Chapter 13: The Wave

Two Days Later

One hour till arrival

"I'm not feeling this armor. I don't need to look even more like a criminal, Naofumi grumbled.

Three days passed, and for three days, Raphtalia and Sakura were missing, only leaving a note every now and then to confirm that they were safe. This did throw a heavy wrench into Naofumi's plan, but he used this time to catch up on his magic training, along with making potions with his auto-crafting system, a system that, surprise, was also missing until Ren told him a few days ago.

The potions made in the crafting system, however, were always of mediocre quality. Not bad, but when compared to the ones made by hand, it was vastly inferior. Of course, these can be stored and taken out of his shield at the moment noticed, as opposed to absorbed items that require a dragon hourglass. So if he needed a potion at a moment's notice, then yes, the crafting system was pretty useful.

Now with a steady flow of healing items and a better understanding of how to construct a spell. Naofumi went over to Elhart's store to pick up his armor. The blacksmith then proceeded to take the shield hero into the back and pulled out something the tribal chief would wear.

"You should have specified a design. This is the best I can do when going in blind."

"What am I supposed to tell you? It's armor!"

"Many things, actually. More details than "flexible but good defense" would have given me a better idea for a template."

"Oh, screw off." Naofumi scoffed as he put on the final piece of his new armor.

"So the waves start in like, an hour. You think you're prepared?"

"I would be if I knew where Sakura and Raphtalia were."

"They're missing?"
"Yeah, they're too far for my slave tracker to find. And oddly enough, their levels keep going up and down for some reason."

"I'll try to keep an eye out then, kid. But I'm sure they can handle themselves."

"I hope so."

/~/

With his new armor equipped, Naofumi went back to the inn to make some final preparations. As he reached his door, he could hear some chatter coming from the inside, and he immediately made his way in.

"See. Told you he'll be bac-

"Where have you been!" Nafoumi shouted as he shook Sakura by the shoulders.

"Sakura left a note… Oh right, you can't read." Sakura teased.

"Don't make me turn this crest on."

"You know that's just a joy buzzer at this point."

"Then I'm not cooking your food from now on."

Gasp "You wouldn't."

"Don't test me." Naofumi tossed Sakura aside and went over to Raphtalia.

"Raph?"

"We traveled to Fitoria's domain to train. She helped us out a lot in certain areas. She even did this weird ritual that—"

"Lowered your levels." Naofumi interrupted.

"Yes, but there's more. It seemed that by lowering our levels, we got stronger."

"Stronger?"

"Yes, I felt faster and more light on my feet."

"Sakura felt the same. Her attacks became even deadlier too." Sakura boasted as she shadowboxed the air.

"But that's impossible; lower levels shouldn't do… what the hell?" Now that they were closer, Naofumi opened their stat screen and found their stats were several times that of their level. They were comparable to a level 42 now, despite being on level 30.

"How is this possible?"

"She said something about a powdered method?"

"Power-up method. She called it the power-up method." Raphtalia corrected.

"Yeah. That's what Sakura meant."

"Hmm." Naofumi went over to the power-up method menu, but all it showed was Ren's.

It didn't show up last time. Could this be another case of a missing menu option? Naofumi pondered.

"Sakura. You have telepathy now, right?"

"Only to another crowned filolial."

"Good. Can you get Fitoria on the line?"

"Yep, give me a second." The cowlick on Sakura's head began to spin, similar to that of a radar dish. It spun around for a good minute before finally stopping, pointing towards the east.

"Got her."

"...Yeah, that's weird. Anyways, can you ask her about this level of ritual?"

Sakura nodded her head, and after a few seconds, began relaying the information about the method to him.

After hearing the explanation, he opened the menu. But surprisingly, it wasn't there.

"What am I missing?" Naofumi pondered.

"Fitoria says she knows of the method, just not which weapon it came from. That's another reason why it's important for the heroes to work together."

Of course, you birds have bad memories. Naofumi grumbled as Sakura sneezed.

"So I was right about one thing. There are more methods per weapon. So that means Fitoria is a hero?"

"She says yes, but she is not holy. She says she wields the lesser weapon known as the carriage."

"So the level reduction method comes from the carriage then?" Naofumi asked.

"...She says no. Her method is a lot different; she at least knows that one." Sakura began relaying the method to Naofumi, and sure enough, it appeared. It was called Encyclopedia Bonus. Absorbing a certain amount of materials will unlock various bonuses. Suddenly, after accepting the method to be true. A new screen popped up in his face, with a whole heap of windows to go through.

Item Encyclopedia

New Entries Unlocked

Balloon scrap: 100%

1 defense

Usapil hide: 100%

2 defense

Usapil bones: 100%

2 defense

Usapil meat: 100%

2 agility

Usapil hide/bone/meat set bonus: 100%

3 defense

Animal needles: 100%

1% piercing damage reduction

Mush mush mush: 100%

4 defense

Since I knew this one came from the carriage, it unlocked itself. So not only do I need to know the method, but I need to know the weapon it comes from. Ren knew his from a game, which is why he had them automatically. I, on the other hand, am out of luck. Typical. Naofumi sighed.

"When Ren talked about him, he had three? Does the carriage have any more?"

"...She says lesser weapons only have one."

"I see. So twelve between the holy. And who knows how many weapons are out there? Fitoria, might I ask, why didn't you tell me about this when we met a few days ago?"

"She forgot," Sakura answered, going so far as to even shrug for Fitoria.

Naofumi sighed. "Whatever, thanks for the methods," Naofumi grumbled.

"Fitoria says you're welcome. She also wishes you luck on the upcoming wave."

After relaying her message, Sakura's antenna dropped back down, indicating the "call?" had ended.

"That gave me a lot of useful information. I even got a method out of it."

"But what are these methods?" Raphtalia asked.

"It's something I can use to power up my shield. But since I didn't know about it, I couldn't use it until a few days ago." Naofumi got up from the bed, doing one last stretch before heading to the door.

"If these methods are the key to getting stronger, then we need to find these… 'lesser heroes" and get the methods from them."

"What about the other three then?" Sakura asked.

"I already got Rens. Itsuki may be a bit difficult, but with Ren by my side, I could probably convince him. Motoyasu, however, would be impossible, so we're ignoring him."

"Understood."

Naofumi opened the door, ushering his party members out.

"Landfall is in twenty minutes. Until then, we will prepare as much as we can. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

/~/

"Alright, five minutes till departure. Raphtalia, is your sword sharpened?"

"Yes, master! Sharpened and ready." Raphtalia nodded.

"And what of your armor? Fit well."

"Yes, my arms feel snug and protected."

"Great."

"HEY! What about Sakura!?"

"We don't have enough to replace your sword, so you're going weaponless for now."

"Not the sword; she already has a replacement for that. Sakura is talking about rumor."

"You just learned how to reinforce your magic clothes. There's no magic armor either… is there?"

"Not here." Elhart shrugged.

"Bummer."

"And what do you mean by replacement?"

"Oh. Sakura got one from Fitoria." Sakura reached for her scabbard and drew a long black blade with a golden hilt. Naofumi assumed it was her broken sword, so he was shocked at the discovery.

"See."

"Huh… guess you did."

"I know. Hey Sakura, mind if I hold it real quick?" Elhart asked.

"Sure, why not." Sakura handed over the blade to Elhart, who began using his magic to appraise the thing.

"Geez, the stats on this thing are off the charts. What is this thing made out of?"

Draconic Ruin (Suppressed)

Magic Up (Small), Slashing Damage (Medium),

Wyrm's Corrosion (Weak)

"Hmm, I see. Be careful with this one; it's corrosive. And not the metallic kind; this thing can eat straight through flesh."

"On a sword? Seems a bit hardcore, don't you think?"

"I didn't make this. Either way, be careful when you strike someone with this."

"No worries, pops. If Sakura ever needed to not kill someone, she cut them with her claws." Sakura untied her bow, summoning her claw while also accidentally slashing through a mannequin.

"Oops."

"I'll put it on your tab."

"But I don't get paid! Master, save me!" Sakura whined.

"Face the consequences of your actions." Naofumi flicked Sakura on the forehead. No damage was dealt, but she felt the betrayal in her soul and sulked in the corner.

"Alright, be ready to move. It's time." A bright light filled the room as the party began to glow.

"Stay safe out there, kid."

"We will pops!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Yeah, don't worry about us. We're ready." Raphtalia added.

Naofumi didn't bother giving his two cents. But he did nod his head.

After their final goodbyes, reality around them began to distort. They soon found themselves outside of the blacksmith shop and out on a hill, staring over a grassy plain. The sky above them turned red and began to crack. Coming from those cracks were monsters, legions of them, all marching their way towards them.

Naofumi looked over to Raphtalia, as he noticed she was shaking a tad bit. All it took was a quick pat on the head to get her to calm down.

"You better not be quitting on me again."

"Not at all. Just a bit cold."

"Then let's get moving. Don't want a repeat of the last wave."

"We'll have to move fast then," Sakura replied. Pointing her finger at a nearby village.

Naofumi took out his telescope and saw legions of zombies make their way to the village.

"That's Ryute. Sakura, full throttle!"

"Yes, sir!" At his command. Sakura transformed and tossed Raphtalia and Naofumi onto her back. Clapping her wings, she began to run, piercing through the winds and speeding off towards the village.

/~/

A group of farmers stood at the entrance of the village, pitchfork in hand. They did their best to fend off the monsters, stabbing them with everything they had. But there were too many, and they just kept approaching. Before long, the front gate was overwhelmed, and they were forced to retreat.

One family in particular fell behind during the evacuation and was being swarmed by monsters. The father readied his axe as the zombie approached, but the powerful wind pushed both him and all the monsters down.

"[All Fast Holy!]" Leaping off of Sakura, six balls of light circled the tanuki and fired themselves at the zombie, incinerating them in a holy light.

"You missed one." Sakura sped forward and flipped into the air, decapitating the monster, all in one motion.

"Show off."

"Tell me something Sakura isn't."

"Observant, that's what!"

Rushing past Sakura, Naofumi raised his shield and parried the axe of a zombie colossus.

"[Lightning Shield.]" The Nue shield's effect activated, shocking the colossus with a stream of lightning. With a new opening, Raphtalia and Sakura went on the attack. Raphtalia attacked its ankles, bringing it down, while Sakura slashed its neck. She messed up her handling and didn't cut far enough to fully decapitate it. But by the time it hit the ground, the corrosion on her had eaten through its flesh and finished the job.

"Whoa. Stronger than expected."

"Shut up." Naofumi hit Sakura in the back of the head. "People's lives are on the line, so no more goofing off. Sakura, since you're faster, circle the village and start evacuating people to the mine. Raphtalia, you're with me. Understood?"

"Yes, master!"

"Good. Now we move. And Sakura, keep property damage to a minimum."

"No promises." Sakura transformed and leaped off, saving a villager along her path.

"That bird," Naofumi grumbled.

"Master. What's the plan?" Raphtalia asked.
"Keep the attention off the civilians."

"That's not a plan; it's an objective."

"Then stick to the objective! [Shield Prison]" Naofumi covered a man who was about to be stung within a ball surrounded by shields. It was a new skill he received from a pipe and provided 360 protection, unlike Erst Shield.

When the bees collided with the prison, their stingers got stuck on the chains, allowing Raphtalia to swiftly move in and cut them in two. After killing the bees, Raphtalia then slid under a huge colossus's legs and leaped up to its neck, killing it in a single slash.

"Get to the mines. You'll be safer there!" Naofumi ordered.

"B-but my daughter, she is at home and-"

"My bird will handle it; now get moving!"

"W-what?"

"Move, now!"
"Yes, sir!" The man ran off in the direction of the mine, but another zombie burst through a house and attempted to attack. Now raised his hand, ready to summon an Erst Shield. But a beam of light flew past him, blasting through the zombie's head before it could even reach the man.

"I told you, master. I'm ready." Wiping the blood off her sword, she saw a small grin form on Naofumi's face before returning to his usual blank expression.

With a nod from his head, both of them moved out. Naofumi would draw in the attackers, and Raphtalia would finish them off. If Raph was going to get hit, Naofumi was there to take the blow. If Naofumi was caught off guard, Raphtalia was there long before he even noticed a threat. They were in perfect sync, cleaving their way through hordes of monsters and slowly eliminating the monster's presence in the city.

/~/

Teba. Get over here immediately. Sakura thought as her cowlick spun around. A few minutes later, a white filolial arrived and started to run by Sakura.

"12 minutes, you're late."

"Kue k-."

"No excuses; you've been neglecting your leveling again, haven't you?"

"Kuee." Teba moaned, admitting guilt.

"Thought so." Sakura sighed. "Gather the flocked and have them defend the area surrounding the mine. I'll handle evacuations." Sakura ordered.

"Kue'' Understanding his assignment. The filolial ran off toward the mines, calling upon his flock with a mighty squawk.

After the split, Sakura kept moving through the village and happened upon a crying child as she was surrounded by a group of monsters.

"[Zweite Rising Wind!]" Leaping into the middle, she slammed her foot on the ground, blasting the zombies into the air. "As the source of your power, the heir of the filolials commands you. Let the true way blow strong and blow my enemies away with a powerful wind. [Dreifach Wind Burst!]"

Covering the girl in her wings, a powerful gale of wind extended from her position and blasted

Away with all the approaching monsters. Afterward, Sakura fell to the ground, breathing hard.

"Are you okay, bird lady?" The girl asked.

"Sakura's fine… She's just... not used to... casting spells... of that caliber." Sakura took a moment and caught her breath. "Follow the path to the mine. You'll be safe there."

"Are you sure it is safe? Did my father make it there?"

"Sakura's sure he did. Now get going, okay? Bird lady will watch out for you." Sakura smiled.

"Alright. I trust you." The little girl ran off, following the trail to the mine. After a bit of running, she was picked up by one of the filolial and escorted there safely.

"Huh, bird lady. That's a first."

/~/

Raphtalia and Naofumi continued their defense, killing the wave monsters in droves. But whenever they killed one, five more would take their place. Before long, their position started to become overrun, and Naofumi ordered a retreat. Being the only humans there, however, they were chased.

They were chased for a bit, getting more and more tired by the second. Naofumi thought they would have to stay and fight, but Raphtalia grabbed him by the shoulder before he could even attempt such a strategy.

"What are you do-"

"Shh. As the source of thy power, I order thee. Decipher the laws of nature and mislead my enemy. [Zweite Mirage]"

Both of them disappeared, and Raphtalia quickly dragged Naofumi into an alleyway. While they were hiding, an illusion of the two of them took their place and misled the monsters as they fell for the illusion.

"Was that an illusion?"

"Indeed. That should give us enough time to rest for a bit."

"That sounds like a blessing." Naofumi slumped to the floor and took out a bottle from his shield. Gulping it down, he felt his stamina slowly come back to him.
"So. What's the plan?" Raphtalia asked, catching the bottom Naofumi tossed to her.

"Not particularly. Unless you can reproduce that AoE spell from earlier."

"Why do I feel like this is a stupid idea?" Raphtalia glared.

"It's either that or we get chased again. Pick your poison."

"Fine. Fill me in."

Naofumi told Raphtalia his plan, almost making her cringe. But after some reassurance, she relented and decided to go through with it. Summoning her Erst Shield. Raphtalia used it as a platform and climbed her way to the top of a building.

Meanwhile, Naofumi left the alley and began making as much noise as possible. He let the monster chase him for a bit before stopping in the town center. From above, a bright light began to shine as Raphtalia started to channel her magic. And all the monsters were in place. With everything set, Naofumi summoned a Shield Prison around himself and braced for impact.

"DO IT NOW, RAPH!"

"Yes, master! As the source of thy power, I order thee. Let the true way shine through, and smite my enemies with light from the heavens! [Dreifach Holy Ray!]"

Raphtalia brought down her hand, and a circle appeared in the sky. Shining with a radiant glow, a pillar of light escaped from the circle and crashed into the strike zone, burning around through the monsters there. Raphtalia fell, barely catching herself on the roof as she struggled to catch her breath. Unlike Sakura, this was the first time she'd done a Dreifach spell, so her tolerance was not great.

When she looked over to see the result, however, she looked on in horror. Not only a few monsters survived. But Naofumi's shield prison broke, and he was currently holding the ray in place.

"MASTER!" Raphtalia called out. She wanted to jump down, but she coughed as she struggled to breathe.

"[Draconic Reflect!]" Naofumi's shield flashed, transforming into the thunder dragon's shield. The spell was then swallowed, but by the mouth of a dragon, and blasted back at the monsters, cleaving its way through the remaining few. Afterward, Naofumi shook his arms, relieving the pain after being burnt by the radiant light.

"Master, are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. [All Fast Heal]." A green light washed over the team, healing any wounds they may have suffered.

"What was that dragon you just released?"

"It's a new shield I got from Ren. If I can defend against a spell, it instead eats and releases the damage back at 1/16 of its original power."

"The sword hero gave you that? Does that mean you're allies now?"

"Sorry off."

Hearing a thud, the two of them turned around, only to see Sakura choking a zombie out on the back of a colossus.

"You missed a few. And don't mind me; you two keep flirting." Sakura twisted the zombie's head, killing it instantly.

"We were not!" Raphtalia blushed.

"Don't need to be embarrassed. It's all natural."

"Teasing aside, I assume you're finished?" Naofumi asked.

"Everyone has been evacuated. She also ordered the flock to protect the cave entrance."

"You can do that?"

"Yep! Bird authority." Sakura menacingly laughed.

"Okay then… Anyways, let's move. The further we push the monsters out, the saf- GET BEHIND ME!." Fire rained down from the sky. And Naofumi pushed Sakura and Raphtalia behind him and summoned an Erst Shield since Shield Prison was still on cooldown.

The shield held out for a bit but soon broke under the power of the flames. Naofumi then raised his shield and tanked the attack for the party, surprisingly taking little to no damage. But it wasn't over yet. Once the spell ended, Raphtalia and Sakura leaped forward and attacked the silhouettes of the casters. Sakura kicked one and pinned it to the ground with her foot, while Raphtalia swung her sword but stopped herself mere inches away from its neck as she realized it wasn't a monster.

The knight captain was caught off guard, not expecting this kind of speed and power from the shield hero's companions. Pushing away Raphtalia's sword, he stepped back and drew his own. But before he could move, his sword was grabbed by a rope and pulled away, landing in Naofumi's hand.

"I need to use this more," Naofumi muttered as he got closer to the knights. "The hell are you doing? There could have been people in those buildings!"

"And us," Raphtalia added.

"I call this barrage to purify the monster filth in the area. Hitting you was just a mistake."

"The monsters have already been cleared."

"He speaks the truth, miss. We weren't aware of your presence." The knight Sakura was standing on corrected.

"Huh… Well, that one is telling the truth. But the captain definitely knew we were here."

"Not to mention, it was a reckless decision that could have endangered lives."

"The decision of the knights' order is none of your concern, Shield Hero. Now stand aside."

"Alright then. You can handle that then."

The knight turned to where Naofumi was pointing and saw a colossus making its way towards them. He got ready to fight, but his sword was still in the possession of the shield herp.

"Curse you, you devil. I hope you burn in the deepest layer of hell! Ake, to me!"

"Sorry, miss." Sweeping Sakura's leg, the knight tripped Sakura and got back to his feet. Running over to his captain, Ake defended against the colossus attack. Just long enough for the captain to escape.

"Raphtalia."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes."

Raphtalia sighed as she ran forward and cut off the colossus's hand. Ake then followed up with her attack and cut through its calves, bringing it down. The vice-captain then stepped forward and drove his sword into the colossus's head, killing it.

"Captain, are you—"

"Shut it. Leave the shield demon to the monsters; let's go aid the three heroes."

"But sir. What about the villagers? We can't leave them alone." Ake protested.

"That's an order, Ake. Now move."

The captain began to march, taking a few knights with him. The vice-captain, however, stepped forward and raised his sword.

"No, we stay and fight!" Issuing his own order, the remaining knights rallied around him. The captain said nothing, but he did give the group a disgruntled stare before running off. Suspiciously enough. Naofumi noticed that all of the knights who left with the captain wore the rosary of the church of the three heroes, giving Naofumi a good idea of who planned this.

"This is only for the wave, but we're at your command, shield hero."

"I don't care what you do, but the village has already been evacuated to the mines. Do with that information as you will."

"Understood." The vice-captain nodded.

"What about us?" Raphtalia asked.

"We're going to end this way here and now."

"We can clear you a path. Ake, start the chant."

"Yes, sir. Everyone, together."

Ake mobilized his squad and began to chant. In the air, a massive ball of flames began to gather, heating up the area.

"There are a lot of them out there. So you have to move fast, or you'll be caught in the middle." The vice-captain warned.

"With Sakura's speed. Not an issue."

Sakura transformed, shocking the knights as she flipped Naofumi and Raphtalia onto her back.

"Ready knight kid."

"It's Ake! I mean. Aim toward the center! Ritual magic: Final Flare!" The ball in the air exploded and rained down on the monster horde, carving a way through the middle.

Wasting no time, Sakura sped forward. A few monsters began to fill in the gaps, but Sakura was an unstoppable force when she ran and effortlessly bulldozed through the undead forces.

"Form up. We must hold out till the heroes succeed!" The vice-captain ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

/~/

"[Chaos Spear!]"

"[Erst Slash!]"

Motoyasu and Ren struck the boss on both sides. It was a chimera, with three heads of a goat, lion, and dragon. It also had a tail in the form of a snake, and it used that to strike at the heroes.

Motoyasu and Ren leaped back, avoiding the snake. This allowed Itsuki to shoot an attack, as he shot an arrow into the air.

"[Arrow Rain]" The arrow split and rained down upon the Chimera.

As it was struck, it let out a mighty roar. Draco then dove down, striking it with her claws. The chimera took the attack but powered through the lighting and swiped her away. It then leaped back and took a deep breath.

"It's preparing another breath attack!"

The heroes grunted and attempted to fall back. But the horde had caught up to them and blocked their escape.

"Damn it. Draco!"

"Understoo- what is that?" Draco pointed out.

Looking over to where she pointed, they saw a pink blur rush through the horde and land right next to them.

"[Shield Prison!] [Erst Shield!]"

Leaping off Sakura, he pointed at Motoyasu, trapping him within the shield prison. He then pointed at Itsuki, deploying a shield in front of him.

He then finally landed in front of Ren and shielded him and everyone else from the flames.

"Sakura, shut it up, please."

"On it. This is how you do it, lizard." Sakura mocked.

Backflipping over Naofumi. Sakura used her wind step to leap clear over the fire and kick its snout into the ground with an axe kick. Once it stopped breathing, she kicked it in the head once again, knocking it away.

"Naofumi. Where have you been!?" Itsuki yelled.

"I was doing my job. What are you so pissy about?" Naofumi's eyes rolled. "What's taking you all so long anyway?"

"We just found the thing; we can't take it out that fast?" Motoyasu explained.

"Sounds like a skill issue."

"Skill issue!?"

"Yes. A skill issue." Naofumi threw Motoyasu aside and blocked the chimera with his shield.

"[Lightning Shield!]" Parrying the chimera, it was shocked by lightning from the Nue shield.

Ren then took the opportunity to attack, striking with a dual lightning attack with Draco.

"Cool it, y'all. The task at hand."

"He's right. We need to kill this thing right now." Itsuki shot a few arrows, striking each of the Chimera's heads, but it wasn't enough to take it down.

Being backed into a corner, it attempted another breath attack. But Naofumi tanked it for the team and blocked the flames. He then walked the chimera down, approaching the chimera before finally shutting its snout.

Much like his encounters with similar creatures before, Naofumi ducked under the snake and caught the other heads. With the main head the last one open, it attempted to attack Naofumi, but two arrows from Itsuki pierced the Chimera's eyes with excellent precision.

Raphtalia, Sakura, and Raphtalia then moved in. Stabbing the chimera with their swords and driving all three heads into a nearby tree.

"Now there's no way it could dodge. [Lightning Spear!]"

Cackling in electricity, Motoyasu thrust his spear forward, unleashing a stream of lightning that pierced through the chimera's chest.

"It ends here! [Meteor Sword!]" Stepping back, Ren leaped forward and slashed through all three Chimera heads at once. Once he finished his slash, he pivoted his foot and drove his sword into the snake's tail, pinning it to the ground.

As he dealt the finishing blow, the sky above them returned to its original color and began to sew itself back together. The monsters that fell into the world finally stopped, but they weren't done ravaging the plains just yet.

"Sakura, Raph. Can you deal with the remaining enemies?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it! They're my bird!" Draco roared as she flew off.

"Not a chance, Lizard. Let's go, Talia."

"Wait, give me a second to ah—" Sakura ignored Raphtalia's wish and leaped off with her.

Are dragons and filolials really on sight like that? Better keep that in mind if I ever encounter one.

"Alright, Naofumi, fess up. Where have you been? You almost missed the whole fight?" Motoyasu complained.

"Unlike you all. I had to deal with the defense of an entire village to worry about."

"The knights could have handled it."

"The knights were late and were more of an inconvenience. They left before me to help you, and I made it here faster.' Naofumi walked over to the chimera's remains and pulled out his knife.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking my share of the loot. I may have arrived late, but my party was a factor in defeating this thing. Ren, what's a good piece to take?" Naofumi asked.

"Well, I took up a quest, so I need the head for a dragon-slaying skill. The lion may have more defense. But the viper has plenty of passive skills that may be to your liking."

"I see. Snake it is." Without consideration, Naofumi began cutting off the snake's tail and even took a bit of flesh and bone from the main body in order to unlock those forms as well.

"Seriously, Ren, you're going to allow this!?" Motoyasu exclaimed.

"Naofumi did defend that village. He even arrived and helped us in the fight. I say he deserved some loot."

"He's right, Motoyasu. If he hadn't arrived when he did, we would have been scorched." Itsuki agreed.

"Ugh. Can't believe this."

"I came here to help, not to be lectured. If you have an issue, confront me later, but not now. The wave isn't completely over after all."

Chimera Meat Shield:

Equip Bonus: Cooking quality improvement

Chimera Bone Shield
Equip Bonus: Shadow Resistance (Medium)

Chimera Leather Shield
Equip Bous: Defense 10

Chimera Viper Shield
Equip Bonus: Antidote Compounding Up, Poison Resistance (Medium), Skill: Change Shield

Special Effect: Snake Venom Fang (Medium), Hook

I can definitely abuse that antidote compounding.

Naofumi nodded his head at Ren, who returned the nod. After receiving his materials, Naofumi ran back into the battlefield, ready to assist his two companions.

"You can't still be telling me he's innocent after that display," Motoyasu grumbled.

"I already told you what I know. You denying the truth won't help anyone." Ren said as he followed Naofumi to the village.

"Whatever. Come on, Itsuki. Let's finish things here and head back to the castle."

"Actually, I plan on getting more info from Ren."

"Come on, don't tell me you believe him too!"

"We have possible evidence of Naofumi's innocence. Don't you think it's something to look into?"

"No, Myne would never lie!"

"That's just denial. The trial has been postponed, so justice will truly be on the side of the correct party." Itsuki replied as he walked off.

"No. He has to be guilty. Myne couldn't be wrong." Motoyasu looked down at his armor, another gift given to him after he outgrew his chainmail. There's no way someone kind like her could be a liar; it's impossible.

Shaking his head, Motoyasu threw his thoughts aside and ran off towards a separate horde. He wasn't going to doubt her for a moment.

/~/

Bonus Bonus Story: Mission failed; we'll get them next time.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU FAILED!" The pope yelled.

Ahem. "Sorry, sister Layla. You may continue."

"Yes, your lord. The shield hero effortlessly defended against our ceremonial magic. His demi-human companions were also quite strong, despite their low levels. We suspect this is the power the shield has over demi-humans." Layla explained.

"I see. So to defeat the hero, we must defeat his companions as well." Balmus thought aloud.

"I actually don't think that will be necessary."

"Oh. You have a plan, sister?"

"Indeed. If we can separate him from his companions for just long enough. Then killing the heroes would be trivially easy."

"But he's around them 24/7. How do you suggest we do that?"

"Simple. I had a few of our "knights" confiscate the goods from the trader known as Beloukas. And he just so happened to be carrying some cargo the shield hero desires."

"I see. So we lure him in that way."

"Indeed, my lord. Once the castle party begins, we'll have the princess instigate a fight between the spear and shield hero. The spear would then either kill the hero or confiscate his slaves after a victory. From there, we can strike as normal." Layla chuckled. "He'll never know what hit him."

"Very well done, Layla. I permit the execution of this plan."

"Thank you, my lord. I assure you, the shield hero is finished."

"I'm counting on you, Layla. Don't disappoint me."

"Yes, sir."