Side Story: Other World Perspective

Hello everyone and welcome to another little story to help us all kill a bit of time until the next season of Rising of the Shield Hero. No guest review questions this week so let's get to reading!

Glass's World: End of the Third Wave

"We're almost there!" called Kizuna as she cut through several more lizard monsters with her weapon, "the timer's just appeared and it'll run out soon!"

"I hope Glass is having fun over there," commented L'Arc as he sent out a wave of yellow energy from his scythe, cutting the head off of a large, dog-like warrior monster he'd been fighting, "we may've taken care of the boss but the wave's still going."

"Glass will do what she knows she must," Therese called out as she fried a number of flying insect monsters with her blue flames, "and she's trusting us to do our jobs, so we have to keep fighting."

"Not like I need any encouragement!" Exclaimed L'Arc as he and Kizuna advanced through the horde of monsters, cutting through them swiftly with a combination of basic attacks and the use of their skills. Therese provided support with the occasional blast of her Bejeweled Ruby Blaze, incinerating large groups of monsters whenever their numbers began to get too overwhelming. All the while the timer in their HUDs kept counting down with no sign of Glass appearing any time soon. 'What's taking her so long,' thought Kizuna worriedly, 'I know she said she could handle it, but there was always the possibility the four heroes of the other world aren't as incompetent as the other three that had been summoned here.'

It was when the final seconds started ticking down that a raven-haired figure wearing a blue kimono came falling down from the sky, cutting through several monsters with her jeweled fans. Her arrival also marked the end of the wave as the sky suddenly returned to normal and the remaining enemies scattered. "Glass!" sang Kizuna happily as she rushed forward and embraced her friend, "I was starting to worry something had happened."

"You needn't worry about me Kizuna," replied Glass with a soft smile, "you know I'm more than capable of handling myself."

"Speaking of handling," said L'Arc with his weapon on his shoulder as he and Therese stepped forward, "Did you manage to take care of any of the heroes from the other world?"

"I'm afraid not," said Glass with something of an annoyed sigh, "the ones I encountered got away."

"Did they really give you that much trouble Glassy?" Asked L'Arc in an amused tone.

"Not a single one of them managed to land anything close to a decisive blow on me," said Glass, "I even gave them the chance to use their best attacks and they amounted to little more than an annoyance. No, the two I went after managed to blind me with light magic before escaping on a dragon and giant bird mount with the rest of their party."

"That's curious," said Therese, "why were only two heroes present there?"

"Three others were there also claiming to be heroes," said Glass, "or at the very least they claimed they were not the servants of the other two heroes. But they all went down with a single attack, so it's possible the other two have already met their end in that world."

"Well that might be good news," said Kizuna as she noticed the look on her friend's face, "but something else is bothering you isn't it?"

"I didn't recognize the title of one of them," replied Glass, "He called himself the Armory Hero and he didn't wield a single type of weapon, but several. Swords, spears, axes, even a chained flail and that was before he called on a similar power to the one the Shield Hero used to defeat the wave's main monster."

"So he wields a whole lot of weapons instead of just one," said L'Arc, "that'll just make the fight more interesting."

"You say that now," Said Glass with a serious tone, "but he possesses an ability that allowed him to copy my fans and even the skills I employed. He also used some of the same defensive skills as the Shield Hero, which means he is not an opponent to be underestimated."

"A hero capable of copying vassal weapons and even legendary weapons," said Therese with a hand to her chin before turning to her red-haired companion, "L'Arc, is it possible the royal archives might contain some information on one with such abilities?"

"You got me," said L'Arc with a shrug, "about the only thing I feel like doing once we get back is getting a stiff drink and celebrating our safe return from the waves."

"And I'm certain that won't take away from your royal duties as the king of your country," Glass pointed out, causing L'Arc to go wide-eyed as he realized she was right.

"Well whatever the case we need to get back," said Kizuna as she transformed her blade into its fishing pole form, "there's a huge beach full of fish waiting for me."

Near Kizuna's Mansion: A Few Days Later

If there was one thing Kizuna Kazayama loved doing, it was fishing. She could easily get lost in the seemingly simple yet engrossing activity for hours at a time, which was good until it started interfering with her duties as a hero. But she'd already spent the day leveling with Glass and the others and given that it was practically sunset it made for the perfect time to go fishing. Having a beach near her home helped a fair bit in this matter as well.

But, her time of peace and quiet came to an end with Glass's sudden arrival. "So it seems you're here again," said the fan wielder, "not that I'm really surprised at this point."

"You know me," said Kizuna as she pulled her line out of the water and examined her latest catch, "If I could I'd probably spend all my days fishing."

"That you would," agreed Glass as she sat down next to her friend, "and if we're able to stop the waves it would become close to a reality."

"Assuming I don't go back to my own world," said Kizuna as she tossed her line out into the water again, "but I still find it kind of strange. We have to kill the heroes of another world, dooming it to the waves, in order to save this one."

"I can't say I enjoy the prospect either," admitted Glass, "but being a hero is not an easy task to begin with, otherwise there would be many heroes."

"I guess that's true," said Kizuna, "out of curiosity, did the ones you fight seem like bad people?"

"The three that faced me first, I believe their names were Lee, Roy, and Jenkins-," said Glass before being interrupted by her friend snickering, "what's so funny about that?"

"Oh nothing," said Kizuna as she tried and failed to hold in her laughter, "It's just, I remember watching something from my own world with three guys charging in yelling their names one after the other. They got the shit beaten out of them in-game."

"Fascinating, and I suppose it is an accurate representation of those three's behavior: comically inept," said Glass, still not certain what was so funny about all of that or why her friend felt the need to swear about it. "But whatever the case our duty is still clear. Naturally we'll avoid involving anyone that has nothing to do with our mission so long as they don't interfere."

"Well that's the thing Glass," said Kizuna with a sigh, "I, I think I should go next time."

"What," said a confused Glass, "but Kizuna you can't leave here? As one of the holy heroes your role is to defend this world while vassal wielders like me and L'Arc are supposed to invade others."

"Actually, I did some research on that," replied Kizuna as she reeled her line back in, this time with nothing on it. "A holy hero like me can actually go to another world if special permission is granted by a powerful sacred beast or artifact. You remember that core we got from defeating the dragon emperor when I first arrived?"

"I know we currently have it locked up in L'Arc's castle armory," replied Glass, "are you saying you can get special permission if you use the core?"

"It's worth a shot at least," said Kizuna with a smile, "I've already run the idea by L'Arc and Therese and they've agreed to take me along if it works."

"So you intend for me to stay here this time then?" Asked Glass with a raised eyebrow.

"Well it's pretty clear we need more information on the world we're dealing with," said Kizuna as she rubbed the back of her head, "and given that the other heroes have kind of seen you already, we'd most likely have a whole kingdom coming down on us if you came along." Glass knew she couldn't really argue with that logic as she had declared herself that world's enemy by both her words and her actions. "But, once the wave hits you can be standing by waiting for us and if you get too worried, you can come help. Does that sound like a fair compromise?"

"It's fair enough I suppose," said Glass in resignation, "just be careful over there. Our world cannot afford to lose even a single hero right now."

"Don't worry," said Kizuna with a smile as she pointed a thumb at herself, "L'Arc, Therese and I are a formidable trio." A sudden rustling caught the holy hero's attention as she looked down to see a penguin-like creature wearing what she knew as a Santa Claus hat. "Oh and of course you as well Chris." The penguin crossed its arms and nodded, happy that its owner hadn't forgotten it.

Dragon Hourglass: A Day Later

"I'll ask one last time," said Glass, "are you certain I shouldn't come along with you?"

"Jeez, relax already Glassy," said L'Arc, "you told us the biggest threats were those two heroes and they hardly laid a scratch on ya. Now it's gonna be me, Therese and Kizuna all going so we should be fine."

"Well I suppose you're at least more competent than the other holy heroes," admitted Glass as she held up the purple spherical core of the dragon emperor, "just try to stay out of trouble and remember to come straight back here if the enemy world discovers who you really are."

"We will," said Kizuna with a thumbs up as the core started glowing.

"You take care as well Glass," said Therese, "we'll be counting on you to look after things in our absence."

"Just try to hurry back," said the fan wielder as she pulled out one of her fans. The jewel on it produced a glow that matched the core as a large, swirling portal suddenly opened that seemed to house a number of stars inside of it. As the group looked on, the expected message popped up: 'Prohibition Notice: The four Holy Heroes cannot travel to other worlds.' "Now it's time for a gamble! Oh great heart of the dragon emperor we beseech thee, grant this hero passage into the other world so that she may do battle on our behalf!"

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, the glowing orb grew brighter as the text on their HUDs changed: 'Special Permission: The Four Heroes can travel to other worlds with some restrictions.' "I guess that's as good as we're gonna get," said L'Arc with an expectant smile on his face, "now let's head out!" The group all jumped into the portal and disappeared from sight without a hint of the usual barrier appearing to prevent Kizuna's travel.

"Well that went better than expec-," Glass spoke too soon as the closing portal suddenly coughed up a familiar looking penguin familiar. "Oh no, Chris, why are you back?" The little creature stood up and signaled to the vassal weapon holder, confirming her fears. "So that's one of the restrictions, you can't travel with her. If the other world's heroes figure out the weakness of her weapon then, no, L'Arc and Therese are with her so we'll just have to have faith now that they'll last until the next wave. And when it arrives I will join them should the need be great enough."

Kizuna's Mansion: After the Fourth Wave

"We still could've won," said Glass weakly as Kizuna carried her inside, followed by Therese who was carrying L'Arc.

"You were about to use a move that could've ended your life," the holy hero pointed out, "if it hadn't worked, we'd be down a vassal wielder and that's not even mentioning the fact that I could've lost a friend for nothing."

"It would've been-," Glass had to cover her mouth to keep from retching as Kizuna set her on one of the large sofas in her home.

"You just worry about resting up for now," said Kizuna before turning to Therese, "how's he holding up?"

"Oh I'm fine," slurred L'Arc, "the only bad news is that I can't drink a toast to our safe-hmmmf." The scythe wielder covered his mouth as Therese quickly led him over to a waste basket. She reached it just in time as the vassal wielder proceeded to empty the contents of his stomach into the rest of the trash.

"He got a bit banged up fighting the Armory Hero," explained Therese, "but otherwise this is how he usually gets when he's excessively drunk."

"I guess I'd better leave that part out when I tell everyone else what happened over there," said Kizuna with her arms crossed, "probably wouldn't do so well for morale if everyone found out our two best fighters were brought down by barrels of alcoholic fruit." A sudden chirping drew her attention then as her penguin familiar came waddling into the room and jumped into her arms. "Chris! I missed you so much, has Glass been taking good care of you?"

The little familiar chirped and waved its fins in a series of gestures. "Yeah Glass isn't the best at playing games, but you know she still cares." The Santa hat wearing penguin simply nodded at this before noticing something seemed to be on its owner's mind. The jewel-wielding magic caster also picked up on her mood.

"I suppose I should ask now while these two are out cold," said Therese, who'd managed to get L'Arc on his own sofa. The man was so intoxicated at the moment that he'd passed out almost as soon as his head hit the couch cushions. "Are you planning on trying to go back to that world again?"

"It'd be a waste of time at this point," said Kizuna, "I know a lot more about the enemy we're fighting now, but they also know the weakness to my weapon. Without Chris to help me fight actual people I'd only be good for killing monsters over there."

"Yes, but that's not the only thing troubling you at the moment," said Therese as she put a hand on her friend's shoulder, "Tell me, what's really bothering you right now?"

"Well," Kizuna began, "you know I was never really for the idea of killing the other world's heroes in the first place. And now that I've actually faced them I'm even more convinced that something's not right about it."

"But the ancient texts of this country were quite clear," said Therese, "In order for the life of this world to be extended we must sacrifice the heroes of the other world."

"If that were entirely true then why is my weapon incapable of killing other people?" Asked Kizuna, "I've been going over it in my head since we got back and it just doesn't add up."

"Perhaps you weren't meant to ever face them," offered Therese, "after all it is the job of the vassal weapon holders to invade another world, not the holy heroes."

"But if their world operates on similar rules then they should have vassal wielders too," Kizuna pointed out, "what good would my weapon be then?"

"It would still work to drive them back," Therese suggested, though she didn't sound entirely certain, "after all the survival of the holy heroes means the continued survival of the world."

"I know that much is true," said Kizuna as she continued to turn the situation over in her head. But the more angles she looked at it the more questions that arose. "But there are too many things not adding up. Not a single vassal wielder from their world has shown up and, for whatever reason, a fifth hero was summoned to their world while we only have four."

"Perhaps the rules of their world allow for an extra hero if their vassal weapon wielders fall," suggested Therese.

"Argh, there's just way too much about all of this that doesn't make sense," said Kizuna as she gripped her head with her hands for a moment before calming down. "I'm gonna go figure out a few things for a bit, could you keep an eye on Glass and L'Arc in the meantime?"

"It's pretty much a part of my daily routine at this point," said Therese, "and besides, you took a few blows yourself out there, so it'd be best if we all got some rest for a little while." Kizuna nodded as she headed off to her own room for a bit. She didn't get a lot of sleep that night as her mind continued to wander to the numerous questions, one of which was the purpose of the heroes in general.

The Next Day: Entrance of Kizuna's Mansion

"Are you really sure about this," asked Glass as she sat on the steps leading into her friend's home. She might have slept peacefully but that much alcohol was a fast track for just about anyone to get a hangover of some form. L'Arc wasn't doing much better as he sat next to his comrade with his own hand on his head.

"I spent all morning reading over the texts in my room about the waves," Replied Kizuna, "and not a single one of them offers a solid explanation as to why killing the heroes of one world prolongs the survival of ours. So I've decided to venture out of this country for a bit to see if I can't find any more information to fill in the blanks. I'll try to be back before the next wave hits."

"But shouldn't one of us go with you," L'Arc more groaned than asked.

"You guys know I can take care of myself," said Kizuna with a dismissive wave, "and besides, the three of you need to get some more training in so you're ready for the next trip to the other world. That is, unless you like getting knocked around and having barrels of alcohol dumped on you."

"I suppose you have something of a point," admitted Glass with a hand to her head, "just remember to contact us if something happens. And Chris, take care of her would you." The penguin familiar waved, giving its best impression of a thumbs up before he and Kizuna turned and headed off, with the holy hero waving back at her companions one more time before walking out of sight. This would be the last they saw of her for a very long while.

Mysteries abound in both worlds as the nature of the waves continues to elude the heroes. On the other hand, though, here's hoping this little chapter cleared up a few bits of confusion on how Kizuna got to Raphtalia's world and why Chris wasn't fighting with her, *cough* I forgot *cough*. 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. Possible next chapter, seeing the initial impressions of the Armory Hero from the perspective of the Three Heroes. Let me know if you think that's a good idea. 'Til then.