Hey everyone and welcome to my brand new fanfic!
Before we begin I would like to clarify a few points so as to avoid confusion down the line.
First, this story follows a original story line and therefore expect their to be some big differences between this and the canon works later on especially when it comes to certain characters like Eclair.
Secondly, this story is focused on Naofumi and Eclair as the main romantic pairing.
Thirdly, Eclair is a character that has not appeared in the anime yet, so for those of you that are interested, feel free to look her up!
With all that said and done, let us dive right into the story!
Disclaimer: I only own my story and everything else belongs to the original creators.
Chapter 1: Guardian of The Shield Hero
Gentle rays of morning sunlight streamed through the partially open curtains, gently basking the lone occupant of the room with it's gentle warmth. A small yawn escaped the twenty year old as he slowly awoke from his slumber, giving his unruly black hair a good ruffle out of habit before slowly raising upright.
Iwatani Naofami was the name that belonged to the young man as he threw his bedside clock a quick glance. It read 7am.
If it had been any other weekday, he would be freaking out big time whilst desperately putting on whatever clothes he could find before legging it to college. Thankfully, Naofumi had thoughtfully organized his schedule to free up his entire Wednesday, allowing him to enjoy the small window of freedom in the middle of an otherwise hectic week of studies. Of course, that was but a small fraction of the reason why he chose this day specifically.
After all, Wednesday was the day when his favorite MMORPG Tale of the Cardinal Heroes would receive it's weekly patch, which often included brand new content from the game developers. As such, it was crucial for a hardcore gamer like Naofumi to stay ahead of the loop by being one of the first to familiarize himself with any new details.
This is especially important to him because...well you see...he did kinda make a pretty detrimental mistake a year ago when he first started playing this game, one big enough to still hold an effect over him after all this time.
As the title of the game suggests, players begin their adventure in this world by being summoned as heroes. Similar to most other fantasy settings, the story describes a world that is plaqued by what one could consider to be a natural disaster of an apocalyptic nature whereby hordes of monsters named 'Waves' are summoned periodically there, the collective force of which would eventually lead the world to disaster. Although monsters to inhabit the lands like various wildlife in our world, they could be kept under control by military and adventurer's might. Most importantly though, they were no where near as coordinated as the Waves and also did not possess the intention or strength to take over the world like the latter did. Thus, the player begins their journey as heroes in order to keep mankind alive.
Of course, the players were vastly superior to the NPCs that existed in the fantasy world which is precisely why they were summoned to help with the situation. But here's where things get a little dicey like with most MMORPGs out there.
Yes that's right, before one could begin their virtual journey, they of course needed to create a character to represent themselves. This presented everyone with an opportunity to customize their avatars to become literally anything they wanted to be...but that wasn't all there was to the process.
After all, you also needed to pick a certain class as well. Every class was unique in the sense that they wielded different gear and skill sets which in turn extrapolated to unique strengths and weaknesses. For example, if someone choose to be an archer, they carried the benefit of being able to attack from a far range which was extremely practical when one held a vantage point for a surprise attack whilst maintaining out of range for someone of a melee class. On the other hand, warriors were more suited to close quarters combat which allowed them to not only handle monsters that may be too fast for a arrow to touch before they got too close, but they also possessed a far larger health pool as well as elevated defense stats to allow for a more forgiving play style.
In the end though, there was not particular class that was 'stronger' than the rest overall as any chance of that happening are minimal to the developers dedicating a significant amount of time towards balancing the entire cast of heroes available.
Therefore all classes were equally as sought out as the next...at least that was what Naofumi thought when he initially started.
You see, whilst the management team maybe able to keep a relatively balanced list of numbers to allow for fair play, they were ultimately unable to control the public opinion on what they favored and...well hated.
Unfortunately for Naofumi, he had at the time been hugely attracted to the idea of being a shield hero. After all, who didn't like the sound of being someone who could protect all his teammates without receiving so much as a minor dent? Add that to the fact that he had never been the fastest when it came to hand-eye coordination or reaction speed in games and you have what was essentially the perfect class for someone like him.
It wasn't until he had thoroughly invested a significant sum of real money into purchasing both cosmetics and gear for his character did he come to realize the harsh reality.
No one liked the shield class. Literally no one did.
It was almost to the point where Naofumi could almost say without an ounce of doubt that he was the only one who actually played this particular job seriously. Of course there were the occasional trolls that would run around messing with raid parties as a shield bearer by effectively body blocking the attacks from the players and thereby making everyone's life more difficult, but they were few and far between. Heck, he couldn't even see anyone player smiths crafting any shields.
Needless to say, Naofumi was not the most popular when it came to joining parties either. In fact, he couldn't even remember the last time he had been accepted into a group of any kind with many even considering him a waste of party space.
It wasn't that people hated him personally but more because of the fact that having a shield bearer become redundant when players simply had the capability to dodge most of the boss's attack on their own, and in the off chance that they did get hit, they could simply down a pot or two. Furthermore, most of the higher tier raids not only capped the party size at 16 people per run, but also entailed a time limit during which the boss must be slain.
For a class that basically outputted close to negligible damage even against monsters in the beginner areas, it was not hard to understand why most declined his offer to let him join, instead opting to pick someone who could dish out more DPS (damage per second).
As a result, Naofumi had more or less been forced into becoming a solo player. He wasn't going to lie, it was ridiculously difficult at first not just because of the significant amount of time he took just to kill weak monsters in order to gain exp, but also mentally taxing as he would watch new players eclipse his levels within just a matter of days despite his own hard work.
Despite all of this though, Naofumi still stuck to his guns believing that his class choice was the best and that it would be cowardly and wasteful to jump ship now. Besides hard work always paid off in the long run right?
Half a year ago, his prayers were answered as the game developers released a new patch which allowed players to purchase and use pets. For the majority, this brought upon a more convenient method for travel since using horses were much faster than walking between towns and griffins could be used as a method of air transport. Furthermore, it also introduced the new merchant subclass, serving as a viable means of profit for quite a few.
But for Naofumi, the most important and crucial aspect was that the pets were capable of combat. While they damage was laughable compared to most players, it was a substantial boost for the twenty year old, easily surpass the amount he could deal out personally. Additionally, he could finally allow most of his skills to shine by defending his pets from the monster's attacks while letting them do the damage.
All in all, the update opened a whole set of double doors for the young man who for the first time since beginning, finally felt like he was making progress.
So imagine how he felt when the announcement of the new comrades system arrived just a week ago.
Update from developers
Have you ever been too busy to head to town in order to deposit your items while grinding?
Have you ever logged on late in the night when there are no parties around to join?
Have you ever journeyed from town to town wishing that you weren't alone and wished that someone else would be there as company?
Have you ever wanted to form your personal adventuring group?
We are pleased to announce that permanent addition of the brand new comrades.
Following today's patch, all players will be able to purchase the newest Gacha which features a large pool of potential partners (NPCs) that are more than willing to serve you at your side.
Depending on the comrades you receive, they can specialize in a range of different tasks such as combat, potion making, blacksmithing, merchanting just to name a few! With the inherent ability to level up, you can customize your partner in any way you wish.
So why wait to form your very own party of loyal followers?
For a loner and weakling like Naofumi in game, this was honestly the best news he had heard all year. Although his whole fighting with pets tactic was way better than fighting alone, his furry friends were starting to reach their respective level caps which meant that they would eventually fall off in terms of power should we keep proceeding to areas with stronger monsters. It made sense since they were never made with the primary intention of combat. But this news...was honestly a massive relief...but there was more to it.
To celebrate the initial release, we have included an extremely small number of unique premade comrades, also known as Guardians, into the Gacha mix. These guardians will possess stats and skills that far surpass those of the ordinary partners but they are extremely limited.
They will also feature their very own branch off backstory which appears as a side quest that must be completed by the lucky player that obtains them before they can be recruited to your side.
But hurry before they all find their homes!
If you want a chance to win one of these rare Guardians, then feel free to browse our webpage for more information on the Gacha!
We wish you all the best of luck!
Note: If you wish to see the full list of comrades available, please check the official forum's post for more details.
Honestly he could still remember last Wednesday like it was yesterday.
1 Week Ago
"Ohhhh shishkebab! Comrades! No way!"
Hearing the news and browsing the forums for the entire list possible, Naofumi concluded that he only stood to gain from getting any of the comrades available. Of course it would be nice to get one of the Guardians but even if he got one of the normal combat mercenary partners, he would be satisfied. After all, their stats were still astronomical from his perspective and they even leveled up which meant they could get even stronger!
So the twenty year old immediately charged out to the local convenience store to purchase some cash cards to convert for online currency, even going so far as to skip breakfast in order to save time. Afterwards, he made a straight beeline back home without wasting a single second.
Barely an hour had passed since had awoken and Naofumi was already sitting in front of his computer, rubbing his hands from excitement like a little kid waiting to unwrap his Christmas present.
Unfortunately the Gacha was extremely expensive perhaps due to the potential chance at getting a Guardian and therefore costed 2000 yen for a single roll. For a jobless 20 year old, that might seem like a ridiculous sum to spend on a game...in fact it was probably the same even for someone with a job. Thankfully due to his current family conditions and his efforts in bringing his brother back on the right track in life a couple of years ago, his parents rewarded him with the freedom to live a ideal otaku life complete with a decent allowance.
Still, even with his respectable weekly 'wage', he was only able to afford 8 rolls at max since he rarely saved money, preferring to spend it on a weekly basis.
"Still, it'll be all worth it if I can get just a single comrade so I really hope lady luck will smile on me today." Naofumi exclaimed with an enthusiastic smile, whilst waiting for the clock to strike 8 o clock. You see, the young man had held onto some superstitious belief that opening Gachas at the start of a new hour would grant additional luck as proven from his personal experience several times before.
It wasn't long before the self-designated time arrived.
"Yosha, let's do this!" He yelled before giving his left mouse button a relatively loud click. A cut scene of a treasure chest slowly being tugged open by his character played on the screen, allowing the young man to admire the effort the developers had put into the smooth animation.
Congratulations Naofumi! You have obtained...(drum roll sound effects)...bracelet of minor speed!
"Hmmm...that's...kinda a bit underwhelming for 2000 yen." His heart had dropped a little at the drop, obviously slightly displeased at his luck.
As you may have suspected, Naofumi had already checked out the full list of possible drops from this Gachapon, which could be simplified as follows from highest to lowest value.
- 0.1% chance to obtain a Guardian
- 19.9% chance to obtain a regular mercenary
- 20% chance to obtain unique cosmetics
- 40% chance to obtain rare and elite ranked gear and items.
- 20% chance to obtain regular accessories and items.
To answer your question, the bracelet of minor speed did indeed belong in the lowest category despite possessing a relatively low chance of 20%, perhaps the lowest he could ever recall in any past Gachas.
"Well I still got 7 more rolls!" After all, it was too early to throw in the towel right now.
Unfortunately for the hopefully twenty year old, the rest of the rolls got progressively worse and worse with each.
Congratulations Naofumi! You have obtained...(drum roll sound effects)...ring of fortitude!
Congratulations Naofumi! You have obtained...(drum roll sound effects)...necklace of stealth!
Congratulations Naofumi! You have obtained...(drum roll sound effects)...ring of mana!
Congratulations Naofumi! You have obtained...(drum roll sound effects)...ring of minor poison immunity!
Congratulations Naofumi! You have obtained...(drum roll sound effects)...health potion!
Congratulations Naofumi! You have obtained...(drum roll sound effects)...potion of cure status!
Naofumi always knew he wasn't the luckiest guy on the planet as shown by all his previous attempts at Gacha, but this had to be a world record low. After all he had opened 7 of the 8, and every single one thus far has been from the lowest category, two of which were simply potions that one could buy using in game money at any NPC store.
To say that he wasn't get his money's worth was probably the understatement of the year.
"Are you kidding me..." Heaving a defeated sigh, the black-haired man quickly browsed the webpage, hoping to find the sale duration for this latest gacha. If he wanted to try his luck again, he would have to wait another 6 days before getting a fresh wad of allowance notes to spend. "Welp...might as well open this last one and pray for the best I guess."
He pressed the left mouse button with much less vigor than he did the first time around, obviously feeling a bit drained due to disappointment despite the day's early hours.
Naofumi watched with an indifferent expression as his character went through the same animation once again, trying it's hardest to pry open the lock on the treasure chest to reveal the contents.
Just when he was about to yawn from boredom however, the young man noticed a change in the cut scene. Rather than successfully opening the lock, the treasure chest seemingly burst into a bright ray of light, knocking his character back almost comically off the screen. Before he could voice his confusion, a huge message popped up on his screen followed by fireworks and confetti.
Congratulations Naofumi! You have obtained a unique Guardian! Thank you very much for your participation! Be sure to check your side story missions under the "comrades" tab and we hope you enjoy the exclusive backstory!
"N-No...way..."
Present Day
It still felt like a dream to Naofumi.
Besides the occasional free ice cream he would get from lucky draws in the shopping district, he couldn't remember winning anything notable before in his lifetime. And even then, the previous example was something he had gotten without really realizing, but this...this was something he actually wanted to get.
What's more, this was a limited AND unique Guardian, which meant that he was the only one with this pre-set comrade and no one else...heck guardians in general were really rare and were one of a kind.
Even if you were to ignore the incredible stats and skills that these special comrades possessed, they were still aesthetically pleasing to look at as one could clearly tell the amount of effort that the designers must have put into them.
You can laugh all you want, but for the first time...he felt special.
Anyways the real reason why Naofumi had been so excited to read today's patch notes was because the Guardians were finally being released.
You see, while players had the opportunity to obtain the guardians since last week's initial Gacha release, they still had to complete the exclusive backstory side mission before they would be able to recruit them. The game developers obviously wanted to perfect the Guardians down to the finest detail in order to make them function as the cream of crop and to showcase the best they could make and therefore decided spend an extra week in order to finalize them.
This meant that all players who currently possessed a guardian had yet to be able to recruit them despite finishing their relevant story line...that is until today.
Naofumi was personally not too fussed about the week delay because it allowed him to delve into the unique content at a leisurely pace. And boy was he glad he did, for he was more than pleasantly surprised at how well-written the story behind his Guardian was. Everything from their childhood to their teens and finally young adult were revealed to him in a heart wrenching yet realistically portrayed tale. It really tugged at his heartstrings at more than one point of the story and Naofumi even wished that he could have done something to change their fate. It was strange to say about this about someone who was effectively a virtual character but Naofumi really sympathized with their cause throughout the entire course, understanding and even came to like them as a person. There was just something oddly attractive about them that made him want to help her in anyway he could.
Despite having only known this character for a week, Naofumi couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity and closeness to them and he couldn't wait to free them from their fate today and take them on a journey with him.
"Alright, better not waste anytime! Can't wait to try playing with my one and only guardian today!"
Several loud beeps resounded throughout the room as his computer booted to life, allowing Naofumi to navigate through the various screens with practiced motions before finally logging into his favorite game.
He found his character standing where he had left them last night after arriving at the quest's finale having been unable to progress any further. Today however, was a little different as a fresh set of optional dialogue was available from the Queen NPC.
"Lets see how this plays out."
"If it isn't the Shield Hero Naofumi, I applaud you for your efforts over the past week in your attempt to save the prisoner and as promised we are willing to her them over you should you accept our conditions."
What conditions might they be?
Conditions? Ohh hell no, I'm out!
Nice weather today huh?
"Hmmm...I kinda wanna press the third option just to see where it would lead but lets not take any risks." Having said that, the young man went with option 1.
"As you may or may not know, the prisoner isn't someone we can willingly hand over to anyone and I'm sure you already know the reason why. For someone of such a dangerous nature, we can only allow who is willing to be with them regardless of the cost. Are you, Naofumi, capable of sacrificing everything in exchange for their freedom?"
Yes!
On seconds thoughts, give me a bit more time to consider.
NUUUUUUUUUUUUU!
"Hahaha, I mean who would come this far just to press option 3? Naturally, lets go with the first one." Naofumi nodded before selecting his choice, however a large warning text filled his screen when he did so.
Warning! Before you proceed, please read the following information carefully.
The option you have selected will cause your account to be completely reset, thus returning your character to level 1. Furthermore, you will lose everything that you have accumulated thus far (includes all items, gears, accessories and pets.)
Important note: Are you willing to do anything in order to free your guardian from their fate at the cost of everything? Are you willing to sacrifice anything for them?
Yes
No
"What?! It'll cost me literally everything?!" He did have to reread the message several times to understand the cost. Yet a small smile still adorned his features, when he realized exactly why this was the case. In fact, it was hinted many times during the backstory itself that the Guardian was someone who had lost everything and yet still strived to achieve their goals nonetheless despite the harshness of reality. It was one of the many reasons why Naofumi had come to admire her as a character. In fact, this conclusion really did fit the entire theme of their side story that Naofumi was surprised he didn't see it coming earlier.
Honestly, the pros clearly outweighed the cons and for the first time, he would finally get to have a party member of his own. With their company, he was sure to catch up to his current state in no time.
Therefore with the last shreds of reluctance fading from his heart, Naofumi pressed with a wide grin on his face, eager to begin the journey of a lifetime.
But little did he know what that actually entailed.
As soon as Naofumi pressed the yes button, an unnaturally bright light burst from his computer monitor, bathing his entire room with a strange white light. The young man didn't even have time to register his surroundings before he felt the chair disappear from beneath him causing Naofumi to free fall into a glowing abyss.
"Ngghhhhh!" Naofumi grunted as he landed with a rather uncomfortable thud on what felt like rock solid ground.
But before he could indulge himself in his thoughts, a gentle yet reassuring feminine voice filled his ears causing the boy to face the source. His eyes went wide when as he noticed the regal young female kneeling beside him, offering him a hand to which he accepted.
"I can't believe I finally get to meet you in person Naofumi-sama, words...cannot express the joy I'm currently feeling."
Having pulled him to his feet, Naofumi stared almost dumbfoundedly at her. Whether it be her long flowing strawberry blonde hair that glowed with a healthy gleam or those beautiful vibrant blue eyes that welled up with tears of delight as she gazed fondly at him, everything about the young female knight seemed angelic, captivating him completely even amongst their dark surroundings.
But there was something even more fundamentally mind blowing about his current situation, a revelation that almost caused his mind to go blank from shock.
After all, the appealing individual that stood before him was someone he had grown familiar with and even greatly admired over the past week...
Because...she looked identical to the guardian that he had freed from within his game.
As thought seeking confirmation, the young man let out a small hoarse voice in the form of a question.
"Are you Eclair Seaetto?"
A/N - So what do you guys think? I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!
Looking forward to see you all in the next one, take care everyone :D