Before starting this chapter, I'd like to make a few comments.
I do take the time to read the reviews I receive, and I like to thank anyone who has reviewed my story and given legitimate criticism. That said, I would also like to clarify a few things that have been repeatedly mentioned in said reviews.
I received multiple comments about the fact that my story, as if this moment, is more a "rehash" than anything else and that Shirou doesn't have anywhere near the presence that he should.
Yeah, that's true, and it's kind of meant to be that way.
We're only at only the first arc of the story, one that was and is fundamental to set the foundation for the story surrounding the Shield Hero. As of now, Naofumi's actions are the driving force of the story, with him holding all decision making power in the central group.
As of now, Shirou is a slave, and it's not like Naofumi would have changed things for Shirou's sake or solely at his advice. For minor things? Maybe. Major things? Definitely not. Naofumi is the one calling the shots, and because his starting point and central conflict haven't changed, beside the fact that he has an extra slave to act as his attacker, not much has diverged yet.
How would Shirou have introduced changes? He's a slave, so he has no autonomy. Naofumi isn't really in a right state of mind. And Shirou has just as much knowledge about this world as Naofumi.
Of course, if this was post Holy Grail War Shirou, he would have had more than enough power to force changes to occur. But this isn't that Shirou. This is a 12 year old kid Shirou that has been thrown into another world with no prior experience in… anything of value, really, and he can barely perform any Magecraft at all. He doesn't have much choice but to go along with Naofumi's whims. Whims that were up till now the same as in canon, because he is working with the same knowledge in the same situation. He just has one additional attacker in his party.
Oh, and by the way, for the people asking why Shirou doesn't use Rule Breaker to free himself, here is your answer: he doesn't have it. This is a 12 year old pre Holy Grail War Shirou. Shirou and his age are mentioned in the summary and the first chapter where he mentions that Kiritsugu has been dead for 2 years. And Kiritusgu died when Shirou was 10, so…
That is one of the reasons why Shirou has been more a side character than anything else till now. The focus in the first arc is on Naofumi and his trials, with Shirou playing the role of a side character and only introducing very minor, if any, changes, because he simply is not in a position, nor has the power or the knowledge to make any sweeping changes.
Besides that, there's also been mention that there's no excuse why Shirou hasn't told Naofumi that he is also from another world. That Naofumi would be horrified to learn that someone that came from a world like his own was his slave. And lastly, the only reason why isn't horrified with having Raphtalia as a slave is because demi-humans in this world present a token perception that slavery can be accepted to Naofumi so long as he doesn't abuse his demi-human slave.
I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. Naofumi's central goal in buying a slave was to grow strong enough to survive the Waves, because he could trust no other persons to act as his attacker without stabbing him in the back. Considering his less than healthy state of mind in this part of the story, he definitely would have used any slave he could have gotten his hands on.
It is made abundantly clear in the light novels that he isn't cruel to Raphtalia, but that he does not really care for her either at first. At that point, he treats her more like a tool than anything else. A valuable tool that is necessary for his own survival and needs to be looked after both mentally and physically in order to maximize her combat capability, yes, but still just a tool. He wouldn't have given two shits where that tool, that slave, was from or what they thought about being a tool or a slave. He just wanted to survive and go home, and he was willing and able to do almost anything to achieve that goal. The thoughts and opinions of others be damned.
After the first book/arc when Naofumi is a lot more open minded and not nearly as depressed, maybe that argument would stick. But as of now? No, I don't think so.
As for Shirou having no excuse for not telling Naofumi that he came from another world, simply because Naofumi also came from another world? I don't really follow that line of logic. It's not like that knowledge would have been in any way useful for Naofumi, nor would revealing that information serve a purpose for Shirou. In my opinion, Naofumi wouldn't act any different knowing that Shirou is from a world like his own. Even if it would be pretty easy to prove with a question and answer session, that knowledge would change nothing in the grand scheme of things.
Shirou will come clean with his otherworldly origins very soon as he has no real reason to hide it, but as I said, I'm also of the opinion he had no real reason to divulge it either.
Besides that, things will start to diverge… soonish. There will be an intermediate arc (with only a handful of chapters) after the closing of the first arc with this chapter. This intermediate arc will, again, only have fairly minor changes, but the arc after that will diverge from canon rather radically, with a few important characters from the canon storyline being introduced, even as the goal/direction of the main cast will take them out of Melromarc much earlier than in canon.
As a final note, I would also like to say this: I write mostly for my own enjoyment. I don't care if some people don't like my story or think that it's "safe" and/or "unrealistic". That's your opinion, and I do appreciate the honest criticism, but I'm just telling a story I like to tell, and everyone else is along for the ride because they want to. This is fanfiction after all.
Anyway, I just wanted that of my chest. On to the chapter.
Sword and Shield
Game On 8
The bell of the shop jangled merrily, announcing their entrance. The door slammed shut behind them a moment later.
"Welcome to Erha- Ah! Shield Boy! Kids! I see you made it through in one piece, huh?"
The Old Man grinned at them from behind the counter, his bald head gleaming in the early morning sunlight streaming in through the window.
"We did," Naofumi said, deadpan. Talk about saying the obvious…
"We decided to swing by and assure you that we are fine," Raphtalia said brightly.
"Also, we wanted to thank you for the weapons and armor," Shirou added, patting the pommel of his Magic Steel Sword. "These really helped out a bunch during the Wave."
"Of course they did. My wares never disappoint," the Old Man boasted, clearly in a good mood. Then he calmed down a little. "Anyway, what brings you back to Castle Town? I was under the impression that you guys would immediately set out again after the Wave. I can't imagine there would be a good reason to return here… unless you guys just missed my face and winning personality?"
"As if," Naofumi snorted, the barest hint of amusement on his features. "There's a banquet to be held at the castle tonight in order to celebrate the successful defeat of the Wave and the Heroes will get a cash reward for our contributions. After we've gotten that cash, we'll be splitting town again."
"So you came back for some money and not me? I'm hurt, Shield Boy," the Old Man teased, not at all bothered. "… Now that you guys are here might I ask you something? I have heard a lot of stories and rumours, but what are the Waves actually like?"
"Why do you want to know? Thinking of fighting in one of the future Waves?" Naofumi asked, raising an eyebrow. The Old Man was extremely well-built and his body, what little they could see, had more than a few scars. It wasn't a stretch to believe that the Old Man was an accomplished fighter.
"Maybe. The thought has crossed my mind," the Old Man said, shrugging, clearly not committing to anything.
Naofumi didn't seem to care either way. Shirou and Raphtalia traded glances, before shrugging and regaling the Old Man the tale of their battle and the Wave.
"Heroes!" the King boomed from the balcony overlooking the banquet hall, hefting a crystal glass filled with blood red wine in a celebratory toast. "I cannot contain my surprise at the sheer difference in the loss of life and damages compared to the first Wave! You did well, and the fruits of your journeys speak for themselves! Tonight, we feast! Eat! Drink! And make merry! For tomorrow you and your parties will set out again to gain more strength and fulfil your role as Heroes during the next Wave even better! Enjoy yourselves!"
Night had fallen and the banquet had finally begun. The hall the banquet was being held in was wide and exceptionally tall, the ceiling suspended many feet over their heads. Tables were placed throughout the hall, tastefully decorated with silken sheets and flowers, noblemen and noblewomen dressed in expensive looking suits and elaborate dresses spread out in the wide space. The Spear, Sword, and Bow Heroes and their parties were in the center of the celebrations, taking their fill of the exceptional food and talking with important dignitaries. Soldiers were placed throughout the room in strategic positions, but remained fairly inconspicuous and unobtrusive.
Naofumi and his party had found a semi-hidden alcove where they could enjoy the food and quiet. Whenever Naofumi was spotted, the nobles would whisper between themselves and give him dirty looks, causing Naofumi's temper to flare, so he wanted to be as far away from them as possible. He had no wish to socialize with these highborn gullible idiots, not like he could, or even really wanted to be here in the first place. The only reason he was here was for the cash reward. After he had gotten what he had come for, they would be splitting immediately. There was no reason to subject himself to more abuse than was necessary.
The treatment Shirou and Raphtalia received was little better. They were the only demi-humans in attendance, and the reason why was obvious. Racial epitaphs were thrown around whenever either of them came close to one of the nobles, their sharp ears allowing them to hear the whispered words. There clearly was no love lost between the upper crust of this country and demi-humans. If it weren't for the fact that they were in Naofumi's party, they wouldn't have been allowed to attend.
There was also the minor fact that the three of them were still wearing their combat gear, weapons included, as that was the only real clothes they had. Then again, the other Heroes and their party members were also wearing their combat gear, probably so that the Heroes and their parties looked appropriately heroic.
Still, neither of them allowed it to drag them down much, though Shirou had to continuously repress the need to step in and do something whenever he heard someone badmouth either Raphtalia or Naofumi. Instead, both of them just enjoyed the top-tier food that had been set aside for the guests and tried to engage the ever sour Naofumi in conversation.
They were making about as much headway as snail crawling over molasses, but they kept trying. They were stubborn like that.
"There's so much food here that I've never seen before," Raphtalia said, sighing in contentment. "I'm so curious about all of the delicacies here."
"It does look, and taste, good," Shirou concurred. "It's much different fare than I'm used to, though. I wonder if I could make it myself…"
"You know how to cook?" Raphtalia asked, blinking.
Shirou nodded. "I'm self-taught. Whatever my father managed to cook up always looked and tasted like a military ration," he said, grimacing. "And that was when he didn't somehow start a fire in the kitchen. I swear, that man could start a fire when trying to boil water."
Raphtalia huffed a laugh. "Sounds like quite the character."
"Oh, he definitely was," Shirou agreed. "It worked out for the best, though. I actually enjoy cooking and dad certainly liked not having to cook, so…"
"If both of you are so curious about all the food, why not try everything," Naofumi cut in, not looking up from his Status Menu. He had eaten a little, yes, but he still couldn't taste anything, so he only had a minimal amount of food.
Moreover he had found some interesting information in his Help Menu he had been looking through. Apparently, there was a mechanic in his Status Menu called Battle Formations that would allow him or any of the other Heroes to add extra troops to these Battle Formations that were not technically a part of his party, but would still be transported to the site of the Wave. And from what he could see, there was no upper limit of how many people a Hero could have transported alongside him.
It was a handy mechanic, but this did bring up the question why the other Heroes hadn't made use of it. Considering his situation, he couldn't have made use of it even if he wanted to, but the other Heroes certainly could. Having a couple hundred extra soldiers immediately on hand to fight the monsters and evacuate the villagers, instead of having them travel on foot to the Wave, would have made things much easier.
If a Wave happens to take place where the knights can't reach in a timely manner… Depending on where the Wave happens, it could be a blood bath… Hell, even if the Wave is stopped, if enough of the monsters escape they will still wreck thousands of lives… Not like I care, though.
Raphtalia blushed a little. "But if I eat too much, I'll…" she said, bringing Naofumi's attention back to her
"Considering how much we will be traveling, grinding and fighting in the future, I doubt it will be a problem," Naofumi said. "Eat up."
"Um, N-Naofumi-sama," Raphtalia said after a moment's pause, somehow looking even more flustered. "D-Do you prefer women with a bit more… meat on them? Do you mind if they are thin or not?"
Suddenly, Shirou looked very uncomfortable. Naofumi appeared nonplussed, blinking, apparently not comprehending why Raphtalia would ask him that.
"…I neither like nor dislike it," Naofumi finally said. "Getting a little fat on you now won't hurt you, either of you, in battle, so there's no problem as far as I am concerned."
"I-I told you, I'm not fat!" Raphtalia voice went a note higher in embarrassment. "I've merely grown up."
"However you put it, both of you are still growing children," Naofumi said. "Eat us much as you want. It will safe us some money."
Shirou sighed at his words, obviously just as annoyed as Raphtalia, though Naofumi couldn't fathom why. "That's right, I'd forgotten that's how you are, Naofumi-sama," Raphtalia said, seeming to be a little disappointed, even if she was smiling still. "Let's just enjoy our dinner."
Naofumi nodded, even though he wasn't really enjoying the food. There was no reason to antagonize either Raphtalia or Shirou.
After that, they fell into silence. Raphtalia and Shirou continued to enjoy their food and Naofumi was still looking through his Help Menu, checking to see if there was any other useful information. Alone as they were, all three of them briefly forgot where they were, simply enjoying the relative silence in the area they were sitting.
"NAOFUMI!"
Only for a piercing yell to rip said silence asunder.
They looked over to see the Spear Hero marching towards them, his face a rictus of fury. Myne, the bitch that had framed Naofumi, stalked in the man's shadow, a smirk on her face and a sadistic gleam in her eyes.
Naofumi's expression darkened and his rage spiked, but before he could get a word in edgewise and demand to know what Motoyasu wanted from him, the man began to lay into him.
"How dare you make use of slaves, Naofumi?! Have you no shame, no morals?!"
The feast had fallen silent. No chatter and no clinking of plates. All eyes turned to them. Than all the people started whispering.
"I've heard all about it! I know these two, Shirou and Raphtalia, are your slaves!" the Spear Hero continued to yell, reaching out and grabbing Raphtalia by the shoulder.
Raphtalia tore herself out of Motoyasu's grasp, stepping back and looking on wide eyed.
"Yes, these two demi-humans are my slaves," Naofumi said, as if he was talking about the weather. "What about it?"
"What about it?!" Motoyasu repeated, looking more and more incensed. "People don't belong to anyone else! It's barbaric!"
"Social norms are dictated by the time and the place," Naofumi rebuffed flatly. "In this country, the practice of slavery is legal. There is no law that prevents me from owning slaves."
"That's not the point! We're from another world, from another culture where slavery isn't allowed! It hasn't been for centuries! Moreover, we are Heroes! We're not supposed to stoop so low as to own slaves!" the Spear Hero continued to yell.
"That's your logic, not mine," Naofumi met Motoyasu's glare head on.
The Spear Hero was gritting his teeth, apparently out of arguments. "… Lets have a duel! If I when, you let these two go!"
Naofumi raised an eyebrow. "And what's in it for me? What do I stand to gain from accepting such a duel?"
"If you win, you'll get to keep your slaves," Motoyasu growled.
Naofumi snorted and turned back to his food, even if it didn't appeal to him in the slightest. Tasteless food was still better that Motoyasu. "I refuse. I have nothing to gain and everything to lose from such a duel."
"Why you…"
"Please, wait a moment!" Raphtalia suddenly cut in. "I'm-Ack!"
A group of knights seized Raphtalia from behind, pulling her arms behind her back and binding her limbs with rope. A gag was stuffed into her mouth.
"Raphtalia!" Naofumi turned back, wide eyed, his plate of food clattering to the floor.
Another group of knights jumped Shirou as well, and a scuffle erupted, but Naofumi was prevented from seeing what happened when the piece of trash King entered the scene.
"I heard all about it as well," the King walked up, wearing an expression of heavy disapproval. "To think that a Hero would dare to own slaves, but I guess we should have expected as much from the criminal Shi-
The sudden eruption of noise cut the King off. Cries of pain, metal denting and the sound of bodies falling to the floor of the banquet hall cut through everything else, and...
"Let go of her!" a shout followed.
Shirou darted towards his restrained party member. The knights sent to restrain him laid writhing on the ground.
"Stop him!" the knight holding Raphtalia shouted. "Don't le-
The knight's sentence would never be finished. In the moment of distraction, Raphtalia slammed the back of her head into the knight's helmet. The steel protection dented, doing little to slow the blow down. The knight collapsed silently and Raphtalia tore her restraints to pieces with brute strength, as if the ropes were made out of tissue paper.
The knights around her recoiled, clearly caught off guard.
Both Raphtalia and Shirou were Level 20, something that was visible to anyone looking at them with their Status Magic, but their Stats were considerably higher than a Level 20 had any right to be thanks to the Legendary Shield's Stat Growth adjustment ability. Much higher than your run of the mill knight. But there was no way anyone could have predicted that, and now they were paying for it.
Shirou dove into the knights close to Raphtalia, the pommel of his sword slamming into the pit of the stomach of the first knight he reached.
Raphtalia, incensed that they had tried to take her hostage, was less than gentle as she lashed out. Her backhand send a knight spinning to the ground even as her sword slid out of its sheath. She slashed twice, bashing the blunt end of the blade against two other knights who went down just as easily as the first.
Having created enough space, the two demi-humans quickly made some distance and returned to Naofumi's side, baring their blades at the shocked onlookers. The King, Myne and Motoyasu could not believe what had just happened.
Naofumi couldn't believe it either. He couldn't comprehend what was going on, why his slaves didn't leap at the chance that was being presented to them.
Raphtalia spat out the gag that had been stuffed into her mouth. "What the hell is wrong with you people!" she shouted. She wasn't just mad, she was enraged, a state Naofumi nor Shirou had ever seen before. "What makes you think you can manhandle someone like that without just cause!"
"Without just cause?" Motoyasu repeated incredulously. "You're that man's slave! We're just trying to help you!"
"Whoever said we wanted any help!" Shirou growled. "I hate being a slave, I hate being owned like a piece of meat! But Master had no other choice, and-"
"Don't listen to what the demi-humans are saying!" Myne yelled over Shirou. "Their Slave Crests are obviously controlling them! Making them say words they do not actually mean! Making them not act in their own best interest! It's just a trick from the criminal Shield Hero!"
Naofumi growled as another poisonous lie spilled past Myne's lips. To be fair, making slaves act and say things with instructions in advance through the use of a Slave Crest's settings was possible, but he had never even touched those settings. If he wanted his slaves to do something, he would have to verbally order them. It was another blatant lie.
"This damn lying bitch…" Naofumi hissed beneath his breath. "She won't stop."
Shirou's raccoon ears twitched as he picked up Naofumi's mutters, and his eyes narrowed. Was this the one that had accused the Shield Hero of rape? The one that had ruined him so thoroughly?
Behind him, Naofumi's glare towards the smirking Myne could have killed a weak willed person in an instant.
And of course, everyone would believe her lies again. Why would they believe otherwise? He was the criminal Shield Hero who used slaves. Hell, the bastards accosting him now, Myne included, probably truly believed that the falsehood she had just uttered was true. Even Naofumi himself did not believe that his slaves didn't desire to be free of him, to have their Slave Crests removed.
He just couldn't believe it, his mind just refused to believe otherwise. They must be suffering from Stockholm syndrome. Yeah, that was it. His slaves must have become twisted in the head because of their situation and his treatment. That was the only explanation he could think of.
Not that his slaves' actions mattered, because he didn't get long to ponder it. Dozens upon dozens of knights streamed into room, baring their blades at them, surrounding them and blocking all possible routs of escape. Motoyasu stood in front of them, barely keeping himself back from throwing caution to the wind and attacking the hated Shield Hero.
"I've heard enough," the King once again boomed. "The demi-humans words and actions can't be trusted, and slavery is abhorrent-"
"Even though you yourself allow it in your own country!" Naofumi snapped.
"Motoyasu, the Spear Hero, is truly a compassionate man for trying to help such unlucky souls," the King said, totally ignoring Naofumi's comment. "I will permit this duel under the stated terms. When the Spear Hero wins, we will remove the Slave Crests post-haste."
"I didn't agree to any of this!"
The King sighed, appearing mildly annoyed. "I'm this country's king! My word is law! If I say that you will accept this duel, you will accept!" the King glared at Naofumi, as if he was a particularly annoying insect, then gave a tiny smirk. "The terms are set. A one on one duel, to be driven in a corner or surrender. When you lose, your slaves will be set free."
"One on one?" Naofumi recoiled, Shirou and Raphtalia's tails puffing up in outrage. "What kind of bullshit is that?! I can't fight without them!"
"The duel will be held in the arena! Now, come! We shall-"
The King fell silent as two blades were levelled in his direction, the knights tensing at the blatant statement of intent. In that moment, both Shirou and Raphtalia looked more than murderous enough to actually try and attack the King.
"… Ren. Itsuki," the King said, narrowing his eyes at the demi-humans. "Might I ask a boon of you both?"
The Sword Hero and Bow Hero, having long since approached with their parties in tow, looked towards the King.
"What is it?" Ren, the Sword Hero, spoke up first.
"Would you and your parties please make sure that the demi-humans don't interfere?"
"… Yes, I will do that," Itsuki, the Bow Hero, said. Ren simply nodded.
Shirou looked toward the two Heroes, tightning his fingers on the hilt of his sword. Before he could voice his displeasure, a headache erupted behind his eyes as he laid eyes on the Legendary Sword. Just like had happened with the Legendary Spear, the information was there, but he could not make head or tails of it and it pained him to receive it.
Curiously, the Legendary Bow provoked no such reaction. In fact, he received nothing from it. No information and no headache.
Naofumi growled, fingers clenching so tight, the only reason blood wasn't leaking from his digits was because of the fact that he was the Shield Hero. "Fine," he spat. "I'll accept your farce of a duel, but don't think for a second that I will simply lie down and lose!"
"Master…"
"Naofumi-sama…"
Naofumi glowered at everyone in the room. "Step aside. I'm not getting out of this no matter what you both do. They won't let me."
Slave Crests flickering, Shirou and Raphtalia sheathed their swords. Their expressions could barely be described, and the closest that one could come was angry beyond all reason.
"Besides, I'm not going to make it easy for him," Naofumi glared at Motoyasu, who smugly grinned back. "I'm going to make him suffer every step of the way!"
Wrath roiled through Naofumi's veins as he waited in the in the arena's prep area, the only light in the room coming between the bars of the gate leading into the arena floor proper. His fingers curled and uncurled, gritting his teeth at yet another injustice he was being subjected to.
Why for fuck's sake had he come to this godforsaken banquet? Why hadn't he figured that his tormentors would use this opportunity to fuck with him again? In hindsight, it was blatantly obvious that this was going to happen. In spite of all the roadblocks he had been met with, he was finally making some progress, and, of course, the bastards to blame for his shitty circumstances couldn't have that. Now they had a golden opportunity to reduce him back to zero, and they weren't going to miss the chance to ruin him. So why had he come?
Naofumi knew why. He had let the promise of a cash reward blind him towards a fundamental fact of this world: everything and everyone in it existed to make him miserable.
This was hell, plain and simple, and Satan had made it his personal mission to ruin him.
There was no point to regret coming, though. It had been done, and here he was, about to head into a battle that would define the meaning of unfair. He could hear people badmouthing him through the walls, the words muffled to the point that he could barely hear them, but…
"The Shield Hero against the Spear Hero, what a joke."
"The Shield is probably just going to lay down and take it. I mean, he can't fight back."
"Not really exciting, the Shield versus the Spear Hero, but at least it will be a good comedy."
…His mind finished the sentences for him.
All of them hate me, they despise me, his mind blackened even more with hate filled thoughts as the bars to the arena floor were raised, opening up the path.
Naofumi took a step forward, followed by another, and another, and he eventually he emerged. The arena floor was simple hard packed dirt, a high wall surrounding it. Audience seats ringed the arena, raised high so that the view was unobstructed, nobles filling them and watching on. The piece of trash king had his own special area above it all, looking down him like he always did. A man sitting beside him wore religious looking clothing, like a priest, or maybe a pope. Naofumi felt his temper flare as the eyes of the man in priestly clothing settled on him.
He spotted his slaves in the audience, standing right at the front of the viewing area to his left. They were flanked by Ren, Itsuki, and their parties. There would be no aid from them.
Naofumi did not get long to take in the scene. Motoyasu approached him from the front, all smiles and waving to the crowd. The bastard didn't even look like he was taking it seriously, like his victory was assured.
He would wipe that self-satisfied smile off that gullible idiot's face if it was the last thing he did.
"Now, the duel between the Shield Hero and Spear Hero will commence!" the King stood up from his seat, booming the rules of the battle. "To be driven in a corner or surrender! Should the Shield Hero lose, his slaves will have their Slave Crests removed!"
Motoyasu smirked confidently at Naofumi. "Prepare to lose, you no good scum. Those slaves of yours will go free. After all, justice is on my side, and good always wins."
Naofumi did not respond to the cliché drivel that Motoyasu was spouting. He just shifted into a ready stance, shield raising and changing into the the shield with the highest base Defence Stat he had. His feet were planted firmly into the packed dirt. A glare that could have melted lead pierced out from the shadows of his bangs.
"Oh," Motoyasu mocked. "Scary."
That's right, keep talking, you bastard, Naofumi's brain was throbbing from the rage.
"You may now…" the King raised his hand.
Motoyasu's Legendary Spear changed shape, taking the form of a trident.
"…Begin!" the King's hand came down with a note of finality, as he if he was ordering an execution.
Motoyasu exploded forward. As the Spear Hero, his Speed Stat was the highest amongst all of the four Cardinal Heroes, and it showed. He had crossed half the distance with Naofumi in what appeared to be a single bound.
But that was not fast enough to stop Naofumi from raising his shield above his head and activating a Skill.
"Toxic Spikes!" the Shield Hero roared, and the Spear Hero paled.
A glob of purple, noxious looking poison manifested above the green jewel of the Legendary Shield. It shot skywards, and at the apex of its flight it detonated, a spattering rain of poison that liberally drenched the area around Naofumi. The packed dirt glowed purple. This Skill acted more like a curse than one would expect. Except for Naofumi and his party members, anyone who entered the range of effect would receive a hefty dose of poison, permeating through whatever armor or clothes said person was wearing, making the entire area around the Shield Hero dangerous ground.
Motoyasu knew this, but he could no longer pull back. He had rushed in too fast, and his momentum was too great to stop. Realizing this, he simply accelerated, figuring that if he couldn't avoid it, he would just have to enter the danger zone for the shortest amount of time as possible.
Naofumi saw this, saw the intent in the Spear Hero's eyes to continue with his less than well-advised and rushed attack, and smirked viciously. His hand dipped into his satchel.
Motoyasu entered the field of poison, and had to hold back a grimace as a brief shimmer of purple danced across his body, the poison permeating his body. He groaned as mild aches and pains began to assault his body. He had to finish his attack, retreat and quickly down an Antidote before the damage of the poison stacked too much, and-
A potion bottle filled with bright yellow powder came flying towards him, thrown directly towards him by Naofumi. Motoyasu saw it clearly, as if in slow motion as his eyes widened, and again, his rushed, ill thought out attack cost him. He was simply moving too fast in a straight line to dodge.
Bright yellow powder enveloped him as the potion bottle shattered on his breastplate. Static electricity danced up and down his body, the Paralysis locking up his muscles, and Motoyasu cried in alarm as he planted face-first into the dirt. He had been moving so fast that he skidded to a stop almost directly in front of Naofumi's feet.
Naofumi, instead of attacking immediately, jumped back, making distance again, even as one of his hands slid back into his satchel while the other disappeared under his cloak. Another potion bottle, this one filled with red powder, and two shadowed orbs emerged from their hiding places.
Motoyasu, in spite of the static electricity locking up his muscles, forced himself back onto his feet. It did him little to no good, as the Paralysis combined with the poison ensured that he would not be moving from his spot. The Spear Hero could do little else but widen his eyes and go pale as a corpse as another container of glass soared towards him. He made a valiant effort to dodge, but the potion bottle still shattered against his armored shoulder.
"Shield Prison!" Naofumi yelled, a series of overlapping shields closing around the Spear Hero like a prison.
Flames erupted from the gaps between the shields, the Shield Prison containing and focusing the fire inwards. Motoyasu's screams, though somewhat muffled by the shields, were still quite audible.
Naofumi's smirk was downright evil as he heard his hated enemy scream.
The Shield Prison remained in effect long enough for another two eruptions of flame to spew forth in between the gaps of the shields. And when the Shield Prison eventually dropped away…
Gasps echoed throughout the arena.
Motoyasu, in a word, looked terrible. Burns covered the flesh his armor did not cover, and who knew how bad the damage was underneath said armor. He had the pallor of a corpse due to the poison ravaging his system and he was gasping for breath as if he'd just run a marathon and not as if he had been fighting for less than three minutes.
Naofumi marvelled at how much a single mistake could cost you in battle. He really did.
That did not mean that the Spear Hero had given up, however. A potion bottle emerged from the jewel in his spear, something that made Naofumi's eyes widen, and the Spear Hero quickly downed it.
Unluckily for Motoyasu, Naofumi was not surprised enough to stop moving. His arm reared back and he yet again threw something, two round, shadowed objects, directly towards Motoyasu.
The blond spearman rose back to his feet just in time to be struck. The two Balloon monsters, having been hidden underneath Naofumi's cloak, bit down hard, one latching onto the Spear Hero's face and the other to his side. Another scream echoed throughout the arena, one born much more from rage and frustration than pain.
Motoyasu jumped back, using that speed of his to get out of danger instead of foolishly rushing in like he had done previously, getting away Naofumi and out of the poison area.
"You foul playing piece of trash!" Motoyasu roared as he tore the Balloon off his face, threw it on the ground and stomped on it viciously, popping it. A quick thrust with his elbow popped the other. "Will you do anything to win!"
"What's wrong, Motoyasu? Things not going like you expected them to?" Naofumi said mockingly, walking forward and quickly closing the distance again. "Didn't expect the weakest Hero to actually put up a fight, huh?"
Motoyasu growled wordlessly beneath his breath and didn't respond further. Another potion bottle emerged from his Legendary Spear that he quickly snagged up.
"Like I'd let you!" another Balloon emerged from underneath Naofumi's cloak.
What happened next surprised Naofumi. As the Balloon flew towards Motoyasu, fanged maw wide open, Naofumi figured that Motoyasu would dodge and give Naofumi enough time to close the distance and prevent the Spear Hero from downing the potion. Instead, Motoyasu didn't bother to dodge and chugged down the potion as quickly as he could.
The pallor of his skin immediately improved, the magical Antidote counteracting the poison. The Balloon flew true and closed its maw around Motoyasu's bicep, who simply grimaced at the pain and popped the Balloon with a quick whack of the hand.
Naofumi's eyes narrowed. The poison in Motoyasu's system had been removed, and considering the fact that his Burn hadn't activated again for some time, the first potion that the Spear Hero had drunk must have been a Burn Heal. Besides that, static electricity no longer danced up and down the Spear Hero's body, so that Status Condition must have worn off naturally. Not good.
Yet another potion emerged from Motoyasu's Legendary Spear. As all his Status Conditions had been taken care of, this must be a Healing Potion to heal his wounds.
"Oh, hell no!" Naofumi lunged towards Motoyasu. He had not stopped approaching, and now he was more than close enough to prevent that potion from being drunk personally.
Motoyasu seemed to have expected it, and instead of quickly trying to down the Healing Potion, he'd levelled his spear at Naofumi and intoned, "Chaos Thrust!" his Legendary Spear became light and seemed to move as fast as light, over a dozen thrusts of the polearm suddenly raining down on Naofumi in the blink of an eye.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The Spear Hero's eyes widened as several thrusts struck Naofumi, only to bounce of harmlessly, the no damage indicator resounding multiple times. He did not get the chance to ponder the implications of that, because by then Naofumi was on him.
Knowing that he couldn't harm Motoyasu directly, Naofumi didn't try to. Instead, he leaped and body checked the Spear Hero, knocking him over onto his back.
Spittle flew from Motoyasu's mouth, and he gasped for breath. The Healing potion shattered on the ground.
Naofumi smirked at his downed opponent. As the Shield Hero, he couldn't harm people directly, but there was no rule that prevented him from doing damage indirectly. Like, say, by dropping someone and letting gravity do the work. It was a workaround he had picked up while fighting monsters.
It didn't do a lot of damage, but it was something, and that's what counted.
Naofumi was already reaching for another concoction of his, but he didn't get the chance to use it.
Motoyasu rolled onto his side and literally flung himself away, digging his fingers into the ground for leverage. He rolled until his feet were under him again and sprung back onto his feet. It didn't look in any way heroic, but it got him away from Naofumi.
"Ready to give up yet?" Naofumi asked, a dangerous grin on his face.
"Never," Motoyasu growled between his pants for breath. "I'm not giving up until I have beaten you and I've set Raphtalia-chan free."
Naofumi had to hold back a roll of his eyes, both at the stereotypical line and the fact that Motoyasu hadn't even mentioned Shirou. It was just another confirmation of just why the Spear Hero had challenged him. Motoyasu obviously believed slavery to be abhorrent, but it was clear that this duel was just as much an opportunity to play the chivalrous hero for a girl.
Play the chivalrous hero for a child at that. And Motoyasu thought him a sick fuck? What a hypocrite.
Motoyasu, for his part, was more busy with trying to get air into his lungs. This fight wasn't going like he had envisioned it, at all. The Shielder was the weakest class by far, as it couldn't attack, and Naofumi himself had admitted that, unlike the other Heroes, he knew nothing of this world before being summoned. Unlike himself, Naofumi, did not know where to get the best Skills or how the level efficiently, something that was supported by the fact that Naofumi was only Level 18 while Motoyasu was Level 43. And yet, the Shield Hero had, so far, been kicking his ass in this duel.
That shouldn't be possible. All logic pointed towards an easy win for Motoyasu, but that was clearly not the case. His brain raced for an explanation, and he generated several in a moment's thought. He himself had been foolish for one, rushing in with no plan of attack other than to bash Naofumi's face in. For another, Naofumi clearly knew the limitations of his Class and had become devious to work around said limitations, using monsters and Status Conditions to do damage for him and impede his opponents. And lastly, the Shielder Class' Defence Stat was to, put it bluntly, fucking insane.
Motoyasu still couldn't quite believe how easy Naofumi had shrugged off his Chaos Thrust Skill. Each individual thrust was weaker than a normal attack from him, yes, but considering the sheer level disparity between them, that by all rights shouldn't have been a problem. A picture started to form in Motoyasu's mind of just how Naofumi had structured and developed his build.
It was plain and straightforward, yet brilliant in its simplicity. Make use of Status Conditions galore to wear your opponent down, while your insane Defence Stat that Naofumi had obviously taken pains to raise as high as humanly possible kept you safe. Than you would just have to outlast your opponent and claim victory through sheer attrition.
Motoyasu gritted his teeth at that realization. "No one!" he yelled, spinning his spear in front of him, creating a circle of energy. "Will accept such an outcome!"
After all, he had taken pains to acquire the most powerful Skills he could get this early game. It was high time he should use them.
Motoyasu thrust his spear through the energy circle, the energy collecting in a focused point, and he shouted, "Meteor Thrust!" A raging, coruscating sphere of energy lanced out. It shot over the packed dirt, disturbing the air with its passing, and closed the distance with Naofumi in the blink of an eye.
"Air Strike Shield!" Naofumi intoned quickly, the ethereal shield manifesting a few feet in front of him. But he did not stop there. "Shield Prison!" the second Skill activated less than a second later and he enclosed himself in the prison of overlapping shields.
The Meteor Thrust struck the Air Strike Shield with a deafening bang, a rush of air blasting out in all directions. Many of the people in the audience had to suddenly brace themselves in their seats and hold on to certain objects lest they be blown away.
It briefly looked like the Air Strike Shield might actually hold up to the attack, but then with the sound of metal being rent, the ethereal shield gave up the ghost. The Air Strike Shield scattered and dissipated, the Meteor Thrust blasting through. The coruscating sphere of energy crashed against the Shield Prison like a raging bull, another deafening bang echoing throughout the arena, air blasting out in all directions again as the sphere of unstable energy tried its best to ground the sphere of shields to dust and get at the target it had been sent to destroy.
Naofumi's eyes widened and swore at the sight of cracks spreading through his protective envelope, light beginning to flood in. The metal groaned ominously and the temperature began to rise. Acting quickly, he braced himself, raising his shield and hunkering down.
The Meteor Thrust breached the Shield Prison, and blinding light enveloped him.
Motoyasu watched, a surge of satisfaction suffusing him as his Skill defeated all of Naofumi's defences and reached its target, releasing an explosion that rocked the arena and threw dirt into the air. A screen of dust covered the former position of the Shield Hero. Still, Motoyasu didn't drop his guard, even if he saw no more movement. Naofumi had more than proven to be a credible threat in spite of his expectations, harming the Spear Hero more than he would have imagined.
Actually, now that he finally had the chance… a Healing Potion manifested from his spear. He snagged it up and raised it to his lips.
But before Motoyasu could drink the potion, half a dozen potion bottles filled with multiple colors of dust suddenly breached the screen of dirt and arched straight towards him.
"Shit!" Motoyasu cursed and darted to the side, multiple clouds of dust exploding in his wake, but thankfully missing him. He chugged down the Healing Potion as quickly as he could. It would not heal him completely, but it would at least allow him to fight at full capacity.
Naofumi exploded from the cloud of dirt, rushing for the Spear Hero. His armor had some scuffs, but other than that, the Shield Hero looked unharmed.
Motoyasu sighed in relief as the aches and pain suffusing his body lessened. Feeling refreshed, he turned on a dime and rushed to meet the Shield Hero's charge. Closing the distance, he thrust his spear as soon as he was within range.
Naofumi caught it with his shield, and a bare second before the two Legendary Weapons connected, the shape of the Legendary Shield changed.
Motoyasu's eyes widened as he came face to face with the Two Headed Black Dog Shield, the only shield in the Shield Hero's repertoire with an actual attack. To be precise, a counter-attack that went active the second the shield was struck.
And he had just hit it.
"Dog bite!" Naofumi announced triumphantly. The two dog heads sprouting from the Legendary Shield animated, their necks lengthening and their maws opening wide, revealing rows of sharp teeth and dark gullets.
Motoyasu bit back a scream as the dog heads sank their teeth into his arm, the counter-attack doing far more damage that he would have expected. He yanked his arm free and, taking advantage of their relative positions, he twirled his spear and slammed the shaft of it against Naofumi's side.
Clang!
Naofumi grunted, smirking at the ineffectual attack. He swung his shield at Motoyasu, trying to goad him into triggering its counter-attack again.
Not foolish enough to do so, Motoyasu jumped back. But…
"Air Strike Shield!"
An ethereal shield manifested directly behind him.
The Spear Hero's back smashed into it, unbalancing him in his surprise at the sudden appearance of the obstacle, and he fell flat on his face.
For a bare, solitary second, the Spear Hero was no longer darting around.
Naofumi didn't hesitate. He emptied his satchel of all the concoctions he had remaining and unceremoniously dumped them on the unmoving back of the Spear Hero.
Motoyasu's reaction was lost in the multi-colored dust cloud that enveloped him. It dissipated a moment later, showing him staggering to his feet, his skin already starting to go pale from one of the rare few poison bottles Naofumi had on him and had just dumped on Motoyasu.
"Not so tough now, are you?"
"Nao-," the Spear Hero started to yell, only to stop, literally freezing as static electricity sparked up and down his body. Than fire erupted from his skin, burning him, his scream of pain lost in the roar of the flames. Ice covered his feet and literally rooted the Spear Hero to the spot.
"Are you ready to give up yet?" Naofumi leered at the ailing Spear Hero.
Motoyasu didn't even get a chance to respond. Fire erupted around him again, the damage quickly started to stack up with the poison damage while the Paralysis and Frozen Status Conditions ensured that he wouldn't be moving.
"Honestly, now I'm starting to pity you," Naofumi said, his spiteful tone speaking to the contrary.
Yet another potion manifested from the Legendary Spear's jewel.
Naofumi snagged it and threw it aside. "Ah, ah, ah. That's no longer allowed. Now that I'm out of my concoctions, you can no longer use potions. It's only fair-"
"Watch out!" Raphtalia's voice snapped like a thunderclap.
A blast of air surged down the arena floor, heading directly for Naofumi.
Forewarned, the Shield Hero quickly jumped back, barely avoiding the blast of air, the Wind Fist spell, that had almost struck him and would have sent him flying. His head turned to look, and he caught sight of Myne in the crowd, quickly retracting her hand that she had used to aim her spell. She caught his eye and stuck her tongue out at him, pulling her eyelid down as insult to injury.
Naofumi barely had the time to ponder the explosion of anger that suddenly erupted in his veins. He felt magic settle upon him, and a gasp escaped him as several Debuffs stacked upon him, lowering his Stats across the board, but targeting mostly his Defence Stat.
The sudden sensation of his strength leaving him left him breathless, and he couldn't help but take a knee. He was suddenly woozy, even if his anger acted as a focus point for his mind.
Motoyasu, meanwhile, surged back to his feet, several Buffs being stacked upon him and raising his Stats across the board, even as several Healing spells restored him to full strength and Recovery spells took care of the Status Conditions that he'd been dogpiled with. Still, he hesitated to attack as he looked at the kneeling Shield Hero.
It was perfectly clear what had just happened, both to him and the people in the audience, if the whispering was any indication. He was highly familiar with deluge of Healing, Recovery, and Buff spells he had just received, as it was the main way his party aided him in battle. He could've written off Naofumi making distance when he had Motoyasu right where he wanted him as a mistake, but the way the Shield Hero had suddenly taken a knee reminded him of monsters who had just been hit with multiple Debuffs in quick succession.
There had been interference in the duel, and rather blatantly at that, but the King did not move to disqualify him and didn't rule Naofumi the winner.
"What the fuck!"
"You all just saw what happened! Why isn't anyone doing anything! The Spear Hero should be disqualified!"
Yes, he really should be, and he hesitated to attack, seriously considering to throw in the towel himself, but… It was clear that the people here wanted him to win, to defeat the criminal and set his slaves, who were even now being compelled by their Slaves Crests to speak words in the Shield Hero's defence, free. The people, and his party, were even willing to sully their own hands to make it happen.
Motoyasu eyes hardened and he spun his spear until the tip was pointed towards his enemy. He launched himself at Naofumi. How could he be able to justify himself to the people, to his party members, to the slaves, if he didn't answer in kind? If playing dirty was what it took to win, then so be it!
"You basta-" Naofumi forced himself back to his feet, deflecting his first thrust of the spear with his shield, but his weakened body with its lowered Stats wasn't anywhere near fast enough to deflect or dodge the second thrust.
Motoyasu grinned as the tip of his spear sank into Naofumi's arm, the Shield Hero's Defence Stat no longer high enough to render him immune to his normal attacks. "I've got you now!"
"Like hell you have!" Naofumi bit back the pain and kicked Motoyasu in the stomach with surprising strength.
It didn't harm Motoyasu, but he stumbled back, surprised that Naofumi still had so much strength, as he was labouring under multiple Debuffs and the fact that he was the Shield Hero.
Naofumi raised his Shield to the sky, and intoned, "Toxic Spi-"
Motoyasu had recognized what Naofumi had been doing, what Skill he was about to use, and he had acted quickly to head him off. "Air Strike Javelin!" he shouted, throwing his spear up high. At the apex of its arc, the Legendary Spear turned into pure energy that boomeranged towards Naofumi. At the exact moment it was heading straight for Naofumi, it turned back into a spear, aiming directly for the center of the Shield Hero's chest.
Not having the time to finish activating his Skill or cast another, Naofumi was forced to quickly bring his shield back down and brace himself as best he could.
It was not nearly enough.
The Air Strike Javelin struck his shield dead center with awesome force. Naofumi's feet slid back across the ground, his arms screaming from the effort to keep the Legendary Spear at bay. Slowly, but surely Naofumi was being pushed to the corner of the arena.
With a scream of effort and rage, Naofumi deflected the Legendary Spear to the side.
Motoyasu had followed in the Shield Hero's wake, rushing to get in close. As his attack was deflected, the Legendary Spear turned back into energy and returned to him, assembling back into its original form at the very second he got into striking distance.
Naofumi looked up, face pale and snarling so viciously at him that Motoyasu briefly thought he was looking at the face of a demon.
Motoyasu activated a Skill to end it. "Chaos Thr-"
"Motoyasu-sama! Watch out!"
The male demi-human slave, Shirou, slid in between Naofumi and Motoyasu, whose eyes went wide. He was in full motion with his Skill milliseconds away from triggering. Motoyasu did not have the time to wonder how the demi-human had managed to get here without being stopped by the other Heroes or their parties, nor did he have the time to cancel his Skill.
"-ust!" the Skill activated, the lightning fast thrusts spearing into the demi-human.
Blood splattered across the shocked Naofumi's face.
For a brief second, there was silence.
Then, there was a of flash, the light glinting off of the silvery surface of a blade swinging. The Spear Hero let out a surprised cry of pain and hunched over. A Magic Steel sword had slid smoothly into one of the few small gaps in his armor, punching through into the flesh underneath.
"Shirou!" Raphtalia shouted as she came running up.
Whispering had long since erupted from the audience, interrupted by a few gasps as Shirou, the demi-human slave, and the Motoyasu, the Spear Hero, struck each other and drew blood. There was, however, a difference in severity in the wounds received.
Motoyasu had a puncture wound, a good sized length of the blade stuck in the side of his gut.
Shirou, on the other hand, had multiple of such wounds on his body, one having glanced off his ribs, tearing away the skin and flesh and throwing blood over the Shield Hero. There was no weapon stuck into any of those wounds, but that just meant he was bleeding out, and quickly at that.
The Magic Steel sword slid out of the hunched over Spear Hero as Shirou collapsed, his strength failing him. Raphtalia caught him before he could hit the ground, darting forward to do so, lowering him slowly to the ground as to not aggravate his injuries.
Motoyasu placed a hand over his wound and couldn't help but take a knee. The wound was a fairly clean stab, but the damage was substantial. It was without a doubt the worst wound he had received since coming to this world, and the pain stunned him.
"Motoyasu-sama! Quick! Heal him!" Myne's voice was heard uncomfortably close.
"Hold on, Shirou, and don't close your eyes!" Raphtalia, wide eyed and tears brimming at the edges of said eyes, dug in her bag. "I still have that higher quality Healing Potion Naofumi-sama made for us here," she said, taking out a slightly differently shaped potion bottle than normal.
Raphtalia placed the Healing Potion against Shirou's lips, and tipped it back. A green glow surrounded the injured demi-human, the wounds painstakingly beginning to knit themselves closed. Raphtalia sighed in relieve as the bleeding slowed, then stopped. She had feared that even the high quality Healing Potion Naofumi had cooked up for them wouldn't be enough to heal the injuries Shirou had, but thankfully the Shield Hero's potion making abilities proved to be spectacular.
"Why?" a voice, shaking and disbelieving, asked from behind them. Naofumi's eyes were looked onto Shirou. "Why did you…? What would possess you too…?"
"I… just couldn't stand it… anymore…" Shirou said, whispering.
"What?"
"The way people… treat you… How they… look… at you… What they… say… behind your back…"
Naofumi didn't say a word. He just listened. Raphtalia simply stroked Shirou's hair, her eyes conveying her understanding. After all, she had been wrestling with the same feelings.
"I thought I was going to go mad… Constantly having to keep myself back… from saying anything… from doing anything… knowing that nothing I could do would help… knowing that I would just make things worse… And I-"
"NAOFUMI!"
All three started. They had almost forgotten that they were anything but alone in that moment.
"Using your slave as a living shield!" Motoyasu's face had twisted in, what he thought to be, righteous fury. His wound had already been healed, and now he towered over them all. "Compelling them through their Slave Crest to protect you with their own bodies?! Have you no shame?!"
"What?!" Naofumi's attention snapped back to the Spear Hero. "I did no such thing!"
"Like hell you did!" Motoyasu looked a second away from attacking again. "There is no way that slave just tried to protect a vile man like you of his own volition!"
Before violence could erupt, another person cut in.
"Court Mages, restrain them," Myne said. Before anyone could blink, unseen people in shadows cast their spells. A faint light settled on both Shirou and Raphtalia, the tell-tale sign of a Disabling spell that halted all movement. No matter how hard they tried they couldn't move. The two demi-humans couldn't even open their mouths and protest what was happening.
"Myne?" The Spear Hero questioned, though he did not take his eyes away from Naofumi, who had similarly been restrained.
"Don't worry, Motoyasu-sama," Myne flicked her flame red hair. "Most people here already know that I'm Malty S. Melromarc, the princess of this nation. Them seeing me order the Court Mages will not raise any eyebrows."
Naofumi's eyes widened, horrible realization washing over him. Myne was a princes? The one that had falsely accused him of rape was a princes?
The revelation whipped his anger into a seething torrent of rage. No wonder they had so easily taken Myne, or Malty, at her word.
The King stood up from his seat and boomed down from his balcony. "Due to outside interference, the Shield Hero is hereby disqualified! The Spear Hero is the winner! As decided the Slaves Crests will now be removed!"
There was a moment of silence. A faceless man wearing a robe stepped out from the shadows as Shirou and Raphtalia were unceremoniously hauled to their feet by a pair of knights. The Court Mage carried a pitcher of some kind of liquid as he approached the restrained demi-humans.
Naofumi watched, not doing anything, not even trying to do anything. His eyes were hollow, haunted like a corpse, and beneath it all rage bordering on malice festered and grew.
It is often said that, if you want to push someone past the point of reason, push them past what they can take and break them, you first have to show them heaven and then let them experience hell. In that moment, as Naofumi could do nothing but watch as everything was about to be torn away from again, it proved to be true for the despairing Shield Hero.
Because, in spite of himself, in that moment that Shirou had thrown himself in front of Motoyasu's attack to defend him, Naofumi had felt a brief flash of what could have been called hope.
A hope that someone in this world didn't hate him. A hope that someone would listen to his side of the story. A hope that he could trust his back to someone without fear of being betrayed. A small and fragile bit of hope that someone, anyone, believed in him.
Only to have that brief flash of hope gutter as he watched the Court Mage apply the liquid to Shirou's and Raphtalia's Slave Crests. To have that brief flash of hope shrink as the Slave Crests flickered, purple lightning sparking up and down the flowing lines, before the marks went silent, flacking away and disappearing like they'd never been there. And when they did, they took the burgeoning hope of the Shield Hero with them.
Because, in the end, even if Naofumi had been shown an unconditional kindness and a selfless act in his defence, he still couldn't bring himself to believe in another again.
A dark miasma seemed to settle over his mind. Every injustice that he had encountered since coming to this world flowed through his mind like a demented highlights reel. Every dirty look, every whispered word of scorn, every derisive sneer. The princes accusing him, pulling down her eyelid in mockery, gleefully taking part in the cheating during the duel. The King convicting him with no proof and going out of his way to ruin him. Motoyasu writing him off as evil. The other Heroes berating him for a crime he had never committed.
The blooming anger those scenes evoked in him fed on the embers of his dead hope, and swelled beyond his capability to take.
In the seat of his soul, something cracked. And from that crack, wrath spilled forth and threatened to devour him.
Requirement met: [Curse Series - Shield of Rage Unlocked]
Shirou felt the magic holding him in place lift, a mere second after the Slave Crest had been removed from his chest. Three weeks after coming to this world and being made a slave, bound to someone else against his will, he was free.
"Raphta-GUAOH!"
He immediately used said freedom to sock the Spear Hero, who had made a beeline for Raphtalia, in the mouth.
"You self-righteous piece of shit!" Shirou spat the words out like poison.
The Spear Hero looked up at him in disbelieve from where he had been knocked on his ass in a replay of their first encounter at the church. His mouth moved, but no word escaped him.
Shirou found himself sneering down at Motoyasu. Anger the like of which he had never experienced, that he had never thought he was capable of, surged through him like a tsunami. This man… he called himself a Hero, said he fought for justice, that he was the good guy… but all he did was try and force his idea of justice and his belief of his innate goodness on others. Not caring what others said, or what they believed, or how he was hurting them in the process. Never contemplating that he might be wrong, that he might be going of faulty information. No matter what, the Spear Hero believed himself to be the paragon in his own story. The thoughts and opinions of others be damned.
All of that in the service of ruining a single, unlucky soul. Shirou thought he was going to be sick, so angry he was.
He was furious, but weirdly grateful as well. At least, he now had a very good example how to not act as a Hero. He should never grow conceited enough to believe that he was always in the right and simply do as he pleased. It was a good reference point.
"Motoyasu-sama!" the redhead princes, Malty, cried as her Hero was knocked on his ass. The audience had once again broken out in uneasy whispers at the unexpected scene. She turned furious eyes towards Shirou and took a step forward. "You dare-!"
SLAP!
Malty took a step back, staring like a dear in the headlights, wide-eyed in her disbelieve of what had just happened. Her hand came up to her cheek where a bright red hand print now rested.
"Shut. Your. Mouth," Raphtalia hissed between clenched teeth. Her hand lowered from where she'd slapped the princes. Her tail behind her had puffed up in outrage.
Slowly, it seemed to dawn on Malty what had just occurred. She opened her mouth to shout, but…
SLAP!
Malty's head snapped to the side. Now, her other cheek bore an identical hand print.
"I said, shut your mouth!" Raphtalia shouted. "You've done more than enough!"
"Wh-what the hell is wrong with you two!" Motoyasu got back up on his feet, Legendary Spear held at his side, but not pointed to anyone. It was clear that things weren't going like he had expected, and now the Spear Hero wasn't certain what to do.
"What is wrong with us?!" Shirou repeated in disbelieve. "What the hell is wrong with you, with all of you?!"
Now Motoyasu was starting to get angry himself. "We're just trying to help!"
"And whoever said we wanted any help!" Raphtalia shrieked, her hand dropping to her sword. Shirou's hand had similarly closed around his sword.
Motoyasu tensed. An undercurrent of violence was emanating from the arena floor, from the pair of demi-humans facing him. Everyone could feel it, and the crowd, knights and Court Mages included, grew restless.
An uneasy stand-off ensued, and everything paused for just a moment.
Finally, something seemed to dawn on Motoyasu. "You… weren't being controlled?" he whispered.
"Finally figured it out, huh?" Shirou spat, having marginally calmed down. "We have only been saying that the entire time."
"We are fighting by Naofumi-sama's side by choice," Raphtalia confirmed, glaring at the Spear Hero. "He never forced us to do anything we couldn't do, and only used the Crest when I was so afraid that I couldn't bring myself to fight!"
Behind them, Naofumi stood frozen. The gem of his Legendary Shield had gone from its normal green to an angry red, the Shield of Rage seconds away from being released. The world around him had fallen into an unearthly dark gloom, throwing everything into shadows that made the world look as if everything in it was mocking him, laughing at him.
But Raphtalia's and Shirou's words pierced that dark gloom and stopped him. The precipice loomed, but he did not fall.
What are they doing? What are they saying?
"But the both of you are his slaves!" Motoyasu shouted, as if repeating his earlier words would make them see reason. "He is obviously abusing you and using you until you both are nothing more than wrecks! The moment either of you break, he will discard you!"
"For all his faults, for all his bad attitude, he at least can be called a proper Hero!" Shirou lost his cool at the Spear Hero's sanctimonious drivel. "You call him evil, scum, someone that needs to put in his place and punished. But who was it that defended the villagers during the Wave? Who was it that actually saved lives? Who was it that protected the people? You and the other Heroes just went on ahead to kill powerful monsters, not even sparing a glance for the people caught in the crossfire! Did they cross you mind even once, huh?! And you think you have the right to pass judgement on him?!"
"Naofumi-sama has been nothing but kind to me ever since he bought me!" Raphtalia refuted with a passion that was startling, getting emotional again. "He held me when I was too scared to sleep! He gave me proper meals to eat! He cured my illness! He gave me a reason to live, to fight! He has protected and kept me safe in every battle we've ever fought, and because of that I have never been hurt! Not once! Does that sound like someone who would just throw me away?!"
Motoyasu took a step back. Again, he could offer no words to refute hers, or his for that matter.
Shirou growled, fingers flexing around the hilt of his sword. "I will repeat what I said earlier: I hate being a slave, I hate being owned like a piece of meat," he spat. "But Master had no other choice. No one he could trust would party with him, and as he is the Shield Hero, he needed someone to cover attacking. He needed to grow strong enough to survive the Wave. To accomplish that, he needed the help of someone else, and because of someone's foul lies," Shirou threw a glare over the Spear Hero's shoulder at Malty. "He had no other choice but to buy slaves. To do anything else would be no different than asking him to die."
Behind them, Naofumi was trembling. He started backing up on shaking feet.
I don't believe it. I won't believe it. I can't believe it. I… I…
"Malty did not lie!" Motoyasu's shout echoed like a gunshot at the accusation. "He had his way with Malty the very night we were summoned to this world!"
Shirou reacted by making a sound he had never made before: a sarcastic, unamused laugh. "Oh, really? The princes of a nation accuses someone of rape, and that someone just so happens to be the person that the national religion of said nation, the Church of Three Heroes, literally describes to be the Devil… Tell me, do you truly believe such an obvious lie, or are you simply desperate to believe said lie in spite of all the signs pointing to the contrary?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Motoyasu's voice and expression showed his confusion.
"So you don't know," Raphtalia said, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter. We have been in Naofumi-sama's care for well over three weeks, and in all that time he has never tried to take advantage of me, not even once. If Naofumi-sama was the kind of man you described, he would have forced himself on me sooner or later, especially to a person who couldn't resist. Spear Hero, your arguments are hollow."
With that, the two demi-humans turned their backs on the Spear Hero. They started walking towards Naofumi, who looked at them with naked fear as they approached.
"Stay back!" Naofumi shouted, almost tripping over his own two feet in his attempt to get away.
I need to run. I can't trust them. I can't trust anyone. This world. Everyone it. All of it exist to deceive and hurt me!
"Master…" Shirou reached out.
Naofumi slapped his hand away, a panicked expression on his face. "I said, stay back!" he shouted, trying to make distance, only to trip and fall onto his backside.
Shirou watched grimly as the Shield Hero tried to scramble away. After the latest round of abuse and maltreatment Naofumi had been subjected to, he'd no clue how to reach the man now. Naofumi had already shut out other people almost completely before this, but now…
Raphtalia did not care for any of that. Much to Shirou's surprise, she simply crouched down, got close and slowly, lovingly wrapped her hands around Naofumi.
The man, in response, froze. Naofumi tried to pull himself out of her grip. Raphtalia simply tightened her hold.
"Can you only trust a slave who can't betray you?" she whispered. "I want you to lend me your ear, to believe my words… and trust me when I say that I, no, that we know you didn't do it. You're an innocent man who has suffered a betrayal, and was unfairly judged. But I'll refute the people judging, the people calling you a criminal, every single time! You didn't do it!"
Naofumi had stilled, but didn't say anything, but he did start when a hand landed on his shoulder.
"You didn't do it," Shirou repeated with a quiet, resolved certainty. "A man why took care of us like you did, who went out of his way to save innocents, who has not lashed out unfairly at others in spite of all that he has been through… You aren't a criminal, you are the innocent victim."
Naofumi started to choke up.
"If you can only trust a slave to stay at your side…" Raphtalia began.
"Then put the Slave Crest back on us, and let us help you," Shirou continued.
That did it. Tears started spilling freely over Naofumi's cheeks. His arm wrapped tight around Raphtalia, even as his other hand closed around Shirou's hand on his shoulder. He had accepted their words as genuine, and the moment he did, the darkness that had blackened and twisted the world seemed to lift from his perceptions.
"Huh, what?" Naofumi looked, truly looked, at Shirou and Raphtalia, and… "How, when did you…?"
"Demi-humans like us, Naofumi-sama, aren't like humans. We grow as we Level," Shirou explained. He had sat down beside Naofumi, and rested his shoulder against Naofumi's own. "We grew up some time ago. You simply weren't in any state to notice."
Naofumi tightened his hold on them. That's right, he hadn't noticed, just like he had not noticed their words. He had allowed his anger and his despair to overwhelm him, and he had numbed himself to the world to cope. It allowed him to function, but he cut himself off so totally that he had not noticed them grow up, had not noticed their constant support, hadn't noticed their kind words.
The words I wanted to hear were always right there.
Several minutes passed while they remained huddled together. Unnoticed by the three, the Spear Hero behind them was having an argument with the other Heroes, and the nobles in attendance had started to leave. They had not gotten the show they had been promised, and they left grumbling, even as Naofumi allowed himself to cry, ignoring all that was going on around him as he enjoyed the sudden warmth he felt and simply let go.
For the first time in weeks, Naofumi felt truly alive again.
Before the feast was over and after Naofumi had dried his tears, they had retired to some room that hadn't been used in a while. Probably a servant's room, one that was desperately in need of cleaning if the layer of dust covering everything was any indication.
He ignored that, and looked toward Shirou and Raphtalia. They had a lot to discuss, and he wanted to set a few things straight. But before he could…
"Here, Naofumi-sama."
Raphtalia, it seemed, had stolen some sandwiches from the feast and wrapped them up in some kind of fabric. She offered one to him now.
"I noticed you weren't eating much during the feast, so I took a few things to eat later."
Naofumi wasn't really hungry, but he was loath to reject any kind of kindness from either of his former slaves. He gratefully accepted the offering.
"Thanks," he said, raising the sandwich to his lips. He could not taste anything, but it was the thought that counted. His eyes flew wide when he took a bite and chewed. "It's good!" he exclaimed, chewing faster, his sense of taste having somehow returned. Naofumi did not question it he just took the chance to enjoy food for the first time in weeks.
Was he imagining things? He took another bite and was rewarded with another rush of flavor.
"What is it?" Shirou questioned.
"It… I… I can taste it."
Shirou and Raphtalia raised an eyebrow at him.
"Ever since they framed me, I haven't been able to taste anything," Naofumi explained, wondering why he could taste things now.
"Hmm, I've heard somewhere before that, if you are depressed enough, you can lose your sense of taste," Shirou mussed, then shook his head. "I was wondering why you never seemed to enjoy food."
"Especially because Naofumi-sama always make such delicious food," Raphtalia agreed, smiling. She turned towards the Shield Hero. "Let's enjoy all kinds of delicious food together from now on, Naofumi-sama!"
Again, even if he continued to eat, tears started to well in Naofumi's eyes. Someone, two someones in fact, believed in him. That fact alone made him feel lighter, and made his sense of taste return. Who knew that being trusted and believed in could make a person feel so much better. He certainly hadn't.
"What should we do tomorrow? Should we grind out some Levels? Or go out and make money?" Raphtalia questioned.
"We also have to see if my armor can be fixed," Shirou said, fingering one of the holes Motoyasu's Chaos Thrust Skill had made in it. "I hope it won't be too expensive."
"We can take a look at that once we have gotten that cash reward," Naofumi said, having beaten back his tears and finished his sandwich.
They would have to set out, again, and grow stronger for the next Wave. But this time, he would do it with people he knew he could trust. While he didn't care for this vile world, the fact that there are people who believed in him in spite of everything made him want to stay positive, for them if nothing else, and actually move forward for a change instead of just trying to stay alive.
It was a whole new world, full of dreams and adventures, like an anime or a game. But it was a horrible place as well. But Naofumi… he still wanted to try. He wanted to try for himself and for Shirou and Raphtalia, for those that believed in him.
But to do that, they would first have to discuss a few things.
"Right," Naofumi nodded, as if deciding something. "You two won't be getting Slave Crests again."
"Huh?/What?" two confused replies greeted his sudden assertion.
"I trust you two," Naofumi said it as a matter of fact. "Why would I place a Slave Crest curse back on you after everything you both have done for me?"
There was a moment of silence.
"I… would have thought of it more like a sign of our trust in you," Shirou said hesitantly.
Raphtalia made a sound of agreement.
Naofumi knew why Shirou hesitated saying that, even if the Shield Hero know with an iron certainty that Shirou would follow through on his words of reapplying the Slave Crest. As would Raphtalia, and that thought provoked a feeling of what Naofumi could only describe as a parental love for them both.
But…
I hate being a slave, I hate being owned like a piece of meat.
If those words hadn't been uttered, Naofumi would have had no issue on reapplying the Slave Crest to either of his former slaves. It would have been a symbolic gesture and a visible mark of their trust in him. He would never again have used the Slave Crest's power anyway.
But with Shirou's words and feelings out in the open, he decided against it. Both Shirou and Raphtalia had more than earned his trust. Now it was up to him to live up to it.
"You two aren't my slaves anymore," Naofumi said. "In spite of all the bad things I did, in spite of me pushing you and making you both fight, you two still decided to believe in me. I'd… much rather have you both as my companions, instead of being my slaves."
Shirou and Raphtalia shared a glance, then turned their attention back to Naofumi.
"I… do like the sound of that better," Shirou admitted.
"So long as I can stay by your side, Naofumi-sama, I'll be happy," Raphtalia said, beaming.
Naofumi chuckled, another rush of warmth almost making him feel giddy. He held out his hand to his former slaves, and they took it without hesitation.
"To a new beginning," Naofumi said.
Suddenly, with no warning, the Legendary Shield changed shape. Naofumi gasped as several pop-ups appeared in his field of vision.
Requirement met: [Companion Shield Unlocked – Base Defense: 5 – Equip Bonus: Companion Stat Growth Up (small)]
[Companion Stat Growth up (small) – Provides small bonus to Stat gain with each level up (unmastered)]
Requirement met: [Companion Shield II Unlocked – Base Defense: 5 – Equip Bonus: Companion Stat Growth Up (small)]
[Companion Stat Growth up (small) – Provides small bonus to Stat gain with each level up (unmastered)]
Requirement met: [Companion Shield III Unlocked – Base Defense: 5 – Equip Bonus: Companion Stat Growth Up (medium)]
[Companion Stat Growth up (medium) – Provides medium bonus to Stat gain with each level up (unmastered)]
Requirement met: [Companion Shield IV Unlocked – Base Defense: 5 – Equip Bonus: Companion Stat Growth Up (large)]
[Companion Stat Growth up (large) – Provides large bonus to Stat gain with each level up (unmastered)]
Naofumi blinked rapidly as he processed the pop-ups and the accompanying information. He laughed beneath his breath. "Well, if anything, we are off to a good start," he commented and relayed the effects of the Companion Series of shields he had just unlocked to Shirou and Raphtalia.
"Um, I also want to say something," Shirou said. Naofumi and Raphtalia turned their attention to him. He took a deep breath and steeled himself. "I haven't been entirely honest with you both. I have not lied about anything I said, but I did hide some things about me."
"I thought that would be a given," Naofumi said, waving away his words. "It's not like I asked anything of your past before. Neither have I asked Raphtalia. Considering you were my slave, it's only natural you wouldn't start volunteering your life story to me."
Shirou shifted on his feet. "Honestly, Naofumi," he said, dropping the Master moniker. "When I first found out you were summoned from another world, I kind of wanted to mention this straight away, but I didn't know how you would take it and didn't think it would do anyone any good. So I didn't say anything, but now that we've come to this point, I don't want to keep any secrets."
Naofumi and Raphtalia were now giving him their full and undivided attention.
Shirou smiled tiredly. "Let me reintroduce myself, I'm Emiya Shirou," he said, causing Naofumi's eyes to widen. "And I have no idea how or why I arrived in this world…"
