Chapters 7-11 have their finalized versions uploaded. Once again, thanks to Norinthemanwonder for seriously helping me with edits and suggestions. Now, I can reread almost the entirety of the first arc of this story with pride.
Also, sorry most of you couldn't read the chapter this Monday. This site had issues, but it seems like they've finally resolved them. I'm merely reposting this chapter so those who couldn't read and comment will be able to now.
No sense in prolonging it any longer. You all know what's about to go down. It's time for the showdown against Glass.
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Updated: November 2nd, 2020 11:30 A.M. (MST)
Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Raven Invader
The battle hadn't even started yet, but Naofumi already knew that it was going to be bad. A purple HP bar was hovering beside Glass's figure in his HUD. Her current level was shown as such;
LV: (?)
It was just like when they'd faced the Tyrant Dragon Rex. However, Naofumi had the feeling that she was going to be much tougher than even that beast. Before he could even decide on a plan of action, however...
"Don't worry guys, I'll handle her." Motoyasu suddenly stepped out in front of everyone confidently.
"Uh... Motoyasu, not trying to be mean here or anything but are you sure that you want to do this?" Itsuki asked incredulously. "There's something about this woman that's making my skin crawl."
"Relax, you three have already shown off by taking down the Wave Boss." Motoyasu twirled his spear in front of him and pointed it at the raven haired invader with a smirk. "I haven't been sitting idly by these last few days while you were enjoying your relaxing carriage ride. It's time for me to show off my strength too!"
Glass gave a dismissive look to the blonde that stood opposite her. "And what manner of servant are you supposed to be?" She asked, casually pointing one of her fans at him.
Motoyasu fumed at her reaction at first, before smirking widely. "You know what girl? You might be a pretty maiden, but if you really are our enemy, then I won't hold back! I, Motoyasu the Spear Hero, have deciphered the laws of creation! I command the elements to heed my call! To gather themselves, and to strike my target with a fiery vengeance!"
Naofumi watched with interest. It'd been a long time since he'd last seen Motoyasu use this spell. He chanted a while longer. Then: "Come forth, Hundred Fiery Javelins!"
Lines upon lines of fire javelins appeared above Motoyasu. "Take these back to wherever you came from, Glass! HAH!" Motoyasu lowered his fist, and the Javelins all flew through the air, converging on Glass's spot.
Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom!
The explosions combined together, their aftermath forming a giant smoke cloud in front of them. The Heroes and their party members raised hands over their eyes, protecting themselves from the dust. Motoyasu breathed in and out heavily, both his SP and MP bars were drained. "Heh, ha, bet she, didn't see that one, coming." He said proudly between deep breaths.
Itsuki and Ren, however, both grimaced as they braced themselves.
"... Is that really all you have?"
With a wave of her fan, Glass blew away all the smoke surrounding her. The Spear Hero's ultimate attack hadn't left a single singe mark on her intricate dress. She was completely unhurt. Motoyasu, and everyone else looked stunned. Naofumi grimaced alongside Ren and Itsuki, their worst fears were being realized.
"Now then. If you are done then I believe it is now my turn." Glass spread her arms out wide. A golden glow began to spread over her body and fans.
"$#%^! Everyone, get behind me! NOW!" Naofumi yelled.
Raphtalia and Filo raced behind Naofumi. Itsuki and Ren barely made it. Wyndia had already been behind Naofumi. Dou-Lon and Eclair, however, hadn't fought with Naofumi for long enough to realize what was happening. And the others weren't fast enough in recovering from their shock to move for cover.
"Zero-Stance Rondo: Reverse MoonFlower!"
And then, Glass destroyed them all.
Her fans moved so quickly, that Naofumi's eyes couldn't even follow them. Each slash through the air launched a swipe of golden energy. And there were dozens of them flying through the air all around them. He could only tank those that came right at him.
"ARGHH!" Motoyasu was hit first. He went flying back and landed by Naofumi's feet. Those strikes that Naofumi couldn't block with his shield left light scratches on the unarmored portions of his arms and legs.
All around him, those who didn't make it behind him in time got hit again and again. Aksel, Bakta, Farrie, Tersia, Rino, Maya, Welt, Eclair, Dou-Lon, Rishia; everyone who hadn't been directly behind Naofumi fell to the ground. Motoyasu looked badly hurt because he was the one who stood the closest to Glass, but everyone else was left in even worse shape. Only the strongest among their allies were able to struggle back up, but they almost immediately collapsed again due to their injuries.
After Itsuki's earlier use of Explosion Shot, Motoyasu's fiery spell, and now Glass'es devastating attack, the deck of the ship was nearly totaled. The central mast had a deep gash on it and the railings on the edges of the ship had been completely obliterated. Several large holes had been opened up around them, revealing parts of the kraken's body beneath. Because the soul eaters had been killed, it didn't repair itself.
"What the…" Itsuki stared at his downed friends in shock. Ren did too. This woman, with barely any effort, had taken down almost all of their party members.
Itsuki's eyes fell on the moaning form of Rishia, and then, he looked furiously back at Glass.
"There. Now that your servants are out of the way. Let us continue." She said, taking a ready stance.
Itsuki pulled the string on his bow back angrily. "Air Strike Spread!" He launched the spread skill above her, raining down a swarm of red arrows.
"One Hundred Swords!" Ren knelt low to the ground, and shining blue swords appeared all around him before launching in sync with Itsuki's skill. The Sword Hero looked just as angry as Itsuki about his friends getting hurt.
"Fast Heal!" Naofumi immediately began working on healing Motoyasu and the others who'd suffered the worst of the fan wielder's devastating attack.
Glass's body weaved left and right, easily stepping around the countless blades and arrows that were raining down on her with the grace of a dancer. Those that she couldn't avoid were casually deflected instead with the flowing precision of her fans. The two heroes stood in stunned silence as their skills ended, and she danced out of it, performing a counterattack by sending out a burst of wind at them with a wave of her fan.
"Air Strike Shield!" Naofumi's shield appeared right in front of the two. Glass's attack slammed into it, shattering the magical construct in a single hit, but it was enough to protect them. He grimaced in surprise at that.
"Damn it! Don't just stand there you two! I can't heal everyone and fight at the same time!" He yelled at the two Heroes.
"Got it." "Sorry." They got back to fighting Glass.
"Fast Heal! Filo, get all the wounded off the ship!" Naofumi yelled at his daughter, who'd been preparing to fight.
"Kay! Stay safe Daddy!" Filo picked up the moaning Motoyasu, and several of the other downed party members, before jumping overboard.
Ren's blade slammed against one of Glass's fans, but she blocked it effortlessly. "How tacky." Her head moved to the side, avoiding an arrow from Itsuki's bow. "And predictable."
"Sir Ren! Switch!" Ren jumped back. Wyndia switched into his place, swinging her katana down. Glass blocked the attack easily with one fan, before blocking a second strike that came from behind from Raphtalia.
"Begone. This is a fight between me and the Heroes. Not mere servants." She said boredly to them both. Filo hopped onto the ship again, grabbing more people before jumping off once more. Naofumi worked on healing Itsuki's Raccoon party member Maya, as well as Ren's tank, Bakta.
"Grrrr, Zweite Dragon's Fire!" Holding the katana with only one hand, Wyndia sent out a burst of fire right at Glass. Covering her from head to toe in flames. She and Raphtalia both jumped back to see the damage she'd caused.
She was hidden for two seconds, and then the fire died down enough to reveal Glass. Her red eyes flashed with amusement. "A respectable display. Unfortunately, your fire is too cold to hurt me." She spread her arms out wide. The same golden glow from before began to surround her body again.
"Meteor Slash!"
"Meteor Shot!"
"Reverse MoonFlower!"
Ren and Itsuki's skills collided with the weaker version of Glass's skill. Twin explosions shook the air... but then the rest of Glass's attack tore through the smoke. The surprised Wyndia tried to jump away, but several of the swipes hit her, slashing through her armor and making her cry out in pain.
"Damn it!" Naofumi, now finished with the quick healing session, quickly moved in front of Wyndia, protecting her from the rest of the attack. 'Not even Ren and Itsuki's best attacks are enough to counter hers?!'
When the onslaught stopped, he charged forward, forcing Glass to focus on him. Her fan slammed into the gemstone on his shield, but besides a numbing sensation on his arm, he managed to hold his ground.
"Hmmm." Glass looked intrigued by that.
'Thank goodness.' He could at least tank her attacks. That was something they had going for them. Raphtalia disappeared in a haze of magic.
"Wyndia!" Ren ran up to the wounded dog-girl while she was struggling to stand. "Are you all right?!"
She growled as she stood back up. She had cuts on her arms, and one on her side that had broken through her armor. "I'm fine, I can still fight-"
Filo jumped on the deck again, and Ren immediately picked the dog girl up and threw her on the Filolial's back, surprising Wyndia. "Get her out of here, hurry!"
"Okay Sword Guy!"
"Wait, no-" Wyndia couldn't get off in time, Filo jumped down with Wyndia still on her back, while holding Maya and Bakta in her wings. "Damn you Rennnnnnnnn!" Her yell still reached up to Ren as he rejoined the fight. Pricking him with a sense of guilt.
Despite Naofumi's earlier hopeful thought, it wasn't going well for the Heroes. Naofumi blocked another one of Glass's normal fan attacks, but the impact made both of his arms go numb. Her next attack got under his guard, knocking him back with a well-aimed thrust to his chest. The counter Snake Venom Fang (Large) had activated several times during the exchange, but it didn't have much of an effect on the fan wielder, even though both snakes landed solid bites down on her shoulders repeatedly.
"Hmmm, you really are a tough one," Glass spoke, closing her fans. "But let's see if you can stand up to this." One of her fans sprouted a blade of purple energy.
"You two, get behind me!" Naofumi yelled at Itsuki and Ren. Both complied, Raphtalia was nowhere to be seen.
"Rupture-Stance Rondo:" Glass positioned her other fan over the back of the energy blade. "Tortoise Shell Cracker!" With one deft movement, the singular attack flew at Naofumi's shield. He only had enough time to process that it wasn't an AoE attack before it hit the Shield, and went right through, puncturing the chest plate of his Barbarian Armor.
"GAH!" He fell to one knee, gripping tightly at his chest while gasping for air.
"Naofumi!" Ren and Itsuki both yelled.
"H-How- oof!" Naofumi wheezed, somehow blocking Glass's follow up attack. A shockwave shook the whole ship as it impacted against the Legendary Shield.
"Hmmm, well now, I'm surprised that you are still standing after that," Glass commented, sounding a little impressed before changing her stance. "You might actually prove to be a challenge yet."
Naofumi didn't think it was possible. But it was like she held even more power than even the Pope had. It was insane! It felt like his arms were about to break from blocking her attacks.
"Crimson Sword!"
"Eagle Piercing Shot!"
Glass jumped back again, evading both attacks. She spread her arms out wide again. "Shield Prison!" In an attempt to stop her, Naofumi surrounded Glass in a ball of chains and plates. However, the skill broke around her in an instant. Naofumi switched Shields to try something else.
"Zero-Stance Rondo: Reverse MoonFlower!"
"Meteor Shield!"
With the Siderite Shield on his arm, he unveiled his own meteor skill at last. Thanks to the mobs of the Wave, he'd increased in level enough to use it. The skill cost around 10% of his SP, and made a glowing blue sphere barrier around ten meters in diameter, which was centered around Naofumi. Protecting him, Ren, and Itsuki.
Fortunately, it held up until the end of Glass's skill before shattering. The other Heroes, who were low on SP, took the opportunity to drink Soul Healing potions while they were protected. Naofumi did the same.
"Impressive. You're even able to block that." It was also at the end of that skill when Raphtalia finally jumped down from her perch. Invisibility spell wearing off as she struck down at Glass's head.
Glass swiftly turned. Raphtalia's eyes widened in surprise as Glass's fan intercepted her sneak attack. "As I said, this is no place for servants." As if on cue, with one swipe of her fan, Glass shattered Raphtalia's sword like it was made from glass into a thousand little pieces that rained down on the deck of the ship.
The Tanuki girl jumped back and looked down at what was left of her weapon in her hands in disbelief.
"Shining Arrow!"
"Dragon Buster!"
"Damn it!" Naofumi grimaced again as Ren and Itsuki sent out more attacks at Glass. Occupying her attention so Raphtalia could safely retreat behind him. Not even holding Glass's attention to give Raphtalia a chance to perform a sneak attack had worked!
Filo appeared on the boat again. Only Farrie was left to evacuate. "Raphtalia, go with Filo," Naofumi said.
"But, but I-" The girl tried to protest.
"AHHHHHH!" Ren was sent flying past them by one of Glass's attacks.
"Go! I can't focus on defending you and them! We'll hold her attention while you get help!" Naofumi said.
Raphtalia stared at him. Who could possibly help against an enemy that even the Cardinal Heroes were struggling against?! She reluctantly nodded though, seeing as she'd be a hindrance now without her weapon. "Be careful, Naofumi." She jumped on Filo's back, and the large bird jumped overboard with her last passengers.
"I'll try. Fast Heal!" Naofumi used the spell on himself, removing some of the numb feeling in his arms before jumping forward, barely protecting Itsuki in time from another one of Glass's attacks. Ren slowly managed to get back up from where he'd fallen.
The three Heroes stood together, by themselves, facing their greatest enemy yet. The three of them were breathing heavily, but Glass hadn't even broken a sweat. She sent another blast of wind at the three of them. Naofumi tanked it again.
"First Guard!" Naofumi cast the defensive spell over the three of them. Boosting their defense.
"Decipher the laws of nature, and slash my target with a blade of water. Zweite Water Slash!" Ren yelled.
"And strike my target with a burst of wind! Go, Zweite Wind Slash!" Itsuki cried out.
So the two others also knew magic? Still, Glass blocked both their magic attacks with her fans. She frowned as she did so. Their magic wasn't very powerful. She positioned them in a move Naofumi had seen her use for a skill that went through his Shield.
"Air Strike Shield!"
The shield flew through the air at Glass. Her fans moved, shattering it.
"St. Arrow's Rain!"
"Thunderbolt Slash!"
It was a perfect combo. The splash damage of Itsuki's explosive spread skill was finally able to reach her. And while she was reeling from all the explosions, Ren was able to land his own attack too.
"Ha, what do you think of that?!" Itsuki proudly yelled.
"Careful, Itsuki," Ren muttered. It'd taken them this much just to land an attack on her. Still, this had to have caused some damage... right?
"... Is this really all that you can bring against me?" The smoke of the various explosions disappeared. The edges of Glass's kimono now looked a little weathered, and her straight raven hair was in slight disarray but her health bar revealed that she was barely hurt. The three Heroes stared in shock at a disappointed Glass.
"How dare you call yourselves Heroes? Your weak attacks are a blasphemy upon that title. Are you holding back?"
Naofumi felt angry at that. Ren was stunned. And Itsuki looked like his pride had been struck. "You must be hiding some ace up your sleeve." Glass said, "Or is this batch of Heroes more pathetic than I realize? Come, show me what you truly have."
…
Itsuki almost pulled out his Cursed Bow. He didn't care, consequences be damned! However, Naofumi put a hand on his arm, stopping the blonde kid from doing so. They had to remember that they were still high in the air on a ship. If Itsuki lost control and destroyed the ship... well, that was a landing Naofumi didn't want to think about.
"I do have something. But I'm not sure if you'd be able to stand up against it, Glass." Naofumi taunted as he stepped forward. It was sort of true, but it was also sort of a bluff as well.
Glass looked at him with interest. "And what would that be?"
Naofumi smirked, finally bringing out the Shield of Hope II and its subsequent transformation. The timer reappeared in the corner of his vision again. Maybe it was because of how downhill the fight had been going, but whatever it was that determined the amount of time he had to use it, it didn't look like he had much time to do so. "Why don't you watch and find out?" He taunted her again.
...
Glass closed her fans, staring into Naofumi's eyes whilst observing the flowing, glowing robes surrounding his bright figure. "Interesting. So that is what I saw earlier… Alright. Show me your true power then, Hero Naofumi." She held her fans at her sides, leaving herself completely open to attack.
The gemstone glowed a bright blue. His bluff had worked! "You asked for it! Shield Prison!" The ball of chains and plates surrounded Glass.
"Change Shield (Expand)!"
The chains and plates expanded into a cube. Glass didn't try to break it.
"Foolish Mortal!" A bright blue light appeared in Glass's Prison. Itsuki and Ren watched in disbelief that she was actually allowing this to happen. Did she not realize what this skill could do?!
Then again, they hadn't even known the skill existed. Who's to say that it would be common knowledge wherever Glass came from.
"Let that which is good to leave unharmed! While that which is evil is sealed till the time of reckoning! Oh Great Spirit, I ask of thee, cast thy judgment upon this soul! Judge for thyself this threat to our world!"
…
Naofumi waited a few seconds, and then a few more. His face began to tighten in concern. He was using the skill correctly. Yet it hadn't taken his Shield this long to bring the next lines of the chant, as well as the option to choose how long he could seal the target for. So why was it-
Warning: Target is not valid for Pandora's Box
Naofumi's eyes widened. "Wait, what is that-"
And then, the Prison shattered. Glass stood in her resplendent dress, staring at him, completely untouched. He gasped, feeling all his strength leave him in an instant. His Shield changed from the Shield of Hope II to his starter Small Shield. His MP and SP bars both emptied themselves. And his stats all dropped by 50%.
Naofumi fell to his knees. Ren and Itsuki looked down at him in shock.
"What… what just-" Itsuki was asking.
"Was that truly the ace you held up your sleeve?"
Suddenly, Glass appeared in front of Naofumi. She was not trapped in a statue of stone. "How very disappointing."
With one wave of her fan, Naofumi was sent flying back through the air. He slammed so forcefully into the wood of the central mast that it finally broke. The wooden beam fell on top of Naofumi's legs with a harrowing crunch.
"AHHHHHHHH!" Naofumi screamed out in agony for the first time since arriving in this world. His legs definitely felt broken after that.
"Naofumi!" Itsuki yelled back in worry, leaving himself completely exposed. He hadn't realized it, but with the failure of Pandora's Box, Naofumi's Defense Buff disappeared on both him and Ren.
"Reverse MoonFlower!" The blonde bowman's attention was brought back to the fight, but he was too late to dodge the incoming attack. As he was hit again and again, getting covered in gashes, he backpedaled. Trying to find a way to escape from all the swipes of energy slashing across his body. But in doing so, his foot caught on a piece of debris, and he fell off the side of the ship down below.
"Naofumi! Itsuki! No!" Ren growled as his grip tightened on his sword. He was now facing Glass by himself.
"After seeing how you handled the Boss of the Wave so effortlessly, I thought you all would put up more of a challenge." Glass held one of her fans smugly to her face. "I guess I was wrong."
"We'll see about that! Air Strike Bash!" Ren sent a blast of wind at her.
"Pathetic." She swept her fan in front of her, knocking the skill aside.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Ren charged forward, slashing multiple times at Glass with only the sword.
"Sloppy, slow, weak," She said, blocking each and every attack effortlessly. With a simple push of her fan, she sent Ren stumbling back. "Useless."
"Crimson Blade!" He released the slash of fire at Glass. Covering her in flames. His sword charged a bright blue.
"Meteor Slash!" He slashed the air in front of him, sending his most powerful skill at the powerful enemy.
Boom!
…
He stood in his spot, breathing in and out heavily… his eyes widened in shock, however, as Glass reappeared from the smoke cloud. Her HP bar had barely dropped again. She looked no worse than before.
"A futile attempt." She spread her arms out wide. "Reverse MoonFlower!"
"Urghhh!" He hated how she kept spamming that one attack! Ren slashed his sword this way and that, trying to get rid of all the golden swipes of energy coming at him. However, there were too many. One struck his arm, another struck his chest. He got hit over and over and over. "Ahhhhhhh!" He screamed in pain and frustration.
When the skill finally ended, he fell on one knee, blood slowly leaking from the many different cuts that now covered his body.
"I'm surprised you haven't tried running away yet," Glass said mockingly.
Ren forced himself to stand back up, digging the sword into the wood in front of him to do so. He could still see Naofumi trapped under the mast, eerily quiet. Was he dead?! No, he couldn't be! "Do you really want to continue fighting?"
If he left now, then if Naofumi was still alive, he would die!
However, if he stayed, then he would die as well. The world would lose two of it's Cardinal Heroes. Three if Itsuki didn't survive the impact with the ground.
Glass readied her fans once more. "Are you, perhaps, not afraid of death, Hero Ren?" She followed up her earlier question.
Ren gasped tiredly and painfully. His eyes closed tight in frustration as he lifted his sword up in front of him again. After everything that he'd done. After all that he'd done to get stronger… had it all been for nothing? Were all his efforts wasted?
"Hmmm... Or, could it be that you finally understand the futility of your struggle?"
…
He felt tears gathering in his eyes, and he hung his head. The tip of his sword lowered to the ground in front of him. "I'm sorry, Wyndia." He whispered.
He thought his greatest mistake was killing Gaelion. But here, on the verge of death, he realized that he was wrong. His greatest mistake wasn't killing that dragon. His greatest mistake was hurting his friend, who'd stuck with him, and helped him despite his shortcomings. Despite killing her adoptive father, she'd helped him and the others. She'd been there for him, time and time again. And yet he'd still pushed her and the others away, being too scared to apologize for yet another one of his shortcomings. Being too anxious for his own good.
"... Very well. Out of respect for your wisdom, I shall make this quick." Glass spread her fans out for her next move.
Ren clenched his fists, bowing his head. He felt guilt, knowing now that he was never going to have that chance to apolo-
"Ren! Don't you dare give up now!"
He looked up in surprise. Glass looked to the side, where the voice had come from. "What-"
Having jumped from the top of a nearby mountain, Wyndia came crashing down on the deck of the ship on top of a blue Filolial. Landing somewhere between Ren and Glass. The Filolial let her hop off before jumping overboard. She raised her hands defiantly towards him and Glass, despite still suffering from her injuries from before.
"Ah, so one of your servants has decided to come rescue you," Glass said, sounding humored.
Ren stared in horror at the girl. "Wyndia…? No! What are you doing here?!" He yelled at her.
She didn't answer, instead, she began chanting. "I call upon the power of the Earth to come to me and take form. Dragon Vein, hear my petition! Earth Vein, lend me your strength!"
What was she doing?! She was nowhere near strong enough to face Glass, even with her special draconic magic! He wasn't even strong enough! However, after saying those words, she revealed several gemstones she held in the palm of her hand. Being so far above the ground, this spell normally wouldn't work. Fortunately, she'd brought a power source from the Earth along with her.
"Heed my call! Give my target the power needed to break his limits! Give him speed, give him courage, give him strength! Give him the power to turn our defeat into a victory!" She continued to chant after that. Wording the spell as quickly as she could.
Glass's smug look changed into one of concern. This magic… it was familiar, and not in a good way.
Ren stared, Wyndia wasn't using her magic to fight, she was-
"Give him everything!" She ended the chant. Energy came out of the diamond, ruby, and emerald she held. "Trigram's Support!"
The energy of her Support Draconic spell infused Ren, who gasped in shock. His speed, his strength, and his defense shot up in his HUD. It wasn't an unbelievably drastic increase. But it was high enough that when he stood up tall, he noticed he was faster.
She wasn't fighting Glass. She was helping him!
He looked back at her, still not believing what had just happened.
"Don't just stand there, Sir Ren! You're the only one who can face her! So fight already!" Wyndia yelled at him.
...
"Alright. Let's try this one again." He gripped his sword and pointed in front of him. "Dragon Buster!"
A deafening roar erupted from his blade as a dragon construct of flame, much larger than before emerged from the legendary sword before spreading its wings wide and flying straight at Glass. Its fiery jaws were wide open to swallow her whole.
"So you continue to fight? Perhaps you're not as wise as I assumed." She slashed at the construct vertically with both fans, splitting it in half.
However, to her surprise, it didn't disperse like before. Instead, the two halves of the original construct transformed into two smaller dragons before interweaving with each other and consuming her form as they spiraled forward with an ear-splitting screech. What was left of the ship's deck around her was scorched black. Burning wreckage rained down on the ground below.
Glass gasped and lowered her clutched fans. Her kimono was now covered in several ugly burn marks and her formerly pristine pale flesh was stained with ash. As impressive as the display was, however, her health bar had barely gone down again. It seemed the skill had only surprised her. 'What was that just now? What did that servant's spell do?' The skill was definitely more powerful than what Ren had launched at her before. And why had the skill changed? It didn't have that effect before.
No matter. She spread her fans-
Before she could retaliate with a skill of her own, Ren came bursting through the cloud of ash. Sword already shining with his next skill.
"Air Strike Bash!" This time, the blast of wind hit Glass head-on. She was sent sliding back across the deck.
He'd used the explosion of the last skill to mask his approach! Impressive! But Ren didn't stop. Using his forward momentum, he stabbed at her chest, and it was only because of her instincts that she managed to knock his blade away with one of her fans. It still nicked her hand, slicing all along her arm to her shoulder, splitting the right sleeve of her kimono, and leaving a pale scratch mark along her body. Her other fan slammed into Ren's chest, knocking the swordsman away from her.
Quickly examining herself, she found her right sleeve billowing behind her like a cape. Her shoulder was completely bare along with the top of her chest, revealing a layer of bandages, a sarashi, wrapped around it that was currently preserving her modesty after the catastrophic damage that her dress had suffered from between the flames and her short scuffle with the Sword Hero. She glared down at what was left of her formerly perfect ensemble. Her pride hadn't been the only thing hurt.
Ren got back up and began charging for her again. She held her arms out wide. "Zero-Stance Rondo: Reverse MoonFlower!" She slashed forward, again and again.
"Hah! Ha! Huah!" Ren's charge didn't stop. He slashed and hacked his way through her skill. He still wasn't fast enough to catch or dodge everything, nor was he graceful like Glass was in dodging their skills, but with his improved speed, he was better able to twist and turn his way through the mess, and his improved defense softened the blows against him. He locked his blade with Glass's fan with only a few minor cuts added to himself, cutting her skill short.
She separated herself again and sent a blast of wind at him. Ren turned to the side, avoiding it, and then, sword charged, slashed at Glass again. "Thunderbolt Slash!"
The attack slammed into her fans, and an electric shock traveled through her. Glass quickly backpedaled. He pressed the attack though. He hacked, he slashed. At one point, she blocked his sword with both fans, but he surprised her by releasing a hand and punching her face, sending her stumbling back. He then tried to pierce her chest with his sword, and she stopped the blade just short using both fans.
His form was as sloppy as ever, but now there was an impact behind his strikes that hadn't been there before. How, no, why was Ren fighting so fiercely now?
"What is this? Does it take a measly spell to make you fight with all your heart, Hero Ren?" She asked. She ducked one of his blows, and with both fans, she slammed him in the gut, launching him away once more.
"That isn't just a spell! That's the strength of my commitment to Sir Ren!" Where she stood recovering on shaky legs, Wyndia glared at the kimono-clad woman. Unlike the times before, this time, she still had the energy to move after using her magic. "Zweite Guard!" The secondary spell she cast further boosted the Sword Hero's defense as he got back up.
"Why give your support to him? He is barely a Hero!" Glass charged towards Ren this time. He nearly toppled over from her earlier hit, but he stood straight again and dodged her strike. Surprised, she barely jumped back in time to avoid the tip of his sword. Putting distance between the two again.
"You're wrong! Ren may be a teenager!" Ren charged forward. Slashing and hacking at Glass anew. The raven-haired maiden twisted and weaved, dodging his strikes. "He may be an idiot, but there's one more thing that he is! He's a hero! He's my Hero!" Wyndia barked back at the raven-haired woman with a sincerity that made the sword hero's heart go still for a moment. Glass jumped back, putting distance between them again.
'Her… her hero… you mean she doesn't…' He was alerted that his SP was too low to use the skill he'd tried to select. And he fumbled as he took out several different potions from the gemstone of his sword. Glass charged forward to stop him from consuming the potions.
Wyndia's glare directed at Glass wasn't one of hatred. But determination. "Even if I die, I'll give everything I have if it means helping him save our world! I believe in him!"
Glass stopped. Staring at the dog girl.
...
She looked stunned, then saddened by Wyndia's words. They reminded her of something. Of someone. Someone whom she hadn't seen for a very long time.
"I see. Perhaps I underestimated the strength of your conviction," Glass muttered quietly. "My apologies."
00:01:00
A timer had appeared on the edge of Glass and Ren's HUDs. "What? The timer! Has that much time passed already?" The invader said in disbelief.
"Decipher the laws of nature! And speed up my target! Fast Agility!" Wyndia finished casting another support spell on Ren. The Sword Hero shook his head as Wyndia's latest spell boosted his speed. He could think about what she meant later. He finished drinking the various potions down. His SP refilled, and some of the injuries covering his body healed over as his HP bar refilled. "So, I'm guessing no matter what happens, the Wave will end when that timer hits zero?!" He asked.
Glass scowled, confirming his suspicions. His sword glowed. "Then Crimson Blade!"
Glass knocked the attack to the side, the flames blew off a section of the ship. She moved forward to attack Ren, however, Naofumi let out a pained groan and began to push at the mast on top of him.
'That attack from before didn't finish him off?!' Though surprised, Glass shook her head and knocked Ren away with a blast of wind. She didn't have a choice! She had to end it now. This was for her world!
She moved to strike Naofumi. However, Ren intercepted her, forcing her to block with her fans. How had he recovered from being blasted away so quickly!? "You're fighting me right now! Don't you dare strike at Naofumi!" He roared in defiance as he hacked and slashed at her with a fury that forced her to focus entirely on him again.
His form was definitely lacking. But it wasn't just Wyndia's spells infusing him. His raw drive and determination were shining through. His desire to overcome the obstacle in front of him drove him on despite the injuries that Glass inflicted on him as they dueled.
And she was inflicting many on him. As determined as he was, she was also determined to end this for her own reasons. Pandora's Box hadn't sealed her for several reasons. Those reasons were why she was fighting them right now!
00:00:53
Ren's fist slammed into her face again. As she stumbled, she knew that these same reasons also hung heavily on her soul, making her hesitate to land a killing blow. The Sword Hero used every opportunity, every moment of her hesitation fully to his advantage. She jumped back again, creating some distance between them. But he immediately jumped forward, forcing her to block again.
He was green. But he was learning. Quickly. Dangerously so. He already understood and was exploiting her weak direct melee combat capabilities. Pushing forward and keeping up the pressure on her even as he sustained countless smaller injuries in the process, interrupting and preventing her from using her most powerful skills. How was he learning to counter her so quickly?!
00:00:47
'No that's not quite right.' Glass frowned, realizing that she was losing ground for the first time since this battle had started. She looked forward to the form of the Sword Hero standing protectively in front of the Shield Hero and his servant. At some point in the battle, she had noticed it in her mind's eye that some sort of purple aura had begun to flow from the gem that was embedded in the sword hero's weapon. It was clinging to his body changing his presence and smell. And now as she looked at his form, warped by the heat of the flames surrounding him, it looked distorted.
She blinked once, and for a moment she saw someone else standing among the flames, staring at her with determination. Not a weak, pathetic child that was cowardly clinging to the piece of metal in his hands, but rather… She blinked again and the vision was gone.
00:00:44
'Yes.' She narrowed her eyes and spread her fans out sharply before changing her stance. 'I remember now.' All of his attacks. Everything he'd done since that servant of his used magic similar to that of her friend to support him.
Meteor Slash!
Ren finished charging his skill and slashed forward, launching a massive energy blade right at Glass'es feet. She jumped up as the attack annihilated the floor beneath her. Ren then charged forward, following the trajectory of his earlier attack with his blade low to the ground to slash vertically at the descending form of Glass.
'The saying was…' Glass brought her fans in front of her when she realized that this was a ploy to force her into the air where she would be unable to dodge the next attack. A cunning tactic, but ultimately futile as she still could easily block whatever came next.
00:00:37
"AIR STRIKE BASH!"
Instead of slashing at her fans, Ren unleashed his weakest ranged attack upward at a forty-five-degree angle. It slammed directly into the fans, dealing zero damage…
But it launched Glass away from the ship.
'Don't awaken the sleeping dragon.' That was his fighting style. His punches, his thrusts, attacking the ground in front of her. It was like the biting, clawing, and tail swiping of a dragon.
Glass's eyes widened and her mouth twisted in a predatory smile. So, Hero Ren thought all he had to do was launch her away from the ship?! And he'd managed to do so too. Well done. But not well enough!
She planted her feet behind her against a piece of debris and jumped back through the air. Ren looked up in surprise as she landed against a sail, and jumped from sail to sail, quickly gaining speed.
"WELL DONE WHELP!" YES! She could feel her blood boiling in excitement. A worthy challenge. Not a cruel and merciless slaughter of lambs that couldn't fight back, but a true battle that she yearned for. One that proved without fail who was worthy to live on and who would be forgotten.
"YOU HAVE DONE WELL TO LAST THIS LONG!" She threw her head back and started to laugh with pure unbridled joy and relief. He was still a whelp to be sure. But no matter how young, a dragon was a worthy opponent.
"BUT THIS IS NOT A TOURNAMENT!" She began to quicken in the air at an alarming speed. Ren, even with the two boosts, was hardly able to keep up with her moving form. "THERE IS NO RING OUT RULE HERE! THIS IS A BATTLE TILL THE TIME RUNS OUT!"
00:00:30
"IF YOU ARE TRULY A HERO THEN PROVE IT! SAVE THOSE IN YOUR CARE! AND IF YOU DON'T THEN YOU WERE NEVER WORTHY OF THE TITLE OF HERO!" She was going to make this count. She wasn't going to hold back any longer. Otherwise, she wouldn't have enough time to dispatch both Ren and Naofumi. "RUPTURE STANCE RONDO:" One of her closed fans protruded a purple blade of energy. The other positioned itself at the bottom end of it.
Ren's eyes caught her at the last second. She jumped up to the top of the tallest mast, and quickly turned, positioning herself, her red eyes looking down at the trapped Naofumi.
Ren quickly realized what she was about to do, and ran towards Naofumi.
The attack from before. It went right through Naofumi's defense like it was nothing, she was trying to kill the shield hero at least before the timer would run out. But maybe that was an opportunity… Ren chose his skill and got ready. Holding his sword up near his face as he stood in front of Naofumi. He had to make this work! He had to survive! NO BACKING DOWN!
"R-ren?... what are you…!?" Naofumi's eyes widened as he looked up at the Sword Hero's bleeding back and shoulders.
"REFLECT…"
Glass's eyes narrowed. So he wouldn't back down after all. Where her feet were planted in the mast, the wood broke as she finally unleashed the energy of her momentum. She came crashing down. "TORTOISE SHELL BREAKER!" The blade of purple energy released, a bright purple beacon of death that flew towards Ren.
THIS WAS IT! HIS LAST SHOT! "SWORD!" Blade shining with energy, Ren swung the sword like a bat at the incoming skill.
IT WAS TIME TO GIVE HIS ALL!
Crack!
A loud crack ringed through the air when the two skills collided. Energy crackled in the air between them.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Ren screamed, pushing with all his might. It hurt more than he'd thought. Glass's skill was too powerful. His instincts screamed at him to run and let the attack strike its intended target.
But he refused.
HE WOULD NOT FAIL WHEN IT COUNTED MOST! HE WOULD NEITHER DIE HIMSELF NOR LET OTHERS DIE IN HIS PLACE! COME ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
A being, slumbering in a fragment in the depths of sorrow, finally awakened. 'Your sacrifice is great, and you have kept your promise. Just this once, I shall make it count, little whelp.' Ren wasn't sure if he was hallucinating because of the pain, but he swore he heard a deep, familiar voice in his mind. And was that purple energy coming out from his sword? Whatever it was, it combined with the skill and-
KA-BOOM!
The ship, already damaged from all the fighting beyond recognition, split in half down the middle from the explosion of power that was released.
Ren cried out in pain as he felt part of Glass's skill still go through his sword, piercing his shoulder. Even with that burst of power, he couldn't reflect all of it.
However, the other part of the skill, the one that he'd managed to reflect, went right back at the raven-haired woman herself, where she'd landed on the black charred deck. Surprised, by both the explosion and the incoming skill, she raised her fans to guard herself. But, just like with Ren, her own skill went right through the fans, piercing her exposed shoulder. "Ah!"
She clutched at the deep wound, falling to one knee in surprise. It definitely wasn't a killing blow. But it was far more than what the others had landed on her. And in the aftermath of the explosion, as the smoke cleared, both saw their halves of the ship separating from each other. Putting more distance between them.
00:00:15
Ren breathed in and out heavily. His right arm was limp at his side. The effects of Wyndia's spells had worn off after the last skill. He worried that Glass would just fly over to their half of the ship and finish them off. However, the raven-haired girl made no move to do so.
"A pity, if only we had more time."
She sheathed her fans, much to his relief.
00:00:12
"Hero Ren, was it?" Glass asked. He was surprised she had even bothered to remember his name. "Know this. Your resolve has impressed me this time, but resolve will not be enough to survive in the future. You and the other Heroes better prepare well for our next encounter."
"... We'll be ready. You can count on it." Ren actually sounded cool as he said it. There was no faking in his voice whatsoever.
Glass nodded respectfully, stepping back on her half of the ship. "Until we meet again, little dragon." She jumped high up into the air, a smirk on her face. "I will be looking forward to our next encounter."
00:00:02
With a bright yellow glow, Glass disappeared into a rift from the Wave up above.
00:00:00
The wave rifts all around in the sky began to glow. Then, with a bright flash that blinded Ren, they disappeared. When his eyesight recovered, he was met with a clear blue sky.
…
That was it. They'd won.
The Ghost Ship Wave of Catastrophe was finally over...
Creakkkkk!
The ship groaned, and Ren was almost thrown off his feet as it pitched forward. Without the Wave powering it anymore, and because it was only half a ship, it began to fall out of the sky rapidly. Crap, he hadn't expected this! Though he should have, since he'd seen a movie that showed what a bad idea it was to try and land only HALF OF A FREAKING SHIP!
"Sir Ren!" Nearby, Wyndia was trying to help Naofumi get the mast off him.
Ren limped along the hull of the ship. He noticed the ground down below coming towards them incredibly fast. His stomach tied itself in knots. Crap, now wasn't the time to be paralyzed by how high up they were. Or how they were only seconds away from becoming bloodstains on the ground!
He moved alongside Wyndia and tried to push the thick wooden mast off with his one good arm. However, it wasn't budging. Naofumi himself groaned, trying to push it off himself.
"Stand back!" Wyndia backed up as Ren brandished his sword once more with only his left hand. With two quick slashes, he cut the wood on both sides of Naofumi. The rest of the mast fell away, and then it was easier to push what remained off of the Shield Hero.
"Hang on tight! Naofumi, try to cushion us with your Shield!" Ren yelled as he hugged Naofumi close. Wyndia gripped onto his other side, her ears were folded tightly to her head, and her tail hidden between her legs in fear.
Naofumi groaned in pain but tried to position his shield on his arm. "G-Go!"
The Sword Hero ran for the edge of the ship. And, with one great leap, he carried both the injured Naofumi and exhausted Wyndia over the edge. The ship crashed in a heap of wood and Kraken parts into the ground behind them as they sailed right over the plateau's edge towards the valley down below.
"Air Strike Bash!" Ren used the skill to the side, launching them back towards the plateau wall with its recoil. Naofumi's shield struck it, cushioning their impact. And then Ren desperately stabbed his sword into the wall. Straining to slow their fall with everything he had. "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" He screamed painfully. It was a good thing the Legendary weapons couldn't leave their body, but it felt like his left shoulder was being pulled out of its socket. If his left arm was ripped off while holding the sword, would it stick with the left arm, or reappear somewhere else on his body?
Fortunately, he didn't get an answer to that question, as his arm wasn't ripped off, and they were slowed just enough that they wouldn't die from hitting the ground. He was still forced to pull out and sheath his sword on his back right before they hit the ground at a speed nothing short of bone-jarring. The group of three then rolled and tumbled down the slope. Naofumi separated from the two of them, rocks dug into Ren's arms and his sword sheath dug into his back as he struggled to use his good arm to hold Wyndia tightly to him. His back slammed into a boulder, and he almost screamed as he felt something in his right shoulder snap.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity later, they came to a stop at the bottom of the slope. They were beaten, battered, broken, but alive. Their HP bars barely had any HP left, but somehow, they were alive! They'd won! It'd been another happy landing!
Though Ren started to feel immense pain from all over his body! OW! WHY WAS THE PAIN FINALLY CATCHING UP TO HIM NOW?! COULDN'T IT WAIT TILL AFTER HE WAS DONE CELEBRATING!?
Where Naofumi laid on the ground nearby, he began to laugh. It was so sudden that it caught Ren off guard.
"Huh? What are you laughing at?" Ren asked incredulously.
"I'm, I'm laughing because, because- Damn it, Ren! How many times am I going to need you to save my &^%!? I'm supposed to protect you all, not the other way around!" Plus, laughing felt much better than yelling out in pain from all his various injuries. He was hurt as bad, if not worse than Ren. One broken leg wasn't fun, two broken legs, he was wishing he was passed out right now. Stupid Shield and its pain-numbing abilities. Why couldn't it numb it even more so he couldn't feel how broken his %$#!ing body was!?
Ren glowered at the older hero. "Shut it! Do you have any idea how scared I was facing that woman by myself! She almost killed me!" He yelled at Naofumi. That fight had been scarier than the Pope and Tyrant Rex fights combined! How had they even survived?! IT WAS INSANE!
The man didn't reply and continued laughing. Laughing seemed like the right thing to do right now since they'd somehow gotten through that whole mess. Ren glowered at Naofumi's antics.
"If, if it means anything, Ren…" Ren suddenly became aware that Wyndia was still clutching to him, and he was clutching her. He looked down at her in surprise. "I thought, you were rather… heroic, back there." She admitted quietly. Her ears folding embarrassedly down on her head.
…
"At least, for a teenager." She added dryly. A blush spreading across her face.
Ren gulped. Had Wyndia always felt this warm before? He gently released his hold, helping Wyndia to let go of him and lie on the ground. The battered dog-girl didn't complain. Her cheeks only seemed to become redder. "How about we rest until help arrives." He suggested.
She nodded, not trusting herself to say anything. He didn't say anything either. But he let her head rest on one of his legs so she'd be comfortable. He took one of his last healing potions from his sword and helped Wyndia drink it. Then, hesitantly, he rested his left hand on her head, softly stroking between her ears as she drank. "Thank you... for coming to save me." He said quietly.
She gulped nervously, wanting to say so much, but not trusting herself to say it. Especially when… she enjoyed being able to rest on the Sword Hero's firm legs, with his soothing hand rubbing between her ears-
Oh no. She felt like steam was going to come out of her ears! Not only because he'd taken down a huge monster by himself, but also for bravely facing down a woman strong enough to kill the Cardinal Heroes! She'd never seen him look so strong and determined before! And had she really been able to save him?! She turned her head on his leg, cheeks blushing a very fierce red now. Was this where the Hero leaned down to give his damsel in distress a kiss?! But she wasn't a damsel! And she certainly didn't-
"Wy-Wyndia?" He asked confusedly.
"EEP!" She turned her head the other way, facing away from him. "Don't even think about it!" She snapped.
Ren's eyes widened, and he didn't dare ask why she'd turned her head towards his gut.
Ha, and Naofumi thought he was dense before. If only Ren knew...
Fortunately, their embarrassment didn't last long, as help arrived in the form of Filo. After worrying over Daddy, Dog Girl, and Sword Guy's conditions for a bit, the large bird secured Naofumi, Ren, and Wyndia onto her large feathery back. Finally, after memorizing the area where the two parts of the Ghost Ship had crash-landed, they rode her all the way back to town.
There, the Heroes and their parties would be treated for their injuries. The clean up of leftover monsters from the Wave would be handled. And civilians would be returned to their homes.
Now, Melromarc's Third Wave of Destruction was, at last, won and done.
Author's Notes:
Holy freaking flying pigs. This is probably one of my favorite fight scenes to date. No breaks for other scenes or anything. It's just the Heroes losing, and not losing at the same time. I can say with certainty though that if the Wave Timer never made an appearance, Glass would have been able to kill Ren and Naofumi, easy.
For those who no doubt are wondering why they couldn't beat Glass even with the shared methods, they had a small chance. The moment Naofumi tried using Pandora's Box though, what was left of that chance disappeared. Me and RLT already showed this in KidFumi, but had Motoyasu also shared his methods and been able to play an active role in the fight, their chances of winning would have been much higher. In fact, the fight could have turned into a curb stomp against Glass with his additional help and his methods.
So for those aspiring Authors out there who want to see Glass defeated in the Ghost Ship Wave. This is what you need: A. Four united Heroes with shared strengthening methods. B. Teamwork between those Heroes. C. A good Defender to protect the DPS Heroes. And D. A lot of hard work. That's what it takes. To take her on by yourself at that wave is suicide. And if you somehow win, you likely broke the setting to do it.
Hero Clips!
Why Not Hope Asunder?
"You asked for it! Air Strike Shield!"
The shield appeared right behind Glass. "Change Shield! Lasso!" Rope burst from the skill, trapping Glass against it. Her fans remained at her side as she watched what was happening to her curiously.
"Foolish mortal! You stand condemned for your unrighteous judgments here today! I dispense my justice on you, and strip you of that which protects you most! I cast my words to the heavens! Now suffer! Hope Asunder!"
The skill shattered in a blue mist. Along with Glass's armor and defense stat.
However, the three Heroes made no move to fight.
…
"Um… uh…"
Glass looked confused for a moment. Her HP bar had dropped, and her HUD showed her defense had dropped as well. But neither drop was very significant with how much health she had, and with her spirit energy slowly replenishing her depleted defense stat. But why were the Heroes turning away from her? Was there something else about this ace she didn't know about?
And why did she feel a fresh breeze on her stomach-
She looked down in shock. Naofumi had failed to account that her kimono was essentially her armor. So when that shattered, it left Glass in only the undergarments that she'd been wearing underneath.
Which did not consist of much besides the bare necessities.
It didn't help that she had a hot bod either. That didn't help the Heroes at all.
"WHAT IS THIS?!" She angrily asked, quickly covering herself with her fans. "IS THIS BATCH OF HEROES A BUNCH OF PERVERTS!?"
"Um…" Naofumi coughed into his elbow, turning away from the Spirit Person. He blushed a fierce red. "I'm pretty sure Motoyasu's the only perv among us."
Itsuki turned away too, embarrassed by the sight of a nearly naked Glass. "Yeah, that guy from earlier..." His mouth was dry. He could hardly say the words.
'AHHHHHHHHHHHH!' Ren turned completely around and put his arms over his head. It was bad enough the Author ruined his innocence in the other story, why did he have to do the same thing here!?
"YOU, YOU MONSTERS!" Glass shrieked.
"I'm sorry. I swear that wasn't my intention when I used that skill." Naofumi muttered into his arm. He didn't dare look at Glass, even if it gave her the opportunity to kill them. 'Damn it! I knew using that skill was a bad idea! If she attacks us now, we're dead!'
Fortunately, Glass made no move to attack. Otherwise, she'd have to move her fans and… lose whatever modesty she had left.
"Of all the dirty, no good moves you could have pulled."
"Oi! I already said I didn't think that would happen!" Naofumi yelled. "I'm still getting used to this shining blue shield, okay?! Besides, I already have a girlfriend! I don't need another one!"
"And I'm not into boys!"
Was that a slam by her, calling them boys? Or was that her way of saying she was a lesbian?... actually, if the info he'd looked up after the last chapter meant anything, the latter was actually very likely.
With a huff, she jumped in the air towards a Wave Rift. Still covering herself with her fans. "The next time we meet, I will make certain your deaths are as slow and painful as possible. You will receive no mercy from me for your dishonorable actions!" Glass said, venom filling her tone.
"I already said, ugh, just forget it!" Naofumi yelled back at her. She was already gone.
Right after she left, the Wave Rifts glowed, and the wave ended.
The Three Heroes looked at one another. Fear in each of their eyes. "Well… I guess that worked," Itsuki said.
"But why do I get the feeling she'll be super pissed the next time we see her?" Ren asked. Still shaking after the traumatic experience.
"Well, the next Wave isn't for another 45 days, and it was an accident. She can't stay mad for that long… right?" Naofumi asked.
…
The other Heroes refused to talk about the events of the Wave with their party members after that. Not even Motoyasu's prying would get them to fess up to what had happened.
However, it was duly noted that afterward, the three trained day and night for the day Glass came back.
They only hoped they'd be strong enough to survive her Wrath come the next wave.
Hero Clips!
Dragon's Hoard
"Ren, we're worried about you."
Naofumi, Itsuki, and Motoyasu stood outside of Ren's door in the castle. Ever since the fight, he'd been convinced by Glass's comment that he really was a dragon. Yesterday, he'd announced to the other Heroes that he needed a hoard worthy of a dragon. They hadn't seen him since.
"Ren, you better speak now, otherwise, we're opening the door."
A growling sound came from behind the door. The three looked at each other in surprise. Then, with firm faces, they opened the door and-
Stopped in complete surprise.
"Oh, hey guys," Welt, the swordsman said. He sat on one pillow that was one of many making up a giant pillow fort. All of Ren's party members looked at the Three Heroes embarrassedly. Wyndia sat at the very top, looking more embarrassed than everyone else. Did the top mean she was the most valued of Ren's hoard? She didn't know whether to feel happy or angry about that.
Ren himself was patrolling around the fort. Letting out a low growl as he moved around on all fours. It looked like he'd glued horns to his head, and was that a dragon tail attachment on his back?
Before the Three Heroes could comprehend what they were seeing, Ren looked at them and snarled. His teeth had turned into fangs too! He really was turning into a dragon!
The other three heroes began to silently back away towards the door, holding their hands up in an appeasing gesture. "Oh, I guess this was the hoard he was talking about," Itsuki said nervously. "We'll just leave now."
"At least he values his friends most," Naofumi said. "That's a good thing ri-OH GOD!" And then Naofumi and Itsuki were picked up by Ren, who'd appeared before them faster than they'd expected.
The Sword Dragon carried them towards his pillow fort, leaving Motoyasu by himself near the doorway. He'd almost forgotten about these two valuable friends of his! How could Ren be so forgetful about another essential part of his hoard!?
"Hey, what about me?!" The Spear Hero complained. "I want to join the slumber party too!"
Ren hissed back at him, and it looked like literal flames came out of his mouth when he did so. Motoyasu paled. "On second thought, never mind!" He quickly ran out of the room before slamming the door behind him.
Screw slumber parties! He didn't want to touch that craziness with a forty and a half foot pole!
Naofumi and Itsuki were both left behind to become permanent additions to Ren's Dragon Hoard.
Which was both the weirdest, but strangely enough, the kindest hearted gesture the two had ever received from their dragon friend.
Till Next Time
Allen