Reviews:
drmcgraw186: I thought having Ren, the most awkward kid in the world getting an overly flirty and hot dragon girl would be hilarious. So I did it lol.
D3lph0xL0v3r: Yeah but I don't think you caught it in chapter 3 my guy :)
SomeCallMeDrunk: Ah, you see, the funny thing about that is I forgot... oops. Well, lets go with Ren assumed he already knew and therefore didn't tell him...? I'll try and work it in at their next meeting, sorry about that.
FendarianT: Yes, he will in due time.
Slackboy101: Prak and Kruk will not be making an appearance as cool as they may be because I want this story to be that of RotSH but with cool stands tossed in. Throwing in characters from another series would kind of pervert the story a little bit, if that makes sense.
R-king 93: My guy, I love that you are reviewing the chapters, and PLEASE do not take this as some sort of insult because it is not, but you have said the exact same thing for the last three chapters. I love the praise, don't get me wrong, but I'm running out of ways to respond in a funny way to "Awesome Chapter"
AnimeA55Kicker: Yup, I simply cannot do romance. I suck at it and also that is not the focus of the story, so I'm putting it in the corner where it belongs.
AzureStarDragon: You'd be entirely correct about everything you just said. Counter-point, Chapter 13. Enjoy :)
rantingbanshee: Glad you enjoyed the chapter, and you're review was really good! I tried changing what I could without just rewriting the entire end fight, which would mess up the timing of this chapter (as if it already isn't messed up enough) so I hope its enough to correct Naofumi's fragility. Thank you again for the review.
JtBlackHawk3198: Rishia is not in Itsuki's party, nor is she in Naofumi's. So that begs the question, where is she? :)
Banana Smoothie: Ooooooohhhh, me likey :) (Also, love the name haha)
A Shield's Stand
Chapter 13: Ideals and Actions
Along the main road of Lute, two groups of incredible power stood stock still, each quietly observing the other for sudden movements. The air around them was tense, seemingly frozen compared to the heat between the two. Looking down upon their foe, the first group was formed by the Holy Spear Hero accompanied by nine of the strongest members from the Church of the Three Heroes. Standing between them and Lute was the Shield Hero's party and family, each one well versed in one another's fighting capabilities despite having been together for a relatively short time frame.
The spear cutting off the Shield Hero dissipated from its spot in the ground, returning to Motoyasu's outstretched hand. He slammed the base of the spear into the ground beside him before looking over the new additions to his most hated enemy's party. Just as the Pope had said, standing beside the other two beautiful girls Naofumi had enslaved prior were two new women, one of whom was a giant and the other who was only a little angel girl, her silver angel wings on display from her spot in Naofumi's arms. His scowl was replaced with gritted teeth and narrowed eyes.
"You really did it, didn't you, you bastard?!" Motoyasu screamed from the front of his group, "You weren't satisfied with poor Raphtalia and Rifana so you enslaved an angel?! You are the lowest of the low, you scum!"
No one bothered responding to the blonde. Rifana, Raphtalia, and Naofumi already knew nothing they said would get through the thick head of the idiotic spear hero. Elina and Silver didn't respond either, having heard of the past attempts of the other three to sway the blonde. She hoped he was different from what she had heard and seen when he came to the guild, but the Spear Hero truly was a idiotic white knight. Motoyasu raised his spear behind him, the weapon glowing from the power he was imbuing into it.
Naofumi spoke up quickly, "Wait! Motoyasu! I won't deny you the fight you want, but we need to move it somewhere else! If we fight here, we'll destroy the whole town in it!"
Motoyasu wanted so deeply to ignore the bastard's words, to just throw his spear through his chest, blow him to pieces, and end all this… but he couldn't. A quick look was more than enough as he saw the town behind Naofumi slowly arming itself for a dangerous fight. Already, several townspeople stood behind Naofumi, armed with farming tools and the occasional short sword. He wouldn't be a hero if he involved innocents in a fight with his enemy, so with a quiet scoff, he lowered his spear and agreed to Naofumi's plan. He only hoped it didn't backfire on him. Around him, the members of the church gave minor looks of disappointment at his decision, looks he failed to notice.
Naofumi sighed in relief before turning to the people gathering behind them. He knew these people, they had helped him enough to know that these people, as kindhearted and courageous as they were, would not stand a chance in a fight of this magnitude. The highest level person in the town was only level 5 and that was only from fighting the occasional monster while gathering wood from the nearby forest for several years.
"I appreciate you all coming to my defense, but it would be for the best that you all leave this battle to me and my party." His words were kind but stern. He could not risk anyone losing their lives in a fight only meant for him.
The mayor approached him, a defeated glint in his eyes, "We may be too weak to help you directly, Savior Naofumi, but when you win this fight, allow us to treat you all for any wounds you may gather. Please."
Naofumi returned his plea with a small nod. He returned his gaze to Motoyasu, "We'll fight in the plains a mile off. That should be far away enough for the town to avoid any damage. I'm trusting you to leave any attacks until we reach a safe distance, Motoyasu."
And with that, the party of five began their walk to the spot of battle. As they passed the members of the church, each one levelled a hateful and disgust filled glare at the Shield Hero's party, yet they walked by unfazed. Motoyasu huffed before following them, making no attempt at a strike, the church members following dutifully. The Spear Hero had already made one strike today by refusing to annihilate the devil right then and there, and while they believed the Spear Hero to be sound in his decision, they had their orders to eradicate the devil, town of dissenters or not.
Naofumi gave a little stomp to the ground, judging its firmness, before looking around the immediate area. They were in a fairly flat plain and they weren't near any major road, so it was unlikely anyone would enter the danger zone. He made a small hum before turning to the bundle in his arms, "I think this spot is pretty good. What do you think, Silver?"
Said girl hopped out of his arms and mimicked his little stomp, still clutching her Shield plush. She turned to her father, "Mmm, I think it's great!" She shot out a thumbs up.
Naofumi and the rest of the group chuckled at the girl's upbeat demeanor. They heard the grass crunch from behind them, turning around to meet their adversaries. Their small smiles faded quickly into a stern look, analyzing their opponents before the battle began. From what they could see, this would be a difficult battle, but not unwinnable by any measure.
Motoyasu's own level wasn't anything to scoff at, but they had fought enemies with higher levels before and came out almost unscathed. When combined with his utter lack of proficiency when using the spear, they didn't really consider him to be much of a threat, even with his incredible gear. The church members, however, would prove to be a far tougher fight. Each had levels ranging from 59 to 68, and were all generously equipped with powerful equipment. Being fighters from the church itself, it was likely they were proficient with their weapons, if not the best the church had to offer. If that wasn't enough, they were well rounded with their apparent classes. From what they could see, there were two swordfighters of unknown classes, an archer of an unknown class, a Holy Priest, two Holy Knights, two mages, and an assassin. A group that well rounded would give anyone a tough time. Even so, the party of five had enough tricks up their sleeve to even the playing field.
Raphtalia unsheathed her sword, Rifana raised her axe and gripped her dagger, Elina readied her war axe, Silver's wings tensed, and Naofumi raised his shield. Together, they were a wall that nothing could topple.
Naofumi spoked from behind his shield, "Motoyasu, is there any way we can avoid this fight?" It was a futile hope, but one he wanted so badly.
Motoyasu twirled his spear before gripping it in a two handed hold. He didn't reply.
"NAOFUMIIIIIIIIII!"
With that shout, the fight began.
Motoyasu shot forward, his legendary spear poked out in an obvious thrust attack. Naofumi and his party rushed to meet him. Naofumi ran forward to take the attack head on while the others supported him. This time, Naofumi would forego any skills or Wireframe. He had to see just how strong Motoyasu was so he could make a plan.
But the attack never came.
Motoyasu dropped his attack, thrusting his spear into the ground and vaulting away from the five. The church members suddenly separated revealing the Holy Priest in the middle of a chant for a powerful spell, the rosary clutched in her hands.
"As a member of the three heroes faith, I order thee. The devil himself is before us and shall be blighted with the power of God. Use our own faith in the Spear Hero and all that is Holy to turn the battle in our favor, Sacred Grounds!"
She slapped her hands to the ground, powerful beams of yellow shooting from her fingers into the dirt, painting the ground of the battlefield an electric yellow. Geometric walls began building around all of them, slowing boxing the two parties in. Naofumi's party watched cautiously as their grassy battlefield was replaced with constantly shifting and molding electric yellow and black terrain. Suddenly, a spire shot up from the middle of their tightly packed group and the ground beneath them began to slope, shifting them all in different directions. Before they could regroup, similar walls once again began to form around each individual member, trapping them within confined structures.
"Shit! Try to break through the walls and then regroup! A spell this big must have taken a lot of her mana!" Naofumi commanded the other members of his party before he was completely sealed within his own structure.
Motoyasu cheered as the plan went off without a hitch, "Nice job Anastasia! Now let's get them before they can regroup!"
The priest grumbled in anger, "My name is Analisa, not Anastasia, Sir Spear Hero."
Motoyasu gave her a confused glance, "That's what I said." Analisa just sighed.
The church forces moved swiftly before any of the enemy could escape their admittedly weak confinements. Any single member of the devil's team could easily break through the walls since the mana of only one person was present, but it still served its purpose of separating the devil's team well. Analisa opened holes in the individual geometric structures for combatants to enter before opening one for herself and the Spear Hero to enter and battle the Shield Devil.
Rifana tsked in annoyance as she slid further towards the center of the strange molding room. Rifana thrust her dagger into the floor to halt her momentum and began climbing out of the pit and back to the wall. Before she could reach the yellow wall, the ground abruptly and quickly evened out, making Rifana completely lose her foothold and losing her grip on the dagger. As she climbed to her feet, a slit opened in the identical walls of her makeshift prison, two members of the church entering. The slit behind them closed as they faced Rifana, readying their weapons for attack.
The church archer and one of the swordsman had chosen to fight against her alone. She couldn't run, not without taking a few hits and if Rifana couldn't escape without a fight, even when she was the fastest in their entire group, then she doubted the others would be able to instead.
Rifana dashed for her dagger still lodged in the floor but had to abandon it when the swordfighter quickly closed the distance between the two of them. Rifana met his blade with her axehead, shoving the man off and dodging before an arrow could pierce her. Before she could recover, the swordfighter again attempted a slash at her. She blocked the hit but without proper footing was sent tumbling. Rifana rushed to her feet once again only managing to block another swipe.
The swordfighter raised a palm to her face, "As a servant of god himself, I order thee. Burn my target to ashes in a rush of heat. Zweite Fireball."
Rifana tilted her head as the large fireball wizzed past her shoulder, lightly burning her shoulder and neck. Hissing in pain, Rifana jumped back to gain distance but again had to deflect another shot from the Archer. This block left her open to the pommel strike from the swordfighter. Once again throwing her to the ground.
The two ended their assault, choosing instead to look at the girl in disgust and pity. Rifana didn't care about their opinions. She hadn't for a long time, so their demoralizing looks had no effect on her and she was able to bring herself to her feet and regain her stance. Her axe in front of her, Rifana decided it was her turn to attack.
She darted forward, the two church members unfazed by her sudden and rapid approach. She ground to a halt and quickly shot off to the side, utilizing her incredible agility. She faked two more approaches from all different sides before closing in from the archer's right side, swinging her axe up from the ground. The archer sidestepped the swipe and knocked an arrow. Using the momentum from the swing, Rifana completed the arc and crashed her axe on top of the swordfighter. The man used his weapon to block the attack but Rifana's strength forced the two to the ground. The axe blade dug into the fragile ground, trapping the blade beneath it as Rifana kicked the swordfighter away, forcing him to release his weapon. Rifana raised her axe to shatter the sword but mumbling from the archer caught her attention.
"As God's disciple I order thee. Skewer my target with a rain of attacks, Arrow Fall."
He shot a single glowing arrow into the sky above her. The arrow shattered into pieces, before about a hundred individual arrows were racing towards her. Rifana backpedaled from the area of effect and skidded to a stop. The arrows dissipated after landing, allowing the swordfighter to reclaim his weapon unharmed.
This was bad. These two knew exactly how to counter any of her approaches and attacks. They worked seamlessly together and left few openings for her to exploit and those they did the other could cover up. Maybe with her dagger she could distract the Archer long enough to engage the swordsman to put him out of commission, but with their total control over the battlefield, there was little chance of that happening. God, she wished she had learnt some spells already.
Rifana steadied her breathing, readying for another clash. Rifana chopped her axe to the brittle ground, sending a couple chunks into the air for her to launch. Rifana followed behind her makeshift projectiles but was unprepared for the counter attack. All of her projectiles were instantly shattered by arrows and within a microsecond of their destruction, the swordsman was thrusting at her midsection. Rifana shifted her body as much as she could to avoid the blade but even with that she felt the blade sink into the very edge of her waist, cutting her open. She bit back a cry of pain and tried to knee the swordsman in the chest. He blocked the attack and skidded back but Rifana was on him instantly.
"Blind Rage!" Rifana activated her skill as arrows struck her in her exposed side. The arrows would have been fatal without the skill and her further movement would only extend the damage they would do, but it was necessary for her plan. Her skill lessened the damage she took by a fair amount and allowed her to ignore pain for a small period of time, something she could use to catch her opponents by surprise.
The archer's eyes widened as the volley of arrows he sent into the weasel demi-human were just completely ignored as she completed her swing of the axe. The swordsman's light armor crumpled under the weight of the swing and blew the man into the ground, creating a trench of shattered geometric flooring behind him. With these guys' levels, that wouldn't kill him but it would take him out of the fight for a little bit. Rifana turned to the stunned archer as she felt the effect of her Blood Rush skill activate. Her wounds were bleeding and her Blind Rage would end soon, but she was confident she could end the fight before then.
She just hoped Naofumi could save all of them when she collapsed.
Elina's size betrayed her as her center of gravity forced her to tumble down the sloping ground. Eventually she stopped at the bottom of a pit, she considered how to scale the steep walls but before she decided, the ground evened out and a section of the wall opened. From the slit, three figures entered the room. Elina had to admit, their plan was sound. Together, the party could stand up to basically anything they threw at them, but apart, they could exploit individual weaknesses and lessen their combat effectiveness. But… she was a little disappointed at who they put her up against.
The figures showed themselves to be one of the mages, one of the swordsman, and the assassin of the church warriors. She really hoped to fight the Holy Knights and show them the difference in their strength, but she guessed she was fighting three skinny wannabees. Oh well.
"Nice plan, but you guys messed up putting yourselves against me. Can any of you even make it past my armor? Seriously, is this the best the church has to offer? Kinda pathetic if you ask me," Elina spoke with a confident smirk.
The three zealots scowled at her words. The mage was the one to speak of the three of them. "Do not underestimate the strength of god, you wayward child. He has given us the ability to defeat you without competition. We only hope you will come to your senses when we send you to God himself."
Damn. Elina really hoped to mess with them, but they were more… mentally sound than she expected. Most religious nutjobs would go ballistic if their faith was questioned, but it seemed these guys were professionals. Elina wasn't stupid. She was arrogant, yes, but not as arrogant as she had been before she joined up with Shieldy and his crew. She knew there was little chance in her winning this fight. It was three on one and they were likely perfect counters to her fighting style. Well, if she was going to lose, she might as well make it a good fight.
"Is that so?" Elina cracked her neck, "I'd like to see you three try! Bloody Sunday!"
Elina threw her war axe to the ground, sending massive cracks through the entirety of the mini battlefield they had placed her in. The three church fighters were largely undaunted by the overwhelming strength displayed and darted around the risen rubble. The swordsman and assassin both charged her from opposing sides while the mage from the back chanted a spell.
"As a servant of god, I order thee-"
"Oh no you don't!" Elina launched her war axe at the mage.
The woman ended her chant prematurely to avoid the flying blade of death thrown at her. It ended the immediate danger but left her open for the other two to strike. The swords struck against Elina's plate armor, sparks flying from their collisions. Elina winced a bit. Her plate armor had protected her from being bisected but there would definitely be some bruises after those hits. She couldn't take hits like those forever. Elina swung her suspended arms down, aiming to crash her elbows into the two men, but her slow attacks didn't come anywhere near the two speedy fighters who bolted away from the meaty blows.
Elina charged for her war axe lodged in the floor. The two blade fighters struck her with each step but never managed to make it through her dense armor. The giant woman stopped and levelled a kick at the assassin but the blow failed to connect again. It was then a powerful fireball collided with her armored chest, the explosion covered the area in smoke and tipped her onto her back. Elina swung her arms and legs around her forcing away the two sword fighters before they could lop her head off. She heard clashes from the swords hitting her armored arms and used her time to stand up again. She winced as she bent her chest, the mage was her biggest concern, since their attacks not only did more damage to her anc could be thrown from range, but had a chance of melting her armor and cooking her alive.
Elina scowled as she held her breath, trying to wave away the smoke that covered her surroundings. She felt two more blows strike her unprotected back at once, making her stumble forward. She felt two pairs of arms grip her shoulders before kicks landed on her bent knees. Elina's legs gave out and she was forced to her knees. She then heard two simultaneous chants beside her.
"As disciples of god, we order thee. Ensnare our target in the warmth of God's love so they may learn the value of his blessings. Binding Shackles."
"As disciples of god, we order thee. Ensnare our target in the warmth of God's love so they may learn the value of his blessings. Binding Shackles."
Chains appeared next to her before quickly wrapping around her arms and tightening to the point where Elina felt her blood begin to stop blowing. She struggled against the bindings but between the two fighter's combined mana pool and her lack of a proper footing, she did little to the chains binding her to the floor. The smoke finally began to clear and Elina was greeted with the damn mage standing only a few meters away from her chained position.
"Darkness blacker than black and darker than dark, I beseech thee, combine with our God's love. The time of awakening cometh. Justice, fallen upon the infallible boundary, appear now as an intangible distortion. Love, Love, Love. I desire for my torrent of power a destructive force: a destructive force without equal. Return all creation to cinders, and come to God's open arms. This is the mightiest means of attack granted to man by God, the ultimate attack magic. Explosion."
The ground beneath Elina lit with red cinders before a tower of unending fire rose from Elina's unmoving position. Elina's pained screams could be heard from within the tower as the fire only grew hotter. Without warning the flame ended. Already, her armor was beginning to melt for the excessive heat. A single point of glowing embers formed before Elina's chest. It condensed briefly before quickly lighting up the entire structure. The embers detonated into an insanely powerful explosion with Elina at the epicenter. Smoke and heat filled the structure before the wind caused by the blast cleared it all, ruffling the clothes of the church members.
The three looked at the center of the blast, expecting to see a pile of cinders and ashes made entirely of their former foe. Instead they were surprised to see a barely standing Elina, her armor completely melted and fused to her body, blood flowing freely from any cracks in her superheated armor. She was breathing heavily and leaning on her re-acquired War Axe. She pushed off her weapon and threw it over her shoulder, ignoring the immense pain from doing such an action. She was so glad she had Stubborn and Hard Headed or she'd be dead right now.
"That all you got, losers?" Elina asked with a bloody smirk.
"Vigneria, how is she alive right now?!" The assassin asked the mage with concern.
"I-I-I have no idea, she should be nothing but ashes now!" The mage spoke with fear in her voice. She couldn't launch any more big spells, that one alone took 90% of her mana pool.
Bolting forward with speed someone that size simply shouldn't have, Elina appeared behind the assassin and threw her axe down. Now most people would have reservations with attacking other people. Elina didn't have those. To her, it was pretty simple, if they attacked her or others, they signed a death warrant.
Her War Axe cleaved the assassin in two with a single strike. His lightweight armor doing nothing to protect him. The swordsman stepped back before readying his blade. He knew Vigneria could do nothing now. She was out of mana and had little skill with her concealed dagger. The fighter rushed forward but feigned his swing, using his superior agility to appear behind Elina and slice her head clean off her body. His blade was halted by Elina raising her hand as she gripped the swordsman's wrist. The swordsman kicked and kicked at Elina, but did little with her thick armor plating. Elina increased her grip strength, watching as the swordsman wiggled in agony as his wrist was pulverized. Deciding he had enough, she slammed him to the ground and stomped on his head, squashing it without resistance.
The mage stumbled back in fear, before running to the wall and begging to be released. The slit they entered through opened but before she could escape, a large armored hand gripped her neck and pulled her back in. Elina raised the woman up and with a little bit more strength, ended her life. Elina dropped the body and stumbled back, falling to her knees. She won the fight, but she wouldn't do much else for the rest of the group.
She just hoped Naofumi had a plan that didn't involve her.
Raphtalia kept a steady footing as the ground continued to get steeper. It would seem their plan was to separate them and pick them off one by one. A good plan but they seemed to underestimate their individual abilities. Raphtalia traversed the sloped ground and slashed apart the molding wall. Before her were the two heavily armored Holy Knights. Raphtalia jumped back defensively before they could strike her. The two entered from the exit she had just created and shared a brief glance before one of them approached her, the other staying behind to guard the exit.
Raphtalia frowned at the subtle insult to her ability. She had taken down armored opponents before, and this would be no different. To think she was useless simply because she couldn't pierce armor would be a vast underestimation of her talents. Raphtalia entered her stance, keeping her center of gravity low to the ground and her legs ready to dodge.
The Holy Knight paused a moment to acknowledge her. They then raised their claymore and struck the ground with a brutal blow. The ground of the arena was fractured and made severely uneven. It seemed that they acknowledged her superior speed at least. This would not be an easy fight. But she didn't have to win, she just needed to escape and regroup, just as Naofumi had said to.
The Holy Knight took a step forward, their weight shifting several plates of fractured ground. Raphtalia took a step backward, her stance preventing her from slipping at all. The Holy Knight seemed to understand her silent plan and raised their hand.
"As a messenger of God, I order thee. Blind my target with the light of my faith. Zuerst Bullet."
A bright light shot from the palm of the Holy Knight's hand. The unspoken message made clear. Try to escape and she'll be mowed down. The Holy Knight gripped their claymore as Raphtalia approached the zealot. The Holy Knight swung their sword in a downward arc. Raphtalia parried it and struck back at the exposed side, only for her sword to weakly crash into thick plate armor. Another swing from the claymore was thrown at Raphtalia who sidestepped the heavy weapon and jumped atop the Holy Knight's arm swiping at any joints she could. She got light cuts from each attack, small trails of blood beginning to drip from her attacks.
Every opponent has a strength, it is up to her to turn that strength into their weakness.
The Holy Knight's armor made them nigh impossible to cut into without heavy weaponry of your own, but it made them impossibly slow. Additionally, no amount of armor could ever cover the entire body without turning them into an immobile statue. This meant weak spots in the armor that could be exploited, most notably the joints. The Holy Knight raised their arms to inspect their bleeding joints. A small huff escaped them before they lowered their claymore and raised their arm.
"As a messenger of God, I order thee. Shower me in God's love and heal my wounds. Zuerst Heal."
And just like that any damage Raphtalia inflicted was wiped away. A bead of sweat trailed her temple. She would already struggle with her enemy's heavy armor plating, but for them to be capable of healing themselves further ruined her chances of leaving this fight the victor. The next ten minutes would consist of Raphtalia desperately trying to inflict any meaningful damage to her opponent and avoiding any swings herself, as even one held a great chance of ending her life if she wasn't careful.
She was going to lose this fight. No matter what she tried, no matter what skill she used, she just couldn't hurt them. At the rate she was going, her stamina would fail her long before the Holy Knight's would. So Raphtalia made a decision. She feigned a sword swipe at the stationary Holy Knight darting back as the claymore crashed into the ground. Raphtalia felt the fractured shards of ground slice away at some exposed skin but this was her opportunity.
Raphtalia jumped atop the claymore and vaulted over the Holy Knight, "Crescent Slash!"
The horizontal swipe did little to damage the Holy Knight, but it accomplished exactly what Raphtalia had hoped it to. She was blasted off the Holy Knight and towards the wall while her opponent had stumbled forward from the attack. Raphtalia readied her sword to tear apart the projected wall but paled when she saw the second Holy Knight suddenly block her path and prepare a swing with their own claymore. She was already airborne and couldn't change her direction since she already used her Crescent Slash. Nothing she could do would avoid this attack.
Raphtalia hoped Naofumi would eventually move on.
Silver sat up from her spot in the center of the pit and looked around the weird room. She hadn't seen anything like this since Daddy hatched her, so she was very curious about the weird looking walls and floor. But she could hold off on exploring her new surroundings for now. Daddy had told her they were going to be in a fight and that she could run away if she was scared. But she wasn't scared! And if they were fighting then she wanted to help Daddy however she could. So that's exactly what she planned to do. She poofed into her filolial form and got ready to fight her way out of whatever place she was in. Before Silver could do just that, a man wearing robes walked in and looked around in confusion.
"A filolial?" He mumbled to himself, "I thought there was supposed to be a child in here… oh well. If you're the Shield Devil's filolial then you too must be purged."
Silver tilted her head in confusion. Who was the Shield Devil and why is this man wearing pajamas in the day?
"As a follower of God, I order thee. Encase my target in a prison of ice. Zweite Glacier."
As pajama man finished talking to himself a blast of ice shot from the stick he was carrying and washed over her. She tried to move her body but found she couldn't. She opened her eyes and saw she was completely trapped in a block of ice. Or at least she would be if she was anyone else.
Pajama man walked over to her and spoke soothingly, "I'm really sorry about this, you poor thing, but all things that Devil has touched must be eradicated. If only we hadn't summoned that damn Shield Hero, everything would have progressed smoothly."
Silver puffed in anger before changing into her child form. "Don't make fun of my Daddy! He's the best Daddy in the world!"
Pajama man sputtered in surprise, "The child? What the-!"
He was cut off as Silver unleashed a single punch that shattered the entire block of ice around her. He held his arms in front of his face to protect himself from stray shards and it proved successful as he felt a couple bounce off his arms. When he felt he was safe, he lowered them only to realize the strange girl was standing right next to him.
Silver punched the man right in the place her Daddy told her to hit any man if they tried to take her. This man wasn't trying to take her but he was trying to take Daddy, so she thought it counted. Pajama man was launched in the air, a little foam coming from his mouth, as Silver prepared her next attack.
"Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-Meanie-MEANIE!" Each shout was accompanied by a volley of punches, striking all over the man's body. With her final shout, the man was sent rocketing to the wall which shattered as he collided with it.
Silver hummed as she casually destroyed one of the church's strongest mages before turning back into her filolial form and darting through the hole she made with pajama man. Looking around she found that the room she was in was constantly morphing shape and as she exited it began to dissipate into nothing. There were four other structures like hers so she charged into the first one, crashing through and knocking some guy wearing heavy armor onto his front. Silver shook off a collision and looked up seeing Raphtalia rocketing towards her.
Silver easily caught the rocket raccoon (haha I'm so funny haha) and looked at her angrily, "Raphtalia, there was this guy wearing weird pajamas and he made fun of Daddy a lot! Did these guys also make fun of my Daddy?" She glared at the two heavily armored people who shuddered a bit from the filolial's visage.
Raphtalia just laughed at the absurdity of her situation. She pulled herself atop Silver, settling into place. She pointed her sword forward and uttered a single word, "Charge!"
Silver giggled before following Raphtalia's order. She bowled over the two Holy Knights, sending them crashing to the floor before they shattered through the structure's wall. The floating shards of the structure began dissipating with their exit. Following the trend they broke through the next wall, seeing Rifana still battling her own pair of church soldiers. Raphtalia gasped as she saw the state of her best friend before they ran over, snatching her up and tossing her on the Silver express. The left before the soldier's could retaliate and entered the next structure. As they entered, they saw Elina kneeling in the middle of three dead bodies, while Elina herself didn't look to be doing too hot. They rode over to pick her up but found that her armor was hot to the touch and that it was in fact, currently melting.
"You rest here, we'll finish up these zealots and get you to a healer, alright?" Raphtalia spoke to her comrade.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll wait here," Elina wheezed out.
With that settled, they saw the last ever changing structure dissipating, their two legendary heroes in the middle of the giant trap, Motoyasu pinning Naofumi down, a strange glow about him and his armor with his spear at Naofumi's throat.
Naofumi was extremely worried about his family. They had all been separated and were set against powerful opponents. They were all alone and they worked best as a team. Even so, he trusted them to prevail over these idiots so they could all join up together to kick this blonde hero's ass. Normally, Naofumi is a pretty patient guy. He could take a lot of crap before he decided enough was enough... But right now? He was kind of done with Motoyasu's bullshit.
So here he stood alone against Motoyasu and one of the church's priests. Knowing Motoyasu, he wouldn't allow her to fight directly so she would most likely give supporting fire or heal or strengthen Motoyasu. It wasn't the greatest situation, but it was better than this being a two on one where the one couldn't even attack reliably.
"No one to hide behind now, Naofumi. Release all of your slaves now," Motoyasu spoke with his spear held with one hand.
Naofumi grumbled into his shield, "Motoyasu, I've told you, they're not my slaves. You just refuse to listen."
Motoyasu's confident smirk fell to a frown, "You won't admit to it? Fine, I'll release them myself after I kill you."
Motoyasu charged forward, lamely thrusting his spear forward. Naofumi angled his shield left, the spear skidding off to the side and leaving Motoyasu wide open to a counterattack. Naofumi clenched his fist and threw a nasty right hook into the Spear Hero's temple. Naofumi's low attack stat meant it did little damage, but the force behind it was still enough to stun the enemy hero. Naofumi reached under Motoyasu and grabbed his opposite arm, grappling him and throwing Motoyasu over his shoulder and into the ground. Motoyasu scrambled to get back up. Naofumi had done around twenty damage total which was tiny when compared to Motoyasu's total health points.
Naofumi dashed forward before raising his arm and sinking into the ground. Motoyasu looked around him wildly. Did Naofumi have some sort of invisible ability? No, he saw him go into the ground, no disappear, so he must be travelling through the ground. And since he couldn't do any damage, that meant he's running off for his slaves! He didn't know how Naofumi did that but he wouldn't let him!
Motoyasu ran for the wall of the structure his partner Anastasia had made with her spell only for Naofumi to pop out of the ground behind him mid flip and kick him in the back of the head. Motoyasu stumbled to the ground before he felt something grip his waist and pull him into the ground. It was only when he realized he was submerged in the ground up to his neck and he couldn't feel his body that he realized Naofumi is one cheating bastard.
"What? How did you? Naofumi let me go dammit!" Motoyasu whined from his place in the ground. Naofumi just deadpanned at him. "Anastasia help me!"
Analisa just sighed in annoyance, as much as he was annoying, she needed him to take down the Shield Devil. Analisa focused on the spot of mana Motoyasu was trapped near and recalled it to her body. Motoyasu sighed in relief as he regained feeling in his body and the flooring surrounding him was removed.
"With Anastasia by my side, your cheap trick won't work on me Naofumi!" Motoyasu smirked.
"Alright then, I'll just have to do it the old fashioned way." Naofumi raised his arms in a boxing stance, Wireframe mimicking his actions.
Motoyasu scoffed as he charged. Naofumi jabbed right, Wireframe copying him as he crashed his fist into Motoyasu's shoulder. Motoyasu skid back, but was otherwise unharmed. That armor was some serious stuff. At the party, Naofumi had been able to launch Naofumi across the room and through two whole tables, now he just skid back a foot or two? It seemed like Wireframe's offensive ability was quickly becoming obsolete in the face of higher level enemies. Motoyasu shook off his confusion and charged forward again.
Left hook. Right uppercut. Left right jab. Haymaker. Track his duck and knee him in the face. Roundhouse kick. Two right jabs and a left hook. No matter what punch he tried to throw, Motoyasu seemed to just shrug it off.
"How are you hitting me from that far you bastard?!" Motoyasu cried out as he took another punch to the chest.
Naofumi smirked, "A little bit of bullshit."
Motoyasu growled as he turned to Analisa. "Anastasia!"
"Her/My name is Analisa!" The other two combatants told the spear hero.
"Could you use your support magic for a bit? It would really help!" He sent her a cheesy smile and she just huffed.
"As a follower of God and the Spear Hero, I order thee. Aid my ally in the fight against evil and give him the strength to fight. Dritte Boost!"
Motoyasu gained an aura around his body, his armor and weapon glowing with a surrounding red miasma. Naofumi raised his shield, this couldn't be good news. Motoyasu vanished from his spot. Naofumi perked up in surprise and looked around frantically, only just seeing Motoyasu's blurred form approaching him from his left side.
He raised his shield and called out, "Airstrike Shield!"
The shield skill formed over Naofumi's own but with a single slash, the skill shattered and the blow connected with his shield, actually managing to push Naofumi back.
"What?!"
Motoyasu vanished again. "Shit. Bullrush!" Naofumi launched off his feet away from his previous location, but Motoyasu managed to catch up instantly. It was only Wireframe's quick actions that the spear phased through Naofumi's body instead of hitting him with a brutal blow.
Naofumi phased through the wall of the structure, but Motoyasu was quick to follow as he blew open an exit for himself before giving chase to the Shield Hero. Naofumi landed harshly but was quick to roll to his feet, blocking another thrust from Motoyasu.
"Hundred Thrusts!" Dozens of glowing spears appeared behind Motoyasu before they all rushed forward into Naofumi Shield. Naofumi grunted under the weight of the skill before he began to phase through the attacks with Wireframe.
"Minor Illusion."
A second Naofumi appeared next to him as they both charged the surprised Motoyasu. Motoyasu backpedaled away from the two approaching Shielders only for a third Naofumi to phase from the ground behind him and unleash another skill.
"Lion's Roar!"
His shield opened up letting out a deafening roar directly in Motoyasu's ear. He recoiled in pain, clutching his head in agony. Naofumi walked up to the defeaned hero, Wireframe floating by his side. He grabbed motoyasu by his ponytail and drove his face into the ground.
"I gave you an out Motoyasu. I gave you a chance to walk away, even after everything you've done to me and my family. You refused that out. So here I am to deliver your consequences on a silver platter. You've gone too far this time Motoyasu."
Wireframe flew forward, driving it's fists into Motoyasu's face as Naofumi held it still. Motoyasu couldn't see when the hits would come or even where they were coming from, making each one worse than it ever should have been.
"I-KA-RI-KA-RI-KA-RI-KA-RI-KA-RI-KA-RI-KA-RI-KA-RI-KA-RI-KA-RI-KA-RI-KA-RI-KA-RI-KA-RI-KA-RI-KA-RI-KA-RI-KA-RI-KA-RI-KAAAAAAA!"
Naofumi dropped Motoyasu's ponytail as Wireframe joined with Naofumi's own body. "I-" Naofumi drove his fist into Motoyasu left eye, "-KA-" Naofumi twisted his fist grinding it into the bone, "-RI!" Naofumi followed through with his punch, Motoyasu sliding along the floor, coming to rest at the feet of Analisa, who had watched the whole thing.
"You truly are a formidable enemy, Shield Devil. You even beat our holy spear hero with hits stats boosted. I'm not quite sure what method you used, but it must be through your devilish influence. Unfortunately for you, we are not that foolish to rely on an idiot for victory."
She chanted a spell to heal all Motoyasu's injuries. He sat up with a groan, rubbing his face before glaring at Naofumi. He gave a small glance at Analisa who nodded in response. She put her hands in a praying position as Motoyasu charged forward. Naofumi raised his Shield but the ground underneath him suddenly shifted, launching him forward before a section of the ceiling flew down and crashed into him. Stunned, Naofumi couldn't stop the empowered spear from making contact with his abdomen, launching him into the air before another section of the ceiling popped out for him to crash into.
Naofumi groaned as he climbed to his feet, that one hit took out a third of his health and he could feel it too. His ribs felt like they got put in a blender. He was pulled back by Wireframe and not a moment too soon as Motoyasu plunged his spear into the ground Naofumi had just been at. He pulled his spear from the ground and sent slash after slash at Naofumi, who used everything he had just to deflect the blows. He phased through a couple only for the flooring to upend him. Nothing he did was enough. He tried to retreat but Motoyasu was on him instantly. Naofumi parried and blocked strike after strike but it proved too much and he fell to the ground. Even still Motoyasu continued to attack, his sheer strength too much for Naofumi to handle.
"Airstrike Shield!" Motoyasu broke it with a single attack.
"Tether!" Motoyasu just snapped the ropes he was bound in.
"Dog Bite!" Motoyasu backhanded the dog head.
"Shield Prison!" "Lightning Spear!" Electricity racked through Naofumi's body as the Shield's did little to stop the electricity.
Motoyasu shoved Naofumi to the ground and aimed his spear at Naofumi's neck. Even with a better strategy and more versatile skills as well as an invisible punch ghost, they just had the perfect set of abilities to counter whatever he could throw at them. He could destroy his defensive skills with sheer power through stat boosts and he could escape any traps Naofumi could lay because Analisa had total control over the shape of the battlefield. But, he still had the ace in the hole.
"Naofumi!" A cry came from the right. He looked over and saw Raphtalia and Rifana riding on Silver's back. Rifana was heavily injured and Elina wasn't with them. What had happened to all of them?
"Don't worry, I got this handled," Naofumi called back, ignoring the pressure Motoyasu put on his throat.
"Like hell you do, you bastard. Release your slaves, or I'll do it for you," Motoyasu threatened.
Naofumi seriously doubted Motoyasu had the will to follow through with his threat, but even still, he wasn't going to take a chance.
"Nah, I'll take option number three."
With that Naofumi phased through the ground just as Silver rammed into the hero, knocking him into Analisa and sending both to the ground. Naofumi popped back out beside the three others and started worriedly looking over them. Raphtalia was fine save for some exhaustion, Silver was completely unharmed but had a bit of a chill, but Rifana had several arrows sticking out along her right side and had several cuts lining her arms and one deep one in her side. Elina was apparently resting away from the fight since she was practically dead on her feet.
He could grab them all with Wireframe and try to leave, but that would just prolong the fight and let them gather more warriors to swarm them with. If they were going to fight, they had to fight now. But the way it was looking, they were very much so on the losing side. Motoyasu was fully healed, the swordsman and archer had some major injuries lining their bodies but were otherwise able to fight, and the two Holy Knights were practically untouched. The only advantage they had was the Holy Priest had finally run out of mana with that last heal spell. So they were completely out of support.
Sacred Grounds dissipated, leaving the groups of fighters once more in the grassy plain they had begun their battle in. A little off in the distance, he could see Elina trying to struggle to her feet.
This was not an ideal situation, to say the least.
"We tried splitting you up, but now it's time we end this with one big fight, my people against yours Naofumi," Motoyasu called out to his opponent.
Naofumi nodded grimly. This was their best shot at getting out of this. "Silver, support Rifana where you can and try to take out the big guys. They're our biggest obstacle right now. Raphtalia, you and me will take on the swordsman and the archer. I'll keep Motoyasu off us with Wireframe so we don't have to worry about him. We can do this."
They would have to be conservative with their mana usage, but they could do it. Raphtalia and Silver had a bunch left, but Rifana and Naofumi were on their last legs.
'I can maybe do two more skills, but then I'm out.' Naofumi thought, 'Gotta make them count.'
"Minor Illusion!" A copy of Rifana and Silver shot out from the group while the rest darted off in different directions.
Some of the church fighters tensed but Motoyasu spoke up, "Ignore these two. They're illusions." He was quickly proven wrong when Silver barreled through their holy knights and the swordsman nearly broke an arm from Rifana's pommel strike.
Raphtalia and Naofumi approached quickly from the sides and attacked the struggling archer. They would have knocked him out had it not been for a wave like projectile shot from Motoyasu's spear. Motoyasu's group recovered quickly and began to retaliate. Raphtalia engaged the injured sword and bow duo while Silver and Rifana tackled the two Holy Knights. Motoyasu tried to approach but Wireframe kept him at bay. His inability to see where he was getting struck from preventing him from coming any closer.
Silver crashed once more into one Holy Knight, but this time the Knight managed to stop her charge only for her to change to a little girl and deliver a powerful blow to his stomach plating. It wasn't enough and she was met with the butt end of the Knight's claymore. Rifana tried to strike back but was grappled by the other holy knight and thrown into Raphtalia. Naofumi tried to catch the two, but he only managed to soften the impact a little. He blocked an arrow with his shield but couldn't stop the Holy Knight's claymore from plowing through his shield, sending the three original members of the party sprawling.
They struggled to their feet, but continued to stand, readying their weapons. Silver retreated from her fight with the two Holy Knights, joining with the others.
"Steel Wall!" "Formation!"
Silver took her filolial form and dashed forward, Raphtalia riding atop her. She flashes her sword from its sheath and returns it as they pass. Clashes rang out from the enemy's armors but none of them go down. Rifana rushes to support them, but her injuries make fighting a difficult task. It was then that Motoyasu reached the tired Shield Hero. Wireframe had receded to its user's body, Naofumi's exhaustion catching up with him. Naofumi tiredly raised his shield but Motoyasu managed to swat it away with a single blow.
"Just give it up, Naofumi," Motoyasu commanded, "You're slaves are tired, you have no mana left, and several of my fighters are still completely fine and that's not even counting me. You have no chance."
'No, I can't… If I do, I'll lose my family,' Naofumi thought.
Elina would likely be executed for treason, Rifana and Raphtalia would be rebranded as slaves and sold to who knows where, and Silver would be paraded as some sort of exotic attraction for fancy nobles. This wasn't a fight he could afford to lose. Naofumi struggled to his feet, aiming his shield at Motoyasu, who was overlooking the other fights. Silver and Rifana were barely holding back the Holy Knights and Raphtalia was defending them from the swordsman's strikes and the archer's arrows.
'This is all I have left, nothing else has the potential to end this,' Naofumi thought, 'All or nothing.'
"STAND ARROW!"
Naofumi's shield changed to the very first shield he had unlocked. The arrow atop the plate shooting from the shield with an incredible force towards Motoyasu. Motoyasu heard the skill activation, quickly turning to face Naofumi. He saw the arrow mere centimeters from his heart and with incredible speed deflected the arrow away from himself. The arrow continued to travel unabated before it found a target, burrowing itself deep into the back and through the heart of Rifana.
The field became deathly quiet as the girl stumbled away from her opponent and looked at the arrowhead poking its way through her left breast. Her eyes slowly began to fade as blood poured from the open and fatal wound.
"R...RIFANAAAAAA!" Naofumi cried out as he abandoned his battle and ran for Rifana's body. Motoyasu couldn't speak a word.
Before anything else happened, a bit of life came back to the weasel demi-human. Her arms reached up to the arrow, gripping it fiercely, the blades cutting into her fingers. She gave a weak tug at the object, the arrow didn't budge. She failed to hear her family desperately telling her to stop. She gave a stronger pull, but still the arrow didn't budge. With one final pull, Rifana screamed out her dying breath as she ripped out the arrow from her heart.
The field was quiet, all present gazing at what should have been an instant death and maybe at the least a fatal wound. Yet, somehow, there was no wound in Rifana's chest. The arrow in Rifana's bloodied hands dissipated, returning to Naofumi's shield. Rifana reached up to her head, brushing back her messy hair.
"I've Been A Fool."
With those words, her forehead split open to reveal a third eye, its sclera yellow and its pupil red and slitted. The entire eye was surrounded by a black border that heavily resembled eyeliner.
Rifana, raised her hand, aiming her palm towards her foes.
"Demonic Seeing Eye, I speak to thee,
See the enemies before us and steal their souls to be,
Take their strength for our own, give it all to me,
For thine is I, and I am thee."
The remaining members of the church froze, before they began to shake uncontrollably. They struggled to withstand whatever attack Rifana had unleashed on them. The first to fall was the archer, soon followed by the Holy Priest and the swordsman. The Holy Knights collapsed not even five seconds later.
"Wha… what just happened?" Motoyasu spoke from among the pile of weakened church members. One second he was looking at a girl on the verge of death and the next she had a third eye and his party began to collapse. How?
Motoyasu took a step towards Naofumi, "What the hell did you just-"
He was cut off as Rifana suddenly appeared before him, her axe poised to cleave him in two. He raised his spear to block and was surprised at the sheer strength behind the blow. Motoyasu, a level 58 hero of the spear with his boosted stats was barely able to hold back the power behind this level 42 weasel girl's single axe strike. The scariest thing was that Rifana didn't even seem to be trying. She raised her foot and kicked Motoyasu away, his body creating its own trench.
"R...Rifana?"
Rifana turned to see the red and crying faces of Raphtalia, Naofumi, and Silver. Off in the distance Elina was hiding her own tears, having believed her fellow axe wielder to have died as well. Her energy spent, Rifana's third eye closed, her forehead refusing together as Rifana collapsed to the ground, her family catching her and bringing her into a tight embrace.
Just like that, the battle was over.
Naofumi Iwatani
Class: Shield Hero
Level 47
Legendary Shield,「Wireframe」
Bizarre Otherworldly Clothing
ATK: 58
DEF: 400
MATK: 49
MDEF: 310
DEX: 126
AGI: 181
ACTIVE SKILLS:
Stand Arrow
Stand Arrow Lv 2 (Locked)
Bullrush
Tether
Air Strike Shield
Dog Bite
Shield Prison
Lion's Roar
Iron Will
Minor Illusion
PASSIVE SKILLS:
Herbal Enhancement
Good Cook Lv 2
Demi-Human Growth
Friend of Demi-Humans
Mining Boost
Chopping Boost
Fire Resistance (Small)
Fishing Proficiency
Monster Maturation Adjustment (Small)
Monster Status Adjustment (Small)
Quick Swim (Small)
Burn Resistance (Small)
Raphtalia
Class: Demi-Human Knight
Level 42
Magic Iron Sword
Swordswoman's Dress
ATK: 178
DEF: 92
MATK: 134
MDEF: 48
DEX: 93
AGI: 178
ACTIVE SKILLS:
Crescent Slash
Formation
PASSIVE SKILLS:
Demi-Human Hearing
Undying Loyalty
Parry Profession
Rifana
Class: Demi-Human Rampager
Level 42
Magic Iron Axe,「I've Been A Fool」
Short Furred Covering
ATK: 191
DEF: 59
MATK: 56
MDEF: 50
DEX: 190
AGI: 234
ACTIVE SKILLS:
Blind Rage
PASSIVE SKILLS:
Demi-Human Eyesight
Undying Loyalty
Blood Rush
Elina Poli
Class: Human Thrasher
Level 42
Magic Iron War Axe
Plate Armor
ATK: 266
DEF: 108
MATK: 39
MDEF: 35
DEX: 84
AGI: 87
ACTIVE SKILLS:
Bloody Sunday
PASSIVE SKILLS:
Hard Headed
Stubborn
Adrenaline Rush
Armor Crush
Silver
Class: Adult Filolial Guard
Level 42
Steel Wings
ATK: 160
DEF: 202
MATK: 162
MDEF: 245
DEX: 63
AGI: 156
ACTIVE SKILLS:
Steel Wall
PASSIVE SKILLS:
Endless Hunger
Cart Puller
Undying Loyalty
Wireframe
Power D
Speed C
Range C
Durability E
Precision C
Development Potential A
I've Been A Fool:
Power C
Speed E
Range C
Durability C
Precision A
Development Potential C
Notes:
WHOOOOO BOY! That was one hell of a chapter! Personally I think this might be the best fight scene I've written, but that's just me.
Anyway, we finally see a new stand! Raphtalia will be jealous that Rifana got the first one. Rifana's stand is one of the more interesting one's I've thought up, but I think it'll be pretty cool to explore. I'm a little surprised no one noticed the ? in Rifana's stat sheet, normally when something changes there people pick up on it right away. Additionally, people still haven't gotten the little JoJo reference I put in chapter 11. I'll admit, it's REALLY vague, but I think someone will get it eventually. (Hint: it's in the wave fight, not any preparation or dialogue)
Finally, yeah the chapter is a little late, but the chapter just ended up being SO LONG. I didn't want to snub anything short so here I am... at 2:30... in the morning. Help.
Anyway, see you with Ren's side story :)
- RandomA99