Author's Notes.
This short note is just to remember that you guys are free to ask questions and make suggestions any time you want. I like to write, and if something in my writing isn't good, I try to improve it. Give it a good read and leave your thoughts. I won't beg for reviews, but if you could? Ok, ok, I will stop bothering you, read the chapter. Ryujin Maou out!
Light surrounded both Naofumi and Raphtalia, blinding their vision for a few seconds. When the hero opened his eyes, the scenery to greet him was not that of Castle Town, but of a forest. Naofumi immediately changed his shield to the [Cartographer's Shield] and examined his map.
Raphtalia looked over the surroundings, ears perked up to catch any noise. Her eyes settled upon the mine at their left, the place familiar to her. They had lived in the town close by for a while after all.
"Naofumi-sama, the mine. We are close to Ryute Village." The girl pointed to the mine's entrance and them to the town. Naofumi himself merely nodded, confirming their position in his map.
"Teleportation, huh? Now, where is the wave?" The hero had started hearing some odd noise sound rather loudly in his ears. Raphtalia seemed fine, so he wondered if he was the only one hearing it. It was like glass being shattered. He managed to find the source of the noise. The raccoon girl followed his gaze, eyes widening at the phenomenon happening.
The sky was literally being torn apart by some force, an ominous aura emanating from the fracture. From the crack in reality, dropping like hell spawn, came demonic beasts of destruction; Zombies armed with rusty armor and swords, Interdimensional wasps and many plague related insects poured in and started rampaging about.
Naofumi took in the horror show with baited breath. The Shield Hero perceived movement from behind him and looked over, finding his fellow heroes and their teams rushing to meet the incoming monsters.
"Hey jackasses, there is a village nearby! We need to help with the evacuations before the monsters get to them." Naofumi shouted to the others. They continued their running frenzy, not paying attention to the Shield. Among the rushing bodies, someone shot a flare up high in the sky. Naofumi cursed out loud.
"That's it?" The hero cursed under his breath.
"Naofumi-sama, there is no way the villagers are done with evacuations. If the demons attack them—" The raccoon girl didn't need to finish her sentence. Naofumi huffed once more, cracking his fingers under his gloves.
"I know! Let's hurry!" He turned towards the village and started running, Raphtalia right behind him.
The duo reached Ryute Village just in time. Many demons were already present and causing destruction wherever they were. Many adventurers and local knights were fighting against the Wave's spawn, some villagers also were included into the mix.
Aren't these things quite fast when it comes to causing chaos? Guess there's no time to be daydreaming about. Shield Hero, huh? Bunch o' bullshit!
Naofumi rushed in, seeing one man being cornered by a zombie. The undead broke the man's pitchfork and was ready to kill, but before he could do it, a green magical shield manifested between both the man and the zombie.
"Air Strike Shield!" Naofumi was on one knee, allowing Raphtalia to use his shoulders as a jump pad. The girl flew the short distance and cleaved the zombie's head off with one slice of her sword. She went to help the villager on his feet, meanwhile Naofumi eyed the surroundings, considering his options on who to help first. He saw a mother running with her two kids, being pursued by a group of undead and insects. "Raphtalia, help get the civilians out of the way!"
"What about you?" The girl asked.
"I can tank alright. I need to cause a distraction and bait out the enemies; if they are focused in one place, it's easier to take care of them. Prioritize getting the villagers out of the way!" His orders issued, Naofumi ran to reach the woman and her kids.
The family was just cornered against of the buildings by the demons when he got close enough to act. Swords were swung, yet they met tough metal instead of soft flesh, a cage of shields linked by chains protecting the villagers. "Prison Shield!" The Japanese rushed and met the creatures head on. Parrying the sword swings was rather easy, his physical strength more than a match against the undead creatures. The wasps were more of an annoyance than anything. Their stings broke as they hit him, and he wasted no time in punishing them.
"Blunt Spike!" Another magical construct, this time it was a stake. The hero had his magical spike bash the insects down to earth, the creatures being splatted as they were crushed under the magical construct. Naofumi made the spike disappear and faced the zombies. He ducked under their wild swings and bashed his [Iron Stake Shield] into the creatures' faces, activating his counterattack and piercing the skulls of the undead.
The demons defeated; the hero knocked on his cage of shields. "You alright in there? The shields will be gone in just a second. When it happens, get the hell out of here!" Naofumi shouted to the villagers and heard a muffled "Shield hero, is that you?".
I won't let anyone die here! Won't be able to relax if you people die under my watch!
Naofumi ran and went to met another zombie head on. The undead struck at the hero, sword bouncing off the shield. The Shield did another bash, pushing the demon away. He was about to pursue the creature, but a shadow loomed over him, grunting.
The hero immediately rolled on the ground, dodging an enormous axe by a few centimeters. He looked upwards to see his aggressor, a bigger zombie wearing better armor than the smaller minions. Too close for comfort. Thank goodness the big ones are rather slow! The hero ran and slid under the big creature, quickly getting up and continuing his way to what he perceived to be an emptier area.
Running through the alleys with an ever-increasing number of undead, Naofumi wondered how long it would take Raphtalia to come. He was about to turn the corner, but his route was blocked by more monsters. Already out of places to run? He glanced to the rooftops, mostly empty of creatures. Heh, just my luck!
"Air Strike Shield!" The green magical construct made for the perfect platform for Naofumi to jump upon and escape his incoming doom. Some of the Wasp demons followed him, but were quickly taken care off.
He took a look at the village, seeing the great brawl that was the middle of the village. Adventurers and knights were barely hanging on, facing the hordes of monsters with all their strength. Naofumi took in the scene and tried to get a plan running. His planning time was cut short by one of the bigger zombies bringing his axe over him. Naofumi just barely managed to parry it, making the glancing blow push him off the roof. Fuuuckkk, that was heavy! The hero rolled in the ground, quickly getting up.
The General zombie lifted his axe once more and lowered it upon Naofumi with brutal strength. The hero took the blow head-on, grunting at the effort. "Blunt Spike!" The magical construct hit the zombie in the gut, crushing the crumbling armor and making the creature keel over. Naofumi was about to try a counterattack, but the monster lost its head.
"Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia had been the one to decapitate the monster. She rushed to his side, sword poised to defend her lord. "I helped everyone I could find, but the demons just keep coming. At this rate, even if we save the villagers, they won't have a place to live!" Her sword danced with speed, cutting down a group of attacking wasps.
"I understand!" Naofumi responded. He gave a once over the fighting zone. I wanted to save some SP, but I guess that's out of the question. The hero changed his shield once more, the defensive weapon taking a rather strange form. It looked like a stone lantern, one with no source of light. "Everyone, CLOSE YOUR EYES!" Naofumi shouted to those close to him, confusing many of the present fighters. "Focus Light!"
The sky was a mix of ominous red and purples, but soon after the Shield said his words, the center of the village lit up like a second sun was born there, lighting up the place to a blinding point. The light lasted for about four seconds, after which the buzzing and the groaning of the monsters increased.
"EVERYONE, FORM A CIRCLE AND KEEP CLOSE TO EACH OTHER. BACK TO BACK, ONLY ATTACK WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE TO DEFEND YOU!" Naofumi shouted to those present. Many were confused by the sudden command, but the closing monsters dimmed all their fighting spirits. Many dropped their weapons and ran off, making Naofumi groan in agony.
I guess they gave no real obligation to stay. Fucking cowards, but smart cowards! I wish I could do the same. Fighting this bullshit, how troublesome!
He and Raphtalia were back to back, the girl cutting any approaching monsters. Naofumi would tank the incoming blows and parry attacks, giving the raccoon slave many chances to lunge her sword. Ten minutes later and the duo was covered in monster blood and guts, keeping their counterattacks in check.
Raphtalia lunged once more to attack a group of General zombies when Naofumi perceived the change. The air suddenly heats up, making the hero sweat even more under his armor. He rushed out and grabbed the girl by her wrist.
Raphtalia seemed surprised by her lord's sudden actions. He grabbed her and ducked, covering her inside his mantle as his shield morphed into another form. [Light Metal Shield] ready, Naofumi pointed it towards the incoming projectiles.
The center area of the village lit up like an inferno, many fireballs descending upon the monsters and wiping them in a shower of flame. His magical defenses increased, Naofumi easily protected himself and Raphtalia, weathering the flames and waiting for the remaining monsters to die out.
Rather quickly, the flames spread on towards the wooden houses. Naofumi was thankful his guess struck true and the attack was magic based. From the direction where the attack came, a platoon on knights walked in, smug expressions at the destruction they caused.
"What can I say, the legendary durability of the Shield is really uncontested!" The captain of the platoon exclaimed. Raphtalia seethed. The girl rushed from her place towards the knight and brought down her sword, almost separating the man's head from his body if one of the other knights hadn't stepped up and blocked her blow.
"You knew Naofumi-sama and I were here and yet, you attacked anyway! What is the reason of your attack? Think properly about your answer; I won't forgive you, based on your response." The interlocking swords emitted sparks, the captain taking a few seconds to compose himself.
"The demons were gathering in this spot for some reason; we simply took the best course of actions and eliminated the enemy threat. Besides, both of you came just fine, right?" The man held a sneer. Raphtalia looked possessed, just ready to strike once more. The knights put their hands on the hilts of their swords, ready to protect their squad leader.
"Raphtalia, enough!" Naofumi exclaimed, arms crossed and a malicious smile nestled in his face.
"Your hero understands it. Our choice was not wrong." The squad leader continued speaking, Raphtalia turned to her lord in exasperation, wondering why he was taking this abuse so easily.
"Let's see them handle this! A proper test of a Knight's mettle, quite the view, don't you think?" Naofumi's dark smile was accentuated by the wave of monsters behind the knights. The squad captain turned around, surprise all over his face. A battle axe belonging to one of the General zombies fell amidst the knights, throwing a few of the armed men about.
"Men, do not panic and face the monsters!" His pathetic commands matched his face, which was about to be sliced by the enormous battle coming to meet his face. Lucky for him, Naofumi rushed out and blocked the blow.
"Raphtalia!"
"On it!" Once more, the girl used her lord's shoulders as a platform and jumped, matching the tall zombie's height. She dug her sword into the demon's forehead. As the zombie fell, crushing other demons, Naofumi shouted.
"You are knights, right? Get into a fucking defensive formation then and match my timing. I'll defend and tank the blows, you focus on attacking between the gaps I make." The squad leader was red in anger at being shouted commands. His troops were confused at what to do, the sudden attack of the monsters and the lack of orders was certainly taking its toll.
"You, a mere criminal, dares to give orders to the King's royal guards!?" The captain was red with anger. His resolve, however, was broken when Naofumi directed his eyes at him, the murderous glance of the Shield promised pain. The hero pointed his opened hands at the knight leader and shouted a skill.
"Air Strike Shield!" The magical barrier appeared just in time to protect the man from one of the smaller zombies, which met its end as another soldier took the chance to take it down. The squad leader stayed silent; shame written all over his face. "Well then, aren't you shit at your job? Don't get me wrong, tin can, I hate you just as much as you hate me, however, the enemy is coming from that crack in the sky over there."
"Piss me off and I can leave you here to die any time it damn well pleases me!" The burning building behind the hero, combined with his rage filled expression, quickly scared the knights into formation.
"Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia pointed high into the sky, the fissure in reality closing and dispersing the ominous aura that felt so oppressive a few minutes ago.
Did those clowns managed to finish the job? At least they can do one thing right.
"Stay alert and maintain high guard. Now comes the harder part! Eliminate any monsters you see!" Naofumi shouted to the knights, the platoon immediately falling in order. Even the squad leader obeyed. The Hero released a sigh and picked one potion from his waist pouch, this one having a blue-ish tint. Quickly downing the liquid, Naofumi eyed his SP bar slowly increase. He swapped his Shield to [Iron Stake Shield] and stayed in front of the knights' formation, Raphtalia by his side.
"Remember, match my timing!" The knights shouted in agreement. Good, now let's clean up!
Boss Grounds
The Three Heroes
"Fuohh, that was easy!" Motoyasu exclaimed, resting his spear on his right shoulder. Close by, Ren and Itsuki smiled at their win against the wave boss. The creature, a Chimera, laid dead on the group, various wounds inflicted against the demon.
"That's expected, after all!" Ren held a small smile, eyeing the creature and deciding which part he would take.
"If the waves continue like this, the next one will be a snap!" Itsuki had a more open smile.
The heroes' parties were around them, talking among themselves. The battlefield around them was somewhat damaged, but nothing too out of place for such a battle. The groups heard the sound of many feet coming close, the knights coming from the close by village.
"Now that I think about it, I haven't seen Naofumi anywhere." The Spear Hero commented, glancing over the field. His red headed companion, together with his entire party, approached the three heroes and began talking.
"Motoyasu-sama, of course the Shield would not be present! He lacks the means to fight; his presence here would only get in our way, after all!" Malty finished her piece by brushing her clean hair aside. The other girls softly laughed to themselves, making the Spear bearer smile like a fool.
"Yeah, you're totally right!" As he faced his party, the knights finally arrived.
"Noble heroes, how well have you fought!" The Knights' leader complimented the trio, coming closer to them in his pompous manner. "The castle is preparing a banquet in your honor as we speak. Let us make haste and meet the King; he is eager to reward your valiant efforts!" Compliments after compliments showered the heroes and their parties.
"It is time to celebrate your victory over the wave!"
Meanwhile, back in Ryute Village.
"Lift!" Naofumi shouted to the adventurers close to him. The four-man group grunted, managing to lift the wooden pylon of the building, allowing access to a crumbled house. "Go on, quick!" The hero shouted, arms straining under the weight. The adventurers rushed inside the building, grabbed the family inside and exited it just in time for Naofumi to let go, the impact of the pylon raising a small dust cloud.
The group thanked him for the help. The hero merely nodded and glanced over the village. Many lines of smoke went up the sky, a great number of houses had burnt and crumbled. He saw Raphtalia coming over, sheathing her sword in her scabbard.
"Naofumi-sama, the demons have more or less been eliminated." Her report was short. Naofumi grunted in acknowledgement, once more looking over the smoldering remains of the village.
The damage was severe, even with me here aggro'ing the monsters. How long will it take for everyone here to get everything in order? If the wave kept on going, what would happen? Will the kingdom help these people get their lives together or… Best not to think about it, my job was to protect them. If they are alive, they can rebuild; death can't be fixed!
The hero was pulled out of his thoughts by a tugging on his cape. He turned to look, finding Raphtalia grasping at the end of the dirty cloak. Her face was down, her body covered in dirt as per their fighting. Naofumi himself was disgusting, caked in blood and grime, none which belonged to him.
"My lord, I did my best, right? I worked hard, so that no other kid has to face what I had to go through." The raccoon girl was holding back a great deal of sobs, her shoulders hanging low just as her head. Naofumi spared her a sideway glance. He released a sigh and approached her, patting her head comfortingly.
"Yeah, you did well." His soft patting, combined with his kind words were enough for her. She let out silent tears.
Night time.
Castle Town.
"Oh, Heroes! Your valiant efforts have been a blessing to our kingdom! The damage we received due to the Waves is almost null, all thanks to your bravery! Enjoy the night, this feast is your name!" Aultocray jovially announced to all the guests, lifting his wine goblet high up. All the nobles followed their sovereign, praising the heroes for their efforts.
Motoyasu and his party were by far the loudest group, the Spear hero downing his cup with vigor, letting some wine fall off on him. The women around him smiled and praised him; they also served as a deterrent for the many young noble women that wanted to approach the hero.
Itsuki's group was alright, enjoying the food from the banquet and laughing among themselves. Many nobles approached them, the rather pretty-boy looking hero easily engaging in conversation with the aristocracy.
Ren and his followers were the quietest of the bunch, calmly drinking and enjoying their time here.
Naofumi on the other hand…
The Shield Hero was in a corner, sitting by the window. He had his arms crossed, eyes going over the help menu. Questions about the wave popped frequently in his mind, possibilities being brought up and discarded based on how expensive they would be for all parties involved.
He had heard the King's speech alright, and it all sounded like one thing to him. Bullshit!
Feast? Are you retarded, you Trash-King? Ryute Village had it the worst, some people almost dying because of the incompetence of your knights. Their houses were burnt to the ground and many lost businesses. Just being here with you this garbage pisses me off! If it weren't for the reward, I would rather be out there getting stronger for the next wave!
The Shield's eyes found his companion close to the dinning table, food crumbs over her mouth. She was once more presentable, the duo having time to wash up and at the very least clean their clothes and armor. She looked at him, her hands busy with a plate. "What is it, Raphtalia?"
"Naofumi-sama, there is so much tasty food in here, I don't even know what to choose!"
"Why don't try everything out then? You worked hard enough to earn it, and it will save on expenses too." The girl ignored the part about the money and let a light blush tinge her cheeks.
"Do you like women on the bigger side, Naofumi-sama?" Her question made him frown, the hero wondering what in seven hells was this girl talking about.
"I don't care, either way is fine. Just eat the damn food already. If you get some weight, you'll burn it off by fighting." He crossed his arms and leaned on the stone of the wall. Raphtalia pouted, displeased that her lord had called her fat. She was about to rebuke when he spoke again. "You're a kid, eating is important for you to grow up. And as I said, it'll save us some money while we're in the city."
The girl released a sigh. "I almost forgot you were like this…" She left and returned to the banquet table, quickly filling in her plate with a varied assortment of food. She quickly came back, a renewed bounce in her step. She almost shoved the plate in his face, presenting the many dishes to him.
"You eat up too, Naofumi-sama! Everything in here is delicious, I can assure you!" Raphtalia took another bite of the food, swooning at the wonderful taste filling her mouth. Naofumi gave up and grabbed the offered fork, taking a bite off the offered food. "Doesn't it taste amazing?"
"It tastes like nothing." His response was dry, eyeing the dish in front of him with disgust. Raphtalia was surprised, soon a bitter smile settled over her lips.
"There you are!" A shouting voice echoed their way, various guests parting to give way for the Spear Hero. The blonde made his way towards the duo, Naofumi already sighing and feeling a migraine. "Don't you dare move Naofumi!"
"What is it, Motoyasu?" The Shield asked in a tired tone. All he wanted was to get his reward and go already.
"I heard all about how Raphtalia-chan is actually your slave!" The Spear bearer grabbed Raphtalia's left shoulder and pulled her towards him, almost making the girl drop her food plate. The shouting blonde's words made the surrounding nobles start murmuring and whispering. Raphtalia was confused as to where the problem laid as.
The Shield Hero took a deep breath. "Yeah, she is. What of it?" Immediately, many people made surprised noises, wondering why would a hero have a slave. Motoyasu was taken aback by Naofumi's disregard on the matter.
"Why, you! Don't you know any decency? Heroes shouldn't own slaves; people's lives aren't objects to be owned like that! Don't forget we come from another world and as such should set the example! This kind of behavior won't do!" Passionate words coming from a womanizer, but hey, judge the shield why don't you! The blonde hero was shouting to make everyone inside the room listen to him.
"This kind of behavior won't do? For who? That's your logic, isn't it? Why do I have to listen to you?" Naofumi simply said, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes. Leave it to Motoyasu to make the show about himself. I want to go home already!
The Spear hero grit his teeth and removed his glove, throwing it in front of the Shield Bearer. More surprised noises followed by, the murmurs increasing. Naofumi lazily eyed the white glove on the ground, his eyes moving between looking over the glove and the blonde fool. Naofumi moved his right foot and in a move that made many gasp, he stepped over the white glove, dirtying it brown.
"What is that supposed to do?" Naofumi asked, his voice leaking his annoyance. Motoyasu pointed his spear at the Shield.
"Let's have a duel! If I win, you'll let Raphtalia-chan be free!" Naofumi looked at Kitamura, wondering if maybe the blonde was retarded or mentally impaired.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Please, wait a moment sir, but—" Before Raphtalia could defuse the situation, a guard came behind her and gagged her. The guard tried to bring the raccoon girl with him, but before he could do anything else, Naofumi's fist found the soldier's nose. The man was thrown back violently, his body rag-dolling and hitting one of the dinner tables, breaking the wood and throwing food everywhere. Many noble women let out surprised yelps. Kitamura himself was surprised, seeing the supposed powerless Shield punch a man unconscious like that.
"Try that shit again, see if I won't kill you!" Naofumi's voice was just short of a roar.
"Of course, the criminal Shield would be the one to own a slave. What to expect of such a devious hero?" Aultocray made his way closer to the heroes, more soldiers following in behind the king. "Compared to Lord Motoyasu, your rogue nature stands out even more. Worry not, for your trial is here. I'll permit this duel!"
"Slow the fuck down! For starters, how about you don't decide shit for me? I gain nothing from this farce, and I never planned on accepting this shit in first place. Just give me my damn reward and I'll fuck off." Naofumi shouted. He almost pleaded that he wouldn't be able to fight without Raphtalia, but he chose not to.
Soldiers surrounded Raphtalia, but they kept their distance. Now that she was alert, any chance of grabbing her would surely end up poorly, if the many blades the girl had were anything to go by. Aultocray looked over her, eyeing the girl like someone sees garbage. "Worry not, young lady. When Lord Motoyasu wins, we shall remove that devious curse cast upon you."
"If you please would let me explain! There has been some sort of misunderstanding! It is true that I am Naofumi-sama's slave, however, he doesn't treat me poorly. In fact—" The raccoon girl was interrupted, Motoyasu's redheaded companion loudly cutting over her.
"Poor girl, forced to say such words in defense of the devious Shield Hero. Worry not, Motoyasu-sama's victory is assured." Naofumi heard the bitch saying these words and his blood started to simmer. Anger was clearly perceived in the Shield's eyes.
"The duel will happen in the Castle's Garden!" The king declared, leaving no space for questioning. Raphtalia was about to protest about the absurdity of these happening, but her master's voice rose first.
"LISTEN TO ME, YOU FUCKERS!"
"Naofumi! You can't be planning on backing out of this fight!" Motoyasu went and grabbed the Shield Hero on the shoulder. Naofumi's head snapped in Motoyasu's direction, eyes igniting with fury and rage. The Spear hero couldn't help but back off, intimidated by such killing intent.
I ain't falling for your stupid tricks! This Trash-King, this redheaded bitch and this retarded hero! Take your honor shit and shove it up your ass. I have no obligation to fight you!
"Raphtalia! We are going!" Naofumi declared. Aultocray raised his hands and the soldiers pointed their spears and swords against both Naofumi and Raphtalia. The Shield Hero felt rage built up inside his gut. Go ahead assholes, try my defense. See if I won't shove this shield up yours!
"Shield Hero, this is an official duel, recognized by none other than me, the King! You shall fight, or your companion shall suffer the consequences!" Those words made the hero stop. Ever so slowly, Naofumi turned to face the king. No, the hero turned to face trash, for that is all he saw. Filling this entire place, disgusting filth.
You want a duel? You want to shine a light under Motoyasu's ass so much that you'll resort to trying to rob Raphtalia from me. Was last time not enough, you want a second time?
Doeth Thou Se3k Pow3r?
Fine! I'll do you a favor and bring you down to the mud with me! Do you want praises and songs on how you defeated a man that can't fight? How heroic of you!
"You want a duel that badly? Fine, I'll give you what you want! If I win, you'll stop pestering me about Raphtalia, right?" Laughter echoed in the room, the previous whispers were now loud ramblings and jokes.
"The Shield Hero against the Spear Hero? How Hilarious!"
"How is the Shielder going to win? Hahaha!"
"What is he ranting on? Has the Shield lost his mind?"
Laugh, you scum. It'll be all the better when I smash this fucker's face in!
Thou art willing to pay the price?
"Naofumi-sama! You can't possibly be planning on fighting alone! I'm your sword, you can't fig—" Naofumi rose one hand to made the girl stop talking. He came closer and whispered in her ear.
"Be on your guard. This trash is planning something, I'm sure. I don't know if I can win against Motoyasu or not, but I'm not going to let them walk all over me like this! If things look bad over there, escape to the Old Man's shop immediately! Don't let them catch you, Raphtalia. Do you understand?" It was clear on his tone; her master was determined to see this through the end.
Raphtalia nodded, hands quietly brushing against her equipment to check if everything was in place.
"I'll just say one thing. No one was willing to fight with me, so my only option was to get a slave. Slavery here in Melromark is completely legal, but if you will keep this farce, saying I'm the one in the wrong…I'll play your stupid game!" Naofumi rose his head and his eyes settled over the Spear Hero. "There must be plenty of other people enjoying and abusing slaves here, yet the country does nothing to crack down the slavery. Only when I'm involved, suddenly things are bad right?"
"I'll expose your hypocrisy here and now, let's see how you like your name slandered!" With those words, all those that were inside the banquet moved to the garden.
Naofumi was looking over his skill tree. He was inside a narrow corridor leading to what was the garden where they were going to fight. For a quick second he eyed the many weapons displayed in the walls; however, he knew better. His shield would never let him battle with anything else that wasn't itself.
The many guards placed inside looked at him with disgust, which he retributed with a look of his own.
The door opened and he walked out. Opposite of him, Motoyasu came over the sound of loud cheers. He displayed a few fancy spins with his weapon and pointed the spearhead to the Shield Hero. Naofumi ignored it, eyeing the stands and seeing Raphtalia. She was free, yet, surrounded by soldiers.
"This is a sacred duel between the Spear Hero and the Shield hero! Loss will occur should any of the competitors be backed into a corner or admit defeat!" Trash-king spoke, rousing the nobles. Naofumi managed to see Ren and Itsuki, both watching this poor joke with neutral expressions.
Bet you wankers are exploding with joy, aren't you? I'll put out a show you'll never forget!
"Between the Shield and the Spear, who would win? That's not much of a question, is it now?" Motoyasu declared with unshakable confidence. Naofumi merely stared darkly at the blonde. "You're wrong, Naofumi. I'll release Raphtalia-chan from your evil clutches!"
What, you think you're some white knight? A savior of the oppressed?
"You may begin!" Aultocray's lowered hand declared the start of the duel. Motoyasu rushed to meet him, his spear changing shape. The blonde hero trust at Naofumi, his spear stopped as it met the changed shield. [Light Metal Shield] in place, Naofumi only had spread his stance to better absorb what he hoped would be an overwhelming impact. It was not.
"That's to be expected of the Shield Hero's defense, huh?" Motoyasu cockily proclaimed. Naofumi let a sinister smirk settle over his lips, making the blonde frown. "What is it?"
"Ever heard the tale of the battle between the invincible spear and the unbreakable shield? One is meant for attacking, the other is for defending. Their purposes couldn't be more different from the very beginning, they are almost a contradiction of each other." Naofumi spoke his words slowly, letting the Spear digest them.
"What do you mean?" The Spear asked, making the Shield Bearer laugh sarcastically.
"Too much of an imbecile to get the meaning? Fine, I'll spell it out for you. In this battle between the strongest Shield and the strongest Spear, you lost the moment you couldn't pierce my defenses." The smirk Naofumi had made Motoyasu shout.
"No one here will accept such an outcome!" The Spear broke their stalemate with a jerky movement. He spun and prepared to release his skill. "Turbulent Trust!" Various projectiles left the spear, aiming for the Shield Hero. None found their target, Naofumi had long ducked out of the way and rushed to meet Motoyasu.
"I told you, remember? I'll drag you down to hell with my two hands if need be!" Inside the Spear Hero's guard, Naofumi let loose a punch. His blow struck Motoyasu in the torso, lifting the Spear Hero a few centimeters from the ground. Attacking the following second, Naofumi quickly changed his weapon into the [Iron Stake Shield] and bashed the shield over the Spear's torso, quickly activating counterattack.
"GUuuuahhhh!" Motoyasu let out a pathetic noise as he was thrown back by the attack. The iron stakes emerging from Naofumi's shield weren't enough to pierce Motoyasu's armor, but the mere impact did hurt a bunch. It didn't necessarily make the Spear lose HP, but making the bastard feel pain was just as satisfying.
"Blunt Spike!" The magic construct emerged over Motoyasu. Naofumi merely descended his hand, his magic stake following the hand movement, falling right into Motoyasu. The Spear yielding hero took three blows to his back before he rolled away, making the green magical spike dig a hole in the ground.
The whole garden was in silence, the only noise being the huffing of the Spear hero as he held one hand over his abdomen, using the other to hold his spear to help him stand.
"Had enough yet, Motoyasu? I can keep going all day!" Naofumi even did a few mock punches, the provocation making the Spear hero grit his teeth.
"I'm not losing HP, but this hurts a bunch, why?" The blonde hero asked out loud. The Shield laughed with amusement. "Why are you laughing?"
"Are you truly retarded, Motoyasu? Did you think I sat all day with my thumbs up my ass and did nothing out there? This is no game, you idiot! Physics are still a thing here, dumbass! If I hit you with something this big, there is no way it wouldn't hurt, even if it did little damage."
"I'm not going to accept something like this, I'll win! For my friends who believe in me!" The blonde managed to give the Ryajuu smile to the stands, where his redheaded companion was watching the affair play out. "Here I come!" Motoyasu rushed once more and trust his spear full force against Naofumi's shield, making a dust cloud rise.
The dust settled rather quickly, allowing everyone to see Motoyasu's spear still hadn't pierced Naofumi's shield.
The weapon was nestled between two black dog heads, Naofumi smugly smiling behind his defensive weapon. The eyes of the hounds lit up. Their heads moved and bit the armored arm holding the spear. Motoyasu yelled out in pain.
"How was that? Dog Bite is quite nasty, isn't it?" Naofumi jabbed another provocation. "Air Strike Shield!" The green shield emerged between the two heroes and was pushed by Naofumi towards Motoyasu. The shield struck the hero in his torso once more, The Spear Hero coughing and letting spit come out of his mouth. "Shield Prison!" The cage of shields surrounded the downed Spear Hero.
"I got this new shield in the wave earlier; what do you say we test it out?" Naofumi changed the appearance of his shield, the weapon gaining a black and yellow pattern, with something akin to a spike at its bottom part. "Change Shield (attack - Wasp Needle)" From the interior of Shield prison, many spikes emerged and stabbed at Motoyasu. Of course, it wasn't full power. Naofumi really wanted to try using all his power against this idiot, but he held back the attack's potential.
"Stop, this actually hurts, ahhh!" The shouts and complaints persisted for about 20 seconds, until the cage of shields disappeared. Out of it came the Spear Hero. His armor had many indentations, a few parts of it were actually broken. He still looked healthy, if you bypassed the shame.
"Feel like giving up already? I was planning on bringing Balloons with me, but my time was rather short. You are lucky, I would have them focus on your pretty-boy face and that thing which makes you a man!" Motoyasu was beginning to dread the words coming out of Naofumi's mouth.
The peanut gallery was full of whispers and murmuring. Many expected the Shield Hero to be defeated rather instantly; their expectations were rather wildly subverted, seeing Naofumi practically dictate the fight to his whims, the Spear Hero having to play catch up. Maybe their hero was merely going easy on the Shield. There was no other explanation as to the event happening in front of their eyes.
Aultocray had a sour expression, his eyes refusing to believe what he was seeing. "How can the Shield stand up against the Lance? This doesn't add up…"
The Spear Hero's party was stunned. None of the women could understand the event.
Raphtalia had shining eyes. Although Naofumi was behaving rather villainous, something to worry about later, his vicious attacks were allowing him to win. Her lord was fighting so bravely for her. It was…amazing wasn't the right word, it felt lacking, but she would use that.
Naofumi, on his part…
Holy fucking shit, I'm actually doing alright! I can win this, just need to keep up the pressure!
"Well, since I don't have the balloons, I guess I have to do it on my own. What a shame! Blunt Spike!" The Shield Hero grabbed the magical construct out of the air and made his intentions rather clear. "Let me try using a spear once!"
"STOOOOPPPP IIITTTT!" Motoyasu shouted, trying to defend himself.
Naofumi was close to attacking, however, he felt something shift over his back. The hero undid his magical construct and spun around rapidly, changing his shield to [Light Metal Shield]. Something slammed into his shield with enough force to make his flinch. He looked over his protective weapon, eyes searching for the perpetrator. He found none other than that redhaired cunt, her hand extended as if she had thrown something.
He almost shouted right there, but had to focus back in the fight. That bitch! He turned around, just in time for Motoyasu to trust his spear at him once more.
"Chaos Spear!" A skill, if the many attacks slamming into him were something of notice.
"Oi, Motoyasu! Don't tell me you didn't see that! Someone interfered in our duel!" Naofumi tried to reason with the Lance, but the blonde was not stopping.
"You ran out of magic and now you want to back out of the fight? As if I would let that happen!" Motoyasu became relentless, unleashing skill after skill against Naofumi. The Shield Bearer held his ground, thankful that his armor had some magic protection too. Another wind blast slammed into his back unexpectedly, the blow almost allowing Motoyasu an opening.
"You've to have seen that shit now!"
"All I saw is that you're tiring! Give up now and same some face, Naofumi!"
Save some face? Are you sure you are telling that to the right person?
"Press on Motoyasu-sama! You surely can win against this criminal hero!" Redhead shouted encouragement over the balcony. Naofumi's blood boiled, the spearhead shaving some hair off due to his distraction.
You'll keep cheating like that, with nobody stopping this bullshit?
Naofumi tanked another harsh blow.
Unl3ash thy Pow3r!
Another swing of the spear came, this time the Shield Hero parried the blow, using his physical strength to push the Spear Hero's weapon away.
"Blunt Spike!" Motoyasu was expecting some frontal attack. He was oh so wrong. The magical Stake slammed into him from his back, pushing the Spear Hero closer to Naofumi. The Shield Hero took the chance as it came, clotheslining Motoyasu and sending him to the ground with his back up.
Naofumi mounted the back of the Spear Hero and changed once more into [Two headed black Dog Shield]. His weight was enough to keep the blonde immobilized, but Naofumi made the dog heads bite down on the shoulders of the lancer. Motoyasu released another pained grunt, the sound music to Naofumi's ears.
"Now, there is no way you aren't seeing this shit!" Naofumi took ahold of Motoyasu's ponytail and pulled the head of the hero backwards, making all the spectators see their loved hero defeated. "I win, there is no way you can't say I didn't!"
"Honorless scum, what are you doing to the spear hero!" Someone from the gallery shouted. Not that Naofumi cared, his eyes were focused on the King. The old man had his face turned aside, a furious frown adorning his old face. You want to play tough to get? Well, let's try this for a change.
Naofumi let go of the blonde's ponytail, Motoyasu still refusing to admit defeat. The Shield Hero grabbed a bottle from his leather pouch, uncapped it with his mouth, and spit the cork off.
"Motoyasu, did you know? I explored the entirety of Castle Town's surroundings. I unlocked some fine shields due to that. One of these fine shields allows me to make better medicine. Want to play a game with me, while our wonderful King decides if he is going to be fair or not? I call it, how much defective medicine can I feed a hero to make him pass out?" The silence of the garden was back. Many turned their attention to Aultocray, the king still refusing to look at the arena.
Naofumi saw the bitch trembling with anger, seeing as if she attacking him now, there would be no way for her to hide the attack. Things had come to a stalemate. Or so they believed. There was no way the Shield would feed the Lance poison.
"Down the hatch it is!" Naofumi was about to feed Motoyasu the potion when once more, another wind blast hit him. The bottle flew from his hand, and the Shield Hero smirked viciously. "There is all the proof you fucking need! This bitch here has been interfering with the duel for a while! I already won!"
The Shield Hero rose from him seat under Motoyasu and turned his shield into default stage. Murmurs broke out, nobles not believing their eyes. The Shield had apparently won the duel.
Naofumi was making his way out of the garden when the knights blocked his way. He frowned. He only turned his back to see Motoyasu standing up with redhead's help.
"The Shield hero has cheated! There is no way for someone like him to win a duel! Father, please, bestow justice upon that criminal!" Father? What the fuck is she on…
"It is as you say, Malty, my dear daughter." Oh, so this was the reason all this bullshit kept happening to him.
She was the king's daughter.
The cunt had her preferred hero chosen, and to elevate him further, an evil needed to be there. A hero is only as great as the villain he defeats. So Naofumi was chosen to play the role of the villain. He was supposed to be the bad guy who laid defeated today. His mere existence was an inconvenience for them.
Nobody would believe he had won. Nobody would trust him. Everything had been rigged from the start. Yet he rebelled. He had not danced their little idiotic game. His every breath defied their orders. His life here had been so difficult because of these bastards.
The whore princess that, to suck up to her chosen hero, was willing to accuse him of a crime he hadn't done.
The Trash-King that protected and pulled the strings to make his daughter's every wish come true.
The retarded heroes that believed strangers from another land than a fellow hero. None of these fuckers wanted him to succeed. His downfall was their ascension.
[Curse Series Unlocked]
[Shield of Anger (Wrath Shield I) Unlocked]
Well, he hated them too. They could burn and die; it wasn't his problem. This world wasn't his problem. His forced summoning, his horrible treatment. Naofumi never asked for this.
The world blanked out. Naofumi wasn't listening to anything anymore. His simmering anger burst forth and became a fire inside of him. They all wanted to laugh and diminish him to make themselves seem better.
They could all burn. They would all burn. It was so easy, oh so easy.
He just had to—
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"Naofumi-sama!" Something hugged him. No, someone had hugged him. Why? Who?
"My lord is someone kind, whom has suffered. Please, calm your heart. They don't know the real Naofumi, but I know my lord's heart." The soft, child-like voice of Raphtalia whispered in his ear. Naofumi looked at the person holding him, the sudden blackness of the world went away.
A beautiful maiden with raccoon features was by his side. She had full adventurer's gear just like that of Raphtalia's, but this woman was way older.
"Who are you?" He asked like an idiot. The woman smiled at him, holding his hands in a gentle way.
"My lord, it's me, Raphtalia." She claimed to be the child whom he afflicted a curse mark of slavery.
"Raphtalia. She is a child. There is…" His speech was slow, he was processing everything leading up to now. He was fighting just a second ago, right? What had happened? He remembered darkness and rage, but nothing much besides that.
"Naofumi-sama, you didn't know about this, but us, demi-humans, have a special characteristic that allows our bodies to better match our levels to make better use of our status. You need proof to believe me, right? Here." The girl popped her collar open and exposed some of her chest.
"Your mark is still present in my body. The proof that my everything belongs to you. You fought against impossible odds to keep me by your side. Naofumi-sama, I will say this how many times it is necessary. I'm your sword; my place is by your side." The slave crest was still in her. She knew of his accusations, yet she chose to believe in him. Someone acknowledged him.
The spear hero, now fully healed, almost made his way to the duo. He couldn't have lost to Naofumi. It simply was never meant to happen. There was no way; unless Naofumi had cheated! Right! Of course, there was no way after all!
"Nao—" Any words that would leave his mouth were shot down under the gaze of his fellow heroes. Ren and Itsuki jumped from their places over the balcony and walked their way closer to Motoyasu, Malty and King Aultocray.
"Leave it at that Motoyasu. You lost!" Ren coldly spoke. The Sword Hero crossed his arms in front of his chest and huffed. "I would not believe it if someone told me, but I saw it with my own eyes. You lost the duel at least three times. I believe it's best you stopped disturbing Naofumi."
"Kitamura-kun, this whole thing has been ridiculous from the very beginning. You challenged someone who had no means to attack, got beaten, and had outside help. Enough is enough." The soft-spoken Bow Hero reprimanded his fellow hero, the Spear Hero trying to say something, but failing.
Aultocray was red with shame. His daughter also seemed pissed off by what happened, her eyes drilling imaginary holes at Naofumi's back.
The Shield Hero and his companion quietly got up and left. The Shield Bearer seemed to be in a trance, quietly letting himself be guided his companion. That word, Naofumi wanted someone he could truly depend upon.
"Come on guys, I'm not in the wrong! He has to have cheated somehow!" Motoyasu shouted at Ren and Itsuki. The Sword Hero narrowed his vision at the Lance and clicked his tongue.
"What kind of fool are you, Motoyasu?" Ren said, not bothering to stay any longer in this sham of a celebration.
"Kitamura-kun, that is…" Itsuki tried to maintain a neutral face, however, he failed to maintain his good-natured mask on.
"I'm not in the wrong though…"