Lillian's Pov
A week had passed since the brutal fight with the Leviathan, and the aftermath had taken a heavy toll on Balthasar. Gray's death had hit him hard, leaving him withdrawn and distant from both Emiko and myself. He barely ate, hardly slept, and spent every waking moment using his Clairvoyance skill, despite the strain it put on his already fragile mind. Even when he did manage to sleep, his nightmares haunted him relentlessly.
As the days passed, our concern for Balthasar grew into fear, until one day we awoke to find him, and all his belongings had vanished without a trace. Emiko and I searched frantically for our friend and hero, but all our efforts led to dead ends. Even Emiko's heightened sense of smell couldn't pick up his trail.
"Lily...where's Master?" Emiko asked in her human form, her voice trembling with worry.
"I don't know, Emi," I replied, my heart sinking as I saw the devastation on her face.
Emiko's azure hair fell across her face like a veil as she looked down, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Why did he abandon us?" she wailed, her voice quivering with emotion.
I immediately dropped down to my knees and pulled Kitsune Queen into a tight embrace, hoping to comfort her.
"Balthasar, where on earth did you disappear to?" I muttered under my breath, feeling a mix of worry and frustration.
Once Emiko had calmed down, we packed our belongings and set off toward the next village to train and prepare for the upcoming wave. Emiko transformed into her fox form, and we began our journey to Ironwood Village, known as the Town of Blacksmiths. However, our progress was halted by a town guard.
"Sorry, ma'am, but you need to pay 20 copper to enter," the guard informed me, eyeing my money pouch.
I rummaged through my pouch and handed the man a silver coin, receiving 80 copper coins in return.
"Thanks, but be careful, there was a murder in the village just the other day," the guard warned us.
"Any idea who the victim was?" I inquired, my curiosity piqued.
"We don't have a description of the killer, but he used a fire spell to burn the victim and took his slaves," the guard informed us, causing Emiko and me to exchange wide-eyed glances.
Could it be Balthasar?
"Emiko, let's go," I ordered, and we sprinted around the village in search of any clues. Eventually, we stumbled upon blackened scorch marks on the ground, evidence of a fire spell.
"Lily, do you think...?" Emiko trailed off, her expression anxious.
"We have to find him before he does something irreversible," I declared, placing a hand on Emiko's head as she transformed into her human form.
We approached the townsfolk and started asking for information regarding the killer's whereabouts. We discovered that he was last seen heading south-southeast, and even though it was a long shot, we had to try.
"Please, God, let us find Balthasar before he does something terrible," I pleaded silently, feeling a sense of urgency and desperation like never before.
As soon as we received news of a lead, Emi swiftly transformed into her fox form and I climbed onto her back, heading towards the South-Southeast. Our journey was long and arduous, passing through village after village, each one with a chilling tale to tell of a man dressed in black and his army of armored Demi-Humans. Finally, we arrived at a towering wall made entirely of pure black obsidian.
Emiko's voice trembled as she whispered, "Lily... isn't this..."
I finished her sentence, "Pure black obsidian. There's no doubt in my mind that this is the work of Balthasar."
We followed the wall until we stumbled upon an emerald door. However, our entry was halted as a voice shouted, "Don't move!" An arrow whizzed past us and struck the ground, and we looked up to find a Rabbit Demi-Human with his bow and arrow aimed at us.
"We come in peace, we are looking for our friend," I explained, hoping to diffuse the situation.
To our surprise, the Demi-Human's eyes widened in recognition, "Wait... are your names, Lillian Rose and Emiko Black?"
Lily answered nervously, "Y-yes, we are."
"Open the doors!" The man's voice boomed, and with a creak, the emerald doors slowly split apart, revealing a bustling and thriving village beyond.
The sight that greeted us was truly beautiful, with vibrant colors and the sounds of people going about their day. However, there was one thing that caught my attention and brought tears to my eyes. In the center of the village, a flagpole stood tall, bearing a black flag with a rising sun inside a star, which was encircled by a dragon.
I was at a loss for words, my mind racing with questions. "How... How..." I stuttered, struggling to form a coherent sentence.
"The Magic Hero," a voice interrupted my thoughts. Turning around, I saw the Rabbit Demi-Human who had been on the watchtower earlier.
"He did this?" I asked the guard, still in disbelief.
"Yes, the Magic Hero saved us from enslavement and protected us from the Melromarc Knights. He has made this place a safe haven for Demi-Humans," the man replied, slinging his bow across his back.
"Can you tell me where he is?" I asked, hoping against hope that he was still here.
"He left for the capital a few days ago," the guard informed me.
"He left?" I couldn't believe it. "Emiko, come on. We need to head to the capital," I said, determination fueling my steps.
No-One's Pov
As they journeyed towards the capital, a wagon drawn by a massive Filolial caught their attention. Inside it, the Racoon Demi-Human Raphtalia and the purple-haired Melty accompanied the Shield Hero Naofumi. "We're almost at the capital, Master Naofumi," Raphtalia informed him, her heart beating faster for him.
"Master, isn't that the magic guy?" Filo, the giant bird-like creature, inquired.
Naofumi opened his eyes and strode towards the front of the wagon, where he spotted Balthasar Black stumbling on the road with a large bottle in his hand. As soon as their wagon pulled up beside the Magic Hero, he collapsed, prompting the Shield Hero and the Demi-Human to leap out of the wagon and check on their comrade. Raphtalia, however, covered her nose as she detected the pungent scent of alcohol emanating from the Magic Hero.
"What on earth happened to him?" Naofumi inquired, as he and Raphtalia helped the inebriated man into their wagon.n
As soon as Balthasar was settled inside the wagon, Filo took off towards the castle. Naofumi began to recite a healing spell, but he halted when the Magic Hero's eyes snapped open. Balthasar then stood up, leaned over the edge of the wagon, and expelled the contents of his stomach. After recovering, he sat down and apologized to his companions.
"Sorry...I may have painted the back of your wagon green," Balthasar muttered, his eyes scanning the faces of those around him.
"Balthasar, what happened to you?" the Demi-Human girl inquired.
"What does it matter?" the Magic Hero retorted.
"It matters because you are completely drunk, and the Wave is only three days away. You could die," Naofumi said firmly, causing Balthasar to grit his teeth.
"Who the hell cares?" Balthasar spat out.
"What about Lily, Emiko, and Gray?" Naofumi asked, grabbing hold of the Magic Hero.
Balthasar's eyes widened in anger as he grabbed Naofumi and hurled them both off the wagon and onto the road. He then forcefully kicked the Shield Hero off of him.
"Don't...just don't say his name," Balthasar growled, as the jewel on his staff began to glow ominously.
Melty and Raphtalia quickly leaped out of the wagon and tried to defuse the situation, but they soon realized just how unstable the Magic Hero had become.
"Balthasar, where is your party?" Raphtalia asked as Balthasar's hair cast a shadow over his eyes.
"They're gone...I left Lily and Emiko. I couldn't bear to lose them too," Balthasar said, his expression downcast.
"What about Gray?" the Demi-Human girl asked.
"He's dead," Balthasar said, his voice breaking as tears threatened to spill from his eyes
The Shield Hero's eyes grew wide with shock, while Raphtalia held her hands over her mouth in disbelief.h
"This is the third time I have failed to protect the Morningstars," Balthasar said, his voice heavy with despair, before collapsing to his knees.
"What happened, Balthasar?" the Shield Hero asked, concern etched on his face.
"It was the Princess...that redheaded bitch. She hired the Three Heroes Church to kill me and my friends. Gray sacrificed his life to save mine. I broke the promise I made," the Magic Hero lamented.
"My sister did that?" Melty asked in disbelief, causing both the Magic and Shield Heroes to turn toward her.
"Did. You. Just. Say. Sister?" Balthasar asked as he stood up, his eyes blazing with fury.
"Yes, my sister is Malty Melromarc," Melty replied, her voice trembling.
"You're part of the royal family," Naofumi said, his voice dripping with venom.
Before Melty could even respond, the Magic Hero grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up to meet his eyes.
"Good. Then you can tell your sister that I'm coming for her head the next time I see her," Balthasar spat out, dropping the princess as if she were a sack of potatoes.
Without saying another word, he summoned his obsidian horse, Ruin. Mounting the black steed, he kicked the beast in the stomach and galloped off toward the capital. While Raphtalia helped the princess to her feet, the Shield Hero strode towards the two.
"Once we get to the capital, you leave me and my party alone," Naofumi said sternly, as he hopped back into the wagon.
~Day before the Wave~
Lillian and Emiko scoured the capital, searching everywhere, but they found nothing. The two were about to give up when they heard two familiar voices calling out to them.
"Lily! Emiko!" the voices called out.
Turning around, Lily and Emiko saw Raphtalia and Filo approaching them.
As the Shield Heroes' party approached, both the Demi-Human and the Kitsune Queen turned their heads, their eyes locking onto them. "Raphtalia? Filo?" they exclaimed in unison.
Emiko chimed in, "Excuse me, Raphtalia, have you seen Balthasar? Lily and I heard he may have come here."
Raphtalia nodded, her expression grave. "We saw him on our way to the Capital... with a bottle of wine... We know about Gray."
Before anyone could say more, the door of the bar burst open in a blaze of fire, and the Spear Hero was thrown out.
"WHERE IS SHE, YOU GODDAMN WOMANIZER!" a very drunk and angry Balthasar Black roared, his Staff of Flames equipped.
The staff, black with red lines resembling molten rock and surrounded by a burning red flame, gave him an equipment bonus of Attack +100, Magic Attack +100, Fire Attack +300, and Resistance +200. Its skill, Eternal Flame Barrage, made it a formidable weapon in the hands of a skilled user.
Motoyasu rose to his feet, his voice shaking with anger. "You're crazy," he spat, quickly activating one of his skills, Air Strike Javelin.
A series of red, glowing spears materialized and shot toward the Magic Hero, but Balthasar just smiled and activated his Reflect skill, sending the attack back at Motoyasu.
"You'd be stupid to forget about my Reflect skill," Balthasar taunted, shifting his grip on his Staff of Flames. "Now quit stalling and tell me where the Princess is."
Motoyasu stood his ground. "Like hell, I will," he retorted, reciting an incantation for a water spell.
But Balthasar was unimpressed. "Pathetic," he muttered, activating his Nullification skill. Motoyasu's eyes widened as his magic was instantly canceled.
"Your precious Princess hired someone to kill me, and killed my brother," Balthasar snarled, his anger palpable.
The Spear Hero's voice shook with disbelief. "Myne would never do that," he protested, as the Magic Hero's staff began to glow red with rage.
"Balthasar... Master," Lily and Emiko said, stepping in between the two heroes.
"Balthasar," said Lily, as the glow from his staff began to dim.
Suddenly, Motoyasu's voice cut through the tension. "Looks like you're just like Naofumi, forcing those cute girls to be your slaves," he sneered, causing everyone's eyes to widen in shock.
"WHAT?" Balthasar roared, the glow on his staff intensifying and threatening to shift to its curse form.
Before Balthasar could act, Lillian approached the Spear Hero with her hair covering her eyes. Stepping in front of him, Lily's face contorted with rage as she punched him with such force that a tooth flew out of his mouth, knocking him to the ground.
"Don't you dare call me or Emiko a slave," Lily spat, her voice laced with anger. "I assure you, I am no slave. When Balthasar found me, I was nothing but a sex slave with no name and only one leg. He saved me. He and his brother bought my freedom, gave me a name, and a new leg." She placed her artificial leg against the Spear Hero's chest, emphasizing her point, before stepping back to stand beside the Magic Hero.
But Lillian Rose was not done yet. Without warning, she swiftly kicked the Magic Hero in the crotch, causing him to drop his weapon and fall to his knees. Without hesitation, Lily grabbed Balthasar's jacket and brought him to her eye level.
"Do you want to die?" she asked, her voice cold and steady.
"No," Balthasar replied in a low voice.
"Do. You. Want. To. Die?" Lily demanded in a more forceful tone.
The Magic Hero trembled with fear as he replied, "No."
"Then why are you killing yourself? Yes, we lost Gray, but that doesn't mean you can drown yourself in wine and forget. He gave up his life to save you so that we can live. So instead of drowning your sorrows, honor his sacrifice by living and fighting the waves... and let us mourn with you," Lily finished, wrapping her arms around the Magic Hero's neck, followed shortly by Emiko.
~Time Skip~
It was early morning on the day of the Wave, and the Magic Hero had a massive splitting headache for the fourth day in a row. It was times like these that he missed painkillers. Glancing up, he saw that he had 13 hours until the Wave of Catastrophe.
"God, I hate myself right now," Balthasar groaned, holding his head.
"Master, are you okay?" the Kitsune Queen asked, concern etched on her face.
"Despite his current condition, he's merely facing the consequences of his actions," Lily explained as she gently placed her hands on the nine-tailed girl.
Understanding the situation, Balthasar pleaded, "I understand. Can you please lower your voice for just an hour or two?"
With a mischievous grin, Lillian opened the curtains, causing the Magic Hero to flail and scream as he shielded his eyes.
"Why?" the Magic Hero yelled in frustration.
"Consider it payback for leaving us," Lily retorted with a smile.
For the next three hours, Balthasar lay on the ground while Emiko sat beside him, gently patting his head. Once his headache had subsided, he gathered various potions and medicines for anyone who may have been injured by the wave.
[I'm just going to skip ahead to the wave]
Balthasar's Pov
As the Cardinal Heroes were teleported to the location of the Wave of Catastrophe, a flying ship caught their attention, soaring through the sky. Naofumi and Balthasar spotted a nearby village and immediately rushed to protect its inhabitants, while the other three so-called "Heroes" went to tackle the boss.
"Lily, Emiko, your priority is to safeguard the citizens while we assist the Shield," I commanded, utilizing my Appraisal skill to gauge the strength of the monsters surrounding us.
The Shadow Goblin, a level 30 creature, possessed an earth attack boost of +150 and an air resistance of -200. Meanwhile, the Lizardman, with a level of 40, boasted a defense increase of +200 and a fire resistance of -300.
With the monster's strengths now assessed, I deftly accessed my weapon tree and selected the most fitting staff for the imminent battle.
It was an Elemental Magic Staff, imbued with the power of fire, water, wind, earth, dark, light, ice, and electricity. The staff's metallic silver body was embellished with a red rune symbolizing fire, a blue rune representing water, a light brown rune signifying earth, a green rune standing for air, a white rune denoting light, and a black rune representing dark. At the top of the staff, a jewel was held on six prongs that mimicked each of the six elements.
With my weapon now in hand, I confidently started to clear out some of the monsters by using some of my weaker fire and air spells and skills. I was successfully able to eliminate Shadow Goblins and Lizardmen with ease. However, after hours of battling, there was still no end in sight for the unending horde of monsters.
"Dammit, what's taking those idiots so long?" I muttered to myself as I found myself surrounded by the relentless monsters.
Undaunted, I raised my staff and activated my weapon's skill, Elemental Shower. As I did so, dark clouds began to gather, and before long, they began to rain down the six elements upon the surrounding monsters in a 5-mile radius.
As the Shadow Goblin and Lizardman were unlocked, I couldn't help but feel frustrated by the tardiness of the other heroes, thinking to myself, "Those idiots are going to get somebody killed." It was then that I began to recite the incantation required to summon the beast that would allow me to unleash my full power.
"I summon the unholy beast of flesh and bone, slain by magic might to do my bidding!" I bellowed, calling forth the mighty Leviathan from the ground.
As the Leviathan emerged from the earth, I gave it stern instructions, my voice dripping with venom. "Kill monsters, protect the people," I commanded before rushing off to find Lily and Emiko with Raphtalia and Filo by my side.
"Raphtalia, Filo, go find Naofumi and head towards the ship while we handle the evacuation," I ordered as the Shield Heroes party departed, leaving me to lead my own party.
"I want to assist in evacuating and helping others," I declare to Emiko as she rushes to aid the villagers.
"Great to see you're thinking clearly," Lily remarks as she slices through one of the lizardmen.
"Thanks for knocking some sense into me," I reply, unleashing a fiery spell on a group of Shadow Goblins.
"It's good to have the real Magic Hero back," Lily affirms, casting an icy spell that engulfs most of the monsters.
"Master, everyone has been safely evacuated," Emiko reports, halting in front of us.
"Fantastic job, Emiko," I commend her as we charge up our respective spells.
However, before we can unleash our magic, a volley of projectiles rains down on the surrounding monsters, vanquishing them instantly. Stepping forward to investigate, I catch sight of a long, straight dagger.
"So it seems I'm not the only one who values saving civilians," I remark, turning my attention to the rooftop of a nearby building. A man wearing a dark blue sleeveless shirt, dark red pants, and two belts filled with throwing daggers across his chest catches our eye.
"Thanks for the assist..." I begin but am interrupted as one of his daggers grazes my right cheek.
"I didn't assist you," the man corrects me as he descends to the ground. "I merely cleared the way so there would be no distractions."
"Who are you?" I demand, tightening my grip on my staff.
"I am Flint, the Dagger Hero," he declares, the gems on his daggers glowing ominously.
9th chapter has been completed and I can honestly say I couldn't finish this without the help of Mystical Raven{Fanfiction. net} Now I hope you all enjoyed this chapter
As always any weapon or monster designs are welcome
Live Long, Have Fun, and Never Make Sense
Because
What Fun Is There In Making Sense