I do not own Rising of the Shield Hero
I want to once again give thanks to Comrade Broseph for help edit this chapter and adding details to it. Thank you very much for providing insight to help me do course adjustment to make my story flow better, and keep it more true to my original vision! Also thanks to Fluffball13 for reading my first draft to make sure I stay on the right direction.
The update schedule is weekly update on the weekends to keep consistent quality. Also, Author's Note at the end for people who want to see me blabber more.
Shout out to Recourse of the Bow Hero by Pretty Lazy. It's a somewhat slow burn, but very well written Itsuki character study/exploration story and I highly recommend anyone who doesn't mind a slower pacing to check it out. For anyone who doesn't like my more quirky take on Itsuki and want a more grounded version, that story does a much better job than I can do! Thank you very much for mentioning my story in your note.
Think harder on it, what are the prime numbers again? 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17... Try to recount indivisible prime numbers to jog your memory...
The sound of someone knocking on his door distracts Naofumi Iwatani from his mental task. A moment later the door to his room slides open with a loud clunk at the end. Naofumi doesn't bother to raise his head. He is still keeping his face buried in the textbook and his notes when he hears the voice of his little brother Takeru. "Naofumi, Hachiken is here."
The elder boy with messy hair doesn't respond to the sound. His face is still scrunched up at the equation that he failed to puzzle out, probably because he messed up an important formula somewhere along the way. After a few more seconds of fruitless attempts at fixing his calculations he eventually gives an annoyed grunt and a half nod to his younger brother as a response.
The younger sibling standing in the doorway lets out an exasperated sigh and motions for the figure standing behind him to come in.
The boy with a pair of thick black rimmed glasses and equally messy brown hair enters the room. His almost bloodshot eyes have heavy bags under them. Something he has in common with his friend and classmate whom he is currently visiting for a study session.
"Sup." Hachiken gives a quick greeting to Naofumi and receiving a nod of acknowledgment back begins to take his own textbook and notes out of his stuffed bag.
Naofumi's younger brother rolls his eyes at the two high school students fighting their way for Tokyo University's entrance exam.
"Right, I'm leaving the cakes here for you two." Takeru sets the small tray of cupcakes on the table between the two older teenagers and turns away. Before he closes the door, the younger boy gives them both an intense stare. From what Naofumi can make out through his peripheral vision Takeru almost looks concerned. But that can't be his spoiled brat of a younger brother.
"Naofumi, try not turn into an Oni, okay?" Having seemingly done his daily duty of berating his elder brother the younger sibling takes his leave.
The door clanks shut again, leaving the two exam warriors with their herculean task of preparing for the most prestigious university Japan has to offer.
Hours later the now dried up cakes have sat untouched and forgotten by the two occupants of the room. Once Naofumi decides to give up on studying for the day and picks one up it tastes more like sandpaper in his mouth.
Interlude: The Melancholy of Naofumi Iwatani
None of his classmates ever expected Naofumi Iwatani to become best friends with Yuugo Hachiken. Sure, they are both the pariah of their class in their own ways, but aside from that the two of them had almost nothing in common.
Naofumi was your typical anti-social loner that kept to his own company and got by on barely-passable grades attained through the bare minimum of effort. A proud member of the 'going home early club', his free time was mostly taken up by games and light novels, rather than socializing with his peers. After his first year of high school he couldn't boast to even have one close acquaintance in his homeroom class and neither did he act like that fact particularly bothered him. Naofumi only managed to narrowly avoid being the stereotype of the worst kind of otaku by not being fat or ugly. Even so, his standoffish ways gave him a reputation of being bit of a creep.
Hachiken on the other hand was a know-it-all bookworm that always bounced in his seat at the chance to answer the teacher's question. This had quickly given him the reputation of being a teacher's pet and would have surely served as a detriment to Hachiken socializing with his classmates during his free time... If the concept of free time didn't seem to have eluded the boy in question. It soon became apparent to everyone that no matter what, Hachiken always has his head buried either in a text book or a pile of mock exam questions, even when there was no expected test coming in the foreseeable future. They boy simply did not seem to have a life outside of academics.
So as it stood at first glance, aside for having a tendency to be reclusive the two hardly had much in common.
Naofumi himself would have laughed at anyone who suggested the idea of him trying to be buddy with Yuugo. At least until the day he had his first conversation with the bespectacled boy.
It was in his second year of highschool, soon after Naofumi played Koei's newly released Warriors Orochi 4. His favorite character in the game was Nobuyuki Sanada. Not because the character was strong, but because the character was also an elder brother who felt overshadowed by his younger brother. Something Naofumi Iwatani could certainly relate to on a personal level.
The night before, while Naofumi was desperately trying to catch up with his homework a day before it was due - Naofumi kept putting it off until the last moment in favor of playing his newly bought game - his much younger brother somehow managed to solve a question that had the older brother stumped for over an hour, seemingly without even trying. Takeru wasn't even supposed to have been studying calculus yet, but all it took him was once sideways glance at the algebra problem and a minute to neatly pencil out where Naofumi went wrong with his solution to it.
It was not the first time Takeru succeeded at something that his elder brother struggled with, nor the hundredth. No matter how small and insignificant the task, it was the hallmark of the Iwatani household for the youngest son to prove himself better at it than the eldest. Nothing unusual here.
But this time, in this instance, it seems to have been one drop too much. Too much for Naofumi to ignore and brush aside, too much to forget like it never happened. Perhaps because of how smug Takeru looked in that moment? Perhaps because of how their parents gushed over how smart their younger son was for once again succeeding where the other failed? Maybe it was just the straw that broke the camel's back?
While Naofumi realized that he should have felt grateful for his younger brother's help, since Naofumi was near the edge of failing his algebra at that moment, he found himself lacking any feelings of gratitude whatsoever. He simply felt tired. In a way different from how one might get tired from doing homework or partaking in physical activity. It was an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion coming from the core of his being, expanding outward, reaching without purpose, utterly engulfing him.
Naofumi found himself feeling… hollow.
The next day the feeling still haunted Naofumi as he made his way to school. It failed to leave even as his classes seemed to breeze by in a blur. So it was that Naofumi found himself on the school's roof, looking out at Tokyo through the fence erected around the perimeter of the rooftop space.
The hustle and bustle of the city always helped him clear his mind when he was troubled. The ambient noise of millions of people going about their daily lives… Lives that held purpose. Held meaning.
Well, he guessed all those people weren't fated to be born as an inferior version of someone.
Leaning outward with his eyes closed, the fingers of his right hand gripping and tangling into the gaps of the steel safety net, Naofumi found himself letting out a bitter smile.
Lost in the moment the Otaku can't help but make an exclamation just like Nobuyuki in the game. "[Hah, it seems no older brother can ever match his younger brother.]"
"[Um... I hate to disagree, but I think you got that backwards.]" A familiar voice from behind almost made Naofumi jump.
Naofumi blinked his eyes open. That was the exact line spoken by Sun Quan in his initial comrade dialogue with Nobuyuki from the game. He turned around and saw Yuugo standing on the roof with a textbook in his hand.
"I didn't know you also play Warriors Orochi 4, Hachiken." There is genuine surprise in Naofumi's voice, both at having someone respond to his thoughts spoken aloud and that someone being Hachiken of all people.
"Orochi what?" The class know-it-all nervously pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. He looked down at his feet like a deflated balloon. "I was speaking of my life."
"Oh."
That was the start of their friendship.
Naofumi learned that Yuugo wasn't the know-it-all show-off everyone thought he was. The boy grew up with a very strict father who expect the best from his children in academics. Yuugo also had an elder brother who was able to learn study material without much effort due to his genius level intelligence. Both his father's high expectations and his elder brother's natural talent pressured Yuugo into always giving his 110% effort to prove himself.
Naofumi couldn't help but feel a little inspired by the nervous, but eager and determined boy. Before long, he was putting his gaming systems away and spending his free time picking up study materials alongside Yuugo.
And while Hachiken was very proficient at memorizing different materials and reciting knowledge from books, Naofumi turned out surprisingly good at being able to look at problems from a different angle and solve them creatively. Working alongside his newly found friend Naofumi found himself regaining the drive that he seemed to have started losing years ago. Before long everyone that knew Naofumi as a lazy and irredeemable otaku had their jaws drop, his marks skyrocketing from barely passing to the top of his year alongside those of Yuugo Hachiken.
For his part, Hachiken was equally as excited at finding a kindred spirit in Naofumi. After their end of semester grades came in and the obvious improvement in Naofumi's academic scores became apparent, the bespectacled boy who had become Naofumi's first real friend decided to share his dream. A dream of overcoming the fate of being born the less talented brother through sheer hard work. "Let's get accepted into Tokyo University together, Naofumi! We'll prove everyone who doubted us wrong. We can do everything our brothers do!"
Naofumi returned the eager boy's smile. He crushed the empty box of juice that he was drinking from and tossed it into the waste bin ahead. "Yeah, let's show everyone we aren't failures."
And as the day drew to a close the two of them bumped their fists together under the setting sun. "To Tokyo University together!"
Sometimes Naofumi found it hard to imagine that a few years had already passed after he went separate ways with Hachiken. In the end, their best efforts simply weren't good enough and they were both rejected by Tokyo University.
That revelation hit Naofumi with the weight of a speeding truck, in a single instant utterly obliterating all of his newly found passion and motivation. So much for overcoming fate through hard work he thought. Who were they even fooling with their efforts all this time? The game was rigged from the start, from the moment they were born to be the two talentless brothers to two real geniuses.
And as if to top it all off… his parents decided that if Naofumi could aim for Tokyo University and fail by a small margin, then their younger and more gifted son was a certain shoe-in for being accepted. They'd decided to pour all of their best efforts into making sure that the younger brother succeeded where the elder failed. All of the best tutors that they could afford. All of the extracurricular courses they could sign up their youngest for. They really went all out.
Once again Takeru would be destined to prevail where Naofumi couldn't.
It would not the first time Takeru succeeded at something that his elder brother struggled with, nor the hundredth. No matter how small and insignificant the task, it was the hallmark of the Iwatani household for the youngest son to prove himself better at it than the eldest. Nothing unusual here. This time it was only just Naofumi's dream that was taken from him and handed over to Takeru.
That moment…Naofumi felt that he had achieved a sort of zen. A peace of mind regarding his place in the world. He was always just a background character wasn't he? Someone that existed only to be overcome by those better than him. The backdrop next to which others could shine. So, why did he even worry to begin with? Wasn't it pointless? Why should he bother to keep trying?
The realization made his next decision simple for him. He applied to and was quickly accepted by some unnoticeable third rate college close to home. The course he signed up for was some equally third rate economics module.
Oh, his grades were still certainly good enough to go to a prestigious college even if not Tokyo University. But he saw no point in it. If his little brother is studying to get into Tokyo University then he'll get there eventually. Anything will look like a miserable defeat compared to that. With that knowledge in mind Naofumi might as well cut his losses and lessen his academic workload.
"Anywhere's fine, as long as I can have a carefree life." That was Naofumi's response to the question of which direction to go with his life. If he wasn't destined to achieve anything great then he might as well ensure that he has an otaku's comfort zone close to home. Besides, when he was making the decision Naofumi doubted that he could keep up in a good college without Hachiken constantly pushing him forward.
Sure enough, without the eager bookworm by his side it didn't take long before Naofumi slumped back into his old habits. Doing just enough to pass his course and spending most of his time playing video games, watching anime and reading light novels.
But speaking of his old friend…Unlike Naofumi, Hachiken didn't accept what seemed to be the harsh but undeniable truth of the world. Even after his dreams were crushed under the brutal weight of reality.
"I want to go where nobody knows me. Try to start from a clean slate. Just because I couldn't reach my dream one time is no reason to give up on life." That had been Yuugo Hachiken's reasoning for going to an agriculture college all the way North in the Hokkaido country side.
"You are just running away from the truth." Had been Naofumi's derisive accusation that served as his final parting words.
Later he'd feel guilty about it. After all, Hachiken wasn't exactly someone like him. He was able to actually try and push himself all on his own, even if he didn't succeed in the end. Someone resilient enough to push against fate and inspire someone else to do the same… If Naofumi was simply the background mob character next to against whom those born for success were to prove themselves, then Hachiken was the underdog hero that would seek to find his way regardless of how many times he has to try.
What if rather than being destined for failure like Naofumi, Hachiken simply failed because Naofumi dragged him down with him? Now that he left Naofumi behind, he should be free of the limitations of carrying a dead weight on his shoulders. Such were Naofumi's thoughts as guilt eroded away at him.
And as time passed these thoughts were only reaffirmed in Naofumi's mind. From what little news he heard from his former best friend, Hachiken really managed to grow into his own. After Hachiken's escape from his oppressive upbringing and deadbeat study partner - though the boy himself was too polite and considerate to put it in those terms - he made lots of friends in college. Sometimes when they made bacon together with the pigs they raised themselves Yuugo would even send some to Naofumi.
Hachiken also joined a horse riding club and competed in the nationals. Naofumi quietly went out of his way to attend the tournament, even if he was still feeling too much shame to meet his former best friend face to face there. He didn't want to ruin the atmosphere by butting in with his belated apologies. It would no doubt seem insincere since how he'd only be giving them after seeing Hachiken finally find a place for himself. He didn't want Hachiken to think that he was only trying to rekindle their friendship in order to mooch off from his hard earned success. So Naofumi silently support his former best friend and study partner from the sidelines, where he wouldn't be a bother to him anymore.
Last that Naofumi heard from Hachiken was a couple of years into his own rather lackluster college career. Hachiken wrote to him that was already planning to start his own company with a senpai after he graduates. Sharing his enthusiasm for the prospective business and the love he discovered for agriculture. Things like crops rotation and soil density... it was honestly kind of fascinating.
Naofumi read the email with a bitter smile. He was genuinely happy for Yuugo. He was a great person and an amazing friend. But that just accentuated the fact that their friendship was never equal. Naofumi was merely the ballast that needed to be cast aside so that someone born for success could live their own fulfilling life.
If in the past, Naofumi at times used to wonder how his life would have turned out if he had enough courage to go to Hokkaido together with Yuugo, those naive regrets were put aside by now. As the months and then years quickly went by the otaku all but convinced himself that he did the right thing by staying in Tokyo. Yuugo wanted to go to a place where 'nobody' knows him. So even if Naofumi stopped being such a burden, which Naofumi doubted was within his ability, if he went to Hokkaido after him it would ruin Hachiken's fresh start.
It didn't matter what friendship Nobuyuki Sanada and Sun Quan formed in Warriors Orochi 4's storyline. When the game ended, the gods sent the heroes back to their own world… well, time period actually, but it's minor detail… where they forget everything so that history can be preserved.
The hard worker discovers his passion and eagerly chases after his dream. The otaku locks himself in time and wastes away his life. In the end, everything was right in the world…
…Wasn't it?…
…Deep down he still felt like he betrayed his best friend.
Yes, this is how he should remember his life:
The name's Iwatani Naofumi, college sophomore, and I'm what most people would call an Otaku. I wasn't always this way, but after I was introduced to video games, anime, and Otaku culture, there was no way I could ever go back to caring about something as boring as studying...
Silently, the Otaku realized thinking like this is him betraying Yuugo once again. But he is sure the two of them will continue to grow apart as Yuugo become busier with his life. His letter has became more and more sparse over the years. Naofumi doesn't blame Yuugo. He's the one who failed their friendship first, and he's genuinely happy for Yuugo's new life.
Sometimes Naofumi noticed an agriculture book out of order in the library when he goes to find a new novel. He always pick those books up to either read it on the spot, or check it out and read it later at home.
But amid all these silent musings and becoming more and more introverted, Naofumi almost missed the significant changes occurring in his own family's dynamic right under his nose.
It appears that at some point Takeru had started falling in with the wrong crowd. The young teenager was now regularly skipping out on school in favor of hanging out with a group of local delinquents. His grades were quickly dropping below even the bottom benchmark set by his older brother. His tutors all complained that he would not listen to a word they said. He even got himself a punk haircut.
Their parents seemed to have both burst a blood vessel in their head from how stressed out they were by this behavior. Their immediate consensus was that this was Naofumi's doing. As the older child he failed to be a proper role model for his younger sibling. At their wits end they demanded that Naofumi fix what he caused or be kicked out of the household for ruining his little brother's life with his bad example.
While Naofumi doubted that it was his example that was leading Takeru to a life of petty crime and street violence, he nevertheless understood his parents point. Just because Naofumi was a failure didn't mean that his actions did not have consequences at all and that his presence was completely unnoticeable. Why did he go on assuming that he could be a useless layabout and they would simply tolerate it indefinitely? This was just a thinly veiled excuse to finally be rid of him. What's the point in keeping around the shame of the family? There is none. While it became obvious to Naofumi after the telling off, it really should have been so for a long time before that.
But he supposed it was two years too late to worry about that now. Might as well get it over with. Least he could do is give a shot at straightening out his bratty little brother's rebellious phase. That way he'd have at least one less regret when he was left out on his own.
It was with a profound lack of enthusiasm that he made his way to Takeru's room and knocked on the door. He was half expecting the angry shout from his brother, demanding that he be left alone. Resigned, Naofumi opened the door anyway and made his way in, ready to give a formal try at asking his brother what was wrong before giving up after not being able to offer any real help.
So it was much to Naofumi's surprise that once his younger brother's shouting settled down, Takeru burst into weeping tears. He sat on his bed, face covered in his hands and shoulders shaking, quiet sobs coming from him at irregular intervals. Before Naofumi knew what he was doing he had Takeru wrapped in a hug and was holding his quivering form against his shoulder, his coat being drenched in tears and snot, while words seemed to spill from his little brother's mouth in a seemingly endless torrent.
Turns out that being born destined to surpass expectations isn't easy. Their parents were always more involved in their younger son's life after the elder had proven himself a disappointment at an early adolescent age, their overbearing and controlling attitude towards Takeru surpassed all bounds when Naofumi regressed into being an otaku after his short stint as an ace student. While initially somewhat hopeful of their eldest son making something of himself, after his failure to get into Tokyo University and following regression into his previous state, they were consumed by fear of their younger son also losing his way.
From the perspective of their parents, Naofumi showed an example of giving up after not being able to achieve the very best result. So they doubled, tripled and then quadrupled the already immense pressure on Takeru. If aiming for and achieving the very best result was what it took to stop their younger son from losing his drive, then the path forward was clear. They would accept nothing less than him surpassing his older brother again and succeeding where Naofumi failed.
Ironically, this attitude is what caused their youngest child to snap in the first place.
When put that way Naofumi supposed that it actually WAS kind of his fault that Takeru broke from all the pressure. At least partially. He won't claim credit for the blind and stubborn attitude of their parents. But what can he do about it?
Once his brother finished weeping in his arms Naofumi was still struggling to come up with an adequate response. If he came into this already prepared to give up, that was no longer an option right now. He could not let the consequences of his bad decisions ruin his little brother's life. Even if their relationship was never the warmest… it would still be a betrayal.
…He would not betray someone again.
So he spoke, carefully chosen words slowly coming out of his mouth. He told his little brother that he understood him in a way. He knew that feeling that makes it seem as if you have no control over your life. How easy and tempting it is to just give up.
He told him of his own regrets. Told him of how he envied Hachiken even as he was happy for him. Told him of how even if he doesn't live up to the expectations their parents have for him it won't be the end of the world. He explained to Takeru that rather than considering his talent to be a burden he should instead be made free by it. Expectations don't matter. At the end of the day he shouldn't feel pressured because of what others think.
And if Naofumi was an utter hypocrite as he spoke he felt no guilt for it. He would not let his shortcomings hurt someone else. He would not betray his brother like he betrayed his best friend. If he was born with the original sin of being a loser otaku then he would do his best to make up for his faults.
As Naofumi's words tapered off into silence they kept sitting there silently for some time. Naofumi was happy to note that some tension seems to have disappeared from Takeru's features after their heart to heart. After a short while he got up when he felt that the shoulder and arm that his brother was leaning on was starting to get numb.
"Alright, tell me if you need someone to lend you an ear again. If you do I'll be there for you." Naofumi said while moving his arm around to get the blood flowing. He stopped just before reaching the door though, unsure if he said enough to really stop his little brother from falling back into his previous state again. "If you want to, I could always lend you a couple of my VNs to play with. Really helps me with releasing stress." He shuffled his feet awkwardly. The hell was he saying? His brother was much like their parents when it came to all things related to otaku culture. He would probably feel insulted at the insinuation that he'd ever stoop to playing a VN.
"Yeah, I'd actually like that." Was the surprising reply Naofumi heard coming from behind him however. It stumped Naofumi so much that his surprise must have been physically evident. "If that's alright with you I mean!" Takeru quickly interjected, thinking that Naofumi must have been offering to be polite, rather than with any intent of following through.
"No, no it's fine! I was just a little surprised is all. Wait here a sec, I'll bring some over from my room right now." Naofumi quickly tried to clear any misunderstanding.
The next few hours Naofumi spent introducing his brother to VNs, dating simulators and the wonders of 2D waifus in general. Explaining in detail how might one go about picking a route and earning favor with whomever you consider Best Girl. While Takeru started out by reacting with genuine bewilderment at all of it, he seemed to eventually be drawn in by his otaku brother's enthusiasm if nothing else. Both of the brothers finally retired to sleep only at the early hours of morning.
Several months after that incident found Naofumi reminiscing on how things have been changing lately.
His brother had really settled down once the wonders of anime girls were made clear to him. No longer spending his time by becoming involved with gangs and acting out against authority, Takeru was now practically the definition of a bona fide otaku. His grades did improve once again however, which meant that his and Naofumi's parents were willing to let their son's new hobby slide.
Another consequence of Naofumi's efforts in saving his brother was that he was now allowed to keep living at home and was no longer under threat of being kicked out. Provided that he picked up his own studies however.
Which is why Naofumi currently found himself in the local public library, browsing the non-fiction section for textbooks on his economics course. It made more sense to him to use the ones in the library even if they weren't the most up to date, rather than spend outrageous sums of money on buying ones for personal use.
Naofumi is drawn out of his thoughts when he hears the sound of something falling right next to him. Deciding to take a short break from his studies he turns around to pick up the fallen object.
Huh? It seems as if a fantasy book was left in the wrong section by someone. "The Weapons of the Four Saints?"
Naofumi Iwatani belatedly realizes one thing: Nothing ever changes in his life. He is forever the black sheep, even when he's whisked off into a sword and sorcery fantasy world like he's some Isekai main character. Although in his defense, he certainly didn't meet any god that gave him super cheat abilities.
He is the only one of the four "heroes" with a piece of armor instead of a weapon. The others around seem to immediately notice this discrepancy and rub it in his face.
The king doesn't mention his name in the audience. The old geezer apologies when Naofumi rightfully points it out, but it looks barely like an afterthought.
It reminds Naofumi of how his parents used to boast to the neighbors and their friends of their younger son's newest achievement. Then they would suddenly realize Naofumi was standing silently right besides them and struggle to say something nice about him, like how the elder son would go out in the summer to do some part time work.
The other heroes talk amongst themselves about his shield. They act almost like he is not there, before revealing the shield is apparently a class only a "loser" would pick in their games.
What's up with that anyway? Didn't the people playing those games ever need a tank to raid with? Or were they all pvp oriented games in which tank classes were useless and it was all about dps output?
In hindsight, it shouldn't be any surprise none of the adventurers the King gathered want to accompany him. If he was ever naive enough to think that if he just went to a new place and started from a clean slate like Hachiken he would be able to make something of himself, he certainly doesn't think so now. He was born to be an otaku loser. Whether in his old world or this one. He only excels at bringing those close to him down with him. Worse than a dead-weight. His best efforts are only enough to mitigate some of the damage he inflicts on others. How could he possibly be a reliable protector for anyone?
"My Lord, I will travel with the Shield Hero." The voice is soft, but clear in the silence of the Throne room. It reminds Naofumi of the echoes of a wind chime in the summer breeze. Naofumi turns his head around and sees a young woman with shoulder-length hair, red like a halo of ardent flame.
"Oh? Are you sure?" The king's voice sounds a little forced. Maybe he too, still hasn't recovered from the rather sudden turn of events.
"Yes." The woman gives an affirmative nod to the King before slowly walking her way to Naofumi's side. She gathers one of Naofumi's hands into hers and gives him a bright smile that seems to lite up the massive room. "Nice to meet you, Shield Hero. My name is Mein of Samphor. I will be in your care from now on."
Is it just him or is there a source of bright pink link filtering into his field of vision?
"R-Right." Naofumi scratches his head and quickly turns his eyes around, nervously licking his suddenly dry lips. He had never had such a beautiful girl so close to him in his life. For an otaku like him this is more than a bit overwhelming!
…Maybe he was wrong about not having a chance to start afresh in a new world after all.
"Silence! You fiend! I knew you were rotten from the start, but to abuse your prestige as a Legendary Hero!? Shame on you! For thinking your prestige could protect you from being brought to justice!" The king of Melromarc is yelling at Naofumi like a cat with a stomped tail. The young man can barely even raise his head to look at the angry monarch due to the crossed spears around his neck.
Times like this make the otaku summoned from another world wonder what went wrong with his life. First he is all but ignored by his parents over his more academically accomplished little brother. Then when he tries to prove he is not a failure by getting into Tokyo University with his only friend, both of them get rejected. So he goes back to his old ways in order to not relive the disappointment of knowing his best is simply not good enough, losing his only real friend in the process. And after that it turns out that his brief time as a model student and the following regression back into a lazy otaku caused his parents to practically start smothering his little brother with their control, causing him to snap.
When it turned out that Naofumi was able to repair some of the damage and even start getting his own life back on track, he was suddenly whisked away to another world. Finally, once summoned to this new world he discovered that him being an utter failure was only reinforced as an axiom around which every world in the multiverse works. In fact it was even worse here than back home.
…Seriously, who ever heard of an Isekai series where the protagonist has it worse in the fantasy world!? And yet here he is. A shield user who can't use any other weapons. He can't even fight low level common monsters. He is looked down by everyone here, from the king, to his fellow summoned heroes, to the adventurers who are supposed to help the heroes fight. There is only one ray of sunshine amid all of this horribleness, Miss Mein, the only one to volunteer to be his companion… If only he weren't dragged out of his bed in nothing but his underwear and accused of attempting to rape her in front of the entire court and his Isekai'd compatriots.
It turns out being summoned into a fantasy world isn't always a fun adventure. It's actually downright terrifying if the world hates you from the get go. Who would have thought?
Naofumi lets out a cry even he himself finds pitiful. "But I didn't do it! Won't anyone believe in me!?"
The Sword Hero, Ren Amagi is rubbing his temples furiously. He is probably the closest thing to a friendly face in this court. At least the teenager from another Japan is willing to listen to Naofumi's pleas instead of judging him for the accusation directed against him alone. The Sword Hero opens his eyes to look behind Naofumi. "Maybe we should hear the story from the victim's side?"
Naofumi forces himself to twist his neck between the sharp spears. At least his high defense rating as the Shield Hero allows him to that much without committing spear assisted suicide. He sees his only companion walking into the throne room held in Itsuki Kawasumi's arm with a distressed look plastered over her face.
Oh.
The stunningly beautiful damsel unhooks her arm from the Bow Hero and steps forward. Her voice sweet as dripping venom. "The Shield Hero..."
Mein of Samphor gives a quick glance Naofumi's way while taking a deep breath. The young man's eye widen with a sudden realization. What if this has been a setup from the start? He doesn't know why the king of a nation would go through such a loop just to frame a clueless guy from another world like him... But the king did look down on him from the start. All of the adventurers had to have been picked out by him. That's why none of them wanted to join his party... Except for one.
He stares and at Miss Mein's face, at how it shows visible distress that's played up almost comically if you really look at it. How none of her worry seems to actually reach her eyes. Eyes which lack any genuine surprise in them…
Genuine… Was anything that happened the previous day fitting of that word? All of a sudden the previous actions of the beautiful red headed girl start seeing more and more like those of a seductress, rather than those of a young adventurer.
He was had wasn't he? The only person who is willing to stand by his side is nothing more than a fabricated sham. One that he fell for hook line and sinker. He watches the seductresses lips move as she seals his sentence, all the color draining from the world as a torrent of rage swells up from that emptiness inside him…!
"...is completely innocent."
Those are the words that come out of the beautiful girl's mouth.
...Oh.
The throne room suddenly falls completely silent, before the assembled nobility explodes in a torrent of hushed whispering that coalesces into a cacophony of muted noise. Some of the nobles begin to creep in like a group of flies.
It's all going over Naofumi's head. One thought is set on loop inside of his skull.
Mein did not betray him.
He is only brought out of his trance when the spears pointed at his throat are removed. The Sword Hero reaches out a hand to him and helps him up to his feet.
His legs feel wobbly and he almost falls back down again. Mein did not betray him.
The Spear Hero, who was trying to take Naofumi's head off a moment ago begins to take his anger out on the king for making Mein cry. The Sword Hero, who was already speaking on his behalf, helps him with renewed vigor. The newly arrived Bow Hero joins in the Sword Hero's crusade, taking the king to task for failing justice and demanding compensation be paid for wronging Naofumi.
All of that is irrelevant. Because Mein did not betray him.
He gives a glance at the girl that just saved him. She is kneeling on the floor and has her face in her hands. She is not sobbing or shaking anymore. For the briefest moment he thinks that he catches her eye looking back at him.
Naofumi turns his eyes away a moment later and straightens his back. He once more takes in his circumstances. The bizarre circumstances where everyone seems to be at each other's throats, accusing each other, improvising excuses on the spot… The circumstances no one seems to have anticipated. Everyone is acting surprised, panicked…
Unlike when he was made out to be guilty.
Mein was expected to betray him. Mein did not betray him.
The shouting around the throne room escalates. It's actually impressive to see how quick the tables turned. Under pressure from three of the summoned heroes the King seems to be at a loss for words. One of his advisers is speaking on his behalf, but it doesn't seem like his words are doing much to diffuse the situation.
The shield bearer almost feels sorry for the monarch. He'd have probably felt more empathy, if he himself wasn't almost convicted by this very man under a false accusation just a moment ago. But in the end he chooses to swallow his anger and frustration to allow a somewhat graceful exit for the king. It's never a good idea to anger the supreme leader of a nation. Especially when they are in a room full of well armed guards and knights.
Everything happens around Naofumi more like a flash, he is returned his equipment and silver then ushered out of the castle before he can even fully regain his bearing. His only companion tackles him when he barely steps out of the gate. The shaken young woman with ardent hair embraces him while trembling on his bare chest. "Master Naofumi! I'm so sorry you had to suffer this humiliation because of me! If I wasn't your companion, you wouldn't have to endure that trial."
Naofumi flails his arm around like he is falling through the air without anything to grab onto. Both because the impact knocked him off balance and because he never had such close contact with a beautiful young woman before.
What should he say or do right now!? Sure, he played a bunch of sim dating games, but his memory wasn't exactly photographic and now that part of his past feels more distant than a previous lifetime.
The young man tentatively closes his hands on Mein's shoulders, running his hand in a circular motion trying to comfort her. "No, it's not Miss Mein's fault. They could have come up with any excuse to frame me if they wanted to. I was saved because Miss Mein spoke up for me. Thank you... for everything."
"Mein was very brave, speaking up against that king. You are lucky to have her, Iwatani." The Spear Hero, Motoyasu Kitamura's voice sounds a little envious for the moment. Naofumi supposes that he can understand why he feels that way. Mein was in the Spear Hero's party before she decided to help out the friendless Shield Hero.
Minutes later he still stands atop the hill before the castle gates, watching the other heroes disappear from his view along with their companions. Mein wordlessly resting her head on his shoulder.
Naofumi Iwatani closes his eyes. The image of the boy with messy brown hair and a pair of thick black rimmed glasses happily laughing and waving at him appears in his mind. Yuugo Hachiken seems to be calling him farewell before turning around to vanish into the distance.
When the Shield Hero opens his eyes they burn with determination.
We may never see each other again, Yuugo, but please, cheer me on from Japan. I will not be a coward for a second time. I will not fail someone close to me again. I will not fail Mein just as she did not fail me!
For my companion who believed in me, I will be the strongest shield on earth!
Author's Note (Once again very ramble-y and contains possible SPOILERS for both my story, and DEFINITELY for Reprise of the Spear Hero!)
First, to everyone who might worry I'd try to adjust my story to suit reader feed backs. There is no need to worry for that, because I'm one of those writers who first write for myself. I only take ideas from readers when it suits my original creative vision, and that's what I meant when Comrade Broseph helps me hammer out the certain details in my story.
Now, to The Joining:
I don't want to be derisive to you because in a way, I can emphasis with how you feel. I also really don't like writers who mangle and snaps the characters in their story to suit an overarching plot. That's something I'm very vocal when criticizing authors like JK Rowling when I talk with my friends. I guess that makes me a hypocrite at the end of the day.
On your point of Itsuki should only act out when he gets Pride Bow... I'm sorry but I completely disagree with you on this because:
(SPOILER FOR REPRISE OF THE SPEAR HERO START NOW!)
In Siltvelt timeline, Itsuki went completely justice junkie in the end, kind of like my story here (although he doesn't steal dialogue from Shiro Emiya because hey, copyright problems). The time of when war between Melromarc and Siltvelt isn't explicit, but we know it's between the second (Chimera) wave and third (Soul Eater/Glass) wave because Motoyasu went to destroyed Lute village sometime before the war.
Since we know Melromarc summoned the heroes after dealing with the first wave, that means the maximum time Itsuki went from sane to completely crazy to the point he dismiss the Pope's speech of committing racial genocide against demi-human as 'a simple exaggeration' is a little shorter than two months at most. And Itsuki doesn't use Pride Bow in the fight which shows he hasn't even unlocked that curse series since he's fighting all out to avenge his dead companion and to strike down who he thinks are evil.
This convinces me that him unlocking Pride Bow is a symptom of his already existing Justice obsession, not the cause of him become crazy like you suggested. He's already unhinged internally, just managing to hide it better.
Of course, one can argue all the repeated timelines of Reprising are separate alternate worlds and it doesn't reflect the canon Itsuki, but then that means I should be free to interpret his character to suit my story because I am also explicitly working on an alternate timeline/dimension.
I ask you to withhold your judgement till Itsuki's POV Interlude shortly after the Chimera Wave where I shows why he's acting the way he is. Then you can start dissecting my story and tell me why I'm a total hack.
;)