I do not own Rising of the Shield Hero.
"Why did you betray us?"
'The voices… they keep echoing…'
"How could you do this?!"
'No! You're my past…! Get away from me!'
"You monster, Naofumi!"
'Stop it! STOOOP!'
"SHE LOVED YOU!"
"SHUT UUUUUUUUPPPPPPP!'
.o0o.
"Ah~! Naofumi!"
"W-What is it?"
"I felt it! She's kicking again. She quite the lively one, just like her father. Heehee~."
"That's good."
"Ah, and she relaxed now. Phew, don't kick Mama too hard next time.
And she's quite the kick just like her mama."
"Oh, Naofumi~. I love you so much~..."
"And I love you~..."
.o0o.
Slowly, Naofumi's eyes opened, the chill of the early morning breeze made him shiver a little. It felt silent inside the inn room, as if there wasn't a sound at all. The sun was beginning to rise, but Naofumi wasn't really caring for the sun.
'Damn me… That dream again…' He thought to himself. The Shield thought he was over those memories a century ago, but they came back in a flash… What would make them come back? 'Civilization? Atmosphere? Prophecies?' The last one somehow rang a special chord in his heart, as faint memories of the summoning began to clear up.
"What's your name?"
"M-Me?"
"Yeah you! You look like a pretty swell guy!"
"O-Oh! I'm Naofumi Iwatani!"
"Good to meet ya, dude! I'm-!"
His mind blotted out the name, as he shook his head, ignoring the pain in his heart that was beginning to well up. Naofumi didn't need them in his way. 'Ugh… why is this so hard…?' Sitting up, he began to cycle through his HUD, but not before he got this alert message.
So the jailbreaker has awoken.
Naofumi widened his eyes at that message. He never got this before when he did it the first time, so… who could it be? The Shield? Or perhaps…? Before he could think further, another message popped up.
How does it feel? To have the world you once known about, gone?
"Tsk… You sure know how to push someone's buttons." Naofumi said to himself, not knowing who this messenger is exactly, but it might have something to do with the Divine Contract. Somehow, reading it made the messenger seem like it had a 'holier than thou' attitude. "If you see your god, tell him or her to go fuck herself."
How mature of you to say that. Just don't forget: your jailbreaking has… repercussions.
Naofumi read through the message, and a small sense of unease began to flow in his heart. What exactly are these repercussions? Did he experience them in the prison? Or not? Would it hamper him…?
Naofumi brushed it aside, but he will keep it in mind. For now, there are things he wants to check.
Naofumi Iwatani; Shield Hero Lv. 3
[The Hobo Hero]
HP: 200
MP: 150
SP: 200
STR: 9999
VIT: 9999
DEX: 9999
INT: 9999
WIS: 9999
EXP until next level: 0
The stats were pretty astronomical, easily surpassing superboss categories of dangerous and overpowered. Unlimited stamina, superhuman strength, everything, but in his heart, he felt that something was wrong. Immediately, he checked the Skills Tab and discovered it himself.
Skills:
Sheltron: Metallic plates cover 180 degrees of the user's front. Enemies who strike it grants Naofumi MP and SP.
Cover: A magical shield that transfers all ally damage over to the user. Can't work when both are far apart.
Sentinel: Reduces all damage by 70% for 20 seconds.
Awareness: The user is immune to critical hits.
Reflect: Bounces any and all magic spells from the user or target back to the caster. Cannot be up at the same time as Pulsing Thorns.
Pulsing Thorns: Bounces any and all physical damage back to the attackers, giving them Damage Down debuff. Cannot be up at the same time as Reflect.
Perseverance: Passive regeneration of health per second.
Shake It Off: Grants a shield to all allies. Shield is calculated by the VIT stat.
Taunt: Brings all enemies in the vicinity to attack the user.
Wall: Creates an invisible barrier in front of the user. Not powerful in terms of defense.
Repel: Expels a force that knocks back all enemies. The longer it charges, the more force used. Deals no damage.
Shield Bash: Knock the enemy with a shield to stun them for a good duration. Deals no damage.
Shield Swipe: Swipes the shield, knocking any weapons away from the target and giving the attacker Pacification, which makes them unable to use skills. Can only be used when you block successfully. Deals no damage.
'Deals no damage…' Naofumi gritted his teeth. Now he knows why. Despite his strength stat being 9999, despite him literally being immortal…
He has no option to attack, as a Shield Hero. No shield attacks, no shield bashing, no shield swipes… nothing. Even a simple punch is just that; a simple punch. Deals no HP damage (because it isn't listed as an attack or a skill, so it doesn't count, unless you're a monk or a brawler) and isn't calculated by his Strength Stat.
'So that's the 'repercussion' that message was talking about…!' He said to himself, but then began to cycle through his other class, swapping to his assassin class.
Naofumi Iwatani; Assassin Lv. 2
[The Hobo Hero]
'Okay, I have to change that title somehow…' He said to himself, before continuing.
HP: 100
MP: 50
SP: 100
STR: 15
VIT: 12
DEX: 20
INT: 18
WIS: 10
EXP until next level: 350
'It's different here… The stats aren't maxed out for assassin… but by the looks of it, I can at least attack.' Naofumi thought, looking through the skills once again. It doesn't look like he can mix things up for the moment, at least… not yet. Perhaps if he can weave his assassin's skills in between his tank abilities by constantly class swapping, then it could work… until he realizes that having the attention of all monsters or humans while being an assassin would be completely detrimental, and hazardous to his health.
"Ugh…" He spoke out loud by accident, making his occupant stir. Naofumi glanced at the man as he was beginning to awaken.
"Mmm… w-where am I?" The man named Ake asked in his drowsed slumber, before spotting Naofumi at the different bed. "O-Oh, Sir Shield Hero! I-I didn't know you were…"
"It's fine. Please, stop with the praises." Naofumi waved it off, although deep inside, he was secretly welcoming the praise. Maybe it's because he hasn't gotten any from others for the last century. "Feeling better?"
"Y-Yeah! I am! Thanks to you!" The young man jumped off and pointed to himself, smiling and looking perfectly healthy.
"Good." Naofumi simply said, and then got off the bed and gathered his stuff.
"W-Where are you going?"
"Out of this town." Suddenly, Ake began to panic.
"W-Wait, you can't leave-!" Ake began to panic, running over to Naofumi.
"Why can't I? Are you really that devoted to your knighthood?" He asked, pessimistic towards the young teen, but then noticed that Ake looked away in despair and shame.
"I… I was discharged from the Juvenile Knights…" Ake revealed, the truth making him break down into tears once again. Naofumi didn't show it, but he could really feel for the kid.
'To be betrayed like that… all for something minor…'
"S-So please!" Ake suddenly grabbed both of Naofumi's chiseled hands. "Let me join your party!"
"H-Huh?!" Naofumi was taken aback by the request. "W-Why?!"
"I-I have nowhere else to go… this place was my home, but… now that I'm an outcast, I don't have anywhere else! So please! I-I…" Ake's speech was being garbled by his own tears and mucus, but Naofumi got the idea.
"Okay okay fine! Geez! You can join my party!" Naofumi relented, a little disgusted from the tears that stained his pants. "Ugh…" He then opened a command prompt, immediately allowing Ake into his party, which made his stats appear.
Ake Rolfe; Knight Lv. 2
[Newbie Knight]
HP: 75
MP: 25
SP: 50
STR: 16
VIT: 16
DEX: 10
INT: 9
WIS: 9
EXP until next level: 400
Equipment: Ragged Clothes
Knight's Iron Sword
Knight's Iron Shield
"But you're only going to be staying in my party until you find a place to settle in, got it?" Naofumi warned, but Ake bowed his head in compliance, cleaning his own tears and snot in the process. Sighing, both in Ake's stats and equipment, he then began to gather his stuff again.
.o0o.
"Woooow…. These feel amazing!" Ake looked at himself, wrapping in a new set of Studded Armor, Iron Greaves and Gauntlets, as well as repairing his Iron Sword and Shield.
'Makes him less of a bum now, I guess…' Naofumi thought in a deadpan manner. Erhart smiled and patted Ake in the back, laughing in a jolly manner, proud of seeing his work being worn.
"I guess you don't go out shopping that much, do ya?" Erhart asked in a hypothetical manner. It was known that he was one of the blacksmiths that made some of the equipment for the royalty.
"Yeah, the knights had their own armoury stocked up because of you. If I was part of the knights still, I would have thanked you a thousand times!" Ake cheerfully replied. "I'll happily pa-!"
"Here. This should cover costs. Keep the change." Naofumi interrupted, placing a gold coin on the counter for the armour. However, Erhart wasn't going to let the service slide just yet.
"Whoa whoa, wait. I know that you technically bought every shield and a set of armor, an accessory and a cloak for a gold coin, which a gold coin was more than enough for it all, but this is a little much, Naofumi." Erhart gave his honest opinion to the Shield Hero. It felt like he was ripping the black-haired man off with all this. Naofumi on the other hand, was a little shocked at how honourable Erhart was. "There must be something I can do, or provide."
"Hmmm…" Naofumi thought to himself, and then snapped his fingers, bringing out his shield.
Crafting
Using materials gathered or found from monster drops can be used to synthesize a variety of new items, from potions, equipment and trinkets! Experiment on what you can find and what you can make!
'I've done it before. Let's see if I can make 'that'.' Naofumi then looked at Erhart. "Erhart, what raw materials do you have?"
"Uhh, I can show you, if you want." Walking inside with his heavy boots, the shopkeeper showed Naofumi his raw materials: some various ores, some magic crystals, arrows, a refined magic crystal, potions, herbs, leather, animal skin and a compass. Looking through the materials, Naofumi smirked.
"Alright. I hope you don't mind if I use a few of them now." Taking some of the gold ore, the refined crystal, a few magic crystals and the compass, he began to perform the crafting procedure. Both Erhart and Ake watched as the ingredients glowed and mixed together into a bright light, and suddenly, out came a refined blue crystal pointing upwards, turning slowly on the dial of the compass, with arcs of gold spinning it like an astrolabe.
"W-What is that…?" Ake asked, with Erhart scratched his head at the fancy device. Naofumi wondering the same thing, but a message appeared on his screen, answering his questions.
You have crafted a Teleport Stone!
These little towers can be placed anywhere in the world, and when you attune to them with magic, you can teleport back to the Teleport Stone anytime, after having a 30 minute cooldown, as long as you know the spell, Return!
"Perfect! This'll be convenient!" Naofumi said triumphantly, then looked at Erhart, who was still confused at the sight. "Erhart, if you wish to repay me back, then allow us to teleport back here inside the shop, whenever we want, if that's okay." He asked politely, in which Erhart put his right hand below his chin, scratching the hairs.
"You sure? Does that mean you're gonna be teleporting here often?" Erhart asked curiously, eyeing the spinning, glowing crystal. "Could you demonstrate it at least?"
"Sure. Watch, Ake, and learn." Naofumi let a small amount of mana attune to the crystal and then focused, a few swirls of magic going around the Shield Hero. "Return!" And with that, he blinked out of existence, and then a few seconds later, he reappeared next to the crystal. "And there we go!"
"Whoaaaa!" Both males had their jaws drop. This was the first time they ever saw this. They don't know how Naofumi even made this, but if this was discovered, it would make the world completely revolutionary!
.o0o.
"Wow, Mr. Naofumi! You're amazing!" Ake praised the man, who only looked at him oddly.
"Mister? That's new." Naofumi replied in a bored fashion. Ake only looked away and smiled sheepishly. Thankfully for the both of them, Erhart allowed Naofumi to Return back to his shop whenever he wishes, as the shop is also Erhart's home, but Naofumi wishes to keep it a secret, since its discovery would put the three of them in trouble. With a few more buys here and there, the men set out for their last destination.
"But then, what should I call you?"
"Just Naofumi is enou-."
"Shield Hero! We finally found you!"
A familiar nasally-voiced figure interrupted their conversation, along with some swords drawn. Ake immediately turned and let out a small squeal of fright, while Naofumi refused to turn at all.
"C-C-Captain?!" Ake stuttered, stepping back a pace.
"I'm not your captain anymore, you traitor!" His angered voice and his words cut Ake deep, making the young man shake in his boots. But Naofumi grasped Ake's shoulders, reminding him that the Shield Hero is on his side.
"What does the captain of the knights want with me?" Naofumi simply asked with no emotion in his voice, despite the tension they were arousing. The captain had an expression that only expressed pleasure and malice as they began to approach the pair.
"We're bringing you in! To both being the rapist of the princess, and housing a criminal and traitor in Melromarc!" He declared, with the onlookers gasping, whispering and not knowing who to believe. Ake however was beginning to have a panic attack.
"T-T-T-Traitor?" He sputtered, scared for his life.
"What for? Last I remembered, he only spoke up against the trial. Are there any rules or decrees about that?" Naofumi replied coolly, but he could tell that wasn't going to stop them.
"Ah, but that's what criminals avoiding trouble like you would say." The captain gloated on. "But no matter. He's a deserter from our ranks, and housing criminals is against the law, so you're just as bad as a criminal!"
"Hmph. But that would mean that you would have to arrest the king too." Naofumi countered, with everybody else shocked at what they heard.
"T-The king? Y-You would dare accuse the king for the laws he has passed?" One of the knights growled at that accusation, but Naofumi only smirked.
"He is housing a criminal as well. The princess Malty S Melromarc for false accusations against a Hero and, I'm sure, many others." Naofumi declared, smirking at their expressions. While the knights are loyal to a fault, the onlookers only looked at each other. They had the free will to think whatever they want and, if that led to dissention, then it may as well lead to rebellion.
"Y-YOU! HOW DARE YOU-!" The enraged knights rushed Naofumi, but he only issued one of his skills.
"Wall!"
The knights went smack into the invisible walls that were immediately conjured up by Naofumi in front and around him. Grabbing Ake, he ran towards the alleyways with the man in tow.
"ARREST HIIIIM!" The captain ordered as the knights went around the walls and chased Naofumi, unaware that both of them were hidden inside a dark tent. The sound of running footsteps began to disappear, and Ake let out a small sigh of relief.
"T-That was close…" Ake breathed out.
"I'll say."
A new voice scared Ake. He nearly screamed, if not for Naofumi covering his mouth. From the shadows, the source of the new voice walked in, showing himself to be a short glasses-wearing man, wearing a ringmaster's tuxedo from a circus, complete with a top hat, mustache, gloves, bow tie and the creepy grin. He was only chuckling softly at Ake's reaction. "P-Please don't scare me like that next time!" Ake spoke, with laboured breathing. Naofumi only looked at the man emotionlessly.
"Sorry sorry." The man apologized with a small bow. "Anyway, you must be the Shield Hero everybody is talking about."
"That's me." Naofumi replied, narrowing his eyes at the man. There was something wrong with him, that's for sure. "What is it you want?"
"Well, I have come to offer my assistance." The man smiled in a conduct that screamed gentlemanly. "How about it? I have exactly what you need."
"If you're saying a party member, then don't bother. I already have one." Naofumi rebuked, with Ake smiling.
"Ah, but that one looks like he'd pass out any minute." The tuxedo man's words shattered Ake's happiness. "What I can offer you is a party member that will never betray you." At those words, Naofumi narrowed his eyes. He knew what sort of man he is now.
"N-No way… You're a slave dealer." Ake whispered, getting it right with one go. While slavery and human supremacy were legal in Melromarc, it was the act of slavery itself that disgusted some people, including a moral person like Ake. The slave dealer's smile only widened, as he offered his hand to shake.
"So what do you say, Shield Hero?" The dealer offered. Only after a few seconds did Naofumi walk up to the portly man, much to Ake's shock.
"Show me who you have first, then we'll talk." Naofumi's tone offered no negotiations, but the dealer complied anyway. Ake only stood for a few moments, almost unable to comprehend that the Shield Hero would accept slavery instead of himsef, but shook his head and followed him inside.
Within the circus tent, there were lined cages, there were many humanoid beastmen attacking the bars, or warily watching the newcomers walk inside. Ake only walked ahead while avoiding the gazes of the glowing red eyes. Naofumi was mostly unfazed, although, his fist was tightening. "Now how about we take a look? How about this one?" The dealer offered with his shifting smile. Opening the curtain, a shadow growled before it slammed onto the bars. It looked like a werewolf, muscular and bipedal, and it tried to go through the bars with no avail. "This one is pretty high class, and can definitely shred any of your enemies. It will only cost 75 gold. What do you say?"
Ake didn't say anything, only a little frightened by its build and how vicious the demi-human was. However, it only locked eyes onto Naofumi, almost as if the werewolf was sensing his strength. "You…" The panther growled, making Ake and the dealer's eyes widen. "You must be strong. I can feel that strength emanating from you. How I longed to serve someone such as you." His growl warped into a smile. "What do you say?"
Naofumi didn't say anything and closed his eyes. One could take it as a nod, which made the werewolf smile, until Naofumi glared at the wolfman.
It felt like the wolf was staring into the abyss, as it slowly stepped back. It was a glare that could kill a man, or even make several warriors flee in terror. This guy… no, this man clearly is fearsome. The werewolf sunk back into the shadows, growling in a fear that would be more defensive for itself. Ake can feel the glare as well, despite not the target. Even the dealer lost his smile, but then it came back just as fast to keep in conduct.
"Wow. I don't know what you did, but he clearly thinks you're superior. Are you sure you're just a newbie adventurer?" The trader tried to jest, but the glare then squarely landed on him.
"Don't ask such things if you're afraid of knowing the truth." Naofumi cautioned, sneering at the man, who lost his composure, nearly making the glasses fall. He then aimed his glares at the other slaves, who shrunk backwards in fear.
"Scary… Naofumi made them all quiet just by looking at them…" Ake said to himself in awe. Suddenly, they heard a cough. A few of them echoing inside the circus tent. "What was that? A little girl?" The knight wondered. It was coming from one of the other cages, covered in dusty curtains. Naofumi and Ake walked towards those cages and observed.
"You shouldn't mind those ones. Those are the demi-humans who are more sickly and younger. More or less, a discount." The trader explained offhandedly, then observed inside with them. There wasn't much inside, except for a couple of corpses, an old minotaur about to kick the bucket, and two sickly girls inside the cage. One of them had raccoon ears, brown hair, red eyes and rags for clothes. She was coughing quite terribly, as it was probably because she didn't have water for a long time. The other one had wolf ears, dog-like features, blue eyes, short black hair and rags as well. Once the curtains opened up, she noticed the two men and the dealer looking at them, and immediately growled, as if she's trying to protect the raccoon girl.
Ake looked like he was going to cry. Children didn't deserve to be chained up and enslaved like this. The dealer only smiled, wondering what the answer Naofumi will give. However, the Shield Hero only widened his eyes, like he was looking at the both of them… and it brought up some memories…
.o0o.
'Hey, are you okay?'
'...Eh? Y-Yeah, I'm fine.'
'Why are you looking at that home over there?'
'B-Because… I'm sorry, it's just-.'
'You're worried about the beastmen, aren't you?'
'...Yes. I'm sorry, but-.'
'No, I'm actually worried too. Do we have enough money?'
'Yeah, why?'
'I'm going to buy them all.'
'W-WHAT?! WHY?!'
'To free them. They don't deserve something like this… Nobody deserves to be treated like this because of who they are.'
'...Yeah… you're right. You always think of the best solutions, Mr. Shield Hero.'
'Hehe, thanks! Cmon, let's see how much he wants.'
.o0o.
"I'll take these two." The Shield Hero declared, shocking the dealer, Ake and the two girls.
"Y-You sure? T-They're pretty young, so…" The dealer stuttered and tried to redirect the offer, but the Shield Hero shook his head.
"Did I stutter? Get these two out of their cages." Naofumi demanded, with the trader obliging. Pulling out his canteen, he offered it to the raccoon girl. "Drink this."
"E-Eh… b-but…." The raccoon girl mumbled in fear, but the wolf girl growled, baring her fangs.
"No! You probably poisoned it!" She snapped at him, but he narrowed his eyes. He retracted the canteen and squirted a bit of water into his mouth to drink for himself.
"No poison. Now drink. I can't have your coughs alert anybody." Naofumi offered again, this time, not taking no for an answer. The wolf girl growled defensively again and was about to attack, but the raccoon girl put her hands on the girl's shoulder.
"I-It's okay… Keel." She coughed out, and took the canteen, drinking up the contents. It felt refreshing and hydrating, as the contents slid down her dry throat, like she could breathe again.
"H-Hey… could I get some too, Raphtalia?" The wolf girl Keel asked, to which the raccoon girl Raphtalia nodded with a small smile. Giving the canteen to Keel, she tried to drink it… and not a drop came out. "Hey! You drank it all!" She frowned, which made Raphtalia widen her eyes and look down in guilt.
"S-Sorry." She said, but was then surprised when the canteen was taken back by Naofumi, and the cage was opened.
"Do you have water, Ake?" Naofumi asked, but Ake shook his head.
"N-No… I'm sorry." The young knight looked down in guilt. Sighing, Naofumi had to take this in his own hands. He was in a hurry after all. Opening the Class wheel yet again, he can choose a class now that he had Ake on his side. Spinning it, he arrived with a singular class.
Magus
A primordial controller of the elements, cast and conjure them out of your will, whether it would be raging firestorms, icy terror, bolts from the heavens, destructive floods, and even the stars themselves! Can use wands, rods, daggers and staves.
Selecting it without a second thought, he then swapped classes to the magus.
Naofumi Iwatani; Magus Lv. 1
[The Hobo Hero]
HP: 75
MP: 125
SP: 50
STR: 8
VIT: 8
DEX: 17
INT: 21
WIS: 15
EXP until next level: 250
His stick then took the glowing shape of a wand. Magical runes and glyphs appeared around the man, as he chanted his spell.
"I call upon the tranquil seas, offer thy precious bounty to us and our allies. Fluid Aura!"
A huge ball of water materialized as Naofumi waved his wand, controlling the water until it shrank in size. Soon, it was the size of a water bottle, enough for the canteen to hold, and he let the water inside, and closed it up. "Drink." Naofumi ordered the wolf girl to drink it. While hesitant, she eventually put her lips on the lid and drank.
"There. The price for these two is 60 silver, although I can reapply their seals again for another 2 silver on top, if that's-."
Suddenly, there were footsteps heading towards the tent entrance. It sounded like metal.
"Shit…! They're onto us!" Naofumi gritted his teeth, grabbing his two slaves, and running towards the other end of the tent, Ake barely keeping up as well.
"H-Hey, what about-!" The dealer began to stop Naofumi, but a gold coin was tossed into his hands as they left. He then began to smile. '60 for the girls, 40 for the diversion. You do great business, Naofumi.'
Just as he finished that thought, a platoon of knights stormed from the front. "You there! Slave dealer!" The leader of the platoon called to the dealer, who turned his head creepily. "Have you seen the Shield Hero and another young man he has been holding captive?"
"Captive? That's new. Thought the young man was a criminal too. The king is making up all sorts of stories now, is he?" The slave trader smirked, which was making the knight pretty annoyed. "I have not, but maybe you should check the sluice. Now beat it. I have cleaning to do." He brushed off the knights while closing up the cage.
"Tsk, figures that a man bent on selling slaves would know about criminal activities. Cmon, men! We must blockade him at the entrance if he tries to leave!" The knights ran off, but not before the leader spat on the floor. The trader paid no mind. After all…
...these knights and royalty are even lesser than the shit these animals lay.
.o0o.
"Hurry!" The Shield Hero and the knight ran as fast as they could. Despite taking the back entrance, they were spotted not long after, thanks to Ake hitting his leg on some barrels. Running right through the townspeople, more and more knights were alerted by their presence. Soon, they reached the gate, but it was blocked by a platoon of knights, with tower shields and spears pointing at them.
"Damn…!" They stopped, as the knights closed in and encircled them with swords. They were now trapped. Setting the children down and putting the frightened Raphtalia and Keel between him and Ake, both of them drew out what they had, Ake with his sword and shield out, and Naofumi with his shield.
"Protect the children, Ake." He told the frightened man, but the knight could only nod. The fright was getting to him. But soon, they heard more footsteps, and as they came into view, Naofumi could narrow his eyes.
It was the princess, Malty, smiling sinisterly, along with Motoyasu, Ren, Itsuki, and their party members, who don't look particularly happy compared to Malty.
"Y-You! Naofumi!" Motoyasu pointed to the man in anger. "Let go of those children, and answer for your crimes!" Naofumi didn't say anything, which prompted Malty to laugh.
"What's wrong? Not going to say anything? You can't anyway." She gloated. "After all, there's no way out, and there's no way to retaliate. You might as well surrender."
"Hmph." Naofumi was unfazed by her words. "And I see thy Royal Highness is doing well, despite being an alleged 'rape victim'."
"Y-You…!" Malty sputtered in anger, before Motoyasu went in front of her in defense.
"Shut up! You monster! Don't you dare bring those memories up!" The Spear shouted at Naofumi, pointing his spear at him. Malty froze a little, then hugged Motoyasu's side.
"No…! The memories!" She gave her act on being the damsel, and sadly Motoyasu took the ploy, and snarled at the Shield, who only rolled his eyes.
"Naofumi, there's no need to resist. Come with us, now." Itsuki spoke his words, his bow drawn and arrow ready to let loose.
"I promise you that you won't be killed. Just please comply with us." Ren added, his sword drawn out and pointing at Naofumi
Only silence was met, the tension so big it could be cut with a knife. But the only answer they got…
… was a smirk.
"Pfft." Naofumi let out from his mouth, the heroes and the princess taking some offense to it. "The only thing that's going to happen is our escape. Nothing else."
"Hah! Seriously? Are you so stupid enoughh that you would think to even take one step against our Knights?!" Malty retorted.
"Yes, and I have something that will make you leave." Naofumi countered, pulling out… something. Ake noticed what he was pulling out and looked at him worryingly.
"N-Naofumi, you don't mean…!"
"Yes. I do."
That put everybody else on edge. The heroes readied themselves, while the knights held their swords tightly. What could it be? A secret weapon? A lethal bomb? A deadly plague? The tension multiplied tenfold as Naofumi revealed what it was within his cloak.
His stick.
"W-What? That's… just a stick." One of the knights looked at what Naofumi had in his hand.
"Yes. It is. Ironwood, to be exact."
To see Naofumi completely serious saying that he can escape numerous platoons with a stick was… laughable. Soon, the knights and Malty erupted into hysterical laughter, one that echoed throughout the entire town.
"HAHAHAHA! NO WAY, THE SHIELD HERO ISN'T SERIOUSLY GOING TO KILL US WITH THAT!"
"OHHHHH I'M SO SCARED OF THAT WITTLE STICK!"
"CMON, GROW UP, SHIELD HERO!"
But that was exactly what he wanted.
The Three Heroes were definitely confused. If it was a weapon, then Naofumi shouldn't be able to hold it. Despite the Shield holding onto Itsuki's bow the first time, they could tell he was in pain when doing so; he just didn't show it.
So why did he bring it out…?
"Blades of ice, be my cage…"
It was then that they realized what he was doing.
"...arise now, O dark waters, and glaciate thy heavens!"
It was a diversion.
"He's casting magic!"
"...ICICLE PRISON!"
Large icicles began to shoot out from the ground. The knights stopped their laughing immediately and saw the giant pillars rise into the sky. They panicked as Naofumi, Raphtalia, Keel and Ake were within the growing mass of icicles twice the size of a house.
"Wow! Great plan, Naofumi!" Ake praised, with the slaves looking in wonder at the beautiful icicles. But it won't hold them for long. They could hear the fire magic beginning to be channeled.
"You three, keep your heads to the ground. When I saw go, follow me and go for the exit. Understand?" The Shield Hero instructed, but he didn't wait for their confirmation. Immediately changing back to the Shield Hero class, he began to channel his own energy. Raphtalia and Keel complied, looking at the energy buildup, while Ake later lowered his head, his shield protecting the two.
"REPEL!"
A strong gravitational force pushed all the icicles outward, making them all topple down towards the knights. Everybody panicked as the icicles began to fall, crushing a few knights, while blowing all of them back. "GO!" Naofumi commanded, as he picked up the girls and ran through the ruined phalanx of spear knights and escaped through the gate, while the other knights try their best to either run from the icicles or repel them.
Even the heroes' parties weren't unfazed either.
"Flame Thrust!" Motoyasu cried out, piercing the icicle tower that was toppling down towards them, and shattering it into shards.
"Rapid Fire Arrow!" Itsuki launched his arrows at the shards, turning them all into water and dust. "Damn… that was just terrible. How could he use magic? Was that a wand he used?"
"No, it was clearly a stick… so how was he able to do it?" Ren thought out loud, his laboured breaths becoming more out of irritation rather than tiredness.
Malty too was salty and irritated as well from that trick. "Curse him! I won't be fooled again by that Shield Demon!"
Motoyasu, however, was the more angriest. Gripping his spear in anger, he let out a roar. "DAMN YOU NAOFUMIIIIIII!"
The scream only made the escaping Naofumi smirk in the distance.
And that's it. Sorry for the wait.
Yes, I added Keel. Just like Ake, she'll be a slave under Naofumi as well. I'm sorry, if this isn't part of the canon, or if this isn't diverging too off of the canon, but I'm doing it because I feel like Keel was added really late into the story. She (yes Keel is a she) would have been pretty interesting, so I made her more of a defensive and loyal pup.
Yes, Magus was my next job. It just felt like the right job for Naofumi to have.
Yes, Naofumi has a pretty dark past. He may feel like an edgelord, but he's really complex and holds onto some compassion.
No, despite having maxed out stats, that's only when he's in the Shield Hero class. Every other class makes him like any other class.
Yes, he is able to cast those spells at such magnitude.
Yes, Filo is coming later.
No, juggernaut is just like Shield Hero, except much more agile, and much more immortal.
No, he cannot attack when he has Shield Hero class on. Only when he's off from that class, can he attack.
Yes, he needs Party Members. They grant him Job Points, which give him his more jobs.
Yes, I read Solo Leveling (all 74 issues of it so far, holy shit) and it's quite a good read. Maybe I'll put some mechanics inside this fic.
No, the summary doesn't lie. The story can be worked around though.
Yes, he already picked up best girl, and she sounds great in the English dub (fite me)
No, Naofumi isn't Saitama power-wise, but he is immortal in terms of Kirito power-wise.