I am SO very sorry for the wait! I know it's been quite sometime since the last post, but I was having a few personal troubles. Anyway, here's an apology chapter!

"Naofumi…" A voice called out from the ether.

"Naofumi," It called again.

"Naofumi," It called with greater force.

"NAOFUMI!"

Eyes splitting open, Naofumi found himself falling into nothing. Light itself had become consumed on all sides, his vision had even begun to fail him as his hands and body faded from sight… "Naofumi," The voice called out just as the world itself had become engulfed in a never ending abyss.

Light had slowly returned with his vision, yet instead of his normal form, he once more found himself enveloped by the same bug-like body he once had when he had spoken with the Moth Priestess.

As the light grew, so too had the visage of a grand white palace. His descent had quickly slowed to a crawl as he shakily placed his 'feet' upon the stone ground and gazed upwards to the sight of the great castle. Something within him could not stay away as he found his legs moving on their own accord.

Naofumi did not fight the urge to move, nor did he care as whatever it was that urged him inside the castle made him feel… at home. If the outside of the castle had been glory made manifest, then its interior had been something close to the resting place of a god… which if Naofumi was beginning to suspect, it was. As he walked the palace's entry hall, he had been greeted by pale white bugs who had immediately bowed at his presence as if welcoming a king.

Once past the entrance hall he was greeted by something he mentally berated himself for not expecting…

"Buzzsaws…" Naofumi growled. The very visage of the spinning discs brought forth an anger he had refused to acknowledge. This was that trial… that which made the Hollow Knight what he was, "Is this your home, Hollow? Well then don't mind me if things start to break!"

He couldn't quite explain it but, in this bug-like form, Naofumi had incredible control over his Shield, its many forms, as well as skills both mastered and not. From disc to disc, Naofumi did not go back on his threat to break things as he bounced upon flying bugs held together by black icor while also irreparably damaging as many buzzsaws as he came across.

He ran and jumped upon ethereal shields he himself formed from the Legendary Shield. He braved across endless pits promising a slow yet inevitable demise. When his very path was met with adversaries, he allowed his rage unfettered to drive his fists through those Pale Knights that stood guard of this White Palace.

And yet, the further he ran, the older and more aged things had become. White walls blackened, covered furniture had been wrought with decay, metal spikes that covered both walls and pits that once shined like silver had eroded to stone… and that weapon Hollow's father had favored; the many buzzsaws that littered the White Palace had become jagged and dull far before he decided to destroy them.

"What the hell happened?" He asked himself as he found a lift that propelled him through the air and into an entrance along the ceiling. Worry began to rock his mind as something compelled him to climb ever higher into the castle. Naofumi certainly had very close calls every now and again when he failed to grasp a ledge or had struck a disc incorrectly, but quick thinking and ingenuity had been his saving grace when he found he could mix his skills to create entirely new spells.

One such spell, an ethereal green wing, had been a saving grace as he finally found himself nearing what something within him knew to be the castle's throne room. Of course, guarding said throne room had been a contingent of the White Knights; black ooze seeped from their limbs.

"Get out of my way!" Naofumi shouted as he threw a fist back, watching as his insect like appendage was wrapped in Hegemol's armored gauntlet just moments before striking the first of the four knights.

The black ooze had exploded upon impact as the armor fell apart, the blob breaking apart and latching on to the remaining three. The mantis like sickles they each held were raised, insinuating violence as they spread apart and ran a circle around Naofumi with speed he had not expected. His Shield's power morphed him quickly enough so that the Baldur's armored plates covered his body just as the White Knights began to slice and strike against him.

"I have had it with these god damned bugs!" Naofumi shouted as he expelled his armored plates, a shockwave pushing his attackers away and into the walls of their impromptu arena, "Shield Prison!" He exclaimed as he targeted a fallen Knight, entrapping it before he forced the ethereal prison to shrink rapidly.

The remaining two gave a silent roar before throwing themselves at Naofumi, blades raised high with the promise of swift death. However, it was a death that would not come as the pair had been impaled by Naofumi's quickly conjured Dream Shields. Not one to waste a good opportunity, Naofumi roared as he forced the twin shields to spin with growing speed until the Knights had gone limp as the ooze that held them together fell apart from the intense speed.

Panting and falling to his knees, Naofumi dispelled the shields before looking up. He didn't notice when, but he had made it before the castle's throne and sitting upon the white chair had been a surprisingly small white bug who's crown was more or less apart of his head.

"Naofumi," The 'King' called out as he stepped off and approached the tired Shield Hero, "At last I meet the one who wishes not to inherit my title, but my power itself," His voice echoed as if Heaven itself spoke through him.

"You… so this shield," Naofumi said as he stood up and morphed his shield into the Hallowed Shield's current transformation, "This is because of you?" He questioned as he lift the wicked shield.

"You have already taken on my form, have you?" The king asked, no hint of emotion in his voice.

"That all you have to say, fuck face!?" Naofumi roared, "You have any idea what's been going on!? What your fucking son did to me!? Shit, I can't even fucking blame him! That! All of that! No wonder he's so fucked up!" He ranted and raved as he motioned and gestured to the more than ruined obstacle course.

"I do not expect you to understand my reaso-"

"Reason!? What reason!?" Naofumi questioned, "What reason does a father have to put his newborn child through literal Hell!?"

"The Vessel needed to be prepared," The King replied simply.

"Prepared for what!? To throw his life away!?" Naofumi continued to question, rage fueling his exhausted body as he once more stood in defiance.

"There is no cost too great," The King replied, yet despite the usual monotone, Naofumi could tell that even the King could not believe his own words.

"You mean the cost of abandoning how many of your kids?" Naofumi questioned, causing the King to look away, shame, though inevident upon his featureless face, was clearly displayed through his actions as he bowed his head.

"Two were yet spared," The King replied softly.

"I hear one came back to bite you in the ass," Naofumi snarked.

"Another of the Vessels. One who has since avenged Hallownest," The King commented, "The irony does not escape me."

"So what now, asshole? I fight you and absorb your powers from your cold dead body?" Naofumi questioned as he took a battle stance.

"No, Naofumi. Now, you leave, returning only when you are ready to absorb me," With that, Naofumi was forcefully banished from the White Palace as he heard the King mumble, "It's going to take an eternity to replace those saw blades…"

Meanwhile… back with Hollow Knight…

"Naofumi still slumbers," I commented, already knowing the reply were it to have been a question. His prone yet still breathing form lay silently, the griffon chick he had been found with nestled softly next to his neck.

"He's been like this for a full day now," Raphtalia said bitterly, the woman cursing her apparent weakness. I could not comfort her as it was not my place, but Melty and the Shell Bearer's Filorial, Filo had been present as they comforted the raccoon Demi-Human.

"Please wake up…" Melty softly whimpered, "How else am I supposed to apologise to you for all my father has done?"

"It's okay, Mel-Chan!" Firo exclaimed with a hopeful smile, "Master's strong! Really really strong!"

I did not wish to voice my concerns, though I realized too late that Raphtalia had caught me gazing upon his Shield. Leaving as silently as I could, I failed to notice that the now angered Demi-Human had left with me before pulling me into a different unoccupied room.

"What's wrong with Master?" She questioned as she drew her blade, pinning me to a wall and placing it's edge upon my throat, "Is it because of the Shield? Is it because of that Shield?"

"I shall tell you only what I know, yet I am only able to speculate," I replied calmly as she grit her teeth and retracted her blade. When she proved she would not attempt to take my life, I began with what I knew and followed by what I thought, "My father, the Pale King, was a grand ruler. A master of the sciences and technology. It was through him that the bugs of Hallownest could know hope and peace against a mad god who wished only to subjugate those under her 'protection' save for those Moths that praised her."

"What does any of this have to do with Master!?" Raphtalia shouted, blade once more at the ready.

"You have seen it, have you not?" I questioned, causing her to pause, "The visage of the Wyrm. What his Shield has become. You have seen it."

Raphtalia took a moment to think, a moment of clarity reaching her, "It looks like a giant mouth," She finally replied.

"The maw of a Wyrm… the maw of the Wyrm…" I whispered, "For better or for worse, my father has bestowed upon Naofumi his power and now, Naofumi must rest. His body must acclimate to the god beast that now resides in his Shield."

"If he doesn't wake up…" Raphtalia murmured as she started to walk away before turning her head to glare menacingly into my eyes, "You're joining him."

Hell have no fury, Master.

I imagined what it would be like were I to smile, partner mine shuddering at the shared mental image. Please don't ever think of smiling again. I have missed your voice, partner mine…

Fera had quickly found me, throwing her arms around me as she held me closer to her. I could not blame her… a part of me had… missed this.

"Hey! No hogging Master!" River shouted as she ran into the room, quickly followed by Wyndia and Talon. Before long, I was pinned to the floor and kept there by the women in my life. What a strange life indeed…

….

….

….

Meanwhile, somewhere else.

"You think the reports are real?" A gruff man with shaggy blueish gray fur, canine like ears and frazzled tail asked his companion.

"About the giant insect flying in the sky?" Said companion had well kept white fur, mousey ears, and a long bare pink tail, "It's more a rumor if anything."

The two men had taken a carriage out of Siltvelt on a 'diplomatic' mission, one of four pairs meant to establish contact with either of the heroes. These two, a wolf and mouse, were tasked with locating the Sword Hero. Their mission: Make (Force) a deal with the Sword Hero in order to add his strength (father a new generation of warrior) to their ranks.

"What about the rumor that he isn't human?" The wolf man asked.

"You shouldn't be so gullible," The mouse man replied, "You really think a Holy Weapon is going to choose a Demi-Human or Beast-Man as its wielder?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right," The wolf relented, "You think the others have made contact yet?" He asked as his partner hummed.

"The Shield Hero team has definitely made contact," The mouse began, "Though, he immediately brushed them off… gods bless him," Shaking his head and sighing he continued, "The Spear Hero team can't get close enough since that bitch is always with him, but I hear that he's become a bit more accessible now."

"And the Bow Hero?" The wolf asked curiously.

"It's the strangest thing," The mouse replied with a worried look, "The higher ups have canceled the funding for that team since we either keep losing men, or the ones that return do so because of a run in with either a honey bee or a hornet tribe."

"What about the ones that don't come back?" The wolf questioned, now entirely unnerved.

"More from the rumor mill, they say that the teams get eaten alive."

Gulping, the wolf stared at the path before them, hoping that the rumors were just that… rumors.