Disclaimer:
The Rising of the Shield Hero was created by Aneko Yusagi. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. Magic Knight Rayearth was created by CLAMP. Sword Art Online was created by Reki Kawahara. DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Digimon is owned by Bandai and Toei. Kono Suba was created by Akatsuki Natsume. Gate was created by Takumi Yanai. This story uses reference material from them.

Heroes of Another World
By: RB3
Birth of the WDF 1: New Vassals

Some time after the celebrations, Team Shield, Team Vassal, and the Spade Mercenaries gathered together for an emergency discussion. "The Waves aren't over yet!" announced Naofumi. "I just checked my countdown timer. It told me that a new Wave is due in three months!"

"We got rid of Vepar! How is that possible?" asked Midori.

"I guess it wasn't so easy, huh?" asked Sinon rhetorically.

"Easy? That was hardly easy!" said Hikaru.

"There have to be other forces at work, more demons, or maybe new third parties," said Abel.

"It can't be Cephiro again. We broke its link to Melro, so what world is crashing into Melro now?" asked Hikaru.

"We won't know until the Wave hits," replied Atsuro.

"All we can do is wait. I hate that! I don't want to sit on my butt doing nothing," said Midori.

"We won't. Before this Wave hits, we'll step up our training," said Abel. "I'll even summon the remaining Vassal Heroes to help you."

"There are more Vassal Heroes than the four of us?" asked Megumin.

"Yep, eight in total. However, some of the weapons already have owners. Upset by Melromarc's violation of the treaty, Fourbrey called one of the Vassal Heroes to work for them. He owns the Vassal Projectile if I recall correctly," replied Abel. "Witnesses have reported seeing another Vassal Weapon, the Carriage, during some Waves. The creature who pulled it is believed to be Fitoria, the Queen of Filorials from legend."

"There's a Queen of Filorials?" asked Filo.

"Yeah, apparently," replied Abel. "Fitoria seems to be going around fighting the Waves like we are."

"As it stands now, the other three Cardinal Heroes work for Melromarc and I'm with four Vassal Heroes in Shieldfreeden," said Naofumi. "The Projectile Hero is taking care of Fourbrey, and Fitoria is going around to a bunch of different places."

"That sums it up," said Abel.

"With those two and the four of you here, that makes six Vassal Weapons accounted for. So there's two slots left," said Raphtalia.

"Right. While I work on bringing them in, why not go on a quest to toughen up?" asked Abel.

"Sure," said Naofumi.

Team Shield and Team Vassal left the Domain to find a job which would strengthen themselves and earn good money. Abel went to the arena of the colosseum. He magically created a dodecagram of chalk onto the ground to focus the alteration of dimensions caused by the summoning. Abel raised his hands into the air, building up the power and reaching out into the greater multiverse to bring the final two Vassal Heroes to Melro to do battle.

))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

On the world of Falmart was the Saderan Empire, the dominant power of the continent. This vast empire resembled Rome at its peak of power, but enduring into the Middle Ages. One of its citizens was a curvaceous brunette in her twenties. She had a long face and was dressed as a mage in khaki yellow robes over a blue mini skirt and brown stockings. She carried a backpack filled with magical knickknacks as well as supplies for her trip. Holding a lantern, she approached a cave in the wilderness far from her home. She cautiously delved inside for samples of minerals to take back for research.

The mage found a vein of silvery ore embedded in the side of the cave. She chipped away at it with a pickax, slowly loosening the ore from the wall. Once she gathered every last trace of it in a bag, she made her way out. Suddenly, the ground started to shake! Despite propping herself against the cavern walls, it was still difficult for her to maintain her balance. The earthquake had dislodged several rocks and boulders from the mountaintop. They came crashing down as an avalanche and sealed the front entrance, trapping the mage inside.

"Oh crap!" she blurted.

She pulled out a set of beads on strings connected to a handle. As she spun the beads in a circle, they spit out several bolts of magical energy. They pummelled the rock, but could not blast through deep enough to open a gap which she could use to escape. She eventually tired and slumped onto the ground to rest. Her stomach started to growl from hunger, so she ate the dried meat and fruit she had packed as rations. She washed it down with a gulp of water from a wooden, cylindrical container.

She tried several times to blast through the rock, but that only caused new rocks to tumble down and replace the old ones she had blasted away. Time passed and her stomach started to growl again, but this time, she had no more food remaining. She was becoming afraid and desperate. "Please! Someone save me!" she pleaded in her mind to whatever divine power was listening.

She curled up into a ball and awaited her fate. As though to answer her plea, a column of golden light enveloped her. When her vision returned, she appeared to be in the centre of what looked like a colosseum. A magic sigil had been chalked on the ground and she was curled up on top of it. There was another person to her left, a tomboy of around ten years of age. She had dog ears poking through her grey hair and was dressed in rags. The mage realized this girl was a demihuman, a half-husky girl.

The husky girl was seated on the ground holding her knees. She was not responsive, not even after the sudden change to her environment. The mage noticed how dirty she was, as well as all the scars on her body. No doubt the girl had been tortured severely before arriving here. She had blue eyes which showed a vacant expression, as though she was somewhere else in her mind. The mage could not help but feel sorry for the poor girl. Whatever she went through must have been traumatizing.

The mage in khaki noticed that her name, Arpeggio El Lalena, had been displayed in blue font on the upper left corner of an interface in her vision. Next to it was "Lv 10" written in smaller font, and every word was written in Saderan Latin. Beneath that was a set of three coloured bars, one red, one yellow, and the last blue, from top to bottom. To the left of all that was an icon which looked like a diamond with a chain attached to one end of it. The chain curved right and was attached to a ring at the other end.

The husky girl saw a similar interface, but her icon looked like a glove. Her name, Keel, was beside an indicator which said "Lv 1." Unlike Arpeggio, her red bar was only a third full. She did not notice this at first, trapped in depression as she was. After a few seconds passed, she eventually gained the lucidity to notice that she was not in a cell. "I... I'm free?" Keel asked, in disbelief at this current turn of events.

There was also a third person in the arena, a young man who stood before the two girls. He was in his early twenties with blue hair. He was dressed in black robes and appeared to be a mage or sorcerer as well. The interface identified him as Abel with a full red bar beneath his name. Underneath the bar, it showed him as Lv ?, a level of power too high to comprehend at the girls' current level of power. "Who are you?" asked Arpeggio.

"I'm Abel, also known as the King of Bel, master of magic, and lord of demons," replied the young mage in black.

"What am I doing here?" asked Arpeggio. "I was trapped in a cave and one flash of light later, I'm here, wherever here is."

"The two of you have responded to my call for Vassal Wielders in the world of Melro. As Vassal Heroes, you have the right to wield a special magical weapon for the completion of your duty. It is the only weapon you may use," stated Abel.

A GUI window appeared, telling Arpeggio and Keel exactly that. Arpeggio then noticed that there was something attached to the middle finger of her right hand. She brought it up for examination and saw that it was a metal ring connected to a diamond-shaped tip via a chain. The ring was set with a spherical, blue, sapphire-like orb. It was the very thing represented by the icon in her interface. As a weapon, the tip could be flung out to attack, then retracted to be reused as a yo-yo would.

The husky girl's weapon was actually the leather glove on her right hand. An emerald sphere had been set in a holder on the back. It was obviously meant to protect the hand, but had metal knuckles which could also enhance punching power. "Please introduce yourselves," said Abel.

"I'm Arpeggio El Lalena," replied the female mage in khaki. "I come from Rondel, the City of Learning, on the continent of Falmart. Mages and researchers of all kinds gather there to exchange knowledge. I live with my teacher, Mimoza, who taught me everything I know about the Lindon style of magic."

"I'm Keel. I come from Rurorona Village in the Saett Region of Melromarc. It's the only place in the country where demihumans can live in peace," replied Keel.

"Glad to meet you. I'm Abel, as I've said already," said Abel. "Keel, did you say you came from Rurorona Village?" Keel nodded affirmatively. "I see. What a small world!"

"Abel, do you know what has become of Rurorona?" asked Keel. "I need to know!"

"We fought a great battle against the perpetrators of the Waves there. We won, but the battle set back the village's recovery. Work's slow due to a manpower shortage," replied Abel.

"When you said we had a duty to fulfill, what did you mean by that?" asked Arpeggio.

"As Vassal Heroes, your duty is to stop the Waves of Calamity from consuming Melro. Waves are what occur when another world is about to collide with Melro. They dump hordes of monsters into both worlds where they rampage unchecked," replied Abel.

"Just like the Shield Hero!" said Keel.

"Yep," replied Abel.

"You mean I have to go out and fight monsters?" asked Arpeggio. "I'm a scholar! I'm no warrior!"

"Relax. We wouldn't send you out there without proper training. There are also four Vassal Heroes already here who can guide you," said Abel.

"So, I'm a Legendary Hero too? Does that mean I'll get to meet the Cardinal Heroes like the Shield Hero?" asked Keel.

"Yep. We happen to have an alliance with the Shield Hero. We train together in my Domain," replied Abel. "Oh, that's right! You're a demihuman. You guys love the Shield Hero."

"Yeah!" said Keel. "My parents told me so many stories about how he helped demihumans."

"Great! You two will get along just fine. The Shield Hero's name is Naofumi Iwatani. He can be gruff, but he does have a heart," said Abel. "Just out of curiosity, do you happen to know a Raphtalia?"

"Yeah, she's my best friend," replied Keel.

"She's now a trusted companion of the Shield Hero. You'll get to see her too," said Abel. "For now, please show me your magic status. You can do that by focusing on that little square at the lower right of your field of vision."

Arpeggio looked around, then noticed the blue square in the lower right area of her vision. When she focused on it, it brought up what appeared to be a chart. It listed various attributes such as physical and magical attack power with a numerical rating. "It looks like it rates me on how strong I am," said Arpeggio. "It also tells me that I'm the Vassal Pendulum Hero. So my weapon is called the Pendulum?"

"That's right," replied Abel. "You seem to specialize in magical attack and defence. You did tell us you're a mage, so that's not unusual. The most important number there is your level, which ranks your overall power. It's marked with the letters 'Lv.'"

"I'm Lv 10. Is that low?" asked Arpeggio.

"Compared to the other heroes, yeah," admitted Abel.

"Crap! How am I going to save the world and get home at this rate?" asked Arpeggio, who started to fidget uncontrollably. "How?"

"I told you, you'll receive training," replied Abel. "We have facilities where you can learn combat technique and magic native to Melro. When you finally join the others, they'll cover for you until you reach their level. There's no need to fear."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" asked Arpeggio in relief.

"What about you Keel, what does your magic status say?" asked Abel.

"I'm a Lv 1 Vassal Glove Hero," replied Keel.

Abel looked at the interface floating before Keel. "It seems you specialize in fast, hard-hitting physical strikes. You're basically a martial artist," said Abel. "In order to optimize your training, please tell me what kind of combat-related experience and training you two have."

"I'm not a warrior. I'm a mage. I know spells to fire energy bolts and create protective barriers," replied Arpeggio. "I also know spells to detect minerals and create light, among others."

Abel nodded. "That's a nice selection. Hmm... At first glance, I'd say earth and supportive magic would be your specialties under the Melroan Ritual system. I'd want a second opinion to confirm that, but we'll likely focus your training around that."

"What about me? What kind of magic am I good with?" asked Keel.

Abel looked at Keel, analyzing her magical aptitudes. "Hmm... You don't seem to specialize in any kind of magic," replied Abel.

"Great," she replied, feeling deflated.

"You can still learn a few tricks. You'll just be more limited since you're not a true mage," said Abel. "Do you have any combat training?"

"No, sorry," replied Keel.

"No problem. Let me show you around the premises. This building is the colosseum. We do most of our training in and around this place. We have a demon named Girimehkala here who acts as an instructor," said Abel as he led Keel and Arpeggio to the east annex next door. "This is the commons room of the east annex. Here is where you can rest and take meals. Silky will do most of the cooking for you and maintains the Domain while I'm away."

"I'm curious... What magic are you best at, Abel?" asked Arpeggio.

"I specialize in water, ice, plant, support, and almighty magic," he replied. "I can use every magic decently except for fire."

"What's almighty magic? I've never heard of it," said Arpeggio.

"Almighty is a special element type within Amalan magic. It can't be resisted, nullified, absorbed, or redirected in any way. It's extremely powerful, though slightly more expensive to use," replied Abel.

"Where are the other heroes?" asked Keel.

"They went on quests to train and improve. They'll return once they're done, so you can meet them then," said Abel.

))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Team Shield stopped by at the Shieldheim adventurer guild in search of a quest for their group to complete. They browsed the boards and found a posting for the capture of a group of bandits operating in the Grunesblatt Region. These bandits have been raiding caravans travelling along the Shieldruken Way. "Master Naofumi, that sounds like the last job we did," said Raphtalia.

"Yeah, there have been a lot of robberies lately. If we bust those bandits, things should improve," said Naofumi.

"Naofumi, Lord Abel has summoned the new Vassal Heroes. They're too inexperienced to join you, so the Spade Mercs have started training them," reported the Pixie.

"Okay, thanks for the information," said Naofumi.

"So, are we're off to Grunesblatt Town?" asked Filo.

"Yep. Let's get you hitched to the wagon and going," said Naofumi.

Team Shield immediately set out for the Grunesblatt Region, which was east of Shieldheim. Grunesblatt consisted of a sprawling verdant grassland which stretched eastward from the capital. The region was renowned for its fruit and vegetables, complementing the meat and dairy produced by Schweinesser and Molkerei. Thus, most of the inhabitants of the region were farmers. They were scattered across the region, working their farms to keep the nation of Shieldfreeden fed.

As Filo pulled the cart along the Shieldruken Way in Grunesblatt, the group found a smashed fence belonging to a vineyard. Team Shield stopped to investigate. Further in were several vines ripped up and grapes crushed and smeared on the ground. Naofumi saw several footprints imprinted in the ground in purple pulp. There were also stray crossbow bolts scattered about the area. Several people were hard at work, trying to clean the mess the bandit attacks had made on the vineyard.

One of them, a werewolf demihuman, looked up when he noticed Team Shield assessing the damage from the road outside his property. "Oi!" he cried. "Shield Hero! Look at what the bandits did to my vineyard!"

"I see that. Please introduce yourself and tell me what happened," requested Naofumi.

"I'm Wolfgang and this is my vineyard. Our grapes are used in wine, jams, and as table grapes," said the werewolf vineyard owner.

"I'm Naofumi Iwatani, the Shield Hero," said Naofumi. "I'm on a quest to investigate a series of robberies along the Shieldruken Way."

"Pleased to meet you, Shield Hero. I'm glad that it's you on the case. Last night, one of my workers heard a thumping sound. When he looked out the window, he saw the silhouettes of suspicious people among the grapevines. Since no one was working late, he alerted the others, then we chased the hoodlums out with crossbows," said Wolfgang.

"Thanks for the information. I'm going to ask around elsewhere," said Naofumi.

"Thank you, Shield Hero," said Wolfgang.

Team Shield reached Grunesblatt Town, the capital of the region and largest settlement there. They introduced themselves at the office of the mayor, a female bunny demihuman who wore glasses. "Shield Hero! We're pleased to find you on the case," said the mayor.

"Yeah, I just passed by Wolfgang's Vineyard earlier and saw the damage. It was fortunate that no one got hurt," said Naofumi.

"Yep, it is," said the mayor. "From what we can gather, the bandits are likely holed up in the forest northeast of here. It's the perfect place to hide."

Naofumi examined a map of the region in the mayor's office. He noticed that very forest right where the Grunesblatt mayor said it would be. With the trees blocking vision, it would be easy to conceal a camp from which to base raids against the Shieldruken Way. "There's a rock formation there. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a cave there they could use as a shelter," said Naofumi. "We'll go check that location."

"Thank you Shield Hero and good luck," said the mayor.

Team Shield left Grunesblatt, bound for the forest in the northeast, the most likely hideout of the bandits. As the group approached, Team Shield could see that the forest surrounded the rock formation, providing good cover against inquisitive eyes. Filo brought the wagon off the road to the edge of the forest, where Team Shield concealed it under a tarp with leaves and foliage to disguise its presence. They continued deeper into the forest on foot and eventually reached an area with a good view of the rock formation's front.

Through a telescope, they saw a cave in the side of the rock. On occasion, they saw men and women in leather armour come in and out of the cave, all of whom carried a weapon. They were bandits. As they continued their stakeout into the night, a large group of similarly clad men and women with covered faces arrived. This group had finished their robberies for the day and were bringing home the loot. They ate a meal with grapes as dessert, no doubt ones stolen from Wolfgang's Vineyard.

After the bandits began winding down for the night, Team Shield returned to their wagon. "There are a lot of them. How are we going to handle this?" asked Raphtalia.

"Our best shot would be to ambush them while they are distracted by a merchant caravan. It's too risky to take them head-on with their numbers," said Naofumi.

"Okay, we'll tail them as they leave to set up the ambush. Once they spring it, that's when we nail 'em!" said Raphtalia.

"That's a plan," said the Pixie.

"We'll support you as much as we can, Shield Hero," said the Wild Hunt.

As morning came, the sun started to rise over the eastern horizon, casting its golden glow upon the forest. Team Shield quietly made its way through the forest and took up a hidden position near the bandit camp. As expected, the bandits departed for the Shieldruken Way to carry out their robberies for the day. Team Shield tailed them and saw them hide in the trees and foliage at the very edge of the forest. A bandit lookout spotted a convoy of wagons coming down the Shieldruken Way from the west.

A runner ran from the lookout and reported back to the field commander of the ambush team in the foliage. The convoy continued down the road, oblivious to the danger than lay in wait. Once it was directly south of the forest, the bandits ran out on a beeline for the caravan. "That's our cue to go," said Naofumi.

Filo assumed her filorial form, then leapt to the top of a tree with Naofumi on her back. Positioned thus, Naofumi had a clear view of the entire ambush as it rushed out at the convoy. He directed Medusa's Gaze upon the bandits, causing all of them to rapidly petrify. Being encased in stone completely halted their advance and any advantage they would have had through the element of surprise. The Wild Hunt rained arrows into the trees and picked off the lookout who was hiding there.

The convoy's protective detail was puzzled when they noticed the petrified bandits on their flank. When the guards realized their situation, they had the bandits surrounded. Naofumi descended from the tree and came to parlay with them. They raised weapons at him. "Whoa! I'm not with them!" said Naofumi, raising his hands to indicate his innocence. "I'm simply here to capture the bandits."

"Wait a minute... You're the Shield Hero!" said the kitsune woman in charge of the protective detail.

"That's right," replied Naofumi.

"At ease everyone," said the kitsune.

"Thank you. The adventurer guild gave me a job to capture these bandits. If you could do me a favour, please detain these men until I get back. I'm going to flush out their camp," said Naofumi.

"Sure. We can't risk leaving these bandits alone now that we know they're there. Although with them petrified, they can't really do much," said the kitsune.

"It will wear off eventually, so don't turn your back on them," warned Naofumi. "Thanks for your cooperation. We won't be long."

Team Shield travelled to the bandit camp, which was now sparsely populated due to their main force being detained. The Wild Hunt rained arrows upon the camp and hit five bandits, felling them before they could even react. Once the villains realized they were in danger, they scrambled for cover behind objects like rocks and trees. Naofumi flanked one bandit hiding behind a rock and lashed the Liger Shield at him. The bandit turned only to see the Liger Shield cut him down.

Raphtalia met a female human bandit and locked weapons with her. After an exchange of strikes and parries, Raphtalia swung for her foe's open left, leaving a bloody gash as the aftermath. The bandit collapsed. Filo kicked a male wanui bandit, launching him into the rock formation where he bounced off and crashed to the ground. The Pixie zapped a kitsune mage with lightning, knocking her to the ground. When it was over, Team Shield had felled a dozen bandits with their attack. They scanned the nearby area and found no stragglers.

They returned to the caravan, where they fired a green signal flare into the sky. The local sheriff was quick to arrive with his men and took the petrified bandits into custody. His underlings travelled to the bandit camp in the north, where they secured it and the goods the bandits had stolen. "Thank you, Shield Hero. We couldn't have done this without you," said the sheriff.

"Yes, take those men into custody. Make sure they don't bother anyone again," said Naofumi.

))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Naofumi had received a thousand silvers from the mayor of Grunesblatt for busting the bandit ring. With reward in hand, he teleported the group back to the Jacob farm in Molkerei, just as the Vassal Heroes came back. "Hey! Glad to see everyone okay," said Raphtalia.

"Yeah, it looks like you finished your job around the same time we did," said Takato.

"I want to meet the new Vassal Heroes," said Guilmon.

"Hi guys! Back already?" asked Atsuro as he came into the commons area in the east annex.

"Hi Atsuro!" replied Hikaru. "Yeah. It seems Naofumi is too."

"Good! The Vassals are training with my friends right now. You can go meet them if you want," said Atsuro. "I'm just here to fetch some water. Any of you want some?"

"Sure!" replied Hikaru.

"I could use a drink myself," replied Filo.

Atsuro went to the annex fridge and retrieved bottled water for them. He also took a case with him as he led the group to the bleachers. They saw a grey-haired husky girl being instructed by Girimehkala. The tomboyish girl assumed a fighting stance and was covered in sweat. She threw a three punch combination to a punching bag, ending with a kick. The bag bobbed back with each of her blows. "Is that who I think it is?" Raphtalia asked hopefully as she watched the husky girl shake the bag with a left hook.

She rushed down to the arena, through a door in the protective wall. "That's good! Keep it up!" encouraged Girimehkala as his student pummelled the punching bag.

"Keel! Is that really you?" asked Raphtalia as she approached the training area.

Keel paused when she heard someone call her name. "R... Raphtalia?" she asked.

"Yes! It's me! Thanks to the Shield, I'm alive," said Raphtalia.

Although Raphtalia had aged as a result of gaining levels, Keel recognized her very quickly. "It's you! It really is you!" cheered Keel. The two took each other in a warm embrace, overjoyed to finally be reunited after tragedy struck Rurorona Village and separated them.

"Yeah," replied Raphtalia. "Do you know what happened to Rifana? I'm still worried about her."

"I don't know," replied Keel. "She must still be in Rabier's dungeon."

"Master Naofumi, I know it's selfish of me to ask, but could you take me back to Melromarc as soon as possible? I need to know what happened to Rifana," requested Raphtalia.

"Okay, we'll take a look. The Wave isn't due for about three months, so we have plenty of time. We can use the Domain as a shortcut or teleport back with the Shield," said Naofumi.

"Who is this man?" asked Keel.

"This is the Shield Hero, Naofumi Iwatani. He's here to help us fight the Waves," said Raphtalia.

Keel noticed the Shield on Naofumi's arm and understood that Naofumi was the real deal. "You really do exist! I've always wanted to meet you!" said Keel.

"Well, here I am. It seems you're one of the Vassal Heroes now," said Naofumi.

"That's right. I'm the Vassal Glove Hero," replied Keel. "I'm training to be a better fighter. I want to join you in the fight against the Waves."

"As a friend of Raphtalia, it's great to have you on the team," said Naofumi.

"Thank you!" said Keel.

Raphtalia introduced the rest of her team and those of the Vassal Wielders to Keel. Suddenly, several rocks descended from the sky, shaking the southern portion of the colosseum as they impacted the ground. The group left Keel behind to investigate the magic range, where they saw Abel and Arpeggio at the firing position. He appeared to be instructing the new mage in the magical arts. Downrange, the ground had been wrecked by numerous rocks and the craters they had formed upon colliding with the ground.

Abel examined the damage caused by Arpeggio's spell. "Good! That was a nice Meteor Shower spell," remarked Abel, who then noticed the group in the area. "Hi guys! You came just in time. This is Arpeggio El Lalena, wielder of the Vassal Pendulum."

"Hey guys!" said Arpeggio.

"Hello," said Takato.

Abel proceeded to introduce the members of Team Shield and Team Vassal to Arpeggio. "I assume you've already met Keel, the Vassal Glove Wielder?" asked Abel.

"Yeah. I'm glad she's safe and sound," replied Raphtalia. "Who would've guessed that she would be chosen to be a hero?"

"Since you two know each other, I'm going to assume Keel will join your team once she completes basic training. That means that you should go with the other Vassal Wielders, Arpeggio," said Abel.

"Okay, I'm glad to meet everyone," said Arpeggio.

"What is Arpeggio capable of doing?" asked Sinon.

"She's a mage, so I'm teaching her Ritual magic," replied Abel. "Arpeggio specializes in earth and support spells. She also knows spells from the Lindon style of her homeland."

"So Arpeggio, how is your training coming along?" asked Hikaru.

"Quite well! Master Abel has taught me powerful new spells like Meteor Shower and Stone Cloud," replied Arpeggio. "Tell me about yourselves. What kind of team am I joining? What can you guys do?"

"If you need someone upfront for protection, Hikaru, Guilmon, and I have that covered. I use the Trinket, so I'm big into defence and support. I can protect you with Barriers," replied Takato. "I can also summon monsters to fight for us."

"Yep! I use the Katana, so get in close to fight. I also know some fire and lightning magic too," said Hikaru.

"I just shoot the bad guys with the Firearm," replied Sinon.

"I'm an Arch Wizard of the Crimson Demon Clan. None will survive the fury of my Explosion spell!" proclaimed Megumin.

"It looks like you have all the bases covered," said Arpeggio.

"Yep, we'll make a great team!" said Takato.

"I guess the only thing we lack is a dedicated healer," said Sinon.

"I know a bit of healing magic and Megumin has that Asklepian Staff, so we're pretty good here," said Takato.

"I'll make sure Arpeggio learns at least one healing spell," said Abel.

"I'm glad I could meet you," said Arpeggio.

"Yeah! I can't wait until you can join our team. Train hard and become strong," said Hikaru.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence! I'll become a worthy hero for you all!" assured Arpeggio.

END OF CHAPTER