One Punch Man belongs to One.
Rising of The Shield Hero belongs to Aneko Yusagi.
I own neither of them.

| A Calmness Before The Wave |

Inside of an inn's room, Rifana and Raphtalia who had just come back from that disturbing evening were going to bed. The image of the bloody murder surely still lingered in their mind, but fortunately, their savior's words kept them strong.

During their walk to the inn under the escort of Suiryu, both girls could shrug the thought which reminded them to their traumatic past. It was indeed a hard thing, but seeing how their master could stand unwavering after seeing such gruesome display, it only steeled their resolve. After all, both Rifana and Raphtalia had promised him that they would follow his path. The path of a hero which probably would be filled with blood, aside from flowers.

As of now, their master was going out to see the suspicious short man. Before they headed to the inn, the mysterious guy said that he would wait for the martial artist to settle his business.

Since the girls started to get used to Suiryu's attitude, they only thought that he didn't want them to get tangled in another trouble should it come again. Still, his way in dealing with danger was unnerving.

"Raphtalia, what do you think Lord Suiryu is doing now?" Rifana asked as she plopped down on her bed. "I mean, what he will do with the creepy man?"

"Hmm… I'm not sure." replied Raphtalia as she put off her slippers. "Although, by the way the mysterious man was talking, I guess he is like the foreigners who sell clothes this morning. Maybe he will offer Lord Suiryu some of his wares. Why asking me that, Rifana?"

"Well, I'm just… Curious." Rifana said as she laid down with her feet dangling at the end of the bed.

A teasing smile suddenly formed on Raphtalia's face. "Is that so? Are you curious, or are you worry?"

The weasel-girl's cheeks became red in response. Her raccoon-friend giggled as she thought that she had made a witty question.

"I-it's n-not like that, Raphtalia…" Rifana hid her blush under her palms. "I-I just…"

Raphtalia's teasing smile turned into a smug smirk as she perked her head to see her friend's expression from up-close while her fluffy tail wagged around. "You said proudly that you want to become his wife. Now, where is your pride, Rifana?"

The raccoon-friend's jab made her face even redder. It appeared that her biological change also affected her mental growth. Now, Rifana realized how embarrassing it was to admit that she ever let out such kind of thing. And to state it in front of a man she adored with all her heart? When she remembered it and how Suiryu reacted, she thought that being crunched by the two-headed dog would be less painful.

"Raphtalia… Please stop. It was…" Rifana whined as she rolled over her bed to evade the other girl's amused stare. "… embarrassing you know!"

The raccoon-girl sighed. She knew that since they were younger, her weasel-buddy loved to talk nonsensical things and outlandish dreams, unlike her who was more realistic and pragmatic. However, as they grew older – or leveled-up in this case– she found that Rifana had become more mature. Her friend finally could think more logical.

"Alright, Rifana. I think you are not wrong." Raphtalia shrugged as she glanced at the window. "After all, my mother was always worrying my father when he came home late."

For a moment, Raphtalia's cheerful smile turned into a sad one when she recalled her late parents. Her smile then came back as she saw Rifana peeked at her from between her fingers.

"...Promise me not to say that in front of Lord Suiryu, Raphtalia. Please…" Rifana begged with pleading eyes at her friend.

"It's a deal." Raphatalia gave a knowing smile as she eyed her friend who was still blushing.

"Thank you, Raphtalia." Rifana rose from her bed and pulled her buddy for a hug. "You are my best friend."

Raphtalia only rolled her eyes. 'I'm glad Rifana is still like she used to be...'

"Ahem…" Raphtalia who was kept in her friend's embrace for around a minute signaled her to stop. "Sorry Rifana, but are we going to sleep like this?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Raphtalia…" Rifana let the girl came back to her own bed.

Raphtalia yawned as she laid on her bed while Rifana crawled up and pulled her blanket. As they relaxed themselves, they looked at each other. Both of them had many things in their mind.

"By the way, I am wondering about how Lord Suiryu could master such moves. Do you think that one day, we can reach his skill?" Rifana asked as she recalled how the martial artist subdued Salvatore and Otto.

"Hmm… I'm not sure." Raphtalia shook her head lightly as she yawned again. "But at least we can learn to get stronger."

"Well, you're right." Rifana's eyes trailed towards the door of their room. "I hope that he will teach us his moves tomorrow."

"That is still far, Rifana." Raphtalia said with a lazy tone as she closed her eyes. "Now, go to sleep. Good night."

As usual, Raphtalia who was more logical decided to cut the talk without any hint of rudeness. She knew that rather than talking about her friend's wishes, sleeping was a wiser choice to prepare for tomorrow. She felt tired and also didn't want to get up late.

"Oh… Hey, Raphtalia! Ow… Alright." The weasel-girl let out a defeated sigh as she turned off the light. "Good night."

Leaving Rifana and Raphtalia at the inn perhaps was not a good choice, but Suiryu believed that it would be more dangerous if they come with him to Beloukas' place. He did not knew why, but he had a hunch that his business that night might spill some blood.

Besides, he had made sure that there was no one pried their eyes upon him. During his way to walk the girls back, he kept a watchful eyes and saw nobody tailed him. He only hoped that nothing would happen. If anything came, his shield would notify him that his companions were in trouble.

As of the poor contract killers, he had carefully stored them in a secured place for later use. From the assassins, he should dig as much info as possible before everything got hairy. As a pro hero who usually exterminate monsters, probably this was his first time in dealing with bad guys.

He wedged his plans for that night into his mind, right at the moment his steps brought him to his first destination. There, the sketchy man was still waiting, and nothing changed. His grin was still present while around him, the dead bodies of the muggers were still lying.

"I'm so sorry for keeping you in wait." Suiryu apologized as he walked towards the man.

"It is not a big deal, Dear Lord Shield Hero." Beloukas grinned as he twirled his mustache. "Because I believe that you are no man of trickery."

Truth be told, Beloukas spooked Suiryu a little bit. The monk-fighter felt some sense of uneasiness with the man's presence. The last line said by the man didn't help either. The best way to shrug that however, was to freak the man who had scared him.

Back in his world, this trick his dear grandfather had taught him never failed to shake annoying people who wanted to mess with him. Either on the arena or at the street, the trick always worked to scare some goons out of their wits.

"Hmm… You are flattering me, but…" Suiryu cast out a malicious smile and moved behind the short man in a blink. "How can you be so sure that my hand would not slip and make you end like those guys?"

A noticeable gulp could be heard around that dark street. It seemed that Suiryu's trick did really work. From behind, he could see the man's top hat vibrated a little.

"Hmm… Shouldn't a trader take a risk?" Beloukas replied as he adjusted his butterfly necktie while turning around to see his customer. "Because I believe you are a potential buyer, dear Lord Shield Hero."

The man before him was not a usual merchant. To maintain such degree of composure after Suiryu threatened him was not a common feat a businessman could pull out. This guy in top hat was a very outstanding trader, and the martial artist admitted it.

Suiryu's amused smirk changed back to his usual smile. "Well, I believe so, Mister Belugas."

"It's Beloukas." The trader corrected as he pushed his glasses up his bridge.

"Oh, my apology…" Suiryu bowed slightly. "Then, Mister Beloukas, what kind of thing you are selling that you were desperately waiting for me? Is it something beneficial for me?"

Beloukas tapped his cane onto the ground as he started to walk. "I assure you that they would be of great help. So, would you like to come with me? I will show them to you."

"Splendid. Then, lead the way~." The shielder replied with a joyous tone as he followed the trader.

After some minutes of walk through the darkest part of that city, they arrived in front of a semi-permanent establishment. It was something like a circus tent.

Suiryu scrutinized at Beloukas' appearance and had just realized what he had missed. 'Either he's a trickster or a showman! Ah… Why I didn't think about it earlier! Is he going to offer me a show?'

As Suiryu wondered about the product he would see, the trader led him into the tent. Upon coming in, what he found at first was just an ordinary circumstance like a circus tent. A standard round arena for the show and rows of seat for the spectators welcomed him. What made it different was the absence of any lighting around that place.

The stillness and the sight of the empty seating when they passed probably would scare most people, but Suiryu did not feel it. However, the spot in the tent where they headed to turned out to give him a little goosebumps. It was the first time he saw an awful sight of so many metal cages with their contents. From each of it, came out growls of agony and anger.

"Are these beasts… the wares you wanted to offer?" Suiryu grimaced as he asked while he stared at a cage with two red glowing orbs in it.

Upon his arrival in this world, the martial artist had killed many beasts in the forest. He considered the slaughter normal since he needed it as a mean to survive, yet the sight of them being caged contradicted his common sense. Slaughtering monsters out of necessity and defense was justifiable, but shackling them was totally not right.

"Correct. They are slaves." Beloukas turned around to see Suiryu as he opened his arms. "They are servants, waiting for a master."

The term gave the champion a pang. His thought wandered back to Rifana and Raphatalia when he heard it being uttered by the trader. He still remembered that demi-humans were also enslaved in this country. That garnered another thought that Beloukas might have demi-humans in his store.

"Slave? Are you also selling demi-humans?" Suiryu frowned as his eyes were directed around the place.

"Oh, are you searching for them?" Beloukas grinned as he twirled his mustache. "I thought you already have two?"

"Well. They are not slaves though." Suiryu aimed his frown at the slave-trader. "They are my disciples."

"Oh-ho… I see." Beloukas nodded as he turned and started his pace once again, evading Suiryu's face. "Unfortunately right now, there is no demi-human in my possession due to… a little accident. So with all due respect, what I can offer you right now are only these beasts."

Suiryu let his eyes widened, concealed under his hat. Without further reasoning, he knew that the missing wares must be his disciples. The timing was too good.

'Rifana and Raphtalia were that stray package! Damn…' The martial artist cursed in his thought as he followed the merchant. 'Just how many demi-humans should fall victim to this evil system?'

If only Suiryu possessed great power and authority like in his world, he would surely force the demi-human trade into a stop. His first target would be people like Beloukas.

Unfortunately, such luxury was not in his hands. Besides, he was far from a favorable position and it would get even worse if he did a coercive move. Thus, he decided to play safe and maintain his discreet profile.

"Well, that's not a problem, I guess." The martial artist let out a sigh as he shrugged. "As far as I can see your wares, that is more than enough."

"Very well." Beloukas strode to a cage at the end of the row and pulled its covering cloth, revealing a wolf humanoid. "For an opening, I would like to recommend this one. With only 15 gold, you can bring this one to become your faithful companion."

"GRRR…" The werewolf growled as it pounded and clawed the metal bars with fury in its eyes.

The martial artist cast a glance at it and knew its general state. It did not caught his fancy since it was actually out of commission. Either it was injured in a fight or ever got tortured. 'What a poor dog...' mused Suiryu as he gave a pity look for moment.

From the beginning, he actually knew that Beloukas was the type of a tricky guy who would bite his customers' wallet. However, he played along since he prioritize a good impression as a buyer, just like his plan. Besides, how nasty Beloukas probably was, he thought that it was not a pain to put a civilized manner. Because he believed that self restrain and patience in facing evil was a key to success.

Suiryu also didn't want to put himself in another trouble since during the passing hours, there were already three casualties and two people under his custody. If he made a reckless move, there was no telling that the garrison would not chase him. Worse, they turn the capital into a battlefield in a single night.

"Level 75, huh?" Suiryu mumbled as he rolled his eyes. "I am afraid that it would not suit my level. And of course, I don't want to spend my money for something I cannot get any benefit from. So, is there anything else, Sir Beloukas?"

Hearing this response, Beloukas only thought that Suiryu was either a very diplomatic rich customer or a dodgy penniless guy. His countenance was so calm that the trader was puzzling about him.

"Hmm… You are very wise, My Lord." Beloukas praised Suiryu he as grinned. "Then, let me show you other thing which might interest you."

Before the customer and the seller stepped any further, a screeching sound of bending metal alerted them. All of sudden, the werewolf pushed the bars of his cage to break free for a reason Beloukas did not know. On the other hand, the martial artist tensed as his reflex drove his body to a battle stance. He sensed a thick blood-lust in the air around him as the beast was breaking its confinement.

"GRRR… RRRAAARWWWRRR….!" The humanoid wolf grunted as it pounded the last metal bar and stepped outside, letting its killing intent seeped into the air.

Knowing the situation, the trader quickly cracked his index finger to activate the curse on the beast. Some purple sparks jolted around its chest, yet it tried to resist the pain imposed by the magic upon it. It let out a wrathful roar as it stepped forward while the purple spark kept stinging it.

"HRRRRRRRGRRHH…!"

"Oh, it seems that this doesn't work." The merchant's brows raised. "I wonder what is wrong with it."

This unprecedented happening somewhat unnerved the trader. He cracked his middle finger to put a more severe punishment, yet it stood still. Even it moved closer towards the men as its growl got louder.

Suiryu could tell that this thing he saw in horror movies would really happen. Fortunately, such predicament was not uncommon during his work as an S Class hero. To solve it, only quick action which usually worked.

'Deal with it!'

Without any warning, the martial artist raised his leg and thrust his foot to the wolfman's stomach. The move he used was several levels stronger than the one he unleashed to end Lightning Max in the 22nd Super Fight. It flung the humanoid hound, back to its cage with a violent crash. For a moment, the beast cast a glare at him before the vicious light in its eyes faded as the lids shut down.

This thing surprised Suiryu. He thought that a level 75 beastman was something much stronger than the dragon he slew some days prior. In fact, it didn't give him any fight he had expected.

'Am I becoming stronger? Was it because it's weaker than Jabberwock despite its stark level difference?' Suiryu let his thought wandered shortly as he gazed at the knocked out beastman. 'Or… Is it because dragon is stronger than wolf?'

Back to the matter at hand, after his musing, he glanced to his side to find that the trader sweated bullet. Beloukas was utterly horrified at his feat. The martial artist let out a sigh as he tilted his head to face the trader who slowly let his jaw unhinged.

"Look, I mean no harm, Sir. Also, actually I don't like to tell this, but I suppose you will only damage your most valuable item." Suiryu spoke as he darted his gaze back to the poor beastman. "It is totally unsightly if you do it in front of your customer. So, please accept my apology for my action."

Beloukas' jaw was still hanging. He was still trying to digest the transpiring event, really hard. His mind was racing to perceive the man before him, yet it yielded no answer. Instead, his fear towards the shielder peaked as he looked at the fainted wolfman.

Fear was the feeling which swirled in Beloukas. At that moment, he realized that Suiryu was scarier than what he had expected. Never crossed his mind that a hero could subdue a high level beastman with a single blow, despite the fact that the man was only level 18.

Speaking of achievement level, from the scuffle against the assassins earlier that night, the trader assumed that his potential buyer was probably around the level of an adamantite-plate adventurer at the very best. Just now however, it turned out that the hero was on a far different place. Suiryu was someone who crossed the line, way beyond the ability of any knight or adventurer he ever recalled. The show of strength shocked Beloukas to his core.

With that, came the realization that Suiryu, was a man whom he should not mess with. His plan to swindle the hero like most of his customers vanished, like dust blown by the wind. He could not imagine how awful the outcome would be if he dared to try his luck.

"I-indeed… You are right, My Lord." The slave-trader bowed to hide his face which had turned into a grimace. "I-it is my fault that I do not put a stronger leash–"

"It's not about leash." Suiryu interjected as he crossed his arms while frowning. "What I'm talking about is how you treat your goods."

Like a child being scolded by his parent, Beloukas did not dare to see Suiryu's face. He was not fazed by the hero's advice, but what unnerved him was the hero's insane might. With such ability, nothing could stop him. That also means that his life was in the hero's grip the moment he made his initial contact.

"Well, I guess you know about that." The martial artist shrugged as he stepped back. "And since I have another business, let me excuse myself, Sir Beloukas. I hope that next time I pay a visit, you sell something nice."

Suiryu turned around, leaving behind Beloukas who was still in his stupor. The slave trader was still anticipating an awful thing as his supposed customer left him. Just before the hero left, a dissatisfied smile was present of his face. A very good reason for the trader to stay alert.

After merely passing three cages, Suiryu turned around to face Beloukas for the last time. "Oh yeah… And don't forget to clean this place. I swear, this place reeks of dung."

As the Hero of Shield walked away while the darkness swallowed his figure, Beloukas nearly lost all the power in his feet. He pressed his cane on the ground to steady himself. The dread diasappeared slowly, yet his mind was not at ease when he thought about the event. He dared himself to look at the wolfman's cage and there, it was still leaning unconscious against the other end of its confinement.

"Oh God, all law of nature and the elements belong to you." Beloukas muttered as he looked at the ceiling of the tent. "I know nothing whether You have sent Your messenger or a demon to me. Thinking about it makes my soul nearly slips away."

Suiryu checked the clock in his menu system to find that it was still 9:30 pm. He didn't think that the ordeal in the slave tent only lasted for an hour. That was good since he could spend his time for his next agenda a little bit longer.

After jumping from roof to roof of the nearby buildings, he finally arrived at the place where he kept his prisoners. A place he stumbled upon when he searched for lodging that late afternoon.

Generally speaking, the place was a dilapidated manor. Probably abandoned very long time ago since shrubs and tall grasses covered its yard. Surrounding its complex were some mansions, separated by paved roads. All in all, it was so perfect for doing some 'only-God-knows-what' stuff.

He leaped from the nearest fence and made his way through the greenery, straight to the main door. He opened the double door and headed to the chamber where he kept captives, without any lighting whatsoever. Thanks to his training regimen when he was a kid, darkness was no more a hindrance for his vision.

Suiryu opened up the door of the room and found that his prisoners were still there, each sat on a chair. Fortunately, he had made sure that the bind using his Rope Shield was tight enough, so they would never escape. Especially for von Jaeger who possessed an average strength of a Tank-Top Army member, based on his estimation.

"Good evening, dear gentlemen. I would like to apologize for the delay." The champion greeted the captives as he prepared his newly acquired shield. "I hope that you enjoyed yourself when I was away."

"" HMGH… HGHKK…! ""

The priest-assassin and the beefy hunter could not answer since the binding rope also covered their mouth. They could only squirm on their seat like worms as they expected an incoming doom before their eyes.

"Now Sir Marconi and Sir Hartman, would you like to tell me about your employer?" Suiryu said as two black things with red orbs slithered out from under his cape. "Because I am really interested to meet him in person."

"" GRHHH… HRMMHH…! "" The prisoners let out a louder noise as Suiryu and the things with the outline of two dog-headed snakes advanced to them.

"Don't worry. I will make this as brief as possible. What you need to do is to tell me all you know about him." The dogs started to open their maw as the monk-fighter patted their neck. "Easy right?"

That night, the forsaken manor was filled with an orchestra of muffled scream. It was a music, presented by those who dared to stand on the path of a hero. A warning for those who laid their wicked hands onto the fighter from a chaotic world.

The sun's ray had filled the room as Raphtalia wiggled out from her bed. She got up and stretched her arms as she let out a yawn. Her friend was still asleep, so she decided to wake her up.

"Rifana, wake up." Raphtalia tapped her friend's cheek. "It's morning already. Are you going to disappoint Lord Suiryu?"

Her friend's eyes shot open as if a jolt coursed through them. Mentioning the hero's name was all Raphtalia needed as a keyword to wake Rifana. The weasel-girl got up and looked to her surrounding frantically and could only find that her dearest pal had been standing with a rather bored expression.

"Where is Lord Suiryu!?" Rifana asked as she suddenly gripped Raphtalia's shoulders and shook her. "Have he come back!?"

Raphtalia rolled her eyes. "I guess... He has."

Before Rifana answered her friend, came a knock on the door. They were certain that their master had come to see them.

"Rifana, Raphtalia..." Their master called them from outside. "Are you there?"

Both of them widened their eyes as a feeling of joy washed upon them. "" LORD SUIRYU! ""

The girls bolted towards the door and opened it to find Suiryu was standing while carrying a leather small bag in his hand. He smiled like what he usually did when he saw his disciples. Their half awake face made his smile even brighter.

"Good morning," greeted the martial artist. "I bet you had a very good night rest."

"Oh, good morning, Lord Suiryu! And yes we did." Rifana replied excitedly.

"Lord Suiryu, how was last night?" Raphtalia quipped as her innocent smile turned into a faint smirk upon seeing the bag. "I believe the mysterious man sold something cool."

Suiryu rolled his eyes. He did not expect that his disciples had grown this much. Their state of growth at the present could be considered as the most dangerous one. Middle school teens always made some parents get a headache. Not that it worried him, but he knew that they might be a little bit troublesome. Fortunately, he had a plenty experience in dealing with this, thanks to his dearest little sister.

Suiryu responded with a chuckle. "Well, I didn't pick up anything from him last night. So, today I will buy what I need from another vendor."

"Oh really?" Rifana's eyes gleamed as she wagged her tail in delight. "So today we'll go shopping? What about our training?"

"Shopping is also a part of training." Suiryu patted their head. "Alright, Rifana, Raphtalia. Now get prepared. I'll wait you downstairs. We'll go after we have breakfast."

The master left the girls. Raphtalia who didn't have the chance to ask even further turned to her friend. She cringed when she was aware about their state.

"Hmm, we're kinda disheveled, aren't we?" Raphtalia blinked as she eyed Rifana's hair which looked like a bird's nest. "I think we should clean ourselves before we see Lord Suiryu."

"Oh, you're right. We're like a mess" Rifana stated as she saw some eye-gunk around Raphtalia's eyes.

It had been around two weeks and nothing happened after the last time Erhard saw Suiryu. During that days, he was left wondering about the young man. He kept his promise and took a very good care of the valuables Suiryu left, yet a the thought that he would never see the martial artist anymore kept haunting him.

In that morning, the good smith was standing among the crowd to see some knights were loading three dead bodies onto a cart. He came to the crime scene after he heard his neighbor's scream. Together with some shop owners near his, when they arrived, some people had rounded the place. They did not know what had happened last night.

The nature of the murder in itself was quite gruesome. Erhard only got a glimpse of the bodies and it was enough to make his stomach churn to the point that he did not want to take a breakfast. His neighbors on the other hand, vomited on site.

"Crazy! There were many knives lodged on a single body! What kind of fiend who dare to do that!?" A man muttered.

"And many arrow bolts on the other guy. The Majesty's guillotine awaits him!" Another man commented with rage.

"Oh, this world is getting worse by day…" A woman said before she fainted, caught by people around her.

"Indeed. This world is really ill."

Erhard heard the comment came from beside him. He tilted his head and to his surprise, there was a tall man in Reiki attire with a conical hat, accompanied by two girls who appeared to be demi-humans – a weasel and a raccoon to be exact. Both of them were dressed in Eastern outfit. The weasel-girl had her short sandy-yellow hair tied into twin tails behind her ears while her friend's long locks done in a braid.

Erhard who vaguely recognized the man's figure blinked in a mild confusion. He was also familiar with the green cape the stranger donned, yet he felt that something was amiss.

"Hello, dear Sir. May I help you with something?"

The man put down his hat to reveal his smiling face. "Definitely, Sir Erhard. I am in need of your help."

Erhard's expression bore a mix of surprise and happiness at first as he saw the young man he was waiting for finally met him. However, his eye suddenly twitched when Suiryu grinned. The way the shielder saw him was annoying to say the least.

"Good to see you again Son. And this meeting would be wonderful if you don't pull up a prank on me." Erhard exclaimed with a flickering smile. "I know you want to talk about many things. Let's head to my place."

"Alright." Suiryu nodded and followed Erhard as his disciples tailed him.

After they slipped out from the crowd which grew bigger, the martial artist resumed his talk. They would need a couple of minute before they reached the armorer's shop.

"Prank?" Suiryu's brows went up as Rifana and Raphtalia glanced at each other. "I didn't do that, pop."

"Don't play dumb, son. What's with that Easterner's get-go you're wearing?" The smith pointed at the monk-fighter's tunic as he took a quicker pace the moment his shop came into their sight.

"Oh, do you mean this?" Suiryu pinched the front sides of his black tunic as he chuckled. "I'm just following your advice, you know."

Erhard quickly grasped what Suiryu meant. The clothes were nothing more than a disguise, yet he could not understand about such choice. In Erhard's thought, wearing a hood was more than enough to conceal one's identity.

"Okay, no offense, but why you choose this kind of clothes?" The armorer inquired as he tugged Suiryu's green cape. "Isn't my gift more than enough to shield you from people's suspicions?"

The martial artist raised his shoulders. Actually he wanted to share his story about his encounter with Reiki merchants, but he decided to talk it for another time. For this occasion, he had a pressing matter to talk about.

"Well, it is just a matter of taste." Suiryu snickered as he opened his arms. "These clothes is very comfortable, so I bought them."

"Hmm… If it's about taste, I guess I cannot argue anymore." Erhard glanced at the martial artist's general appearance as his hand reached his shop's door-handle. "Alright. Anyway, what kind of help do you need? And, oh… Who are these young lasses? Please don't tell me that they–"

They entered the place. As the door closed behind them, Suiryu could introduce the girls to Erhard properly.

"Rest easy, pop. They're my disciples. And… Rifana, Raphtalia, this is Master Erhard. The best armorer I've ever known in Melromarc." The girls came to see the smith with shyness as the smith himself rolled his eyes on Suiryu's flattery.

"Nice to meet you, Master Erhard." Rifana waved her hand as she put her usual cheerful smile. "I'm Rifana."

"It is an honor to meet you, Master Erhard. My name is Raphtalia." The raccoon-girl introduced herself politely as she bowed.

Erhard's suspicion about them faded upon seeing Raphtalia's manner. How she behaved did not resemble slave. Almost as if she was from noble family. As of her raccoon friend, the smith only thought that she probably was Raphtalia's friend from among commoners.

When his sight landed on their arms however, his eyes nearly popped out. For girls around their age, their arms were big and beefy. Probably bigger than those of maidservants in apprenticeship. Erhard was not sure whether they were forced to work or they came from a very strong demi-human breed, but the image was very nostalgic. It reminded him to some adventurer girls he ever teamed up with, back when he was still active in the guild.

'I see. Perhaps he recruited adventurers...' Erhard mused as he looked at girls with curiosity. 'Indeed, high-born who becomes adventurer isn't a foreign thing. But how he could secure a link to the guild if he's branded as a villain?'

"Oh, nice to meet you too, young ladies." Erhard smiled as he rubbed the back of his his bald head to hide his surprise. "Just call me Erhard, okay."

"Alright pop." Suiryu clapped his hands to end the introductory session. "Now, would you kindly show us some weapons which probably might suit them? By the way, they are level fourteen."

"Okay, okay…" Erhard strode towards some crates behind the counter to retrieve the items. "Any preference? Swords? Axes? Or anything else? Or budget range perhaps?"

Suiryu didn't have anything in mind regarding the weapon choice. All he knew was his disciples showed a potential and skill in wielding weapon, proved by their fluency in using sticks they grabbed for bashing some beasts during some hunting games. As of budget, nothing to worry about since he believed that Rifana and Raphtalia would make a reasonable choice.

"Nope. Just show them everything which matches their level. I'll let them choose and I'll pay." The monk-fighter smirked as he put a pouch on the counter with a noticeable clack, hinting its content. "I'm sure the price of your wares won't exceed these stones."

"Hey! I'm a smith!" Erhard half yelled as he took some swords and put them on the counter. "Since when I become a jeweler?"

Suiryu chuckled as his disciples giggled. "Obviously, the moment you gave your consent to lend your stash, you've become one because most of the items are stones."

"There is no day without killing beast for Lord Suiryu." Raphtalia chimed in as she looked at the blades set atop the counter. "That is why he has many stones. And he never have the time to exchange those cores since he trained us a lot."

"So he trained you a lot, huh?" Erhard spoke as he smirked. "What kind of training he gave you, young ladies?"

"Fighting and hunting of course." Rifana replied as she took a short sword and made some small swings. "Aw… This is too light."

The smith finally could connect the dots. These young ladies had trained really hard under the monk-fighter. And by their look, they were quite happy. No surprise that they showed much respect to Suiryu.

"Rifana, Raphtalia. Choose whichever you want." Suiryu stated as he reclined onto a seat by the counter as he put his conical hat. "Ask Master Erhard if you don't know what to choose."

"" Yes, Lord Suiryu. "" The girls replied while they were trying some blades.

Erhard chuckled heartily as he shook his head. The sight of a rather laid-back master and his serious disciples amused him. The world seemed so wonderful with the presence of these kind of colorful things.

Back to the matter at hand, the smith thought that the monk-fighter knew something about the death of three punks. Suiryu's countenance which did not show any hint of surprise or fear back at the scene disturbed Erhard.

"Tell me son, I believe you know something about the murder of that three troublemakers, don't you?" The armorer inquired with a suppressed tone.

"You guess it. They tried to mess around with me, but the the real culprits were…" Suiryu paused as his hand rummaged his bag to take an ornate dagger while his other one took a sliver broach. "These guys. So, do you mind to tell me about them?"

Of all things which horrified Erhard out of his wits, being late in completing an order probably was the scariest. The other one was, to die in the hand of contract killers. Unfortunately, that ghost manifested itself in his mind as Suiryu placed a silver broach with a logo of a whirling wind and an expensive-looking stiletto. All the joy the smith felt earlier gone from his face.

"Pray tell, son! Where on earth did you get this?" Erhard's question sounded almost like a whisper. "I really have a bad feeling about it."

Suiryu took a deep breath as he cast a glance at the smith's face. Dread filled his expression. It was not the kind of fear when someone saw a phantom. Instead, it was more like a man who got a death sentence. The martial artist set his answer as he let out his breath.

"From a priest who wielded knives and his big companion with massive blade." Suiryu answered as he leaned closer to the counter while glancing at his disciples who were still sizing their choice. "I believe they're some sort of a family symbol. Am I correct?"

"You are correct. Vento d'Argento and von Jaeger." Erhard nodded as he examined the broach. "And what I am afraid is…"

"They're after me." The champion completed the armorer's sentence as he sighed.

Erhard put his free hand on his forehead. His mind suddenly was clouded by a mental exhaustion as he thought about the young man before him. Suiryu was indeed a unique adventurer and a gambler he ever found in his entire life. His heart seemed to skip some beats every time the young man brought a surprising news.

"Son, I swear. You are playing on the string of the reaper." Erhard rubbed his hand from his forehead down to the chin. "I really hate to say this, but it is like your luck and strength saved you from your recklessness. To find this group of assassin… Most people will surely die."

"Alright, but don't call me reckless. This time, it just happened like that." Suiryu retorted as he tapped the dagger. "And I know I have troubled you enough, but at least please, tell me about who are these people. I swear. They're quite creepy."

Erhard and some citizens of Melromarc knew very well about the people who owned those names. Just uttering one of them could make a knight grimace. And this time, it was two? Erhard was beyond horrified to imagine what would happen to people who encountered both Argento and Jaeger at the same time.

"Pop? Are you alright?" Suiryu asked as he looked at the pale-faced Erhard.

"If you really this eager to know about them, then I'll tell you what I know." Erhard said as he looked at Suiryu, dead into his eyes.

"Very well. Then please, tell me everything." Suiryu straightened his back as Erhard proceeded to start his story.

While Rifana and Raphtalia were still busied by various blades in front of them, Erhard spoke everything he knew about the two clans. His first encounter with them happened when he was still a rookie adventurer. It was started as a passing rumor around the guild, but soon, Erhard and his friends found out that both Argento and Jaeger were real.

Upon learning their existence, Erhard and his fellows secretly tried to pry into the matter. What they found were morbidity beyond their thought. Both clans worked in a dark business, soiled with blood. From their inquiry, they acquired the truth that the houses of Argento and Jaeger were comprised of professional contract killers, trained solely for such purpose.

Argento at first was a noble clan of silverware merchant, hence its name. Her history could be traced until two centuries before the great war between Melromarc and Siltvelt broke. At that time, the clan was just like most noble households which owned some sources of steady income. However, that peaceful image waned as Argento was plunged into a bloody feud, result of business rivalry with another clans.

As an effect of a long conflict, combined with failures in securing protection from the country, the household of Argento was forced to defend themselves against the threat of her rivals. Argento hired mercenaries to keep her business, but soon it turned out as something inefficient and costly. Thus, the Argento formed its own soldiers in a desperate attempt.

By putting their young men as the bulwark, the clan surprisingly managed to produce battle-proven unit. These men grew stronger from the constant fights and at last, they managed to lay some major blows – mostly assassination– on the enemies, ending their long and exhausting conflict.

This hard-earned victory however, would never earn its celebration since the great war between Melromarc and Siltvelt suddenly broke. Thus Argento's unit joined arm to defend the country and proved itself as the most fearsome soldiers in the war, gaining the title as the Killing Breeze.

In the battlefield, the Argentos who were known as the fastest and the most skillful cleaners accepted many clandestine missions. Their ability to penetrate deep behind enemy's line and killed Siltvelt's demi-human commanders without leaving any trace contributed many victories for Melromarc.

Melromarc's success upon the country of demi-human brought a truce, yet from that point onward, the unit who was called Vento d'Argento or Silver Wind had made its reputation as the most lethal group of assassin in the country.

And just like how they worked, they silently withdrew themselves back into the business of silverware to avoid the spotlight. In the background however, they never left the lucrative yet bloody job.

On the other hand, the Jaeger started as a family of hunters who made their living from slaying beasts. However, rumors said that the clan carried the bloodline of ancient Bow Hero, which in turn raised their popularity during the great war.

Due to their expertise in hunting, the clan maintained a very close relationship with the guild of adventurer. The Jaegers often got requests to exterminate wild animals adventurers could not deal. Creatures considered as monsters like giant wolves, forest spiders, trolls and even dragons were their common kills. Be it was seasonal or accidental, Jaegers never failed their patrons.

Jaeger's display of ability never went unseen by the nobles. And just like Argento, their job extended drastically during the war, for they slew anthropomorphic beasts in the battlefield. The Jaegers subsequently raked in so much fortune from each demi-human head they brought.

Although the war at last came into a settlement, the Jaegers never lost their job. Even orders for new works poured in, mostly were dirty ones. Since they had tasted how profitable killing people was, they could not free themselves from such intoxicating livelihood and craved even more. Thus, the Jaeger finally turned into a clan of man-hunter.

Erhard closed his succinct explanation with a huff. His face told Suiryu that he had just let out a big burden on his shoulders. The martial artist responded with a smile to see his relieved expression.

"You know, son, something that I am grateful is that none us got any harm during our daring quest to acquire such truth." The smith directed his vision towards the girls. "They warned us for once, but they never tried to lay a hand us."

"Because you were adventurers, thanks to Jaegers." The martial artist raised his brows as he deduced. "And I believe you were still a kid."

"Perhaps…" Erhard's face turned into a grimace when he shifted his gaze towards Suiryu. "But now, it's different. I'm sure that they're hired to eliminate you, a real outsider. And I'm afraid that I cannot help you anymore."

Suiryu chuckled heartily. He was surprised to know that Erhard cared him that much although they were not bound by blood, nor a long friendship. It was his own problem, yet the armorer showed so much concern for his safety.

"Pop, how do you think I got their emblems? Bought them from a market? Stealing? Or I just stumbled upon it when I passed a road?" Suiryu gave a wry smile as he hailed the questions. "Of course I retrieved it from the owner and took a really good care of them. So, fret not."

Suiryu's reply eased Erhard's mind. The fact that Suiryu always came back without any scratch brought him delight. He believed that the monk-fighter is strong, but the way he dealt with danger was unnerving to say the least. As a man, he knew that a young one in his prime often acts by putting aside a wise consideration.

"Well, but is it wrong for me to worry about you?" Erhard argued as he put his hand on Suiryu's shoulder. "You know, many young men died in vain not because they are weak. They were killed because they did not give more thinking before they act. Being young and powerful sometimes is not enough. In a place where you are fighting cunning foes, you should be old before your hair turns white."

"Wisdom!" Suiryu's smile became wider as he pinpointed what Erhard had implied. "I know that I am… Probably… One among those guys who'll die for naught. So to prevent that, I come here to seek wisdom from a venerable man."

The martial artist's witty answer made the good armorer's eye twitch. "Duh! I am but a smith who only know how to forge blades and armor. If only I knew that one day I will see a person like you, I would choose to become a wizard, so that I can cleanse your stubborness with my knowledge instead of hitting it with my hammer."

Suiryu burst into a laughter upon hearing Erhard's answer. He did not have any idea that the smith could throw such joke when he was annoyed.

"Hahahaha…. Oh… Pop, I guess you've knocked my stubborness with your hammer! A hammer of humor of course!" Suiryu rubbed his eyes from tears as he recomposed himself. "Alright, alright… So, what you want from me is to be careful in putting everything into my plan, correct?"

"Plan, heh? Now that sounds more like you're preparing your own funeral." Erhard cynically remarked as he clenched his fist and slammed it lightly onto the counter. "How many times I've warned you before you left? Twice? And then you came back to bring a trouble twice bigger! Good grief!"

"I know, but it seems that the moment my shoes stomped this land, misfortunes keep coming to me." Suiryu jokingly lamented about his life in Melromarc, making Erhard sigh. "But as far as I don't hurt your business, that's good, isn't it?"

"Lord Suiryu, I'll take this axe." Rifana's voice suddenly interrupted the talk. "What do you think?"

It appeared that their talk should come to an end as both girls had made their choice. Rifana took an a hatchet while Raphtalia held a pair of cutlasses. Suiryu smiled when he saw his disciples chose the weapons based on their liking, but Erhard slightly frowned. As a man who had years of experience in weaponry, he deemed such choice was too ridiculous for early adventurers. Those weapons popular among ruffians and pirates commonly only taken by silver-plate adventurers, especially those who took quests in caves.

"Umm, young ladies…" Erhard spoke with uncertainty as he stared at the girls. "Are you sure about those weapons?"

Rifana and Raphtalia shared a glace in confusion. They were unsure about how they should answer the smith. Their master who knew about them very well even could not help but smile, with a hint of dopeyness. It was such an unfortunate thing that Suiryu was not an expert of weapon. Despite this helpless situation, both Rifana and Raphtalia instead took Suiryu's smile as a sign that he believed in them.

"Ahem… Of course." Rifana tried to act cool as she rubbed the axe's cutting edge. "The blade allows me to hack the enemy, harder than sword's. If you still have another one of this, I would like to take it so that I can make equal blow for each hand."

"And this short sword has a hard and thick blade. This is good for giving a strong slash despite its size." Raphtalia gave a more intellectual answer as she made a short chopping move. "And it has a guard for the fist. I can still even give a punch. This is great!"

Both Suiryu and Erhard dropped their jaw. For the martial artist, he had no idea that his disciples could spew some smart answer he even could not think of if he faced the same situation. The armorer on the other hand, was totally dumbstruck since their reply spoke about their mastery.

Erhard tilted his head slowly and stared in disbelieve at Suiryu. "Hey son, from where did you fetch these ladies? I swear, their knowledge terrifies me. Were they from a circus?"

"I myself am no one but their mere trainer in combat." Suiryu averted his gaze to evade Erhard's slightly accusing glance as he shrugged. "I even never know that they have progressed this much."

Rifana and Raphtalia shared another confused look for a moment before they giggled. It was such a funny thing to realize that their master turned out to be a man of blade, in his most basic level. Sure, he knew how to use knife for chopping vegetables and skinning hides. In combat however, his legs and fists hit harder than any sword. And bound to only use the shield, it only added the bane for his fortune in this world.

"Well, Lord Suiryu is strong, so he does not need to know blades other than for chopping potato and cutting skin." Raphtalia teasingly exclaimed, making her master's smile twitch.

Raphtalia's words felt like a slap. His grandfather taught him various techniques for countering armed opponents. It was just for countering, not wielding weapon. Suicho only trained his grandchildren [Void Fist] since he viewed that the path of blade marred human's natural capability. The sharper the blade, the duller the user.

On the bright side, Suiryu had learned to become a hero. No matter how pathetic his state, as far as he still could stand to protect the people, he would be happy. A mere joke from his disciple obviously would not chip his determination as a hero.

"Hmm… I should admit that I was born to walk the path of a monk-fighter." Suiryu responded with a sagely reply as he caressed his chin. "Indeed, blade is nothing but a tool for me to aid my daily chores."

An imaginary divine light radiated from the martial arts master as he spoke, making his disciples' eyes gleamed in awe. Meanwhile, the armorer sighed as he saw such silly pose. Erhard now felt sorry for Rifana and Raphtalia who followed such kind of master.

"Now, don't you want to try those blades on me?" Suiryu said as he stood while drawing his shield from under his cape. "I really want to see whether your skill in speech matches with your prowess in fighting using that new arm."

Rifana and Raphtalia shared a nod. Before she opened her attack, the raccoon-girl tilted her head to see that another axe was resting on the counter. She quickly grabbed it and jumped towards Suiryu to slash him from his right. Just when her master blocked the slash with his shield, Raphtalia rushed from below to thrust her cutlass, aiming for his stomach. Suiryu used his left knee to hit Raphatalia's wrist, disorienting her blow.

Rifana who got repelled with the shield attempted another head-on blow while Raphtalia swiftly used her feet as a pivot to make a slash. Again, the monk-fighter blocked Rifana's attack while redirecting Raphtalia's.

Both girls who got pushed back and failed to land a single strike resorted to use a comboi roundhouse kick. Rifana used her left leg while Raphtalia used her right one. When their feet almost connected with their master's shield, he quickly moved his body to his side and extended his arms to flick their forehead. They repulsed in pain as they put their hand on the inflicted part. Thus, the test was over.

"Ouch… Sure, this is strong, but I never know that axe would be this hard." Rifana whined as she rubbed her forehead.

"I think I should use my left hand more often." Raphtalia mumbled as she looked at her cutlass.

"Not bad." Suiryu remarked as he patted his disciples' head. "I think you will discover your own style of blade-wielding. Well done, Raphtalia, Rifana."

"" Thank you, Lord Suiryu. ""

Although brief, the display of skill from Rifana and Raphtalia put the smith in awe. Both girl's handling on their weapon was not firm and their attack was not special either, but their teamwork could fill the gap. As a former adventurer, Erhard knew that this kind of feat was only found in those who fought together for a long time. A skill of a team with a very strong bond, matured by experience in many combats.

"Sneak attack?" Erhard muttered as he blinked in mild fascination. "Their technique is still crude, but how they learn to pull out that tactic? And… HEY! THIS PLACE IS NOT A TAVERN! If you wanna fight, do it outside!"

The master and his disciples covered their ears from the yelling. They smiled guiltily as Erhard gritted his teeth.

"If you ruin this entire shop, I know you can still rebuild this with your absurd money you get from your crazy hunts. Even I believe you can give me a bigger one in no time." Erhard crossed his arms as he scowled. "But I really love this shop and nothing compares, mind you!"

Suiryu sighed as he raised his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay. Sorry about that. I know we were careless, but we had made sure not to break anything."

"Alright. Other time, just do that outside." The armorer huffed. "Anyway, do you still need anything else?"

"Some sets of adventurer's clothes for these ladies and me, please. The best one for our level if possible." The martial artist replied as he smirked.

Erhard's mood rose when he heard the order as his mouth formed a grin. "Guess that you never heed my words, huh? Are you going to make another ruckus again?"

"Well… Who knows." Suiryu shrugged his shoulders. "Because I don't think both Argento and Jaeger will stay put. Anyway, thanks for the info, pop."

"Sure thing." Erhard gave a thumbs up as he came inside to fetch the clothes. "Just try not to die."

"Don't worry. We'll be back unharmed. It's a deal."

Another week had passed. Suiryu and his disciples filled their time with training and selling loot items they collected daily. During that rather aimless adventure within the boundary of the kingdom, they often met some groups of adventurers from the guild. They made friends and exchanged some useful information without revealing their true identity as the Shield Hero's party.

From their talks, they learned that Melromarc had been preparing her soldiers for the incoming second Wave. The populace was in unrest since there was no telling about the exact spot where monsters would spawn. They knew the time of its arrival, but the location was random.

During that time, they also picked up the wind about other heroes. Nothing really changed on the three except they had become far stronger. The news really piqued Suiryu's interest since he wanted to prove whether they were really powerful like what people said or not.

Other than that, Suiryu managed to dawdle around with no one noticing him. Both his identities as a wandering adventurer and a Reiki man successfully fooled the knights. And so far, Argento and Jaeger had not made any move. Basically, he could still enjoy to walk around freely with Raphtalia and Rifana in tow.

Until one fateful morning, the sky's hue turned almost to the color of the ground, pale brown and darkening the environs beneath it. Some blue circles swirled around it while spewing countless black dots. This unnerving change came so sudden that people were terrified. Either they ran about or fell to the ground while praying to God with all their faith.

Seeing this, the monk-fighter knew that at last, he had seen the advent of the foreboding catastrophe. The Wave of Calamity finally welcomed him with all of its glory!

"Wow… So this is the Wave the legend is talking about huh? Guess that I come here prepared." Suiryu spoke as he gazed at the impending phenomenon before him while his HUD flickered repeatedly. "Are you ready, Rifana, Raphtalia?"

"Everything's ready, Lord Suiryu." Rifana replied gleefully as she fastened her straps for carrying her hatchets on her back.

"And so do I, Lord Suiryu." Raphtalia said as she gave a nod to her master. "Please lead the way."

"Okay. Then, off we go!" The [Void Fist] master spoke as he looked at his HUD.

Suiryu's game-like system warned him that in some seconds, he and his disciples would be brought directly to the rallying point during the Wave. It was the area where the heroes would fight the incoming monsters. A place to prove their prowess as otherworldly warriors that land was waiting for.

Author's Note

Firstly, I want to apologize for the hiatus. Lately, I become lazier every time works consume me. And partly, because I searched some inspirations from old time anime and manga. For this part, Berserk really fascinates me for its gritty nature. Now, it makes me think that Naofumi is the lighthearted version of Guts. :-3

Secondly, I want to thank you, my Dear Readers who had spent your precious time to share your brilliant ideas about my last question regarding Suiryu's path of romance. For all your suggestions, I greatly appreciate them and I will try as best as I can to use them in order to better this story.

What happened to Rifana?
I guess, she would undergo a mental change as she grew. So, I think it would be fun to add around 2% of tsundere formula for her personality. XD
And Raphtalia… I think I'll make her a playful smart type since Rifana's presence surely changed her personality, different from that what we've seen in the anime. Although, I will try to maintain in order she won't be too OOC.

I know this chapter isn't an action-packed one, since this is the prelude for the next one, which (hopefully) is full of action.

I think this is what I can say for now. Hope you like this story. Thank you so much for all your supports and encouragements.

Leave your comment and ideas in the review and feel free to PM me. :-)

See you in the next story. ;-)