-Naofumi-
Warmth. That is what Naofumi felt as cloth obscured his vision, his hands reaching out and grabbing something incredibly soft.
"Nya~ I suppose we were hoping our Shield Hero would be the frisky type~"
Eyes widening, Naofumi pulled away, eyes locking with a mischievously smiling woman with cat ears of all things, a tail swishing behind her as his hands squeezed causing the woman to 'Nya' again. Looking down and breaking into a cold sweat, Naofumi found his hands locked on her chest.
"I'm so sorry!" Naofumi shouted before jumping back and landing on the wooden wall he entered from, "I'm not that kind of guy! I sw- huh?"
"Life is a Cabaret!~"
All around him, Naofumi's eyes looked upon dancers, maids, butlers… men and women of all shapes and sizes… and all sporting some kind of animalistic feature. Some were even humanoid animals, fur, snout, claw and all. What he was watching was a hidden bar or pub, mid throes of some wild excitement.
"Hee hee~ NYA!~" The cat girl in front of Naofumi cheered before bringing him into a suffocating hug, "Oh to think this plan actually worked!" She cheered as she let the now red faced and half passed out Naofumi breathe.
"P-plan?" The Shield Hero asked, dazed and confused.
"That's right! This place was built right under that mean old king's nose!" The cat girl replied happily, "With the queen's express permission of course~ Now, you said you were looking for someone? Someone I know, maybe?~"
"R-raphtalia…" Naofumi replied weakly before he was led to an empty table and sat down, drink and food immediately brought before him.
"Raphtalia… it's not a name I'm familiar with," The cat girl murmured as she tapped her chin, "But don't you worry your pretty little head! We'll find your Raphtalia in no time!"
"Ah… okay…" Still dazed, Naofumi gingerly nursed his drink before snapping to full attention, "Oh, miss? I'm sorry, but I don't drink alcohol."
"You don't?" She asked curiously before flagging down a passing maid, "What's your fancy then, cutey?~"
"Ah, a cola would be nice," Naofumi replied as his cheeks reddened from the attention, "Or tea?"
"At once, Lord Shield Hero," The maid stated firmly before taking away his drink and leaving.
"Wait, why did you need to make this place in secret?" Naofumi asked as he idly began poking at his meal, a fairly large steak covered in a sauce and accompanied by fruits and vegetables of… indiscernible origin. Shrugging, he decided to give the cat woman a more critical look while hoping he wasn't crossing any boundaries she may have had.
The spritely woman wore a very simple, very revealing outfit comprised of dark blue short shorts that looked more like button adorned latex, a blue and gold adorned cat paw pouch strapped firmly to her right thigh. Her ample chest was hidden well by a short button up navy blue shirt made of the same material as her shorts if he had to guess, a tiny pale pink shall, at least he thought it was a shall, draped over her chest, and an orange tie with an imprint of a cat's silhouette, all held down by a bronze flower petal pin nestled just above her chest. Pink sleeves hiding more blue fabric adorned her slim arms, white gloves covered her hands, a large indigo cap adorned her straight, pony tailed pink hair which seemed to accentuate her emerald eyes.
The more Naofumi looked, the more he was mesmerized by the lady as his face threatened to light up in blaze.
"Oh ho~ See something you like?" She asked as Naofumi sputtered and shoved food into his mouth all while she giggled, "Relax… I don't bite. Much~" Naofumi only gulped as she giggled at him, "As for why we keep this place secret… Melromarc has it out for demi-humans, enslaving us left and right because of our relation to the Shield Hero. That's you now."
"Me?" Naofumi asked in reflection of his actions up to this point, "But why? Neither of us have done anything and the king just threw us out!"
"He did what!?" She shouted as the revelry around the pair stopped, the butler that had brought Naofumi's new drink having dropped the glass cup as it shattered, "What did that idiot do, exactly!?"
"He used a wind spell to kick us out of the castle! All four of us!" Naofumi shouted in reply.
"The only reason he would have done that is if you four were already working together," The cat girl mused, "Otherwise, why go against the other three Cardinal Heroes?"
"Probably because we're all Shield Heroes," Naofumi replied idly as everyone who had a drink on their lips did a spit take, "Um, something I-" All eyes now on him, Naofumi couldn't help but gulp, "Said?"
"All four heroes?" A fox demi-human gasped out.
"Shield Heroes?" A horse-like beast man added.
Laughter and cheer soon erupted as Naofumi once more found himself being suffocated by the cat girl's more than bountiful chest, "NYA!~ To think, all four heroes would bear the weapon of our god!"
"Help… can't breathe…" Naofumi pleaded as his hands tried to push her away. Unfortunately, she only hugged harder before gasping and pulling away, a sullen look on her face.
"King Aultcray purposefully attacked the four Cardinal Shield Heroes…" She muttered sadly, the festivities having died down some as the room went quiet.
"Uh… yeah, yeah he did," Naofumi confirmed as he tried to shake away the heat in his face, "Is that bad?"
Murmurs of worry and outrage exploded as the cat girl gave her hero a saddened stare, "This means that Aultcray Melromarc has just openly declared war on the kingdom of Siltvelt."
/- - -/
-Ren-
Noise. All the world within the Guild Hall was noise. Adventurers running left and right, to and fro. The sight of such a beehive of action was rather overwhelming for the newbie hero as his eyes poured over the scenery.
"Come on, don't just stand there, you dodo," Sucrose teased as she pulled him along, "Let's get you started."
Nodding, Ren allowed himself to be pulled along until he froze and saw a rather large poster depicting three men wielding a spear, sword, and bow, "Huh, that could have been us," He whispered forlornly.
"Here, tie this around your waist," She said quickly as she wrapped a simple leather belt with a knife holster around his body. The knife itself, or what was visible, had a large ivory handle that made it seem more like a dagger then a knife.
"Wait, why are you giving me a knife?" Ren asked before Sucrose poked his cheek and turned his head to a different set of images. Four caricatures of the boys were plastered on the walls, making them seem like aged thugs, "That… looks like the character select screen from one of my favorite rail shooters," He would never admit it, but he loved wasting away his time and money with dual wielding the heavy plastic guns from the vintage arcade he used to go to when he was small.
"Either you haven't noticed yet or you're very blind and slow, but here in Melromarc, the Shield isn't exactly a beloved weapon," Sucrose whispered to him as she resumed her pulling, leading him up to an empty help desk before ringing the iron bell on the counter.
"Coooomiiiing…" A lazy voice called out as a worn man with disheveled hair and gruff face fuzz yawned and eyed the pair, "State your business."
"I'd like to get my friend here an adventurers license," Sucrose said easily as Ren nodded, albeit a little confused.
"You'll have to start out from the bottom and work your way up," The half awake attendee drolled, "That'll be one hundred silver."
"One hundred silver!?" Ren shouted, "I can't afford that!"
Sucrose rolled her eyes and produced a single gold coin, "Don't worry, I have a budget. Will this suffice?" She asked as the attendee nodded.
"Fill out your name on this form and come with me, sir," The man yawned before pushing a piece of parchment to the boy and slowly walking away.
"Um, Sucrose?" Ren murmured as she nodded, "I don't know this world's language."
"Of course you don't, you dolt," Sucrose commented before she grabbed a quill from a half hidden ink pot, "Ren Amaki, correct?" Nodding, the girl signed his name on the parchment, her hair bouncing gently as if in a non-existent wind before she took his hand and the parchment.
"I'll… pay you back some day," Ren whispered as he saw her slight smile, "I promise."
"Don't worry about it, dummy. You don't owe me a thing."
/- - -/
Clink. Clink. Clink. Cli- SHHHHINK~
"Finally…" Itsuki gasped out as his mystery friend had shimmied their way closer to his side.
"Finally what?" The child asked, their features now a bit more visible in the dark of their prison. Mussy and wild silver hair, pale skin, brilliant crimson eyes… and not a single blemish upon their skin, "Hey, where'd you get that shield?"
"I told you, I'm the Shield Hero," Itsuki replied with a triumphant nod of his head, his eyes closed and nose upturned to the sky.
"Shield Idiot, more like," The child argued, taking away a bit of the wind in Itsuki's sails, "What was that noise you were making with your shield, anyway?"
Grunting in mild annoyance, Itsuki turned his head away as she shuffled his arms about, "I'm not telling some brat who doesn't know to respect his elders~" The Hero said petulantly.
"Oi, come on~ I can help," The child offered, "What's going on?"
Grunting, Itsuki fell on his shoulder and stuck his tongue out as he shimmied left and right before landing on his chin, "Ach! Bit my- wow, I'm not even in any pain…" Shaking away the lack of feeling, Itsuki continued his struggle until he could feel the ropes binding him begin to loosen, the tip of his glass shield slowly but surely tearing away at his bindings before a satisfying snap gave him his freedom.
"Finally!" The young hero shouted as he threw his arms up in victory, "Okay! Who wants to help me take down the captain of this ship!?"
The silence deafened the hero before he sighed.
"We're unarmed civilians with little to no worth 'sides a pretty face or above average reproductive organs," The child called out as he did his best to shimmy next to the hero, "However, you let me loose first, I can get everyone here armed for your little mutiny. Sound good?"
"I don't have any other options," Itsuki relented as he began to cut the child's bindings.
"You know, you really are an idiot," The child said once they were free and rubbing away their rope burns, "But maybe that's just part of your charm as a Hero?" Shrugging to himself, the child was gone as Itsuki decided to take the cut ropes… which his shield practically ate the moment it so much as grazed the gem.
"Wait! I still needed tha- Oh…"
If everyone hadn't been staring at him before, all eyes were definitely on him now as his shield had become a coil of rope. Wracked with curiosity, Itsuki pulled at the shield as rope simply rose from its body. Letting the rope go, it was reabsorbed into the shield as if it had never existed at all.
Of course, it wasn't long before most everyone in the somewhat spacious room started to crawl towards him. Mothers begging to be free to find their children, children lost and confused hoping swim ashore or die trying… two strange sights caught his eyes however. Two young women, the crying noble from before and a woman in tattered maid garb. His attention once more stolen by the clamoring prisoners, he decided it would be less of a headache to free them first, albeit with a bit of difficulty as he resharpened his Glass Shield once more.
After several hugs of gratitude from everyone, Itsuki returned his attention to the odd pair, walking first to the maid. Face smudged, clothes in tatters, and a lost emotionless stare greeted him. Unlike the others, she was weighed down by heavy metal clasps of iron that made him think she was at least somewhat dangerous if she was locked down in such a way.
"Hah, you look kinda dangerous if I'm being honest," Itsuki commented as the woman looked up at him, "Hey, here's a thought, why not break out yourself?" He joked, snickering inwardly before going wide eyed.
"As you wish, Master," She replied before her shackles and manacles shattered, the iron scattering around the pair.
"WHAT THE HELL!?" Itsuki shouted as he jumped in shock, the maid only giving him the same flat stare.
"I have followed your command to the letter, Master."
Blinking, Itsuki took a moment to calm his beating heart and think about what he just witnessed, "My… command?" He asked shakily as she nodded, "Then… will you follow me from now on?" He asked as a translucent window appeared in his vision.
"I am yours to command, Master," She replied as the window gave him a message: [Party Member Accepted!]
"Ah… glad to have you then," He muttered as she rose to her feet, "Your name?"
"Noelle, Master," The maid replied as she gave a low curtsey. With that settled, Itsuki turned his sights on the still whimpering girl.
Letting go of a dissatisfied sound, Itsuki approached the girl and knelt down before placing a hand on her shoulder, the two flinching immediately from the contact.
"Fueh!" The poor girl shouted, tears in her eyes as she gave Itsuki a pitiful look.
"Hey… it's alright," Itsuki whispered softly as he slid a finger underneath her eye as he wiped away a tear, "I'm going to get you out of here."
"Y-you are?" She asked in disbelief, yet hoping that his words were true.
"That's right. I'm Itsuki Kawasumi, the Shield Hero of Justice!" He proclaimed valiantly, his shield placed over his heart… as it became a crimson swirl of incredibly smooth fabric, "Yeah that's gonna get real old, real quick," He muttered to himself before switching his shield back into its glass form, its prior sharpness now lost once more, "Oh come on! Noelle! Can you free… actually, what's your name, miss?"
"I-Ivyred… Ryshia Ivyred," The whimpering girl replied.
"Noelle? Please free miss Ivyred," Itsuki asked as his new companion did just that, the rope practically snapping in her hands, "The others aren't gonna believe this…" Gently, Itsuki took the maiden by the arms and coaxed her up just as the ship lurched, Ryshia jerking up and falling chest first on his face, "Nevermind… I don't believe this…"
"Fueeeeehhhh…" The girl cried pitifully as she slowly locked her arms around Itsuki's head in fear.
"Look alive everyone!" The child shouted, having returned with various swords and hand axes, "Grab a blade and get out! We're being boarded!"
"This day can not get any worse…"
/- - -/
-Motoyasu-
"This day can not get any better!" Myne declared as she watched Motoyasu spin threads of the purest silk from his shield.
"Hoo! That… that really takes a lot out of a person," He commented as he wiped the sweat from his brow. After a small test with a newfound shield made of rope, Motoyasu went to the nearest shop to get his hands on a piece of silk his new companion happily paid for. The result was that by spending a bit of his Shield given magical energy, he could create his own silk at almost no cost to himself besides a little fatigue.
"Now, I believe I remember you saying something about your needlework?" Maybe asked sweetly as the still tired hero gave a confident nod.
"Yep! Hah, I'm not one to brag, but I can definitely make a dress fit for a queen!" Motoyasu said with a giant smile. Myne smiled as well, but her eyes gleamed with a malicious shine.
"I'm sure there's more than enough time for that," Myne said softly before gently placing a finger underneath Motoyasu's chin, "But surely this isn't nearly enough?" She asked cutely as she looked to the rather sizeable mound of mana woven silk. The pile of red thread was as thick and wide as the heroes chest and abdomen, but Myne couldn't help but want more.
"Oh… Well, yeah I can make more, but-"
"Then do so," Myne quickly said as she placed her finger on his lip, "Besides making a dress for myself, we do need to turn a profit don't we?~ Hm?~"
"Well, my mana bar is still kinda empty-"
"Well why didn't you say so!?" Myne exclaimed as she cut him off once more, "Why don't you put this freshly made silk away in this… lovely shield of yours…" The woman daintily lifted the thread before unceremoniously dumping it in his shield, hiding her disgust as it was practically eaten by the gem, "And we'll go fill you up with the best mana potions we can afford~ Excellent plan? Wonderful plan!~"
The hapless hero was thusly pulled away from their small resting place within the town's central plaza, happy that he'd be able to earn stable income so as to help the others.
"Now, you did say your fellow heroes were still in the city, yes?" Myne asked as she slowed down enough for Motoyasu to shake away his fatigue.
"Yeah, I don't exactly know where they went off to, but they should still be here," Motoyasu replied easily enough.
"Hm hm, and was a plan established should the four of you wish to meet?" Myne questioned quizzically.
"Ah… rats!" Motoyasu shouted as he snapped his fingers, "I knew we forgot something!"
"Oh how unfortunate," Myne whined as she gave a theatrical sigh oof disappointment, "Such is life, I'm afraid, but we shall all come to know one another with any luck."
Shrugging, Motoyasu couldn't help but smile as Myne eagerly tugged him along through the busy streets. Though, he couldn't help but flinch as he saw Ren walk by with his own female companion on the far end of the street opposite of him and Myne. Unfortunately, he couldn't exactly point him out as Myne had suddenly pulled him closer before pushing him into a shop.
Potted plants lined the walls along with roots held within variously colored liquids. Capped bottles stood upon displays, some even kept away by glass cases. At the store's counter, a man somewhere between elderly and spry sat as he toiled away at a bunsen burner, no doubt concocting a potion of some sort.
"Potion seller," Myne called out as the man idly glared at her, his head doing nothing to move from its position, "I require your strongest mana potions."
"You require my strongest mana potions?" He asked as his eyes returned to his work.
"That's right, your strongest mana potions," Myne affirmed, "Please do not worry about the price. I am fully capable-"
"You cannot handle my strongest mana potions," The elder interjected coldly, deft hands quickly silencing his flame before emptying the still bubbling liquid into a fresh flask, "My strongest mana potions would kill you, maiden."
"Oh, but you see, potion seller," Myne said quickly, "These potions aren't for me. They are for the Shield Hero~" She explained as she gestured to Motoyasu… the man idly poking a display case.
Raising an eyebrow, the elder potion seller walked from out of his counter to look at Motoyasu with a more critical eye, "The Shield Hero," He murmured as Motoyasu looked up at him, "Yes, he can handle my strongest mana potions."
"Excellent!" Myne exclaimed, "We'll take five!"
Their transaction finished, Myne quickly whisked Motoyasu away and led him into a local inn.
"Oh man, I am really star-"
"Ah ah ah," Myne reprimanded, "There is still light in the day and potions to drink. Why don't we get started and have our meals be brought to our rooms?"
Blinking, Motoyasu found no fault in her logic. Shrugging and happily walking along, completely unaware as to what awaited him.
/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - /
[Insert random incoherent Author noises here]
Looks at the crumbled mess that is Azure. Well folks Icy here to end out the chapter since Azure is indisposed at this time [more incoherent Author Noises]. Yeah lets up review and fave the story that me and Azure are trying our best to write. Thank you kindly. Azure and Icy out.