To obsidian2584: What I meant is that, while Eugeo and Naofumi would put up a much better fight compared to Canon and won't be outright curb stomped, they would still be outmatched by Glass.
To TheRealD3lph0xL0v3r: Ohhh yesss. Eugeo and Alice are definitely going to make a shikigami. Still not sure what animal it would be, but I'm definitely going to think of something.
To T.V. 2000: Thank you so much for the kind words and encouraging commentary of my work. Your reviews are always ones that I look forward to reading whenever I upload a new chapter.
As for the future interaction with Fitoria, I can confidently say that she won't be as threatening to Eugeo and Naofumi as it was in Canon. Though not as optimal, she would at least be placated by the fact that half of the Legendary Heroes are strong and are working together as opposed to Canon where all four of them are at odds with each other and Naofumi is the only decent Hero.
To Master0z: Thank you so much for understanding my slower update rate. I hope you enjoy this chapter since I made it a lot longer than normal as a way to compensate for the long wait I forced you readers through.
To Love-to-peace: I'm not completely sure yet to be honest. Perfect Weapon Control needs a material with a lot of history behind it and also have a strong bond with its wielder. So, it's not something that Naofumi can just forcibly conjure out of his Legendary Shield. As of now, my best bet would be when Naofumi absorbs some of the Blue Roses and the Osmanthus Tree that Eugeo planted, as they would symbolize the friendship he shares with his fellow Hero. As to when he uses Enhance Armament, all I can say is it's still a long way off.
To AnimeFan13579: Your suggestion with the additional princess is sound, but I unfortunately overlooked her to adding on the poll. Nevertheless, I think I'll be using some of Zenovia Marden's backstory to inspire some of that future chapter.
As for the diversity of mixed breeds, yes, I'll be giving the concept of unable to have children due to race the middle finger. I'll be somewhat copying the existence of Moroha from the Yashahime: Inuyasha Sequel. Moroha is Demon and Human due to her father being a Half-Demon and her mother a Full-Human. So, it's completely fine in my future fanfic for people of mixed descent to have children.
To adriannyel22: Sorry but as much as making Emilya a half prum and amazon, that poll has already concluded. The result being a half dark elf and half prum hybrid for her race.
To Nightshadegirl: I'm not quite sure with Rishia's fate yet, but Kaguya is definitely not going to be part of Eugeo's Harem.
To Light moon: Thank you so much for the kind words, such comments for our hard work are always deeply appreciated.And Arementi Revnant appreciates it too!
To FanReader29: You made a pretty good point about how I was too hard on Itsuki and Motoyasu at the start, so I made some minor changes at the Chapter 1 so it would hopefully not be as harsh as the first version.
To Dzerx: I did put warnings, two of them if I'm not mistaken, so I'm sorry of you didn't appreciate it. But as I already said, those dark scenes would be extremely rare and would probably not happen again in this fanfic unless I deem it fit for a particular story arc or something.
To Punisher: I actually have a punishment for Malty that could be a whole lot worse than simply humiliating her by cutting her hair and turning her bald. As for what it is, you'll just have wait and see.
To maxperseus130: Your analysis on Eugeo's skill with the sword compared to Kirito is extremely accurate. The only thing Eugeo lacks is the multiple experiences that Kirito has been through.
As for Hephaistos, she would still be female. She was only referred to as a male by her clients because she asked them to, largely because it's easier for her to stay under the radar with the misconception of her being a guy. Her personality will also be a bit different to her Danmachi counterpart since she won't be a goddess in this fanfic.
To bloodyredrose1994: My version would be a blend between the Manga and the Season 2 of the anime. While it wasn't as good as everyone expected, it still had its bright spots, at least in my opinion.
To Majin Dante: I'm not really a fan with the Pretty girl being a Feminine dude trope, so I'm sorry. No 'Princess is a Trap' in this fanfic.
To New Dawn: I never heard about this Ancient Series before, I'm definitely putting this on my archive of ideas for now.
To UTOPIA: Eugeo will have somewhat of a Threesome with Alice and Anna, but Alice would refrain from transforming to her human form as her way of respecting the Serpentine's private time with their beloved.
To dragon slayer of death 98: I'm still not sure if Eclair would become romantically involved with Naofumi, Eugeo or none. I'll be leaving it as a wait and see. As for the other Weapon Spirits, with the exception of Alice, none of the others will fall in love with their wielders. Mash already has her beloved Senpai while the Bow and Spear Spirits would simply see Itsuki and Motoyasu as just a bunch of buffoons and not worthy of their love.
Moreover, your idea of turning Anna into a Vessel Hero sounds promising, I'll keep it on the back burner for now though as I'm still unsure on how things would unfold in future chapters. The Yae Miko idea is good too, but I'm unfortunately not well versed enough to make it work since my knowledge on her is very limited.
To Joey: I'm still not completely sure how the other Heroes would react to Eugeo's Harem. But in my opinion, initially, Motoyasu will most likely feel a kinship with his fellow Hero for having a harem of his own while Itsuki would feel somewhat conflicted.
Myne and the Church on the other hand, will most likely try to spin some kind of lie once the people begin praising Eugeo for his accomplishments while writing Itsuki and Motoyasu as troublemakers for the messes they left behind.
To Z-Arc: Pretty accurate predictions all things considered. Hehehe...
COUNT OF VOTES:
1.) Next Ruler of the North
Henrietta - 7
Rayneshia - 2
Hakuei - 6
2.) Give Glass a partner
Yes - 10
No - 7
RESULTS OF POLLS:
1.) It was a close fight, but it looks Henrietta will be the one to become the next ruler of the Northern Territories.
2.) I'm gonna have to do some serious brainstorming for this idea to work, but still pretty excited to try my hand on adding another element that would balance the scales a bit when the next Wave hits.
1145 Reviews, 1430 Favorites, 1616 Follows
In Eugeo's room in the Springvale Inn
Naofumi is currently baffled out of his mind.
If he had imagined one of the Heroes begging for forgiveness, he would've imagined it were one of the two moronic Heroes – preferably Motoyasu.
But to see his favorite fellow Hero and friend Eugeo pleading with him like what he's currently doing just made him so confused – not to mention feel like a jerk; it was so not something he needed right now…
"Please, Naofumi, do me this favor – please don't go spreading what you saw in the springs around, please! It's already awkward enough that you found out about this!" Eugeo borderline begged his fellow Hero while on his knees.
'We're asking you this as well, Mash! Please! It will get very awkward between us and the girls if words get out! Not to mention, it will give other women in Melromarc weird ideas that Eugeo is actively looking for a harem!' Alice half-requested, half-begged as well to Mash.
"Jeez, okay, okay! I promise that we'll keep this a secret between you and me, so stop pleading and get up!" Naofumi said, almost begging himself.
If it had been one of the two moronic Heroes that were pleading with him, he would have half a mind to turn them down without a second thought. But since it is his friend and true Hero Eugeo (yes, he considered Eugeo a close friend) being the one to do it, he just couldn't turn him down – not with how much he had gone out of his way to help him when he was in trouble more than once. The same thing could be said for Mash, but she still couldn't help but giggle awkwardly at the perplexing behavior the other Hero and Spirit pair were doing.
Naofumi was still trying to get the image of seeing Eugeo in the hot springs with Alice and Anna on both his sides with their back to him out of his head.
"Okay, but I have to know… you and Alice… and Anna… you three are a thing now…? If you three were soaking in the springs together, then… Wait, is it not just you three, but your whole party – " Naofumi asked but then trailed off as the image of what the three might have been up to in the springs before he accidently blurted out his presence began to plague his mind.
Maybe they were fondling each other, or worse –
He could see Eugeo's face turn even more scarlet – and if he had to guess, Alice was as well, if the vibrating Legendary Sword on Eugeo's belt and reddish tint it was giving off was anything to go by.
Even with his insensitivity with women, even Naofumi could guess what the three might have been doing, given that the three were so obviously stark naked at the time.
"Actually, you know what? Forget I asked – I don't think I want to know the details of your private love life," Naofumi stated, his face turning red as well – as if having an idea of Motoyasu's harem life wasn't bad enough…
"Wa-wait, Naofumi! I'm not planning to pick up every pretty girl I see like Motoyasu would, if that's what you're thinking! That's the last thing I want!" Eugeo said, seeming to have an idea of his thought process.
"Oh, I know that much – you're not like that idiot who thinks pretty girls are always right. If nothing else, you actually care for your girls and can think for yourself," Naofumi sighed after giving Eugeo his assurance. Eugeo visibly relaxed at this.
"Haa… Thank you, Naofumi… I honestly wanted to keep this a secret for as long as possible…" Eugeo stated.
But at this moment, Mash decided to be a bit playful.
'Keep exactly what a secret, Sir Eugeo? The fact that you already have a harem of beautiful girls eager for your love~?' Mash questioned mischievously.
And that quote successfully reignited the flares on everyone else's faces, even Naofumi's.
'Although, I must admit; I never imagined that you and Alice would become an item, Sir Eugeo, along with Miss Anna too… And a mutual love between a Cardinal Hero and his weapon's Spirit? I don't think this has ever happened before…' Mash stated teasingly.
At Mash's half-joking, half-serious statement, Alice decided to let her know of a certain fact that only their party members knew at the moment.
'Actually Mash, there is a good reason for that…' Alice started in the Mindscape.
'Oh? And what would that be?' Mash questioned.
"Well, it will take a long while to explain the whole story, but to give you a short version of it, Eugeo and I are actually childhood friends back in our own world," Alice started, surprising the Shield Heroes.
So, she proceeded to give a very condensed version of her exact history with Eugeo, even before his summoning to Melromarc. A tale that should have lasted about an hour was done in minutes.
After Mash finished hearing Alice's exact history with Eugeo – to be precise, take in the fact that her fellow Spirit was actually one of Eugeo's childhood friends that were separated when they were young, and Eugeo had already shown interest in becoming Alice's lover even back then, how she was separated from Eugeo and their other childhood friend Kirito, how she ended up as a memory crystal and separated from her physical body by the Administrator, and how Eugeo, Kirito, and her own alter ego journeyed to the top of the Central Cathedral to face off against the Administrator, and to finally be reunited with them, before their untimely death in their own world, leading them to be summoned to this world together as Hero and his Spirit.
When she finished, Mash stayed where she was, silent and awestruck, reaffirming that the love Eugeo and Alice shared were deeper than she had originally thought. Naofumi was not much different.
'Wow… now I see why you love Eugeo so much; he went so far to save you from the Axiom Church,' Mash said with great admiration, being reminded of the unbreakable bond that she herself shared with her own Senpai.
"No kidding…" Naofumi said. It seemed like Eugeo is even more of a vessel of true heroism well before he was summoned. He almost felt envious of Eugeo for that.
'And as for the rest of our girls, I can tell that their feelings for Eugeo are genuine. Some of them were even saved by Eugeo and I, after all… And they explained to me that other countries like Faubrey will be sending all the noble ladies in their lands in hopes of gaining political advantages of bearing a Cardinal Hero's children. And that is the last thing everyone in our party wants,' Alice explained, her tone expressing exceedingly obvious distaste at the political marriage part.
" "Oh…" "
The Shield pair exhaled in realization.
Naofumi in particular started to imagine being chased by a horde of women in fancy dresses with lust in their eyes. After his experience with the Bitch princess, this image made his skin crawl more than he wanted to admit.
'So, to ward off those crazy women in the future, we agreed that us all becoming his lovers was in a way a better alternative to being forced to face a mountain of political marriages,' Alice finished her explanation.
'I see… so that's why Eugeo agreed to this 'harem plan', despite so obviously being in love with you…' Mash gave her observation.
Naofumi silently agreed – although he was still not completely onboard about having a harem – especially for a right-minded and honest person such as Eugeo.
"Now that you understand, I'll ask again – PLEASE don't be spreading this around!" Eugeo half-requested and half-begged again, Alice following shortly as well.
'Alright, we swear we'll keep this to ourselves; right, Kouhai?' Mash asked as seriously as she could sound, suppressing her laughter.
"Yeah… we swear…" Naofumi said.
And both intended to keep their words – unbeknownst to all of them however, this promise would become meaningless only a few days after since the so-called secret Eugeo wanted to hide for a while would get spread by some girls eager for a chance to be with the noble Sword Hero.
'But to be perfectly frank with you Kouhai, according to the few memories that I've received from the Legendary Shield, it's perfectly normal for Cardinal Heroes to have harems,' Mash said it as she made sure that only she and Naofumi can hear their conversation for now.
'Wait, seriously?' Naofumi thought in disbelief.
'It's true. In fact, there is an entire country out there that is composed of many descendants of previously summoned generations of Cardinal Heroes. In your case, it's the Demi-Human countries like Siltvelt and Shieldfreeden while in Eugeo's case, it would be Faubrey. They would most likely try to form bonds with you and Eugeo through political marriages.'
'Absolutely not!' Naofumi vehemently denied at the mere thought of being tied down into a loveless political marriage. One politically compromised country was enough, thank you very much! It also didn't help that he still found it hard to put his trust on others outside of his and Eugeo's party members.
'Well, look at it this way: with the different kingdoms still at odds with one another... along with you using this Book Shield disguise as a way to hide your identity... and the Waves being a predicament that all countries have to worry about... I'm quite certain that it would still take a little while before you have to worry about political marriages,' Mash said in a somewhat desperate attempt in providing her Kouhai some consolidation.
'(*sigh*) I guess so,' the junior Shielder sighed in a solemn yet slightly hopeful acceptance.
Come what may as they say.
And with them reaching to this agreement, Naofumi decided to return to his room. The Sword Hero/Spirit pair watched as Naofumi almost eagerly left their room to return to his room.
Eugeo and Alice collectively gave a sigh as Eugeo collapsed on his bed.
"Ugh… I feel tired…" he groaned – the relaxation that he had experienced in the hot spring almost felt like it had never happened.
'Well… it could have been worse… it was Naofumi that saw us and Anna in there and no one else was there… Imagine what would have been if it was someone else that saw us in there…' Alice said.
"I don't even want to imagine that…" Eugeo said – just the thought started to give him a headache.
"I know that you probably want to rest, but let's go and tell Anna that Naofumi promised to keep our relationship a secret – she was just as mortified as we were after all," Alice said.
Maybe it was a bit out of her character, but Anna did indeed look embarrassed to have been seen by Naofumi when they were caught red-handed bathing together.
"Yes, let's do that," Eugeo said as he picked himself off the bed to go to the other room they had rented for the night for the rest of his party.
Naofumi left Eugeo's room and returned to his, where he found Raphtalia. Naofumi stood still for a few seconds before sighing loudly, still having a bit of trouble comprehending what he had just learned.
"Welcome back, Master Naofumi!" Raphtalia greeted bubbly.
Naofumi was still too dazed to answer.
"Master Naofumi? Is everything alright?" Raphtalia asked getting worried.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Raphtalia. I just ran into Eugeo here, is all," he answered.
"Yes, I already know. I ran into Rifana and Miss Kirin a moment ago," Raphtalia revealed.
"Oh… I see… well, feel free to go and chat with them more if you want," Naofumi said, still looking a bit dazed.
"Master Naofumi, are you sure you're alright?" Raphtalia asked again.
"I'm really fine, Raphtalia. Don't worry. (*Sigh*) But you know what…? I don't think I can go to sleep right now… I'm making some potions to clear my head; good night," Naofumi said as he went to the desk to prepare the ingredients for his current self-given task.
Raphtalia wanted to ask more of why he seemed so flustered, but before she could, Mash decided to explain.
'Don't worry too much, Raphtalia; it's nothing bad, but Naofumi does have a lot on his mind because of a 'chat' we had with Eugeo, so just leave him alone for tonight, alright?'
Raphtalia decided to relent after hearing this.
"Alright, then I will just… make preparations for tomorrow," Raphtalia said before going through her bag to prepare for a night outing for a crystal called Latium that she, Rifana, and Kirin had discovered mere hours ago.
And it would be a while before Naofumi would finally finish with his potion making and going to sleep. Only then did Raphtalia sneak out of the room to meet with her friends to go hunt for the Latium crystal.
About 3 days after separating from Eugeo...
"So why are we heading out this way, Master Naofumi?" Raphtalia asked as she and her party travelled swiftly for the far east. The Shielder was currently holding Guinevere's reins as the Demi-Raccoon sat beside him.
"You remember that time when Eugeo first tried his hand on blacksmithing?" Naofumi said in reply. This caused Raphtalia and Rino to perk up in remembrance, both recalling the significant upgrades their Sword Hero counterparts received from their master.
"Ohh! I remember that! That's also when Guinevere met Arthur for the first time!" the feathered steed chimed in cheerfully.
"Yes, well... that among a few other things," Naofumi said with humorous chuckle before explaining, "If you remember back when we were eating at the restaurant together, Eugeo informed us about the leftover materials that he set aside for me and the other Heroes. He said that he purposefully left them in the far eastern town of Mirso village so me and the other Heroes would be encouraged to explore and grow stronger there."
"That's Sir Eugeo for you. Going out his way to help others, especially those he considers friends," Raphtalia commented with a bright smile.
"Right! From my brief time interacting with him, he does seem to be the kind of person who would do something like that if given the chance. It's no wonder Sir Eugeo already has a harem of drop-dead gorgeous lovers in his party," Rino giggled playfully at her jest, causing Naofumi and Raphtalia to blush with their respective embarrassing thoughts in their minds. The songstress coldly added though, "A real harem of lovers mind you. Not a fake one like that buffoon of a Spear Hero has in his poor excuse of a party."
"Can't really deny that..." Naofumi smirked and winced at the obvious killing intent that was exuding from Rino's not so bright smile.
Shaking his head, forcibly pushing the image of a very naked Eugeo being fondled by his women in the hot springs, Naofumi treaded on. It really was baffling and flustering to see just how someone as down-to-earth as Eugeo could be in such a healthy polygamous relationship. Now, if only his Senpai would stop giggling at his expense for catching his fellow Cardinal Hero in such a compromising position, he would be much happier.
'(*snicker*) Apologies Kouhai... (*giggle*) you and your reactions are just too adorable,' Mash said in restrained laughter as she slowly pulled herself back together to speak again, 'Try not to feel too unnerved by Eugeo's situation Kouhai. After all, he's doing this to avoid being run over by an army of women after his status,' Mash said in humor.
'I know, I know... you don't have to remind me of your Senpai's escapades.'
Naofumi's mischievous retort seemed to have done the trick as it caused the senior Shielder to immediately shut her mouth. Most likely feeling her own brand of embarrassment as flustering memories of her and her Senpai's time together flooded her mind. It's true that they did got involved in quite a lot of lovey-dovey shenanigans back in the day at Chaldea.
'Touché...' Mash awkwardly conceded on Naofumi's playful retaliation.
With that mental conversation out of the way, Naofumi refocused himself for the journey ahead. Fortunately for the Shielder and his crew, the local beasts of the forest seemed to be quite scarce today, allowing them to travel through the woods unimpeded for the next few hours unlike the couple of days prior. But despite the peaceful transition, Naofumi was still cautious enough to not push his luck.
'There's a reason why the quote,' the calm before the storm' is such a well-known phrase throughout the vastness of the parallel worlds,' Mash sternly pointed out. Gracing her approval to her Kouhai's attentiveness, she also found their untroubled trek to be something to be concerned about.
As the sun began to sink in the horizon, Naofumi pulled Guinevere over to the forest path's wayside to set up a small camp for the night. Just a few sleeping bags, cooking pots, utensils and a simple campfire pit. Upon finishing their small camp site and having a much simpler dinner prepared by the current Shielder, the girls were quick to fall asleep. Naofumi on the other hand, didn't feel all that sleepy yet, so rather than wasting his time fighting a losing battle, he decided to spend a few more of his waking hours dabbling his hand in crafting. His latest project being a few surprise gifts for each of his party members.
After a couple of hours of toiling on his personal project, the Shielder was able to construct the frameworks for each of his companion's accessories. Raphtalia and Rino's gifts were going to be bracelets while Ginny's will be a decorated hairclip.
'Aww, it's so sweet of you to create your own gifts for your girls. Not to mention our daughter,' Mash playfully teased, much to Naofumi's embarrassment, but all in good fun as the two Shielders threw themselves into the craft.
Mash may not be as adept in Item Creation as her Kouhai, but one doesn't spend a sizable chunk of their life hanging around with the critically acclaimed Leonardo Da Vinci without picking up a few tricks. Deciding to resume his work at a later time as sleepiness began to set in, Naofumi stored away his tools and allowed himself to get some sleep in his own sleeping bag.
Daybreak came before anyone knew it and the girls soon woke up relatively early. Having grown used to their Master's sleeping patterns, along with their morning routines, the girls quickly went to work with their respective duties. Guinevere picking up a few branches and sticks for their campfire, Raphtalia folding and loading up their sleeping bags back to the carriage, and Rino and Naofumi making preparations for their breakfast.
But just as Rino was re-igniting their campfire to cook, Mash suddenly detected a small group of people heading their way from their path's opposite direction. The Shield spirit quickly called for the party's attention and informed them of the new arrivals. Gazing down at the forest path and beyond, the party of four soon saw an approaching crowd coming their way.
"Hello there, fellow Adventurers!" The presumed ringleader of the group greeted them with wide smiles and cheerful demeanors.
'Well... at least they seem friendly,' Mash commented as she and her Kouhai gave the group a quick Alignment scan and were happy to see that they were all decent enough.
In the lead of the group is a slim yet well-built young man, sporting pale ash-blonde hair and light tan skin, along with a few prominent scars running along his exposed arms. He also wore a short-sleeved cream-colored jacket, and a cuffed navy shorts with a leather belt holding a small first aid kit and by his heap is a sheathed longsword.
Upon closer inspection as he stood in front of his entourage with relative confidence, the two guys (a bow man and a spearman) and one girl (a mage) that stood behind him were also suitably equipped for their respective roles in a basic team of Adventurers.
The female mage had long dark purple hair with an uneven fringe tied up with a black ribbon into a single high ponytail. She also had a fair complexion and pale, sea green eyes that went surprisingly well with the blue-purple cloak and mage robes that she wore as a combat dress. To top off her outfit, a blue-purple witch hat rested on her head with a golden compass ornament hanging by its drooping pointy end. Her main weapon being a staff and scepter hybrid that had a coal-black tint along its length which ends with an orange orb being encircled by a dragon-like head.
The spearman of the group seemed to be the oldest of the lot, but for some odd reason, decided to be the backbone of the party instead of the leader. The lancer had green eyes and messy blond hair tied in a low ponytail. He wore a decorative red and black cropped jacket over a black shirt, matching the black metal headband that he wore on his forehead.
And finally, the archer of the group, appeared to be the youngest of the bunch as he stood a few inches shorter compared to his comrades. The boy possessed light orange-brown hair and teal blue eyes, their colors mixing surprisingly well with his dark green-blue armor and dark green ninja trousers. The upper armor went around his neck, in a collar-like formation with plating on his left shoulder and arm for protection.
Trailing behind the quartet of seemingly competent Adventurers was a medium-sized family of civilians. A father, mother, son and daughter, two grandmothers and one grandfather. And by the looks of it, they appeared to be relocating to a different town for the foreseeable future. Each of the able-bodied men in their group were all carrying a few large backpacks and packages while the women carried much smaller but still sizable bags on their shoulders.
After taking a moment to observe the mismatched set of individuals and seeing that Naofumi didn't seem to be in the mood to socialize, Rino took it upon herself to do the socializing.
"Happy greetings to you as well, my fellow compatriots," Rino replied cheerfully with an equally warm if a tad bit alluring smile on her face, "Has everything been well for the villages in the east? Your clients appear to be quite loaded if they simply want to leave for a family outing."
"That's... a bit of a long story," the ash-blonde swordsman chuckled as he scratched his head nervously.
"Well, what a coincidence, we're just about to start cooking breakfast, so why don't we all share a bit of each other's adventures while we eat. What do you say?" Rino suggested as she clapped her hands together with great enthusiasm to work up some of her charm.
The spear woman's suggestion came as a complete surprise to everyone on both sides, especially to her Master and friends. After all, despite the steps that Naofumi had made in re-learning how to trust in others again, he was still a work in progress that's far from finished. It was only thanks to Mash's persuasion, combined with the girls' pleading eyes, that the current Shield Hero was able to agree with the idea. It also didn't hurt that learning about the current state and affairs of their destination would undoubtedly help them upon their arrival.
And so, with the approval on both sides, the two parties fused together in a semi-joint campsite, both groups proceeded to cook their respective breakfast. A simple vegetable and meat stew from Naofumi's party while the other roasted a good number of steak and fruits on sticks. Afterwards, it didn't take much effort for the two groups to intermingle with each other, sharing their food while also talking about their respective journeys thus far.
"The Spear Hero did WHAT!?" the female mage, now introduced to them as Avena, screamed at the top of her lungs in both disbelief and rage upon hearing what Motoyasu and his gaggle of girls did to Lerno Village.
"This is an outrage! Knowing how to read ancient writing is one of the most crucial subjects any of the renowned magic academies are required to teach before graduation! I may be considered a lowly street urchin when compared to mages who were born from high society, but even I know how to read the basics of ancient text! And one of the simplest words to learn is a gigantic 'Warning!' sign or the telling of 'Danger!'. Those girls really should've known better!"
As the incensed sorceress breathed in and out heavily in a vain attempt to calm herself down, the ash-blonde swordsman (who they're now aware to be named Cyrus), decided to move their conversation to a much happier focus. After all, one of the unspoken agreements that Adventurers have when escorting clients was to keep their spirits up.
"But the problem has been fixed, right?" Cyrus assumed cheerily, keeping up his cheerful demeanor as he didn't want his clients to feel endangered, "Considering how all of you are here safe and sound, that probably means the Castle Knights, or some other group came along and cleaned up the Spear Hero's mess. Right?"
"I... suppose you could say that" Rino gingerly replied as her once bright smile now looked more like a barely concealed grimace, "Not the Knights though, they're useless."
Unfortunately, Rino's callous statement caused the previously improving atmosphere to plummet once again. Seeing that Naofumi is in no mood to make some small talk despite Mash-Senpai's best efforts, and Guinevere was asked to stay silent, Raphtalia volunteered to pick up the slack.
"Anyways, if you're looking for a temporary residence to relax, we know just the place for all of you to try in Springvale!" Raphtalia happily exclaimed, doing her very best to keep the conversation in a positive note as she soon shared their more enjoyable experiences in the so-called Hot Spring town.
Fortunately for everyone involved, the young Demi-Raccoon's words seemed to have done the trick, as this encouraged everyone to focus more on more positive subjects of conversation. To that end, while the civilians were being relegated by the special hot spring effects that Springvale had to offer, Naofumi and Mash were also being informed of what they should expect once they arrived in the Eastern village of Mirso.
"So, you're saying that Mirso Village, the entire the eastern region of Melromarc in general, has now become the territory of a Griffin Pride?"
'This could be trouble,' Mash commented as she reminisces in thought,'I've had my fair share of battles against griffins before, even defeated a few fully matured ones during my time as Shield Hero. All I can confirm is that, while griffins could never reach the same level of power as the dragon alphas did, they're still a force to be reckoned with.'
'Got it. I'll make sure to prepare accordingly,' Naofumi replied as he mentally browsed over his plethora of shields that might be most effective against griffins.
"We heard some rumors from the local Adventurers that the Sword Hero is partially responsible for the sudden change of the Monster ecosystem," the spearman of the group, who they learned to be named Kamal, said as he shared what they've learned about the eastern region, "For the longest time, a large dragon used to nest somewhere in the high mountains of Mirso village. But around a month ago, they said that the Sword Hero passed through that village while on a quest and was successful in vanquishing the mighty beast."
Naofumi and his party perked up at this little detail as they all recalled what their Sword Hero counterparts told them about this particular venture.
"Yeah, I did hear some rumors about that a while back," Naofumi said, he and his girls all pretending to know less than what they actually knew as to keep in character (though in Guinevere's case, not being allowed to talk).
But they still needed more information.
"Wait, how does that connect with the griffin infestation that's happening here?"
"You see, that dragon's very presence acted as some kind of deterrent against all the other monsters that live in the surrounding area," the youngest member of the Adventurer crew, Taisuke the archer, said as he explained to Naofumi and his party about the situation, "The more intelligent monsters can instinctively sense the danger that the dragon poses for them, so the griffins formerly kept a respectable distance away from its territory. But now that the dragon is gone... well..."
No further explanations were needed as even the somewhat short-minded Guinevere was able to put two and two together.
"Fortunately for us, the Sword Hero was smart enough to predict what was about to happen and was kind enough to deliver an entire carriage load of the dragon's old shedding for Mirso Villagers to use. Dragon remains are great conductors for magic you see, so they make for great weapons and catalysts," Avena beamed happily as she raised her staff/scepter with pride, the same thing goes for her comrades as Cyrus, Kamal and Taisuke showcased their dragon themed weapons respectively.
"Thanks to these babies, Mirso Village was able to amass quite the large number of blacksmiths and Adventurers to combat the griffin infestation. So much so that the forest surrounding it was turned into an EXP hotspot for intermediate Adventurers who want to Level up," Cyrus claimed with a proud grin on his face.
Upon hearing this particular information, Naofumi was even more eager to reach their intended destination. So, after finishing their shared lunch and bidding each other farewell, the two parties went their separate ways once again, one heading for Springvale while the other towards Mirso.
As Guinevere moved along the forest paths at a faster pace, perhaps feeling motivated to 'kick some griffin butt' as she says due to some interracial rivalry between Filolials and Griffins, Mash-senpai began to speak up about her past encounters with said avian beasts.
'As you probably already know Kouhai, griffins live in flocks, or prides, just like Filolials do. So, it's very possible that they will have an Alpha Griffin hiding somewhere among their ranks the same way Royal Filolials do.'
'They are also known to be incredibly prideful creatures, so it's very likely that we'll encounter the Alpha eventually once we start curbing their numbers. After all, the Alpha would no doubt see Guinevere as a threat due to her status as a budding Filolial Queen and would target her purely out of principle.'
Naofumi couldn't really deny his Senpai's conjectures as he has already seen firsthand how deeply ingrained these interspecies rivalries could be. Case in point, just like how Motoyasu's dragon and the still juvenile Guinevere instantly hated each other's guts despite only meeting for the first time. Nodding in agreement as everything his Senpai said aligned with what little he knew about this world so far.
It would only take a couple of hours later for Mash-Senpai's suspicions to come to fruition as the senior Shielder soon detected a small group of griffins heading directly at them.
'I can see a lot of monsters coming our way on the map, Kouhai,' Mash said as she warned every one of the upcoming threats.
"I can hear them too," Raphtalia's raccoon ears twitched attentively as she confirmed of the approaching danger, "and judging by the sound of flapping wings and squawking beaks from above the trees, they are definitely coming from above."
Guinevere and Rino stayed silent as they were also equally tensed, both preparing themselves for battle.
The Shield party didn't have to wait for too long as griffins from the sky descended upon them with their talons and beaks drawn. Taking a split second to give the attacking griffins a quick scan, Naofumi was now able to see some of their parameters.
The griffins were individually known as [Juvenile griffins], their power levels ranging from Level 20 to Level 25. Strong enough to be somewhat of a challenge, but not so much that they could be overwhelmed by the number advantage.
Just like how the legends have described them from his home world, the [Juvenile griffins] had the front legs, wings and head of a giant eagle, and the body, hind legs, and tail of a lion. Its plumage around its neck and chest looked to be on the creamy white side and not all that long and thick while the rest of its body was light brown. Thus, giving another indication to their infantile nature as they were still roughly the size of the average dog.
It looked like the information they had gotten from Cyrus' Adventurer team was right on the mark.
"Air Strike Shield!"
Without hesitation, Naofumi deployed the greenish shield in front of their carriage to meet the dive bombing avians.
(*CLANK!!!*)
(*SQUAWK!!!*)
If things weren't so serious, Naofumi might have found the smushed up looks on the griffins' faces when they smacked themselves beak first against his translucent shield, to be quite hilarious. But now was not the time for jokes or humor...
Several banging noises followed as several griffins struck the barrier in quick succession before bouncing away due to their opposing momentum and wind resistance, paving their way through the wave of griffins.
Not wishing to be attacked from all sides by the aerial monstrosities, Naofumi ordered Guinevere to keep on running while he and the rest of the party took care of the ones that were now chasing them from behind. This unsurprisingly caused some protest from the young Filolial Queen but was thankfully pacified when her Mama Mash promised to allow her to run wild once they established themselves at Mirso Village.
Upon realizing what their Master planned to do, Raphtalia and Rino immediately went to work in shooting down the pursuing griffins in their own respective ways. Raphtalia activated a Sword Skill while Rino rapidly chanted her offensive incantations.
"Serration Wave!"
With a swing of her sword, Raphtalia dished out a fairly sizable vacuum wave...
"Fast Aqua Shot!"
while Rino fired off a surprisingly powerful beginner's spell.
Not wanting to be left out, Naofumi launched a Skill of his own towards the pursuing beasts.
"Air Strike Shield Cannon!"
The greenish translucent shield appeared once again, this time being used as a projectile, as it rapidly spins while flying forward to join the other airborne attacks.
One of the griffins squealed out in pain as Raphatlia's Sword Skill managed to injure one of its wings, thereby knocking the creature out the air.
Another griffin squawked in alarm as it stumbled in its flight, its feathers now soaking wet when it was hit by Rino's follow up beginner's Aqua Shot, causing the beast to lose control of itself mid-flight.
(*CLINK! *CLANK! *BONG!*)
A trio of the more synchronized griffins were simultaneously clobbered by the makeshift spinning shield cannonball as it rebounded against them before disappearing.
Although their attacks were not nearly enough on their own to dispose of their pursuers, they effectively crippled the griffins' ability to fly. The fall alone would pancake the monsters regardless while a few more unlucky ones would accidentally crash themselves into nearby trees. Naofumi and his party continued this tried and tested run-and-gun tactic until the forest fell silent again, the once intimidating flock was now no more.
"That takes care of that," Naofumi declared proudly, giving his team grateful smiles for a job well done, "Great work everybody."
Needless to say, although Raphtalia and Rino accepted his praise with appreciative grace, the Demi-Raccoon even more so, a certain member of their small band of miscreants was far from pleased.
"But I didn't get to do anything!" screeched the upset Guinevere, still feeling cheated for not being able to participate in the griffin butt-kicking.
Highlighted even more so when she swiveled her Filolial head behind her so she could leer at her papa with an adorable beak pout. Thus, causing the Shielder, both past and present, to chuckle awkwardly at their so-called surrogate daughter's temper tantrum.
'Now now Ginny,' Mash soothed the young avian as best as she could,'You'll get your chance. Right Naofumi?'
"Y-Yeah," Naofumi replied, "I already planned for us to do some Level raising once I collect those dragon materials that Eugeo left for me. So, you should have plenty of chances to fight more of those griffins. Preferably some more powerful ones."
'Indeed...' Mash chimed in with her own observations,'according to my {Appraisal Skill}, the griffins we just fought a few moments ago were still barely out of their infancy. So, it's no wonder that they were so easy to beat.'
Hearing her parents' words, along with the implication of fighting more "fun" opponents later, seemed to have done the trick as Guinevere was properly placated for the moment.
"Hmmmm... Oookaaayyy..."
Sighing in relief at successfully dodging the daughter-shaped bullet, Naofumi took a moment to absorb some of the [Juvenile Griffin] corpse (that coincidentally crash landed not too far away from their carriage's position) before they resumed their trek.
[Griffin Nib Shield Unlocked]
[Quality: Low - Base Defense: 20]
[Mastery: 0/35 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: 5 Pierce Resistance]
Level 8 Required
[Griffin Plumage Shield Unlocked]
[Quality: Low - Base Defense: 15]
[Mastery: 0/30 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: 5 Blunt Resistance]
Level 8 Required
[Griffin Barb Shield Unlocked]
[Quality: Low - Base Defense: 25]
[Mastery: 0/40 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: 5 Attack]
Level 8 Required
Not much of an upgrade since they were scavenged from still developing griffin cubs, but every little bit of stat gain counts.
Naofumi and his party arrived at Mirso village around two hours later without much incident. Which was quite the surprise as they were fully expecting to face more adversaries as they got closer to the Eastern mountains. But as they neared their destination, only briefly stopping by the village guard to present their Merchant Pass, Naofumi and company realized why the griffin outbreak had been relatively under control.
"It's almost ready to attack! Get ready to block!"
"Aim for the wings if you can!"
"Now attack it from the sides!
"I have to admit, this is pretty impressive," Naofumi commented as he observed the multiple displays of coordinated assaults that could be seen in a few open fields surrounding the settlement and even beyond the forest boundaries.
"The fact that all of this was made not much longer than a month ago is even more mind-boggling," Rino added as she rubbed her eyes in disbelief upon seeing the several makeshift booths that were recently constructed around the village. Presumably to organize and distribute the Adventurers to specific locations to avoid overcrowding.
"Well, we're here now," Raphtalia said as the warrior side of her was giddy to join in the fray and wanted to hurry things up, "Where do you think Sir Eugeo left his parting gifts, Master Naofumi?"
"Let's go look for whoever is in charge. I'm pretty that's where we'll find them."
"I see a pretty big house over there, daddy," Guinevere whispered softly as she pointed with her wing to a relatively large house in the middle of the village.
They left Guinevere to guard the carriage near the Inn – which had Rino extremely surprised as it looked like it received numerous renovations to accommodate the influx of Adventurers – and headed for the presumed house of said Village Elder.
When they arrived, they were surprised to see several women, wearing what looked to be healing mage garbs, speed walking past the door while escorting some injured Adventurers to a room where they could be taken care off.
"Can I help you?" one of the less burdened women, who was only carrying a small box of healing potions in her arms, asked as she gave Naofumi and his party a polite once over, "You or your friends don't seem to be in need of medical attention."
"Oh, no we don't, all of us are fine. We simply wish to speak to whoever is in charge here," Naofumi answered politely as he crossed his arms.
"For what purpose?" the woman asked, her eyes seemed to focus on the partially exposed mystical gem that looks to be embedded on the book that Naofumi is holding.
"I'm a traveling Merchant and Apothecary, and these are my companions. A... co-worker of mine... told me that he entrusted the village elder with some of his raw dragon materials for me to collect," Naofumi explained.
"Oh... Ohhhh!" the woman's eyes widened for a brief moment but quickly returned to normal, "I see. I remember the Elder once mentioning about your eventual arrival, along with the other two."
Naofumi and his girls couldn't help but bristle at the woman's words. Was he really that easy to see through?!
"In that case, if you are who I think you are, I can guarantee that the Elder would be more than happy to speak with you and your companions," the sorceress said as she waved at them to follow her.
Upon entering a door that seemed to be an office, an old, formally dressed man greeted them with warm smiles and cheerful welcoming. The female mage took her leave and left the room, giving the apparent leader of the village some privacy to face the group. This caused Naofumi to feel even more agitated as his identity seemed to have already been blown.
"First and foremost," the Elder said as he revealed a large sack from his cabinet of what Naofumi assumed to be the dragon materials that Eugeo left for him, "I believe this is what you came here for?"
"I believe so... my co-worker was gracious enough to share some of his hard-earned materials instead of simply hoarding them all to himself," Naofumi answered.
"Mmhmm, that he did... that he did," the Old Hunter hummed with a pleasant smile, his eyes idly drifting over to Naofumi's disguised shield as he placed the sack on top of his desk.
"Well then, I should be taking them off your hands and we'll be on our way," Naofumi said as he reached for the sack.
"J-Just a moment Sir Shield Hero."
The Elder's hesitance of handing over his property caused Naofumi some measure of annoyance, thinking that he was once again being swindled from something that's rightfully his. But much to Raphtalia and Rino's relief, that didn't seem to be the case.
"Sir Shield Hero, I've been told that you and your companions are all capable warriors in your own right despite your so-called limitations," the Elder began with a noticeably pleading tone in his voice. "If you are willing, I would like to commission an official Quest for you and your party. I promise to make your efforts well worth the trouble."
Naofumi couldn't help but frown at the Elder's desperate request...
"Please..."
but he eventually relented – curse his bleeding heart.
Say what you will about Naofumi's brash exterior, he's still a good man deep down. It also helped that he had a gaggle of strong-willed women, one of them literally residing within his weapon, that are constantly nudging him in the right direction.
"I'm guessing there's a story behind all of this?" Naofumi grumpily sighed as he crossed his arms, "Alright then, let's hear it."
"Thank you so much," the relieved man said before elaborating on the Quest that he wished to shoulder them with, "You see..."
The Mirso Elder's explanation was pretty much a re-telling of what they had learned from Bennet, albeit with a few key details missing. Information that was likely hidden from the general public so to not cause a panic.
"Many blacksmiths and potion makers came to our village, mostly to forage and synthesize the dragon's leftovers as well as to purchase supplies. This certainly kickstarted our village's business boom. Even more so when the griffin colony arrived to take the dragon's place in the forest's ecological food chain, just as the Sword Hero forewarned us about. Adventurers flocked from all across the country just so they could benefit from the sudden influx of EXP resources that the griffins have provided."
The Mirso Elder's went to a much brighter tone as he recounted the events that followed.
"As all of you would've already noticed, this string of events brought a lot of business and income to our village. So much so that we were even able to establish an offshoot Adventurer's Guild and construct a few additional Inns in order to accommodate the number of people that visited our village."
Naofumi and the girls couldn't help but sport a few smiles at this. Their rendezvous here would most definitely benefit them in the long run.
"Unfortunately, all good things come at a price I'm afraid."
The Elder's sudden shift in tone seemed to have caused quite the mental whiplash as Naofumi and his party all stiffened at the transition.
"According to one of the reports that I've received from the Guild, an Adventurer who specialized in stealth and scouting was able to sneak her way back into the dragon's former nest. The Adventurer admitted that she simply wanted to inspect the nesting site, see if there was anything worth scavenging from the dragon's leftovers ever since we foraged the place after the Sword Hero left. Needless to say, she found a lot more than she bargained for."
"W-What did she find?" Rino quivered as she asked the dreaded question.
"The Alpha Griffin," the Elder shuddered at the description that he was given by the female Adventurer, "Its size could only be described as gargantuan, the Adventurer was far too busy trying to escape with her life so we could only speculate that it's only slightly smaller than the dragon that once dwelled there."
Naofumi's eyes narrowed even further as the Elder continued his tale.
"Unlike their rivaling breeds like the dragons and filolials, griffins are not known to co-exist with the other creatures who occupy their supposed territories. So as the Alpha Griffin grows in strength, the more relentless and difficult the skirmishes would eventually become."
Naofumi could only groan and sigh at the same time once he established what all of this is leading to.
"You want us to get rid of this so-called Alpha Griffin before that happens don't you."
"As much as it pains me to resort to that Sir Shield Hero, yes, that is exactly what I'm implying," the elderly man bowed his head to all of them in a show of sincerity.
Silence followed after the Elder's admission, that the tension was so thick that you could cut the air with a butter knife. Wanting to at least reduce the tension of the thick atmosphere, Raphtalia quickly raised a question towards the Elder.
"If you knew where the Alpha Griffin's nest is, and probably also know the quickest and most efficient way to reach it, how come you haven't taken any steps to take care of it yourselves? You have an entire town's worth of Adventurers after all."
"We've already tried."
The mood just got even heavier as the Elder resumed his explanation.
"While our village flourished as far as export and trading goes, our agriculture has suffered gravely due to these changes. So, as much as the so-called 'nobility' protested over the idea... we natives, the ones who truly matter in this village, all decided that it's best for us to cut our losses before things could get any worse. We survived just fine before all of this started, so it shouldn't be hard to do so again. And with the Village's Treasury accumulating quite the large sum, I'm certain we will find another business venture to focus on."
The Village Elder's face seemed to have gained a few years' worth of wrinkles as his expression grew grimmer.
"Shortly after we agreed upon our decision, we sent the highest leveled Adventurers that we had available to confront and eradicate the beast," the old man sighed while holding his forehead over the unpleasant memory, "However, we severely underestimated just how powerful the creature has grown compared to what we estimated it. The fact that the Adventurers weren't united in their battle only made things worse. As a result, not only did we lost a quarter of the fight force, but the survivors are now extremely reluctant to try a second attempt."
"That is... unless..."
"Unless…" Raphtalia utters in worried realization.
"Unless a Hero steps up, to inspire the Adventurers that it's worth trying again," Rino finished the idea that the Mirso Elder was leading their conversation on.
"Has the Capital been informed of the situation? Have they provided any assistance?" Raphtalia asked, always the positive one in the group; though even she was somewhat doubtful if the capital would send any form of help.
"We've been able to procure a supply of medicine and some volunteers from other Adventurer Guilds not too long ago, so the village was still able to function despite our losses from our failed attempt. Unfortunately, we were told that the Sword Hero has been missing for the past few weeks and couldn't be called upon. While the Spear and Bow Heroes were said to be far too busy to help us and cannot offer any assistance."
"Well, that figures..." Naofumi mumbled bitterly under his breath, at least for the two aforementioned Heroes. Eugeo had a very legitimate reason as to why he couldn't be contacted as he was probably keeping a low profile to evade the Church's spies.
A moment of silence ensued as everyone stewed in their thoughts about the crisis that was just laid before them. Rino and Raphtalia obviously wanted to help these people, but the one who gets the final say still remained in their Master's – the Shield Hero's hands. So, they patiently, and hopefully, waited for their Master's final verdict.
Unknown to everyone though, the only reason why Naofumi seemed so silent and reluctant to accept the Elder's Quest was simply because he was having a mental debate with his Senior Shielder. Estimating the dangers and potential benefits that they may receive from the battle ahead.
Naofumi's eyes opened with a glimmer of determination as his discussion with Mash-Senpai has reached its conclusion.
"Rino, Raphtalia, go fetch little Ginny for me while I do some recruiting," Naofumi them turned to the Elder, "Are any of the original Adventurers who made the first attempt still around Mirso Village?"
The Shielder's orders seemed to have caused quite the reaction as everyone stared at the man with both shock and jubilation.
"R-Right!"
"At once Master Naofumi!"
The female pair replied enthusiastically as they nodded in happiness, both delighted to be able to play their part in helping these people. Needless to say, the Mirso Elder thanked the green cloaked man profusely before giving them the information that Naofumi asked for.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on who you ask, only a small handful of the original members of the previous raid were willing to brave the dangers of the Alpha's den. Out of the 42 Adventurers who dared to face the beast the first time, only 5 out of the 30 survivors decided to step forward to give the raid another shot. Although the Elder heavily suggested that Naofumi use his Hero status to rally more people to their cause, the Shielder still stubbornly rejected the idea.
Claiming with a scoff that those who were willing to face the odds without the implied aid of a Hero would always outclass the ones who would prefer to play it safe. Add in the fact that Naofumi's opinion of so-called "High-Leveled" Adventurers are a little bit skewed compared to the common folk. He had seen firsthand that there's a huge difference between a "High-Leveled" Adventurer to a "Skilled" Adventurer. Even more so when there is genuine comradery and synchrony between a group of competent fighters.
On the flip side of things, despite their small numbers, the Adventure Team who volunteered to join their Quest not only included the woman who discovered the den in the first place but was also comprised by the more powerful Adventurers of the bunch.
So, after some preparations and some light lunch with said Adventurers, Naofumi and his party now found themselves on the forest path with the 5 members of the so-called Shah Gang.
Everyone in the Shah Gang seemed to be good at heart and meant well in everything they do. However, the Elder did warn Naofumi that its members (with the exception of its sole female member) were not very intelligent and would often cause trouble if they ever tried taking anything other than Monster Extermination Quests.
The most notable of the gang being its two leaders...
The 'official' leader of this Gang is a tall man with a large build named Rukh Shah. He had brown spikey hair, yellowish eyes, and aging scars littered over numerous parts of his body. He wore a cropped purple top paired with a sleeveless black collared coat decorated around the shoulders. He also wore a thick black belt with a large buckle and grey pants decorated with red and tied at the end with ropes. And to top it all off, he wielded a very unorthodox weapon, choosing to wield a Kanabou instead of one of the generic medieval weapons that were available.
Not only that, but the club-like weapon that Rukh held is nearly the size of a two-handed claymore, sporting a whopping 4.5 feet in length!
Partially constructed out of heavy wood while being lined up of iron spikes along its length, a thicker outer end tapering towards a slender handle with a pommel. An unusual choice of weaponry to be sure, but one that he wielded with surprisingly great effect and fluidity despite it being stereotyped as a barbaric armament.
The Elder then amusingly explained that the Deputy Leader, Sekkura, is the one who 'unofficially' wore the 'real' pants in the gang. She is the one responsible for the gang's financial budget and their more professional state of affairs.
Sekkura is a young woman of medium build with blonde hair held up into a messy ponytail with a thick dark-violet rope that matched the color of her eyes and a dark hairpiece with gold accents. In addition to this, she had messy bangs and wore a dark grey mask that covered the lower portion of her face like a kunoichi.
Sekkura's outfit consisted of dark colored cropped top exposing part of her midriff, matching dark shorts and a black belt decorated with a thick red rope tied into a bow. Over this, she wore a cropped dark purple and gold-trimmed hooded jacket with a buckle, dark gloves that left certain fingers exposed and thigh-high legwear.
And just like her eccentric boss figure, her weapon of choice is also an unorthodox one, but a whole lot more exotic.
Forged with a surprising mixture of engineering ingenuity and magical application, the so-called "Awesome but Impractical" Whip Sword was brought into existence in this world. Thus, giving Sekkura's weapon the flexibility and long reach of a whip yet still possessing the damage and cutting power of a sword.
'Sir Eugeo would most definitely be interested in copying such an exotic blade~!' Mash giggled in thought as she imagined the possibly baffled look on the Sword Hero's face.
'No kidding! There's no doubt in my mind that he'll be interested in copying a sword like that~!' Naofumi mentally chuckled in equal humor and somewhat envious excitement. After all, the widely dubbed "Whip sword" was classified as an impossible weapon due to structural integrity issues and overall impracticality of such a weapon.
Something that this world had obviously given the middle finger, thanks to the much looser laws of physics and more mystical logic that these people followed.
The rest of the gang weren't as remarkable as its two leading figures, but they did have the Levels and skills necessary to pull their weight if they needed to.
Although the journey to the creature's den wasn't as peaceful as the Shielder would have liked, he could at least look at the bright side of the situation.
"ORYYAAAHH!!!" Rukh hollered his battle cry as he made another mad swing to deflect and counterattack the airborne tackle of a charging griffin spawn. Crashing it right into the trajectory of its flock mates that were coming in from his left side.
Behind him is Sekkura, slicing and dicing as she elongated her whip sword into its full 15-foot length for a brief moment to cleave through multiple griffins' wings before retracting its pieces back into its hilt. The mere fact that she was able to wield it without inflicting friendly fire on herself and her comrades spoke of her sheer skill and raw talent.
The remaining three members of their gang, whose names Naofumi didn't bother to remember due to them being so forgettable, were also showing their worth. Despite all three of them choosing to wield his most hated weapon, the spear, they were still able to make great use of them through near seamless coordination and teamwork.
(*CLANG!*)
One of them blocked the griffin's talons by taking advantage of his spear's long shaft and keeping the beast in place while his two compatriots performed a pincer maneuver by doing a twin stab on opposite sides of the griffin's neck.
Not only did these battles give Naofumi the perfect chance to observe the Shah Gang's combat skills, but he could also absorb a few griffin monster fragments while no one was looking as they went along.
[Griffin Beak Shield Unlocked]
[Quality: Medium - Base Defense: 30]
[Mastery: 0/60 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: 10 Pierce Resistance]
Level 8 Required
[Griffin Wing Shield Unlocked]
[Quality: Medium - Base Defense: 20]
[Mastery: 0/40 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: 10 Blunt Resistance]
Level 8 Required
[Griffin Talon Shield Unlocked]
[Quality: Medium - Base Defense: 30]
[Mastery: 0/60 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: 10 Attack]
Level 8 Required
Not that Naofumi and his girls weren't making their own contributions into the fight themselves; they weren't slackers after all.
Naofumi swung his left arm with the [Chimera Claw Shield] equipped to redirect the strike of another griffin that had been lounging at him.
"Now, Raphtalia!"
"Right!"
The Demi-Raccoon then took advantage of the griffin's disorientation and swiftly dispatched the beast quite easily with a slice at its exposed abdomen.
A few steps away from the Sword and Shield duo is Rino, swinging her spear up just as a griffin was diving down at her, taking advantage of the creature's momentum, she cleanly sliced through the top half of the avian's head.
Guinevere, though restricted (just like Naofumi who refrained from using any Weapon Skills) from transforming or using any of her Filolial spells, was still able to hold her own. Dishing out a few powerful kicks as she moved with surprising speed and grace, barely hampered by the carriage that she refused to be detached from unless absolutely necessary.
The two parties were making good time as they moved at a steady pace despite the adversaries that they'd been encountering. Watching each other's backs while they paved their way through the hordes, maintaining a constant stride as they neared their destination.
It didn't take long to reach the cave that led to the dragon's former den, drawing Naofumi's and the Shah gang's carts to a stop.
"We're going to have to leave our carriage's behind here," Sekkura recommended as she stepped down from their transport, "The caves are uneven and disproportionate in many areas, not the best place for a carriage to pass through."
Guinevere started to whine in protest as she didn't want to be separated from her property but was mentally persuaded once Mama Mash pointed out that it might get destroyed if it gets caught in the crossfire.
So, after unhooking Ginny from her carriage, much to the Shah Gang's surprise, as they weren't expecting Naofumi to bring his Filolial along to the fight, the two parties converged on how they're going to do this.
"I think it goes without saying that I'll be the one leading the way," Sekkura said as she stepped forward, no one argued with the wild blonde's claim as it was the undeniable truth, "Follow me closely – I was able to explore a good chunk of the cave's tunnels, so it should be possible for me to navigate us away from unstable grounds and dead ends."
Both parties simply nodded, everyone agreed that following Sekkura's lead was the best course of action. Although Mash could do the same thing by using {Map Projection} within her mindscape, nothing truly beats personal and hard-earned experience. And just like that, the group descended into the caves, everyone being on full alert as they knew that they could be attacked by monsters at every turn if they weren't careful.
Fortunately, luck seemed to be on their side, as the griffin population within the caves seemed to be lacking at this time of day. Something Mash was able to confirm when she gave their location a quick scan, most likely because the bulk of the flock were out hunting. Add in the fact that they were also getting closer and closer to the large red dot that symbolized the Alpha Griffin's position.
Without a single word, the two attack squadrons moved deeper into the beast's lair, now resorting to sparking up a few torches to better navigate their way.
Finally, after what could be described as a long and nerve-wracking trek through the caves, the two groups soon saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
Unfortunately for them though, this light did not signify the end of their troubles, but the source that they had to eradicate.
"Alright, this is where things get really hairy," Sekkura said in a whisper as she extinguished the torch that her leader was holding, "The Alpha's den has a small tunnel at the top that leads directly to the outside. Which means we can at least fight without the need of torches."
With that soft gesture, Naofumi's group promptly extinguished their own torches...
"Fair warning, I hope you have iron stomachs."
before taking their final steps forward.
Upon entering the creature's den, they were met with quite the disturbing sight. It was a scene filled with corpses and skeletons of different creatures scattered all over the place. The smell of rotten flesh and death permeated the once coveted dragon's den.
The putrid smell of rotten flesh made everyone frown – Raphtalia in particular. She quickly covered her mouth and nose with her hand as what she had eaten earlier that day threatened to come up from her stomach. But fortunately, she was able to control herself and not throw up.
Ginny also looked like she wasn't having a good time thanks to the smell.
What made things even worse for them was that the so-called Alpha had awakened due to their presence.
Its red eyes gleamed with hunger and bloodlust as it rose from its slumber, stretching its legs as it stood at its full height. The monster being as big as a four-story building and boasting two massive and powerful wings. Large parts of its plumage and feathers were discolored, signifying a rough estimate of the creature's age compared to its peers. Its long limbs and the humongous front talons crushed the rocks beneath them due to their sharpness.
And to top it all off, a massive, curved beak that looked to be capable of crushing a human body in half, stretched out and opened wide as it let out a deafening and blood curdling screech.
"SKKRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The avian's scream was so loud that the cavern walls and ground trembled at the monster's mighty war cry.
As the battle commenced, Naofumi quickly gave the Fowl beast (pun not intended) a thorough scan. Thus, receiving its official monster name and how high of a level the creature is.
The Alpha Storm Griffin
Level 65
"This is going to be tough..." Naofumi groaned as he and everyone else took on a fighting stance.
'Agreed,' Mash mentally nodded as she analyzed the approaching Apex predator that stood before her Kouhai and friends,'While the level difference will definitely make this difficult, as long as we think and fight smart, victory is still manageable.'
"Right!" Naofumi declared, both as an agreement to his Senpai, as well as an announcement to his and Rukh's crew to listen to what he has to say, "Everyone! Since we barely know anything about this thing... other than what Rukh said about its tackling and screeching... attack only if you see an opening and never stay in one place for too long! Understand?!"
A chorus of differing acknowledgments were answered as the lion and eagle hybrid cried out an eagle call while leaping towards the two groups who dared to intrude its domain.
Without a word needing to be said, the two parties quickly partnered up with their preferred team dynamics before scampering away from the Alpha's attack range.
Rukh is with Sekkura,
the Spearmen trio stuck together,
Raphtalia went with Rino
and Naofumi clung to Guinevere.
As an explosion of force rocked the earth where the Alpha's talons landed, Rukh had the bright idea of taking advantage of one of the airborne chunks of rock.
"ORRYYAAA!!!"
Performing a near picture perfect baseball swing (not that he's familiar with the sport), Rukh deflected the small boulder and sent it right back at the Alpha Griffin's face.
The damage was minimal at best, its HP bar going down by the miniscule of amounts, but the fact that it still got hit in the face made the impact both pretty painful and disorienting.
"KWAAAAHH!!!" The griffin screeched in pain before dishing out a mighty flap of its majestic wings.
"Igh!"
"Brace yourselves!"
Rukh and Sekkura warned as they prepared to weather the barrage of strong winds that were thrown their way. Raphtalia and Rino along with the Spearman Trio took their advice and stabbed their respective weapons to the ground as a means to stay earthbound.
(*WHOOOSSSHHH!*)
Fortunately, everyone managed to stay grounded and were able to endure the wind gale attack. And the better news was the fact that a particularly excitable Filolial wanted to get the pound of flesh that she was promised.
"Here we go!" Guinevere exclaimed proudly (not loud enough to be heard by the Shah Gang), as instead of bracing herself on the ground, she decided to go for a more vertical approach. All the while carrying Naofumi along for the ride.
"Ginny! What are you...?!" the green themed Shielder yelped in surprise but quickly shook it off as the young Filolial just presented him a golden opportunity.
'Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Senpai?!'
'Yes, I do believe we are, Kouhai!'
By this point, the Alpha Griffin had fully recovered its bearings and noticed the Filolial, seemingly helpless high up in the air. Allowing its rivalry instincts to take over, the avian beast screeched a loud eagle call as it began to fly towards Ginny and its clinging passenger.
Observing and timing the incoming danger just right, Naofumi quickly ordered.
"Go even higher Ginny! Air Strike Shield!"
"Right!"
A greenish translucent shield appeared beneath Guinevere's feet, but only for a split second. Just long enough for Ginny to jump further up, so much that they nearly reached the cavern's stone ceiling. But that was just what the Shielder was aiming for as their sudden boost in elevation allowed them to avoid the Alpha Griffin's charge. Giving them the picture-perfect opportunity to attack it from behind, right at its powerful yet less durable wings!
"Now let him have it, Ginny!"
"Hoooorraayy! High Quick!"
The disguised Filolial Queen then air-dashed at the Alpha Griffin's left wing and unleashed a devastating pierce attack with her talons.
(*SKREEEEEE!*)
It goes without saying that, although the blow wasn't crippling enough to fully disable the hybrid's aviation ability, it would still make flight excruciatingly difficult and painful. Thus, causing the gargantuan creature to plummet toward the ground while Naofumi and Guinevere used it to break their fall.
(*CRASH!*)
(*CRUMBLE!*)
" " " "That... was so badass!" " " "
Rukh and his boys exclaimed as their jaws hit the floor, practically awestruck at Naofumi's extraordinarily manly feat.
"Don't just stand there, you idiots!" Sekkura exclaimed in a fluster, she herself hurriedly snapping herself out of her stupor so she could catch up with Raphtalia and Rino. Both were already on the verge of inflicting some serious damage while the beast is still vulnerable.
"Hit it while it's down!"
And hit it the girls did.
"Vorpal Strike!"
"Triple Thrust!"
The two leading girls wasted no time in triggering their respective [Combat skills], Raphtalia's sword shining in a dazzling yellow while Rino's spear blitzes forward with a resplendent red light. Digging their weapons deep into the Alpha Griffin's hide.
And, although Sekkura couldn't use any [Combat Skills] like Raphtalia and Rino could, she was still able to deal some decent damage when she elongated her whip sword once again and gave it a good slash… Even more so when she pumped out some of her magic into the blade, thus creating an improvised lightning whip sword that's strong enough to cleave through the creature's hide. Now even more pumped up and motivated, Rukh and his boys followed suit shortly after.
Though by this time, the Shielder decided to dismount from his noble stead as he thought best to give Guinevere more freedom of movement. Add in the fact that their main attackers will be needing a reliable tank once the Storm Griffin regains its composure.
" " " "ORYYAAAHH!" " " "
Rukh and his boys hollered in unison as they hammered or stabbed their weapons on the creature's flesh. And throughout all this effort, combined with the fall damage it just received from Guinevere's air strike, they were successfully able to shave off 15% of the Alpha's total HP. Not a bad start considering their limited number of fighters.
Rino then held her spear like a harpoon and charged up a Spear Skill {Spear Blast}; her entire weapon shining a vibrant crimson as she aimed and threw it at the seemingly weakest point of the Griffin – its eyes.
Even if the shot misses and not hit its target, it would've still served its purpose. Rino wasn't really hoping for her spear to hit its mark in the first place...
"Heh."
Rino simply wanted it to blink.
After all, in the heat of battle, losing your vision, even for a split second, can be fatal. And that's exactly what Raphtalia was going for, as at the very next second, the Demi-Raccoon closed the distance between herself and the beast.
"Sonic Leap!"
Raphtalia declared as her sword shines a brilliant blue, leaping up high into air the before clocking the Griffin by its cheek.
(*SKRAAA!*) (*GRR!*)
It was at this moment however, that the Shield Hero felt something amiss.
By chance or by misfortune, the gargantuan creature was able to notice that whenever those annoying lights faded away, two of his foolish attackers seemed to stop moving for a short moment. A noticeable enough weakness that the Storm Griffin is more than willing to exploit.
And seeing that the Tanuki girl is the closer target, the Griffin lunged at her in high speeds, claws outstretched for what would undoubtedly be a devastating blow.
(*YIPE!*)
Raphtalia yelped as she made an effort to dodge the incoming attack, but due to the split-second post motion delay that a successful Sword Skill usually causes – not to mention because of the slight nausea the stench around them was causing, it didn't seem like she was going to make it.
"Oh no you don't!" Naofumi roared, brandishing his shield just in the nick of time to block the attack.
(*CLANG!*)
"Shield Counter!"
The Legendary Shield took on its signature green glow before releasing the force feedback that sent the Alpha Griffin sliding a few inches backward. Seeing the chance for another barrage, Rukh and his gang wasted no time in charging forward to keep the beast on the backfoot.
" " " "ORYYAAAHH!!!" " " "
"HYAAAAA!"
The Shah gang unleashed an onslaught of attacks on the creature's hide and underbelly. With Rukh being bold enough to aim for a direct blow on the Griffins head, using one of his comrades as a willing springboard. Leaping through the air and unleashing a devastating swing that would keep the beast semi-dazed, thus prolonging their chances of sustaining their attacks. Guinevere was more than happy to help things along as she also joined in the fray despite not being accompanied by her papa and aunts.
"Are you alright Raphtalia?" Naofumi ask in worry as he pulled the woman back on her feet.
"Y-yeah. I'm just fine Master Naofumi," Raphtalia replied, happy for the concern but determined to fight on, her sword now back in her grasp.
"That's good to hear," Rino commented as she stood by the pair's side after retrieving her spear, "But what happened just now?"
"That thing's not as mindless as we thought, that's what happened."
" "Huh?" "
'It might not be anywhere near as intelligent as a human being, but it's still capable of higher brain functions,' Mash said as she explained about her findings to the two girls.'It somehow figured out the weakness of our Combat Skills: the split-second freeze that we get after a successful Skill use.'
"That's both amazing and terrifying," Rino commented in alarm at the unpleasant discovery.
"Quite so," Naofumi sighed in annoyance before instructing, "Anyways, keep Combat Skills to a minimum. Only use them in short bursts when you know you won't get caught unawares like what happened just now."
"Right!"
"Understood Master Naofumi!"
The trio were just about to rejoin the battle when the Alpha Griffin finally had enough. Just as its HP dipped down to 70%, the beast was able to regain enough of its mental faculties to stretch out its wings for a counterattack. Albeit with a little sluggishness since one wing is injured. This slight delay of movement was what tipped Naofumi off on what's about to happen next.
"Everyone! Get out of there! It's going for another wind attack!"
Unfortunately, Naofumi's warning arrived a few seconds to late...
"SKRAAA!"
as the Alpha Griffin screeched and used its huge wings to bombard his attackers with a barrage of air strikes and in all directions.
(*WHOOSH!!!*)
"Igh! This wind!" Sekkura hissed in frustration as she tried and failed to fight against the wind attack, "It's even stronger than the last one!"
"Everyone, try to stick togeth-!!" Rukh's words got cut off haphazardly by Sekkura...
"LOOK OUT! IGH!"
"Ooooff!!!"
as she slammed against him after being blown away by the wind, causing the heavier weighed leader to be knocked off his feet as well, carrying him along with the rest of his crew.
"WHOA!"
Multiple grunts and moans of pain resounded from the attacking party as they (with the exception of Ginny since she was able to withstand the harsh wind better) were knocked around the dirt like ragdolls. Though on the bright side, none of them were too gravely injured as they were still able to brace themselves for the impact thanks to the Shielder's last minute warning.
Unfortunately for everyone involved however, the Storm Griffin was not done quite yet. Having had enough of being clobbered by what it considered to be mere insects, the deplorable Filolial most of all, it finally decided to take things more seriously. Letting out another ear-piercing screech, its eyes gleaming dangerously, an insane amount of electrical current began to course through the Storm Griffin's body.
"Huh?"
"What the?!"
It was far too late to give out any kind warnings this time as the beast unleashed a torrent of lightning strikes all over the cavern!
(*ZZZZAAAPPPPP!!!*)
" " " " "AAAAAGGGGHHHHH!" " " " "
"Absorb Break!" Naofumi hollered as he barely managed to step in front of Raphtalia and Rino in time, blocking and absorbing the lightning strike with his [Chimera Claw Shield]. Just like what he did back when he neutralized Motoyasu's so-called finishing move {Ligthning Spear}.
Unfortunately, with the exception of Guinevere who was able to sense the incoming danger and evaded the electric shock by jumping over it, the entirety of the Shah Gang were severely electrocuted. All of them now splayed all over the battlefield twitching and most likely paralyzed. Made even more apparent by the lightning bolt symbols that are floating above their heads in Naofumi's vision. And to make matters worse, their HP bars have now reached dangerously low levels!
"SKRAAA!"
The Alpha Griffin screeched once more as it began to fly up (albeit with some difficulty) to make a widespread smashing attack at the paralyzed Adventurers.
"Uh-oh…" Rukh couldn't help but voice out their grave predicament.
"It's coming directly at us!"
"We've got to get out of here!"
"But how?! We can't move!"
The male members voiced out their panic as they made a futile effort to fight the paralysis that they'd been subjected to.
"Grrrrr!" Sekkura growled in frustration as she made the herculean effort of barely moving a finger, let alone her entire body!
As their doom seemed to be approaching, knowing fully well that it would take either an entire platoon of Shield bearers or an overspecialized Shielder to take such an attack of this large of a scale. Unknown to Rukh and his gang however, they actually DO have such an overspecialized Shielder.
The strongest one imaginable at that...
"Air Strike Shield!"
as a greenish ethereal shield appeared from out of nowhere and blocked the Griffin's attack!
(*CLAAAAANG!*)
"Raphtalia! Rino! Ginny! Get everyone to safety! I'll hold it off as long as I can!"
" "Right!" "
"Guaaahhh!"
Just as the trio began carrying the Shah gang away from the battlefield, the now lone Shield Hero braced himself to face the beast head on...
(*CRACK!*)
especially after hearing the harrowing sound of his most versatile shield skill slowly breaking under the Storm Griffin's might. Only holding the beast off for a few more precious seconds, the beast screeched another cry of defiance before breaking through Naofumi's mobile defense.
The {Air Strike Shield} shattered like glass...
(*BOOOONNGG!!!*)
and was met by the immovable object that is Naofumi. The green clad Hero's feet slid backwards by good few meters before he held his ground, stopping the avian monstrosity dead in its tracks. Everyone's eyes widened in shock and awe as they all witnessed Naofumi perform such a remarkable feat of strength and tenacity.
Standing firm in front of the downed Adventurers, the impact recoil vibrated throughout Naofumi's body, causing his arm and shoulders to go numb due to the force behind the attack.
'I know I should be scolding you for doing something so reckless...'
'Hmphf...!'
'But considering I would have done the same thing if I were in your place, I guess it's a moot point,' Mash said with a giggle before returning to the serious matter at hand,'So... do you have any idea what we're going to do with the energy we just absorbed.'
'Sadly, I have no idea. We didn't really had the chance to give it a test run yet. And our duel with Motoyasu got cut off part way through.'
'I have an idea of a move we could try. It won't be a devastating attack like you're probably hoping for, but it would still be the most logical skill to for us to use.'
'It that is so, then I'm all ears.'
"NNNGGGHH!!!" Naofumi gritted his teeth as he ever so slowly went through the motions of what his Mash-Senpai had suggested for him.
The [Chimera Claw Shield] rotated ever so slightly as to line up the flickering light within one of the claw protrusions and aligns itself with his palm. Naofumi only had a fleeting memory of this light since he only witnessed it once, back when he absorbed Motoyasu's {Ligthning Spear}. The light eventually faded away after a few hours had passed, so he never got the chance to study this peculiar ability before. But now, with his Senpai guidance, he was about to see what this stored up energy can do.
Focusing onto the skill that Mash had recommended for him to use, Naofumi obediently went for it.
"Poison Capsule!"
Yeah. Not the most flattering and practical of skills to use, especially upon a target of immense size like the Storm Griffin. But Naofumi believed in his Senpai, so he still followed through with her instructions despite his own doubts regarding her choice. And this trust was immediately rewarded by what happened next.
Just as Naofumi finished the skill's activation, the flickering light within the [Chimera Claw Shield] suddenly burst into a dazzling glow. The light then morphed into countless tendrils of toxic slime that quickly entangled itself all over.
A Stacia Window soon manifested itself in front of Naofumi and displayed the icon of {Poison Capsule} and evolving it into {Blight Ensnarement}.
While the poisonous tendrils weren't able to envelope the entirety of the Storm Griffin's body, most likely dissipating once the absorbed power is spent, using it on the evolved [Weapon Skill] was well worth the price. Because not only was the poison damage 3x deadlier than normal, but the poison debuff's duration was whopping 2 hours long!
"SKRAAAA!" the Alpha Griffin cried out in agony as it collapsed on the ground, its HP dropping from 70% to 68%.
"It's down! Now's our chance!" Sekkura ordered as she frantically finished drinking her HP potions before charging back in with a vengeance.
"I owe you a drink Mister Shield Hero!" Rukh hollered as he also joined in the fray after drinking his own HP potion.
"HHHAAA!"
Raphtalia unleashed a {Snake Bite} swing on the creature's uninjured wing...
"EEEAAAAAA!"
while Rino dished out a {Spinning Slash} strike on the other.
Both dealing devastating two hit combos that hit almost precisely on the wings' more fragile bone structure.
"SKRREEEAAAAA!!!"
"HHEEEAAA!" Sekkura slid underneath the boss and slashed through its underbelly, elongating her whip sword to its longest length capacity for maximum damage output.
Rukh and his boys charged with another bombardment of stabs and overheard strikes at one of its ribs.
"High Quick!" Guinevere, no longer caring for secrecy (as it was already apparent that Naofumi's cover is blown), dashed forward to deliver a devastating kick to the monster's face. The developing Filolial Queen taking great pleasure in blinding one of the Alpha Griffin's eyes!
"SKREEEAAA!"
The beast cried out in intense agony as its HP plummeted down to a concerning 43% thanks to the combined efforts of the two parties, along with the enhanced poison that Naofumi inflicted it with earlier.
Enraged by the damage that it sustained throughout this entire battle, along with the fact that it just lost half of its sight to a lowly Filolial of all things, the Alpha Griffin has finally had enough.
It's now absolutely livid!
Charging up an even bigger discharge of electricity than ever before, its eyes glowed red as it literally enveloped itself in a lightning cocoon. This of course forced everyone who were on the offensive to disengage, lest they get electrocuted again for simply standing too close to the avian monstrosity.
"What's it doing?!" Rukh asked out loud, basically voicing what everyone else was wondering about.
That is, until a dark purplish gas began to seep out and evaporate from different parts of the Storm Griffins body.
'It's cleansing itself from the poison!'
"SKREEEAAA!"
The Storm Griffin screeched once again as it forced itself to go airborne, going up into the air (despite its gravely injured wings) before focusing an insane amount of lightning into its mouth. It was pretty obvious to everyone what the beast was planning to do next.
"Everyone, behind me! NOW!"
(*CRACKLE!*)
(*ZZZZAAAAAPPPPP!!!*)
"ABSORB BREAK!"
The Storm Griffin unleashed a concentrated lightning bolt directly at Naofumi. The Shield Hero barely holding on as his [Chimera Claw Shield] spun faster and faster in order to compensate and absorb the sheer power behind this electrifying attack. So much so that instead of having just one energy crystal to light up on his shield, all three of them got filled up to their maximum capacities!
Fortunately, the condensed lightning attack came to an end shortly after the [Chimera Claw Shield] reached its limit. But on the flip side of this good fortune, this overcharge of energy had some adverse effects on Naofumi's constitution, causing extreme vertigo and nausea to both Naofumi and Mash!
'What's going on?!' Naofumi sputtered in alarm as he fell to his knees, barely preventing himself from vomiting.
'It's the energy we just absorbed!' Mash answered while also sounding completely under the weather,'It was too much!'
And to make matters worse, the Storm Griffin didn't miss this moment of weakness, immediately capitalizing on the opportunity it had been presented. Going for a spinning dive bomb straight at its vulnerable prey!
Quickly realizing what was about to happen and knowing fully well that Naofumi is in no shape to move, much less tank another overwhelming attack like that, everyone else tried to either hinder or divert the Alpha Griffin's attention. Just so they could buy Naofumi the time that he needed to compose himself again.
Rukh and his boys made an improvised catapult as they chucked a sizable boulder at the beast.
Sekkura launched a hastily chanted {Fast Fire Shot},
Guinevere hurled a {Fast Tornado} from her wings,
Rino discharged a handful of {Thermal Element Arrows},
And Raphtalia did the same, only with {Umbra Element Arrows}.
However, despite all the attacks that they'd thrown at the beast, their efforts were ultimately in vain.
The lighter weighed humans were violently pushed back by the Storm Griffin's powerful tailwind as it dived at the focus of its ire, that being Naofumi. Having correctly deduced with its feral intelligence that he's the biggest threat that must be put down.
'DAMMIT!'
Naofumi cursed at his impending doom...
'Kouhai!'
while Mash screamed in sheer frustration and helplessness over her inability to aid her Kouhai. The Legendary Shield just wouldn't respond to her commands, feeling as if it's still under a cooldown as it crackled from the excess energy it absorbed from the powerful lightning blast earlier.
While she was aware that overcharging the [Chimera Claw Shield] might have negative side effects, she never imagined that the consequences would be this severe!
"SKREEEEEAAAAAA!!!"
The Storm Griffin screeched as it lunged at Naofumi with its humongous beak opened wide, fully intending to devour the Shield Hero whole!
Naofumi just barely regained his faculties by this point, trying desperately to leap to the side to dodge the approaching danger, but it didn't seem like he was going to make it. His reaction time was just too slow-
"Daddy!"
"Huh?"
In that moment...
as he was called by that embarrassing title once again...
Naofumi's anger and frustration over his impending doom...
is instantly replaced by grief and despair.
He had been pushed away from what could be seen as the jaws of death, but someone else had taken his place in front of the incoming maw. And all of this happened right before his eyes!
" "GINNY!" " Raphtalia and Rino screamed in horror upon witnessing the Filolial's demise.
At that moment, even the cold and aloof persona that he normally wore crumbled away to reveal the grief-stricken expression underneath.
Memories of the adorable Filolial flickered through Naofumi's mind, from the moment she just hatched, to when she first manifested her human form, to when she got her cute yet elegant dress from the Otaku seamstress. Guinevere may have been the most recent addition to his party and being labeled as her father figure may have been embarrassing as hell, but she had already taken a place in Naofumi's heart.
But now she's gone!
GONE!
A surge of pure negative emotion coursed through Naofumi's head as all his mental faculties began to go haywire! So much so that he couldn't even hear his companions anymore. Not even his Senpai's voice could reach him now as his perception just went completely dark.
And with these thoughts, darker memories from his journey so far passed through Naofumi's mind:
The false rape accusation.
The Kangaroo court.
The Trash King's condescending face sneering down at him.
The faces of Itsuki and Motoyasu looking down at him. The spearman's face being more prominent as his buffoonery and perverseness continued to blind him from the truth that was literally under his own nose.
And most of all, that damned bitch of a princess, Malty Melromarc, who had become the bane of his existence ever since day 1!
Just the memory of her smug smirk and mocking laughter made him double down in extreme loathing for the despicable woman.
d0 Y0u s33k PoWeR?
"Power?"
D0 yOU haT3 3veRYtHiNG?
"Hate?"
It was by this point that the blight, the corruption that Mash-Senpai had been keeping at bay for him after all this time, had finally been freed from its shackles. The once lustrous green gem of the Legendary Shield now corrupted into a sickening vermillion red as its metal now stained black.
[cUr$3d $3ries Un£0Ck3d]
[$Hi3lD 0f rAg3]
Naofumi let a loud roar of rage as his eyes turned completely red, the same red glow then enveloped the Legendary Shield. Shifting itself into a more demonic black hue with ominous crimson markings embedded in its metal and even his own body.
Void of any kind of emotion other than pure unadulterated rage, Naofumi strode forward to meet the surprisingly cautious beast. The Storm Griffin feeling instinctively wary over the disturbing aura its struggling prey is exuding.
As Naofumi walked past Raphtalia and Rino, (as well as Rukh and his crew) barely even noticing their presence, let alone the desperate cries of the Demi-Raccoon's lips in a vain attempt of snapping her Master out of it. The only thing that mattered now was the monster who dared to take his daughter from him!
Swatting at Naofumi with a massive claw swipe...
(*CLANG!*)
only for the Storm Griffin to be visibly surprised that its prey blocked it like it was nothing!
Sensing the very real danger that the puny human posed against its well-being, the Storm Griffin quickly retracted its claw and backed away. Flaring up its wings instead as it gathered energy for another lightning breath attack.
Roaring once more as symbols and words manifested themselves before Naofumi's eyes before unconsciously activating a skill that he had no knowledge of. As Naofumi's anger fueled the cursed shield...
(*ZZZZAAAPPPPP!*)
it went and corrupted his once protective {Shield Counter} and converted it into a more destructive and unwieldy version of its former self.
"DREAD IMPULSE!"
Calling forth a red tinted indiscriminate shockwave, not only did it cut off the lightning blast before it could be fired, but it also threw the Storm Griffin away and smashed it against the cavern walls for good measure!
An amazing display of power to be sure, but it unfortunately came at a terrible price.
The rage fueled shockwave truly was indiscriminate... as Raphtalia and Rino, as well as Rukh and his gang, were also thrown back harshly by the blast. The only bright side to be found here is the fact that the damage done was minimized thanks to not being in the line of fire during the Cursed Shield Skill's activation.
As the enraged Naofumi began walking towards the struggling Storm Griffin...
"Naofumi! Kouhai!"
Mash-Senpai's voice finally came through.
"What the hell?!"
Naofumi blurted out both in surprise and concern as he saw his predecessor's current condition while lying face down on the snow-covered ground of their mindscape.
"Mash-Senpai!"
"Keep... your distance..." Mash ordered weakly as she struggled to keep the corruption at bay.
Said corruption looked like some sort of black sludge that made Naofumi reminiscent of the alien Symbiote that once tried to take over Spider-Man during its 3rd movie. And wasn't that a scary thought, because if this black sludge is anything like Venom from his favorite superhero movies, then this is extremely bad news for everyone involved!
Most especially for him and his senpai since they were literally attached to this shield in more ways than one!
The damage this symbiote is causing to Mash is highlighted even further by the more revealing and demonic themed knight armor that she now wore on her left side (Naofumi could clearly see Mash's butt-cheek and side-boob). The same thing happened to her hair as the left half of it is now a sickly white.
"What's going on?! There's no way that stuff's anything but good!"
Despite the dire situation that they were in, Mash was still able to giggle at the amusing comparison that her Kouhai saw in the shield's corruption. Which actually worked in their favor as innocent and childish thoughts like that is a great way to counter the Cursed Series' mental deterioration.
Managing to turn over and sit up properly to face her Kouhai (which embarrassed the said Kouhai greatly as he's still a hot-blooded dude) before she explained what the Cursed Series are.
How they are unlocked...
How they manifest one of the seven deadly sins depending on the Cardinal Hero's mental state...
and how they can affect a Hero's psyche (which obviously includes Mash-Senpai herself) every time they are used.
"But there is good news: Guinevere is still alive."
"W-WHAT?!"
Mash's words shocked Naofumi to the core as Guinevere's death was what triggered this whole mess in the first place! As if reading her Kouhai's thoughts, though it isn't far-fetched that she did, Mash quickly brought up Naofumi's party list and showed that Guinevere is truly very much alive, albeit in a very peculiar situation if the slow decline of HP was anything to go by. Though she wasn't idle either as Mash showed that Ginny's MP decreased also, which meant that their little girl had been casting attack spell from the belly of the beast.
Suddenly, Naofumi could now breathe much easier, the part of his heart that seemed to have died had now been revived.
"But we're still not out of the woods yet," Mash said sternly as she reminded him of their situation, "Not only do we have to finish the Storm Griffin as quickly as possible, but we also have to get rid of all this corrupted power."
And just like what happened with their Sword Hero counterparts, (though they weren't aware of the parallels) they had to use the Rage Shield at least once to expunge the corrupted power. And they had the perfect target to vent their anger on.
Let it be known that Mash was also affected by the rage after seeing her daughter figure seemingly dying before her eyes. Mash Kyreilght may not have a reputation of losing her temper like other more temperamental Heroic Spirits back then in Chaldea, but if something or someone truly made her angry... well, just ask Sir Lancelot of how frightening she could be when thoroughly enraged.
"Understood," Naofumi nodded upon hearing from Mash what needed to be done.
With a plan of action decided, Mash quickly sent Naofumi back to the Real World, though she did leave a parting remark: saying that he had some apologizing to do since he inadvertently injured his comrades and most likely cursed Raphtalia and Rino due to their closer proximity to him during his rampage.
Mash then started casting some of Merlin's minor purification spells on herself to make the channeling of the dark power easier to handle.
Now back in the real world, Naofumi had now regained full control of his mental faculties, the rest of his body catching up shortly after. The menacing red aura that once enveloped the Legendary Shield is now much tamer then before.
But as Naofumi observed his surroundings, he was met with both good and bad tidings.
On one hand...
the Storm Griffin is still trying to compose itself after enduring such a powerful counterattack. Add in the fact that both of its wings are now truly busted up and its HP slowly going down thanks to whatever Guinevere is doing inside its gut, the battle looked to be in its final stretch. Just one more push and the monster would be down for good, and he can finally help Ginny dig her way out of the creature's stomach.
But on the other hand...
Rukh and his crew were in no condition to fight. While Rukh himself and his second in command Sekkura are no worse for wear, their three less skilled members were injured pretty badly by his indiscriminate {Dread Impulse}. But that was nothing compared to what he had inadvertently done to his own companions!
As he soon noticed the two girls that laid by his feet, their hands still holding on to his legs, Naofumi felt horrified.
What had he done?!
"Raphtalia… Rino..."
Naofumi called out as the two girls looked up to see that their beloved Hero had regained his senses.
"Master Naofumi... thank goodness... you're back..."
"You really... scared the hell... out of us..."
Raphtalia and Rino said respectively as they warily stood up on shaking legs. Both of them trying and failing to grip their respective weapons properly, their hands being too badly burned to be of functional use.
Frantically bringing up his hand, Naofumi hurriedly chanted his incantations and casted...
"Fast Heal!"
The green glow from his hand enveloped the two girls but were met with only partial success. While their previous injuries from the Storm Griffin and his indiscriminate {Dread Impulse} were noticeably better than before, the burns that they had on their hands and arms weren't the least bit affected. Naofumi tried again a few more times but was unfortunately met with the same result, the burn marks simply refused to fade away.
'It's no use,' Mash-Senpai said out loud after analyzing the type of damage the two girls were inflicted with, especially with the alarming debuff that was now on display in their respective status bars,'Those must be cursed burns; they won't be healed by something as mundane as a minor healing spell.'
Before any more words could be exchanged however...
"SKREEEAAA!!!"
the Storm Griffin had gathered enough of its wits to become a credible threat again. Thus, forcing Naofumi to order his girls to get behind him, much to their protest.
" "But Master/Sir Naofumi!" "
"You misunderstand, I need you to help me!"
These words caught them completely off guard as they definitely weren't expecting such a response.
"Mash and I were able to throw together a last-minute plan while she was helping me with this Cursed Shield. I need you two to keep me steady because this is going to take a lot out of me!"
"R-Right!"
"A-As you wish!"
Raphtalia and Rino replied in a fluster as they both supported their Hero from behind, one on each of his shoulders.
" "We'd like to help!" "
Much to the trio's surprise, Rukh and Sekkura were also there standing behind them, ready to be of assistance. This shocked Naofumi greatly, even more so now they'd seen first-hand the destruction that he was capable of just a few minutes ago!
"But why?"
"Let's just say I know what it's like to suddenly fly off the handle when you lose one of your own and leave it at that," Rukh answered so casually as he shrugged off the Shield Hero's concerns, "As long as you keep that thing on your arm under control and continue being the Hero that we all know you are, then it's good enough for me."
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with the big oaf," Sekkura follows up with a stern yet slightly humorous tone, "A Hero who's willing to do his duty despite all the crap that he's been through is a man I can truly respect."
(*CRACKLE!*)
Whipping their heads back at the adversary before them, they now saw the Storm Griffin hunching forward in pain while shakily charging up a last-ditch lightning breath.
Unfortunately for the beast of the skies however, the Shielder had one more trick left up his sleeve. Though not the kind of trick that he would tread lightly due to its double-edged nature, it's still going to be one hell of a badass move!
"With these flames of the dreaded abyss...
We shall smother even your screams with this inferno...
Suffer in anguish as your body is both crushed and incinerated into cinders!
Naofumi chanted in an ominous voice as Mash aided him in channeling this cursed power and merging it with the 3 charges of lightning energy that they'd absorbed from {Absorb Break}.
Gathering all its remaining lightning into its mouth, the Storm Griffin unleashed a massive lightning blast at Naofumi and his comrades, carving a path of destruction as it made its way to its target. Naofumi, however, had already finished his preparations. Compressing as much of the corrupted energy as he dared into this one tainted Shield Skill, Naofumi finally fired it in the form of a massive, flame powered, Shield Cannon. Thus, creating another, Cursed Shield Skill called...
"DREAD CANNON IMPACT!"
and the blowback was strong enough that it took the combined effort of Raphtalia, Rino, Rukh and Sekkura just to keep the exhausted Naofumi from being blasted away by his own skill.
(*ZZZZAAAPPPPP!!!*)
(*CRRRAAAAZZZZHHH!!!*)
The lightning blast and the flaming shield collided in epic fashion; gales of wind bombarded everyone in the cavern as the two powers fought for dominance over the other!
Needless to say, the spectacle is both awe-inspiring and nerve-wracking as this is literally the moment of truth for both sides. As whoever wins this struggle of power basically wins the entire battle.
(*CRAAAZZCKLE!*)
But fate was on Naofumi's side on this day as the spinning {Dread Cannon Impact} began to overpower the lightning blast. Slow at first, but eventually grew faster until it overwhelmed the lightning all together before heading straight in the Alpha Griffin's gaping mouth and basically decapitated the beast with a medium sized explosion!
(*KABOOOM!!!*)
With its head all but incinerated clean off its shoulders, the rest of its body began to go limp, wobbling a little before finally keeling over to the ground with a loud thud. With the deed finally done, the Rage Shield began to fade away, soon returning to Naofumi's preferred default form. That form being the still unpainted, Captain America Vibranium Shield.
Seeing that the monster is now well and truly dead, the two parties all burst out massive sighs of relief. With Rukh and Sekkura comically collapsing on their backs...
"That... was... AWESOME! Let's do that again!" (Rukh)
"Speak for yourself!"
"Yeah! That was as scary as hell boss man!"
"I need a drink!"
"I really deserve a vacation after all of this crap..." (Sekkura)
while Naofumi and his girls simply sank down on their knees while clinging to each other, their legs giving out due to exhaustion.
"Raphtalia… Rino... are you two okay?" Naofumi asked the girls gently, all while giving their HP bars a look of concern.
The two girls tried to wave away the Shield Hero's concerns, smiling as they did so, but were ultimately betrayed by their own bodies as they coughed several times mid-sentence.
'It's not as bad as it could've been,' Mash-Senpai answered truthfully (only the trio could hear Mash's voice) as she gave the two young women a much thorough analysis. One doesn't spend years with Doctor Romani without picking up a few medical knowledge here and there,'They were exposed to the cursed flames for only a little more than a minute, so they only suffered a Minor Curse Debuff. Some of their stats have been reduced, but only for a manageable 10% decrease. We should be able to cure them by applying that spare holy water that Eugeo gifted to us.'
"That's good to hear."
Naofumi replied before giving both Raphtalia and Rino a side hug, flustering the two girls greatly as they both stuttered and blushed under their Hero's embrace.
"I'm so relieved."
Much to the Shah Gangs amusement as they wisely stayed quiet, simply regaining their strength and taking their healing potions now that they had the chance to actually drink them.
Noafumi held their position for a short while before ending the hug, much to the two girls' slight disappointment, knowing that he still had a daughter to save.
"Now all that's left is saving Ginny."
The Shielder said as he turned his gaze over to the Storm Griffin's inanimate corpse.
"Save Ginny...?"
"But she's…"
Tears were just beginning to form in their eyes as they recalled their fallen friend.
Naofumi and Mash were just about to explain themselves and point out their party list when suddenly...
(*SPLLUUUURRT!*)
they heard a flurry of movement from within the Griffin's stomach before it spontaneously burst completely open. Blood and gore poured out of the hole and out with it came a large white ball of fluff.
"I'M FINALLY OUT!" the very much alive Guinevere exclaimed before she began frantically shaking herself in extreme disgust, "EWWW THAT WAS GROSS!"
" "GINNY!" "
Raphtalia and Rino exclaimed in joy and relief, and they ran towards to her with intention of bear-hugging her, only to screech to a stop as soon as they noticed how red she was from head to feet from the blood of the Alpha Griffin.
As glad as they were for the fact that Ginny had survived and looked to be unharmed (despite her alarmingly red appearance), they preferred that they not share Ginny's current redness, or the smell that came with it. The clothes they were wearing were their favorites and they didn't want bloodstains on them – it would be a nightmare to clean that up!
"You're not hurt, are you, Ginny?" Raphtalia asked, making sure to stay an arm's length away from Ginny.
"No, I'm not hurt anywhere, but I stink! I want a bath, and I want it now!" Ginny whined.
"No argument there… Let's get out of here as soon as we're done dealing with the Griffin's carcass," Rino chuckled awkwardly as she pinched her nose to refrain from smelling the unpleasant scent of iron.
As it turns out, Guinevere was able transform into her human form just as she was about to be gobbled up by the Storm Griffin. Thanks to her much smaller humanoid body, she was able to pass through its mouth and throat without being crushed, thus sparing her from a death by pulverization.
But as soon as she reached the stomach, she had quickly reverted back to her full size and began to wreak havoc in the belly of the beast. Puncturing its stomach before following it up with destroying the rest of its digestive tract and a few of its internal organs. Which was actually a pretty hilarious way for her to help in bringing the Storm Griffin down if you think about. Something the Shah Gang were more than vocal about it as even the usual stern and serious Sekkura couldn't contain herself and laughed at the humor of it all.
Speaking of the ragtag team of Adventurers, Naofumi and co eventually found out during their transition back to Mirso Village that Sekkura is actually a runaway Noblewoman. She was already aware from the start of who Naofumi was but chose to be quiet about it since it was obvious that the Shielder was trying to keep a low profile. But as far as their opinions of the Shield Hero is concerned, she and the rest of the Shah Gang were quite accepting of him despite what just happened with the Storm Griffin.
As for the Storm Griffin's carcass, well, it goes without saying that Naofumi and the Shah gang all had a field day of reaping the fruits of their labor. Though Naofumi still got the lion's share of the spoils, Rukh and his crew would still make quite the hefty buck once they sell their share of the Storm Griffin's corpse. Maybe even get a few weapon and armor upgrades if they truly wanted to.
It needs not to be said that the new shields that Naofumi unlocked upon absorbing the Storm Griffin's different body parts were definitely a huge upgrade to his arsenal. Although the majority only gave increased resistance to paralysis and lightning element attacks, two of the newly unlocked shields stood out due to their sheer utility and stat gain.
[Storm Wing Shield Unlocked]
[Quality: High - Base Defense: 100]
[Mastery: 0/140 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: Lightning Guard]
[Extra Equip Bonus: MP Increase(Medium), SP Increase(Medium), Lightning Resistance (High)]
Level 45 Required
[Storm Talon Shield Unlocked]
[Quality: High - Base Defense: 95]
[Mastery: 0/120 - Resonance: 0%]
[Equip Bonus: Volt Rush]
[Extra Equip Bonus: MP Increase(Medium), SP Increase(Medium), Lightning Resistance (High)]
Level 40 Required
Before they returned to the village after they all finished handling the Griffin carcass, they made a stop at a nearby lake so that Ginny could at least not look like she had been in a literal bloodbath when they return to the village. That would have attracted too much attention to themselves.
Of course, Naofumi and Mash had to stop Ginny from jumping into the lake as soon as she saw a large body of water to wash herself in – lest they pollute the lake. They had to take the water out of the lake with a large washbasin and wash Ginny as quickly as they could. They had to return to the village as soon as possible to have Raphtalia and Rino's cursed burns treated.
After the wash, Ginny's white feathers were still stained a bit red, but at least she didn't stink as much anymore. They would return to the village and give her a proper bath then.
Back at the present, the Village Elder was happily pulling out the dragon fragments that he promised.
"You have all of our gratitude Sir Shield Hero," the village elder said as he handed the bag over.
"You're welcome," Naofumi calmly replied before noticing that the bag is larger and heavier than he expected.
Making out the Shielder's reaction, the Village Elder quickly explained, "I took it upon myself and added some reward money to your bag. Goodness knows that you have clearly earned it."
"Just make sure to reward the Shah Gang too when you get the chance," Naofumi said as he put the bag in his [Item Storage] for the time being, "They were a huge help in taking down the Alpha Griffin, so they should be recognized for taking it down also."
"Ahhh, yes, yes, of course. It shall be done," the Village Elder nodded enthusiastically.
"Anyways, how are Raphtalia and Rino doing by the way?" the Shielder asked with a hint of worry in his voice.
"Fortunately, their wounds were not beyond our skill to heal properly. While the curse that they'd been inflicted with is unlike anything we've ever seen before, they were still treatable since they were fortunate enough to not be exposed to it for too long. And with the remaining Pure Holy Water that you provided mixed in with our own Lesser Holy Water, they should be more than enough to fully cure them both."
"That's good to hear," Naofumi sighed in relief.
'I told you they'll be fine.'
'I know. But I still can't help but worry,' Naofumi internally insisted,'After all, it's my fault they got hurt in the first place.'
'Oh Kouhai...'Mash sighed on how Naofumi is blaming himself for something that wasn't really his fault, or anybody's for that matter, but decided to put this discussion on hold for another time. Her Kouhai is still too traumatized for them to have a thorough conversation about it.
"Do you think it's okay for me to see them now?" Naofumi asked as he cut his conversation with his Mash-Senpai short.
"The nurses should be done by now, so of course," the Elder replied with a smile, shaking Naofumi's hand as the Hero left his office.
Upon entering the infirmary that housed his party, along with the rest of the comrades that he made in the Shah gang, Naofumi is met with Raphtalia and Rino now sitting up in their respective beds. Both of them now looking fully recovered and happily chatting with Guinevere and Sekkura. Rukh and his boys were huddled at the other side of the room and wisely kept their distance from the girl talk, discussing their own thing amongst themselves.
As Naofumi entered, Raphtalia and Rino looked up and smiled at him, which the Shielder couldn't help but return, even if it was for a tiny bit. One of the nurses soon spoke up as she read the observation sheet that she had written on her notepad concerning the girls' wellbeing.
"The two of them are recovering well. Give them a day or two of rest and they should be back in tip-top shape for your next adventure."
"Thank you very much for your help," Naofumi replied with a small bow. The nurse smiled as she leaned in Raphtalia's ear and whispered something. Another nurse did the same with Rino at nearly at the same time.
Whatever they said, it caused both Raphtalia and Rino to stammer and blush furiously, much to Sekkura's amusement as she was near enough to hear what the nurses said. The two nurses chuckled at this as they left the room. Once they were gone, Naofumi pulled up a chair at the space between Raphtalia and Rino's beds and asked Guinevere to do the same.
Looking at Raphtalia and Rino, then at Guinevere and finally the rest of the comrades he made in the Shah Gang, Naofumi took a deep breath and bowed low.
"I'm really sorry... What happened back in the cavern's was all my fault, I've placed all of you in grave danger..." Naofumi clenched his fists in both anger and guilt, "Not only did I stubbornly refused to accept more help by using my Hero Status, but my own moment of weakness and loss of control ended up hurting all of you. Especially to you two, Raphtalia and Rino."
A few seconds passed in silence as everyone processed what Naofumi just said. Most of them weren't quite sure on what they're going to say as the Shielder's words weren't without merits. While the events that led to Naofumi's loss of control wasn't his fault, it was still his own rejection of his Hero title that was responsible for leading everything to that point.
Raphtalia and Rino were just about to bestow their own words of comfort when they were unexpectedly beaten to the punch.
"Yeah~... that's a load of bull and you know it."
To everyone's surprise, the one who broke the silence was the so-called goofball leader...
"You know what I think? I think you're being too hard on yourself for a worst-case scenario that didn't even happen," Rukh continued with a more authoritative tone in contrast to his usual easy-going one, "But the bottom line is though, you just saved our lives with that cursed power of yours. Against all odds, you defeated the Alpha Griffin without sacrificing anyone in both our parties. Even though your style of dealing with your status leaves much to be desired, you were willing to admit your mistakes and you are sorry about it. But do not just be sorry, be better!"
Another few seconds of silence ensued as everyone absorbed Rukh's exceedingly rare moments of brilliance.
'Those were actually some very compelling words of wisdom Kouhai, and I fully agree on what Rukh said. Just remember the people you love and know that they all love you in return,' Mash said in support to the Shah Gang's leader.
And to everyone's shock, Rukh's crass and blunt words seemed to have done the trick. Naofumi's once depressed expression began to fade away as Raphtalia, Rino and Guinevere gazed at him with tender affection.
"You are our Hero, Master Naofumi." (Raphtalia)
"After everything you've done for us, we will follow you to the ends of the earth." (Rino)
"Yeah, what she said!" Guinevere burst out enthusiastically, despite not really getting what everyone was talking about since she was still in the Griffin's gut when Naofumi went berserk.
"T-Thank you..." Naofumi stuttered as he bowed again, but this time out of sheer happiness before straightening up, "Thank you so much for your faith in me. I promise to do better from now on."
This got nods of agreement from everyone in the room, happy to see that the Shield Hero's emotional turmoil had been resolved before it could truly grow into something worse. Even more so for Naofumi's companions as they all saw the much more genuine smile on their Hero's face. Sure, they had seen Naofumi display more positive emotions as time went on, but this is sure to be another major milestone for his continued improvement. Which is something they always welcome.
"Well, I guess my work here is done!" Rukh playfully remarked, his voice now back to his normal goofy tone as he made an overexaggerated fall back on his comfy bed, "Now then, since I'm sure it has been a very long day for everyone involved, and I'm sure we're all plenty tired, I suggest we all get a good night's rest. Sound good?"
"You know, if you acted like this more often, a lot more people would respect and take you seriously instead of seeing you as a joke," Sekkura pouted grumpily at her once again, lackadaisical gang leader.
"Maybe, but nah~, being all uptight and serious like that is far too exhausting for my taste," Rukh casually shrugged his second in command's comment before addressing the rest of his gang, "Don't you think so boys?"
" " "YEAH!!!" " "
"(*SIGH!*) You guys are hopeless."
As everyone soon followed the Shah Gang's lead and began falling asleep in their respective beds, Naofumi stayed wide awake. Staring at the night sky from the window as he thought to himself.
'I have to grow stronger... along with the people who believe in me.'
Images of Raphtalia, Rino, Guinevere and even Mash-Senpai appeared inside the Shielder's mind.
'And I'll protect them... no matter what happens.'
GADGET BOY AND AREMENTI REVNANT'S NOTE:
Once again, I'm asking for anyone who's interested in helping me and my co-author "Arementi Revnant" in Beta Reading, editing and possibly co-writing future chapters to speed up the fanfic's update rate. Arementi Revnant and I both work for our respective jobs in real-life and so we're both finding it harder to find time for this fanfic. So, at least another head and a pair of hands would be helpful in speeding the writing process up.
Please send a PM to me and/or Arementi Revnant if you're interested in helping.It would be appreciated.
NEW VOTING POLLS:
1.) I will admit that this is once again a very perverted question, so you don't have to vote if you don't want to.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
It's already been established that the Bed Scene would be somewhat a threesome but kind of not since Alice will be refraining from transforming into her human form in respect to Anna's private time with their beloved Sword Hero. I just want an honest answer of what kind of Lemon Scenario do you want to read once we reach the chapter where Anna does some lovemaking with Eugeo.
Please choose of what kind of lovemaking do you wish to see and read between Eugeo and Anna:
- Femdom (Anna will be dominating Eugeo in bed with a little help from Alice in the background)
- Fem-Bondage (Alice would chain Anna up in bed as a precaution so Anna won't go beyond Eugeo's human limits)
- Male-Bondage (Anna wants to be the one in charge instead of the one being in chains, so she requested Eugeo and Alice to do this favor as a way to also conquer some of her trauma from being Idol's plaything)
- Normal but somewhat Rough Lovemaking (Just Anna being more forceful and aggressive with Eugeo but not much different with a normal lovemaking, Alice simply transforming into the Ram Wool Sword to act as a pillow for the happy couple)
2.) When and where do you readers wish for Kirin to get her turn with Eugeo?
- After the 2nd Wave (in Siltvelt)
- After the battle against the Pope (in the Toudou clan's manor)
- During the Cal Mira Archipelago Arc
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.
