Now we're going in the serious stuff of The Rising of the Shield Hero.
Read if you enjoy.
Chapter 3: The Wave
It's been a week since Mu saved the Shield Hero and the little Demi-Human in the Coal Pit. Mu and Aldebaran continued to train the young Demi-Humans.
"They… They grew up really fast" commented Mu as they were looking like 18 year old teens.
"Another thing that can be added in all the mysteries of this world" sighed Aldebaran.
"Do you think that they will get better?" asked Mu, thinking over the discussion they had with the Shield Hero.
"The kid's not stupid, you know?" said Aldebaran "He will figure how it will run"
*Flashback*
Both Naofumi and Raphtalia were sitting in front of Mu and Aldebaran in the village's inn.
"You have questions, don't you?" asked Mu.
"The first thing is; who the hell are you?" questioned Naofumi "I never saw the like of you in this world"
"We're Saints" answered Mu "My name is Mu of the Aries House, or you can call me Mu for short. And My friend is Aldebaran of the Taurus House"
"Aries, Taurus… it seems familiar…" mumbled Naofumi "I don't remember where I heard those words"
"Haven't you heard of the twelve Zodiac Constellations?" asked Mu.
"You mean as the Ram, the Bull, the Twins…"
"Exactly" said Mu as he nodded "I was born under the Aries Constellation, therefore, I'm protected by the Aries Constellation"
"I remember reading that there's more than twelve" stated Naofumi "Such as the Ophiuchus Constellation and the Cetus Constellation"
"There's the Gold Saint of the Ophiuchus Constellation, but for the Cetus one… let's just say that it's not friendly" replied Mu.
"The Damn thing became the Surplice of the Celestial Star Pain" added Aldebaran.
"Surplice?"
"The Surplices are the armors that the Specters, or the Army of Hades, wear" explained Mu "Just like how we, the Saints of Athena, wear Cloths"
"Hades, Athena… don't tell me that there's also other gods"
Mu chuckled before saying "There is"
"Believe us, kid, there's a bunch of them" added Aldebaran.
"So… does that mean that you're not from this world?" asked Naofumi.
"Indeed, we are from a different world" answered Mu.
"I take that you're not from the same world as me"
"If we were, you would have known what a Saint is" said Mu.
"So, why helping me?" asked Naofumi "Are you waiting for something in exchange?"
Mu chuckled and said "No, we don't" he then asked "Why are you this… closed?"
"That's none of your business…"
"Let me tell you this" began Mu, looking at the Shield Hero in the eyes "Whatever you are accused of doing, I don't believe it"
"Why?" asked Naofumi with a suspicious look toward the Aries Saint.
"Your Cosmos" answered Mu "It says that you were betrayed, I can clearly see it"
"My… what?"
"The Cosmos is an energy that exists in every being" stated Mu "Resulting of the creation of the universe, it powers through everything, and is present in everything, even in inanimate objects"
"And you can see mine?"
"Not exactly" said Mu before correcting the Shield Hero "I can sense it"
"So, does that mean that I can use it too?"
"With the right training" replied Mu.
"I have one last question" stated Naofumi.
"Ask away" replied Mu.
"The old man in the shop said that you turned shitty armors in some sort of masterpieces" said Naofumi before asking "How did you do that?"
"I used Stardust" replied Mu "I had to ask Aldebaran to help me with them"
"I don't understand"
"I had to bring those armors to life" said Mu, shocking the Shield Hero "Aldebaran sacrificed some of his blood, then I added the Stardust before using the repairing tools and my Cosmos to repair those armors"
"I see…" mumbled Naofumi "Can I see this Stardust?"
Mu got up and began to walk "Wait here, I won't be long"
Naofumi sighed before noticing that the Taurus Saint was eying him "Is there something wrong?"
"This girl, is she forced to work for you?" asked Aldebaran.
"She's my sword" answered Naofumi as he glared at Aldebaran.
"Is she happy?" asked Aldebaran.
"I don't care"
Aldebaran turned his eyes to the girl "Tell me, little girl, is he treating you well?"
Raphtalia took some seconds before nodding.
"That's good" smiled Aldebaran before turning to Naofumi "You'd better not make her cry, understand?"
"What?"
"Mu said that you're an honest kid, and I trust him, so you'd better not make this little girl cry, got it?"
"Where did that came from?"
At that moment, Mu entered with a small amount of sand.
"This is Stardust" said Mu, giving the Stardust to Naofumi "Though, I must ask that you keep it a secret"
"Why?" asked the Shield Hero.
"The Stardust is powerful, and inexistent in this world" answered Mu "And if anything was to happen to our Cloths, I would need it to repair them"
Naofumi only sighed as he said "I see" while scatter the sand over the green emerald of his shield "Stardust Shield?" the shield gained a round form with a color that's near the color of Bronze. (Look at the end to know more about the shield)
"Intriguing" commented Mu, witnessing what happened.
"Its ability depends on my Cosmos level?" Naofumi was lost with his new shield. The stats were decent, it has a good ability, but what the hell does it have to do with the thing called Cosmos?
"It seems like you need to learn how to use your Cosmos" said Mu with a chuckle "You're always welcomed to join us in our training of the children"
"No" replied Naofumi "Not now"
"I see" said Mu before adding "Don't worry, you will always be welcome to train with them"
*Flashback End*
"What are you going to do now?" asked Aldebaran.
"Maybe going to the Capital" answered Mu "I do wish to know more about those waves I've heard about"
"Well, have fun with that" replied Aldebaran before yawning.
Mu concentrated his Cosmos before teleporting to Erhard's shop. He found it amusing to meet with Naofumi again.
"It has been quite sometimes, Shield Hero Naofumi" stated Mu as he walked to him "It seems like the little miss is doing alright"
"Sir Mu?" Raphtalia, looking much older than the last time he saw her turned to him.
"Please, just Mu is fine" replied the Aries Saint.
"What are you doing here?" asked Naofumi.
"I wanted to learn more about those so called Waves" replied Mu "Since it's supposed to be a capital, I thought that I may find something about them"
"With an armor like yours, they will bend over" commented Naofumi.
"I bet that isn't what he wants" stated Erhard as he walked toward the Shield Hero "Long time no see, Mu"
"I see that you're doing well"
"Why are you here?" asked the shop owner.
"I just wanted to know more about the Waves" answered Mu "I only heard that they generate monsters and that they are temporary"
"Well nothing great about them is known" stated Erhard "Aside from what you know, it's said that it comes from a prophecy"
"A prophecy…" mumbled Mu 'I feel like divine forces are behind this… and this isn't good'
"That aside" said Naofumi as he turned to Erhard "Old man, do you have a good armor?"
"Needing to gear yourself up, huh?" mused Erhard "Well, it won't be cheap"
"Is there a way to get a good armor for a low price?" asked Naofumi.
"Don't ask me" replied Erhard "I'm just a normal weapon smith, unlike Mu"
Naofumi turned to Mu, who seem to be in deep thoughts "Really?"
"Believe me, having an armor made by him won't be bad" said Erhard "He may also give it to you for free, who knows?"
'Seems like it's worth the shot' thought Naofumi "Mu, can you really make a good armor?"
Mu sighed before turning to Naofumi "I don't make armors, but repair them"
"What?"
"If you bring me an armor, no matter how it looks, I can repair it" added Mu "And if the little Miss want a good weapon, I can repair one for her"
"How much?" asked Naofumi.
"Pardon?"
"How much money do you want?" asked Naofumi.
"There's no need" replied Mu "However, you're going to need to wait for at least an hour"
"Really?" asked Naofumi, not believing it.
"Yes" nodded Mu "But I'm going to need you to be present"
"Why?"
"I'm going to need some of your blood" stated Mu.
"Fine…" sighed Naofumi.
"If you want, I can give you two armors and a broken sword" stated Erhard "But in exchange of fifty Silver. Even if they can't be wore doesn't mean that they can't be smelted"
"Fine" said Naofumi, putting a bag of Silver on the counter.
"Is there a way to know when the Wave will happen?" asked Mu.
"I don't know" replied Naofumi "Ever since I'm here, I was wondering the same thing. If I knew when it will start, I could come up with a plan"
"Wait, you don't know?" asked Erhard as he came with a bag.
"Don't know what?"
"You see, there's a cathedral that you can see from the town square, there's a huge hourglass inside" stated Erhard "When the last grain of sand falls, all the Heroes and their parties are teleported to where the Wave starts, or so I heard"
A bit later, Mu, Naofumi and Raphtalia were guided by a nun to the hourglass.
"This must be the Dragon Hourglass the King spoke about" stated Naofumi after taking a look at the hourglass.
"It doesn't have any Cosmos in it" said Mu as he approached it alongside Naofumi "Weird"
"How so?" asked Naofumi before that a beam connected the hourglass and the shield.
"What just happened?" asked Mu, eying the shield of the Shield Hero.
"I have no clue on what happened" replied Naofumi.
"Is that Naofumi I see?" asked a young male voice, making Mu to turn toward the owner.
It was a blond boy who primarily wears is a sleeveless tunic over his dark clothing. Additionally, he wears a chainmail underneath his sleeveless tunic and silver armor on various parts of his body.
"Dude, come on, you're still fighting with such flimsy equipment?" he asked as he walked forward.
"Master Naofumi" called Raphtalia "Who are they?"
'His ego is way bigger than Deathmask's ego' thought Mu as he eyed the young man 'Not only that, but he reeks of pride… if this was a friend of Naofumi, I wouldn't be surprised if he's the reason why he's distrustful of others'
Naofumi said nothing and began to walk away, ignoring the red haired girl. But stopped when he noticed two other persons; one being a young man with black hair, and the other being a young man with short light brown curly hair
The first wears a dark overcoat with dark armor plating placed on his chest, right shoulder, and lower areas of his legs. Additionally, he wears dark leather gloves, boots, and a dark blue scarf draped around his neck.
The second wears a sleeveless tunic with light clothing underneath. Additionally, he wears thin leather gloves, leather boots, and a green hood-like cape attached around his neck and right shoulder.
"Hello there" said the blond boy as he approached Mu and Raphtalia "My name is Motoyasu Kitamura, the Spear Hero"
Mu only chuckled at this as he said "You, a hero, like I would believe you"
Motoyasu narrowed his eyes as he asked "Why?"
"Do you know what being a hero really means?" asked Mu "I saw heroes before and you're not like them"
"You shouldn't be speaking to a Hero like that" stated Motoyasu "You don't know how strong I am, do you?"
Mu used his light speed to appear behind him "If you couldn't see me move, then you're not that strong" he then released some of his Cosmos "And I can talk to you the way that I want, brat"
"Raphtalia, let's go" said Naofumi as he began to walk away.
"R-Right" the Demi-Human followed.
Mu said nothing and began to walk away in the direction of Naofumi.
After some hours, both Naofumi and Raphtalia looked at their new equipment. (This equipment isn't Canon, it's just here because I added Mu. And no, I won't make a joke on Gemini Kanon due to the fact that I used the word 'Canon')
Raphtalia had a full breastplate, a couple of spiked shoulderpads, long gauntlets that go to the biceps, and long boots, all made of fortified silver. She also had a Longsword that has a silver colored blade, a golden colored handle and a ruby between the blade and the handle.
Naofumi's armor consisted of a black iron chestplate, two black leather gloves, silver bracelets and black iron pauldrons.
"Those are…" began Naofumi, checking himself in a mirror.
"… Incredible" continued Raphtalia as she was looking at her new sword.
"Well, it seems like you're happy with your new armors" smiled Mu.
"Are you sure that you want nothing in exchange?" asked Naofumi.
"If I wanted something, I would have asked before beginning" replied Mu "Although, please note that your armor will get stronger with your Cosmos"
"Sir Mu" called Nathalia as she approached the Aries Saint "Sir Aldebaran said that he will take the Demi-Humans in the forest to test them"
"How long before that they come back?" asked Mu.
"According to Sir Aldabaran, it can take them all night" answered Nathalia.
"I see…" Mu began to think before smiling "Aren't you going to feel lonely without Aldebaran?"
"S-S-Sir Mu!" yelled Nathalia as she was blushing madly.
"I take that your confession went well" added Mu.
"Well… yes, but I…"
"I see what you want" said Mu with a chuckle.
"Please, stop" pleaded Nathalia as she hid her face due to her embarrassment.
"Anyways, if there's anyone who can survive out there, it's Aldebaran" said Mu "You should be more worried about the beasts and bandits that are there"
"What kind of test?" asked Naofumi, gaining the attention of the Aries Saint.
"He wanted to see if they could fight creatures without second thoughts" answered Mu "Hesitation can be deadly"
"Can you send us back to the Capital?" asked Naofumi.
"Why?" replied Mu "You will get teleported no matter where you are. So why not staying here?"
"How much for a night in the inn?"
"One Silver, meals included" answered Mu.
"… fine"
The next day, Naofumi woke up and looked at the timer. Nineteen hours left before the Wave.
"One day left before the Wave…" mumbled Naofumi as he looked outside "Where to go to get more Experience…"
He then noticed the Bull Saint entering the village with the Demi-Humans. Some of them were injured, others could barely walk, while the rest was fine.
"I need to gather all what I would need" he stated before looking at his new armor… The Banished Armor, while Raphtalia got the Warden's Armor "Getting them for free…" he still had doubts over it. But Mu didn't looked like the type to take advantage of the situation.
"It seems like you still don't trust me" said a voice in his head, making him jump.
"What the hell…"
"I'm using my Cosmos to talk to you" explained the Aries Saint "Do you still need convincing before finally understanding that I'm not your enemy, but your ally?"
"I want to know why you're helping me" asked Naofumi "What do you have to win in this?"
"I don't need to win something" replied Mu "I'm a Saint, and Saints help all those who are in need"
"Everyone do something in exchange of something else" stated Naofumi "I still can't believe that you're ready to help us for free"
"If we wanted something, we could have taken it easily" said Mu "The only thing that you need to know, is that we are on your side"
"But what if someone else asks you to do something against us"
"Unless it's Athena's will, we won't obey" Mu's voice was sincere, even Naofumi began to believe the Saint's words "We are Saints of Athena, and we obey her will. And, in case someone comes to prove that her will is something else, we will do as her will says. Other than that, we will help you as much as we can"
"I want to know more about this Cosmos you told me about" stated Naofumi "I still have time before the Wave, and I want to use that time wisely"
"Why you don't come outside to both me and Aldebaran?" suggested Mu "We will help you understand what the Cosmos is"
Naofumi sighed before turning toward a sleeping Raphtalia 'Could it really help?'
After an hour or so, Naofumi stood next to Aldebaran, who was sitting on the ground, as they were watching the Demi-Humans being trained by Mu in channeling their Cosmos to be able to create a weak version of his Crystal Wall.
"How this can be possible?" asked Naofumi, seeing them trying to achieve the wall creation.
"Having a Cosmos inside you is like having a world inside you, it's just that it's energy" explained Aldebaran.
"That sound stupidly overpowered" commented Naofumi.
"Well, if we have to compare the Cosmos of a simple Saint to the one of a god, then no" replied Aldebaran "One can get his Cosmos to the level of the gods, but only for a short period of time"
"You mean that you can do it?!"
"By elevating my Cosmos to its climax, I can transform my Gold Cloth to a God Gold Cloth" stated Aldebaran "But it really drains one's stamina"
"I'm still having a hard time believing that you can be as strong as a god, and the only thing that you risk is being tired" said Naofumi before turning his sight to Raphtalia, who was training with another Demi-Human to learn how to use her Cosmos "I feel like you can beat anyone"
"Don't overestimate me, kid" replied Aldebaran "I'm maybe strong, but there's stronger than me"
"How can someone be stronger than you?" asked Naofumi.
"The true battle is one of the Cosmos, not one of the body" explained Aldebaran "As a Gold Saint, I'm stronger than the average Bronze and Silver Saints, but there's some that can be stronger than me"
Naofumi began to think before saying "Mu said that you obey the will of Athena, how can you know her will?"
Aldebaran took a deep breath and said "We can feel her, hear her wishes, see her Cosmos in our time of needs, all of that can help us know what she wants. If she wants us to fight, we will fight to the end. If she wants us to go somewhere, not even the strongest wall can stop us. If she wants us to bring her someone, we will do it even if he's in hell"
"And if she asks of you to die?" asked Naofumi.
"We will do it, of course" replied Aldebaran "After all, any of her decisions have a reason to it"
"What could be the reason to kill yourself?" asked Naofumi.
"To fight Hades" replied Aldebaran "Last time, she took her own life to fight Hades, we just cleared a passage for the young Bronze Saints to help her"
"Shouldn't you go instead of Bronze ones?"
"If they were normal Bronze Saints, I wouldn't have trusted them with something as important as that" answered Aldebaran "But Seiya and the others aren't any kind of Bronze Saints, but the ones that can bring a miracle"
Naofumi didn't said anything as he sighted at Raphtalia trying to shatter a rock without any kind of momentum or anything that can help her doing so.
"I do wonder about something" mumbled Naofumi gaining the attention of the Bull Saint "What kind of person Athena is? With all the versions that were written through history, it's kind of hard to point which one is true"
"Think of her as someone who fights to protect humanity" replied Aldebaran "Although, there wasn't just one. The goddess herself can't come down, but she can send her powers to someone who can act as her Avatar on earth"
"How can you be sure that it's her and not someone else?"
"It depends on what the Pope says" stated Aldebaran "The Pope of the Sanctuary can see who Athena is by going to a sacred place called the Star Hill"
"A Pope?"
"Any Saint can become Pope, but he has to be pure, wise and strong"
"This is way different than what I know" sighed Naofumi.
"Reality can be different, kid"
'All of this seems… so unreal' thought Naofumi 'I need to be ready if they decide to turn on me'
As the day past, both Naofumi and Raphtalia went back to the inn.
"Naofumi-sama!" called Raphtalia "Look at that!" when Naofumi turned to look, he saw Raphtalia generating a small ball of energy "It's great, isn't it?"
"What's that?" asked Naofumi.
"They said that it's my Cosmos concentrating in a single point" replied Raphtalia.
'Maybe that I can take some in my shield' thought Naofumi as he approached it with his shield.
"Naofumi-sama?"
"I want to see if I can…" began Naofumi before that the ball exploded with the contact of the shield launching him to a wall.
"Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia rushed to his side as he groaned.
"What the hell was that?" he asked as he got up.
"I don't know" replied Raphtalia.
"They must have plotted it" mumbled the Shield Hero.
In Nathalia's house, both the Aries and Taurus Saints were eating until they sneezed.
"Is everything alright?" asked the woman.
"It seems like someone talked about us" stated Mu.
"Not that big of a deal" replied Aldebaran "Let them talk"
Naofumi looked at his new gear and began to wonder if it's really a good idea to wear them.
"Naofumi-sama, are you alright?" asked Raphtalia.
"Don't worry about it" replied Naofumi "Just get ready for tomorrow"
Raphtalia nodded before lying on her bed.
As the dawn came upon the village, Naofumi was standing at the ready with Raphtalia as the countdown approached zero. At that moment, the sky turned red and they both got teleported somewhere in the woods.
Mu stood outside as he witnessed the phenomenon happening with wide eyes.
"By the gods… what is this presence that I'm feeling?" he mumbled as some strange lights began to appear "Not even Hell was this twisted"
"Mu" Aldebaran walked to him "What's happening?"
"This must be the waves that we were told about" replied the Aries Saint.
"It feels like there's more to this than what we were told" stated the Taurus Saint "Even when we were at the Wailing Wall, I did not felt something like that"
"It's more like a more powerful version of Saga's Another Dimension" said Mu "But in a more twisted sense"
"You mean as if Saga could use in on the entire planet?" asked Aldebaran.
"I mean as if Shaka's Heavenly Treasure and Saga's Another Dimension became one with Galaxian Explosion" answered Mu.
Aldebaran stayed silent as he watched the sky before seeing something "What are those?"
"They seem like… monsters!" said Mu as he widen his eyes before turning to Aldebaran "Alert the village! They must get to safety now!"
Aldebaran nodded before going to the elder's house.
"Sir Mu!" called one of the Demi-Humans "What are our orders?"
"Protect the civilians!" replied Mu "Take them to the mines and make sure that none of them are hurt! Now go!"
"Yes!" said the Demi-Humans before rushing to do as they were told.
Mu stood there as he watched insect like monsters flying toward them.
"Stardust Revolution!"
Mu used his technique to destroy a lot of monsters, but not all of them as they began to head to the village's direction.
'This situation can become worse than it is now' thought Mu before that some undead monsters drop in and around the village 'I need to use my Cosmos sparingly'
Mu then eyed the Demi-Humans fighting and protecting the few villagers that had still to evacuate. He then saw one of the villagers throwing something in the sky, something that looks like giving some sort of signal.
"Are they alerting the castle?" wondered Mu out loud "Considering the distance, it might be unwise to rely on them"
Mu watched as most civilians were heading to the mines.
Aldebaran was about to head to where Mu was, but decided to also help.
"Great Horn!" a wave of Cosmos crashed through many monsters; he then turned to the Demi-Humans that were there "I'll carve a path, try to get them to safety"
"Y-yes!" replied one of the Demi-Humans before guiding some civilians toward the mines.
"I hope that Mu has a good plan" mumbled Aldebaran.
Mu was breathing heavily as he was surrounded by some undead monsters.
"Each time I kill one, ten others appear" he took a deep breath "It's worse than fighting Hades's Specters"
He then concentrated his Cosmos all around him.
"Starlight Extinction!"
A light enveloped the monsters. As the light disappeared, they all vanished.
'This isn't good' thought Mu 'I spent a lot of Cosmos' but it became worse as more undead monsters appeared "There's no end to them…" he said while breathing heavily.
His eyes widen as he saw someone punching one of the monsters.
"Shield Prison!" a strange dome enveloped both his savior and the Aries Saint.
"Shield Hero Naofumi?"
"Just Naofumi is fine" replied the Shield Hero "You look pretty tired"
"I used a lot of Cosmos, I just need to rest a little" stated Mu "Most of the civilians must have gotten to the mines by now"
"How long until that you can fight again?" asked Naofumi.
"Just give me a moment to rest and I'll be able to fight again" answered Mu as Naofumi nodded before taking the attention of many monsters away from the Gold Saint.
Aldebaran made sure that all the civilians were safe as they all seem to be quite shaken.
"Sir" called one of the Demi-Humans "What should we do?"
"Make sure that you have some staying here to keep those things away from the villagers" replied the Bull Saint "Better leaving this to the strongest of you. The rest will go fight those monsters"
"Yes!" they all answered.
Naofumi gathered all those he could at the bottom of a tower before igniting it, killing most of them. However, stronger monsters began to appear.
"Great Horn!"
Most of the monsters were crushed by a wave. Naofumi turned his head and saw Aldebaran, with Raphtalia and Demi-Humans, walking with his arms crossed "Didn't thought that you would be here, kid"
"Where's the problem?" asked Naofumi as he narrowed his eyes.
"There's no problem, kid" replied Aldebaran "In fact; I think that I respect you more"
"What?"
"You're here, helping a village, saving lives" explained Aldebaran "Now, I understand why Mu trusts you this much"
There was a brief light above them, illuminating the sky. After that, it became like sparkles.
"Raphtalia!" Naofumi jumped and took cover with his Demi-Human companion.
"Crystal Wall!"
Naofumi looked and saw Mu standing as a barrier was above the village, protecting it from fireballs.
"Mu!" called Aldebaran "Don't use your Cosmos without thinking!"
"If I don't do that… the village will be destroyed…" replied Mu as he was breathing heavily.
'Is he really going this far just to keep houses intact?' wondered Naofumi.
As it stopped, Mu let go and then fell uncouncious. Then, soldiers began to walk in.
"It didn't worked?" asked the one who looks like the leader.
Naofumi looked at them, then at Mu before hearing the Taurus Saint talking "Are you the ones who nearly destroyed the village?" the anger in his eyes was growing by the second.
"We are just doing our job by killing the monsters"
"You must protect the innocent, not killing them…" Aldebaran began to walk toward him until he stood right next to him, towering him "You could have killed a lot of people if they were still here… you're a disgrace to your status"
"Like someone like you can understand anything on killing monsters" snorted the man, trying to look away.
"I can show you how I do it, if you really want" stated Aldebaran as most soldiers took a step back it was then when Aldebaran quickly turned to the side "Great Horn!"
All the knight watched with awe as lot of monsters were crushed.
"If you want to help, then kill those monsters with your weapons…" said Aldebaran as a large undead monster tried to hit him "Without endangering others!" he then punched him hard enough to send him crashing in pieces.
"Listen!" called Naofumi "We will buy you time for you to get in formation. Let's do this, Raphtalia!"
"Yes!"
"Let the Shield Hero and his companions to deal with this, we will go support the three other heroes!" ordered the leader as Naofumi, Raphtalia and Aldebaran were fighting off the monsters.
'Figures that they will go away' thought Naofumi as he blocked a monster that had his head crushed by Aldebaran
However, one of the knight stood there before ordering "Support the Shield Hero! Phalanx Formation!"
Most of the knights looked content with their new orders as they took the formation and began to fight the monsters.
After hours of fighting, the sky cleared, signaling the end of the Wave.
"I'll be damned" panted Aldebaran as he sat down "This is worse than fighting in Asgard" he then dosed off, recovering from the Cosmos he spend in the fight.
Now, before I hear the 'your underestimate Mu and Aldebaran', 'Mu and Aldebaran are stronger than that', take in consideration that spending a lot of Cosmos can tire them.
If you don't believe me, go watch Saint Seiya Omega; Kiki tired after fighting the soldiers of Mars.
And since I added new character, it's normal that I added new stuff; New armor for Naofumi and Raphtalia, a New sword to Raphtalia, and a new Shield.
Also, to answer the 'Can the Gold Cloth be considered as Vassal Weapons?', the answer is Yes if we consider the similarities between the two.
Read if you enjoy it, don't read if you don't like.
Stardust Shield
Abilities (Normal / Bronze / Silver / Gold / God):
Any Cosmos Level:
-Gain + 10 / +20 / +30 / +40 / +50 Defense.
-Crafted items gain +5 / +10 / +15 / +20 / +25 stats.
-Increase speed by 5% / 10% / 20% / 40% / 100%
-Create Stardust.
From Bronze Cosmos Level to above:
-Gain +10 / +20 / +30 / +40 Strength
From Silver Cosmos Level to above:
-Gain +5% / +20% / +50% EXP bonus
From Gold Cosmos Level to above:
-Gain invulnerability against projectiles and magic.
-Gain teleportation by the stars.
-Gain Gold Aura that imposes respect.
God Cosmos Level:
-Increase Stats by 100%
-Gain Great HP Regeneration.
-Gain Great MP Regeneration.
-Gain 100% Aliment resist.