Sword for a Hero
By: Bubbajack
Editors/Co-Authors: Icysnowsage, First Hassan
Special Consultant: Heliosion
Special thanks go out to my Super Donors: Apostle_of_Darkness, Ben wanless, CrazymanDK, Jareth Norris, kenni nielsen, Scott Marchant, and Selmephren
Obligatory First Chapter Disclaimer: We don't own Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest, Goblin Slayer, My Hero Academia, Redo of Healer, or Rising of the Shield Hero.
Ch.1: Summoning.
Izuku Midoriya was physically exhausted but also extremely satisfied with himself. He had trained for ten months forging a body capable of containing the power of the Quirk One For All, and he had done it… on the day before the Entrance Exams for his dream school Yuuei High. 'I've been training so long, I can't remember the last time I visited the library,' The green-haired boy thought to himself as he entered the almost sacred confines of this sanctuary of knowledge, the scent of paper calling to him. He considered doing some last minute cramming for the exam but decided against it. If he wasn't ready for it after everything he put himself through now. Then Bakugo was right and he really didn't belong there. So instead, he found himself wandering over to the fiction section. He was as much an avid fan of comic book heroes as he was actual ones and decided to relax a bit by reading about Spider-Man. The manga by Kōsei Ono and Kazumasa Hirai and illustrations by Ryoichi Ikegami, had really taken off over here in Japan. As he was looking for the latest tankobon, he saw something out of place.
A book with a golden cover poking out from all the other comic books. Reading the cover it said "Parable of the Sword Hero." Curious Izuku picked it up and began to read, muttering to himself all the while.
"So it's a tale about four heroes being taken advantage of by an evil manipulative princess? That's different," He muttered at superspeed. "Usually these tales have Heroes saving princesses, not them being conniving like this. Huh! What's going on?!" He said as the book started to glow with golden light…
~Sword for a Hero~
"Hey kid, you awake?" A booming voice asked as Izuku seemed to float in a black void.
"Um, yes? Where am I?" He asked after a moment. "And who are you?"
The voice replied, "Where you are isn't really important, but you may call me ROB," The voice said before it continued, "You, Midoriya Izuku, have been chosen."
"Chosen to do what?" The boy asked.
"To be a Hero, and wield the Legendary Sword," ROB said with authority.
"Umm, why me? Surely somebody else could better fit the criteria? I don't even know how to use a sword!" He mumbled worriedly
"You are the Legendary Sword's primary candidate," The voice told him. "You have the heart, morales, and drive of a true hero. While the task can be passed on to the backup candidate… he is… shall we say lacking in several key areas? His desire to be a lone wolf would no doubt get him in all kinds of trouble," ROB told him.
"What exactly do you need me for?" Izuku asked. Though he wanted to be a hero, he wasn't stupid. Far from it, in fact.
"To save a world from destruction brought about by the evil waves. Monsters that come and attack the people," ROB replied. "Yourself and three other Heroes have been chosen to combat this threat,"
"Just the four of us against an army of monsters, how is that fair?" Izuku questioned.
ROB hummed, "Okay, yeah. I see your point, I'll give you some special privileges since you brought it up. No one else was smart enough to point this out so good on you for using your head, kid."
"Thank you LOB-san," The boy replied.
"It's ROB, kid."
"Isn't that what I said?" The boy replied curiously.
"No you said- you know what, nevermind. Assuming you choose to accept, I'll give you some special privileges. Sounds good?" ROB offered to entice him.
Izuku took a breath and let it out. He knew he couldn't knowingly leave people in danger. His conscience wouldn't allow it. So he gave the only answer he could give, "Okay fine I'll do it,"
"Awesome! Thanks kid… This'll get those damn kids of mine off their damn gamestations… heheh!"
"Wait ROB, are you doing this because your kids are ignoring you?" Izuku asked, a touch indignant.
"Hey, they are ignoring me and its Father's Day, and my Birthday, that hurts man…" ROB replied.
"Oh, I'm so sorry…" Izuku replied sympathetically. He couldn't even remember the last time he saw his father so for children to willfully ignore their own. Oof, that must've hurt.
ROB waved him off, "You just go and be Hero you've always wanted to be kid, it'll really mess my kids days up. Then maybe they'll spend time with their old man."
"Right!"
"Good luck kid, hope the boons help!" ROB said before he sent him off in a flash of light.
~Sword for a Hero~
Izuku found himself in a throne room, standing in an elaborate magic circle with three older boys. One had messy black hair and dark brown eyes with a small silver shield attached to his arm, a green gem in the center. Another was a tall blonde holding a golden spear that was almost as long as he was tall. And the third had a bow in hand. He looked down and in his right hand was a sword. It had golden furnishings, a blue gem set into the hilt, a reversed V for a hilt and the polished metal blade had gold set through its core.
"Greetings Heroes!" An elderly yet powerful voice greeted them. A man dressed in opulent western garb with rings and finery bedecking every bit of his frame. His beard was long and gray yet well kept, and despite his age, his eyes were no less keen as he looked over them from the high place his throne was set. "I'm sure you're confused right now, but may I be the first to bid you welcome to the Kingdom of Melomarc. I am King Aultcray Melromarc XXXIInd and we have summoned you heroes to defend our lands."
The tall blonde holding the spear protested, "What? How do we get home?!"
"I'm afraid there is no way to send you home until the threat of the waves has been dealt with," The King replied solemnly.
'Wait what?!' Izuku thought to himself. 'Why didn't I ask ROB about this?'
The older boy with the Shield spoke up, "What's the idea of summoning us without having a way of sending us back? We might not even want to help you, you know?" Seeing Izuku out of the corner of his eye, he pointed at him and said, "Look, you even got a teenager involved in all this!"
"Ohh, my you are quite young aren't you?" The Bow Hero commented, "Are you a highschool student?"
"I g-got pulled here the day b-before I was going to t-take my high school entrance e-exam actually," Izuku replied, cursing his stutter all the while.
The Shield Hero rubbed his head, "Sheesh that means your what, Fourteen, Fifteen?"
"Fifteen, y-yes!" Izuku replied, "Midoriya Izuku, nice to meet you!" He said bowing.
"Naofumi Iwatani," The Shield Hero introduced himself with a warm smile.
"I'm Motoyasu Kitamura," The Spear Hero said, giving him a friendly wave.
The Bow Hero finished, "And I'm Itsuki Kawasumi, nice to meet you Midoriya-kun,"
"Heroes," King Aultcray said, "Could you please confirm your status as the Legendary Heroes?"
Clearing his throat, Izuku asked, "How do we go about doing that, your Highness?"
"Ah, yes," The King said, "I had forgotten," He replied, "The Legendary Weapons should show you a special window only you can see. It should confirm your status as Heroes."
'Is… is he talking about a Stat screen?' Izuku thought. Yet even as he thought Stats something popped up in front of him.
Name: Izuku Midoriya Sword Hero Lv. 1
Attack: 100
Defense: 100
HP: 100
MP: 100
Agility: 100
Luck: 100
Status Conditions:
Possessions:
Skills:
Magic:
Curious, he clicked the Skills tab and read the following:
Skills:
Cultivator: You can absorb ambient energy from the world around you, and convert that energy into usable energy to pull off inhuman feats. But doing so requires a strong body, mind, and soul. This skill is a marathon, not a sprint. Try to keep that in mind.
Empty Vessel: Your body is an empty receptacle waiting to be filled with energy. Tantric or otherwise wink wink! Any spell or ability storing energy or using your body as a focus increases by half of base.
Gacha Hero: You have been granted the ability to summon heroes of worlds fallen to the Waves by ROB. To use this ability, you must have Hero Points. Earn Hero Points by completing heroic acts. You must have ten hero points to roll the Gacha. The first roll is free however.
One for All: Your body is slowly growing stronger from the accumulation of time. Bonus to ATK, DEF, and AGI. Sacrifice health to increase damage output. Increasing One for All's mastery will increase damage output while decreasing health sacrificed.
He blinked as he read his stat sheet. 'Well that's a thing then,' he thought. Thankfully he played Hero-based RPG's in his youth so he knew what most of this did. 'So it's official, I'm the Sword Hero I guess,' He thought to himself.
King Aultcray then spoke again, "Now future Heroes, please meet your companions who shall aid you on this venture! Let them in!" The King called.
The doors at the back of the room opened and various people entered. Men and women wore everything from armor to robes, and carried weapons consisting of swords, axes, bows, and even magical staves.
The crowd split themselves between the heroes and in the end, several women had surrounded Izuku all of them cooing over how cute he was. 'Cute?! I-I'm cute?! S-Since when?!' He wondered.
He glanced at the women around him. The first was a rather muscular looking blonde woman, a barbarian if he had to guess, her body covered in red tattoos and she had a giant axe balanced on her shoulder. She was wearing a chainmail bikini that was borderline indecent. The second was an auburn-haired spellcaster in a black and white lace dress, a pointed witches hat on her head, and a crooked staff in one hand. And the last was a short woman in olive drab clothes and cloak, a bow over one shoulder and quiver on her back, and brace of knives hooked to her mottled brown leather vest.
"I um… Hello?" He greeted. Awkwardly.
"Cute little Sword Hero, do you need a Witch to accompany you?" The auburn-haired beauty said seductively.
"Mira, stop teasing the poor boy, I don't think his heart can take it," The Archer chided even as she giggled a little.
"Yeah, the boy looks like he could faint any moment now, poor thing." the barbarian noted. "Don't faint okay?"
"R-Right…" Izuku said, nodding. "W-What are your names ladies?"
The witch smiled, "I'm Mira Ostwitch, and this is Kara Grunhild and Diana Loveberry." She said introducing her companions.
Nice to meet you… this may sound like a dumb question, but… do any of you know how to use a sword?" Izuku asked.
The trio blinked and shook their collective heads. "Why you're the Sword Hero…" Diana noted, her hood twitching a bit on either side.
"The Sword Hero was chosen, but doesn't know the first thing about how to wield a sword," Izuku admitted, his head hung low in shame.
"Eh! Really! No way!" The three said, astonished.
"Yes, it's true, so I need a teacher," Izuku said resolutely. He was not above asking for help. He was about to make a request of the king when he realized that Naofumi had no party by his side. 'Well that doesn't seem fair,' He thought. Stepping out from behind his own party members, he spoke to the room at large, even though he was nervous. "Is there no one who will join the Shield Hero as you have joined the rest of us?"
Mutters went up like wildfire, "The Shield, it's weak right? Wicked, so says the Church. Moreover, what good is a shield in combat?" Izuku closed his eyes and listened to all of this. Then he opened them and spoke, "You say the Shield is wicked by the virtue of your Church? So now I have many questions for you King Aultcray Melromarc."
"Watch your tone Sword Hero… I shall forgive your youthful impetuousness, but go ahead and ask your questions." He said warningly.
"Firstly, what's this about a Church demonizing the Shield Hero?" Izuku questioned.
The King sighed, "It was a… religion founded within Melromarc after we went to war with the Demi-human kingdom of Siltvelt. For the kidnapping and death of my sister,"
"I'm sorry for your loss, your highness, but what does that have to do with…" The proverbial lightbulb went off over Izuku's head. "The Shield Hero is held in high regard in Siltvelt isn't he?"
"Yes," The King grunted out.
"Are the other Heroes held in equally high regard in other countries as well? Should we all have even been summoned to Melromarc at the same time? Is… is this even a Monarchy? I ask because I noticed Her Highness the Queen is not present." Izuku's brain was now working a mile a minute. If every hero had a country they were specific to, and the king summoned them all to Melomarc, they could very well have violated some kind of international treaty, and if, hypothetically this was a Matriarchy and the Queen was really the one in charge, that would explain why she wasn't present as she would be putting out the giant political fire he husband started by summoning them all in her kingdom in the first place. He waited to hear the King's response to see if his theory was correct or not.
"I ahh… You are very astute Sword Hero," King Aultcray said at last, slumping a bit on his throne, "I am impressed with your deductive skills and that is not a compliment I give out lightly," The King said, "You are correct in your reasoning. Each hero is in fact meant to be summoned in their own kingdom. Yet for reasons unknown to us, the Waves of Calamity seem to be focused here, in Melomarc so I took a calculated risk and summoned all the Legendary Heroes. Though it went against the old pact to do so."
"And your wife, the Queen, and real ruler of Melomarc is cleaning up the mess of that decision?" Izuku deduced.
"Do not be so belligerent Sword Hero-sama," A nobleman said, "King Aultcray is a Hero himself, Hero of the Staff, one of the eight Vassal Weapons of our world."
"Wizard?" Izuku asked.
"More or less," The king confirmed. The King found he could not hate the boy for his belligerent attitude. He was young, hotheaded, and confused at being summoned to a world not his own. 'I was like him once, so many years ago,' He thought to himself. 'Reckless foolhardy, invigorated by youth. Ahh those were the days.' He thought. "Do you have any more questions for me, Hero of the Sword?"
Izuku nodded, "If each kingdom was only supposed to summon one hero, then who should have been summoned to Melomarc?"
"The Hero of the Spear is traditionally Melomarc's hero," The King replied, "With the Shield Hero being Siltvelt's, the Bow belonging to Fabley, and Zeltoble summoning you, Sword Hero."
"I see, but now back to the main problem, who will join Naofumi-san?"
"Izuku-kun, you don't need to do this," Naofumi told him.
But Izuku held up his hand, "I see, no one? I guess a demonstration is in order," Turning to Naofumi he said, "Hold your Shield up and prepare yourself Naofumi-san,"
"Izuku-kun?" Naofumi said, raising his shield, "What're you doing?"
'Just like All Might told me, squeeze my buttcheeks together and shout SMASH! With all my heart!' Izuku thought as he activated his quirk. Bioelectricity arced from his body as he lept at the Shield Hero, the Legendary Sword lapping up the excess power as Izuku swung it down towards its Brother Shield.
BANG
The two Legendary Weapons collided and there was an explosion of force as an Unstoppable Force met an Immovable Object. When the dust finally cleared, Naofumi was fine… the wall behind him however was completely decimated, and now the castle had a gigantic hole in the throne room.
"Sword Hero… was that really necessary?" king Aultcray asked as he sighed.
"Well, as you all can see, Naofumi, no, the Shield Hero is unharmed by an attack that would destroy a solid stone wall," Izuku said as he turned to face the group, his sword arm a twisted blackened mass of flesh. "Surely if he can withstand this he could protect a line of archers or mages?"
"I for one, am impressed," A red-headed green-eyed girl said, leaving Motoyasu's side and, smiling, greeted the Shield Hero. "Hello my name is Myne Sofia, nice to meet you," she greeted.
'He broke his arm using his own power,' The king noted. 'Is he unused to it?' He wondered. "Mages, heal the Sword Hero." He ordered before he addressed said hero. "I'm not sure whether you are brave or foolhardy young Midoriya Izuku, but to bring forth such strength only to shatter your own arm… be careful with such power lest you become incapable of saving anyone."
"Yes your highness…" Izuku said, even as his limb was enveloped in white healing magic. "I have a favor to ask, if I may?"
"Oh?" The king said bemused, "And what might that be?"
"I may have been summoned as the Sword Hero, but I have no idea how to use a sword," Izuku admitted. The mutterings started again, this time aimed at him. He did his best to ignore them as he carried on, "Thus, I would like to formally request training under a swordsman to teach me the use of a blade."
While the mutters increased, a majority of which consisted of, "How could the Legendary Sword pick someone who doesn't know how to use it?" All were silenced when the King spoke.
"It takes a strong person to point out the faults in his leaders, but an even stronger man to point out the faults in himself and ask for help in correcting them. So yes, Izuku Midoriya, I do, in fact have someone who can teach you skills with the blade,"
"Thank you, Your Highness. Where can I find this person?"
"She is currently in the dungeons of this very castle. A knight by the name of Eclair Seatto." The king said.
The Sword Hero blinked, "What did she do to get thrown in the dungeons?"
"The Church of Three Heroes said she had been hypnotized by…" He trailed off.
"I'm sorry what was that, your Highness?" Izuku asked.
The King sighed, "I was informed by the Church that she had been Hypnotized by the Shield Hero."
"Oh… so the previous Shield Hero was evil huh? But since they are dead and you've just summoned Naofumi, who I'm going to assume is level one like me and has no such shield, she should be fine now right?" Izuku questioned, "I mean it's not like you thought she got hypnotized by Naofumi before he even arrived. Since that would be both impossible but also ridiculous."
"Hahah, yes of course… of course it would," The king said, giving an awkward laugh. "Guards go fetch her at once. If she asks why… tell her she shall be serving penance by joining the party of the Sword Hero!" He then continued, "Now if there is nothing else Sword Hero, I shall be giving you and your fellow Heroes a monthly stipend of five-hundred silver coins, use this to buy gear for your parties," He addressed the Shield Hero directly, "Shield Hero, I shall grant you a one time larger stipend. From here on, it is up to you to prove yourself to the populace."
"Yes your majesty." Naofumi replied.
"Now, go forth, and train hard for the upcoming Wave, Heroes! We are all counting on you!" The king decreed.
(...)
Izuku and his new party were waiting for their last party member to be brought up from the dungeons and while they waited, they made idle chit-chat.
"So um, I can guess what you're all good at or you can tell me. Which would you p-perfer?" He asked, cursing his stutter.
Mira smiled at him playfully, "Care to guess sweetie?"
"I… ah… um… Sorceress?" Izuku managed to get out.
Mira's full lips dropped open in surprise a bit. "How'd you guess?"
"Well, I highly doubted the King would let an actual witch in the castle so… yeah. Sorcererss was the most logical conclusion."
"Ohoh, do me next," Kara said, hopping up and down, making certain parts of her anatomy jiggle.
"Not till he does me first," Mira said with a salacious smirk on her lips.
"He already did you though Mir," the muscled blonde Kara pointed out.
The sorceress just laughed, "Not what I was talking about Kara dear,"
"Will you stop already Mir?" Diana said sighing, "Your going to make Izuku's heart stop if you keep this up,"
The Sorceress just laughed, "Oh come now, surely a muscular young man like him is no stranger to the ladies. I'm sure he's bedded plenty. He's probably just normally the one doing the flirting and not used to being flirted with, isn't that right cutie?"
"U-Um, actually no… I've n-never actually talked to a girl before today outside of my mother." Izuku admitted, refusing to look up and see their disappointed faces.
"Why?" Diana asked, "Did you live in the woods or something?"
"You would know Dia," Kara laughed.
"I… come from a world where almost everyone develops a superpower by the age of four… I didn't… so I wasn't treated well at all."
"That's just horrible!" Izuku was suddenly picked up and smothered in the bosom of a very affectionate barbarian. "You were just an innocent little boy! It wasn't your fault!"
"Fank yoo bery much!" He said as he tried pushing off of her.
Mira smacked Kara's thigh with her staff, "Kar, put him down before you suffocate him to death,"
The voluptuous barbarian almost dropped him in her haste to put him down, "Oops, sorry Izuku!"
"It's alright," He replied after getting his first fresh air lung.
Diana shook her head, "No, it isn't to treat a child that way is wrong. It's sickening. It just proves you don't need to be a Demi-human to be hated by others."
"Yeah I've never seen a Demi-human but where I come from super powers or Quirks as we call them can make you look like anything, give you horns, look like a rabbit, turn into a dragon, control fire, or create explosions. There's no limit to what they can do in terms of variation really. So if Demi-humans really are just people with animal traits then I have no reason to hate them."
"Really?!" Diana asked, perking up, the sides of her hood wiggling enthusiastically. "You mean it?!"
The green-haired boy nodded empathetically, "Yeah it's stupid to discriminate against someone based on how they look," He then continued, "It still might happen, of course, but where I come from it's more due to what kind of quirk you have, or the complete lack thereof."
"You must've had a difficult life thus far, Sword Hero," A new voice noted.
It belonged to a tall blue-eyed strawberry blonde, her pinkish locks fell behind her in a cascade, and one loose lock half covered her left eye. Though she had just come from the dungeon, she wore regal clothing befitting of a noble. A black and gold surecoat covered her torso with dark breeches and tough leather boots sitting diagonally on her waist was a white belt on which a sword sat on her left hip.
Izuku bowed respectfully, "You must be the knight,"
"There is no need to bow to me, Sword Hero," She then bowed to him. "No, in fact it is I who should bow to you. You freed me from the castle dungeon, I am in your debt." She took a knee and drew her sword, and presented it to him, "By my name as Eclair Seaetto, by my oath, my sword is yours Sword Hero. I shall be your sworn knight, if you will have me."
It took him a moment to process this. A bona fide knight was swearing herself to him, a beautiful female knight no less. 'I guess I should say yes, right?' He said to himself. "I accept, now please get up. It feels wrong for such a great knight like you to be on the floor like that in front of me," He said nervously.
"Milord is too kind," Eclair said, taking to her feet with a smile. "Now, besides procuring supplies, what is our first order of business, Sword Hero?"
"Call me Izuku please Seatto-san, and the first order of business once we get some supplies is… you're going to show me how to use this thing," He said, holding the Legendary Sword aloft.
"Why a last name basis Izuku? Is that a thing where you're from?" Kara asked as she balanced her axe on her shoulders with her forearms resting on the shaft as the group exited the castle.
"Yes, to use someone's first name shows you are particularly close with them, they are either family… or your girlfriend."
"Ohohoh?! So we just have to seduce you to get you to call us by our given names eh?" Mira said playfully. "Sounds like fun,"
"Enough!" Eclair said, "We have more pressing concerns. Milord, what did you mean by showing you how to use the Legendary Sword?"
The green-haired hero quickly explained, "I have no formal training in sword usage. I need proper training, that's the main reason I asked for you Seaetto-san, I needed a proper teacher. That and having another party member couldn't hurt,"
"Surely you jest, the Legendary Sword wouldn't pick someone who had never even handled a blade… would it?" The knight asked dubiously.
Izuku shrugged and replied, "I was chosen for my character not for my skills with the weapon in question,"
Eclair blinked, "I see, that makes a sort of sense, a hero who is not heroic is no hero at all of course. Skills can be learned, but if the character is lacking it takes a lot to fix that. We'll get started right after we get all needed supplies."
"Sounds good… I hope you four don't mind helping, because I have absolutely no idea what we may need."
The four looked at each other and nodded, "Leave it to us Izuku… can we just call you by your first name please?" Diana asked, "Calling you by your last name feels too impersonal. Anyway, we'll get you kitted out in no time. All of us have pretty decent gear already,"
"You can call me Izuku if you want I suppose," 'I can't really expect them to follow Japanese customs being from a completely different world now can I?' He thought to himself. "Okay Eclair-san, Kara-san, Mira-san, and Diana-san, show me what I need to do."
They smiled at him, "Leave it to us Izuku!" Kara grabbed his arm and pulled him along, balancing her axe on the opposite shoulder. "C'mon Izuku let's get you some good gear before the other Heroes buy it all up!"
"Kara-san, wait, slow down!" He said, running as fast he could to keep up with her long strides.
'I seem to have found some interesting companions,' Eclair thought to herself. But the knight would keep to her oath. She would serve her new lord to the best of her ability. If what he required was a teacher, then that is what he would get from her. She decided as she rushed after her new party members.
~Sword for a Hero~
The market of Castletown was busy. People were hawking their wares, and more than one had to be shooed off by his party members when they saw Izuku was wielding the Legendary Sword. The first place they took him was the blacksmiths. The moment they entered they spotted Naofumi with Myne. "Yo Naofumi-san guess we had the same idea huh?"
"Izuku, hey. Guess so…" He walked over and shook him by the shoulders a bit as he said, "What's the big idea back in the throne room breaking your arm like that?! Are you crazy or something huh!"
"I was just… trying to… help Naofumi-san!" Izuku said through the shakes. Just as soon as it started it stopped and Izuku found himself scooped up by Kara once again his head resting in her bountiful cleavage. She fixed the Shield hero with a very aggressive pout as she said.
"Stop picking on Izuku, Shield Hero! You're just jealous he's cuter than you! But that's not his fault!"
'No, that's not the problem here,' Naofumi thought before he seethed for a second, 'And don't decide unilaterally that he's cuter than me!' His anger evaporated under her sullen glare though. "Right, sorry sorry, I'm just worried about him hurting himself, honest."
"That strength you displayed earlier was quite something Sword Hero," Myne complimented. "Is it some sort of innate power you were born with?"
Izuku rubbed the back of his head, deciding to stick with the cover story he and All Might had come up with, "Yes, actually." He explained the ability of Quirks in his world and how he was a 'late bloomer' "And because of that, I have poor control of this ability of mine."
"Wow super strength huh, nice," Naofumi said. "That'll probably help a bunch in the Waves."
Izuku laughed awkwardly, "Yes, perhaps, if I can master it to the point of not breaking a limb everytime I use it,"
"Perhaps you are using it incorrectly?" Mira proposed. "There is support magic which also enhances statics, but more powerful spells enhance all stats. Instead of just sending it to one limb, perhaps you should try spreading it out evenly across your entire body. Like what the spell All UP."
Izuku nodded, "I can try that, then you Mira-san," Izuku replied before turning to the shop owner, a bald man with a scar on his head and a trimmed goatee wearing a leather apron over a simple tunic and breeches. "Sorry for ignoring you sir," He looked around at the walls filled with various medieval weapons on metal hooks set into the stone of the walls.
"No problem kid, names Erhard by the way. So you're the one who caused that explosion earlier, and with a punch I hear?" He said, sounding more amused than anything. "So what can I do for you?"
"Um, I can wait, please finish seeing to Naofumi-san first. I just need armor of some sort," He replied humbly.
"You're a good kid," Erhard replied, "Well mannered and such." He turned back to the Shield Hero. "So what'll it be Shield Hero?"
Naofumi picked up a sword, "I should be able to fight with this alongside my shield right?" Suddenly Naofumi's hand was electrified and he dropped the sword.
"What happened?" Izuku asked.
Reading the popup, Naofumi cursed, "What the heck! We can only use the same types of weapons as our Legendary weapons… and I have a damn Shield! How can I attack anything if all I can use is this?!" He cursed and waved the arm the shield was stuck to.
"You clearly aren't meant to fight though," izuku pointed out, "You're meant to be a tank in the literal sense."
"Tank?" The girls in his party questioned.
"A term meaning someone who draws the enemies attention and keeps it so other party members can attack freely." Izuku replied as he kept his gaze fixed on Naofumi. "You're a tank. Embrace the roll Naofumi-san." The green-haired boy sighed, "I probably can't use a shield then can I?" He tried to pick one up only for a repulsive force to prevent him from touching it in the first place. It was as if his hand and the magnet were both the same ends of a magnet trying to force themselves together.
[Violation of Legendary Sword Contract] a window said, popping up in front of his face.
"Okay, I got it partner, no shields for me." He said to the legendary sword that was hanging from a leather sword frog at his hip. He then reached for the sword Naofumi dropped. "I can wield other swords though, right?" He picked up the simple steel sword and held up the Legendary sword in the opposite hand, comparing the two… Then the Legendary Swords gem glowed briefly before it ate the sword in his opposite hand.
Izuku blinked. "Did…did the Legendary Sword just eat that sword?! No! Bad Sword! You spit that out right now!" He said, holding the Sword in both hands and shaking it. Seeing that was doing nothing, Izuku turned to Erhard and said meekly, "I can pay for that?"
"I'll add it to your tab," Erhard said, "Swords eating swords," He said shaking his head, "Now I've seen it all,"
~Sword for a Hero~
Both Izuku and Naofumi left Erhard's wearing chainmail armor. Though Naofumi was a bit dejected. "I could only buy armor and accessories."
"Hey at least your weapon didn't eat another one!" Izuku told him, as he frowned at his own weapon. "I can't believe you did that, bad sword," He chastised it.
Naofumi laughed. "I think it's funny you're treating it like a pet. It's just a sword you know?"
"Is it weird though?" Izuku inquired. "I mean it was implied our weapons chose us and they can supposedly level up with us meaning they are on some level at least sentient right?" The younger boy countered. "Heck they even eat things they shouldn't."
"Don't be so hard on Sword-san Izuku, I'm sure he was just hungry… maybe?" Kara said.
Izuku sighed, "Maybe your right Kara," He talked to the sword, "Your lucky Kara-san is on your side Sword-san,"
Naofumi hummed in thought, 'Could he be right? Are the Legendary Weapons alive somehow?' He glanced at his Shield, 'If so, what're you thinking right now?'
[Don't be trustin' that red-headed hoe homie.]
Naofumi blinked. "What?"
"Did you say something Naofumi-san?" Myne asked, pleasantly.
He shook his head, "No nothing,"
["Fool! Listen to me! That thot is for the streets, not the sheets! You can't turn no hoe into no housewife you feel me G?"] The voice said again. ["The second you turn your back on that bitch, she gonna stick a knife in you, just watch."]
'Who are you?' Naofumi wondered.
["Homes are you fer real right now? You just 'axed' what I was thinkin'! I been on your arm all day, watching you make a fool of your damn self. Straight up embarassin' man. The sheer 'disrespect' people be showin' me! And you just let em do it!"]
'Are… are you the Spirit of the Shield?' Naofumi asked, perturbed.
["Ding, Ding, Ding! Winner Winner chicken dinner! Speaking of chicken, it's my fave along with red wine, just sayin' keep that in mind yeah? 'Preciate it."]
"Naofumi-san?" Izuku said, getting his attention, "Is everything okay? You seem distracted."
Naofumi shook his head like a wet dog. "Yeah I'm fine, its nothing,"
["Man c'mon now I'm tellin' ya, you gotta kick that bitch while you still have a chance!"] The Shield Spirit said.
'I don't want to know what you're thinking anymore,' Naofumi thought.
["Oh you simp-ass bit-"] The Shield Spirit was cut off, and Naofumi was left in blessed silence.
"Anyway," Izuku said as they arrived at a large field outside of Castle Town. "This is where we part ways Naofumi-san, since we won't gain any experience if we try and level up too close to each other, my group and I will be heading over that way," He said, pointing west.
"Right," Naofumi agreed. "Meet up at the pub later?"
"Sure," Izuku agreed before the two Heroes went their separate ways for the day.
~Sword for a Hero~
Once Naofumi and his companion were both just dots on the horizon, Izuku turned to Eclair and, eager to get started, asked, "Okay I should think that would be far enough, what's first Eclair-sensei?"
The Knight blushed at being referred to as sensei, but coughed into her hand and said, "First I'm going to show you proper stance and footwork. Everything begins from that. Are you ready to start?"
"Yes," Izuku said with fierce determination burning in his eyes.
Eclair proceeded to show him the proper stance for a swordsman. Knees slightly bent sword held roughly at his navel eyes forward, center of gravity low. "This is the most common starting stance for beginners," She told him, "It lets you easily attack, guard, counter, and parry all with minimal effort."
"Is there a similar one-handed stance you could show him?" Mira asked after a moment, "I was considering teaching Izuku some magic once we learn his affinities but he can't aim any spells with both hand's full now can he?"
Eclair nodded, "Not a bad idea," She adjusted his form. Now he was holding the sword one-handed profile turned to the side, right leg in front of the left free hand off to the side. "This is a typical duelist stance, but it can easily be modified for spellsword combat. I want you to try moving around a bit keeping your right foot in front of your left, think like moving on a line."
"Right," The young Sword Hero replied. He knew of Kendo but he also knew this wasn't it. The closest he could equate it to would be the old Olympic sport of Fencing. As he moved back and forth, occasionally pivoting using his back foot, he asked the Sorceress, "What was that you were saying about magical affinities Mira-san?"
In response, the Witch raised her arms and a magic circle appeared beneath the young Hero who looked amazed at its sudden appearance, only for Mira to call out, "You can keep doing what you're doing Izuku sweetie, just don't leave the confines of the circle."
Following her advice Izuku kept up his form practice until the circle faded. He then looked over at Mira expectantly. She grinned at him, "Well, well, well. It seems our Sword Hero is an Attack and Support Type with an elemental affinity for Earth, Wind, and Fire."
"Is that good?" The clueless boy asked.
"A triple affinity for attack and support magic? Yes, that's very good. For example you could cast Gravity magic on your entire body to make simple training more difficult. It could also help you with that strength power of yours. Maybe help you get a feel for body wide power distribution." Mira commented offhandedly before she continued, "But that's just one application, with Earth magic you could create walls, ramps, chasms, chains, all manner of things. Fire can be used to keep warm and can be combined with earth magic for both lava magic and steel magic. While Air excels at projectile deflection, traversal, subterfuge, area manipulation, and for the most part, nonlethal damage."
"Wow, that's a lot," Izuku noted.
"And that's why I said having a triple affinity is very good." Mira said, sending a wink his way.
Izuku began to mumble to himself, "One of my skills is Cultivation, could it possibly have something to do with this elemental magic, but how does it work, what am I supposed to do to activate it?"
"Oh. My. Gosh! That is so cute!" The trio of adventurers yelled before they ran over and hugged their fluffy little Hero.
'The Sword Hero shouldn't be this endearing!' Eclair thought to herself, her cheeks as red as her hair at the moment.
"Please let me go, Mira-san, Kara-san, Diana-san… Eclair-sensei, help!" Izuku begged when they didn't comply and kept him buried in a cuddle pile.
The knight looked at the girls then at the desperate Sword Hero before shrugging out of her coat and laying down next to him in the pile.
"W-What are you d-doing Eclair-sensei?" Izuku asked, his face burning red.
"Unfortunately, I think I have little chance of beating the three of them together so I figured, since they aren't doing anything harmful, I might as well join them."
With a voice sounding like he'd inhaled helium, Izuku asked, "Um, how is this not harmful?"
"Sword Hero-sama… Izuku, what will happen if you are attacked by a pretty woman who is intent on taking your life?" Eclair asked him looking into his almost panicked green eyes.
"I'll… oh… is this really necessary?" He asked uncomfortably, though he seemed to have calmed down somewhat.
"YES!" All four women said at once, "A majority of hired assassins are women for this very reason," Eclair explained "So it's best to get you desensitized to this now rather than later."
"Fine… but I still would like to try leveling up at some point today…"
"I'm sure we can squeeze that in at some point," Mira said as she squeezed his arm between her massive mammaries.
'I hope Naofumi-san is having an easier time than me right now,' Izuku thought to himself as he was buried under a hill of female flesh.
~Sword for a Hero~
Naofumi was having a terrible time right now. He couldn't. Pop. A. Single. Stupid. Balloon. He kept hitting them but nothing was happening except them swarming and chewing on him like a hoard of dogs with a bone. The only good thing was that his defense stat was so absurdly high that he didn't feel anything. Myne had no such trouble though, one swing of her sword and the Balloons popped like… balloons.
"Hmm, I guess Izuku was right Myne, I really am just a brick wall for my enemies to break on," Naofumi said to himself as he rubbed the back of his head. He checked his level and noticed that he gained no exp when she destroyed the Balloons. "But if that's the case, shouldn't I also gain experience when you kill something if I can't do it myself? That didn't happen though so what's going on? Am I missing something?"
"I don't know," Myne replied just as confused as he was, "Not a lot is actually known about any of the Legendary Weapons or how they work. So maybe it requires some kind of special condition or something?"
Naofumi shrugged, "If it does, I have no idea what it might be. It's not like this thing came with an instruction manual." He said to himself as he lifted up the Shield and looked at it. "We'll have to figure this out or I'll lag behind the other Heroes,"
"I'm sure you can do it Naofumi!" Myne cheered him on. "You haven't failed to at least try, and that's… admirable."
"Thank you," He said bashfully. "Do you want to go and collect Izuku and call it a day? The sun will be setting soon, and we still need to find someplace to stay tonight."
"Alright," Myne agreed.
~Sword for a Hero~
"Myne," Naofumi said in a daze, "Are you seeing the same thing I'm seeing?"
"If you're seeing the Sword Hero's Party piled on top of him, then yes, we're seeing the same thing, Naofumi." The redhead agreed with disbelief in her tone.
The Shield Hero marched up to the human mound, his anger rising, 'I spent the whole afternoon failing to kill the weakest monster and here you are literally drowning in women!' Naofumi raged.
Seeing him, Izuku mouthed, 'Help me!'
'Die traitor!' Naofumi thought as he kicked at him, only to hit Kara in the stomach. The blow did fuck all in terms of damage but it did wake her up from her nap. Stretching the tanned buxom blonde yawned before she opened her cerulean eyes and said, "Good morning!"
"Morning, sleep well?" Naofumi asked in his fakest nice voice.
"Shield Hero looks upset. Do you need a nap too?" Kara asked.
"Just wake the others," He grumbled, "It's time to head home for the day!"
"Okay! Thanks for waking us up! Sword Hero Womanly Wiles training, complete!" She said, giving a victory sign.
"Phase one is complete," Mira replied, as she grinned wolfishly, "Phase two involves a bath and a lot less clothes."
"Umm it's not what it looks like?" Izuku said weakly.
"Don't talk to me," Naofumi said in reply.
Izuku mumbled sullenly. "I didn't even get to fight anything today."
Kara picked him up and put him on her shoulders, "Don't worry Izuku! That just means we need to work twice as hard tomorrow! Now food!" She said before she raced off at a speed great enough to leave a dust trail in her wake.
"Kara-san, slow down!" Izuku begged as he held onto her neck for dear life.
"You'll have to forgive Kara and Mira, they're both very playful in their own way," Diana explained to Eclair who just watched as the Amazon raced off with her new lord before she could even get her surcoat on.
She nodded as Diana spoke, "I've noticed, and what kind of person are you Diana Goodberry?"
There was a moment of introspective silence before the cloaked woman replied, "The hopeful kind. The kind that hopes for a better tomorrow for all people, peace, and a place where I can finally lay down my bow," She then tittered out a laugh, "But most days I'm the sensible one of the three of us, keeping kara from chasing anything that tickles her fancy, and Mira from delving too deeply into her books lest she starve, or turning men who've earned her ire into frogs."
"They seem like a handful," Eclair mused.
Diana sighed, "They can be, but they're good people underneath all that. Welcome to the group. I hope you'll help me keep them reigned in?"
"I do believe you were right there with them in the mass canoodling?" Eclair said.
"Pot, have you met kettle? I think you'd get along splendidly." Diana shot back, causing the knight to flush, "Besides, he's just too… too cute! Being all shy and awkward despite being a Legendary Hero, and I know you know exactly what I mean! Don't try to deny it Miss 'I can't take all three of them so I might as well join in',"
Eclair flushed, "I really wasn't sure if I could though,"
"Right, sure you weren't." Diana replied, "Anyway, we really do need to help him level up tomorrow."
"Agreed," Eclair said, "He seems to be a natural when it comes to the sword. He needed minimal instruction and once I showed him what to do he copied the movements perfectly. He even managed to pivot without instruction."
"You think he actually has a natural talent for swordsmanship?" Diana asked. 'Maybe the Legendary Sword chose him for more than just his character after all.' She thought.
"Possibly," Eclair agreed. "He just needed a push in that direction."
The two continued to chat as they made their way towards Castle Town, the sun sinking in the horizon behind them.
~Sword for a Hero~
Izuku's party, plus Naofumi and Myne had gathered around a table and were eating and drinking. At first, Izuku was a bit wary of drinking considering he was underage, but he was encouraged by Naofumi to loosen up a little and remember that this was a fantasy world and the beer was probably safer to drink than the water. That sold him and he took his first long quaff of the honey brown beverage pulling away with a foam mustache that made everyone else at the table laugh.
Kara was piling his plate high with roasted pheasant, and some type of stew that was filled with carrots, potatoes, and some type of meat he didn't recognize. Taking a piece of the unknown meat and chewing on it, he noted it was good but tasted gamey. "What is this? It's not unpleasant, just different."
"Rabbit, I think. Or deer. Either way they always have the best food in the capital," Mira commented.
Noticing Diana was eating some sort of mushroom dish along with bread he asked politely, "Are you a vegetarian Diana-san?"
"Something like that, yes," She replied, smiling from within the confines of her hood. "Don't worry about me though and please eat your fill Izuku. You must be hungry, yes?"
"Well, as long as you're sure I won't be offending you," The green-haired boy said as he proceeded to eat at her silent urging.
"Hey Izuku, there's something I've been meaning to ask," Naofumi began only for the younger boy to interrupt him by saying nervously.
"I honestly had no clue they w-were g-going to do t-that and I-I'm sorry you and Myne-san walked in on that," izuku apologized.
Naofumi scowled and waved him off, "No not that! Though thanks for reminding me… No, what I wanted to know is if you dye your hair or not,"
The Sword Hero blinked, "Um no why?"
"Well its grass green for one thing, that isn't exactly a common color," Naofumi pointed out.
"It's not grass green Shield Hero-san," Kara defended, "It's… parsley colored. Definitely parsley colored." She said as she leaned in to get a closer look, all but smothering the Hero of the Sword with her bosom.
"Kara dear, so far the most dangerous thing our darling Sword Hero has encountered is your chest. Lean back and let him breathe would you?" Mira asked with a playful smirk playing at her lips before she took a sip from her goblet full of wine.
"Oops, sorry Izuku!" The blonde said, leaning back and giving an embarrassed laugh as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
"It's fine," The Sword Hero muttered, 'I'm getting used to holding my breath whenever she gets too close to me,' he thought, 'Just in case' He saw Naofumi looking at him incredulously and just shrugged as if to say 'What can you do?'
"Seriously Izuku, what kind of luck do you have?" Naofumi asked.
"The worst kind, obviously," The young boy replied.
'Kid literally has women throwing their tits in his face, and he calls it having the worst luck,' Naofumi thought to himself as he continued eating his meal. He listened as Mira, Kara, and Diana regaled them with tales of their adventures with Eclair throwing in one or two of her own during her training as a knight. As the night wore on, Naofumi found himself yawning and finally decided it was time to turn in. "I'll see you all in the morning," He said, bidding them goodnight with a languid wave, Myne following not too far behind him.
Once the two got to their accommodations Naofumi did the gentlemanly thing and pushed his bed as far as he could from Myne's. He didn't want her thinking he had any ulterior motives after all. "Do you want me to wait in the hallway while you change?" He offered.
"If you could just keep your back turned for a moment, that would be fine," She replied as the sound of armor and cloth being removed was heard. Minutes later she said, "I'm decent," Naofumi turned around to find Myne wearing a simple shift. "I'm going to get changed myself, no peeking!" He joked.
"Oh, you're no fun!" She teased.
As he got ready for bed Naofumi said, "I'm really happy to have met you Myne. You're a great person, and I really appreciate you leaving Motoyasu's party to help me out."
"I… It's no problem. Really," she said.
"Everything okay?" He asked, hearing her sounding conflicted.
"No, no it's nothing!" She told him hurriedly. "Nothing at all…"
Pulling his own tunic over his head, Naofumi turned around to see her looking uncomfortable.
Frowning, Naofumi asked again, "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm an older sister you know?" She said sitting down on her bed.
"Wow really? Lucky, I grew up with a younger brother myself and my parents were never around. So I practically raised my little brother, and when I wasn't doing that, I buried myself in books. A lot of them were themed like this very world… never thought I'd actually be taking part in one," He said, "What was it like to have siblings yourself?"
"It's… nice enough." Myne admitted. "I have a younger brother and sister… Well, I had a younger brother,"
"Oh, what happened? If you don't mind my asking," Naofumi quickly added.
"No it's fine," She said, "Markos was all of ten, it was a rough winter so we didn't have much to eat. He must've eaten some bad mushrooms or spoiled meat because he got sick and never did get better. I still miss him everyday."
"And what about your sister?" Naofumi asked.
"She's currently traveling with my mother. Papa, he never was quite the same after Markos death, so I stayed home and kept an eye on him."
Naofumi hissed through his teeth, "Are you sure you can stay in my party if you need to look after your dad? I understand if you can't."
"It's fine," she said, touched by his concern, "We have plenty of people willing to keep an eye on him now." She sighed, "Before he hardly would let my sister and I leave the house, paranoid something bad might happen. My mother sent me to the next town over to learn the adventuring trade… it was done out of goodwill but she had no idea what she was really sending me into."
"Myne, did something happen?" Naofumi asked, concern growing in his gut.
She let out a yawn. "Goodness all the wine from earlier must be getting to me all of the sudden, I think it's best we turn in. We've got a busy day tomorrow too. Goodnight Naofumi!" She said before she blew out the candle in their room.
"Goodnight, Myne," He spoke in the dark, still concerned for his partner.
If Naofumi could see in the dark, he would have seen Myne's conflicted and sad expression.
~Sword for a Hero~
Naofumi was awakened from his slumber on the floor by a banging on the Inn's door. He turned to his companion to find Myne missing. He looked around the room and saw that his armor and money was still there but Myne seemed to be gone. Her things were taken as well.
The hammering on the door got even louder, "Open up the door now Shield Devil! You are being charged with rape and assault against the royal princess of Melromarc!"
If Naofumi wasn't awake before the accusations made against him woke him up as if he was on fire.
"What the hell are you accusing me of? I haven't been near any princess. Hell I didn't even know this kingdom had a princess?"
The hammering stopped before the door was kicked open and four guards in knight armor came into the room and grabbed Naofumi.
A fifth more rugged and aged guard came into the room and looked at Naofumi with disgust and rage in his eyes.
Before Naofumi could open his mouth he was slapped by the armored hand of the eldest guard. Luckily as Izuku proved yesterday, his defense stat made it so he couldn't feel the damage although his head did turn.
"You will not speak Shield Devil. You are under arrest. All of your gear will be confiscated and you shall be taken in chains as an example to all who try to wrong the royalty of our nation. Not even heroes are above the law."
Naofumi only hoped that this court system was more fair then some of the kangaroo courts he heard in other medieval times.
~Sword for a Hero~
Izuku awoke on top of a fluffy pillow that formed nicely to his head. Truly geese feather pillows were the best kind of pillow to sleep on. Now if only his pillows would make strange noises that sounded like giggles.
"I wonder how long it will take for Izuku to notice? What say you Eclair?" whispered a voice that Izuku swore sounded a lot like Diana.
"My money is your whispering wakes him up," spoke the sultry and calm voice of Mira.
Izuku opened his eyes and saw thick tit flesh in his face. He talked right into the breast, "Kara did you sneak into my bed while I was sleeping last night?"
"Maybe."
"Was this part of your female affection training Mira?"
"Oh you most assuredly are right in that department."
"Right. I am going to scream now. Thank you," Izuku then turned his head and made sure to grab a pillow. He then proceeded to scream in sexually aroused terror of sleeping in between a woman's chest! What would his mother think!
He had no time to think about that as a disturbance came from in the hallway. Nodding for Diana to go take a look. The moment she cracked the door open the group heard the sound of splintering wood, followed by a harsh voice accusing the 'Shield Demon' of the rape and deflowering of Melomarc's princess.
Izuku got out of bed. Giving all the women a nice show of his abs and well trained physique.
"We have to go check this out. I don't think Naofumi did any such thing. Also what princess? He was with us and Myne all day yesterday?"
The adventuring party of the sword tried to get ready as soon as possible but still cost them precious minutes that could have been used to save Naofumi from his unjust fate.
Izuku got to the royal throne room just in time to see King Aultcray read out the crimes Naofumi committed. He was standing next to Itsuki and Motoyasu who looked at Naofumi with disgust and even hatred. Which kind of shocked Izuku as the two hero's didn't even get to try and learn anything about himself or Naofumi.
"For the heinous crime of raping and deflowering my daughter. I would love to sentence you to death. Alas I know that the waves get significantly harder with each death of a cardinal hero. I would ask how you would plead but you seem to can't talk at this time," snidely commented Aultcray.
Izuku looked at Naofumi and was horrified to see him trapped in a muzzle of all things while his hands were locked in manacles thicker than Izuku's wrist.
"Your Highness, Is there any way Naofumi could have been mistaken for someone else? I didn't even know that your kingdom had a princess? Surely he didn't as well?" vouched Izuku causing all the people in the room to put their attention on him.
Izuku got really nervous and was about to stutter till he felt twin pillows smoosh against his head and felt an arm on each shoulder. He turned and saw Kara smiling down at him while Eclair and Mira showed their support. Diana was behind them and gave him a thumbs up showing her support while making sure attention wasn't put on her.
"Sir sword hero. I have evidence from one of my trusted shadows that they watched Naofumi take my daughter Malty to his bed and had his way with her against her will," Aultcray almost roared in anger as he gripped his throne so hard it almost cracked under the strain of his strength.
"Your highness. Why did this shadow only report to you that Naofumi raped your daughter but didn't intervene? He's level one. Surely your daughter is at a higher level and can protect herself right?"
Aultcray was about to roar back in response but paused. He turned and looked at the shadow nearby that reported to him. He saw the shadow start to sweat, "Why didn't you intervene on my daughter's behalf? You were sent to protect her and make sure she wasn't harmed. If anything, You WATCHED AS SHE WAS DEFILED! Unlike the shield hero I don't need a watcher who can't even protect my daughter. INFERNO!"
Before the Shadow could give their case they were engulfed in flames sent by the king. Age may have dulled his edge but he could still be sharp when necessary. Naofumi started to shake a little at the display of grand magic in front of him. He thanked his stars that the kingdom still needed him as a hero. Being cooked alive was not an experience he wanted to feel.
A new voice rose from the entrance of the throne room, "It is probably because that I wasn't take advantage of or raped. I was treated like a princess even though Sir Naofumi did no such thing to me."
Everyone turned to see Myne Sophia walking into the throne room with her head held high and wearing a more elegant and well armored breastplate then the chain mail she wore the day before. Her arms were covered in golden bangles that glinted with emerald's. On her head was a small circlet with an emerald inlay that complimented her eyes.
"Mmmmmmm!" muffled out Naofumi as she strolled next up to him and raised her hand to his face as a spell circle formed in her hands. Naofumi started to squirm thinking she was about to blast him with magic.
"Drittes Unlock."
A simple blue energy washed over Naofumi's face as he felt the muffle come loose and fall off his face.
"Myne what….."
"Malty. My name is Malty S. Melromarc. I am the supposed princess that they are accusing you of raping and deflowering."
"Wait SHE WAS A PRINCESS? DAMN YOU NAOFUMI!" shouted Motoyasu who was enraged at such a beauty being deflowered by the heinous fiend. Sadly most of the blood was going to his second head and not his brain. Izuku looked at him in dumbfoundment of how stupid someone could be.
"But you mentioned …." tried to speak Naofumi.
Malty gently put her finger to his lip and shushed him, " That was between you and me alone. Now then. Father as I am here to plead my case. I would happily vouch for the shield hero and his innocence in that he did no such thing to me. I dare say he treated me better than some of our own knights. I fear that another organization, maybe even a foreign nation, has sabotaged the Shield Hero knowing your past prejudice against followers of the shield. I would demand an inquisition be commenced but as Mother is not here we must wait until her return."
Aultcray coughed a little bit of embarrassment but also pride in his eldest daughter, "Yes indeed Malty. Our kingdom seems to have been more infested with saboteurs than I find comfortable. I would apologize for the mistreatment of your person Sir Shield Hero but what would you do if you as a father found out your daughter was raped by a supposed hero to save your nation,"
"I would like to say I would be fair but If I heard someone raped my brother or heaven forbid any child of mine. Well I wouldn't' have been as merciful as you were with the shadow your highness," spoke Naofumi who was shaken slightly at the mere thought of someone close to him being raped and then their accuser walking around as if no wrong was committed.
"Naofumi you have better patience then even I do. I truly think you were wronged on a whole different level here. The king should at least do something to repay this sleight against not only your honor but person? Dare I say he deserves a duel with his accuser but your highness has denied him even that by killing the shadow. Perhaps returning his goods, equipment, and funds with an increased stipend of silver as a small gift?" Izuku offered, thinking a mile a second as he tried to weave through the political hell that was the royal court system.
"Ahem you speak the truth, young Sword Hero. The least I can do is give him back his wares and an increased stipend of a thousand silver to help him as he has no party members at his side right now," declared Aultcray.
"Father, I would like to stay with Sir Shield Hero for now. He seems to be naive to politics and intrigue. I am afraid he may be tarnished and taken advantage of again. We wouldn't want Siltvelt or Shieldfreeden to have an excuse to war with us for allowing their patron saint and hero to be reviled as a horrendous scourge upon the land.
Aultcray wanted to argue against Malty's case but he saw a fire burning in her eyes that reminded him oh so much of his wife. He knew he couldn't fight her decision. He guessed it truly was time to let her free of the confines of his castle. "My dear daughter as a father I wish to keep you here and safe but as a king I cannot be silent to your pleas. Go and guide the Shield Hero so that he may not be taken advantage of by our enemies!"
Malty nodded and guided Naofumi out of the throne room.
Izuku and his party followed close behind.
~Sword for a Hero~
Naofumi left the castle feeling somehow both relieved and terrified at the same time. 'If Myne… no if Malty and Izuku hadn't stood up for me in there who knows what would've happened.' He looked to his companion who he now knew as the first princess as Melomarc and smiled gratefully. "Thanks Myne… I mean Malty. You really had my back in there," He looked at the Sword Hero. "You too Izuku."
"No problem Naofumi-san," He then sent a glare to the two remaining heroes. "You two however have disappointed me by your actions this morning," The green-haired boy spoke to the Heroes of the Spear and Bow.
One of Itsuki's followers, a big man in armor with a mustache spoke out, "You have some nerve, speaking out first against the king, and now against your better the-" He stopped speaking when Izuku fixed him with a glare.
"Be quiet! I wasn't talking to you, but my fellow Heroes," Fixing his gaze back on the Bow Hero, Izuku continued, "Since he brought it up, Itsuki-san you seem to think just because you have been summoned, that you have the right to dispense some kind of 'Justice', is that right?"
"But of course, is that not a Heroes duty?" The Bow Hero questioned.
Izuku shook his head. "No, it isn't."
"What?" The Bow Hero was befuddled. "What do you mean? What is a hero if not a Bringer of Absolute Justice!"
The big man scoffed. "Pay no mind to this boy Itsuki-sama, he knows noth-" Again he was cut off, not only by Izuku's glare but also by the edge of Kara's axe pressing lightly against his throat.
"Kara-san if he interrupts again… discipline him please," Izuku said after a moment.
The Amazon grinned viciously, and spoke with sachire sweetness, "With pleasure, I'll start with breaking his jaw so he'll have trouble talking," she promised.
"Now, where was I?" Izuku asked no one in particular.
"You were about to explain what a hero's duty was Izuku-san," Malty said as she watched Sir Mald standing there refusing to so much as move, lest his jaw get turned into powder. It was oh so satisfying watching someone she was quite close to the Three Heroes Church being brought so low by a 'savage Amazon'.
From what little Malty knew of the Amazonian peoples they were a mainly matriarchal society much like Melomarc, only more tribal. They roamed in bands in the wilderness and society's outer fringes, selling their services as mercenaries. They would often take men as slaves and captives from any race be it humans, Demi-humans or Beastmen, as long as they were strong. She wondered if the Amazon was perhaps planning on kidnapping the Sword Hero and taking him back to her tribe, till she dismissed the thought. Not even the Amazons were that brave, though last she heard they had made a large pseudo-nation near the border of Zeltoble. 'Could his companions actually be an escort sent to bring the Sword Hero to her home country?' Malty wondered, chewing her finger in thought.
"A Hero's duty is not to enforce Justice Itsuki-san, a Hero's duty is to make people feel safe. To appear and let them know that everything will be okay now because 'I am here!' To help people because that is what a hero does. To reassure people by never stopping smiling. That, to me at least, is what it means to be a hero. Dispensing Justice?" Izuku shook his head, That is for the police and the courts, um, constables and kings. The job of heroes is to help people with their problems, no matter how big or small they may be."
Itsuki looked down, his messy blonde hair covered his eyes as Izuku explained his philosophy on heroes in his world. "I see, and where did you come across such an ideology Izuku-kun?"
"From the Number One Hero of my world and my very own mentor, All Might!" Izuku said with both pride and conviction in his tone.
Itsuki's eyes shot up, burning with something akin to religious fervor. "Yes! Yes! I see now! I understand! My Justice… no, my ideals were flawed. A true hero's duty is to help the people, not dispense justice. Yes… yes I see now. Thank you for opening my eyes to the truth, Izuku-kun. I have much to contemplate. Excuse me." The Bow Hero said politely before he excused himself, his party sans the knight who was still held at axe-point following in his wake.
Glancing at Kara he said, "Let him go Kara-san," The Amazoness lowered her axe and the knight sprinted off after the Bow Hero, but not before shooting a dirty look at the Sword Hero and his Amazon.
"Dude…" Motoyasu said after a moment of poignant silence, "Did you just break Itsuki… Am I next!?" He said fearfully as he stuffed two fingers in his ears so he couldn't hear Izuku speak.
Izuku rolled his eyes, and shook his head, "Even I can't fix stupid," The Sword Hero said, causing his party members along with Naofumi and Malty to laugh as they turned and walked away.
"Eh? What did he say?!" Motoyasu asked with his fingers stuck in his ears.
~Sword for a Hero~
Sighing, Izuku rubbed at his eyes as he said, "This was not how I wanted my first morning here to go,"
"Sorry," Naofumi apologized again, "Thanks again for standing up for me,"
"It's nothing…" Izuku said yawning as he waved the Shield Hero off, "Always happy to help someone in need,"
Naofumi looked at him from the side and smiled at him, "Because that's what Heroes do, right?"
"Damn straight!" The Sword Hero replied, stretching his arms above his head with his fingers interlaced. "I was gonna suggest the four of us meet up today and get to know each other better, and kinda coordinate how to level up share notes on what we learn at the end of the day, but now I don't want to put up with either Itsuki-san or Motoyasu-san at the moment."
"Same," Naofumi said, huffing in annoyance… "But before we decide what to do today, I have a request,"
"Yeah?"
"Can I put on some pants?" Naofumi asked.
"Why, the view isn't half bad from where I'm standing," Mira commented, sending him a wink.
Malty gave Mira a jagged smile, "Don't you think you should flirt with someone your own age, old lady?"
"Ohohoh, I'm a young twenty-two I'll have you know. A little girl like you should know how to respect her elders," Mira shot back.
"Oh yes," Malty replied nodding, "How silly of me, I should respect my seniors. My mistake."
Sighing, Izuku said, "Enough you two, it's too early for all this arguing and we haven't even had breakfast yet."
"Yes Izuku," Mira replied instantly.
"I am a princess, you know?" Malty pointed out. "You could be a bit more respectful,"
"All apologies Malty-hime, I'm just one of the four heroes you basically kidnapped from his own world because you and your people couldn't handle the Waves of Calamity on your own. I sincerely and wholeheartedly apologize for my rudeness," Izuku said, giving a half-bow.
"Damn Izuku, you're not a morning person are you," Naofumi said after a moment.
"Sorry," he said grumpily, "I'm really not. Not before breakfast anyway," He yawned again before he said, "Then I had to argue with the King before I could so much as even get some water to drink,"
"All in favor of getting something to eat before Izuku, eat one of us?" Naofumi half jokes.
"Aye!" Everyone else present said though his own party members laughed even as they agreed.
The Sword Hero scoffed, "I wouldn't eat any you ladies anyway too much fat."
"We aren't fat!" Izuku's party members plus Malty yelled at him.
Izuku looked at all the girls specifically their chests before he said flatly, "Riightt~"
"You're gonna get yourself killed," Noafumi said as he ran a hand down his face before he started putting his pants on. He might need to nab his junior and make a quick escape from a mob of angry women. He owed him this much at least for his help earlier.
"Oh! Izuku-kun is talking about our breasts!" Kara realized. "So he's that kind of guy."
"Isn't every man?" Malty said with a laugh before she bent down and pinched Izuku's cheek in an affectionate manner. "I'm flattered but I'm too old for you, Sword Hero."
"He's not too old for me!" Mira said happily.
"Child snatching hag," Malty sniffed haughtily.
"Spoilt brat," the Sorceress shot back just as easily.
"Mira-san stop picking on Malty-neechan, you're better than that." Izuku said between a yawn.
The crown princess looked at the Shield Hero and asked, "What's Nee-chan mean?"
"Nee-chan is what a younger person calls an older person in my country. Or rather like an older sister,"
"Like an older sister huh," Malty said wistfully. She patted Izuku on the head, running a hand through his fluffy locks, "Well, if I'm going to be called big sister, I might as well act like it. Which means the first order of business is food."
"Here here!" The rest of the group cheered.
"What's the second order of business?" Izuku asked, doing his best to ignore his grumbling stomach.
"You'll see," Malty told him, all while silently wishing she could have such an easy relationship with her own sister.
~Sword for a Hero~
After a hearty meal, Malty led the group to a tent, and for a brief moment, Izuku thought they were going to a circus. Those thoughts were dashed when he entered the tent and the cries of hundreds of people in cages could suddenly be heard. They were lined three high and dozens long and all of them were either what he assumed were demi-humans or beastmen. They tried reaching out of their cages towards them to no avail, a rotund man in a three piece black suit pince-nez glasses, and a stovepipe hat on his head. A handlebar mustache adorned his upper lip and he grinned greedily as they approached. "Sirs and Ladies, how may I, this simple humble merchant, help you today?"
"Save it!" Malty said shortly. "You know who I am, I know who you are, so let's get down to business shall we?"
"Of course Princess, how might I be of service today?" the merchant asked, his smile dimming only a little bit. His professionalism never waivered!
"Both the Shield and Sword Hero require extra party members, and you have plenty of… options," Malty said, her glaze cooly roaming over the cages.
The flesh merchant nodded, "Of course, of course, if you want fighters I of course have the finest selection…" He said as he went over to a wolf therianthrope and slapped his claw with a cane. "Provided you have the silver to pay for it of course."
Clearing his throat, Izuku asked, "I have some questions sir?"
"Of course, dear Sword Hero. Ask away," The man said, fixing his eyes on the boy.
"Are all of these people prisoners of war from the war with Siltvelt?" The green-haired hero asked.
The merchant gave a belly laugh. "Oh heavens no! That war ended long ago! These are just the current slaves caught crossing the Melomarc-Siltvelt border."
"So there is a "No demi-human or beastman policy" here in Melomarc?" The Sword Hero inquired.
"Unofficially yes, officially there is a demi-human village that should be under the control of Seaetto-san's father," Malty replied for the man as she looked at the strawberry blonde knight for confirmation.
"Yes indeed before my father died in the first wave we had a nice little duchy and townsfolk of our own. I was unofficially arrested for hunting down and killing the ravagers, pillagers, and bandits that raided my territory. Disgustingly there seemed to be quite a few Melromarc guards mixed in that saw my citizens as easy money."
"Yes yes, quite a tragedy. Usually I get slaves from all walks of life. I see those looks kind heroes. I will be the first to tell you slavery is not always so black and white. I have debtors, criminals, and even innocents mixed in with my stock. The part that gets ridiculous is that the definition of slave changes from country to country."
Izuku rubbed at his temples. "We're not in Japan anymore, we're not in Japan anymore. Different world, different values," He said like a mantra. 'I can help someone out from a bad situation with a little bit of money. So I'll find the person in the worst condition here, and get them out of here,' He decided. So thinking, he proceeded to look through the cages. Over the cacophony of cries and roars and growls, Izuku hears something else.
A cough of a small child. It was a subtle thing. But due how out of place the sound was, it stood out all the more. Izuku followed the sound to the back of the flesh mongers store, to a pair of cages covered by a sheet. Pulling it off, he found two small cages holding two children. The first was a sickly looking girl with matted brown hair. Her skin was pale and slick with sweat, and she looked like she had a fever. The tattered shift she was wearing clung to her body and a fluffy tail was coiled around her legs.
The next person was a short haired boy, girl? He wasn't sure, but they had dog ears which were laying flat on their head as they glared at Izuku borderline snarling at him. "Stay away from Raphtalia-chan!" The dog person snapped.
"I'm not going to hurt her," Izuku replied. "What's wrong with her?"
"Obviously she's sick, you idiot!" The dog demi-human snapped at him.
"Sword Hero, I wouldn't waste your money on that one," the merchant said, snuck up behind him, "She's likely due to expire from illness any day now." The merchant tutted, "She's not even worth five coppers in her current state."
In response Izuku fished out a silver and flipped it towards the man. "I'll take her,"
"Sword Hero, are you serious?" The merchant asked. "She would not be useful for much of anything however."
Running up to him Naofumi said, "Izuku, you find some… one interesting?" The Shield Hero asked.
"That girl there," He pointed at the coughing girl, "I'm gonna get her, and… as a favor to me, could you ah… purchase her friend Naofumi-san?" The Sword Hero asked his gaze flicking to the Shield Hero before doing the same to the merchant before landing on the dog person who gulped fearfully.
"Sure? I found another person who would be really useful to me and Malty anyway." Naofumi agreed. He waved to the girl in the cage. "Hi there, I'm Naofumi Iwatani, I'm the Shield Hero. I'll be working with you from now on, what's your name?"
"The Shield Hero?!" the dog person said, her ears perking up and tail giving a tentative wag. "I'm Keel."
Naofumi smiled. "I think your going to get along great with Guren-chan,"
Keel gave him a clueless look while looking worriedly at Raphtalia.
~Sword for a Hero~
The slave seal process was a necessary evil Izuku allowed to happen solely for Raphtalia's sake. The moment it was done and she was marked, he picked her up in his arms and asked Malty, "Where is the nearest potions shop?"
"Going to buy a potion for her, are you?" The merchant asked grinning, knowingly. "Sick as she is, she's likely going to need highgrade Medicine,"
"Mira-san, being a Sorceress, do you know how to make Medicine?" Izuku asked.
"It's not hard at all." Mira informed him, "We'd need certain herbs from the forests and plains around castletown and a certain someone probably knows right where to get them. Right Diana?" Mira asked knowingly.
Diana looked at the sun which hadn't even reached close to its zenith yet. "Not a problem, the day is still young, we can have all the ingredients for a Hi Medicine Potion rounded up by noon if I take Kara with me,"
"Go ahead," Izuku told them, "I'll do what I can to help Mira, and keep Raphtalia comfortable."
With his blessing, the two adventures took off and Izuku moved with the buxom sorceress back to the inn to keep the young tanuki as comfortable as they could till their return. As far as the would-be hero was concerned, they couldn't come back fast enough.
(...)
Word Count: 13,750 Number of Pages: 32 Date Completed: 6/12/2023
(...)
AN: Hello everyone, and welcome to this thing I came up with. The result of me wanting to do a gaming fic without having to deal with the annoying numbers and percentages that come with writing a gamer fic. I hope you all like it. If so REVIEW! No, seriously, you want more than one chapter of Izuku being the Sword Hero and Malty not being someone who's too dumb to live? Review, because that's the only thing getting this idea, (or any other one) out of the Idea Vault. Now, that said, here's Snowy and First Hassan.
Snowy: We raised the minimum number of reviews to take a story out of the idea vault. We aren't revealing that number so you don't just spam reviews. In all seriousness this is a lovely story and I hope that it progresses at its own rate. I hope all of our readers come and love this story. I kindly thank everyone for their consideration.
First Hassan:
Thanks for reading everyone and till next time, this has been an Inkblot Bros Production! Peace!