Author's Note: And now, we go into the next big thing, the fight between the spear and shield. If you didn't see it in the last chapter, the poem came back full circle, with the sky, the heart on fire, etc. Also, over 3,500 viewers and 55 followers! That is insane! I cannot thank you all enough for the large amounts of support I have been gaining for this story.
Review Response -
Abbade01: You're appreciated by me more than you think mate. It's you and all others who support me that help keep me going, knowing that you're all hungry for more of that soldier action.
Psycho-Kozel: Thanks for the idea, I'll see if I can find a way.
I would also like to thank everyone who provided me with ideas and ways to increase the quality of my story. I was provided with so many great tips, that I went back and did a quick edit before continuing the chapter.
Also, the bob cut I have envisioned for Raphtalia's hair is that of Ela's from Rainbow Six Siege, just without the hair dye, obviously.
Anyway, without further adieu, chapter 7!
Disclaimer: I do not own Rising of the Shield Hero or any of its characters, only my own.
"Dialogue."
"Writing."
Thoughts.
August 16, 2020
"We were invited to a banquet hosted by the king himself. In inviting me, he no doubt has some sort of plan, although I do not know what, so I will just have to wait and see. The food still tastes like fish. I know, odd, but it - in - of itself is an odd thing to even have to deal with. So far, this place seems ok. Raphtalia tells me the food is good, so I won't doubt it. I can only hope that whatever curse plagues me will disappear."
- Private First Class Wisnieski
The king's voice suddenly interrupted Leo's thoughts as it rang out throughout the dining hall.
"This banquet is in honor of our heroes, who managed to not only defeat the Wave, but did so without any issue. So tonight, we celebrate our victory. Please, enjoy yourselves to the fullest and beyond!" The king cried out, the crowd erupting with cheers from all around.
Pfft, as if. While the other three seemed to have it alright, your knights almost had me and Raphtalia killed. Leo thought to himself. As he sat against a window, bullet in hand as it flipped between his fingers similar to that of a drummer and his drumstick, he couldn't help but overhear a conversation between some nobles.
"The latest reports say that this wave had much fewer casualties than that of the first." Said a nobleman.
"We owe it all to our brave heroes, who fought and protected us from this horrendous catastrophe." A noblewoman from the group then said. It was the knight commander who spoke up next.
"Well I did my part during the Wave. I held my ground against a giant monster, and fought honorably as a royal knight!" He exclaimed, boasting about an event that didn't even happen.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that. While you sat on your ass and pissed your pants, we actually put our lives on the line. Leo silently berated the commander. It was then that Leo caught Raphtalia coming his way, holding two plates of cake in her hands. Once she got to his location, she handed over one the plates, which Leo gladly took.
"Thanks Raphtalia, God knows I could eat something." He said, thanking the girl. The tanuki girl had aged a bit further, thanks in part to the large amounts of XP the Wave had provided them. She now looked like she was on the cusp of being around 20 or 21 years old.
"No problem Master Leo! The food is great, so I would hate for you to not try it." She told him as she took a bite of her cake.
"Well, everything I eat only tastes like fish, as you know, but I'm not one to put off some cake, especially when a friend recommends it." He replied, pulling down his mask and taking a bite of his cake, smiling at the demi - human girl. Raphtalia slightly blushed at the appraisal, before she too smiled as she began digging into her cake.
As they ate, Leo couldn't help but hear footsteps approaching his direction. Upon turning to see who it was, he saw that it was just Motoyasu. Oh great, what does the idiot want now? Leo thought, trying to put together some reasonable explanation as to why he of all people would be coming towards him.
However, like many things with Motoyasu, Leo didn't have to think very long or hard before he got his answer. "Leo, I challenge you to a duel." The spear wielder said, throwing a glove down at Leo's feet. "I've been informed that Raphtalia here is your slave, and that you force her to fight on your behalf." Motoyasu said, keeping his voice leveled as to appear cooler.
Leo deadpanned at Motoyasu before speaking. "If that's your attempt at intimidation, then you have some work to do. I've seen five foot four, 123 pound cadets scarier than you. No, scratch that, dirt would have a better time scaring me than you. At least it can do something worthwhile, like hide landmines. You? I bet your manhood gets no action, so you have to make up for it with your extremely lanky form and absurd height." Leo commented, earning a glare from Motoyasu and a chuckle from Raphtalia. Even Myne seemed to get slightly worked up on that. "Also, so what if she is? I mean, I regret buying a slave every day, but you, Myne, and the king forced me into this position. I don't enjoy my actions, but I do it to survive. I do it so that others can see the light of day, knowing someone is always out there, willing to protect them at a moment's notice." Leo concluded.
"But that doesn't mean you can just own a slave! We're heroes in this world, you yourself are a soldier! You of all people should realize that we can't act like that here!" Motoyasu exclaimed.
Leo just shrugged before stating, "There's an old saying where I come from. "When extinction is on the line, every alternative is an option." So, since I had no other option, I bought Raphtalia. And I don't regret any second of it, as she is only a slave in title. In all other ways though, she is a free individual."
Motoyasu, unable to seemingly comprehend basic English, decided that he had heard enough. "None of that matters though! Heroes CANNOT own slaves! So I challenge you! If I win, Raphtalia goes free." Motoyasu stated, frustration littering his voice.
"And if I win?" Leo asked, seriously wondering if he was going to go through with this.
"If you win, then things stay the same." Motoyasu said in an all serious tone.
"Then I refuse. While you have nothing to lose, I have everything to lose. My companion, friend, and partner." Leo stated before turning away and looking back out the window.
It was at that moment that Leo heard the most annoying voice ever, second only to Myne's. "So, the shield hero has a slave in his party? You truly are rotten to the core, aren't you? Well, I will not allow this to go on any longer. Shield hero, I order you to accept this duel!" King Aultcray exclaimed. At this, murmurs began growing throughout the guests, as they began to wonder if he truly had a slave or not.
Raphtalia, who at this point was annoyed beyond belief that she hadn't been able to utter a single word, finally managed to speak up. "Wait, that's not fair! I'm with Master Leo on my own free wil-" She tried to say before being cut off as a knight snuck up behind her and covered her mouth, removing her ability to speak.
"Ah, you poor, poor thing, unable to speak up against your master, no?" The king asked. As Raphtalia felt herself being picked up and dragged away, she used her lower body to swing out and back in, lifting her legs to kick behind her. As her feet made contact with the knight's knee, a crack was heard. Said knight in question dropped Raphtalia as he cried out in anguish, holding his now broken knee.
Turning to face the knight, who was now laying on the ground in pain, Raphtalia spoke up, "If you do that again, I won't hesitate to end your miserable existence." She said with malice.
Smiling at how she managed to handle herself, Leo turned back to the king. "Fine, I'll accept the duel, since it seems like that's the only way you'll actually let us leave this place." Leo gave in, his smile disappearing.
"Good then. Everyone, to the arena, for tonight, we see Sir Motoyasu, our holy savior and spear hero, fight the shield hero!" The king declared. The crowd exploded in cheers at the announcement.
"If you want a fight, then you'll have a fight. But don't expect it to be easy, as I will fight tooth and nail for Raphtalia's return." Leo boldly stated towards Motoyasu before he and Raphtalia were led to the arena.
In the darkness of the tunnels leading into the arena, Leo and Raphtalia were leaning against the walls, facing each other.
"Good luck out there, Master Leo. Show that pervert what you can do." Raphtalia said supportively.
Leo nodded before replying, "Don't worry, I'll make him feel the wrath of Polska and more."
Before they could continue, they heard the announcer begin to speak. "The duel between the shield hero and spear hero will now begin. The dual shall come to an end if one of the opponents becomes pinned or admits defeat. Since this dual is in the presence of the King and Pope, it is therefore legitimate!" Once the announcer was done, the doors that held each combatant back from entering opened, the glowing of the torches along the walls coming forth, splitting the darkness.
As Leo and Raphtalia entered the arena, they heard Myne's voice call out to Motoyasu, wishing him luck. Turning to face Raphtalia, Leo nodded to her before turning back around to face the spear hero. Raphtalia, understanding the message, went over to one of the walls of the arena, leaning against it. As the two combatants met at the center of the field, Motoyasu just felt like he really had to speak.
"Have you ever heard the tale of the irresistible spear and immovable shield?" Motoyasu asked, an overconfident smile plastered on his face.
"I'm familiar with it, but a more common tale exists where I'm from. The story of the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object." Leo replied.
I should really give him a wake up call, show him how this is reality and not just a game. However, for as much of an idiot as he is, he does have the values of a hero, just not the wit, skill, talent, basically everything else… Yeah, I'll give him a wake up call.
After a moment of silence, the announcer had shouted, "Begin!" As soon as the call had been made, Motoyasu charged at Leo with all his speed. Leo, seeing his reckless charge, easily prepared for it. The moment the spear and shield made contact, Leo had angled himself as to deflect the spear, dodging below the long handle of the weapon. Once he had avoided the attack, Leo quickly ran across the field. As he did, he equipped his illumination shield and used its effect.
"Engulfing Light!" He shouted, a bright light filling the arena. As it dissipated, Motoyasu was left rubbing his eyes, the effect having the same as that of a flash-bang. This gave Leo all the time he needed, as he turned around and ran at Motoyasu in full sprint. The moment he was within four feet, he jumped, and using the momentum that he had built up, delivered a hard hitting dropkick to Motoyasu's gut, flinging him back up to six feet.
Getting up, Leo saw the blonde man clutching his stomach. Good, if I can't hurt him, at least physics still works! Leo though excitedly.
"I can keep going all day kid. If you wish to put yourself through pain and misery to try and best me, then go ahead. You're never going to break me though, because, as I said during the trial, us Poles do not sit on our asses. We. Will. Fight!" Leo declared, getting himself set in a fighting stance, his shield covering the bottom half of his masked face.
Taking one last deep breath of air, Motoyasu began to speak up. "I will defeat you and set Raphtalia free! I will not lose! I can not lose!" He exclaimed, attempting another charge. This time however, there was a flip. "Chaos spear!" He announced as he ran. Suddenly, dozens of golden spear replicas shot out like a machine gun, quickly making their way towards Leo.
Switching to his two - headed black dog shield, which happened to be his largest one at the moment, he crouched down, covering his entire body with it. The spear replicas hit the shield with so much force, that Leo swore he felt himself be pushed back. Once the barrage was over, Leo dodged left in a roll, avoiding Motoyasu's strike. Activating the shield's effect, the two dog heads shot out, one gripping Motoyasu's spear like a bone, the other going for his leg. Distracted from the first head, Motoyasu barely had any time to avoid the second, which managed to bite on his left arm instead, causing it to bleed. "Argh!" Motoyasu cried out in pain, the red fluid trailing down his silver plated armor, staining it. As he was recovering, Leo ran at him, grabbed him by the neck, and swung him down onto the floor, placing his knee on the man's back, effectively locking him in a choke hold. To add insult to injury, Leo even took hold of Motoyasu's injured arm, folding it behind his back and pushing down as he simultaneously pulled up on his neck, causing immense pain to the spear wielder.
"Look out!" A female voice suddenly cried out. Without even having to look, Leo knew what had most likely occurred. Pushing himself off of Motoyasu, Leo barrel rolled a few feet away, a powerful gust of wind blowing over where he had once been. Turning towards the spell's origin, he saw Myne standing there with her arm extended, a purple aura glowing around her hand.
Not a second more passed before a bullet suddenly found itself dug into the wall mere inches from Myne's head. The crowd, upon hearing the sound, either winced in pain, covered their ears, or gasped. Myne herself seemed petrified at what had just happened, her ears ringing. Across the field from her, Raphtalia stood ready, pistol in hand, barrel still smoking. Everyone, including Ren and Ituski, could only stare on in shock. Leo however looked furious.
"You cheat! You used some sort of magic to try and push me off of your boy toy! That counts as interference, which means, I win by default!" Leo exclaimed.
The King, recomposing himself, cleared his throat. "No such event occurred, only that of your demi - human using that weapon and nearly killing my daughter! And so, with that, I declare Sir Motoyasu, the spear hero, the winner of this duel!" The King announced. At this, the crowd erupted with cheers of support and victory, their savior having defeated the shield demon in battle. As Motoyasu was provided potions to heal his injuries, Leo could only stare in shock at how far these people were willing to go against him.
Falling to his knees, he blocked out the noise around him, the only thing he could hear being his thoughts.
I lost? No, I was cheated, and it's all that King's fault! And Raphtalia, I have to help her! But how? How can I help her when I can't even help myself? I'm sorry Raphtalia, you deserve better. Leo thought. Looking up, the world seemed like it had gone into slow motion. Looking over, Leo could see Raphtalia being dragged by a group of knights to have her crest removed. What brought him out of his self depreciation however, was how Raphtalia had reacted to the whole ordeal.
The king had come down to the field to offer his personal congratulations to the spear hero. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he began to speak. "I see now why Malty puts so much faith into you, Sir Spear Hero." The king stated. Turning to the knights that came with him, he said, "Let the removal of the slave crest commence!" The four knights, with help from the court mage, who casted a spell which made each of them almost as strong as Raphtalia, managed to overpower and grab her, locking her arms behind her. Raphtalia struggled with all her might as the four royal knights dragged her over to the spear hero. As her clothes were moved and the crest exposed, Motoyasu poured the Holy Water provided to him, washing the crest away. Once the crest disappeared, the knights let go of Raphtalia, allowing her to do what she wished she had done in the first place.
Socking Motoyasu in the jaw, he fell like a brick, the strength behind the punch stronger than that of ten men. "You asshole! I never asked for any of this!" Raphtalia shouted at him with all her might.
"W- watch your tongue demi - human! You should be thanking Sir Motoyasu for freeing you!" Malty exclaimed in response, her voice cracking due to her fear of being shot from earlier.
"You be quiet, you lying waste of space! I never asked to be free in the first place! All I wanted, all we wanted, was to be left alone while enjoying some free food, yet this overconfident, perverted, pompous douchebag forced Master Leo into a fight that he couldn't even attack in! Had it not been for your intervention, he would have won!" Raphtalia shouted, finishing her rant. Before the two could get another word in, she turned and ran over to where Leo had fallen. It was then that Itsuki and Ren appeared, walking up to Motoyasu before explaining what had happened.
"Master Leo, are you ok?" She asked, her tone shifting from harsh soldier to gentle fluffball.
Leo took a deep breath as if the air had been sucked out of him, the growing darkness dissipating around him. With his mind now cleared and emotions straightened up, Leo began to slowly stand. Once he was on his feet, he brought Raphtalia into a hug, all the while muttering thank you over and over again, causing Raphtalia to blush once more. After a few minutes, they released from their hug, both of their spirits being lifted.
Smiling, Leo decided that he had to break the sad mood, lest he be corrupted by it. "You did good, kid. Your actions today have shown that you truly are a loyal warrior, and I'm proud to call you my friend." Leo said. Having no words to respond with, Raphtalia decided it was her turn to do something. Wordlessly taking a step back, she saluted him, the classic Polish two fingered salute glistening in the moonlight. With a smirk, Leo also stood at attention, before returning the gesture, signifying their undying faith as companions, partners, and friends.
"Let's leave this place yeah? The more I see that trash King's face, the more I wish to punch it." Leo said, catching Raphtalia's smile.
"Yeah, let's." Raphtalia simply stated as they walked out of the arena, leaving everyone else to look on in either wonder or disgust at the pair as they left, returning to the main section of the castle.
The next day, all four heroes and their companions had gathered in the main throne room, awaiting their reward money. Motoyasu, Ren, Itsuki, and Leo were at the front before the King, while Raphtalia was off to the side, standing at parade rest and waiting for this to be over.
"For his efforts in repelling the wave, Sir Motoyasu shall be receiving a sum of 4000 silvers. Sir Ituski and Ren shall both be rewarded 3800 silvers for their efforts, while the shield hero will be compensated with 500 silvers. However, it is being revoked, as to offset the cost of removing the slave crest from his companion." The King stated.
Leo could just sigh in response, not even surprised anymore at how far the nobility and royalty of Melromarc were going to go in order to make his life hard.
"Hang on just a minute, that's not fair." Itsuki said, stepping forward. As he did, he took a glance over to Leo before nodding, showing him that he had Itsuki's support. "You were the ones who had interfered in the duel, as well wanted to remove that "slave crest" in the first place. It's not fair that you don't provide him the funds he deserves, especially out of your own selfish desires." He stated firmly, showing that his mind was not going to be changed.
"He's right." Ren began. "Had Myne, or Malty, whichever it is, followed the rules in the first place, and not shoot that blast of wind at him, it was clear that Leopold was going to win."
Motoyasu gasped at the betrayal's, although there was nothing he could say, for while he was an idiot, he still knew that they were right. "Also, in the case that you also denied it on personal bias, that village that was hit during the wave? It was Leopold and his companion who defended it, not your knights. So, by all that, I believe that he should be compensated, just like us." Ren finished.
Istuki then added, "And not that measly 500 silvers either, he'd never be able to sustain himself and his companion with that." That quickly earned him a glare from Leo before he continued, "Which is instead why we ask that you provide him with a minimum of 1500 silver for his part in the wave and Malty's personal intervention during the duel." Istuki then added.
The King grit his teeth together before relenting under the combined weight of both the bow and sword hero. "Fine then. As per Sir Itsuki and Sir Ren's wishes, the shield hero shall be provided with a minimum of 1500 silver." The King stated, a larger pouch being given to Leo. Taking it, the King began to speak to him specifically. "There, happy now? If so, then leave!" He exclaimed.
If he was trying to get under Leo's skin, then the King utterly failed when Leo barely even flinched. "Yes sir, your royal heiness." Leo insulted before turning. "Raphtalia, we're done here. Let's get out of here before this guy thinks he can waste any more of our time." Leo said to the girl in question.
"Sir." She replied, following him out.
Walking out of the castle, they duo were hit with the scent of fresh air. Taking in a deep breath, Leo was the first to speak. "I think it's safe to say that Itsuki and Ren are on our side, don't you think?" He asked his companion.
"Yeah, same here. It was nice when they stepped in, but obvious who they now believe in after they requested that you gain 1500 silver instead." Raphtalia replied, a grin on her face at the recollection.
Leo nodded before stopping in his tracks a moment later. "Hey, I have something I want to ask you. Since they removed your crest, do you want to get a new one, or just not care for it?" He asked the demi - human. Before a second could fly by, she was already talking.
"I want to get a new one, so as to show my faith in you, Master Leo. I want you to know that you can always trust me." She responded, no hint of doubt in her voicing.
Leo just backed away, hands in a fake surrender. "Alright, if that's what you want. Just don't come complaining to me when you want it taken off again, as it won't be happening, based on what you just told me." He replied, a grin hidden by his masked face. Raphtalia just pouted in response, which in turn caused Leo to laugh. Man, teasing her was just too easy!
Upon entering the large circus - like tent, the pair quickly found the man they were looking for.
"Ah, shield hero, you've finally returned? What is it you're here for this time? Another slave to accompany you, hm?" Beloukas asked, his creepy smile ever present.
"Glad to see time hasn't changed your horrific personality Beloukas." Leo stated flatly. "But no, I'm not. And even if I were, it seems like you're out anyway." He continued.
"Ah yes, about that, when people heard of your tanuki companions exploits, people who knew of me raced to buy one. I sold out within four days, which is impressive. And I've been in the business for as long as I can remember." The fat man replied.
"Well, moving on, we came here to see if we could have Raphtalia's slave crest reapplied. The corrupt royalty of this kingdom had it removed, so we came by to see if you could redo it." Leo informed him. With his smile not faltering, Beloukas simply nodded before walking over to a shelf and grabbing the required ingredients once more. Kneeling, Raphtalia undid the top of her uniform to expose her chest, the spot where her crest would be applied.
Leo, knowing what the process took after doing it once before, removed one of his gloves, cut himself on the thumb, and let the blood drip into the ink. Beloukas then took the ink and paintbrush, dipping said art tool into the ink before reapplying the slave crest to the top of Raphtalia's exposed chest. Wincing for a moment due to the burning sensation, the crest was finally reapplied, the pairs contract being reinstated.
"And there you go, one brand new slave crest for the pretty lady." Beloukas' gruff voice stated.
"I know why you wanted to get a new one, but it wasn't necessary. We're best friends, so there was no point in doing something like that you know." Leo said, still surprised by the fact that she wanted a new one.
"Well, I wanted it to show that I have complete faith in you Master Leo, that you won't do anything bad. Also, I wanted to show you that you have nothing to worry about, as I cannot, and would not, betray you." Raphtalia replied, a smile appearing across her face. "So, how does it look?" She asked the armored man.
"Looks good. Your uniform should be able to hide it again, although I still have no idea how Motoyasu had been informed, as there was no clear indication that you were a slave." Leo said, his mask hiding his face. If one were to remove it, they would see him blushing like crazy due to looking at the crests location by accident. Glancing at the ink bottle used for the slave crest, Leo had an idea. Curiously, he took hold of the bottle before pouring the liquid into the gem of the shield.
Slave User Shield
+8 DEF, +8 MDEF, +8 MAG
Equip Bonus: Maturation Adjustment (Small)
Before Leo or Raphtalia could speak, Beloukas beat them to it.
"My word, you've helped the little scrawny bag of bones grow into such a fine young lady in such a short time-span. If she were a virgin, you could easily get 20 gold from her." Beloukas said.
Before Raphtalia could retort, Leo beat her to it. "No deal." He said flatly. "She's not some "thing" one can just sell. She's my friend, so if I were you, I would keep my mouth shut before you say something like that again." Leo said a bit aggressively, his hands tightening into fists at the prospect of selling Raphtalia.
Holding up his hands in surrender, Beloukas took this chance to try and defuse the situation. "No need to get all aggressive, good sir, although I can see why you wouldn't want to get rid of her. She is quite the sight, isn't she?" Beloukas stated, his smile somehow never faltering. Before tensions could escalate, it was Raphtalia who pointed something out.
"Hey, what are those eggs for?" She asked the slave trader with a tilted head.
"Oh this?" He motioned towards the batch of eggs. "This is my monster egg lottery. For about 100 silver, you guarantee yourself for a filolial. If taken care of properly, you could gain a monster that's worth double the value. If you're lucky, you could even earn a dragon!" Beloukas exclaimed, hoping his marketing scheme would work.
"Hang on just a second, what's a filolial?" Leo asked, confused due to his lack of knowledge of this world's animal population.
"There're the giant birds that pull peoples carriages around Master Leo. You must've seen them around town, right?" Raphtalia informed before questioning.
"Now that you mention it, yeah, I do. You know what? We have enough silver, why not." He said before turning to Raphtalia. "Not only could it help us get around should we need it, but we could also train it to fight, therefore eliminating half the stress for you." He said, making up his mind.
"Mighty fine choice sir. And since you've been such a loyal customer, I'll even throw in the slave crest as a package deal." Beloukas said as he got into Leo's face before extending his hand.
Rolling his eyes at how far the fat man was going, Leo took out 100 silver from his shield, his fund count updating on his HUD.
1,638 Silver/500 Gold
While we're not rolling in cash, it's nice to know that we won't have too much of a financial issue for the time being. Leo thought. Taking the egg, Leo could only wonder what he would get. Regardless of what it was, at least he was confident that he and Raphtalia would be gaining a new party member.
Seems like my luck might just finally be turning around.
Heiness: A word used to address wicked or evil members of royalty
Author's Note: There you have it, the duel and its effects on our two favorite characters. For those of you who are questioning Leo's breakdown, you have to remember, soldiers are people too. They have emotions, just like us. While yes, they are trained to deal with them, there is only so much any one person can take before they break. And as we see here, he broke, but not for long, as he has that one person he can always fall back on, always rely on. So, while Leo was falling into despair, he was quickly dragged out of it due to Raphtalia's actions, about 10x faster than that of Naofumi. Along with that, his control over his emotions up to this point, as well as his openness with her have allowed him to not go down the same path of hatred and internal turmoil as Naofumi, ultimately sparing him from the Curse Series. Anyway, with all that out of the way, stay safe. Bye!