalia 'examined' different katanas the blacksmith had on display. "I know I was joking about it earlier, but…"

He pulled out a box from under his counter and opened it, revealing a pair of rings. "I am serious when I say that I'll support you if you plan on marrying the young Miss.

…

Far from acting surprised, Naofumi nodded with a serious expression on his face. "I am. Which reminds me, I need you to make these as well." Naofumi wrote two numbers on a separate sheet of parchment, before handing it to Elhart.

"That's my ring size, as well as Raphtalia's. I won't be able to surprise her if I try making the bases at my home, so I need you to make the rings for me.

"I'll handle the engravings and the gemstones later," Naofumi said. "Think you can do that?"

…

"I'll have it done as soon as possible. Hell, I'll deliver them personally, so you won't have to pick them or your other items up." Elhart smiled. "Be better able to surprise the young Miss too that way. And allow me to be there to see the look on her face."

"You promise you won't vomit?" Naofumi asked with a smirk.

"I'll do my best to save it for after you two are done with sucking on each other's faces." The old man winked.

"Thank you." Naofumi smiled in satisfaction.

"Always a pleasure working with you, Shield Brat."

"Whatever you say, Old Man."

Their business eventually concluded, with Naofumi putting in the order for a Miko Outfit and other items.

He then put the other items Elhart had made for him into his Shield and nodded to his friends.

"Thanks again, Old Guy!" Filo waved happily to the blacksmith as she exited the store.

"Keep up the excellent work!" Dou-Lon waved as he followed behind the young angel girl.

"See you soon!" Raphtalia smiled, arm in arm with Naofumi as the couple walked out the door.

"Real soon!" Naofumi winked.

Raphtalia looked at the Shield Hero in confusion as he laughed, waving his hand as the door closed behind them.

"Heh, see you never brat! Thanks for the free armor!" Elhart chuckled to himself, resting his arms on the wood counter.

…

…

As the blacksmith rested, pondering on the whole exchange. He was struck by how much the Shield Hero had changed since the last time.

There wasn't that young boy haunted by inner demons hoping for a better future that he'd seen in his shop multiple times before. This was a young man firmly grasping what he wanted and working hard to get it.

Elhart almost had to wipe a tear from his eye. Had the little brat really grown up so quickly? He could have sworn only a few weeks had passed.

…

Looking at the list again, his face became determined. It was getting late, but sleep was the last thing on his mind.

He'd help the young man to fulfill his dream of marrying the love of his life… and then he'd weasel into godfather status for their future children so he could antagonize the brat for the rest of time as the cool 'Uncle' figure of the growing family!

Ha, he couldn't wait. The future truly did look bright, and Elhart was all ready to see what the future had in store for-

"By the way," The front door suddenly slammed open, and Naofumi poked his face in. "Any new Shields I can steal from you, old-"

"Get the &%$# out of here already!" Elhart roared, grabbing the nearest item to him and chucking it at the nuisance.

Clang!

The blacksmith hammer he'd grabbed smashed against Naofumi's face with an ineffectual Clang before falling to the floor.

"Told you I'd be seeing you 'real soon'! Hehehehehe!" Naofumi cackled like an imp as he then quickly closed the door, rushing off to rejoin everyone.

"URGHHHHH!" Elhart fumed. He'd just gotten even with the kid earlier, shared a heartwarming moment over his blooming romance, and he'd even been pondering on how to further antagonize him in the future!

Did he have to ruin it now with his stupid antics?!

…

Oh well, looking outside, Elhart saw he was gone for good now. Heaving a sigh, the blacksmith was left to ruminate on the bunch of fun projects Naofumi had left him to work on in the meantime, alongside the Spear Hero's commission, the Royal's workload for him, and other fun side projects.

Urgh, he had no time to ruminate! He had to fulfill his craft before he drowned in everything he was doing!

Elhart grabbed the hammer he threw off the floor… only to find the head of it dented from smashing into Naofumi's face.

Oh great, now he was going to have to make himself a new hammer before he could get back to work, either that or he'd have to deal with Naofumi's &%$# eating grin being forever engraved into the head of his favorite work tool for the rest of his life.

Life was so hard for the old man.

"SHIELD BRATTTTTTTTTTT!"

With their business in the Capital done, and with the sun lowering in the evening sky, Naofumi sighed in relief as Filo happily hummed in front of him. Pulling her favorite wagon back home at long last.

It honestly would have been faster to teleport… but now that Filo was a Filolial again, the desire to pull her wagon was strong. And unfortunately, Naofumi couldn't teleport the wagon with him, since the skill only worked on people.

Weird that it brought the clothes and weapons everyone was wearing/carrying with them, but the Shield Hero guessed it'd just be weird if the skill dropped everyone naked and defenseless in the middle of a save spot.

"Does Daddy think Filo could fly if Filo jumped really high?" Naofumi did note how his daughter still retained a few things from her experience as a humming fairy after the weird and disturbing thought.

"I don't think Filolials can fly, sweetie. Maybe if you got even better at wind magic." Naofumi suggested.

"Hmmm, but even Fitoria can't fly, and Fitoria is super good at wind magic. The best Fitoria has shown Filo is how to float and glide.

"Aww, if only Filo could fly again."

"... can't you still sing though?" Naofumi pointed out.

"Oh yeah! That's true! Yayyyyy~!" The girl cheered and immediately began singing a song from the otherworld.

"You are the ocean's gray waves! Destined to seek, life beyond, the shore, just out of reach!"

As the Filolial sang, Dou-Lon began to hum and tap his leg against the wood floor. Looking at peace as he meditated in the middle of the moving wagon.

"Rafu." Raph-Chan lay in the tiger man's lap, snoozing peacefully while enjoying the good vibes coming off the hakuko.

Raphtalia sat on a bench. Her body leaned back against the cloth covering. Her eyes were closed, her smile content and her nose occasionally sniffing as she waited for the familiar scent of salt water to fill her nose while she slept.

Hmmm, it didn't feel like the song packed any power behind it like it had in Glass's world. Naofumi guessed it was because Performance Magic wasn't supported by the magic system of his world. Still, even if she only had one set of vocal cords again, Filo sounded amazing as she sang.

Maybe her voice had just been beautiful all along…

…

This probably would have been the perfect time to be thinking about stuff, now that everyone was so relaxed and quiet.

Yet, this time, Naofumi just enjoyed observing the scenery. Listening to Filo's different songs as she went through one after another, seeing how peaceful his family was as time went on.

This was more of what he'd expected after returning. And he hoped moments like this would occur often enough to help him regain a semblance of normalcy for the next four months of preparations for the Phoenix and dealing with reincarnators in their world and…

Eventually, Naofumi's worries and concerns vanished as the earlier exhaustion caught back up to him, and with the allure of Filo's voice and the peaceful countryside surrounding him, Naofumi succumbed to a peaceful nap in his seat.

"Aww, man! Stop picking that stupid electric gorilla all the time, big bro! He's so unfair! I want to win too!"

"What do you mean, Jun? You beat me at the racing game over there only five minutes ago!"

A young Naofumi around ten years old argued with a younger boy. A six-year-old on the verge of turning seven named Jun.

The two brothers were arguing in front of an arcade machine. They held some pocky sticks in their mouths, which they'd purchased with part of their weekly allowance. An unopened pack of Pokemon cards lay on the control panel of the arcade cabinet between them.

As the present Naofumi observed from his place in the dream, the screen in front of the two flashed with the word  VICTORY  across its old, pixelated screen. And the young Naofumi, one you could have easily nicknamed Kidfumi in a certain context, began dancing in victory.

"Nooooo!" Jun cried out in defeat.

"Aw yeah, and that means I get to open the card pack this week!" The kid Naofumi gloated.

"Come on, best two out of three!" Jun demanded.

"You sure? I won, as per the rules!"

"Come on Big Bro! Are you chicken?!"

"Ha, you're on!" Naofumi put a couple more ten yen coins into the old machine, and the two picked their characters and began battling it out all over again.

This was a moment of time before Naofumi grew up. It was the arcade that he and Jun often visited when they were young. It was rather small and the games here were old, but the owner only charged a measly ten yen to play.

This cozy little arcade on the street corner also doubled as a candy shop and a hobby store rolled into one. Allowing kids to play games at cheap prices, buy whatever candy they wanted, and feed their addiction to action figures, trading cards, and everything else under the sun for a young otaku in the making.

Naofumi didn't really care to think about the details though. He just felt happy as he recalled the antics of his kid self and his younger brother back when they were young and immature.

"Ha, and I win again!" Kidfumi declared.

"Boo! I want to settle this with the racing game!" Jun began to pout.

"The racing game doesn't count! We agreed on settling it with a fighting game this time!"

"But I'm not good at fighting games!" Jun argued.

"Then get good, little bro!"

"It's not that simple though! That character you're using is unfair!"

"Seems simple enough to me! Just don't get hit!"

As Naofumi watched the two kids bantered, an old tanned man with a wiry build appeared between a pair of machines. The older Naofumi remembered who he was immediately.

"Now now, don't fight, you two. Siblings should be supporting each other. Go easy on your little brother, Naofumi. Blanka is a bit of a tricky fighter to figure out."

"Oh relax, Old Arcade Guy! I'm just teasing Jun is all!" The Young Naofumi turned and saluted the old man, and next to him, Jun grinned widely, his forced surly expression quickly vanishing.

Ha! Yep, he couldn't recall if he'd ever learned this guy's name or not. But Old Arcade Guy sounded about right. The guy was hunched over, and unlike a certain bald blacksmith, he still had a full head of hair. However, the air surrounding him felt very similar to Naofumi's blacksmith friend in this world. And his kindness mirrored his in a way too.

"Careful with the machines too. Don't get carried away. They're quite old and brittle, just like me! Hah!" The old, friendly guy laughed.

"S-Sorry, we'll be careful." Jun bowed his head, looking disappointed at possibly angering the friendly old man who permitted them to loiter around his business so often.

"You say the same thing every time, old man." The young Naofumi rolled his eyes. "I know we get a little heated sometimes playing your games, but we won't break your stuff."

"Of course, but just in case." The old man pulled something from his pocket and handed it to Jun with a smile. "I forgot to say this earlier, I'm running a buy one, get one free sale for those card packs today.

"Now, you won't have to fight over who gets to open one."

The kid's eyes widened in awe, and they quickly bowed in gratitude. "Thanks, Old Arcade Guy!" Naofumi and Jun said simultaneously.

The man laughed as he waved and went to another part of his store, and the two kids went back to the game, smiling and happy as they no longer played to see who'd get to open the card pack, and instead simply had fun playing against each other.

The adult Naofumi observing simply smiled as he shook his head. He recalled how the card pack he opened, the one they bought with their allowance, had only common cards in it, whereas the one Jun opened had a vintage collector's card. One that he recalled to still be sealed in a picture frame on the nightstand of his room almost ten years later.

But to think they'd even had such a dumb competition over trading cards.

…

Man, if his adult self could be stupid, then Kidfumi had been an extra batch of stupid and trouble all balled into one.

It was no wonder why his parents lost faith in him and…

…

As if in response to his bittersweet thought, the dream memory Naofumi was experiencing changed.

Some time had passed, and a teenage Naofumi had brought his younger brother to the arcade from their childhood.

He remembered that he'd wanted the two of them to enjoy Jun's tenth birthday together before their parents threw a big party on Jun's behalf later on… a birthday party to which Naofumi hadn't been invited, and wouldn't be participating since their parents hadn't paid to have him included, despite paying for members of their extended family to travel to their city and join them for the big celebration.

But the plans of the two brothers to spend some time together were dashed as they found the familiar old man standing in front of his shop. Putting up the 'Closed' sign over his front door.

"Old Arcade Guy?" Naofumi said in confusion.

"Aren't… you normally open at this time?" Jun asked.

"Ahhhh. If it isn't you two lads! Goodness, it's been a while!" The old man turned to face the Iwatani brothers, his smile still as kind and warm as ever, even though looking past him into the storefront, Naofumi was able to guess what was going on.

"No arcade machines… does that mean this place is no longer an arcade?" Naofumi asked. A disappointed frown came onto his lips.

"I'm afraid that is the case." The old man nodded. "I haven't had many new customers in the last couple of years. And, though I will deny ever telling you two such a thing, I'm too old to maintain this place any longer."

The teenage Naofumi's disappointment only became more visible in response.

He'd been so excited to trounce Jun in Street Fighter again or see if they could beat his High Score in Pac-Man, or maybe even see if Naofumi could finally beat his younger brother on that damn racing game he loved so much or not… but looking through the storefront window, he didn't see the glow of arcade machines, or a stocked candy bar or action figures or anything.

The inside looked barren and deserted. Just like his life right now.

"... what's going to happen to you then?" Jun asked worriedly, dragging the young teenager out of his dark thoughts. "If you no longer have a business, does that mean-"

"Oh, heavens no." The Old Arcade Guy laughed, still looking happy despite the news he'd given the two brothers. "I've got plenty of savings from my long life. I'm also moving to Okinawa so I can officially retire and spend time with my daughter and grandson, so I won't be alone either.

"I swear the little tyke grows bigger by the day. Did you know it's been fifteen years since I last saw my daughter in person? It made me so happy when she offered to let me move in with her. I was afraid she'd forgotten all about me pursuing her career and… ahhh, just makes me happy that she's found something that makes her happy."

"I've missed so much of her life. But now I'll get to be with her and my precious grandson! So I'm excited about this change!"

"..."

"..."

Naofumi and Jun both frowned. Now it wasn't just that they weren't going to enjoy their own small party together before Jun's massive party with their parents and extended family. Their favorite arcade from their childhood wasn't going to be open anymore either.

As the present Naofumi watched, the old man frowned for the first and only time in his memory. Even though at this point, Naofumi was taller than the guy, due to his hunched posture, he leaned down more to Jun's level, making the teenage Naofumi crouch to listen to what he had to say.

"Don't feel bad that this place will no longer be what it once was, you two. It served a great purpose over its time, and many great memories were made within. By you, and by others who came here too."

"... I just… didn't realize it'd been so long…" Teenage Naofumi sighed.

"Indeed, sometimes, we get caught up in our day-to-day lives. And sometimes, we'll drift away from those we care about without realizing it." The old man's frown vanished. A gentle, real smile appeared on his lips. "But even if it's sad when you realize what's gone, it's alright to be happy that it happened.

"Life has many twists and turns to it. Its ups and downs, its highs and lows. Its bright spots and dark spots.

"All I've wanted to do is be the bright spot in someone else's day. It's why I enjoyed running this place for so long. Nothing made me happier than seeing you kids smiling and having fun.

"And speaking of that, I'm glad you brats showed up when you did." The old man's smile turned into a smirk.

"W-Why?" Jun stuttered in surprise.

"I happened to be doing one last sweep of my shelves to make sure everything was out before I closed shop for the last time, and I happened to come across this beauty on the top shelf." From Old Arcade Guy's back pocket, he pulled out a white box depicting a tomboyish-looking girl with a pink backpack.

It was a game for an old gaming system, one which Naofumi still had stored away somewhere in his room. But the eyes of the two brothers widened when they realized that this wasn't just any game, but it had been the arcade's top prize back when they came here often.

"If I recall correctly, you two really wanted this one, but never did get enough tickets to win it. Heh, of all the kids that came here, you two were the closest ones to ever acquire it." The old man winked as he handed the packaged, mint-condition vintage game over to Naofumi and Jun, whose jaws slackened at the old man's generosity. "Consider this as a parting gift from me to you, for all the business you brought to me over the years."

"I…" Naofumi trailed off, he and his brother unable to think of a response.

…

Eventually, brought to happy tears, the two brothers bowed. "Thank you so much, Old Arcade Guy!" They shouted simultaneously.

Naofumi, observing his memory of the event, smiled bittersweetly as Old Arcade Guy laughed and waved farewell to the teenage Naofumi and his younger brother one last time, before walking down the street and vanishing from his memories for good.

Naofumi never did see him again after that. When the future Shield Hero walked by the place a few years later, it had been transformed into a modern Internet cafe. A place for High Schoolers to hang out and do assignments, or for salarymen strapped for time to plug in and do a quick report before heading back home.

You would have never guessed it had once been an arcade where kids could go to hang out and have a fun time.

…

But even with that, Naofumi couldn't forget the man's kindness, and especially what happened afterward when they got back home, as the rest of the memory played out.

Heh, glorious was an understatement.

The teenage Naofumi, sporting a bright smile on his face, dug out his old Super Famicom from a box in his closet. He and Jun then spent around an hour trying to figure out how to hook it up to the spare TV Naofumi had in his room thanks to his parents almost throwing it away when they got a new one.

Eventually, after weaving together a series of wires and connectors that would have made an experienced technician cry, the Famicon finally hummed to life on the screen. And then he and Jun barricaded the door to his room. Feasting on snacks and candy they'd brought in with them while their parents searched desperately for Jun, not realizing he was in his older brother's room, enjoying his tenth birthday the way he wanted to.

Not out in public, at some grand expensive event they'd paid for to make themselves look good, but in the privacy of their home, playing a vintage platformer game that looked ugly as hell on the TV. But they had so much taking turns to play together on a busted, dusted old controller, only held together by duct tape, heating glue, and maybe even a bit of prayer.

It was the best birthday celebration ever, in Naofumi's humble opinion. With only one seemingly small hiccup towards the latter end as they worked through a hard level together.

"Big Bro… do you think the two of us will drift apart one day?" Jun suddenly asked his older brother.

It'd been several hours by this point. Naofumi's parents had banged on his door, demanding to know where Jun was. But the rebellious teenager had claimed ignorance, saying he didn't know and that maybe they should have kept better track of his younger bro if they'd planned on taking him somewhere without Naofumi to keep an eye on him.

Naofumi was going to be in so much trouble from this. Especially since their parents would end up calling the cops to report Jun missing. But present Naofumi focused on the question Jun asked his teenage self now instead of what he knew would happen later.

"Why are you asking me that?" Teenage Naofumi replied to his brother. "You think it'll be that easy to get rid of your big brother?"

"Heh, if not even our parents can get you out on the street, then I don't know what can." Jun chuckled in response, before heaving a sigh. "I just can't help but think about Old Arcade Guy… and how maybe the day will come that we'll drift apart from each other's lives just like he did with his daughter."

…

…

"..." Teenage Naofumi was, fortunately, smarter than young Naofumi. And he paused the game to think his response through before he finally answered his younger brother.

"Even if we do drift apart… I'm sure we'll meet again one day." Naofumi then continued. "Old Arcade Guy hadn't seen his daughter for years. But now he's being reunited with her, and in time to watch his grandson grow up too.

"So you know, even if we do end up not being as close when we're older, I'm sure we'll end up back together again one day since you and I are family, just like them."

"You're sure of that?" Jun asked.

Naofumi smirked. "As sure as I'll be in trouble when Mom and Dad find out I was harboring you in my room playing old video games on your 'Big' day."

Jun laughed at the response, and Naofumi laughed too as they continued to explore the strange and sometimes confusing world of Umihara Kawase with its brown-haired fishing girl protagonist. It turned out to be even more fun than the two were expecting all these years ago.

Even if the hooking mechanics were a bit tricky to figure out.

Something Naofumi remembered to have held over his head as the 'older' bro for quite a few months since Jun figured them out first… despite the both of them being grounded because of this.

Wait, only Naofumi had been grounded. His parents treated Jun as if his older brother had stolen his big celebration away from him while they treated his teenage self like trash. Blaming him for all the disrespect they'd gotten from their family when the birthday boy never showed up to 'his' celebration.

Oh well, not like being grounded had been any different from how they normally treated him. And despite their best efforts, not even their parents could destroy the brotherly bond between the two of them.

As the memory faded to fuzziness, Naofumi felt a warm, bittersweet feeling in his chest. A time from so long ago, yet one that he cherished as much as ever.

And thus, his memories were enveloped in the land of dreams.

It was well past sunset, with stars beginning to shine in the night sky when the Shield Hero was finally awoken by a hand touching him lightly on the shoulder.

"You sleep well?" Raphtalia asked.

"As well as one can while sitting up on a hardwood bench." Naofumi cracked his neck groggily while letting out a tired, but good sigh after what'd turned out to be a peaceful rest. "How long's it been?"

"Not too long, Daddy. Filo thinks that Filo is close to home." Filo answered from the front of the wagon, where she was still pulling with as much energy as ever.

"You sure, sweetie? I don't smell any seawater in the air yet." Raphtalia asked.

"Mmhmm! Filo is definitely sure that Filo's home is close!" The large bird said excitedly.

"Good to hear. After how good that rest was, I can't wait to sleep in my bed again." Naofumi smiled, nodding in his daughter's direction before looking past Raphtalia at the back of the wagon to check on Dou-Lon and Raph-Chan.

Dou-Lon was still in his cross-legged stance. But judging by the line of drool coming down from his mouth and the twitching of his ears on his head, he was asleep right now.

"Ra… fu fu fu fu fu." Raph-Chan was hanging off the hakuko's head, asleep as well and her cute voice became even more adorable sleeping in her spot.

"Dang, you'd never think we were fighting for our lives earlier today." Naofumi couldn't help but chuckle as he shook his head at the adorable sight.

"It does feel good, being back in our world. I… feel far better here than I did in Kizuna's world. Though I don't really know why." Raphtalia said with a confused smile as she tried to think about it.

"Maybe it's something in the air." Naofumi joked.

"Hmmm?" Raphtalia tilted her head in confusion.

"Kizuna's world had far more craziness going on in it than ours." Naofumi shrugged, smiling as he dumbed down the unfamiliar metaphor from his world. "Maybe it's because our world is calmer in comparison that it feels better here."

"... ah, I see. I'll just have to pray that you don't make things too crazy then, dear." Raphtalia smiled happily.

"I doubt I'll need to pull off any crazy plans for a while." Naofumi rolled his eyes but continued to smile at his wife friend, who smiled at him while planting a peck on his lips.

Naofumi enjoyed her taste, as well as the sensation of breathing in the scent of her hair afterward as she sat down next to him and snuggled into his side to enjoy the last leg of their journey on the driver's bench together.

…

…

There was a quiet, peaceful silence between them for a moment. Broken only by the sounds of the carriage rolling along, and Filo humming a quiet tune to herself in front of them since the other members of her family were still asleep.

Raphtalia's hand interlocked with his, and then, without looking up, she started speaking.

"Earlier, it looked like you were dreaming."

Naofumi looked down at her, his quizzical expression quickly changing to a teasing smirk. "You were watching me sleep again?" He teased.

"Perhaps." Raphtalia's cheeks reddened, and she shifted her legs at the admittance. But her hand stayed gripped to his. "You looked happy in your sleep… though you also had moments when you looked sad.

"I wanted to wake you up and ask what you were dreaming about… but it felt like I shouldn't do that till… well, that's why I woke you up before we arrived." She looked up at him, her deep tea-red eyes shining even with the darkness of night surrounding the carriage. "It seemed like you were at a point when I could wake you."

"... ah." Naofumi nodded. Even now, he was still surprised at just how well his wife could read him, even in his sleep.

"That… I'd like to know what you were dreaming about, but only if you don't mind, since I know we've had a hard day already, and if you need more rest or time to think then I can wait and-" Raphtalia started to say, her free hand fidgeting with one of her braids.

"Raphtalia." Naofumi interrupted her with a genuine smile. "I don't mind. Hell, I'm glad you woke me up when you did. I can still recall what I was dreaming about, and I want to share it with you so I don't forget it."

"...!" Raphtalia's eyes widened in surprise, but before she could say another word, Naofumi began describing the dream he'd had to his future wife. And their daughter in front of them slowly stopped humming as she listened in to what her Daddy was saying.

Raphtalia's face went through a variety of expressions as Naofumi described the old, fond memories his dream had dug up for him. With him having to explain some things like what an arcade was and the like so she and Filo could understand.

"Wow, Filo never knew that Daddy had a younger brother!" Filo said happily.

"Heh, sorry, I don't really talk about Jun often." Naofumi smiled. "I'll have to tell you more about him when I have the chance. He was an awesome fellow, just like your Dad."

"Yayyyy~!"

Raphtalia, though less infused, was smiling brightly as well. "Jun… now that I think about it, wasn't that one of the aliases you went under back when we were first on the run?"

"Yeah, it was." Naofumi's smile grew a little at Raphtalia remembering such a small detail from long ago.

"I also remember you mentioning him in a bedtime story… I think." Raphtalia furrowed her brows in confusion. "I'm not entirely sure if it was a bedtime story or not."

"Probably. I remember having to help you go to sleep quite a few times. And to think back then I was more worried about you wetting my cloak at night." Naofumi teased.

Raphtalia glared at him, promising death in her gaze if he continued down that line of thought. But Naofumi laughed in response as he kissed her on the forehead, replacing her anger with a shy smile almost instantaneously.

Eventually, the shyness in her smile vanished as her expression turned more genuine. "Your younger brother sounds like an amazing person, Naofumi. I wish that I could have the chance to meet him."

"Yeah, he's much better than my parents, that's for sure." Naofumi laughed as he rolled his eyes.

…

Raphtalia's eyes suddenly widened as she realized something about what she said. "I-I'm sorry. I just said that without thinking how you'd want to see him again either, and-"

"It's fine." Naofumi held a finger up to her lips, silencing the half-tanuki's apology. "I kind of did come to peace with that a long time ago."

He shook his head, his smile turning bittersweet for a moment. "Don't get me wrong. I do wish I could see my younger brother again. But I've got you now, as well as Filo, Dou-Lon, Eclair, Melty, Itsuki, Ren, Motoyasu, and a bunch of others that I can call friends and family.

"And who knows… maybe that Old Arcade Guy was right, and there'll come a day when me and Jun will drift together again in the future." Naofumi faced ahead, his smile genuine. "Not sure how it'd happen or if it'd happen, maybe I'm just being too much of an optimist at this point…

"But it's a great thought to fight for, don't you think?"

…

"Yes, it is." Smiling sincerely, Raphtalia hugged her husband friend's side again, and Naofumi wrapped his cloak around the half-tanuki woman, allowing her to snuggle up against him directly.

And so, a few more minutes passed in relative silence. Broken only by the sound of quiet conversation as the Shield Hero answered a few more questions on his world to his curious, lovely partner. Inconsequential things he didn't feel to note down, as they weren't nearly as important as his time with her.

Until, finally…

"Yay! Filo can Filo's home!" Filo cheered happily, grabbing her parent's attention. It might not have been flying, but pulling the carriage had been immensely satisfying.

Dou-Lon stirred to wakefulness behind them as the group crested over a rise, and the town of Lurolona appeared in the distance. Or, at least what Naofumi assumed to be the town.

Raphtalia blinked in surprise, and then sniffed the air, catching the familiar scent of seawater. Had she been so focused on Naofumi that she hadn't caught the change in the air earlier?!

Regardless, the familiar scent of sea salt identified the place as Lurolona, and yet… they didn't remember it having a huge wall in front of it?! When had that gotten there?! It looked as tall as the walls in Melromarc's Capital, and it was only because of torches surrounding emblems of the Hero's Nation on its front that they could identify the wall as protecting Lurolona!

And work was being done to expand outside the wall. Trees marked for cutting. Areas cordoned off in preparation for foundations for future buildings to be laid and the like.

In the glow of moonlight, Naofumi was able to spot townspeople patrolling along the top of the defensive structure. One of them stopped, pulling out a spyglass to peer in their direction, before yelling something behind her that got the others with her moving into a frenzy.

…

By the time they were approaching the front gates, they'd been opened. And even though it would have been close to midnight at this point, Motoyasu was waiting for them, along with Eclair, Ren, Wyndia, S'yne, Melty, and a few others.

Naofumi had expected the Heroes and their parties to be there to greet him. Maybe Eclair and Melty and a few other important figures as well.

However, the group didn't look happy as the carriage pulled up. Behind them, the town appeared to be a hive of activity. Filo, who'd been about to wave down her best friend as they approached, cut herself short as she sensed the tense atmosphere.

"Sir Naofumi," Eclair said in a surprisingly cordial tone. "It's good to have you home."

"Glad to be back. But what happened? Why is everyone so gloomy?" Naofumi asked, feeling his stomach turn in preparation for what would likely be another crisis to face. And the day was finally turning nice too. He even had a pleasant dream about the past.

Was it all about to be ruined in mere seconds?

…

…

The rose-haired knight studied the Shield Hero's face for a moment. Motoyasu frowned next to her as he walked up. Instead of beating around the bush, since Naofumi got annoyed by such antics, he went straight to the point.

"Naofumi, Itsuki abandoned his party at the site of the Wave.

"We have no idea where he went.

"Do you know what happened to him in the Otherworld?"

…

…

"&%$#." Naofumi gripped the bridge of his nose and groaned.

Peaceful time was gone.

Back to the &%$ he went.

Earlier

Sniff!

Crack!

A branch broke underfoot as the figure of the Bow Hero dashed through the foliage.

He was surrounded by rubble. What was formerly a grand mountain range had been reduced to a giant mess of jagged rocks, deep gullies, and craters by the rampaging behemoths that'd battled here weeks before.

There were no trees, save those that had been snapped like toothpicks and left in destroyed splinters all over. But bits of green still poked out of the earth all over.

Itsuki had tears running down the sides of his face. He was nearly blind from the nonstop crying. If not for his eagle eye skill giving him a view from overhead, he would have crashed into the side of a boulder or tripped over a large log long before now.

Not that it hadn't almost happened, at least five times, in the last minute. Seeing from overhead could only do so much.

But as much as the physical pain would have hurt, it couldn't even compare, no, it couldn't so much as fathom a tiny smidgen of the mental and emotional turmoil the teenage Bow Hero was experiencing right now.

He'd left everything he knew and loved behind. He was actively tearing off his old outfit from the Otherworld and changing into his old gear as he ran for who knows where.

His 'former' party members, his friends… all of them had tried to run after him after arriving through the Wave. Hell, they'd tried to chase him down as soon as the Wave in Kizuna's world started, even though he didn't want them close anymore!

It only made it hurt all the more when the Wave ended, and he was finally able to force himself to teleport out of there before they could catch up and convince him to keep them around. Putting them in danger of his mistakes. Allowing him to hurt them as he had before, to harm Rishia and the others again, and…

Itsuki just couldn't handle it anymore. He just wanted to get away so he wouldn't hurt them by being his stupid arrogant idiotic self.

He just didn't want to hurt those he cared about again.

…

…

Yet why did running away hurt so damn much?

…

…

The Bow Hero's turmoil only grew as he continued running across the destroyed landscape. Blindly running away from everything that was causing him pain.

He eventually collapsed at the side of a lake, curling his body into a fetal position as he continued to cry.

Alone. And scared of what the future had in store for him.

Hero Clips!

Wedding Prank Gone Too Far

"Oh, by the way, I did some upgrades to my shop while you were gone." Elhart suddenly said, interrupting Naofumi in the middle of his thoughts with a surprisingly cheerful tone.

"Upgrades? What do you-" The young man started to say.

Elhart pulled a lever under his front desk, and the entire wall behind him spun around.

The rest of Naofumi's sentence died on his lips.

Two armor stands were attached to the now exposed section of the wall. But instead of armor, one wore a beautiful, elaborate wedding dress with a veil over its head, while the other was dressed in a dirt-poor tuxedo that looked as rough as a bear rug… and smelt like one too.

It also had a scowling face painted on the front of its head. And "Naofumi Iwatani: The Great Bandit King" was written in giant bold letters on a note stapled to its outfit.

Besides that, there was also a long wreath made of roses that lowered from the ceiling, spelling out the word "Congratulations". And a pair of confetti cannons went off on the sides. Launching their contents into the air behind Elhart like normal.

"... Old Man, what the hell is this-" Naofumi started to say in an angry voice.

"Just a sec, there's more!" Elhart suddenly pulled a lever between the lovely bride (and the eyesore of a groom), and a different wall shifted around.

"Hmhmhm! I'm all ready to plan out the extravagant wedding of the century!" Beloukas spoke with glee, the rims of his glasses shining with all the gold coins he planned on making from this adventure. "Me and my family have sooooo many venues lined up!"

"Mhmhmhm! Indeed, good sir!" Deloukas cackled excitedly next to his nephew. Gold coins were also creepily flashing across his glasses. "The orphans and I can't wait to help out!"

"Elhart-" Naofumi started to say in a serious voice. Raphtalia was still speechless next to him, and Naofumi was just trying to ignore the fact that there were two of the same gremlins there.

"Hol' up, not just yet!" Elhart flipped another lever on the ceiling above him.

A third wall spun around (just how extensive were these upgrades!? And how had Elhart done this without collapsing his shop?!), revealing Motoyasu in front of a bunch of baby carriages.

"Yo, Naofumi! Just know I'm ready to be the crazy cool uncle when you and Raphtalia decide to have a 'real' blood child between the two of you!" The Spear Hero winked before he started to laugh.

"RAPH-CHAN IS OUR REAL BLOOD CHILD YOU HEATHEN!" Naofumi roared with anger, before calming down as his face reddened in embarrassment. "And I don't think we're planning on getting pregnant anytime soon… right, honey?"

The Shield Hero looked to his wife friend unsurely, but at this point, Raphtalia was completely unresponsive. Barely able to register what was going on around her as her system was overloaded with a boatload of embarrassment her poor heart couldn't handle.

"Well, if that's the case!" Elhart walked to the front of his store, pulling a lever on the wall there.

The front of the store twisted around (and the architect for the building lost his &%$ as he tore up the original plans for the structure), and Sadeena stood tall and proud in front of a stack of shelves, filled to the brim with all sorts of contraceptive options the young couple could use to enjoy sex without the worry of a baby.

"Hey, lil' Raphtalia, Big Sis can't wait to see you again in the main story!" Sadeena waved happily, blowing a flirtatious kiss in the young couple's direction before ogling all the contraceptives she wanted to use… for reasons.

…

Steam exploded from Raphtalia's ears as it became too much, and she passed out on the spot.

Truly unfortunate, as Naofumi's face was covered by a familiar darkness as he turned towards the bald blacksmith.

As if his grave couldn't be dug any deeper, Elhart finally activated the recording crystal under his desk. Playing the rendition of a wedding march in his voice… which sounded just as bad as it did in the main story. He started laughing in delight at the fun of it all.

The darkness covering Naofumi's features only deepened. "Hey, Old Man, did I forget to mention that I gained a new power while in the Otherworld?"

"Really now? What is it? You going to sit on me and make me unable to move with that strength stat of yours?" Elhart put his hands on his hips as he grinned wide and proud. It was clear he'd won, and there was nothing the Shield Hero could ever do to top that.

"Instead of explaining, I think I'll just give you a demonstration instead." Naofumi held his Shield out, changing it to the Shield of Diligence.

He then brought out his Float Shield, changing it to the Shield of Wrath III. "Time for destruction round two: The Electric Boogaloo."

"Welp, Sir Shield Hero already burned my workplace down once before when I tried to turn his wife into an idol. Guess it's Elhart's turn now." Beloukas shrugged.

"Eh? That happened to you before nephew?" Deloukas asked in surprise.

"Oh yeah, best experience of my life too. Just you wait until-" Beloukas started to say with a massive perverted grin on his face.

"Yo, wait a sec, you're not seriously going to destroy my shop over this, are you Shield Bro?!" Elhart suddenly asked, his voice sounding an octave higher than usual.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

But instead of answering, the Shield Hero started screaming as he dashed forward, slamming his Cursed Shield on the desk to finally destroy the accursed device singing that blasted tune from existence.

KABOOM!

And that was how Naofumi nuked Elhart's shop out of existence, turning it into an inferno of cursed flames just as he had Beloukas's shop long ago.

Not to worry though: Sadeena, Motoyasu, and Elhart hadn't been hurt, as Filo and Dou-Lon acted to get them out of the line of fire just in time.

As for Raphtalia… she was too powerful at this point for his flames to hurt her anyway.

"MMMMMMMMMMMMMM!"

And even though they'd failed to get Beloukas and his uncle out of the way, the two weird tiny men seemed to enjoy the feel of cursed flames all over their bodies. "You're right, this does feel fantastic!" Deloukas shouted in ecstasy to his nephew. It almost made him reconsider his feelings for Sir Spear Hero!

"Indeed! Mhmhmhm!" Beloukas laughed in delight as he felt the scorching flames for the first time since the omake from the Cal Mira arc when the Shield Hero burned down his workplace.

It was, overall, a disgusting sight to witness as cursed flames consumed the city once more.

Never change, Beloukas.

Never change.

Hero Clips!

Still Looks like a Bandit King: Part One

Naofumi walked out of the changing room in his brand new armor set.

It was the bomb. Goated and styled with drip beyond belief. It was nothing like his old Barbarian Armor custom set or anything. Anyone wearing it would have been easily identifiable as a Hero on the spot.

And yet…

"Sorry bro, you still look like a Bandit King to me." Elhart shrugged after giving the Shield Hero a once over and shaking his head.

"Are you kidding me?! HOW?!" Naofumi yelled angrily.

"Nah, I'm not kidding me, I'm Elhart." The blacksmith smirked, causing a vein to pop in the Shield Hero's head. Before his shop could be nuked for a second time, however. "And the reason I say you still look like a bandit king is because of your face."

"... … … my face?" Naofumi tilted his head in confusion.

"I can fix how you look, but I'm not that much of a miracle worker." Elhart shrugged. "Maybe try scowling a bit less, or looking a bit less angry at the world."

Naofumi… tried to purge his scowl and smile at the old man.

...

"Nope, I was wrong, even your smile makes me think of a Bandit King." Elhart shuddered and turned away.

"OH COME ON! I'M TIRED OF LOOKING LIKE A DAMN VILLAIN! I WANT TO LOOK LIKE AN EPIC PALADIN! WITH SHINY ARMOR AND EVERYTHING LIKE MOTO! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!" Naofumi screamed at him.

"Sorry brat, but my armor can't fix your sour face!- Wait... no! It can!" Elhart pulled one last item out from under his desk.

It was the helmet Motoyasu had discarded from his outfit. One that Elhart had repaired and improved upon in case the Spear Hero wanted the extra defense in the future. But it'd be perfect for the Shield Brat right here! "No need to thank me brat! Ahahaha!"

"Get real! I don't believe you! My face doesn't make me look like a villain! Right guys?!" Naofumi turned his head to his family to get their approval.

Raphtalia: …

Filo: …

Naofumi: "… right guys?"

Raphtalia: …

Filo: …

Naofumi: …

…

Filo: "Perhaps Daddy could wear a visor with the helmet?"

…

The Shield Hero crumpled to the floor in a depressed state. His wife friend and daughter patting him on the back to try and comfort him.

"I think you looking like a villain is really hot, dear." Raphtalia offered.

WAS SHE TRYING TO MAKE HIM FEEL BETTER!? IT ONLY MADE HIM FEEL EVEN WORSE!

…

It was then that Naofumi knew.

Raph-Chan was absolutely his favorite of them all. Since no matter what, even she would have his back and-

"Rafu!" Naofumi looked up and found the brightly smiling familiar standing on her back paws in front of him. She held the helmet out to him with her two front paws, looking like the picture of cuteness as she did so.

NO! NOT EVEN RAPH-CHAN HAD HIS SIDE!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

And thus the Shield Hero suffered a mental breakdown because even if he was wearing the most G.O.A.T.E.D. heroic armor set to have ever been made, he would 'still' look like a Bandit King in the eyes of others.

As for why Dou-Lon wasn't there to give his reaction…

Well, there was a reason why this was called Part One. ;)

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

Sorry to post this late. Been kind o f a hectic day preparing for Hurricane Milton's arrival later this week. Unlike the previous hurricanes, looks like this one is actually going through Central Florida and not up the coastlines. Lot of nervous energy from folks around here.

All I ask is that you guys pray that it won't be a category Five upon arrival, and for those who live in or around Florida, stay safe. God bless.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Conference of Three Heroes

"..."

Naofumi was seated at the dinner table in the Spear Hero's house, leaning forward and staring wordlessly ahead at the wall opposite him.

Motoyasu sat to the left of the Shield Hero, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Ren sat on Naofumi's right, his head hanging low in front of him.

The seat opposite Naofumi was vacant.

…

Their party members and some prominent citizens of the town were in the Shield Hero's home. Raphtalia, Filo, and Dou-Lon were explaining the events that'd gone down in the Otherworld. Those things they could safely share, at the very least.

The only other individual in the room with the Heroes was Raph-Chan, lying in the lap of the Shield Hero. And watching through a pin set on Motoyasu's armor while she was with Raphtalia's group was S'yne.

Naofumi had rode through the town on Filo's carriage earlier… yet he hadn't noted any changes in his mind, as he'd been too consumed by the news dropped on him upon his arrival.

The others hadn't said much either. Perhaps Eclair had spared a word or two for Dou-Lon after he got out of the carriage, but Naofumi didn't know.

After learning what'd happened with Itsuki, he hadn't stopped petting Raph-Chan's fur. It was the only thing keeping him from being consumed by stress and guilt. Yet even that could only do so much.

…

At least she'd warn him if any 'eavesdroppers' were in the vicinity or not. As little of a comfort as that was after hearing what'd happened...

…

…

Naofumi looked away from the empty seat ahead of him and turned his head at his two brothers at last.

Motoyasu… didn't look happy like he had earlier. But at the very least, he still looked healthy. Having a glow about his face similar to what he'd had the first day they'd been summoned here.

But Ren… it was clear that even before learning what'd happened to his brother, the Sword Hero had seen better days. He didn't look near as bad as he'd been when they'd rescued him from the Spirit Tortoise. But he didn't look even close to where he'd been before all the crap hit the fan.

Ren was, to put it bluntly, gaunt and underweight. Surrounded by a cloud of depression, yet somehow barely keeping a grasp on reality, unlike the King of Melromarc.

"... are you and Wyndia…?" Naofumi started to ask Ren, only to stop.

It just didn't feel appropriate to change the subject to something more light-hearted when the three of them felt like such utter crap right now. Even if it did look like Raph-Chan was begging the Shield Hero with her face to continue.

…

…

…

"Damn it, I'm such an idiot." Naofumi finally sighed.

"... Naofumi, I hate to ask again, but-" Motoyasu started to say.

"Yes," Naofumi grimaced. "I know why Itsuki ran. I thought Rishia, Aksel, and Maya would be able to help him out with his struggles in the Otherworld, but…"

The Shield Hero slammed a fist down on the table. "God damn it! There was so much going on after the fight with Kyo, but that's not an excuse! I thought that Kizuna needed my help more since we'd be coming home soon! But if I'd known that Itsuki would abandon his friends and was going to run off on his own as soon as we got back to our world…"

…

Naofumi scowled, his clenched hand going limp and then sliding back down under the table.

"Rafu…" Raph-Chan began nuzzling her head against it, making Naofumi relax even as tears of frustration tried to appear in his eyes.

"Kizuna?" Motoyasu said weakly.

"... A Cardinal Hero from the Otherworld. She's an ally… a close friend, who became like a little sister to me." Naofumi frowned, his hand now rubbing Raph-Chan's cheek. "Point is, she was having struggles of her own too, and Itsuki had his friends and girlfriend supporting him while she was staying mostly closed off from her friends, so I went to help her out instead of…"

"Rafu." As Naofumi felt nauseous trying to explain, Raph-Chan moved to nuzzle her face against his stomach under his new armor's tabard.

Naofumi's tension eased again somewhat. He couldn't imagine how he'd get through this without his second daughter helping him out like this.

However, as he was about to continue his earlier thought, Naofumi straightened in realization. "Wait! Fitoria said she was going to talk with Itsuki! Has she gotten back yet?!"

The Shield Hero looked at his brothers desperately. If only he'd known the seriousness behind her comment sooner!

...

"... She went off to find him soon after the Wave in Zeltoble was over." Motoyasu grimaced. He was curious to learn more about the Otherworld. But… "I was wondering about finding him myself, but he didn't teleport to here or the Capital. So I have no idea where he went."

"... I never did ask him about the locations that he had saved to his weapon." Ren finally spoke. Even his voice seemed to reflect his look. Hollow, full of hurt and regret simultaneously.

Naofumi's grimace deepened. He could almost feel Ren's pain as if it was his own. And his first instinct was to reach across the table and hug him… or offer Raph-Chan to help him feel better.

She helped him to feel better all the time, so it'd probably work, right.

…

He couldn't bring himself to move right now, however.

"I can save three locations. How about you guys?" Naofumi spoke again instead. "If we can narrow it down, then perhaps we could find him ourselves."

"... four," Ren said after a moment.

"Five for me… And I think Fitoria can save around eight to ten locations on her weapon." Motoyasu said after a moment of thought.

…

Crap.

"Did any of us ever ask him how many places he could save to…" As Naofumi began to ask, the other two shook their heads.

If they had even talked about it in the past with one another, they could not recall.

"..." Naofumi frowned. He opened his mouth to try and continue the topic, but… it honestly felt so fruitless to even try.

"..."

Still, he had to at least inform his two remaining brothers about what happened to the third, so he forced himself to jump ahead and give an abridged version of the events that took place during their final confrontation against Kyo. Itsuki's unfortunate fumble during them in particular.

Motoyasu and Ren's visages fell even more as Naofumi explained what happened.

The Shield Hero only felt worse as he recalled the events in detail, the sting of guilt growing stronger with every word that came out of his mouth which put into perspective the sheer scope of his negligence.

He'd known Itsuki had been struggling after the battle with Kyo because he'd pulled out his Cursed Series and hurt his friends. He knew that pain all too well since he'd done the same thing to Raphtalia.

But it'd been an accident! His friends had understood that and had only been around him more because of it! Rishia, Maya, and especially Aksel had never shown any hate to the Bow Hero for what happened! The three of them, ESPECIALLY Rishia, had been trying to help and comfort him while they'd focused on wrapping things up in Kizuna's world.

Even when Itsuki hadn't been able to help out on the day they sprang their trap on Kizuna's enemies, Naofumi had thought the Bow Hero was in a better place thanks to his friends' efforts! And Rishia had even been expressing her love and care for her Hero!

…

…

As the Shield Hero was finishing up, he suddenly recalled the destroyed look he'd seen in the green-haired girl's eyes as they went through the town toward the Hero's residences. She hadn't been crying, nor had she been screaming.

Her gaze had simply been empty and lifeless.

Naofumi felt a painful jolt in his chest. And even though Raph-Chan had pressed herself against his gut by this point, not even she was able to distract him from the pain.

He couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he'd gone to Itsuki instead of Kizuna that day at the beach… had it really been a good idea to prioritize his new younger sister's wellbeing over his younger brother's?

…

…

Urgh, if only he could turn back time!

…

…

As Naofumi felt his stomach knotting itself again, and as the sense of nausea in his gut grew despite Raph-Chan's best efforts to help him out, the front door opened.

The Heroes all moved their gazes, and to their surprise, Fitoria was the one to enter.

She had a forlorn look on her face.

"Did you find him?!" Naofumi quickly asked, standing up as the other two rose with him. Ren only a little bit slower than his two older brothers.

"..." Fitoria looked from Naofumi to Motoyasu, and then to Ren, and then back to Naofumi.

"… yes, Fitoria did." She finally said after taking in the condition of her other three Heroes. "Amber, Filo, and Blue are telling the others what I'll be telling you right now."

At her words, the three Heroes sagged with relief. "Is he coming back then?" Motoyasu asked hopefully.

…

…

Seeing the sad look on her face, the three Heroes were saddened as well. "How is he?" Motoyasu said.

"Think what you had to help Fitoria with two weeks ago. Only many times worse." The Carriage Hero responded somberly.

Motoyasu bit down on his tongue, on the verge of swearing at himself.

"... can we-" Ren started to ask.

"No. He didn't want Fitoria there when Fitoria found him… He didn't want anybody to be around." Fitoria looked down at the ground. "But I managed to talk to him a little."

…

After a moment of silence, she told them what'd happened.

"Itsuki."

The Bow Hero's shameful crying came to a pause.

His curled-up body on the ground stirred slightly and shivered as he lifted his head just a little bit to see a figure with tear-filled eyes approaching him.

He knew who it was. He recognized her voice, even if it'd been a while since he'd last heard it.

Itsuki closed his eyes shut.

He didn't want to see anybody right now. Even if he knew who it was.

"Don't."

Fitoria stopped in her tracks.

Itsuki covered his head with his hands and turned away, tears hitting the ground. "I'm sorry you wasted your time trying to find me… but I don't want anyone around me anymore.

"I don't care if you're strong enough to drag me back against my will. I'm not going back."

…

"Okay."

"W-What?" The Bow Hero asked dumbfounded, not expecting that kind of response with how pushy Fitoria usually was.

"Fitoria said okay. I won't take you back against your will. I just want to talk. What happened?" The Bird Queen slowly approached the curled-up figure on the ground and softly sat next to him on her knees.

…

…

Itsuki lay dumbfounded for a moment more. Yet Fitoria sat silently, waiting for him to speak.

And Itsuki, even though he didn't want anybody to be around, finally began to speak about what was wrong.

"... I pulled out my Cursed Series. Again. And nearly killed my friends with it… AGAIN!" Itsuki screamed out.

"Even though I promised I'd never use it again! But instead, I tried to be clever about it! I thought I could cheat, to use the love of my friends and the lessons of my teacher as a Shield to allow me to harness that power the way Motoyasu does it!

"But it didn't work! And I… and I…."

Itsuki's voice broke down for a moment. His words garbled by tears. His body continued to tremble on the ground.

"I almost killed them… I almost killed my friends… I almost lost Rishia… again…"

…

…

"Just leave me alone…" The Bow Hero eventually continued in a broken whisper. I'm a failure as a hero. I don't deserve to have this stupid Bow super-glued to my body.

"I don't need someone to make me feel worse about what I did. I'm already going to be paying for this for the rest of my life."

"Itsuki." Fitoria spoke.

The Bow Hero clenched his eyes tight and refused to say another word.

…

He expected Fitoria to leave. Or to begin lecturing him about his use of the Cursed Series. Or to tell him how he was abandoning his duty as a Hero by running away as he had. Or maybe she'd just knock him out and drag him back home against his will, despite what she'd said earlier. Forcing him in front of his friends and the girl who only wanted to help him when all he wanted was to be left alone so they wouldn't be hurt by him again.

It was clear at this point that he'd never change. That he was too stubborn to ever change.

So why risk hurting those he loved with his mistakes again?

…

A hand slowly began to pat him on the head.

Itsuki recoiled at the action, but as the soft touch continued, he slowly opened his eyes, seeing the Queen of the Filolials on her knees next to him, her hand outreached and slowly moving in a comforting way through his dirty blonde locks of hair.

She had a sad expression on her face.

"Itsuki, is what you're going through… something you can talk to Fitoria about?

"I… understand if it hurts… but if you can, then Fitoria is here to listen."

…

Itsuki's voice choked up. He wanted to push her hand away, but at the same time, he wanted to keep her there and cry and confess to everything he'd done up till that point.

"Fitoria can tell, this runs deeper than what you've already shared. If you don't feel like sharing everything, then Fitoria understands…" The little girl continued. "I have been alone many times in my life. I understand there are times when you feel like you have no choice but to be alone. That you have to push everyone that cares about you away so you can shoulder that pain all by yourself, without burdening those you care about with it.

"But… Fitoria has found it to be better to share that burden with others, even just a little, instead of none at all. And even if Fitoria can't convince you to do that, Fitoria wants to make sure you know that you still have friends who care about you. That Fitoria still cares about you and what you're going through, even if you feel as if you have disappointed Fitoria."

"... that's the problem." Itsuki grit his teeth. "Neither you nor the others should be forgiving me for this! I should be getting punished, instead of being let off the hook every time… So why?"

"Why do I care?"

"No. Why... why aren't you lecturing me on my use of the Cursed Series?" Itsuki asked in a small voice. "I did something really bad. I thought you taught us before that using the Cursed Series is bad. That we should never use it no matter what.

"I didn't listen though. So why, why aren't you being mad at me?"

"... because making you feel worse is not what Fitoria wants to do. For you, or to my other precious Heroes. I want to do better by you and the others, Itsuki.

"People aren't defined by their failures alone. Their successes play an equal part. I still haven't forgotten how you protected me by attacking the Spirit Tortoise with your Cursed Bow when it caught me off guard. Or how you helped to heal me soon after that battle."

"... … … Naofumi was the one who did most of the healing…"

Itsuki couldn't look Fitoria in the eyes as she continued to look down at him with her unblinking gaze.

"Even if that was the case… Fitoria loves her current Heroes. You are just as much a part of my flock as Naofumi, Ren, and Motoyasu.

"And Fitoria doesn't want any of her flock to feel as if they have to work through their mistakes on their own."

"..."

"..."

Itsuki couldn't form a rebuttal this time and instead began to quietly cry to himself again. Fitoria eventually pulled Itsuki in close so he could rest his head on her lap.

The Bow Hero and Filolial Queen stayed that way for a long time. With Itsuki continuing to cry into the folds of her gothic dress as the ancient angel girl slowly rubbed the blonde locks of hair on his head with her gentle hands.

…

…

…

…

…

Eventually, sometime later, Itsuki slowly stood up. His eyes were red, and salt tracks lined his cheeks.

Fitoria hadn't moved or spoken that whole time. And Itsuki finally looked at her face. His eyes crumbled as he opened his mouth, wanting to find the courage to say something.

Anything, to escape this hole he'd dug himself into. The hole doomed to become his grave.

…

…

Except, even now, the pain felt too fresh. Too large to overcome.

"I'm… sorry…" Itsuki slowly shook his head, that same hurt from before enveloping him in its embrace again. Despite the comfort, he still didn't feel any less guilty than before. "I know you're here to bring me back. But I'm not coming back."

"Why?" Fitoria asked simply, her expression not holding anything resembling judgment.

"... because I need to become better than this. Then what I am right now.

"I need to become a person who is worthy of holding this weapon.

"Someone who is capable of protecting others instead of hurting them every time." The Bow Hero quietly admitted.

…

…

"Fitoria… understands." The girl sighed softly.

…

"Please tell the others that I'm not running away." Itsuki grit his teeth again as his grip on his bow's handle tightened. "I'm not abandoning my duty. I'll come and help to fight against both the Waves and the Guardian Beasts when it's time. I have the Phoenix's hourglass on my HUD right now, so I'll make it back for that.

"But if no one is going to punish me for my failures, then I must take a penance for myself. Otherwise, I will never change.

"I need to become better or else I will end up dragging those I care about down with me. I managed to dodge responsibility for my actions twice already, but there's no guarantee that I'll be able to make it happen a third time.

"So before that happens, I must become worthy of the title that was bestowed on me.

"Please. Please. Wait for me. I promise I will come back. I promise I will become better. I will become stronger. I will become worthy of all the love and respect that you and the others are offering me freely."

"But-" Fitoria tried to speak out but Itsuki cut her off.

"No. I know what you're going to say. That I already am worthy of all that and more. But even if you believe it, I don't.

"And until I believe I'm worthy of it, your words will only ring hollow. So please... let me do this myself."

...

"Very well." The bird queen sighed helplessly before standing up as well and dusting off the hem of her dress absentmindedly as she continued to speak.

"Fitoria's mind is telling her to just knock you out and bring you back anyway. But Fitoria's heart understands what Itsuki is saying. More than you might realize.

"Fitoria has lived a long, long life. And throughout it, I have failed a lot. More than you can imagine, Itsuki.

"Fitoria understands the need for self-reflection for the sake of growth. Many of my failures came from Fitoria not listening to her heart when she should have.

"So I will listen to it now, and hopefully not fail again.

"I shall ask only one thing from you in return. Please promise to survive your self-exile."

…

The Bow Hero couldn't look her in the eyes. "I don't know if I will be okay or not… I have so many terrible things to make up for."

"Even so," Fitoria held a hand to the Bow Hero's cheek, being the only time she forced him to do something. And that was to lift his gaze back up to her. "I want Itsuki to promise that he'll be ok. Because if Fitoria does hear that you fell into despair and succumbed to your curse because Fitoria couldn't help you…

"Fitoria has lived too long, and has lost too many good Heroes throughout her long life, to want to see it happen again now because Fitoria was too stupid or too weak to help Itsuki out.

"Please, just promise me you'll come back as soon as you find the answers that you seek, Itsuki. That you won't push those who love you and care about you away when you come back." The young girl pleaded with him. "Promise me."

"... … …"

The Bow Hero nodded. "I… I'll try."

Fitoria let go of his face, but not before giving him a quick hug.

Itsuki, feeling heartbroken, wrapped his arms around the tiny girl for a moment. Closing his eyes and not saying anything.

…

Eventually, when she didn't let him go, Itsuki put her at arm's length. Fitoria didn't know what to be more surprised about. The act of being pushed away, or that she could feel it as Itsuki pushed her back.

If there was anything she knew at that moment, it was that her Bow Hero had returned, physically stronger than he had been when he and Naofumi first departed to the Otherworld weeks ago. If only he'd also come back mentally and emotionally stronger.

"... I'm sorry that I won't be back for a while… and I'm sorry to have caused my friends so much pain and heartbreak with my actions… but I promise I'll come back when I'm ready to make things right."

Itsuki took a step back. "I need to make sure I won't hurt anyone I care about ever again… and that I'll be able to fight alongside my friends without holding them back. Even… even if it means they move on during that time."

"You never held anyone back, Itsuki. That Includes Fitoria." The girl said gently.

"Fitoria wishes you well."

"..." Itsuki bowed his head to her in gratitude. "Transport Bow."

Fitoria barely heard the whisper escape his lips before the Bow Hero rubbed tears from his eyes, disappearing in a flash of light via the use of his portal skill.

And thus, he disappeared from the area by the lake in the middle of the plains in the destroyed mountains.

The purified lake that'd been the site of Fitoria saving the Sword Hero from his Cursed Series.

Damn.

After listening to Fitoria's retelling of her encounter with the Bow Hero, Naofumi began to realize that it wouldn't have done him any good if he'd tried talking to Itsuki before they left.

The incident with Kyo had hurt the young man far more deeply than any of them had realized.

"Itsuki…" Motoyasu looked to be on the verge of crying.

Ren was saying nothing, but he had thick tears running down the sides of his face. Whether because of Itsuki's pain, or the fact that it mirrored his right now, was unknown.

Regardless, Fitoria approached the Sword Hero first when she noticed him crying and hugged him.

Motoyasu had rubbed off a lot on the old bird girl. Ren embraced her back, the tears falling more freely as he did so. Gasps of pain escaped his mouth.

It hurt. It really, really did.

At the action, Motoyasu also walked over, joining the hug with his younger bro and angel girl.

"Fitoria, is there nothing we can do?" Naofumi asked in desperation as he approached as well, Raph-Chan, held in his arms, was also saddened at what she'd learned.

"Even if Itsuki hadn't teleported away, Fitoria wouldn't consider it a wise move to try and find the Bow Hero right now." The girl shook her head, not letting go of the Sword or Spear Hero.

"And why not?!" Naofumi asked irritably.

"Because Fitoria wasn't lying when she said she understands what Itsuki is going through right now…

"Fitoria understands the pain he's in all too well."

…

Fitoria's gaze saddened as she let go of the Sword Hero and as the Spear Hero let go of them. She looked up between Naofumi and Motoyasu.

The rest of Naofumi's irritation, which had been directed at his inability to do anything to help the Bow Hero out, drained away in the face of Fitoria's despair over the situation.

"Fitoria has lived a very lonely life. Rare are the times when Fitoria can remember someone Fitoria loved and trusted as much as her parents.

"Sometimes, life gets hard, and Fitoria can handle it, but… sometimes, life gets really, really hard. And Fitoria needs time to self-reflect after being helped by her flock as much as she'd allow. And now, Itsuki is making the same mistakes as Fitoria, and Fitoria can't…

"Trying to chase down Itsuki right now won't help him out. If anything, it'll only make him feel worse. I'm scared that my seeking him out has only pushed him closer to despair than before.

"I… just don't want anything bad to happen to Fitoria's Heroes…

"Fitoria doesn't want to go back to being alone…"

...

As the quiet girl leaked tears from her eyes, Naofumi moved to hug her. And he and Motoyasu both ended up embracing her on opposite sides.

Ren didn't move to hug her again. But one of his hands began rubbing her head behind her ahoges as his two older brothers rested their heads on Fitoria's shoulders.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up over this," Motoyasu said gently. "If Itsuki didn't want any help, then that's fine. You tried your best to reach out to him for us. That's all we could ask you to do.

"We'll just have to leave him alone like he wants. Maybe after he's been given some time to calm down, we can try to go out and find him again." Motoyasu suggested.

"I... yeah, what he said." Naofumi sighed and shook his head to himself.

"Should… should Fitoria have forced Itsuki to come back?" Fitoria asked sadly. "Would it have been better to do that than to leave him alone?"

…

None of the Heroes could think of an answer to that question, so instead, they continued hugging and head-patting the ancient bird girl. Trying to work through the collective pain they all felt over this.

…

…

…

Eventually, they reached a point when Fitoria stopped sniffling, and the tears falling down their faces slowed.

"Fitoria thinks… Fitoria hopes… that Itsuki will keep his promise to Fitoria, and return home when he's ready to…

"I don't… want anything bad… to happen to Fitoria's heroes again."

"Whether it happens or not…" Motoyasu took a deep breath. "I'd say that you reminding our young brother that he has friends and loved ones to return to will help him out instead of hurt him.

"He's put himself in a very lonely place, and I might not understand all the reasons why… but I think just knowing that he'll always have a home to return to will help him in a meaningful way."

"Right," Naofumi sighed. "Thank you for at least trying to reach out to him, Fitoria. That's far more than what I did." The Shield Hero then softly smiled as he repeated words he'd said to her before.

"You're a really kind person, you know."

"..." The bird girl remained quiet.

"..." The group of three also fell into silence. With Naofumi giving a respectful nod to the Spear Hero. That older brother vibe of his was still miles ahead of anything Naofumi could have imagined when they were first summoned.

…

Naofumi sighed again. He had no doubt there was likely an interesting debate going on in his house right now over this. He hoped for her sake that Raphtalia was handling it well.

If not, he'd learn about it for himself later.

The Shield Hero looked at his remaining two brothers. As hard as it was going to be, he was going to have to accept that what happened, happened. Itsuki's friends, girlfriend, and even Fitoria had done all they could to help Itsuki out. But it was beyond clear that Itsuki wouldn't accept help from anybody right now.

Hell, if even Rishia had been rejected, then the three of them stood no chance.

There was nothing they could do right now, but wait for Itsuki to come back on his own.

...

Though Naofumi did toy with the idea of tracking the stubborn blonde kid down and knocking some sense into his thick idiot skull. But he quickly realized that it wouldn't do any good. The biggest reason being that they had no idea where he was.

So with the crisis temporarily put on hold, the Shield Hero decided to change the topic to something else instead.

"You guys want to hear about some of the other things that happened in the Otherworld?"

…

The other Heroes looked at him, and even though Naofumi still felt a lot of pain in his chest, he did his best to hold his smile. "Not all of it was negative, and if there's nothing we can do to help Itsuki for now… then I don't want this reunion of ours to end on a sad note."

"... sure." Ren nodded his head.

"By all means." Motoyasu sat back in his chair, still frowning, but likely having a similar train of thought as Naofumi. It'd been weeks since he'd seen the Shield Hero, and unlike the two of them, it looked like he'd grown quite a lot in the Otherworld.

Especially his taste in armor. Motoyasu felt grateful Naofumi wasn't trying to embrace the Bandit King look anymore.

"What's with that look?" Naofumi frowned in Motoyasu's direction.

"Nothing, man. Go on. I want to hear more about this new 'little sister' of yours." Motoyasu relaxed more, finally smiling for the first time during their discussion.

Naofumi frowned, since unlike him, the Spear Hero had a perfect poker face. And so he ended up having to recount some of the events that he'd told to Mirellia and, through Filo, Fitoria earlier that evening.

He did not go into as much detail, as it was already late, and as for the other more negative parts of his adventure, he pretty much glossed them over or didn't cover it at all, simply because of the previous mood, or because of the danger of being eavesdropped on, even though Raph-Chan, who was back in Naofumi's lap again, didn't perk her head or warn him of any such individuals trying to do so the entire time.

Naofumi was determined not to reveal the really important info outside the Capital regardless. He'd only do so when he was absolutely sure it was safe to do so.

It didn't take long before the two brothers were engrossed in hearing about the Otherworld from Naofumi.

"Performance Magic, like, magic through singing and dancing?" Motoyasu asked with genuine interest. "Bard stuff?"

"Yeah, Filo got especially good at singing while Dou-Lon learned the dancing portion from Glass." Naofumi smiled.
"I wonder if that's something that'd work in our world," Motoyasu said, his face shining with awe.

"Not from what I've seen yet. Filo sang quite a bit on the ride back. But none of her songs felt like they had any power to them. But I'll check with Dou-Lon later to see if the dancing aspect works or not." Naofumi shrugged.

"So cool!" Motoyasu looked giddy, and stars finally appeared in his eyes as he imagined Filo singing on a stage to boost the morale of the people in the town.

He was at the forefront of the crowd, of course, being Filo's number-one fan. But his vision had an arm wrapped around S'yne's shoulders, and their other friends crowded around to hear the idol angel girl sing, so Naofumi was surprised when Motoyasu didn't become heart-eyed when daydreaming about his first daughter.

Maybe Motoyasu had changed for the better while he was gone… in more ways than one.

Besides that, Naofumi mentioned a few other things that were safe to share. He told them more about Kizuna and how great of a person she was. He told them about Glass, L'Arc, and Therese and what they all did in the Otherworld.

In regards to Kyo, he did not mention how he'd tried to redeem him at all. It was something the two of them did not need to learn at the time, especially with the memory of his torture of the pair being so fresh on their minds. Ren's, in particular.

What Naofumi did in telling about his defeat after his earlier words was simply this: Pulling a sheet of paper out of his Shield, and handing it to Motoyasu.

"What's this for?" The Spear Hero asked.

"You asked me to kick Kyo's %$# before I left, and I promised to deliver a receipt." The Shield Hero smirked. "Consider that one %$ kicking you now owe me."

…

Reading the note over, Motoyasu found it was filled with all the blows the Shield Hero and his friends had delivered against the Book Hero. The last thing noted was his soul being sliced in half by Raphtalia.

Upon remembering Naofumi's words to him before he left, Motoyasu not only began to smile brightly but also laughed in delight.

"Dude, you remembered!"

"Of course I did. How could I, after I got to see the recording of you having your face punched in by my future wife over and over again?"

"Hey! That wasn't the only thing on there you know!"

"You're right, it was also extremely satisfying watching Raphtalia bitch slap that dumb redheaded bitch too. Damn, how I wish I could have been conscious for that."

The conversation definitely took a more upbeat note from there. Motoyasu got to tell a bit about his exploits here that Mirellia hadn't known about. Ren gave a few details about his time training and recovering. Fitoria kept mostly to herself but listened attentively all the same as Naofumi rubbed a hand through her hair.

Naofumi also took the time to finally introduce his two bros to Raph-Chan. Allowing her a moment to show off and look cute.

He then gave the cute ball of fur and adorableness to the Sword Hero, who tentatively began to stroke her back, unsure if she'd be fine with it or not. But Raph-Chan stretched her back up into his hand, nuzzling her head against his arm and purring loudly as she did so.

Ren's unsure look vanished, and while he didn't begin petting her aggressively like Naofumi and Hoshi normally would, the darkness around him lessened, and he slowly began to smile. It was almost as if the darkness in his soul was being pushed back the more he rubbed her soft fur.

"Rafu!" Rifana looked especially happy as she made a big show of emotionally supporting the Sword Hero. But in reality, she was using the direct contact to use her soul powers to directly push the deep grains and branches of Ren's curse from parts of his soul.

It wasn't much, and Raph-Chan had to give up partway before she became visibly exhausted and worried her Dad, but she felt a sense of accomplishment, seeing patches of the Sword Hero's soul being allowed to heal for the moment. However, it was also accompanied by worry as she saw the curse slowly moving to reclaim the territory it'd been pushed out of. This was a powerful curse.

But the three Heroes continued to speak as all this happened. Eventually, after they'd caught up with each other on events in their worlds, and after Ren gave Naofumi back his daughter, the Shield Hero pulled more materials out of his Shield and set them on the table.

"What… Byakko Claw?" Ren asked, looking confused at some of the items popping up on his HUD.

"What's this for, Naofumi?" Motoyasu asked.

"These are extra Guardian Beast materials I got for helping to defeat Kyo." Naofumi lied as naturally as he breathed. In reality, Romina had extra materials that she decided to give to him instead of returning them to L'Arc after finishing all their weapons and armor sets.

Even with the nearly idolized reputation that Naofumi had left Sickle with, there were so few of these materials left in Kizuna's world that they were far too valuable to simply hand them off to a foreign Cardinal Hero.

But Romina literally worshiped the ground Naofumi walked on, so she couldn't care less about such frivolous thinking, so long as it gave her all the extra accessories Naofumi made that didn't mesh well with his friends. He guessed being treated as a God could have its perks from time to time.

Naofumi continued to speak. "Ren, consider this my way of paying you back for all the monster materials you gave me way back when we first started working together. And Motoyasu, consider this a thank you for that crystal ball you lent me. Sorry about not bringing it back, by the way. I left it with someone back in the Otherworld. I'll buy you a new one later.

"But anyway, I'm not joking when I say you giving me that saved my life and saved me a whole lot of trouble at the start of my adventure in the Otherworld."

"Oh come on, it couldn't have been that important if all you did was watch me getting punched in the face." Motoyasu rolled his eyes.

"It was that important," Naofumi said seriously. "I didn't have Raphtalia or anyone else besides Rishia with me when I arrived. I didn't know if Raphtalia would be ok, or if I'd ever be able to find her or Filo again, and… if not for your words, I'd likely still be stuck in that Infinite Labyrinth, too depressed to do anything."

…

The Spear Hero was shocked and speechless at Naofumi's confession. And the Shield Hero nodded to the materials again. "Take them. Me and Itsuki both got some good stuff from absorbing them, so it'll likely be a huge help to the two of you too."

…

The Sword Hero could say nothing, but his face expressed gratitude as he and Motoyasu both began to absorb the pile of Guardian Beast materials into their weapons. Revealing new weapon forms they'd be able to use in this world.

Fitoria also absorbed a couple of the items into the necklace around her neck. If she unlocked anything good with said items, she didn't mention it.

But like Naofumi, and Itsuki, the other two Heroes got some good weapon forms from the Guardian Beast materials.

"WHOA!" Motoyasu yelled, excitement filling his voice. "I thought I could only get this skill from the Phoenix Guardian Beast! This is so cool!"

"What skill did you get?" Naofumi asked, sounding intrigued.

"It's called Brionac! It's a super powerful skill… that I can't use yet since the Red Vermillion Feather Spear it's attached to says I need to be level 100 to equip it… but now I have an excuse to go out and grind for levels again!" Motoyasu's eyes shone with hearts.

It was one of his favorite skills from Emerald Online. It was a ranged attack that acted like a high-powered laser. At higher levels, it was capable of blowing apart mountaintops all on its own!

With the even greater growth the Heroes experienced in this world, however, it was possible he could destroy whole mountains with it just like the Spirit Tortoise had done with its breath attack… oh man, Motoyasu couldn't wait to see how strong it could be when he got to use it!

"Level 100? Huh, I don't think any of the Shields I got that had skills needed that high of a level requirement." Naofumi commented. "Highest was around like, 75."

"Probably because Shields are the worst class ever." Motoyasu stuck his tongue out.

"Do I need to list all the times my Shield saved/kicked your dumb &^%?" Naofumi bantered.

"How about that time I dropped you after you teleported back from Cal Mira?" The Spear Hero grinned.

"Like to see you try that attack on me now. I think you'll be very surprised by what I've learned." Naofumi spoke with confidence.

The two could have continued on and on. But before they could say anything else, Ren spoke from his chair.

"Brionac, huh... Looks like I got my skill Phoenix Blade from the Red Vermillion Claw Sword… it'd be so cool if I could use it right now." Ren said, looking over his weapon menu with a sad smile.

He'd gotten a couple of other skills attached to weapons besides that one. All of them stuff he knew from the endgame of Brave Star Online.

But of all the new weapon forms with skills that he'd acquired, the weakest of them required at least level 90 for him to equip… with skills like Phoenix Blade being trapped behind a weapon form that required him to be level 100 to equip it and unlock the skill permanently via Equip Bonus…

And here he was, stuck at level 75, unable to gather EXP for at least another month.

Motoyasu caught on to Ren's hidden meaning behind the sentence he muttered, and his face suddenly turned serious as he looked at Naofumi again. "Yo, Naofumi. I know you just got back, but Ren here seriously needs to get to the Hot Springs at Cal Mira, like, pronto."

Naofumi looked at Motoyasu with a raised eyebrow. "The waters there are said to help out with curses." Motoyasu began to explain. He paused to think of something to say next, not wanting to excuse himself for not going over there sooner or asking Fitoria to do so on their behalf, but finding it hard to think of a sentence that didn't have him including that in his response.

"Sure." But Naofumi smiled, giving the blonde man a thumbs up before Moto could say anything else. "Now that the Activation Event is over, we should be able to portal in and out of the place, right? If so, I'll have no problem with going over there and setting a teleportation spot to bring Ren over."

"Y-Yeah." Motoyasu slacked in relief. "Thank you."

"No, thank you. I actually wanted to go over there for something else anyway. Now I have another reason to go there a lot sooner." Naofumi looked at Fitoria. "You don't have to come along when I go, but would you portal with me after I get there? It'd probably be a good idea to bring Moto as well, just so he'd be able to access the Hero's Tablet in the town square. Hopefully, that thing hasn't been tampered with since last time."

"Of course. When will you be departing?" Fitoria asked.

"Tomorrow or the day after. I'll see if there's anything I need to do here specifically before I go, but I was already too neglectful of one of my younger brothers recently.

"If my other younger brother is still suffering so much under his curse, then I have to make his wellbeing my main priority," Naofumi said seriously.

"..." Ren was speechless as Naofumi turned and put a hand on Ren's shoulder. "Will that be alright with you?"

...

"Y-Yes." Ren stammered, lowering his head in shame. "Th-Thank you. I-I'm sorry you have to go for me."

"Don't be. I recall what happened the last time you went out to sea. You're definitely in no shape to make that kind of trip right now." Naofumi smiled, before smirking in Motoyasu's direction. "Though I'm shocked this idiot hasn't brought you over there himself yet."

"Hey! I've been busy!" Motoyasu defended himself.

"Sure you've been, Moto."

"Whatever!" Motoyasu rolled his eyes.

"Heheh." Naofumi began rubbing his daughter's head while chuckling to himself.

"Rafu!" Raph-Chan smiled up at her Daddy.

Awwww, come here, you!

Pet! Pet! Pet! Pet! Pet! Pet! Pet! Pet! Pet! Pet!

Ren smiled at the sight, though he was slightly confused to see the word PET! hovering in the air above the pair as Raph-Chan thoroughly enjoyed the love the Shield Hero piled onto her.

…

Eventually, it became so awkward that Motoyasu calmed down and coughed into his hand. "Hey, um, Naofumi, is there anything else we need to talk about? It's getting kind of late and all. And some of us got things to do in the morning."

"Huh- oh, right." Naofumi deadpanned. "I'll be leaving Raph-Chan behind during my trip. She'll help protect the place while I'm gone.

"I'd like to bring you along… but I need you here to keep an eye out for the traitor in case he tries to show up here." Naofumi looked down at his daughter.

"Rafu!" Raph-Chan stood to her full height, saluting her Dad with a serious look on her face.

…

Awwwwwww, come here, you!

Pet! Pet! Pet! Pet! Pet! Pet!

The aggressive petting resumed again in earnest.

This time, both Heroes sweatdropped at the sight.

"The traitor- oh, does that mean Mirellia already-?" Motoyasu started to ask.

"Yes, Karn." Naofumi deadpanned. "I won't divulge a lot here, but what you can know is this: Raph-Chan is able to sense if he is nearby or not. So in the meantime, she'll be staying in the town to keep an eye out. Just in case."

"I'll explain the rest at Cal Mira after I've made it a safe spot to do so. Sound good?" Naofumi asked.

"... Sure, why not? It's getting late anyhow." Motoyasu shook his head, grinning as he did so. Ren smiled a little as well.

The meeting pretty much ended there. But the three Heroes ended up sitting around the couch and discussing small random things that came to mind as they waited for their friends to finish talking in Naofumi's house.

Fitoria didn't participate much in what followed, though when Raph-Chan bounded up and jumped in her arms, she began to subconsciously pet Naofumi's familiar on the head.

Some of her guilt and sadness slowly melted away thanks to that. Naofumi had truly gotten a great daughter while in the Otherworld.

…

Fortunately, as Ren began to nod off in his seat from the relaxed discussion, Raphtalia opened the front door.

"Naofumi, we've finished on our end."

"Anything I need to help with?" Naofumi asked as he stood up to face his wife friend.

"Before that, Motoyasu, do you know when Sadeena will be back?" The half-tanuki asked the Spear Hero curiously.

"Hmmm… Not sure." Motoyasu frowned. He'd been so engrossed with Naofumi's return that he'd nearly forgotten how much he'd been looking forward to seeing the orca woman reunited with her younger sister. "She's been out in the wild grinding levels the past few days. I don't know how long she's planning to do that before she comes back. Hopefully, it'll be soon though."

"All by herself?" Raphtalia asked, sounding surprised.

"Yeah, she didn't tell me about it, otherwise I would have gone with her to help out. But it's only been a couple of days, and she's still in my party system, so I can see that she's healthy and already past level 55. Wherever she's fighting monsters, I want to learn about it. Seems super efficient if she's only been grinding by herself." Motoyasu chuckled.

"Hmmm…" Raphtalia felt disappointed, but she moved past it to focus on her husband friend's original question again. Especially as she remembered that someone was waiting behind her. "There's two things you need to handle before we go to bed, Naofumi."

"Sure thing then." Naofumi stood up.

Raphtalia nodded to her side, and Maya stepped into view.

"Sir… Sir Naofumi."

The raccoon girl was looking down at the ground tentatively as the Shield Hero approached.

"I'm… sorry about Itsuki." Naofumi bowed his head apologetically.

"It's… we'll manage, somehow." The raccoon girl sighed. "I didn't want to talk about that… the others have discussed and cried over it enough already…

…

The raccoon girl steeled her shoulders. "I wanted to ask for you to register me under a Hero Service Crest… for the time being, so that I won't be too weak to help out going forward."

"..."

"..."

"... aren't… aren't you still under Itsuki…" The Shield Hero opened his mouth to ask before stopping mid-sentence in hesitation.

"..."

"..."

As the raccoon girl began to tremble, Naofumi swore at himself in his mind. Itsuki had done more than just kick out his party members, it seemed.

If he saw Itsuki again, he was going to hug him tight. But he was also going to have Raphtalia slap him upside the head for being such a stubborn idiot!

Raphtalia frowned next to her lover, but didn't voice anything. There wasn't anything she could add that the others couldn't understand about the state of Itsuki's close friends at this moment.

But if she saw Itsuki anytime soon, she might do more than just a slap across the face.

Rishia, especially, had not deserved what happened to her.

"Yeah, of course. Anyone else I'll need to do that for?" Naofumi finally answered.

"... C-Crystal." The raccoon girl looked down. "And R-Rachel."

"Got it. Next time Beloukas is in town, we'll make the arrangements." Naofumi promised. "And… for what it's worth,

"I'm here for you all whenever you need it. Just say the word and I'll come over."

"Us too," Motoyasu said in the background. And Ren nodded his head.

…

Maya nodded her head, bowing gratefully to the Shield Hero before more tears began to fall down her face. She quickly rushed out the door to her home.

Naofumi breathed in deep. "Alright, and what's the second thing on the agenda?" He asked his wife friend.

"Melty." This time, Raphtalia smiled as she spoke.

"She's waiting for you in front of our house."

…

Naofumi breathed out. "Guess it was about time to face the music. Probably a good sign that she isn't putting it off to tomorrow, I hope?"

Raphtalia's smile widened, and she pecked her husband friend on the lips. "Filo's been with her the last while. So she's in a better mood this time around."

Naofumi nodded. However, it was more than just that. He needed to make this right. Not for his sake, but hers.

"Is everyone fine with ending things here for tonight?" Naofumi asked his bros.

"Yeah," "Sure," Motoyasu and Ren both responded. Ren doing his best to shrug and remain upbeat, but Motoyasu grinned widely as he gave his younger bro a thumbs up and a wink for good luck.

"See you tomorrow, Naofumi. Good night." Fitoria bowed her head at the Shield Hero.

"Heh." Naofumi chuckled, waving them off as Raph-Chan bounded onto her mom's shoulder.

And Naofumi finally walked out the front door to hopefully go out and fix his last mistake from before he left to the Otherworld.

The Shield Hero, with his loyal sword at his side, approached his home.

Wyndia, Farrie, Tersia, an unfamiliar blue-haired preteen, and a small red dragon in the dog girl's arms walked past into the Spear Hero's home to grab the tired Sword Hero.

Also waiting outside the door was Amber, the girl introduced earlier as S'yne, as well as a couple other figures who Naofumi didn't recognize. Were they hakuko? Strange how they didn't have fur covering their exposed arms or legs. The boy and girl looked a little on the young side too. Was that why they looked different compared to Dou-Lon?

Oh well, he figured he'd learn more about them another time. He had something more important to focus on right now.

Naofumi looked at the entrance of his house, the outside lit up by an array of Raphtalia's light magic balls.

There was Dou-Lon, still in his Otherworld outfit, standing next to Eclair. The two's faces were stiff, not betraying anything they were feeling.

Though Dou-Lon not so subtly snuck a thumbs up to his bloodkin, almost causing him to smile as widely as the angel girl standing beside them.

And of course, front and center was the girl of the hour, Melty Q. Melromarc.

Naofumi slowed to a stop ten feet in front of her. And Raphtalia paused next to him as well.

Just like before, when they'd last interacted, Melty's face was blank. The Shield Hero couldn't tell what she was thinking or feeling at all.

…

Naofumi opened his mouth but then shut it.

Melty had opened her mouth too. She stayed silent though, waiting to see what the Shield Hero wanted to say to her.

…

…

…

"Don't worry Daddy! Filo already told Mel about how Daddy protected Mel's Mommy and Daddy earlier!" Filo yelled from behind her best friend when the silence had only been drawing itself out between them. "Mel's very appreciative of what Daddy did for Mel's Mommy and Daddy!"

Naofumi had to keep himself from smiling as Melty's blank expression vanished in an instant. The small girl turned around to face her best friend with the biggest pout ever on her face. "Filo, please! This is between me and Naofumi!"

"Ehhh~!? But didn't Mel tell Filo that-" Filo started to say confusedly.

"NOT HERE!"

Naofumi now had to fight to keep himself from giggling as Melty slapped a hand over her best friend's mouth to keep her quiet. The girl tried to speak despite that though, causing Melty to continue screaming in an attempt to hush her.

Filo was just too pure sometimes. He really didn't deserve her in his life. Thank goodness his first daughter didn't feel the same way.

Naofumi needed to cook a big meal for her to reward her for being so wonderful and then spend time riding on her back out in the fields so they could have some quality father-daughter time together and-

"EHHEM!" Melty suddenly coughed loudly into her hand.

She turned to face the Shield Hero again. Now having to fight to keep her pout and a red tint from rising in her cheeks.

Naofumi, fortunately, managed to get his face under control just in time.

…

At last, as the last of her angry blush drained away, the young girl opened her mouth and began to speak.

"I've… I've decided that I'll forgive you for before, Sir Naofumi." The Princess spoke in a royal tone that he hadn't heard from her in a long while. "I am willing to move on from what happened."

Naofumi blinked in surprise. Really, just like that? Was it that easy to mend the bridge between them?

"However, even though I'm forgiving you, you'll still have to win over my trust before I'll be willing to work with you again!" Melty then added. A bit of her usual self came into her voice as she glared at him. It wasn't near as harsh or withering a glare as it'd been that day, but it still stung in its own way regardless. "To be honest, even if I've decided to forgive you, I haven't forgotten how you were a complete jerk in the past, even before you said what you said to me!

"I refuse to allow myself to be treated that way ever again! By you, or anyone else! Is that clear?!"

…

"Yes, Melty… I understand. I know I apologized to you before, but… I haven't forgotten what I said to you either." Naofumi admitted.

"There is no way words could ever make up for what I did. I betrayed your trust in a way that not even your older sister had ever managed to do. Words alone would never be enough to make up for such a horrible action."

…

Naofumi breathed in deep. "So instead of words, I'd rather show that I want to mend things between us, and…"

Naofumi, under his friends' expectant gazes, and not wanting to accidentally ruin what was happening with more words from his stupid mouth, pulled out the first gift he'd gotten from Elhart's blacksmith shop from his shield, holding it out in front of him.

"This is for you."

Melty's eyes immediately widened in shock.

Filo Kigimuri

Defense Up, Traction Ability Increased, Carrying Capacity Increased, Size Adjustment, Race Change [Filolial, Agility Up (Large), Collision Resistance (small), Wind Resistance (Large), Shadow Resistance (small), HP Recovery (weak), Magic Up (medium), Automatic Restoration Ability

This first gift had been an idea Elhart had after seeing how many spare Pekkul Kigimuris Naofumi brought back with him from Cal Mira. Naofumi had given the blacksmith a couple of sets, and Elhart had the bright idea of taking some of the feathers that Filo had shed while in his store before, and the result was this.

As weird as the idea had been at the time, its stats were no joke. What was even better was that because it changed the race of the wearer to Filolial, that person would get the benefits of his Filolial related Shields while it was worn.

And, after much thought, Naofumi thought that even if she didn't end up using it in battle, it'd make the perfect set of pajamas for Melty, the girl who loved Filolials so much.

"Raphtalia, if you would." Naofumi looked at his wife friend.

Raphtalia nodded, grabbing the Kigimuri from Naofumi, before walking up and handing the outfit to the young princess so she could admire it up close.

…

After a moment of ogling them further and feeling the new set of clothes in her hands, Melty suddenly straightened in her stance and shook her head. It felt exactly like Filo's feathers, and that did improve her mood quite a bit, but she couldn't be THAT weak!

"I… I accept your gift, Naofumi… however, I-"

"I also made this for you." Naofumi suddenly pulled out a gold inlaid necklace, cutting the girl off midsentence. "You told me back at Cal Mira that you wanted an accessory. And I know I bought you one back then, but I never made you your own personal one. And in a way, I didn't really put much thought into the accessory I bought for you.

"I should have done this a lot sooner. I've made accessories for Raphtalia and Filo to boost their stats. And I plan to make accessories for Eclair and Dou-Lon as well… I'm sorry that it took so long, but…"

Naofumi held the accessory out, revealing it had a star sapphire affixed in the center of it inside a circle of diamonds. Parts of the gold chain were also inlaid with the remains of the Sapphire Rose Naofumi had received in the Otherworld. "This is my second gift to you, Melty Melromarc."

Melty stared at the beautiful item with shock and the beginning of tears appeared in her eyes. Not even her mother had jewelry comparable to this! It was so beautiful, and...

And then its information popped up on her HUD.

Star Sapphire Gold Diamond Necklace

Quality: PERFECT

Effects: Water Magic Up (Max), MP Up (High), MP Recovery Up (High), Magic Incantation Speed Up (Medium)

It was, quite literally, the best work Naofumi had ever made. A work that'd be worth a fortune to people even if they weren't a member of the Gem Race.

The Shield Hero had honestly been shocked at how well it turned out. He couldn't help but wonder if the gem rose he'd used had responded to his feelings and helped out in some way while making it…

Whatever the case, the accessory's quality wasn't just perfect. All of its effects were beneficial to Melty. There was literally no part that'd been wasted that wouldn't help the young girl out in combat. And the best part: It matched with her outfit perfectly.

It was the perfect accessory meant for her, and no one else. It might as well have had Melty's name attached to the end of it.

"I… I…" Melty began to hiccup as she tried to maintain her voice.

"I appreciate this, really, Naofumi… b-... b-but-"

"I… have one last thing too. If these two aren't enough." Naofumi slowly put a hand in his Shield again.

Melty's eyes widened in shock, her stuttering coming to a stop.

There was MORE?!

…

However, instead of pulling out another item, it was a piece of paper.

…

Melty's eyes fell a bit in disappointment. After how grandiose and prestigious the first two gifts had been, she'd been expecting something… more, with this third one.

"Oh… what's that?"

"A legal document." Naofumi smiled a little as he finally walked up himself and handed it to the young girl, together with the accessory he'd made. "My main reason for wanting to report to your mother first before I got back was to have this written.

"I wanted no loopholes for me to escape through before I handed it off to you.

"I had to see Elhart about the Kigimuri as well, but… I thought of the three, this would be the most important to have prepared."

Melty looked the writing on it over. Only to grip the paper more tightly with each paragraph she read.

I, Iwatani Naofumi, Hero of the Shield, proclaim with this document to her Royal Highness, the Second Princess, Melty Q. Melromarc, that should I ever refer to her Highness, Melty Q. Melromarc, by the name of "Second Princess", by accident or otherwise, I shall be honorbound to serve her every need for an entire week. No matter how ridiculous I, Iwatani Naofumi, Hero of the Shield, may find it to be.

I, Naofumi Iwatani, the Hero of the Shield, will also not be allowed to refer to her Royal Highness, the Second Princess, Melty Q. Melromarc, by any other nickname besides "Mel", and only if her Royal Highness, Melty Q. Melromarc, gives her consent to I, Naofumi Iwatani, the Hero of the Shield, to do so.

Should I, Naofumi Iwatani, the Hero of the Shield, ever try to call her Royal Highness, Melty Q. Melromarc, by any other nickname that isn't Mel, and without being given her Royal Highness, Melty Q. Melromarc, consent to do so; I, Naofumi Iwatani, the Hero of the Shield, will be subject to the same punishments outlined in the first paragraph of this document, as well as any further punishments, as decided upon by her Royal Highness, the Second Princess, Melty Q. Melromarc, that she feels to add in her infinite wisdom.

Signed: Iwatani Naofumi

Signed: Mirellia Q. Melromarc

Signed: Aultcray 'Luge' Melromarc XXXII

Signed:

…

"Me and your parents already signed it. All it requires is your signature." Naofumi pointed out after a moment of silence.

…

…

…

The younger girl began to tremble. Her face looked down at the ground as her hands clutched the piece of paper tightly.

Naofumi attempted to smile. But he couldn't hide the sadness and regret in his eyes anymore, and even though he knew how worthless his words were to her...

"I really am sorry for how I treated you before, Melty. Not just with what I said on that day, but before that too, I…

"I was a real jerk, and you didn't deserve it. I should have treated you better as a person after you moved into our home. I shouldn't have treated you as if you were nothing but an afterthought in my family's life. Whether I liked it or not, you'd been entrusted to us by your mom. And the least I could have done was make you feel more at home in our family.

"I want to try and make things up to you if it's possible. I already told Mirellia to take back her decree labeling Aultcray as Trash, and I got these gifts ready for when I returned… but even with that, I want you to feel loved as any daughter should. And I know I'll never be as great of a Father as your dad is."

"So if you'd rather we work differently than before, or if you'd rather go back to the castle so you can be with your real parents, then just give the word, and I'll-"

"WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Melty cried as she dropped the sheet of paper, immediately choosing to instead jump forward and hug the Shield Hero around the waist.

…

Naofumi stopped talking for just a moment. His eyes widened in surprise.

Then, he wrapped his arms around her head, his eyes falling once more.

He decided it'd be best if he didn't talk for a while. Talking had been what got him into trouble in the first place.

Melty continued to cry, even as Raphtalia and Filo joined the hug. Unlike Naofumi, Raphtalia got on her knees to embrace the blue-haired girl side by side with Melty's best friend.

Melty couldn't stop crying. No matter how much she tried. Naofumi began to rub her head soothingly, and it reminded her of her own Father, and she began to cry even harder.

"W-WHY!? WHY CAN'T I STAY MAD AT YOU!?" Melty managed to scream. Whether at Naofumi or at herself, was unknown.

Naofumi still smiled regardless as a relieved sigh escaped his lips. "Because, unlike your sister, you're a great person. You've done so much to help out around here. And I was wrong to ever treat you as anything but the best."

"Yeah, Mel's the best!" Filo repeated happily. "Filo can't wait to play with Mel again!"

"And I look forward to being there for you whenever you need me," Raphtalia spoke gently.

Melty continued to cry. But it'd turned into a good cry since she was smiling too.

Honestly, this guy… he'd even go as far as becoming her personal butler to earn her forgiveness, wouldn't he?

And Melty knew how much Naofumi hated being anyone's butler…

…

…

Eventually, almost on the verge of hiccuping, Melty began to speak again. "F-Fine, you win. I'll… I do want to be part of your family again, Naofumi.

"More than just these gifts, and more than the fact that Raphtalia and Filo are the best, I've… had a lot of time to think and self-reflect.

"And I got to deal with some things in your absence…

"I don't want to ruin your life. I don't want to kill you or seek revenge.

"I want to be a part of this family. I want to be happy and move on from what happened.

"Just… just don't…

…

…

"Please don't do anything like that ever again…"

Naofumi continued to rub the back of the bluette's head as she sobbed the last part out.

Of all the sins a man could ever commit, hurting your daughter and making her cry was high up there on the list of unforgivable. Melty was not his daughter by blood, but that didn't excuse him any less than if he'd been Aultcray.

"Got it, never again. And if I break my word then I will throw myself into a ditch and rot away like the rotten piece of garbage I am, Melty."

…

Melty almost chuckled, somberly recalling how she'd asked the Shield Hero to do just that the last time she'd seen him. Had she truly been that angry before?

…

The bluette let out a sigh. The last of that pit of pain she'd tried to keep hidden deep in her subconscious began to drain away at last.

Yes, she decided. She could move on from what'd happened. And she would.

…

…

"... say my name again," Melty demanded.

"Melty." Naofumi complied immediately.

But Melty wasn't convinced yet. "Hmmm… Louder."

"... Really?" Naofumi quirked an eyebrow.

Melty turned her head up to pout at him again.

Filo did so as well. And Raphtalia and Raph-Chan followed soon after.

The Shield Hero chuckled as he rubbed the bluette's head again. "Fine, MELTY!

"MY FULL NAME! LOUDER!" Melty grinned widely.

Naofumi didn't even try to argue. "MELTY Q. MELROMARC!" His voice boomed across the countryside.

…

…

The Second Princess laughed happily, the words still ringing in her ears. "Thank you, Shield Hero.

"I feel really happy and loved right now,"

Naofumi smiled, the rest of his family smiling with him. "Good, I'm glad to see it."

Off to the side, Fitoria, who'd paused to watch the interaction, nodded approvingly at the Shield Hero. A small smile rested on her face. And at the doorway, Eclair and Dou-Lon were also grinning. Watching the scene side by side.

And just like that, Naofumi took care of the last loose end caused by his past mistake. And Melty became a permanent addition to his family.

An addition that'd benefit him and those around him for many years into the future.

"Now one more time! Even louder than before!" Melty demanded again.

"Are you serious?" Naofumi asked in a deadpan.

"What!? I want this one to be loud enough for the whole town to hear!" Melty pouted.

"The whole town heard that last one, Melty!" Naofumi responded loudly with an eye roll.

"Yayyyy~!" Both Mel and Filo cheered together at the same time upon the Shield Hero saying her name again.

…

Heh. Whatever.

Naofumi would never use the nickname of Second Princess when referring to the young girl ever again.

And that was a promise he intended to keep.

…

After all, Naofumi SERIOUSLY hated having to be anyone's butler. Even for a day.

&%$% that.

The next morning, Melty woke up with the rising of the sun, immediately being greeted by the sight of her best friend and playmate in their shared bed. "Good morning, Mel!"

"Good morning, Filo!" The two girls embraced, giggling together happily as they rushed out of bed.

The two had gone to bed very late the previous night. And Melty hadn't gotten much sleep as she spent the night hearing all sorts of interesting stories from her best friend and now truly sister about stuff that'd happened in the Otherworld.

It'd been a very long night, yet the young girl couldn't have been happier as she changed from her Filo Kigimuri into her normal outfit. Now sporting the new necklace her new father figure had crafted just for her.

Melty took the steps down two at a time, rushing past her mother figure, Raphtalia, who was finishing up her early morning workout in the living room. "I see somebody's up bright and early." The half-tanuki woman smiled as she neared the last of her ten thousand push-ups. "And here I was wondering if you'd get out of bed after spending so long last night talking with Filo."

"Y-You heard all that?!" Melty asked in shock.

"Of course. How couldn't we? Our room is next door to yours, Melty." Naofumi rolled his eyes in the kitchen. The Shield Hero was smiling brightly as he did so, however.

"Yayyy~! Daddy cooked Mel and Filo a big breakfast just as promised!" Filo rushed past the pouting Melty to embrace her Daddy.

"Of course. Though I'm surprised you didn't ask to help cook this time." Naofumi smirked as he rubbed his daughter's hair with one hand. He had several plates stacked high with various things on the table, including pancakes, sausage links, eggs, bacon, and the finishing touch: crepes.

He could only thank the heavens that Glass's world had a sweet substance similar to sugarcane growing in it. He didn't know what it was called there, but he'd made sure to store a bunch of it in his weapon before coming back.

He didn't know if it'd grow here or not. But either way, he now had a REALLY good way to make sweet food for the others to try here!

"Sorry! Filo would have woken up earlier to help, but Filo really wanted to make up for lost time with Mel!" Filo smiled at her Daddy.

"Rafu!" Raph-Chan, wearing a chef's hat, waved on the counter next to the Shield Hero.

"Haha, fair enough. I at least had Raph-Chan helping me out." Naofumi smiled. "Next time."

"You can cook now?!" Melty asked in surprise to her best friend.

"Yeahhhh~! Filo should cook a meal for Mel sometime!" Filo happily suggested.

SOOOOOOOO COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!

"I assisted too. Somebody had to go out and hunt the monster meat you needed." Raphtalia chimed in from the living room.

"Now now, dear. I didn't see you helping out in the kitchen." Naofumi told her. "You're so overpowered at this point that none of the local monsters stood a chance."

"True, but then, you wouldn't have had fresh meat if I hadn't gone out to do that." Raphtalia teased.

"I could give you some fresh meat if you wanted-" Naofumi began to leer hungrily in his wife friend's direction.

"Wait, what'll happen if we eat everything?" Melty suddenly interrupted, before her new parental figures could continue teasing each other.

…

Naofumi looked between the two, thought about it for a moment, and then shrugged. "Then I'll make more, Melty."

…

The young girl smiled widely, and after being handed her plate, she and her best friend dug into their meals.

The sweetness from the sugar-like substance did its job. Melty's eyes widened in shock when the taste registered on her tongue, reminding her of the chocolate she and Eclair received recently. And then, with happy tears falling down the sides of her face, she began plowing through her meal almost as fast as Filo.

Should she and Eclair tell Naofumi about the chocolate, actually? They hadn't eaten it all yet, but eating this meal seemed more important right now.

"Hey, hold on, you're going to-" Naofumi began to say worriedly.

"Hurk!" Melty suddenly had to beat a fist against her chest.

Naofumi handed the bluette a glass of water, and she quickly downed it. "Ahhhh, thanks!" The girl replied happily.

… honestly, it was like he had Raphtalia sitting in front of him again. Young and smol, yet just as adorable and innocent.

"Can you blame how I reacted as a child after being forced to eat stale bread as a slave?" Raphtalia asked as she appeared at his side. "Compared to that, the food you make is simply divine."

"Ha, whatever." Naofumi rolled his eyes, giving his wife friend a side hug before deciding he wanted to be more bold and kissing her on the lips.

Raphtalia's hand went up to his hair, rubbing through it as she kissed him back. She was still a little sweaty from her workout, but Naofumi didn't mind it as he deepened the kiss.

Hmmm, maybe he'd be able to give her some fresh meat sooner than he'd realized-

"Daddy~! Filo needs more food!" Filo suddenly called from the table.

"Me too! This is fantastic! I forgot how good the food was!" Melty exclaimed with happiness.

The couple's lips parted, with Naofumi sighing internally. "Our daughters are hungry, dear," Raphtalia whispered.

"Yeah, I know. Alright if we continue this later?" Naofumi asked.

Raphtalia answered by pecking him on the lips again, before moving to take her own seat at the table.

Heh. He'd take that as a yes.

Thankfully, Naofumi, knowing his first daughter a little too well, had already set a second big plate on the counter for when she asked for more food. And he had more pancakes, bacon, sausage, and eggs cooking on the wood stove.

A few minutes later, Naofumi was seated next to Raphtalia, and the family enjoyed a great meal together. Talking about this and that as they did so.

…

Soon, Melty had eaten her fill, and Filo frowned as she finished off her third plate. "Filo doesn't remember being this hungry in Fishing Auntie's home." She suddenly remarked.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Melty asked.

Filo then began explaining to her best friend about what her life as a humming fairy had been like. Completely enrapturing their attention and allowing Raphtalia and Naofumi time to sit and watch with smiles on their faces.

He could have sat there forever, his hand holding hers as the family came together.

…

But then, Naofumi finally realized who was missing from the table. "Wait, where are Dou-Lon and Eclair?"

"Both of them left for the training grounds shortly after I started my workout," Raphtalia answered.

"... of course they did." Naofumi deadpanned.

His wife friend giggled happily.

Welp, Dou-Lon had become quite a bit of a musclehead while in the Otherworld, so perhaps he'd now stand a chance with the muscleheaded swordswoman?

Naofumi just smiled and let it go. He was going to be quite busy today after this. Going around town, meeting new residents, getting caught up on business and the like, and that was on top of the personal time he now planned on spending with his wife friend.

Then he was going to leave with Filo that evening to get to the nearest shipyard in Melromarc, before portaling back at night and taking off on a ship for Cal Mira the next morning, hopefully with Raphtalia if she'd caught up on everything she needed to do by then.

The return trip had its ups and downs but overall, Naofumi was relieved to be back home again at last.

Hero Clips!

Looks like a Villain: Part Two

"It's a villain!"

"He's come to kill us all!"

"RUNNNNNNNNN!"

Crowds of people were running down the streets away from a figure clad in green and white.

Naofumi's armor was still decked out with all the drip of the previous omake. As well as symbols related to angelic figures like a cross and a dove. He even wore a helmet over his head (not willingly), making him look like a holy paladin…

Or at least, he SHOULD HAVE looked like a holy paladin!

"Are you &%&$%$ serious!? These bastards don't even know that I'm the Shield Hero!" Naofumi yelled in frustration.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The screams of fear didn't lessen as yet another town of people evacuated from Naofumi's mere presence, which harbored all the negative energy attached to his villainous face.

"MY FACE ISN'T VILLAINOUS!" Naofumi raised a fist to the sky.

His voice too. No wonder Beloukas got chills from listening to Naofumi talk.

"WHY YOU-" As Naofumi was about to cuss, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the distance. Advancing towards him at the front of a large army.

Dou-Lon had returned in majesty, adorned in the kimono of the Otherworld, marking him as a prophet of the great Shield Hero. He'd come to bring his people to reunite with the true Shield Hero once more.

Following behind him was the entirety of the Siltvelt Council. Werner and the Genmu Elder flanked the hakuko male's sides.

It was truly an awe-inspiring sight. And it was then that Naofumi knew, even if everyone else thought he'd look like a villain. He'd never be regarded as such by the people who saw him as their God.

"Oh, thank the Gods! Dou-Lon, I'm so happy to-" Naofumi began to yell happily.

"DEMON!" The man suddenly roared.

…

"H-Huh?!" Naofumi, utterly flabbergasted at the word leaving the loyal hakuko's lips, stumbled back a step.

Little did he know though, past Shield Heroes were ALWAYS known for looking and dressing like bandit marauders. Naofumi was going against that now though, meaning there was no way he was their Shield Hero.

"Destroy the Demon!"

"KILL THE DEMON!"

"RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The horde of warriors let out warcries as they charged Naofumi, led by the Shield Hero's former loyal hakuko.

"W-Wait, no, I'm not-" Naofumi began to protest.

But like that, he was surrounded by Siltvelt's best. And because they began striking at him repeatedly.

ClangClangClangClangClangClangClangClang!

The ineffectual clanging went off without pause. They might have been the best, but not even they had the attack stat necessary to break through the Shield Demon's defense stat.

"REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO LOOK LIKE A BANDIT KING ANYMORE!" Naofumi screamed.

ClangClangClangClangClangClangClangClang!

He'd end up having to deal with Siltvelt's army of warriors trying to kill him for the rest of his life. Their battle following Naofumi all the way to his grave.

Thus, alongside the legend of the great one who was too stubborn to give up, the armies of Siltvelt were added alongside her in their great quest to vanquish the Evil Shield Demon together.

A battle that persists to this day.

Hero Clips!

WTF

"You ready for breakfast honey?"

"Almost, dear. Just have a thousand more pushups here."

Naofumi was at the kitchen counter, wearing his (crossed out: don't) kiss the cook apron. The first word had been crossed out by Raphtalia quite some time ago, and after seeing what she'd done, Naofumi decided to go along with it.

It'd led to quite a few interesting mornings in the Otherworld, after all.

The Shield Hero rolled his eyes. "Your stats are so high at this point dear that I don't think physical exercise can increase them any more."

"Doesn't hurt to keep trying," Raphtalia responded.

"Well if you wanted more exercise, then we could always go to the bedroom and-" A sweaty towel slammed into Naofumi's face as he turned to leer at his wife friend.

"Later, dear. We have kids in the house now." Raphtalia continued doing one-arm pushups, even as the towel slowly peeled off of her husband friend's face, revealing a pout.

But then his eyes widened, and he smirked like a predator. "So after the kids leave for the day?"

Raphtalia blew a kiss his way as she continued what she was doing.

Ohhhh yeah. It was already going to be a great first day back. Naofumi could already tell. He was going to inflict a heavy blow to the supply of protection he'd acquired in the Otherworld and-

"Hiii Daddy! WTF?" Filo suddenly asked as she bounded down the stairs alongside Melty.

Raphtalia, who'd still been on the ground moving up and down with rapid movements on one finger, suddenly paused. "WTF." She said, looking up with a threatening expression at her husband friend.

"Uhhh… Filo, you're asking 'Where's The Food' to Daddy, right?" Naofumi asked, a sweatdrop going down the side of his face.

Thankfully, his daughter nodded happily. "Of course! That's what Daddy taught Filo, after all!" The blonde angel girl nodded her head happily.

Phew, Naofumi sagged in relief, Raphtalia's dark expression suddenly lightening at the adorable innocence Filo had portrayed.

"Is that what it means? I thought-" Melty started to say in confusion.

"Hey, Melty, you hungry?" Naofumi quickly interrupted, putting a plate of blueberry (Naofumi at least assumed they were blueberries, they tasted more like raspberries though) pancakes in front of the young girl.

"OH YEAH! IT'S BEEN SO LONG!" Melty immediately began devouring the Shield Hero's cooking.

Going through all that effort to forgive the Shield Hero almost seemed entirely worth it… well, almost.

She was going to need at least three more plates of Naofumi's god-tier cooking before she could admit that out loud.

"Heyyyy! Filo wants some too!" Filo pouted up at the Shield Hero.

"Right away, honey, just give me another minute and I'll have your plate prepared as well." Naofumi said to appease his daughter.

"WTF Daddy! Doesn't Daddy realize that Filo's super hungry after yesterday!" Filo yelled angrily. She would not normally be so outspoken, but Mel's Mommy and Daddy hadn't made a lot of food that'd satisfy her appetite, and between the Wave, the battle with Karn, and the ride back, she'd really been patient with everything.

But that patience had a limit, and unfortunately, Naofumi had hit it.

"Daddy already said that he's preparing your food, sweetie." Raphtalia walked up, using another fresh towel to wipe the sweat off her face.

"Huh- no Mommy, that wasn't the version of WTF Filo was using there." Filo rolled her eyes. "Filo was using the version that means (bleeeeeeeeeeeep)."

…

…

…

"Filo… where did you learn that from?" Raphtalia asked, masking her icy tone with sweet kindness.

"Daddy taught it to Filo!" The young girl said proudly.

…

…

…

"Hey, uh, honey, remember what we were going to do after this-" Naofumi raised his hands in appeasement.

But then, before he could react, his hands were bound in front of him by a length of strong rope. It'd come from the half-tanuki's weapon.

His wife friend looked pissed… and not in the hot way.

"I warned you what'd happen if you corrupted our daughters even further," Raphtalia said in a dangerous tone. Her pupils had narrowed to slits.

Naofumi's eyes boggled in their sockets. No, it couldn't be- was he about to be banished to couch-san again?! And he'd worked so hard to get off it while in the Otherworld too!

"Oh yeah, that's what I thought Filo was referring to earlier." Melty's eyes sparkled with realization.

…

"Did you say something, Mel?" Raphtalia asked, turning her head to look at the bluette.

"Yeah! I just remembered I was there when Naofumi taught me and Filo what WTF means!" Melty said happily. "This really is a WTF, or (bleeeeeeeeep) situation for you, isn't it, Naofumi?" The bluette smiled evilly.

She'd forgiven him and wanted to be a part of his family again. But there was no way in hell she was going to pass up an opportunity like this to pay him back.

…

…

…

Yep, Naofumi was totally screwed. And not in the way he would have liked.

"So… your wife friend… grounded you… to the couch… Naofumi."

Naofumi, tied to couch-san, saw Aultcray sitting in a chair next to him.

There was also a hole in the ceiling of the castle above. One which Naofumi and the couch had made when they crashed through it, landing next to the King of Melromarc.

"I remember… what that was… like." Aultcray sighed as he reminisced over the times he'd been an idiot in the past. He didn't even look phased by Naofumi being there.

"... she didn't just kick me to the couch… she kicked me out of the town," Naofumi spoke, his voice still filled with fear from what he'd experienced.

It wasn't an exaggeration. Raphtalia had tied him to the couch after Melty's confession, marched out the front door with him and the couch, and punted him like a football to the Capital of Melromarc.

When he'd said the girl was strong, he hadn't realized she was THAT RIDICULOUSLY STACKED!

"You might think… that's bad… imagine being kicked… to the couch… outside your nation." Aultcray sighed.

"..." Somehow, Naofumi could see Mirellia doing that… or at least the cracked version of her that tried to erase Motoyasu with fire magic.

"Any suggestions?" Naofumi asked.

"... flowers… lots… and lots… of flowers." Aultcray said after a moment of thought.

And that was the story of how Naofumi not only got kicked to the couch but kicked out of his house as well.

Literally.

He really had to remember not to piss off his wife friend in the future.

Either that or have lots of flowers ready for when he inevitably did something with his idiot antics.

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

Clang!

Dou-Lon frowned as his lance deflected Eclair's sword to the side. He stepped back, but not enough. He nearly fell as the weight of his weapon took him off kilter, and it was only when he looked down that he realized why.

He was holding his old weapon, his lance, up like he normally would have with his katana. He shook his head and lowered the weapon, spreading his hands along its hilt as he did so to find that 'balance' that was eluding him.

"You're out of practice." Eclair noted. She'd paused because of the hakuko's misstep, but after he'd recovered his stance, she struck forward in the same offensive fashion as before.

"Yes. I had to forgo using lances in the Otherworld, due to various circumstances." Dou-Lon remarked as he deflected the next strike in the practice kata that the rose-haired knight was executing. "So I'm a bit out of practice."

"I see…"

Clang!... Clang!... Clang!...

This series of strikes the rose haired woman was performing was less of a spar and more of a way to warm up the pair's muscles and get their brains firing on all cylinders. This was especially needed in Dou-Lon's case, as he had slept so little the previous night.

The nap the hakuko took on the ride back probably hadn't helped. But the primary reason for his insomnia came from Eclair.

Dou-Lon had planned to spend his night meditating on what'd happened after they returned to the Town before getting a few more hours of sleep, but Lady Seaetto ruined his plans by following him into his room for a late night chat.

It wasn't anything too serious. They'd mainly spent the time catching up with each other. Dou-Lon told Eclair bits and pieces of his adventures in the Otherworld while she told him about events that'd happened in Lurolona.

He hadn't gotten a chance to meditate because of this, yet the whole interaction had warmed the hakuko's heart. And even now, he had to fight to keep a smile from overtaking his face as his body tried to adjust to having his old weapon back in his hands.

"Whoa!" Something he was struggling to do for some reason, as he once again nearly lost his footing trying to deflect a heavy strike from Eclair's kata.

"Your hands are too close together again." The swordswoman pointed out.

"I know, I know." Dou-Lon grumbled, fixing his grip on his weapon again before they continued.

…

One of the few things Dou-Lon recalled of their conversation was when he pointed out how clean his room had looked after he walked in. How even his meditation candles had been replaced, ready and waiting for him. He'd asked her if someone had taken care of his room while he was gone.

And Eclair said that she'd cleaned it up for when he got back.

…

Even remembering that moment sent a jolt through his chest, just like it had last night. And Dou-Lon couldn't help the smile that came onto his face.

The pair had come out of their house when the distant horizon barely started to light up. But now the sun was out in full, and others were gathering in the area to train or spar with one another.

Dou-Lon spotted Motoyasu, who was already sparring with Granny, the old lady looking as spry as ever. There were also knights getting themselves prepped for the day, as well as some demihuman children and teenagers sparring together. He recognized Keel easily enough, though for some reason, the girl was in a maid outfit, and she was sparring against a catgirl fighting with magic.

Only a few weeks had passed in this world compared to the time he was gone. But everyone had grown so quickly. There were even a few unfamiliar faces he didn't recognize. Including a hakuko kid standing off to the side, observing Keel's spar with an intense glare. There was a bandaged girl sitting in a wheelchair next to him. Something about the teen struck Dou-Lon in particular, but he couldn't tell what it was.

And beyond them was… a large man wearing a set of Melromarcian royal guard armor.

That individual was swinging a large claymore in front of him over and over again. He appeared to be staring in his and Eclair's direction, or was he glaring at him specifically…

…

"Dou-Lon."

The tiger man shook his head. Without meaning to, he had raised his lance up in front of him, and he was gripping it wrong… again!

He lowered the unruly weapon and faced the rose-haired knight as she continued swinging her blade again and again in the same rhythm. Doing his best to keep his focus on just the two of them.

…

Huh, now that he thought about it, her hair really was rose colored. He'd wondered why Naofumi sometimes referred to her hair by that term before. But after seeing many different gardens in the Otherworld, he found it was a truly apt description of it.

Did that mean her hair would smell the same as-

Dou-Lon shook his head this time and focused on getting his body to move properly. He had no idea where that thought had come from, but he didn't want to be distracted.

He wanted to get back into the groove. To show off what he'd learned in the Otherworld and see how well he'd stand against the crazy swordswoman now. He wasn't going to get anywhere if he kept on getting sidetracked by such random thoughts.

…

Eventually, Eclair nodded in satisfaction. "I'm done with the warmup. What about you, bakako? You feeling up for a friendly spar?"

Dou-Lon smirked upon finally hearing the dreaded nickname. "Oh, I've been ready for this moment for a loooong time, Miss Seaetto!"

His look of confidence drew a small smirk from the woman as well. "Are you sure you're ready? I have high expectations for you, but I wonder if I should curb them after your performance in that kata."

"I'll make you eat those words, Lady Seaetto! En garde!" Dou-Lon rushed forward.

And thus, their 'friendly' spar began.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The tiger man didn't last even ten seconds.

After his offtune offensive had been cut short due to his weapon getting caught between his legs, Dou-Lon was sent flying onto his back by the flat of Eclair's blade. His lance sticking out of the ground behind him.

The hakuko man hadn't been injured, only his pride having taken a hit. Nevertheless, he was shocked at how horribly he'd performed in the short battle.

He'd felt it earlier while doing katas to warm up, but the weapon that he used for most of his life now felt as useless as a branch in his hands. It wasn't just that he felt out of practice. It was as if he didn't know how to use his weapon at all anymore.

As if everything that Glass had taught him had made the lance useless.

Eclair looked concerned, and she sheathed her blade to help her friend stand up. "Are you alright, Dou-Lon? You're not usually down this early in a spar."

"I… of course I'm fine! It's just been a while since I've fought against someone as skilled as you Lady Seaetto!" Dou-Lon shook his head as he pulled his lance out of the ground. "Come on, I'm ready this time! I swear!"

He gestured for Eclair to approach, and though she looked uncertain, the knight obliged his request and started out with an offensive of her own.

…

…

It took ten seconds again, and the result was exactly the same.

Dou-Lon was standing up this time, but his hands were smarting, and his weapon stuck out of the ground behind him again whilst the tip of Eclair's blade rested below his chin.

What truly shocked him about it was that it'd happened because he tried to move forward aggressively after weaving and deflecting through some of Eclair's strikes, only to suddenly lose his grip as his hands moved too close together on his weapon's hilt, sending it flying when Eclair hit it with one of her thrusts.

Even before that, the tiger man had left himself with so many openings defending himself in that short ten seconds that he knew Eclair had been holding back. She could have ended that fight far more quickly, and the swordswoman looked far too disappointed after his lackluster performance for him to think otherwise.

"..."

Dou-Lon sighed as he turned around, pulling his lance out of the ground… again. "Let's try once more. I swear I'll do better, Eclair."

The rose-haired knight didn't say anything, but she nodded and readied herself.

And thus she obliged his request to spar.

Three more times.

The first two ended in less than ten seconds. The first one with Dou-Lon on his back once again, and the second time with Eclair holding her blade and his lance against his back and chest.

Dou-Lon didn't even have an excuse for the second one. He'd tried to twirl his lance in his hands like he normally did when fighting, only for it to slip out of his grasp and fly towards Eclair, who caught it out of the air without batting an eye.

It was completely humiliating. Yet now it was almost like he was trying to latch onto a nonexistent chord. Every movement he made, every step he took was a jarble of off pitch notes throwing his mind and body into disarray.

He pleaded with Eclair to let him try again the third time, and reluctantly, the rose-haired knight did so. Deciding to go purely defensive to give her friend a chance to find his groove.

Yet no matter how Dou-Lon went about it. No matter how he tried to set his stance or his grip or anything, that rhythm eluded him. He was unable to focus on his opponent, as he was constantly correcting his movements to try and fit the battle styles the Fan Hero had taught him to no avail.

Why was he suffering so badly? Had Glass's training with him actually made him worse off as a fighter?! But then he'd been fighting so well while in the Otherworld, and he'd managed somewhat well in the encounter with Karn! He could hear the rhythm of battle before! So why was it so hard now?!

And while the tiger man lasted a bit longer, he inevitably lost his third bout as one of Eclair's counter strikes in her defensive form sent his weapon flying out of his hands once again.

…

…

Dou-Lon grabbed his lance and reluctantly prepared to beg the swordswoman for a sixth match, feeling so disappointed in himself because of his lackluster performance. The hakuko who'd fought and trained to become one of the best Royal Knights in Siltvelt wasn't anywhere to be seen. His instructors would surely be rolling their eyes right now if they saw their student struggling more than the recruits who were little more than cubs.

Hell, he wasn't worthy of being the Shield Hero's Bloodkin if all his hard work amounted to this! Was it even worth it to plead for another spar from the noble lady knight? He was only wasting her time at this point. She had others she had to train, and if this was all he could do, then perhaps he should just quit this whole charade and-

"Why are you holding back?"

…

The words that came from the lady knight's lips made Dou-Lon's mind grind to a halt. "... what?"

"I can tell now that we've fought several times. It's more than just your appearance that's changed, Dou-Lon. You're holding back on me." Eclair stated in a serious tone, her eyes glancing over his outfit before going back up to his face.

"W-What do you mean? I'm not holding anything back! I'm fighting as hard as I can-" Dou-Lon snarled in frustration as he responded, but Eclair cut him off once again.

"Not deliberately, bakako!" The swordswoman snapped. "You're trying to fight as you did before! But you've trained your body to fight a different way now! You're not letting yourself fight with whatever you learned while in the Otherworld!"

Eclair's face stiffened as she continued to stare at the hakuko, who only stared at her in growing confusion. "I've seen this thing happen with a few knights in the past. Those who'd trained to fight a certain way with a certain weapon their whole lives, only to get their class-ups or come out of a tough battle and suddenly begin training with a different weapon or in a different style, turning them into a drastically different opponent compared to before.

"Once, the change was to the knight's detriment. He became even worse as a warrior and had no choice but to quit, as he would have been a danger to himself and his allies. But the others I'd met benefited from switching to a different weapon or a different swordstyle. And amongst them, there were two who excelled. Who became weapon masters because they'd found the style and weapon meant for them!

"I asked you to learn new combat styles while in the Otherworld, and to show them to me after you got back! You trained hard to do so, I can feel it in you! So why the hell are you holding back on me, Dou-Lon?! Why aren't you showing off what you learned and trying to show me something old that I've already beat into the ground a million times before now?!" Eclair angrily demanded for an answer.

"... I… lances weren't common in that world… I just thought I'd use what I learned with my old weapon and… … …"

As Dou-Lon stared down at what he was holding, he finally came to a realization.

Eclair was right. He'd not only moved on from his old fighting style, but his former weapon of choice as well.

Scratch that, he hadn't just moved on, he'd left them behind entirely. He'd used his time in the Otherworld to break himself down and rebuild himself anew. His muscles, his body, his mind, his muscle memory, everything he'd learned before which had been honed to help him fight aggressively with his hands and fists, sometimes making use of the extra reach of his lance, had been reforged and tempered by the intensive laborous training that Glass had put him through to make him proficient with the katana.

Training that had him fight more patiently, keeping his opponent at arms length while listening to the rhythm of battle and the world around him. To not just react to the other's attacks but to set the stage and tempo himself.

In other words, the Spirit Woman had taught Dou-Lon to fight like it was a dance, and trained his body in a way that'd fit that. Unfortunately, this meant that he couldn't feel the rhythm of battle with his old weapon anymore. Like a record player trying to play a DVD, it just wouldn't work.

…

…

…

"I'm sorry for wasting your time up to this point, Eclair." Dou-Lon stood up, and stabbed his old weapon into the ground next to him. "I wished to see if what I learned from the Fan Hero could be applied to my old way of fighting, now that I was back in our world.

"But you've helped me to realize how stupid I was being to think that."

"I'm no longer the unworthy Hakuko Royal Knight that fought blindly on behalf of Siltvelt, nor just a simple party member fighting on behalf of his God.

"I am a Bloodkin of the great Shield Hero, fighting to defend our world with his help!"

With a single, perfectly fluid motion, Dou-Lon unsheathed the Byakko Katana from its sheath on his side. Its gleaming white blade captured the light of the early morning sun across its length.

A breeze passed through the area as he swung his blade. The action almost looked to cut the breeze as it passed by.

"If this is what you wish for, then I'll show you who I became in the Otherworld! Prepare yourself, Eclair Seaetto!" The hakuko warrior said with confidence, his body relaxing into a flexible, balanced stance as he put one of his feet forward.

He held his new weapon with one hand, the tip pointing low to the ground in front of him, with the bladed side facing inward.

Eclair's eyes widened slightly, seeing the hakuko do a complete one eighty when it came to his confidence and battle style. More than that, Dou-Lon's grip on his weapon looked weird. Gentle in its firmness, almost flimsy at first glance. Like he was not holding a weapon at all but a musical instrument instead.

And yet Eclair's well-honed senses warned her to not trust her eyes as her heart began to pump faster with an oncoming surge of adrenaline and excitement.

Eclair's smirk turned predatory. Now this, this felt like a warrior worthy of her attention.

"So your weapon of choice is the blade now. Excellent.

"You'll have no excuses when I beat you into the ground then."

Dou-Lon did not respond to the taunt and simply and quietly raised his empty hand, giving the rose-haired knight a 'bring it' gesture.

Eclair laughed. The glint in her eyes only became more excited. "Alright!

"You might just last twenty seconds this time!"

Five minutes had passed.

By this point, a sizable crowd of Lurolona citizens had formed around the pair, openly gawking at the sight. Even Granny had gestured for Motoyasu to stop, so she could personally give her undivided attention to what was happening.

Clang! Clang! Clash!

Two blades moved in tandem against one another. Strike after strike that rang through the air like bells.

Eclair's instincts earlier were on point. Dou-Lon's form, that surely should have been a jest, betrayed all expectations.

It's appearance that vaguely resembled something meant for defense was anything but.

From the moment Dou-Lon made his first swing, Eclair had lost the momentum that she was so used to always having at the start of a fight in one on one engagements as she slammed into the equivalent of a brick wall.

The tiger's relentlessness and ferocity were still very much there, but now, instead of blindly lunging forward while stumbling in the dark, his inner eye had been opened. He struck with precision and power over and over again at the weaknesses in her favorite sword style.

The lady knight was forced to backstep and give up control, switching to a more passive and defensive style as Dou-Lon moved forward. She tried to fish for minor mistakes and gaps in Dou-Lon's offense to exploit and turn the tables on him.

But as more time passed and more sweat began to run down her face, Eclair had a sudden sobering realization that there was nothing for her to exploit. Dou-Lon knew what he was doing while she was still trying to figure it out, and so she had to do her best to counter and retake the initiative with her own skill and power while figuring out how Dou-Lon's current form worked.

Clang! Clang! Kch!

Eventually, one of her counters did make Dou-Lon step back to regain his balance. And Eclair moved with speed and finesse at the perceived weakness, finally having the chance to launch her own offensive.

But as she thrust forward again and again, Dou-Lon thrusted forward in a mimic of her own strikes. Like a perfect reflection in a crystal clear lake at dawn.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Four, five, more times their blades met in the middle. Eclair tried to control the jolts in her body so she wouldn't falter. But what she'd perceived to be a weakness in Dou-Lon's attack had turned out to be a trap, as her sixth strike missed the hakuko's blade, and ducking under it, the point of his katana slammed into her chestplate, slightly denting it and launching the swordswoman back several feet.

Members in the crowd gasped. But as Dou-Lon sped forward and swung down, Eclair brought her sword back up, her hand pressed against the flat of her blade as she expertly blocked the heavy strike.

CLANG!

She pushed him back, getting back onto her feet before resuming with another offensive to drive the tiger man back.

A small scratch was left on Dou-Lon's left sleeve, but then, as she continued to slash and thrust with precision, the hakuko warrior met each slash and thrust with one of his own. Looking for the kinks in her style just as she did with him.

How was he doing that? Was he defending against her aggression with aggression?

No. That wasn't quite right.

It took her twenty more seconds of observing before Eclair's eyes widened in realization.

Dou-Lon was mimicking her own aggression. Like the flow and ebb of the waves, when she pushed in, he pushed in at that exact same moment and when she tried to bait him into a mistake as he'd done to her, he simply waited for the storm to pass instead and pounced only when she herself made a mistake of her own, forcing her to use every ounce of skill she had to retain the bit of momentum she'd retaken this late into the match.

How was he doing this? Sure, he probably understood her combat style more than anyone else, thanks to all their shared experiences, but it was one thing to understand how she fought.

It was like he knew exactly how she would move before even Eclair herself knew.

"One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three." It was then that she noted that the Hakuko man was muttering under his breath quietly. Taking a deep inhale and repeating the mantra again every two to three times.

It was like he wasn't even focused on her. But that couldn't have been it. What was this style of fighting?!

It just felt so perfect, so serene. It almost felt as if she and her hakuko sparring partner were moving in tandem with one another.

But as she moved in for another, more aggressive strike to break through her partner's defenses, the illusion broke.

It was ten minutes into the fight. The swordswoman still had plenty of stamina left, but the nonstop back and forth was wearing her down. So she moved forward with a risky maneuver, intent on finishing the spar before she could be pushed to that point.

She'd seen enough. Dou-Lon had clearly improved in her absence, and so she wanted to win while she still had a chance.

That tiny bit of overreach on her part was all that the Hakuko needed, as he suddenly stopped his mantra, his eyes regaining focus.

Dou-Lon dodged the horizontal slash with an instant perfect crouch and swung his katana upward with a surprise burst of speed into her blade.

CLANG!

Eclair reeled backwards, her hands retaining the grip on her sword with immense effort even as its momentum almost made her topple onto her back.

In her brief daze, she saw Dou-Lon continue his swing in slow motion, carrying the momentum forward in a full circle behind him and redirecting it into a stab aimed at her midsection while she was completely exposed and vulnerable.

Realizing her mistake, instead of fighting the force of her sword pulling her body back, Eclair's split-second of thought had her fighting instincts leaning into the momentum, jumping off her back foot, twisting her body sideways, and kicking away the tip of Dou-Lon's blade with her steel-toed boot.

Klink!

Dou-Lon reeled to the side as his opponent landed back on her feet, her sword at the ready. Despite what'd just happened, she rushed forward again to strike.

Several gasps came from the crowd, as everyone, even the ones not experienced in swordsmanship, could tell how close the moment had been to ending the fight.

Eclair's next strike was blocked instead of mimicked. And Eclair smirked as she pulled back to strike again. "Ha. That was a nice move you pulled off there bakako, but you'll have to do better than that to-" As the swordswoman was taunting, the hakuko man in front of her suddenly blurred, launching another series of strikes and thrusts that forced the swordswoman back onto the defensive again.

He'd finally changed his attack style to something completely new. He was like a waterfall, never stopping as he unleashed a series of cascading combos that came one after the other.

Eclair defended against Dou-Lon's vicious strikes. Then as she tried ripping the momentum back from him again, it was as if she was fighting against her own shadow once more. A hint of that old style leaking into Dou-Lon's movements to counter her. And when she was forced back on the defensive again, the hakuko took full advantage with another series of strikes that left her reeling.

And while their swings were perfectly matched in finesse and execution, they did not match in strength or reach.

"One, two, three. One, two, three." Dou-Lon kept up his count. Seeming irregular with each swing, yet holding to a rhythm only he could hear.

With every new exchange, Eclair felt it as more and more of her usual edge in skill was nullified, leaving only their gap in stats, stamina and height in which the hakuko had the obvious advantage.

Yet still, they continued to fight back and forth. Blow for blow with neither warrior backing down.

…

Twenty minutes had passed.

"Damn." Naofumi muttered quietly next to Raphtalia. The two of them had left the house and been exploring the town together, only to see a bunch of people gathering at the training arena outside the town.

They'd come over to find out what was up, only to join the on-lookers watching what was happening.

The crowd was dead silent at this point, everyone tensely watching the fight at rapt attention.

"Hah… hah…" The hakuko male disengaged at last for a brief moment. Despite sweating hard, he had a large smile on his face as he took several deep breaths. "You're just as formidable as ever, Eclair. I'm surprised you're still standing."

"Heh… I'm not some helpless child… in need of coddling… bakako." Eclair managed a smirk as she took deep breaths of her own. Even with a cut on her forehead dripping blood into one of her eyes, her vision had remained as sharp as ever.

Dou-Lon had a small cut on one of his hands from underestimating the swordswoman after he'd managed to inflict that injury on her. Their 'friendly' spar had turned into something that was anything but at this point.

"Yea… you're not… hah… well, I'm finally done getting warmed up." Dou-Lon smirked back. "What about you?"

"Hah… so all this… wasn't even you going all out?" Eclair teased as she pushed a lock of wet hair and blood out of her eyes.

"Not even close." Dou-Lon stretched out his arms, smirking confidently as the rose-haired knight became confused at his reaction. "Outside of the Fan Hero and Miss Raphtalia, I only had trash to duel with in the Otherworld. None of my opponents came even close to your level of skill.

"Thank you for finally giving me a chance to show off what I learned. But now that I've finally reacquainted myself with your fighting style, I believe I'm ready to unleash all that I learned from my mentor to defeat you, Eclair Seaetto."

…

…

Eclair raised her sword, a scarily gleeful expression on her face. "Brave words.

"Foolish, but brave."

Her sword began to glow with light.

"I will enjoy breaking your spirit! First Technique: Dawn's Strike!"

If he'd been holding back on her, then she wasn't going to hold back against him either.

The lady knight rushed forward, her heart beating in her chest like a drum as she struck.

"One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three." Dou-Lon's mutter returned as he inhaled sharply again.

Clang!

The swordswoman's magic strike was flawlessly blocked once more, and then he continued denting the swordswoman's offensive before diving into one of his own. His and her strikes only seeming to go faster and faster as the spar went on.

Clink!

And on.

Clash!

And on.

Klack!

And on…

…

…

…

Thirty minutes had passed and what felt like the entire town was now present to watch the 'friendly' spar, no, the duel that was taking place.

"Yaah!"

"Raah!"

Ching! Ching!

"Whoa, they're really going at it." Maya commented on the sidelines.

"I can't believe that Dou-Lon has actually stopped Eclair completely dead in her tracks." Rachel commented next to her.

"And here I thought only Granny could ever beat her." Anya said next. "First time for everything."

"Take this!" Ching!

Eclair barely parried the hakuko's heavy strike. But then the Hakuko used the momentum of said strike to shoulder check her before she could take advantage of his missed attack.

"Gah! Second Technique: Dusk's Thrust!"

The swordswoman gritted her teeth and thrusted for her opponent, only for her light covered blade to catch nothing but air as he lithely back stepped out of reach.

The two panted as they faced down each other. "What's this Bakako? You dodged my strike instead of taking it head on this time?!

"Don't tell me you're on your last legs now?! After all the effort you've taken to stall and tire me out!" Eclair taunted boisterously, but she was barely able to stop her hands and knees from visibly shaking at this point.

Dou-Lon frowned, but didn't immediately react to her verbal jab as he breathed in deeply. 'No, don't rush in just yet. Remember what Glass taught you.'

'Control the flow of this battle. Pace yourself. Don't let go of that rhythm.'

…

"Dou-Lon?" Eclair asked in confusion.

The hakuko man smirked as he opened his eyes. "Is that fear I hear in your voice, Eclair?

"Have you finally realized you can't win?"

He raced forward, swinging his blade down on the swordswoman again.

Ching! Ching! Ching!

Even as she blocked one strike after another, Dou-Lon pressed his offense with one strike flowing into the other. His body was moving to the tune of Zero Stance Rondo, making it look as if he was hitting Eclair with a series of multiple strikes simultaneously.

Clang!

It only spoke to Eclair's prowess as a master swordswoman that she didn't buckle under the continuous onslaught, and even managed to interlock her blade with her opponent's to stop his combo in its tracks.

No, she realized too late that was exactly what Dou-Lon had wanted. She only barely managed to step back before he could hook her blade out of her sweaty grip with the hilt of his own.

"Hmph. I'm just surprised at your technique. You've clearly hah… learnt some new tricks while you were gone." Eclair was not bothering to hide the tiredness in her voice anymore, though her face was still consumed with excitement.

That was the only thing keeping her going right now. Pure adrenaline. When was the last time she'd fought like this? It'd certainly been a long time.

Why had she wanted to end the battle so early? Had she forgotten the excitement one could feel as they were pushed past their limits, alongside the fear of possible defeat only serving to push her on even further.

And to think it was this bakako of all people who'd managed to accomplish that! He dove at her again, launching into another fresh combo attack she had to defend herself against.

Her sword flashed with light. A new option appeared on the sword woman's HUD under her Magic menu. "Third Technique: Day's Ray!"

A ray of light burst from the swordswoman's sword, slamming into Dou-Lon's chest and making him stumble back in surprise. It did little damage, but it was like a blunted object had slammed into his chest instead of a ray of light. Stunning him out of his combo attack.

The rose-haired woman then swung forward, preventing Dou-Lon from launching another barrage. This was then followed by her thrusting repeatedly, her life force enhanced blade moving so fast it was hardly a blur in the sunlight.

"Hengen Muso: Multistrike Crumble Attack!"

Ching! Ching! Cling!

Yet even as the chest of his kimono was still smoking from the previous magic attack, Dou-Lon knocked her barrage of life-force enhanced thrusts away from his body. His form seemed to blur as he kept up with Eclair's tremendous burst of speed, keeping the defense piercing attacks from hitting himself.

"First Technique: Dawn's Thrust!"

And then as Eclair's blade was covered in light for the last hit, Dou-Lon held his hand behind the blunt of his blade, transforming his arm into his therianthrope form briefly as he blocked the sword woman's lightning fast magic technique using his weapon with impossible precision.

And as the energy of the defense piercing attack behind it entered his arm, Dou-Lon naturally pushed it through his body. Taking little to no damage as he stepped back, his instincts guiding him to raise his blade with both hands on the hilt.

On his HUD, a lock appeared in front of his eyes. Shaking as his MP bar in the corner of his vision began to glow.

And then, a green glow surrounded the Byakko Katana. The lock on his HUD shattered, revealing a new submenu he'd never had before, since he'd never learned anything that'd make it activate for him before this moment.

Magic

"Zero Stance Rondo Inspiration: White Tiger's Blow!" Dou-Lon roared.

As he swung his blade down, the energy that'd surrounded it sprouted outward, forming a construct of wind in the shape of a large tiger's paw.

Eclair, who'd been preparing to deflect his next strike, widened her eyes and rolled to the side as Dou-Lon's magic attack slammed into the ground where she'd been standing.

The burst of wind from its collapse washed over the crowd of individuals, and pushed the swordswoman's heels into the ground as she dug in to resist it.

Naofumi and Raphtalia's eyes both widened as their hair blew around wildly.

They'd been wondering about it before, but this confirmed it. Dou-Lon had found a way to use the Performance Magic of Glass's world and translate it to their world by using Eclair's magic sword techniques as a medium! Was that even possible?!

Guess so, since Dou-Lon had just done it before their eyes.

As Dou-Lon stood there with open mouthed shock at his weapon, it was clear he had never done that kind of attack before with the Byakko Katana.

He'd never learned how to harness either of his magic affinities once before in his life. Yet now he'd managed to perform his own magic technique simply from observing how the swordswoman did it and replicating it to the best of his abilities, thanks to Glass's training.

"Aha! Ahahahaha!"

Turning to Eclair, her predatory smile had only grown along with her excitement as she laughed. "Learning from me even as you fight! You're truly something, bakako!"

The hakuko grinned. A world of possibilities seeming to open up before his eyes.

But he didn't have long to ponder on it, as the swordswoman dove forward with her sword, pushing him back on the defense once again. Eclair still laughing as she did so.

"Ohoho! Now this is interesting! I never realized Dou-Lon was so talented!" Granny said with barely concealed excitement in her voice.

"What are you talking about, Granny?" Fohl asked in an unsure voice. He could barely follow what was going on as the battle grew more and more intense, with people on all sides cheering the Hakuko on.

And looking at Dou-Lon, Fohl felt a strange sense of familiarity. One that he couldn't quite place, but it felt as though the man fighting before him should have been familiar for some reason.

"It appears the Shield Hero's friend has taken his training in the Otherworld quite seriously. To the point that he is using life force without realizing it." The elderly Hengen Musou mistress explained, smirking as Dou-Lon and Eclair continued into another series of slashes and thrusts that had them battering at each other's defenses again and again.

Eclair 'shimmered' in the air as Dou-Lon tried to land another combo attack, only for the swordswoman to strike at his back. Dou-Lon quickly turned around, however, with reflexes that should have been impossible at his strength and level to block the noble woman's attack. Much to Eclair's delight and frustration.

"Is that how he's been holding Miss Eclair back?" Keel, who was standing next to Fohl, asked in shock as the two then began a series of attacks that only seemed to be countering what the other threw at them.

"No. His usage of life force is quite unintentional on his part, and has only been appearing sporadically throughout the battle thus far. That's only a part of what's happening here.

"But I do have a suspicion about how he has been countering Eclair so effectively. And that is tying into how he's progressing so much as Dou-Lon fights against Eclair." Granny smirked mysteriously, her eyes lingering on the tiger man's rapidly rising chest.

"One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three…"

The old woman repeated Dou-Lon's mantra. Tapping her gnarled finger against her side in tandem.

"Breathing? Really?" Dou-Lon blinked in confusion.

"Yes. It may seem simple, but it is the core of the style that my master taught me. A way to make sure you hold the rhythm you fight to, while letting you focus on your oppoents." Glass nodded. "You are already familiar with breathing exercises for meditating, are you not?"

"Well, yes. But it's one thing to do it while calmly sitting on the ground. How are you supposed to maintain that kind of focus mid-battle?" The hakuko scratched his head in confusion.

A ghost of a smile appeared on the Fan Hero's lips.

"I will show you."

The old woman was not a demihuman, but she was a master fighter with decades of experience, and her mastery of life force allowed her to enhance her senses to be on par with, if not surpassing, that of the elite demi-human races.

After observing the battle for a long while, she'd found out Dou-Lon's trick. And it was incredible in its simplicity.

He was fighting in tune to his opponent's heartbeat. Each breath attuned to that mantra of his, with his opponent being the focus of his rhythm. Everything she did being engraved into his mind for his muscle memory and instincts to learn from and counter against.

It was almost scary how effective it was, and Granny LOVED it! If she could only get such dedication from her own students!

Granny glared to the side at Motoyasu, who backed away in fear and confusion at the Old Lady's sudden foul mood. Before the group focused again on what was going on before them.

The duel continued. Back and forth as both individuals sought to beat down the other.

Sweat dribbled down their faces and along their palms.

Eclair used another life force enhanced attack. And yet Dou-Lon met her series of strikes with the same version that left another cut on her arm and cheek as he also got a cut on his side! Unlike the previous cuts he'd inflicted on the swordswoman though, these ones burned. Nearly making Eclair lose her focus as Dou-Lon continued into another series of attacks.

It wasn't her imagination then. The current combat style Dou-Lon had switched to, Flame Stance Rondo, did have small ethereal flames surrounding the hakuko man and his blade.

Unbeknownst to her, the flames weren't anything like what the combat style would normally produce in Glass's world. But it, as well as the relentless combos of Zero Stance Rondo, the counter effects of Vaa Path Rondo, and the special effects of the other combat styles Glass had taught the hakuko man in her world were somehow having similar, yet weaker effects working in this world.

"I don't… understand… how are you… still standing?!"

The two disengaged once again to catch their breaths.

Eclair continued to speak. "Just what kind of training did you undergo while you were gone?! It's only been what?! A month!"

"More like...hah...two to three… actually." Dou-Lon admitted.

He was honestly amazed with himself. He'd successfully battled Eclair to a standstill, and learned quite a few things from her over the course of their match. Yet despite taking multiple small injuries, neither of them had landed a decisive blow against the other.

Dou-Lon blocked the noises everyone else was making out. Only his current opponent mattered to him right now.

The mountain of indomitable spirit that had refused to budge even up to this point, the mountain that was Eclair Seaetto.

Even if he'd stopped saying it out loud, his mind was still thinking it for him.

'One, two, three. One, two, three.'

"Let's end this!" Dou-Lon yelled.

"I agree! En garde!" Eclair roared with determination, gripping tightly to the hilt of her sword, all form of exhaustion forgotten.

The two rushed each other, sword and katana flashing in the light of the morning sun.

Ching! Ching! Clang!

Their swords hit against each other.

Once. Twice. Thrice.

The crowd watching their match held their breaths.

Enraptured as the fight reached its inevitable climax.

…

Ching!

Ching! Chang!

A block, then another. And yet another.

Eclair brought her sword back, moving it in a very familiar pattern in front of her. "Four Cross!"

The magic technique began to take form as her sword rapidly cut through the air, and Dou-Lon didn't think about how much it'd hurt if it landed, since it no longer mattered.

The music stopped at that moment. A beat, a queue that felt like it would last for an eternity finally appeared before him, directing him to play the final chord of this match.

Klang!

Hit on the hilt, a blade went flying into the air. Spinning end over end…

Ksch!

Before finally impaling itself into the ground.

…

…

…

The crowd stood in amazement for a moment.

"Woah…" Maya murmured.

"No way…" Rachel's eyes widened next to the raccoon girl.

Granny's grin widened.

The two combatants stared at each other in disbelief. One holding their blade up to the neck of the other who'd been disarmed.

Their dance of death finally over, almost forty minutes after it'd started.

"Pant… Pant…"

"Pant… Pant…"

Both individuals were panting heavily. They'd gone all out without holding anything back. Leading to the end result witnessed before the people of Lurolona.

…

"I… I…"

It took an exhausted Dou-Lon a moment for what happened to finally register.

…

But when it did, his face broke out in glee. "I… I did it!"

Eclair's blade rested in the ground behind her.

Under the noble sword woman's chin was his katana.

The remnants of the cross she'd been forming with her blade fizzled out of the air behind the hakuko.

Dou-Lon had won the match.

He had won the match!

HE HAD WON THE MATCH!

"I DID IT! I WON! I WON! WOOOOOOO!" The tiger man dropped his weapon to the ground, raising his fists to the sky as he began to roar in delight.

His boisterous voice brought the crowd of individuals out of their stupor. Many of them began to cheer when they realized the crazy swordswoman who pushed them past their limits so often in brutal training had finally been defeated by one of their own.

"Heh, way to go." Naofumi chuckled, his arms crossed over his chest. Pride for his bloodkin radiated off the Shield Hero in waves.

"When... when did Dou-Lon get so good?" Raphtalia muttered next to her husband friend in disbelief. "It couldn't just be his training with Glass, could it? We sparred with each other a lot back in the Otherworld and I never saw him do anything like this."

"I don't know. You spent a lot less time sparring with him and Glass while you were spending time learning life force with me." Naofumi shrugged next to her. "He also spent a lot of time training by himself outside of that too."

The half-tanuki woman continued to frown in thought. "It wasn't that much time… was it?"

Naofumi chuckled, hugging his wife friend's side as a blush began working its way up her cheeks. She had spent that much time. And a lot more than she was comfortable with admitting.

"And this round goes to Dou-Lon!" Maya yelled as if she was an official officiator for the match.

The crowd erupted even more, going into outright ovation and jubilee.

At long last, somebody had managed to best the crazy swordswoman in open combat. And with a blade, no less!

Maybe there was hope for them yet!

Dou-Lon collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. But his excitement didn't dwindle in the slightest. "I DID IT! I BEAT LADY SEAETTO! I WONNNNNNN!"

Eclair just continued to stand in her spot, even as the crowd around her continued to celebrate the unbeatable swordswoman having been beaten.

…

It was another moment before Dou-Lon wasn't screaming his head off, and he rolled on the ground to face Eclair again. But he had a wide, happy grin on his face that no one could ever hope to squash.

The indomitable mountain had been conquered. And he'd been the one to do it.

"I finally defeated you, Eclair! Fair and square!

"You hear me!? I DEFEATED YOU!"

"..."

"..."

The lady knight was silent for another moment. Dou-Lon breathing in and out heavily in elation of his victory.

"..."

He expected her to frown. Or to get angry, or maybe even be embarrassed at the fact that she'd lost. And not just to anybody, but to him! A bakako who couldn't even hold the hilt of a katana properly until recently!

She should have treated it as a blight on her honor! She should have gone mad with anger or embarrassment or shame as she'd made him do so many times since meeting her!

But instead, she didn't do any of those things.

"... I admit, what you did at the end… I wasn't expecting you to be able to interrupt that technique.

"Yet you did, and so perfectly too." Eclair spoke in a soft voice, unheard by everyone except the hakuko warrior in front of her.

"... huh?" Dou-Lon tilted his head in confusion, but the rose-haired knight continued.

"Your battle forms were flawless. It was all I could do just to keep up with you.

"It has been… so long since I've last seen such fine swordsmanship from another. The styles of the Otherworld are simply… beautiful.

"You've given me a new height to aspire to, Dou-Lon. Thank you."

"... I… what are you…" Dou-Lon trailed off in shock.

With a proud smile forming on her lips, the rose-haired knight extended a hand to the hakuko on the ground before her. Her face genuine, and beaming with warmth and gratitude unlike anything he'd ever seen.

"You've clearly improved as a warrior in the time you've been gone.

"I couldn't be more proud to call you my comrade on the field of battle, Dou-Lon. Thank you again for such a great match."

"Hrp!" Dou-Lon's face twisted in shock. But more than that.

Ba-Dump! Ba-Dump!

His heart, which had slowly been calming after the intense battle, began beating rapidly again in his chest. It was as if he was about to have a heart attack. But it wasn't that.

What… what was… why…!

"... Dou-Lon...? Is something the matter?" Eclair asked, looking concerned as Dou-Lon's face went through a variety of expressions without accepting her help.

'What... what is this feeling...?' Dou-Lon grasped a hand to his kimono.

Eclair's smile fell, her face becoming more concerned as she stepped forward and bent down to help her friend stand up.

But as she was reaching out, the hakuko male suddenly jumped to his feet. Bowing awkwardly to the rose-haired knight who stumbled back. He did this as he picked up his weapon and clumsily sheathed it at his side. "U-um, th-thank you, Eclair. This spar was truly eye opening.

"Now I must... erm... excuse myself now.

"Yeah. Excuse myself. Lot to think about after all that. Yep yep."

"What-" Eclair began to respond.

But Dou-Lon had already turned around and bolted in the direction of the town. Leaving before anyone could understand what was going on.

"What- Dou-Lon! Wait up!" Eclair called. Chasing after him even though blood still dribbled down the side of her face.

But the tiger man was already long gone.

Slam!

"Gah! Hah! Gah! Hah!"

Dou-Lon leaned against the door to his room after slamming it shut, breathing in and out heavily.

He'd barrelled through the town like a thief fleeing from a break-in gone wrong. Going between houses and throwing himself down narrow alleyways until he came out in a lower part of town, scaling the cliff in record time to get to the Shield Hero's house, before finally hiding himself away in his room.

It felt as if he'd run a marathon. His muscles ached. His mind was a mess. He had as of yet to address any of his injuries from the clash and mad dash to get away.

And more than that…

Ba-Thump Ba-Thump Ba-Thump Ba-Thump!

His heart wouldn't stop hammering in his chest.

"Wha-what is this?! Why is my heart..."

More than the exercise and physical exertion. It felt… just like every other time in the Otherworld, when he'd pondered on the rose-haired knight… except so much stronger!

He'd try to find peace within himself. He'd try to think about something. Only for her to dislodge what he was thinking about and…

Dou-Lon clenched his eyes shut. He tried to block everything out, but nothing helped.

The smell of her was still strong from her visit the night before. A mixture of strawberries and sweat that was driving him nuts.

It wasn't like those times. It was worse. So much worse!

Why?! Why was he so fixated on her?! What was it about that crazy noble woman that made him feel as if he was going crazy himself and…

…

…

"Wait…" Dou-Lon finally seemed to realize something.

This only happened when it involved Eclair.

Taking a deep breath through his nose, Dou-Lon's heart jumped again in his chest. A warm flush of red filled his cheeks as more thoughts of the crazy, amazing, indomitable, noble, and beautiful swordswoman moved into his mind.

"This feeling… it can't be…

Every single time.

"Am I... do I really love-"

…

…

…

"!"

The realization hit the tiger man like a ton of bricks.

He'd wondered why he missed Eclair so much while in the Otherworld. He'd wondered why he put in so much effort to learn a completely foreign way of fighting that went completely against who he'd been in order to impress her.

He'd meditated on it for hours and hours. Losing good sleep over it in the Otherworld while trying to find an answer.

It was only now that he was back, now that they'd clashed face to face, and he'd come out as the victor, that he finally realized it.

"No... no, NO! NOT WITH HER! NOT THAT CRAZY WOMAN!"

Dou-Lon had feelings for Eclair. And not just feelings of friendship and comradery.

He harbored romantic attraction to her. The largest musclehead in the Hero's Nation.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Dou-Lon was so screwed.

Eclair frowned as she jogged back to the training arena.

She'd tried to chase after her friend, but it'd been fruitless. He'd simply vanished into thin air, and she wasn't sure where he was right now.

Many of the townspeople and knights had moved on to continue what they were doing before while she was gone. Granny stopped her briefly to congratulate her on a well fought battle before going on to spar with Keel as well as her new friend, Fohl, after finishing up her training for Motoyasu.

Eclair couldn't help but wonder though. Why had Dou-Lon ran off after defeating her? Had she done something wrong?

She thought she'd shown good sportsmanship after her loss, and yet…

"Well fought, Eclair." Turning her head, Eclair saw that Naofumi was the one who'd approached her next. Unlike earlier, his tanuki companion was no where in sight.

"Did you manage to find where Dou-Lon ran off to?" Naofumi asked, a smile on his face.

"... no." The swordswoman sighed. "I didn't find him."

"Need my help, or-"

"I'm fine, Sir Naofumi." Eclair snapped unintentionally, only to rethink her words and bow her head.

"I'm sorry… It's been a while since I last lost a match… one that wasn't against Granny.

"I think it's getting to me more than I thought."

"It's fine. I think I've gotten beat up more than anyone else I know." The Shield Hero smirked, and the rose haired woman couldn't help but chuckle. "If I can't help with Dou-Lon, can you at least accept this? I also understand how annoying it is having to blink blood out of your eye every other minute." The Shield Hero then offered the sword knight a Healing Potion from his Shield.

"Huh- oh, I didn't realize that cut was still bleeding. Thank you, Sir Naofumi." Eclair drank the offered potion, and within seconds, her various small cuts, scratches, and burns vanished.

She still felt tired and sweaty, but she wiped the last of her blood and sweat from her forehead. Feeling smooth unblemished skin underneath.

"Anything else I can help with before I go?" Naofumi asked with concern in his tone. "Seriously, I can track him down using his Hero Service Crest if you want."

…

Eclair shook her head after a moment of pondering to herself. "No, it's fine, Sir Naofumi. Now that I think about it, perhaps he is just a little shocked that he defeated me. I wouldn't be surprised, since I'm still quite shocked about it myself.

"Did two months really pass in the Otherworld while you were gone?" She then asked for clarification.

"Something around that, yeah. I wasn't keeping track exactly." Naofumi shrugged vaguely.

"Still, how did he improve so much… and so fast…" Eclair's face turned into a thoughtful frown.

"I can't exactly answer that either." Naofumi shrugged again. "I only know that he was dedicated to his training under Glass. And that when he wasn't learning from her, he was outside swinging his blade around until he collapsed from exhaustion and needed me to heal him. Then he'd be right back at it as soon as he had the energy and...

"Heh. Honestly, for a while there, I was afraid he was turning into some kind of masochist. But I think it's safe to say all his hard work paid off." The Shield Hero began to smile despite himself. "He brought back a lot of good things that could help out everyone here."

…

Such dedication… Eclair hadn't heard of anyone so committed to learning the blade since the time she'd been learning under her Father…

"Well, let me know if you need me for anything. Even if that something is an outlet to take the frustration of your loss out on. I'll just make sure to have a stronger shield equipped. Being covered in cuts isn't a fun experience, I'll have you know." Naofumi said with a smirk, breaking her train of thought.

Eclair almost didn't understand the meaning of his words. But as the Shield Hero began to walk away, she suddenly remembered, and she spoke up before he'd gotten far. "Wait, Sir Naofumi!

"Before you go."

Naofumi stopped to face her, and the swordswoman genuinely smiled. "You won't have to worry about that anymore.

"After what I saw last night, I can confidently say that I've forgiven you too.

"Thank you again, Sir Naofumi. I shall look forward to fighting alongside the man I saw in that prison cell on the field of battle once again."

…

Naofumi, with a look of relief on his face, nodded his head. He then gave the swordswoman brave enough to stand up to his rage a look of respect, before departing.

…

…

Standing alone, left to her thoughts, the rose-haired woman thought over her long bout with Dou-Lon, comparing her memories of her friend with previous matches in her mind.

The swordswoman's smile continued to grow. The way he'd fought was completely different, yet at his core, he'd still felt like the same person.

Unlike previous matches, he and she had been connected together as if by some unknown conductor, moving to the dictates of some beat that made her chest swell with purpose.

…

It was too bad Dou-Lon wasn't there anymore. Now that she'd caught her breath, Eclair found that she wanted to spar with her comrade again so she could capture more of that feeling. See what else she could learn from it, and from him.

She wanted to find out just how much she could push past her limits. To see how much they could grow against one another, since he'd even learned how to pull off magic techniques for himself midfight, and pushed her to add another one of her own to her repertoire, and-

"Hmph. So you've finally lost. And to a demihuman no less.

"Never thought I'd see the day."

…

Eclair's smile dropped, and with a straight face, she turned to face the person who'd spoken.

The large man with a deep voice had his claymore strapped to his back. His arms were crossed, and a wide smirk of enjoyment was on his face. "How embarrassing.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen."

"... Did you need something, Sebastian?" Eclair asked in a deadpan.

"Oh no, just checking in with my parole officer. I'm about done with my exercises for today. As you can see, I haven't started butchering any beast people indiscriminately yet."

"Yet?" Eclair's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Sebastian rolled his eyes, still smirking widely as he did so. "All jokes aside, did you really lose or did you just give that guy a pity victory, my rival?"

"..." Eclair's frown deepened. "We aren't rivals, Sebastian. Not anymore.

"I've found a better blade to beat myself against. And that is something I can feel happy about."

"..." Sebastian's smirk vanished. "And here I thought I could taunt the prickly knight into a spar with me for old time's sake."

"We both know if we faced off now, I'd find you to be but a shadow of your former self." Eclair replied in the same deadpan as before. "Your natural talent has wasted away while you rotted in a cell. You're no where close to my level of skill as you were before."

"I don't know, if a mangy cat could beat you, then I'm starting to feel like I'd have a shot." Sebastian started to smirk again, completely confident in his pose.

…

…

…

"I see." Eclair finally spoke after a long silence.

It was subtle, but a dangerous aura was coming off her now as she turned her whole body to face the larger man down.

"Very well. If this is what you want, then I could use a cooldown." Eclair relented.

The 'strongest' Church Knight, now Royal Knight, unsheathed his claymore, grinning as he charged the rose woman. A cooldown!? Who is underestimating whom now?!

Finally, after so long, he could have his rematch against the knight he lost against before in the dungeons of the Capital and-

Whoosh!

In less than a second, Sebastian's strike not only hit air, but Eclair had her blade pointing up at his throat.

"Too slow. Again." Eclair ordered as she stepped back and held her blade in front of her. Giving Sebastian a 'bring it' gesture like Dou-Lon had to her earlier.

…

The knight, though surprised at what'd happened, scowled. He held his large blade out to the side as he stepped forward and swung low with a power swing.

Clang!

Eclair deflected his large weapon down into the ground at her side. And then as Sebastian struggled to pull his blade out, Eclair elbowed him in the face, making him curse as he stumbled back. She then held her blade under his chin, ending the spar once more.

"Not good enough. Again." Eclair ordered.

Sebastian's scowl grew as he growled angrily, pulling his weapon out of the ground and swinging it at Eclair's head this time.

"Move faster." Eclair ordered in the same commanding tone. His large blade having never gotten close, as a new bleeding cut appeared on his wrist.

"Block properly."

And again. A dent in his chestplate.

"Are you even trying?"

And again. A bruise on his face.

"Again!"

…

Ten tries later, and covered in sweat, bruises, having gotten his nose broken, and after receiving various sized cuts, Sebastian laid panting on the ground.

The rose-haired knight didn't even look winded as she sheathed her blade at her side. "You're even more out of practice than I thought, Sebastian.

"I can't remember trouncing you so easily even back when we were kids first learning swordsmanship from our parents." Eclair spoke in a disappointed voice.

The man didn't respond. He was trying to cover his bleeding nose while cussing under his breath at all his painful injuries.

In front of him, he pictured he was at the base of a great mountain. The rose topped peaks of his opponent stared down at him with such insurmountable pressure that he knelt frozen, unable to move as the mountain proved too much for him to battle.

"Granted, I've been training almost nonstop against multiple different opponents, including Granny, these last few months. Getting to a much higher level has also possibly helped me out stat wise.

"But even with those advantages, Dou-Lon still won. He defeated me."

As the swordswoman spoke, a man appeared on the summit of the highest peak. Staring down at the formerly strong knight with his arms crossed in front of him and a frown of disappointment planted on his stone like features.

A hakuko. A hated enemy. Yet he'd defeated her. Climbed the mountain and placed his banner on the very top of Mount Seaetto.

…

"Whereas you…"

Sebastian was dragged out of the vision, staring up at the disappointed swordswoman's eyes without even a word escaping his lips.

"You truly were nothing but a cooldown exercise. And nowhere near the knight who once was able to push my skills to the limits in our spars."

…

Sebastian didn't respond, continuing to cuss in his mind at the blows that his pride had taken.

He truly had thought he'd stand a chance, that the gap that'd existed between their blades couldn't have expanded that much during his imprisonment. Hell, he'd even wounded her the last time they'd fought after her imprisonment… yet some of his matches today had ended without him even touching her blade…

He'd not only been beat. He'd been completely and utterly overwhelmed.

He'd never stood a chance.

…

The rose-haired woman sighed. "Until you've improved beyond your past self, I will refrain from sparring with you in the future. After all, training should be used to better oneself, and not as an excuse to beat one another up.

"If today has shown all you can muster against me, then that is what all our spars will result in."

"Urgh…" Swallowing hard, the large man got back on his feet. Using his claymore like a crutch to steady himself. "Was there a reason for you doing this besides preaching to the choir?" Sebastian asked snarkily. Even if she was indomitable, he refused to bend to her spirit.

"Because Dou-Lon is not a mangy cat.

"He is a hakuko.

"Remember it."

…

…

Eclair's face didn't change. But her deadpan voice had a note of sharpness to it that made the man wince. "Dou-Lon is an honorable man, and more than that, he has defeated me. He has become my rival." The rose-haired knight declared.

"I will not accept any disrespect towards him from you, or anyone else."

…

"Besides…" Eclair began to walk past the injured knight, but paused to speak next to him. "He's also a close party member of the Shield Hero."

The swordswoman leaned in close. "You'll have to get used to the thought of fighting alongside both him and me in future conflicts."

…

"Is that clear?"

"…" The tall, platinum-blonde haired man looked away with a massive grimace on his features.

"Is that clear?" Eclair repeated in a louder voice.

"... crystal." Sebastian finally bowed his head.

"Good." Eclair stepped back and stood to her full height again. "Then from now on, you'll be doing katas with Dou-Lon in the mornings."

"But I-" The Royal knight tried to protest regardless.

"Also, instead of me, you'll be sparring against Dou-Lon for the foreseeable future. You have lost the right to challenge me until you can scratch him in a duel.

"He is a gentle soul, and as such, is much better at holding back against a weaker opponent like you, unlike myself." Eclair continued. "He'll also show you more respect than I ever will, so long as you prove worthy of it."

"..."

"Any questions?" Eclair asked.

"None." Sebastian grumbled.

"Good. Go find a healer before lunch. Then afterward, go out with a hunting party. You're woefully underleveled." Eclair directed. "That is not helping you out in the slightest."

The tall man with short-cropped hair just continued to grumble as he went off to fulfill his orders. Meanwhile, Eclair began to brutally train some of those who thought they could finally surpass her, breaking their hopes and dreams as easily as toothpicks.

All this crap… and Sebastian hadn't even been properly introduced to the Shield Hero yet.

Gods help him, he was almost regretting accepting this plea deal from her Majesty already.

Hero Clips!

Masochism

"Heh. Honestly, for a while there, I was afraid he was turning into some kind of masochist. But I think it's safe to say all his hard work paid off." The Shield Hero began to smile despite himself.

Thinking back on it, it wasn't as if there wasn't a reason for Naofumi to be concerned. Dou-Lon spent… a very unusual amount of time training in the Otherworld.

Like, an unusual unusual amount of time.

"Dou-Lon, we're having dinner. We'd be honored if you could join us."

"Oooh! Nice! I love the Star Wars reference!" The lolibaba fishing girl smirked cheekily in her seat next to the Shield Hero.

"Star Wars reference?" Glass asked confusedly.

"I think she's discussed that with us before, but its been so long I'm unsure myself." Therese admitted in the seat opposite her.

L'Arc would have made a comment... but unfortunately, the redhead was busy catching up on paperwork in his castle at that time. Screaming in pain in and anguish as he did so.

"I'll tell ya about it later." The Hunting Tools Hero winked to her best friend, causing the spirit woman to blush.

Ignoring his younger sister and her close friends, a very annoyed Naofumi looked across the room at the sweaty hakuko swinging his blade over and over again in the living room in front of the couch.

"Dou-Lon." Naofumi called again.

"Sorry, Sir Naofumi! Just a thousand more swings and I promise that I'll eat!" The Hakuko said through quick breaths.

Hadn't he said that five thousand swings ago-!

You know what, nevermind. Naofumi would let the sweating hakuko do his thing.

Everyone settled down to eat while the hakuko continued to train.

You'd think that was the worst it got. However…

"Can we do it again, Naofumi?" Raphtalia whispered to the Shield Hero suggestively.

"Didn't we just do it an hour ago?" Naofumi smirked as his eyes leered at his wife friend.

"Pleeeeease, just one more time." Raphtalia pleaded with wide, deep tea red eyes gazing into his soul.

"Heheh, fine. Let's do it in the Hot Springs this time. Make it easier to clean ourselves off afterward." Naofumi whispered back, a wide grin on his face.

The young couple melted into each other's arms, making a disgusted and jealous Itsuki slam his book closed on the couch before he left for the privacy of his room. And by the time they were down the stairs to the basement, their lips had already sought each other out as Naofumi opened the door separating the basement Hot Spring from the hallway.

"Ha! Ha! Huah!"

Only for their makeout session, which would have turned into something a lot more heated, to ground to an abrupt halt at the sight sweaty hakuko dressed in only a loincloth swinging his katana in front of him again and again in the middle of the room.

"What the- DOU-LON! WHAT THE &%$ ARE YOU DOING?!" Naofumi roared angrily.

"Ha! A! Huah! Kata!" Dou-Lon yelled in between practiced strikes.

A kata-

"WHY ARE YOU DOING A KATA IN HERE?! DON'T YOU DO THOSE OUTSIDE?!" Naofumi's anger exploded even further.

The hakuko didn't answer. One, because he was entirely focused on swinging his blade properly. And two, because the heat in the room had finally softened his sore muscles, his entire body was able to move with each swing without his muscles cracking and tensing up.

Though the biggest reason for why he didn't respond was likely because he was so dehydrated from doing this in the hot and humid room, but at this point, he'd become too much of an idiot musclehead to care about such simple needs.

"HA! TOTALLY DESERVED!" Itsuki's voice yelled from somewhere in Kizuna's house.

"Naofumi, let's just go to our room and do it." Raphtalia said in a dejected tone, pulling her fuming boyfriend along behind her.

Naofumi was forced to let it go, allowing the Hakuko male to continue his training in the hot and humid room without interruption.

Now if you were wondering if that was the most ridiculous it got…

You'd be mistaken.

"Uhhhhh… what is White Tiger #1 doing?" The draconic Kyo asked.

The Book Demon had just finished obliterating everyone, including the cursed Bow Hero. He was getting ready to trample all over a crying Filo's hopes and dreams.

And yet, even though he was 'supposed' to be pressed to the ground next to the Shield Hero's daughter unable to move around or anything, Dou-Lon was swinging his blade in front of him, in the same practiced motions,

Over, and over, and over again.

"Dou-Lon?" Naofumi called over in confusion.

"Just a moment, Sir Naofumi! This Gravity Field is perfect!

"I can really feel my muscles aching to support each swing! This was what I was needing to break through to the next level!" The hakuko man yelled with excitement in his voice.

...

Speechless, Naofumi only continued to stare in stunned shock at the single minded focus his future Blood-Kin portrayed in that moment.

"... he is 'training', while I'm on the verge of ending the world?" Kyo asked in complete and utter disbelief. "What sort of idiocy is this?!"

Naofumi was about to retort. But Dou-Lon beat him to it.

"Yessssss! I can feel the burnnnnnn!" The tiger man said with excitement.

"The ground is very hot right now." Filo said next to him unsurely.

Poor daughter. That wasn't what the future bloodkin of the Shield Hero was referring to.

Naofumi's smile became strained as he sweatdropped.

Now that he thought about it, when Dou-Lon hadn't been facing off against unskilled pathetic reincarnator opponents in Lapis's palace, he'd been in the background practicing the steps for some of Glass's dance styles while swinging his blade around. Even going as far to ignore one of the small fries trying to attack him as he did so because, and I quote, "he was finally close to figuring out how to do the last series of steps."

…

…

By the Gods, maybe Dou-Lon was a masochist!

"Sir Naofumi, I beg your pardon." Eclair suddenly interrupted the Shield Hero's thought process.

"Yes, what is it?" Naofumi asked, still reeling from the sudden realization about one of his closest comrades.

"What is a masochist?" Eclair asked curiously.

…

…

"Portal Shield."

Naofumi, deciding that he didn't want to open that can of worms after going over those thoughts, noped out without answering the crazy sword woman's question and disappeared to an unknown save spot.

Eclair frowned, looking up to the sky. "Narrator-Kun, can you give me an answer?"

…

"Please." Eclair added at the end.

Huff. Fine.

No, it was not the definition used for someone getting sexual pleasure from pain… unlike a certain pig in the previous arc. Rather, it was instead the second definition according to the Oxford English Dictionary: someone who enjoys an activity that looks painful or tedious to others.

In this case: Dou-Lon's nonstop, constant training.

"YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

And somewhere in the distance, tired and exhausted after his battle with Eclair and his mad dash to get away from everyone, Dou-Lon had continued to swing his blade around. Loving the feel of insanity and adrenaline still filling his veins and pushing him to break past his limits.

"I see… thank you, Narrator-Kun."

You're welcome, Eclair. Anything else?

"Yes… by that definition, does that mean Author-Kun is also a masochist?"

Yes.

Because there was no way in hell Allen would have even a quarter to this point if he wasn't a masochist for writing.

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

The next day came, and it passed like normal for a lot of the individuals in the Hero's Nation.

The Shield and Katana Heroes were currently on a ship headed towards Cal Mira, after Naofumi arrived at a shipyard with Filo the night before. The two would be arriving at the islands tomorrow, and thus had a free day all to themselves, which they enjoyed to the fullest.

Melty had a warm breakfast with her best friend at the communal kitchen, before she went to the town hall to settle the day's business. Then, later in the day, when Filo hopped in, asking if she had time to play in the forest together, the young bluette took a break from her duties and joined her. Having a lot of fun because of it.

Whether because of her better mood, or the fact that she was now taking regular breaks, thanks to Filo, the Second Princess's productivity went through the roof. And the nation's progress continued to reflect that with every day that passed.

Dou-Lon, who'd disappeared the day before, emerged from his room the next morning. He was informed by Eclair about Sebastian, and with an emotionless face, he directed the large man and several others through a series of katas he'd learned from Glass before doing a couple practice spars against him and the others to judge their levels and abilities.

Eclair looked pleased to see her rival not only able to defeat her, but teaching others the styles of fighting he'd learned while in the Otherworld. And true to her word, Dou-Lon didn't go all out against those he was teaching, going at a pace they'd be comfortable with, with the exception of Sebastian, since Eclair told him to push the knight just a little bit more than the others since, to quote her, "he could handle it."

However, after Dou-Lon was done training those under him, and after working Sebastian to the bone, he spent some time talking to Granny about the events of the previous day. Following which he excused himself from the training grounds, as he wanted to 'meditate' in the light of the sun about the things he'd talked with the old lady about, as well as his newly unlocked Magic menu, before he went out to help hunt monsters for dinner that evening.

Eclair, who'd patiently waited to spar with the hakuko again, was confused when he ended his training after his talk with Granny. But because of her duties requiring her to train the rest of the townspeople as well as to fulfill her role as Melty's bodyguard, the swordswoman didn't question why she didn't get to spar against Dou-Lon that day. As she did get to see him that night while he was meditating to discuss things as normal.

Overall, Naofumi's party was in a good place. A welcome change to where it'd been over a month ago before the Spirit Tortoise awakened.

Ren's party had a similarly peaceful day. The Sword Hero kept to his schedule, struggling with some of his tasks but otherwise managing alright, thanks to his friends, girlfriend, and daughter helping him out when he needed it. The knowledge that he would soon be soaking in the Hot Springs at Cal Mira also helped to ease his mind somewhat.

Farrie went out on another grinding session with the newly returned Aksel and Maya. Pursuing a path for greater strength while wanting to get reacquainted with two of the Bow Hero's former party members.

The other nun, Tersia, stayed behind to help out at the chapel, which was receiving its finishing touches on the interior side.

Blue got to hang out with Noodle for part of the day. Practicing blacksmithing alongside his favorite Hero before taking him out on a ride near the town… with that blasted red lizard following along beside them as she got some exercise in with her wings.

It was so stupid that Blue wasn't able to have Noodle all to himself and that he couldn't yell at the stupid Lizard to leave them alone. But Ren had seemed happy to hang out with him and even rubbed his head and neck several times during the ride. Which made Blue happy…

This lasted up to when they reunited with Wyndia and Rikka, who'd been practicing magic together while the two were out.

"Pleassssssse, can Rikka get a Dragon Blessing too?!" A girl who looked the same age as the Sword Hero and Dog Girl pleaded with the baby red dragon.

Said girl was Rikka, who'd figured out how to transform into a human at last.

Unlike Blue, she looked like an older teenager with a striking appearance. Her hair was the color of charcoal, her visible eye red, and unlike Filo, Amber, and Blue, her wings were a solid black. She had a noticeable bust under her outfit, which Motoyasu had made on a whim as soon as he learned about her new royal status. The outfit looked oddly reminiscent of a certain well-known chuunibyou with its fashionable asymmetry. And black, lacy undergarments.

It also came with a new black and red eyepatch, which Rikka had taken to wearing instead of her normal white eyepatch. But in case you were wondering, no, her magic affinity wasn't fire.

"Gah?" Gaelion tilted her head to the side in confusion in response to Rikka's earlier request.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." Wyndia shook her head with a sigh. "Gaelion hasn't eaten a Dragon Emperor Fragment, so she doesn't have the authority to grant a Dragon Blessing.

"Besides, I still couldn't figure out how to get my new dragon form to fly. It's only going to be effective on the ground until I figure that out."

The dog girl also wanted to note how weird it'd be for a Filolial to be given a Dragon Blessing, but Rikka was already weird in many regards.

Her love of dragons being a more welcome weirdness that the Dog Girl could get along with.

"But then how will Rikka learn to turn into a dragon like Cool Hero's Awesome Mate?!" Rikka complained.

Rikka's new nickname for Wyndia also might have helped the Dog Girl to accept Rikka's addition to the team with open arms.

"You'd need to learn Gem Magic as well in order to perform that spell." Wyndia sadly smiled. "And like I said, there are still things about it that I'm trying to figure out myself. It'd be a lot of work."

"Rikka's ready to put in Rikka's all!" The brunette Filolial responded eagerly, her one visible eye shining with burning determination. Even when her stomach growled loudly, she didn't look swayed from her resolve. "Rikka wants to learn this ancient magic and become the strongest dragon of them all so Rikka and Rikka's Tyrant Eye can save the world together!'

"... Hmmm…" Wyndia stared from Ren's Sword to their daughter, as if lost in thought.

But eventually, when Ren dismounted from Blue and finished giving him headpats, he walked up and embraced his girlfriend, and the dog girl embraced him back and decided to think more about it later.

For now, she just wanted to recharge her happiness battery and energy levels by being in Ren's warm embrace.

"Blech! Go be affectionate with Noodle somewhere else!" Blue shouted in the background.

Smack! "Ow!"

Rikka filled in for the Sadistic Nun Sisters by slapping some sense into her friend's skull on their behalf.

"Stop annoying Cool Hero's Awesome Mate and Cool Hero with your antics, you prude!" Rikka said in an annoyed voice. "Cool Hero's Awesome Mate and Cool Hero are adorable together!"

"Blue is not a prude! And come up with a better nickname for Dog Girl! Rikka's nickname for her is too long, and very inaccurate for what Dog Girl is!" Blue pouted at his older looking friend, who crossed her arms and pouted down at him.

"Gahahaha!" Gaelion began laughing in the air next to the two Filolials.

"SHUT UP YOU STUPID LIZARD!"

And thus, the Sword Hero's party continued on with their day.

Itsuki's party… Crystal was mostly training and pushing herself in the training arena, or otherwise out with others increasing her level.

Her injury had long since healed, and the silver-haired girl seemed to have a single-minded motivation to improve her fighting capabilities as she not only went out constantly to grind for levels, but even asked Granny for help with training her in Hengen Muso.

The old lady had told her she didn't have much potential, that the silver haired girl's capability of using Hengen Muso was even less than Eclair's, and was likely the lowest amongst the fighters in the Hero's Nation.

Crystal didn't care. She wanted- no, she needed to get stronger in any way she could. And she threw herself into Granny's training regiment with wild abandon despite all the warnings she'd been given against it. Whether it'd result in anything drastic or not would be revealed in good time.

Rachel, who'd thought she'd semi-retire from the Bow Hero's party upon his return, so she could settle into a life with her husband and become a scholar for the Hero's Nation, had foregone such plans. She'd been studying and practicing magic ever since Karn revealed himself to be the traitor. Something she'd only been able to spend more time doing after Itsuki abandoned everyone, and because Mirellia's Shadows had taken all the Hero texts from the Hero's Nation and returned them to the Capital to keep them protected.

Not even the Hero's Journals, which had been filled with nothing but smut, had been left behind. Rachel had no choice but to spend her time on getting stronger and helping to keep the remaining members of the Bow Hero's party bound together. With help from her husband, who had also begun to take a more active role outside the kitchen.

As for Rishia… she came out of her room every now and then. Sometimes to study magic with Rachel. Sometimes to see Granny in the training arena. But otherwise, ever since returning, the formerly shy girl had become even more quiet. Not interacting much with anyone or anything.

It'd only been the third day of her return, but the girl already had bags developing under her eyes. It was likely she wasn't sleeping much. And it was only because of individuals like Anya checking in with her throughout the day that it was ensured she was eating properly.

The Bow Hero's party, overall, was a mess. The only people who were handling things reasonably well were Aksel and Maya.

They were still saddened by Itsuki's departure as well as Karn's betrayal like everyone else, but they were at least trying to make an attempt to push forward with their lives and help out wherever they were needed.

It probably helped that Aksel, as a newly minted Seven-Star Hero, now had additional responsibilities in being there to assist the people of his world, including Zeltoble. And Maya, if anything, could help her Hero Boyfriend to do exactly that.

There was possibly something else driving them. But nobody felt to ask at that point.

…

Finally, there was Motoyasu's party…

At this point, Motoyasu could still see that Sadeena was in the middle of her crazy powerleveling session. Even though it'd only been a few days, he could see that she was already level 60 on his HUD. She'd returned only briefly in the middle of the day before the Zeltoble Wave so Fitoria could take her to an Hourglass in the wild where she could get the Filolial Class-up, before she returned to her crazy grinding session.

She'd been going nonstop besides that one break. Motoyasu's respect for the orca woman only continued to grow at how hard she was working to catch up to her old level. Which wouldn't take that much longer, as while he was looking, Sadeena suddenly went up from Level 60 to 61.

Heh. Hopefully she got back soon. He was looking forward to seeing her reunited with Raphtalia… and having her help reaching level 100 as soon as possible. Because holy crap, he needed to find out where she was grinding and get a piece of the action for himself!

Next up was Elena. She wasn't in Lurolona right now, and was instead in the settlement of Seaetto, getting it ready for Hickwaal and Sebas, who were finally making preparations to leave the Capital of Melromarc after the short merchant had spent some time getting in touch with his old contacts there to see the state of his affairs outside Zeltoble and informing them of his new plans going forward.

It was a lot of work for the typically lazy woman, but when it came to doing business, Elena was thriving with the new opportunities being thrust at her with the speed of a railgun.

There was also Amber. The Spear Hero's Majestic Royal companion was doing fantastic, like always. Amber seemed especially happy lately, as whenever she wasn't with Blondie, she was hanging out with the newly returned Filo and Melty or Blue and Rikka. Catching up on lost time and showing her precious friend how much she'd grown while she was gone.

She was also undergoing her own intense training regiment with Granny to get more accustomed to her weapon, and from what the Old Hag told Motoyasu after she was done kicking his butt around, the young Royal was taking to her lessons like a fish to water.

She was truly exceptional, I say! Just like all Royal Filolials should be!

Then there was S'yne… who Motoyasu was still getting to know. She seemed to keep to herself quite a lot, but whenever he needed her for something, she'd show up just like that. According to Keel, she was quite talkative whenever they were in the kitchen together. And she seemed to be of help to others around the town whenever they needed it.

He just… didn't get to talk to her a whole lot. Things still felt a little awkward and delicate between them for reasons he could not explain. Motoyasu considered himself to be an expert when it came to handling women, and it was no empty boasting. And yet when it came to S'yne…

Well, they'd worked on Rikka's new outfit together. Her appearance and weapon weren't there just for show. S'yne had displayed some amazing seamstress abilities. She even knew how to weave clothes out of magic thread, which she had readily taught Motoyasu how to do as well.

She was a great hairdresser too, as the Spear Hero learned after she offered to trim his hair a bit to which he happily agreed. And she helped him out in the Wave and was now teaching him those defensive moves that used life force (He'd rather not cover Granny's reaction to when she learned about this). Motoyasu had even said goodnight to her once or twice when they went to bed at around the same time.

The attraction was definitely there. Unlike past relationships, however, Motoyasu was hesitant to do anything rash, and was instead trying to take his time.

He wanted to do this right. He knew the next step would involve asking her to go out with him on a date where they could get to know each other better. And he was trying to figure out the perfect date spot where the two of them could enjoy being with each other in a casual and non-commital setting.

Unfortunately, Motoyasu's schedule was starting to get seriously full. Between him still helping out in Zeltoble, Naofumi's return, Granny's training (how the hell she had time and energy to train everyone important, he didn't know), going out to level so he could make use of the more powerful weapon forms he'd been given (which was going to take a lot more work by the look of it), organizing his weapon's inventory (which he made more progress on with every day), and so on… it just didn't feel like there was as much time as he'd like to do the things he wanted.

At least those reincarnators, as he'd learned that was what they were called from Naofumi, hadn't made a single move since the major battle in Zeltoble. They appeared to be keeping their heads down. It sounded like Naofumi knew how to deal with them, but the Shield Hero hadn't revealed the details yet. Maybe he would at Cal Mira?

Oh well, he was fine for the moment, since their enemies had stopped sticking their heads in their business. The Hero's Nation could really use some peace. And maybe it'd allow Moto to get more stuff off his plate, so he could enjoy some quality time with the Otherworld Hero who was crushing hard on him.

…

Oh, and lastly, there was Atla and her brother, Fohl.

Motoyasu slowly unraveled the last of the girl's bandages from her body. Revealing the young tiger girl's face, hands, everything.

She was twelve-years-old, but she looked even younger than that, due to her sickness stunting her growth throughout her life. Her eyes remained close, yet her smile was bright and joyful.

Even if she was still sitting in a wheelchair in the present, she looked stronger with every passing day.

"Atla? H-How are you feeling?" Her older brother Fohl, standing beside the Spear Hero, asked hesitantly.

Atla turned her head in his direction, and her already bright smile brightened a little more. "I'm feeling great, Big Brother. Better than I have in years."

"Urk!" Fohl fell backwards, blood spraying from his nose at how adorable his younger sister looked.

How long had it been since he'd last seen his sister's face, unmarred by her sickness and smiling that pure radiant smile of hers? It'd been too long, far longer than he cared to admit. Yet all those years of pain, of watching her condition worsen as their lives fell to shambles around them, none of that mattered in his mind anymore.

Seeing her face, unblemished by pain and filled with happiness, filled the young teenager's heart like almost nothing else in this world ever could.

"Big Brother, are you okay?" Atla asked, her face becoming concerned.

"Drrrrrrrr…" Fohl muttered unintelligibly on the ground. Yet his heart was full of happiness, just like his blissful smile.

"Huh, for some reason, this looks familiar, but I don't know why." Keel commented as she crouched down and poked the side of the tiger boy's head a few times.

Anya, who was there for the unveiling as well, kept her mouth clamped shut. She was tempted to reveal more math facts to the uneducated dog girl. She refrained from doing so, however.

"He's fine. Just a bit overjoyed that you're doing so much better, is all." Motoyasu smiled, petting the tiger girl on the head as he told her.

The action elicited an adorable giggle from Atla. She leaned her head into his touch, her ears on her head fluttering as she silently asked for more headpats. And Motoyasu obliged.

Now he knew why Naofumi loved giving headpats to Raphtalia from time to time, and why Ren had also enjoyed doing this for his girlfriend when they were alone in private.

There was just something so soothing about rubbing a demi-human's hair that made the blonde man want to continue and-

"GET YOUR DIRTY HANDS OFF MY SISTER!" The moment was ruined as Fohl snapped out of his initial siscon moment and threw himself straight into another siscon moment as he charged towards the Spear Hero like an angry cat.

Nevermind the fact that the boy had been level reset recently and still hadn't reached his old level yet. Nevermind the fact that he was moving in slow motion in the perspective of the Spear Hero. Nevermind the fact that even if he did tackle into Motoyasu, it would have been like a pebble hitting the side of a mountain.

However, what happened next was shocking for everyone there, even Motoyasu.

Chop! "Ow!"

Fohl held the stinging lump on the center of his head. The chop hadn't come from Moto, Keel, or Anya. And no, Granny wasn't there either to deliver swift karmic retribution.

It'd come from Atla herself.

The girl stood in front of her wheelchair on shaky legs as her face looked at Fohl with an expression full of displeasure. "Big Brother. If I hadn't wanted Sir Motoyasu to headpat me, I would have made it clear. Apologize to him for your disrespect immediately!"

"B-But, wh-what did I do?!" Fohl sputtered.

Part of him was even happier than before that Atla was able to stand now!

Another part of him wanted to coddle his sister and get her to sit back down before she broke a bone or pulled a muscle or something!

And yet another part was beyond shocked that she'd hit him, her beloved Big Brother!

All these aspects tried to fight their way to the forefront. Leaving the tiger boy speechless after his initial words as Atla's gaze turned from an angry pout to a disappointed, downcast expression.

"Big Brother, please apologize. It's taking a lot of my energy to stay standing right now." Atla sighed. "Can you not make this harder on me than you already have?"

"Urk!"

All the various aspects vying for control in the young teenager withered away on the spot.

HOW COULD HE MAKE ATLA SAD!? THAT WAS A CRIME ABOVE ANYTHING ELSE, I SAY, AND-

Wait, why the hell had he thought the 'I say' there at the end?! That was Moto's thing-

"Big Brother." Atla interrupted, her voice still sounding as disappointed as before.

…

Fohl slowly turned to face the Spear Hero, his teeth audibly grinding against one another. "I'm… sorry." He slowly and reluctantly bowed his head.

"Forrrrrr." Atla pressed.

"But-" As Fohl whipped his head around to face his sister, she only crossed her arms and continued to pout at him.

"... for disrespecting you… Spear Hero." Fohl muttered through gritted teeth.

"That's Sir Spear Hero." Atla corrected.

"Are you kidding me- fine, Sir Spear Hero." Fohl relented. "And I'm sorry for anything else I was in the wrong for too! Okay?!" He added quickly to the end, before sharing a look with Atla again.

The girl's pout turned into a sincere smile of pride, and she gave her Older Brother a thumbs up.

Fohl, stuffing his hands in his pockets, turned away while trying to do his best not to blush or smile or look disappointed in himself. At least it was over with for the time being. And seeing his younger sister's smile again almost made what happened feel worth it.

Almost, but not quite.

"No apology needed. I'll try my best to make sure I headpat the both of you from now on so this doesn't happen again." Motoyasu smiled. He knew that wasn't what Fohl was mad about. But he wanted to ease the earlier tension with some comedy.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME WITH THOSE FILTHY SISTER-STEALING PAWS OF YOURS! I DON'T EVER WANT TO GET HEADPATS FROM YOU! YOU HEAR ME?!" And just like that, the tiger boy was back to normal, facing the Spear Hero with a look of rage on his face.

It was so adorable, I say. Like a little kitty trying to hiss at its hooman.

"But headpats feel really good." Keel said behind him in surprise. "Why wouldn't you want that?"

"Because they're demeaning! And rude! And there's no way in hell I'd ever want anyone feeling up my hair with their hands and-" Fohl started to argue.

Keel, ignoring the tiger boy's outburst, grinned widely and reached out with her hand to start rubbing her friend's hair with one of her hands.

…

At first, Fohl was shocked into a stupor-induced silence by the dog girl's audacity. Then, his face began to fill with horror that this maid tomboy was the one giving him headpats.

That horror only grew as his body reacted like a cat's, his head nuzzling into her hand, ears resting on top of her hand, encouraging the dog girl to give him even more rubs.

"Hehehe, see? I told you they're good." Keel giggled as one of her fingers massaged the ear, the rest continuing to rub his hair.

Fohl's tail rose behind him as Keel didn't stop, and as the shock in his body only continued to intensify, his body betrayed how he felt about what was happening when a quiet purr began to emanate from the young Hakuko's throat.

"Huh, what's that noise for-" Keel started to ask.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Fohl couldn't take it anymore. He tore himself away from the embarrassing exchange. Barreling away like a bat out of hell to get himself out of the mess he'd somehow landed himself in.

"Big Brother?!" Atla called after him in confusion. But Fohl didn't turn his head back. A dust cloud kicked up in his wake.

Within seconds, he'd vanished into the town. And the dust cloud dissipated from view.

…

"Huh, I guess he doesn't like headpats then." Keel said, putting a hand to her chin in thought.

"More like he liked them too much, if you ask me." Anya commented next to her dryly.

"Eh? You sure about that?" Keel asked as she turned to face the cat girl.

Anya didn't respond, and stayed frowning. She didn't want to admit that even she'd been surprised by the dog girl's forwardness and boldness towards her crush.

Maybe she shouldn't have been, since this was Keel they were talking about.

Keel probably didn't even realize how she'd lately been trying to flirt with Fohl, in her own awkward and hamfisted way. Ever since getting back from Zeltoble, the crush Anya had teased her friend about on several occasions was developing into something a lot more before the cat girl's eyes. And she honestly didn't know how to feel about it, since she had even greater worries on her mind right now.

Like the Bow Hero's disappearance. Or Rishia holing up in the Bow Hero's house… it was strange too. The Bow Hero's closest friends had been released from their Hero Service Crests, yet she and the other kids were still registered to the Bow Hero.

Keel, concerned about her new friend, decided to jog after his slowly dissipating dust trail to make sure he was alright. And Anya walked in the direction of the Hero's homes to make sure Rishia was doing ok.

…

"Hey, Atla, let's sit you back down." Motoyasu suggested, seeing the tiger girl was still standing on shaky legs.

"It's alright, Sir Motoyasu, I actually feel like taking a walk with you if you're down for-" As Atla spoke, her legs suddenly gave out on her.

Fortunately, Motoyasu caught her before she hit the ground.

'Heh.'

Atla chuckled internally in smug triumph as her plan to 'fall' worked like a charm. The Spear Hero inadvertently embraced her for a moment as he lifted her up in his arms.

She was not out of this race yet. Oh no, not by a long shot. That creepy stalker girl better watch out!

Atla deliberately glared at the shiny pin set on the collar of Motyasu's gambeson, while the Hero in question laughed obliviously with a wide smile.

"I'm happy- scratch that, I'm ecstatic to see you can stand on your own two feet, Atla! Compared to when we first met, the fact that you've healed this far is truly a miracle, I say!

"You're that much closer to being able to live the life you want!"

There was excitement in his voice. But as he set the girl down in her chair, a concerned frown overcame that smile. "Still, I don't want you to feel as though you have to rush your recovery. I know you've told me that you want to fight. And Granny seems to think she can help you do that… I just don't want you throwing yourself into this when you've already missed out on so much of your life."

"But Sir Motoyasu, I want to be of use to you as soon as possible." Atla looked up from the pin and pouted up at the Spear Hero. "As the person who saved my life, I owe you an immeasurable debt."

"I've said it many times before and I'll say it again, you owe me nothing, just like your brother." Motoyasu shook his head, a sincere smile coming back onto his face as he grabbed the back of her wheelchair.

"Sir Motoyasu-" Atla began to pout even harder. But Motoyasu continued to speak while pushing the wheelchair along.

"It's not like I don't understand why you feel the way you do, Atla. I do appreciate it. Seriously. After doing a lot of bad things when I was first summoned, it makes me happy to do something right for once and be appreciated for it."

"But there's no way Sir Motoyasu could ever do something bad!" Atla shouted in protest. "Sir Motoyasu's a good person!"

…

…

Motoyasu paused in his tracks, then, after a moment, he continued pushing the tiger girl along. Atla could sense, and was surprised by, the somber cloud that had appeared around her Hero.

"Sometimes… even good people can do bad things… when they blindly follow those they trust."

…

…

The Spear Hero heaved a sigh. "Listen. I mean it when I say this: Don't just think you owe your entire life to me because I did something nice for you. Doing that, just being blindly loyal to someone because they showed you kindness…

"It'll just hurt you down the road… just like it has for me for most of my life.

…

"Just some words of wisdom from a man who was too stupid to learn his lesson the first few times it happened to him."

…

The tiger girl, though she continued frowning, remained silent as the Spear Hero pushed her back towards his house. Where she spent the rest of her day outside dinner lying in bed in contemplation over his words.

Atla raised her head from her pillow.

Above her, she could hear the sound of her Big Brother snoring loudly away in his bunk. In the room above, she could see with her mind's inner third eye that Sir Motoyasu was also peacefully sleeping. From S'yne's room, she couldn't hear a sound, but she could make out her aura. It wasn't moving, meaning she was sleeping… or observing something through those needles of hers again.

Hopefully not Moto.

'What a creep!' Atla thought, oblivious to her own hypocrisy.

The room marked off for Sadeena was still empty…

No one else was in the house. Elena was spending the night in Seaetto. Atla just laid in her bed, the only one awake, eyes closed, facing the bunk her older brother was resting on.

She hadn't slept much, if at all, since earlier, when she'd been helped down to her bed after dinner so she could rest.

…

"Sometimes… even good people can do bad things… when they blindly follow those they trust."

…

The tiger girl's face hardened, and she reached out for the pillar of her and Fohl's bunk bed, pulling herself up to a sitting position.

Then, as quietly as she could, she made her way to the door. Her legs slightly shook supporting her weight as she did so.

But she easily made it.

Atla felt for the handle and opened it, timing it to coincide with one of her Big Brother's loud snores in case it creaked, as it had before. And then, after leaving the door slightly ajar, she walked out into the hallway, and began her nightly exercise of walking up and down the basement staircase to strengthen her legs.

Muscles that hadn't been used for years groaned just like they had on previous nights as the tiger girl used the railing on the wall to support her body whenever she needed a break. But each night felt easier to move than the last.

After a few minutes, Atla almost entirely collapsed from exhaustion at the top of the stairs. Hmph, she'd been so focused on pushing herself that she hadn't kept track of her energy.

Fortunately, she'd spent enough time in Motoyasu's house to know where the furniture was at, so she was able to pull herself to the couch where she laid back and caught her breath.

She rested, breathing in and out for a while. Then, after she felt well enough, she stood up again, the muscles in her legs straining and groaning in pain once more, but she went over to the staircase and repeated the exercise all over again, as the pain she felt doing it didn't even compare to anything she'd gone through previously thanks to her sickness.

Then, when she felt like couldn't move her legs anymore again, she sat herself down on the couch and did a series of punches to tire her arms out. And after another rest, she went back to the staircase to repeat her movements like before.

Atla loved her Big Brother, and a part of her had felt the sincerity behind Sir Motoyasu's earlier statement to her. She could sense that he hadn't been lying to her, that he'd been speaking from personal experience, and that whoever he'd blindly trusted in the past had probably been amongst his greatest regrets.

But even knowing that, she also knew this: she'd been coddled by her older brother for most of her life because of her illness. All their family's wealth had been spent trying to keep her alive after the death of her mother, and then when that ran out, Fohl sold himself off as a fighting slave so he could continue to pay for her medicine which only served to prolong her existence a little longer.

She loved and appreciated him for all this and so much more, she would have never met Sir Motoyasu if not for his hard work and dedication. But the fact of the matter was this: she wasn't sick anymore. She was still blind, but she was now capable of contributing to a great cause. And while she still loved Fohl as family, she didn't want to be a burden to him anymore, and she refused to be coddled by him from now on.

He deserved to be able to live his own life now. Without her needlessly dragging him down because she couldn't keep up. She was going to become better than him so he'd be motivated to push beyond where he was currently at.

As for Sir Motoyasu… he didn't seem to understand that she wasn't just blindly following him. She was blind, yes, but she could read people better than anyone. And ever since the moment they'd met, it was easy for her to tell that the Spear Hero was a good person at heart.

She did not want to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. She wanted to walk. To run. Most importantly, to fight, and be able to help bear the burdens Motoyasu struggled under. Even if she didn't understand entirely what those burdens were right now.

She'd spent enough of her life asleep anyway. If she wanted to stand any chance of winning Sir Motoyasu's affection from that creepy stalker girl, then she had to become as useful as some of his other allies as soon as possible!

So she pushed her aching muscles to their limits. Focused solely on that one single objective.

And it was because she was so focused on doing that that she didn't sense when someone had walked into the room until the doll floating next to them in the air spoke up.

"Somebody's up early."

...

"Or, perhaps it'd be better to say that someone's been up late."

Atla turned her head, a scowl appearing on her face. "Oh, has the creepy stalker girl finally gotten bored of watching Sir Motoyasu sleep?"

S'yne didn't move at the tiger girl's words. A frown graced her lips at the accusation. "My name is S'yne, not creepy stalker girl... and I have no idea what you're talking about." The Sir Bubba doll floating next to the silent girl spoke as it crossed its arms over its chest.

"Don't play dumb. I know that you use your pins to spy on others and observe them from afar." Atla hissed. "That's how you knew I was awake, right?"

"… yes, my pins do give me the ability to observe the areas and individuals I place them on. But I haven't been using them to watch Moto sleep." S'yne's doll continued to speak on her behalf.

"Please, as if Sir Motoyasu needs somebody so creepy keeping an eye on everything he does." Atla glared in the girl's direction. "I know that's what you've been doing. Don't even try to deny it.

"You can defend yourself however you want. But at the end of the day, Sir Motoyasu is going to be mine. Not yours."

…

…

"So you want to accuse me of stalking Moto." S'yne's doll said after a moment. "At least I don't have to fake a fall in order to get close to him."

"... what are you talking about." It was Atla's turn to play dumb. Unfortunately, she wasn't as good at lying as the silent Hero in front of her, since she didn't have something speaking on her behalf, and her hesitation at the silent girl's accusation only seemed to confirm it.

"Please, if you think I just observe Moto while he's asleep, then you're severely underestimating my capabilities. I also keep an eye on the rest of the house, as well as parts of the town to make sure our enemies aren't sneaking around here.

"I know many things I shouldn't because of it, but I know better than to share such things to others unless they're important. But I've seen how you've been climbing the stairs and using your fists almost every night since I got here. You've been capable of walking since the day we met.

"Yet you use your condition, pretending to be weaker than you are, so you can deliberately farm and garner affection from Moto and have him fawn over you."

Atla went from angry to looking aghast as the older girl spoke. And as she tried to find the words to defend herself, S'yne didn't relent.

"Also, you shouldn't accuse me of being a stalker when you can sense everything going on around you in a good radius. Even if the individual you're sensing is behind a wall, or asleep in his room right now.

"That's how you've avoided having anyone discover you at night, after all,

"Right?"

…

…

The two continued to stare at each other angrily for a bit. Atla went through a range of faces, including pouting, jealousy, and anger. S'yne just remained stone-faced, her silver eyes narrowed dangerously for a bit.

But after that, when S'yne took a deep breath, she visibly calmed. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."

…

"What are you apologizing for?" Atla asked after a moment, venom still lacing her voice. "You think I'll just-"

"You l-e Moto t-, don't you?" S'yne interrupted, using her real voice this time, even as parts of her words staticed in the background.

…

Atla flinched at being asked the question so directly. "Why does that matter to you?"

"... isn't it obvious?" S'yne just continued looking in her direction. And while Atla couldn't see her, she could tell that she was.

"... yes, I do. So what? You love Sir Motoyasu too, right?" Atla asked angrily.

"I… believe so. I definitely care for him more than I have for anyone else in my life besides my parents… and my brother and sister." S'yne spoke through her doll again.

Yet Atla felt the pain in those words. And the girl's doll continued to speak before she could think on that. "And that's why I'm sorry.

"I know you're working so hard simply because you care about Moto. So I shouldn't have been so harsh. I just... don't like being called a creepy stalker." The girl's doll said in a gentle, more understanding tone.

…

The two stared at the floor together in contemplation for a bit. Neither one wanted to say a word.

…

…

"... … … I'm sorry too." The tiger girl finally said, a look of guilt crossing her face. "You… you really weren't just spying on Moto earlier, were you?"

"As adorable as he is when he's asleep… not to say I'm always watching him sleep." S'yne's face flushed at the admittance. "But no, I've been watching the town most of the night. Making sure that nothing was happening or anything."

"Because of the enemies Sir Motoyasu faced?" Atla asked.

"Yes. They're that dangerous. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if they came here while our guards were down and…" The girl trailed off.

And the two fell into silence once more.

…

…

"What do you love about Sir Motoyasu?" Atla eventually asked. Wanting to change the subject to something they'd both be able to talk about.

And as if some barrier between them had melted, both girls sat down on the couch together. Having an open and honest discussion about the Spear Hero together.

Both girls liked how kind and selfless the Spear Hero was. It didn't matter who it was asking for his help in most scenarios, the Spear Hero almost always seemed willing to drop what he was doing and lend a hand to whomever it was with what they needed before going on about his day.

S'yne also liked how handsome Motoyasu was. Atla couldn't say if she agreed or not, since she was… you know, blind. But Atla did admit how warm the Spear Hero's aura made her feel. How it felt gentle, yet troubled, like the sea.

S'yne also mentioned that the Spear Hero reminded her of someone from her world that had been like an older brother to her in some ways. Except, he was different enough that she couldn't see him in the same way.

Again, probably because she'd been shocked by how handsome he was when she first saw his face.

But by… observing his day to day, she really got to see what kind of person the Spear Hero was. And she wanted more than anything to become close to him so she could learn more about why he was so kind to others.

"That sounds like a stalker if you ask me." Atla said in a deadpan.

"Oh hush, you keep track of what he does with your aura senses too." S'yne chuckled as her doll spoke for her.

"I'm not always close enough to do that." Atla curved her lips into a frown.

"But you're always aware of when he's close, since you always perk up when he gets within range." The Sewing Kit Hero continued.

"... not always."

Eventually, after S'yne was done talking about who Motoyasu reminded her of.

"What about you?" S'yne then asked. "Does Moto remind you of anyone you knew?"

"I… I don't really know." The tiger girl admitted.

She thought about it hard, thinking of the few individuals she knew from her life. Fohl. Those few servants that'd been around until her Older Brother let them go so they could find work elsewhere. The Slave Merchant who took care of her needs while Fohl was busy fighting in his matches. And...

"I want to say my father, but I never got to know him." Atla finally said.

"Why him?" S'yne asked, her doll sounding curious on her behalf.

"Because… because Big Brother remembered what Father was like. And he told me stories of him and Mother, even though Father died before I was born, and Mother…" Atla let out a sigh. "I don't really know… I was very little when she died too.

"I never really got to know either of my parents. But Sir Motoyasu gives me the same feeling as Big Brother's stories of them. Their kindness. Their selflessness. Their love..."

…! Something clicked in S'yne's mind as the tiger girl continued looking unsure about what she was trying to say.

The older girl did not call it out right then and there. But she felt as though she understood the younger girl better than she had before from that one statement alone.

A lot of her worries and inner turmoil ceased, and a genuine smile appeared on S'yne's face.

"How about… I let you think about it some more, and in the meantime, I give you this." S'yne reached toward her weapon's gem, which responded with a soft glow, and pulled something out of it, before offering it to the young girl.

"What is it?" Atla asked curiously, not being able to tell what it was, again, for obvious reasons.

"It's a mini version of the Sir Bubba doll I made to speak for me." S'yne smiled as her doll answered. "Your own little Moto."

…

…

Atla reached out with her hands and grabbed the toy before tracing her fingers along the doll's outfit and face with her hands. Her senses couldn't tell if it did look like him or not. But they could tell that S'yne wasn't lying with what she said.

And as she took the cloth helmet off and felt the doll's hair, it did feel like Moto's… a deep inhale through her nose, and it smelled of Motoyasu.

Atla began to smile softly. Hugging the mini Sir Bubba to her chest. "I didn't realize you could be nice, creepy stalker girl."

"And I didn't know you could be genuine, fellow creepy stalker girl." S'yne continued to smile, and Atla giggled to herself.

"Let's not be enemies about it, since it's Moto who should be choosing who he wants to be with, not us." S'yne then said. "For now, let's try to be friends and help him together, since it would be more beneficial than being at each other's throats all the time."

"Fair… though I'm pretty sure he's fixated on you right now." Atla glared in her direction again.

"Perhaps. But I'm not going to force Moto to do anything… I'm pretty sure he's had enough bad experiences with girls doing that in his life." S'yne said.

"... Fine, but I'm still going to be jealous when he's around you." The girl pouted.

"I'll try my best to make sure you're included when I'm around him too." S'yne hugged Atla, who after a moment, embraced the girl in return.

S'yne, in a surprising display of affection, lowered her head while hugging Atla and kissed the tiger girl on the top of the head.

Atla felt a bit taken aback and confused, but the gesture awakened a new warm feeling inside her. "You mean it?"

"Yes, just know it'll mean no more faking how crippled you are." S'yne said.

She agreed to the truce after that, accepting the gift as she got up off the couch. "I think I'll continue training now."

"Alright, I'll be going to bed then. Also, since we're friends now, a fair warning. Granny's been eyeing you for a while, ever since your comment regarding the Sword Hero's health. She thinks you have an affinity for Spirit Energy manipulation."

"Spirit Energy?" Atla cocked her head in confusion at the unfamiliar term.

"Ah, sorry, It's called life force in this world. I keep forgetting. But yea, Granny's preparing to come over here. I expect she's going to want to take you under her wing as soon as she sees you're up and moving.

"You… really think so?" Atla asked excitedly.

"Like I said, I know a lot of things I shouldn't know." S'yne winked. "I hope you're ready to stop faking your weakness, because you're not going to be able to rely on that to garner affection from Moto going forward."

"I won't need to do that to win his heart over from you!" Atla pouted.

"We'll see..." The girl smiled, and then, she remembered something. "Oh, and one last thing. The hair on the doll is the real deal.

"Just thought you should know that."

S'yne got up from her seat, looking Atla's way for just a moment more before climbing up the stairs back to her room.

...

Atla pondered over the older girl's words and gingerly ran her hand over the doll's hair again before raising it up to her face and taking a small whiff again.

It hadn't been her imagination earlier. It did smell of wheat and sunshine, just like Sir Motoyasu's hair.

…

'...' Her mind a blank at this unexpected kindness, Atla put the helmet back on the doll and stood up to continue her exercises.

The tiger girl spent the next hour climbing up and down the lower staircase in Moto's home. A bright and happy smile working its way onto her face every time she sat to rest and hug the mini Sir Bubba doll. Her heart becoming increasingly full of motivation and gratitude.

Up until…

"Oh? What's this?"

True to S'yne's word, Granny came through the front door as Atla was moving towards the couch to rest again.

Because she'd ended up pushing herself for most of the night before her conversation with the older girl, she hadn't realized how much time she'd spent training her legs to walk and her fists to punch. Thus, her training was discovered by Granny, who'd come to surprise Spear-dono with a very early morning spar.

But whether it was because of her desire to help Spear-dono improve, or some sadistic streak she had to maintain, it no longer mattered, as Granny had spotted the tiger girl on her feet. Tired, sweating, and shaking from exertion, but on her feet nonetheless.

"H-Hello, Granny." Atla stopped what she was doing to bow her head to the old woman. "Can I help you with something?"

"... why, yes. I think you can." The old lady smiled, excitement radiating off her form. "Would you mind following me outside, young Atla?

"I'd… I'd like to, but I'm afraid I'm a bit too tired to walk very far right now." Atla said, sounding disappointed by the timing of this night's events.

"Not to worry, young Atla." Granny walked up to the tiger girl, grabbing her surprisingly gently by the hand. "Soon, I'll have you running miles upon miles once you have the basics of life force down."

"You… you really think so?" Atla asked.

"I know so." The old woman winked, even if Atla couldn't see it. "You have a raw talent in you that I can help you untap. All you have to do is say yes."

…

"Nah, I'm kidding. I'll work you to the bone and then some, regardless of your answer. But you'll come out all the stronger because of it. So, what do you say?" Granny barked out a laugh before giving her genuine offer to the young tiger girl.

"..." Atla, starting to smile in excitement as well, nodded her head.

"When do we start?!"

"Right now, my young pupil." Granny gripped Atla by the hand, leading her out the front door of Motoyasu's house. "First, we're going somewhere quiet to focus on your connection. Fortunately, I've had the Second Princess build such a place that…"

And thus, the hakuko girl's early, early mornings training with Granny began.

And another day in the Hero's Nation passed by in relative peace for the people.

Hero Clips!

ATLAAAAAAAAA!

"ATLAAAAAAAA!"

"What's going on?!" Naofumi rushed out of his house, Shield raised in front of him.

Only to stop in confusion.

Fohl was running around on the front lawns of the Hero's homes like a chicken with his head cut off. Up ahead and down the hill, every person from the town was flipping things over, slamming open doors, turning bedding and piles of clothes inside out, and a lot more that was turning everything into one giant mess.

Melty was at the center of the efforts, trying to add order to the chaos. But even the great Lady Governor looked frazzled around the edges.

The reason why soon became obvious, as Fohl shouted again.

"ATLAAAAAAAA! WHERE ARE YOUUUUUUUU?!"

"We'll find you Atla!" "Just hang on!" Shouts erupted from residents of the Hero's Nation.

Yep, the hakuko teen was in another one of his siscon moments. And this one was really bad. So bad that it'd affected everyone else in the town, including Melty.

Well, almost everyone.

"What the #$%&?" Naofumi cocked his head in confusion.

"You can say that again." Ren spoke next to him.

"Why is everyone here so weird?" Wyndia asked next to her boyfriend. On her shoulder, the little Gaelion was taking a nap, with the dog girl patting her on the back as the little dragon snored.

"I still haven't figured that out." Raphtalia sighed next to her husband friend, her hand petting the little tanuki mascot resting in her embrace. "I know me and my friendsweren't the brightest, but the people of Lurolona were never this crazy."

"Rafu…" Raph-Chan cooed happily.

Naofumi smiled brightly at the mother daughter interaction, before looking at the chaos in front of them again and grimacing. "Want to just head to Cal Mira now? I don't feel like dealing with this crap."

"Yeah." "Sure." "Why not?" The three other somewhat sane people in this whole omake responded.

Naofumi thus used Portal Shield to get them away from all this siscon infected weirdness.

Sometime after that…

"FINALLY! ATLA! I FOUND-"

POW! WHOOSH! "AHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…."

Fohl dove to hug his sister as she appeared, only to be punched into the stratosphere.

No, that wasn't a joke. Fohl became nothing but a distant speck over the ocean as his screams gradually tapered off to nothing.

Team Rocket would have been proud of the distance he achieved.

Everybody else, still infected by Fohl's siscon moment, continued their desperate searching of the tiger girl. Unaware that she'd appeared near the Hero's homes.

The tiger girl lowered her steaming fist. She looked… different.

For one, she was wearing a martial art gi that eerily resembled that of a very popular shonen protagonist.

For another, her hair was shining a bright gold.

…

…

…

Wait a sec, DID ATLA SERIOUSLY TURN INTO GO-

"Hush, Narrator-Kun. I'm sure the readers are smart enough to connect the dots on their own." Atla chided, before turning to face her rival standing in the Spear Hero's doorway with a smile.

"Oh! Are you approaching me?" S'yne said in a confident tone.

"I can't kick your butt and become the main love interest without getting closer." Atla responded, taking another confident step towards the Otherworld Hero.

"Hoho! Then by all means! Get as close as you like." S'yne gestured with a 'bring it' towards the young super saiyan Hakuko.

Two life force auras erupted around them as they began to walk towards each other.

In the background, Motoyasu chuckled nervously. "Heheh. I'm in danger."

And thus, Atla was primed to fight S'yne for number one waifu spot under Sir Motoyasu.

"Man, Moto really is lucky to be a harem protagonist. Amirite?" Allen chuckled, looking towards the shadowy figure nearby.

"I wonder if we are going to get another storm of comments regarding how inappropriate Atla is behaving for her age. You'd think people would learn after Raphtalia and Maya or read in-between the lines what that hakuko girl's actual deal is, but alas." The shadowy figure spread his arms out and shook his head before shrugging in exasperation.

"I am personally more concerned that Sadeena will change her mind and come back for a rematch in the battle for Motoyasu's affection, once she is done grinding. Poor Moto is truly cursed with being liked by weird people. Alcoholics, stalkers, violent psychopaths-whoops, that last one is a spoiler~. Who do you have your money on winning this race, Lyron? Amber, perhaps?"

The black overcoat-clad figure gestured to the side where the lead artist was busy operating a complex art generation program on a tablet in his hands.

"Likely S'yne judging by how her's and Motoyasu's chemistry is working together right now." The youngest of the group of three said.

"Yea, that sounds about right." Norin nodded. "Back to you, Allen."

"Thanks man, always nice to have you two here." Allen said to his proofreader friend, before facing the readers again.

"Next time… we get more slice of life stuff in Cal Mira. As well as an update on what Karn's doing. Noice." Allen looked at what he'd wrote down for future chapters.

"Man, my Arc 11 really is shaping up to be another Arc 2. Nothing too exciting plot wise going on, but for once, that might be a good thing, since everyone needs a little time to be themselves before the plot puts them back at the forefront of saving the world."

"Let me know what you all think about all this, whether on here or on my Discord server. I appreciate all your comments and criticisms! Thanks!"

And thus Allen walked away to continue slaving away on more wholesome content… and some possible killings of idiots that deserved it.

You never really knew with the insanity he had in his mind.

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

"Gahhh!" Gaelion let out a happy cry.

"I know, right? It's so relaxing here." Wyndia rubbed her daughter's head happily.

"Gah!" The baby red dragon nuzzled her head against her mother's hand. Eliciting a happy giggle in response from the dog girl.

"It does feel a lot calmer here, doesn't it?" Farrie agreed.

"With the Activation Event over, it's now back to being a regular tourist hotspot." Tersia pointed out while looking around.

"Does that mean we'll have the shops all to ourselves?" Farrie asked, her face beaming with excitement.

Tersia chuckled in response. "I doubt it. But we'll see."

"Boo! Blue wants to go swimming already! Why are we just standing around here?!" The group's deceptively young looking male filolial made his displeasure known.

"Oh my! To think this is where Cool Hero's Awesome Mate and Cool Hero are going to spend so much time together! Rikka's so jealous!" The black-winged girl yelled ecstatically, stars shining in her one visible eye.

"Blue told Rikka to come up with a better nickname already! It's too long and sounds stupid!" The middle-aged filolial rolled his eyes in response at his friend's overt enthusiasm.

"No way! Rikka will never change it! It's the name that was bestowed to Rikka in a dream from the Dragon Emperor himself!" The black-haired filolial posed proudly in an overly-exaggerated way. "He told Rikka that he will be reborn from the holy union between Cool Hero and Cool Hero's Awesome Mate! Rikka must see that it comes to pass!"

The blue-haired filolial just closed his eyes and let out a long and tired sigh in response, not willing to engage with the other royal's nonsense.

The Sword Hero's party stood in front of a familiar trio of animal totems. Situated in the middle and in-between them was a stone tablet which Three of the Four Heroes had learned their best spells from a long time ago on their previous trip here.

"..." Ren, who was dressed in a pair of casual shorts and a t-shirt, said nothing, but seeing the group so happy and rowdy, his lips curved slightly upward as he turned to his older brother figure and Raphtalia, who were standing behind them, watching them.

"Thank you again, Naofumi, Raphtalia. You didn't have to do this for me…"

"You kidding me? We got to have a room all to ourselves on the boat ride over." Naofumi grinned as he slung an arm over the half-tanuki's shoulders. "Getting here was practically a vacation in and of itself."

"All we did was sleep though." Raphtalia mumbled in embarrassment to her husband friend.

"Among other things." Naofumi grinned back at her.

"... ehehehe." Raphtalia blushed, turning her head away as a blissful smile worked its way onto her face.

The two's honeymoon phase had officially ended. Meaning they'd now moved into a more natural, mature relationship between the pair that wasn't dominated by constantly making love to each other whenever they had a spare moment. Raphtalia's smile only deepened as she hugged her husband friend's side, simply wanting to enjoy this feeling of happiness and intimacy forever.

"..." Ren shook his head, but couldn't really say anything as he looked at Wyndia.

The young teenage girl was now talking animatedly to Tersia and Farrie about the restaurants and shops they could remember from last time. Above them, Gaelion hovered in the air, loudly inhaling the ocean breeze with a pleased look.

Seeing Wyndia's happy, beaming face, Ren hoped they could be as close to each other one day as Naofumi and Raphtalia were now.

Wyndia felt his eyes on her, and turned to look back at the young teenage Hero curiously.

But before she could end her conversation, come over, and ask what was on Ren's mind, a familiar figure approached the trio of Heroes.

"Sir Heroes, I'm happy to have you gracing my lands with your presence once more. And in official capacity too, at last." Count Hadenburg, a gaunt man dressed in his signature pristine military uniform, smiled.

"A pleasure, Count. I take it you already know why we're here?" Naofumi reached out with his hand to greet the man with a firm handshake, recalling how easy and straightforward it was to work with him during the last wave.

"Yes, Her Majesty warned me a couple weeks ago to have a room and Hot Spring ready for one of the Heroes." The older gentleman answered after returning the handshake. "I believe it was pertaining to a curse."

Naofumi nodded. "Yes. Sorry that he's here later than expected. Things have been a little busy for us back home, but..."

Naofumi then gestured to Ren, who hesitantly stepped forward. "I… um… I'll be in your care, Count Hadenburg." The young Sword Hero bowed his head.

"No need for formalities, Sword Hero. This won't be the first time a Hero has been here to be cleansed of a curse in my lifetime." Hadenburg shook his head, his smile not fading from his gaunt face in the slightest.

"Really?" Ren asked in surprise.

"Yes, believe it or not, after the great War with Siltvelt, his Majesty was brought here to bathe in the Hot Springs due to a curse that the Claw King Tai-Lon had inflicted upon him in their last bout. Although, if it's just between us, I'm more inclined to believe that King Aultcray had inflicted it upon himself.

"After all, that is how it commonly occurs in the legends my family has kept and studied." The older man answered the question, before looking to Ren with a caring expression. "But I digress, it is not my job to prod about the specifics.

"I simply wish to be of service to the present Cardinal Heroes like my forebears. My Vassals and I shall do our best to make sure your stay is a pleasant one, esteemed Sword Hero, Ren Amaki."

"..." Ren was speechless, but his shaking body was stilled by his girlfriend appearing at his side, gripping his hand in hers. Their daughter then landed on his shoulder and started nuzzling her cheek against his.

"We appreciate it," Wyndia said on behalf of her Hero. "Thank you."

"Gah!" Gaelion raised a paw to the gaunt man, and Ren raised his hand, petting the small red dragon's wing in appreciation.

Blue seethed in the background as Ren gave pets to the Stupid Lizard. But he was smart enough to not interfere at this present moment.

"Would you please lead us to the room Ren will be staying in?" Tersia stepped forward to ask. "The sooner he can bathe in the Hot Springs, the better."

"Of course, if you'll follow me." Count Hadenburg smiled, his gaze focusing on the Sword Hero's small family.

He hadn't mentioned it, but in some of those past legends, it was stated how past Sword Heroes who came to cleanse themselves of their curse also came here with a dog girl of their own. Granted, he couldn't recall if any of them had also brought a dragon or not, but it almost felt like he was witnessing history repeat itself before his eyes…

Which might have also been why he made sure the Sword Hero had his own private Hot Spring.

The Count led everyone there away from the monument to the inn where the group had stayed at before.

…

On their way, Naofumi noted some changes from their previous stay. Like how much quieter the streets were and how business had seemed to settle down a bit.

There were still some adventurers here and there. But the majority of them were long gone, as well as many of the merchants, blacksmiths, and others who'd come to profit during the Activation Event. They were now replaced with regular tourists consisting primarily of wealthy merchants, lesser nobility, and their families who were here to enjoy the beach, relax, and have a respite from the events going on in the world.

The air also felt cooler. It had been a few months since Naofumi had last been here, autumn had already begun. It still felt warm enough to enjoy the beach, but come evening, it'd definitely be a better idea to use the Hot Springs.

…

Naofumi then smirked when he saw that the "Experience Boost Accessories" he'd suggested to that one ratty merchant when he was last here were still on display in some shops. With it having become a staple item in the local economy.

Sometimes, it just felt good to be right.

…

But then there was the knowledge that Aultcray had been here as well. And the Shield Hero's frown returned.

He couldn't help but wonder: was it possible that curse was still affecting the old King even now? He didn't have his weapon, but still…

…

Eventually, they reached the Inn, with Count Hadenburg leading the group up a set of stairs to a different part of the structure that they hadn't been in before. "Last time, I couldn't give you these rooms because you weren't here as Heroes. They had also been reserved by nobility who came to enjoy the Activation Event and the beaches.

"This time, however, you will get to stay in the best suite our island has to offer. And you'll have unlimited access to every service."

One of Hadenburg's Vassals opened a set of double doors, and the Sword Hero's party gaped as they took in the large room they walked into.

The ceiling was at least fifteen feet high, with skylights to allow natural sunlight in. Candelabra sat on nightstands and furniture, with scented candles ready to light up the area at night.

The couches and carpets were all a pure white. The room also had other dashes of color, from what looked like mahogany nightstands to fine red oak tables and chairs. There was a love seat that Gaelion flew over to and settled herself down in.

"Gahhh!" The young dragon loved the feel of the fine leather against her scales.

"Hey, don't get your stench all over the furniture! Noodle will be sitting there!" Blue ran forward as he yelled.

"Gahahaha!" The young dragon laughed at the stinky birdboy before sticking out her tongue.

"! So comfy!" Rikka sank into one of the couch cushions, nearly disappearing from view as she relaxed on the equivalent of a cloud.

"I can't believe we missed out on all this." Tersia picked up a fancy china plate from one of the tables. "Not that we didn't have good rooms before, but this is…"

"Mmmm." Farrie had lit one of the candles with her fire magic and breathed in. The scent of wood washed over her, and she couldn't help but smile as she relaxed and thought of nature.

…

As Ren observed his party, his attention was again drawn to the dog girl walking to the set of doors at the back. "Is... Is this all really private?" She asked the gaunt nobleman.

"Yes, this is the only entrance for this Hot Spring." Count Hadenburg answered with a smile. "No one else will bother you or the Heroes, aside from the usual daily room service, unless you need something."

Wyndia, after nodding her head, slid the doors open, revealing an open air room that had a Hot Spring in the center of it the same size as the one she and the other girls had relaxed in before. There was also an area to the side to clean up and prepare to go into the hot water.

Steam came up slowly from the Spring's surface. One could have never guessed the benefits it'd have for cursed individuals.

Ren was becoming increasingly more blown away at everything. And then, he ended up wandering to the side, away from everyone else, into another room connected to the suite to get away from it all, only to stop in his tracks.

He'd entered a large bedroom. It had a king-sized bed in the back center of it, and the floor was also covered in white carpet like the living room. A bucket of ice holding a bottle of wine rested on a nightstand next to the bed.

Walking up, Ren pressed his hand into the fresh sheets. It was softer than anything else he'd ever come across in this world (besides his girlfriend's thighs). And the pillows appeared to be even softer.

What… what did he even think or say at this point? A part of him felt grateful. And he did. Yet… was it really alright to just give him all this? Was it ok for him to be here enjoying this while everyone else was working hard on his behalf to protect the Hero's Nation, prepare for the Phoenix, and-

"So, this is what you'll be sleeping on for the next month, huh?"

The Sword Hero was pulled from his thoughts as Naofumi appeared at his side. "Well, I don't know if you and Wyndia will be doing much sleeping on this, but it should serve well for other fun activities."

The joke went over the Sword Hero's head as Naofumi pressed his hand into the bed. "Yeah, definitely soft. I wish our beds could be made from whatever this is. I'll definitely ask the Count about it before we go. Hopefully it won't be too expensive."

"... Huh?" Ren looked around. It was just him and the Shield Hero in the room.

Raphtalia had left her Hero's side to talk to Wyndia by the entrance to the Hot Spring. Gaelion was still making a nest on the loveseat in the living room. Blue was having some kind of argument with Rikka. Tersia and Farrie were examining the rest of the luxury suite. Looking in awe or happiness at the accomodations.

"But hey, my previous point still stands. This bed should definitely be big enough for all the nighttime romps you'll be having with your girlfriend." Naofumi continued to joke with a grin. "I'm almost jealous."

…

"..." Ren's face slowly looked back at where he'd be sleeping for the next month. He was lost in so many different thoughts. Torn between gratitude and guilt.

There was so much of him that wanted him to feel depressed about this. To make him think he was just being offloaded here because he was dead weight… and yet, he felt so much relief to be receiving help, and kindness, and that he'd get to really relax and… it was just so hard to decide on what he was feeling right now.

"... hey, Ren? In all seriousness, are you and Wyndia at that point in your relationship yet?" Naofumi asked.

"Huh?" Ren again looked confused. And Naofumi, frowning, finally seemed to catch on to that fact.

"You know, are you two having sex yet?" He clarified.

"I… oh. Oh." As the meaning of Naofumi's earlier words finally registered, Ren's facial expression finally changed. While he didn't stutter, his face did redden in embarrassment somewhat. "No… me and Wyndia… we do sleep together at night. And we've kissed a few times when I wasn't…

"But, well, no, we haven't gone that far yet. And I… I don't know when we'll become that comfortable with each other… or…" Ren looked down at the ground, seeming sad and lost.

…

"... just in case then, if it does reach that point while you're here, I want you to have this." Naofumi, after looking back and ensuring everyone else was distracted, pulled a box out of his Shield and handed it to Ren.

The Sword Hero looked at the label, confused since he couldn't read it. But when he opened the box to see what was inside, his eyes widened.

It was full of condoms.

"Where the hell did you get these?" Ren blanched in utter disbelief, his former embarrassment temporarily forgotten.

"L'arc and Therese's world is more advanced than ours in some areas. I don't know how it came about, but contraception is taken very seriously there." Naofumi shrugged. There was no mischievous look in his eyes or anything to say he was joking around. He had a completely serious look on his face as he spoke his next words. "And not to say things could heat up in that direction while you're here. I'm certainly not the best person to ask on the subject of relationships.

"But in case it does and you two decide to do the deed, I want you to be ready for when you and Wyndia make love with each other for the first time.

"I won't give you any details or say what could happen or that it'll be the best thing you could ever experience… I just want you to know that if you and Wyndia do take that step in your relationship, I'm here to support you.

"Not just as a friend, but as your older brother."

…

"... … …" Not only speechless from the words, but with his eyes misty, Ren had to wipe the beginning of tears away with one arm as he stored Naofumi's gift inside his Sword's Gemstone with the other.

After everything else, this act of kindness was what finally broke the dam in the Sword Hero's mind.

"Y-You couldn't just tease me like normal to get a reaction or something?" Ren managed to say through his tears.

"Nah, maybe if you hadn't gone through a lot, I would have. But right now, it'd be like kicking a sick and adorable puppy." Naofumi gave Ren a soft smile, before it transformed into a devious smirk. "Besides, I'm already going to get my fun when I give Moto his portion of protection."

Ren couldn't help it anymore. Laughing to himself, he hugged the Shield Hero tightly as more tears fell down the sides of his face. The conflicting feelings from before had disappeared temporarily, leaving him whole for the moment.

"Thanks Naofumi!

"Seriously, all this, it means the world to me!

"I won't forget this, ever!"

"Ahhhh, glad to see you're still capable of being sappy." Naofumi rolled his eyes. His response caused both Heroes to chuckle or laugh as Ren let him go. And Naofumi patted the teenager on the shoulder.

Ren couldn't stop the tears. And as he and Naofumi were starting to walk back to the living room, a certain person noticed the Sword Hero's elevated emotional state.

"Ren, what's happening? Why are you crying?" Like magic, Wyndia suddenly rushed through the doorway. Grabbing her boyfriend's hands with concern on her face.

"Gah." Gaelion also flew in, looking at her dad with worry. And behind them, the rest of Ren's friends appeared in the doorway, concern written on their faces.

"S-S-Sorry." Stuttering, the Sword Hero smiled brightly and happily from the infusion of kindness and faith that his older brother had gifted him with.

"I'm just so damn happy right now..."

Shocked at his words, and that the realization that her boyfriend was crying from happiness and not depression, Wyndia was stunned speechless. Mouth agape upon finally looking past the tears to see how bright Ren's smile was right now.

The rest of his friends were also similarly surprised or overjoyed.

But Ren, wanting this moment to last, and being so motivated to not give into the pull of his dark cursed thoughts in the present, did something he knew would bring him more happiness then and there.

He leaned down and kissed his demi girlfriend on the lips. Embracing her tightly as he did so.

Wyndia nearly eeped in surprise at the liplock, but as her Hero's arms tightened behind her back, she melted into the kiss and embraced him back. Refusing to let go of him or this moment.

"Gahhhhh!" Gaelion flew happily above her parents. Her paws outspread and a wide grin on her face.

"Awwwww!" Tersia and Farrie both watched the interaction with hearts in their eyes.

"YES! MORE! MORRRRE!" Rikka was starry eyed, and clearly all for what was happening.

"Blech! That's disgusting, Noodle! Stop sucking on Dog Girl's face this-" Crack!

Blue's rant was cut off by all three girls in the doorway slapping the back of his head simultaneously. The force of it was so great that it knocked him out on the spot.

"Ahhh, just like in the stories my family passed down." Count Hadenburg wiped a tear from his eye.

He now knew for sure to tell his vassals to make sure the Sword Hero and his dog girlfriend would have privacy at night. Was it alright to cry about being a witness to history in the making?

Naofumi, off to the side, smiled with pride for his younger brother as Raphtalia appeared at his side.

The moment was so sweet, it was almost sickening. Were they in danger of getting diabetes?

"I'm so glad those two are finally together. At least some things are going right." Raphtalia spoke up next to him, smiling in relief as she did so. For once, she didn't address the rude thoughts her husband friend was having.

"Same. Honestly, I feel much better about Ren being in a relationship now that Wyndia's opened up a lot more. It wouldn't have worked out if she'd stayed as tsundere as before." Naofumi nodded his head.

"Tsundere?" Raphtalia asked.

"It's nothing." Naofumi then had a thought. "Did you ever pass along Therese's message to her?"

"I just did a few minutes ago." Raphtalia nodded. "I told her after she asked me a few things about being in a relationship with you. She wanted to make sure she wasn't doing anything wrong with Ren.

"Wyndia can't wait to see her best friend again. She really has grown a lot since the day me and the others rescued her from that spider nest."

"Ha. Who would have thought." Naofumi rolled his eyes and chuckled.

And honestly, while he could have used this as a moment to get revenge on Ren for interrupting a similar moment he had with Raphtalia at Van's Estate…

"Come on, Raphtalia. Let's leave the teenagers to their fun." Naofumi shrugged and turned to leave.

Raphtalia nodded with a smile, and the pair went to Ren's friends, escorting them as well as carrying away the knocked out Royal Filolial and the gaunt Count out of the room so the rest of Ren and Wyndia's loving and tender moment could play out naturally without interruptions from anyone else.

It'd be one of the most treasured memories of the Sword Hero's life.

The members of the Sword Party eventually worked out a schedule for visiting Ren and his girlfriend at Cal Mira (After the young couple's first ever impromptu makeout session had ended.).

Wyndia and their dragon daughter Gaelion volunteered to be with Ren full time. Something that Tersia initially tried to talk the dog girl out of, since they'd been trying hard to ease the dog girl's burdens when it came to taking care of Ren. It was also because the older nun didn't want what she'd been trying to accomplish in getting the two to build a healthy relationship with each other in the town to fizzle out by spending all their time together.

But Wyndia pulled her off to the side, and after their private conversation, the woman was convinced. No matter how much Farrie tried to pry what Wyndia had said out of her, she refused to budge, and ultimately accepted the dog girl's proposal. And Farrie naturally accepted it as well, eyes already shining in curiosity at what could happen here.

They'd have it where Tersia visited once a week. Farrie twice, or more if she could. The two women would help Ren out with his magic lessons whenever they visited, and would then spend the rest of the day relaxing in the resort, going clothes shopping or whatever with Wyndia while they were around.

Rikka and Blue would also be visiting together twice a week. Blue would get to practice blacksmithing with Ren, who'd be taking lessons from one of the remaining blacksmiths on the island, a close friend of Count Hadenburg. Meanwhile, Rikka would spend time trying to learn magic from Cool Hero's Awesome Mate. Mixing in other activities during their time there as well.

This had been decided on before, but Eclair would be visiting as well for a brief time in the morning on some days. Checking to make sure the Sword Couple stayed on top of their sword practice before returning with the Hero who teleported her and the person(s) visiting for the day there.

Should nothing happen to disrupt that schedule, Ren would get to see his friends plenty of times throughout his vacation while spending the rest of his time soaking in the Hot Springs, recovering from his curse, and doing whatever he needed to do in his free time.

The Sword Hero would remain in good hands. And seeing firsthand how good Ren and Wyndia were together, Naofumi was certain that even if something came up that occupied the rest of their attention, Ren would be just fine with just his mate and dragon daughter keeping him company.

…

But just in case.

Clink! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Naofumi watched as chains surrounded the Hourglass in the underwater Temple. The notification that he couldn't teleport appeared on his HUD as well as on Raphtalia's and the other Heroes present.

"Whoa. So this is what you did back at the Capital?" Motoyasu spoke up behind them.

The pair turned around. It wasn't just the Spear Hero. Fitoria was also there, watching as the Hourglass was chained up in front of her with a frown on her face.

She'd watched the ritual through Filo before, but seeing it in person…

She felt a memory beginning to surface in her mind. But it was very unclear, and she couldn't think of the context for it either. Like a feather, it fell through her hands and out of view, leaving her to question what she'd tried to recall.

…

Fitoria had come with Naofumi and Ren on their teleport here. And then went back after setting a save spot in the area to pick up Motoyasu. Naofumi and Raphtalia's portal skills could only teleport so many at the same time, unfortunately. But now everyone necessary was present.

"Yes, and now that we're done." Naofumi applied the accessory to the Hourglass, and the notification on his HUD disappeared. "We'll be the only ones able to portal to Cal Mira now."

Raphtalia used the accessory next, and then handed it to Motoyasu. He was unsure of how to use it at first, but mimicking his younger brother, he found it was surprisingly easy. All it took was walking up with it and accepting the notification of registering himself to the Hourglass on his HUD.

He handed it off to Fitoria, who used it last.

"Ah, so this is how we're ensuring Ren's safety while we're not around." Motoyasu smiled with relief.

"Hopefully. At the very least, any reincarnators or anyone else wanting to harm him would have to come here by boat, instead of by Karn's portal cheat." Naofumi nodded with a determined look. "Mirellia has a pair of Shadows keeping tabs on ships leaving the dockyards in Melromarc for Cal Mira. That'll give her plenty of time to warn us of any incoming attempts on Ren's life."

"... does this mean that I can learn more about them now?" Motoyasu asked, his voice growing tense in anticipation.

"Yes. Raphtalia, can you tell Motoyasu everything while you take him to the Hero's Tablet?" Naofumi turned to face his lover. It was extremely fortunate that Karn or someone else hadn't destroyed it in the time before or since the Activation Event. Or maybe it was made of tougher materials than he'd realized.

Either way, best to not take any chances. It'd be transported to the Capital for protection in the Four Heroes Church by the Heroes after this. Better Moto see it now and be the one to do it.

"Of course. See you later, dear." Raphtalia kissed Naofumi on the cheek, before holding her katana up. "Return Dragon Vein."

In a flash of light, and before Motoyasu could say anything in protest since he thought he'd be learning the truth from Naofumi right then and there, he and the half-tanuki girl were teleported to her save spot in the vicinity of the Hourglass on the island.

The Spear Hero would get his spell, and most of the missing details Naofumi hadn't told him or Ren on the Otherworld just yet. But those details weren't something that needed to be repeated here.

…

"Good, we're alone now."

Naofumi breathed in deeply, and then turned to Fitoria. The bird girl calmly stood in her spot, turning her head to the side quizzically with a blank expression.

"What was the thing you wanted to talk to Fitoria about in private, Naofumi?" Fitoria asked. "Is it more about the enemy that you haven't shared with the other Heroes?"

"No. I've been transparent about what I know of them up till now.

"What I wanted to discuss with you instead is a plan of mine… that might be a bit out there," The Shield Hero admitted.

…

The Filolial raised an eyebrow, but besides that, she didn't say anything.

"It's something that'd make it easier to defend the Hero's Nation. But I wanted to avoid bringing it up earlier, just in case we were still being watched somehow." Naofumi gestured to the underwater building they were currently in.

Honestly, if they were still being watched right now, then kudos to those who'd managed to go through all the effort. Not that they'd survive the Shield Hero and the all powerful immortal Bird Goddess standing there, but the bravery of such an individual would be commended, at the very least.

Fitoria nodded her head tentatively. And so, Naofumi explained.

"While we were in the Otherworld, there was a detail Itsuki noted of his trip to Lapis that grabbed my attention. That the nation had moved its Hourglass out of the city so they could build defenses in the room it was placed in." Naofumi said.

"... does Naofumi wish to build defenses around the Hourglasses around the Hero's Nation?" Fitoria asked.

"Actually, what I'm proposing is that we move an Hourglass… this Hourglass here specifically," Naofumi pointed to the Hourglass next to them, the sand in it frozen in place. "To the Hero's Nation."

…

…

…

…

…

Fitoria stayed silent for a long while at Naofumi's statement.

The Shield Hero remained quiet during that time, thinking over his next words, depending on Fitoria's reaction or knowledge. But what it boiled down to was the simple fact that the Hourglasses could be moved. He'd always assumed since his summoning that it would be impossible to do so, due to their ties to the Waves, but Itsuki's account blew such thoughts completely out of the water.

Sure, it'd required much of Lapis's standing army to accomplish. And it wasn't near as far as what Naofumi wanted. But the fact that it'd happened at all opened up a world of possibilities.

If they could be moved, then Naofumi needed to know how far they could be relocated. And if it was possible for said relocation to be permanent, then it'd make sense to move an hourglass not being used by anyone else to their Nation, where they'd be able to make use of it.

It'd also make it more convenient using the drop item accessories from Glass's world for the people of their nation to have access to that function. But Naofumi still had to see if the accessories he'd brought back could be replicated or not.

Oh well, thoughts for the future, he supposed. And that was only if this idea even had a chance of succeeding.

But given how long Fitoria was pondering over it, Naofumi was starting to suspect that this proposition was more probable than not.

…

…

"That is a long distance you're proposing for Fitoria to move it," Fitoria finally said after a while of thinking to herself, figuring out immediately what Naofumi wanted to ask from her.

"So you and your flock can do it?" Naofumi pressed on.

"Yes." Fitoria nodded before turning her head at Naofumi with a quizzical look. "But why? A task like this won't be an easy one even for Fitoria to accomplish."

"Isn't it obvious?" Naofumi quirked an eyebrow at the bird queen. "An hourglass would help to make the Hero's Nation more independent, and also serve as an additional layer of security for the people there. If we're allowed to keep it there permanently, we'll be able to fight off the Waves that would have hit Cal Mira in more familiar terrain, and we'll be able to do class-up rituals without needing to visit Melromarc or the other nations.

"Not to mention, if I'm able to replicate some of the other accessories I brought back with me, others in our nation would be able to use this Hourglass to make use of the Hero Item Drop function…

"And beyond all that, from what I understand, it'd be a massive undertaking to move an Hourglass outside a city. Much less, across the sea floor to our territory. So really, the only person I can think of asking to head such a project is you."

…

"..." Fitoria looked around the submerged room. Odd, she felt like she could recall another memory of this place. Though, if she remembered correctly, it had been above water at the time. And was run by a group of beastmen that had long gone extinct… or vanished…

Hmmm…

…

"Understood. Fitoria will do it." The bird girl nodded her head. "It'll be difficult. But it won't be Fitoria's first time moving an Hourglass all by herself."

"..." Naofumi's face gradually looked more surprised. He'd expected her to enlist the members of her flock if she accepted, but!

"By yourself? Underwater?!"

"Yes. Do you think all the Hourglasses Fitoria has in the wilderness right now were there originally?" Fitoria finally smiled for the first time during the conversation. "Fitoria hasn't wanted to deal with humans for centuries. It would have been hard to do that if the Hourglasses Fitoria protects were close enough to be discovered by humans."

"And yes, there were two Hourglasses that Fitoria had to move that were underwater. Granted, it was not as far as what Naofumi wants Fitoria to accomplish here, but Fitoria is sure the same tricks she used then can work here."

Fitoria then frowned as she looked at the Hourglass again. "This one will be difficult though, given that Fitoria didn't have to move any of the past ones so far. And this will be underwater the whole way. I definitely won't be able to finish it in a few days, and Fitoria is spending time cleaning up her home nest as well."

"I'd say that Fitoria would need around two or three months." Fitoria determined in her mind. "I'll go slow the first two to three weeks. That should hopefully be plenty of time to keep Ren protected within the radius of the Hourglass before Fitoria moves it far enough away from the islands.

"In the meantime, Fitoria will see to it that Fitoria's flock is able to protect the Hero's Nation in her absence."

Actually, thinking about it more, Fitoria felt that memory of the ritual Naofumi performed surfacing in her mind again. For some reason, she felt that if she could recall it in full, then it'd be possible for her to extend the range of the anti-teleport effect using her powers to double or even triple of what it was now.

That'd keep Ren protected for far longer if that was the case.

…

…

"Would that work with Naofumi?" Fitoria asked as she turned to look at the Shield Hero with a curious gaze.

"... are you sure you want to move it by yourself?" Naofumi asked with concern. "If you need any help, then-"

"Naofumi. Fitoria can do it.

"Trust Fitoria on this." The little angel girl said, fists raised confidently in front of her.

...

"... heheheheh. Alright. I won't try to argue it." Naofumi chuckled. He walked up and began patting the girl on the head.

Plus, Fitoria was right, with that timeframe, by the time their enemies would realize the Hourglass was no longer here to protect the Sword Hero from individuals like Karn, Ren would be back at the Hero's Nation. So as long as word of this didn't get out, the Sword Hero and his family wouldn't be at risk.

Which was all the more reason why neither individual would share their plans with anyone else, not even the Filolials of Fitoria's flock or the wife friend of the Shield Hero. Sad to say, not even Raph-Chan would be made aware of what was happening here.

It'd be a secret held in reserve between two individuals for as long as necessary to ensure the Sword Hero's wellbeing and the secrecy of the Hourglass being moved from reaching unwanted ears.

"Just know it'll be hard for Fitoria to help out a lot of the time if Fitoria is busy down here." The girl warned. "And when I'm not doing this, I'll be very tired and resting if I'm not cleaning up my nest."

"Unless it's something really bad that us Heroes can't handle, me and Moto will take care of it." Naofumi promised. "You wanted us to take on more active roles, after all."

"..." The angel girl softly smiled. "Yes, I suppose Fitoria did say as much."

…

Naofumi got on his knees, and Fitoria hugged the Shield Hero around the neck.

"Thank you. This is a major relief for me." Naofumi muttered softly. If it meant more safety for those he cared about…

Heh, and to think the Hourglasses were meant to signify when Waves were supposed to strike a spot. How time and strength had changed his perspective.

"For her Heroes, Fitoria would gladly move the whole world." The Filolial Royal said in response as she hugged the Shield Hero back.

Nothing much was said afterward. Fitoria spent some time resting her head on the Shield Hero's lap so she could spend more personal time with him.

The most powerful Filolial in the world… and her favorite thing was lap pillows. It was a good thing their enemies hadn't discovered this secret far sooner, I say!

Later, after separating from the Bird Queen on the beach so she could gather Ren's friends and bring them home, Naofumi went and found his wife friend, who was waiting with Moto inside one of the island's numerous coffee shops. They'd planned on rendezvousing there earlier.

There wasn't anything of note about the place or the one barista standing boredly behind her counter in the back. It was on the main street though, and it was easy to locate.

Raphtalia, by the time he arrived, had finished giving Moto the details on the enemy. And, to Naofumi's surprise, he found S'yne sitting with the pair, alongside a small tiger girl he'd never met before.

Actually, looking at her closely, didn't she look similar to the bandaged girl who'd been sitting in a wheelchair outside the Spear Hero's house? The outfits appeared to match, at the very least. What was she doing here? Was she another new member of Motoyasu's party?

Scratch that, when had they gotten there?! It had to have been before the anti-teleport field was active, but he didn't recall seeing the two girls around before that!

"You learned a surprising amount about the Enemy, Raphtalia." The Bubba doll floating in the air next to the Otherworld Hero spoke.

"Yes, I just wish we both knew who these operatives were working for." The Katana Heroine sighed.

"I will break their spines on your behalf if I ever come across them, Sir Motoyasu." Atla promised. "They shall rue the day they ever thought to stand in your way."

…

You know what, however they'd gotten there, Naofumi sure was glad that the tiger girl wasn't in his party.

Motoyasu could keep all the crazies to himself.

"Oh? Is that the Shield Hero?" Atla suddenly turned her head in Naofumi's direction. Her eyes weren't open.

"Huh- oh hey, Naofumi." Motoyasu said, finally speaking up as he attempted to smile, but didn't really manage it.

"Greetings." The doll floating next to S'yne bowed its head in Naofumi's direction with a spin and a theatrical flourish. The Otherworld Hero's eyes shone with seriousness and determination that made Naofumi feel an instinctual surge of approval in his heart, despite him hardly knowing her.

She just looked reliable. And the more times he met her, the more he noticed that fact.

"His aura feels similar to yours, Sir Motoyasu." Atla said, again, her eyes remaining closed despite her head being turned in Naofumi's direction.

It felt like her eyes were on him, yet that was clearly not the case. The Shield Hero opened his mouth to ask, but looked to Raphtalia with an unsure look.

"Atla here is blind, but she's able to sense where things are around her using life force." The half-tanuki explained, looking to both girls for confirmation.

"I've been doing it for most of my life. Granny was just the one to point out how I've been doing it." Atla said to the Shield Hero's wife friend, not even a hint of jealousy in her voice as she said it.

She could tell Naofumi was nice. His aura was warm and friendly, and naturally drew in those around him. But Atla's heart and body belonged to Moto now.

The Shield Hero would never go on her 'love' radar.

"And, um… how did they get here?" Naofumi asked Motoyasu. If they'd somehow circumvented the anti-teleport field, then-

"I asked Fitoria to bring them with us earlier. Well, I actually just wanted to bring S'yne along, but..." Motoyasu chuckled awkwardly when Atla turned her head at him with a visible pout. "Well, anyway. Let's just say that we have some business of our own to take care of later." The Spear Hero shrugged after giving a vague answer.

"S'yne and Atla were already here waiting for us, Naofumi." Raphtalia explained further. "Motoyasu said that they were trustworthy, so I told them what we'd learned. S'yne is actually a hero from another world too, believe it or not. She shared some interesting info regarding these people we're up against.

"It's not really anything that we didn't know about already, but some of the details were..." The half-tanuki swallowed hard and paused before looking at S'yne with sympathy. "I am so sorry."

"Don't be, Mrs. Iwatani." The doll bubba shook its head even as the girl controlling it remained completely motionless. "I have accepted what happened already. Bringing attention to it will just cause needless stress."

"Of course." The Katana Hero nodded and then mouthed the word 'later' to Naofumi whose face began to grow more concerned at the strange turn in the conversation.

Figuring out that it's better to follow his wife-friend's advice, Naofumi turned to the Spear Hero.

"By the way, Motoyasu. Is everything ok? You look a bit tense. Is it because of, you know..." The Shield Hero gestured at S'yne's still form vaguely.

"Huh?" The blonde snapped out of whatever he was thinking about and shook his head. "Oh no. Well, I mean, yea, that too, but S'yne told me about it sometime after she moved in. No, I'm bummed out about something else."

"What happened?" The Shield Hero pressed.

…

…

Instead of explaining, the Spear Hero rested the bottom of his weapon on the floor of the shop next to him as he cast some strange spell.

"As Spear Hero, source of thy power I order thee. Decipher the laws of nature and take in the energies surrounding me, Fast Absorb."

…

At first, Naofumi couldn't tell what the Spear Hero had done. He looked around the shop to try and figure out what the spell was 'absorbing'.

It wasn't offensive in nature. There was no one else in the shop besides the bored barista standing behind the counter, but Motoyasu wouldn't have just caused wanton property damage without an excuse. Yet Naofumi couldn't tell if the spell was doing anything in his immediate vicinity.

"Look here." Motoyasu finally gestured with his eyes to his weapon.

Naofumi's eyes settled on the tip of his Spear, and he barely saw what looked like a field of energy spreading out from it. Now that he knew what he was looking for, however, Naofumi observed that It extended above the blonde man and spread out over ten feet away from where the Spear Hero sat in the shape of a dome. The man hadn't moved a single inch since the activation of his spell.

"Is that like a barrier or something absorbing… whatever in it?" Naofumi asked, sounding unsure as his finger poked at the roof of it above him, touching nothing but air. His MP and SP bars weren't dropping despite being in the field, and he didn't feel any weaker.

"Well, no. It isn't a barrier, but it sort of is. But it doesn't absorb 'everything' in it." The Spear Hero pulled his weapon out of the ground, and the energy field around him vanished right after.

"Basically, from what I understand, the spell allows me to absorb any and all magic that is the same level as or below the tier of magic as what I cast the Absorb spell as within a five meter radius of me. In that sense, it's like a barrier that makes me immune to all types of magic damage.

"The spells I absorb with it refill my MP, and it can even overcharge my MP bar if I absorb a lot of magic spells and attacks, making the magic I cast afterwards a lot more powerful."

"... wow, that's actually incredibly powerful." Naofumi said in surprise.

The Spear Hero frowned though as he continued. "Except for the fact that I'm unable to move while I have the spell active. Not to mention, this only works with magic and not physical damage. The range of the spell would only allow me to protect those within my immediate vicinity. And well… it absorbs 'all' magic spells around me. Meaning any allies I have who rely on magic wouldn't be able to be around me whenever I have this spell active."

"... … …" So in other words, Motoyasu had a spell that could be incredibly useful… but it was also incredibly situational, unlike what Naofumi and Itsuki got from the tablet.

Even what Ren got was less restrictive than that. And this was supposed to be the Hero Exclusive spell of the Spear that Motoyasu had waited a long time to be able to learn?

…

No wonder the Spear Hero was in such a bad mood.

So much for the joke of the Spear being rated E for everybody… actually, if it absorbed all magic regardless of where it came from, then perhaps the joke still applied.

"What rude things are you thinking about now?" Motoyasu groaned before stretching over the table in front of him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Naofumi looked away guiltily.

"You're making fun of me, aren't you!" Motoyasu groaned again.

"Who's making fun of you, Sir Motoyasu! I'll destroy them for daring to mock your greatness!" Atla suddenly piped in.

"Atla, please settle down. It isn't like that." S'yne grabbed the tiger girl by the shoulder as her doll spoke.

"Is she always like that?" Raphtalia asked pointedly.

"We're working on it." S'yne's doll said in a deadpan.

Naofumi shook his head with a chuckle as Motoyasu frowned in the girls' direction.

"Well man… if you think I'm making fun of you now, just wait till later." Naofumi winked, before laughing to himself evilly.

"And with that, I think it's about time we head home, dear." Raphtalia suddenly butted in. "I want to help with power leveling some of my old friends before dinner. Also, remember that we're going to have a talk later this week when we have some time."

"Sure thing, I'll do some studying and help at the community kitchen after that." Naofumi nodded. "Gods know the kids you'll be helping will be hungry."

"You don't know half of it." Raphtalia laughed.

"I'm pretty sure I know the full of it after helping you out when- right, won't talk about it." Raphtalia unsheathed her blade just a bit, smiling sweetly at her husband friend as she did so, and Naofumi immediately wised up.

"Alright, get going already! You're making me jealous!" Motoyasu shoved Naofumi in Raphtalia's direction. He was pouting, but it did look like he'd cheered up a little bit after interacting with the Shield Hero.

Said Hero rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. Enjoy your 'plans'.

"Portal Shield!"

And with that, the Shield Hero and his wife portaled back home.

…

Wait. The way he said it. Did Naofumi figure it out?

Aww man. And Motoyasu was trying to keep it on the down low too!

…

…

"Moto?" A small delicate finger poked the Spear Hero's shoulder.

Motoyasu turned around in surprise, only now remembering that S'yne and Atla were there with him. It'd been her voice that spoke there, but her next words came from the doll floating next to her.

"It's just us now. Shall we get started?"

"Yay! A date with Sir Motoyasu!" Atla's face shone with excitement.

"I…" Motoyasu opened his mouth but then just closed it and shook his head with a smile.

…

Naofumi, you sly bastard. Well, whatever. The Spear Hero was going to enjoy this date regardless.

Granted, Atla was going to have to tag along as a third wheel, due to S'yne's request, but Motoyasu couldn't stop the wide grin that spread across his face. Yes, things were turning up for him now, I say!

He made sure to inform Larsa that he wouldn't be in Zeltoble that day. Granny's training was postponed too. And Melty was taking care of the usual administrative affairs!

"Alright, girls, let's hit the town!" Motoyasu said excitedly.

On the opposite side of the world, on a mountaintop located deep in the wilderness where no humans had set foot in hundreds of years, an endless snowstorm was raging.

Beyond the seemingly impassable wall of icy winds laid a small cave entrance. And within it, a group of five individuals huddled around a small fire, desperately trying to warm themselves.

They had no idea where they were at. Their respawn after their deaths in Zeltoble had placed them somewhere else in the world, far from where they'd died.

It must have been that fatso's fault! It had to be!

The respawning mechanic that they had been granted by their employer did not normally put them so far out of the way of any civilization upon death. That overpowered Meteor spell that nuked Zeltoble's capital must have disrupted the area their spawn point was based in when it impacted. That was the only logical explanation.

Even in death, that fatso had to screw them all over!

And now, they were left stranded in the middle of nowhere.

"Kanemoto, you %^$^#$ pig, quit stuffing your face! That's the only food we got!" One of the strangers cursed at the person standing closest to the fire, where a large ugly slab of meat was in the process of being crudely grilled.

It also didn't help that these individuals didn't get along with each other very well, outside of when they were fighting 'supposedly' stupid opponents.

"Piss off, I spotted the monster despite the blizzard. So I deserve the biggest share." The man who's cheat was useless here scowled.

"You are going to get the biggest %#^%$$% shank if you don't stop right now! We were the ones who killed it with our heat vision!"

"And started the fire."

"And gathered the firewood." The trio who all shared an identical cheat skill spoke one after the other.

"Can you idiots just shut up already? There's enough for everyone here. For now." The Rogue Reincarnator of the group scowled at his compatriots.

"Hmph!" The other four all turned their heads and scowled back at him.

Honestly, they actually considered just killing each other and seeing where they'd respawn next… however, they'd been warned that doing so could be… dangerous.

Stories had been told of how past reincarnators tried to fast travel around a world by killing themselves without a set spawn point placed in a region over and over again… only to end up dying permanently when they respawned in a nest of Soul Eaters. Or inside a dungeon where death fed one's soul to the dungeon.

There were countless dangers across different worlds that made such a strategy idiotic and time-consuming at best, and life-ending at worst.

They'd lucked out respawning in the middle of the mountains. They'd also, unfortunately, lucked out respawning so close to one another, most likely because they'd died in close proximity to each other within minutes of each other's deaths. Their next respawn point could theoretically drop them off somewhere more manageable.

Or it could be their final one.

As moronic as the lot of them was, they were not yet desperate enough to chance it. Especially since it was only a matter of time before their manager would come in to check on them and bail them out in the process with his power.

…

…

…

As if on cue, a black smoky portal materialized at the entrance of the cave. A lone figure stepped out from it.

He had just finished requisitioning some special supplies from the head office. He wasn't able to get a new coat, unfortunately, but the new Synthetic Taowu Tortoise Leather Armor fit him like a glove. A pauldron made from the same cloned tissue of said tortoise's shell rested on his left shoulder, while an exquisite glowing orange cape woven out of Synthetic Hundun Feather Fibres was draped over the right one.

The fabric glowed faintly in the dim light of the cave, causing the cold air around it to shimmer and distort as if reacting to some unseen heat.

"Greetings, gentlemen." The enforcer, Karn, cut through the silence with a small playful smirk resting on his lips.

"Yeesh! Finally! It's about time you showed up, boss!" Kanemoto dropped the greasy piece of troll meat on the cave floor as he stood up. The others in the room stood up with him as well.

"Oh? You were waiting for me?" Karn's small, carefully crafted signature smirk didn't leave his face as he took a step forward. His orange eyes glowed in the darkness along with his new cape. "And here I thought you were hiding from me!"

The enforcer continued to speak in a cheerful voice as his portal closed behind him. "I was having a far easier time keeping tabs on Momiji and Ikuyo's progress towards Faubley than finding out where you lot had hidden yourselves. And you've just been sitting here waiting for me all this time?"

"Pfft! Why would we need to hide?!" One of the heat vision trio spoke arrogantly.

"Why?" Karn cocked his head to the side slightly, his small smirk starting to subtly strain against the corners of his lips. "Why, because of your complete failure in Zeltoble. Or did you already forget it?"

"Yea, calling it a failure is an understatement." The rogue swordsman reincarnator shook his head with a frown while rubbing his shoulders to warm up. Why the hell did it suddenly get even colder in here? "It was all the fatso's fault. We had everything set up to kill the Spear Hero. The best buffs and debuffs I've ever seen. He'd gone through an exhausting battle against the Arena Champion and had hundreds of extras to be distracted with, and we still lost."

"Not as badly as Kanemoto did." One of the heat vision enthusiasts spoke up next. "He was beaten by literal children, and the tiger boy wasn't even half his level."

"Will you just drop it already?! You wouldn't have even survived as long as you did if not for my cheat skill!" The man closest to the fire raged, not paying attention to their superior slowly approaching them.

"Yeah, and that's literally the only time I've seen you be able to use it effectively in this world." The last of the heat vision trio rolled his eyes.

"I can't help it, alright?! This world freaking sucks in terms of magitech! Maybe if I could actually step foot in Faubley, I could make more use of my cheat skill!"

"Ha, good luck with that. We all know how that Tact guy is with any individual who 'steps' on his turf."

"Yea, you should have chosen a better cheat. Yours is just trash, just like your stats."

"Says the guy who chose [Heat Vision] as his cheat, alongside two other idiots!

"Very original! Some real free-thinkers here!"

Karn now stood directly in front of the fire, practically within spitting distance, and yet the men around him still did not notice his presence.

After spending so much time and effort tracking these idiots down… Karn was finally here.

And instead of begging for forgiveness, or pleading for him to spare their lives, they were too busy arguing with one another to pay him any serious attention.

Were they truly this stupid- oh, who was he kidding? Of course they were! He would have been genuinely shocked if anything worthwhile came out of one of their mouths!

This was why he was a manager and this lot were just regular contractors.

"Guys, can you just shut the $%^& up for like, five seconds so our boss can get us out of here?! I'm getting sick of this cold wasteland!" Rogue shouted as he began to rub his shoulders more intensely to get the now biting cold out of his shaking body.

Oh? It looked like at least one of these clowns was capable of showing some intelligence. Tiny as it was.

How very peculiar.

"I'm sure his portals would work even if we were screaming our lungs off." Kanemoto rolled his eyes. "Frankly, I'm tired of the rest of you always talking smack to me!"

And right back to their biggest flaw: Their shared selfishness, their desire to center everything around themselves.

"Hah! As if any of it isn't deserved! We always have to powerlevel your useless $%^ whenever we're assigned to any new world!"

"You can't even do that right! You never get me past level 68!"

"Because you need too much experience to get past that stupid roadblock!"

"It's only like, what?! Two million EXP points?! That isn't 'that' much!"

"Man, just grind slimes for a hundred years or something!"

"&%$# that!"

And thus, they continued arguing about themselves. Because they couldn't care about anything else besides themselves.

"Oh that's it! I am so done with your bull%&*! Let's fight it out and-" Kanemoto raised his greasy fists, ready to cast some sort of spell but...

Kth!

Kanemoto stopped speaking.

The hilt of a pale white dagger was sticking out the front of his chest. Yet, strangely enough, no blood was leaking out from the wound.

The others in the room looked to sneer at him when the confident prick stopped speaking, only to take a step back in surprise.

At first, they didn't realize where the dagger that'd stabbed their comrade had come from.

Soul Eater Dagger

Quality: Excellent

Effect: Paralysis

"Alright, gentlemen. Vacation's over. Back to work." Karn raised his voice slightly before lowering his hand.

"Now, I know we have a lot to do and a lot of stuff to catch up on, due to your negligence. But why don't we have our annual review a little earlier this year, what do you say?" Karn asked as he walked right through the fire without a care in the world. The flames parted, granting him passage, as they recoiled from his new unnaturally-crafted gear as if in fear.

"Let's start with you, Kanemoto."

Karn grabbed the hilt of his dagger. Kanemoto couldn't speak, between the paralysis, the physical pain, and beyond that, the feeling of his SOUL having been wounded just now. Karn then pulled the dreaded weapon out of the reincarnator's chest, causing a soundless scream to come from the man's throat.

And it only magnified when the enforcer then drove his other hand into the gaping wound.

The rogue reincarnator instinctively raised his sword while the eyes of the heat vision trio lighted up, ready to fire a barrage of lasers, but before any of them could make a move, Karn pulled his hand out of the man's chest cavity. And with it, something... else...

Wait- no, it couldn't be!

The four reincarnators' eyes widened in shock, and then terror.

It was a long silky smooth and pitch-black chain. The evidence of the contract that they had all been put under before their respective rebirths.

As Karn tugged on the black chain, the body of Kanemoto slumped forward, and out of it, an apparition of a portly ugly bald man in his 30's was dragged out and brought to his knees before the enforcer. And as if summoned by the appearance of the initial one, the rest of the black chains binding the reincarnator's soul appeared, coming out of his arms, legs, head, and torso.

"Yeesh, I knew your soul wouldn't match your body, since a lot of you contractors pick that option before being reborn, but you definitely weren't winning any beauty pageants in your previous life, were you, Kanemoto?" Karn laughed as Kanemoto's soul squirmed against his restraints. However, even in his soul form, the paralysis from Karn's first strike had carried over, making it harder to speak.

"Wh… What are… you…" The man managed to feebly get out through his mouth.

"Didn't you hear me earlier? This is your annual review. Please be patient as I judge your worth to the company." Karn explained with a simple smile.

"BASTARD! WHO ARE YOU TO THREATEN US WHEN WE OUTNUMBER YOU!?" One of the laser trio screamed as he finally fired a laser out of his eyes.

The cave was briefly illuminated by the bright flash of angry red light. But just as quickly as it came, it vanished; and with it, so did the only other light source there.

The fire got smothered out by a swirling black vortex, casting the icy cave into complete darkness.

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

The other two heat laser trio members fired their eye lasers out at random in panic, but their attacks got swallowed by the darkness too. It was followed by a terrible burning pain seizing their bodies, causing them to topple over and fall limply on the cold ground.

All three reincarnators tried to scream but no sound came from their throats as their bodies became completely paralyzed.

A loud metallic clatter reverberated through the darkness as the rogue reincarnator dropped his sword and stepped back, pushing himself against the cave wall and lifting his hands in surrender.

His eyes were wide as saucers, his hands trembling in terror as a new source of light manifested ahead of him. It came from a sword being brandished, but not his own.

The sword ahead looked almost molten with the otherworldly heat that was emanating from it as it cast the cave in an artificial orange light.

That light danced most intently over Karn's features, the twisting and crawling shadows making his calm, indifferent visage look demonic.

"Do you want to try and interrupt me too?" The enforcer asked politely while making a slow and wide sweeping motion across the room with his new weapon.

"N-N-No sir." The man shook his head, his voice coming out as no more than a pathetic squeak as he sunk on the floor against the wall while sweating profusely.

In the center of his pants, a wet spot began to form.

"Excellent." Karn's face relaxed into its prior well-practiced mask. The trio of heat vision harbingers laid uselessly on the floor. Still alive, but paralyzed, with their eyes glazed-over and expressions frozen in terror.

"I'm glad at least one of you nimrods has begun to grasp the massive pile of &%%$ that all of you have landed yourselves in. It won't get you a free pass, but at least you can congratulate yourself for not digging your grave any deeper, unlike your coworkers."

The member of the laser trio who'd tried to attack first screamed as Karn teleported next to him and drove the burning blade in his hands into his thigh. The wound around the blade sizzled as it began to cook. A nauseating smell of burning flesh began to fill the dank air of the cave.

"That's what I planned on doing to you, had you attacked me as well." Karn continued to smile toward Rogue as he admitted it. "Continue to show restraint and intelligence like that and you just might survive long enough to get yourself a promotion.

"Remember, the company gives more to those who show promise!"

…

Rogue paled even further. He collapsed to his knees, the wet spot on his pants growing bigger as fear gripped every part of his being.

There was no running.

No chance for escape.

No pleading for mercy.

Just… what the hell was this nightmare he and the others had landed themselves in?!

"Now… back to Kanemoto."

Karn's smile dropped as his gaze wandered to the soul 'sweating' in front of him. Fun fact, it turned out even as just a soul, you were still capable of sweating. Amazing what one's soul could do when it was outside its original body…

Well, maybe not original in this instance, but you get the picture.

"You know." Karn smacked his lips as he began to circle the bound soul. "It's not usual for me to be forced to take on such a crude and direct approach. My job as your superior, as your enforcer, is supposed to be an advisory one in nature.

"To sit back, give you some basic instructions and suggestions on how to proceed with your task, and then oversee that you stick to a regular schedule while following through with plans of my own.

"Given how easy your jobs are, I'd assume you'd be capable of doing the bare minimum assigned to you without dragging individuals like me in afterward to clean up your mess.

"Normally, us enforcers wouldn't even be stepping in like this, unless orders from up top told us to do so. This could be because you allowed a Hero to grow in power faster than predicted. Or because you failed to sabotage some scientist somewhere who was on the verge of creating something that they weren't supposed to. Or in case you failed to locate and destroy a cache of texts in a country closing in on the secrets of the Waves. And so on and so forth.

"You and your fellow operatives are meant to nip all these scenarios in the bud before they ever become a problem for enforcers like me to handle so us big dogs can focus on the bigger picture and ensure our boss's long-term plans for the worlds they conquer don't go to &%$#."

Boom!

Karn tossed the sword in his hands at the firepit that got smothered earlier, causing it to erupt in a huge column of flame that reached up all the way to the ceiling and began to spread out across it like an oil spill.

He then created a new portal and pulled out the Soul Eater Dagger from before, flipping it in his hand end over end, his face blank as the four reincarnators still in their bodies began to breath harder from the sudden stifling heat that began to spread across the cave. The unnatural flames of the Synthetic Hundun Talon Sword slowly spread out across the wall as well.

"The point of this annual review is this: Kanemoto, you didn't do your job. The long term plans I had set up in this world for the benefit of the Third Army have gone to &%$#. I've been outed as a traitor, and lost access to the Hero's Nation while trying to learn the full extent of your collective blunder.

"To say that this is bad is an understatement. The amount of operatives in most of the rest of the world is already effectively ZERO, due to the other idiots that were placed in this world years ago flocking to Faubley. And that got them all killed by the most successful one among them.

"I was the only person who used to keep tabs on Melromarc and the surrounding countries there. And now, we have no other presence in the area. The one part of the world where the four Cardinal Heroes have based themselves in. Where the World Guardian is establishing a second nest in the Hero's Nation. A stone's throw away from the recovering Staff Hero's residence.

"And it's all your fault.

"Do you have any idea how important it was for me to be there keeping tabs on all of this? And now I can't even enter that general area without the Shield Hero's mangy pet pointing me out. Instead, I now have to babysit you all and whomever else Chief Enforcer M'yne entrusts to me while trying to salvage this #$%^ by finding out a way to stall out or bring down the Heroes while slaying the leaders in Melromarc as they're getting closer and closer to discovering the true nature of the Waves of Catastrophe.

"Do you think that makes me happy? Do you think I'm grateful for all the extra work that you idiots have forced me to take on?

"Those extras you mentioned earlier were my personal army. They were the ones making my weapons, the ones who were spying on my behalf, so I'd be able to have an easier time keeping track of everything in that part of the world. They were making my job ten times easier, a hundred, no, a thousand times simpler for me to accomplish!

"And you lot managed to kill every single last one of them with that worthless, idiotic, AND UTTERLY BIZARRE plan of yours!"

Karn had been slowly and methodically building his voice with each sentence before this point. But now, a look of fury slowly began to overtake his face.

"I SPENT FIFTEEN YEARS BUILDING THAT CULT IN THIS BACKWATER HOLE OF A WORLD!

"FIFTEEN YEARS OF GROOMING CICERO TO BECOME AN ACCEPTABLE PAWN THAT DIDN'T REQUIRE CONSTANT MONITORING!

"FIFTEEN YEARS OF CULLING THE FLOCK WHENEVER THEY $%$%#^ UP AND DID SOMETHING STUPID LIKE ASSASSINATE THE CROWN PRINCE OF MELROMARC! OR TRY TO SEIZE THE POWER IN ZELTOBLE TOO EARLY! FIFTEEN LONG, STUPID, BLOODY YEARS OF EFFORT!"

Karn began to hyperventilate as his eyes shone with madness, reflecting the flames around him.

…

But after a moment of catching his breath he began to chuckle quietly again.

"They were such useful pawns. Loyal. Obedient. Competent. They could have continued to provide me with high quality weapons. To be my faithful hands whom I could reach out with where I could not step myself. To assist me in important tasks and to be in the thick of it as part of the backdrop of important events across the world..."

"But no, instead, all of them were wasted as mere cannon fodder against an OVERPOWERED HERO that you lot NEVER stood A BLOODY SNOWBALL'S CHANCE IN HELL OF DEFEATING!"

Karn's anger exploded again for a moment, his fury 'peaking'.

…

And then, after another small pause, his signature, 'pleasant', easy-going smile appeared on his face again.

"Did you really think there wouldn't be any accountability for a failure like that?"

"P-p-p-please, sir! Have mercy! It was all the fatso's fault! It was all his idea!" The bound soul wailed in desperation, forcing himself through his paralysis to scream. "He forced us to go along with it since he was the strongest among us! R-right guys?"

Kanemoto's soul desperately called out to his fellow compatriots but no one spoke out on his behalf, even to shift the blame on someone who was already dead.

"Tut! Tut! Tut!" Karn clicked his tongue and waved his finger in front of his face. "No shifting the blame on dead people, Kanemoto. Any one of you could have checked in with me at any point to clarify whether you should break your standing orders to try and go hero hunting. And yet, you didn't think my approval was necessary, did you?

"Now enough, your annual review is finished. And, hoo boy, it is not looking good."

"Masashi Kanemoto. It is with great relief that I must inform you that you are hereby released from your contract with your employers. This means that all the benefits that come with it, like your cheat skill [Magic Tool Thief] and your partial immortality, are now null and void."

"For your many years of poor performance, you will be let go, and receive the standard company severance package given to all operatives who fail to secure their mandate."

A glimmer of hope dared to appear in the soul's portly face at the uttering of that last sentence. Severance package? No, scratch that, he was being let go, and released from all the work the Third Army normally had him do?! SCORE! EVEN IF HE LOST HIS CHEAT AND PARTIAL IMMORTALITY, IT WASN'T LIKE HE'D HAD THE MOST USEFUL CHEAT TO BEGIN WITH, AND… AND… and…

That glimmer of hope turned to pure terror as Karn grabbed one of the black chains protruding from the soul's body again. The Soul Dagger Knife in his hand being held against it.

"You know, these chains are claimed to be indestructible." Karn spoke, as if he was a teacher lecturing a class. "And in many ways, they are. Physical attacks and magic attacks don't work on these even when they're made visible. Purportedly, the only ones allowed to break these chains are our bosses. Not those in the Third Army, but those above them.

"But did you know that they can be broken by others by using soul rending attacks? You'd think our bosses would be smart enough to not put such a flaw in our contracts, but it turns out it isn't a flaw at all. It's a hidden trap.

"Because when someone that isn't our bosses breaks one of these chains with such a crude method…"

Karn moved the dagger through the black chain, cutting through it like it was made of paper to everyone's shock and a series of horrified gasps.

"I do hope you enjoy your 'severance' package, Kanemoto. Let me say, it was not a pleasure working with you." Karn ended with a deadpan sneer.

With a loud hiss, the black chain began to rapidly dissolve at the cut off point.

"W-wait! Nonononono! WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT!" Kanemoto screamed in desperation, lunging towards the two ends of the chain as they unwound around him, grabbing them with his thick pudgy soul hands and futilely trying to put them back together. The paralysis he'd been under had disappeared.

"PLEASE HAVE MERCY! GIVE ME ANOTHER CHANCE, I BEG OF YOU!" He cried out in terror as all the chains that were bound around his soul before rapidly dissolved into smoke that then began to condense around his chest.

Karn crossed his arms, however, and didn't say anything.

As the chains surrounding Kanemoto fizzled out completely, the black smothering cloud forced its way into the soul's chest, vanishing from sight with seemingly nothing else happening.

For a second.

"AHHHHHHHH-" A screech unlike anything his fellows had ever heard before erupted from the soul. Not from his mouth, but from his very depths. But the wail of despair, agony, and terror did not last, as Kanemoto's chest, then head, and the rest of his body got sucked into a dark black maw in the shape of a snake's mouth that'd opened where his heart had been.

A shredding sound accompanied the disappearance as the very molecules that'd made up Kanemoto's existence were shredded down to the building blocks of their atoms by the conjured black hole.

Not even a quark of him was left behind as his original body turned to ethereal dust on the ground. Said dust vanishing from view before it could settle on the floor of the cave.

The black maw then closed, letting out a satisfied sigh before dispersing into mist and then disappearing completely.

In mere seconds, it was as if Kanemoto had never existed.

Which he no longer did, since Karn terminating the contract had just destroyed his soul.

Completely, and absolutely.

Unlike Kyo, there'd be no coming back for Kanemoto.

…

…

…

"..." Karn was expressionless for a moment more, staring down at the now empty spot in front of him. His eyes hadn't moved from the contractor's death whatsoever.

Karn wasn't naive enough to believe he himself wasn't rotten to the core. He was just more aware and accepting of that fact than these contractors. Even after witnessing the brutal soul death right in front of him, he felt nothing but cold hard satisfaction at what he'd done.

And he was going to enjoy what he was going to do next too.

Karn turned to the others with a grin. "Now that that's done, let's resume our annual review and see what the rest of you have managed to accomplish.

"I'll determine whether I'll need to perform further downsizing afterwards or not."

It was only then that the four idiots left trembling in terror on the heated floor of the cavern all realized how much they'd all collectively &%$#$ up.

The bitter cold outside would become preferable to what they were put through in that sweltering cavern soon after.

"Ehehehe! Which one is this Sir Motoyasu?!"

"This one? Hmmm, I think I remember it being called the Pengu in Emerald Online." Motoyasu answered the tiger girl sitting on his shoulders with an enthusiastic smile.

Atla had expressed interest in the totems surrounding the hero tablet, the animals comprising them to be specific, once Motoyasu described what they looked like. And since she couldn't see them, she had requested for the Spear Hero to give her a lift, so she could feel out the totems' contours with her hands.

The Spear Hero and the two girls with him had switched to a more casual attire. In Motoyasu's case it was a light orange t-shirt and a pair of red shorts, as well as sandals.

The tiger girl sitting on his shoulders was wearing a cute white summer dress with blue highlights that left her shoulders bare. She also had on a straw hat that hid her ears. Elena had apparently helped to pick the clothes out for her on short notice.

Which was strange, considering her usual cool indifference and even mild annoyance when Keel would show up with similar requests.

"Were they called that for the same reason as the other two?" S'yne's doll floated up next to Motoyasu's side curiously. The quiet girl appeared at his side right after with an interested expression on her face.

The Otherworld Hero was dressed in a white baggy hoodie, with a pair of black shorts shorts showing off most of her thighs. On her feet was a pair of black shoes with thick heel supports.

This was obviously not part of Elena's stockpile, but rather something that the Sewing Kit Hero kept in her weapon's gem.

Motoyasu had no idea how S'yne had been introduced to modern fashion or if it was just the norm in her old world. But he thanked whichever God/Hero/Deity was responsible for her fondness of short shorts, because DAMN! he was a leg man at heart and S'yne's legs were the most glorious thing on her body ever, I say!

Atla glared down in S'yne's direction. She couldn't see what the older girl was wearing, but she could definitely tell the creepy stalker was trying to seduce Sir Motoyasu!

Like there was any way in hell she'd allow that to happen while she was around! Truce or not!

"Why do you think they were called the Pengu, Sir Motoyasu?!" Atla asked loudly, grabbing the blonde man's attention when he was taking too long to respond to S'yne's prior inquiry.

"Huh? Ah, well, since it looks very similar to an animal in my world called a penguin. Yeah, I find it likely a past Hero named it just like the other two." Motoyasu said happily.

Atla stuck her tongue out at S'yne victoriously. The girl, however, simply smiled and didn't acknowledge the young girl's outburst as her doll floated up next to her head.

"What are penguins?" S'yne asked instead, one of her hands grabbing onto Motoyasu's.

YES! OH GODS SO MUCH YES! Motoyasu had to fight to keep a mad grin from coming onto his face.

"Oh, they are these funny little birds who live waaaaay out south on the glaciers in my world." Motoyasu started.

He went on for a while about what he knew about them whilst Atla began to pout at the older girl's success in seizing Moto's complete and devoted attention from her. She'd pulled her hands back from the totem at this point.

She knew S'yne wasn't really interested in the animal, as she hadn't been interested in the Squirely or Inult totems either. The seamstress just wanted an excuse to keep the Spear Hero talking so she could enjoy holding his hand and hearing his voice!

Well Atla saw right through her little trick, because the hakuko girl didn't care about these animals either! She'd only requested to be lifted on Moto's back so she could feel up the totems for herself while enjoying being so close to Sir Motoyasu! So take that, creepy stalker girl!

"Oh, right!" Motoyasu suddenly said. "Now that you've felt what they look like, do you want me to set you back on the ground, Atla-"

"NO!" Atla hugged Motoyasu's forehead tightly. "I'm just fine staying here on Sir Motoyasu's shoulders!"

…

Motoyasu raised an eyebrow to S'yne, who giggled in response. "I guess Atla really likes piggy back rides." Her doll suggested.

"Hahaha, is that right?" Motoyasu laughed. "Why don't I give you a piggyback ride at the beach later. How's that sound?"

Atla opened her mouth to protest, but then thought about it. Would she rather be on his back here, where all he could do was hold hands with S'yne, or on the beach, when S'yne would likely be changing into-

"Fine." Atla was still pouting, but she didn't resist as Motoyasu set her on the ground again.

Her legs shook only slightly before she straightened out. Motoyasu was surprised at how 'quickly' she'd improved physically. But grateful nonetheless for the miraculous aspect for her recovery.

"Where to now?" S'yne asked.

"Let's see…" Motoyasu thought to himself. He'd ended up going to the Hero's Tablet first since he needed to store it in his weapon, per Raphtalia's request. And he'd then been sidetracked by the pair of girls asking about the island's extinct inhabitants.

This outing was a bit of a spontaneous decision on the Spear Hero's part, when he learned that Naofumi wanted him to tag along to Cal Mira. The trio had enough time to pack some casual clothes and even swimsuits, but this was Motoyasu's first time actually being on the archipelago at the southern coast of Melromarc.

Sure, he remembered the general layout of the area from Emerald Online, but he was no longer stupid enough to think that everything would line up exactly.

Time to improvise then.

"Are you two hungry?" Moto asked.

"No." "Nope."

…

Alright, so not something involving food yet. Uh…

Swimming- no, wait, his heart wasn't ready yet. If he saw S'yne in a swimsuit right now...

Yeah, no, that'd just make his nose bleed. Way too dangerous territory to venture in right now. What else then…?

Oh, he knew! Cal Mira was famous for its Hot Springs! That was the whole reason why Ren was here! It'd be simple to visit Count Hadenburg and get one booked for-

'Ahhn~'

Within Motoyasu's mind, a disturbingly detailed picture of the Sewing Kit Hero had manifested. She was resting against the edge of one of the hot springs in the nude and letting out a short, breathy groan of satisfaction at the feeling of the hot mineral water on her skin.

Slap!

Motoyasu forcibly smacked himself hard enough to make his head swerve to the side, startling the two girls with him.

"Wah! Sir Motoyasu! What's wrong!?" Atla raised her voice in panic at the weird and uncalled for bout of self-harm. S'yne looked concerned too, despite not saying anything.

"No worries, girls! Just a mosquito! Ah ha ha!" The Spear Hero laughed it off jovially.

No, bad Motoyasu! That'd be even worse than seeing S'yne in a bathing suit! And Atla would be in there naked with her too! Not that he was interested in the young tiger girl, I say, it'd just be weird!

Anyway, stop thinking with your lower brain for a second and come up with a good idea already you blonde idiot!

"A mosquito...?" S'yne asked, sounding unsure. A sweatdrop had formed at the side of her head.

"I don't sense any mosquitos here." Atla echoed the Sewing Kit Hero's confusion, focusing inward to see if she had missed them somehow with her mind's eye.

"..."

"..."

"We probably should have planned this out a little better, huh?" S'yne spoke again after another awkward pause.

"..."

"..."

"Yea, sorry, this is my fault. I just saw an opportunity and jumped at it without thinking." Motoyasu sighed in admittance after a while. "I have no idea what to do here."

"Well… it's not a bust yet. This place does have a lovely atmosphere." S'yne said reassuringly. She then had a thought. "When was the last time you did something to relax that wasn't related to improving your skills, helping others out, or saving the world?"

…

Again, Motoyasu was silent for a moment, trying to think about it. He could have sworn he'd be able to come up with something on the spot that they could all do. Rachel and Gar's wedding preparations. The castle celebrations after the Waves. The… um… the Arena… uh…

Oh, wait! He'd just had that bar crawl with Sadeena and Larsa- aaaaand nope. Atla was definitely way too young to drink. And that kind of thing was best done in moderation… and with those used to drinking like that. S'yne did not come off as that kind of person to him.

Should he ask- no, no. Better to save it for later, after Sadeena returned.

Should he think further back? He was sure there were times when Myne was in his party and- blech, was he really thinking about that redheaded whore again?!

Urgh! Screw that bitch!

…

…

"It's been a while since you've just been able to be a normal person, hasn't it?" S'yne asked tentatively after observing Motoyasu go through a variety of emotions and thoughts. Despite none of them showing up on his face, the Sewing Kit Hero could discern them through the blonde's expressive red eyes.

"... Yeah. Yeah. It has." Motoyasu rubbed the back of his neck. Thinking about it, he really didn't know what people did to relax in this world, outside of parties or bar crawls.

The thought was very sobering. Had it really been that long since he last had 'fun'? Or were those times just not memorable to him in the present? "Did the uh, 'Armor Hero' suffer from that too?"

"He did." S'yne nodded, recalling some more bits from her past. "It was hard for my sister to get him to slow down and enjoy life after he was committed to saving the world. He was kind, but took his duties too seriously, and he… well, he became a little awkward around her from what I saw."

…

S'yne sighed, before forcing a smile again. "I don't think me and Atla would mind if we just wandered around town together with you. We don't have to do anything in particular.

"We'd just appreciate getting to spend time with you, Moto."

…

"... it would be more fun than just standing here." Atla said after a moment of thought, agreeing with the words from the silver-haired girl's doll.

"... … …" Motoyasu slowly smiled again. A date without any planning involved whatsoever. Sure, why not?

He changed his legendary weapon to the Toothpick Spear, before putting it on the back of his right hand where it'd be out of sight. "Alright. Let's give it a try then." He held his hands out to the two girls.

Smiling, Atla took hold of his left hand while S'yne gripped his right. And together, they walked back into the streets of the resort town.

The group of three found an open toy shop while wandering the streets, which S'yne immediately dragged them into, citing her want to seek sources of inspiration for her own dollmaking.

Motoyasu thought, what the hell. He still had an inner child in him and went inside to see if there was anything interesting there. He had the perfect excuse with Atla being there too. She'd missed most of her childhood thanks to her illness, so surely it'd be alright to grab her a toy or two to make up for it?

Pengu Mascot Doll: Quality: Average

Price: 50 Silvers

What Motoyasu found on display, however, looked to be for young kids of rich folk or nobility. The prices on some of this stuff was insane!

Motoyasu grimaced as he examined the prices on a display holding nothing but balls like the one Raphtalia kept on her nightstand. He'd seen accessories worth less than these!

"Hello there lass! You look like someone who'd love playing with this!" The shopkeeper appeared suddenly, offering something to the hakuko girl. He wasn't very impressive looking, being of average height and build, looking to be in his mid to late forties based on the small amount of gray in his hair.

"Oh?" Atla reached out with her hands, taking the offered item from the guy and examined it with her fingers.

It was a stuffed black dog toy wearing a cute red collar with a metallic tag that had the name [Bruno] engraved on it.

Motoyasu looked at the price tag on it, and nearly choked on his tongue.

Inu Mascot Doll (Limited Series): Quality: Average

Price: 5 Gold Coins

What kind of price gouging was this?! Was this made out of activation event boss monster materials?! That could be the only reason for such an outrageous price! What the hell?! He finally had some spending money after Zeltoble, but this was ridiculous!

Motoyasu could buy five monster eggs from Beloukas at that cost! He could buy food for all the current residents in Lurolona for a week! He could-

"We'll be fine." S'yne appeared, her doll speaking icily before she took the stuffed dog away from Atla and roughly shoved it back into the shop owner's hands.

"A-A talking doll?!" The man sputtered in surprise.

S'yne ignored his outburst, however, as she grabbed the confused Atla by her hand and began to lead her away. "Come on, Atla. I can make you a better toy than any of the garbage being shown here."

"W-what!? Garbage!? How dare you?!" The shop owner puffed up angrily. Who cared if a doll was talking or not, those were fighting words!

"Yes, garbage. Because none of these are real toys." S'yne paused, grabbing a different stuffed doll from a nearby display. This one was made in the likeness of a squirrel.

She then gave it a stiff squeeze with her hand, and immediately, the seams on it came undone as some of the threads tore apart or got unwound completely. "The material is cheap and awful to the touch. The needlework is terrible and the threads are even worse!

"What is this crap? I'd be surprised if this toy lasted for more than a day in the hands of a child! And you're charging 50 Silvers for it!?"

"Silence, woman! I am Roberto, the best toymaker on Cal Mira! I'll have you know that my wares are popular even among the children of the mainland Melromarc nobility! I even have a contract with Zeltoble lined up to ship our island's mascot series to Siltvelt here soon!" The shop owner argued back, turning red in the face.

"You're a fraud, a sham and a failure." S'yne cut the man off without mercy. "If you are the best toymaker on this island, then I feel sorry for all the children living here as well as the ones whose tourist parents you tricked into buying your garbage.

"I am a toymaker too. And I can make something a million times better than this trash out of scraps!" S'yne boasted before tossing the doll back on the shelf.

She then turned to the door as the man sputtered again in anger. "Come on, Motoyasu. I'm done with this place."

"Wh-Wh-Where do you think you're going, woman!? You've just ruined one of my prized Squirelly mascot dolls! You are not going anywhere until you pay for it, or I'm calling the guards!" The shop owner resumed his heated shouting as he grabbed the ruined doll and shook it in front of him, making the stuffing spill out from the numerous holes that had opened up on it.

"Oh, is that it?" S'yne turned around again, looking down at the man like he was walking garbage. "Fine, give me that!" She then snatched the doll from the shop owner's hands and reached into her pocket, pulling out a shiny needle with a miniature gemstone set in the middle, some fabric scraps, and a spool of black thread.

She then threw everything except for the needle in the air and her arms and hands turned into a blur of motion for a couple seconds.

In that short time frame, the squirrel doll became completely undone and was resewn and re-stuffed from scratch before landing on S'yne's outstretched hand, reborn anew and better than ever.

The material comprising its fur was still rather shoddy, but the squirrel's form had become rounder, more friendly, and approachable. Its expression now projected childish joy and wonder instead of dull blank indifference. It's tail had become much fluffier too and with a more distinct and cool bend at the end. The stitches were all ironclad and practically invisible and the stuffing redistributed and added in certain places to make the doll softer and more pleasant to hold.

"Here is your trash back. I tried my best, but there's only so much that can be done with junk like this." S'yne shoved the Squirrel doll back into the hands of the now stunned shop owner.

The man tentatively ran his hand over the toy's head and examined it from every angle with bewilderment in his eyes.

"H-how? It's so-, but-?"

But S'yne had already led Atla out of the store by that point and was giving the Spear Hero a meaningful look.

Motoyasu gave the shop owner an awkward smile and a reassuring pat on the shoulder, before leaving after the two girls.

…

After they'd walked a dozen feet away from the establishment, Motoyasu finally opened his mouth. "S'yne, um, no offense, but uh-" He was going to ask what the hell happened back there. Before he could though.

"Atla, any toy you want, I'll make it for you." S'yne promised. "And Moto will help too, right?"

"Of course!" Motoyasu immediately agreed. Then he nearly stopped, wondering what the hell he'd just promised out of nowhere.

But then, seeing how happy both girls looked at the words spoken, he decided to let it go and continue with what they were doing.

"That man is crying now." Atla suddenly pointed out and turned her head back at the closed door of the shop. Her smile had quickly vanished as guilt began to appear on her face.

"He better be." S'yne's expression had also returned to a more stiff neutral look. "I can't stand people like that. He obviously must have had some form of competence in his craft in the past to get a store open, but it has long since deteriorated as he grew complacent and lazy.

"Too many people climb an anthill and announce to the world how they've conquered a mountain. Never trying to get better afterward. Never growing or improving. Just falling victim to entropy and decay as what little success they managed to find slowly falls apart and drifts away as they do nothing with themselves except milk their rapidly dwindling past achievements."

"I can't stand individuals like that!"

…

…

S'yne paused in her tracks, her face turning red as the doll next to her spoke again in a less tense tone. "Oh. Sorry. I caused a scene, didn't I? And on our first date too..."

"It's fine, don't worry about it." Motoyasu shook his head quickly. "Even if his toys weren't shoddy, he was still charging way too much for them."

"They were kind of bad..." Atla deadpanned before taking her eyes away from the door at last. She did not have many memories of toys from her early childhood, but she could confidently admit that her mini Bubba doll that was currently valiantly guarding her new nightstand full of sweets felt much nicer to hold.

And it smelled strongly of Sir Motoyasu too.

Motoyasu said nothing to that, his mind instead preoccupied with what S'yne had been ranting about earlier, before she forcibly cut herself off.

'Wasted potential, huh...?'

He briefly wondered if he was living up to his. He certainly wasted a lot of time early on. Was this what Itsuki was feeling too?

...

Well, regardless, even if the toys were bad, he still felt bad for the shop owner, who he could hear sobbing inside his store as the group moved on with their day.

"Sir Motoyasu, right here?" Atla asked.

"No, just a bit more to the left- sorry, my left, your right." Motoyasu quickly clarified.

The tiger girl's tongue stuck out to the side. She'd already messed up several times before now, but she slowly placed the bucket full of packed wet sand about where Motoyasu had wanted it in her mind's eye.

They were at the beach. They'd been walking along, enjoying the feel of the sand beneath their feet when Motoyasu had a brilliant idea. He remembered coming across some sand buckets and shovels while organizing his inventory a while ago. He then brought them out so the three of them could build a sand castle together.

Well, S'yne had backed off to build her own sand castle, leaving Atla and Motoyasu to make one together. But Motoyasu found it highly enjoyable doing it with Atla, even if she was having a bit of a harder time due to her being blind.

It brought back memories of when he was younger, and when he had the chance to do this with his parents on a beach. How long ago had that been?

Well, regardless of the intrusive thought, he'd already found out that the seawater was too cold to swim in, so they weren't going to use the swimsuits they'd packed for the date anytime soon.

"Here?" Atla asked again.

"Yeah, perfect!" Motoyasu praised her.

The tiger girl smiled, and as she pulled the bucket up, Motoyasu threw the finishing touches on the walls of their small fort.

It couldn't have been more than two feet high, with the walls around the main keep being little more than one feet slabs connecting towers that didn't look very well held together.

But even with all that in mind, Atla had made it despite being blind. That was an achievement in and of itself worthy of his praise and headpats, I say!

"Well done, Atla! It looks great!" Motoyasu grinned widely as he proceeded to headpat the tiger girl.

"Ehehehe!" Atla enjoyed the Spear Hero's hand on her head for all it was worth.

She turned in S'yne's direction, ready to gloat about how much better her sand castle was and that Sir Motoyasu was enjoying her hair more than he'd enjoyed the creepy girl's hand and-

Weird. Why was S'yne's aura signature ten feet off the ground?

"Oh, are you two finally done down there?" S'yne's doll asked smugly.

Motoyasu turned around as he stopped headpatting Atla, only for his eyes to bulge out of their sockets.

"DID YOU MAKE A SAND FORTRESS INSTEAD OF A SAND CASTLE!?"

S'yne grinned where she stood on the ramparts of her sand castle's wall, leaning over the edge of it to peer down. "Possibly." Her doll said smugly.

The wall she stood on stood eight feet tall and several feet thick behind a moat, which was filled with sea water. Behind it, a fifteen foot tall keep loomed high into the air. The towers on the four corners looked as good as those surrounding the Taj Mahal in the Spear Hero's world.

Motoyasu's stunned look turned into one of amazement. "That's so amazing, I say! How did you build it so quickly?!"

Instead of saying anything to answer, S'yne revealed the strings surrounding her, each one lifting up a different bucket or sand shovel into view.

SO COOL! SO SHE COULD USE THOSE STRINGS OF HER TO CONTROL MORE THAN JUST PUPPETS! TRULY SPECTACULAR, I SAY!

Beside him, Atla began to pout.

"It's still made of sand! It won't last long if I hit it!" The tiger girl got up, taking a running leap at the wall of sand that caused her hat to fall off.

"Wait, Atla, that isn't very nice-" Motoyasu began to move to stop her.

Pow!

Clearing the moat, Atla's glowing fist hit the outer wall.

The whole sand structure promptly collapsed, burying Motoyasu as he'd tripped into the moat in an effort to stop her.

Atla herself was only partially buried.

S'yne alighted on her feet next to the tiger girl who glared in challenge at her. S'yne's sand castle had been entirely leveled, leaving only Moto and Atla's structure standing.

"Ha, see, it didn't even hold up to one punch!" Atla smirked victoriously.

"Has Granny already started teaching you how to harness your Spirit Energy for attacks?" S'yne asked curiously, not feeling offended in the slightest at Atla's destructive childish outburst.

This caused the tiger girl's smirk to drop. "No, we just barely started with helping me to recognize my connection to my life force."

"... Heh. I can really see why she's taken such an interest in you now." S'yne smiled, patting the tiger girl on the head this time as she did so. The Bubba doll then floated close, carrying Atla's hat before gently setting it down on her head.

…

Atla stood there in confusion, wondering what was going on and why S'yne wasn't angry with her. But then…

"Pbbthh!" Motoyasu's head finally popped out of the sand, spitting it out everywhere.

"Ehehehe!" S'yne began to giggle upon seeing the Hero. And Atla, though she tried to continue glaring, couldn't help but giggle too.

"Ugh, can one of you help me out already?" Motoyasu complained. "You have no idea how hard it was to stay buried and not interrupt the bonding moment you two were having!"

"Wha- we were not bonding, Sir Motoyasu!" Atla yelled in embarrassment, her tail shooting up.

"Sure sounded like it from here." The Spear Hero grinned.

"I- Hmph!" Atla turned away, crossed her arms, and pouted. "Come on! I'll help you rebuild the castle to be even better than before!" She instead spoke to the older girl, who nodded her head with a pleased expression on her face.

"Uh, aren't you guys going to help me out first?" Motoyasu pleaded. Really, he was buried all the way up to his neck. He could hardly move!

But instead of giving him a response, the two girls left Moto buried in the sand a little while longer as they built a new and improved sand castle around him.

Had there been a competition going on, they would have definitely got first place.

The group of three eventually returned to the streets as the afternoon turned to evening.

S'yne and Atla had to clean sand off their hands and feet while Motoyasu needed a full body shower to get sand out of places where it didn't belong. Fortunately, he had another set of casual clothes stored in his weapon, which he was able to change into.

Even if it did feel like sand was still sticking to parts of his body. Would his defense stat prevent him from chafing? That'd suck if it didn't. Now he was remembering why he didn't like going to the beach that often.

It was mainly because of the swimsuits that it was ever worthwhile.

Because of how much time had passed, the group was hungry. But instead of going inside to one of the restaurants, S'yne pulled both Moto and Atla along toward a street that was full of food vendors who were out to offer goodies to the crowds returning from the beaches and other islands in the evening.

The silver-haired girl got something at almost every stall. Her doll doing the talking while she stuffed her face with whatever she got. This got her some weird looks from some of the vendors, but others were too excited by how much the silver-haired girl was spending to give a damn about her strange use of magic.

Sometimes, she remembered to give some of what she was buying to Atla and Motoyasu as they continued on. But a good portion of what she bought was consumed before they'd even gone more than a few stalls.

Wow, this girl could really pack food away when she was hungry! It made Motoyasu think of Filo, and the fact that both girls shared the same trait brought a cheerful smile to his face!

Eventually, they did sit at a table with what they had left. And S'yne was about to continue with her feast when Motoyasu put his hands together, having not eaten anything before that point.

"Itadakimasu." He said while bowing his head and smiling.

"Huh? What does that mean, Sir Motoyasu?" Atla asked curiously.

"It's the Japanese way of saying 'thank you for the food'." He explained with a smile. "It's something me and the other Heroes have been doing for most of our lives. Want to give it a try?"

Atla didn't even need a moment to think about it. She put her hands together, and then bowed her head like Motoyasu had done in her aura vision. "Itadakimasu." She repeated what the Spear Hero had said, with perfect pronunciation to boot.

"Perfect." Motoyasu smiled at her, causing the blind tiger girl to beam with pride, before he looked in S'yne's direction expectantly.

"S-Sorry." The girl blushed and looked away, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "It's been so long since I've seen it done."

"Wait, you already know about it? Did the Armor hero...?" Motoyasu started to ask, only to trail off.

"Yes…" S'yne looked like she wanted to say more, but instead, she clasped her hands together and bowed her head.

"Itadakimasu." She said with her own lips.

Afterwards, she ate slowly, looking more at peace as she did so. As if saying the one word had brought back a host of memories for her.

Atla wanted to feel jealous and cause a scene, but she'd sensed the sea of emotion behind the girl's real voice. The amount of weight behind her use of it here and now.

…

The sight brought a smile to Motoyasu's face, and the group of three proceeded to eat together in peace.

One of S'yne's hands resting in his under the table as they did so.

"Atla, you don't have to stand between us." Motoyasu pouted.

"Sir Motoyasu was holding hands the whole time we were eating. I have to do something to ensure Sir Motoyasu and cr- S'yne will behave." The pouting tiger girl walked between both Heroes, holding hands with both to ensure they wouldn't try to reach over her to continue what she'd discovered at the dinner table.

And to think she'd given the creepy stalker girl a pass while they were eating! She was insufferable, I say! Give her an inch and she'd take a mile!

She really was too much like Atla!

Motoyasu looked to S'yne, silently asking if the young tiger girl was being a little unreasonable. But S'yne was still smiling softly like before.

"It almost feels like we're walking our child together, don't you think?" S'yne's doll asked the Spear Hero.

"Pbbtth!" Motoyasu spat from first surprise, and then laughter. Ha, what a nice joke that was!

"Hey, I'm not a child! And I'm especially not your child!" Atla glared up at the Otherworld Hero.

"I don't know. Our hair colors are pretty similar, aren't they?" S'yne teased the girl with the same warm smile on her face as before. "Or maybe you'd prefer it if I was called your older sister instead?"

Atla opened her mouth to argue back but found herself unable to and instead just looked away in embarrassment. Her face was burning up and her heart was beating fast again for some reason.

How annoying! Ever since their talk at night, it was hard to deal with the stupid stalker girl. What was the deal with her? Atla was trying so hard to get under her skin this whole time but instead of getting mad, S'yne just kept giving her that weird creepy smile that made the tiger girl feel...

"Wah!~"

The hakuko was so deep in thought that she didn't notice a hole on the road right in front of her and tripped right over it.

"Whoa!" Motoyasu instinctively raised his hand which was gripping Atla's, as did S'yne, causing the tiger girl to get lifted in the air, instead of landing on her face.

"Ah." Atla's breath hitched in her chest at the sensation of her body being held aloft. But as soon as the sensation came, it passed as the two adults set her down on the ground.

"Atla, are you okay?" S'yne crouched by her with a concerned look on her face. "Sorry, we should have told you that there was a pothole ahead!"

"Ah, no, it's fine, I can see stuff like that around me with life force." Atla said.

"Really?" Motoyasu asked.

"Yeah, I just wasn't paying attention there, Sir Motoyasu..." Atla responded lamely.

…

"Well… Shall we continue then?" Motoyasu offered Atla his hand again, as did S'yne.

...

Atla hesitated for a moment but then nodded, giving a bright smile of her own as she grabbed the hands of the two adults again before they continued on.

…

…

Things were quiet for a few moments, but Atla then spoke up again. "Umm... can you... do that thing again?"

"Huh?" Motoyasu looked down in puzzlement which Atla matched.

"Where you made me fly for a moment, I mean." Atla mumbled quietly, her face growing rosy again. "It was a lot of fun."

"Oh? OHH! Ahahaha! Of course! S'yne, on the count of three?" The Spear Hero suggested.

The Sewing Kit Hero nodded enthusiastically in response.

"Alright then, on three! One."

"Two."

"Three! Upsy daisy!"

Atla felt her feet leaving the ground again, her body soaring up into the air. She laughed in joy as the same sensation from before appeared again.

"Again! Do it again!" She shouted needily.

She didn't land on the ground as Moto and S'yne swung back, and then forward, bringing her even higher into the air. Atla laughed and laughed as this continued.

Even if it was not very far, she felt butterflies in her stomach as well as an overwhelming feeling of joy, which made her burst out in a fit of giggles.

The three of them might have looked like a young family to anyone passing by, but Motoyasu couldn't have cared less.

This… this was wholesome. This was fun.

…

And this was what he'd needed too.

The Spear Hero sat on a lounge chair at the beach, looking at the coming sunset.

"Did you have fun today?" S'yne's doll asked where it floated next to his head.

The seamstress herself was sitting in a chair next to him on his left. Atla had the last laugh in their 'battle' however, by falling asleep next to Motoyasu on his chair with her head resting on Motoyasu's lap.

She wasn't faking it though. She'd managed well today with the physical exertion, but she'd really tired out at the end after playing around so much with both S'yne and Sir Motoyasu. Playgrounds might not have existed in this world before the Hero's Nation, but they'd managed to have their own kind of fun even without that.

"Yeah, I had a lot of fun." Motoyasu admitted as he patted the tiger girl on the head. Atla purred happily in her sleep.

So cute. Atla wasn't even a cat demi-human, but how was she more adorable compared to Anya?

Maybe that'd change after she'd trained with Granny for a while. The thought made Motoyasu appreciative of the fact that S'yne had brought Atla along. Even if a part of him might have wished to enjoy having S'yne all to himself, having the younger girl along had made things more fun and enjoyable in its own unique way.

And delayed the inevitable of Atla turning into a miniature version of Granny.

…

He… really hoped the young girl would pace herself. Now he was getting to understand in part why Naofumi felt guilty for taking Raphtalia's childhood away from her. Except this was Atla's personal choice on the matter. Something she'd made explicitly clear when Motoyasu found her in the morning training with the kung fu Granny.

But even knowing that, she deserved at least a chance to experience a small portion of what she'd been unable to do for most of her life.

…

Realizing he'd gotten lost in thought, he turned to face S'yne, in case she'd said anything. But the girl wasn't looking at him.

The Otherworld Hero was smiling and facing the distant sun as its bottom touched the horizon.

The effect on the water was mesmerizing. The darkening blue of the ocean met with the orange lines dividing the sky. Cutting into the blue gradually fading in tone as the sun slowly sank.

Motoyasu turned his head away with a blush at how beautiful both the girl and the scene was.

When… had been the last time he'd sat down to do this? In all the many dates and outings he'd gone on with friends in his world, had he ever thought to do something like this with them?

Motoyasu couldn't recall. He'd seen sunsets before, but he never, you know, saw them. It was just something that happened before night. And yet, here with S'yne...

…

"... it's as beautiful here as it is in my world." S'yne spoke again, her voice staticing in and out.

"... you watched the sunsets there too?" Motoyasu asked as an ice breaker. Even if the girl's voice crackled in and out as she spoke, it held an emotional depth to it that her doll just couldn't fully capture.

Like trying to tune a radio to hear the goddess speaking on the other side.

"Yes, sometimes growing up. With my sister. Before… before the Waves." S'yne muttered softly.

…

The young girl's face fell. "Things were so much simpler back then. When it was just us."

"You didn't have parents growing up, right?" Moto asked, recalling some bits and pieces of their prior shorter conversations at their home.

"I... no." S'yne shook her head.

She opened her mouth to speak, closed it, then looked at her doll. Somehow, Motoyasu knew that she wasn't changing to it so he'd have a better time understanding.

It was because what she wanted to say was too painful for her to speak normally.

"They died when I was little." The doll spoke in a passive, dead tone. S'yne wasn't in any effort to change its tone like she normally would. "I don't remember much about them. I know they were nice people. That they left us with enough to take care of ourselves when they passed.

"The majority of my life though, it was just me and my big sis. We…"

…

…

"... what about you? Did you have parents, Moto?" S'yne turned her head as the doll asked the question, abruptly changing the subject.

"Of course." Motoyasu smiled, deciding to not press the girl for further details on what she'd wanted to say. "What do you want to know?"

"What… what were they like?" S'yne asked.

And Moto answered, and then spoke more as S'yne listened.

Motoyasu described life with his parents. How they'd mostly been absent, but were nice people who worked a lot. Their jobs forced him to move around quite a bit whenever they were reassigned somewhere else in Japan.

The Spear Hero was worried about having to explain some of the nuances of living in a modern world, but S'yne readily understood most of what he had to mention when talking about the kind of lives he and his parents lived.

He paused to ask, and she shrugged and mentioned how her Hero brother told her and her sister a lot about his world in their downtime. He'd also had photos of his world and a fashion magazine with him when he was summoned. Both of which were shown to the two sisters, as well as the rest of their friends while the Armor Hero explained what was in them.

The volume covered that year's best summer season wear and that was how S'yne learned about Japan's modern fashion.

It didn't hurt how comfortable shorts were in general too, which was why S'yne was a big fan of them, even wearing a different pair with her usual outfit; although it was not immediately obvious there, due to how her dress extended down a bit.

'BRO! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!' The Spear Hero prayed for the soul of the departed hero in gratitude.

Other than that, Motoyasu told her what it was like as an only child who moved around a lot thanks to his parents. How he tried to make friends with lots of different people whenever he moved, though he never was able to get close with any of them for a variety of reasons. Including the fact that within a few months, he could be moving into yet another school district.

Even after he finally moved out of the house and settled into a college dorm, that style of life stuck to him. And he ended up spending a lot of time playing a game called Emerald Online since that allowed him to play with a group of people that didn't change as constantly as his life had over the years.

He'd gone on a lot of dates and made lots of friends. And yet…

"Your life before being summoned sounds like a lonely one." S'yne's doll said after a while.

"Yeah… yeah, it was lonely." Motoyasu admitted. "I think that's just another reason why I'm grateful to have been summoned here. Even if I have messed up a few times along the way… I finally have a home to settle down in. People I can serve and protect. Brothers I never knew I wanted. Friends and… maybe even someone who's a lot more than just a friend for me to care about."

It wasn't too early to admit that much on the first date, right?

…

Looking from the distant horizon, where the sun had long since vanished, to his side, Motoyasu saw S'yne blushing a bright red at his words. Her hands were covering her mouth, and he mentally facepalmed.

Crap. Maybe he'd gotten too comfortable with talking there. And here he'd been trying to take it slow-

"Thank you." S'yne's voice spoke, and then the rest came from her doll. "I haven't been in the Hero's Nation for that long. But…

"After years of wandering, I feel like I've found home again too.

"... and you were a big part in helping me to feel that way." S'yne's face lowered, but her hands moved away, revealing that while she was still blushing, she was smiling.

…

…

"Moto, your nose is bleeding." S'yne pointed out after a moment.

"Oh- OH!" Motoyasu put a hand to his nose and pressed down. Damn it, it'd just been too much adorableness for him to handle! Why did S'yne have to look so beautiful in the fading light of dusk?!

"Hehehehe." Giggling, S'yne took some cloth from her weapon, then leaned over and helped clean off his face and lips with it.

"Sowwy." Motoyasu grumbled out.

"It's fine. This doesn't ruin anything." S'yne continued to smile. "I'd say for a first date… this has been one of the better ones I've been on."

"Not the best?" Motoyasu asked.

"Close. But it was just me and the guy I was with back then." S'yne admitted before her face took on an apologetic look. "Thank you again for agreeing to take Atla along. I know this wasn't really what you wanted, but I made a certain promise with her and couldn't betray it."

"Oh?" Motoyasu quirked an eyebrow. "What sort of promise?"

"Can't say. It's a secret between girls." S'yne shook her head. "But I think you can tell that she appreciates you a lot."

"Haha. Well yea, you don't need to tell me that much. I'm not dense." Motoyasu chuckled as he ran his hand over the sleeping tiger girl's hair again.

"Though, to be perfectly honest, my reasons to bring her along aren't entirely selfless." S'yne's doll then added as the girl leaned back in her lounge chair to look out at the sea again. "I can't fathom what sort of nightmare she had to live through, but I at least know what it's like to lose your parents and to only have an older sibling to look out for and care for you."

"Like you did with your older sister?" Motoyasu asked, feeling his stomach turn as he recalled the details of the parting between her and S'yne that the girl briefly touched on before during her talk with Raphtalia.

The Sewing Tool Hero nodded while keeping her eyes on the horizon. "Yes... While I still don't understand why she did what she did, I cannot forget everything that she did for me.

"She basically had to be the mom for the both of us. When I was little, I was always upset at her for dragging me around with her everywhere.

"I wanted to be alone in my room most of the time. Working with fabric and thread since they were easier to deal with than people I didn't know or cared about.

"But now... I understand why socializing was so important to her.

"We're made up by our experiences and memories. And the greater the variety of them we have, the greater our understanding of the world around us is. And when we understand the world around us, it becomes easier for us to understand different people too.

"So... I figured I could at least keep that bit of good in the world going. What my sister did for me. Even if M-... she... doesn't care about it anymore.

"Atla desperately needs to experience the world around her now that she can experience it for herself. I want to help her to be able to do that as an older sister figure to her."

...

Motoyasu breathed in deeply, before moving his hand off the tiger girl's head and onto the arm of the girl sitting next to him. "S'yne... I'm not going to press for any details right now. To be honest, I'm impressed you shared so much with me and Raphtalia earlier. I feel like I've learned more about you today than I have in the past couple of weeks.

"I still don't feel like I have the whole picture yet... but I'm okay with that. Between your backstory, the wandering you went through, the, um... way you're able to use your pins." He grimaced.

S'yne grimaced as well. "I'm sorry again for not, um..." Her voice staticed out, and she sighed as her doll took over for her. "For not telling you about that sooner."

"It's fine. I'm grateful you did tell me. Honestly, having had time to think about it and after the day we had... I'm glad that if I had to have someone watching my back, it'd be you." Motoyasu told her gently with a smile.

"And... just know that when you're ready to share more about your past, about... your older sister, and the Armor Hero, and everything else you're not comfortable sharing right now... I'll be here, ready and waiting to listen." The Spear Hero told her with a smile.

The silver-haired girl blushed lightly at his response. And Moto moved his hand back to the tiger girl's head, thinking about what she'd said prior to his comforting.

"Also, what you did bringing Atla today, it's no problem, really." Motoyasu said, his hand idly resting on top of the hakuko child's head. "Your outview on this kind of puts my early life in a different perspective too. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all."

"It's just what I think. I don't know if I'm right or not. "Syne shrugged in her seat before smiling a little wider. "I was already presumptuous enough to trick Atla to come out here by suggesting that I'd be stealing you from her otherwise."

Motoyasu suppressed a chuckle at the ridiculousness of the notion. "I don't think she needs to worry about that. I don't leave the people I trust behind, unless they break that trust.

"Just know, Naofumi's the same way, so you should probably admit to him that you put a pin on Ren to keep an eye on him as well. And that said pin is how you and Atla teleported here before the anti-teleport field became active."

"I'll make sure to tell him." S'yne promised.

...

...

...

After another minute of watching the sea, the Spear Hero spoke again. "So... will there will be a second date-"

Instead of answering, S'yne leaned over and pressed her lips against the Spear Hero's cheek.

She leaned back into her chair. She was blushing profusely at the action, but looked incredibly happy.

…

…

…

…

…

YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Yep, it appeared that he'd done good. And after what S'yne had just did, Motoyasu was determined to not wash that part of his face ever again!

Gods, he just felt so happy right now! Was this what a healthy relationship was supposed to feel like?!

Atla who had woken up at some point during the conversation, but continued to pretend to be asleep, really wanted to do something at that moment. Maybe knocking the chair over or kicking up some sand 'by accident', but...

She just didn't have her heart in it for some reason. Maybe it was because of the admittance from S'yne. Or maybe it was because of the heavy, yet heartfelt conversation both individuals had shared...

She pouted again instead while staying still. There may be no rules in love and war but the tiger girl was no barbarian. The creepy girl won this round fair and square.

This just meant that Atla had to work even harder next time.

And thus, as the day at Cal Mira ended, the Spear Hero portaled home with the two girls.

Like his brothers, feeling happier about his progress and relationships than he ever had in his life.

"Thank you so much,"

"It's nothing. Stay safe out there."

"Seriously, thank you for helping us get here, Bow Hero."

"We would have never gotten past the destroyed lands without your guidance."

"Thank you, may the Gods watch over you."

…

Itsuki said nothing, merely nodding his head before the young couple holding a set of twins in their arms went through the gate of the town, disappearing into the streets.

The Bow Hero continued to say nothing as he secretly followed along the length of the wall. Watching the couple as they went down a side street, knocked on the door of a home, and got welcomed in by grateful relatives, relieved that their nephew, his wife, and their children had survived the Spirit Tortoise catastrophe.

They were amongst the lucky ones. Even though Itsuki had successfully guided this small family of refugees across the wastes, he'd spotted with his skills many of those who'd perished trying to traverse the changed landscape.

Patrols normally done by adventurers or soldiers to cut down the local monster populations weren't being performed often, if at all, due to the high casualty rate of the Spirit Tortoise's rampage. And while the giant monster had targeted both persons and monsters in its path of destruction, the monsters were the ones recovering and using the changed landscape to their advantage first.

Itsuki found a nest of spider monsters out in the open that'd been feasting on survivors trapped in silk cocoons. He had to direct the family of four a different way so they wouldn't come across it. And then he disappeared for a moment and slayed every last monster in the nest.

Unfortunately, while he'd slayed all the spider monsters and destroyed all their eggs, there'd been no survivors left in the silk cocoons for him to rescue. All he could do was cremate their remains with a fire skill and then move on after offering a short prayer for their departed souls.

As Itsuki sat in his spot, stuck on the memory, he automatically pulled his bowstring back, feeling the grip Naofumi had made in the Otherworld for him protecting his fingers as he sniped an unsuspecting monster in the darkness. An EXP notification came in right afterward telling Itsuki he'd killed it in one shot.

If only he could protect everyone here like Naofumi…

He should have been happy to have helped this small family, at the very least. But he didn't. It was partly his fault that he hadn't stopped the Spirit Tortoise in time.

A part of him knew he wasn't the only one to blame. That he and his brothers didn't even share that blame since Kyo had been the one to awaken the Guardian Beast. Yet he still blamed himself for their failure regardless.

Somebody had to shoulder that blame and atone for it, after all.

The empty void in his chest only felt more desolate and alone as the Bow Hero was left to his turmoil. He pulled a hood over his head and vanished back out into the darkening plains.

There were still people out there in need of his help. And there were plenty of monsters that needed to be slaughtered.

Itsuki continued to work, feeling no pleasure nor happiness as he focused on his duties as a Hero in this part of the world.

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

It'd been over a week since Naofumi and Itsuki had returned to their world.

Outside of the trip Naofumi took to Cal Mira on his younger brother's behalf, the Shield Hero didn't spend much of his time away from the territory the Hero's Nation covered. He'd only leave for hour-long intervals going to and from Cal Mira to bring the Sword Hero's party members over, and only when it was his turn to do so, since the job was handled between himself, Motoyasu, Raphtalia, and Aksel; who was later brought over so he could register a save spot after registering to the Hourglass.

This one hour interval also counted for whenever they had to visit Melromarc, mostly for class-ups at the Hourglass there. Raphtalia, true to her word, was helping to powerlevel many of her friends extremely quickly, to the point where townspeople needing to go for class-ups became a daily routine.

Like, it wasn't even a contest.

Filo and the others were able to powerlevel individuals as well, but Raphtalia was quite literally in a league of her own. Her massively increased stats as the Katana Hero with around twenty strengthening methods allowed her to take five kids at a time to a save spot she made in the nearby mountains and then go wild on the monster populations in the area, skyrocketing their levels to the level 40 marks in just two to three hours.

She did this twice a day. Sometimes three times depending on how many monsters she found in an area.

It didn't take long before all her old friends broke their level caps and Raphtalia and the others began powerleveling new members of the town or raising the levels of those becoming teens further.

Naofumi got to spend a significant amount of time helping out Garfield in the kitchen because of that. Those growing demikids/teens became bottomless black holes that no amount of food could satisfy in order to fuel their growth. And he could only be thankful he had other things to do, otherwise, he would have been nothing but a cook during that entire time.

Besides the class-ups and cooking, Naofumi brought Beloukas back at one point to handle the crest issue for Itsuki's party, as well as the various new arrivals to the nation. Gods, no wonder the village had turned into a town so quickly. It felt as if all the refugees in the world were running to the Heroes' doorstep since his return.

That was an exaggeration. But it was a sizable amount.

Apparently, Melty was now having to house most of these individuals in Seaetto since Lurolona was full. They were going to need something for these people to do. If their nation continued to grow too quickly, they wouldn't be able to support everyone outside of their food needs.

Right, he'd also gotten an introduction with Rat. She seemed like a decent person, if maybe a bit too obsessed with her work. But that was a good thing for them all right now, since it was only thanks to her doing so much work on the Bio-Plants that food shortages weren't an issue.

Anyway, outside of those little trips at the beginning or the end of the day, Naofumi was able to sit down and focus on quite a few different projects. From studying from the alchemy textbook Kyo left him, relaxing/playing around with his three daughters (consisting of petting Raph-Chan while watching Filo and Melty play), to working on accessories for Dou-Lon and Eclair.

He was happy to see whenever they interacted with each other that Melty was still wearing the necklace he'd made for her. And according to Filo, Melty's magic power had gone up a lot from it. Like, a lot a lot.

It still wasn't close to what Filo or those with Hero Service Crests could pull off with the young girl's level of training, but the gap wasn't large anymore. And it'd only continue to shrink as Melty made use of Fitoria's Growth Revision ability, whenever the Royal was in town, to sacrifice some levels to shore up her magic stats a little more.

Was Naofumi going to have to make such masterwork accessories for everyone?! If it did this for her, then he'd really need to consider it. If only it hadn't taken him weeks of careful work, otherwise, he would seriously consider it.

Naofumi also spent some time with Granny, showing the old woman what he'd learned in the Otherworld. She, in turn, started him on some new training she was developing on some defensive techniques she'd 'learned' recently, whatever that meant.

Naofumi was smart enough not to prod in the old lady's business more than necessary. And the only other thing he noted about Granny was that she often had Rishia with her. The girl looked less desolate than before, but still did not talk much unless spoken to.

There'd been no word of the Bow Hero's whereabouts since Fitoria last found him. All they could do was hope he was alright.

…

Beyond that, the Shield Hero continued with the basics of spending time training with his weapon, using the strengthening methods the best he could, gaining EXP from the people in his party grinding monsters near Lurolona, and unlocking lots of different equip bonuses for weapons to keep adding to his stats.

It felt nice to be preparing for something at a semi-leisurely pace, even if that something was a giant fire bird that'd be even tougher to kill than the Spirit Tortoise. Hopefully, once the demikids/teens in the town were finished with their growth, he could spend less time cooking and more time helping Raphtalia and the other Heroes to raise their levels past 110. Unless they figured out Naofumi's strengthening methods before then.

Something neither Hero had any clue on how to do so far.

According to what he and Motoyasu had discussed about the Phoenix and comparing it with the Tortoise, they as Heroes were going to need to be at least that level to go toe to toe with the Guardian Beast itself, and even with all the growth boosts, the members of the town would need to be past level 80 in order to have an overwhelming advantage against the familiars it'd unleash. Thankfully, it was still a long ways off.

And thus, at the start of the day, as his small family sat down for breakfast, Naofumi was prepared to continue what had become the normal routine for his family's life. A drone of monotony and steadily figuring things out that'd continue to march on until something exciting slammed the door down on them all.

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

Speak of the devil.

"Oi! Is someone trying to break down the door?!" Naofumi yelled from in the kitchen, giving a stinkeye in the direction of the front room.

"It's a little early for anyone to be coming over. Filo, honey, could you answer it please?" Raphtalia asked their daughter kindly.

"Ehhhhh~!? But Filo's still eating!"

Raphtalia looked to Melty, but she was furiously writing away at all the different deeds and grants needed in the town of Seaetto right now, as well as approving new architect plans for some buildings to be built in the future as that'd been yet another person who'd moved in recently alongside everyone else. It was amazing the amount of work she could tackle now, but perhaps it'd help to hire her a secretary soon? Or a Council of people.

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

The pounding grew louder at the front of the house.

Naofumi tore his apron off and set it on the counter next to him. "It's fine, I'll deal with whoever's out there. Raph-Chan, keep an eye on those egg rolls. Don't let them burn."

"Rafu!" Raph-Chan, wearing a miniature chef's hat, saluted from her spot on the counter to her Daddy.

Even with the stress of the morning and the full day he had ahead of him, Naofumi smiled. He was going to need to allot more time to holding and petting Raph-Chan. He'd been doing less of that lately with how busy he was, and that was a crime against humanity I say!

With such bright thoughts, Naofumi walked over to his front door and opened it.

"Buurp! Ehehe! My, aren't you handsome-"

And immediately closed it.

…

…

"Naofumi, who was it?" Raphtalia called in the background.

"Don't know. Didn't ask." Naofumi deadpanned.

The strange woman, whoever it was, had been holding a wine bottle in one hand while the other had been gripping a strange looking harpoon with a double-pronged tip.

He didn't get a good look at her face, but he assumed she was nothing but one of those adventurer scamps who wanted to get in the pants of a Hero.

Those had also been amongst some of the 'refugees' coming to the Hero's Nation. Individuals who weren't actually refugees, but women seeking to add the bloodline of Heroes to their families. Something which had, thankfully, disgusted both him and Motoyasu.

Ha. No thank you. There was only one woman Naofumi wanted to have a child with at this point. And she was more than enough to make him happy.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

Only, the woman behind the door began knocking on it even harder than before. "Hey, nobody slams the door in Big Sis's face! Open up!"

"Thanks, but we're not buying anything!" Naofumi yelled through the door. So annoying, couldn't she just leave them alone already!? None of the other women were ever this pushy!

"But I'm not selling anything!" The woman outside yelled even more loudly. "Open up already before Big Sis knocks this door down!"

Gods damn it, was she trying to create a scene?! It was too early in the morning for Naofumi to deal with this &%^$!

"Raphtalia, can you deal with this stranger?!" Naofumi turned around completely and called for his wife friend. "I don't want to whip out my Cursed Series to beat up random drunkards!"

"Sure, just give me a-" Raphtalia began to stand.

POW! "RAPHTALIA'S HERE!"

Because Naofumi had been completely turned around, he was unable to react. The door behind him was blown off its hinges, slamming into the Shield Hero's back and flattening him to the ground, nearly knocking him out in the process.

This seemingly impossible feat was, in fact, possible at this very moment thanks to two factors. The fact that Naofumi had a very weak weapon form equipped so he could unlock its equip bonus, making his defense much lower than normal. And the fact that the woman who'd knocked down the door just now was level 80 and had Growth Revision and a Hero's Service Crest helping her out.

In short, she very easily outclassed Naofumi's current weaker defense stat when she smashed the door off its hinges in her mad dash to get inside.

He was still conscious. But Naofumi was left with a nasty bump on the back of his head that had him groaning in pain.

"Wha- who are you!?" Raphtalia snarled as she immediately placed herself between the table her kids were eating at, and the woman who'd just broken down the front door of her home. Her katana was drawn, and waves of power came off her threateningly.

Filo looked surprised by the turn of events, but Melty was so engrossed in her paperwork that she didn't even raise her head up to look at what was going on.

Before anyone could make a move, Sadeena's eyes fell upon the half-tanuki woman. Her eyes widening in awe as she stood up straight.

She didn't look threatened by the powerful aura coming off the half-tanuki. She didn't even appear to be focused on that aspect of her.

"Raphtalia… so it's true." Her upper lip quivered.

"You really have grown up."

Raphtalia's scowl didn't vanish. "Again, who the hell are you, and why did you break into my house?!"

"Ughhh…" Naofumi groaned beneath his front door. His head poked out from the front of it. He felt as if he'd gotten a concussion.

"I…" The woman almost reached a hand forward, but then looked down at said hand.

Her human hand.

…

"... I… forgot… Big Sis never did show you her human form, did she?" The woman hung her head sadly.

Raphtalia's eyes narrowed, the words not really reaching her mind. But upon seeing the Shield Hero slowly extracting himself from under the door, and the woman not making a move to attack her or him, her scowl relaxed a little.

However, her blade remained pointed at the unknown individual as she set the bottle in her hand on the floor next to her. Her weapon was also set against the wall, leaving her unarmed.

"... again, who are you? And why are you here?" Raphtalia asked one more time, in a calmer tone compared to before. Maybe there was curiosity as well, since the woman's voice, now that she was listening to it, sounded familiar.

Sadeena sadly smiled, holding her hands out to her sides. Instead of answering, she changed to her therianthrope form.

Raphtalia gasped as the over seven foot tall, muscular figure replaced the woman in front of her. Had she not been a Hero, her weapon would have dropped from her hands. But after the gasp, tears appeared in the half-tanuki's eyes.

Raphtalia's body shook as she took one step forward. Then another.

"It's me. Sadeena. Hi, Raphtalia." The orca woman finally answered, tears falling from her beady eyes.

Naofumi groaned again as he sat up, rubbing the back of his head. He turned to glare at the orca woman who'd busted said door down, but before he could say anything, Raphtalia dashed past him, tears running down the sides of her face.

"SADEENA!"

The half-tanuki woman glomped the therianthrope woman so hard that they flew out the front entrance together.

Naofumi, still suffering from a possible concussion, changed to a stronger weapon form. He downed a Healing Potion to fix his headache as he rushed outside. Anger on his face, and readying his skill list on his HUD so he'd be ready to assist his wife friend with beating this stranger up.

…

Imagine his confusion as he came to a halt on his porch, the half-tanuki woman on the ground in front of the house. Arms locked around the larger therianthrope woman, and sobs wracking through them both.

"Big Sis, I missed you so much!" Raphtalia cried. "Don't you ever leave us again! You hear me?!"

"Don't worry. Big Sis isn't going anywhere again anytime soon. I promise."

"... … … Huh?" Naofumi stood there in confusion as the glowing skill he had prepared vanished from his Shield.

Both women weren't saying anything now. Yet even though she was crying, his wife friend looked incredibly happy.

…

"Oh, it looks like Sadeena's back." Melty spoke from beside the Shield Hero after she and Filo walked up to the entrance.

"What… wait, that's…" Naofumi looked from his third daughter to his wife and the therianthrope woman again.

"Yeah. Um, I'm sorry I didn't describe her before now. I assumed you and Raphtalia would recognize her." The bluette looked down in embarrassment.

…

It finally clicked… or maybe the potion had finally healed the brain damage he'd taken from the door smashing into the back of his head.

"... it's fine, Melty." The Shield Hero shook his head, before patting the bluette's hair gently. "Let's cut breakfast short for now. You and Filo should go play outside for a bit."

"Ehhh? But Filo isn't finished yet!" The blonde filolial complained.

"We'll cook up an extra big brunch together later to compensate. Now hush." Naofumi waved her off.

The prospect of cooking together with her dad again seemed to pacify Filo easily enough, but Melty still looked unsure.

"But what about-" She began to say as she glanced at the pile of paperwork on her spot at the dinner table.

"I'll finish signing off and stamping them for you. I'll deliver them to Seaetto afterward too, so you don't have to." Naofumi promised, before giving her a small smile. "That sound alright?"

"... ok." Melty smiled brightly.

"Come on, Mel, let's go to the beach!" Filo quickly began to pull on her best friend's hand.

"Ehehehe!" Like a speeding bullet, the bluette was dragged away and then dropped on Filo's back as she quickly transformed into her queen form and ran off.

Naofumi looked after the two for a moment with a smile before glancing back at the entrance of their house and being reminded of its state and missing door.

'I'm going to have to spend time replacing that. Fuuuuuu…'

"Mmmmm, th's 's sooooo yummy!"

"Oi, no talking with your mouth full." Naofumi snapped.

"Aw c'me 'n. 'M not s'me 'id."

"... Raphtalia." Naofumi looked to his wife friend for help.

"'t leas' she a'reed to n't b'ing w'ne to th' tab'e, d''r." The heroine shrugged, her mouth similarly full. Then, as she swallowed, she gave Naofumi a teasing look as Sadeena swallowed and gasped opposite her.

"Raphtalia, I could have sworn Big Sis taught you better manners than that!"

"I distinctly remember you teaching me the opposite." Raphtalia replied, a teasing smile on her face. "Or have you already forgotten about how mom scolded you that one time?"

"It wasn't a scolding!" The orca woman bristled in her seat, before looking embarrassed. "She was just disappointed in me."

"You're right. Mom being disappointed was even worse than whenever she gave me or you a scolding." Raphtalia smiled.

"Pbth! I don't ever recall you getting scolded for anything!" Sadeena pouted.

"That's because I was a good girl who wasn't brave enough to get into trouble without help from her Big Sis." Raphtalia winked.

"Damn right!" Sadeena laughed as she took another bite of her pancakes. Which did have her shaking in her seat with ecstasy, alongside the egg rolls.

Just who had made these delicious creations?! Her taste buds could sing praises for all the food she was tasting here!

"Why can't I wash this down with my last stash of Faubley wine?! Do you know how little I've been drinking this last week?!"

"Because I said so. I don't want my reunion with you being ruined because you got drunk." Raphtalia deadpanned.

"Pretty please!"

"Rafu!"

PET! PET! PET! PET! PET!

Naofumi said nothing as he pet his second daughter more aggressively under the table.

A new front door was up, no thanks to him. It'd only taken his weapon a moment to autocraft it, as well as the hinges and screws he'd needed. In that time though, the Shield Hero and Raph-chan had finished the egg rolls and pancakes that were supposed to be Filo's seconds. Just in time for a very happy Raphtalia to walk in together with her big sister Sadeena, who had transformed back into her human form.

He was happy that his wife friend was happy, don't get him wrong. It was like some veil of sadness or regret that'd hung over his closest companion for the longest time had been ripped off in an instant. Seeing Raphtalia reunited with at least one member of her family was awesome and awe-inspiring in so many ways.

"Please, just a sip Lil' Raphtalia? It feels so wrong not having a drink in my hand."

"No, we don't even have much alcohol in the town in the first place." Raphtalia shook her head.

"Ehhhhh!?"

But if Sadeena turned out to be nothing but an alcoholic adventurer that dressed in scantily clad clothes all the time, then Naofumi wasn't going to get along with her, at all.

He doubted that was all she was. Raphtalia would have never thought so highly of her otherwise. But she wasn't making a great first impression on the Shield Hero.

"Your friend's thinking something rude about me, isn't he?" Sadeena pouted in his direction.

Wha-

SERIOUSLY?! THEY'D JUST MET! HOW COULD SHE ALREADY READ HIS FACE?! WAS THIS WHERE RAPHTALIA GOT HER STRANGE MIND READING POWERS FROM?!

"Rafu! Raf Raf Rafu!"

Save him from this torture, all-powerful Raph-Chan!

PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET!

Raphtalia grimaced, and she nudged the orca woman's side. "Naofumi hasn't had the best experiences with alcohol, Sadeena. And in his defense, you did force our front door into his back."

"Sorry again about that." The orca woman grimaced. "I'll pay for the damage I caused."

"... I already fixed it. And I have plenty of wood stored in my weapon. So no harm, no foul…" Naofumi spoke calmly, though his eyes narrowed in her direction at the end. "As long as it doesn't happen again."

"Ehehe. Of course. Especially since Lil' Raphtalia's living here." The orca woman giggled happily. "I'm not going to do something to wreck her new home, after… well, enough of that."

Naofumi said nothing, and instead continued petting his daughter under the table.

Fortunately, Sadeena did quiet down, and they were able to have the rest of breakfast in peace.

Raphtalia continued having small talk with her older sister. Talking about her parents and memories they'd shared together when Raphtalia was a little child. Naofumi almost felt tempted to listen in to see if he could overhear some more embarrassing stories from his wife friend's childhood, only to think better of it and focus the majority of his attention on the daughter cuddling in his lap instead.

And afterward, as they finished their breakfast, Naofumi excused himself to go upstairs and study. He wanted to give his wife friend some privacy while being close enough to emotionally support her in case he was needed. They still hadn't had their weekly talk yet. It was starting to feel a bit overdue.

But at the top of the steps, Raph-Chan hopped out of his arms and pulled on his pant leg, stopping him and gesturing for him to listen in on the conversation taking place downstairs.

"You really do look so grown up, Raphtalia. More than just your looks, are… Are you really the same lil' one who couldn't talk about boys with her Big Sis a year ago?"

"Of course I am. Am I really that different?" Raphtalia asked, sounding embarrassed.

"... Raphtalia, I remember you couldn't even look at boys without an embarrassed blush covering your face. Now I see you flirting with a Cardinal Hero like you own the man."

"Well... Naofumi and I have gone through a lot together. We love each other and try our best to be there for one another.

"Not… not to say I blame you for anything, Sadeena. Please don't give me that guilty look. I know you must have a lot of questions for me, about what I went through, about what my life has been like and… well, everything.

"Just know, I consider my life to be a million, no, a billion times better since Naofumi is in it now. Everything I've had to suffer through before from losing our parents and being enslaved is meaningless compared to the happiness I feel whenever I'm with him and our family."

…

Below him, Raph-Chan nodded her head in approval. And Naofumi, despite himself, couldn't stop the smile from appearing on his face at the girl's words.

It was the same for him. Even if he had been ripped from his old life, despised by everyone in this world for a time, and beaten down physically, mentally, and emotionally; to the point that he'd rather kill himself than keep living: His life was a trillion times better with Raphtalia in it.

All that past pain at the start couldn't even hold a candle to what he had now.

He felt so happy, he almost didn't hear what the orca woman said next.

"Sniff, still, I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you."

As the orca woman burst into tears, Naofumi could hear it as Raphtalia got up and wrapped her arms around her big sister figure.

…

Naofumi frowned. He started to step forward, only for a paw on his ankle to stop him.

He looked down at Raph-Chan, and his daughter shook her head and gave him a reassuring smile. "Rafu."

Right. He didn't know the orca woman well enough to be of help. But Raphtalia did.

She could care for her older sis here.

…

"... the Shield Hero. Is he really against alcohol?" Sadeena asked after a moment.

Naofumi rolled his eyes. Perhaps it had been a good idea he didn't go down there.

"Rafu." Raph-Chan giggled to herself.

"Drinking it himself, yes. He won't interfere with you or anyone else though, so long as you behave."

Damn straight, Raphtalia.

"And honestly, after seeing the Sword Hero black out drunk a while back, I haven't really wanted to try much myself outside of a celebration or two." The half-tanuki then admitted.

"Oh come on, lil' sis. Big Sis can teach you how to drink in moderation now that you're an adult."

"Maybe some other time. I've got a family of my own to take care of, you know."

"You- you said that earlier, but does that mean you've already had a child since I was gone!? I didn't realize you and the Shield Hero had progressed that far!" The grown woman teased.

"N-No! It's not like that!- Well, not yet at least. We've been using protection so we won't have any kids-"

"WAIT! YOU'VE ALREADY LAID TOGETHER?!"

Naofumi couldn't help it as he smirked.

Now this was starting to get entertaining for him.

"I- yes, we have!" Raphtalia admitted. He could almost feel the heat of her blush from the top of the stairs.

"Rafufufufu." Raph-Chan rubbed her paws together eagerly. Now this was what she'd wanted to listen in on!

"Th-That's- But I haven't even had sex yet! Just who are you and what have you done to my Raphtalia!" The orca woman demanded.

"Wait- You haven't done it yet?!" Raphtalia asked in complete and utter disbelief.

"Of course I haven't! Do you take me to be some kind of harlot?!"

"Of course not! But everyone in town always assumed that you were meeting some guy on those long fishing trips of yours!"

"Ha! As if! It wasn't until recently that I found someone who- hey, wait a minute, I'm supposed to be mad about the fact that my Lil' Raphtalia made love before Big Sis did!"

"Is that really important right now?!"

"ABSOLUTELY! NOW GIVE ME ALL THE DETAILS! EVERY LAST ONE!"

Naofumi chuckled to himself. He shook his head and went to his room at the end of the hallway, closing the door and blocking out the rest of their conversation.

Ok, maybe his opinion of the orca woman was finally improving. But he needed to make himself look busy in case Raphtalia came up in the next few minutes.

It'd be a miracle if she lasted that long with the conversation she and Sadeena were having.

…

…

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Around thirty minutes later, as the Shield Hero managed to get his mind off earlier by practicing some more alchemy, a knock sounded on his door.

Naofumi poured the black remains of his failed potion into his Shield. Kyo had described in his notes that this particular concoction would permanently increase an individual's base strength stat. It was proving to be a real hassle to make though.

"Come in." Naofumi answered, expecting someone like Melty and Filo, or perhaps Dou-Lon or Eclair. Raphtalia never knocked, so he knew it wasn't her at the door to their bedroom.

The fact that she hadn't run to him after her convo with Sadeena was impressive. Where had she gone?

…

The door opened, then closed. "Shield Hero, do you have a moment?" Sadeena calmly spoke inside his room.

A frown appeared briefly on his face before the Shield Hero turned to face the orca woman. "Depends. Is it important?"

"It is." The orca woman nodded her head.

…

A moment later, Naofumi had all his alchemy materials put away, and he sat with his full undivided attention on the orca woman standing in front of him.

Unlike earlier, Sadeena wasn't holding her wine bottle. She was, however, holding her double-pronged harpoon again. And unlike the laidback person she'd portrayed herself as at the dinner table, she now stood tall. Her lightning blue eyes staring down at him with a coldness that made him rethink his opinion on her once again.

This woman felt dangerous, but for another reason entirely.

"You love Raphtalia, correct?" She asked.

"Yes, I do. What of it? Are you disapproving of her choice as the big sister?" Naofumi asked with narrowed eyes. Seriously, he swore, if he was going to have to fight for Sadeena's approval after spending so long avoiding annoying tropes in this world…

"... tell me, Shield Hero. How much do you love her?" Sadeena then asked.

"Yes." Naofumi replied sarcastically.

"... alright then. Would you, say, take on an army, or multiple armies, or even a nation if it was for her sake?" Sadeena pressed, ignoring his sarcastic remark.

…

It didn't take Naofumi long to think of his answer. He'd already had to confront Siltvelt about it once. And if they were ever stupid enough to be racist towards his wife friend again, he wouldn't give them another chance. Did Sadeena think that was going to happen again in the future or something?

"Yes." Naofumi repeated himself. But this time, with a determined tone. "Without hesitation."

"... … …" Sadeena stared at him, looking the Shield Hero up and down.

…

She didn't say anything for a moment. And Naofumi didn't speak as he finally stood up, appearing tall and confident like her.

"... know that if you break her heart,

"Big Sis won't hesitate to break your spine."

"I'd sooner throw myself off a cliff than do that." Naofumi again said in a deadpan.

The orca woman's eyes narrowed, staring into his as if searching for any sign of a lie.

…

…

Sadeena let the threatening air around her hang for a moment more, before she began to softly smile. The aura around her vanished like it'd never been there. "Damn, you really are made of stern stuff if that didn't even phase you. I know many gladiators who'd be pissing their pants after that."

"Do forgive me, but as the Shield Hero, you'd need to be a thousand times bigger, and be capable of firing powerful lasers that could destroy mountains before I would consider you life threatening." Naofumi spoke again in a deadpan.

"What about defense-piercing or defense-rating attacks?" Sadeena teased with a wink.

"Already learned how to deal with those." Naofumi crossed his arms, as if challenging her to take her best shot. His Shield also changed to the Black Tortoise Carapace Shield on his arm as he did this. "So unless you had another idea to level the playing field."

The orca woman giggled. "I don't. Besides, I don't think it's possible for my therianthrope form to grow that big anyway."

"But, perhaps with Motoyasu's guidance, I could make my magic powerful enough to blow up mountains in the future." Sadeena then smiled genuinely, her mind going to the Spear Hero.

She wondered how the blonde man was doing. She'd barely paused to say hi before when she came back to meet Fitoria and get her new Filolial Class-up before heading straight back to the monsters. She wondered if he'd be down for another bar crawl, or if he and S'yne had made any progress in their relationship.

If not, then perhaps she still had a chance to make love with someone she loved like Raphtalia had!

…

Seeing the look on her face, and how genuinely happy she was thinking about his older brother figure, it was as if something in Naofumi finally relaxed. Like, ok, she did dress in scanty clothes and was with him alone in his room, but he was confident that she wasn't going to make a move on him.

Not that he should have expected that, as he doubted this woman would ever want to do something that'd hurt her younger sister. And he definitely didn't want to do something that'd break his wife friend's heart. But it made him relax his guard somewhat around her.

"I think if things stay as they are, then it'll be safe leaving you two be. Just don't… do anything stupid with her, please." Sadeena said softly. "Raphtalia's the only family I have left… the only one I'd consider family, at the very least."

"Something I'm not allowed to ask about?" Naofumi let out a frustrated sigh. And just as his opinion of her was improving!

"Handsome, and smart. Raphtalia chose well." Sadeena nodded her head. "Perhaps another time, if it becomes important. I am very secretive when it comes to my past, and for good reason.

"But if you've gone that far and nothing's happened, then you two should be okay without me throwing on extra emotional baggage from a time before I knew Raphtalia's parents.

"Just warn me if you're planning to marry her. Legally, at least." Sadeena urged, her tone growing ominous for some reason.

Naofumi glanced at the door before responding quietly, seeing no reason to hide the obvious anymore. "Well, I am planning to propose soon, but the rings are still being made. Why? Is there a problem?"

"No, if it's just that, then we should be fine." The orca woman shook her head before swallowing hard and starting to awkwardly fiddle with the harpoon in her hands. "Although... asking lil' Raphtalia to become your concubine, instead of wife, could be worth considering. Just a thought. The Cardinal Heroes of the past regularly practiced such privileges to great extent.

"It wouldn't be anything strange. There would be no need for formalities or a ceremony either and-"

When Naofumi was about to cut her off and ask what the hell she was going on about, Sadeena stopped on her own and bowed her head to the Shield Hero. "Well, regardless, thank you again for protecting Raphtalia and making her happy. If there is anything you need from me, don't hesitate to ask."

"... I'll keep that in mind... Oh, and before you go," As Sadeena turned to leave, Naofumi grabbed her attention. "I believe Moto should be at the training arena right now.

"He wanted to talk to you about where you went to grind monsters. He wants to reach level 100 so he can acquire a new Hero skill from one of his weapon forms. And to be honest, I'd like to be shown where you were grinding too when you have the time."

"Oh? He does!? Sure! I'll go find him right now! And I'll tell you about it later too! Thank you again, Shield Hero!" Sadeena said happily.

"It's Naofumi, not Shield Hero." Naofumi smiled relaxedly.

The orca woman didn't give any sign of acknowledgement as she excitedly ran down the hall and out of his house.

"... heh. Moto really has his own harem to deal with now." Naofumi chuckled to himself. "At least Raphtalia's sister is less crazy than the tiger girl. More than a bit weird, but eh, no one else is as perfect as Raphtalia.

"Hmmmm, but if he ended up marrying her, does that mean I'd have to consider Moto my brother-in-law… damn, talk about complicating the Hero family tree even further."

…

He looked at the doorway again, and then back down to his desk.

Strength Enhancing Potion… way to name things, Kyo. Would it have killed you to at least make it a little less complicated to brew?

"Eh, ^&%$ it. I might as well get the Seaetto thing out of the way. I can try again later." Naofumi stood up, shaking his head as he headed down the stairs to the dining area.

It didn't take long for him to look over and sign off on the last few documents Melty had left before gathering everything into his Shield. He saw that Melty hadn't just signed off on the architect plans, but had also put down notes on things she'd noticed on a few of the building designs. Suggestions or clarifications that'd make it simpler for the builders to follow.

Seriously, he wondered why his past self never noticed just how much Melty did to help things to run smoothly in the Hero's territory. Battlefield tactician, governor, diplomat, and now architect amongst a list of other impressive things she'd showcased in the last few months. Was there anything she couldn't do?

As he had that thought, he looked out the back window, seeing that Melty and Filo had returned from the beach and were now playing with a ball in the backyard. Raphtalia and Raph-Chan were outside playing with them too.

Ah, so that's where his wife friend had gone!

…

Naofumi stood at the window, smiling at his family enjoying their morning before the town got to full activity for the day. Should he go outside to join them?

Nah, he'd already promised Melty- but then, he could just do it after, hmmm…

Oh, alright. He could go to Seaetto later. It was still early enough in the day, so he could get away with this!

He opened the back door, breathing in the morning air as he prepared to call out to his family.

KABOOM!

Only, the Shield Family's attention was grabbed by a massive explosion that went off in the distance.

Several minutes earlier…

The air was full of tension when Sadeena arrived and spotted the Spear Hero.

It was easy for her to locate Motoyasu. He was standing to the side of the training arena next to Fohl, Atla, an older hakuko dressed… in kimono garbs? And Eclair.

Sadeena shook the thought from her head. She'd felt happiness and joy upon seeing the Spear Hero again. But now she felt a truly dangerous tension in the air. One so thick it felt like she was wading through the rough torrents of the sea as she quietly made her way to the Spear Hero's side.

"What's happening here?" She whispered in a curious voice. She was also wondering why there was a hakuko there dressed like… well, it wasn't the same garbs as what the royals wore, so he should be fine…

"Not sure." Fohl whispered back. His eyes were not moving from what was happening ahead. "One moment, Granny was in the middle of training us. And then the next, Hickwaal showed up with Sebas and…"

Sadeena looked ahead, as everyone in the area had vacated a large space in the center for two individuals.

On one side was the ever scary and omnipresent Granny. Who's aura looked even more intimidating than it ever had before.

Opposite her was the plump merchant's butler, who was the other source of threatening aura blasting over everyone.

"Oh no oh no oh no, I wasn't expecting something like this to happen." Hickwaal muttered where he stood cowering behind the Spear Hero nervously. "Spear Hero, you'll be able to protect us, correct?"

Motoyasu slowly shook his head. "W-Where's Naofumi when you need him?" Motoyasu stuttered anxiously.

"Um, I just saw him and Raphtalia at their home." Sadeena offered with a small chuckle.

"Oh, thank goodness, we should send someone to fetch him quick-Wait, Sadeena?! You're back! Hi!" Motoyasu sharply turned his head at her, making a huge grin. Did this mean that she'd finally reunited with Raphtalia?

Man, he wished he could have been there to see that!

"Hey, Motoyasu." The orca woman made a little wave with her hand next to him, blushing slightly at his expression of genuine joy at seeing her. "Been doing well?"

"I've been doing excellent, I say!" Motoyasu smiled ecstatically, much to the annoyance of the tiger girl pouting next to him.

Had there been something bad going on?! Motoyasu couldn't recall! He just wanted to sit down with the orca woman and catch up on how she was doing and-!

"Bubba Spear, I don't know if even Bubba Shield would be enough to protect us." Keel interrupted, shaking her head as the hairs on her tail stood on end.

Huh- oh, right. Keel's comment brought Motoyasu back to what was going on immediately in front of him.

Sebas had not gone into his dragonnewt therianthrope form yet. He was, however, glaring with eyes full of ferocity at the old woman across from him. And Granny met his fierce gaze with one of cold contempt.

"Oh my. Oh my. Look who's here." Granny finally spoke in a calm voice, recognition appearing on her face at last. "And here I figured your bones would have turned to dust by now, Sebas."

"Elrasla Ragnarok…" The old butler clenched his fists at his sides and grit his teeth, before raising a finger in her direction. "To think you were the one mentoring Sir Spear Hero."

Motoyasu gulped nervously again. Apparently, he'd been right to keep that bit of info away from the half-dragonnewt warrior before, or maybe it would have been better to inform him of that fact outside the town, away from everyone else, where they could have arranged to have the two fight it out without causing any collateral damage.

If only he'd kept his mouth shut earlier when he'd mentioned needing to train with Granny!

"Um, Sir Spear Hero, we might want to start getting everyone away from here." The small plump merchant spoke up again, now standing a wise ten meters behind where Motoyasu and the others were still standing.

"Heheh, uh. It isn't going to be that bad, right?" Motoyasu chuckled nervously.

Granny grinned in a predatory manner as the aura around the old man in front of her continued to intensify and undulate with his growing emotional state. "I take it you've finally grown the balls to challenge me again, Sebas? Did you think that if you'd waited till I was old and withered, you'd stand a better chance?

"Hah! Too bad you waited for too long! Look at you! You're an even bigger prune than me now! I wonder if you'll even be enough to act as a snack for me at this point." The old woman licked her lips dangerously.

"The only thing you'll be snacking on is your own teeth, once I'm done knocking them out, you cocky old hag." Sebas said in response. "Providing that you still have any left, that is."

"How rude! Is that what you say to all the girls these days?! I'll have you know that I still have a full set of perfect pearly whites! And here I thought a life as a butler would have taught you how to show a lady some respect!" Granny laughed as she cracked her knuckles in front of her.

Life force was already gathering around her body. But it was going beyond any of the levels Motoyasu had seen in their more 'serious' bouts.

The Spear Hero's eyes widened in terror! No no no no no! This was bad! This was very bad!

But the old man didn't even flinch. He raised his fists, the bulky muscles in his arms tearing the sleeves of his suit apart as waves of visible energy coalesced around his hands. "You ain't no lady, Elra."

Granny's predatory smile morphed into a grin of delight. "Oho! So you have learned how to use life force to augment your 'Vaccum Fist' fighting style? Though your use of it is amateur and rudimentary. Are you self-taught, perchance?"

"What was it you told me when we first fought in the Arena all those years ago?" Sebas replied.

"A good fighter learns more about their opponents through their fists than by exchanging meaningless words."

"... hahaha. Well said." The life force that'd been gathering around Granny burst off her entire body with blinding ferocity. Even those who hadn't been trained to see it like Motoyasu were pushed back.

Focusing on his mentor, the Spear Hero was stunned as Granny cackled in the midst of her power. Her already spry old body moved and flowed like that of a younger woman.. Somehow, even her face looked like Elrasla Ragnarok as a fifty year old!

WAS THIS HER TRUE SERIOUS MODE?!

What the hell was this?! Was he seeing things?! He'd thought he'd already fought Granny at her most serious before (and gotten his butt whooped even then), yet she had an even more seriously ridiculous form he'd never known about!?

"Come at me then, you old fossil! This Granny is ready for some fresh meat!" The younger Elrasla Ragnarok yelled, pride in her voice as she smashed her fists together.

A shockwave of power emanated from the impacts. And those closest began backpedaling, terror painted on their faces.

Dou-Lon's defeat of Eclair was still fresh on many of their minds, as well as the hope it'd given them in their training. But this was not a match they wanted to observe.

"Back! Everyone get back!" Hickwaal shouted in a frenzy. He was booking it from the sight of combat.

Too late.

"Now, let's dance." Granny set herself in a stance, giving the old butler opposite her a mocking 'come hither' gesture with her gnarled finger.

Sebas didn't need an invitation. With his eyes pulsating with determination and not even an ounce of fear or caution, wings ripped out the back of his suit as a tornado of wind manifested around his body, kicking up a dust storm. Then, with his fist cocked back, he flew forward, delivering a devastating haymaker covered with a combination of life force energy and compressed air.

BOOM!

"AHHHHHH!"

Some of the younger kids on the sidelines were launched into the air by the combined forces of the shockwave and wind blast. A bunch of windows in nearby buildings simultaneously shattered, adding to the ongoing cacophony of screeching wind noises. Some of the older adults were forced back while those with higher levels braced themselves, somehow managing to stay on their feet as they organized a collective retreat from the area.

"Hurry, this way!" Eclair gestured with her sword, holding an arm in front of her face to block blasts of dust from her eyes.

"Fall back to the town! Evacuate from the wall! If it falls it'll fall, we can rebuild it later! Save yourselves!" Dou-Lon ordered on the opposite side as he directed evacuees along the wall back towards the distant homes.

"Yep, I'm definitely not officiating this! Let's get out of here, Axie-Poo!" Maya wrapped her arms around the Axe Hero, latching onto his shoulder as the large man picked up several other kids in his arms before taking off.

"Drifa Shadow Barrier!" Rachel finished chanting, covering the area in front of her with a dome of darkness. A barrier that slowly cracked with every shockwave of power and blast of wind that slammed into it.

"Come on!" Her cat demihusband, who'd been there to train in his panther form, ordered Crystal and those around them while the mage focused on maintaining the barrier.

The fight going on didn't slow or pause during all of this. Though few had the stats to keep track of the powerhouses going at it.

"Holy…" Motoyasu's mouth gaped.

A cloud of smoke had covered the area from the initial strike. But as it dissipated from the repeated blasts of power tearing out from it, Sebas and Granny were revealed to still be locked in mortal combat.

Pow! Pow! Whack! Wham!

Sebas delivered punch after punch in rapid succession, each impact accompanied by the crackle of a sonic boom and a ferocious release of compressed air. His arms were a blur as he tried to pummel his opponent into the ground from multiple directions.

But the more powerful version of Granny blocked, deflected, or matched his fists with her own punches or kicks which were coated with a layer of life force so thick, it was like her limbs were encased in solid gold in the Spear Hero's eyes. The predatory grin on her face only continued to grow with each passing second.

Enhanced stats, check. Defense piercing and defense rating attacks? Check.

She couldn't tell if Sebas had learned any new powerful unarmed attack skills yet, but she could tell that he'd never undergone any formal training. At least not from any of the masters she'd known as a young woman.

For a self taught individual, Sebas had learned how to use life force surprisingly well.

Perhaps she'd left an even greater impact on him during the championships over fifty years ago than she'd thought? She knew it'd been a good idea to spare his life back then!

Ducking under one of her opponent's strikes, her hand reached forward, palm out, as she thrust it against the half dragon newt butler's chest.

Boom!

Another shockwave rang out, and Sebas was launched end over end out of the training area.

Several individuals had fled in that direction, but seeing the half-dragonnewt man, they scattered like rats, fleeing towards the cliffs and the wall facing the forest.

Kch!

Sebas landed hard on his feet, and then blocked Granny's followup palm strike in the next split second after landing as the now middle-aged woman appeared in front of him.

"Ahaha! Amazing! Last time we battled, that attack broke your arm in one hit!" Elrasla laughed with delight.

A barrier of hyper-compressed air swirled around the old man's body, absorbing some of the damage done to him by Granny. He was also redirecting the damage of Elra's defense piercing and defense rating strikes against him through his body, just like the Shield Hero had learned how to do recently. Sebas also canceled out the energy of his attacks whenever Granny redirected those strikes back into his body.

"You must be suffering from dementia already, it took you at least three hits back then." Sebas took a step back, and as Granny prepared to pounce, he punched forward, revealing ten after images following in the wake of his punch.

"Vacuum Fist: Multi-Strike Cascade!"

Ha! So he had learned to replicate the unarmed version of hero skills too!

"Not bad! Not bad at all!" This time, the younger Elrasla stepped back, her hands held behind her back as she ducked and weaved the barrage of strikes.

It was like she was dancing and weaving herself. Avoiding powerful strikes by mere inches while examining the old man's attack patterns and smiling in delight.

"Is that all? All you're doing is flailing your arms around like a child, Sebas!"

"Still as prideful as ever." Sebas continued punching again and again. His fast blows never landed, but he was smiling with eagerness.

Then, as Granny sidestepped to evade one of his strikes, Sebas' tail came up to strike her chest. Covered in the same energy as his hands.

The elderly hengen muso mistress brought her hands out, blocking the surprise strike on her arms. The force behind it slid her back several feet, and closing the distance again, Sebas brought an energy and compressed air covered knee up into her block at the same time his wings, also covered in energy, lashed forward to strike.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

More shockwaves of power leveled the nearby weapon racks and sent patches of earth, wood, and weapons flying into the air.

Granny stumbled back from the impacts. She'd blocked his knee strike and avoided one wing, but the other wing had managed to strike her face, leaving a small bleeding cut on her cheek.

Sebas, pressing his advantage, brought his other foot around in a roundhouse kick that parted the air before it.

Whoosh!

A burst of wind came out from the two individuals.

The half-dragonnewt's growing smirk at how the fight was going vanished in an instant.

Granny's hand had caught his leg by the ankle, stopping his strike just inches from the back of her head.

"Naughty lizard." The woman spat out in a tone as if she was lecturing some impertinent child. "You're starting to piss me off!"

The bleeding cut on her face slowly began to heal and close before the old man's stunned eyes.

His other foot came up, but Granny grabbed it as well. Then as his tail came up from the middle like before, she twisted his body around, slamming the butler down into the ground once before tossing him away like a pile of trash into the remains of another weapon's rack.

"If that's your goal, then I shall warn you right now. You don't want to do that." Granny added to her earlier sentence. The cut on her face had vanished by that point. And the levels of life force surrounding her, instead of shrinking, were only continuing to grow and coalesce around her body.

Sebas got back on his feet and rubbed the area Granny had gripped his ankle, before spitting down in front of him. "Why not? Worried about your blood pressure going up?"

The old buff man then stood tall once more. "Stop holding back. I'm not some mere welp. Whatever it is you're capable of, I can take it!" He demanded.

…

Well, if there had ever been anyone with a death wish, it had certainly been this guy.

"Ohoho! You want me to use my full power to cast you down into the depths of hell?!" Granny cackled menacingly.

"Well why didn't you just say that from the start?!"

You would have thought her transformation from earlier had already been ridiculous enough?

BOOM!

You'd be wrong.

A huge burst of energy came out from the woman, a burst which immediately wrapped itself around her.

It was as if her limbs were glowing with power. Granny's face, which had already deaged fifty years, deaged even further. Her hair regained its full black color and the ribbon keeping it tied up got undone as the hair flowed upwards, moving around like a pit of agitated vipers.

Her hands lost the rest of their wrinkles. Her muscles firmed up. Her body radiated 'youth' to the point that she looked like the same young woman who'd challenged Sebas for his title of Arena Champion all those many years ago.

Elrasla Ragnarok. The most powerful adventurer in the history of the world.

Sebas grinned in delight, raising his trembling hands in her direction. Fear and adrenaline coursed through his veins, just like back then.

How he loved this feeling! It was time he gave her his all too! "Vorpal Vacuum Fist: Exploding Barrage!"

He punched forward rapidly, and fists of energy and wind came off his limbs. Hurtling through the air towards the young Granny.

"Ahahahaha!" Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! KaBoom!

Granny laughed as she disappeared and reappeared, the life force attacks appearing to move in slow motion to her as she easily weaved and dodged through them. Not even being surprised when they exploded in the air where she'd been.

She hit the last one with her own fist back at the half-dragonnewt man, sending him flying back from the resulting explosion that ripped the front of his suit further, revealing a set of surprisingly toned abs for his age.

"Hengen Muso: Seven-Point Strike!" Elrasla then made his earlier unarmed attack look like child's play as seven solid versions of herself appeared around Sebas simultaneously. The palms of each one being followed by six afterimages.

Making for forty-nine strikes happening at the same time.

BOOM!

A shockwave of power and debris rose from the area of impact. Which was immediately followed by Sebas appearing above the growing dust cloud, having barely avoided the majority of Elrasla's body doubles.

"Going somewhere." His opponent then appeared behind him, eye glowing red with menace as he turned to face her.

POW! Boom!

Granny's fist slammed into the butler's face with more devastating power than any of his haymakers, and his body blew apart the earth as he slammed into it.

Energy covered the old man's fists as he reemerged, and he launched himself back at the falling Elrasla. Leading the two exchanging a series of blows midair.

The two's fight continued to progress and evolve. Becoming more awe-inspiring for the casual observer.

And in line with that, it was becoming more and more dangerous as another shockwave launched several of the knights who'd finished helping to get everyone out of there into the air.

"Oh crap! I got you!" Motoyasu yelled.

He jumped, snatching two knights out of the air. The third and fourth were grabbed and let down gently by S'yne's strings.

The last was caught by Sadeena before he hit the ground. She set the armored man down on his feet gently. "Th-Thank you." The man stuttered, now shaking in fear.

Sadeena nodded, and rushed back to Moto's side. He was again facing the battle, using his Spear to deflect any more stray energy attacks that came the town's way.

Fortunately, at this point, there were very few left who were brave enough to witness the rapidly escalating fight. Besides the knights who were caught before they hit the ground, who were now leaving the area, the only ones still present were Motoyasu, Sadeena, Keel, Fohl, Dou-Lon, Eclair, and Atla.

Boom!  '&%$# %$# %$# %#$ $%&!'

The nearby building which had been used to store the parts of monsters hunted during the day for the Heroes to absorb later was leveled by a stray attack. Motoyasu cussed in his mind at the entire grounds used for training looked like a warzone.

Yet Motoyasu couldn't even get close to the fight! He and his allies were already having to work overtime to make sure the town itself didn't receive anymore damage!

"Wall!" Nearby, S'yne raised a hand in the air, forming a wall of energy to block a stray attack Motoyasu had missed.

"Wall!" Atla quickly used the technique as well, placing another wall of energy behind S'yne's as the attack broke through it, before cracking and dissipating against Atla's defensive barrier.

"Ha, how about that?!" She gloated happily.

"Well done. Your rate of improvement continues to impress me, Atla." S'yne rubbed the girl's hair happily as her doll spoke for her.

"Stop complimenting me! It feels weird!" A blushing Atla smacked the older girl's hand away.

"Get back Atla! Come on!" Fohl yelled as he tried grabbing Atla's hand to drag her away again. But the younger girl slapped his hand away too, just as she had the last few times.

"Big Brother, I'm needed here by Sir Motoyasu's side! Make yourself useful and help out as well! Otherwise, leave!" Atla chided angrily.

"B-But we can't help out here!" Fohl looked as if he'd been punched in the gut. He then grimaced, looking in Dou-Lon's direction, and how the hakuko man was now standing side by side with Eclair opposite them.

The older tiger's hands gripped the hilt of his katana with confidence, and he slashed through blasts of energy and wind alongside the rose-haired knight, protecting another section of Lurolona from being damaged.

"So cool! I hope I can fight like that someday!" Keel's voice pulled Fohl back to the present to find the tomboy maid cosplayer next to him, eyes glittering with stars and tail waggling behind her like a propeller. As scary as it was, she was learning a lot watching the two fighters right now!

"Grrr, at least try not to get killed." Fohl finally told his sister.

"I should be saying that to you! When are you going to learn how to harness life force so you can finally be useful again?! Aren't you ashamed at your lack of progress?!" Atla snapped back.

"-!" Fohl huddled his arms to himself. Not saying anything else.

"Vorpal Vacuum Fist: Endless Doubles!" Sebas blurred into many different afterimages. All of which came at Granny from multiple directions to chop down on her form.

"Hengen Muso: Shutter."

Granny blurred as each afterimage of her opponent went through where she'd been standing. The real Sebas slammed down into the ground and kicked up a shockwave of earth and wind.

Pow!

Yet Granny was somehow unaffected by the shockwave and elements, and landed a clean uppercut that launched the half-dragonnewt butler away. Blood leaking from his lips.

"You're starting to slow down!" Elrasla laughed. "How about I finish this up before you give out! What do you say?!"

"Cough. Bring it!" Sebas demanded, his bleeding fists clenched in anticipation.

"Ahahahaha! Here it is then! You wanted my full power?! I'll give it to ya!

"Hengen Muso: Full Moon, into…" Granny rapidly kicked in front of her, finishing the move in less than a second before bringing her foot down in a power stomp, cocking her fist back. "Hengen Muso:"

Motoyasu's eyes widened in terror, and he didn't even have time to yell for everyone to take cover before Granny unleashed a superpowered version of an attack she'd only shown him in the mountains during training long ago.

"GOD'S BLOW!"

Her fist punched the circle of energy in the center, and a bright beam of pure energy blasted towards the half-dragonnewt butler.

The man barely had time to bring his energy covered fists in front of him to defend himself before it impacted.

KABOOM!

A piercing veil of light blinded everyone there, before it rapidly coalesced into an immense explosion.

A mushroom cloud rose up in the air from the initial impact.

"Gah!" Motoyasu dug his Spear into the ground as the explosion's shockwave threatened to send him flying back.

"Oh my!" Sadeena hung tightly to the Spear Hero's chest as her body flailed behind her.

"So it's like this here too, huh?" S'yne's doll muttered with surprising nonchalance as it dangled from a bunch of strings behind the seamstress herself, who had her hands wrapped around Motoyasu's waist to not get blown away.

"Atlaaaaaaa!" Fohl cried out as he was launched from his feet.

"Ehehehehe!" The young tiger girl giggled happily where she'd managed to latch onto Moto's leg.

"I got you!" Keel, who'd also been sent tumbling, managed to plant one foot against the ground and launch herself after the tiger boy, even as the expanding cloud of smoke and dust enveloped the pair.

Dou-Lon and Eclair covered their faces with one arm. The rose haired knight used her other hand to latch onto Dou-Lon's wrist before she was sent flying by the shockwave that cracked the walls of the buildings behind them.

Everyone present was covered by the smoke and debris of the attack's aftermath.

…

…

After a while, Motoyasu finally pulled his weapon out of the ground. Coughing dust out of his lungs. "E-Everyone alright?"

"Yes." "Yep." "Ehehehe." "Cough Cough."

Well, at least Sadeena, Keel, Atla, and Fohl were fine. Though, it sounded like the tiger boy was coughing up a storm.

"You okay?" Keel asked worriedly as she set the teenager on the ground. She'd been holding the tiger teen in a princess carry after catching him.

"Ack! I-I'm f-fine!" Fohl pushed the dog girl away, looking anywhere except at her.

"Hmmm?" Keel tilted her head in worry in his direction, before looking in the direction of the original target of Granny's massive attack.

…

The dust storm finally cleared, revealing Sebas laying on the ground spread eagle. His therianthrope transformation was gone, and he was covered in various bruises and wounds.

There was nothing left of his suit except his pants. His entire torso was bare of any clothing. He had completely and thoroughly lost.

"Aha! Ahahahahaha!"

Yet despite all that, the old buff man was laughing in delight. A look of mirth covered his features as Granny also appeared out of the dust cloud. The excessive amounts of life force slowly fading back into her body.

As this happened, her hair returned to its normal gray color and fell around her head. Wrinkles reappeared on her skin, though less than before. She cracked her neck back into place with her hands, but besides that, she somehow still looked younger than she had before the match.

"Ahhhh, it's been so long since I was last able to go all out like that. It feels so nice." Elrasla sighed in satisfaction.

"You haven't lost your touch after all these years! Why, I'd believe you're even stronger than when we were young!" Sebas hollered in delight.

"Of course I'm stronger! You think I'd stop training after all these years, you old coot?!" Granny chuckled. "Then again, you've clearly grown strong yourself. Had I hit you with that attack when you were younger, it would have gone straight through you!"

"I wouldn't have- ok, yes, you might be correct. But I doubt anyone else back then would have survived an attack like that either!" Sebas responded.

The old hengen muso mistress continued to chuckle. "How did you survive it?"

"I used up most of my energy trying to block it with my Vacuum Barrier before I finally had the bright idea to redirect it." Sebas sighed, absolutely exhausted and drained from the battle.

"Ha! My point still stands then! You definitely wouldn't be alive right now had you taken it all head on!"

"Yea, fair enough... Even from the start, I never thought I'd stand a chance against you.

"I just wanted to find out if I'd grown enough after all these years to face off against you in a real heated battle, Elra." Sebas sighed, the mirth disappearing from his face as he accepted the fact that he'd lost.

So many years of preparation and pushing himself even further after his humiliating defeat, only to have left a scratch on his opponent's face when she hadn't been fighting at her most serious.

And unlike him, she still looked raring to go another ten rounds.

Truly, a more frightening woman had never walked the face of the earth.

…

"Oh, don't be such a downer, Sebas. It may be true that you never stood a chance…" Granny said after a moment, holding her hands behind her back. "But you did manage to impress me."

"... I did?" The old man asked with a genuine tone of surprise.

"You did. Everything you did today, no normal person could manage that without formal training from a master. And even then, not everyone reaches the point you've reached teaching yourself on your own." Granny then unclasped her hands, extending one to the old butler.

"That is truly a big accomplishment worthy of my highest praise, Sebas. Well done."

…

"Ahahaha… you prideful old hag." Sebas continued to chuckle to himself as he accepted her hand, being pulled back to his feet. "As if I need your validation."

"Oh. Would you rather I kill you now before your arthritis does?" Granny grinned.

"As if you have room to talk." Sebas glared in her direction.

"What was that? My hearing's going in my old age." Energy covered Granny's arm again as she stretched it out. "Mind repeating that?"

"It was nothing," Sebas shook his head, finally looking down at his outfit and seeing what a mess it was.

Nearby, Eclair let out a sigh of relief. That… could have been a whole lot worse.

She turned to thank Dou-Lon for his help, only to find he'd already vanished.

Strange. Then again, maybe he'd gone to Melty to report the damages the fight had caused… including the fact that the entire section of defensive wall protecting the training area from the forest had been completely leveled by Granny's 'redirected' attack.

As well as a decent portion of forest behind it.

That was going to be a lot of monsters that'd no longer be able to live nearby.

"Man, I can't wait till I can fight that well!" Keel said excitedly. "What about you-... Fohl?" Keel tilted her head to the side curiously when she didn't see the tiger teen standing next to her anymore.

"Where did Fohl go?" The dog girl asked.

"He went to shadow that older hakuko when he ran off." Atla shrugged. She was still smiling brightly while hugging the Spear Hero around the waist.

"Oh…" Keel frowned. She would have turned to Anya to ask for her opinion, but the cat girl had been strangely absent as of late.

"Ummm… it's all over now, right?" Motoyasu asked.

"I think so." S'yne said, her arms wrapped around the Spear Hero's chest.

"Ehehehe. That was a fun rematch I never thought I'd get to see." Sadeena giggled, her arms having mysteriously traveled further up Motoyasu's body as well and now wrapped around the Spear Hero's head, with her voluptuous breasts pressed against the back of his neck.

Atla glared up at the orca woman, not entirely sure what it was she was doing, but she pressed her entire body against Moto's legs regardless.

…

Sandwiched between three girls. The Spear Hero was so damn lucky. "Eheheheh..." Motoyasu chuckled nervously.

Before he could say anything to them though...

"What the &%$# happened here?!"

Motoyasu turned his head, nearly getting a face full of orca mammaries in the process. He had to disentangle himself from his girls as the Shield Family approached.

Naofumi was on Filo's back, Raphtalia and Melty sitting on the large Filolial Royal behind him. The Shield Hero's face was slowly turning a shade of red as his anger grew, taking in all the wanton destruction in the area.

He, Raphtalia, and Melty had rushed over after hearing the large explosion, fearing that the reincarnators that'd pestered Motoyasu in past weeks had finally made their move on the town… but it was becoming clear that nothing like that had happened…

"Naofumi, lang- actually, you know what, Filo, honey, Mommy needs you to cover your ears. You too Melty and Raph-Chan." Raphtalia shook her head.

"Kay~!" Filo brought her wings up to cover her head. Melty and Raph-Chan said nothing as they covered their ears as well. The bluette already looked crushed, seeing so much damage done to one of her favorite town projects.

"Good, now, Sadeena, what the &$%$ is going on here?!" Raphtalia snarled, glaring in the direction of the Spear Hero and his harem.

"You think this is my fault?!" Sadeena gestured all around, eyes awed. "You really give me too much credit, lil' one! Ufufufufu!"

"This isn't &%#$%#^ funny!" Naofumi raged, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides as he tried to keep a handle on his temper. "I won't ask again! What the &%$# happened?! Who caused all this damage?! There better be a good reason for all this, or I &%$#&$% swear I'll-"

"My apologies, Sir Shield Hero." Sebas answered as he stepped forward. "I challenged Elra to a contest of strength after my arrival, and we got a little carried away."

"A little- who the &%#$ even are you?! Who the &%^$ is Elra?! AND WHO THE ^&%$ DESTROYED A HUGE &&%$#$% SECTION OF THE TOWN'S #$%%&*& WALL!" Naofumi pointed at the gaping hole in their defenses.

Raphtalia said nothing, but based on the look on her face, she looked ready to punish whoever was responsible.

"Yeesh, I prefer Granny, not Elra, or Elrasla, or whatever it is others may call me, Shield-dono." Granny appeared next to the old butler. "And don't blame me, I was trying hard to hold back, but this old coot here wanted me to come at him with my full power.

"Good thing I held back just a little bit. Otherwise, I might have destroyed all of the wall on this side of the town." Granny laughed to herself.

…

"Wait- YOU WERE HOLDING BACK WITH THAT ATTACK?!" Motoyasu screamed at her after a moment of processing her words.

"Obviously, why do you think I waited until I wasn't facing the town, Spear-dono! I didn't want to destroy a bunch of homes to prove a point! Hiyah!" Granny posed proudly before putting her hands on her hips and laughing again.

…

…

…

"Raphtalia, Mel, yes, you can all uncover your ears now. Will you be fine dealing with the rest of this?" Naofumi asked in a deadpan.

"Eh?" Motoyasu cocked his head at the Shield Hero's complete 180.

"Sure." Raphtalia sighed, putting her katana back in its sheath.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll deal with all this… somehow." Melty sighed as well.

"Thank you. Filo, we're heading to Seaetto now. You too, Raph-Chan."

"Kay." "Rafu."

PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET!

Raphtalia helped the bluette down as Raph-Chan moved into her Father's lap, where his hand began stroking her fur like he was having a stroke. "Eclair, did you need me to stop by your old home for anything?"

"No, but the offer is appreciated," The swordswoman nodded her head, mind still troubled by the hakuko's earlier departure.

"Got it." Yep, Naofumi had said it before, but he'd say it again. He was smart enough not to deal with Granny more than he had to. Good thing Raphtalia and Melty were far better people than he was.

Besides, Motoyasu was already here too. Surely the Spear Hero could deal with this mess with their help.

"Wait, Naofumi-"

"Let's go." "Righteo~!"

Naofumi waved his hand at everyone there as Filo dashed for the gates leading out of the town in the direction of Seaetto. Kicking up a wave of dust in her wake.

Raphtalia and Melty sighed once again, but as those who'd been in the area to train earlier slowly trickled back to take in all the damage, the young governor straightened herself. This place had been in need of an upgrade anyway. At least now that everything had been torn down, it could be rebuilt anew.

If only the wall hadn't been destroyed too! That took so much time!

"Come on, let's get to work cleaning all this up!" Melty projected her voice, giving orders out to everyone.

Raphtalia and Eclair moved to assist the bluette in clearing all the debris and damage from the area. Cutting off the groans of those finding the training grounds ruined and organizing earth mages to fill craters amongst other things that needed done…

…

…

And all the while, Motoyasu stood in his spot. Sweating profusely as he was still dealing with the trauma Granny's match had inflicted upon him. As well as the fact that Naofumi had essentially bailed, leaving him here to deal with the fallout.

"Oh my, this really turned into one big mess." Sadeena looked around, a finger on her cheek.

"Um… heheh, so Sebas, you knew Granny from before?" Motoyasu asked the butler hesitantly, suddenly nervous as Atla and S'yne had gone off to assist the Governor with cleaning the area, leaving only the orca woman at his side.

His skin still tingled from where her bountiful assets had blessed his body with their soft touch.

"Yes. Elra here is the one who defeated me when I was the Arena Champion a long time ago. That was, in part why I wanted a rematch.

"Though, I also hold a lot of respect for her, since she is the person who saved me from going into the death pits after my humiliating defeat against her."

"Oh my, how that brings me back." Granny chuckled to herself as she put her hands on her hips. "Your sponsor was so peeved. He was going to throw away your life in those death pits over a few gold coins.

"Good thing ol' Granny was a good woman, even back then." She smiled wide.

"Ha, good woman? You kicked down his door and beat him within an inch of his life." Sebas shook his head.

"Hush now, he was lucky I didn't beat him out of life." Granny winked. "And don't forget that I was the one who helped you get to work for the merchant Guildmaster's family after you were released!"

"You still ended up getting banned from Zeltoble because of that whole ordeal, you old hag." Sebas rolled his eyes.

"As if they could have gotten rid of me that easily, welp." Granny rolled her eyes. "I was simply bored of how weak everyone there was."

"They still were that weak when Sir Spear Hero came in. As well as their naming schemes: Unholy Triumvirate.

"Sir Spear Hero didn't even give me a minute to get to the seats and watch before he'd finished kicking their sorry behinds."

Both individuals began laughing again in agreement.

…

Motoyasu just continued to stand there, sweating in confusion.

Seriously, what the hell was happening?! Were these two crazy geriatrics enemies?! Ex-Lovers?! Siblings!? Where was S'yne to save him from this situation?! If only he could get another kiss so he could clear his mind of all its unfaithful thoughts he was having towards the orca woman standing next to him and-

Slap!

"Ara?!" Sadeena stepped back in surprise as the Spear Hero slapped his face with such force that a handprint was left on his cheek.

"Just a random mosquito, I say! Nothing more than that! Ahahaha!" Motoyasu lied while laughing nervously.

"Oh, is it back again?" S'yne's doll asked next to him. The girl herself was busy absorbing the scraps that remained of the previous weapon racks into her weapon, with Atla dragging the thrown away weapons to her for temporary storage. The tiger girl looked in his direction as well, an unsure look on her features.

Damn it! Was this going to be another reoccurring joke the Spear Hero was going to have to go through every now and then?! This wasn't funny at all, I say!

"Oh, is it finally over?" Hickwaal reappeared next to Sadeena.

"Heh. Yes, it looks like they've got the old grudges out of their systems for now, mister guildmaster." Sadeena chuckled while crossing her arms under her chest.

Yes, thank you for coming back Hickwaal! This was exactly what the Spear Hero needed to move past what'd happened!

"Yeah. Next time, please take the fight out to the mountains." Motoyasu pleaded as he turned to face the two old people, who were still standing in their spots talking to each other amicably, as if nothing happened.

"No promises, Spear-dono!" Granny grinned. "We'll try to keep damage from our future spars down to a minimum, at the very least."

"Oh, you still want to fight again after this, you old hag? I'd be surprised if you didn't pass away in your sleep tonight from all this stress." Sebas mocked the old woman.

"Of course. If you're capable of this much by yourself, you stubborn old dragon! I can only imagine what you'll end up doing after I break your spirit and put you back together!" Granny cackled evilly again.

"Heh. I shall look forward to it then." Sebas smirked as he extended a large hand, one which Granny firmly shook. "Master Hickwaal, may I be excused? I'm afraid I've ruined another one of my suits."

"Yes, of course." Hickwaal sighed with a sad smile. "Do tend to your injuries before that. And you have my permission to take the rest of the day off."

"Nonsense. I am still capable of preparing your evening tea, sir." Sebas shook his head as he bowed politely.

"I can go without it for a night!" Hickwaal protested. "Accept it or else I'll order you to rest!"

"Hmmm, what kind of tea are we talking about?" Granny asked curiously.

"Master Hickwaal prefers a lavender jasmine tea with a hint of Royal Caterpilland Jelly in the evening to help relax his mind from the stresses of the day." Sebas answered in his usual, more professional tone Motoyasu had gotten to know.

"Interesting. Tell me more. I swear, not a single one of the young uns here knows how to brew a pot of good tea." Granny asked, sounding intrigued.

"It is something that is going out of style, isn't it? I hear the rising generation is into something called 'coffee' these days." The half-dragonnewt butler and the kung fu granny walked away from the site of their battle, discussing tea of all things.

It'd already been a strange set of circumstances leading up to that point. Perhaps this would have been preferable to more wanton violence and destruction.

…

…

Sadeena looked like she wanted to say something, but then S'yne's doll prodded the orca woman's shoulder. And she looked over to see S'yne gesturing for her to help out.

"I'll be back in a bit, but I'll look forward to talking to you later, Moto." Sadeena smiled happily at the Spear Hero.

The blonde man was about to reply when she then leaned in, pressing a chaste kiss on the cheek. She then giggled to herself and rushed off in the Otherworld Hero's direction.

Said Hero and the tiger girl next to her were staring at the approaching orca woman with looks akin to shock and anger. Truly apoplectic anger in the latter's case.

"Heh… So that woman earlier was the famous adventurer, Elrasla Ragnarok." Hickwaal finally spoke again. "I can see why she was banned from the Arenas so long ago."

"... I'm so sorry you had to witness all that." Motoyasu apologized to the merchant as he shook his head after touching the spot where Sadeena had kissed him. It was a casual, playful kiss to be sure, but it felt nice all the same. He still made a mental note to ask her later to act with a little more restraint in the future.

Some people might misunderstand otherwise.

"Yes, it was frightening! She was somehow more terrifying than any of the stories I've heard about her! Why, I'd even compare her to the Wave of Catastrophes!" Hickwaal began to chuckle nervously, before smiling sincerely. "But since she's here and allied with the Heroes, then that's better for us!

"My decision to come here was truly the best thing I've ever done!" The small portly merchant laughed to himself.

"Heh." Motoyasu chuckled nervously, before looking again at Sadeena and the others.

S'yne was blushing profusely, while Atla was yelling something at the older woman, who tilted her head in confusion, but also delight upon finally realizing she was looking at the same girl who'd been covered in bandages only a week ago.

She proceeded to pick said girl up and hug her tight against her chest, causing Atla to screech in surprise and terror at being suffocated by the big and shameless titty monster that'd apparently become another love rival of hers for Moto's affection.

…

"So, Sir Motoyasu," Hickwaal suddenly coughed into his hand. "Shall we resume our earlier discussion? Now that I've had a better look at the territory of the Hero's Nation, I have some ideas for how I can best help out here."

"I'll bring you to the Town Hall. Our governor, Melty, is going to be busy for the next while, but you'll be able to relax there until she's able to come by." Motoyasu sweatdropped.

"Oh, is there a reason why we can't talk now?" Hickwaal asked.

"Because Larsa will kill me if I'm not in Zeltoble to help soon."

"Oh, my, your life is truly unfortunate Spear Hero, being pulled about on the whims of so many women." Hickwaal chuckled.

If only, Motoyasu was just saying that because he'd rather help out there than risk seeing Granny again! Screw Naofumi leaving this mess on his shoulders! He was bailing as soon as he dropped Hickwaal off!

And that was what occurred after the merchant Hickwaal arrived and settled down in the territory of the Hero's Nation.

"Gasp! Gasp! Gasp!"

A cloaked figure broke from the treeline. Covered in branches, leaves, and all sorts of claw and bite marks from the wilds of Siltvelt, and from the fights she'd barely managed to escape from because of her people.

She spotted the great wall in the distance, and a part of her wanted to wave down a guard. To ask for a message to be sent to the great Shield Hero.

Only, she clasped her mouth shut. She still remembered what happened to the Council. What'd happened to the guards, the soldiers, her close 'friends'.

Who knew how far 'her' powers extended? No, she'd almost made that mistake once before with a patrol outside a random village. She wouldn't do so again now. She'd deliver the message herself.

Two men patrolled this section of the border defenses between Melromarc and Siltvelt. However, as there'd been a greater peace between both nations as of late, and because there'd been no major monster sightings nearby recently, the two knights stationed here were playing a game of dice on a table. Betting to see who'd have to pay for drinks that night in the nearby village when they got off their shift.

Neither saw the cloaked figure that scaled the wall. When she cleared the section in a single bound, landing on all fours inside Melromarc's territory before taking off.

The cloaked figure continued to dash on all fours to get as far away from Siltvelt as possible, racing on to warn the great Shield Hero of what had befallen his people.

Hero Clips!

Bling Bling Army

"Finally! It took us so long to get here!"

"We're not exactly 'there' yet. This is just the border."

"WE HAVE EVEN FURTHER TO GO?!"

"That is the cost of travel. If only that jerk would use his cheat to teleport us to Tact."

A very familiar, and very much unwanted redhead sat in a carriage as her posse approached the sign indicating they were about to enter Faubley.

Witch had no bling on her, and neither did her compatriots Mald and Lesty. This was because all of them had used up their rizz while staying with fatso in Zeltoble, and Momiji and Ikuyo had refused to share any of their bling with the trio.

"Can I at least borrow a ring?!" Witch yelled at one of the two women.

"No can do, this ring is for Moto." Ikuyo grinned at her hand.

"Not like you need accessories for anything." Momiji was speaking in a bored voice, when she looked ahead and fell silent.

She touched Ikuyo on the arm, and suddenly, the pair bailed from the wagon.

"What the- WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" Witch yelled at them both.

"Just meeting up with Rinya and her friends to get supplies." Momiji waved, and like that, the pair lifted their weapons to the sky and vanished from sight.

"That's strange." Lesty frowned.

"When aren't they strange?" Mald rolled his eyes. "Do you see how they get whenever the Spear Hero is mentioned?"

"Blech! Stop talking about that Bitch Man! And will one of you take the bloody reins already?!" Witch angrily ordered.

"Fine, fine, I'll- WHAT?!" Lesty suddenly screamed in terror.

"What is it now-" Witch got up to the front of the wagon as well, only to suddenly shut up, for once in her life.

An ominous, yet familiar jingling sound came from the distance. The source of it revealing itself as it appeared from behind the "Welcome to Faubley" sign on the side of the road.

"HEY BITCH! LONG TIME NO SEE!"

The man, for it was a man, walked out slowly and carefully, decked out in an assortment of bling with enough rizz to snag himself the best Half-Tanuki waifu of all time.

Unlike before, Naofumi wore one set of jewel-encrusted sunglasses, as well as only a couple necklaces and a few rings. He'd also foregone the grills in his teeth, as well as the gaudy earrings, the accessories covering his armor, and the extra canes he'd carried before (they just weren't his style) to save on weight. He still had his classic oversized stereotypical disgustingly opulent king's crown and sable fur-lined mantle on top of his new uniform, however. As well as a couple of extra expensive belts wrapped across his chest.

Screw Kyo but maybe his fashion sense was ahead of its time.

"... oh, right." Bitch began to giggle into her hand. "So how's it going to be this time? Are you unencumbered enough to fight properly? Or, let me guess, you learned all those attack up Accessories did nothing to help you out, loser."

"Spoken like a Bitch with no Bling." Naofumi grinned maniacally. "Not to worry, however, I'm a changed man.

"This time, everything I'm wearing right now has been enchanted to boost my defense and agility stats instead of my attack." The Shield Hero admitted, delight clear on his face. "All the old stuff I gave away."

Bitch scowled. She hated seeing the Shield Hero look happy! "What's that going to do then, loser?! If you can't even raise your attack stat by one, then-"

More jingling sounded from behind the Shield Hero, as well as the road and surrounding forest.

"I did say I gave it all away." Naofumi said, his grin widening. "I also made sure to craft 'a lot more' for my army."

An army of individuals, the entirety of the Hero's Nation, came out of their hiding spots. Everyone wearing a set of jewel-encrusted sunglasses on their face, as well as many different variations of accessories fit for their look.

"Finally, vengeance." Raphtalia cracked her knuckles. From her neck hung many necklaces, all of which were meant to boost her attack and agility.

"Ahahahaha! YEAHHHHHHH!" Keel bellowed with glee at the head of the kids, her hands holding a pair of jewel-encrusted brass knuckles and earrings lining the ears on her head.

"They're going to pay for hurting Daddy!" "And betraying Moto!" "Gwahhhhhhhh!" Filo and Amber stood at the head of a flock of Filolials. Alongside the jewel clips in their hair, the angel girls' wings were also decked out with gold chains, with more hanging from the necks of the members of Fitoria's flock. The accessories were all related to either Agillity Up, Magic Up, or Attack Up.

"Hiyah! This might be enough to increase my power level another tier or two!" Granny proudly posed, her kung fu uniform decked out with many enchanted pins meant to boost the wearer's capabilities in using life force.

"FOR MY BLOOD-KIN!" "AHAHAHAHAHA!" Dou-Lon and Eclair appeared at the head of the knights and fighters of the town. The crazily laughing woman's armor was lined with enchanted gold while thick chains hung from the sleeves of the even crazier tiger man's kimono.

Fohl stood behind the tiger man, gazing at his cousin's back in awe.

And finally, the other big man himself arrived, being carried forward under the massive weight of his bling.

"HEY WHORE! LOOK WHO'S ALREADY MOVED ON FROM YOU, YA WORTHLESS BITCH!"

Moto had on three pairs of jewel encrusted sunglasses, each a color representing the current women in his life. He also wore an extremely opulent crown on top of a laudly decorated helmet covering his head. His fingers were decked out with many different sets of rings. His neck was weighed down by the dozens of necklaces and chains covering it. On top of all the belts and various gold pieces attached to the plate armor covering his arms, legs, and torso.

Oh, and he had all the dozens of canes Naofumi had been holding before being carried in one arm. Never before had a Demon of fashion sense been so overencumbered by the weight of their bling. And all of it was meant to increase his attack stat, so he couldn't move very fast.

Fortunately, he had 'three' girls with him helping him out. And he didn't need to 'move' in order to attack.

"Ara, so that's the one who broke poor Moto's heart." Sadeena said, her killer whale form decked out with the thickest chains of anyone there. These ones boosted her strength and magic attributes to unbelievable proportions, allowing her to carry the overencumbered Moto on her shoulders with very little trouble.

"Yes, her time has come." S'yne's doll said, both it and the girl walking alongside it covered with various accessories meant to boost the attack power of her skills.

"I'm going to enjoy ripping out her spine and grinding it to powder." Atla glowed from the waves of life force coming off of her and shining off the gold accessories covering her uniform. Like Granny's, these also complimented her abilities in life force.

It was at the sight of this horrid monstrosity and his three assistants that Bitch turned tail and tried to get out of there, only to find herself trapped in place.

"And this is why I put everything in defense and agility this time." Naofumi said in a sweet voice, hands holding her and her two compatriots by the arms as he raised all three in the direction of his army.

The eyes of the three widened. But before they could scream or screech or anything.

"Have at it!" Naofumi yelled.

"God's Blow!"

"Zero Stance Rondo Inspiration: White Tiger's Blow!"

"Multistrike Crumble Cascade!"

"Drifa Thunder Burst!"

"Scissor Blaze!"

"Brionac, I say!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHH-"

KABOOM!

And thus, under the weight of everyone's bling, Bitch, Mald, Lesty, and most of Faubley were wiped from existence. Their souls ground to powder by Raphtalia and Atla while Bitch's former 'posse' consisting of Rinya and her friends did the coffin dance for their comrades in the background.

As for Naofumi… the Bling Demon himself remained completely unharmed, due to him smartly increasing his defense by several ooms with his accessories.

"And that's why it's smart to get accessories that play to your strengths while also making you look good." Allen smiled.

"Rafu!" Raph-Chan, wearing a thick gold chain on her neck, laid on the Author's lap, nodding her head in agreement.

"Aw, come here, you!"

PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET! PET!

Now, if Allen could only get Lyron's latest A.I. model to capture even a glimpse of Raph-Chan's perfection…

Hero Clips!

Granny What If

"Ahahahaha! Stupid cockroaches, looks like I'll have to deal with you all myself!"

Kyo laughed to himself while the Spear and Sword Heroes groaned in their crystal prisons. The timestamp was shortly after the Hero's had opened the pathway to the core in front of the Heart.

The Book Hero was nervously sweating, fretting over how he'd go through the coming encounter. The adds weren't likely to amount to much, but the Shield Hero's defense was certainly going to be troublesome. He was confident he was powerful enough to break through it, but there was also that Bow idiot to deal with should the defender prove to be more troublesome to put down than he projected.

There was also his former friends to account for, but he knew their strengths well enough that he could counter them if need be. He just had to-

Wait, what was this feeling?

Why was he hearing Boss Music all of a sudden?!

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

Kyo looked to the entrance to the core room, eyes widening in terror. No, it couldn't be!

The older woman with the strange fighting abilities that'd been helping the Heroes with the Heart ran into the room, body glowing with power. Her eyes were wide with excitement and battle adrenaline, and upon spotting her target, she brought her hands in front of her and started concentrating.

"Kame!"

OH NO!

Kyo abandoned all pretenses and confidence as he went to the core to try and begin the process of directing all the Spirit Tortoise's energy into himself.

"Hame!"

Crap! Why was it so slow?! This was why he'd counted on having all that time to monologue with the idiots earlier!

"Haaaaaaa!"

The Book Hero looked to the old woman again, right before a bright beam of energy appeared in front of his face.

"AIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

He was then vaporized, along with the Core, and much of the back half of the Spirit Tortoise.

And the mountain range behind the Spirit Tortoise... and even the moon was missing a large chunk.

Thankfully, the two formerly trapped Heroes were just fine. Unlike Kyo, who'd been reduced to atoms.

Naofumi and the others rushed in, eyes wide with terror. "What the- WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE?!"

"Trust me man," The now free Spear Hero shook in terror on his spot. "You don't want to know."

"Ahahaha! It's been so long since I've been able to let loose like that! Sorry to take away all your fun and oppurtunity for growth, my favorite pupil! Ol' Granny just couldn't resist! Hiyah!" Granny proudly posed in front of the terrified fueh girl and her similarly terrified Hero boyfriend.

"Um... i-is there any r-reason why y-you didn't do this b-before, G-Granny?" Itsuki asked nervously.

"You think I'd be able to do this from outside this room without harming Sword and Spear-donoes?" Granny asked.

... fair enough.

The now even more traumatized Sword Hero and Spear Hero were eventually helped by their parties. Wyndia would still end up having the chance to confess to her boyfriend, having plenty of time with him at Cal Mira to help him out with his curse before they officially got together. Motoyasu would still end up healing pretty fast and helping out in Zeltoble, mainly to get away from the crazy Kung Fu Granny, leading to him gaining his harem of girls.

L'Arc, Glass, and Therese would return to their world, grateful for Naofumi's help while also being simultaneously scared of Granny. Limiting their interactions in the future. Itsuki wouldn't go off the deep end, leading to him entering an official relationship with Rishia. Naofumi would get married to Raphtalia and deal with all the problems relating to that.

The Otherworld Arc would never have a chance to happen. Leading to Kizuna never being found and both sets of Heroes remaining ignorant of more of the details on their enemies...

But it was all made mute anyway, as the individuals behind the Waves decided to nope out of the worlds in this part of the multiverse right then and there, deciding to wait another few centuries to ensure Granny was dead before they brought the world back into the Waves again. The reincarnators of both worlds were inevitably dealt with when Xander spilled the beans on Kyo to his brother Corrin.

And so, the people of both worlds as well as their descendants got to live the rest of their lives happily ever after. Forever owing their lives to the kung fu Granny who dealt with Kyo personally.

The end :)

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

"Are we ready to have that talk now?" Naofumi asked.

"Mmmm." Raphtalia yawned with a small smile. "We've been putting it off for a while, haven't we?"

"We have." Naofumi slowly stroked the cheek of the sleeping familiar on his lap.

"Ra…fufufufu."

The young adult couple, dressed in nothing but their undergarments, was laid back on their new large bed, their heads facing each other. It, unfortunately, wasn't as good of quality as the one Ren currently had in Cal Mira, since the materials required to make the mattress and pillows so soft were not only expensive, but hard to find.

It was the next best thing Count Hadenburg had sitting in his warehouses at the docks in Cal Mira though. And Naofumi had gladly purchased them for himself and his fellow Heroes, as well as their party members.

It wasn't like floating on a cloud. But the softness almost tempted Naofumi to drift into dreamland right then and there, especially after the events from earlier that day.

"Let's sit up. I'm going to fall asleep if I stay like this." Naofumi sighed.

"Sure." Raphtalia agreed, and the two got up, leaning back against their bedboard.

…

Looking at his wife friend, with only her bra holding back her breasts, he was nearly tempted to sidetrack with a more 'fun' activity. Damn, if only she'd had her Miko Outfit on-

Actually, who was he kidding, it would have just turned him on even more. Miko Outfits for life.

"My eyes are up here, dear." Raphtalia bopped him on the nose, bringing his attention back to her face. Which was only slightly red from her blush. "Also, you were thinking something strange again, weren't you?"

"Maybe." Naofumi looked off to the side, before smiling at her. "Just that you're as beautiful as ever."

"Hmmm…" Raphtalia hummed in thought, not replying as she brought her blanket up to cover herself.

Ah, probably for the best. It was about time they did their weekly counsel session again. It had been a while since their last one.

"What do you want to get out of the way first?" Naofumi asked. "I know it was probably bad that I was cussing everyone out earlier-"

"No, it wasn't bad. I was just as pissed off as you." Raphtalia shook her head. "Just remember to cover our daughters' ears next time you let loose, ok?"

"... yeah, hopefully there isn't a next time of that." Naofumi shook his head, while Raphtalia hummed in agreement. "Before we move on, is it alright if I say I found you cussing extremely hot?"

Raphtalia rolled her eyes in exasperation, but giggled regardless as Naofumi smirked.

When she spoke next, it was on a different topic.

"... it's been a few days since then," Raphtalia started. "But when I told Wyndia about what Therese wanted me to tell her… it made me realize how much I miss our gem friend… and Kizuna, and Glass, and everyone else in the Otherworld."

"... … … oh." Naofumi muttered, thinking back on the memory. "But, you didn't…"

She sadly smiled. "I hid it because I didn't want to sadden Wyndia or the others with my thoughts. Especially after seeing how happy Ren looked after your talk with him."

"... well, it wasn't exactly so much a talk as, um… me making sure he'd have protection when he and Wyndia did the deed." The Shield Hero admitted.

"... Oh… really?" Raphtalia asked in genuine surprise.

"Yeah, really. He looked like he was in a bad place, and I wanted to cheer him up." Naofumi breathed in, before smiling at her. "And it's not like I expect the both of us to use up all the condoms we brought back from the Otherworld anytime soon."

"Hehehe… still, that was very sweet of you, dear." Raphtalia smiled back.

"I try to be from time to time… and as for what you said, you don't have to worry about being the only one who misses them.

"I feel the same way.

"Just think, it's only been a week here, and yet two weeks will have passed in Kizuna's world." Naofumi sighed. "I know we left things in as good a shape as possible before we left, but… I do worry about them getting in trouble and me not being there to help.

"But I think for now, I can trust Kizuna and her friends to keep things in order by themselves."

"Including L'Arc?" Raphtalia asked teasingly.

"Yeah, I trust him too." Naofumi admitted immediately with no shame. "I know I probably teased him a little too much before we left, but I do think that he's reliable. Not just as a fighter or a person, but as a leader and as a friend.

"He's got his heart in the right place. I saw that the day he almost attacked us at the Cal Mira Wave. He might be a bit laidback as a person, but he genuinely cares for his world, and especially for his people. He'll fight to the bitter end for their behalf. I wouldn't have entrusted Kizuna with him and come back otherwise."

Naofumi then sighed. "Just don't ever tell him I said all that."

"I won't." Raphtalia giggled.

"Good." Naofumi then smirked. "Now, continuing on to something less serious again, I noticed you didn't even react to S'yne calling you Mrs. Iwatani earlier?"

"Is there a use to even try to fight it when others keep calling me that?" It was the half-tanuki's turn to sigh. "I might as well accept that others are going to assume we're married at this point."

"I do tend to think of you as my wife friend in my mind." Naofumi admitted with a playful smirk.

"Kizuna is such an idiot for calling me that in front of you." Raphtalia rolled her eyes.

"Maybe." Naofumi grinned.

"I still love her though." Raphtalia admitted with a sigh.

"Me too." Naofumi nodded. "Best little sis I could have asked for."

"Want me to tell her that next time I see her?" It was Raphtalia's turn to tease again.

"Psh. She already knows it." Naofumi rolled his eyes.

The both of them giggled like little children as they continued discussing different things from the past week. Thoughts they'd had, experiences they'd gone through, people they'd met.

Raphtalia talked animatedly about reconnecting with so many of her past friends and helping them to level up. She also gushed over her feelings on her older sister's return, and how she looked forward to getting to spend time with her again.

This made Naofumi think back on the private conversation that he and Sadeena had shared earlier that day. The odd little side tangent that the orca woman tried to go on near the end, in particular, before abruptly dropping it for some reason.

The Shield Hero contemplated if he should bring it up or not. The general topic of their conversation then was something that he would rather keep as a surprise, but at the same time, something about it irked him.

...

Raphtalia was still animatedly discussing what she had been up to these last few days with a wide happy smile. That single look into her tea-red eyes reminded Naofumi what mattered most.

"Sorry, Raphtalia, I'm gonna have to interrupt you for a moment." Naofumi began, making the tanuki girl instantly grow quiet as she sensed the peculiar tone in his voice that felt serious once more. "You know how Sadeena came upstairs to speak to me one on one after breakfast?"

The young woman nodded, her eyes focused on Naofumi's face. "Yes, she said she wanted to test your mettle and see if you were worthy of me. I figured it went well though? She looked relieved when she left our house."

"Well, sort of. I have her approval, yes. But our conversation took a weird turn at some point. Don't think too deeply about this, but... It kind of felt like she's... against us getting married in the future for some reason?" Naofumi managed to form what he wanted to say within a certain degree of subtlety.

"WHAT!? WHY!?" Raphtalia almost recoiled at the apparent betrayal of her older sister.

"I told you to not think too deeply about it." Naofumi rubbed his ear to get the ringing noise out. "I don't mean that she's against our relationship, I think it's holding a ceremony that she has an issue with. She suggested that you should become my concubine, instead of a wife. I was wondering what the hell was up with that, so I figured I should ask you. Is there some sort of taboo, tradition or other demihuman culture element in place that I'm not aware of that could apply to us?"

…

Raphtalia calmed down considerably after hearing the rest of what the Shield Hero had to say but continued to frown. "I... I don't know. Maybe? My parents didn't tell me about anything unusual involving something like that. At least not anything that immediately comes to mind?

"Thanks for telling me about it though, I'll ask Sadeena to explain what this was about, I don't want to be a concubine! That's demeaning!"

"Don't worry, you know I would never force you into anything you don't want, unless it was to save your life." Naofumi leaned forward and gave his lover a chaste kiss on the cheek which made her frown relax into a relieved expression.

With the weird topic out of the way, Naofumi moved on to discuss what it was like getting to reconnect with Motoyasu and Ren again to get Raphtalia's mind off it. He also talked about how his interactions with Melty and Eclair were going and how he was seeing everyone's lives improving.

There was some more teasing and playfulness between the two. Their talk becoming more comfortable and relaxed. Sharing everything and anything that came to their minds as they counseled with one another.

…

Eventually, as Naofumi thought of Ren and Motoyasu again, the thought of his fourth brother came to mind, dropping the smile from his face.

"..." Naofumi looked to Raphtalia, who'd also gone silent, just like him. She knew what he was about to talk about next, but she didn't discourage nor dissuade him.

"..." Naofumi looked down at his lap. Letting a long sigh escape his lips. "I… already know there was nothing I could do to help Itsuki…

"His friends, Rishia… none of them were able to help him. Fitoria wasn't able to help him. That damn stubborn jerk…

…

…

"Still, the fact that I didn't even try to help him out is eating me up inside." The Shield Hero admitted after a moment of silence. His voice heavy as it came out.

"..." Raphtalia nodded. "Me too."

"... have you seen Rishia at all since getting back?" Naofumi then asked worriedly. "Like, in her home, and not when she's with Granny or someone else?"

"I… no. I haven't." Raphtalia put a hand to her chest under her blanket. "I worry for her. I really do.

"I know what it's like to watch the person you love go away, hurting and in pain… wondering if you'll ever be able to see them again, if you'll be able to forgive them, or forgive yourself for what happened,

"Wondering if you were able to help them out at all, or if all you were nothing but a burden weighing them down and keeping them from being who they were meant to be."

…

…

One of her hands moved to Naofumi's face, wiping away tears he hadn't realized he'd been shedding. Raphtalia smiled warmly. "I understand. But at the same time, I don't, because Rishia isn't me.

"I learned that after the spider's nest, trying to help Wyndia out. I thought I knew what she was going through well enough to help her. But in the end, she didn't need understanding or someone who knew her pain. What she needed was empathy. A best friend who was willing to shoulder her pain and help her out.

"Someone like Therese."

…

Raphtalia let out a deep breath, before looking at Naofumi's eyes again. "I think this time it's the same with Rishia. I understand what she's going through… but at the same time, I'm not the kind of person who can help her bear that pain.

"I'm not someone she can trust on that level."

"Does she have somebody she can talk to?" Naofumi asked with concern.

"Yes, Granny." Raphtalia nodded. "And Anya too. I've seen them together several times. I'll have a chat with her and Granny when I see them tomorrow. I want to make sure Rishia is doing well. As well as the rest of her party too." The half-tanuki girl nodded in affirmation.

"And Naofumi, just know, even if I can't bear Rishia's or anyone else's pains, I'll most certainly bear yours when you need me to.

"I at least know that I can do that for you."

"... Thank you." Naofumi reached out with his hand, and his wife friend gave it a squeeze.

…

…

"Is there anything else we need to talk about?" Naofumi eventually asked.

"S'yne." Raphtalia nodded her head. "I haven't had the chance to tell you her story."

…

"Oh… right. How bad is it?" Naofumi asked, thinking back on Moto's newest and most mysterious companion yet, who was also a Hero from another world like L'Arc and co.

"Pretty bad… she's one of only two survivors from a world destroyed by the Waves."

…

"Destroyed… did, did she-" Naofumi started to ask, only for Raphtalia to shake her head.

"No, she didn't see what happened. But it's why she's forced to speak through her dolls instead of normally.

"Her weapon is a Vassal Weapon from her world, but it's been slowly dying ever since the world it belonged to vanished. And because of that, all of its functions are gradually failing, like the auto translation feature. That's why her voice comes out sounding all weird and warped some of the time when she tries to talk on her own.

"I… tried asking the Katana about it, but it wasn't able to tell me much, besides confirming that S'yne's story is legitimate. Luckily, the magic she uses to speak through her dolls still works. Though, she doesn't know how long it'll last for.

"S'yne and her older sister are the only ones from her world who survived. And she's been wandering from world to world by herself ever since."

…

…

As that thought sank in, Naofumi looked up in the direction of where Moto's house would be.

A cold shudder went down his spine.

They had a survivor of a destroyed world close by. A survivor who's world lost against them. Unlike Lurolona, there was nothing for the silver-haired girl to rebuild.

Nothing left for her to come back to.

"Naofumi?" Raphtalia asked, looking concerned. "Are you okay?"

"I… yeah, I am." Naofumi breathed in deeply to calm himself. "I know Kyo revealed as much to us, and pretty much all the known legends on the Waves state that they'll destroy the world if we can't stop them…

"It's just one thing to be told it can happen. It's another to know that it has happened. That someone has gone through it." Naofumi swallowed hard.

…

"..." After a moment of thought, Raphtalia gripped his shaking hand in hers again. "We're not going to lose." She promised.

"... You're right. We're not." Naofumi agreed, squeezing her hand in return.

"And I swear I'll continue to improve as your Sword so that doesn't happen." Raphtalia promised again.

"And I will continue to improve as your Shield." Naofumi promised in return. "For as long as you'll have me."

"Is forever too long to ask for?" Raphtalia smiled. Feeling the counseling session had come to an end.

…

Naofumi answered by leaning in and kissing her on the lips. A kiss which she gladly returned.

How he wished he could spoil his future plans to her right now. Raphtalia was already being exceptionally patient by not interrogating him further in regards to what Sadeena had talked to him about. If only Elhart could finish all his projects sooner! The damn old man!

Hurry your &% up already!

When the kiss was done, Naofumi hugged the half-tanuki girl close. Relaxing his head against the side of hers. "Honestly, I don't think forever would be long enough for me."

"Why not?" Raphtalia asked.

"Because I could never have enough of you." Naofumi stated in simple words.

…

Raphtalia breathed in, looking deeply touched. Then, with a beaming smile, she embraced Naofumi in return. Her blanket falling down and revealing her sizable assets again.

Naofumi leered down, a grin spreading on his face.

Aw yeah. This was awesome. He definitely couldn't have enough of this.

"Save the lewd thoughts for the morning." Raphtalia warned him. "It's too late as it is."

"So we'll do it in the morning then?" Naofumi asked for clarification.

Raphtalia flicked her finger against his nose, but then pecked him on the cheek. "Let's see if you manage to behave for that long, my dear 'husband' friend." The girl winked.

… &%$#.

"You're going to need to give me another reason to wait. I don't know if I can hold it in." Naofumi groaned.

"Another reason, alright, how about the fact that Raph-Chan's sitting here watching her two parents right now." Raphtalia gestured to the bed between them.

…

Naofumi looked down at the adorable familiar, watching the two of them with wide, curious eyes.

"Rafu." Seeing the two finally acknowledging her presence again, Rifana posed cutely while sticking out her tongue to the side.

SO CUTE- but wait, she was cock-blocking Naofumi right now- %$#!

Raphtalia giggled again. "You're so cute when you're flustered."

Naofumi turned away from his future wife, crossing his arms while his pout grew on his face. "I'm not cute."

"You are. And that's just another reason why I love you." Raphtalia smiled as she hugged herself against his back. Raph-Chan cooing happily as she jumped onto her best friend's head, much to the woman's delight.

"Thanks for talking with me tonight.

"Not all of it was about bad or important stuff like some of our past talks… but even if we ever reach the point where we have no problems to discuss or have anything important going on in our lives, I'm very grateful to share what I'm feeling with you. My precious husband friend."

…

"Same here, Mrs. Iwatani." Naofumi softly smiled, putting a hand over hers on his chest. Her admittance calling him husband friend made even his cold heart melt and his pout vanish.

Alright, he'd hold off till the morning… and wait patiently for Elhart to allow him to propose and make her his wife properly.

He didn't care about Sadeena's warning whatsoever. It would happen, come hell or high water.

Armed with the knowledge that the Hero weapons could make a marriage last beyond death, the Shield Hero wanted nothing less than that with the best person in the universe.

…

…

At first, he'd thought Raphtalia had fallen asleep. But then, when he sneaked a glance back at her face, he found her deep tea red eyes wide open, and her face red with embarrassment.

"Oh, uh… is it awkward if I call you Mrs. Iwatani myself?" Naofumi suddenly realized as he asked his question hesitantly.

"Rafu?" Raph-Chan looked down at her mom curiously.

The half-tanuki buried her face in the Shield Hero's shoulder. "Just, don't do it in front of other people yet please." She bashfully admitted. "That's going to take some getting used to."

…

Naofumi nearly laughed. "Alright, I won't say it out loud, Raphtalia Iwatani."

"That's almost worse!"

"Hmmmm, Future Mrs. Iwatani?"

"Gah!" "Rafufufufu!"

Ahhhh, it was indeed a good night.

And what a wonderful morning it'd be after they woke up.

The next day, shortly after a 'morning workout' with his wife friend as well as breakfast, Naofumi thought it'd be back to his usual schedule.

Instead, he found himself in the townhouse with Melty… and a certain old acquaintance.

"Why, Mr. Night Merchant! It's a pleasure to finally see you again! I see that you've been doing well!" Hickwaal, the short, portly merchant greeted the Shield Hero with a smile and friendly wave of his hand. He was seated in one of the chairs opposite of Melty's work desk in her office.

"Greetings." His butler, Sebas, whom Naofumi had met only yesterday (though he'd only been wearing pants at the time), stood in a fresh suit. The half-dragonnewt man bowed to the stunned Shield Hero. "Please forgive my manners yesterday. I have talked with Elra about keeping any future spars between us outside the walls of Lurolona in the future.

"Also, to make up for yesterday, Elrasla and her students are assisting with the rebuilding of the town's outer defenses. As soon as I'm excused, I'll be heading out to assist with repairs as well."

"Oh… uhh, yeah, sure." Naofumi slowly nodded to the butler, before glancing at the small plump merchant again and walking around the desk. He leaned down to whisper into the bluette's ear. "Why didn't you tell me that the merchant moving his business onto our territory was the freakin' leader of the Merchant's Guild?!"

"But I did, weren't you paying any attention this morning?" The girl whispered back, beginning to pout at the Shield Hero. "Hickwaal even told me that you two knew each other! What were you thinking I was saying?!"

"I… ok, I might have been distracted with thoughts on Raphtalia and what we did before breakfast." Naofumi admitted while rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

…

Melty looked confused, then surprised, then disgusted, then she sighed in exasperation. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, dead serious. Maybe when you're older, you'll understand after you fall in love yourself." Naofumi teased.

"Ew, no. I have enough on my plate as is." Melty nearly gagged.

"You sure? If you need me too, I'll help pair you up with somebody and-"

"Naofumi, please pay attention and stop distracting me. I'm trying to do my best to help the Hero's Nation succeed."

"I know, I'm sorry. I'll make sure-" Naofumi continued to whisper.

"Is there some kind of problem?" Hickwaal interrupted with a quizzical look on his face.

"If you need more from me, Sir Shield Hero, then-" Sebas began to speak as well.

Naofumi straightened and faced the smaller man and his butler. "It's fine, nothing serious. Just a shortfalling on my part. Er… Sebas, right? Feel free to go assist with repairs. I'll ensure nothing happens to your master in the meantime."

"Of course," Sebas visibly relaxed. "Thank you very much, Shield Hero."

Hickwaal subtly gestured for him to go and the butler left the office in a hurry after making a quick bow.

"Right. Well, ignoring what happened yesterday, how has life been treating you, Accessory Guy?" Naofumi asked in a more pleasant tone.

"Fufufu, it had its ups and downs lately, but overall, I'd say I've been doing pretty great!

"My information networks are all still intact. I've had no issues with assassinations or backstabbings from guildmembers since dealing with that one mole sent by Saxon. I have the chance to make lots of money helping out the Heroes of Legend! And the best part is that I'm now free of all the worries, restrictions, and stresses Zeltoble was placing upon me!

"Truly, I don't know if my life could improve more than it already has!" Hickwaal's bright smile gleamed.

"Then maybe it's time to find a missus and start a family, perhaps?" Sebas suddenly stuck his head back through the door.

"Bah! I have no time for that! Now shoo! Shoo!" Hickwaal waved his butler off with a pout.

"Huhuhuhu." Sebas chuckled lightheartedly before leaving for real this time.

"Anyway," Hickwaal turned to Naofumi with a gleaming smile. "I couldn't help but notice, but is the necklace that Lady Governor is wearing your handiwork, Shield Hero?"

"It is." Naofumi nodded with a smile.

"Ooh! May I please have a look at it then? I'd love to see how much progress you've made since I taught you." The merchant said excitedly.

"That's up to Melty, not me." Naofumi looked down at the girl with a smile. "After all, I made it specifically for her."

"Sure thing, guildmaster, just be careful with it, please." Melty took the necklace off, setting it on the desk in front of her.

"Hmmm." Hickwaal took out a small eyeglass out of his pocket to put it over his eye and study the piece closely. "Oh? What's this? I don't recognize some of the materials here. The chain looks like it's inlaid with sapphire, but its texture resembles something organic in nature like damascus or ebony."

"I made this while in the Otherworld. Roses made of gems grow in some parts there." Naofumi informed the merchant helpfully.

"Truly? How fascinating, I wonder if such flowers would be capable of growing- wait, PERFECT QUALITY!?" Hickwaal suddenly screamed as he nearly fell back from his chair.

"Uh… yeah. I was surprised too. But I spent a lot of hours over the course of weeks working on it." Naofumi said, eyebrows furrowed.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN A YEAR AND YET YOU'RE ALREADY CAPABLE OF PUTTING OUT MASTERWORK ACCESSORIES LIKE THIS ONE?!" Hickwaal continued to shout in disbelief.

"I did have a lot of practice ever since you taught me." Naofumi shrugged. "I've had to make dozens of accessories to make money and strengthen those around me while on the run, and it's still a fun past time of mine, even though I'm past that part of my life now."

"... Unbelievable." Hickwaal could only mutter in shock as he offered the necklace back to the governor. Melty slowly put her necklace back on, sitting back with a big smile on her face. Leave it to Naofumi to downplay his natural talents again. This was really entertaining for her to witness since it didn't involve cooking this time.

…

…

"... truly, I did not think the Heroes of Legend were capable of surprising me anymore… I was wrong." Hickwaal slowly shook his head after another long pause.

"Is it really that surprising? I know Perfect quality gear isn't common, but I did see it being listed for sale here and there while in the Otherworld. Particularly in the short time I was in Lapis." Naofumi asked.

…

Hickwaal sighed. "Perhaps another time. I merely wanted to discuss your craftsmanship skills as an icebreaker before we moved on to more serious topics… I see now I'll have to slot more time with you to expand on your huge pool of talent." Hickwaal slowly smiled while continuing to shake his head in disbelief.

He'd thought he recognized talent in the Shield Hero back then. But to think he'd already come so far on his own!

"That's a tough ask. I've already got a lot on my plate." Naofumi frowned slightly.

"As do I. But trust me, it'll definitely be worth it. Not just for you, but for your friends as well. If you can make more such accessories for your strongest fighters, you could very well become an unstoppable force in the world. Or reap in a lot of money charging lords through the nose for your stuff!" Hickwaal smiled widely.

…

"Alright, I'll at least consider it." Naofumi nodded after a moment. "Though, while we're on this topic, I hope we could also discuss these in the future." He then pulled another, unfamiliar accessory from his weapon, setting it in front of the guildmaster.

"And what is this?" Hickwaal asked curiously.

"An accessory that allows people to make use of the Hero Drop Item function." Naofumi said.

"..."

"..."

"..."

All was silent in the room, and Naofumi frowned at the looks on the other's faces.

"It what?" Hickwaal finally asked.

"It lets people be able to use the Hero Drop-" Naofumi started to repeat himself.

"I heard you the first time! But are you being serious?!" Hickwaal yelled.

"Yes. I'm dead serious." Naofumi nodded. "Could you imagine anyone being able to get drop items from the monsters they killed?

"Granted, they'd still need to absorb a part of the monster into the accessory, the drop item won't be as high in quality as what us Heroes get, and you're only able to access those drops at Hourglasses, or at special gem machines in the Otherworld, but as they don't exist here…" Naofumi trailed off.

"... anyway, that's why I wanted to talk to you about it." Naofumi frowned again. "I was wondering if you'd have the skill to replicate this since I don't have the skills or the knowledge.

"It'd really help the people of our nation out if they could get more rewards from the monsters they killed instead of having to give all the drop items to us Heroes."

…

…

…

…

…

"Hickwaal?" Naofumi asked.

"Please, just give him a moment." Melty sighed. Having to fight to keep her own surprise from taking over her features. "This is probably a lot for him to take in. It's certainly that way for me."

Oh… now that Naofumi thought about it, he'd been completely blown away when Kizuna first told him about it. Had he just gotten desensitized to the ramifications of it thanks to everything else he'd seen in Kizuna's world like communication ofudas or flying ships?

"Does it actually work?" Melty then asked.

Naofumi demonstrated by taking a small balloon carcass out of his Shield's gemstone, before placing it against the gemstone on the necklace accessory.

In a flash of light, similar to that of his legendary weapon, the monster material was absorbed into the accessory, disappearing from view.

…

…

…

"You know, funny thing actually." Naofumi spoke again to break the deafening pause. "I think they also replicate the Hero's Inventory function, since I've found that I can even store items like rope inside." He then demonstrated by pulling a length of rope from his weapon's gemstone, before storing it in the accessory he was holding.

"It's just that, well, I can't pull the stuff out of this unless I'm at an Hourglass." The Shield Hero then shrugged. "So not really a smart place to store things for a camping trip. But hey, at least you could store as much as you wanted in here without needing to worry about it getting full, and-"

"WHAAAAAAAAAT?!" Hickwaal screamed. A LITERAL INFINITE BAG OF HOLDING?! AND NAOFUMI WANTED TO MAKE MORE OF THEM!?

Melty nearly slammed her head into her desk.

Gods, please give her strength!

Eventually, Hickwaal did regain control of his voice, however, much to the Shield Hero's chagrin, the topic of accessories was left shelved for another time.

"Let's move on to why we're having this meeting now." Melty stated. "And you better pay attention this time, Naofumi, because the things we're discussing here are super important for the Hero's Nation!"

"What makes you think I won't be-" Naofumi started, only for Melty to glare at him, helping him recall what he said earlier. "Alright, fine, you have my full undivided attention this time." He raised his hands in defeat, causing the bluette to smile happily in response.

"Ohoho! Does this mean that I have your approval for some of my proposals then, Lady Governor?" Hickwaal laughed in delight.

"You do. It's going to be an ambitious project for sure. But we need to make sure the citizens of the Hero's Nation are able to contribute in meaningful ways that don't involve just fighting! They need to be able to do things that'll give them purpose and identity while helping them to grow!" Melty proclaimed as a blazing fire appeared in her eyes.

Naofumi paused at her words, then looked between the short princess and shorter merchant.

He… focused a lot of his attention on getting the people as strong as possible. He hadn't meant to, but he hadn't been checking in to see how all those who didn't take on the Hero Service Crests or who weren't undergoing Fitoria's Growth Revision were doing.

"Yes, and more than that, having too large of a focus on fighting could end up destroying the monster populations in your territory entirely… or destroy the natural environment, which also isn't a good thing." The merchant sweatdropped, remembering yesterday. "And well, it goes even further than that when some people might want more peaceful means to growing stronger than swinging a blade at someone."

It was like everyone there could hear Granny cackling as she broke some poor soul in two at the training grounds that very moment.

"AIEEEEEE!"

Said poor soul sounded an odd lot like Motoyasu.

"Raphtalia and the others haven't slowed down yet as far as I can tell." Naofumi grimaced. "But yeah, you're right. Now that I think about it, it's been pretty hard for people to find anything above level 10 living near Lurolona these days."

"That part is fine. Naturally, around the seat of power for a nation, the soldiers will slay all the powerful monsters living nearby, leaving only small fry for rookie adventurers to try their luck out on. That is bound to happen no matter how you try to curtail monster hunts. The real issue would be if you hunted so extensively that you had no monsters left to level up with nor take care of the natural environment in the entire territory of the nation.

"Your people are going to need stuff to do, so they're not idly sitting by and twiddling their thumbs. And while you've made good progress with construction projects and farm works, you spend a lot of focus on physical work. Even those training in magic or becoming healers/apothecarians are doing a lot of footwork. Despite having higher stats and levels, that can be taxing for a lot of people, especially young ones." Hickwaal explained.

"How do you wish to address that then?" Naofumi asked curiously.

"Before I answer that, I have a question for you, Shield Hero… If you were going to help improve an entire nation of people and bring them out of the depths of poverty, where would you start?" Hickwaal answered with a question of his own while maintaining a small, sly smile.

"Hmmm..." Naofumi clasped his hands and thought about it for a moment.

It seemed like a question that could have many different answers. And it likely did. However, there were some answers that were better than others, depending on their context.

His time studying business at college gave him insights into some of those answers.

"To use some phrases from my world to compare, your question is what does it take to move people living in a third world country like, say, Melromarc, and change their nation into a first world country like Faubley, correct?"

"Hmmm, I think I understand what you're going for there. Yes, that is a good way to put it." Hickwaal nodded his head.

Naofumi thought about it some more. That was a big question back on Earth. Normally, it took a variety of actions to turn a third world country into a first world country.

One way to do so was improving a nation's average GDP. One normally did that by working hand in hand with the ruling government, which could implement growth policies or lower taxes in order to encourage businesses to move and work there. But Melty had been tackling that issue ever since they'd moved there, and that was something Hickwaal could do naturally without their input.

So what was there next? They could try for copying technologies from more advanced nations, and Naofumi had some plans for that with some of what he'd brought back from the Otherworld. Thing was, that wasn't guaranteed to work. And from what he'd heard of one of the only advanced nations in the world, Faubley, they were only that advanced because they had a lot of wealth to waste.

Maybe if it was more simple, like building a printing press or a more efficient means of making ships. Or maybe even those magic lights that lit up Zeltoble at night, according to Motoyasu. But crazier tech needing way more time and materials was out of the question.

Hmmm…

You know, Naofumi beat himself on the head over it earlier, but in this world, especially during the Waves, being able to fight was important. If you didn't do something combat related, however, the next best thing would be to learn a trade. But that wasn't broad enough. One could also become a farmer or a knight or any other profession as long as they knew what it entailed.

Knew… what was that popular saying from his world? Knowledge is power. But too often, people thought it meant power over others, when it could also be used to power your own life.

If there was one universal truth high on the statistics bracket that dragged people out of poverty and even propelled them to the 1% back in his world...

"You educate them." Naofumi finally answered.

Hickwaal clapped his hands together happily. "Indeed, Shield Hero. Indeed."

"Are you suggesting we set up a school for the residents of the Hero's Nation then?" Naofumi pressed on.

"Not just a school." Hickwaal smiled wide. "And again, I must say, I do love your analogy comparing Melromarc and Faubley earlier, no offense, Governor. But if I'm going to help institute education, then I'm going to do so at 'every' level. And not just the best of the best like what Faubley wants."

"None taken, I am aware that education is hard to come by in Melromarc. And personally, I have no love for the Faubley Academy since my sister was accepted there." Melty said in a deadpan.

"Ahahahaha!" Hickwaal laughed, while Naofumi smirked in agreement.

"Since you've brought this idea up, I'm going to guess you already have enough people at hand capable of staffing this kind of project?" Naofumi asked.

"Why of course! I wouldn't have ever put it forward if I didn't already have the resources to back it!" Hickwaal said excitedly. "I have plenty of former teachers from Zeltoble, as well as a few professors who were let go from the Faubley Academy for… reasons."

"Do you mean like they were mad scientists?" Naofumi asked with narrowed eyes.

"No. How do I put this… the Faubley Academy isn't what it used to be. Where before, merit or hard work could get you in, being the child of an alumni gives you highest priority, whether you have good grades or not. On top of that, depending on whom you're connected to in the Academy, you can get away with anything, even sexual harrassment of other students or teachers.

"It really doesn't help that they started doing coed dorms recently after the Crown Prince's reforms. Their research department has been going downhill as well since networking is becoming more important than teaching, meaning those with connections can get grants for absolute nonsense while those without connections aren't given funding for important research like the Waves."

…

"..." Naofumi remained quiet.

"It's truly unfortunate." Hickwaal sighed. "I'm a former graduate myself, but the changes in the last ten or so years have been for the worse."

That was… really sad, actually. It definitely sounded as though more than one thing in this world needed to be fixed.

"Well, that's all my questions for now. Let's get started. I doubt that Ren and Motoyasu will object to any of this." Naofumi nodded with an excited grin.

And with that, the group of three got to work.

Hero Clips!

Never A Private Moment

"Mmmm, honey." Raphtalia giggled happily.

"Hey there pretty mama, let me whisper in your ear." Naofumi teased, making his companion giggle even more in delight.

Yep, you know what this is. Any moment now, the scene would be fading to black, and the mature young couple would appear later, having made sweet, sweet love to each other that'd make all of us smile and shake our heads at how sweet the two were together, and-

"Rafu!"

...

The two stilled, suddenly realizing something, or rather, someone they'd forgotten about.

"Rafu? (Did I do something wrong?)" Rifana asked curiously.

Raph-Chan could never do any wrong, I say!

"Rafu!" Raph-Chan posed happily at the narrator's response. Of course it'd been a trick question! She always did these things on purpose!

...

Right, they'd gone straight to bed, not letting Raph-Chan out of their room the night before...

"Gods damn it. Now the mood is ruined." Raphtalia muttered under her breath.

"Oops. Sorry." Naofumi grimaced.

"It's fine, we can just find time to resume later." Raphtalia promised.

"... you mean you'll still be alright doing it today?" Naofumi asked with a gleam in his eyes.

Raphtalia leaned forward, pressing a nice, lingering kiss on the Shield Hero's lips, winking suggestively at him before getting out of bed and readying herself for the day.

Ha, Naofumi was already looking forward to later. Too bad it couldn't be now, but oh well, that was life.

Besides, it wasn't as if they were going to be interrupted every time they wanted to make love today and-

"Mommy! Daddy!"

"Eh-" "Filo?!"

"Hmmm, how peculiar."

The Shield and Katana Heroes had chosen to 'grind' on their own that day in the mountains.

There wasn't going to be anyone else hunting in the area, since the monster populations needed time to recover, which the two thought meant that they'd have enough privacy to do the deed together.

However, just as they were beginning to make out, Filo dropped in... with Fitoria of all people.

"What the heck are you both doing here?!" Naofumi tried to ask as kindly as possible without venting out his frustration on being blueballed again. Also, shouldn't Fitoria have been busy doing something else?!

"Didn't Filo tell Mommy and Daddy that Filo and Fitoria would be doing some training in the mountains today?" Filo asked curiously.

"I do remember hearing you tell them as much during breakfast." Fitoria nodded her head. "Fitoria needed a break from her task."

"..." "..."

"Looks like Mommy and Daddy were distracted by lewd thoughts during breakfast... again." Filo said in a deadpan.

"It would appear so." Fitoria agreed.

The power couple bowed their heads, faces red as Naofumi raised his Shield and portaled them back to the town.

Oh well, he had another spot they could try! And thankfully, he and Raphtalia still had a bunch of time slotted for each other today!

There was no way anybody would be able to find them this time-

"What the- WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?!"

"What are we doing?! WHAT THE &^%$ ARE YOU DOING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE &^%$#$% OCEAN?!"

The power couple were standing on the ocean floor...

No, I'm dead serious. They were several hundred feet underwater, surrounded by a bubble of air. This was thanks to a skill on one of Naofumi's shields called Bubble Shield.

Aptly named, but anyway, the two would have had complete privacy down here (besides the underwater monsters, but they weren't that important), unfortunately, their third daughter had decided today was the day she'd practice using a new water-breathing spell she'd learned recently.

And Melty had thus been extremely unfortunate to come across her adoptive parents just as they were beginning to strip each other of their armor to make a fourth daughter for the family.

"Naofumi, language!" Raphtalia chided.

"But I- fine, you're right, I'm sorry, but literally, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING DOWN HERE?!" Naofumi yelled in frustration.

"Shouldn't I be yelling that at you?!" Melty demanded angrily, a blush slowly working its way onto her face as she wished she could have been anywhere else besides there.

...

Both sides went quiet, feeling a growing awkwardness in the atmosphere.

And just as if it couldn't get anymore ridiculous...

"Oh, hey Naofumi! How's it going?!" An adult sized penguin creature wearing a poorly sewn hat on its head and holding the Legendary Spear in its grasp appeared in the water, swimming alongside a larger yet extremely hot killer whale.

"... Motoyasu?" Naofumi asked confusedly.

"Sadeena." Raphtalia groaned.

"Hey lil' sis! Don't you realize you shouldn't be doing such acts out in the open where lil' ol' me can watch?" Sadeena teased in her therianthrope form.

"That aside, Naofumi, did you know that the monsters down here give ridiculous amounts of EXP?! I'm almost at level 90 already!" Motoyasu said excitedly.

"Is that really important right now?!" Naofumi yelled at the blonde man.

"Ehehehe, I'll have you at 100 before you know it, Moto!" Sadeena hugged the Spear Hero's side, making the man laugh instead of answering Naofumi's question.

On the beach, watching through the needle on the Pengu Kigimuri together, a tiger girl and her seamstress older sister both screamed at how unfair it was that they couldn't fight underwater with Moto too.

...

"..." Naofumi didn't say another word as Raphtalia raised her blade to the sky this time, portaling them back to the town... again.

"Can I level with you guys too?" Melty asked curiously.

"Sure, the more the merrier, I say!" Motoyasu said happily.

Atla and S'yne's screaming only intensified as they wished they had the ability to cast water magic too.

"Dou-Lon... are you kidding me?"

"Urk... I'm terribly sorry, Naofumi. I didn't realize you and Miss Raphtalia were... um... in here together."

Naofumi and Raphtalia both groaned as they put their faces in their hands. The Shield Hero's bloodkin sitting in the water opposite them.

They were in the bathhouse, where they'd worked to ensure they'd have a private bath 'all to themselves'. Since they were only dressed in towels, it would have been so easy for them to undress and do the deed really quick, and then wash off in the hot bathes as if nothing had happened.

It was a place to wash up, and the water was drained and refilled pretty often, so it wasn't like anybody would have minded like a certain Bow idiot.

Unfortunately, just as they were getting started, Dou-Lon walked in. Not even noticing the pair until he was already neck deep in the water.

By then, it was too late.

"Keel, just ten minutes... that's all I wanted." Raphtalia groaned in despair.

"Why the hell did we trust her to keep watch?" Naofumi groaned alongside his wife friend.

"Um, well, in her defense, she was distracted by that one tiger teen, who's been following me around lately." Dou-Lon admitted.

"It's weird, I was going to talk to ask why he's been following me during the day, but as soon as he saw her, he ran away face all red faced and screaming in terror. And that's when Keel chased after him." Dou-Lon shrugged.

...

So much for asking Keel to keep watch.

...

The silence between both sides began to get more than a little awkward.

"I'm sorry again, Naofumi. I swear, next time you and Miss Raphtalia need privacy, you can ask me to make sure nobody goes into your home, and I'll make sure-"

"Oh? Dou-Lon, you're also using the public bath right now?" Eclair asked curiously as she came out from the woman's dressing room. Dressed in nothing but a towel.

"AIEEEEEEEEEE!" The large white tiger man suddenly clawed himself out of the large bath. Towel still wrapped around his waist as he dashed on all fours out the exit while screaming like a banshee.

"Eh? Dou-Lon?! Where are you going?! Don't tell me you're going off to train like that!" The swordswoman chased after the man.

Eclair in just a towel?! WHYYYYYYYYYYY?!

...

...

The power couple raised both their weapons at the same time.

Screw this, if they couldn't find a moment of privacy in this world, than they'd just have to travel to a different world to do the deed!

Alright, the two now had a nice romantic dinner ready on the beach of the Infinite Labyrinth in Kizuna's world.

Don't ask how they'd gotten there. Most of these omakes got pretty cracked eventually. Let's just say that through some shenanigans, they traveled to Kizuna's world and went into the inescapable (not) Labyrinth where they'd thought FOR SURE that they'd have some privacy!

There'd even been enough supplies left in the Hunting Hero's old hideout down here that Naofumi had managed to put together a nice romantic dinner for two just for the two of them so it'd be certain that the mood would be set. They'd have their fade to black moment, and then they'd be happy and satisfied, able to handle being around people again and doing who knows what as they prepared themselves and the people for the improvement of the Hero's Nation and-

"Oh, hey, Naofumi! Fancy meeting you and your wife friend here again!" Kizuna greeted happily.

...

...

...

"Eh? What is it? Do I have something on my face?" The young girl asked curiously.

There was no way.

There was no &^%$#$% way!

"WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING HERE!?" Naofumi yelled as, in the background, Raphtalia beat her head against a large boulder on the beach.

The poor rock. The half-tanuki was smashing it into so many pieces as Naofumi's little sister had been the one to interrupt them this time.

"Fishing, duh." Kizuna showcased her fishing pole with a proud grin. "Didn't I tell you about all the awesome fish I caught while trapped here?! Now that Mikikage is no longer a country, and since I have these handy dandy Bio-Seeds you gave me, I can come and go as I please!

"Pretty sweet, amirite?!"

...

...

...

"That does it." Naofumi crossed his arms. "You're no longer my favorite little sister."

"EHHHHHHH!? BUT WHY THO!?" Kizuna instantly complained.

"Tell L'Arc he can have his favorite older brother status back by the way. I'm done with this ^%$#." Naofumi walked to Raphtalia to help her away from the boulder that was now nothing but a pile of rock dust that she was still pounding her head against alongside the sand of the beach.

"Boo! Why is it my fault you can't get a moment of privacy with your wife friend?!" Kizuna pouted. And here she'd been so excited to tell the Shield Hero about his younger bro being summoned as the Mirror Hero!

Which technically hadn't happened yet if you went by the timeline... but did that really matter in a crack omake?!

"Hey, Shield Kiddo! Guess who heard through the grapevine that a certain somebody thought I was actually pretty cool?!"

"JUST &^%$ OFF ALREADY!" Naofumi and Raphtalia shouted at L'Arc at the same time.

Was this their lives now?!

And thus, the pair were repeatedly blueballed as they failed to have a fade to black moment where they could express their love to each other.

And both of them eventually went crazy together because of it.

Smh, they should have just gotten their own room at Cal Mira.

I'm sure Ren and Wyndia are having plenty of privacy right now. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

Two weeks had passed since the meeting with Hickwaal.

During that time, a decent amount of things had changed and went down. However, for once, Naofumi decided to forego his usual internal musings in favor of simply looking out the window of the carriage he was riding in. He watched the countryside pass by in a blur, enjoying the early autumn sights while petting Raph-chan, who lay sprawled on his lap, and listening to the murmurs of his friends.

"Ooooh, I'm so excited!" Melty exclaimed happily.

"Ufufufu. We have put a lot of hard work into this. I look forward to showing what we've managed to accomplish thus far." Hickwaal commented with a gleeful chuckle of his own.

"Is it really necessary for me to tag along?" Motoyasu asked helplessly. "I'm finally about to hit level 100. Seriously, those sea monsters give ridiculous amounts of exp."

Besides the three mentioned individuals, the carriage was also housing Sadeena and Sebas. Melty and Hickwaal sat on Naofumi's side, with the other two sitting opposite him.

"You need to stay aware of big changes happening here, Motoyasu." Naofumi informed the blonde man. "Besides, I'm only level 90. And Ren's still stuck at level 75 thanks to his curse. If there's anyone that needs to catch up level wise, it's not you."

Moto seriously contemplated whether or not he should mention how the Shield Hero could still stomp him, Ren, and Itsuki simultaneously with his newfangled tier three Blessed and Cursed Series combo. Or, more importantly, remind him of just how useful and powerful Brionac would be once he unlocked the weapon form which had it.

Before he could come to a decision, however, the Spear Hero's brain came to a grinding halt as the orca woman sitting next to him hugged herself against the side of his body. "No worries, Moto, I'll happily take you back out to the open sea as soon as we're done here." Sadeena smiled smugly while hugging Moto's arm to her chest.

From the pin set on the blonde's gambeson, the observing S'yne and Atla both glared in jealousy at the orca woman. If only they'd been invited along too instead of being asked by Granny to help her other pupils learn the defensive techniques of life force at the last minute!

"Moto, can you tone down your harem protagonist powers for five minutes? I'm trying to focus on petting Raph-Chan here." Naofumi asked with a bemused sigh, his hand going through his daughter's fur again and again.

"Rafu!" Raph-Chan cooed happily.

"Hey! It's not like I'm asking for this, you know!" Motoyasu pouted at the Shield Hero.

"And yet you can't tell your second girlfriend there to put your arm somewhere more PG?" Naofumi asked with a smirk.

"Everything alright in there, Blondie?" Amber called from outside before Motoyasu could respond that Sadeena wasn't his girlfriend.

"Everything's perfect, my darling angel!" Motoyasu shouted back with a dopey grin on his face.

"Ehehehe." Sadeena giggled as she buried Moto's arm deeper between her breasts.

SWEET MOTHER OF ORCAS THEY WERE SO SOFT! HIS NEW BED AND PILLOWS COULDN'T EVEN COMPARE, I SAY-

AHHHHH, NO, HE HAD TO STOP THIS BEFORE AN EVEN GREATER MISUNDERSTANDING FOLLOWED AND-

"Spear Uncle's gotten a lot cooler lately, hasn't he?" Filo's voice sounded outside while the Spear Hero went through a mental breakdown. Both she and Amber were the ones pulling the carriage.

"Blondie's always been cool. It's just that Filo's finally noticed it!" Amber said to her fellow royal happily.

"Hmmmm… I guess. He's certainly cooler than Short Hero was, that's for sure."

"Who's Short Hero?" Amber asked.

"Trust Filo, Amber doesn't want to know the answer to that." The blue-eyed Filolial shuddered.

…

Conversations continued around the Shield Hero. and steam burst from the Spear Hero's ears as Naofumi pet the napping Raph-Chan's fur in his lap. He continued to stare out the window of the carriage the group was riding in.

…

He had been content with just watching the countryside pass by before, but maybe a little bit of explaining couldn't hurt.

First was the fact that they were traveling by carriage instead of on the backs of Filolials to Seatto right now. There had been a road, per say, between Lurolona and Seaetto before the Waves. However, it'd never been a paved path, and it had vanished under the undergrowth after the first Wave of Catastrophe and the Church Knights destroyed the territory.

But under Melty's order the old road had been rediscovered and cleared of undergrowth and debris. The young princess also had plans to pave the road, once she had the manpower to do so, to further improve transportation between the main two settlements in the Hero's Nation.

It was still a test run more than anything, but the groundwork for a stable, scheduled public transportation line had been made. And it was currently operated by Filolials who made their runs between the two main settlements of the Hero's Nation.

The members of Fitoria's flock weren't doing this service for the people because they were being forced to do so either. Whether it was a normal Filolial, a Filolial raised by the Heroes, or a member of the great bird Queen's flock, the love of pulling a wagon or carriage behind the majestic animal was universal. Thus, they had a Carriage System in place that allowed the Filolials guarding the Hero's Nation to do what they loved the most while ferrying residents between both settlements.

Due to all this, the time it took to get from Lurolona to Seaetto had been reduced to fifteen minutes. With Filo and Amber pulling the time was reduced to almost eight. It almost made Naofumi think back to Japan's famous bullet trains, with the rate and convenience that they were going at. It wasn't often that he got to enjoy a ride from a passenger's point of view.

And he really did enjoy it. Despite how fast the carriage was going, it was a remarkably smooth ride, compared to what Naofumi was used to in the past during his time as the night merchant.

And the reason for it? A set of dampeners with matching coil springs.

Motoyasu had suggested the idea when the logistics of their public carriage line was first discussed in a meeting between the two Heroes and Melty. And to everyone's amazement, when Jerry finished the prototype and Motoyasu used his mechanical skills to install it, it worked.

There had been many times when the local laws of physics flipped the middle finger at the Heroes in the past, but this time, they finally gave them a break.

Hopefully this would also be the end of Raphtalia's woes during travel, since Naofumi had asked to install these things into Filo's carriage as well. Now if only they could make some better wheels with proper tires too...

Oh well. One thing at a time.

The plains outside the carriage quickly transitioned from destroyed areas of farmland to new farmhouses surrounded by a variety of different Bio-Plant crops the closer they got to Seaetto.

There were still many ruins to clean up, but the landscape was becoming more beautiful and productive as more time passed. Food was easily becoming a staple of the Hero's Nations exports.

And after only another minute, during which Motoyasu finally managed to free his arm from his second girlfriend's pillowy prison, the Carriage finally slowed as it reached Seaetto.

The town's buildings had all been repaired and/or replaced, with the exception of the Seaetto mansion, which still stood in ruins far in the distance on a hill overlooking the town. The commercial district was steadily growing as more people received permits from Melty to open various small businesses. Knights patrolled the clean streets. Newly moved-in citizens did their errands and ran about their day. A church dedicated to the Four Heroes had its doors open, and a sermon was going on inside as Naofumi's group passed.

There was even a building in the middle of being furnished into an outpost of the Adventurer's Guild. Hopefully, it'd attract more of the helpful famous adventurers to the area, which could also boost the power of their Nation if they decided to stay and work there and do work under the Heroes. All this and more had happened in the last few weeks.

There was a method of organization in this town mirroring that which had been accomplished in Lurolona by keeping everything on a grid system. The settlement had no major wall surrounding it yet, instead relying on a simple ten foot fortification. However, nothing but grasslands and farmland surrounded Seaetto, leaving little room for monsters to stealthily encroach on the residents.

Seaetto wasn't full yet, even with the constant inflow of refugees and prospective citizens. With the rate things were going though, they would likely need a third town soon.

He and Moto also wanted to introduce more Japanese themes to their Nation beyond just public bathhouses. But he wanted to do so at a comfortable pace. Naofumi joked about it before, but he didn't want to give Dou-Lon a heart attack adding so many things from Japan.

…

Eventually, as they passed through the town center, Naofumi smiled as the two Royals outside slowed to a complete stop.

"We're here!" Filo yelled happily.

"If I may." Sebas stood up first, opening the carriage door before standing outside and holding it open for everyone else.

The group ferried out of the vehicle and looked around at a new part of the town that was slowly coming together. An area which, admittedly, did not look as good or clean as the rest of Seaetto.

Melty had formerly sectioned this area of land off to build some warehouses and work facilities for those needing room to practice their trades. After talking with Hickwaal, however, she'd changed her plans, and had a few smaller buildings constructed around the one large warehouse that had already been constructed.

There was nothing special here at first glance. The warehouse was made of wood, while the buildings surrounding it were made of stone. The streets weren't paved, with some areas still being covered in grass. And it did not follow the grid system the rest of the town had. Being more open or more compact in areas.

But there were people here, even more than in the city. They were dressed in their everyday clothes, holding paper and quills in their hands instead of swords or axes as they hurried to their destinations.

"Well, here we are. The Hero Nation's first school. Sorry if it looks simple and cheap right now." Naofumi rubbed the back of his head. "There's only so much we can do in so little time. But now that all the set-up's done, we'll hopefully be able to make some real progress going forward using architects and construction workers."

"Seamstresses as well. I want to have uniforms made for the people here." Hickwaal looked around at the 'students' moving around. "The schools in Zeltoble had those before the Council shut them down. Helped give those attending a collective sense of identity and community."

"I'll see to it once we have more seamstresses in the Hero's Nation." Melty nodded.

"Um… Maybe S'yne and I could…" Motoyasu started in an unsure tone, when he slowly came to realize something looking around at the layout. "Wait, Naofumi, is this going to be a college town?"

"A college town?" Sadeena asked curiously.

"A place where younger people live and learn." Naofumi answered the orca woman. "And in the future, yeah, it'll resemble that. For now though, it's just a simple campus." Naofumi smiled and patted his first daughter on the head as she let go of the carriage and turned back into her human form.

"How about cafes then? Or a park? Have you already considered giving students somewhere to relax in between classes." Motoyasu suggested, suddenly looking a lot more interested.

"Not a bad idea, Sir Motoyasu. In the future, I plan on having an open air courtyard in the large building there that'll have cafes in it." Hickwaal piped up happily. "Just can't do that now, since it'd require renovating the former warehouse more than it already has been.

"If we planted some trees around the circumference of the area here though and paved some sidewalks around?" Naofumi pondered out loud.

"Yes, yes, and then throw down some benches for people to relax on." Hickwaal said next.

"Maybe a small area for ping pong or pool tables- actually, I don't know if either of those are prominent in this world." Motoyasu thought deeply to himself. "That could be fun to introduce!"

"Heh, can't say I played either much, but wouldn't those work better inside?" Naofumi asked, sounding interested.

"Only on days when it's not too windy! But we could just put a windbreak with a cool design next to them to add more visuals to the area!" Motoyasu quickly countered as he pulled out a piece of paper from his Spear and started drawing a rough sketch of what he was visualizing.

Hah! Naofumi knew it'd been a good idea to drag Moto along. Even if he'd been reluctant at first, the Spear Hero was quickly getting into it! After all, learning was just one part of the education experience!

"Spear Uncle, what's ping pong?" Filo then asked, surprising Naofumi for multiple reasons. The big one, which still surprised him despite how much time had passed since their Otherworld Trip, being how his first daughter's attitude towards the blonde man had completely shifted.

"Amber's curious about this too. Blondie rarely talks about stuff from his world." Amber said happily.

"Well, Moto?" Sadeena said with a teasing smile. Again, from his pin, S'yne and Atla also watched, pushing jealousy aside while listening eagerly with anticipation.

"Heheheh, let's see…" Motoyasu started to quietly explain to the entire group what ping pong and pool were as they walked towards one of the outer stone buildings.

Naofumi didn't do either activity in his world. He'd seen other students doing one or the other the rare times he was on campus outside of classes, so he knew what they were, but he'd never played either.

Unsurprisingly, Moto had played both pool and ping pong with many of his college friends. And before college, he'd won a ping pong competition in one of his High Schools. Granted, he moved immediately after that, so he ended up playing more for fun than anything else.

Focusing his hands on keeping his still snoozing familiar comfortable, Naofumi's mind drifted from the blonde man's story to his surroundings. The inside of the building they'd walked into first was just as simple as the outside, with just a single hallway and sets of open doors on both sides leading into classrooms.

Some of the classrooms were big, filled with students he could see through the open doors as they walked past. Others were small, having no more than a few students.

In one room, Naofumi saw a bearded gentleman with a puffy afro teaching a group of kids how to paint in a straight line. In another, there was a strict-looking woman with round glasses teaching a small group of adults the basics of accounting.

Weird to have an art class next to a business class. Naofumi could have sworn he and Melty had discussed separating each building by category.

"Hmmm… it seems a little disorganized here, don't you think?" Sadeena suddenly said, as Motoyasu had finished his story, allowing the rest of the group to pay attention alongside Naofumi.

"It is." Melty nodded. "Unfortunately, there aren't quite enough buildings yet to safely separate every category of classes Hickwaal and I want to offer our citizens. For now though, I figured we'd be better off starting classes in the first place to figure out what we need to fit needs."

"Mmhmm, and we won't be able to figure out what works unless we start somewhere." Hickwaal agreed. "Trial and error, as they say."

"Hmmm." Motoyasu hummed in thought, but didn't say anything.

The next building they entered looked exactly like the first. With the exception of some chimneys poking out of the roof.

It soon became evident why that was the case when they came across the first door, which led to a large classroom.

"What's with this meat! Do you even know what the word 'cook' means?!" A large, older demiman with curled horns sticking out from the sides of his chef's hat yelled down at a scruffy-looking fellow who didn't look older than twenty.

Motoyasu recognized him as one of the knights from Lurolona. However, he wasn't in his armor right now, and instead had an apron covering the clothes he normally wore under his regular plate.

"I-I'm sorry chef, I'm not used to cooking on a stove! My unit only had me cook with campfires before now!"

"Then pay attention, you donkey! I'm here to teach you how to cook like a pro, not like a barbarian! Now put this back on the stove until it stops screeching at me about how RAW it is!" The chef slapped the knight with the slab of meat in his hands, before dropping it on the oiled pan and moving on to look at the next individual's progress.

"This chef you brought… is definitely something." Melty sweatdropped.

"Yes, Mr. Ramseed has always been a little… rough around the edges, especially when it comes to his passion." Hickwaal admitted with a chuckle.

"Nah, he seems cool to me." Naofumi shrugged. "I never tolerate stupidity in my kitchen either."

"What are you?!"

"An idiot sandwich, sir!"

"I am not a sir! I am the chef! Now what are you?!"

"An idiot sandwich, chef!"

The poor bird woman began to bawl. But Naofumi rolled his eyes. He could spot crocodile tears from a mile away.

Seriously, who messed up making a simple sandwich?

"He's excellent with the kids though." Hickwaal spoke again. "And even if he is rough, he puts out the best chefs under his guidance. I would know, since he trained all the staff I employed in my restaurants whenever he was free before this."

"Oh dear, oh dear, gorgeous. Simply wonderful." The sheep demihuman then smiled, and the little boy who'd showed off the egg he'd managed to cook a perfect Over Medium grinned as the chef patted him on the head. The boy was then excused to snack on his creation.

"YOU %$#%$^& DONKEY!" The chef then roared at the next adult in line, who'd failed to boil water.

Like, how did the idiot forget to light the fire before placing the pot of water above it!?

Naofumi had half a mind to go in there himself and rip the complete novice a new one for daring to set foot in a kitchen! Finally, someone he could get along with!

"Let's continue on." Hickwaal suggested. But the group could still hear Mr. Ramseed's loud boisterous voice for a while as they moved through the rest of the building, and on to the next, and the next.

There were a lot of different classes they got to look in on. There were classes focused on leather and shoemaking, alongside classes on herbology and magic text. There were also classes on world history and some with varying focuses on art, engineering, or other things. Though it was becoming clear that such classes had the least amount of people, whereas classes for trades or even basic survival skills were more packed.

"You know, I do have to ask; why offer such a wide variety if there's almost no one taking many of the classes right now?" Sadeena asked after they passed by a class with only two students and the teacher going over a magic textbook together. "Do you expect some of these classes to become more popular in the future?"

"I do," Hickwaal nodded. "Naofumi. Would you do the honors and explain?"

"Sure. Motoyasu, feel free to join in as well, since we pretty much had the same education before being summoned." Naofumi said to the blonde man.

"Alright." The Spear Hero nodded.

"Let's see, to start, in school, there's five main things that need to be covered before anything else." Naofumi said, holding up his hand and pointing at a finger with each word.

"Those things are: Literacy. Numeracy. Science. Social Studies. And Critical Thinking.

"Literacy and Numeracy are obvious must haves. You can't do or learn much if you can't read, write, or do basic math. Even something as simple as a farmer selling their harvest can be near impossible if they don't know how money works, or are unable to read a land deed, give their signature for hiring farm hands, or various other tasks without being taken advantage of by others."

"Yep, sounds legit." Motoyasu said. "As for Science. I'm going to guess Naofumi means having a basic understanding of the world around you."

"That, and being able to understand the methods behind why things work. Like why wood burns but rocks don't." Naofumi added. "Though this world also has its own interesting twists with how it pisses all over the law of physics."

"Hahaha! Yeah. I'd honestly love to see how science is taught here." Motoyasu laughed, before clearing his throat. "Next up, Social Studies. That subject covered a lot in my world, but I think it'd be fine to simplify it to being able to understand why people are the way they are and where they're coming from."

"Pretty much, which leads to the last thing: Critical Thinking. Or, you know, being able to analyze stuff, solve problems, learn different perspectives, basically common sense." Naofumi rolled his eyes. "Or what should be considered common sense, at least."

"That all sums it up quite nicely, sir Heroes. Thank you!" Hickwaal smiled. "But then after that, after they've gotten those basic skills down, what will they learn next?"

"Whatever interests them most." Motoyasu and Naofumi said at the same time.

"Exactly. There are a few refugees amongst the arrivals who already have those basic skills down. But many are still largely illiterate or lack proper analytical skills or social awareness. But once those issues are dealt with, people will be able to expand their horizons in more focused and specialized ways.

"And when that happens, the teachers in those half-empty classrooms we saw will already have experience and lesson plans drawn up, allowing them to be more prepared to handle a constant flow of different students without getting overwhelmed."

"Hmmm… I do agree, but then, do you think that everyone coming here will want to learn past the basics?" Sadeena asked.

"Of course not. But then, you might be surprised how many will jump at the chance when it's presented to them." Hickwaal nodded his head with a knowing smile.

Sadeena nodded her head, and was going to remain silent, but then they began walking past the next classroom.

"Hol' on, are they learning how to brew alco-"

Naofumi dragged the orca woman along, frowning at the merchant's direction. "A brewery class, seriously?"

"It was popular in Zeltoble, I figured it'd be the same here. But don't worry, no kids are allowed to take that class!" Hickwaal said reassuringly. "It'll also prove useful as an export!"

"Boo, let me go! Big Sis suddenly has a big interest in education!" Sadeena tried prying the Shield Hero's hand from her wrist, which was about as effective as it sounded.

"Daddy, what's a brewery?" Filo asked with wide curious eyes.

"Amber is curious too! It definitely sounds like Kind Orca Woman has an interest in it, Blondie!" Amber said happily.

"... maybe later." Motoyasu sweatdropped while Naofumi did his best to keep his eye twitch from appearing.

…

Eventually, after examining most of the outer buildings and getting a good look at who was attending what and the like, which Melty wrote down in a notepad, the group eventually walked through the front doors of the main warehouse turned school, which definitely had the most people inside.

Because it'd been set up as a warehouse, Naofumi had been expecting a wide open space. Maybe with some areas curtained off to allow for privacy. However, after entering the front doors, he found himself in a large room that had a bunch of small lockers set up in the front. And past it, going down both sides were doors to various classrooms, as well as a set of stairs going up.

It looked like there was another set of doors at the end of the hallway stretching out in front of them, leading into an open space.

There were also windows here on the inside, allowing Naofumi to see into the classrooms without having to peek through the door. The rooms were full of individuals, both young and old, who were paying attention to the teacher standing in front of a chalk board at the front.

No one immediately stood out, but Naofumi's eyes widened when he noticed the citizens sitting in desks that looked straight out of a school in Japan.

"Do pardon the shoddy walls and ceiling. I haven't had the chance to cover them with something more pleasing like wood or concrete. It took the earth mages a lot of effort to create all this to match the style of schools we used to have in Zeltoble." Hickwaal smiled nervously. "And as I said, I do plan on knocking out the roof over ther courtyard once we've gotten the proper workers for it."

"What classes are being taught here?" Amber asked as they walked down the hallway, peering through the windows at the different classrooms.

"The basic things Sirs Naofumi and Motoyasu pointed out before." Hickwaal said. In addition, there's also language studies being covered for Melromarcian, Zeltobish, and Siltveltish for those needing to learn it. I've personally found many of those you have living in Lurolona have expressed interest in those classes especially."

"Sorry to wait on asking this till now, but how long are the classes typically?" Naofumi asked.

"The extracurriculars will vary, but for the classes here, the teachers will be employing the same style as the schools they taught at. Fifty minute classes, with a ten minute break in between to allow students to move between classes or take a break if they so desire." Hickwaal said.

The two Heroes shared a look. "This… school system you said Zeltoble used to have… was it implemented by a past Hero, by any chance?" The Spear Hero asked.

"It was!" Hickwaal replied happily.

…

Yep, Japan. Slowly creeping its tentacles into another aspect of the world yet again.

They eventually went up to the second floor. Which looked the same as the first. Naofumi was peeking into classrooms at this point, seeing who he'd recognize and who didn't look familiar.

If anything, this had brought to scale how big their nation had gotten. In only a few short months too. The Waves and Spirit Tortoise had truly left their mark across the world, ruining the lives of millions. And they'd only gotten a small drop in the pail of that amount who'd wandered here.

At least with this, they were making an effort to improve their lives. Giving them power to control their own fates after the Waves were over…

It was as he was thinking about this that Filo suddenly spoke up from down the hall.

"Daddy, Filo found Mommy!"

"Huh?" Naofumi blinked in surprise.

"Rafu?" Raph-Chan also perked her head up in his arms to look at her big sis.

Naofumi hadn't known his wife friend would be here taking a class! She had been leaving the house earlier than usual this last week, but he'd thought she was only going out further to find monsters to level the townspeople with!

He went over to his daughter, wanting to see it for himself.

Only, when he looked through the window, his surprise turned to stunned amazement.

Raphtalia wasn't sitting at one of the student desks. She stood at the front of the classroom, wearing a different outfit that Naofumi realized he'd seen on her side of the bed the evening before.

It was a long sleeve black sweater. She wore a white shirt underneath it. She also wore a knee length skirt that went well with the outfit. Neat, simple, and practical, just like the woman wearing it. Yet it made her stand out all the more. 

"Oh my," Sadeena paused next to Naofumi, looking inside as well.

She not only recognized Raphtalia, but the kids- well now, teens; from Lurolona. Keel, who for once, had foregone her maid outfit to wear something more familiar and relaxing for this setting, sat at the forefront, thinking hard as she stared at the simple math problem Raphtalia had on the board to help everyone learn multiplication.

"I… it's fifty!" The girl said.

"Yes, that's correct! Ten times by five is fifty! Good job, Keel!" Raphtalia said happily. "Did everyone else get that?"

The tomboy began pumping her fist happily as her friends nodded, allowing Raphtalia to clear the board and begin writing the next problem up on it. Ha, if only Anya was here to witness her friend showing how smart she actually was in math! Keel thought to herself smugly. There'd be no way in hell she'd ever make fun of her brain again after-

"Now, what is the answer to this problem?" Raphtalia asked, showcasing a simple division equation on the board. Eight divided by two.

. . .

Boom!

Smoke burst out from the dog girl's ears as she promptly collapsed facefirst into her desk.

Oof, poor girl. Still had a ways to go.

Naofumi's attention was completely grabbed by Raphtalia, however. And the fact that she was here as a teacher.

He looked at Melty, but even she looked surprised. Motoyasu and Sadeena were also blinking several times, unsure if they were seeing things correctly. The only one in their group smiling to himself was Hickwaal, whom Naofumi turned to.

"Did you know about this?" Naofumi asked with an annoyed frown.

"Oh, yes, Mrs. Iwatani approached me last week to ask about it. She said you'd mentioned to her the idea of giving the people a better education, and she wanted a chance to help her friends learn some of what her parents taught her.

"I remembered how she'd protected me in the past, and so checked to see if she'd be capable of leading a class or not. To be frank, for someone who grew up in a rural town, I was impressed." Hickwaal smiled widely. "Her parents must have been well educated themselves. I wish I could have met them."

"Raultalia and Natalia… really were the best." Sadeena sadly smiled.

"Hmmm?" Hickwaal turned in her direction.

"It's nothing." Sadeena shook her head, looking back up at her younger sis again with a happy smile.

…

Yeah, thinking back on it, Raphtalia had been the one to help Naofumi learn how to read Melromarcian. And then she'd even helped him with figuring out magic text when she hadn't known much about it herself.

Naofumi looked through the window at his companion again, who hadn't yet noticed her husband friend or the others watching her hold a class. The girl was smiling like the sun as she got on one knee next to a sheep girl to help her understand the concept of division, much like how her own mother had helped her out when she was younger.

…

Heh. Now this was a cool sight to see. Naofumi normally wasn't a fan of it, but he wondered if he should pull off the classic trope of going in to interrupt as the cool husband of the teacher or not, only for Filo to pull on his hand and frown up at him.

"Daddy better not be thinking of doing anything rude to Mommy."

"But Daddy just wanted to go in and-"

"Come on Moto, let's get 'Daddy' away before Raphtalia spots us." Sadeena grinned.

"Yeah, come on, Naofumi. You and your wife friend can catch up later." The Spear Hero winked, pulling the Shield Hero along by the wrist. "She's teaching a class right now."

&%%$#*$%.

Naofumi frowned, but didn't resist as they left his wife friend behind and toured the rest of the building together.

It was probably for the best anyway.

Tropes were really annoying to deal with as it was.

They eventually came out the back of the school, and Motoyasu stretched his arms above his head.

"Was that the last of it?" He casually asked.

"For the upper portion of campus, yes." Hickwaal nodded. "Shall we now check on the bottom portion, Shield Hero?" Hickwaal asked.

"Sure thing. This way, correct?" Naofumi gestured to the side with his thumb.

Motoyasu paused in his tracks. "But I don't see any other buildings here?"

"Obviously not. That's why it's called the bottom portion. We're going belowground," The Shield Hero responded with an eyeroll.

…

Motoyasu continued to have a questioning look on his face as the group rounded the building, and came face to face with a wide opening housing a stone staircase leading straight down.

"... I don't remember Seaetto having a cave system." Motoyasu deadpanned.

"It doesn't. This section is also manmade. With the help of some additional friends Hickwaal brought along." Naofumi shrugged.

"The Lumos are certainly a people that know how to operate underground." Hickwaal agreed. He was already going down the steps leading down.

Naofumi followed behind him, and Filo grabbed her Father's hand as she came down alongside him. Melty followed behind while gripping her sister's other hand.

Motoyasu shook his head, then grabbed onto Amber's and Sadeena's hands as they followed the group down. Sebas followed from the rear.

The natural sunlight behind them quickly vanished, being replaced by torchlight as they descended. But after fifty feet, the stairs came to an end against a smooth stone floor. The ceiling being ten feet above their heads.

Clink! Clang! Clang!

There were also the sounds of work going on down here. The Spear Hero looked around, feeling oddly nervous about being belowground again. Naofumi wasn't doing his own version of the underground fighting pits, was he?

"Ah, Tolly, nice to see you! Everything going well?" Hickwaal suddenly spoke up front.

"Yes, surprisingly well." A short moleman dressed in a simple cross-patterned shirt and overalls appeared in the torchlight.

He had a small pair of black shaded glasses resting on the top of his head, as well as a red bandana wrapped around his neck. His surprisingly human, gray pupiled eyes examined the group in the torchlight of the underground.

He held in his clawed palms a hammer. He also had a thick leather apron covering his front to protect his body. "Was there a problem with one of the Magic Mythril Molds?" Hickwaal asked upon noticing the hammer.

"No. Those molds you brought are very impressive, Master Hickwaal. They're holding up better than expected. Even those using drifa fire spells haven't melted or blemished them in the slightest."

"I'd hope so. They were quite the investment. I wanted them to last." Hickwaal smiled. "So why the hammer?"

"I've been helping our blacksmiths with making more rebar. That appears to be one of our major bottlenecks down here." Tolly informed the merchant. "At least the iron from the nearby mountains has been of good quality. So that won't be a problem."

"... we have an iron mine now?" Motoyasu asked.

"Yes. I found out it was overlooked by the Seaetto Family because it's one of the cheapest metals in our world." Melty informed the group helpfully. "Fortunately, we're not planning to use it to make weapons or equipment."

"I see… thank you for bringing this to my attention. I'll see to it about hiring more blacksmith trainees to help out here." Hickwaal stroked his chin, before gesturing to the Heroes beside him. "Ah! Where are my manners?! Sir Heroes, I'd like to introduce you to my friend and blacksmith, Tollynemiya."

"Hello. You may call me Tolly for short." The short moleman bowed to the group, before showing particular reverence to the Shield Hero. "It's a pleasure to be able to see you again, great Shield Hero, as well as the Spear Hero of legend."

"The pleasure is all ours." Naofumi nodded his head. "Is your niece doing well?"

"She is. Imiya is looking forward to the next time you come to teach accessory craftsmanship, Mister Naofumi." Tolly smiled happily.

"It won't be that often. I'm only doing so because Hickwaal only wants to teach me for some weird reason." Naofumi frowned at the short merchant, who pouted up at him.

The few interactions Naofumi had with the moleman before this had taught him that he was exceedingly polite and well-mannered. A blacksmith who got straight to the point and didn't take pleasure in things like drinking, gambling, or teasing others about their love lives.

Unlike a certain other blacksmith.

"Anyway, are we ok to enter? I want to see how much the place has improved since last time." Naofumi asked.

"Yes, please do!" Tolly nodded his head, gesturing for the group to follow him.

Motoyasu looked like he wanted to ask a question, but kept his mouth shut. He was growing more curious about what was going on down here. Being given some time, he now knew this wasn't some secret underground fighting pit. But then, what were all these unfamiliar sounds he was hearing elsewhere…

…

The beastman led the group up a set of stairs dug into the wall, before they walked out onto a stone balcony.

Directly in front and below them was a large cauldron, dozens of feet wide and over ten feet deep, and it was suspended at least a story in the air.

There was two of these cauldrons side by side, and surrounding the circumference of both, also standing behind stone railings to keep them safe, was at least a dozen humans and beastpeople, each holding the end of a giant metal spoon in their hands as they stirred the thick substances resting inside the cauldrons.

"... and what is being taught here?" Motoyasu frowned.

"Think of this more like P.E. or training, though it doubles as a job since we pay them to do this." Naofumi said. "In this room, to be specific, is Strength and Endurance training. Granny and Eclair do a lot of good in their positions. But the simple fact is this: we can't have all of our training be combat focused."

"People need roles where they can contribute outside of just fighting." Hickwaal agreed. "Down here is part of the process where bodies and minds can be trained for the betterment of the Hero's Nation. And be paid to do so while they're at it."

"Hickwaal is a very kind Master to all of us." Tolly agreed.

"Bah, I said it before, I'll say it again, none of you are my slaves. I purchased your freedom back in Zeltoble. Not your servitude." Hickwaal sighed.

"Is there an issue with us calling you Master Hickwaal?" Sebas asked, a humorous glint in his eyes.

The coming argument was cut short as sets of pounding footsteps sounded from a set of open doors on the floor below.

A group of runners, again a mixture of humans and beastmen, were carrying something in their hands as they rushed to designated areas around one of the cauldrons.

Looking more closely, Moto saw a series of thick hollow bars leading from the bottom of the cauldron that ran diagonally down around the bottom. A set of people stood near where these pipes extended out.

As the runners got in position at each opening, the set of people pulled hard against something, and then… the substance being stirred inside the cauldrons appeared out of the end of each pipe, falling into the boxes the runners were carrying.

No, wait, those weren't boxes, they were… damn it, he knew what this was but couldn't recall the right terminology. It was on the tip of his tongue! Hadn't one of the others said their name earlier?!

As the first runners' 'boxes'? reached full, they suddenly darted to the sides, and the runners behind them quickly replaced them, only allowing a little of the product to hit the ground before filling their loads. And then the loads of their comrades behind them as they dashed back through the doors into the back room.

Also to note here, some of the runners carried multiple of these 'boxes'? in their arms. These individuals in particular were either a larger variety of beastmen, like wolfmen or bears, or were humans who naturally had both high strength and dexterity stats.

As the last of the group was filling up, the beastmen under the cauldron pushed, resealing the bottom of the cauldron. Then as the last pair of runners ran back, another group of runners ran through the doors, approaching the other cauldron. There, the process began to repeat itself over again.

And as that was happening, a group of mages ran up to the ends of the pipes under the first cauldron, using water magic to clean out the insides as well as the floor before peering in, giving a thumbs up to the set of people, and dashing back to their posts to recharge their MP.

Meanwhile, up above, two of the stirrers for that cauldron paused, picking up buckets filled with sand, gravel, water, and other things before dumping them into the cauldron. Putting in a new top layer that the others began to mix to the same consistency as the remaining layer beneath. And then, behind them, a set of runners came dashing in with more buckets filled with the ingredients that'd just been used, replacing the used buckets. They came out of a room in the back where through the doors, shelves could be seen stacked high with various materials.

And thus this process continued, from stirring to distribution, over and over on both cauldrons.

Motoyasu still looked confused, but steadily blinked his eyes. "Wait… this is concrete, isn't it?!" He asked Naofumi.

"That's right." Naofumi nodded. "I'd say the teams have done a very good job ironing out the process at the start. Want to see the rest of the production process?"

…

Slowly, the blonde man nodded his head.

They walked down the observation balcony, going through a door in the wall to enter the next room.

This one was considerably hotter than the last one, mainly because of what was going on in here.

"Fast Crush!"

"Zweite Compress!"

"Drifa Compact!"

Earth mages, consisting of molemen as well as regular humans, directed their spells at the light green 'boxes'? before them. Covering the freshly delivered mixes in a layer of magic.

When the effects of their spells ended, the runners from before flipped the 'boxes'? over, setting down a hardened, intricate concrete block on the table, before running back in the direction of the cauldrons to refill them with freshly mixed concrete.

Motoyasu had to forgo thinking of them as 'boxes' at that point. Having finally remembered some of what he knew from his world, and recalling that Hickwaal had called them Magic Mythril Molds.

The earth mages, when they finished, stepped back to recharge as another group of mages walked up.

These ones were mostly human, but there were a couple of dog and Shuzaku demi-humans in the mix. Raising their hands, they chanted a range of spells, depending on their talents and progress in magic.

"Fast Fireball!"

"Zweite FireWall!"

"Drifa HellFire!"

They blasted the concrete blocks with their magic, coating them and heating up the earth magic enhanced concrete, drying it out far more quickly than what was supposed to be possible.

After the mages finished using their fire magic, they stepped back, and another group of runners wearing thick leather gloves ran up to the red hot blocks. Picking them up one or more at a time, again, depending on their stats, and running toward a set of doors on the other side of the room before the original set of runners started coming back in, holding more molds full of fresh concrete.

"This combines several forms of practical training." Tolly finally said after looking the process over and seeing it repeat itself. "Mages have a chance to practice their magic. Runners get to increase their dexterity, strength, and endurance handling the heavy block and/or the molds.

"Mhm. And the Hero's Nation gets an end product that can be sold throughout the world in order to pay them for their time enhancing their stats and abilities." Hickwaal finished with a smile.

"... it almost looks more efficient than machines doing it." Motoyasu shook his head.

"It might very well be." Naofumi chuckled. "It's all manual labor, but after hitting level 40, getting a Filolial Class-up to double their stats, and all those other nice benefits, a lot of people are able to handle this process very well."

"And in case anyone needs a break, there are individuals on standby who can fill in while they recharge their MP and give their minds a break." Tolly chimed in.

Down below, one of the fire mages casting Drifa tier magic suddenly took a step back from the others, and another mage quickly ran up, taking his place to finish heating up the rest of his blocks for him while he took a short break.

Those practicing with drifa tier magic, of which there weren't many, definitely needed more breaks than those using fast or zweite tier magic. However, in terms of magic, earth and fire mages of Fast tiers were working on one block at a time. Those of Zweite tier had 4-6 blocks placed before them at a time. And those of the Drifa tier were doing at least fifteen blocks, if not more, at the same time.

It really went to show the level of growth and power from tier to tier, combined with having higher levels and higher stats. And doing this over and over would help to make their nation's mages more proficient at their magic, slightly increase their stats and also gradually decrease their cast times and spell costs overtime.

In other words, it was a process that'd continue to improve and become more efficient as more time passed. A certain car company would have been proud of them for implementing their system of ever growing efficiency here.

As for Wind Mages, when Naofumi and co entered the next room, they got their answer when they saw groups of people using powerful gusts of wind to cool off the block, where it could then be fitted against each other in yet another room, which was filled with lots of the block. Here, Light Mages kept Light spells going over the area, a process which curated the block and further increased its strength and fortitude after it'd undergone the previous magic processes.

There were also accountants keeping track of how many of these blocks were on each stack, and writing down the time they'd been created as well as the day, before attaching a piece of paper with the info to the stack and moving on.

In terms of size by the way, while he other rooms had already been pretty sizable, allowing for dozens of different workstations to operate simultaneously, this room took the cake.

Motoyasu couldn't even see the back of the room, despite the Light Magic lighting everything like it was the middle of the day. Their group must have gone deeper underground too at some point, because the ceiling was at least forty feet up. And looking to the side, Motoyasu saw a set of doors, indicating that he'd only seen a single half of the operation.

Actually, he hadn't even seen the rooms where the molemen were making rebar. Calling this part of campus the underground portion was turning into a massive understatement.

And the further back they went walking down one of the aisles, the higher the block stacked up.

There were only beastmen here. Massive wolfmen and bear therianthropes who picked up stacks of block to rest on top of each other. Making a staircase effect all the way up to the ceiling.

"Honestly, without the high magic and strength stats of the people of the Hero's Nation, the process of creating and curating a block would normally take a lot longer. And we wouldn't come even close to reaching this level of efficiency." Tolly said as, after several minutes of walking, they finally began to approach the back of the room, where the surprisingly white and smooth end product shone brilliantly.

"But thanks to that, and with the addition of that special sap produced by some of the weird plants here," Tolly grinned. "It only takes a few hours to a day."

"Mhmhm. Truly, I'm so glad I waited before getting this project off the ground. It never would have been so profitable had I tried going behind the Council's back in Zeltoble with it." Hickwaal chuckled evilly.

"And it gets even stronger the longer it's left in here to curate, correct?" Naofumi asked with an evil chuckle of his own.

"Indeed, and those blocks can be sold for even more to the right customers!" Hickwaal chuckling turned to evil laughter, which Naofumi gladly joined in on.

"Errr, I'm good to go now, unless you need me for anything else." The kind blacksmith looked to Melty helplessly. He loved and respected the two great individuals before him, but their laughter was creeping him out.

"You're fine. It'll probably get worse from here, knowing them." Melty sighed.

The moleman nodded, silently thanking the Lady Governor before scurrying off to where his fellow countrymen were hard at work.

While this was going on, and while Filo, Amber, and Sadeena were busy examining the stacks of hardened concrete, Motoyasu hopped on top of one of the nearby stacks to pick up a block himself and examine it up close.

It wasn't a regular cinderblock like what was commonly used in his world. Instead, one side was the normal wall, while the other side curved in and then outward on itself, making a modular latch that could be fitted with another block.

Not regular cinderblock, but interlocking cinderblock. Despite its odd shape, it was incredibly hard and sturdy. Setting it down and looking around, he saw stacks of block that were in different shapes. It almost felt like looking at a larger version of legos, except they were all meant to interlock together and make walls, corners, and more depending on the shape.

And looking at the sheet of paper on the stack, Motoyasu read in Melromarcian the blocks in this stack were made several days ago… and it was called 'Hero Block'.

"Hero Block? Really, Naofumi?" Motoyasu turned back around with an exasperated look.

"I'd call it something else," Hickwaal stopped laughing to answer the Spear Hero's questioning expression as he landed on the ground next to the group again. "However, you and the other Heroes still haven't settled on a name for the Hero's Nation yet."

"I was considering Asahino for (land) of the morning sun." Naofumi rolled his eyes. "Ren liked it, but Motoyasu didn't." And the Bow Hero wasn't around to give his opinion.

"I just think naming it in a similar style to Japan might be a bit on the nose." Motoyasu grimaced, before going back to his thoughts and finally coming to realize what the rebar mentioned earlier was for. "So on top of food and worthwhile drop items, we're also going to be exporting building materials?"

"Yep. That's the plan." Naofumi nodded.

"For how much?" Motoyasu asked. He could only imagine all the costs that'd gone into this end product. Especially the labor and materials.

"1 gold coin per thousand blocks at base price." Naofumi responded matter-of-factly.

…

…

…

"That's… ten copper, per block." Motoyasu stared down at it for another moment, then at the large piles with a frown.

"I get it. I do. There's definitely going to be high demand for this stuff, just like with food and medicine. But how are we going to make money off that?" He gestured to the mostly filled room.

"What do you mean?" Naofumi asked confusedly.

"You have material costs. You have labor costs. You have transport costs and most likely guard costs since this world has monsters and bandits." Motoyasu listed off the top of his head. "Actually, I'll sum it up as logistics costs since that'd probably be easier, given that materials also need to be transported here.

"I can at least guess we're looking at some economies of scale here, and that a lot of the materials we need are being locally sourced, which should help drive costs down. But how are we even going to move this to areas where it can be sold?" Motoyasu asked helplessly.

"The best this world has is ships and carriages. There's no infrastructure for trains or large trucks. And even though levels help out a ton, high level Filolials would have a hard time pulling a bunch of this stuff behind them since it'd need a metal carriage and not a wood carriage to handle all that weight over a long period of time. And even if we did have all that, there's so much in here! Just how many blocks are we making?!"

"Hmmmm…" Hickwaal put a finger to his chin in thought. "I haven't gotten a look at the numbers personally yet."

"Melty. I've seen the way you've been examining the stacks of block as we passed by." Naofumi smirked at the bluette. "Time to show off how smart you are to everyone. How many did you count?"

"Hmph! I'm obviously a lot smarter than you, that's for sure!" Melty smirked proudly as she stood tall and proud. "I'd already looked at the numbers before we got here, but to answer your question, Sir Motoyasu."

Melty breathed in deep, before her smirk grew even bigger. "Thanks to Hickwaal having five hundred high quality Magic Mythril Molds brought with him, which he said he had made when he first heard that the hourglasses around the world had begun counting down, for an investment of around a thousand gold coins.

"With the major hiccups we experienced at the start mostly dealt with by this point, the Hero's Nation is currently producing in excess of one hundred thousand blocks per day. Or in other words, a hundred gold coins worth of product per day."

Motoyasu's eyes boggled out of their sockets as the young princess finished with a proud look on her face. "ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND?!" Motoyasu screeched. "SCREW LOGISTICS?! HOW ARE WE EVEN ABLE TO TRANSPORT ENOUGH MATERIAL FOR THAT?! HOW ARE WE NOT BANKRUPT YET DOING ALL THIS?! WHAT AM I NOT SEEING HERE?!"

Naofumi nodded his head. "Well, the answer's actually pretty simple. You're right that we don't have the same level of technology in this world to make it work on its own. Maybe in the future, we could figure something out. But present? Nah. Wouldn't be worth the time or hassle."

"If the answer's simple then get out with it already!" Motoyasu yelled, practically reeking of impatience. "Stop making me wait, bro! You're even worse than Elhart!"

In the Capital where he was hard at work swinging his hammer down on a nearly finished blade, the old blacksmith suddenly sneezed. Weird, he'd felt as if he was being insulted earlier, but now it sounded as if someone else had just made fun of him! What the hell?!

Shaking his head, the blacksmith looked down, and realized his sneeze had made him hammer the katana he was trying to make from Spirit Tortoise materials too hard. He'd felt as though he'd been so close to finally figuring it out and finishing it too! But no, he'd just botched the final product, putting hours upon hours of work down the drain.

GOD DAMN ITTTTTTTTTTTTTT!

ELHART WAS SURE THIS WAS SHIELD BRAT'S FAULT SOMEHOW!

Meanwhile, back in Seaetto:

"Alright. Just watch." Naofumi, his eyebrow twitching at being compared to his grumpy old friend, who still hadn't made his important delivery yet (Naofumi was almost tempted to portal to Elhart at this point) proceeded to turn to the ceiling high stack of modular blocks, before placing his Shield against it.

In a flash of light, the entire stack disappeared into his Weapon's Inventory.

…

…

After a few seconds of silence from the Spear Hero, Naofumi rested his Shield against the ground.

The next moment, in another flash of light, the stack of blocks reappeared in front of the Shield Hero in the same spot.

Naofumi finally grinned in Motoyasu's direction, who stared incredulously at his fellow Hero.

"Unlimited Hero Inventory, no weight limit, and the ability to portal to saved destinations." Naofumi informed. "These are perks every Hero has."

…

Finally, something clicked in Motoyasu's mind. "The materials… you transport them here yourself?"

"Yep, and in massive quantities.

"I don't personally gather them. The weapons aren't that overpowered. We still have to pay people to gather sand, dig up gravel, mine iron, collect sap, etc. But it's a lot easier to have them do all that and make a large pile for me to absorb, which I then drop off here for the workers to sort and go through from there. Having high stats and job profiencies in those areas makes it even easier for groups of people to do.

"Also, this doesn't just apply to transporting the materials. Both of us can store and transport the blocks ourselves."

…

Finally, after another moment of basking in the knowledge he'd been given, Motoyasu began to laugh evilly himself. The final pieces of Naofumi and Hickwaal's economic plan came to life before his eyes. "So we're now making a hundred thousand blocks, per day. Selling them at the cheapest, we'd be making a hundred gold coins from just that. And since the only major costs we have to deal with are labor and because we're dealing with massive economies of scale here…" Naofumi paused with a massive, $%& eating grin on his face.

"The average cost for making a thousand blocks averages to around fifteen to twenty silvers."

"The profit margins! I've never had such huge profit margins for a project in my entire life! Aha! Ahahahaha!" Hickwaal began laughing evilly, and this time, both Heroes joined the short merchant in his glee.

A world of magic and game mechanics, and they were going to break them over their knees to make a profit off something as simple as modular cinderblocks.

"Wait! Does it also work with the spirit weapons Aksel and Rishia have?" Motoyasu suddenly asked before they could go insane with greed.

"Of course. They're still Heroes, after all." Naofumi continued to grin. "In fact, Aksel and Melty just landed us a trade deal. And they're in need of everything we have and more!"

"AHA! AHAHAHAHAHA!" Motoyasu then went insane with laughter, and this time, Hickwaal and Naofumi went insane with him.

Truly extraordinary. With this infinite money glitch, the Hero's Nation would never go broke ever again!

Sadeena, Melty, and Raph-Chan all sweatdropped. "This is starting to make me very uncomfortable." Sadeena admitted.

"Hey, as long as it works, I'll be all for it. Gods know the Hero's Nation needs money." Melty gulped.

"Rafu…"

"Ahahahaha! Yes, more money means more food!" Filo and Amber both cackled together.

The Filolials would be eating good tonight, I say!

Several Days Ago

"You okay, Aksel?"

"Yeah, um, just feeling nervous all of a sudden."

"Ehehehe. You've faced down a walking mountain range and an insane dragon amongst who knows how many other scary things we've fought against in the past, but meeting someone new is making you nervous?"

"Of course it is, Maya. I know how to fight and protect others. But err, we're doing more than just 'meeting' someone here…" The large knight looked down at his ethereal axe nervously.

Aksel and his raccoon girlfriend were traveling through what remained of the destroyed nation of Talon. The Filolial Queen herself had taken some time that morning after a talk with Naofumi through Filo to portal them to a save spot she had set up nearby.

She'd also offered to let two members of her flock be transport for the pair, but Aksel declined, wanting to use his own two feet to travel. He wanted the exercise, and he could easily carry his fiance in his arms as he was trying to break the sound barrier on the ground with repeated uses of his new Flame Charge skill.

Traveling on foot as well, it was easier for him to stop and talk to random passerby to see if they'd heard any rumors of the Bow Hero. They hadn't come by any yet, but they were optimistic.

The place they were at now was the land the three Heroes had failed to prevent the Spirit Tortoise from destroying in the past. The former capital used to be built into the side of a nearby mountain, but now it was just a giant heap of rubble.

The ruins of said mountain could be seen to the east. What they were approaching beyond that land of rubble and shifting earth was a makeshift settlement of tents built on a hill, surrounded on all sides by towering, but weak wooden walls. No farmland surrounded the settlement.

A truly different picture to the land of prosperity the place had once been.

The survivors of the army and nation had set up here. Putting up placards of those missing or those who were confirmed dead or alive. Even weeks after the incident, people still came here, trying to learn the fates of their loved ones.

Many were lucky. Many were not. The soldiers of the army suffered the most out of the population trying to slow down the Spirit Tortoise. Where even a single scratch by its minions had proven to be a death sentence for the brave men and women fighting to protect their land, their freedom, religion, spouses, and children from the relentless hordes of monsters.

"We're literally here to sell building material." Aksel shook his head with a groan.

"But why should that make you nervous?" Maya genuinely asked.

"Because they've already gone through hell and then some." Aksel said. "They haven't even set up farmland yet, and yet I have to sell 'Hero Block' to them.

"It feels like I'd be taking advantage of them, you know."

…

The knight looked at the ground for a moment, before glancing up at his demifiance. "Pretty stupid thought to have, right?"

"No, I don't think you're being stupid." Maya reassured. "You want to make sure we're not exploiting anyone, correct?"

Aksel nodded, a relieved expression crossing his face. "Got any advice for me?"

"Ehehehe. Well, first off, I think we should trust Sir Naofumi." Maya said happily. "He… might not be what Sir Itsuki is to us, but I feel confident in trusting his word again. And besides, he did instruct us to give out a free Bio-Seed sample as a bonus for every one thousand blocks bought. So that should help with food shortages here, if there are any."

Aksel nodded. "But what if they don't buy any?"

"I don't see why they wouldn't." The black-haired raccoon woman grinned. "After all, you're the best Hero I know!"

She smiled widely and genuinely. "Even if we end up selling nothing, I know things will work out because you're a great person, Aksel. People would be stupid to think otherwise."

"... let's hope the person in charge here is like Mirellia then," Aksel nodded.

Maya pecked her fiance on the lips, before hugging him tight.

Aksel smiled genuinely, the nervousness in his shoulders vanishing. "Thanks… and thank you, for talking it out with me."

"Ehehehe," The girl giggled, hugging her Hero fiance again. "And thank you again for bringing me along."

"You really think I'd throw myself into an unfamiliar situation without taking my better half with me?" Aksel asked with a wink.

Uplifted, the pair approached the gates, surprising the pair of guards stationed there.

It spoke volumes seeing a young, happy couple in this place. There was just so much unhappiness lately it was hard to find anything to feel joyful about, outside the random reunion here and there amongst shelterless survivors.

"Halt, who goes there!" One of the guards yelled.

"Hello, I'm the Axe Hero. I'd like to meet with whoever's in charge here," Aksel decided to go for a straightforward approach that he knew best.

…

"Axe… Hero?" The younger of the two guards asked.

"I thought that guy was based in Zeltoble." The older man of the pair slowly raised his weapon. "What the hell are you slavery scum doing here?"

Aksel nearly froze up at the unexpected hostility. It was also intermingled with anger at being mistaken as a slaver.

Before he could do anything stupid, however, Maya gripped his hand. This made him shake his head and focus. "Zeltoble is where the Axe is normally based, yes, but I'm a resident of the Hero's Nation. The Axe recently chose me as its wielder.

"Also, slavery is outlawed by the Hero's Nation. Nothing like that is going to happen under my watch."

…

…

The guards looked at each other, and Aksel saw their earlier hostility fade somewhat. "You said that you're from the Hero's Nation?" The older man asked hopefully.

Maya's head tilted to the side, as the guard had switched from Siltveltian to Faubleyian when he asked the question, so she didn't understand what he'd said. She hadn't known at that point, but it was the man's way of testing to see if Aksel was being truthful, based on the knowledge he had on the Heroes of Legend.

"Yes, we are. My name's Aksel, and this here is my fiance, Maya." Aksel introduced himself and the raccoon woman. He then held his weapon out in front of him, fingers spread open.

The hilt of the axe continued to stick to the palm of his hand. "If you wish, you can try taking this from me. Fair warning though. It's quite stuck to my body."

The guard that'd spoken in Faubleyian stared at the black-haired tall man with wide eyes. Aksel had not only responded back in fluent Faubleyian, but seeing the weapon not falling to the ground either gave further validity to his claim.

The younger man, confused at what was happening, accepted Aksel's offer and walked up to grip the hilt of the ethereal weapon, which felt no different than gripping his normal weapon.

Except that when he tugged, even though Aksel wasn't gripping his weapon in any way whatsoever, it refused to budge from the large man's open hand. Even using both hands, it stayed stuck to the Hero.

"Is there anything else I need to do?" Aksel asked, holding back the nervousness from his voice as he wondered if there was more he'd need to do. He was still quite new to this, and he wasn't sure what other things he'd have to do.

"N-No." The older man spoke, shaking his head to dispel his earlier disbelief. "You wish to talk to our Crown Prince, Axe Hero?"

"If… that's who's in charge here, then yes." Aksel nodded.

"... alright. Franz, please get the next shift stationed here. I'll be escorting our guests to his Lordship." The man turned to his younger partner.

"Oh, um, right, sir." The young knight saluted, before pushing open the gate behind them and dashing off to get the next shift ready to fill in for them.

"If you'll follow me, Sir Aksel." The first soldier nodded to him, speaking in Zeltobish this time, just to make sure.

"Sure thing." Aksel didn't even notice as his new auto-translation function made such problems he'd suffered through before a thing of the past.

The man nodded to himself.

The young couple entered the open gate, which the guard closed shut behind them, before turning around and leading the young pair into the settlement proper.

"What's the situation here food wise?" Maya asked.

"Not terrible. There were a lot of supplies that managed to get out of our city before it was destroyed, and we've been able to scavenge some additional supplies from the rubble since." The older knight from earlier answered.

Since verifying he was, in fact, in the presence of a Hero, and a representative from the Hero's Nation on top of that, he had relaxed somewhat and was being honest in their conversation. "We are having to ration what's left. There aren't many monsters left to hunt around here, thanks to those blasted familiars killing them all. And when we get far enough away from all the destruction to hunt properly, we end up having to deal with too many monsters that eat their fallen comrades after forcing us to retreat."

"Hmmm… And it's too late in the year to farm, isn't it?" The Raccoon girl pressed on.

"It is." The soldier nodded gravely. "Even if it wasn't, we don't have any farmers living here. Our Capital relied primarily on food imports from surrounding areas before all this happened. Now we have to get through winter without reliable supply lines."

"… What about structures? All I've seen so far is tents. Are you planning to weather the snow without housing?" Aksel cautiously asked, wondering if he should mention why he was here right away.

"The Prince… is still figuring that part out. Many of our best stonemasons were part of the Mage Corp… and all of them died facing the Guardian Beast." The man's face twisted with pain. "Carpentry wasn't a job many took before that. And those stonemasons we had remaining who weren't a part of the army have already left with their families."

"… I do not wish to sully the lives of your comrades with my words… but if it means anything, I'm truly sorry for their loss." Maya said in a compassionate tone.

"..." The knight didn't respond, simply nodding his head as he continued walking forward.

"How about roofers? Do you still have those?" Aksel pressed on.

"There are still a few of them remaining. They don't have much work these days, however."

The two continued doing their best to ask questions along the way while listening and taking everything in.

To sum it up, it was grim. The people they passed by weren't thin from starvation, thankfully, but that was the only positive thing of note.

There were no kids playing around. No young couples sitting down together. No tired fathers trying to keep track of their families.

It was as if a feeling of lifelessness and hopelessness had settled on most of the survivors of the fallen kingdom. The people staying here did so not only because of the small, fragile hope the few had that their loved ones might have survived, but because the majority of those remaining had no where else to go.

Many of those who could afford to had already left. Those with a future had also been encouraged to leave to settle elsewhere that was safer than there. Those with anything to their name who'd stayed behind did so only because they felt they could do the most good helping out those remaining here with what they had.

Aksel spotted one of these people, a middle-aged woman, helping to wash people's clothes out in the open. Despite looking tired, and her hands looking red and rough, her eyes shone with determination, and she continued doing the simple task for those she was caring for.

Aksel then spotted another soldier amongst an opening in the tents. He was dressed in battered, red painted armor, training a small group of teenage boys how to hold a sword and also showing them how to swing the weapon properly whilst another soldier, a wolfman, held a shield and helped teach how to defend against attacks using it.

There were other instances like these which Aksel witnessed in this dreary place. Sparks of hope from those trying to keep the ember of life alive in themselves and those around them. Clearly, despite all the hardship they'd gone through, there were those who hadn't given up yet. They believed that they could get through this, and wanted to inspire others to continue living.

For a moment, Aksel was reminded of Seaetto, the last days before those left after the Waves and the Church's raid on Lurolona had vanished.

Would things have changed had someone helped ignite those few remaining sparks sooner? Could his homeland had come out different had someone powerful or influental enough stepped in to help sooner?

"So we're meeting the Prince, right?"

"Yes. He is also our commander-in-chief. He led our armies against the Spirit Tortoise." The older man answered. "I'm his Captain, by the way. Captain Duross." The man introduced himself at last. "Sorry I didn't lead with that. These last few weeks have been… stressful, to say the least."

"Thank you for giving me a name to call you by, Duross." Maya smiled brightly, before her face settled to a more serious expression again. "What about the King? Did he also survive but is elsewhere?"

…

Captain Duross paused in his tracks briefly again, a frown appearing on his face, before he continued walking. "Our King… he did not survive the city's destruction.

"He and the Queen stayed behind. Helping to direct as many of their citizens out of the mountain fortress as possible while their son tried to slow down the Spirit Tortoise's advance. The Heroes of Legend helped to save many lives… but his Majesty's body was discovered in the rubble alongside the Queen's, a week after the battle."

…

"Giving up your life for those you care about, there isn't a nobler death I can think of." Aksel spoke with empathy.

"Indeed." The man nodded, not saying anymore.

…

Maya gripped Aksel's hand, and he squeezed it back. Many of those who'd survived here had only done so thanks to the Heroes taking on the Spirit Tortoise and most of its familiars. And then their lives had been saved again thanks to Bakta's noble sacrifice saving the Sword Hero's life, as well as the many sacrifices that'd come after that to defeat the Spirit Tortoise once and for all.

But after it was all said and done, the job still wasn't finished. They'd have to face the Phoenixes, and then the Guardian Beast after it, and then the Waves, and whatever came with that. And, before everything else, they had to help fix the lives of these people who'd suffered thanks to the Spirit Tortoise.

…

After a little while longer, they finally came to the center of the encampment. Approaching the top of the hill.

The tent on top, however, wasn't much larger than those below. Opening the flap, they saw a round table taking up the center of the space. Yet beyond that, the Prince's accomodations didn't look any better than what his people were living in.

Even the small meal set in front of the man, a meal which he'd barely touched, didn't look better than his people's. A few scraps of bread, a bit of porridge in a bowl with chunks of meat, as well as some water in a clay cup. Before they entered, he was focused on a map of the region, marking the locations of other outposts of survivors and the like.

"My liege," The soldier bowed.

"At ease, Captain." The man spoke, looking up.

His mustache and beard were unkempt. Not quite grown out, but definitely not short and well maintained. Large dark circles rested under his brown eyes. He'd at least made an effort to keep the black hair on his head well kept, and he did wear a small crown symbolizing his status. But without it, you would have never been able to tell he was royalty, since he was dressed in worn, beaten red armor, just like his soldiers.

Captain Duross's armor looked better than his.

The Prince of Talon studied the Axe Hero and the unfamiliar woman at his side. Tired and weighed down, he might have been, but there was still a look in his eyes that said that his pride and sense of self had not yet been broken by everything he'd gone through.

"Are you the visitors from the Hero's Nation I was informed of?" He asked after a moment.

"We are." Aksel nodded his head. He got down to one knee and bowed his head respectfully. "If you could, we'd like a moment of your time, Sir Prince."

"... Cassius." The man identified himself. "At this point, I am simply Cassius of Talon, trying to hold my people together.

"Speak, please. And tell me what the Hero's Nation wants in this part of the world.

"It is only because of the Heroes that I and many others live today. So even if it means giving up half of my kingdom to secure the Hero's aid, I will do so."

Captain Duross in the background opened his mouth to speak, but then thought better of it. Even if Talon became much smaller, better it shrunk and survived than stayed the same size and perished.

"..." Aksel looked to his girlfriend, unsure again, but she was smiling brightly. "The Shield Hero sent us to establish a trade agreement with the region of Talon, if your Grace, Prince Cassius, is open to it."

"... … a trade agreement?" The ruler asked, blinking his eyes once. "So… not a shipment of aid."

He then sighed. "Under normal circumstances, I'd bite at the oppurtunity. But unfortunately, I don't have much of value to trade with at the moment. You see, most of my parent's treasury was destroyed or looted by thieves before we recovered what was left."

"Would you at least be willing to see what it is we want to offer?" The raccoon girl asked.

"... I suppose there is no harm in it, but what sort of payment are you expecting for it in return, if not gold? People? Land?" Cassius asked tiredly.

"The future." Maya answered simply.

…

"..." The ruler looked at her and the Axe Hero with caution. "The future?"

"Yes. Think of it like this: If you like what the Hero's Nation has to offer, we won't ask for full payments up front." The girl continued. "Think of it as a loan. You get the immediate benefits of it now, and make payments on it down the road.

"And in case you're wondering, no, it won't be accompanied with high interest rates or anything like that. While the Hero's Nation needs money to get itself off the ground, we're also interested in bettering the lives of the people of the world. Especially those whom we couldn't save from previous catastrophes." Maya said in a humble, heartfelt tone that surprised Aksel, and also made him feel proud of his fiance at the same time.

"... would these immediate benefits be of help to my people?" Cassius inquired.

"I believe they would. Especially since Captain Duross was nice enough to inform me of your lack of stonemasons." Maya smiled at the man in the background.

The man's face reddened, and he quickly walked up and bowed. "I'm sorry for my slip of tongue, Your Majesty! I-"

"No need." Cassius shook his head. "Anyone looking around here would see we're in a tight bind. I've already been agonizing over how it'd cost us a fortune to pay for masons from other nations to travel here and help with rebuilding. And another fortune to convince those we had left to come back."

"Yep yep. And that's why the building material we want to sell you doesn't need someone specialized in stone to build it." Maya said happily.

"Oh… really?" Cassius asked, looking genuinely curious.

"Mmhmm! Axie-Poo, would you do the honors?" Maya asked.

Nodding, Aksel held his weapon out beside him, activating his inventory menu before he summoned a large stack of 'Hero Block' on the ground next to him.

"Oh?!" The eyes of both men widened at its appearance. While some things about Heroes were well known, the fact that they had unlimited inventory on their persons wasn't very well known.

"Aksel, why don't you demonstrate how to build with it outside?" Maya then suggested happily. "Show them what it's all about."

"Sure! May I?" Aksel asked.

Prince Cassius recovered first, quickly nodding his head. "How long will it take?"

"Five minutes." Aksel grinned.

For those in the settlement, word had already spread of the arrival of a Vassal Hero and his companion to the area.

Many were disinterested, or didn't have the energy to be interested. Many were interested, but were busy with other tasks. More than a few of both types of individuals were in the vicinity of the Prince's living quarters, alongside those who did move towards the center of the settlement to see what a Hero of the world was like.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The blood knight's booming laughter, however, soon had everyone's attention, regardless of their previous interest.

Or maybe it was the insane speed at which he was working?

The Axe Hero was a blur of motion in the area a hundred feet in front of the prince's living quarters. Steadily, and surely, the frame and walls of a one story house began to rise up before the people's eyes.

Aksel was pulling Hero Block from his weapon and setting them in place along the walls and frame faster than most eyes there could follow. He also set bars of rebar into slots in the block at certain points to add to the building's integrity as he built up.

He wasn't even keeping track of how many blocks he was using. He was simply laughing while building a home according to one of the basic floor plans which Melty had provided him with before his departure. Leaving gaps for doors and windows as he worked.

Maya kept a fierce gaze on her boyfriend, and Cassius and his Captain watched with intense curiosity and then great respect.

Only a bit later, just short of the five minute mark, Aksel posed proudly in the Prince's direction on the finished frame of the basic home he'd built. It was missing a roof, and the floors were still dirt, but thanks to speed and dexterity from his high stats, he'd finished in that time what would have taken a group of stonemasons a day to construct and shape out of stone using tools and magic.

The walls of the home had been built up ten feet high. It was twenty feet long and fifty feet wide, with the inside divided into several smaller rooms thanks to the walls he'd connected to the frame of the structure using a block that intersected out of the frame it was built into, allowing for the block walls inside to interlock with the main structure.

It could easily fit a whole family inside, protecting them from the elements once a roof, doors, and windows had been added.

"Axie-Poo, I estimate you used around 940 blocks to build that." Maya called to him. "650 blocks for the frame, and the rest being the walls inside."

"Eh? How did you keep count?" He asked incredulously.

"Easy. I always keep track of where your hands are. Especially when they're on me." The raccoon woman cooed.

The man blushed, while onlookers either didn't understand the language she'd spoken (it being Melromarcian), or understood, and were still confused by what she'd meant.

Even after the changes she'd undergone since their return from the Otherworld, deep down, she was still the same, insufferable girl he'd fallen in love with.

"Well, what do you think?" Aksel coughed and looked to the Prince, a proud look on his face.

"Hmmm… it is rather impressive. Though, I noticed you didn't flatten the ground beforehand." The man remarked.

"... flatten the ground?" Aksel asked awkwardly.

"Yes, normally, you'd want a nice flat surface to serve as a foundation. Particularly one made of stone." Prince Cassius walked up and examined the wall in front of him. "Its why our city was built inside a mountain. It was very easy to make good, solid foundations for all structures."

"Oh… oh, I'm sorry, I can take this all down and start over after-" Aksel started to say.

"No need." The prince then closed his eyes, focusing on a menu in his HUD, before chanting a series of words under his breath.

He'd fought with a blade as a soldier, but as a royal, he hadn't missed out on magic lessons. Finally, they were going to come in handy.

It took ten seconds, but then, power coalesced around his hand, and he pressed it against the ground. "Drifa Earth Hole."

A flash of yellow energy covered the ground beneath the entire structure, and Aksel's eyes widened as he thought what he'd built was about to drop into a deep hole. That was what this spell normally did.

However, instead of that, the walls inside and outside the frame hardly dropped at all. The uneven surface instead flattened out under the walls and inside the structure, dropping only a couple inches at most in areas. Leaving a nice, flat, smooth surface by the time it was finished.

Maya walked up, examining the results curiously. "You sacrificed depth from the spell in order to expand its width."

"Not necessarily." Prince Cassius smiled. "I did expand the range of my spell, but I didn't focus on depth. Earth Hole already makes a smooth, flat surface at the bottom of it. I just needed to cover the right amount of area."

"Ooooh! I should definitely talk to Princess Melty about that when we get back!" The raccoon woman's tail wagged behind her excitedly.

It'd already been a pretty solid build before the foundation. But the Prince proceeded to go further by going to the spots where Aksel had stuck the long twisted iron bars into the holes of the block, and then used Earth magic to fill in the gaps around the rebar.

While he did this, he also used earth magic to smooth over the lines on the inside and the outside of the walls, leaving a nice flat concrete surface that was both fireproof and waterproof.

Aksel and Maya stepped back as he did this. Looking the structure over from many different angles as more people came out to watch.

"So many joints…" As he was finishing one of the last walls, the Prince paused. "Axe Hero… forgive me for asking a strange request, but would you mind punching this wall?"

"Like, anywhere?" Aksel replied.

"Yes, just punch with as much force as you can." The Prince said, before stepping back. His Captain looked confused, but several of the onlookers who'd worked as apprentices to stonemasons in the past also looked intrigued.

Aksel looked at the wall, at his hand, then shrugged. If it hurt, he had a healing potion on hand anyway.

"Ha!" Pow!

There were several surprises. First, his fist didn't hurt! Haha, having higher stats really paid off!

The other surprise was that he'd managed to punch through a foot of thick concrete!

It was probably bad to destroy what they were trying to sell, but that led to the third surprise.

The force of Aksel's punch had only destroyed the blocks in front of his fist. The rest of the wall hardly shook as it stood firm.

"Amazing," The Prince breathed out. "With so many joints, it's almost impossible to level the entire structure all at once."

Captain Duross finally had a look of understanding, and he looked from the block wall to the wooden wall perimeter surrounding the settlement. "If we had several of these put together, and then added sand in the gaps between layers like a normal wall…"

"And not just the wall, but fortifications outside. Where soldiers and citizens would be able to hunker down and be protected from the monster hordes during their travels. This could help us reestablish safe supply routes, and…"

Prince Cassius then looked at the structure again, returning to his original thought of how it'd be able to easily fit a family on the inside, once a roof was installed. Not just fortifications, it'd be better protection for families just wanting to live their lives…

"How much are you selling these… Hero Blocks for?" Cassius asked.

"1 Gold Coin for every thousand." Maya readily answered.

Captain Duross nearly spat. "Only less than a Gold Coin to build a one story home?!"

"Well, a bit more than that. Axie-Poo followed one of the smaller building plans for this. It'd depend on which building plan you use for it. And it doesn't cover the costs for everything else you'd need to do.

"But while it'd be useful for fortifications, the main purpose of this block is to help out those who've been displaced by the Waves or the Guardian Beasts, allowing them to rebuild their homes at a price they can afford." She repeated the Shield Hero's words to her and Aksel earlier.

As Naofumi had noted in his journals before, a night at an inn around the world could cost anywhere from 30 copper to 1 or more silver, depending on where it was or how fancy its services were. The size of these modular blocks allowed for around a thousand or so to build a small, traditional home.

Meaning for the price of a hundred to three hundred nights at an inn, a family could build a home that could last for years and years.

"Almost 1 Gold Coin… for every family under my rule." Prince Cassius thought about it, as did the people around who'd heard it.

Even for those who'd lived in the countryside away from the Capital of Talon… it'd cost them around 5-10 gold coins to build their houses. Those living in cities paid at least twice to three times that amount, possibly more, for a similarly-sized home.

…

Cassius and Duross were already convinced. But there was one other reason why they were selling Hero Block.

"As well as that, for every thousand Hero Block purchased, we will be including one Bio-Plant seed for free." Maya winked. "You want to demonstrate that right now as well, Axie-Poo?"

"I- yeah! I do!" The blood knight stood tall and proud. Amidst everyone's growing happiness and excitement, he'd nearly forgotten!

"Pardon me, but what kind of seed?" Prince Cassius asked.

"Trust us. It'd be easier to show you." Maya replied with a grin.

"But outside. Like, outside outside." Aksel gestured to the gate. "The things can grow pretty big if tended to properly."

The people were again confused, but after a short demonstration outside the wooden walls of the city, during which many people followed and saw the end result, Prince Cassius was entirely and fully convinced.

Not only was this cheap, strong building material that didn't require specialized labor to make use of that he was getting. But also plants capable of producing food in less than a day.

Immediate benefits was an understatement!

This was literally going to save his people!

It wasn't long after that when Aksel and Maya hammered out the initial details for a trade deal with the Prince. And after setting a save spot in the area, the couple returned home, returning the following day with Melty to finalize the bargain between both rulers before three weeks had passed since the Hero's return from the Otherworld. Which was then followed by Aksel bringing thousands upon thousands of Hero Block for Prince Cassius to put to immediate use.

To summarize what'd follow in the weeks afterward: Prince Cassius would make his first payment for a large shipment of Hero Block upfront, using the rest of his nation's recovered treasury to do so. And to help cover future payments, those of his people who were identified to have affinities for the right types of magic via a crystal ball, and who volunteered to do so, were brought via Hero teleport to Seaetto. There they were trained in magic, educated at the Hero's Academy with a focus on the five basic foundations Naofumi and Moto had identified, and put to work. Being given dorm housing and food allowances during their stay.

While it meant less money initially, these people lowered labor costs a little. And more than that, many would return to Talon and take up professions that'd make the nation more money for future payments down the road, whilst also spreading word of the Hero's Academy as it slowly grew from its infancy.

For building with the block, Prince Cassius found the process for putting it together so simple that he was able to arrange for all of his people, old and young, to build homes and fortifications out of the material, so long as they had the strength stats to lift and place the thirty plus pound blocks in place before he and those being trained in Earth magic did the final finishing touches. A process which Melty would adopt and have taught to earth mages in the Hero's Nation to further reduce Talon's debt and establish a friendly, mutual partnership between both nations.

The specialty work of fitting rebar, filling with stone, smoothing out walls, and so on was left to those with knowledge of Earth Magic. But with this boon, the Prince no longer had to seek out stonemasons needing to travel the great distance through the destroyed land to rebuild their home. Which, in turn, freed up more of his future money to spend on other projects that'd benefit his people, many which were done in tandem with help from the Hero's Nation.

It wouldn't take long for the settlement of tents to transform into a town of stone structures around the large hill. The wooden walls in the process of being replaced by the new stone block as a much stronger fortification. The additional fortifications built in the surrounding areas made it easier to hunt larger monsters even without the assistance of the decimated mage corp. And travelers to the north, east, and west brought word of the new Hero Block back to their nations, leading to more trade deals being negotiated in the near future.

As for Aksel and Maya, the pair would continue to travel southeast along the path of destruction during the day despite events going on back home. The Axe Hero carried the raccoon woman in his arms as he traversed great distances sprinting with the use of his skills. Literally plowing through any monster that got in his way with his bulk. Trading at various settlements, seeking for info on the missing Bow Hero, and setting an additional save spot at the ruined Capital of another nation further south that was similarly trying to rebuild. And returning each night to report to Melty, hand the Governess the funds acquired that day, and otherwise taking up carpentry as a side hobby so he could help small families with roofing, flooring, furniture, and all the other fun stuff that came from building your own family home.

It helped that his weapon had plenty of weapon forms well suited to boosting his proficiencies in those areas.

Many different things and interactions would occur. They'd get in contact with Lords wanting to build mansions from the block, or simple farmers who wanted a small safe home for their family.

The Lords were always the more profitable group to work with, since it took many thousands of blocks to build their large mansions and guard towers. For the simple people simply wanting to live their day to day lives, at the most, however, they'd pay around a gold coin and a half so they could build their homes themselves. From the walls and frame, to the roof, doors, window, and furniture.

'Hero Blocks' would steadily grow in notoriety, becoming referenced as the 'Kingdom Building Arc' in the history books of nations later on in the story of the world.

Hero Clips!

Cannot Cook to Save his Life

"RAHHHHHHHHH! I CAN'T EVEN!"

"What is it this time, Mr. Ramseed?"

Naofumi stood in his kitchen, eyeing the furious ram chef who'd barged into his house curiously. The walking and shouting G*rd*n R*ms*y reference had been tasked to cook breakfast at the communal kitchen that morning.

"I DON'T EVEN- WHY MUST I WORK WITH SUCH INCOMPETENT FOOLS!?" The ram man ranted.

"I'm sorry, but if you're calling Gar incompetent, then-"

"NOT HIM! THAT CAT MAN ACTUALLY DOES ACTUALLY HAVE A PLACE IN THE KITCHEN! NO, THE STUPID DONKEY I'M TALKING ABOUT IS ONE OF MY GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENTS AS A STUDENT!"

…

Naofumi narrowed his eyes. In the back of his mind, his annoyance senses were tingling. And that could only mean one thing.

"Are we talking about somebody worse than the one who couldn't boil water?"

"YES! I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW THIS BLOODY DONKEY MESSED UP SO BADLY!?" Mr. Ramseed roared in anger. "HE WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO POUR MILK IN BLOODY CEREAL! I THOUGHT I COULD AT LEAST TRUST HIM WITH THAT MUCH COMPETENCE!"

…

Naofumi took in a deep breath. Now his annoyance was being replaced by a sense of righteous anger and indignation.

He could not take such insolence lying down. "Bring me to him." Naofumi demanded, the Shield on his arm already changing to the Shield of Diligence. Meanwhile, he summoned his Float Shield, which then changed into the Shield of Wrath III.

"Um, Naofumi, are you sure you should be-" Dou-Lon started to say behind the counter.

"Shhhhhh, just let the crack happen." A mysterious hooded picture rested a hand on the tiger man's shoulder.

Dou-Lon turned around with wide eyes, only to blink in confusion when the person who'd spoken was no longer there.

"Weird, I thought he only appeared around crowds of people to say that." Dou-Lon rubbed a hand to his chin in thought.

He then looked at the wide open doorway, where his Blood-Kin and G*rd*n R*m-, ehhem, Mr. Ramseed had vanished.

"Uh oh." Dou-Lon muttered.

This was going to be bad.

"AIEEEEEEE! WAIIIIIIT! I CAN EXPLAIIIIIIN!"

A familiar man would later be spotted running through the countryside of Seaetto, being chased by a ram demi-human wielding a bloody cleaver, as well as the Shield Hero, who now had the Shield of Wrath VI floating alongside him.

"YOU'LL BE EXPLAINING YOUR ABOMINATION IN HELL, BASTARD!" Naofumi roared in fury.

"SCREW THAT! NOT EVEN THE DEVIL WOULD WANT HIS CURSED HANDS COOKING FOR THE SOULS OF THE DAMNED! LET'S SHRED THIS $#%&%&$ DONKEY'S SOUL AND SAVE EVERYONE THE TROUBLE OF HIS EXISTENCE!" Mr. Ramseed roared with fury.

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

Well... Was this level of anger appropiate? What did he even do in the first place that warranted this kind of reaction?

To put it simply, Naofumi had walked into the kitchen as the guy was in the middle of pouring milk into a bowl of cereal.

And said bowl of cereal then caught on fire.

Like, failing to boil water was one thing. Being incapable of making a good sandwich was another.

But this level of incompetency…?

Yeah, screw that. He was even worse than Kyo in their books.

Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, depending on your moral compass, Dou-Lon would arrive with Raphtalia and co in time to prevent the two from committing murder and soul murder…

Life would go on. Things would continue to improve for the Heroes and the residents of the Hero's Nation.

But yeah, the poor, traumatized man would never be allowed inside a kitchen again for the rest of his life.

At least he turned out to be a good engineer after getting kicked out of Mr. Ramseed's class :).

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

The time spanning from the first week to the third week after the Hero's return from the Otherworld saw change continue to come to the Hero's Nation and its people. With the addition of an education system being rolled out, many of the town's residents were able to fill their time during the day with more than just fighting and training. The additional source of revenue with the Hero Blocks and those working on them would also help in many ways, after the initial hiccups were all dealt with.

But such changes as noted before weren't of primary concern. There were far more important things to cover right now.

Some of which included that aforementioned training with certain individuals.

"Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.

"Feel the energy at your core. Picture it as a vast ocean, flowing to and thro in the center of your chest.

"Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out."

Granny walked between rows of pupils sitting cross-legged on mats. Some old, like Sebas, some young, like the kids Granny had picked out amongst the townspeople for their potential.

Around them, thick concrete walls blocked out all sound from the outside world. Making for a similar tranquil atmosphere one would only find at the peaks of the mountains.

The only sounds in the room were of Granny's voice, and everyone breathing.

Whether they were frontline fighters, mages, builders, cooks, farmers, and so on, it didn't matter. Life force in general had many useful applications. Granny would teach them how to harness it, then teach those with more talent further practical applications for combat or self defense, but otherwise, her pupils would learn to use life force in various ways to enhance their lives on their own.

"I fail to see why I need this, Elra." Sebas openly complained, though his voice did not sound that annoyed. He was probably just eager for another exchange of banter, which Granny was more than happy to partake in.

"Because you've taught yourself to enhance your limbs, and neglected how to enhance your whole body, you old goat." Granny snapped back. "Now, breathe in, breathe out.

"Take the rock on the ground before you, and imagine your energy snaking up your arms to it.

"It'll feel as though you're meeting a wall. Do not care about that. Release that energy from your body at all costs. Otherwise, you will be nothing but a failure in my dojo!"

Ah, yep. Definitely no kindness or sugarcoating here. Some of those freshly picked by Granny looked nervous at the change in her tone of voice. But those more used to her theatrics nodded along and focused on the pebbles they were holding.

Sebas succeeded first, obviously. Unlike previous times, however, where the rock would explode in his grasp. His finger sank into the stone, molding it like wet putty.

"Ohoho. Wouldn't you know! You can teach an old dog a new trick!" Granny grinned as she appeared beside him.

"Bah, maybe it does feel a little easier to control. Doesn't mean I won't say this wasn't a waste of time."

"Not to worry, dear Sebas. I think it'll be fine teaching you in the same way I did Rishia and Bow-dono, now." The old lady grinned maliciously.

Many of the newcomers all sweated nervously. It was likely that half, if not more, wouldn't attend the dojo again. Feeling as though they wouldn't have the aptitude to go through this. These were typically amongst those who were older.

The younger generation of newcomers, however, alongside those who'd stayed, continued with the exercise.

Of the newcomers, none succeeded by the time several hours had passed. Amongst those who had been trying for weeks, however, successes appeared in the form of rocks exploding in their hands, much like what'd happened with Sir Spear Hero.

In Atla's case, she went a step further than what Sebas had managed to accomplish. She'd managed to make her rock explode over a week ago, second only to Rishia in terms of progression, but today, she'd molded the rock in her hands into a perfect sphere.

"Oho! Is this that Ball technique I remember Spear-dono's girlfriend mentioning?!" Granny asked.

"Kind of." Atla gritted her teeth in annoyance. S'yne was not Moto's girlfriend yet! Hell would freeze over first before she allowed that to happen! "This is what it's supposed to look like. I haven't managed to replicate it yet."

"Keep your chin up young Atla. If you can do this, then I have no doubt you'll have it down in no time!" Granny encouraged the young tiger girl.

"Now, go outside and practice with Sebas against his Vorpal Fists. I'm sure he can help you with figuring out that defensive technique in no time!" Granny laughed.

"Hmmm, or if I learn it myself, I might just gain an edge over you in our next spar, Elrasla." Sebas stroked his chin, loving her idea for once.

"Of course, thank you, Granny-dono." Atla stood up, bowing her head respectfully in the old woman's direction, before leaving with the half dragonnewt butler.

Yep, Granny was harsh, but she was proud of the progress those under her were making.

As the others finished up and filed out over the next hour, Granny reminisced over old memories. Thinking back to a time centuries past when she'd been part of a dojo filled with individuals learning the ways of Hengen Muso…

Joking. Decades. Many decades. She hadn't hit a hundred yet. Though she was pretty close.

Jokes aside, it felt good seeing all this. The fighting style would last well beyond her death at this rate...

…

Eventually, there was only one other person in there. And Granny's face morphed into a frown.

"Any progress today, student Crystal?"

The silver-haired girl's face didn't change from the intense look of concentration she held. She didn't acknowledge Granny's words, and stayed focused intently on the pebble she was holding.

Granny, still frowning, looked over Bow-dono friend with glowing eyes. Seeing her life force and how it flowed through her body.

There was a thin, gold line traveling from the spearwoman's heart to her hand. She had established the connection from her chest to her limb. Granny could even faintly see the line of energy the girl was transferring into the rock.

Crystal had taken the lessons to heart. She was trying with everything she had to pass even this basic test.

…

After another moment of examination, Crystal's arm suddenly went slack, and she gasped as the rock fell from her hand, and her body drooped in exhaustion.

"H-How did I do this time, G-Granny-dono?" The girl asked.

Frowning even more deeply, the old mistress picked the pebble off the floor and examined the surface of it.

The lingering remains of life force slowly came off the surface of the rock. Where a small, miniscule indent, not even a millimeter deep, had been made.

"Same as yesterday… and the day before that… and the times before that." Granny sighed as she shook her head.

…

"G-Granny-dono, if I could just have another try-" Crystal started to stammer again.

"Student Crystal, when Spear-dono comes back from his Zeltoble trip, I want you to spar with him. Until then, I recommend going home and getting some rest." Granny spoke in an even tone, before she let out a sigh.

"Also, just so you're aware, this will be the last time I go over life force with you."

"W-What?! B-But I can still-" The girl tried to object.

Granny looked at her though, and the girl's sentence died on her lips.

The old woman was giving her a look of pity. She looked down at the rock in her hand and let out a sigh again. It was the same rock Crystal had been practicing with every lesson.

It wasn't progress she'd made in a day, but over weeks.

"Crystal." Granny dropped the titles. "Do you recall how I mentioned at the start that you had little talent for life force?"

"... I do… but I have gotten better, haven't I?" She asked weakly.

"You have gotten better." Granny agreed. "Even with as little talent as you have, you've managed to form a connection to yourself. You are able to move and manipulate the chi inside you. You have done and braved what many others would have given up on learning, and in a surprisingly short time too."

"Then why?" Crystal asked, sounding as though she was pleading.

"Come now. I don't think I have to answer something you're all too keenly aware of." The elderly woman shook her head.

…

…

Crystal grimaced. "I have more life force than when I started."

"You do not. You have the exact same amount as when I started teaching you, against my better judgment." Granny shook her head again, and the silver-haired girl shrank down even more.

"I decided to take you in out of respect to Bow-dono, Gods bless him wherever he is in our world. But the simple fact is this: it is impossible to acquire more life force energy than what you already have as a non hero.

"It doesn't matter how much you train. Your capacity for life force will never increase. Only your ability to make use of what you have will improve. Nothing more. Nothing less. There is nothing more I can do to help you connect to your chi."

"Is that why you've been training Aksel then?!" Crystal snapped. "Does he suddenly have more life force now because he's a Hero?!"

"Yes." Granny answered, much to Crystal's shock. "I don't completely understand why that's the case either. It was not an absurd increase compared to what he had before. But regardless, now that he is a Hero, he can benefit from my training far more than he could before."

"So what, these last few weeks trying to learn have been a waste of time since I haven't been chosen by a weapon?!" Crystal asked angrily.

"Do you consider it a waste of time just because you didn't immediately grow stronger from it?" The old woman responded with a question of her own.

"Were your times of contemplation during breathing exercises, learning more about yourself, connecting to yourself and understanding yourself a waste?

"Was that all meaningless since you can't use it to increase your stats by a few points?" Granny pressed on.

"Don't you understand Granny-dono!?" Crystal shouted. "Karn is still out there! His allies, their bosses, they're all still out there!

"And if me and the others don't get strong enough, we'll never be able to protect our world from them!

"We'll never be able to make them pay for everything they've done!"

…

…

…

The girl breathed in and out heavily after her outburst.

Granny said nothing, staring at the young adult before her for a moment with a frown.

...

Crystal continued to say nothing. Tears of frustration, anger, and sadness began to fall down her face, but Granny showed no visible reaction to any of it. No mention of laps or monster hunting or sparring or just… something, to give her some sense of purpose.

"I'm just so tired of being relegated to the background." Crystal choked out between sobs as she broke down further.

"I just want to be useful. I don't want to just stand around and do... nothing.

"But where I'm at now, I just… I don't...

"What can I do Granny-dono…?"

…

…

Finally, as the girl's voice petered out, Granny released a breath. "Oh, to be young. To remember when it was only the combat that mattered and nothing else."

Granny looked away, clasping her hands behind her back. "Yes, I was like that once."

"... Once? You still are now." Crystal said with narrowed eyes, wiping the remnants of tears from her face.

"For the sake of our world, and yes, for my own personal enjoyment, I have taken to the field of battle once again." Granny chuckled dryly, before her face fell flat again. "But if not for the danger of the Waves, the knowledge of my fighting style being essential to the Heroes of Legend and their companions... and because one of them helped to save my life, I would have taken Hengen Muso with me to the grave."

Crystal scowled. "Because it could be abused by others like me?" She asked snarkily.

"Yes." Granny answered, her voice as hard as stone as she answered the girl's inquiry truthfully.

…

…

Crystal's anger and frustration lessened. Confusion and perhaps, maybe regret appearing in their place.

"I… don't understand…"

Granny groaned. "When I said earlier that there was no way to increase your capacity for life force, I lied. There are ways to do so, but almost all of them are forbidden. The one way not forbidden is to be chosen by a Hero Weapon, but as I mentioned before, I don't understand why or how that works.

"But more than that, there was one person who spoke like you did just now. Only he wanted to stand out because he felt that he deserved to wield life force. Because he thought himself to be better than those above him, including his Father, the master of the Hengen Muso dojo back when it still existed."

Crystal wanted to open her mouth to protest, only to cut herself off and listen.

It wasn't often Granny talked about her past. And even history books on the event didn't have many details, as Granny generally refused to share them.

"Knowing what I do now, I wouldn't be surprised if that scumbag turned out to be a reincarnator too, like some of our enemies now." Granny shook her head. "He was always so full of himself. Acting as if the whole world was to be handed to him on a silver platter just because he was the son of somebody important.

"It'd be funny that he had so little talent for Hengen Muso, if it didn't prompt him to learn one of the school's forbidden techniques to boost his capacity at the cost of his lifespan.

"So many people died the day I returned to take up the mantle of successor. He'd slain almost every master before I arrived, including his Father...

"The sight of him, laughing amidst a sea of burning bodies.… spewing nonsense about how this was justice for all the wrongs they'd done to him…

"It still haunts me to this day."

…

Granny let out a sigh, then focused on the young spearwoman again. "Before that, I was like you. I thought that getting stronger, learning how to fight, to beat any opponent I met with my bare hands until they cried for mercy was all that mattered with life force, and with Hengen Muso.

"But the core of Hengen Muso is that it replicates the power and skills of Heroes via life force. This does not mean just attacks or magic or buffs or debuffs or whatever else you want to include under that umbrella. But every single power and ability that the weapons provide for their wielders, life force can be used to replicate it.

"... I can only wish I hadn't learned that lesson until it was too late. The medical applications, the job skill ability increases, almost all of that was lost that day because I didn't learn them. The bastard not only killed almost everyone, but burned down our dojo's library so that only he'd have that knowledge after he'd finished slaying everyone else."

Granny sighed. "I too have been young and foolish in my day…"

...

Granny shook her head. "Now that being said, I can tell you this: you will never be able to use your small talent in life force for combat purposes. Not like me or some of the others.

"You have too little for even basic buffing of stats. If you thought I taught you how to harness it so you could one day pull off attacks like my pupil Rishia, then you'll be sorely disappointed. She is amongst the few I've taught who'll ever be able to use hero skills with her chi. Many of the others will be lucky if they ever learn to buff their stats with the talent they have in a year's time, or outside stressful events like the Waves, in a lifetime.

"But just because that path is closed off for you, that doesn't mean you can't find another application for your chi amongst your talents. It's as I said, Hengen Muso gives the user access to 'all' abilities and upgrades the Hero Weapons have at their disposal. Not just combat ones. I get the sense that there are some amongst those that'd better fit you."

"... but what else can I use it for?" Crystal asked helplessly.

"You'll have to find that out on your own, I'm afraid." Granny, after finally flashing a small smile, poked the spearwoman in the middle of her chest, pushing her back. "You're so focused on how you can become strong. Is that the only thing you want to be known for?"

Granny began walking towards the exit of the soundproofed building. "I'd recommend finding that out for yourself soon. But allow me to give you one last bit of advice which might sound a bit uncharacteristic of me:

"Sometimes it's better to walk around a mountain, instead of trying to climb over it.

"As thrilling as the battlefield can be, there are many days where I wish I would have had the patience in my youth to find love, stay at home, and raise my son instead." The old woman then let out a barking laugh.

"Maybe then, my boy wouldn't have turned out to be such a disappointment, eh?"

"So the gist of it is that Granny doesn't want to train me in life force anymore."

"Drifa Shadow Blow!"

As Crystal finished explaining what had just happened, Rachel's spell slammed into her husband's shield in front of her. Pushing the catman back several feet as he held the protective piece of equipment in place.

"Nice one, Rae. I think I almost felt that one." Garfield smirked in wide eyed enjoyment.

"Don't tempt me, or you'll be feeling something else later tonight." Rachel's eyes narrowed.

"Ooooh, are you going to do the tentacle trick a-" As the catman was speaking, an aura of malice suddenly appeared around his wife, and he wisely cut off that train of thought. "Yep, just going to pretend I said nothing. Good luck with that girl chat of yours!" He then transformed into his panther therianthrope form, and made a dash for the nearby obstacle course to continue his training.

The woman rolled her eyes before Rachel turned to face her friend again, her expression shifting to a more somber one. "If it makes you feel any better, Granny told me I had as much talent for life force as you."

"Hmph, so we both have less than Maya and Aksel?" The silver-haired girl asked while crossing her arms.

"I've… never asked." Rachel sighed as she let the last of her Shadow Magic dissolve from her fingers. "I do know that Farrie and Tersia also share the same boat as us. Being a little bit more talented, but not enough to warrant further training like Eclair or Dou-Lon or especially Rishia. And, well, I haven't really seen Sadeena taking that much of an interest in training with Granny."

"But wouldn't you say for the most part that most everyone else in the Hero's Parties are learning from Granny in some shape or form?" Crystal asked, annoyance clear in her voice.

"... yes. I think that'd be correct." Rachel nodded her head, making the spearwoman grit her teeth in annoyance again.

It'd been several hours since Crystal had last seen Granny. The sun was lowering in the evening sky, and a crisp autumn breeze sent goosebumps traveling up her arms as she continued to alternate between a frustrated scowl and a disappointed frown.

Hell, she hadn't even had the courage to go by her parent's shop. Knowing the two wolf people would try their best to comfort her when she'd just wanted to vent. Even if she didn't hold anything against the old woman, she still had the right to be mad.

"... what a load of bull. Just like the rest of my life, I guess." Crystal muttered under her breath, though Rachel still heard it with her sharp ears.

"There's still Fitoria's Growth Revision you can undergo." The dark mage said. "It's not as though being cut off from life force is preventing us from growing stronger in other ways."

"Yeah? And do you think those other ways will ever make us as capable as Rishia?" Crystal snapped. "As capable as Aksel or Sadeena or S'yne or Raphtalia or any other party member of the Heroes for that matter?!

"I-" As she was about to continue ranting, Crystal stopped, and sighed to herself in frustration again as she pinched her nose between her fingers. "I don't- I just-"

"I don't know." Crystal balled her fists at her sides. More traitorous tears of frustration ran down her cheeks again. "I just don't know what to do anymore, Rachel!

"I want to be able to help out in more ways than just dealing with cannon fodder! I got left behind from the Otherworld trip because I wasn't even there for the Kyo fight! Itsuki abandoned us! I failed to do anything when Karn tried to kill me! I've been training my #$$ off and trying to imagine myself facing off against him again, but…!

"But… no matter how I picture it. I just… I can't do anything.

"Months ago, I would have said otherwise. But after the Spirit Tortoise... what the hell can we possibly do?"

"..."

Rachel breathed out a sigh. "Karn was the one who originally invited you to join Sir Itsuki's party, right?"

Crystal slowly nodded her head.

"... please correct me if I'm wrong. But are you also afraid he did that deliberately, because he could somehow tell that you would never amount to anything and become an actual threat to his plans?" Rachel continued.

"... … …"

Looking away, the silver-haired spearwoman nodded again.

"And now, having the benefit of hindsight, you're also pissed at him, since it's possible he deliberately hurt himself protecting you so you wouldn't join the Kyo fight. Hanging back so that you'd be prevented the option of going to the Otherworld to help out and grow stronger there like Aksel and Maya did."

…

...

...

Crystal's eyes widened, and a tense breath escaped her mouth. "I… never even thought about it like that, but now that you've said it, it makes so much sense." Her fists tightened at her sides again.

"Not really. Karn might have been a reincarnator and a traitor, but I doubt even he knew that Sirs Naofumi and the others would have had to chase Kyo back to his world. Much less, knew about everything else that'd happen..." The woman frowned as she trailed off.

She felt as if there was something she was missing from her words. But upon seeing Crystal's blank look, she decided to think about it more another time.

"Point is, I'm guessing what you want to do now is prove him wrong. Prove that you are capable of doing things, great things, even if he never believed that you could." Rachel finally concluded.

Crystal clenched the haft of her weapon. "Way to sum it up so eloquently. Too bad for me, I can't. Nothing I do-"

"Wrong." Rachel interrupted in a firm voice.

"Wrong?!" Crystal shouted in disbelief.

The pale mage crossed her arms under her chest. "Karn might have been the one to invite you. And he might be responsible for holding you back. But let me ask you this:

"What made you want to join Sir Itsuki's party in the first place?"

…

…

…

Rachel's frown relaxed into a straight line. "Didn't you tell us when you joined that you wanted to find your brother?"

"... is he even still alive out there?" Crystal sighed in resignation, her voice nearly breaking as her scowl and frown vanished, being replaced by a look of despair.

"I'll admit, at this point, odds aren't very good. Especially since Zeltoble's slave trade has collapsed." Rachel replied awkwardly.

"... hmph. Thanks for the confidence boost." Crystal turned away, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"You're welcome." Rachel sighed, before returning to a flat look again. "But what if he is still alive out there somewhere?

"Do you want to throw out the reason why you joined Sir Itsuki originally just because Karn was the one who connected you to us? Do you want to believe you can do nothing when there was a reason you joined us originally?"

…

"One more thing on that line of thought." Rachel put a hand on Crystal's shoulder. "Wasn't it thanks to your hard work that we discovered Karn was the traitor in the first place?

"If you'd gone to the Otherworld and helped out there… would we have realized who Karn actually was? Would we have continued to trust him, not realizing he was working for the other side?"

"... I don't know. I really don't…" Crystal sighed. "And… I'm sorry again that I didn't ask you for help with that."

Rachel smiled. "Would you want my help now? With finding your brother.

"As your party member, and as your friend, I'd love to help you get started on that."

"... is that what I should be doing?" Crystal asked hesitantly.

"We still have over three months to prepare for the Phoenix." Rachel said. "And after it and the Kirin will be the Waves again.

"I've done what I set out for with Sir Itsuki. And now I'm working to grow stronger so I can protect what I love from the enemies of our world.

"I don't doubt that in terms of mages, I'm never going to be one of the best. I'll definitely never stand a chance against some of our other friends. But there are things I know I can do now. Reincarnators, probably not. Some pesty racist noble bastard working your brother to the bone though? I think we'd be more than capable of handling that."

Crystal chuckled at her friend's choice of words.

"And... if you don't know what you want to do long term, then why not settle the reason why you joined in the first place?

"Afterward, you can decide what you want to do. Even if it means retiring like me to live the life you want while we let Aksel and the others take up the brunt of the work saving our world.

"Or, if you don't want to retire, you could take up another role in the Hero's Nation, like Elena. She isn't fighting for Sir Motoyasu these days, but she handles so much trade that we wouldn't have half the things we do have without her."

Crystal's chuckling turned into laughter. "You mean like soap?"

"Especially that." Rachel smiled a little bit.

"... I'll think about it… I will…" Crystal looked down at her hands again. "I do think it'd be easier to think if I found him… my brother.

"I just don't want to hold you or the others back."

"You won't." Rachel reassured.

...

...

"..." Crystal nodded after another moment of thought. "I'll see about talking to Mirellia or one of her advisers again if she's busy. From what I recall, Itsuki never finished looking through all the nobles under her."

"Would you be alright helping me with that?" Crystal asked her friend hopefully.

The mage smiled. "Of course."

…

…

As the two girls continued walking away, having a quiet discussion between themselves, a third girl standing in the background stopped listening. Her fingers slowly fiddling with the petals of the emerald gem flower in her hand.

Rishia said nothing. Her eyes had a far off look to them. But she didn't follow the two other friends she'd made in Itsuki's party.

Instead, she placed the Otherworld gem back in her hair, and continued with what she was doing, leaving the young pair alone to figure out their lot in life.

Till Next Time

Allen

Chapter Text

"Harder!"

"Faster!"

"Swing it like you mean it!"

Sebastian scowled as his claymore came down, hitting nothing but air once again as his sparring partner 'danced' out of the way.

"Too slow!"

Dou-Lon wasn't the one barking out instructions, however. Rather, it was the rose-haired woman watching over this little duel. If it could be called that.

The proud royal knight hadn't made contact with the hakuko's blade even once. Call it fancy footwork or rhythm or whatever it was the damn tiger did. However it worked, it was pissing Sebastian off.

"Dou-Lon, remember to smack him with the flat of your blade when he messes up! He's never going to learn anything if it doesn't hurt!" Eclair commanded.

The hakuko male looked like he wanted to say that doing things like this wouldn't teach Sebastian anything either, but then he shrugged, allowing the large knight to stumble forward after a hard swing before he smacked the large man on the upper arm with the back of his katana.

"Ack!" Sebastian grit his teeth as his bicep screamed loudly in displeasure at being abused, in more ways than just getting hit.

"Remember, you must keep your focus on doing the steps I showed you earlier." Dou-Lon reminded in a calm tone of voice.

Sebastian gritted his teeth audibly. "Screw that nonsense! Just stop moving already, you damn hakuko!" He then swung forward, without any rhythm to his movement.

Dou-Lon simply shook his head and sheathed his weapon. It was clear that there was no need for it yet. He put his hands behind his back and deftly dodged out of the way of the tall knight's wild hacks, slashes and thrusts.

The man had definitely improved in the last two weeks. Dou-Lon wasn't going to deny him that. However, Sebastian was just so… insufferably stubborn and inflexible.

The man's personality fit the hakuko better than Dou-Lon's own. Though Dou-Lon knew saying as such would only piss his opponent off even more.

Dou-Lon was trying his best, but after a long, brutal session; which also had Eclair supervising them, Sebastian had clearly hit the limits of his patience training against a stupid demi-human.

"Rahhhh!" Sebastian thrust forward, putting all his power behind his large blade.

Dou-Lon easily sidestepped the predictable attack, and then tripped the overextended white-haired knight, causing him to face-plant into the concrete floor beneath them.

Oh yeah, now might be a good time to note that the ground of the new sparring arena had been laid with concrete. Making it a lot harder to break during bouts. The Heroes had plenty of leftover material, thanks to their new project, and beyond that, some individuals were sick and tired of filling in craters caused by a certain old lady.

"Ehehehe…" Granny cackled to herself next to her group of students. An obviously big crater was smoking next to her, where she'd demonstrated a life force attack.

…

Ignoring the issue the old woman represented in more ways than one, the new ground also made faceplanting into it hurt a lot more than before. You'd think with that on your mind that individuals would be more inspired to not do stupid stuff that'd leave their noses broken and bent at odd angles after training.

"Urghhh…" The former church knight rolled over, a hand held over his bleeding nose and scratched up face.

You'd be wrong.

Dou-Lon frowned and extended a hand to the man. "I don't think we're going to get anywhere today. Go find a healer."

"Bah, I don't need your help!" Seeing the offered hand, Sebastian scowled as he tried to slap it away. But Dou-Lon avoided the slap, grabbing the man by the wrist and helping him up anyway.

Sebastian stepped back immediately after, holding the limb as if it'd been burned. "Go find a healer, Sebastian." Dou-Lon said in a hard, yet concerned tone. "We'll meet up again later in front of S- Naofumi's house to go over those breathing exercises again."

"... I won't be there." The man scowled, bunching his shoulders together as he started to walk away with what little dignity that he had left.

"What was that?" Only to be immediately stopped by the sight of Eclair walking up. Her eyes were burning with a fiercesome fire that made Sebastian swallow hard.

"I… I'll be there." He turned his head away before walking in the direction of the town.

"Good. And I won't hear of any complaints from Dou-Lon about your lack of willingness to follow directions this time!" Eclair called after him.

Sebastian's proud figure only seemed to shrink a little more as he disappeared behind a building.

…

"Heh." Eclair chuckled to herself. "Well, now that he's taken care of, I think it's about time we battled it out again Dou-Lon. I have a new move I've been working on, and I'm curious to see if you'll be able to counter… it?" Eclair turned her head to where the hakuko man had been standing previously.

Only, her friend and rival had already vanished.

Again.

…

Looking over to Granny, who was helping her group of talented students alongside Rishia to unleash the attack she'd just demonstrated, her rival wasn't there either. And looking out over the rest of the training grounds, she didn't spot Dou-Lon helping out anyone else who was here to train at this time of day.

Eclair slowly frowned, her shoulders lowering in disappointment. 'Why does this keep happening… don't tell me he went off to meditate again…'

…

...

'Oh well. I'll just have to show him the new move next time.'

The knight slowly shook her head, unsheathing her sword and getting in a ready stance.

She pictured herself as if she was facing off against Dou-Lon, and once the image solidified in her mind, she struck forward against it to start the new kata she'd developed in an attempt to modify her battle style in a way similar to what Dou-Lon had used to counter her.

The next time they dueled, she wouldn't be such an easy opponent for him to topple.

"Urgh…" Sebastian let out a groan of pain as he pushed open the doors to the Church. His hand was still held under his nose, which hadn't stopped bleeding.

Normally, after brutal training sessions like these, where Eclair pushed Dou-Lon to be particularly aggressive, Sebastian would go to the Apothecary or where the mages were training to get healed. However, the Apothecarian was gone during the day, teaching a class over in Seaetto, and most of the mages training in healing magic had moved their training to Seaetto as well.

Just when Sebastian thought his luck was running out, he came across one of the town guards who'd been cut across his arm during a spar while he was training earlier that morning. The man's injury was now absent. When the former church knight asked about it, he was informed that a member of the Sword Hero's party had taken up elemental healing magic, and that she was currently at the Church.

The knight looked around the church's interior for a moment, and after not seeing anyone there, he raised his voice to speak.

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

"Just a moment." A feminine voice answered from the back.

…

After a few seconds, a blonde-haired woman stepped out into view. Sebastian recognized her from the previous times he'd been inside the structure.

The woman's black robes only had an opening around the front of her neck, revealing that she was wearing a white shirt as well as a necklace with a blue gemstone around the collar. She also held a small stack of books in her hands.

"Ah, hello again, Sebastian." Tersia smiled, before her smile slowly fell. "You don't look well."

"I'm not." The man grunted, unable to look her in the eyes.

He'd thought Tersia to be nice when he first met her. And truly, she was a respectful and polite young woman.

His first meeting had been the first time he came into this structure and found her dusting the pews, helping to keep the inside of the sacred structure clean for those who came here to quietly worship. Despite being a member of the Sword Hero's party, she treated the building like she would her home.

But the next time Sebastian had visited, he'd found her reading out from a scripture for a bunch of demi-humans at the front of the pews.

His interest in talking and getting to know her pretty much tanked after that.

…

"Are you trying to find my sister, by any chance?" Tersia asked as the awkward pause dragged on.

"Is she the one who's on healing duty today? If so, then yes." Sebastian said, wanting to just move on from this encounter already.

"In that case, Farrie is in the back room. She's getting it set up for the kids tonight." Tersia answered.

… the man had to bite his tongue to keep himself from asking whether they were 'human kids or demikids'. As much as he disliked the status quo here, he wasn't going to just stir up trouble with everyone he met.

"... thanks." Sebastian stiffly nodded, walking up the aisle past the short nun, before taking a right.

Tersia simply hummed as the large man disappeared from view, allowing her to continue her work undisturbed.

…

Sebastian appeared in a hallway that led to another part of the building. A set of stairs at the end led up to the second floor, where Melty's office had formerly been, and then up to the roof.

Immediately after entering though, Sebastian saw another person, thankfully a human, walking out of a room to his right. He also recognized him from the training grounds, though he hadn't seen him leave with any noticeable injuries.

Oh well, at least Sebastian knew about this backup option now, in case the Apothecary was unavailable again in the future.

Inside, Farrie giggled to herself.

Hoo-boy! Treating that one's injuries really took a lot out of her mana pool. She assumed Eclair was really pushing these people to improve.

She wished Tersia would train in elemental healing magic with her. It's been surprisingly fun helping out people.

Not as fun as watching Wyndia and Sir Ren being cute together, but still fun. 'Tee-hee.'

Knock Knock Knock

As the green-haired mage was finishing cleaning and organizing the last corner of the room using her Wind Magic, she turned her head at the unexpected sound. "Oh, come in!"

The white-haired knight opened the door, and immediately stopped in his tracks. A look of recognition appeared on his face. "You…!"

'Hmmmm?" Farrie tilted her head to the side curiously.

"…"

"…"

"I'm sorry. Is something wrong?" Farrie asked after a moment of silence. She wasn't talking about the disfigured nose either.

Odd, there was something familiar about the guy in front of her.

"It's… nothing." Sebastian shook his head. Maybe he'd also gotten a concussion when he fell earlier? That might explain the sense of deja vu he experienced upon entering the room.

Yeah, it was unlikely that he'd ever met this girl before now.

"Hmmmm…" However, Farrie continued to study the face of the tall man, before her eyes widened in recognition. "Oh, I know who you are!"

"…" Sebastian's eyebrow arched up. Had he met this girl before after all, or was it-?

"You're Sebastian! The new guy who came in all hot and confident before getting his butt kicked by Eclair!" Farrie giggled teasingly. "Nice to meet you! I'm Farrie. I'm the one on healing duty today!"

…

Sebastian scowled. Oh, right, he was also well known by the people of the town for that little fiasco. More so for that than the fact that he'd been a former knight of the Three Heroes Church.

He didn't know whether to consider that a mercy, or a curse. It helped him to avoid a lot of hatred and judgmental stares, but it definitely cut him deep in moments like this.

"Is my shameful defeat a problem?" Sebastian asked angrily.

"Hmmm, no, not really, everyone gets their butt kicked by Eclair and Granny here. It's almost like an initiation ritual, really." Farrie shrugged nonchalantly. "I heard that you've been training under Dou-Lon ever since. Oh, and I'll guess you're sporting all those injuries because you still couldn't land a hit on him today either, huh?"

"I- well, so what?! Is it my fault that damn tiger fights all wrong and bizarre-like?! He's even worse than Eclair!" Sebastian felt his blood pressure going up. Gods, why did he have to get help from yet another healer that was friendly with demis?!

"Just a thought, but maybe if you stopped seeing him as that 'damn tiger' and instead treated him as a fellow rival… maybe he'd stop treating you like a punching bag?" Farrie shrugged. "Cause from what little I saw on the training grounds in the mornings, you really do not live up to what Eclair said about you in the past."

"… I don't recall ever seeing you there." Sebastian crossed his arms and looked away. "And… it's mainly on days when Eclair is directing our spars that I get this hurt."

"Yeah, she's like that." Farrie agreed with a nod. "And while I don't fight with a blade or a weapon, I'm mainly over there whenever I'm doing cardio in the early morning." Farrie smiled.

"For stat training?" Sebastian sighed as he asked.

"No, not at this point. I just like doing it." Farrie answered honestly.

…

Urgh. For some reason, this girl's frank and friendly attitude was starting to rub Sebastian the wrong way.

"Now, if you're done whining, then let's begin." Farrie said in a chipper tone.

'I wasn't whining…" The man grumbled under his breath.

"Sure, sure." The woman replied absentmindedly, before she began to chant a spell.

…

…

…

Moments later, after a couple fire magic healing spells she'd learned thanks to Motoyasu's help, the green-haired woman settled back in a chair.

"And done. What do you think?" She asked in a tired, but proud voice.

Sebastian slowly felt his arms and legs, and then his face. His muscles still felt sore and tender from exertion, but the developing bruises over his body had all faded. And his nose, while still sensitive, no longer felt broken.

"I'm… impressed." He commented after a moment. His frown then deepened. "I thought I'd heard earlier that you'd only started learning elemental healing magic. I wasn't expecting you to use the Zweite tier. Nor for it to be this effective."

"Ehehehe, believe it or not, I'm still not as good as Mahoya's group of healers. I've heard one of them can reattach limbs now… or maybe it was a finger? I don't know the specifics. Big mishap with a monster in the mountains.

"But I'm able to handle most minor injuries now. So there's that." Farrie shrugged before raising her arms and stretching in her chair.

"Helps that Granny and Eclair put out quite a few injuries while pushing people with their brutal training regiments. I've gotten more practice since I started than I'd care to admit."

"... I see…" Sebastian sweatdropped. Knowing all too well what the mage girl was talking about.

Maybe in that way, it was a blessing in disguise that he was training under Dou-Lon. As loathe as he'd be to admit to that being a blessing. Because as bizarre as his fighting styles were, and even as much as Sebastian antagonized the hakuko man, Dou-Lon didn't antagonize him back.

At least when Eclair wasn't around. As reluctant as he'd be to admit it, training under the damn tiger was proving far better than that nightmare of a woman.

And Granny… he wasn't stupid enough to want to deal with her on a daily basis.

"I've always been more of an offensive kind of mage. I didn't see the need to learn healing or support spells, you know?" Farrie continued while looking up at the ceiling of the room with her hands now crossed behind her head.

Sebastian, for some reason, didn't feel like leaving yet, despite the healing having been finished. "Why bother learning it now?" He instead asked.

…

"Because ever since the Spirit Tortoise… I've realized a lot of the shortcomings I have. And beyond just getting a Hero Service Crest, I thought it'd be good to expand my knowledge of magic and branch out to things I wasn't comfortable with learning before." Farrie admitted.

"It's like, you never know what could happen on a battlefield, when you might wish you'd known something you hadn't known before… you know.

"At least with this, I'd be capable of saving more lives, than..."

…

Sebastian remained silent, thinking over her surprisingly open and honest answer.

He held no interest in digging further. At least, that's what he told himself

"Anyway, is there anything else you need?" Farrie lowered her head to look directly at the man again as her hands came down to rest on her lap.

"No, there is not. Thank you." The knight shook his head.

"Ok! If you ever get hurt again, just come back to me, and I'll heal you right up!

"Just don't lose a limb. I don't think I'm that good yet." The girl admitted with a laugh.

"Hmmm…" Sebastian ignored her comment and stood up, turning to walk towards the door.

Only, he paused in his steps. Feeling as though there was something he hadn't said.

…

Eventually, he let out a tired sigh.

"Seriously, thank you, miss. I owe you for this." Sebastian bowed his head.

"Don't sweat it. I'm not charging to heal anybody. This is just practice so I can be better at healing my friends and Heroes on the battlefield." Farrie shrugged again.

"As a knight, I cannot accept what you did for free. Especially since I'll no doubt have to come back again for your help." Sebastian shook his head adamantly.

"Oof. Still that bad at fighting, huh." Farrie grimaced in sympathy.

"I'm not-" Sebastian grit his teeth as he swallowed what he wanted to say in retaliation. "I will owe you a favor for healing my injuries, so long as that favor doesn't involve me having to be near or help you out with anything regarding demi-humans.

"Is that acceptable?"

…

Farrie thought about it for a moment. Studying the man before her up and down, before finally smiling, and giving a nod of affirmation. "Sure thing, I'll remember to ask you for that favor when I need it, Sebastian."

"Alright… take care, and good luck… Farrie." Sebastian gave her a single nod, before turning around, walking out, and closing the door behind him.

"... hmmm, he is a strange one, isn't he?" Farrie muttered to herself, before tilting her head to the side again.

…

Ehe. None of the other people she'd helped had said they owed her anything though. Hmmm, what should she do with the favor he owed her?

Too bad she couldn't ask him to help her out in the Church. That was almost certain to involve demi-humans.

Hmmmmm…

…

Out in the Hallway, Sebastian paused as he frowned again. He was now sure that he had met this woman somewhere before. Saying her name had confirmed it in his mind.

He just wished he could remember where and when exactly.

…

Sebastian finally sighed and just shook his head as he went back downstairs. There was no point in dwelling on this. He got his injuries healed and that was that.

Business concluded.

…

"Probably just a coincidence anyway."

With that single sentence whispered under his breath, Sebastian walked down out into the Church, nodding his head to Tersia before walking back outside.

There was more for him to do before he met with Dou-Lon that evening.

"Gahhh!" "Please! Tell me another story Mommy!"

The light brown-haired girl holding her dragon daughter in her arms giggled. "Gaelion, I've already told you two stories tonight. Can't you let Mommy rest?"

"But Mommy and Daddy's stories are both so interesting!"

Wyndia let out a tired sigh. "Still, it's been a long day. I can tell you more tomorrow while we're at the islands."

"Gah…" "Awwww…"

Ren's lips curled upward ever so slightly. Silently observing as Wyndia talked to their daughter. Who was using telepathy to talk back to her, much like how the dog girl's father had communicated with him, before…

The Sword Hero shook his head. His curse felt weaker after the weeks he'd spent here. Those dark foreboding thoughts didn't have quite the grip on his mind as they'd had before.

Yet it was still hard most days to think positive. Even if this had been one of his more busy days.

Sparring with Eclair in the morning. Spending the day with Blue, hanging out in the Hot Spring, doing blacksmithing together amongst other things before reuniting with Wyndia, Gaelion, and Rikka and seeing them and Naofumi (who'd teleported to the islands that night to pick up the two Filolials) off.

Even on days when his friends visited, it didn't feel like he did that much anymore. While it made him want to feel sad and useless… it also felt more relieving. Like he really had been given a vacation to relax and recover from his burdens as a Hero.

How much longer this would last, he didn't know. He could only hope that when it was over, he'd be back to normal, and be able to fight on everyone's behalf once more.

"Daddy. Can you please tell me and Mommy a story from your world?"

Ren then looked up, his attention drawn back to the present. Wyndia now stood at his side of the bed, holding the little red dragon out to him with a warm look in her eyes.

"Hmmm, did Mommy suggest it?" Ren asked, looking at his girlfriend with a warm look in his troubled blue eyes.

"... I do like the story you give on the mythosaur." She quietly admitted. Gaelion did her best to look cute and pleading at the same time as her own blue eyes stared at her Daddy.

…

Ren slowly shook his head. It wasn't even a real story. Though, given the multitude of worlds, he wouldn't be surprised if such a creature did exist in another world.

"Alright, want to settle in bed with me? I'll tell you about the mythosaur once we're all nice and comfortable." Ren relented, smiling softly as he did so.

Eagerly, almost too eagerly, Wyndia jumped into the blankets next to Ren. Settling down under them and hugging his side while Gaelion settled herself on the blankets above Ren's lap.

Once they were settled in, Ren started.

"A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, there was a warrior tribe who worshipped a great dragon. A creature that they called the mythosaur. While the rest of the galaxy built itself up around..."

...

Ren would talk for another fifteen minutes. Talking about an aspect of one of his favorite fantasy worlds to Wyndia and Gaelion.

Something he almost found ironic, since what he was living right now was nothing short of a fantasy. A Hero with special powers, summoned to save a medieval world with magic and game mechanics from complete and utter annihilation. And not just that, but he was a former otaku, and a recovering chunibyo who'd had little in the way of social interactions before being summoned here.

And yet here he was, with a girlfriend who loved him, and a dragon who considered him her father.

It was all just so unreal. So perhaps, maybe it wasn't so farfetched to think the story he was telling right now could be real somewhere out there…

…

…

…

Eventually, Ren finally noticed as he was about to wrap up that Wyndia had fallen asleep against his side. And Gaelion was also snoring on his lap.

…

Ren settled back against the pillows of his bed. Closing his eyes as another day at Cal Mira came to an end.

"Not strong."

…

Sw…

"Not strong enough."

Ren whimpered as he put his hands over his head.

The silhouettes of familiar bodies laid on the ground before him.

… d He…

"Not strong enough."

"Never strong enough."

Ren continued to whimper, quietly pleading for the nightmare to stop.

He didn't want this. He didn't want any of this.

"Weakling."

"Failure."

"Orphan Maker."

"Imposter."

"Hunger."

Sw… ro.

The cacophony of voices didn't relent. And Ren felt as if hundreds of deathly cold hands were dragging him down. Deeper and deeper into a familiar sea of blood, made when he'd first slain the Spirit Tortoise and where he'd fought and killed everyone he knew.

A neverending stream of deaths. Of EXP. And above all that, the power to-

"Sword Hero."

With a gasp, Ren shot up from his bed. Sweat glistening on the exposed skin of his arms and face.

He felt pressure on his arm, but couldn't tell where it was coming from. His breaths were quick and ragged. His heartbeat was erratic in his chest. His body was frozen, unable to move.

He could still see the silhouettes of bodies in the background. Taste the cold, bitter tang of iron on his tongue. Feel it seeping through his clothes. Choking him and his lungs.

But as the memory of the nightmare continued to claw at his mind, a large red paw pressed itself against his chest. And a deep, yet familiar voice in his mind brushed away all those thoughts again, more forcefully than before.

"Sword Hero.

"My daughter is sleeping next to you. And she is feeling your pain in her dreams.

"Calm your heart. It was only a nightmare."

…

…

…

Breathing in and out deeply, Ren eventually managed to turn his head to the side. Despite the darkness pervading the room, he was able to see Wyndia perfectly, still sound asleep on their bed.

Alive and well. Her hand gripping his arm as if she'd sensed he was in trouble.

…

…

Ren continued to breathe in and out deeply, shuddering slightly as the sticky feeling of blood on his skin finally disappeared. His heartbeat slowed back to normal. The taste wasn't going away, but he soon realized that he was tasting his own blood from biting his cheek in his sleep.

It was nothing a sip from a simple Healing Potion stored in his weapon didn't fix.

As the Sword Hero continued to calm and the tension of fight or flight in his muscles eased, the expression on his girlfriend's face softened.

Eventually, after a few more minutes, Wyndia's hand slowly let go of his arm. Falling back down onto the bed as the girl retreated back into the peaceful dream she was having.

"Hmmm…" And the peaceful hum she released afterward almost seemed to dispel the last vestiges of the nightmare from Ren's waking vision.

…

The Sword Hero, still looking shaken up, and with tears in his eyes, eventually turned his head to Gaelion. Who was standing on her back legs next to the bed, looking at him patiently.

Unlike earlier, Gaelion now stood at face height. Her body was at least five feet in length. Her claws looked longer and sharper, more like a dragon than her baby form ever showed.

This was not the form of his daughter though, at least, not the one she liked to use around her parents.

She had been growing, though she preferred using magic to compact her size when inside or with her parents. Regardless, this wasn't his daughter gazing at him.

"I'm… sorry." Ren managed to mutter, even as more tears began to appear in his eyes and fall down his face.

Gaelion frowned. But then, another voice came from the young dragon. The voice of the true young Gaelion.

"Grandpa, please don't be so hard on Daddy. You know he's trying his best."

"… I understand, hatchling. That is why I sought to wake the Sword Hero from his slumber." The older dragon Gaelion, residing in the younger Gaelion's body, spoke over the telepathic link.

Gaelion looked to Ren again. The frown on her face deepening.

He didn't know what he'd say next. But it wasn't entirely unexpected when Gaelion said what he did.

"Now that you are awake, we might as well have another lesson."

"Come. There is much I have to teach you."

…

Ren still looked shaken and hesitant. But then, Gaelion fell on all fours and moved over to the door, and Ren knew that if he went back to sleep now, he'd only reenter the nightmare he'd been having.

So he got up, changed out of his pajamas, and followed his soon to be father-in-law out of the room.

Leaving his sleeping girlfriend alone in their massive king sized bed.

Several minutes later, standing on the sand of the beach, Ren had a hand held up in front of him. His daughter and mentor stood behind him, looking over his shoulder.

A fading quarter moon sat amidst a sea of stars in the sky. Waves lapped at the sand only a dozen feet away from the Sword Hero. This late at night, the breeze felt bitingly cold. But even though he'd mostly calmed down by now, Ren's body still felt hot from the nightmare. Making the autumn breeze feel welcome on his red, sweating face.

"Remember. The first thing you must see is the vitality of the world around you. Then, you can learn how to harness it.

"The world is filled with this force, from the sparks of a fire to the raging depths of the sea at storm. Even the calm breeze of our world is filled to the brim with this energy.

"Once you learn to see it, a puzzle will appear in your mind. It is there you'll have to exert your will to move the pieces around. Fitting them together in ways that feel right. Ways that the vitality wishes to come together.

"For that is the way of the Dragon Vein, as I have taught it to my daughter. And to others before her."

Ren kept his eyes closed as he tried to focus on the water of the ocean lapping the sands of the beach. This was his third such lesson with Gaelion, after having been granted a Dragon Blessing by him.

To briefly explain the context, a short time after Ren had settled into a routine at Cal Mira, Wyndia had approached him with a request. That request being if he could feed Gaelion the Dragon Emperor Fragment he'd kept stored inside his Sword for her.

Her stated reason was because Rikka kept begging to receive a Dragon Blessing so she could learn Wyndia's 'cool' magic too. And indeed, after Gaelion ate the fragment, she became capable of bestowing her Dragon Blessing on anyone she chose, including Rikka.

But when Wyndia had examined her daughter afterward. It was as if she'd expected for something… more, to happen…

But when it hadn't, she'd sighed, thanked him for listening to her request, and they moved on, with Rikka being given a Dragon's Blessing, just like she'd always wanted.

...

Only, eating the fragment hadn't just granted little Gaelion the ability to bestow blessings, nor just the ability to use Telepathy either. An ability she manifested the next day, much to her mother's delight.

But Gaelion, Wyndia's father, the dragon personality who'd still been living on inside the fragment, had revealed himself to the Sword Hero that very same night. Much like how he'd done earlier.

…

As shocking as the revelation had been, Gaelion had indeed still been alive and well in the Emperor Fragment. And thanks to being consumed by the young dragon, he was able to reveal himself and talk one on one with Ren. Though he refused to show himself before Wyndia for several reasons.

He'd also made Ren promise not to reveal his identity, otherwise, he would not help him with this, or with his nightmares. And Ren… while it made him feel guilty, had accepted. Since it meant another way to do something useful, and one less worry for Wyndia to have to bear on his behalf.

And those nightmares… the less he could deal with them, the better.

"Focus, Sword Hero."

"S-Sorry. It's harder to picture the energy when my mind is racing." Ren apologized again.

It is not something to be imagined, but something to be seen. It is right there in front of you, if you just focus your mind.

Ren frowned. "I know… it's just so hard to focus, especially after having that same dream again."

"What happened earlier was only a nightmare. Push it out of your mind."

"But what if it's more than just that, what if I do end up…" Ren, who'd started out frustrated, trailed off into sadness.

"… It will become so only if you believe it to be so."

…

"I know it is hard, Ren Amaki, but you will never break free of the curse's influence if you keep believing yourself to be less than it.

"Wyndia believes you to be more. So do your friends. And little Gaelion believes as much too."

…

"And you?" Ren quietly asked.

The dragon chortled. "Being connected to you the way I was, I got to see a lot of your past memories, 'Dark Shadow'.

"I must say, before coming to this world, you weren't very impressive."

Ren visibly cringed. Gaelion continued to chortle at the young man's reaction.

"Grandpa, why did you call Daddy 'Dark Shadow?' Is that like Daddy's alter ego or something?" The young Gaelion asked.

"Perhaps that'd be an appropiate name for the cursed version of himself, should it make an appearance again." Gaelion's face twisted with a smile as the young Sword Hero cringed even harder.

"Please don't." Ren pleaded.

"Ahahahaha."

Gaelion continued to laugh as Ren turned his entire focus on the sea again.

Even though it'd made him cringe, Ren was smiling a little now. He hadn't opened up about that name specifically to Wyndia or the others yet. He just didn't feel comfortable enough doing so right now…

But he had made more of an effort to open up to others about different things from his world.

And, the fact that Gaelion knew all that stuff, and yet was still taking the time to help him out like this… did help him to feel better.

…

For a moment, as Ren felt this, his eyes finally started to see a soft glow emanating from the ocean water before him. With that glow, came the outline of puzzle pieces in his mind.

Finally. Ren focused in on it. It was exactly what Wyndia had described before. And what Gaelion had been trying to guide him to see.

At last, he could-

"Failure."

And just like that, the glow of the water, as well as the puzzle it'd presented him with, vanished.

…

"Weakling."

"Not strong enough."

Ren sagged in his spot, looking more tired and drained than before.

Those damn nightmares…

"It's okay, Daddy. I saw you almost had it there. Right, grandpa?"

"Hmmmm…" Gaelion's voice sounded in his mind, deep, and disappointed.

"Grandpa, you're not disappointed in Daddy, are you?" Gaelion asked.

"No, hatchling. I'm not."

"Then why didn't you answer my question?!"

"Because… I can see why the Sword Hero failed to progress. I can see what is holding him back."

…

Gaelion moved in front of the Sword Hero. Staring down the blue-eyed teenager with a serious expression that didn't match the young dragon's natural cuteness. "I am all too aware of why he failed."

"I am, after all, inexorably linked to the Sword Hero now, thanks to him using my hunger to feed the power of his Curse of Gluttony.

"And his curse is staying quite active, despite our best attempts to quash it."

Ren's head fell even more. "I'm… so sorry… for that."

"I know… I know, Sword Hero.

"I know."

…

Gaelion set a paw on the teenager's shoulder. "Let us try again. This time, I will exert some of my influence to keep the curse at bay.

"You caught but a glimpse this time. Let's see what you're able to accomplish without it being able to bother you these next few moments."

Ren slowly nodded, and after Gaelion moved behind his shoulder to observe like before, a red glow coming off her skin, Ren took his stance again and tried to see what he'd seen before.

…

…

…

Eventually, almost thirty minutes later, and sweating more profusely than when he'd woken up, Ren laid on the sand. Tired out, but feeling quite accomplished.

"Not bad. You managed to see the puzzle again, whelp."

"Not just see it! Daddy was even able to move a couple of the pieces around!" The young Gaelion yelled over the link, admiration and affection clear in her tone.

"It… doesn't feel… like it did anything though." Ren got out between breaths.

At least the the memory of his earlier nightmare hadn't bothered him, thanks to whatever Gaelion did. It was lapsing back into the corners of his mind though, so whatever he'd done to assist, it hadn't been permanent.

"It is very difficult for humans to learn Earth Vein. Especially when they're in circumstances like yours. But you were able to see the energy. And more than that, you were able to push the pieces around in your mind once you saw the energy."

"Yeah. Still felt like I was trying to push a large stone around with my bare hands." The young man groaned.

"Trust me. The first hard part is over. The next hard part will be figuring out how to get those pieces to shape together.

"But like this, it will get easier. With time, and practice.

"You'll eventually get more used to it. And then the way of the Dragon Vein will become second nature for you, as it has for my daughter."

"Ooh! Speaking of which, were you awake to see what Mommy did today?!" Gaelion suddenly interrupted in an excited voice.

"I was." Gaelion chuckled lightheartedly. "I always knew she had the heart of a dragon beating in her. But for her to learn how to take on a draconic appearance using Earth Vein…

"It is too bad she is still trying to figure out how to fly. I'd think she'd make even the dragons of the north fear for their lives once she manages to learn."

"Ehehehe." The little Gaelion giggled happily.

Ren continued to lay on the sand, listening to the two dragons inhabiting the same body talking to one another, keeping a telepathic link opened to Ren so he could listen to their conversation.

Despite his promise, he wished he could wake Wyndia so she could join them in this.

But then, he didn't want to be selfish either.

Even here, she was pushing herself to become better and stronger, much like all his other friends. It was inspiring him to try and do better. Even agreeing to night lessons like this with Gaelion to learn this branch of powerful magic.

Yet… even if he didn't want to be selfish… he wanted her to be happy. Not just with him.

"Why don't you want to reveal yourself to Wyndia?" And so, Ren prodded the dragon with the same inquiry as he had several times before.

…

…

Like that, the telepathic conversation the two dragons were sharing stopped.

"Sword Hero… I told you not to broach that subject again."

Yes, he'd asked it during their second lesson. And during the first, despite still being in a state of shock that the dragon he'd thought he'd murdered had been alive that entire time. Which would have been a whole other can of worms under different circumstances, but Ren wasn't exactly in the state of mind right now to worry over such details.

"I just… don't understand, is all." Ren muttered meekly. "Don't you realize how happy Wyndia would be, knowing her dad was still alive?

"Don't you love her?"

…

…

"… I do love her. And it is because I love her that I've decided to keep my distance and not interfere in her life." The Dragon Emperor frowned.

"The body I'm inhabiting is her daughter. More than that, I don't want to take my granddaughter's right to exist away from her as the possessor of the Dragon Emperor Fragment.

"I have only chosen to live on as I do presently because my help is needed. With you, and with my granddaughter."

"Hmmm? But aren't you also around so you can tell me all the interesting stories from your life, Grandpa?"

"Ha. If you absorbed me whelp, you'd be able to learn all the details of those stories and my lessons without me needing to tell you. Hmph, you'd even be able to teach your Father a thing or two on my behalf."

"But if I absorbed you, then I wouldn't have a cool grandpa to talk with anymore!"

"You've been spending too much time around that weird Filolial girl." Gaelion sighed. Though I do appreciate that at least one member of that detested species looks at us in a positive light. Strange as it is."

"Ehehehe! And Grandpa Gaelion's the coolest dragon ever! So I don't want you to go anytime soon! And neither does Daddy!"

…

"Could you rest again, little one? I'd like to speak one on one with your Father."

"Awwww. Can't I listen in, at least?"

"Not this time. There are things I wish to discuss with your Father in private. Things that I'm not ready to share with you yet, hatchling. But things I must share with him if I'm to ever get through one of these nights without him bothering me with the same questions over and over again."

"Awww… Ok. I should go back to sleep actually. Mommy would be disappointed if I was too tired to go hunting with her tomorrow.

"Good night Daddy!"

"... good night, sweetheart." Ren smiled.

…

The presence of the young dragon faded from the telepathic link, leaving only the Sword Hero and Senior Gaelion awake.

…

After a moment to gather his thoughts, Ren opened his mouth to ask Gaelion his question again.

"Have you ever wondered why I took Wyndia in as my own daughter, despite being a dragon?"

But Gaelion deflected the Sword Hero's attempt with something else.

"I… it's because you weren't a great and evil dragon. Like in my game…" Ren muttered the last part softly.

"Hmm. A gross oversimplification. A part of the truth, to be sure. But not quite."

Gaelion moved closer to the sitting Sword Hero, pressing her forehead against his future son-in-law's.

"Please, allow me to return the favor for violating the privacy of your mind and memories before. I want to show one of the earliest memories of my life, Sword Hero.

"I believe they might be helpful to you in understanding who I am. And why I do not wish to interfere in my daughter's life."

"... alright." Ren agreed.

Using telepathy, Gaelion did what he'd done in his dying moments to the Sword Hero months ago.

Showing to Ren Amaki memories of the old dragon's life.

"Gahhh…"

Ren saw a dragon, even smaller than his Wyr Dragon daughter, lying on the ground.

It had grey scales, colored red in blood from deep bleeding gashes that went along its side and back.

Burns covered its face and stomach. A chunk was missing from its tail. The cries the creature released were filled with pain and anger.

The scene looked like the mountains outside Mirso. Only it looked more barren, with no forests or any sort of undergrowth in the vicinity.

"Hmmm? Oh my." A blonde-haired woman walked into view. Startling the young, injured dragon. Who, despite its apparent pain and blood loss, growled threateningly as it took a defensive pose.

The woman, however, paid no heed to the dragon's aggression. Instead smiling happily as she extended out a hand. "I'm glad I found you when I did, little one. You look like you could use some help."

The dragon tried snapping at the woman's hand, but she easily evaded his jaws. Planting her hand on top of his head before rubbing it soothingly.

"There there. Not to worry. I'll fix you up no problem- oh." As she was speaking, the dragon, who tried to bite at her arm in its anger, suddenly collapsed to the ground. Exhaustion creeping through its entire body as darkness encroached on its mind.

"Oh dear. I'll have to work fast-"

As the woman was speaking, the dragon slipped into unconsciousness, bringing the scene to an end.

The next memory had the young dragon opening its eyes. Staring around in confusion at the small wooden room it was in.

Outside, it could hear the sounds of humans going about their day. Despite being a proud dragon, fear gripped the young one as it looked around in desperation. Trying to figure out where it was and, more importantly, how it could return home to take down the dragon he'd fought against.

"Oh, you're awake!"

"Gahhhhh!" The dragon cried out in shock as the blonde woman from before appeared in front of its face. A beaming, happy smile adorned her features as she crooned over the dragon hatchling.

"I'm so happy! I was worried that you weren't going to survive the night!" She clapped her hands together happily.

The little dragon, however, jumped from its cot. It hadn't spotted an exit or anything of the sort. It just wanted to get away from the situation he'd landed himself in.

"Gah!" Only, he cried out as, when he jumped, pain flared out from his side and back.

"Whoops! I got ya!" Thankfully, or unfortunately, his fall to the floor was stopped by the human woman catching him out of the air. She then proceeded to lay him gingerly back in the cot he'd been resting in. "Geez, you're a feisty one. Guess it makes sense, with you being a dragon and all.

"It's going to be a while before I can release you back into the wild though. I've closed up your surface wounds. But you things are really hard to patch up on the inside with normal human magic, you know."

The little dragon showed its appreciation at being under her care by trying to bite the woman's nose, only for said woman to dodge the bite just as she had every other time, before somehow managing to rub her nose against his snout.

"Ehehe. We're going to get along, I can already tell!"

The dragon did not believe that to be the case as it glared at her with all the hatred he could muster.

Which didn't mean much in the end since she found his angry face too adorable to get mad at.

Time passed with the dragon being stuck to the cot in the small room in the wooden house.

The blonde woman would come in when he was awake to use some strange kind of magic on its side and back. After which she'd then proceed to feed him and talk nonsense, before the dragon was laid back down to rest some more. And then the process repeated itself the next day, and the day after that, and the one after that.

The first few times, he snapped at her again and again with his jaws. Angered that he was being kept prisoner by a mere human. His wings longed for the outdoors. His body ached for the light of the sun. And his mind howled for revenge against the dragon who'd taken the cave he hatched in as its home.

"Come on, eat up, little Gaelion. You're not going to heal and become a big strong dragon if you refuse to eat."

"Gah." Then, after the first few times, Gaelion, as the woman had taken to calling him for some strange reason, had stopped trying to attack his caregiver. It was pointless, as she moved much too quickly for him to sink his teeth into her skin, and he got the feeling that even if he somehow did manage to bite her, the difference in their levels would have prevented him from doing her any serious harm.

Nevertheless, he refused to be babied by a mere 'human'. And Astrid, as the woman was called, began to pout as Gaelion refused the food she was shoving in front of his nose, which was held in a metal spoon.

"Geez, come on Gaelion! I know fish is your favorite! You're always gulping that stuff down when I leave you alone!"

"Gah ah-" Gaelion began shaking his head from side to side, adamant about not being hand fed by the stubborn woman. Only, opening his mouth to speak had been his undoing.

"Gotcha!" "GAH-ACK! ACK! ACK!" The woman stuffed the spoon through the small opening of his mouth, nearly causing the young dragon to choke in shock.

"There, see! Doesn't that taste good?!" The woman smiled brightly as she pulled her hand back, already grabbing another spoonful of mashed fish for the young dragon to eat.

"GAH!" How he'd wished to be able to shout 'NO' at her.

Unfortunately, she took his indignant cry as one of acceptance, and continued to feed him with the metal implement.

His pride as a dragon couldn't have fallen any lower as she then pinched his 'chubby little' dragon cheeks afterward.

Thus, the days turned into weeks. And eventually, as the muscles in his side and back finally healed, and as Gaelion grew larger, Astrid took young Gaelion out of the house. Giving him a chance to stretch his wings and hunt for himself.

"Gahahahahah!" Yes, finally, the freedom Gaelion had been desiring! Oh, how glorious it was!

The Usapil he came across didn't even have time to screech in terror before Gaelion sank his jaws deep into its flesh. Tearing the small rabbit monster apart in the blink of an eye.

With relish, he began to dig into his feast. Dismissing the exp notification that appeared in his vision to focus on the meal.

"Ooh, nice! You found a meal real quick Gaelion!" Astrid suddenly appeared next to Gaelion's head.

"GAH!?" The young dragon reeled away, shocked that the human woman had followed him.

"Ehehehe, I might not be a demi. But I'm still capable of tracking your scent, doofus." Astrid proceeded to boop Gaelion on the nose.

"Gah!" Gaelion glared at the human Astrid in anger, but Astrid simply laughed her carefree laugh and watched with joy as Gaelion tried to focus on the rest of his meal without further acknowledging the woman's presence.

And, almost reluctantly, he followed her back to her home to settle in for the night.

...

Escape was futile.

He couldn't even outfly her running speed.

And he had tried several times.

As the weeks turned into months, the young Gaelion's thoughts on the human woman Astrid continued to change and evolve.

He thought her at first to be just a stupid human. And by all accounts, that's all she was.

He witnessed her helping other monsters she found out in the wild while he hunted for his own food. They all reacted the same way he did. With hostility and not even a hint of intelligence.

Still, she helped them out like she had with him. And, in some way Gaelion couldn't understand, as some of these monsters later ended up being his next meal, he came to appreciate the woman and the kindness she expressed to everyone.

It appeared the other humans in the village loved and even respected her for that kindness as well. Beyond just monsters, Gaelion saw, and even accompanied along with her as she acted as a midwife for other humans. Or as a healer when someone's wounds needed tending to.

It was… beyond confusing. His genetics as a dragon predisposed him towards violence. Towards grasping for the top of the food chain with every ounce of power he could get his claws on. And indeed, as time passed, Gaelion eventually grew up into an adult, albeit small, dragon.

Yet, when he couldn't fit through the doors of Astrid's house anymore, she simply knocked down several walls inside and made a window big enough for him to fly in and out of. Saying she liked it better with him keeping her company.

It apparently reminded her of her time as a party member of the Bow Hero. And to her, it felt like she was paying him and the dragon he'd been friends with back when she'd been the party's healer.

Gaelion was confused by her statements. Bow Hero? A dragon that was friends with a human?

Yet if he'd learned anything by this point, it was that Astrid was not a liar. She was the most honest human- no, the most honest, most loving, and most caring creature he'd ever met.

Whenever he went to bed at night, because she'd gotten rid of her bed to allow room for him to nest, she'd lay against his stomach in the nest. Completely trusting that he wouldn't try to bite her hand or head off like he had when he was younger as she moved into dreamland.

Her kindness, her warmth… made him rethink much of what his genetics were yelling at him to do. What his nature wanted him to do.

But, as more time passed, the more time he spent around her, those instincts of his lessened, and lessened.

And, for a brief moment in time, he couldn't see himself as a dragon anymore.

One day, as he flew out, not to hunt this time, but to help his mother figure find and gather herbs she needed for some medicine for the upcoming winter, he came across a Usapil. One badly mauled by another monster.

One that hadn't fought it for food, or even for EXP. It'd been left there to die, just like Gaelion had been.

He immediately flew back to Astrid, leading her to the dying rabbit monster. He'd hoped that she'd be able to save it from such a cruel death like she had for him.

Yet when she saw the state of the creature, the smile that was on her face finally faltered.

With a weary sigh, she took a knife from her side, and stabbed the creature in its heart, killing it in an instant. Before using that same knife to start skinning it for its pelt.

…

Gaelion stared in confusion at what'd happened, before looking at Astrid again. She bore an expression that he'd never seen on her before, and after a moment, she paused in what she was doing to stare down at her kill, without turning to look at him.

"... Gaelion. As a dragon, you're born to follow the law of the wild. That the strong live to rule over the weak."

Astrid pulled her knife back, cleaning the blade of the monster's blood on the grass next to her. She then wordlessly sheathed it back into its place without taking a second look at it.

She then bowed her head over the dead monster, holding up its pelt while giving the remains a solemn look of reverence.

"As a healer, I do my best to save lives wherever I go. Whether they be human, demi-human, or monster. That's what I was taught growing up. And that's what I tried my best to do while in the Bow Hero's party…

"Even so, I know that not every life can be saved. And in those instances, you should help the ones who are suffering to go as peacefully as possible. Whether by giving them a merciful death, or just being there for them to hold their hands as they pass on."

…

Astrid let out a small sigh, before she looked back at the young dragon, and gave him a smile. "To be honest, I'm grateful I got to save you. Because, in a way, I feel as if you've saved me.

"I was so alone and without purpose after the Bow Hero and the others helped save the world, I wasn't sure what to do with myself.

"Thank you, Gaelion! I'm glad to be your friend!" Astrid smiled brightly. Offering the fresh kill to the dragon she'd bonded with.

Gaelion… was left speechless. And as he ate the monster, he felt the beginnings of regret and disgust at himself that this kind woman, his mother figure, his friend… had to kill on his behalf.

…

Never again.

He'd fight to prevent that from happening with all his being.

"Dragon Emperor!"

"Call the knights!"

"The knights are too far away!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"

"GRAHHHHHHH!"

Gaelion arrived back to the village, his home, to the sound of chaos. The blood in his body chilled as he recognized the roar of the predator that'd fallen upon the small village.

He'd grown a lot since last time, yet as the opposing dragon flew out of a cloud of smoke, it became apparent that it was still twice as large as Gaelion. A hulking mass of muscle and firepower bred to kill.

In its massive talons, a man covered in armor, who'd identified the beast as a Dragon Emperor on his HUD, cried out for help once more.

Some hunters armed with bows launched a couple arrows in response, only for the arrowheads to bounce off the dragon's scales. The man was then subsequently crushed in the dragon's grip.

"Grah!" NO! Gaelion cried out.

The larger dragon's head snapped to the side and their eyes finally met. It let out a snarl, dropping the dead human back to the ground.

"So, you're the one who's presence I've felt growing in these parts."

Gaelion reeled back as the dragon's mind pressed against his. But it was quickly followed by the great beast's snapping jaws.

Gaelion instinctively pulled back, bringing his head out of biting range just in time. But then one of the opponent's large taloned fists slammed into his shoulder, knocking him back in the air as drops of blood from fresh cuts fell down his front.

"Grahhh!" Gaelion righted himself, and looked angrily at the monster before him.

Oh? Is that backbone I see? Maybe this battle will entertain me.

A deep, primal fear filled the younger dragon's heart as fight and flight instincts raged in his mind. But even with that, Gaelion opened his mouth and unleashed a surge of poison breath at his opponent.

A surge which was completely overcome as the Dragon Emperor's own flame breath attack completely overtook it.

Ahahaha. Your fear, so intoxicating. I love it.

Gaelion reeled back out of the new smoke cloud, coughing poisonous smoke from his nostrils as burns covered his face. The very next moment, his opponent rushed through the smoke cloud, slamming his bulk into his, swatting the smaller dragon out of the air as if he was nothing but a common house fly.

Boom!

The earth shook as Gaelion's body went through a small shack of the village. He shook his head as he got up, and with determination in his gaze, he launched off the ground, getting past the larger dragon's bulk and clawing at its side as he flew past.

Ahahahaha. Not even enough to scratch my scales. Though you are quite nimble.  The dragon taunted.

Gaelion furled his wings in, letting out a roar as he streaked past once, twice, three times. Coming in fast at odd angles to land hits on the older, larger dragon, even as more humans tried helping out from down below, despite none of their arrows or weapons leaving more than an arrow sticking out of the Dragon Emperor's soft underbelly.

The three dives did nothing, little more than a scratch along a scale on the beast's back.

But it was after his third flyby that Gaelion saw the arrowshaft, and blood slowly dripping down it onto the ground below.

Right, even if he was a Dragon Emperor, they still shared the same weakness!

Gaelion angled his next dive to make it look as though he'd target the dragon's tail. But then, at the last second, he dove past it, and righted himself directly underneath his opponent to lash his claws along his soft and unprotected underbelly.

Almost.

Before his claws could connect, the tail he'd avoided slammed down onto Gaelion's back. With a surprised cry of pain as the spikes on it tore scales off, Gaelion fell to the ground.

"Incoming!" The remaining human fighters quickly backed away, and Gaelion impacted in their midst, thankfully not crushing any of them.

Aha! Ahahahahaha!

Unfortunately, it didn't stop the Dragon Emperor, who came down on top of two of the fighters, crushing them underfoot.  Fools. Maybe if you lay down your weapons, I will let you imprint my greatness upon your minds before I kill you!

Gaelion stumbled to get back up. The fight and flight instincts in his mind were beginning to cloud everything he was thinking.

A Dragon Emperor! While Gaelion was just a normal dragon, not even more than a few years old at this point! He was faster, yes, but he was nothing in the face of his opponent's raw strength and power!

The dragon roared as fire escaped its mouth, burning down more of the wooden structures and humans around Gaelion who were still trying to fight.

The claws of its talons flexed as it darted forward. Moving impossibly fast with its bulk as it eviscerated another human through his chest.

And Gaelion just sat there, frozen up entirely.

He couldn't even tell what level his opponent was. All he knew was that his opponent outclassed him and the humans here in every way. Their weapons not being enough to even scratch the dragon's scales.

They had to run. To get out of there. They'd never win against their opponent. He had to get them out of there.

The humans… Astrid…

Suddenly, Gaelion's head looked past his opponent, at the fire blazing in the distance.

The fire that was consuming Astrid's home.

His home. Their home.

…

…

…

The Dragon Emperor was still laughing, playing with the human it'd killed with its bare hands while looking over all the other tasty morsels there when Gaelion was consumed by an emotion, one very familiar to his species. One that tapped him fully into his instincts as a dragon.

Rage.

The memory blurred. Tinged red with few details, thoughts, or exchanges able to be shown.

Gaelion's claws wracking through the side of the massive dragon, dislodging scales and piercing the flesh beneath.

A tail blow to Gaelion's head, the cuts from the spikes only enraging him more as he used his talons to remove most of the spikes and the scales surrounding the on said tail.