Sword Hero Who Dances in the Shadows chapter 04: the Ugly Side of Melromarc

Lyall the Werewolf: I really appreciate the positive reception so far. It's been a long time since I've wrote anything, and I'm pretty excited about this. Hopefully, I'll stick with it.

As for the duel between Asuka and Motoyasu, I took some times to think about it, and I figured can't just go straight into it. So, instead, I want focus on Asuka learning more about her Legendary Sword and a bit more about Melromarc before the big duel, among other things. And yes, it will go down like many of you assume, but the duel will have to wait for now.

A lot of you guys are split between either or not Asuka and Naofumi should be a couple. As for myself, I'm starting to lean toward not a couple. Sorry for the shippers out there.

(I don't own Senran Kagura or Shield Hero)


Bitter, alone, and numb from the adrenaline rush dying down, with his money, respect, and trust gone, Naofumi made his way through the streets of Castle-Town, and as expected, he was met with scornful looks from the townspeople. There were looks of fear, disgust, hate, almost any kind of negative emotion plastered on their faces. He tried to ignore them, but it just irritated him more.

At least one of them had the stones to confront him about what happened.

"Hey, Shield Bro!" called out the baritone voice of the blacksmith and shopkeeper Erhard. The Shield Hero turned to the old guy, and realized he was on the street where this old guy's weapons shop was located. The old guy grabbed Naofumi by the collar and dragged between his shop and another building for a private interrogation.

"I heard what about you did to that poor girl, and what was about to go down with the Sword Lass! I oughta punch you in the face!" Erhard growled while rearing his larger balled up fist for aimed at Naofumi.

"You're against me too?" Naofumi asked, to the old guy's surprise.

The older man got a good look at the Shield Hero, specifically his near lifeless eyes, which told him that this young man was victim, not a criminal. Erhard released Naofumi, having calmed down thanks to this realization.

"Weren't you gonna to punch me?" asked Naofumi.

"I changed my mind." Erhard answered.

"Good call. You were about to lose your life." Naofumi grumbled, readjusting his shirt and was about to saunter off alone.

"Wait a second!" Erhard called. He had Naofumi wait in the alley, so he could go into his shop and retrieve a bag full of clothes for the Shield Hero to wear. "You're gonna get very far with dressed like that. Consider it a parting gift." the old guy said as he handing them to the underdressed Shield Hero.

"How much?" asked the suspicious Naofumi.

"Doesn't matter since you're broke. But, let's call it a clearance sale and say five copper." Erhard answered. With that, Naofumi took the mantle.

"Thanks. I'll pay you back for it one day." said Naofumi, honestly grateful for something good happening today. Naofumi quickly changed into a light brown vest, black tunic, green pants, brown boots, and a green cape.

After he had a chance to changing, Naofumi was about to leave, but Erhard wasn't done just yet.

"By the way, did you thank that Sword Lass for sticking up for ya?" asked Erhard.

Naofumi paused. Something stung in his heart, but he didn't let it show on his face.

"Why do you care?"

"A girl with heart of gold like that is hard to come by. Especially one that obviously cares a lot about her friends."

Naofumi didn't respond to that statement. Instead, he walked away in silence, and in shame. If only he had listened. If only he hadn't acted so happy-go-lucky and dismissed Asuka's concerns about Myne as childish jealousy. He wouldn't be feeling like crap otherwise, and he wouldn't be finding it difficult to trust anyone, let alone a woman at this point. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but for now, he needed to focus on getting stronger so he could go home and forget this shitty nightmare ever happened.

Erhard watched as Naofumi trotted off.

"Don't die out there, Kid…"

[-Meanwhile: Back at the Castle-]

"Okay, slow down! Aren't we getting ahead of yourselves here?!" Motoyasu cried in a panic after the duel idea was proposed.

"I agree. This is just making mountains out of ant hills." said Itsuki, "Didn't you say we can't be distracted by pointless conflicts a moment ago, Asuka-san?"

"It's not so pointless now." said Asuka, "Naofumi-kun was unfairly charged and I was unjustifiably treated like a victim just for that unfair charge to stick. We've been dishonored considerably, and I intent to rectify that by winning the duel!"

"You can't be serious." Itsuki groaned. Just how ungrateful was she to act like this?

"I know what I'm saying sounds childish, but I can't just let something like this slide. I will win this duel, not just for Naofumi-kun, but for myself as well."

"Assuming you can." Malty taunted. Asuka turned to her with a hostile glare. "If I recall, you're only at level 5."

"Is that an issue?" asked Asuka.

"Hmph, Motoyasu-sama is currently at Level 8, which means he's stronger than you. He told me so himself. Given time, he'll be the strongest of the Heroes. I'll make sure of that."

"How nice, but that's beside the point." said Asuka. It didn't matter what level Motoyasu was at, he obviously had no real combat experience to speak of. He only had his gaming experience to fall back on, which means he wasn't a real fighter. No matter what he did to level up and get stronger, Asuka had every confidence that she would beat him and come out the victory. She turned to Motoyasu, "What I want to know is if Motoyasu-kun accepts this challenge."

"O-Of course I don't! You're my friend, and I can't just fight my friend over something so trivial!"

"Trivial? So the way you treated someone who was supposed to be your friend is trivial to you?!"

"Why do you keep on defending him? Don't you understand that Naofumi just wants you for your body?!"

"Again I ask, what makes you any different? And I don't recall being friends with you!" Asuka refuted, "You're even worse than Katsu-nee..."

"Who?"

"Never mind..." Asuka said as she shook her head, realizing that for all her goofiness and perversion, Katsuragi wasn't nearly as vapid as Motoyasu, and such a comparison was too big a leap. "Are you gonna fight me or not?"

"She's so stubborn..." muttered Motoyasu.

"Motoyasu-sama, I believe I know why she's acting this way." said Malty, leaning against the Spear Hero seductively, "The Shield Hero found a drug that makes someone subconsciously loyal to them. He must've slipped it into her food last night. That's why she's fighting so hard to convince everyone he's innocent."

Asuka scowled at Malty, "That's the most ridiculous story I've ever heard." she turned to Motoyasu, "Motoyasu-kun, you're not going to fall for-"

"So that's why! Damn you Naofumi! Taking advantage of Asuka-chan like this! No doubt, he was using that drug to make her fall in love with him! I won't forgive that cowardly bastard!" Motoyasu yelled with hatred in his voice. Asuka, Itsuki, and pretty much everyone in the room stare at him in disbelief, and he didn't even seem to notice. He actually bought that bull crap?

"Myne-san, if this drug really exists, how does one go about curing its effects?" asked a skeptical Itsuki to Myne.

"Simple. All you need to do is beat the effects out of her, and she'll return to normal." explained Malty, without skipping a beat.

"I see. Then, I have no choice." Motoyasu turned to Asuka, with full confidence in his voice and expression, "In order to save Asuka-chan, I'll fight her and win the duel!" he declared while striking a heroic pose with his spear.

"My, how wonderful, Motoyasu-sama!" Malty swooned.

"That's what he said. And you're okay with this?" Itsuki asked Asuka.

"If it gets him to fight me, I don't care." Asuka sighed in exasperation. She was pretty naïve herself, but boy, did Motoyasu put a new spin on it. He readily believed everything Malty told him, no matter how flimsy it was.

"Well, Papa. They're both up to it now." said Malty to her father, who was busy pinching the bridge of his nose after watching that childish display.

"Very well. If both the Sword and Spear Heroes are willing to participate, then I'll approve the duel." said Aultcray, "However, I can't allow you to fight at this time. You must be over the level 20 in order to fight in the arena. You still have much leveling to do, and you will need appropriate equipment. At the pace you both are going, you should reach level 20 or higher within three weeks. That is when the sacred duel will take place. Is that agreeable?"

"Yeah." Motoyasu nodded.

"Perfectly." Asuka nodded.

Aultcray turned to Asuka with a dead serious look on his face, "Asuka-dono, because you are a honored Cardinal Hero and you must level up for the appointed duel, I will excuse your treasonous actions today. But, next time, I will not be so merciful. Is that clear?"

Asuka only gave a silent nod in response.

"Good. With that matter settled, everyone is excused, save for my daughter. I must have a word with her."

"Oh dear, Papa, have I done something wrong?" Malty asked, acting like an innocent child, to the disgusted of Asuka, who was next to her at the time.

"N-No, Malty! I am not angry at you. I just have concerns regarding this duel you propose. I simply want to discuss it with you private." said Aultcray, shockingly in doting parent mode as he spoke to Malty.

"Okay, if that's what you want." Malty skipped over to her father while everyone present in the room left, the last of whom was Asuka, who was baffled by what she just witnessed from King Aultcray and his daughter.

How did Aultcray spoil her this much to the point where she would even enjoy casual acts of cruelty toward another human being? There was no way her parents', let alone her grandfather, would allow this kind of behavior from Asuka herself. Now that she thought about, King Aultcray could very well be the antithesis to her grandfather, Hanzo.

Hanzo was doting grandparent and knew how to have fun with his granddaughter, but he could be strict when needed. He instilled the philosophy of "The Sword and the Shield" to Asuka in her troubled youth, and personally trained her until she was ready to enter Hanzo National Academy to truly begin formal training as a Good Shinobi, ready to protect those unable to defend themselves. He would some times pull mischievous pranks, even if they were sometimes a little perverted, but rarely out of malice. He was still a wise man Asuka loved and respected. Aultcray, on the other hand, didn't employ any sort of discipline with his daughter. It was clear he spoiled her rotten, and continued to do so, even believing his daughter's accusation, or possibly helping to set up Naofumi, the current Shield Hero, to take the fall for crimes he never committed, all out of pure spite. He even seemed oblivious to how much of a monster Malty was.

Could Asuka have turned out like this if her parents and grandparents raised her with such leniency? That was something she didn't want to think about. She felt dirty just processing that she could have been as bad as this vile Princess without proper guidance. Why did the she even initially choose to be in the Sword Hero's part if she was going out of her way to become her enemy?

Having had enough of this place, Asuka decided it was time to leave the throne room.

However, at the corner of her eye, she spotted a hooded figure up above in the balcony, hiding in the shadows. The figure was feminine, dressed head to toe in black, and wore a silver mask over her eyes. Upon being noticed, the woman in black vanished from sight. Clearly she was some kind of covert ops, similar to ninjas back in Asuka's world. Her senses must have dulled after being summoned to this world. Otherwise, she would have been aware of that spy's presence long before now. Or maybe it was her overall lack of training, considering she never knew Homura was an Evil Shinobi until she confronted her personally on Hanzo Academy grounds. Either way, whoever that spy was, and why she was spying on the proceeding of the trial, the Sword Hero could ponder later. It was well passed time to leave this place.

Meanwhile, Malty watched as the Sword Hero left the throne. She discreetly smirked with glee at her victory over the little bimbo Sword Hero in this trial.

Princess Malty prided herself on her beauty and robust figure, and then that little bimbo came along. The only reason vile Princess joined the Sword Bimbo's party for that brief period of time was to scope out the competition. Needless to say, Malty immediately hated her. That childlike face and honest personality already remained her of a certain little brat of a sister, but to add insult to injury, the Sword Bimbo had bigger breasts than her. As if she would allow any woman to outrank her in charm and beauty, no matter whom they were. That little brat won't get far in this world. Had she not disbanded the party, she would found ways to break the Sword Bimbo's spirit much quicker, but it didn't matter one way or the other. She planned to slowly break that Sword Bimbo, no matter what it took. The vile Princess would personally see to that.

Now that father and daughter were finally alone, they could get to discussing the matters at hand.

"Malty, this duel suggested… are you certain this is the wisest course of action?" asked Aultcray to his daughter.

"Come now, Papa. It was the only way I could think of to keep her from leaving and causing more damage. After all, it would be terrible if not all of the Heroes were here, right?"

"Yes, you have a point, but have you even thought of what could happen if the Sword Hero wins against Motoyasu-dono? You saw how fast she moved a moment ago. And she's clearly strong enough to leave cracks on the ground, maybe stronger. It's clear that she might become threat to our family if she's allowed to roam free."

"Don't worry. Just leave it all to me, Papa." Malty smiled as she approached her father, "In fact, I already have several plans in store that will ensure that Sword Bimbo doesn't wins."

"You do?" Aultcray asked.

"Yes, all you need to do is look the other way, as usual." Malty whispered into her father's ear.

"So, these tactics are underhanded?"

"Like I said, it'll be okay as long as you leave everything to me. Not only will we keep her under our control, we'll ensure the Shield Hero won't rise to power and threaten our family, or our authority. Isn't that what you want, Papa?" Malty asked with a caring smile on her face, one that Aultcray could not ignore.

He paused for a moment. Above all else, the safety of family was his primary concern. That was why he tried the Shield Hero before he could rise to power and allow the demi-humans to gain influence. And now, the Sword Hero was supporting the Shield Hero, and had even threatened Aultcray's life. She would no doubt do the same to his wife and his two daughters. Frankly, he could not see any other option, but to trust his eldest daughter.

Thus, he silently conceded, much to Malty's demented delight.

The Shadow wasn't surprised to see the King and Princess Malty acting in this manner. The King letting his foolish grudge dictate his actions, while the Princess scheming to stir up more conflict. What did surprise her was the Sword Hero catching wind of her as she was making her exit, as well as her skill in closing the distance between herself and the King as she moved to threaten him, in addition to her righteous mindset. Her employer would definitely want to hear of this development, posthaste. But first, she and her fellow Shadows need to observe a little long before their periodic report could start. And perhaps get to know the Sword Hero a little more before the final report.

[-Later: Forest at Nightfall-]

From the dark clouds, rain poured down heavily in the surrounding area. It wrought a poignant, somber atmosphere.

Hiding in the branches of a tall tree was the Sword Hero Asuka, who was not in the mood to level up for the big day. She sat listlessly for hours, staring into nothing, as the memories of today plagued her. Now that she had a chance to calm down, she realized how much of a mess she had made things, what with her attacking the King, and by extension, revealing her a portion of her true fighting capabilities, and of course, lambasting everyone in the throne. Not that she regretted giving the others a piece of her mind, since she still had justifiably harsh feelings toward them. But, now that Asuka was in this messy situation, she would be the one to clear it up, by win that duel with Motoyasu.

Still, she couldn't help wondering how things had gone so horribly wrong in just a single day.

She wondered why it happened. Why couldn't she do anything to stop it? How could something so horrible happen so soon after she had just started her adventures in this new world?

It should have been so simple. They just needed to go quests, get stronger and learn to work as a team to fight the Waves of Catastrophe, save the world, and go home. And yet, the dynamic of the Four Cardinal Heroes had been thoroughly broken. Or maybe it just didn't exist to begin with, and that was why it all fell apart so quickly. Either way, the outcome of that damn trial was wrong in so many ways. Their treatment of Naofumi was inhuman.

She thought back to everything that happened early this morning. Every dreadful detail sank into her already growing unstable mind. Myne, or rather Princess Malty spewing her lies, the King's shameless abuse of his power, Motoyasu and Itsuki acting they knew better, when clearly they didn't, and worse still, they treated her like she was a helpless damsel in distress. She wasn't one to let her temper flare up like that. Well, at least not like she was as a child, where she picked random fights with the other kids until her grandfather talked sense into her.

In the present, she was cheerful and kind person, always willing to befriend anyone if she could help it. Now, after having experienced death and being revived by way of being miraculously summoned to a new world, she was likely experiencing severe mood swings. She wasn't well versed in psychology, but maybe it was a symptom of PTSD, if her memories of Orochi killing her and her friends resurfacing every so often were of any indication. Being in this world didn't help matters either.

Either way, she made her bed, and must lay in it.

For now, all she had to do was win the duel and restore Naofumi's reputation, and redeem her own honor.

Mentally exhausted from today's events, Asuka decided to return to town and rest up for tomorrow, for that was when she would begin her own preparations. She jumped down from the tree she was hiding and ran off toward Castle-Town to find the inn she was staying at.

As she made her way her way through the streets of Castle-Town, the Sword Hero quickly noticed that the attitude of the people changed. Instead of greeting her enthusiastically, or singing her undue praise, they seem weary of her. Some had pitying looks, likely because of what the Princess said about Naofumi plotting to rape her. Some seemed disappointed or scornful that she would stand up for the Shield Hero, attack the King and accept a challenge from Malty for Shield Hero's sake.

It was unpleasant to say the least.

Well, at least some good came from. As uncomfortable as it was getting such looks from the people, they were keeping their distance from her, which brought her some relief, since she won't have to deal with that constantly. It didn't matter what these people thought, because it was her choice to fight for herself, and for someone she believed in.

[-The Next Day: Erhard's Shop-]

Later in the afternoon, Erhard was busy tending to his shop when a familiar face stopped by.

"Hi, Boss." said Asuka, looking somewhat depressed.

"Well, look you it is! The Sword Lass who picked a fight with the King and the Spear Bro!" Erhard grinned.

"Word really does travels fast around here." said Asuka, approaching and at the counter between herself and the old shopkeeper.

"Guess what I heard was true then." Erhard dropped his playful grin and frowned, "You tried your best to defend the kid, but the drama afterword just landed you in a big mess."

"Please don't remind me. It was sheer luck that I didn't get punished afterward." Asuka sighed in apprehension, "Whenthat trial was over, I got so mad, I attacked the King without thinking, and then Myne- the Princess suggested I fight a duel with Motoyasu-kun to clear Naofumi-kun's name." she found it difficult to refer to Malty by name, alias or otherwise.

"I thought she looked familiar. That explains everything." Erhard sighed. He heard the rumors about the Shield Hero, and almost believed them himself, but then he realized after meeting him yesterday, they didn't make much sense, especially when it was just the word of the spoiled troublemaker that was Princess Malty, and nothing else. And then, there's the Sword Lass, who vehemently stuck to the belief that the Kid was innocent. If two opinions were in conflict, that naturally creates confusion, but the lass was clearly the honest type, so who wouldn't believe her when she says that the Shield Hero was innocent?

"So, you don't believe the rumors about Naofumi-kun then?"

"Nope. In fact, I saw him yesterday after the trial."

"Really? Was he okay?" Asuka asked in concern for her friend.

"Obviously he wasn't." Erhard answered, "I caught him wandering about. I nearly decked him, but when I looked into his eyes, which had gone from cheerful to lifeless, I realized he was a victim, not a criminal. I gave him some clothes with decent states boosts, so he wouldn't have to out adventuring underdressed."

"Thank goodness." Asuka sighed in relief. Erhard wasn't like the others who held Naofumi disdain over something that wasn't his fault.

"You really care about the kid, huh? Gotta say, I envy him. Girls like you don't come around every day." Erhard chuckled.

"It's not like that." Asuka said with a faint blush, "I'm just glad Naofumi-kun has a friend in you."

"Not sure if we're friends, but if he's got nowhere to go or needs somebody to turn to, I'll help him out if he needs it." said Erhard.

Asuka's face hardened, "Seriously, this is so unfair! Why would people do this? How could they be so cruel to a single person? They summoned him here to be a Hero, and this is how they treat him?" Asuka muttered in frustration and anger.

Erhard rubbed the back of his bald head. The Kid wasn't the only one who got to see the ugly side of Melromarc. At least a portion of it, anyway. He knew the Sword Hero wasn't going to like this, but he figured he show let her know a bit more of what Melromarc was really like. The rest, she could learn on her own.

"I'd say it's because he's specifically the Shield Hero." Erhard said.

"What do you mean?"

'You know about the Three Heroes Church?" Erhard asked, "They're a religious cult that worships the Sword, Spear, and Bow Heroes as gods."

"Three Heroes Church? Wait, aren't those the guys who summoned us here?" asked Asuka.

"Yeah, that's them." Erhard answered.

"What does this Church have to do with any of this? And why is it just Three? If they worship the Cardinal Heroes, shouldn't it be the Four Heroes Church?"

"They would be, if Melromarc wasn't a strict follower of this religion, which was strongly rooted in the country's foundation. In fact, I imagine that trial had a lot to do with the Church's beliefs. While they worship the aforementioned Three Heroes, they teach people not to preach to the Shield Hero, and even actively demonize him." Erhard explained, to the horror of Asuka.

"What?! That's absolutely ridiculous! Why demonize one Hero and only worship the remaining Three?"

"That's how it is, I'm afraid. Personally, I don't care much for it myself."

"There has to be more to it than just religious beliefs." Asuka scowled, "The King and his daughter were just so eager to pin these horrible crimes on Naofumi-kun. I'm sure the King was motivated by a personal vendetta against the Shield Hero. It was pretty obvious from the start that he didn't like or care about Naofumi-kun, first ignoring him from day one, then the party situation the day after, and yesterday's trial. I'm thoroughly convinced he went along with accusations because of that petty vendetta."

Erhard remained silent as Asuka began to seethe.

"And that Princess just got off on making him suffer. How can someone like that even be allowed to exist and breathe the same air as regular human beings? And why did they have to believe her word over my mine? Either because she was royalty so everyone else follows along with her accusations before confirming anything, or because they follow this stupid religion. Either way, it makes me sick, and I won't forgive either of them." Asuka growled with deep hatred, particularly for that vile Princess. Never before had she felt such hatred for another person. To think, one solitary moment was enough to provoke such emotion.

"The kid's not the only victim of accusations like that. He's at least lucky he's got Hero immunity, cuz from what I hear, innocent men in the past have been unfairly executed for similar crimes. And that's after she stole all their money and belongings, all just for herself and her frivolous shopping habits." Erhard shared.

SMASH!

In the span of a second, from her bangs to her ponytail, every hair on Asuka's head wildly stood on end as she wore an enraged expression. For anyone not a seasoned adventurer like Erhard, this would be a frightening sight from an onlooker's point of view that saw the innocent and cheerful Sword Hero make such a murderous face. The idea of the King and Princess killing innocent people because the latter was greedy and found getting them executed amusing no doubt lit up another fire of hatred in the Sword Hero.

A moment later, Asuka calmly readjusted her hair. "I'm sorry. After hearing that, I momentarily lost my composure. Only for a moment, mind you. I'm fine now, I promise."

"Sure thing, Lass, just don't take it out on the shop." said a calm Erhard, eying a hole in the counter where Asuka slammed her fist in a fit of rage. Clearly, she still had a temperament problem right now.

"I'll pay for that." said Asuka.

"Please do." said Erhard, "Anyway, let's get down to business. If what I heard is true, you've got three weeks to yourself ready for the big day, right?"

Asuka nodded, "Yeah, and so I was thinking I should buy a new sword before I do anything else."

"Hmm…" Erhard wore a cautious look on his face.

"Is something wrong?" asked Asuka.

"When the Kid first came here, he tried picking up one of the swords I laid out, and he got a nasty shock from it."

"A shock?"

"Apparently, Heroes are only allowed to pick up and use one specific weapon, and trying to touch another weapon not assigned to them get shocked as a result of a rule violation. The kid can only use a Shield, so selling him the swords was a dud idea. I was half expecting a sword to shock you too. Maybe I'm just being paranoid."

"Seriously? The more I hear about these weapons, the more I start to think of doubled edged these things are." said Asuka. Wielding one weapon was fine, but not being able to switch ruined any versatility the Heroes could potential have. Then again, shinobi tended to focus on using one type of weapon or fighting style of their choosing, so it wasn't a terrible handicap, save for someone wielding only capable of wielding a shield.

"Well, let's just how they fit ya." Erhard laid out one Iron Sword, which was a common sword type weapon, for Asuka to try. It was a well crafted sword that was very pleasing to the eye; Asuka couldn't help marveling at it.

The Sword Hero moved her hand toward the hilt before pausing.

"So, you're positive this won't shock me if I try to pick it up, right?" asked Asuka.

"Assuming it's the same type of weapon as your sword, you should be fine." said Erhard.

With that reassurance, Asuka slowly picked up the Iron Sword. To her surprise however, she did not receive a violation shock, but a new prompt.

|Weapon Copy System: Copy Complete!|
|Common Iron Sword Available|

"What the…?"

"Something wrong?"

"It just said 'copy complete'." Asuka answered. It was right then that Asuka realized the Legendary Sword changed shape on its own into a Steel Sword. The only difference from the real McCoy was the blue jewel in its guard. "Holy crap! Just by picking up the same type of weapon, I can make copies!"

In addition, the sword gain state boosts as well. And she just unlocked some Skills.

|Weapon Stats Increase|
|ATK: 7+|
|DEF: 4+|
|Durability: 7+|
|New Skill Unlocked: Slant Slash|

"What the hell?! How does that even work?! You're gonna put me out of business if you do that!"

"S-Sorry! This prompt in my Status Magic thing just told me I could copy the same type of weapon and get state boosts and skills for my sword!" Asuka said in a panic, "I'll pay for the sword, so don't be too mad, okay?"

"Fine. Just warn me next time before you do that." grumbled Erhard.

Asuka breathed a sigh of relief. She began to think of how dumb these prompts were. Instead of using prompts, this Status Magic, or the weapons themselves, could give more instruction on how they work right from the start.

Still though, now she had two methods of strengthening her Legendary Sword. Feeding parts of monsters to the Sword Skill Tree, and the Weapon Copy System. How to use both effectively presented a new challenge. Maybe asking advice from one of the other Heroes could work, if not for what happened at the trial. Naofumi probably didn't want to see anyone by this point, Itsuki would probably be condescending about it, and Motoyasu… she really didn't want to talk to him about anything.

"So, will that be all?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Boss." Asuka paid for the copied sword and for the damage done to the counter.

"Pleasure doing business with you." smiled Erhard, "Good luck with that duel. Something tells me you're going to need it."

"I'll be careful. It's not the first time I've been in a one on one fight."

"Really now? I thought you were a novice." Erhard joked.

"W-Well, at least I am here!" Asuka exclaimed, "Anyway, thanks again. I'll see you see you soon."

"Careful out here, lass!" said Erhard as Asuka made her exist from his shop. "Be extra careful… especially around that Princess."

Erhard probably should have mentioned the second Princess, who was much more popular with the people, almost as much as the Queen. But, once again, the Sword Lass would have to find out what they were like on her own, and make her own judgments on them.

Now sauntering along the streets, Asuka was about to head over to the guild hall to pick out a new quest, but something caught her attention.

A man yelling and at and hitting two children dressed in tattered dresses, next to a large horse cart. Or giant bird cart, on account of a big bird like creature was presumably the one pulling the cart whole goods.

Either way, feeling an urge to protect them, Asuka rushed over to stop him.

"Excuse me! What are you doing to those children?!" Asuka asked the man, who appeared to be a nobleman of some kind, given how extravagantly dressed he was.

"Huh? Wait, you're the Sword Hero?" the nobleman said, "What does it look like? I'm disciplining my slaves."

"Slaves…?" Asuka asked with an angry glare. People own slaves around here, even children?

"I swear these Demi-human brats are worthless as slaves." the nobleman complained.

Asuka was confused by that statement. She looked at the two kids, and immediately noticed they nonhuman features, like animal ears and tails. One had dog ears and a tail, while the other had a cat's ears and tail. She almost thought they were cosplaying, but since this was a fantasy world, that clearly wasn't the case.

"You don't know? Demi-humans and Beastmen have no rights in this country. They're no different than monsters, so who cares if we treat them as slaves?"

"I do! I can't just stand idly by while you mistreat these kids!" Asuka stated. The children looked up at the Sword Hero in awe. They heard tales of how one of particular Cardinal Hero was always kind to the Demi-human and Beastman races. Imagine their surprise to see someone bearing the Legendary Sword coming to their defense.

"Listen here, Sword Hero, it is perfectly legal to purchase Demi-humans and Beastmen as slaves in Melromarc! I own these two, so if you're telling me to stop punishing them, then you're meddling!"

Asuka flinched for a moment. As much as she hated to admit it, Melromarc was a different country, with its own rules. This slave business still wasn't right in her eyes, however.

"I know what I'm doing is meddling, but… can't you least treat them better than this? They're still kids!"

"Oh, so it appears the rumors about you are true?" the nobleman smirked.

"What?"

"You truly are a Fake Hero if you're even going so far as stand up for wretched Demi-humans, on top of supporting the criminal Shield Hero."

Hearing this man disparage Naofumi made her blood boil. Asuka gazed hostilely at the nobleman. "What does Naofumi-kun have to do with me being a fake? In fact, where do you get off calling me a 'Fake Hero'?"

"Think about it! What Sword Hero decides to defend the Shield Hero during a trial, whines like an ungrateful brat and attacks the King, and then promises to fight a sacred duel with the Spear Hero? And now you're defending Demi-humans? I can only surmise that's what a fake would do! Or maybe, all of that because of some drug that made you "fall in love with the Shield Hero", right?"

This drew annoyance from Asuka, "Does everyone in this country have such a warped impression of the Cardinal Heroes? You're the ones who summoned me here without any prior warning and no knowledge of what I'd be like! How did you think I'd react to that damned charade of trial or how you're treating your slaves, who are children?!"

"At any rate, I suggest you mind your own business!" the nobleman yelled, before turning to his demi-human slaves, "Let's go you little shits!"

The nobleman and his reluctant slaves boarded the cart, leaving a frustrated Asuka standing alone. The slaves look back at the Sword Hero, who could only hang her head apologetically, ashamed that she couldn't do anything to sway his treatment of them.

So, not only does the King rig trials for people he and the Princess don't like, or simply to amuse herself in the latter's case, he allowed slavery of another race. Given how stubborn he was in insisting that Naofumi was an attempted rapist, it wouldn't surprise Asuka that complaining about this would do no good. If it was legal than her hands were tied. If she wanted, she have freed those slaves herself, but she didn't want to make things worse than they already were. She was lucky that Aultcray had decided not punish her for her daring threat toward him, so it was probably best that she didn't cause more trouble.

Right now, it was important to concentrate on leveling for her duel against Motoyasu. That included learning how to use the new Sword Skills she acquired.

[-Adventurer's Guild Hall-]

"So, have you worked out a plan to deal with Asuka-san and this duel?" asked Itsuki to Motoyasu. The two Heroes met earlier today and were now discussion the events of yesterday and it eventually lead to the promised sacred duel. Their respective parties were waiting on their leaders nearby.

"To be honest, no I haven't. Myne said she'd help me level up and get new skills faster than Asuka-chan, and she's worked out a plan to beat her. So, I'm in good hands with her." Motoyasu grinned with confidence.

Itsuki didn't seem convinced. "You really shouldn't let Myne-san do all the thinking for you, Motoyasu-san. Even if she says she can help you, in the end, how you win the duel depends solely on you. You saw how fast Asuka-san moved did when she assaulted the King."

"Yeah and there's that slap she gave me…" Motoyasu still remembered how she almost took him down, and how much it hurt. "She must've held back a lot, but that really hurt! How is she that strong?"

"It has to be some type of cheat we don't know about. No normal person could move that fast, or be that strong, especially when they're just starting in the game. And when you take into account that you're a spear user, while she has a sword, in which case, she can just close the distance and use decisive blows to end the fight quickly, you've got a clear disadvantage with her cheating ability."

"No way! The sword advantage is one thing, but Asuka-chan wouldn't do anything like cheating!" Motoyasu yelled, slamming his fist on the table. He thought about her cheating before, but, he mentally waved such a possibility out.

"Are you sure about that?" Itsuki asked calmly.

"Yeah, she doesn't seem like that kind of girl!" Motoyasu answered, completely confident in his judge of character.

"You don't know her that well." Itsuki countered, "And, I'm surprised you're standing up for her despite how she roasted you yesterday." Itsuki could feel his eyebrow twitch at the memory of Asuka telling him he wasn't a true Hero. It still made him mad that she felt entitled to talk down to him like that.

"Guh… that's… w-well, that's because she was drugged by Naofumi! I'm sure once I beat the effects out of her, she'll back to normal!" Motoyasu said, nodding with confidence, "She'll see Naofumi for what he is, and she'll realize just how much I care for her!"

"And then you'll sweet talk her into bed?" Itsuki asked with a raised eyebrow. Clearly, the Spear Hero didn't seem to realize that Asuka's disgust with him was genuine, and not the result of some make-believe drug that should be impossible to find on such short notice.

"Ah… I'll admit I may have come on too strongly for her..." Motoyasu muttered, "I mean, how could anyone not appreciate how cute and sexy she is? Especially where her breasts are concerned!" the Spear Hero sported a goofy grin as he remembered the feeling of Asuka's soft breasts pressing against his midsection.

"Motoyasu-san, have you ever considered that your appreciation for the female form might be your biggest weakness?" Itsuki criticized.

"Huh?! Are you saying you haven't checked her out?! Or are you just pretending you don't sneak peeks at her?!" Motoyasu yelled at the Bow Hero.

"W-What?! Now you're just being ridiculous!" Itsuki retorted. He never said he didn't find Asuka attractive, but for Motoyasu to insinuate he was just as perverted as the latter was a step too far into insulting. Besides, he preferred more subdued and reserved girls, rather than the outgoing and even temperamental ones, like Asuka.

It didn't take long for two Heroes to begin bickering with each other, loud out for other adventurers and the guild staff to notice. Little did they know that this was the first of many petty arguments down the line.

A little while after the two Heroes calm down…

"At any rate… whether or not Asuka-chan is cheating, or if she has the sword advantage, I still have a leg up on her." smirked Motoyasu, "Remember how we established that Asuka-chan was new to games like this? Well, I got more experience in that, so I can just use my ingrained skills and Myne's plans to win. I trust Myne completely on that."

"I suppose you're right to an extent. That doesn't mean you can be complacent. Asuka-san could still bring something new to the table because she played a game involving ninjas." said Itsuki.

"Relax, I'll be fine. I'll win and I'll save Asuka-chan for sure!" Motoyasu proclaimed.

"And of course, you'll keep her from leaving Melromarc." said Itsuki, "I don't know if making her swear loyalty to the royal family is necessary, but she certainly can't cause a ruckus over her pride. Losing this duel will teach her humility and make her see the error of her ways."

"And most importantly she'll see reason in regards to Naofumi!" Motoyasu added, "She said she wanted all of us to work together, but I can't see it happening with Naofumi around. All he's got that worthless shield and he's a rapist. Honestly, we don't even need him."

"Exactly, Motoyasu-sama! You're more than enough to defend Melromarc from the Waves of Catastrophe!" Malty said as she walked into the scene.

"Myne!" the Spear Hero chirped at his newest party member.

"Hello, Myne-san, where have you been this past while?"

"Personally scouting out a new dungeon for Motoyasu-sama to explore." Malty smiled, "He'll need as much experience as he can get to reach level 20 in three weeks."

"Already? Okay then, guess that means it's time to go to work." Motoyasu grinned, "See ya, Itsuki."

"You too, Motoyasu-san." said Itsuki as the Spear Hero and his party left the guild hall.

"I suppose, I should get going on a quest as well." Itsuki turned to one of his party members, "Mald-san…"

"Yes, Itsuki-sama. Our next quest is…" Mald, a large bodied man covered head to toe in armor, told the Bow Hero of their next quest.

He'd be doing this for the Sword Hero, had she not decided to dissolve the party before he could demonstrate his usefulness. But, he decided to settle for the next best thing by making sure the Bow Hero would rise to power and show that little girl what she missed after rejecting his assistance.

[-Later in Forest: Same Spot as Before-]

"Slant Slash!" Asuka called out as she made a short sharp forty-five degree diagonal slash at the tree she was hiding after the trial.

"Huh… so this is how skill work…" Asuka muttered in deeper breaths. She had been practicing with new skill for a while in order to get a better feel for them.

Her Status Magic interface told her the more she used these skills, the stronger they would get.

"So, the best way to strengthen my sword is skill mastery and weapon proficiency." Asuka said to herself. When it came down to it, all she had to do was do as what she normally did, training like there was no tomorrow. Asuka wasn't going to complain about that, since training was her main hobby.

She looked at the tree, and found numerous deep slashes running in different directions. She was pretty surprised by how powerful her slashes were. No, maybe that was her own strength at work.

Clearly, she was going to need to hold back a lot more to minimize damage to her surroundings. That was especially going to be the case in her upcoming duel with Motoyasu. As much as she hated him right now, she didn't want to kill him, or at the very least, not hurt him too badly.

From behind, the sound of foots broke her contemplation. She turned around and saw a familiar face.

"H-Hello, Asuka-sama…" Lora said shyly. Instead of her maid uniform, she wore peasant clothing consisting of a long blue skirt and white sweater. She was also holding a small basket.

"Lora-chan?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude." bowed Lora.

"It's okay, I was thinking I should take a break, anyway." smiled Asuka, sitting down at the base of the tree.

"I see. May I join you? I brought some food for you." Lora took out some food she had in the basket she was carrying.

The two sat the base of the slashed tree, which the maid marveled out to due how much damage was done to it.

"You really did a number on this tree." said Lora, "Just what were you doing out here?"

"Practicing the new Sword Skill I unlocked." Asuka replied, "I figured I should get used to it before do any monster hunting today."

"And I'm assuming your duel with the Spear Hero in three weeks?"

"So, you know about that?"

"Everyone in town is talking about it. Just to clear the Shield Hero's name and leave this country, you even went as far as defying the King." Lora's eyes fell sadly, "I'm so sorry that you were put through that. You're right that we need the Heroes to work together, but now it seems impossible."

"So, you believe Naofumi-kun is innocent?"

"To be honest… I don't particularly care for the Shield myself, but even I think what the King and Princess did was beyond excessive." said Lora, "Don't they realize how much chaos they've wrought, now that two Heroes have become outcasts?"

"You're referring to the rumors about me?"

"These baseless rumors cause nothing but division among the people." Lora turned to Asuka with a pleading look, "Asuka-sama, I know you made up your mind, but please, call off this duel with the Spear Hero, and stay in Melromarc."

Asuka was surprised to hear this request, "Why?"

"I know yesterday was a horrible way to make a good impression, but I'm sure someone with your compassion can change things around here. If you leave, then this country won't change at all!"

"I…" Asuka hung her head, conflicted. She wanted to leave Melromarc because of the corruption in plain view of everyone and they refuse to see what they did was wrong. She decided she wanted out on impulse. However, after learning more about Melromarc and how they view the Shield Hero and Demi-humans, she felt she couldn't leave, not with such twisted things happening in this country.

"You don't need to listen to my selfishness." said Lora, "But, I'm sure even now, you must know things can't be left as they are, and leaving would probably make things worse. Please, think about that. You have three weeks to decide how you want this to go, after all."

Lora stood up from her seat and was about to walk away. Asuka kept a steely gaze on her as the former stood up and got to stepping.

"I have places to be. Again, I apologize for taking up your time, Asuka-sama." said Lora was departing.

"Wait, Lora-chan." Asuka called, "How did you know I was here?"

Lora stood frozen after Asuka's question.

"Have you been following me this whole time? Ever since I spotted you hiding on that balcony, or was it before even that? You can't just be a simple maid if you've been watching me and the others this entire time. Just who are you, and what are you after by trying to convince me to stay here?"

For a few moments, there was silence, until Lora broke the ice.

"I dare say, your senses, as well as your movements, are very sharp." Lora spoke in a more subdued and refine tone. She turned back to Asuka, wearing a face full of mystique and refinement, and a hint of gentleness, "Rest assured, I am no enemy to you. Neither is my employer. For now, it is important that you stay put in Melromarc. You've seen the ugly side of our country, but even your righteous nature has you second guessing your desire to leave."

Asuka remained silent as Lora, if that was her real name, spoke.

"You can fight and earn your right to leave, or you can choose to stay and help those who truly need it. Isn't that what the Sword and the Shield is about?"

Asuka glanced aside, unsure of how to answer.

"For myself, I am merely fulfilling my obligation to the one I serve, nothing more. She wishes for the best interests in Melromarc, and she rightfully believes that King Aultcray and Princess Malty have no such interests. She rightfully suspected that they couldn't be trusted to care for her country in her stead."

"She… in her stead? You don't mean you work for-"

"I dare say, I've said too much." said Lora, "Please, forget we had this conversation. I'll be observing from a quiet distance, as I can't act on my own unless it is necessary. What you do from here is up to you to decide."

Lora vanished from sight soon after.

After this conversation, Asuka had plenty to think about. She wondered what she would gain to leave Melromarc after the duel. Honestly, nothing if one were to think about it. There was still much of this world she didn't know about. She could try to locate the Queen, but at her current level, even with her leftover abilities from her old world, she probably wouldn't get very far in this world without help. So yeah, leaving wasn't a smart option at the moment.

That, and she would be leaving Naofumi alone in this corrupt country. He could travel with her, but she had her doubts he would want to, since she failed to help him and he probably didn't trust her too much. Hopefully, winning the duel in the coming weeks will change that.

[-Two Weeks Later-]

Asuka had begun slaying slightly stronger monsters and practicing her Sword Skills during the two weeks that had pasted since the trial. Thanks to that, she had gone up to Level 18, and her skills had improved. Over the course of those two weeks, she had learned two more Sword Skills, Horizontal Slash, and Vertical Slash. She managed to get those by mastering Slant Slash. She had also gained other skills as well after taking on quests from the guild.

Only one week left until the sacred duel.

The Sword Hero decided it was time to get new gear for the upcoming event, since her current clothes were probably not going to cut it. And where else to go, but her favorite weapons shop to see what armor the old shopkeeper had in stock.

She went over to Erhard's shop and immediately entered.

"Hey, Boss!" Asuka chirped as she entered.

"Hi there, Lass!" Erhard greeted, "Look who showed up before you did." Erhard motioned toward a familiar young man with black hair, who turned around see a surprised Asuka.

"Naofumi-kun?"


Lyall the Werewolf: A lot is happening in this start. Asuka begins preparations for the duel and learns a bit more about Melromarc, Motoyasu is confident he'll win, despite having no realistic way he will, Itsuki thinks Asuka is cheating, and Asuka begins to catch to the Queen's Shadows through Lora.

Okay, so apart from the Shield, I really don't know how the Legendary Weapons really work or how the Three Heroes in canon got all of the their skills or how many they actually have, so you'll notice did some improvising. I tried doing as much research as I could into the weapons, and I do know that feeding monster parts or some inanimate objects grants things like new variants of the weapons with stat bonuses, and exclusive or bonus skills. I also know that Weapon Copy adds stat bonuses too, and I think can unlock new skills or something, which is why I gave Asuka Slant Slash to start with. I'm also aware that weapons function differently depending on the beliefs the user has about them regarding their strengthening methods, and I'm hoping it works the same for Asuka. I could be mistaking some details here, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, because for as simple as they are, these weapons are confusing and weird, and only a real expert could probably make sense of them.

I also don't know the rules of Melromarc aside from crimes against the royal family, and the slavery of Demi-humans and Beastmen. I'm literally making them up as I go.

That'll do it for now. See you later.