I don't own Rising of the Shield Hero. All the characters are owned by Aneko Yusagi. I highly recommend reading the Light Novels and even the Web Novels. They are a good read.
WHAT THE FUCK IS UP EVERYONE?
I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of Don't Call it a Comeback. I found myself enjoying editing it as often and as well as I could at midnight.
I will try to update this story once a week. 4 days of writing, 2 days of editing, publish. I get out of school an hour earlier than my sister so I write the chapters in the quiet atmosphere of the library. Who knew the library could be so peaceful and calm?
Naofumi will become overpowered. He will be able to attack on his own via shields from certain media and counter-attacks (*Cough* Captain America's Shield *Cough*) (-w-)
The goddess is introduced in this chapter and no it's not Medea. OK!? She comes later. Hopefully.
Anyway onto the story!
For being a dead man, Naofumi was feeling too much.
His senses were on overdrive, or at least that's what he thought. Everything was moving in slow motion. Tiny particles of some white debris were floating in the air. He tried to touch one but they just backed away. It was as if he and the debris were positively charged magnets. He just stopped trying after 2 minutes with no success.
"Uhhh… Hello?"
Naofumi tried to call out, asking if anyone was there with him. For the first 30 seconds, there was no response. But then a voice that was strong yet soft spoke out.
"Ara Ara Naofumi-kun."
Naofumi's eyes widen in surprise but then in panic. He quickly looked over his own body again just to make sure he didn't look like a twelve-year-old lost in public. After confirming he wasn't reincarnated as a shota, he let out a sigh of relieve.
"HAHAHAHA! You shoulda seen your face. It was hilarious!" The voice started as distorted but then became comprehensible. Naofumi frantically looked for the source of the voice, but he couldn't pinpoint its location.
"Over here."
The voice spoke again but this time, instead of sounding like it is coming from a surround sound system, it came from one direction. Naofumi looked in that direction and saw the most beautiful face in his life. The mysterious woman had a playful smile on her face. Her whole aura was just leaking levity. With the joke she pulled on Naofumi, it was obvious she had a sense of humor.
"Who are you?"
" I am your creator Naofumi-kun."
" Wait, you're God!"
"No".
"Buddha?"
"No..."
"Tet?"
"Wrong Iskeai-"
" AQUA!?"
"Now that is just offens-"
"There's no way you're the Flying Spaghetti Monster..."
" NO, I'm none of those deities!"
"Good, I wasn't much into Pastafarianism anyway."
"Anyway, I am your creator. As your creator, I had your life planned out before you were conceived. But this... this was not your path. You weren't meant to die."
" Well clearly" Naofumi pointed to his neck which had a scar encompassing the circumference of his neck. "I died. Can you explain that oh omnipotent goddess...?" He trailed off not knowing her name.
Luckily she took the social cue. "Oh, Pardon me. Where are my manners? I am Aneko Yusagi. I am the goddess of this world. You, Naofumi, are quite literally my creation."
" But you said you're the goddess of THIS world, not the one I came from? How could you have created me?"
" You, Naofumi, are my latest story! You are the only one to have met me in person. You're my favorite!"
" Uhhh... thanks?"
"Ahem... back to the subject at hand. You were not supposed to die. Your original story would have you live on as a pariah. You would start at nothing but then reclaim your life, title, and dignity. Now that is impossible. If only there was someone who was powerful enough to resurrect you! OH, THE HUMANITY!" She said theatrically.
"ಠ_ಠ" All Naofumi could do was stare at her. Was she, an all-powerful goddess, trying to implore him to be revived? Why would he want that? That world had turned its back on him the very second he was summoned. Why shouldn't he do the same?
"You can revive me?" he questioned.
" Oh, of course, I can. I am a goddess. Just give me a minute to make a carbon copy of your body."
" Wait, wait, Woah, Woah Woah, slow down professor! Who says I want to be revived? Why would I help those who condemned me to death? They can burn in hell for all I care."
Aneko just chuckled, a smug smile appearing on her face. "I knew you would say that. That is why I can give you something worth fighting for."
Before Naofumi could question her, he vision starting fading to black. Seconds later, he was out like a light.
When Naofumi had reawakened, he saw that his surroundings had changed. He was no longer in what he called "Purgatory" but in a cave. The cave was dimly lit by the light green crystals that were formed in the stone.
He was interrupted when a two-headed monster let out its dying roar after being stabbed in the chest. He looked at the source of the sound, only to see him and a young girl barley surviving the dog monster's attack. His doppelganger was injured, sustaining a bite wound to his shoulder. The wound was bleeding profusely, but strangely enough, it began to heal at an accelerated pace.
"Nice job kid." His twin said to the girl.
Tears started to fall out of the girl's eyes before she came hurtling towards him. " Master Naofumi!" she exclaimed. She enveloped him in a hug like the scared child she was.
"Careful! Even with this shield power, this wound still hurts like hell."
"Promise me you won't ever die! Don't leave me alone Master Naofumi, please!"
Even though this was a vision, the original storyline, Naofumi could hear his doppelganger's thoughts.
She's chosen my name.
Chosen? What does he mean by that? Was there some kind of agreement where she could choose what to call him? And who is she? Why was he alone with a... her? Why was she with him to begin with?
But then he saw her slave collar.
Oh, I have a slave. That's nic- I HAVE A SLAVE? What the fuck happened to me in that timeline? Naofumi thought.
"You attack, and I'll defend. That way neither of us has to worry about dying."
The scene had changed.
Naofumi reappeared the same courtyard he had been executed in. It was night time, as the only source of light came from the lit torches that hung from the walls. He surveyed his surroundings, getting irritated that this was the third time today that he was taken to an unknown location. However, he stopped dead in his tracks when his eyes were facing the center of the courtyard.
The Trash King and Bitch along with the other heroes were at the center of the arena-like-courtyard. The same girl from before was at the center of it all. She was just older.
How much time has passed since the last vision? Naofumi internally thought. The other heroes didn't seem any older but the demi-human girl grew, many years by the looks of things.
The young woman was walking towards him. Her pink eyes filled with determination the closer she got to him. But she just passed through him, as if he were a ghost. He turned around and saw himself crouched down on the ground. He knew himself better than anyone. He could tell that he went through some bullshit. He could also tell that somehow Bitch had caused his grief, given the shit-eating grin on her face.
Why wasn't he feeling anything? He should be feeling a fucking raging conflagration of hatred and fury at the moment, but he wasn't. Why?
"Master Naofumi?"
"Why'd you come back? You're free now."
"But I-"
"I don't need a traitor. Get lost!"
" I heard what they're saying. They said you did terrible things and you forced yourself on a member of your party and lied about it."
His doppelganger's eyes widened.
" And yet I know now, I believe you would never do such a thing."
"I DIDN"T DO IT!" His voice broke through her's, further denying the allegations laid so heavily against him.
"Master Naofumi-"
"JUST STAY AWAY!"
" Please, you have to listen to me!"
The demi-human approached him trying to console Naofumi, but he wouldn't allow it. No, he wouldn't accept it.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" He said as he knocked her hands back with excessive force. The young woman was knocked back in shock. He continued to vent all his frustrations verbally.
"THANKS TO YOUR SAVIOR, MOTOYASU, YOUR FREE NOW! GO! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" he paused before continuing. "Or are you just hanging around to get one last look at the losers face!?" he accused her. After receiving a non-verbal affirmation, he pleaded desperately. "Please just leave me alone!"
The defeated Naofumi continued to portray his cynical attitude to the only person who believed him. Even if he doubted her, she will always be by his side. He just wasn't paying attention when she told him. His mind was clouded by dark thoughts and mindless anger towards everyone in the world. The transparent Naofumi could see a flame slowly growing from the green jewel in the shield. Naofumi could only think about what would happen if the flame overtook his shield or even worse, himself.
The demi-human then wrapped Naofumi in a hug. An odd glow engulfed the two for a moment.
"Master Naofumi, I bet know you better than anyone else in this world. I know how kind you are. So even if the whole world speaks ill of you, I'll tell them they're wrong. I'll defend you and remind them of all you've done. You're the one that saved my life, gave me a sword, and showed that I had a purpose in life. I'll always be your sword and always be standing beside you, no matter what."
At this, the suffering Naofumi had tears welling up at the corners of his eyes. What his former slave had said had touched Naofumi's soul with sincerity and affection. During her speech, the flame had started to die down. Seeing both Naofumi's reaction and her speech's effect on the legendary weapon, she continued to deliver the final push needed to bring her old master back.
"This is a world where it is hard to find people to trust but I know I can trust you. Because you saved my life Master Naofumi. I really do trust you."
Past Naofumi was brought back to the harsh reality he was forced to live in. But having her by his side, he knew he would live on just for her. To defend this world just for her. To become a hero just for her.
"Please, please allow me to still stand by your side. I need you, and you need me. We're a team."
The dam broke. Her words had finally commanded his tears to fall. Seeing that her master needed comfort, she pulled him towards her chest, and he started sobbing. But she held on, knowing that many times before, the roles had been reversed. It was her time to comfort him.
The real Naofumi was touched and all but, something was bothering him. "Where the fuck is that music coming from?" He thought to himself.
The real Naofumi looked back to the group in the arena. The Trash King only looked at the duo with contempt. Bitch was looking at the duo with a look of disgust. Not wanting to waste anymore "precious" time, the Trash King started leaving for the stairs, clearly fed up with the waste of time this fight was. He was expecting a landslide victory by the Spear Hero but was let down. He needed to have his daughter intervene in the fight just to get his way and bring the demon down. Bitch soon followed.
Heartless Bastards.
The other heroes were still there by the time the royal family left. They were discussing something, but Naofumi didn't find that important enough to pay attention to. Was this the purpose of Aneko's visions? Did she purposefully show him the original timeline to convince him to stay and fight? Because if that were the case, then she no longer needed to show him these moments from a forsaken timeline.
"Alright, enough. I get it. You win. I'll fight." Naofumi said before blinking back into purgatory. He looked at himself and the demi-human pair one last time before he left.
He would set it right. He would make sure to fight for her. As she so fervently fought for him.
" SO, since you decided to change your mind, you'll be reincarnated. Just give me a few moments to make your new body." Aneko said after Naofumi blinked back into purgatory.
Wow. being summoned isekai and reincarnated isekai. Now all I need is to get godlike powers and no emotions. Then I'll be the most generic isekai trash. No wait, that's SAO. My Bad. Naofumi thought to himself.
" So what, you revive me and I just fight the waves alongside the other heroes. Do you expect me to be all lovey-dovey with them? The whole Forgive and Forget bullshit?" He asked cynically.
" Come on. I'm a goddess, not a super-smart one but even I know that won't work. Not with you." she answered. " The passage of time is different in purgatory. Naofumi, it has been roughly a week since you were executed. With your death, the Kingdom of Melromarc is putting a Total War's worth of resources behind the 3 heroes. They have already reached level forty, and are continuing to rise. You will be severely outmatched and outclassed if you were to jump back into the fray as you are now. So as this whole experience demonstrated, some divine intervention will be needed."
"Divine Interve- wait. Are you going to give me some overpowered skills to even the playing field?" Naofumi asked with excitement in his voice.
"No." She gave a simple response. This caused him to deflate for a moment before she continued. " I'm going to give you some overpowered skills to give you the advantage. What kind of creator am I if I couldn't give you what you desire Naofumi-kun?"
" Well first things first, what I desire-"
"Is to attack on your own, kill Trash and Bitch, nice names by the way, and to not have that useless shield. Am I correct?" she said with a knowing smile on her face.
"Yeah, that about covers it."
"Well, I can do the first now, the second is completely your own future decisions, and the third won't happen. Do you KNOW how many copies of your story I have sold? It would be a complete waste of resources and time to change the title! It's 6.2 million, for your information." She said.
"Meh, 2/3 isn't that bad. So What am I getting!" He asked excitedly.
"Naofumi Iwatani, I, Aneko Yusagi bestow upon you the power to attack. Your main attack damage will come from this guantlet. " she said seriously as she blessed Naofumi. She then pulled a military brown gauntlet that had a side compartment attached to the forearm. " This Naofumi, is the Doo-"
"THE DOOMBLADE! HA HA HA HA! YES! FUCK YES!" Naofumi jumped up and down like a kid on Christmas morning. " THANK YOU, GODDESS! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" He hugged her passionately.
You see, Naofumi was summoned on January 9th, 2019. He was transported before DOOM Eternal came out. He was there at Quakecon just for the next DOOM announcement. He was most excited about the glory kills with the famously dubbed Doomblade. But because he was summoned here, he would probably never play it. Ever. But this would make up for it.
" Can I get the Praetor Suit too? Can I? Can I? PLEASE!" He begged, even going into a dogeza for added measure. But the goddess was undeterred.
"Nope. No way. Do you know how many favors I had to call in to not get copyright lawsuits for this very moment? BUT, it can change appearance at will. You can even-"
"Make it look like the Infinity Gauntlet?"
"Which one? The one Thanos had, or the one Iron Man made?"
"What?"
" Yeah, the one that Iron Man made to get bring back the people who died in Infinity War. Man, he was such a great character. Too bad he died in the end."
Naofumi was frozen in shock. His eyes widen. Endgame's trailer only came out a couple of weeks before he got isekai'd. He knew that RDJ's contract was up, but he didn't want to believe it. He got spoiled. BIG TIME.
He started shaking. The first time he felt emotion since he died. Why? He would ask later but now, he had a goddess to kill.
"Goddess... did it ever occur to you that I never watched Endgame?" He said with barely restrained anger. A black miasma was emanating from his person as he slowly walked towards the goddess.
Fearing the man she spoiled the biggest movie of his lifetime, she started sweating copiously. She held her hands up in surrender and started backing away slowly. The look in his eyes promised death to anyone in eyesight. She just happened to be the only person with him. Her eyes darted around looking frantically for any form of escape.
"Now, Noafumi, le-le-let's talk about this..."
"Oh no no no Yusagi, there is nothing to talk about. You have made your bed. Now DIE IN IT!"
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" The sound of her screams echoed in the seemlessly endless void of nothingness.
" Finished your temper tantrum...? The defeated goddess said childishly with a pout. That pout would have smitten any man but Naofumi had returned to his temporary kuudere state.
Naofumi just walked up the goddess and promptly flicked her forehead. "Now I am." She pouted some more.
"Before you so rudely interrupted me... I was saying that it can take on any appearance. The blade isn't for show either. Its a retractable blade made from a titanium and mithril alloy. It is nigh unbreakable. Only those with the absolute power of metals can stand a chance at breaking it. You can retract it at will. Normally the Legendary weapons will not allow this but, I have made an exception. Also, it is technically armor." she reasoned.
"Alright, this can't be the only gift your giving me. You did say skills. Skills. As in more than one."
"Greedy little bastard aren't cha?" Aneko teased playfully.
"Yeah, yeah, just give me my gifts."
"I present to you, the second gift. " She then procured a cloth pouch. As she moved it around, he heard the unmistakable sound of metal clanking against metal. " I would open that when you get back if I were you. The wait will be worth it, but let's just say, it contains some metals from the periodic table of fictional elements. Others are not on that list but still fictional."
"Oh please, goddess. Tell me it's there. Tell me it's in there. TELL ME!" Naofumi hoped one of the most famous fictional metal from his world is in that bag. The doomblade was amazing, but if what he thought was in there, was actually in there, he would create a religion centered around Aneko.
"Where is the fun in that. Tehehe! Now, time is almost up. Time for the last gift!" She said urgently.
His dreams have almost come true. What would Naofumi get? A break-action revolver? A set of rings? He wanted something cool, something amazing. Something that could top the doomblade and the bag of metals. What would it be?
"You will receive my blessing. The blessing entails a set of powers that will give you the advantage against the strongest enemies. Because I am a true god, my blessing could theoretically overpower another goddess's blessing. You'll need that, should you succeed in your task."
" Wait, there are other-" he was interrupted.
" With this blessing, you'll be able to combine shields. But most importantly you'll need to- OOPS! You're out of time. You have to go now. But don't worry, we'll keep in touch. Now you best be going." she opened a portal and started pushing Noafumi towards it.
"Wait, goddess! I have one question. Who was that demi-human girl?"
"Oh her? Her name is Raphtalia. And she is technically only 10 years old. Good Luck!"
"Wait, WHAT!"
"Talk to you soon!" She said with one final push. He lost his balance and fell through the portal.
"Raphtalia huh?" Naofumi asked as he was wormed holed away. Now, this is a true isekai adventure. A boom echoed around Naofumi. A shock wave soon followed.
The Shield Hero was reintroduced to the world.
Aneko had just pushed Naofumi into the portal. She stopped, looked around and grinned. She then bursted into laughter. If someone saw there, they would surely think she was insane. It didn't matter. For her plan was already into action. "He is on his way Medea. You and your army of reincarnators can't stop him now." Not this time.
After her insanely gleeful laughing session, the goddess had to go back to her duties. She huffed. "Back to controlling the universe, I guess." she said tiredly.
"Good luck, True Hero." She then teleported away to an unknown location.
The shadow ran as fast as she could. Faubrey was only 30 minutes away, and she had to get to her majesty. But a small obstacle had manifested itself to stop her. The Three Heroes Church had found out there were Shadows in the Capital, specifically the courtyard. So to stop the news from reaching the Queen, they had called their best agents back into service. A group them were gaining on her.
She had to sidestep a knife that was thrown from behind. With the Shadow so close to reaching her mistress, the agents grew desperate. They had started to attack.
She started to use evasive maneuvers to dodge the incoming onslaught of piercing projectiles. Arrows, knives, darts and even spears were thrown but she was not hit. Not even skimmed. She continued to run into the forest surrounding Faubrey. The agents followed her into the dark woods. The only guide they followed was the light of the mon and their faith in God.
They lost sight of her. They then spread out to find her. But that was the worst thing they could ever do.
One agent was silently walking when a throwing knife had found its way to his throat. He died on the spot.
Another had been waiting in the tree with a bow drawn. The feeling of a metal wire had alerted the agent but it was too late. He decapitated corpse had fallen from its perch.
One by one, the best agents the Three Heroes Church were dropping like flies. A total of 15 confirmed kills. One agent was left. And he saw the shadow. Before he could terminate her, a knife was thrown, grazing his left arm. He shouted in anger and ran after her.
He chased her for what seemed like forever, wasting his knives in fruitless attempts to finish her.
They soon reached the end of the forest. A cliff was preventing the shadow's exit. The agent grinned. He had her now. "I'm going to enjoy killing you. Your death will grant me entrance into God's kingdom."
"Your "God" had abandoned your church since it's founding!" She retorted back emotionlessly.
"YOU HERETIC! BLASPHEMY!" He yelled as he charged at her. She dodged but didn't fight back. She didn't need to. " I'll kill you if its the last thing I do!" He exclaimed.
"But you're already dead."
"What!?"
The agent looked down as he saw what she meant. A knife was embedded in his chest. A metal wire was attached to the end of the hilt. The wire had been hooked to a small lever.
Oh no. The agent thought.
The shadow tugged the wire and the blade split into 3, slicing through bone and vital organs alike. The agent was dead before he hit the ground.
The first blade that had grazed his arm had been laced with a fast-acting numbing agent. Once the anesthetic had entered the bloodstream through the brachial artery, it would travel throughout the torso numbing any pain he might feel. She threw the knife at him while he was chasing her, but he never realized it. He was too focused on his mission. Too focused on killing her.
"If you want to kill the best, you'll need to be the best." The Shadow told the cadaver with no emotion in her voice. She started at the body for some time before she took off running towards Faubrey.
Queen Mirellia sat in the guest chambers of the Faubrey Castle massaging her temples. The last 2 weeks have been torture. She spent the better part of 5 days negotiating with the other world's superpowers for the rights to summon a Cardinal Hero. It was agreed that Faubrey would summon the first hero, followed by Shieldfreeden, Siltvelt and them Melromarc. A day didn't even pass when news that Melromarc had summoned all four heroes was made international. She was forced to stay in Faubrey to try to make peace with the other nations. After another week of negotiating, it was finally time to head back.
Her daughter Melty had been with her the entire time. As the next in line for the throne, Mirellia thought it would be good for Melty to observe international politics. They were both in the room, about to leave when they heard a knock on the door.
"Enter."
The door opened to reveal her best espionage agent walked in before bowing. "You're here early. Has something happened?"
"I'm afraid so your majesty. I bring grave news from the Capital."
Mirelia looked at her daughter, deciding whether to leave her in the room for this kind of conversation or to excuse her from the room entirely. She decided to leave her in the room. "What does this grave news entail, Shadow?"
"The Shield Hero, My Lady."
A feeling of uneasiness had washed over Mirellia. While the late lord of Seyaette wasn't in charge of her country, she trusted her husband to run things smoothly until she came back. That trust s now cracking. Doubts started to form when all four heroes had been summoned. She knew the hatred her husband felt towards the Shield in general. But if something happened to the Shield Hero after all the time spent on negotiating about the heroes, she swore she would be a widow by the end of the year.
" You may speak. Report to your Queen." She put on airs of confidence, but deep down, she was worried.
" Princess Malty has accused the Shield Hero of sexual assault. King Aultcray had acted under the law and had him put to death. He then gave the body to the Three Heroes Church for propaganda usage.."
A silence had filled the room. All faith in her husband and eldest daughter had been blasted in oblivion. All the frustration and anger that had been pent up and bottled within the last two weeks, were reaching their tipping point.
"Was... there... a... trial...?" She asked slowly, trying her hardest to keep her composure.
"Hardly. All that was given was Malty's testimony and the king convicted him a criminal. After the ruling, the king then turned to the three heroes and told them that such actions would usually result in death. The Spear hero demanded capital punishment, and he was soon followed by the Bow hero. The Sword hero also decided after some time."
Queen Mirellia could no longer contain her anger. All the work that she had put in was all for not. She had promised that pig king of Faubrey, Malty in return for his aid in negotiations. How would she negotiate herself out of this? She might have been good, she wasn't THAT good. How would the leaders react?
"Melty dear. Would you mind stepping out for a second?"
"Of-Of course your majesty." Melty said wit a stutter. It was not often when she would see her mother act this way. She quickly made her way out of the room, locking the door behind her.
The shadow then pulled portraits of the King and Malty and hung them on the wall. Queen Mirellia threw icicle daggers with pinpoint accuracy. Each dagger had hit its mark. Two in the eyes, three in the mouth and four in the head. But it would never be enough to quell her anger. A side of Mirelia that seen only by a select few, had emerged from the darkest parts of her soul.
"When I get back to the capital, I will relish the look of fear on their faces. I will make them regret ever making that decision. But for now..." Mirellia had paused, slowly reverting to her impassive facade. "I will have to continue negotiating, as impossible it seems. Shadow, keep an eye out on the Three Heroes Church. I have no doubt that they will use this opportunity to the fullest."
"By your will, My Lady." The Shadow left, never being noticed by anyone.
The Queen let out a frustrated sigh. War with Siltvelt and Shieldfreeden is inevitable at this point. But should the time rise...
She wouldn't feel the slightest bit of remorse if Aultcray's and Malty's heads are served on a silver platter as a peace offering.
Not in the slightest.
AN: *phew* Man. I knew fanfiction took time to write but I didn't think it would take this long. The longest chapter I ever wrote. 5,000 words. Wow! Thank you who favorited and followed this story. I hope this chapter was good enough to keep you wanting more. 40 Favs and 58 Follows. Thank you guys so much! I won't let you down.
I know this chapter was more light-hearted with the comedy (well, I hope I at least made 1 person laugh) and everything, but there will be serious moments and funny moments as well.
Perfectly balanced. As all things should be.
I added those moments from the anime as a way to anchor Naofumi to that world. Remember, He didn't want to stay in that world. But with best girl making an appearance, that should be enough to make him fight. In my opinion at least.
Just to clarify, I DO NOT own the profile picture. It belongs to a YouTuber named LT. LiCK ME. Look him up if you have the time. He's amazing.
-To the guest who left that long-ass comment last chapter. HOLY SHIT DUDE. I almost had a stroke reading that. I do NOT want to know what it did to you by simply typing that! But yeah, all will be revealed on the trail we blaze! ( guess what that's from!)
That's gonna do it for me tonight. See you all in the next chapter!
-FF1987 out.