Chapter 1
The Records of the four Cardinal Weapons. The waves of the Apocalyptic Catastrophe. To save the world from the ever coming darkness, four heroes were summoned from another world. Each of these four heroes wielded a characteristic weapon; a sword, a spear, a bow, or a shield. Little do they know there is a second story that stood way before the four heroes came to being, the balance of light and dark, happiness and sadness...life and death. Two forces that are locked in eternal combat between order and chaos.
During the battle of the first wave with the new legendary heroes taking part, the shield hero chooses to protect a town that was unable to completely evacuate rather than join the other heroes in fighting the boss. More monsters began to appear around the town to kill those within it, even though a small company of soldiers from the kingdom was assisting the shield hero, they were running low on energy. Even the shield heroes only party member was beginning to show fatigue with every monster she killed. Everyone gathered in a circle with the civilians in the very center of the circle.
'Is this how it ends?' The shield hero thought to himself while gritting his teeth.
The sound of shouting echoed throughout the town even over the screaming of the surviving villagers as monsters were being cut down behind their ranks. Eventually, a large male that stood at a towering seven feet tall was revealed cutting down row upon row of enemies with each swing of his great sword. As some of the monsters began to turn their attention to the new arrival, the shield hero and the knights did not hesitate to begin their own counter. With newfound hope, the shield hero and his party member, as well as the knights, all charged outward to continue their battle against the monsters.
In mere minutes the wave had finally ended before the knights gathered around the other male. Seeing them gather, the shield hero narrowed his eyes and made his way to the group watching as they dispersed revealing a paladin clad in heavy white armor and had a great sword in his right hand while it laid on his right shoulder.
"Who are you?" The shield hero asked with narrowed eyes.
This made one of the knights about to speak but was stopped by the paladin who only shook his head before looking to the shield hero and taking a step toward him. The shield heroes party member quickly moved in front of him with her hand on the handle of her sword and narrowed eyes. His eyes looked to the female party member and tilted his head eyeing her up and down. She had pale skin with her eyes being a soft brown, her body was slim, and chestnut colored hair that stretched from her head down to the upper part of her back with raccoon ears on top her head revealing she was a demi-human. Seeing this, the paladin sighed and brought his sword up and quickly stabbed the ground with it before releasing his hold on the great sword to raise his hands up in surrender.
"I mean no harm." The paladin spoke before bringing his hand to his helmet and removing it to reveal his face.
The paladin had sky blue eyes and a combed back blonde hair with pale skin. He had a soft gentle smile on his face but with a hint of nervousness. She looked him over for a few seconds before nodding and moving aside but still kept her hand on the handle of her sword. A sigh escaped the paladin's lips but nodded in understanding at her cautious side seeing he was still seven feet tall and even more so heavily armored. Even if he did not have a weapon, he could easily use his armor he wore as a blunt weapon easily. With a soft chuckle, he was relieved at the sign of some peace before looking behind the shield hero and nudging his head as if wanting the shield hero to look behind him.
'What is he...' The shield hero thought before turning his head slightly to look over his shoulder.
The shield heroes' eyes widened in sheer shock as he saw the edge of a sword inches from his neck. Looking from the blade to the one holding it, he saw a toned male wearing ragged long pants and t-shirt as if he was a beggar. With a sigh of relief escaping the male's lips, he tossed the sword aside and walked past the shield hero to make his way over to the paladin's side. Seeing the beggar, the female girl looked at him and was about to pull her sword out of its sheath but was stopped by the shield hero himself who placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. She looked to the shield hero before looking at the ground and nodding her head only to look back at the beggar to keep a close eye on him now.
"My name is Yin Todoroki...the traveling paladin...but others call me the Divine Paladin. It is nice to finally meet you shield hero." Yin introduced himself before bowing his head in respect.
With the other male now in front of him, he was able to see him more properly and without needing to look over his shoulder to see him. He stood at a simple five feet four inches tall with tanned skin and a toned body. His eyes were dark brown while his hair was a messy black before looking down to his feet to see he was barefoot. Looking back up to his face, the other just yawned and stood beside the paladin known as Yin.
"Names Yang Maeda, also known as the Beggar all over the place. Nice to see some smart people around here. If your party member attacked Yin...you would be dead on the ground. Not that she would be able to kill Yin without his sword anyway." Yang spoke scratching his belly.
" How did I not hear you, Yang?" Raphtalia asked glaring at Yang.
"Looks are very deceiving. With such clothes, one would still expect to hear something. Like the flapping of my clothes in the wind. Hard to do so when there is no wind." Yang pointed out as he raised his left hand causing Raphtalia to do the same noticing that there was, in fact, no wind.
"...how did I not notice?" Raphtalia spoke looking back at Yang who slowly dropped his left hand to his side.
"You're a good warrior miss but you still have much to learn," Yang said with a soft smirk.
"Are you offering to teach me?" Raphtalia asked narrowing her eyes.
"Only if time permits it," Yang replied with narrowed eyes.
Yin only chuckled softly at the atmosphere that was growing before he raised his hand up and slapped the back of Yang's head causing him to fall forward and slam face first into the ground. A soft muffled sound came from Yang's lips but was too muffled from his face being in the ground before he eventually pushed himself off the ground and back up to his feet sighing. Yang looked up at Yin before looking down at his clothes to begin dusting the front of his shirt and pants mumbling softly under his breath.
"With our names given, may we ask your names?" Yin asked with a smile as he brought his attention back to the shield hero and his female warrior.
"You should already know the rumors as well as my name." The shield hero spoke now glaring at Yin.
"I am not one to follow rumors. Take Yang, for example, he looks like a Beggar but I can promise you, he is far from it. If it weren't for him, I would not be here today." Yin spoke with a smile while turning his head to look at Yang.
"Humble as always...but he ain't lying. Don't know how many times I saved his sorry ass from getting killed or tricked." Yang said with a smirk while placing his hands behind his head.
"...Naofumi Iwantani...the shield Hero." He introduced himself briefly.
"My name is Raphtalia, the sword of Naofumi-sama." She introduced with a cautious glance at Yang.
Yang looked at both the shield Hero then toward the female warrior as he took in their detail into account. Not only was he looking them over but he was also bringing out the rumors he had heard of about the shield hero which made it impossible for him to actually get people to join his party. With a curious look on Yang's face, he walked over to Raphtalia with his hands behind his back while looking deep into her eyes. Stopping a meter away from Raphtalia, he stood there looking into her eyes as if trying to find an answer to his question in his mind.
"Tell me, girl, are you his slave?" Yang asked making Yin and Naofumi widen their eyes.
Raphtalia only narrowed her eyes before nodding her head.
"I am." She answered.
"Are you loyal to him? Not as a slave but as a party member? If you were not his slave, would you still follow him?" Yang asked with his eyes giving off a faint black glow.
"Yes. I would fight by his side even if he freed me from being a slave." Raphtalia answered making Naofumi blink at this while Yin smiled.
"Alright, you aren't lying," Yang spoke smiling faintly before walking back over to Yin. "Even if you have a seal on you, I would still be able to tell if you are lying or not and what you just said was the full honest truth."
"I apologize for my brother. He is very blunt and also pretty stubborn. Whatever is on his mind, he is not afraid to say it." Yin spoke bowing his head to the shield hero while closing his eyes.
"Since you asked first, are you Yin's slave? I noticed many royals have slaves to do their bidding." Naofumi asked looking at Yin.
This question immediately caught Yang's attention and was about to answer before Yin raised his hand and placed it on top his head before ruffling it softly. Yang swatted Yin's hand away earning a soft laugh from him before Yin turned his attention to Naofumi with a smile as if asked this question many times.
"He is not my slave, although he dresses like one, he is far from one. Yang is my sworn brother. For many years we fought by one another and shared both the good fortunes of our journeys as well as the bad. No matter what people think or say about Yang, I treat him as my equal...even though I am much taller than him." Yin said with a soft laugh as Yang slowly looked up at Yin with a raised brow.
"... Yin...I will lay your ass out...right here...right now..." Yang warned with narrowed eyes now.
This only made Yin laugh louder before calming down and looking at Naofumi. Sighing at his brother's joke, he looked over his shoulder at the knights gathering together to see a few heads were missing. His eyes turned to the battlefield to see there were no bodies of any knights on the ground, it could have been torn apart but there was no hint of armor anywhere either. With an annoyed grunt, he nudged Yin to get his attention who looked at Yang.
"Yin, go check on the knights. Last we checked there were three more of them." Yang spoke softly making Yin turn his attention to the knights.
He began to do a head count before seeing that his brother was right. Seeing this, Yin made his way to the captain who gathered the knights to begin asking some questions. During that time, the villagers had bowed their heads in thanks before going to either give their offering to loved ones that couldn't make it or join their loved ones and hold them. While everyone was distracted, Yang made his way to Naofumi and stopped mere inches as well.
"Did you do as the rumors said you did? Did you try to rape her?" Yang asked as his eyes gave off faint white energy.
"No. I did not." Naofumi whispered with rage in his eyes.
A soft chuckle escaped Yang's lips before backing away with a smile.
"I knew it. That rumor is a big fat lie." Yang whispered making Naofumi widen his eyes in shock.
"You believe me?" Naofumi asked making Yang only chuckle and nod his head.
"I know of only one skill known as the eyes of truth. I can see when someone is lying. Kind of like...hmmm what's a good example." Yang spoke closing his eyes and tapping his forehead as if trying to find a good example.
"The time when a royal wished to hire me for the greater good," Yin spoke causing Yang to laugh and snapped his fingers.
"Yeah, that one. When someone lies in my sight, they emit black energy." Yang explained with an annoyed groan. "So, what'd the captain say?"
"Their captain ran off to help the other heroes fight the boss of this wave." Yang answered looking down at Yin.
"Pfft, I doubt he did so to help. Coward." Yang whispered before turning back to look at Naofumi.
"How do I know you're not lying?" Naofumi asked standing up straight looking into Yang's eyes.
"You don't," Yang answered bluntly making Yin sigh and shake his head.
"If there is one thing, he hates more than liars...it's hypocrites. I can promise you Naofumi-san, he is no hypocrite...as for me, I swear to you upon my family's heirloom, I will never lie to you or your party member." Yin promised before taking his greatsword with one hand and pulling it out of the ground and raising it into the sky. "With that said and done...I wish to ask this of you shield hero Naofumi..." Yin started before kneeling to the ground and sword laid on the floor flat.
"Yeah, can we join your party?" Yang finished as he walked beside Yin with his hands behind his head.
This question from his brother alone made Yin look at Yang with the look of sheer surprise on his face. Naofumi was also surprised at this before crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head slightly. His trust was broken too many times to easily let others join his party. Trust was no longer given freely to anyone he did not know or been with very long.
"Why would you want to join my party?" Naofumi asked with a hint of hate in his tone.
"Your no liar and you were wronged...just like me. You are not a bad person and unlike the other so-called heroes...you are the only one to do your job as your supposed to. Protect the weak." Yang answered while bringing his arms to his side.
"I did not save them because I wanted to," Naofumi spoke gripping his hands into fists.
Yang stood there for a second before smirking.
"Your lying. On the outside, you look mean and cold but within...tell me that there is no good in there." Yang challenged with a smirk.
Naofumi looked at Yang before closing his eyes and sighing.
"So be it. You will both be in my party but be warned. Once you do, you will be fighting against the world and possibly the other heroes." Naofumi warned while opening his eyes slightly.
"Pfft, we already are. Excluding the bit about the other heroes. So, it shouldn't be any different." Yang said before laughing and walking off.
"Where are you going?" Raphtalia asked before Yin rejoined the group while watching Yang walk toward the back of a house.
"He's going to get his stuff. What a turn of events though. Today is filled with so many surprises." Yin spoke gaining the attention of Naofumi and Raphtalia.
"Why do you say that?" Raphtalia asked tilting her head slightly.
"Because..." Yin started before looking at Naofumi with a bright smile. "Throughout the six years we worked together doing jobs...not once has he ever asked anyone to join them without a contract."
Naofumi looked at Yin for a few seconds before looking to where Yang walked off to.
"Six years...how did you two meet?" Naofumi asked keeping his eyes locked where Yang went to.
"At the age of five, I started my training as a knight. One time I wandered off into the woods hoping to prove to my father I could do more than train with a stick. Then suddenly I was jumped by a group of bandits. There were only three of them but that was all it took to take me down." Yin started before sighing heavily.
'At such a young age?' Naofumi thought as he listened.
"They were going to sell me to rival families or even to slavery for some gold but was stopped...all thanks to Yang. At that time, he had no name. He was only a Beggar. One strong and fast enough to take out the three bandits by himself unarmed. I will not lie, he was pretty banged up after he took down the bandits but still." Yin said with a smile.
"And since then you two were inseparable?" Naofumi asked as if predicting the end.
"Yes, we trained together, ate together, and played together. We were brothers even if we did not have the same parents. It was as if we adopted him. At first father and mother did not even want him near me but after what I told them, father tested Yang himself in private" Yin said with a chuckle.
"Private? What did they do?" Raphtalia asked finally beginning to ease up.
Yang returned to the group holding what seemed to be a single dirty hold guard less katana. The sheath was made of pure black steel while the handle was wrapped in white bandages. Its handle was locked in place with the sheath as metal was poured on the two to prevent it from being released.
"Till today I myself do not know but whatever it was...lasted mere minutes for my father and mother to change their minds about Yang. All father told me was that he was welcomed into the house and that was that. He was treated as an equal...not only that but he would help out around the house as well and even made training a little more bearable." Yin answered while bringing his left hand up and scratched the top of his head before looking at Yang who only chuckled.
"There were no issues at all? Not even with other families?" Raphtalia asked a little taken back by this fact.
"Well there were one or two incidents that made a knight spar against Yang...every time he fought against someone else, he would not only win but make an example out of them, to show them not to mess with him. Even though he never dressed properly for training. He would always wear ragged clothes over that of our royal attire or gear. Not once have I seen him wear anything than ragged clothing but my father and mother did not mind." Yin said with a nervous chuckle while looking away.
"What? I didn't kill them. I think...now that I remember, I am sure that I did send a few of them to be treated heavily." Yang added crossing his arms and closing his eyes to think.
"Well you did not kill them but you made it clear that you would only train me and only me. Heck, there was that one time five knights fought you with real swords while you were given a wooden sword. You beat all five of them almost to death...if it was not for father stopping you." Yin said looking down at Yang who opened his eyes and sighed.
"They intended to kill me and almost succeeded. How else am I supposed to respond? Not kill them?" Yang asked looking at Yin with a raised brow.
"...you are not in the wrong brother, I was only saying. You were after all badly injured with cut marks all on your back and chest. If it was not for father...you yourself would be dead. He got his best healer to heal your wounds shut and let you rest for a few days before he trained us personally." Yang replied with a smile.
"Fair enough. If I did not stop, I would have died." Yang admitted while looking forward.
"After that day, father made it known that Yang is treated as if he was his son and shown the same respect as if talking to me. Usually, kids with such power would abuse it...but Yang...did no such thing. He acted the same and treated everyone as equals, because of that everyone treated him like a royal...even other families that came to visit." Yin continued making Raphtalia look to Yang.
"Yup, and in time the knights would ask to be trained by me personally. I declined it all the time because that is just too much work. Following is much easier than teaching." Yang said with a chuckle.
"Sure, there would be some misunderstanding here and there but it was all sorted out in mere seconds by father," Yin added while sighing.
"Yeah, that was pretty annoying...I miss those days." Yang added with a sigh as well.
"None the less when we were both ready to go to war, we went off to with our father…a war which the king himself asked us, the Todoroki family to take part in. Of course, we answered and set out to war. One that would set us on the path we both walk today." Yin spoke in a soft tone when it came to the last sentence.
"What happened?" Naofumi asked with cold eyes.
"It took only three days to reach our destination and by the time we got there we were met with a large army, there the war began. The war however lasted only six months before it ended. Neither army won because both armies were wiped out at the exact same time. I and Yin were the only ones to survive each with our own way. My means were my own but Yin's was his father." Yang said rubbing the back of his head.
"What do you mean you both survived in your own way?" Naofumi asked with a raised brow.
"Yin was saved by an ancient blood spell that sacrifices the caster's soul to create an almost unbreakable barrier. I protected myself by using a forbidden technique of my own. A very powerful sword style that created a cocoon of swords to protect me. It cost me almost every sword I have collected thus far. This sword is the last of my collection." Yang answered crossing his arms over his chest sighing.
"Collection? How many swords did you own in your collection before the war?" Raphtalia asked as a sweat drop rolled down the side of her forehead.
"...well due to the training as well as small missions we were tasked with...about a thousand swords. Each having its own enchantment. Some minor while others were major" Yang answered while looking up at the sky with a smile
"What is this one's...enchantment?" Naofumi asked looking at the sheathed sword.
"In time maybe you'll find out Naofumi. Until then, you will have to wait and find out." Yang said with a hopeful smile while looking at Naofumi.
"We are getting off topic. What happened next?" Naofumi asked with an annoyed look.
"Right well, when the meteor shower finally died down, Yin was left in terrible condition. Not only was he closer to the devastating spell but his father's spell only protected Yin from the brunt of the attack. The barrier shattered in mere seconds before he had to take on the remaining damage from the meteor shower. I was further away but...well you heard what my cost was." Yang continued after clearing his throat.
"Yes, we did, how were you able to save Yin at his condition?" Naofumi asked.
"...I treated him to the best of my ability before bandaging his body. I had no shortage on rags to use as bandages to wrap up Yang's body. It took some time but I did it...once he was bandaged properly, I carried him all the way back to our home to get proper treatment." Yang spoke as Yin slowly looked to the ground making Yang look to his brother and place his hand on his arm.
"What happened?" Raphtalia asked looking at how Yang's attitude suddenly changed.
"By the time we got back to our home, we found that it had been raided by a band of bandits numbering to fifty of them...I slaughtered every last one all except their leader so we can get some answers." Yang spoke looking at Naofumi while Raphtalia covered her mouth. "Those who stayed behind were all killed by bandits...but there was something I did not find in that mess hip of bodies. Wanna know what it was?"
Yang's voice was filled with rage as he closed his eyes and gripped his hands into fists.
"There were no corpses of guards...anywhere. The king promised he would protect our home while we fought his war but what I heard next was what threw me off the top." Yang spoke opening his eyes slightly showing eyes filled with bloodlust.
Yin brought his hand up and placed it on Yang's shoulder to calm him down. Yang looked at Yin's hand before nodding his head and looking at the ground.
"From what the leader told us...he and his band watched the imperial guards retreat from the manor and back to the kingdom days after the news of the meteor shower attack. Once they watched the last guard leave, they waited five days before attacking the manor. All that was left were slaves and women...the men were killed almost instantly and the women... they were raped before finally being killed." Yin answered with his gaze locked on the ground.
"What did you do with the leader of the bandits?" Naofumi continued to ask his questions in which Raphtalia narrowed her eyes at her master.
"I did as I promised him before he answered our questions...to be set free," Yang answered opening his eyes slightly now.
"You killed him?" Naofumi asked with narrowed eyes.
"Yes. But given what he and his men did he was killed swiftly. That is what I asked Yang when he did as we asked." Yin spoke looking at Yang who shook his head.
"After the leader was executed, we went into the manor and began to treat Yin's wounds better. As soon as that was done, the following days were spent finding all the bodies of the slaves and his family to give them a proper burial. Such a thing took days to do...with me doing most of the work." Yang spoke closing his eyes.
"When we finished burying our family at the manor, we stayed and rested to regain our strength as well as waiting for my wounds to heal...something that took mere weeks before I was strong enough to move on my own without too much trouble." Yin continued looking at Naofumi. "Once I was strong and healed enough...we journeyed back to the battlefield to gather our family members to return to the manor to bury them with our other family members."
"Took like…five days total. When that was done, we both mourned our families passing before we scavenged the grounds for anything useful, we would need for our journey to the capital. What I found was a note from our mother…it was meant for Yin so I brought it to him and he read it out." Yang said closing his eyes.
"It read: If you are reading this than I am dead. The king commanded all his guards to return to the capital and prepare defenses in case another meteor shower was to fall toward the kingdom. Behind the fireplace stands the vault to the family. Our family's heirloom, the blade, and armor of Exodus." Yin said.
"Armor and blade of Exodus...what can they do?" Naofumi asked looking over his shoulder at Yin.
"I am not sure what either of them can do but from what my mother's stories, she told us when we were kids, my great grandfather wore this armor when fighting a horde of undead. None dared touch him for his armor would burn any who came into contact with him to ash. With his blade, he engulfed his sword in holy fire before turning the undead army to ash." Yin said with a smile as if remembering the story by heart.
"Mother sure knew how to tell us a story. No matter how many times she tells us, it was always pleasing to hear." Yang said with a sigh.
"That reminds me...the whole town was surrounded by undead soldiers as well as those larger ones. Yang, are you the one that wiped them out? I mean it could have been Yin but he was pushing through them to help us out." Raphtalia asked looking at Yang.
"Sure did. Took a bit of work but I cut down their numbers pretty fast. They may have numbers but they lack quality." Yang admitted with a brief chuckle.
"Would you be willing to train me?" Raphtalia asked still looking at Yang.
"As I said before. Only if time permits it." Yang answered with a smile earning a smile from Raphtalia as well before she turned her attention forward.
"Are you going to really train her?" Yin asked in a soft voice.
"...maybe. She shows promise...plus it means I don't have to work as hard if she can hold her own." Yang replied making Yin chuckle and straighten up while looking at Raphtalia then Naofumi. "They really are lucky to have you."
"I think we are the lucky ones brother. We have someone we can serve without the fear of being betrayed..." Yang replied looking forward.
"I trust your judgment brother," Yin assured softly nudging Yang's side as they continued their journey back to the kingdom.
-Kingdom of Melromarc: Banquet of Heroes-
Naofumi would be sitting next to a window overlooking the kingdom with no food or drinks in hand. Yang had already wandered off to stuff his face while Yin was talking with a few royals on a good job in protecting the town that was right by the wave. Raphtalia had collected some food before returning to Naofumi bent on trying to feed him some food. Suddenly, a gasp filled the room catching both Yin and Yang's attention.
Yang was the first one to return to make his way back to Naofumi's side to find the spear hero had challenged him. As soon as Naofumi was going to leave, he was stopped by castle knights as well as the king himself who walked forward revealing himself standing on a balcony overlooking the banquet.
"I heard what had happened. A hero, using a demi-human as his slave? It seems you truly are rotten to the core." The king spoke while the princess smirked. "I order you to accept this challenge."
"Wooo. What?" Yang asked looking at the king who slowly turned his attention to Yang with narrowed eyes.
"How did a beggar get into this castle. Guards, throw him out." The King ordered before Yin stood by Yang glaring at the king.
"You do not remember us?" Yin asked making the king look at the larger male and smiled before clapping his hands together.
"Yin Todoroki. It has been a long time. Why haven't you returned to the kingdom when if you were still alive?" The King asked with a wide smile earning a gasp from the crowd as they looked at Yin.
"Because I and my brother were burying our dead. My father and uncles as well as my cousins..." Yin spoke gripping his hands into fists.
"I am sorry to hear that..." The King began before Yang began to laugh gaining the King's attention. "What's so funny?"
"You are! You say you're sorry to hear that our father, uncle, and cousins are all dead but you are the one who was also responsible for the death of our mother and sisters. Our manor was supposed to be protected by your men while ours went off to a war you set us out too." Yang shouted making the crowd look at one another gossiping to one another before some looked to the king.
"Lies. What would a beggar know of the fate of the Todoroki family?" The king asked glaring at Yang who only chuckled while closing his eyes.
"Because I am the adopted son of Tadakatsu Todoroki," Yang announced making the people widen their eyes at this.
"We met only once but that was more than enough to know who my father was serving. At first, we thought it would be an everlasting peace between the Melromarc family and the Todoroki family but that all ended no more than a half a year when you went back on your word in protecting the Todoroki Estate." Yin spoke this time making the King narrow his eyes.
"Can't say anything now, can you? Todoroki's are forbidden to lie. Lying would mean slow death to the family member. Not only that but he also wears the Todoroki heirloom, the armor of Exodus. This is more than enough proof that he is the one and only true son and last bloodline of the Todoroki family." Yang shouted standing in front of Yin.
"He is indeed the son of Tadakatsu Todoroki...all I can say is my actions are justified. When I heard news of both armies being wiped out, I did pull my men guards back but that was to ensure that our kingdom would be safe if such an attack was directed to the capital." The king spoke making Yang grit his teeth.
"The funny thing is you are telling the truth," Yang spoke gripping his hands into fists.
"The Todoroki family is still under contract to serve the Melromarc family in our time of need." The king spoke looking at Yin.
"Not anymore," Yin spoke crossing his arms over his chest. "If you were to break your agreement in protecting the Todoroki estate, we would no longer serve under you," Yin spoke before looking at Naofumi. "I now serve under Naofumi-sama as my leader."
This news caused the king to glare at Naofumi even more before looking at the spear hero. A smirk grew over his lips before looking back at Naofumi.
"I order you to disband your party now shield hero." The King commanded.
"Stupid old man," Yang said cracking his neck.
"I demand a battle of contract!" Yin shouted while uncrossing his arms catching the King's attention.
"What are you putting up Yin Todoroki?" The king asked with a smile.
"Everything I have...if the spear hero can defeat Yang Maeda, not only will Raphtalia be freed but I will also serve under you and create a new contract...one that is perpetuity," Yin answered making the King widen his eyes at this before looking over to his daughter who chuckled and nodded her head.
"Very well. The Spear Hero will do battle against the beggar." The King announced causing the crowd to shout.
"Do you not want to hear what happens if Yang win's?" Yin asked watching as the King smirked and walked off with his daughter joining them.
"What the hell are you doing?" Yang asked shoving Yin who turned and looked at his brother.
"Giving us a fighting chance. Win this for us brother." Yin said with a hopeful smile.
"Against a hero? You don't think I will lose?" Yang asked filling doubt in the back of his mind.
"I know you brother...you slack off and go easy whenever you get the chance...but now I need you to go all out. Show them you have a second title...one father himself gave you." Yin said softly nudging his brother before walking off as well.
Yang watched Yin walk off before the spear hero walked over to stand in front of Yang. His eyes were unimpressed but even more so pissed that he had to fight someone other than Naofumi.
"Try not to take this personal...beggar. You just joined the wrong side." The spear hero said closing his eyes and began to walk off as well toward the arena.
"You are the one who is on the wrong side. Stupid kid." Yang spoke looking at Naofumi and Raphtalia who walked up to him next.
"Why?" Naofumi asked looking at the ground.
"Ah. Keep your head up Naofumi-san. We got your back...even though this is not what I expected...after this battle...you better bet that I am going to eat my fill." Yang said softly punching Naofumi's chest before walking off to the arena as well.
Looking at the seal, Yang raised his sword into the sky before slamming it upon the surface of a metal rail shattering the seal before taking hold of the handle.
"I really did not want to use this too soon but with my brother's freedom at stake, it seems I cannot hold anything back," Yang told himself before walking out into the arena seeing the spear hero standing in the center with the spear in hand.
"Are you ready beggar?" The spear hero asked with a smile.
"You really are a sheep. Following that girl on a whim without getting knowledge of your own." Yang said shaking his head while raising his sheathed katana into the air before stabbing it into the ground.
"Women never lie. They are the purest things in this world." He spoke making Yang groan and shake his head.
"Whatever. My name is Yang Maeda, beggar of the lost arts." Yang spoke taking hold of the handle with his left hand in a reverse grip.
"I am Motoyasu Kitamura, spear hero, and savior of all women," Motoyasu spoke with a smirk.
"I am going to warn you only once pretty boy. If you let your guard down for even a second against me...the next thing you will see is the ground." Yang warned before closing his eyes.
"Begin." The king announced.
Once the king gave the signal to begin, Motoyasu took no time in blitzing toward Yang's direction with his spear aiming at Yang's chest.
"Release," Yang whispered before pulling the katana from its sheath.
As soon as the katana left its sheath, ninety-nine katanas shot out of the sheath and landed in random areas in the area. Some even got close to impaling the spear hero forcing him to jump back and even deflect any remaining katanas. Once the katanas stopped coming out of the sheath, Yang held the first katana in his left hand while slowly opening his eyes. As his eyes opened, Motoyasu could not help but shiver in fear with the hair on the back of his neck standing on end now. Yang's eyes were bloodshot and filled with blood lust while raising the katana and aimed it at Motoyasu.
"Come. Join me in the dance of a hundred blades." Yang said with a soft smile.
"Chaos Spear!" Motoyasu shouted before firing hundreds of energy Spears at Yang.
Yang only smirked before grabbing a second katana in his right hand followed by hitting any katanas around him. As the katanas were hit into the air, he quickly slashed sideways hitting the katanas handles and forcing them to spin blocking most of the energy Spears. Some of the Spears got through and pierced his legs while others pierced his arms. When the energy Spears came to a stop, Motoyasu jumped forward to see a small puddle of blood but no Yang. A shadow passed over him forcing Motoyasu to look over his shoulder to see Yang had jumped over his view.
"MOTOYASU-SAMA IN FRONT OF YOU!" The princess shouted.
Motoyasu looked forward seeing a katana flying straight toward his gut. Quickly spinning his spear, he was able to barely deflect the katana before turning around and seeing another blade flying toward his face. Gritting his teeth, Motoyasu moved his head before raising his spear to prepare another skill but grunted in pain as he looked down to see a katana had impaled his left foot to the ground. He let out a painful scream as he looked forward seeing Yang jumped into the air holding four katanas, one in each hand and one in each foot.
"Fire spear!" Motoyasu shouted before thrusting his spear directly at Yang.
Yang chuckled before spinning forward like a saw. The four blades cut through the flames forcing Motoyasu to pull the sword out of his foot and jump back away from where Yang crashed down. Dust was kicked up from the impact blocking the crowd's view as well as Motoyasu's he used his left hand to protect his eyes from flying debris. Motoyasu took a step back before five katana flew in his direction forcing him to take defensive actions again and deflect the katana's one after another.
"Tears of the iron maiden," Yang spoke standing in the center of the arena that was now completely empty of katana aside from the five he threw earlier.
As he looked up, he saw that Yang had taken the time he was distracted to launch the other blades on the field into the air. Not only was the katana's raining from the sky but it was more focused. Ninety-nine five swords flew directly at Motoyasu like a swarm of Raven's diving in to feed on a dead corpse. Motoyasu spun his spear and deflected every single Katana but lost sight of Yang. Even with all the katana's flying at him, he was able to succeed in protecting himself until he looked back at where Yang was.
"Where are you?!" Motoyasu shouted looking around before looking up again seeing nothing.
"Crucifixion," Yang whispered from behind Motoyasu.
Quickly turning around, he found a single Katana stabbed into the ground before looking to his left and right to see the same thing. His eyes looked to where he saw Yang and found a forth katana. Widening his eyes, he jumped from his location avoiding the fifth katana.
"You're much better than I thought Motoyasu." Yang complimented standing on a single Katana in the center of the arena.
Motoyasu looked to Yang to see his hands and feet were bleeding from overusing them to throw or grab the katana at a faster pace than his body was ready for. Not only were his hands and feet were bleeding but his left shoulder and right knee.
"Why don't you give up? You'll only kill yourself if you continue. You've proven your strength but you cannot beat me." Motoyasu spoke pointing his spear at Yang.
"That sounds very tempting but you see...my brother's freedom is on the line so I can't do that." Yang apologized before sighing and landing on the ground.
"So be it. I respect your resolve...Yang Maeda. Your skills are wasted on the shield hero." Motoyasu spoke taking a thrusting stance.
Yang took hold of another katana with his right hand and knelt to the ground while placing the blade behind him with his eyes closed and head faced to the floor. His left hand was placed at the blunt side of the katana while Motoyasu blinked at this action before smirking and dashed forward thrusting his spear toward Yang's shoulder not wanting to kill him. In an instant, Motoyasu had lost sight of Yang when he was a meter away from him. Stopping in his tracks, he turned to find Yang with the katana's blade facing upward and even more so with blood on its sharp side.
"Hymn of Maria," Yang whispered before a large cut to appear over Motoyasu's chest causing to fall to his knee and place his left arm over his gash.
"What did...you do?" Motoyasu asked looking over his shoulder at Yang.
"I cut your chest. If you were not a hero, you'd be laying on the ground dead." Yang spoke before stabbing the ground with his katana. "Just to be safe you should surrender so we can both get healed."
Motoyasu stood up and faced Yang holding his spear with both hands.
"I will...not surrender..." Motoyasu spoke making Yang sigh and shake his head.
With the two looking at one another, Yang took hold of a sword and got into the same stance, as before making Motoyasu narrow his eyes and raise his spear. Suddenly, Yang was launched forward by a wind spell propelling him directly toward Motoyasu. He took this chance to grit his teeth and aim at Yang.
"BURST LANCE!" Motoyasu shouted before jumping forward while his spear shined a bright gold before thrusting it forward into Yang's chest launching him backward and into a wall before falling to the ground.
"ONI-SAN!" Yin shouted before Motoyasu panted heavily with blood beginning to drip from his mouth.
He looked at Yang for a few seconds before turning to raise his spear to declare his victory. The King himself was about to call out the name of the Victor before Yang stood up and panted heavily catching Motoyasu's attention again.
"Stand down. You've lost. You cannot continue with your condition." Motoyasu spoke placing his spear on his back.
A large gash was easy to see on Yang's chest but still, he stood tall with blood dripping from his wound.
"I-I... w-war...ned you." Yang stuttered before slowly looking at Motoyasu.
His eyes were pitch black but the only one who could see it was Motoyasu and no one else.
"Not only...did your party...member interfere...but...you dare...take my warning...for granted..."Yang spoke taking a step forward with his eyes locked on Motoyasu.
He was slightly fazed by this but sighed before walking toward Yang while taking his spear and holding it in his left hand.
"Then I will finish it," Motoyasu spoke standing inches in front of Yang with his spear aimed at his chest.
"March of a hundred warriors," Yang whispered before disappearing into a blur.
Motoyasu immediately turned his attention to the arena to find all one hundred katanas were now missing. With narrowed eyes, he took hold of his spear and prepared himself before Yang appeared behind him back to back.
"Ambush." Yang spoke before walking away.
Motoyasu stood there before the hundred katanas appeared around his body impaling every inch of his arms and legs with one impaling his gut. With all one hundred katanas impaled in Motoyasu's body, he finally collapsed due to pain and even more so blood loss.
"If you do not call the winner right now...I will kill him." Yang spoke turning to face the king with bloodshot eyes still.
"The winner...Yang Maeda." The King announced making Yin immediately jump over the rails and onto the arena and directly toward Yang who collapsed onto the ground.
Yang's body was a complete mess with his muscles nearly torn to ribbons. His legs were almost crippled while his hands and feet seemed like it had been put through a blender. Blood flowed from his eyes, ears, and even his mouth as he laid flat on the ground. Yin knelt by Yang and closed his eyes praying silently to himself gathering mana from his body and focusing it on his brother. A ray of light shot through the ceiling of the arena and onto Yang healing his wounds slowly but effectively, both self-inflicted and the damage he took from Motoyasu. Yang was still being treated by Yin since he was the only one healing his brother, Naofumi joined Yin and took out herbs to give them to Yang as a means to assist in healing his wounds.
Healers from the king had descended onto the arena all gathering to heal the spear hero as swiftly as possible. Once the healers got there, they were about to take out the swords but fell back as every single katana flew out of the spear hero and impaled the ground around Yang as if protecting him from harm. With the katanas leaving Motoyasu's body, blood began to immediately pour out his now open wounds forcing the healers to work fast to save the spear hero. It took mere seconds before the spear hero was healed completely but due to the shock of pain, he was still unconscious.
"Brother...wake up. WAKE UP!" Yin begged for minutes before Yang let out a wet cough.
"Did it work? Did I win?" Yang asked opening his eyes and looking up at Yin and Naofumi with a weak smile.
"Yes. You won brother. As risky as a move you pulled you won." Yin said with a chuckle while tears ran down his face.
"What style was that?" Raphtalia asked standing behind Naofumi and looking over his shoulder.
"Questions...for style...later...food...now," Yang replied making Yin and Raphtalia chuckle.
"Cheater!" The princess shouted as a company of knights began to surround Naofumi and his party.
The King walked up behind the company with his eyes narrowed. Yin stood up and glared directly at the king with rage filling in his eyes. Yang quickly grabbed Yin's left ankle with his hand to get his attention which succeeded. When Yin looked at his brother he saw him shake his head as if telling him to stop.
"Shut up princess," Yang shouted while looking up at the ceiling before groaning in pain making Yin turn to him and continue to heal his body.
"This match is voided due to foul play. Arrest the shield hero and his party." The King ordered making the knights unsheathing their swords and begin to move in on the party.
Suddenly, the sword hero and bow hero landed on the side of Yin looking at the knights. The sword hero had pale skin just like the bow hero but their height was obviously different. On the left, the sword hero had deep blue eyes and short black hair with the bow hero standing on the right having gold colored eyes and short light brown hair while he wore Archer attire.
"You lost fair and square...even though your daughter intervened." The sword hero spoke glaring at the knights before grabbing the handle of his sword.
The sword hero had pale skin but blue ocean eyes. He had short black hair and a toned body. His eyes looked at the knights as if warning them to back off. This alone caused the knights to shiver in fear before backing away from Naofumi and his party members allowing the King and Malty a clear view of the two heroes as well as Naofumi's party.
"What are you talking about? The only cheater is that Beggar who lays on the ground. If it wasn't for the sword of a hundred blades, Yang would have lost hands down." The princess continued to complain.
"I mean it was a battle between just those two. Not a tag team. The only cheater is you, princess." The bow hero spoke with his hands behind his head.
Malty would glare at the bow hero as well as grit her teeth before looking toward Yin seeing he went back to treating his brother Yang.
"So, you're going to go back on your word again?" Yang asked gaining the king's attention. "Are you a king...or a tyrant?"
The word alone made the king grit his teeth and glare at Yang's direction.
"Very well. What do you want...Yin Todoroki?" The King asked looking at Yin and completely ignoring Yang.
"It is not what I want but my brother," Yin said as he looked over his brother's wounds seeing some of his major injurious had closed up temporarily.
"So be it. What do you want...Yang Maeda?" The King asked with narrowed eyes.
"I want you to never order Naofumi, Raphtalia, Yin, or myself ever again. Your daughter doesn't have that power yet so you're the only one we really have to worry about. That's it." Yang spoke making the King raise a brow.
"Is that it? That is all you ask?" The King asked tilting his head slightly.
"So far that is the most you're willing to give. We get nothing very special and you don't lose too much face. Sounds fair enough." Yang said holding his chest.
"...very well. I will no longer order around Naofumi and his party. This you have my word." The King spoke closing his eyes and turned his back on them to leave.
"No," Yang said stopping the king who looked over his shoulder.
"What?" The King asked glaring at Yang.
"The deal is that you will not order any of us four...weather we are a party or separated. That's the deal since you went out of your way not to listen to our side if I won." Yang spoke glaring back at the king.
The King stood there growing more and more impatient as well as annoyed at Yang but for now simply sighed and looked forward.
"So be it...I will no longer command the shield hero, his slave, your brother, or you." The King spoke before finally walking off while taking his men with him.
"Alright. We can finally go an eat." Yang said until the sword hero and bow hero stood in front of them.
"Yang Maeda, would you be willing to leave the shield hero and join my party?" The sword hero asked with his arms crossed over his chest again.
"Or mine?" The bow hero asked with a wide smile.
"And you two are?" Yang asked with a raised brow. "I am not talking about your titles but your names. Plus, why should I join your party?"
The two heroes looked at one another before chuckling and looking back at Yang.
"I am Ren Amaki. Your potential is wasted on the shield hero." The sword hero said with serious eyes.
"My name's Itsuki Kawasami. The same thing what he said but I would say I'm better." The bow hero said with a light laugh.
"Alright, thanks for telling me both of your names. As for the answer no. The reason is that you both do not line up with my standards." Yang bluntly said with a sigh.
"Standards?" Ren and Itsuki said with narrowed eyes.
"Look. I am thankful that you both helped me and my buddies here but that is not enough for me to leave his party. Plus...when Naofumi was wronged...did any of you seek the truth or did you go with the flow?" Yang asked facing them.
The two heroes looked at Naofumi before looking away.
"This...is the only time you stood up for him. Because there was visible proof that they wronged him. Seeing this, would that not prove he was wronged in the beginning. The past is the past so you cannot change it...but what you can change is the future that holds for the shield hero and yourselves." Yang finished before sighing and facing the ceiling again.
"If you excuse me, heroes, I must continue to tend to my brother's wounds...and feed him since he tore his muscles more then he normally does," Yang spoke standing up and facing the heroes before bowing his head in thanks.
"Wait! My katana." Yang complained before Yin sighed and looked toward the katanas that surrounded them.
"I am surprised the king did not try to steal the katana," Yang whispered making Yang laugh.
"As if he could. Katanas have a mind of their own. That is why I choose them. They choose their master, any who try to claim them without first proving themselves will find nothing but misfortune." Yang explained while sighing.
"And you think your katana will let me resheath it?" Yin asked with a concerned look on his face.
"Pffft you'll be fine...but if you're too afraid to resheath my katana then I can just take me to one of the katanas and it'll be done in no time," Yang said with a chuckle.
Yin sighed and nodded in silence before carrying his brother to the closest katana by them. With Yang's body healed to a bare minimum, it was painful to move it and even more so to grab anything with it but he had to so that they could leave. Yang stretched his left arm out and reached to grab a hold of the handle by his hand. Gritting his teeth due to the pain he was feeling, he finally took hold of the handle and sighed.
"Retreat now," Yang commanded before the other ninety-nine katanas all fused into the single katana Yang held.
With a soft whisper, the sheath of the katana began to reform itself onto its blade with the sound of yawning escaping from the katana. As soon as the sheath touched the handle of the katana, it sealed itself along with a fresh wrapping of bandages. Holding it in his hand, he smiled and brought it up to his chest and held onto the sheathed katana while Yin walked off toward the banquet along with Naofumi and Raphtalia.
"Where are you going?" Ren asked causing Yin to stop in his tracks.
"Where else? Back to the party. Even if the real party is done, that doesn't mean it is done for us. We have other things to celebrate after all other than the victory of the first wave you heroes participated in. Naofumi-sama and we have our day of union to celebrate. The day we joined his party." Yin answered while looking over his shoulder at Ren.
"...yeah...FOOD!" Yang shouted before groaning in pain.
"Yeah yeah I know brother. We're going now." Yin said with a chuckle before walking off again with Naofumi and Raphtalia following beside them.
-Inn-
Yin and Yang would be in their room next door to Naofumi and Raphtalia getting more comfortable. Yang laid on his bed wearing nothing more than a towel around his waist since his clothes were both covered in blood as well as torn to ribbons. His body was covered in scar marks from the bottom of his neck all the way down to his ankles with his head being the only place without a scar. Sighing heavily, Yang had his eyes closed still since he was still in the phase of being healed by his brother and simply brought his hand over his belly to rub it.
"Oww...so...ow...full," Yang said with a wide smile on his face before Yin chuckled and shook his head at his brother's actions.
"You're not helping yourself heal any faster if you keep moving your limbs when it is not necessary." Yin scolded said while laughing.
"Oh, but it is necessary." Yang pointed out before resting his arm on the side of his body.
"Whatever you say, I'm just saying that if you allowed your body to rest more, you'd be in better shape," Yin said with a chuckle while shaking his head.
"Shut up. I'll be fine. Your Holy Light spell is getting better and better with every time you use it. Who knows, maybe one day you will have mastered it so much that you can even heal my scars." Yang said shuffling his body slightly only to groan softly in pain.
"Well in the meantime try not to get yourself hurt too much. There is only so much I can do brother." Yin countered with a sigh.
"Hell, you saved my sorry ass just as much as I saved yours," Yang said faintly smiling before slowly fading away. "What's wrong brother?"
"What are you talking about? Nothing is wrong brother...just rest okay." Yin lied while beginning to remove his paladin armor.
"I can tell when you're lying brother, don't try to hide it. I have lived with you long enough to tell something is on your mind." Yang said facing Yin.
Yin stood there for a second in silence before sighing and nodding his head as he turned to look at Yang.
"It pisses me off that no one cares about you or respects you although you treat everyone equally. It's is not fair. You should be treated with kindness and care. Not like some beggar." Yin said gripping his hands tightly into a fist while glaring at the ground.
"Yin...we have been through this. I don't care what people think of me and that will never change. The world is not always fair and we need to deal with it. You should not let it bother you so much." Yang replied to try and reassure his brother.
"...but I do. They do not know how great you are nor what you have done to get to where you are now. Everyone has a purpose and role to play and I am damn sure your role is far from being a beggar who was given a sweet life without working hard for it later on. Yes, our parents brought you in but still, you fought for it...literally. You've come to every training session although it was clear you knew how to protect yourself." Yin began before turning away from Yang and closing his eyes shut.
"Yin Todoroki. Look at me." Yang said before groaning in pain and sitting himself up to face his brother.
Yin opened his eyes slowly before looking over his shoulder to see his brother sitting up and looking at him with his eyes.
"You and I are sworn brothers...nothing will change that. If you have my back then, by all means, I got yours. Do you have my back?" Yang asked with a smile.
"Of course I have your back," Yin answered turning his whole body to face Yang.
"Good, then come on. We need the rest for the days to come. I am not going to lie, I am not looking forward to explaining my style to Raphtalia and Naofumi." Yang said while Yin made his way to his brother smiling softly again to help him lay back down.
"You were never the one for explaining things brother. Rest well." Yin said before Yang nodded in response before finally falling asleep. "In time they will understand your role brother...just like mine."
With that Yin, continued to remove the paladin armor and set it by his drawer before finally laying on his bed and closing his eyes.
/to be continued…