Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Rising of the Shield Hero, Star Fox, Legend of Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, or Super Mario characters.
Chapter 10: The Battles at Siltvelt
Outside Lurolona
The Siltvelt wave was only ten minutes away and the Cardinal Heroines and their parties were outside of Lurolona, talking strategies and waiting for the timer to go down. Peach's team includes her, Mario, Luigi, Daisy, and Rino. Krystal's team was her, Fox, Falco, Katt, and Keel. Zelda's team was her, Link, Sidon, Teba, Yunobo, and Neia. And finally, Amy's team was her, Sonic, Knuckles, Raphtalia, and Rifana.
[00:10:00]
"Alright, are we all prepared?"
Peach asked her group.
"Yep. We have plenty of power-ups in our bottomless gloves, so we're more than prepared for anything the wave throws at us."
Mario answered with Luigi and Daisy raising their fists in agreement. Peach nodded and smiled at this, she then turned to Rino.
"And what about you, Rino? Are you ready?"
"Yes, Lady Peach. This new staff your friends made has allowed me to master spells from almost all the elements. Plus, Lady Daisy has been teaching me how to defend myself in close-quarter combat. So I believe I'm ready."
Peach smiled in satisfaction.
[00:07:30]
"Is everyone ready?"
Krystal asked her team.
"Yes. We did a weapons check back on the base. Everyone has their blaster and reflector, and we have plenty of grenades on hand. The standard kind, since we're fighting monsters, there is no need for the concussion grenades. Finally, Slippy did a check on the weapon transfer system, or W.T.S. as he calls it. So we'll all be able to swap between different weapons as needed."
Fox answered.
"Good. And what about air support?"
"Bill, Lucy, Fay, and Miyu will be watching nearby and will assist when needed."
"That's good to hear. And you all remember the plan, correct?"
The others nodded at her question. Earlier, it was agreed that, when the wave started, the four Cardinal Heroines would search for the wave boss with their right hands while the others protected and saved citizens from the other monsters while defeating those monsters as well. Krystal smiled with confidence in her team.
[00:05:00]
Zelda was waiting along with her team for the wave to begin. She was confident that they would be able to save anyone and everyone who the monsters would target. Sidon, Neia, and Teba would deal with most of the fighting while Yunobo would be able to protect people with his special ability. Meanwhile, she and Link would be searching for the wave boss with the other heroines. She then noticed that Neia seemed to be unsure of something and decided to speak to her.
"Are you okay, Neia?"
Zelda asked. Neia was startled by Zelda's question but tried to show confidence.
"What, oh, yes, Lady Zelda. I'm fine, thank you for asking."
"Are you sure? You seem to be anxious. Are you nervous about the wave?"
"I, yes, Lady Zelda. I guess I am nervous. Not about the wave itself, but if my training will be enough. What if, what if I'm not ready for this?"
Neia said with dismay, but that's when Zelda placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Neia, I've seen you train, and both Riju and Buliara sing praises about your growth. Have more confidence in yourself, Neia."
Neia smiled, reassured by Zelda's words.
"You're right, thank you, Lady Zelda. I will do my best not to disappoint you."
"All I ask is that you do your best."
[00:02:30]
Amy and her team were waiting for the wave to begin as well. Sonic and Knuckles were chatting with each other while Amy approached Raphtalia and Rifana.
"Hey there you two. How are you feeling?"
Amy asked.
"We're doing fine, Lady Amy. Thank you for asking."
Raphtalia answered with Rifana nodding.
"That's good, I was afraid the incident in the mines may have shaken you."
"Don't worry about that. I admit, that our past trauma from the first wave may have hindered us before, but the battle with the beast in the mine has helped us get past it. But thank you for your concern, Lady Amy."
Rifana answered.
"Alright then. It's almost time."
Amy said as she viewed the timer on her status screen.
[00:00:00]
A bright light came out from the gems of the weapons and covered the heroines and their teams. When the light dissipated, they found themselves in Siltvelt. They looked around when Mario spoke up.
"Look!"
He yelled, pointing to the sky. Tears began to form in the sky, and monsters were falling out of them. Most of the monsters were skeletons with black bones, wearing centurion armor, and had swords and shields. A few were harpies with black wings that circled the sky while descending. And finally, a few cyclops that landed with a loud crash. As the heroines and their teams prepared for battle, they noticed the monsters approaching a mining town nearby.
"We need to save the villagers!"
Raphtalia shouted.
"Let's-a go!"
Luigi shouted as he led the charge against the monsters. While this happened, Peach and Mario stayed back with the other heroines and their right hands. That's when she and the other heroines got a call.
"Yes?"
"Hey, we're running scans up here and have discovered something important."
"What is it, Tails?"
"After scanning the tears in the sky we discovered they have a unique energy signature it shares with all the monsters. And we found one that was the strongest out of all the monsters there. We believe that this is the boss monster."
"Great! Where is it?"
"That's the thing, it's kind of stuck in a state of limbo. Like it hasn't finished forming yet. We'll keep you and the others updated on it, and once it fully forms or appears, we'll let you know of its location."
"Do you have any idea where it will be appearing?"
"We're not too sure as the signature appears to floating about the area, but it seems that the creature will appear underground."
"So more it's going to appear in one of the mines then."
"That seems to be the case, Peach. But we don't know in which mine. So I suggest you all save and protect the villagers there and we'll let you know when the boss monster finishes forming and where it is."
"Got it. Okay, you heard him, everyone. Let's get to work."
Peach said to the other heroines and their right hands. With that, they all went off to protect the village. That's when Amy noticed the Claw Hero, standing off at the side, just watching them.
"What is he doing?"
She said to herself. She would make sure to speak to him later. Sonic sped off to find anyone who was in danger. In the village, the parties of the Cardinal Heroines were fighting the monsters of the waves. The skeletons were easily destroyed but kept on reforming.
"Great, an army of drybones. Time to switch to the bubble flower."
Daisy crushed a small white marble and her yellow and orange adventure gear turned into a shade of purple and pink. She then blew large bubbles from her hands that encapsulated the skeletons. Katt was confused by this and went to Daisy to ask her about it.
"What's that supposed to do?"
Daisy just smirked as the skeletons turned into gold coins once the bubbles popped.
"Ah, right. Your world's power-ups are weird and dangerous."
Katt said as she went off to fight more skeletons. That's when she and the other party members got a call from the base.
"Hey, can you guys hear me?"
"Loud and clear, Slippy."
"We scanned the skeletons and found a weakness. There's a red gem that acts as their core. Destroy that and the skeletons will stay down."
"Got it."
Katt pulled out her blaster and aimed at three skeletons approaching her. She fired three shots that landed on one skeleton's chest, another skeleton's left eye, and one in the forehead of the last skeleton, destroying their gems. The skeletons fell and stayed down this time.
"Great! Thanks for the advice Slippy."
Katt said as she went back to killing more skeletons. In the air, Teba was shooting down harpies while avoiding their attacks.
"What disgusting creatures. Even moblins had more charm than these things."
Teba said to himself as he continued to shoot them down. While he was greatly outnumbered, his superior training and experience fighting against hordes of monsters allowed him to overcome the odds. While this was happening, Miyu, Fay, Lucy, and Bill were watching the air battle.
"Damn, his maneuverability rivals the arwings. And he's doing all on his own."
Miyu said in awe.
"From what I picked up in conversations with him, his people excel in aerial combat. And he's one of their greatest warriors."
Bill explained.
"Are we going to help him?"
Fay asked.
"Only if he's overwhelmed, and even then, don't use your ship's weapons. Open the cockpit and use your blaster."
Lucy answered.
"Yeah, we can't have people learn about the arwings or similar spacecraft yet."
Everyone nodded in agreement at Bill's explanation. Luckily, Teba didn't need their help and was taking out all the harpies on his own. Back on the ground, Sonic was saving villagers left and right from the monsters and bringing them to a protective bubble Yunobo had made with his power. While he was running around the village, destroying any monster he came across and saving villagers, he noticed a group of people approaching them.
"Rejoice, the Sons of Siltvelt have arrived!"
The largest warrior of the group yelled.
"About time."
Sonic said as he stopped in front of them.
"The party already started, but there's still plenty of action to go around."
"Right! Men, follow the Shield Heroine's team to victory!"
The soldiers charged forward while Yunobo walked out with all the evacuees under his shield.
"Hey, Mister Sonic, where do I take these people?"
"Huh? Not sure, but I say as far away from the battlefield as possible is a good idea."
"Right. Alright everyone, follow me!"
Yunobo continued to escort the villagers away from the battle. That's when Sonic was attacked by a group of skeletons from behind. He avoided the attack and was about to counterattack when three shadow daggers flew into the skeletons and destroyed their cores.
"What the, where did those come from?"
Sonic asked as he looked around. That's when a dagger was pressed into his back.
"You should be more aware of your surroundings, Sonic. If I was an enemy, you would have been dead already."
Daven said as he appeared behind Sonic. Sonic just chuckled at this.
"That's assuming you're strong enough to kill me. I've survived worse than a dagger to the back. And even then, I would move the second I feel you put pressure into the dagger."
"Are you that fast?"
Suddenly, Sonic sped away while grabbing Daven's dagger and pressing it into his back. All before Daven could react.
"You tell me."
Daven couldn't help but be impressed by Sonic's speed.
"Damn, you truly live up to your title of fastest thing alive. But enough playing around, we have monsters to kill."
"Then you'll need this back."
Sonic handed Daven his dagger and sped off to kill more monsters. Daven vanished in a puff of smoke, striking monsters from the shadows. In the center of the village, Peach, Krystal, Zelda, and Amy were killing a couple of cyclops that were rampaging and destroying nearby houses. Once they were done, they received a call on their earpieces.
"Hello?"
Peach answered.
"Hey, the boss's energy signature just solidified."
"That's good, where is it Tails?"
Amy asked.
"There's a mine entrance about twenty feet in front of you. Just head down it and you'll find the boss monster. Be careful though, our scans show that it is strong and it's not alone."
"Got it. Can you tell Sonic and the others to join us, Tails?"
"Already did that, Amy. They should be joining you soon."
"Thanks, Tails."
As soon as she hung up the call, Sonic appeared beside her.
"Ready to go?"
Sonic said with a smirk.
"As soon as the others so up."
Amy answered. Mario, Fox, and Link soon ran up to them and the group ran to the mines. Unbeknownst to them, Daven was watching from the roof of a nearby building.
"Where are they going?"
He asked himself. He dropped down and followed behind. As the group entered the mines they were swallowed by darkness.
"It's too dark. We won't be able to see the monsters this way."
Krystal stated. That's when Mario and Peach created fireballs and lit up their surrounding areas. Mario then noticed a nearby lantern and threw the fireball into it. It lit as it luckily still had oil. Mario and Peach did this for all the lanterns they could find. That's when they noticed something.
"What the, what's a statue doing down here?"
Amy asked as she examined a nearby statue. As she was examining it, a look of shock and horror came upon her.
"Sonic, come here please."
"What is it, Amy?"
"Doesn't this guy look familiar?"
Sonic examined the statue and had the same feeling of shock and terror as well.
"Yeah, this was the guy who called me a blue rat the other day."
Sonic and Amy looked around the lit room and saw a lot of statues. All of them resembling the Sons of Siltvelt. That's when they noticed a few of them were shattered.
"What did this to them?"
Amy asked as she began to examine the shattered statues. Suddenly, Krystal had a serious expression.
"Amy, look out!"
She shouted, giving Amy just enough time to jump out of the way of a large tail slamming down on her. When they looked at the source, they saw the creature that did this. A giant Medusa monster, and a lot of smaller Medusa monsters around her.
"I'm guessing that's the beast that did this."
Zelda said.
"More than likely. It's a good thing we're prepared."
Peach said, thankful that Tails, Slippy, and Purah were able to make a machine that duplicates equipment. Now everyone in the Cardinal Alliance had a copy of the Guard Shell DX badge, which nullifies damage seven times a day before needing and twenty-four-hour recharge, and a Healthy Ring Dx, which nullifies all status ailments as long as it is worn. The eight heroes charged forward while the Medusa monsters did the same.
"We'll handle the smaller Medusas while you four handle the big one."
Fox said to Krystal and the others. They all nodded and began to fight the monsters. Mario, Sonic, Fox, and Link were dealing with the hordes of regular-sized Medusas, Peach, Amy, Krystal, and Zelda engaged the large Medusa monster. As they approached the large Medusa's eyes began to glow and it used its petrifying gaze.
"Not gonna work."
Peach said as she and the other heroines were unaffected. The Medusa monster reeled back in shock, but quickly recovered and lashed out with its tail. The four heroines avoided the attack and Peach and Krystal used the tail to launch off of and toward the Medusa's head. As they approached, Peach changed her spear into the Star Spear and Krystal changed her sword into its Cerinian form. The Medusa monster swiped at the two with one of its claws.
"Airstrike Shield!"
Amy shouted, creating a green shield that protected the two. Peach and Krystal then used the shield as a platform to leap off of and continue to the head. The Medusa monster then tried to attack with its other claw, but it was shot away with light arrows.
"Keep going, I got your back!"
Zelda said as she fired more light arrows at the monster. As Peach and Krystal approached the Medusa monster's face, the snakes on its head stretched out to attack. Krystal then shot a wave of freezing mist out of her sword and froze most of them. Peach shattered them with her spear so she could have a clear shot at its eyes. The tip of her spear was then coated with fire and she jabbed at the air multiple times sending out many fireballs at the Medusa's eyes. But more snakes came down from its head to block the attack. While the snakes were blown up, the Medusa was mostly unscathed. As Peach and Krystal landed, the Medusa monster tried to crush them with its large tail.
"Airstrike Shield!"
Amy had created another shield protecting them.
"Thanks, Amy. Now what's our next plan of attack?"
Peach said as she and Krystal joined Amy and Zelda for the next assault against the monster. Meanwhile, Mario, Fox, Link, and Sonic are dealing with the smaller Medusa monsters. It would normally be a tricky fight because of their petrifying gaze, but due to the Healthy Rings, they don't have to worry about it. Sonic kills a group of Medusas with his tornado spin attack when one attacks him from behind. But before it could land a dagger was thrown into its forehead, killing it.
"You missed one."
Daven said as he appeared and collected his dagger from the monster's corpse.
"Nah, just leaving some for you, Daven."
Sonic replied, receiving a chuckle from Daven. That's when he noticed Daven was blindfolded.
"Hey, what's with the blindfold?"
"It's for the Medusas. Can't turn me to stone if I can't see them."
"But, then how do you fight?"
"Don't underestimate me. I can still sense their presence."
Daven answered. Two more Medusas tried to attack them while they were talking, but Fox shot them in the head before they could make it.
"Hey, there are still Medusas to kill. If you have time to talk, you have time to fight."
Fox said before he went back to fighting. Sonic and Daven just nodded at each other and went back to killing Medusas. Back with the heroines, they were slowly whittling down the giant Medusa's health with coordinated attacks. Peach and Krystal were the vanguard, taking the frontal charge against the boss monster. Meanwhile, Zelda and Amy stayed in the back offering support. Zelda would use her arrows to give Peach and Krystal openings for their stronger attacks while firing off a few of her own when she got the chance. Amy offered support magic and would protect Peach and Krystal from many of the Medusa's attacks with her Airstrike Shield skill. The group's teamwork was extremely effective and enraged the Medusa that it was losing ground against the heroines. That's when it noticed Daven nearby and lashed out against him.
"Daven, look out!"
Amy shouted as she tried to use her Airstrike Shield skill, but it was on cool down from the last use. Daven heard her and backed away, avoiding the tail strike, but the attack managed to knock off his blindfold. That's when he looked into the Medusa's eyes.
"Crap!"
He shouted as he could feel himself begin to petrify.
"Daven!"
Sonic shouted as he tried to reach him, but a couple of Medusa monsters attacked him and he wouldn't make it in time. That's when something unexpected happened. Mario had reached Daven, took off his Healthy Ring, and placed it onto Daven's finger before the petrification was complete. Daven could feel the effects of the petrification wearing off and looked at the ring.
"So that's how you're immune, but wait, what about..."
Daven turned to Mario and saw that Mario was turned to stone.
"Damn, I wasn't expecting that kind of sacrifice from him."
Daven said with respect. That's when the giant Medusa charged forward with the intent to crush Mario. Daven saw this coming and wanted to do something, but Sonic came in and pulled him away.
"What about Mario?"
"Trust me, Daven, he doesn't need our help right now."
"So you're just going to leave a friend behind?"
"You misunderstand, Mario won't be needing or wanting our help for what he's about to do."
Daven was confused but then noticed cracks forming on Mario's statue. As the Medusa monster swung down its giant tail, Mario's hand burst out and caught it, and then the rest of the statue shattered revealing Mario was perfectly fine.
"Oh, mamamia, you did not just do that!"
Mario shouted in anger. He then grabbed the tail with his other hand and pulled the Medusa towards him. Then, when it was close enough, he punched it in the face and sent it flying back into the wall.
"That's-a it."
(The Metal Mario theme starts playing.)
Mario pulled out one of the white marbles, crushed it, and transformed into Metal Mario.
"You're-a mine."
Mario said as he charged at the Medusa. It tried to use its petrifying gaze again, but Metal Mario was unaffected. Mario then leaped onto the monster and began to beat it up. The others could only watch as the four heroines noticed the giant Medusa's health rapidly drop as Mario wailed on it.
"Yeah, Mario and Luigi don't like being turned to stone. It's annoying."
Peach nonchalantly said. Daven just stood there, shocked by what she said.
"Hold on, Spear Heroine, what do you mean by "annoying"?"
"Well, it's annoying. Your body is stuck and you have to take a moment to free yourself from the petrification. What else would you call that?"
"A death sentence! Normal people can't just "free" themselves from petrification. Just look at these poor chumps."
Daven said as he tapped one of the statues of the Sons of Siltvelt.
"Huh, I guess you're right. But for us, it's simply annoying."
Daven's mouth dropped at that statement.
"Are you gods?"
"Hmm, I guess you could say we are god-like. We have defeated and killed gods before."
Peach answered. Daven just stood there, dumbfounded by this. He then looked back to where Mario was beating the giant Medusa monster. It tried to crawl away, but Mario grabbed its tail.
"Hey, come back here!"
Mario shouted as he pulled the Medusa back, with it screaming all the way. Daven watched as one man was beating a giant monster at least thirty times his size like it was nothing.
"Holy shit. And that's just him. How strong are the others?"
He said to himself as he looked back to the group as they finished off the rest of the Medusa monsters, terrified of their true strength. Mario then jumped into the air and performed a ground pound.
"Let's-a go!"
He said as he crushed the Medusa's head, killing the monster. Peach and the other heroines looked at their status screens and checked the wave's progress.
(Metal Mario theme ends.)
"Excellent! With the boss monster's death, the wave is over. Good job Mario!"
Peach said to Mario as he walked out, covered in monster brain matter.
"But you should head back up and shower."
"Right, but first."
Mario held out his hand to Daven.
"My ring back please."
"Oh, right."
Daven gave the ring back to Mario.
"Okie dokie, Tails, I'm ready to go back up."
Mario said into his earpiece. He was then teleported back to the base.
"Right, now then, let's absorb some monster parts girls."
Peach said with the other heroines nodding.
"I'll head back up."
Daven said as he placed his blindfold back on.
"Even dead, Medusas can still turn you to stone. It's best if I get out of here."
"Good point, can the rest of you follow him? I'm sure the villagers will want to know that the wave is over and need help rebuilding the town."
"Right, let's go, everyone! Job's not done yet."
Fox said, leading the group out. The four heroines then proceeded to absorb monster parts. By absorbing different parts of the monsters they managed to unlock the Snake Skin variants of their weapons that grant resistance to poison attacks. The Snake Fang variants grant a chance to poison targets with their attacks. And finally, the Snake Eyes variants grant resistance to paralyzation and chances to paralyze their targets.
"That's strange. Why is it paralyzation resistance and attacks instead of petrification?"
Amy asked.
"It's probably because they're low-level Medusa monsters. Let's get the boss Medusa."
Peach answered. The others nodded and joined her in absorbing parts of the boss Medusa. After absorbing its pieces, they finally got what they were looking for.
"There we go, Medusa Spear unlocked."
Peach said with glee. These variants provided full petrification immunity and a chance to petrify any enemy attacked, or in the Shield's case, anyone who looks into the eyes that form on the shield. That's when they found something interesting about these variants.
/New ability unlocked: Cure petrification. Can undo the petrification of any target the wielder makes physical contact with. Physical contact must be maintained for five seconds./
"Now that's interesting."
Peach said as she turned to the statues that were the Sons of Siltvelt.
"Let's get to work girls!"
The four heroines then turned all the intact statues back to normal.
"I live!"
One of the warriors shouted when he was freed.
"Yep, you're welcome."
Amy said in a cheery tune. Then all the warriors bowed down in front of Amy.
"Praise be to the Shield Goddess."
"Um, thanks, but I wasn't alone."
Amy said while trying to waive them off, but the others just shook their heads. They didn't need thanks from the warriors and they understood that they followed the religion of the Shield Hero.
"Okay, now how did you end up here?"
"Well, Lady Amy, when we were fighting, one of the men noticed some snake creatures going into the mines and we gave chase. Then, well..."
"You were overwhelmed and turned to stone."
Krystal finished. The warriors held their heads down in shame, confirming her statement.
"I see, now you know the true dangers of adventuring. Do you still wish to join me?"
"HELL NO! I mean, with all due respect, Lady Amy, I think I'm done with adventuring. I'm going to follow my father and become a businessman."
The leader of the group answered, with his fellows mirroring his sentiments.
"Very well then. I wish you all the best with your endeavors."
"Thank you, Lady Amy. And thank you, Cardinal Heroines. Our faith depicts you three as devils, but you saved us. That deserves our thanks."
The warriors bowed to them in gratitude.
"You're welcome. Now be careful when you leave. The village is still in ruins."
"Right, fare well."
The Sons of Siltvelt left, leaving the Cardinal Heroines alone.
"Well, there's only one thing left to do."
Peach said, receiving a nod from Krystal.
"Slippy?"
Krystal said into her earpiece.
"Yeah?"
"We've absorbed all the parts we needed. We're ready to send the monsters to you."
"Great, Purah has a room ready for them. Just place your hands on the monsters and we'll teleport them up here."
Krystal nodded and the four heroines began to send the wave monsters back to the base for Purah, Tails, and Slippy to study. With everything done, they left the mine. Once they reached the surface, the townsfolk began to cheer for them. Most of the cheers were for Amy, but a few thanked the other heroines as well. That's when Trinock arrived and offered a feast in honor of the heroines' victory today. Peach, Krystal, and Zelda refused, they told them that they wanted to prepare for the next wave but it was because they knew of his plans thanks to the drones they have in Siltvelt. But Amy and her team accepted since she still needed to speak with the Claw Hero.
Later that night
Amy, Sonic, Knuckles, Raphtalia, and Rifana were at the banquet held in their honor at the main hall of the castle. The party was pleasant when Trinock arrived with another person. This person was a thin, lion demi-human who was very thin, wearing expensive silk robes, and a crown that was too big for their head. Trinock then tapped his wine glass with a fork to get everyone's attention.
"Good evening esteemed guests. I am glad you all are enjoying the feast we prepared to honor our god, the Shield Heroine, and her team's victory over the recent wave. Now King Janio would like to give a few words in honor of their exploits."
"That's the king?"
Sonic asked in a whisper to Knuckles.
"I guess. I thought it was the princess with how thin he was. And he has no mane. What kind of lion has no mane?"
Knuckles answered back in a whisper. King Janio then looked around with a non-caring expression. Like he would rather be doing anything else than what he was doing right now.
"Right, right. Um, so, may the great Shield Heroine and her team step forward?"
Amy and her team stepped forward as asked. Janio looked at them with his gaze lingering on Amy, Raphtalia, and Rifana.
"So this is the Shield Heroine. I wasn't expecting her to be so beautiful. I wouldn't mind spending the night with her or the other two ladies, even if they are low casts."
Janio thought to himself. He was then broken out of his thoughts by Trinock nudging him. He then cleared his throat to speak.
"Yes, I would like to offer my deepest gratitude for protecting our kingdom and its people from the waves. Thank you and have a pleasant evening."
Janio then turned and left through the doors behind him. Amy and her friends just stood there, bewildered by his actions.
"That's it?"
Sonic asked.
"Oh, please don't mind him. As you can see, he is quite young and is not used to public speaking. But he does mean it when he offers his gratitude, so please, enjoy the food and drinks we have prepared for you and enjoy your evening. Everyone, a toast to the Shield Heroine!"
Trinock said as he picked up his wine glass to cover for Janio's actions. All the guests picked up their glasses and cheered for Amy and her team. With the festivities back on track, Trinock quickly left after Janio. Amy followed him, so she could ask about the whereabouts of the Claw Hero. When she went through the doors, she saw Trinock lecturing Janio.
"Why are you mad? I did as you asked, Trinock."
"I asked you to prepare a small speech for the Shield Heroine. Just four or five sentences. Are you incapable of doing even that!?"
"Pah! Why should I bother with such things? I'm the king, I can do whatever I want."
Trinock appeared to be ready to strangle Janio, but then he composed himself.
"It doesn't matter now. You don't want to be here, right? Just go back to your chambers and enjoy your whores for the rest of the evening."
"Hmph! I was just about to do that. Oh, it appears we have company."
Trinock turned to where Janio was looking and saw Amy.
"Sorry for interrupting, but I have some questions that need to be answered."
"Is it about where to find better entertainment, because I can help with that, Lady Shield. In fact, why don't you go and gather your lady friends and we can have a private party in my chambers."
Janio said to Amy. It took all her willpower to not punch this pervert or kick his crotch. But she restrained herself and forced a smile.
"No thank you, King Janio. I have important business tonight."
"Suit yourself."
Janio then left, leaving Amy and Trinock.
"I apologize, Lady Amy. He thinks with his crotch, rather than his head."
"I can see that. How is he king?"
"He is the younger brother of the late king, King Rohaw. When he died, Janio was next in line for the throne. But not to worry, the council and I are the ones who make the major decisions in Siltvelt. He's more concerned with having fun with his whores or any other woman he can get into his chambers."
"I see."
"Now, what questions did you have, Lady Amy?"
"Oh, I'm just wondering where the Claw Hero is. I didn't see him at the party."
Trinock frowned at the mention of the Claw Hero.
"He blew us off, again! I don't understand why he's doing this now. It's frustratingly perplexing, he's never been like this before."
"I see, and do you have any idea where he is?"
"Hmm, if I remember correctly, there is a bar on the outskirts of Siltvelt he frequently visits. I would suggest starting there."
"Thank you, Lord Trinock."
Amy then left to go find the Claw Hero.
At the outskirts of Siltvelt
A group of patrons are in a bar, celebrating the Shield Heroine for defeating the recent wave. That is when the doors to the establishment open and a large wolf man walks out.
"Hey, where you going, Rhubaldt? There are still drinks to be passed around."
One of the patrons shouted at the Claw Hero.
"No time for pleasantries. I have training to do."
"For what? From what I heard, you didn't lift a finger during the wave."
"There were no worthy opponents."
"Sounds like an excuse to turn tail and run. Did the big bad wolf lose his nerve when the wave struck?"
All the other patrons began to laugh at this, but Rhubaldt paid them no mind.
"Think what you will."
He then left without saying another word. Soon he reached an open area deep into the forests around Siltvelt. He looked around and was about to pull something out when.
"There you are."
A voice called out to him. He turned to see a pink girl approaching him.
"I've been looking for you for a while, and I've finally found you."
Rhubaldt looked annoyed at being bothered by the girl.
"I don't know why you have sought me out, but leave me be. I have important business to attend to."
"So do I, and I need to speak with you, Claw Hero Rhubaldt Warbaldt."
"And what business do you have with me? And why should I bother with you?"
"Because, as a fellow hero, we need to discuss the waves and how to fight them. I also need to speak to you about your inaction during the last wave."
Rhubaldt was confused by this until he recognized the girl and saw the shield she had on her arm.
"Ah, the Shield Heroine. I wasn't expecting to see you out here."
"Well, I've been tracking you down since you seem to be avoiding me."
"It's not that I'm avoiding you, it's just that I have other duties that require my attention. I don't have time for idle chit-chat."
"So planning out a strategy against the waves is idle chit-chat?"
"I have my own way of doing things."
Amy furrowed her brow at this.
"Very well, I'll make this quick then. Just hold still."
Rhubaldt was confused when he saw Amy pull out a strange device.
"What is that?"
His question was answered when it beeped and shot out a wave of strange energy. When it hit Rhubaldt he began to glow and soon his form changed. Now, where there was once a large werewolf man, there was a young, fox demi-human with long black hair and two tails. She wore a red and white hakama and was shocked at what happened. She then looked at Amy with anger.
"What did you do?"
"I dispelled your illusion you fake. Now tell me, where is the real Rhubaldt?"
The fox woman just smiled devilishly at her question.
"You'll soon find out!"
She then launched a fireball at Amy. Amy raised her shield and blocked the attack, but when she looked back the fox lady was gone. She looked around and only heard laughter.
"What's wrong? Can't find me, Shield Hero? You should have minded your business and stayed out of my way!"
A fireball was launched at Amy from behind, but she managed to block it. But three more were fired at her from different directions.
"Shield Prison!"
Amy was surrounded by shields and was able to block the attack.
"I'm impressed that you managed to block my attacks. You must be fairly strong to do that. But still, how can you hope to win if you cannot find me?"
The fox woman said as Amy's shield prison vanished. Amy just smiled at this.
"Oh, I'll find a way."
Amy changed her shield into the Piko Piko Shield. She stood still for a moment, but then leaped to her left and struck out with her shield. She managed to hit the fox woman and dispelled her illusion.
"What!? How did you find me?"
"I have my ways."
Unbeknownst to the fox woman, Tails and the others were watching the fight from the base thanks to a few drones that were watching the fight, and were telling Amy what the fox woman was doing since the drones could see through the fox woman's illusions. Sonic and the rest of Amy's party were also standing nearby, in case Amy needed help. Back with the fight, the fox woman just glared at Amy before a smile crept onto her face. Amy was worried when she heard the fox woman begin to laugh.
"Congratulations, hero, you get to witness my true power."
The fox woman then grew more tails until she had nine and a powerful magic aura surrounded her. She then fired more fireballs at Amy that were larger and faster. Amy managed to block them, but she was being pushed back.
"What's the matter? Can't handle my full power?"
The fox woman taunted as Amy defended against her attacks. Raphtalia and Rifana wanted to jump in, but Sonic held them back.
"Just wait a moment. She's not out of this yet."
Sonic said to the girls. They looked back to the fight worried about Amy. Amy managed to defend herself against the fox woman's attack and gave her a defiant stare.
"Oh my, you have more fight in you than I thought. In that case, allow me to make you an offer. Surrender yourself to my master and he will fulfill all your desires."
"Master? You have a master?"
"Yes, a powerful master who has defeated many heroes like you and claimed their weapons."
This came as a shock to Amy. If what she said is true, then this confirms the theory that this person can take vassal and cardinal weapons.
"Is that what happened to Rhubaldt?"
"Oh, that mangy bag of fur? Yes, my master wanted his weapon but he refused to surrender it. So we had to dispose of him."
"Then why impersonate him?"
"My master has plans for this world. Plans that cannot be revealed yet, so I had to make people believe the Claw Hero was still alive."
"Then why make this offer to me? Why not just kill me and take my weapon?"
"Because, child, you have proven to be far stronger than Rhubaldt, and my master has taken a liking to you and the other heroines."
"So he's a pervert."
"Watch your tongue! There is only so much I can put up with before I take matters into my own hands. Now, I suggest you take my master's offer. You will not regret it."
"I'm flattered that he finds me attractive, but I already have a man. Plus, I'm not out of this fight yet."
"Ha! You were barely able to defend against my attack earlier. What can you hope to do?"
"It seems power doesn't translate to smarts, I was holding back. So I could get information from you. Thank you for being so talkative by the way."
The fox woman was angered by this and prepared to fire more fireballs at Amy.
"Fine, the hard way then. I hope Lord Takt doesn't mind if I rough you up before I take you to him."
"Takt, the Whip Hero?"
"Oh, I said too much. Doesn't matter though, you won't be able to tell anyone!"
The fox woman fired many fireballs at Amy with the intent to either kill or incapacitate her. But Amy raised her shield to block the attacks and managed to move forward while doing it.
"What!?"
The fox woman said in shock.
"I told you I was holding back!"
Amy shouted as she charged forward. When she was close enough, she attacked with her Piko Piko Shield. But the fox woman managed to get out of the way.
"Don't think you've won bitch!"
The fox woman began to glow and in a flash of light, there were now five of her. She looked at Amy with a smug smile, but Amy just smiled back.
"Nice trick, let me show you my own."
Amy pulled out a blue Chaos Emerald and focused its power. In another flash of light, there were now a hundred Amy's.
"So, you can use illusion magic as well."
The fox woman said, but this just elicited laughter from all the Amy's.
"Illusions? Nope, we're all real."
"What!?"
The fox woman was shocked by this, but before she could do anything all the Amy's attacked. They were easily able to get through the illusions and find the real fox woman. She couldn't do anything as she was attacked by a hundred Amy's.
"No, how is she beating me? My level is two hundred and eighty! Even if there are over a hundred copies of her, they shouldn't be able to hurt me this much. How... strong... is she!?"
The fox woman thought as she was being beaten. Sonic and Knuckles were watching the beatdown with a smile while Raphtalia and Rifana were shocked by what they were seeing.
"How did she do that?"
Raphtalia asked.
"Huh, did what?"
Sonic asked back to Raphtalia.
"All those other Amy's, how did she create them? Was it magic?"
"Nope, it's the Chaos Emerald. Each one gives us special powers, like multiplying yourself."
"Amazing. So why didn't she use it during the wave?"
"Because, Rifana, we can't use the Emeralds all the time. Now that this one has been used, it'll take a day to recharge its power. It's best to save them for emergencies, or if someone deserves a good beating."
Sonic explained. Rifana and Raphtalia nodded and went back to watching Amy beat the fox woman. Soon the fox woman was lying on the ground bruised and beaten. Then the extra Amy's vanished.
"Oh, the emerald's power has run out. Oh well, I don't need it now."
Amy said as she approached the fox woman. Seeing this, the fox woman tried to crawl away.
"No! Stay back!"
She said in terror.
"What's wrong? Weren't you going to rough me up and bring me to Takt? Where did all your confidence go?"
Seeing no other way out, the fox woman pulled out a talisman from her hakama.
"Just you wait bitch! Lord Takt will make you pay!"
The talisman began to glow and Amy rushed forward to try and stop the fox woman from doing whatever she was going to do. But it was too late and the fox woman was gone.
"Darn, she got away."
Amy said with a huff. That's when Sonic ran up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay, Amy. We now know what happened to the Claw Hero and who is behind his death. We'll stop Takt and his plans for the world."
"Right, thanks, Sonic."
Amy said as she hugged Sonic. That's when Raphtalia and Rifana ran up to Amy.
"Lady Amy, that was amazing! I didn't know the Chaos Emeralds could do that!"
Rifana said excitedly.
"I was worried at first, but I should've known you had things under control."
Raphtalia added. Amy just smiled at the two when Knuckles made it to the group.
"So, what now? We know this Takt guy is plotting something and that he has the Claw and other vassal weapons under his control. Should we tell Chieko?"
"Yes, we should also let Mirellia know as well. I'm sure she would be interested in our findings."
The group nodded at Amy's suggestion.
"Okay, we're ready, Tails."
Amy said into her earpiece. The group was then teleported back to their base.
In Shieldfreeden
The fox woman was teleported into a room. In front of her was Takt and the other members of his harem.
"Tulina? What happened?"
Takt asked.
"It was the Shield Heroine. She did this to me."
Tulina answered.
"Wow, I can't believe the Shield Heroine's party is this strong."
One of the girls commented.
"No, it was just the Shield Heroine. It was her alone that did this to me."
"What!? Are you serious, Tulina? To think you are so weak that one hero could beat you. I guess we know why it was so easy to seal you now."
Another girl said causing all the others to start laughing at Tulina.
"Enough!"
Takt yelled, silencing them all. He then walked up to Tulina and kneeled down to her eye level.
"It's okay, Tulina, you did your best. But I need to know what happened. So tell me everything, every exact detail."
"Yes, Lord Takt."
And that's the end of the chapter. Thank you all so much for reading and feel free to leave a review and have a nice day.