The Beauties of Central City

Hello everyone and welcome to the latest chapter of Armory of the Forgotten Hero! Good news for this week is the chapter came out sooner than expected with the bad news being that it's a little shorter than expected, too. But I think once you see where the stopping point is it'll make sense why I ended this little setup chapter where I did. Also, don't forget to check out my book, Plains Riders, on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited! And redfang19 is likely still lookin' for some writers to do a collab on a One Piece x Yu-Gi-Oh GX crossover so give him a shout out if you'd be interested in that. Lastly, to answer Redripper666's question Darius's level would be about 15 or so by the time Fitoria sends him off. Nothing like grinding for hours on end. Now I've rambled on enough, on to the story!

The Country of Label: Local Town

"No, she can't be, she can't be," said Naofumi as his eyes widened in shock and he began to hyperventilate, "Raphtalia, you can't be!"

"Naofumi easy, breathe, just breathe," Darius instructed him with a calming hand on his shoulder while trying to hide his own nervousness.

"Darius is right," said Kizuna as she pointed to Raph-chan, "look, Raph-chan is still alive so that means Raphtalia is still alive too."

"Then why is her slave crest gone," asked the Shield Hero, managing to get his breathing under control but looking only marginally less worried, "this isn't just interference, it's completely disappeared!"

"But the fact that you were able to see her stats at all means she must be close," said Rishia, attempting to reassure him, "maybe not here in this town but still not far." Raph-chan and Rina both nodded their heads in the affirmative.

"I hope so," said Naofumi as he worked to calm himself the rest of the way down to think, "guess that'll be our next move. What's the nearest town or city in the direction the Shikigami are pointing?"

"If I remember the map correctly," said Kizuna, "it's the Central City. And it makes sense that Glass, at least, would try heading there as it's where this country's main dragon hourglass is. Though there is one problem with going there, especially right now."

"Let me guess," said the Shield Hero, "that city is also where the Vassal Katana is at right now, isn't it?"

"Yup," said Kizuna with a nod, "so we should probably go ahead and get going. If the Vassal Katana really has been stolen then security is gonna be tight around the dragon hourglass. And probably the rest of the city."

"With our luck there's no 'probably' about it," commented Darius, "I'd almost bet they'll have an entire garrison locking down the city ready to arrest any suspicious persons who happen to be lurking about. Since we more than likely fit that bill all I gotta say is, what are we waitin' for?" In Naofumi and everyone else's opinion, not a damn thing if that's where their friends were.

A Few Hours Later: On the Shore of a River

"Mmm, so good," said Filo as she munched on a pair of cooked fish on skewers, "Filo missed Master's cooking!"

"I can see that," said the Shield Hero as he crouched over a fire with several more skewered fish cooking, "I don't think my grilling speed is going to be able to keep up much longer." The answer he got to that was the sound of Filo's stomach growling again, making him groan a bit in response.

"I guess they thought Filo didn't need to be fed as much because she turned into a humming fairy," Rishia mused aloud as she readied another fish on a skewer and handed it to Naofumi. The four of them had come up with a system of sorts with Kizuna using her Holy weapon in its fishing pole form to catch and toss fish out of the water where Darius was waiting to slice them up in midair with a katana. Rishia would then take them and skewer them, handing them to the Shield Hero to start grilling. "But it's incredible how good you are at fishing, Kizuna, you're catching them in practically no time at all."

"It's the special luring capabilities of this weapon's form," explained Kizuna as she tossed another fish out of the water which was decapitated by the Armory Hero, "I'm able to use the lure on the end to draw in aquatic life of all kinds, though its most effective on monsters."

"I was wondering what I was doing wrong with the replica of that weapon," said Darius as he drew his sword and sliced another airborne fish's head off, "it didn't work much better than a regular pole for me. But now that I see the ability working I should be able to copy it."

"That explains why you never used any of the Vassal Scythes other forms against me when we fought," said Kizuna while throwing her line back in the water, "L'arc explained to me that you copied moves, so I guess that extends to other weapon functions and forms. Though one person fishing right now is probably enough. If the both of us start using the lure ability we'll probably wind up pulling out however many fish are left at this spot."

"Well I'd rather work on my katana skills right now anyway," said Darius with a shrug, "but since we're on the subject of weapons, do you think Kyo might have something to do with the theft of the Vassal Katana?"

"It's possible," admitted Kizuna, "but not highly likely. If Kyo's got connections like that Kazuki guy then he could probably worm someone into the selection ceremony to get the Vassal Weapon for him without needing to steal it."

"'Selection Ceremony'," said Naofumi with a raised eyebrow, "so Vassal Weapons aren't passed down here?"

"They can be but it's a little more complicated than that," replied the Hunting Hero, "Vassal Weapons typically chose their wielders. For example, Glass used to be a member of a famous martial arts temple that had several students go to a selection ceremony for the Vassal Fans but they ultimately chose her out of everyone."

"Whosoever holds this weapon, should they be worthy as defined by random vague rules, shall be endowed with all the power of a vassal hero," quipped Darius as he sliced through another fish thrown at him, "tell me is there a Vassal Hammer hanging around anywhere? I might know a perfect candidate."

"There isn't one here that I know about," said Kizuna as she put her line back in, "all I know is that if a Vassal weapon doesn't choose you then it's basically useless unless you've got some way to extract power from it. So the most likely culprit to have stolen the Vassal Katana is a foreigner who intends to either sell it in another country or they'll try having a selection of sorts in their own country in hopes of gaining an edge militarily. Whatever the case it's a sticky situation and one that we should do our best to steer clear of while we're searching for our friends."

"I just hope Raphtalia and the others have realized this too," said Rishia, "from what you said they might be blamed for this if they're caught."

"All the more reason we should get going soon," said Naofumi, "and while we're at it we should try leveling Filo up along the way. She can fly now after all."

"Yep, watch this!" Exclaimed the now Humming Fairy Girl as she leapt up into the air and articulated her wings, "I can even fly while in human form!" She did a quick circle in the air before landing back down while flexing her arms. "Now that meanie dragon can't make fun of me for being a flightless bird!"

"Yeah, but you can't pull a cart now," the Shield Hero pointed out, "since our destination isn't far, though, it shouldn't prove too much of a problem."

"Filo actually isn't so interested in pulling carriages anymore," admitted the Bird Girl sheepishly, "Filo would like to try flying for a bit. It's really a lot of fun when no one is forcing Filo to fly with a chain on her leg."

"Yeah, it is pretty amazing that you can fly now," said Naofumi as he patted the little Humming Fairy's head, "so let's make good use of it and find Raphtalia and the others."

A While Later: Outside the Central City

"I really hoped there were going to be a few more monsters to deal with along the way," said Kizuna as she sheathed her weapon and tossed the earth crystal drops from the fallen beast to Filo, "but this looks like the best we'll be able to do for right now unless you want to wander around a bit more before going inside the city."

"No, we've taken enough time as is," stated Naofumi, "and this close to the city I doubt we'll find too many more monsters anyway. The ones we've defeated and all the earth crystals we had left will have to do."

"Just so long as you don't need her to carry anyone I guess," said Kizuna with a shrug as she pulled out Chris in card form. The Shikigami could go from physical to card form at will and interestingly enough, even in card form their pictures could still move and point the way for them. It hadn't been the most popular decision, but the group had decided to keep their Shikigami in card form for now in case word had gotten to Central City about their 'theft' of Filo. It wasn't a problem in the last town but since the city might still be on high alert, the less suspicion they drew the better.

That had been the thought, anyway, but as they approached the gate to the large urban area they noticed an issue none of them had anticipated. "The gates are closed," said Rishia as they saw a multitude of merchants, traders and other wagon driving folk all parked in a long line outside of the city wall.

"Are you trying to head into the city," asked one of the travelers, a man carrying a cloth bag on his back that was tied around his neck.

"We…..were supposed to meet some friends here," answered Kizuna, deciding this might be a good way to get some information, "do you happen to know another way in?"

"No, all the gates to the Central City have been closed," replied the Traveler, "they're not letting anyone in or out right now and they aren't really explaining why, either. All I've been able to get out of any of the guards is that they're conducting official business right now."

"I see," said Kizuna, "I guess we'll go back for now." The group turned around and made a show of walking back down the path before quickly ducking into the forest as soon as they were out of sight.

"I guess this confirms our fears," said Darius as they began scouting out other entrances, "whoever stole the Vassal Katana is still inside the city. And more than likely so are our friends, too."

"The guards seem to think the Vassal Katana is still inside the city at any rate," said Naofumi, "either way it seems we'll have to sneak in and try to figure out a plan from there. If we're lucky we can blend into the crowd and try searching as inconspicuously as possible."

"First things first," said Kizuna as they came to what appeared to be a waterfall coming out of the rock wall that surrounded a different side of the city, "we need to actually get in, and this spot looks promising."

"Going in through a canal, how classic," mused Naofumi before observing a possible problem sitting above and to the left of the waterfall, "but we'll need to know the positions of the lookouts before we get too high. It'll be more than a little troublesome if we have to fight while climbing the canal."

"Do you have something in mind?" Asked Kizuna as she tried to get a better look at the guard's station on top of the cliff.

"Filo, could you transform," asked the Shield Hero, "I'm certain you've gotten bigger by now."

"Okay, look at this!" Cheered Filo as she changed her body with the usual puff of smoke. Once again they were reminded she was no longer a Filolial as she landed on Naofumi's arm. She was the size of a hawk now and her body was shaped much like one too, though she kept her usual feather coloration, including the distinctive ones on top of her head. And she seemed to enjoy her perch on her Master's arm as he instructed the Humming Fairy on what he needed her to do.

"Alright Filo," he said, "we need you to fly up there and take a look around. We need to spot the lookouts and if possible get an idea on what's happening inside the city."

"But what if Filo gets captured again?!" Exclaimed the Bird Girl as she buried her head under Naofumi's chin, "Filo doesn't want to go back in a cage!"

"Hey, Filo, it's okay," said the Cardinal Hero as he stroked her head soothingly, "you won't get captured. You're stronger now and you can fly so much better than before. No one's going to be able to get you even if they were looking for you."

"Do you really think so," asked Filo, "do you promise I won't get captured again?"

"Have I ever lied to you before," asked Naofumi with a reassuring smile.

"Yes, Master has lied to Filo before," replied the Filolial, getting a couple of face palms from the others.

"Okay fair enough," said the Shield Hero with a sigh, "but I'm not lying this time. We need your help, Filo, don't you want to see Raphtalia and Rifana again?"

"Yes, Filo misses Big Sis Raphtalia," admitted the Humming Fairy, "Filo even misses the stupid dragon."

"Then how about this," said Naofumi, "just fly up and find the spots where the lookouts can't see you and find a route where we won't be seen. Then just fly back down and tell us which way you went." Filo nods in agreement to this before flying upwards parallel to the waterfall from the canal and soaring over the lookout positions.

"Not bad," said Darius as he watched the Humming Fairy's flight, "does this mean you're ready to not be a cynical douche anymore?"

"Kiss my ass, Darius," huffed the Shield Hero as he crossed his arms. Though his reaction just made everyone else giggle. The wait would turn out only to be a few minutes before Filo returned and told them what she saw. From there they used a combination of Kizuna's fishing pole and Darius's chain portals to scale the wall behind the waterfall of the canal.

It was a little tricky pulling themselves up through the water, but that proved to be the hardest part. As soon as they were on even ground, Kizuna's and Darius's weapons easily cut through the bars keeping the canal tunnel closed off and allowed them to emerge in the rather large, Central City. It looked much like Mikakage as far as theme and appearance went, though the layout was built around a large Japanese-style castle that was located in the middle of the city. It was built on top of a central terrace with another walled off section below it and the third and final terrace being the rest of the city.

Though what struck them as odd was despite the city's size the streets were deserted. "We got in easier than expected," said Rishia, voicing the thoughts on everyone's mind, "but where is everyone?"

"They must've imposed martial law," surmised Kizuna as they noticed some folks inside a nearby home who quickly closed their windows, "so much for any plans to blend with the crowd."

"So we'll pretty much be considered suspicious just because we're out and about," said Darius as he pulled out Rina's card and had the Shikigami take physical form, "on the upside, it means we don't have to hide our little friends now. Lead the way Rina." The yellow binturong-like familiar nodded before pointing down one of the nearby streets. Naofumi went ahead and summoned Raph-chan while they were at it.

After traversing the streets for a couple of minutes the Shield Hero sent Filo out again to look around. She came back in short order with a lead. "Master," she called from above, "on that side road, there are a lot of people in armor carrying weapons. They're all standing there like some kind of wall." The group moved quickly upon hearing this and took a look.

What they found was a small fence erected on one side with actual fencing and bags of sand while the other side had numerous soldiers dressed in samurai-style armor, all of whom were holding naginatas. "They're facing inward," noted Rishia upon seeing the roadblock, "so whoever they're after must be in there somewhere."

"Good and bad news for us," said Kizuna, "upside is they won't be expecting someone to actually try coming in from the outside. Bad news is we'll probably have to deal with them if that's where we're going." Naofumi looked at Raph-chan who pointed past the line of samurai.

"Looks like we're heading in," he said with a look of determination, "guess that's our luck."

"I'm really starting to wonder about all of this," said Kizuna, "it almost seems like a trap except it's way too obvious. But if they really have blocked all the city's entrances and encircled the roads like this to prevent the Vassal Katana from getting away."

"The thought's crossed my mind too," said the Shield Hero, "with all these coincidences it's possible that-."

"HEADS UP!" Exclaimed Darius, catching the movement of a shadow on the ground. Everyone looked up then to see a giant white tiger staring down at them with its fangs bared. The group took action immediately with Naofumi switching to his Nue shield while everyone else drew their weapons. They leapt out of the way then as the tiger pounced on them from above and took a powerful swipe at the Shield Hero. It turned out to be a strong enough blow to knock him off his feet and into a nearby wall.

"Naofumi!" Exclaimed Kizuna as she moved in and swiftly decapitated the white tiger with her sword. Its body collapsed immediately then, but their battle had only just begun as several more tigers came stalking out of the nearby alleys. "What in the world are all these monsters doing inside of the city?"

"Pretty sure they're part of the search party," said Darius as he readied his portals, "I doubt the number of soldiers in this city would be able to miss this many massive tigers."

"Either way it looks like we'll have to deal with them," said Rishia as she readied her own sword. The tigers pounced then as the two heroes and princess answered in kind. Kizuna easily sliced through a pair coming at her while Rishia slashed the face of another one before shooting it in the wound with fire magic. Darius used a variant of his Phantom Circle ability to impale the other two tigers with Naginatas and Yari spears while slicing the head of the third one with a Japanese Ono ax.

"Darius, go get Naofumi," said Kizuna as even more tigers were showing up. The Armory Hero quickly saw why she seemed so urgent as one of the larger tigers had shown up and taken to attacking the still downed Shield Hero, biting and clawing at his summoned Airstrike Shield. A shield which soon shattered under the onslaught of blows, leaving the Cardinal Hero vulnerable to the next attack. Or at least he would've been if the Armory Hero hadn't leapt in and jammed the strongest naginata he had into the back of the tiger's skull.

"How you holding up, Naofumi," asked the Armory Hero from atop the monster corpse as he turned to face the next few white tigers.

"Just got caught off-guard," replied the Shield Hero as he stood up, "I didn't have time to properly brace myself."

"Well time to get a second wind," said Darius before glancing at Rina, "and you should probably return to card form. This is gonna get ugly." The Shikigami nodded in understanding before transforming into a card that Darius quickly slipped back into his outfit.

"Raph-chan, you too," said the Cardinal Hero, "I don't know how long this is gonna last." He reached up for the Tanuki-like Shikigami, but instead of transforming back, the little mammal leapt off his shoulder and made as if she was signaling for them to follow her. "Wait, Raph-chan get back here!" But the Shikigami wouldn't listen and instead took off, forcing the Shield Hero to run after her.

"You gotta be kidding me," said Darius as he ran after both his friend and the Shikigami. He honestly hoped they wouldn't go far as Rishia and Kizuna were dealing with some of the remaining tigers. Though that became a slightly secondary problem as they turned a few corners and exited out onto a main street. It was there they were confronted with the one who was in charge of not only the guards but also the one controlling the tigers, too.

"Well, well, well," said a familiar and annoyingly smug voice, "I didn't expect to run into you two again so soon."

"Oh this explains a lot," said Naofumi as they faced the blue-haired man and his female bodyguards once more, "what was your name again?"

"Don't pretend like you don't remember!" Exclaimed the pigtailed guard from before, "this is the genius Kazuki!"

"I remember kicking him upside the face," said Darius with a shrug, "and that he can't be all that smart if he's working with a dickhead like Kyo."

"That line of thinking just proves what an utter fool you are," said Kazuki as he summoned a fireball in his hand, "I work with Kyo as a convenience. But between the three of us, the one coming out on top between Kyo and I shall be ME!" He shot the fireball then which Naofumi moved and blocked with his shield, dispersing the blast which scorched some of the land around them.

"Watch it asshole!" Exclaimed the Shield Hero, "there are still people in this area!" In fact, if he hadn't blocked the fireball the building behind him would've been blasted apart, injuring the occupants within.

"The Vassal Katana will aid me greatly in my endeavors, so naturally I can't let it fall into yours or anyone else's hands," replied Kazuki casually, "it also means I can't concern myself with the lives of a few bystanders. I'll destroy you and anyone else that stands in my way."

"We've got cardinal weapons of our own, dumbass," Darius pointed out, "we've got no reason to look for the Vassal Katana. We're looking for valuable gems of our own right now, so we don't have time to play with you. With that in mind, consider this is your one and only warning: stand aside or get messed up."

"You really take me too lightly," said Kazuki as he raised his hand and gave the order, "destroy them." The tigers and soldiers advanced then as Darius responded by opening numerous portals over his head. Before he was able to fire, though, something unexpected happened. A slim figure wielding a kanabo club dropped down from above and slammed her weapon on the ground.

The earth cracked in response with several chunks shooting up into the air along with some of the tigers and soldiers. Another blur moved through the airborne force before landing on the ground next to the first figure. The soldiers and tigers cried in pain as large cuts opened up on them while they were still in midair before falling to the ground, defeated. "I was hoping we could just slip out of here without getting into a full-scale fight," said the girl with the Kanabo club in the most beautiful voice Darius had ever heard, "guess we were being too optimistic."

"None of us expected this," said the other figure in a voice that made Naofumi freeze, "but this Kazuki person doesn't seem to understand. The Vassal Katana would never listen to someone so willing to hurt the people they're supposed to be protecting."

"Darius," said Naofumi, "you're seeing this right now, aren't you?"

"You mean the unmistakable angels that just dropped from the sky," replied the Armory Hero, still in disbelief himself, "yeah, I'm seeing them alright."

"Sorry it took so long," said Rifana as she turned and smiled at them, "growing up takes a bit sometimes."

"But we're here at last," said Raphtalia, "your sword has returned to you, Master Naofumi."

"You sure…took your time," Naofumi managed to get out, almost choking up.

"But they're here now," said Darius, "now let's take care of that annoying distraction so we can catch up properly." Everyone nodded in agreement as the two heroes moved in next to their companions, their positioning as natural as ever. And even if the situation was annoying, they still couldn't help but be happy inwardly. They'd found each other at last.

A reunion with the companions at last. To bad it's a little overshadowed by all the giant tigers, but that's for another chapter. In the meantime I hope you enjoyed this slightly shorter chapter and 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 don't forget to check out my book, Plains Riders, on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. Be sure to stop in next time as we learn just what Rifana and the others have been up to this whole time. 'Til then!