Chapter Eighty-Eight: Yuzerenai
Tokei no hari ga modorou
To kataku nana mono mitsuketa yo
Kimi no chikara ni naritai to
Tagai ni negau omoi kizuna
(When the hands on the clock turn back, I found something obstinate)
(Wanting to become your strength, thoughts of wishing for one another, the bonds)
Kizuna opened her eyes and yawned as she sat up in her bed.
It'd been several days since the last Wave she'd participated in, and almost two weeks since Naofumi and co had returned to their world.
Thanks to the Cardinal Heroes helping out with Waves all over the world, there wasn't supposed to be a new one they could help out with for at least another four weeks.
It was like everyone had finally been given a moment to breathe and relax. The threat of the world calamities destroying everything they cared about finally faded a bit into the background, so everyone could return to the routine of their daily lives.
Each hourglass in the world had registered a Wave hitting in their vicinity every two weeks for at least a year before Kizuna had been rescued. And now, there would be forty-five days in between each Wave, thanks to the Cardinal Heroes participating.
If that wasn't a cause for celebration. Then Kizuna didn't know what was.
"Oh geez, did I sleep in that late?!" Kizuna suddenly remarked as she saw how high the sun was in the morning sky outside.
The girl rushed out of her room. Taking a quick shower before getting dressed and running to the living room to make herself breakfast.
The front of her house was back to looking the same as it had before. There were still some windows to replace in some of the spare rooms, and she still had a mess to clean down in the basement. But the front of her house no longer looked like a war zone.
All the furniture she'd lost before had been replaced. Her damaged china set had been restored to its mantle above her hearth.
In particular, all of the pictures and portraits portraying her favorite memories of this world had been remade and set around/hung up on her walls. This was in no small part thanks to the efforts of the Ofuda Hero in redrawing them from his photographic memory of the room. And she paused in her path towards the kitchen to examine them again for herself.
Each scene that passed before her eyes came to life in her mind. From her celebration alongside her friends at the defeat of the Demon Dragon to the day she celebrated Christmas with her Father, King Berg.
The girl couldn't help but smile as she looked over Hoshi's handiwork. It was amazing. There wasn't a single detail missing in any of the pictures, as far as she could tell. He'd done an outstanding job.
And she especially appreciated the portrait of her cuddling with Ethnobalt's bunny form in the Throne Room. Ethnobalt looked so embarrassed and adorable that she almost wanted to seek him out and cuddle with him all over again!
…
Her eyes did fall a little, after looking at the photo of Kyo and Ethnobalt working on the Invincible together.
But then, she slapped her cheeks and smiled brightly.
She could be sad about his death, but she could also be happy at the memories she shared of her friendship with the former Book Hero!
"Pen."
Kizuna looked down at her side.
Chris stood next to her, hugging his flippers to her leg while looking up at her worriedly.
Kizuna smiled as she picked the shikigami up. "I know. I still have a ways to go before I'm past what happened.
"But I'll keep trying to move on. I promise." Kizuna hugged the little penguin to her shoulder.
"Pen!" Chris hugged his mom back with his tiny flippers. The sight was too adorable.
If only Hoshi could have been there to put it to paper. It would have been his best piece of work yet… except for all his drawings of Raph-Chan, of course.
The penguin could never hope to compare to that furry ball of adorableness.
"Pen!" Chris glared at the gem embedded in Kizuna's rod, looking extremely offended.
Kizuna started laughing, setting Chris on her shoulder. She walked past the living room to the kitchen to get started on breakfast.
As she left, one new addition was noted above her hearth, next to the china set.
It was a picture of Kizuna and her friends in front of Kizuna's home… as well as Naofumi and co. It was the day before they'd all visited the beach, and Hoshi had them all stand together at the start so he could draw it from memory.
They all stood next to one another in the frame, making various faces and hand signs. Itsuki looked a little sad still, but the still of Rishia hugging him so cheerily was too cute.
No one was left out, as the Ofuda Hero had drawn himself in next to his two hero comrades.
Kizuna's bonds had grown that much greater. And the new photo captured this perfectly.
Tatoe zero ni kaerou tomo
Tatoe sekai no hate kara demo
Kimi no moto e to toki wo katete
Hitori ni shinai to yakusoku shiyo
(Even if everything returns back to zero, even from the ends of the Earth)
(I'll come running through time to your side, I'll never let you be alone, this I shall promise)
"Hmmm…"
Glass sat in a meditative pose in her room in Kizuna's home.
She could hear her best friend whooping with delight in the kitchen, but Glass wasn't focused on her.
Right now, before her were two very important sheets of paper.
The first one was her special page from Kyo. On it was some of the research he'd done into Spirit People. Specifically into methods she had as of yet to employ that'd not only further increase her max energy cap, but also conserve her energy during travel and battles and the like.
For a spirit person like her, it was invaluable advice that could genuinely help her and others of her race out. That Kyo had shared this with her after everything meant a great deal…
…
Even if she found the part at the end about hugging Kizuna often to restore her energy a bit suspicious.
Still, as valuable as that was… it was the sheet of paper lying next to it that was truly invaluable. It was the folded sheet of paper Naofumi had handed to her earlier before saying goodbye to L'Arc.
What made it invaluable?...
It was a recipe for Soul Healing Water. Made from herbs that grew in her world.
That was one of the reasons why the Cardinal Weapons of Glass's world had convinced the Shield and Bow to stay for a little longer. In his spare time, Naofumi had continued experimenting with various herbs he'd acquired while using some of Kyo's notes as references.
And the night before the Shield Hero was supposed to return via the Waves… he'd discovered the recipe at long last. And had then entrusted it to the Fan Hero.
Glass tried to stay calm. She hadn't had the herbs on hand when she first received the recipe, since she didn't normally gather them. Since they didn't grow in Sickle, she'd had to travel abroad to find them.
It'd taken a while for her to find them out in the wild. With just a little help being given from Alto during the process.
But as the Vassal Fan autocrafted the recipe that Glass had learned, it still sounded too good to be true. Like a dream that would never be fulfilled. And yet...
She trusted that Naofumi hadn't raised her hopes like this for no reason… and if this worked, then…
Plop!
A bottle full of a familiar colored liquid came out of the gem of the Spirit Woman's right fan, resting on the ground beside her.
Glass picked it up, still sitting cross-legged as its information appeared on her HUD.
Soul Healing Water
Quality: Average
…
…
…
The spirit woman's shoulders trembled as she gripped the vial of medicine close to her chest.
"Thank you… thank you so much, Naofumi," Glass muttered through thick tears.
A way to restore soul energy not only for Heroes but for the Spirit People who relied heavily on soul energy had finally been found. After being lost from their world for centuries.
Glass could still hear Kizuna gleefully making breakfast for her and their son in the kitchen. And her smile only grew as she settled into her lotus pose once more.
She never would have imagined she'd feel such gratitude for those who'd once been their enemies, but that showed just how much things could change.
Her meditation continued, peace resting in Glass's heart while the spirit of the Fans soothed her soul.
The Spirit Woman swore that she would one day repay the other world for the kindness they'd wrought for her and her friends.
A debt made only greater by the fact that they'd forgiven her for her past mistakes.
Kono me wa
Kimi wo mimamoru tame
(These eyes are to watch over you)
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Romina's hammer came down on the adamantium chest plate she was shaping again and again. A peaceful smile rested on her face.
"Ah, now this is the life." Her goods were in high demand. She was making armor for the good of her people again. She had all her new side projects from finding all the things Kyo had made for his summer villa.
And above all that… she had even earned the favor of Emperor Corrin himself.
Why is that, you may ask? Had the adamantium armor she'd made before been that impressive?
That did play a part in it. Emperor Corrin, when he finally had some time, came in originally wanting to see the armor set for himself. But then right after he'd walked in and complimented her on how well made it was…
"THESE ARE TRULY THE WORK OF THE SHIELD HERO?!"
The proud emperor was drooling over her display case, which was filled with the accessories Naofumi had created. From fan handles to fishing lures and the like. All of his attempts to make accessories that'd make his allies stronger in the way they wanted, but had granted effects he didn't necessarily like.
"Yep. I watched him every night too." Romina had to wipe some of her drool away. "They're my priceless collection. I'm not selling them to anyone."
"NO WONDER THERESE CALLED HIM A MASTER CRAFTSMAN! THE LOVE THESE GEMS ARE RADIATING FOR THEIR MAKER! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Corrin began spinning while hugging himself. He was just so overfilled with emotion!
"PLEASE! ONE OF THESE BRACELETS WOULD BE PERFECT FOR MY LITTLE KANA!" The Emperor pleaded on his hands and knees. "NAME YOUR PRICE!"
"Sorry, like I said, they're not for sale," Romina smirked. "Not even for you, my Emperor."
"URK!" At first, Corrin looked like he'd been punched in the gut. But almost immediately after, he straightened up. "THAT DOES IT! I MUST SPEAK TO ETHNOBALT ABOUT ESTABLISHING TRADE WITH THIS OTHER WORLD AT ONCE! IF ONLY I'D LEARNED THE TRUTH ABOUT MASTER CRAFTSMAN'S SPECIAL TALENTS SOONER!"
"Yes! This knowledge should be spread through all of Lapis!" Romina readily agreed as stars appeared in her eyes. If Corrin managed to contact Master Craftsman and got him to make even more accessories for the pair, then…!
Indeed, all the Gem People of the world were truly wise.
Naofumi would find himself far more trusted in at least one country compared to before should he ever return. Which would make him far stronger in this world compared to before.
Why, you ask?
Well, let's just say that's a story for another time. :)
The gem of the Hunting Tool shone faintly as Kizuna walked into the store with a friendly wave.
Komo koe wa
Kimi wo michibiku tame
(This voice is to guide you)
The lone merchant chuckled to herself as she crossed the border into the Harpoon Country.
"Hmmm, they seem to have tightened their security here. I almost didn't think my new identity would get me through."
Altorese looked back at the security checkpoint. She was not only dressed in different clothes but had gone the extra mile by using some pretty tricky illusion magic to make her face look and feel different to onlookers.
The gem magic item that did that was beginning to run low on power, however, so she pulled a hood over her head. "Oh well, not like I don't get it. Since I'm kind of responsible for this mess." Alto the merchant and Luvar's ex-minister of commerce said with a satisfied smirk. It felt refreshing to be able to move around again after all this time.
She faced ahead and blended herself in with a crowd of refugees who'd been fleeing from the Musical Instrument's country.
It was a nation full of dungeons and was well known for its love of the fine arts. Its Capital City, full of Stages, Kabuki Theatres, Performance Halls, and other forms of entertainment, was every bard's dream come true. You could not turn around a corner without being greeted by some new musician seeking to acquire fame or some aspiring adventurer seeking to conquer one of the many dungeons outside the city to get rich quick.
It was honestly a great place to live, or well, had might have been a more appropriate term for it in this case. Since, right now, the country was in the middle of a massive civil war.
Alto wouldn't claim that she herself was personally responsible for it. However, she might have been the one to let it slip to a few important contacts about the real cause of Azura's death.
Not that she could blame those corrupt government officials either. Whoever wielded the Vassal Musical Instruments was made "The Successor to the King" outside of times of war. So had they not had Azura assassinated, a member of Lapis's Royalty would have been put in charge of their nation. And with someone like her in charge, they would have quickly lost all their illegal means of hoarding wealth and the best musicians to themselves.
Too bad for them, as many people of the nation had loved the female Musician Hero, and been immensely saddened by her death. It hadn't helped that, under Miyaji, the people had been exploited and abused even more over the last few years.
Learning that their government had ordered Azura's assassination and covered it up had been the needle that broke the camel's back. And now, there was a huge battle between the loyalists and the separatists who bore the colors of Azura to distinguish themselves.
Given that Lapis was backing these separatists up with funds and weapons, it was clear that they'd prevail against their corrupt government soon enough.
Especially since Alto was ready to stir things up here in the Harpoon country next to prevent their forces from assisting.
Alto was here to scout out the Harpoon country's forces. To find out how well they were managing their Waves since it was now the only part of the world where a Wave was still hitting once every two weeks.
She also had to locate the Harpoon Hero's current place of residence, gauge how strong his allies were and what they numbered, see if she could find out what his cheat power was since it hadn't come up in the battle, and so on.
In essence, she was gathering information to lay the groundwork for a future invasion of this country by Kizuna and her friends. And she was stirring up trouble too to prevent Harpoon from interfering in their neighbor's affairs while she was at it.
Alto had made sure to charge the alliance through the nose for her services too. And on top of that, she'd snuck in some Gem Wares on her person that she could sell while spending time in this place.
Yep, even while she'd be gathering information, she was going to make as much money as she could on the side too. Alto giggled to herself, imagining the ways she could wreck this country's economy.
She hadn't met Naofumi. But she had heard rumors of the 'Merchant Demon' who appeared in Mikikage and wrecked the economy of an entire town, only to vanish without a trace right after.
She was envious of this 'Merchant Demon'. Whoever he/she was, Alto couldn't let them one-up her in her favorite pastime.
"I'm so excited, I can hardly wait." Her eyes flashed with glee before disappearing into the crowd of refugees entirely.
It was a good thing she and Naofumi had never talked to one another. Kizuna's prediction of the two making an economic black hole could have very likely come to pass since Alto could have gained the chance to sell many goods from Naofumi's world in their own, and vice versa.
And as much fun as it would have been to have the Harpoon Nation experience an economic collapse…
Some things just should not happen for the sake of both worlds.
Kono te wa
Kimi Wo Dakishimeru tame
(These hands are to embrace you)
Tsugumi and two of her friends stood at the top of a guard tower along one of the walls of L'Arc's capital city.
"I still can't believe they put us on guard duty." The one on her left pouted. She had blue hair and was armed with a simple naginata. She wore simple leather armor over her clothes.
"I think we got off pretty easily, actually. We did attack their city, after all." The other girl, Mayori, said in a small voice. She was also holding a naginata, though she had an additional katana sheathed at her side. She wore leather armor over her outfit, just like her friend.
"His Majesty might have had the mercy to pardon us for our crimes, but he said we'd have to work to win over his trust," Tsugumi spoke at last. She was dressed the same as her friends, but she had two katanas sheathed at her sides. "Funny, the Shield Hero was right on all accounts."
Her face still had some faint scars from the monster transformation she'd undergone. But otherwise, she looked as beautiful as before, even while dressed in what could only amount to beginner's armor. "We'll need to work hard if we're to ever make peace with the friends we lost."
"..." The three all hung their heads in a show of respect.
They'd learned the tragic truth about what happened to those who'd been left behind at Kyo's manor from Kizuna. And even after having all this time to process their grief, it was still a hard and bitter pill to swallow.
Of the hundreds of girls Kazuki had rescued/enslaved over the years, only a few dozen were still alive. And they were all in Sickle.
Most of them were working hard to prove that they could be trusted.
Tsugumi was one of the few working hard to atone for the lives of those she'd killed with her own hands.
Some former members of Kazuki's harem still lay in their beds in the castle's infirmary. Unable, or unwilling to get out and assist like the others.
But hopefully, with enough time, they'd improve enough to take control of their lives, to become masters of their destinies, just like the three girls standing atop a watchtower right now.
Tsugumi still hadn't forgiven Naofumi entirely for their fate. But she now knew that they were at the start of a better path. One where they were able to choose what they wanted to do, and not be subject to the whims of others who'd cast them out once they'd outlived their usefulness.
"We'll work hard, and make sure no one else ever has to live through what we did," Tsugumi promised to her friends.
The blue-haired girl tried to scoff in disbelief, but Mayori looked at Tsugumi with admiration. "Yes! I'll make sure I become strong enough so I can show others the kindness I was given!" She promised.
"Oh, anyone in particular you want to impress?" Her friend suddenly teased her.
"Eep! Um, no, of course not! I just want to be kind to others, that's all!" Mayori yelled, her face turning a bright red.
"Hmmm, I could have sworn it was to impress that one tiger man. You know, the one who talked to you the most out of everyone, what was his name again-" Tsugumi's words were cut off by Mayori slapping her hand over her mouth.
"I don't have a crush on him! Dou-Lon has nothing to do with this!" She screamed.
"Funny, I didn't even bother with remembering his name." The third girl smirked as she joined in on the fun.
"Eh, uh, uh… oh noooooooo!" Mayori hid her face in her hands as her whole body trembled.
Her other two close friends laughed as they teased her even more.
Yes, the girls of Trash's former harem still had much to overcome. But thankfully, they still had each other.
And with moments like this, they'd continue living. For the sake of the world, and in honor of those they'd lost.
They would make sure no other girl ever had to go through the pain of being saved and used by a reincarnator ever again.
Kono toki ga kimi no ashita ni
Imi wo nasu you ni
(So that this time will give meaning to your tomorrow)
"Young master?"
Prime Minister Stone and the other members of the cabinet were inside their usual office. Though, they seemed surprised to see him here.
L'Arc grimaced as he sat down in his spot. "Yeah, what is it?"
"Where is Lady Therese? I don't see her around." One of the ministers there asked curiously.
"Oh, she decided to stop by Lazuli to see her cousin. Said she wanted to spend some free time getting to know her little niece, now that we have some breathing room from the Waves." L'Arc crossed his arms while huffing. "Didn't want me coming along for some reason. But anyway, now that that's out of the way, how about we get some of this stupid paperwork done?"
"... that won't be necessary this time, Your Majesty." Prime Minister Stone stood up from his desk and smiled.
"... Excuse me?" L'Arc looked confused.
Stone looked to his compatriots and his smile grew a little more. "We have finished going through all the reports from our invasion of Luvar, and the world has thankfully calmed down quite a bit thanks to recent events.
"In short, we have nothing that His Majesty is needed for at this time."
…
L'Arc still looked stunned. He thought that Stone would be working him to the bone today since the Scythe Hero thought that there were still a lot of things he needed to catch up on after the mess with Luvar.
Stone walked away from his desk, put his hand on L'Arc's shoulder, and gave him a wink. "You're not going to be able to improve your accessory skills for Lady Therese in secret if we don't pick up the slack for you now and then, right, your Majesty?"
"I… I…" L'Arc started to tear up.
And then, he bowed to his cabinet. "Thank you very much!"
"Of course, but please don't bow down to us. We are the ones who are subservient to you," Stone chuckled and bowed in return.
L'Arc was almost giggling like a little schoolboy as he then ran from the room.
One of the ministers near Stone turned to look at him. "Do you think it was wise to let the young master go? You know how Lady Therese has warned us about stroking his ego."
"Hmmm, to be fair, I've already heard that the recent Waves resulted in almost no casualties or damage whatsoever. The Heroes have all grown immensely strong in such a short time. Everything we've had to do to clean up the sites of these battles has been reduced to a mere trifle of what it was before." The Prime Minister of Sickle smiled to himself.
"And besides that, his Majesty has tackled everything going on in the country that we couldn't handle by ourselves. Our young King Berg can be given some time off to reward him for taking his duties so seriously."
As the other ministers pondered on Stone's words to themselves, the older man then began to laugh. "Lastly, after what the Shield Hero did, I'm sure his Majesty will be all too motivated to want to win over Lady Therese's heart now! We will surely have an heir soon!"
Sure enough, back in his room, L'Arc was already hard at work finishing a bracelet he'd been working on and off over the last two weeks, whenever he had some time. It looked similar to the ones Naofumi made for his beloved goddess.
Next to the King was the page Kyo had written for him. Well, a page and a small textbook that was similar to Naofumi's. On the page itself was a legal deed, giving L'Arc custody of several different mines in Lapis as well as a vineyard that made L'Arc's favorite brand of wine.
As for the textbook? It was focused on crafting accessories.
Yep, Kyo had written it specifically for L'Arc. Some pages were mainly a list of Dos and Don'ts when it came to crafting. There were also instructions for what tools to use for specific tasks, how to train up one's crafting skill, diagrams depicting the various processes of crafting an accessory, and also, thanks to some research Kyo had done years ago, a list of materials and monsters that L'Arc could absorb into his weapon to unlock weapon forms that the Book Hero theorized would give a massive helping hand in the redhead's accessory making skills.
Honestly, like Naofumi's textbook, it went so deep into different things that L'Arc couldn't understand all of it at once.
The fact that Kyo knew L'Arc's situation well enough to leave him a boon like this should have been massively worrying. But L'Arc couldn't have cared less! This was exactly the kind of help that he needed!
He hadn't gone out into the city to drink away at some bar or flirt with some waitress. He was absolutely dedicated to winning over Therese's heart! And he was going to do it, come hell or high water!
It'd taken him hours upon hours of work to find those weapon forms he hadn't gotten already, as well as gathering the right materials and tools he hadn't gotten yet. But, finally, after it was all said and done.
Gold Starfire Bracelet:
Quality: Average
…
Tears fell from L'Arc's eyes.
He'd done it. He'd finally done it! He'd made an accessory of average quality!
It was still nowhere close to what Naofumi could make. And he hadn't tried to enchant it yet. But he was a huge step closer!
"Just you watch, Naofumi! Soon, I'll be making something better than you! And then, I'll be the one who Therese will be drooling over! Aha! Ahahahaha!"
L'Arc placed the accessory in front of him. Shoving everything else on his desk out of the way as he prepared to enchant the item he'd created.
However…
KABOOM!
He messed up somewhere while enchanting the blasted thing, and the new accessory he'd just created ended up exploding in his face. Covering him and his whole room in a layer of black soot.
"DAMN ITTTTTTTTTTTTTT!"
L'Arc still had a ways to go yet.
Shinjiru koto
Sore dake de
Bokura doko dade mo
Tsuyoku nareru
(Just by believing, we can become as strong as can be)
"Ehehehe."
"What's so funny, cousin?" Hinoka asked Therese curiously.
The pair were walking through the gem garden at Lazuli's palace. A pair of golems gently pruned several newly planted Sakura trees around the edges of the rose garden.
"Hmmm, not sure. I just feel like something funny just happened to L'Arc for some reason." Therese tilted her head curiously.
Hinoka sighed. "I will never understand why you two haven't gotten together yet."
"Oh, but there's so much fun in the teasing." Therese grinned.
"Yes," Hinoka smirked. "But there is much more fun to be found afterward in the lovemaking and child-rearing."
"Gah!" Kana screamed happily. She had been crawling behind her mom, but had paused to try and tug a sapphire rose out of the ground with her two small, chubby hands.
"Ack! Kana, wait!" Hinoka turned around and quickly pulled her daughter back from the rose.
"Sniff, WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The little redheaded child began bawling loudly in her mother's arms. Causing Hinoka further distress as she tried to calm her baby down.
"Ehehe." Therese giggled again. "Here Kana, how about you play with this instead?" Putting a hand into her pocket, Therese pulled out a smooth clear cut Ruby.
"WAHHHHH-" Kana's crying cut off as she looked at the gemstone Therese set into her hand curiously.
A warm glow started to come from it as if it was speaking, and Kana began smiling happily again. "GAH!"
Hinoka sighed in relief. Setting her daughter back down on the ground. "Thank you. "
"It's fine. Sometimes you just need a friend or two to help out." Therese smiled widely, before bending down and fixing the sapphire rose Kana had been pulling on back into the ground before the gem golems could come over to fix it themselves. "There, sorry about my little niece, I'm sure she didn't mean any harm." Therese started talking to the gem plant.
The sapphire rose glowed bright in response. And Therese giggled as she started to hold a conversation with it and the roses around it.
Funnily enough, this was around the same spot that Therese herself had been said to have been born from. The gem flowers Therese was talking to were her old friends.
Hinoka smiled while her daughter put her new ruby friend into her mouth, causing it to glow again, this time in a call for help. But Therese wasn't listening and animatedly told her old friends about the adventures she'd been on.
About the parts of the world she'd been able to see. The people she'd gotten to know. The friends she'd made and the excitement and wonder she felt at visiting other worlds.
It seemed like every gem and flower in the garden turned just a little to listen in on her exciting tale.
That was right. Everything here held the possibility of becoming a new Gem Person. Hinoka wouldn't be surprised if this generation of gems and flowers were born with the same sense of wonder and adventure for the outside world that Therese herself held.
They obviously wouldn't remember this conversation after being born. It was rare for a Gem Person to ever remember the time before they came out of the ground as a newborn babe. But the feelings from that time did linger. And such was the effect one could have on the next generation, for better or for worse.
…
Kana spat the ruby she'd been given out of her mouth. And then began to laugh as she hit it against the ground again and again.
The ruby was glowing even more brightly, begging for help.
Hinoka sighed as she tried to coax Kana with one of her toys to give the poor gemstone a break.
The Warrior Queen just hoped that the next generation of gems born from this garden wouldn't have the same propensity of teasing their future spouses that Therese held.
The Warrior Queen sometimes liked teasing her husband as well, but Therese took it to an unhealthy degree, as she learned while listening to her cousin's stories.
She really hoped she toned it down soon, if not for her sake, then for her future husband's.
Kimi ga oshiete Kureta
Ano hi kara kawaranu hikari ga
(That's what you taught me from that day, the unchanging light)
"Medina! Vel!"
The doors to the Greek-styled gym inside Lazuli burst open.
The two red-haired girls in charge looked up in surprise as Daitan sauntered in. Looking surprisingly confident and upbeat compared to when he'd left several weeks ago.
"D-Dai-kun? Is everything alright?! We heard a fight happened at the palace, but nobody's said anything about it!" One of the girls stood up quickly.
Her name was Medina. She was a human girl taller than Daitan by a few inches. She was dressed in knight armor and had well-toned arms and legs. On top of that, she had shoulder-length red hair and green eyes.
"Yeah, what did we miss out on?" The other girl set her large warhammer to the side to face her Hero.
Her name was Vel. She was shorter than Daitan, believe it or not. Her red hair was set in two mini ponytails on the sides of her head. Her knight armor was set off to the side, leaving her dressed in a modest yellow dress. But if her weapon of choice wasn't any indicator, she was very strong, despite her short stature.
Daitan's grin turned into a sincere smile. "Sorry it took so long. I had to travel to other parts of the world so I could register for all the other Hourglasses out there. Also had to deal with some monsters in some areas. Man, I didn't think that it'd take so long, I wanted to come back here as soon as I could, but between Akane and Hoshi needing to get their projects back on track and the fun that went down at the palace, I was just constantly busy. Thankfully, I had Ethnobalt help me out with reaching Hourglasses I hadn't been to yet more quickly. And then I was able to help those two to get to those various hourglasses when they had time and-"
"Um, not to be rude, Dai-Kun, but can you please get to the point?" Medina suddenly interrupted.
The manlet laughed, but his smile didn't falter in the slightest. "The point is, me and the other Cardinal Heroes have decided that we'll be going out and helping the world again. And I wanted to invite you two along for the ride."
…
…
Medina's eyes slowly widened, tears filling them as she put a hand to her mouth. Vel, without any tears, but looking just as speechless, stared at the Blunt Weapons Hero in shock.
"Me and the others found the path to getting stronger. And I learned about ways to help you both get stronger too." Daitan sent the two party notifications. "I know it won't be as easy a life as running this place has been. But I also know you two especially have been pushing me to go back out there for quite a while.
"So what do you say? Want to try this saving the world thing again with me?"
"Blunt… Dai…" Medina started.
…
She then shook her head and squared her shoulders. "Yes, of course!" She accepted the party invitation without hesitation after making up her mind.
"Hmph. Well, somebody's going to have to watch your back." Vel huffed, but she accepted the party invitation as well.
"Just know, now that I'm back, the first item on my list is going out and clearing those undead villages around Lazuli before I really get started on grinding. That fine with you two?" Daitan asked.
"Sure thing!" The two replied simultaneously. They rushed to get themselves ready.
The three would later be spotted at one of the villages destroyed by the Waves north of Lazuli. Dispatching every monster in the area and cleansing it of the undead.
With Daitan's newfound strength, even the LV. 100+ undead monsters didn't stand a chance. And as they grinded, Daitan used power-up methods like [Growth Revision], as well as new weapon forms like his Comradery Mace to help his party members become even stronger.
Within a week, all the undead villages within Lapis's borders would be cleansed in their entirety.
The people in the remaining villages of the nation could rest easy, knowing the Blunt Weapons Hero was out there eradicating the undead monsters that remained in his bid to grow even stronger.
Tatoe futari wo
Wakatsu toki ga kitemo
(Even if the time for us to part comes)
"Hmmm…"
Akane pulled back from her latest creation. A frown was on her face.
"My Lady, is everything alright?" Her maid assistant asked.
Akane didn't immediately respond. She continued eying the gothic-styled dress in front of her.
It had onyxes embedded in the sleeves, but beyond that, it didn't look as fashionable as everything else she usually made. In fact, you could say it looked very similar to a dress one of her new friends wore.
"Lilia, you did some studying on fashion while in the Music Country, what do you think when you look at this?" Akane finally replied.
Her assistant stood up straight. "I'd say it looks completely different from what you normally make. The lack of frills or gemstones on it is also surprising. Though the materials you've used to make it are of high quality. I wouldn't call it beautiful, but I also wouldn't call it ugly."
"Would you call it practical then?" Akane asked.
"Yes. That is the word that comes to mind. Is this what you plan to launch next?"
"It is." Akane nodded.
"My Lady, is it alright if I ask why?" Lilia asked.
…
Akane's frown slowly turned into a smile. "I want to make something that'll make girls smile… but I also want to make them something that'll help to keep them safe."
Gothic-Style Dress (A-Cup)
Equip Effects: Defense Up, Magic Up (Small), Dark Resistance Up (Medium), Water Resistance Up (Small), Slash Resistance Up (Medium), Blunt Resistance Up (Small)
Unlike everything else she'd made before, this was Akane's first attempt at making a Battle Dress. An outfit that would strengthen whoever was wearing it.
"I see, so you want to try and tap into the adventurer's market?" Lilia asked.
"Not just them." Akane gently moved her hand across the sleeve of the dress. "I want to make dresses that can protect girls the world over, while also helping them to feel good about themselves.
"Whether they're big or small, they deserve the right to smile. And to be comfortable in their own skin."
"I see…" Lilia slowly smiled. "Might I suggest variations with sapphires and emeralds on the sleeves as well then? That should offer different elemental resistances when they're finished."
"Great idea! Thanks, Lilia!" Akane responded enthusiastically, looking the dresses over and thinking of how she could not only change the gemstones, but the colors of the dress to match with them.
She then began drawing sketches of everything that came to mind on her notepad while Lilia moved the stands out of the way so that when Akane was finished, she could immediately move to a table to get to work on her next design.
The Jewel Heroine would go on to design line after line of Battle Dresses for the people of her world in the weeks to come. She not only inadvertently started a new fashion craze based on Kizuna's outfit, but also helped strengthen the women of her world with outfits that offered the best protection.
Her hunt for better materials also led her to continue strengthening herself and to participate in Waves alongside the other Cardinal Heroes. Her closest friends.
And in time, she possibly might have begun to develop a crush on one of them.
…
Though, rumors gradually spread that she used her free time to practice her fishing skills. It seemed that she wanted a rematch against the Hunting Tools Hero later on.
That too would be a story for another time.
Kanarazu mata
Kimi wo mitsukeru kara
(I will definitely find you once again)
"Ah, it's done."
Hoshi smiled as he lifted his hand from the final page of his manuscript, giving one final look over his work.
The protagonist had a fist raised to the sky in victory. The cracks spewing monsters from the sky were shown to have been closed. Forever.
All of the lead's friends stood behind him, with a cute little mascot that looked strangely like Raph-Chan resting on one of the guy's shoulders.
Perhaps it was a little optimistic to think this was what it'd look like when the Waves of Catastrophe were over. Hoshi didn't mind that so much though. And as he closed the manuscript to reveal the cover, a special message could be seen beneath the title.
All proceeds shall go to helping out victims of the Waves of Catastrophe!
Hoshi's smile grew a little softer. He'd already made a lot of money in this world by following his hobby. And even though he was still going to be leveling up and getting stronger to fight the Waves, he knew this was where he'd be the most useful.
He didn't know any charities off the top of his head who had this as their goal. He very well might need to start one up himself. Still, he was appreciative to be putting his talents to good use like this. So many people had suffered due to his inaction.
This was only the first step of many in repaying those debts that he and the other two cardinals had accumulated upon themselves.
…
Thinking about it, it'd only been a month ago that he'd been too scared to step out of this room. Stressed by writer's block and unwilling to do anything to overcome it.
Yet now? He was a Cardinal Hero. Helping out the people of the world and being a beacon of hope for everyone around him.
He'd grown quite a lot in a short period. And he'd only continue to grow in power and confidence as the months progressed.
Perhaps Naofumi had been right after all. Hoshi didn't need to start as someone special.
He just had to learn and grow; just like the Shield Hero. Just like every other Hero out there.
Those were the best Heroes, after all.
…
"Hoshi, are you coming down to eat anytime soon?" A familiar voice asked from the door behind him.
Looking back, Hoshi saw Kuro, his cat/maid cafe's first and most important employee, looking as bored as ever. "I'm happy that you've finally gotten past that writer's block of yours, but-"
"Ah, thanks Kuro-Chan, but before that, I need to ask something." Hoshi tried to remain calm and composed. He now had to act the image of a Hero, after all.
…
HA! He didn't even last more than two seconds before he suddenly dropped to the floor lightning fast. His body was prostrated, but his head was raised, revealing the stars that'd appeared over his eyes. "CAN I PWEASE WUB YOUR BELLY KURO-CHAN?! IT'S BEEN SO LONG!"
The small gem-cat girl immediately stepped back in surprise. "O-O-Ofuda Hero, wh-wh- we just did that this morning-"
Hoshi dived for the girl of his dreams. As cute as Raph-Chan was, not even she could compare to the grace and magnificence of Kuro. "I PWOMISE, I JUST NEED A MINUTE TO NUZZLE MY FACE IN YOUR WARM BELLY FUR AND-"
OOF!
The Monochrome Hero's face slammed into the closed door
"Y-You got all the time you needed rubbing my belly earlier!" Kuro yelled in an embarrassed voice. "Ask someone else to do it, Ofuda-sama!"
Hoshi's starstruck grin grew even more. An embarrassed Kuro-Chan was even better than a kuudere Kuro-Chan!
Yes, he had grown, but he had still retained that particular trait of his. He just couldn't get enough of cute things, especially soft and cuddly animals, or girls, or girls who could transform into soft and cuddly cutesy animals.
"UOOOHHHH! JUST FOR ONE HOUR! I PROMISE THAT'S ALL I NEED TO BE HAPPY WITH LIFE, KURO-CHAN!" Hoshi screamed in desperation.
"What happened to one minute?!" The cat girl screeched, and the round topaz embedded in her forehead flashed dangerously. "Please stop! The customers downstairs don't need to hear about this!"
The last volume of Hoshi's manga would go on sale within a week. And it would not only sell out, but the funds from it would go towards helping out victims of the Waves the world over.
Hoshi, while remaining the weakest of the four Heroes, would nonetheless be the backbone that helped them to stay together. Being the one Kizuna would normally come to whenever she visited Lapis in the future.
"FIVE HOURS! NO, TEN!" Hoshi pleaded, breaking through the door.
"NO!" The gem cat hissed and began to bat away at Hoshi with her claws as he clung to her like a leech.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
…
When Hoshi wasn't obsessed with Kuro-Chan, of course.
Yureru nibasha ni yokotawari
Nagareru hoshi wo kazoeatta
Surikomareta kodoku ya fuan
Itsu Shika yokaze ni magire kieta
(Lying on a shaky wagon, counting the shooting stars)
(The firmly imprinted solitude and unease disappeared into the night wind unnoticed)
"Lady Yomogi!"
The boarish girl paused in her tracks as a little girl ran up the street towards her. She was holding a small flower in her hands. "This is for you!" She said happily.
"Oh, thank you." Yomogi smiled as she held the blossoming flower in her hand. It had white petals and looked pretty.
The little girl continued on her way, smiling happily as she ran back to her mother. The mom gave Yomogi a kind wave and a smile as they continued down the street toward their apartment complex.
It still felt weird for Kyo's former retainer to walk around the Capital as the new head of Luvar. She was treated with a level of kindness and respect she wasn't used to from others, particularly the common people.
Her taking control of the country's military and the parliament was initially supposed to be just a stopgap measure. A way to calm things down, before she'd step down in favor of a properly elected chief representative.
But with the recent election results, that was no longer the case.
Yomogi didn't understand. The remaining officers and their soldiers pledging their loyalty to her was already a stretch since she was never officially a part of the chain of command. She had always been a spokesperson, a face that would pass on Kyo's instructions and orders before.
Sure, she'd also heavily contributed to suppressing the waves that had been plaguing Luvar for all these years and occasionally directed search and rescue efforts in their aftermath. But even then, all of her commendations and honors were civilian in nature. Was that reason enough to just put her in charge of the army with a near-unanimous agreement from the remaining chain of command?
But when the members of the parliament began to fall over each other, begging her for guidance, it became ridiculous. She could argue that she was a soldier in spirit, but she definitely wasn't a politician! Again, her presence there had always been one of a mediator, the one who'd put the morons in their place so the ones with decent ideas could be heard. At least when she wasn't delivering the Book Hero's orders.
So why?
Why? With Kyo's fall, the soldiers, the politicians, and even the citizens should have been seeing her as a convenient scapegoat, as someone to throw all of their anger and frustrations over their loss onto. Without Kyo, she would no longer have any authority, influence, or power.
...
84%
She won the election by a landslide, with the next largest candidate's share of votes amounting to 6%.
Yomogi forced for the votes to be recounted three times, before finally giving up and accepting the results as genuine.
Everyone praised her as some kind of wise and charismatic leader who managed to peacefully settle the foolish war caused by the Demon Lord, due to his insane ambitions. Conveniently forgetting that the populace was in full support of his plan only weeks prior.
So here she was, Luvar's arbiter and head of military rolled in one. Able to freely move around the capital with not even a single spiteful look directed her way. For some reason, Luvar's people believed in and trusted her.
Even after several weeks, Yomogi still wasn't used to it, but interactions like what happened to the little girl earlier helped her to smile just a little bit more. So she continued on her way.
There had been a lot of changes to the nations of their world, both physically and politically.
Sickle was still considered the world's breadbasket thanks to all the food it produced. But thanks to L'Arc's recent successes on the battlefield and diplomatically at the negotiating table, his nation was no longer in danger of being invaded by any of the smaller countries surrounding him. He was able to build himself up as a leader the people of the world could rally behind, alongside Kizuna and the other Heroes. Sickle's importance would only grow as time went on.
Lapis was still the predominant power in terms of power and wealth. However, even with three Cardinal Heroes at its beck and call, Corrin had chosen to bend his knee to Kizuna. Breaking Lapis's long-standing neutral stance and allying itself with Sickle as well as Label and several other countries.
Label wasn't anywhere near as powerful as the first two nations, as its rough terrain made it lacking in many resources. But Label's full military might, as well as the might of its many mercenary bands, weaponsmiths, and armorsmiths were dedicated to the alliance Sickle had established to fight the Waves and those who threatened the peace in their world.
Mikikage… didn't exist in name anymore. Kyo's invasion of the Mirror Country's Capital had been so thorough that the entire fortress city had been razed to its very foundations. The country was now technically a protectorate of Sickle at the moment, though it'd always been one of the poorer nations in the North that only still existed thanks to the Vassal Mirror. Since it didn't even have that anymore, the entire country was on the brink of collapse.
Yomogi did hear that Kizuna had some ideas for introducing sentient monster tribes to the area as a way to help improve relations with those who'd allied with the Demon Dragon and lost the war long ago. Though if that ever came to pass, Yomogi wasn't sure.
That left the last major country on the table that'd changed drastically; Luvar.
Before the coalition invaded it, Luvar had been second in terms of power worldwide, being only behind Lapis. Yet it was almost as advanced as the Gem Country, thanks to Kyo's hard work and inventions, and was seen as the best place in the world to attain an education in magic, business, and other fields of study. Some of the magicians produced in Luvar were even said to be more skilled than Lapis's military noblesses, though the previous battle might have been a harsh reality check in that regard.
Yomogi was currently on her way to give the Initiation Speech at the Capital's University. Which would be welcoming in a new generation of talent from all across the world.
This was something Kyo had done multiple times in the past as the Book Hero and as Arbiter of Luvar after he was elected to the position, yet she never thought she'd be taking his place to do the same thing.
It made her feel nervous. But it also gave her some much-needed hope.
Hope that their world could finally walk the path to recovery. That they'd be successful in fighting off the Waves. That life could return to a sense of normalcy without fear of the world ending.
By the time she was ushered to a podium to speak to the crowd of young adults before her; Yomogi was able to speak confidently as she imparted her words of wisdom and encouragement to the young minds before her.
Most of which she'd gotten from her only childhood friend as they grew up long ago.
Kimi wa nemuri ni tsuku mae ni
Donna sekai wo negau no
Subete wo wasurete shimau mae ni
Hitotsu demo ooku kanaetain da
(Before you fall asleep, what kind of world do you wish for?)
(Before everything ends up forgotten, I want to make even just one more wish come true)
When Yomogi's new duties finally relaxed enough for her to have a break, the girl returned to Kyo's summer villa and departed into the forest behind it to check on something.
She knew the area was close to her new home, but she never had time to come out here, because of how busy she was. Yet now she had some free time, and as she walked, she carried one of her now famous Replica Sword Blades while keeping an eye out for monsters.
"Kao." Kaoru rested on her shoulder, nuzzling against her hair. She was tempted to raise her hand to pet her son, but that hand was gripping the page that Kyo had gifted to her.
It was two-sided. On one side was Kyo's last bit of guidance on how the Book Country should proceed going forward. The surviving government officials could have easily ignored these orders since Kyo was dead, but despite the events that'd gone down, the Book Hero had still been vastly respected for everything he'd accomplished. So Yomogi was able to push them through easily enough.
On the back of that page though was a map. One that had a line leading away from the summer villa and deep into the nearby forest.
Yomogi could vaguely recall this area from her childhood memories. She was certain she'd helped Kyo gather ingredients for some potion here once upon a time. The purple flowers blooming in the area, something she couldn't recall the name of, were a rare species.
She wished she could remember more of the details. At least she was able to follow the line on the map without getting herself lost.
…
Eventually, she came upon a grove of trees, and looking down at the page, she saw a drawing that looked just like what she was looking at. She frowned as she surveyed the area but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.
Leaves covered the ground, but beyond that, there was nothing special about it. Nothing waiting for her or anything.
…
Yomogi sighed to herself as she sat on the ground. "Kao?" Kaoru flew off her shoulder and landed in her lap, staring at her in curiosity.
"I'm sorry, Kaoru, I guess I wasted our time coming out here after all." Yomogi smiled sadly as she petted her son on the head.
"Kao." The shikigami continued to look confused though. And Yomogi sighed again as she put her hand to her face.
She had no idea what she'd been expecting coming out here. Maybe she'd hoped to find some final message or something from Kyo. Xander had done that for Corrin, apparently, so she'd hoped that she might find something similar here.
It didn't look like that was the case though. Yomogi expressed her disappointment as Kaoru hopped out of her lap, and she mentally prepared herself to get up again so she could walk back to her home and-
"Kao! Kao!" Kaoru suddenly began to squawk.
Yomogi snapped to her feet, her sword gripped in both hands as she prepared to face whatever monster had charged out of the forest to fight them.
However, Kaoru was not crying out in fear, but for her attention. Looking at him, she found that he'd used wind magic to clear the ground in front of them of leaves. And beneath those leaves… was a door made of metal?
Yomogi tilted her head in confusion, but Kaoru continued gesturing at the solid iron plate. Looking weirdly excited for some reason.
Looking at her map again, she wondered if this was what Kyo had wanted her to find.
The girl moved forward, setting the sword on the ground beside her. Then, she used her immense strength to pull the heavy iron-plated door up and out of the way. Immediately, a series of lamps blazed to life on the walls, revealing a stairwell leading down to a wooden door.
She took the steps three at a time, throwing caution to the wind as she rushed to the bottom. And barely a few seconds after discovering the staircase, she threw open the door.
…
…
Her eyes misted over as tears fell down the sides of her face.
"K-Kyo…!" Yomogi began to bawl like a baby.
The room was full of miscellaneous items. Furniture. Shelves filled with books. A baby grand piano. A large bed and some other items.
It was as if a whole home's worth of stuff had been thrown into here.
But it wasn't just any stuff.
It was everything that'd been missing from Kyo's mansion.
Looking at the bed, she saw a familiar teddy bear plushie with its head resting against a pillow. Beside it was an old and worn Order Ofuda.
"Kao." Kaoru landed next to the plushie and stared at it curiously.
Yomogi sat on the edge of the bed, hugging the plushie to herself. "This… this was the first gift Kyo ever gave to me!" She cried in sadness and joy.
Everything she'd treasured… it was all there. Every last bit of it, except the man himself.
Yomogi cried in that room for a long time with her shikigami son looking confused again. Yet he moved behind her and hugged her back.
The girl was touched by the confirmation that Kyo had cared about her. And eventually, she started the task of taking everything Kyo had stored away into her new home.
Among the items inside was the rest of his missing will. A legal document she'd never seen before, but which gave the rest of Kyo's listed assets to her, from his remaining vineyards in Lapis to the designs for everything he'd ever invented. All these documents and more had the seal of the Book Hero engraved on them, making them permanently binding.
Yomogi had already been determined to continue fighting for the sake of her world. But the inheritance Kyo left for the orphaned girl, his childhood friend, ensured she would be taken care of for the rest of her life.
Kono me wa
Kimi wo mimamoru tame
(These eyes are to watch over you)
"Master Miyamoto, we've finished moving the Hourglass outside of Central City."
"Excellent, well done. Make sure to secure it in its new location and then take some time to rest. You all deserve it."
The samurai knight formally bowed to the old minister of Label, thanking him before rushing out to pass the news to the others.
"Father, is it ok to leave the hourglass outside the city in a simple shack?" The clan elder's female attendant, who was also his daughter, asked him with a frown.
"I mean, I can't say I entirely understand, but Master Miyamoto probably has his reasons, right?" Another person standing in the room spoke up as well.
That one soldier who'd survived everything from the regression prison to the war against Luvar had been promoted once again. He had no idea how he was now the Minister's bodyguard of all people, but life had a funny way of working out, as he'd come to find.
The girl scowled at him, before looking at her old man again. "I know you discussed it with me before Father, but I wish we could have at least moved it into one of our fortresses nearby. Where it is now, it'll be hard to defend it and prevent others from registering to it."
The leader of Label frowned. "Perhaps, but we barely had the forces to move it out of the city without all of our soldiers collapsing from exhaustion. We're lucky enough that Lapis has lent us some of their noblesses to stand guard while we prepare the Hourglass's new home."
They just had to move it outside of the city, so that enemy armies couldn't teleport inside the middle of their defenses like before. And then, once they'd ensured that Lapis's security measures were incorporated in the building that housed their Dragon Hourglass, they could move it back to its original place.
Even if some evil fellows that escaped Kizuna's purge in Lapis registered to the unprotected Hourglass to try and target Label again in the future, they would find themselves in a trap very similar to what Lapis had employed around its Hourglass for any army unfortunate enough to be caught up in it.
The Prime Minister's daughter was still frowning though. And part of that frown was etched onto Miyamoto's face too.
"We… have so much we have to do." She finally said. "So much left that we have to make up for."
"If only we had accepted the Katana's new wielder instead of listening to Kazuki." She sighed.
"I agree... However, then again, her partner was the Shield Hero from another world. Perhaps we were fated to lose the Katana as soon as Raphtalia was chosen." The old man stood up, testing the name of the new Katana Hero on his lips.
He moved to a window, looking out over Central City from the top of the pagoda Citadel. Some of the buildings and walls were still amid repairs after Luvar's surprise invasion, but the citizens, all those who'd survived the onslaught, had returned and were helping in the reconstruction of their homes.
In planting new sakura trees in their parks, in raising walls for their shops, and laying down stones for their streets; they helped in every facet that had made their city home once before.
Miyamoto knew he was talking about the Katana Hero, but he also pictured the Hunting Tools Hero standing beside him. Looking down in awe at the view of their city as she had years ago when she'd visited with Kenshiro. And then later on, when the other Cardinal Heroes had stood in this same spot with the heavily-scarred, yet still smiling version of Kenshiro.
To think such a little girl had helped their Hero to save their country. And the way they'd repaid her for that kindness…
The Masamune clan head had already given several gifts to both Lapis and Sickle, after everything that'd happened. Gifts that'd ensure their symbol of friendship would bloom and blossom for many, many years.
However…
"Perhaps losing the Katana is the wake-up call that we all needed." The older man balled his hand into a fist. "We shall not rest until every one of us can look at the Heroes as people instead of tools to exploit for the good of our country."
"... can we accomplish that in our lifetimes though?" His daughter asked. "Such ways of thinking have been engraved in the people's minds for generations."
"Whether we'll be the ones who'll accomplish it or not, it doesn't matter. We will still try and do our best. I will start us down this path at once. And I ask you to continue to stay on this path when I am gone too, my daughter.
"For the good of our children who'll rise to take our place, and for Kizuna, the Hero who can't attack people, but who has saved more than we ever could." The old man promised.
"..." His attendant and future heir remained silent for a moment, and while she didn't smile, her frown vanished. "I shall gather the other clan heads at once to discuss your vision going forward."
"Send messages to the outlying towns too. We shall pass this along to everyone in Label." The older man ordered.
The woman walked out to fulfill her father's commands, and the Minister of Label stayed standing in his spot. Looking out over his city, and imagining it as a place even more beautiful than what it'd been before.
A haven where people wouldn't have to live in fear of the ambitions of totalitarians who wanted control over their world.
This would be his penance. And Label would eventually grow to become one of the most respected nations in the future of the world because of his actions in the present.
…
And his bodyguard, who'd melted into the background, sighed in relief at the thought that he'd never have to be on the bad side of the ruby-eyed demoness ever again.
Kono koe wa
Kimi wo michibiku tame
(This voice is to guide you)
A female knight with red-tinted blonde hair was frantically packing everything that she needed, when the world's greatest adventurer suddenly burst into the room, two fully packed suitcases in his hands.
"Tira! Where's Wendy?! The Wave is happening in less than a minute!"
"I-I'm sorry, Lord Akami!" The knight figure, whose full name was Tiramisu, quickly bowed. "I-I've been busy trying to find everything we'll need, a-and-"
Thankfully, she was cut off as another door slammed open, and a young teenage dog girl ran out, crying as she carried a large wide-open suitcase in her arms. "P-Papa, please help me! I can't get it to close!" She pleaded.
Rem's look of anger immediately disappeared, replaced with concern as he got down and pushed the two ends of the suitcase together as hard as he could. He used earth magic to summon two clamps to help him with this task.
Tiramasu quickly ran up and assisted, and they were thankfully able to zip the bulging case full of clothes, canned goods, and other things they'd need for their journey shut.
"Alright, that should hopefully hold us over till we're settled in the next world," Rem said, pulling up his HUD to find that they had only thirty seconds left till the Wave started and they would get teleported.
"P… Papa, do we have to leave everything behind?" Wendy asked, looking incredibly sad.
"I'm sorry, honey. I wish we didn't, but we no longer have a choice." Rem shook his head, resting a hand on the dog girl's head between her ears.
He still remembered how he adopted her years ago and raised her as his own. He thought he'd just be doing some other side quest in the aftermath of the Demon Dragon's war against the world, only to find her being sold as a rare slave in some auction.
He had no idea how she'd ended up in this world. Animal demi-humans weren't supposed to exist here. Unless she was the descendant of some past Vassal Hero summoned from another world or something.
Either way, he never did learn about her past. And ended up rescuing her alongside his quest target before taking the girl he named Wendy into his home.
Normally, Wendy would be showing off some of the more unfortunate aspects of Rem's personality that the girl had absorbed over the years. But thankfully, none of those were showing at the moment.
Right now, she was too scared and her eyes darted around with worry.
After Rem had been outed as an enemy to the world, he'd returned home as quickly as possible after he respawned, only to find out that just about everyone he'd ever known had left him except his daughter and his loyal Tiramasu.
The only positive side to it all was that the good reputation that Rem had maintained in his country bought him a grace period of two weeks, during which he wouldn't be hunted down by law enforcement or bounty hunters.
That was as much time as the Adventuer's Guild master and the various country officials could give him though, before they'd be forced to report to the alliance that he was back and try to apprehend him.
While Rem was completely confident that he could evade and ambush the weaker groups by himself, thanks to his cheat, he did not want to live in a world where the Heroes would kill him if they ever came across him. So, after going over the short list of his potential options, he decided that the best course of action for him would be to escape to another world through the use of a wave and start his life over there.
Would such rampant disregard for his duties piss off his bosses? Absolutely. They might even shatter his soul for this, but by his estimates, those were better odds than facing those insanely overpowered heroes.
He still recalled just how high the stats of the Cardinal Heroes had all become… Maybe, they were even higher than those of his employers. Rem wouldn't know for sure, since he never dared to use his cheat on the sparsely few occasions that he was contacted by them directly, instead of through their enforcers. Either way, he was not going to stay to fight a losing battle.
"I promise, whatever happens, we'll make a new life for ourselves in the new world. And whatever we end up doing, I will protect you both for staying by my side." Rem promised the two girls.
Wendy was still crying, but Tira nodded her head.
Soon after, the timer in the corner of Rem's vision hit 0, and he and the two girls were transported with their luggage to the sight of the Wave at Harpoon.
Nobody fighting at that Wave did see if Rem and those with him had ever arrived or not. And that was the best for the man nearing his late 20s, as they managed to reach a Wave Crack undetected and escaped to a different world that wasn't Glass's or Raphtalia's.
There, the former supreme adventurer would manage to find a place to settle down, marry Tiramasu, safely grind some levels, and then the two would officially adopt Wendy as their daughter and raise her in that world.
Rem adventured now and then to help support his family, but overall, he stayed out of the public eye in that world. Fading to obscurity, to make sure that he'd never catch the attention of the Holy Heroes again…
Or that of his bosses, who thankfully had bigger concerns than hunting him down at the moment.
Konote wa
Kimi wo dakishimeru tame
(These hands are to embrace you)
"Hmmm…"
Ethnobalt hummed as he closed the latest text he was using to try and cross-reference with the main text he had on the Waves.
Rishia had helped to speed up his process of translation considerably. Looking back at the part of the book that'd originally shown the legend of the worlds fighting with one another, he realized that was indeed part of what it said. However, Rishia's hard work had helped them to learn that while they were fighting each other, it was under the watchful eyes of a group of individuals forcing the two worlds to fight one another, like a match in a large colosseum.
This was worrying on many levels. If only the rest of the book wasn't so hard to translate. There were still no new details on who these individuals were. Or how their world had managed to fight back against them in the past.
Looking through other parts of the book, Ethnobalt cross-checked other bits he'd managed to translate into info that they already knew. Such as a Cardinal Hero's participation suppressing the Waves for a longer period. Or how the Waves increased in power over time as more Wave Energy accumulated in the world.
One interesting bit of info that confused him was close to the section on the Waves being a free-for-all. According to it, the monsters that supplied the Wave came from both worlds, as well as… somewhere else.
He didn't know for certain, but it was something he'd theorized himself, especially after seeing the Wave that Kyo had summoned. Despite it being an artificial wave, monsters had still arrived in both worlds. Stranger yet, the other side of the Wave had been directly over the Capital of a nation. Definitely not an area where monsters would accumulate.
That left him with the question, where did the monsters come from if not the other world? Were they coming from 'their' world? Was that why most monsters that came through dissipated into shadowy mist after they were destroyed?
If that was the case, just how powerful were 'they' to be able to do this?
…
Ethnobalt let out a soft sigh as he put the texts to the side.
He decided to ponder more about it the next time he studied. For now, he raised the rock that Rishia had given him and began to focus on it.
The Boat Hero wasn't just dedicated to figuring out the mystery of the Waves or the inventions Kyo had left for him. He needed to get stronger too. Strong enough that he'd be able to help his friends face 'them' without holding them back.
He hadn't managed to get his life force to come out into the rock yet, since he had so little time to practice. But Rishia had taught him enough that he could focus on his body and feel his ki circulating through his veins. He was, slowly, but surely, learning how to manipulate the lines of energy to do what he wanted.
Eventually, he'd learn how to expel that energy from his body. And then, he'd be able to train with it, just as Rishia had shown him.
Time would tell if his efforts to get stronger would pay off or not.
Kono toki ga futari no mirai ni
Hana wo soeru you ni
(So that this time will add color to the future of the two of us)
"AHHHHHH!" BOOM!
The figures in the room huddled fearfully in the corner as Orokana destroyed the mantle at the back of the room. He turned around, his eyes blazing with anger. "THAT BITCH! SHE DARED TO HAVE THE AUDACITY TO THREATEN ME?! THE TRUE MASTER OF THIS WORLD!"
"O-Orakana, please, none of us doubt your power." A woman with wings coming out of her back fearfully approached him.
The Humming Fairy was desperately holding onto the strength of her love for the Harpoon Hero to steel herself and try and calm him down. "We promise, all of us will do our best to assist you in acquiring your revenge and-"
"SHUT UP KUFLIKA! I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!"
SLAP!
The woman, the former General of Wind from the Demon Dragon's army, was forcefully thrown across the room by the strength of the Harpoon Hero's slap.
When she hit the ground, she was bleeding and looked severely hurt. Her eyes stared up at Orakana again. Only, this time, there was no love in them whatsoever. Only terror at the sight before her.
Two weeks of seeing this had finally broken her.
"I DON'T NEED ANYONE'S HELP! I'LL FACE OFF AGAINST THE HUNTING TOOLS HERO MYSELF! AND I WILL MAKE HER PLEAD FOR MERCY AS I BEHEAD HER FRIENDS ONE BY ONE!"
Kuflika and the others shook in terror again. The humming fairy finally realized that the man who'd shown her kindness after her old master's defeat, the man who'd convinced her that there were kind humans in the world…
That man no longer existed.
He'd probably never existed to begin with.
He had become the definition of what the Demon Dragon had been fighting against. The blonde-haired humming fairy looked down at the floor, tears escaping her eyes.
Orokana was about to scream more, but then, his face stiffened. It felt like his heart was seizing in his chest again.
"Hey, come on. What are you so afraid of all of a sudden? Don't you know who I am?" The darkness in front of Orokana crawled closer, almost reaching his legs. "I'm the Hunting Tools Hero! I can't hurt you! Not even while you're just a soul!"
"NO! NO! GET BACK!"
Two eyes stared at him from the dark suffocating void. His non-existent heart furiously beat in his ears like drums in an overpowering cacophony of noise and static.
"You still have your weapon, don't you? I'll tell you what. You can have one free shot at me!
"With how weak I am, you should still be able to kill me, so go for it!"
"STAY AWAY FROM MMMMMEEEEEEEEEEE!"
NO! HE WASN'T THERE ANYMORE! HE WAS IN HIS HOME TERRITORY! HE WAS STRONG ENOUGH HERE THAT HE COULD EVEN GO TOE TO TOE WITH 'THEM' THANKS TO HIS CHEAT [HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE]!
SO LONG AS HE STAYED IN HIS NATION, HE WOULD BE UNSTOPPABLE! HE WOULD MAKE THAT WHORE PAY!
HE WOULD-
Two eyes stared at him from the dark suffocating void.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Orokana continued to scream in a mix of insanity and terror, throwing random skills out around him to hit the predator that wasn't there, destroying more and more of the throne room in the process.
The two other girls helped Kuflika up and healed her injuries. And then, they departed out of the room. Leaving the Harpoon Hero's mansion through the front gate.
Orokana's harem would never return to the place ever again. And would eventually meet a woman named Alto, who'd help them escape the country in exchange for the info they held.
…
Meanwhile, in another part of the mansion…
"Daaaaaaamn iiiiiiiit! Why did I have to escape with him? Why did I have to escape with him? Why did I have to escape with him?!"
A young man cooked instant noodles on a stovetop in the Harpoon Hero's kitchen. Seya looked like he'd seen better days.
His eyes were bloodshot. Like Orokana, he had not had a peaceful night since surviving what'd happened in Lapis. Not only were the memories of it vividly engraved into his brain, but he had a crutch under his left arm too.
The reason for it was that his left leg was entirely gone, due to him losing that part of his soul.
As Seya sprinkled the simple meal with a powdery substance, he looked incredibly anxious as every other chef who'd worked in Orokana's palace/mansion before had run off. Too afraid of arousing their master's wrath to want to cook for him again.
Seya was not there by choice. After his soul had escaped alongside Orokana's and respawned next to him, he'd been given new temporary orders by his superiors. Not the actual bosses, thankfully. 'They' must have been busy with something, because Seya and Orokana were instead approached by one of the enforcers.
Seya was told to stay in the Harpoon Hero's country and use his cheat skills to help Orokana grow stronger.
It didn't help that Seya couldn't return to his restaurant either. His face was on every wanted board inside of his former nation. At least half of his former harem members were in prison while the other half had formally denounced him in public.
This was, of course, after they and Seya's loyal customers had been given antidotes that cleaned their systems of the addictive drugs that Seya had laced all of his cooking with for years.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" As the young man readied the noodles in a bowl, he heard another insane-sounding scream reverberate through the walls of the palace.
Seya sweatdropped as he sprinkled more of the powdery substance from earlier over the finished product, before hobbling towards the door with one leg and his crutch for support.
All he had to do was ensure Orokana became as strong as possible to challenge the Heroes again, right? Alright, he could do this. He just had to make sure he didn't piss off Orokana too early.
Seya was patient. He would slowly bide his time as the drugs kicked in and boosted the false Harpoon Hero's power levels and made him subservient to Seya's whims.
The reincarnator could surely pull that off without dying, right?
…
Right?
Itsu kara darou
Kimi no mirai ga
Boku nashi no mirai de
(I wonder from when your future is a future without me)
"Ahhh…"
The Emperor let out a disappointed sigh as he appeared in front of his nation's Dragon Hourglass.
The room was oval, with fancy ornate pillars covered in various gemstones running along the sides.
The room had formerly been bare. Being one of the only parts of Lapis where gemstones weren't part of the decor as the Hourglass itself had been the most beautiful thing in the room, and to try and match its beauty with that of gems would have been preposterous, to say the least.
Now though, these gems were here for a practical reason. For they had the same enchantments on them as the walls of Lazuli. On top of that, two sets of Gem Golems stood guard on both sides of the room. A pair of noblesse commandos was constantly on watch in a command center that overlooked the general area from above.
If any reincarnators ever tried to use the Hourglass to sneak in, they'd find the Gem Golems in there waiting to snuff them out. And in case something soulless like a mimic familiar ever tried to use the Hourglass to get past them, the noblesse commandos could activate the gem walls and pillars to annihilate the creatures out of existence. And that was only the traps that could be seen on the surface.
Other failsafes weren't listed. Failsafes that would be a nasty surprise for anyone dumb enough to portal inside with intentions to harm the Empire.
It was unlikely that such a scenario would ever come up again in the future. But Corrin was known for being too careful for a reason.
Anyway, the Gem Emperor let out a sigh again as a set of Gem Golems opened the bottom doors, allowing him to go into a long hallway that led to the palace proper.
To think he'd gone over to Sickle wanting to see the set of Adamantium Armor Romina had made, only to come across something far better.
He was still disappointed that he couldn't bring an accessory back for Kana or for his wife. It would have made for a perfect gift for them.
"Your Majesty, is everything alright?"
Corrin looked up, finding Cole and Ryoma walking down the hall towards him. Cole had been the one to speak, but Ryoma spoke up next. "You are not still troubled by Xander's loss, are you, brother?"
The Emperor slowed to a stop. And the pair stopped in front of him.
The thoughts of what he'd been troubled by before vanished, replaced by the sense of loss he still felt even after everything that had happened.
"That wasn't what was on my mind, but yes, I am still troubled by Xander's death, just like you, Ryoma," Corrin answered, his shoulders sagging.
The General of Lapis sagged in place as well. "I… I'm sorry to bring him up.
"It's still hard for me to believe that out of all of us to rise out of that garden… it is just me, you, and Hinoka left now," Ryoma said sadly. "I was the one who rose next after Xander, and yet… I've had to watch for Azura, and Camilla, and Takumi, and Elise, and Leo, and now he depart before their time.
"At times, it makes me regret that I was so overly focused on training to take command of Lapis's military forces. It makes me wish that I could have spent more time with our family like Xander had."
"..." Corrin didn't respond. His head hung low in front of him.
"..." Ryoma began to smile though, and he set a hand on Corrin's shoulder. "But while I hold those regrets, I will still cherish my memories of them. And will continue to do my best to assist you even now, brother."
"Regret can hold us back, or it can propel us forward. Whatever comes next, my blade shall be yours to command."
…
Corrin slowly moved forward, hugging his older brother close. Ryoma closed his eyes and hugged the young Emperor back.
No one was there to witness the exchange. No one except Cole, who stood to the side and made no attempt to interrupt the tender moment.
He had been born from the Gem Garden too. But unlike the others, who'd been born from roses, he'd been born from one of the gemstone paths going through the garden. Sometime around when Corrin himself had been born.
Those born from the roses were raised as royalty. Those born from the other gems there though were raised to become advisors and confidants for future royals.
Theirs was possibly one of the hardest tasks to bear. But their proximity to the royals before birth made them all the more capable of helping them out whenever it was needed.
"Ah, staying in the background again, Cole?" A voice asked him teasingly.
The man nearly jumped out of his skin as Therese appeared at his side. Hinoka and Kana were nowhere in sight.
"W-What are you doing here, Lady Therese?!" He asked while trying to calm his nerves. He also quieted his voice so he didn't bother his emperor and Ryoma, who had begun walking down the hallway together.
"Ehehehe." Therese giggled to herself. "I was just heading back. Kizuna sent me a message, saying she wanted me to join her and the others on one of her special trips."
"Huh… oh, I see." Cole sighed to himself again. "Can you please not sneak up on me like that again? I'd rather not die young of a heart attack."
"Ahhh, there's no way you'd die from a little scare. Especially not when you had to help us all out of far worse things." Therese winked.
The Emperor's advisor groaned. "Please, spare me the memories."
Therese began to giggle, and eventually, Cole chuckled in response too. He gave the grown gem woman a firm handshake. "You're welcome back anytime. I'm sure Her Majesty and the crown princess will be looking forward to your visits."
"Thank you. Take care, Cole." Therese gave the man a curtsy bow and then walked towards the Hourglass room.
As Cole walked back down the hallway to find his Emperor discussing the accessories he'd come across in Sickle, a bright flash came from the Hourglass room. Signifying Therese's departure back home.
Ii hazu ga nakute
Ii hazu ga nakute
Subete ni aragattemo
Kimi no tonari wa yuzurenai yo
(There's no way that is alright, even if everything was against me)
(I can't give up my place next to you)
"Hey L'Arc- whoa, what happened in here?" Kizuna asked, looking inside L'Arc's bedroom in surprise.
The King had been in the middle of cleaning up what remained of his mess. However, there was only so much he could do about the soot that'd imprinted itself into the desk he'd been working on, as well as the wall behind it.
"I will take it that your latest accessory exploded then." Glass casually commented as she looked inside the room herself.
"I don't want to talk about it." L'Arc said with a grumble.
"Big Bro exploded an accessory? How is that even possible!?" Kizuna asked in disbelief.
"I am unsure. He still has not disclosed the details of how it occurred the first time. And this time-" Glass began to answer.
"WILL YOU JUST DROP IT ALREADY?!" L'Arc yelled at the pair.
Kizuna and, surprisingly, the stoic Glass, both began to giggle and chuckle at his overreaction. Causing the redhead to fume and nearly scream into his arm again.
"Do not worry. I am sure you will manage to make something for Therese one day, L'Arc," Glass said, mirth in her voice.
L'Arc grumbled something under his breath. Neither of them caught what it was.
"Pen!" Chris shouted impatiently behind his mommies.
"Right, sorry, back on topic." Kizuna suppressed the rest of her giggles, though her mischievous smile was still beaming on her face. "I'm gathering all of us for a fishing trip. Want to come along?"
"Urgh…" L'Arc looked back at his desk, which had all his tools out and ready for him to use again. "Can't it wait for another time, sis? Don't get me wrong, I want to spend time with you. But this is also pretty important to me."
"Don't worry, you don't have to come along if you want… I'm just planning on visiting someone very special before we leave, and was hoping you and the others might visit him with me." Kizuna answered.
L'Arc was about to ask who she was referring to when he paused.
…
…
He stared at his younger sister, who suddenly looked much smaller than before.
He didn't say it out loud, but he nodded his head. "I'll go grab Ethnobalt then."
Kizuna's smile came back a little. "He's already waiting for us at the Dragon Hourglass. He says Therese should be here soon."
"Oh… OH!" L'Arc suddenly went to his desk, absorbing all his tools and stuff back into his weapon.
This caused the other two Heroes to perk their eyebrows up. L'Arc looked back at them with a hard look. "I'm keeping my side project here as a surprise for Therese. Don't you dare spoil it for her."
"Do not worry, our lips are sealed," Glass promised before she smirked again. "Though, she might be able to guess what you have been doing when she sees the marks you left on the wall."
The redhead screamed into his arm as Kizuna and Chris laughed in delight.
They all left the room, heading to the Dragon Hourglass where they met up with Ethnobalt and Therese.
The group left the building, Though they didn't leave the castle walls just yet.
They took a path down the side of the castle. Walking past several different buildings as they came around the back of it.
Until, finally…
Shinjiru koto sore dake de
Bokura doko made mo tsuyoku nareru
Kimi ga oshiete kureta
Ano hi kara kawaranu hikari ga
(Just by believing, we can become as strong as can be)
(That's what you taught me from that day, the unchanging light)
The scene was quiet as everyone passed under a small arch.
Therese and Ethnobalt were confused about why Kizuna wanted to go here first. But then, understanding dawned in their eyes, and the Hunting Tools Hero turned to face her friends.
"I… I heard he was buried here, is that right?" She asked the King quietly.
"... yeah." L'Arc nodded his head. "His grave is next to my mom's."
"I… you still remember when I showed her statue to you, right? When you asked me about her."
…
Kizuna slowly nodded her head, breathing in deeply as she did so.
The small girl then moved through the cemetery. The sound of her boots crushing leaves under her feet rang through the air again and again.
Her friends followed a few feet behind her, keeping their distance, but being close enough in case she needed them.
But Kizuna bravely moved forward on her own two feet. Walking past grave after grave.
Trees towered over the area. Casting shade over the group. The distant sounds of the city seemed to all but vanish, replaced by a calm that only the individuals walking amongst the dead could break with the sounds of their footfalls.
…
Finally, near the back, Kizuna came to a stop.
The last time she'd been here, King Berg and Big Bro L'Arc had introduced her to Miss Berg. Or, rather, Miss Berg's resting place, as she'd been dead for several years before Kizuna's summoning.
The stone statue of her likeness still stood in its exact spot, looking only slightly worn from time. But the statue standing next to it still looked new. Even though enough time had passed for moss to start growing around the base of it.
The statue's appearance was fashioned from the earlier days of the late King Berg's rule. Looking only a little older than L'Arc did currently. This man had a trimmed beard, as well as a crown on his head.
His smile, while kind, paired well with his mischievous-looking eyes. And though he had a crown on his head, he wore the clothes of a commoner, signifying how his rule was that of the people. And that he had labored for his people all the days of his rule.
Whoever it was that'd made this likeness of King Berg hadn't skimped on the details in the slightest. Kizuna's breath caught in her throat when her eyes first fell upon it. Almost as if she expected King Berg to breathe and walk forward in that moment.
But, of course, that didn't happen. It was still a statue at the end of the day and not the real deal.
The girl shuddered in her spot. Unsure of what to do… or what to say.
…
"Hey." A hand rested on her shoulder, and she looked up to find L'Arc giving her a warm brotherly smile. "You can do this."
"... … you're right." Kizuna nodded, smiling up at the redhead.
L'Arc grinned as he stepped back. Therese wordlessly put her hand in his and squeezed it.
Kizuna breathed in deeply as she faced King Berg's final resting place again.
And then…
"I wanted to say… thank you, King Berg."
Her mouth moved on its own.
Tatoe futari wo
Wakatsu toki ga kitemo
(Even if the time for us to part comes)
"Thank you… For taking me in. For treating me like a daughter. For showing me that awesome fishing spot. For throwing that Christmas party. For helping me to learn magic…"
Kizuna spoke to the dead.
She did not know if her dad was there. She did not know if he'd stayed behind. If he had been watching over her or anything. Beyond what Glass had told her about the spirits of their world, she knew nothing about the afterlife or what the souls of the dead did when they passed on.
She was not here to learn about that though. Rather, she had come to make peace with her past. For not being there for King Berg when he'd passed away.
"Thank you for comforting me on the days when everything felt so overwhelming. For helping me to make such great friends. For showing me that I could help the people of this world." Kizuna had tears running down her face as she continued to speak. "I... I know you always felt guilty. Thinking that you had kidnapped me from my old home and forced me to become a child soldier to fulfill your own ambitions. But you were wrong. I never hated you for any of this. Not even once.
"You could have just let me wander and figure things out on my own, but you never did. You were there for me every step of the way even when you were busy with running your country and trying to settle the dispute of who'd inherit the throne after you were gone."
For the past weeks, Kizuna had been pondering the conversation she had with Naofumi on the cliffs of that beach. Trying to think of what her answer was. How she'd move forward with her life.
At the site of her adoptive Father's grave, Kizuna felt like she could finally answer it for herself.
"And I… I still remember how you said that your only wish was to be able to help the people you ruled to be able to smile and laugh, no matter what life threw at them. That you'd be willing to do anything for their sakes, even if it meant making sacrifices yourself…
"And I… and I…"
Kizuna's voice choked for a few seconds, but then it came out, stronger than before. "That is still my goal too!
"I promise, no matter what, I'll continue to do what I can to make your world a better place!
"I won't stand on the sidelines and do nothing! I promise I'll act the way I think is right! I promise I'll do whatever I can to improve the lives of everyone, including my friends! Even if the whole world says that I'm wrong! Even if everyone calls me a tyrant or a monster! No matter how high the price, I will never hesitate again!
"I will save both this world and the people inhabiting it!
"I'll do my best to live a life that'd make you proud, Dad!" As Kizuna said those words, she collapsed to her knees, sobbing into her hands as she did so.
Her friends were quick to hug her tight, and she broke down in their embrace. "That was beautiful sis," L'Arc whispered, tears of his own falling from his eyes.
"I-I'm so sorry about dragging you all out here," Kizuna whispered back. "I know you've had so long to move on, but I just, I just wanted to see him and say my goodbyes."
"That's fine. I've said goodbye to him a thousand times myself, but I still miss Dad too. No one could ever hope to replace him." L'Arc continued to comfort his younger sister.
As L'Arc continued whispering to his sis, Glass looked at the grave itself. Seeing something that the others around her could not see.
Two spirits had just come out of their statues. One looked like an older and more stout version of L'Arc. Dressed like a King, but with the same warm eyes that he'd had in real life. The spirit standing next to him was a little more faded, but there was a striking resemblance to the statue of Miss Berg.
The late King was smiling proudly at Kizuna, and as Glass breathed in sharply, Berg Sr.'s gaze moved up to hers. A familiar mischievous glint flashed through his eyes, and he gave the Spirit Woman a wink while raising a finger to his lips.
"Shhhh, it's a secret." His voice carried over only to her ears.
…
Glass couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face. She looked down at Kizuna again as L'Arc was helping her to stand up.
"Kizuna… I believe that your dad is proud of you," Glass said.
"You… you really think so?" Kizuna asked, still wiping some tears from one side of her face.
Glass used the sleeve of her kimono to wipe the girl's remaining tears away, before looking her best friend in the eyes and resting a hand on her shoulder. "I know so." She said, giving Kizuna a knowing smile.
Kizuna couldn't help but smile happily at her words. "Is this your spirit powers at work or something?"
"Possibly." Glass began to chuckle, and Kizuna chuckled along with her.
Kizuna meant what she'd said though. After everything she'd gone through, she was determined now. She would save her world, no matter what.
While her actions might not always be right, she knew for sure that if she just sat there and did nothing, that would definitely be the wrong thing to do. So, even if it was as something as simple as pushing a lever so a smaller group of people would suffer instead of a larger group… she wouldn't stand aside and do nothing.
She'd act in the way she thought was right.
Her weapon suddenly began to glow, much to the surprise of everyone there. But after a moment, a notification appeared on Kizuna's HUD.
The Hero has overcome their curse. Blessed Series has been unlocked!
The Gutting Knife/Rod of Sloth has been cleansed…
Conditions Met! The Hunting Knife/Rod of Resolve has been Unlocked!
"K-Kizuna? What just happened to your weapon?" Glass asked in surprise.
Looking down, the Hunting Tools Hero found it in an unfamiliar, glowing gold form.
Kizuna's chuckling turned into laughter. Much to the surprise of everyone there. Little did they know that it felt like a massive weight Kizuna had been carrying on her shoulders had just been removed.
She would never be affected by her old curse ever again. "Oh, this? I just got a new weapon form is all."
She didn't explain further. She could look at what she'd gotten later.
"Pen!" Chris jumped onto Kizuna's shoulder. Hugging the side of her head again.
"Alright, alright! Geez, I'm definitely feeling better now you little worrywart!" Kizuna began to rub the top of Chris's head. "Do you want to catch some fish that badly?"
"PEN!" Chris roared with approval.
"Alright, come on then, everyone! We got some fish to catch!" Kizuna pumped her fist in the air.
L'Arc and Therese laughed, looking giddy with excitement as they followed behind their friend. Ethnobalt also smiled happily as he floated after the group.
Only Glass paused behind everyone, looking back at the King's statue.
The spirit of his wife, who'd been standing beside him, had already faded from view. And King Berg was following suit.
Glass knew then that he was moving on.
He'd waited patiently for all that time. Waiting for the day when Kizuna came back so he could see her with his own eyes one last time.
The realization of that was enough to bring tears to the stoic woman's eyes.
"Fan Hero, no matter what happens next, always be there for my daughter." Berg Sr.'s wise voice sounded to her. "There are still many things our world has to face before her dream can be realized. But I do not doubt that she has the strength to accomplish it."
"See it through, and never abandon her, no matter what happens."
Glass nodded her head to him, her tears falling from her eyes as she turned to face him and gave him a bow. "Farewell, my King."
As the King faded away, he nodded to her. That same smile still resting on his face.
Glass followed behind her friends, leaving the statue of their old world behind.
Another tear ran down the side of her face. It would be a long time before she met the old man who was the first to teach her about the value of family once again.
But when she died and passed on, she'd find him. And hug him.
Because he'd made her life a million times better with his actions. Just like Kizuna.
…
The destiny of this world was now in their hands.
Whether it'd intertwine with that of Naofumi and his friends once more…
Well, that would be a story for another time.
Kanarazu mata
Kimi wo mitsukeru kara
(I will definitely find you once again)
*music ends*
"..."
"..."
"…"
In a vast grand hall with no end or beginning, a circle of perfect white marble pillars rose out from the misty clouds, piercing into the vast azure-blue sky.
Each pillar was slightly taller than the previous. And golden thrones were set upon their tops.
A group of powerful and mysterious figures sat on these thrones silently.
All of them wore various types of masks to cover the tops of their faces.
There was one wearing an iron mask shaped like a dog's face. Another wore one wrought of tin in the shape of a cat's head. The one sitting on the throne next to them wore the mask of a lioness. And the next one, the mask of an eagle.
Each one of these figures had power radiating off their forms in waves, distorting the space around them. Their robes of finest quality, woven with golden threads and diamonds shone in the light cast by the greatest of them.
All of their eyes of various shades and colors stared at a singular point in the middle of the circle. A holographic projection depicting what'd gone down in the Capital of Lapis from many different angles.
The figures watched all of their operatives get gathered in one place. They watched as those hidden by powerful illusion magic moved throughout the room. They watched as the Hunting Tools Hero entered the room alone.
They watched her identify who their operatives were, what cheat powers they had, what crimes they'd committed, and so on, before ultimately needling the Harpoon Hero into attacking her. Which led to the subsequent bloodbath that the Heroes of the two worlds dished out on their enemies.
The figures did not visibly react. Kizuna had been accurate in calling these operatives of theirs- cannon fodder. The lowest on the totem pole of what 'they' had to offer.
For GODWORLD, this event was only a setback. A larger-than-average one, perhaps. It would cost them a few years, if not several decades to replenish the ranks of their operatives living in that world. And beyond that, it'd be several centuries before their cannon fodder operatives could hold the same levels of influence in their respective countries again. Where they'd be capable of destroying knowledge and throwing things out of balance once more.
But in the end, Kyo Ethnina put up a grand performance for the people of GODWORLD. That final battle in particular had been absolutely spectacular. Even though the promised tragic ending was denied in the end, it was for the best.
After all, it would be quite a waste to have it all end so suddenly and utterly.
Indeed, there was still a great deal of content to harvest from this world at a later date. More despair.
More suffering.
More entertainment.
But for the moment, the people of their world were satisfied with moving on to watch the conflicts happening in other worlds. Partaking in the suffering and determination happening in them, while not caring about what fate this world would end up with now.
As for this gathered group of individuals, referred to as 'them', they were patient. As immortals, they had all the time in the world to see the fulfillment of their goals. The Heroes might manage to fight off this set of Waves once again, making their world immune to being pulled into the Waves again for another few centuries or even millenia, but the individuals sitting upon the circle of golden thrones could wait that long.
They'd done so time and time again.
They could do so again without any issues.
This setback would be no more than a minor inconvenience for their grand plans.
This should have been nothing but a minor inconvenience for the future they desired.
…
Though, that would have only been true if it'd ended at just that bloodbath.
"We are coming for you next."
The hologram recording paused at Kizuna's words. There was not a lot after it, as the recording ended when their last operative left Lazuli. It was only because of their cannon fodder being there that they could observe the incident. Otherwise, Lazuli's magic defenses kept them from observing what was going on elsewhere inside the city.
Regardless, what happened after wasn't important. The recording looped back just a couple of seconds, over, and over, and over again to repeat Kizuna's phrase.
"We are coming for you next."
"We are coming for you next."
"We are coming for you next."
…
One of the figures sitting in one of the highest-placed thrones, a man wearing a bronze Star-shaped Mask that covered the top half of his face, tapped the edge of his seat repeatedly.
MERCURY - God of Wisdom - Chief Analytics and Data Officer of GODWORLD
A bead of sweat traveled down his neck while a look of extreme anxiety covered his visible features.
Two thrones to his right, at a height just a little above his own, a woman with a Silver Crescent-Moon Mask on her face held a deep frown on her gorgeous lips.
TSUKIYOMI - Goddess of Beauty - Chief Information and Communications Officer of GODWORLD
Her arms were crossed, and waves of displeasure were coming off her form. It was very fortunate that she had managed to stop this footage from being released to the public in time.
Sitting between them on the highest throne of them all, a man with a Gold Sun-shaped Mask and corona-colored eyes stared down at the hologram.
He was the one who used his powers to make the projection loop those words over and over again. Studying that one phrase, as if it was the most important thing to have been said in that whole exchange.
Because it was.
What Kizuna Kazayama had just said there made this world and the Shield Hero's world go from being minor annoyances in GODWORLD's plans to legitimate threats on par with their most hated enemies that held the potential to grow into something too powerful for them to contain if the enlightened ones stood aside and observed as they had hitherto done.
The man sitting upon the tallest throne and radiating his light to the others beneath him would have just shaken it off as the mere folly of a little girl whose head had grown too big for her own good. But those words, combined with that expression on the Hunting Hero's face.
It was just like… 'her'.
The TRAITOR who first made the Hero Weapons and freely spread them across all worlds, so they could become strong enough to oppose GODWORLD so many millennia ago. Which had been the cause for them having to abandon other ambitions in the past. It might have resulted in their gain in some cases, but some immortals were not sitting there today because of Heroes who managed to slay them in mortal combat.
It was like he could hear her laughing in his ears again. Saying that the rest of GODWORLD's reckoning was finally at hand.
This was no longer something that could be pushed back till the next set of Waves.
This could no longer be considered entertainment for the people of their world.
Relying on just their cannon fodder to get the job done was no longer an option.
The enlightened ones sitting upon the golden thrones tensed up and subtly tried to move a bit further away from their seats.
The armrests of the tallest throne that the man wearing the Sun Mask was seated upon began to melt and drip down into the abyss below.
It was time for them to begin activating and sending their enforcers alongside the Third Army to these worlds. They could not risk themselves. Not yet. Their plans required them to remain alive for many more millennia yet. And besides, 'they' would rather that TRAITOR never found her way back to their world ever again. As small of a chance as it was, just capturing one of them dead or alive could result in their world's ruin.
But regardless, it was time for them to take this threat seriously.
…
"Well then..." Sun Mask spoke out in a grave tone. "My esteemed fellow members of the board..."
"It appears that we have a problem."
DEMIURGE - God of Light and Order - Chief Executive Officer of GODWORLD.
THE WORLDEATER
Author's Notes:
Writing this, I'm left with conflicted feelings. For one, it took me a long time to finish these five arcs compared to Hope. For another, Arc 9 here is over twice as long as my other longest arcs. Lastly, I immensely enjoyed almost every bit of this. The highs and the lows.
And you know, it's only going to keep getting better. I'm going to look forward to getting into the last segment I want to write; "Virtue of the Shield Hero". I have no idea how many arcs/chapters it'll be. Hope was 63 Chapters over 4 Arcs, Diligence was 88 chapters over 5 arcs, Virtue could very well be 100+ chapters over 6 or more arcs. I'll just have to write and find out what happens.
Arc 10 is going to be a more Motoyasu-centric route covering the beginning of Season Three. So don't expect to see Naofumi and co immediately. As a matter of fact, I'll be going back in time to this arc's first Wave and covering how things went in Raphtalia's world from there. Not to worry though, time passes twice as fast in Glass's world compared to Raphtalia's, so the arc is not going to be nearly as long, (unless I end up with another mountain of stuff to cover thanks to Zeltoble, lol).
Going to have some brave new territory to explore all around. In case I still have some readers confused about the ending for this arc, the LN doesn't have Medea as the antagonist. She doesn't exist in the LN right now, and if she does end up appearing in it later on, it will not be the same Deus Ex Machina individual that was in the WN. Rather, she will be introduced as a character that actually fits into the setting.
That is kind of why I pointed out before at one point that Bitch was her own person. That is why I've said that the WN and the LN are separate stories time and time again. The characters and setting and plot are all different between both of them. And that is especially true for the antagonists behind the Waves that I've crafted here. Yeah, the LN hasn't introduced the higher echelons yet, but it has certainly given enough for me to piece some things together.
Anyway, as for me, I'm super excited to be writing out Virtue next! But before that, I do have a stinger scene written for the end of this, followed by an omake! Not to worry though, Bitch isn't taking over like she did last time! I made absolutely sure that wouldn't be the case this time around.
Though now that Kyo has been dealt with, it might be about time for me to allow her to return to the stage. You'll just have to see what happens next time when Motoyasu takes the lead for a bit at the start of "Virtue of the Shield Hero!"
"So why are we doing this again?" Kizuna asked in a bored voice.
"Because the Mirror said that it wanted us to perform a summoning for it," Glass answered. "And since the Musical Instruments has already found itself a new wielder in Lapis, this might be a sign that the Mirror does not have any candidates living in our world.
The group stood in the middle of the hourglass room. Ethnobalt had a hero relic, a black and white tracksuit with orange highlights, resting on a raised platform in the center. He looked to be preparing a ritual of some kind.
"Weird. I thought Vassal Weapons were capable of choosing people on their own?" Kizuna continued to look bored as she pouted and crossed her arms.
And here she'd been wanting to fish for the next two or three days with her friends. Stupid Vassal Weapon cutting their fun short.
"They can, and they do," L'Arc said on her other side. He had a serious look on his face though. "However, the Mirror put it in no unclear terms that it wanted a summoning ritual to be performed for it as soon as possible. Meaning that whoever it wants to select, it might not have that big a window to summon them."
"Well… Hmph.." Kizuna continued to pout as she turned her head to the side.
However, even though she was bored and a little peeved that her fishing trip had been put on hold because of this, she couldn't deny that she was curious. After all, she was going to see how she'd been summoned from her world all those years ago. After another tense moment, the Boat Hero nodded stiffly.
"Everything appears to be in place." He said to L'Arc.
"Please proceed then." Minister Stone said behind and to the right of the current King Berg.
Ethnobalt nodded and began performing practiced motions with his staff.
All around, a bright glow formed as ancient magic took root. With the tracksuit at the center acting as its catalyst.
"We call for one of good heart and intent.
"For one with the capacity to become something more. Something greater than themselves.
"We ask for one with the strength needed to face the trials ahead. To rise up, and to take upon themselves the mantle of Hero."
As the rabbitman continued to chant in a low voice, the Vassal Mirror appeared out of thin air. Moving into the growing ball of light next to the hero relic.
The Hero relic itself became absorbed in light, but Ethnobalt's voice began to rise more and more. Repeating a mantra over and over, rising in pitch as he raised his staff high, and then-
"We call forth a Hero to save our world and its people in their time of need!"
A loud boom! sounded as a wave of smoke covered everyone there.
Kizuna and Glass began to cough at the unexpected reaction. L'Arc and Ethnobalt, however, had already covered their mouths. They'd expected something like this themselves, due to them being at Kizuna's or the other Cardinal Heroes' summonings in the past.
As the smoke cleared, it was uncertain if the ritual had been successful or not…
...
"Urgh…" But then, a groan sounded from the raised platform.
The smoke cleared enough, revealing a young man in a Japanese-style High School uniform lying in the middle of a diagram on the floor. The Vassal Mirror was stuck to his arm.
He had deep black hair, and even without his outfit, he looked to be no older than 17 at the most. His face bore a striking resemblance to someone they knew, but it was probably just a coincidence.
"Ah, hey there, you okay?" Kizuna asked cheerfully as she bounded up.
"Huh, urgh…" The young man groaned in confusion. "What just happened, one moment my bathroom mirror shattered into a dark void, and the next…"
The others tilted their heads in confusion. Kizuna, however, started to pout.
Seriously, his summoning had been that boring?! Even Truck-Kun sounded better than that.
The young man finally opened his eyes. They were a familiar green. "A… a loli?" He said in confusion.
"What the- WHO ARE YOU CALLING A LOLI, BRAT?! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW I'M 18- wait, my birthday was last week. 19 NOW!" Kizuna yelled at him.
"Oh, um, sorry, I didn't mean-" The guy began backing away and rubbing his wrist nervously. But the action only drew his eyes to the Mirror resting on that part of his body. "What… what's going on here? Where am I? What happened to me?!"
He was starting to look around frantically. He not only looked confused, but scared.
Kizuna was caught off guard by his reaction. It was nothing like hers when she'd first been summoned.
Then again, she hadn't even realized she'd been summoned at the start. She'd had several months to get herself acclimated to the world before making that realization for herself.
"Oh, um…" She looked to her friends for help, but they simply smiled at her and gestured for her to make the first move.
"I'm… I'm sorry." She finally managed to say. "Here, I promise I'm not that threatening." She got down in front of him and held her hands up in an appealing manner.
Still, it took the summoned Hero another moment before he calmed down enough to listen to her.
Kizuna explained how he'd been summoned by the weapon on his arm. And how he'd been chosen to help her save the world.
Everything he'd need to know was in his help guide. But rest assured, everyone there would now be his friend. And they'd help him to adjust, with Kizuna adding the reassurance that if he was successful, his weapon would grant him a wish that'd allow him to return to his world as hers had done once she'd beaten the Demon Dragon years ago.
Some obvious bits still left the young man confused, as he'd need far more context about certain events for them to make sense. But he did finally calm down completely and looked from Kizuna to the others standing behind her.
"So… this is a fantasy world, huh?" He finally managed to voice out loud.
"It is. But don't treat it as if it isn't real." Kizuna sternly warned. "This isn't some random otaku game wish-fulfillment fantasy come to life. This is a real place that needs our help.
"If you treat it as a game, you will die. And as far as I know, there won't be any respawning from that."
"Are you sure you should be laying into him so thick, Kizuna?" Therese asked unsurely.
"Eh, he'll have us around to protect him and help him grow stronger." Kizuna grinned before winking. "Plus, I gotta pull off the leader vibe while he still doesn't know me."
L'Arc chuckled, and Glass smiled in response. Kizuna continued to grin as she turned around and held out her hand for the young man. "By the way, the name's Kazayama Kizuna! What's your name, kid?!"
The young man still looked confused. But at her smile and the smiles of all the friends around her, he finally began to smile a little in return as he hesitantly raised up his hand to grasp hers.
"I-Iwatani Jun." Jun Iwatani, the younger brother of the Shield Hero, Naofumi Iwatani, replied more confidently, to the shock of everyone there.
"It's nice to meet you!" He then bowed to the group of Heroes.
…
…
"EEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?" The others screamed in surprise and shock at the same time.
Back in another world, where she was attached to her wielder, Shield-Chan began giggling diabolically to herself.
It seemed like her taunting of Mirror-Chan had finally paid off.
Everything was going all according to keikaku.
To Be Continued
Hero Clips!
Long Weird Manga Titles That Somehow Become Popular and Sell Out
Hoshi sat at his desk, trying to think up an idea for a new manga. He still had a lovestruck look in his eyes, as well as claw marks on his face from rubbing it all over Kuro-Chan's belly.
She was so adorable even when she was super mad. He couldn't wait till he had the chance to sink his hands in her soft warm fur again and…
Anyway, since he'd finished his last manga series on a high note, he needed an idea for a new one that'd sell even better than his old one. Something that'd be longer than the last ones, something that'd net him even more funds to help out people around the world.
What could he do though? He'd already had the cute girls and the adorable mascot in his last volume. He needed to do something completely different. Something that'd grab people's attention like nothing else had.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…
As the Ofuda Hero sat there thinking, a certain dual-wielding woman came to mind. He recalled her fighting style in Kyo's Mansion, as well as in subsequent encounters at the reincarnator party as well as the Waves.
Yomogi was really becoming an icon over in Luvar. And she treated Kaoru like her own son.
His thoughts blended with a popular anime he remembered from his old world. And he combined it with his picture-perfect memories of Yomogi, and then…
VOILA! PURE INSPIRATION STRAIGHT FROM HIS BRAIN ONTO THE PAGE!
He drew like his life depended on it. And in an insane amount of time that was only made possible thanks to Weapon Forms that increased his drawing speed without sacrificing quality…
He had the new volume ready for proofreading by the next day.
"The Discount Genderbent Lesbian Kirito Who was Summoned to Save Another World?!" Yomogi said in a loud voice.
"I don't know. That's kind of a mouthful, ain't it?" Daitan asked unsurely.
"Nah, that's normal these days." Akane shrugged after him.
Yomogi was speechless, but not in a good way. For one, she did not like how the character based on her was dressed in all black. Also, from what she could see, she acted like a total edge lord in every drawing she was in!
Kaoru, who read from his perch on her shoulder, HATED the fact that he'd also been included and that his name had been changed to Yuna for some reason as well.
Looking through it quickly, it didn't look like her doppelganger had any personality whatsoever. Her only goal was to fight in admittedly awesome action scenes and get all sorts of girls to fawn over her in the background. The main girl, whose name was Asuna, seemingly had a bit of an obsessive streak in her blood. And there was also a weird sex scene between the two that just... was complete cringe all around.
Yomogi looked up to glare at Hoshi. "There is no way that this will sell."
"I mean, I already drew it, so I might as well publish it anyway, right?" Hoshi shrugged.
He'd gotten everyone's thoughts on it, and while his friends had their opinions on the title, they didn't think it was bad. They couldn't find any serious drawing or translation errors or anything either, so without much applause, Hoshi took the manuscript to his publisher to get it published.
Because Hoshi was set up as one of the only mangaka in the whole world, his publisher printed a healthy one million copies of his first volume to put on shelves. Even if they didn't all sell now, it was almost guaranteed that more would sell over time as Hoshi came out with more volumes.
That was how it'd worked in the past, at least.
To the publisher's shock, however, it didn't even take one week before the first volume was sold out.
Fans gathered in major cities across every country. Demanding for the next volume to be released already.
"WOOOOOO! I'VE STRUCK GOLDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!" Hoshi couldn't draw fast enough with his one hand. His quill was literally on fire.
The sounds of an owl bashing its head against a wall became apparent in the background.
"I cannot believe this," Yomogi said in a dry voice.
"I guess the people of this world have just as weird of tastes as the people in our world." Daitan said to Akane.
"You know, maybe I should bring the outfit of that drawing to life. That might net me a fortune or two if Hoshi's work continues to do well." Akane pondered to herself.
"DO YOU GUYS EVEN CARE THAT MY IMAGE IS BEING USED WITHOUT MY CONSENT?!" Yomogi screamed.
Too bad copyright didn't exist in this fantasy world yet. Kyo really should have pushed harder for that while he was alive.
Yomogi was fuming in her spot. But then, the door crashed open as a new figure came into the room.
"Miss Kirito! My name's Asuna! I'm your biggest fan!" The girl's eyes sparkled with delight.
…
"Wh… Wha…" Yomogi took a step back, looking shocked. Kaoru's red head popped back into the room, only for his eyes to widen as well.
Who was this person, and HOW DID SHE KNOW SHE WAS HERE?!
"Look, I already wrote a million word fanfiction about the two of us going out together and falling in love! And the sex scenes that are in it..." The girl's body shook with excitement. "I soooooo look forward to getting to know you better!"
…
"No! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Yomogi jumped out a window, with Kaoru flying out right behind her.
"Ehehehe!" The crazy fan girl jumped out the window after her. Determined to not let her 'lover' get away.
Where he stood in the background, Allen sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest. He was grateful they no longer had to observe from a cloud anymore, but seeing things up close didn't make this any less ridiculous. "Norin, why the hell do I have to always ruin the hype with these kinds of things?
"I mean, seriously, I freaking namedrop THE WORLDEATER title and then follow it up with this kind of crap. What the hell is wrong with me?"
However, instead of the shadowy figure that'd respond sarcastically or sardonically in these scenarios, someone else stood in the proofreader's place. "In my opinion, I think this turned out great!" Jun said happily.
"Rafu!" Raph-Chan raised a paw on his shoulder happily.
"Heh. And to think I also cleansed Kizuna's Cursed Series so she no longer has that weighing her down. And showed how she'd pissed off Godworld with her actions. Hell, I even added Naofumi's younger brother into this mess, and right at the end too.
"Oh well. I can already feel my readers glaring at me for just casually dropping all these bombshells onto their laps and ruining everything with my meta-commentary. Gotta have something to keep them around for Virtue though.
"Still wish that I could come up with a better name than Jun, but oh well. Them's the brakes... Is it alright for me to quote Mash like that? It was actually a good anime, and-" Allen coughed into his shoulder, before smiling at his marvelous glaring readers.
"Tune in next time, when I change the name of this fic on fanfiction . net, have to separate that so it's not struck out by the site, to "Virtue of the Shield Hero" to mess with the readers and editors on TVTropes even more!
"Man, if only this site could link fics together in a series like on AO3! Then you all wouldn't have to be subjected to One Piece levels of shock when you look at the length of this fanfic on this site! Ahahahaha!"
Yep, the big old author man wasn't going to feel guilty about doing this in the slightest.
But seriously, go read this fic over on AO3. All the arcs are neatly separated so that you don't have to feel so intimidated at how long this fic is now.
And besides that, you can also admire Lyron's art-logs of the many characters, including some of the OCs.
Have fun. ;)
Till Next Time
Allen