Armory of the Forgotten Hero

by Masked Spider

The legend goes that there are four cardinal heroes. But fact and fable are often twisted in the land of Melromarc, while others are left out completely. One such fact is that there is actually another hero, the Armory hero, who doesn't wield a primary weapon. But the world will soon remember as Darius Saxon is called to remind the people that there aren't four heroes, but five.

28. Preparing for the Future

Preparing for the Future

Hello everyone and welcome to the season finale of Armory of the Forgotten Hero, hopefully FFN will send out a notification this time, anyway: curioustomjerry: I ran out of room so I couldn't fit the guard captain's punishment in, but I did make a quick mention that Motoyasu now has slaves in one of the last chapters. They are his former party members who now have to be completely truthful with him. Gadget Boy: I've taken a couple of your suggestions into consideration and I'm sure everyone will be happy to hear this, Rishia's eviction from Itsuki's party will play out very differently. How different, well let's read and find out!

Off the Coast of Cal Mira: With the Fleet

Figneria cut through another pair of fish monsters before leaping over the railing where the captain's wheel was located and stabbed both daggers into the head of a fishman. "Work on moving the wounded below deck or to the higher sections of the ship," she ordered to the soldiers who weren't currently occupied fighting monsters, "we need to stem the tide here and insure no monsters reach the other heroes!" A resounding 'yes mam' answered her orders as the soldiers continued to battle on against the creatures of the wave. 'From the looks of it, the Queen has already realized the situation,' surmised the mercenary woman as she cut down another few monsters before glancing towards the defeated boss whale, 'the wave hasn't ended despite the death of that creature, which must mean those adventurers are likely responsible for it continuing. At this point, the best any of us can do is stave off any monsters headed in that direction, and hope our heroes can prevail.'

And the battle on the whale's corpse had only intensified thanks to Glass's arrival as the fan wielding woman was currently trading blows with the Armory and Shield heroes. Darius was being driven back at the moment as he deflected blow after blow with Raisetsu Arashi, feeling more than a little glad he upped the ax's durability. After one particularly brutal blow, the Armory Hero nearly lost his balance, leaving him open for Glass to lunge straight at him. But Naofumi, proving reliable as always, moved in front of the attack with his Soul Eater's shield snapping at the woman in the blue kimono.

For some reason, Glass actually retreated from the sight of it. 'That's weird,' thought Darius as he drove her further back by firing several spears from his portals, 'she didn't move away like that even in the face of the curse series.' He wasn't given much more time to ponder about it, however, as Therese tossed a glowing yellow gem in their direction. "Bejeweled compressor bomb!" she called as the gem exploded like a high powered grenade.

"Meteor shield!" Called Naofumi as his siderite shield appeared and formed a blue barrier around all of them just as the blast occurred.

"Wonderful, she's got jewel bombs too," remarked Darius until he noticed Glass was preparing to use Zero Stance Rondo. But Therese was also summoning forth power from her gems, this time in the form of ice. Realizing it was a dual attack, the Armory Hero summoned his own replica siderite shield. "Crap, Meteor Shield!" A second, smaller blue barrier formed around the two parties in response.

"And Shield Prison!" Called Naofumi, adding yet another layer of protection against the coming attack.

"Bejeweled Blizzard!" Called Therese as a miniature snowstorm appeared and swirled around Glass's fans.

"Combo skill," she said, "Reverse Hail Seasons!" A collection of not only yellow energy blades but fast moving hail rained down on the triple layered defense, managing to break through the first meteor barrier, then the second before impacting against the collection of ethereal green shields. But the final line of defense held as the attack ended and Naofumi let the defense skill down. Both he and Darius's breathing was a bit labored though.

"Are you alright Master Naofumi, Darius?" Asked Raphtalia, voicing the question of both parties.

"Just flippin' peachy," said the Shield Hero between breaths as he switched back to viper shield.

"I might have a slight chill, but otherwise I'm still standing," answered Darius.

"Now this is surprising," said Glass, "even that combo skill wasn't enough to bring you down. I suppose you both really have gotten better. Everything I learned in our last battle is relatively useless now."

"Guess all that leveling up at Cal Mira actually paid off," said Rifana with a smirk, "lucky us."

"And that's not all," said Darius as he switched to his replica legendary bow, "We've got some new tricks, Illusory Arrow!" Several copies of the Armory Hero suddenly appeared to surround Glass's group as Kizuna, L'Arc and Therese looked around in confusion. "Fire!" yelled the numerous illusions as they all let loose white energy arrows. Glass, Kizuna and L'Arc were quick to deflect both the illusions and the real arrows with their weapons while Therese summoned a circle of blue flame from her hand to hold off the barrage.

"You weren't kidding when you said you'd picked up some skills from that replica weapon's memories," said Naofumi as he watched the display.

"Yeah but it won't last long," said the real Darius who was still standing with the group, alternating targets with each arrow fired to sow even more confusion. "We need to split them up somehow, or at least figure out a way where they can't support each other. Our numbers are about the only advantage we have at the moment."

"Maybe not the only advantage," said Naofumi, "I want to test something, but in order to do that, I'll have to fight Glass alone."

"But that's crazy!" exclaimed Raphtalia, "The only option you'd have would be, you aren't planning on using that shield are you?"

"The reason I'm suggesting this plan is so I won't have to resort to that shield," replied Naofumi reassuringly. Raphtalia and Filo thought about it for a moment before nodding in understanding.

"If that's the case, then I'll square off with L'Arc," said Darius as the last of his illusions were destroyed by enemy counterattacks, "Rifana, you and Raphtalia keep Kizuna away from Johann and Filo so they can focus on Therese."

"But I can help you against him!" Pleaded Rifana, "If you take him on alone you-."

"Might have to resort to those bands, yes," admitted the Armory Hero, "but aside from Glass he's the strongest one here and he's least familiar with all of my abilities. Plus, Raphtalia will need your help to keep Kizuna back. Trust me, it'll be bad if she reaches these two." Rifana still looked unsure as she glanced at the two mounts, but eventually she nodded in understanding and readied her mace.

"Alright then," said Naofumi, "Let's go!" He and Darius immediately headed for the side of the whale and as the Shield Hero summoned an airstrike shield over the water to use as a platform.

"You won't escape so easily," said Glass as she and L'Arc moved to intercept them.

"Now High Quick!" said the Armory Hero as he suddenly changed back to his ax and charged the scythe wielder. The man was clearly surprised by his speed as he just managed to block his initial strike before being pushed back by a barrage of high speed blows.

"No you don't," said Kizuna as she charged toward Darius, only to be intercepted by Raphtalia and Rifana while Johann and Filo launched their own attacks at Therese, who just managed to defend herself from a jet of flame with her own wall of fire.

"You'll be dealing with us," said Raphtalia as she and Rifana drove Kizuna back.

"So don't try slipping away," added the weasel girl as she used a powerful downward swing which forced Kizuna to retreat back towards Therese. Meanwhile, the Armory Hero managed to unleash his powerful combo swing, lightning blizzard, against L'Arc.

"Air Scythe Suite First Stance: Wind Blade!" declared the scythe wielder as he protected himself from the attack with a powerful tornado. Some of the lightning and cold still managed to get through, fortunately, as L'Arc was slightly unsteady on his feet once his defensive twister cleared up. 'Shit,' thought Darius, 'I wasn't fast enough to catch him off guard. Now I have to wait at least a minute on the ax to cool down before using the attack again.'

"Not bad," said L'Arc as he resumed his stance, "I was bored out of my mind fighting those monsters on Cal Mira. But fighting you guys, is way more fun!" The scythe wielder charged again as Darius attempted to slow him down by firing a few swords and spears from his portals. But L'Arc either deflected or dodged them as he quickly closed the gap and swung. The cardinal hero ducked the first strike and blocked the second before countering with a few swings of his own, which his opponent managed to parry before spinning around with a swing under his guard.

Darius was just fast enough to avoid an actual hit from the blade, but it still tore into his armor a bit. 'Wonderful,' he thought as he struck back with another couple of hits, 'protective equipment of any kind is practically useless against a guy who can reverse defense.' And L'Arc clearly knew it as he actually aimed his strikes at the more protected parts of Darius's body.

The Armory Hero decided to change tactics as he switched to twin curved blades and went more on offense, managing to drive back his opponent slightly with the renewed ferocity of his blows. But L'Arc adjusted quickly, ducking and attempting a sweep kick which would've taken him out if he hadn't backed up. The consequence, however, was the breaking of his rush which gave the scythe wielder an opening to strike back with a few skillful swings of his, one of which managed to graze Darius's arm. But it also left him open to a spinning back kick in the stomach, causing him to stumble back before just managing to duck the weapons fired from a portal on either side of him.

"Harpoon chain," called Darius as four portals in diamond formation appeared in front of him and launched the spear-tipped chains. But L'Arc was quick to react as he swung his scythe, creating a blast of wind which deflected all of the incoming projectiles. "Arrow Storm," he called out the skill just as his current one ended, opening yet another portal above his adversary's head which rained arrows down on his position.

"Not quite," said the scythe wielder as he spun his weapon over his head, again deflecting all of the incoming projectiles. What he didn't realize immediately was the skill was meant as a distraction, allowing the Armory Hero to use yet another weapon, the whirlwind Warhammer, which he sent spinning at the currently pinned hero. "Crap, first stance wind blade!" Like before, a second scythe appeared to block the hammer before a swirling wind surrounded L'Arc, deflecting both the hammer and the remaining arrows.

'Even my best weapons aren't getting through that blasted skill,' thought Darius as he caught his returning hammer. "Ya know," said L'Arc as the tornado dissipated and he held his weapon at the ready with his same smile on his face, "I heard you're capable of not only copying weapons but fighting styles as well. Why don't we test what you said about being a fairly quick learner?"

"Since you're insisting," replied the Armory Hero as he produced his mask and a replica of L'Arc's scythe, "Though you mind explaining to me why this thing is called a vassal weapon?"

"Well I don't remember all the details myself," admitted L'Arc as he held his weapon higher, "but the main difference between the vassal and cardinal weapons is the vassal weapons choose which wielder they're passed down too. Couldn't tell you what this scythe saw in me, but I will carry out the duty it's given me, so let's keep at it!" Darius didn't need to be told twice as he and L'Arc charged each other, clashing in a display of sparks as they both twirled their weapons about. While the Armory Hero hadn't seen a lot of the scythe wielder's moves, he made up for it by adding in both staff and halberd techniques, allowing him to at least hold his own as long as he was on the attack.

But the moment L'Arc got an opening, he would be on the attack and start pushing Darius back using new moves whenever he could to catch the cardinal hero off guard, including a feint where he pulled back his strike at the last second before twisting and knocking Darius in the side of the head with the back end of his weapon. The Armory Hero attempted a counter swing, but L'Arc managed to avoid it and strike back with a horizontal swing that Darius just managed to block. The scythe wielder pressed his advantage with a combination of upward vertical swings to knock aside his opponent's guard. Darius responded by stepping back to avoid his next swing, only to be hit by a yellow blade of energy from the weapon that sent him rolling backwards a few feet before landing in a half-kneeling position.

'Shit,' thought the Armory Hero as he noticed a shallow cut in his stomach, 'Naofumi mentioned he could do something like that.' The sound of his opponent leaping into the air signaled him to another incoming attack. Thinking quickly, Darius managed to switch to his replica legendary spear and block the oncoming downward strike. "State of Emptiness!" he called as the weapon glowed white and sent the scythe wielder flying back.

"Nice, an attack reflecting skill! You've certainly got spirit," admitted L'Arc, still smiling despite the situation, "It's obvious you still lack some experience but being able to switch up weapons on the fly like that almost makes up for it."

"Well you can only learn so much by copying," replied Darius, "though I'm personally starting to wonder about your conviction."

"Oh and how's that," questioned L'Arc, "I thought I made it pretty clear what my mission is here."

"Your mission yes," said Darius, "but given that Glass has shown up, it means you're running out of time. In fact, I already got the countdown happening on my HUD. So the question becomes, why have you been jacking around up to this point and why did you put out the fires on the ships that you started in the first place?"

"I happen to enjoy a good fight is all," replied L'Arc, "thought that was obvious at this point. As for the ships, they aren't part of our objective so we tried not to harm them."

"Seems a moot point," Darius said, highlighting one major issue, "you're killing them all in the end one way or the other. That's kind of the result of dooming an entire world. Or, are you helping out in this world to assuage your own guilty consciences?"

"It's not like that and you know it," said L'Arc as an actual frown crossed his face, "Our homes, our families, our people are all waiting for us to stop the waves. And the only hope for us to do that is to end the heroes of another world. It's a bad situation, but aren't you willing to do the same if it means you can protect this world?" Strangely, Darius actually started to chuckle a bit as his mask disappeared to reveal his still relatively neutral face. "What's so funny?"

"It's just the fact that you're a pretty good judge of character from what I hear," said Darius, "but in this case I'm afraid you've got me pegged wrong. When it comes to this world, I really wouldn't shed many tears if a good portion of it up and burned."

"What," said L'Arc, "that can't be right. You're fighting way too hard for someone claiming to not care, why else would you be one of this world's heroes if not to protect it?"

"I don't know how it is for a vassal wielder," said Darius, "but for a cardinal hero, we were called to this world against our will and made to risk our lives protecting a land that isn't our own. And I don't know about your world, but in the four or so months I've been here Naofumi and I have had to deal with racists, corrupt and/or sicko nobles who love to abuse their power, a trash king and his bitch princess daughter who made it their personal mission to screw over the Shield Hero and his friends, an actual religious cult that intentionally omitted me and denounced Naofumi all before making numerous attempts to kill us, and three wannabe heroes whose heads are so far up their asses that one even managed to fuck up an entire country. It's only been very recently that things have been changing for the better and a fair bit of it is because we helped to fix it. Does that really sound like the kind of world you'd want to risk your life for?"

"Then what is it that you're fighting for?" Questioned L'Arc with a raised eyebrow, "there has to be something?"

"Just a few precious gems really," Darius answered simply, "a few sparkling lights I've found among all the grime and darkness of this world. If I could take them all out of here to a better place I would. But since I can't I'll have to settle for protecting their home even if it does suck to a large degree. Because to me, their presence in this world is what makes it worth saving, worth fighting for, worth giving my life for and even worth risking my very soul for!" The bands of Greed and Sloth appeared then, covering his hands with the signature clawed gloves as his now antlered mask reformed over his head. "So let's see who's really got the conviction to save their world, Meteor Thrust!"

L'Arc got over his initial shock just in time to deflect the attack with his weapon, but not without sliding back a fair bit. He was pushed even further back as his opponent seemed to suddenly appear, moving with the added speed of high quick as he took swing after swing at him with a replica legendary sword. 'What's going on,' thought L'Arc, 'why has some of my strength disappeared?' At one point, his opponent managed to get in under L'Arc's guard and cut his leg, but couldn't prevent him from jumping away as the effect of High Quick wore off. "Bastard," said L'Arc as he moved in with a counter, "Sky Bound Wheel Swing!" A miniature tornado raced from his weapon towards the curse series user, who quickly switched back to his replica vassal scythe.

"Air Scythe First Stance: Wind Blade!" Declared the Armory Hero as he generated his own tornado to block the attack. L'Arc took the opening and rushed in just as the two skills dissipated to find, nothing? A sudden movement alerted him as the Armory Hero appeared out of thin air, thanks to his replicated ability 'hide sword', swinging his replica legendary blade. The other world hero just managed to block the strike but not the powerful follow up kick that sent him rolling back.

"Now block this, Phoenix Blade!" A large white bird of flame emerged from the sword and raced towards L'Arc, who realized he'd been backed up to the edge next to the water.

"You'll have to do better than that," said L'Arc as he again resorted to his First Stance Wind Blade. The flames were deflected around the attack as the scythe wielder looked around for his opponent, only to realize he was right above him with a replica legendary spear. And with the flames around him and the water behind him, he had nowhere to go.

"Tornado defenses are often weakest at the top, so take this! JUDGEMENT!" Called the Armory Hero as he unleashed a blast of white light that obliterated the section he was aiming for.

"Is there really nothing we can do," the Queen said aloud as she witnessed a pair of powerful blasts going off, one from the whale and another from the ship Naofumi had leapt too.

"The monsters have been handled over at my ship," said Figneria as she climbed aboard the Queen's vessel, "how are the heroes faring?"

"They appear to be holding their own, maybe even winning," explained Mirelia Q. Melromarc, "but I fear what might happen if they continue to wield the curse series."

"If there is a boat available, I should be able to provide-hmm?" Both the mercenary woman and the Queen looked down to see Rishia floating on one of the cohol barrels.

"Can someone help me out of here, I fell out of the boat because of my party members," said Rishia.

"Wait a moment, that can work," said the Queen as a look of relief crossed her face. Back over at Naofumi's battleground, the situation was turning in his favor, but.

"You're still standing after that," said the Shield Hero with his wrath shield out. He'd managed to hold her off with the Soul Eater Shield up to this point after figuring out that her life was drained by it instead of just SP. That was until she took a soul soothing potion which, for some reason, gave her a massive boost. Raphtalia intervened after that, giving him the chance to strike back with Dark Gas Burning, a powerful twister of green fire. But even standing among the flaming wreckage, the vassal fan wielder refused to go down.

"I cannot give up yet," said Glass as she crossed her fans, "I am fighting for-huh?" L'Arc suddenly came flying through the air and landed right next to her, groaning painfully. He'd clearly taken a beating judging by the cuts and several burns along his body. Darius arrived just after that, landing next to Naofumi with Raisetsu Arashi now equipped.

"No, you've had to resort to that power too," said Rapthalia as she observed the Armory Hero's Curse Series state.

"I didn't have many other options," replied Darius in his currently altered voice, "but time is running out now, so how do we want to end this?"

"This will end with both of your deaths!" declared Glass as she gathered energy to her fans.

"No Glassy," exclaimed L'Arc as he struggled to his feet, "that move's too risky!"

"Guess we have no choice," said Naofumi as he summoned his largest Wrath Shield while also conjuring his dragonic armor. Darius responded by opening a large portal above their opponents with powerful gold weapons protruding from them.

"But Fitoria said those powers come at a cost, if you keep using them!" Raphtalia tried to say.

"I'm just an outsider in all of this," said Naofumi, "once the waves are gone, Darius and I will probably go back to our own worlds. The only thing I have to fight for is you, Filo, Melty and our friends which is more than enough reason to use this shield. I know Darius would say the same." The Armory Hero simply nodded as he summoned even more weapons from the portal while Glass continued to charge her energy before crossing the jewels of her fans. The power of all three heroes surged as Raphtalia's pleas for them to stop went unheard.

"Golden Rein, Blutopfer-," the two heroes started to say before the Queen's voice suddenly cut in.

"Sir Heroes!" Called the Queen from her ship, "Use these instead!" Both cardinal heroes directed their attention to a boat that was carrying both Rishia and Figneria, filled to the brim with barrels.

"As source of thy power I order thee," said Rishia with her hands held out, "decipher the laws of nature and unleash a gust of wind. Zweit Wind Blast!" The barrels glowed green as a magic seal appeared over them. A sudden wind then proceeded to hurl them in the air where they burst open.

"Perfect, Meteor Shield!" Called Naofumi as he formed a blue barrier to protect them from the raining red liquid. It was surprisingly effective as Glass's entire attack was interrupted.

"Aren't those cohol barrels," noted Raphtalia as they watched Glass collapse to her knees, apparently drunk.

"W-what did you do," the fan wielder almost slurred as she tried to shakily get to her feet.

"They coholed us," said a now drunk L'Arc, "gosh we are gonna have such a bad hangover when we get back."

"Then I take it that means you've had enough," said Naofumi as he and Darius stepped forward.

"No, I will kill you both," Glass almost hiccupped as she collapsed back to her knees.

"Well since we only have a minute, perhaps you could-," Darius started to say before Raphtalia called out a warning. Kizuna suddenly appeared out of thin air as she aimed a strike at Naofumi's head. Darius quickly intercepted the strike with his arm, noting that it didn't really cut into his flesh. The fishing girl used the opportunity to leap back and stand between them and her allies as Therese also scrambled onboard the ship.

"Dammit," Kizuna swore as she glanced at her blade for a moment.

"It is extraordinarily curious," said the Armory Hero, "tell me: why are you so sure that you need to kill us when your own cardinal hero can't actually harm people?"

"So you know then," said Therese with a sigh as Kizuna refused to meet his eye. Darius responded by stowing his ax and summoning a replica of Kizuna's blade.

"Part of my analysis for creating a replica includes the weapon's limitations," replied the Armory Hero as he held the blade up, "this is not a vassal weapon but a cardinal weapon designed specifically for slaying monsters. At best it could hurt people but not kill them."

Kizuna sighed as she lowered her blade, "I had hoped that the so-called ominous power you used might make a difference, and if not I'd at the very least be able to fight off your mounts. But it seems even now you're both still human."

"But we can still wi-," Glass tried to say before collapsing a little. Kizuna moved to help her up as Therese pulled L'Arc to his feet.

"I'm sorry Glass but we've lost this time," said Kizuna, "I know you'll yell at us later, but at least you'll be alive to do it."

"Make no mistake, however," said Therese as the group began glowing yellow, "we will meet again."

"Wait a minute," said Naofumi, "you have to tell me why-."

"See you around kiddos," called L'Arc as the four person group floated into the sky and disappeared. As soon as they left, the sky returned to normal as the wave disappeared.

"I guess that means we managed to win this one," said Darius as he and Naofumi dispersed their curse series. Immediately upon doing so, the Armory Hero collapsed to one knee.

"Darius," said Rifana as she arrived with Johann and Filo before leaping down to examine his wounds.

"I'll be alright," replied the Armory Hero as he took the offered healing potion and drank it, "I just got knocked around a bit fighting L'Arc. The real pain's gonna be the slower recovery from the curse series."

"But it appears the rest of you are alright," said Figneria as she climbed aboard with a groaning Rishia on her shoulder. The two of them had unfortunately been in the splash zone for the cohol barrels.

"It might've been worse if you two hadn't shown up," Darius pointed out, "that move Naofumi was about to use. Well, my analysis says the kickback was gonna hurt, so thanks a lot Rishia, Figneria."

"Sure thing," groaned the green-haired girl, "but I really hate wine."

Cal Mira Main Island: Later that Day

"Are you sure you should be walking around right now," asked Rifana as the two groups walked through the marketplace. "You said your mana recovery still wasn't quite complete yet."

"Yeah but all my wounds have basically closed up thanks to chugging enhanced health potions," replied Darius who was currently out of his armor with a few visible bandages. The party had decided after the battle that they should take a break from leveling up and actually enjoy the vacation, hence why the rest of them were also currently not wearing armor over their attire. "So long as I don't get into any fights I should be fine. Besides, I thought it'd be best to give you two your gifts in person."

"Gifts?" Repeated the weasel girl as her ears twitched questioningly.

"Just before we went to the beach I had a special order made," explained the cardinal hero as he stopped at a stall and had a quick word with the owner. After about a minute, the man returned with a small yellow stone and a black choker which also contained a yellow stone. "This one is a more refined stone than the one you have at the moment," explained Darius as he handed it to Rifana, "It'll boost your magic a bit and provide some protection against fire which, after today's fight, looks like something we'll need."

"How much was this?" Questioned Rifana as she examined the stone, noting it was fairly good quality.

"Don't worry about it," said Darius, "making sure you're safe is worth way more. Which is also why I got this for you Figneria." He handed the woman the choker. "It's designed to grant a fair bit of poison and blight resistance. I'd been meaning to get one ever since you said you were coming along."

"Thank you," said Figneria, seeming almost surprised at receiving a gift.

"Hey Boss what about me, I fight in this party too ya know," said the dragon boy grumpily.

"Relax," said Darius as he pulled out a necklace with multiple monster teeth and a blue triangle-shaped stone. "I was gonna give this to you during our next flight, but I suppose now's a good time too with the way you handled yourself during the wave. The stone on this thing comes from flying monsters that hang around in storms and provides wind protection. It'll help out a lot if and when we fly through some bad weather."

"Cool," said the dragon boy as he accepted the necklace and put it on. The group proceeded to catch up with Naofumi's party after that as they finally got to engage in some actual fishing along one of the rocky shores.

"Any reason you couldn't have just rented a pole like the rest of us," questioned Naofumi as he noted Darius was using a replica of Kizuna's pole to fish.

"It's a better pole at a cheaper price," the Armory Hero pointed out, "you telling me you wouldn't use a fishing shield if you had one?"

"I suppose that's a good point," admitted Naofumi as Raphtalia managed to pull yet another fish from the water.

"And besides, just having a better pole doesn't appear to be making a lot of difference," noted Darius as Rifana also caught another fish.

"Well we kind of have an advantage here," said Rifana as she pulled the fish off her hook.

"It comes from growing up in a fishing village," said Raphtalia as she pointed at some dark clouds in the distance, "One of the things we learned was how to fish, another was how to identify rough weather and seas. Clouds like those, for example, will be a bit too dangerous to safely sail through."

"Not that we need to sail to get back to Melromarc," Darius pointed out, "which reminds me, we still need to find Rishia to-gah." He gripped his stomach as a slight pain lanced through him.

"That can wait until tomorrow I believe," said Figneria, "It looks like you still need to heal a bit longer." The Armory Hero merely sighed as they packed up and headed back.

Resort Inn: That Night

'The time will come when the heroes have to choose what they're fighting for.' Fitoria's words rang in Darius's head as he looked out from the balcony of his room. 'Is this what you meant about choosing, that we'd have to decide the fate of two worlds?' It truly was a bad situation no matter how one looked at it. On the one hand if they lost then this world would fall, but even if they won another would be lost in the process.

If it really came down to it Darius knew he'd do what he had to do to protect the ones he'd come to love, but he wondered if Naofumi would be capable of doing the same. Not only that, there was still the mystery of why Kizuna could only kill monsters if the supposed goal was taking out another world's heroes. He was so lost in thought he almost didn't notice the other presence in the room until she was wrapping her arms around him. "You seem awfully troubled for one who should be trying to relax," said Figneria, who Darius noted was wearing a very revealing, translucent night gown and the choker he'd gotten her, "what's on your mind?"

"At the moment," replied the cardinal hero, "I'm wondering what brings you here? I thought you had business with the Queen, which is why you agreed to escort Filo and Johann for their sleepover with Melty."

"My business was merely a quick discussion on the possibility of my continued aid to Melromarc," explained Figneria, "the Queen was more than happy to agree, so it was a very brief discussion. Well that and my agreement to take half of the Sword Hero's reward. It appears she wants to give them a little more incentive by rewarding those who contributed more. I had hoped to catch you in the springs but you'd gotten out before I could arrive."

"And why, pray tell," said Darius as he placed a hand on her curvaceous rear, causing her to gasp slightly, "Would you want to catch me there?"

"Why merely to reward you for doing what you said you would," replied Figneria as put a hand on his cheek, "you came back to us."

"Funny, that's what I was about to do," said Rifana, who'd managed to enter the room without them noticing. She was only wearing a robe as she'd just gotten out of the bath.

"Yeah there is the slight problem of-," Darius started to say before Rifana cut him off.

"It's not a problem," said the weasel girl with a sigh, "I just hoped to have a little alone time first. But you may as well join in since you're here, after all." Rifana proceeded to undo her robe before letting it drop to the floor as a smirk crossed her face, "this bed isn't going to break itself in." Needless to say, the waves were the last thing on Darius's mind for the rest of the night.

Approaching the Bow Hero's Quarters: That Morning

Johann was unusually quiet this morning. Or to be more precise, he seemed oddly fascinated by the rest of his party members as he continually sniffed them whenever he got the chance. "You know we all took bath's yesterday right?" Rifana pointed out, "So why do you keep sniffing us?"

"It's just," Johann tried to think of what to say, "You guys smell like you did the morning of the third wave. Have you been mating again?" Darius and Rifana did a double take at this question.

"What, mating, do you even know what that means?" Said the Armory Hero with a dismissive, and forced, laugh.

"Sure I do," said Johann, "Fitoria got pretty descriptive about it when I asked her why she had such a big problem with dragons. It was while you and Rifana were dancing so I guess you didn't notice, but anyway she listed all kinds of reasons including our nasty mating habits. Obviously I wanted to know what she meant by dragons in heat so then she explained mating to me."

"I wish she'd just stuck with the crown as the only gift," said Rifana with a sigh, "we put so much effort into not telling you until you were older."

"I don't see why," said Johann, "I would've known what it was immediately when my instincts started to kick in and even if I didn't it was obvious you three were up to something besides 'getting to know each other better.'"

"Depending on who you ask that's exactly what we were doing," said Figneria, "after all, there's much to be learned about someone through intimate contact."

"But we thought it best to not scar a child's mind with what actually goes on," explained Darius, "Or in your case give you ideas."

"You know I've killed people before right," said Johann with his hands behind his head, "I doubt there's anything about being intimate that's grosser than tearing a guy's head off."

"True, but I think we're still gonna hold off on telling you about one of the main differences between a guy and a gi-BOOOOOM!" Darius stopped speaking as the door to Itsuki's room was suddenly blasted off of its hinges and thrown into the opposite wall. The group got over their shock quickly as they rushed to the entrance with their weapons drawn and peered into the smoke-filled room to see, Mald and a couple of other party members slightly embedded in the wall. Itsuki himself and his other remaining party member had managed to take cover behind a now charred bed as they looked on in slight fear at their attacker, Rishia.

"So this is what you call justice then," said the trembling girl with tears flowing from her eyes as the flames of the fire spell she cast died down around her hands, "a party member gets accused of something and you don't even bother with a proper investigation."

"But Rishia," said Itsuki, "the evidence here clearly shows-."

"WHAT EVIDENCE!" Rishia actually yelled, "Just the word of all your party members? Even if I was responsible why should it matter if I broke an accessory?! With the crown's funding you can buy a dozen more!"

"It's not just about the accessory," said Itsuki, "The waves are getting more dangerous and it'd be irresponsible of me to let someone come along whose clumsy enough too-."

"Don't try to play the hero now!" Demanded Rishia with an accusing finger, "It's obvious by this point it's just an act, all of it has been an act! And what's worse is I fell for it. I actually believed you when you explained your ideals of justice to me, about bringing down the strong and protecting the weak. It sounded like something a real hero would say. But ever since I joined this party I've been nothing more than your errand girl who happens to have the occasional convenient magic spell to cast."

"I thought for so long that if I just proved myself you'd all truly accept me as a member of the party. It wasn't even my idea to use those barrels it was the Queen's, all I did was play the role I was given to help stop the wave. But now that I actually contributed something your true colors have come out: you're all nothing more than a bunch of pitiful glory hogs who only care about the spotlight!"

"But that's not true Rishia," said Itsuki, "We really do-."

"NO!" Rishia shot back as a small ball of fire scorched the spot right next to Itsuki, "I might've believed all your lies before but it's plain to me now why my country was so bad off after you left. You're not in it for the justice, only the self-satisfaction. You only hung around long enough to feel like a hero and then left once there was actual work to be done. Then you got angry when an imitator stepped in and did a better job than you, but from where I'm standing the only one imitating a hero right now is you!"

Itsuki was, surprisingly, at a loss for words at the moment. He clearly hadn't expected the normally quiet girl to go off like this. After a short pause, Rishia recomposed herself but still spoke with a surprisingly authoritative tone. "If you want to kick me out now, that's fine. I'm done with all of this, done with you, done putting up with your glory-hogging party members and done trying to see you as any kind of hero. So I'm taking my furry suit, my half of 'your' reward that the Queen offered me and I'm leaving. You should still have more than enough to buy another one of those tacky accessories that you seem to think is worth more than a party member."

She proceeded to do just that as she picked up said squirrel suit and one of two large sacks of silver coins before walking out the door, but not before stopping to get one last jab in. "And one more thing: don't ever come into my home again unless you want the rotten fruit treatment." She marched out the door then, stopping only once she noticed the presence of Darius and his party. "Oh, Sir Armory Hero. You, uh, didn't see all of that just now did you?"

"What, you mean the glorious sight of a bunch of assholes getting knocked down a peg?" said Rifana with a smile, "Nope, not a single bit."

"And even if we did we wouldn't tell if you're actually worried about it," added Darius.

"I see," said Rishia before perking up a bit, "Oh, where are my manners, did you all need something from the Bow?" 'She can't even stand to add hero to his title now,' thought Figneria, 'what has that party been doing up to this point?'

"Actually we came looking for you," explained Darius, "I'm not sure if Figneria ever got around to telling you but your father was wanting you to head back home. Apparently they've got a coronation planned now that the wave has passed."

"What, already!" exclaimed Rishia, "I mean I guess nearly a month has passed but I didn't expect the people to pick a new ruler so quickly."

"Well we did kind of limit their options a little after driving out, arresting or executing all the corrupt nobles," Darius said as he rubbed the back of his head, "I just hope the new guy is competent."

"I'm sure he will be," said Rishia, "but, uh, before we go." The green-haired girl fidgeted uncomfortably for a bit, "could I maybe, join yours or the Shield Hero's party? I still want to help fight the waves somehow." The group exchanged glances for a moment before most of them shrugged.

"I don't see an issue," said Rifana, "you've helped us out a surprising amount without even being in our party up to this point."

"Given my position as envoy I will be traveling a lot more," said Figneria, "I wouldn't mind the company and your parents wouldn't worry too much so long as they know you're with me or one of the heroes."

"You also weigh practically nothing, so I might not even notice the extra rider," said Johann before getting bonked on the head by Rifana, causing him to grumble out the next sentence. "Geez, why are girls so touchy about the weight thing?"

"Looks like we're in agreement," said Darius, "why don't you come along with us and say hi to Naofumi's group for a bit. I need to work out a couple of last minute details before we teleport out of here."

"Okay!" said Rishia happily as she followed along with the group. Needless to say there were a few noise complaints from the Inn's resident's shortly after that.

On Board the Queen's Ship:

"Words cannot express my gratitude for your help once again Sir Heroes," said the Queen as she spoke with Darius and Naofumi. Both of their parties were standing off to the side for a moment, preoccupied with either their own conversations, the sights of the sea and some were waving good bye to the islanders.

"We couldn't have done any of this alone," Naofumi pointed out, "we owe a lot to our friends and their help. I'd also like to thank you for all of your help, your majesty."

"I believe you're giving me a little too much credit," replied the Queen with a smile.

"Wasn't it you that came up with the plan to use the cohol barrels against Glass though," Darius pointed out, "and I don't even wanna think what kind of position we'd have been in without your ships."

"Yeah but even with all of that we still had a hard fight," said Naofumi, "and I'm not so sure we'll be as lucky next time, especially considering how little the other three heroes actually contributed in this fight."

"I quite agree," said the Queen, "It might be best that you try talking to them again at some point. Sooner would be better than later."

"I just hope getting their asses kicked was a wakeup call," sighed Darius, "or it'll just be another headache to deal with."

"That reminds me," said the Queen, "have either of you given any thought to what sort of reward you want? I still owe you for bringing down the Pope and your work here at Cal Mira only adds to that. If I don't present either of you with something soon I might never be able to repay you."

"Well since you're asking," said Naofumi, "we need to be gathering as many weapons and people as we can. I think I got an idea." The Shield Hero laid out his plan to the Queen and Darius for what he had in mind and by the end of it, the both of them could only smile.

"I suppose it's no surprise you'd request something selfless like this," admitted Mirelia Q. Melromarc, "I'll have my people get started on it right away." She turned to leave then as Darius moved to do the same.

"And that's my cue to get going then," said Darius, "If I'm right, we won't be short on weapons any time soon. Oh, and before I go I'd like to say sorry Naofumi."

"Sorry for what?" Questioned the Shield Hero, "I don't recall you doing anything wrong recently."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about L'Arc and Therese earlier," explained the Armory Hero, "I should've warned you up front about their weapons being strange, even if that was all I had to go on. You just looked like you were actually making a friend or two and I didn't wanna ruin your chances of having a buddy for once. Instead I probably just made your trust issues worse with this whole fiasco."

"Oh that," said Naofumi, "yeah I've turned that over in my head a few times and to be honest, I'm not as upset about it as I thought I'd be. Sure, L'Arc throws me off and I'm not sure if I'll actually be able to bring myself to do what has to be done if it goes that far. But I'm a lot less worried about it because I know you're here."

"I'm not sure I catch your meaning," said Darius, "I'm flattered, but still not sure what you're getting at."

"You've been looking out for me ever since we met," explained the Shield Hero, "After I was betrayed and falsely accused, doing my best to scrape by and only able to trust Raphtalia because she had a slave crest, you were the first one to believe I was innocent. I know you had a heads up and spotted the lie because you were looking for it, but even then you knowingly took a huge risk siding with an outcast who was viewed as a criminal. You've helped me fight the waves, start a living as a merchant, clean up the messes of the other heroes, stuck by me when the whole kingdom thought we kidnapped Melty, derailed more than one of Bitch and Trash's plans for me, saved my life a couple of times and put up with my attitude on top of all of it."

"You weren't that bad," said Darius, "rude and insensitive to a fair degree, yes, but you're getting better."

"And part of the reason I'm getting better and even laughing again is also because of you," said Naofumi, "Rifana was right when she said I was taking you a little for granted, so if anyone should be apologizing it should be me. I know you didn't intend any harm by deciding not to warn me about L'Arc and Therese, you were just trying to get me to overcome some of my own issues. In the end, you pulled through and did what you knew you needed to do like always. So I guess what I'm trying to say here is, thanks a lot, buddy."

Darius looked at Naofumi's outstretched hand for a moment before shaking it. He then proceeded to pull the Shield Hero into the classic bro hug. "Ah come here buddy! I didn't know you thought so highly of me, so don't you worry! The next time we face them, you just leave L'Arc and his off-putting personality to me."

"Okay, hug getting a little awkward now," grunted the Shield Hero before Darius released him and started walking towards his party.

"Good talk Naofumi and I appreciate having you as a friend too!" Said Darius, "Now then, I have a crowning that needs attending so good bye for the moment."

"Just try not to do anything crazy during the coronation," called Naofumi, "your track record with kings hasn't been great so far."

"I think you mean our track record," the Armory Hero corrected him, "but don't worry, I hear the new guy is relatively likable and if not, well, he owes me for his spot anyway. You guys just try to stay out of trouble and we'll see you all again in a day or two!" Naofumi and his party simply smiled and waved as Darius's party, plus Rishia, gathered together and teleported away to their next destination.

Capital of Koteraan: Coronation Day in the Throne Room

It had been a while since Darius and his party had last set foot in the royal castle of Koteraan, and that had been after a battle and rather memorable celebration. Now that all the signs of battle had been removed and the repairs had gotten underway, it actually felt like the seat of royalty once again. All of the gathered people outside cheered as the soon to be crowned monarchs approached the main hall and proceeded up the stairs, passing underneath the still hanging head of the deceased Leshen of the dark swamp. The Armory Hero and his party had been asked to stand on the right side of the throne to await the coming royals while the new royal advisor, a kindly man with a trimmed white beard wearing a purple cardinal's robe and a type of turban hat, stood on the left with a pair of bishops who held the crown jewels.

"So who do you think it is," whispered Rifana, "Ivyred may have invited us but he didn't really tell us anything other than that?"

"Apparently it's supposed to be a surprise," replied the Armory Hero, "Only Figneria knows and she doesn't want to tell." Said woman merely smiled knowingly as the doors to the throne room opened to admit, the Ivyreds?

"Whaaaaat, Mama, Papa?!" exclaimed a very confused Rishia as the rest of the party looked on in surprise. The gathered nobles applauded as Lord and Lady Ivyred approached and bowed in front of the throne before the royal adviser bade them to sit in the royal stations. Like Melromarc, the King sat in the left throne while the Queen sat in the right throne. The Royal Advisor then turned to address the gathered nobles and townsfolk.

"My dear people of Koteraan!" He said, "Today is a momentous occasion for us all. You were asked who should lead us and now the ones you chose sit upon the thrones. Tell me, do you still wish them to rule?!" His question was met with a thunderous cheer as the people answered with a unanimous 'Ai!' "And so the people have spoken, so it shall be! Bring forth the crown jewels!"

The bishops did as ordered, handing a pair of scepters to the Ivyreds while the king's crown was handed to the royal advisor. "Lord Ivyred," he said, "do you swear upon your title and your life that you shall uphold the laws, carry out the duties of the crown and protect this country and its people?"

"I so swear," replied Ivyred as he bowed his head.

"Then by the power vested in me by the people of Koteraan," said the advisor as he placed the head piece upon Ivyred's brow, "I now crown you, Lord Ivyred, King of Koteraan!" A momentous cheer filled the throne room as the advisor moved to the other throne. "And do you, Lady Ivyred, swear upon your title and your life that you shall uphold the laws, carry out the duties of the crown and protect this country and its people?"

"I so swear," she replied as she too lowered her head to accept the royal symbol.

"Then by the power vested in me by the people of Koteraan," said the royal advisor as he placed the symbol of authority upon her head, "I now crown you, Lady Ivyred, Queen and ruler of Koteraan!" The people cheered just as loudly for her as they did for the king. "My fellow people, I present to you now, Queen and King Ivyred, your new rulers of Koteraan!" If the applause hadn't been loud before they certainly were now as the gathered nobles and townspeople cheered for their new rulers, seeing in them a future of truth, justice and prosperity.

"I truly do thank you all," said the now King Ivyred, "In truth, this is not a position I wanted for either of us. But, it is the will of the people who wish for us to take the throne and thus it is our duty to insure their faith in us is not misplaced. So instead of honoring only us, I wish to honor another who, with the assistance of his party, gave us the opportunity to make our country prosper again." A quick signal from the King alerted the bishop's to approach Darius's party and kneel, presenting him with a box which they opened to reveal a leathery, swampy replica of his current white scarf cape.

"It is only thanks to you, Figneria, and the rest of your party that we are all here today," said the King, "You returned not only our daughter to us, but our country to the people. So as a symbol of our thanks, we wish to give you this cape: fashioned from what little remained of the Leshen you slew. It will protect you from even the worst blight, rains and many forms of poison."

"Oh, you didn't have to do all that," said Darius as he picked up the scarf cape to examine, "what you gave me from the weapon's vault was more than enough."

"It was all we could give at the time," said King Ivyred, "but it's difficult to express just how many of us you likely saved just by slaying that monster."

"But now that we're close to being a proper country again," said Lady Ivyred, "It's only right that we give the proper honor to our saviors. Therefore, with the restoration of the historical archives, we shall immortalize you, Sir Armory Hero, Lady Figneria and all of your comrades in our history. As our first royal decree, the capital of Koteraan shall be renamed Armorus. What say the people to this decree?!"

A thunderous cheer met her words as not a single voice of descent was heard, save for the Armory Hero himself. "Whaaaaaat!" exclaimed Darius, "I mean that's great but you really don't have to do that. I just helped out, the whole thing wasn't even our idea."

"It's pointless to try stopping them," said Figneria, "as far as they're concerned, naming the capital after the Armory Hero is the least they can do."

"Well I guess it's better than Saxion, or flat out calling it Darius," admitted the cardinal hero as he sent his current scarf cape to his inventory and tried on the Leshen scarf cape, "I just hope they remember to include how much each of you contributed because I sure as heck didn't liberate this place on my own."

"Well I'm stoked for it," said a grinning Johann, "now the history books are gonna know about the beginning of the legendary dragon emperor!"

"I just hope they don't make us sit around for hours to do illustrations," said Rifana, "keeping an awkward battle pose gets annoying after a while."

"Well on the upside, it appears our little magic caster is a princess now," remarked Darius as he rubbed Rishia's head.

"Oh no that's right!" realized the green-haired girl as she began looking around frantically, "but what am I supposed to do? I don't know anything about being a princess and now I might have royal duties I'm supposed to attend too so I might be late for something and I'm definitely not dressed like a princess, what am I going to do?!"

"The first step would be to calm down little one," said Figneria as she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "the only part of your royal duties you need to worry about right now is preparing for the next wave."

"Which reminds me," Said Darius, "we have another Queen to see."

Ancient City Ruins: The Next Day

The air around the ruins held a strange type of tension, as if something was there but at the same time wasn't. A lingering presence that got stronger depending on where one was at in the ruins. The Armory Hero and the rest of his party felt it the moment they appeared. But at this point it was to be expected, especially in the former city of the golden tyrant. "I must admit I'm surprised," said Fitoria as the group looked around, "I had forgotten where exactly these ruins were. How did you acquire its location?"

"I encountered and reabsorbed the replica weapon made by my predecessor," explained Darius as they began walking through the mass of fallen stones, columns and collapsed buildings, "the pope had been using it, so I decided it was best if the weapon returned from whence it came. In exchange, I got a few new skills and several jumbled memories, one of which was you and him finding this place."

"Yes, this was his inspiration," said Fitoria as they turned a corner, "he had hoped to use the gathered weapons here. But when he found they were unusable he opted to try making one instead. He managed one success with help from the other heroes and hoped to create more if it proved effective, however, he fell in the fiercest battle of the waves to date shortly afterwards. He died, saving me."

"And he'd do it all again in a heartbeat with a smile on his face," said Darius, "especially for those he cared deeply for."

"Yes, he would," said Fitoria with a hint of nostalgia in her voice before pointing at a path leading underground, "It is there." The Armory Hero nodded as he and his party approached the stairway. Just like in his dream, there were a pair of large doors that looked capable of holding off a small army with a battering ram, and right below one of its large handles was a white dagger with blue jewels in it's hilt. "This is as far as any of us can go now. Only an Armory Hero can open these doors."

Darius looked back one last time as his gathered party and Fitoria gave an encouraging nod before he turned back and began walking down the stairs. It was a strange feeling as more memories flashed through his mind of his predecessor stabbing the dagger into the door. He knew its purpose was to purify the weapons of the curse series within, just like he knew what needed to happen next. He reached out and grasped the dagger.

It felt like he was being transported to a different place as he looked around himself to see nothing but darkness. "Now this is amusing," said an unfamiliar, distorted voice, prompting the Armory Hero to turn around to see, another Armory Hero. Only this one was covered in gold armor with a golden mask that sported two, gnarled ram horns on either side. There wasn't a doubt in Darius's mind that the one sitting in front of him on a twisted throne of gold weapons, was one of his predecessors. "I hope you'll prove wiser than the last one who came here," said the gold tyrant as he rested his head on his hand.

"He seemed plenty wise to me," Said Darius, "even the best of warriors can fall if a defective weapon gives out at the wrong time."

"Defective?" Questioned the Gold Tyrant, "An interesting label to so casually toss at the very weapons you've come to retrieve. Why else would you be here if not for my, no, for your armory?"

"I came here to see if they'd actually be worth retrieving," replied Darius, "if your curse still remains then quality weapons or not they're better off remaining here."

"You needn't worry about that," said the former hero with a dismissive wave, "your predecessor did a splendid job in removing the curse from the weapons, though he didn't quite finish with the door itself. But unlike him I sense the curse series within you, yes the Greed Series and the Sloth series dwell within your bands this very moment. You'll have no trouble opening the door but first, answer me this simple question: what do you plan to do with this gift I prepared for you?"

"Gift?" Questioned Darius with a raised eyebrow. For a ghost, or whatever he was, he still thought surprisingly highly of himself.

"But of course," said the Gold Tyrant as he held his hand up. A massive number of weapons suddenly appeared in the air above and around them, organized by type and rotating in such a way that one could get a look at all of them to one degree or another. "This is and has always been my legacy, a legacy which can be obtained by no one other than another Armory Hero. It shall be a boon which I never had when I started out that can propel you to heights you never thought possible. You can permanently carve the name of the Armory Hero into history in such a way that no one will ever forget again the role of the fifth and greatest cardinal hero!"

"So that's it then," said Darius after a moment, making sure his disappointment was clear, "Your big plan in sealing up all of these weapons was in the hopes that someone else like you would come along and pick up where you left off? How many centuries have these weapons you personally selected and enhanced been useless because you couldn't stand to give them away to someone else to use?!"

"Who better to wield an armory than an Armory Hero," questioned the Gold Tyrant as he leaned forward, "all the other cardinal heroes would've done was copy them and move on, tossing them away to whomever they wanted. The fifth cardinal hero is the only one without a primary weapon and even the best of replicas cannot stand up to the might of the other cardinal weapons. The Armory Hero's strength lies in how many and how powerful the weapons are that he uses, and so long as you have more weapons than they have weapon transformations you will be one step ahead!"

"And I imagine it was that kind of thinking that got you killed and your city burned to the ground in the first place," said Darius as he suddenly reached out and grasped a dagger that looked exactly like the one on the door, "I've never wanted to be ahead of the other heroes, or to be more precise, I never wanted this job in the first place. I was called here to help with a problem that this world couldn't solve and I've been working my ass off helping out where I can to clean up all kinds of messes. Sure, having these powers is beyond awesome but the darker aspects of it have managed to hurt some of the ones I've grown to care deeply for and that is not a price I'm willing to pay just to be stronger than the other heroes."

"Then why have you come?" Questioned the Gold Tyrant, "Why do you seek the power of this armory? What use do you have for a legacy you clearly despise?"

"Because the power of this armory isn't for me," Darius answered simply as he yanked on the dagger. He was immediately returned to the here and now as he stumbled back a bit and looked at the blade in his hand. It's final glowing light seemed to go out as a rumbling sounded from the doors. His bands glowed then as a pair of white jewels on the handles responded, causing the massive doors to open and swing outwards as numerous torches were lit within. "Well that was trippy," he commented as he signaled for the rest of the party to follow him.

The weapon's vault was massive, easily stretching several hundred feet with weapons covering the walls on either side, all arranged in neat order by weapon type. Rifana gave a low whistle at the sight within. "Wow, we can definitely make use of all this," she said as she examined some of the maces.

"I just hope they have some cool gauntlets in here somewhere," said Johann as he poked one of the large halberds, almost knocking it over.

"Every weapon in here is of a superior quality," explained Fitoria, "the Gold Tyrant wanted weapons which could last for centuries, so he used his own weapon enhancing abilities to increase their durability and resistances to rust and corrosion. Even a regular spear from this vault would be worth twice as much as most normal spears."

"But it does beg a number of questions," said Figneria, "can you store this many weapons in your current state Darius?"

"Not in the slightest," replied the Armory Hero as he examined one of the battle axes, "but Naofumi and I thought about that and realized there's a certain underwater temple with a dragon's hourglass we can teleport too for a secondary location."

"That is wise. I would also advise against using this vault for continued storage," said Fitoria, "even though your predecessor purified it of the curse series, it's still possible that it could be lurking in here now that you removed the dagger."

"Believe me I don't really wanna come back to this place at all," said Darius, "that's why we have two storage locations. But before we head to the first one, I think you should have this." The cardinal hero knelt down and presented the dagger to the Filolial Queen. "It only seems right that you should have it, if for no other reason than to have another happy memory."

Strangely, a single tear fell from her eye upon seeing this display, nearly prompting Darius to make an apology before she spoke. "I'd forgotten until now. He'd wanted to give this to me as a gift, but I'd told him to use it for the armory here. He said it suited a queen like me."

"He was a bit of a romantic at heart from what I've seen," added Darius, "but it does suit you. Not to mention, it's the least I can do for all the help you've given us."

"Thank you, Darius," said the Filolial Queen as she took the dagger, holding it gingerly for a moment to examine it before stashing it away. "Now then, I believe you had somewhere you needed to be."

"You can come along too," said the Armory Hero, "it'd be nice to have your input about the place."

"Very well," said Fitoria, now back to being all business, "but I cannot stay away from the ruins for too long."

"Hey it'll just be nice to get the seal of approval real fast," said Darius as he signaled his party to gather around them, taking a few of the weapons for the ride as he teleported them to the next location himself.

Rurorona Village

Rifana couldn't hide her surprise as they arrived on top of one of the hills overlooking her home village. "What, what is all of this?!" She asked as she looked out at the numerous activities taking place.

"Surprise," said Darius, "This is our new home base. It was Naofumi's idea so he's got the main governing rights as the new lord of the Seaetto region. I've got a degree of authority myself and I can be acting lord whenever he's away, but the important thing right now is we have a place we and several others can now call home."

"So this is the reward you asked for from the Queen," surmised Rifana as she looked at the reconstruction going on, "and are those fishing boats out there?"

"We'll need a few sources of income," said Darius, "sure we could sell the vast majority of those weapons we just found, but that's not quite as permanent as say, a fishing industry."

"But who's going to teach them how to fish," said Rifana, "a lot of them are clearly new at it."

"We've got two experts already," Darius pointed out, "the fact that you can tell they're new says volumes about your own ability."

"Wait, you want me and Raphtalia to teach them how to fish?" Questioned a surprised Rifana.

"If you're so willing," said Darius, "even with my powers as the Armory Hero, I can only copy fighting moves. But you two, you've got a few years of actual experience." Rifana tried to think of an argument for that, but none came.

"And look," said Johann as he pointed out a few figures in the distance, "there's the old lady from the magic shop, and the old lady that kicks really hard, and Rino, and the old herbs guy, and Melty!" Funnily enough, Johann was jumping up and down so excitedly that even from their distance on the hill, the adventurer and second princess caught sight of them and waved back.

"I," Rifana began, "I just want to know one thing, why here?"

"Well the way Naofumi put it," said Darius as he crossed his arms with a hand on his chin trying to remember, "This place was the first to be hit by a wave. But now, it can be a symbol for others to rally behind as a place that is fighting back against the waves. That's why we need all kinds of weapons and supplies, because we'll be recruiting now. Oh, congratulations on being one of our first new recruits by the way Rishia."

"Oh, uh thank you," she said as she gave them all a determined look. "I'll give it my best." Darius smiled as he turned back to Rifana.

"The plan is to build and train an army larger than any of the other heroes who want to come at us," Darius continued, "of course I had my own reasons for agreeing to use this place as a home base."

"What reasons," asked Rifana with a strange note of dread in her voice.

"It's also a gift to you and Raphtalia," explained Darius, "you see Naofumi and I had a quick talk on the way back from the deck of the ship on the ride to Cal Mira. It was made even more clear when L'Arc and his crew tried to kill us. Fighting the waves is our main job but we decided on another goal as well, insuring you both find happiness. That way, should something happen or we're forced to go back to our own worlds, this world will still have people that can defend it. And I'll rest a lot easier knowing you're hap-Rifana?"

"You want to find happiness for us," said the weasel girl as she clenched her fists, "and here I thought you weren't as dense as Naofumi."

"Did I say something wr-UFFFFF!" Darius was cut off mid-sentence as Rifana tackled him to the ground.

"Is it really that hard to see," said Rifana as she clenched the fabric of his outfit tightly, "Do I really seem like I'm not happy?!"

"Rifana I-," Darius tried to say.

"SHUT UP!" She practically yelled as she buried her head in his chest. "I don't want to hear anymore! I'm tired of you and Naofumi saying you 'might' not have a choice or 'if' something happens to you, like you've already accepted that you're leaving this world and never coming back! Did it ever occur to you that I was already happy!"

Something finally clicked in the cardinal hero's head as he realized where he'd messed up. And damn did he feel like an idiot. But Rifana was only getting started. "I'm happier now than I'd ever thought I'd be again. Even before you did all of this for me, even before our first time in Koteraan I was happy."

"And the whole reason I was happy then and now is because of you! You helped teach me to live again, to feel something besides pain and sorrow, and showed me that I was still beautiful. I'm happy for every day I get to spend with you. I, I know what we agreed to at Reichnotts' mansion when I let you take me a second time, that an actual relationship was out of the question. But I realize now I was lying to you and to myself!"

"I naively thought that I could just lay with you a few times and get over whatever little crush had formed in my ten year old mind," said Rifana, "but it only made me want you more! I can't imagine my life without you in it now and I can't imagine myself being with anyone else," she lifted her head then, revealing her tear-stained eyes to Darius, "BECAUSE I LOVE YOU! I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone, and even if you don't love me back the same way, Figneria, Johann, and Fitoria all love you to one degree or another too! So quit acting like we'll just move on if you disappear from our lives, because I don't want to live without you! I don't care whether or not you have a choice on returning to your world, I wouldn't even care if I had to fight the waves for the rest of my life so long as it meant you could stay with us, so please tell me, do you really want to return to your world like Naofumi does?!"

Darius didn't answer at first, his shock at Rifana's confession still playing through his head. It was then that tears began to flow from his eyes as he put a hand on Rifana's cheek. "Damn I'm such an idiot," he said, "all this time I thought it would only hurt you more in the end if I got your hopes up. But the uncertainty was hurting you just as much. I'm so sorry Rifana."

"Don't apologize," said the weasel girl as she covered his hand with hers, "Just tell me, no hypotheticals, no 'if's' or 'might's'. Just tell me, would you really leave this world if you were given the choice?"

"I'd never willingly walk away from the best damn thing that's ever happened to me in my life," Darius said without a single stutter despite the tears in his eyes, "My family is the only worthwhile thing waiting for me back in my world. I spent my time there like so many others trying to escape the reality of a practical police state and now that I'm here in another world, I honestly don't want to go back ever again. I've felt more alive these past few months meeting and traveling with all of you than I have in years and that is all the reason I need to keep fighting. More than anything, I want to protect my friends and loved ones."

"Then you really mean," said Rifana with a hopeful smile.

"Yes," Darius replied with a smile of his own, "I love you and I want to have an actual relationship with you too."

"Don't forget about me," said Figneria as she knelt down and grabbed hold of Darius's hand, "Rifana's not the only one who wishes to make this a happy relationship."

"I suppose we did agree the other night," said Rifana with a sigh before turning back to the Armory Hero, "do you think you can handle that?"

"Only as long as you're still happy with it," replied Darius. The weasel girl smiled and nodded before moving in to deliver a passionate kiss.

"Just remember who confessed first," she said with a playful smile, noting in the distance that a certain raccoon girl was also hugging her own hero. 'Best friends really do think alike sometimes.'

"How could I forget," said Darius, "Now we'd best get moving. You do still want to see our new home, right?" Rifana nodded happily as the group ran towards the large main building in the currently under construction village. And at the top of the building's flag pole flew two flags, one for the Shield Hero and one for the Armory Hero. It was a new beginning for all of them as they prepared to face the future struggles of the waves and their own world.

Holy shit this got emotional, which I suppose is understandable given that this is the last chapter of this story for a little while. But let me say upfront now to avoid any possible panic, this story IS NOT OVER! No much like my soon to be resuming Re:Zero story, this one shall likely resume with the advent of the next two seasons of the anime (if anybody knows the dates of those, feel free to let me know). But, since this story has received so much support over the months I've been writing it, I've decided to do something I haven't done for my other stories. Starting soon, I shall be going back and uncensoring the first several chapters, so anyone who took issue with the censored cuss words can soon enjoy those chapters in all their fucking glory. So as always, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. And I hope you all enjoyed this late Christmas/early New Year's gift.