The Rising of the Shield Hero

The Shadow of the Shield Hero

Chapter 2

The Girl with the Shield

The room he sat in was dimly lit, this room was on the small side for what was in it. Two beds rested against the wall opposite the door, there was a table sandwiched between the two beds which were against the wall also. On this table were two bowls of water, one slightly smaller than the other, a plentiful amount of rolls of fresh bandages stacked up neatly, a small hand towel and a lit candle in the middle of the table. He sat on a wooden stool next to the occupied bed, positioned close enough to the table to prepare bandages when needed.

Naofumi was only in his black shirt and green trousers at this point, his cloak and armour neatly laid out on the empty bed behind him. His hands rested on his lap with his head bowed slightly, his eyes closed as tiredness was seemingly taking control. He sat up suddenly when his head dropped further. He sat up straight, stretching his arms up and letting out a huge yawn. Once his yawn subsided, he leaned forward, taking the cloth off the forehead of the girl who lay in the bed.

The very same girl who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere and saved both Raphtalia and himself in the Wave of Catastrophe.

He turned towards the table, dipping the cloth in the smaller of the two bowls of water, once he was satisfied, he pulled it out and wrung it above the bowl before turning back to the girl and placing it on her forehead once more. Many hours before this, Naofumi had declared to his team that he would be the one to treat the girl, his medicinal attributes far surpassed that of any doctor and he could help but part if not all of the blame for the state which she was now in.

Raphtalia had mentioned that she would like to help with treating her, but Naofumi told her to relax and rest up along with Melty and Filo after the wave that they had all just been through.

But now it was nighttime, or was it morning already? Naofumi couldn't tell, but all he knew what that if this girl had any hope of surviving her injuries, he would have to stay by her side and keep watching over her.

He leaned closer to her once more, gently unravelling the bandages he had put on her right arm. Raphtalia's brush with the curse had been bad, but it was never to this extent. The curse normally covered random patches of the skin, but this was different, it had engulfed her right arm as if it didn't touch any other part of her body. From what the others had said, it looked like the curse climbed up her arm to try and get to her heart. The worse section of her wound was where the strap of her shield had sat, the area was almost mauled and scorched like it had been exposed to the fire was quite some time. He sighed softly, turning back to the table, dipping new bandages into the second bowl of water, which had holy water in it, and slowly wrapping the wound once more.

He felt a pang of sadness and anger every time he looked at the wound, it was painful to know that he had done this to her, but it wasn't going to stop him. He was going to everything he could to try and save her arm, no matter what it took. Once the bandages were secured and the old ones disposed of, he sat up straight again, this time to look at her as a whole.

She seemed to be of an age close to his, she was at least a foot shorter than him and her wavey brown hair stopped just above her waist. Her facial features were soft and gentle.

He stood up from his stool and walked over to the foot of the bed, picking up the shield which she had used to block the dragon. It was a nicely made shield, however, it was no longer useable for battle. A large dent sat in the middle of it, it was clear that blocking the boss' attacks did no favours for this beautifully crafted shield. He admired how she was able to the attacks head-on with no effort, something even Naofumi struggled in doing when it came to large monsters. He definitely could tell that she was very skilled with a shield as she didn't carry any other weapons. But if she lost his arm... He shook his head and pushed that thought out of his head as he placed the shield back on the floor.

His attention turned to the clothes and armour which sat at the end of the bed, he couldn't understand what type of situation she must have gone through to get her clothes in such a state, being burned and tattered, he lifted the glove she had worn on her right arm, it was destroyed to the point it was falling apart in his hands from his flames.

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard light groans coming from the bed, he set the glove down and went to her side, watching her closely with concern in his eyes.

Her once peaceful expression turned to a painful one, shifting slightly in the bed in which she lay. She slowly opened her eyes and her light blue eyes met with Naofumi's green eyes, she closed her eyes. After a moment, she sat upright suddenly, her eyes open wide, her expression filled with a combination of shock and fear. Her breathing was raspy and laboured.

Naofumi's eyes widened and stepped forward, "It's okay, you're safe here."

Her eyes darted to him, she watched him cautiously for a moment. When she realised he was moving closer to her, she started to shift away from him, seemingly scared. However, her fearful expression changed suddenly to pain when she tried to move her right arm. She leaned forward, her mouth opened as if she was going to yell out in pain, but no noise came out. She doubled forward, cradling her arm.

Naofumi felt torn for a moment, does he leave her and let her just suffer in pain, or does he help her although she was scared? But as he noticed her doubling over, his hesitation dissipated, stepping closer, grabbing her shoulder gently but firmly, his forearm resting lightly on her back, "I am not going to hurt you... But you need help, you have been through a lot and I don't want to see you in all this pain if I can help it. So please relax and lay back on the bed so I can help you."

Her whole body tensed up when she felt his touch, but calmed down when he started talking, she opened her eyes, looked up at him, she nodded slowly, leaning into him.

Naofumi exhaled in relief and gently moved her back to the middle of the bed where he laid her back down. Once her head was resting on the pillow, he moved his arm slowly from behind her and grabbed the blanket, covering her up. He sat down on the stool and watched her, his face showing concern.

She slowly opened her eyes as he placed the cloth back on her forehead. She seemed uncertain about being able to trust him, almost as if she had been hurt by people before.

Naofumi knew the look in her eyes all too well, but it didn't seem to look like she was going to fight him.

Her eyes dropped to the shield on his arm, then back up at him, "Where am I?" She muttered quietly.

His eyes widened when he heard her speak, he smiled slightly, "You are in a house near where the last wave had been. Do you remember what happened? What is your name?"

She frowned slightly as if thinking hard.

His smile disappeared, "Don't force yourself to answer right away, a lot has happened. I am surprised you were able to move let alone talk. So just take it easy for now."

Her eyes dropped back to his shield, "I remember waking up to a red sky... I was laying on the grass. I don't remember how I got there, everything is a blank before then. I got up and started walking up a hill. Something called to where you were fighting that wave boss. I saw that girl about to get attacked and I moved without even thinking about it. I didn't even know I could fight, I just moved on instinct. Then you seemed to lose control of that rage from your shield and that was the last thing I remember before waking up here just now..." She looked away.

Naofumi frowned, "Wait, are you telling me that you woke up in that wave? You don't remember anything else?"

She looked back at him, "I don't even know my name..." Tears began to well up in her eyes.

Without even thinking, Naofumi took hold of her hand, "Hey, you don't have to get upset, we will figure out everything together. You're not alone with this, I promise."

She looked at his hand, "Thank you, what should I call you?"

He smiled, seeing that she was starting to calm down, "My name is Naofumi Iwatani."

"You're the Shield Hero, right?"

His smile dropped as his eyes widened, "Yeah. How did you know that?"

She shook her head, "I am not sure, I just-" She sighed, "Your shield seems familiar somehow, I as if I have seen it before." She looked at the shield once more.

He looked down at his shield, "I see, well I would know if I had met you before. But don't worry, I know we can figure all of this out, together."

She nodded slowly, "Thank you." She closed her eyes, tiredness hitting her once more.

He smiled, but his expression turned to concern as he watched over her as she slept. His thoughts turned to the two voices he heard during the wave. When she spoke during the wave, it was her voice, but the other voice was distorted and didn't sound anything like her.

So where did that voice come from? And how does she know my shield?

...

The sun slowly started pouring into the small window above the table. The room had been silent for quite some time when a small knock on the door sounded. The room fell silent once more, there was another knock, this time louder. After another moment of silence, the door slowly opened and the Racoon girl poked her head hesitantly, "Master Naofumi?"

Naofumi sat upright all of a sudden, blinking his eyes and shaking his head, slightly, he turned his attention over to the door, "Raphtalia, I thought I told you to go and rest with Filo and Melty."

She stepped into the room, closing the door behind her, "I did, it's already morning. Did you get any sleep last night?"

Naofumi shook his head, "I have to keep an eye on her..." Stifling a yawn, he leaned forward, lightly pressing his fingertips on the bandages. He set to work on removing them and replacing new ones. Once he was done, he sat upright but jumped when he finally noticed that Raphtalia had been standing next to him.

Raphtalia had been looking at the girl's arm while he was changing her bandages but her attention turned to Naofumi, she looked far from impressed with him, "Master, you need to rest. I know you want to keep on treating her and that you blame yourself for what has happened to her, but you will just make the situation worse if you don't rest. The last thing we need is you getting sick." Her ears dropped with concern.

He shook his head, "I don't, then she might lose her arm, I can't let that happen."

The Racoon Demi-human's ears twitched slightly in annoyance, Raphtalia took a deep breath and exhaled, her expression softened again, returning her to the bed, "Anyway, how is she doing?"

Naofumi looked at the girl, "Well, she has woken up once already, she didn't seem to have any memories apart from waking up in the wave and helping us. She seemed to know that I was the Shield Hero. My shield seemed familiar to her, but I know I would remember someone like her if we had met before now..." He shook his head slightly, "Her arm seems to be reacting well to the treatment, but it looks like she may have a nasty scar where her shield strap sat, I didn't know my flames could have done that to a person. But there is a chance she could have been injured already. All I know is that no matter what, I am going to do everything to make sure she keeps her arm." He yawned, covering his mouth with his hand.

Raphtalia put her hand on Naofumi's shoulder, "When do her bandages need to be changed?"

Naofumi looked up at her, "In about four hours, but I have to be the one that does it."

She smiled, "How about you sleep until then and I will over her. I will wake you when her bandages need to be changed."

Naofumi sighed, looking at the girl in the bed again and then stood up, "If something happens..."

Raphtalia nodded, "I will wake you up. Now, just rest Master Naofumi."

Naofumi placed his hand on Raphtalia's shoulder and walked over to the bed. He climbed into the bed and covered himself with the blanket. He looked over at the girl one more time and then rolled over so his back was to her, closing his eyes, and fell asleep almost instantly.

Raphtalia smiled as she sat down on the stool that Naofumi had been perched on previously, turning her attention to the girl, "When you wake up, I want to thank you, for saving Master Naofumi." Her eyes dropped to her lap, her hands clasped together, "and for saving me."

...

Naofumi Iwatani.

Naofumi slowly opened his eyes to find darkness all around him, he couldn't help but let out a gasp when he noticed that he was wearing the clothes he wore the day he was summoned to this world. The shield was still on his arm.

How does it feel to lose control of the wrath within you?

He flinched, feeling pain coursing through his entire body as the flames engulfed him and the surrounding area.

You are not the first Shield Hero to use this path and you may not even be the last. Many before you have walked down this path. Will you follow in her footsteps?

He gritted his teeth, opening his red eyes as he tried to fight the pain, "I-I have to! It's my only chance to beat the waves!"

Then are you willing the pay the price? No Shield Hero has walked this path without losing everything they held dear, myself included.

His eyes widened as the flames faded, causing the room to go dark. The gem on his shield glowed brightly, he closed his eyes, shielding his eyes with his other arm. Once the light faded, he opened his eyes once more and a silhouette with a slight green glow around it stood in front of him, it looked almost like him, but not like him, only the shield was visible on his arm.

Naofumi stepped forward, "You are a previous Shield Hero?"

The silhouette nodded.

Yes, I am here to warn you that the path you are on will not be an easy one. Do not use that shield lightly, it is not worth the pain, sadness and destruction that comes with using it. Good luck, Naofumi Iwatani.

Naofumi's eyes widened, "If that is the case, then there has to be another way to become stronger, right? What am I supposed to do?"

The silhouetted Hero turned their back on Naofumi and began to walk away.

Good luck, Naofumi...

Naofumi gasped, running towards the silhouette, holding his hand out to them, "No, wait!" No matter how much running he did, he couldn't catch up to the Hero.

"Master Naofumi?"

Naofumi's eyes opened wide suddenly, panting heavily as he noticed that his vision was unfocused and blurred because of it. Once his vision had focused, he realised he was holding his hand out towards the girl as if trying to reach for her. He sighed softly and slowly sat up, looking at his hand that had previously been reaching towards the girl. He looked at the very concerned Demi-human girl who stood at his bedside, "Is something wrong, Raphtalia?"

She sat on his bed, looking at him closely, "Are you alright, Master Naofumi? It seemed like you were having a bad dream..."

He nodded slowly, his mind still reeling from what had happened in the dream, "Sorry if I worried you, I don't know if I could really call it a bad dream. It was more like a weird dream than anything. But I am fine. Was there another reason for you to wake me?"

Raphtalia looked like she wanted to say something on the matter of him having weird dreams, but decided against it. She turned to look at the girl, "I think it's time for her bandages to be changed."

He looked over at the girl and nodded, "Thank you for waking me, Raphtalia." He climbed out of the bed and walked over to the other bed, sitting down on the stool and touched the bandages on her arm lightly, "You are right, these bandages are ready to be changed." He began working on her arm.

Raphtalia looked at her arm, "It seems to be getting better."

He nodded, "Yeah, but it will still take some time for it to fully heal."

Once the bandages had been changed, Naofumi exhaled and looked at the girl, "That should do it." He let out a gasp, his green eyes met with the girl's light blue eyes. He smiled at her, "Hey, did you sleep alright? How are you feeling?"

She examined his face for a moment, then she slowly started to sit up.

Naofumi moved off the stool and helped her to sit up, "Easy does it." He spoke softer than he normally did.

Raphtalia sat on the bed behind him. As she watched him tend to the girl, she couldn't help but smile slightly.

She looked up at him as he set to prop up the pillows so she could lean on them. Her eyes drifted to his shield but looked away when she realised he saw her looking at his shield, "S-sorry..." She muttered quietly.

He shook his head, "No need to apologise. You said the last time we spoke that my shield was familiar to you. I honestly don't see a problem with you staring at it."

She slowly lifted her bandaged arm, reaching hesitantly towards the shield.

Naofumi moved the shield closer to her, he didn't let just anyone touch his shield, but something deep down made him feel comfortable around her. He had always felt cautious around people when he first met them, but she was the first person who didn't make him feel like he could be betrayed.

Her fingers lightly pressed against the steel of the shield and her fingers glided up the shield slowly. Her light blue eyes stared intently where her fingers met the shield.

Naofumi sat there silently, watching her.

Even with her intense expression, there seemed to be a calmness about her. Her fingers stopped just before the gem at the centre of his shield. She looked nervous, looking up at him.

He smiled, nodding to her, "You don't have to hesitate, go for it."

She nodded slowly and looked back at the shield, placing her fingers on the gem. She closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly.

As soon as she touched the gem, Naofumi's HUD lit up in his vision and shook violently the same way that it had done when they were in the wave. He gasped, placing his hand on his head, feeling sick.

Raphtalia jumped up to stand, walked around Naofumi and leaned in to look at him, "Master Naofumi? Are you feeling alright?"

The girl opened her eyes, they were now the same colour as the gem in his shield. Her eyes widened when she saw Naofumi turn to a shade which almost resembled green. She removed her hand from the shield quickly, her eyes reverting to her normal shade of light blue.

Once his HUD stopped shaking, he leaned forward and took a few deep breaths. After a few moments, he looked at the girl, "You good?"

She nodded slowly, a nervous expression on her face, "S-sorry..."

He shook his head, "You do not need to apologise. I doubt you had anything to do..." He trailed off when he looked at his HUD, his eyes widened, "No way."

She tilted her head slightly, "Is something wrong?"

Raphtalia knelt next to Naofumi, "Master Naofumi, what's wrong?"

He looked at Raphtalia and then at the girl, "I think you are in my party."

Her eyes widened, "But how?"

He shook his head, "I don't know, but there is definitely an extra person now. It doesn't give a name, but I can tell that it's you. It shows up as a shield user."

He looked at the party on his HUD.

Shield Hero - Naofumi Iwatani - Lv.39

Shield User? - ? - Lv.25+

Demi-Human Slave - Raphtalia - Lv.40

Filolian Queen - Filo - Lv.40

Mage - Melty - Lv.35

He selected her on his HUD and checked her stats, they all showed question marks except for her defence which was much higher than it probably should have been for her level. He narrowed his eyes and selected the options, removing her from the party. But as he did that, a red warning came up, covering his vision, causing him to let out a gasp in surprise.

RULE VIOLATION! THIS PARTY MEMBER CANNOT BE REMOVED FROM THE PARTY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!

He looked at her, then at the shield.

What the hell is going on? Why is she part of my party and why can't I remove her from the party...