This chapter was posted on the day of Christmas Eve.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Naofumi knew better than to think that things were going well. Because, as his life as a Hero constantly pointed out, if there was no trouble at all, someone was going to make trouble. As it turned out, today that someone was Itsuki.
"I, the Bow Hero, Itsuki Kawasumi, hereby state my intention to challenge the Shield hero, Naofumi Iwatani, to a duel!" Itsuki stood upon the bench, looking very proud of himself as he challenged the one person in the world who couldn't attack at all. He even positioned himself so that the sunset would have fallen right over him, catching the eye for the people in the training grounds.
"You cannot be serious, Itsuki!" Naofumi shouted at the top of his lungs.
But "Ally of Justice" Itsuki wasn't listening to him. No, he pointed his index finger right towards Raphtalia and her friends. "Heroes should not have slaves. If I win, you will free your slaves!"
Naofumi Iwanati screamed in his own head about the absurdity of the whole affair. He turned towards Ren and Motoyasu. Both gave embarrassed looks.
"I said he was being stupid since you wouldn't get anything if you won," Motoyasu said as a matter of factly. "...Uh, why are you staring at me like that Naofumi?"
Naofumi blinked several times before realizing he was doing just that. It still bothered him to think Motoyasu was saying stuff like that, especially considering originally. "...Sorry, just this whole thing is ridiculous."
"You're telling us." Ren rolled his eyes.
Naofumi handed Ren a bottle of healing medicine. "Just pour that over his wounds and I'll be picking up my payment later." He no longer had time to haggle, not with Itsuki making a scene.
Ren muttered something under his breath before turning back to Armor.
"Hey!" Naofumi shouted, facing Itsuki. "Give me a good reason to agree to this idiocy!"
Murmurs were raised, the crowd cleared a path. The two Heroes came face to face.
Itsuki steeled his gaze as he looked eye level to the Shield Hero. "I'm challenging you! You don't just… walk away from that!"
Naofumi glared, his eyes intent. He didn't like the answer he was given. "So, why are you dueling me?"
"To free your slaves!" the Bow Hero spat back. Cheers came from the two members of his party, the mage and the barbarian; obviously, it was their doing this that even happened.
"You do realize that even if you win, we'll just go and get new marks right?" Naofumi rolled his eyes. He didn't need his party members to be his slaves, especially not Raphtalia, but it was a strength multiplier. "In fact, we'll upgrade to higher tier inks, so the marks will just be invisible if you're that offended. If you want the satisfaction of removing their brands, you're welcome to pay for it."
"Naofumi!" Itsuki leered back. "It's still a bad look to have Heroes parading around slaves! Have you given any thought to the damage you could be doing to the mystique and prestige of the Heroes? Motoyasu did what you did because you are an example. Other Heroes in the future might follow your example!"
Naofumi stared back.
"Welst told me that one of the reasons that Siltvelt is so screwed up right now is because previous generations of Shield Heroes have been prone to making harems!" Itsuki spat further, an accusatory finger pointed right at Naofumi. "Now, you and slavery, that's going to cause damage!" He threw his cape out with an exaggerated motion.
Come to think of it, what if some time in a hundred or so years, when Naofumi was just memories and paintings, what would future Heroes do upon learning his actions? At least one would be bound to take slaves, and at least one of those would not have the best of intentions. In fact, he knew his intentions for being a slaver were incredibly selfish Raphtalia did not need to know why he picked her out of all the slaves there. Yet, he wasn't going to let Itsuki be the one to dictate his actions. "Then why aren't you working to abolish slavery then? It's legal in Melromarc!"
"Because you're a stepping stone to that," Itsuki said firmly, his head high as if trying to make himself look holy. "I cannot do that while the world follows your example."
Murmurs came out from the crowd, but Itsuki's two followers declared their support wholeheartedly.
So that's what this whole thing was about. Itsuki wanted to build towards abolishing slavery, but that would remain impossible as long as Heroes took slaves. It wasn't just about removing the slave marks from his party members, it was about the symbol of doing that being the actual prize.
Naofumi was half tempted to concede, on the grounds the Bow Hero, at least had thought of something more complicated than "Justice!" and because Naofumi didn't actually want to bother fighting. He didn't need slave crests on his companions to ensure loyalty. But power and survival did not often care for morality; that was a luxury afforded by few. "So you are willing to do this, even if it puts Raphtalia, Keel, and Rifana in danger?"
"What do you mean?" Itsuki spat.
"I keep telling you. The reason I keep them as slaves is because of the Slave User Series weapons. They grant them increased potential while growing. And they need that to survive. Did it cross your mind to ask why I kept them like that even for a second?" Naofumi then dug further. "Or that in this case there might be factors you don't know about?"
Itsuki's face twisted in a malign expression. He clearly hadn't thought that far ahead, though his intentions and ideals were what saw him through. "I know enough! That we can't improve their lot in life if we keep going like this."
Naofumi rolled his eyes. This was getting nowhere; he sincerely wanted to say he, himself, was in the right, but Itsuki was… too naive to accept. Just from the way he was acting, it was clear that to the Bow Hero, this was simply an objective reality that could be enforced with a speech and few fun side quests, not a complicated affair with lives at risk. The Shield Hero didn't want to discuss moral quandaries with someone whose convictions were guided by ideals rather than reality. He had to be crushed before he would listen to anything. "I want loot priority over you in the wave, and a larger share of the rewards!"
"Wh-what?" Itsuki sputtered. He hadn't been expecting that.
"If you want to duel me and have me lose something, you better be prepared to put your money where your mouth is when you lose!" Naofumi barked, his fists clenched. He wasn't going to let another challenge go off without a consequence.
Itsuki shivered, but the Bow Hero's pride kept him from backing down. He puffed his chest and made an exaggerated effort to point at the Shield Hero. "Fine, I accept your terms!"
"I want five minutes to talk to my group before the match. I can accept Donut as our announcer if you think she'll be fair and impartial," Naofumi requested.
"I grant these," Itsuki said without a second thought. "I will meet you on the field of battle." He clearly enjoyed saying the line.
How long have you been waiting to say that? Naofumi shook his head and departed.
He met Raphtalia and her friends in less than 20 paces.
The swordswoman, Donut, had just felt them and made her way to meet with her party leader.
Raphtalia gave him a nervous look. "Master Naofumi, are you upset?"
"He still thinks of your world as a game, that's why he was making those exaggerated gestures to make himself look cooler. He probably thinks that all he has to do is complete an objective, probably talk to the right people, defeat the right opponents, and everything will turn out alright. Given how those two members of his party acted, he might have even been led to think that by them." Naofumi said dryly. "Either way, I can imagine that if he tried, abolishing slavery would not be popular, especially among the nobility. I don't think they'll sit back and let a Hero upend society without their consent.."
"...We understand," Rifana spoke up, a nervousness in her voice. "But we have friends we left behind."
"That's what we're working on already," Raphtalia reassured her. "Between our dealings with that slave trader and the possibility we may have found Sadeena, we're working towards that. Even if we don't have them, getting stronger now means we could save our friends by ourselves."
Rifana took an exhale and looked Raphtalia squarely in the eyes. "...You're right. I just… he did sound so inspiring."
Naofumi shook his head. "Itsuki's actions, even if noble, will result in a bloody civil war if he isn't careful. One which will end up killing people, possibly even the people we're trying to save." In fact, that's exactly what happened in the original timeline, all over the Heroes not living up to their hype. And none of the Heroes decided to overthrow centuries of legal precedent in one fell swoop. Queen Mirelia had the foresight to do her changes after a civil war and did so in small waves. The only reason that war seemed so bloodless was that the Four Heroes were united in bringing down the Pope; it was very hard to argue with the gods of the world.
"I just got my slave crest, too!" Keel complained. She clearly did not like this turn of events. "Tell me Sir Naofumi, tell me you're going to beat him up!"
"How bad does it look?" Raphtalia asked. "Like… before-" with Motoyasu "-you had very limited attacking options. And Itsuki, well, he has a bow."
Naofumi nodded.
From a rough understanding of Itsuki's build, especially factoring in what he used later on, the Bow Hero was the polar opposite of the Shield Hero. Itsuki was a total offense specialist in comparison to his total defense. With any luck, he didn't have that defense ignoring attack yet, but Naofumi knew that from the start the Bow Hero would do everything in his power to stay at range. Naofumi knew he had the better magic, but lacked damaging abilities outside of counters.
In terms of power up methods, the two of them were equal on paper since Itsuki had accepted Motoyasu's instructions, but Naofumi had been preparing for slightly longer. Itsuki also accepted quite a few of the materials from Siltvelt, so it was likely completely new Bow forms were in his repertoire as a result.
It was likely to assume that Itsuki had been preparing for this event for quite some time since he was the one making this challenge. Naofumi had also made preparations in the event one of the other Heroes were going to fight him; namely, getting back in shape and having one of the girls strike at him and practice footwork. However, none of them used a bow.
"It all comes down to whether or not I can get into range," Naofumi honestly. "But win or lose, I know you'll be by my side; it actually changes very little about us." A thought then occurred to him. "Hey, just in case, can you make sure we don't have any interference this time?"
Raphtalia sighed. "Uh, of course. I can do that!"
"Combatants! Please make your way to the grounds for the duel!" That armored knight, Donut, shouted.
"Looks like we spent our time," Naofumi frowned as he walked towards the center of the arena.
Itsuki stood against him in the exact same spot Mald had stood. Naofumi took the position Raphtalia was in. Donut stood between them both and announced, "The rules for this match are the same as the previous one. However, as you are both Heroes, Skills and magic would be allowed. First to incapacitation or who cannot stand their ground for more than 10 consecutive seconds is the loser. Additionally, unlike before, range matters due to one combatant being a ranged fighter; due to this, we've marked an arena in the dirt. Combatants that leave the area shall be considered incapacitated."
Both combatants gave bows of practiced respect, meeting each other 10 meters away from the center.
"Naofumi the Shield Hero…"
Naofumi ensured his shield was affixed to his hand and brought it forward. His feet lined up and ready to engage.
"Itsuki, the Bow Hero…"
Itsuki took the bow from his back and drew a golden arrow into existence. He aimed right at Naofumi's chest.
"Three…"
The Heroes stared at each other, both intent to win.
"Two…"
Naofumi took a deep breath, readying to intercept the shot.
"One…"
Itsuki narrowed his eyes.
"FIGHT!" Donut shouted.
Itsuki struck the first blow, launching his arrow true.
This was not a serious attack, but a probing strike. Naofumi intercepted the arrow with his shield, breaking it into tiny sparks.
But Itsuki was not easily defeated. His bow transformed into a mess of metallic pipes, a new configuration Naofumi had not seen before. "Chain Arrow!" he shouted before launching an arrow that transmuted into a trio of arrows held together by metal chains.
Naofumi saw the attack in motion and knew that it was a pinning move, an instant victory condition if it landed successfully. So, to counter the attack, he activated one of his favorites. "Air Strike Shield!" A semi-transparent green shield interrupted the flying bolas, causing it to fall down to the ground uselessly.
Itsuki, not deterred in the slightest. He pulled on his bow again and made another shout, "Arrow Rain!" Aiming upwards, a volley of light was loosed into the air and landed in the area around Naofumi.
With a thought, Naofumi's shield changed into a shellfish that had every color of the rainbow. Then to cap it all off, he brought his magic to bear. "As source of thy power, the Shield Hero commands. Decipher the laws of nature and protect me. First Guard!" Naofumi's defenses rose greatly. Arrow Rain was an attack that dealt multiple low damage hits in a large area of effect.
Clink! Clink! Clink!
Each arrow landed on Naofumi to do nothing but make an irritating sound. He could practically imagine scores of little 0's flying all over him!
Itsuki scowled, readying his bow once again. "Your defense is crazy!"
Naofumi smirked. Both Motoyasu and Itsuki's power up methods worked to give him an immense stat boost to his raw defensive ability. Coupled with a defense buff, normal attacks weren't going to cut through.
Rainbow Limplet Shield 30/30 +4
[abilities unlocked] Equip Bonus: Defense +10, Mining Skill Increase (Major)
Item Enchantment level 5: Water damage -5%, Defense +10%
Status Enchantment: Defense +20
Naofumi stepped forward, planning to close the distance and to force Itsuki into the back foot.
Itsuki's bow transformed into soap, the Soap Bow, that had just been unlocked. Instead of a shaft of light forming the arrows, instead tiny lances of congealed bubbles formed each arrow. He let loose several arrows of bubbles, forming a floating barrier. Further, as bubbles popped the noise and soap seemed to irritate his senses.
Naofumi knew that this was yet another new "disabling" move. It did no damage, but it was clear that eventually, the weight of the mass of bubbles would blind him. So he opted to use a new Shield, one provided by Itsuki. Changing to the Zephyr Shield, which looked like a shield covered in eagle's feathers, he activated its ability. "Wind Shield!" A barrier or wind surrounded Naofumi, sucking up all of the bubbles that covered him. The Shield Hero then directed the spinning spiral towards the Itsuki, covering the Bow Hero in his own bubbly attacks.
"Wind Arrow!" Itsuki shouted through obscuration. The arrow surrounded by wind pierced through the bubbles and the wall of wind that surrounded Naofumi.
The arrow struck true, piercing a location near the Shield Hero's side. While his defense was still buffed, the fact he had to use the currently understatted Zephyr shield left his defenses just low enough that a single strike did a massive chunk of damage. Further, the Wind Shield ended, its duration expended.
"Master Naofumi!"
"He's still standing!"
"His defenses are incredible; that landed and he's still not bleeding!"
Unlike the poetic dance that was Raphtalia versus Mald, a battle of technique and power matched against each other, a battle between Heroes is a mess of Skills and Magic interacting one another. It was sort of like how PVP in many MMO's Naofumi played went; each ability was a counter to another ability, intended or not. It was as much strategy as actual fighting.
"Looks like I got the first real hit in!" Itsuki said through pained breaths. Bubbles rapidly dissipated near him. "Your defense is just insane!" He then launched bubble arrows at a rapid pace.
This time, Naofumi leapt out of the line of fire, letting the arrows explode into foamy clouds. "That's the point of being a Shielder! When we have to face the waves Bosses you'll be thankful for that!" he howled as he edged several feet closer. He was almost in range of getting his endgame.
Itsuki, seeing the approaching Shield Hero, took several steps back. With the Soap Bow and its foamy arrows, he then used a skill that had just come off cooldown. "Arrow Rain!" Unlike before, which was a volley of shafts of light, this was a barrage of… bubbles, an entire mountain of them seemingly fell around the Shield Hero!
"I have to admit, you're so tough that this silly soap gimmick might actually be better using a normal attack!" Itsuki laughed, enjoying himself.
Naofumi had to admit it was impressive. Itsuki had never done anything quite like this when they were enemies in the future. The Bow Hero was surprisingly creative in dueling, unlike Motoyasu who acted more like a wild boar. But, Naofumi wasn't going to submit to someone who only just learned a few tricks. Naofumi shouted, "Shooting Star Shield!" The cloud of bubbles that landed on top of him fell off a semi-translucent dome, unable to deal damage and falling uselessly into a puddle where the barrier ended. "You're going to have to try better than that!"
"Fine, then, I will!" Itsuki changed out his Soap Bow for its default shape. "Shooting Star Bow!" The arrow launched left a trail of vibrant starlight behind as it flew. Naofumi's barrier snapped like a twig as it was pierced.
Startled, the Shield Hero brought his shield up to defend, but he failed to intercept. The arrow tore into his side, blood spilled out. "I… I wonder how much SP it cost you to do that," Naofumi choked.
"Cheaper than you'd think!" Itsuki said with a grin.
Naofumi smirked. The other Hero finally managed to pierce his defenses and do a wallop. Fortunately, he still had options. He intoned a short and simple incantation, whilst his hand was over his midsection. "...Heal my target. First Heal!" The pain subsided immediately, though the injury remained.
"Seriously, where do you get healing magic that good!?" Itsuki shook.
"Ugh, read a book!" Naofumi responded, annoyed. Granted, it was because his opponents were so ignorant that he knew that he had the upper hand, but all the same his incredible overspecialization on defense left plenty of things to be desired.
Itsuki pulled his bow again, this time launching standard attacks.
Naofumi took this to mean one thing, the Bow Hero was currently low on resources or that all of his major skills were on cooldown. Time to make a move. He dashed towards the enemy, making quick strided. The Shield Hero knew that all he needed to do was to get closer and he would have been able to win the fight.
Itsuki, frustrated, shot several volleys of arrows as fast as the eye could see.
The Shield Hero charged through, most of the arrows making their hit, but doing chip damage. Almost there!
Itsuki changed his bow again, another new unlock with a new skill. This one seemed to be a bow made of square light metal. "Sidewinder Shot!" he called out another new attack name.
Naofumi raised his shield to block Itsuki's attack, but for some reason the Bow Hero launched it way off.
Then before he knew it, suddenly, a pain shot through the back of his leg. The Shield Hero stumbled, realizing he had been shot behind one of his legs!
"You go, Sir Itsuki!"
"Master Naofumi!"
Itsuki laughed, exhausted. "You have… no idea how long I've wanted to have something like this!"
Naofumi gritted his teeth, but his leg was unresponsive. Checking his HUD, he saw the problem. No damage was dealt to him by the attack, instead a debuff was applied, sending an intense pain through his leg.
Donut began to count. "One… two…three…"
Naofumi forced himself on a knee.
"Four…five…"
The Shield Hero rose on his feet, the count stopped.
"You're giving this much effort to supporting an inhuman practice!?"
"Shut up and fight!" Naofumi demanded. He scanned the area and realized Itsuki was very close to his range. He took a step forward.
Itsuki, seeing this, readied another attack. "Arrow-"
But Naofumi was faster on the draw. "Shield Prison!" A sphere made of shields and chains suddenly sprung up around Itsuki.
"-Rain" Itsuki's skill went off, a volley of arrows was launched, but Naofumi's sphere intercepted the attack in the nick of time. The bow Hero screamed as Naofumi's perfect timing caused the attack to ricochet in the barrier.
Naofumi, suffering from pain and wanting to end this fight, dashed forward. He fought through the pain of his debuff.
The sounds of metal hitting metal reverberated from within the prison several times before it shattered. Itsuki's head poked out before he launched several arrows as he emerged from the trap.
Naofumi was just where he wanted to be. He switched to his other shield.
"Is that?" he could hear Rifana shouting
"It really is!" Keel added.
"That shield!" Raphtalia sounded.
All of them had a special connection to this one shield, though the meaning was lost on everyone else. After all, the three girls symbolically overcame the monster that destroyed their home when he got it.
Two-headed Black Dog Shield 30/30 +3
[abilities unlocked] Equip Bonus: Alert Shield
Special Equip effect: Skill: Dog Bite
Item Enchantment level 4: Fire Damage -5%, Agility +10%
Status Enchantment: Defense +10
The arrows hit the Two-headed Black Dog Shield, triggering a counter attack now that Itsuki was just in range. With a ghastly howl, the heads lunged forward and grappled onto Itsuki's left arm, the one that held the Legendary Bow's handle.
"GAH!" the Bow Hero screamed as blood dripped from his side. "IT HURTS!"
"Give up!" Naofumi barked, the two heads of the Dog Shield dug in further.
Itsuki, using his right arm, tried to draw the string of the bow, but Naofumi adjusted his posture and dragged Itsuki to the floor. Unlike Motoyasu, Itsuki seemed to have little to no understanding of how to handle being in a melee; Naofumi didn't even need anything special to manhandle him.
Donut did not start counting immediately. Gasps went up from the crowd.
"I'm… I'm not going to lose…" Itsuki struggled, trying to stand up. If this was an anime, this would have been the time the protagonist would have pulled a new power out of his ass to get free. But Itsuki wasn't the protagonist any more than Naofumi was.
Donut started counting in the background. "One…. Two…"
"You can either surrender now or let the count take you out." Naofumi spat.
"Four…Five…"
"I won't give in!" Itsuki grimaced, distaste in his mouth. He tried to pull at his bowstring again, probably to use that Sidewinder Shot to attack Naofumi despite the otherwise impossible angle, but the Shield Hero was not like Raphtalia. He didn't see anything wrong with attacking a man who was down, especially not one who was resisting. In fact, he stepped on his other hand to keep him from fighting. It's not like his stepping on him would actually cause damage anyways.
Donut continued counting. "Eight…Nine… Ten…Victory for the Shield Hero!"
There was a vague pause from the rest of the crowd as the Bow Hero was defeated by the Shield Hero. The fight had been long and intense and the Bow Hero had been attacking although out, but the Shield Hero pinning and disabling the Bow Hero was a serious upset.
When the initial shock had subsided, the reactions followed.
"Unexpected…" came from the mage.
"NOO!" Rishia howled.
Donut then added. "Itsuki and I need to discuss his training regimen…"
Dismissing his shield back into its original state, he stepped further away from the Bow Hero, more voices came in.
"To think the Bow Hero was so weak, a pity…" came from Bitch.
"First that damned raccoon, and now the Shield? What has this world come to?" from Armor.
Naofumi could hear his party cheer.
"You got him, Sir Naofumi!"
"I'm sorry for never believing in you!"
"Master is truly strong!"
Someone came running towards the two Heroes. "SIR ITSUKI!" cried a distraught Rishia as she knelt down to the injured Hero.
Itsuki bowed his head in dejection. "Don't cry for me, Rishia. I just lost. And really, I'm not that hurt."
Rishia bowed her head and went to tend to Itsuki. "As source… Thy power… heal my target and…First heal!" She cast a spell, fumbling the chant. Itsuki's wounds stopped bleeding, but the injuries remained.
Naofumi felt an ugly feeling burning in his chest. Despite winning, he didn't feel like he had won. So he turned back to the Bow Hero and did a proper healing. With a simple chant, Naofumi pushed magic into the defeated Hero's wounds and closed them off. "...First Heal!"
The girl looked up at Naofumi with an unreadable expression on her face. "I… uh, thank you, Sir Shield Hero."
Naofumi almost wanted to ask if the girl also remembered anything about the future, but Rishia's face did not seem to give off any realization of familiarity. She wasn't even using his name for starters. The Rishia he knew wouldn't have been able to maintain a lie either.
"Fueh… Is… am I bothering you, Sir Shield Hero?" the girl asked nervously.
"Oh, not really, just wondering who you were is all." Naofumi said. It wasn't exactly a lie either; he hadn't known Rishia this far back.
Rishia nervously answered. "...I'm Rishia Ivyred, a party member of Sir Itsuki, who joined him after he saved me and my family.?"
"You mean like that noble family up in the far north?" Naofumi probed. After all, Rishia told him her story, though not yet.
"Well, you see-" Rishia wanted to say more but she gave a startled expression and turned her head down.
Itsuki gave the girl an annoyed stare.
Naofumi gave the Bow Hero a sharp look.
"Uh, don't worry about it, Naofumi." Itsuki said, dusting himself off the ground. He sounded like the life had been drained out of him, though he was recovering.
The Shield Hero wanted to dig into it, but he knew much of the story already. He just wanted to know if anything had changed, but he supposed that there were other matters to attend to. Naofumi turned to Rishia, thinking of the best way to avoid her attempting to commit suicide. Perhaps showing interest in her now might save her life if he was never there. "Well, if things don't work out for you and Itsuki, you're welcome to join my group."
The timid girl's face turned red and she tried to look away. "Fueh…. Fueh…"
"Wait, what's this about Rishia?" Itsuki demanded.
"Don't worry about it, Itsuki," he returned the Bow Hero's words right back at him. Besides, as far as Naofumi was concerned, this was a good way to handle someone who saw things only in plot hooks. Either Rishia would go to him instead of drowning herself again, or Itsuki might think she was an essential NPC. Either way, it'd keep her safe for the time being.
Itsuki looked like he wanted to complain, but others came by to congratulate him on his victory.
"Master Naofumi!" shouted Raphtalia. Rifana and Keel were close by, both eager with the Shield Hero's recent triumph.
"You won! That means I don't have to get the slave brand taken away and put again, right? Doing that hurts and I just got it!" Keel said, practically dancing.
Itsuki's face twisted in all sorts of directions. "Just got it? But… but I thought you were all slaves for the whole month!"
Naofumi rolled his eyes. This is what you get for not studying. "When I bought them, I explained the status adjustment effect of the Slave User Shields. Keel opted not to take a slave crest, because she suffered under a cruel master and did not want to be a slave. It was only after she saw the difference in strength between her and her friends that she changed her mind."
Itsuki was at a loss for words. Naofumi had to admit, Keel had managed to break Itsuki more than he could have, all because of her choice at the start of this adventure.
"But, but… you were FREE!" Itsuki practically broke down. He reached for anything to give him a justification. "Did he threaten you? Why didn't you go back home with your family?"
There was a silence that broke the laughter and celebration over the Shield Hero's party from the victory.
"Itsuki, you stepped on a landmine," Naofumi said plainly.
Rifana was the one to speak up. "Sir Itsuki, I don't think you realize this, but our home is gone and so are our families."
Naofumi could practically see Itsuki's heart break before his eyes.
"I…I didn't mean to…" Itsuki struggled to find solid ground, his words sputtering.
"Itsuki, it's very easy to say that you want to free slaves," Naofumi said with his coldest voice. "But you, right now, aren't capable of thinking ahead to what comes after that."
"... I see.." Itsuki turned away, dejected.
"Fueh…" Rishia whimpered. "... Uh don't worry Sir Itsuki, you might not be capable of that right now, but maybe in the future…"
"In the future…" Itsuki mumbled.
Ren and Motoyasu came over as well.
Motoyasu offered his congratulations. "Congratulations, Naofumi! Man, I can't believe you came out on top. I don't know if I'd be able to win against you!"
Naofumi was sure Motoyasu would stand a much harder fight due to his ability to fight at multiple ranges. His original Motoyasu was a tough opponent and this Motoyasu was far stronger at least equipment wise. He did not know who would win that fight. "I'd say I favor myself."
Motoyasu had a big grin on his face. "Same here."
Ren, meanwhile, tried to play the silent type and only replied with a salute, but his expression then turned to an awkward frown as he looked down.
"Say, Naofumi, are you heading to the Church on the day of the Wave?" Motoyasu asked. "We want to go to the Church for some rank ups, do you have anyone in need of that?"
"Oh, I don't have anyone who needs that. My group started at level 1." Naofumi reported. "But I do need to go to the Church anyway for some things, so I'll go with you if that's fine."
2:17:16:35
Itsuki looked unsure. "Are you sure that's okay? Because… you know…Three Heroes."
Naofumi really didn't know how to feel about the Bow Hero. It just seemed like he'd back the underdog just because they were the underdog as long as it wasn't a known criminal. So, maybe this was fine. "I'm positive. As long as you're with me, they'd prefer to support you over attacking me."
Itsuki settled down and rose to his feet. "Very well," he tried to strike a formal tone. "I shall see you then, Naofumi."
"Don't forget our wager: priority over you in the Wave loot and a share of what you collect," Naofumi reminded. "I'm not going to take too much, but I want to have priority on what I want."
"As you wish." Itsuki turned and found the rest of his party gathering. "That's my group. I'll see you later."
Motoyasu flashed a smile as he saw his girls come towards him. Naofumi tried not to look at them. "It's late and Myne needs to be home for dinner."
Ren left for his group without leaving a goodbye. He just waved a hand, like he was too cool for words, and walked off. Cynically, Naofumi thought this was just a way for him to avoid paying for the meal time of every Hero's party, but it wasn't that much money.
Naofumi found himself with his party as the only ones who remained. "Let's get going ourselves."
Keel flashed a big grin. She pantomimed a number of moves while laughing. "Hero fights are something else. It was awesome!"
Rifana put a hand on her lip. "Raphtalia told us about the original fight you had with Sir Motoyasu. Was fighting Itsuki anything like that?"
"Motoyasu has better fundamentals and recovery," Naofumi replied dryly. "Itsuki had no defense and the moment he got cornered, he lost. Motoyasu would have needed a knockout to beat, but Itsuki is very dangerous in his own way."
"The Duel Between Shield and Bow," Rifana said in a mocking tone, as if reading the title on a historical event immortalized in painting. "I wonder what people will say about this. It was mostly just the Heroes' companions and passersby that saw the fight."
"That'll depend on what they think about me," Naofumi said plainly. "I'm not exactly popular, you know?"
There was a bit of a pause before Raphtalia spoke up. "Master Naofumi, I learned something important."
The Shield Hero gave the tanuki a look. "Is something wrong?"
"Not exactly. I think Donut is actually Eclair. I sparred against her; her moves are the same, her eyes are the right color…" Raphtalia looked at him with a pleading look. "I'm very glad she's alive, but… why is she alive? Why is she hiding her identity? That I don't understand."
Naofumi froze, stopping in his tracks. Eclair was alive, not only alive, but as Donut? Such seemed implausible.
"Wait, so you knew that was Lady Seaetto?" Rifana asked. "That was her?"
"Yes, I'm pretty sure it was," Raphtalia confirmed.
"Are you really sure?" Naofumi asked, finally managing to recompose himself. He needed more answers.
Raphtalia nodded. "I told you I sparred with her, right? I asked her to put magic into her sword and she did the exact same thing she tried on you, sword of light and everything."
Naofumi wondered what he or Raphtalia could have done to lead to this sequence of events, but try as he might, Raphtalia was only a slave girl and he was a Hero with few connections at the time of Eclair's supposed death. Did that mean someone else was the cause of her being at Itsuki's side?
"Huh. To think that even our lord's daughter didn't know where babies came from…" Keel said offhandedly.
Where did that come from?
Raphtalia gave a nervous laugh as she moved close to the Shield Hero.
Naofumi blinked several times, not sure of what Raphtalia was doing.
"Uh, Master Naofumi, I have a question?" She seemed quite red.
"Go on."
"...Kissing doesn't cause pregnancy right?" she asked, she sounded so unsure.
"...Uh, not that I know of." Was this Eclair's doing? Unless this world was truly different, there was no way that something like that could have happened. Maybe in a particularly bad anime, sure, but not in reality.
"Good!" Raphtalia said at last. She then brought her close and planted a kiss right on Naofumi's cheek.
Naofumi froze, unable to process that. What just happened?
"Master Naofumi," he could hear Raphtalia's voice calling out, bringing everything back to focus. "Do you remember back then, after that first duel? When you did the same to me? You didn't listen at all when I said I didn't hate it. I was just surprised."
The Shield Hero blinked himself free and felt a whole swell of emotions, recalling what happened the last time he got into a duel. Motoyasu had won with the aid of Bitch, but he had kissed Raphtalia. He thought… that given how shocked the girl was, he had done something wrong. Now, she was the one giving the kiss. "...Wait, Raphtalia, when were you interested in this sort of thing?"
"Since even before, but Master Naofumi has been bad at these sorts of things."
The Shield Hero tried to gather himself. That kiss had caused him to waver. He wasn't the only one either; Keel seemed upset whilst Rifana looked like she was shocked. Keel looked like she wanted to say something, but Rifana grabbed the smaller girl and hauled her away. What was going on?
Raphtalia made a face as she looked at him. "... You don't like that kind of thing?"
Naofumi had no idea how to take it. Raphital echoed her words back then. What was he supposed to answer with? "I… are you sure?"
Raphtalia squeezed his hand and he returned the gesture automatically… He had done this before, but right now, the feeling of holding her hand felt different somehow. He enjoyed the surety of her presence, but there was something else in there, too.
Naofumi's eyes stared into her bright pink eyes. If eyes were the windows into a person's soul, he felt like he was seeing it. It came to him then: all of those comparisons to her being his daughter because he had seen her grow up, that wasn't how she felt about their relationship at all. No wonder why she kept acting the way she did whenever he brought that up.
It was like looking at Raphtalia and realizing she had grown for the second time, or rather it was his perceptions of Raphtalia catching up with who she actually was. She did just grow up the second time, but you're just noticing that she has grown up in just her body. Physically, she was just slightly younger than him, just old enough to enter university. Most men his age would have tried to get a date.
Raphtalia turned her gaze down and kicked the dirt. "I'm making you uncomfortable, aren't I?"
"...I… don't know how to take this." Naofumi rubbed the back of his head. There was a dim light that illuminated Raphtalia for only a moment, but it then subsided. Maybe the light came from a passing torch or a figment of his imagination. "... I just never imagined you'd see me that way."
"... I had my own fears to overcome," Raphtalia asserted herself, a laugh in her voice. It sounded like she was laughing at something about her past self.
Naofumi heard her words and realized how much those words rang true for himself. Bitch, Malty's betrayal still left scars. He was afraid of a repeat, but Raphtalia wasn't anything like that woman. He could trust her and she was taking a big risk doing this all. "If you really want it, I can give it a try," he offered, unsure of where to take this. "I don't really have much experience there though."
A smile dawned on her face. "That's good enough for me."
Naofumi finally got it and it only took him traveling back in time to get it. She wanted it to happen. And it was real, not a dream. "We'll take it slow," he suggested. "We have a lot of things on our plate, including responsibilities to others. That must always come first."
"I know," Raphtalia answered back. "But we'll have some time between, at least."
In a way, nothing had actually changed just yet; they would still rely upon each other to survive in this world. Naofumi was the shield, Raphtalia the sword. Yet at the same time, it meant that everything would change, just a little at a time.
Naofumi looked down and saw that he had held onto Raphtalia's hand. It felt that little bit warmer.
Do parents normally teach their kids how to live? How to choose? Who to trust? Motoyasu didn't know, his didn't stick around very much.
Ever since his parents left him to his own devices, Motoyasu had learned a simple and effective way to navigate through life, to trust in the others around him. Especially the girls.
Back in his old life, Motoyasu had been raised without parental guidance ever since he went into Middle School. Once that happened, he had to rely on the wisdom of others to make it through, especially the two ladies that were his childhood sweethearts…
He tried to think better of them, perhaps hoping the two survived their joint murder-suicide. Maybe they ended up in a similar situation to himself, being transported into a dreamlike world where they'd be until waking up once the journey was over.
Motoyasu knew he was lucky, fortunate to have come here. This world had given him incredible strength; with the people around him, especially the young women who knew so much that they could guide him, he felt invincible.
"Oh, Sir Motoyasu! It's so good to see you," Myne called out. She had been in a much cheerier mood as of late, hopefully it was a sign of recovery since she had just done some nasty business against Rino's former captor.
Motoyasu flashed a smile. "It's good to be back, ladies."
Lesty approached from behind. "We've been waiting for you to come back. I hope the other Heroes weren't giving you so much trouble."
"Not at all," he replied with a smile. Ren was a bit of a lone wolf, Itsuki was a moron, but Naofumi, he was something else.
Both Myne and Lesty leaned close over to him, bringing their delicate, manicured hands to his sides. "We should enjoy ourselves."
A nervousness hit the Spear Hero as visions of two other women in another life held knives to his chest… he blocked out the visions. No, no, Myne and Lesty were his second chance; and unlike the other two, they were far more selfless! "...We can snuggle up in bed later tonight, it uh, your shift, isn't it?"
Both girls gave him resentful frowns, but nodded. "Of course, Sir Motoyasu," Myne replied with a frown.
Motoyasu tried not to let her look of disappointment wound him. He truly wanted to aid his companions, but Naofumi's warning still held him back from… committing. Besides what if Myne got pregnant!? He didn't know the first thing about being a father!
Lesty elbowed him, a whisper came into his ear. "She's still probably upset at having burned a man alive. She wants… more than just a hug."
Motoyasu nodded and turned back to Myne. "Myne, Malty, please don't be upset. I just… don't know if it's right for me to… do anything given what happened and all."
Tears immediately sprang from Myne's eyes. "I can't stop thinking about it!" She threw herself into Motoyasu's arms and profusely cried. "That brothel owner was going to kill Rino! It was the only thing I could do to stop him!"
"It's not murder! It's self defense." Motoyasu patted her on the back. "You did the right thing." Somehow, that brothel owner had enslaved and captured Rino, as well as other girls. Rino had been missing from the party and though Myne and the others said she went off of her own will, Beryl told him that she heard her voice coming from a brothel as they walked past and that Rino was in danger. It appeared that the brothel owner had taken the girl captive and made her into an attraction. Motoyasu had wanted to have him put away for questioning, but apparently the brothel owner threatened to kill the girls using the slave crests with his blood on it. The Spear Hero was thankful that Myne was able to stop him while he was distracted while he was freeing his captives.
"Oh, you understand, you understand me!" Myne cried.
Motoyasu hugged the girl for a good minute. She felt so tender, so warm, so innocent. He wanted to protect that. He didn't know why Naofumi insisted there was something wrong with her; maybe she was at risk of possession or something? How could someone like this be evil?
Eventually she stopped crying.
"Do you want to go back?" Motoyasu offered.
Myne looked up at him with tears still in her eyes. "... I would like that, Sir Motoyasu."
Motoyasu let out a sigh, one problem solved. "Good, good, should we go see your dad?"
Myne slowly nodded her head. "Let's… not talk about any of that with him, okay? We don't want him to get the wrong idea."
The Spear Hero nodded. He didn't want to cause undue stress to both his companion nor her father. "If you don't want that, alright."
Myne flashed her a smile. "Thank you for understanding."
"Master Motoyasu…" Beryl the fox spoke out as she neared. She sounded like she was worried about her appearance. "Er, how do I look?"
Motoyasu turned to find the youngest member of his party dressed up in a wonderful new maid dress. She had been growing so much that her old clothes were awfully suited for her, but once again, that crazy tailor lady outdid herself. "You look great. Do you know how great it is?"
"It's… ostentatious, I think?" the girl replied sheepishly.
Motoyasu giggled to himself. She was so adorable, especially with all of those fancy words they taught her in maid school. "It's better that we find clothes that fit you."
"... Of course, Master Motoyasu," Beryl replied in a flat tone, before giving him a smile. "I just wonder if it's a good idea, because I'll be growing more. Maybe not as much as Raphtalia and Rifana, but I'll be growing and outgrowing this."
Motoyasu then pictured the small fox girl he had taken on as a servant growing up to the size of that tanuki woman that Naofumi had. Would Beryl end up feeling… fond of him then? That was not a thought he wanted to explore. "...Don't worry about it too much."
"Okay," Beryl accepted.
"Oh, look at you," Myne observed the new girl. "You are such an ideal servant, little miss!"
"... Yes, I am!"
Motoyasu moved close. "Myne, you know she's very shy when people give her too much attention."
"Oh, I know!" The incognito princess spoke up. "But I can't help but feel like I need to keep my eye on her!"
"And I," Lesty spoke. "Need to review her studies to see she is at her very best!"
Beryl grabbed hold of Mototyasu's cape and hid behind him, clearly afraid of the two senior women in her party.
The Spear Hero shook his head. It was so nice of the two girls to take care of the young fox. It was so encouraging of them to rise about the centuries of bad blood between the two races, yet Motoyasu couldn't help but feel they were a little bit too eager. And Beryl had so much on her plate with handling so many chores on top of her education.
"... I still wish I could have stayed with Lady Haven."
"Elena is doing very complicated work in Lerno, you would've been bored.. Studying the miracle seed is an important task." Motoyasu replied back. After all, she was the only person in their group who had a proper understanding of business; Naofumi might have not taught him much about that when they met, but he understood money wasn't something he could just ignore. Besides, Elena seemed very happy to take that job.
Beryl frowned.
"Don't worry, Beryl. I'll help you study."
Beryl had such a pretty smile, especially once she got her full set of teeth in. "Okay, Miss Rino."
Motoyasu gave a smile to the newest member of the party. Rino hadn't fit in at first, but the Spear Hero liked to think she had adapted well despite the torment she had endured.
"Now, can you show me how far along you've come?" Rino asked.
Beryl frowned, turning to Motoyasu.
"Go on, show her what you've learned," Motoyasu said.
Beryl winced but bowed. Words escaped her mouth. "As source of thy…power… d-decipher the laws of nature and conjure frost into a blade. …Icicle Sword." Power hummed in the air before frost swirled into a small knife in her hands. The fox looked up at Motoyasu with a nervous expression before dropping the knife to the ground.
Motoyasu whistled, very pleased with the result. His own practice with magic was still minimal, but he was hopeful. He had both a fire and healing affinity and he was eager to make use of them, but alas magic did not come easy to him yet. "So, what did you do this time? You have never done this before."
"... I just did a full incantation…as Rifana told me to do…"
"It's good of you to learn from your friends." Motoyasu gave that a thought. "She's the weasel, right?"
Beryl nodded.
Idly, Motoyasu mused on what it would take to get that girl to come with him, even if for just a day. She looked cute and was very girlish. He wondered if she was anything like that tanuki who was definitely talented. "Is she anything like Raphtalia?"
Beryl nodded once again. "They've been best friends since forever."
"That Naofumi…" The Spear Hero felt a mild bit of jealousy. That Naofumi had two wonderful ladies, just like Lesty and Myne! Raphtalia alone had magic, looks, and swordplay; brains, beauty, and brawn all in one package. Naofumi clearly had to have been using his spoiler knowledge to get someone like them! But no, as much as Motoyasu wanted someone like that, he had plenty of girls already who needed him. Especially one.
Rino gave him a weak smile. "Yeah, that Shield Hero sure is something, isn't he?"
Motoyasu nodded. Naofumi was so dedicated to the world he was in, almost like he treated the whole thing as a job rather than the enjoyable vacation that it was. But some people were natural workaholics, he supposed.
"Hm, pity that the Bow Hero lost," Myne gave a groan. "I was hoping he would have won, but I suppose the priests will have to make due."
"You sure are devoted to your faith," Motoyasu commented, recalling previous incidents. Myne was very religious because she kept talking to priests and nuns every chance she could get, especially recently. Maybe it had to do with the guilt of having defended herself from that brothel owner.
Myne shrugged. "Yes, I suppose. I was planning on getting him to propose banning slavery to my father, but with this loss… that is unlikely to happen now."
Motoyasu frowned. Myne had become so benevolent in such a short amount of time. She was even thinking of how to liberate demihumans from slavery.
Lesty interjected herself. "Such a shame that now the Shield Hero will remain a slaver. Possibly tormenting the girls as we speak."
Motoyasu had a nervous sweat on his forehead. He didn't get that feeling from Naofumi, but it did beg the question of what would happen if Itsuki had won. Probably challenge him over Beryl. "Well, technically I'm a slaver, too…"
Myne turned up her nose. "Yes, but for now, slavery is legal."
Motoyasu turned down to Beryl, who gave an uncomfortable look as the other girls stared at her. She did not like to be the odd one out. "... Master…" she muttered.
Motoyasu gave a sigh. It was because he needed a slave to help him with chores that he got Beryl. If Itsuki had dueled him or had managed to argue that slavery was illegal, where did that leave the fox girl? If she were free, would she want to be around him? She was the only girl who had to stay by his side, rather than be attracted by his looks. "Don't worry, it's not a problem for now."
"...Okay…"
Rino grabbed hold of Motoyasu's hand. "Sir Motoyasu, might I make a suggestion?"
"Uh…" the Spear Hero felt something shift. "Sure, what is it?"
"Beryl is too low level for the Wave, I think," Rino explained. "Also, while we're here, Myne's servants can take care of our needs."
Motoyasu frowned. The whole reason he had gotten Beryl in the first place was so that he didn't have to rely on Myne's generosity too much, but Rino had a point, Beryl would be in danger if she went with them to fight the Wave. "What are you suggesting?"
"That we leave her with her friends for the time being." Rino answered. "They can watch over her and she could use the break. They might even know of someone who can watch her while we're away in the Wave."
Beryl looked uncertain, her eyes moving back and forth as she weighed options.
Motoyasu turned to Myne. "What do you think?"
"Hm?" Myne seemed to be unbothered. "Well, I suppose it is a good idea. She could afford to be far and away from you, Motoyasu, dear. In fact, it would be very ideal."
The Spear Hero took this as a sign to accept. If both Myne and Rino agreed to a course of action, it had to be the right one. "Think of it as a sleepover," Motoyasu spoke to the fox.
"A sleepover?" she murmured.
Motoyasu nodded as he grabbed one of her hands. "Yeah, a sleepover. Up until the Wave is over and we pick you up. They might even know someone who can keep you accompanied."
Beryl looked worried, but bowed. "I… I thank you, Master."
Motoyasu took out the slip of paper that listed the place Naofumi was sleeping in. He couldn't read it yet, but he could at least make out the letters. He handed the piece to Rino. "You know where this is?"
The woman nodded. "Yes, we can pass-by, don't worry."
But Motoyasu was worried. "You could opt to stay out as well, too."
Rino shook her head. "I'm fine Sir Motoyasu. Don't fret for my sake, I can fight in the Wave."
Motoyasu grumbled in his heart. He… didn't like the idea of pretty ladies fighting on his behalf, but Rino had insisted on it, even when she had been… violated so cleanly. Even though she was just at level 30 right now, he still felt very worried; he did not want a repeat of her getting harmed. "Just… stay close, okay?"
The woman gave a smile. "Of course. Thank you for understanding."
Myne gave a groan. "Oh, Sir Motoyasu!" the woman called. "We have to get going, or else our dinner will be cold!"
Startled and unwilling to disappoint Myne, the Spear Hero led his party forward. "Uh, right, it's your day today, isn't it, Myne?"
Myne grunted. She was upset of course.
A nervous sweat broke out over the Spear Hero's head; yeah it was his fault for not giving time to his trusted friends, but he couldn't help it!
Still, at the back of his head, the Spear Hero had to wonder… If Rino had been sold into slavery while she was in the group, how many of the other women that had decided to leave him meet the same fate? And if that was the case… What kind of stalker was preying upon the people he cared for?
Some more information on Motoyasu's timeline.
I hope the kiss was well received by readers. I felt that given the timeline and the context of both the original kiss and of retreading old ground, this was a likely development.
For those of you know LN stuff, you'll know what's up with Keel.