One Punch Man belongs to One.
Rising of The Shield Hero belongs to Aneko Yusagi.
I own neither of them.
| Exploit of An Unsung Hero |
'I never thought that it has been a week already. Days surely fly fast, especially if we fill them with many useful things.
Right after we bade our farewell with Master Erhard, we went back to our retreat, the forest. A place where we train and the source of our income.
No day was passed without slaying beasts, although we put it into moderation. Lord Suiryu had told us to take what we need, just like our parents did. Thus, we only killed those which are plenty in reserve like giant wolves and Killer Ants.
We gathered what we could scrap from those monsters and sold them. Twice in Lute and other places as well. We earned much from those materials we sold to the point where we saved a thousand gold coins. We even don't know how we should spend them!
In the matter of fighting, our training progressed favorably. Lord Suiryu said that we have developed our pattern and style. He still didn't tell us anything about his techniques, but he assured us that we had formed a firm basic. And I feel that slowly, I can fight the way Lord Suiryu does. Though, I guess that doesn't go for Rifana.
As for my dearest pal, I believe that she doesn't really care about her own way of fighting. She obeyed all Lord Suiryu's instructions, yet I doubt she think about what's the meaning behind them. Her blind obedience sometimes shuddered me. The most shocking thing, she excelled me in fighting, but she didn't aware about that.
Her axe-wielding skill also suffers from her dull awareness. She kept complaining that she could not find the feel when she handled her weapon although she always managed to overwhelm me whenever we spared.
Without her axes, I could barely find any opening since she used a very low stances. If she's equipped, she pushed me into my defensive standing with her rapid slashes, while repelling my cutlasses. If not for my nimbleness and how I read her moves, she had hacked me many times! In short, she doesn't know that she is strong. I always told her that she's quite handy, but she keeps on berating herself.
Lord Suiryu who always attended our match and put his utmost enthusiasm even could not convince my friend. I almost couldn't believe that his words failed to settle her frustration. In the end, we left her be, for we believed that she needs a time to be alone.
Oh, poor Rifana… I know she just lacks of confidence. I wish that soon, she can see how powerful she is. It's such a pain every time I see how she scolded herself.
Speaking about Lord Suiryu, I could see how entertained he was whenever he watched our spar. He said that we're very fortunate since we could feel the excitement in an armed fighting. I could see that he was a little bit jealous, but he looked quite happy. I guess it's because he can see that we grow stronger.
That reminds me to the very first time when he saved us from the slaver. We were so weak. Then he came to save us and teaches us so that we can become stronger. I'm so grateful that a great man like him takes us in his quest.
Our activity of course was not merely bound for fighting. We also traveled around, so we knew some towns other than Lute. I think that journey was splendid since we could marvel natural wonders and wider terrains which means… More beasts to hunt and more items we can sell! Now that sounds like I am evil, but in truth, that is what we were doing. As long as we put everything in moderation, everything's good.
I found many interesting things every time we visited a village. Be it was the people or their lives, I love to see new things. The oddest of them was, every time we dropped by a town, many ladies suddenly crowded around Lord Suiryu while offering many stuffs. For free! Rifana and I on the other hand also got free treats from local vendors. Now, that makes me understand why people love to see beautiful things.
I don't mind about why people treated us like that. And I saw my dearest friend also quite enjoyed their kindness since it could distract her from thinking about her "inferiority." What she didn't like however, was the fact that young women became clingy with Lord Suiryu. I've seen she pouted every time the girls hailed him with bread, cheese, flowers and lots of flattery. I barely contained my giggle when I saw her envious face while she cursed those ladies.
As her friend, what I can do is to support her to win Lord Suiryu's heart. At least, easing her by saying that everything needs time always lightened her mood.
In our journey, sometimes we met adventurers. Mostly were rookies, whom sadly had little to no experience in combat. We often found them in their most miserable state. Starved, injured and even lost some comrades, those were the anguishes they commonly should pay for venturing outside the the wall of a city. That makes me learn about the risk of adventuring. I am so grateful and owe so much to Lord Suiryu.
Since they were lost and battered, nothing we could do except to take them to the nearest town to get some treatment. We were glad since they didn't suffer life-threatening wound.
Ironically, sometimes we didn't aware that we had killed the monsters which had brought pain to these unlucky adventurers. This fact surfaced when we asked them about the circumstances of their misfortunes that befell them. We didn't want to be cruel, but we never told them that we had slain the culprit. We believe that Lord Suiryu did this out of caution, or probably he doesn't want them to feel indebted by our deed.
Nonetheless, we found that these rookies were good fellows worth to be acquainted with. Usually we only introduced ourselves as a group of wanderer. From our chats with them, we also gathered some news regarding the condition of the country and some passing rumors. Most of them were about the incoming second Wave. Few others were about the other Saint Heroes.
Among the news the adventurers shared to us, what shocked Rifana and myself the most was the revelation that the Shield Hero is despised and shunned by people. We cannot fathom such reality and when we asked him, he said that it was all started from a misunderstanding at the palace.
For unknown reason, the king hates him and plots against him although he had proved his innocence. Rifana and I can't believe that our Master, a very kind and venerable person, treated with such hostility and contempt. How despicable and unforgivable of an act they do to Lord Suiryu!
Rifana and I shared the thought that the encounter with the assassins some days prior was merely a random event. However, now it turns out that all of that is a mischief of an evil party we know nothing about. A bunch of people who want to vanquish Lord Suiryu for a reason we are yet to know. And we suppose that the ruler was the man behind all of this.
In spite of all the wrongdoing he should face, Lord Suiryu does not falter. Contrary, he views the obstacles provided by his enemies as nothing but bumps on the road. He maintains his aim as a hero, no matter how hard the hindrance on his way. As one of the Saint Heroes, his goal is to stop the Wave of Calamity. With such admirable resolve, even sometimes I'm afraid that I cannot follow his path.
Now before us, the Wave has come to bring doom for the second time upon this land. Either it will ravage the people or we manage to stop it, only time will tell…'
"Raphtalia… Raphtalia…!" Rifana yelled at her raccoon-friend as she parried a slash from a skeleton soldier and turned it into some black mist with a blow from her trusted hatchet.
"Uh…!" Raphtalia came back to reality and looked to her surroundings frantically.
"Hey, hey… Are you daydreaming again? We're still in the middle of combat, you know!" Rifana reprimanded her friend. "Never let your guard down. Remember what Lord Suiryu had taught!"
Another bone soldier made its turn to strike. Raphtalia in response jumped to throw an overhead kick, destroying it. She then paused as she and her pal waited a dozen of skeleton soldiers marched towards them from a distance.
"Yeah… Well, thanks for reminding me, Rifana." Raphtalia replied as she chuckled awkwardly. "I was kinda… lost."
"Lost in thought again? Gee… You're thinking things too much, aren't you?" Rifana sighed as she relaxed her grip on her axes for a moment. "Now look! We've got company."
"You don't need to tell." Raphtalia smiled as she glanced at the incoming undead troops.
When the horde of skeletons came closer, Raphtalia renewed her stance as she held her cutlasses tighter. Rifana soon enough lunged herself to strike the first rank. With a swiping roundhouse kick, she leveled the vanguard of the bunch, shattering the animated bones without flesh.
In cue, Raphtalia stomped the ground and bolted forward to meet the second row. First slash, second slash, third slash, all were done skillfully without missing any momentum. Each blow was intended to inflict as bigger damage as possible, thus sending the already dead troops back to their graves.
The remaining four of the enemy were nailed on their place, clueless to see how a pair of demi-humans could bring down their fellows from the netherworld. They could only let out some unintelligible growls while poising their worn out weapon as the duo approached them with calm pace. In an instant, their pseudo-vision picked up an image of a boot's sole and a flash form a blade. The moment those things connected with their being, all of their consciousness ceased abruptly as their body disintegrated into black dust.
"Whew... That's 68." Rifana mumbled as she rubbed the sweat on her forehead. "So this is the Wave, huh? Quite bothersome."
"Don't get full of yourself, Rifana." Raphtalia warned as she sheathed her cutlasses. "We know that you're strong, but overconfidence might hurt you in a way you never think. And why you're counting your kill? That's… Totally unlike you."
Rifana grinned in response. "Well, for me, it's a nice way to measure my durability. I can see until how long I can endure in a battle."
As Raphtalia raised her brows at her friend's reply, a loud buzzing sound suddenly hit their eardrums. Rifana who saw the guest greeted it by casually throwing her axe. The spinning hatchet cleaved the hovering giant locust and landed on a tree bark with a thud.
"I think this is not a battle." Raphtalia stared towards the fallen insect as it turned into some black mist. "The best way to put it is a massacre… I guess?"
"You have a point." Rifana nodded as she started to walk to retrieve her axe. "Honestly, these monsters aren't any stronger than those we slew in the forest, so I agree. It's simply a slaughtering."
"Yes. Slaughtering enemies who are overwhelming in number." Raphtalia stated as she followed her weasel-friend. "It's almost they're endless and I believe that's why this country failed to protect her people."
Rifana's face made a slight grimace as she looked at her friend. Her pal's reply reminded her to the first Wave which killed Raphtalia's parents. She still could not shrug the thought about how the pain her dearest friend should endure.
"Um, sorry. I don't want to be rude, but I don't think it's a good idea to talk about this." Rifana put an apologetic smile as she rubbed her cheek. "I still got the blues for you, Raphtalia."
The raccoon-girl darted her gaze towards the pale brown sky as she drew her breath. The image of her parent's tragic death was still vivid in her memory. Indeed, it still hurt her when the figure of her dear mother and father haunted her mind. Fortunately, she could gradually cope with the loss as she found a new goal in her life. Her new aim, was to protect the people in order they would not suffer the same fate as hers.
"It's okay, Rifana." Raphtalia replied as a sad smile was present on her face. "It's the past. Now, I've my new goal."
"Becoming a hero?" Rifana inquired as she put a sympathetic smile. "Now, that really sounds like you."
"Right." The raccoon-girl chuckled. "But, it's Lord Suiryu who shows me… I mean, us… The path of a hero. Don't you think so?"
"Yeah. You're right." Rifana's smile got even brighter upon the mention of Shield Hero's name. "Lord Suiryu…"
Rifana muttered the monk-fighter's name as a tint of red adorned her cheeks. It always brought a sweet memory every time she thought about him.
When Raphtalia arrived in front of the tree to draw her axe, Raphatalia who noticed her friend's blush smirked. Gone all her grieve a moment ago as she found a source of entertainment. In all honesty, the weasel-girl always become her source of amusement since her playful side emerged whenever her friend talked about their dear Master.
After the event of Rifana's spontaneous confession in front of Suiryu, the raccoon-girl had developed a naughty craving to tease her weasel-friend. And recently, she often took it into a different level.
"Ahem… Right. Speaking about Lord Suiryu, should we check HIM?" Raphtalia's hands slowly crept onto Rifana's shoulders, making her yelp. "I believe he'll be happy to see you~."
"Eeep! What do you mean!?" Rifana turned quickly to see her friend as her blush got redder. "Cut it out, Raphtalia!"
"Oh, dear~... What kind of wife you'll become if you never see your…" Raphtalia made an amused cough as she put a playful grin. "…Future husband when he's working, hmm~?"
Rifana tried to hide her reddening cheeks as she clenched her hatchet's hilt really hard. She gritted her teeth while letting out a beastly growl. It was more of an annoyance, rather than a rage. Consequently, Raphralia's grin got even wider.
"Come on, Rifana. Let's go. Is it hurt to just see him?" Raphtalia suddenly moved towards her friend's back as she whispered in a slightly seductive tone. "I swear, he'll be really happy to see you. Think of it as a way to cheer him during his hard work."
"Raphtalia… Please, don't say such thing!" Rifana squirmed as her face turned as red as a tomato. "Now, I don't know why you always make that face every time you tease me. Is it that funny for you to do that!?"
Raphtalia put a cheeky grin. "Yep. It's really funny to see your pouting face. Because it's… Ooh… It's very cute! I love it!"
Rifana slapped her own face. She could not believe that her friend had grown such kind of sick taste of humor. She did not have any idea about how that kind of horrible thing could happen. She only wished that her friend's queer joke was not a sign of insanity as an effect of losing her parents, or something worse.
"That's not funny at all, Raphtalia, cause you're the only one who get the fun!" Rifana retorted as she puffed her cheeks, much to Raphtalia's delight. "Stop it! It's embarrassing you know! And I bet you forget what he told us–"
"…Clear the forest. That's all. I never forget what he said." Raphtalia interjected as she shrugged her shoulders.
Rifana sighed as she looked at her friend with an irk on her face. "You know Raphtalia, lately you become more stubborn. Guess that a hard-headed girl like you will get quiet if I follow what you want."
It was Raphtalia's turn to make a frown. It appeared that Rifana's reply really got the raccoon's nerve, yet she stood firm although her friend scowled. She had thought that it probably might end as a fight and she was not afraid in the slightest.
"What did you say?" Raphtalia narrowed her eyes as her head let out an imaginary fume. "Say it again, Rifana!"
"I said you're hard-headed." Rifana repeated her words nonchalantly as she crossed her arms. "It's a fact."
Raphtalia clenched her fist really hard as she held back her anger. She was really mad when Rifana called her a stubborn lass, as if she never become an obedient child in the first place. The insult almost burned all her patience, much to Rifana's satisfaction for revenge. Fortunately, she was still aware about her surroundings and decided to settle that matter for other time.
Raphtalia sighed to drain her anger, down to earth. "Fine. Let's put this thing in our next spar. For now, we'll scour for another hordes and see Lord Suiryu."
"Heh? Alright then. It's a deal." Rifana smirked as she raised a brow. "So, try your best to prove that I'm still weak."
Rifana's syndrome resurfaced despite the fact that Raphtalia had never won any match. Either it was a draw or the raccoon lose. That was why she was waiting the time when her friend could beat her.
Regarding this odd case, Suiryu believed that Raphtalia held a great advantage, especially in her speed and tactics. He had seen how she pulled out some smarts in every match despite losing. It was only a matter of time until she could prove how her strategy would prevail in a fight against Rifana.
"You'll see soon how I've developed my own technique, specifically for dealing with you." Raphtalia spoke as her mouth formed a grin. "I've seen all your moves and memorized all the openings. I'm sure it will work and Lord Suiryu will be really proud of me."
"Hoh? I'm really looking forward to it." The weasel-girl spoke excitedly as she clapped her hands. "You know, I'm bored to be a winner all the time. I guess it's time for you to defeat me."
"Don't worry. I'll give you a fight which you'll really happy to accept." Raphtalia spoke as she pointed at Rifana. "But don't cry if I defeat you, okay."
"Cry? As if I would." Rifana chuckled. "Oh wait. What if I cry because I'm happy that you can defeat me?"
Raphtalia rolled her eyes. It seemed that Rifana's syndrome would not vanish any time soon. Probably only their savior who could cure it.
"In that case, I'll let Lord Suiryu console you." Raphtalia said as she offered a fake, yet sweet smile which wavered into a naughty grin. "So, let's check him, shall we?"
"RAPHTALIAAA!" Rifana screamed as her face turned red, again.
Before Raphtalia could run farther with her annoying grin to dodge Rifana who tried to strangle her, she suddenly stopped on her track, making her friend bump onto her. She turned her head to her side and right at that moment, an object which appeared to be an upper half of a giant skeleton-zombie fell with a splatter, some meters away from where the two stood.
"… Forget about seeing Lord Suiryu." Raphtalia turned to her friend with a flickering smile. "I guess he's okay while doing his job."
Rifana pursed her lips as she crossed her arms. "That's what I want to say earlier. We'll just become a dead-weight if we see him now. Let's just follow what he said and find him after this Wave."
"Uhh… Right~." Raphtalia put a guilty smile as she followed her friend to go back to their job.
Beating down some men in a rumble was not a new thing for him. Decimating an army of monster however, was a real deal. That was how Suiryu regarded the situation he was in, during this Wave.
The Shield Hero did not have time to think about anything except slaying the monsters before him, and it must be fast. Putting his [Void Fist] into work would obviously become a waste since the foes were lifeless animated bones. Also, it did not help to quicken the process either.
In the end, Suiryu resorted to use his most primitive style. Running while thrashing proved to be more effective since his body had become sturdier as he leveled up, allowing him to become a live battering-ram. An outrageous scolding awaited him if his grandfather was still alive and witnessed his current fight, for his style was so crude, so raw and suited well for a mindless beast.
'I don't care if they see me fighting like a madman. Forget all my shame! I've something to protect and I don't have time.' Suiryu mused as he moved his arm to bash a crowding skeletons.
He looked at his HUD and half an hour had passed. So far, he did not see any tough enemy, let alone challenging one. The only thing which pumped his adrenaline was the fear that the hordes might get into the nearest settlement. Moreover, he knew very well about the location he was roaming about at the moment.
"Lute… I won't let them enter that place! No way!" Suiryu vowed silently as he unleashed an axe-kick to a giant skeleton-zombie, blowing its upper half and flinging it to the woods.
A legion of around a hundred came to him. He charged towards them as his arms crossed to guard his front. Sound of crushing bones echoed as he rushed through their rank, piercing forth to its rear. When he met the end of the legion, he jumped to make some flips and used the force from his descend to unleash a powerful stomp. The impact generated a ground wave and tremor, obliterating the undead soldiers on its course. Only few were remain, and thus the horde was decimated, just like the rest of his enemies.
A late reinforcement came. This time, it was comprised of a dozen of giant skeleton-zombies, followed by tens of giant locusts. At last, the chance had come for Suiryu to test how destructive his [Void Fist] might be for a group. In truth, he had not tried his moves on a swarming foes.
Suiryu's lips curled up as he uttered,
冥躰鳳昇拳
"[Void Phoenix Ascension Fist]!"
The in-game system notified his move selection through his display as he reared his right arm. The moment he threw his fist forward to hit a nearby bulky undead, some black streaks coiled around his fist and formed a bird's shadow. His fist connected with his foe's torso and blasted it into hundreds of bits as a sonic boom followed. The shadow bird which grew in size flew through the minced flesh and cut down another individuals behind. His move managed to kill five undeads in a row.
This devastating punch baffled both sides. For Suiryu, he never realized that his attack might become that destructive. He was perplexed at his own feat. Everything seemed to grow crazy in this game-like world.
On the other hand, the remaining undead were petrified to see their brethren fell down so easily before a human. If they had a speck of feeling in their being, probably fear was the thing which stopped them from moving.
The monk-fighter did not indulge himself in his astonishment any longer, for he saw their stupor and quickly seized that opportunity. He leaped to the nearest undead to send a kick, blowing away its body. As he jumped from the downed zombie, he shifted his attack to a hovering grasshopper and crushed it with a downward chop.
The next passing seconds, he barreled from one enemy onto another while unleashing killing blows. One hit, one kill. There was no wasted move and each motion was done skillfully. Miraculously, he felt that his mood suddenly rose, likely because he could enjoy his usual fighting style again, unlike when he ground down the skeleton legion.
"Hah… I feel alive." Suiryu spoke as he skidded after the carnage. "Seems that I can't go far without my style. I feel clumsy without it."
"Whoa…! Look! The old man killed those monster alone!"
"Yes! Did you see that!? He jumped and hit those giants like… WHAM! And BOOM!"
"AWESOME!"
The possible worst case scenario in a war zone suddenly occurred. Five boys around the age of ten were gawking at him from behind some bushes. It seemed that Suiryu failed to notice their presence in the vicinity. As a martial artist, he still had a trouble to sense kids around his fighting range.
"HEY! What are you doing there!?" Suiryu yelled as he rushed towards the kids. "Get back to your house, boys! Here's not safe!"
"Ooh… The old man is angry! RUN!" One of the kid shouted as he dashed, followed by his friends.
One of them however, did not heed the warning and decided to stay. His face bore curiosity and puzzlement as he looked at Suiryu who came over to him. At the same time, his daze hinted a sign that he wanted to talk.
"Kid, why don't you go back? This place is dangerous." The shield hero reminded as he put a concerned look. "This is not a place to play."
The whelp hesitated to say anything as Suiryu's gaze was directed upon him. "Um… Actually…"
"Yes?" The monk fighter tried to be attentive while keeping his guard from wavering. "Is there something I can help?"
"Are you the wolf fur seller?" The kid inquired as he looked at the champion.
"Pardon?" Suiryu felt like he misheard what the boy said.
"Um… Are you the man who frequented to my village… To sell some wolf furs?" The boy paused as he averted his gaze to the ground, shyly.
Suiryu was flustered to meet a young boy who asked him such question. That also brought a sense of deja vu. It felt like it had been a long time since he was caught in that similar situation where a bystander – mostly were kids– suddenly asked him a mundane question, out of the blue.
"Uh, yeah. I am. Then, do you need some help? Or do you want to buy some fur?" Suiryu spoke jokingly and chuckled, making the boy do the same. "For you, I'll give you a special prize."
Actually Suiryu was not really good with kids since most of his fans from his old world – and in this world as well– were girls. For elementary school boys, the heroes whom really caught their interest probably were Metal Knight and Drive Knight since mechanical things are always boy's stuff. Nonetheless, he occasionally found a few admirers from among these little guys whom usually collected his autograph. Thus, he had learned to be as friendly as possible towards them, albeit with difficulty which often turned the situation into an awkward one.
"Ehehehe…" The boy chuckled awkwardly. "Actually, I come here not to buy the fur."
Suiryu mentally facepalmed at the fact that he often failed to deal with young boys. 'Well, things always get like this. Why I always screw up when I meet kids?'
"I went here because we heard some loud booms from afar." The boy exclaimed as he smiled. "People were panic, but oddly, there was nothing came into our village, so we sneaked out to see what's going on."
Suiryu who knew the next line only smiled as he raised his brows. "And?"
"… And, it's you, Sir." The boy spoke as a bright smile rose on his face.
'I see. Thank goodness, nothing happened to Lute.' Suiryu inwardly sighed as he checked his surroundings for any lurking monster.
"Okay. So, after you know it's me, why don't you go back?" The monk-fighter inquired, out of curiosity. "You know that it's very dangerous, right?"
"Um… I just want to say… Thanks." The boy spoke shyly.
A grateful child who met a heroic stranger. That was how one could picture their meeting. Something which only appeared in long forgotten tales, written by sages and passed down to the next generations, only to be forgotten again and buried deep inside the grave called myth.
"Oh, well. Then, you're welcome." Suiryu replied as he put a sheepish smile. "Just don't mention it."
There was a momentary pause as the boy stared at Suiryu with admiration. Unfortunately, the martial-artist could not response such odd circumstance. A cue to break the ice at last saved him when another horde of skeleton soldiers marched from the road leading to their place.
"See. The monsters are still around. Go back home. You can play after this thing is over." Suiryu spoke with a soft tone as his hand rummaged the content of his pants' pocket. "Here, catch!"
The boy caught a silver coin Suiryu flicked at him. "Huh? This is..."
"Buy some treat with that." The champion said as he smiled before he faced the incoming legion. "Now, hurry!"
As the skeleton soldiers came closer, the boy picked his pace as he looked back to Suiryu. "Thank you, Sir! Promise me to visit my village!"
The man only gave a thumbs up without looking behind as a breeze blew past him. The boy for a moment staggered when he caught a glimpse of a shining metal plate with a green gem under Suiryu's cape.
"Shield?" The boy muttered before he turned and ran back to his village. "Maybe it's an armor. Never mind. He's very kind."
The boy ran with bright smile on his face as he opened his palm to see the gift from the man. A gift from the Shield Hero he knew nothing about.
Turned out, the events did not go without any witness. From several hundred meters away on top of a hill, a young knight in an armor, together with his fellows from a scouting group saw all the hero's exploit. His blood – and maybe his friends' as well– ran cold from the sheer amount of absurdity of the feats the hero could cast.
"Who in God's name is he?" The young knight said nervously as his hand was trembling when holding a monocular. "I-I swear, he slew those monsters alone like they were just nothing."
"As ridiculous as it sounds, that's the power of a hero." A witch in a gray uniform robe with a typical witch hat exclaimed calmly. "Actually, I saw him right after the summoning. He must be the missing Shield Hero."
"Do you think the rumor is all but false?" Another knight from the party asked as he scratched his cheek. "I think a mere scum won't go as far as protecting your village from monsters and give a coin for your neighbor, right? That's too noble and too generous."
"No matter who he is, I'll just follow what commander Genevieve had said." Another witch girl spoke as she looked at the scene of the skirmish from her monocular. "After all, she was under the order Her Majesty. Oh, look! He's in rampage again!"
The knight boy quickly looked at the ensuing battle through his monocular. "Hah– He's killing another hordes!? Just what he's made of!? Eh, HEY!"
His pal grabbed his monocular to see what his friends were seeing, only to find that…
"Oh… He's gone."
After fifteen minutes of a run about the area of Lute, at last, Suiryu saw the boss of this absurd catastrophe which was as wacky as the event itself. It was a hideous creature with the body of a lion, three heads of different kinds of fauna – a lion, a lizard and a goat (?)– embedded into its neck and a viper for its tail. All in all, this thing befitted as House of Evolution's failed subject in which Doctor Genus would not be bothered to put it into incinerator, or feed it to Carnage Kabuto.
The monster stood on its four legs as its lion's head gazed towards the lower ground while the other two regarded the terrain on each side. When its vision caught Suiryu's figure below, it lunged without hesitation towards him. Its hollow predatory gaze met with the blue eyes of the champion.
The beast which name was Chimera, as the holy shield implied, extended its arm upon its flight. Its paws were aimed at Suiryu who stood unmoved.
Just inches away before its claws could cut him, he stepped to his right and used his knee to hit the left side of the monster. The blow sent it flew some meters away before it rolled on the ground and regained its balance to stand. Suiryu's strike managed to decrease Chimera's HP bar by 5%.
'Quite tough for a monster, huh? I guess you live up my expectation.' Suiryu mused as he turned to see Chimera who shook its heads before preparing its second attack. 'This must be fun! Yeah!'
Just like usual, his lust for a challenging fight flared when he found a strong opponent. Added by the fact that he had cleared the area from the threat of the undeads, his desire to play with the malformed kitten became stronger. He was aware that he was a hero, but was it a shame if he wanted a good fight in a while? After all, a great hero like Saitama also did so.
Hopefully, his wish would not go in vain since Chimera was still up and kicking. It charged towards the hero as its three heads were letting out a loud and eerie shriek. He could feel its murderous aura as it approached him, although its speed was incomparable to "red demon" Choze from the 22nd Super Fight. Still, it excited him to know that there was a challenge in this event.
Suiryu readied his stance as he saw Chimera came closer. The moment it jumped to slash him with its claws, he raised his right leg and used the other as a center to spin his body. And again, before Chimera's attack could connect, his attack outran its strike. His roundhouse kick knocked Chimera-lion's jaw and launched it upward. In that split second however, its viper tail tried to bite him, which he evaded easily.
Seeing such opening as the snake head was pulled by the flying body, the martial artist grabbed it and ripped it apart. The beast roared when it lost a connection with its fourth head as the force of Suiryu's attack was still pushing it into the air.
As the gravity took turn to pull Chimera back to earth, the martial artist pulled his shield from his back. He used the momentary halt to feed his aegis with the severed viper, unlocking a new shield.
Chimera Viper Shield Unlocked!
Equipment Bonus:
Antidote Mixing +1
Poison Resistance (M)
Special Effect:
Poisonous Snake Fang (M)
Hook
Ability: Change Shield
Again, the monster plummeted onto the ground after it took damage from the monk-fighter's attack. The difference however, it lost its vital instrument for a surprise attack. The viper tail could serve as a hidden weapon to deliver deadly venom, in which its properties had been absorbed by Suiryu's shield.
Now without its tail, Chimera readied itself for the third attack. This time, the lion head looked more passive as the lizard head seemed to take turn to control the body. It extended its legs slowly as the reptilian opened its jaw. A burst of flame erupted from its mouth, aimed at Suiryu.
The martial artist who had predicted the cheap trick evaded the afterburner attack casually. He could even circle Chimera since it did not move as the lizard was still burning the air in front of it.
When the flamethrower seemed to spend its fuel, Suiryu had been standing behind the unsuspecting monster as he was looking at it curiously. As if he was appraising how much he could earn from every piece of its body. The goat head looked behind and a kick to their butt was the answer.
Chimera was thrown forward, but managed to dig its claws into the ground before it lurched. In front of Suiryu, all Chimera's attack had totally backfired and it lost a quarter of its HP already, plus an appendage! If it possessed a semblance of ability to speak, probably it would scream something like "unforgivable, how dare you, you…" and so forth.
Unfortunately, what the awful monster could do was letting out a roar of rage. Just like its previous attacks, it then rammed directly towards Suiryu, although now it gained more speed. Like a bull trying to pound a matador, its attack was evaded by Suiryu with a sideways jump.
Suiryu who started to grow tired from how dull the fight decided to quit fooling around. Despite the fact that Chimera became speedier, it did not faze him in the slightest. Understandably, that was because he had his fair share in fighting much faster, much smarter, and much stronger monsters from his old world. Now, he braced himself as the – let's say, it's just a high-tiger level monster– charged towards him for the fourth time.
Chimera closed in and opened its attack with a barrage of claw slash which probably could cut a concrete slab. Suiryu in response followed the movements as he let himself being pushed backwards. None of the strike grazed him as he dodged them with coordinated motion of his body. He looked like fooled around again, but actually it was a plan to make sure whether or not his opponent could draw any secret move in a fit of rage.
When he found out that it was all Chimera could do, he leaped to his right and threw a punch to its left side. As a shock-wave burst from the impact he inflicted, he turned his body in midair repeatedly while unleashing successive blows. As the rotation gained more velocity, a violent cyclone occurred.
冥躰空龍拳
[Void Sky Dragon Fist]
Silhouette of black dragons followed the circular air current as the force from the torque and pounding gnawed Chimera's HP constantly. The aura of black dragon's head added the damage from every stroke while pushing the monster onto the ground. The grotesque creature was totally powerless under the monk-fighter's ferocious beating.
Marks of red marred its hide while bits of flesh started to fall off. Its anguish seemed to last forever since Suiryu kept batting his fist at its body. Chimera's wail of agony even could not reach no one, for the raging wind from the move obstructed it.
A mercy upon its doomed existence came when the martial artist jumped and distanced himself away. In this very brief moment, each eye of the heads picked the fuzzy image of the hero who took a strong stance. Their ears then heard drumming sound when his legs stomped the earth repeatedly. And at last, their vision saw a salvation when a shadow of a tiger's head sped towards them.
冥躰震虎拳
[Void Shivering Tiger Fist]
With that final blow, the excruciating pain upon death ripped out all Chimera's life force from its wretched vessel. The hero's final attack only added the vileness towards its malformation it suffered, breaking it beyond recognition, blowing its viscera out from its place.
Thus was how Suiryu, the martial artist from another world, managed to slay the second Wave boss. However, was he happy with it? Did it bring satisfaction or was all of that disappointing?
"So, this was the second Wave boss? Ganged up by some Class A heroes, this poor thing won't stand a chance." The monk-fighter muttered his thought as he pursed his lips while staring at Chimera's dead body. "Still, I guess this world really needs heroes."
Sure, he thought that Chimera lacked the quality to be called a catastrophe-bringer. Nonetheless, the absence of individuals who possessed power above normal human and steel will to fight was the main problem which caused the monthly event became apocalyptic. The first Wave had spoken about how acute the problem was.
In the end, Suiryu could only sigh as he moved from the thought about mismanagement the country experienced towards his kill. Chimera's dead body seemed to invite him to desecrate it from all of its belongings. He shrugged his shoulders and began his butchering job as the dimensional rifts closed, while the coloration of the sky turning back to its normal.
The champion started the autopsy on his trophy by carving out some flesh and bones. He sniffed it a little and gagged, for its odor was pungent, as expected from a monster. His shield fortunately would always welcome any donation, whatever awful it was. He fed a chunk from Chimera's blasted posterior and got a notification.
New Shields Unlocked!
Chimera Meat Shield →Cooking Skill +1
Chimera Bone Shield →Darkness Resistance (M)
Chimera Leather Shield →Defense +10
'Oi, oi… What's this? I killed a monster and suddenly I can cook nice food without joining a cooking course?' Suiryu mused as he snorted at how ridiculous the ability the shield would grant. 'Seriously? I bet McCoy will hang himself upside-down if he ever lay his... eye on this thing.'
Truth be told, Suiryu had discovered a ton of bizarre properties his shield contained. The Companion Shield was one among those absurd features. And to find that he could cook better after feeding his shield with an uneatable meat was the real joke.
Speaking about something fun, his momentary amusement ceased abruptly when a group of men headed to his source of enjoyment. Knowing who they were, Suiryu quickly pulled up his conical hat and cloth mask to cover his face. Of course putting his shield behind his cape came first.
'Of all time, why they come in this moment?' Suiryu sighed. 'Guess that fate really likes to toy on me, huh? Just like Bakuzan.'
"What the hell is that!?" A certain spear hero blurted out as he jogged towards the dead Chimera.
"Is that supposed to be the boss?" Another one who carried a bow asked while scowling as he followed behind a black-haired swordsman. "But how?"
"Did that man took care of it?" The swordsman spoke as he scowled. "Damn it! We come late!"
"Yoew keids! Seems tha' the early bird elways win da prize, eh?" Suiryu spoke with his improvised gruff voice and an accent which was not his at all. "Sowrry. Eh call it dibs."
The heroes for a moment shared a confused look while staring at the dead monster. The idea of a lesser human who could bring down a Wave boss was insane. And this bloke in adventurer attire and a wandering-samurai hat… Just who the hell was this freak?
"Call it dibs?" The bow hero scowled as he stepped closer to face the martial artist turned con artist. "Who the hell do you think you are!? I bet you're just a passing nobody who found this thing already slain by someone. You don't have any claim for this thing."
Suiryu who kept hiding his face sighed. He did not like the possible outcome of this meeting, at all. What he wanted was to flee from this mess.
"Kawasumi-san, easy there." The swordsman put his hand on the baby-faced bow-boy's shoulder. "Sir, we don't want to make any trouble, but would you please leave this thing to us. It is our job to clean this thing."
"Yeah. We're the heroes, so this carcass is rightfully ours." The blond spear-guy pridefully exclaimed as he pointed his thumb at his chest. "Um… I mean, we're the people who're responsible to finish this duty."
'Wow… So the other heroes are just like Neo Hero's disposal team. How convenient.' Suiryu inwardly laughed as he rubbed his nape. 'And… Guess my dear Motoyasu doesn't change. Oh, there's also the princess! Just great. Enough for this mess. I think I'll just obey this sword kid.'
Meanwhile, the said princess who donned herself in a new set of silver armor for a second narrowed her eyes. She seemed to recognize the stranger before her as she put a pondering look. Suiryu who noticed her questioning face from under his hat took it as a red flag to run before everything got worse.
"Owright. Sowrry. Never knew ye're heroes. E'll jawst leave it ta yeah. Fare thee well dan." Suiryu swiftly turned around and left the people who looked baffled by his attitude.
"What a weirdo." The bow hero Itsuki muttered as he slung his weapon. "A country bumpkin?"
"That easy? You're the best, Amaki-kyun." Motoyasu complimented the sword hero as he chuckled.
"As great and intelligent as always, Lord Ren!" The red-haired liar of a princess added the flattery as she clapped her hands.
Malty seemed to cheer the sword hero, but subtly, her sight was still set upon the leaving Suiryu. She was still doubtful, yet she still felt a familiarity with the figure. After all, her trait as a pathological liar forced her to be observant with her surroundings. And living five days with the shield hero left her a strong impression about his gait, although in the end, those would not still enough to convince her.
"Whatever. I've dealt with something worse than odd people." Ren spoke with a shrug. "Now everyone, let's see what we can get from this thing."
"Oh… This's what I'm waiting for." Motoyasu spoke excitedly as he poked Chimera's lizard with his spear. "This is really a monster material!"
"Hmm… Yeah. But, don't you think it's kinda off." Itsuki caressed his chin as he examined Chimera's busted thorax. "Just what kind of thing which can blast this thing. It's like it got a direct hit from an explosive charge."
"A cannon-shot wound?" Ren also put his mind to analyze the possible notion before he took the trophy. "But there are also some blunt force trauma. And it's not from a club or stick. Maybe a hammer?"
"Guys, come on. Let's just take our share and install them to our weapon. Easy right." Motoyasu said as he put his carefree attitude like always. "Why should be bothered by the man who take down this monster."
Ignoring the spear hero's stupid advice, Ren placed his hand and sized the mark of a beating. "Could it be… No. It's impossible."
For a moment, Ren got a vague idea that Chimera's cause of death was caused by heavy beating of knuckles, judging from the size of hit marks. Since such possibility was nearly zero, he dismissed it. His gamer logic would not accept a death from consecutive punches since it was nigh impossible. Monk-fighter would never be able to do that thing in the game he played.
"What's wrong, Amaki-san?" Itsuki asked as he looked at Chimera's dragon head, readying himself before his fellows could take it. "Did you find any clue about this strange thing?"
"Hmm… Nope. So…" Ren stole the start and landed near Itsuki's aim. "I'll take this."
Motoyasu conveniently extended his spear to touch the lion head. "A valiant hero like me deserve this one. Hahaha…"
"That's true, Lord Motoyasu. A very befitting choice indeed." Malty exclaimed as she clung on the spear hero.
"Wha–…" The poor bow hero's jaw dropped as he tilted his head to the last part. "I got, the goat?"
"Better than nothing, senpai." Ren dug his sword into the lizard head as he put an apologetic smile. "Who knows, maybe you can get a summoner's skill."
"Or necromancer, maybe. Hahahaha..." Motoyasu let out his scoffing joke as he slowly cleaved his share. "That's a very handy skill for an archer, you know. Imagine, you don't have time to shoot and the enemies are approaching you. There's nothing you can do except to spam a crowd of undeads."
With heavy steps, drooping shoulders and twitching eye, Itsuki took his share. Neither in his old world, nor in his new life would his status as a looser come to an end. Every time, everywhere, people kept bullying him. It seemed that he has been destined to live an oppressed life.
"Well then. But don't look at me as if I'm a satanist." Itsuki grumbled as his companions helped him to remove the goat head. "Why people always think that goat head is related to those freak rituals?"
The other heroes and their band only chuckled in response. It appeared that most of them celebrated their meager achievement merrily upon their lucky find without putting any further thought regarding the real hero. Some person however, kept thinking about the mysterious person behind the fall of the vicious beast which supposed to be the proof of their first debut.
"I wonder where's that cheater during the Wave. I bet he ran away to another country." Itsuki spoke as his friends put down the goat's head before he fed it to his holy bow. "He must know his place as a useless class. I hope his cheat engine bugged and killed him."
"But, weren't heroes will be gathered every time a Wave strikes? Maybe he's hiding somewhere during this ordeal." Ren argued as he checked his sword menu system to find Chimera Bone Sword.
Motoyasu who had finished to feed the lion's head all of sudden became mute. His expression bore the look of a contemplating man, unlike usual. His vision wandered to the monster's rear to find out that its tail was missing.
"Is something the matter, Lord Motoyasu?" Malty who caught his unusual countenance asked.
"Uh, no. Just… a stray thought." The spear hero smiled as he wrung his arm around the redhead. "Nothing to worry about, Malty. Hahaha..."
Malty who put her fake yet sweet smile was not convinced. There must be something which bothered the spear wielder. She deduced that the last encounter with the shield hero at the palace had a strong impact on him.
'I'll just put a close watch on this buffoon. Indeed, that shield monster is really dangerous. I wonder what kind of trick he used to manipulate men.' The princess mused as she looked at the other heroes. 'Fortunately, the other kids also grow a strong resentment towards him. Just watch, ogre! I'll crush you to dust!'
Author's Note
It's really unlike Suiryu, but since he chose to go under radar, he let the other stole the credit. On the bright side however, he stole all the kill.
And well, don't get the wrong idea. I won't make Rifana a masochist. It's just she doesn't believe her own capability that she wants really bad to be defeated, not roughed up. Meanwhile, Raphtalia keeps her role as a smart and sometimes naughty character.
Why the girls should fight outside Suiryu's proximity? Think of it as a task given by Saitama to Genos. Because I believe, Suiryu is a dedicated Sensei while Rifana & Raphtalia are hell-bent disciples. In their current level, both girls can probably fight with some low tier Super Fight martial artist like Benpats, Hamukichi, Dave, Voltane, Gatlin & Lin Lin. Zakos & Mentai are out of question. Of course this wave turned into an ordinary pest control for them.
Into the battle... Honestly, I'm not really sure about how I should work it. Letting the village got wrecked by the monsters seems too canon. I want to put a different scene, but it ends up into a sporadic skirmish around the forest and… those are the results. Hopefully, the Chimera stuff can describe Suiryu's combat prowess justly.
And no shield? Suiryu only used his shield as a utility tool since he relies heavily on his [Void Fist]. Besides, he did not see any need to use it on such kind of high-tiger level monster. Probably in the near future fight, he'll really use the shield to aid him.
Please correct me if I put a wrong scale-leveling.
The next chapter, well… Still in planing. But I think you've guessed about the challenge to fight in the arena. ;-)
Hope you like it and don't forget to leave your comment and ideas in the review. Feel free to PM me as well. :-)
Thank you so much and see you in the next story. ;-)