Motoyasu Kitamura was generally a naive and gullible person. However, even with those traits, that never stopped him from making friends with nearly everyone he meets. Out of all the heroes, he is the friendliest one of them all. Ever since coming to this new world, he loved pretty much everyone and everything. He had a good team, a good and trustworthy partner, and a spear that generally the most overpowered person in this world! At least, that's what he thinks to himself when he sleeps at night.

However, he doesn't like the current Shield Hero: Naofumi. Because of his 'crime', he despised Naofumi with all of his naive and gullible heart. At first, he couldn't believe that the person who only wore a shield as a weapon, would think that he was tough enough to do everything he wanted! Motoyasu eventually believed that he was the worst of humankind.

But after he left the castle with nothing but a shield for protection, he was happy. Happy that the worst of the worst was going to be left out and hopefully be killed by monsters. That was the last time he had seen of Naofumi. Now, it was time for him to speak to the king about the situation that he needed to be solved.

"No, I told you, Hero of the Spear, that I will not allow a demi-human to be roaming around this castle!" The king of Melromarc glares upon Motoyasu begging state. He was on his arms and legs as he pleaded for the king to change his mind over the constant responses that he got from the king. The king acted… unusual. He would get respect and praise from the king for everything that he's done for the kingdom with a smile, but right now, he's staring at him as if he's… Naofumi.

"Please! We can't just leave her out there with no protection! She's a child!" Motoyasu pleaded. He looked down at the brown haired girl who held onto his leg in fear of her own future. If she had no place to go, then where on Earth would she go?

"Spear Hero, I will tell you for the last time, I will not-" Having enough of the king's unusual responses, he stood up, ready to speak his mind.

"If you will not allow her to stay with us, then I shall take my leave." With that said, the king's reaction was… conflicting. He flinched after he said that he would leave, but then, he decided to calm himself from yelling… probably. When he looked at Malty, he could see her biting her nail in aggravation. Motoyasu scratched his head in confusion after she waved at him with a smile when she noticed that he was staring at her.

"Wait! ...Fine, but even so, she will be in YOUR care for the remainder of her days of living. Also, make sure that she is not seen entering the castle. I do not want… problems of any sort to be put upon me." Yes! He agreed to her staying! Now, with his and the soldiers training, he was sure that the little girl was going to be the best of the best!

"Thank you! I'll be sure to raise her well!" With that, he looked back down at the girl with brown hair. Strange, now that he noticed it, the girl had… Tanuki ears? With the shape of the ears that laid on top of her head and the noticeable bushy tail, there's no doubt that she's part Tanuki.

"Hey, what's your name, by the way?" He knelt down to look at her in the face when he asked her this.

"U-um… i-it's… Raphtalia." Motoyasu smiled and pet her head.

"Raphtalia, huh? Okay, for now on, your going to be in good hands. I was lucky enough to find you first. Who knows what could've happened if I hadn't found you just roaming around in the street! There are bad people out there, Raphtalia! People like Naofumi are just bad influences!" She tilted her head in confusion.

"Nao...fumi? Who is… Naofumi?" When she asked him that, his expression changed. It was one of anger.

"He's… the worst of the worst! He almost raped my partner, Malty! How in the hell was he chosen to be the Shield Hero?!" Raphtalia's eyes widened after he finished talking.

"The Shield Hero! The Shield Hero is here?! Can I meet him?!" She seemed hopeful of meeting the Shield Hero.

"Don't say that, Raphtalia! You can't meet him! He… the worst kind of person to meet!"

"Huh? What do you mean? Isn't the Shield Hero supposed to be… good?" He nodded before speaking again.

"He seemed like a nice person at first… only for him to take advantage of someone when we weren't looking!"

"But… I still want to meet him! I don't care about what sort of bad things he did, I wanna meet him!" When he looked into her pleading eyes, he couldn't help but flinch. She looked like she was going to cry.

"...Maybe someday! I'm sure we'll meet up with him so you could talk to him!" Her ears and tail perked up when he gave her hope.

"Really?! I'll meet the Shield Hero?!" He rubbed the top of her head and smiled.

"Yeah! But first, you gotta be strong! I mean like, really strong if you want to meet the Shield Hero!"

"Then I'll be strong! Strong enough to meet the Shield Hero!" She raised her hands in happiness.

"Yeah! Let's both be the strongest!"

"Okay!" He took her hand and started to walk out of the room. As he left, he could hear the soldiers and the king discussing something to themselves. Oh well, it didn't matter to Motoyasu. His smiling face had soon dropped into one of anger. It was all because of one person in his thoughts…

Naofumi...

Unknown to Raphtalia, she wouldn't be seeing the Shield Hero anytime soon…

And so, several weeks had passed. Several… strange weeks for Motoyasu. As the weeks went by, Raphtalia had somehow grown in size! No longer was she a child anymore! She was the age of a teen now!

Besides that, Raphtalia had been training and training nonstop, hoping to meet the Shield Hero one day. When she wasn't hungry, she wanted to train with a sword. When she woke up in the morning, she wanted to train with a sword. Even when she was tired, she wanted to continue to train with a sword.

This was all because she wanted to meet the Shield Hero…

At this, Motoyasu felt bad for manipulating Raphtalia like this. He had given her false hope, only for it to die out as soon as she realized that she wasn't going to meet with the Shield Hero. Possibly never.

Now wasn't the time for Motoyasu to think like this. Not with the current situation that he was in…

The first wave had started. Him, along with Raphtalia in his team, they battled through the monsters with barely any trouble. All they had to do is deal with the boss, and save everyone from the monsters. Seems simple enough.

"Motoyasu-sama, I'll-*cough!*- go see if the people in the nearby village need any help!" Ever since he found her, Raphtalia had been coughing a lot. He feared that she was sick with a disease or something. But even so, the healing items that were inside the castle didn't help her with her sickness. Motoyasu feared that she could… be gone in any day now.

"Alright, then! I'll meet with you later!" She nodded her head and left for the nearby village. With the monsters minimizing, the villagers were not going to have to deal with the monsters! Because of him, he was going to get praised by many! Even Malty will praise him for his bravery!

But then, will it be alright to just leave her alone? Maybe he should help her out if she needed it. Yeah, he probably should. Motoyasu had hurried to the village where Raphtalia went with his team battling out with the monsters, wondering where he was going.

Ever since she was young, Raphtalia knew that wasn't going to make it for long. With the sickness that she had caught when she had been captured, she knew that she wasn't going to make it. But still, she hoped that with the healing items that she was given to stall out for her time living, she wanted to meet the Shield Hero. That was the person that she wanted to meet the most before she… leaves forever.

"If you want to be useful, then go leave! I should've just left you hopeless idiots!" While Raphtalia was running into the village, she overheard someone yelling. Looking for the source of the voice, she traveled up some more to find that there was a black haired man protecting a villager from a dead soldier with only a shield in hand.

'Why does he only have a shield? He's not going to be able to fight back!' As quick as the thought came to her, she rushed into to save the black haired man.

"Ha!" In a single swipe, she took out the dead soldier with ease. Looking back, she could see the surprised look that the villager had before he left in a panic. But when she looks at the man with the shield…

He only looked at her glaring eyes…

"What, so you're the only one of those simple-headed soldiers that decided that the village needed saving? Or are you another one of the Spear Hero's harem? What was his name? Motoshahi, right?" He spoke to her with venom in his voice, which caused her to flinch a bit. But when he spoke about Motoyasu with such disrespect, it only made feel upset. An what else did he say? Being part of a harem?

"I-I'm one of those soldiers, yes, but even then, I'm not part of that… thing that you said. I carry no-*cough*- romantic feelings towards him. He… saved my life so I'm forever loyal to him. Don't speak such ill words to-*cough* him!"

"...Whatever. Anyone who sides with that shit head is only stupid for what it's worth. I'm pretty sure that he's only a lazy prick that only wants women to do shit for him. I only feel bad for your situation. Now then, leave. I'll protect the rest of these villagers on my own." Raphtalia felt her eyebrow twitch when he ignored her. He started to walk away so he didn't have to deal with her.

"No, I will not be leaving! I will show you the training that he had given me, to show you that he isn't as lazy as you say! And besides, with only a shield, how will you kill these already dead soldiers?" He stopped in his tracks before looking back at her with cold eyes.

"Annoying." With those eyes staring back at her, she could only shiver in fear with the way they looked…

Cold and without emotion…

She wonders to herself: 'Why are they like that? What has he experienced in his life that made him look at anyone… with those eyes?'

"Fine, do whatever you want to save them. Just don't get in my way. These villagers should be lucky that I'm protecting their sorry asses." With the way he thinks of himself being higher than the villagers, it only made Raphtalia even more upset.

"If you think so poor of the villagers, then why must you protect them?!" He turned around before walking away from her. With nothing else to say, she turned her back towards him, ready to save another villager's life.

"Because I'm human. And it's because I'm cursed to be the Shield Hero." When he said those final words, Raphtalia turned back, only to find that he was no longer there. Was he… actually the Shield Hero that she wanted to meet? No, there was no time for that. It was time to save lives.

"*Cough* *Cough* Can it be? Was he-*cough*- actually the Shield Hero?" With that, she looked for any monster to slay.

After the constant battles, the black haired man and Raphtalia met up with one another again. This time, she could only hope that he would look at her in a new light.

"Now… what do you… think of...me?" Raphtalia was out of breath. Because of those battles, she didn't think she could raise her sword any longer.

"When you come up to me like that, I can only of you being pathetic." She gritted her teeth in anger. Why was he like this? For saving his life, for proving her worth to Motoyasu, why does he act like this?

"I'm… still… not done…! I'll… show you… that I'm… not pathetic…!" As she tried to walk away, she collapsed on the ground, out of breath, and out of energy.

"*Cough!* *Cough!* *Cough!*" Raphtalia kept coughing as she laid on the floor.

"Hey, what the hell's wrong with you? Are you sick?" Raphtalia sees him coming to her side to see how she was feeling. Putting his hand on her head, he instantly flinched back.

"The hell?! Why the hell are you burning so much!" Raphtalia looked at his shield before her consciousness fades.

"Shield...Hero…" But before she slipped into darkness, she could hear two voices arguing with one another.

"Damnit, Naofumi, what the hell did you do this time?!" It was Motoyasu's voice.

"Me?! The hell are you doing sending out a sick person to fight?! She's burning up you know!" It was also the black-haired man named Naofumi voice. Wait, wasn't the Shield Hero's name that Motoyasu told her Naofumi?

"Raphtalia, how do you like the party?" Raphtalia looked to see Motoyasu after leaving Malty's side. As soon as Malty came, she was seen to be glaring daggers at Raphtalia. Several days had passed after that day with the black haired man. Today, because of her bravery of helping the villagers, she was invited to the party.

"I'm fine, Motoyasu-sama. I'm-*cough!* hanging in there…" His face was of sorrow as he heard her cough again. Raphtalia's voice was very weak. If this continued, then she might not make it before the night was over.

"Are you sure? You can always go back to your room and rest." Yes, everything that the black-haired man said about Motoyasu was wrong. He was very kind to her, even if she had to deal with the soldier's and Malty's stares.

"Thank you, I think I'll do just that." She smiled before walking away from him.

"Stay safe, Raphtalia!" He shouted out, causing everyone to look at them In embarrassment, she quickly waved and left that area.

'Hm, maybe I should grab something to eat before leaving.' She thought to herself before she left the room. After grabbing a plate to put some food on it, she started to walk towards the door.

Only for her to notice someone in the corner of her eye…

"It's… you…" After walking to the black-haired man, she stood in front of him. He stood away from everyone else, not wanting to cause attention to himself. Raphtalia would only wonder why.

"...You again? Looks like you're not sick anymore." He stood with his arms crossed as if he was disappointed at something.

"That's… not the case. I'm…*cough!* still a bit under the dumps." After she said that, she reached for something in his pocket.

"Figured. You're lucky that I made this at the right time." In his hand, was a healing potion. As it was like any other healing potion, this one was more green than the rest.

"What's… this?" Raphtalia stared at the potion with a confused look.

"It's medicine. I made this to cure illness, so it's best if you take it." Raphtalia hesitated before taking the potion from out of his hand. Setting the food down on a nearby table, she continued to stare at it.

"Go ahead, drink it. I'm sure it'll cure anything that you're suffering right now." Opening the lid, she stared at the potion with uncertainty. Should she trust this man? The man who had not insulted her, but Motoyasu?

But for some reason, she started to drink the potion…

"Ew!" Noticing the disgusting flavor, she opened her mouth, only for the medicine to start leaking from her mouth.

"Hey, you're supposed to drink it!"

"But it tastes nasty~!" Raphtalia didn't notice it, but she was started to talk with a more clearer voice now.

"Stop acting like a child and drink it! Everything healthy tastes nasty!" With everything that she could muster up, she downed the entire potion.

"How do you feel?" Raphtalia took a second before answering.

"I feel… better." She was amazed to know that the potion was able to cure her illness. If she had this before, then she wouldn't have much trouble training to meet the Shield Hero one day.

Wait… Shield Hero…

"Are you… the Shield Her-"

"Naofumi!" Before she could ask him anything, she heard Motoyasu's voice above the other people in the room.

"Huh? What the hell do you want now?" Naofumi looked at Motoyasu with a heated glare.

"Is it true that you forced Raphtalia to protect you and the other villagers?!" Naofumi looked at him as if he has a second head.

"What?! Where the hell did you hear this from?!"

"It doesn't matter! Now tell me, is it true?!" Naofumi took a second before answering.

"No, I didn't. I was protecting a villager on my own until this girl popped up and saved me. After that, she wanted to fight as well, so I allowed her to. She chose to fight on her own, I didn't force her."

"No, they're lies! I saw him force himself on her and forced her to fight for him!" Raphtalia looked to see the man from the village that she saved a few days back. Wait, what was he talking about?

'Force… himself on me? What is he talking about?' Before Raphtalia could ask the villager anything, Motoyasu spoke.

"See! So you're lying, Naofumi! Just like you did with Malty! Always forcing yourself on women and-"

"Shut the hell up!" Naofumi's voice had been louder anyone that was in the party.

"I don't want to hear from you that I force myself on women. I don't trust a single damn one of them after what that piece of shit of did to me! I told you that I didn't force her to do anything, so back the hell off!" Naofumi looked as if he was going to attack him. No, Raphtalia was going to have to do something about this.

"Motoyasu-sama, he didn't do anything that man said!" Standing in front of Naofumi, she raised her arms, wanting them to stop arguing.

"Raphtalia… are you-"

"Don't believe her! The Shield Hero is controlling her mind! I saw him give her a potion!" Malty yelled out for Motoyasu to hear. With that, he clenched his spear.

"Is… is this true, Raphtalia! Are you being controlled by Naofumi?!" He was about to raise his spear against the person that he raised.

"Wh-what?! No, I'm not being controlled! He gave medicine so I could be cured of my illness!" Her was shaky; she was scared that the person that raised her was about to attack her with his spear.

"What the hell are you saying now! How the hell can I even control her?! I might be the Shield Hero, but nothing in the skill tree allows any of us to do that!" Raphtalia looked at him with surprised eyes.

'He's… the Shield Hero?' She thought to herself.

"Don't believe them, Motoyasu! She's controlled and you know it! Why else would she be trying to protect the Shield Hero?!" Malty looked at Raphtalia with a smirk. She was… playing her!

"Raphtalia…" Motoyasu looked at Raphtalia with uncertain eyes. Was he… actually thinking that she was being controlled?!

"Motoyasu-sama, please, believe me! I'm not controlled! I'm-" Before she could say anything else, Raphtalia was greeted with a spear to her neck.

"I'm sorry, Raphtalia. I'll… release you from this pain. I won't allow anyone like Naofumi to harm you."

"Motoyasu...sama?" She looks at him with teary eyes for not believing in her.

"Damnit, come on!" Before Raphtalia could say or think of anything else, she felt her body being pulled away from the people in the party room.

All Raphtalia wanted to do now was just sleep and hope that this was just a dream...

(A/N)

As terrible as it looks, I wanted to get this idea out of my head for a while now. If anyone wants more of this, then I'll be happy to think of more chapters for this story.