"Naofumi." said Marius.
"Marius. So how it g-" Naofumi was surprised to see a large naked man, much taller and muscular than Marius, "W-Who is that?!"
"Aquila."
"What?!"
"Greetings, Shieldman!" said Aquila.
"How?" said Naofumi.
"I don't know how. It just happened." said Marius.
"It is good to be home, yes?" said Aquila.
"Did you fed him with something?" said Naofumi.
"No, I didn't fed him with anything." said Marius.
"Why is that man naked?!" said Melty. She covered her eyes to not look at Aquila.
"What are you doing here?" said Naofumi.
"I came here to bring gifts for Filo! Why is that man naked!"
"Should I bring him clothes?" said Marius.
"You probably should. We don't want a naked man walking around here." said Naofumi. "Go to the Magic Shop at the town for the magic thread, then go to the Tailor Shop to make special clothes for him."
"Then I'll do that. Aquila, come."
"Yes, centurion father." said Aquila.
"Centurion father?" said Naofumi.
"He calls me that, somehow." said Marius.
Aquila transformed to his filolial form, then let Marius ride him before they went off to the nearest town.
"Even his filolial form is different. Hey Melty, did you see that?" said Naofumi.
"Of course I saw it!" Melty still covered her eyes.
"I didn't mean by that."
"I saw it too." said Hanzo.
Inside the Magic Shop, Aquila was carefully making the magic thread with the gemstone. He was wearing a large piece of cloth to only cover his private part.
"I heard that the Shield Hero is planning a wedding for you and the little miss." said the witch. "Are you excited for your wedding, Masked Hero?"
"Yes." said Marius.
"What kind of wedding do you prefer?"
"A small wedding would be nice."
"Such a modest man. So you'll be going to the Tailor Shop after this?"
"He does need clothes."
"Oh, you will love the surprise the owner have for you."
"A surprise?"
"The future groom is here!" said the tailor.
"Hueh?!" Marius blurted.
"You must be here for the surprise, right?"
"Yes?"
"Come with me!"
The tailor dragged Marius to the backroom and showed Marius a small unfinished wedding dress decorated with feathers and small blue ribbons being worked on by a little mole girl.
"How is it?" said the tailor.
Marius started imagining how beautiful Filo will be in that wedding dress, "It's..."
"Beautiful, right? I've spent sleepless nights designing and making the dress! So when's the wedding? I want to see her in that dress!"
"Hopefully soon."
"I can't wait! Oh, that reminds me. I have to take your measurement for your wedding suit."
"Thank you, but I have something else I wanted you to do." Marius presented the tailor with a basket of magic thread.
The tailor then saw Aquila grabbing one her ball of yarn before sniffing it, "That's... An odd fellow. Who is he?"
"Another filolial who turned into a human. Can you make clothes for him?"
The tailor saluted at Marius, "I'll do my best!"
"I couldn't find any filolial type that fit your description." said Rato.
"So what you're saying is, he's a new filolial type?" said Naofumi.
"Definitely. Now what I need to do now is to examined this new filolial. Will the Masked Hero be okay with it?"
"Why not you ask him? Speaking of which."
Naofumi and Rato saw Marius and Aquila returning from the town.
"Masked Hero, do I have permission to examined your filolial?" said Rato.
"You will only examined him, but you will not do anything else." Marius climbed down from Aquila.
Rato approached Aquila then placed her hand on his feathers, "Interesting. His feathers are hardened and more denser. Almost like armor."
"Armor?" Naofumi tried to pluck one of Aquila's feathers, "I can't even pluck them out."
"Nothing can get through my feathers." Aquila proclaimed.
"How fascinating. If you allowed, I would like to have him in my lab so I can study him more." said Rato.
"No experiments." said Marius, "I must go and see Filo."
"Queen mother? I would like to see her too." said Aquila.
"You can see her after you're finished."
"Yes, centurion father." Aquila bowed.
Marius turned around then headed towards the manor.
"You followed Marius's orders like a soldier. Was it because you spent alot of time in the barracks?" said Naofumi.
"Yes. I learnt how to be a soldier there." said Aquila, "Centurion father will be proud of me."
Marius walked towards Filo's room and saw Hanzo guarding the door.
"Marius." said Hanzo.
"Hanzo. Can I see Filo?" said Marius.
"Princess Melty said no visitors."
"I'm the father, now let me in."
Hanzo turned his head to the door then back to Marius, "I guess Princess Melty wouldn't mind."
Hanzo opened the door to let Marius in.
"I said no visitors!" said Melty.
"But he's the father." said Hanzo.
"It's okay. Welcome back, Marius." said Filo.
"Thank. How are you doing?" said Marius.
"I don't feel any pain now when I tried standing up."
"That's good." Marius went down to his knee than leaned in to kiss his fiance.
"But Spearguy keep trying to get in while you're gone."
"Did he?"
"That's why I have to be here just incase." said Melty. "So, have you though of a name yet?"
"A name?" said Marius.
"You're the father, you have think of a name for your child."
"I was too busy with my duties that I haven't thought about what name."
Then the door opened, and they saw Aquila with his hand around Hanzo's neck as he struggled to release himself.
"Aquila! Unhand him now!" said Marius.
"Yes, centurion father." Aquila let go of Hanzo's neck.
Hanzo backed away then unsheathed his katana.
"He's a friend!" said Marius.
"He attacked me!" said Hanzo.
"This strange man was in my way to meet queen mother." said Aquila.
"Just let him through." said Marius.
Hanzo glared at Aquila before sheathing his katana. Aquila lowered himself as he entered Filo's room. Hanzo slammed the door shut then he resumed his duty.
"Hello, queen mother." said Aquila.
"Aquila? Is that really you?" said Filo.
"Yes, it is I. I can transform, just like queen mother." Aquila put his fist to his left chest, "I will protect queen mother, and the little one."
"I smell a strange yet familiar scent." said Gaelion as he entered the room.
"How do you fight, Aquila?" said Marius.
"My hands are weapons, centurion father."
"Then..." Marius turned his head towards Gaelion, "Let's see what you can do."
In the training ground, Gaelion in his larger form wrestled Aquila in his human form.
"You can do this, father!" Taniko cheered.
"Really, Masked Hero? Monster fight?" said Rato.
"I want to see what Aquila is capable of." said Marius.
"What you're doing here is wrong."
"So your experiments on monster has no wrongs?"
"Mine is of noble cause for the monster's sake."
"It better for the monsters to gain strength by their own without the need of modifications."
"Correct, but modifications shortened the long process."
"You lacked patients. Training, and only training alone, is the best way to produce combat ready monsters."
Aquila went ontop of Gaelion then tackled the dragon's neck. Then Gaelion twisted his whole body, tossing Aquila to the side. Gaelion opened his jaws to bite down on Aquila but got punched in the snout by Aquila. Aquila got up then grabbed Gaelion body before lifting the dragon up in the air.
"I am strong!" Aquila shouted.
Gaelion used his tail to tripped Aquila, dropping him to the ground hard. The dragon pounched on his downed opponent then the two started wrestling on the dirt.
"Hey, did the slaves returned yet?" said Naofumi, who arrived at the spot.
"No, why?" said Marius.
"They suppose to return today."
Then, a little mole-girl ran towards Naofumi.
"Master!" the mole-girl cried.
"What's the matter?" said Naofumi.
"My uncle! He's injured!"
"What?! How did it happened?"
"I don't know! He just came back to town with his injuries!"
"Dammit! I'm heading to the town immediately! Marius, get the legions in high alert!"
"It shall be done!' Marius walked towards the two wrestling monsters, "Aquila!"
Aquila threw Gaelion aside, "Yes, centurion father?"
"Follow me to the barracks."
"Yes, centurion father."
With Marius's orders, the Shield Legion as set up a guard post on the road leading to the village. They were then joined by Naofumi, Eclair and Ren.
"Anything happened here?" said Naofumi.
"No, everything is quite." said Marius.
After waiting for a few minutes, one of the soldiers spotted something approaching them from the road. The legionnaires formed phalanx on the road and waited for an attack. But it was actually one of the village's caterpiland, who returned with severe wounds.
"Legionaries, stand down!" Marius commanded.
The legionnaires lowered their weapon and moved aside to let the caterpiland cross. The caterpiland quickly ran towards Naofumi after seeing him.
"This is just like what happened to Imiya's uncle. I'm bringing him back to the village." said Naofumi.
"The perpetrators shouldn't be far. I'll go look for them." Ren ran and tracked the caterpiland's footprints .
"Hey, wait! Don't leave me!" Eclair chased after him.
Another minute as passed, and one of the soldiers who were stationed at the town came running towards the guard post.
"Centurion!" the soldier cried out. He stopped right infront Marius, "There's an attack on the town and we don't have enough men!"
"Call the reserved!" said Marius to one of the praefectus.
"Yes, centurion!" the praefectus climbed on a horse then drove off to the barracks.
"Can you still fight?"
"Yes. Let me join the fight with my brothers." said the soldier.
"Good. The rest of you stay here and guard the road."
The Shield Legion held out against the rebel attack on Melty's estate and were joined by Eclair and Ren. The town residence took shelter inside the royal estate, with Melty and Hanzo. The Shield Legion formed a phalanx on the entrance, keeping the rebels out.
Then, Aquila charged in the middle of the rebel with his filolial form, trampling and throwing the rebels. The legionary reserved led by Marius charged into the gap made by Aquila, cutting the rebels off and trapping most of them. One side of the legions started attacking the trapped rebels while the others fended off against the rebels.
After killing off the trapped rebels, the legions joined the others.
"Legionaries! Forward!" Marius commanded, and the legions started pushing the rebels back.
Those that stayed and fight where skewered by the legion's wall of spears. Aquila transformed to his human form, picked up a sword and an axe then started cutting downed the rest of the rebels.
Inside the estate, Hanzo watches the legions turning the tide of battle. Unnoticed to him, one of the citizen taking refuge slowly approached Melty. He grabbed hold of the princess, cupping her mouth shut. Hanzo heard this and quickly drew his katana. More of the imposters emerged from the refugees with dagger in hand while the princess's kidnapper ran away to the upper floor.
The imposters charged at Hanzo but was immediately cut down by the Orochi. He quickly ran passed the dead imposters and go after the princess. Hanzo chased the kidnapper to the balcony and saw him about to jumped out. Hanzo threw a kunai at the kidnapper's hand, letting Princess Melty go. Freeing from her kidnapper's hands, Melty used her water magic at the kidnapper, throwing him off the balcony.
"You're okay?" said Hanzo.
Melty got up, "Yes... I'm fine..."
The two stared at each other for a few second, before they embraced each other. Melty pulled Hanzo's face cover down, then she kissed Hanzo's lips.
The rebels built up their defenses in the town's church, while the Shield Legions surrounded them. Naofumi and Rishia arrived at the scene while riding filolials.
"Marius, report." said Naofumi.
"Most of the attackers have routed but more are held up inside the church." said Marius.
"Centurion father. Let me destroy the barricade for the soldiers." said Aquila.
"Do it. Legionaries! We move with Aquila!"
The legionnaires gathered themselve behind the hulking man. Aquila destroyed the barricade with his barehands but he was pelted by arrows and the legions behind him immediately raised their shields. But the arrows did nothing to Aquila as he stomped his way to the archers. He grabbed two big pieces of the barricade then threw it at the archers, killing all of them.
"The way is cleared! Ad victoriam!" Aquila cried, then he and the legions stormed the church.
Aquila bashed the church door open with his shoulders and the legionaires, Naofumi, Ren, Rishia and Marius raided the church. The people inside that were destroying the shield symbol were startled.
"The Devil of The Shield!" said a woman.
"Wait, I know those people!" said Naofumi, "She's from the Three Heroes Church!"
"No matter what the queen says, the religion of Melromarc will always be the Three Heroes Church! We will follow the late pope's wishes, and govern the world as he dictated!"
A large magic circle appeared beneath their feets, and their bodies suddenly became heavier.
"To the Devil of The Shield and his accomplices! We will inflicted god's punishment upon you!"
"I..." Aquila resisted the magical restrained, "Am..." he slowly walked towards the Three Heroes Church remnants.
"Raise the output!" said the Sister.
"Aquila!" Aquila punched the Sister to the wall, killing her instantly. He grabbed one of the remnants then slammed them to the others.
The restrained was lifted and their bodies became light again. Several of the remnants ran to the backdoor and Ren got up then gave chase. The remnants manages to get on their horse and escaped.
"Dammit!" Ren blurted.
"Ren!" Naofumi got out from the backdoor.
"They can't be that far. We can still chase them."
"If we're lucky, they'll lead us to their base. Let's go."
Naofumi and Ren back inside to rejoin the others, oblivious of a figure watching them from afar.
