Reviews:
Jaspero: Thanks!
SomeCallMeDrunk (Pt 1): I've thought up quite a few stands in the lsat year or so (its fun and I like to do it, sue me), and Wireframe has always been my favorite because even though it's durability is terrible, it is still by far an incredibly defensively oriented stand that allows for so much varied styles of attack and defense. Hell, with an experienced user, I doubt even DIO could beat it.
SomeCallMeDrunk (Pt 2): Yep, you were right and that was my mistake, sorry about that. Anyway, thank you so much for the praises! It feels great when people enjoy what I write :)
leon4321: Yeah, he's not getting out of this one.
JtBlack-Hawk3198: Yup! Filo will not exist, but another character will in her place (sorry Filo!)
drmcgraw186: It's alright, you don't have to know much about stands other than a few basic rules, but after that, you really don't need to know anything about JoJo, but I'm glad your hero anyway, despite not knowing all too much! Glad to have you here :)
asukihatashi: It truly is a wonderful thing.
zeldawolffang: Don't we all?
D3lph0xL0v3r: Honestly, that would be dope as all hell. But I doubt anyone would want to waste their time on fanart for a fictional stand. But if anyone does, PLEASE SEND IT TO ME, I NEED TO SEE MY BABY.
A Shield's Stand
Chapter 7: Here to take a quest?
Castle Town always put a bitter taste in Rifana's mouth.
The capital was responsible for a large majority of Rifana's worst memories and experiences as well as putting her newly formed family through hell itself, so no one would really blame her for being sour at the very mention of the place. Even so, seeing the damage done by one rogue hero was more than enough to overcome that anger.
Phasing through the wall with Naofumi's Wireframe, Rifana caught her first glimpse of the aftermath. Buildings around her were completely burnt down, in some cases, nothing but ashes remaining. The people they had passed on the streets in their trips for weaponry and supplies laid on the floor of the burnt houses. Many were dressed in rags, many were scrounging together anything they could find, but one woman sat in the center of a pile of ash, crying for her son to come back. Rifana could do nothing but stare as the woman laid her grief to bare. A hand on her shoulder brought her from her stare. Naofumi shared her dejected look, offering a small, somber smile before ushering her forward.
All this destruction caused by a single person. And for what? To satiate his own ego and pride? How much damage would he have caused if they could have stopped him? How many people would still be alive? Could they have stopped him at all? It's simply impossible to know. The depths a person can sink to are endless, yet the heights someone can reach are finite.
It took them nearly ten minutes of walking before they finally left the final remains of the destruction and only five more to reach the familiar shop they had frequented so often before. Entering the shop, they saw Erhard polishing off one of the swords on display. It was always nice to see the amount of dedication and effort the man put into every work. A true display of his dedication to the craft. He noticed the three out of the corner of his eye, his eyes widening as they pulled down their hoods to see the three wanted convicts he had grown used to dealing with in the past month.
"Naofumi!" The man greeted cheerily, "I haven't seen you in forever, kid! I trust being a wanted criminal hasn't given you too much to worry about?" The aforementioned Hero scratched the back of his head, chuckling in embarrassment. "Anyway, I can guess why you're here. Get some new tools and restock?" Naofumi responded with a grateful nod.
As the man retreated to the counter, it was hard not to think about where they would be had Erhard never outfitted them. He truly was a kind man.
Raphtalia peered through the different swords the man had, looking for one that suited her, as her last had become chipped after the battles it had seen. Rifana was still fine as her axe was far more sturdy than Raphtalia's swords have been, so she lazily leaned against the counter, observing the rugged man on the other side. While many would be quick to call her dumb or airheaded due to her tendency to act without thinking or her inability to form decent plans, Rifana was actually incredibly observant, so it wasn't hard to see that the cheer the man displayed was little more than a fake.
"Hey Erhard," Rifana spoke among the quiet shop, "I'm really glad your place is still here. Despite everything that's gone down, your armory has always been like a safezone for us, so thanks for that, old man."
Finishing with a smirk on her face, her words had the exact effect she wanted, Erhard's fake cheer falling in place of shock before a snort came from the hardy blacksmith as a genuine smile broke on his face.
"Well, no matter what, I'm pretty sure I can trust you three, so if you all ever need anything, you can be sure you're welcome here."
Naofumi laid his forearm out, smiling all the while, Erhard happily met it with his own. A pseudo pact that neither Raphtalia nor Rifana understood forming.
"Enough with the feely stuff, you got any new details on that ghost thing of yours? Rumor around her is the Shield Hero has telekinetic powers ya know." Even with the destruction taking up most of the town's talk, every so often word of the Sword and Shield Heros' duel would pop up, especially the method in which Naofumi won.
Raphtalia ran up from the front of the shop, excitedly talking about Naofumi's stand. That was also a strange new development. As it turns out, Raphtalia had taken a deep interest in Naofumi's homeworld ability, desiring to understand how it worked and if it was at all replicable through their own world's magic systems. While Naofumi doubted she could recreate an exact copy of a stand, he believed she could figure something out that resembled the ghostly spirits.
Erhard, to his credit, seemed to be taking it decently well. "Jeez kid, that… is a lot." He took a moment to think it over before bursting into laughter, "You just get more defensive every time I see ya, hahaha!"
Once the man calmed down, and Raphtalia found the sword she liked, the three paid for the weapon before Naofumi brought up one question, "Hey Erhard, can I ask you for a favor?"
"What do you need, kid?" Erhard responded.
"Well, I was hoping you would let me copy your shields so I can increase my stats."
"Weapon copy system?"
It was while Naofumi was asleep that Raphtalia and Ren found themselves alone after a quick spar. Raphtalia, despite knowing a lot about the legendary weapons from Naofumi, wanted to know if there were differences between the weapons, ignoring the obvious.
"Yeah, take any weapon similar to the legendary weapon and you can automatically copy it, getting the stats from the weapon and the ability to wield it if you want."
Naofumi had never done such a thing in front of them, so either he had done that long before he even saved them or he was unaware that the legendary shield had such an ability. It was certainly an interesting one and it definitely asked what counted as 'similar' to the holy weapons. Would a halberd be considered a spear or a sword? Could both copy it considering it fell into both roles rather well? When she asked Ren, even he didn't know, but he promised to try next time he could.
Erhard gripped his counter, curses spilling from his lips, "Those heroic brats! They stole every one of my works and they didn't pay for a thing!"
Judging by his reaction, the others had the same idea as Naofumi.
Erhard sighed, resigned to the fate he had been given. He looked up at Naofumi, "Well if it's you, I wouldn't mind, but next time you see those 'heroes' make sure you tell them to pay up or I'll have their heads."
Raphtalia smiled evilly, "Oh, don't worry Mr. Erhard, the Sword Hero will definitely pay for the stolen weapons, I made sure of that."
"YOU COPIED ALL OF HIS WEAPONS WITHOUT ASKING?!" Raphtalia shouted as she pummeled the Sword Hero into the ground in their daily spar.
"I'M SORRY! I PROMISE I'LL PAY NEXT TIME I SEE HIM!"
Erhard joined Raphtalia in her evil grin while Naofumi and Rifana sweatdropped at the two. Naofumi used the time to copy as many shields as he could.
Iron Shield
DEF: +3
MDEF: +2
Skill [ Iron Will ] Unlocked
Never waste levels on an iron pickaxe
Magic Iron Shield
DEF: +2
MDEF: +5
Comes with it's own tissue dispenser
Great Shield
DEF: +4
MDEF: +3
What makes this one so different from the rest of Russia's rulers?
Silver Shield
DEF: +3
MDEF: +3
Perfect for burning twilight
Buckler Shield
DEF: +3
MDEF: +2
Skill [ Parry ] Unlocked
Get the new Gamesphere, it's graphics are out of this world
Kite Shield
DEF: +3
MDEF: +3
Obligatory flying a kite joke
Magic Steel Shield
DEF: +4
MDEF: +6
Industrial Revolution and three Russian civil wars, here we come
Mana Shield
DEF: -150
MDEF: +300
Skill [ Mana Block ] Unlocked
Note: Stats only apply with equip
As effective of a shield as Yugi's Duel Disk
And with that, all of the shields Erhard had on hand were copied and added to Naofumi's repertoire. He returned to the counter where the three had been patiently waiting.
"You got everything you need, kid?" Erhard questions.
"Yup, thanks for this. We don't really have the funds to buy everything here so I really appreciate this." He quickly shifts between couple shields as demonstration.
"Eh, it's no problem kid. Besides, when you eventually beat the waves, I'll be known as the one who outfitted the greatest hero of-"
Raphtalia shushed the two men, her ears pricking up. The three others watched her confused before she suddenly shot up and wished Erhard a nice day, throwing all their hoods up and pulling Rifana and Naofumi out the door.
As they walk in the street, Raphtalia whispers to the two, "Knights know we're here. They're about to search Erhard's place, but they won't have any evidence that we were there."
Rifana scowled in frustration, "How do these guys keep finding us?"
"It'll be alright, we just gotta stop at the gate to pick up the filolial egg from Ren and we can leave, besides, the knights have no way to track us," Naofumi spoke softly.
"You three, stop in the name of the King!" A mature voice sounded from behind them.
They turned around, seeing a group of knights barreling down the streets towards them, pushing others out of the way in the process. The Shield Hero and his party ran as fast as they could.
"Y'know, I'm not even sure why you say anything anymore," Rifana sighed in exasperation as he ran.
Raphtalia tugged out of the way of a group of people, preventing a crash, "If you can quip, you can run, now move!"
The three made several winding turns in an attempt to throw the knights off their trail, managing to shake off a few at every crossroad. Unfortunately for them, one knight in particular managed not only to keep pace with the three wanted criminals, he was slowly gaining on them. Naofumi cursed. He aimed his shield at the roof and shot out a Tether to the overhang. He wrapped his arm around his two party members, spawning an Airstrike Shield under him, giving the three of them a boost as he rappled them to the roof.
Rifana took a moment to peer over the edge in hopes of taunting the knight, only to see him charging at her right up the wall.
"Holy shit!" She cried out as the knight threw himself over the overhang. They recovered enough from the shock and once more began to run. Leaping over rooftops and avoiding pitfalls to the best of their ability. Looking behind them, it was obvious they wouldn't be able to shake the guard. Resigned to their inevitable duel, the three stopped at a secluded alleyway, rappelling down until they reached the floor. The guard jumped down behind them, landing on the wall before kicking off, getting lower with each kick before landing in a classic superhero landing. The three convicts stared at the dramatic landing, stunned at the prowess displayed. "That has to be really hard on your knees."
"By order of the king, you three are to be executed for the destruction of Castle Town among various other crimes." The guard points his ornate spear at the three, Naofumi scans his level, sighing at the 57 that greets him. The three braced for a tough fight. "I hope you've made peace with whatever god you believe in, Devil of the Shie-"
The guard was cut off as a large hand wrapped around his mouth, lifting him off the ground and slamming him into the stone wall, instantly knocking him unconscious from the concussive force. The hand dropped the limp guard and returned to its owner's side. Rifana, Naofumi, and Raphtalia stared in shock, jaws hanging open as what could have been the strongest opponent they would have faced was instantly defeated. They looked away from the limp guard and towards the assailant, meeting the eyes of a giant of a woman, the guild receptionist impatiently waiting for the three to realize what happened.
"Well, are you done staring?" She says annoyed.
The four retreated farther into the alleyways to avoid the chance of more guards showing up, Rifana and Raphtalia on guard the entire time. The hulking woman could put up a very good fight if the quick knockout of the guard was any indication, so they needed to be ready if she presented herself as a threat.
They came to a stop when they came closer to the outer wall of the city, Wireframe giving them the option of a quick escape should they need it. The first to speak up was the receptionist herself.
"So, let me cut right to the chase," she began bluntly, "My name is Elina, and I want to join your party."
"...huh?" Naofumi eloquently spoke. Of all the things he expected her to say, that was pretty low of the list. Incredibly low, probably the last if he was being honest. He shook his head to focus, "Well, if that's the case, then I don't see why not," Naofumi spoke kindly.
"What?! 'Fumi, we don't even know why she wants to join us at all! She could betray us for any reason at any moment," Rifana turns to Elina, "No offense."
Elina grunted, "Fair."
Naofumi pats Rifana on the head, "I'm pretty sure I know her reason already, and while it's not the most solid, I can't say I disagree with it at all." He looks towards Elina, silently asking.
A small blush appeared, mixing with her scowl, "Fine, I'll tell you. Firstly and most importantly, I hated my job. I was an avid adventurer and I loved to fight. Hell, I did it so often as a kid, my old hag of a mother practically had me locked up in the washroom, cleaning out blood stains. Anyway, you can imagine why sitting behind a desk all day wouldn't exactly appeal to me. It was hell watching every group of adventurers waltz in and out going on awesome adventures and getting into some thrilling fights." Her gaze became one of longing before her scowl returned, "Secondly, I've been looking for an out for a while, and the burning of castle town was perfect since everyone is so preoccupied with it that no one would bat an eye at me leaving. Especially since I wasn't the most popular receptionist there."
Raphtalia grimaced slightly at that, she could remember the practically bodies the two other receptionists had been blessed with, so it wasn't too hard to see. Some things still bugged her. "If that's the case, then why did you ever quit adventuring."
Elina annoyedly sighed, parting the lock of hair that covered her left eye, "Took a bad injury to the face, I'm sure you can see the scars. Lost all my sight in the eye. My old hag of a mother got too worried about her 'darling daughter' and practically forced me to quit." Elina spat out the words like they burned her.
Rifana spoke up soon after, "Ok, then why us? Not a lot of people would willingly turn against the entire kingdom just to become an adventurer again."
Elina cracked her knuckles, a sadistic gleam in her eyes, "Seems like it would be more fun that way."
"If there aren't any more objections, I'd like to welcome you to our party, Elina," Naofumi cut in. Elina grabbed it in a powerful grip, Raphtalia and Rifana wincing from the strength displayed. Had it been anyone else, it was likely their hand would be broken at the least. The three left the alleyway, making sure to steer clear of the streets, slowly making their way to the pre-disclosed dropoff point.
As they walked, Naofumi filled Elina in on their plans, "Alright, we were planning on heading off to Shieldfreeden, but before we do, we have to meet with the Sword Hero to pick up a package."
"Shieldfreeden, huh?" Elina mumbled aloud, "Never been there, so it should be interesting at the least. I heard they got some unique monsters there."
Rifana was still hesitant to trust the woman, but she was confident the three of them could take her on if the situation calls for it, "So, I'll be the first one to warn you," Elina looks her way, "Not a single one of our days is normal. Something absolutely, insanely weird always happens to us, and it seems like today's event is you joining us."
Elina raised a brow, "What about me joining you three is weird at all?"
Raphtalia just deadpans at her, "You not only willingly joined a party of wanted criminals with the entire state against us as well as the state religion, but you also joined after hunting us down in an alleyway and knocking out a royal guard almost double our levels. What about that isn't weird?"
Elina grunted, "Fair."
It took a good chunk of time, more than any of them would have liked, but they eventually reached the Tailor's shop where Ren had told them to meet at, and just as planned, they sw the lone Sword Hero trying to cooly lean against the wall, his sword dangling by his side and a stoic expression on his face.
"Oi! Swordy!"
"GYAAAH!"
Ren jumped from his position, his hand grabbing his heart as he turned to face the unknown voice, and tried to reclaim some of his 'cool factor'. He cleared his throat, ignoring his racing heart, "May I help youuuu…" he trailed off as he took in Naofumi's newest party member.
The woman was large and imposing, easily towering over him, and having a massive battle axe strapped on her back to match her size. She was dressed in plated armor, most of her body being covered, with the space from her head to shoulders being devoid of armor. Her face was adorned in scars on the left side of her face and her light pink hair drooped forward, covering her left eye.
"Hi Ren," Naofumi said with a cheery smile.
"Uhhh Naofumi?" Ren asked.
"Yes Ren?" Naofumi responded dutifully.
"Who's this?" Ren gulped with a little bit of fear in his voice.
"This," he gestures up to Elina, "Is Elina, the former guild receptionist and the newest member of my party."
"...where did you find her?" Ren shakily asks.
"In the alleyways after we were chased there by a level 57 guard," Naofumi doesn't even blink.
Ren takes a breath and sighs, "I'm not even going to wonder how you get into these situations anymore." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out an egg encased in a cylindrical holder. "This is the egg you asked for, but it might not be a filolial egg. I had to choose at random like a gacha game."
"Gacha game? What's that?" Naofumi innocently asks.
Ren clenches his fist in front of him, "The greatest evil ever devised by mankind."
The four others shared a glance before moving on, "So, what else can we expect if it's not a filolial egg?" Raphtalia questions.
"Well, the trader told me that it was most likely a filolial egg, but eggs for all kinds of monsters were in the pile, so I have no idea." He pulls out his own egg, "They all looked really similar, but this one had spots all over it and… I thought it looked cool," Ren mumbles the last part.
Raphtalia facepalms.
"Questionable choosing method aside," Rifana speaks up, "I doubt a single filolial by itself is going to be able to carry all four of us across the countryside. So what do we do?"
The four shorter members of the group pause and think to themselves. Their initial goal had been to quickly travel across the country on the back of the monster, but with their newest members size, it wouldn't be feasible for the single monster to accomplish. They could get a wagon since they had heard that filolials loved to pull them, but not only did they not have a guarantee that they would even get one, it would require a trip back to Lute (which at the moment is swarmed with royal knights) since no seller in the capital would even give them the chance to pay for one.
"You guys do know that the filolial will be a baby when it hatches, right?" Elina wisely points out. "Did you expect them to hatch fully grown?"
"That is how I was told it would happen, yes," Ren responds dully.
While Elina looks at the hero in confusion, Naofumi says, "Well, in that case, we can't really do much about it right now, so we'll make our way to Shieldfreeden on foot, and if the monster we hatch is able to help with travel, we'll figure it out then." It wouldn't do to be prepared for a plan only for it to be thrown out of wack and be unable to adapt. At this point, they needed to be as adaptable as possible, so in a way, doing nothing is the best course of action at the moment. Weird.
In the end, they decided to return to Lute and get a smaller cart just to be safe, in case whatever monster hatched couldn't pull too large of a cart, they would still be able to push it themselves relatively easily, or hide it in a forest if they were being tailed. As they were preparing the cart for departure, the mayor of Lute approached them, a smile gracing his features as he regarded the heroes that saved the village from total destruction.
"Savior Naofumi, could have a moment of your time?" The man asks.
After a quick check with the other members of his party, who all assure that they have it handled, Naofumi heads off with the mayor. They walk through the village, each passing villager recognizing Naofumi and sending him a smile and wave, which Naofumi thankfully returns.
"Now, I'm sure you've gotten quite sick of hearing it from us, but I truly must thank you for saving all of us." The mayor speaks firmly. Naofumi faces the old man as he continues, "I doubt many of us would have survived the wave had it not been for you and your family, but that isn't really what I want to talk about right now." He stops his walk, staring ahead in worry, "You have many powerful enemies trying to eliminate you, and there's always a chance we could get roped into it, somehow, someway. But even so, we will support you. There is nothing we could ever do to fully repay the debt we owe you, but I feel as though this could be a start," the mayor pulls a piece of parchment from his wide sleeve, handing it to Naofumi who unravels it to reveal a map of Melromarc and the world. "This is the map of the world, Savior Naofumi, we believe you intend to depart to Shieldfreeden, correct?" Naofumi nods, "Then you will want to take this route if at all possible," he traces a route avoiding most villages with the exception of one or two, "You should also try to avoid the official border between Shieldfreeden and Melromarc, as the King is likely expecting you to attempt to cross through."
Naofumi rolls the map back up, turning to the mayor, "Thank you, I won't forget your kindness."
"One more thing, Savior Naofumi," The mayor begins anew.
Naofumi chuckles a bit, "I told you, you don't need to give me some fancy title, we're friends, aren't we?"
The mayor's eyes widen in shock, the Shield Hero considers him to be a friend? He truly is too kind for this terrible world. "We will try to do what we can to clear your name in other villages, but please do be careful, this country has a lot of history with the Shield Hero, and I doubt they are willing to forego it for one man, no matter how kind he is."
"Of course, we'll make sure to return in one piece," Naofumi responds with confidence and a bright smile. He heads back to his partners, who by now have completely prepared the cart for them all, as they head off to leave, one of Lute's own filolials tied to the front. The cart heads off, many of the Shield Hero's party giving their farewells as they depart.
The mayor of Lute, looks wistfully at the party of four as they leave.
Be safe… Naofumi.
"Your holiness! What ever shall we do?!" A nun cries out in panic.
This must be the worst case scenario. Several of their gods have gone rampant and the Devil is loose in the world, causing untold amounts of damage to everyone he comes by. Already, the capital has sustained massive amounts of damage due to the devil's manipulation. They could not possibly hope to defeat him should he get any stronger.
"Calm yourself, my child. You must have faith in god, for he always rewards his most devout subjects," a man speaks out to the woman.
He wears a flowing and divine white robe, with gorgeous golden accents decorating it, granting him a holy presence wherever he goes. His mitre was similarly styled, with an additional cross splashed along the head. On his face rests a small pair of glasses, likely used for reading small print. To complete the look of a kind and holy figure, he wears a soft smile, that when coupled with his wrinkles and round face, grant the man a trustworthy appearance.
"While even I must admit, that the plan hadn't progressed as we had hoped, it is not impossible to use what is offered to use for god's grace," he spoke once more, his regal voice commanding all attention.
The man was Biscus T. Balmus, the pope of the Church of the Three Heroes, which existed to serve the three living gods and combat the living evil that is the Shield Devil. However, recent events have damaged their reputation quite a bit.
The Spear Hero was easily defeated by the Shield Devil in only one swift punch.
The Bow Hero went on a rampage, dissolving an incredible portion of the capital.
The Sword Hero's loyalties may lie to that of the Shield Devil himself.
It was certainly far from ideal, but it was in no way impossible to utilize to their advantage. In fact, the Spear Hero's loss at the hands of the Devil had served to motivate him further, bringing him quickly to even greater strength. If they wanted to defeat a devil, they would need a god to do it, and as it would turn out, they had one at their disposal.
Balmus turned to another priest, his glasses reflecting the light coming in from the stained windows, "Call for the Spear Hero. There is something I wish to discuss with him."
Naofumi Iwatani
Class: Shield Hero
Level 28
Legendary Shield,「Wireframe」
Bizarre Otherworldly Clothing
ATK: 36
DEF: 256
MATK: 28
MDEF: 193
DEX: 79
AGI: 114
ACTIVE SKILLS:
Stand Arrow (Locked)
Stand 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 Swordsman
Level 26
Magic Iron Sword
Swordswoman's Dress
ATK: 112
DEF: 58
MATK: 84
MDEF: 30
DEX: 59
AGI: 112
ACTIVE SKILLS:
Crescent Slash
PASSIVE SKILLS:
Demi-Human Hearing
Undying Loyalty
Effective Bartering
Rifana
Class: Demi-Human Barbarian
Level 26
Steel Dagger, Magic Iron 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
Flexibility
Elina Poli
Class: Human Barbarian
Level 34
Plate Armor
ATK: 198
DEF: 72
MATK: 19
MDEF: 15
DEX: 56
AGI: 59
ACTIVE SKILLS:
None
PASSIVE SKILLS:
Hard Headed
Stubborn
Adrenaline Rush
Stand Stats:
「Wireframe」
Power: D
Speed: C
Range: C
Durability: E
Precision: C
D Potential: A
Notes:
STAND STATS ARE HERE!
I realized halfway through writing this that I probably could have combined chapter 6 and this chapter so that all the setup would be in one rather than two, but what can ya do?
Elina Poli joins the battle, and just like Rifana, she's a melee fighter machine. She's definitely more of a dedicated barbarian than Rifana but they are pretty similar in style, so who knows?
Finally, please review the chapter, I would love to improve my work and your reviews really help with that. It's also pretty nice to have conversations with you guys, even if its just a couple sentences.
- RandomA99