Virtue of the Shield Hero

by Allen Blaster

According to Newton's Third Law, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Unfortunately, Naofumi and co will find this to be especially true after returning from their Otherworld trip. Rest of Summary inside. The third installment is here. Multiple pairings. Covers Season Three Territory and beyond. Arc 10: Chapters Thirteen: Part One: Death Match

115. 52: Prison Break

I don't believe I have much to say (except for this paragraph). I'll clarify for Ghostman. I have no idea why you thought Naofumi didn't have any of the buffs he'd gained from previous shields. If I haven't said it before, I'll state it now. Equip Bonuses from weapons, once unlocked, are permanently added to a hero's stats/buffs/skills list no matter what weapon they have equipped or what world they're on. Special effects are the buffs/stuff that are only active when a weapon form is equipped (ex. Snake Venom Fang, one of Naofumi's counter-attacks. It is a special effect that can only be used when the Shield Hero has the Chimera Viper Shield equipped.). So do know that Naofumi (and Itsuki) still have the equip bonuses of all the weapons they'd managed to unlock the equip bonuses for (which only happens if you equip the weapon form for a certain amount of time) and that even though they've changed worlds and can't equip said weapons, they still have the equip bonuses from them. I hope this explanation helps.

To Moon of Hell, the result of that omake would be Kidfumi :). In all seriousness though, it wouldn't make sense if Raphtalia and Maya lost the ability to age up by changing worlds, since if that actually did happen, Therese shouldn't have her gem magic in other worlds, and Glass's spirit race abilities would have to disappear on other worlds too since, using the definition of the word established in Aneko's setting, those two are also classified under the title of demi-humans (Demi-human: similar to the main human race, but with differences and abilities that separate them from humans, putting them under a different title. Glass: Spirit People. Therese: Gem Race.). In short, demi-humans don't lose their racial abilities between worlds. If I ever did an omake on it, it wouldn't be just limited to demi-humans on Raphtalia's world.

Lastly, while it was said in an omake, I wasn't joking when I said I'd love to see a college romance AU fic. Please, for the love of all that's holy, I'd love to see some aspiring author here tackle a short story like that. Give me and everybody else some freaking wholesome romance and drama without needing to worry about the waves or the multiverse of worlds or the freaking setting rules!

---

Chapter Fifty-Two: Prison Break

---

It was quiet in Raphtalia's prison cell. It'd been silent ever since they'd finished talking about how demi-human biology works.

L'Arc kept rubbing his wrist bonds against the ground, with no success in fraying them. And Therese tried and failed to get any magic from her accessories to work.

Glass… was laying still, for now. But with every passing moment, she looked a little more transparent than before.

And the two guards were still patrolling outside their cell. Every now and then, they sneered at the prisoners without saying anything.

Dou-Lon looked down at his hands in shame. Raphtalia was deep in thought.

...

"I'm… I'm truly sorry, Miss Raphtalia." Dou-Lon suddenly said.

"It's fine. You have nothing to be sorry for." Raphtalia replied. She had pulled her sleeves back and was looking down at her hands. "It's not like I ever told anyone before that I was only a child less than a year ago."

"But… all this time I'd assumed…" The hakuko man sighed. "I guess, I haven't seen it enough times in my life to have thought it'd come up now." His ears fell on his head.

"Do you know anyone like me who aged up via leveling?" Raphtalia asked curiously.

"Well, yes actually. My friend. Chen." Dou-Lon admitted. "She was born fourteen years ago. She's been an adult for the last four now, but as you've had the opportunity to see, she tends to act a bit more on the childish side than others." The hakuko man chuckled.

Raphtalia smiled. "I did notice that. Though I also noticed you seemed to be good friends with her."

Dou-Lon smiled in return. "Yeah, we both grew up in the same village. Her mom died giving birth to her, and her father eventually left to compete in the Zeltoble Coliseums… she didn't have any family left at that point, and no one wanted to take her in. But around that time, I'd finished growing up via leveling thanks to my training, so I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea if I took her under my wing.

"She called me her childhood friend after that. She got me to spend my free time playing with her and taking her out hunting. I even ended up bringing books on monsters from Siltvelt so she could read and study them while I wasn't around. She really had an interest in learning all she could about them." He looked down at his hands.

"One day, I had to leave for several months to go through a heavy spiritual training regiment with some of the other knights, and when I got back, I was surprised to find that Chen had grown into an adult..."

"While I'd been gone, she'd decided she was tired of me and everyone else treating her like a child. So she went out and leveled up on her own. And after I got back, she told me she was going to join me on my adventures as my equal from then on." He chuckled. "It's funny. Her personality changed so little after she grew up. Yet now, she's in charge of the royal knights. I'm really proud of her."

The tiger man fell into a solemn silence. "Do you regret leaving Siltvelt to help us?" Raphtalia asked gently.

He shook his head. "Working with Sir Naofumi has been a dream come true. I couldn't have asked for anything better…" His face became downcast. "Though… I wish that I hadn't failed you here. That I hadn't failed Miss Filo and Sir Naofumi or Eclair…"

He hadn't been able to keep his promise to keep the Shield Hero and his family safe even before they entered Glass's world. Now, they were all separated, and they were stuck here with the added bonus of possibly being killed. "Still, it was good while it lasted, huh." Dou-Lon sadly chuckled.

Raphtalia stared at him. At L'Arc and everyone else in the cell. Everyone looked so downcast. Like they had no hope of getting out.

…

Raphtalia slapped her cheeks. No! Now wasn't the time to be depressed! She'd learned all she could about their situation earlier! Now, she had to think about what Naofumi would do next! If he was locked away in this prison cell, what would he do right now to escape!?

…

Raphtalia had the uncomfortable mental image of Naofumi alongside Ren and Itsuki destroying anyone that got in their way. Naofumi was laughing evilly in it, inspiring terror in the guards around them while Itsuki and Ren groaned about having to go along with the charade…

Raphtalia sweatdropped. On second thought, perhaps she shouldn't think like Naofumi and instead think about what she'd do instead.

She was only level one, but that didn't mean she didn't have options. She was too small to use her old sword. But she still had magic. She wouldn't have the magic power necessary for high tier spells, and if Therese was any indication, offensive spells were out of the picture. Yet she'd been able to use her gem magic to give her and Dou-Lon auto-translation abilities from L'Arc's gemstone, so if she used a spell that wasn't offensive in nature… …!

It all came together in her mind. "Psst. Therese." Raphtalia said in a hushed voice. "Which one of you three is the strongest?"

Therese looked up from Glass at the question, frowning in confusion. "Strongest? In what way?" The gem girl asked. "Physically, it would be L'Arc, obviously."

"And Therese is the one who's most magically gifted." L'Arc added quietly.

Raphtalia shook her head. "I mean combat in general. If one of you could break out, who'd have the best chance at taking on the security here and freeing us?"

...

"Me." Glass spoke up and opened her eyes.

"Glass…" Therese looked down at her with worry.

"Do not 'Glass' me, Therese." The spirit woman clicked her tongue in annoyance. "If I could act with even just a fraction of my true strength, I would flatten this whole place to the ground in minutes. L'Arc, stop pretending to be a part of the wall and back me up here."

"Eheh-" The redhead chuckled awkwardly at being addressed, trapped between the icy, judgemental eyes of Therese and the pleading expectant look of Glass. "I mean, Glass isn't wrong. As far as sheer talent and skill goes, she'd give us both a run for our money."

"As the gem girl's look became even darker, he hastily turned away to face Raphtalia. "A-anyway, why did you bring this up Raccoon kiddo?"

"I'm going to steal one of the guard's Ofudas." The demi-human girl announced with a whisper.

…

Therese slowly looked from Raphtalia to L'Arc. He looked just as astounded as her. "How are you going to do that? You're only level one, and besides that, we're in a regression prison." The redhead quietly pointed out after glancing at the guards to make sure they weren't listening in.

Raphtalia nodded. "I know. But I doubt that they know that my species is proficient in illusion magic."

…

Dou-Lon blinked. Miss Raphtalia… wasn't suggesting what he thought she was suggesting, right?

The little girl gave a quick explanation to the Otherworlders in a hushed voice.

By the end, they looked intrigued. "Are you sure that you can pull that off at your level?" Therese asked.

"It's a simple beginners spell. And it's worked plenty of times in smaller battles." Raphtalia nodded. "I should be able to make it work here."

"I don't know. Battles are full of distractions." Dou-Lon pointed out.

"Which is why I'll need your help to make sure it works." Raphtalia replied. "Look, I know this is risky but any plan we come up with will have some risk. And if it gets us out of here, I'll be more than willing to do it."

…

L'Arc still looked conflicted about it. But then, Glass let out a pained gasp, and her form faded away even further.

Unless they did something, the spirit woman would die. That much was sure. L'Arc grit his teeth. "Alright. What do we have to do?"

The half-tanuki nodded confidently. "I just need you to do this…"

---

The group waited. Raphtalia got up and walked around in the cell. Then, she sat down, facing them.

She pulled on Dou-Lon's sleeve, inviting him to play a child's game with her. They started playing a game of pat a cake. The hakuko's gaze stayed on her.

The otherworlders, who'd sagged back against the walls of their cell, began to watch the game with mild interest.

The two guards patrolling in front of their cell noticed the child's game. One shrugged, and the other rolled his eyes as they turned their backs at the same time.

"Their guard's down. It's now or never." Dou-Lon whispered.

Raphtalia nodded. "First Illusion."

A haze traveled over her body. After about two seconds, Dou-Lon felt his hands hit air instead of the little girl's hands.

The tiger man gulped, and intently focused on making sure he and the illusion connected without breaking said illusion.

A few seconds later, the guards turned back to the cell and saw the tiger man, still playing the child's game with the child. The otherworlders were still watching them with mild interest. Just like before.

One of the guards turned away again. However, the other paused.

What… What was this weird feeling?

He thought he heard footsteps, and turned to the side but there was nothing there. "What is it?" The other guard asked.

"Did you hear anything just now?" The second guard asked back.

"Hear what?" The first guard frowned.

"You know. Footsteps. Outside the cell." The second guard replied.

"Hmm? No. I didn't hear anything." The first guard quirked his eyebrow and glanced at the prisoners behind the bars. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he shrugged and turned away again.

The second guard frowned and looked at the empty spot behind him again. Maybe he was just so bored that he'd started imagining things?

However, just as he was about to turn away too, he saw the silhouette of a small girl in the corner of his vision. She let out a giggle before disappearing. In surprise, he turned to face her and brandished his weapon.

But there was nothing there except for a solid stone wall.

"Hehehe." There was a girlish giggle again. The guard hastily turned, fear in his eyes this time as he brought his spear down.

Only to find himself face to face with the cell. Looking down at the little girl that was still playing pat a cake with the tiger man.

The girl paused in her game, looking up at him to smile, before looking at the tiger man and resuming the game again.

The guard shuddered. "I-I'm starting to think that we should have bound her too." He told his fellow guard.

"What, the child? What danger could she possibly be to us?" The first guard asked in disbelief.

"No, you don't get it, I'm getting a real creepy vibe from her right now." The second guard pressed. "There's something wrong with her."

"Bah, you probably drank too much on your break again. Go ask one of the guys resting in the barracks to replace you if you're not feeling well." The first guard scoffed.

"Y-Yeah." The armored man wondered if he was going crazy. How could he feel like a random little girl with animal ears on her head could be dangerous in any way? It was unthinkable. Impossible. Inconceivable. And he was being an idiot for suddenly getting so nervous when they had all the power and they-

"Ahhh, I feel better already. Thank you, Raphtalia."

Glass slowly stood up. Her bonds came off her like wet paper as her skin returned to normal. The air around her began to grow distorted as power came off her in waves.

The illusion of the small girl at the front of the cell disappeared. Raphtalia reappeared by Glass. The spirit woman was holding the second guard's ward ofuda in her hand. "It worked!" Raphtalia said happily.

"You good Glassy?" L'Arc asked excitedly.

"Yes, I feel much better now." Glass said in a voice of calm fury.

L'Arc's excited look faded. He was hit by a massive sense of dread.

The guard quickly patted his side. The ward ofuda he'd been carrying on his belt was gone! And it was… IT WAS…!

"Oh hell no! I'm not getting paid enough for this!" The man promptly dropped his spear and bolted away from the cell in a display of uncanny foresight.

"Wha-" The other man turned around at the sound of his comrade's spear falling on the floor with a clatter. His eyes immediately widened with fear. "Oh &^%$! The alarm! Ring the alar-" He started to scream in fear.

However, Glass, no longer hindered by the regression magic or any of the debuff spells in the area, tore through the metal bars of the cell like they were made of rice paper. Her fans impaled the man through his stomach, instantly cutting his panicked shouting short.

"Urgh…" As the man collapsed to the ground, Glass flicked his blood off her fans. Looking up at his assailant, the guard's eyes widened in terror.

He understood it at that moment, after seeing the murderous crimson haze in the spirit woman's red pupiled eyes.

They'd made a mistake by trying to hold these people in their prison.

"Thank you for your hospitality. We shall be going now." Turning towards the group of guards rushing towards them, the spirit woman's fans turned red and black.

"Reverse Moonflower!" The gold slashes of power she unleashed were covered in a red haze. The guards screamed as they were cut to pieces. Those that survived dove behind cover.

Glass, however, thrust her fans forward again. A wave of black fire spread out down both sides of the hall, covering everything in cursed black flames.

"Ha!" The downed guard below thrust his spear up in a last desperate attempt to strike her.

It bounced off her back though. It hardly left a scratch.

Glass rapidly turned, slamming her fan down through his head, killing him instantly. She then unleashed another skill down the hall, killing one brave soul who'd poked out from behind his burning cover with a bow.

Already, in the span of a few seconds, the spirit woman had killed several guards. Cursed flames were still leaking from her fans onto the floor around her.

"Glassy, wait! Don't use that series-" L'Arc rushed out of the cell ahead of the others, reaching out towards her.

"Tortoise Shell Cracker!" L'Arc stopped in surprise. Glass had just turned to face him, and the skill was heading in his direction, and-

It went over his shoulder.

"Ah!" It went through another guard, who'd been behind L'Arc. The man slumped to the floor with a large hole through his chest.

L'Arc paused as Glass lowered her fan, still looking at him. "Glassy?"

…

"... L'Arc." Even though her Cursed Series was equipped, her voice sounded normal, only a bit taut. "Please, trust me."

…

…

L'Arc nodded solemnly. "Alright. But promise to come back to us when you're done, okay?"

"... I will." Glass nodded in return, then, she rushed down the hallway of destruction in front of her. Leaving L'Arc and the others behind as she killed every guard in her wake.

"L'Arc?" Therese asked worriedly as she and the others came out of the cell.

The redhead turned towards them. "It's okay, I… I think Glassy will be fine this time." The look in her eyes… it wasn't like before when she'd lost control. She wasn't doing this out of despair or some desire to kill herself.

Glass was aware of herself, and of what she was doing. How much control she had right now and how long it would last, L'Arc didn't know or even dare to contemplate. All he could do for now was to trust his friend.

Bending down, he ripped a ward ofuda off one of the dead guard's belts. He then pulled out his scythe, stretching his muscles out at last as the place's regression magic stopped affecting him. "Come on! Let's get out of here while the security is busy dealing with Glass!"

Nodding, not having much of a choice as Glass's cursed flames were spreading, the group rushed down the hallway away from the Fan Hero's path of destruction.

---

"HELP!"

"SOMEBODY, HELP US!"

It was complete and utter chaos in the massive prison complex. Being careful not to touch her own flames, Glass continued down one hallway after another. A look of calm was held on her face that oddly contrasted with her unorthodox killing of everything around her right now.

As her flames melted away the bars of cells, the prisoners kept within began to make their escape as well. Those that were smart immediately ran for the exits, leaving the spirit woman alone as she rampaged on.

"HOLD YOUR GROUND! SHE IS JUST ONE WOMAN!" An officer ordered.

The order sparked some resolve in the guards. A line of them released a hail of arrows and magic spells/ofuda through the air at her.

Surprising. These dishonorable opponents at least had some backbone to them.

"First Form: Instant!"

Glass weaved through the range of attacks with ease. Between her high level in this world alongside the power provided by her Cursed Series, it was almost too easy. Within seconds, she had not only broken through the array of ranged attacks, but she'd jumped over the line of guards and slit the throat of the officer that gave the order.

"D-DEMON!"

"RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!"

Those furthest away began to flee. Those closest made the unfortunate error of attacking Glass with close range weapons.

Seconds later, they laid on the ground, either screaming as they got consumed by the Cursed black flames, or already dead thanks to Glass's fans eviscerating them.

Glass continued on in her relentless rampage.

There was no rhyme or sense to her movements, unlike before. Her signature dance that she used as she fought was no where to be found.

She was continually on the attack, hardly feeling the blows of these weak guards as she cut them down. Yet, despite being in the middle of a raging inferno, she was aware of herself. Of what she was doing.

Unlike before, her Cursed Series wasn't completely addling her mind. It was definitely trying, but this time, the spirit woman refused to give that dark personality any leverage. Because now, her mind was focused on a single, clear thought.

'For imprisoning us in this place.'

One of her fan's skills blew a huge hole in a wall that separated the guard's barracks from the rest of the prison complex.

'For plotting to kill my friends… the people I care about most.'

"What is the meaning of this?! Guards, stop her!" The warden of the prison shouted.

She could not have cared less if they'd only been after her own worthless life. But because they'd planned on killing those she cared about too.

Glass held her fans close. 'All of you shall perish.'

"Empty Stance Rondo…" Yep, all the individuals in the room were completely and utterly boned. None of them could make a move in time.

"Moon Break!"

Boom!

---

A few minutes later, Glass walked out the front doors of the regression prison. The massive building behind her was up in cursed flames. Its walls, the ones that hadn't collapsed yet anyway, were full of holes, and the bodies of dead guards littered the halls. Not a single soul inside was still alive. Only those guards and prisoners that'd managed to flee the chaos were still alive to tell the tale of the ruby-eyed demon.

The Spirit woman was breathing in and out heavily. Her vision was tinted with red. Dark thoughts cascaded against her mind like a never ending flood. Her armor from Raphtalia's world was covered in bloodstains and dents and scratches. Her long strands of black hair floated around her, twisting and curling in on themselves like a den of agitated snakes.

"Glassy… remember, you promised." L'Arc slowly walked up to her with an ashen face, his trembling hand clutched the scythe at his side. Therese, Raphtalia, and Dou-Lon stood a little further back with mixed expressions of fear and concern.

Glass stared at them, a scowl slowly forming on her face. L'Arc gulped as his weapon glowed, preparing a skill just in case...

…

"Yes. I remember, L'Arc." The spirit woman's fans faded back to their default weapon form. Slowly, the haze of red over her vision began to dissipate and her hair settled around her face. Her scowl turned into a frown. The dark thoughts were slowing down, but not entirely.

The redhead breathed out a shaky sigh of relief as his weapon stopped glowing. "Thank goodness." He and Therese then both slowly approached and hugged the spirit woman close. "Welcome back, Glassy."

The Fan Hero stiffened, but slowly, she returned the hug. "Thank… you…"

A moment of silence followed. With the small group of friends relieved that they were okay.

…

"So, this is the power of the cursed series… no matter how many times I witness it firsthand, it never gets any less unnerving." Dou-Lon pointed out with a grimace as he cringed from the smell of burning flesh and hair assaulting his nostrils. "Once we reunite with Sir Naofumi, we should always remain vigilant, so he never has to rely on such power again."

Raphtalia nodded sadly, recalling the events from the capital of Melromarc that felt like they'd happened a lifetime ago. The look of rage and hatred, the madness. The flames enveloping the city. The people burning alive around them. Followed by the guilt and pain plastered on his face. The regret for what he'd done.

She shivered involuntarily. They had to find Naofumi as soon as possible. She couldn't allow him to be alone out there for any longer than he had to.

The group eventually retreated further away from the burning prison. Finding cover deep in the nearby forest.

"Sigh. You know, this is definitely going to put us on this country's most wanted list." Therese finally muttered.

"But at least we got ourselves out of that mess. And we even learned on the way that Glassy does care about us!" L'Arc said in an upbeat tone as he put an arm over her shoulders. "Isn't that right?"

"Don't, press your luck." Glass glared at him as she pushed his arm off her.

The redhead shrugged with an easy smile. "Eh, suit yourself. Just happy to know that you really are feeling better."

Glass scoffed and turned away with a hard to read expression on her face.

L'Arc kept on smiling though as he turned around to face the half-tanuki girl. "And of course, we have to thank raccoon kiddo as well! We never would have had a chance if it wasn't for her!"

Raphtalia blushed. Though, a part of her felt bad for using such a dirty trick outside of battle… then again, it had also saved their lives.

Perhaps Naofumi did have a point about playing dirty in order to survive. In a sense, she could even understand why the spirit woman did what she'd done.

"We should flee from this place before they call in more powerful reinforcements." Glass suggested while dusting the soot off her armor.

It'd been a little while since she'd unequipped the Cursed Series. However, she was still grimacing as she fought off dark thoughts from her mind. As well as that, her arms had suffered burns despite her best efforts to avoid her own flames, and she'd also been inflicted with a curse that dropped all of her stats by half due to her using skills from the Cursed Series.

Perhaps she should have tried harder to reel her emotions in… or maybe not.

These people had more than deserved her wrath for plotting to not only kill her, but her close friends as well. If given the choice, she'd do it again in a heartbeat.

"Yea, no reason to stick around here." L'Arc agreed. "Before that though, we really should change back to our normal clothes. We'll stick out like a sore thumb otherwise." He continued while pointing out their outfits. They were all still in the same gear that they'd been wearing in Raphtalia's world.

Glass nodded and retreated behind some bushes. "Do not peek, or else." She threatened.

"Eww! Glassy, don't even joke about that! You're like a sister to me! Therese, on the other hand…" L"Arc started to leer comically only to get a bundle of fabric thrown in his face with a dull pomf sound. "Mpph?

"Get your mind out of the gutter, L'Arc. At least wait until we get back to the palace first." Therese sighed as the kimono dislodged itself from the redhead's face and fell into his hands, revealing his pouting face in the process.

"Aww come on Therese! You know that's like the one place where I have to act responsible!"

"Too bad. Looks like you'll just have to act as someone befitting your age and status, for once!" The gem girl playfully showed off her tongue before casually catching another Kimono from the spirit woman. "That was a bullseye earlier by the way Glass! Nice one!"

"Hmph." The fan wielder closed her eyes and smirked while crossing her arms over her chest. "With a head as inflated as his, you could throw anything anywhere and still hit him."

"Oh yea, gang up on poor old me, why don't you?" The redhead chuckled in good humor before starting to put on his kimono while his two companions did the same behind a nearby tree line.

Raphtalia and Dou-Lon looked at L'Arc with a strange look, making him pause. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh no, it's nothing." Raphtalia shook her head. "It's just…"

"You three really are good friends, aren't you?" Dou-Lon noted warmly with a smile. "I mean, that much should be obvious but still, seeing you act so warm and casual with each other like this makes me feel a little homesick already. It reminds me so much of how everyone acts back in Lurolona."

"Y-yea." Raphtalia nodded stiffly.

"Oh, well uh." The redhead rubbed the back of his head awkwardly while looking down. "We did go through thick and thin over the years I guess."

Therese giggled from behind the treeline. "Wow! I didn't know that spirit people could blush Glass!"

"Q-Quiet, you! It is just the lighting from the burning prison tinging everything red!" The fan wielder's voice could be heard protesting.

"Aren't the flames black though? How could they be tinging only your face with red?" Therese asked curiously.

"Also, more importantly…" Raphtalia trailed off as she looked at her own and Dou-Lon's clothes before glancing at L'Arc's getup. "I get the feeling that we're going to stand out with our current clothing."

"Personally, I think that it's your ears and tails that you should be worried about." L'Arc pointed out as he finished tying the sash for his kimono around his midsection. "Here, how about these? They should suffice for now." He pulled out a couple cloaks from his scythe. "If they don't fit well, Glass can trim them to your size later."

"You know how to sew?" Raphtalia asked Glass in surprise as she walked back into view wearing her signature kimono.

"Yes? What about it?" Glass narrowed her eyes.

"It's just…" Raphtalia looked around while trying to collect her thoughts. "Please don't take it the wrong way, but you kind of remind me of another friend of mine who is also a great warrior and she wouldn't be caught dead doing something so feminine."

"Ah, you mean Miss Seaetto!" Dou-Lon realized.

"Oh, yes. Therese mentioned her before." The spirit woman nodded thoughtfully. "How did she put it again? That girl should pull that stick she calls a sword out of her butt and go ride that tig-"

"Yes! haha, she is quite the funny woman!" The gem girl cut Glass off and followed it up with an awkward laugh from where she was still getting changed.

"By the way," L'Arc leaned down and began to speak to Raphtalia and Dou-Lon in a stage whisper while holding the palm of his hand close to his face. "Glassy makes all of our clothing. If you want to become friends with her, be sure to compliment her work often."

"I am standing right here, you know." Glass deadpanned.

"Indeed, you are! And I must say, you look absolutely gorgeous! Isn't that right Therese?!" The redhead pointed fingerguns at the gem girl.

Therese clapped excitedly as she walked out in her kimono outfit. "Yes! The kimono you made looks very pretty, Glass!"

"Hmph. I'll let you off the hook this time." The woman sighed, but couldn't hold back the smile on her face.

Raphtalia nodded. Though, she had to admit she was sad that she wouldn't be able to wear her current outfit anymore.

Besides the armor additions, Naofumi had done his best to make it so she could continue wearing it even after she'd grown up. She loved this outfit, so not being able to wear it would feel like not having that part of Naofumi with her any longer.

"Alright, this looks good for now." L'Arc eyed everyone up as the group came back together after getting changed. "Want me to carry you, raccoon kiddo?"

"It's fine. I can walk on my own-" Raphtalia began to reply only to suddenly trip over the hem of her cloak and fall flat on her face.

…

Dou-Lon wasn't able to hold himself back from laughing.

"I-It's not funny!" The girl whined.

"Ah, I'm sorry Miss Raphtalia, I can't help it!" The hakuko man continued to laugh.

"How about I do it? It should be less awkward since we're both girls, right?" Therese knelt down and helped Raphtalia get up. "You've done your part and gotten us out from a perilous place, but now it's our turn to help you until you get your strength back, okay?"

"O… Okay…" Raphtalia relented and allwoed Dou-Lon to help settle her tiny body on the gem girl's back so she could carry the little girl. Despite his best efforts though, the hakuko continued to stifle laughs and chuckles.

"I said it wasn't funny!" Raphtalia snapped at him.

"Now, now kiddo. You have to admit, this situation is pretty absurd no matter how you look at it." L'Arc wiped a tear from under his eye.

Raphtalia sighed. If only her outfit wasn't so big on her now. "Don't worry. We'll find somewhere to get you clothes. Either that, or Glassy will make some for you." Therese reassured the half-tanuki gently.

"What about you man?" L'Arc asked Dou-Lon with a snicker. "Think you can manage to walk on your own or do you want to make this even more awkward for everyone involved and have me carry you too?"

"I would never ask anyone to carry me around!" Dou-Lon replied in an offended tone. "And it's not like this is my first time being level one!"

"But didn't Eclair have to carry you around last time?" Raphtalia asked, looking puzzled.

"That's… entirely irrelevant!" Dou-Lon fumbled with his persuasion check.

Glass readjusted her signature kimono so the fabric wasn't touching her burns on her arms. Yet she was still grimacing from pain. "If that is all, then let us depart."

Dou-Lon immediately followed behind Glass into the forest.

"L'Arc, do you mind storing Raphtalia's armor in your scythe for now?" Therese asked.

"Oh yea, sure thing." L'Arc reached out to pick up the chestplate and shoulder piece that Therese handed him. He was about to absorb the items into his scythe to store for later, but he paused.

It was probably a bad time to point this out. But he just couldn't help taking note of something with her chest plate.

"Wow, her bust really was big as an adult. Naofumi, you lucky son of a-"

"Therese, please." Raphtalia said tiredly.

"Yea, yea, I'm on it." The gemgirl sighed.

SMACK!

Therese slapped the idiot upside the head for the blushing Raphtalia on her back. "Ack! Alright, sorry! I was just surprised!" The redhead absorbed the armor into his weapon's gemstone.

"Hmph." Therese pouted as they all followed behind Glass and Dou-Lon deeper into the forest and away from the prison.

As Raphtalia held tightly to Therese's shoulders, instead of being proud that she'd been able to help everyone escape… her mind went back to Naofumi.

Kyo had purposefully separated them, and likely put them all in places where they shouldn't have been able to escape… she could only hope that Naofumi and Filo were ok, and that they were figuring out a way to get out of wherever Kyo had placed them.

---

The Shield Hero was not ok.

And he was nowhere close to thinking about an escape route from the hell that he was in.

He laid in a sobbing mess on the bed of hay he'd woken up in only earlier that day.

"S-Sir Naofumi." Rishia said worriedly.

"Ra… Raphtalia… Filo…" Naofumi continued to sob.

"F-Feh…" The green haired girl whimpered.

"Dinner's almost ready." Their newest ally walked out of her cell. "Is your not boyfriend feeling better?"

"N-No. He's the same." Rishia said sadly while rubbing her arm.

Naofumi continued to cry. It was pathetic, really.

He'd only learned that he, Filo, and Raphtalia had been separated. That they'd been placed far apart in another world. They were still alive.

But… but he had no idea how they were doing. He didn't know if they were safe. If they were facing some monster by themselves, and… and…

Gods. It felt like his chest was being crushed. It was so hard to breathe and it only grew worse as he felt a crushing weight on his shoulders since the two were no longer around to help share his burden.

This felt a million times worse than when he'd forced himself to separate from them and everyone else. Back then, he'd been too blinded by his anger to recognize it. But this time, he was aware. He was aware of just how much it hurt to be separated from his family.

And it sucked more than anything else.

"Um… Naofumi, was it?" Kizuna asked awkwardly.

The Shield Hero continued to cry. "Fue…" Rishia whimpered. She hadn't really had the chance to interact with Naofumi much before this. But… she still pitied him all the same.

"Dude, like, don't worry about it!" Kizuna eventually said. "Your wife-"

"Girlfriend." Rishia corrected.

"Your wifefriend and daughter are probably not dead." Kizuna corrected herself weakly. "I mean, you survived a huge fall out of the sky so they must have survived too, maybe after breaking a limb or two but still?..."

Rishia gave the Hunting Hero a bewildered look.

"S-sorry." The fisher girl forced a smile. "I'm not really good at dealing with depression."

"That isn't my own anyway." She quickly added under her breath. "I generally tried to help folks before it got this bad, uh, maybe we can feed him some sweet things? I think I read somewhere that sugar helps when dealing with depression?"

Naofumi didn't acknowledge her words. He only continued to cry.

…

"Um…" Kizuna shuffled awkwardly. "I'll uh… I'll see if I have anything sweet around then." She eventually said to Rishia before walking out.

Rishia stooped down low to rest a hand on Naofumi's shoulder. "I'll be with Kizuna, Sir Naofumi... I'm sorry that I can't help you feel better."

"Not that I don't understand your pain. Since Itsuki isn't here… if you need anything, we'll be outside."

She got no response, and she eventually left to go after Kizuna to change her mind about the sweets.

…

Naofumi was still crying. Almost completely unaware of what had happened.

Why… why did he let his desire for revenge drive him to bring himself there? How had he managed to convince himself to believe that coming here would be a good idea?

He shouldn't have come. If he'd only stayed behind. If he and Raphtalia and Filo had stayed in their world to help Ren and Motoyasu recover and… …

But then, who would have been there to help Itsuki? To help L'Arc. Therese. Glass…

He continued to cry. It was too late to take it back. He was so pathetic and stupid… he couldn't save all of his friends. He hadn't managed to protect any of them from Kyo.

He was so stupid…

…

…

His shield's gemstone flashed. And something rolled out from it.

Clink!

A loud sound on the ground next to the bed of hay drew Naofumi's attention. Looking through tear-filled eyes, he saw… the crystal ball that Motoyasu had gifted him. It rolled to a stop several feet in front of him.

What… what was it doing outside his shield? Hadn't he stored it away before they came over?

"Is this thing on?"

A voice suddenly came from it. Was that, Motoyasu?

"Yes, but if you want it to record visuals, you also need to do this." Another unfamiliar voice said.

Suddenly, a small screen projection popped out in the air over the recording crystal. Motoyasu's face was close up. "Ah, perfect! This shall make a great gift to my girls!" He pulled back happily.

It was Motoyasu, but… it was him shortly after their summoning. The Shield Hero could tell because the Spear Hero wasn't dressed in his normal armor. It looked more like a beginner's set.

"Thank you again for this. I promise it shall be put to good use!" He said to the shopkeeper in the background, and then, he ran off.

He then immediately rushed back into view. "Whoops, almost forgot this. How do you turn it off by the way?"

Naofumi still felt immensely sad, but he chuckled at seeing a little of the Spear Hero's old stupidity.

It was kind of funny to see, even if it didn't exactly make him feel better...

The recording suddenly moved to something else.

Naofumi had a view from above of the floor of the arena. His eyes widened in surprise, seeing his old self held down by Church Knights. Motoyasu was walking towards Raphtalia, who had been freed, and-

CRUNCH!

"AAAHH!" Motoyasu cried out in pain as he fell backward, clutching his broken nose.

Naofumi blinked. His, his girlfriend…

"Sir Motoyasu!" Malty shouted his name in surprise while everyone gasped or stared with their mouths wide open.

"M-mai noth!" The Spear Hero whined, trying to stop the blood flow by holding it with both hands. He looked up at Raphtalia in confusion and disbelief, only to shrink back and start to crawl away in fear as she stepped forward.

"You…" Raphtalia glared down at the Spear Hero's pathetic crumbled form with the fury of an angry goddess. The top of her face was hidden in shadow. She held her right hand in front of her, balling it into a fist so hard that her nails were digging into her own skin. Blood, his blood, slowly dripped from it on the floor. "You. Worthless. Spineless Worm! Liar! Cheat!" She yelled every word with every step she took forward while Motoyasu crawled back over the floor of the arena, stumbling and smearing himself in the dirt.

"How, DARE YOU! I didn't interfere in your duel and you know it!"

Naofumi's tears had stopped upon seeing Raphtalia. On seeing something he hadn't been conscious for.

"Should we go down and help?" An unfamiliar voice asked worriedly from behind the recording crystal.

"... Nah." Elena's voice sounded just as lazy back then as it did now. "Too much work." And so, the show continued on.

"You filthy animal! How dare you strike Sir Motoyasu after he so kindly set you free! You ungrateful, worthless sla-" Malty shouted and ran up to Raphtalia.

SLAP!

"Shut up, you BITCH!" Raphtalia cut Myne off with a harsh slap to the face.

Naofumi actually laughed at that. It was already the perfect recording. He felt a million times better than before.

"I never asked for anyone to free me! I was never acting under that slave crest! I was with Naofumi by choice!" The demi-human girl continued heatedly.

Naofumi continued to watch. The exchange just kept on getting better and better. "You seriously think that I'll believe that Master Naofumi raped you? A blackhearted ugly sow like you!? You'd be lucky if one of the pigs in the pens outside your castle would look your way! Master Naofumi would never stoop that low!"

Holy crap. Raphtalia, you were so brutal.

He couldn't believe this moment had been recorded. And as he continued to watch it, he saw her stand up to the King. He saw Ren and Itsuki intervene. He saw her threaten the Church guards and anyone else there who wanted to hurt him.

She looked so bad^%$ and beautiful throughout the whole thing.

By the time it got to the part where she was hugging him, he was crying for a different reason.

"I might get a little emotional sometimes… and act like a little kid when I want to… I may be a burden, but, but please... Please let me remain by your side."

"I need you, and you need me. We're a team. There's nowhere else I'd rather be than here with you… Please, please don't push me away again. Let me help you, Naofumi."

'Ra… Raphtalia…' Naofumi continued to sob even as Raphtalia hugged his past self in the recording. It was almost like he could feel her arms wrapping around him then and there.

"Oh, I forgot I left this here." Elena's voice sounded in the background. "Looks like the show's over." And abruptly, the recording came to an end.

Still, Naofumi felt her embrace. Her love and warmth through that recording... he missed it. He missed it so much...

Another recording began playing. "Elena, can you record them for me?" Motoyasu was in a dress suit. It was the night of the party, when Balamus had been executed.

"Why me?" She asked.

"You've held onto it for me. And I need to make sure everything is perfect for them." Motoyasu smiled. "But I also want to record this moment for Naofumi. That way he can never forget this night."

"Fiiiine. Whatever you say." The recording panned to him and Raphtalia. They were holding each other and dancing on the balcony of the castle.

That… that son of a bitch had gone further that night than Naofumi had realized. Damn him for making Naofumi cry at the sight of him and Raphtalia so happy and so in love!

He watched himself and Raphtalia swaying in the wind. Holding to each other and smiling without caring about anything else in the world except each other.

Naofumi's tears slowly dried. She… she truly looked happy.

He should have… he should have paid more attention to her. He should have realized how important she was in his life before now. He should have… he should have…

"Hey guys."

Naofumi was brought out of his thoughts by Motoyasu. The blonde man looked tired, but had a serious look on his face. His two party members were asleep next to dragons in the background.

"If you're watching this then it means that I forgot to delete this and that you should probably stop snooping around in other people's stuff… or, I guess I didn't make it. I think that's the more likely option at this point."

"Motoyasu…" The Shield Hero whispered.

The blonde squared his shoulders. "Sorry. I shouldn't say that. For all I know, the Spirit Tortoise might not wake up after all. I might just be overreacting to what's going on… But just in case, I plan on giving this to my girls to give to you. You know, in case I… I…"

Motoyasu shook his head to clear it. "Anyway, these are my strengthening methods. First is [Weapon Mastery]. By growing more accustomed to a weapon form, its stats increase. If done for long enough, it could make your starter shield strong enough to face endgame content. At least, that's my experience with it from my game." Motoyasu rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Not everything from my game applies here obviously. I've had to learn that firsthand…"

He shook his head. "Next up. [Smelting]. Using ore, I can upgrade my various weapon forms to increase their stats even more. It has no upper cap to it, but each level has a chance of failure. If it fails, the upgrade for the weapon reverts back to 0. Be careful when using this method. Oh, and different weapon forms require different ores. You'll need to find those ores yourself."

"Then, there's [Spirit Enchantment]. Parts of monster's souls drop when they die. You can use those fragments to imbue weapon forms with special enchantments that increase damage to specific monsters, resistance to elemental damage, and so on."

A light snore sounded in the background. Motoyasu quickly turned, making sure his party was okay. Then, he faced the recording again.

"Lastly, I have [Status Enchantment]. Using monster souls, you can imbue a weapon form with an enchantment that increases magic power, or strength, or any of your other stats. If you don't like what you get, you can choose to replace the enchantment with something else." The man heaved a sigh of relief. "Now, even if I die, you guys will be able to make use of my strength..."

…

A short silence followed as Motoyasu gathered himself. He breathed in deeply, then exhaled.

"Itsuki, Ren, Naofumi… I know I'm probably not in the position to do this. And I probably have no right to say this after what I did before.

"I deleted most of the recordings on this thing. I only wanted to keep what would be useful for you guys. Though I guess really, I only recorded things that'd help Naofumi. Unless you two also took joy in seeing my nose get broken... Still… as I looked back on the memories stored in this thing… I realized just what a terrible person I was. Before Naofumi opened my eyes in the cell of that castle." He didn't say it as a question. Motoyasu was being matter of fact. "It's no wonder none of you trusted me in that war room. I was such an idiot."

"That… I'm sorry, Motoyasu." Naofumi said sadly.

"Anyway, this next part I want to address to Naofumi specifically. A bit of advice, I suppose, just in case he might need it." Motoyasu stood tall again.

"Naofumi, just before I left… no, even long before that I kept noticing a dark look in your eyes. Even on the rare occasions when you were smiling. I didn't want to pry, since it wasn't my place to judge and criticize. Not after everything I'd done. But now I have nothing to lose, so just… hear me out, okay?

"I think it's no secret that all of us heroes, save for Ren, have been struggling with our Cursed Series even when we're not using them. And this might just be a hunch of mine, but I think you're being affected by it the most, but you're hiding your pain to not worry anyone.

"Naofumi, bottling this up won't do you any good. You need to open up about these things, even if only to a single person. You have to find ways to vent. And fortunately there is one person who you can and should trust.

"It's more than obvious, but Raphtalia loves you more than anything else in the world. The care she has for you is unlike anything I've ever seen in my entire life. And I've seen a lot in my life. More than I care to share." The Spear Hero grimaced as he held his side where he'd been stabbed.

"And I know you care for her just as much. But as I already said, I know you're capable of acting just as stupid as me. And… I've seen what happens when you think that she's abandoned you or if you think you've done something that makes you believe you'll never see her again, or that she'll never forgive you."

Motoyasu seemed to be staring him in the eyes now. "If you ever feel alone or helpless again for some reason or another, whether it's your fault or not, don't worry. She will find a way to help you."

Naofumi choked down a sob at that.

"She's a strong woman, Naofumi. She's probably one of the strongest I've ever seen. And with that same strength she loves you. You're so damn lucky and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of the bond you two shared. You are the most important thing in her life, and for good reason." A snore from Rino came from behind, and Motoyasu looked back with a look akin to sadness.

"If you're ever in a depressed mood, if you ever think like you had while lying on the ground during that wedding… or when you were full of despair at the arena… know that she'll move hell and earth to help you.

"She'll stand up to Kings and Bitches and punch idiot Heroes in the face if only for the chance to see you smile again. So believe in her. She isn't a helpless child anymore. Whether you think you deserve it or not, she'll gladly help you if you need it." Motoyasu gave him a genuine smile.

Naofumi was tearing up again. But this time, it was for a different reason.

Raphtalia…

"I have to go now. But, Naofumi, if I don't survive this… thank you, for giving me a chance. I hope things go well for you guys. And if they don't and you guys break the hearts of your girls, I swear I'll come back from the grave to haunt you! I'm talking especially to you Itsuki, you little prick! Get together with Rishia already and stop leaving us in suspense!"

Motoyasu reached forward, laughing and smiling playfully as the recording ended. His still image stayed in the air over the crystal ball. It was almost like Naofumi could reach forward and grip his hand.

The Shield Hero was shaking as more tears fell from his eyes.

'I… I almost gave up, because Raphtalia isn't with me anymore…' He still felt like he was being crushed. But… he couldn't just stop there. Could he?

The damn blonde simp… had he actually foreseen that this would happen? Or… was it something else that Naofumi hadn't noticed but was obvious to the others? How the hell had Motoyasu known to say what was needed for him to work through his feelings? And…

'Moto... You're wrong… you're not a terrible person. Not anymore… thank you.'

...

Naofumi also looked down at his shield. There'd definitely been more than one factor at play here. Especially since he hadn't made a move to take the crystal ball out of his shield.

"I don't know why you decided to help me out now after everything else I've had to go through… but thank you."

Unseen by him, Ost stood, smiling amidst a sea of stars. "You're welcome, Naofumi."

The gemstone of his shield flashed, which Naofumi found odd. Was his shield trying to tell him something?

…

'Ok, whatever…'

Having no other option, he set Raphtalia and Filo on the back burner of his mind. Right, he had to find out how to get out of here first. Then, he could worry about finding and reuniting with her and the others.

Motoyasu's methods were all listed on his screen now. He had no monster soul fragments. Then again, he'd never seen them drop before. Perhaps that'd change with this…?

He had ore for the smelting method. But different shields needed different ores. Would he be better off saving the ores he had now for more powerful shields later on?... oh well, he could think about it later.

'Where did Rishia run off too?' Actually, now that he thought about it, how was he back in the prison cell? Hadn't they been busy fighting some monsters?

Looking down, Naofumi found bandages wrapped around his chest. Pulling them away, he found his wounds had mostly healed.

Had somebody… saved them? He highly doubted that Rishia had done it. Unless she'd had a super awakening again while he'd been absorbed in his grief.

"Zweite Heal." Healing his injuries the rest of the way, Naofumi finally got up.

He didn't find Rishia outside his jail cell or in any of the other jail cells. However, there were dying embers resting in the furnace of the cell opposite him. And the smell of food was coming from down the hallway.

Naofumi followed it to the portal, and walked through it back onto the beach.

"Ah! Your not boyfriend is up!" Kizuna exclaimed.

"Fueh?!" Rishia whimpered in surprise upon Naofumi's appearance.

The Shield Hero raised an eyebrow, for more than one reason. "Who is that? And what does she mean by not boyfriend?" Naofumi asked Rishia.

The two girls were sitting on makeshift benches around a campfire. A table was set up nearby with various plates of cooked food on it.

"She, uh, she assumed, that, we um, uh…" Rishia began to mumble awkwardly in embarrassment.

"Eh, I'd assumed you two were together since you fell from the sky together. Rishia corrected me on that though." The smaller girl smiled brightly.

Naofumi couldn't help but feel that her cheerfulness was rubbing him the wrong way. Or maybe it was just the fact that it was hard for him to feel happy without Raphtalia and Filo being nearby.

Sure, he moved that particular can of worms to the back of his mind. But that didn't mean he wasn't aware that his soul was being crushed by all the worries and doubts and stress plaguing his subconscious at the moment.

"I'm glad to see you up again, Sir Naofumi!" Rishia said happily.

"Yeah yeah, I'm up for now at least. We'll see how long that lasts. Anyway, who are you supposed to be exactly?" Naofumi asked, looking at the strange girl opposite Rishia.

"She's Kizuna." Rishia answered. "She's the friend that L'Arc and Therese mentioned before the Spirit Tortoise woke up in our world the second time."

"Huh…" Naofumi thought about it, and then, his eyes widened. "HUH!?"

"Yea, pretty crazy how things work, huh?" Kizuna remarked casually while munching on some fried fish.

"They told us you've been missing for several years! And yet we're thrown into this world and find you in less than a day?!" Naofumi asked in disbelief.

"... yeah, that basically sums it up. Talk about lucky?" Kizuna smiled obliviously.

Naofumi wasn't sure whether to call it lucky. Actually, it seemed almost too convenient.

"Hey, what's with that look of distrust!" Kizuna pouted. "You don't think I'm evil or anything, do you?"

"..." Naofumi stared at the girl without answering, and her pouting grew more intense.

Did Kyo intentionally throw them together on purpose, or…

"Fueh! Sir Naofumi!" Rishia stood up and pointed at him. "I've already talked to her and she seems trustworthy enough, well, besides her gross disregard of personal space!"

"Hey, can you blame me? Its been years since I was able to hug another person." Kizuna shrugged wistfully.

"Well, anyway, besides that, she was the one that saved our lives! She even carried you back and bandaged you up!"

Naofumi shook his head. "You're telling me this loli carried me back on her own?"

"Hey, I'm not a loli!" Kizuna shouted angrily. "I'm 18, you know!"

"You're 18!?" Naofumi was actually heavily caught off guard by that.

Kizuna literally looked like a middle schooler. Well, actually, her face did look older. He'd heard of people like these back in Japan. Those that stopped growing around Middle School and were forever destined to remain short and mistaken for children by everyone else for the rest of their lives. He'd thought they were only an urban legend told by the sickos in the anime community.

"Yes, and I'm stronger than I look, thank you very much!" Kizuna continued.

"Fine, my mistake then... Lolibaba." Naofumi corrected himself.

"Wha- That's even worse!" Kizuna began throwing a tantrum. "How dare you call me that!?"

"How do you even know what that term means?!" Naofumi asked.

"Because I'm an otaku from Japan too, just like you!" Kizuna said with pride.

How the hell did she already know that?! Only the other Heroes were supposed to know-

He glared at Rishia, who merely sighed. If only Raphtalia was there to keep Naofumi reined in. Was it her fault she'd given Kizuna a little background information about them?

It seemed like the obvious thing to do after realizing she was a Hero that'd been summoned from another version of Japan, just like the four heroes of her world.

"And for a Hero, you sure are rude!" Kizuna said with a huff. "You have no idea how to treat a lady such as myself with respect. How is Rishia able to be friends with you?!"

"Sorry, the two of us aren't exactly close. And I only have eyes on one girl. One that isn't as flat as a wooden plank." Naofumi said dryly.

…

The look Kizuna gave him at that moment very well could have killed him. She seemed even more sensitive about that matter than Wyndia.

Was this really Glass and L'Arc's missing friend?... actually, factoring in their personalities, he could believe it. Somehow.

"What the heck is going through your mind now?" Kizuna angrily asked.

"It's nothing." Naofumi rebuted. He was really starting to get annoyed by how long this was starting to drag out for. He also didn't like the fact that he'd only met this girl yet she was already beginning to read him like an open book. "So is someone going to tell me what exactly is going on, or are we going to continue with this second rate comedy routine?"

It took a couple of minutes, much to Naofumi's eternal ire.

But eventually, they were able to sit down and move on to more… important, subjects.

---

In talking with each other, Naofumi and Kizuna shared their backstories. How they'd been summoned. What they'd accomplished in their worlds thus far. And how they'd ended up there. Naofumi filled in some of the blanks that Rishia hadn't been able to provide. And they actually had a somewhat decent discussion on the matter.

The most notable things Naofumi learned about Kizuna was that she came from a world similar to Ren's. Her sister had won a lottery to play a VRHMMO game called Second Life Project. Because of that, she, Kizuna, and one other sister had been allowed to enter together to play it.

In her world, VR technology had progressed to the point that one day in real life was the equivalent of several years inside of a game. For people that didn't have much time for gaming in real life, this was a true boon. Hence, Virtual Reality Healing MMOs had become very popular in her world.

Naofumi could have seen something like it become very popular in his world too. Hell, in every world out there.

This kind of technology was literally a gamer's dream come true.

Anyway, when she'd appeared in this world, she'd originally thought she was playing Second Life Project, and that the beginning was a tutorial of sorts. But her two sisters never showed up, and eventually, she realized the truth and worked to save the world she'd been summoned to.

"And well, I eventually slayed the Demon Dragon plaguing the land, and I ended up going on a few adventures with L'Arc and Glass and some of my other friends. On my last one, my ship crashed, I was separated from everyone else, I ended up in some unfriendly lands, and I was captured and thrown into the Endless Labyrinth. And yeah, that pretty much sums it up for me." Kizuna finished.

After hearing all that, something about her story didn't add up. "You're a hero. And you killed a dragon that was threatening your world. You must be pretty high leveled... so how the hell did some common soldiers manage to capture you?" Naofumi asked in disbelief.

…

Kizuna was slow to answer this time. She looked at the hunting knife at her side. It had a gemstone in the hilt of it, just like the gemstone on Naofumi's shield. For the first time, her expression became downcast.

"Well?" Naofumi pressed.

"It's because I can't hurt people." Kizuna finally said.

…

"You mean you're a pacifist?" Naofumi asked in confusion.

"No! I mean I literally can't hurt people!" Kizuna huffed. "I can kill monsters just fine. Heck, most monsters fear me! But the Hunting Tools Hero has the weapon restriction that he or she can't damage other humans. Not with traps. Not with weapons. Not with nets. Not even magic or anything really!" She rolled her eyes. "All I can do when I'm confronted by people is use some tricks to trip them up, try to use the environment to run away, or hide behind my allies, but unfortunately, those soldiers back then surrounded me in a flat place, cut off my escape options, oh, and I didn't have any of my allies to protect me thanks to the shipwreck.

Kizuna crossed her arms and pouted. "I was already angry enough at being captured by those idiots. But when they decided to throw me in here despite me pleading for mercy, oh man, I was so pissed that day! I'd never wanted to kill something more in my entire life!"

That was… wow. Kizuna really looked red in the face thinking of those memories. And here, Naofumi thought he'd been boned by his weapon's restriction.

At least he was able to defend against everything no matter who or what it was. Sure Naofumi couldn't kill anything besides a level 1 balloon on his own, but if he was ever by himself in Raptalia's world now, almost nothing would be capable of harming him. Man or monster.

Yet Kizuna, even after defeating a legendary powerful dragon, couldn't defend herself against a level one person… it was so ridiculous that he couldn't believe her at face value.

"Prove it." Naofumi ordered. "Prove that you're unable to hurt me."

Kizuna shrugged. "Eh, suit yourself." She then slashed him across the face with her hunting knife twice in quick succession. Naofumi didn't even have a chance to react in time to her sudden attack! She could have at least hesitated!

Clang! Clang!

But despite her much higher level, the blade bounced harmlessly off both his cheeks. Besides the uncomfortable feeling that came from cold steel being pressed against his cheeks, he'd suffered no damage. Not even a scratch.

Hell, there hadn't even been any pushback. It was like she'd lightly tapped him with a metal stick. The blade hadn't even felt sharp.

Before he could ask if it was a dull weapon form, she proceeded to use said blade to slice through some fish bones as if they were made of butter. "See? I told you, I can't hurt people." Kizuna rolled her eyes.

Naofumi still felt tempted to ask her to attack Rishia since it was possible his high defense had negated her attack. But the green-haired girl shook her head rapidly. "She already showed me earlier." She held out her wrist. "She hit me here again and again and I got a Clang sound every time."

…

Whoa. If Kizuna couldn't even hurt Rishia with her low stats, then the hunting girl really was completely and utterly boned when it came to attacking people.

"Fueh, I'm not weak!" Rishia whined.

"Anyway. You don't have any way to damage people? Not even one?" Naofumi asked.

"I… I do have one way. But… I didn't have it when those soldiers captured me… and I don't like using it." The otherworld Hero admitted while shuffling uncomfortably.

"... Ah, the Cursed Series." Naofumi guessed.

The small girl nodded. She didn't look like she wanted to talk about it, and Naofumi knew better than to press on this particular subject.

The Cursed Series was the only way for a Hero to get around their weapon restriction. It gave said Hero great power, but at a cost.

One only acquired the Cursed Series by losing the will to live. If Kizuna had been trapped down here for years with no contact from her friends… it wasn't hard to picture anyone going through such a scenario.

"Fueh…" Rishia kept silent as well instead of speaking what'd come to her mind.

"Well, I guess for obvious reasons, you were captured. But how come you haven't made it out of this place yet? Weren't you registered at any Dragon Hourglasses or anything so the Waves would summon you?" Naofumi asked.

"Waves? The stuff they talked about in legends?" Kizuna asked curiously. "Are those going on now or something?"

…

Crap. She must have really been down here for a long time if she hadn't even known that the waves were occurring in her world. That also put in perspective just how long Glass and L'Arc had been searching for her.

Actually, he checked his HUD, and…

-:-

His wave timers for Melromarc and Cal Mira were blank.

Welp, that avenue of escape was gone for him too apparently. Even if she had been registered, it obviously wouldn't have worked here. "What about an exit?"

"It's called the Endless Labyrinth for a reason." Kizuna chuckled upbeatedly. "I've been exploring this place by myself for years. And so far, what I've heard is right. There really isn't an end in sight to this place."

She pointed at the forest. "Once you get past the field and the river, the forest becomes a maze. When you get past that, you enter a portal and come out in some mountains that are also a maze. And then beyond those mountains is a ruin with more mazes and portals to it. And that's just in that direction."

She then pointed to the ocean. "I've used gear dropped by some of the monsters here to breathe underwater and walk on the ocean floor. But even that place down there turns into a giant maze. And to be frank, there are some particularly nasty monsters down there. If there's an exit that way, I haven't been able to find it."

"Have you found anything that could be an exit?" Naofumi asked.

"Well, there's one place I've found. But I can't go through it." Kizuna shrugged. "You know, since Holy Heroes aren't supposed to invade other worlds."

This labyrinth actually had exits that led to other worlds… just how the hell had a place like this formed in Glass's world?

He asked, and Kizuna surprised him with an answer. "From what I heard, some mage tried to make his own pocket dimension for himself. And the result was this place. Anyone can enter it. But no one can leave."

"I doubt that's true." Naofumi said in a dry voice. "There has to be some way to leave." He was almost considering asking Kizuna to take them to that rip she couldn't travel through. If it led back to his world, then he'd be able to use it, and…

Well, actually, he didn't want to go back to his world. Not while Raphtalia, Filo, and his friends were trapped here in this world.

Sigh…

"Actually, that reminds me. Rishia here told me you're the Shield Hero of another world. How did you manage to cross over?" She asked curiously.

"I received special permission for it." Naofumi answered. "If that rip leads to another world than mine though, I wouldn't be able to go through it either. I only have permission to be in this world."

"Alright…" He thought she'd ask about why he was there, but she surprised him with a different question. "Oh yeah, I wanted to ask earlier, but when I killed those kappa I noticed that I didn't get any exp from it, that wouldn't be something related to you, would it?"

"Don't you know you can't earn experience when other Cardinal Heroes are closeby?" Naofumi asked.

"No?" Kizuna tilted her head to the side curiously. "I'm the only Cardinal Hero in my world that was summoned as far as I know."

Wow. Naofumi didn't know whether to think that she was lucky, or unlucky. Naofumi hadn't been lucky, at first, but the other Heroes had eventually become better.

Though if what Glass and L'Arc had said before was any indicator, the Cardinal Heroes of this world were far behind them in terms of character growth.

"So Heroes can't earn experience around other Heroes… that seems odd. I was able to earn experience while I was with Glass and L'Arc." Kizuna thought out loud.

That was a fair point. Naofumi, despite being a Hero, had still been able to earn experience with L'Arc in his party at Cal Mira. Though, that probably had something to do with his distinction of being a Vassal Hero instead of a Cardinal Hero.

"But… then again, none of us earned experience whenever Ethnobalt or Kyo came along as well. I guess it had something to do with having more than two vassals in a party canceling out experience gains. It's been a long time since I ever thought about that." Kizuna added with a thoughtful expression.

…

At the mention of Kyo's name, both Rishia and Naofumi scowled. "Huh? Is something wrong?" Kizuna asked, sounding surprised.

…

"Rishia and I have already told you some things. But we should get to the topic of why we're invading your world in the first place." The Shield Hero spoke with a deep frown.

"... this isn't going to be a fun conversation, I can tell." The girl visibly deflated.

"Fueh…" Rishia squirmed around in her seat.

"No, it won't." Naofumi said darkly.

He proceeded to tell Kizuna about the Spirit Tortoise. How it'd been wreaking havoc in their world. How they'd tried to stop it. How they ended up teaming up with L'Arc and Glass after figuring out Kyo had taken control of it.

He'd wondered if he should tell her that they'd fought Glass twice before because she was trying to kill them and that was how they got to know them first. But he figured it wasn't relevant since they'd gotten past that particular issue. And judging by Kizuna's face, she didn't seem to like the tale they were telling already. Adding that detail in would have likely made things worse for them.

"Hold on." Kizuna suddenly interrupted. "You're telling me that my friend went to your world and did a lot of bad things? And that Glass and L'Arc worked alongside you to stop him!?"

"Yes." Naofumi said seriously.

"... I'm sorry, but I don't believe you." Kizuna shook her head and crossed her arms. "I admit that Kyo is… difficult to work with sometimes. He's stubborn, not very sociable, and often acts very prideful and full of himself. But that doesn't make him a bad person!

"Even though his vassal weapon is meant for support, he still worked thrice as hard as anyone else to get any recognition! And I know from working with him that he's not a bad person! He helped me and everyone else to save our world! Countless lives were saved thanks to his strategizing!

"He's my friend and I believe in him! There's no way he'd ever do the horrible things you described!"

"..." Naofumi's scowl deepened. "Well funny. The Kyo we saw definitely wasn't the friend type. And his strategies left a lot to be desired." He responded bitingly. "Whether you believe it or not, he tried to murder everyone in our world, including your friends. And when we'd beaten that whining bitch's &%$ black and blue and were preparing to kill him, he created a portal back to your world and escaped. We followed, only for him to separate us and drop me and Rishia here with you. Where Glass, L'Arc, and Therese went, I have no clue whatsoever. But that bastard's the reason we're even in this mess to begin with."

…

Kizuna stayed frowning. Was it really that hard for her to believe them? What did she know about Kyo that they didn't?

"Rishia," She turned to face the girl. "Is what Naofumi said true?"

"Fue?" The girl perked up.

"Is what Naofumi said correct?" Kizuna repeated.

"O-Of course." Rishia straightened as a look of hatred came over her face. "Kyo did horrible things in our world! He killed thousands upon thousands with the Spirit Tortoise! He tried to get Glass to kill herself! He made it so that Ost had to sacrifice her life for us to defeat him! And Itsuki…" She didn't pause to fueh. Rather, her fists clenched to the point of becoming white due to lack of blood flow. "He almost killed him and the other Heroes in cold blood! Had I not interfered to stop him, he would have caved Itsuki's skull in! I can never forgive him for that!"

…

…

Rishia seemed to realize how angry she'd gotten, as she suddenly retreated on herself. "F-Fue…"

Naofumi sighed. Kizuna was still frowning at them. "You still don't believe us, do you?" Naofumi asked.

"... Naofumi, do you have any family, perchance?" Kizuna asked in a tense tone.

"Yeah, a little brother, what about it?" Naofumi replied.

"is he a troublemaker?" The girl pressed on.

Naofumi opened his mouth to protest but hesitated. "... he used to be one. But again, what about it?"

"Imagine that, one day, some friendly-looking people knock on your door. They seem polite enough. However, they tell you that your little brother did some horrible things to them. That he was a murderer, a rapist, etc." Kizuna said in a calm tone. "They have no proof. Only their word. Would you believe them?"

…

…

…

Well, crap.

When she framed it that way, she made a good point.

It pissed Naofumi off. But he couldn't exactly argue against it. It wasn't like they'd recorded any of Kyo's misdeeds with a recording crystal.

Kizuna shook her head. "Look, Naofumi, Rishia. I can at least tell that you two believe what you're saying is true. But I can't do the same based only on your word alone. There could be something more to this that neither of you realize. It could be some sort of misunderstanding or a conspiracy at play. And even if Kyo has done what you described, he could be compromised somehow. Maybe he's been brainwashed or possessed by something or someone? Maybe he's being threatened into doing this? Maybe it isn't Kyo at all but an imposter using his likeness? It could be all that and more.

"Anyway, regardless of what's really going on and my personal feelings on the matter, I can at least promise you that when we get out of here, I'll verify what you said with Glass and the others to see if it's true or not. They wouldn't turn on a friend without a good reason... And if it is true, and if Kyo really did try to convince Glass to kill herself…" Her face darkened briefly on that. "Then I'll help you bring him to justice."

From the brief dark expression, Naofumi felt himself shiver. Rishia quaked with fright.

But just as suddenly, the dark look disappeared. "Before that though, please don't bring this up again."

"W-Will do." Naofumi was a little surprised. Based on what he'd seen so far, he would have assumed Kizuna to just be a naive girl hugging the heart trope for all it was worth. But it appeared she wasn't as naive as she'd let on.

"Now, lets eat and get back to finding a way out of this mess, huh." The sudden tension in Kizuna's body faded as she changed the topic.

"Fueh?" Rishia looked surprised.

"Hey, just because I've been trapped down here for years, doesn't mean that I've given up yet." The girl said happily as she returned to her cheery self. "And knowing now that my friends need me out there, I need to try harder than ever to break out of here!"

"B-But you've been trapped down here for years! How is our appearance going to help us break out any sooner?!" Rishia loudly asked.

"It's not like this is my first inescapable prison." Naofumi shrugged. "Melromarc was like that to me for the longest time, and look how well things turned out there."

"Fuehhhhhhh!"

Naofumi sighed. He was still upset that Kizuna wouldn't believe them about Kyo, but she wanted to help them escape. That was good. With how powerful the monsters here were, they'd need all the help they could get.

And well... if that dark look had been any indicator... they'd be able to count on her help if they reunited with Glass and her compatriots.

"How about it, Naofumi? You're obviously going to need help reuniting with that wifefriend and daughter of yours. What do you say we team up for now?" Kizuna asked excitedly.

"Fine, whatever. Just don't think you're leaving us if we find Glass and L'Arc first." Naofumi rolled his eyes. Kyo could be tackled later.

Right now, he'd rather find Raphtalia and Filo and hug them close and never let them go again.

After that, he could see about getting revenge on that male bitch.

However, any further thoughts were stifled by the sound of his stomach growling loudly.

"Wow, that almost sounded like a whale to me!" Kizuna laughed as Naofumi flushed red. "Come on, there's more than enough! We're not going to manage any escapes on an empty stomach!" Kizuna gestured to the palate of foods she'd prepared that were still sitting on the table.

There was sashimi. Sushi. Shioyaki. Namerou. Himono. Literally all of them were seafood.

"Fue! I-It tastes pretty good, Sir Naofumi! Almost as good as your food!" Rishia complimented Kizuna's skills.

Naofumi tried a bite of the sashimi first.

Rishia was right. It almost did taste as good as his cooking. Kizuna had seasoned it just right. His stomach growled again, and he realized he couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten something. "Fine, but we're going to get started after dinner. The sooner we get out of here, the better."

So, the group of three ate around the fire in peace. Enjoying a good meal before it came time for him and Rishia to hunt monsters while Kizuna continued her search for a way out of the Endless Labyrinth.

---

Author's Notes:

Yep, I'll end it here for today.

The omake below is, once again, inspired by a canonical what-if Aneko wrote. I do hope you enjoy it.

---

Hero Clips!

---

If Glass was in Naofumi's Group

---

"Hey, Glassy, it's so great to see you again!" Kizuna cheered happily.

"H-Huh?" The spirit woman was stunned.

She had to be dreaming. There was no way… but Kizuna was there. She was hugging her. She… she was so happy!

"Great, now that that's settled, we're going to need to find a way out of here." Naofumi said dryly.

"Yeah, it's pretty tough. I've been here for years and still haven't found a way out." Kizuna shrugged.

"You've been here… for all these years?" Glass asked.

"Yeah, but I've been kept safe and all that! It just gets a little boring being by yourself you know." Kizuna said sadly.

However, Glass's thought process had taken another course entirely.

Kizuna had been here all this time. In a place where she'd been kept safe and protected. Where the Waves were unable to summon her. Where she could be kept safe and protected. Where no one was able to harm her.

Where Kizuna would be kept safe and protected.

"Rishia, I don't like the look of this." Naofumi said fearfully.

"Y-You're noticing the look on Glass's face too?" Rishia responded in the same tone.

"Glassy, you ok?" Kizuna asked curiously.

"Of course..." The spirit woman purred. If her lover would be safe here, than…

There was no way she could ever be allowed to leave.

"Oh no." Naofumi groaned.

---

A few years passed. By this point, Glass and Kizuna were happily married and living in a house built on the beach.

Naofumi stood in the doorway with his infamous Butler Shield equipped. He was obviously beyond pissed off by this point.

"Oi, we really need to get out of here!" Naofumi yelled at the top of his lungs.

"You can leave if you want. I will stay here with Kizuna, where she will be kept safe. Forever. And ever. And ever. And ever." Glass said in a creepy happy tone.

"Idiot! Me and Rishia can't escape on our own! We need somebody that can actually handle powerful monsters for us!" Naofumi screamed.

"Fuehhhhhh!" Rishia screamed in her maid's outfit, which looked surprisingly good on her.

However, Glass paid the Shield Hero little mind. She was too busy massaging her beloved's feet to notice his words. "Is this ok, my precious Kizuna?"

"Ooooh, a little lower Glass." Kizuna sighed happily in bliss.

Oh come on! Why the hell were they allowed to have their happily ever after?! He just wanted to see Raphtalia and Filo again! Was that too much to ask?!

And that was why it was a good thing that Glass wasn't placed in the Endless Labyrinth with Naofumi. Otherwise, he would have never gotten out, and he and Kizuna would have had to serve as Glass and Kizuna's butler and maid for all of time.

On the bright side, Glass and Kizuna would have gotten married to each other and spent the rest of their days living out their happily ever after. And with one of the Heroes guaranteed to remain alive, Glass's world wouldn't be destroyed.

The Waves would kill millions, if not billions, and leave deep scars on the face of the planet that'd take centuries to heal over. But the universe wouldn't poof from existence. The planet would eventually heal from all the damage caused by the Waves. And the survivors that lived through it all would be able to thrive in this world where all the stupid governments had been destroyed. So at least somebody would be happy in this situation.

"Screw you Allen!" Naofumi yelled at the sky.

The Shield Hero was subsequently smitten by lightning and ordered to make dinner for the happy couple.

And thanks to the Butler Shield, he had no choice but to comply.

---

Till Next Time

Allen