Chapter 63 – Deus Vult!

~Before~

"Papa, tell me what my name means!"

Dio had been saying that since they saw Reiko, and has been repeating it for the last few minutes. Dante poked fun at Reiko's monsters, saying some more resembled things from games he remembered. Reiko had the bright idea to talk about Dio and JoJo's names. The death glare she got from Dante was enough to make her run off.

"It's really not that big of a deal." Dante tried to dissuade his daughter, though that only had the opposite effect.

"Come on! Tell me!" Dio was set on learning this. She would likely pester Dante until he gave in, or he distracted her with something else.

"Oh, Dante." Ann walked over to the pair, giving a light wave.

Perfect!

"Ann! How are you?" Dante immediately faced the tailor woman, hoping she would prove to be a good diversion to their current topic.

"Annie!" Without having to do anything, Dio was already focused on her.

"Hello, sweet little angel." Ann waved down at Dio. "I'm good, Dante. Most of my injuries are already healed. I can't thank you enough."

"I told you, what happened to you was because of me. Saving you was only right."

Ann shook her head. "I all did for you was make magic clothes for your companions. I didn't do that much."

"You're wrong." Dante dismissed her claim. "You helped us when no one else would. As far as I'm concerned, you are a friend."

He meant that, too. At the rate he was losing friends, he didn't want any more to die.

"Thank you." She had a smile on her face. "But, I really do want to do something for you. And, I have just the thing!"

Dante sighed, but not in an exasperated way. "Well, since you're going to be stubborn about it, I'll hear you out."

"I heard you were having trouble getting a wanted poster made for the man who attacked your village. I'd like to try drawing him for you."

"Oh?" It was true that the artists at the castle were having a hard time understanding Dio's descriptions. Even though he wasn't artistically inclined, he could see why. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

It wasn't like they had a lot planned for the day, or at least nothing with a time constraint. Some leveling and training, but that was about it.

"Great!"

They went to the manor next. Dante borrowed some materials to draw with from Fiadia, though not their intended purpose, and went to the eating room to do the work. When they sat down, Dio decided to sit on Dante's lap. It would free up their hands, not that Dante needed an excuse to be close to his daughter.

"Okay! Let's begin." Ann looked at Dio expectantly.

Here we go…

Dio began describing Takt's appearance to Ann. This would be the fourth time Dante listened to Takt's 'appearance', so he zoned in and out of the conversation between the two.

"…and he had a griffin face!"

"How so?"

"Well, his nose looks like a dog's, and his eyes are all slanty."

"I see, I see."

That's not how a griffin looks, sweetie.

Dante didn't want to interrupt the flow. Ann had the paper on a board and slanted back, so he couldn't see how it was coming along. If nothing else, it would be another sketch he could keep. A funny little thing his daughter tried to have designed.

Minutes went by with more and more strange details added for her to work out. Dio kicked out her feet all the while, happy as can be. He found it rather impressive Ann continued using the same sheet. Most of the artists went through a few before arriving at a sketch of…something.

"Done!" Ann slapped the ink pen down and revealed her work to the pair.

"Oooh~" Dio held the paper up, marveling at it. "That's him!"

Dante looked at the drawing as well. It did, indeed, look like an actual person. He looked at the eyes, mouth, ears, hair, and everything else about it.

Dio, my sweet little girl, that looks nothing like what you just described!

"Papa!" Dio turned up at him, her eyes sparkling. "Annie's really good at drawing!"

"Yeah…" He said, unsure of how that just happened. He gave a pat on her head before looking at Ann. "So…how?"

"Well, I did draw out this angel's dress, after all!" Ann puffed out her chest in pride.

"Fair enough." Dante couldn't argue with that. "I'll have that sent off to the capital to get copies made."

"I can't keep it?" Dio asked, sadly.

"No, sweetie, we need it to find that bad man, remember?" Dante continued patting her head.

"Okay…" Dio lowered her head and rested it against Dante's chest.

"I'll make another one that Dante can take." Ann gave her a sly wink.

"Yay!" Dio raised her hands in excitement.

Dante was more than happy to wait for Ann to draw out another one. This was the first good thing since Conrad attacked. Glass was a mixed case, since she did leave without too much issue, though it was too early to tell if things would work out. Every other good thing was just fixing what was broken.

Once Ann was finished, she handed the second drawing to Dante. It was a bit more polished without some of the faint sketch lines. Dante stood with Dio, taking her hand.

"Thank you. This will really help out." Dante told her.

"No, no, this is a thank you for saving me." Ann waved her hands in front of her.

"I owed you." Dante was somewhat firm on that. "So, with that in mind, if there's anything I can do for you, just let me know."

"Please, that's not…" Ann was about to argue again, but stopped herself short. She gave her chin a quick stroke. "Actually, there is one thing I'd like."

She leaned forward and whispered into Dante's ear, if only to keep Dio from hearing. He sighed, but nodded all the same.

"I'll make sure Keel is fine with it. We'll do it tomorrow morning." Dante said.

"I can't wait! I'll need to grab some better supplies first. Thank you, Dante." Ann said all that rather fast, quickly gathering up the makeshift drawing supplies to return to Fiadia.

After she left the room, Dante did the same with Dio. She dropped off her drawing in her room and the pair left the manor.

"Papa, what does my name mean?"

They didn't take two steps outside of the door before Dio started up again. It was rare for either of his kids to focus so intensely on something, outside of glaring at Lilith when Dante petted or rode her.

"Dio, your name doesn't mean anything." Dante tried another tactic.

"I know Papa's lying." Dio puffed up her cheeks at Dante's failed attempt. She stopped them barely 10 feet from the manor.

Really, though, what could he say? He picked her name by accident when he thought she and her brother reminded him of two characters from a show? Part of the reason he didn't say anything was because those two brothers fought and killed one another, with their families and followers continuing the trend. Another was he really didn't want to start geeking out too much about the series.

Then again, he might be able to use that.

"Okay, okay." He quickly thought up a new plan. "Your name is from something in my world, but there's just too many stories surrounding it."

"Hmmm." Dio continued looking at him, her skepticism clear. Technically, he wasn't completely lying.

"I'll tell you eventually. I just need to think of the right story about Dio, and JoJo, to tell you. Your brother, too."

"Hmmm." She continued staring into his eyes, searching for deception. "You promise?"

"I promise."

There was a pause between them.

"Okay!" Just like that, she accepted. She jump up onto his chest, snuggling under his chin. "I love you, Papa!"

"I love you too, sweetie." Dante gave her a kiss on the top of her head as he continued walking in the village.

~The Wrong Hero~

Dante stared down at the lifeless body of his daughter. He was currently in Rat's lab, which was being used as a hospital. Not all injuries are equal, nor could they all be healed with magic quickly, at least standard magic. Those that couldn't were resting here.

Three others were in his immediate presence. Raphtalia towered over him, still in her therianthrope form. She was like that when Dante entered the lab. As far as he was aware, she hadn't changed out of it since Shieldfreeden. Not that it mattered, since it was a long time ago since that form stopped consuming MP. She stood next to him, looking down at Eclair's body right next to Dio's.

Sadeena was behind both of them, one hand on Dante's shoulder with the other pressed against Raphtalia's back. It was a small comfort having her there.

The last was JoJo, who was held up in one of Dante's arms, pressed against his chest. The filolial boy didn't say much when Dante first saw him after waking up. There wasn't much to say.

"Thank you, Dante." Raphtalia broke the silence.

"For what?" For getting my daughter and friend killed?

"For getting her to kiss me one last time." Raphtalia didn't remove her eyes from Eclair's body.

"Hm."

His teasing did lead to that one, tiny good thing today.

"I've lost so many people." Raphtalia continued on. "My parents died protecting me in the wave. I saw neighbors and friends being eaten by those same monsters. Everyone else in my village is surely gone. And now, Eclair is too. I thought…I'd be used to this by now."

"It is different." Dante said, his eyes never leaving his daughter. "You lost someone you chose to love."

Dante couldn't quite put it all into words. Parents dying before their children is natural. Friends and neighbors dying can be a shock. But a lover, that is something that will rock you to the core. Just like losing a child.

"So did you." Raphtalia glanced at him. At one point or another, he did tell the others about his dead family, and his role in that, though not what he hoped to regain. "Tell me." She extended her hand and swept it over Dio and Eclair. "All of this. When it happens, does it get any easier?"

"It does not." He didn't know if that was the answer she wanted to hear. But, he also didn't want to meet someone that was okay with their loved ones dying repeatedly.

That included himself.

Dante didn't come straight to Rat's lab after learning about Sadeena's pregnancy. Instead, he did what he did the last time his family was taken from him. He got to work.

He knew the first step in keeping his family safe. Dante needed more power. Before Rifana brought them all back to the village, Warbaldt saved their location with his Portal Claw skill. Dante took Warbaldt and Rifana with him, first to Siltvelt castle to have Werner start gathering any lords within the city, then to the site of Shieldfreeden's wave. They travelled light, but Rifana would've been able to take them back immediately if something had happened in Shieldfreeden or the village.

They didn't bother looking for the knights and adventurers, who were either in the town they defended or having already left for the capital. Instead, the three heroes began collecting the corpses of all the monsters they could. There was something therapeutic about handling so many dead wave monsters. A sense of repetition combined with knowing he'd be growing in power.

Most of the shields he revealed gave stats. The wave boss gave a few shields, but only the main one was truly noteworthy.

Goliath Spider Shield
(abilities locked) equip bonus: agility bonus (huge), Unencumbered Movement
equip effect: Wall Climb, Spin Web

Its stats were rather good and the abilities were interesting, but he didn't take the time to strengthen it just yet. They were able to gather up some of the Q'ten Lo weapons, but none of the armor, nor the Sakura Stone. Dante didn't notice it before with everything going on, but the assassins exploded shortly after their deaths. It happened in the village, too, resulting in more damage to the buildings.

After they returned, that was when Dante initially went to the lab. The time he gave himself to mourn—at least for now—was until Rifana's portal skill came off cooldown. That was where they were at now.

And yet, he wasn't mourning.

The feelings inside him, while mixed with grief, were something else. Something worse. He didn't want to acknowledge it, but seeing Dio before him confirmed what it was.

He felt slighted.

His daughter was dead. His friend, Raphtalia's lover, was dead. Yet, the hate of losing his daughter was only second in his whirling emotions. He felt indignant that someone would dare move against him. That they would steal the life of someone from his family, someone that belonged to him.

And that made him hate himself even more.

How thoughtful of my shield to let me be aware of my altered emotions!

In his calm anger, he understood it. At least, from what he could understand. He should be a stomping mess, breaking everything and everyone in his way to get revenge. Instead, he was able to think out his steps. Truly, he wished he couldn't. Maybe then he'd feel like less of a monster.

There was still one thing he could try. One thing that would have escaped his thoughts if he did act like a rampaging beast, like in his old world. And here, in this lab, with a genius alchemist, it felt possible.

"Rat." He called for the alchemist's attention. "Can you—"

"No, Lord."

He looked to the alchemist in charge, who had her arms crossed. She clearly knew what he was about to ask. "Are you saying you cannot, or will not?"

"Won't, even if I could." She was resolute in her answer.

"Did you not swear to serve me forever? For killing Conrad? Raphtalia landed the killing blow." He glanced at the tanuki woman beside him.

"I am aware, Lord, Lady Hammer." Rat looked at them both. "But there are some lines I won't cross. This is one of them."

"Why?" Raphtalia asked, though she didn't move her head. She kept it looking down.

"It's a forbidden practice."

"I don't care!" Raphtalia roared, turning to face the smaller alchemist. "Figure it out and do it!"

"It's forbidden for a reason." Rat explained, not intimidated by the hulking hero. "No documented attempt has every succeeded, at least not as intended. Most end in failure. The ones that don't…they work in the worst way possible."

"Aren't you supposed to be a genius alchemist!? Isn't that why Dante bought you!? Why can't you do it!? Why can't you…" Her words trailed off as tears started falling from her face. She choked back a sob, gritting her teeth. Her next words came out barely louder than a whisper. "Why can't you bring her back?"

Raphtalia had caught on, too.

"Even if I could, Lady Eclair and Dio wouldn't be who they were. At best, they would be mindless puppets. At worst, they would try to kill you both." Rat stepped forward and placed her hand on Raphtalia's arm. "That's not what you want."

That was the main reason Dante was here, in this lab, with his daughter's corpse in front of him. He recalled a bit from the web novel and light novels about the subject. One person had spare bodies he could put his soul into. He could even bring someone back to life, though it sounded a lot like Rat's first scenario.

Another fully brought back someone to life, though the resurrected in question was the manifested shard of a goddess. That likely had some bearing on the result. Though, that person was also brought back with the help of an alchemist without that goddess. Still, that was far into territory that likely had no real place in this world.

"Then that is how it is." Dante craned his head to the side. "Fine. We are done here."

He made to leave, but Raphtalia grabbed his shoulder.

"I'm not." She said, her grip firm.

"We have other things to do." Dante didn't look back.

"They just died!" Raphtalia yelled, spinning him around. "It hasn't even been a day, and you just want to leave!?"

"I do not." Dante met her stare. "But standing here will not keep you all safe, nor will it help kill any of those bastards."

And if he was really honest, he needed to leave while he still had the resolve to. Otherwise, he might stay next to Dio's body forever. That was the only comfort he could find with how he felt.

Dante only allotted himself a certain amount of time to come to terms with what happened. He and Raphtalia, and the party as a whole, weren't the only ones who lost people. While not in the lab, many villagers were outside mourning their lost ones. He missed it in his tunnel vision, but the dead were lined up for their families to see and say their final goodbyes.

Fiadia would make the final arrangements for their bodies. Dante wasn't about to absorb any of them into his shield, ignoring the pragmatism of it. He was in no mood for any more logic and reason, only revenge.

Raphtalia gave no response, so Dante continued. "With so many knights dead and some of the perpetrators still alive, Siltvelt wants answers. I'm going to give them the only answer they need: war."

When fighting in the village stopped, Fiadia had sent a messenger to the capital to explain what happened. They returned while Dante was still unconscious.

"…Fine." Raphtalia released him, though the fire in her eyes remained. "Why did any of this happen? Who were those people?"

"Sadeena can explain it on the way. She will be coming with us." He meant more about Q'ten Lo than the orca woman's current condition, but that would come out, too. "I am taking every hero with me."

There were two reasons for that. The first was to show Siltvelt that all the heroes they had were in agreement, if they had some issue attacking an island nation they only traded with until today. The second was to have at least one other person with a portal ability to bring them all back immediately if any of the assassins returned.

"Can I come too, Dad?" JoJo quietly asked.

"Of course." Dante gave his son a pat on his back, never setting him down. He turned again and started walking, Raphtalia and Sadeena coming up behind him. "Reiko."

"Yes!" The fox girl shouted from the other side of the lab at Dante's call.

"Follow." One word and she did as she was told.

A lot had happened during the attack, and after Dante came to. Aside from the deaths and damage to the village, it seemed the assailants were also aiming to take the locked up Vassal Weapons. Knights and Reiko's monsters tried to fight them off, but they were able to break into the vaults. One had an enchanted cloth to hold the Axe with, seeing as they knew it was cursed. Luckily, it didn't work as intended.

The moment that shadow took hold of the Axe through the cloth, they started attacking their allies. The fight in that location turned to the knights' favor, up until all the nearby shadows were dead. Reiko's monsters jumped in and fought hard, though most dropped like flies.

Reiko didn't sit by and do nothing while she saw her monsters disappear from her status. She rushed over with a few more and started casting illusions. When those didn't work, she did the only thing she could think of. She picked up the second weapon they tried to steal and used it and her remaining monsters to kill the berserk shadow.

With that, Reiko became the Seven Star Whip Hero. Dante knew that for certain, since her slave information disappeared from his status.

Dante wanted to be angry at the indecisive weapon, but he realized it was probably for the best. Maybe Reiko could have helped in the fighting sooner, but Dante could see him taking the fox girl with him to Shieldfreeden's wave. Things were better this way, with the Whip belonging to Reiko, and the Axe firmly secured to Dante's back.

Since people kept trying to take the weapons, and since Dante seemed to be the only one immune to its effects, he decide the safest place for it was with him. Connected to a harness that wouldn't allow it to be easily removed, the cursed Seven Star Axe would stay with Dante at all times.

After leaving the lab, the five of them quickly found the other heroes. Warbaldt had stayed in the village after the wave, helping make sure no other attacks happened.

It was only going to be Dante, Sadeena, JoJo, and every Vassal Hero they had. With Dante no longer out of commission, Atla reluctantly went back to protecting Melty. Fohl stayed with her sister and cousin. Keel and Rishia helped Fiadia with anything she needed.

Dante wasn't worried about an attack. Given how many shadows attacked compared to how many were seen escaping, combined with the number of people were needed to maintain a barrier, plus the different portal locations of the Vassal Heroes, there was no way to prevent Dante's group from returning. That was assuming the barrier even could prevent teleporting into, let alone them having brought enough stones with them. The ones who remained in the village would be vigilant, regardless.

"Portal Shield!"

With the plan already set, Dante brought them all to his room in the castle. By this point, the sun had already reached the horizon. A maid was waiting for them just outside the doors. She led them to the throne room, where numerous lords, ladies, and nobles stood in attendance. All eyes were on Dante's group as they entered. The heated conversations turned to silence.

The room was without sound, save for the heavy footsteps of the group. They strode up to the throne. Dante sat in it, JoJo still holding onto his chest. The Vassal Heroes stood on the sides. Sadeena was next to him, followed by Raphtalia and Warbaldt. On the others side were Rifana, then Reiko.

Dante looked out at the assembled nobles of Siltvelt. They waited in anticipation for what their god was about to say.

"We were attacked." Dante began, letting the words sink in for a moment. "Both in my village, and at the wave in Shieldfreeden. It was coordinated so that my party would be at our weakest, while also unable to quickly retreat or intervene at my village."

A piece of equipment backed up that assessment. While not capable of two-way communication, one of the Q'ten Lo shadows in the village had something to receive a signal. Rat told them the range on it was extraordinary, able to reach many countries away. They waited until Dante's group fought through a horde of monsters before giving the signal.

"Many knights and villagers were killed, including two from my party. My daughter, Dio, was killed in Shieldfreeden. Eclair Seaetto of Melromarc was killed protecting my guest, Princess Melty Melromarc."

That likely seemed to be a secondary objective. If Melromarc's heir was killed in Siltvelt, Dante and Raphtalia would have to deal with another country if their assassination group failed.

"There can only be one response to this. I hereby declare war on our neighbor, Q'ten Lo."

His voice was calm as he spoke. He had hours to think over what he wanted to say, and to calm himself down enough to say it properly. Inside, he was a mess. On the outside, he carried a strong presence, fit for the god Siltvelt wanted.

Noise broke out once again. Some were murmuring to one another, while others immediately shouted their agreement. Jaralis, of all people, was among those in favor of the war. Werner, however, stepped forward.

"Forgive me, Lord Shield, but what of Melromarc?" The shusaku asked. "If we make ready for war, there is a good chance Melromarc will see it as an act of aggression."

"Let them." Dante answered Werner's concerns bluntly. "We have four of the Seven Star Heroes in Siltvelt, including the old man's staff."

Rifana didn't seem to like the extra attention on her. While it wasn't exactly announced that she now had the Seven Star Staff, it wasn't a secret either. Werner knew about it, and it seemed that information had spread around a bit.

"But the three other Cardinal Heroes are in Melromarc." Werner pointed out the other issue. "If they were to aid Melromarc—"

"If they aid Melromarc in attacking Siltvelt, they will fail!" Jaralis interrupted Werner's argument. "We have been sharpening our fangs for just that! With our god with us, and the other Seven Star Heroes following him, we have nothing to fear!"

I am sure you were waiting for something like this to happen. I guess you get your wish, assuming Aultcray even tries to pull something.

"Princess Melty is my guest. Aultcray would not dare risk his daughter's safety like that." Dante would know. He wouldn't either.

"And if he does?" Werner asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Then we will crush Melromarc as well." The words left Dante's lips almost casually.

He didn't want war with Melromarc. It would be pointless, especially when the waves got harder and more warriors were needed to suppress them. Dante didn't know what all the future held, but fighting wars over old grudges wasn't worth the effort. Still, he would do whatever was necessary.

"Why were you attacked?" The old genmu, Ushan, spoke up.

In response, Dante turned to Sadeena and Raphtalia. The orca woman stepped forward to speak.

"Q'ten Lo views little Raphtalia as a threat. Her father was part of the royal family, and they believe she wants to take back the throne." She left out the final straw for them. "Because of that, they tried to kill everyone who could help her."

"Then the attack on our god is her fault!"

"She is the one who caused this!"

Similar voices rang out of crowd. It wasn't unexpected, but it still annoyed the Shield Hero and his companions.

"I already knew who she was." Dante's voice carried over them. "She, however, did not. If Q'ten Lo kept out of our business, she would not have known until much later."

While he believed she had the right to know, there were more pressing things going on. The only reason Naofumi had the luxury of dealing with Q'ten Lo was because the waves were being blocked at the time. This would add an extra hurdle to an invasion, especially since he didn't know what exactly the situation in Q'ten Lo was. For all he knew, Ruft was a good leader there and was merely trying to keep the status quo. The people may not be willing to aid Raphtalia.

"That doesn't matter." Raphtalia spoke next, earning a glance from Dante. "They killed the people I care about, the ones that I loved. If I have to fight them, then that's what I'll do!"

She was showing some unexpected resolve at the situation. Then again, Eclair's death weighed heavily on her.

"Little Raphtalia…" Dante wasn't sure what to make of Sadeena's expression.

Raphtalia pulled her hammer from her back and slammed its head into the ground. "If they're afraid I'll try to take back the throne, then that's what I'll do. With Dante's help, I will become the Heavenly Empress!"

She seemed to come to a rather quick decision. From the time it took to gather the others and walk to the throne room, Sadeena explained the most important parts of her family history. There wasn't much time to process it all, but Dante figured she wanted to prevent more attacks. If she was the ruler, they'd have to do what she said.

"And once I'm empress, Q'ten Lo will be another country to side with Dante against anyone who tries to come after us!"

The crowd roared with approval. Whether she truly realized it or not, Raphtalia was a natural at working a crowd. She was able to say exactly what they wanted to hear. After all, Melromarc was an enemy that might come after them. Grief had become a powerful motivator to her.

"We will begin making preparations at once!" Jaralis roared.

That was exactly what Dante wanted to hear. A smile grew on his face, though it wasn't just from their approval. His senses had finally honed in on something.

"That is good." He stood from the throne, setting JoJo on the ground. "Before that, you need a demonstration of what you might be up against."

Dante moved from the throne, casually walking to the side. From his back, under his sash, he pulled out a shortsword retrieved from Shieldfreeden. It was old and worn down, but definitely one of the weapons used against heroes. Traces of his blood were still on it. By contrast, most of the weapons recovered in the village were in better condition, but didn't have the same feel to them. Whoever made those didn't have killing heroes as a priority. It was a mark against Ruft's leadership, since Erhard's master should have probably started shelling those weapons out by now.

With a smile on his face, Dante lightly tossed the shortsword toward the corner of the room. "Pick that up."

There was silence once again. Dante continued standing there, unmoving.

"Lord Shield?" Werner started to approach, but Dante held up his hand.

"There is no point in hiding, you little shit~. I know you are there." His smiled took on a cruel look. "My spell is not on me. This is your only opportunity to strike against one of Raphtalia's strongest allies. You better take it, since you are not leaving this room alive."

While his vision from Life Sense was almost overwhelming from all the people in the room, he was still able to find one suppressed presence. Well, he found others, but they were likely this country's shadows. The Q'ten Lo ones were even more well-hidden.

"You have until I complete my spell until you are burned to a crisp." Dante held one hand forward. "As the source of your—"

Dante didn't even get through the first line. A figured cloaked in black revealed themselves and snatched up the sword. In one fluid motion, they drove it up and into Dante's stomach. The crowd shouted in panic, but there was nothing to fear. Dante already had the shadow wrapped in his arms, being crushed against his chest.

"Dad!" JoJo's panicked shout rang out in the room, but Dante gave him a quick smile.

"And here I was beginning to think you would try to run away." Dante laughed, squeezing the shadow harder.

"False god of Siltvelt!" The shadow yelled, but her voice was strained. "The usurper…will…"

"Did you say something?" Dante mocked the struggling shadow, a rabbit woman by the looks of her.

"Geh…die…" She barely choked out.

"Better." Bones started to crack under his pressure. "You know, your friends' attacks hurt more. Are you really a shadow?"

"Over here, Dante." Raphtalia lifted her hammer and stalked forward, her expression grim.

"Mine!" Dante could hear the snarl in his own voice as he swung his prisoner away from her. Raphtalia stopped in her tracks. "This one is mine!"

The shadow continued her struggles. The hand holding the sword jerked around, trying to open Dante's wound more. It did, but Dante didn't care. Her slowing movements told him she was nearly done.

"Oh, and do me a favor." Dante looked at the rabbit's face as she drooped to the side. "When you get to hell—"

Her body was crushed against his with a sickening crunch. Her upper half fell back, dangling limping in his arms. He dropped her body to the ground, grabbing hold of her foot.

"Tsk. It was not important anyway." Dante pulled the sword from his stomach, letting it clatter on the ground. "You, servant." He slowly approached one of the maids line up against the wall. "Open the balcony door."

She shook at his approach, but quickly did as he said. As Dante walked out onto the open platform, the shadow's body began to give off light. He threw her body into the air with a grunt, watching it burst into flames. By the time it reached the ground, the fire had already extinguished.

Satisfied, he turned back around and reentered the throne room. A variety of faces were worn throughout. Awe, concern, and fear were the most common. A few looked thrilled at his display, while others looked outright terrified.

"Mister Dante!" Rifana looked to come out of a stupor and ran up to him. "Let me heal you!"

"I have regeneration. I will be fine." Dante's words did little to dissuade the weasel woman, who continued her casting.

"Drifa Heal V!" She finished her spell, applying it to Dante's wound. Her mouth hung open for a moment as she stared at it. "Why didn't that work?"

Dante looked at his status. The regeneration from his newest curse was doing its job closing his wound. From the rate his HP was recovering, it would have taken under a minute for it to fully heal. Rifana's spell reduced the time to about half of that, but it should have healed him fully many times over.

Then, he remembered the detriment the curse gave him.

"So, that is what that meant." He whispered to himself, feeling his wound.

I thought my spells and abilities would help others even less now, but it is the other way around. No matter, it is better this way.

Dante whipped his hand to the side, casting off some blood that clung to it.

"Werner." He looked to the dazed shusaku.

"Y-Yes, Lord Shield?" He stood at attention.

"I do not know how to wage a war outside of a broad overview." Dante told him plainly. "I expect the leadership here to appoint suitable generals and strategists to the task. Whatever issues you encounter, food supply will not be one of them. I have the means to make a lot of food quickly."

"Yes, Lord Shield!" Werner crossed him arm over his chest and gave a bow. The other nobles in the room followed his example.

Dante walked back over to the throne, and continued on in front of Sadeena. She looked like she wanted to grab him and hold him close. He couldn't blame her, since he'd do the same if the roles were reversed. Even more so, based on where that shadow attacked him. All the same, he snaked his arm around her, standing at her side.

"Little Dante?" While not displeased at the gesture, she was confused by it.

"Ushan." Dante addressed the elder genmu. "You asked why we were attacked before. This is the reason for it." He gently placed his hand on Sadeena's stomach. "It is no secret that Sadeena is my lover. But now…"

He let the words hang in the air. The lords present quickly grasped what he was implying.

"They attempted to murder Lord Shield's unborn child!"

"This is unforgivable!"

"What about the ladies Lord Shield has bedded since arriving here?"

They caught on very quickly to Dante's concerns. "They might very well be in danger, too. Make sure they are well protected."

The men and women in the throne room roared with outrage at the implication. Many were already voicing plans to protect the members of their tribe.

"Little Dante." Sadeena whispered in his ear, barely audible over the noise. "Should you have told them that?"

He answered her in kind. "I wanted to make sure those women were kept safe. Even if I never meet my…their children, I do not want them dying because of this. And now, any hesitation any of these leaders might have had about going to war is gone."

It was a dual purpose idea Dante thought up while killing that shadow. He didn't think one would actually be here with so many people around to potentially spot her. Either they were feeling desperate after their failed attack, or she had another reason to be here.

"Won't they see me as a threat to them now?" Sadeena asked. "They could think I'm trying to claim you for myself."

"Let them." Dante told her. "To them, I am declaring war against a country for killing my adopted daughter, a Melromarc knight, and a number of unrelated children. Who would think I would do less against someone who tries to kill my lover and unborn child.

It was as much a calculated move as it was the truth. If anyone was that stupid to try, he'd tear them apart or have them impaled on spikes.

~The Wrong Hero~

The meeting in the castle took a while longer before the group was able to return to the village. No signals of distress came, no one's HP went down, and there didn't look to be any further damage. By this time, the sun had just set.

"Go get some rest." Dante told the group. "I do not know how long those shadows are going to take to regroup and try again."

From what he recalled, Q'ten Lo assassins attacked Naofumi's village repeatedly until the invasion, and even his group on the journey there. Dante didn't know how many they had nearby, but hopefully most of them were killed between the two locations they attacked. Shildina's group only had her and possible-Ruft, from what looked to have been around 50 to start with. The village was hit with a similar number.

"Gladly." Raphtalia walked off toward the lab. Despite her take-charge attitude about Q'ten Lo, she was right before. She didn't even have a day to grieve before having the burden of her family history thrown on top of her.

Reiko quietly excused herself and followed Raphtalia back to the lab. Rifana looked between her childhood friend and the man who saved her life. With a nod from Dante, she went after Raphtalia. Warbaldt stayed at the castle, his battle experience being useful for making plans.

"What about you, little Dante?" Sadeena asked, wrapping her arms around his side. She was careful to avoid touching the Axe on his back.

"I am not tired." He was, but he knew he couldn't sleep anyway. He was physically able to keep going thanks to his curse, but that same curse denied him the means to easily recover mentally.

JoJo pulled on his pant leg. "Can I stay up with you?"

Dante patted his head. "You need to sleep. It has been…a hard day."

JoJo shook his head and got closer.

With a sigh, Dante moved his hand to JoJo's back. "You can sleep in my bed tonight. I will be by later. I promise."

"…Okay." JoJo held onto his leg for a few moments more before separating. He slowly walked toward the manor.

Sadeena's grip on Dante tightened. "What about you?"

Dante looked around at the village, at the damage still present. He knew that, to some degree, he was responsible for this. Q'ten Lo took the majority of the blame, but he could have made the defenses stronger. For a start, he could have had more, better knights stationed here. Not only from the faction in Siltvelt that wanted peace with Melromarc, but the ones who wanted war as well. It was no coincidence those knights would be higher level and better trained.

"I want to walk around and snuff out more shadows." He said honestly. "But, I also do not want to leave your side ever again."

Sadeena kissed him on his cheek. "You'll have to be away from me eventually."

"I know." He wrapped an arm around her as well.

Physical contact with her and the others felt strange now. It still eased the tension in his mind from his Curse of Greed, but now he felt almost…annoyed by it. As if he resented needing to be close with someone. He had a good idea where that feeling was coming from.

It was a good thing. Right now, he needed more power. If his curse was making him want to be apart from the woman he loved, that just gave him one more thing to hate. That hate would make him stronger. He could see it in his stats. The second that Q'ten Lo shadow revealed herself, he felt a surge of strength. Just like when he tested his newfound spells with the Curse of Greed. The more agitated he felt, the more negative emotions entered his mind, the stronger he would be.

And right now, he had the perfect thing to focus on. Something he would always be around. Something that wouldn't fail to spark his raging-yet-subdued emotions. Something he hated before ever stepping foot into this world.

Himself.

He watched helplessly as his daughter was murdered right before his eyes. He couldn't do anything as his friend was killed while in another country. And now, the love of his life was a target of assassination because he couldn't keep it in his pants. Sadeena's desire to be with him was beside the point. He could have said no. He should have said no. Instead, he gave Q'ten Lo their 'just cause' for attacking his lover and his family.

"Lord Shield?" The voice was one he hadn't heard for a while.

Dante looked over at the woman…the girl that spoke. "Elvira."

The young Belmont vampire walked closer to the pair, leading a cart-pulling filolial with reins by her side.

"What happened here?" She asked, gesturing to the damaged buildings.

"We were attacked." Dante separated from Sadeena to face her. "But forget that for now. Why are you here?"

"I have returned, as I promised I would." She gave him a deep bow. "I apologize for taking so long."

"No." Dante's tone was stern, but not abrasive. "Do not ever apologize for taking the time to mourn."

Being absent for over a week was far better than many alternatives.

"My apolo…Y-Yes, Lord Shield." She corrected her words before straightening out.

You did not need to come back. Dante thought the words, but didn't say them. He knew he would need all the help he could get for what was going to happen. And, he was glad nothing happened to the vampire. The familiar of her never gave any distress signal, so he assumed she was fine.

"What about your home?" Dante asked, wanting to know what remained from Conrad's attack.

Elvira turned her head to the side. "Just as Corbin claimed, everyone in my family home was killed. Even Elder Trivala wasn't spared." She gripped her arm tightly. "A few traveling knights and servants survived, but no one else, not even the blood pets—er, the human slaves."

She cast a quick glance at Dante, but his expression told her to keep going, ignoring the 'blood pet' comment.

"Most of our family's vassals heard of the attack and severed ties, though a few remained loyal. They await my word on what to do next. By the time I arrived, the manor was already looted, including my family's prized whip. At least…whatever survived after the manor was burned down. I brought as much useful supplies and equipment as I could to be of service to you, Lord Shield."

With her explanation finished, Elvira gave him another bow.

Dante stood there, not unsympathetic to her experiences, but slightly numb from his own.

"Have you mourned?" Dante asked her. "Have you grieved properly?"

She looked up again. "I…have tried, Lord Shield." A tear started rolling down her face. "I was able to find my mother…what was left of her. I only knew it was her from the whip she carried, as burnt as they both were. I couldn't tell which one was my father."

Dante knew that pain well. Seeing the charred remains of your family wasn't something he wished on anyone, except his worst enemies.

"Do you wish to be free of your service to me?" He asked in a comforting tone.

"No, Lord Shield!" Fresh tears threatened to break from her eyes. "I…I have nothing left. Please, don't throw me away."

"I will not." Dante stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You will have a place here."

Just like every other orphan in my party. And every orphan in my village, old or recent.

"Thank you, Lord Shield." Elvira held back her tears. "I won't disappoint you."

"I know." Dante stepped back. "If you are going to stay, then I have a gift for you. Two, in fact."

He reached into his shield's gem and item drops. When he pulled back, a whip was in his hand. The end fell to the ground while the handle was pointed to Elvira.

"This belonged to Idol Rabier, a lord of Melromarc. It is powerful, but cursed. I do not know what effects it will have on you, but the fat bastard was able to wield it with no discernable detriment."

Elvira took the whip in her hands, holding it like it was a gift from god. Technically, it was.

"Thank you for this gift, Lord Shield." She held it close to her chest. "I will cherish it forever."

"Then for your second gift." Dante held out his arm, his wrist up and near her face. "Drink from me."

"L-Lord Shield?" Her eyes shifted between his offered hand and his eyes.

"Your mother may not have mentioned this, but drinking my blood will give you immense power. You do not need to drink every drop to gain it, but it will last less than a day."

"Little Dante…" Sadeena voiced her concern on the matter.

"Elvira did not level as much as everyone else. With what we will be facing, it is important to have as much power available as possible." Dante remembered how Nisha acted when she drank his blood. Still, the benefits outweighed the detriments. Besides, with his regeneration now, replacing the blood wouldn't be an issue.

"Are you sure, Lord Shield?" Elvira asked, though she already grasped Dante's hand. Idol's whip was fastened to her hip.

"I am." He gave her a nod. "With you still as my slave, I will be able to see how much your stats increase."

Elvira swallowed her hesitation and brought her lips to his forearm. With her fangs extended, she bit into it. The point of contact began to cool as blood left his body. What started out gentle and delicate quickly turned to a more ravenous hunger. Dante watched her stats rise all the while.

Elvira was one of the few people in his party that had any levels sacrificed after their class up was sacrificed. She was also able to get the filolial class up before leaving. Thanks to that, her stats were already quite high and would reach that much higher. To see how much she gained from drinking his blood was staggering.

"Enough." Dante commanded, but didn't wait for her response. He pulled back his arm while pushing against Elvira's head, forcing the vampire to stop. Her eyes were dilated, a deep hunger within them. Dante's blood smeared across her face gave her a look of a savage predator.

When she came to, her legs gave out from under her. Dante eased her to the ground, keeping a hand on her arm.

"Are you alright?" He asked her in a calming voice.

"My Lord…Shield God." Her hand warily reached up and grabbed his pant leg. "I…am unworthy of such a gift. I have tasted divinity itself. You are truly the one and only god."

Dante tried to step back. When he did, Elvira dropped her hands to the ground, with her head quickly joining them in the dirt.

"I will serve you for the rest of my days! Your enemies are my enemies! Speak your will, and it shall be done, Shield God!"

"Little Dante." Sadeena didn't need to say any more for Dante to know she disapproved of what just happened.

Dante continued to watch the young vampire. There were many things he could have said to her. He could have said not to lower herself to him like that. He could have told her she was his party member now, not a worshiper. He could have insisted she give no greater title that 'Lord Shield'. Instead, he simply told her one thing.

"See that it is." He turned around and began his search for more shadows before going to his son. "Bring the cart to Fiadia to see what the village can use."

"At once, Shield God!" Elvira sprung from the ground and grabbed hold of the filolial's reins.

I already know how much of a bastard I am. What is one or two more things?

Author's Notes:

Anyone pick up on the theme of the weapon curses yet?

Elvira's back. I knew I would bring her back in, just wasn't sure how I'd go about it. And now, here we are.

If anyone's confused about Dante's behavior, that's on me. His transition was pretty quick, given the lab scene was only a few hours after the end of the last chapter. To sum it up, this is how he was after his family died in his old world. His breakdown last chapter was the 'stomping mess' phase he alluded to. He just went through it quickly into the second phase. In his old world, he went around killing everyone even tangentially responsible for his family's death. He still made plans, observed patterns, and went about killing them in a way he could live to kill the next person. I know it's not good writing to have to explain it all in the notes, but it's been a while since that subject was really touched on.