Chapter 2: Loyal not foolish.
Here's the rewrite of Chapter 2.
All rights go to their owners
Talking: "Lady, running down to the riptide."
Thinking: 'Taken away to the dark side, I wanna be your left hand man.'
"What a load of bullshit!"-Kane Stone
The sun rises on Melromarc. The burning ball of gas marks the start of the day. Merchants open their stalls and their stores, farmers move around their products and adventurers shuffle into the guild. Awaiting the new notices and missions. A seemingly normal day in Castletown if not for the underlying tension hidden beneath the surface. However, with the summoning of the new Heroes, hope blossoms and even thrive in the face of the tension.
Naofumi jumps out of bed the moment she wakes up, excited and giddy to finally be let go and to explore the new mystical world she finds herself in. Why it's every Otaku's dream. To find themselves in a magical world where they're the Heroes of the story, destined to save the world. She quickly throws on her clothes, turning she finds a mirror, along with her frazzled shoulder-length hair. Naofumi grimaces at this and snaps up a brush sitting on the table housing the mirror. She brushes herself to look more respectable, her black hair more straight and less wild. She exits her room, closing the door behind her. An excited hop in her step.
Naofumi spots the others, the two just as eager as her. She looks around, checking for Kane. "...Hey, do you guys know if Stone went on ahead?" The other two look at each other before shrugging. Naofumi hums, moving towards Kane's room. She raises her arm, tapping the door with her knuckles. "Stone? You in there?" A few moments pass, hearing nothing from the room.
"Maybe he left to get food?" Itsuki attempting to answer for Kane's absence. Naofumi turned to face her fellow Hero, looking down into his dull golden eyes.
Naofumi smirks, nodding. "Probably." She fiddles with her Shield. "Well, we can meet up with him later, we should go meet the King and get started on our adventure." Naofumi raises her hand, turning it into a fist. Itsuki grins at Naofumi's words, Ren himself even gaining a smirk in excitement. The three wander off together, ready to start their epic journeys, full of glory and plunder.
Unknowingly to the three, Kane was still in his room. Sleeping calmly in the luxury bed. His unconscious body is deep into the high-quality mattress. He was less focused on the Hero part and more on the fluffy bed part.
The Heroes, Kane not included stand in a line. Opposite them stands a group of adventurers, clearly all varied with some wearing stereotypical mage clothing, the others wearing more protective equipment, except for the one just wearing a leather bra. Naofumi looks around, searching for Kane, curious about the southerner's noticeable absence. The King also notes Kane's absence, turning to his advisor. "...Where is the Spear Hero?"
The advisor sighs, turning to his liege. "We just removed him out of his bed." The King double takes at this. "He's on his way, my King."
As soon as the advisor finishes his sentence. The doors to the throne room open, Kane standing at the entrance. He nods at the guards who push the door. "Thanks, fellas." He moves up, joining his fellow Heroes in the line.
Naofumi blinks at him. "...Where have you been?"
"In bed," Kane said, nonchalant as if what he said was completely normal.
"Eh?" Shock is apparent in Naofumi's voice.
The King clears his throat. Garnering the attention of all. "We have gathered adventurers to join your parties, Heroes! They will assist you in defeating Waves and monsters alike." The King waves his hand in a dramatic fashion. "Now, choose O brave adventurers, choose who you will join!"
Kane raises a brow at this, surprised that the adventurers are allowed to choose and that the King didn't assign them to best suit the Heroes.
The adventurers begin walking over to the Heroes they choose, standing behind them. A noticeable amount of female adventurers would stand behind Kane, having the unfortunate effect of inflating his ego. However, his vulgar thoughts on attracting the opposite sex stopped when the last adventurer stood behind the one they chose.
A line of eager and bright-eyed mercenaries standing behind the Heroes. All except for one. The lone Shield Hero. Naofumi spins around, desperately searching for an adventurer that hasn't already chosen. The room is silent. Everyone stared at the girl with raven hair, some with looks of pity, others with hidden mocking glares.
Naofumi turns to the King, panic, slowly beginning to build in her. "Uhhh. Y-Your Majesty?"
The King hums, rubbing his chin in pretend thought. His tone is like a cold stone, stoic and uncaring. "I must admit, I wasn't expecting this." His face doesn't move an inch despite the falsehood leaving his lips.
The advisor from before speaks up, his eyes closed. "It seems the Shield Hero has no charisma."
Naofumi's lips turn into a frown. Kane however furrows his brows. He turns his head to the side, looking at Ren and Itsuki. "The rest of us have charisma?" There are a few snorts and chuckles but Kane's comment wasn't meant to be humorous, more of a genuine question on what they perceived as charismatic. The only time they really interacted socially with others was at dinner the previous day, but the question remains how they were charismatic at all.
Itsuki was sitting around, waiting for the deluge of compliments sycophants would throw his way. Ren was as antisocial as a sloth, barely speaking to anyone, giving short answers, normally in five words or less. Kane wasn't much better, still slightly hungover and hungry, he wasn't in the mood for talking. All in all, almost no charisma was really shown.
A robed man walks up to the King, he bends over and whispers into his ear. A smirk almost forms on the King's face by instinct, he quickly squashes it to retain his stoic look. "There seem to be rumours, that the Shield Hero is ignorant of this world."
Naofumi blinks, confusion replacing the panic for a moment. "What?"
The King waves his hand. "Legends say that the Heroes when summoned into the world have a deep understanding of this world. It seems that they do not believe she will meet this criteria."
Kane stares at the King with suspicion. He raises his arm. "I don't know anything about this world either… might actually know less than her, so, why is she being singled out?"
The King grimaces momentarily, before schooling in his features again, he gives a short shrug. "Who knows? It's possible that you were spared from the rumours due to your appearance or perhaps it was just luck. Doesn't matter anymore, the rumours have already spread, no stopping it now." The situation felt planned but Kane didn't think much of it due to them only being summoned yesterday, so in his mind, no grudges have already been made.
Naofumi turns to Ren, her teeth clenched. "Amaki, you got 5 party members, give me some."
Ren blinks at the demand. "I'm actually a loner." He turns to eye the line behind him. "I will leave you behind if you can't make the cut."
The groups' reaction was to huddle closer to their leader, who turns back to Naofumi and shrugged. Naofumi clenches her fists, turning to Kane, the most supportive of the group but the woman that stood behind didn't look exactly like fighters although Naofumi would take what she could get.
She opens her mouth before being interrupted by Kane. "Don't need to say anything." He turns to face the line of women behind him. "I think some of you should join Naofumi, she's a nice girl and needs some helping hands, besides you would probably be valued more highly in her party where she needs fighters rather than in mine."
A few of them seem to consider it, one with a large witch's hat almost moves towards Naofumi but something seems to convince her otherwise, stiffening and standing in line. Naofumi deflates at this, unhappy with the decision.
Itsuki stares at the interaction, speaking up to give his own opinion. "It would be best to split the groups of three, to make it fair, but if we force it we could destroy morale."
Kane's lips straighten. "We're fighting against the apparent end of the world and we have to let one of us be weakened because other people want to play sides like this shit is dodgeball or something?" He shakes his head. "Fuck that."
Kane turns around, about to open his mouth before being interrupted. A shapely woman with red hair with her arm up. "I wish to join the Shield Hero's party if that's fine with you Spear Hero?"
Naofumi lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding, Kane nods, a smirk on his face. The King grimaces a bit at the redhead moving over to Naofumi. "Will no one else join the Shield Hero?" Complete silence. Naofumi frowns, it felt like she was being picked last for a team in physical education just like Kane had said. The King continues on, elaborating further. "Every month, we shall provide each Hero with the funds they require. To make things fair I will give the Shield Hero a larger amount to compensate for the lack of companions, I would recommend finding others quickly, Shield Hero." Naofumi nods in agreement.
The King motions to the advisor next to him, resulting in the Knights handing the four Heroes a bag filled with silver coins. The advisor crosses his arms behind him. "The Shield Hero will have 800 silvers while the others will have 600. Use this money wisely, invest it in your parties and equipment to strengthen yourselves against the Waves."
The Heroes all give their agreement, taking the payment and leaving. The Heroes and their parties walk along the hallways, and eventually, they reach the outskirts of the castle. Kane pauses, staring out at the gate, the new world before his very eyes. Itsuki and Ren give quick goodbyes and speed off, the sight of their new lives as Heroes right before their eyes makes them too excited to wait any longer.
Kane hums, unsure what to do in the new magical world, full of monsters and… magic. He felt lost, out of place.
Naofumi's soft voice brings Kane out of his thoughts. "You okay, Stone?"
Kane blinks, quickly putting on a cool facade. He turns around staring at Naofumi. The shorter woman stares into his eyes, concern apparent."I'm good, just got no idea what to do." He scratches the back of his head. Ren and Itsuki seemed to already know what to do, the two that apparently played a game that resembled this was off like a bullet, speeding along the path to get to their destination as quick as possible. Kane on the other hand didn't really know what was the best move forward. Go kill monsters? Go find quests? He was mostly a casual gamer, he didn't really get into the meta and OP stuff when he played games, especially RPGs.
Naofumi gives a gentle smile, willing to give advice to her fellow Hero. "I would say go a blacksmith, get some equipment. Then go to a guild hall, check if there are any easy jobs, or just go into the fields and start farming the mobs."
Kane nods, grateful for a starting point. "Right." He gives a smirk. "You've been nothing but a sweetheart to me, Shieldy. Take care of yourself, yeah?"
Naofumi's smile grows wider, slightly bashful at Kane's words. "See you later, Stone."
Kane gives a two-finger salute as his final goodbye, walking off. His party of three women followed behind him, one petite woman with stereotypical mage clothing, pointed hat and all, the other a seeming noblewoman, her clothing finely made, with an ostentatious rapier in her sheathe. Then there was the one that looked like an exotic dancer, her upper chest covered by wraps while her belly is left exposed to the elements, and even her skirt showed off a bit of her thigh. She has no discernable weapons, whether it's well-hidden on her or she genuinely doesn't have one it's anyone's guess.
Kane and his party wander through the streets, having just recently purchased some health potions he now searches for a blacksmith. People stare at him in awe, halted breaths as he walks past them. He obviously stands out to the people of the town. He's taller than a majority of the people walking around the market, making it easy to spot him. His bright red hoodie made it obvious he wasn't from Melromarc, his attire not even close to matching the medieval-era clothing of the town. The Spear was really just a final nail in the coffin, Kane resting it on his shoulder. The ornate weapon was in view of anyone.
One person catches Kane's attention, A man wearing a mix of chainmail and plate. A partisan holstered on his back. He stood out amongst the bustle of farmers and average townsfolk going about their lives. Kane walks up to him, exchanging small talk and after a few minutes of conversation, he begins asking for certain locations. The man in armour, happily informs Kane of a blacksmith, an inn, and even the guild hall.
Kane gives a grin, he says his thanks, and the two exchange their goodbyes. After a few minutes of walking past the stalls and along the roads, they finally come across the blacksmith's shop. A large building stands before them, the front door was noticeably much larger than most other doors in the town. Kane enters the building, his party following behind.
A bell hooked on the door lets out a jangle as he enters. He walks a few steps in, his party entering right after him, Kane however stops in place, giving a low whistle as he looks around the room. "This place is pretty tits." It was a man's dream really, lots of weapons and armour are shown off, from swords to plate-mail. The high level of craftsmanship is apparent to anyone that would enter.
A deep laugh echoes, Kane, turns to where the voice originated from. A towering man walks out of the backroom, his skin tanned and weathered. A scar on his left cheek and one on the right side of his forehead. "Now that's quite the interesting compliment." The man crosses his arms, his biceps bulging with muscle. "Guess, I shouldn't be surprised however considering it's coming from a Hero from another world."
Kane gives a hum, staring at the blacksmith for who else could it be. "What gave me away? The Spear or the 21st-century clothing?"
The large blacksmith grins. "The clothing, yours somewhat resembles the Shield Hero's one." The man scratches his chin in thought. "Your accent doesn't help either, haven't really heard anyone sound like that, the Spear was just confirmation."
Kane pauses momentarily. He wonders if the magical translation also added his slight southern drawl or something similar to it. His mind moves on, focusing on what he deems the more important thing. "Iwatani was here?"
The man nods, a pleased smile on his face. "That she was. Chipper little thing, she and her red-haired friend came here to buy some goods. Sadly she couldn't buy any weapons for herself for some reason."
Kane blinks, confusion apparent. "Wait, what? What the hell do you mean?"
"Apparently she could only use Shields, I'm guessing you can only use Spears."
Kane blinks once again, looking down at the ornate weapon, oddly enough it feels like it's staring back at him. "That's some bullshit." He shakes his head. "Whatever, guess I'll take some armour then if I can't even get different weapons." The blonde rubs his chin. Counting up the total of the previous purchases. "I need something that's light enough that my movement won't be hindered and decent for a level 1. My price range is around 150 silvers."
The man walks into the backroom, rattling, and rustling are heard before he comes out with leather equipment under his arm. He plants it on the table. "Leather armour. Cheap, reliable, and light." Kane inspected it, the light brown set seemed rather simple but he was just starting out, so simple was good enough for him.
"How much for it?"
"90 silvers."
Kane stares at the blacksmith, looking up into the older man's eyes. He couldn't tell what was good or not so he would have to take a leap of blind faith with this armour that could potentially save his life. He eventually counts out the coins, planting the amount on the counter. "I'll take it."
The man nods with a smile, taking the coins. "Pleasure doing business with you, Spear Hero." The large man puts his hand out for a shake. Kane clasps the hand with his own, the grip strength in the older man's hand was apparent. "Name's Erhard."
"Kane."
"Kane, eh? Well, kid, hope you become a regular because ain't nobody in this town better than me and two Heroes coming to my business will surely inform everyone else that." Erhard said.
Kane snorts, impressed by Erhard's business guile. He begins to slip on the armour, pushing up the knee guards and the bracers. He puts the chestpiece over his red hoodie, the brown toughened leather contrasting against the bright red hoodie.
Leather chestpiece: +8 Phy Def, Minor cold resistance.
Leather bracers: +3 Phy Def.
Leather knee-guards: +3 Phy Def.
"See ya when I see ya, Erhard." Kane turns around, walking out of the shop. His party was directly behind him.
"See you later Spear Kid!" The blacksmith bellows out as the last member of Kane's party leaves the shop, the group heading for the Guild Hall to pick up a quest.
The sun begins to set, the orange glow descending onto the forest. Kane and his group were killing low-level monsters such as slimes, balloons, and the occasional giant rat. With a crude overhead swing, Kane chops a slime in two, the sentient piece of very dangerous jelly beginning to dissolve and lower to the floor in a gooey puddle. Kane pulls the Spear out of the remains, a clump of the goo still attached to the blade.
8 XP gained!
Level up!
Kane opens his status menu to check his progression so far.
Kane Stone-LVL 4 Spear Hero
Kane hums, rubbing his chin. "3 Levels in one afternoon, doing pretty good so far." He proceeds to check his rather abysmal stats but before he can analyse it in detail, a red flash emits from his Spear, text showing up on his HUD, surprising him. "The fuck!?"
Blue Slime Spear unlocked! +5 Atk.
Kane blinks, tilting his head. "Wait, what? How did I unlock it? Do I need to kill a certain number or is it like an RNG thing?" He rubs his chin, confused until something slimy drips onto his hand. Kane looks up to the liquid responsible, finding an answer to what the liquid was and how he unlocked the Spear. The sharp point of the Spear is slathered in blue slime, the goo dripping from it. The crimson gem of the Spear reacts to the slime with a soft red glow, almost as if it was trying to devour it. 'So, I can just shove shit in there and it'll make new Spears?'
Kane turns around, and various puddles and other monster remains to litter the floor. He moves up on a green slime puddle. He bends over, grabbing a fistful of green slime, he makes a slight grimace at the liquid, quickly holding it over the red gem of the Spear to let it drip into the Spear. The red gem immediately reacts to the slime, absorbing the green slime.
Green Slime Spear unlocked! +4 Phy Def, small bludgeoning resistance.
The unlock of the new Spear confirmed that Kane could absorb monster parts for Spears, he turns to his party, ordering them to gather him monster parts, The pink haired girl seemed unhappy with this while the others seem fine. Kane opens his HUD searching for his inventory while the others gather, apart from the pinkette who stands around, not willingly to touch the dead monsters. Kane hums in thought. "Maybe I got monster drops that I can absorb." Almost half a minute of searching and Kane finds nothing about his inventory, confusing him. "Where's the inventory, what RPG doesn't have an inventory?" A sudden tab emerges before his eyes, labelled Inventory. Kane stares at it in suspicion. Unsure of why it magically just appeared on the HUD when it was hidden before.
His eyes focus on the Inventory tab, causing it to expand and reveal what he gathered so far or rather the singular monster drop he obtained.
Crystallised Blue Slime.
Would you like to use this item for Status Enchantment?
A yes and no appears. Kane thinks for a moment or so, but he eventually decides to press yes, assuming that the drop from the slime isn't rare enough to warrant hoarding.
+10 Atk from Crystallised Blue Slime.
"...What?" Kane opens his menu, about to open the Help tab for an explanation of what he just did, he however was interrupted by his party, or rather the two women who actually did as asked. The two handed him materials.
Kane gives his thanks, taking the offered parts and straight away plants it on the gem of the Spear.
Red Slime Spear unlocked! +2 Atk, +2 Phy Def, +2 Agi.
Yellow Slime Spear unlocked! +3 Atk, +3 Agi.
The sun begins to set, and the orange glow on the party begins to fade. Kane turns, looking at the sun on the horizon. "Getting late, let's head back."
"Splat! Splat! Splat!"
Before the party can even begin to move, a noise surrounds the field. The party turns to where the noise seems to originate from. Waiting for the thing causing it to show itself.
The one responsible for the noise moves into sight of the group. A massive white slime moves towards the party, the slime itself was about the size of a Mini Cooper, by far the largest slime the group have faced all day, to make matters worse it wasn't alone, surrounded by a large group of smaller white slimes, although they weren't as big as the clear leader of the group they were still sizeable themselves, comparable to a tiger. Kane stares at approaching slimes, the names and levels popping up.
Royal Knight Slime LVL-15
Royal Squire Slime LVL-10
Kane grimaces at the levels of the slime. The car-sized slime's level was almost quadruple his own, and the smaller ones although not as high as the larger ones were still at least double his. The slimes approach
Kane turns to Rino, the little mage in his party. "Rin, you got some type of magic that can take out a group of them?"
Rino nods back, clutching her staff. "I do, but I need to speak the chant for it to be any worth."
"Right, protect Rino until she casts that spell." Kane and the others stand in front of Rino, who begins to chant, raising her staff above her head. The vanguard of the horde descends upon Kane and the others.
Kane does an overhead slash as a Slime pounces at him, the pole of the Spear hits the slime, slamming it to the ground. He raises his foot and crushes the slime underfoot, killing it.
57 XP gained!
57 XP gained!
57 XP gained!
The noblewoman flicks her rapier, raising it in a stance. The pinkette takes a step back after killing the slime, letting the noble and Kane take lead against the swarm of slime. Three more approaches, one going for the noble and two for Kane.
Kane overextends himself, swinging wildly with the Spear. Killing one of the slimes, but leaving him open to the other one that submerges the arm holding the Spear in it's slime. Kane seethes in pain, the slime causing a harsh stinging sensation. He pulls the slime off with his other hand, hammering it into the earth with his closed fist. The slime splats, its form squashed. "Rin, not trying to pressure you but hurry up!"
Rino responds with two words. An orange ball formed at the tip of Rino's staff. "Zweit Blast!"
An orange bolt passes over Kane's shoulder, impacting the slimes ahead of him. A surge of flame explodes, and the XP that was gained was a marker for how many died. The result of the blast was a diminished group but the Knight Slime was either unharmed or showed no reaction to the damage it took, still hopping towards the group.
The Knight Slime gurgles, Its form pulsing before it leaps into the air. The car-sized slime goes hurtling down towards the group, causing them to split up, dodging the leap from the slime. Kane rams the Spear into the large slime, the Spear after the initial pierce harmlessly slides in the jelly, slipping out of Kane's grasp. Kane stares as his Spear enters the slime. "...Fuck."
Before the Knight Slime could punish Kane for his severe mistake, a rapier slashes the monster. The slime turns its attention to the one responsible for it. The woman runs off, the Knight Slime chasing after her, taking pot shots from Rino while the pinkette stands to the side, not even helping with the group fight against the leader, instead focusing more on the smaller ones, who are far easier to deal with due to their health being low and position scattered because of the blast.
Kane rushes the Knight Slime. His Spear was still lodged inside the monster. His arm outstretched, he slams into the slime, his entire arm burrowing into the slime, and he immediately regrets it. If the slime from the squire felt like his arm was burning, this felt like his entire arm was being dissolved by acid. Despite the adrenaline coursing through him, Kane bites back a scream, gritting his teeth harshly. He grabs his Spear, turning the Spear at a 90-degree angle before harshly pulling it out, causing a deep cut.
Kane's heart pumps with dread as he stares at his hand. His limb is a gut-wrenching red, his hand was truly dissolving in the slime. His hand was dark crimson, with some parts almost melted down to the muscle, oddly enough only his flesh is damaged not his actual clothes. Almost his entire hand is screaming at him in agony, despite this, he clenches his hand, the pain worsening but the hand complies with the movement.
At the same time, the Slime gurgles once more, its form palpitating.
Royal Knight Slime uses Slippery Agility.
The Slime with speed unbecoming of its size and general form rams into Kane, his arms luckily up to defend his face. He flies backward, skidding across the floor. This time, he lets out a cry of pain. As his already damaged hand becomes even worse.
"Spear Hero!"
Kane refocuses to find the Slime in the sky again, plummeting towards him. His eyes widen as he rolls. The slime slamming right here he was a moment ago.
"Zweit Blast!"
Rino fires another one of her spells, hitting the Knight Slime right into the spot where Kane made a gaping cut with his Spear. The blast causes the inside of the Knight Slime to explode, killing it immediately as parts of it scatter from the force of the blast.
650 XP gained!
Level up!
"Spear Hero! Are you alright!?"
"Couldn't be fucking better!" Toxic sarcasm dripped from his words. He stares at the exploded form of the Knight Slime. Pain begins to set in, his arms in pure agony from the melted nerves and flesh. Kane reaches for the HP potion he left in his little belt that came with the leather armour. His fingers numbly twist around it, the movement of his fingers and hand cause a surge of pain, Kane hisses in reaction. "F-Fuck!" He pulls the bottle up, planting the cork in his mouth before he pulls it out.
Once again, he greedily gulps the HP potion. The taste of the potion was completely ignored due to the searing pain in his hands. He finishes the bottle, tossing it to the side. He stares at his hands which begin to heal and knit themselves to the point that there's not even a scar left of the damage. Kane clenches his fists and opens them repeatedly, a complete lack of pain from the action causes him to let out a deep breath.
He plants his hands underneath him, lifting himself up. Rino runs over, helping Kane to his feet. He mutters his thanks. The other two finish off the remaining slimes, without their leader, the slimes became easy prey for the adventurers. Kane moves off to the steaming pile of slime that was the Royal Knight Slime. He prods it with his Spear, reluctant to touch it due to the agony he felt when he shoved his arm in.
The noble interrupted Kane's fear of having his flesh melted once again, handing him the remains of some Royal Squire Slimes. He stares at her hands and how it doesn't seem to cause her any type of discomfort, encouraging Kane to take it and plant the slime on the red gem of the Spear. Like before it glows, absorbing in the slime. The sticky piece of gelatin was completely gobbled up by the Spear.
Royal Squire Slime Spear unlocked! +8 Atk, +8 Agi.
Kane sighs. "Let's get this over with." With slight trepidation, he pulls a big chunk of the Royal Knight Slime. Planting the part onto the Spear, once again, the Spear devours the piece.
Royal Knight Slime Spear unlocked! +16 Atk, +16 Agi, +16 Phy Def.
Skill unlocked! Slippery Agility: Increases user's agility by 25% when activated. Drains SP while active.
Skill unlocked! Seismic Leap: Leap into the air and strike the earth with a seismic force that deals physical damage. The damage scales with height, becoming more powerful when dropping from high heights. Fall damage is heavily reduced when using this Skill.
Kane nods his head at the Skills, although he was extremely under-leveled for it, its death gave him lots of XP and the Spears he unlocked were his most powerful so far. He begins gathering more of the Slimes, planting the excess parts into his inventory.
He nods at Rino. "Thanks for the save." The mage beams with pride, nodding back. The group head back to the town, free to move after the night-time ambush being dealt with.
Kane is seated at a bar, all of his party already in their own rooms and sleeping. A mug of ale on the table by his side, he stares at a little plastic storage bag. A bundle of dark red candy shaped like stars was sealed inside. He hums, curious about what would happen if he would absorb one of the little candies.
"Hey, Stone!"
Naofumi sits alongside Kane, a smile on her face. Kane turns to her. "Yo. How's it going?"
Her smile weakens a bit. "Uh, not too bad." Her thoughts go back to how long it took her to defeat a balloon with her fists. She blinks at the small plastic bag held by Kane, inquisitive of the candy held inside, finding it odd why Kane had a bunch of soft sweets inside a plastic baggie. "Why do you have a bunch of candy inside a plastic bag?… Can I have some too?"
Kane snorts at the final question. "This ain't the type of candy you think it is, Iwatani."
Naofumi tilts her head in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"
"These are edibles, called the Stars of Death."
"Edibles?"
Kane's brows raise, about to question how Naofumi wouldn't know that. "How-" He stops, however, staring at Naofumi, her jade eyes filled with confusion. He sighs. "Edibles, pretty much weed but in candy form."
Naofumi's eyes widen in shock, planting a hand over her mouth. Leaning in and whisper shouting. "You have drugs!? Why do you have drugs!?"
"...Are you seriously questioning me, why I would have drugs."
"Well, no but I." Naofumi takes a deep breath. "Just… y'know surprised is all." Naofumi attempts to play off her reaction.
Kane gives a smug smirk. "Sure." He jiggles the bag in front of Naofumi. "You still want one?"
Naofumi stares at the bag, an unconfident smile on her face. "I, uh…"
Kane chuckles, pulling the bag away. "Actually, probably for the best if you don't get high." He plants the bag back onto the table. Naofumi lets out a silent sigh.
There's a silence between the two. Kane taking a swig of the ale, Naofumi pats her legs awkwardly. "So… How was your first day?"
Kane grimaces, opening and closing his fist repeatedly. The nerves in his left hand were completely dead, even the sense of touch was slightly numbed by the severe damage. His right hand however luckily recovered, with only minor numbing to the nerves, that one was plus in Kane's mind. "Turn out Slimes can melt your skin, hurts like hell. Can't damage clothes though, which is weird."
The concern is heard in Naofumi's voice. "Does it still hurt?"
He closes his fist a final time. "Nah, just a little off-putting to be able to see muscle and then have your hand stitch itself together before your very eyes."
Naofumi rubs the back of her head. "Right, yeah I can see that."
Kane takes another swig of alcohol. Comparable to vodka or any other strong spirit. Before silence can return between the two, The redhead that joined Naofumi taps Naofumi on the shoulder. The raven-haired girl turned to her member. The two talk for a moment, before Naofumi, says her goodbyes to Kane, leaving him alone at the bar. The redhead follows behind her.
Kane takes one last swig. Waving to the bartender and heading up to his room, quickly throwing off his clothes and slinking into his single bed.
Hours later.
Kane is awakened by the sound of knocking on the door. He sits up, grumbling. He stares at the door in annoyance. Another set of knocking causes him to sigh, walking toward the door. He opens it with aggravation which quickly turns into surprise when someone rams themselves into his chest. A familiar redhead, almost as nude as the day she was born, the only thing covering her is a blanket. "What the fuck?"
"Oh Spear Hero! I'm so glad I found you. I-It was so horrible!" The redhead sniffles, rubbing her face into Kane's chest.
Kane's confusion steadily increased. "What are you talking about?"
The redhead shivers. "The Shield Hero, s-she… forced herself upon me, said she wanted to have her fun with me before being sold off as a slave."
Kane stares at the redhead with an agape mouth, he closes it. Anger begins to build up. "Stay here, I'll go deal with her."
He attempts to move around the girl but she shrieks, holding onto Kane even tighter. "No! Please let us go to the King, Sir Kane!"
Kane opens his mouth before closing it, unwilling to cause further suffering to the rape victim.
Hours go by as Kane and the redhead named Myne as he had found out went to inform the King of what happened, resulting in all the other Heroes being summoned apart from Naofumi. The other two were all grouchy at being disturbed until hearing the reasoning for the request for their presence. They jump into action, and any reluctance or tiredness was gone immediately. The two already believe in Naofumi's guilt.
When Kane was first told by Myne she was raped, he had wanted him to attack Naofumi, for her crimes. The anger he felt at the moment has dispersed. Confusion replaced the burning emotion, confused by Myne's stories and her actions.
"…Then she forced me onto my back, she said she wanted to have her fun with me before selling me off. She started to tear my clothes and berate me, she forced herself onto me, after some harrowing moments I was able to escape and then find the Spear Hero."
Myne latches onto Kane's arm, wiping her eyes with one hand while the other snakes around Kane's arm. She buries Kane's sun-kissed arm in her voluptuous breasts. She gains looks of sympathy from everyone in the room. Kane stares ahead, a stern frown on his face. 'Why didn't she go to a guard?'
Itsuki spits with venom. "I guess she let power get to her head…"
Ren nods coldly in agreement with Itsuki.
Kane's thoughts twist and churn with even more questions, his doubts becoming stronger and stronger. As a sense of wrong begins to dredge up in Kane's stomach. 'How did she even know which room was my room? What, did she start knocking on every fucking door in hopes I would answer? Why waste time like that, if you just escaped from being raped? How did she even escape? If Naofumi was drunk then how the fuck did she lose in the first place?'
Myne's tightens her grasp on Kane's arm. Pushing her body against his own, her breasts pushing into the side of his chest. He could feel her body heat, as the girl rubs her body against Kane, sniffling. 'Just learned your fucking name and you're already grinding your tits into me… weren't you just raped?' In any other situation, Kane would fuck her in a heartbeat, the constant grinding and rubbing would definitely make his blood boil with arousal but in this scenario? When she was supposedly raped? It brings her into question in Kane's mind, his doubt almost at its apex. 'It's like you're trying to distract me your tits.'
The doors to the throne room violently open, Naofumi on full display in a shirt and shorts, her bed hair apparent to anyone. The knights lead her forward until they reach the halfway point, shoving Naofumi to the ground, the woman grunts in pain. "That hurts." A group of knights surrounds her, pointing sharpened spears at her. Naofumi stares in confusion, eyeing all of the knights. "What's going on?"
Naofumi finds Myne by Kane's side, his arm in her embrace. "Myne! You're okay?!" Myne squeaks out, hiding behind Kane, his arm still held by her. Naofumi stares at Kane, a frown on his face and his usual easy-going mood completely gone. "Myne?" Not a single person other than Naofumi speaks. The entire hall stared at her with hate and disgust. "Yo, King! I had all my money and equipment other than Shield stolen while I was asleep!"
Kane squints in confusion. 'I thought she was drunk? Either she can handle her hangovers better than me or it's a lie… And her shit's gone missing or is that a lie to drag attention away?' Kane scowls. 'Who's fucking lying here! I can't tell!'
Naofumi gulps, uncomfortable from all the glares but she finds the resolve to continue speaking. "Please, find the thief-"
The King interrupts with a mad bellow, losing control of his temper. "Quiet, scumbag!"
Naofumi is shocked by the sudden aggression from the King. "What's this about?"
The King takes a deep breath, calming his temper. He plants a hand on his head and lets out a sigh. "Myne, could you please testify for us once again."
Myne stutters out her story, crocodile tears brimming. "Th-The Shield Hero barged into my room drunk and forced me onto my back…"
Naofumi stands up, the knights watching her every move with absolute focus. "Huh?"
Myne continues. "She said she wanted to have her fun with me before I get sold off as a slave and tore off my
clothes, she began to berate me and violated me. I somehow escaped and ran to Sir Stone, who happened to be staying in the same inn, for help!"
Naofumi's eyes widen at this. "What are you talking about?! I went straight to bed after dinner last night!"
The King raises his throne. "To think the Shield Hero would commit the gravest sin in this country, even more so to a fellow woman!"
The King's advisor speaks up. "In Melromarc, even attempting to sexually assault a woman is punishable by death, regardless of gender!"
Kane's eyes become as wide as dinner plates, shock coursing through his body. 'Death!? What the fuck! There hasn't even been any evidence yet and they're already talking about death!'
The King raises a finger and points it at Naofumi, total dread setting in the young Japanese woman. "If you weren't a Hero, you would have been executed!"
Kane's thoughts go into overdrive, questions speeding around in his mind. 'Why are they trying to sweep this under the fucking carpet so quickly! You can't just say this shit and get it done in minutes!' He looks around the hall, searching the audience that stands on the sidelines, expecting to find a few that doubt but instead all he finds is a wall of snakes, all staring at Naofumi with gleeful hatred and sadistic venom. '…They wanted this… they've been against her from the very beginning.'
Cold realisation sets in, his body almost numb. Naofumi was framed, he was tricked. 'What would I have done if I did go to her last night?' Guilt bubbles up from his stomach, shame at being fooled before the shame and guilt become fuel for his rage which steadily begins rising. He snarls a heated growl, something that only Myne hears. She inwardly grins to herself, believing Kane's anger aimed at Naofumi.
Naofumi gains a look of fear at the mention of execution. "Executed? I'm telling you; you've got the wrong idea! If you're so convinced I did rape her, show me the proof!"
A knight steps forwards and kneels on the ground and speaks. "When we searched the Shield Hero's room, um, we found this on her bed." The knight pulls out some slightly ripped undergarments. Myne screams out, burying herself deeper into Kane. The action causes the anger within Kane to almost exploding, her attempt to distract Kane with her body all too apparent to him now.
The King speaks. "There you have it. Undeniable proof."
Naofumi shouts, her tone becoming more desperate. "How? It wasn't there when I woke up!"
Itsuki speaks straight to Naofumi with a tone of disappointment. "It's too bad. I was worried something bad might happen, but I was hoping you'd know better."
Ren joins in with a condensing tone. "She thinks a Hero can do whatever the hell she wants and get away with it."
Naofumi denies it, shaking her head with vigour. "That's not even the least bit true." Naofumi places her hand on the sees Myne standing behind Kane, she smiles at Naofumi, and with a cruel look in her eye, she shows her tongue, a childish action that just makes even it more wicked.
Naofumi grits her teeth. Her chest burns with rage as she grinds her knuckles into the marble floor. The people all around the court begin to mock her.
"It really was a mistake to summon all four Heroes together."
"Exactly. They never should've summoned the Shield Hero. But who would've thought she'd be such scum?"
"I thought a female Hero would have been more dignified than her male counterparts but seems she's nothing more than vermin."
'The Shield… It's all about the Shield again?'The mocking whispers continue getting louder and louder in Naofumi's head.
The Shield Hero stares at the floor in defeat and misery, alone. A horde of malicious men and women insulting her. Kane tries to tug his arm out of Myne's grasp only for her to hold on even tighter. He spits with vitriol. "Let go."
Myne could barely contain her grin. "Please, Sir Stone stay with me, I need your support."
Kane tugs again, more harshly this time. Barely controlling his temper to not slam his fist into Myne's face here and now, his voice drips with hate. "Let go of my arm."
Myne couldn't resist anymore and a small smile breaks out. "She'll be punished, Sir Stone. Don't worry."
Kane reaches his breaking point. Ripping out his arm of her embrace and shoving her with his other arm. "I said, get off my fucking arm!" The force from the shove throws the girl back, landing at Ren and Itsuki's feet who look shocked at the sudden physical altercation. Gasps are heard around the hall resulting in Naofumi looking up, finding Myne on the floor with Kane's back turned to her.
The King cries out, about to jump out of his throne. "Malty!"
Kane yells at the top of his lungs, his voice full of malice and rage. "You fucking manipulative skank! I should crack your fucking jaw for spewing such bullshit!"
"Guards! Surround the Spear Hero!" The guard that has their spears pointed at Naofumi rush to Kane, surrounding him. He looks around, gritting his teeth at the sharpened steel pointed at him. "Now explain yourself Spear Hero!" The King shouts, pointing a finger at Kane.
"Fuck you and the red-haired bitch for framing Iwatani!"
"Framed!?" The King cries out in shock.
Myne who's helped to her feet by Ren and Itsuki attempts to win over Kane, once again. "Sir Stone, she reall-"
He's not listening, the realised manipulation makes Kane's core burn in absolute fury, his face contorted by the rage. "Shut the fuck up! You walking, talking pile of bullshit!" The heat in his voice causes the guards to tighten their grasp on their spears.
"How dare you Spear Hero! How dare you insult Myne who has suffered enough!" The King leans in, his hands clenched into fists.
"Oh, I fucking dare! Because that fucking bitch played me for a fiddle into believing that Iwatani was guilty."
"The evidence is there! The Shield Hero has violated Myne!"
Kane turns around. Naofumi spots his face, and his red irises mixed with a deep snarl give him the appearance of an animal. He stares at the undergarment, turning back to the King. "Your evidence is a pair of ripped underwear and the words of a fucking whore!" He finishes his words with a guttural growl.
Myne cries out as Itsuki consoles her, and Ren stares. Kane's sudden anger surprises the room, while the King's temper builds alongside. "Whore!? How dare you call a rape victim a whore!"
"And I'll fucking do it again! Because she's nothing more than one! What kind of rape victim starts grinding her tits and pussy on a complete stranger?"
Naofumi fully stands up, invigorated. "Right! She's lying!"
"Silence!" The King bellows out. "The crime of the Shield Hero is apparent, the evidence against her speaks for itself!"
Naofumi shouts her voice echoing in the hall. "What evidence! Like the Spear Hero said! There is no evidence!"
The King stares at her with smug venom. "So, how else do you explain Myne's underwear in your room?"
"Because you planted it there!"
"Are you doubting the trustworthiness of a knight? Are you saying they can't be trusted?"
A loaded question if ever there was one, Kane however answered it instead of Naofumi. "Of course, they can't be trusted! They work for you, you senile fuck! You can easily tell them to plant evidence to frame Iwatani!"
"Silence, Spear Hero! This trial is about the Shield Hero, not you!"
"Fuck all that! You've been picking on Iwatani since day fucking one! That's why no one decided to join her party because you told them not to!"
Mutterings is heard around the hall. The King growls. "Enough! There will be no further debate!"
Naofumi seethes, a storm of anger and hate swirling inside her, she gives up on arguing her case, and the chances of her proving herself innocent was non-existent. "Then send me back! Summon someone else to frame, I don't care, just send me back!"
Kane nods his head in agreement, a harsh glare aimed at the King. "You can do the same for me."
Itsuki tries to intervene, frowning at Naofumi and Kane. "How can you two even think about leaving inn-" His words die in his throat however as soon as Kane's eyes snap onto his own.
The King grits his teeth. "As much as I would love to throw you two back to where you came from, sadly the only way to summon new Heroes is to kill all the current ones."
All the Heroes stare at him in shock. Kane shakes his head. "Fuck."
Naofumi clenches her hand. "So I can't even go home?"
"Well, only after you fight off all the incoming Waves. Despite your reprehensible actions, you are one of the few that can fight the Waves, as such I will imprison you but make no mistake. Word of your crime has already begun to spread across the country, you will never live a decent life."
Kane barks out again. "That's just confirmation of you framing her! The trial isn't even over and you've already told everyone!" Ren stares at Myne from the corner of his eye, uncertain who to listen to.
"I said be silent, Spear Hero! Or else you will suffer the same fate!"
"I don't give a shit about what a bunch of retards think of me!"
The King slams his fist on the armrest of the throne. "Then so be it! You will be punished alongside the Shield Hero." The King waves his hand. "Now leave, both of you!"
Naofumi growls. "Fine by me." Already leaving for the exit. The guards block Kane's path moving forward, joining the other guards in separating Kane from Myne. Kane follows behind Naofumi. The entire hall stares as they leave. A large majority of the nobles present smile as they watch Naofumi walk away in anger, seething from her treatment. The attention on Kane was less severe, instead of gleeful hate and disgust, there was disappointment and confusion.
Naofumi doesn't stop walking, Kane almost directly behind her, the two passing by maids and guards without saying anything until they reach the outside of the castle. The entrance of the town was a few steps away. Naofumi suddenly stops, Kane, doing the same in response. Complete silence between the two as Naofumi stares ahead of her while Kane stares at the back of Naofumi's head. She unclenches her fist. "...Thanks for standing up for me, Stone."
Kane nods silently, unsure of what to say to the anger-filled woman in front of him. Naofumi lets out a deep sigh. "I'm going to go on alone, I'm the weakest, so I have no time to waste."
Kane shakes his head in disagreement, unwilling to let Naofumi go off by herself. "I feel like we should stick together, make sure these bastards don't try to pull anything again."
Naofumi gives a humourless snort, she turns to the southerner. "We can't level up if we're in each other's presence. So, we have to go our separate ways."
Kane's rebuttal dies in his mouth, unable to come up with an argument. He pulls up his inventory, quickly cycling through it. He pulls out two pieces of slime, One belonging to the Knight Slime and the other to the Squire. "Take this at least then."
Naofumi stares at Kane's palm in slight confusion, not for the slime in his hand but how it suddenly appeared in his grasp. "How did you do that?"
"Do what?"
Naofumi jabs her finger towards Kane's hand. "That! You just pulled that out of nowhere!"
"I pulled it out of my inventory. Don't you have one?"
Naofumi opens her HUD finding nothing about the inventory, causing her to growl. "No, I don't. As if this Shield wasn't already a fucking handicap."
Kane blinks. "Double check, mine oddly didn't show up at first either."
Naofumi still seething, checks once again. She finds nothing to her chagrin. "It's not there. Just give me the fucking monster parts." Naofumi snags the slime out of Kane's hand, shoving the parts into the Shield's gem. Unlocking two new Shields and Skills.
The stats were at the current moment the best she's had, she looks up at Kane, the blonde staring at her with concern. "...I owe yo-"
Kane shakes his head disapprovingly. "Don't. Just be careful, alright?"
Naofumi after a moment of silence nods. "I'll see you later, Stone." Naofumi turns.
"See ya around…" Kane watches Naofumi walk off. He turns back to the castle. He clenches his fist, turning back around and walking off himself, alone. His party abandoning him, was fine by him.
The Pope walks through the marble hallways, the maids and knights bowing at his presence. He enters the throne room. Biscas tilts his head slightly upwards, staring at Aultcray. The elderly King is seated upon his throne, asking his personal advisor about Malty's condition.
Biscas gives an insincere frown. "My friend, I have heard the horrible news of what happened to your daughter." The Pope closes the distance between the two men.
Aultcray turns to the Pope. He lets out a deep breath, exhaling his anger. "Your Holiness." He squeezes his eyes shut, his mouth turning into a snarl. "Yes… That fucking Devil!" He slams his fist on the throne. "She has traumatised my daughter and that damn Spear Hero! Insulting and harming my daughter as well. He's scum just like the Shield Devil. He will suffer the same fate as the Shield Devil, for throwing his support in with her."
The Pope keeps his facade up but beneath the mask lies annoyance. "I'm afraid, that will not happen my friend. We wouldn't want Malty to suffer even more then she has, do we, my friend?"
Aultcray's fist clench and he almost snaps at the Pope for asking such a question. "No!" Aultcray reigns in his temper. "Of course not. She has already suffered enough."
The Pope speaks. "Then the word of the Spear Hero supporting the Shield Devil must not be known, we must keep it hidden."
"Why?" Aultcray spits out his one-word response.
The Pope sighs, The King's incompetence becoming worse and worse made him easier to manipulate but having him think more emotionally then logically was annoying, worth it but annoying nonetheless. "The peasants normally favour one of the Heroes over the other two. The Spear while not as popular as the Sword, still has many of the faithful to his side, if word spread about him supporting the Shield Devil, doubt on the guilt of the Shield Devil will arise, doubt on the woe of your daughter. She has, as you said, suffered enough."
Aultcray lowers his head. "But then the Spear Hero would go unpunished, unpunished for harming Malty!" He finishes his sentence by slamming his fist onto the side of his throne.
The Pope closes his eyes. "He shall go unpunished, for now, my friend, for Malty."
Aultcray grumbles, but he eventually relents. "...Fine, the Spear will go unfettered despite him deserving to suffer alongside the Shield Devil."
Days passed since the trial, and Naofumi's crime was spread across the entire town, causing Naofumi to become a complete pariah. People would spit in her direction and shoo her away, threatening to call the guards. The guards themselves were even worse, they would look for any excuse to harass the criminal Hero. She certainly looked the part, her appearance was scruffy, messy hair and dark shadows under her eyes, caused by rough sleeping. Her constant scowl and cold eyes didn't do her any favours either, she looked on the verge of snapping and letting loose a deluge of anger.
Naofumi walks into the Guild Hall. The moment she does so the entire room becomes silent, all the adventurers staring at her with disdain and hate. Her angry frown deepens but shows no other reaction. She moves over to the board, picking a quest to slay Balloons since that was really the only monster she could kill.
She moves over to the counter, planting the quest. The receptionist stares at her with complete disgust. The woman blinks, scowling at Naofumi. "Leave, you are not welcome here."
Naofumi's face twitches. "I'll leave once you give me the quest."
The receptionist speaks. "You are not welcome here, no one here will allow you to obtain a quest, now leave before I call the guards."
Naofumi snarls, turning on her foot and walking straight out of the door, not missing the looks of twisted delight as she was rejected. She walks through the town, mothers would tug their children away, glaring at the Shield Hero as they shield their children with their bodies. Other town-goers would glare as well, their hate of her not disguised or hidden in any sense of the word.
Naofumi clenches her pale fists, silently walking until something splats against her head, pieces of red fruit flying everywhere. Mocking laughter is heard from all around. Naofumi's face contorts into a vile snarl as she keeps moving, what else could she do? The surrounding mob would turn violent the moment she fought back against the mistreatment. She was considered less than scum, the lowest denominator, and she couldn't do anything about it.
She doesn't stop moving until she's left the town. Ignoring the mocking and insults from the town folk and guards at the gate separating the town from the wilderness. She moves over to the forest, walking past the tree line.
She stands in her regular sleeping spot, a massive tree with leaves that protect her from rain, the grass squashed under the weight of Naofumi constantly sleeping on the spot. Naofumi raises a fist and slams it into the tree. The first punch was a prelude to Naofumi unleashing her fury onto the tree, a flurry of rage-filled punches, each of them slamming into the tree.
She lets out a sloppy haymaker, the blow hits the tree, causing the bark to fracture, and her fist buried into the side of the tree. Naofumi slides down and hits the floor. The tree bears damage from the punches, the bark cracked and slight indents formed on the tree, despite the damage, the tree stands firm. Naofumi turns her back, leaning on the tree. She stares at her hands, the knuckles bruised, small splinters dug into her skin, and her anger dulls the pain. She clenches her fists once more and slams it onto the ground, her eyes watering as she stares up into the sky. "...What did I do to deserve this? This was supposed to be a dream come true, turns out it's nothing but a never-ending nightmare."
Hot tears trail downs the sides of Naofumi's face. "…I'm in hell." She stares at the Shield attached to her arm. "And it's all your fault." She snarls. "But I'll make it through, even if you do nothing but hold me back. I will survive and I will get home, no matter what."
Naofumi eyes a number of Balloons in the distance, lifting herself to her feet. She moves towards the Balloons, she won't be able to get the quest money, but she'll at least get the XP from it.
Rewriting this, I thought Kane was way too calm. He's meant to be the Spear Hero, someone who's loyal and he was manipulated and tricked? He would go fucking berserk, after all Motoyasu went insane when his loyalty was betrayed.
Still ain't sure if I'm rewriting Chapter 3. I might edit it a bit more but not a full rewrite.