Rise of the Sword and the Shield chapter 17: Wave of Catastrophe
Lyall the Werewolf: The long-awaited Second Wave is here. First, a word of apology for having taken this long to get to this point. I hope it was worth the wait. Of course, there will be some major changes for the Second Wave. You'll see what I mean.
Side note, in case anyone wasn't aware, Reprise of the Spear Hero's manga adaptation ended its run last month. It's a shame it had to end where it did, as it was just getting good.
With that out of the way, onward to the Second Wave of Catastrophe.
(I don't own Senran Kagura or Shield Hero)
"I'm back!" Asuka announced as she entered the room she and her partner stayed in.
"Welcome back, Asuka!" greeted Rino with a smile.
As soon as Asuka strolled into the room, she collapsed onto the bed while groaning in exhaustion.
"I take it that strategy meeting didn't pan out too well?"
"More like it never got started. Those guys haven't changed. They wasted so much time on nothing. At least I gave Cerberus's remains to Naofumi-kun to use." groaned Asuka.
"I'm not surprised it didn't work out. Motoyasu is as clueless as ever, isn't he?" Rino asked.
"Yeah, he's still with Myne-san, after all. I guess a few jabs to the ribs won't fix Motoyasu-kun's stupidity." Asuka sighed.
"Ahaha! Got that right! I wish I was there to see it!" Rino laughed.
Asuka was aware of Rino's hatred of Motoyasu after what happened at Callma Village. Thankfully, she recovered well after the experience, but it didn't change that Myne and Motoyasu were indirectly responsible for Rino being put in life-threatening danger and she had every right to hate them for it. Asuka could only imagine how many fireworks would go off if she met them now.
"Don't worry, Asuka. I'll keep my temper under control around them." Rino assured. She must have guessed that Asuka was concerned about her.
"I know you will." Asuka smiled, "We have to focus on the Second Wave now. There's no use crying over spilled milk."
"We prepared as much as we could for the Wave. I'm sure it'll be enough."
"Let's hope so…" Asuka sighed, "Anyway, let's go to sleep. We need to save our energy for what's ahead."
"Yeah! Goodnight, Asuka!"
The pair lie down on their respective beds and went to sleep.
Although, Asuka hadn't fallen asleep yet. The former Shinobi was still anxious over the Second Wave of Catastrophe. She wanted some reassurance that she and the other Cardinal Heroes would come to some understanding and work as a unit. But she knew wishful thinking was pointless. The unit was broken ages ago, and the cracks continued to fester even today.
There was only one viable strategy that she could place stock in. Divide and conquer. Motoyasu and Itsuki fight the boss, while Asuka and hopefully Naofumi keep the lesser monsters from hurting civilians. Assuming Naofumi was willing to fight alongside her.
"Well… good luck to us all…" with a final whisper, Asuka closed her eyes and lets sleep take over.
[-Castle-Town Plaza: Early Morning-]
It was early morning and all able-bodied adventurers gathered around the town plaza. They were anticipating the Second Wave. Many were eager to prove their worth as adventurers. Others were anxious and hoped they would survive.
And many were surprised to see a familiar voice in town. It was the face of Asuka, the Sword Hero. She was still wearing her cloak, but her hood was down.
Next to her was Rino, who was also wearing her hood down.
Asuka's presence stirred some whispers from the adventurers.
"So, it is true, the Sword Hero is back!"
"I thought she disappeared? She turns up now of all times?"
"What'd you expect? She'd have to show up for the Second Wave."
"Hey, maybe she'd let me join her party now. She's got a friend with her."
Asuka and Rino continued their stride in the plaza, wearing most of the whispers along the way.
"Looks like you've been missed," Rino smirked.
"Ignore them. Our focus should be on the Wave," said Asuka.
"Roger." nodded Rino.
Honestly, Asuka wasn't looking forward to appearing in public after all this time. True, she had some fans happy to see her return, but she knew she would have to deal with the unpleasant rabble as well. That included a certain King and the Pope. The former Shinobi was glad she timed her return for the day of the Second Wave of Catastrophe.
"Sword Hero-san!" Raphtalia called out. Her tail was wagging excitedly as she ran up to them. Naofumi was trailing behind.
In preparation for the coming battle, Raphtalia wore a leather chest plate and leather gauntlets.
"Raphtalia-chan, you look like you're ready to go." Asuka said to Raphtalia.
"Yes. I'll do my best for Naofumi-sama as his sword!" Raphtalia declared.
"His sword, huh? Looks like you found your resolve." Asuka smiled proudly.
"That's right, and I can't thank you enough for giving me that resolve." Raphtalia nodded, "The words you said to me that day struck a chord with me. And Naofumi-sama has done so much for me. He gave me warm food, cured my illness, and most importantly, he taught me how to fight as well. No matter what happens, I won't stop fighting. Not just for him, but for myself as well."
"Glad to hear it!"
"So, that's the Shield Hero?" Rino asked as she noticed Naofumi standing away from the three women.
"Yeah, that's him. I guess he still doesn't wanna talk to me." Asuka sadly said. At least he seemed permissive of Raphtalia chatting with her and Rino. That was a start at least.
"He doesn't look too friendly either," said Rino.
"I can bring him over if you want, Sword Hero-san," Raphtalia said. She was a little annoyed by her master's lack of tact.
"No. I'm sure he's preparing himself for the fight ahead. I don't want to bother him." Asuka politely refused.
"I-If you say so, Sword Hero-san."
"And you don't have to be formal with me. I prefer being called by name, which is Asuka."
"Oh, but…"
"Trust me, she won't take no for an answer. Just roll with it." Rino encouraged.
"A-Alright. Asuka-san." Raphtalia smiled. Something about saying another Cardinal Hero's name felt off, but it also felt good. Perhaps it was because Asuka was genuinely friendly that Raphtalia was taken with her. It was like she had an older sister. Although, the height difference was noticeable.
"Hm! That's better." Asuka said.
"Actually, Asuka-san, I have something to ask you…" Raphtalia's ears fell a little bit.
"What is it?" asked Asuka.
"Last night, I asked Naofumi-sama what happened between him, you, and the other two Heroes. Sadly, he refused to answer me." said a frustrated Raphtalia.
"And you want to know why there's such a divide between the four of us, right?"
"Yes. If you don't mind me asking…"
"Well, that's simple! It all traces back to that two-faced bitch, Myne." an angered Rino said.
Raphtalia became confused by the blonde's harsh statement, "Myne? You mean that woman from the Spear Hero's party?"
There was no forgetting how unpleasant that woman was. Neither was her rivalry with Asuka. Raphtalia also couldn't but feel that woman had the same prejudiced reaction most people had to her kind, but on a much greater scale.
"Yeah. Judging by your confusion, you must not know about the trial."
"The trial?"
"Thought so." Asuka nodded, "Needless to say, that red-haired woman, Myne-san, is responsible for the Four Cardinal Heroes essentially hating each other. Naofumi-kun's current attitude is especially her fault. I'll never forgive her for what she did to us."
Raphtalia saw the anger in Asuka's eyes as she spoke of that woman. The raccoon girl felt that woman was unpleasant, but it was difficult to fathom that she was responsible for Naofumi's disposition.
"I-I don't understand. Why would she make the Cardinal Heroes hate each other? What did she do to Naofumi-sama?" Raphtalia asked anxiously.
Asuka wondered whether or not to tell Raphtalia about the trial, but she then noticed the countdown to the commencement of the Second Wave almost up in HUD. She also felt Raphtalia should hear it from Naofumi's mouth. It was clear that Raphtalia was genuinely loyal to her master, so if anything, he had nothing to fear.
"We'll have to talk later. It's almost time." Asuka warned.
Raphtalia was about to protest, but she saw the urgency on Asuka's face. She reluctantly conceded, "Alright."
"Raphtalia!" Naofumi called his slave as he approached her and the Sword Hero party of two.
"Yes, Naofumi-sama?" Raphtalia replied.
"It's almost time, so wrap it up," Naofumi ordered.
"Yes. I'm ready."
Naofumi silently turned to Asuka. The two stare each other in the eye in awkward silence.
Asuka was the first to break the preverbal ice, "So, how do you like the Cerberus Series?"
"… I haven't tested out the skills yet," Naofumi replied tartly.
"Well, there's no time like the present, right?" Asuka asked.
"Yeah…" Naofumi indifferently replied. He noticed Rino standing beside Asuka. "I take it that's your partner?"
"Yeah. This is Rino-chan."
"N-Nice to meet you, Shield Hero…" Rino nervously said.
"And just so you know, Rino-chan is a former member of Motoyasu-kun's party," Asuka said, causing Naofumi to scowl.
"Why would you take one of Motoyasu's gold diggers? Were you that desperate?" Naofumi angrily asked.
"Naofumi-sama! That was rude!" Raphtalia admonished, which her master ignored.
"It's okay… I'm not surprised he'd think that all of Motoyasu's party members were gold-digging women. They pretty much are." Rino frowned due to bitter memories, "He makes a lot of money for them, so they can waste it on useless crap like expensive clothes or luxury hotels. I was never into that and they picked on me for it, especially that bitch!"
"Really?" Naofumi raised an eyebrow. Somehow, he felt he could believe Rino's claims. The hate in her eyes matched his own when talking about Motoyasu's party. Myne was a particular sore spot, just as it was for him.
"Long story short: She was betrayed by Myne-san, and I rescued her. We're a party now." Asuka explained.
"I see. Well, I don't care either way." Naofumi shrugged, "Raphtalia, we're leaving." He said as he turned his back to Asuka and Rino.
"Naofumi-kun, wait!" Asuka called out to him. He stopped dead in his tracks but didn't turn to face her.
She now had his attention, so Asuka continued, "I want us to work together, at least for this Wave."
Naofumi remained silent, but his curiosity was evident.
"I understand you don't trust me after what happened. But Motoyasu-kun and Itsuki-kun won't listen to me. I know you're aware of how real this world is. You wouldn't have Raphtalia-chan as your slave and taken such good care of her if you didn't." said Asuka.
Rino was a little surprised to hear that Raphtalia was the Shield Hero's slave, but she held her tongue.
"So, you do know..." Naofumi growled.
"Yeah. And you don't need to worry. I wouldn't tell anyone. I can't have you fighting alone out there. And I think Raphtalia-chan feels the same way. A shield can't do much without its sword to with it." Asuka assured.
"That's correct, Naofumi-sama." Raphtalia said, "You're the one who gave me a reason to fight. You took me in and took care of me. You taught me how to fight and survive. That's why I swear to be your sword forever! Wherever you go, I'll be there with you."
Raphtalia's eyes were filled with conviction. Her words were true. Naofumi could see it. It was the same with Asuka.
The Shield Hero was at a loss for words, but he understood what needed to be said.
"I'll hold you to that, Raphtalia." Naofumi said to Raphtalia.
Raphtalia smiled happily.
"And Asuka, I'll work with you… just this once." Naofumi said to Asuka.
"That's all I ask," Asuka replied.
The two outcast Heroes' respective HUDs notified them of their alliance. It showed their parties coming together, but the party icon in the lower right corner lit up. It said 'Battle Formation'.
"Battle Formation?"
"Looks like a built machinic that helps set up party members. I guess it's like in MMORPGs where the leader of a guild or clan decides who is what position, so they can fight in a more organized manner."
"Huh? So, that's how it works?" Asuka asked.
"Shouldn't you know this? I thought you played a VRMMO with friends of yours." Naofumi said.
Asuka stiffened upon being reminded of her cover story.
"Y-Yeah! It's been a while, so it slipped my mind!" Asuka exclaimed.
Naofumi wasn't suspicious of that claim at all.
At any rate, the tab for Battle Formations showed that Asuka was nominated as the Leader, while Naofumi was acknowledged as Sub-Leader. Raphtalia and Rino were beneath the two leaders.
"I'm the leader?" asked a surprised Asuka.
"You're the one who suggested it, so it makes sense you'd be the Leader."
"I-I see…" Asuka nervously said. She felt the distrust in the Shield Hero creeping up again.
"I don't mind deferring to you as party leader for now. Just don't try to double-cross me." Naofumi warned.
"I won't! Geez!" Asuka groaned.
Raphtalia and Rino were more compliant with their positions, despite their confusion over the two Heroes talking about MMOs or whatever they were called.
"I see there are no objections to me leading this group, so I'll do my best." Asuka nodded in acceptance. It wouldn't make much difference to her, since she was the unanimous field leader of Team Hanzō. Though she was better suited to direct combat as opposed to strategic leading, circumstances have forced her to change certain perspectives.
The morning sun completed its rise in the sky. And so did the countdown.
The Dragon Hourglass rang its ominous toll, signifying the Second Wave of Catastrophe had begun.
The once calm blue skies turned a bloody shade of red. The clouds disappeared as well, replaced with cracks lining the sky. With the sky's change in color came an oppressive atmosphere coupled with a toxic chill in the air.
The four were initially shocked at the sudden change in the environment until they were surrounded by a bright light and teleported outside of Castle-Town.
They were now standing in the middle of the forest area outside the capital.
"Where are we?!" Naofumi exclaimed.
"Ah!" Raphtalia gasped in horror when she looked up at the dark red sky. It was all too familiar to her, as it was the same as the First Wave.
From the cracks in the skies above came bright, colorful glowing fissures. The fissures slowly grow until they become a coalition of giant vortexes, like whirlpools you would see in the ocean.
"So, this is it? The Wave of Catastrophe…" Naofumi said in shock.
The moniker was fitting, as the vortexes formed into a massive wave across the sky, and monsters of different shapes and sizes poured out to wreak terrible havoc on the land.
"Oh god… it's even bigger than last time…" Rino said.
"You've been through the First Wave?" asked Naofumi.
"Y-Yeah, but I only got around to helping civilians escape. I wasn't strong enough to fight the monsters from the First Wave back then." Rino answered. She turned to Asuka in hopes of hearing a plan from her party leader. However, Asuka didn't respond.
The Sword Hero stared up at the sky. Her eyes were vacant and un-blinking.
"Asuka? What's wrong, Asuka?" Rino asked.
"Asuka-san?" Raphtalia asked.
"It's… like before…" Asuka muttered. Memories of Orochi's immediate appearance following her final fight with Homura flashed before her eyes. The environmental changes back then resembled what was happening now, as the Second Wave of Catastrophe triggered these memories to resurface.
"Like before?" Rino repeated.
A moment later, Asuka returned to her senses and shook her head, "Sorry! I was just surprised at how big that wave is!"
"It's more than that, isn't it?" Naofumi thought as he looked at Asuka. He had some sympathy for her. He doubted that she saw any Wave of Catastrophe in her old world. But she just said it was like before. Could that mean something similar happened?
He recalled her saying she was supposedly playing this VRMMO called Shinobi Brave Star Online. Could that have been a lie to cover up what really happened? It sounded like BS when he thought about it. It was like she made it up.
And there was the question of her fighting skills that he kept hearing about. Now was as good a time as any to verify if the rumors were true.
"Anyway, we need to get a move on! There's no time to waste! Monsters are pouring in as we speak!" Asuka said.
"ASUKA-CHAN!"
Asuka felt a chill creep up her spine as soon as she heard that familiar and obnoxious voice. She wasn't the only one feeling the need to groan.
The group of four spotted Motoyasu rushing toward them, specifically to Asuka so he could hug her.
Following behind him was his party, who were not happy to follow him right now. Once he spotted her, Motoyasu made a mad dash to the Sword Hero, leaving them behind.
"You really did get summoned into the Wave! You must be so scared right now!" Motoyasu's reckless charge led him to run straight into a tree after Asuka sidestepped him again.
"No, I'm not."
"But don't you worry! I'll be here to protect you!" declared the undaunted Motoyasu as he tried to hug Asuka again. She dodged him again.
"Not necessary."
"By the way, thanks for the health potion you gave me! I'll you twice as many gifts for it!"
"No thanks or meaningless gifts are necessary. Please stop."
"You're so cute when you play hard to get!"
The cycle of attempted hugs and dodging continued for a few moments.
"I swear, he can't get any more annoying," Naofumi muttered. Naturally, he felt like he was being ignored, not that he cared right now.
Rino was waiting patiently for the charade to end. Just the sight of the Spear Hero trying to put his dirty hands on Asuka offended her.
"Naofumi-sama, look!" Raphtalia called out as she pointed to the nearby Lute Village in the distance.
The village was getting swarmed by undead monsters. Unfortunately, villagers were still there as well.
"They didn't get evacuated?" asked Naofumi.
"I said the knights didn't do a sufficient job preparing for the Second Wave, remember? One glaring issue I noticed was that they didn't bother evacuating civilians outside the capital a day prior and waited until the Wave actually began," said Asuka. She was still evading Motoyasu's hugs. "And it looks like only Heroes and their respective parties get teleported to the action."
"That makes sense… The Cardinal Heroes are here to deal with the Waves of Catastrophe. And I haven't run into too many knights after the trial, but I can tell a majority of them are pricks." Naofumi thought.
As they spoke, a purple signal flare flew up in the air. It was likely a way to call for the knights to their location.
"A signal flare? Will that be enough to get the knights' attention?" Naofumi wondered.
"Hey, Motoyasu-kun, don't you see the flare?" Asuka asked the Spear Hero. She decided she had enough of his unwanted hugs and tripped him over his feet and made him fall.
"Ow! What was that?"
"Lute Village! It's nearby calling for help and we need to do something!" Asuka said while pointing to the village. Despite knowing he'd go for the boss first, she decided to test whether Motoyasu would show some concern for civilian safety this time.
"Why bother? The knights can take care of that." Motoyasu refuted.
"The knights may not make it time, no thanks to their lack of planning." Asuka countered.
Naofumi, Raphtalia, and Rino had to agree. They were far from the castle, but it would take some time for the knights to reach the village. There probably won't be anything left to save by the time they show up.
Meanwhile, Myne and her teammate finally catch up to the Spear Hero.
"Motoyasu-sama, we don't have time for this!" Myne shouted to her leader, "Leave the Sword Bimbo alone for one second and go find the Second Wave Boss!"
"Oh yeah! I gotta find and take it out! Itsuki's got a head start too!"
"What about the village?" Asuka asked while ignoring the spiteful glares of the Spear Hero's party.
"If we take care of the boss fast enough, we can end the Wave and save the village while the knights can rest their shiny swords. Easy as pie! So quite worrying about some measly village."
Asuka frowned at Motoyasu's carelessness. Sure, they could kill the boss, but how long will that take? How many lives will be lost by the time the boss is defeated?
"And if you're so concerned about how the knights were going to handle this, why didn't you ask them to evacuate villages before now?"
"Even if I did go to them directly, they wouldn't take me seriously. I'm still a Fake Hero in their eyes." Asuka said. She remembered getting a few heckles from knights who didn't accept that she wasn't the Sword Hero they wanted.
A good number of those idiotic knights were devoted to Three Heroes Church. They'd never consider the word of a Fake Sword Hero.
"Whose been saying you're a Fake Hero?! I'll slaughter them!" Motoyasu angrily declared.
"Except you don't think she's a Hero either." Naofumi thought spitefully.
"It pains me to say it, but Myne-san's right. We don't have time to argue. If you wanna take on the boss, fine. I'll go help the villagers escape!" Asuka prepared to run in the direction of the village.
"Oh no, you don't!" Motoyasu said as he grabbed Asuka's cloaked arm, "Come with us, Asuka-chan! I told you before I'd protect you, remember? Instead of getting hurt or dirty in a bloody fight, you should watch and cheer for me to kill the boss and show up Itsuki!"
An audible groan could be heard from Asuka as Motoyasu stubbornly refused to let her go.
He would have dragged her along with him by force if he had to.
"Please stop this! You're just wasting more time!" Raphtalia admonished.
"Don't worry, Raphtalia-chan. I know you wanna cheer for me, too!" Motoyasu smiled at the raccoon girl before noticing a familiar face.
"Hi, it's been a while, Motoyasu-sama," Rino said cheerfully.
"Huh? Rino-chan?" Motoyasu gasped.
Myne was shocked to see her as well. She could have sworn she sold that waste of space away. It wouldn't even matter if she was devoured by Cerberus, as long as that blonde bimbo wasn't around to muck up to group dynamic or steer Motoyasu in a different direction to that of an attack dog. She could only surmise that the Sword Bimbo rescued her. In this case, Myne needed to do something before the bimbo party spill the beans and turned Motoyasu against her.
"Hold on, Asuka-chan mentioned she had a party member now… don't tell me it's you!"
"Yeah! I'm working with Asuka now. Isn't that wonderful?"
Naofumi could see through the cheerful act. Rino was seething with hatred, but she kept it under a cheerful façade. Motoyasu was non-the-wiser.
"W-Well, of course, it is. I was worried about how lonely Asuka-chan might be, but now that I know you're with her, that's a great relief, but…" the Spear Hero trailed off. He realized that Asuka had disappeared again, this time leaving her cloak behind.
"What the hell?! Not again!" the Spear Hero exclaimed. He was bewildered that she could slip away from him so easily. He frantically looked around and saw a silhouette resembling Asuka dashing down the hill to Lute Village at high speed.
"Asuka-chan, come back!" Motoyasu cried to the Sword Hero, only to fall on deaf ears. He was about to go after her, but someone got in his way.
"Motoyasu-sama!" Myne yelled testily as she pulled at Motoyasu's ear, "We need to find the boss, NOW!"
Myne knew dealing with the Sword Bimbo and her new tramp of a partner would have to wait. The Second Wave Boss was their first priority.
"O-Okay, Myne! Take it easy! Ow!" Motoyasu pleaded as he was dragged away by Myne and his party, "W-We'll talk later, okay Rino-chan?!"
"Okay! See you later!" Rino waved while cheerfully smiling.
"And Naofumi, I'll kill you if you get any of those girls hurt, understand?!"
"Shut up already!"
As soon as the Spear Hero's party was out of sight, Rino's face dropped from a friendly smile into an ugly frown. "One day, I'll get them. I swear, I'll get them."
Naofumi nodded, agreeing whole heartfully.
"Naofumi-sama, Rino-san! We need to catch up to Asuka-san!"
"Yeah. Motoyasu and Itsuki are only interested in strong monsters and finding the boss. We'll let them have their fun. Let's focus on protecting and evacuating everyone in Lute Village. Asuka's got a head start, so let's go after her!"
"Right!" Raphtalia and Rino complied.
"But seriously, what she pulled back there was some kind of ninja trick. Could she actually be a ninja?" Naofumi wondered.
[-Lute Village-]
Lute Village was under siege by the monsters from the Wave. The vast majority were undead Inter-Dimensional Zombified warriors. There were also big Inter-Dimensional Locust-like monsters circling around for prey.
One villager tried to flee with her child. The mother was carrying her injured child in her arms while a Zombie was gaining on them. One misplaced foot led to the mother tripping and tumbling to the ground with her child.
The menacing zombie warrior approached them slowly and raised its rusted sword in the high, preparing to administer the killing blow.
The mother and her child thought for sure they were finished until a blue flash stepped between them and slew the zombie warrior.
The mother and child duo look on in awe of their savior. They never expected the Sword Hero to return, even in this time of crisis.
Rumors were spreading that she had long since abandoned Melromarc after her disappearance, so it was a welcome relief that the rumors were false.
Asuka the Sword Hero was back, and she was now a new armor set to boot. It consisted of a navy blue and white tailcoat, which opened a bit of cleavage, fitted together with a black leather breastplate, corset, shoulder pads, and silver scale mail arm bracers and belt. It also came with a navy blue skirt, thigh-high black stockings, and white boots. Naturally, Asuka kept the red scarf on this outfit too, despite the apparent clash in color.
"Are you both alright?" Asuka asked the mother and her child.
"Y-Yes, thank you!" the mother said.
"Then please get to safety. Is there any place safe in the village or someplace nearby to go to?"
"The monsters haven't reached the coal mine yet. That's where the women and children are headed."
Asuka remembered the coal mind. She had to clear it of a monster infestation as requested by the village chief. It should be secure enough so that the Wave monsters wouldn't invade. They only seemed interested in populated areas.
"Okay, I'll make sure you and your child get there safely."
"Asuka!" she heard Rino calling.
She saw Rino, Naofumi and Raphtalia run up to. The woman was surprised to see another Hero in the village. It didn't seem to matter if it was the Shield Hero. With two Cardinal Heroes, it felt like Lute Village stood a greater chance of survival.
"Hey, guys. Sorry for going on ahead." Asuka said to them.
"Don't worry about it. We didn't have time to waste with Motoyasu." Naofumi said. He tried to keep his eyes focused from Asuka's new outfit.
"I take it he went after Itsuki-kun and the boss, then? Good. We focus on our efforts here." Asuka said, "The women and children are heading up to the coal mine. Rino-chan, Raphtalia-chan, can we leave the evacuation to you two?" Asuka asked the two.
"Yeah, but what about you, Asuka?" Rino asked.
"Naofumi-kun and I will keep the monsters distracted while rescuing any stragglers. Sound good?" Asuka asked Naofumi.
"Fine by me… Just don't leave me for dead out there."
"You know I wouldn't do that!"
Both Heroes race off toward the horde of monsters approaching Lute Village while their partners escort villagers to the mine.
A little deeper into the village, a group of men were cornered by zombie warriors and giant hornets. The men were armed with pitchforks, gardening hoes, and other makeshift weapons. The zombie warriors had them outnumbered. The village men were sure this was the end. They would have died holding onto false hope that they protected their families if not for a blue flash of light cutting down all the monsters in front of them.
To their shock, it was the Sword Hero, who was thought to have disappeared.
Asuka stood amidst the freshly bisected monster corpses. She started to see the deaths of her friends again.
"It's the Sword Hero! She's back!"
Thankfully, the grateful voices of the village men group her back to reality.
"And look over there! It's the Shield Hero!" another male villager pointed as Naofumi rushed over as fast as he could. He managed to deflect a few giant Locusts and punched one zombie in the face, sending it tumbling down. It didn't do any damage, but at least it caught the others' attention.
"Everything is alright now! We'll take care of the monsters, so please get to safety!" Asuka asserted to the male villagers. She immediately went off to kill more monsters surrounding the village. Somehow, seeing hordes of enemies coming straight at her reminded her of home. One by one, she mowed the zombies and hornets down with ease.
The Shield Hero was surprised to see Asuka move so fast. This was way different from how she dealt with those orange balloons all those weeks ago.
Her sword work was too graceful and tactical to belong to a run-of-the-mill video game player. It was like she was used to something like this on a grand scale.
Regardless, Naofumi knew he couldn't just let Asuka handle this alone. Even with her talent, something was still weighing her down. He could feel it ever since the Second Wave began. Whatever was going on with her, someone needed to have her back in this fight.
"I did say I had her back once… despite turning against her…" Naofumi thought.
"Naofumi-kun, there are still people here! Help them get out safely while I distract the monsters!"
"Right!" Naofumi complied. He could alleviate some of her worries by getting people to safety. That was all he could do at the moment.
Indeed, there were a few stragglers still in the village. Naofumi worked face to protect them using his various shields, such as the Air Strike Shield to deflect zombie attackers and Shield Prison to keep Locusts away from civilians. This bought the straggling villagers time to escape.
Locusts began to swarm Naofumi ran around the village to divert the monsters' attention.
"Dammit!" Naofumi cursed. He opened his HUD and selected the Cerberus Claw Shield. The shield was metallic black and rectangular in shape. The rim of the shield was adorned with huge claws.
"Alright, you stupid monsters! Just try to take me on!"
Falling for the taunt, one zombie lunged at Naofumi, but it was blocked by the Shield Hero. The centerpiece of the shield was steadily glowing orange to red the more times the monsters relentlessly attacked Naofumi.
In his HUD, Naofumi could see a gauge bar filling with each attack blocked. He understood what this meant. It was powering the skill. Once the bar was filled to capacity, the Cerberus Claw Shield glowed bright red. This would allow Naofumi to activate the skill.
"Savage-Counter Strike!" Naofumi bellowed as he slammed the shield to the ground, creating a massive shockwave that blew the zombies and insects away, leaving them stunned or destroying them instantly.
"Okay! I can dig this!" Naofumi smirked. As impressive as the shield was, Naofumi couldn't help pondering why he was using it to defend total strangers. No one expected the Shield Hero to come and help. There wasn't a single reason to throw his life away. He figured it was because he was an idiot. The same might apply to Asuka as well since she had just as much reason to hate this country as he did.
Speaking of whom, Asuka continued to slay and push the zombies out of the villages.
Quick strikes and graceful evasions made short work of the pitiful zombies in her way.
However, Asuka noticed some villagers struggling with a horde of enemies surrounding them. They were practically begging the monsters to stay away.
Seeing the helpless villagers made Asuka remember the final battle at Hebijo Academy once more. The death and destruction caused by Orochi's awakening by that man. The final moments of her classmates, their rivals, and herself. The pain and anguish they all must have felt. She was determined to not let the same thing happen here.
Her sword glowed with mystical energy. She released the Mastered form Magic Slash and cleaved the zombies and insects about to kill their targets.
Asuka had made it time, as none of the villagers were hurt.
"Are you alright?!" Asuka asked the relieved villagers.
"Y-Yeah, thanks, Sword Hero…" one of the villagers answered.
"You can thank me by staying alive. If you're not too injured, get out of here as quickly as possible! The coal mine should be safe!"
The villagers did as they were ordered and ran out of the village to the mine as fast as possible.
Afterward, Asuka rushed back to the village to check on Naofumi. He was doing fine. The Cerberus Shield he unlocked seemed to be helping him out quite a bit. He was able to clear out some monsters threatening civilians. The civilians were able to escape thanks to that.
"Good for him."
Although, he didn't simply rely on his shield to fight. He ran up to a nearby guard tower and climbed up while holding a torch. Immediately after he reached the top, he rang the bell to get the zombie warrior horde's attention. As soon as the zombie gathered and began climbing up the tower to get him, Naofumi poured oil on the platform and dropped the torch, setting the guard tower on fire, along with the zombie horde climbing up to get to him. The guard tower was about to fall over on the horde still on the ground.
"That's not so good!" Asuka rushed over to the falling tower just as Naofumi leaped off the platform. She was just in time to catch him, but gravity sent them crashing into a window and landing in a nearby building.
"T-That was reckless, Naofumi-kun!" Asuka decried as she lifted herself up. Unfortunately, this led her to discover that she was straddled on top of her comrade, with his face buried in her breasts. It took her a second to register their position and quickly jump off, feeling embarrassed.
"Ugh…!" Naofumi gasped as he was allowed to breathe. It didn't matter if big boobs were soft or not. Death by boob suffocation would be an embarrassing way to go.
"Sorry…" Asuka mumbled.
"You think I'm reckless?" Naofumi grumbled as he stood up and dusted himself off, "You know my high DEF state reduces pain, right? I would have been fine."
"Yes, I do know that. But I'll gladly save a friend no matter what the circumstances." Asuka said while standing to her own feet.
"Friend, huh…" Naofumi turned to the side. He hoped to hide a wistful expression from her. "She still thinks I'm her friend?"
"Anyway, there's still a lot of them, huh?" Asuka asked as she looked out the window, "The Wave hasn't shown any sign of slowing down."
"Yeah… what're those two idiots doing? They must have found the boss by now, so why haven't they finished it off?" Naofumi grunted.
"It would go a lot quicker if all fours were working together…" Asuka trailed off.
"C'mon, you know that's impossible by this point." Naofumi rebuffed, "That reminds me… why'd you try to convince us to work together on this? You knew it was pointless."
"I've said this before, remember? Fighting off the Waves of Catastrophe is a team effort. Fighting Cerberus by myself made me realize just how important that is. I know Motoyasu-kun and Itsuki-kun will never see that way, but I had to try." Asuka said somberly.
"If you're that worried about them, then go help those fools," said Naofumi.
"Huh?" Asuka was suprirsed to hear Naofumi say that. She didn't detect any malice in his words.
Naofumi once held the impression that Asuka was a solo player in her world. Though she did mention she had friends she played that ninja game with, so she must have experience with a party. But watching her fight today made Naofumi think that Asuka was way too good of a fighter to be some VRMMO player. She could fight off those zombies and insect hordes with ease. He could have sworn he saw a few of them flying away and she chased after them in midair. That wasn't normal.
And with fighting power like that, Asuka had no reason to waste time here.
"Naofumi-sama! Asuka-san!" Raphtalia called out from a distance. She and Rino raced down to Lute Village after securing the evacuated civilians.
"We finished evacuating the villagers and any stragglers to safety," Raphtalia said as the pair stood in front of the two Heroes.
"Great job! Let's clear out the rest of the monsters." Asuka said.
"Yeah, I'm ready!" Rino said.
Naofumi, Raphtalia, and Rino were eager to resume the fight against the monsters. However, Naofumi did not immediately join them.
"Wait!" Naofumi said, surprising the three.
"What's wrong, Naofumi-kun?" asked Asuka.
"Don't act like you didn't hear what I said. If you're worried about them, then go help them fight the boss."
Asuka wasn't pretending to not hear him, but she was hesitant to leave him here to fight alone.
"Naofumi-sama, what brought this on?" asked Raphtalia.
"I've seen Asuka fight today, and I think she's better suited to fighting the Wave Boss than helping me defend a miserable village like this," said Naofumi.
"So, you want Asuka to fight the Wave Boss with Motoyasu and the Bow Hero?" Rino asked.
"That's right," Naofumi replied.
"No!" Asuka refuted, "I said I wouldn't abandon you here."
"You're not. You're helping others in need. That's the kind of thing you do, isn't it?" Naofumi asked, "Raphtalia and I can hold down the fort here. Take your friend and go."
This caught Asuka by surprise once again. She didn't think Naofumi would send her off to fight with Motoyasu and Itsuki. Maybe he was just being pragmatic. Defeating the Second Wave Boss would go faster if someone with better fighting talents were there.
"B-But still…" Asuka couldn't help thinking about the last time she and her allies split up. They all went off to fight their respective rivals at Hebijo Academy. While they did converge to help fight Asuka fight Orochi, they still perished. The former Shinobi was reluctant to experience that tragic history again.
"I think I know what's going through your head right now, Asuka," Naofumi said, to Asuka's continued surprise.
"Whatever happened to you before you got summoned to this world is in the past. Nothing will change that. If you don't want the same thing to happen to you or anyone else again, then go out there and fight. This Wave won't be over until you beat that Boss. You have the power to do so."
"H-He can't know… can he?" Asuka thought. She chose to keep her death a secret from the other Cardinal Heroes for two reasons. One, she was still processing her death, her friends' deaths, and the forcible separation from her family back then. Two, she had doubts that Naofumi, Motoyasu, and Itsuki would believe she was killed by a giant snake monster. That would also include revealing her Shinobi status.
Still, Naofumi was right. She may not have been able to prevent that tragedy in her world, but she could still stop it from happening here. It was her duty as a Cardinal Hero in this world.
"Are you sure you handle this without me?"
"Yeah. I have Raphtalia with me." Naofumi answered, "And don't get me wrong. I could care less if those two died. But if Motoyasu did die, I wouldn't be able to see you kick his ass in the duel." Naofumi smirked maliciously.
"I guess not." Asuka shrugged. Then again, if Motoyasu died out there, she would be unable to restore Naofumi's reputation by winning the duel, and Myne's plans for the future would be foiled. It would be a win/loss for everyone. But even Asuka knew she couldn't allow others to die on her watch, not even those she otherwise disliked.
"And our weapons negate EXP gain, so that's more than enough reason to go our separate ways for now," Asuka said.
"Yeah. As annoying as they are, these zombies are good for farming EXP." Naofumi nodded.
"Fine. I'll go help Motoyasu-kun and Itsuki-kun. Is that okay with you, Rino-chan?" Asuka asked her partner.
"I'm fine with what you think is right. Besides, if Motoyasu and Myne do die, I wanna be there to see it." Rino replied maliciously.
"She must really hate them." Raphtalia thought.
"W-Well, Motoyasu-kun isn't a good person per se… he's just a bit misguided," Asuka said. She knew the defense for Motoyasu sounded forced. "Okay. I'll leave Lute Village to you then, Naofumi-kun. Raphtalia-chan, take care of him."
"I intend to!" Raphtalia said.
"Whatever. Just get going." Naofumi demanded before racing to face more monsters.
"Good luck, Asuka-san. Please be safe!" Raphtalia said as she went to join him.
"You too! We'll be back!"
Soon after, Asuka and Rino race off to find Motoyasu and Itsuki.
Locating them wasn't going to be easy. Luckily, Enhanced Scent Detection could lead her track to two Heroes. They weren't too far off. Her HUD also pointed her to the epicentral crack of the Wave, where the boss was surely located.
However, not long after Asuka and Rino left the village, they heard a large exploding sound back at Lute Village.
"What was that?!" Rino gasped and she turned back.
"That came from Lute Village! Something must have happened!" Asuka could a moment to sniff the air. With Enhanced Scent Detection, she smelled the familiar scent of the royal knights in the area. They must have arrived just after she and Rino left. "The knights are there. Naofumi-kun was right about them being late, but…"
"But what?"
"I think they might have fired their magic and were very careless about it."
"You mean they could have hit Raphtalia and the Shield Hero along with the monsters?! Those bastards!"
"They're fine. Their health didn't drop at all. He has high defense, so I'm sure Naofumi-kun protected Raphtalia-chan from the blast." Asuka assured. She saw no changes in the health bars of Naofumi or Raphtalia in HUD. Despite that, she felt very concerned about them.
"Should we go back and check on them?" Rino asked.
"No. I'm sure Naofumi-kun and Raphtalia-chan can take care of themselves. We need to concentrate on our jobs. We have to make sure Motoyasu-kun and Itsuki-kun don't get killed." Asuka answered.
"Okay. I'll follow your lead."
The party of two continued their race to the Second Wave Boss's location.
Asuka hoped things were too bad over. So far, there wasn't a dim glow in her sword's jewel, so that was a good sign for Motoyasu and Itsuki. She wasn't sure how long that good sign would last.
Lyall the Werewolf: We shall end off here. I originally intended to keep the fight with Chimera here, but I felt it deserved its own chapter, like Cerberus.
As a Wave Boss, Chimera is supposed to be stronger than Cerberus. How will Asuka prevail against this beast?
Find out in the next chapter.
Once again, must thank bloodyredrose1994 for the Cerberus Shield series idea.