Chapter Seventy-Six: Departure, Start of War
- ENTRY #14 -
It has been several weeks, but the war continues.
My skills as a strategist have been more critical than ever. While ████████████ still grates my gears at times, I've learned to get used to her antics.
The plans I am producing now are my best attempts to reduce casualties among our soldiers as much as possible. It has helped that ████████████ were able to go and personally clear the airspace around ████████████ help, freeing up their surprisingly superior ████████████ in the process.
I have visited ████████████ several times in the past, but not even my title as the ████████████ could grant me the credentials necessary to get access to the ████████████ famed armaments. The reputation and quality of their enchanting and crafting techniques is only matched by how zealously ████████████ protects the process of their manufacturing from outsiders. And while I could have used [Search Engine] to figure out all the details on my own, the engineer in me wanted to study these things for myself firsthand.
Even with the ████████████ threat hanging over us, I would have found the probability of the ████████████ spilling their secrets unlikely. But through a stroke of luck or perhaps something more, ████████████ somehow managed to gain the empire's full support by helping to end its succession crisis that started when one of the ████████████ generals slayed its previous emperor. Out of all the successors available, she seemed to favor the one known as Corrin for some reason and derailed a good chunk of our resources into putting him and Hinoka on the throne.
He seems like a mediocre pick to me. Overly hesitant and with no ambitions to speak of. His military leadership skills are lacking too. When the matter was discussed I had suggested for ████████████ to take the throne instead. He would have been a far more useful ally in a military campaign, but my proposal was rejected because he was 'a big meanie'.
I sometimes forget that we are being led by a literal child. Normally I would be more angry, but ████████████ has turned out to be rather open-minded compared to his predecessors. He actually granted me and the ████████████ full access to his country's weapon designs at ████████████ urging which brought up some... 'intriguing' developments. Beyond the obvious applications, it has also helped me with a fun side project me and ████████████ are working on to see if we can make him ████████████ with a high enough attack stat to allow him to support ████████████ on the battlefield.
Perhaps the designs will prove useful for my ████████████ too.
Anyway, with ████████████ available to assist us, we've been steadily pushing the ████████████ forces back on all fronts. It is only a matter of time before we've recaptured all the territory lost to that vicious beast. And then, we'll have to conduct an invasion of its continent to ensure that it doesn't come out against the world in battle ever again.
I look forward to when that happens. I've still been tasked with killing ████████████ if given the chance. However, since her weapon is our best way to slay the worm, I'm holding off on it for now. And besides, it's not like she'll be able to resist later on, no matter how high her level gets.
The ████████████ prevents the user from ████████████, making them easy pickings. Not to mention, she is still a child.
I'd still rather not kill a child if it came down to it. But orders are orders, and 'they' are not the kind of people you want to disobey.
Not without a death wish, at the very least.
Fortunately, there is still time.
- ENTRY #15 -
I… am unsure where to begin here, but let's give it a try.
There is an old holiday from ████████████, one that my parents never participated in called ████████████. Granted, not many families in ████████████ participated in it for obvious reasons outside of the money it raked in for ████████████.
But anyway, it appears that the world ████████████ came from also celebrated ████████████. And she told ████████████ about it, and he invited the rest of us to participate. Granted, I can see why, since we need all the morale we can get while we plan out the invasion of the ████████████ homeland.
No plans I've come up with have been able to calculate how we'll be able to perform an aquatic or air landing without losing a lot of people. But then, I don't think such a thing is possible. Not without being able to fool a beast capable of seeing through every illusionary tactic out there. At this point, all of us know that this won't be a low-casualty affair and that there will be a lot more death ahead than ever before.
But still, even with that in mind, I wasn't sure if such a festivity would be worth going to or not.
I went anyway, I even made sure to get ████████████ a gift that'd be useful. Though only if she learned how to read. It was my way of picking at her lack of intelligence since she still hadn't learned the language since being summoned. But…
She accepted it. No, she LOVED it. She thought it was the greatest gift ever and was inspired to learn how to read because of it.
And of course, she hugged me again. She seems intent on giving those out like candy for some gods forsaken reason. I don't think that even my ████████████ had hugged me as many times, back when I was just a baby ████████████, as ████████████ has done in the last few months.
It feels awkward and uncomfortable every time she does it because it always brings a reminder up to the forefront of my mind that I am supposed to kill her. And that makes something in my chest twist horribly every time, despite me being perfectly healthy.
…
Why does she do it? Why does she always seem to only see the best in everyone around her? I would dismiss her as just another idiot but she has displayed ruthless cunning far beyond her age in other ways.
So why? I'm still going to have to kill her when this is all said and done.
I can't disobey my orders.
Because if I do. Then I'll…
- ENTRY #16 -
The war is over. We've won, which was inevitable with my contributions. The lizard had a few tricks up his sleeve right until the end, however.
Unlike previous battles, there were a lot of casualties. We were not only fighting the monsters, but the people serving under the ████████████. Kizuna couldn't do anything to them and had to focus solely on her battle with the ████████████ while the rest of us fought the humans and monsters, as well as the hordes of undead serving under the ████████████.
It was a rough campaign. From the initial landings all the way to the final confrontation. Not even the Gem People using the power of their ships to form a massive and honestly astounding illusion landing elsewhere on the continent diverted the ████████████ or its forces from our real landing spot.
Kenshiro got an ugly burn scar on the right half of his face from being forced to take a blast of dragon fire to protect Kizuna. He is growing alarmingly soft and complacent compared to before, but I suppose it doesn't matter anymore since we've already won.
The ████████████ both died during the battle. But in the end, ████████████ managed to slay the beast together with ████████████, and the Demon Dragon's remaining Generals and monsters all scattered while the humans and undead fought to the bitter end.
It was a massacre and all of them had to be put down. But now, even if the ████████████ is revived by some idiot, it'd take it hundreds of years to amass the forces it once had to launch an attack on the world again.
Hopefully, by the time that'd be possible, another dragon will have grown up and found its core. If the dragon's personality is strong enough, then it could overcome the Demon Dragon's personality and erase it from existence. Eliminating such a threat entirely.
I will probably consider this if I feel it becomes important enough for me.
Anyway, the war is over, and I am now back in my ████████████ at my mansion for the first time in what feels like years.
My trip was not without its rewards. I have plenty of materials from the beast for future experiments if I so desire. Along with that, while having ████████████ alongside me while exploring its old castle, I found information relating to the Core Method of ████████████ weapon. Information that she herself did not have till she read it alongside me due to 'their' interference prior to her summoning.
Had she had it, that fight could have been so much easier, but oh well. It allowed me to learn that Heroes were capable of sharing methods with each other. Something ████████████ have not realized as of yet. This could fit in well with my future plans. And while I might not have many offensive options still, being able to inflict double damage against monsters is a nice boon.
Besides what I took from my trip, I found that Yomogi kept everything clean and pristine, just the way I like it. She didn't interfere with any of my ongoing experiments either. She handled all my affairs to the letter while I was gone, and even somehow used her political influence as my proxy coupled with her natural charisma to discreetly secure me the rights to a mine in ████████████ that had recently unearthed an adamantium ore vein. The mine is close to the Misty Forest too.
I went to check on it immediately since it sounded too good to be true, but it was real adamant ore and of high quality too. Normally, I would have to report this discovery to ████████████ and sign a forced exclusivity contract to sell the ore only to them. It was part of a bunch of old international treaties.
I will do no such thing.
Besides having had enough bureaucratic red tape in my ████████████, I am not planning to sell the ore to anyone on the black market in the first place. I already have plenty of perfectly legal sources of income. Oh no, something like this warrants to be kept for personal use.
Yes. Yomogi has done very well. She exceeded my every expectation for her…
…
Before I left ████████████ said she wanted to honor me for all the hard work I put in to save everyone with my ████████████. I'd felt envious of the others being honored when it was my hard work that made them so successful. And yet, when she said that…
I couldn't bring myself to accept it.
Thinking back on it now, this was also the perfect opportunity to kill her. She was far away from everyone else. I could have easily done the deed and made it to the hourglass before they could capture me. But the thought never crossed my mind.
All I could focus on was her indirectly calling me her ████████████ when she invited me to go on a celebratory fishing trip later.
…
I said that I would think about it, but the answer is a firm no.
Planning out how to kill her is becoming hard enough as it is.
In the courtyard, Itsuki and his friends were getting themselves ready to go while they waited for Naofumi to return from his box eradication tantrum.
The Bow Hero made sure he had everything he needed in his Bow's inventory. He then checked his outfit to make sure that the armored kimono Romina had made for him fit him snugly before finally pulling out the weapon form he'd copied earlier.
His Bow transformed into the same weapon that Corrin's guards wielded. As Itsuki looked it over and brushed his hand across its length, stars appeared in his eyes.
"Seriously… this is so freaking cool." He said excitedly to himself.
"Wait, huh? You were able to copy one of those pikes? But I thought that was Sir Motoyasu's thing?" Aksel asked curiously.
Itsuki shrugged. "I don't know. It's called the Holy Bow, but I found out early on that it was also capable of copying guns and such."
"Fueh, does that mean that thing is also a gun?" Rishia leaned in closer to examine the weapon form too.
"Actually, I haven't tried firing it yet…" Itsuki turned to the side, facing a target that'd been set up. "Is it actually a gun?" It called itself a rifle, but he didn't see any firing mechanism or anything for it.
He lifted the long weapon to his face and looked down the sights placed near the pointy end of the two-pronged rifle. As he pondered how it might work, he had the subconscious thought of making the weapon fire.
Phoom!
What could only be described as a laser blast fired from between the two prongs at the end of the rifle, going right through the center of the target that Itsuki was aiming for.
The Bow Hero pulled his face away from the weapon, floored by what he'd just witnessed.
"That… that looked a lot like lightning magic," Rishia said, looking even more awed than before. "Only compressed into a longer round than what I've heard the guns of Faubley are capable of!"
"What- I didn't even see that!" Aksel yelled.
"Do it again! Do it again!" Maya chanted excitedly.
Itsuki aimed down the sights once more and began to rapid-fire it.
Phoom! Phoom! Phoom! Phoom! Phoom!
The rifle repeatedly shot out rounds of lightning into the target. The bolts themselves traveled incredibly fast, though Itsuki found that the projectiles weren't actually much faster than regular arrows that he usually fired from his bow. Then again, that might have something to do with how high his stats had become as of late.
Unlike most of his other weapons, it appeared that this rifle was meant to inflict magic damage instead of physical damage.
He didn't know how it'd work for the soldiers using them, but Itsuki himself would be capable of shooting a practically endless stream of magic attacks with this rifle for as long as he had it equipped.
His party members watched him continue to shoot it with awe written on their faces. "Whoa…" Aksel began to grin madly. "Kyo is so screwed if you face him with that!"
"Hmmm, no, I don't think that I'll be using this for our fight with Kyo," Itsuki said as he observed the damage done to the target.
"Ehhh?! Why not?" Maya asked, sounding disappointed.
"Because it's not as powerful as some of the bows I have already." Itsuki sighed in equal disappointment. "That's a problem with a lot of the awesome weapons I tend to copy, actually. At one point, they might have been useful. But then I absorb a Wave Boss or another powerful monster or I reach a high enough level to use a better bow and the copied weapon becomes obsolete. Not only do Bows from Boss Monsters have higher stats, but they're normally accompanied by some awesome special effects that make them better choices to use in a fight.
"The Ballista that I copied from Mirellia's ships was pretty strong during our trip to Cal Mira as an example, but then I finally hit the level needed to use some dragon bows I couldn't use before for the battle against the Spirit Tortoise and their stats far exceeded what the ballista had."
"No way, so that's why we haven't seen you pull that weapon out since?" Aksel's face became downcast. "I found it really cool how you could just plop a siege weapon down out of nowhere."
"That's just the way it works, I'm afraid." Itsuki rested a hand on the knight's shoulder and nodded in sympathy. "But I could see about having Mirellia make one out of Guardian Beast materials after we get back. It might just prove to be powerful enough for me to use."
His friends all looked disappointed. But hey, what could he do? He'd rather not be stuck with the same weapon all the time…
Well, besides maybe the rifle he'd just copied. But he was sure the nostalgia would wear off eventually!
Either way, because of the stats his weapon had assigned to it, the Gem Lightning Rifle was far from being the strongest weapon form available to him. Meaning that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to use it in their final battle with Kyo… Still, it had some pretty high stats for a weapon, and it was a cool weapon to copy regardless!
Its equip bonus increased the damage of any lightning-based attacks he used in the future, so unlocking it would increase the damage of his skill Lightning Arrow!
Finally, it was about time that something good had happened to him!
…
The others finished getting dressed. Maya checked over her kunai one last time while Aksel tested his ax to make sure it was still sharp. Rishia checked her supply of ofuda while taking another moment to admire the katana she was holding now.
"Hey, Itsuki."
A familiar voice made the Bow Hero pause and turn around.
"What is it, Daitan? Me and the others are about to leave, so…" His eyes slowly widened at what he was seeing.
Hoshi and Akane flanked Daitan's sides as they approached. However, the three Heroes were not dressed in their usual casual attire.
Hoshi was wearing a battle kimono, much like the one L'Arc had worn previously. Its color scheme was all black and grey, just like his normal outfit. It'd help with raising his defense, but it also gave him a big increase in his mobility and his magic. And while he still looked timid, he was standing taller than he ever had.
Akane was dressed in a fiery battle dress as well. The torso was mainly red with blue on the sides, and her sleeves opened up around the shoulders, letting a long line of white cloth the same color as her skirt cover her arms. Sapphires hung to her skirt and went up the middle of her padded, frillless chest. Gold ribbons were tied around the tops of her arms, and other gold accents were on various parts of her outfit.
More than ever, she looked like a princess. And unlike Bitch, the look fit her perfectly.
It'd been a while since she'd last worn it, but it still fit as well as ever. The Sapphires really complimented her eyes and brought out the fire in them as well as the surrounding rubies.
Daitan himself was dressed in full plate armor just like Corrin's soldiers. Gemstones encrusted his suit from his boots all the way to the helmet he held in one of his hands. The other hand hefted his mace, resting it on one of his gem-encrusted shoulder pauldrons. "You mind if we come along as well?"
"Wait- what!? Aren't you three planning to stay in Sickle while we're doing all the fighting?" Itsuki asked in surprise. "Why are you dressed for combat?"
"That was the original plan when we came here, yeah." Hoshi looked down at the ground for a moment, before looking up at Itsuki again. "B-But we've decided that we want to come along too!"
"Even… even if we're still not all that strong, we're not entirely useless," Akane spoke after Hoshi, looking to the side for only a moment before looking confidently at the Bow Hero. "Besides, I think it's about time this Kyo guy realized that the Cardinal Heroes he looked down on aren't as stupid and useless as he thought them to be.
"We've talked with Kizuna some more and we're thinking that maybe if he sees that we're willing to fight again, he'll consider giving us a chance to save the world on our terms."
"Yeah, what she said!" Daitan voiced boisterously.
...
Itsuki just stared at them for a moment longer. Then, he shook his head. "I don't think it'll be that simple. He killed hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people in our world for his goal. You three coming along isn't likely to make him change his mind."
…
"Well… even if he doesn't." Akane breathed in deeply and stood tall, standing above the two young men beside her. "Ken-Sensei told us to live, but I can't help but feel that he'd be disappointed in us if we didn't at least try to help when the world needed us!
"I'm tired of being useless and pathetic! I'm tired of just sitting around doing nothing all day except making and designing pretty dresses! I want to make a difference beyond helping young girls to smile!"
"Me… Me too." Hoshi breathed in deeply before speaking in a more confident voice as well. "I agree with Akane. I don't want to just draw manga for the rest of my life. I want to help out others too. Allow us to help you out, please!"
…
Itsuki looked from them to Daitan again. But the Blunt Weapons Hero shook his head. "I know I'm an idiot, Itsuki. I still have a lot I have to learn.
"But I'm not going to just stand aside and let my friends go into battle on their own. Even if we're not that strong individually, we should be strong enough to fight together. We won't cower or get in the way like we did last time with Ken-sensei."
"We want to finish this and then get to work putting this world back on track. We'll do whatever it takes in order to make that happen!"
…
Itsuki didn't know how to answer. The three looked entirely sincere in their desires, and he looked at his friends for help, but before any of them could answer.
"Absolutely not." Naofumi appeared then, dressed in the Byakko Armor Romina had made for him.
He had a box monster munching uselessly on his side, as well as a scowl on his face.
"Boo, why not?!" Daitan asked angrily. He and the others had given cool speeches too and everything!
"For one, this isn't some fun little field trip. This is a serious threat to both of our worlds that we're facing." Naofumi remarked, taking the box monster off his side so Rishia could dispose of it for him. "There isn't any room for dead weight."
Rishia helplessly shrugged to the Otherworld Heroes as she walked up to Naofumi. Slashing through the box with her blade. It fell to the ground in two large pieces.
"For another, your survival is still necessary for the safety of this world. You might be stronger now, but you're still nowhere close to our level of strength. Even if you don't plan to get in the way, I'd still have to protect you three in the middle of a battle. And it's harder for me to protect those who aren't capable of protecting themselves." The Shield Hero concluded harshly.
"We… well…" Daitan tried to come up with a response, but it wasn't like Naofumi's argument was without merit.
"Lastly, Sickle is probably the safest spot for you to be in right now. Coming with us will not guarantee that we'll be able to keep you all safe." Naofumi said, his tone calming to one with more care in it than with the previous reasons. "Even if your lives weren't important for the safety of the world, it wouldn't rest well on my mind if I led you into a situation where you would get yourselves killed."
…
Daitan pouted, but Naofumi was already moving towards the courtyard's exit, where Ethnobalt's boat was waiting outside. "Come on, Itsuki. We need to get going. Ethnobalt said it's going to take us at least three days for us to get to Kyo's mansion."
"Wait, three days?!" Maya raised her voice, looking surprised. "I thought we'd be facing him today!"
"Because all the hourglasses nearby are either locked or compromised, Ethnobalt needs to travel further at his Boat's normal cruising speed to find an Earth Vein that can get us into Luvar safely," Itsuki told his friends. He then shrugged helplessly at the Otherworld Heroes. "... Also, I'm sorry guys. Maybe next time."
With that, the Bow Hero and his friends followed behind Naofumi.
The three Otherworld Heroes were left in the middle of the courtyard, all dressed for combat but with nothing to show for it.
…
…
"Well, that could have gone better." Hoshi lamented miserably.
"You can say that again." Akane deflated next to him as well.
And to think they'd psyched themselves up to go off to battle too…
…
"Heheheheh."
However, Akane and Hoshi turned their heads as Daitan began to chuckle to himself. His hand was resting against his forehead as he cackled evilly. "So, they think we'll just stay behind because they told us to do that, right?"
"Uh… did you hit him a little too hard on the head earlier, Akane?" Hoshi asked.
"Not any harder than usual." The girl looked just as confused.
Daitan's hand fell, and he grinned at Akane and Hoshi. "Come on guys, since when have we ever listened to people in positions of authority?"
…
"Kenshiro." Hoshi and Akane said simultaneously in a flat tone of voice.
…
"Well, when have we listened to people in positions of authority besides Ken-sensei!?" Daitan said, still trying to sound cool but failing miserably at it.
"I'm starting to think I slammed your head into the ground a little too hard after all." Akane, though shaking her head, couldn't keep the smile off her face. "But fine, I can already tell what you want to say. I still want to go too. Whether they say we can or not."
"But how? Only Ethnobalt's ship is going to Kyo's mansion. We'd have to sneak aboard that one if we wanted to come with them." Hoshi pointed out. "I doubt they'd let us enter it after what Naofumi said. And even if we did get on board, if they found us, wouldn't they just drop us back off here?" Hoshi pointed out.
"Details details." Daitan winked mischievously. "We'll just improvise. One way or another, we're getting on that ship."
Akane felt her heart skip a little in her chest at the action.
"Plus, who cares what Naofumi thinks? All we have to do is convince one very important individual to let us join and we'll be on our way with them." Daitan began to laugh.
This was incredibly stupid… but for once, the Jewel Heroine was all for it! Even she could tell who Daitan was referencing there!
"Kizuna." She said with shining eyes.
Daitan gave her a wink. "Yep, we all know that she's the one who's really in charge around here."
Hoshi's eyes brightened in understanding as well. For some reason, he'd assumed they'd have to convince Raph-Chan, but Kizuna sounded like a good choice too!
Thus, the three immediately snuck out from the courtyard to board Ethnobalt's ship without permission.
"Do we have everything we need?" Naofumi asked.
"Huff! Just finished loading the last of the crates!" Aksel wiped off some sweat from his face as he set one last large crate down on the deck of Ethnobalt's ship. "Do we really need to bring all these supplies? I could have sworn you Heroes could absorb everything in your weapons."
"Yeah, but it makes it a hassle going through the menus to locate every single thing we need amongst hundreds of different items." Naofumi rolled his eyes. Plus, thanks to Ethnobalt's ship being nearly indestructible, it made more sense to have items like healing and magic crystals in easy-access crates in case of emergency.
At least, up until they would arrive at Kyo's mansion.
Not to mention, this allowed them to have food without everyone having to bother Naofumi or the other Heroes whenever they wanted a freaking snack. The Shield Hero glared at Aksel.
Aksel began to pout in response. "I don't get hungry 'that' often."
"And with that comment, you've just volunteered to drag those crates down to my room." Naofumi pointed to the stairs leading down into the ship.
"Wha- NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Aksel began to scream as Naofumi walked away to make sure that everything else was ready.
The poor knight had no choice but to haul every last crate down the steps inside Ethnobalt's ship.
…
The boarding process was soon concluded, with Naofumi double-checking that all the supplies they needed for the journey to Luvar were loaded. Then, after L'Arc gave the go-ahead from the rest of the fleet, Ethnobalt's ship took to the sky, flying alongside the giant Assault Cruisers that definitely weren't a rip-off from some popular sci-fi franchise or something.
Hours later, after flying with L'Arc and his forces to the border, Ethnobalt's boat split off from the large invasion group, disappearing from view as Kizuna and Itsuki used their stealth skills together to make the ship and everyone on it invisible to the naked eye.
The invasion force began their initial landings a mile away from the wall that marked the border between Sickle and Label.
"Do you remember the plan?" Naofumi asked L'Arc over a communication ofuda as they flew over the camps of soldiers marking where the frontlines were currently at. The ofuda that the Shield Hero was holding was specially modified with tiny gems in the corners. While a regular communication ofuda could only contact a single other one, these ones were military grade and capable of contacting multiple ofuda as long as they had the same gem sequence on them.
"Yeah yeah, we've gone over it a million times by now. I'm not going to repeat it back to you again, you jerk!" L'Arc's voice yelled back from the ofuda.
"Alright, just want to make sure, because if things go to &^%$ I'm not going to be around to bail your &^% out this time, boy." Naofumi drawled in response.
"Don't worry Master Craftsman!" Therese's voice came onto the line next, keeping L'Arc from being able to retort. "I'll make sure that L'Arc survives whatever happens with minimal injuries!"
"Come on Therese! Have a little more faith in me!" L'Arc whined.
"Enough, we will be awaiting word of your successful subjugation of the rogue Book Hero, Naofumi." Corrin's voice came on the line next. "We will use that info to make Luvar surrender if we have to."
"Got it. Remain in contact with Ethnobalt in case anything changes. Over and out." Naofumi said, before closing his line of communication on the ofuda.
Ethnobalt's ship ascended higher and higher up, gradually displacing the clouds at this altitude. But before they were out of sight entirely, Naofumi looked back and saw that the battle had already begun as the gem-encrusted LAATs from before came out of the large ships.
Gem spells began to launch from the turrets on their fronts into the opposing fortifications, alongside a hail of bolts and large rocks launched by catapults and other ranged weapons Sickle and Label's soldiers had set up along the front line.
The defenders quickly began to rally with their own magic and siege weapons, though it was obvious they were completely outnumbered by the sudden invasion force at their doorstep.
Within moments, the counterattack against Luvar's forces was beginning in earnest. And sections of the border wall were already beginning to crumble under the onslaught.
Naofumi continued to watch the start of the first battle between Sickle's coalition and Luvar's forces fade from view. Until, eventually, he couldn't see anything below him at all besides the clouds they'd flown into.
It would be another two days before they would reach the ley line that Ethnobalt had pointed out on his map of the world. Either way, Naofumi wanted to double-check that everything had gone well.
"Everything good?" Naofumi asked Ethnobalt as he approached the rabbit man standing at the wheel.
"Yes. I believe that Kizuna and Itsuki's stealth skills did a great job of hiding my ship from view. If we're fortunate, Luvar's forces will believe my ship is still with them in the form of the Invincible L'Arc is currently on." Ethnobalt said happily.
"Good. Are the two planning to keep the skill active until we reach the ley line?" Naofumi asked.
Ethnobalt nodded. "Even if most of the journey will be over friendly territory, I'd rather not take any chances."
"Better safe than sorry." Naofumi nodded and looked around the deck.
His party had gone below deck for the takeoff. However, Itsuki and his party were still topside. With Itsuki studying the distant horizon while Rishia and Maya were conversing with one another.
Kizuna and Glass were also topside, with Yomogi standing near them. Kyo's retainer was currently brooding, with her arms crossed over her chest and her face deep in thought.
Naofumi took note of what was being said.
"It's been so tiring lately." Maya sighed sadly. "And here I was hoping me and Aksel would finally have time to hit the city this morning."
"Fueh? What for?" Rishia asked, almost sounding suspicious.
"Mmm." Maya looked at the clouds. "Before that one attack, I found a stall with some nice smelling flowers in it during one of our dinner dates. They helped me to feel relaxed and happy.
"We didn't have enough money after dinner to buy any then, so I was hoping we could try to find it again. That way I could ease my anxiety about what we'll be going through up ahead…
"Hehe… Guess that didn't end up happening though…" The raccoon girl deflated sadly. "I could really use something to calm down."
"Oh, um…" Rishia looked unsure how to respond.
"Why would you want some lame flower," Aksel suddenly appeared from behind, briefly surprising his raccoon girlfriend as he hugged her to his chest and spoke playfully. "I could have sworn you said you loved the way I smell too."
Maya's eyes went wide with shock for another second. It wasn't often that Aksel was the one managing to sneak up on her. However, when she'd recovered, a large smirk popped onto her face and her bad mood disappeared entirely. "You mean when you aren't all sweaty and covered in gore from monster hunting?"
"Heheh, fair. Though, I still love how you smell amazing even after we spend a full day grinding monsters together." Aksel gave her a wink, causing her to giggle.
"Oh? And what else do you love about me, Axie-Poo?" She asked teasingly.
"The feel of your hair. The sound of your voice. The way your cheerful personality just sets my heart ablaze as well as the annoyance I feel whenever you call me that nickname." Aksel listed off, smirking as he brought his head down to sniff her hair deeply. "You just really know how to push my buttons and I love it."
"Ehehehe." Maya giggled some more. She looked far more relaxed than she had earlier. "Thank you, I'm feeling better already."
"You're welcome…" Aksel suddenly looked off to the side, then grinned at Maya as he reached out with his hand to open a nearby crate. "But since you did bring it up."
…
…
Maya was visibly stunned.
Aksel had done the impossible. Somehow, without her knowing, he'd gone and found that stall again. He'd bought the bouquet of violet-colored roses that she'd been admiring as well as a vase to put them in.
The smile on his face couldn't have been bigger and more genuine than when he gave it to her. "I planned on giving this to you tonight after dinner... But I figure now might be a better time, if it'll really help to lower your anxiety for Kyo."
"I… I…" Tears began to escape Maya's eyes. She brought the vase full of flowers to her nose and sniffed it deeply.
The tears really began to flow after that. "Thank you!" She proceeded to hug her favorite knight, and he chuckled as he hugged her back.
"Of course. Anything to help you feel better, babe." He told her.
Maya began to giggle in happiness. And Rishia was also smiling in her spot.
"Hey, go to your room if you're going to get so lovey-dovey with each other." Itsuki pouted bitterly nearby. "I told Ethnobalt to assign you the soundproof room for a reason."
"Eh? But me and Aksel wanted to save that space for you in case you and Rishia needed some privacy for your picture books." Maya smiled smugly at the Bow Hero.
…
"Wha…" Itsuki looked confused at her response.
Aksel had to hold back a laugh. "I think he calls it a manga, Maya."
"Oh, is that what the books he and Rishia read together are called? I guess I was just too busy watching them hold each other's hands to notice what they were reading." Maya began to giggle again. Her smile became a little bigger though as she put her nose to the flowers she was holding.
This had really made her day. She was going to look forward to setting these in their room later.
…
It finally clicked for the Bow Hero, and his face burned a fierce red, as did Rishia's. "WILL EVERYONE JUST STOP TEASING US ABOUT OUR MANGA TIME?!" Itsuki screamed.
"FUEHHHHHHHHHH!" Rishia screamed as well.
First Naofumi, now their own friends?! WHO ELSE HAD NOTICED THEIR INNOCENT ACTIVITIES!?
Naofumi chuckled in his spot. Little did the poor couple know that the entire household had been aware of what they were doing.
And if they hadn't known before, they were definitely aware now.
"Awwwww! So that's what you two were doing in the mornings?" Kizuna sighed in disappointment. "I thought it'd be something more physically intimate than that."
"Do not tease them too much," Glass told her best friend, though there was a hint of a smirk on her face. "I think they are just fine moving at their own pace."
"STOP ASSUMING THINGS THAT HAVEN'T HAPPENED YET!" Itsuki screamed at the pair.
"OH! YET?!" Kizuna asked hopefully.
...
Itsuki realized his slip of tongue, and he and Rishia both put their hands to their heads. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
They ran downstairs without another word.
Man, teenagers really were idiots.
If they'd wanted some privacy they should have just read together in their room instead of out in the foyer where everyone could see them.
Though, on the other hand, they'd probably be dealing with a lot more sex jokes if they'd done that.
Maybe, possibly.
…
Knowing Naofumi, that was definitely a real possibility.
Ethnobalt had remained silent next to Naofumi for all that time. After the young couple's disappearance though, he sighed to himself. "It'll probably be best not to bother them for a while."
"What do you mean? If we strike now while the iron's hot, then I'm sure we could finally get the pair to confess and make love before we land at Kyo's mansion!" Kizuna drove her fist into her palm determinedly. "My Squishy will know true happiness or my name isn't Kizuna Kazayama!"
…
"What?" Kizuna asked, seeing the stares directed at her.
"Nah, I agree with Ethnobalt," Naofumi spoke flatly. "There's only so much teasing that Itsuki and Rishia can take. Let's ease off for now and see what happens."
At the very least, those two knew everyone was aware of their growing relationship with each other. And while they jested and teased, they were all for it.
Kizuna began to pout as she crossed her arms. "Boo! Nobody ever likes my relationship advice!"
"To be fair…" Glass sweatdropped. "Your relationship advice involves rushing people into relationships far too quickly."
"Ehhhh?! I mean can you blame me!? Just look at L'Arc and Therese! I was missing for years and they still haven't gotten together!" Kizuna argued.
"That… is a fair point, but still." Glass sighed.
"What about you, Yomogi?!" Kizuna turned her head to look at the green-haired woman excitedly. "Did you and Kyo finally tie the knot while I was gone!? Don't think I didn't notice the look in your eyes when you revealed your last name to the others!"
…
…
"Yomogi?" Kizuna tilted her head to the side curiously as the girl looked away, an even more pained expression on her face.
"No… Kyo still doesn't feel that way about me." The girl admitted in a crushed voice.
"... oh." Kizuna stood by awkwardly, suddenly unsure of what to say.
Yomogi balled up her fists and looked up at the Hunting Tools Hero. "What does it matter anyway? You all are going to kill him after we arrive, right? That's what Kyo was expecting last time I talked to him, at least."
"No." Kizuna shook her head firmly. "That's not what we're going to do. And I think you understand it too, otherwise, you wouldn't have offered to help us."
Yomogi looked away without saying anything and Kizuna continued to speak.
"This might be selfish, stupid, and utterly disrespectful to both my best friend and my new friends, but I won't let anyone kill Kyo. I know he has done some terrible things and is playing with power that no man should wield, but I don't care. He is still my friend.
"I will try my best to try and convince him to stop again when we talk in person, but if he refuses, then I'll just have to get him tied up and dragged back to Sickle to decide on his punishment if that's what it takes. But I won't let anyone kill him.
"I still believe that the friend I knew is there."
"... … …" Yomogi's silence stretched on far longer than it should have, but eventually…
Yomogi sighed again. "You really make no sense sometimes, Kizuna."
"Eh? What do you mean?" Kizuna asked curiously.
"I mean… Kyo's told me most of what happened." Yomogi glared at Glass. "How he went to a hostile world to gather the soul energy he needed to save our own. How Glass and the others acted to stop him. How they allied with these… fiends, and cut off his arm before he could escape."
"Yet here you are now. Allied with those same fiends and treating them like 'friends'. You haven't changed one bit in the years you've been gone."
Kizuna's smile faltered. "Do you realize how bad it is to suggest that killing off an entire world full of people to save everyone here is an acceptable solution to our problems?" The Hunting Hero asked.
"It wasn't so hard after seeing how badly they hurt Kyo." Yomogi glared at Naofumi for a second, before turning back to Kizuna. "Besides, weren't Glass and L'Arc already going to other worlds to murder their heroes too? What makes what Kyo was doing any different? Was it because he wasn't meeting the Heroes in 'fair' and 'honorable' battle?"
"That shouldn't matter anymore." Kizuna frowned. "I'm here to fight off the Waves now, and I will fight them off!"
"Just you?" Yomogi chuckled. "The other three Cardinal failures won't be joining you?
"And even if they do wake up, what about what was said at that international meeting? Do you truly believe that all of the nations of our world want you to fight off the Waves for them?"
…
At Kizuna's silence, Yomogi continued. "Either way, whether the other nations agreed on it or not, the worlds we collide with are our enemies. The waves are happening because of their existence. And before you returned, we had no Cardinal Heroes in our world participating in the fight against the waves at all, so how was it bad to do the next best thing by going to other worlds to kill them off instead?
"After all, wasn't it Ethnobalt who discovered in the ancient texts found in the infinite library labyrinth that this was a possible answer?
"Tell me, how was what Kyo was doing any different from what the rest of your friends did?"
"Because whether they only attacked the Heroes or not. The results would still be the same. A dead world consumed by the Waves of Catastrophe."
…
Kizuna opened her mouth, ready to fiercely defend her friends. To say how she would unite the world against the Waves like she did against the Demon Dragon. And how soon, the other three Cardinals would be participating again once they were made strong enough to do so! But before she could do so…
"It is fine, Kizuna." Glass rested a hand on her shoulder. "I already know what I did is unforgivable. Yomogi is not wrong in that regard."
"Glass…" Kizuna deflated sadly.
"I could try to make my case with how different my approach was compared to Kyo's. How me and L'Arc only wished to fight with Heroes and not the friends and people supporting them. But she is right. The end result would still be the same. Their entire world would die because of our actions."
"You see?!" Yomogi turned to face the spirit woman. "You two as well as Therese were going off to other worlds, killing Heroes on other worlds! And then Kyo goes off to do the same and is considered an enemy?! How is that fair to him?!"
"It is not." Glass shook her head. "Under normal circumstances, it would not be fair at all. And I would not be so quick to judge him if these were normal circumstances."
"Then… why?" Yomogi asked, looking confused.
…
"When we first met Kyo again in Naofumi's world, we had already decided to throw in the towel at that point. That in itself would already be plenty of reason to try to stop him from repeating our mistakes. But there was something more..." Glass thought to herself, looking out at the sea of clouds surrounding them. Her eyes held a far-off look to them as she stared at nothingness.
"Do you know how the Vassal and Cardinal Weapons sometimes try to communicate with their wielders?" The spirit woman asked.
Yomogi nodded hesitantly after a moment. "I do. Kyo occasionally complained that his was frequently being a nag. "
"When I first started my crusade against Heroes from other worlds… my weapon kept on telling me to stop." Glass continued to speak. "To stop what I was doing. To stop killing Heroes on other worlds. But because of my anger, I stopped listening to what it wanted and instead placed my own personal desires above my duties.
"What I did was not in line with what our world wanted." Her head looked down at the deck before her. "I get the feeling L'Arc's weapon was telling him the same thing. But I never allowed for him to talk me out of it either."
"I have no doubt that there will come a time when I will need to pay for what happened. After all, some of the Holy Heroes on those worlds we visited are still alive."
…
Glass turned back to Yomogi. "But that feeling, that soundless voice coming from my fan that I heard every time I ended another Hero's life. Its volume, its magnitude, its desperation was nothing compared to the agonizing pleas and screams of desperation and terror that came from the Vassal Book that day when we met Kyo again in Naofumi's world."
"What? Kyo's weapon…?" Yomogi blinked, and deep within her eyes a dark, suppressed memory could be seen briefly.
"We happened upon him by chance, but now I wonder if we had somehow been led to him by my fans and L'Arc's scythe." Glass looked down at the gem of her weapon with a frown as she recalled the events. "So we could hear that horrible, blood-chilling scream that came from the book that reverberated in our own weapons.
"It spoke of absolute and total annihilation beyond even what the Waves could do. It pleaded its siblings in our hands to stop its wielder, to stop Kyo, from harvesting the soul energy from Naofumi and Itsuki's world and bringing it back over here, before it was too late.
"And since then, not a day goes by without the echoes of the Book's voice passing through my fans to remind me about that encounter. And I am sure the same goes for L'Arc too."
…
"Yomogi." Kizuna turned to the girl with a grim expression. "Did Kyo tell you how he is planning to use the soul energy he took to save our world?"
"First off, what the Book is saying is that it 'can' bring about the end of the world. Not that it 'will'. Kyo is not an idiot, he is well aware of how volatile and dangerous the substance that he is working with is." The green-haired girl countered weakly. "But you need this kind of fuel to power up the device that he's designed to end the waves of destruction once and for all!"
"... is... is that really what he's using the soul energy for?" Kizuna asked hesitantly.
"YES!" Yomogi cried out in exasperation. "And before you ask, the only reason why he hasn't activated it yet is because he's been spending all this time calculating and testing out its limits to make sure that it doesn't backfire and kill us all like your stupid weapons keep blabbering about!"
"Then what the hell is up with the whole Demon lord thing and trying to kill the other three Cardinal Heroes?!" Kizuna interjected.
"That..." It was Yomogi's turn to back off a bit again. "That is something that I do not approve of either, I admit. But with the way things are right now, it's necessary to deal with the coming fallout."
"What fallout?" Kizuna's eyes narrowed.
"..." Yomogi stayed quiet for a moment, looking hesitant. "Of the waves suddenly stopping abruptly, instead of gradually over time."
"...Yomogi, what exactly does this device that Kyo created do?" Glass asked, her voice tense.
"It won't destroy our world, if that's what you're asking. At least, not if he gets everything right." The green-haired girl looked away. "But it will cause some...instabilities for a short while. Stuff like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, tornadoes. Among other anomalies. Things we've already had for a while, due to the waves, but on a much larger scale.
"That's why Kyo wants to consolidate his power and put the rest of the world under Luvar's heel. So that it would be easier to manage everything and keep everyone safe when it is time to activate his magnum opus."
"But, but, that would still cause insurmountable damage, no matter how well we prepare!" Kizuna shouted, sounding distraught. "And besides, none of this matters anymore! He doesn't need to do any of it! I am back! We can fight the waves back normally now like our world always has! Even the other three cardinal heroes are now willing to participate! Yomogi, please, you should be able to see and understand this much at least!"
The girl did not respond and simply looked away.
"Okay, fine, think what you want." The Hunting Tools Hero sighed and shook her head. "What about Kyo's stay in the other world? Did he tell you anything about it?
"I can tell you know quite a bit of what's happened, from his time in our world to the International Meeting held in Lapis. But I want to know the specifics. Did he tell you only about how he fought the Heroes? Or did he mention how he treated the Heroes that he captured? How he made the Guardian Beast rampage, destroying many cities and ending many lives?"
"I… he has told me some of it, yes," Yomogi answered with a grimace.
"Did he tell you about how he treated the Sword Hero of that world?" Glass then asked, cutting Kizuna off from speaking further. "The one whose blade you held a replica of until recently. Did he tell you how it was that particular Hero who had spared my life and the lives of my friends when I foolishly tried to attack him and the other Heroes before?
"Did he tell you of how he tortured Hero Ren and the Spear Hero Motoyasu physically, mentally, and emotionally? How he was killing them to make the Spirit Tortoise of their world more powerful? How Hero Naofumi allied with us not only to save his comrades but because he and the Bow Hero had already agreed that our world needed to be saved alongside theirs?!" Glass's rant turned more heated at the end.
"That's a lie! There is no way Heroes from another world would want to help-" Yomogi began to retort.
"Then did Kyo tell you how we didn't want to fight him at first?!" Glass raised the volume of her voice even more. "How we were first there to try and talk him out of what he was doing?! Only for him to greet us with a mimic assuming the guise of Kizuna and attempt to convince me to commit suicide for not being able to help her in her hour of greatest need?!"
…
"He… he did what?" Yomogi's expression froze. She looked to Kizuna for clarification, but the girl looked off sadly to the side.
"R-regardless if what you are saying is true or not." Yomogi shook her head. Her voice was sounding much more hollow when she looked up at Glass again. "Did you not consider their world the enemy before?"
"At one point, yes. But I was wrong to assume so." Glass deflated as well. "I was wrong to trust in an incomplete translation Ethnobalt gave me only so that I'd have something to hope for. Something that could drown out my sorrow for the loss of my best friend and the slow descent to hell that our world was facing because of the Waves.
"I know all too well that feeling you and everyone else have been experiencing these past few years. And I was unwise to do what I did. I am sorry that my decisions have led to this.
"I do not wish to wage war with other Heroes anymore. I do not wish to stain my hands with more of their blood. I…" It looked like she wanted to say something more, but cut herself off.
"But you still want to stop Kyo." Yomogi finished for her.
…
Glass didn't answer at first. She simply looked at the Hunting Tools Hero before looking back at Yomogi again. "I will do what my best friend wants. If Kizuna still believes in... that man, despite everything he has done. Then I will follow her wisdom, no matter what. Regardless of my personal feelings on the matter."
"It is the least I can do, after all the other mistakes I have made in my life."
…
…
Yomogi sighed again and leaned against the deck.
…
…
…
"Did you really try to talk to him first? Before… before you fought him?" The green-haired girl asked after a long bout of silence.
"We did. L'Arc was especially adamant about it." Glass looked sad. "You know how nice and forgiving he is to others. How thankful he was to Kyo for his help against the Demon Dragon, and then when he lent his assistance again when we had to deal with the Guardian Beasts of our world.
"We would never turn on one of our friends without a good reason for it."
"We've had enough allies who've turned on us as it is."
…
Yomogi didn't say anything anymore.
Glass looked down at the deck again. Tears were forming in the corners of her eyes.
Kizuna, upon seeing her tears, grabbed Glass by the hand. "Yomogi, will you be alright by yourself?"
"I'm under orders not to attack anyone here." The girl sighed. "Don't worry, as long as no one bothers me. I won't do anything to cause further trouble."
"Alright." Kizuna began leading her best friend back down below deck. Hopefully, she'd be able to find something they could do to distract the spirit woman.
Naofumi was frowning after witnessing the whole exchange.
The Shield Hero then saw Aksel and the others coughing into their hands, pretending to have not been listening in to what'd been going on. At some point during that conversation, Dou-Lon and Filo had also come up from below deck as well. Though the two had wisely kept their distance up till then.
"So, um, do you want me to keep an eye on Yomogi for now, Sir Naofumi?" Dou-Lon asked.
"If you wouldn't mind." Naofumi sighed. "Even with that Order Ofuda, I'm not entirely sure that I trust her yet."
"Alright. I shall do so then. You want to join me, Miss Filo?" The tiger man asked happily.
"Mmhmm! Filo wants to work on Filo's singing!" Filo declared happily.
Yomogi groaned nearby. "I'd rather just sit in silence."
"Nonsense! Filo is an excellent singer! Even you will feel calmer if you listen to her soothing voice!" Dou-Lon said excitedly. "It really helps make meditation all the better!"
"Oh?... You practice meditation?" Yomogi asked curiously.
Dou-Lon nodded as he pulled his meditation mat out from his pack. He set it on the floor of the deck and sat down on it cross-legged.
Yomogi, though hesitant, sat down opposite the hakuko man.
Filo wandered around the deck for a bit and after finding a spot that she found suitable, she closed her eyes and began to hum a soft and gentle melody. It quickly spread out across the ship as she swayed back and forth in place.
Yomogi tensed up a bit as if recognizing the melody. The rabbit man standing at the wheel likewise seemed to freeze for a moment and looked over his shoulder at the girl.
And then, Filo opened her mouth and began to sing in earnest. That humming melody continuing in the background.
You are the ocean's gray waves
Destined to seek, life beyond the shore, just out of reach
Yet the waters ever change
Flowing like time, the path is, yours to climb.
Aksel and the others were already moving below deck and Ethnobalt turned his head back around to continue to make sure that the ship would stay on course. A small smile had appeared on his face though.
And as the peaceful feeling settled over the deck, Naofumi couldn't help but linger for a bit to stay nearby to listen to the sound of his daughter's voice. However, it was not she who began to sing the second verse as Filo continued humming the background tune.
In the white light...
A hand reaches through…
Yomogi had opened her mouth and began to sing along to Filo's humming, sounding somewhat subdued but sincere.
A double-edged blade cuts your heart in two
Waking dreams
Fade away
Embrace the brand-new day
...
Sing, with me, a song
Of birthrights and love
The light scatters, to, the sky above.
Dawn, breaks through, the gloom
White as a bone
Lost in thoughts, all alone...
...
Naofumi blinked in surprise, not expecting the bullheaded girl to have such a splendid singing voice.
"Oh? You know this song too, Miss Yomogi?" Dou-Lon smiled at the green-haired girl.
"Of course." The young woman nodded and looked to the side at the ocean of clouds passing by them as Filo began to sing the repeat of the first verse again. "It was humanity's rallying song during the war against the Demon Dragon.
"Everyone knows it... at least, I think they still do."
Dou-Lon nodded.
As Filo reached the part in the song, he began to sing the next verse while Yomogi sat and listened.
Embrace the dark...
You call a home...
Gaze upon, an empty white throne
A legacy
Of lies
A familiar, disguise
...
Sing, with me, a song
Of conquest and fate
The black pillar, cracks, beneath its weight
Night, breaks through, the day
Hard as a stone
Lost in thoughts, all alone.
...
"I must say, it's quite lovely," Dou-Lon added when Filo took over again. "Miss Filo learned it from one of the bards in Sickle during her stay and taught it to me too. I had no idea that there was such significance to it."
"I haven't heard it in years." Yomogi sighed as she watched Filo sing. "I am surprised someone still performs it regularly."
"Sickle is one of the few places in the world that still remembers the last war and all the sacrifices that were made during it." Ethnobalt suddenly joined the conversation from his spot at the helm. "Even if many of our old allies act like the sacrifices made that day meant nothing, it still means something to the people of our country."
"Hmm, now how did it go again…?" He pondered out loud as Filo's singing readied the next verse. And then, suddenly, he began to sing the next verse in an unexpectedly deep and sorrowful voice.
A burdened heart...
Sinks into the ground...
A veil falls away without a sound
Not day nor night
Wrong nor right
For truth and peace, you fight
...
Sing, with me, a song
Of silence and blood
The rain falls, but can't wash, away the mud
Within my ancient heart dwells
Madness and pride
Can no one, hear my cry?
...
"It is said to have some sort of mystical power to it," Ethnobalt spoke up again as Filo took over once more. "Historical accounts point towards it having been composed by one of the Musical Instrument Vassal Heroes. Though we do not know which one. It can apparently weaken dragons and even put them to sleep.
"We never did end up learning if there was any truth to it, since the Demon Dragon showed how it could counter all sorts of magic while we were fighting it. Perhaps if we'd blindsided him with it… Oh well." The Boat Hero chuckled at the end.
"It's still a splendid song, regardless." Dou-Lon smiled warmly again. "I'll make sure to share it with people from my world when we return home." Yes, even if it had come from a Hero, it had been a gift given by him to the people of this world. The tiger man felt more than comfortable enough with sharing such a wonderful gift with his friends.
He knew Chen would love it. Though, he wondered if Eclair…
Ha! Who was he kidding? That muscle brain wouldn't be interested in music even if she was forced to listen to it! He had no idea why the idea even came to mind in the first place!
"Shall we sing the last verse together, Yomogi, Dou-Lon?" Ethnobalt offered and turned his head back again.
The green-haired girl shrugged with a sigh while Dou-Lon grinned widely. "Sure, it's a good song."
And thus the three of them as well as Filo began to sing together.
In endless dreams
Countless realms collide
Hope falls only to rise like the changing tides
But all dreams come
To an end
Just whispers on the wind.
...
Sing, with me, one last time
For light's sacrifice
Endless dawn, came but not, without a price
Lost, in the waves, there glimmers
A pale blue stone
I think of you, all alone
…
Filo continued to sing by herself after that for a while, helping for a peaceful feeling to permeate the scene.
Yomogi and Dou-Lon settled into a peaceful meditation together while Ethnobalt looked ahead again. Humming along to Filo's voice to himself.
Naofumi smiled, and despite how much he would have liked to stay above deck and continue listening to his daughter's beautiful voice, he turned around and went below deck himself to take a much-needed nap.
After the stress of that day, the Shield hero wanted to get all the rest he could get. And thankfully, the tune of Filo's song would follow him to his room inside his mind. And make it that much easier for him to fall asleep.
Little did he realize the symbolism of that song... as well as those who'd participated in singing it at the time.
"Itsuki, is everything ok?
The boy sniffled loudly. "Leave me alone Jaylee."
"Itsuki, show it to me."
…
…
"Why… why do you keep on healing me?"
"What do you mean?"
"They'll just come back to hurt me again. Just like every other time."
"But you are my best friend, Itsuki. And what kind of best friend would I be if I didn't use my powers to heal you?"
…
…
"Jaylee…" The boy sniffled again. "Please don't go."
"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere, Itsuki."
…
…
"Jaylee… what are you doing with that knife?
…
"Don't worry… Ï̴͚͑̎̏́̾'̵̜̮̜̜͎͓͔̺̗̳̰̀̃͗͐̀̔͌͒̌̒̔͐͘͜͝ͅm̷̡̻̟̱͉͉̥̻̮̟̖̪̫͒̎́̒ ̶̛̪͙̱̱͈̑̔͆̉̔͐͌̈͆̌̆͐͜ņ̸̛̛͈̻͈̅̈́̑̏̾̐̓͘͝o̴̧͉̥͓̖̮͉͎̫͇̤̩͕̽̉̿͂̿̓͛̊̄̚̕͜͜t̴̨̺̠̪̹̮̜̹͉̩̰͈͍̎͋͂́̍͋̆̅̇̾̚͝͝ ̴̡͕̥̙͂̎͋̐̎͘g̶̩̻̔̏̔̃̓̌͗̅̉͠ó̵̳̩̭̖̜͎͍̄̍̃͛̃̅̌͂́̅̒͝͝i̶̡͎̙̪̘̗̝̜̪̥͕̗͎͓̰͌́̒ņ̴͓̲̖̹̖͈̟̠̩̬̥̥̥̔g̵̺̩̙̃͆̐̆̈́̈́̔́̔̈́͌̍̚ ̵̲̺͖̱̹̈̇̀̌̆͊̌͝à̴̠̙̦̺͐̏̿́͐n̷̯͚̗̺̓̒̀̇y̴̨̨͙̮͈̭͆̃̇̏̈́̈́͠ͅw̶̢̧̧̭̦̺̟̤̪̙̪̘͈̻̺̒̔͑̌͑̓̐͒̐͌̂̒̾ḫ̴̡͇̬̟̪͍̣̘̈́͐̈́̔̽̆̀͂́ė̴̡̛̛̩͓̰̙̖̖̦͖͆̍̊̒̈́͑̀̕͝r̸̩̰͔̮̤̥̙̠̾̄̈̍̊͐͑̏̏͘̕̕͝ê̷̡̙̰̭̣͍̼̞̍̾̿͝,̵̞̼̥͒̀́͑̈́̈͝ ̴͚̘̘̾̓̔̊͠I̵͈͓͎̗͌̏̌́̏͒́̑̅̔͝t̷̹̹̙͕̊͝͝s̷̨̡̨̛̠̤̩͎̼̞͎̪̞̏̈͒̒̇͊̀̆̓́ͅͅu̴̝͍̭͎͚̗̺͒̆̐̂̈́͠k̵͇̙̫̦̺̺͐ḯ̸̢̨̠̼̩̱̝̣̣͚̭̣̹̘̙̏̿̍͋̑̄͒̌̀͐͠.̷̨͉̲̫͔̖̫̭̳̍̀͒̑͝ͅ"̶͖͖̣̬͛̓̇͆͂́̾͠
"Jaylee, wait! Stop!"
"Jaylee?!"
"JAYLEE!"
Itsuki shot up in his bed, sweat adorning his face.
He breathed in and out heavily while clutching a hand to his chest.
'What… what the…!'
…
His labored breathing continued for a while. Gradually evening out until, eventually, he was able to breathe normally again.
…
…
The Bow Hero's gaze shifted to the side.
Where she lay in her bed, Rishia was still sleeping peacefully.
'Jaylee…'
A shudder passed through him. What an awful time to suddenly have that twisted painful memory from his old world resurface.
It wasn't a real memory. He had not seen the moment when his former best friend had slit her own throat. He'd only arrived as she was lying on the ground dying… yet his mind…
The Bow Hero stood up and walked to the nearby window to look outside.
He saw nothing but the stars in the night sky overhead. As well as some fields and hills down below. In the distance, the lights of a village lit up the ground.
Still, despite the signs of life, he felt as if a chill wind was passing through him, and he hugged his Bow to himself. Switching it from the weapon he'd been unlocking to one of the more fiery dragon forms he had in an effort to warm himself up.
'It… it keeps on happening.'
'Why does it keep on happening?'
This hadn't been the first time thoughts of his old best friend had haunted his sleep. Ever since his return from Lapis, it had been happening again and again. Almost every night without fail.
He didn't know what to think. A month ago, he would have thought he'd finally been getting past that horrible event. That he was overcoming his curse and learning to trust more in his friends.
And yet, now…
Tears were on the verge of appearing in his eyes. He hugged his bow more tightly to himself while trying to hold it in.
But then, one of the ofuda at his side suddenly buzzed. Itsuki looked down at his belt in surprise, wondering if it was an emergency message from L'Arc or Corrin.
However, when he grabbed the one that'd buzzed off his belt, he was confused.
Rishia: Is everything ok?
…
He slowly turned around and saw the green-haired girl he was crushing on hard was now awake and sitting up in her bed.
As he stared, a blush began to appear on her face. "S-Sorry, I just thought it might be better to try the ofuda first."
"W… What made you think that would be better?" Itsuki asked curiously, having to swallow a nervous lump that'd appeared in his throat.
"Well… it looked like you were troubled by something… and I thought it'd be easier for you to talk about it if it was over ofuda? Like… like with other things?" Rishia said, her blush going back and forth on her face.
While there was clearly nervousness on her features, there was also concern. Concern for him, and a desire to help.
…
Itsuki sighed again, sitting down opposite her on his bed. One of his hands did reach out though, and she gripped his hand with both of hers. Smiling at him in a wholesome way that almost made him feel like everything would be okay.
"It's just bad memories… bad memories from long ago," Itsuki answered vaguely.
"I thought I was getting over them… but they've been coming back more and more as of late." He answered honestly.
"…" Rishia kept a grip on Itsuki's hand.
The two teenagers stayed silent for a while. With Itsuki's gaze moving down to the floor. And Rishia's hands massaging the knuckles between his fingers.
The tears had disappeared. But Itsuki didn't know if he should divulge more than that or not.
Not because he didn't trust her… he trusted her more than anyone on the ship, even more than Naofumi…
He just didn't want to burden her with this. Not after everything else she'd gone through in her life.
…
…
"I'm… going to try going back to bed." Itsuki eventually said. "I'm sorry that I woke you up."
"Wait, Itsuki?"
Itsuki looked up to ask what Rishia wanted, only to pause.
The girl leaned forward, pressing her lips lightly against his own.
…
The action was so subtle and so quick, that he almost didn't think it'd actually happened.
But Rishia pulled back, her face an even brighter crimson than before. But a soft smile was still on her lips as she looked at him with pure unadulterated happiness. "H-Hopefully that'll help to banish the nightmares." She said softly.
"I… I… Uh…" Itsuki's mouth refused to work. He was left completely speechless by what Rishia had just done.
"Just know, whenever you need help with something, I'm here for you," Rishia told him. Echoing all the past times she'd told this line before. Yet, now, it almost seemed to hold new meaning for the young girl.
Or, perhaps, it was her way of being more honest and open with her feelings for Itsuki. Not the Bow Hero that'd saved her all those months ago. But the individual she'd gotten to know under that persona, the boy she'd fallen in love with. "I'm here for you, ok? If you ever need help, all you have to do is ask."
"I'm willing to share your burdens. You don't have to bear this alone any longer."
…
Itsuki could barely do more than squeak out a "thank you" as his face was blushing a bright red.
He didn't know how he even got himself under the covers while turning his back to the girl behind him again. All the neurons in his brain were fried.
'What… what the hell just happened?!'
His mind was an absolute mess…
And yet, his smile had come back, if only a little bit.
Did she… did she actually mean it?
…
He eventually convinced himself that he was just overthinking things and tried to get some sleep… but before he did, he used a skill from the bow to look above himself down at Rishia's bed.
The girl was facing him, and though she was still blushing, she was still smiling softly and looking at him with the tenderest look he'd ever seen on her face.
It… it was like the way Naofumi and Raphtalia looked at each other…
When they weren't horny, that is.
The intrusive thought made him blush again, and he deactivated the skill. Still, it was comforting for him to know how genuine her care for him was.
He felt the same way about her… and he was seriously thinking about what she'd told him.
Could he… could he really burden her with this?
…
…
He eventually fell asleep again, and after a moment of watching him, Rishia fell asleep too. Believing that there would be no more problems for her favorite boy that night.
…
"..."
"..."
"Jaylee… no…"
Yet Itsuki fell back into the same nightmare as before.
His problem was far from being resolved.
And it would only grow worse in the coming months.
Author's Notes:
Yeah, with how long this chapter was getting, I felt it'd be better to split it here. That way it wouldn't feel too bloated.
Quite a bit happened. The characters are as fun to interact with as ever. And we even got to see a return to form with Dou-Lon's vocal talents. Man, I love that song. I'm so glad Glass's world has the capability and even the explanation to logic why these things just fit so naturally into the world and how the themes of it run so parallel to what I want.
Oh, I guess I should add this short disclaimer: I do not own the song that appeared at the end of this chapter or the rights to it.
Thank you all again. I'll see you guys next chapter.
Hero Clips!
Nostalgia Never gets Old!
"Itsuki, what the…" Naofumi trailed off, staring in shock at the Bow Hero.
"Yeahhhhhh! Star Wars for the win!" Phoom! Phoom! Phoom! Phoom! Phoom!
The Bow Hero stood at the edge of a forest, decked out in a full set of M*ndalorian armor and firing his Amb*n Sniper Rifle at level 200+ monsters in front of him.
No, he wasn't using those cheap adamantium gem knockoffs those gem wannabes were wearing earlier, but TRUE BESKAR M*ndalorian armor! He'd be using an actual M*ndalorian rifle too and not whatever the hell that crap earlier was!
"M*ndalorian?" Naofumi tried saying the name, only for it to come out weird when he spoke it as well. He looked up at the sky in confusion.
A cloud in the shape of an angry-looking rat holding a cease-and-desist order glared back at the Shield Hero. It looked surprisingly menacing for a rat.
Phoom! Phoom! Phoom! Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Itsuki, your weapon isn't even damaging the monsters!" Naofumi screamed at him, ignoring what he'd seen up above.
"STAR WARS NOSTALGIA WILL NEVER DIEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Itsuki continued firing, not caring at all about anything besides the fact that this was Star Wars.
Naofumi's hands clung to his face as he fell to his knees.
Had he really been forced to go through several different Star Wars omakes before this?! Why did he have to deal with this kind of over-the-top shenanigans now?!
You would have thought that was the weirdest thing, however…
Ksch! Ksch! Whoosh!
Allen was there as well, dressed in Jedi Robes and wielding a double-handed blue-bladed lightsaber. He was trying to slice and dice into the same monsters Itsuki was attacking, with little success.
"Whoa… is it possible for me to copy that?"
"What the- REN?!" Naofumi screamed. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?! WE'RE NOT EVEN BACK IN OUR WORLD YET!"
Yep, the Sword Hero and his girlfriend were there as well. And Ren tilted his head in confusion at Naofumi's question. "Are these omakes ever supposed to make sense?"
…
"Anyway, do you think I'd be able to copy lightsabers if they existed?" Ren asked again.
"I think it'd be pretty cool if you could," Wyndia said, picturing her boyfriend in jedi robes and smiling as she imagined both of them wielding the awesome weapon side by side.
It'd probably devolve into the two of them nerding out together afterward with a mock lightsaber battle. But a girl could dream.
"Damn it, stupid stats ruining everything," Allen complained as his two blades brushed off the creature's skin repeatedly while doing very little damage. Same as all the shots Itsuki was firing off. "This is just like SWTOR and KOTOR and Force Unleashed and Jedi Fallen Order/Jedi Survivor and every other blasted Star Wars game that's had lightsabers incorporated into them since Jedi Academy and Jedi Outcast!
"Why can't game developers just allow lightsabers to one-shot everything in better graphics as they freaking deserve?!" Allen yelled at the sky.
"... I think I'm going to try and find Raph-Chan now." Naofumi sweatdropped as he turned away from the insanity.
"What are you talking about?! Lightsabers can't one-shot beskar or power armor!" Itsuki countered.
"Say that after I thrust it into you instead of trying to slice and dice!" Allen threatened.
"You want to meet my flamethrower, bitch?!" Itsuki raised an arm.
"I'll choke you out with the force, nerd!" Allen shouted back.
The two devolved into a divisive argument that led to a very familiar dust cloud as they settled on using their fists to even things out.
"I thought you told me before that lightsabers couldn't cut through the skin of a Zillo Beast?" Wyndia looked at Ren curiously.
"Eh, not everyone watches The Clone Wars, which is, in my opinion, the best OG show to ever exist." Ren shook his head while smiling. "Anyway, want to learn about more Star Wars lore while we wait for our friends to finish the Otherworld Arc?"
Wyndia's answer was a kiss on the lips and a bright smile that made the Sword Hero's whole world better. The two then walked away from the scene hand-in-hand.
Ever since Ren had first told Wyndia about Krayt Dragons and Mythosours existing in Star Wars, the dog girl had been hooked on learning more about the fictional universe. It definitely gave them a lot to talk about at night after a long day and was a welcome distraction from what the Sword Hero was going through in his mind. Wyndia would become a nerd yet by the time Naofumi and the others finally came back from the Otherworld...
Also, as cool as it'd be for the Sword Hero to copy a lightsaber… and I should add that yes if such a weapon did exist, he could copy it… It'd, unfortunately, be subject to stats, just like the gem rifles the gem noblesses in Corrin's army used.
On the bright side, if he ever did come across a weak monster with it, he could slice and dice it up just like how a normal lightsaber unrestricted by stats would work!
But yeah, it'd most likely be really useless later on in the story.
Seriously, you guys have no idea just how many OP and fun weapons are ruined when you actually subject them to the rules of the Shield Hero setting. Which is the only rules I'll be using for the rest of this story.
Till Next Time
Allen