Chapter Forty-Two: Ost Horai
It'd been an hour since the rushed retreat had taken on a more moderate pace. The sun was high in the morning sky. The clouds from earlier had long since vanished. The land here stood still and silent as if holding its breath.
The only audible sound was that of wagon wheels moving along the road. Filolials and horses both pulling their burdens behind them. And in one of those wagons, in particular, sat the Shield Hero and the Bow Hero.
"Zweite Heal." Naofumi's spell washed over the bird queen's arm, helping new skin to grow over the burns.
Itsuki helped her drink an HP restoring potion. At the same time, a healing spell from the mysterious woman… or rather, woman-shaped spirit tortoise familiar, washed over Fitoria, helping to heal the injuries covering the Bird Queen's body. Fitoria continued to lay unconscious as she was worked on.
This process kept repeating over and over. The downsides of being as high leveled and possessing such insurmountable stats as Fitoria had made treating her wounds difficult. She was pretty much invincible against most things, but the things that could actually hurt her left a very severe mark on her petite body.
Filo continued pulling her wagon. Around them, the coalition was on the move through the mountain pass as well. Whether in wagons, riding horses or Filolials, or flying in the air on dragons.
Behind them, the Tortoise slowly followed, as they were the largest group. They could still feel the tremors of its footsteps, but they were getting weaker, thankfully.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions sounded. Glancing out the back of the wagon, Naofumi saw large fiery domes in the distance covering the tops of mountains. He grimaced at the sight.
The Tortoise had to stop every time it prepared to fire its barrage on the surrounding area. It still had to work to plow through the mountains in front of it. But those were the only downsides to its newest, strongest form yet.
Its attack and defense, which had been crazy before, had both gone up. It was also faster. It didn't grow any bigger, thankfully, but it definitely looked a lot scarier. It also hosted a variety of new attack options and minions that neither Itsuki nor Fitoria had ever seen before. The exponential growth in power was downright terrifying.
Not even Fitoria had been able to beat it.
Naofumi's hands twitched and began to shake. But then, Raphtalia gently held one of them in hers. The Shield Hero briefly paused, taking a deep, calming breath before he raised her hand to his face to lay a kiss to her knuckles. And then, he refocused, continuing to treat Fitoria's injuries.
The coalition could stay ahead of the Spirit Tortoise for a couple of days. But at that point, they'd be deep in Melromarc. And there'd be even more death than what there'd already been.
To think that over a fifth of the entire coalition force had been killed in such a short time...
Damn it, they didn't even have the time necessary to evacuate any of the surrounding towns in the area! There were likely reports of more casualties from the mountain villages here!
If they didn't stop this thing…
But how? If not even Fitoria was able to stop it…
Naofumi forced himself to think about something else. And his thoughts turned to the mystery woman in the wagon with them. He recalled what'd happened earlier.
The woman, a minion of the Guardian Beast, sank to her knees, touching her head to the ground in the greatest gesture of humility that Naofumi knew.
"Shield Hero, my body has been taken over, please, help me to kill myself... before I destroy the world that I'm meant to protect."
"... Naofumi, what's going on? Do you know this person?" Raphtalia asked.
"I… sort of…" Naofumi sounded stunned, still reeling from what his HUD and the mysterious woman's words had revealed to him. A minion of the Spirit Tortoise… in the form of a human?!
"D-Daddy." Filo suddenly appeared, pulling a wagon behind her. Tears were falling from her eyes. "F-Fitoria's hurt real bad."
"... Right, we- we need to grab her and rendezvous with the others." Naofumi shook his head. The distant bird queen was rushing towards them. However, she was shrinking in size, and visibly slowing down as each step required more effort than the last.
Raphtalia nodded, not pressing for more information then. She helped Aultcray up, and Dou-Lon moved alongside her to help the old King into the back of the wagon.
Naofumi looked at the mystery woman again. She walked up to him, and he was able to tell that she wasn't going to leave this time. His mind was full of questions.
How was she a minion of the Spirit Tortoise? Why wasn't she like the others? Why did she help him? And why had she appeared only briefly to him in the past and chose to finally reveal herself now?
Unfortunately, he didn't have the time to ask any of those right now. So instead, he decided to ask the most obvious one instead.
"What's your name?"
"My name is Ost. Ost Horai." The woman, Ost, answered.
"Alright." Naofumi nodded tersely. "Come with us then. There's a lot of things that I want to ask you Ost, but not right now." At that moment, Fitoria reached them. As she did so, she nearly collapsed into the Shield Hero's arms, a very injured, burned mess.
"I- I'm back…" Her voice was cracked, very much in pain.
"Is Fitoria going to be ok?!" Filo cried out in worry.
"I- Let's- get out of here first." Fitoria managed to say through gritted teeth, one shaking hand pointing at the distant Guardian Beast in the distance. It's body was already starting to stand back up again.
Naofumi carried the Filolial Queen into the wagon. Ost got in next. The Shadows were the last to hop in, and Naofumi nodded to Filo, who couldn't keep the look of worry off her face.
"█ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █!" The Guardian Beast in the distance roared as its head grew back into place.
Filo was worried. But Fitoria wouldn't be helped if she stayed here.
By the time the Guardian Beast had turned to face them, Filo was already dashing out of the camp. It let out a roar of frustration as those it'd tried to target ran out of range.
As Filo ran, any familiars that tried to charge and attack them froze in their tracks. There was no ice magic or anything like that. They just… stopped. Unable to move. None of them were able to reach them.
Looking to the side, Naofumi found out that the reason behind it was Ost. Every time the familiars came near, the woman reached out to them with her hand. And then, they just... stopped.
Seriously… just who was she?
It'd been a little chaotic after that, but in short, it went like this:
When they were clear of all the monsters and almost caught up to the coalition, Naofumi began working on healing Fitoria's wounds. Sometime after that, they caught up with Mirellia's wagon. Dou-Lon hopped off with Aultcray and the two shadows in tow to help Eclair with guarding both the Queen as well as Werner.
Mirellia, upon seeing Aultcray safe and sound, had to cover her face with her fan. That hadn't kept Naofumi or the others from hearing her sobs of relief though. Eclair and Dou-Lon also looked relieved upon seeing the other.
Naofumi had almost felt tempted to crack a joke at the tiger man's eagerness to reunite with the rose-haired swordswoman. But, he was too busy helping Fitoria to bring it up. So he left it at that while he, Raphtalia, Filo, and Ost moved into Filo's wagon, allowing a couple of rider dragons to pull the one they'd escaped the Spirit Tortoise in while Filo took her rightful place at the head of her own wagon.
She briefly complained about the smell of dragons on her wagon. But it didn't last long as worry over Fitoria's condition took over her attention again.
Sometime after that, Itsuki and those with him appeared in a wagon pulled by Amber and Blue. Itsuki informed the Queen that the eastern portion of the coalition had retreated to safety in the plains, and was traveling parallel with the Spirit Tortoise's path of destruction to help out anybody they could. Now, the Bow Hero was in the wagon, helping Naofumi to heal Fitoria.
The shields Naofumi had unlocked earlier on to increase the efficacy of potions also had Bow equivalents, which Itsuki had found and unlocked thanks to Naofumi sharing that info with him long ago. Itsuki was grateful for having unlocked those bows, even if they hadn't provided any offensive stat boosts or anything special.
The rest of Ren and Itsuki's party were still in Amber and Blue's wagon. Recuperating from the battle.
Glass and L'Arc weren't there yet, but would hopefully be arriving soon. Naofumi had found out that Therese was with Itsuki and the others. In asking Raphtalia about it, she told him they'd had a girl's night together when the Spirit Tortoise had attacked the camp.
That also explained why Therese and the others weren't at their meeting that morning… he was grateful that they were all safe. Despite all the death of that morning, it'd taken a large weight off his mind knowing the heroes and their friends had managed to survive…
"Bow Hero…" Fitoria suddenly spoke up. Naofumi looked down in surprise. While he'd been busy thinking, the Bird Queen had finally woken up.
Itsuki gulped at the calm glare directed at him. "What has Fitoria told you about using the Cursed Series?"
Itsuki bit his tongue to keep himself from lashing out immediately. "I must never use it." He repeated dully.
"But you did," Fitoria said calmly.
"I'm sorry but there was nothing else that I could do at that moment. I just wanted to get the Tortoise's attention off you so you could get back on your feet. I didn't think my other bows would be strong enough or have the range I needed." He felt guilty too. He'd promised Rishia that he'd never pull it out again as well, and yet...
"That was a foolish thing to do. If the Shield Hero hadn't been there, you could have been killed. Or worse."
Itsuki hung his head. Feeling absolutely ashamed of himself.
"… thank you."
He looked up in surprise. Fitoria was sadly smiling at him. "Your distraction saved me from more serious injuries than this… it allowed Fitoria to fight for as long as she did… To think, after all this time, Fitoria still isn't strong enough to stop the Guardian Beasts on her own... I'm sorry that Fitoria couldn't do more."
"Don't say that." Naofumi playfully ruffled his fingers through the cowlicks on top of her head. "You took that thing's head off in one hit, a bunch of times. You were amazing. Everyone here right now is alive thanks to you."
"But…" Her gaze fell away from Naofumi to the other figure in the back of the wagon with them. "I didn't react quickly enough. If I'd only recognized its first attack…"
Ost nodded to the Filolial Queen. "You are too harsh on yourself, Filolial Queen of legends. I can confirm that the Spirit Tortoise has never had such an attack in its arsenal before. If things hadn't gotten this out of hand, you would have been more than a match for me, even in my strongest form."
"..." Fitoria sighed. "What has happened to our world?"
"I wish I knew," Ost replied with a downcast expression.
Naofumi continued to calmly rub Fitoria's hair. She sank into the Shield Hero. Eyes downcast and sad as the three of them continued their work.
…
After a while, Filo poked her head inside again. "Is Fitoria feeling better?"
"Gentle Breath." Fitoria used healing magic on herself. The last of her injuries slowly faded away before their eyes. "Yes. For now." Fitoria got off Naofumi, looking tired. She shook her head, ridding herself of the previous sadness she'd been feeling, but still feeling the warmth of the Shield Hero's hug. "Fitoria should focus on recharging her power for the coming battle."
"You're... You're going to fight it again?" Naofumi asked hesitantly.
"It only hurt me because I was caught off guard by its rapid regeneration. That same mistake won't be happening a second time." Fitoria stated evenly. "And besides, you still need to get inside it to rescue the other Heroes, do you not?"
Naofumi looked at her with a blank expression for a moment, before shifting into an apologetic smile. "Yeah. We do."
"Fitoria will have to be at her best then if the Heroes are to reach the inside of the Spirit Tortoise. And if Fitoria is to help the Heroes to save the people of this world…" She looked down at the necklace she was wearing. Her hand moved to hold it. "It has been hundreds of years since I've had to fight with this."
"We'll make sure we're ready as well." Naofumi hugged her again. She briefly flinched, but then slowly wrapped her arms around him again. She was still getting used to receiving this kind of affection. But… the Shield Hero felt warm… and kind…
It reminded her of the past when she'd been hugged by her father. That same kindness and energy radiated off of Naofumi.
"Just make sure to be more careful. The last thing I'd want is for you to die for our sake." Naofumi told her sternly as he let her go. "You're strong, but as we just learned, clearly not as invincible as we had assumed. Please, take better care of yourself this time around. You got me?"
Fitoria stared at Naofumi. He was… he really cared for her, didn't he? Even though she was far, far older than him, he'd taken on a fatherly role for her so easily…
"Oi, what's with the goofy smile?" Naofumi suddenly asked dryly while averting his eyes. Raphtalia was smiling widely at him, which only made him blush.
Fitoria felt her face. Indeed. She was smiling. She was… happy, that Naofumi cared for her like a daughter. Even after her previous failings.
"It's nothing…" But it was everything to her.
Fitoria sat in front of Naofumi's legs. After closing her eyes, breathing in, and settling back against him, white particles came out of the air around her. Steadily flowing into her form. Still, the small smile remained on her face.
Even though she was preparing for battle… she felt at peace.
"So… we're still…?" Itsuki finally spoke up. He wanted to say more, but then, he shook his head and slapped himself.
Of course, just because it was awake, that didn't mean they could roll over and die. "Fighting till the bitter end then, aren't we?" Itsuki said instead.
"I'm just taking a page from your guys' books," Naofumi said back. "Even if that thing ends up almost squashing us again, I'd rather go down while standing, kicking, and screaming instead of quietly whimpering on the ground like a coward."
"Yeah, we were screaming pretty loudly back then, weren't we? Me and Ren. It almost felt like we were fighting against the world. Guess I understand a little better what it felt like for you back when we were summoned." Itsuki chuckled. "Fine, I promised I'd be with you till the end, so I'll make sure the others are ready for whatever crazy plan you come up with next. Do try and reel in the crazy factor a bit though. I'm not sure my heart can take it."
"No promises." The Shield Hero grunted while Itsuki stood up, giving Naofumi a salute before heading to the back of the wagon. He spared a glance at Ost, but didn't do anything more than nod at the woman for helping them with Fitoria.
Despite the speed they were moving at, he found Amber and Blue pulling the other wagon nearby. He then jumped over to them, disappearing from the back of Filo's wagon.
"Daddy, Tiger Guy is waving at us," Filo told Naofumi. "It looks like Tiger Guy is trying to motion to say that we'll be stopping soon."
"Alright. Thanks, Filo." Naofumi smiled at his daughter.
"Keep doing what you're doing sweetie. And make sure you're prepared for whatever happens next." Raphtalia said kindly.
"Okay, love you, mommy, love you, daddy! Thanks for taking care of Fitoria!" Filo said happily before facing forward again.
…
Naofumi and Raphtalia fell into silence. With Fitoria healed up and recharging her power, there was suddenly nothing for them to say.
The two finally focused their attention on the beautiful woman that was a minion of the Spirit Tortoise. An enigma neither had thought possible before now.
To Naofumi, she looked just like before. Her face was beautiful, even when compared with Raphtalia's. The Tanuki girl shuffled nervously, feeling oddly inferior to the beauty before her.
Ost looked to be in her mid 20's, though Naofumi was now certain that she was much, much older than that. Her lightly shaded auburn hair was still worn in the same Chinese-style chignon he'd seen on her before. Her skin was just as light and smooth as the Queen's, while her long, sharp, brown eyes gave her the same eastern look as before.
It was almost like staring at a Chinese fairy, wondering when it'd turn into a fox.
The first time he'd seen her, she'd reminded him of Bitch. However, this time, Naofumi realized that she actually resembled Mirellia more.
The difference was obvious. Mirellia, even when she acted motherly, exerted a presence the likes of which only people in power could hold. You looked at her and you knew she was the one in control. Bitch had been a royal, but she'd never learned to radiate presence like her mother. Hers had been like a whiny brat who'd been handed the world on a silver platter. She'd never learned how to act like a proper royal.
Ost's presence gave more of that same regal feeling of power that Mirellia had. Even though she'd looked sad before, she also looked calm and composed. She looked ready to discuss the fate of the world and have a cup of tea over the matter.
He honestly didn't know what to say. It looked like she was waiting for him to speak first though. So he had to say something… she wanted to speak to him, after all, and not his girlfriend.
...
"You are the one who spoke to me before." Naofumi finally stated. "Back home in our town, just before the wedding."
Ost nodded her head. "Indeed. That was I, bearer of the Holy Shield."
"Naofumi? Why didn't you tell me about this before?" Raphtalia asked, sounding surprised and sad.
"I'm sorry. I thought I was going crazy at the time. I didn't want to worry you or the others any more than I already had." Naofumi softly apologized to her. "I seriously thought I was imagining things. You kept on appearing and disappearing. And at times, I only heard your voice." Naofumi turned to Ost again, and his soft look turned into a glare. "I thought it was just stress. That I was going insane from everything that was happening."
"... Once again, I'm sorry for that," Ost replied with a sad nod of her head. "I thought you would understand."
"How could I?" Naofumi asked, a little anger leaking into his voice. He saw Raphtalia look at him in worry, but besides that, the tanuki girl didn't make a move to stop him. "How could I understand when you just popped in to say you needed to be destroyed? Huh? What rational person would ever do something like that?!
"Do you honestly think you can just show up to someone and expect them to get it when they're told to destroy somebody they just met?! What kind of twisted insane logic is that?!"
…
"..." Ost didn't look at Naofumi. Her face became downcast.
Naofumi sighed. "I just want to know why. Why do that instead of just telling me I needed to destroy the Spirit Tortoise?"
"... I… I wasn't able to." Ost finally admitted.
"Explain," Naofumi pressed on harshly. "We could have avoided a whole lot of trouble if you'd just told me what was going on from the start! There are people who died because you didn't explain things clearly! And I ended up breaking and going through one of the worst messes of my life because of it!" He couldn't entirely blame Ost for it. It'd been his fault too for keeping everything in. Still, part of him couldn't help but think how things could have gone differently if Ost had been a bit more honest from the start.
"So you better have a really god damn good reason for this! Or I just might have a very good excuse to get angry right now!"
…
"As you learned, I'm a minion of the Guardian Beast." Ost began to explain after a moment of thinking it out. "Every familiar of the Spirit Tortoise is a part of it, bearer of the Holy Shield. Like the blood that flows through its veins or the bones that bear the weight of its flesh. In my case, I am its voice and... conscience perhaps."
"And as we are a part of it, we also have an assigned task designated to us. I had two main ones. The first was to gather souls for my body, be they human or monster, so the Guardian Beast can construct a barrier around the world." Ost stated honestly.
"Huh…" Naofumi's anger melted away from surprise. He already knew all this, but it was jarring for Ost to sound so sincere while honestly admitting to planning to commit genocide.
"When it became clear that our world was about to reenter the Waves, I was assigned a task to gain favor with the current monarch of the sealed land in order to bring ruin to the land and end the lives of its inhabitants. When that was over, I was supposed to collect their souls for the Spirit Tortoise."
…
...
Naofumi looked even more surprised. This meeting was turning out to be more than a little awkward. Was he actually going to have to follow through with his threat? He'd done it to sound intimidating. But now, it was starting to look like he'd actually have to go through with it.
"Why… why would you do something like that?" Raphtalia asked in shock.
"To protect the world from the Waves of Destruction." Ost simply stated. "The Tortoise needs many souls to erect the barrier necessary for it. Monster or human, it doesn't matter. If it's to stop the waves, then no price would be too great to protect the world."
"There would be a lot of death. The face of the land would be scarred. But the Waves would stop for a time. The people of this world would eventually rebuild, and this world would recover. It might even grow stronger than it was before the next time the waves begin to reoccur." Ost explained.
"Still… why do you have to do that?" Naofumi couldn't help but ask.
"Because us servants exist to acquire souls for my body to erect the barrier," Ost answered. "It's a sad fact of life. But to save the world without fighting off the Waves, sacrifices must be made."
Was… Naofumi had a sinking feeling this was why the minions they fought always went after the weakest people. Not only the giant Tortoise but also its servants harvested the souls of those that were killed.
It was sad. But still, he couldn't help but have this thought.
Damn. Talk about efficiency.
Naofumi was going to have to rethink what he'd thought he learned about this woman. It was hard since she managed to look sincere and evil at the same time. "You said you had two tasks?" He asked.
"Yes. Back in the beginning when my body was waking, I didn't know why it was happening. All I knew was that, since I was waking, I was to fulfill my other purpose before the Guardian Beast woke up. I was to hint to the Cardinal Heroes of this era of what was happening and guide you through the steps of waking me and defeating me.
"Because I was already waking, I wanted to tell you plainly, but I wasn't allowed to do so. That would be beyond what I was allowed to do in my role."
"Still, you couldn't have at least said that the Spirit Tortoise was the one we'd have to fight?" Naofumi asked.
"I was only allowed to hint, not interfere," Ost repeated. "The Spirit Tortoise and I are one and the same, bearer of the Holy Shield. Just like the bat that flies amongst its peaks, or the minions roaming the caverns in its mountains right now, hunting down the survivors that were left searching inside before its awakening. I could not go against what I was made to do. I had to fulfill my role. Nothing more. Nothing less."
"The shadows that went inside the caverns are still alive?" Naofumi couldn't help but ask.
"Some of them, yes," Ost said. "For how long, I do not know. But they are managing to avoid being found, for now at least."
Naofumi felt somewhat better upon hearing that. Not everyone around the Spirit Tortoise had died yet, even if the group was small. Then he frowned as he got back on task. "Fine. But why appear to only me though? Couldn't you have appeared to the other heroes too? And honestly, couldn't you have just helped us defeat the Tortoise from the beginning since everything wasn't going the way it was supposed to?" Naofumi asked, frustrated.
"I have said it several times now. I could not interfere-" Ost began to say.
"Damn it! Isn't what you're doing now interfering?!" Naofumi yelled angrily.
…
Ost remained silent. There was a look of deep sadness on her face. Naofumi breathed in and out heavily. Raphtalia said nothing, but her hand rubbed along his leg. After a moment, Ost finally began to speak again, though in a more submissive tone.
"I normally appear before the Shield Hero. Sometimes, however, I will appear to whomever I believe to be strong enough to face me."
Damn it. She still wasn't answering his main frustration. "Like Keichi, the past Sword Hero?" Naofumi asked for clarification.
"Yes." Ost agreed. "I remember him well. He was a good hero that accomplished much good in his time… though his life ended in tragedy."
"Hmmm…" Naofumi tried his best to clear his mind. But honestly, with all that'd happened, he had every reason to feel pissed.
"Again, why couldn't you have done more before? Couldn't you have at least appeared before the other Heroes so I wouldn't have thought I was going crazy?" Naofumi asked, a bit of harshness still in his tone.
"I wish it was that simple..." Naofumi frowned as Ost remained silent after that. It didn't help that the entire time she'd been speaking, she sounded sincere.
"Naofumi, I don't think making her feel bad is going to get you the answers you need." Raphtalia gently told him.
"... yeah, I think you're right." Naofumi sighed. "I'm sorry for being harsh. I just want to understand. There's been a lot of death, Ost. I did some terrible things because of what happened. And I have friends suffering right now who wouldn't be if you'd just done more in the beginning.
"You said earlier that what's happening right now gives you more agency to act or something like that? Were you bound before or something?"
"Yes… when the Tortoise awakened, I was unable to resist..." The woman looked at Naofumi. "Do know, I truly am sorry. I knew that something wrong was happening. That the Guardian Beast was starting to wake when it wasn't supposed to. I realized that somebody was interfering with my body, but I didn't know who or how. And when my body awakened… I was unable to act any longer. I could only watch to see if the Heroes defeated my body or not."
Even hearing that, Naofumi still had doubts. Raphtalia, however, smiled and nodded her head, encouraging the woman to continue.
"When the Heroes cut off my head, I was finally able to speak to you again. But because my body hadn't been defeated, I could still only hint. I could only hope that you'd come back to finish me off… before I… I..."
"You care about people, don't you?" Raphtalia asked.
"I… I..." Ost sighed. "Yes. I exist to gather souls… but when you've lived as long as I have, you come to value the small things in life."
"The people of this world have lived here for a long time. They have their faults. They will never live for as long as I have. I've watched them repeat the same mistakes again and again. But… I do not wish for them to die..." Ost trailed off.
Okay, Naofumi was definitely feeling conflicted now. Maybe, possibly, there was more to her helping out now than just the Spirit Tortoise being taken over.
"Wielder of the Holy Shield, I want to help you end me." Ost suddenly stated. "My body… all the deaths happening now won't lead to the making of a barrier to protect the world. So, I must be stopped at all costs. Now that I'm free to act, I want to assist you in any way I can."
Naofumi still wasn't entirely sure. But Raphtalia was smiling at him encouragingly. "Alright, honestly, we could use all the help we can get, so…" Naofumi sent Ost a party invitation. One which the woman immediately accepted.
Ost Horai
Great. So now, they were going to have a minion of the Spirit Tortoise on their side helping out until it was killed and they parted ways. If her magic from earlier had been any indicator, she wasn't any pushover. She'd most likely be a great help. If she didn't turn on them that is. When he pulled up her party information though, he had no info on her stats or anything. That hadn't happened before.
"Just a moment." Ost began to chant, and then she cast a spell on Naofumi. He was caught off guard, so he wasn't able to note what she'd said. But suddenly, her stat information and the like appeared on his HUD.
Holy- WOW! Her stats were a little lower than Filo's, but they were higher than Raphtalia's! Her stats were balanced all around too, with a bit of an inclination towards defense. Most likely because she was a minion of the Spirit Tortoise. Her current level was missing, though to be honest, he didn't really find that relevant as Ost spoke again.
"I know Earth Magic and Support Magic. I also know magic forgotten by the people of this world. I shall use it to best assist you in any way I can."
Forgotten magic… huh, why did that make him think of RPG elements again? Meeting an ally that knew magic forgotten by everyone else long ago.
"Yeah…" There was still a lingering feeling of doubt about her loyalties in the back of his mind, but if she'd wanted to do them any harm she could have just done so earlier by doing nothing. He still wasn't entirely certain that he would have been able to take that spike missile barrage head-on.
And well, Gravity magic did look pretty cool when it wasn't being used against you…
Actually, since he was dealing with an ancient figure here, and since they still had some time, he could use this as an opportunity to ask questions that had been bothering him for a while. Maybe doing so could help to build trust between them?
"Do you know why we're missing a lot of important information when it comes to past heroes and the waves?" Naofumi asked. "Every time we come across it, it's either useless or has been tampered with."
"I'm sorry. I tend to limit myself to only the events that happen in the land where I'm sealed." Ost said. "My knowledge of what happens in the rest of the world is very limited. However, I can confirm that we kept our own records of the Holy Heroes. Not many people were allowed to see them. Though it's been a while since I last checked on them."
That would have been good to know… before the country was destroyed. But then again, if the shrines had been untouched, maybe they might be lucky… hopefully...
"Alright. What about this. Can you tell me what the blue dragon hourglass in my vision means? The one with the 7 in it."
"It is not one of the dragon hourglasses. That hourglass shows how many souls the Spirit Tortoise has gathered. When it is full, it means the Tortoise will have gathered enough souls to form a barrier to protect the world from the Waves for a long period of time." Ost answered. "It would take some time for the land and its inhabitants to heal. But eventually, they would, and the world would remain out of the Waves for centuries to come."
Looking at the hourglass, it was currently… his face paled, seeing how little of it was filled. Even after all the death it'd caused so far… it was akin to a single spit in an empty bucket.
"When, when you say your soul is absorbed to make the barrier…" Naofumi trailed off.
"I'm sorry. There is a reason why such a sacrifice is considered great." Ost stated with a tone of sadness. "Shield Hero, I'd suggest protecting those you love at all costs. The Sword Hero of the past… there was a reason his life ended in tragedy."
Naofumi felt his throat go dry. He looked instinctively at Raphtalia, and then at Filo.
He remembered what Fitoria had said about Keichi, the past Sword Hero who'd personally carved that message on the stone walls inside of the Spirit Tortoise's temple. The one who'd lost the girl he loved before he and the others managed to seal the Guardian Beast away…
He couldn't bear to imagine that level of grief, compounded tenfold by the knowledge that the soul of their loved one wouldn't even be there to watch over them. The fact that he'd lived the rest of his life under that kind of weight...
To die was one thing. But if anyone he cared about were to be put through a treatment similar to the Soul Worm… no, there was no way he'd ever allow that to happen. He'd rather die than allow anyone to destroy Raphtalia's soul!
"As for the number, that refers to the power level of the Waves I represent," Ost said, bringing Naofumi back to the present.
"Power level?" Naofumi asked.
"Surely you've seen by now. Each wave that hits this world is stronger than the last. Each one has a greater ability to rip the fabric of reality apart than the ones before. They are graded on a scale, one being the weakest, and each number up being worse than the last."
"I did know that, but I didn't realize there was a scale to it. Do you happen to know the power level that we've been facing lately?" Naofumi asked.
"If I were to guess based on what I saw of the Waves in the land where I was sealed, the waves that were impacting this world before my body woke were around a power level of 2 to 3."
…
Really… they'd jumped from a rank three disaster to a rank seven disaster thanks to that Book bastard?!
"If things had gone according to plan, I wouldn't have been awakened for quite some time," Ost added. "Do you see now why I'd be confused about my body waking so early?"
He became really grateful at that moment that they'd gotten as strong as they did. He couldn't even bear to imagine what would have happened if they'd slackened in their training at Cal Mira or at any point before then.
At least once this was over, they wouldn't have to worry about anything serious for a while. If the Guardian Beast was really more than twice as powerful as the Waves they'd been facing, then those things would be a walk in the park for a long time after this.
"Alright, how about this then? What was the original plan for gathering souls for the Spirit Tortoise?" Naofumi asked. "How is it normally supposed to go?"
"I was the first part of that plan. If I failed to gather enough souls, the other minions would be gradually unleashed across the land to gather more souls. And if that wasn't enough, then my true form would have been revealed to gather the rest by force." Ost said.
"Gradually?" Naofumi asked skeptically. "I don't remember what we saw before being gradual."
"Yes, that was another thing that told me what was going on wasn't right. The minions were only supposed to be released slowly, steadily spreading out over a wider area. Not so many all at once." Ost informed him.
Had that… been another effect of that book bastard trying to wake the Tortoise? The deaths at their village… were they because of him?!
"As to what I was saying. Before that point of awakening could be reached, I would have had to feed the Heroes of this era hints as to how to undo my seal… by following those hints, they would have destroyed the shrines, unleashing myself onto the world."
"However, I could not have given them those hints without also giving them hints for how to defeat me. And I would not have done it unless I knew for sure that the Hero was strong enough to defeat me in combat. And if it appeared that they couldn't handle my full strength, I would have awakened in a weakened form to face them instead."
"Us guardian beasts are meant to be the final test for the heroes chosen by the legendary weapons. If they grow strong enough to surpass us, then they'll have proven that they are strong enough to staunch the waves of destruction and keep this world safe for a time. And if they are unable to overcome us, then we will become the last failsafe to ensure that the world won't be destroyed."
"But because that Book Bastard interfered, everything went off the rails," Naofumi muttered out loud. Without the frustration in the way and thinking it over, it finally started to make sense. At least, with him thinking about it from a more modern perspective.
If Ost had been created originally to gather souls and eventually lead the heroes to awaken her, then that meant she was the first system. The other minions were the second system and were solely meant for gathering souls. And then the Tortoise itself was the final system. Meaning if the first two failed to gather what was necessary, then Ost would guide the Heroes in awakening the main body so it could finish the job itself.
But because of Kyo, that had all been thrown out of whack. And Ost had been forced to keep to the original script until it proved impossible to do so any longer.
"When we cut off the Spirit Tortoise's head, that was when you regained control of yourself, wasn't it?" Naofumi asked.
"Yes. And then, when my body awakened the second time, I found I was no longer bound by its will like before." Ost answered. "When I saw even the legendary Queen of the Filolials fail to stop me, I knew then that things had become too far gone for me to stand aside any longer."
Ost had been stuck following her role, doing what she could to keep to the script… and it wasn't until things took a turn for the worse that she finally understood the severity of the situation and chose to act outside of her role's intended boundaries.
In short, she couldn't help because she was unable to. Damn, it almost seemed like a game where something so drastic happened that the NPC's broke the script to address it.
This wasn't a game, obviously. But still… it was yet another gut punch to his dislike of tropes in an otherwise real fantasy world.
Wow, it'd been a while since the last one. And he was being hit by several all at once. He'd been long overdue, it seemed.
"Bearer of the Holy Shield-" Ost began to say.
"Naofumi. I prefer Naofumi." Naofumi interrupted. "Please stop calling me by that title."
"N-Naofumi… who is this Book bastard you mentioned?" Ost asked.
"The person that took you over. We learned about it yesterday from a group of otherworldly heroes. Somebody from their world is responsible for what happened to you. A guy named Kyo." Naofumi answered.
…
"I… I did not realize it was an otherworlder that took control of my body." Ost looked troubled.
"Apparently, he helped those other heroes to defeat the Tortoise in his world. And he somehow used the knowledge of how it woke there to wake the one here." Naofumi said.
"I… but that's impossible for him to… but that could explain why none of the seals were broken... I… I am such a fool…" Ost sighed sadly. "I thought with only having me entrusted with the knowledge of the unsealing that the Spirit Tortoise wouldn't be able to awake unless it was necessary. But to not factor in others from another world coming in to interfere… I should have realized that could happen."
"We learned that he's holed up in the core of the Spirit Tortoise. Do you know how to get there?" Naofumi asked.
"The core…" Ost frowned. "I'm sorry, I do not know. It has been a long time since I last went in there."
…
"Maybe if we reached the heart. I could recall, but… I'm uncertain." She added after a moment.
"I guess we can tackle that when we get to it then," Naofumi muttered.
"Yes." Ost nodded. "My original purpose is no longer fulfillable. What matters right now is that I'm stopped, before I reap destruction over this entire world… though it appears you heroes were more knowledgeable about these details than I was."
"Well, we only learned about a lot of this last night." Naofumi supplied. "Don't feel like you should blame yourself."
"Still, it appears I was foolish to remain bound by the rules I was created with."
"Just don't disappear on us again and we'll be just fine," The Shield Hero waved her off.
"We're here, Daddy," Filo called out in a timely manner. She was beginning to slow to a stop.
Naofumi got up from his seat. Raphtalia and Ost got up as well. "I'll look forward to working with you. My name's Raphtalia." She said happily.
"Thank you. I shall try my best." Ost smiled warmly at the half-raccoon girl.
"And, don't mind Naofumi. He may appear cold at times, but he has a heart of gold underneath all of it." Raphtalia then said.
"It is fine. He is right to be angry at me. I have caused many problems because I was unable to act. I can only hope that I can help him and the bearer of the Holy Bow to end this destruction." Ost bowed deeply.
Fitoria, who had been listening to the whole exchange, continued to lay still in her spot, preparing for the coming battle.
"Karn, seriously, where the hell were you!?" Crystal asked angrily.
"Oh relax, will ya? I was having breakfast when that stupid Tortoise attacked. I wasn't invited to that girl's night of yours, so I was off doing my own thing elsewhere in camp." Itsuki's swordsman shrugged at the pissed-off spear wielder.
"And you didn't come dashing to help us because…" Crystal asked through strained teeth.
"Because I already had my hands full trying to help others around me to escape." Karn readily answered. "Is that a crime? And besides, I know how strong you guys and Itsuki are, I doubt that you were that hard-pressed for backup."
...
The silver-haired girl bunched her fists over and over again. It looked like she was a few seconds away from strangling the useless member of Itsuki's party.
"Relax, isn't it good that Karn made it out of that mess at all?" Aksel spoke up.
"If he helped a few others to escape, then all the better." Rachel agreed.
"I, but, well… fine, it wasn't like I was worried about him or anything!" Crystal snapped at them as she huffed.
"Yeah, sure you weren't." Karn teased.
Crystal punched him in the gut in response.
"Ow! Hey!" Karn whined.
"Is… is everything alright?"
Those in the wagon turned at the Bow Hero's appearance. Crystal huffed as she turned to the side. "Yeah, Karn finally showed up. We just found him in the wagon next to us."
"Ah, it's good to see you made it out alive Karn." Itsuki perked up, at least a little bit. "I won't lie, I was starting to worry a little bit, even if I could see that you were in perfect health on my party screen."
"Oh, you know me, I have ways to get out of trouble quickly and unscathed. Now, what's the plan?" The swordsman asked.
"We're going to get ready for whatever plan Naofumi comes up with for us to get inside the Spirit Tortoise," Itsuki said simply.
"Ah, so no plan, my favorite." Karn droned while leaning back in his seat.
Crystal jabbed him with her elbow this time. The silver-haired girl really didn't look to be in the joking mood today, huh.
"Really… we're still going to try and do that even after what we saw that thing do?" Wyndia asked. She was trying to sound calm, but anxiety was definitely audible in her voice. The dog girl was trembling from just how bad the early morning had gone. If…
"It'll be okay." Itsuki was the one that spoke. "We were taken off guard this time. And Fitoria said that she'll be back in fighting shape soon, so we won't be completely defenseless. And there is also that woman... well Naofumi will probably bring her up when the planning phase starts I guess."
Therese rested a hand on Wyndia's shoulder. "And you have us if you ever need any help, ok?"
…
Slowly, Wyndia started to tremble less. She looked at the gem girl and nodded, before looking at Itsuki resolutely. "I'll… okay, I'll do my best." She promised.
"We will too." Tersia and Farrie nodded as well.
Itsuki chuckled. "We'll all need to do our parts to survive what's ahead. Even if we get inside those caverns, we're still going to need to find the way down to its heart, and then its core after that."
"Don't worry. I'm sure we'll be able to do something when the time comes." Therese promised. "Me, L'Arc, and Glass found our way to the Black Tortoise's chamber once before."
Itsuki smiled. Then, Rishia fueeeeed in worry, grabbing his attention. "I-Itsuki! Why do you still look so pale?!"
"Huh?" The Bow Hero looked confused.
"Now that I'm looking closely, you do look exhausted." Tersia agreed.
"Well… it was my first time trying to use life force like I did in that battle." Itsuki rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
"Itsuki! You know that Granny warned you about the dangers of pushing your limits so early in your training!" Rishia didn't look nervous anymore. In fact, she looked annoyed.
"B-But it was for a good reason-" Itsuki tried to defend himself.
"No, I'm not hearing it, sit down, drink this." Rishia grabbed him by the hand, forcing him to sit next to her. She then thrust a bottle into his hands. Looking inside, he found it was the stuff that Rishia drank to enhance her life force while training. A complex blend that required both Soul Healing Potions and Magic Healing Waters to make.
"Rishia-" Itsuki tried to complain again. They didn't have much of this stuff, and it was supposed to be meant for her since life force training had really been helping her out.
"Drink it!" Rishia ordered him.
His resistance crumbled, and Itsuki finally did as she said. Sipping it down, he started to feel energy return to him. At the same time, he went more in-depth about his use of life force during the battle. After learning more about what his hard limits were now, Rishia started to teach him about what he could do to limit his exhaustion and get more use out of what he'd done.
While those two were talking with one another, Wyndia looked to Farrie. She and Tersia were talking about the battle. However, instead of discussing the death that'd gone down, they were talking about their spellcasting, what'd worked together, what they maybe could have done differently.
"It's tough doing this since my stats are much higher than yours you know." Tersia shook her head. "I keep fearing most combination spells we'd try would end up with my spell consuming yours because of the difference in power."
"I… yes, I'm starting to realize that myself." Farrie hesitantly admitted. Perhaps, skipping out on the Hero Service Seal hadn't been the best idea.
"Don't worry, we had that good combo on that one monster's head! That was pretty amazing!" Tersia quickly tried to cheer her up.
Farrie, however, didn't need it as she smiled back. "That was pretty cool. Then again, Wyndia and Therese's spells together were something else."
Wyndia began to blush. "I… well, it was nothing, really…"
"What are you talking about? You were wonderful, Wyndia." Therese told her happily.
"But I still destroyed the gemstone." Wyndia countered.
"Eh, you just need some practice. You're already in tune enough to take their energy. Just take some time and you'll be able to befriend them just like me." Therese reassured her. "In the meantime, don't worry. I wouldn't give you a gemstone if I wasn't certain that it was willing to give its life to help you out. My friends are your friends too."
Wyndia began to blush upon hearing that, but also smiled. "Are your friends as annoying as you are?"
"Of course!" Therese stated with such happiness and honesty that Wyndia started to laugh.
Close by, Maya began looking over Aksel worriedly. "Would you relax? I'm as good as new." The large knight told the raccoon girl.
"Well, you are, but your armor…" Yeah, it'd definitely seen better days.
Aksel shrugged. "Eh, it's salvageable at least compared to what happened to Sir Naofumi's. I'll just have to do better with my shield next time."
"I'm sorry…" Maya looked down. "If I hadn't stabbed that creature's eye…"
"Hey, we didn't know at first that they'd straight up explode like that if you killed them, what matters is that we're alive and it's not." Aksel smiled widely. "I'd call that a win in my book."
"You… you dummy." Maya gave a small smile at the knight's attempt to cheer her up. "You could at least try to-" She was then surprised, as was everyone else there, when Aksel leaned in and kissed her on the lips.
…
The knight pulled back, smile still on his face. "Better?" He asked.
Maya blushed, but she definitely looked a lot happier than before. "Yes, thank you!" She hugged him tight, and he hugged her back.
...
Looking over her shoulder, Aksel found many of the others in the wagon staring at them. All of them were silent at what they'd witnessed.
"What?" He said quizzically.
"Wha… what the…" Karn suddenly stood up, shouting what was on everyone's minds. "When the &^%$ did this become a thing?!"
"Um… was it the day of that battle, or was it the day after?" Aksel asked Maya curiously. He was starting to wonder if maybe the others hadn't caught on to their relationship.
Then again, it wasn't like they'd paraded that fact out in the open or anything. Maybe there was good reason for the others to be shocked after all.
"I think it was the day after. I remember inviting you to my part of the tent, and we were both still sad about what'd happened, and nobody else was there, and… well…" She began to smile widely while blushing profusely at the memory of the event. "To think that you could be so gentle."
"Well, um, I, I didn't want Bakta's vengeful spirit to show up and berate me for not giving you the love you deserved," Aksel smirked, causing her to blush even more.
"They… they didn't…" Rachel looked shocked.
"Gods. I could have lived without hearing any of this." Crystal had buried her face in her hands. Rishia was blushing profusely next to Itsuki, whose mouth was hanging open in shock.
Karn still looked to be at a loss for words. For once, he didn't have any snarky comebacks prepared.
Only Therese, Tersia, and Farrie looked to be ecstatic about learning this discovery. "Oh! Did it feel good?! Tell me, what kinds of positions did you try-" The gem girl started to bluntly ask the raccoon girl.
"THERESE!" Wyndia screamed at her. The dog girl definitely looked more normal with a look of embarrassment and anger on her face.
"What? Until I do it with L'Arc, I won't know for myself what it's like unless I ask my friends." The gem girl shrugged.
"Y-You better not ask me that when me and Ren reach that point!" Wyndia stated angrily.
"Oh, so you plan on physically claiming your prince after you rescue him? My, my, Wyndia, I didn't know you were such a romantic!" Therese smirked.
"G-G-G-G-" Wyndia started to stutter incomprehensibly as her face turned even redder.
Good. The more distracted the dog girl got, the easier it'd be to focus her on her task.
"She's always seemed like a romantic to me," Farrie added to the teasing. "I wouldn't be surprised if we needed to give them a room after we save the Sword Hero."
"I-I-I wouldn't-" Wyndia began to shout at them.
"Well, let me just say this." Maya sighed happily. "It was like I'd discovered my life's purpose. Doing it by yourself doesn't even com-"
"NO! WE CAN DO WITHOUT KNOWING THE DETAILS!" Wyndia screeched. Most of the others in the wagon readily agreed as well.
"Aw come on. You're only jealous because you haven't done it yet." Tersia smirked as she elbowed the dog girl's side.
"EEP!" Wyndia covered her mouth, somehow reaching a level of red she hadn't thought possible. "THERE'S NO NEED TO BE SO BLUNT ABOUT IT! AND AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE A NUN!?"
"When has that stopped us before?" Farrie asked, tilting her head curiously.
"I… I… … GAH!" Wyndia was surrounded by idiots.
With that, the atmosphere in the wagon that'd been tense since that morning became more upbeat if only a little awkward.
"Gweh. (What a bunch of degenerates...)" The blue filolial that was pulling the wagon crooned with disdain.
"Gwah! (Oh leave them be, you prude, they are just growing up.)" Amber chided him while shaking her head.
Those sitting inside the wagon eagerly waited as Amber and Blue continued on. Moving forward as the rest of the morning passed.
Wyndia forced Therese as well as Farrie and Tersia to apologize for their earlier commentary. And then, all the mages got distracted as Therese talked to them about how her Gem magic worked. She even gave them more gemstones from her pocket and tried to teach them how to listen to their voices.
The others heard nothing. Wyndia almost thought she had something… but then, it turned out that Therese was whispering into her ear about various sex positions that she should try with Ren. The look of mortification on the dog girl's face, and then the blush that captured her features as she actually gave it some thought more than made up for what'd happened earlier.
Aksel and Maya were observed by the others in the wagon. It was weird to finally notice how close and comfortable the two looked with the other now. They couldn't believe they hadn't realized it before now…
Finally, the time came, when the sun was high in the sky.
The wagons came to a stop.
Mirellia sat with her husband around a makeshift table that'd been hastily set up. The surviving leaders of the coalition were gathered together. Naofumi and Itsuki were there. Fitoria was absent, as she was still in the back of Filo's wagon. Ost was standing beside Naofumi as well.
The location was at the end of the mountain pass. The rest of the army was continuing on ahead, evacuating the towns and forts in the area just outside Melromarc's border. The long, white wall protecting Melromarc could be seen in the distance.
Naofumi gave the details this time about what they knew about the Tortoise's power-up. As well as who the new woman standing next to him was and how she'd be aiding them in stopping the Spirit Tortoise.
"I see… so we'll have to work with her when we go inside the Guardian Beast," Mirellia said a little too icily.
"Is there a problem?" Naofumi asked.
"I was… a political rival of hers when the conference of nations was gathered." Ost supplied.
"Yes, needless to say, you were a very nasty woman when I finally got to meet you," Mirellia answered, her face hiding behind her fan.
"And I'm sorry for that." Ost bowed her head to the Queen of Melromarc. "My wish now is to help Naofumi and his allies to destroy my body."
"..." Mirellia didn't say anything to that.
Naofumi felt like this might come up later. However, he didn't feel like digging through that particular issue right now. Especially with how little time they had.
"Since she has a connection to the Spirit Tortoise, it'd be best to take every advantage we can get," Naofumi said.
Mirellia still didn't look very happy. So instead, she turned to face L'Arc and Glass, who had flown in recently on two of the dragon mounts just a little while ago. "Do you have any knowledge about the Guardian Beasts of your worlds having human familiars?"
"No, this is the first I've heard of it." L'Arc scratched the back of his neck nervously. "When Shield Kiddo told us this, I was just as surprised as you are."
"Same here," Itsuki added his own voice. He wondered if this had been part of the lore of his game that he'd never bothered to learn about.
"Lord Sh… Lord Naofumi." Werner corrected himself. "I do not wish to cast doubt on your decision. But… are you sure that trusting her is wise?" The shusaku demi-human asked.
"It's not like we're swimming in potential backup options. Have you gotten any word from the Claw Hero yet?" Naofumi asked. "We could certainly use his help."
"I… well, no." Werner reluctantly said.
"Hmmm." The dragonsteel general thought to himself before speaking.. "If you are truly Ost Horai… didn't you help bring an end to the civil war in the country of the Spirit Tortoise?"
"... She what?" Naofumi asked flatly.
"Yes, I did," Ost admitted.
Okay… what?! Why hadn't he been told this earlier!?
"I daresay, I remember that time well. Her Majesty thought we'd have to intervene in another conflict in the months before the Waves of Catastrophe began to strike." Shadow began to speak. "But then, this woman appeared as a concubine to the King. She then helped bring the fighting to a peaceful end. Many lives were saved because of her."
…
Ost looked away from them. "I… I had to get close in order to gain their trust… but I couldn't get close unless I helped them to resolve their disputes…"
Ok. He took back what he'd thought before.
Maybe not all of the Tortoise's minions were efficient.
"Whatever your excuses for it. This wouldn't be the first time you've helped to save people's lives." The large man shrugged.
"And the other Seven Star Heroes are still looking around in the Country of the Spirit Tortoise. They won't receive news about this till tomorrow at the earliest." Another representative pondered out loud.
Naofumi shook his head to clear it. "Exactly." He agreed. "And since they can't teleport here thanks to that stupid beast being unkillable, we can't wait for help that won't come. We need to act while there's still a chance to save people's lives."
"Still, are we sure that we can trust her?" Another leader hesitantly asked. After learning what they had before about sacrifices being required to make the barrier for their world, they were reluctant to argue on that point, especially with what Itsuki had said. But to trust a servant of the Spirit Tortoise…
"It is as the Shield Hero has said," Ost spoke up. "Because of this Book Hero's actions, it is no longer possible for me to fulfill my role and protect this world. Therefore, I must stop myself, and this Hero of the Book at any cost. I exist to protect the world. If I'm no longer able to do that, then I have no choice but to destroy myself for the greater good."
Naofumi felt there was something ominous in her words. But he didn't focus on it as the Queen looked at him again.
She was looking at him over her fan with disapproval, but at least she was choosing to not speak up now. Naofumi guessed that he was going to have to talk with Mirellia about this later though. When nobody else was around. She clearly didn't have much to like about Ost.
"That leads us to how we plan on getting on the blasted thing." The dragonsteel armor-wearing general brought up the most obvious concern.
"I was thinking about it, and I feel that using the mounts of the dragon knights is the way to go." Naofumi pointed at the flying dragon steeds laying on the ground nearby. The yellow one that Itsuki rode during the very first fight was there and blew steam out of his nose upon being acknowledged. "It'd be too dangerous trying to climb the Tortoise, and we won't be able to get close without being knocked to the ground by the tremors, so our best bet would be by air."
"I'm afraid to ask, but are we sure this will work?" Werner asked.
"You admitted the Shusaku aren't strong enough to carry a person that high up in the air," Naofumi pointed out. "So unless you have other flight options, then we'll hack to stick with dragons."
That'd been one of the only upsides they'd discovered in the aftermath of the attack. While many of the infantry and cavalry ranks had been ravaged with deaths and casualties, the dragon knights had escaped relatively unscathed. Due to them being placed near the back of the camp so the soldiers wouldn't have to deal with the smell.
"We do not doubt the ability of our dragons." The dragonsteel general spoke up again. "But it would be preferable if we were to keep as many as we can. In case… well, you know all the methods the Guardian Beast has at its disposal to wipe us out. And if a rogue Hero from another world is in control of it, would he not target us as soon as he saw us coming?"
Naofumi nodded. "Yes, and that's why when we do this, the Spirit Tortoise and that Bastard will be too busy dealing with Fitoria to notice us."
…
He was met with silence at those words. Naofumi explained. "We have to face it. Itsuki and I aren't strong enough to distract the Guardian Beast. Even if we use our strongest weapon forms. Add the fact that its regeneration is a lot faster now, and we'd stand no chance even with help from our parties."
"Right now, only Fitoria is capable of going toe to toe with that thing."
"But… but the legendary bird queen… wasn't she badly hurt in the last battle?" Mirellia asked worriedly, the look of disapproval disappearing and being replaced with concern.
"I was."
Fitoria walked up to the makeshift table. However, this time, she looked different from before.
She'd already emitted power off her form. But this time, it was like Naofumi could feel it down to his bones. Despite the short height of her human form, she did not look fragile. She could punch a mountain, and it'd crack in two. The gemstone of her Carriage necklace also looked alive.
Every leader stared. She'd looked majestic before, but now… now, she was living up to her title.
"I… I did not imply any disrespect, Queen of the Filolials." Mirellia hastily bowed. At the Queen's example, everyone else there quickly followed suit. "I was merely worried about having you go to battle so soon."
"It is of little concern to Fitoria," Fitoria said calmly. "I am not as fragile as humans, nor will I forgive all of humanity for what they've done to Fitoria and her flock in the past."
"But… Fitoria would be sad if she could do nothing to help the Heroes with protecting the people they care so much about. And I've come to realize. If Fitoria could not do something to make up for all the times she watched from the sidelines as monsters killed those who hadn't hurt her or her flock, then indeed, I would be nothing but a monster myself."
"So Fitoria asks you to not interfere with Fitoria's decisions. I will help you and the Heroes of this world to protect its people. As long as the world's people try not to harm Fitoria nor her flock."
"I… I understand." Mirellia nodded. "I'm sorry that we will have to rely so much on you in the coming days."
"It is fine, Queen of Melromarc. It has been a while since Fitoria has last had to fight with all of her strength." In an odd display for the bird queen, Fitoria proceeded to crack her knuckles in front of everyone there. The sound was loud, and very out of place for the composed queen of legend. "If I am to do what I must and protect the people of this world, I must get used to fighting with all my power once again. I shall look at this coming battle as an opportunity to do just that."
…
Damn… Naofumi got the feeling that Fitoria was the only being in existence that could get away with making a statement like that right now.
It was pretty damn cool.
The difference between this Fitoria and the Fitoria he'd seen in that backyard of his when he was beyond angry was like night and day. He could see in her eyes how much she cared about him, about Itsuki, about the other two heroes currently trapped inside the Spirit Tortoise. And, perhaps, care for humanity was sparking in them too now. Despite what she'd said only a moment ago.
"Remember, once we're inside the Spirit Tortoise, all you'll have to do is keep it from heading towards any populated areas. I doubt that this Kyo fellow has minions powerful enough to force us outside once we're in. So don't risk yourself too much." Naofumi told her.
"Of course. Fitoria will do her best." And like it was the natural thing to do, Naofumi rubbed the top of her head in gratitude.
Seeing the Shield Hero rubbing the head of the Filolial Queen so naturally made him go up that much higher in the eyes of all the leaders there.
Werner truly believed that there was no way that Naofumi couldn't have been their God in the flesh. And it was only because of Naofumi's distaste towards temples that he didn't immediately order his people to stop their march and build one on the spot.
The impending Guardian Beast chasing after their army might have also played a factor.
"That just leaves the question… are we ready?" Naofumi asked.
…
"You mean, like, now?!" Itsuki asked in disbelief.
Naofumi nodded. "If I were to guess, that Kyo bastard thinks that he has us on the run. I think the last thing he'd expect is for us to make a counterattack on the very same day that he'd tried to destroy us all."
Itsuki still looked surprised. Many of the other leaders were surprised too.
"Bearer- Naofumi… are you certain?" Ost asked.
"Are you sure Naofumi?" Raphtalia asked worriedly.
"You already know I hate running." Naofumi smiled at her. His smile then turned to a frown. "And besides, Motoyasu and Ren are suffering right now. And the longer that beast is alive, the more death we'll have to endure."
"I'm tired of death. One way or another. We're ending this. We're ending him."
…
"Alright. You know I'm with you, no matter what." Raphtalia nodded.
"I couldn't agree more with that sentiment," Rino spoke up at last. Wow, he hadn't even noticed that Motoyasu's two girls were still there. Had he stopped paying attention to them at some point? He felt a little bad about it.
Well, they were there, and they were coming along. So maybe they'd get more time in the spotlight or whatever.
"Naofumi, can we at least take a quick trip to the Capital first? Aksel could use some new armor and a quick resupply in general would be beneficial." Itsuki suggested.
"Hmmm, Raphtalia could too. And Eclair needs a reliable sword that isn't weak or cursed." Naofumi looked in the distance. The Spirit Tortoise was still plenty far away. "Mirellia, you can gather the mages and everyone else we need for the sealing ritual, correct?" Naofumi asked.
"I will do so immediately." Mirellia nodded.
"I shall gather my best warriors to assist you," Werner commented.
"The dragon mounts shall be ready upon your return!" The dragonsteel general promised.
The other leaders quickly voiced their agreement.
"Alright, Itsuki, let's make this quick. We want to get back before that thing gets close. Filo, with me. Fitoria, warn us through Filo if that thing is getting close enough to cancel out portaling." Naofumi said to those individuals.
"Alright. I will move into position so you'll have plenty of warning." Fitoria nodded.
The Bow Hero also nodded as he raised his bow, selecting himself, Naofumi, and Filo. "Transport Bow!"
The two heroes disappeared in a glow of light.
"You heard our Heroes! Men, let us prepare for battle!" Mirellia ordered her army.
"Dragon riders, prepare your mounts!" The dragonsteel general bellowed. "We have a Guardian Beast to bring down!"
Despite the events of that morning, the soldiers and mages cheered.
Fitoria paused to look back upon the scene. It was odd… she almost felt like she was seeing a repeat of events from long ago. Another gathering, another army. Naofumi was gone, but another figure had taken his seat. Someone was talking to him, a young genmu that he trusted, he was saying his name...
Mamoru!
Fitoria's eyes widened, and then, a single tear leaked out from them.
Mamoru… her father.
Finally, at long last, the lost, little girl had remembered the name of her Father.
'Mamoru… I haven't forgotten my promise. Even if they're flawed, I'll help save the world and the people you and momma cared so much about.' Fitoria faced ahead again, and ran in the direction of her flock.
It was time to save the world.
It was time to help her Heroes.
Author's Notes:
Damn. Sorry, this took three weeks to get out. I had to focus on my Finals since two of them were for classes very important to my degree. Let me tell you, Economic Theory and Econometrics. They're fun, but they're tough. But I took names and kicked butt!
…
Hopefully, the name I took back wasn't an F.
Enjoy the omake!
Hero Clips!
Distractions
"I keep telling you, I have no idea when they- Huh?! Shield brat! And Bow brat too!" Elhart perked up behind his counter in surprise when Naofumi and Itsuki forcibly threw open the doors to his smithy.
"No time to chat, we need that sword and some full-body armor along with everything else on this list." Naofumi ran up to the blacksmith and handed him a list that he'd written down quickly together with Itsuki on their way here.
"Wha-?! Why do you need all this-"
"The Spirit Tortoise is awake again! We don't have much time to get back to the fight so hurry up!" Itsuki quickly said.
"Oh- OH! OH DAMN! That's serious, alright then!" Elhart quickly began to rush around the store to grab everything they needed. "Don't worry about paying me now! Just promise to survive and come back once that's over!" Elhart yelled at them.
"You got it." Naofumi heaved a sigh of relief. That had gone much more smoothly than he thought. Filo was humming happily next to him, and he ruffled his hand through her hair. "You're listening for Fitoria's warning, right?" He asked.
"Mmhmm." She nodded happily.
Good, it looked like this was going to be a nice simple in and out. And his wallet wouldn't have to suffer for this either. It was the last bit of good news he needed before they went back and-
"Hello, good sir."
Naofumi and Itsuki both jumped in surprise. Turning around, they found a familiar midget standing behind them.
"EEP!" Filo dashed behind Naofumi, shivering in terror at the Slave Trader's familiar, creepy gaze.
"What do you want?! Can't you see we're busy?!" Naofumi asked harshly.
"Mmmm, it has been so long since I last heard your voice, good sir! Truly, nothing else sends shivers to my bones the way you do!"
Naofumi shuddered in horror. Beloukas grinned widely as his signature trade smile graced his face. "I was merely wondering why I have not received any forward payments in the last two weeks is all."
"Forward Payments? What are you talking about?" Itsuki asked confusedly. "We're only supposed to pay you when you deliver more slaves to the village!"
"Indeed," Beloukas stated with a patient smile.
…
"But… but isn't the village abandoned right now because of what's going on?" Itsuki asked in growing fear. "No, no way, you didn't-"
"Oh, but I did good sirs!" The man chuckled while pinching on his mustache with his thumb and index fingers.
"Why would you do that?!" Naofumi shouted, this time with more anger in his tone.
"MMMMMM!" Beloukas began to shiver like crazy in anticipation. Sparkles began to form in his spectacle-covered eyes and a rainbow appeared behind him. Naofumi felt both angry and disgusted all at the same time. "Why it was my contractual obligation to deliver you any kids or slaves I'd find useless, was it not, good sirs?"
…
The two heroes both stared as the midget continued to smile benevolently. "I always keep to my contracts, no matter the circumstances! That is a trait of an honest businessman like me!"
"Oh Gods, Naofumi…" Itsuki said in horror.
"I know…" Naofumi's tone was the same.
"Uh, hello? Is anyone here?" A kid randomly asked.
"This place looks abandoned…" Another kid said unsurely.
"At least there's lot of food and clothing in the houses here." Another kid spoke up.
"And there's some tasty fruit growing on those plants too!" One said happily.
Needless to say, if such a scenario as the above did go down while Naofumi and Itsuki were at the Capital, the slave kids would have been just fine.
Don't worry, though. None of this actually happened.
We all know that Beloukas would never dump some poor slave kids at a village where nobody lived.
…
Especially if he wasn't paid upfront to do it.
"Achoo!" Motoyasu suddenly sneezed.
"I said shut up already!" Kyo shouted down from below.
The spear hero silently flipped him off before wondering if he had forgotten to mention something to the other three heroes before leaving their village. His eyes then widened in shock as he remembered what it was.
"Oh sh-"
Till Next Time
Allen