Okay first of all, apologies that this took longer than usual to come out. Plenty of reasons why this was the case.

First…I knew coming into this story that this was a chapter I was going to struggle with, and as such, it sometimes became difficult to summon the motivation to start and continue writing it. It took a bit of grit and digging deep within myself to persevere and get this done, and whilst it definitely won't be one of the best chapters I've ever written…at least it's out of the way.

Second of all, the past few weeks, and especially the week that's just gone by, have been stressful. Most of it was due to work, but right now we're experiencing somewhat of a heat wave that is sapping even more of my energy. Add to that my current shame of the weight I've also been putting on in the past few weeks and…well, it's all added up. And even though I've taken the first steps today in turning things for the better…it's still gonna take some work to get back in a better state of mind.

On a happier note, Summer 2022 season of anime is underway. And like I said in the last chapter, I'm watching four series this time around. I've currently watched the first two episodes of Overlord IV, RWBY: Ice Queendom and Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World, as well as the first episode of Parallel World Pharmacy, and I'm liking what I'm seeing so far from each.

Enough waffling, time for Chapter 7 and the aftermath of the battle against the Spirit Tortoise. As always, I do not own Rising of the Shield Hero or any of its characters, locations, events or anything else related to the anime/manga/Light Novels. The only thing I own is my OC, Fergus Ward.

For Billy.

Chapter 7 – Amidst the Ruins

At the end of any conflict, two things are guaranteed: a period of mourning, followed by one of celebration.

For this battle, a remembrance for the fallen was a no-brainer, given how so many brave soldiers from all of the nations gathered here had given their lives so that we could achieve a victory. But as for celebration? Yes, there could somewhat of a victory party since we had managed to defeat the Spirit Tortoise and remove its head, but not a full-on celebration with parades and all that given Ost's revelation that had now spread not just to the council members but also the rank-and-file soldiers.

We may have won the battle, but the expedition against the Spirit Tortoise wasn't over. Even though its head had been cut off, according to Ost it was still very much alive and, once it was able to regenerate itself, would no doubt go on the same rampage it had been on until we'd stopped it. And given how we'd lost a good number of our soldiers in the first battle, along with a significant amount of siege weapons as well as the sappers from the Spirit Tortoise Kingdom who'd perished in collapsing the valley around the Tortoise…if we had to fight it for a second time, the most likely outcome would be that we would all perish, leaving the beast to continue its rampage around the rest of the world and taking countless lives in the process.

Which meant that somehow, someway, in the remaining day or couple of days that we had before the Tortoise revived itself, we'd have to find a way to put an end to the Tortoise permanently. And more likely than not that 'we' would end up being myself and my companions, given that the soldiers would need time to recover from any injuries as well as get back into any sort of fighting shape. What this would also mean is us travelling to the one place I'd never thought we'd end up having to go to, but also would most likely be the one place that would provide us with any clues to how we could permanently put down the Spirit Tortoise: the ruins of the kingdom that bore its name that it carried on its back.

And given how Ost had been able to recover some portion of her memories and knowledge about the Spirit Tortoise once we'd been able to get closer to it…maybe taking her there would unlock more of them and allow her to give us this knowledge herself.

But we would focus on that later. For now, for tonight…we'd remember those who had fallen. Given the number of bodies we'd been able to recover, we didn't have the time nor the resources to give them a proper burial, nor could we risk losing any more troops to escort their fallen brethren back to their home country. Instead, the council agreed unanimously that all we could do was burn the bodies of the fallen with everyone present, thus allowing everyone, from the monarchs to the generals to even the rank-and-file soldiers, to offer their own thanks for their sacrifice and wish them well into whatever afterlife they believed would await them.

And so, in the aftermath of the battle, after a brief moment of joy, celebration and relief to commemorate the fact that everyone left had survived, we were given our next, and for some of the soldiers no doubt the most painful orders they'd ever or would ever be given: gather up the remains of the fallen and bring them over to the large, temporary pyre that would be constructed where they'd be laid down. For the intact bodies, they would be laid on their own small individual pyres or on larger pyres that could hold multiple bodies lying next to each other. As for those whose bodies weren't intact, who we could only find individual or assorted body parts for, those would be piled up into the larger pyre set aside from the intact bodies. And given that all hands would be needed on deck to quicken the process, given the limited timescale we were on, my companions and I helped out however we could, using the wagons we'd bought along and which were pulled by Filo and the other filolials to carry multiple bodies at a time back to the pyre. The more able-bodied amongst us helped with gathering up the bodies, whilst those who were weaker or who didn't have the stomach for it assisted in cleaning or healing the bodies and body parts and getting them ready for the cremation.

And when the time came…we gave them all the send-off their sacrifice warranted. The Queen and the other representatives all spoke a few words about their duty and sacrifice and giving thanks for their lives and the way they chose to give them in the end. And after these words, she, the other members of the council and one or two others including Eclair stepped forward and personally lit the pyres themselves. And as they burned high, the fires raging into the sky, not a sound could be heard apart from the roar of the flames and the crackling of wood as everyone present stood in absolute silence as a sign of respect.

Given my status as the only Hero present, as well as being part of the inspiration for all these soldiers in their fight, the council had asked if my companions and I would stand at the front with them, a request I had no issue with whatsoever. And so, throughout the service and cremation, I had silently stood there surrounded by those I'd fought alongside and with my arms wrapped around my two favourite girls: Raphtalia cuddling into my right side with my arm wrapped around her shoulders, and Filo pressing into my left side with my other hand resting on top of her hair. And though they remained silent, I saw, with a quick glance in their direction, Osmond and Sirona with their heads bowed and hands clasped in prayer.

And as we stood there, watching the flames, I silently vowed that nobody else would die on this expedition. That come the morrow, I would do my utmost to discover the secrets of the Spirit Tortoise and find a way to stop its rampage before any more lives were put at risk.

~AoaTSH~

After the memorial service had ended, everyone dispersed in their own time and returned to their own camps. My companions and I were among the last to leave, and as we returned to our quarters I motioned for the members of my party, as well as Ost who'd stuck by us ever since the end of the battle, to wait outside with me for a moment.

"Is everything okay, Sir Fergus?" Keel wondered as we all gathered.

"That depends on how you're defining the word at the moment Keel," I replied grimly. "The reason I gathered you all out here is to let you know our next course of action. As I'm sure you are aware…" As I spoke, I indicated Ost with one hand, "…since Ost is still with us, we still need to find a way to defeat the Spirit Tortoise…"

"I-I couldn't find any more information on that in the book Her Majesty gave us…s-sorry, Sir Fergus," Rishia spoke up sadly.

"It's okay Rishia, I'm not blaming you or anyone else. After all, we all believed that cutting off the head of the Tortoise would do the trick," I replied gently. "But since we know for certain now that isn't the case, we need to discover how to do so before the Tortoise wakes back up again."

"But if we don't have any leads, then where do you propose we start?" Raphtalia asked with a frown.

"The one place we haven't explored yet, and somewhere I'd venture would be the most likely place to find anything: the ruins on the back of the Tortoise itself," I answered.

"I agree, if there's anywhere that information would be kept, it would be in the ruins of Reiki itself." Ost agreed

"Reiki? Is that the name of the village?" I asked

"Yes," Ost confirmed. "And going there might help release more of my sealed memories, which hopefully will provide us with, if not the answers themselves, clues that will point us in the right direction."

"That's what I was banking on as well, which is why the next thing I was going to suggest is that you come with us," I said.

"Of course. Once we get to the ruins themselves, I should be able to guide you to the places where the information may be kept," she agreed.

"How many of us are you planning to take? We won't be able to take any of the carts across, nor will we be able to fit everyone on Filo's back," Keel pointed out.

"Agreed, which is why it'll just be the six of us," I confirmed. "I'll have the others stay and offer any assistance the Queen and the rest of the council require. And should we take too long and the Tortoise wakes up…they'll be the best line of defence for how much it'll matter…"

"Then we have to succeed!" Raphtalia spoke up fiercely. "We can't let anyone else die, not after what we've just been through." This drew nods from the rest of us.

"Then we'd all better get some rest whilst we can. I want us to be up and prepared to leave at first light," I told them all. With various noises of assent, the others dispersed and headed towards their rooms, and with a firm tug of my hand, Raphtalia pulled me towards the room where the pair of us were staying, an unusually determined expression on her face.

"Raphtalia, what's-?" My query was halted as she raised a finger to her lips.

"Not here," she retorted firmly as she continued to drag me along the various passageways towards our room, where she proceeded to push me firmly inside. I turned around to ask her what was wrong only to find her determinedly locking and barring our door so that only the fiercest assault would bring it down.

"Babe, you're worrying me. Can you please tell me what's-HUUUUUMPH!" My next, and what would turn out to be last, attempt at asking what was bothering her was once again cut off as she proceeded to push me against the nearest wall. And before I could form another word, she'd pressed her lips forcefully against my own as she proceeded to kiss me deeply. I hesitated only a moment before proceeding to kiss her back, my hands finding her back and pressing her into me as the kiss continued to deepen. After about half a minute of this, she broke the kiss and pressed herself against me, but even by the angle her head was at I could see she was blushing a bright red, though whether in embarrassment or affection I couldn't tell.

"I'm sorry…I've been holding that in ever since the battle ended…I'm just so relieved we both made it back alive…" she admitted after a short while.

"No need to apologise. Yes, I was surprised by what you just did but didn't find it unpleasant in the slightest," I replied whilst softly stroking her hair. "You know by now I love any excuse to be able to snog you senseless."

My words caused her blush to deepen further, and this time I knew it was from embarrassment. "Fergus...stop it…" she moaned.

"Can't help it…it's the truth after all." I chuckled.

"Please stop…I'm trying to be serious and you aren't helping!" She pleaded as she moved her head off my chest and gave me a look conveying said seriousness.

"Okay sorry babe…what's up?" I asked as I dropped my teasing completely.

"It's just…with everything that's happening…we don't know what tomorrow will bring, nor do we know right now if we'll be alive at the end of this," she said, tugging on a few loose strands of her hair nervously. "And I know you'll do everything to get us through all this alive, and that I'll be giving my all to help you in that…it's just…with all this uncertainty…"

"What are you trying to say, love?" I asked her softly as I reached out a hand and stroked her cheek, causing her to lean into my touch.

"I know that we've been taking our…levels…of intimacy slowly because I know you want to wait until after we get married before we…have our first time…" she spoke, her blush increasing with every word. "But I…we don't know what's going to await us on the Spirit Tortoise…so I was thinking…just in case…we could take things between us…further?"

I paused for a moment to consider before nodding. "Okay…I understand…and I'll be comfortable with whatever you want to do," I replied gently. "If this is for your reassurance, I want you to tell me how far you want to go."

She took a deep breath before responding. "I want us to go to bed together…naked." She was now fully blushing.

I smiled at her lovingly as I took her chin and tilted it upwards so that our gazes were locked. "Okay."

"Okay?" She responded breathlessly, her eyes shining with tears that had yet to and would not fall.

"Yes…I love you Raphtalia, and if this is what you want…then I am more than happy to take this next step with you…" I confirmed.

By way of a response, she brought her head forward and kissed me once more, and as I responded I pushed myself off the wall and, whilst holding the kiss, proceeded to relocate us next to our bed in the centre of the room. And once there, our hands left each other's backs as we sought to undress as fast as possible. And once we were both fully unclothed, I proceeded to gently break the kiss as I brought her down onto the bed on top of me. Cottoning on to my intent, she pushed me onto my back and placed herself on top of me, our now naked bodies pressed against the other as we continued to kiss each other hungrily.

Tonight wouldn't be about sex or proving our love to one another. No…all tonight would be about was satisfying our need to be intimate, enjoying the feeling of having our naked bodies pressed against one another for the first time.

No matter what came tomorrow, this night would be for us. Not as the Shield-Hero and his Sword, but instead as Fergus and Raphtalia, two souls coming together in this one simple act of intimacy.

~AoaTSH~

Just as we'd discussed the previous morning, our group of six were up and about early, and after a quick breakfast we hitched Filo up to one of the carts we'd brought along from New Rurorona and set off towards the currently immobile body of the Spirit Tortoise. But as we passed through the camp, we noticed it wasn't just us that were up early. Some of the soldiers, and most notable their superiors, were up and about, either grabbing a meal or getting started with coordinating supply and relief efforts. And as we made our way to the edge of the camp before it gave way to plains, I was stunned, but not altogether surprised, to see both the Queen and Eclair personally overseeing these efforts.

"…and see that those supplies get distributed evenly between all of the camps. I won't see any of our nor our allies' soldiers go hungry," we heard the Queen tell a soldier, who instantly saluted and rushed off to do her bidding as we approached. And upon noticing us, she and Eclair both strode over. "Good morning, Sir Fergus and company…sleep well?"

"We did thank you, Your Majesty," I replied with a short bow which was mimicked by my party members before turning to look at Eclair. "It's good to see you alive and well also, Lady Eclair."

"The same to you, Sir Fergus," the lady knight replied. "It was a close call at times, but I always had faith that you would lead us to victory and keep us all alive."

"You give me too much credit," I muttered abashedly, rubbing my hair awkwardly. "It was my party members, along with the rest of my companions and those soldiers who bravely gave their lives, who were the true heroes of the day."

"Whilst that is true, it was you who got the rest of the representatives to see the bigger picture instead of focusing on their own personal squabbles, which in turn allowed us to all work together without hindering one another," the Queen explained. "Not to mention it was you who helped us put together a cohesive and workable plan that allowed us to defeat the Tortoise. And last of all, it was your presence that inspired and gave our soldiers the determination and willpower to see this expedition through, despite the risk to their own lives. Whether you see it or not, you are part of the reason and one of the symbols of our victory." As she spoke, I could feel my face getting redder and redder due to embarrassment.

"Y-Your Majesty, I-" My attempt at begging her to stop was cut off by Raphtalia.

"Please excuse my boyfriend's momentary embarrassment," she spoke up, giving me a quick look that was a mixture of pride and exasperation before looking back at the Queen and Eclair. "Even though he truly merits all of the praise and credit you give him, he'll never willingly accept them. Firstly, because he's far too honourable and humble to do so, and secondly because he doesn't want to be put on some pedestal or throne to be venerated. The very idea makes him…uncomfortable."

"How the…? You know what…I'm not surprised anymore about how well she knows me. She can pretty much read me like a book." I thought to myself as she spoke.

"But that's what makes him such a great hero, and it's why we're all here and choosing to follow him," she finished with another adoring look in my direction.

"Hear hear!" Keel piped up

"Master is the best Hero!" Filo joined in.

"Guys…" I moaned

"I am absolutely in agreement with you Lady Raphtalia," the Queen replied with a warm smile. "The greatest of heroes are those who don't seek recognition or fame for their actions, but instead do them because it is the right thing to do. That is why I trust Sir Fergus completely."

"What is this, Embarrass Fergus Day or something? Can we please stop?" I begged.

"Indeed, I doubt that you and your companions came over here all dressed and supplied just to make conversation and embarrass our legendary Shield-Hero," Mirellia finally relented. "I assume you have a purpose for being up and about so early?"

"We absolutely do," I answered, my expression and tone turning serious. "Even though we defeated the Spirit Tortoise and cut off its head, it's still alive. My companions and I are heading to the remains of the Spirit Tortoise Kingdom to see if we can find any clues or means to be able to vanquish it permanently."

"I figured that might be the case, given how Lady Ost is still with you," the Queen considered with a frown.

"I never meant to deceive you, Queen Mirellia," Ost said. "Everything I told you during the council meeting was all I knew at the time. And it was only during the battle itself that I regained some of my memories and realised this wasn't the case."

"I'm not blaming you in the slightest, my lady," the Queen quickly interjected with a smile. "I am still grateful that you came along and advised us in the first place. Your help allowed us to save many lives."

"I-It did? I'm glad…" Ost sighed, relieved.

"We're hoping that getting in closer proximity with the Tortoise will unlock more of Ost's sealed memories and allow her to point us in the right direction," I spoke up.

"I see, in that case, I wish you the best of luck. Please let us know if there is any support or aid that we can give," Mirellia replied.

"Thank you, your Majesty. If any of the sappers from the Spirit Tortoise Kingdom or Lowhirot are still alive or can be spared, please send them after us. We'll need their help to get across."

"I shall send word. Good luck." After exchanging polite goodbyes with both the Queen and Eclair, we continued on our way towards the Spirit Tortoise, passing close to where its head had fallen after Raphtalia and Filo had cut it off. Even though we knew it was currently incapacitated, just passing below and around it was still slightly nerve-wracking, most likely due to us knowing that, even in its current weakened state, it was still reeking of immense magical power that could level towers and crush cities in the blink of an eye.

All the more reason for us to find a way to put it down for good.

After circumventing around the front of the Spirit Tortoise's body, we were fortunate enough to find a path up one of the nearby valleys that was still intact even after its collapse, and thankfully it was wide enough to fit the cart. This new change in elevation meant nothing to Filo as she, as always, pulled us all the way up the path with no complaints and with no difficulty whatsoever.

"Sir Fergus, look over there!" Keel called out once we'd reached about three-quarters of the way up the path, and as I looked over in the direction she was pointing I saw immediately what she'd spotted: A small, narrow pathway that wound its way around one of the rocky pillars jutting out of the back of the Spirit Tortoise's shell.

"Awesome spot Keel. With luck that path will lead us in the right direction," I said approvingly as I pulled back on Filo's reins, causing her to come to a complete stop.

"Yes," I heard Ost speak up. "From what I remember, all of the pathways that wrap themselves around those pillars all converge in the central area, which is where the city of Reiki is located."

"If that's the case, this will be our entry point," I concluded as I jumped off the cart and strode over to the cliff edge to get a good look at the other path. Due to how narrow it looked, I quickly surmised we wouldn't be able to take the cart over with us which meant either walking or having Filo carry us on her back. "Alright then everyone, here's what we're going to do," I continued as I turned back to the cart. "We'll have to divide what supplies we've brought between the five of us since Filo will be carrying all of us there and will need all the space she can. Prioritise potions and camping supplies, but load up anything you think we may need. After all, who knows what we'll find up there."

"Right!" And during the time it took for the sappers to arrive, we got to work on dividing what we could carry between us. Thanks to my Shield's inventory function, I was able to store quite a bit of what we had in there whilst keeping whatever supplies we might need in an instant out in the physical world, which we then divided into five bags of more or less equal weights that wouldn't encumber us too much. Due to their lack of physical strength and frail physiques, I made sure Ost and Rishia had the lighter bags whilst myself, Raphtalia and Keel took the rest. Once that was done and over with, all we could do was wait patiently for the sappers from the coalition to arrive.

~AoaTSH~

We only had to wait an hour or two for the sappers to arrive, and once they did, they quickly got to work. My party and I helped where we could, mostly Filo who flew one or two of them over to the other side when needed, but for the most part, we left them to it. And in what felt like no time at all, even though in reality it took about an hour or so, the sappers were able to lash a few ropes that, once secured, connected the ledge we were currently standing on to the pathway on the Spirit Tortoise's shell.

"This will do for now, but we'll work on getting something more secure in place whilst you are over there!" The lead sapper said as we all clambered aboard Filo's back once more.

"Appreciated. Hopefully, we'll be back with some good news," I replied.

"Hopefully you won't need it, but from all of us, we wish you the best of luck. May you find what you seek over there." With these words, he and the other sappers snapped off a crisp salute which we all promptly returned.

"Okay Filo, reckon you can get us over there?" I asked.

"You betcha! Hold on tight everyone!" With those words, Filo set off a dash before leaping forwards onto one of the ropes, and with the greatest of ease nimbly traversed the gap before jumping forward once more, bringing us down onto the pathway on the other side.

"Good job Filo," I congratulated her before turning back to look at Ost. "Okay, Ost…any ideas as to which direction we should go?"

"Yes…being on the Tortoise itself is opening up more of my sealed memories," she replied, eyes squeezed shut in concentration. After a few seconds, her eyes reopened. "That way," she said, pointing to our right where the pathway continued to wrap around the various pillars dotting the scenery in front of us and eventually out of sight.

"Then let's get to it," I said as we slipped off of Filo's back, allowing her to shift back into her human form. "It's going to be a bit of a slog to get there on foot, but I'd rather that then run the risk of the pathway collapsing under Filo's weight in her Filolial form…" I quickly offered Filo an apologetic look. "No offence, Filo."

"I'm not THAT heavy Master!" Filo pouted in annoyance as Keel gave her hair a reassuring rub

"I know that Filo, I'm just being cautious. We don't know how secure the terrain here is going to be," I said soothingly before looking back at everyone else. "Keel, I want you up top. Keep us informed about any sudden changes in terrain and elevation as well as any points of interest."

"Got it," she replied.

"Raphtalia, I want you at the back as our first line of defence in case of any surprises. The rest of us will be in between. Ost, if you spot anything that triggers your memories, let us know."

"Understood, Fergus." "Of course." With those noises of assent, we quickly fell into line as we started our hike. Keel took her place at the front of our group, followed by Ost, Rishia, myself, Filo and then Raphtalia right at the back.

~AoaTSH~

If we were under any illusions that it was going to be a short, leisurely hike to our eventual destination, those were quickly shattered within the first hour or two of our journey. Even though it felt like we were making promising progress, the landscape around us barely altered or changed in those first few hours. Step after step, turn after turn, even after slight changes of elevation, all we were confronted with was the pathway in front of us and the pillars of rock looming forebodingly around us.

And that didn't take into account the stops we had to make along the way to give the limbs of our frailer members a rest, since Rishia and Ost weren't as used to hiking or spending hours at a time on the move as the rest of us. As a result, after every hour or two that we spent on the move, we stopped and rested for around fifteen to twenty minutes to allow their aching limbs to recover before setting off again, and even after these breaks we had to take things at a more sedate pace so as not to exhaust them too quickly once more.

And though bits of conversation flowed between us, it was few and far between. Everyone's minds were more focused on the landscape around us, observing and looking around it for any potential clues or tracks that could point us in the right direction. Even more slightly disconcerting was that Ost hadn't received any more jolts to her memories that could tell us whether we were getting closer or even if we were still on the right track, and so all we could do was keep moving forward on the path she had initially directed us towards.

And it was after we'd stopped for lunch, for which I allowed an extended break for us all to get a decent meal in our bellies, and had resumed back on our path that the Spirit Tortoise familiar broke the silence that had settled on our group ever since we'd started moving again. "Do you think…?" She spoke up hesitantly. (At this point in time, we were currently walking up a slightly steeper pathway heading towards one of the larger gaps between the pillars where hopefully we'd find a bridge or something we could traverse to get closer to the centre of the Tortoise's shell.) "…that any of those men back there who built those temporary bridges for us...had any idea who I was?"

"Oh, you mean the sappers from earlier?" Keel answered from up front. "I'm pretty sure they did. From what Sir Fergus told us, the Queen and the other commanders spread the word around the rest of the army about your identity, and reassured them how much of a help you had been in saving their lives."

"Oh…that makes sense…" Ost replied, her tone somewhat sad.

"Why do you ask, Lady Ost?" Raphtalia wondered. She and I had traded places for the time being, and as such, she was currently walking behind Ost in our line.

"I'm just struggling to understand," she confessed. "I am a servant of the Spirit Tortoise, the very creature that killed so many of them in yesterday's battle. I was created for the singular purpose of harvesting the souls of the living in order to power its return. How could all of those soldiers…no, how could anyone treat me so kindly knowing that?"

"B-because you aren't an evil person Lady Ost," Rishia told her, and as the older woman looked in her direction, she would've seen Rishia looking back at her with an encouraging smile. "And even though you are a familiar, t-that doesn't make you bad. Y-you've been so very kind and helpful to me. I-I could never think badly of you!"

"Rishia…" Ost murmured.

"And despite the purpose you were created for, you chose to come and help us. You chose to stay and fight alongside us," Raphtalia spoke up next.

"I see…but still…it doesn't change what will happen should the Spirit Tortoise go back to normal," Ost said after a moment of consideration. "If it is restored to its original purpose, then I will also revert back into fulfilling the original goal I was created for."

"Whilst that may be true, that won't change or erase all the good you've done in the past few days," I pointed out.

"Master Fergus is right," Raphtalia added. "No matter if you return to the purpose you were made for, it won't change the fact that thanks to the information and help you provided, you saved not only our lives but also those of the soldiers who ultimately survived the battle."

"And that's why the soldiers and sappers from earlier were so kind to you!" Rishia exclaimed happily. "They wanted to show their gratitude for not only saving their lives but also because you chose to fight at our side as an equal…you know, as one of their comrade-in-arms!"

"Equal? Comrade-in-arms?" Ost murmured back, almost in disbelief. However, it seemed our words had been of great comfort to her as her expression soon changed into one of relief and (slightly awkward) happiness. "Well then if that's how you and the others truly feel about me…then I couldn't be any happier."

"Sir Fergus! Up ahead!" Keel's shout from nearby drew everyone's attention back to the road. As we had all been giving Ost reassurance, she'd dashed ahead and was currently waving at us from the top of a large rock, and looming behind her was the first semblance of any form of civilisation since we'd arrived on top of the Spirit Tortoise: a massive oriental-style gate with a large circular entrance. And lying beyond said gate was a much wider pathway that continued to rise upwards but which was, at the moment, mostly shrouded in fog.

"Interesting…this looks like a gate you'd see in my world. It's not a common design but there were some cultures where gates like this were the norm," I commented as we all stepped up to the strange gate and poked around it a little, making a note of the small door-like openings on either side of the circular entrance.

"I've never seen anything like this before…" Raphtalia added in an awed tone.

Rishia's eyes suddenly went wide in what seemed to be recognition. "Wait! I saw a picture of this, or something very similar to it, in that large book the Queen gave me! Give me a second to check!" She quickly dropped her pack from her shoulder and pull out the large tome before proceeding to rifle through the pages until she'd found what she was looking for. "Yes, it's mentioned right here! It says this is an entry gate leading towards the city of Reiki! We're on the right track!"

"Brilliant find Rishia, well done!" I congratulated her, causing the green-haired girl to blush with pride as I turned to look at Ost. "Is this triggering anything for you Ost?"

"Not at the…wait, yes, I can feel one of the blocks in my mind slipping away," Ost grimaced as she clutched her head in a sudden bout of pain, causing Rishia and Raphtalia to dash to her side and hold her upright.

"Sir Fergus, look!" Keel pointed towards the gate, and as I turned to gaze at where she was pointing, I saw the fog clearing away from the forward path.

"This can't be a coincidence…as soon as another of Ost's memories started returning, the fog ahead of us suddenly goes away. Something really weird is going on here…" I stated with a frown.

"I agree…I'm not sure what it is, but some strange magic is definitely afoot," Ost agreed as she straightened back up, motioning to Raphtalia and Rishia that she was okay. "Also, the memories that have just returned to me confirm what Rishia just told us: If we follow this pathway, we will eventually reach Reiki."

"That's good enough for me. Let's head out everyone." But before any of us had taken a step, Filo suddenly turned into her Filolial form and dashed a short way up the path before suddenly coming to a halt and proceeding to sniff the air around her. "What is it, Filo? What do you smell?" I asked as the rest of us caught up with her.

"It smells bad, Master…really bad…I don't like it," she replied worriedly.

I tried sniffing the air myself, but couldn't smell anything out of the ordinary. But maybe Filo, due to being a Filolial, possessed an enhanced sense of smell that could pick up a scent from much further away. And more than that, Filo had never given me a reason to doubt her judgement. "Are you positive?" I asked.

"Yeah," she repeated as she continued to sniff the air. "It smells…icky…like the smell of all those dead people we buried yesterday."

My eyes widened as the implication of her words hit me. The scent of death. My brain and stomach suddenly felt queasy at the thought of what we might find up ahead, and judging by the suddenly sickly expressions on the faces of my companions, they were thinking the same thing. But we had little choice but to go on if we hoped to discover any clues for stopping the Spirit Tortoise. And if Filo was right…then it was imperative to know what had happened to bring about the stench she had detected. "If what Filo is saying it's true, then the air ahead of us will soon become a lot fouler," I surmised gravely. "Did anyone bring along some face masks in their packs?"

"Yeah, I packed quite a few just in case," Keel replied as she reached into her pack and pulled out six of them, keeping one to herself and tossing the rest in our direction. As soon as we caught them (Filo having to turn back into her human form in order to wear one), we each quickly tied them around the lower half of our faces so that our noses and mouths were covered before proceeding through the gate and continuing up the path ahead of us. But as we pushed onward, we all started to get a whiff of it as well: The stench of death that Filo had sensed grew heavier and heavier in the air around us with every step we took. Not even the zombie dragon we'd fought what seemed like an eternity ago was half as bad as this.

And soon enough, we found out why.

All of a sudden, the pathway in front of us opened up and gave way to the debris of several collapsed buildings that, just like the entry gate we had passed through, bore some resemblance to Chinese-style architecture from back in my world. And as we continued on into what seemed to be a massive open area of sorts, we all let out a horrified gasp at what lay before us, the remains of what no doubt used to be the city of Reiki. Everywhere I looked, I saw nothing but the shattered remnants of homes, shops, stalls and all manner of buildings that had once made up this place. In fact, the only building that stood remotely intact was what appeared to be a temple-like structure located on a small elevated piece of land off to one side.

And among the wreckage of all of these buildings was the cause of the sickly aura we'd started to smell on our approach: dozens, if not hundreds, of decaying corpses that at one time had been the citizens who had lived in this place.

There was little doubt as to what could've caused this devastation. These must have been the first casualties of the Spirit Tortoise's reawakening, with the debris and shattered buildings no doubt caused by the violent movements of the Tortoise getting to its feet and proceeding to move about the world.

"No…all these people…" Raphtalia gasped, horrified, as tears started to fall from her eyes. Rishia was already in floods of tears herself

"This stench…it's overpowering. I can barely breathe even with the face covering!" Keel spoke up, her voice already surrounding rough. And it wasn't just her that was feeling it. I was already letting out some coughs and struggling to breathe, and judging from the sounds being made by the others, they were feeling the same.

"Everybody out, now! Back up the way we came!" I ordered quickly. Nobody needed to be told twice as we all turned around and dashed back the way we came, not stopping for even a second until we reached the circular entry gate we'd passed by previously. Here at least the stench of death was no longer overpowering and we could breathe easier.

"So *cough cough*", Keel breathed as we all struggled to get our breath back. "What do we do now?"

"We *cough* obviously can't go any further right now," I replied, taking huge lungfuls of clear air as I spoke. "But that temple we saw…the one that was still intact. If there's anywhere in that place that could still provide us with clues, it's in there."

"How are we going to get there though?" Raphtalia asked worriedly. "If we stay there for too long, we'll suffocate for sure. And we can't leave all those people in that state as well…"

"Raphtalia's right…we're going to need to bring in some help." I turned to Filo and Keel. "You two can remember the path we took to get here, right?" They both nodded. "In that case, I want you to head back to the camp and tell the Queen what we just saw, and that we'll need as many people, equipment and magic-casters we can spare to not only clear all of that debris but also to cleanse the air so that we can breathe in there without choking to death. Understood?"

"Got it, Sir Fergus!" "We'll be there and back real quick, Master!" Without another moment of hesitation, Filo shifted back into her Filolial form, and once Keel was perched on her back, she took off at a rapid pace in the direction we'd originally come from.

"Will they be alright by themselves?" Ost asked worriedly as we watched them go.

"They are both incredibly strong by themselves, so between the pair of them they'll be able to deal with anything that might get in their way," I replied confidently.

"W-what should we do, Sir Fergus?" Rishia asked.

"The only thing we can do: Set up camp and wait for their return. Given the distance they have to cover, and the fact it'll be evening soon, they may not come back until the morning with the others." I replied. No one objected to my idea, and soon enough we'd set up a small little campfire by the cliff-face. Ost spent the remaining waking hours in silent, mournful prayer, facing the direction of the ruined capital, and when she wasn't eating or reading to distract herself, Rishia joined her. As for myself, I had Raphtalia in my arms throughout the evening and all through the night as she sought any comfort she could after what we'd just witnessed.

~AoaTSH~

Sleep didn't come easily for any of us that night, no doubt due to the horrific sight we'd encountered the day before which was also located not too far from where we were camping, and so when morning came around it dawned upon four very tired and melancholy individuals. Without a word to one another, we set about packing up our camp and preparing a small meal before settling in to wait for help to arrive.

It took a few hours to materialise, but eventually, just as the sun reached the highest point in the sky above us, we all suddenly heard the sounds of multiple pairs of feet marching towards us. As we got to our feet, we saw Filo at the head of the column with Keel, Queen Mirellia and Eclair perched upon her back, and behind them, grim-faced, marched a few platoons of Melromarc soldiers along with several of the mages from Mideus.

"Your Majesty, Lady Eclair, thank you for coming," I greeted them with a polite bow, as did my companions.

"Keel and Filo told us everything…how bad is it?" the Queen asked.

I shook my head in response. "You'd best see for yourself, but I'd advise having something on hand to cover your nose and mouth…at least until the air around the ruins is clearer and less toxic."

"Very well. Mages! To the front of the column!" As the soldiers stood aside to allow the mages through, Eclair passed the Queen a face covering before donning one of her own. "We'll be following the Shield-Hero to where he wants us to go. And until I say otherwise, make sure your noses and mouths are covered at all times!"

"Yes, your Majesty!" They all shouted back as the Queen motioned for me to lead on. Donning our face coverings once more, my party and I led her, Eclair and the small squad of mages through the gate and down the path back towards the ruins of Reiki, and as we drew closer the stench of death wafted around us again. This time though we gritted our teeth and bore under it until we reached the main area of Reiki itself.

To her credit, the Queen's expression of horror and sorrow at the devastation only slowed her down for a moment before she turned back to the mages. "Use whatever magics you have to clear the air around us, now!"

"At once!" Wasting no time, the mages quickly got to work, using a combination of wind and support magic to not only blow away the majority of the putrid air around us but also cleanse what lingered. As a result of their efforts, we were able to take off our face masks and breathe normally for the first time since we'd arrived.

"General!" The Queen barked, causing Eclair to come to her side and kneel deferentially at her feet. "Inform the rest of the troops we brought along that it is now safe to enter the city, and once they arrive put them to work straight away on clearing away the ruins and gathering up the dead."

"Yes, your Majesty!" Eclair crisply saluted before dashing back the way we came. Turning back towards the ruins, the Queen's expression turned sad once more as she approached and knelt down beside a pair of bodies, who judging by their clasped hands and the rings on their fingers that were still somehow intact had no doubt been a married couple.

"These people lived here whilst the Spirit Tortoise was sealed…I'm sure they knew what would've happened should it revive…" the Queen murmured, her gaze fixed on the corpses as myself, my party and her guards all gathered around her. After a brief moment, she slowly got back to her feet and turned to look at us. "But if the Tortoise was indeed revived against its will like Lady Ost said…then that only makes things worse for those who died…"

"Whoever was responsible for this has a lot to answer for…" I growled. No-one disagreed.

"Your Majesty," a new voice came from nearby, and as we all turned in the direction the voice came from, we saw one of her Shadows kneeling dutifully at her feet. "That temple on top of the hill nearby is still mostly intact and safe for you to explore for the moment. However, it could also collapse at any moment."

"I see, thank you for your report," the Queen acknowledged.

"Your Majesty, permission for myself and my party to join you?" I petitioned.

"You believe that this temple may hold some knowledge of how we may stop the Tortoise for good?" She asked. I nodded in response. "Permission granted. Let us head there immediately." With those words, the Queen immediately turned and started heading towards the temple in question, her guards immediately falling into place behind her. We waited a few steps before proceeding to follow. And as we approached and stepped inside, I saw more and more structural, design and decoration elements that, once again, were very similar to Chinese-styled architecture from my own world. And on the walls themselves were carved murals that, despite the slight devastation around them, were still somewhat intact. From all around came gasps of awe from my companions and the Queen's

"According to the texts that I gave to your party member, this building is a shrine dedicated to the Spirit Tortoise," the Queen spoke up as she walked to the very centre of the room whilst gazing up at the ceiling.

"Did it mention at all if this is where the Tortoise's seal could be broken?" I asked as my eyes caught a mural that was much larger than the rest carved into the back wall.

"It didn't say. However, given that this structure is still mostly intact I'd be willing to bet that this was where it took place," she answered as we made our way towards the large mural behind us. As we walked, Rishia opened up the text once more and started leafing her way through it.

"Master, look! It's the Spirit Tortoise!" Filo pointed out as we got close, and upon closer inspection, it turned out she was correct. The mural in question depicted the Spirit Tortoise on its feet, its head reared back as it seemed to be roaring to the heavens. And coming out from its mouth as well as the pillars on its back were streaks of red that blazed out in all directions, whilst on the bottom right of the mural was a carving of a group of armoured figures, weapons drawn and presumably confronting the Spirit Tortoise. And dotted around the mural were several boxes containing what appeared to be, at first glance, several lines of random small symbols and scribbles.

"W-wait…that's ancient writing!" Rishia piped up excitedly as she dashed right to the mural itself, the thick book still open in her hands. "Let's see… there are some words written in the book that match up to the ones up there! There's…Spirit Tortoise…the guardian beast…of the world? What does that mean…?" She trailed off.

"You can make sense of that?" I asked disbelievingly. "It all looks like gibberish to me."

"Yes, I've been able to make sense of ancient language like this for some time. And what I couldn't translate, Lady Ost was kind enough to help with," Rishia gushed, shooting a grateful look at the older woman before returning her eyes to the text. "It seems like these writings…are meant to describe what the Spirit Tortoise is. However, it makes no mention of a seal or anything that could break it." She frowned slightly as she came across one set of writings set apart from the others. "And then there's this…from the carvings, it appears to be written in the language brought to this world by the Cardinal Heroes…but I can't make out what any of it means…"

"She must mean some of the previous Cardinal Heroes…" "Let me take a look," I offered, and as Rishia stood aside I bent down and examined the writing, and upon closer inspection, my eyes widened. "No way…this is…Japanese?" There was no mistaking it. Even though I had no knowledge of the language myself, I'd casually read enough to know the design and flow of some of the symbols used in it, and these were a perfect match.

"Master Fergus…what's Japanese?" Raphtalia asked, puzzled.

"It's a language from back in my world, and the native language of the other three Heroes," I explained, before letting out a light curse under my breath. "If any of them were here, they'd be able to do a better job of translating it. As it is I can't-" At that moment, my Shield emitted a light green glow that illuminated the whole text, which was then followed by a number of bright-blue words appearing over the Japanese symbols, providing what I quickly realised was a rough translation although there were some gaps where the carvings were slightly faded

"What was that, Sir Fergus?" The Queen asked curiously.

"My Shield…it just translated the text for me. Let's see…" I took a few moments to read it through a few times, quickly putting together what some of the missing words may have been. "It says: 'If a blank summoned from Japan is reading these words, and judging from the words around it I'm guessing the blank word would be Hero, remember this. No matter how powerful a seal you place on this monster, it blank seventh blank shatter. I've learned that its goal is to blank the world's blank. And before you ask…those times I said blank, they could be any word." My eyes suddenly widened and flicked towards the top right corner of my Status Menu where the timer was normally located which now read as a solitary 7 in the same light blue tint as the translated words on the inscription. "Hold on…seventh…shatter…and that number seven on my Status Menu…could they be…

"Sir Fergus…this place…it contains information about the Spirit Tortoise's seal and how to break it," Ost suddenly spoke up from behind me, and as I turned to look in her direction I saw that she was once again clutching her head with a pained expression.

"Lady Ost…are you remembering something?" Raphtalia asked worriedly as Rishia stashed her tome back into her pack and wrapped her arms around the older woman's back once more.

"Yes…being here is unlocking more of my memories," she grimaced through the pain. "In order to defeat the Spirit Tortoise, you must-" Whatever she was about to say was cut off as the ground suddenly started to quake all around us whilst bits of the temple started to break off and fall to the ground.

"This place is collapsing! We have to get out of here now!" Keel shouted.

"She's right but damnit, we were so close to figuring this out!" "Everybody out, now!" I yelled "Filo!"

"Right!" She shouted back, switching into her Filolial form as we all moved to get on her back. Everyone except the Queen.

"Wait, these writings…they're irreplaceable! We have to preserve them!" She cried desperately.

"There's no time for that!" Eclair snapped. "Forgive me, Your Highness!" With one swift motion, Eclair picked the Queen up and started haring for the exit, ignoring the Queen's protests to put her down as she ran.

"Alright Filo, we're all aboard!" I yelled as I sprung upon her back, the last of us to do so. "Move!" Without a moment's hesitation, the Filolial dashed forward, expertly winding her way around all of the fallen debris whilst managing to avoid what was crashing down upon us. And as she breezed her way out of the temple entrance, it proceeded to fully collapse on itself, burying the murals and whatever was written upon them for good.

~AoaTSH~

"Is everyone alright?" I asked as we all caught our breath after our narrow escape.

"I'm fine Fergus," Raphtalia replied. Keel and Rishia nodded in agreement.

"Filo is okey-dokey!" Chirped the Filolial.

"I am well, Sir Fergus, as will my knight if she will put me down in the next few moments." Despite the suddenness of the Queen's command, Eclair gracefully set the Queen back down on her feet.

"Your Majesty!" The same Shadow from before came running up to us, and while her expression was like stone, the tone of her voice suggested otherwise. "The other Shadows report that the Spirit Tortoise is likely to revive soon."

"No…how is that possible? It's still too soon!" Raphtalia cried.

"Damnit, and just when we were so close too!" I growled in annoyance. But just as I was about to admit defeat and suggest that we all leave…

"No, it's okay. I've remembered how we can defeat the Spirit Tortoise." All eyes turned to Ost, the one who'd spoken up.

"H-How, Ost?" Rishia asked.

"There is only one way to defeat the Spirit Tortoise for good," she explained in a determined tone. "We will have to go inside its body and destroy its heart."

"Best news I've heard in the last few days!" I enthused inwardly as the others' expressions ranged from puzzlement to determination.

"Inside…? But, how are we meant to get to where the heart is?" Raphtalia asked.

"Deep within the shrine we just escaped from, there is a hidden entrance that will lead us straight into its body," Ost continued. "If we clear the debris and head down that path, we are guaranteed to reach its heart."

"And you're absolutely sure of this?" I asked. Ost nodded in response. "Very well then, it would appear we have our way in." I then turned to look at the rest of my companions. "I don't know what we're going to find in there, or how this will end, but if any of you want to pull out and head back to camp…this is your last chance."

As expected, Raphtalia shook her head with a smile. "I am your Sword, Fergus. Wherever you go, my place is at your side."

"I'm coming too, Master!" Filo piped up.

"You'll need all the help you can get down there, and I promised that I'd be at your back no matter what," Keel spoke up next. I smiled at them all before turning to my last party member who was looking at everyone nervously.

"Rishia…you've already done more than enough for us already," I told her gently. "If any part of you is too scared or unsure to go in there, please tell us. I promise none of us will look at-"

"N-no! I'm coming with you!" She interrupted, her normally timid expression morphing into one of quiet determination. "Not only do I wish to find Sir Itsuki and make sure he's safe, but right now I am a member of your party, Sir Fergus. If you're going down there, then I'm coming with you!"

"She really has come a long way…" I marvelled, slightly cursing that in the midst of everything going on I had forgotten about the secondary reason we were all here: to find the other Heroes and get them out of here safely. But now, thanks to Rishia's concern for her beloved Itsuki (a pair of words that when put together made me want to vomit, not that I'd ever say that to Rishia), we could knock both stones out in one go. After all, if Ren was right about the other two going after the Spirit Tortoise, and seeing as we hadn't found any trace of them so far, then it was logical to assume that, whatever state they were in, they would be inside the Tortoise as well.

As for the Tortoise, that reminded me of the Shadow's warning just a moment ago, about how it was likely to revive again imminently. "Your Majesty, Lady Eclair," I spoke up, turning to the two women in question and bowing deferentially. "If what the Shadow has reported is true, then the Spirit Tortoise is about to revive and resume its path of destruction. Whilst we search for a way to destroy it from within, I would…ask of you to please return to the armies below and keep everyone down there alive as best you can should the worst happen."

For a moment after I'd spoken it appeared that both ladies were about to argue my point. That was until the Queen let out a sigh. "You are right…whilst we could be of use to you inside the Spirit Tortoise, our place is down below with our troops." She then held out a hand, as did Eclair. "Good luck in there, all of you. And please…if you find the other Heroes, make sure they come back with you too."

I shook their hands in response, as did the rest of my companions. "We will, your Majesty. Count on it." With a final exchange of nods, they turned back and headed towards the ruins of Reiki, whilst myself and the others headed back into the temple where, after a bit of digging, we managed to find the hidden pathway that Ost had spoken of.

"Okay then everyone…" I took a deep breath to compose myself. "Let's do this." I stepped forward, my companions following on behind, into, both literally and figuratively, the belly of the beast.

And that's Chapter 7 squared away. Like I said, definitely not the greatest chapter I've written but I hope it was okay nonetheless.

And now for the apology…I know I said L'Arc, Therese and Glass would be in this chapter, but with the word count getting to what it was (about 10k), I knew I had to stop at just the right point. Don't worry, they'll be coming in at the start of the next chapter for sure. As for the Raphtalia and Fergus scene…that was put together by a mix of sudden inspiration as well as a desire to up the word count. And besides, the two of them deserved some private time for just them.

As always, I tried to mix up the spoken dialogue and have it not be a direct repeat of what was said in the anime. This was helped by the Old Lady being absent and Keel being present.

Now for something that needs to be said and done. After the week or so I've had, I really need to take a moment and get myself back in the right frame of mind as well as body, otherwise quite a few things in my life, including this, will suffer. So from the time this chapter is posted (which in my timezone will be Saturday night), I'm not going to do any writing for a whole week. This means I will be getting started with the next chapter no earlier than Saturday 24th, which in turn will likely mean an early August release for the next part. Apologies in advance but this is something I feel I really need to do both my physical and mental state of being.

Until then, this is theoneandonlyedster signing out for now. Until the next chapter, take care everyone!