Biggest thanks for Ace-Triad for fixing my SPAG problems, and Angel Wraith for beta-reading the chapter, and providing feed backs.
As always, I will blabber some more in my end note.
Cross posted on AO3, for anyone who prefer that site.
The mountain village is about the same as Naofumi pictured, set in a small, flat clearing surrounded by trees. Hidden from most of the world if one doesn't know where to look for it. There's barely any sign of industry, and a small store with an inn makes the town's commerce. The only thing missing is the thick snow, but then again maybe he's just visiting them off the season. He idly wonders how a small village like this could exist in the real world while the Whip Hero already started blowing whistles. "It's quaint, alright. That's probably why that damn Mirror Demon didn't bother with them."
A few steps behind them, Raphtalia has assumed her adult body and carries Granny on her back. The elder martial artist doesn't look well after the battle after using up all of her energy to attack the kaiju turtle. Her skin has lost any color of blood, and her cheeks are sunken down like a skeleton. Malty pulls out the vial of Yggdrasil medicine from underneath her shirt, which she's been wearing around her neck like a pendant. "Maybe we should use this?"
"Not yet. I haven't used life's essence in my last attack." Granny's voice is much more coarse than before. Naofumi looks back, and sees her eyes are still bright. About the only spot of the older martial artists that are still full of life. "I will be fine after some rest, food, and meditation. Save the ultimate cure for something more severe."
"This location is suitable for a teleportation destination for the heroes, but it can't house all the soldiers that are needed to defend against an otherworld invasion. It can still serve as a defensible outpost for our troops to retreat to. But we will be building our own main base of operation at the foot of the mountain." The Faubley general looks around the location. After a short time, he gives his conclusion.
"We shall do the same for Siltvelt troops." Kael'thas agrees with General Ironwood's assessment, but Naofumi can see sparks flying between their eyes. There's clearly no trust between them now that the threat has temporarily disappeared. And Naofumi silently wonders how that would do in the coming battle against this Katana Hero. He doesn't know that much about historical wars, but he still knew mistrust between two supposed allies is always the first thing an enemy exploits. Hopefully, the Katana Hero is like their prisoner suggested, too prideful about his own strength to bother with such actions.
"What do I owe the pleasure of this visit to our humble village?" The voice of a mature woman comes from the slowly gathered crowd of the mountain village. He turns around to see a woman with long, dark hair that looks to be in her forties coming out of the people to face their group. Now that Naofumi has a chance to look at them, he notices clear signs of exhaustion from the villagers. All of them have dirt, mud, blades of grass, and leaves staining their clothes. Some of their clothes have tears and holes in them. A few of them were carrying bags in their hands or on their back. It's not hard to imagine them abandoning their homes and hiding among the forest when Astaroth awakened the turtle and brought it under his control, and the inhabitant of Nibelheim just returned to their home right before their arrival. "I'm sorry for not showing the hospitality of our village. But as you can probably see, we just returned recently after hiding in the mountains from the Spirit Tortoise."
Chapter 58: Village in the Mountain
"Mayor Lockhart, correct?" The woman nods in affirmation at the question of Malty's father. The former king quickly begins to explain what's been happening not far from their home. "The Spirit Tortoise was not awoken naturally, or by one of our own as the last resort to save our world. It was taken over by a demonic invader from another world. We defeated him and his army, but he left us one last parting gift in the form of a portal connected to the world he came from over the territory of a foe even he has to retreat from. The most immediate threat is over, but it looks like we are looking at a prolonged campaign here in addition to fighting our current Wave of Catastrophe. That's why we are seeking places to prepare for the eventual confrontation."
"I see. That is terribly unfortunate. But some of us lived through The Great War. We are no strangers to prolonged battle." Mayor Lockhart pauses briefly and then casts a look at Kael'thas. To Naofumi's slight surprise, the bird prince from Siltvelt actually avoided her gaze rather than staring right back. "We will do whatever we can to assist. In the meantime, please let us show you our hospitality wherever we can."
"Please register this location as one of your teleportation destinations, heroes. Afterwards. We'll need to bring the report of what happened back to my queen at the capital." The former king's sight settles on Itsuki, who is currently lying on a stretcher being held by the former companions of Ren. "I think it's best for Lord Bow Hero to teleport back to the capital, where he can receive the best medical attention on his shoulder, and bring the report alongside him."
"No, I can still go- hmm..." Itsuki tries to sit up from the stretcher. He only made it halfway before his shaking body tenses up. He bites down hard to not scream out loud, and it only makes his face look more twisted from the pain. "It's- it's only a minor shoulder wound. I'll be fine if someone would just cast a healing spell on me."
"Don't take your wound lightly, Lord Bow Hero. When we were helping escort Lord Shield Hero from the Three Heroes' Church, my friend Nora got a bad hit in her leg. And because none of us knew how to reset her bones properly, her leg bone ended up improperly healed. And now she's walking with a permanent limp. It's better if you go back to the capital and have an expert look over your shoulder." Ren, the former highwayman, quickly takes a step up to Itsuki, and convinces him to return like Malty's father asked him to.
"Don't worry about us, Itsuki. You get yourself fixed up. We aren't facing another invasion... yet." Naofumi looks up at the dimensional portal hanging ominously in the distant sky. Once again, he has to spend some effort to actually see it, since it looks just like normal sky, even changing as clouds drift over it. Only the shade of the edge looks wrong, and doesn't connect to the rest of the skyline. "We'll need you at your best when we fight someone from Malach."
"Fine. But I'll be back as soon as I can. You guys aren't getting rid of me that easily." Itsuki slowly sits back up, and then gets on his feet thanks to the help from both Rishia and Sir Crepe. He fiddles with his bow a few moments, and then disappears alongside his five companions in a column of topaz light.
"Well. I for one have better places to be than this dump. Better get the whole registration done, and get back to my castle to sort out all of this shit." The Whip Hero puts both of his arms behind his head and walks towards the wall at the center of the town. Before he stops in front of the building, he turns to look at Naofumi and gives him a two finger salute. "Guess we'll be seeing each other more often with this mess of otherworldly invasions... smell you later."
With that last gesture, he turns around and teleports away with a beam of purple light. Apparently not going to wait for many of his female allies still waiting for him at the foot of the mountain with the rest of General Ironwood's men.
Naofumi also begins to poke at his own shield to add this mountain village to one of the locations saved in his shield. He looks up, and notices the Four Heroes'Church's mage knight captain Cloud walking away. It's probably not his business, but he gets curious so he asks. "Hey. Aren't you going to spend some time here in the village you came from?"
The blonde man with long soft hair running down his back suddenly stops his feet. He pauses, like he's trying to think of something before turning back to Naofumi to address his question. "If I'm from this village, I have no recollection of it. I lost my memory when I went through my enhancements. Regardless, I don't think that part of my life matters anymore. My purpose now is to serve the Chief God, the church, and your heroes as our lord's representation. Good day to you, Lord Shield Hero."
Naofumi's eyes are fixed on the tall church knight as he walks away. He wonders if he made another mistake because of his video game assumption again. The man brought up the village and led them here, but he never said this was the village he was from. And he certainly doesn't look like the same Cloud from the game. He decided not to put too much thought on it, since it isn't important to anything they are trying to accomplish. As he turns around, he sees the Faubley general talking with Malty's distant Faubley cousin. "Lady Emily. Gerard the Golden will need specific parts from Faubley for her repair, and we'll also need equipment and materials to set up better defense on the fortification we'll establish at the foot of Griffin's Spine mountain. May I request the service of your battle fleet for logistical support?"
"Ah, man. And here I was trying to put off contacting the admiral for as long as possible. I'm so going to get an earful once he gets here." Emily dramatically falls sideways, leaning herself right into Malty's shoulder. "Can I get a hug from you for comfort, cousin?"
"I'm sure you'll live, Cousin Emi." Malty rolls her eyes, but still gives Duchess Emily a hug before pushing her cousin to stand upright. "But let's stop fooling around, and get the work done first. We should do our best to accommodate General Ironwood when he's here to help us set defenses against another invasion."
"Yes, yes. You are right." Emily gives a few light pats on Malty's shoulder. Thankfully, she gets serious as she takes a much more dignified posture and tone as she looks back at the Faubley general and addresses him. "I shall pen a letter immediately, and have it sent to Dunwall through my personal carrier raven. Worry not, General Ironwood. Dunwall Duchy will do everything we can to assist your current operation."
"You have my thanks, Lady Emily. I shall also compose a list of materials I would like to requisite for the construction of the fortification." The general gives Emily a salute, as he also walks away with his subordinate towards the foot of the mountain.
"Hey, General guy. Before you go, maybe we could get Iris' family involved if we are going to build something. Her family already had a bunch of construction projects around the land before this whole thing started. They'll just have to switch from building banks to building castles." Motoyasu suddenly begins to hop on his feet while waving at General Ironwood to get his attention.
"Hmm... It would make more sense for us to get the more common building materials like different kinds of stone and wood from Melromarc, and only bring the more complex machinery from Faubley. The Amelia family has a reputation of getting their construction projects done, and I'm sure they will only provide the best materials when it's used to defend their nation." The general stops his feet, leans his head down to think over Motoyasu's suggestion before looking at Malty's father. "What do you say to Lord Spear Hero's suggestion, General Aultcray? I would, of course, not speak with one of the Melromarc lords without your approval."
"The Spear Hero brought up a good point. I'm sure Duke Amelia would like the prospect of repurposing the material of building projects he puts on hold due to the Wave of Catastrophe towards something more productive." The former king also nods his head as he turns to look at the foreign general. "You have to hurry to talk with him and settle how his effort will be compensated, of course. And I suggest you dispatch a messenger in haste. Duke Amelia had already gathered his men and returned to Melromarc soil to reunite with his family. I shall provide you with a letter to allow your messenger to pass our garrison."
"You have my thanks." The Faubley general gives Malty's father another nod, as they move towards the village inn, likely to get the letter the former king was talking about. As they walk away, Naofumi wonders what he could do to help the situation. He knew that his mind wasn't entirely in the right place after the fight against Astaroth, the kaiju turtle, and especially the confrontation against the American rich boy. Perhaps he should talk more with his friends about the turtle spirit that's now living inside his shield.
You can talk with them about me, but don't expect to get much help. Our situation might not be unique, but no WEAPON of Alaya before you has done something like this. Most people knew not to release us until the situation had truly gone bad, and usually it's because Alaya's WEAPONs have already failed their tasks and died. The turtle's voice sounds more like a sarcastic comment than genuine attempt at helpful advice, although it does remind him of something he previously overlooked.
"You've been around for a long time. Have you seen something like this current Wave of Catastrophe? A legion invading from another world during this Wave thing? I'm assuming it's not something that usually happens." Naofumi thinks back to the dismissive attitude of those supposed world leaders. Particularly, Albus Dumbledore when the old wizard waved off both his suggestion of the Burning Legion, and the Reaper suggested by Commander Shepard. "You weren't around when we were having a conference at Cal Mira Island. But the Faubley leaders acted like we were speaking made up stories when we said something is invading this world. What did previous Waves - the normal ones, look like?
Naofumi suddenly feels a slap from behind the back of his head, knocking him stagger a few steps forward. He turns back while rubbing his head, and sees Motoyasu with his hand still raised. "Hey, Naofumi. Don't tell me you cracked. Why are you talking to yourself now? I know our last fight was tough, that Hammer Hero was acting like an ass and Itsuki took his side over you. But are you alright? Do you need to take a few days off with Itsuki?"
"Don't speak like Naofumi-sama is crazy like you. He'll be the last to cave under pressure." Sato hisses at Motoyasu. Apparently he still hasn't fully get over his blind worship of the fictional character he read from his world (who is definitely, NOT Naofumi himself even if they share name, occupation, and a lots of event they went through) even if he's getting better at seeing the world of Medea as a real place and its inhabitants as real people.
"I'm talking with the spirit of the turtle, trying to figure out why the Wave we are fighting in is so different. He's currently inside my shield, by the way." Naofumi holds his shield up, and taps the emerald core in the middle a couple of times. "Hey, Terrapagos. You want to come out and show everyone I'm not going crazy? Or will that cost too much energy?"
"Terrapagos - Is that my new name now? I kind of like it." An emerald-shaded, transparent turtle rises up from the middle of his shield. Its long neck circles back to look at Naofumi "Lucky for you, an illusory projection with no power behind it would barely cost a fraction of my overall energy. So I can appear as much as you want me to at least till you summon me to fight for that one last time we talked about."
"Aww~ You got yourself a Digimon Partner now? Or is that a Duel Monster Spirit Partner?!" Motoyasu jumps in front of the turtle spirit with both Katarina and Bertia, as they fuss over Terrapagos. The black fox on Bertia's neck suddenly stops pretending to be her scarf, stands up on all four with the fur on its back standing on end. She's probably either scared of the turtle, or trying to intimidate it. Although she only ends up looking more fluffy because of how pudgy she is. "Will I get mine when we fight the next Guardian Beast?"
"You got the soul of the Spirit Tortoise serving you now, Naofumi-sama? I know you are the best! But why are you looking like this tiny turtle, Ost? Wait. Is it because of what that demon Astaroth did to you that you can't use your human form?" Sato also gets closer to the turtle spirit. Although his expression looks halfway stuck between being excited, to completely bamboozled.
"...You want to explain what the hell this world shard holder is talking about, Emerald WEAPON?" Terrapagos looks back at Naofumi, although the turtle's own expression is entirely made of confusion. "Because I have no idea what he's getting at. My creator, Gaia, gave me the form of the turtle to carry the burden of the world. Why does he think I should look like something else? I'm not supposed to feel fear, but I really don't want to imagine what he thinks I should look like."
" W-Well, in the Light Novel, you're supposed to be a big-breasted, Chinese-looking woman!" Sato very unfortunately didn't keep his mouth shut and told Terrapagos exactly what he thinks it should look like." You had a beautiful human form that you used to infiltrate kingdoms and turn them against each other to better harvest souls!"
"...I am one of the Four Guardian Beasts of this world, charged by Gaia to collect the souls of the inhabitants of this world should all else fail to protect it against the Wave. Why would I need to rely on subterfuge and deceit when I already possess the power to demolish entire nations?" It was a bit difficult to see, but Terrapagos's was giving a very much unamused and unhappy look to Sato, who took a step back in caution at the aggression.
Naofumi quickly stepped in before this situation could get any worse. He's not sure if Terrapagos can do anything if it's in his shield, but he'd rather not take his chances.
"Sorry about that... Sato is... well. He's overzealous. He came from a world where apparently someone wrote a story based on what we are going through. And they decided to make me the main character, I think? So that's why he started going around telling everyone he's my biggest fan, probably? It's not always accurate to what happened to us. He said you were supposed to either be released by my friends, or that Kyo guy. Not that demon guy running around from the Burning Legion." Naofumi's eyes move between the turtle spirit and his self-proclaimed fan. Between the two of them, he would trust the turtle more than the man.
"You sound so sure of yourself. But to answer your question, no, this is not the first time an outer world entity tried to invade the world of Medea. The most famous one is, of course, the invasion from 'The Seven False Heroes'. They even came from the same as the Mirror Demon invaded from. Hmm... interesting it happened twice now since the probability of two worlds clashing should be nearly zero, even if they're millenia apart. I suppose that means the world of Medea and the world of Malach is relatively stable..." The turtle's head wanders away as his thought seems to begin trailing off towards something else.
"Stay focused, Terrapagos. We are talking about previous outer world invasions here." Naofumi moves his free hand over to the turtle. He didn't manage to slap it back to its senses, because his hand passed right through its illusion. But he did seem to get the turtle's attention.
"Right, right. Other outer world invasions. The Seven False Heroes were powerful mortals from another mortal world, not god or other divine plane creatures. So the most dangerous invasion from the past was the invasion from the three destroyers, Hell, Abyss and Void. They did manage to kill Alaya's summoned WEAPONs, which was the time when the four of us were awoken to deal with them. Although by the time that happened, they were already in our world. So we fought alongside the remaining WEAPON and other world shard holders to seal them away. That was probably what other mortals talked about when they talked about how we were unsealed in the past." The turtle's illusion raises its shelled body, almost like it's sitting on Naofumi's shield as its front leg begins to rub against its own chin.
"I was told the Burning Legion was an army of mortals like Astaroth though. No, actually. That's not right. That Astaroth was a demon, so he's not a 'mortal' like us." Naofumi thinks over what the doll girl and Fitoria told him. The way they used different words was very specific, and he gets the impression that they were doing it because the meaning of these words matters, and not because they simply enjoy confusing everyone. There were of course, also Devil Tatsuya who was very different from the anime he was more familiar with. "I want to know if something like we are currently facing has happened previously. And what the past heroes have done to protect the world."
"If this Burning Legion was a legion or mortals, then the invasion from the Seven False Heroes probably still bears the most resemblance to your situation. But that whole affair was messy. Their invasion spawned over nearly a millennium, and was not ultimately defeated by Alaya's WEAPONs, but a lineage of Faubley nobility fighting them over the entire span of their invasion. You don't resolve a full invasion from another world in the span of a single generation, period. But then again, that also happened independent of the Wave of Catastrophe. To be honest, If this Burning Legion was as bad as the Seven False Heroes and they are going to start some kind of ultimate battle at the end, I don't know what you WEAPONs can do to stop it. The numbers between combatants are simply too stacked in their favor, and there's not enough time for your WEAPONs to grow powerful enough to ignore the difference in numbers." This time, the turtle spirit speaks without any hint of sarcasm, which makes his conclusion that much more depressing. He seems to notice the depressing mood that's suddenly fallen over everyone's head. So he makes another suggestion. "It's not all hopeless yet. Have you forgotten that Medea is now linked to another world because of that demon's action? What do you think about working together with the other world?"
"You can't expect us to just surrender to that Astaroth fucker! He was throwing his own men away like they meant nothing!" Motoyasu immediately jumps on his feet before Naofumi even has a chance to say anything. "I'd rather take my chances with that Burning Legion than letting that demon coward walk all over us!"
"Calm yourself, Ruby WEAPON. I didn't mean the Demon Astaroth. He is no different from that Burning Legion he claims to fight against, regardless of what he thinks - just another cowardly invader from another world seeking to remake the world in his own fantasy regardless how much the world they destroy. I am talking about the proper, native inhabitants of Malach. The world of Malach was clearly another imperfect world like Medea if it had its own World Shard holder and WEAPONs. If you manage to have them side with you, perhaps your combined power and numbers will triumph over this Burning Legion." The turtle's suggestion makes Naofumi exchange looks with everyone around him. He admits that he's so used to those powerful nobles, church people, and 'heroes' either being a burden or enemy, he didn't even think about cooperating with someone. But it makes a lot of sense. They only beat the turtle's body because everyone was fighting their hardest after all.
"No way. Those other 'heroes' are probably idiots, or power hungry bastards. The Light Novel showed almost all of them were completely useless. All we need to save the world is for Naofumi-sama to grow as strong as he can, and he'll do everything himself, including killing a goddess." Sato crosses his arms in front of his chest defensively as he dismisses the turtle spirit's suggestion.
"Our recent fight with the kaiju turtle clearly proved you are wrong. We needed everyone to pull their weight, and we only barely beat Terrapagos' out of control body. There's another three just as strong as him, and the Burning Legion is likely much stronger than them. I'll do my best to grow stronger, but I doubt I can stop the Burning Legion by myself." Naofumi balls his first together hard, before slowly releasing his grip and looking up at the portal in the sky again. "Still. We'll have to deal with the Katana Hero first. We only know him through second-hand knowledge, but from the way others talk about him and how his subordinate hurt Avdol when we were fighting the turtle. I don't think he's the cooperative type."
"And then Eclair, or Raphtalia will finally get their hero weapon once he falls!" Sato also balls up his fist, but he looks more excited than because he is shaken about the uncertain future like Naofumi. He pauses briefly, and then begins to explain. "Well... in the original web novel continuity, the Vassal Katana was given to Eclair. But the light novel changed it to Raphtalia. I don't know which continuity we are following here, but I'm guessing it's closer to the later published light novel continuity since the Spirit Tortoise wasn't released by the three stooges?"
"Me? A he- hero?" Raphtalia points a finger at herself, clearly sounding very unsure about the idea. She turns her face to look at both Naofumi, and Malty. "I want to help Naofumi and Malty. But I'm not sure about being a hero like them. Aren't heroes supposed to be powerful? Someone who stands their ground and fights a powerful opponent? I'm more built like a thief. I'm quick and agile on my feet, and I know some illusion magic. But I'm useless when it comes to fighting huge enemies, like the turtle. I didn't do anything other than casting that spell at the end with the rest of the group."
"Don't sell yourself short, Raphtalia. You are Naofumi-sama's sword. Being his first companion and attacker, you grew to be stronger than the three stooges. Maybe even all three of them combined! You just need to work hard to unlock the potential you obviously have." Seeing Raphtalia still looking completely confused, Sato points his finger at Motoyasu. "I mean him. The three weapon heroes summoned together with Naofumi-sama."
Naofumi can't say that he approves of the way Sato is talking to Raphtalia, even if he was trying to be encouraging, the way he went about it felt all wrong. The way he called Raphtalia his 'sword', he can faintly remember Malty calling herself that during one of the Waves before he corrected her. And he's no more approving of it with Raphtalia, calling her his 'sword' felt degrading like she was just some tool that only existed for his convenience.
"Ah, there you go, Raphtalia. I know you have it in you. You just have to be more confident, and go at it." Even though Sato was clearly looking down on Motoyasu again, he didn't focus on that part. He pats Raphtalia on the shoulders with an encouraging smile. He then points at both Katarina and Bertia. "You don't have to be a hero to be strong. Look at Katarina and Bertia. One is a powerful fighter, the other is a powerful dark mage. You just have to find what works for you and go at it!"
"Yeah, of course! We'll help you get stronger! We are all learning under granny anyway, so there'll be plenty of times we spar together! Isn't that right, Tia?" Katarina drags Bertia over with one hand, and grabs Raphtalia's shoulder. "Iris isn't really the kind to get in the dirt with us, but that's okay too! Because she's smart, and she can help Master Motoyasu and Melty in other ways. But when it comes to training, the more is always the merrier! Isn't that right, Tia?"
"O- of course, Katarina. We'll help you develop your fighting style anyway we can!" Bertia gently brushes off Katarina's hand, walks up to Raphtalia's face and gives her a hug. "I thought I was useless at the start too. Because I'm not super smart like Iris, or strong like Katarina. The only thing unique about me is I befriended Kuro when I was young, and she let me use dark magic. But I was always afraid to use it because it's not very nice. Master Shield Hero first told me I didn't have to be scared of Kuro's power, and my friend showed me that he was right. So now I'm pulling my weight among Master Motoyasu's companions just like Katarina. I'm sure you just have to find the right way for your ability to shine."
"I believe in you, Raphtalia. And you don't have to worry about Master Naofumi. He's someone who believes even the weakest monster like balloons has hidden potential and would keep them around. Isn't it right, Master Naofumi?" Naofumi wanted to point out to Malty that the reason he first began to keep his Yuzus around was not because he thought they had some hidden potential. But he knew Raphtalia still needed her confidence boost. Not to mention Malty is staring at him with a dangerous gleam in her eyes that's usually reserved for their enemies.
"Of course, Raphtalia! You have always been strong in your own way. You were the one to come rescue me when I was kidnapped by that awful Bitch Lord, and that flail-using bird guy." Naofumi places a hand on Raphtalia's shoulder to encourage his older surrogate daughter. It's nice to see that the others, especially those who work with his friends, also believe in and help her out. But then he remembers the one who he failed, his second daughter Firo. She should be together with Rial, Lori, and the bird children of Motoyasu right now, and he hopes they are getting along fine. But who is he kidding? She's probably picking a fight with them right now.
"Firo will kill you father stealers!" Egg Sister Rial does a side flip to dodge away from Firo's body charge. With a loud series of cracks, Big Sister Firo tore apart three full grown trees in her path, and only stopped when she charged head first into a rocky cliff of the mountain. Lori's eyes twitch, thinking how much pain her Big Sister must be feeling right now.
"Stop annoying Big Sister Firo, Rial! We are siblings! Siblings need to love and help each other!" Lori runs in and tries to grab Rial, maybe to hold her back so this pointless battle stops. She wants to tell Big Sister Firo that no, Rial and herself aren't trying to keep her away from father to keep him for the two of them. The reason that Firo can't spend as much time with father is because he's busy trying to find ways to keep the world safe, and because of things other people force him to do. But she couldn't even calm Big Sister Firo down when Rial kept on annoying her.
"What are you talking about, Lori? I am showing my Big Sister our love. Siblings play with each other, don't they? Just because you don't like a rough house, doesn't mean Big Sister Firo and I aren't having fun!" Rial winks at Lori. She can almost believe Rial's words if she hasn't looked at Big Sister Firo charging back out of the hole she digs into the side of the mountain, covered in dust and leaves, teeth gritting and eyes glaring. Lori doubts Rial's idea of fun is the same as Big Sister Firo.
"You can't stop them roughing it up with words, little girly." A voice from the side takes Lori's attention away even as Big Sister Firo and Rial clash together, and begin to roll around in the dirt. She looks to the side, and sees that blue-haired man working with her father and his friends. He's currently leaning against the trunk of a tree on his side. "I know your type. You are a well-behaving, good kid like Bright, always listening to your parents and older siblings. Trying to do the right thing and make them proud. But not all kids are like you. And rough ones like them... you can't just talk about some big lesson and make them listen. You need to get into the dirt with them, beat them at their own game. Or else they won't ever respect you."
"Speaking from your personal opinion aren't you, Little Seggie? Why did you change your name? And this elaborate armor doesn't suit you either! I didn't even recognize you when I saw you on the battlefield." A powerful slap from the side knocks the blue-haired man's face right into the tree trunk, making a pretty loud *thund* noise. Lori quickly casts a healing miracle, hoping to dull his pain. The hand belongs to a young-looking woman with a pair of twin-tailed hair on both sides of her head.
The blue-haired man does look to be badly hurt, as he pushes himself away. He does look as annoyed as Big Sister Firo as he hisses towards his red-haired companion. "You are still here?! I thought you were going to your next employer with the rest of you merc friends. DAMNIT, BRIGHT! Get a hold of your girl, and don't let her run and jump around hitting other people!"
"What? Already going back to your buddy like a beat up little boy looking for his daddy? I expected better from you, little Seggie~!" The young woman puts her left hand on her waist, while wagging her finger on her right hand at the blue-haired man. The action reminds Lori a bit about her own sister Rial. "Well, for your information, we are extending our service to Duke Amelia, at least for now. He supposedly paid for our leader Jared to fight in the war, but Captain Jared was a no-show, so now the duke extended the rest of our service for him."
"Erina is not my girl, Set. And with your reflexes, you would have been fine if you weren't so focused on looking mature in front of a young child to show off and let your guard down." A red- haired man wearing a matching set of armor that seems to resemble a man's naked chest walks up to them. "Although he is right, in that you shouldn't jump around hitting other people. You are stronger than you think, especially compared to civilians who don't fight for a living. If you tried what you did with Set on some poor villager, you might end up killing them."
"Oh, you worry too much, Bright. I only play rough with strong people like Captain Jared... and little Seggie here. His head is harder than the helmet he wears." The twin-tailed young woman pats the blue-haired man on the head, like when Father used to do it with Lori and Rial when they were still small and can't take their forms like their father yet.
"And here I thought I finally don't have to put up with your craziness again. You are telling me you are going to stick more around? BAH!" The blue-haired man slaps away the woman's hand and he turns towards Lori again. "Look, girl. I know you worry about your siblings. But they aren't going to listen to you no matter how much you tell them to. I know, because I was the same when I was young. You have to get into the dirt, and rough it up with them. Earn their respect first, and then they'll listen to you."
"So, I'll have to jump in and get their respect... got it!" Seeing both Elder Sister Firo and Rial split up after another clash, Lori immediately jumps into the battle with them. Both of them had some wounds on them, so Lori immediately fires off two separate healing miracles at them both to make sure they stay healthy. She then stands firm between the two of them, and conjures up a dome shaped defensive miracle around herself to stop her two sisters from fighting each other. "STOP! Please stop your fight, sisters! We are all Father's children, and we need to love and help each other!"
"You want some too?! Firo kills you too!" Big Sister Firo's blue eyes seem to turn red as she sees Lori, and she immediately charges at Lori as her body is coated in burning red wind. As Big Sister Firo's feet collide into Lori's barrier, she can feel her magic begin to crack, while she feels like someone has punched her in the chest.
"YEAH~ Lori wants to play too! Let Rial give you a hand, Big Sis! Let's show Lori how she needs to get tougher!" Rial jumps into the air and spins her body around like a drill. The added power ends up being the extra attack needed to crack through Lori's defense, as she's knocked flying right back again. As she lies face up staring into the blue man's face, she hears the continued fighting further away, from Big Sister Firo's angry yell and Rial's happy laughter. She feels like she probably misunderstood the blue-haired man, especially when he begins to wipe a hand across his face.
"You were still being too nice with your sisters, girl. Let Big Sister Erina show you how it's done." The yellow-haired girl with the twin tails leans down and gives Lori a smirk as she steps towards the direction of Big Sister Firo and Rial. She claps her hands a couple of times as she walks towards the battle. "Come on, girls! Big Sister Erina is going to join your session!"
"Well... something tells me they'll be going at it a big longer. At least they aren't hurting anyone other than themselves." The blue-haired man picks up Lori, and sets her beside him as he turns to look at his red-haired friend. Lori can now see how differently the yellow-haired woman is doing compared to herself. She fires concentrated air in the shape of balls and uses them like bombs to send both Big Sister Firo and Rial skid back. And no matter how much they try to charge at her or flip around to dodge them, the yellow haired girl always manage to hit her sisters with her spell. Lori has to admit that the method works, now that Big Sister Firo and Rial isn't trying to hurt each other anymore, and have focused all of their attention on the yellow haired woman. But she still doesn't think it's very nice to hurt them to stop them from hurting each other even worse. While the play fight goes on, the blue-haired man idly talks with his friend. "I thought you would have joined that training session that pink-haired knight girl is organizing with those Siltvelt beastmen, Bright? What gives? Decided to play babysitter together with me?"
"Lady Eclair has enough help. I'm not going to leave you alone with the children of the heroes in case their play fight gets out of hand." The red-haired man sits down on the ground with his back pressed against the trunk of a tree. "I thought you would have joined that training session though, Set. You were never the kind to back down from a fight."
"It's for real fights, not a mock battle, which is what this 'training session' is. They are not even using weapons, but powder dipped wooden practice weapons. One of those beastmen will probably start crying that I hit them too hard with my fist, or elbow if I go at them." Set rolls his eyes at his friend while shrugging his shoulders. "On the battlefield where we get our bodies and mettle tested, that's fair. One hundred dead beastmen for a promotion to a centurion position, I say. But this kind of game is a waste of time. If your girl hadn't stepped in already, I'd probably have had a better workout when I finally had to step in and stop these two girls from tearing down the whole mountain."
Eclair slaps her own face to focus herself. She hasn't done anything significant to help the heroes fighting the Mirror Demon, or the Spirit Tortoise. She's not exactly fine with that knowledge, but she has to accept it. No matter how much she wishes to be her father, she hasn't reached his level yet as a fighter, or as a war leader. But she likes to change this by later Waves, when she can finally be trusted by the heroes, and Princess Malty to lead their men, and stand with them on the battlefield.
"Our participants have fully gathered, Lady Eclair. They await your command." She looks to the side, and sees Weiss standing at attention with the rest of the men who'll participate in this training with the Siltvelt warriors. Eclair gives her a curt nod as she focuses on their opponent. In spite of how they first got 'acquitted' (she was under a fake identity at the time, but they had since cleared that little misunderstanding up), the daughter of the rich merchant has proven to be a trustworthy lieutenant on her own level. She does what Eclair tells her to her best abilities, usually with surprisingly competent results considering her family being businessmen. She doesn't complain about the task, or try to push the duty off to someone else unlike her other 'lieutenant'. But for now, Eclair is going to focus on the battle at hand.
The last scion of House Seaetto looks far towards the battlefield. The Siltvelt composition isn't what she considers to be balanced. The amphibian and lizard-like warriors either wield spears, or bow and almost none of them wear any armor heavier than leather. And since Winchester is going to participate in the battle with the one hundred demigriff knights from his family, it shouldn't be too hard to tear them apart.
"We'll kick those lizard butts, Big Sister Eclair!" Cute hops on her feet with excitement for a few moments, before looking at the spectators with a slightly more worried expression. "Although should we bring in the other retinue of the heroes, Big Sister Eclair? Our cavalry is a bit outnumbered compared to our enemy's entire group. We'll have a much easier time if we get the other riders from the crusader families."
"The purpose of this training session is to give experience to our less experienced men, Cute, not to win. We can't always rely on the crusaders to fight for us, or to help us. I would have Heir Winchester's men sit out this session too, if all of them weren't young children of the veteran demigriff knights." Eclair turns to look at Heir Winchester, who returns her with a dry expression. "I'll rely on you and your demigriff knights to tear open their formation, Heir Winchester."
"Your faith in us is impeccable, Lady Seaetto." Eclair can almost taste the sarcasm rolling off the bullying knight's tongue. "Don't worry. We'll do to our enemy what General Anderson did to that demon king wannabe's men - send them back with their tails between their legs."
Sir Baldwin Winchester slaps a hand on Sir Cardin's shoulder. It should have been an encouraging gesture, but his eyes looked strange. Eclair doesn't consider herself as someone who is good at reading people, but the smirk on the bald knight's mouth seems to curve up higher than usual. Like some mix between tiredness, and schadenfreude.
End Note:
The idea of four guardian beast eventually become the four heroes' Digimon/Duel monster spirit partner has been in my head for a long time now, because you know. Four heroes, and four guardian beasts.
I'm also further setting up the grudge between Firo and her two 'younger sisters'. And spoiler from the game Erina originated from, she's the mortal avatar of the destroyer of heaven realm, Void. So is she also a mortal avatar of a god in this story? We'll see...
Speaking of my (one of) complains about Romancing SaGa 2's 3D remake... the backstory cut scenes for the game's villain, the Seven (Not False) Heroes added in the remake gives a lots more context about how they were twisted from heroes trying to save the world into monsters they are seen from the original game. But since Romancing SaGa 2's generation mechanic makes most of the player character be randomly generated silent protagonists except the first two and the last generations... they ends up feeling more like the protagonist of the story. Not saying it's a bad thing for the remake to essentially have two plot running parallel (essentially since the Seven Heroes basically had their own villain, and it's a tragic story where the villain wins in the end) as they at least aren't a jumbled mess unlike Oldman's Roll 5 Shitrim, it kind of begs the question why the dev team didn't just make a new game with them being the protagonists to begin with (I have seen people on discussion board giving ideas of a what-if scenario DLC where player control the Seven Heroes to change their fate, and unlock bonus characters to play with, not a bad idea, to be honest). Regardless, they definitely end up being the most memorable characters in the remake for better or worse.