AU NOTES
Fucking corona.
Sucking me dry of inspiration and shit. Sorry for the delay on the chapter. But on other news, I now have a P/atreon. Search Ryujin Maou and go easy on the suggestions hahaha. Besides, you don't really need to donate. Our current times are hard on everyone and you there might be going through something tough, so I can't in good conscience ask for you guys to hurt yourself to donate me anything. Use that money to help yourself out of this shit situation my dudes and dudettes.
Ps:Any good recomendations on programs for me to start learning how to animate stuff? I wanted to start learning animation to maybe work on a animated adaptation of my stories, but for now I need to stay on the ground and organize myself. Besides, I also want to comission some "educational" art from a few "interesting" artists ;cause, you know, Blood for the Blood God is making me wish to see Izuku d*ck down a few girls
See you and stay safe, Ryujin Maou (draconic/Dragon demon Lord) out!
Chapter 16: [Reaching Boiling Point. Rage on, Naofumi].
After he and his group were picked by the Philorial Queen Fitoria, they were brought to some ruins that were definitively far away from both Ningenyami and Shiramo; to be honest, Naofumi wasn't sure if he was even in the same continent that housed Melromark. The white haired philorial was mostly quiet during the travel time, only speaking when something seemed to catch Naofumi's interest as he looked through the windows of the carriage they were riding. Everyone from his party was tense, their current situation a big question mark.
They reached the ruins in a short time, marble and stone weathered by the passage of time. No structure was intact, most everything seemed to be on the process of being reclaimed by the surrounding wilderness, the tons of philorials all around happy to create plenty of nests in the abandoned buildings. The Philorial Queen let them off at what Naofumi thought to be a plaza, the carriage disappearing behind her with the same ethereal glow from before. The Shield Hero didn't know why, but he felt an oddly familiar sensation when he looked at the carriage.
Not that Fitoria seemed to care for his thoughts and she stood and stared at him, almost as if expecting him to guess her mind. A loud grumble from her stomach clued him of her current intentions, the hero sighing and asking for the biggest pot they could find.
He wanted to simply roast the dragon flesh that the bird queen brought him, but she narrowed her eyes at this. Naofumi clenched his jaw at the troublesome behavior of the white haired loli-like, spitting out a list of ingredients that probably could be picked from the forest around them reasonably quickly. A mere glance from Fitoria was enough to send the myriad of philorials around her scurrying to search the items he requested.
And that was how he ended up having to season and stew the meat of the Tyrant Rex. The warmth of the broth and the tasty inner flesh of the dragon were true delicacies that improved the hero's mood almost instantly. For a moment he forgot he had been essentially kidnapped from his original world and thrown into this ridiculous land with RPG-like mechanics and demi-humans; it was quite ironic that a meal made with fantasy ingredients made him remember Japan that much.
He barely had time to eat and feed his party before he felt their gaze settle upon his back. Countless philorials were around them, eyes full with jealousy of their queen and guests' exquisite meal. The Shielder wondered if they had been educated into courtesy manners, but that guess went out the window when he saw Fitoria grab the heated pot of dragon stew and down practically half the contents, wiping her mouth and releasing a tiny burp while her eyes glowed with stars. After that, the "Gheee!"s and "Ghuuaa!"s of the birds grew increasingly loud, the creatures practically begging for a share of the draconian meal.
"Sharing some with your subordinates or do you plan to eat everything by yourself?" He asked with a barb, testing the waters. He needed to know what type of person Fitoria was; and for that nothing better than some good ol' sarcasm. She seemed to have gotten his hint, her wonder-filled expression returning to the stoic face from before.
"They can hunt later, this one you made for me." Or not, considering her voice tone implied she was very serious about eating all the food he made by herself.
"I made this because my party and I were hungry, you sort of invited yourself." He poked, hoping to see that impartial mask of hers crack even a tiny bit. It didn't work in his favor as she simply stared at him, her mouth covered in grease stains from the stew. Naofumi sighed. "Please share some with them, I made plenty." Their hopeful eyes staring at him were quite bothersome, besides, it was better to have all of the subordinates subdued with food. Philorials were gluttons that would go to sleep as soon as they filled their bellies, Firo being exactly like that.
Should the need to suddenly flee arrive, Naofumi hoped that food-induced coma would allow a better chance for their escape.
The Philorial Queen seemed to ponder on the prospect of sharing her meal for a while, the hero almost sure that she would refuse. As she pondered in her head about the issue, Naofumi felt a pull on his cape. Felicia had also finished her meal, seemingly much better now. The witch had already pulled her smoking pipe and was enjoying it a fair bit.
"Fortress-kun, I know that you are from another world and you are quite rough around the edges, but don't you think that speaking so casually with The Queen of the Philorials would be a problem?" She asked, making Naofumi notice that she was quite pale-faced, this time not from mana consumption, but from legit worry and nervousness. "Legends about the Philorial Queen aren't few, and her mana seems to be almost infinite; I know you pride yourself in your defense status, but even you will die facing that." That the Spacial Rend Witch seemed truly afraid of the white-haired loli stuffing her face with food make for quite a jarring image for the Shield Hero.
Normally Felicia would be overwhelming the other party with questions about their magic and whatnot, considering the witch was an expert in reading magic flow. Finding herself with a chance to lob questions at a so called mythical being, the hero was under the impression that the black-haired witch would be over the moon with the fact; contrary to his expectations, Felicia seemed to be uncomfortable under the presence of the Philorial Queen.
"What's wrong?" He asked, grasping one of her hands and finding it cold and clammy to the touch.
The witch firmly grabbed his hand back, taking a few deep breaths before she talked. "I can feel the flow of mana around her. Your mana, Naofumi, is a constantly growing and fortified well; her mana seems to be the entire world, not even the Great Archmage of Faubley has that much mana."
Now that doesn't sound ominous at all, does it? He darkly joked inside his head, his face sour at the new information. He glanced back at Fitoria, finding her to be allowing the numerous philorials to also eat of the large pot he had cooked. Even if she had hawk-like eyes over the amount that each bird took. Since when had they formed a line? Are those wooden bowls in their beaks?
Naofumi stared at the enormous pot he had cooked a quarter of the boss monster's meat, finding the cooking ware almost empty of its contents. To say he was surprised would be redundant, as his expression was portrayed clearly and without mistake. Even Firo was lining up, happily talking with the philorials around her as she waited for her turn.
"She really is carefree, huh?" He exclaimed, exhausted. His senses felt Shadow approach him, kneeling by his side as he sat on a wooden log.
"Master, what Felicia-dono says is most imperative. The Legend of the Philorial Queen is well known among the royal court, although the truth of the contents are dubious, the fact that she is extremely powerful has always been vehemently specified. Please, Master, remain cautious when dealing with her." Shadow spoke quickly, all her weapons sheathed.
For even Shadow to be afraid, I guess this is the real deal after all. He let the thought swim in his head, glancing backwards to see Raphtalia and Dera together finishing their meal. The raccoon-eared girl noticed his glance and smiled at him, making the hero lightly smile back at her.
The meals distributed equally (yeah, right), the birds all began eating happily, like the cooked meal as reason for a festival. A few minutes of noisy birds and loud slurping noises later and it was almost as if the hero had popped an open can of sleeping gas; the noises now being the light snores of the philorials.
Naofumi remained sat on his log with his party around him, the Queen of the Philorials coming closer to him once more. He ignored the bony rib she was sucking on, finding the sight to be a bit silly. Dera seemed to want to give him something, but backed off once Fitoria approached their party, the hydra snakeling content with the warm of the bonfire he made.
"Dragons are foul creatures, but it cannot be helped that they are delicious." Fitoria stated as she approached the group, sitting on a log that allowed her a seat across the hero. She finished chewing the rib, inserting the entire bone in her mouth and chewing it with ease; the crunching noises of bone cracking hurt Naofumi in a spiritual level.
He could have carved something from that bone and sold it for quite some cash. Weapons, accessories and anything made with dragon bone could easily be sold for gold coins.
"Now that our hunger is sated, shall we talk, Shield Hero?" Fitoria spoke, making Naofumi focus on her. Felicia gave him one last pat on his shoulder before she backed off to let him talk privately. Raphtalia left her empty bowl on the ground and approached her master, sitting by his right side; Shadow quietly stayed behind the hero, being rather fitting for her codename, as she maintained a hand on his back, the mere presence of the hero comforting the assassin.
"Yes, we can. I guess I will finally get some answers." He said back, leaning his left arm on his leg, looking every part like a bandit. Give me a scar and you might as well call me a Bandit Lord. He mused in his head, staring straight at the White Haired Queen. He was grateful that Firo was asleep in a food-induced stupor, as this conversation could devolve into quite a dark argument.
"I will answer what I can, but my questions have priority. Begin by explaining why that abomination was released." Fitoria demanded, making Naofumi narrow his eyes a bit. Considering she had the major force, he indulged her question.
"An idiot thought releasing that thing was a good idea to get rid of me." He left the answer somewhat vague, not willing to put all his cards on the table on the off-chance that Fitoria was allied with Melromark or something along those lines. One could never be too careful.
"I see that people still finds pleasure in meaningless conflicts over petty matters. Humans – in particular – seem to be found of this folly." Fitoria's tone was still stoic, but the Shielder could find the traces of annoyance imbued in it. "The world borders its death and its people still squabble among each other like kids." The white haired loli looked at the night sky, her gaze distant. "Tell me the circumstances that followed after your summoning, Shield Hero."
Naofumi wondered what the bird queen had to gain by hearing his story, but at this point it wasn't like he had much to do. He straightened his back up and took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly as the memories of his life in this world began to flash back in his head, the details beginning to spill from his mouth as he spoke without putting much thought into it. At the end of the day it mattered not if she had some link to Melromark, Faubley or any other nation here, it wasn't like they would simply stop whatever their plans were just because he told them a sob story.
"I guess I'll start at the very beginning, huh…" The Shielder began his tale.
The empty pages of a book in the library.
The reception by the king and his meeting with the other heroes.
Him learning that his weapon would be a Shield.
The rather cold shoulder he received early on for being a Shielder.
The rape charge.
The betrayal by Myne and his "fellow" heroes.
The tribulations he was forced to go through.
The combat trial.
His Hate.
The cleaning-up after their messes.
The Zombie Dragon.
The Shield of Anger (Wrath Shield).
Nothing was spared as Naofumi released the flood gates that he kept closed up for so long. He wondered why he ended up spilling his guts the way he did, but something about Fitoria and her aloof behavior made him end up trusting her. If he had to rationalize, it might be the fact that she had asked him about it, being willing to listen to his side of the conversation rather than to simply scoff him off; she had nothing to gain from him and nothing to lose with him. It felt rather good to release what had been stuck in his chest for so long, but remembering everything also brought him a renewed sense of purpose.
The dark feeling that was merely simmering inside him was relit by the fires of his hatred, before it was tempered by his willpower and forged into something that Naofumi could use to strike those that would cross him. He would never let his hate go out of control again, but he wouldn't simply forgive and forget.
A dull roar sounded inside his mind, a name whispered by a creature that should have been long dead.
…Gaelion…my name…
"…hm" Fitoria released a single sound before she tilted her head to the side and spoke some words that infuriated Naofumi. "The heroes yet again squabble with each other over meaningless matters. The heroes must not fight; reconcile and save the world, that is all that matters."
To say that he was shocked would be an utter downplay of the word. Naofumi was absolutely livid.
He suddenly rose from his seat, anger radiating from the hero. The Shielder got close and personal to Fitoria, having to look down to meet the eyes of the Philorial Queen. Her gaze was passive and unperturbed, seemingly unimpressed with the suffocating rage that radiated from Naofumi. The gem on his shield began to pulse red, a low growling being emitted from Iwatani's throat; that seemed to have gotten a reaction from the white haired loli, her pink eyes slightly widening at the noise that left the hero.
"You are asking me to work with those shit stains after all I told you? After everything they have done to me, you have the courage to spit on my face and tell me that I should work with them? That will never happen." Naofumi's green eyes became slit pupils, a trail of smoke exiting the hero's nostrils as he huffed in a vague attempt to control his rage. The audacity! Those fuckers could rot in hell and die for all that I care! I haven't done anything bad here, you guys are the ones pretending to be heroes of justice while you screw this fucking country seven ways to Sunday! I never asked for preferencial treatment, being just with me would have been enough. The gem of his shield held its red color, his armor groaning in effort as the metal tried to change its attributes for his [Berserker's Armor], the seal placed upon his cursed shield holding him back.
Fitoria raised one hand, the tension among Naofumi's party rising up as the girls tried to quickly opt for a course of action. They wished to avoid a fight against the Legendary Philorial Queen, but for their master they would do anything. However, before any attack could be launched, the white haired loli merely touched the hero's chest plate, a small light emanating from her palm.
Naofumi wondered what she had done, not feeling particularly different after her touch. In fact, he was feeling lighter and stronger.
[Blessing Received!]
[Barbarian Lord Armor +2 (Blessed)]
- Increase in defense +187
-Physical Strengthening Buff (Medium)
-Increase in Magic Resistance (High)
-Increased Curse Resistance (High)
-Increased Stamina (Medium)
-Increase in Holy Magic Resistance (Medium)
-Fitoria's Blessing {Guiding Wind; Wind Magic Improvement; Holy magic Improvement; General Status Enhacement (Medium)}
The Shield Hero kept his stare on the Philorial Queen, wondering what was her plan in blessing his armor. He wasn't one to say no to help, but after her earlier statement he saw this as nothing more than a bribe to try and pacify his spirit or force him to go along with her plan of reconciling with those bastards. He checked his HUD notifications quickly, noticing many of his previous boosts had been greatly improved; as his eyes left the screen, he noticed Fitoria pluck one of the three ahoges that stood from her hair. She dropped the hair piece over the gem of his shield, the green and red gem eating the offer and giving him another wall text to ocupy his HUD.
[Alert! High Value offering accepted!]
[The entirety of the (Philorial Series) has been unlocked!]
The [Will of the World] recognizes the Shield Hero Iwatani Naofumi for his efforts! Backing from [Will of the World] is now at 10% Releasing restrictions placed on [Curse Series (Sin of Wrath)]. Releasing restrictions on the secret hero job (Demon Lord). Releasing restrictions on the [Demon Lord Shield Series]. Shield Hero Iwatani Naofumi's access to the Dragon's Great Vein has been unlocked.
"I have blessed your armor; this should be enough proof that I only want what is good for the sake of this world. The waves can only be defeated if the Four Cardinal Heroes join efforts and act accordingly, otherwise defeat and death are certain." Fitoria calmly spoke, raising her head to look at Naofumi straigth in his eyes. The Hero was still ravenous, his fury barely contained as his eyes skimmed his HUD. The Philorial Queen seemed to want to speak something else, but her stoic expression suddenly changed when she once more touched his armor.
The metal of his chest plate had stopped groaning for a while, as his cursed shield had been sealed with high-tier magic. After the last notifications on his HUD, Naofumi felt that the seal on his power had been lifted, the dark power ready to answer his beckoning call. The Shield Hero held on calling his cursed power, waiting for what else Fitoria had to say. Power seemed to be flowing inside him, the hero finding himself suddenly full of power.
"The world has acknowledged your will." The white-haired loli stated, her tone dull. It was clear she was displeased with something, even if he had no idea what that was. "Even so, I shall not allow this! Reconcile with them, Shield Hero!" Finally, it seemed that some emotion seeped into Fitoria's voice as her displeasure at the current predicament was obvious for all of Naofumi's party to see. Wind burst from Fitoria, pushing everyone besides Naofumi away from the clearing they were at, the hero changing his shield to call upon his cursed power.
"[Wrath Shield II]!" The hero almost roared, the black shield appearing in a burst of cursed flames around him. His armor shifted to become his [Berserker's Armor], Naofumi managing to stand his ground in front of Fitoria's wind. The Queen had firm eyes, seemingly intent of ripping from him a promise of cooperation with the other heroes.
"The heroes must cooperate, that is final." She once more repeated the statement, the phrase beginning to irk Naofumi a fair bit. It wasn't like I was getting in their way about this shit! "If you insist in this, I might have no other choice." Her sentence this time carried a not-so-hidden implication that was spoken full of killing intent. "Other heroes can be summoned if need be."
"I don't care what those three do or do not; I simply want to do my part and be done with this shit! You heard the facts, I have done nothing but my job! They are the ones messing with me; I have no intention of playing along with this shitty sing-a-song!" Naofumi roared his piece to Fitoria, his tone becoming darker and deeper the more time he spent with his cursed shield.
"You should not be relying on such power. Curses are powerful, but their cost is just as great; a holy hero has no business wielding such vile powers." The Queen put another matter upfront, trying to wear down the hero's defenses. Well, he wasn't the Shield Hero just for a show.
"Why do you think I have been granted this cursed shield? Why does the holy weapon allow me to use this power if it is so unbecoming of a hero? Why do you want the Cardinal Heroes to work together so much? So long as the waves are stopped, why does it matter if we get along or not? What is it to you, Fitoria? The world itself is telling me that my path is right, who are you to tell me I'm wrong?" Naofumi challenged the Philorial Queen, both standing still as they stared into each other.
The stoic, white-haired loli released a sharp wave of killing intent, raising one of her hands and pointing it at the hero. Wind gathered on her palm, magic shaping up to resemble a pair of bird claws; only one of them shot towards the hero, Naofumi raising his shield to block the incoming attack, only for the magic to swerve around his defense and hit him at his side, shattering a piece of his dark armor as he groaned in pain at the injury.
"Master!" Firo's voice echoed on the clearing, the philorial queen candidate sprinting in her human form close to Naofumi. He was kneeling in place, hand placed over the wounded area. It was bleeding a bit, nothing truly life-threatening, but still painful nonetheless. "You! Stop bullying master!" The blond loli huffed in anger, wind magic also surrounding her frame as she glared at the other party.
"Fuck." Naofumi complained, eyes still firmly placed over Fitoria. She looked undisturbed, still holding her magic and ready to attack once more. It angered Naofumi, that she seemed to ignore everything he had went through. He grit his teeth and stood up, patting Firo's head as she was still in front of him, ready to fight. "I'll not get along with those bastards, not after the shit they did to me. If saving the world requires the work of the heroes, then I shall become strong enough to defeat the waves on my own."
The Philorial Queen still looked impassive, shaking head head sideways. "It requires the four heroes! So far I have been doing all your work on other places, but the time will come when even with all my power it shall become impossible to keep protecting the world by myself."
Naofumi's rage was dampened by the sudden information that he received. There are waves happening in other places? How so? I haven't been summoned anywhere besides Melromark's territory. The Shielder now furrowed his brow, trying to understand how such a thing could have happened. If the waves happen around the whole world, why haven't the other countries already tried to get one of us to help them...Unless...they already did try, but that shitty king has been either avoiding their messages and not relaying them to us, trying to monopolise the power of the heroes. Fucking hell.
"How come I haven't been summoned to other places?" Naofumi asked, his voice carrying much less anger now.
Fitoria lowered her arm, cocking her head to the side. "Have you synchronized with the Dragon Hourglass of the other nations? That should have been a priority after your summoning."
The Shield Hero shook his head. "Synchronize? What does that do? I mean, I have been denied access to Melromark's one, much less the other nations. I have been trying to go to those other nations, but as you can see, the shitty king of this shitty country hasn't been on board with that idea." Naofumi explained, changing his shield back do default. There was no need to rage at Fitoria, as she had given him much more in the span of a few hours than Melromark had given him in the almost four months he had been in the nation. If there was someone that deserved to have a boot shoved up his ass was that bastard Aultocray, the fool. The Church of Three Heroes must also have pulled some strings to help the situation, their pursuit of him now making much more sense.
They weren't just making his life hell because it gave justification to their cause. They were attempting a coup, using a crusade as a justifying argument to hunt down the Shield Demon. It was poetic, in an ironic way. Pity that Naofumi wasn't in the mood for poetry.
Fitoria sighed, surprising Naofumi at how tired it sounded to him.
"I see." The Philorial Queen spoke in a truly tired tone, the intense killing intent from before was gone, like it never existed. She turned her eyes to Firo, the young philorial still ready for a fight. Her pink orbs then returned to Naofumi, finding his green slits. "You pass."
The words felt odd, hollow; It was like she was putting up an act. Raphtalia, Felicia and Shadow seemed to be truly relieved that a full-on fight wouldn't happen, Firo hugging his leg and lightly wimpering. Dera came rushing to meet him, her four heads nuzzling against any area they could in his frame.
"So it was true that the legends say that the Philorial Queen will test those that she meets, that was gut-wrenching." Felicia said, her knees meeting the forest ground as she released a deep breath.
Raphtalia didn't seem to be totally on board with the witch's point, but she stayed silent and let her master decide what they would do next. Shadow seemed to be of a equal mind as her companion, opting to stay in sight of her master in case he ordered a quick action.
"I needed to see if the next queen candidate had been properly raised; you have done a good job, Shield Hero." Fitoria said, approaching the duo, much to Firo's displeasure. The Queen Philorial pointed at a farther ruin, walking slowly ahead. "I need to talk to you, alone." While she didn't specify who, Naofumi knew the message was for him. He gave the girls some quick comfort, but soon departed and walked to meet the queen alone.
The two stayed in silence, merely staring at the night sky. It was a beautiful sight, the countless stars that dotted the sky and painted something that Naofumi wished he could take a picture.
Their silence was cut when Fitoria laid on the ground close to one of the crumbled marble walls of the ruin, inviting Naofumi to sit by her side by tapping the stone floor quietly. He accepted the invitation, quietly sitting by her side.
"You are stubborn." He stated, still nursing the injury that he suffered. His armor was taking in his mana, the self-repair function working well enough. "That little speech about passing a test was a shit lie."
"Your companions have been properly raised, your queen candidate also." The white-haired loli answered back, leaning her head against his chest. "My master asked me to not let the heroes fight, for if they do the world shall be doomed. For ten generations I have been trying my best to do so, but I have yet to see a true result for my efforts as the heroes continue to fight. Tell me, current Shield Hero, is it worth?"
Naofumi released a troubled sigh, raising one hand to lay atop the head of the Philorial Queen.
"Who am I to tell you what is and what isn't worth something? All I can tell you is that you did a good job. This world still exists, you have done good." He began patting her head, slowly rubbing her soft hair. Fitoria further leaned into his touch, closing her eyes and sliding down until she was resting her head on his lap, his hand still running through her hair in a soothing manner. "Also, my name is Naofumi. Iwatani Naofumi. I might be the Shield Hero, but I'm also my own person." The hero emphasized his name, still staring at the nightsky.
The Queen rested her hands on his legs. "I have seen many Shield Heroes perish in anguish, names do not stay in my memory for long. It is best suited that I call you Shield Hero."
Naofumi huffed slightly, raising an eyebrow. Ten generations, huh? Are you sure it is only that? "What do I need to do to have you remember my name? Don't suggest that I reconcile with those idiots." He said, trying to convey anger, but much of the heat had settled down. He couldn't get angry at her, even when the subject involved those three fools.
He could swear he heard the queen click her teeth, the "Tch!" sound muffled as she dug her face further into his lap, almost like a child.
"Could you live until the end?" She asked, her hands grasping at his pants. Naofumi heard that and pondered for a while, his hand still administering a massage over the white-haired loli's scalp.
"Shall I show you a true Shield?" He said, glancing at the sky. Can't believe I'm about to say this. "I'll try." He said, not being specific as to what course of action he was refering to.
Fitoria seemed to be content with his answer, wrapping her arms around his body and fully resting her head on his lap. For the Philorial Queen, the few minutes they stayed together it was like the rest of the world ceased to exist. There was only Fitoria and the Shield Hero...
No...
That wasn't the truth.
...
...
...
There was only Fitoria and Naofumi.
[XXX]
[XXX]
"I will let you on border between Melromark and Silvelt." Fitoria stated, the entire group inside her carriage once more. Naofumi nodded in thanks, his wound long healed and his armor repaired. The hero hoped to have a smooth transition to the nation that seemed to worship him as a living god, but he was doubtful. Going from one extremist group to the other didn't seem to be the best course of action, but at this point he wanted to at least give the demi-human nation a try. If things went truly south there, he could always try Shieldenfreeden or Faubley; it wasn't like he was short of options, or so he liked to picture in his head.
A few more minutes of travel and Naofumi and his group were a few miles away from the border, at the edge of a forest. Fitoria hadn't said much more after their conversation, merely guiding the carriage and staring outside the window. When she dropped them off, the Philorial Queen was quick to vanish from sight, the last image Naofumi had of her were the pink orbs of the white-haired loli, her face the usual mask of stoicism. Since they were fed and somewhat rested, the walk to get closer to the border wasn't tiresome. Walking also gave him the chance to examine his surroundings and the check the border wall that divided the lands. Shadow, as always, went ahead to scout further and bring back information about the state of the guards while the group was behind and still could chance directions.
Naofumi was somewhat angry at the thought of having to flee as if he was a criminal, leaving his wagon and precious things to flee. At the very least Melty had gotten rescued and was probably being fed a warm meal with plenty of luxuries so that was one chip off his shoulder and one less thing for he to worry about. Truth be told he didn't hate Melty with all his heart, but she made him remember Malty's bitch-face and her demanding attitude; at the end of the day the blue haired girl was young and hopefully innocent, he hoped that she would grow up to be better than her cunt of a sister or her bastard of a father.
Shadow came back soon enough, reporting the state of the border wall. Surveilance had been increased for sure, but it didn't seem to be too over the top. Nothing that some stealth and some distractions couldn't work around if he had his say in the matter, and believe he did. The plan he hoped to execute was to wait for the cover of the night, make use of his group's rather high stealth abilities and go about undetected to Silvelt. The group made sure to stay away from the border wall, making use of Raphtalia's light and dark magic to cast a basic concealment spell over them until it was time to act.
There was only one problem with that. The shadows of the Church, while weaker than his Shadow, were more numerous and had received the same sort of training. Thus, it came as a surprise to Naofumi when his senses picked up the hostility directed at him, a voice that triggered all sorts of negative emotions inside him.
"NNNNAAAAOOOOFFFFUUUUMMMMIIIIII!" Motoyasu's shout was followed by the swing of his spear, the Shield Hero quick to change shields and tank the blow. The weapons met with a thunderclap. That being quite literal, as the Spear Hero's weapon was coated in lightning, the tip of the spear also in the shape of said element. Naofumi took the blow head-on, pushing Motoyasu back with a front kick.
"What the hell?" Naofumi shouted in surprise. How the hell did he manage to find us this quick? The shielder wondered, finding a certain mop of redhair that made his blood began to simmer in rage.
"I had a feeling that you would be trying to flee through here, you scum!" Motoyasu shouted, fixing his stance with his weapon and seemingly getting ready to charge once more. Strangely enough, the blonde seemed to also be angry at Naofumi. "To imagine that you would even kill Ren and Itsuki ust to get rid of your crimes, you surely are the Devil! I finally know why I was called to this world, it is my mission to stop you!" Motoyasu declared, making the Shielder frown his brows in bewilderment.
"Now that's fucking rich! You mean to tell me that I killed Ren and Itsuki? How could I do such thing, Shield Hero remember?" Naofumi shouted back, glancing back at his party to see if everyone was alright. The girls weren't hurt, but they were tense. A fight between two heroes was hard to stop or even help one side, considering that the Cardinal Heroes had skills and strategies that normally were miles ahead of the usual tactics deployed in this world. Should one person of either side try to recklessly insert themselves into the fight, all they might end up doing is get themselves killed.
The girls in his party were used to fight in his personallized way, Felicia being the sole exception that hadn't been on a true large-scale conflict under his orders. That, however, also meant that Motoyasu had trained with his party in ways that benefited his fighting style, thus the heroes' parties were at a stalemate.
"Your lies won't work on me, Naofumi! Myne has told me all about your brainwashing shield as well as your demonic powers. No wonder Firo-chan and Raphtalia-chan work for you! You are truly scum, surrounding yourself with women for your sole pleasure without taking their true feeling on the matter, I'll deal with you now you Shield Devil." And there it was the hypocrisy that Naofumi was waiting for as soon as he laid eyes on the blond hair of the Spear Bearer. The Shield Hero huffed in anger, black wisps of flame exiting his nostrils as he stared at the idiot and his whores at the back.
The Shielder wondered where had that particular lie had sprouted from, his eyes settling over the frame of Melromark's first princess. Of course she would be the one to fabricate such a stupid lie. If one of the heroes died, the waves would in turn become exponentially harder and harder; however, it was to be expected that the Spear Hero would listen first to the tale of his trusted princess, as her words surely must be the truth that rules the universe for him. Fuck the lack of proof and fuck due process, blame Naofumi the Shield Hero. The redhead was happy to look smug at him, not even bothering to begin casting a spell or drawing the fancy blade at her hip, so confident she was.
Naofumi would not lose time with this fucking idiot or his party of dumb sluts. If Motoyasu was so damn sure that Ren and Itsuki were dead that he was willing to attack Naofumi with such vigor it, then maybe he should show him why the Church of Three Heroes called him [Shield Devil]. The shielder had hoped to not deal with any of the three before, his word with Fitoria would remain fair as he would not be fighting against the three offensive heroes. Fitoria... I should have fucking guessed so. Naofumi grumbled under his breath, huffing at the bothersome behavior of the Philorial Queen. She had indeed dropped hi between the border between the two countries, but she had also dropped him to the closest hero available.
Naofumi released a dry laugh, putting one had over his shield.
"[Wrath Shield II]!" His voice echoed in the fighting area, drawing the attention of everyone that was there. Motoyasu's party widened their eyes at the ominous shield, but smug and arrogant smiles soon came to paint their lips.
"At the end of the day, the devil shows us his true colors! See that Motoyasu-sama, he truly is using such nefarious power! It is our job as the vanguard of god to slay such foul creature!" Malty's voice was extremely grating for the Shielder, but the Spearer nodded to her with a hard expression, pointing his weapon at Naofumi. The blond procured something from a pouch at his hip, throwing up what looked to be a jewel on the ground. As soon as the precious stone met the earth, it released a great amount of lighting-mana, caging everyone around them.
"Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia called his attention, her sword drawn and ready to rend fools. Her expression was settled betwee righteous anger and battle seriousness, the raccoon girl looking every part an experienced leader. "Something is wrong, the walls are not being protected by anyone." She pointed out, the hero taking a quick peek and confiming her statement.
"Quickly defeat them so that we can get the fuck out of here! I'll deal with Motoyasu." The Shielder declared, clenching his fist. The spear wielder looked back to his party, nodding to them.
"I'll avenge everyone that has fallen due to you, Naofumi. You dared to kill even a small child! Melty-san didn't deserve that, you bastard." After another accusation, Motoyasu assumed his usual fighting stance, lightning sparks beginning to gather at the tip of his weapon. His party seemed to be casting some sort of offensive buff on him, the magic quite powerful no doubt aided by the countless magic items the group decorated themselves with.
"We are the source of your power, we command you to grant your might to our oh so holy hero. Encourage and grant him mighty strength, First Power!" The two girls from the back chanted, their magic accumulating and floating around them as the skill was secured for what Naofumi identified as a combo-skill.
"I am the source of your power! Scorch the fool who oposes me and let his ashes dye the ground, Zwiette Flaming Death!" Malty finished her incantation, a ball of flames joining the magic from the other two girls before it flew at Motoyasu, who caught the spell with the flat side of his spearhead, the weapon now clad in both lightning and fire.
"Thanks for the wonderful assist, girls! Myne! I will use the power of my allies to finish you-..." Before Motoyasu could continue his stupid teatric display, Naofumi had already rushed him, his dark shield in front of him as he cocked his right arm back. The Shielder reached the blond hero before he could fully swing his weapon, a burst of cursed black fire exploding against the spear and pushing it back; the surprised Spear hero was left open for the straight cross right from Naofumi, the following crack from Naofumi's gauntlet-clad fist meeting Motoyasu's jaw would make even a experienced brawler wince in pain. It was lucky that the Shield Hero's damage was meager, else that might have put the Spearer out of comission. As things stood, the blond was flung all the way back to his party, a nasty bruise forming on his face.
Motoyasu's party wasn't faring any better, considering that Naofumi's group wasn't ust standing around and letting them act. It might have looked like such from an outsider's perspective, but that merely attested to Raphtalia's illusionary magic! Before Malty and her party could act up, they found themselves under the brutal assault of a speedy phantom, the painful pommel strikes that battered them from all sides was only the beginning. While the other two mage girls began to receiver a multitide of small cuts from nowhere, the raccoon girl cut her magic off and appeared right in front of the first princess.
"How dare you-!" Before Malty could finish a sentence or cast another spell, Raphtalia had already smacked her across the face with her sheathed sword, the leather-bound blade making for a great improvised club. "Dirty demi-human!" The redhead tried to cast magic, only to find herself flung due to the forceful wind storm that slammed against her side. Firo was in her bird form and the philorial did not look happy.
"You have always been mean and spoken bad things about master! You even tried to kill Mel-chan! I won't forgive you!" Firo shouted, using her high agility to dart closer to the human and deliver a merciless kick to the already injuried side, just like master told her to do in fights!
"GARHHH!" Malty could only grunt in pain at the force of the kick, her high-grade equipment being her saving grace from the numerous internal bleedings she should have been suffering right now. She managed to cast a quick fireball, the magic flying towards Raphtalia, who merely dodged and ran away from the effective blast. That had given time for the princess to stand up, only to find a dagger's pommel digging onto her gut. She dry-heaved, a slap hitting the side of her head leaving her with her back on the ground and her sense of direction skewed.
The princess managed to see the cloak and mask of the individual, her eyes displaying fear at the appearance of Shadow.
"Disgusting whore." Her tone was low and steel-cold, Shadow spat the words with none of her usual flair. "A selfish brat who is used to laying down with men to get her way shouldn't be prancing around, playing the world's savior." The rogue opperator chambered a kick, smashing her boot against the redhead's face as she punted the princess closer to her companions, the other two noble daugthers defeated in a pile.
The three women laid there, not noticing the witch the seemed to be content with letting the fighting continue so long as she wasn't disturbed. If they could hear the thoughts of said witch, the three noblewomen would surely prefer to continue to be kicked aroundd. Felicia sauntered slowly to the defeated group, her opal-black eyes glinting with a amethist light. The witch took a puff of her pipe, sure that dealing with this scum wouldn't even require her to use of the [Silver Catalyst], her prized staff. Merely using her pipe would be enough.
"I am the source of thy power. Void, oh merciless void, bring about the end of my enemies' might, for you are the all-ending void. All Dritte Fall, Manaless Zone." The chant was ominous, but the deep purple color that surrounded the three defeated women far trumped the words as it settled down. It seemed to have no true effect, Malty scoffing at the now visible witch, even with her broken and bleeding nose. "It's alright to laugh, since it is quite a underwhelming spell. One tip though, don't try to cast any magic there. Palkia's wrath won't trigger by itself, but any active mana in there will colapse in itself to create a black hole. I doubt you know what that is, but I'm sure you don't want to find that out."
Motoyasu quickly stood up, spinning his weapon and charging Naofumi with a challeging shout.
"Blunt Spike!" A green magic construct fell over Motoyasu, the hero barely dodging the familiar magic. He tried to complain, but was cut short when a shield appeared behind him. "Air Strike Shield!" The Spearer tried to attack behind him, his awkward angle of attack merely scratching the following magic construct, Motoyasu banging against it and falling on the ground.
KILL HIM!
"Shield Priso - " Naofumi was about to cast [Iron Maiden], consequences be damned. However, his magic senses picked on something weird. Magic was gathering somewhere close by. The lightnign cage around them was still active, the hero quickly rushing over to the Spear Hero and stomping on his back. One boot firmly planted on the blond's back and another crushing his spear-holding hand against the ground (the weapon too), Naofumi looked around. His gut was being filled with joy at seeing these hated people humiliated, but something wasn't adding up. How come they are this weak? Their levels are all on the 60's and Motoyasu's is 75; And what the fuck is this magic I'm sensing?
"Naofumi, you cheat bastard!" The Spear Hero spoke, Naofumi shutting him up by changing the position of his foot from the blond's back to the back of his head, pressing his head firmly against the dirt. There was something very wrong about this. Where are the guards? THey can't be this arrogant to believe that Motoyasu alone will win, but reinforcements should already be here. Raphtalia said that she couldn't sense any other guards, so where have they gone?
"NAOFUMI!/MASTER!/SHAAAAAHHHHHHH" Almost as if they were fleeing from hell itself, Firo, Dera and Felicia rushed to his position, Raphtalia and Shadow carrying over the defeated trio. What the fuck is going on?! "As many as you can, bring about your GREATEST DEFENSE right now!" Felicia shouted, bringing her cane out from her hat and immediately starting a chant. Firo nodded furiously, as did Dera, both hurriedly trying to convey the urgency of the request. He wanted to question why had Raphtalia bothered to drag the three other bitches close, but before he could, Felicia grabbed his face with a panic-like urging rush. "HURRY, NAOFUMI!"
[XXX]
[XXX]
"Brothers, sisters! It is high time for God to punish the devil that plagues our land. Chant high and chant loud, so that the skies may tremble with our prayers! God stands with you; I stand with you! It is time for a CRUSADE!" A fervorous voice exclaimed, inciting the many believers gathered there to increase the volume of their voices. Choir like, the many priests and sisters synchronized their chanting with zealous effort. Mana heavily saturated the air in a golden hue, the power being focused into the glowing weapon that the man leading these people was wielding. Among the many people, a particular individual besides the older man stood out. Two other individuals in fact, but the second one's presence was hard to detect. The one that stood out was a female girl, a blue dress in a poor statebeing her attire. Her eyes were puffy and red, her mouth long gagged to silence her.
The man was dressing in priestly garbs of higher order than those around him, many golden inlays on the expensive threaded silk that robed him. Many symbols were sewn into his clothing, but the most prominent of those was a circle made out of silver, depicting three offensive weapons joined together: Sword, Bow and Spear. His glowing weapon took the shape of a tri-pronged spear, the priest pointing it at a knight garrison border control building.
"Be punished and be cleansed by the holy power of GOD! Fake hero and Shield Demon!"
"We are the source of thy power. Light, oh holy light, hear our prayers and become the weapon that strikes down the sinners of this land. Cleanse, purufy and erase thy enemy with thy merciless power. Light, sear and torch the sinner without a blemish left. DRITTE FALL, Multi-cast High-tier magic. JUDGEMENT!"
[XXX]
[XXX]
"Air Strike Shield! Second Shield! Reinforcement! Iron Defense! Shield Prison! Holy Light! Philorial Queen's Blessing! Sovereign Power! King's Might! Revenge's cloak! Dark Protection! Draconic Might! Scale Hardening!" Naofumi shouted skill after skill, his mana and Sp being drained as he abused the majority of his recently acquired skills. The already mighty defense of the Shielder rose to absolutely absurd levels, the spent mana encasing the Shielder and his groups (as well as the add-ons) giving the impression that they were truly inside a bulker. The strange feeling he had from previously became an full blown ringing as he could almost physically fell the weight of the mana that was being focused into his direction.
[WARNING! DETECTING ABNORMAL MANA GATHERING PATTERN ABOVE!]
[The Dragon's Great Vein is under the influence of Shield Hero Iwatani Naofumi. Granting mana boost to defensive skills according to the synchrony between the hero and the world. Low level of influence. Granting 10% to defensive power.]
Naofumi rose his cursed shield up, waiting for whatever it was to come and get him.
"I will survive no matter what and you all will come with me!" The hero shouted to his girls inside the cage of shields.
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"I'm sorry Naofumi, this is the only way." Fitoria spoke to herself in a low tone, her carriage carrying her to the location infested with monsters from the previous wave. "I'll wait for you, True Shield."
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"My Queen." Eclair Seatto knelt besides her sovereign, the Queen of Melromark. The woman had just finished putting on her armor, magic lightly floating around her and lowering the temperature of the room by a few degrees.
"My informants say that they have found the traitorous pope as well as the Shield Hero. I hope that Melty has managed to earn his favor." The Queen spoke outloud, already exiting her tent. Outside, many troops were on her wait, Eclair being just her current attendant. The female knight seemed crestfallen, her head tilting down at the mention of the Shield.
"If only I wasn't so stuborn, I might have been able to help in persuading him. His heart harbors much distaste for our country, my Lady."
The queen took the reigns of her horse, climbing it rather skillfully. She looked at the knight by her side, the daughter of the previous lord of the first village destroyed by the waves. Eclair had much to learn if she was clinging so hard to the "Ways of knighthood". Well, she wasn't the only one that had made terrible mistakes.
"Regreating things won't change their outcome. Ready your sword and be ready to face the present that is to come. The only thing we can do right now is our best to help the Shield Hero and hopefully earn even the smallest amount of trust with him." The queen clicked her fingers, a shadow operator appearing almost out of thin air. "Report status on the conditions of my daughters."
"Right away your majesty. The first princess was last sighted with the Spear Hero and we are waiting further news from the agents on the field. The Second Princess was last reported being rescued from Ningenyami's lord by the Shield Hero before we lost contact with the Shadow that was protecting her. A full investigation is being conducted to try and find her current whereabouts, but many agents have been busy dealing with the church's corps." The shadow read out of a tiny scroll, cleaning her voice a bit before procceding. "The Shield Hero has openly stated to have deep hatred to our country and all our previous contacts with him have resulted in hostility. Reaching common grounds with him seems to require your skills, my queen. We are deeply ashamed of our failures."
The queen merely sighed in a tired tone.
"Hopefully Melty has had more progress."
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TO BE CONTINUED.