AU NOTES

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

I've got a feeling!~

That now is a good time... to drop a chapteeeerrrrrr...of Shield Hero...

since I haven't done that in a while...

Please, enjoy yout read.

PS: Trying to not put my music suggestions on this one, to try and see how it feels and if you can come up with your own soundtracks for the moments that matter.

PSS: I feel like battles should not drag for long, since real life battles normally don't drag unless there is the intention to stall for time by one of the sides, so I ended with this chapter. Hope it is good enough.

I'mma check on that p/atreon account to see if we can commission some *educational* art for my stories, both for the scenes I feel are memorable, and the ...NSFW type. Later! Ryujin Maou (Draconic/Dragon Demon Lord) out!

Chapter 17: [Iwatani Naofumi, The Shield Demon of Wrath]

It was sudden, and were it not for the warnings Naofumi received, he was sure that everyone in the area might have just become ashes and soot dirtying the ground. The sky high above him warped with the truly dense magic that saturated it, the golden hue bringing with it a scorching beam of light magic.

His first magical construct shattered after enduring seven seconds of the onslaught, the channeled mana digging through the [Air Strike Shield] almost violently, hitting the [Second Shield] with just as much force. The second magic construct resisted for ten seconds, breaking with a sound akin to glass shattering.

After the energy destroyed his aerial defenses, the thick ray of scorching death fell down over his shield cage, [Shield Prison] enduring the effects of the magical attack that seemed endless. The Shield Hero maintained his eyes at the ceiling of his protective cage, waiting the moment it would break. He was sure that it would break, his magical reserves straining to keep the protection firm. His girls were tensed and worried, but he could sense the most fear in Motoyasu and his harem/party of defeated women. They seemed to never have expected to be under such merciless attack. It almost made Naofumi attack them, the damn hypocrites. However, he suppressed his rage and maintained his gaze at the cracking ceiling of his defensive skill.

The cracks spread further and further, his party also worriedly glancing at the ceiling. He wished he was the type of charismatic leader that could dissuade their worried state with mere words; yet, the reality never escaped his grasp. Naofumi wasn't a man of fancy words, he was a man of actions. And as his skill broke under the strain of the annihilation beam, he also raised his first companion on this journey.

I'm counting on you since you never failed me, partner! Naofumi shouted in his head, his mouth too busy roaring his challenge to the skies. He grasped his shield and called upon the dark cursed power under his command, the black flames covering him protectively.

"ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" The energy fell down atop of the Shield Hero, the man standing up and receiving it with all his mettle and strength. Before the light could smite the group off the face of the earth, it was stopped by the dark shield, the defensive gear resisting the beam unlike anything before. The death ray of light kept trying to pierce the Shielder's defenses for 30 seconds, scorching the ground around him until all that remained around Naofumi was dried and blackened earth, the surroundings being carved by the heat until it dug a good foot-length.

As the last of the light ceased its attack, the group who unleashed the attack waited for the cloud of dust caused by their attack to settle down. The many people dressed in white robes were already chanting joy among themselves, very much sure of their victory over the devil that plagued their land. From the knights to the priests, their feelings were clear.

One hand was raised into the air, the commotion among the believers being quieted down by their high priest, who wielded the mighty tri-force of attack. He had his eyes narrowed into an observational gaze, almost as if he suspected that the devil and the fake hero still lived. His second-in-command approached the elder, his moustache neatly trimmed and clothes also decorated in gold and silver inlays.

"Your Excellency, surely our might has surpassed that devil's petty power. Are you worried that he might still be alive?" The man - a devout believer by the name of Adrameles - asked, eyes glancing at the smoke and dust that were flowing from the crater. Nothing could survive the combined might of the 360 priests and nuns that made up the mage front of the Church of Three Heroes, the other 750 members simply being part of the infantry and knight forces, who while could still help in mana gathering, weren't anything to be bragged about.

The elder priest gave his subordinate a light chuckle, pointing his spear (that was morphing into the shape of a sword) at the heat-lit mess that was the area where [Judgement] had scorched. "Silly child, you surely didn't think that this would be this easy? There is a reason why we fight the devil with such overwhelming might; he is a rather resilient monster, having so much disgusting will to live to corrupt the masses that he will survive instead of simply dying, almost like a cockroach." The priest's words made his subordinate raise his brows in disbelief, the man straining his eyes to search the smoky area. As the winds began to pick up and disperse the clouds of dirt and black smoke, a silhouette began to shape up. "You see? He truly is a Shield Devil."

From the smoke, his shape began to be visible. First was the flame pattern and red gem that adorned the middle of the shield. Then, his black-grey gauntlets and black armor that resembled dragon scales; his flowing red cape and then the rough face that seemed perfect for a bandit or ruffian. Iwatani Naofumi was standing there, looking almost as if he hadn't had tanked an attack that could finish an entire war should it be fired at the enemy's army. Behind him stood his party, the devil followers who also seemed to be in perfect condition to fight. The sight of the fake spear hero was also one they never expected to see, the blond and his party of harlots something the church leader dearly wished to see gone.

The believers - who previously were in so much joy - now stood awed and somewhat intimidated by the sight of the devil. How could someone survive that?

"Fear not, children of GOD! We stand righteous in our choice! God is merely testing the will of our congregation, to see if we are truly worth to slay the demon. We passed the first trial successfully, now it is time to finish our Crusade." The high-priest loudly called to his believers, the weapon in his hands glimmering as it received their mana. The people behind him calmed down, their victory assured by god. "Bowmen, prepare to fire at the devil and his entourage!"

Adrameles cleared his throat and then repeated the shout. "Bowmen, prepare to fire!"

The high-priest eyed the Shield Devil, who was busy talking with his party. The elder narrowed his eyes at the Shielder; he expected the devil to have survived the magic. However, his expectations were to see a barely breathing corpse that would be paraded all the way to Melromark's capital, where he would be executed for his crimes, together with the foolish king and queen. Seeing the man resist the blow and have strength to spare, that would put a dent on his plans if the believers remembered the devil like a fighter instead of a bug to be squashed. A theocracy was only as strong as the unwavering faith of its believers. If they started asking questions instead of obeying the gospel, then problems would arise.

Nothing that he – Pope Biscas Balmus – had to truly worry about, but setbacks were setbacks.

His army began to organize themselves, merely waiting for his command to destroy the devil and his meager followers. God's will would be done; his Crusade would conquer Melromark to turn the country into a holy land.

[XXX]

[XXX]

Naofumi lowered his arms after dealing with the remaining force of the light attack that had slammed onto his shield. The Japanese man was relieved that he had worked hard to unlock all types of shields and have his defense in the high numbers that it was, since if it were any lower he might have been cooked alive.

He was a bit winded, but thankfully he could still fight on. He glanced the corner of his HUD, the mini-map showing a sea of red dots behind the bigger red dot that was the pope. The hero huffed in annoyance, wondering where had all these people been when their country was being ravaged by the Waves. He glanced backwards to check the state of his party, the girls all looking well.

There was also Motoyasu and his party sprawled on the ground, slowly managing to pick themselves up. The girls in his party looked clearly scared of the destruction that surrounded them, but the one most shook with the event seemed to be the red-headed bitch. Her face was frozen into a mix of expressions, fear and a bit of despair from what he could identify. Seeing the bitch with that face brought gleeful joy to the hero, a dark pleasure ringing at the back of his mind. His lips split into a dangerous smirk.

"What the hell was that?" Motoyasu asked, managing to stand up and lean on his spear for support. The blond hero offered a hand to his party, the two mage girls taking his help, Malty being the one to snap back to reality first.

"T-that can't be! They wouldn't dare to betray me!" The first princess spoke out, trembling hands grasping at Kitamura in a desperate plea to ground herself. "Motoyasu-sama…" the woman seemed out of words, especially when she turned her gaze up and saw the pope at the top of the hill (since the grounds where they stood had sunk under the pressure of the attack). Ironically, the safe area where she stood on was shaped like a shield, while everything around them was scorched, the layers of visible stone turning into slags of molten rock due to the remaining heat of the magical attack.

Her wet eyes turned to the back of the shielder and his sinister armor. How did the tables turned as such she would never know.

"Naofumi-sama! Are you alright?" Raphtalia rushed to meet her master, examining him to see if had been hurt. Her hands quickly ran over his exposed face, not finding a single wound. The raccoon demi-human grabbed his arms to see if something was hurt there before she realized they were covered in rugged armor, her worries not necessary. She sighed in relief, making the hero turn his head to her frame.

"I wasn't exactly waiting for a nuke to fall on us, but it seems I did fine." He joked to himself, also releasing a sigh. His eyes then returned to the hill where his attacker stood, the pope of the Church of Three Heroes matching the shielder's stare. Raphtalia followed his gaze and her tail stood on its end at the sight of the man.

"They won't stop until either we or they are dead." Naofumi declared to the girl, making she look at him with big eyes. "It was coming sooner or later, they would pursue us. I'm their devil, the ultimate evil. My death will fortify their claims and faith." The shielder exhaled another tired sigh, sure that the girl understood what was going to happen.

They all would clash, and deaths would be inevitable.

Raphtalia had her brows frowned for a moment, the girl slowly unsheathing her sword and settling into her fighting stance. "I understand. I promised to be your sword, Naofumi-sama! I'm your slave, command me as you wish." She said, a serious expression settled over her face.

The hero raised one of his brows, his right hand hovering over the girl's head. His gauntlet moved almost like a living being, retracting to allow the hero to pat the raccoon girl's head.

"I'll protect you with all I've got." He said, finished with ruffling Raphtalia's hair. Shadow soon was by his side, the hero not needing to speak a word. He silently looked at her masked face, the rogue operator nodding to him. "I haven't forgotten about you too." He said in a lower voice, the other girl kneeling and lightly leaning against his leg. His left hand also came over the assassin's head, his left gauntlet also retracting to allow him to pet Shadow's head.

A noise caught the hero's attention, his head shooting up to find the source of the sound. It took less than a second for him to notice the arrow rain coming to greet them, the pope waving his sword at them with a victorious smile. The hero narrowed his eyes at the religious figure, promising in his mind to get back at the bastard. He was about to raise his shield once more, but a feathery figure blurred behind him, the wind picking up and becoming a wall to protect them from the projectiles.

"You meanies won't touch master!" Firo's sweet voice carried some well-deserved anger, the philorial queen candidate not one bit pleased that these people had the gall to attack her master. She didn't even need to chant to cast the most basic of wind spells that would cancel out those useless arrows. The arrows descended upon them, but before they got 10 meters close they were stopped, falling uselessly on the ground as the wind wall had taken care of them.

To further bolster their image, Dera slowly uncoiled herself, rising to her full size right behind the hero's figure, the sight of the four-headed hydra snakeling intimidating for even seasoned veterans. Her hissing echoed, the noise chilling.

"Their magic didn't work out, what did they expected to do with normal arrows?" Felicia slowly walked closer to the hero, her hands firmly grasping her staff. The witch looked different from her usual self, her eyes hardened into a battle-ready look. "I am sensing a great deal of enemies, Fortress-kun. How do you want to deal with them?" She asked the hero, her firm voice clearly stating that she had no problems killing humans.

Naofumi looked at the elevated grounds once more, finding the pope to be surrounded with numerous other priests and soldiers. It was looking rather grim for the Shielder to fight so many enemies like this, especially when it seemed that the enemy had a plan and numbers on their side.

"It was to be expected of the Shield Devil to have such defensive power. How a heathen such as yourself managed to acquire such power is clear for us; you are draped in devil's magic and your weapon also reflects your mind. God clearly shows His intent in purging you from his sacred land." The pope declared to Naofumi, the shielder fed up with the "Holier-than-thou" speech. Before the Shielder spat his answer back, a desperate shout came from behind him, the hero honestly having forgotten about the presence of the blond idiot and his harem.

"Pope Balmus! What is the meaning of this? Your attack just now would also get us in it! Why did you also attacked my party?" Motoyasu shouted at the high-priest, Malty behind him. The redhead was biting her nails as she looked in frustration at the elder, the other two girls behind the Spear Hero showing complete confusion as to why they had been on the crosshairs of the church.

The pope looked surprised at the blond, his expression soon turning into a pleased smile.

"You fake dear to ask such a simple question? You tarnish the name of the true Spear Hero, parading yourself as some sort of heavenly savior while all you've managed to accomplish is chaos! Also, that harlot by your side that calls herself the true heiress to the throne, while doing nothing but waste the royal's treasury gold into superfluous items. You are not the chosen ones by god, you are simply fakes that impersonate the truly virtuous." The elder priest declared, having all his followers shout curses at the blond hero and his party.

"The other two fakes also have only caused chaos for our kingdom, releasing plagues and causing political distress merely because they feel themselves to be above the good people of the land! We have already taken care of those two ludicrous heathens, all that remains to be cleansed are these living corpses that stand in our way to summon the true heroes!" Balmus finished his speech by spreading his arms wide, the people behind him chanting his praises, mana also gathering around the sword he had.

"God has granted me this holy weapon to eliminate the fake heroes that plague our land! His will is my will, and thus we are blessed by him! If the fakes are eliminated, then His glory shall grace this simple priest that wants nothing but to take care of the people! I shall become a hero, and then God shall grant me the highest seat in his throne! I shall become God and guide Melromark into a glorious crusade to rule the land and fight for good!" The Pope's tone had become almost maniacal, the blond hero stunned into silence.

"You mean…Naofumi didn't kill Ren and Itsuki?" Motoyasu whispered to himself, Malty behind him trembling in place. The Spear Hero slowly looked towards the Shielder, finding the hero staring back at him with the angriest scowl possible.

"That was obvious for anyone with more than two brain cells to realize, you FUCKING RETARD!" Naofumi shouted at the blond, causing the man to flinch in place. "Why would I waste my fucking time dealing with you three half-wits when I have more important business to attend to? My life doesn't revolve around you three."

Motoyasu looked back to Malty, seeing that the redhead also had no idea of the church's plans since her expression was of pure shock.

"I'm the heir to the throne! You would kill someone of royal blood?" She shouted at the pope, but the high-priest still looked unfazed.

"Next heir, you? That is a funny joke, since I have the true heir with me! Melty Q. Melromark shall be trained to fulfil her duty to her country like a true ruler; However, we must first cleanse her of any seeds that the Shield Devil might have implanted in her head. Nothing God shall permit to persist."

The pope's words made Malty turn white, the redhead almost falling to her knees were it not for the help of the two mage girls behind her.

"…it can't be!" Motoyasu exclaimed to himself, firmly planting the butt of his spear on the ground and pointing a finger at the elder. "You tricked us, and now you plan on disposing of us like this! I'll not allow this! Naofumi! Let's defeat this guy!" The blond hero shouted, grasping his weapon once more and whirling it around before pointing it at the hill.

The Shield Hero had to double take the words that came from the blond's mouth.

He wanted to team up? To so easily forget everything that had happened and simply join hands with this fool to defeat the big bad pope with the power of friendship?

"We need to team up! We can't let him simply accuse us of a crime we didn't do and get away with it!" Another shout from the Spear hero reached Naofumi, the Shielder unbelieving what he had just heard.

Raphtalia looked appalled at the Spear Hero's words, Shadow barely restraining her wish to shove a dagger into the blond's throat. Felicia looked at the man with freezing eyes, her grasp over her cane tightening as she looked ready to cast [Spacial Rend] and bisect the fool into two. While his party was angry, Naofumi lowered his head, his hair covering his eyes for a few moments.

"Firo, Dera; trim a bit their numbers, don't hold back. Shadow, feel free to use Metal Thread Wire. Felicia, I need to know if you can use that Space magic of yours to move something. Raphtalia, cut down anyone that gets close. If at any point you feel threatened, return to me until we can defend from it." The hero's voice was deathly calm, his armor emitting grinding noises as if resonated with him. He gave them his orders, the girls a bit worried about his current state.

While Naofumi gave his orders, Motoyasu and his group tried to attack the pope with another combo attack. Before the hero even got closer to the elder man, his followers cast a defensive spell that blocked the hero's attack, a swing of the pope's sword sending Motoyasu back to the earth even when he had dodged the attack.

"Naofumi, come on!"

…

…

…

…

"Go fucking die in a ditch, you bastard." Naofumi's words echoed in the battlefield.

"Ehh?"

[XXX]

[XXX]

Firo took Dera on her back and the two immediately began their assault upon the forces of the church. The knights and infantry were slowly marching to try to crush the Shield and Spear Heroes, but their steps came to a hault and the philorial queen candidate rushed to meet them with all the delicacy of a tank. Firo covered herself in wind magic, her steps cracking the earth under her as she dove head-first into the enemy lines, carving a path among the ranks of the church as her wind magic shredded anything it came in contact with. She was done playing easy against these meanies that had bullied her master so much. She kicked harder and harder, using her wings to throw wind blades around herself to cripple the enemy lines. Blood and limbs began to fly around her, armor useless to stop her crushing blows or her airblades. None of the it managed to stick to her plumage, as her wind wall flicked the blood away before it could ever manage to get close to her.

The soldiers suffered with the sudden arrival of the philorial, but they soon tried to pierce her with their spears and halberts. It was a mistake, as those that tried were turned into ribbons of flesh. The lucky ones, that is.

Dera was also on the back on the philorial, her four heads spitting poisonous gunk at anyone that Firo had missed. The hydra snakeling was akin to a gatling turret, shooting her noxious payload on whoever was foolish enough to approach the duo of monsters. Her poison was a slow and painful death sentence on those it fell upon, the soldiers having to witness the effects of the purple gunk as it melted skin and infected muscle - a truly corrosive mix - of their close allies.

A part of the soldiers stayed behind to try and deal with the monsters, while the main force procceed with their march to finish off the heroes. Only for some of the men to suddenly fall on the ground, immediate cries of pain following them as only bloody stumps stood where their legs stood still. A few of the more attentive soldiers noticed the barely visible threads, the blood of their fellow men serving as a macabre warning to the soldiers should they try to advance this "minefield".

"I suggest that you give up and lay down before you end up regretting your decision to attack us." A female voice echoed over the entire field, no doubt a spell to amplify her voice for everyone to hear. The soldiers laughed at the weak attempt at intimidation, their laughs the answer to the witch's statement. "I understand then. Do not blame me for what follows, I gave you the choice to surrender."

"Oh void, all incompassing void, cut the distance between my targets short, and shift the boundaries of space at my command. All Dritte Fall, Dimentional Shift." Felicia chanted, her magic creating a miriad of small tears into the space among the troops, each so small that barely a pencil could pass through. That was fine for the witch, since the flames she was transporting needed only a spark to cause a raging inferno. This way Felicia could save some mana for later use, while also dealing a crippling blow on the forces of the church. Since Naofumi's cursed flames hurt both the flesh and the soul, the effect was almost immediate.

[Self-Immolation Curse] was as stubborn as its master after all, and since the black fire had plenty of fuel now, it would obey the orders of her master. BURN

And so, half of the church's army was engulfed in cursed black fire.

[XXX]

[XXX]

Naofumi looked at foolish blond and his group, the rage present in his expression giving the Shield Hero a terrifying outlook. To add to the dread factor, it seemed as if miasma was seeping from the gaps of the hero's armor, the purplish-black smog turning into an aura behind the hero that horrified those that looked upon it. It truly resembled a devilish sight. It was like a dragon's visage had appeared behind the hero.

The cursed flames that would normally be around him were doing another job for him, Felicia's aid in transporting the flames helping Naofumi to keep the giant army from surrounding them.

"While you were out and about playing hero, I had to fight with tooth and nails to survive. Now that you are finally being pushed against the wall, you come to me begging for my help? No fucking way! If the other two idiots are dead, then I have no fucking reason to even let you survive this! To be completely honest with you - Motoyasu - I don't see the fucking diference between you and that bastard other there! You both screwed me over, tried to take precious things away from me, and you both have accused me of shit I would never do, never giving me a chance to even defend myself." Naofumi roared to the other hero, the blond hero recoiling away from the Shield Hero.

"You could do the world a favor now, since all you have been doing so far is fucking it up. Die and let new heroes be summoned." The Shielder finished his rageful rant at the Spear wielder, turning his attention to the pope. "And you, you bastard! BURN!" As the hero cursed, the army behind the pope exploded in cursed fire. The high-priest didn't seem much worried about the cursed flames, the man waving his sword in a dignified manner.

"A devil through and through, using curses to try and weaken the will of God's children! It matters not, Shield Devil! For God stands with us!" As the man finished his berating, the group of priests and nuns behind him finished a long chant.

"All Dritte Fall, Holy Sanctuary!"

A soft and warm light began to glow over the army that was burning on the background, their pained moans turning into claimoring shouts of adoration as Naofumi's cursed flames began to weaken and dwindle, being put out against his will.

The hero frowned as he felt the power of his [Self-Imolation Curse] be extinguished by the holy magic the church followers cast, his jaw tightening as Naofumi exhaled whisps of cursed black fire. That is some luck we have! The bastard charged me gold coins for a few vials of holy water, but he could dispell my strongest curse almost in a whim. Sarcastic thoughts went about in the Shield Hero's mind, the tank looking from the corner of his eye to see Motoyasu had began to push back against a regiment of the church that had managed to escape from Firo, Dera and Shadow. Naofumi hated to see it, but it looked like the Spear Hero could at least manage to fight off the cannon fodder of the church, the soldiers that faced the blond were being mercilessly thrown and pushed aside by offensive hero. His party/harem was also able to use their magic to push off the soldiers that managed to escape the blond hero. The group of females was giving their all to push the soldiers that got close.

On his side, there was little that the Shielder needed to worry about besides keeping an eye on the battlefield. Raphtalia's sword took care of any soldier that got closer to him, the girl fighting in the most efficient manner he had ever seen. Where was the usual soldier would try to turn the battle into a contest of strength, the raccoon girl never wasted her time, her sword aiming for gaps in armor or absolute killing blows. She had the strength to fight like a normal soldier, but Naofumi had taught her better than to waste time and energy when she could simply finish the fight. Fairness? Honor? Those things were absolutely useless when the edge of a sword was coming down on you. It is just like Naofumi-sama said, "If you find yourself in a fair fight, you tactics are subpar".

The pope laughed at their efforts, directing the magic of his followers back at the soldiers.

"All Dritte Fall, Healing Grounds!"

All the soldiers that were still alive were healed of their wounds, rising once more to try to kill the groups. Naofumi clenched his fist tightly, wondering what was he to do in this situation. He saw the higi-priest gather more magic from his followers, the man swinging his sword at the Shielder. Naofumi raised his shield and took the blow, the ground behind him carved into a trench as the magic aftershock of the attack dispersed.

"What the fuck do you guys need heroes for when you have shit like that?!" Naofumi grumbled to himself, whistleing loudly so as to gather the attention of his own party. There was a slight delay, but once he saw a group of soldiers be flung onto the sky like spoiled fruits, the hero relaxed by the slightest of margins. Firo and Dera reached him first, the philorial and hydra snakeling looking winded. A few more painful shouts echoed from the soldiers pouring on the crater, Shadow bluring into existence at his side. Her clothes were caked in blood, the girl visibly tired after having to evade so many soldiers.

"Master, these numbers are outside of our current scope. This one recommends a tactical retreat." The rogue/assassin said in tired between tired pants, her hands moving to retract the lengths of Metal Thread Wire currently in her grasp. Naofumi nodded to her, seeing Felicia get closer after casting another offensive spell at a garrison of 35 soldiers. The witch was still hale enough to fight, but odds of their victory were not great by any means.

The hero was ready to call for a retreat, the plan to cast as many defensive and support type spells as he could, while having Felicia cast [Spacial Rend] on their weapons for them to carve a path through the church's forces. Fuck Motoyasu as his group, Naofumi had priorities that did not include the Spear Hero and his group. He quickly glanced at his mana pool, finding that his current reserves would only be enough to one try of his hurriedly-put-together plan. He felt another shift in the mana of pope, the mages of the church accumulating mana for another dose of that absurd attack; the Shield Hero grit his teeth, orders just about ready to be shouted.

"HUNDRED SWORDS!"

"THUNDER ARROW RAIN!"

Before the church could continue their attack, the group had to hurriedly cast a defensive spell on the pope, the high-priest's eyes widening as he suddenly found himself under a salvo of blue projectiles shaped like swords and many light arrows. The elder priest looked at the farther hill, finding the very much alive Sword and Bow heroes overlooking the church's army. The battle came to a momentary pause, the clerical members clearly surprised at the sudden arrival of the supposedly dead heroes and their parties.

"REN! ITSUKI! You guys are alive!" Motoyasu shouted at his fellow heroes, the two sliding down the man-made slope and approaching the Spear Hero.

Ren was the first to arrive, his party following the hero. "I can't exactly have you killing us like that." The teenager surprisingly joked with the blond, hardening his gaze as he saw the pope unharmed from his attack. "We were investigating the church a bit, since a few things weren't matching with what they said. Some shadow-group contacted us to share some orders from the queen, but during our investigation we were attacked by that light beam. We were lucky that those shadow-fellows were aiding us." The Sword Hero explained to the blond, finding the Spear Hero to be looking back at Naofumi and the pope.

Itsuki had his sights aimed at the pope the entire time, his group forming a protective circle around the Bow Hero. "We found out some ancient treasury that supposedly housed a relic that the church was supposed to be safe-keeping, but when we arrived at the tomb it was empty for a long time. The church had been acting suspicious for quite a while, but when they attacked us it all but confirmed my suspicions." The Bow Hero released another attack at the pope, finding the magic defense of the church to be prepared for his attack.

"They also fabricated some dumb story about Naofumi being able to brainwash people, but it seems that their believers ate it up. Their true aim has been to eliminate us and play heroes of justice while they staged a coup against the kingdom." Ren spat out, pointing his sword at the pope at the top of the hill. The Sword Hero completely missed the guilty look Motoyasu had on his face, his party/harem finding the scorched grounds they stood to be suddenly interesting. "Pope Biscas! Your treasonous acts have already been discovered by the Queen! Surrender immediately and stop this nonsense!"

Ren's shouting voice spread unrest among the forces of the church, the people wondering if what the Sword Hero was saying was the truth. The heroes were all alive and from the outlook of things the church had been caught commiting one of the worst types of crime possible in the kingdom. Conspiracy against the crown and a ploy to establish a new ruler; a Coup d'Etat. If the words of the hero were to be believed, the group would be extremely lucky to only have their first generation executed.

"Nonsense are the words that you speak, Fake Sword! An agent of chaos that only seeks to cause destruction among God's children shouldn't be speaking against the holy agent of God! You all have witnessed it, my children! The fake hero who brought about the plague!" Pope Biscas pointed his sword at Ren, the hero grimacing as he remembered his horrible mistake. "Look who come to acuse us of treason! The Fake Bow, who fled from duty and only harmed the nation with political unrest. Have you ever once heard word of any actions that the Fake Bow has taken to aid the country? Nothing, am I right?" The older priest swung his arms wide to his followers, his weapon now turning into a spear.

Itsuki's expression also soured; being a hero wasn't about glory and gains, it was about helping the people! If he gloated and praised himself about the actions he took, what kind of hero was he?

"However, this is a good thing! God has brought all the sinners that need punishment before us! We can now wipe these stains from history and finally be able to implant God's will upon the land! Notice that the fakes have immediately choosen to side with the devil while they take arms up against us!" Pope Biscas shouted, taking a fighting stance to properly fight with his new spear.

Motoyasu immediately recognized the spear that high-priest had. "Watch out! That is Brionac, a high level spear that specialized in wide-area magic attacks!" At his call, the heroes and their parties searched for the defense-specialist hero. Naofumi, who was trying to strategize another plan, now that he knew the other two heroes weren't dead.

Ren cast another skill to try and slow down the pope, a flying slash. "Naofumi! We need your help! Please block out his attacks until the queen's punitive force comes! They aren't far from here!"

The hero drapped in black armor slowly turned his head to match the eyes of the Sword Hero. As the two matched their lines of sight, Ren's hope for help was met with Naofumi's proud right-hand middle finger, the Shielder's slit eyes were full of rage.

"I don't think so, pretty boy! Keep your selfish requests, I'm not about to join hands with you and pretend the past hasn't happened." The hero growled his answer, stunning the other groups, the church included. "I told Motoyasu before; I don't see any diference between you and those half-wits over there! You were happy to be on the pope's grace before, but now that the consequences of your actions have come, you want to try and shift your load on my back. Guess what? I might be scum, but you are even worse than scum! Have fun dealing with that! I promised someone that I would try to work with you; so far only I took the heavy brunt of the deal when I cleaned your messes from before; now you three can even out the deal, work hard for once in your life!" Naofumi spat at his fellow heroes, turning around and putting his shield out just in time for him to defend against a blow from the pope's spear attack.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! The fakes and the devi quarrel among themselves! Is this not amusing, my children?! See the selfish people that pretend to be heroes? How could they not be fakes?" Biscas laughed, pointing his spear to the skies. "As much entertainement I get from seeing you heathens fight among yourselves, the Lord's work must be done! I hoped to save some mana to deal with the brainwashed Queen and her pesky army, but squashing all of you like the heretics you are takes priority! My children, sing the praises of your God! We must pass on JUDGEMENT!"

Naofumi's hatred for these people had grown too big. The fools who could only see their noses, that only wished for convenient things to happen to them. He only wanted to be left to his own musings, he'd never gone out of his way to harm the other three, even after everything that had been blamed on his back, Naofumi was still willing to keep the promise with Fitoria. He wouldn't go out of his way to bother then, as he had always been doing, and he might even help them on a whim if the situation grew out of control and the [Will of the World] rewarded him for his acts, as it seemed to be the only thing that fairly judged the work of the heroes. However, they would not leave him alone.

They insisted on troubling him, pressing their unreasonable demmands on him and trying to stab him in the back. Everything was about them, nothing could ever not be his fault, just because he was the Shield Hero.

[Will you offer (Naofumi's Growing Hatred) as the last material for the current evolution?]

Was there even any doubt that he hated these bastards?

Was the shield testing his will? All the unfair treatment he had received wasn't enough?

These people were only centered in thinking about themselves. Well then, let me show you how self-centered and petty I also can be! You want to turn this into a grugde match? Let me show you a TRUE SHIELD!

[MARVELOUS! SUCH INCREDIBLE WRATH THAT SURPASSES EVEN MY OWN! THERE IS NO NEED FOR ME TO EVEN TRY TO TEMPT YOU, YOU WOULD ONLY BURN MY REMAINS INTO NOTHING BUT A PILE OF CURSED ASHES! SHIELD HERO IWATANI NAOFUMI, TAKE THIS CURSE AND MAKE IT YOURS! SHOW THESE FOOLS THEIR MISTAKE WHEN THEY MESSED WITH THE DRAGON OF WRATH!]

...

...

...

[Curse Series, Sin of Wrath has been updated!]

[Curse Series, Wrath Shield status up!]

[Wrath Shield III unlocked!]

[Wrath Shield III]

-Increase in Attack +100; Increase in Defense +500; increase in Magic Defense +350;

+Passive Skills: [Naofumi's Cursed Flame (Evolved)], [Physical Strength up (Greater), [Berserker's Armor (Medium)], [Hate Aura Curse (Small)(NEW!)]

+Bonus Skills: [Iron Maiden], [Raging Dragon's Frenzied Roar(evolved!)], [Hate Reaction (Medium), [Blood Sacrifice(NEW!)], [Meg**** Bur***(LOCKED!)], [De*** ***ger(LOCKED!)]

[XXX]

[XXX]

For the followers of the Church of Three heroes that were watching the fight happening between Pope Biscas and the fake heroes, the dark miasma might as welll have been a circle summoning the Devil onto the land. Knights, soldiers, priests and nuns; every follower of the faith that laid eyes upon Naofumi felt shivers run down their spines, the ilusion of a dragon behind the frame of the man becoming more and more real.

Naofumi was surrounded by his cursed fire, the flames settling over him for a few moments before they went off, leaving only a thick miasma-like fog escaping from the gaps between the hero's dark armor. The cursed power around him was affecting them even from such a distance. The believers finished their chant as fast as they could, giving the pope and his holy weapon enough mana for another cast of [Judgement]. The sky under the heroes warped with a golden hue of their magic, the high-priest also hardening his face at the sight of the black, fog-covered Shield Devil.

The hero of the shield clicked his right hand fingers, the gauntlet-clad hand emitting a dull noise. Firo and Dera sprung into action before they even realized, grabbing Naofumi and flying high into the air. The light beam began its descent, but halfway through the hero appeared, standing over the back of the philorial queen candidate. He swung his right arm like one swats an annoying bug, the dark shield meeting the magic and stopping it for a few moments before the hero tilted the position of his defensive gear, making it refract the magic directly into the troops of the Church.

The army of the Church watched the event happening with wide eyes, many unable to believe the sight. It was one thing to somewhat resist that much magic, they expected as much from the monster called Shield Devil. However, the bright sky was being warped, dark clouds gathering together and blocking the sun from shining on the troops, almost as if God himself had decided to call off the followers, punishing them for acting out as they did. The stray beam redirected at them seemed to be the form of punishment the Lord chose for them. The pope might have named Iwatani Naofumi as the Shield Devil and declared their crusade to be a cleansing of the land. If that was as such, then the counterattack of the Shielder was The Storm That Was Coming, negating the light of their God, turning it into a weapon to hurt the believers.

As the hero and his mount descended, the image of Naofumi became clear for all to see. The dark armor he wore encased him even further, this time fully covering him up to neck, where the neckguard joined his neck, metal protecting the hero until his jaws; it seemed as if Naofumi's own jawline had become one with the armor. His cape now was a raged piece of red cloth that further added to the intimidation factor of the Shielder. The final piece was his weapon, the Shield; the defensive gear's front had the flame pattern from before become a much more defined dragon, the horns of the apex creature curling to resemble those of a demon, the sight of the weapon one that brought about fear in the heart of those that saw it. Not even Naofumi himself could deny that his appearance now was that of a villain, not of a hero.

He was fine with that, if it was what it took to have these people learn their lesson.

He unmounted from Firo, Dera coming to rub her body against his back. He searched for the pope, the man's angry eyes being a delight to the Shielder. Raphtalia seemed worried about his condition, but a glance at his eyes told her that the hero was in control of himself. Shadow lowered her head to her master, a sign of complete submission to his newfound power. Felicia had a sultry smile on her lips, her eyes locked onto the gem of his shield.

"""Naofumi?""" The three idiots exclaimed, seeing the hero emit such a foul, cursed aura. It didn't help that he had managed to deal such a crippling blow to the Church's forces, always finding a way to break through even under such disadvantages.

"HOW DARE YOU HARM THE CHILDREN OF GOD, YOU SINFUL FIEND! GOD'S MIGHT SHALL SMITE YOU FROM THIS LAND!" Pope Biscas howled like a lunatic, the weapon on his hands keeping the spear shape, but changing into a diferent type of spear. "FEAR THE MIGHT OF ALL THE ACCUMULATED PRAYERS THAT HAVE BEEN LOADED INTO THIS HOLY WEAPON! GAE BOLG!" The high-priest's spear became a wicked looking weapon, the spearhead surrounded by various thorn vines that looked extremely sharp. The elder pointed the weapon at the heroes, Naofumi narrowing his eyes. As if he would ever allow the man to attack!

"RRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The roar that left his throat wasn't unlike that of a real dragon, the air pressure pushing the priest a few inches back, the man paralyzed in his current position due to the intimidation from said roar. His army was also stunned, Naofumi resembling more and more a demon that had had enough of their meddling and decided to reap their lives. As the Church's army fell into disarray, they were also being pushed back.

*WHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH*

A war horn echoed in the field, calling the attention of everyone present. Various banners were flying, the purple and amethyst colors of the royal flag being the most prominent among the flags. The Queen's army had finally arrived!

Pope Biscas howled once more, forcefully dispelling the stun caused by Shield Hero. The man was livid! How could one man and his group of devilish followers be able to stop such overwhelming power as the Church's? It was absurd for a simple Shielder to be able to accomplish these things; all that he had to do was get squashed like the bug that he was, but the Shield Devil persisted to be a nuisance against his plans. To make matters worse, the Queen had also arrived; he could deal with her, the holy weapon replica he had still had enough mana to destroy the woman and her bothersome army. If only he could get rid of the annoying Shield Hero!

Biscas began to swap the form of his magic weapon, as a bow would be much better in dealing with these numbers than the spear. He could use the three weapons much better than the fakes, he was the chosen one of God! He was God himself, there was little these feeble insects could do to stop him.He refused to accept this!

"All Dritte Fall, Icicle Prison!"

Before Biscas could finish swaping Gae Bolg to Orion (The Hunter), he and many of his followers were encased in thick layers of ice magic, the powerful spell breaking all the layers of magical defense and wards that his followers had casted before. Biscas's frost covered form glared at the woman atop the hill, her army moving in to subjugate his own. He still had a card he could deploy. He just needed to free himself from this ice and get to the second princess being kept at the back with the logistics force of the church. Even the queen would not dare raise a hand against him if he had the little girl in his hands.

"One of you heroes, hurry up and finish this fight!" The Queen's harsh and powerful voice echoed on the battlefield, the three wondering if they had something so powerful as to defeat the high-priest. While they hesitated, Naofumi took it upon himself to finish this. It was always like this, he always ended up cleaning the messes of these people.

He walked a few steps away from his party, the girls wondering what he would do.

Was he about to cast [Iron Maiden]? Could that defeat the pope? Motoyasu, Ren and Itsuki asked themselves. Wasn't such a skill going to cripple the pope? Possibly even kill the man?

"If it is as you say and you are truly using the power of God, then let me show you the power of the real devil. You called me Shield Devil, right? Shall I show you then, your cursed end?!" Naofumi spoke out, pointing his shield at the frozen priest.

"[FOOLISH SINNER! HEREBY I ANNOUNCE THAT THE PUNISHMENT FOR YOUR SINS IS TO BECOME A SCREAMING OFFERING TO GOD AND THE HEAVENS! WITHIN THE IRON JAWS OF THE DRAGON, BORN OUT OF MY FLESH AND BLOOD, OFFER YOUR SCREAMS TO GOD AS YOU HOWL IN PAIN!]" The chant came to Naofumi naturally, the hero chanting the cursed lines as loudly as possible. Cursed mana gathered around him like a thick miasma, the shape of the dragon behind him now clearly visible to all to see.

"[BLOOD SACRIFICE!]"

The cursed mana reached the climax, gathering all over the hero's dark armor before it suddenly calmed down. It took a split second for effect to happen, Naofumi's [Berserker's Armor] suddenly sprouting sharp edges all over the inside of the armor, the metal mercilessly piercing Naofumi's flesh and sinking deep into his body. Blood spurt like a fountain around the hero, every bit of his armor biting down in his flesh like a ravenous beast starved for his blood. His blood began to paint the earth around the shielder into crimson, the earth drinking his blood with mighty greed. The shielder barely managed to maintain himself standing, his vision darkening, but a chuckling brought his attention.

"NAOFUMI-SAMA!"

"MASTER!"

"FORTRESS-KUN!"

"Kukukuku! See, my children! The devil has been consumed by his own power! God has always been by our side Victor-" Right as Biscas was about to finish his sentece, the ground under his feet began to tremble, the earth cracking as blood burst from it. With the pope at the inner circle, three sets of gigantic black contraptions sprung. The black metal was caked in blood, the macabre creation resembling the jaws of a bear trap with sharp rows of fangs resembling those of a shark's mouth. The man tried to jam the weapon and stop it from closing around him with his spear, but the weapon didn't manage to withstand five seconds before it broke at Biscas's hands, the broken tool being absorbed by small tears in space, leaving the man to be swallowed by the iron jaws. The pope' shocked expression lasted for a second before his face contourted into one of absolute pain as the iron jaws of death closed around his body, the iron teeth of the contraption closing around his body and spurting the elder's blood as metal crushed and tore flesh and bone like mere twigs. Those that where the closest to the high-priest were showered in his blood and viscera, unable to comprehend what had just happened. If only that was the end of it.

The bear-trap opened up once more, the wet sound of blood unsticking from the iron teeth disturbingly loud. The jaws seemed to be alive, opening up enough for the believers to see the inner rows of metal teeth covered in blood and the tattered remains of Pope Biscas' clothes, the contraption then shutting close with a loud clang. The black metal repeated the action three more times, the followers then realizing why the motion was so disburting. It was like the trap was chewing on the man, all three sets of jaws closing and opening almost like a true living being. After the last repetition of the motion, the bear-trap closed completely, the black metal lingering for a few moments before it slowly dissapeared, like it had never been there; all that was left was a pool of blood and the gnawed-on remains of Biscas's left hand, the part missing two digits and badly damaged, his weapon nowhere in sight.

Silence reigned king on the battlefield, the remaining members of the Church unable to move at such macabre show. They did not react as the Queen's army closed in on them and began the process of arresting the group. The heroes and their parties had their eyes locked into the pool of blood that once called itself Biscas, the crimson fluid staining the earth all that remained of the man.

"...Did...we win?" Ren asked his fellow heroes, the other two too stunned to give out proper answers.

The click of heels alerted them that someone was approaching. Felicia, the witch that was currently traveling with Naofumi walked to them with calm steps, getting close to the three heroes. She eyed the three, but her her eyes settled on Motoyasu's frame.

*SLAP*

A red imprint of her hadn stained the Spear Hero's face. The other two had their eyes widen in surprise, but soon they received the same treatment.

*SLAP* *SLAP*

The witch turned around, the heroes stunned and their parties immediately moved to try and question the witch on her actions. She stopped mid-way, not dignifying the heroes and their group with even a glance from her eyes. "No, you did not win. Naofumi won. If you call yourselves legendary heroes of justice, then I guess the world is better off signing a deal with the Shield Devil." Sarcasm almost dripping from her voice, Felicia rushed to attend the Shielder, leaving the three heroes with bitter faces as they stared at her back.

She began running, her steps now hurried into Naofumi's direction. His party was trying to coax out some reaction from the man, but the hero was silent, merely standing there as if a statue. Then, without warning, Naofumi fell, knees hitting the ground, the Shielder barely able to stop having his face kiss the scorched earth due to the aid of Raphtalia and Shadow.

His breathing was erratic, the man caked in his own blood. Each and every small movement he did seemed to send pain coursing through his entire body, his gaze dull and unattentive. At some point the hero could swear he was having auditory hallucinations, since he thought he was hearing Melty's voice closeby. He managed to raise his head and true enough, the princess' blue dress was also coming his way. He tried to release a chuckle or even an annoyed sigh, but all that he managed was to hack and cough out blood.

[Sacrifice Accepted!]

[Shield Hero Iwatani Naofumi has sacrificed 85% of his current health to activate Curse Skill.]

[Curse still unmastered, appying penalties upon the caster! -30% to all stats - except defense - until (Curse of Wrath) penalty has been lifted]

[Devil of the Shield skill is now active. Reducing penalty upon Shield Hero by 5% due to low mastery of the skill. Hero Job (Demon Lord) has been fully unlocked.]

[The Will of the World grants Shield Hero Iwatani Naofumi a new title: The Storm That is Approaching. Unlocking special evolution to subordinate monster (Dera); Hydra Snakeling can now evolve to Mythical Creature (Yamata no Orochi).]

His hearing began to ring an awful lot, the hero feeling the heavy toll of the curse he had evoked. As much as it pained him, he understood why it had such hard blowbacks. He was sure that while it would not kill her, this curse might be able to deal a nasty blow to even Fitoria.

"Healers! Your priority is to aid the Shield Hero at all costs! He must not be allowed to fall! Use everything in our hands to heal him, This is a royal decree!" A voice Naofumi didn't recognize spoke out, even to his dull hearing. He managed to raise his head and look upon the woman mounted over a hourse, the crown on her head being indication of who she was.

He was to tired to berate her now, heat leaving his body. The hero glanced at his girls, finding them to crowding around him and their faces were extremely dire. He tried to display a smile to calm them down and raised one hand to give them a headpat. He was met with the sight of his blood-caked hand, fingers warped and bent in ways they were definitifely not supposed to be. He lowered the hand, wondering why where they so worried.

He was only the shield; his job was to protect. Everyone had gotten out of the situation alive, even the other three idiots. His promise with Fitoria was fulfilled. Why were they looking so grim?

Naofumi was tired.

He supposed he could take a nap now, rest just a tiny bit. Raphtalia and Shadow were big girls, they could take care of themselves and the group while he rested a bit. Yeah, that sounds nice...

END OF CHAPTER