I do not own Rising of the Shield Hero or any of the characters.
Wave
Fenris watched as Naofumi used his shield to enhance the last of his potions. Then, he handed them back. Fenris passed them all out to the others, keeping only one for himself.
"What, you're using them as pack mules now?" Raphtalia asked.
"No," Eileen said. "The potions are for us. To keep us alive."
Raphtalia blinked before staring at Fenris as he adjusted his armor and sword before sighing and sitting mutely on a barrel, staring at his hands.
Disgusting, inhuman, freak, Fenris thought. I never should have been born.
"Are you alright?" Sofia asked.
"Fine," Fenris grunted. "Just waiting for the job to start."
"Please talk to me," Sofia said, cupping his cheek. "Don't you trust me?"
He brushed her hand away. "Trust is a weakness. Either you can do your job or you can't."
Sofia sighed, nodding. "I understand."
She walked over to Naomi and Eileen, shaking her head, and Riley walked over.
"You're hurting her," Riley said. "Can't you see it? Don't you care?"
"Caring about anything simply allows the oportunity for something else to hurt you," Fenris said. "I don't care about anything."
"Well shedoes," Riley said. "She loves you. Stop pushing her away and breaking her heart. Otherwise, you're going to be hurt again when you lose everyone who's been at your side."
"If they leave, they leave," Fenris grunted. "No big loss."
"Are you sure about that?" Riley asked, then walked away.
Fenris pushed off the wall, but stopped as several young guards and mages ran over, the leader saluting Naofumi.
"The time has come!" the guard said, glancing to the side and staring at Riley. "Oh...uh...hello. I'm Ake."
"And I'm taken," Riley smiled sweetly. "But if you happen to find me something worth while during the wave, I'll consider rewarding you, as long as Fenris gives me permission."
"No," Fenris said flatly. "I don't mind if it's each other, but no guys."
"Guess not," Riley shrugged. "Sorry."
Ake blinked, staring at her in surprise and confusion.
"Naofumi," Fenris said. "Before we get teleported, I have a business proposition."
"Which is?" Naofumi asked.
"I know something about your shield you don't," Fenris said. "A faster way to get stronger."
"How?" Naofumi asked.
"Ten gold," Fenris said.
Naofumi glared at him and held up a money bag. "Info first."
"Your shield comes with a copy function," Fenris said. "You just have to hold a shield in order to unlock it. I know because Ren copied Riley's sword back when I first got it."
"You're kidding me!" Naofumi blinked, eyes glowing for a moment. "I don't see...wait...there it is! What the hell?"
"Wanna test it out?" Fenris asked, holding up the shields he had bought from Erhard. "Fifty silver each. the first one's free, though, as a show of good faith."
Naofumi handed him more coins and took a shield. A moment later, his own flashed, replicating it. The same happened with the rest. Finally Naofumi handed them back and Fenris passed them to Erhard.
"Free of charge," Fenris smirked. "So, any good abilities?"
"Yeah," Naofumi nodded. "Thanks for the tip."
"I'll send you any shields I find, for a fee," Fenris said.
"We have a deal," Naofumi nodded. "Get yourselves together. It's time."
A moment later, light began to shine from below them all, as well as a pile of weapons and potions off to the side. Fenris glanced at Sofia, their eyes meeting just before the light shone blindingly. Then, as it faded, they were in a small village, and small armored goblins with axes were raining from the sky.
"Evacuate the village!" Naofumi shouted, sprinting forward instsntly. "Filo, Raphtalia with me! Fenris, you take the North side!"
"Got it!" Fenris nodded, sprinting away. "Let's go girls!"
He ran through the streets quickly, slaughtering any monsters that got in his way, his harem following and doing much the same thing. As Fenris rounded a corner, he spotted a lizard with a humanoid body swinging an axe down at one of the villavillagers and dove forward, tackling the villager out of the way. A second later, Riley and Naomi split the Lizardman's back wide open.
"Get out of the village!" Fenris shouted. "Head that way until yiu find the soldiers! They'll lead you out!"
The villagers around them all fled instantly, following Fenris's directions. Fenris nodded to himself and turned, diving to the side as a Lizardman swung at him, embedding its blade in the ground. He stood instantly, darting forward and splitting it up the side, removing its arm. The Lizardman roared in pain, staggering away before beginning to pale. At the same time, Fenris suddenly felt wired, jittery, almost. Like he had just gotten a fresh adrenaline rush. The Lizardman collapsed and Fenris smirked, turning and looking around calmly. Everything seemed slower now. The enemies, the girls, the Wave above them. He grinned and shot forward, tearing into the enemies, feeling his adrenaline high get renewed every time he attacked something. A couple of times he wawas hit, once pretty severely, but after a couple more kills, he was healed again anyway. He loved it. It was addicting. Easily.
After a while, he wasn't sure how long, he found Naomi surrounded and struggling and all but danced around her, slaughtering the enemies and clearing her room to breath before continuing. Eileen had retreated to the top of an archer tower and there were several goblins climing after herb so Fenris sprinted to the top of a building then off of it to the tower, spinning and tearing down the goblins on the ladder like a saw before landing in a roll and regaining his feet in time to stab a Lizardman up through the head, then continue. After a bit longer, he skidded to a stop in time for two Lizardmen's axes to crash into his sword, sending him skidding backward, only for Riley to step off of one and slash it in an upward arc, then flip and stab the other on the way down.
"Sofia needs help!" Riley shouted, pointing to an alleyway where explosions were going off and monsters seemed to be swarming.
Fenris's high ended instantly and he put all his energy into sprinting, clearing the gap in seconds and tore into the monsters. Limbs and severed body parts began to fly as he slaughtered his way down the alleyway. The monsters turned, attacking him, only for an explosion to clear his path. A second fireball flew at him and he dropped into a squat, the fireball passing over him and exploding against the monsters swarming them from behind.
Fenris stood and looked down the alleyway to where Sofia was sitting against the wall, holding a bloody gash in her side and looking terrified. "Sofia!"
He sprinted to her, dropping his sword and sliding to a stop on his knee. He pulled her hand to check her side. It wasn't life-threatening, so long as the bleeding was stopped, but it definitely hurt. Aside from that, she had blood coating the side of her head and one eye was swelling.
"Where are your potions?" Fenris asked.
"The villagers needed them," Sofia said.
"Dammit Sofia!" Fenris growled, pulling out his own and pressing it into her hand, ignoring the monsters that the other three girls were holding at bay for them. "I don't give a fuck about the villagers! Those were to make sure I didn't lose any of you!"
Sofia smiled, setting the empty bottle down. "So you do care."
"No," Fenris said. "You're all useful."
Sofia dmiled and rolled her eyes, pushing herself up and holdding out his sword. "I'll work support this time, if you can keep from going into a drunken rage."
"I think I can manage," Fenris nodded.
He walked to the others and yanked Naomi backward, holding his sword out to the side and blocking an axe aimed for Riley with it, the one headed for Naomi splitting his front open. Then, he took four more hits before the next blade skipped off of his armor. He reacted instantly, using his now impervious armor to block three more blades, then dropped, Riley killing several in one slash. Then, Fenris spun, slashing a wide arc through the monsters, his wounds sealing. Then, he and Riley began to tear into the monsters, Naomi helping where needed, and Eileen and Sofia supporting them at range.
Finally, they broke out of the village square they had been stuck in for the last two and a half hours and began to work their way quickly toward the sounds of battle in the distance, Eileen and Sofia joining them on the ground. They reached the soldiers just in time to kill a Lizardman that was about to attack Ake and one of the others.
"Whoa!" Ake breathed. "They killed a Lizardman like it was nothing!"
"For us it is," Fenris said. "Now where's-"
"Fenris!" Naofumi called out. "How's the North side?"
"Overrun," Fenris said. "But evacuated."
Just then, a pair of werewolves off to the side yelped and they all spun, seeing an old woman standing over them. She turned toward them and bowed with a fist against her other hand.
"My eternal gratitude for your aid in the past, Shield Hero," the woman said.
"I might hire her for muscle," Fenris said.
"Harem members only," Naomi said. "I'm not losing the spot as your favorite to an old lady, and if you try and make a gumjob joke, I'll hit you."
"What's gotten into you?" Fenris asked.
"Jee, I don't know," Naomi said, hands on her hips. "Maybe i'm mad that the love of my life has been ignoring me lately. And not just me. I could accelt it if you had been leaning toward monogamy. Or if you were getting bored. I could have Sofia teach me then. But no, you've been pushing us all away. It's getting really old, really fast."
Fenris sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We're not getting into this right now."
"Fenris!" Naofumi called out. "I'm going to need you."
Fenris glanced at him, seeing him sitting on a giant, fat, filolial's back with Raphtalia in front of him. "Filo. Short for Filolial. Right. Very creative." He glanced to the others, who were helping the soldiers and the woman set up a defense. "Naofumi...I can't just..." His eyes settled on Sofia.
"I can't watch this anymore. Do you trust me?""What, you thought that I meant it? That I'd actually love a disgusting demi-human freak like you? That you couldeveractuallybeloved? A freak like you deserves only to die a horrible, painful death."
Fenris turned, climbing onto Filo behind Naofumi. "Sofia, you're in charge. I'll see you after the Wave."
Sofia nodded and Filo took off, speeding away from the village. They entered a forest quickly, then raced through it for several minutes before entering a canyon. Above the canyon, there was a flying ship with a couple dozen krakken tentacles swarming from the bottom and dozens of bird-type monsters flying around it. Itsuki and his party were shooting at the figurehead, but the other two were nowhere to be found.
"Where are the others?" Naofumi asked.
"On the ship," Itsuki said. "I told them attacking that figurehead and spawning the Soul Eater came first but they won't listen to reason."
Filo turned instantly, leaping onto a bird monster then to the deck of the ship. Fenris dropped to the ground instantly, looking around. At the rear, Motoyasu was fighting the tentacles with his party, the tentacles having monstrous faces on the ends, more like snakes than a tentacles, while at the front, Ren was fighting a skeletal pirate. He killed it just as they arrived, but it just got back up, its life refilling, and attacked again.
"Well that's definitely not the right way," Fenris said, turning and sprinting past Motoyasu as he retreated from the tentacles.
He rolled aside from one, then slashed two, however, even with its special ability, it barely made a dent in its health. He spun around it as it struck again and then leapt back from the rest. Then, he darted forward and stabbed the one he had attacked in its red eye and it shreiked in pain, pulling back. He backed away as a surge of strength flooded him. Then, a giant eagle's foot closed around his whole body, lifting him hundreds of feet over the ship instantly.
Fenris shouted in surprise and fear, stabbing the bird's foot, making it shriek in pain and release him. He shouted again, clinging to his sword and swinging up, wrenching the sword out before landing on the bird's back. It was roughly the size of Erhard's shop's main room, so when he drove his sword into it's brown-feathered back, he was unsurprised when it barely lost any health. He began to drag himself toward its head, ripping the sword out and stabbing it again further up. He did it again and again as he climbed before finally grabbing a fist full of forearm-sized feathers, sitting up. The bird shrieked, diving and he grit his teeth, waiting. Then, as it was nearing the ship, he drove his sword into the bird's skull and leaned sideways. The bird shrieked, veering to the side and crashed into the deck of the ship with a sickening crunch, breaking its neck and killing itself, Fenris rolling across the deck, stopping beside Naofumi. He pushed himself up as the bird's back exploded, a smaller, normal-sized one shrieking and flying over, landing on Fenris's shoulder.
"Um...is this my pet now?" Fenris asked.
"Maybe?" Naofumi shrugged.
Just then, a creature above them roared. Filo was flashing around in the air, pummeling it, but wasn't doing any real damage.
"What is that thing?" Fenris asked.
"The Wave boss," Naofumi said. "It's a Soul Eater."
"Great," Fenris said, staring at the ghost-like creature with a head shaped kind of like a fish's head and a pair of small, clawed arms. "Looks strong."
"It is," a voice said beside his ear.
His head snapped around to the bird, seeing it watching him. "Did you just...speak?"
"Who?" Naofumi asked.
"Yes, but only my master csn hear me, Master," the voice said again, definitely coming from the bird.
"Great," Fenris sighed. "Now I'm crazy." He looked up as the Soul Eater began to charge a green and black sphere of energy in its mouth. "Take off. But don't get yourself killed."
The bird took flight instantly, Fenris stepping behind Naofumi with Raphtalia and Filo. The blast hit the ship but didn't make it past Naofumi. Then, Raphtalia, Filo, and Fenris all charged. Filo reached it first, slamming several lightning-fast kicks into it, drawing its attention. Then, Raphtalia slashed, sending an arc of light up into it, blasting it. Fenris jumped, his new pet swooping down and catching him by the shoulders before flying upward with him just long enough to throw him at the Soul Eater. He slashed it up the face, feeling the usual adrenaline rush of his sword's new power, then flipped over and stabbed the Soul Eater in the back, landing on it. It went berserk, shrieking and thrashing, trying despararely go throw him off, all the while having Filo crash into it from all sides. However, it was barely being hurt, even with his sword constantly draining its health.
"Any day you want to come up with a plan Naofumi!" Fenris shouted. "This thing's really getting on my nerves!"
Just as Filo and Raphtalia landed beside Naofumi, the Soul Eater flipped upside down and dropped. Fenris hurled himself off, and his pet bird caught him, flying him to the ship again.
"Thanks," Fenris said. "See if you can find me any rare or powerful ores or gemstones. I'm going to need new armor after this."
"Yes Master," The bird turned and flew off and Fenris smirked.
Very useful, if it succeeded. But first, the Soul Eater. It rose in front of them and roared, streaking toward Fenris, apparently angry he had stabbed it. Fenris stepped out of the way and slashed it along the side. Then, as it was rising into the air again, the three offensive heroes all blasted it with one of their many abilities.
"What do we do here Naofumi?" Fenris asked.
"I've got it handled," Naofumi said.
Then, his shield flashed and expanded into a kite shield with spikes along the top, red markings over it, and flames roaring over its surface. As soon as it was there, Naofumi's armor turned black and expanded, a sleeve of metal splints with spikes along the outside and claws forming over his right arm. Behind him, Filo's eyes began to glow red, as Naofumi's own were, and there was something in her stomach, glowing purple. She took off, slamming a kick into the Soul Eater and blasting into the ground just before Naofumi unleashed a battle cry and slammed his shield into the creature, flames exploding out of it and engulfing the entire Soul Eater.
"Yeah, he's got it handled," Fenris said.
"He's basicslly turned into a rampaging rage monster, and that's not how a hero should act," Mein said.
"Oh like you can talk about acting properly," Fenris snorted.
"What are you all doing just stsnding around!?" Raphtalia demanded.
"Miserable demi-human!" Mein spat. "How dare you!?"
Fenris's hand smacked the back of her head hardb sending her staggering forward. "Shut up with your racist bullshit, bitch."
"Master Naofumi is fighting in our place, doing what we lack the courage to do!" Raohtalia said. "Yes, it's true. If only I were stronger. I wouldn't have to put him through this. You all have power. So why don't you fight?"
"Simple," Fenris said. "Your boyfriend's in the way."
Raphtalia blinked in surprise just before Fenris shot forward, shoulderchecking Naofumi and sending him sprawling to the ground just before the Soul Eater's clawed hand exploded out of Fenris's back, Fenris's sword removing the hand, then stabbing the Soul Eater in the eye. It roared as Fenris screamed. The two fighting for volume, Fenris's wound slowly closing the arm before forced out his back as he did. Then, as soon as it was sealed, he wrenched his sword back out and staggered backward, collapsing to his knees and panting.
"Bastard," Fenris panted. "Can't just...roll over...and die."
The Soul Eater began to rise and Fenris stood, leaning heavily on his sword. As he was, Ren rested a hand on the sword, his own becoming a replica.
"I'll pay you after," Ren said. "Let's go!"
Ren charged and Fenris stumbled after him, health still critical. Ren's slash carved out both of the Soul Eater's eyes, so it didn't see Fenris coming as he sprinted under it, slashing it along the bottom. Then, he spun, leaping onto its back again and stabbing it. The Soul Eater shrieked, flailing again as Fenris's life slowly regenerated. Then, Fenris dove off as it began to rise again.
As he rolled to his feet, the skeleton captain stepped up in front of him, the krakken's tentacles just behind it, only for Ren to drop the skeleton with a fire ability and Itsuki to blast the tentacles with lightning. However, a moment later, as MotoyMotoyasu and Ren moved to attack the Soul Eater, Fenris's bird grabbed him and flew him off of the ship.
"What are you doing!?" Fenris demanded. "That's the Wave Boss! It has to die!"
"I found you the ore you wanted," the bird said.
"I was in the middle of helping them!" Fenris shouted.
"Do you want the ore, or do you want to be a hero?" the bird asked, tilting itd head to look at him.
"I'm not a hero," Fenris said. "Let's make this quick."
The bird turned back to the front just in time to circle down to the ground and drop Fenris at a cave. "Hurry, Master. You have to get it before the wave ends. Also, you'll have to make my status as yojr familiar official by then, too, so be quick."
Fenris,s brow furrowed in confusion, but he nodded and walked into the cave. There were gemstones running along the walls in thin trails, but it would take him forever to mine enough of them for a real profit. He kept walking. The light from outside began to fade, and yet, he could still see. He began to round a corner and saw light up ahead. When he reached it, he stopped. There was a man sitting there with a sword across his lap with a wooden cross guard with the ends bent toward the blade in a sort of open box design, a small onyx sphere in the center of the guard with gold encircling it and a small arm of gold stretching out across the guard in both directions for an inch, a grip wrapped in an off-white cloth, and a rounded wooden pommel. The double-edged blade was maybe two feet long, making it a bit shorted than Fenris was used to, but he liked the sword all the same.
He shifted his focus to the man, and the blood coating his side, the pale skin, sunken eyes, and the glassy look the man was watching him with. He was dying. Fast.
"You're here," the man sighed. "Good."
"Good?" Fenris asked. "What do you mean?"
"Take this," the man said, setting a hand on the sword. "Hold it up for me."
Fenris walked over and knelt, lifting the sword. It felt good. It's handle was the perfect length for his hand.
"This sword is amazingly well crafted," Fenris said.
"It's not from this world," the man said, voice weak and fading. "It's...yours now. I choose you."
"What do you mean?" Fenris asked.
"As source of my power, I order thee," the man wheezed. "Take my life and accept the man who holds you. Sacrificial spell...thirty six. Inheritance."
A light shone from the sword, blinding Fenris for a moment before fading, the man tipping to the side and fwlling limply to the floor. As he did, words began to appear in Fenris's vision. His name, the girls' names. Naofumi's name. Levels for them all. Then a list of abilities appeared, quickly scrolling through. He caught the word "Copy," and the words "Ability Toggle" before it shifted to another group of currently meaningless words. Finally, a ccloud of circles with weapon designs in them appeared. One in the center expanded and a name appeared below it. Vassle Blade.
"What the hell is a Vassel Blade?" Fenris asked, staring at the sword.
He shrugged and drew his own sword to compaire them. The new sword's blade was about as thick as his black one, but was shorter, and only made for one hand. Suddenly, his new sword shown and transformed into a replica of his black one, except with the onyx sphere from the last form now in the pommel, and his mouth fell open, the cloud of weapon designs appearing again and a new one appearing, this one with a silhouete of his black sword in it. As it expanded, it also formed a description of his sword's life absorbing ability.
"Holy shit," Fenris breathed. "It's...like a Legendary Weapon."
"Master, come quick!" his bird called out.
Fenris turned and ran to the entrance just as a vortex of blue clouds spiraling over the ship opened and a massive iron maiden fell out of it, the Soul Eater, which had been in a shield prison, being elammed inside of it, shield prison and all, before a bell tolled and the torture device faded. The Soul Eater, now dead, fell past the ship, into a chasm below it.
"Incredible," Fenris breathed. "Who...who did that?"
"Naofumi," the bird said. "You got the sword, good. Now to make my familiar status official."
"What do you mean?" Fenris asked.
"I'm already your familiar, but as a living being, I'm subjected to the same laws and weaknesses as any living creature. But if I'm dead, I'll be much more effective, and much harder to kill. Plus, instead of leveling myself, I'll level with you."
"So, what, you want me to kill you?" Fenris asked.
"Yes," the bird said.
"Alright," Fenris shrugged. He reached up and broke the bird's neck, then dropped its body. "What a waste. Didn't even get any experience points."
"That's because I'm your familiar, Master," the bird's voice said, the bird reforming out of his shadow, now with black feathers, red eyes, and a dark blue beak, feet, and claws. "After the wave I can explain better."
"Right," Fenris said. "Stop calling me Master, and being so formal. And take this to Naomi, let her know I found a better one so she can have this." He handed the bird his black sword, keeping the Vassel Blade instead.
"Sure thing Boss," the bird said, flying away with the sword.
Fenris sighed and whistled, Filo turning to glance at him, everyone else distracted by Naofumi's amazing power. She leapt off the ship, darting over and skidding to a stop in front of him and he climbed on before she turned and raced back to the ship. Just as she landed on the deck, a second Soul Eater roared, growing from the deck of the ship and roaring.
"Great," Fenris sighed, drawing his sword. "Looks like it's time for round-"
Golden energy spikes suddenly rained down from above, slamming into the Soul Eater and instantly killing it, staking its body to the deck of the ship.
"...two," Fenris finished. "What the hell just happened?"
"How very disappointing," a female voice said from above, everyone looking up just as a woman wearing a dark purple kimono with long raven hair and a pair of folding fans fell from above, landing in front of them. "You actually have trouble with weaklings like these? Are you really the heroes holding the world's fate in their hands? There's only one here worthy of being called a hero. And what is your name?" She watched Naofumi carefully.
"Why don't you introduce yourself before asking someone their name?" Naofumi countered.
"Oh pardon me," the woman smirked. "Whatever happened to my manners? I am called Glass, and that's all you need to know for now. Feel free to consider me your enemy."
"I'm Naofumi," Naofumi introduced himself.
"Naofumi," she smirked, opening her apparently sharpened fans. "Well well. Then may I suggest we begin? The only battle of this wave worthy of the name."
"Yes, let's," Fenris said, charging.
Glass smirked and spun, deflecting his sword, only for him to spin, slashing at her with the back edge. She leapt backward, receiving a small scratch and gasped harshly, leaping further away the moment she landed, holding a hand to her scratch as she swayed. Fenris blinked, staring at his sword, then up at Glass. Something was up. She took more damage from that than she should have. He grinned. Perfect. That made things easy. Suddenly, Motoyasu, itsuki, and Ren all blasted her with a powerful attack, only for her to be completely unscathed.
He took a step forward as she held the fans out to her sides, light shining from first them, then her as well.
"Zero Stance Rondo, Reverse Four Seasons!" She swung her fans rapidly and the light from around and behind her became arcs of light, blasting into everyone and hurling them away, except for Naofumi, Filo, and Raphtalia. Fenris stood beside Naofumi as the others all lay around them, barely conscious.
"Hm, it would seem that there may be two worthy of being named hero," Glass smirked. "The rest of you are mere servants."
"How did she do that?" Itsuki groaned.
"She's a far higher level than any of us," Fenris said. "Naofumi, wanna tag-team?"
"Sure," Naofumi nodded. "I'll cover you."
Fenris nodded. "Raphtalia, Filo, stay back."
"We don't take orders from you!" Filo snapped.
"Filo," Raphtalia said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Go ahead. We'll wait here."
Naofumi and Fenris nodded before charging. Naofumi formed a Shield Prison, but it exploded off instsntly, just in time for Glass to deflect Fenris's blade. He grinned just as Raphtalia slashed at her from behind. She blocked that to and Filo appeared above her, kicking in a blur. However, Glass hurled both Fenris and Raohtalia away before blocking all of the kicks.
"Eight kicks in a second?" Glass mused. "How very admirable. But I'm afraid it's not enough."
Suddenly, Fenris's blade tore into her side from behind and she screamed, leaping away and toward Raphtalia as she slashed. However, Glass spun, smashing straistraight through Raphtalia's sword and sending her flying.
"That blade of yours is very annoying," Glass said, glaring at Fenris. "Who are you?"
"I'm Naofumi," Fenris smirked. "The Shield Hero."
Glass glared at him. "Fine. Then I'll just make something up after I kill you!"
"Bring it on," Fenris smirked.
Glass held her fans out to the sides and Fenris swore just as she used the same ability as before to try and blast Fenris specifically. However, at the last second, his familiar grabbed him and flew into the air.
"I got ya Boss," the bird said.
"Good save," Fenris smirked. "Bombs away."
The bird released him and he dropped, slashing downward at Glass, Glass barely deflecting the blade before leaping backward from another slash.
"You have a familiar!?" Glass growled. "Who the hell are you?"
"Alright, alright, my name's Motoyasu," Fenris smirked. "Spear Hero, womanizer, and puppet on a string for Melromarch's eldest princess."
"I heard that!" Motoyasu snapped, sounding weak.
"Good," Fenris said.
"You know Naofumi, if you would just use that flaming shield of yours, you'd have a much better chance of winning," Glass smirked.
"I'd say we're doing fine as things are," Fenris said, glancing to the side where Filo and Raphtalia were on the ground after Glass's last attack had hit them too, though Naofumi had blocked the majority of it with his Shield Prison. "Don't use it. Sure it's got some amazing power, but it sends both you and Filo into a blind rage. You're essentially sacrificing strategy of any kind for brute force. You, of all people, should know that brute force isn't everything."
"You're right," Naofumi nodded. "But sometimes, Brute force is necessary."
"Not this time," Fenris said. "My sword is enough. And if Ren would get his ass up, he could use his too."
Ren groaned, struggling to stand, only to collapse again.
"Very well," Fenris shrugged. "Just you and me, then."
Just then, a glowing purple blade appeared at the end of one fan, which she aimed at Naofumi. Instantly, Naofumi activated his Rage Shield.
"Rupture Stance Rondo, Tortoise Shell Cracker," she said, the blade firing and exploding into his shield. The armor on his right arm exploded off, but otherwise he was fine. "Interesting. So even that wasn't enough to bring you down. If nothing else, your defense lives up to your title of hero."
"Flattery will get you nowhere," Naofumi said.
Suddenly, Glass dropped, Fenris's blade flashing over her head before he slashed downward at her. She spun, deflecting it and slammed a kick into him, launching him off the ship, only for his familiar to catch him.
"Shield Prison!" Naofumi shouted, trapping Glass. "Change Shield. Change to Iron Maiden!"
The Shield Prison floated into the air as the Iron Maiden descended. Then, it slammed closed on her, only to explode off a moment later.
"Pitty, it's even less potent than I imagined it to be," Glass said, floating back to the ground. "How disappointing." She raised a hand, only to spin and cross her fans, blocking Fenris's blade.
"Got you," Fenris smirked, just as Ren's replica of Fenris's black sword tore across her back.
She screamed, spinning and smashing bboth of them away before staggering to the mast beside her, leaning against it. "Damn you both! If it wasn't for that sword's special ability, I'd have killed you all by now!"
Suddenly, the ship began to tilt, creaking and groaning as it began to sink toward the ground. Fenris glanced around, then back at Glass as she tossed an empty potion bottle away, healing completely and holding up her fans.
"Fast Light!" Raphtalia shouted, a blinding light shining from her hand.
Instantly, Fenris felt his familiar grab him as all of the others fled, clearing the deck, except Naophumi, who turned to Filo.
"Fast Heal!" Naofumi shouted, Filo jumping up instsntly.
Naofumi and Raptalia jumped on instantly and Filo took off just as the light faded. Fenris landed on a cliff off to the side with his familiar, watching as Glass fired a barrage of purple energy bolts at Naofumib who blocked them with a basic Airstrike Shield. Then, she fired a Tortoise Shell Cracker again, but he deflected it with his basic shield. Apparently it was weaker at a distance. Suddenly, she jumped, flying high into the air, into a blue swirl, and was gone in a blinding flash of light.
Fenris sighed. "It should be over now, right?"
"It should be," his familiar said.
"So, do you have a name?" Fenris asked.
"Not until you give me one," the bird said.
"Alright," Fenris said. "Since you live in my shadow, how about that?"
"Shadow?" the bird asked. "I like it."
"Good," Fenris nodded. "Now explain how this whole familiar thing works."
"That'll take a while," Shadow said, just as the sky changed back to normal.
"Alright," Fenris sighed. "Explain it on the way to the village. Start with why I even get a Familiar."
"Your namesake," Shadow said. "You were named for the Beast King, Fenrir. The Great Wolf."
"What, so me being a wolf-type demi-human with the name Fenris was what earned me a Familiar?" Fenris asked.
"No," Shadow said. "Familiar Magic is a rare skill that some demi-humans have a chsnce to possess. You get a Familiar because you have that magic, which was passed to the demi-humans by Fenrir."
"Oh, makes sense," Fenris shrugged. "So, how does Familiar Magic work, exactly?"
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