Erhard had been working around the Weapon Shop when Atreus and his group came in. Looking up from a box he had been stacking, he smiled when he saw Atreus enter.

'Well, hey there, Shield Hero! Been too long, eh?'

'Yeah, it has,' Atreus replied. 'How've you been holding up?'

'Pretty well, all things considered. I take it the Wave is gonna show up again, eh?'

'Yeah. Only a few days left.'

Erhard raised an eyebrow when the door opened again, and Almeric and his soldiers came strolling in, following behind Melty.

'Hey, what's with the knights?' Erhard asked. 'They overcrowding my store!'

'Sorry, I'm gonna use this place as a sort of meeting,' Atreus explained. 'It won't take very long, I promise.'

'A-alright…But I still don't like it. Don't take too long.'

Atreus nodded before he turned to Almeric and his knights.

'Alright, here's what's gonna go down,' he explained. 'My Shield can make it so I can teleport you all with me when the Wave starts. When the Wave comes, I want you all to focus on evacuating the townspeople. This means that you are to kill any monsters that get too close. Father, Raphtalia, Vandri, Rino and Drífa, I want you all to help the knights as they evacuate the townspeople.'

'Of course, Shield Hero,' Almeric said, nodding. 'I am not called Almeric the Defender for nothing. I shall ensure the people are kept safe during the Wave.'

'Yes. And we shall help you, as my son wishes,' Kratos replied, putting a hand on Almeric's shoulder. 'Your combat skills are unlike any I have seen in a mortal. It reminds me of a soldier who was loyal to me, way back when.' The two of them nodded to each other in respect.

'Thank you, Kratos. To have my skills complimented pleases me greatly. I swear, I shall fight by your side. I shall not abandon you nor the townspeople.'

'Good,' Atreus said, smiling. 'Now, we've only got a few days left until the Wave. Almeric, I want you and your men to go and collect as much money as you can. Once you've collected the money, use it to buy better equipment for you and your men. I have a feeling this next Wave is going to be worse than the previous one.'

'Of course. We shall do it right away if you wish.'

'That would be great. As soon as possible, all right?'

'One moment, please!'

Atreus raised an eyebrow as Melty suddenly spoke up, getting between Atreus and Almeric.

'Shield Hero, I would like you and your father to go and apologise to my father,' she ordered. 'I have heard of how the both of you have threatened his life. It is not good that you should harm my father. I would you two to have a reasonable discussion with him.'

Atreus let out a sound that sounded like a mix between a sigh and a groan, kneeling in front of her.

'The Draugr in the room,' he said. 'Your name was Melty, right?'

'Yes,' she answered. 'Melty Q. Melromarc, second daughter of King Aultcray and Queen Mirellia. I was sent here by my mother so that you two could try to patch things up with my father. My mother has heard of the conflict between you and the King. She believes that if you kill the King, the consequences could be dire. So, it would be great if you could try and make peace with him.'

Atreus raised an eyebrow, contemplating what she had said. After a moment, he got up and turned to Kratos.

'Father, Mimir, can we talk? In private, preferably,' he said. Atreus, Kratos and Mimir went to a private corner of the store, hidden out of sight of the others.

'I'm not sure whether we should trust her,' Atreus said, briefly glancing at Melty.

'How come?' Mimir asked.

'She keeps trying to order us around as if she has a leash on us or something. I don't know. She reminds me of Myne, with her attitude.'

'Maybe we should at least hear her out,' Mimir said. 'She seems well-meaning.'

'So was Myne. Until she wasn't.'

'Well-meaning or not, we cannot afford to be naïve,' Kratos interjected. 'Myne's deceit nearly cost us everything.'

'Exactly!' Atreus replied. 'What if Melty's like her sister? She could try to lead us into a trap.'

'A fair point, brother,' Mimir conceded. 'But it's worth considering that Melty might not share her sister's ways. What if she's not like Myne at all? It would be unfair to try to label her based on her sisters' actions.'

'Unfair, or prudent?' Kratos replied. 'Trust is a fragile pact, easily shattered. Myne shattered ours with her lies, and it led to chaos and bloodshed. Would you risk that sort of thing happening again, Mimir?'

'You've got a fair point there, Kratos,' Mimir said thoughtfully. 'Still, let's not paint them all with the same brush. From the looks of things, Melty seems to have good intentions.'

'Good intentions or not, caution is necessary,' Kratos replied. 'We travel in a world filled with deceit.'

'Exactly,' Atreus said. 'And I don't see a meeting with the King going down well. What if Melty tries to accuse us like her sister did?'

Almeric sighed as he came over, having overheard their conversation. He put a hand on Atreus's shoulder, staring him in the eyes.

'If I may put in a word,' he said. 'Melty is nothing at all like her sister and father. Queen Mirellia decided it would be best to raise Melty away from the King and his daughter, to prevent negative influences on Melty. This has worked spectacularly. Melty is kind-hearted, and fair, concerned with only the wellbeing of her people. She does not care about causing trouble.'

'Really now?' Atreus said, sceptical. Melty nodded in affirmation.

'He speaks true. My sister has had…Personality issues, from the very beginning. After causing problem after problem, my mother decided to make me the next heir to the throne. My sister has been strictly forbidden from ever seeing the crown. Please, Shield Hero, at least hear me out. My mother would like this to be resolved peacefully.'

Atreus closed his eyes, thinking for a moment. Then, he opened them again, having made his decision.

'I'm going to have to decline,' he said.

'But why?' Melty said, pouting. 'After how you threatened my father?'

'You don't understand,' Atreus explained. 'Ever since Father and I got here, the King's been doing everything he could to hinder us. He hasn't been our ally; he's been our enemy. So no. We will not go to talk to him. Even just the thought of it makes me want to vomit. You can go and tell him that yourself.'

Melty only glared at Atreus, angered. After a moment, she sighed, shaking her head.

'Alright,' she said, conceding. 'If that's your choice…Then I shall try to talk to him myself. Maybe I can convince him to try and make peace with you.'

'Melty, wait!' Drífa said, grabbing onto Melty's arm. 'Please don't go!'

Melty looked back at Drífa and smiled, a single tear beginning to form in her eye.

'It's okay, Drífa,' she said. 'I'll see you again soon, I promise. But, there are other important things I need to deal with, okay?'

Drífa seemed to hesitate, then slowly nodded, letting go of Melty's arm. Melty turned and left the store, closing the door firmly behind her. The others stood around looking forlorn. Drífa whined as she stood close to Atreus, tugging on his cloak.

'Master? Am I going to see her again?' she said. Atreus sighed and folded his arms.

'I…I do not know, Drífa,' he replied. 'I really don't know.'

The Wave came a few days later. Atreus and his group were hanging around outside the Weapon Shop, waiting. By that time, there was only an hour and a half left before the next Wave came. Atreus had several bottles of medicine in his pouch, which he intended to use during the Wave. It was a few minutes later that Almeric and his Knights came by meeting with the group.

'Shield Hero,' Almeric said. 'We collected the money, exactly as you said, and used it to buy better gear. I am fully confident that with your aid, we may be able to hold back the Wave with very few casualties.'

'That's great, Almeric,' Atreus said with a smile, quickly checking his Status to make sure that Almeric and his Knights were set to be transported alongside Atreus and his group. They all froze when they heard a voice nearby.

'Hey, Loki!'

The group turned and were surprised to see Ren and his party approaching the group. Atreus raised an eyebrow, curious.

'What is Ren doing here?' he asked.

'I don't know,' Almeric said. 'Do you know him?'

'Not really,' Atreus replied. 'We haven't run into any trouble with him, aside from that Zombie Dragon a while back.'

Ren finally stood in front of Loki, gazing into his eyes. He took a moment to glance at Kratos, who frowned at him.

'Relax, Kratos,' Ren said. 'I am not here to fight any of you. I just wish to talk. Are you okay with that Loki?' Ren said to Atreus.

'Uh…Sure? What is it you want to talk about?' Atreus asked.

'A while back, I had accepted a quest from a Guild concerning trouble from Mirso Village to the east,' Ren explained. 'Mirso Village had been having trouble with a Dragon that was terrorizing the place, and they needed an adventurer to slay it. So I accepted the quest and slew the Dragon. However, when I went to collect my reward, it was gone. It was then that I heard that you had been at Mirso Village as well.'

'So what, you're accusing Loki of stealing the reward?' Mimir asked. 'Is that's what it?'

'I am not accusing Loki of anything,' Ren said. 'I just want to hear what happened from his side of the story.'

Atreus turned to his group, raising an eyebrow.

'Should we tell him?' he asked softly.

'Yes,' Vandri whispered back. 'He needs to know how badly he fucked up, the prick.'

'If you know anything about what happened, then tell me,' Ren said. Atreus turned back to him, putting both hands on his hips.

'You know the Dragon you slew?' Atreus asked. 'Its' corpse ended up rotting. It ended up infecting Mirso Village. Everyone there got horribly sick.'

Ren's eyes widened at the news, almost in shock, as if he couldn't believe what Atreus told him.

'N-no,' he said. 'Th-that can't be true…'

'It is,' Rino said. 'When we went to investigate, the Dragon's corpse came back as a Zombie Dragon.'

Ren turned away from Atreus, looking towards the east. His legs appeared unsteady as he began to trot away vaguely.

'Where are you going?' Mimir asked.

'To Mirso Village,' Ren replied, looking back. 'If it's my fault…'

'We already took care of the Dragon,' Kratos said.

'Yes,' Atreus said. 'But by that time, it was too late. We couldn't save the villagers, and they all died of disease. We had to burn the village to the ground to stop it from spreading even further. Raphtalia ended up getting sick as well. She'd have died if we hadn't given her Holy Water.'

Ren only stood for a time. All of the colour had completely left his face as he took in everything. After a moment, he recomposed himself, sighing.

'So…That's what happened…' He said to himself.

'Why did you even leave the Dragon there in the first place?' Rino asked. 'You should've known that meat would eventually rot.'

'One of my party members suggested leaving the Dragon's corpse there,' Ren explained. 'They said it would be a great way for Mirso Village to make money from tourism. I didn't realise the problems it would cause. I didn't mean to harm anyone.'

Kratos grunted as he put a hand on Ren's shoulder, gazing straight into his eyes.

'Intent does not matter. Only consequences,' Kratos said. 'You must not be so quick to act. Your haste will cost you.'

'Yeah. You gotta be more careful next time,' Atreus said.

'Still can't believe you killed a great beast like that,' Vandri said. 'Something so majestic, snuffed out just like that. Certainly, not something a Legendary Hero would do.'

Ren looked to both Kratos and Atreus, then nodded slowly.

'Alright,' he said. 'I understand.' He turned and bowed low to Raphtalia. 'Raphtalia, I am sorry. I swear, I will be more careful next time. Take care. Good luck during the Wave, Loki.'

'Yeah, see you around,' Atreus replied.

With that, Ren turned and walked away, his party members following closely behind him. Vandri sighed and folded her arms.

'What an idiot,' Vandri said. 'First a famine, then a Dragon? Legendary Heroes my ass. These guys are evil.'

'I don't think it'd be very fair to call them evil,' Atreus replied. 'Okaya, maybe, but Ren and Motoyasu, sure they've made mistakes, but they don't seem to be that bad.'

'The Spear Hero and Sword Hero possess a power they do not understand,' Kratos replied. 'Mistakes have consequences. They are reckless. The destruction they caused cannot be overlooked. They must be held accountable for their actions.'

'That's true,' Atreus said, rubbing the back of his neck.

'Aye,' Mimir replied. 'They wield power far beyond that of ordinary men, and when it comes to the gravitas of their actions they seem to cast it aside.'

'They acted recklessly!' Rino interjected. 'Lives have been lost, and towns have been laid to waste!'

'Only because they thought they were doing the right thing,' Atreus said. 'Motoyasu's being used by Myne for her sick pleasure. And at least with Ren, he seemed to feel bad about what happened with the Dragon. They're not monsters. They're just…Lost. Thrust into roles they weren't prepared for.'

'Lost or not, they need to understand that their actions have consequences,' Vandri interjected. 'They need to be humbled, to be put in their places.'

'Maybe,' Atreus said. 'But I don't think we should punish them. What if they lashed out? That could lead to further damage. We should try to guide them, not punish them.'

'Perhaps,' Vandri said. 'Though, I'd much like to give the Sword Hero a good kick in the groin.'

The group continued to wait, as Atreus watched the timer slowly count down.

10:00

8:00

5:00

3:00

1:00

'One minute left,' Atreus told the group. 'Get ready, everyone.'

The group nodded and held their weapons tightly, prepared for what was to come. Atreus changed shield forms to the Centaur Shield. It looked highly metallic, with a golden rim and a single golden ring attached to the centre. Atreus took a moment to mentally steel himself, as the timer went down.

0:00

Instantly, they were bathed in a golden light, and their surroundings changed. The sky had turned a crimson red, like the previous wave, and cracks could be seen in the sky. Hundreds of monsters were pouring out of the cracks, descending onto the world. Atreus and Co. looked around, trying to get a bearing on their surroundings. They found that they were near a small village, one that was highly populated. Looking past that, Atreus saw a large group of monsters heading straight towards it. Just like the previous Wave, most of the monsters consisted of Undead Legionnaires, though Kratos saw other creatures as well, such as Cyclops and Sirens.

'Is everyone taken into account?' Atreus called out, looking around in order to find Almeric and the Knights. He saw them nearby, and they ran over to him.

'Shield Hero!' Almeric said. 'We are here! Those villagers down there are under attack, we must protect them!'

'Alright!'

'Hey, Loki!'

Atreus turned and saw Ren and his party, heading towards him. Motoyasu and Okaya were nearby, along with their respective party members. Okaya and his party members all glared at Atreus, no doubt still bitter over the trial.

'Almeric, go with your knights and help defend that village. I'll catch up with you!'

'Yes, Shield Hero!'

Almeric nodded, and his and his knights ran towards the village. Ingrid unsheathed itself and flew after Almeric, heading towards the town. Atreus turned to face Ren, folding his arms.

'Alright, listen up,' he began. 'Ren, I want you, Motoyasu and Okaya to take out the monsters coming from the rift. I'm going to go with the knights and defend that village over there. Understand?'

'Of course,' Ren replied. 'Although, one question, how did you get those knights to teleport here with you?'

'You can make it so you can make a person subject to your leadership,' Atreus explained. 'If you do that, then they can teleport with you. Did you not know this?'

'No,' Ren replied truthfully.

'You should've. It says so in the manual. You mean none of you know this?'

Neither the Spear, Sword nor Bow said a thing. Atreus sighed and shook his head.

'Probably explains why there are no knights with you,' he said. 'I guess if you know all there is to it, there's no need to read the manual or the tutorials. Is that it?'

'Yeah, basically,' Motoyasu said smugly. 'We already know everything.'

'Yes, now please, stop wasting our time,' Okaya said, glaring daggers at Atreus with his dead looking eyes. 'I would very much like to focus on the Wave, now.'

'Yeah. The rift is linked to the boss, so we should take that out!' Motoyasu replied.

'What if it's a Time Attack Wave? We should try to be quick about it, just in case,' Ren said.

'Did you understand a word of what they just said?' Mimir asked Atreus.

'No,' Atreus replied. 'And I don't care to. Just make sure you guys link up with the knights next time. Now go!'

'Of course. Good luck, Loki,' Ren said, before running off, his party following behind him. Motoyasu and Okaya made no attempt at trying to hide their disdain towards Atreus as they both scampered off with their parties.

'Alright,' Atreus said, turning to the village. 'Everyone, to me!'

'Oooookay!' Drífa said.

'Understood!' Raphtalia replied.

'Alright!' Rino said.

'Got ya!' Vandri replied.

'Yes. We will follow!' Kratos said.

The group broke out into a run, heading straight towards the village. By the time they made it to the village, monsters were swarming the place. Almeric and the knights fought valiantly as they fought off the monsters, trying to protect the people, while Ingrid flew around the town, hacking down any monsters it came across. Kratos bought out his axe and swung at an undead legionnaire that had attacked a mother and her child, cutting the legionnaire's head clean off. They both trembled as they looked up at Kratos, fear in their eyes.

'Wh-who…?' the Mother asked. Kratos looked back at her, grunting.

'I am with the Shield Hero,' he said. 'Go! You must escape!'

'A-alright!' the mother said. 'Thank you!' she took her child by the hand as they fled the town for their lives. Kratos turned, gripping his axe as he took sight of a Siren. The Siren appeared humanoid, and was topless, exposing it's breasts, yet it had a horrific smile that exposed rows of sharp teeth, no eyes, and long dishevelled brown hair. The Siren was singing a harmonious song that had enchanted a man, sending him into a trance as he stumbled absent-mindedly towards it. Kratos snarled as he broke out into a run, charging at the Siren. The Siren opened its mouth wide as the man got closer, prepared to devour him.

Kratos swung and plunged his axe deep into the Siren's side, making it scream in agony. Kratos shoved the man away as it swiped a claw, causing him to fall to the ground as the Siren's enchantment wore off. The man blinked as he looked around, confused.

'Wh-where…?' he said, before quickly backing away when he caught sight of the Siren. Kratos snarled, looking to the man.

'Go!' he said. The man nodded and scrambled to his feet, turning and fleeing. The Siren screeched as it moved around with incredible agility and speed, hurling great blue spheres of energy at Kratos and trying to claw at him. Kratos swung at the Siren with his Blades of Chaos, igniting them in flames as he slashed at the Siren. He swung a Blade and impaled the Siren through the stomach, before he swung and cut the Siren deeply. The Siren wailed and screamed as Kratos cut it down, collapsing to the ground, before it finally went still and died. Kratos turned and saw a horde of monsters charging towards him, weapons drawn. Kratos gripped his blades tightly, prepared to fight. He was saved by Rino, who sent a large mass of boulders rolling their way, crushing several of the monsters underneath and killing them. Kratos and Rino nodded to each other, before they charged at the horde, beginning to cut them down.

Atreus charged at a Cyclops that had accosted a group of people, raising his shield to defend himself as the Cyclops swung its club downward, impacting Atreus's shield hard. The Centaur Shield absorbed the Cyclops' attack, before activating its counterattack as a massive spear shot out from the shield, impaling the Cyclops through the chest. The Cyclops roared in agony as it fell to the ground, blood pouring from the massive wound in its chest as it went still and died.

'Go on! Get out of here!' Atreus yelled to the group. The group nodded, before they turned and fled.

'Thank you, Shield Hero!' one of them said as they fled to safety. Atreus turned and saw several monsters heading towards him, too many for him to fight. He was saved by Ingrid, who flew past quickly and hacked at the monsters rapidly, cutting them to pieces. Atreus bought out his bow and fired several arrows at the monsters, impacting them and killing a few. Several undead legionnaires nearby fired a volley of arrows at Atreus, dipped in fire. Atreus raised his shield, prepared to defend himself, as Ingrid got in front of him, spinning rapidly and deflecting the arrows. Atreus returned fire with his arrows as Ingrid protected him, picking the legionnaires off one by one. He smiled at Ingrid, chuckling.

'Thank you, Ingrid,' he said. Ingrid made a happy chirping noise in response, as if to say, 'You're welcome.' More undead legionnaires could be seen nearby, charging towards them. Gripping his bow tightly, Atreus charged at the legionnaires, alongside Ingrid, preparing to fight with them.

Meanwhile, Raphtalia fought alongside Almeric and the Knights as they evacuated the townspeople, keeping close to each other as they cut down any monsters that got too close. Using a mixture of Light and Dark magic, Raphtalia leapt around the battlefield with amazing agility and speed, swiftly cutting down the hordes of undead legionnaires. Almeric and his knights lent her their support, cutting down any monsters that came too close to her. Any monsters that they couldn't handle, Raphtalia could deal with. Raphtalia turned and saw a Cyclops that was advancing upon several townspeople. Gritting her teeth, Raphtalia yelled as she leapt at the Cyclops, slashing at it with her sword. The Cyclops bellowed as it swung at Raphtalia, flailing its fists around wildly. Raphtalia dodged the Cyclops, distracting it long enough for Almeric and his knights to escort the townspeople to safety. Raphtalia swung and cut the Cyclops' leg, making it tumble to the ground, before plunging her sword into its eye and wrenching it upwards, killing it.

Elsewhere, Drífa and Vandri fought side by side as they lept and flew through the battlefield, slashing down any monsters that got in their way. Drífa used her claws to slash at the monsters, while Vandri swung her blade in quick, rapid motions, cutting the monsters to ribbons. Flying up into the air, Vandri dodged the blades of several monsters, before holding her hand out and focusing. With a yell, Vandri summoned a large whirlwind that swept up the monsters, flaying them alive. Drífa yelled as she lept at the whirlwind, kicking her claw and slashing at the monsters, cutting them in half with a single kick. The monster's bodies were sent flying over the place as the whirlwind disappeared, scattering around them.

'Great shot, Drífa!' Vandri complimented, giving Drífa a thumbs up. Drífa chirped happily, making a little victorious bounce.

'No problem, big sis!' Drífa exclaimed. They both nodded, before they continued fighting, combining their strength.

'Damn, this is not good!'

Atreus panted as he struck down a monster with his bow, staying close to Kratos as they fought. Raphtalia, Vandri, Rino, Ingrid and Drífa were nearby, nearly exhausted as the monsters kept coming. They had been fighting for three hours by that point. They had managed to evacuate the townspeople without casualty, but the Wave showed no sign of stopping. The monsters came endlessly, relentless as they tried striking the group down.

'This is bullshit!' Vandri snarled as she cut down an undead legionnaire.

'What are the bloody Heroes doing?!' Mimir bellowed. 'How come they haven't taken care of the Wave yet? Something isn't right! We should check up on them.'

'We should, but I don't want to abandon this town!' Atreus replied as he shot a monster with his bow and arrows.

'Shield Hero, leave these monsters to us!' Almeric said. 'Go and assist the Heroes!'

'Ya sure?' Atreus asked. 'Can you handle this?'

'I've fought worse before,' Almeric said. 'Now go!'

'Well…Alright then. Just be careful, okay? Everyone, follow me!'

'Understood!'

'Ooookay!'

'Yes, Loki!'

'I'm right behind ya!'

The group broke away from Almeric and the other knights, leaving them to fight off the monsters. At length, they came upon a colossal ship in the sky, looking tattered and decrepit. It seemed like a massive fight was going on, with monsters pooling onto it.

'Is that them?' Mimir asked.

'It's gotta be,' Atreus replied, seeing Ren on board. 'Drífa, can you get us onto that ship?'

'Okay, Master!' Drífa replied. Atreus, Kratos, Raphtalia and Rino all climbed onto Drífa, and she broke out into a run, before making a great leap and heading towards the ship. Vandri flew alongside her, using her wind magic to support the group as they made their way to the ship.

The deck of the ship had been engulfed by chaos. Monsters could be seen all over the place, with the Three Heroes being overwhelmed. Attacking the ship was a colossal Hydra, with multiple heads all attacking at once. Nearby, Ren took out several undead legionnaires that had attacked his group.

'Ren!' Atreus called out, running over. 'You okay? What's happening?'

'That Hydra,' Ren said. 'I'm pretty sure it's the boss of this Wave. I've tried to kill it, but with every head I cut off, another takes its place.'

'No, the boss is clearly this massive bird thing!' Motoyasu yelled out as he fought a giant Harpy.

'Absolutely not! The boss is this Griffin!' Okaya called out as he fired a Bleeding Shot at a Dark Griffin. The Bleeding Shot barely affected it. Atreus groaned and bought his palm to his face, at utter disbelief at their incompetence.

'Alright, we'll need to take care of this,' he said. Vandri, Drífa, go and take out that bird monster. Rino, Raphtalia, I want you to kill that Griffin! Father, you and I need to take out that Hydra!'

'Of course!'

'Ooookay, master!'

'Yes, Loki!'

'Understood!'

The others took off, beginning to fight the Harpy and the Dark Griffin respectively, while Ingrid took care of the monsters that were pooling onto the ship. Atreus and Kratos stood before the Hydra defiantly, as it roared at them with all of its heads.

'Any idea on how to kill it?' Atreus asked Kratos.

'There was a main head,' Kratos answered. 'If we kill the main head, we kill the beast.'

'Alright, let's get it.'

The Hydra roared at Kratos and Atreus, its heads beginning to lunge at them at many different directions, trying to devour them. Atreus and Kratos leapt and dodged the Hydra's heads, trying to find the one they had to slay. Kratos turned and saw a head, high in the air. It looked bigger than the other heads, and grander looking.

'There!' Kratos bellowed. 'The one that is bigger! That is the one we must take out!'

'Got it!' Atreus replied, using his shield to block a Hydra head that lunged at him.

'Aahh! Someone help!'

Kratos and Atreus turned, and witness someone getting devoured by a Hydra. Ren turned and reached out his hand, trying to grab them, but failed.

'Tersia!' he yelled out. 'No!'

Kratos snarled as he charged, dodging the Hydra's heads, before leaping into the Hydra's mouth, holding on tight. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the Boat Captain holding on for dear life. The Captain's key laid next to him.

'Kratos! Help me!' The Captain said, reaching out a hand for help. Kratos hesitated as he took in a breath, his mind racing as he looked between the Captain and the key. Then he sighed, his decision already made.

He grabbed Tersia by the hand, just before he was almost devoured, gripping him tightly as he carved into the Hydra's flesh with his Blade. The Hydra roared in pain, opening its mouth wide. Kratos lept out of the Hydra's mouth, Tersia holding onto him for dear life, before setting him down. Tersia sighed in relief, bowing low before Kratos in gratitude.

'Thank you!' he said. 'I am forever indebted to you!'

Kratos nodded, before he turned and shoved Tersia away as the Hydra's main head clamped its jaws onto him. Kratos grunted as the Hydra's head thrashed him around, before he gripped the Hydra's jaws, forcibly prying them open. He leapt onto the Hydra's head, bringing out a Blade and stabbing it deep into the Hydra's head, before leaping off and pulling on the chain. The Hydra roared as its head was dragged onto the ground. Kratos gripped the Hydra's head, keeping it pinned.

'Now!' Kratos said. Atreus pulled out his bow and fired several Sigil Arrows at the Hydra's neck, planting multiple Hexes along its throat. Kratos ignited his Blades of Chaos into flames, before stabbing the Hydra's neck. The Hexes burst in a massive chain of explosions, causing the Hydra to roar in agony as it thrashed around. Its heads finally collapsed, the life going out of its eyes as it laid dead.

The moment the Hydra died, the monsters piling the ship evaporated and disappeared. The crimson red hue in the sky disappeared, leaving it blue once again, along with the blue swirls that no longer summoned any monsters. It was finished. The Third Wave had been vanquished.

Everyone on the ship had a sigh of relief, glad the Wave was over. Ren especially was feeling smug, satisfied that he had been proven right. His satisfaction was short-lived, however, as the ship began to lose its altitude, beginning to fall to the ground. Everyone panicked as they held on for dear life, preparing themselves for impact. The ship crashed into a field, sending shrapnel everywhere as the ship was destroyed completely. Atreus and Co. made their way out of the wreckage, shaken, but ultimately unharmed.

'Is everyone alright?' Atreus asked his group.

'I'm okay, Master!'

'I am unharmed, Loki!'

'As am I.'

'Yep. No injuries on me!'

'Kratos and I are alright. We've suffered worse than this, haven't we, brother?'

'Hmph.'

'That's good! But what about the other Heroes?' Atreus said, turning to the other Heroes who had become motionless amongst the wreckage. As if on cue, Almeric and his knights came out onto the field, rushing over to the other Heroes and checking them for injuries.

'They're alive,' Almeric confirmed. 'Unconscious, but still alive. Give them a bit of treatment, and they'll come to okay.'

'And the townspeople?' Atreus enquired further.

'They are safe,' Almeric replied. 'We managed to evacuate them with little casualties. Though the village was heavily damaged, I believe they may be able to rebuild. We're tough like that, you know?'

'That's good to know. You were really great out there, Almeric.'

'Your praise is music to my ears, Shield Hero,' Almeric said, smiling. It was a while later that several knights from the castle arrived, heading over to the other Heroes.

'We'll treat their injuries before letting them go again,' one of the knights told Almeric, before he turned to Atreus.

'Shield Hero,' he said. 'The King has requested that he speak with you regarding your unholy powers. You are to come back with us to the Castle. That is an order.'

Atreus frowned at the knight, before slowly shaking his head.

'You seriously want me to talk to that King? I don't think so,' Atreus said, before turning away. The knight gritted his teeth, his nostrils flaring furiously, as he gripped Atreus's shoulder.

'You must come back with us to see the King!' he yelled. 'That is an order! You shall not disobey the King!'

Atreus threw the knight away from him, glaring daggers at him. The other knights snapped to attention, drawing their weapons as they faced Atreus.

'Forget it!' Atreus said, snarling. 'You can go and tell him that I am done with that trash of a King. I want nothing to do with this wretched hive of a country any longer! I am leaving. If you value your lives, you will not try to stop me.'

With that Atreus turned, beginning to walk away.

'Come on, guys,' he said. The others took a moment to glare at the other knights, before they turned and followed after Atreus, leaving Almeric, the knights, and the other heroes behind.

Biscus was in the chapel, praying, when there was a knock on the door. Frustrated at having been interrupted, Biscus got up from kneeling, raising an eyebrow as he turned to the door.

'Enter,' he said on a loud voice. The door opened, and a knight entered into the chapel, bowing low before him.

'Bishop Balmus,' the knight said. 'I am here to report to you regarding the Shield Hero.'

'Yes?' Biscus replied, smiling warmly. 'Go on, speak.'

'After the Third Wave, we arrived onto the field from the castle to recover the other Heroes,' the knight began. 'I had gone to the Shield Hero, giving him the order to report to the King, as the King had ordered of us.'

'And how did that go?' Biscus enquired.

'Not well, Bishop Balmus,' the knight answered. 'The Shield Hero stubbornly refused, rejecting my offer. We tried to get him to comply, but it was no use. The Shield Hero intends on leaving Melromarc, possibly to one of the neighbouring countries.'

Biscus's smile dropped, and he glared at the knight, disturbed by his report. He sighed as he slumped into a chair, rubbing his temples.

'Oh dear,' he said. 'That is dreadful. The Shield Demon is a rude one, isn't he?'

'Absolutely,' the knight said. 'I fear this might put a dent in our plans. You did intend on framing the Shield Demon, didn't you?'

'That I did,' Biscus said. 'The plan was to send Melty to the Shield Demon, along with a group of knights. Then we'd have the knights kill Melty, then frame the Shield Demon for it. With that, the Shield Demon would surely have been reviled in every corner of the world. Everyone in Melromarc would've wanted him dead.' He sighed as he closed his eyes, thinking.

'Bishop Balmus, what shall we do?' the knight asked. 'With the Shield Hero leaving the country, I fear our planned coup may fail.'

'Calm, my knight,' Biscus said, smiling as he already thought up a plan. 'A good strategist knows how to improvise when something doesn't go as planned.' He turned to a corner of the room.

'Malty, would you be able to fulfil the plan I have thought out for me?'

Myne only looked at Biscus for a moment, her arms folded as she leaned against a wall. Then she smirked, nodding slowly.

'Of course, Bishop Balmus,' she said. 'Just give me the word, and I'll go and do it.'

She threw her head back, letting out a shrill laugh. Balmus smiled, confident that Malty would play her part.

'Melty Q. Melromarc, I've been looking for you,' the knight said, kneeling low before her. Melty had been in a quiet part of town, contemplating the Shield Hero's rivalry with her father, when a group of knights had accosted her.

'Yes?' Melty said, raising an eyebrow. 'What is it that you want? Is it important?'

'Very,' the knight said. 'Your father, King Aultcray, would like to speak to you regarding the Shield Hero.'

'The Shield Hero?' Melty replied, raising an eyebrow. 'What for? Has the Shield Hero decided to try and reconcile with my father?'

'Indeed,' the knight said. 'He has instructed that we bring you to him, to a private place.

'Really?' Melty said, tilting her head. 'That's…Surprising. Very well. Lead the way.'

Melty followed after the knights as they led to a secluded place, far from any privy eyes. Melty looked around, finding herself unnerved.

'That's strange,' she said. 'I don't see father anywhere. What is the meaning of this?'

The knights all turned to face her, malicious grins on their faces. Melty took a step back, finding the whole thing suspicious. Something was horribly wrong.

'We apologize, Princess Melty. But we have been ordered to bring you to a secret location for your own safety,' the knight said. He chuckled as he stepped forward, grabbing Melty's arm roughly and beginning to drag her away.

'For my own safety? Why would I not be safe in the castle? Where are you taking me?'

'We cannot reveal that information at this time, Princess. But we assure you, this is for the best.'

'What are you talking about? L-let me go! N-no, please! Someone, please help!'

Melty screamed and struggled, trying desperately to break free and run. It was in vain. No one could hear her screaming, and the knights overpowered her with their strength as they led her away. Her eyes widened as they tied her up with rope, putting a white cloth around her mouth, tying her up tight. Melty struggled as they carried her away, terrified of what they planned on doing to her.