A Shield's Stand
Chapter Two: First Day on the Job (Part Two)
Review Time:
Alavarosaint: I'm glad you like it sir! I thought the two would mesh really well, but no one had really done it before, so here we are. And yes I do plan to continue the story, as I already have a bunch of ideas I really like and want to see implemented into the plot.
Doobie Wah: Love that name my guy, its awesome. Also the arrows were a bit of a challenge for me to implement. I know it seems really simple at first, just have the shield absorb them, but then you have to place restrictions and plan out when he's going to use it, and how he's going to learn what the arrows do, which is a lot harder, but I think I struck a balance, so I'm happy.
Guest: I did not know that at all, but that is awesome. As for a stand cry, I do plan for him to have one, but it's not going to Dora or Ora or anything that already exists, since I want to make sure Naofumi is distinct from them (despite already being almost completely different). Also, thanks for the compliment! I'm glad you enjoyed the story!
The Thinker: That comment is very good. More please.
calderoneric758: I didn't plan on it, but now I do and I have to find a spot where it could fit. NIGERUNDAYOOOOOOO
RedFistCannon: Well, the shield doesn't stop him from punching, since his arms are a part of his body, so that goes to reason that since stands are a user's own mental energies given form, then they are a part of the user, which means the shield cannot prevent Naofumi from using it in combat.
NarutoisNumber1Ninja: Thank you for the kind words! As for the stand, I'll being using my personal favorite OC stand, so you'll just have to wait and see ;)
D3lph0xL0v3r: Naofumi's stand will be completely original (but not broken I hope) so look forward to that. For now he'll slowly unlock it as he goes through RotSH so we have a long way to go.
SomeCallMeDrunk: I think this will be a RotSH fic before a JoJo fic, since its pretty much going to be the original plot with a stand thrown in (as well as some original content to keep it interesting) but yes, Naofumi has the classic punch ghost. As for his ability, he gets ramen seasoning for flavor (haha).
He honestly didn't know what was going on anymore. First he gets summoned to a new world after supposedly dying and losing his memories, then he gets betrayed by his party member and the other heroes, panics, runs deep into the forest where he gets attacked by a crazy strong monster which he kills in two hits because of a ghost hand that he has coming out of his body.
What.
Naofumi took a deep, calming breath as he gathered his thoughts…
"AHHHHHHHH!"
...before screaming in panic.
Why is there a ghost hand on me? Where did it come from? HOW DO I MAKE IT GO AWAY?!
Naofumi flailed his arm up and down, trying to detach the ghostly apparition from his body. When that didn't work, he rushed to the nearest tree, slamming his arm (and the ghost hand with it) into it, hoping to smash it off, but that hope quickly died out when a sizable crater was formed in the bark of the tree, nearly shattering it at its base.
Naofumi stared down in shock, flexing and shifting his hand around, only to see the ghost hand copy his every move. It was then a thought occurred to him: could he use this? Whatever this thing was, it was incredibly nimble and dexterous to copy some of his later movements (even the ones where he used his other hand to bend it back) and judging by the dead Direwolf and the nearly shattered tree, incredibly powerful, despite his egregiously low attacking stats.
It copies my every move… is this thing a part of me? It can't be, I'm the shield hero, my attacks aren't supposed to be strong… but then again, maybe this isn't related to the shield…
He opened his status icon, taking a look at his spreadsheet of stats and information.
Naofumi Iwatani
Class: Shield Hero
Level 9
Weapons: Legendary Shield (Locked),「Otherworldly Ability」(Locked)
Bizarre Otherworldly Clothing
ATK: 11
DEF: 103
MATK: 9
MDEF: 92
DEX: 35
AGI: 51
SKILLS: Otherworldly Arrow (Locked), Otherworldly Arrow Lv 2 (Locked)
There! He thought with glee. Everything in his stat sheet lines up with his abilities as a primarily defensive unit with the exception of one item on the list: his「Otherworldly Ability」. If this thing is an ability from where I can from, then it could be my next clue to who I used to be! Naofumi's eyes steeled. This was his chance… but first he needed to make sure.
How did it go so off the rails, so quickly? Naofumi thought in exasperation, as he and a slave trader of all things walked down the rows of cages with all manners of creatures in them. Beasts with fangs, fur and claws passed them as they made further strides into the depths of this hellish home for slaves.
Don't make a mistake in thinking he wanted to be here, it just sort of… happened.
Naofumi ran through the Castle Town gates, failing to notice (or ignoring) the scowls and sneers of the gate guards and heading towards Erhard's shop. If anyone had knowledge of this world's weapons, it would be him. As he approached the blacksmith's familiar shop, he noticed Erhard waiting outside. Naofumi slowed from his run to greet him before he was grabbed harshly by the man and pulled face to face by the imposing smithy.
"I heard what you did to that adventurer, give me one good reason not to beat the crap out of you right here and now," he growled out.
Naofumi put his hands out placatingly, deciding to place his faith that he'll listen unlike the others, "I don't know what exactly you've heard, Erhard, but I promise you, I never did anything like that to Myne. She was my friend. I don't know why she said that about me…" his fearful expression transitioned into one of sorrow and grief, tears pricking at the edges of his eyes.
Erhard looked closely into the eyes of the kid. He had dealt with enough scammers and thieves to realize when someone is being genuine, and as much as he hates to admit it, the kid was telling the truth. Gently placing the kid down, he ushered him into the store, doing his best to calm the kid down as he did so.
After he had sat them down by the counter, he spoke, "So the lass falsely accused you." He said it as a statement, rather than a question. Naofumi merely nodded at the words, looking away as he did so. Acknowledging the betrayal hurt, and it would likely still hurt in the time to come. Erhard looked away in thought before turning back to the kid, "Well kid, no matter what happens, you'll still be a hero in my eyes."
He was not prepared for the blinding smile to be thrown his way.
"That really means a lot to me Erhard, thank you," Naofumi says as his smile dies down, "But I came here to ask you about something." He brings his arm up to the counter for Erhard to inspect, "Do you know anything about this?"
Erhard looks at him weirdly, "Do you mean the shield? I already looked at it yesterday, but I could look again if you want…"
What? "Not the shield, the arm," Naofumi says.
"The… arm?" Erhard asks.
"Yes, the floating arm," Naofumi responds.
"Floating what? Ok kid, you're starting to worry me now," there's his caring nature again.
Naofumi didn't respond, instead looking at the floating arm that Erhard couldn't see. If he couldn't see it, did that mean that it wasn't real? No it had to be, he two-shot a Lv 24 Direwolf with it, so does that mean it doesn't exist here? Maybe only people from his world could see it. But those thoughts were for later, right now he had to make sure Erhard wouldn't call for a psychiatrist (if those existed here). He thought for a bit before he took out a coin from his remaining funds from the King. Erhard's worry and curiosity turned to surprise and awe as the coin began to float seemingly on its own above Naofumi's hand.
"Kid…" Erhard was at a loss of words, "I have never seen anything like what you just did, so as crazy as it sounds, I believe ya. This ghost arm exists and apparently only you can see it. Now what does it look like? Generally an undead's looks will translate to its skills so maybe we can figure something out from that."
That… was actually a really good idea. Naofumi hadn't even properly taken in what the thing looked like. The ghostly hand and arm only traveled up halfway the forearm before fading off into nothingness. The hand was almost entirely white, with distinct black lines outlining the joints and ridges along the back of it. At the wrist, a brown disk-like object connected the hand to three thin brown poles that made up what Naofumi assumed was the forearm. He relayed the description to Erhard who looked as perplexed as Naofumi did.
In the end, they never really learned anything more about the hand other than it went away when Naofumi willed it to. Realizing it had become much later in the day, he made his way to a tavern for some food, seeing as he had no breakfast or lunch. Walking in, he was met with the same hateful stares he had constantly been sent on the streets, yet he still steeled himself, politely asking for a seat and somehow managing to score a table off in the corner, where no one would have to look at him. He ordered a cheap meal and enjoyed it before being approached by three men. Each looked like a stereotypical bandit from what he had seen so far, so he prepared for the worst to happen.
They asked to be his party members, and while his suspicions were there in the back of his mind, Naofumi was thrilled at the thought of having people who were still willing to adventure with him, finishing his food and taking the men's offer to party up with him. They led him to a nearby alley before asking about how the pay would be divided up between them. Needless to say, they didn't like his answer of each person supporting one another, instead choosing to try and rob him.
Naofumi smiled, what they didn't realize was that he had an incredibly powerful ghost hand from another world to help him fight. The closest bandit swung his knife, only to be blocked by the shield of legend. Naofumi retaliated, gathering his strength and punching the man with his fist… only to have it do pretty much nothing since the ghost hand failed to appear.
What? He thought his ghost would come out and beat these guys! What does he do now?
"My, my, Shield Hero, you seem to be in quite a pickle. Would you like some help?" A mysterious voice said from behind him.
Despite his mind screaming: DO NOT TRUST, Naofumi responded with a desperate, "Yes please!"
The voice laughed from behind him, "Such a kind response! It's hard to believe you're the hero who forced himself on another person!" Naofumi bit back a grumble at how he would never do such a thing as three bolts of fire magic rushed past him, slamming into the three robbers, forcing them to retreat.
Naofumi turned to meet the face of the man who saved him, seeing a short, round man with a plastered on, stretched out smile.
Which is how he ended up here. The man was apparently a slave trader and he was offering his… wares to the hero. Since he wasn't really in any sort of position to protest, Naofumi reluctantly agreed to look. Although, at this point, he's glad he did. The cages were beat up and filthy, with the creatures and people inside faring as well as their cage. Many had broken bones, underfed stomachs, and horrible illnesses, and those issues only became more prevalent the farther he went in. If he could buy even one of them to get them out of this hell, then it would be worth it.
As the two men walked, the slave trader answered every one of Naofumi's questions. What these people were, why they were enslaved, whether slavery was even legal, and how he managed to keep these clearly much more powerful beasts under his control.
With those questions came quite a lot of information about this world. The most important being that alongside humans and monsters, there was another species that kind of bridged the gap between the two, Demi-Humans. In most instances, they were just humans with a tail and animal ears, however, in some cases these people would have wildly unique differences from the standard human such as different colored skin, fur covering their body, or even unique appendages replacing their legs or arms.
As for why they were enslaved, Melromarc was a Human supremacist country, legally permitting and even in some cases encouraging the enslavement of all Demi-Humans within its borders. Naofumi knew that this society was much farther behind than his and the other heroes (based on what they said in the room) but to enslave another sentient being is just so… barbaric.
As for how they managed to keep these slaves under control, that was due to a special kind of magic known as curse magic. A low level curse magic known as a slave seal would be placed on the slave and should the slave disobey an order, they would endure searing pain from the mark. Naofumi wasn't sure how he felt about that one.
They reached the back of the tent, having passed what felt like dozens of sickly slaves, on the brink of death, and as much as he wanted to save them, Naofumi didn't have the funds to buy someone who wouldn't be able to fight with him. That was until he heard a cough from a nearby covered cage. He approached the cage despite the slave traders warnings and was met with two Demi-Human children. The first one seemed to be a racoon-like demi-human, and despite being sick, she seemed to be one of the healthier slaves in the tent. The other child was much more weasel-like and was extremely underfed, so much to the point where her ribs were clearly visible even through her rags one would call clothes.
If someone would ask Naofumi why he would buy two Demi-Human children both on the brink of death when he needed strong adventurers to fight with him, he would say he doesn't know. However, he would know. He saw those two small little girls, so obviously abused and left for death in this cruel world and he just couldn't leave them to die. Not in a place like this.
"I'll take them," he said without even looking at the fretting slave trader, "Both of them."
At his words, the raccoon child bristled in fear. Her ears curling in on themselves and her tail spiking up behind her. The weasel child barely reacted to the words.
"Are you sure? I have plenty of better quality slaves over-" The trader began.
"I said I'll take them! Now let me pay you so that I can get them out of here!" Naofumi screamed.
The slave trader nodded a little shakily. Despite knowing the shield hero was standing before him (who couldn't even hope to hurt him by himself), it was still a little nerve wracking when the bizarrely dressed man had clear physical strength that could cause him some significant amount of pain despite not being capable of doing significant damage. He took his master key and unlocked the cage.
Without hesitation, Naofumi climbed into the no-doubt disease ridden and blood drenched cage to take hold of the weasel child and cradle her in his arm, taking extra care to support her head. He offered his free hand to the raccoon child, who shakily took his hand as he led them out of the cage.
"How much?" He spoke plainly, masking his anger at the way these people are treated.
"Forty silvers for the both of them. Since they're so sickly and difficult to work with, they are rather cheap," the slave trader spoke once more.
Naofumi let go of the raccoon's hand to draw out his money, pulling out forty silver coins for the man, before silently walking away.
"W-wait! Sir! We still need to apply to slave crest!" The trader called.
Naofumi continued to walk away, before he and the two children exited the tent and entered the streets.
As much as he hated it, he was the only one who could help these two. Any doctors in town would likely turn him away either for his status as a rapist or because he wanted them to treat demi-human children. So now he stood at the edge of the forest, a small makeshift camp set up for them as Naofumi tried to figure out what to do.
He could try to make medicine for them, but not only did he not know much about medicine or how to make it (he didn't even know who he was, goddammit) but he had no idea where he would even get the items to make such a complicated item. He looked over the two girls, seeing the raccoon watching over the weasel solemnly. He walked over to the two, seeing the raccoon begin to shake as he approached them.
"Hello," he said softly, "My name is Naofumi Iwatani. Could you tell me yours and your friend's?" The girl continued to shake in fear. He placed his right arm over his heart, "I promise, I'm here to help you both." The girl still said nothing. Naofumi cursed whoever did such horrible things to two innocent little girls. "I don't know what happened to you two, but I promise: I will never hurt you two." He gave a small smile as he said the kind and comforting words. He could see the girl visibly steeling herself, preparing to speak, so he gave her time to gather her courage.
"M-my name is Raphtalia. Her name is Rifana. She's my best friend, but…" Raphtalia trailed off, "She's going to die!" Raphtalia burst into tears.
Naofumi drew the girl into a hug. She tried to fight it at first before she melted into his embrace, crying into his chest.
"Alright Raphtalia, I need you to listen to me for a second. Can you do that?" He felt Raphtalia nod her head, "No matter what, I'm going to help Rifana. I won't let her die, but I need your help to do that." He meant every word he said. He wouldn't allow this innocent child to die under his watch. He leaned over and plucked out a nearby small plant from the ground, showing it to her. "This is a medicinal herb. It can help us make some medicine for your friend. If you can go find some more of them for me, I can get some fish from the river to make some food for Rifana. I'll make some food for the both of you and once you get back, I'll make some medicine for her." She looked into his eyes. "I can help her, but I can't do it alone. Please, make sure you come back. If not for me, then your friend. I don't think I can handle it if she dies." Naofumi finished.
Raphtalia held back her tears and rushed off, looking for more herbs to make medicine. While she did that, Naofumi walked over to the river, seeing fish swim down the river. The only question is how would he get them? Grabbing them was out of the question, he wasn't near skilled enough to do that, but he didn't have any tools to fish with. Spotting a nearby stick, Naofumi grabbed it and tried to sharpen it on the shield's edge. It was slow progress before he remembered that he had another shield with an actual arrow on it. He switched and began to sharpen the stick much faster than he could before.
Wait, I got this shield by absorbing the arrow… Does that mean I can absorb other things for more abilities?
To answer this question, Naofumi grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground and dropped it into the gem of the shield.
Dirt Shield Unlocked
DEF: +1
Congrats! It's dirt.
His Stand Shield was now replaced with what was essentially a mound of dirt. Even though it was incredibly stupid, that meant he could absorb almost anything, even dirt, to unlock shield and skills. He ran over to the camp and grabbed the single herb he pulled, putting it into the Shield.
Medicinal Shield Unlocked
DEF: +1
MDEF: +1
Skill [ Herbal Enhancement ] Unlocked [Passive]
Even the simplest plant can cure anything in the right hands.
Naofumi cheered internally. He had something to help Rifana! He looked down at his shield.
This thing is awesome!
By the time Raphtalia returned, a couple of medium sized fish had been caught, speared, and cooked over a small campfire. Naofumi sat next to Rifana, hand feeding her small pieces of fish. Raphtalia rushed over to Naofumi, holding in her own set of coughs. Naofumi grabbed the bowl he had whittled and took the herbs, tossing them in with some river water, before grinding them up.
"Raphtalia, go and get some food, I'll have the medicine ready before you're finished," Naofumi said with a smile.
Raphtalia didn't know how to feel about their new master. Her last master had hurt her and all of her friends just for the sake of it. Her last master thrived off of their pain and cries and did anything he could to make more. Her new master, Mr. Iwatani has fed them and is making medicine for them, and he hasn't even hit them once yet! But the weirdest thing is he refused to give them slave crests! Is this some strange form of torture? Knowing she could run away at any time but would leave her friend to die? She didn't know anymore. What she did know is she couldn't leave Rifana by herself. So for now, she would stay.
Naofumi stopped grinding when his HUD showed him information on the Moderate Medicine he had just made. He grabbed the leaf funnel… things he had made and poured the medicine into it.
"Ok, the medicine is done, but it's going to be very bitter," he walked over to them before putting the medicine up to their mouths, helping Rifana sit up to take it, "This is going to help with your sickness, so just push past the bitter taste and you'll start to get better."
Raphtalia looked like she wanted to spit it out but forced it down. Rifana looked like she didn't have the energy to do that. After they finished the medicine, Naofumi set up a small blanket for them.
"U-umm…" Raphtalia nervously stuttered, "Mr. Iwatani?"
"What do you need Raphtalia?" Naofumi answered calmly. Raphtalia shuffled awkwardly in place, mumbling quietly. He chuckled to himself, "I can't hear you when you're that quiet, you know."
"Why didn't you give us slave crests? Why are you treating us so kindly? Why help us at all?" She spoke the thoughts that had plagued her since he bought them.
Naofumi gave a small sigh, "Raphtalia, I don't know what happened to you and Rifana before I showed up, and I'm not sure if I really want to know, to be honest," the admission hurt a little to say, "But, I'm not going to force you two to do anything you don't want to. With that being said, Raphtalia, I bought you two for two reasons. The first is I couldn't stand the sight of two little children shoved in a cage on the verge of death. The second is I need help. I don't know if you've realized by now, but I'm the Shield Hero. I can't attack by myself and I need other people to attack for me. So I bought you two hoping you would be kind enough to help me."
Raphtalia's eyes blew wide open. Her personal hero was here in front of her. He had taken care of them, fed them, gave them medicine and a place to sleep, and all she did in return was suspect him of being the same as all the others who had hurt her. She ran forward and embraced the hero, crying into his chest as they held each other.
"Hey Raphtalia, call me Naofumi."
When she finished crying, she joined Rifana under the blanket. Naofumi watched over them carefully as they took a much needed rest. Now normally, Naofumi (without his memories) wasn't normally a very violent person, but seeing two little girls suffer so much broke his rather lenient moral code.
Whoever hurt them will answer to me.
A lot has happened in the past two weeks.
It mostly consisted of helping Raphtalia fight low level monsters like balloons, mushrooms, and the occasional pill rabbit. Raphtalia didn't enjoy the blood that came from fighting organic monsters but she managed to push through her discomfort. With every good attack she did, Naofumi gave her praise and when she messed up, she wasn't met with a beating, just some good advice and some worried words asking if she was alright. With his guidance, she was starting to feel safe.
Naofumi managed to unlock quite a few shields in that time as well:
Orange Balloon Shield
DEF: +1
Rubber isn't as bouncy as most people think
Green Mushroom Shield
DEF: +1
Welcome to mushroom roulette! Will it kill you, taste good, or make you high?
Blue Mushroom Shield
DEF: +1
MDEF: +1
You found the one that makes you high. Good job.
Leaf Shield
DEF: +1
In the words of someone's illustrious cousin, we'll make like a tree… and leaf!
Bark Shield
DEF: +2
Is it worse than it's bite?
Egg Shell Shield
DEF: +1
Skill [ Good Cook ] Unlocked [Passive]
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!
Grass Shield
DEF: +1
Watch out for bugs!
Mud Shield
MDEF: +1
Make sure you're wearing boots!
Rabbit Pelt Shield
DEF: +1
MDEF: +2
A wall of fur so soft, you can sleep on it!
Demi-Human Shield
DEF: +2
MDEF: +2
AGI: +1
Skill [ Demi-Human Growth ] Unlocked [Passive]
Skill [ Friend of Demi-Humans ] Unlocked [Passive]
It was gotten by their hair, calm down
A lot of time was also spent on making sure Rifana was recovering from her past abuse. She was slowly filling out, her ribs slowly becoming less pronounced and her fevers becoming less severe. She was recovering steadily and today was the day they would try having her join in on the monster hunts.
After a little bit of battling against the standard weaker enemies on the edge of the forest, the group of three decided they would test their might deeper in the forest. They found a lot more rabbits than they had before but were able to deal with them relatively easily. They fought their way through the hordes of enemies, coming out undoubtedly victorious in each battle. By the end of their horde fighting, Naofumi was level 14, Raphtalia was level 8, and Rifana was level 5.
Despite the fact that they were hunting monsters, the three were actually enjoying themselves. Raphtalia and Rifana glowed from the praise Naofumi would give them and many of their innocent actions like Rifana petting the rabbit Naofumi had pinned managed to make Naofumi laugh, despite their situation.
Overall, they were having a grand old time until a giant horned rabbit dropped in front of them.
Horned Queen Rabbit
Lv 21
"Raphtalia, Rifana, behind me!" Naofumi shouted.
The two Demi-Humans rushed to follow his orders, realizing that this enemy was much stronger than anything they had encountered in their previous outings.
"I'll get its attention and keep it off of you two, attack from the sides and make sure you get away the second it even looks at you. Rifana, if you start feeling tired, back out of the fight, me and Raphtalia will finish it out."
Raphtalia nodded in understanding while Rifana called out, "Right!"
Naofumi charged ahead, meeting the Queen Rabbit's horn with his Otherworldly Shield, which gave him the largest increase in overall stats. He parried the horn to the side and looped his arms around the neck of the beast, putting all his weight on it, pinning it down as best he could. Seeing their chance, Raphatlia and Rifana rushed forward, slashing the Rabbit with their daggers Naofumi had outfitted them with. The rabbit roared in pain before tossing Naofumi away from it. He landed on his feet, somehow keeping from stumbling over.
"Remember to look for any weak points you can take advantage of! Anywhere the skin and muscle is thin is what you're looking for!" Naofumi called out to the two others as he charged forward once more.
Once again, the Queen Rabbit clashed with the legendary shield, however, this time it used its remaining momentum to continue on its path and circle around Naofumi, proving to be incredibly speedy despite its massive size. It's horn barrelled into Naofumi, sending him careening back, crashing into a tree.
He picked himself up, "Alright you fluffball, bring it on!" Despite being launched by a creature nearly three times his size, Naofumi essentially ignored any and all damage done to him because of his ridiculously high defences. He looked over to his two party members, seeing Rifana was already breathing heavily, worn down from the earlier grind. Raphtalia, however, was still managing fine, standing at the ready for any further orders. "Rifana! Throw your dagger at its face! It doesn't matter if you hit it, just make sure it's distracted!"
Without hesitating, Rifana tossed away her only weapon, retreating afterwards to the safety of the trees. The Queen Rabbit noticed the clumsily thrown dagger and easily dodged it, however, that left it wide open to Naofumi charging it head on, his shield cocked back for a strike.
CLANG
The shield crashed into the skull of the Queen, stunning her and leaving her wide open for whatever attack Raphtalia wanted. She dashed forward as Naofumi lifted the dazed animal, now flailing in its confusion, leaving its underside bare to see. Getting the unspoken message, Raphtalia charged and stabbed into the chest of the Rabbit.
Seeing that the Queen's health bar hadn't fully depleted, Naofumi called out, "Again! Try to strike for the heart!"
It took three more tries before Raphtalia managed to stab the beast in the heart, taking it down for the count and ending the fight. They were immediately dumped with an absurd amount of XP as Naofumi reached level 17, Raphtalia reached level 13, and Rifana reached level 10. Naofumi sent the two exhausted Demi-Human children back to camp, using Rifana's left behind dagger to skin and carve up the Queen for materials.
Rabbit Queen's Pelt Shield
DEF: +3
MDEF: +4
DEX: +1
A wall of fur so soft, even your enemies can take a nap
Rabbit Queen's Horn Shield
ATK: +2
DEF: +1
DEX: +2
AGI: +2
Skill [ Bullrush ] Unlocked
They say: "Nothing's as sharp as a knife" but they obviously haven't been stabbed by a horn
Naofumi finished up and went back to the campsite, spotting Rifana and Raphtalia talking by the campfire he had taught them to start. Seeing the two so happy when just two weeks earlier, they had been trapped in a dirty diseased cage made him glad that he was summoned to this world. Satisfied with watching from a distance, Naofumi took out the map he had bought using his hard earned money selling medicine. They needed to travel a little farther for stronger monsters, since the strongest one near the capital was so easily killed by the three of them, and the nearest town was a place called "Lute Village" so that was where they would go starting tomorrow.
"Got anywhere that has some stronger monsters? Maybe a place we can get some easy cash?" Naofumi asked the shopkeeper as he handed over the freshly skinned rabbit pelt.
The shopkeeper thought for a second before pointing over to the small mountain beside the town, "See that cave entrance over there? That used to be our mine but ever since the first wave, some seriously strong monsters settled in there, so we can't use it anymore. I'm sure you'll get something from the lord if you can clear it out since we haven't gotten a response from the capital for aid. I don't know what the summoned heroes are doing, but it doesn't seem to be helping."
While the potential reward was nice, Naofumi was more worried about the state of the village. The way the shopkeeper spoke, that mine was one of the village's main incomes. If it's been shut down by some nesting monsters, the people living here will certainly begin to feel the damage from a loss of income. Taking a moment to look around, Naofumi could already spot a couple people who seemed malnourished and struggling to get by. Plus, it already lined up with what naofumi wanted to do.
Naofumi raised his shield up, holding it in front of him, "I can tell not having that mine is already making an impact here," the shopkeeper looked towards Naofumi intrigued, "So as the Shield Hero, I'll do my best to clear it out for you all."
As he finished his promise, he shot the man a blinding smile and began heading towards the mine, Raphtalia and Rifana following close behind him.
The mine entrance was much larger than it initially appeared to be, a large wooden arch supporting the large opening.
"Naofumi! Look what I found!" The voice of Rifana drew his attention. He turned her way to see her holding up a bundle of rope, a pickaxe, and an axe. "Try to absorb these into your shield! I wanna see what happens!"
Naofumi saw the excitement in the girl's eyes and took the items from her hands. Rifana had really blown up from her practically comatose state when he had first saved her. Now she was almost a complete contrast to the shy and reserved Raphtalia: loud, easily excitable, and a bit obsessive about the shield hero. While he definitely preferred her new personality compared to what she was originally, it was still a little concerning seeing her obsess so much over him and the shield.
Pickaxe Shield
DEF: +2
Skill [ Mining Boost ] Unlocked [Passive]
The sounds of Driftveil City echo around you
Axe Shield
ATK: +1
DEF: +1
Skill [ Chopping Boost ] Unlocked [Passive]
Lumberjacks are all the rage these days
Rope Shield
DEF: +1
Skill [ Tether ] Unlocked
Skill [ Air Strike Shield ] Unlocked
Used for everything from games to bridges, rope is one thing you don't want to throw away
(Ok, imma go on an author rant here. How does ROPE of all things unlock one of Naofumi's most useful abilities? How is there any correlation between rope and a magic floating shield that can be used as: instant long range defense, platforms for aerial mobility, battering rams, and so many other uses I'm probably forgetting. Like HOW. I just don't understand and it annoys me.)
Air strike shield? Naofumi thought.
Naofumi had gotten some manual abilities prior to this one, like the Bullrush skill he got from the Horned Queen Rabbit, so he knew to activate he had to focus on the skill and say it aloud.
"Air Strike Shield!"
A translucent green shield materialized in front of him, with both Raphtalia and Rifana staring in awe at the unique skills of the legendary cardinal hero. After a bit of experimenting, Naofumi found that he could manipulate certain aspects of the shield like its size and position. He could see this being his most useful ability.
"Alright, Raphtalia, Rifana, you know the strategy. Any monsters we come across, I will distract and when you see an opening, you strike hard and fast. I don't care how weak they may seem, you two aren't fully recovered and I don't want you two to get hurt, ok?" He raises his hands to their heads and gives them some affectionate pats. The two seemed to melt into his touch before he pulled away his hand.
He started walking deeper into the mine before he felt both Rifana and Raphtalia each grab one of his hands. A little startled, he looked at each of them, only to see them looking away from him with small blushes on their faces. He didn't say anything and let them lead him deeper into the mine.
The smaller monsters they encountered stood no chance against them, as some good orders and calls from Naofumi allowed them to completely blindside several of the monsters they battled and utterly annihilate some of the others they couldn't sneak up on.
It wasn't before long that they found some of the Light Metal Ore that the mine was previously used for. With the other members of his party watching his back, he used his Pickaxe Shield to whack away at it until a large chunk fell into his hands. Taking some and putting it into his shield he placed the rest in the mining bag he had been given by the shopkeeper (not to keep but to sell to him when he returned).
Light Metal Ore Shield
DEF: +2
MDEF: +2
So shiny it's practically glowing
After he had collected a couple more, Naofumi and the girls headed deeper into the mine, searching for some of the more dangerous monsters of the mine. If the town were to return to a stable position, they needed the mine back. A deep growl from the end of the cave stole Naofumi from his thoughts. Out from the shadows walked a giant two headed demon dog.
Mini Boss: Two Headed Cerberus
Lv 25
"Holy…" Naofumi stared in surprise. Even the Queen Rabbit wasn't classified as a Mini Boss and yet here this absolute tank of muscle stood before them, ready to rip them to shreds.
"I don't think I can block both heads at once so this one'll be hard to take down! Rifana, you're on right, Raphtalia, left!" Naofumi shouted his strategy to his team only to get no response from them. He turned around to see that Raphtalia had gone completely pale from fear, her dagger still in its sheath while Rifana stood still, her legs locked in place with her dagger drawn, but it was clear she was still just as terrified of the demon dog before them.
Shit! They can't fight like this and I can't fight alone! Naofumi thought in a panic. He tried to calm down, it wouldn't do any of them any good for all three of them to freak out, so he had to be the calm one for them. Since it's classified as a Mini Boss, its stats are probably much higher than anything else we've faced. It has strong legs so running from it is out of question but with its two heads, I can't block both if they attack at once!
The dog charged at them, deciding it had enough of waiting.
Naofumi immediately bolted towards Rifana and Raphtalia, "Ok! Outta time!" He screamed as he grabbed them both with one arm and jumped down to the running riverside. As they fell, he was glad to see that the Cerberus had stopped charging after them. However, he was not happy to see that the Cerberus was now preparing to fire a magic projectile at them while they were falling in the air with no way to dodge it.
"Air Strike Shield!"
The translucent shield appeared right as a fireball was blasted towards them, stopping the attack and keeping the three of them safe. They landed in the river with a splash but before the current swept them away, Naofumi used his newly acquired Rope Shield to tether themselves to the clifface and begin to pull them up. They reached a lower platform and the hero gently put the two Demi-Human children down.
"So you guys mind telling me why you froze back there? I need to know so we can either beat that thing or escape it."
Rifana still looked to be in shock, but Raphtalia managed to speak, "A d-dog like that attacked our village in the first wave. I saw it eat my parents!" She managed to say without bursting into sobs.
"Shit" The hero mumbled under his breath, "Raphtalia, I need you to breathe with me, ok?" She followed him as he led her in some deep breathing exercises. "Now I need you to listen to me ok?" She nodded, "People always have to make a choice at some point in their lives. They have to choose if they want to keep running from what scares them, or to tackle it head on, and conquer that fear," he paused, "That time for you is now. That dog may be strong and it may be scary, but we're stronger and we're scarier. So draw your blade, stand up and get ready to take it down!"
Raphtalia took one more deep breath before steadily standing up, unsheathing her dagger as she did so. Rifana did so as well, having heard the speech and making the same choice.
"Alright, Naofumi, I don't know if I can do it, but if you're with us, we can at least try!" Rifana cheered.
A roar from behind them drew their attention, seeing the Cerberus jumping down to their platform and begin to circle them. Silence prevailed in the mine as the two stared one another down. Without warning, the Cerberus charged forward, both heads ready to bite down on their foe.
"Break!"
At Naofumi's call, the three members quickly split off, Raphtalia darting to the left, Rifana to the right, and Naofumi backwards. As quickly as the Cerberus had charged, it had been trapped.
"This thing only has two heads and there's three of us! It can only target two at a time so be ready to avoid and attack!"
"Right/Gotcha!"
The Cerberus's left head was trailing after Raphtalia while the right head trailed after Naofumi as they circled it. Naofumi charged in, intending to keep its attention away from Rifana only to be met with the right head's maw clamping on his shield. The two entered a power struggle as they tried to force the other to a standstill, however, even with his legendary status, Naofumi was being pushed back by the monstrous behemoth. Naofumi saw the left head take a bite at him and shoved the right head off, gaining some much needed distance before the Cerberus gave chase.
"Rifana! Go for the tendons in its legs! If this thing can't move, it can't fight!"
In response to his call, Rifana changed course and darted behind the Cerberus, struggling to match its pace.
"Air Strike Shield!"
The now familiar shield appeared directly in front of the Cerberus. The beast met the shield with a crash, forced to stop completely. Rifana darted past and slashed at the dog's back legs, catching the back left leg's ankle, severing an important tendon. The dog roared in pain as it swiveled to meet the source. Spotting Rifana and quickly giving chase, catching up quickly despite its bad hind leg.
"Bullrush!"
Naofumi was sent careening towards the Cerberus, crashing into its side. The behemoth barely budged from the impact but it was forced to halt its chase. Using the opening, the right head quickly swung his way and bit harshly into the hero's shoulder, digging into the man's muscle. Naofumi cried in pain before slamming the shield into the snout of the dog, forcing its release.
Raphtalia ran past naofumi, sliding under the Cerberus's belly, slashing at the other hind leg and tearing another of its tendons. With one slashed tendon, it could lean its weight on the other leg to still give chase but with two, it stood no chance of going on the offensive close range.
"To me!" He called. They quickly regrouped ready to finish the battle. "This thing won't die unless we hit it where it hurts. We have to cut into the necks since the thing's ribcage will protect the heart and lungs. Raphtalia, I'm going to Bullrush into its chest and you're going to follow as quick as you can after me, I'll block the bite and you can bounce off me to get at the neck." Raphtalia nodded, "Rifana, I want you to keep the other head busy. I can see it charging a fireball right now and I need it to be firing away from us so we can take out the heads. Keep at a distance but make sure you keep it's attention." Rifana voiced her agreement.
"Now! Bullrush!"
Naofumi was once again boosted straight into the Cerberus, drawing the ire of the left head as the right tried to spray the two Demi-Human girls with fireballs. Rifana dashed away from one, the right head following after her as Raphtalia followed her hero's instructions. She ran up to the two who were locked in another power struggle (this one being far more even due to the lack of hind strength) and jumped off her hero's back, slashing into the neck and carving it down as gravity took control.
The left head lost all strength in it's bite, releasing Naofumi from the power struggle, stumbling back to mourn the loss of one of it's heads. Despite being one heard short, the Cerberus was still dangerous, as it began overcharging its fireball attack, the drawing breath becoming far more pronounced. Naofumi raised his shield in anticipation.
The head roared, dozens of fireballs shooting out randomly, blasting everything they hit to ashes. Several collided with Naofumi's Shield, his absurd Magic defence negating most of the singing damage. He kept watch over Raphtalia and Rifana as they dodged fireball after fireball.
"Air Strike Shield!" Naofumi once again called out his skill, blocking three unavoidable fireballs for Raphtalia. "Rifana! Raphtalia! To me! I can block these!" Raphtalia with the aid of the Air Strike Shield managed to make her way to Naofumi with little issue.
As Rifana avoided the fireballs to the best of her ability, she failed to notice a small puddle made from their previous group huddle, as their clothes were still drenched from their dip in the river. She stepped in it, lost her footing and slipped, watching helplessly as another fireball careened her way.
Naofumi could only watch as one of the two children he took under his protection, one of the people he cared about, was about to be incinerated.
I can't let her die…
He thought back to the weeks he and Raphtalia had taken care of the weasel girl. Making her medicine and feeding her meals, slowly seeing her gather the strength to do those things on her own. He thought back to her first monster kill, and how her smile brightened at the achievement. He thought back to her joy filled smile as she handed him pretty much everything she could to put in his shield. He thought about how much she mattered to him.
I can't let her die…
I WON'T!
The ghost hand sprung forth from Naofumi's own arm, flying at incredible speeds towards the falling Rifana.
I WILL SAVE HER!
The ghost hand reached Rifana, the fireball inches away from her face.
I'LL SAVE HER NO MATTER WHAT!
The hand tightened on her collar, yanking her away from the fireball's course and behind Naofumi's shield.
"You thought you could take her from us?!" Naofumi roared in anger at the Cerberus, who's fireballs had finally run dry. He walked up to the panting dog, snarling as he drew closer. The ghost arm had returned to his side, ready for his command. "You thought you could kill her?" He took one final step, his glare turning menacing as the Cerberus whimpered in fear.
"Let me tell you where you messed up."
The young hero drew in a breath, ready to end the life of the beast who attacked them so viciously.
"I am the shield hero! My duty is to protect! And while I'm around, no one will hurt my family!"
He stepped forward, right fist drawn back…
"I-Ka-Ri!" Each shout was joined by a punch from the ghostly fist, digging into the Cerberus's body as it crushed the bones and organs within.
It's organs ruptured and bones shattered, the Cerberus fell to the ground dead, the ghostly arm fading back into Naofumi's body.
"Next time you try to hurt my family, make sure I'm not there to protect them first."
Naofumi Iwatani
Class: Shield Hero
Level 21
Weapons: Legendary Shield (Locked),「Otherworldly Ability」(Locked)
Bizarre Otherworldly Clothing
ATK: 26
DEF: 186
MATK: 21
MDEF: 153
DEX: 62
AGI: 90
ACTIVE SKILLS:
Otherworldly Arrow (Locked)
Otherworldly Arrow Lv 2 (Locked)
Bullrush
Tether
Air Strike Shield
PASSIVE SKILLS:
Herbal Enhancement
Good Cook
Demi-Human Growth
Friend of Demi-Humans
Mining Boost
Chopping Boost
Raphtalia
Class: Demi-Human Child
Level 18
Weapons: Short Dagger
Children's Clothing
ATK: 80
DEF: 42
MATK: 60
MDEF: 22
DEX: 43
AGI: 80
ACTIVE SKILLS:
None
PASSIVE SKILLS:
Childlike Charm
Demi-Human Hearing
Rifana
Class: Demi-Human Child
Level 17
Weapon: Short Dagger
Children's Clothing
ATK: 79
DEF: 22
MATK: 19
MDEF: 20
DEX: 78
AGI: 97
ACTIVE SKILLS:
None
PASSIVE SKILLS:
Childlike Charm
Demi-Human Eyesight
Notes:
I did not mean to make this chapter this quickly. I was just too into the grind, ya know? Anyway, Naofumi seems to be learning how to use his stand, maybe we'll see the full thing soon or maybe its ability wink wink nudge nudge ;)
As for bringing back Rifana, that was kind of an improv decision, since I wanted to make my story differentiate from canon while Naofumi still can't fully utilize his stand, and bringing her back is a good way to do it (and I was sad she died ok?)
PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! I want to improve my writing and your reviews help so much with that!
- RandomA99