Fairy Tail of the Shield Hero

by Tricksterverse

Lucy Heartfilia was a slave. She has no freedom, no future, and even her magic's been sealed. The idea of being sold off to another person was frightening, but she never imagined she'd fight by the side of the Shield Hero. Now, her and Naofumi fight the waves together, and if they're lucky, they might just create their own Fairy Tail.

3. The Scarlet Knight

Is there such a thing as justice in this world?

It's a question I've asked myself repeatedly since childhood. Ever since I was forced to work as a slave by that damnable nobleman. There was no justice for me back then. No heroic savior who came to liberate me and my fellow slaves. That was a duty I had to take upon myself, and even then I failed, leaving my friends behind to suffer the consequences. Even after I entered the wider world I saw much of the same thing. Nobles who abuse their power. Good people suffering from circumstances outside their control.

However, nothing could compare to the arrival of the first wave. I stood my ground in Lurolona village. Swinging my sword until my arms felt like they would fall off, and all for the sake of the demi-humans living there. I stood proud at the end of that day. Confident that if there truly is no justice in this world, I can create it myself.

Not even a week later, the citizens of Lurolona were forced into slavery.

It happened while I was busy with relief efforts elsewhere, and there were no leads as to the cowardly perpetrators. I was powerless to help those I fought so hard to save.

So once again, I wondered about the existence of justice in this world.

That's what inevitably drew me to the bow hero, Itsuki Kawasumi. I expected to meet someone grand when I agreed to journey with one of the four cardinal heroes, but I never expected to find someone so like-minded. Itsuki believed in justice, preached about it, and delivered to anyone deserving. I'll admit I was impressed by how swiftly he brought justice to the shield hero. I'd seen so many people of similar status get away with their villainy, so it was liberating to see a hero tried the same as anyone else who broke the law.

Now, however, I realize I couldn't have been more wrong.

It was brought to light during the first wave. I saw the flare fired from Lute village. I urged Itsuki and the rest of my party members to heed the call. I expected Itsuki to accept immediately. After all, what could be more just than saving innocent lives from the evil of the waves? He didn't accept, however, instead…

"The knights can handle a small village like that. Our efforts are better spent on the monsters out here. The sooner we end the wave, the sooner everyone will be safe."

I was shocked at the time, to say the least. I'd confided to him about my experience with Lurolona not even a week prior. He should understand better than anyone that the heroes are the best defense against the waves. He didn't give me a chance to argue back, however, he simply charged ahead with the rest of the party.

And against my better judgment, I followed them.

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I was seduced by Itsuki's ideals, and his words had just enough logic behind them that I convinced myself I was wrong. What a mistake that turned out to be.

The wave itself was just… embarrassing. We ran around like a chicken with its head cut off, mindlessly slaughtering any monster we could find. And we didn't even find that many! We spent uninterrupted minutes searching for monsters to fight while Lute was being invaded by them. I could practically hear the screams of the villagers in the back of my mind, so I abandoned my party halfway through the wave in order to protect Lute village.

I only got there after the wave ended, and I expected to arrive at a scene of death and destruction. To my complete shock and awe, however, that wasn't the case.

And that was because of him.

The shield hero. The man branded as a criminal and cast aside by the people of Melramarc. He stood in the center of Lute village, having protected the vast majority of its people. How is that? I can't help but wonder. How is it that a convicted rapist can seem so much more heroic than the man I'd pledged my loyalty to. While I was whittling away in the forests, he was here. Fighting almost single-handedly to protect the lives of complete strangers. No, strangers is too kind a word. Given what he'd been accused of, enemies is a much more accurate descriptor. Despite all that, he saved them. I've never seen such a complete contradiction in my entire life.

The man I saw that day was emblematic of both pure justice and the exact opposite. I didn't know what to make of it at the time. I did know one thing for certain, however.

Itsuki Kawasumi, the bow hero, is not an arbiter of justice.

He may speak of it, may even believe in it, but he'll never be an executioner of the kind of justice I believe in.

That is why, at this moment, I stand before him. Itsuki and the rest of his followers are seated at an inn after the wave. The others had inquired about my whereabouts during the wave, but I simply brushed them aside. That's not why I'm here, after all.

"Itsuki, I have something I must tell you," I declare with a firm voice.

He seems surprised by the severity of my tone, but nods. "What is it, Erza?"

With narrowed eyes, I declare, "I appreciate everything you've done for me, but I've decided to leave your party, and join the shield hero!"

A moment passes by in complete silence.

"Whaaaaaat?!"

0 0 0

A day has passed since the first wave ended, and for the first time since Naofumi bought me from the slave trader, the two of us are relaxing.

Or I am, anyway, Naofumi seems kind of annoyed by the delay. He's the weakest of the four heroes right now, and I'm sure he's eager to close that gap. If he decided we needed to leave today, I'd join him in a heartbeat. The thing is, our finances are kinda hurting after everything, and the king promised a reward for all the heroes following the banquet tonight. We can't afford to leave that behind, no matter how much I imagine Naofumi wants to.

Truthfully, I'm kinda glad we aren't leaving just yet. I hope to talk with Malty at the banquet, and figure out why she's lying about Naofumi assaulting her. Hearing it would probably make Naofumi nauseous, but she's my closest friend. I want to understand her reasons for doing this, even if I'll never agree with them.

"Lucy, I never thought I'd say this, but please talk to me. I'm going kind of insane here," Naofumi says. I turn to face him. Right now the two of us are basically loitering in the lobby of the inn we rented, just waiting for the sun to set. There's not enough time to go hunting, so Naofumi elected to spend it crafting medicine in the hopes of recouping our losses. He's been at it for a while now, and I only just notice how packed our table is with various elixirs and powders.

Carefully pushing some to the side, I say, "Well if you need a break, we could work on your magic together. Now that you're better at reading we could probably make more progress in that grimoire. Which reminds me, we really ought to hit up Cana's magic shop before we leave. I'm sure she has some better books, and maybe even a collection of gate keys!"

"I'm sure that'd make you happy. Just don't break the bank, you hear?" Naofumi snorts.

"Already taking steps to get stronger? I'm impressed by your initiative."

""Gyah!"" Naofumi and I shriek in unison, turning to our right.

Sitting in a previously unoccupied chair is a woman. She has long, scarlet red hair and brown eyes. A chestplate and greaves cover her torso, while a light blue skirt rests on her thighs. The boots she wears look military, and her posture evokes that same image. Despite that, she's undeniably beautiful, and I feel my heart skip a beat when her eyes scan over us.

More than anything, though-

"Who the hell are you!?" Naofumi demands, voicing my thoughts.

The woman puts a gauntleted hand over her chest and says, "Greetings, shield hero. My name is Erza Scarlet. I'm a wizard, and up until today I was a member of the bow heroes party. However, after witnessing your efforts protecting Lute village against the wave, I decided to leave him so I could join you!"

"Well that's a pretty thorough introduction," I snark.

"No kidding…" Naofumi adds with a sigh. "Hey, if you were at Lute village during the wave, why the hell didn't you help us?"

"You have my apologies, shield hero-er, may I call you Naofumi?" Erza asks. The man in question shrugs and nods, so she continues, "Then you have my apologies, Naofumi. I only arrived in Lute village after the wave had ended. Before that… Well, the only way I can think to describe it is that I was wasting time with the bow hero."

I'm surprised by the bitterness in her tone, so I ask, "What exactly was he up to during the wave? Naofumi and I didn't see any of the other heroes during it."

Erza grimaces, but explains what Itsuki was up to while we were fighting to protect the village. Hearing just how disorganized and mindless his approach was, Naofumi scoffs. "That idiot. Does he still not get that this world isn't a game?"

"I couldn't agree more, Naofumi!" Erza exclaims, shooting up from her seat. "I want to protect the people of Melramarc from the waves. So please, won't you allow me to-"

"Not gonna happen," Naofumi interrupts.

"Oh come on, Naofumi. At least hear her out all the way!" I complain, but he turns to the side.

"Please, you don't have to speak on my behalf," Erza says, holding her hand up. "I realize you don't know me, and my request did come without warning. However, I came fully prepared to bargain with you, Naofumi."

"Oh?" Naofumi posits, intrigued. Gah, he's so greedy!

Erza nods dutifully before reaching back and pulling out a small white box. Where she was keeping that? I have no clue. Nevertheless, it does catch both our attention. With a completely serious expression, she says, "I have this strawberry cake-"

Splat!

Naofumi's the first to pull himself off the floor and shout, "I'm not gonna let you join for some damn sweets!"

Erza looks crestfallen, as if someone's just slapped her. "Not even for cake…?"

Oh man, she looks so sad that I feel kinda bad for her. I sigh and tap Naofumi's shoulder, "I'm sorry about all this, Erza. Do you mind if Naofumi and I talk about this in private?"

She coughs before regaining her serious expression, "Of course, I don't mind."

I drag him over to a corner of the room, where he immediately says, "Lucy, no. I have no reason to trust her, and we've been doing fine on our own."

"Yeah, for now. The waves are only gonna get worse, Naofumi, and having another pair of hands only helps. Think how many more people we could've saved in Lute if we had just one more capable ally."

Naofumi looks to the side, conceding my point. "There's still the issue of trust. She could be a spy from the three heroes church. You know better than anyone they have a vendetta against me."

"Have you ever heard the phrase 'trust, but verify?' If you're not sure of her loyalties, give her a chance to prove them to you. Make a test for her or something."

"You know, if she was willing to become my slave… Kidding," he adds after seeing the look I give him. I'm not sure if he is, though. "Don't give me that look. I'm fine to play it your way just this once."

"Gee, thanks." I snark.

We walk back over to Erza, and Naofumi says, "Alright, I've made a decision. You can join me, Erza."

The woman in question instantly perks up, "Thank you-"

"But, there are gonna be some conditions, at least at the start. I'm not gonna let you stay in the same inn room as us, for one. I'm not paying for any new equipment, and your funds will be performance based. If you do nothing of value you'll get paid nothing, understand?"

"Hey, Naofumi, that's a little-" I start.

"I understand," Erza interrupts. "I'm sure you have a hard time trusting people given everything that's happened. If those are your terms, then I'll work hard to earn your trust, Naofumi!"

He frowns at her words, then looks between the two of us. "You two will get along great, I'm sure," he grumbles.

I laugh at his sourpuss attitude and turn to our new teammate. "Welcome aboard, Erza! We're happy to have you!"

0 0 0

Five hours later, and the banquet's in full swing.

It's held in the guest hall of the castle, a place I haven't been to since before my joke of a trial. Seeing it all spruced up with long buffet tables and a string orchestra lining the walls doesn't lift my mood any. Especially when it means I might run into that garbage king or the bitchy princess. I don't care that she's apparently Lucy's friend, I still hate the bitch.

Speaking of the blonde, she's currently taking full advantage of the event; eating her fill and enjoying the music. I'm glad she's having fun, but I elect to spend my time sitting on a nearby windowsill. Erza leans against the wall not too far from me, people watching. I can already tell it's gonna take me a while to get used to her, but Lucy was right when she talked about allies. If she's even halfway as competent as Lucy, we could've saved everyone in Lute village, I'm sure of it.

Still, "You know you don't have to stick around here. You're not gonna get me to trust you faster by acting like a sycophant, that's for sure."

"That's not it," Erza says with a shake of her head. "Truthfully, I'm hoping to avoid the party as well. Even though I was polite about it, my leaving the bow hero wasn't taken well…"

That's right, the other three heroes and their party of stooges are here as well. Even more reason for me to want this to be over soon.

"Geez, I can't believe you guys! Everyone already knows you're here, what's the point skulking around like a crappy spy!" Lucy berates, approaching us with a plate full of food. She sets it down on a nearby table and says, "At least eat something. The food's great!"

I hum noncommittally and take a bite of some pastry. "Mm, too sweet for me. Erza, you want some?" I offer. She seems to like sweet things.

Sure enough, her eyes light up. "Truly?! Thank you for your kindness!" she cheers, and takes a big bite.

If nothing else, it's fun to watch her reactions. Just like with Lucy.

"If the food's not for you, how about a dance? The band's giving it their all, so why not?" Lucy suggests, offering me a hand.

"I'm not really the dancing type."

"I'm not sure what I was expecting… How about you, Erza?"

The redhead jolts in surprise at the offer. "Dancing, huh? That doesn't sound so bad… Though I'll be honest and say I don't know how."

Lucy smiles, "Oh, well that's-"

"However!" Erza interrupts, and pulls Lucy against her. "I know that the most important thing when it comes to dance… is spirit!"

Uh oh…

Without another word, Erza tears Lucy onto the dance floor, spinning wildly. It's obvious she has no clue what she's doing, but she puts her everything in each nonsensical move. It's kind of endearing, and I think the band agrees since they adjust their tempo to fit Erza's wild movements. I don't think Lucy appreciates it, though.

"W-wait a second! I know how to dance, I can teach you!" She wails, but Erza just keeps on spinning, lost in her own little world. Unbidden, a small smile creeps across my face at the display.

"Naofumi."

And there it goes.

I frown and turn to face the familiar voice. It's that punk Itsuki Kawasumi, the bow hero. He glares at me with restrained outrage, looking just as self-righteous as ever. I refuse to respond to his words, and return my gaze to the dance floor. Looking at Erza, I have a pretty good idea what he's here for, though.

"Naofumi, I'm talking to you!" Itsuki shouts, drawing some nearby eyes our way. Well, there goes any hope of ignoring him.

"Yeah, and I wasn't listening, but I guess you can't help causing a scene wherever you go," I snark.

"Watch your tone. I'm giving you the opportunity to resolve this peacefully."

At this point, all eyes are on us. The band stopped playing as well, so our words easily carry across the room. "Yeah, you're really screaming 'peace and love' over there. Just tell me what you want."

"I want you to pay for what you've been doing!" Itsuki declares, "I know that you threatened Erza so she'd join your party, and that you forced your other party member to be your slave."

Well isn't this an auspicious turn of events? It's funny to think how if things had gone differently, some of his claims wouldn't be far off the mark. I can easily see a version of this where I defend my purchasing of Lucy. I really hadn't thought there was any other way for me to survive at the time.

Things are different now, though. And I'm glad they are.

"Are you an idiot?" I have to ask. "Lucy's not my slave, she's my partner. And if the idea of slavery disgust you so much why aren't you bitching out the king? Slavery's legal here, if you didn't know, and the king could change that if he wanted."

Itsuki narrows his eyes, "I won't let you lie your way out of this one-"

"It's not a lie!" Lucy declares, joining the fray. "I was a slave, but Naofumi set me free! I chose to fight with him because he's my friend, and I won't hear you or anyone else say otherwise!" She yells, jabbing Itsuki's chest with her finger.

Not gonna lie, it's pretty satisfying to watch Lucy browbeat him into submission. Even if her words aren't totally accurate.

Itsuki looks terribly lost for a moment, but then he coughs and says, "W-well there's still the matter of Erza! I know you threatened her into submission. My party told me all about it!"

I roll my eyes watching this grown man throw out a 'my friends said so!' to justify his behavior. Then I smirk, "If you're so sure about that, why not ask her yourself? I'm sure Erza would love to tell you all about it."

Itsuki whirls around, and sure enough, there's Erza. She stands behind him with a monstrous frown and an icy glare. "E-Erza-!"

"You insult me, Itsuki!" The redhead snaps, and I'm a little surprised by the anger in her voice. "I meant every word I said this morning, and I've joined the shield hero of my own free will. I won't be spoken of like a dame in need of some knight!"

"Erza, I-"

"You'll pay for this insult with your blood, Itsuki!" Erza declares. A magic circle appears in front of her hand, and she proceeds to pull an iron broadsword from it. "I challenge you to a duel! If I win, you'll drop these ridiculous accusations and apologize to myself and Naofumi. If you win, I'll rejoin your party. Since I'm apparently incapable of making my own decisions, that'll suit you just fine, won't it?"

"Hold on a moment, Erza. This is nuts! There's no way I'm gonna fight you!" Itsuki cries out, clearly overwhelmed.

"So you'll throw out accusations whenever it suits you, but turn tail and run the second someone challenges them? Itsuki, I'm willing to accept this as the consequences of my actions. Perhaps if I explained myself better, you wouldn't have felt the need to put on this display. Now it's time to accept the consequences of your actions."

Itsuki looks lost and confused, and if I'm being honest I'm right there with him. This escalated way beyond anything I imagined. However, after taking a second to compose himself, he nods resolutely. "Very well, Erza. I was prepared to fight for your freedom from the beginning. The fact it's you I'm fighting doesn't change that."

0 0 0

How the hell did we get here?

I can't stop myself from thinking that while I overlook the castle courtyard. The large stone arena is where this little dual will be taking place. It's a completely flat, rectangular space surrounded on all sides by seating. The many nobles present at the banquet now line those seats, waiting for the fight to start. Meanwhile, I've been seated in a veranda with the other heroes and their parties. That worthless king and the pope of the three heroes church are given similar seating arrangements. Neither of them looks happy about this, and I can't help but wonder if one of them is responsible for feeding Itsuki all that bullshit about me. The bow hero said he was ready to fight, so it wouldn't surprise me if they were planning on me being the one down there.

If that really was the play, I guess I'll have to thank Erza for butting in.

"So, uh, Naofumi. Are we really just gonna let this play out?" Lucy asks from her seat next to me. The other two heroes haven't said a word so far, but that suits me just fine.

"I don't see why not. Erza wanted this, after all."

"Okay, but what if she loses?"

"Then she has to join Itsuki's party again. I still don't trust her, so it's not like I'm losing anything here," I reply simply.

"You really are a heartless bastard, Naofumi," Motoyasu grunts, finally speaking.

I glare at him, "Erza's the one who set the terms of the duel. She knows the consequences better than any of us." She accepted them wholeheartedly as well, and I admire that. "Besides, I seriously doubt she'd make things like that if she didn't expect to win."

"She's just a normal wizard, and Itsuki's a hero. This is going to be a wash," Ren says dispassionately.

Arrogant prick.

Luckily, the duel starts before he can run his mouth more. The nobleman they brought on as a judge goes about announcing the fighters and whatnot. Erza and Itsuki enter the ring on opposite sides. They stop about ten feet away from each other. Erza looks resolute while Itsuki appears slightly uncomfortable, though confident in his victory.

I won't lie, I'm kinda hoping Erza wipes the floor with him.

Said woman uses her magic to summon a sword once more, before adopting a battle stance. Opposite her, Itsuki knocks his bow and conjures a magic arrow.

"Let this duel between the bow hero and Erza Scarlet… begin!"

Erza races forward, and Itsuki lets his arrow fly. She dodges it by ducking low, unrelenting in her charge. Itsuki backs up and fires another arrow, but Erza evades this one just as easily.

She closes the distance between them before he can attack again, and swings her sword. With just that single stroke of her blade, she rips Itsuki's bow from his hands. It sails a few feet before clattering to the ground, and Itsuki follows suit.

Holy crap, she beat him that easily!

Much to my confusion, however, Erza doesn't end the duel there. Instead, she plants her sword in the ground. Her eyes gesture to Itsuki's fallen weapon, and she says, "Go on, pick it up. And this time, fight me as a fellow warrior."

Now, Itsuki looks properly angry. He scoops up his bow and immediately launches into an attack, "Don't say I didn't warn you! Wind arrow!"

A miniature cyclone hurls itself toward Erza, who raises her sword in defense. She holds firm against the initial impact, but a second later her sword snaps in half, and Erza is thrown backward. She quickly abandons her broken blade so she can catch herself with her hands, then she flips to her feet. "Better! I'll respond in kind. Requip, Heaven's Wheel!"

Following her cry, Erza's body becomes engulfed in a golden light. It swiftly fades away, and reveals Erza standing in a completely different suit of armor than earlier. This one is more like a dress made of steel and chain, and features two steel wings attached to her back. She carries a sword in both hands, and holds a determined expression.

"Something tells me we're gonna be here for a while, Lucy," I sigh. When I receive no reply after several seconds, I turn to my left. To my surprise, Lucy's chair is completely empty.

Where did she run off too?

0 0 0

"You sure took your time, Lucy. I've been wanting to talk for days!"

I chuckle awkwardly at Malty's words. Truthfully, I'd been hoping to pull her aside some time before this. She'd been glued to the spear hero's side, though, and I didn't want to spark some kind of conflict between him and Naofumi. After this whole kerfuffle with the duel, however, that point became moot.

The two of us now stand in an empty hallway of the castle. It's better for this kind of private conversation than the veranda.

"I'm sorry, Malty," I start out, "I meant to talk with you sooner, but things were a little hectic with the wave and everything."

"You weren't hurt then, were you?" Malty asks, trying to mask the concern in her voice.

"I'm fine, Malty. You look healthy too."

"But of course. I am the future queen after all," she declares with gravitas.

Silence.

I'd love it if this was just a simple reunion between friends, but there's so much we need to say to each other. So much that whatever joy which might've come from seeing her again is buried.

Malty sighs, "I guess we should get down to business. Do you mind if I go first?"

"Not at all. What do you wanna know?"

"More than anything, I wanna know what you're doing here. I heard what you said earlier… about being a slave."

I wince, but I guess it only makes sense she'd want to know about that. "Well, I guess the best way to help you understand is to say… I finally did it, Malty."

Her eyes widen, "You mean you actually ran away! You left Jude and everyone else behind!" The excitement in her voice has me smiling. I'm kind of ashamed to admit it, but more than anything, this is what binds Malty and I so tightly.

Crappy parents.

Mirellia tossed Malty aside in favor of her sister, and my dad treated me like a product. Both of us suffered from parents incapable of providing the love we needed, and it brought us together. I remember the nights we'd spend talking until sunrise about our fanciful plans to get away from them and be free.

"Aww, Lucy! I'm so proud of you! I can't believe you actually pulled it off!" She cheers, wrapping me in a tight hug.

I laugh and return her embrace, before growing more somber. "Oh, it started out perfect. I traveled across Fiore with only my magic, my wits, and the Jewel I managed to take from home. But, well, I trusted the wrong person and…"

"And you were made into a slave. Dammit, Lucy, are you seriously that stupid?!" Malty berates, though I can hear the concern behind her acidic words.

"You don't need to worry, Malty. I'm here, I made it out safe and healthy," I reassure.

"Yes, you're here, and in the company of the shield hero…"

My eyes narrow, "And that's something I'm hoping you'll explain to me. I'm not an idiot, Malty. I know Naofumi's innocent. I just don't get why you'd lie about something this serious. I mean, attempted rape… if he wasn't a hero he'd have been executed!"

Malty grimaces and looks away. I know she doesn't want to talk about this, but I'm not about to let it go. "...I didn't act alone. Father and the three heroes' church proposed the idea of framing the shield hero."

"You still went along with it, though. Why?"

"I saw an opportunity and I took it, Lucy," Malty snaps. "If I'm going to be the next queen, I can't just sit by and pray mother regains her senses! I have to take action!"

"Even if that means hurting others?" I ask pointedly.

Silence descends once more. Malty refuses to look at me, but eventually says, "You've achieved your dream, Lucy. You got away from your parents, and now you get to go on the adventure of a lifetime. I won't ask you to understand, but please don't get in the way of my dream."

"...If you become queen, will that really make you happy?"

Malty looks affronted by my words, "Is that even a question? Of course it will! It's all I've ever wanted for as long as I can remember."

I mull over her words for a long moment, then take a deep breath. This isn't gonna be easy to do, but I feel in my heart that it's right. "Okay, Malty, then let's make a truce."

"A truce?"

"That's right. I'm staying by Naofumi's side. That's not gonna change, but if you promise not to antagonize him anymore, I'll stay out of your attempts to become queen."

Malty taps her fingers against her arm, considering my offer. "Alright, Lucy, you win. I agree to the terms of your truce-oof!"

Her words are interrupted when I wrap her in a hug. "Thank you, Malty! Thank you so much!"

My closest friend sighs and pats my back. "Sometimes I can't tell whether I love you or hate you, Lucy."

I pull away and grin at her, "Well, I know I love you."

"Idiot," Malty grunts, blushing. She proceeds to press a hand against my chest, before dropping something into my hands. "Take this. I got it for your birthday last year, but I wasn't able to hand it over back then," she explains, and walks off.

I look at the item in my hand, only for my eyes to widen. It's a golden gate key! The one housing Virgo, the maiden. Seeing it, I can't help but smile. I don't know if Naofumi will ever forgive me for the choices I just made, but I stand by them. I want both my old friends and my new friends to be happy, even if is ridiculously selfish and greedy.

Sorry, Naofumi, but I'd never forgive myself if I didn't at least try to save you both.

0 0 0

The duel is entering its final stages, and it's been a total wash.

Ever since Erza changed to her Heaven's Wheel armor, Itsuki struggled to keep up. His attacks are too slow to hit her, and even when they do they don't even put a scratch on her. The only reason he's managed to stay in the fight so long is because he's consistently dodged Erza's attacks.

I think she realizes the same thing, because she pulls back after her most recent assault. Hovering in the air, she enchants, "Hundred sword style!" Following her words, dozens of blades of various makes and models appear in the air around Erza. They float for a second, then launch forward at a blinding speed.

Itsuki's eyes widen, and he throws himself into a desperate series of flips and rolls to evade the hail of swords. He's so occupied with dodging that he doesn't even notice when Erza rushes in from behind. It's right after he's leapt high in the air trying to avoid the flying swords. How ironic that the same maneuver would leave him defenseless against Erza's actual attack.

She carries a massive ax in her hands, and proceeds to bring it down on the stunned bow hero. She only hits him with the haft to avoid a lethal blow, but the force of it still sends him careening into the ground. He hits the concrete so hard he cracks it, and a dust cloud is kicked up. When it fades, the bow hero lies defeated.

Everyone is stunned into silence. The nobles. The king. The pope. Even the other heroes sit in awe of what they've just witnessed.

I, however, only smirk.

I'm gonna love having someone like that on my side.

I stand up and walk downstairs, all while the crowd gathers themselves, and the winner is announced. On top of everything else, the people of this world think I'm ignorant and uncultured. I wonder if this defeat will lead to them saying similar things about the bow hero? I somehow doubt it, what with the three heroes' church spewing propaganda all the time.

As I emerged into the arena, however, I couldn't give a rat's ass about any of that. My thoughts are entirely occupied by the redhead swordswoman standing victorious in the courtyard.

She changes back to her standard armor and returns her weapons to the ether. "I hope you can learn something from this defeat," she tells Itsuki, who's just now picking himself back up. He doesn't bother replying to her words. He just slowly stands off and walks away, a simultaneously defeated and frustrated look on his face.

He stops just before exiting the arena, however, and whispers, "I'm sorry, Erza. I'm sorry, Naofumi…" With his reparations paid, he walks away.

I couldn't care less if he grows from this or not. As long as he stays out of my way from now on, I'll be happy. That goes triple for the spear moron and the bitch princess.

With the duel settled, Erza turns to face me. "Naofumi, I'll be staying in your company from now on."

I smirk, "Erza, I-"

"You misunderstand, this is no longer a request, nor a temporary partnership. You will take me on as an ally," she warns.

I can't help it, and actually let out a chuckle. "You didn't let me finish, Erza. I was gonna say you can forget all about my earlier conditions. I'm not letting you get away from me after that display."

Erza's eyes light up, almost like a little girl's. She suddenly reaches forward and grabs my shoulder. "Oh thank you, Naofumi!" she cheers, and pulls me in for a side hug. The thing is, she still has her armor on, so I swiftly find my skull colliding with her steel breastplate with a resounding clang!

Why do I keep finding myself stuck with impossible women?