Disclaimer: I own neither Yakuza or Rising of the Shield Hero
First Meetings
*SKREE~!*
(Yakuza 0 OST: Ultimate Road Rage)
Kiryu slammed his Ember Gauntlets into the lensed eye of a Monster Silkmoth, causing a small blaze to burst around its head. Though the Silkmoth was larger than a bear, with a wingspan twice that, the magical blaze was strong enough to bring it down. Still, Kiryu's head spun on a swivel, eyes narrowed as he watched several other Monster Silkmoths hover above.
"Shit… there's no end to them…" Kiryu cursed, looking toward his partner. "Nugget! Have you got one?"
"Pree~!" Nugget squaked in answer, turning his butt toward Kiryu to show that he had a Monster Silkworm hanging over it. The worm was almost the size of a small crocodile, wiggling around hopelessly on the filolial's back.
"Alright, let's go then! We don't need to fight them all!" Kiryu said, sprinting toward Nugget at full speed. He caught sight of another Monster Silkmoth flying low and attempting to sweep Kiryu up. The former yakuza stopped on a dime, launching himself into the air and avoiding the moth before it could drag its weight on top of him. Kiryu reeled an arm back, the gauntlets changing shape into a pair of Crystal Gauntlets created from absorbing the gems of the mountain. With greatly enhanced strength and weight, Kiryu brought a powerful fist down on the Silkmoth's head, causing its entire body to slam into the ground and creating a small crater.
Landing on top of it before rolling off, Kiryu grit his teeth as he dusted off the large, powdery scales of the Silkmoth in disgust, quickly picking up his pace and catching up to Nugget. He hopped on its back, tying the Silkworm in place so that it wouldn't fall of the filolial's back. "Okay, let's go!"
"Pree~!" Nugget immediately picked up speed, the two taking off through the dark and muggy forest in a hurry.
Kiryu looked up, seeing four more Monster Silkmoth's trailing close behind and getting ready to descend on them. "Careful, Nugget! They're starting to get closer! I'll try and scare them off."
Kiryu shifted gauntlets again, the armguards replaced by a bandolier of arrows while the front wrist shifted into a small bow. Kiryu pointed backward, narrowing his eyes as he took aim on the Monster Silkmoths. He fired an arrow from his wrist, hitting one in the wing but only causing it to minorly grumble in pain but still persisting.
I'll have to get headshots. These arrows are too small and don't have enough power…
"Pree! Pree!" He heard Nugget screech, quickly shifting his attention forward.
"Huh? What's-" Kiryu's eyes widened, seeing several long, thick threads of silk hanging in their path. "Shit… Nugget, jump over them! We'll get swamped if we slow down!"
"Pree!" Nugget let out a squawk that Kiryu guessed was understanding. The Dragon of Dojima held tight to Nugget's back feathers, trying to remain stable as the filolial hopped through the air. As the two and their package landed safely, Kiryu quickly sat up looking back at a Silkmoth closing in on them and shot an arrow. He hit it directly in the eye, causing it to cry out in pain and tumble on the ground.
"We're almost out, keep going!" Kiryu said, keep his arm up as he took aim at another Silkmoth in hot pursuit. Kiryu widened his eyes when he saw it shoot a strand of silk, hoping to web them in. "Watch out!" Kiryu pulled on Nugget's rein, quickly causing the filolial to steer a bit to the right and narrowly avoid the strand. Normally Nugget might have squaked in complaint, but it seemed too focused on its task to care.
"Pewa!" Speaking of, Kiryu seemed to understand that this sound was another warning, quickly hugging close to Nugget again as he darted through the air and avoided another hanging strand.
As Kiryu sat back up and got ready to take another shot, Kiryu saw the light at the edge of the forest. "We're almost out. We just need to lose our company. But how..?"
Kiryu saw another hanging silk fast approaching in their path. An idea suddenly came to him, the former yakuza quickly shifting to new gauntlets. "Slide under this one, don't jump. I need to touch it."
"Pree~!" Nugget cawed, bending its legs close to the ground and allowing itself to pass under. The new gauntlets Kiryu wore shimmered with mist around them, the Dragon of Dojima quickly reaching up and scratching across the surface of the silk. It immediately started to freeze across all of the strands, hardening in no time. As the Silkmoths tried to fly through it, the first buckled over from the surprising density. This caused a dogpile, the remaining Silkmoths smashing into one another and flopping down on the ground.
Kiryu released a relaxed breath, basking in the sunlight as they finally reached the edge of the forest. "Good job, Nugget. We could have been stuck there fighting for a while."
"Pewa!" The bird answered, turning a small beaked smile back at its master. Kiryu stroked its neck feathers in approval before looking back at the still struggling worm on its back.
"Looks like we accomplished our mission. I hope this was all worth the effort."
"You two are a godsend! Thank you so so much for getting this for me!" Melonie praised them giddily, carrying the fat Silkworm between her arms without a care. "Monster Silkworms produce the most beautiful textile! And that's just what I want for my wedding dress~!"
Kiryu and Nugget stared at Melonie tiredly, both looking worn out and slightly annoyed.
"When you said that it was an emergency, I pictured… something else, Melonie…" Kiryu said slowly.
"But this is an emergency! I need everything to be perfect, after all! The wedding is close approaching, and none of the wedding dresses I looked at fit what I wanted!" Melonie said, tossing the worm onto a cart. "The tailor said that if we wanted anything better, a Monster Silkworm's silk is the way to go! Now that we have it, we'll be cutting on both cost while also getting something custom made!"
"I killed a lot of Silkmoths to get that thing, Melonie…"
"All for the greater good!"
Kiryu shared a small glance with Nugget, the bird rolling its eyes before trotting off to its feeding trough. Kiryu let out a short sigh, rubbing his neck as he walked up to the barmaid.
"Look, Melonie. I don't mind helping you out with your wedding stuff, but…"
"I know, I know. Thinking about it, maybe~ this was a bit much to ask… but I promise, I won't send you on another dangerous quest! I don't think there's anything else I would need that would require that… probably." Melonie tapped her chin in thought.
"Just… if you do, at least explain what it is, first." Kiryu said, relaxing his shoulders.
"I will, I will! Sorry about that," Melonie laughed before her eyes lit up. "Oh, and to help you out a little for your help, here!" She squeezed the Silkworm a bit, causing it to cough up a long strand of silk before holding it out to Kiryu. "Here! Have your gauntlets take in a bit! Might make for something useful!"
Kiryu took it, raising a brow in thought. "I hadn't thought about that… thanks. Though I hope it does more than just make silk…" Kiryu absorbed it, quickly pulling up a menu as a new gauntlet formed… with a spindle of thread around both arms. "The Thread Gauntlet… gives me the ability to make silk and use it as rope…"
"See? That's not so bad!"
"I think the Chain Gauntlet is more useful for those kind of things…" Kiryu mumbled before smirking at Melonie. "Well, thanks anyways. Even if that was a bit rougher than I was expecting, I'm happy to help with the wedding prep. I know you and Harken have been running around quite a bit."
"And know that we both appreciate all of your help. Especially when you make the bride's dreams come true," Melonie giggled, hopping over and giving him a quick hug. "I'll take this over to the tailor's. Thanks for the help!"
"Yeah." Kiryu said, watching as Melonie moved back to the carriage. He frowned though as something caught his eye. "Hey, Melonie."
"Yeah?"
"You look a little… pale." Kiryu said, raising a brow. "Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm okay. I honestly have been feeling a bit light headed today, but nothing too bad," Melonie said, waving a hand in front of her face. Though getting a better look at the young woman, Kiryu couldn't help but note her face's loss of color. "I'm pretty sure I just caught a bug. Plus we've been doing so much work, it's likely just a combination of things."
"If you say so… just don't work too hard, okay?" Kiryu said in concern.
"I'm fine, Kiryu. I'll have some tea once I get the chance to sit down. Thank you for your concern, though," She said, giving him a small smile before turning back to the cart. Kiryu watched her for a moment, feeling some concern linger before letting out a sigh.
Maybe I'm overthinking it. She's just working hard for the wedding. Kiryu spared a look back at Nugget, walking over to the black filolial and offering it a piece of beef jerky he kept handy. The bird squeaked in pleasure, quickly snatching up the snack and swallowing it. "Thanks for the help today. You did good in that forest. I'm gonna go get a drink and relax for a while."
"Pewa~!" The bird chirped, nodding in understanding before relaxing in the small nest it had made out of hay.
Kiryu gave the bird another pat on the head before turning around and taking his leave. He straightened out his collar, giving the town a small once over. Kiryu was, for once, not in his typical gray suit, instead wearing some clothes more like the rest of the villagers, consisting of a black collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a pair of brown pants and boots.
After his original suit was torn during a fight, Kiryu was having several of the same made after showing the seamstress the material. The seamstress seemed enamored by his different, newly introduced clothing material and was quick to work on several sets of suits for him, several of which were being made with a special magic thread to make it more durable, flexible and capable of use in more hazardous terrain. It would take her several days before finishing, but he could get by on what he wore for now.
"Look! It's the Bow Hero!"
Kiryu hesitated, raising a brow as he looked down the street toward the entrance of the town. He could see several riders approaching on filolials, though the leader of the group rode on a small dragon that Kiryu had seen rarely.
The rider in mention was a young man, in his mid teens if Kiryu guessed rightly. He had short messy light brown hair and golden eyes. He wore a short green shoulder cape with a pauldron over his left shoulder with brown and white garments underneath. He greeted the townsfolk with a gentle wave and smile, one that almost looked like something a celebrity would give to their fans. Not entirely disingenuous, but somewhat proud and practised.
But despite everyone else's warm welcome, Kiryu found himself going on guard. Nothing about the Bow Hero personally made him cautious, rather a warning that Julius had given him not long after the summoning of the Four Legendary Heroes came to mind.
"Try and conceal that you're from another world. It might cause some problems for me if word were to get back to the king that some other stranger was summoned here somehow. Especially if those gauntlets were to be recognized."
Kiryu often kept the gauntlets hidden in the shape of modest wristbands, being both easy to walk around with and not so obvious as a weapon. Though judging from the boy's facial features, another worrying thought came to mind.
That kid… he looks Asian. Possibly Japanese, at that. Kiryu thought, eyes narrowing. It'd probably be best to keep my heritage quiet, too. There are some Asian types in this land, so he might not notice. But only if we actually talk somehow.
"Welcome to Lute Village, Bow Hero!" A villager greeted as the boy and his crew slowed to a stop. "How can we help you today?"
"Hello there! I was hoping to actually find someone in your modest village," The Bow Hero said, climbing down from his mount and smiling. "I heard that there was a man here that saved the village once? One by the name of… Kazuma Kiryu I believe?"
… Damn it. Kiryu turned his back to the Bow Hero, not wanting to get exposed immediately.
"Oh, you mean our little town's very own savior? Of course! He's right there, in fact!"
Kiryu felt his shoulders tense, somewhat annoyed that he was already pointed out by another villager. It was harmless on the surface, but Kiryu was hoping to avoid any sort of troublesome talks.
"Oh, that was rather quick!" The Bow Hero laughed behind him, Kiryu hearing his voice growing louder as he approached. The former yakuza could only sigh, unable to escape now. "Kiryu-san, correct?"
San? So he is Japanese. Kiryu slowly turned around, facing the boy. He was shorter than Kiryu realized, having about about a foot in height over him.
"That's me. Can I help you?" Kiryu asked, trying to act casual.
"Wow, you even look Japanese! I'd almost think we were from the same place!" The boy said with a spirited grin, extending his arm to shake. "I'm sure you know by now, but I'm the Bow Hero, Itsuki Kawasumi! It's a pleasure to meet a fellow hero of justice!"
'Justice'? Kiryu raised a brow at the boy's phrasing, but kept his thoughts to himself, extending his own arm and shaking hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you, but… I wouldn't really say I'm something like that. I just happened to be passing by at the time."
"Still, you did save this village from a bandit attack. All alone and without a weapon to help you, no less! That sounds like a real hero to me!" Itsuki persisted, giving Kiryu's hand a fast shake before finally letting go. His party started to crowd around him, all of who Kiryu noted were adults possibly twice Itsuki's age. While some of the faces seemed somewhat welcoming or neutral, a man in silver armor and sporting a large mustache eyed Kiryu warily.
Seems like mustached knights always have a problem with me.
"Well, I guess. So, was there something you needed from me?" Kiryu asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Though he had guessed what was coming.
"As a Hero to Melromarc, I feel that it's to be my duty to help out the citizens of the kingdom and bring justice to those who deserve it!" Itsuki said, the teen puffing out his chest proudly. "I was hoping to have you join me and my party on this adventure! We could use someone of your strength to support me on my quest!"
Kiryu resisted the urge to sigh. The kid didn't seem entirely phoney, but he was certainly trying too hard. In another world or not, he's still just a kid. He spared a look at the party surrounding Itsuki, none of them seeming to mind his words much. Still… the kid has plenty of adults around him. Hopefully they'll help teach him a thing or two about the world.
"I appreciate the offer, but I'll pass." Kiryu finally answered, causing the boy and some of his party to frown. The knight especially seemed irritated by his answer.
"Eh?! But why?" Itsuki asked.
"Tell me. When the Wave hits, where will you be?" Kiryu asked, causing the boy to blink at first.
"Fighting the Wave's boss, of course! Along with the other Heroes. Well, at least two of the other Heroes…"
Kiryu had heard the rumors surrounding the Shield Hero shortly after his arrival. How he had 'allegedly' raped a woman and was ejected from the kingdom. Julius seemed to doubt the legitimacy of the claim due to obvious reasons, though admitted that he wasn't sure what kind of man the Shield Hero was, either.
Kiryu quickly shook the thought off. "Then there you go. While you'll be fighting the Wave boss, I'll be here, defending this village." He said, uncrossing his arms.
"And what exactly are you implying?!" The knight barked next to Itsuki, taking a step forward. "That our mission be of lesser import than your desire to protect this single village?!"
"I didn't say that. I think the Bow Hero here has a very important job," Kiryu said, eyes narrowing at the knight. "And while he's doing his part to stop the Wave, I'll be doing my part to make sure that there are less casualties."
"But if you were to provide your aid to the Heroes' efforts in defeating the Wave boss, you might shorten the amount of time it takes to end the Wave. Wouldn't you want that?" A man in a cloak, far more civil than the knight, suggested.
"With the other Heroes there to fight it, I don't know how much help I would be. I'd rather stay here and protect what I can from danger." Kiryu easily deflected. "This village is my home. I don't plan to leave its safety to chance."
"Hmph! Sounds more like the excuses of a coward," the knight scoffed, though the glare Kiryu sent his way caused him to momentarily flinch.
"Mald, it's fine! No need for such words," Itsuki said, controlling the situation before the knight could dig his hole deeper with Kiryu. The young boy gave a somewhat disappointed smile, but nodded. "I understand. It would have been nice to have another warrior of justice join us, but I get it. I won't push any further."
"Sorry to have wasted your time, Bow Hero. Good luck to you and your party on your quest." Kiryu said, giving a small bow of his head.
"Thank you. Maybe once the Wave has passed, I'll come by again and see what you'll say!" Itsuki laughed before giving a small salute, turning to his party and waving a hand. "Let's go, everyone!"
"Yes!" They answered, the group slowly moving out. Mald spared Kiryu a final, annoyed glance before huffing and turning his back to the man, following the others.
Kiryu finally released a sigh that he had been holding back, fishing into his shirt pocket for the rolled up cigarette he had been saving. "I hope that kid will be okay with party members like that around him…"
"Pree!"
"We're almost home, relax. This will be our last big job for the wedding, then we can take a break."
Kiryu and Nugget had been sent on another dangerous task in the name of Melonie's perfect wedding. While Kiryu was a bit reluctant, he was at least able to appreciate Melonie's honesty about their objective this time around. The two set out to retrieve a special bloom of flower from a mountain top that would be used to for her bouquet among other things.
What made it so dangerous was the fact that the mountain was inhabited by demonic lion beasts. All of which traveled in packs together. If Kiryu had tried braving that mountain the first day he came here, he had no doubt he would have been cat feed.
I'm getting way stronger than I thought possible. He spared a look down at his bracers, eyes narrowing. I'm faster than before, too. Each level seems to boost my overall prowess. It wouldn't be wrong to say that I'm basically superhuman. I guess that's how certain video games work. But still… even fighting those Demon Pumas wasn't nearly as tough as I expected.
Nugget slowed to a stop, drawing Kiryu out of his thoughts. "What is it?" He asked, raising a brow at the bird.
"Pew!" Nuggets head turned back and forth. Kiryu didn't get it, watching the filolial point toward the grassland to their right. He looked into the field but couldn't see much. But in the distance, he could hear it. The sound of someone fighting. The battle cry of what he guessed was a girl and some beast.
"Is someone in trouble..?" Kiryu mumbled, climbing down from the cart. "Stay with the wagon, Nugget. If anything happens to those flowers, Melonie won't let us hear the end of it."
"Pewa!"
Kiryu pushed through the tall grass, following the sounds of battle. Whoever it was seemed to be doing well, as it sounded more like some animal was being slain if the death chortals were anything to go by. The further he pushed, the shorter the grass became, giving him full view of the field.
"YAAAH~!"
Kiryu raised a brow, impressed by the sight before him. It was indeed a young girl who was slaying some oversized porcupines, though they weren't anything outrageously huge. She looked to be about her early to mid-teens. Her hair was a soft orange and long, going down her back. She also had a pair of raccoon ears on top of her head and a fluffy tail sticking out from behind, indicating to Kiryu that she was a demi-human. She carried a short sword in hand and wore a brown and red battle dress with thigh high worn boots.
There were several of the monster porcupines, some of them surrounding her cautiously. For good reason as well, because the moment one tried to lunge at the girl from behind, she side-stepped it with surprising swiftness, quickly bringing her sword down and cutting the beast in half.
She's pretty good for a kid. Kiryu thought, crossing his arms as he watched in mild interest. But what's a kid doing out here alone?
"Raphtalia, don't leave yourself open too long!"
Kiryu's eyes trailed to the left, seeing another figure watching close by. This was an older boy, looking in his late teens possibly. He had messy, spiked black hair and wore a neutral frown on his face. He wore a high collared dark green cloak over some modest brown garbs. Kiryu could see a tired, cold edge in his green eyes, watching the young woman with a critical gaze.
"Yes, Master Naofumi!" The girl, Raphtalia as he called her, answered. She quickly side-stepped another attack from a porcupine, but this time put some distance between herself and the remaining two, placing them both in front of her.
Is he her trainer or something..? She did call him master…
The boy was obviously older, but he didn't look old enough to be considered an experienced warrior. In fact, Kiryu would say that Naofumi was close to his current physical age of twenty. Then again, there were a few people that had told him he was already a better fighter than most at that age. And strength is only limited by level here.
"Shield Prison!"
Kiryu was pulled out of his thoughts, watching the young man named Naofumi raise his arm up. Kiryu couldn't quite make out what he was holding, especially when a green light resonated from it. A moment later, one of the porcupine was trapped in a strange metal ball. "Now! Kill the other while I restrain this one!"
"Yes, Master Naofumi!" Raphtalia quickly lunged at the only exposed porcupine, stabbing right through its chest and killing it. She quickly twirled around, her blade raised above the ball. "Now, Master Naofumi!"
With her word, the ball disappeared, the demi-human bringing the short sword down and stabbing through the quilled back of the porcupine before it could run. It let out one last death chortal before slumping on the ground, dead. The girl wiped a trail of blood from her face, giving her 'master' a gentle smile. "We did it, Master Naofumi!"
"Good job. Even a few in a pack are becoming easy work for you," Naofumi nodded, his voice bordering on cold but not ingenuine.
It was at about this time that Kiryu thought he should make his presence known, walking toward the duo slowly. "You two seemed to handle yourselves fine."
The moment Kiryu spoke, Naofumi and Raphtalia snapped their heads up to his direction, the former's eyes immediately filled with caution while the latter tilted her head curiously.
"Who are you?" Naofumi immediately asked, taking a step in front of Raphtalia.
"Master Naofumi! You shouldn't greet someone like that!" the raccoon-eared girl whispered to him, giving a small, scolding glare that was more adorable than intimidating.
"Sorry. I was just on the road when I heard the sound of your fight. I came to check things out in case someone needed help." Kiryu said, his eyes trailing to the dead porcupines. "Looks like no one did."
Naofumi's expression somewhat relaxed, though his eyes were still narrowed as if assessing his answer. And though it was subtle, Kiryu didn't miss the fact that he hid his arm behind his cloak. "I see. Well, we're fine."
"We were just out here training! A few porcupines aren't going to stop us," Raphtalia declared, giving a bubbly smile.
Kiryu smirked at their different personalities. The boy was obviously far more cautious than the girl, who seemed full of spirit while he remained reserved. It almost reminded him a bit of Haruka in her younger days. "I see. Sorry for disturbing you, then. I'll leave you to it."
"Actually, we're just about done training. Right, Master Naofumi?" Raphtalia said, looking up at the young man.
"Yeah, we're done for today. Let's gather up what we can from the porcupines to sell and then we'll head to Lute Village." Naofumi said, pointing to the corpses.
"Lute Village?" Kiryu repeated, turning back to them curiously. "That's where I'm headed. If you don't have a wagon, I can give you a ride."
Naofumi raised a brow at his offer, suspicion covering his face again. "Why?"
"Master Naofumi!" Raphtalia snapped, jabbing him lightly in the side with her elbow before smiling at Kiryu. "We would greatly appreciate that, if you would have us!"
"Hey, Raphtalia…" Naofumi hissed in disapproval.
"Master Naofumi, we're both tired! It's been a long day and Lute Village is still a few hours away by foot!" Raphtalia retorted, placing her hands on her hips. "There's no reason to push ourselves if we don't have to!"
"... Tsk." Naofumi clicked his tongue, his eyes darting back to Kiryu. "How much do you want for a ride?"
"I wasn't expecting pay when I offered." Kiryu said, crossing his arms over his chest. The kid's real cautious. Must have run into trouble in the past. "It's where I'm headed anyway, so it's not a problem."
Naofumi continued to look suspicious, his eyes trailing to the side for a moment. They landed on Raphtalia, the raccoon girl giving him a puffy cheeked plea as her eyes shined. Finally, he sighed, giving a nod.
"Alright. Thanks for the ride, then."
"Yeah. I'll wait for you by the road." Kiryu said, turning around and heading back through the grass. Nugget was still on the road where he left him, the bird's head snapping to him as he came out.
"Pewa!"
"Sorry for the wait. It wasn't a big deal," Kiryu said, patting the filolial's back as he climbed up to the driver seat. "But we're gonna wait a little longer. We're getting a couple passengers."
"Pew?" Nugget turned its head back to him, tilting it to the side in question.
"You'll see. Try and be friendly."
The bird huffed in response, instead shifting its attention to a small scratch under its wing, pecking at it as they waited. It wasn't long before Naofumi and Raphtalia came out of the brush, the raccoon girl skipping ahead while Naofumi trailed carefully behind her. Kiryu watched him scan the road with caution, almost as if expecting to be attacked. Part of Kiryu wondered if Naofumi was suspicious of him based on his looks, as it wouldn't be the first time several people thought he was a thug. But with the way that Raphtalia seemed to act, it was probably normal.
"Thanks for waiting! We're ready," Raphtalia said, stopping alongside the wagon before looking at Nugget, her eyes widening curiously. "Oh my, I've never seen one this color! It's so pretty!"
"I haven't either. Most are a pretty bland brown," Naofumi mumbled, stroking his chin curiously as he finally approached the cart.
"Nugget's a special type of filolial, from what I've been told. Though I'd say that's more because of its attitude problem." Kiryu smirked. Nugget in turn looked back at him and blew a raspberry before looking back forward. "Anyways, hop in the back. Should be plenty of room. Just make sure you don't touch the flowers, they're pretty important."
"Nugget..?" Naofumi mumbled, raising a brow in minor disbelief.
"Understood! Thank you, mister..? Oh, we never got your name." Raphtalia said with some regret.
"It's Kiryu. It's no problem."
"I see. Thank you, Mister Kiryu!" Raphtalia said with a bright smile before skipping to the back of the wagon.
"Yeah… thank you." Naofumi said slowly, his expression softening as he said that before following the girl to the back. Kiryu gave him a small nod, waiting until they were both loaded in before urging Nugget forward.
"My, these are such pretty flowers!" Kiryu heard Raphtalia from the back. "What are they for?"
"A wedding. Friends of mine are getting married soon, and the bride has a lot of demands," Kiryu explained with an amused smirk.
"They sent a guy like you to get some flowers?" Naofumi asked, the obvious implication there. I guess he does think I look like a thug.
"They weren't exactly easy to get. Had to go to the top of a mountain and fight some Demon Pumas before I could collect them."
"You did that just for your friend's wedding?" Naofumi asked incredulously, causing Kiryu to spare a small look back at him.
"No. I did it for my friend. I owe them a lot, and don't mind doing a few things that will help make them happy." Kiryu answered. Naofumi's mouth opened to retort, only for it to slowly close.
"Sounds like you really care about your friends, Mister Kiryu." Raphtalia said, giving the former yakuza a kind smile.
"Yeah… they've helped me for a while now. It's nice to return the favor." Kiryu said, turning his attention back to the road. "So, what are you two training for?"
"Master Naofumi and I are preparing for the Waves. I'm his sword, and he is-" Raphtalia was suddenly silenced, causing Kiryu to shoot a look back. He barely caught sight of Naofumi silently shaking his head and the raccoon girl quickly recovering. "H-He is my master, of course!"
"Master, huh? Like your teacher?" Kiryu asked, deciding not to push on her verbal misstep.
"More like her owner. She's my slave."
Kiryu suddenly jerked on the reins, causing the wagon to shake as Nugget came to a sudden halt. The former yakuza slowly turned his head, a narrow eyed glare sent Naofumi's way.
"Your what?"
Naofumi and Raphtalia stared at Kiryu in moderate shock, taken off guard by his sudden change in mood. But Naofumi decided to remain stony, furrowing his brow as he locked eyes with Kiryu.
"My slave. Is that a problem?"
Kiryu wasn't naive to the topic. Harken had explained that slaves hadn't been limited to only beasts. Demi-humans were also victims of slavery, and it was completely legal in Melromarc. He had come close to attacking a slave owner passing through town once, only stopping because of Julius. The mage reminded him that, regretfully, because it wasn't against the law, attacking a slave owner could have some big consequences. No one in Lute had demi-humans as slaves thankfully and most if not all the villagers did not seem to discriminate.
But still, legal or not, Kiryu wasn't fond of the idea of demi-human slaves. They were just like any other person. And because of that, Kiryu had regretted his inaction that day. Julius had also explained that, in certain other countries, the reverse was true, but that didn't make it anymore right. If anything, it showed that the demi-humans were just as flawed.
"I generally don't agree with it." Kiryu's voice was low, his brow knitting as he bore into Naofumi. While the boy remained strong under his gaze, his expression softened somewhat.
"Not all of us have a choice if we want to survive."
Kiryu raised a brow at that, somewhat taken back by his words. Before the staring contest could continue, Raphtalia quickly stood between them, her arms spread out wide.
"Mister Kiryu. I appreciate that you don't approve of slavery… but Master Naofumi is different!" Raphtalia declared, causing the former yakuza to look into her eyes. "He treats me well! He feeds me, bathes me and takes care of me! If it wasn't for Master Naofumi, I wouldn't be alive right now! I… I might be under a far worse master…" She mumbled, her expression becoming somewhat shaken as she held a hand to her chest. "But Master Naofumi gave me strength when I was weak! So please, don't look at him with hate!"
"Stop it, Raphtalia…" Naofumi muttered, his eyes trailing to the ground. "He wouldn't be the first."
Kiryu looked back at the boy in wonder, seeing a defeated and broken expression now replacing his resolve. Despite his obvious problems with slavery, Kiryu found Raphtalia's words to be genuine. She spoke from the heart and her eyes showed the truth. She really cares about him.
"Look, if it's enough of a problem with you, we can get off here." Naofumi said, slowly rising to his feet.
"No. You can stay." Kiryu said, causing the young man to hesitate and look at him in surprise. Kiryu felt some conflicting emotions rise up, but gave a resigned sigh. "If she thinks that high of you… maybe I shouldn't be too quick to judge. Let's go, Nugget."
"Pwe!" Nugget complained, looking at Kiryu with irritation.
"Look, sorry for jerking the reins so suddenly. Let's go already. I'll feed you some good meat when we get back." Nugget seemed subdued by the idea, his head perking up before quickly turning back to the road and beginning to trot again.
"Thank you, Mister Kiryu." He heard Raphtalia over his shoulder.
"I still don't approve, but…" Kiryu spared a small glance back at Naofumi, the young man still staring at him in shock. "... It sounds like there's more to the story than I know."
"Maybe someday we'll tell you. If you'll hear us out," Raphtalia said, giving Kiryu a gentle smile. The Dragon of Dojima couldn't stop a small smile, more and more reminded of Haruka through the girl's kind expression.
"Well… I guess I wouldn't be against hearing about it if you guys ever felt like explaining." Kiryu said, turning his eyes back to the road ahead. Naofumi remained silent, his eyes drifting back to the wood floor of the wagon as he gripped the fabric of his shirt gently.
Kiryu sat on the front porch of Julius and Melonie's house. It had been over a week since meeting the duo out in that field. While Kiryu parted from the two with mixed feelings, he did somewhat expect to see them again. Naofumi was quiet and apathetic, but Raphtalia was kind and warm-spirited. The dynamic of their relationship was interesting to the Dragon of Dojima. And he somewhat hoped to learn the source of Naofumi's concealed anger.
But, right now, that was the furthest thing from his mind.
"We're getting close, Kiryu! Only a couple days, now." Julius said, rubbing his hands together as he and the Dragon of Dojima walked home. "Only a couple days…"
"Yeah. Try not to get too nervous about it." Kiryu smirked, walking close behind the mage.
"Nervous? Who's nervous? I'm not… not completely… yes, I'm wholly nervous," Julius relented, his shoulders slacking.
"We've done all the hard work. All you have to do is dress nice and walk down an aisle, now." Kiryu reassured him, putting a hand on his shoulder as he moved to his side. "Just stay strong."
"Yes. Yes, you're right. Hoo, just a couple days of waiting, and then… we're married." Julius nodded fervently. The two had done some drinking, so Kiryu could tell that he was also a bit tipsy.
"Maybe we should have had a couple more drinks. It might've helped you relax a bit," Kiryu let out a short chuckle.
"No, no, no. I don't want to risk any dumb business so close to the wedding. We'll stick to light drinking for now. Heavy drinking can come the day of," Julius joked, slapping his shoulder before walking up to the door. "Melonie, my love! We're back!" He called out as they walked inside. They didn't receive an answer, the mage looking around.
"She's not working?"
"No, she… wanted to take the last couple days off to make sure preparations were… going…" Julius trailed off as he walked further into his house. His breath hitched when he saw Melonie sprawled out on the ground, her face pale and a pool of bile by her cheek.
"Melonie!"
The front door slowly opened, causing Kiryu to snap to his feet in urgency. "How is she?"
Julius slowly walked out, his face pale and his expression grave. "Not good… The doctor says that… that she got an unlucky bug bite. It left her with a virus. A very dangerous virus if not treated…"
"Can the doctor do anything for her?" Kiryu asked, his voice quiet.
"They… they need a specific herb to heal her. For a potion." Julius explained, swallowing a thick lump in his throat. "But that herb is rare. It's not often farmed, and you won't be able to find it at the Capital city."
"Where do we get it then?"
"One of the mountains… several days away by carriage." Julius explained, biting his bottom lip and inhaling a shaky breath. "But the doctor… they don't know if…"
Kiryu's fist gripped at his side, but he held strong. He extended a hand, gently touching Julius' shoulder.
"Several days by carriage, right? Then if I take Nugget out now, we can probably cover that time much faster."
"Kiryu…" Julius looked back at his home, swallowing the fear he felt building inside. "She… She's not looking good…"
"That's why you can't give up on her, now." Kiryu said, pulling the mage's gaze back to him. "Just leave it to me and Nugget. We'll go and get that herb before it's too late."
"I… but… but what about the Wave?" Julius mumbled, his eyes widening. "I-It'll be soon… only three more days…"
"Looks like Nugget has his work cut out for him, then. We'll try to be back before it starts. If not, just make sure that you guys stay safe until the Heroes end it." Kiryu said, looking down with some confliction. "I'll do my best to bring the herb back before it starts… but hopefully it'll be like you said, and won't focus too heavily near the village."
Julius was silent, holding back the fearful tears from shedding. He looked back at his house, biting his bottom lip. "She was so excited… We were supposed to be married by now… I… I just seem to-"
"Julius!" Kiryu snapped, pulling his attention back to him. "She's not gone yet. Okay? Just stay by her side and be strong. For her. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Julius looked at the former yakuza, some color and strength returning to his face. He gave a short nod, bringing a hand up to Kiryu's shoulder. "Please hurry."
"I will." Kiryu nodded, turning around and walking to the the front yard. "Nugget, come on."
"Pewa!" The bird gave a resounding chirp, hopping to Kiryu's side with a quickness. It seemed to understand what was going on, its expression focused and forward. Kiryu didn't delay, quickly pulling himself onto his saddle.
"K-Kiryu, wait! Before you go," Julius ran back into the house, taking several minutes before returning with a large bag. "I've packed it with supplies for your trip. You might be in a hurry, but we still need you both strong. I've marked a map in your bag with where you need to go as well as a picture of the herb you'll need. Head west from the village and through the forest, it'll be your best path."
"Thanks, Julius. You keep holding on, and we'll do our part."
"I trust you will. Godspeed, Kiryu. We'll both be waiting." Julius said, giving a shaky smile in hopes of looking confident. Kiryu gave a firm nod before quickly pulling Nugget's reins. The filolial gave a loud chirp before dashing off at full speed, leaving a trail of dust behind it. Julius watched them go with some trepidation, but swiftly turned back around and rushing inside, making sure to stay next to Melonie as she lay in bed, nearly the color of corpse.
"I… feel bad…" Melonie mumbled out weakly, earning a small, trembling laugh from her fiance.
"You look worse."
"No… I mean…" Melonie looked up at Julius, inhaling a hollow breath. "I keep having… Kiryu run around. I need to… pay him back sometime…"
"I believe we both do. So make sure you are strong enough to offer that by the time he gets back."
To be continued…
Thanks goes to my beta chidoriprime for their help cleaning things up :)
Sorry that the chapter's a bit shorter than the others. It was pretty much the lead up into the final days before the Second Wave. And of course, things aren't going so smoothly for Kiryu as things approach. He didn't even get to see their wedding yet!
Well, we got our first meeting with Naofumi and Kiryu done. Things couldn't go too smoothly between them considering that Raphtalia is indeed his slave. But thankfully, Kiryu's the type to keep from judging things on the surface. And with the kind of love that Raphtalia has for Naofumi, it's hard for Kiryu to decide how he should feel about Naofumi. For now.
As to the guest who keeps suggesting that Kiryu get his own party: No, that wouldn't make sense. That would render the title of the story pretty moot. And there's no reason for me to do that in the first place. Now, will Kiryu immediately join the party?
Guess you guys will have to read and find out :P
Though one thing I do have to announce: Next month, I will be taking off from writing my monthly updated stories, including The Shield's Dragon. I just need a small break, as I've literally been writing one chapter a week. I'm sure you all understand. In that month though, I am considering taking some writing commissions, so keep an eye out for more info on that.
Anyways, that's it for this chapter. Again, sorry that it's a bit short. Things are going to pick up soon enough in the next chapter, I promise. So look forward to that! Please leave a review, a follow and a favorite if you'd be so kind!