Chapter 1
I got this idea from a PM, and it sounded interesting. I hope you enjoy it, and if it's good, I'll continue it.
'I honestly should have seen this coming. I should've known it was too good to be true.' Issei said while he lay on the cold, hard ground, blood pooling beneath him. His vision blurred, the stars in the night sky above fading in and out. The pain in his chest was unbearable, and the warmth of his blood trickling down his body made him feel weaker by the second.
Raynare, or rather "Yuuma," as she had called herself, stood over him with a cruel smile, the glowing energy spear in her hand still radiating with malice.
"You humans are all the same. So easy to deceive," she sneered, her dark wings fluttering ominously behind her. "Did you really think someone like me would ever fall for a pathetic pervert like you? Especially given your reputation?"
Issei coughed, blood dripping from his lips. He wanted to scream, to fight back, but his body refused to move. His mind raced with regret and anger. This date was supposed to be a normal date.—a chance to finally experience what everyone else his age did.
Especially given his track record, Issei had been to juvenile detention after he was framed for a rape crime he never committed, which led to him not going to jail.
How did that happen? Well, it started with the females of his school, specifically the Kendo Club, who believed themselves to be the protectors of women because they wielded wooden sticks.
It's no shock that the females of the school stated that they hated any males who weren't Kiba or Saji, so why not defend their school from the Incarnation of Lust by falsely accusing Issei of raping, say, one of the Kendo Club girls like Murayama or Katase?
This led to an investigation, and Sona Sitri, who was the head of said investigation, proved that Issei didn't do it. However, due to his acts at school and for some strange reason, the females never reported or closed the holes, so the judge gave Issei a lighter punishment.
Juvenile detention and Issei served his time, got out on good behavior, and is doing better thanks to rehabilitation. However, it stained his reputation even more by making him an outcast in his school and neighborhood since only his parents, Aika Kiryuu and Sona, believed him. This made Issei feel like a mess until Raynare asked him out in her Yuuma form.
This made Issei think that he could finally have someone who would love him back and not judge him based on the rumors and his past, but when Raynare killed him, it made Issei hate how he wished he could be given a second chance to redeem himself.
Raynare raised her hand, preparing to finish the job. "Don't worry," she said mockingly. "I'll be sure to dispose of you properly. A human like you doesn't even deserve a place in the afterlife."
The energy spear grew brighter, and Issei closed his eyes. His life, filled with dreams of harem fantasies and a future filled with love, was about to be snuffed out in an instant.
'If I could go back in time and make up for the things I've done, then I would be happy. I'm sorry mom, dad, Aika, Sona. I'll miss the four of you. And I'm sorry for everything.' Issei said as he felt his life leave his body until something changed.
The pain in his chest vanished. The cold ground beneath him disappeared. Issei's eyes snapped open, and he was no longer lying in the park. Instead, he was floating in a vast, endless void. Golden light shimmered around him, and he felt oddly weightless.
"What… what's happening?" he muttered, his voice echoing in the emptiness.
Before he could make sense of his surroundings, a booming voice echoed from the void. "Young soul, your fate has been cruelly cut short. But your journey is not yet over."
Issei's heart raced. "Who… who are you? What do you want with me?"
"You have been chosen," the voice continued, ignoring his question. "Summoned to another world in its Hour of Need. Will you rise to the challenge and fight for this new destiny?"
Issei blinked, his mind struggling to process what he was hearing. Another world? A new destiny? He wasn't even sure if he was alive anymore.
Suddenly, a glowing light appeared before him, and four legendary weapons materialized in the void: a sword, a bow, a shield, and a spear. Each radiated a distinct energy, but his attention was drawn to the Spear, its intricate design calling out to him as if it were meant for him and him alone.
"The Spear Hero," the voice declared. "That is the path set before you. Will you accept this role and stand as a savior in a foreign land?"
Issei hesitated. This was unbelievable. Just moments ago, he was dying. Now, some mysterious force was offering him a second chance at life—but as a hero?
Issei's mind reeled, torn between disbelief and hope. The voice's words echoed in his heart, sparking a fire he hadn't felt in a long time. A chance to start over—a chance to be something more than the outcast, the scapegoat, the broken man he had become.
He clenched his fists as memories flashed before him: the mocking laughter of his classmates, the cold glares of neighbors who believed the worst of him, and the shame he felt every time his parents tried to comfort him. And then there was Sona, her determined voice as she fought for his innocence, and Aika, who stuck by him even when the rest of the world turned away. They believed in him when no one else did.
If there was even a chance to repay their faith, to prove to himself and the world that he was more than the labels they had slapped on him, then he couldn't let it slip through his fingers.
"I…" He gritted his teeth, his gaze locking onto the glowing Spear. "I'll do it. I'll become the Spear Hero!"
As the words left his lips, the Spear shot forward, its brilliance engulfing him. Power surged through his body, unlike anything he had ever felt before. His wounds vanished, replaced by a strange warmth that spread through every fiber of his being. It felt… liberating, as though the chains of his past were being burned away.
The golden void around him dissolved, replaced by the grand interior of a towering castle. The air was thick with magic, and the intricate designs on the walls glowed faintly under the soft light of chandeliers. Issei stood on a raised platform, gripping the Spear tightly, his heart racing.
He wasn't alone. Three other young men stood nearby, each holding one of the remaining legendary weapons: the sword, the bow, and the shield. They all looked as disoriented as he felt.
"What… what's going on?" one of them asked, a guy with messy black hair holding the sword.
"I was just in my room," another said, his blonde hair shining under the light as he examined the bow in his hand. "What is this place?"
Issei took a deep breath, his grip on the Spear tightening. "Looks like we're all in the same boat."
Before anyone could respond, a group of robed figures approached. At their forefront was a man in a regal outfit, a crown resting atop his head. He stepped forward, his presence commanding, and addressed them in a clear, authoritative voice.
"Welcome, Heroes, to the kingdom of Melromarc. You have been summoned to save our world from the Waves of Catastrophe."
Issei's mind spun. Waves of Catastrophe? Kingdom of Melromarc? It was like something straight out of a fantasy novel. But this wasn't a dream—it felt far too real.
The King continued, his tone urgent. "You are the chosen ones, bearers of the Four Cardinal Weapons. You must stand against the Waves and protect this land from annihilation."
One of the other heroes, the guy with the shield, raised his hand. "Hold up. This sounds way too RPG for me. Are you seriously saying we're stuck here until we fight off some apocalypse?"
Issei looked down at the Spear in his hand, its polished surface reflecting his face. The weight of the weapon felt natural, almost as if it were an extension of himself. Despite the overwhelming situation, a small ember of determination flickered in his chest.
The bow one also spoke up, "I refuse."
"You brought us here without our consent; don't you feel the least bit guilty about that?" the one with the sword also says.
"Not to mention, if you throw us out as soon as we restore peace, we would've done all of that work for nothing." the bow summoner says, feeling entitled to a reward. "How willing are you going to accommodate our requests."
"Good sirs, before I say more, we'd like you to have an audience with the King of Melromarc. You can negotiate your rewards with him directly, so please." The centered-robed figure responds, pointing the way. The rest of the robed group leaves the room, with the four summoners going along with it for now.
After a few minutes of walking within the large castle, the four summoned heroes were finally at the throne room with two large fancy chairs at the end of it where the kingdom's monarchs reside, with one that was empty and the other one is where the King was sitting on, an older mild age man who fits the look of a typical European monarch with a high crown, a grey beard, and purple eyes.
Once, the four were at the center of the throne room, which had many other nobles, knights, servants, and advisors watching the historical event. The King finally spoke, "So you young men are the four Cardinal heroes of legend. This is the land of Melromarc, and I am her King, Aultcray Melromarc the thirty-second. Welcome, brave heroes. Please identify yourselves."
The sword hero first said, "I'm Ren Amaki. I'm a 16-year-old high school student."
Then the bow hero, "Itsuki Kawasumi, I'm still in high school, and I'm 17."
Next was the spear hero, as Issei gave his name. "Issei Hyoudou, seventeen years old."
Naofumi smiled as he went next. "And I am..."
"Good, Ren, Issei, and Itsuki." The King completely interrupts and cuts off a now confused Naofumi. The King then continues, "Now then, I think it is time that I..."
"Excuse me!" Issei said, raising his hand before the King nodded.
"Yes, sir, Issei?"
"You forgot the shield hero. Im not sure if that was intentional, but it's still rude." Issei said before turning to Naofumi. "Go ahead."
"Oh, uh, thank you," Naofumi said before clearing his throat. "Naofumi Iwatani, 20 years old and a university student."
"No way, really? I thought you were eighteen or nineteen since you don't look twenty," Issei said, making Naofumi blush since he had been called young before by others.
"Oh, well, you're not the first person to say that about me."
However, before the chat could continue, the King stopped them so he could continue to explain the situation.
The King then speaks again, "Now then, I suppose I should explain why we brought you here in the first place." He went on to explain the situation of their world. Apocalyptic swarms of deadly monsters have recently been popping up in the various kingdoms of the world; they have been referred to as "waves" that happen when the sky turns red, and strange-looking portals appear all over, allowing the monsters to come out. The kingdoms of this world had dealt with one wave already; they succeeded in driving them off with their armies and willing adventurers, but they only barely won with many casualties. They knew full well that they would only get worse as they went on and on. The four cardinal heroes were summoned with their divine cardinal weapons to get strong enough to fight them off and put an end to them.
All the nations had magic dragon hourglasses that tracked the time of the wave invasions. According to their churches, the next wave would appear in less than a month.
"So you see, that's why you are all here. We followed the legend and summoned you. But now we have no time to lose," King Aultcray finishes explaining.
Ren then lays down his sword. " Okay, so we get the gist of it. Now, anyway, I'm sure you didn't summon us to do all of this for free."
One of the King's advisors then answers, "Of course not. Once you repel all of the waves, we will ensure that all of you are handsomely rewarded."
Naofumi then speaks, "Well then, I guess we have no choice but to take your word for it."
Ren speaks again, "And don't think you can renege with us. We will cooperate but don't think for a moment that you can tame us.
Finally, Itsuki said, "Exactly. We will not work with you if you look down on us."
"Of course. After you clear the waves, you will all be compensated for your efforts. But before we continue, would you brave heroes check your statuses? " the King asked as the heroes nodded and began.
Issei tried it out and noticed an icon floating in the bottom corner of their eyes. He focussed on it, and it quickly popped open a screen that showed off descriptions and statuses like health, magic power, speed, stealth, defense, and many other different statuses for adventurers. Issei's stats were impressive for just a level one higher than the 3threeother heroes, in fact, since his stats appeared to be well balanced, which made him recall that Spear Heroes were usually the swiftest of the heroes, which explained his attack and agility being much higher. At the same time, his magical defense was greater than his normal defense.
"A glass cannon, huh? It makes sense given that speed and power are good for swift and agile fighters, which results in low defense, but magic defense is a good thing to have when dealing with magic attacks." Issei said since he wasn't an otaku, he did play his fair share of games with Rin when they were kids.
"Only level one? Well, that's really disconcerting, isn't it." Itsuki says after looking at his stats.
The King's advisor then explained, "This is called status magic, an ability exclusive to heroes that allows you to see how you are right now and how much you all have improved."
Ren continued to ask questions, "So where do we go from here?"
The advisor explained, "You four will go on an adventure to upgrade and develop your legendary weapons and learn many new skills along the way."
"By ourselves?" Naofumi asked before the advisor shook his head.
"No need to worry. We will be discussing funding and party members for the four of you by tomorrow. We wouldn't leave our heroes with nothing but the clothes on their backs," the advisor explains to Naofumi.
Ren speaks again, "Well then, we will need to learn to handle our weapons properly."
"Yeah, we could even form a team together; with the four of us, we would be unstoppable," Itsuki comments.
But then the King's advisor explains more: "Hold on a second, heroes. I've neglected to mention that each of you needs to form parties of your own. By their very nature, your divine weapons repel one another. So if you were to work together as a party, it would hinder your development."
The King finally spoke again, "Since the sun is setting, you might as well sleep here for the night and start your journey tomorrow. In the meantime, we will gather the best of the best to be recruited for your parties."
A female servant then approached the heroes and said, "We have already set up a room for all of you, so please come this way." The four heroes followed her to their rooms, finally leaving the throne room.
The King opens up his opinion, "I knew that I would hate that damn shield hero from day one, but despite my personal belief in the shield hero, I have a kingdom to protect, so I must give equal care to the shield hero until the waves are stopped. But I'll keep my eye on him, though, if he does anything stupid."
"Alright then, sire, but we will still need to gather their party members for tomorrow, so we will need to do our best for our warriors to be ready for their hero group leaders." the advisor reminds him.
"Yes, yes, of course," the King said but then gave a small smug smile, "Hmm... You are right about one thing. It's best that before we introduce them to the heroes tomorrow, they are informed of what they will get themselves into regarding which hero they pick."
Meanwhile, with said Heroes.
"I guess when you are a special hero of legend, you get special treatment out here. And get to meet some cute girls, too," Motoyasu says as the four heroes are in a room together at night after being served their meals.
Issei was sitting on a couch, mostly ignoring the other heroes since he wanted to check his stats and was coming up with ways to prepare himself for battle and what he needed to work on the most.
Itsuki then says, "Yes, our meal was quite sumptuous. It's interesting how much this resembles Dimension Web. I wonder if this is some new update they've recently done?"
"No, this is a console game; it wouldn't have anything to do with it being on a computer," Itsuki corrects back. They both seem off about this; they have never heard about their respective games before.
"You're wrong. This is clearly a VRMMO, just like BraveStar online," Ren tells the two gamers.
Both Naofumi and Issei were confused when he said VRMMO; it even got Itsuki's attention. VRMMOs are supposed to be very experimental stuff back home for Issei, and here's Ren acting like it's a common thing.
"VRMMO? That stuff doesn't even exist yet," Itsuki commented
"What are you talking about? That is all that gaming is now, and no one uses consoles or computers for gaming anymore." Ren comments.
The four didn't know what to make of this until Naofumi decided to do a test: "Alright, why don't we straighten this out? How about we compare general knowledge to each other? First of all, who's face is on the 1000 Yen bill? In one, two, three. " Itsuki, Ren, and Naofumi all gave completely different answers, confusing all of them.
"Wait, who?!"
They continued asking multiple general questions, each with completely different answers. Issei didn't participate in it, but he listened to the whole thing, which made him think to himself.
'Even I don't have the same answers to their questions. That no doubt means we are from completely different worlds after all. This explains why Ren casually talks about VRMMOs as if they were normal. And judging by their world's different histories and the lack of acknowledgment of it, they seem to be from worlds with no Fallen Angels.' Issei said as he also hid a little secret he learned when he was checking out his status screen and saw that his Spear already had a form unlocked.
The three other heroes finally stop asking each other questions when they get the same picture as Issei.
"Just as I thought, we are all from different versions of Japan," Itsuki says as he sits down.
"And they sound nothing alike to each other." Ren also says.
"I figured we were just from different eras, but I guess not, huh?" Naofumi says, leaning on a chair.
"Well, at least this world is familiar enough to the games we play in, so it shouldn't be hard to adjust here as well," Ren says
"Yeah, monster fighting, battling armies of darkness, and saving many cute girls. This is so awesome. It's great we also have these cool weapons, too. I mean, can you imagine if all of us were stuck with only a shield to fight with?" Itsuki says, making a point to mock Naofumi's situation, which he takes notice of and looks angrily at Itsuki.
Itsuki continued, "I mean, imagine being stuck in a fantasy world where multiple things could eat you alive, and all you have is a weak shield with no means of an attack. I mean, I would be embarrassed by my very ex... Oww!" Itsuki was interrupted by getting hit in the side of the head by Issei's Spear after he just whacked him.
After rubbing his head, Itsuki looked back at Issei angrily, who had a smug smile and his Spear magically reforming back in his hand. "That seemed like an attack to me, and if you can't even dodge that, I doubt you're going to last a week out here." Issei smugly insulted back at Itsuki.
Itsuki wasn't just going to take that and moved up toward Issei, "Hey, I don't know why you're acting like this, but I'm not going to be taking your kind of bullcrap. You can deny it as much as possible, but it is the truth: no one uses a shield to fight, and no one picks the shield class. And you're only fooling yourself if you think otherwise. The truth is the shield is a loser class, which makes the one who's a part of that class a loser himself."
"I'll let you know that the Shielder may be slow in terms of speed and offense, but making up for it in defense is a key aspect of tactical combat. The shield can protect allies, redirect enemies, and hold the line when others falter. If you can't see the value in that, then you're the one who's shortsighted, Itsuki." Issei's calm tone carried an edge of annoyance. He didn't like the unnecessary arrogance being directed at Naofumi, especially since he understood what it felt like to be unfairly judged.
Naofumi glanced at Issei, surprised by the sudden defense. "Thanks, but you don't have to—"
"I do," Issei interrupted, standing. "Look, we're stuck in this world together, and the last thing we need is to act like a bunch of spoiled kids. Each of us has a role to play. If we don't respect that, we're screwed when the real danger comes."
Ren smirked faintly. "He has a point. Bickering like this is pointless."
Itsuki scoffed but stepped back, muttering under his breath. "Whatever."
Naofumi sighed and muttered a soft "Thanks" to Issei, who nodded and returned to his seat.
The group sat in silence for a while, the tension still lingering in the air. Issei used the opportunity to dive deeper into his status screen. The Spear had an alternate form already unlocked: The Crimson Dragon's Spear Form.
Curiosity piqued, Issei thought about how this weapon differed from others. His gaze wandered to the three other heroes. 'The sword, bow, and shield. Each represents a different strategy and playstyle. But if this Spear already has alternate forms… does that mean it's more versatile than I thought?'
Eventually, they decided to go to sleep, all except Issei since he wanted to test something first, so after sneaking out of the castle, which surprisingly wasn't difficult since most of the guards were too occupied either flirting with any woman that passed by or asleep at their post.
Issei walked out to a plains field, where he decided to have his field test before the Spear transformed. It now became a crimson spear with a green emerald where the jewel resided, and it had draconic traits at the head.
"Woah. The Dragons Spear was no joke since this seems powerful." Issei said as he then twirled the Spear, which shocked him since he had never wielded a weapon before in his life.
"Do I automatically know how to wield a spear as a passive skill, or am I just being lucky?" Issei asked himself before he saw what looked like an orange balloon monster. He used the Spear and poked it, making it pop, shocking Issei at how weak it was before seeing many more appear.
"Okay, then, well, Issei, you wanted a field test and swore you'd become a better person worthy of a hero, so let's do this!" Issei said as he spun his Spear and began to clash with the Orange Balloons.
Unaware of a being watching inside of his very soul.
[Hm. Interesting. He may be my most intriguing host yet.] That being said, while watching Issei kill the balloon monsters, they looked at a lion next to them.
[I thank you for letting me give my host a form thanks to the Boosted Gear. I wish to continue to help him along his journey since he looks like he needs someone watching his back.] The being said before, the light moved up and down as if nodding.
Issei, however, didn't hear any of this as he kept killing the Orange Balloons, unaware his weapon was also absorbing pieces of the balloons into its jewel.
'This is my chance,' Issei thought as he killed more of the balloons. 'My chance to prove that I'm not the monster they painted me as back home. A chance to protect, to fight, and to live for something greater than myself.'
His grip tightened on the Spear as determination surged within him.
No more running. No more regrets.
He will fulfill his old dream of becoming a Hero!
The next morning came quickly. After a brief meal, the heroes were summoned back to the throne room, where a crowd of adventurers, knights, and other fighters awaited. Twelve different individuals were in front of the King: Knights, Adventurers, and Mages of different shapes and sizes, waiting for their cardinal heroes to come in and begin to follow them.
The throne door opens, and the four heroes enter the large room, where many of the kingdom's nobles are watching from above as an audience. Once the four of them are at the center of the room, the King finally speaks, "We have gathered the best warriors of the land. These brave souls will fight the waves alongside you."
The other three heroes are wondering how the process for picking team members will work, with Itsuki, in particular, excited about the ladies. But Issei just had his arms crossed and a curious look on his face since he wasn't sure what to expect from the party members.
The King speaks up again, "Now, future champions, the time has come to begin your journeys!"
The large group of champions all walked toward the four heroes, picking whoever they wanted to follow.
Itsuki had three champions, Ren had the most with five, and Issei had four, all of whom were girls.
Naofumi had no one; none of the champions chose him, so he continued to stand there with no one willing to follow him. Naofumi was shocked by this, as was Issei, since he knew that since Naofumi was the weakest in terms of offense and speed, he needed an ally to fight alongside him.
Issei looked at his party and saw the four girls. He wasn't impressed by most since he could tell that two of them were not exactly 'friendly' to others and were prideful. The third girl was rather slothful since she didn't seem to care about being here, and the last one actually intrigued him because Issei could tell she actually had a spark in her eyes.
Ambition to make her dream come true.
The King took notice, "Well, it seems no one has chosen the Shield hero. I loathe to admit it, but even I didn't expect this."
The King was about to continue until Issei raised his hand.
"Excuse me, Your Highness?"
"Yes, sir, Issei?"
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this seem extremely unfair to Naofumi since no one even chose to side with him?" Issei said before he pointed to the three girls in his group.
"I want to offer up a few of my members for Naofumi since he can't fight and needs someone to fight with him. And since we're supposed to be working together, don't you think all of the heroes need members to assist them?" Issei said, shocking the other adventurers. Naofumi seemed grateful for Issei's trying to help him until a voice called out.
The King then spoke again, "Well, alright then, if no one wants to volunteer and if the Shield hero Sir Bakugou is content with it, then we should..."
"Excuse me!" shouted a feminine voice. Everyone looked toward it and saw a hand raised. It was a beautiful young woman with red hair and green eyes who was one of the champions behind Issei. She was one of the two that Issei was extremely wary of since when he looked at her, it reminded him of Yuuma Amano, a fake facade until it was revealed that she was a cold-hearted bitch who took pleasure in torturing him until he died.
Just like the second lady who looked like an arrogant version of the Kendo Club members back in his world since they thought they were some great defenders of women, but really, the girls were arrogant and thought they were protecting their 'white knights' safe from the 'evil demons' which is why Issei didn't trust those two one bit.
He was about to warn Naofumi about her until she spoke to him.
"Sir, Spear Hero, do you mind if I switch parties? I wish to be with the shield hero?" The woman asked him what made everyone, especially Itsuki, surprised that anyone would be willing to join Naofumi, but Issei couldn't make a scene, so he nodded and hoped to get with Naofumi later,
"Uh yeah, are you sure?"
The girl gets closer to Naofumi and is about to put her hand on his shoulder to be friendly. Of course, a hero should never be by himself, and I can provide him with anything he needs. I am Mein Sofia."
Naofumi blushed, which made Issei feel sorry for the poor guy. The way she spoke made Issei's blood boil a bit as he narrowed his eyes at the woman.
[I don't trust her. Not one bit.] Said a voice which almost frightened him, but he kept his cool as the King continued.
"Now, onto business. All four of you will receive funds every month from the crown to help you with your journeys. For this one time, however, Sir Naofumi will have a higher payment than the others due to his lack of party members. Here are your war chests; accept them with our thanks."
Four servants then walked out toward the heroes with bags of this world's currency and handed them over to the four, "The shield hero will receive 800 silver coins while the other three heroes will have 600 each." the advisor says to them as they grab their coin bags.
The King then makes his final speech to the group, "Now procure all necessary equipment and set forth."
"Yes, sir!" the other three shouted as they headed out, but Issei grabbed Naofumi by the back of his shirt and dragged him to the side once they were out of the castle. This shocked Naofumi before Issei whispered into his ear.
"Don't trust Mein. She isn't who she seems to be."
"What are you talking about? Are you jealous she left your party?"
"What? No! I was going to offer her or the other succubus."
"What do you mean?"
"Look, just be careful around Mein. She acts like someone who was from my world, and they weren't exactly a model princess, more like a Queen Bee."
"Look, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I am fine! Really!" Naofumi reassured him, but Issei wanted him to be safe since Naofumi looked like a good guy given last night before he sighed and nodded his head.
"Okay, just promise me you'll be careful," Issei said before he headed out with his party until he decided to ask them some questions.
"So, what are your name and skills? Given that we're working together, we are going to know each other's strengths and weaknesses," Issei said before the girl beside him liked the idea as they walked to a blacksmith shop.
Though not before, Issei sent the dancer lady, known as Lesty, and the lazy girl back to the castle to pick up a map of the land outside the castle since they would need it to know the best places to go and then some good quests for them to go on in order to raise their level and gain some skills.
"My name is Rino, and I'm a mage. I grew up in a small village far east from here. It was nothing special, and there was never much to do, but it was still home. And my family life wasn't much different; we were fair folk who ran farms. It was peaceful, but it was also ungodly boring. Eventually, I found out that I was one of the few in the village gifted with powerful magic. It might've been arrogance, but it made me feel good about myself in my dull lifestyle. When I turned 18, I finally decided to leave my village to make a name for myself as an adventurer with the goal of being the best mage of Melromarc or even the whole world. I traveled all around the country, learning new things, meeting new people, fighting many monsters, and going on many adventures for over 2 years. I was never super famous, but many people were always impressed with my powers and appreciated my help. It always made me feel good about myself, that I was making a difference for once, rather than just farming out in the fields."
She then went on to talk about recent events, "About two months ago, while I was helping a small village, knights were going around requesting powerful adventurers and warriors to become companions to of all things the cardinal heroes. It seemed unreal that the cardinal heroes were now in Melromarc, but it wasn't something I was going to ignore, and I showed them my talents to them. The knights were impressed enough for them to take me in. I have never felt so excited in my whole life to be a partner of a legendary hero. And by the next morning, I finally got to see the cardinal heroes in person. I couldn't believe that it was real; the heroes of legend were here in my nation in the flesh."
She then continued, "And when we were finally told to pick our heroes, I chose the Spear hero, as they always said in church that the Spear hero is the strongest and most courageous hero, and by all appearances other than your a bit bland, you seemed to fit the bill."
"Well, I'm not going to pretend to be someone I'm not since, in my world, I had this ridiculous dream of being a Harem King to have a harem and love the women with all my heart while others called me the incarnation of Lust, I preferred the personification of Love since that's all I really craved for since I did some things I'm not proud of and wished to become worthy of the title Hero since believing it or not, I actually wanted to be a hero when I was a kid," Issei said, which surprised the small witch girl.
Rino looked at Issei with wide eyes, clearly surprised by his honesty. "I never would have guessed that about you," she said, her voice soft. "You seem so confident and sure of yourself. But I can see now that there's more to you than meets the eye."
Issei gave a small, rueful smile. "Yeah, people tend to look at me and see someone they can easily underestimate or not notice, but I don't really mind. If they want to, that's on them. I've always had big dreams, even if they weren't the kind of dreams that people typically admire."
Rino chuckled softly. "I get it. I wanted to be someone who stood out, too. That's why I left my small village. But becoming a part of the heroes' party—well, that's not something I ever imagined would happen. It feels like fate, you know? Like I was meant to be here."
Issei nodded thoughtfully. "Fate… Maybe. Or maybe it's just the next step in a journey we've all started. Who knows what's ahead of us?"
As they walked toward the blacksmith shop, Issei couldn't help but wonder about the path he'd chosen. He had his party, and while one of the girls seemed like a good match for his goals, something about the Shield Hero's situation troubled him deeply. The fact that Naofumi was standing alone, with no one to help him, felt wrong. And that mysterious girl, Mein Sofia—something was unsettling about her, and his other party members didn't seem to care about the situation.
Issei didn't want to worry too much. After all, he had enough on his plate. But as they reached the blacksmith, he couldn't shake the feeling that this world, with the King not seeming to care about Naofumi, was far more complicated than anyone was letting on.
Turning to Rino, he shifted the conversation back to their present situation. "So, what's your magic like? Anything I should know about before we head into the field to train and level up?"
Rino grinned, her green eyes sparkling with excitement. "Oh, absolutely! I specialize in Earth and Light magic. Earth magic helps me control the terrain around us, creating barriers, shields, and even traps. Light magic, on the other hand, allows me to summon light arrows, heal, and even dispel harmful curses."
Issei raised an eyebrow. "Support and elemental magic, huh? That sounds perfect for a team like ours. We'll need all the help we can get, especially when we're dealing with bigger enemies."
Rino nodded, her smile widening. "Exactly! I may not be the flashiest in terms of offense, but I'll make sure you all stay strong and protected. If you get hurt, I can help patch you up, or if things get dire, I can use my support magic to boost your strength temporarily."
Issei grinned. "That's good to hear. Having someone who can keep us fighting longer is going to be a huge asset. I'm not one for playing it safe, but I've learned in my world that battles are more than just brute strength."
By that, he meant the games he played with Rin, like Pocket Monsters and Saiyan Warriors.
Rino seemed pleased with the approval. "And for those times when we need to defend or protect ourselves, Earth magic can be a lifesaver. I can create walls of stone or even make the ground shake to disorient enemies."
Issei nodded, impressed. "Sounds like we'll be a pretty solid team. I've got my spear skills, and you've got support and elemental magic. That'll come in handy."
Rino laughed lightly. "I think we'll make a good match. I'm looking forward to fighting alongside you."
Just then, the others caught up to them, and Issei noticed the lazy girl and the dancer returning from the castle, a map of the land in their hands.
Lesty, the dancer, waved the map at him. "Here you go. Looks like we'll have some options when it comes to quests. We'll have to pick something that's not too far, considering our gear."
"Good," Issei said, taking the map from her. "We'll need to be careful about where we go, especially with monsters lurking around. Let's make sure we're prepared for anything, but did you get some quests?"
"Uh...no?" Lesty said, which made Issei raise a brow at her excuse.
"Then why did you come back if you didn't get them?"
"Uh..." Lesty stuttered until Issei turned her around and pushed her lightly.
"Go get some quests, or I'm ditching you," Issei said as he and Rino headed in and stopped Elena from advancing before. Issei motioned for her to follow Lesty, which annoyed her a bit, but she nodded as she followed the dancer.
As soon as he was sure they were gone, Issei took Rino to an alleyway next to the blacksmith's shop and handed her the sack of money that the King had given them. This shocked Rino, but Issei shushed her and explained.
"I need you to go to the blacksmiths and get yourself some armor and a weapon since I know you have your magic. But if an enemy gets too close and you won't be able to cast a spell in time, you'll be left wide open, which is why I want you to get a short-range weapon like a dagger or short sword." Issei said before turning to leave until he said one last thing.
"I'm leaving you the money they gave us since you are the more responsible one out of the trio. I'm considering this a trial since I have to be sure I can trust you. Once you get the armor and weapon for yourself, meet me in the plains outside the south gate. If you leave me alone, then that means you're out of the party." Issei said, which shocked Rino as the bag of money weighed heavier now, which made Rino realize that Issei didn't fully trust her yet, and given what she learned, it was understandable Issei was wary of her.
Rino clutched the bag close to her and nodded.
"I swear to make sure your trust is not misplaced," Rino said before heading into the shop, which made Issei smirk, seeing that he had made the right choice.
"Now, it's time to get some information and figure out why the church wants to see me so soon," Issei said as he took out a piece of paper from his pocket and looked at the language on it, which translated into Japanese.
The Church of the Three Heroes wishes to call upon Issei Hyoudou, the Spear Hero, to our holy home to be given a blessing to save our home.
"If they're trying to butter me up since the Spear Hero is supposed to be the 'strongest,' then they're doing a good job," Issei said as he pocketed the paper and headed out to gather information before heading to the church.
Time Skip!
Issei had spent the morning of the day traveling from shop to shop and talking person to person, asking what they were selling and how useful they were for adventuring. This ranges from simple food to health potions, magic trinkets, armor enchantments, etc. Of course, Issei tried to haggle with all of them with varying degrees of success since some were more lenient than others. Also, it helps that his dad worked managing a sales department, so he knew how to haggle a good deal, plus how Issei got the special editions of his favorite magazines for cheap.
He would also ask them about some quick quests or minor help they might need, and a few did need some help. Most were simple things like transporting items, escorting some people, quick fetch quests, and opening jammed doors, basically where he would have to travel around the town doing various favors for people. Most were easy to do, and the reward was usually only a couple of bronze coins or a few silvers. Though money was a secondary factor in doing all of this, what Issei valued more was learning new information and gaining new skills since he was new to this world and knew basically nothing.
With the other heroes, after they got their equipment, they all quickly went outside the city to immediately grind for monsters and level up. But Issei was smarter and more genre-savvy than that, since granted, he hadn't played many video games since Rin had moved away. Still, he had played his share of RPGs before, and from what he knew when playing them, it was always wise to talk to all the NPC, if possible, before going out for combat or rushing forward with the story.
One needs to do all of the quests, no matter how minor, to help you find new skills and learn more about the world. The other heroes' methods, mostly Itsuki and Ren, might work on easy difficulty settings if it was a game. Still, in harder settings, it could mean life or death from getting slaughtered by enemies, especially as time goes on. Issei never said it, but he always likes to play on the hardest difficulties after beating them in medium and hard mode since he wanted to beat those games with the nightmarish difficulties.
Issei is not a gamer, but he's definitely played some late-night games just for the fun of it.
Most people hardly had any interesting or useful skills to teach. Still, Issei had learned some practical ones like lock picking, how to eavesdrop on people without them knowing, detecting magical traps, how to craft certain potions like those for healing and to temporary boost skills, which should be helpful if Rino is too tired to use support magic, how to mount a beast of burden properly. However, he was interested in buying a filial or any other riding animal in this world, and from a more shady person in the alley that Issei beat up after he tried to mug him, pickpocketing. However, he secretly reported him to the guards after learning the skill from him.
Issei didn't want to be a thief, but if it helped in the long run, then he'd take it. This helped him learn a lot more about the world itself, about certain monsters and some of their weaknesses, that dragons are a thing in this world, how crafting magic armor and enchantments works, and some of the more broad laws of the land, especially laws on women.
This country was pretty gender liberal compared to real medieval societies back in his world, with women having equal rights to men, with sexual assault especially being a huge no-no.
Issei also gained some general knowledge of this world's geographic politics. He is currently on a large continent with dozens and dozens of different Kingdoms and republics of various sizes, though four large empires dominate most of it.
Melromarc, where he was currently; Siltvelt, the demi-human Empire in the north; Zeltoble, the mercenary Empire in the east; and the great Empire of Faubley in the west, the largest and most powerful Empire in this world. Also, in recent years, a new demi-human empire called Shieldfreeden emerged after a rebellion with Siltvelt. People aren't sure what exactly happened, but most of the people he talked to hardly cared about demi-human politics.
Speaking of demi-humans, that was another thing he learned about: intelligent animal-human hybrid people populated this world; some were more human-looking or animal-looking than others, with the more animal-looking referred to as beast-men. They are not treated the best in Melromarc, being seen as second-class citizens at best. Slavery is also a thing in Melromarc, and the majority of demi-humans are enslaved people, with Issei seeing many examples of their treatment by looking and walking around town.
Issei wasn't surprised to see such barbaric practices in this setting. After being forced to read through human history, he was aware of the horrors of human slavery of various groups of people. He finds the act just disgusting, especially from what he sees the many demi-humans being treated across the city, including little children.
This is why Issei hated how those with power looked down on those who were weak, helpless people who could not defend themselves or survive, regardless of race, which was something he couldn't stand. One of his many goals for this world is to somehow end slavery for good and to be the hero who liberated them.
Though one of the strangest places he's been near was the nation's main church. For whatever reason, Issei had a really bad feeling about this place. It looked like a typical Christian church that you hardly see in Japan, though back in his hometown, there was one that was open for a good while in his childhood, and Rin went to it with his family. Issei wasn't religious but thanked God for letting him live and asked for his deceased siblings to be at peace in Heaven.
However, when Issei went to the church, he was taken off guard when the priest, nuns, and even the followers eyed him as if he was a God, which creeped him out a bit, and the Head Priest thanked Issei for coming to the church and the Head Priest wished to bestow Issei a donation from the Holy Church which made Issei want to deny it since he couldn't accept something from the church when others may need it. Still, the priest was adamant since it would prove to help him in the long run, so with some hesitation, Issei accepted the 'donation,' which was much bigger than Issei thought.
It seemed like the church really wanted to gain his good graces, so they decided to supply him with three monster essences, high-quality armor, ten pieces of ore, a case of high-quality Holy Water, 5000 Silver coins, and a book on magic for Fire, Lightning, and Wind magic since Issei had an affinity for the three thanks to a crystal ball that was used to help test his magic affinity and learn more spells.
However, Issei was more intrigued by the Holy Water, ore, and essences, so he would definitely test them out to see what kinds of skills he could unlock but not be swayed since Issei's not exactly the greedy type and could see it as a bribe but if they wanted to 'help' him get stronger to face the waves then who is he to stop them?
Issei thanked the father for his donation and even gave a thousand silver to the church as a thank-you for the donation. He even used the High-Quality Holy Water on the Spear, which shocked him. He emptied two bottles of the Holy Water, which made Issei shield his eyes as well as the priests, as the Spear gained a new form.
The Spear, now bathed in divine light, transformed before Issei's eyes. Its once ordinary silver gleam now shone with an iridescent, almost holy glow. Intricate engravings of angelic wings and symbols of protection etched themselves onto the shaft, and the blade at the tip appeared sharper and more radiant than ever before. A soft hum of energy emanated from it, and Issei felt an overwhelming sense of power coursing through the weapon.
The Head Priest's eyes widened in awe. "By the grace of the Three Heroes Church… The Spear Hero's weapon has awakened a sacred form!"
Issei looked at the Spear in astonishment, gripping it tightly as he focused his thoughts. A notification from the weapon system suddenly appeared in his mind, displaying the new abilities that had unlocked:
[Holy Spear Form Unlocked]
•Blessed Strike: Inflicts additional light-based damage, especially effective against undead and demonic entities.
•Sanctuary Shield: Creates a barrier of light to protect allies in a small radius.
•Purification Aura: Neutralizes poisons and curses within a short range over time.
•Holy Amplification: Enhances the effectiveness of healing and support magic used near the Spear.
Issei's jaw tightened. This power wasn't just for show—it was practical, and it reinforced the church's apparent interest in him. He glanced at the Head Priest and the nuns, their reverent expressions making him uneasy. Was this genuine support, or were they trying to manipulate him for their ends? Either way, he wasn't about to let anyone control his destiny.
"Thank you for the donation and this… unexpected enhancement," Issei said cautiously, his tone respectful but measured. "I'll use this power wisely to protect the people and fight the Waves."
The Head Priest clasped his hands together in a gesture of prayer. "May the blessings of the Three Heroes guide you, Spear Hero. You are destined for greatness, and we, your humble servants, will do all we can to support your noble mission."
Issei forced a polite smile, but his thoughts churned. He couldn't let his guard down, especially not with the church. "Right… I'll take my leave now. The Waves won't wait for anyone, after all."
As he exited the church with the Spear resting on his shoulder, he couldn't help but feel conflicted. The power he'd gained was undoubtedly useful, but the strings attached to it were invisible, and that made them dangerous. He'd have to be careful about how he interacted with the church moving forward
.Afterward, Issei asked some of the shopkeepers and locals about the church. According to them, the church has existed for centuries in Melromarc, though it has been increasing in power in recent years. It has been more involved in the kingdom's politics since about 30 years ago with the support of the King.
They are called the Three Heroes church, where they worshipped the Spear, sword, and bow cardinal heroes as saints or Gods and worshiped the three equally. However, Issei's big question was why the shield cardinal hero himself was left out of the cardinal heroes' church. But any time he asked it, no one would answer and sometimes show off a worried face as if they were hiding a horrible truth.
Meanwhile, Back at the Blacksmith's Shop
Rino, after purchasing a set of light armor, some chainmail, and a finely crafted short sword, held the weapon in her hands and inspected it. The blacksmith, a burly man with soot-covered hands, gave her a nod of approval. "You've got a good eye for quality. That sword's balanced and perfect for close encounters."
Rino thanked him politely and paid with the funds Issei had entrusted to her. As she secured her new gear, she couldn't help but think about what Issei had said earlier. His lack of complete trust in her stung, but she understood his reasoning. He was careful, pragmatic, and looking out for the team's survival.
"I'll prove myself to him," she murmured to herself as she left the shop and began heading to the south gate. The weight of her promise and the bag of leftover coins felt heavy, but her resolve was stronger. Issei was a complex person, but Rino admired his determination and intelligence. He didn't treat her as expendable, but he wasn't naive, either. She would show him that she was worthy of his trust
.Also, Rino was excited to see what Issei was thinking of for their first day as a team.
Back at the Plains Outside the South Gate
Issei waited, leaning on his newly transformed Spear as he stared at the horizon. The plains stretched out endlessly before him, with rolling hills and scattered patches of wildflowers. A few weak monsters wandered in the distance, but none posed a threat. He glanced at the clock in his interface. Rino was taking her time, but he wasn't impatient.
Finally, he spotted her figure approaching, her new gear glinting in the sunlight. She looked more confident, her steps steady as she came to a stop in front of him.
"Nice armor," Issei said with a smirk. "And the sword suits you."
"Thank you," Rino replied with a small smile. "I got something practical, just like you suggested. I also left enough in the bag for emergencies."
Issei nodded approvingly. "Good. You passed the trial."
Rino blinked, surprised. "That quickly?"
"I wasn't testing whether you'd come back with the money. I was testing whether you'd make smart decisions under pressure," Issei explained. "And you did. Looks like I made the right call putting you in charge of our resources."
Rino felt a surge of pride but kept her composure. "I won't let you down, Issei."
Issei grinned. "Good. Now that we're both ready let's see how much trouble we can stir up here. We've got monsters to fight, skills to gain, and a world to learn about."
The two then headed out, but Issei wanted to inform Rino of his little visit to the church.
"The church wanted me to come visit them."
"They did? Why?" Rino asked before Issei used his Inventory to summon the items that he was given, which shocked Rino as she looked at the Monster Essences.
"No way. Monster Essence? That's incredibly rare since by consuming an essence, you can gain skills from the monsters of said essences, but it really depends on the class one has and what kind of monsters they are." Rino said as she explained that Monster Essence worked differently for humans since they could absorb the essences to gain the skills of their enemies. However, there are some cases where the essence can consume a person's mind, turning them into a beast.
"I heard about it from a magic shop, which is why the essence and ore are off-limits until we level up a bit more and train a bit. The money we can have as an emergency fund, while the armor I'll gladly wear since I will need something to defend myself." Issei said as he put on the armor, which made him look stupid before the Crimson Dragon's Spear appeared then saw the armor shift to a comfortable light but durable armor as he now sported crimson red with emerald green and some gold accents.
"Okay, now this is what I call armor," Issei said as he looked at his profile window and saw the armor's name and, thanks to it, his new stat.
Issei opened his status window to review his updated stats after equipping the Crimson Vanguard Plate.
Issei Hyoudou - Spear Hero
•Level: 5
•HP: 320-340 (20 from Dragon's Aegis)
•MP: 150
•Attack: 40
•Defense: 30-55 (25 from Crimson Vanguard Plate)
•Speed: 25-40 (15 from Crimson Vanguard Plate)
•Strength: 35-45 (10 from Crimson Vanguard Plate)
•Magic Resistance: 10-30 (20 from Crimson Vanguard Plate)
•Special Abilities:
•Dragon's Aegis (from armor): Reduces damage taken by 10% and grants minor health regeneration outside of combat.
Issei stared at the screen, visibly impressed. "Damn, this armor's no joke. My defense almost doubled, and even my speed and strength got a serious boost."
Rino leaned closer, examining the stats. "Your survivability is going to skyrocket with that damage reduction and health regen. We'll have to test how much the regen helps after combat, but this is already amazing. But how are you Level 5 already?"
"I may have done some early training last night since I wanted to get better accustomed to using a spear, heck I killed so many Orange Balloons that I even killed a Queen and absorbed her," Issei said, recalling the mob boss battle before he smirked, his hand tightening around the Spear. "With these stats, I feel like I can take on anything. Let's find some monsters and give this gear a proper test run."
Rino nodded. "Agreed, since I am very excited to test this armor and work with you."
"Then we'll be doing something you enjoy," Issei said as he pulled out a paper with a quest on it.
"A survey mission?"
"Yep. A bit further in the forest is a lake where many fishermen and adventurers mysteriously vanished and never returned, which is why they want someone to investigate the cause of their disappearance." Issei explained before Rino looked at the payment for said quest and whistled at the amount they'd get paid.
"Not bad for a survey mission. Let's do it!"
"Glad you are on board."
As the two ventured toward the designated area on the outskirts of the wetland plains, the atmosphere began to change. The lush grasslands transitioned into a marshy terrain with patches of tall reeds and shallow pools of water. The air grew humid, and the distant calls of unfamiliar creatures echoed through the swampy landscape.
Rino scanned the surroundings cautiously. "This place is eerie. No wonder people haven't come back from here."
Issei, gripping his Spear, nodded. "Stay sharp. We don't know what's out here, but if fishermen and adventurers vanished, it's gotta be something big."
The two pressed on, following the directions on the map provided by the quest giver. The path was muddy, and Issei occasionally used his Spear to probe the ground ahead, ensuring it was stable. After about half an hour, they reached the edge of a large, still lake. The surface was mirror-like, reflecting the darkening sky above.
Rino knelt, inspecting the ground. "There are tracks here—claw marks, and they're fresh." She pointed to a series of deep gouges in the mud near the water's edge. "Whatever made these is big."
Issei crouched beside her, narrowing his eyes. "Looks like some predator. Maybe semi-aquatic? Be on the lookout in case it tries to jump us."
"Right!" Rino said as they watched each other's backs, unsure where the beast was. But while they prepared for battle, the water near the lake's center rippled violently.
"Do you hear that?"
"Yeah, I do," Issei said until a pillar of water exploded as a massive creature burst from beneath the surface.
It was a monstrous amalgamation of an anaconda, a wolf, and a third beast—a snapping turtle—was both ferocious and adaptable. Its thick, scaly body slithered with the agility of a serpent while its legs, equipped with razor-sharp claws, allowed it to move swiftly on land. Its powerful jaws snapped with venomous intent, and the protective shell-like scales on its back made it even more formidable. Its glowing yellow eyes on both the snake and wolf's heads locked onto them, and they let out a guttural, hissing growl.
"Okay, that thing's way uglier than I expected," Issei muttered.
The beast lunged toward them with surprising speed, its jaws snapping inches from Issei's face as he dodged to the side. Rino unleashed a burst of Fire, aiming for the creature's underside; however, its scales prevented it from being burned.
"Watch out!" Issei yelled, taking advantage of the opening. He activated Blessed Strike and thrust his Spear forward, aiming for the creature's exposed belly. The glowing tip pierced its scales, releasing a burst of radiant energy.
The beast howled in rage and thrashed, its tail whipping toward Rino. She jumped back just in time, narrowly avoiding the attack. "It's fast for something so big!" she called out.
Issei gritted his teeth. "Yeah, but it's also predictable. Keep it away from you and trap it in the lake! It can't fight us at close range if it's trapped. I'll focus on keeping its attention."
Rino nodded as she readied her Earth magic since it was critical for this phase.
She slammed the bottom of her staff into the ground, chanting, "Earth Hole!"
The ground beneath the beast gave way, creating a sinkhole that trapped it inside the water with barely any room to climb out; as it tried to climb out, it continued to slip due to the muddy walls, but Rino reinforced the magic to keep it contained in the said hole since the spell Earth Hole only created a hole in front of the caster hit thanks to her skills she can extend the range of it keeping the hole in place takes a lot of magic. Still, she could hold it for a good ten minutes, given that she controlled her Mana.
"Good work, Rino! Keep it in there!" Issei yelled, circling the perimeter of the sinkhole as he studied the chimera for weaknesses. He was cautious, keeping his distance while jabbing at the beast with his Spear when it got too close to the edge.
However, the beast was smart, using its venomous fangs while it climbed and lunged at him. Its claws scraped the edge of the sinkhole with terrifying force, and the snake's head hissed and released a spray of venom from its mouth, forcing Issei to dodge as the water struck the ground, sizzling with acidic properties.
"It's got range too?!" Rino exclaimed, beads of sweat forming on her brow as she focused on maintaining her spell.
Issei grits his teeth, his mind racing. 'This thing isn't just strong; it's smart since it is trying to climb out by keeping me away. Rino can't keep this spell up forever. Think, Issei. What's its weakness?!'
The answer came when the snake's head recoiled after a stray ray of sunlight reflected off Issei's Spear and into its eyes, causing the snake to accidentally bite itself, causing the wolf head to growl at its other head as its body retreated slightly.
Issei saw this and knew what had to be done. "Rino! It's sensitive to light!" he shouted. "Let's see if fireworks too!"
Rino nodded, her hands glowing as she prepared a spell while maintaining her Earth spell.
"Forces of nature, hear my call, and bless us with light that is Holy!" Rino shouted, unleashing a radiant burst of light directly at the beast's face.
It screeched, flailing in agony, as the spell blinded it momentarily. Taking advantage of the opening, Rino let the hole fill up. She then followed up with the second fire spell she knew.
"Fire Blast!" A concentrated burst of flames shot forth, engulfing the creature as it exploded.
The beast's roars filled the air as the flames licked its scales. The combined blindness and fire attack left the chimera stunned and motionless until Issei used his Spear and Piercing Fury to stab the beast repeatedly into its body, slumped in the filled hole, smoke rising from its charred form.
"Is it dead?" Rino asked, panting a bit as she tried to catch her breath. Her body was exhausted from using her more powerful spells to sustain the Earth Hole.
"Looks like it's down," Issei muttered, cautiously approaching the beast. His Spear was ready to absorb the beast's essence, hoping it would yield a new spear form. He stepped closer, confidence growing as the creature showed no signs of life.
But just as he prepared to absorb it, the snake's head shot up with terrifying speed. Its venomous jaws opened wide, lunging at him. Issei froze, his body locked in fear.
"ISSEI!" Rino shouted until time seemed to slow as he realized he couldn't move in time.
'So this is it? I've only been here for two days, and that is it? This is how I'm going to die again?' Issei pondered as he pissed at himself, foolishly thinking the creature was dead as the snake's head got closer.
However, before he could react, a force pushed him aside. Issei hit the ground hard, looking up in horror to see Rino standing where he had been. She was looking at him, giving a small smile. "I've got your back," Rino whispered just as the snake's jaws clamped down on her body.
"RINO!" Issei screamed, his heart shattering as he watched the snake shake her like a ragdoll before tossing her aside. Blood stained the ground as Rino's body hit the dirt, motionless.
Issei's eyes didn't leave Rino's body as he saw her body covered in blood and her staff broken in two.
Issei hardly cared or even heard the snake head hiss at him as the beast slowly stood back up and looked at him with anger.
But Issei didn't care, as his heart began to beat loudly in his chest until something deep within him broke.
'What was I thinking? Why didn't I check to make sure it was truly dead?' Issei asked himself before he recognized the emotions he was feeling.
Rage, guilt, and despair swirled into a storm of emotions. Issei's fists clenched the Spear so tightly his knuckles turned white. He felt a burning sensation in his chest, and a voice boomed within his mind.
[Do you seek power, boy?]
Time seemed to freeze as Issei heard this voice and looked up to see a massive Western Dragon with crimson eyes and a red body like blood.
"W-What? Who are you?" Issei asked as his eyes widened in shock at the legendary beast until the voice chuckled, low and resonant.
[I am Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor. Your will has awakened me. If you desire strength—true strength—to save her and to never feel this weak again, then take my power.]
Issei's mind raced. He looked at Rino, her pale face and shallow breaths, and then back at the beast that was slowly charging at him with rage in its eyes.
"Yes," he whispered, tears streaming down his face. I want power. I want to save her. I don't care what it takes or what I gave to sacrifice!"
The dragon looked at him while smirking before he extended a glowing claw.
[Then take my hand, and show this fucked up world what true power really is.]
Issei took the claw and grabbed what he could, feeling power enter his being. Outside of him, the Dragon Spear began to glow brilliantly, its crimson hue turning deeper as an aura of immense energy erupted around Issei.
[Issei Hyoudou. This world is a cruel place where only the strongest will thrive. If you want to survive and become a hero, as well as your teammates, then you must abandon your fear and your past. Who you back then did not apply here since I could tell that while you made many mistakes in your old life, you wish to redeem yourself and become a person worthy of being a hero. Stand and fight! If you retreat, you will die! Cower, and you will never be able to move forward and escape the chains that bind you.] Ddraig said as Issei looked at the Spear in his hand and back at Rino, who was just a simple girl who wanted to have excitement in her life and become a great mage.
Issei clenched the Spear tightly as his eyes snapped open, glowing emerald green.
[NOW SHOUT MY NAME WITH ALL THE FIRE IN YOU!]
"DDRAIG! EXPLOSION!" Issei shouted as he came back to the world and rose to his feet, the aura of the Red Dragon Emperor surrounding him.
The beast roared and continued its charge at him, but Issei vanished in a blur of speed, reappearing above it.
"YOU'RE DEAD!" Issei said as a burst of energy detonated around him. The beast paused as it looked to see not a human but a dragon behind him, which scared the beast as Issei dived down towards the monster; as he dived down, a concentrated beam of crimson energy charged at the Spear's tip.
Issei let out a breath as he said the name of the attack.
"DRAGON SHOT!" Issei shouted as the energy fired as he dived, piercing the chimera and destroying its main, leaving only its head and tail.
As the smoke cleared, the remains of the chimera were absorbed into the Spear except the head, unlocking a new form. But Issei didn't care as he dropped his weapon and ran to Rino, cradling her lifeless body.
"Rino! Please, don't die on me!" Issei begged, tears streaming down his face, but then he remembered the monster essences that the church gave him.
He quickly removed them from his Inventory and held the glowing orbs in his trembling hands as they swirled above Rino's body.
"These have to work," Issei whispered, pressing all three into her chest. "Please… please don't leave me. I'm sorry. I'll be stronger. Just don't leave me!"
The essences dissolved into her body, and for a moment, nothing happened. But then, her wounds began to heal, and her breathing steadied. A soft glow enveloped her, and her body began to glow brightly as the screen said a notification, shocking Issei.
[Due to absorbing multiple essences, Rino will now undergo reincarnation! Remaining time: One Hour.]
Issei was about to pick up Rino, but the ground seemed to understand as it moved Rino away from the lake and battlefield. Issei grabbed the remains and the head before taking them to her body and placing them next to her.
"You'll be okay, Rino. You'll be okay," Issei said as he lay next to her, resting and hoping that she would wake up, unaware that another being felt the transformation and seemed afraid as it left its unhatched infant to deal with the threat.
Scene!
Now, this is just a rough draft commission since I have never actually done a game system before, and the SHield Heroes one is kind of complicated since they never went into the full details. Either way, let me know what you think since the next update will be the Ketchum Brothers and The Fullbringers Journey, so let me know if this one either lives Or Dies!