Shield Hero: A New Hero

Chapter 7

Waking up to the sun in my eyes, I realized pretty quickly my head was still resting on Makoto's lap. Looking up, I saw her eyes were closed and she was breathing softly. Gently poking her cheek, her eyes fluttered open.

Looking at each other, we shared a smile. Standing up, Makoto did the same. "You sleep well?" I asked. She gave a nod in reply. "Well, uh, thanks. For last night." I rubbed the back of my head. "I was pretty pissed and you calmed me down. So, thanks."

She just smiled as she got to her feet. "Ready to go?" I asked. She nodded again. We grabbed our gear and left the Inn.

Walking around town, I could sense the wave was about to strike any minute. Keeping a hand on my dagger, I could see Makoto was on edge, too. With each passing second, I got more and more anxious.

Suddenly, a yellow light surrounded me and Makoto. Once it faded, I noticed the sky was a blood red with portals moving overhead. "There it is." I looked over to see Naofumi and Raphtalia. "The wave of catastrophe."

Looking around, I noticed the four of us were standing on a cliffside. Feeling something tap my arm, I looked over to see Makoto pointing below us. Looking to what she was pointing at, I saw Motoyasu, Ren, Itsuki, and their parties, rushing towards the wave. "Look over there!" Raphtalia pointed to a nearby village. "The village of Lute!"

"Was everyone evacuated?"

Suddenly, a flare was shot. "Guess not." I told Naofumi.

"Think it's enough to let the knights know where they are?" Naofumi asked.

"I dunno." I told him, pulling my daggers from their sheathes. I held one backwards and the other forward. "But I'll follow your lead. We can help Lute, or we can team up with the three merry idiots and their parties. It's your call."

There was a second of silence before Naofumi turned to us. "We're going. To Lute village!"

"Right!" Naofumi and Raphtalia ran ahead.

Following them, we ran all the way to the village, taking out a few creatures along the way. As we arrived, most of the buildings were on fire with villagers screaming and running. "Mercury."

"Yeah?"

"Go-" a loud crash, followed by screams, cut Naofumi off.

Looking to the source, I saw a building on fire had collapsed, trapping people inside. Glancing back to Naofumi, I pointed to the other villagers. "Go help the others! We got this."

"Alright!" Naofumi and Raphtalia rushed off as me and Makoto ran to help the trapped villagers in the house.

As we reached the door, more flaming boards fell in, blocking our way inside. "Damnit!" hearing the cries for help, I sheathed my daggers and ran over to the boards. "Keep 'em off me, okay?!" I told Makoto. Kneeling down, I rubbed my hands together as I prepared myself to lift the boards.

Grabbing the boards, I felt the heat burn my hands as I began to lift. Little by little, I managed to raise them. Hearing the sound of metal clang behind me, I glanced back to see Makoto block a skeleton's sword before slashing through it, turning it to a pile of bones.

Hearing more screams and coughs come from inside, I turned my attention back to lifting the boards.

Grunting as I struggled to raise them, I finally managed to get one of my shoulders under it to help support the weight. Gathering my strength, I pushed them off of me as I ducked inside.

I could feel the smoke immediately fill my lungs with each breath I took. Coughing, I began to slowly make my way through the thick cloud of smoke. "Help!" a girl called out before coughing. "Please!"

"Where..." I coughed. "Where are you?!"

"We're in the..." a boy's voice replied. I could tell he was struggling to speak. "In the... In..." his voice trailed off.

"Up..." the girl coughed. "Upstairs..."

"Hey!" I called out. No response. "Hey!" I coughed again.

Moving through the house, found tbe stairs and began to climb them, only for the wood to suddenly give out under me, trapping my right foot in two pieces of broken wood. "Come...on!" twisting my foot, I yanked it free before continuing to head up the stairs.

Placing a hand on the wall, I began moving down the hall, searching each room before moving on.

Coming across the final room, I saw two bodies lying on the ground, motionless. Scanning the room, I saw a window. Walking over, I tried to open it but it was jammed. Out of options, I pulled my fist back and punched the glass, hearing it crack. Pulling my fist back again, I punched right through the glass, feeling the shards cut my arm as I pulled back.

Pushing the remaining shards out of the window with my hands. "Mako-" I coughed. "Makoto!"

Seeing her rush over beneath the window, she looked up at me. "I got two-" I coughed again. "I got two kids in here. I'm gonna lower 'em down to you!"

Moving away from the window, I picked up one of the kids and headed back, lowering them as far as possible and making sure Makoto was ready to catch them before letting go.

Heading back in, I picked up the second kid and did the same. Makoto caught them and laid them down before looking up to me.

Lifting a foot to climb out the window, the floor beneath me suddenly caved, causing me to grip onto the windowsill to keep from falling into the inferno below. "Shit!"

Pulling myself up, I managed to pull myself out the window, falling to the ground below. Hitting my back on the ground, I felt all air escape my lungs. Makoto rushed over, her hair pure white.

Coughing, I turned over, my eyes, throat and lungs burning from the smoke. Makoto placed her hand on my back as I coughed. "I think... I think I'm okay..." I told her as I moved onto my knees, taking in a huge breath of fresh air.

Looking over to the two kids, a woman and a man rushed over to check on them. After looking them over, they picked one up each and ran off. "Guess they're okay..." I sighed a breath of relief but immediately coughed. Catching my breath, Makoto helped me to my feet. She stared at me with worry.

"I can fight, don't worry." I told her. She stared at me a bit longer before nodding her head. "Just watch my back, okay?" she nodded again.

Pulling out my daggers, me and Makoto joined the fight. Taking down skeletons and zombies with ease, I saw Naofumi running with a torch in his hand.

Turning back, I managed to duck under a sword just in time. "Fire dagger!" a flame coated my legendary weapon. Thrusting the blade into a zombie, I ripped it free before moving onto the next.

Seeing another zombie swing its blade at me, I ducked under it and went to strike, only for a sword to slice right through its neck. Glancing back, Makoto stood with a smile. "Did you..." I glanced at the dead zombie before looking back to Makoto. "Did you just swing over me?"

She nodded her head.

"So, what? You just-" I was cut off as Makoto thrusted her sword passed me. Glancing back, I saw a zombie pierced on the end of her blade. Looking to Makoto, she gestured to her sword. "Right."

Turning my attention back to the fight, I continued helping the villagers when I could as I killed the creatures. And, before long, the sky finally began to clear up.

Watching as the sky returned to its original blue, I let out a sigh. "Finally."

"Sir hero!"

"Huh?" I glanced back to see a man and woman, each holding a child. "Uhm...yes?"

"We..." the woman's eyes began to tear up. "We wanted to thank you for saving our children!"

I realized these were the parents of the kids I got out of that burning house. "Of course. I had to do something."

The woman smiled as tears flowed down her cheeks. "Thank you!"

Smiling, I turned around and began to walk off.

Suddenly, I felt a tug on my sleeve. Looking back, I saw Makoto staring at something. Following her gaze, I saw the other villagers praising Naofumi for his help. Smiling, I crossed my arms. "Good job, man." looking to Makoto, I tapped her arm. "Lets get going. We should get some sleep and begin training for the next wave."

Makoto pouted at me in reply, putting both of her hands on her hips. "Don't give me that." I told her. "We need to get as strong as possible for each wave."

She rolled her eyes before beginning to follow me.

End of chapter 7