To SkyChaser17: I'm very happy to see that you approve of the story progress so far and also relieved that you took the darker elements in stride. I hope you continue to enjoy and support this fanfic until the end.

To CAD270895: Just imagine a blonde haired Eula from the Genshin Impact game.

To .02: The Yamai twins will have somewhat similar abilities to their Date A Live counterparts, but only just a little. Their personalities on the other hand, I think it's okay for them to retain their respective mental characteristics.

To Dariory: I'm happy to see a fellow Fate fan enjoying this fanfic, especially when they notice that little cameo of the Emiya restaurant idea that I implemented. I hope you continue to support this story.

To SxS: I plan to use your Basilisk idea, but not as a Wave Boss. Don't worry, all of the suggestions that you sent to me that I found promising for this story is safely archived in my files. The idea about the monsters in the Cal Mira Archipelago is definitely going to be used once the story reaches that point. Once again, thank you so much for the great ideas and you can count on me that they will be put to good use in the future.

To Nightshadegirl: Agnes won't be part of the harem, but she will have a role to play in the future.

To starwing1995: I apologize, but I'm simply not interested with that kind of stuff.

To snow in the darkness: Thanks a lot for the words of encouragement. It's always heartwarming to hear readers like you conveying to me how much your enjoying this fanfic. And to answer your question about what version of Shirou Emiya got summoned as Bow Hero, it would be either the Emiya Fate route or the Emiya Gohan route.

COUNT OF VOTES:

1.) Mysterious Blacksmith

Kaijin - 9

Hephaistos - 13

2.) 2nd Wave Boss of Siltvelt

Screaming Death - 5

Golden Wolflord - 13

Corrupted Spirit of the Forest - 4

3.) Where would Anna's special night be

Siltvelt Inn - 0

hotspring in Springvale - 7

Castle of Northern Territories - 11

4.) Should I include Knight Alice in the Reaction Fanfic

Yes - 18

No - 4

RESULTS OF VOTES:

1.) Looks like Hephaistos(Danmachi) is going to make her appearance in the far future.

2.) Golden Wolflord wins by a longshot. The next Siltvelt Wave is going to be very exciting.

3.) It seems Anna is going to literally and figuratively get the royal treatment once she gets layed with Eugeo.

4.) If some of you readers still haven't noticed, the BRSH Reaction story has already been uploaded with Knight Alice in it.

NOTICE:

All credit for writing this chapter's Omake goes to my fellow author "Arementi Revnant". And as always, he also added his own personal touch to the rest of the chapter.

1017 Reviews, 1232 Favorites, 1401 Follows


At the outskirts of the Wine Town...

"Take these. It should be enough to last for a good 3 days," Kirito assured as he handed Agnes and her fellow former slaves a few packages of food rations.

And yes, they were now former slaves, as Kirito had already eradicated each and every one of their slave crest with the {Slave Cleanser's Sword} just a few minutes prior. Although it was done with some fake sleight of hand as to create the illusion that the blade was simply hidden inside Arthur's carriage. Agnes and her crew also made an agreement that they would keep his so-called 'sword of freedom' a secret.

Anna approached the freshly freed slaves and instructed them further...

"The number of Filolials should be enough for all of you to ride on. Head southwest and you should be able to reach Reichnott territory within a day or two of travel as long as you don't diverge from your direction. The lord of Reichnott is a good man, and will gladly take all of you under his wing for the time being. Stay clear of any kind of human contact on your way there to avoid any unexpected trouble."

A chorus of, "Yes ma'am," is replied by Agnes and her group as they took Anna's instructions to heart.

After saying their goodbyes, as well as conveying their thanks to their saviors one last time, the group of freed slaves obediently hopped aboard the flock of Filolials and rode away. And as a footnote, Arthur also made sure to give out a few very strict instructions to those Filolials to stay focused and not be distracted by unnecessary stops, so at least that was one less concern to worry about.

But just to be extra safe...

"Kirin?" Kirito resorts to calling her with her real name this time.

"Yes, Eugeo?"

"Will it be fine if I ask your mother to send one of her Shadows to watch over them? At least until they reach Reichnott territory safely."

"I'm sure mother will be more than happy to help."

With Kirin's assurance, Alice automatically morphed the legendary weapon into its [Multipurpose Orb Sword] form for her beloved to use. And as luck would have it, it didn't take long for the other end of the magical wire to pick up his call. The beautiful clan head began with her usual dignified persona...

"Greetings Sir- huh?"

a persona that quickly broke down when she suddenly giggled at the unfamiliar face displayed on her end of the Orb Call, "haha... is that you Sir Eugeo?! My word! I know I shouldn't be so surprised since I was the one to suggest the Hakuko disguise to begin with. But still, you look simply too adorable for words!"

"Yes ma'am... it's me," the Sword Hero could only chuckle in exasperation as he endured the mild embarrassment, waiting for the Lady of the Toudous to compose herself again. Although that time frame got extended when Lady Aoi noticed her disguised daughter standing beside the Sword Hero.

"And look at you, my dear daughter! You look so adorable as well! If possible, I would be stroking those ears of yours all day!" Aoi giggled.

"Haa~ My apologies for my mother," Yuuki sighed awkwardly for her mother's rare display of her childish antics, "One of the many reasons why my mother doesn't discriminate against Demi-humans, is because she finds their animal features to be very cute."

"Is that so..." Kirito mumbled as he gave Yuuki, along with Anna and Rifana, (who just happened to return from checking the perimeter) a few appreciative looks before bashfully turning away, "Well, I can't say I disagree."

Upon realizing what their man was implying, the three girls instantly developed small blushes on their cheeks. Feeling both proud and flustered that their Hero saw their animal-like features as something desirable.

'Maybe I should use this Hakuko disguise more often. Just these animal ears and tail though, not the face and body,' Kirin quietly noted to herself in her fluster.

This interaction couldn't go much further though, as Lady Aoi soon called for their attention and cut it short.

"Ahem! I apologize for my behavior just now. I simply can't help myself at times – especially with how stressful things are starting to become to be fully prepared to go into hiding and keep our eyes open," now that she had gathered her wits, she was now back in her usual state of mind, "Anyways, putting my shameful outburst aside, how can I be of service for you today? Did something big happen over there that would require you to hide your identity once again?"

"I guess you can say that," Kirito said with a sigh.

Kirito then filled in Lady Aoi on what had been going on at the Northern Territories. Telling her about what Itsuki the Bow Hero did there, and what the revolutionist group that he helped done once said Hero left. Painting a pretty grim picture of how bad the north's current state was, as well as what was needed to be done to restore order.

"I see... this truly is quite the predicament," Lady Aoi mumbled in thought as she pondered over the information that she just received. "One of my many informants did mention to me that the Northern Territories were experiencing some serious economic problems. After all, raising military funds to combat the Waves while also keeping the economy from collapsing is far from easy."

"That explains the raising of taxes that we've been hearing about."

"But even so, I could never imagine that things would have degraded so badly that it would warrant forcing the current rulers of that nation out of power. Something doesn't add up."

"If I'm going to venture a guess, the leader of the Revolutionist took advantage of the people's discontent and fueled it with false information to achieve their own ends," Anna now voiced out her opinion about the country's situation. "I've seen my fair share of corruption during my travels as an Adventurer. You'd be surprised just how easy it is to fan a small spark of displeasure into a blazing inferno."

"I fear that that might just be the case," Lady Aoi nodded with a heavy sigh, massaging her temple in an effort to alleviate some of the impending headaches before speaking up again.

"Thanks to the events that transpired during the post-Wave feast, the Three Heroes Church and the Nobles who supported the King were pretty much sent in a state of turmoil. Both the King and the Pope were severely preoccupied in their efforts of wrestling back the control that they lost in Melromarc. With those two imbeciles busy with their own share of problems, it should be possible for me to send a number of my Shadows to give you a hand. Sheltering the victims that you rescued while also detaining the evildoers you defeated might still be feasible. Unfortunately, my aid can't last any longer than 3 weeks as any more than that might put my clan at risk. The King and the Pope would've most likely handled their respective issues by that point."

Kirito shook his head and quickly waved away Lady Aoi's apologetic tone, seeing her concern of not supporting him enough to be unwarranted.

"That shouldn't be a problem, 3 weeks should be more than enough time," Kirito told the clan matriarch in assurance. After all, with his and Kirin's Shadow training, his party's overall combat strength, not to mention the fact that Alice can easily locate and monitor enemy forces with a simple activation of the {Map Projection} skill, it should be possible for them to resolve this entire political mess within the given time frame, "You have my gratitude, Lady Aoi. I promise to repay your kindness in the future."

"Think nothing of it, good sir," Lady Aoi replied, her professional smile quickly shifted though as a very amused and mischievous smirk took its place, "Just as long as you promise to be a loving husband to my daughter and give me lots of grandchildren to spoil in the future, I will be more than happy to give you my support."

"MOTHER!" "LADY AOI, PLEASE!" Kirito and Yuuki's faces both exploded with redness.

"Ahahaha! I'm joking, I'm joking. Goodness me, you two are so easy to tease!"

As the once urgent Orb Call, which was supposed to decide the fate of the Northern Territories degraded into an all-out embarrassment contest, the sentient sword and the other girls could only sigh and bear witness to the unfolding chaos with warm smiles of endearment.

'I'm guessing Miss Ayane either couldn't resist keeping Kirin's love life a secret... or maybe Lady Aoi straight-up ordered her to tell her about it.'

"Somehow, I wouldn't put it past her."

"Judging by how Lady Aoi acts when she's free from prying eyes, I think she only shows this side of her character when her daughter's wellbeing is involved."

Alice, Rifana, and Anna (exactly by that order) voiced their commentary as they watched the Orb Call between Lady Aoi and her disguised daughter end.

Not wanting to linger with the embarrassment that they had just received, Kirito and Yuuki made the explicit effort to move their focus along. Now that they have another mission that they need to accomplish, on top of their main obligation of preparing for the next Wave, they couldn't waste any more time.

The other girls glanced at the Hakuko pair with heavily amused expressions (in Alice's case, the Legendary Sword wiggled as if it was laughing) before finally relenting. Deciding to spare what little remained of the Hakuko pair's dignity.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on who you ask, Alice sensed how the town's underground passageways were beginning to stir with activity. Presumably from the evacuated populace who are now assuming that it was safe enough for them to exit their Wave shelters.

'As enjoyable as teasing our lovable hero and clan heiress is, I'm afraid we have to cut this short,' Alice's serious tone of voice caught everyone's attention as even Arthur (who had been standing some distance away watching the fading forms of his flock at the distance for this entire time) perked up in great attentiveness upon hearing her, 'I can sense human activity, they're beginning to move above ground now.'

This caused all members of the party to tense in full alert, each of them pondering on how they were going to handle this.

"Should we take our leave?" Anna asked in trepidation. Not really in the mood to be facing the people who left their Demi-human slaves to a miserable fate. All the while they took the coward's way out and hid in their bunkers.

"We could... but I think we should at least leave some sort of message for them before we go," Rifana suggested, worried that the bandits that they had subdued might eventually escape if not handled properly by the townspeople.

"I agree, my mother always told me that it's best not to leave loose ends to fester," Yuuki approved Rifana's suggestion. Recalling the information that she received from her mother (back at the post-Wave feast) now coming to play in her mind.

According to her mother, Kirito the Hakuko had caused quite the stir when he made his debut in Rabier territory. Not only did he destroy the lord's mansion, along with all the high standing guest that Idol Rabier had at the time, but he also decimated the entire platoon of soldiers that tried to capture him with relative ease. This caused Eugeo's Kirito persona to not only be loathed, but also feared by the Melromarc nobles, especially the ones who were known to abuse Demi-humans. Afraid that they might be next on the Phantom Swordsman's hit list.

And wasn't that such an amusing title to go by? Yuuki inwardly chuckled at the thought as she knew that her Hero and love interest would undoubtedly feel embarrassed for being given such a moniker. Be that as it may, Kirito's infamy could serve them well if they played their cards right. After all, fear can be a dangerous weapon if the right conditions were met.

"Everyone!" Yuuki raised her voice as she waved her party members to gather around, "I think I have an idea."


"Great heavens above!" the lord of the wine town squealed in shock as he and the rest of the evacuees (with the exemption of the children and young ones who they left underground just in case there's still danger) are now looking over the aftermath of the bandit raid, albeit with an extremely unexpected outcome, "What in the world happened here!"

The town lord's panic is quickly reflected by everyone else as they all gazed at the carnage. What made this particular carnage so unusual, was because it was the bandits who were reduced into such horrid states (restraining them in ropes before piling them up in a heap for good measure) instead of being the ones who caused it. Seeing such an unusual and disturbing scenery before them, only one question surfaced in everyone's minds.

"Who could have done this?"

The townspeople didn't know what they should feel. Should they feel joyful that the criminals were stopped in their tracks, or should they feel anxious for the retribution that they may receive from the North's new king? Whatever thoughts or speculations they might have had, all of them were brought to a screeching halt when a pair of footsteps resounded in the background, its owner approaching them with one foreboding step at a time.

As they turned their heads to face their supposed savior, they were met with an unexpected sight.

"It's about time you people climbed out of your holes."

The callous voice that originated from this new arrival caused quite the multitude of reactions from the startled townsfolk. Especially when said person is revealed to be a member of the fabled and feared Hakuko tribe. Dressed from head to toe in black, topped off with a silver-buckled belt, a hooded black trench-coat, and a pair of armored black boots. He looked to be completely at home in the cover of night, like a predator prowling for his next meal.

And despite his average height and deceptively youthful appearance, every last one of the townspeople was scared stiff! This fear only worsened when the Hakuko in question dropped the stack of 7 bandits that he was carrying on his left shoulder to join the rest of them in the heap. And when the more informed citizens noticed how the Hakuko's right hand is holding on to a seemingly unseen weapon, it was there that their complexions went completely pale like that of a ghost.

"A black and white Hakuko.."

"Dressed in black..."

"an invisible blade..."

"Oh, have mercy on us! He's the Phantom Swordsman!"

"Who?"

"He's the one who obliterated Idol Rabier's mansion!"

"along with everyone in it!"

"He also escaped the soldiers who tried to capture him without even breaking a sweat!"

As the frightened citizens muttered amongst themselves in a chaotic mess of fear and anxiety, the so-called Phantom Swordsman could only cringe on the inside.

'I'm not sure if I should feel flattered or embarrassed... I mean, The Phantom Swordsman..? Seriously?'

'Well, you did do a pretty good job in painting yourself in a fearsome light back in Rabier's mansion... it's a bit understandable why the soldiers who fought you back then would label you as such.'

'I know, but still...'

'I think your moniker sounds cool though.'

'You think so?'

'Mmhhmm.'

'T-Thanks...'

Kirito very silently chuckled to himself for his beloved's complement before shaking his head. Steeling himself for the task at hand, he then re-evaluated the plan that the Toudou heiress cooked up on such short notice.

According to her, his Kirito persona had garnered quite a notoriety amongst the noblemen of Melromarc. Most especially the ones who were associated with Idol Rabier and his ilk at one point or another in the past. While this kind of recognition might be a disadvantage in some areas, it could also be a great boon in others. As Yuuki had explained during this debriefing of her plan, fear could be a deadly weapon if the right conditions were met.

"Are you the lord of this town?" Kirito said with a soft yet stern voice, trying his best to sound intimidating.

After all, his acting skills may have worked back when he and Naofumi tricked everyone in Castle Town, but acting like someone who is to be feared was another matter entirely.

"Y-Y-Yes!... t-t-that would be me... y-y-young man," the town lord was practically quivering in his boots as he answered him with extreme trepidation. Surprisingly, Kirito's scary guy act was proving to be effective, now he just had to keep it going.

"Is that right?" Kirito gave the middle-aged man a cold stare before bolting towards him.

The Hakuko's burst of speed was so fast that the air displacement alone caused a gust of wind that forced the townspeople to shield their eyes from the dirt uplifted into the air. From a normal person's perspective, it looked like the Hakuko teleported instead of simply moving, albeit at insane speeds. The women screamed while the men stumbled back in fear, the town lord most of all as he realized that the invisible blade was now just a few millimeters away from his neck!

"Then that would mean you're also the one who left Agnes and the rest of your Demi-human slaves at the mercy of these bandits correct?"

The middle-aged man could only gulp in response as he is left completely at the Hakuko's mercy. Everyone else was also too scared to do anything. The standoff between the two was only a few seconds long, but for the townspeople, it felt like an eternity. All of them waited with bated breath on what Kirito's decision would be regarding their lives.

Unknown to them though, Kirito was also sweating up a storm on the inside as he was doing his very best to keep up the aura of intimidation that he had going. He'd been feeling like a complete piece of rubbish as it is with this whole villainous act. Made even worse when one of the young women, (the town lord's daughter he presumed) was reduced to tears as her eyes pleaded for him to show the man mercy.

'Just a little more, Eugeo,' Alice cheered him on as this whole exchange went down, much to the disguised Hero's appreciation and relief.

Masking his apprehension with aloofness, Kirito took a deep breath before letting it out with a very heavy sigh. Creating the illusion that he's barely holding himself back from doing something that he desperately wanted to do.

"Your former slaves told me how... prior to this bandit raid, that you people treated them fairly," Kirito growled as he ever so slowly lowered his arm, moving his blade away from the town lord's throat, "So consider yourselves lucky – for if they had told me otherwise, I may have killed you the moment I saw you and you wouldn't have even seen it coming."

It was by this point that the vice-like grip that the townspeople had been feeling in their chests was relinquished – especially so for the town lord who was just at swordpoint.

Having seen just how quick he was mere moments ago, along with the knowledge of his newfound infamy, they all knew that the black Hakuko wasn't bluffing – he would have no trouble killing them all in a short amount of time should he decide to do so.

With the absence of the Demi-human servants, along with the Hakuko calling them former slaves, they quickly assumed that they were now long gone. Which was something they had no choice but to accept if they knew what was good for them; especially since they did just play a part in keeping their former masters' necks intact.

"Does this town have a place where you can contain all these filth?" Kirito growled while kicking one of the sobering bandits back down to unconsciousness, "At least for the time being."

Eager to stay on the Phantom Swordsman's good side, the town lord and the men were quick to answer.

"Y-Y-Yes! I-I-If I'm not mistaken."

"I-I-I think we have a few wine cellars that aren't in use?"

"I think there are about three cellars that are vacant."

Kirito nodded in approval over the idea. Rulid Village may have been a rural settlement due to it being at the very edge of Underworld's human territory, but it still had a few underground wine cellars that they kept for special occasions.

"That will do," Kirito said in response before adding, "I have a few contacts who will handle this rubbish. So, you don't have to worry about containing them for too long at least."

"M-M-Much appreciated good sir," the town lord said.

With that matter settled, Kirito took a moment to return his invisible blade to its scabbard. This caused the town lord, along with everyone else, to sigh in sweet relief that their guest seemed to have completely calmed down. Now, if only the fearsome Phantom Swordsman would go on his merry way and leave their town in peace, they would be much happier.

"You do know that I would be demanding some form of... compensation for me taking care of this bandit raid, don't you?"

The townspeople jolted up upon hearing this. After all, they were barely keeping their town's economy running as it was! The only reason they were still somewhat well off was because they were able to barter some of their stored wine as payment for the skyrocketing taxes. Any more deductions to their town's treasury would most certainly throw the already delicate economy completely out of balance.

Kirito allowed the fear-induced panic to fester for a few seconds, just as Yuuki instructed him to do, before speaking up again.

"Spread the word – that is all I ask."

This silenced everyone instantly as they can hardly believe their ears.

"I want you to spread the word that I... the so-called Phantom Swordsman... am going to clean up this ridiculous mess of a country!"

The fear that was once there in their eyes was now replaced with bewilderment. After all, if they were going to be saved from the tyrannical rule of the new king, they were expecting their savior to at least be one of the Legendary Heroes. But instead, they were going to receive salvation from a Demi-Human! And not just any Demi-Human, but a member of the race that Melromarc had wronged the most!


About two nights later...

Kirito, Yuuki, Rifana, Anna, and Arthur were currently hiding in the forest treetops, just a safe enough distance away from the first nearby bandit camp that they were planning to attack. Thanks to the {Map Projection} skill that Alice had under their disposal, they now had the locations and basic layouts of every major bandit camp that were set up across the Northern Territories.

And by the looks of it, either the bandits were smarter than they let on, or the new king must have assigned some of their bandit camps to occupy specific areas surrounding the North's capital. Acting both as a fighting force against unwanted intruders and being a deterrent against any rebellion that may rise from the suffering citizens.

However, as much as Kirito and Alice would have loved to take down as many bandit camps as they could, Yuuki and Anna told them that doing so would be a bad idea. The two then explained that taking down too many bandit camps at once in such a short amount of time would alarm the new king and might cause panic. So instead, the Hero group would have to go after the campsites that were strategically valuable. Enough to frighten the Revolutionaries and see him as a threat, but not enough to force them to use extremely desperate measures.

By doing this, they would be able to chip away some of the new king's forces in a much more discrete manner. And when the moment is right, they'll be delivering the final blow directly at the North's main castle.

With this plan in mind, Alice found three bandit camps that seemed to be the most crucial ones among them:

One camp was located in an open field, just outside forest greenery. And judging by the large number of wooden crates and big tents scattered throughout this camp, this place seemed to be a supply storage for the Revolutionists.

Another camp was settled in the middle of a forest clearing, a place that would normally be well hidden against would-be attackers. It also just happened to be a short distance away from the main pathway that lead to the North's capital. Making it the perfect ambush point on any unsuspecting rebels that might go against the new king.

The third camp was situated right next to a large river, the water on one side and a forested area on the other. At first glance, this camp would be regarded as insignificant due to its rather remote location. But if you look at it from an escapee's standpoint, it would be an ideal place for someone to make a speedy getaway.

After some careful planning and lengthy discussions, the group decided to attack the third camp first. Not only would it prevent the Revolutionists from escaping if they ever attempted to escape later down the line, but it would also be a tactical strike that can be done without raising an alarm. After all, if the information regarding the new king was anything to go by, the king was still very much unaccustomed to how to rule a nation. As such, the king would most likely be too busy trying to keep everything together instead of keeping in touch with his minions.

And so, as Kirito and his friends made their last-minute preparations, they began finalizing their plan of attack.

"Alright Alice, what's the full situation in there?" Eugeo asked his beloved. As a reply, Alice materialized a more zoomed-in map projection of the nearby bandit camp for easier access to important map details.

'It looks like the camp is sitting right next to a makeshift harbor with a few small boats lined up at the riverbank. Judging by how crudely made that harbor is, it probably means that the formation of this camp is fairly recent.'

Scattered throughout the map was a good number of red dots that indicated the bandits. But much to their dismay, there were also a small number of blue dots on the map. All of them were concentrated in a few of the camp's tents, presumably villagers that were kidnapped from their homes or possibly slaves that they purchased for labor.

"Alright then," Kirito spoke up as he gestured over the forested part on the map, "Arthur will be guarding the perimeter on this side of the camp. You will take out any stragglers that might try to escape the fighting once it starts. Remember to stay in your normal Filolial form, alright Arthur?"

Arthur nodded in understanding, recalling how his mother also told him that his Royal Filolial form must be kept secret to keep his father's true identity safe.

Yuuki then went next, pointing at the center of the camp while doing so.

"Kirito and I will be doing the heavy-hitting right over here at the middle, drawing as many bandits' attention as we can. Our distraction should be enough for the rest of you to break through their ranks without as much resistance."

Anna and Rifana nodded before the serpentine concluded the explanation...

"Rifana and I will be helping the captives escape while also taking down any bandit that gets in our way."

The plan was fairly simple overall. Anna and Rifana would be striking one side of the camp, where the majority of the captives are being kept, while Kirito and Yuuki would be striking the other side where many bandits are congregated near their campfires. Although Yuuki was given an added task that she would first make a quick detour to the makeshift docks and deal with the bandits guarding it before joining Kirito in the chaos. And finally, Arthur would be acting as their safety net in the foliage, taking out any bandits that would attempt to escape towards the forest. Thereby blocking off any direction a bandit might try to use as a means of escape.

With their preparations and planning settled...

"May the Phantom Raids begin."

Kirito proudly declared the signal fire as he takes on a fighting stance with his invisible blade becoming slightly more vivid due to its blue glow...

"AIR STRIKE HORIZONTAL SLASH!"

Everyone in the bandit camp was taken completely by surprise when a powerful gale comparable to a hurricane slammed against them completely out of nowhere. A great number of bandits were sent flying off their feet and high up in the air. Only a few of them managed to stand their ground due to their distance from the attack's origin point.

"All of you stay safe," Kirito said his parting words as he and his party took off to complete their respective tasks.

Kirito and Yuuki went one way while Anna and Rifana went to another. Arthur stayed behind as planned, transforming into his average Filolial form in preparation for the bandits that he'll be intercepting and taking down.

Thanks to Kirito's first act of getting the bandit camp's attention, Anna and Rifana were successfully able to bypass most of them without much difficulty. The slave pair were just about to enter one of the larger tents to rescue the captives when their sensitive ears picked up the sounds of an exiting group. Acting fast, the two quickly backed away and jumped towards the nearest foliage to hide their presence.

After a moment of waiting, 5 disgruntled bandits exited the tent, all of them complaining in some degree or another, about how stupid their captives were for implying that they had a chance of escape. Clueing into the two women about what they were doing before they were interrupted by Kirito's signal fire. Needless to say, both of them were far from pleased.

But despite how much they wanted to pummel these mongrels to the ground...

'Remember the plan! Rescue the hostages first!'

'There'll be plenty of chances to shred these filth later.'

they restrained themselves for the sake of the mission.

The two left their leafy refuge shortly after the men rushed towards the chaos caused by their Hero and lover. Preparing their weapons just in case, the duo silently entered the pavilion.

Upon entering the tent, Anna and Rifana were met with the sight of 20 prisoners, varying in age, gender and race. There were 5 human women, 4 Demi-human women, and 11 Demi-human children.

Although they were all being restrained by the very same rope, 5 of them (2 humans and 3 Demi-humans who seemed to be the most mature out of all of them) were in much worse shape than the others. The 5 women's already scandalous clothing were partially ripped as they were most likely being punished by the bandits just a few minutes prior.

On the bright side though, despite the fact that the 5 women were tearing up due to the physical pain that they were enduring, none of their wills were broken. This meant that the captives are still new additions to the bandit's encampment. And they would still act and attempt to regain their freedom if they were simply given the chance. This is something Anna and Rifana were more than willing to provide.

Thanks to the literal hurricane that Kirito threw at the camp and the chaos that he wrought, the captives were slowly snapping out of their fear-induced stupor. They were worried at first, especially when they saw the two newcomers entering. But their worries soon turned to shock and relief when the two Demi-humans took out their weapons and began cutting through the ropes that bounded them. Before any of the captives could speak up though, they were quickly hushed by the snake woman as she briefly explained their situation in a very low volume.

"Our master is keeping the bandits busy, so please move quickly and quietly."

The captives obediently nodded.

After the slaves were freed and could now walk, Rifana lead them toward the tent's backside and cut open a hole with her sword. With Rifana at the forefront and Anna guarding the rear, the captives began to sneak away from the camp and into the cover of the forest. Unfortunately, things never go smoothly as planned.

"Hey! The slaves are gone!" a random thug yelled from the now-empty tent when he was sent there to check on their merchandise.

"Go!" Anna ordered in a slightly raised voice as she pushed the captives to encourage them to go faster, "I'll take care of things here, now go!"

Turning around, Anna bolted back to the tent. Leaping towards the still confused bandit who stuck his head out of the freshly made hole, the snake woman quickly swung her heel right at the man's jaw. Thanks to Anna's quick thinking, she was able to knock the man out cold before he could alert the others about what has transpired. With her task done, the serpentine quickly dashed away.

But after that... well... let's just say Anna now had a lot of anger that needed to be quenched.

As for the rest of the disguised Hero party...

Well...

Kirito was like a storm. With every swing of his invisible sword, he sent swats of the camp's cannon fodder flying like they were mere leaves tossed into the wind. Having spammed his now-signature {Air Strike Horizontal Slash} several times, a large portion of the bandits were already out of commission.

This tactic of simply firing Weapon Skills one after the other would normally drain a Cardinal Hero of his SP, but thanks to the many Stat boosters that Kirito had accumulated throughout his journey, he could still go on for a good while before his reserves begin to give out.

Personally, Kirito disliked this tactic, as he would much rather use his own style of fighting where there was a balance between skill and power, with tactics mixed in. But because of his duty of painting himself as the bigger target, it's required of him to continue dishing out these widespread attacks.

And despite the crimes these bandits had been committing, Kirito still showed the bandits some measure of mercy. The false Hakuko kept a reasonable distance away from the bandits to make sure they wouldn't get one-shotted by his now more monstrous attacks.

In the meantime, Yuuki had made short work of her extra task of clearing out the docks. Having subdued all the bandits who were assigned there to defend the boats with her fast yet elegant swordplay. With her task over and done with, she was already on her way back to aid Kirito in this fight.

Arthur was taking a firm stand by the forest's edge also, holding off the occasional bandit group who attempted to escape through the woods. And just like what happened before, he was once again given the duty of unofficial bodyguard. Protecting the captives that were entrusted to him by his Aunt Anna and Big Sis Rifana

And finally, with Anna and Rifana having secured the captives under Arthur's protection, they were now free to let themselves loose. This went double for the snake lady who was now in dire need of letting off some steam.

Needless to say, defeat was no longer just a possibility for the bandit camp. It is now an inevitability...

"Just who are these people!"

... and the acting leader of this camp was beyond furious by this fact.

The bandit leader was desperate by this point as he tried to process in his mind just how things could've gone so horribly wrong. Dozens upon dozens of his underlings were being demolished left and right and they had nothing to show for it! And to add insult to injury, they couldn't even cut their losses and flee as all possible escape routes were effectively sealed off long before they even realized it.

They were fighting a losing battle... and the leader knew it!

Outraged by the fact that they were being defeated by creatures that he regarded as inferior beings, the bandit leader finally snapped. Deciding to go for broke, the bandit leader gave the order that a few of his fastest men would go to the forbidden area of the river where a sizable deposit of near stagnant water is located. Arming them with oil and a few torches, he ordered them to set that portion of the river ablaze. The men were a bit hesitant to go through with this plan, but seeing that they didn't really have much of a choice in the matter, they quickly left to obey their orders.


After their fights had settled down…

"Hey, Kirito..." Yuuki worriedly voiced out as she approached the now somewhat drained Sword Hero, "Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah... I should be fine..." Kirito replied in between breaths as he made the effort to put up a strong front. Alice was far from amused by this though, quickly but discretely materializing an SP potion for Kirito's use "I just need to... drink some of this... and I should be good to go."

Yuuki was a bit skeptical with Kirito's shaky reply but soon found genuine assurance upon seeing Alice's subtle way of preventing their beloved from pushing himself too far. With her major concern out of the way, the disguised heiress turned around and began analyzing their raid's progress. And so far, everything had been going according to plan.

The slaves were safely rescued without a hitch...

a great majority of the bandit camp was already out of commission...

she and her friends are still in tip-top shape, albeit slightly winded...

and they weren't even going at them at full strength!

Scouring her eyes over the camp for her allies, she eventually discovered that she didn't have to. Anna and Rifana were already on their way back to her and Kirito as they slid their respective blades back into their scabbards. On a side note, Anna seemed to be a lot more cheerful right now...

"Aaahh, much better... It's so nice to blow off some steam."

while Rifana looked more than a bit disturbed by the Serpentine's menacingly bright smile.

"Big sis Anna, please... even I'm starting to feel sorry for those men after what you put them through."

Seeing her gentle-hearted little sister figure chastise her, Anna decided to take a step back.

"Oh, alright… I may have been a bit excessive in dealing punishments to these thugs recently, but sometimes, some use of force is necessary to dissuade men like them. Especially slavers. They're lucky it was us they fought, honestly. If it was anyone else, chances are they wouldn't have hesitated to kill them instead of knocking them out," Anna answered.

"Before beating most of them to a pulp…" Rifana added, sighing.

Almost all the bandits that were unfortunate enough to face Anna in her rampage had been left on the ground groaning in pain, bruises covering no small portion of their skins.

In comparison, Rifana made quick work of her attackers – disarming them before giving them quick blows to knock them out, thanks to the fighting techniques both her Hero and her big sisters taught her.

"Well… they did kind of deserve it," Anna said, lightly pouting at her little sister figure's disapproval.

"Well, you may be right about that… but please, don't make a habit out of this," Rifana said to Anna in concern.

"Oh, you really are a kind soul, Rifana; to feel sympathy to the kind of people that brought so much suffering to you… Any man who captures your heart sure will be a lucky man~" Anna decided to finish their conversation with a teasing remark so that it would distract the younger girl from giving her any more lectures. But she wouldn't disregard her advice given out of pure concern.

Her teasing remark had the desired effects as Rifana's face turned red, her ears twitched, and her tail started to wag. Her hands found their way to her cheeks as she let her imagination go wild, like the pure and lovestruck maiden she was.

Hearing the tail end of that conversation, Kirito, Alice, and Yuuki couldn't help but feel both amused and unsettled over Anna's idea of stress relief.

After shaking that thought out of their heads, they soon got serious as Kirito asked everyone for a full raid report.

"The captives and slaves that we found at the big tent are all safe and sound."

"They're still fairly new to their camp, so they're still relatively untouched," Anna said as she followed up from Rifana's report, "I'm pretty sure we got everybody. So they're now under the watchful eye of little Arthur just beyond the woods."

'I can confirm that...' Alice helpfully informed as she made a quick overview of the bandit camp within her mindscape,'I don't see any more blue dots in the camp, so that should be all of them.'

"That's good to hear," Kirito sighed in relief upon hearing that piece of news before turning over to Yuuki.

Taking the hint, the disguised heiress answered.

"All the guards at the docks have been successfully subdued. I even went so far as to cut the boats loose from their ropes just to make sure none of these plunderers can use them as a means of escape."

Kirito and the others nodded in approval for Yuuki's last-minute decision. But just as they were about to discuss what they should do after they trounce the last remaining bandits...

'Huh?'

In hindsight, Kirito and his party really shouldn't have lowered their guards this soon. Everything had been going far too smoothly.

'What's wrong Alice?'

'It's the bandits!' Alice exclaimed upon detecting an unexpected development occurring in the riverbank,'They just made a mistake...'

(*Chirp!*)

(*Squeak!*)

(*Bzzz!*)

the air was suddenly filled with the sound of dozens of insect chirps, squeaks, and wing-beats.

'a big mistake.'

Squinting his eyes, Kirito observed the insect-like monstrosities that were now coming their way. They were dark-colored, slender creatures with two antennae and six long, flexible legs, each bearing the size of an average dog. [Savage Striders] they seem to be called as Kirito finished analyzing the approaching swarm.

Normally, the bandits would exterminate the occasional two or three striders that ever wandered into their campsite without much effort. They weren't that much of a threat on their own. But as things stood now, they were no match against the swarm. More and more [Savage Striders] began to emerge from the nearby river all at once.

And to make matters worse for them, they appeared to be in some kind of angry frenzy as they all moved in to attack everyone in sight. Leaving the bandits who are still unconscious, as well as the ones who agitated the bugs in the first place, as their first targets!

Seeing these depraved crooks now being the ones who are in terrible need of saving, Anna couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark...

"Oh~ Do we really have to~?"

Kirito couldn't help but let out a chuckle at the snake woman's sense of humor.

"As much as they arguably deserve such a fate... I still want to save them," Kirito replied with a small smile which quickly turned serious before adding, "Let's get there quick before those things get too out of hand!"

With Alice, Yuuki, Anna, and Rifana mentally nodding in approval for their Hero and lover's decision, the girls quickly prepared for battle.

As much as their Sword Hero's conviction may be regarded as ignorant and naive, his lovers and future wives wouldn't want him any other way!


Omake: A Cardinal Hero for a son-in-law

Inside the Toudou house, a serious meeting was in play as the Shadows loyal to the clan were in a meeting to make decisions and share information that may be crucial for the coming days.

Finalizing their preparations so that they couldn't be traced once they had to go into hiding once the King or the Three Heroes Church discover their parts in helping the Shield and Sword Heroes. Looking at the way things were going, it was only a matter of time before it happened.

"Our preparations are nearly complete, milady. Everyone has gathered what they need as well as the absolute necessities," One of the Shadows reported.

"Good. Once the preparation is complete, make sure that everyone is ready to leave at a moment's notice and make double sure that we leave no trace of our passage. I do not want anyone left behind or an outsider following us," Aoi ordered, her face very serious.

"Yes, milady," Everyone else acknowledged.

"Good. Then is that all?" Aoi asked.

"I believe so," One of the Shadows confirmed.

"Then this meeting is now adjourned. You are all dismissed," Aoi concluded.

With the Toudou clan meeting now adjourned, they all headed towards the door to exit the meeting room, except Lady Aoi herself and Ayane.

They both waited until everyone was gone before Ayane took off her mask and Aoi spoke up.

"Ayane, I know that look – what are you keeping from me?" Aoi asked her subordinate and friend humorously.

"Whatever could you mean, Lady Aoi~?" Ayane returned the joking gesture and tone.

"You have the look on your face whenever you are up to causing some mischief. So, what brand of mischief do you have in mind that you stayed behind to report to me exclusively and not to the rest of the clan? Is it about Kirin?" Aoi asked, grinning.

"Well~" Ayane hesitated not out of fear, but because she was deciding which option would be more amusing for her – to give her report or not. But regardless of her decision to give her report, this information would've reached her lady's ears one way or another.

"Come on, Ayane. Out with it," Aoi half-joked and half-commanded.

'Oh, what the heck,' Ayane relented – not that she felt sorry for it… She just couldn't hold this amusing piece of information any longer!

"Yes, milady. It is about little Miss Kirin. In fact, I believe you may be quite happy to hear this," Ayane answered.

"Oh? And what would this good news be?" Aoi asked, curious.

Ayane smiled before she gave her answer.

"I have observed the young Miss's behavior towards our noble Sword Hero. And the more and more I look at the Miss's expression, I see a certain look on her face and her eye," Ayane started.

"Oh~?" Aoi expressed, silently urging Ayane to continue.

"To get straight to the point, I believe Miss Kirin has given her heart to Sir Eugeo," Ayane delivered the big news.

To which, her lady's eyes widened, and her fingers found their way to cover her mouth in surprise.

"Is… is that really so…?" She asked, her surprise slightly cooling down.

"Yes, milady. Even before, I had seen the Miss give subtle signs that she had feelings for him. Although she herself seemed oblivious to them until recently. Before, her gaze towards him leaned more towards respect to her fellow swordsman, but now, the expression on her face is clear: she has the expression and gaze of a maiden in love," Ayane finished her report.

Silence ensued – one that was almost uncomfortable – but only lasted for a few seconds before…

"Oh, my Words! I was mostly jesting about Sir Eugeo taking my Kirin's hand in marriage when he first visited us, but this?! My daughter has really given her heart to the most noble-hearted Cardinal Hero of this generation? And what of our handsome Hero? Do you think that he returns her feelings?" Aoi asked, ecstatic.

"Well… he certainly does not seem opposed to the idea but has not given a clear answer as of yet… perhaps with his duties as the Cardinal Hero, he has put aside those feelings for the moment, partially because he seems to be just as embarrassed as the young Miss about this topic," Ayane answered, smiling mischievously the entire time as she gave her report on the young Miss's love life.

"Oh, what joy! If they do happen to marry in the future after the Waves, how many grandchildren will they give me? Oh, they would be adorable, no doubt about it~!" She continued giddily.

Ayane giggled in amusement at seeing her lady like this. This was one of the reasons she waited until they were alone to bring her this news; to spare her any embarrassment of squealing like a little girl in front of her clansmen.

"And am I glad that it is Sir Eugeo of all the Heroes that Kirin has fallen for – he has all the qualities that are worthy for Kirin – he has a good heart, is intelligent and wise, is a skilled swordsman, and has a countenance that's handsome and beautiful enough to make any girl's heart flutter. And not to say that our Kirin's sword skills are subpar, but given Sir Eugeo's rumored talents with his Sword, he just may be able to best her in an honest fight – in fact, if what you tell me is true, she may try to lose on purpose!," Aoi said.

Ayane gave another chuckle.

"Are you that glad that the little Miss has chosen Sir Eugeo to be her life partner instead of the other boys that asked for her hand in the past or the other three Cardinal Heroes?" She asked in amusement.

To this, Aoi's expression turned a bit serious.

"Most of those boys that asked her hand were problematic in one way or another. They were either arrogant but talentless or were opportunists seeking a trophy wife. And Kirin was quick to put those boys in their place – on the ground, defeated with her sword pointed at their necks. To be worthy of Kirin's hand in marriage, they must possess a good heart, intelligence, as well as talents to back them up – one without the others is no good," Aoi explained.

"And Sir Eugeo fulfills all three requirements – yes?"

"Precisely. And I'm certain that my husband would have approved of him as well if he were still with us," Aoi confirmed.

"But regarding those requirements, Sir Naofumi also seems to fit the criteria as well, no?" Ayane asked.

"Hm, that may be true, but when it comes to pure looks and mannerisms, sad to say, Sir Naofumi is outmatched by Sir Eugeo," Lady Aoi answered after giving some thought.

"Well… I can't really deny that… But those are some strict requirements to become your son-in-law, milady," Ayane stated.

"I only wish the best for my daughter. I want her husband to be a man of conscience, intelligence and wisdom, and talent; but at the same time, someone that I trust who will never break her heart – and being a handsome and polite lad doesn't hurt either," Aoi said.

"Then in that regard, the Bow Hero and Spear Hero are both out of the question," Ayane stated.

"Exactly so. The Bow Hero Itsuki seems to have some degree of conscience and talent as well as a pretty face, but his level of wisdom is questionable at best – especially with the choice of his party members and their half-baked attempt in aiding a revolution in the Northern Territory," Aoi said, her expression becoming unimpressed.

"I concur. Having seen the way he and his party interact, I suspect that they are only there to fuel the Bow Hero's ego, leading him to become self-righteous. And that says nothing of the background of all of his party members – especially that bootlicking brute Mald," Ayane sighed in obvious distaste.

Most of the Bow Heroe's party were known to be from opportunistic families or were Demi-Human abusers or both in the Toudou clan.

"If I remember correctly, half of the Bow Hero's party only joined him because they failed Sir Eugeo's test of talent to join his party instead, no?" Aoi asked for confirmation.

"Yes, especially Mald. I have seen his match with Sir Eugeo during his test. All brawn but no skills – Sir Eugeo had no problem throwing him off balance and he did not give him a chance to get back up," Ayane said.

"Oh, how I wish I could have seen that!" Aoi chuckled in amusement at the thought.

"Though there is one girl in the Bow Hero's party that joined him recently, and her heart seems to be in the right place. However, because of that, I fear that she will come into conflict with the rest of the Bow Hero's party. That poor girl has her work cut out for her…" Ayane trailed off sympathizing with the lone girl in Itsuki's party as she would have to deal with her opportunistic group.

"But I digress; they may seem to side with the Bow Hero for now. But when real trouble or danger comes though, I believe they will not hesitate to abandon him to save their own skins," Ayane predicted, her tone back to being serious.

"I fear that you are correct – but the Spear Hero Motoyasu may be in an even worse position than the Bow Hero is and he is completely oblivious to it… At least the Bow Hero has one person in the group with some sense, but as for the Spear Hero… he has just given the one girl that truly had his best interests at heart to Sir Naofumi just because the other girls in his party had told him to do so… A very foolish decision," Aoi said – her now grim tone matching Ayane's.

"Indeed… with the women in his party led by that Princess Malty whispering deception into his ears, he is merely their puppet to be controlled by them."

"Only made worse by the fact the Spear Hero is a womanizer and seems to believe that women are incapable of lying to him and that they are something that must be protected. That may sound admirable on the surface but with his inability to think for himself and his shallow sense of justice, it leads him to chase after any women he comes across under the pretense of 'protecting' them," Aoi said, this time with a frown clear on her face.

"Not to mention that the Spear Hero seems to choose his party members based solely on their gender as well as their pretty features and nothing else – and the problem they cause along with the Spear Hero, such as the release of the mutated plants," Ayane sighed.

"Yes… he may have a good heart fundamentally and a pretty face, but that's just about it… he possesses neither talent nor wisdom that I seek in a potential son-in-law. Worst of all, with his philandering tendencies, he is among the last person I want as my daughter's husband. My words, even if Her Majesty ordered me to marry my dear Kirin to the Spear Hero, I would never do it. Whether he wants to or not, he will surely cause nothing but heartache for my daughter," Aoi said with finality.

"Then, all things considered, the news that Miss Kirin has fallen for Sir Eugeo of all people is a joyous news, is it not?" Ayane asked, wanting to not talk about the two problematic Heroes anymore that day – as they had both given her and her lady more headaches than they could imagine.

"Oh, quite. I certainly never expected this outcome – but even if Eugeo wasn't a Cardinal Hero, with the qualities he has demonstrated, and for the respect that he shows for my daughter, I would gladly take him in as a son-in-law," Aoi said as she smiled.

"Yes… he and Miss Kirin would indeed make for a good couple. I will continue to watch over them and make sure to give you updates on their relationship's status," Ayane concluded.

"Yes. Please, do so. I eagerly await your next report, Ayane," Aoi said.

With this, Ayane finally took her leave, leaving Aoi alone to giddily imagine what might come to be – and also to imagine new ways to tease her daughter and her confirmed love interest.

Fortunately for her young Miss and Sir Eugeo, Ayane had decided to withhold the fact that the two had slept together in the same bed not too long ago. She felt that her Lady had already received enough exciting news for the day. She would save this particular piece of information for the next report – and spare the young Miss and Hero from some amount of embarrassment for now…

With the clan preparing to go into hiding, things had gotten quite hectic and stressful around lately, and this was just the perfect distraction Aoi needed to alleviate her stress levels.

Although, Aoi would get her chance to tease them again sooner than expected when they call her while disguised as Hakukos.

But in the meantime, her free time was filled with the imagination of a future of her helping her son-in-law and pregnant daughter, as well as holding her grandchildren.

Oh, such joys to wonder!


AUTHOR'S NOTE:

The next chapter of "Blue Rose Sword Hero: Canon Cast Reactions" would be either next week or next next week. I will try to finish it as soon as possible though. Hopefully nothing unexpected happens for the coming week.

NEW QUESTION AND NEW POLLS:

1.) Were the identities of the North's former Royal Family ever shown in the Rising of the Shield Hero source material?

If they were, please tell me. If not, then I will just use some other set of characters that could fulfill that role.

2.) Some of my other readers gave me some suggestions regarding my future crossover fanfic "Black Lotus Blade Works" (See summary at the bottom part of Chapter 15). So I decided to ask all of you on what Race should Genderbended Shirou aka Emilya be when she gets transported to the Danmachi Universe?

- A full blooded Prum

- A half Prum and half Amazon

- A half Prum and half dark elf

And if someone ask... Yes, I have made up my mind that Emilya WILL be part Prum in this fanfic. No ifs, ands or buts!

3.) One of my readers came up with an idea and suggested it to me in a review. It's about a new ability that Eugeo and Naofumi could obtain by spending Fluctlight points.

It would consist of the ability to fly like ALO avatars do. They would of course start out as merely gliding and will eventually achieve flight once they have accumulated the necessary Fluctlight points. I'm still unsure when this ability will appear in the story if it does get approved by you wonderful readers.

To clarify, Motoyasu and Itsuki could theoretically get that ability to if their weapon spirits were ever awaken.

- Yes, give them flight.

- No, it's a bit too much.

- Compromise, simply give them a small burst of mid-air double jumping before gliding with their wings (kinda like the Wind Gliders in the game "Genshin Impact")

As always, thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows. I'm open for compatible suggestions and any advice that you readers could give. As for those nasty Reviewers who loves to Insult us authors, please just leave us alone.

Stay safe from the Coronovirus and stay indoors as much as possible!