"Oh, Great Heroes, please save our world!"
Those were the very cliched words four very confused people heard after somehow appearing in a closed chamber full of wizards from out of a western fantasy setting.
"Uh. Sorry, what?" One of them, wielding a bow, asked. He was about in his early twenties, well muscled but still lean body, of short red hair and steely blue eyes. His other most prominent physical traits were a red star tattoo on his left shoulder and the numerous scars that run through his arms and shoulder. He's wearing a black top and trousers, as well as blue and white gloves and shoes. He also has a firearm resting in a holster on his hip.
"W-What is the meaning of this?! I was in the middle of work! And didn't this kind of thing just happen to Neptune?" A young woman wielding a sword blurted out, red eyes somehow turning anime white from shock. She has long, black hair arranged in twintails. Her black and white dress… well, it just looks like something out of an anime convention, and compared to the other occupants of the room, that's saying something. Also, she has a kinda workaholic, lonely and tsundere aura around her. "I'm not lonely! And what's that about my clothes?"
"Who are you talking to?" Another person with black hair asked her. The difference being, he's a boy, a few years younger than the sword wielder, shorter hair and icy blue eyes. His clothing being much more normal than his companions, consisting only of a white t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. He also has a small shield fastened to his arm.
"No one!" The tsundere quickly recovered her composure, nearly lost completely from breaking the fourth wall.
The fourth of them seemed the most lost of all of them. She's a fair-skinned beauty, a few years older than the gunman/bowman at most, of long snow white hair and intense red eyes. She's wearing a long skirted, red and white samurai armor over some kind of white and blue kimono as well as a headband with Oni horns that tie up into a red bow. Alarmingly, she looked like out of a warzone, with armor scratched up and splashes of dirt and blood, not her own, all over her body. No one could see it, but there were marks of tears on her face. Her hand firmly held a spear.
"I know that you must be confused." The main mage's voice brought all four of them to attention "But if you allow us, our king will explain everything."
The four otherworlders followed the mages out of the chamber, at least, to gain answers.
"Are we really inside of a castle?" Asked the shield bearer, observing the very real architecture, hoping it was a prop. Unfortunately, his experiences with castles and other far stranger places in his (half)life tell him that it's the actual thing.
"Not just the castle." The redhead pointed to a window, showing a Middle Ages-like city "The only places where you could see something like this are those in the movies and history books."
"I think it looks more like a standard RPG setting." The twintailed chimed in "Hey, are you okay?" She asked her fellow female.
"Oh? Uh, yes." The albino got out of her funk "It's just… this is too sudden. I was just in the middle of a battle." losing, though she didn't say it aloud "Not to say, this is too different to what I'm accustomed to."
"With the armor you're wearing, I'm gonna guess you're a samurai from Japan." The shield kid guessed.
"Onna-musha, actually. My husband was the one with the noble title." The battle maiden politely corrected, though it seemed like the part about her husband was a tough pill to swallow "Though I still fought in the frontlines and hail from Japan."
"Well, the other "samurai" lady I know is actually an assassin. Though I am not an expert in ancient pre-spaceflight history, to be honest." The gunman scratched up his head, wondering how his friends would react to his impromptu disappearance."Though I'm also curious about these weapons. I've never wielded a bow in my life."
Now that they thought about it, they had no idea where those weapons came from. Only that they were glued to their bodies. The teenager tried to pry off his shield, only to become stuck on his other hand despite the ease in taking it off his arm.
Even if the two red-eyed girls in their group had genuine skill and experience using similar weapons, they also were sure they never wielded those particular weapons.
"Mmm." The twintail stared hard at her sword "If we're going to see a king, I don't think having weapons exposed is a good idea." Then, she dematerialized her sword. Much to the surprise of her other companions, and even bigger surprise to their guides.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" The awkwardly social tsundere questioned in response to everyone's gazes.
"How did you do that? The sword disappearing act? Is that magic?" The gunman asked curious. Where he came from, magic was nearly extinct.
"Not exactly. I just put it on my inventory." Now the sword wielder was even more confused. Everyone in her and other dimensions have access to inventories.
"Inventory? Like a game?" Now it was the shielder's turn to be incredulous. Ghosts are one thing but videogame settings in reality?
"Yeah… You could say it's something like that." The twintailed girl sweatdropped, embarrassingly admitting that it really is like a game. Blame the videogame reference/parody that is her world.
The onna-musha turned to look at her own weapon and with a thought, made the spear disappear. Then make it appear. And disappear again "It's just a guess, but you just have to will it to disappear and then will it into being, right?"
"Yeah, that's how it works. As well as with other non-living object you're in contact with." Twintail confirmed.
The man and the boy shared a look and following the instructions, they willed their respective weapons into hammerspace.
"Wow, that's useful." The gunman said "How did you find out?" He asked the oriental warrior.
"I don't know. I just guessed. Nothing more special." The lancer answered with a little embarrassed flush.
The mages now were sweating more. They knew from ancient records that the Weapons allowed their Heroes to hold innumerable quantities of items without any kind of apparent storage but to be able to desummon and summon the Weapons? That wasn't in the records. His Majesty must be informed at once.
Once they arrived to the throne room, apart from courtesans and guards, they also took notice, of course, of the monarch, a middle-aged man who seemed much older due to his gray hairs.
Whether from experience from meeting other rulers or playing videogames, the four otherworlders bowed. They wouldn't risk it offending anyone without knowing what the hell was happening. Sure, each one was a capable fighter but going guns blazing would have bad consequences, of course.
"Rise." The king ordered "I'm Aultcray Melromarc XXXII, regent of these lands. I was told that you Heroes have the capability to manifest your Weapons. Please, show them to me!"
That rang some suspicion in both women, who are familiar with politics. A regent, as kingly as that word sounds, it actually is a person who's just substituting royalty's ruling role temporarily. Meaning that this "king" doesn't hold all the power. They didn't say it aloud, and played along with the others, summoning their weapons.
"So you're the Legendary Heroes." Aultcray said relieved at the sight of the Weapons… until he took a glance towards the Shield, then he frowned. It may have been minuscule and short, but for the Shield bearer, who's used to people hating him as well as fighting cunning villains, it didn't escape his notice. The other three, also veterans on their respective fields, took notice too.
The "king" explained that this world was in danger of some catastrophic phenomena called the Waves of Catastrophe, when extradimensional tears open up, letting legions of monsters invade and kill everyone. Something strangely familiar to what the Sword and Shield wielders once experienced though under other circumstances. They barely were able to fend off the first of them because they weren't prepared. Heck, they thought the Dragon Sand Hourglass that marked the time between waves was just playing a trick on them, and it cost a lot. That… made some of the Heroes more skeptical of the kingdom. Countdowns, especially in ancient mystical artifacts usually meant something.
Due to the escalating nature of the Waves, they decided to summon the Cardinal Heroes, the only ones with the power necessary to repel the Waves. At least, that was what legends say.
At the end of the explanation, the "king" and his subjects noticed that the Heroes were somewhat uncomfortable.
"Is there a problem, Sir Heroes?"
"I mean no offense, His Majesty." The gunman began politely "While I usually would discuss the details and prize of a job with the client, the fact that we were basically conscripted by some foreign power to deal with something more appropriate for the army, doesn't leave a good impression from the employer."
"Not only that." The twintail spoke next "But kidnapping is usually considered a crime in most countries, or even worlds. And given that royalty was involved in this, the political repercussions would be severe. Imagine it at an interdimensional scale."
"And what about our homes? Our families?" The Shield Hero said with a hint of desperation "Do we still have a way back or we're just trapped here, just to fight who knows how many monsters until the end of our lives?"
"We're also not obliged to give loyalty to you or anyone of this world for that matter." The Japanese Lancer gave a steeled gaze "So aside from the fear of death and civilian casualties, why should we stand by you?"
Everyone in the court exploded in frantic worried voices, fear of the Heroes going rogue rising, only for a gesture from the "king" to shut them up.
"I… understand." The "king" began solemnly "Being forced into a strange world to fight for it must not be easy. But we have no control of the summoning ritual and we are desperate. War may also break out from both the chaos and old grudges reaching a breaking point. Our people is still suffering from the effects of the first Wave and it will become even more difficult to repair damages." he clenched his fist "So, please! I implore you, save our world!"
To the surprise of everyone, the "king" bowed to the Heroes, the murmurs returning.
The Bow Hero gestured to the other three Heroes to bunch up.
"So, anyone has a plan?" the Shield Hero whispered "I mean, I'd love to return home but I'd feel guilty if I left them to their fate."
"I cannot believe you fell for his guilt trip." the Lonely Hero admonished though her face softened "Though I admit it affected me."
"Guys, concentrate." The Bow Hero shused "They have all the cards." He glanced towards the "king" "Despite all that explanation, we're still in the dark. As much as I hate it, we must compromise."
"True." The Spear Hero said "We know nothing about this world, especially geography, politics and military. They could either subtly manipulate us through ignorance or just make us submit through numbers alone."
"So a lose-lose situation. Great." The Shield Hero deadpanned.
"Don't worry. Leave it to me." The Bow Hero assured with a charming voice and a wink.
"It's at those moments we should worry even more." The Sword Hero lamented.
"So!" The Bow Hero clapped to bring attention to everyone in the room "After discussing it with my companions, we decided to help you." Everyone's faces were gleaming up until the Bow Hero raised his hand and voice "But! We have some conditions."
"Of course, Bow Hero. If you would." Aultcray was completely prepared for a situation like this.
"Number one. We want all and any information possible about a way home."
"Well, according to legends, the Legendary Weapons will transport everyone to their world of origin once the Waves are stopped. Though if you want more information, you'll have to ask the Church. Even I don't have the authority necessary to access their records without permission."
"Ok, thanks. Number two. What support can we expect from the kingdom?"
"We have assembled adventurers in order to assist you in whatever you need. You'll also receive a mensual stipend, as well as an initial sum, for any expenses. You'll also have free authorization to accept any Guild quest. And by royal decree, you'll be permitted to seize any asset as long as it's within reason, like an emergency. And during the Waves, you'll have support from our armed forces."
The Bow Hero whistled "Wow, that's a damn lot of help."
"Anything for my kingdom."
"Anything, uh?" The Bow Hero smirked "Number three. Information." Aultcray blinked "We have no idea about this world, so we would want to know more about it."
"But," The "king" was genuinely confused "the legends said the Heroes would previously have some degree of knowledge of our world."
"Guess not every legend here is genuine. What a surprise." The Shield Hero snarked in low voice.
"But, why and how should we know about it?" The Sword Hero asked.
The Spear Hero could only shrug.
"Well it seems that we don't know it well, so I think we should have access to the royal library. It tends to have some of the best books and maps around, right?"
The "king" and some of his advisers talked about it in whispers.
"I think… it can be arranged." The "king" sighed "However there are sections you're not permitted to be. Nothing personal. It's just a matter of national security."
At that, the Shield Hero perked up, making a mental smirk.
"Don't worry. It would be quite unprofessional of us if we decided to do that. And the last, number four. You said you can predict when the Waves will happen but how about where?"
"That's easy. You synchronize with the Dragon Sand Hourglass situated at the Church. Then it will allow you instant teleportation to you and your party to where the Waves are happening. Anything else to add?"
The Bow Hero turned to the others, who didn't have any more apparent questions. "No, we're just good."
"Very well. I think it's time for you to inform us of your names."
The Bow Hero smirked "Gene Starwind."
"My name's Noire." The Sword Hero told with regal poise.
"I am called Tomoe Gozen, at the service of Minamoto no Yoshinaka." The Spear Hero bowed.
"And I am-" The Shield Hero was about to introduce himself when the "king" interrupted.
"So, Gene, Noire and Tomoe. Am I wrong?"
"Hey!" The Shield Hero called out indignant "I am not invisible, you know?"
"My apologies. What was your name." The "king" said, not apologizing tone in his voice.
"Danny Fenton." Danny let out, still a bit irritated.
However, the "king" ignored him once again "Now, could you please confirm our status?"
That made three of the Heroes to blink "Status?"
Meanwhile, Noire was letting out an irritated face "I am not able to access mine."
"Wait, you can't use status magic?" One of the mages asked.
"Is that magic?" Danny asked.
"Tsk. I have no idea of how to do magic." Gene cursed.
"Wait, do you notice something in your field of vision?" Tomoe said, squinting her eyes "It's nearly imperceptible but I'm sure it's not something related to a problem in the eyes."
"Something imperceptible?" Gene asked himself "Now that you say it, there's something at the edges- Whoa!"
"Is this seriously a status screen from a videogame?" Danny let out both his and Gene's thoughts.
While Tomoe was about to ask if they knew the mysterious screen that appeared in front of her when they heard a high pitched scream.
"NOOOOOOOOOO! I am seriously Level 1 again?! But I just finished reaching the cap not long ago. Wait, what about the inventory?" Pushing a few ethereal buttons, the answer made her fall to her knees and cry anime tears. "It's been resetted, too."
"There, there." "I know how you feel." While Gene and Danny weren't completely sure about the situation, they also experienced at least once how data corruption or accidental deleting made their videogame save files unrecoverable.
Tomoe could only feel some kind of confused pity towards Noire.
A cough from the "king" recalled their attention "As tragic as a Level Reset can be, you don't have to worry. The Weapons themselves will offer the highest base stats possible as well as multiple ways to strengthen them."
"So, you're saying that we can become insanely powerful?" If this world functions by RPG logic, then the higher stats one has, the more strength it's reflected on him. Most of those games usually had an incredibly high level cap as well as ways to improve the stats of your character and gear. And those Weapons sound like protagonist or Legendary tier.
"Of course, while most of us have a clear limit on how much we can augment their abilities, the Legendary Weapons don't have those limits. In fact their potential is unlimited."
Tomoe thought about it. Those Weapons sound a lot like those that appear in the myths and legends of her world where already powerful warriors possess weapons that give them even greater power, allowing them to beat ferocious invincible monsters or armies singlehandedly. She even heard an onmyoji say that sufficiently famous weapons have the potential of becoming something called Noble Phantasms. Though she suspects the Spear she now owns isn't related to those.
"I think I get it." Danny nodded his head "We four make a party, level up a lot and steamroll the Waves, right?"
The "king" made a somewhat embarrassed face.
"Wait... what?" A newer screen appeared for all the Heroes.
Heroes won't be able to acquire EXP as long as their Weapons are near each other.
"That's bullshit!" Gene and Noire shouted together in indignation.
Aultcray smiled "That's why we prepared companions for your travels, They'll also receive part of the Weapons advantages so they'll keep up with you. However, that's a subject we'll talk about tomorrow, it's nearing night and you must be tired. We'll show you your rooms, so please, have a nice rest."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." The Heroes excused themselves and went towards their assigned rooms.
AN: After thinking it considerably and taking note of other fanfics, my past Hero choices and gratuitous net searching, I arrived at the definite set for alternate Heroes for a Rising of the Shield Hero like this. Not counting Antimatter Shield, that one will be my preferred power fantasy with one of my favourite Pokémon. In here, the Heroes have talents and skills that while it makes them strong at the beginning and incredibly OP much later on, it won't be an immediate stomp, or at least in normal circumstances.
All were chosen taking into account their skillsets, feats and how much I would be able to get their character well.
Gene Starwind (Outlaw Star): He's the protagonist of a Space Opera anime from the late 90's, Outlaw Star. He's an Outlaw, a space rogue who values freedom and dreams and who runs a mercenary business with his partner, Jim Hawking. After encountering the bio android Melfina and the spaceship that would be christened the Outlaw Star, Gene ends up in tons of adventures on his search for the mysterious Galactic Leyline while encountering allies like the proud Ctarl-Ctarl catgirl Aisha Clan-Clan and the elegant samurai woman slash assassin "Twilight" Suzuka.
While he doesn't have supernatural powers or enhanced physical abilities, he's a seasoned gunman and born pilot whose quick thinking is able to get him out of trouble when the odds are clearly against him. He also possesses an ancient magitek pistol called Caster that allows him to literally shoot powerful spells contained in ammo shells, though those shells are very rare and expensive so he usually uses it in emergencies, more than he would like to.
I think his guns would make a nice addition to his Bow's arsenal, for while most of them would be very weak at the beginning, the bullets are still fast and can use multiple types of ammo without needing to reload. Besides, the Caster copy power will be based around his Magic stat as well as his now not-so-rare-supply of copied Caster shells. The last ones would still be his ace up the sleeve.
Noire (Neptunia): Workaholic Tsundere butt-monkey gamer Goddess that usually feels lonely with a secret cosplay hobby, need to say more? She's a CPU (Console Patron Unit), a Goddess in charge of an entire nation, who uses the faith of her followers or Shares to avoid her nation falling to ruin as well as access a techno-style powerful divine form called HDD (Hard Drive Divinity). This Noire is from the Hyperdimension version of Gamindustri (yes, the world's name is a pun) so he experienced all the canon events that transpired in that dimension, so she has fought her fair share (pun not intended) of apocalyptic-level enemies and gained an even more powerful transformation called Next Form. Her world also works in anime and RPG logic so there is something in common with the universe she's been summoned to.
I would have chosen Neptune, but too much 4th wall breaking would destroy any semblance of seriousness. Besides, I'd love teasing such a high-tier Tsundere such as her. Hehehe.
Tomoe Gozen (Fate): One of the most badass women in all of history, Fate Grand Order amped up her badassery by having her inherit Oni blood, which makes her grow horns (while there actually exists fake Oni horns in headband, her head band is actually perforated so no one knows she's actually part Oni, something that's kind of a sensitive subject for her) as well as enhanced physical strength and pyrokinesis. Instead of her Servant self, I'm using her living one, just after the moment Minamoto no Yoshinaka, her husband and lord, ordered her to escape from the battle in Awazu, the one where he sadly died, bringing therefore potential lots of emotional baggage.
She also becomes interested in games when summoned to the modern era, becoming a hardcore gamer. So I think that potential interest and talent in videogames could help her.
Danny Fenton (Danny Phantom): Our favourite halfa hero from Nickelodeon, Danny Fenton was infused in ectoplasm, giving him ghostly powers that he uses as his alter ego, Danny Phantom, to save his city, Amity Park, from any spooky afterlife residents and other spectral abominations as well as fighting other ghost hunters. In this fic, Danny's ghost powers are tied to his Magic stat, so he's got some powerful offensive options when his Shield only gives him defensive and support abilities. Also, as halfa or half-ghost, his ectoplasmic infused DNA gives him an even greater reserve of MP(Magic Points) and SP (Spirit Points). He also always has some of his parents' ghost hunting tech at hand, like the Fenton Thermos that works like a Ghostbuster trap, so he could use his Shield on them to have some more advantages against undead and spiritual enemies. *wink*
There's also his most powerful attack: the Ghostly Wail. An extremely destructive attack of pure sound and ecto-energy that can instantly defeat weaker enemies, seriously hurt powerful ones and potentially able to cause innumerable collateral damage, though it weakens him each time he uses it. Now empowered, by the Shield, how much power can this haunted Wail reach?
However, the most important abilities he'll need in this particular situation are intangibility/invisibility, possession and cloning. Having also experienced hate and persecution as Phantom, and bullying at school, he'll take the whole Devil of the Shield thing better than Naofumi… I think.
I cannot guarantee I won't follow stations of the canon but there will be a fair amount of twists, more like a mix.