Warning: DarkCrackwithPlotandlotsofSmut

That's all the warning or explanation you'll get. :)

Obviously, this is AU.

For as long as I manage, I'll tribute each chapter to a single Sin. So chapter length may vary.

Chapter 1 - Wrath

The feeling of your knuckles digging into a Balloon and bouncing off again wasn't very satisfying, Naofumi discovered quickly. It was much too rubbery—much too orange, much too bouncy, much to round—for him to pretend that it was her face. Another Balloon popped in his hand. Even that didn't bring him any satisfaction, only a reminder of how pathetic he was in terms of offense. If he couldn't even pop a Balloon in under 30 hits, how could he ever hope of bashing that Bitch's head in?

He pocketed the Orange Balloon scrap, grabbed the next growling monster off his shoulder, and started pounding at it, grunting in frustration. It'd been three days since the "trial", and Naofumi's anger hadn't quelled in the slightest. He wasn't even sure why he was going on like this, why he was even trying. Probably because he didn't know what else to do. It was a good way to keep his mind busy, and when it got dark, he'd simply collapse and let exhaustion lull him to sleep, resting in the grass while Balloons tried fruitlessly to harm him. Nighttime was still a few hours away, the sun hanging low in the sky.

He'd managed to reach level 2, so that was something. If you considered the added boon of only needing 42 instead of 43 hits to pop one Orange Balloon something, that was.

Fucking Myne. He tried to pretend it was her face he was hitting. It didn't work. At least, it didn't provide him any satisfaction, only stoking his anger. If only there was a way for him to get stronger, to get his revenge!

Naofumi halted with a start. He thought back to when he'd been leveling here on the first day.

"Ow ow ow!" Myne whined, hopping on her feet and waving her hand and the Balloon that was biting into it. Her sword lay discarded in the grass, tears gathering in her panicked eyes.

"Myne!" Naofumi dashed over toward her and ripped the Balloon off, glaring at it as he threw it away. She fell to her knees, and he immediately crouched next to her. "Myne! Are you hurt?"

She nodded, sniveling, and practically shoved her hand in his face. Blood was oozing out of tiny holes where the Balloon's teeth had pricked her skin. He frantically searched for something to stop the bleeding. A few drops of blood fell onto his Shield, vanishing with a little flash of green. There was a notification, but Naofumi dismissed it immediately, too focused on Myne's wound.

"Sir Hero," Myne whined, sniveling. "It huuurts."

Naofumi scoffed, getting sick and angry just thinking about it. How had he fallen for that shit? It was so obvious in hindsight. She'd been milking that injury really good, guilt-tripping him into buying her that fucking armor. She probably still wore it, parading it around, getting off at the thought of how she'd tricked him. She was probably also getting off on Motoyasu wearing his chainmail. Those two truly deserved each other. Fucking bastards. He was going to pay them back...somehow.

Naofumi took a calming breath, reminding himself that there had been another purpose as to why he'd been reliving that sickening memory. He searched his HUD for that notification he'd so carelessly dismissed but couldn't find it. What had it been? A Shield unlock? He searched his skill tree. There, in a completely separate tree all by itself hovered a new icon, glowing white. He focused on it.

Divine Shield

His Shield changed forms. The pathetic Small Shield vanished, being replaced by a bigger one. Aside from the green gem in the middle, it was the color of blinding white light. It was solid to touch and felt smooth and cool, but when he looked at it, he couldn't quite decide what form it was. It seemed round, but also not, a sort of mist encompassing it. Naofumi was a little in awe staring at it. A grin spread across his face, a semblance of excitement spreading through him for the first time in days. This had to be powerful. He just knew it.

He bashed the Divine Shield against a Balloon on his leg. The Balloon was swallowed by the white glow of the Shield. When he withdrew the Shield, the Balloon was still whole, looking kind of smug as it dug its teeth in his leg, growling. Naofumi repeated the process, but no matter how often he hit the thing, it didn't pop. "You've got to fucking kidding me. It's useless?!"

Naofumi picked the Balloon from his leg and hit it with his fist like before, letting out his frustration. He counted. Still 42 hits. "Whatever."

His gaze fell onto a new icon that had appeared in his HUD, in the center at the bottom. It was round and filled with a faint white glow like the Divine Shield only not quite so bright and without the Shield's gem. He focused on it, wondering what it did. The icon enlarged, text appearing below.

APOTHEOSIS

"Apotheosis? Huh?" That sounded...powerful...almost too good to be true. Should he try it? A small voice in his head whispered to him that he'd unlocked this Shield by absorbing Myne's blood and that it could be a trap. He dismissed that. The unlock had nothing to do with Myne. Suggesting that would be saying that she was an angel or some kind of saint.

Naofumi gave a derisive snort at that ridiculous thought. If anything, she was a demon, a succubus perhaps. No, there was no way this had anything to do with that Bitch. He activated the ability. The icon briefly enlarged, as if it was a light-filled bubbled he'd pressed against a glass pane, widening as it stretched before snapping back in its previous ball-form. The light inside the icon brightened, shining like a small, white sun.

He blinked, waiting. Nothing happened. He repeated the same procedure as before, first striking with the Devine Shield, then with his fists. 42 hits. Wow. Thanks for nothing. He huffed in frustration.

Hello? Did someone just speak? a voice echoed in his head, coming from seemingly nowhere. It was feminine and, aside from it being more mature, it sounded almost like—

Bitch!

An outraged gasp sounded. How dare you?! Who's there? Who dares to insult me?

Naofumi looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. Without success. Great. Now, I'm hallucinating.

I assure you I am very real. And angry. Very, very angry. You'll apologize and grovel this instance or I shall smite you, mortal!

"The fuck I will!" He glared at the Divine Shield, which was clearly the source of the voice. "Now shut the fuck up, you stupid Shield. You're giving me a headache."

There was another gasp. Die! You insolent, little creature, you— Shield? Did you just say Shield?

"What of it?"

There was silence for a while, then condescending laughter sounded in his head. The sound was grating on his nerves. The Shield Hero. I see you now. So tiny. How sweet. What... what are those balls sticking to your body?

"Balloons."

Ah yes, I'm quite aware of that. What I meant to say, why are there Balloons sticking to your body?

Naofumi let himself fall onto the grass and lay down. Clearly, with the annoying voice in his head, he wasn't going to get anything else done today. So he made himself comfortable. "What kind of stupid question is that? It's because I can't kill them."

Watch your tone, mortal!

"Or what? Will you 'smite' me?" He laughed mockingly. "You can't even pop a single fucking Balloon, so forgive me if I'm not feeling very threatened here."

There was a long contemplative silence. Say, mortal, who do you think I am?

"I don't know. The Spirit or Soul of the Shield or something like that."

Quite wrong. Your Shield doesn't have a soul. Or if it did, I have just crushed it. She giggled, a sound unbefitting of the maturity the voice indicated. No, I am in fact a Goddess. You may call me Medea. Hello? Are you listening? I just told you that you're talking to the Goddess Medea. This is your time where you grovel and apologize.

Naofumi stared incredulously at the Divine Shield. "Or. What?"

Why you—

"If you really are a Goddess, prove it. Make some miracle. I don't know, something." He waited. "What's the matter? Can't do it? Yeah, that's what I thought, you Fake Goddess."

Fake?! There was another outraged gasp, then she seemed to take a few calming breaths. Hmmm... I see what you're doing there, mortal. I will not fall for your childish goads. You want a demonstration? Very well. Now watch.

Suddenly, his HUD blurred and flickered, and his brain was assaulted by an unpleasant static noise. It was over after a few seconds. "Woooooow. You made it flicker. I'm so impressed." Naofumi clapped slowly before letting his arms fall back onto the grass.

She huffed. Are you always trying to be such an annoying brat? And I did not just make it flicker. You're clearly too inept to spot what I did. Ungrateful too. I'm seriously considering to just smite you after all.

He rolled his eyes at her empty threat and inspected his HUD. True enough, there were some changes. For one, the help menu was gone. Wow, thanks a lot. Then—

I heard that, you know.

He started, then shook his head. Yeah, I know. He hadn't paid his HUD much attention before, but it seemed fundamentally different now. The biggest difference was probably that his skill tree was gone. Well, not gone. But it seemed to have been reduced to only a single tree, visible on the right side of his HUD. There was the Divine Shield in the top right corner, glowing white, and extending downward, were seven more icons. They were all black, not unlocked yet, though he could make out symbols inside of them.

Wow, so you reduced my skill tree to only...eight Shields? Thanks a bunch. He tried to switch back to the Small Shield and found that he couldn't. And anyway, how is this proof of you being a Goddess? As far as I see it, this only confirms that you are the Soul of the Shield.

If you must know, I didn't 'reduce' anything. I merely made some modifications, though it was nothing that hasn't been there before. In essence, I made an upgrade.

So clearly not a Goddess.

She huffed. Perhaps I may currently be unable to directly influence the realm you walk, but do not doubt my power, mortal! I'm powerful, but I'm not all-powerful. Not yet. If I were, we wouldn't have this conversation. Which, I have to say, is quite curious to begin with. What did you do to establish this connection?

I equipped the Divine Shield.

You're quite the smart-ass, aren't you? And how did you come in possession of this power?

Does it matter? He didn't want to think about it again.

I suppose not.

No one spoke for a while. Naofumi stared into the evening sky, listening to the wind rustling the grass and leaves and the growls of the Balloons fruitlessly biting him.

I'm still waiting for that apology, you know.

Apology? What for? For not believing that you're a Goddess?

I suppose that's part of it. But no, I'm talking about what you called me earlier.

Fake?

A Bitch! she practically shrieked.

Oh. He chuckled. Sorry. That wasn't intended for you.

And who was it intended for?

Naofumi didn't answer.

Touchy subject? I see. I'm here to listen whenever you're ready. Tell me all your pains and sorrows, mortal. Perhaps Goddess Medea can make it better.

He rolled his eyes. She was so fake. If you really were a Goddess, don't you have better things to do than to talk to me?

Perhaps I do. That's none of your business though. She paused. It's not very often that someone talks to me, especially someone so rude, let alone someone wielding a Holy Weapon. So I'm understandably curious.

I see. Not really; he just wanted her to shut up.

And you still haven't answered my earlier question. Why are those Balloons gnawing at you? Do you enjoy that kind of thing? She sounded quite curious.

N-No! I... I'm just too lazy to get rid of them, I suppose. I barely feel them, so it's not like it matters.

Why don't you get someone else to do it for you? A party member, yes? As far as I understand, that's what you mortals like to do—form parties to fight and...copulate.

He snorted but remained silent otherwise.

Uhhh. Another touchy subject. This is getting more and more interesting. She let out a childish giggle. I'm gonna make an educated guess here and say that your lack of party members and this person you've called a Bitch are somehow connected.

Do you ever shut up?

His answer was another giggle. That was a yes. I'm so good at this!

There seemed something seriously wrong with her.

So someone screwed you over, didn't they? And now everyone hates you. Awwww. The poor Shield Hero, all alone and sulking and with no means to attack by himself. She laughed gleefully.

Fuck you! Naofumi gritted his teeth.

And so, so angry. But not at me. No, you're angry at them. You want to take your revenge, don't you? You want to make them pay! See it all burn!

Yes!

Do it! Picture it! Unleash your rage upon the world. Make them suffer! Give them their just dessert! Make them regret and beg for mercy!

Naofumi glared up at the sky, picturing it. He wanted nothing more than to crush that stupid Bitch's face and to beat the shit out of Motoyasu. Of course, he couldn't. Because of his fucking, stupid, useless Shield that didn't allow him—

Medea gave a pleased, throaty laugh. The third black icon—counting from the bottom—of the seven locked Shields moved into the middle of his HUD. It enlarged, and then, like a coin, it seemed to flip, revealing a colored version on the other side. Depicted on the icon was a red flame. Scowling eyes were staring out of it, not unlike that of a Balloon. The icon retook its spot on the right side of his HUD, right below the Divine Shield in the top right corner.

He selected it without a second thought.

Shield of Wrath

The glow of the Divine Shield vanished, being replaced by the glow of fire. Flames erupted from his Shield as it changed forms, becoming more solid and black. Multiple pops sounded as the Balloons around the Shield popped at once. Naofumi grinned. Then he laughed while he waved the flaming Shield all across his body. The flames didn't spread onto his clothes, only destroying the Balloons, their pops music to his ears. Messages of EXP were floating in the air.

Perhaps she's a Goddess after all.

Medea's laughter turned even more pleased at that.

Energized, Naofumi jumped to his feet. The sun was about to set, but he had no intention of resting anytime soon. Finally, he had the means to fight back. Finally, something good had happened. A wide grin on his face, he charged across the meadow. Balloons jumped him and popped the second they came into contact with the flames. He didn't bother to collect the scraps—if they hadn't been consumed by the fire—and kept moving.

In addition to the right side of the HUD, a second icon with the Shield of Wrath's theme hovered at the bottom center. Focusing on it only made text appear.

RAZE

A passive skill that seemingly couldn't be deactivated: the flames.

Night approached, but Naofumi didn't care, feeling as if he got the energy to run for a whole week straight. He happened upon a forest and ventured inside. Red Balloons were living there. They popped just as easily but gave a little more EXP. He was approaching level 3.

He halted and frowned suddenly when the forest seemed to brighten around him. It couldn't already be morning again, could it? He turned around and was met with burning trees, flames crackling in the night, spreading rapidly. "Well, fuck." Some of his enthusiasm vanished at the realization, a sense of dread filling him.

What's the matter?

I set the fucking forest on fire.

So?

So?! It's bad. It's fucking bad!

Oh. She sounded disappointed.

Naofumi shook his head and focused on the flames that were approaching him. Could they hurt him? Probably not, though he wasn't inclined to find out. Should he do something? Could he do something? No, there was nothing he could do except to make sure no one found out he was the cause for this.

He ran.

He focused on the Divine Shield, willing it to equip, but it didn't work, only making his HUD flicker and sending an unpleasant static noise through his head. So he did his best to not let the flames of the Shield of Wrath touch anything.

When he finally exited the forest, he had no idea where he was. Trusting his gut feeling, he picked one direction and started looping around the forest, hoping to eventually happen upon the spot where he'd started. Even with a lot of distance between himself and the burning trees, he could still feel the heat radiating through the air, pressing against his face. The flames extended up high in the night sky, crackling happily. Occasionally, there was the sound of wood splintering, of trees falling.

I wonder whether I'll get EXP from the Balloons that are undoubtedly burning right now. It's not like they're very smart and would run away. He kept his eyes fixated on his EXP bar.

You won't. Perhaps your flames have started the fire, but it isn't your power that is reducing them to ashes and killing any monsters.

Naofumi started. You're still there.

Of course, I am. Did you think I'd died?

What? No.

Good. Because I'm immortal. Remember that, mortal.

He rolled his eyes, then, despite her words, focused on his EXP bar. Curiously, it did slowly rise. Very, very slowly. Every few seconds, it would increase ever so slightly. It was so minuscule he wouldn't have noticed it without paying close attention. But it was also happening in constant intervals, indicating that it wasn't EXP from any monsters dying in the flames. Perhaps a passive effect of the Shield?

What is?

Ah sorry, I wasn't talking to you. He grinned when the expected sound of indignation came.

Now listen, you—

Voices suddenly joined the crackling of the fire.

—little, insolent—

Hush! Naofumi ducked behind a nearby tree, hiding.

Do not Hush me! You ungrateful...

He ignored Medea's string of colorful insults and declarations of how he should show more respect, and instead, focused on the figures he saw approaching in the distance. Knights were walking there, barking orders, heavy footsteps sounding against gravel. Naofumi held his breath. There were also figures that weren't knights. Some wore robes. More voices filled the air. People were chanting, shouting incantations and spells he couldn't quite make out. Big sprays of water splashed against the burning trees, sizzling, battling the flames. Moderately successful.

There was also lots of cursing and swearing of the knights as they complained about being out this late in the night...and of working in general. What a bunch of lazy fucks.

Naofumi grinned. Perhaps this whole thing wasn't so bad, after all. Any suffering of those bastard knights was a win in his book. And the King would probably be pissed about it. Naofumi chuckled.

...may be allowed to— Are you listening?

Sorry. Kinda busy enjoying the image of the trash King's face when he hears that I've burned his forest.

Medea harrumphed. Well, at least it's a worthy effort that has caused your attention to drift away from your Goddess. I shall overlook it this time. Don't get used to my generosity.

Naofumi only shook his head incredulously. He bit back any sarcastic reply and kept watching the spectacle, not wanting her to go on another tirade.

It's a good feeling, isn't it? To watch it burn. To spectate the destruction and know that you've been the cause of it. To see those fools run around like headless chickens while they try and fail to fix it. To see their desperation and anger.

Yes. It really is a good feeling. A warm feeling, right in his chest. Very satisfying. Added to that was the anticipation and giddiness of actually having done something criminal, the thrill of potentially being found out. It was also a nice feeling to have someone to talk to again. Even if she was a crazy Goddess... As long as she kept helping him, he couldn't care less.

Naofumi yawned. Well, it seemed that the knights were somewhat successful in fighting the fire. He had no interest in watching it to the end. Time to go.

Medea was silent as he tracked back to his usual meadow. Despite the burning Shield, no one had spotted him in the night. Finally back, Naofumi let himself drop to the ground, lying down. He tried once more to swap to the Divine Shield and Small Shield—without success—then simply placed his Shield-arm onto his chest. The flames couldn't hurt him, so that was the safest option.

Goodnight, Medea, he thought, just for fun.

She huffed. Don't worry, a Goddess like me has no need for sleep. I shall watch over your body while you're unconscious, my little Shield Hero.

Naofumi snorted, eyes closed. He didn't really believe her, but the thought made a spark of comfort shoot through his chest nonetheless. He fell asleep instantly.

Naofumi awoke to the sound of a Balloon popping. Frowning, he blinked his eyes open. When he spotted the burning Shield of Wrath on his chest, the memories of yesterday came back to him. He checked his HUD. Nothing had changed there. Actually, nevermind that. He'd achieved level 4 while he'd been asleep.

Neat!

He swiped the Shield across his body, popping the Balloons that had accumulated there over the span of the night.

Well, someone's in a good mood.

Naofumi stood and stretched, releasing pleased groans as his joints popped. I guess I am. Watching that forest burn was quite cathartic. Perhaps it hadn't been a very productive or smart thing to do, but it was still proof that he could do something aside from just taking shit from everyone. That he wasn't useless and powerless as the other Heroes said. Now he had a burning Shield that could attack and a crazy Goddess to keep him company. Things were looking up.

Medea chuckled. There's a certain charm to seeing things burn, isn't there?

He hummed in agreement. Anything interesting happen while I was out?

If you don't count watching a dozen Balloons trying to eat your body as interesting, then no.

No news was good news, he supposed. It was time to level, then. He didn't charge into battle like yesterday. Despite still feeling more energized than in the last few days combined, he kept at a moderate pace and even collected the Balloon scraps. The RAZE burn aura of the Shield of Wrath incinerated them by accident more often than not, but here and there, balloon scraps dropped to the ground when the Balloons popped early enough to not be consumed by the flames. Even considering that, he was collecting so many that any comparison to before would have been laughable.

Medea was silent aside from the odd comment or, more often than not, self-praise. Apparently, she did have other things to do. Not that Naofumi cared or asked.

In the afternoon, he neared the forest again. He was met with a large portion of charred trees lying across the ground. The destruction only went on for so long; it seemed the knights had been able to save a majority of the forest. Naofumi simply shrugged and went on, not really caring either way. He only hoped that no people had lived inside the burned portion. He'd hate to ruin the lives of innocents in some useless destruction.

When it was approaching evening, Naofumi became increasingly aware of his growing hunger. It'd been a while since he'd eaten. In fact, he'd barely eaten since being branded a criminal. He'd drank water from a nearby river and had picked some fruits and berries from plants that had looked trustworthy, but otherwise, he'd been practically hungering. He was broke, and he didn't even consider the thought of handouts.

Until now, that was. The small bag filled with Balloon straps was quite full after a successful day of leveling. Now, he'd just have to enter the city and sell his loot... If only he could switch to another Shield. He didn't dare raise the topic to Medea, who was definitely the cause of that, afraid she'd take away the Shield of Wrath if he complained.

The flames dancing on his arm certainly didn't inspire confidence. Fear probably. Not a bad thing. But not good either. Either way, he'd have to enter the city sooner or later. There was no point in delaying it. The fact that he had a flaming Shield and that the forest had burned shouldn't spell his guilt. But knowing the King, it probably would.

So what? he scoffed. Even if that trash King knows I've burned the forest, what does it matter? Everyone thinks I've raped that Bitch anyway. It's not like this changes anything. I'm still needed and can't be punished. They can all go fuck themselves.

That's the spirit!

Naofumi couldn't help himself. He barked out a laugh, and his lips formed what was probably the widest smile since...since even before the summoning.

He entered the city with his head held high...and rather enjoyed how the people seemed to shrink back in fear. It made him feel powerful. At least now their apprehension wasn't unfounded.

He didn't need a long time to find a stand that bought monster loot. The man looked like he wanted to scam Naofumi, but the moment he fully stepped in front of him, towering, scowling, arms crossed with the flames of RAZE flickering across his chest and tickling his chin, the merchant lost all confidence, looking like he was about to piss himself as he counted the offered Balloon scraps.

Medea was cackling along happily, and it was rather difficult to not join in with her amusement and to keep the smile off his face.

"Ei-eight silver coins!"

Naofumi reached out with his left hand—he wasn't cruel—and accepted the money with a nod, then promptly turned away and began looking for a restaurant.

You're enjoying this a little too much.

What do you mean, too much? Seeing people suffer is the purest of all pleasures.

A rather morose way to look at things. Not that he really cared or judged.

He entered a restaurant that neither looked too reputable nor too lowly. He just wanted to eat in peace. The people were clearly not of the same mind. A brave waitress blocked his way to the table he'd had in mind, though she was clearly apprehensive about his flaming Shield.

"No worries," Naofumi said. "It looks worse than it is. I won't burn anything. I just want a meal."

A group of men a few tables down had paused in their discussion and were watching the interaction with interest, gesturing, apparently ready to interfere on behalf of the waitress should Naofumi misbehave.

"And you'll be able to pay?" the waitress asked, putting a hand against her hips.

He showed her one of the silver coins he'd just acquired.

She nodded. "You can sit here, Shield Hero."

The indicated table didn't seem worse than any other, so he took his seat without complaint. The meal also wasn't half-bad. But considering his starved state, he would have eaten literally anything and called it good. It was a little difficult to eat without accidentally burning the table. He tried to move the Shield away from his right arm, but it wouldn't budge. Eating with only his left hand was awkward and earned him more than a few stares, but thankfully, no one approached. He gave the waitress a generous tip, if only to discourage anyone from getting any funny ideas. And really, paying a few extra bronze coins was negligible considering the sum he'd made today—and he'd only been farming beginner monsters.

Sated and with a full belly, Naofumi stood and exited the restaurant. It was nearly night time, lanterns illuminating the emptying streets in addition to the last sunrays.

That was dreadful, Medea complained not for the first time, though he'd ignored her while eating. You should have just burned the table. At least then I wouldn't be bored out of my mind now. Those guys looked like they would have gladly picked a fight. I wonder what sounds they'd make when you'd burn their faces off.

You're awful, he thought, though not without a little fondness.

Why thank you.

I'm terribly sorry my eating wasn't to your satisfaction. Perhaps you know a solution to my little fire problem? I'd be more inclined to provide a show if I didn't have to worry about setting things aflame all the time.

But that's half the fun! she whined. But no, I don't know how to help you. I'm not the Soul of your Shield, after all.

Naofumi called bullshit on that. She obviously knew a lot more than she let on.

If you're so desperate to not burn things, you simply need to unlock another Shield.

Thanks for the advice.

You're welcome.

His gaze flickered toward the right side of his HUD and where the six still-black icons of locked Shields were hovering. He'd unlocked the Shield of Wrath while feeling particularly angry, so it was a reasonable guess to assume that they were unlocked by some sort of emotion. He'd find out sooner or later, he supposed. He also felt that the number of Shields was somehow significant but couldn't come up with the answer as to why.

"Well well, if it isn't the Shield Devil."

Naofumi shook himself out of his musings. He hadn't even been aware of where he was going. The shady, narrow alley he was currently in certainly wasn't it. An uneasy feeling spread through him at the sight of five cloaked figures blocking the way. A quick glance behind himself revealed people closing in on him from there as well, trapping him.

He cursed under his breath. Just what I needed.

Now this'll be fun.

Not helpful.

Medea giggled.

Naofumi warily eyed the men. Their faces were hidden by their cloaks, but he could clearly see swords strapped to their hips. Could he take them on by himself?

"What's the matter, Shield Devil? Nothing to say?"

"I don't want any trouble," Naofumi said, making a placating hand gesture.

He was met with laughter and insults.

"A little late for that, isn't it?"

"Yeah, you should have thought about that before deciding to burn down the forest."

"Fucking Devil." Someone spat on the ground. "Kept us up all night cleaning up your mess."

"Yeah. Shouldn't the Heroes be there to make things better? Don't look like that to me. First rape, now this? What's next? Kidnapping? Murder? Who's safe if no one's stopping you?"

Fuck, Naofumi thought, heart hammering. They weren't just some street thugs looking for a fight. They were knights who had specifically sought him out for revenge. He could see armor peeking out from beneath some of their cloaks, and their steel boots were a dead giveaway. A few more steps and they would be in striking distance after a lunge, both from ahead and behind. He frantically searched for any escape. The windowless house walls to his sides didn't offer any support to climb, and the knights' ranks were closed with no gaps as they approached, four knights barely fitting shoulder to shoulder in the narrow alley.

"I didn't do it!" Naofumi tried one last time. "Why would I burn down the forest?"

"You mean, like you didn't rape the princess?"

"Fucking Devil!"

"Perhaps the King isn't as wise in his old age as he once was. But we can identify evil when we see it. We'll do the world a favor and dispose of you before you can cause any more harm, Devil."

Voices of agreement echoed across the dark alley.

"Like we'd believe you when you're waving around that burning Shield!"

Naofumi took an abrupt step forward, striking the air with his Shield, flames twirling after it. The knights shrank back. "Perhaps you'd like to find out firsthand just how hot the flames of my Shield burn!" He took another step forward, striking again, and they again took a step back. "Leave now, and I shall have mercy!"

"Hold your formations, men! Draw!"

The sounds of swords being unsheathed around him filled the air. They advanced again, taking courage in their numbers and from their leader's confidence. Even when he again made a threatening strike, they held their formation.

Fuck fuck fuck. This was fucking bad. What do I do?

Kill them. Strike before they can.

The lack of humor in her voice helped ground him. In fact, he hadn't heard her giggle for a while.

"At the ready, men! Wait for my—"

Naofumi took Medea's advice and charged. He had no desire to wait until they fully cornered him and attacked from all sides. Screaming, he swung his Shield against the swords that descended upon him. He'd caught some of them by surprise, only three having had the presence of mind to attack. Two swords crashed against his Shield, bouncing off. The other sliced his left arm, which he'd raised on instinct.

It hurt, probably leaving behind a deep gash. He didn't stop and kept running. Suddenly he was falling. Someone had tripped him.

"Not so fast, Shield Devil."

Naofumi was grabbed from behind. He tried to shake them off, kicking, swinging the Shield of Wrath behind himself without looking. The cry of pain when his Shield connected with the face of one knight—burning him badly—was quite satisfying. Yet, he was unable to stop them from lifting him up and throwing him back to where he'd started.

"You'll pay for that, Devil!"

"Charge!"

They descended upon him. Naofumi tried to escape to one side and even manage to score multiple hits, burning hands and feet around him, eliciting cries of pain. But there was no escaping, their armored bodies forming a solid, impenetrable circle around him. The injuries he caused only churned them on more. When they weren't hitting with their swords, they kicked him with metal boots, cracking his ribs and making him cough blood, shattering the bones in his fingers when he tried to steady himself.

"Halt!"

Armored footsteps retreated in unison. Clothing in tatters and bleeding from a hundred cuts, Naofumi was lying on the ground, wheezing for breath. His whole body was burning. Both from the pain and hatred. A deep and all-consuming hatred. With shaky movements, he pressed his mangled hands against the blood-stained cobblestone and pressed himself upward. Inch for inch. He glared at the knights through swollen eyes and blood-tinged hair clinging to his forehead.

Why?! Why was this happening to him? He didn't deserve this! Those cruel bastards deserved death for what they'd done to him! "I'll fucking kill you!" Naofumi roared. He felt like he was about to burst from the hot rage filling his chest. "You hear me?! You're all dead! I'll burn every last one of you!"

Something seemed to explode. He screamed in rage, pushing himself upward. His vision was suddenly filled with the icon of the Shield of Wrath. It flipped like when he'd unlocked it, and its color changed into gold. He focused on it without a second thought. The alley lit up. He rather felt than saw how flames suddenly erupted all across his body, veiling him in a fiery embrace.

Medea cackled, and an insane laugh tore itself from his throat. "DIE! Die you fucking bastards! I'll burn you all, and then I'll raze this whole city to the ground! You rotten—" He choked, spitting blood. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a blade sticking out of his throat, glinting red.

"May God save us," the leader of the knights murmured. He harshly ripped out his sword, completely destroying Naofumi's throat, a gush of blood splashing against the ground.

The remaining strength left his body, and he crashed to the ground. The flames extinguished, casting the alley into darkness.

"Let's go, men. We carried out God's will. Let's cleanse ourselves of the Devil's blood and pray for further guidance."

Laying in a puddle of blood and choking, Naofumi glared after them. Listened to their retreating footsteps. They didn't speak. He could feel death approaching, his vision darkening, warmth leaving his body. And yet, he didn't cry or waste any thoughts for regrets. He only hated. He cursed them with the last bit of air left in his lungs. His only regret was that he couldn't make true to his word and kill them all.

He died.

Awareness didn't end. He watched how he slowly left his body. He watched how he floated upward, stopping at chest-height. Below, his destroyed body lay in a puddle of blood, the cloak Erhard had gifted him in tatters, face battered and unrecognizable, fingers bent at unnatural angles. It was odd, seeing one's own corpse. He still felt the burning hatred, but there was also a certain calmness and clarity that came with death.

What now? he wondered. He was neither warm nor cold. Just hovering there with no body to speak of.

Did you mean it? The part about burning them all? About razing the city to the ground? Her voice didn't seem to be in his head this time, but instead, came from behind.

Every last word. He gasped as he suddenly felt something. Touch. Smooth and cool. He turned around, but there was nothing, only the empty alley. He had the distinct impression of being hugged from behind, of a woman's naked body pressing against his nonexisting one. Medea?

Yes, it's me, she said, her voice a pleasant whisper.

He shivered as he felt her hand ghost across his chest, almost a caress.

You want to make them pay, my little Shield Hero?

More than anything.

Good. Good. I probably shouldn't be doing this. But who's gonna keep me entertained if you're not around anymore?

Naofumi didn't really know what she was talking about. Before he had a chance to ask, he had the sudden feeling of being pushed down. Medea was still hugging him, pressing him through the air until he got immersed in his dead body.

His eyes snapped open, and he took a deep, greedy breath. What? He didn't feel any pain. He sat up, gasping at the sudden sensations he felt again: the stone pressing against his body; the warm blood clinging to his clothes; the chilling wind; the warmth of RAZE that was burning anew. His clothes were still a mess, but he couldn't find any injury on his body, all the bones set again, the skin unmarred. I'm alive again? But, how? I guess you really are a Goddess, aren't you?

Medea huffed. Took you long enough to notice.

He barked out a laugh. Sorry, I won't doubt you again.

She gave a pleased hum.

Naofumi looked in the air to where he suspected her to be but, of course, didn't see anything. He shot to his feet, energy pulsing through his body, relishing the feeling of the breath in his lungs, then broke into a sprint. He had some knights to catch.

You've never told me your name, my little Shield Hero.

Naofumi. My name is Naofumi Iwatani. But I guess I'm the Shield Devil now.

Naofumi...

He inspected his HUD, wondering whether he'd hallucinated right before he'd died. But no, he hadn't. The icons of the Shield of Wrath and RAZE had turned into gold. The golden flame with scowling eyes looked quite badass.

Perhaps you're the Devil to those foolish mortals. That means you're my Hero, Naofumi Iwatani.

The grin that had already been on his face widened, a warm feeling spreading through him. He focused on the icon of the RAZE ability. It widened briefly, then the alley he was currently sprinting through lit up as his tattered cloak got replaced by one of pure fire, warming him.

Then I'll be your Hero, my Goddess.

Medea gave a pleased sound, almost like a purr.

Naofumi rounded another corner. The figure of a knight appeared before him. The knight turned at the sound of his rapid footsteps, and Naofumi smirked when the knight's eyes widened, recognition and fear flashing through them as they reflected the flames that would be his doom.

Time to die.

Medea giggled.

Did I forget to mention that this was a Dark!Naofumi fic?