Sword Hero Who Dances in the Shadows chapter 05: Mixed Reception

Lyall the Werewolf: A while back, someone was nice enough to tell me all about the Legendary Weapons and Vassal Weapons, among other things. Particularly about the strengthening method I'm using for Asuka's version of the Legendary Sword. It's actually similar to the Vassal Gauntlets, which unlocks new skills after mastering a pre-existing skills. I decided to keep it as is, because it suits Asuka's character and it's easier than changing what I already have set up. That being said, I'll try to make it different so they won't overlap.

In addition, some of you have already given me some idea to work in the reviews. If you want to offer up more, be my guest. It helps a lot.

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


"So, you revealed yourself the Sword Hero?" asked the Queen of Melromarc, Queen Mirellia Q Melromarc to one of her Shadows perched outside the window of the guest room she was staying in.

Due to her youthfulness and beauty, Mirellia held a great resemblance to her eldest daughter Malty, to the point where she could be mistaken for the older sister of both Malty and the youngest princess Melty instead of their mother. The only differing aspects were Mirellia's purple hair and eye, as well as a far more mature and intelligent demeanor.

"Forgive me, my Queen. She noticed my presence, so I saw no use in hiding myself." said the Shadow, "I thought it would prove beneficial to convince her to remain Melromarc, so I made direct contact with her."

"There's no need for an apology. I'd say this is a pragmatic move on your part." said Mirellia, "From what you've told me about the Sword Hero, especially during that damnable false trial for the Shield Hero, it's evident that we need her cooperation and strength. Of course, I don't approve of this duel, as I'm sure terrible things are sure to happen with Malty stringing things along, but we can't intervene unless things get out of hand."

"What shall I do?"

"Continue to monitor things at the capital as planned. Be sure to keep a close eye on the Sword and Shield Heroes as well."

"By your order, my Queen." said the Shadow, before vanishing.

In a few moment of silence, Mirellia sighed heavily. The actions of her husband and eldest daughter have wrought terrible consequences. Not only did they summon all four of the Cardinal Heroes to Melromarc on their own accord, they completely shattered any chance of the Heroes learning to work together in harmony. This caused major outrage from the other nations, and how it was the Queen's job to smooth things over and only time would tell how long it would take to do so. She could feel the stress coming and giving her a headache already.

Not only that, they committed other crimes following the first Wave, and in doing so, had broken her trust that they would be able to take care of the country while she was away, that being especially the case with Aultcray, who had lost any semblance of his former self over the years. From once a wise and just king, to a petty and incompetent buffoon, his decline in intellect and moral fiber was not just saddening, but anger inducing as well. If not for this diplomatic errand to the other nations to put out the political fires he started after he summoned the Cardinal Heroes to Melromarc without permission, she would have returned home immediately to encase him a wall of ice for his stupidity, especially in regard to this foolish duel.

And of course, there was Malty. How did Aultcray spoil her to the point of being such a greedy and sociopathic woman child? Thanks to her unrefined and rotten personality, Mirellia deemed her unworthy of the throne and only saw hope in her youngest daughter Melty, who was far wiser beyond her years. It was bad enough that Malty hated her younger sister, but now she seemed to be starting a petty rivalry with the Sword Hero for vanity's sake.

At any rate, it was time for some much needed stress relief. Burning portraits of her traitorous family members should be sufficient for now.

[-Melromarc Castle-Town: Erhard's Weapon Shop-]

Naofumi stood in surprise to see Asuka entering the old guy's weapon shop.

"Asuka…!"

"Naofumi-kun…?"

He was fully dressed in cheap clothing and green cape, just as the old guy said.

"You're okay! Thank goodness!" Asuka sighed in relief as she approached him.

"Y-Yeah…" Naofumi turned away with a conflicted expression.

This saddened Asuka, but it didn't surprise her as well. It seemed he still didn't trust her after what happened in the trial. In fact, it wouldn't be difficult for the Shield Hero not trusting any woman after Malty completely screwed him over. He had no clothes, no money, and no party members after the deed was done. Meanwhile, Asuka herself couldn't do anything to save him from his terrible situation. Because of that, these past two weeks must have been very hard on him. No, hard, was an understatement. It must've been a complete nightmare just to get by.

What did surprise her though was when she noticed that he had company in the form of a little girl with brownish orange hair and large tea red eyes. She wore a pale cream sweater and black and red dress, along with brown boots, with a small, easy to use knife strapped to her side. She had ears and tail resemblance a cross between a tanuki and raccoon, which were a clear sign of her being a demi-human. The girl looked fearfully at the Sword Hero, who shifted her gaze to Naofumi.

"Where… did you find that girl?" asked Asuka hesitantly.

"I bought her." Naofumi sighed, "She's my slave, and she's going to fight for me."

Asuka grimaced. It pained her to know that Naofumi had to resort to this in order to get by. "I… I see…"

"You're not gonna get on my case for buying a slave? I'd expect Motoyasu or Itsuki to at least be livid." Naofumi scowled as he mentioned the two Heroes' name. As if that false charge didn't give them plenty of reason to do so.

"I don't approve of you buying a slave, obviously." Asuka answered, "But, it is legal to own Demi-human slaves in this country, so complaining about it won't do any good. There's also no doubt in my mind that these past two weeks have been a trying time for you. I'm sure you only bought a slave for practical reasons. Since you can't attack, you need someone to fight enemies while you stay on support."

Naofumi didn't answer her.

Erhard witnessed the scene. It had been two long weeks for these budding Heroes, but their reunion being this awkward had to be a cruel twist of fate.

The slave girl, meanwhile, couldn't really understand what was going on. How did her master know this older girl, and why do they look so sad to see each other? If she could reunite with her own friends and family, it would make her happy, but they were either dead, or still enslaved to her last master.

"What I don't get is why you chose a girl so young…" Asuka said while looking toward the girl, who hid behind her master's leg.

"Because kids are more obedient." Naofumi scoffed, while pushing his slave forward, "Go introduce yourself to her." he ordered.

"Huh? But why? W-Who is she?"

"An acquaintance…" muttered Naofumi.

Asuka flinched at being called that. Not terribly surprising, since she utterly failed to help in that damn trial. Calling her a friend would probably leave a bad taste in his mouth.

"Now get to it. You already know that I'm not a patient man." Naofumi scolded.

"O-Okay…" the girl hesitantly walked up to Asuka, who stood still. The slave girl stopped at about two feet away, and looked up to the older girl, who had a calm expression. She was still fearful, but she didn't want to make her new master angry, so she spoke with a cracking voice, "M-M… M-My name is…"

Seeing as it was difficult to get the words out, Asuka kneeled down in front of the girl, now at eye level with her, and wearing a calming smile.

"My name is Asuka. What's your name?" Asuka asked politely.

"R-Raphtalia…" the girl, now identified as Raphtalia, was confused and did not expect this stranger to speak first. Usually, the slave girl had to be the one to be forced to speak first. Was this older girl, who was clearly a human, being nice to her?

"Raphtalia-chan, huh? That's a cute name." Asuka smiled at Raphtalia.

"T-Thank you…" Raphtalia shyly smiled. She could grow to like this.

"What is this? You're not gonna spoil my slave, are you?" Naofumi asked irritably.

"Instead of acting like a strict task master, like I have no doubt you will be, how about acting like her parent. She'll respond better that way." Asuka scolded.

"Whatever." Naofumi said, "Raphtalia, we're leaving!" he ordered to Raphtalia.

"Y-Yes sir!" Raphtalia meekly replied, standing and running up to Naofumi to catch up to him.

"Wait, Naofumi-kun!" Asuka called out to the Shield Hero, who paused before exiting the shop. He kept his back turned to her, but it seemed he was intent on listening to her.

"I… I'm sorry, Naofumi-kun. If I didn't disband my party and let… that woman join up with you, you wouldn't have been…" Asuka fell silent. Even by now, he probably didn't know that 'Myne Sophia' was actually Princess Malty, but it didn't make much difference if he knew or not. He'd hate her all the same for what she did to him, and the Sword Hero wouldn't blame him for it, since she hated her just as much. Still, it was probably best that he figure it out on his own.

"Forget about it." Naofumi said, "You made your choice, and that bitch made hers. That's all there is to it. Nothing you do or say will change that. Not even winning that duel with Motoyasu."

Asuka wasn't surprised that Naofumi knew about the duel, as it was presumably due the towns' people talking about it, and a few other rumors.

"Yeah, I guess…" Asuka said, "But, we won't know for sure until I try, right?"

"Asuka, you should call off this duel with Motoyasu." advised Naofumi.

"What?"

"You know what people are saying about you, right? That you're a Fake Hero, that you were drugged by me, and other crap like that."

"Yeah… I'm well aware." Asuka replied solemnly.

"And you saw what Myne and that bastard of a King are really like. You think they aren't gonna pull something dirty to make sure Motoyasu wins while they force you to stay?"

"I'll be okay. I'm way tougher than I look." smirked Asuka, "Besides, if they do cheat, that'll mean it's my victory by default."

"That's not the issue here. You know what'll happen if you lose, right? You'll be forced to stay in this armpit of a country, and worst of all, you'll have to swear loyalty to those pricks. And of course, my name won't be cleared but you still have you to think about."

"He's got a point." said Erhard, "I've been thinking about this for a while, and if you ask me, you should save yourself some embarrassment. You already have bad rumors going around about you being a Fake Hero willing to help the Shield Hero and defend Demi-humans. No sense adding more black marks to your rep by making yourself look stupid. It's up to you in the end, but personally, I'd rather you not go through with it."

Asuka was very aware that her reputation was off to a rocky start after the trial, but she didn't let it affect her progress. She also had a feeling that underhanded means would probably be used to help Motoyasu win. That being said, her senses were sharp, and had learned a number of skills through her leveling and training. She was confident she could win, even if they attempted to cheat.

"Thanks for your concern guys, but I won't back down. I will win this duel, and I will clear your name, Naofumi-kun!"

Rather than provoking some part of a positive emotion, Asuka's word only served to touch a nerve in the Shield Hero.

"Quite concerning yourself with me!" Naofumi yelled, "Just mind your own business and worry about yourself for once!"

With those words, Naofumi trotted off, with a nervous Raphtalia trailing behind. Now, it was just the Sword Hero and the old shopkeeper.

"What a mess. Not sure if the country's gone bad, or if he's being corrupted." sighed Erhard, "I think you made the wrong move being all positive about the duel, Lass." he said to Asuka.

The Sword Hero was saddened by Naofumi's reaction. She could see that he was upset, but that his harsh reply came from a place of concern, rather than malice. He wanted to make sure Asuka didn't suffer a major emotional blow like he did. It was sweet, if not bitter. And he had something akin to a party member, slave status aside. Hopefully, she could look after Naofumi in her place.

"It's okay. He was worried about me, and that shows he hasn't completely lost faith. And he has Raphtalia-chan with him now, who's bound to be a positive influence on him. Before I showed up, he bought her new clothes and a weapon to use, right?" Asuka asked.

To that, Erhard nodded.

Asuka smiled, "And if we want to keep that faith alive, I need to win this duel. Not just to clear his name, but to show those cowards I'm not to be trifled with!"

"Well, if your minds made up, I can't do anything to sway it." Erhard smirked, "So, I believe you had business here."

"Oh, that's right!" Asuka gasped, "I came by because I think it's about time for me to buy new gear, like a new sword and armor! I'm going to need them for the duel!"

"Smart choice, but since you prefer fast movement overall, you probably won't like the armor I have on sell. Especially the bulky stuff."

"Yeah, I don't imagine I'll be able to fit in those tin suits." shrugged Asuka, looking over to the large, bulky suits of armor.

"I could offer you some nice easy to move in chainmail."

"No thanks." Asuka quickly replied, "I don't think I'll be very comfortable wearing something like that." after the trial, she didn't like the idea of wearing such armor, due to seeing Motoyasu shamelessly wearing the chainmail stolen from Naofumi by Malty.

"If you say so. In that case, I can whip up something special that's custom made to order." said Erhard.

"You'd really do that for me?"

"Yup. If you don't mind me using what materials I've got on hand, I can finish it by tomorrow."

"Thanks a bunch, Boss!" Asuka cheered, "So how much for this special order? The most I can pay right now is around 150 silver."

"Hmm… sounds good enough for nice balancing gear." Erhard smiled, "But, this one time, I'll give you a discount, since you've become my favorite costumer!"

"Great! And about the new sword…"

"You wanna copy it, don't you?" Erhard grumbled, "Fine, do whatever you want. Just make it quick and pay up."

"Sorry." Asuka apologized meekly. She found a nice high quality Magic Steel Sword to copy, which granted an additional ATK boot and a new equip bonus skill. Naturally, she paid for the copied sword afterword.

|Rare Magic Steel Sword Copy Complete!|
|ATK: 21+|
|MATK: 31+|
|SP: 10+|
|Equip Bonus Skill Unlocked: Magic Slash|

She had an assortment of other skills gained from monsters she defeated. She didn't collect a whole lot, only those that seemed useful for her combat capabilities, and few other handy things.

"Thanks a lot, Boss! I'll be back!" Asuka said as she exited the shop.

"Take care!" Erhard waved goodbye to the Sword Hero. If there was one bright spot in any of this nonsense, it was her staying positive. However, that didn't mean everything was peaches and rainbows with her. There was something more than that trial and the Shield Hero's situation weighing on her. The veteran adventurer could sense that about her. Whatever it was, he hoped it wouldn't hinder her efforts in the future.

[-Meanwhile: Naofumi and Raphtalia-]

Naofumi was confused. Every other resident of Melromarc had given him nothing but spiteful looks and slander during the two weeks since the trial. Women especially reminded him of that woman. He felt that most women in this world would take advantage of him like that bitch did, Raphtalia included. That was the reason he bought her to begin with. Because he couldn't trust anyone, he wanted someone to control, someone who wouldn't betray him, like that bitch did. It was all to sooth his own anger and back at her for what she did to him.

However, Asuka was an exception. Obviously, this was because she never had malicious intent toward him, always treated him like a friend, and did everything she possibly could to convince those bastards that he was innocent, therefore, she should be trustworthy, unlike everyone else who refused to help him. It would be so much easier for him to think that the Sword Hero was faking her kindness just like that bitch, and she really despised him like the rest of the people in this garbage dump of a country, even going going so far to as to plot against him just like they all did. And yet, even after he rejected her, she still treated him like a human being. It made him really uncomfortable, unfortunately. A part of him kept telling him not to trust her, to hate her like the rest, and the other half really wanted to patch things up with her. It was so confusing and irritating. Why couldn't he just hate her just like the rest?

As he trotted through the streets of Castle-Town, Raphtalia followed close behind. She wonder why he tried to stay distant from someone who was friendly toward him and herself. If they were friends, shouldn't they be hanging out together? She would have asked that question, but fear of some kind of punishment made her hold her tongue.

GROWL!

That was the sound of Raphtalia's stomach growling, to her embarrassment. She hadn't eaten in days. Being sick didn't help ease the discomfort.

"You hungry?" asked Naofumi.

"N-No!" Raphtalia squeaked out.

"You can't fight on an empty stomach. Let's go." said Naofumi, setting off to find a restaurant to eat the cheapest food they had, and maybe something healthy for Raphtalia to eat and regain her strength, since making her fight while sick would cause problems later. He wasn't sure if he was following Asuka's advise or not, but it still wouldn't hurt to make sure his slave was healthy. Only downside being he couldn't taste anything due to his mentally unstable mindset warping his sense of taste.

Raphtalia was surprised at this offering to let her eat. She thought he'd be angry with her if she ever stated she wanted something, like her previous master did, but this man with a shield was different. He seemed a little nicer compared to the others.

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

Asuka returned to the Erhard's shop for her new armor. The old guy was already done by the time she set foot inside, and since it was finished, she decided to put it on immediately.

After a few minutes, Asuka stepped out of the changing room.

The Sword Hero was now wearing the new armor set the blacksmith made for her. It consisted of a navy blue and white tailcoat, which opened a bit of cleavage, fitted together with a black leather breastplate, corset, shoulder pads, and silver scale mail arm bracers and belt. It also came with a navy blue skirt, thigh high black stockings and white boots. Naturally, Asuka kept the red scarf on this outfit too, despite the obvious clash in color.

"I call this 'Maiden's War Armor'!" Erhard bragged, "Pretty slick, huh?"

"Yeah, but this armor feels a little heavier than before."

"That'd be because of the scale mail, which while it is more durable than chainmail, it doesn't offer much in flexibility, but given your rumored superhuman speed and strength, it should be too much of a problem for you if you have superhuman stamina."

"I see." Asuka smiled, "I like it, either way. Not only does it look cool and I don't look like a thief, it gives me a pretty big boost in defense and magic defense. The only drawback being my agility went down some."

Thankfully, her agility was already quite high, and she acquired the equip bonus skills AGI 3 and Stamina Up (small) from the UsaPaw Sword and UsaBone Sword respectively, so the decrease shouldn't affect her performance overall, especially since she mastered Stamina Up (small) to 100%.

|DEF: 24+|
|AGI: 9-|
|MATK: 25+|
|MDEF: 27+|

"So, it's a keeper than? Then the discount was well worth it."

"Thanks so much for all your help, Boss!" Asuka said.

"No problem! Just make a good impression and kick that Spear Hero's ass out there!"

"You got it!" Asuka prepared to leave the weapon's shop, "I'll see you later!"

"I'll be rooting for ya, Lass!" Erhard cheered as the Sword Hero left his shop.

Asuka was now traveling the streets on her way to the Adventurer's Guild to take on more quests to level up.

However, it didn't take her look long to see the disposition of the towns people. They seemed extra charged up recently. Before, there seemed to be a grim but still optimistic attitude around town, especially after the Cardinal Heroes were summoned to Melromarc, but now the townsfolk seem excited about something. She had been in something of a rush to increase her level and strengthen her weapon, so she didn't notice the change in attitude until now. After the trial, everything just seemed bleak to her.

"Place your bets! Which Hero do you think is gonna win this sacred duel?!"

Asuka could see why now. She found a crowd of people gathered in front of a man who had posters of the Sword and Spear Heroes placed on the wall behind him, while he sat at table with a large jar on it.

"Who are your odds on favor to win? The young, beautiful, and frankly shapely Sword Hero, who is often rumored to be a Fake Hero, or the devilishly handsome Spear Hero, who doesn't seem to be very bright?" the man announced through the horn at this lips.

The crowd, consisting mostly of men, did what most fan-bases or spectators normally do in events like this; converse and speculate who had the better odds of one party winning, or discuss trivial facts amongst each other.

"The Sword Hero? I heard she was planning to leave Melromarc if she won."

"Yeah, not only that, she wanted the Shield Hero's name to be cleared of assaulting Princess Malty if she won too."

"I heard it was because of a drug that she acted the way she did during that trial for the Shield Hero. Apparently, it makes you fall in love with somebody on a subconscious level or something like that."

"You think? A drug like that can't exist."

"It did come from Princess Malty."

"You really think Princess Malty is capable of telling the truth? The only one who believed that part about the drug was the Spear Hero, from what I heard."

"But, wasn't she raped by the Shield Hero? She said it herself."

"That's what I heard. He was also going after the Sword Hero if I remember correctly. Why would she still care about him after all that?"

"I don't know. Maybe that drug does exist?"

"I also heard the Sword Hero is friendly to demi-humans. There's no way a Cardinal Hero would befriend demi-humans, nor would there be a Cardinal Hero stupid enough to attack the King and get away with it because of this duel taking place."

"Hold on… if Princess Malty made up a drug that can control people, then shouldn't that mean she lied about what the Shield Hero did to her?"

"Who cares? There's no way the Shield Hero's going to make it without a party. Let him rot for all I care."

"But, the Sword Hero doesn't have a party either. I heard she's done well for herself these past two weeks. There's no denying she has impressive feats of skill, since she adventures solo and is able to take on takes on monsters on her own."

"Can't the Spear Hero do the same thing?"

"Yeah, but from what I hear he usually has a group of girls in his party to act as cheerleaders for him while he does all the fighting just to show off. Not to sound jealous, but it kinda makes me sick to think about those girls throwing themselves at him."

"I know what you mean, especially since Princess Malty is acting like the head cheerleader and his main girl. I actually don't envy him in that regard."

"In any event, I think I'll but my money on the Sword Hero."

"Despite the fact that she's going to clear the Shield Hero's name and leave Melromarc if she wins?!"

"I heard she's rescinding her decision to leave the country if she wins. Nothing changes in regard to the Shield Hero, though."

"Huh… you know what? I'll do the same. The some might say the Sword Hero is a Fake Hero and I don't really care for the Shield Hero either way, but I'll give her props for having skill and beauty."

"What about the Spear Hero? I heard he's already reached level 20 and is still leveling. He's got to be stronger than the Sword Hero by now."

"Oh please, you know that levels don't always assure an easy victory. He might be good with a spear, but the Sword Hero has a freaking sword, so if she's skillful and quick enough to close the distance, she could easily win the fight. Not to mention she's rumored to have superhuman abilities, more so than the average adventurer for her level. No contest!"

"You believe rumors about her having superhuman abilities?"

"She did come from another world, after all. Anything's possible."

Asuka, who stood silently to the side, was unimpressed by these people treating the sacred duel between her and Motoyasu like a sporting event while placing bets on who would win, and talking about her like she wasn't there. Although, it did make her happy that they were complimenting her skills and looks, and it did surprise her a little that at least not everyone believed in that drug angle that came from that woman's mouth. Then again, from what she was told, the Princess was infamous for her troubling behavior, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise for the Sword Hero.

"Hey, I just thought of this, but do you think the Queen or the Second Princess would allow any of this? If they were here, they'd probably put a stop to this drama immediately."

"Yeah, probably. Queen Mirellia knows how to run a tight ship, unlike King Aultcray who seems to have his head in his ass nowadays. And all I can say about Princess Melty is, thank god she was chosen to be the next Queen and not Princess Malty. The Queen chose wisely in the Second Princess for being appropriately smart and mature for her age. Hopefully, she comes back even more knowledgeable from the political mission with her mother. I can only imagine us lasting so long under the King and First Princess' care."

Those comments did pleasantly surprise her somewhat. It appeared the citizen of Castle-Town favored the Queen and Second Princess over the King and First Princess. While she wasn't the best at espionage, she did gather some information regarding Melromarc over the two weeks she had been training and questing. Namely, who Queen Mirellia and Melty Q Melromarc were.

Well, these people could do as they pleased. Asuka had better things to do. With that in mind, she took off toward the Adventurer's Guild.

However, the Sword Hero stopped halfway on her route to the guild due to spotting another familiar face. It was Raphtalia, who was being harassed by a couple of human kids.

Raphtalia was clutching an orange ball close to her chest, while the bullies were yelling at her to give it up. Naturally, no one was there willing to help.

Feeling a protective urge, Asuka marched toward the scene and set herself between the raccoon girl and the bullies.

Raphtalia looked up in surprise to see the lady from yesterday coming to her defense. "A-Asuka-san…?"

"Who're you?!" one of the bullies asked rudely.

"That's my line! Who do you think are that you can demand a toy that doesn't belong to you?" Asuka asked sternly.

"Huh? She's a freaky Demi-human! Why should she get to play with that ball?!" bellowed the second bully.

"So, even kids are taught to hate Demi-humans. It's just one detestable thing after another with this country."

"Who cares if she's a Demi-human? You can't just take things away from her like you think you have a right to." Asuka scolded.

"You're standing up for a Demi-human?" scowled the first bully, "Oh I get it! You're that Fake Hero with the big boobs everyone's talking about! The one who stands up for stinking Demi-humans and the She-"

SLAP! SLAP!

Asuka slapped the child barking at her and his friend across the face. They weren't overly strong slaps. Just enough to leave a small bruise on their cheeks. The two bullies look at Asuka with fear in their eyes as the Sword Hero bored down upon them.

"Enough. Go home and learn proper manners." Asuka ordered, instilling fear in the bullies, who run away crying.

Ordinarily, Asuka would never be so rough on children. But, seeing as most of the adults in Melromarc were poor role models, she figured she had to apply discipline just this once. She would deal with whatever complaints the parents had later.

Asuka turned to Raphtalia with a gentler smile, "Are you okay, Raphtalia-chan?"

"Y-Yes…"

"That's good." Asuka said as she squatted down to eye level with Raphtalia, "I see that ball's pretty important to you. You protected it from those bullies."

"M-My master gave it to me… he said I could play with it after work…" Raphtalia answered meekly. She wasn't sure what to think. Her master told her to be polite to Asuka, but not to fully trust her. Given that he didn't use the curse to make her obey him, she could only presume he wasn't completely serious. Besides, this older girl was really nice, so why did her master feel uncomfortable around her?

"I see. That was nice of him." said Asuka, relieved that he seemed to be taking her advice. "Speaking of your master, where is he? Shouldn't he be dealing with those bullies in my place?"

"H-He's talking with a shop owner about herbs or something..." replied Raphtalia.

"Herbs, huh? Maybe he's trying to get some materials for his shield." Asuka whispered to herself. A couple seconds later, Asuka's Shinobi senses quickly told her another individual was on their way. Through Enhanced Scent Detection, a bonus skill she got from the Dire-Wolf Snout Sword, she deduced it was Naofumi.

"Asuka-san?"

"I think your master's on his way. Don't tell him I was here, okay?" Asuka said with a wink as she gently patted her head.

"O-Okay…"

Asuka stood back up and was about to leave, but Raphtalia tugged on her skirt, making her stop. Asuka turned to face the fidgety raccoon girl.

"T-Thank you for helping me." Raphtalia said with red cheeks.

"No problem. Take care of Naofumi-kun for me." Asuka smiled.

"Yes!"

With that said, Asuka leapt away and dashed off on the rooftops.

Raphtalia was in awe of the Sword Hero for this feat.

"Raphtalia!" Naofumi called out. Raphtalia immediately responded to Naofumi's call.

"Y-Yes, master!"

"Was someone else here just now?"

"N-No…" Raphtalia lied.

Naofumi noticed her tail wagging excitedly. Whatever happened, he decided to let it slide, as it time to get back to level grinding.

Meanwhile, Asuka was relieved and happy, not just to see Raphtalia being treated well by Naofumi, but hearing that he had managed to keep himself afloat somewhat. She wished she could have helped him out before, but her own needs took priority.

At the very least, she could take on another quest in a brighter mood.

[-A Couple Minutes Later: Adventurer's Guild-]

And wouldn't you know it, just as she arrived at the Adventurer's Guild Hall, she was found herself in the company of Motoyasu and his party, Princess Malty included, unfortunately. The Princess was quick to give the Sword Hero a brazenly haughty stare.

The bright mood Asuka was in had gone dim in that moment.

"Hey, Asuka-chan! It's been such a long time!" said Motoyasu with a cheerful smile, acting as though nothing had happened the last time they met. He too had a new outfit as well, donning chainmail underneath his sleeveless white and red tunic and silver armor, such as shoulder pads, arm braces, and graves.

By the look of things before Asuka arrived, Motoyasu and his party were about to leave the guild hall.

"Wow, that outfit looks really good on you! Guess that means I didn't need to worry about you being by yourself, after all!" said Motoyasu, casually approaching the silent Sword Hero.

"Thanks. You seem to be doing fine too." Asuka replied with a deadpan expression. It had been over two weeks since she last saw him, and yet her sour feelings toward him haven't softened. And here he was, acting as though nothing had happened between them, like they were old friends. It didn't take her long to see that the Spear Hero didn't know where to keep his eyes focused, naturally. But, she didn't want to cause a scene about it, so she decided to remain civil for now.

"Yeah, we're all having fun here! Isn't that right girls?" Motoyasu asked to his all female party, who began to giggle in visible delight, only Asuka noticed a lot of tension between each of them.

"Of course, Motoyasu-sama!" Malty, or rather, Myne the adventurer and the Spear Hero's right hand woman.

"There seems to be a lot more girls in your party than before." said Asuka, noticing a slight increase in girls in the Spear Hero's party.

"Yeah, a lot of girls keep asking to join up, but it's been a messy bloodbath of grinding, I just didn't wanna force them to fight. It's tough being this popular! Hahaha!" Motoyasu laughed, with more accompanying female laughter.

"A bloodbath, huh…" thought Asuka. It amazed the Sword Hero that these girls could even stand to be around this perverted idiot. Myne being the sole exception possibly because she saw him as a tool to use, thus having no true affection for him at all.

"I see you haven't changed much, Motoyasu-san." said the familiar voice of Itsuki. The Bow Hero had approached the Sword and Spear Heroes from the side. He was also wearing new attire as well, consisting of a sleeveless tunic with light clothing underneath. Additionally, he wears thin leather gloves, leather boots, and a green hood-like cape attached around his neck and right shoulder.

"Itsuki-kun…" Asuka said quietly.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Asuka-san." smiled Itsuki, "It looks like you've held up okay after the trial. I'm happy for you."

"Yeah, thanks. I've been doing alright…" Asuka replied, keeping a neutral face. Of course, Itsuki acted like their last meeting didn't matter either, and was making an effort to be civil as well.

"Look at this! The three of back together again after so long! This is what I call a reunion!" Motoyasu cheered. Asuka immediately caught on to the fact that he left out a certain Shield Hero. He must still think Naofumi was guilty of the crimes Myne pinned on him. One would think that after two weeks, he'd give it more thought and realize that the trial itself was fake and didn't even make sense.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" asked Asuka.

"Huh? Who do you mean?"

"Never mind." Asuka shook her head in disappointment.

"I think she's referring to Naofumi-san." said Itsuki with a frown. No doubt, he was still convinced that Naofumi was a rapist, too.

"Oh, him…" muttered Motoyasu, "Who needs that bastard? He can die in a sewer for all I care! We can get things done without Naofumi's help! Right, Asuka-chan?"

Asuka's response was with an unimpressed frown, to Motoyasu's displeasure.

"I haven't heard much about him following the trial, but there is a lot of talk about you, Asuka-san." said Itsuki, "The people are really excited about the duel between you and Motoyasu-san. With one week away, it must be hyping them up. Isn't it nice that they have something to look forward to?"

"I guess, though, I'm kind of conflicted it about it." Asuka said, "They're practically encouraging us to fight just so they can make a quick buck. I mean, betting is nothing new, but at a time like this when the next Waves is drawing near?"

"If it earns me praise, I wouldn't mind that they're betting on my success. It's a great motivator if you ask me." said Itsuki, "Speaking of which, it seems some you're the favor in odds of winning the duel. They even praise you for your skill and beauty. How lucky of you."

"I don't blame them. If I was a betting man, I'd bet on Asuka-chan in a heartbeat!" Motoyasu said proudly.

"He does realize that he isn't very popular because of his cheerleading squad and having an infamous princess in his party, doesn't he?" Asuka wondered.

"Oh, and what about me, Motoyasu-sama?" asked Myne, "You know I have your back, and naturally, you have my vote of confidence for the victory in the duel, after all."

"She is the one who proposed it, after all."

"Though it isn't likely to happen because I think it's barbaric to fight, what if I were to participate in a duel? Would you bet on my victory as well?"

"Of course I would, Myne! You're not just talented, but very beautiful as well! I'll bet my entire life's savings on your victory!"

"Oh, Motoyasu-sama, you tease! I love you!" Myne giggled wrapping her arms around the Spear Hero's neck, much to his delight.

"I love you too, Myne!"

"Have you ever heard the line 'Get a Room!' before?" Asuka thought in disgust. She found this to be more obnoxious than when the Vile Princess was flirting with Naofumi the night prior to the trial. The Sword Hero would have warned Motoyasu that it would only be a matter of time before this woman double-crossed him too, but given how much she had come to hate him, that wasn't likely to ever happen, and he practically deserved it.

It seemed she wasn't the only one who was annoyed by the sickening display of affection between the two. The girls in the Spear Hero's party looked really annoyed by Motoyasu and Myne.

"Don't worry girls! There's plenty of Motoyasu's love to go around!" Motoyasu grinned, not entirely noticing his party's reaction. He looked toward and winked at Asuka, "And of course, I love you too, Asuka-chan!"

"Ew." Asuka uttered in disgust, which made Motoyasu blanch.

"A-Anyway, Asuka-san, you have many people banking on your success, so it's unwise to disappoint them." said Itsuki, ignoring the vile flirting in front of him.

"So what? I don't need the praise of no name strangers betting on me as motivation to fight. I'm entirely self-motivated. Always have been, always will be."

"Is that so? I guess that's where you and I differ." said Itsuki, "At any rate, I don't think you have much right to talk about how odd this whole thing is, when you made the decision to accept this duel. Are you going to back out?"

"Of course not. I am going to clear Naofumi-kun's name once I win!"

This caught Motoyasu and Myne's attention.

Motoyasu was irritated that she still wanted to clear Naofumi's name, despite all things he had done. He began to wonder if that 'drug' that coward tricked her into taking was still in effect.

Myne snickered to herself, thinking how naïve the Sword Bimbo was for thinking winning would be easy. The vile Princess was confident in her plan to ensure Motoyasu's victory.

"I think you're wasting your time." Itsuki shook his head, "Naofumi-san was found guilty of his crimes. You need to accept that."

"Itsuki's right." said Motoyasu, "It's because you keep worrying about him that these awful rumors are spreading about you. They're calling you a Fake Hero because you voluntarily tried to help Naofumi, despite it really being due to a drug he made you eat!"

"Enough about the drug!" Asuka shouted in annoyance, "Honestly, even if Naofumi-kun wasn't in trouble, I'd still probably end up being called a Fake either way."

"What do you mean?" asked Itsuki.

She already knew mentioning this would probably lead to more trouble, especially for Naofumi later on, but it couldn't be helped. She had to bring Motoyasu and Itsuki up to speed on what lies beneath the surface of Melromarc sooner or later, if the odds were that neither of these two Heroes were aware of it.

"Motoyasu-kun, Itsuki-kun… did either of you know that Melromarc allows you to buy and enslave someone from others race known as Demi-humans and Beastmen?" asked Asuka, "I got this Fake Hero reputation because of how I tried to help some of the Demi-human slaves, and still oppose the rule. Defying and threatening the King and standing up for Naofumi-kun was just an added bonus."

Both Heroes looked at her with a bit of shock. Itsuki kept a calmer expression while Motoyasu looked flabbergasted.

"I was informed a bit of this slave situation by Mald-san, one of my party members, but he said it was nothing to concern myself with." Itsuki answered, with a hint of disapproval in his voice. For all his flaws, non-existent they may be, he did not approve of slavery.

"M-Myne…?" Motoyasu turned to Myne, who had an awkward expression on her face, clearly trying to play innocent.

"Don't try to tell me that a Princess isn't aware of slavery in her own country." Asuka stared hotly Myne, "Didn't you say anything to him about this during these two weeks?"

"N-No… but, only because there's so much going on, I felt he had to concentrate on questing and leveling up to learn and hone his skills for the Waves of Catastrophe. And let's not forget the duel later down the line."

"More like you saw no benefit in doing so if you wanted to control him, and you clearly get off on the misfortune of others."

"B-But, only really bad people would buy slaves, right?" asked Motoyasu.

"That's right, Motoyasu-sama. Only evil and disciple people like the Shield Hero would dare own a slave."

"Oh, c'mon!" Asuka glared at Myne for even mentioning Naofumi just to blame him for more false crimes.

"Naofumi… yeah, now that I think about, I'm sure Naofumi would have purchased a slave by now, just for his twisted desires." Motoyasu growled, "I gonna go find him and make sure!"

Before the Spear Hero could leave, Asuka quickly stepped in front of him, "And what are you going to do, pick a meaningless fight with him over it? Instead of doing that, why don't you think of a way to help these slaves?"

Asuka's word made Motoyasu freeze in his tracks. He came up short for an answer. It was clear he was not okay of the idea of slavery, at least.

"By talking to the King? I doubt that would happen." said Itsuki, "From what Mald-san told me, it's because Melromarc is a human supremacist country and Demi-humans and Beastmen have no rights here. But, the King especially hates Demi-humans for incidents in the past. Again, he played it off like nothing to worry about, which I don't agree with. Either way, I doubt we can do much to remedy the situation."

Asuka scowled upon hearing that. She already knew that incompetent King allowed this. His eldest daughter was of no help either, because obviously. The only members of the royal family Asuka could think of who could do something about it was Queen Mirellia and Princess Melty, and who knew when they would return from that political errand to write the wrongs here.

"By the way, Asuka-chan… you haven't run into Naofumi, have you?" asked Motoyasu with a serious concerned face and tone, one that quickly irked Asuka, who kept silent.

"I guess we can take the silence as a yes." said Itsuki, "Not that I care for him or anything, but how has he been?"

"That's none of your business." replied Asuka. She immediately knew they were going to say something bad about Naofumi if she was honest, either way. There was no way she was going to tell them that he owns a slave as well.

"He didn't do anything to do you, did he?" asked Motoyasu, "If that perverted slime did anything, I'll make him pay!"

Asuka's eyebrow twitched from hearing that. Having had enough of this conversation, the Sword Hero opted to side step the older Hero and walk over to the receptionist counter; going passed his party in the process.

"Asuka-chan, wait!"

"I'm done talking. If you're going to talk about Naofumi-kun like this, I don't want hear anything else from you."

"Hey, Motoyasu-sama has expressed deep concern for you! The least you could do is be grateful, Sword Hero." Myne scolded in a very clear condescending tone. It didn't look like she was going to hide her true personality anymore.

Asuka stopped right in front of her, and turned with a tense look in her eye. The brown orbs met with the green ones, and it didn't take long for sparks to start flying between them.

"I'm sorry to end this talk so soon after we reunited, but I just want to concentrate on leveling up for the upcoming duel. And of course, there are the Waves of Catastrophe to worry about." Asuka said, with a surprisingly warm smile.

"How admirable. But, really, you should try to take a breather once in a while. You'll lose your charm before you know it." said Myne, also smiling warmly. She was a bit taken aback by the sudden personality shift, but it was clearly a challenge from the Sword Bimbo, so there was no way the vile temptress was going to lose this exchange.

"Thank you, Princess, but I can take care of myself."

"Oh please! Didn't I tell you to call me Myne? You don't have to be so formal."

"I'm just using proper courtesy to address someone of great authority. But, if you insist on being informal, why don't you call me Asuka in return?"

"Surely you jest! Referring to a revered Cardinal Hero by name is more than a mere Princess like myself deserves."

"I see. It's admirable that you're so humble about it, but, don't you think the title of Princess demands more respect?"

"You're absolutely right about that! I am one of great importance, and especially since I am the heir to the throne and am destined to become the next Queen! Ohohoho!" Myne began to laugh in a haughty manner, with Asuka join not a second sooner.

It looked pleasant on the surface, but to onlookers watching the entire conversation between Asuka and Myne, it was the most nerve wracking event they had ever witnessed. This was especially the case for Motoyasu, for the Spear Hero could see violent energies rising from both women, and it reminded him of the time of his death. If he wasn't careful, he could wind up stabbed to death again.

"Oh, but if you're so important, why were you passed over, while your little sister is deemed the true successor to the throne?" Asuka asked, seemingly innocently.

This caught the vile Princess off guard completely.

"How… do you know about that?" a visibly angry Myne asked. She quickly dropped any politeness she had up to this point.

"I hear a lot of folks talking in town about how the First Princess' tendency towards unscrupulous mischief has caused the current Queen to doubt your ability to maintain peace in this country, and that is why the wiser and mature Second Princess Melty was deemed more worthy of becoming Melromarc's next Queen. As far as I can tell, that's the general consensus of the people." answered Asuka with a playful wink, which only served to anger Myne.

"Grr…"

"And after that trial, I'm not at all surprised to see Queen Mirellia deciding how unworthy you are or why the people aren't very fond of you." Asuka said, dropping the polite and playful act, "If you really want to be Queen that badly, may I suggest you try fixing your horrendous personality. Keep up this bad behavior and it's going to catch up with you in a bad way in the end."

"Y-You…! You're just a little Sword Bimbo! How dare you talk that way to me, Fake Hero!"

Fake Hero… Sword Bimbo… honestly, Asuka had grown numb toward these immature insults.

"O-Okay ladies, let's not start butting heads here." said Motoyasu, easing his way between Asuka and Myne, "We should all try getting along, yeah?"

"He's right." said Itsuki, placing a firm hand on Asuka's shoulder, "You did say we needed to work together to fight the Waves, didn't you? That means this aggressive attitude towards Myne-san isn't gonna fly. We can't be at each other's throats when the next Wave's coming."

"I'll do and say as I please." said Asuka as she pushed Itsuki's hand away, "And don't feed me that when you two are the last people to be saying anything after what you did to Naofumi-kun!"

"She truly is stubborn." Itsuki shook his head in disappointment.

Motoyasu just frowned at her in frustration. She said she wanted to work together to fight the Waves of Catastrophe, but Asuka had changed her mind because she was so focused on defending Naofumi, even agreeing to a duel with the Spear Hero, and challenging Myne verbally. He couldn't understand why she was being so rebellious toward people who were trying to help her. That is, until he came to a 'realization' that would only make sense in his mind.

"I get it now! That drug doesn't just make you loyal to Naofumi, does it? It makes you aggressive to anyone not Naofumi!"

An angry vein popped on Asuka's forehead. Did he really just delude himself into thinking this make-believe drug could make the victim of it more aggressive than normal around other people who weren't Naofumi? It almost impressed her that he could reject reality so casually.

Myne, meanwhile, was also almost impressed by the Spear Hero's stupidity. It was like he was asking to be made into a mindless lapdog.

"That explains everything now! The reason you've been so hostile and angry toward us, starting from the end of the trial, and even today." said Motoyasu with a determined expression, "Damn that Naofumi! I can't believe he'd take advantage of sweet Asuka-chan like this! It's more important now than ever that I win our duel by beating its effects into the ground! Naturally, I'll try to hold back so as to not hurt you too badly, but I promise, I will save you, Asuka-chan!" Motoyasu declared with a winning smile and wink.

Needless to say, this declaration didn't pass by very well by Asuka. Clearly, he wasn't taking the duel as seriously as she was. This clown did what he wanted, believed only what he wanted to believe, and heard what he only wanted to hear. On top of his clear perverse nature, this blissfully ignorant, egocentric personality was what Asuka hated most about this man, and it showed in her next course of action.

WHAM!

That was the sound of Asuka punching the Spear Hero in the groin. Naturally, she held back enough so as to not hurt him too badly, but a hit to the family jewels would still hurt quite a bit for a man.

"AGHHHH!" poor Motoyasu caressed his privates and groaned in agony before passing out in traumatic shock on the ground. Every man who saw that winced as though they felt the same pain too. Some even covered their privates.

"Motoyasu-sama!" Myne cried while she and the rest of his party to rushed his side. She turned to the stoic and unremorseful Sword Hero with venom in her eyes, "Hey, you ungrateful Sword Bimbo! Don't you know striking below the belt is unforgivable?!"

"Says the woman who figuratively punched an innocent man in the balls." said Asuka, "That reminds me, for a victim of attempted rape, you seem to be doing quite alright, Princess. So much so, you're acting like nothing had happened in the first place, without a care in the world. I wonder why that is."

"M-Motoyasu-sama is protecting me from that Shield Hero, so of course I'm not worried!"

"Whatever you say, Princess." Asuka said before walking away, leaving Myne to glare hatefully at her.

"Asuka-san, granted I don't care for him believing you to be drugged, I don't think it was a good idea to go for the scrotum because Motoyasu-san is obsessively worrying about you." said Itsuki, approaching her from behind.

"Not like I asked him to care." said Asuka to Itsuki, "Honestly, he just grinds my gears so much."

"And when your duel with Motoyasu-san finally begins, are you going to throw all your frustration at him?"

"Possibly… if you haven't noticed, I haven't been in the best of moods lately."

"And how do you plan to win? By using your cheating ability?"

"Cheating?"

"Yeah, you know. After Naofumi-san's trial, you moved so fast we couldn't see you and threatened the King's life. Let's not forget the way you slapped Motoyasu-san across the face and practically threw him to the ground, which left cracks where he landed." Itsuki stared straight into Asuka's eyes, "Asuka-san, be straight with me. Are you cheating somehow to increase your strength and speed?"

"Uhh…" save for a raised eyebrow, Asuka couldn't formulate a response. "Cheating? He really thinks I'm cheating?"

From his gamer logic prospective, what Asuka was able to do could be considered cheating to some degree. After all, she was stronger and faster than the normal "players" both in her home world and here in this world. But, those were her natural abilities at work. She was not hacking the mechanics of some game to make it work to her advantage. She was trained in the Shinobi arts, so naturally, she had above human strength, speed, and endurance, and they seem to stick around after she summoned to this world. She'd rather keep the truth a secret from him of she could help it. And at this point though, it was really none of his business and she had sincere doubts he would believe it.

"I think you're mistaken, Itsuki-kun. Those moves are just my natural ability. I don't even know the first thing about hacking into games to cheat."

"Please, don't play dumb. We both know you're capable of more than what you're letting on. And it's only possible, because you're cheating somehow. No one approves of a cheater, especially if they're doing it to make themselves look good."

"Think of it how you want, but it's the truth. I prefer to let my actions speak louder than my words." Asuka walked away from Itsuki following this exchange, leaving him somewhat frustrated.

The Sword Hero kept a stoic face outwardly, but on the inside, she was conflicted.

"I really need to stop causing a scene around here." Asuka muttered to herself. It seemed this world had a particular talent in drawing out negative emotions from her. That especially seemed to be the case with Motoyasu and Itsuki.

At first, she thought the Spear Hero was goofy flirt with a lecherous side, somewhat similar to Katsuragi, but the trial revealed how detestable Motoyasu could be. Not only was he stupid for believing obvious lies, he was hypocritical and downright cruel to Naofumi. And now, he proved to be delusional as well. Not helping was he had a very obvious bad influence hanging around him.

Meanwhile, the relatively polite Itsuki was beginning to show signs of increased arrogance. Him saying he wouldn't mind people placing bets on him sounds like an active grab for fame and adoration. There were also his accusation of Asuka being a cheater because of her superior physical abilities, which made her think the Bow Hero was possibly jealous of her talents.

She had a feeling it wouldn't be long before they both caused more trouble than they did to solve it.

Asuka walked up to one of the receptionists at the front desk.

"I'm sorry for causing a commotion, Evelyn-san."

"It's alright. But, if you have more arguments like that with the other Heroes, make sure to keep it outside the guild so as not to disturb the others." said the receptionist named Evelyn, who was a beautiful and slender young adult woman who had long auburn hair, tied in an elegant side tail.

Asuka had built an amicable relationship with this receptionist after she began working at the guild an adventurer. She helped the Sword Hero when she was getting started in choosing quests and the rules regarding the guild. Best of all, she was one of the few people in this town with good head on her shoulders and didn't seem act on assumptions. The Sword Hero had no doubt Evelyn didn't believe the rumors about Asuka or Naofumi. She appeared to be far too intelligent and kind to take those rumors at face value. She actually remained her a bit of Ikaruga, as they both gave up a kind older sister kind of aura.

"Yes, I understand." Asuka nodded, "So, are there any quests available for me today? I really do need the experience."

Though she would take a job from the quest board on occasion, the Sword Hero preferred to take on recommended jobs from Evelyn for any good experience building and a good place to train her current skills.

"Hmm… actually, there is one I'd like you take on." said Evelyn, "You see, we received a request from Callma Village to get rid of a group of bandits."

"Bandits?" asked Asuka.

"Yes, and it's especially bad since it was one of the places hit by the first Wave. The bandits have taken advantage of that fact and have raiding this village for quite some time now. They've barely had any time to recover." Evelyn explained.

"That's awful…" Asuka had heard that quite a few thieves and bandit gangs appeared after the first Wave and hid in remote areas around Melromarc. A few villages were raided as a result.

"But, shouldn't more experienced adventures or the royal knights take care of this bandit problem?" asked Asuka.

"Unfortunately, a lot of experienced adventurers didn't survive the first Wave, and those who did are still bed ridden or still starting out. And you can only count the amount of knights who actually care about doing their job or care for the people on one hand." the receptionist answered.

"I see." Asuka muttered. She met several knights during her adventures and around town, and quite a few of them were either earnest about their jobs, but a large portion of the knights were pompous idiots who cared more for their own prestige then they did for the people they were supposed to be protecting. It was no doubt due to the influence of two halves of the royal family being here to muck everything up. If they couldn't take care of bandits, what made them sure they could survive the next Wave of Catastrophe and beyond, knowing that these things were supposed to get harder and harder each time they appear?

"Well, if that's all you need me to do, I'll be glad to help." said Asuka. She and her classmates dealt with petty thugs near her school and enemy shinobi back in her world, so a group of bandits shouldn't be an issue for her.

"Thank you! I knew I could count on you, Asuka-san." Evelyn cheered with a clap of her hands, "The client for the job request is here, and would like to speak in greater detail about it. I'll take you to meet him."

"Oh great!" Asuka and Evelyn go to the back of the guild and walk to a private room to meet Asuka's new client.

Meanwhile, Myne still had her scornful eyes on the Sword Hero, while party members tended to the Spear Hero.


Lyall the Werewolf: So, Queen Mirellia finally shows up in the story. That's awesome. Asuka also meets Raphtalia, but Naofumi is conflicted regarding his feelings toward the former. Naturally, Motoyasu and Itsuki don't really learn a thing from the last time they all met, and Malty is still antagonistic to Asuka.

And yes, sadly, the duel will still have to wait. I still want Asuka to adjust to life in Melromarc and learn more skills before tackling the duel with Motoyasu and the Waves of Catastrophe, which is why I'm not going to reveal everything she's learned so far right off the bat. But, there will be more action in chapter 6, next time.