Reviews:
SomeCallMeDrunk: Yeah, I haven't seen anyone else do that either, which is a little surprising considering how obvious it should be. But to each their own I guess. Thanks for the compliment!
Azure Star Dragon: Yeah Fitoria is kind of stuck up. I get why she's so hard on canon Naofumi, but seriously, for the most part the man has been trying to do everything he can to help everyone. The fact she doesn't even recognize that annoys me greatly.
Rking 93: Thanks man!
SentinalSlice: Fitoria will be placated, I wouldn't want her to ruin so much planning with just a single line, after all.
A Shield's Stand
Chapter 19: Work Together? We've Been Trying To!
Standing stock still, two groups stared one another down in utter shock. On one side was Naofumi and his party of five, Raphtalia, Rifana, Silver, and Elina. On the other stood the lone Bow Hero, Itsuki Kawasumi, the teen behind the deaths of more than a hundred people and the destruction of an eighth of Castle Town.
"Ah… long time no see, huh?" Itsuki chuckled nervously as he looked away from the five.
They were quick to action, before Itsuki could even react, Naofumi had already shouted, "Shield Prison!" Trapping the Bow Hero in a ball of shields. Elina rushed up, picking up the surprisingly lightweight ball and batted it into the sky with her war axe where Silver and Rifana were waiting to strike.
"As a companion of the Shield Hero, I order thee, reduce my target to a pile of cinders with the power of my strike! Faust Shock!"
The Shields, being metal, were wonderful conductors and allowed the electricity to travel excellently throughout its body, effectively turning the ball into a personal shock chamber. Once the current ended, Silver kicked the ball straight into the ground, cratering the ground. The skill dissipated, revealing a smoking and very dazed Itsuki collapsed in the crater. Raphtalia wasted no time and grabbed the hero by the collar, heaving him up and placing her sword at his neck.
Before anything else could occur, Fitoria decided there had been enough horseplay for the moment. Within a tenth of a second, the small winged girl vanished from her spot and sent a single chop to the head of each of Naofumi's party, the Shield Hero included, sending them all to the ground in utter agony.
While all six of the heroes and hero companions groaned on the ground, Fitoria made sure to check if she had hit any of them too hard. Seeing that they were all breathing and groaning in pain, Fitoria was satisfied with her results.
"While your actions are understandable based on the Bow Hero's previous actions, I cannot allow the heroes to fight any longer than they already have," the bird loli stated in her signature monotone voice while leaning over the group.
"You could have just told us to stop," Rifana complained as she tried to get up from the floor, keyword being tried.
"It would have taken longer," Fitoria simply said.
'Lazy,' the thought was shared by all six on the ground.
"Well would you mind telling us why he's here?" Naofumi asked with a small glare sent towards the still recovering Bow Hero.
Fitoria shook her head, "I cannot be the one to reforge the hero's relationships. That must be done between the heroes themselves."
As cryptic as Fitoria tried to sound with her more wistful and wise sounding words, any sort of effect she could have was kind of countered by her small stature and deadpan stare. If anything, her words came off as unmotivated.
Elina scoffed, making to leave them all, "As if I'd ever listen to a word that brat has to say. He tried to kill more than half my party and he could have killed me or my mother in his fire." She punched a tree as she passed it, completely puncturing through the trunk and sending the tree toppling to the ground, "If he wants my forgiveness, I'll give it to him and shove it straight up his ass!"
Naofumi didn't disagree with her, not in the slightest, but he knew that the world needed all four heroes. It needed Itsuki. So he would have to ignore his distaste and, dare he say, hatred for his fellow hero, if only for the sake of the people. He huffed out a frustrated sigh, "Fine. We'll hear what you have to say, but don't misunderstand, nothing you could say will ever make up for your actions."
Itsuki tried to speak, but words refused him, so he settled for averting his gaze and anxiously rubbing his arm. Fitoria, seeing they were deciding to be civil, led them all to a few logs that would serve as seating. It didn't matter to her if the large pink haired woman wasn't willing to speak with the Bow Hero, the companions almost never mattered when forming the relationships between the heroes. For now, she would let the angry woman rage around in the ruins, her filolials watching her to make sure she was safe and didn't destroy anything important in her anger.
The six sat down, Naofumi sitting on one log, Raphtalia and Rifana by his side and Silver on his lap in her child form. Itsuki sat across from them and Fitoria opted to sit on the log beside them, it was obvious she would have to play the mediator between the two if she wanted them to talk at all.
She sighed internally, 'So troublesome.'
They sat there for a while, no one saying anything and the tension thicker than a bowl of oatmeal. Silver eventually got bored and started playing with Naofumi's loose clothes, the metal pieces jingling as she tapped them against her own metal wings.
Time ticked on, the ruins silent except for Silver's incessant and mindless tapping of metal on metal. Itsuki had to commend Naofumi. Using such mundane tactics to make an interrogation last even longer, all while making it seem effortless and unplanned (it was, but he doesn't need to know that). The tapping simulated a normal analog clock, the ticking driving into his head, growing in intensity as tap after tap sounded out. His anxiety wanted to tear through his chest, he couldn't handle this much longer.
He wanted to be the hero in this world.
He was the farthest thing from a hero.
He wanted to help people.
He failed to help a single person.
He didn't want this to happen
So why did he enjoy the feeling of power so much?
He couldn't take it, the words exploding from his mouth in a waterfall of anxiety, "I thought the world was like-was like Dimension Web, and-and-and then you showed up with your power and I thought you were cheating. I got so mad that I didn't really think about anything else and before I realized it arrows were flying and fire was everywhere. The Bow changed and it started doing things to my head! It made me so angry! I never wanted this to happen. If I had known they were people I never would have done anything like that! I-I just thought it was all a game, please you have to believe me Naofumi! I know I messed up but-"
"You messed up? That's it? You just messed up?" Rifana questioned. Itsuki flinched, that was a really poor way to put it.
"I didn't mean it like that! I-" He rushed to explain but was cut off again.
"Oh? Then what did you mean?" Raphtalia spoke her mind, "You didn't mean to set the capital on fire? To hurt all those people? To try and kill us?" She levelled a fierce glare at the Bowman, "Go on, tell us. What did you mean?"
"I… I'm sorry…" Itsuki muttered quietly, words failing him again. What could he say? That all the horrible things he did weren't his fault? That would be a bold and plain lie. He didn't want to enjoy the pain and suffering of others. He didn't want to revel in the feelings of superiority that came with this strength. He wanted to deny it so strongly, but at the end of it, Itsuki knew he enjoyed the absolute power he felt under the Bow's influence, the murder of hundreds of people be damned.
The four sat quietly. A simple apology wouldn't be enough. They doubted nothing would truly make up for his actions, but, as he was one of the cardinal heroes, they would have to move on.
"Do you know how many people you killed, Itsuki?" Naofumi asked.
Itsuki paled, "W-what?"
"I said, do you know how many you killed?" Naofumi restated.
Itsuki tried to force the question from his mind. It was a direct look at the consequences of his actions. Itsuki put his hands to his head, digging his fingers into his scalp. Naofumi lifted Silver from his lap, putting her down on her own part of the log. He stood and approached the now shaking Itsuki, Fitoria watching for any hint of an attack.
"You killed more than two thousand people Itsuki."
The two words, lighter than air, felt heavier than boulders, sinking Itsuki's stomach to the very depths of metaphorical hell. Two thousand. Two thousand people.
"Seeing as we're heroes, I'll work with you, no matter what you've done in the past, because that's my job and my duty to the people I care about," Naofumi spoke briskly. "If you want my forgiveness, then you'll have to earn the forgiveness of every single person you hurt in your rampage. The people whose houses you destroyed, whose families you broke apart, whose loved ones you killed. You'll need to earn the forgiveness of every single one."
Naofumi looked away from him, glancing at Raphtalia, who shook her head no, "But I realize that's going to be impossible for the time being. So for now, just stay out of our way."
Rifana and Raphtalia stood and with Naofumi, they walked off in search of Elina, probably to explain the decisions they reached. Fitoria agreed with the Shield Hero. The Bow Hero had committed horrible sins against the people of this world. To ask for forgiveness from the Shield Hero would be a disservice to the people he actually hurt. It was also nice to know the Shield Hero would be working with the Bow Hero regardless of his personal feelings toward the younger boy, so ultimately, she decided the discussion was largely a success. Which left just a few things to go over.
Fitoria left to do… something. Itsuki couldn't really bring himself to care where she went at the moment. Two thousand people… it was so many… and who knew how many he had hurt or how many families he had torn? If he wanted to be a hero, then he had failed in the worst way. His hands clenched harder, his fingers digging more and more into his scalp. There was so much pressure. So much he had to do. He couldn't do it. He couldn't do it, not again, not aga-
A hand tugged on his sleeve, he pulled himself out of his incoming panic attack, seeing the little singed girl that was sitting on Naofumi's lap earlier, "I'm not sure what you did to make everyone so mad at you, Mr. Itsuki," the girl spoke, her soft voice suiting her kind disposition, "and two thousand is one of the biggest numbers I've ever heard, but I'm sure if you do it one at a time, you'll get it done eventually. That's what my daddy always tells me," she clutched her shield plush tighter in her arm, offering a bright smile before speeding off after the rest of her family.
Itsuki watched, eyes wide as the girl ran into the woods. He pulled his bow out, holding the weapon that had brought so much pain to so many people. "One at a time?" Itsuki whispered as he dragged his hand along the legendary weapon, "I can handle that."
The five members of the Shield Hero's party regrouped, Raphtalia filling Elina in on what she missed, the hulking woman scoffing in disgust. She called him a coward for making excuses, but otherwise didn't comment on it. Seeing as they didn't have to worry about being found and apprehended, the five decided to spend some time destressing into the night.
Sitting around a small campfire, the five actually got to talk like regular people for the first time in a long while. Naofumi couldn't remember how much he missed this. They didn't have to worry about world ending events, corrupt kings or religions, idiotic heroes, or whatever horrible pasts they had endured, Silver notwithstanding. So being able to just… talk? It was amazing. Despite having been together for only a few months, the group had gathered more than enough insane stories and adventures to reminisce about, as if they had been together for years.
Elina got to show a little more of her softer side, joking about the bad luck of the group.
Raphtalia got to act her actual age for once, slashing right back with her own little quips.
Rifana laughed heartily at the antics, joining in animatedly whenever one of her favorite stories came up, especially so when they started talking about the farmer's market incident, much to Raphtalia's embarrassment and Elina's irritation. Raphtalia and Elina would very much prefer to forget about that, thank you very much
Silver got to spend some valuable time with her dad for once, playing with the scarred man now that he could give her his undivided attention. Strangely enough, she enjoyed having the shield plush she always carried thrown off for her to fetch. On her return she would always try to excitedly tackle Naofumi to the ground, but Naofumi's massive defensive abilities made sure he barely budged each time. She would knock him down one day.
Naofumi didn't like to mention this all too often (or at all, really), but the last couple of events had really started to wear him down. The battle with Motoyasu, the third Melromarcian wave and the fight with Glass, the accusation of kidnapping the crown princess, the following manhunt, Lerno, and finally saving the demi-humans from Rabier and meeting Fitoria. It would simply be too much for most people, and for Naofumi, it had begun to wear down on his kinder disposition. He didn't enjoy getting angry. Grudges rarely solved anything. Yet he found himself getting increasingly frustrated every time another accusation was hurled at him.
So this time between him and his family?
He treasured it.
The tension, fear, and uncertainty was replaced with a lighthearted and joyful air, one he could get used to breathing.
"Back off! He's my daddy!" Silver shouted, knocking Naofumi from his thoughts.
Looking around, he saw that dozens of filolials had begun to swarm their little campsite, all of them starting pleadingly at him or the empty makeshift pot.
Naofumi chuckled, "Alright, alright," the filolials perked up as he spoke and stood up, "I may not be the greatest cook, but I'll cook for you all. Get me all the ingredients and pots you can, we're having a feast tonight!"
"Heyyyyyy…" Silver pouted from his side.
Naofumi smiled softly and ruffled her silver hair, "Don't worry, I'll save the best portion for you." Silver smiled brightly before latching onto his side in a fearsome bear hug which would have completely crushed lesser men.
"Can you guys see anything at all?" Raphtalia asked, having been blinded by the sheer brightness of the two.
Rifana looked over her left shoulder, "You're seriously asking this now? I was blinded a while ago." Raphtalia was to her right.
The filolial army came crashing back onto the scene, each one carrying a plethora of items with them. There were wild fruits, vegetables, a few pots and wooden spoons/ladles, and even a few… dead monsters. Well they were definitely thorough in getting ingredients.
Naofumi wasn't much of a cook, but he would do what he could.
Apparently, doing what he could would end up with every single filolial completely knocked out in a food coma, Silver being quite close to one herself. Naofumi holding her in his arms wasn't helping her sleepy eyes at all, either.
"Well, it's getting late, we should see about finding a spot to sleep," Raphtalia turned on her 'mom mode'
"'M not sleepy…" Silver mumbled from her spot in Naofumi's arms.
"Sure you aren't, and I'm the Queen of Faubley," Elina yawned out.
The group navigated their way through the piles of sleeping filolials, trying to avoid waking them all up. Naofumi was looking forward to a nice night of sleep to round out the very calming day.
"Just a moment, Shield Hero," Fitoria said as she stood on the other end of the sleeping filolials, "I need to have a word with you."
…
"You couldn't have said that before we played minesweeper with all the filolials?" Elina grumbled.
"Ah… my apologies," Fitoria did not sound sincere, but maybe that was just her monotone voice speaking, "Regardless, it is imperative that I speak with him tonight."
Rifana sighed, mourning the loss of her peaceful rest before stretching her body to wake herself up a little, "Alright, where are we heading?"
Fitoria shook her head, "You misunderstand me, this is a discussion between me and the Shield Hero, alone." His party members being present would likely make her message far more difficult to properly convey.
Raphtalia stepped in, "And you seem to misunderstand us. We're not leaving Naofumi's side."
Naofumi shook his head fondly, he knew they would try to pull something like this.
Elina cracked her neck, "Eh, I guess I could stick my neck out for Shieldy, this time." Rifana elbowed her, only to quickly regret it, clutching and shaking her arm in muffled pain.
Fitoria huffed, a small frown forming on her emotionless face, "Very well, please follow me, this is not a suitable place to speak."
Fitoria led them away from the pack of sleeping filolials, bringing the five adventurers towards a small overhang overlooking a large portion of the ruins. Despite their derelict state, the ruins had this sort of beauty to them, their cracked and vegetative state speaking towards a long history that no one will truly know of. Fitoria sat down, dangling her short legs over the edge. Taking this as their destination, the five went about making themselves comfortable. Naofumi joined Fitoria at the edge, still holding Silver in his arms. Rifana and Raphtalia followed right behind him, sitting beside him. Elina opted to stand and lean against a nearby standing pillar.
The coming conversation would not be a comfortable one for any involved, but it was one that had to be had, for the sake of the future of this world.
"The heroes must be united as a front against the waves, so why is it that the heroes have become so fragmented from one another?" Fitoria opened the conversation. "I have not heard a clear answer from the Bow Hero, as I doubt he gave me the entire story when I asked him."
The group shared a collective look, before Rifana answered, "If you're asking why the heroes won't work together, it's the Bow Hero and Spear Hero who refuse to even look us in the eye." Rifana put a finger on her chin, "Ren was like that too before we worked things out, but the other two have been really difficult to work with."
"And why would that be? From my knowledge, you all come from different worlds so there shouldn't be any inherent hostility between the heroes when you're summoned, so tell me why the heroes continue to fight amongst one another."
"Real bossy, aren't you," Elina cut in, "Listen, Shieldy was accused of raping the princess on his second day here, the psychopath and casanova both just listened to her without any evidence and condemned him without a second thought." Elina's scowl deepend and the mention of the idiotic heroes, "Since then Shieldy has been trying to work things out with them, but then the Bow bastard went on a murder spree and the Spear asshole tried to kill us all."
"I do not want to hear your excuses," Fitoria spoke with disappointment.
"Excuses?!" Raphtalia screeched from her spot, quickly shooting to her feet and stalking towards the small bird girl, "How in the hell have we been making excuses? You want us to work together? We've been trying to, damn it! You have no fucking idea how often we're fighting just to stay alive, and not just from monsters!" Rifana was holding her back from getting in the undeniably far stronger girl's face, "Naofumi has gone through so much and he's still showing everyone around him kindness, which is so much more than any of them deserve. So don't talk to us about excuses."
Fitoria scowled, "Extenuating circumstances should not affect the heroes. The safety of the world comes before all else. I have been all across the world taking care of the waves you four haven't been fighting. For now, I am enough, but in the near future, I will not be able to hold the tide. The heroes must be able to work together before then or the world shall fall. And if the heroes refuse to work together... then new heroes will be summoned."
The group sprang into action, Rifana grabbed Naofumi, pushing him behind her, while Raphtalia and Elina formed a wall between Fitoria and their hero. Naofumi tried to deescalate the situation, not only did he want his party to avoid a fight, but that fight, should it happen, would be a death sentence for all of them and the other three heroes. It was then he noticed that his arms were now free of their earlier load.
"You're full of crap!" Silver pointed at Fitoria, one hand on her hip. Despite the situation, Raphtalia, Rifana, and Naofumi couldn't help but look at the undeniable source of Silver's curse words. "Daddy was the only one to go to the animal person place to fight the wave, but you don't care about that at all! Daddy works so hard to help everyone he meets! If you wanna be mad, go be mad at the Bow man or the spear jerk! They're the ones messing up! Besides, Daddy has a plan to fix everything." Silver finished with her arms crossed and a very smug look on her face.
The scowl on Fitoria's face lessened, if only by a bit, as she turned to look at the Shield Hero, "Is that true? You have a plan to reconnect the heroes?"
Naofumi rubbed the back of his head, "Well… it's going to cause a little chaos in Melromarc for a bit, and it might hurt our relationship with Itsuki and Motoyasu for a little while, but if everything goes according to plan, then the four heroes will be united to fight the waves."
Fitoria let out a sigh, "That is acceptable." Then she sat down and gazed off into the ruins like she hadn't just threatened the lives of four people. Once he had calmed his party down, they all resumed their previous positions, waiting idly as time passed them by. One by one they fell asleep until only Naofumi and Fitoria remained awake.
It was a calm night with clear skies. It was only now that he realized not once has he looked closely at the stars above him. One of those little specks could be another world. One of those little specks could be his world. Wireframe appeared beside Naofumi, placing its hand on his shoulder. Naofumi smiled, whenever he wasn't planning out the future, he would often wonder about his original world. He doubted he would ever really remember what it was like, but he guessed it didn't really matter anymore. Now he was in this world, with this family, and Wireframe would serve as a reminder that he has a connection to his old world.
Naofumi could live with that.
He felt a weight lean against his right arm. Tilting his head, he saw Fitoria had scooted closer and had rested her head on his arm. Despite her earlier threats and her apathetic demeanor, Naofumi knew she acted more like a touch starved little girl than the protector of the world she had become. So he could forgive her for her earlier words. He raised his hand and ruffled her hair, Fitoria letting a small hum at the action.
"Fitoria… you were raised by one of the past heroes, weren't you?" Naofumi softly asked.
Fitoria's body tensed every so slightly, but she stayed silent for a long time. "...I was. A filolial's memory is very poor, however, so I do not remember his name or his face. All I know is he was the Shield Hero, and he asked me to promise to protect this world."
'That explains why she wanted to talk to me instead of the other heroes,' Naofumi thought, 'Will that happen to Silver when I'm gone? She'll be alone for centuries while new heroes are summoned again and again?'
"...he sounds like a kind man," Naofumi offered quietly.
"I think he was," Fitoria responded.
The morning after was tense, but not as tense as the day before had been. Itsuki did his best to steer clear of the other hero's party, sparing only a few glances towards them all as they prepared themselves to depart once more. Fitoria also seemed calmer despite her facial expression barely having changed at all. So when Naofumi grabbed Silver and pulled her aside to have a one on one chat, the other three just kind of brushed it off.
Needless to say, when they returned and an incredibly powerful magical barrier formed around Silver and Fitoria, Elina, Raphtalia, and Rifana were just a bit surprised.
"What the-! Naofumi, what the hell is going on!" Elina demanded.
"Well, after you all went to sleep last night, me and Fitoria stayed up a little later and talked some things out. Apparently, any animal raised by a cardinal hero becomes a candidate for royal succession and Fitoria wanted to use this time to see if Silver was capable of taking on that role." Naofumi explained, "I talked to Silver about it and she seemed pretty excited about it so everything is alright."
Raphtalia's open hand smacked Naofumi on the top of the head, "And you didn't think to tell us because…?" Her expression promised infinite pain if he answered poorly.
"W-well, if Silver didn't want to do it, then there really wasn't a reason to say much else," Naofumi hurriedly said.
Putting the family feud off to the side, inside the magical barrier, Fitoria and Silver were locked in a heated stare down. Realistically, Silver knew she had no shot of winning, Fitoria was way stronger than her, really really fast, and a LOT older than her, so that meant there was some other thing Fitoria was looking for. Luckily for Silver, she wasn't some blond ditz that would charge ahead blindly, her Daddy had taught her better than that.
"Let's begin."
That was all the warning Silver got before Fitoria shot ahead swinging her hand down in a clawing motion. Silver dodged to the side and tried to transform, only to find she couldn't.
"You rely on your other form far too much, if you cannot adapt to your environment, then you will only be a liability on the battlefield," Fitoria's words rang true as Silver had to backstep to avoid another swipe.
"Fine then! Let's try this then!" Silver shouted back before beginning to chant, "As the daughter of the Shield Hero, I order thee, bury my target under the weight of the entire ocean, Flood!"
Silver shot her hands forward, a geyser of water flying from them in a highly pressurized stream. She aimed it towards Fitoria who easily dodged the water. Another swing and another dodge, and then another, and another, and another. It was repetitive but Fitoria understood Silver's aim. Thanks to the magical barrier, the water from Silver's spell was getting trapped inside the dome, very quickly filling up the space the two had. The water level had reached higher than the heights of the two combatants, transforming the land battle into an underwater one.
Silver used the geysers to propel herself through the water, throwing high speed kicks and tackles at the other girl, though Fitoria's superior experience gave her more than enough skill to dodge every strike.
'I've given her enough time to play around,' Fitoria thought, beginning her own assault.
Hundreds of magical projectiles spawned from the white winged girl, flying out in dozens of different arcs before attacking Silver from all sides. Silver propelled herself through the magical assault, doing the most she could to dodge everything thrown at her, but ultimately it proved to be too much as several of the bullets struck her as she failed to evade them, sending her crashing into the floor of the water filled dome.
Silver was getting frustrated, unseen tears beginning to build in her eyes. Fitoria was just too much stronger, Silver couldn't do a thing to her. She shook her head to dispel the tears, she couldn't give up.
'What would Daddy do?!' Silver thought.
Naofumi's voice filled her head, "Remember, Silver, you aren't like her, you can't overwhelm them with powerful attacks, you have to use what makes you unique to outclass them."
Silver's face lit up with glee, that was actually a solid plan! 'Thanks brain for giving me one of Daddy's lessons!' She didn't seem to realize that Naofumi had said that from outside the dome.
Fitoria launched another wave of projectiles towards Silver. Her wings spread out from her back, wrapping around herself just as the projectiles reached her. They slammed into the metallic feathers, exploding into quick sparks that were snuffed out by the water they were under. Shot after shot slammed into the unmoving girl, every single attack failing to injure the girl in the slightest.
'Deciding to go on the defensive? Bold choice.'
Fitoria vanished from her spot, turning into a blur of motion even underwater. She reappeared behind Silver, and threw a punch. The punch was intercepted by Silver's wings, the impact behind it sending the girl sliding along the floor a couple inches. Silver quickly retaliated, throwing a right hook out. Fitoria dodged the blow, the force of the punch being displayed by the massive waves in the water.
Despite the attack not being her full strength, as such a thing would probably turn the girl in paste due to the sheer gap in levels and power, Fitoria couldn't help but be mildly impressed at the girl's defensive capabilities. That punch was strong enough to throw the boss of the last wave she fought into the ground and then some. To say it was powerful was putting it lightly.
'She must be running out of air,' a quick look proved she was correct, Silver's face was ever so slowly turning red, an indicator of a lack of air, 'one last test, then.'
Fitoria launched herself at Silver, who threw her wings up in preparation, her skin turning metallic as well. Fitoria's arms turned into nothing more than a blur of pure speed. Hundreds of blows rained down on Silver's metallic skin, each one loaded with incredible strength. Silver tried to meet each attack head on, trusting her metallic skin to protect when her guard dropped for an attack that would be effortlessly avoided.
The volley was brutal, Elina, Raphtalia, Rifana, and Naofumi watching with a wince and extreme amounts of worry. Each strike was aimed at Silver's weakest areas, striking with incredible efficiency. Fitoria raised her fist for one final strike, upping the strength higher than any other blow she had thrown thus far. Silver raised her guard up, throwing her arms in front of her face as the blow connected. Silver was thrown right off her feet and into the barrier. Though when she lowered her arms, she showed herself to be completely unharmed.
She scrambled to her feet only to stop as Fitoria spoke, "That will be all, I have seen enough to prove your potential," a miniscule smile appeared on the girl's face, "You have passed my test."
Raphtalia and Rifana cheered for Silver, Elina gave an approving smile to the girl and Naofumi whooped and congratulated the silver winged girl. Raphtalia's eyes widened suddenly as she threw her arms out.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Raphtalia cried out as she realized what was about to happen. Fitoria waved her arm, the barrier dissipating almost instantly and all the water trapped inside rushed out, slamming into the four. As it washed away, all four were revealed to be completely drenched.
After drying off (and leaving the muddy grass) the succession 'ceremony' if it could even be called that occurred. Fitoria took one of her cowlicks from her head and put it on Silver's own head, the cowlick merging with the girl's hair and becoming her own cowlick. Silver looked at it curiously before shrugging it off. Fitoria then gave another of her cowlicks to Naofumi as a gift, the single piece of hair unlocking the entire filolial series in an instant.
Filolial Wing Shield
DEF: +1
MDEF: +2
Skill [ Gust Bellow ] Learned
I want to go to Buffalo Wild Wings and wait an hour for a single order of wings
Filolial Beak Shield
DEF: +3
MDEF: +1
I fear the day when Cuccoos rebel against their farmers
Filolial Muscle Shield
ATK: +1
DEF: +2
MDEF: +1
Saido Chesto or whatever, never watched it
Filolial Queen Shield (Locked)
DEF: +5
MDEF: +5
Skill [ Friend of Filolials (Passive) ] Learned
Welcome to Al's Toy Barn, we've got the lowest prices in town! Everything for a buck, buck, buck!
Filolial King Shield (Locked)
DEF: +5
MDEF: +5
Skill [ King of Filolials (Passive) ] Learned
Good old Henry VIII; divorced, beheaded, survived... divorced, beheaded, and died
Filolial Royalty Shield (Locked)
DEF: +5
MDEF: +5
Skill [ Royalty of Filolials (Passive) ] Learned
Ruler of an actual people, unlike the Burger King
Fitoria offered to drop the party of five near the nearest hero, which by process of elimination would be Motoyasu, but they refused, asking instead to be dropped off at a place near Castle Town, where it was unlikely for Royal Knights to be. Their day off in the ruins cut down on their deadline, but with Fitoria's carriage, they would be able to lead the charge on the castle without worry of being captured or delayed.
Fitoria agreed, dropping the five off in a forested area, and a quick survey around relieved them as no royal knights or other enemies were near them.
After collecting themselves and a quick goodbye to Fitoria, the five set on the final leg of their journey. In one day, their plan would come to fruition. More than half the country would converge on the castle and throw the King from his position of power, giving them all the power necessary to take down the church.
Tomorrow was the day.
Naofumi Iwatani
Class: Shield Hero
Level 48
Legendary Shield,「Wireframe」
Bizarre Otherworldly Clothing
ATK: 60
DEF: 447
MATK: 50
MDEF: 353
DEX: 129
AGI: 185
Stand Arrow Charge: 45%
Raphtalia
Class: Demi-Human Knight
Level 45
Magic Iron Sword
Swordswoman's Dress
ATK: 163
DEF: 101
MATK: 146
MDEF: 54
DEX: 102
AGI: 193
Rifana
Class: Demi-Human Rampager
Level 45
Steel Dagger,「I've Been A Fool」
Short Furred Covering
ATK: 206
DEF: 95
MATK: 62
MDEF: 56
DEX: 205
AGI: 252
Elina Poli
Class: Human Thrasher
Level 46
Magic Iron War Axe
Plate Armor
ATK: 296
DEF: 124
MATK: 47
MDEF: 43
DEX: 96
AGI: 99
Silver
Class: Adult Filolial Queen
Level 46
Steel Wings
ATK: 196
DEF: 242
MATK: 198
MDEF: 289
DEX: 91
AGI: 192
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:
So Itsuki hasn't been redeemed, nor did I want him to, not for a long while at least. Even with Naofumi's inherent kindness, I don't think anyone could just overlook what Itsuki had done. So I think the price for forgiveness is more than fair from this point of view. As for Fitoria, I kind of skipped some of her background because I didn't think it was important enough to work into the scene, especially with the presence of Naofumi's party.
Silver got some more time in the spotlight, which is nice because she's such a sweetie :)
Anyway, next chapter is the big one. The final plan to retake Melromarc. It'll take a while to write, since I want to get everything just right, so it might take more than a week to write. If that happens I'll throw out a side story so I don't miss my weekly upload schedule.
Have a great week and please wish me luck on my midterms tomorrow, please. I need it.
- RandomA99