Review Time:
D3lph0xL0v3r: Thanks! I'll try to keep the quality of the story up as long as I write it! As for Naofumi's stand... that'll come a bit later :)
NarutoisNumber1Ninja: Yeah, I'll admit, the goblin idea came from Goblin Slayer, but I'm so glad you think the fight was good! I was worried it got a bit repetitive.
calderoneric758: Right now, no one but Naofumi. Right now...
SomeCallMeDrunk: Well... maybe? I know like nothing past anime season 1 so I don't know how the companionship series works. I might do research on it and if I think it'll make the story better, I'll add it. But I probably won't since I want to focus on character development and stand growth.
THE GREAT AARON: Thanks man! I hope this chapter is as GREAT as you are AARON.
BlueXtreme: Yes, but it won't come immediately cuz I want to pace the story so it doesn't become just a retelling of the basic story with what is essentially a new character.
coldblue2015: Sorry for the confusion, but Naofumi's stand will not fully appear when he hits lvl 30. It will appear as he grows as the story continues. At lvl 30, he will unlock the skill of the otherworldly shield lvl 1. I might make references to past stands, but none will appear. Also, no, Naofumi is not a Joestar.
Exiled Soul Nomad: I'm glad to hear you enjoy it! When the stand fully reveals itself, I'll post the stand stats along with it. Also... I kinda forgot about his own hair, but it would just be a normal hair shield, not an otherworldly shield. This is because the arrow does not exist at all in the Shield Hero world and as such, it has no name to go associate with it. Hair, as you can tell, does exist in the Shield Hero world, so it would just be a hair shield... as gross as that sounds.
Leafy-tan: The stand will come with time. Also, I'm glad you like the story :)
A Shield's Stand
Chapter Four: Why Must It Be So Complicated?
"So neither of us have asked yet, but we're both really curious as to how you've been attacking and tripping all those monsters, Naofumi," Raphtalia spoke calmly as they ate their dinner.
"Yeah! It's like they're getting hit by a fist that isn't even there!" Rifana speaks excitedly, ignoring her food for the time being.
The three were camped outside of Castle Town, having caught a rumor in Araki Village that the wave would happen soon. Very soon. So, to prepare, the three went back to the place where they all first met to stock up on some potions and get some new weapons. They caught themselves some Usapil rabbits for dinner for the night. It wasn't the tastiest meat they've had, but it was by far the worst thing they've ever eaten while camping in the wilderness.
Naofumi paused as he went to take another bite of rabbit meat, considering how to answer the question. Afterall, it's a little awkward to just say 'I have a ghost hand that only I can see and it listens to what I tell it to do' so another explanation would have to do. He could say it's just something from his old world, but that wouldn't be telling the full truth and he didn't want to lie to them. So he would tell them everything he knew.
"Well, to be entirely honest, I'm not too sure," Naofumi stated truthfully, "From what I've learned so far, it seems to be an ability that I had from my world. But I don't remember too much about that. I don't even remember much about my world at all, much less about who I used to be there," he points to the massive scar on his face, "This is probably the cause of my amnesia. I've seen you two sneaking glances every now and then at it," the two look sheepish at having been found out so easily, "The other heroes had scars like this as well, but they were on other areas of their body. They think these scars are the remains of the injuries that killed us in our old worlds, which means something had to have torn me apart back then."
"What?!" Rifana cried out. "You died to come here?!"
Naofumi said nothing, instead he looked away and nodded solemnly.
"I'm sorry Naofumi, we never meant to upset you with our questions. We just wanted to know a little more about you," Raphtalia apologized to her savior. Rifana turned to Raphtalia, mouth open to argue but one sharp look from Raphtalia was enough to convey the message. "Well, could we know a little more about your ability? Maybe what it does?" She asks softly.
Naofumi gave the two a grateful smile, as much as he wanted to pretend it didn't bother him, the thought that he had died in such a violent and gruesome manner unnerved him greatly, so he accepted the change in topic with ease, "Well, for right now, my ability allows me to summon an arm from nothing, which only I can see and use to attack enemies. It listens to my command and my commands alone, however, I think that there's more to it than just that, since I can see more of its body fade off past the forearm."
Rifana and Raphtalia shared glances, both believing in Naofumi's theory on its origin. Neither had ever seen nor heard of a magic like that, much less seen it used before in their world, so it must have come from another world.
"Do you know what it's called?" Rifana asked, "It would probably be helpful to put a name to your ability so it's easier to summon. Maybe you could even use it like a skill!"
Naofumi thought for a moment, struggling to put his feelings into words. "Well, I'm not sure what it is, but it feels like more than a skill. Maybe something like… a part of… myself? And no, I don't know what it's called, my status magic just calls it「Otherworldly Ability」and it won't say anything else.
Rifana shoots up from her seat on the rock, tail wagging in excitement, "In that case, I know just what to name it!" She plants one foot on the rock and points into the air dramatically, "We shall call it… a Stand!"
Hearing the name struck a chord within Naofumi, something he had never felt before in the weeks since he had been summoned to this world.
"...Stand? Why Stand?" Raphtalia questioned, "It's an arm! How can it stand?!"
"Not like that Raph! It stands beside him in battle to support him, ya know?" Rifana responded.
"But it has no legs! It can't stand at all and we're the ones who stand beside Naofumi in battle, not some ghost arm! And I told you to stop calling me that!" Raphtalia pouted adorably.
Rifana reached down to ruffle Raphtalia's hair, smiling smugly all the while, "Would you rather I call you something else, Raphy? Maybe something like 'Shorty' or 'Short Stack'?"
"You're not that much taller than me!" Raphtalia yelled indignantly trying to reach up to swipe at Rifana, only for Rifana to keep her at bay with a single outstretched hand.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"Then why are you so small?"
"I'm not small!"
Naofumi smiled at the antics of his family. The two had come a long way from being the two dirty children he found in the slaver's tent all those weeks ago. It was nice to see them acting their ages for once instead of the serious adventurers they had to be during quests and battle. He looked off to the sky over Castle Town, the sunset painting the capital in a beautiful light as it receded for the night.
Stand, huh? It feels… right.
Weapon:「Otherworldly Ability」name changed to「Stand」
The message popped up in front of his vision, bringing a soft smile to his face. He closed the message and stood from his seat, walking over to calm down the argument between his two teenagers.
The three adventurers walked through the door of Erhard's shop, greeting the man with bright smiles and happy hellos. The man smiled back at their cheerful greetings. While he would never voice it, he was truly glad that even after everything the three had been through, none of them had lost that childlike spirit they seemed to hold. He just hoped it stayed with them through everything they would go through.
"So!" Erhard called out to the three, "What can I do for you kids?" Raphtalia pouted while Rifana smiled smugly at her behind Naofumi.
"Well, we're just here to see if we can upgrade our weapons and armor at all for the wave. We have 2 gold as a budget, if that helps," Naofumi added as an afterthought.
"Looking between the three of you, I can probably make some custom orders for armor to be more resistant to attacks, both physical and magical. As for the weapons, I might have a few that could suit your needs but most have been bought out for the upcoming wave by other adventurers," He apologized to the three.
"If that's the case," Naofumi spoke, "we should be fine on weapons for now, especially since it wasn't too long ago that we upgraded to them. But if you could modify our clothing, that would be great."
"Yeah! We don't want to look like any old adventurer, everyone should look at us and know we're there to protect them!" Rifana stated proudly, striking a small pose while she did.
Raphtalia sweatdropped while Naofumi chuckled fondly at the weasel girl's antics. While she might have said it a little differently than he would've, Rifana had a point. He didn't just want to save the Melromarcan people, he wanted them to know they were safe as well when he showed up. It would certainly be nicer than being treated as a rapist.
Naofumi and Erhard ignored the little scuffle the two Demi-Humans got into behind Naofumi, "So three custom orders? I can probably have that done by the end of the day since you've brought me so many materials over these last couple weeks, so make sure you drop by for that."
"Thanks Erhard, we just want to be ready for whenever the wave hits. Although I am a little worried about how quickly we'll be able to get there since the waves can appear anywhere. But I'll figure that out a bit later."
Erhard stared in disbelief at the hero before him, "Did no one tell you? In the church, there's the Dragon Hourglass that will tell you whenever the next wave will arrive," Naofumi's jaw dropped at the blacksmith's words, "Based on your reaction, no one did." He sighed, "Jeez, sorry about that kid, I guess I'll be the one to tell ya. At the church, if a hero registers their legendary weapon with the Dragon Hourglass, they'll get some sort of timer that counts down to the next wave and they'll even be teleported to it along with their party when the wave arrives."
Well that solves a lot of my problems then, Naofumi thought to himself.
Naofumi collected himself, shooting the man a grateful smile, "So where can I find the church?"
With a goodbye and a promise to return for the custom orders by the end of the day, Naofumi and his party left the smithy and followed Erhard's direction to the church. It wasn't long before they came to a massive marble building, with massive podiums on it displaying a Spear, Sword, and Bow atop them, with the Shield missing from the collection of weapons. The building towered over any others nearby and through some of its many stained glass windows, Naofumi could see nuns walking throughout the massive building, no doubt completing their holy duties.
Raphtalia was the first to walk toward the imposing building, Naofumi and Rifana following not long after. They entered through the doors of the church, coming to a large lecture hall with marble pillars sprouting from the ground, reaching the high roof of the room. At the head stood the famed Dragon Hourglass, holding four golden corners on its edges and flowing crimson sand inside. It was a shame such an elegant and beautifully crafted piece foretold untold amounts of death and destruction.
"To what do we owe the pleasure, sir Shield Hero?"
The three adventurers focused on the voice in front of them, looking down slightly to see a well dressed nun waiting impatiently for their answer.
"Oh! Sorry. We're here to register my shield with the hourglass so that we can take on the wave when it begins," Naofumi apologizes, Rifana and Raphtalia staying silent behind him. They could all feel the sheer annoyance and dislike the nun radiated towards the two Demi-Humans.
The nun huffed before responding, "Very well, follow me, I'll bring you to the Dragon Hourglass, Shield Hero."
The three said nothing, instead choosing to follow her silently. They stopped before the magnificent hourglass and Naofumi took a few steps up the stairs. On the fourth stair, a beam of green light shot from the hourglass and into the gem of the shield. Along with the beam, a timer for the wave appeared on Naofumi's HUD. Satisfied with the result, he turned to leave, thanking the nun as he passed her for her help.
"Well if it isn't Naofumi!" An arrogant voice sounded through the halls.
Naofumi gave a small flinch in response, before turning to his fellow hero, "Hello Motoyasu, I hope you haven't had too much trouble with your adventures so far. And… hello to you too, Myne."
Motoyasu opened his mouth to respond (probably snarkily) before his eyes flitted behind Naofumi, catching a glimpse of the Demi-Human duo. "Well hellooooo ladies," he took hold of Raphtalia's hand and gave a kiss to the back, "Would you be interested in joining my party? I can offer you protection from the waves and anything else that wishes to harm you."
Rifana looked disgusted at the hero before her while Raphtalia looked visibly distressed by his actions. Naofumi didn't like seeing his family distressed and stepped in to separate the two but before he could, Rifana slapped Motoyasu's hand away from the two of them. Multiple members of Motoyasu's party gasped at the action.
"As if we'd want to be in a party with a douchebag who treats us like nothing more than toys to play with. Besides, we're with Naofumi and he's done more protecting than anyone else on the planet," she spoke brashly.
Motoyasu was stunned, a girl refused him? "Wait, Naofumi?! You're in a party with Naofumi? You're just putting yourself in danger by being with a guy like him! Join up with me so I can save you from that criminal!"
Rifana pretended to think about it, "Mmmmmmm… Nah," she pulled her leg back and delivered a kick to the Spear Hero's very own spear, the man crumpling from the powerful blow.
Naofumi blanched at the scene before him, "Rifana!" He scolded the teen, "You cannot just do that to someone, much less a hero!" He rushed over to help Motoyasu up from the ground.
"You damn Demis! How dare you assault the brave Spear Hero who was only trying to rescue you from the Shield Hero!" Myne screeched as she channeled fire magic through her arms. As she thrust her arms forward to incinerate the disgusting demis before her, an arm latched onto hers and pulled them directly upwards, canceling her spell. Myne bristled in fury, "Who dares to-"
Myne fell silent at the sight before her. Ever since the summoning, the Shield Hero had never once had an expression on his face other than a bright smile (with the exception of the trial) so none could have ever prepared her for the terrifying glare that pierced her very soul that stared her down.
"I know we're not exactly on the best of terms right now, however, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't murder my children in front of me," Naofumi released his grip on her arms, leaning down to her ear to whisper, "If you ever make another attempt on their lives, I will end you without a second thought."
The hero rose from his lean and walked back to his party members. A few words spoken between them and they left to resupply for the wave. As they opened the doors, they came face to face with yet another hero and his party, Itsuki. Itsuki hid a frown upon seeing the face of the criminal he sentenced in the trial those many weeks ago. However, he must deal with it for now. Naofumi was a hero, and the world needed the heroes right now.
"Hello Naofumi, I hope you haven't had too much trouble these past weeks?" Itsuki asked with feigned kindness.
Naofumi responded with another smile towards his fellow hero, "We haven't, actually. Me and my party members have managed to take on a few difficult quests since we signed up for the guild. Most of them have been deliveries or bodyguard requests but we did complete a kill quest about a week ago."
Itsuki's brow shot up. The Shield Hero completing a kill quest? Strange.
"The guild had to pay us extra because the goblin encampment we took down actually held two goblin champions rather than one," Naofumi said with a grimace, "I tried to deny it, but they insisted that they needed to uphold the guild's standards so I didn't really have a choice."
"Naofumi, I understand why you did that, but we really need the money. We can't afford to just refuse it!" Raphtalia spoke up.
As the two began to bicker about what he should've done, the image of a standard goblin filled Itsuki's head. Tiny, helpless minions for far greater foes to use at their whim. Which meant that Naofumi hadn't actually managed to complete any difficult quests.
"Well, I must be on my way now," Itsuki spoke, "The wave is on its way and I would like to prepare in that time," He walked off before Naofumi could respond.
The three stood there, a little stunned at his abrupt departure.
"So two of the heroes are assholes, huh?"
Rifana had seen the actions of the spear and bow hero and from what she had seen, one was a womanizing creep who didn't know how to handle hearing no, and the other was a dismissive, self-absorbed jackass who didn't really care about others. In her eyes, neither of them held even the smallest candle to Naofumi, the man who had not only saved her from death and trained her to who she is now, but also went out of his way to help nearly every person he meets, even when they hate him for simply being the Shield Hero.
Raphtalia sputtered, "Rifana you can't say that about the legendary heroes!" She leaned in to whisper, "Especially not in the church where they're worshipped!"
Rifana looked around the room to see at least five nuns glaring at her even angrier than before. She tapped her pointer fingers together, looking sheepish as she mumbled sorrys. Naofumi sighed and grabbed Rifana by the back of her clothes, dragging her out of the church before they made people even angrier at them.
They took the alleyways as they travelled from shop to shop. While most people would argue that they were in far more danger taking routes that had less eyes to watch out for them, the three of them were experienced adventurers by that point and could handle any petty thugs, especially with Naofumi's ludicrous defensive stats. They restocked on dried meats, smaller tools and equipment and a bunch of other smaller items they needed for their journey. The most important item they restocked on was healing potions, which ate up most of their remaining funds. But, seeing as none of them knew any magic, much less healing magic, it would be best if they didn't have to fetch someone who did to save someone's life during the wave.
By the end of the day, they were completely restocked and only had to pick up their new armors, however, they were interrupted by yet another weapon wielding hero.
"Naofumi," the voice called. Naofumi turned to see that the final remaining hero, Ren, stood before them.
Naofumi didn't want to speak to Ren. Not right now. When he was convicted of his charges, it hurt to see the other two heroes turn against him so dramatically and quickly but nowhere near as much as seeing Ren do the same. Of all the heroes, Ren seemed to be the kindest of the three, making sure he was ok after their first night there and giving him little pointers on the supposed game world they were now in. Naofumi didn't know if Ren still believed they were in a game, but if he did, that mentality would only lead to others getting hurt because of negligence. So he had to speak to him now, figure out what he believed and see if he could change it. Because friends or not, they were all heroes and they had to defend the people before anything else.
"Hello Ren, I… haven't seen you in a while," the 'since the trial' went unspoken between the two.
Ren tried to speak, he really did, but while he had prepared himself for his apology to Naofumi, it was far harder to do it now that they are actually speaking face to face. Imperceivably so, but Ren needed to do this. If he wanted to be a hero, his first step would be making amends with those he's already wronged, Naofumi being first among those.
"It's nice to see you again," he said after a long pause. "I-"
"Ren, do you believe this world is real?" Naofumi asked simply. Rifana and Raphtalia both turned to Naofumi in shock before looking towards Ren for his answer.
"I-It's not like that! I… not anymore," Ren sighed, "Not since you were convicted."
Naofumi wasn't worried about Rifana or Raphtalia hearing about his guilty status. Afterall, almost everyone they've come across has avoided him or called him something along the lines of rapist, devil, or criminal. They had to know by now, and he trusted them wholly.
"I want to apologize, Naofumi. I should've-"
"What? Are you gonna be a prick too?" Rifana is the first to speak of the three of them.
"Rifana!" Raphtalia cried out.
"I don't care if he's some fancy hero, all I see right now is some asshole who stood by while the real hero was thrown to the ground and had his name dragged through every kind of shit! And while Naofumi gets screamed at for being a rapist, you get pampered like some sort of holy bastard! Now, you want to apologize? You didn't earn forgiveness, much less deserve it in the first place."
"I'm sorry, sir hero, but I can't say I don't agree with her," Raphtalia looked the hero in the eyes, "You hurt Naofumi. You betrayed the kindest person I have ever seen and had the pleasure to meet. He saved us from slavery, treated our illnesses, and brought us from the brink of death, all without asking for our help and making sure we never did anything we never wanted to. He didn't even give us slave crests when he bought us! If that doesn't speak of his character, then you must be both deaf and blind!" Tears sprouted from the tanuki's eyes after her passionate speech.
Ren couldn't say anything. The two were right. Ever since he was summoned here, he was pampered and spoiled to the point of arrogance. Even now, he demands something without ever having earned it in the first place. Just like a spoiled child. He hasn't changed in the slightest.
Naofumi pat Raphtalia's head as he pulled her into a hug, calming down the crying tanuki demi-human teen. He looked up, "Ren," he spoke softly, kindness practically filling his every word, "I know you never wanted what happened in the trial. I also know you want to be a hero. A real one," Naofumi smiled a soft smile, "I'll forgive you on one condition."
Ren's brows shot up in shock, tears pricking the edges of his eyes. Why? Why would Naofumi forgive someone like him? Someone who abandoned him at his time of need and never once offered help? Why would he…?
"I want you to be our friend," Naofumi stuck his hand out.
Ren let out a quiet laugh. Of course. This is Naofumi they're talking about. The kindest man Ren has ever met. The greatest hero.
"Of course. Through thick and thin, fire and brimstone, and even hell itself, I'll be there to help you out." He accepted Naofumi's hand, gripping it tightly before Naofumi pulled him into a fierce embrace.
And like that, the dam broke. All the regret he built up over the last several weeks. The frustration from feeling unworthy of his heroic title. The shock from being severed from his home world. The pain from being killed. The agony of leaving his friend behind as he died.
And in that single alleyway, the Sword Hero cried out his heart into the Shield Hero's arms, two Demi-Human teens watching on, the broken bond between them mending in an instant.
Now outfitted with their newly magic enchanted armor/clothing, the three adventurers waited for the wave to count down to its last tick. Only ten minutes remained, and every adventurer and hero knew it, each having prepared best they could for an unknown threat to begin and cause untold destruction even with the presence of the heroes.
Naofumi, Rifana, and Raphtalia all stood by Erhard's shop, away from the other adventurers, seeing as none of them enjoyed his presence in the slightest, the presence of two demi-humans in his party making them even less appealing to the melromarcian adventurers. Rifana was steeling herself, as one of the only people to have survived the first wave and come out to face it once again, she knew how ferocious some of the monsters they would fight would be. Her axe was sharpened, her dagger sheathed on her side, and her furred clothes were infused with magic to ensure the greatest protection they could afford (plus a little more, bless Erhard and his kind soul). Raphtalia was nervously pacing and checking on the supplies they had stocked on, making sure they had absolutely everything they could possibly need for the upcoming battle, only managing to calm down with Rifana's reassurance that they could handle whatever the wave threw at them.
Naofumi just waited patiently. He had no prior experience with the waves, and they had stocked everything they could, prepared the most they could, and trained as much as possible. There was little else to do now but wait.
The timer struck zero, a gong ringing out across the land as the sky turned red and every hero and their parties began to glow before being teleported to the site of the battle. Naofumi closed his eyes from the bright light, briefly feeling weightless before landing once more on his feet. He blinked his eyes to try and adjust his vision. A flare shot up, and Naofumi's heart sank.
Lute needed help.
Without hesitation, Naofumi and his party darted off to the village to protect the people. The other three saw his actions, and while the bow and spear scoffed before heading towards the location of the boss, Ren called out to his party, "I will support the bow and spear heroes in defeating the boss and closing the wave, you will support the Shield Hero in defending that village along with everyone in it."
His party members tried to voice their objections but a single glare from the Sword Hero shut them up quick, as they all reluctantly headed towards the small village.
An armored zombie lifted its axe prepared to end the life of an entire family in a single swing. It brought the chipped axe down but sparks came to life as a two headed dog shield blocked the blow.
"Dog Bite!" Naofumi ordered as the two heads elongated from the shield biting and trapping the zombie in its place. Raphtalia was quick to end the unlife of the trapped monster, severing its head in one clean swipe.
"Raphtalia! Lead the villagers to the mines, we need this place evacuated as quickly as possible! Rifana, sweep the village for anyone who might be trapped or attacked. Send anyone you find to Raphtalia, then join up with me!" The orders were swift, succinct, and to the point. They couldn't afford to waste any time.
"Come on you three! We need to get you out of here!"
Raphtalia knelt down next to the scared family as Rifana darted off to the outskirts of the village, picking off any monster she could as she came across them. Naofumi ran to the center of the village, already spotting several villagers each in danger of getting cut down by either interdimensional wasps or undead soldiers.
"Airstrike Shield! Tether! Shield Prison!" The defensive skills all shot out to their targets as Naofumi rushed to yet another villager. The Tether wrapped up a group of interdimensional wasps, the Airstrike Shield blocked the swing of two undead soldiers, the Shield Prison encompassed a mother and her daughter from some more zombie soldiers, and finally, Naofumi blocked some stings from more wasps.
Naofumi knew he was a fairly lucky man. He had access to an otherworldly power the other heroes didn't seem to show, the fortune to meet Rifana and Raphtalia, the ability to survive several dangerous missions relatively unscathed, and most recently, he managed to acquire yet another defensive skill in his latest shield gathering spree.
Naofumi summoned his stand arm, punching the wasps away from his shield, granting both him and the man he had saved time to retreat. The man ran away, shouting his thanks as he ran. Naofumi looked around him, so far his plan seemed to be working well. All the monsters had their attention solely on him, ignoring any nearby villagers as they evacuated. Now he could hopefully take them all out in one convenient go.
I hope the lord isn't too angry at me for this, Naofumi prayed internally.
He ran to the center of town, the mass of monsters following closely behind, yet not enough to catch up to the Shield Hero's surprising speed. Naofumi grinned widely as he spot the exact thing he needed. In their visits to the town, most of Naofumi's intrigue lent itself to the bell tower that stood in the center of the village. The lord had said it was meant to call for help from the capital, as the bell had been magically enchanted to send its gong to the magic chambers within the Castle Town Castle's magic quarters. No doubt such a bell would be expensive, but if need be, he could pay it back later. Naofumi quickly scaled the tower, commanding his stand to grab a piece of flaming wood from a nearby smoldering house. He reached the top, doing a quick bit of reconnaissance, spotting Rifana watching him from around the corner, knowing not to interfere from his earlier instructions. A little farther out was Raphtalia, completely devoid of any villagers.
Naofumi smiled, Good, they got everyone out. That means we can go all out!
The tower, whose structure was already compromised from the attack and the surrounding flames, was groaning under the weight of the monsters piling on it. And since all the monsters were converging from a single direction…
The tower'll fall right on 'em.
Naofumi felt the final support snap, the tower beginning to collapse on the monsters, and he threw the flaming torch to the floor, setting the tower ablaze. He jumped from the tower, using his stand to lessen his descending acceleration. "Airstrike Shield!"
The familiar translucent shield appeared beneath him, and with his stand supporting him, he landed relatively softly compared to what would've happened if he just took the free fall.
"Naofumi! The monsters on the outskirts have been taken care of and I helped a couple people out! Pretty good if I do say so myself," she spoke with a confident smirk which quickly disappeared as Naofumi chuckled and gave her a quick head pat.
"Naofumi!" Raphtalia ran up to the two. She stopped as she saw the pile of burning monsters in the center of town, "woah…" she whispered. Raphtalia shook her head, ignoring the sight of the cunning of the hero she followed, "All the villagers have been evacuated. We did it."
The three smiled at one another before Rifana spot something from the corner of her eye, "Fireball!"
The Shield Hero was quick to turn, spotting the incoming fireball. He threw his hands forward, "Shield Prison!"
The ball of shields encased the massive fireball in the air, the cracks between it glowing brightly as the fireball exploded within it.
"Damn Shield!" A voice called from the gate of Lute. A royal knight strolled up to them, and despite his regal royal armor, it failed to add to his deplorable demeanor. "You stopped the attack that would've wiped out all these damn freaks! Are you a traitor to the Melromarcian throne! I'll have your head for this!"
The knight unsheathed his sword, swinging it haphazardly toward the cardinal hero. A loud clang rang out, as the sword met both sword and axe. The knight attempted to overpower the two demis that blocked him from cutting down the corrupt hero, however, he found that the two weapons he pushed against failed to even budge the slightest amount. He looked away from the hero and met the most harrowing glares from the teenage demis, each looking ready to shred him to unidentifiable bits before setting them all ablaze if their hero even so hinted towards the desire for them to do so. The knight could be mistaken for a ghost very easily.
"Take a good look around you, sir knight," Raphtalia ground out, "There are no monsters gathered in the village, because we took care of them and evacuated the citizens." The raccoon leaned forward, "But you wouldn't know that would you?"
Rifana joined in the impromptu interrogation, "You didn't even send a scout ahead, you just tried to torch the whole village, people and all. You disgust me," venom dripped from her voice.
The scarred hero stepped between them, forcing the weapons to disengage. "We can discuss their conduct later. Right now, we still have a wave to deal with." The hero's point was only accentuated by the sound of a roar coming from the location of the three heroes and the boss monster. "Now, while all of the town has already been evacuated, we could still use your help preventing as much damage as possible, so I need your men to get into formation to deal with some of the stronger monsters if you could."
The royal knight scoffed, "As if us valiant knights would support criminal scum like yourself. C'mon men! Let's go support the real heroes instead!" He turned on his hell, marching out of the town and towards the sound of the roar.
Naofumi just sighed at the man's actions. He was hoping such trivial matters could be ignored in the face of a literal world ending event, but he can't have everything he wants. However, his expression brightened as several of the knight's squad clashed their sword and shield together, proclaiming their support for the Shield Hero.
He watched as the knight's grouped together, charging off to take on some newly spawned monsters, "Thank you…" Naofumi whispers. "Alright, Raphtalia, Rifana, usual formation. Let's go.
"Right!" "You got it Naofumi!"
The rest of the wave was far easier since the town had already been evacuated, he had some of the knight's support, and Rifana and Raphtalia had rejoined up with him to help him take care of the interdimensional monsters. There were a few minor injuries, but it wasn't anything that their copious amounts of health potions couldn't solve.
Before they knew it, a final roar sounded across the forest and the tears in the sky stitched up, closing off and ending the wave. After a final roundup to take care of any remaining monsters, Naofumi and his party stayed behind to administer first aid to the villagers with their potions, and help wherever they could. As the villagers returned, they were stunned by the condition their town was in. They were positive that when they returned, nothing but rubble would be left. Instead, thanks to Rifana's Demi-Human sight, and Naofumi's quick use of his skill, the town had largely avoided major damage. The worst being the collapsed belltower in the center, which Naofumi apologized profusely for, much to the Lord's amusement.
Naofumi's apology was interrupted by the Lord's boisterous laugh, "If you think you owe us any kind of debt, you'd be wrong, Sir Shield Hero. If anything, were the ones indebted to you, and heavily at that." The Lord gestured to the buildings surrounding them, "Without you, our town would've been reduced to nothing but rubble, just like Lurorona was in the first wave," Raphtalia and Rifana flinch from behind Naofumi. Something he would remember for later. "You even gave us our mine back simply because you saw we were struggling!" The Lord's words took on a somber yet grateful tone, "And while we didn't escape without any casualties, we still have so much to thank you for. So many people here survived because you came to their aid," the Lord bowed before him, "And I can't thank you enough for that."
Naofumi smiled at the Lord's words. As much as he wanted to deflect the kind words and say it was 'the right thing to do', Naofumi would admit that the words did feel nice to hear.
Raphtalia spoke up, her soft smile lighting up her face, "We're just glad we were able to make it here in time."
"Hey Naofumi," Ren's voice sounded from his right, "Did my party help out with protecting the town? I thought it would be best if I sent them to aid you and took down the boss monster as the hero with the highest attack stat."
"Your party?" Naofumi said confusedly, "I didn't see anyone from your party show up, and I went around the entire town at least four times."
Ren cursed to himself, thinking to himself for a moment, "I don't think we can trust the party members the king gave to us anymore. If they were really here to help fight the waves, they would've listened to my orders. Instead, I think they were given to us to keep watch over us." Naofumi nodded along with Ren's conclusion. As much as he hated to admit it, it made too much sense, especially when considering the king and his quick actions in demonizing the Shield Hero. One of the four supposedly said to be the only ones able to combat the waves. "Next time I see them, I'm removing them from my party and finding some on my own."
Naofumi responded to the declaration, "Well, if you need party members, may I make a recommendation?" Ren perked up at the sudden question, but he would trust Naofumi, nodding in response. "Well, I actually found Rifana and Raphtalia in a slaver's tent," the two nodding happily along with his words, "Of course, they're not actually my slaves, but not only would you get a trustworthy partner, you can save someone from dying in a dirty cage. It might take a little work to get them up to speed, but as you can see behind me, it is entirely worth the investment." Rifana and Raphtalia beamed at the praise heaped on them.
"Very well, I'll listen to you, but only because I trust you Naofumi. I don't like the idea of buying slaves, and I don't think Motoyasu or Itsuki will either, but I'll try to smooth things over if anything happens. Alright?" Naofumi nodded in thanks.
One of the knights who had supported him during the wave walked up to them, nervously tapping on the Shield Hero's shoulder.
"Uhm… Sir Heroes, the king has invited you both to the post-wave party in the castle tonight. He would like to reward you for your efforts in the wave," the young knight nervously said.
Ren and Naofumi glanced between each other before Naofumi turned to Raphtalia and Rifana, "Would you two like to go to the party? We don't have to if you don't want to, it's entirely your decision."
"Well, to be honest, I don't really mind, it might even be fun!" Raphtalia spoke with sparkles in her eyes.
"That and we kinda need the money," and a blunt statement from Rifana was all it needed to start yet another argument between the two teenage Demi-Humans. Naofumi sighed as Ren chuckled at the party's antics.
Needle Shield
ATK: +1
DEF: +1
Use of this shield will not make enemies explode after multiple attacks
Grass Shield
DEF: +1
Delicious enough to motivate a certain deer to murder
Pipe Shield
DEF: +1
MDEF: +1
Skill [ Shield Prison ] Unlocked
Makeshift bong: acquired
Weed Shield:
DEF: +1
Leave your village for a day or two and these things get everywhere
Broken Sword Shield
DEF: +1
At least it isn't talking
Snapped Bow Shield
AGI: +1
Oh look! It almost went in the direction you aimed!
Fishing Rod Shield
DEF: +1
Skill [ Fishing Proficiency ] Unlocked
People always sing about drunken sailors, but why not drunken fishermen?
Interdimensional Wasp Shield
DEF: +1
A wasp just a little more dangerous than a yellow jacket
Interdimensional Zombie Shield
DEF: +1
It only takes them like thirty seconds to eat a single walnut
Chimera Goat Shield
DEF: +2
MDEF: +1
DEX: +1
Did you know the screaming goat video was edited?
Chimera Lion Shield
DEF: +4
DEX: +1
Skill [ Lion's Roar ] Unlocked
Compared to the actual thing, your roar is like a tiny kitten. How cute.
Chimera Viper Shield
DEF: +1
MDEF: +2
DEX: +1
Poison and venom are interchangeable… right?
Naofumi Iwatani
Class: Shield Hero
Level 28
Legendary Shield (Locked),「Stand」(Locked)
Bizarre Otherworldly Clothing
ATK: 36
DEF: 256
MATK: 28
MDEF: 193
DEX: 79
AGI: 114
ACTIVE SKILLS:
Otherworldly Arrow (Locked)
Otherworldly Arrow Lv 2 (Locked)
Bullrush
Tether
Air Strike Shield
Dog Bite
Shield Prison
Lion's Roar
PASSIVE SKILLS:
Herbal Enhancement
Good Cook
Demi-Human Growth
Friend of Demi-Humans
Mining Boost
Chopping Boost
Fire Resistance [ Small ]
Fishing Proficiency
Raphtalia
Class: Demi-Human Child
Level 26
Steel Sword
Swordswoman's Dress
ATK: 112
DEF: 58
MATK: 84
MDEF: 30
DEX: 59
AGI: 112
ACTIVE SKILLS:
None
PASSIVE SKILLS:
Demi-Human Hearing
Undying Loyalty
Rifana
Class: Demi-Human Child
Level 26
Steel Dagger, Steel Axe
Short Furred Covering
ATK: 115
DEF: 31
MATK: 28
MDEF: 29
DEX: 114
AGI: 142
ACTIVE SKILLS:
None
PASSIVE SKILLS:
Demi-Human Eyesight
Undying Loyalty
Notes:
I have returned with another chapter :)
I'm going to try for a weekly upload since college has me pretty busy most of the time so I might be a little inconsistent. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! My little Naofumi is making some friends! I'm so proud!
Also sorry about the stat sheet, its really weird for some reason and I can't figure out how to fix it.
PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! I WANT TO IMPROVE MY WRITING AND YOUR REVIEWS HELP WITH THAT!
- RandomA99