Reviews:
Doobie Wah: Well, I think you'll like this chapter then :)
Have a Little Feith: Still have no idea why the stats were like that last chapter, but it didn't happen this time. Also, I don't post from mobile. I'm not a degenerate (Joke)
SomeCallMeDrunk: Firstly, thanks for the compliments on the chapter. Secondly, I don't know how I'll handle the companion shield series and stuff like that since, I've only currently planned up to this chapter. But I'll say this now, even though I put the stats there and make reference to them every so often, the numbers wont really matter all too much in the story I hope to tell. And for that far in the future, I don't know if I'll even write this story that far into the series. I've already said that I haven't read the LN/Manga and I've only watched the anime so I would have no idea what to do about that. But, if this story lasts that long, then we'll get there when we get there.
NarutoisNumber1Ninja: Well here's what happens (breathes in)-
calderoneric758: I genuinely don't know, but I have a couple of funny ideas. Also, I would kill to see an official Darude Sandstorm Stand.
Exiled Soul Nomad: I guess he is like Johnathan, isn't he? Oops.
D3lph0xL0v3r: I thought that Lute was always the loser from the wave, and I've never seen someone try to alter that, so now its safe. Also, If someone were to make fanart of my stand and Naofumi, I would be shocked. I doubt people like this story enough to draw fanart for it.
Guest: :)
Azure-Star Dragon: Really? I didn't know that. Welp, gotta think of a funny joke/reference for that now.
Victor John Foxfire: The grass shield is actually a reference to Infinity Train, which a user on Ao3 got right, but I haven't actually seen Beastars. I've been told its a good show but I just haven't watched it yet. Also, no. No DIO. He is way too overused in both canon and fanfiction stories.
Neon Starch: :)
Death Lantern: At the time, he didn't know the shield could do that (sorry thats an excuse. I just kinda forgot). Also, I realized I levelled them up wayyyyyy too fast so now, its my own headcanon that you can't level up during waves. Sure. Let's go with that (Sorry, that was my bad).
asukihatashi: Firstly, I love your own RotSH story. It's written pretty well and the ideas you put in are really neat! Secondly, so many paths. What will I choose? :)
JtBlack-Hawk3198: Thanks man! I really appreciate the compliment :)
coldblue2015: I respond to every review, none left out to me, good sir! Anyway, that otherworlder shield is a neat idea, I just won't be using it here since I already have an idea for where the story will go. As for Raphtalia/Rifana being a love interest, probably not since (at least to me) they're ten years old, and I don't really write those kinds of stories (unless its for comedic portions). And Finally, yes, Naofumi was part of a JoJo crew, but its up to you to figure out which one. I'll be dropping hints starting next chapter.
Echo: It is. The needle shield was hard to think of a reference for, I'll be honest.
A Shield's Stand
Chapter 5: Partying is Overrated
The wave had ended, and to Naofumi and his party's surprise, it was far easier than any of them had expected it to be. Sure, they may have had to employ some questionable tactics and had some help from some of the royal knights, but for the most part, they had largely ended the encounter with the world ending event incredibly successful. They had managed to completely minimize casualties of the wave to less than a dozen and they had largely spared the town from total destruction by manner of royal interference.
Still, casualties still existed and the three of them split off to pay respects to the fallen and make amends with the families for being unable to protect them like they had everyone else. None of the families truly held it against them, as they understood that the three had done all they could, and without their assistance, it was likely they would have died as well.
It was only after the Lord of Lute practically forced Naofumi through the gates that he left to attend the fancy schmancy party held in the capital as a celebration for a successful wave.
All in all, the party really wasn't anything too exciting. It was mostly stuffy nobles trying to get within the good graces of the other heroes. Motoyasu and Itsuki both readily accepted the heaps of praise thrown on them, but Ren actually left the party rather early to deal with the issue of his corrupt party members.
During the wave, he had ordered them to aid in defending the village, yet they never showed themselves anywhere even remotely close to the area. They had failed the test he set for them. Ren knew that Naofumi could defend the village all by his lonesome, he trusted him, but he wanted to see if he could also trust his party members. Evidently, he could not.
"Raph! Fumi! They have so much delicious food here!" Rifana spoke excitedly as she dug into what had to be her fourth plate. It was always nice to know that even though she was physically that of a teen, she acted like the child Naofumi knew her to be every so often. Raphtalia also showed her more childish side, but nowhere near as often as Rifana.
"Rifana! Don't speak with your mouth full like that! You're disgracing Naofumi in front of the nobles!" Raphtalia leaned in to whisper, "And I told you not to call me that in public! It's embarrassing!"
"What? Who cares what these nobles think?" Rifana asked, "I definitely don't."
Naofumi sweatdropped at the bold declaration of the weasel Demi-Human, chuckling at the antics of his family. These moments, where they could just have fun with each other, unbothered by anyone else, it's what he loved so much about Rifana and Raphtalia. He really didn't know what he would do without them.
"Naofumi, have you had some already?" Raphtalia gave up on scolding her best friend/sister, instead choosing to have an actual conversation with someone who wasn't ill-mannered.
"Yes, I have. Don't worry about me, I've had my fill," Naofumi stated happily. Some of the food they had prepared for the heroes, while not as good as some of the stuff he had managed to cook out in the wild, it was really good by this world's standards. So, even if they didn't get the reward the heroes were supposedly supposed to receive, he could say he had fun anyway.
"What do you think is the best thing here?" Raphtalia asked curiously. She wanted to know more about the man who had saved them, no matter how trivial the fact was.
Naofumi thought it over, "If I had to choose, I'd probably say I liked the-"
"The fish is so good! But nothing could ever compare to your cookin' Fumi!" Rifana butt into their conversation, cutting off Naofumi in the process.
"Rifana!" Raphtalia whined, "I was gonna know more about Naofumi! You jerk!" Playful punches rained down on Rifana's side.
Naofumi smiled at the two. He loved them so much.
A white glove fell onto the center of the table. Naofumi traced the path the glove had followed, seeing Motoyasu standing before them, a furious look displayed on his face. The entire room had gone silent, even the nobles surrounding the King had quieted at the sudden challenge.
"Time to fight."
Most people, in most worlds, would see the act and instantly understand the intentions behind the action. This is why the nobles had instantly focused in on the soon to be scuffle between the legendary heroes, already gossiping about who they believed to be the winner. However, for amnesia riddled Naofumi, he failed to fully understand the gesture, picking up the glove and politely returning it to Motoyasu whose scowl deepened in reaction.
"If you wanted to spar, Motoyasu, I would love to after the celebration, as you can see, us three are having a great time." Naofumi's words only served to further anger the Spear Hero.
Raphtalia urgently tugged on Naofumi's sleeve, whispering in his ear, "Naofumi, that's not asking for a spar, that's the challenge of a duel."
Naofumi's eyes widened as he turned back to Motoyasu. He knew that the Spear Hero hadn't liked him since the trial, likely even less so when Rifana delivered a crippling blow to him in the church prior to the wave, but to challenge him to a duel in front of the King himself? What brought this level of fury on?
Naofumi carefully planned his response, "I'm very sorry Motoyasu, but I'm afraid I will have to deny your challenge. The wave has just ended and I would like to rest for the night so that us three could continue to travel when the morning arrives. If you would like to duel at a later date, I would also have to decline, as I believe such methods of infighting will only serve to endanger the world. However, if you would like to spar in the future, then I will by all means accept your challenge."
Sending the Spear Hero a blinding smile, Naofumi silently signaled behind him, Rifana and Raphtalia quickly collecting their weapons and other items. If Motoyasu listened to him, accepting his denial, then they would have no need for drastic action. But if he didn't, then they would have to run like their lives depended on it, because they just might.
Motoyasu sputtered, caught off guard by the denial. He had always seen duels to be undeniable battles of honor between two foes. He had never known that someone could just… deny one like that! That is, if Naofumi wasn't lying about this too.
"Like hell!" Motoyasu shouted, pulling his spear and forcing it against Naofumi. Rifana and Raphtalia unsheathed their weapons, levying them at Motoyasu, daring him to even poke the Shield Hero. "You're going to accept the duel so I can free the two women you've enslaved!"
Rifana, Raphtalia, and Naofumi shared confused looks. Did he not know they weren't enslaved?
"Umm… Sir Spear Hero," Motoyasu's vision centered on Raphtalia, "We haven't actually been enslaved by Naofumi. He never even applied the slave crest to us when he bought us."
Despite her words contradicting Motoyasu's accusations entirely, the words only served to anger him further. "You bastard! You did enslave them! What else have you done to them?"
"Hey, idiot!" Rifana spoke out, "If you want to know what he did to us, then I'll tell you. He saved us from death, fed us when we were starving, cured our illnesses, and taught us to fight for ourselves," she smirked at the dumbfounded look on the Hero's face, "How's that for slavery?"
"You poor things!" A devilish voice appeared behind Motoyasu as Myne stepped into the argument, "You can't even tell us what that horrid Shield Demon has done to you because of your slave seals! You can't help but defend him!" She smirked evilly, Motoyasu unable to see it, "Don't you worry, the Spear Hero will free you from your curse."
The pieces connected in Motoyasu's head (not well, he kinda forced them together), Naofumi had enslaved these two and now they can't defy him! The bastard!
"That's not-" Naofumi sighed, "Look, I really don't want to enter this duel, you could get hurt, and there's no way in hell I'm losing my family."
The nobles in the room burst into laughter. Not only did the Shield Hero believe he could honestly defeat the Spear Hero in a duel, he also thought the Demi-Human mongrels he brought with him were his family! How pathetic.
"You're afraid of hurting me?" Motoyasu questioned, a smirk appeared on his face, "Alright, I see how it is, you're trying to intimidate me, but it's not going to work! Y'know what Naofumi?" He lowered the spear and spread his arms open, leaving himself completely open. "I'll even let you get a free punch in right now, just to show you how weak you are compared to an awesome hero like me."
Naofumi glanced towards the King. It was unlikely that he would be allowed to refuse the duel, even if he walked away, he doubted that Motoyasu or the King would just let him leave. He sighed. Naofumi was normally a really nice guy, with virtually no temper to speak of. But even for him, these people were just starting to irritate him. He turned to face Rifana and Raphtalia, unspoken words passing between them.
'Get ready to run'
Naofumi faced the Spear Hero, whose arms were still wide open, awaiting the supposedly weak punch from the pathetic Shield Hero, a confident grin adorning his face. Naofumi took a deep breath, entered a stance, pulled his arm back, and punched.
What happened next would shake the very foundations of belief the entire room of people followed. Motoyasu cried out in pain as he was sent flying through the hall, stopping an incredible 10 meters away. The nobles, the King, the princess, and the bow hero, froze at the events before them. The three offensive heroes were powerful, they were gods. The Shield Hero was weak, he was the devil. So to see the Spear Hero get blasted off his feet by the Shield Hero's blow, crashing through two tables before landing on top of a guard, none of them were able to comprehend it.
Using their shock to his advantage, Naofumi entered a sprint for the chamber doors of the celebration hall, Rifana and Raphtalia following behind him. They had nearly exited the room when their path was blocked by an entire castle's worth of guards.
"SHIELD!" The King roared. "You dare injure the holy Spear Hero inside of my own castle halls?! You will be severely punished for this, you scoundrel!"
The Shield Hero's party readied themselves for a brawl. They did not expect their night to end up like this.
It was then that Ren decided to make his appearance known, entering through one of the many side doors of the hall, freezing when he saw Itsuki in shock, Motoyasu unconscious on the ground, and Naofumi completely surrounded by guards.
"What the hell happened here?!" Ren shouted, much of the room recovering from their shock at the familiar voice of the Sword Hero.
"Ren!" Itsuki called out, "Thank goodness you're here! Motoyasu was trying to free Naofumi's slaves but Naofumi laid him out flat with a single punch! He's cheating Ren, he's cheating!" His face was red with anger and embarrassment at being so easily shown up in front of the room of nobles.
"Disengage from the Shield Hero!" Aultcray's voice resounded through the mighty hall, every person turning to look at the old king in confusion.
"In the Spear Hero's place, the Sword Hero shall duel the Shield Hero!"
Standing within the prep room of the dueling grounds, Naofumi tried to think of a way out of this situation. He racked his brain till it hurt, desperately trying to escape the situation he had once again found himself in. Unfortunately, no matter what, the only way out was through the duel. Naofumi, Rifana, and Raphtalia were completely surrounded by powerful knights, the King, and several Church members he had seen inside of the celebration hall, they didn't know the layout of the massive castle, and to make it worse, Rifana and Raphtalia, while they had avoided being bound and gagged, were under heavy watch in the King's own private watching quarters for the duel.
There was only a single option, trust Ren to lose the duel.
The duel was called forth, both Ren and Naofumi exiting from their prep rooms. Naofumi looked calm while Ren had a deeply conflicted expression on his face.
I have to fight Naofumi?! What the hell am I going to do? I can't win or else I'll break the three up! But I can't take it easy on him, the king will punish him for it! Shit!
The two legendary heroes approached one another, Naofumi still maintaining his calm disposition with Ren's visible anxiety only worsening as time passed. Naofumi flashed Ren a quick smile, small enough that no one but Ren had managed to notice it had ever existed in the first place. The tiniest of gestures, no matter how inconsequential it may seem, held such a monumental impact on the panicking hero. Ren steeled himself, no matter what, he would have to fight for Naofumi, even if that got him in trouble with the King.
"Now begins the duel between the Sword Hero and the Shield Hero," the King gestures across from him, "As this duel is under the watchful eye of both myself and the Pope of the Three Heroes Church, this duel is thus legitimate and official. The two combatants may now begin!"
Naofumi quickly dashed back, putting significant space between himself and Ren, raising his shield as he did so. Ren entered a stance, focusing on the target in front of him. The two stood stock still, each evaluating the other as they waited for the first move of the battle. The crowd of nobles watched in anticipation with Itsuki watching Naofumi hatefully for his supposed cheating. Motoyasu, since he was unconscious, was unable to watch the fight between the two.
Without warning, Ren dashed forward, his incredible speed making him difficult to track for most spectators. A slash on the right, a thrust on the left, an overhead swing and a low sweep, all were blocked by the unmoving wall that was the Shield Hero. Ren darted around the stationary Naofumi, throwing attacks at every opening he spotted, only to have his attacks completely blocked by the legendary shield Naofumi wielded.
Naofumi's shield flashed green, the iconic sign of the legendary weapon changing forms, and Ren dashed back, putting space between the two yet again. Neither took any sort of damage from the encounter and neither had used any sort of resources.
"Hey Ren!" Naofumi called out to his opponent, "Those were some nice attacks, but I think it's time we got serious here!"
While most in the crowd heard the words and got prepared for more exciting interactions between the two legendary heroes. However, to Ren and a select few others, the message was clear.
You're worried about the King calling out our weak attacks and using it to as an admission of surrender, Ren thought in worry, I can't afford to go all out on you, but I'll do enough to make it look genuine.
"If that's what you want Naofumi, then make sure you don't regret it later when you're covered in wounds!"
Ren dashed forward, the sword's gem glowing bright blue as he summoned the energy for the attack.
"Hundred Slashes!"
"Shield Prison!"
Ren disappeared from view as Naofumi was encased in a ball of shields. Visible distortions in the air and the sparks emanating from the shield was the only indicator that any sort of battle was progressing.
Inside the skill, Naofumi smiled in worry. He needed Ren to go all out, or else he risked losing his family, but he didn't know if he could compete with Ren at maximum power by himself. He had nearly no means of attack, and he wanted to keep his stand a secret from the royalty as long as possible. Feeling the slashes on the ball come to an end, Naofumi lowered the skill, emerging to see the ground surrounding him covered in large gashes, and Ren standing in the center of the arena.
If I can't attack directly...
"It's gonna take more than that to get in on me, Ren!" Naofumi taunted, changing to his Goblin Champion Shield. "So, if you can't reach me, why don't I come to you?"
I'll have to get a little creative.
"Bullrush!" Naofumi was jolted forward by the skill, becoming the equivalent of a human bullet.
Alarmed by the sudden approach by his adversary, Ren quickly entered a sloppy stance, however, Naofumi's brave rush ended up being nothing more than a bait as Naofumi ground his heels into the ground, jumping off to the side, abruptly changing his momentum entirely. Within a moment, Naofumi was behind Ren as he rushed to follow the incredibly quick movements.
Naofumi took the opening, swinging his shielded arm forward, crashing into Ren and clotheslining him. He followed up with a leg sweep, completely upending Ren. Naofumi slid under the airborne hero.
"Airstrike Shield!"
The skill manifested between the two, Ren landing on top and Naofumi forcing his legs against the underside. Naofumi pushed off the shield, sending it and the hero on the top flying high into the air, using his momentum from the kick, Naofumi turned himself around, landing on his feet and aiming his shielded arm once more at Ren.
"Release! Tether!"
The Airstrike Shield faded away leaving Ren flailing in the air, completely helpless as panic as the sudden turn of events overwhelmed him. Rope wrapped around him, Naofumi grabbing a piece to use as a focal point, yanking the hero straight towards the ground.
Ren forced himself to calm down, his rational thoughts screaming his panicking body to escape the situation.
"Crescent Slash!"
Ren sliced his way through the rope that bound him, aiming his slash at the ground, the skill giving him a boost up, cancelling his crash course to the ground and allowing him to land on his feet. He reached up to rub his chin. Despite having dealt little damage to his health, the clothesline still hurt like hell. The nobles along the stands were all cheering for the Sword Hero's gracious recovery while Rifana shouted her support for Naofumi, Raphtalia desperately trying to quiet her down before the guards got fed up with her.
"Geez Naofumi, you are one hell of a crafty bastard," Ren spoke amongst the roaring crowd of the dueling grounds.
"Well, when you can't attack with your own body, you find ways to work around it," Naofumi responded cheekily.
"You got any other tricks in that shield I should know about?"
"Ren, I am all tricks, all the time."
"Dog Bite!"
Two dog heads shot forward from his shield, only for them to be cut down by Ren's sword. Unluckily for Ren, it proved to be another distraction for Naofumi to get in close, attempting to box the hero and stun him like he had before. Ren narrowly avoided several punches before a right jab struck him in the kidney. Naofumi swung around him and kicked out his leg, forcing Ren's body to collapse before using his fall to toss Ren over his shoulder into the corner of the dueling grounds.
Ren recovered quickly, holding his sword at his side as Naofumi ran towards him without fear. The sword glowed red as it charged. Ren didn't know if Naofumi's defenses were able to tank his strongest attack, but it would surely convince the King of his efforts to triumph over Naofumi. He just had to have faith in Naofumi.
"Chaos Slash!"
Ren slashed in front of him, a beam of red energy shooting from the sword. Naofumi narrowly blocked in time, but the sheer power of the move proved to be too much and he was flung back across the arena, crashing harshly into the ground. Ren winced as Naofumi struggled to stand on his feet, his health having been cut down by a quarter from the single overpowering blow.
Naofumi gasped in air. Even having blocked the skill, he was sent flying away off his feet. Just how far behind was he? No matter how far behind he was, he couldn't allow himself to lose. No matter how weak he was, he wouldn't lose Rifana or Raphtalia to a country that hates him for existing. He won't lose his family so easily. So he filled his lungs with the air he had lost, and struggled to his feet. He rested his hands on his knees, breathing heavily before looking up to Ren.
"Y'know, I thought I had been doing pretty well for not being able to attack," Naofumi's smile turned frustrated as he spoke between gasps, "Turns out, it wasn't enough." He rose to his full height and prepared himself. Well, if he was gonna reveal himself, he might as well do it dramatically to make it a show. "I had hoped to keep this as a sort of trump card since I seem to be the only one to have it, but I suppose I'll have to reveal it right here and now."
Naofumi struck a bizarre pose, placing one leg in front of the other, leaning back, throwing his arms over his shoulder and crossing them behind his back, much to the confusion of the audience and Ren.
"Phantom Grasp!"
He threw his left arm out, pointing it towards Ren, summoning out the stand hand he had grown used to having at his disposal. While compared to Rifana and Raphtalia, it's power was somewhat lacking, the facts that only he could see it and that it gave him an actual means to attack more than made up for its shortcomings.
Ren readied his sword, looking for any indication of an attack, yet nothing ever showed itself. He looked back to Naofumi, questioning, "Is this supposed to psyche me out or somethi-"
His words were cut off as a powerful force was felt around his neck, cutting off his oxygen supply. He dropped his sword, grasping at the force that refused to release him. The crowd gasped as the Sword Hero began to claw at his own neck. No one knew what had transpired. The unseen stand arm lifted up, forcing Ren off his feet and into the very air. Ren's feet flailed as they tried to find stable footing to support him.
"Ren!" Naofumi called attention away from the now floating Hero, "Do you submit to my strength?"
Ren frantically nodded his head at the question, desperate for air. He was quickly dropped to the ground as Naofumi dispelled his stand and rushed up to the hero, checking him over for any remaining injuries.
"I'm sorry I had to resort to that, but you were too strong," Naofumi whispered to Ren, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine enough," Ren spoke in a raspy voice. Naofumi winced, he might have gripped too tightly. "Naofumi… what was that?"
Naofumi shook his head, "I'll tell you later, right now, I need to get Rifana and Raphtalia out of here. I'll need your help to do it."
"Of course." A quick response. Naofumi loved having friends in this world.
The King was dumbfounded. The Shield Hero had just forced the Sword Hero to surrender using a skill no other hero had ever wielded before. As the shield huddled around the sword, he gripped his fists tightly, slamming them down on his throne in frustration as the disgusting weasel demi-human taunted him.
"I told you that Naofumi would never lose!" She spoke with deep pride, "Eat that you old bag! Our Shield Hero is better than your Sword Hero!"
About ten other insults shot past his ears before he roared in anger, "Silence, you filthy Demi!" Aultcray stood from his throne, forcing his face to the weasel's. "I won't allow you to tarnish the holy hero's name any further!"
Rifana pushed back and to the king's own surprise, managed to force him back somewhat, "What? Scared he'll beat your other two pretty boys as well?"
"Rifana!" The two snapped towards the raccoon demi-human, who looked livid at the weasel, "You need to be quiet." She commanded forcefully.
"But-"
"Now."
"Yes ma'am."
"Hey King! The duel is over!" A familiar grating voice reached Aultcray's ears, reminding him of his surroundings as he straightened out his royal robe and walked back to the viewing window to make his decree. He looked out to the Shield Hero. Beside him, bowing before him, was the Sword Hero.
As he stood before his subjects, he cursed to himself. Had it been a pin or a knockdown, then he could have twisted it in the Sword Hero's favor and forced the nobles to be quiet. But with the Hero himself agreeing to surrender, and him bowing before the Damned Shield, he could do nothing to alter the situation to his advantage.
"By virtue of surrender," his voice sweeps across the dueling grounds, "The Shield Hero has won the duel!" The nobles whispered among each other at the shocking news. "As agreed, he will retain ownership of his slaves and will be set free to once more roam the lands."
Finished with his decree, the king scoffed at the Shield Hero before turning away to leave the dueling grounds, his guards following behind him. The pope merely shook his head in disappointment before leaving as well.
Itsuki was the last to leave of all those in the stands, body shaking with rage at the display of an unknown skill that only Naofumi had.
He… He cheated! How dare he cheat! How dare he take away the spotlight! I worked so hard to get to where I am and he just steals it like it means nothing?! He's just like them! I won't go back to being the same weak kid I was! It'll be different! I'll be different! I'll be better… I'll kill him! I'll kill him before he can kill me! I'll show him what it means to be a hero of justice!
[ Pride Bow Conditions Met ]
Rifana and Raphtalia jumped from the viewing area and down into the dueling grounds, Rifana gushing over Naofumi's kickassery while Raphtalia apologized profusely for getting caught in the first place. They then picked Ren up and took him to the closest inn, renting a private room for the four of them.
Rifana was the first to speak, "So Mr. Bigshot, where's your party members?" Raphtalia swat Rifana in the arm for her lack of tact. Rifana hissed lightly in response.
Ren's expression turned sour, as if he had eaten a bitter fruit having expected a sweet bite, "I removed them from my party. None of them were interested in actually fighting the waves. They just wanted to be in a hero's party." Ren sighed, "I gave them one more chance. I told them to support you in Lute and they never even showed up."
One look at Ren's dejected slump was enough to cut off teasing. Naofumi patted his back kindly, "It's alright, that just means they won't get in the way of making some real friends, right?"
"Yeah, I guess you've got a point there," Ren mumbled to himself. A deep breath, and Ren straightened his posture, turning quickly towards Naofumi, "But that's not important right now, are you going to tell me what the hell that thing you did in the duel was?"
The mysterious ability Naofumi displayed was nothing like any sort of shielder class he had ever seen. While he had dropped his misguided ideas of the world being a video game, it didn't mean he couldn't draw the obvious comparisons between the two. And in those games, shielders didn't have such an ability. They just didn't.
"Ah, yeah… that," Naofumi sheepishly scratched the back of his head, "To tell the honest truth, we don't fully know."
Ren raised a brow at this, "You don't know?"
Raphtalia piped up for the first time in the conversation, "Naofumi has told us he doesn't have any memories of his past life. That being said, we believe his ability is something he had then as well."
"Yeah yeah yeah! It's so cool that Naofumi has a stand to beat people up with!" Rifana cheered, "They'll never know what hit 'em, just like you, Swordy!" Another swat by Raphtalia.
"A stand?" Ren was confused. He had never heard of anything even remotely close to that in his world, but he guessed those were some of the differences between his and Naofumi's own.
"Yeah, it's kind of like a… spirit that listens to my commands. I don't know if it's sentient at all or even what it fully looks like. All I can summon so far is a single arm." He demonstrated by using his stand to pick up Ren's mug.
"Huh…" Ren responded. They sat in a bit of an awkward silence, "So… what now? What do you three plan to do?"
"Well, I don't know if Naofumi would agree but, I think it would be important to help as many villages as possible," Raphtalia shyly spoke, "It might be helpful to get their support since the King won't back us financially."
"C'mooooon, Raph! Have little more confidence in yourself!" Rifana shouted, much to the chagrin of the other patrons as Naofumi apologized for her behaviour, "Seriously, so what if the King doesn't like us? He never liked Demi-Humans before and besides, we have Fumi with us. What's the worst that could happen?"
(AN: Never say those words)
The front door to the inn was kicked open, startling most of the patrons inside. All eyes were drawn to the front, seeing the same shocking sight. In the doorway of the inn stood Itsuki surrounded by some sort of black miasma, his legendary weapon drawn and on fire. He was aiming the nocked arrow towards Naofumi.
His eyes, wide and unforgiving, spoke of hatred and twisted pleasure. His grin reached his eyes, creating a haunting outlook for any viewer.
"Naofumiiiiii…" the twisted hero drawled, "Want to play a little?" The simple words sent shivers down everyone's spines. "A cheater like you would love to play another game, wouldn't you?" He spat out.
Naofumi slowly stood from his seat and approached Itsuki, Raphtalia and Rifana following close behind, "Itsuki…" Naofumi said calmly, "You don't look like yourself. You're not acting like yourself." He takes another step forward, "Why don't you and I talk this out? No weapons, no tricks-"
"QUIET YOU FILTHY CHEATER!" Itsuki roared. He let loose the firey arrow, Naofumi barely twisting to avoid it. The arrow lodged itself in the wall behind them, the flames spreading much faster than any normal flames any of them had ever seen. "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER WORD FROM A CHEATER LIKE YOU! That ability, that cheat that you have… you're not supposed to have it. A shielder like you could never do anything like that." The barkeep and several adventurers were working to calm the fire as Itsuki nocked another arrow. They poured water on the fires, only for the water to dissipate in the air before it even reached the flames.
Naofumi, Raphtalia, Rifana, and Ren readied their weapons. Something was wrong with Itsuki, that much was obvious. What wasn't obvious was how they would fix it. But they could worry about that later. Right now, Itsuki held a very dangerous weapon and if the fire arrow he had right now was anything similar to the one that was consuming the inn, then he had the potential to burn down all of castle town with a few shots.
"So let's see how it helps now, Shield hero."
To their surprise, Itsuki aimed directly down and fired the arrow, before retreating from the inn. Another fire raged from the door, trapping everyone in. They could hear Itsuki deranged laughter through the roar of the flames. This was already going incredibly poorly.
"Everyone!" Naofumi shouted over the panicking crowd, "I'll clear a path outside! Make way, NOW!" Everyone inside rushed to move out of the hero's way as he readied himself from what was going to be a jarring impact.
"Bullrush!"
Naofumi crashed through the side wall, opening a free path to the outside. He quickly stepped aside and everyone rushed out of the burning building. Ren ran up to Naofumi, Rifana and Raphtalia by his side, "We need to find Itsuki! Every arrow he shoots, the fires will only spread faster!"
"Right!" The three others chorused.
Leaving the alleyway, they barreled down the main street. All around them, buildings were burning and people were screaming in fear and confusion. The guards were attempting to put out the fires, but no amount of water magic they had could douse them. If anything, the added moisture made them far worse. The group of four could see a clear trail of fire burning down the main street, and they rushed to follow.
Why was this happening? Why did Itsuki do all this? To get back at him? But for what?
Raphtalia tackled Naofumi to the ground as a cursed arrow flew over their head. The two quickly recovered and traced the direction of the arrow, seeing Itsuki standing on top of a burning building.
"Falcon Shot."
"Airstrike Shield!"
The cursed skill clashed with the translucent shield, sparks flying as the skills collided. Cracks appeared along the floating glowing shield before it shattered completely, Itsuki's arrow continuing its path unabated, crashing into the ground.
"Ren, I don't have many long range skills and Raphtalia and Rifana don't have long range weapons! Do you got anything?" Naofumi hurriedly asked as they dodged the bow hero's shots.
"A couple, but I doubt they'll do any good here!" Ren shouted back.
"You're all so weak! Cheaters like you could never beat someone as powerful as me!" He nocked another arrow, "Now die already!"
"Naofumi!" Raphtalia called out, "We need to go! We can't take him down here, and staying here will only damage the town more!"
Naofumi grew frustrated at her words. It wasn't like she wasn't right. They couldn't take Itsuki down where they were, but none of them liked the idea of abandoning these people. As much as he hated to admit it, they would have to run.
"Fumi! Through the alleyways! He'll have tougher angles there!" Rifana rushed down one. The four of them ran down the series of alleyways, dodging the rain of arrows falling upon them as Itsuki laughed and berated them all the while.
They were lucky, all things considered. They could have been shot by Itsuki before they even noticed him. They could have never made it out of the building and burned to death without a single hope of escape. They could have been hit by any number of the cursed arrows. But they were lucky.
Unfortunately for them, it seemed their luck ran out.
The final alleyway led to nothing but a dead end with the outer wall of castle town. There were no footholds for them to climb on either side, and a roaring fire chased them down from behind. They were trapped. Completely, and utterly trapped.
Itsuki's grating laughter reached their ears, as he aimed yet another arrow at the four.
"Shield Prison!"
His lungs burned, his feet hurt, and he was running low on fumes. Even still, he couldn't let down the shields, or they'd all burn. They could feel the searing heat through the metal shields.
"Airstrike Shield!"
They jumped on top of the glowing shield, to avoid burning their feet off. Naofumi looked between the group. Rifana was muttering to herself angrily, probably upset about leading them to a dead end. Raphtalia was trying to think of something, anything, that could save them. Ren was scrolling through his unseen menu, desperately searching for a nonexistent skill to save them.
It was then, and only then, that he felt something burning within his very soul. The same feeling whenever he summoned his stand's arm, but immensely stronger. He grasped the feeling, and he smiled.
"I'm lowering the shields."
His words were sudden, surprising the other three. They clamored for him to hold on to hope, believing him to have given up, but he smile at them, uttering three words.
"Please. Trust me."
They nodded after only a moment of hesitation.
The prison dissipated, leaving them bare to the raging flames. Itsuki had disappeared, believing them to be dead, they could escape easily now.
Naofumi closed his eyes and focused.
"「Wireframe 」"
From Naofumi's body emerged his full stand. It floated idly, awaiting its orders.
"Do what you need to do to save us," he asked of his stand.
It moved quickly, seizing hold of all four of their wrists and rushing off the platform and towards the wall. Raphtalia, Rifana, and Ren screamed in panic, bracing for impact… but it never came.
They had phased through the wall, emerging unscathed on the other side.
They looked towards Naofumi, who smiled thankfully towards his stand before collapsing into unconsciousness.
Naofumi Iwatani
Class: Shield Hero
Level 28
Legendary Shield (Locked),「Wireframe」(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: (Update Notice: Sorry about the zalgo text mishap, apparently it can't handle it so I replaced it with normal bolded text)
GOODBYEEEEE CANON!
Yeah, this is where the story goes entirely wack from canon, so expect lots of juicy original content at least for a little bit. Also, the description for the stand will be next chapter mostly because I want to finalize some details before I toss it out there and decide I don't like the design I thought of.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
I will not be posting next week. I have midterm exams that I want to prepare for and it will leave me very little time to work on the story. However, what time I do have, I will use to prepare a plan for the many future chapters of the story. I had done this prior to writing chapter 1 and I've gone through all my ideas up to chapter 5, so now I gotta plan.
Finally; I really enjoy responding to y'all's reviews cuz it feels sort of like were having a bit of a conversation. It's nice to say the least. It's also nice to know what your thoughts are on the story, so enjoy the story guys!
- RandomA99