Chapter Forty-Five: Flight and Fight
Filo banked sharply on a curve, avoiding a street full of terrified civilians.
"Whaaaaaa!" All the kid slaves inside the wagon yelled in terror. Gripping to the wood boards, the adults, or to each other as the large wagon rode on two wheels through the curve before sharply crashing down.
Filo was lucky to have grabbed such a large wagon. She only wished there was a covering over it like her last wagon. Then she wouldn't have had to worry about sending its occupants flying out.
Fortunately, they were hanging on for now.
Naofumi cracked the reins again. Encouraging Filo to go even faster. Eclair and Melty held on to each other tightly. Welt held to the wall. Only Raphtalia didn't look panicked.
She was huddled over on the bench behind Naofumi, being silent, and protectively holding Rifana's body to herself.
"Damn it! I can't believe that noble unsealed that monster!" Ren yelled angrily. "I should have double-tapped him instead of opening the gates!... oh, Gods, I can't believe I said that. That's so messed up." Ren held his head in his hands.
Behind them, the Tyrant Dragon Rex shattered part of the wall around Idol's manor. It was 20 meters tall and looked like a giant modified T. Rex with dragon characteristics. Its underbody was a reddish-orange color, and the rest of its scales were a blackish-purple in the light of the moon. Large spikes traveled up its tail to a crown of spikes on its head. It let out another earth-shattering roar, showing off its mouth of sharp teeth.
"Ren, do you know what the hell that thing is?!" Naofumi yelled.
"In my game, it's called the Tyrant Dragon Rex. It was one of the major bosses you could face in this town with your guild." Ren said.
"Any background story for why it's here?!"
"Not that I remember. All I remember is that it required a special item to unseal it. But I didn't see that idiot using any item!"
"Because everything isn't the same from your game!"
"I know that!"
The Tyrant Rex roared again. More stuff came crashing down. Ren looked back, and his face paled.
Its eyes, large red glowing pupils surrounded by pools of black, were looking straight at their wagon. It lumbered in their direction. Knocking down buildings with its immense bulk.
There hadn't been many monsters from his game that he feared to face without a guild.
But this one was definitely on that list.
"Forget it, let's just get out of here before it thinks we're its meal!" Ren yelled at the Shield Hero.
Filo looked back at the raging monster. She started to slow down. "Wait, a Dragon! Filo wants to fight the dragon-" She started to say fiercely.
"No!" Naofumi vehemently refused.
"But I-"
Naofumi cracked the reins again. "I said no! Now run!"
"But I want to fight it!" Filo complained.
"You can fight it another time Filo." Melty weakly offered. Scared out of her mind. "Let's worry about getting out of here first."
"But Filo wants to fight it nowwwwww…" Filo's whining turned to a worried tone, seeing the fear her best friend was feeling. It was enough that it kept her from trying to fight the big dragon.
Filo continued pulling the wagon. Having to change streets to avoid crowds of panicking civilians and other things on the road. There were several times that small groups of knights tried to impede them, but Filo plowed right through them like they were bowling pins. There was the sound of more buildings being destroyed. But Naofumi didn't try to concern himself with it.
They had to get out of the city.
A larger contingent of Church knights blocked the road ahead. But Naofumi was sure Filo could take them. Up until Ren started screaming in a panic.
"Veer left! Veer left!"
A shadow loomed overhead. And Naofumi yanked Filo's reins. She veered sideways onto another street, again putting the wagon and its screaming occupants on two wheels.
The Tyrant Dragon Rex burst out of a building in front of them. It stumbled to regain its footing, roaring as the group fled down a different street.
The Church knights screamed at the beast's appearance. And either turned to flee or rushed to attack it. But the large monster didn't notice, other than its large tail slamming into most of them as it turned to follow the two Cardinal Heroes.
"Veer right!" Ren yelled.
"Why-"
"Just stop questioning me damn it!" Ren was not very good when he lost his cool and aloof manner. He looked very afraid.
Filo curved harshly right onto another street. She had to use wind magic just to keep the wagon from tipping over. The demi-kids inside, instead of screaming, looked like they were going to get sick from all the jarring and moving.
It was almost like looking at a group of small Raphtalia's all over again.
Not the appropriate time for thoughts like that, Naofumi supposed.
Behind them, the Tyrant Dragon Rex crashed into a corner building on the street. It got back up, roared, and started after their wagon again.
"I knew it! It's following us!" Ren yelled. "Of course, it has to be following us! Maybe it thinks we're its next meal!?"
"Why us?! That thing probably hasn't eaten in a thousand years! There should be plenty of stuff around to keep it occupied!" Naofumi yelled back.
"I don't know?! Maybe Cardinal Heroes taste better or something!? I'm not a freaking dinosaur!"
Naofumi got worried.
"Normally if you run this far, it'd leave you alone or go back into the obelisk it was sealed in!" Ren said. "My game knowledge is useless here!"
"Then do something useful?! Like using that sword of yours to get us out of here!" Naofumi yelled at him.
"I already tried! It stopped working the moment that thing was unsealed!"
...
&*^%$*^%&*$^%*&$*$^%*&$^%*$^%&%*&$^%&$^%*&^.
Naofumi was very pissed off with the Sword Hero at that moment.
"Filo can fight it, daddy! Filo can take it-" Filo was saying again.
"No!" Naofumi and Ren both yelled at her.
"But Filo wants to fight the dragon!" Filo complained.
What was up with Filo? She was pulling a super heavy wagon! Naofumi thought she loved doing that! She's always wanted to pull something like this! So why was she suddenly being brave and wanting to fight the big scary monster?! Did she have something against dragons or something?! Why hadn't this come up sooner?!
The Tyrant Dragon Rex was still chasing after them. They changed to an empty street in the direction of the side gate just to try and lose the monster. But then Itsuki and all the various party members appeared running onto the street in front of them. "Let us on! Let us on!" They yelled. Shouts were coming from the street they'd run off from.
"Air Strike Shield!"
Naofumi formed the shield sideways like a platform a couple of feet off the ground to the side. Filo slowed down just enough for the party to jump in using the shield platform. And then she took off running again.
Behind them, more explosions sounded. But the knights and mages who charged out onto the street to chase after them got stomped on by the Tyrant Dragon Rex.
"I don't want to visit this city ever again!" Itsuki yelled, dusting himself off as he moved up to the front near the other two heroes. All of Ren and Itsuki's party members scrunched up in different spots in the back of the wagon. Making it more packed than before.
After they'd heard the roar, they'd all been wise enough to group up again. Find Itsuki. And to run like bats out of hell for the side gate.
Fortunately, they'd gotten here before Naofumi and Ren passed them by.
Aksel panted, looking dead tired. "Move somewhere else," Aksel complained.
"But there isn't anywhere else Axe." Maya teased on Aksel's lap.
He groaned, wishing he had room to collapse on his face spread eagle.
The fact that Filo was pulling over forty people in the wagon was amazing. Granted, Naofumi and Ren had also used Support Spells on Filo to help boost her strength. Still, this was incredible.
"Let me guess!" Ren said. "Your portal skill isn't working either!"
Itsuki sat on the other side of Naofumi in the wide driver's seat. "Yeah, why isn't it working?! And what the hell is that thing?!" Itsuki pointed back at the large monster chasing after them.
It obviously hadn't been in his game. Or if it was, he never got around to facing it.
"Idol wasn't down in the army camp," Naofumi answered. "We had to face him in his manor. And the fat bastard unsealed this monster before he died. It's been chasing us the last while."
Filo shifted to the other side of the street. Right after, a piece of debris launched by the monster struck the pavement. The Tyrant Dragon Rex roared once more.
"Arrow Squall!" The arrow skill traveled overhead and separated into a rain of explosive arrows on the monster.
It briefly covered it in smoke, but it came running out. Shaking its head in agitation, and still chasing after them without any visible wounds on it.
Itsuki paled, seeing his skill barely affect it. "Let's get out of the city! Maybe it'll lose interest if we leave the area!" He suggested.
"That's what we were thinking!"
The wagon continued on. Itsuki used more arrow skills to take down groups of knights that tried to attack them or as attempts to slow the monster chasing them down.
The citizens, fortunately, thinned out. But then, a minute later, the largest Church Army contingent yet blocked the square in front of the side gates. Hundreds upon hundreds of knights and mages filled the square. Several shadows in the area issued orders, and the ballistae on the walls fired large bolts down into the street around them. And the mages prepared spells.
"Air Strike Shield!" Naofumi summoned the Shield Skill above in front of Filo. Several different ballistae bolts exploded against it, but the Shield didn't crack.
Itsuki fired an arrow, intercepting another ballistae bolt midair. It exploded a dozen feet above the wagon. But didn't harm anyone below it.
"Right, Filo! Go right!" Naofumi ordered.
Filo veered right down a different street as the army's mages released their spells. The street they left behind exploded in a myriad of different elemental spells. The street they were on now ran towards a dead-end wall. There were buildings on both sides, but two more ballistae were in view up top, reloading for another volley.
"Sir Naofumi!?" Eclair and Melty yelled in surprise. The others in the back gasped when they saw the large looming wall.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" Ren screamed in a panic.
"I'll take this one!"
Wyndia came up front. Ren stopped screaming at her appearance and looked at her in confusion.
"My Dragon Vein Magic, dummy! I'll handle the wall! Just get some skills ready before we smash into it!" She quickly explained.
"Oh, right." He and Itsuki got up on either side of Naofumi. They prepared their weapons to launch skills while Wyndia chanted. "I call upon the power of the Earth to come to me and take form. Dragon Vein, hear my petition! Earth Vein, lend me your strength! Give me the power needed to break the obstacle before us! Give me the power to turn our defeat into a victory!" Wyndia continued to chant, focusing her hands in front of her as they began to glow.
"Meteor Arrow!"
"Meteor Slash!"
The two skills exploded against the wall. Bricks and large chunks of rock exploded outward. It made a hole, but the wall was thick. There was still plenty in the way.
Dark flames coalesced in front of Wyndia's hands, and she thrust them forward. "Black Fire Explosion!"
A concentrated burst shot out. Impacting with the remainder of the wall.
KABOOM!
The resulting explosion almost knocked the running Filo off her feet and caused Naofumi to summon another Air Strike Shield to make sure none of the blast or debris hit any of the slaves in the back of the wagon. The knights manning the ballistae up top dove out of the way. As the heat of the explosion raced up past them.
Filo ran into the cloud of dust, gripping the wagon tightly with her wings as it rocked over the debris. She also braced herself in case she ran into anything. The demi-humans inside burrowed together, ears against their heads, and tails spiked in fear.
…
...
Filo came charging out of the dust cloud. She veered sharply to get onto the road leading through the forest. The hole in the wall the hero's skills and Wyndia's magic had made had been just big enough for the whole wagon to make it through. Everyone inside was unharmed.
"We did it!" Itsuki cheered. His party members and Ren's also cheered behind him.
Wyndia collapsed onto the floor of the wagon in front of Ren. The Sword Hero helped her onto a bench with a grateful look on his face.
"Well done. Thank you for saving us." He rubbed her head between her ears and gave her a happy smile.
"Sch... fine." Wyndia was too tired to try and complain.
In fact, she was starting to think he should thank her more often like this.
Though, at this point, she'd refuse to admit it even under torture or threat of death.
Raphtalia didn't react to the celebration going on. She continued to sit numbly in her spot, grasping Rifana's body to herself.
They'd managed to save the slaves. Escape from the Church Army. And the monster was trapped in the city behind them.
"Finally! Let's leave this city behind and-" Naofumi was yelling.
The entire height of the wall exploded outwards. This time, from the force of the 20-meter monster slamming through it. Everyone in the wagon looked back at it. All of them were very surprised and shocked.
The Tyrant Dragon Rex stumbled to the ground as stone and the remains of ballistae fell around it. It got back up and roared once more. Its eyes focused on the wagon, and it charged past the opening gates, almost squashing another segment of the Church Army being sent to pursue them.
"Why the hell is that thing still chasing us?!" Naofumi yelled.
"I don't know!" Itsuki said frantically.
Everyone except one person in the back of the wagon looked in fear at it.
Idol's cellar was starting to look way more inviting than this monstrosity chasing them down.
"Come on! Faster Filo!" Naofumi said. "Faster!"
Filo was already exerting herself. This wagon was far bigger and filled way more than any previous wagon she'd pulled before. But at Naofumi's command, she pushed herself harder. The road was wide open in front of her, and nobody was on it. Giving her plenty of room to run as fast as she could.
There were bumps and jostles, but nothing too major. They started to pull away from the monster. But it merely roared in agitation and didn't stop trying to pursue them.
The city grew distant, but it still didn't stop.
"Seriously, what did we do to piss it off!?" Naofumi asked angrily.
"Is it possible that it's attracted to us because of our weapons?!" Itsuki asked.
"Why would it be attracted to our weapons?! That doesn't make any sense!"
"I'm just trying to throw suggestions out there! There's obviously some reason it's trying to chase us down! And I doubt it's because it wants piano lessons!" Itsuki yelled angrily.
Ren got into the back of the wagon and looked at the charging monster closely.
"It's ignoring everything and going after us! Why the hell is it doing that?!" Welt yelled, looking scared out of his mind.
"I don't know. I'm not familiar with this monster!" Rachel was saying. The various party members, along with Itsuki and Naofumi were freaking out.
Ren noticed a purple glow in its chest.
That glow... it was... familiar?
He looked closely at his sword and found a light purple glow that was barely noticeable coming from his gemstone. He quickly checked his inventory with his HUD.
An item in it was surrounded by purple glowing text. It was the same thing he wanted to give to Wyndia.
Dragon Emperor Core Fragment
He pulled it out of his gemstone. It pulsed a dull purple in his hand.
The Tyrant Dragon Rex saw the item it was seeking for appear, and it let out another roar of fury as it began to run after them even faster than before.
The others were still freaking out. But the dots were connecting in Ren's mind.
"It's not chasing after us... It's chasing after this." He said in realization.
"It's chasing after me."
…
The wagon was silent. Almost everyone looked at him. It'd been just loud enough that everyone heard him. "Sir Ren?" Tersia asked confusedly.
Wyndia saw what Ren was holding, and her tired eyes widened in shock.
The Sword Hero put the fragment back into his sword. His face saddened more in the space of that moment than any other time in the past few months.
"I have an item. Something I got from absorbing the dragon Gaelion... I think it's chasing me because I have it." Ren said in a dead voice.
"What are you talking about Ren?" Naofumi asked confusedly. He hadn't recognized what Ren had been carrying.
Ren stood up. Looking back at the beast.
He finally understood. It wasn't staring at the wagon. It was staring at HIM.
Filo was keeping ahead for now since they weren't weaving through streets and dodging people. But she was starting to sweat from exertion. Even she had her limits. If she had to keep up this pace, then that monster would catch up to them, and...
"Sir Ren, what are you doing?!" Wyndia yelled. She laid tiredly against the side of the wagon now, but her eyes looked frantically at Ren. Realizing what was going through his mind.
Ren gripped the side of the wagon. To him, it was his fault this monster was chasing them. He knew he should have checked Idol to make sure he was dead. He knew he should have double-tapped the bastard, as sick as that sounded in his mind.
But he'd been more worried about freeing the slaves so his party wouldn't have to be out in the city risking their lives. He'd been more worried about his party instead of himself… and now, this horrible monster was after them. And he'd failed to stop its summoning in time.
The least he could do was lead it away, so the others would have a chance to escape. "Keep them safe." He said, looking back at the other Heroes.
"No, no! Ren-!" Wyndia tried reaching out to stop him, as well as Ren's other party members, but Ren jumped from the wagon. He hit the ground rolling, and then got up and ran towards the forest.
The monster let out a roar and veered into the forest after Ren.
"Rennnnnnn!" Wyndia screamed, this time in fear.
Ren ignored her. And he disappeared into the foliage. The monster down the road disappeared into the large trees after Ren.
"What the- did that idiot just seriously run off by himself?!" Naofumi yelled angrily.
Filo breathed in and out heavily, finally slowing down somewhat without the threat of the monster chasing after them for dinner.
"That idiot! What does he think he's doing?!" Itsuki said angrily. "He can't fight that thing by himself!"
"... You're right Itsuki! Second Princess! Get up here!" Naofumi ordered.
Melty stood up indignantly. "How many times do I have to say to stop calling me that-"
"Just take the reins bluette! Make sure everyone gets away safely or I swear I'll never trust you again!" Naofumi adjusted the Shield on his arm as he thrust the reins into Melty's surprised hands.
"Sir Naofumi, what are you doing?" Eclair asked.
Naofumi grumbled. "I'm making sure that idiot doesn't get himself killed."
Itsuki looked surprised, and then he nodded and got himself ready. Quickly downing a Soul Healing Water.
Melty wordlessly took the reins from Naofumi. He and Itsuki both got to the edge of the wagon to jump off.
"But what about the rest of us, Sir Naofumi?" Eclair asked. "What do you want us to do?"
"Stay with the slaves. Meet up with Van. Once we take this thing down, Itsuki or Ren will portal the three of us out. And we'll meet you in the region of Seaetto." Naofumi said seriously. Looking over them all.
The former slaves, of course, were looking at them in admiration. But the party members themselves looked conflicted. Unsure if this was the right thing to do or not.
Wyndia was being cradled by one of Ren's mages. Bakta and Ren's other party members looked pleadingly at him and Itsuki. Raphtalia still wasn't looking up. A single tear fell from her face, landing on the wrapping covering Rifana.
"Daddy. Filo can fight. Please let Filo fight the dragon." Filo pleaded tiredly.
"Filo." Naofumi leaned forward and pet the running bird on one of her wings gripping the wagon. "They need your help. Mommy needs your help. Please, make sure they all get to safety." He said pleadingly. "I promise I'll be right back."
Filo turned her head to look at Naofumi... She wordlessly nodded. Realizing at an innate level that Naofumi was trying to protect them all. And that included Ren and Itsuki.
Naofumi almost hesitated. Not wanting to leave them behind. Not wanting to leave Raphtalia behind when she was in such a state. But then he and Itsuki jumped off the wagon, Naofumi formed an Air Strike Shield platform that they hit running, and they jumped off it onto the edge of the road. Together, they ran into the forest after Ren and the Tyrant Dragon Rex.
"It's okay. Sir Ren will make it out okay." Tersia said softly. Cradling the tired Wyndia to her.
"That idiot… that moron… that stupid… stupid…" Wyndia had tears trailing down her face. Tears she was hiding from everyone else.
She really wished that she hadn't expended almost all her energy using that Dragon Vein spell now. She could at least help the idiot fight something that was far stronger than them all then.
But no, she had decided to act earlier. And now, she was in no state to help the Sword Hero out.
Filo pulled the wagon of slaves and party members away from the city. Away from the Church Army. Away from the danger of the Tyrant Dragon Rex. And away from the Three Heroes rushing to face it.
The dog girl cried from the frustration of it all.
"... So, you managed to find a candidate to take over as the next queen, huh?"
A little girl with angel wings on her back petted a blue feathered Filolial on the head. The Filolial chirped happily in response to the petting and rubbed her head into the little angel girl's hand.
"Oh… You say she's not far from here?" The Filolial nodded but chirped some more.
"Hmmm… she's not far… but she's running away? From what?"
The Filolial chirped again. The little girl thought it over.
...
"I see… I will see her soon. Go, and assist the Three Heroes. If they need help, call for me."
The Filolial nodded, and two more walked up beside it. The girl breathed in calmly and rested her hand on the lead Filolial.
"Transport, Carriage."
The three Filolials shimmered and then disappeared entirely.
The little angel girl looked at the forest around her worriedly.
She'd meet this Filolial Queen Candidate eventually. But for now, it sounded like three of the Cardinal Heroes were in danger. But if they were working together, this would be the perfect time to watch.
After all, the Holy Heroes had to come first. And they'd need to work together if they wanted to save the world.
Ren slid under a log blocking his way, then he got up and continued running.
A moment later, a large foot smashed the log and the surrounding trees to pieces. The Tyrant Dragon Rex roared, continuing to chase after Ren.
"Come on. I know it's near here. Where is it?" Ren muttered. Trying to remember the area from his game.
Even if there were differences, the map was still mostly the same.
The tall monster lowered its head during its charge to snap Ren up. But Ren quickly jumped to the side, avoiding the teeth. "Air Strike Bash!" He used the skill to propel himself away from the large monster and continued running.
About fifteen seconds later, he finally ran out into a wide-open meadow. A small crystal-like lake rested a few hundred feet in front of him. He ran towards the lake and stopped about a hundred feet away from it. Turning to face the forest, breathing in and out heavily.
The forest wouldn't be a good place to fight a creature of that size. He wouldn't have only had to worry about its attacks, but also the falling trees and other debris.
Here, he had plenty of room to fight. Thank goodness this lake was still here.
Was he being stupid wanting to fight this thing by himself? Definitely. Was he scared? Terrified. Flight and Fight were leaning heavily towards Flight.
But did he want his party and everyone else to be safe and not be the ones to pay for his mistakes?
Absolutely.
...
A few seconds later, the large monster broke through the rest of the trees. Running out onto the field of grass. Ren breathed in calmly, hoping he hadn't made a mistake deciding to fight this guild-level boss monster by himself. Itsuki's strengthening methods had helped him become stronger, but he didn't know if he was strong enough to face this monster...
The monster roared as it charged. His sword glowed, and he kneeled to the ground.
It was time to begin.
"One Hundred Swords!"
Glowing blue swords appeared out of the ground around him by the dozens, flying through the air and impacting against the Tyrant Dragon Rex.
Because of its sheer size, most of them hit, but they didn't do much damage or stop the monster from swiping its tail at Ren.
Ren jumped and brought his sword down as the tail went underneath him as another skill finished charging up. "Crimson Blade!"
The fiery blade cut into the tail as it swiped past, and the flames stuck to it. Ren ran forward. The creature beat its tail against the ground. Putting out the fire.
"Thunderbolt Slash!" He slashed into the thick leg of the monster with his skill. Electricity shot out from the point of impact, but the blade didn't sink very far into the flesh. "Eagle Blade!" He slashed again, using a wind-based skill. But it also barely left a dent in the thick scales.
The monster stomped down, and Ren jumped back, grimacing to himself. He'd gotten four good skills on it. But they hardly did any damage.
Just how high was the defense stat on this creature!?
The creature brought its foot up again, and Ren jumped back. Avoiding where it stomped down on the ground. "Meteor Slash!"
The skill exploded against the upper portion of the monster's leg. This time, the monster roared as if it had hurt. A tiny gash had been made in the scales, which leaked blood slowly.
Ren prepared to use another skill, but his eyes saw the tail too late.
Pow!
The tail knocked Ren away, sending him rolling across the grass up to the edge of the lake. He groaned, trying to get on his knees. His nose was bloody, and his whole body felt like it'd been bruised.
Getting hurt, hurt way more than it did in his VR games. His HUD pinged warnings at him, and he checked his status.
The single tail swipe alone had almost completely drained his HP! He must have been hurt even more badly than he'd thought! As if to prove that, he coughed up blood.
'JUST HOW POWERFUL IS THIS THING?!' Ren thought in genuine fear. Then he shook his head. 'No! I have to buy the others more time to escape! I have to help them escape!' His portal skill still wasn't working. He stood back up.
"Flashing Sword!" His blade released a burst of light at the charging creature. Its eyes closed at the bright flash of light.
Ren charged up another skill and sent it flying at the creature instead of trying to run away. It left a somewhat noticeable scratch on its face that made it roar in anger.
He had to take this monster down.
It was his fault. It was all his fault.
Not just today. But so many other things were his fault. He'd made some bad mistakes. He hadn't done enough to help make up for it.
He had to make up for it, he had to get rid of this awful feeling of guilt inside his chest, before-
A blue arrow exploded against the side of its head. "Gruhhhhh!" The Dragon Tyrant Rex roared in pain, falling sideways to the ground with a loud rumble. A single puncture wound slowly leaked blood from under its left eye.
"Ren!"
Itsuki and Naofumi came charging out of the forest. They ran past the stunned monster up to Ren.
"What are you two doing? I have everything handled." Ren said, grimacing at their appearance.
"Everything handled my &^%! You look like you can barely stand you idiot!" Naofumi said before chanting. "Fast Heal!" The healing spell washed over Ren, healing some of his internal damage.
The Shield Hero also tossed him a healing potion, which Ren gladly took.
The monster started getting back up. Ren looked much better after the healing took effect. "Look, it's my fault that monster was chasing after us," Ren said. "I should be the one to face it so you can escape-"
"Yeah, and have you die on us. I don't think so." Itsuki said.
"I was doing fine-"
"You were almost dead, Ren!" Itsuki cut him off. "If this really isn't a game, then I don't want to risk my friend dying!" Ren was silenced at Itsuki's words.
"You helped me before Ren. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you and Itsuki." Naofumi said. If Ren and Itsuki hadn't spoken up at the Sacred Duel, he would have been rotting away in some dungeon. As well as Raphtalia. If Ren hadn't told him about the Weapon Copy System, he wouldn't have had the Royal Shield when he faced Bitch. If Ren hadn't come to the Capital to rescue him, he'd be good as dead. And if Ren hadn't shared his strengthening methods, Idol's whip would have taken him down in his courtyard.
Ren was speechless as Naofumi glowered. "Stop trying to be a loner and just let us help you for once, damn it!" Naofumi's shield glowed, and he changed to the Shield of Hope II.
Light surrounded Naofumi and his shield. The robe that had appeared before wrapped around Naofumi's left side, taking the place of his armor. His eyes turned blue. He felt strong emotions begin coursing through him, but he grimaced at other emotions that lurked in the background. Worry for Raphtalia and Filo. Fear for their survival. And other such things. But for now, the positive emotions in him held sway.
5:00, 4:59, 4:58
A timer appeared on his HUD. Counting down from five minutes.
Itsuki shook his head. "Show off much?" He said sarcastically.
The comment almost got Ren to chuckle, and he readied his sword. Naofumi's words inspired him.
"Alright. Let's face it. Together."
The monster roared and charged the group of three.
Naofumi took point. Raising his shield up high.
Boom!
The monster's large head slammed into the large glassy Shield. Naofumi grimaced, his knees slightly bending as he took damage from the hit.
"As source of thy power I order I order thee, decipher the laws of nature, and strengthen my target. Zweite Strength!" Ren cast the support spell on Naofumi.
It wasn't a very big percentage increase since he learned the spell from a crystal ball, but it was just enough that Naofumi stopped the monster, and then pushed back, causing the large monster to stumble back.
Twenty meters tall, but it couldn't move Naofumi out of its way.
One hit had almost killed Ren. Itsuki's defense stat wasn't as high as Ren's, and neither was his level. Naofumi had to keep both safe while they inflicted damage.
Good thing he was a Shielder.
"Lightning Arrow!"
"Thunderbolt Slash!"
The arrow and slash both slammed into the same leg. The monster roared, turned, and swiped its tail. Naofumi ran to their side. "Air Strike Shield!" The tail slammed into the green shield. The skill almost instantly shattered, but it bought Naofumi enough time to get in position to block with his shield again.
The hit damaged him slightly. Naofumi grimaced at that, but he still ran after Ren who charged the roaring beast again. At least it only damaged him slightly despite the debuff.
Thank the gods for the strengthening methods.
"Explosion, shot!" The disc of red appeared in front of Itsuki again, and the explosive arrow exploded against the side of the monster's head.
"Dragon, Buster!" Ren jumped and impaled his dragon flame-covered sword into its leg above its knee.
The monster roared from both hits. Both of which pierced the scales and left small wounds. It tried to stomp on Ren after he jumped back. But Naofumi was there, holding his shield up to protect Ren. The foot slammed down into it, but Naofumi held.
He did better than hold his own. He grabbed the foot with his impressive STR stat and pushed it so it stumbled backward, almost falling over from being off-balance.
"Saint Arrow's Rain!" Itsuki unleashed the spread skill over the creature. Covering it in a blanket of fiery red arrows.
The dance of death continued for a short while. Ren and Itsuki unleashed skill after skill. Both of them chugged Soul Healing Waters in between.
Naofumi blocked, ran around, blocked some more. He mainly protected Ren, who was the focus of the Tyrant Dragon Rex's attacks. And he chugged a Soul Healing Water whenever his SP ran low.
"Eagle Piercing Shot!" Itsuki released another arrow. This one took the form of an eagle.
It screeched and then penetrated right into the gut of the beast. While most of the other skills caused surface damage, the defense-piercing skill went right through the skin. A spout of blood burst from the creature.
"ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAA!" The monster roared loudly in pain and anger.
Ren and Naofumi jumped away. "Yeah! That's how it's done, Itsuki!" Ren said excitedly. Preparing another skill.
The 20-meter tall monster stepped back. A magic pentagram appeared in front of its mouth.
Naofumi's eyes widened. "Get behind me!"
Ren and Itsuki's eyes also widened at the magic pentagram, and they raced behind Naofumi. "Air Strike Shield! Royal Shield! Shield Prison!" The cluster of different shields appeared in front of Naofumi. The Shield Prison encased himself, Ren, and Itsuki. Despite all the protection, he got in a brace position, his Shield held protectively with both hands in front of him.
The pentagram glowed, and then the Tyrant Dragon Rex unleashed a breath of magic fire over the area. The Royal Shield shattered almost immediately. The Air Strike Shield shattered next. Finally, the Shield Prison shattered. Naofumi stayed at point though, his Shield glowing blue like a barrier while it blocked the remainder of the magic fire.
When the attack was finished, The area around them had been burned away by the attack. Leaving nothing but the charred ground. Had they not taken cover behind Naofumi's shields… it wouldn't have been pretty.
"How the hell is this thing so strong?!" Itsuki asked once more.
It was bleeding from several different minor wounds. As well as the more serious wound in its gut. But it still looked as strong and fearsome as ever.
The three of them separated, Naofumi blocked a claw attack with his Shield. Ren came slashing in with another sword skill. Itsuki released another arrow skill that released a spread of arrows over the whole creature. But they were causing barely any visible surface damage.
2:47, 2:46, 2:45
Naofumi jumped back and almost collapsed. He still felt positive emotions coursing into him. But it felt like his worry and fear were growing stronger and stronger. Wanting to take over his mind.
What if they couldn't defeat this monster? What if it wasn't just after Ren? What if this monster killed them, and then ran on to kill his party and everyone else they were trying to protect? What if-
"Naofumi!"
Naofumi blinked and barely reacted in time. Protecting Ren from another tail strike from the monster. However, Ren's spell had worn off, and this time he was sent flying from the force of the hit.
"Oof!"
He impacted the ground. The light from his Shield and robe were fading, much to his alarm. He cast Fast Guard on himself, got back up, and blocked another strike from the Tyrant Dragon Rex.
'Stop worrying on what you don't know! Just focus on the fight! Remember who you're fighting for!' He tried to motivate himself to keep going.
Itsuki and Ren peppered the large monster with more skills. It got several more gashes that bled. But they were minor, and the creature barely showed signs of slowing down.
But Naofumi, Ren, and Itsuki were becoming exhausted from the whole ordeal.
The Shield Hero's arms felt numb from blocking so many hits. Ren's sword attacks looked slower and less powerful than before. Itsuki ran around from all sorts of angles, trying to find a chink in the monster that would allow his arrows to do more damage. But nothing was working.
Naofumi wasn't sure how long they'd been fighting. But it felt like an eternity. An eternity that dragged on more and more the longer Naofumi kept the Shield equipped.
He tried using Hope Asunder, but it required the Tyrant Dragon to be trapped against Air Strike Shield in order to use it. Any attempt to set it up resulted in the skill shattering before he could use it.
He tried to use Pandora's Box even though he didn't know what it did yet, but his shield informed him that it required the target to be trapped inside the expanded Shield Prison. And since the Tyrant Dragon Rex was way over the size limit of Shield Prison, he couldn't use the unknown skill on it.
After a particularly brutal hit when Naofumi had thirty seconds left on the shield, Naofumi got the feeling that he had to switch shields now before it was too late. So he switched to the Chimera Viper Shield.
Almost immediately, the worry and fear and other negative emotions that had felt like they were going to drag him down disappeared. A wave of exhaustion also slammed into Naofumi.
Ren used Air Strike Bash to blow himself away from the monster's next tail swipe, seeing Naofumi bent over in exhaustion. "Naofumi!" He yelled worriedly.
Naofumi's Health was down to about half now from defending. The somewhat weaker shield wouldn't hold as well as the other one, even with magic support. "Buy us some time Itsuki!" Ren yelled, running over to Naofumi and helping him up.
"Ugh… that thing outclasses my defense by a mile." Naofumi groaned.
Ren grimaced. Not sure about how he could reply to that.
"Meteor Arrow! Explosion Shot!" Itsuki used two of his strongest skills. Both of which exploded against one of the monster's eyes.
"I don't know if we can win," Naofumi said. Looking downtrodden and defeated. His words caused Ren to deflate.
There really wasn't a chance for them to defeat it. They just weren't strong enough. They didn't have-
"Eagle Piercing Shot!" Itsuki released the skill again, this time aiming below its chest. The screeching eagle hit just below the glow, and the Tyrant Dragon Rex stopped in its tracks. It backed away, roaring louder and in more pain than it had before.
"Why is it doing that now?" Naofumi asked. The first few had been effective. But not like this one.
"I-" Ren almost facepalmed. "That's it! The glowing center in its chest! That has to be its weak spot!" He yelled in realization.
The monster had stepped back almost to the edge of the forest. But it slammed its two feet into the ground and roared in anger once more. A magic pentagram began forming over its mouth again.
Itsuki charged behind Naofumi, who, at Ren's encouragement, unleashed the different shields around them again. He then downed two Soul Healing Waters because he was running low.
"Are you sure that's its weak point?" Naofumi tiredly asked. He really wanted it to be a weak point. Because trying to take down the monster with repeated attacks was proving next to impossible.
At the thought, he then remembered those he'd left behind. He remembered his party. He remembered Filo and Raphtalia...
"You know what. If there's a chance we can beat it, I'm all for it." He didn't want to die here. He didn't want to leave them alone.
"There is," Ren said, thinking of a plan quickly in his mind. Itsuki's defense piercing skill would be on cooldown, but they needed something bigger... "Naofumi, can you change back to the Blessed Series again?" Ren asked.
Naofumi grimaced tiredly. "I don't know if that's safe Ren. It felt like I was falling into a pit towards the end there. If I change back now, something bad might happen."
Magic fire launched from the Tyrant Dragon Rex, slamming into the array of Shields.
"Naofumi, our attacks aren't doing much to it because of the high defense stat. We need something to lower it so our next attacks can work." Ren said seriously.
The Royal Shield and Air Strike Shield shattered. "Do you have an idea to restrain it long enough so I can use it?" Naofumi asked. "Because it didn't work earlier. I need it to be restrained so I can get the combo off to use Hope Asunder on it."
...
"..." Naofumi and Ren felt a dark presence behind them. They turned their heads, and their eyes widened in shock, seeing Itsuki wielding his white colorless Cursed Bow. He clutched at his head, his eyes glowed a light purple. But it was still him for now.
"Tank this last attack. And I'll make sure… it's bound for you." The Bow Hero said, straining against a great weight inside his mind.
The Shield Prison cracked around them. Naofumi and Ren stared in shock at the blonde boy. Then, Naofumi grit his teeth, and changed back to the Shield of Hope II. If the young immature teen was willing to risk losing himself to his Cursed Series, he could risk equipping the Blessed Shield for just a moment longer.
0:30, 0:29, 0:28
The timer appeared again. Counting down from thirty seconds.
Light burst from him once more, and then the Shield Prison shattered. The glowing blue barrier appeared in front of him, weaker than before. Glowing far less, but still strong enough to withstand the attack.
Even before the flames disappeared, Itsuki charged forward. The flames hurt, but his Cursed Bow's higher defense rating and rapid HP regeneration skills activated. What damage he did take rapidly healed as he charged forward.
"Saint Arrow's Rain!" He launched the spread skill from the Cursed Bow. The higher attack rating attack rained down on the large monster. Showering it in cursed flames. It roared and tried to move out of it to avoid it. In focusing on that though, it lost track of Itsuki.
"Shadow Bind!"
The monster froze. Unable to leave the flames.
"Bind Arrow!" Itsuki released another arrow. The already bound Tyrant Dragon Rex was brought painfully down into the ground.
Itsuki held up a fist. And then he yelled in pain. The Cursed Bow he'd briefly equipped changed to a normal bow. Using his Cursed Execution skill on something that powerful would not have worked very well. And with how much his Cursed Bow had been calling to him to keep it equipped, he couldn't risk holding it any longer. "Now, do it Naofumi!" Itsuki yelled, collapsing forward.
"Air Strike Shield!" Naofumi summoned the shield up against the bound monster. "Change Shield! Lasso!" A thing of rope appeared around its arm. He technically wasn't restraining it. But the conditions for his shield's skill had finally been met.
"FOOLISH CREATURE! YOU STAND CONDEMNED FOR YOUR UNRIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENTS HERE TODAY! I DISPENSE MY JUSTICE ON YOU, AND STRIP YOU OF THAT WHICH PROTECTS YOU MOST! I CAST MY WORDS TO THE HEAVENS!" The Air Strike Shield and binds glowed bright green in response to his words. His Shield also glowed a bright blue as he selected the option and the amount of SP he was using on his HUD. "NOW SUFFER! HOPE! ASUNDERRRRRRR!"
The monster released a roar, Itsuki's binding skills shattering under its might. But before it could shatter the Air Strike Shield, the shield shattered itself. Light blue flecks fell over its skin. The dark skin lost a lot of its luster, and its dented scales shriveled all over its body.
Naofumi switched shields again and collapsed to the ground. Tired and exhausted. His SP was in the negatives.
"Now... your turn, Ren." He muttered.
Ren finally took his cue. The Dragon Tyrant Rex stood up and roared in his direction. It charged past a collapsed Itsuki. And Naofumi passed out from exhaustion.
Ren kneeled once more. Everything happening was his fault. If he hadn't killed Gaelion. If he'd only checked Idol. There were tons of things he could have done to prevent this from happening. He could have even recognized the obelisk before Idol acted and... done something there.
The blame for what had happened today rested on him.
But now, he had the chance to make things right.
"One Hundred Swords!"
Dozens of swords flew from him at the large creature. But this time, unlike before, the skin didn't stop the blades. They sank to the hilt into the large monster.
"GRUHHHHHHHHH!" It roared in surprise and pain at the sight of so many different blades cutting into it. Its arms raised, protecting the glowing center in its chest from the many blades.
Ren charged behind the last of the blades. Jumping with a mighty heave up onto its leg. "Dragon Buster!" "Eagle Blade!" The two skills slammed into the side of the monster, sending large spurts of blood flying from it.
It roared once more. A magic pentagram appeared over its mouth.
"ThunderBolt Slash!" He slashed the back of the creature with his electric skill. Electricity arced up its spine through its head, stunning it temporarily.
Ren charged along its spiked back. Gripping his sword tightly.
He had to do it.
He had to make up for what he'd done.
HE HAD TO ATONE FOR ALL HIS PAST MISTAKES AND ELIMINATE THIS GUILT!
He jumped over its face, turning around to face it again. It was weird. Seeing the magic skill up close. The pentagram looked so detailed. So unique. It was hard to imagine the destructive force such a thing could unleash. And it almost hid the monster behind it. And the glowing purple chest it was trying to protect.
"Meteor Slash!" As Ren fell, he launched the last skill with the last of his SP and MP at the chest of the creature. The blue slash of energy went underneath the jaw, and over its arms. Ren watched, as if in slow motion, as it cut into the smooth skin of its chest and exploded underneath.
The pentagram dissipated. The monster roared in agony. A geyser of blood burst from its fatal wound. Along with something large and glowing.
Ren hit the ground hard. He cried out in pain. His left ankle felt like liquid fire was coursing through it.
The monster heaved left and right. As if like an off-kilter top. Roaring, and roaring, and roaring… until it finally collapsed sideways to the ground. Just barely missing Ren.
A long, shuddering breath escaped the creature. And then, its eyes stopped glowing.
The Tyrant Dragon Rex was dead.
…
Ren groaned in pain. It definitely felt like the fall had sprained his ankle. But…
Beside him, a glowing purple core covered in flesh rested on the ground. The source of power for this large creature.
'I… we did it…'
He sat up tiredly. The Dragon Tyrant Rex laid on the ground. A pool of red forming underneath it. Itsuki and Naofumi lay nearby. Both of them passed out from exhaustion.
He wormed his way over to the glowing fragment. And absorbed it into his sword. Hopefully, it wouldn't cause anyone any more problems.
…
Shouting came from the forest. Ren looked in that direction, and he groaned in his mind. 'Crap… the Church Army…'
He could see torches of light in the forest. They were still out there. Trying to find the monster and the heroes it'd been chasing. If they found them now, they were dead.
He wormed over to Itsuki and then dragged himself and Itsuki over to Naofumi. 'Come on… I have to get us out of here…' He thought, trying to ignore the pain in his ankle and the exhaustion his body screamed at him. Part of him wanted to absorb the monster into his sword, but there wasn't enough time. And he didn't have the energy for such an endeavor.
He finally got the three of them together, and he switched to his Portal Sword.
However, he didn't have enough SP to use its skill.
'No! Not now!'
He opened his inventory frantically, but he was out of Soul Healing Waters.
"Itsuki, Naofumi, I need a Soul Healing Water. Wake up." He said, shaking both of them.
But they didn't wake.
"Urgh…" Ren groaned. This was bad. This was really, really bad! He collapsed to the grass. Exhausted and in pain.
Excited shouting came from the forest. They must have found the path the Tyrant Dragon Rex tore through the forest. They'd be there soon. And he didn't have the energy to protect the three of them.
'I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…' He thought sadly to himself, collapsing to the ground.
Even after giving his all, even after all the effort he'd made in getting stronger, he still failed. They weren't going to get away. They weren't going to win…
He closed his eyes. Waiting for the inevitable.
...
"Huh?"
He felt something lift him up. He opened his eyes and saw he was placed on the back of something soft. It let go of his collar and chirped at him. Ren looked up and found himself staring into the eyes of a blue feathered Filolial.
'What…'
He saw Itsuki and Naofumi lifted onto the backs of other Filolials. There were three in total. All of them looked at him, likely since he was the only one awake.
"Seaetto… take us, to Seaetto." Ren murmured tiredly.
The Filolials all chirped, and they took off running into the forest away from Rabier.
He could have sworn he saw mist surround the carcass of the Tyrant Dragon Rex. He could have sworn he heard confused yelling as the forest was also covered in the same mist. But that was probably his imagination. Either that or the pain was making him hallucinate.
He laid against the long feathered neck of the Filolial carrying him away and fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.
"They got away?"
The group of Church Shadows stood unsurely. The Pope sat on one of the two thrones in the throne room of the castle. Smiling like a happy old man.
His voice didn't quite match his happy exterior.
"Yes, your Holiness." The lead Shadow of the group said. "We searched the forest outside Rabier… we found evidence of a fight. But we were unable to find where the Devil and the two traitorous heroes fled to. The creature they were fighting also vanished..."
The Pope raised a hand to his chin. The Shadows shuddered, thinking some great punishment was about to come upon them...
"There's no need to be afraid." The Pope finally said. "God is merciful. He will bless you for your efforts to stop the Devil of the Shield and his cohorts." He said with a comforting smile. "After all, yesterday was only a setback in the plans of our great Gods."
The Shadows bowed, hiding the relief on their hooded faces. "Thank you, your Holiness. We shall carry out God's will for us." They all said as one.
"Good… dismissed."
The Shadows turned around and left the throne room behind.
The Pope stood up from the throne. Sighing contemplatively to himself. 'So… the Shield Demon escaped the grasp of Justice once more.'
It really was a pain. He wanted to protect his people from the wrath of such a false being along with the abominations that worshipped him. But it looked like they had eluded him once more…
He stood up, dusting off his robes with a smile. 'Oh well. It is only another setback.'
That's all this was. Another setback in the grand scheme of the Gods.
Justice would come upon the Devil of the Shield eventually. He was nothing but a devil. And the devils, never win...
A knock sounded on the large doors. It was likely the mustached Commander of the Knights. Giving him the latest report on Siltvelt's advance and the preparations for war.
He smiled widely. Maybe, if the Gods smiled upon him, he'd be the one to administer their divine retribution on the fallen Shield himself as well as his people.
He'd greatly appreciate it after all the trouble the Devil of the Shield had caused.
Hero Clips!
It's That Easy
"Quick! Get us out of here!"
The three heroes started running for the gates of the courtyard. Behind them, the Dragon Tyrant Rex was climbing its way out of the portal in front of the obelisk.
"How strong is that thing, Ren?!" Naofumi asked in fear.
"Strong enough to beat the ever-living crap out of the top guilds from my game!" Ren yelled, fearing for his life.
"Oh no oh no oh no oh no!" Itsuki yelled. Banging on the closed and barred gates. "It's too late! They've locked us in!"
The three banged on the closed gates. "Let us out! LET US OUT!" Ren yelled. It looked like he was about to pee his pants in fear.
The Dragon Tyrant Rex roared, finally stepping out of its prison. It could sense something. A fragment just like the one in its chest, resting inside of the special sword.
"HELP US!"
"SOMEBODY PLEASE!"
The three humans in possession of it cowered on the ground. The Tyrant Dragon Rex took a step forward. It wanted that fragment. It wanted it more than anything else in the world. It wanted it-
It yelped in surprise, its foot slipping on something big and slippery. It fell backward, and the obelisk stabbed through its chest. Knocking the Dragon Emperor Core Fragment out of it.
The large beast shuddered and stilled.
...
It took a few seconds, but eventually, the three Heroes looked up from their crossed arms. They stared in shock at the dead beast.
"Did… what happened?" Itsuki asked.
"I think it stabbed itself?" Naofumi muttered confusedly.
"What the hell…" Ren muttered in disbelief.
It took a little bit of searching. But they eventually found the reason it had slipped backward.
It was the large, greasy, bloodstained tub of lard that had formerly been Idol.
The man had finally done something useful for once in his god damned life.
...
"And you were scared to face it," Naofumi said dryly to Ren.
"I didn't think it'd be that easy," Ren said.
"You mean like how we entered the city?" Itsuki asked curiously.
Ren grumbled. Following behind Naofumi and Itsuki.
'This world makes no sense.'
Indeed, it did not.
But Allen loved it anyway.
Till Next Time
Allen