Chapter 73 – Expect the Unexpected
"Dude…"
Motoyasu was the first to speak when he and Ren arrived, along with their parties and the rest of Dante's and Itsuki's.
Several minutes had gone by after Fitoria passed away. Dante hadn't moved from his spot. Atla and Rifana moved up to comfort him while Sadeena held a hand against JoJo's feathers. The filolials that came with Fitoria had settled on the beach, dozens of them surrounding them as they lay in the sand.
At his voice, Dante looked over his shoulder at the Spear Hero. "Motoyasu."
"What's going on?" The blond man asked, looking across the sea of feathers.
Dante slowly got to his feet with the help of Atla and Rifana. He carried Fitoria over to them. "The strongest person in this world just died." He told them.
Motoyasu grimaced. Ren seemed to look at Fitoria in disbelief, but it was mixed with apprehension due to all her wounds. If nothing else, he had the tact to not say anything negative.
"If you're done grinding, we should start returning to Melromarc." Dante said.
"Y-Yeah, sure…" Motoyasu gave him a nod.
"Everyone with a Vassal Weapon, go with them and save a location there, with someone saving this spot." Dante told them. It would be best to get this done quickly.
"Dad, what about Fitoria's flock?" JoJo asked, gesturing with his wing to the filolials.
"I…don't know." He wasn't sure what to do about them. Fitoria wanted one of his kids to replace her, but there was too much at stake right now. They weren't his monsters, so it wasn't as if he could teleport any of them. From what he recalled, grown monsters couldn't take a normal monster seal and the high grade ones were really expensive. Without Fitoria, they'd be more susceptible to attacks, both by other monsters and people.
"We could have them board one of the ships." Malty offered. "I…know a place they can go."
"Where?" Dante turned to ask her.
She shook her head. "Not right now."
"Alright." Dante didn't need the information right away.
With a plan coming together, everyone got to work. Malty went to speak with the earl of the islands to get the filolials set. The other heroes began teleporting their party members out, with the exception of JoJo. He wanted to stay close to Dante and the flock for now. That was one reason, but a more pressing one came to light.
The Vassal Carriage was reset. The only form available to JoJo was the Small Chariot. The largest issue with that was not having any skills available. Between all the heroes, there was plenty of monster parts to reveal carriage forms, plus what would be available to copy in the capital.
Once a ship was procured, JoJo herded the filolials onboard. As their new king, he would keep them calm during the voyage. Dante wanted to stay with his son, but there was too much to do to sit around for a day. Once the heroes returned, he returned to the capital.
The first thing he did was inform the queen of the situation. She held her fan up, covering the lower part of her face.
"I didn't know you met the filolial of legend." She said sadly. "I wish I could have met her before she passed."
"The only consolation is she killed an enemy before they even reached us." Dante said. This Mordigan came for him, but the current situation would have left the others with far less ability to deal with the Spirit Tortoise if he managed to kill Dante.
"Fortunately, as per your warning during our meetings, we've already researched the ritual to seal the Spirit Tortoise." Mirellia informed him. It was a precaution in case Glass couldn't take care of Kyo.
"Good." Dante gave her a nod. That was one part of the problem solved.
There was the hope that they wouldn't even need to venture into the Spirit Tortoise to seal it. Dante wasn't entirely clear on the Guardian Beasts, but it seemed like the two options were either sealing them or killing them. The Phoenix and Kirin could both be killed, so it stood to reason the Spirit Tortoise could be as well. With any luck, the heroes were strong enough kill it.
"Onto the next thing. Were you able to locate Erhard the blacksmith?" Dante asked. He didn't check with her when he reported on Cal Mira's Wave, so he wanted an update.
"We have." Mirellia nodded.
"Again, good. My curse has been taken care of, so I'll see if I can get some armor commissioned." If nothing else, he could wear the penguin kigurumi to deal with the Spirit Tortoise. It didn't have a water element like the best whale shields from Cal Mira's boss, so it would function for now.
Mirellia paused before she spoke. "The blacksmith isn't in the capital." Dante looked at her in confusion. "He's taken up residency in a nearby village for now."
"I guess I'm not surprised…" When Dante saw the blacksmith's shop, it was already ransacked. With his home in shambles, it was no wonder Erhard hadn't returned. "Which village? I'll head over there once we've gotten things settled."
Once again, Mirellia paused. "First, I want you to know we wanted to have everything prepared before you found out."
Dante raised an eyebrow. "Found out about what?"
With a crack, Mirellia's fan snapped shut. "The reconstruction of Lurolona."
Dante looked at her blankly, waiting for her to explain what she was talking about.
"After speaking with Malty about it, I met with Lord Joel and his son." Mirellia said. "We've already returned the villagers to their home and have begun rebuilding. I hoped we would have more to show for our efforts, but your condition with your curses was resolved sooner than expected."
"Well, that's nice and all, but you could have said something earlier." Though, Dante knew he was too preoccupied with Q'ten Lo and everything to even meet with Lord Joel, let alone help the villagers. "Why didn't you?"
Mirellia held her fan with both hands. "I put my husband in charge of the reconstruction."
Dante could feel his blood heat up. For a moment, at least.
"I'm quickly losing my patience with these little schemes of yours." Dante told her with restrained anger.
"It's not my intention to upset you." Mirellia said softly. "There are many reasons for this. One of which is to show Aultcray's willingness to make up for past mistakes."
"And I'm sure this isn't a way to endear him to the survivors." Dante rolled his eyes.
The queen shook her head. "Not at all. It was made undeniably clear to them how Aultcray's indifference led to their enslavement and the deaths of their friends and family."
Dante eyed her appraisingly. "Then, what, this is a way to convince me to let the old man see his nieces?"
She gave a light nod. "That is my hope, eventually. Truthfully, I don't want any conflict in my family. As you are to join it through marrying Malty, it is important to make peace as quickly as possible. The activation of the Spirit Tortoise, while a grave danger, has given us time for this."
The political moves afoot didn't sit right with Dante, but he could understand the reasoning. Still, he was only one part of the separation between Aultcray and the hakuko sisters. If they didn't want to see him, Dante wasn't going to force them.
"Whatever." Dante turned his head to the side. "I suppose I can put up with it if the villagers know Aultcray is at fault."
Mirellia sighed in relief. "I must admit, I am surprised. Malty told me a little about the Shield Hero from your books. Once I returned, you didn't demand Aultcray be removed from the royal family."
"You're back and he's broken. So long as he stays out of my way, I can pretend he doesn't exist." That said, he likely knew the answer to his next question. "He there now?"
Mirellia nodded.
"Fine. My family would want to see the people there, and I'll need to visit Erhard anyway." With his report finished, Dante turned to leave. "Oh, and I've spent multiple nights with Malty. You should do whatever tests to see if that was enough."
She gave him a relieved smile. "Thank you for this, Hero MacRory. You don't know how much this sets my mind at ease."
Dante had some idea, but he didn't bother to voice it.
~The Wrong Hero~
The ride to the village didn't take long. It was actually longer than normal, since JoJo wasn't there to pull the carriages, but it felt shorter. Dante's party was excited to see their old friends and catch up with everyone.
When they arrived, they saw dozens of knights, craftsmen, and laborers of all sorts at work. The demi-human villagers also worked to restore their homes, or help build new ones. The carriages didn't even come to a full stop before the former villagers in the party jumped out. Rifana and Keel reverted to their demi-human forms to be more easily recognized while Sadeena changed to her therianthrope form to accomplish the same effect.
Dante watched the display as Lilith landed from the air at his side. It started with only a few people approaching before dozens more came over. It was at this point that Dante realized just how few adults survived. In fact, he could count the adult survivors on one hand, all of them women. More teenagers of either gender survived, and even more young children. If Malty didn't have Lord Joel buy them up, there was no telling how many more would have died, or worse.
Dante continued to observe their interactions. The younger ones were gathered around Raphtalia, Rifana, and Keel, marveling at their now-grown appearance. That wasn't to say they weren't pleased to see Sadeena, but the orca woman was now speaking with the adults. From her body language and their reactions, Dante had a pretty good idea what they were talking about at that moment. Specifically, Sadeena held her hand against her stomach while the women curiously looked over at him.
While he was sure he'd have to make small talk with them eventually, Dante wanted to get the more unpleasant experience out of the way. He saw just who he was looking for a short distance away and began walking over, leaving the rest of the party to look around.
"Sir Shield Hero!" The man who stood next to Aultcray exclaimed with a smile on his face. He wore knight armor without a helmet, letting his long blond hair flow freely. In a way, he looked a bit like Motoyasu, minus the Japanese descent. He even had the same cheery attitude. "It's so good to meet you!"
Dante's gaze remained on Aultcray for a moment, observing the same type of clothing he wore to the Wave in place of his regal attire. He assumed this is what he wore when he was out of the castle.
"You are…?" Dante shifted his focus to the young man.
The blond man crossed his arm over his chest and gave a light bow. "Sir Jericho Hardin, son of Lord Joel Hardin."
Dante's expression softened. "You watched over the survivors after your father bought them."
"Yes, Sir Shield Hero!" Jericho beamed at him. "I made sure no other troubles came their way after the destruction of their home. Once I received word from Princess Malty and Queen Mirellia, we came here to begin rebuilding. King Aultcray has been overseeing construction."
"So I've heard." Dante returned his sights to the old man, whose expression didn't change.
Jericho looked between the two men. He clearly felt the tension in the air, taking a step back. "I…shall leave you to discuss matters. Sir Shield Hero. Your Grace." Jericho gave another quick bow before excusing himself.
Dante regarded the old man coldly. "This changes nothing." He said.
"I know." Aultcray responded, his eyes drifting to the side slightly.
Dante turned his head to find Fohl glaring at Aultcray. She still walked with Atla as the pair observed the village, but Fohl was more focused on her uncle.
He looked back at the old man. "You realize this is as close as I'll allow you to get to them." He warned. "Any closer, and…"
Aultcray nodded. "I understand."
In truth, Dante didn't feel the same hatred to Aultcray as he did before. Obviously, his Curse of Wrath increased it, while his Curse of Pride seemed to reduce it. As the curses were receding, Dante did feel angrier, but with the numbness he felt…well, he could sort himself out properly later.
"Tsk." Dante clicked his tongue. "You aren't worth my time. Where is Erhard the blacksmith? I was told he was staying here."
Aultcray pointed toward the opposite side of the village. Dante could see a light plume of smoke above one of the buildings. Without another word, he set off.
He saw no reason to thank Aultcray for what he was doing. If things hadn't gone the way they did, Dante would be doing what the old king was right now. The only difference was two weeks of work, two weeks the villagers had to rebuild their homes. They could be thankful to Aultcray if they so wished.
In truth, Malty was more deserving of their praise. Based on what he overheard from the villagers speaking with his party, they did just that. If circumstances were different, he could have spent time here to help rebuild. Hell, Malty might have accepted governing the land for now, since her mother no doubt would like her to stay back. Without some of the boosts his party had, Dante wouldn't have disagreed. She was getting used to being around demi-humans, and she was actually skilled in politics and such.
When he reached the smithy, Dante found the old blacksmith outside hammering on an anvil. What he didn't expect to find was a certain lumo there.
"Tolly?" Dante looked at the mole therianthrope as he worked with Erhard.
"Shield Hero?" Tolly looked up at him through his sunglasses.
"Kid!" Erhard greeted Dante with a smile. "Looks like you were able to take care of things."
"I…yeah…" Dante really wasn't prepared to encounter Imiya's uncle here, or really ever again. He still had Dante's slave seal on him, but it wasn't as if it was always present in his status. There were too many to be visible now.
"As you can see, I decided to take up work here." Erhard waved his arm around. "I figure since my shop in the capital was plundered, I should move on to a new place."
"Sorry about all that." Dante lowered his head slightly. "You shouldn't have been involved in my problems."
"Water under the bridge." Erhard flapped his hand. "Besides, working in the village run by the soon-to-be prince should help business once we get things going."
I suppose that would be my title, wouldn't it?
"Well, if you aren't too busy, I was hoping to get some armor made." Dante told the man. "I got my curse taken care of, so armor is needed again."
"Sure." Erhard set his hammer down and walked over. "With the supplies the village has been getting, we're mostly maintaining a surplus of building materials. What happened to the armor I made you?"
"I sold it." Dante admitted. It was good equipment, Dante fully admitted that. However, it was around the time Korokan village was being rebuilt, and having a large influx of gold was important. As armor made for and worn by Lord Shield, it sold for a good amount.
"Kid…" Erhard crossed his arms.
"It was for a good cause, I promise!" Dante quickly eased him back. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that it made him look like an edgy teenager.
Erhard sighed, shaking his head. "Well, let's see what you got. Come on in and we'll see about the time and cost."
The blacksmith walked around and opened the door to the building. Before Dante went too, he turned back to the lumo.
"Listen, Tolly. I…" He didn't know where to begin.
"Don't." Tolly shook his head. "What happened before…I've made peace with it. The people responsible are dead. That's all that really matters now."
"Alright." Dante followed the lumo into the building.
That day saw a lot of loss for many people. Tolly lost his niece, Imiya. Fiadia lost Reichnott. The rest of the villagers lost some of their family as well. In the end, justice was served, and the baroness responsible couldn't execute any other demi-humans for her amusement.
At the very least, it looked like Tolly was able to move on, just like the other former inhabitants of that territory. Dante was satisfied with that.
~The Wrong Hero~
With the resources Dante had available from within his shield, Erhard and Tolly had a lot to work with. It would take them a few days to get it ready, but Dante was fine with that. Even if it wasn't ready in time for the Spirit Tortoise, it could be used and improved upon for when the Phoenix woke up. Dante still had the penguin kigurumi to wear. They were also able to craft a necklace with a miniature carriage attached for JoJo to copy, so he could move around indoors without issue.
There was still plenty to do. With the village reconstruction seemingly under control, the next task was to take care of Fitoria's body. They brought it along with them in the carriages. Dante didn't want to absorb her into his shield. He knew her body would probably reveal some good shields, and he knew she would want that, but he couldn't bring himself to do that. He'd already absorbed the bodies of enough children that he didn't want to do that to her.
Instead, he opted to dig a grave for her. Since this village was likely the place Malty had in mind for Fitoria's flock, it seemed as good a place as any. Perhaps her sanctuary would've been better, but Dante didn't know where it was. Someone from her flock could possibly show them the way, but they didn't have time.
Dante found where ranches were being constructed and chose a nearby hill. Once he dug the grave and buried her, all that was left was a grave marker. For that, Dante used one of the bioplant seeds he modified with Rat. It wouldn't grow as quickly as the others, in an attempt to spare the land from being sucked dry of its nutrients, but it should grow big and strong. Her flock would also be able to eat the fruits it produced. He hoped she would be happy with that.
Next was a bit of training with life force. Elrasla and her son came along to teach Atla and Rishia some more, along with anyone else with an interest. It wasn't up in the mountains like Elrasla said would be best, but the Spirit Tortoise didn't give much time to make the trip. Though they didn't have whatever medicine Naofumi found to help stimulate life force, they did have the Aura spell. The heroes present got more practice utilizing the Energy method from the Shield, while non-heroes worked on feeling their life force.
Army preparations were long underway as they had already departed toward the Spirit Tortoise's last known direction. Reports were transmitted through the guild about its whereabouts and path of destruction. Based on their travel speed and the speed of the Guardian Beast, it would take a little over a week to meet, gaining additional troops from neighboring countries all the while.
The next day, a messenger from the capital arrived. Itsuki had returned, having reached an area close to the Spirit Tortoise's projected path for the day. JoJo had arrived in the village on the ship that morning, so everyone was there. The party, plus Elrasla and Aultcray but minus Ruft and Shildina, gathered up and teleported to the capital with a pair of portal skills.
They met up with the queen and the other heroes in the throne room, each party grouped together.
Mirellia drew everyone's attention. "Now that everyone's here, let's begin. Hero Kawasumi, what have you observed."
Itsuki nodded to the queen. "We encountered a few of the familiars on the way, including this morning. They were bat-type familiars and not in great numbers, easily killed. From where I set my portal marker, the Spirit Tortoise should arrive in a little over an hour from now."
"We're prepared for the first attack against the Spirit Tortoise." Mirellia said. "The heroes, their parties, and a squad of elite knights, mages, and shadows will go using the heroes' portal skills. Together, you will test the strength of the Spirit Tortoise and its healing abilities. If you are able to kill it outright, then the preparations we've made will be thankfully wasted. If you are only able to stop its advance for a while, it'll give the armies time to arrive and aid in its sealing, if needed, or advance on it yourselves if you deem it appropriate.
"If, however, you are unable to stop the Spirit Tortoise for any significant amount of time, you are to immediately retreat. We can then meet up with the armies and plan another assault." Mirellia swept her gaze across the group of assembled heroes and their parties. "Are there any questions?"
This was the general plan laid out on the ship near Cal Mira, and Dante's own hope. Truthfully, it really depended on what powers Kyo gave the Spirt Tortoise from the light novel and what abilities it had on its own.
Motoyasu raised his hand. "If we aren't strong enough to defeat it, would we even be able to run away? From all the places it's already destroyed, doesn't it move faster than we can run?"
A reasonable concern, in Dante's opinion. Close to its body, their portal skills likely wouldn't work. It wasn't as if they could bring along carriages for Fleonne and Lilith to pull, and JoJo hasn't unlocked one with a larger space inside like Fitoria had.
"Our mages and shadows have spells to increase your speed, as well as Hero MacRory's spell." Mirellia addressed his concern. "Based on Hero Kawasumi's report, you should have no trouble against any familiars that attempt to chase you."
Motoyasu gave a nod, his worry taken care of.
"Any others?" Mirellia asked.
This whole thing might turn out to be nothing to worry about. With all the crap that's been happening recently, a bit of positivity was warranted. Sure, it was a bit naive, but Dante welcomed the opportunity to be pleasantly surprised.
"I have one." Itsuki raised his hand next. "Is all this really necessary."
Dante sighed at the question. "Look, this could all be a waste of time, but we don't know that. It's better to be cautious, especially with all the destruction already caused."
It really was possible. Glass's equivalent first Guardian Beast, the Black Tortoise, didn't require a sealing ritual. They were able to defeat it, but they also had weapons made from their Demon Dragon at the time. Plus, whoever controlled the Spirit Tortoise might have changed something. Dante couldn't remember one way or the other if it was supposed to be the same between the two worlds. For all he knew, it could be much closer to like how it was in one of their games, or something else entirely.
Itsuki scoffed. "I don't know how you can still say that even after you met God."
"Oh, not this crap again!" Dante rubbed his face. If he wasn't a cheater, he somehow met one of the 'game mods' to grant him special powers. Though, recent events did make him question the validity of such a thing, at least in concept.
"Hero Kawasumi, this isn't the time for bickering." The queen scolded.
"You think you're so special just because you knew a few things we didn't." Itsuki ignored Mirellia and kept arguing.
"You guys knew other things too, remember?" If it wouldn't be counterproductive, Dante would start smacking Itsuki around. Not that it would do anything with his abysmal attack stat.
"But not like you!" Itsuki shot back. "You had information we had no way of gaining, all because you found a way to speak with a moderator."
"Hero Kawasumi, what are you talking about?" Mirellia asked, thoroughly confused.
Again, it was half true, since he spoke with someone who was behind the Waves.
"What're you even complaining about, Itsuki?" Ren casually asked. "We're all about to fight the Spirit Tortoise and get weapons out of it. Afterward, just figure out a way to learn more than him if you want. We should have plenty of time."
A rather dark thought, given how the Guardian Beasts worked. Dante only excused the comment because Ren still thought of this world as a game, too. Even then, it was still a problem.
"Easy for you to say, Ren!" Itsuki turned his focus to the Sword Hero. "MacRory hasn't been killing your party members!"
"Didn't you attack him first?" Motoyasu joined in. "And didn't that Mald guy kill one of them?"
"Don't talk about my brother like that!" Armor's sister yelled.
"You're on MacRory's side too!?" Itsuki spat.
Dante had enough. "Look, let's just go fight the Spirit Tortoise and see—"
"You aren't the boss of me, MacRory!" Itsuki shouted at the top of his lungs.
All eyes were on the Bow Hero at this point.
After he took a calming breath, Itsuki stared right at Dante. A smile grew on his face. "But, I guess I can't be too mad. After all, recently, I met God, too."
Dante flinched at his words.
Itsuki's smile only grew. "He said my party and I are more than enough to take down the Spirit Tortoise. I'll show you that I'm more of a hero than you'll ever be. Justice is on my side."
Dante could read the writing in the room. He didn't waste a second.
"Titanic Charge V!"
"Portal Bow!"
Dante rushed through the air, his fingers narrowing missing Itsuki as he and his party disappeared. Slamming into the wall, Dante came to a stop.
"Oh, that little FUCK!" Dante screamed. "IF THE SPIRIT TORTOISE DOESN'T KILL YOU, I'LL…"
He didn't have a real threat to make. The four Holy Heroes were needed. Instead, Dante did the only thing he could do to relieve his stress. His fist slammed into the wall, embedding his hand deep into the carved stone.
I'm going to strangle that little shit!
Author's Notes:
…Well, now, really, what did you expect was going to happen? When Itsuki volunteered to go, it should have been obvious. All he needed was a push from his conscience, Jinimy Creckit.
Also, I don't actually know if Glass and them used a sealing ritual on their Guardian Beast. I remember reading a theory that sealing was done if the people/heroes weren't strong enough to kill it, so I'm going with that.
Lurolona is being restored, though not in a way Dante is happy with. Tolly is back. (Remember him? I do. I didn't forget. Not at all.) Erhard's back in the picture as well. Now that Itsuki's screwed up, there might be enough time to get that armor made.
So, how many people have heard the voice of 'God' now? Including Dante and Itsuki, that's what, seven? I'm not sure, I've lost track. He egged Dante on in using Liberation spells when he shouldn't and almost got him to kill Malty. Why wouldn't he be able to convince Itsuki the go after a Guardian Beast without the others?
I'm sure there'll be no consequences to this whatsoever.