Chapter 25: Cardinal Heroes vs Three Heroes Church: Part 5
Working together as the Cardinal Heroes, the Bow Hero fired arrows from a distance to both protect his comrades as well as attempting to land a hit on the Priest.
The Sword Hero and the Spear Hero were attacking from close range, trying to break through the Priest's defenses in order to land a hit on him while the Shield Hero's role was to protect the two from whatever attack the Priest throws at all four of them.
With the four doing their best with their given role in an attempt to gain an advantage against the Priest, the barrier surrounding him was durable.
Despite their combined efforts, the Priest remained unfazed, his calm smile unwavering as he effortlessly deflected their attacks.
Each strike, each desperate attempt to penetrate his defenses, was met with the same impenetrable wall of golden light, a near-divine force keeping him untouched.
This is due to his barrier making him into an untouchable deity to those that were spectating the fight.
He watched as Motoyasu and Ren were giving it their all in their latest attack, leaving themselves open for him to counterattack.
He transformed the Replica weapon into the Bow variation before preparing to fire first at Itsuki, viewing him as a problem.
A glowing arrow of pure energy formed within the Replica Bow, humming with deadly precision as it locked onto Itsuki.
Right as he fired his attack, Naofumi managed to block this attack away with the Chimera Viper Shield variation.
Since he had blocked the attack, the counterattack trigger had activated which caused the snakes from the shield to attack the Priest.
Unfortunately for those snakes, the barrier protecting the Priest was still too strong for the snakes' attacks.
Naofumi gritted his teeth when seeing this, which annoyed him.
"This damn barrier…!" His hands clenched tighter around his shield as frustration gnawed at him.
As he said this under his breath for only his ears, he observed as Ren and Motoyasu swung their respective cardinal weapons towards the Priest.
While the two returned on doing their best to break the barrier, the Priest switched the Replica weapon once again from the Bow variation into the Sword variation to block away Ren's attack first in an attempt to disarm him long enough to land a hit of his own on the Sword Hero.
He knows that it would only take one hit to take him out of the fight and maybe out of commission for good.
Ren saw this and immediately attempted to summon back his sword right before the Priest could land his attack.
"May God find a place in heaven for you, Fallen Sword Hero." A golden gleam flashed as the Replica Sword slashed downward—swift, precise, and merciless.
"Tsk."
Right before landing the hit, Naofumi managed to just barely block away the attack, saving Ren from getting possibly hit.
A deafening clang echoed through the battlefield as the Replica Sword crashed against Naofumi's shield, sparks flying from the impact.
"You need to be on your guard!" Naofumi shouted as his counterattack was triggered, though like before, did nothing to break through the barrier.
The snakes lunged forward, hissing, but shattered upon impact, dissolving into mere embers of magic.
Ren was stunned by Naofumi's scolding for only a moment before nodding with a serious expression, recalling that he was in no position to get hit even once.
He was barely lucky that the impact of getting his sword knocked out of his hands didn't make him collapse right then and there.
He quickly resummoned his Cardinal weapon and went back to attacking the Priest with everything he had alongside Motoyasu.
Their weapons clashed against the barrier over and over, yet no matter how hard they struck, the Priest stood untouchable.
"We need a different strategy here!" Motoyasu shouted, seeing that constantly hitting the barrier isn't going anywhere.
Ren and Naofumi agree as the Shield Hero goes and defends the Sword Hero from the Priest's attack all the while Ren prepares a long range attack.
The Priest noticed this and quickly shook his head.
"Fallen Sword Hero, do you think that would be enough to change the outcome of the fight?"
"Wouldn't hurt to try." Ren responded as he used Thunderbolt Slash, sending a lightning bolt straight towards the Priest.
Although it didn't do anything like the Priest was predicting, there did seem to be a small crack in his barrier.
It wasn't a crack that could be seen unless one was able to spot it at the perfect angle, which was Naofumi who had been able to notice this right as the Priest had the replica weapon change from the Sword to the Spear before attempting to stab him.
The Shield Hero blocked the attack though this was an oddly strong attack for a simple stab, nearly causing him to lose his footing, though while he was focused on gaining some temporary distance from the Priest, he started to analyze the small crack he saw right after Ren's attack had landed onto the barrier.
'There's no way Ren's attack had managed to start breaking through this religious nutjob's barrier...unless...'
Naofumi's mind raced. The Blessed Series sword Ren wielded—it had to be the key.
If the Priest's magic and Ren's blessed series sword shared a similar origin, then it made sense that Ren's attacks could bypass or weaken the barrier's defenses.
But that wasn't the only possibility.
His Cursed Series Shield might also be able to deal damage, but as long as they were trapped within the Priest's Cathedral, his options were limited.
Even so, breaking the barrier was the first step.
Without that, none of them stood a chance of landing a decisive blow.
He started to formulate a plan to first break the barrier since that was the one problem at the current moment in the process of taking the Priest down.
The first stage of this strategy is getting Ren to go on another attack onto the barrier since there's also the possibility that their constant attacks are progressing in eventually breaking through the barrier...just a pretty lengthy process.
He waited for the moment Ren went for another long range attack in order to pay close attention to the barrier.
Ren avoided a few of the projectiles targeted towards him by the Priest before thinking on a different ability that could try to break through the barrier.
Once he had in mind an attack, he moved his sword back before swinging it directly towards the Priest while shouting:
"Flame Edge!"
Upon shouting this, a powerful fire-like projectile was thrown directly towards the Priest.
Once the attack landed, Naofumi moved into a specific location to look at the small crack once again to see if Ren's attack had done something.
As he set himself up, he noticed that the small crack remained the same, prompting him to think that perhaps there's something else that could be causing the barrier to start cracking.
The Priest was preparing to attack Ren though he noticed Naofumi's expression being analytical.
This did seem odd and he was thinking that the Devil of the Shield was possibly trying to find some vein way of breaking through his barrier.
He remained smiling while thinking to himself,
'Does he really think that brute force could break through this barrier? I know he isn't that simple minded, otherwise he wouldn't have made it this far. No, there's something else he's attempting to figure out.'
As he started to suspect Naofumi, he observed the barrier and immediately noticed the small crack. His confident and calm smile faltered for a second upon seeing this, something that Naofumi, Ren, and Motoyasu caught on.
The three jumped back as the Priest returned the replica weapon into the bow variation while saying:
"The sin of defying God demands more than cleansing!"
As he prepared the Replica Bow to fire, Itsuki instinctively raised his own bow in response.
However, instead of aiming directly at them, the Priest pointed his weapon skyward and loosed a glowing projectile toward the black circle at the cathedral's center.
The moment the arrow struck, a blinding pink light engulfed the entire area. For a brief instant, the battlefield was consumed by radiance.
Then, as the light faded, a chilling sight emerged—numerous identical figures of the Priest, their forms resembling painted illusions, each wielding a bow and ready to fire.
'This is bad.' Naofumi's instincts kicked in; Ren was in no condition to withstand another direct attack and right now protecting him was the priority.
Not only for him but also Motoyasu, he knows that Ren might be killed with just one hit from whatever the Priest is up to.
Without hesitation, both Motoyasu and Naofumi lunged towards the Sword Hero just as the Priests loosed their arrows in unison.
Itsuki watched as the Spear and the Shield heroes reached Ren, prompting Naofumi to raise his shield in a protective stance.
Itsuki hesitated, uncertain why both Motoyasu and Naofumi had prioritized Ren, but one thing was clear—Naofumi never acted without reason.
Although he dislikes Naofumi, right now they are allies, so he needs to place his temporary trust on him.
Motoyasu was outside of the barrier Naofumi created for him and Ren, annoying the hell out of him at first.
'That bastard!'
He hated how he was left thought...then again upon thinking it over, having Ren safe was the priority since one hit from whatever the Priest is doing might likely result in the Sword Hero's death. Recalling what the filolial queen had said,
("Then try harder to make it work. The heroes mustn't fight among themselves.")
("It was all so long ago that my memory of it has faded, but I do still remember the right thing to do. If the heroes are fighting each other instead of the Waves of Catastrophe, then for the sake of the world, I must kill all four Cardinal Heroes.")
("If the heroes continue to not cooperate, then it's best to have a new set of heroes summoned that can do a better job in protecting the world.")
Given that Fitoria would wipe them out if they weren't working together, it's safe to say that they are also dead if even one of them dies. Understanding this prompted him to think to himself:
'Fine, I'll forgive you this once, Naofumi.'
Motoyasu turned, scanning his surroundings, seeing the arrows rained down across the cathedral, fired in chaotic patterns.
Outside of Naofumi's barrier, he and Itsuki were forced to work together, quickly maneuvering to stand back-to-back.
The two heroes were annoyed at first though they remained steadfast as they blocked every projectile fired at their direction.
After a few minutes of doing this, which seemed endless, Motoyasu muttered while deflecting a numerous of projectiles:
"We better think of something fast before these arrows take us down."
"Agreed, but I've noticed something." Itsuki said, loosing an arrow to intercept one of the Priest's incoming attacks. "Could some of these be illusions?"
"Illusions? What do you mean?"
"Think about it—what if we're blocking the wrong projectiles? He might be disguising the real ones with fakes."
Motoyasu was puzzled when hearing what Itsuki had said, prompting an idea that sounded crazy to form if he wished to confirm the suspicions of a fellow ally.
Without warning, he stopped deflecting and let several arrows strike him.
Most managed to land though they were harmlessly, but a few pierced his armor, drawing blood.
"You're right," he admitted, gritting his teeth. "He's hiding the real attacks among illusions."
Itsuki took a moment to process this, adjusting his approach.
With their newfound realization, both heroes resumed blocking and deflecting—this time, ensuring they covered every attack, real or fake due to not having a sure fire way of figuring out which is the real one and which is the fake.
Watching from above, the Priest remained calm as ever, seeing that he's been given the advantage.
He turned his attention towards the shield created by the Devil of the Shield, prompting him to have his replica weapon change into the Bow variation once again before preparing a powerful arrow.
"You've lost your chance to accept God's mercy. Now, only despair awaits you. Be crushed under the weight of your mind!"
As he spoke, his replica bow glowed ominously, charging a powerful shot aimed directly at Naofumi's barrier.
Although Naofumi and Ren couldn't see what was going on, the two did felt the Priest preparing an attack directed towards them.
'Damn, we are sitting ducks if we don't do anything.' Naofumi thought to himself as he was thinking fast on a counterattack.
He knows that he can't do much with his current shields, though the only shield he could rely on in this situation is the wrath shield.
The problem with that shield is tapping into the cursed series, something he's not ready for just yet.
'Seems like I have no choice.'
Feeling that the shield barrier protecting him and Ren is beginning to fade, he immediately prepares to swap his shield into the Wrath Shield.
All the while he was preparing this, Ren couldn't help but feel guilt since he's currently the liable one of the four.
Having been stubborn once again, he's put everyone in a precarious position since it would take only one hit to put him out of commission, maybe even reach his end.
Despite this reckless action leading them to be cornered, there's no use in letting the guilt get to him. He's in the thick of battle and what the Priest is up to takes priority in focusing on.
He summons his Blessed Series Sword to prepare for whatever comes their way.
"This is the end for you, Devil of the Shield, fallen Sword."
Just as he was about to fire, a sudden, deafening crack echoed through the cathedral. The sound alone was enough to make him hesitate, halting his attack.
Motoyasu and Itsuki seized the opportunity, retreating to cover and catching their breath. Behind them, Naofumi's barrier flickered and dissipated as its time limit ran out.
He and Ren, equally caught off guard, turned toward the noise.
'What the hell was that?' Naofumi thought.
For a moment, everything stood still.
Then, shrugging it off, the Priest refocused and prepared his final shot.
But before he could release the arrow, another impact shook the cathedral, sending tremors through the structure.
This time, a visible crack splintered across the ceiling. His confident smile wavered.
"Impossible… Who could be doing this?!"
Lowering his bow, he aimed toward the source of the disturbance instead of Naofumi and Ren.
The two heroes exchanged a knowing look, grinning as they had a strong suspicion about the culprit.
Another resounding crash followed, shattering a portion of the cathedral's upper structure.
Rubble tumbled down, and from the dust and debris, a hulking beast emerged.
A massive tiger, fur bristling with raw power, landed with a ground-shaking thud.
Garfiel Tinsel—the Shield of the Sanctuary—had arrived on the battlefield, in his beast form.
On the demi human boy's right side was Filo in her filolial form, seemingly ready to assist her master in this fight along with the Shield of the Sanctuary.
Prior to this moment, Garfiel Tinsel was in a state of life and death where he found himself in the burning mansion, the same one where he had encountered the Bowel Hunter Elsa Grainhart.
'Back here again?'
He questioned this, thinking perhaps he ended up in hell or that he's in some kind of purgatory.
Either way, he wasn't happy to be once again here, in the same place where he had faced her and would've lost had Meili not distracted her.
'Tsk.'
He took a glimpse around his surroundings before deciding to leave, not really wanting to stick around. Right as he was making his move to leave the area, his senses told him to avoid the fire as it began to surround him.
'Th'hell?!'
He noticed how the fire was preventing him from leaving, prompting him to be ready to try and jump over the fire, knowing the risk that he'll get burned.
Before he jumped, a voice could be heard shouting.
"Garfiel!"
"Hm?" Garfiel stopped on his tracks, prompting him to slowly turn towards the direction he heard the voice shouting his name. "What was...?"
"Garf!"
"Garfiel!"
"Huh? Who's there?!" Garfiel questioned, trying to make out the voice but it's still very disoriented.
Right as he searched around, he was dumbfounded when he saw his captain suddenly appearing and standing in the center of the room.
"C-Cap't?"
Garfiel Tinsel's Captain, Natsuki Subaru, stood right before him in his classic attire, giving him a confident smile before waving at him.
He didn't know how to react since he knows this isn't real...though he still felt relieved in seeing him as well as building up his confidence.
"What're ya doin' here?" Garfiel spoke with a confident yet curious tone.
"..." Subaru remained silent, not giving Garfiel a response which sort of caused him to be on his guard despite not wanting to be with his captain.
Due to this feeling of uncertainty, he had himself ready for a fight.
"Who're ya?"
"..." Subaru was silent for a second before looking up at the sky. "Having fun in this new world?"
"Eh?"
That question was one he wasn't expecting.
If anything, it wasn't something that was on his mind but now that the question was asked, he thought back and although there were some rough moments, he could say that he has been having some fun.
"You've been gone for quite some time, being in this world." As Subaru finished that sentence, in a blink Subaru was now Ram which caused Garfiel to step back. "I was starting to wonder if you've forgotten about us? Perhaps this world suits you better than your old home."
"What th'? Ram?"
This sudden shift left him dumbfounded as well as what she was saying.
"It's not like I forgot 'bout y'all! Just haven't had th'chance t'find a way back home. Hell, my amazin' self doesn't even know how I got here!"
"Hmph." Ram turned towards the fire before suddenly becoming Frederica. Garfiel was once again uncertain on how to feel about seeing his sister again.
"Sister..."
"Garf." Frederica spoke with a soft and gentle tone, having her usual smile that gave Garfiel a bit of comfort. "I hope the people of this world are treating you right."
"They are." Garfiel quickly responded, almost like he was a child though he realized this and immediately corrected himself. "I mean, yes, they have. A lot 'f good people."
"That's good. I can only hope that you are safe and with good people." Frederica speaking gently through the pause felt oddly unnatural for Garfiel.
His instincts were telling him that something wasn't right here despite the comfort he was getting from his sister.
It only took a minute before he saw a sinister smile across her face, prompting him to have his fists ready for a fight.
In a blink his sister had changed into this odd figure, unrecognizable to him though he for sure knew that it was a threat.
"Garf—"
A voice spoke out though it was still disoriented for Garfiel's ears, prompting him to think that perhaps the voice is unrelated to whatever this thing in front of him.
"What th'hell 'r ya!" He asked as he hit his fists together, wanting to show that he's ready for whatever the thing in front of him tries to do.
After a few seconds, the thing started to morf into a familiar woman, one that puts Garfiel at high alert as he isn't pleased to see her.
"...th'hell're ya doin' here, Elsa Grainhart?"
"What's with all this anger? That's bad for your health." She spoke in a friendly manner, which only managed to piss Garfiel off.
"..."
As he had no words to say to the Bowel Hunter, she just looked at him with a calm expression before looking up at the ceiling.
While she did this, there was a question for Garfiel:
"Are you afraid?"
"What?!" He questioned with a dumbfounded expression.
"Are you afraid of leaving this world? Are you afraid to go back to your own world? Do you perhaps wish to stay here, running away from your problems you had left behind?"
"..." This question made him more on guard, not liking where this is going. Elsa continued:
"What if you go back...and find out that you aren't needed anymore? Or perhaps you return to see that you are still weak."
"Tsk. Shut th'hell up, crazy bitch!"
Right as he yelled this, he charged at her, instigating the fight between himself and this monster.
Within a second he closed the gap, intending to end this with a single punch though as the attack seemed to connect, Elsa stood there, having seemingly taken the impact.
He was stunned at this reaction for a moment, knowing that the attack should've damaged her face and yet nothing had happened to her.
"Oh? That was cute. Did you want me to pretend that hurt?"
"Grrr!"
He goes for another attempt at landing a devastating blow, not wanting to entertain this bitch any longer, though as his fist was about to connect, the Bowel Hunter suddenly disappeared.
"What?!"
"Right over here." She spoke softly in his ear, alerting him that she teleported right behind him. He swings his arm in an attempt to land a hit only to see that all his hitting is nothing but air.
"Tsk. Quit hidin'!"
As he shouted this, he looked at his surroundings as fast as he could, trying to locate where his opponent's at.
Just as it seems like she had left the area, he could hear her whisper once again into his left ear:
"You know in a real fight, I'd win."
"Sh-Shut up!"
He shouted from the top of his lungs once again before attempting another attack on her only for the same outcome to occur.
"Damn it!"
"Getting all mad won't change the outcome you are in. You are here because you got careless and unlike before, you were hit with something that can kill you."
"..."
Garfiel lowered his guard as he turned towards the direction of Elsa's voice, seeing her standing with what seemed like a friendly expression.
This kept pissing him off; the last thing he needs is having to deal with Elsa in what seems like a never-ending nightmare.
"Tsk. There's no point 'n th's." He said as he started to figure out that perhaps this was a trial of sorts.
Considering how he saw his captain, the girl he loves, and his sister all before having to deal with Elsa, he's thinking that he's in some kind of dream.
Elsa's friendly expression immediately changed to one of a sinister one before suddenly appearing right in front of the Shield of the Sanctuary.
Garfiel was taken aback by this though before he could even do anything, he felt a sting on his stomach.
It wasn't until he looked to see that she had managed to stab him with one of her knives that he started to feel an intense pain.
"hk!"
He coughed up some blood, feeling death right around the corner as he was losing a good amount of blood.
He glances over at Elsa with a fighting and angry spirit only to see her smiling, enjoying the blood that's coming out of his body.
"So warm..." She says in a disturbing tone, making Garfiel feel sick.
"Ya crazy...bitch..."
He was trying to stay conscious, he wanted to fight the Bowel Hunter, he wanted to survive though what caused everything to go completely dark was seeing her move right towards his left ear again to whisper:
"I love you, Garfiel Tinsel."
Once those words were spoken, everything faded into darkness.
Garfiel blinked, searching the void around him, yet there was nothing—no fire, no Elsa, no pain.
And yet, despite feeling no wounds, he also felt... nothing. No strength, no presence, just an overwhelming emptiness.
"Tsk. I was careless..."
He grit his teeth, but there was no bite behind it, only frustration.
That damn woman was right.
He hadn't won that night—he got lucky. If it weren't for that girl, Meili, he would've been dead, gutted like a fool in his first real fight.
And now?
Now he'd let down the people of this world, the ones who put their faith in him.
"What kinda shield am I 'f all I'll ever be is a burden..."
The weight of failure pressed on him, heavier than any wound he had ever taken. Maybe this was it.
Maybe he was already dead, trapped in some purgatory meant for warriors too weak to stand their ground.
But just as the silence threatened to swallow him whole, a voice called out from the darkness.
"Please, Garf, don't die. We need you."
Although the voice was almost unhearable, he recognized it and knew that it was from Filo.
He looked up at the darkness, still seeing nothing though his mind was racing of all the times he had spent here.
Despite how he and Naofumi had a few disagreements, he knows that he's being counted on by the second person he would follow into battle.
'What would th'Cap'n do here?' He questioned himself, knowing damn well that if Natsuki Subaru was in his position, he wouldn't give up.
He saw how hard he worked to save not only those in the Sanctuary but also those in the Mansion from what seemed to be an impossible task thanks to the bastard Roswaal L Mathers.
Upon thinking this, he recalled an important conversation during that ordeal.
("I absolutely refuse, Subaru. I didn't come through these four hundred years only to bend to such a miniscule change. If you think bringing in a pawn from outside the board and removing Garfiel gives you an advantage, I'm afraid you are quite mistaken.")
("What was th't?")
("Well, am I wrong? You always snapped so vigorously at outsiders before, but now you seem to have joined Subaru-kun's merry band of friends. I'm honestly quite surprised by how quickly you changed your tune.")
("Heh. Nothin' ya say carries any weight with me, Roswaal.")
("Is that so? After clinging to one single desire, each day for the past ten years, then letting it go with such ease, you would dare say that about me? What an incredibly pathetic joke. ")
("Grrr.")
("A wish does not simply go away, though your transformative attitude as me curious, if you cared about your mother and family as you profess to, would you truly change so readily? Or could it be that all of this time they actually meant nothing to you whatsoever? Is a wish that folded the moment your fangs were broken off what you spent your last decade on?")
("Don't get the wrong idea.")
("Enlighten me then.")
("I didn't just decide t'follow my cap'n 'cause he beat me in a fight. I spent ten years holdin' on t'a past th't was full 'f pain. But I'm over th't. I was able t'face't, head on.")
("Wait, you confronted your past? Seriously?")
("Yea, and I ain't interested in tellin' ya what I saw or why I started followin' th'cap'n. However, since ya have such a snarky attitude 'bout it, I'll tell ya th'one big reason I chose to follow him instead 'f ya." Garfiel points at Roswaal. "Cause rather than being with th'one th't told me t'stay weak forever, it made a hell 'f a lot more sense t'go with th'guy who looked me over and said he needed me because I was strong.")
(Garfiel paused as he noticed Subaru and Otto were looking at him. "What?")
("Oh nothing, nothing at all." Subaru spoke with a smile. "I'm really counting on you, man.")
As the memory faded, a realization settled over him; He wasn't just following Subaru or Naofumi. They both needed him because he was strong.
Naofumi allowed him to stay with him and Raphtalia because he showed his support and remained with them because he proved himself through his strength.
Although backtracking on how punching Naofumi was probably not the best idea in the grand scheme of things, he did manage to at least reconcile with him.
Regardless of some bad moments, he looked up at the darkness and confidently proclaimed:
"I ain't done yet. They need my amazin' self, the Shield 'f th'Sanctuary!"
Saying this from the bottom of his heart suddenly allowed him to re-awaken in the real world, causing Filo to be startled.
Garfiel noticed her , his senses returning all at once, though his first thought was to check on his chest where he had received the injury.
Upon taking a glance, he could see that it seemed to have healed somehow.
His brow furrowed.
He knows that he hadn't been on the ground long enough to allow his divine protection to heal him, which raised the question of who had healed him and how they managed to heal him this quick.
There wasn't a single trace of the wound—not even a scar.
Before he could even think of trying to find the answers to these questions, he shook his head, pushing aside his confusion.
There was no time for that now.
The battle wasn't over.
He got up, muscles tensed and ready to move, but before leaving, he turned towards Filo and offered his hand to help her back up.
"Need a hand?"
"..." Filo was silent for a moment, her wide blue eyes blinking as she processed what just happened.
Then, as if something clicked— she jumped with joy at seeing Garfiel back on his feet.
"Garf!" Filo shouted as she jumped up on her feet and immediately went to hug him. "You're okay!"
"Sorry 'bout th't, didn't mean t'worry ya." He responded as he patted the top of Filo's head before turning towards the exit of the room they were in. "We need t'get back t'th'fight. Shield boss'll need our assistance in takin' down th't bastard."
"Okay!" Filo said, wanting to also help her master.
She wasted no time, her wings twitching in excitement, as the two immediately rushed outside.
The moment they reached the open air, the sight before them made Garfiel halt.
Right in the center of the capital stood the cathedral, a towering structure pulsing with ominous energy.
"Th't can't be good."
"Master is in trouble!"
Without much thought, the two took off at full speed, their legs pounding against the ground as they closed in on the cathedral.
After two minutes of an all-out sprint, Garfiel and Filo together attacked the cathedral with everything they had, fists and claws striking in unison.
But it didn't work.
The mana creating the cathedral shimmered upon impact, a solid force refusing to budge.
"Shit. Damn thing won't budge." He looked at his fist and felt annoyed — no, pissed.
He felt like he was back at full strength.
His blows should've at least cracked something.
For his attack to do no damage, not even a small dent, only reminded him of someone he damn well didn't want to think of ever again, especially right now. He shook his head and regained his focus on the problem at hand.
'Seems like my amazin' self'll have t'really on th't form.'
He rolled his shoulders, muscles tightening in anticipation.
His blood burned, his instincts screaming to let loose.
He prepared to turn into his beast form right then and there, confident in his ability to control himself as well as having the necessary strength to start breaking through the cathedral.
Right as his body had a red like aura, a new idea had come to his mind, prompting him to stop transforming.
"Is something wrong?" Filo asked as she was in her filolial form.
"We ain't gonna do anythin' good here. We're too far away from here."
"Then what can we do?" Filo asked as she tilted her head, puzzled on what they would do from here. Garfiel crossed his arms as he was thinking about what they could do, though upon looking up at the sky, a thought came in.
"Hm. I got an idea."
This all led to Garfiel and Filo going up onto the top of the Cathedral and managing to land enough damage to break through.
Garfiel's beast form combined with the strength of the future filolial queen were enough to force their way in.
Everyone saw as Garfiel and Filo plummeted from the shattered rooftop, their eyes darting across the battlefield.
Dust and debris swirled around them as they took in the chaos below.
The only thing the two could gather were that Itsuki and Motoyasu were standing side by side, Naofumi and Ren were seemingly ready for something, and the Priest with a bow preparing to be fired towards the two.
Garfiel saw this and knew that they had to act quickly before the Priest had an opportunity to harm Filo or him.
'Think. Think. What can I do?!'
Right as he attempted to try something, Naofumi and Ren took this chance to charge right towards the Priest while his attention was towards Garfiel and Filo.
Ren dashed forward, blade gleaming in the dim light as he aimed a decisive strike at the Priest's head. The moment his attack landed on the barrier, it cracked a bit.
'Thanks Garfiel, for buying us a chance for this moment.'
Ren didn't expect it to actually work after the numerous times that he along with Naofumi, Itsuki, and Motoyasu have been at it, trying to break through the barrier.
The Priest noticed this and instantly turned his attention towards Ren, seeing this as the best chance to eliminate the fallen Sword Hero.
"Let's end this, Sword Hero."
Right as he had him dead to rights, Naofumi jumped in just in time and was able to block away the attack.
The Priest's calm demeanor had shifted to a more serious expression, viewing the advantage he had now completely gone.
Naofumi looked at the Priest in the same serious expression he's had this entire fight, though he was a bit intrigued by the new information from Ren being able to cause such damage to the barrier.
'His focus on Garfiel and Filo left him completely open to be attacked. Perhaps his barrier is connected with the focus on the areas we are attacking.'
With this in mind, he used his shield's ability to do a counterattack to test this out by targeting the large crack on the Priest's barrier.
Right as it connected, he paid close attention and saw that nothing seemed to have happened.
'That's what I thought.'
The Shield Hero quickly jumped back as he figured that the moment the Priest focuses on something else that isn't the one attacking him, the barrier can take damage.
With that in mind, he turned towards Itsuki and Motoyasu, seeing that the two were approaching their location real quick.
He turned towards Garfiel and Filo's direction and noticed that they landed on the ground.
Right as they hit the ground, the pair wasted no time, immediately closing the distance toward the Priest.
Their eyes locked onto their target, muscles tensed as they prepared to strike.
Naofumi turned towards Ren and noticed him preparing another long-range attack.
An idea struck him—a way to exploit the Priest's focus and weaken his barrier further.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Ren's arm, stopping him in his tracks before he made his long range attack.
"Hold on. I need you to do something."
Ren met Naofumi's gaze before giving a firm nod, sensing that his ally had uncovered a critical weakness.
He listened intently as Naofumi explained his plan in hushed urgency.
Once he understood, he nodded once more and swiftly repositioned himself, moving further away to watch and wait for the perfect moment to strike.
Naofumi, knowing that drawing the Priest's attention was key, swapped his shield into the Wrath Shield once again.
Dark energy crackled around him as he surged forward, aiming to provoke the Priest into focusing solely on him while also attempting to prevent the wrath from the cursed series to take over his mind again.
As expected, the Priest's gaze snapped toward Naofumi, sensing what he would call demonic energy.
Seizing the opening, Garfiel and Filo sprinted into range, launching their attacks in unison.
The pair managed to land their respective hits onto the barrier the Priest still has around him though their combined strength was enough to cause him to be physically pushed back from the impact.
Although the barrier remained intact from the area the two attacked, Naofumi paid close attention to Ren's attack as he charged in right on the Priest's blindspot.
The moment his sword landed, another crack had happened. Ren's eyes widened for a moment before a confident smile formed.
'I see. So long as he isn't focused on one person, they can be the key one in breaking his barrier.'
With that in mind, Ren saw that the Priest noticed his barrier took another hit.
The Priest quickly went for a counterattack on the Sword Hero, prompting Ren to barely be able to dodge the attack before jumping back as far as he could to gain some distance.
With that action, Naofumi was able to formulate a plan to break through the Priest's barrier in order to finally take him down.
He quickly waited until Garfiel and Filo made another attempt in breaking through the barrier before jumping in.
Garfiel and Filo gave it their all in their follow up attack, trying to break the barrier though they weren't expecting the Priest to not only change his Replica Weapon to be the Spear variation but also fire a powerful lighting bolt projectile at them while they were in the process of throwing their attack.
Before the Priest's attack could land on Garfiel Tinsel, Naofumi managed to get in between the attack and his ally in the nick of time.
He blocked away the attack which triggered the wrath shield's counterattack trigger, causing a powerful fire to build up within a few seconds.
He waited for Filo and Garfiel's attacks to land first before throwing the fire from the cursed series towards the Priest's direction.
Both Garfiel and Filo noticed this and quickly got out of the way in order to allow Naofumi's attack to land.
Upon the second it touched the barrier, an explosion occurred.
After a few seconds from the smoke created from Naofumi's attack, the three of them jumped back as a few lighting bolts were sent their way from the Priest's direction.
Upon avoiding the attack, the three were not happy to see that their shared attack didn't seem to have cracked the barrier.
Though like before, Garfiel and Filo's combined raw strength is enough to push back the Priest and his barrier physically.
The Priest looked at Garfiel and Filo with some contempt, not liking that the two with their strength are able to somehow push him back, even if he isn't receiving damage to himself.
Right as it seemed like he was about to throw another projectile at the three, he stopped as the Replica Weapon began to glow.
The four cardinal heroes, Filo, and Garfiel were on high alert upon seeing the Priest's weapon glow in a way that made them all sense immense danger from this.
The Priest smiled as he began to speak to them all:
"All of you have sinned, by siding with the Devil of the Shield. And now, judgement time has arrived."
As the Priest finished speaking, a sinister glow radiated from the Replica Weapon.
Without hesitation, he leveled it at Naofumi and unleashed a torrent of searing light.
The beam roared forward like a wrathful judgment, its sheer intensity distorting the air around it.
Naofumi reacted instantly, raising his shield just in time to intercept the blast.
The moment it made contact, an ear-splitting crack echoed across the battlefield as his entire body shuddered under the force.
It wasn't just light—it was pure, concentrated energy, carrying the weight of an execution.
The ground beneath his feet splintered, deep cracks forming as the pressure bore down on him.
His muscles screamed in protest as he dug his heels in, the impact forcing him back inch by inch.
The others barely had time to react before the sheer heat from the beam radiated outward, forcing them to shield their eyes.
Garfiel, instinctively moving to assist, found himself unable to get close—the air itself burned, searing his skin even from a distance.
Filo flapped her wings, attempting to push forward, but the shockwaves kept her grounded.
Itsuki and Motoyasu could only watch in grim realization—this attack wasn't something they could deflect or endure.
With the impact of the attack, he felt the pressure around him get heavy, which unfortunately was enough to cause him to pass out from exhaustion since his body wasn't able to handle even this.
The only one who noticed was Motoyasu, prompting him to quickly get to his ally in order to get him to safety before something worse happens to him.
While everyone but Ren and Motoyasu remained still, only Naofumi with his unparalleled defense, could stand against the Priest's deadliest attack.
Naofumi clenched his teeth as his shield groaned under the pressure.
The Wrath Shield pulsed dangerously, responding to the overwhelming force with flickers of crimson fire.
He knew he had mere moments before either the shield gave out—or worse—the cursed series consumed him entirely...Yet, despite the strain, he refused to falter.
"Damn it… I'm not… letting this… break me!"
With a defiant roar, he braced himself, pushing forward against the relentless attack.
The Priest sneered. "Foolish Shield Demon, determination alone won't save you. Now allow God's judgment to—"
A sharp, cracking sound echoed through the battlefield.
"What?"
The Priest barely had time to process what was happening before his barrier shattered in an instant.
The barrier surrounding him fractured like glass, flickering out of existence.
His beam attack stopped immediately, and a sudden weakness washed over him.
For a moment, silence filled the air.
Everyone looked around in confusion—no one had made a move to stop the Priest.
Even he, glancing around in disbelief, couldn't understand what had happened.
Then, they all spotted her.
Standing behind the Priest, just at the edge of the Cathedral, was Raphtalia.
In her right hand, a glowing mana sword and in her left, a standard blade remained poised for battle.
She had arrived unnoticed in the chaos, slipping into the perfect position.
The moment she heard a large banging like noise from her position near the Cathedral's edge, she knew something was up.
Upon seeing Garfiel and Filo breaking in, without hesitation she changed course, sprinting toward Naofumi's location.
She knew Garfiel's reckless nature, and realized she couldn't rely on him to handle this alone.
By the time she arrived, her worst fears were confirmed—Naofumi was barely holding on. Without wasting another second, she struck.
Her glowing sword, infused with mana, pierced through the Priest's back.
The effect was immediate.
The intricate magical barrier shattered as if its very foundation had been severed.
The Priest staggered forward, his breath hitching in shock. "You…!"
His face twitched with anger, having been the first time since the calm smile had completely broken off and his more negative emotions shine through.
With a snarl, he turned and swung his weapon at Raphtalia in blind rage yet she was ready.
Meeting his attack head-on, she raised her standard blade and, with all her strength, parried his strike.
Sparks flew as steel clashed against steel, but she held her ground.
At that moment, Itsuki saw his opening.
He quickly drew his bow and fired.
The arrow struck true, slamming into the Priest's side.
His eyes widened in shock as he coughed up blood, stumbling from the impact.
The reality hit him hard—he had been wounded. For the first time in this battle, the Priest was vulnerable.
Garfiel, Filo, and Naofumi didn't hesitate to close the gap between themselves and their shared opponent, knowing that it's now or never.
Right as they were closing in, he turned towards Garfiel and asked the demi human boy:
"Hit the shield!"
"Eh?!" He looked with some confusion though knowing Naofumi, he probably had something planned.
He swings his arm and swiftly punches Naofumi's shield, causing it to start to burn all over the wrath shield.
Upon this reaction from his weapon, he aimed right towards the Priest before tossing the fire as a projectile at him.
Because he didn't have his barrier anymore, he got hit with the fair, causing him to scream in agony.
"Ya got him!" Garfiel shouted.
Itsuki, Raphtalia, and Filo all shared the same excitement of a strong attack managing to land.
Filo quickly followed suit and quickly reached the Priest's location before landing a strong kick that sent him flying towards a building.
While the Priest was right towards a collision course with a building nearby, Itsuki took this chance to fire a couple more projectiles at him.
Right as the projectiles were going to hit their target, the Priest quickly switched the Replica Weapon from the sword variation to the bow variation in order to counter Itsuki's attack.
As he was successful in countering the attacks with his own, he noticed Garfiel quickly approaching him, prompting another switch with the Replica Weapon to the spear variation.
Once the switch happened, he attempted to stab Garfel in the center of the head though the demi human boy in his beast form was able to swat away the weapon before landing a hit of his own.
This was enough to stun the Priest, causing him to bleed some more.
Garfiel was surprised the Priest survived that attack, knowing that what he threw was more than any normal person can handle.
Upon looking closely, he immediately noticed the Priest was healing from his injuries.
'Shit, can't let him get fully healed!'
Garfiel goes for another attack only for this one to be blocked away by the Priest's new barrier that was barely able to withstand his attack. Naofumi and the others saw this and knew that they'll need to act now if they want to gain back the advantage before the Priest throws another overpowered attack that could eliminate any of them. Raphtalia attempts to use her mana sword once again on the Priest only for the attack to be blocked by the Replica Weapon.
"You won't get me with the same trick again!"
"..."
She swung her regular sword towards the Priest only for the barrier to come on up, making her see that the mana sword is the only thing that seems to be problematic for him enough to manually block it.
Naofumi caught on to this as well, prompting him to quickly command Garfiel and Filo to attack the Priest with everything they have.
The two quickly followed the Shield Hero's order and without holding any of their strength back, they attacked in unison towards their common foe.
Upon landing their attacks, the Priest was able to hold in place as he was putting all of the mana he was being given into the barrier in order to prevent anyone without the mana sword to somehow physically break through his barrier.
So long as he remains vigilant on Raphtalia and what her movements are, he knows that victory is at hand.
This allowed him to return his expression into one of calmness and confidence all the while everyone else continued to look determined to win this fight no matter what.
The Priest noticed their determination, prompting him to immediately use the mana that isn't being used for the barrier to create a shockwave that would stun all of those within his reach; those being Naofumi, Filo, Raphtalia, and Garfiel since Itsuki was only fighting him from a distance.
Right before the shockwave hit, both Naofumi and Garfiel were quick to protect Filo and Raphtalia. Naofumi's wrath shield was able to not only protect Raphtalia from the shockwave but himself as well.
Unfortunately for Garfiel, he didn't have much to protect himself though his main goal was to protect Filo, meaning he was willing to take the damage to protect someone close.
As he withstood the shockwave, he was slowly reverting back into his human form.
Once he's back to his human form, the shockwave had ended with the Priest seeing that the current opponent he could land a hit on would be the demi human boy.
As he had the Replica Weapon in the Spear variation, he went for a stab maneuver at the demi human boy.
Garfiel noticed this and waited until the very last moment before dodging the attack.
"What?"
"Don't get cocky, th't attack 'f yers ain't gonna be enough t'stop me."
As Garfiel said this with a serious expression, he charged right close to the Priest's location in an attempt to land a punch.
This was thwarted due to the new barrier, protecting him from receiving any damage.
He was expecting this to happen, prompting him to try something different.
Wanting to do enough damage and since he was feeling his divine protection kicking in since they are on the ground, he lifted his left leg.
Right before doing anything with it, the leg started to glow.
After three seconds passed by, he slammed his foot down onto the ground, causing a crack to appear right on where his foot stomped.
A few seconds after this motion, the ground started to rumble for a moment before the Priest was sent off flying due to the ground having enough force to push him up onto the sky while also managing to create a small crack on the new barrier.
As he launched the Priest towards the sky, he turned towards the Shield Hero to tell ask:
"Ya got a plan, Shield Boss?"
"Yeah, I got an idea but listen up. This can only work if we pull this off exactly how I say."
Garfiel, Filo, and Raphtalia exchanged determined nods, placing their trust in Naofumi's plan.
As they absorbed his instructions, the Priest's gaze darkened with his grip tightening on the Replica Weapon.
He could see it, the growing threat they posed and their endless determination. His expression of hatred increased since he couldn't afford to let this drag on any longer.
If he didn't end it now, these sinners and their so-called master might actually succeed in toppling him.
"As God's chosen tool to punish those that would side with the devil, I won't be defeated."
As he points the Replica Weapon toward the ground, it begins to glow once more, drawing in all the mana not being used for the barrier—along with a portion that is—ensuring this attack has the power needed to break through Naofumi's Wrath Shield.
Before it was ready to be fired, the barrier protected him from a barrage of projectiles sent towards him.
He turned towards the direction of where the projectiles came from and saw that it was the Bow Hero.
He had completely forgotten about his presence, though now that he is acknowledging him again, he was annoyed to see the "hero of the people" thinking that he could stop him from what he's about to do.
Itsuki prepared to fire another arrow projectile at his opponent, but before doing that, he shouted:
"Surrender, villain! This is your last chance."
"Ha!" The Priest laughed at this, finding it baffling that the Bow Hero would tell him to surrender, let alone call him a villain. "That's quite the joke, false hero."
"I ain't no false hero!" Itsuki responded in annoyance, "I'm the one who will stop evil from succeeding! You have done nothing but show yourself as a villain, someone who is not only selfish but a threat to the innocent people of this kingdom."
"That's funny coming from you, one of the heroes that caused devastation to a village, leaving many in poverty."
"..." Itsuki had no witty response to that since what the Priest is saying about him right now was told to him differently by Naofumi a while back.
("Well I did see the aftermath of your war… and I found refugees escaping to Melomarc, without food, shelter, and on the run from the situation you left them in. Things became just as bad as they were under the outested king.")
Itsuki grit his teeth in annoyance as he had a comeback in mind after having to think back on Naofumi's annoying words:
"You speak of everyone else's so-called sins, but how about yours?! Attacking the kingdom, your own home, without remorse or care is a sin of its own!"
"All is done in the name of God. A fake hero like you wouldn't understand such things."
Having been disgusted by what the Bow Hero was saying, he changed his target from the Devil of the Shield to the fake Bow Hero.
Right upon pointing the Replica Weapon at Itsuki, Naofumi saw this and knew that he had unknowingly given them the best opening in initiating the plan of attack.
"Garfiel!"
"On it!"
Garfiel quickly used his strength to jump as high as possibly to reach the Priest.
The moment he was within reach, he pulled out the mana sword Raphtalia had and watched it start to glow.
'It's now or never!'
Right as he swung the mana sword, the Priest noticed this and quickly moved the Replica Weapon to block the mana sword.
Right as it seemed like he was about to stop the mana sword from reaching the barrier again, a projectile shield was sent flying in Garfiel's direction.
The Shield of the Sanctuary noticed this and quickly was able to grab onto the projectile which allowed him to get higher onto the sky.
This caused the Priest to be surprised, prompting him to look up and see the demi human boy be right above him.
As he had the Priest's attention, especially when pulling out the mana sword and preparing to swing it at him, Raphtalia got onto Filo's back in her filolial form before she jumped up high.
While Filo jumped as high as she could, Naofumi used Air Strike Shield in order to create platforms for Filo to use in order to jump higher in order to also reach the Priest while he's distracted by Garfiel Tinsel.
Upon reaching the Priest's location, the two in unison attacked him while his attention wasn't on the two.
As their attacks landed onto the barrier, their combined strength wasn't enough to do any serious damage to it though it did make a small crack onto said barrier.
This was something the Priest noticed though his focus remained on Garfiel, viewing him as the primary threat at this moment.
Right as Garfiel swung the mana sword, the Priest went for a parry only for Garfiel to take this chance to throw the sword right towards Raphtalia's direction while also throwing a kick right at him.
This kick was good enough to keep the Priest's attention, allowing Raphtalia to grab the mana sword and to quickly slash on the barrier while their shared opponent was distracted.
Upon the barrier weakening from this, Garfiel took his chance to transform his left hand into its beast form before throwing a punch with all the strength he could muster.
The second his hand landed the punch on the weakened barrier, Garfiel's immense strength was enough to break it completely.
The Priest stared in shock as the demi-human boy shattered his defense.
Without hesitation, he aimed the fully powered Replica Weapon at him, ready to end his life on the spot.
Before he had a chance to fire the powerful beam, Itsuki took this chance to fire a projectile right onto the Priest's hand, attempting to make him drop his weapon while Filo with Naofumi's assistance to jump up and reach right in front of the Priest to knock away the direction of the beam is being fired.
The moment Filo and Itsuki's attacks landed, the beam fired straight into the sky, narrowly missing Garfiel.
Seizing the opportunity, he swiftly delivered a powerful kick before beginning his descent.
The force of the blow sent the Priest soaring even higher, creating the perfect opening for Filo and Raphtalia to distance themselves. With the battlefield cleared, Naofumi was free to execute the final phase of his plan.
The flames from the Wrath Shield started to surround him as he moved his free hand towards the direction of the Priest.
"Shield Prison."
He said this in a deep dark voice all the while the Priest was encased in a cage made of shields. Upon being caged, the Priest got up inside the cage of shields.
"Do you think this will hold me? God's chosen one?"
"..."
Naofumi didn't say anything as he simply said, "Charge Shield!"
The command of Charge Shield skill remained the same for Naofumi, however a number of shields were presented to him.
The main one for this final attack to work would be the Bee Needle Shield since that variation is important for the ultimate attack he has in mind to work.
Upon the cage of shields changed into the bee needle variation, all of the needles were pointing inwards and beginning to stab onto the Priest, who was yelling in pain.
With the walls starting to press onto the Priest, Naofumi was able to see that the ability of Iron Maiden was ready for usage.
The second he saw this, he began to say:
"The punishment I have chosen to inflict on this foolish criminal before me is called the Iron Maiden.
They will be pierced through from every direction, enveloped in their own screams, and will taste true pain! Iron Maiden!"
The moment this ability skill activated, a giant iron torture device appeared in the air.
Its doors swung open, and the entire Shield Prison was pulled inside.
With the door open, all could see the interior being filled with large spikes, which would mean the unlucky one caught in this attack would be struck by them.
When the door closed, the Priest was impaled by every direction.
The Shield Prison disintegrated, the door slamming shut with the Priest being skewered before he could even scream.
A loud clang resounded as the Iron Maiden briefly reopened, only for the doors to snap shut once more—this time completely.
The final closure delivered the decisive blow, impaling the Priest a second time and ending his life instantly.
It was a gruesome end though one that even Itsuki let slide considering that The Priest brought this upon himself, especially after having tortured Ren and his party members.
"Th't's th'end 'f th't." Garfiel said as he sat down, seeing this as the best chance to finally rest.
Raphtalia and Filo approached Naofumi to check on him first before following suit with Garfiel.
As the two girls approached him, they saw that Naofumi's mind was elsewhere.
He was paying attention to his SP, seeing it drop down to zero.
'This skill uses up all my SP?'
The moment his SP hit zero, the Iron Maiden vanished into thin air, leaving the Priest's skewered corpse to plummet.
Before it could reach the ground, a fire projectile struck it, triggering a powerful explosion that incinerated the body completely, leaving no trace behind.
Naofumi and his party members were caught off guard by this sudden explosion, prompting them to turn towards Itsuki, seeing that he was the one responsible for that.
He gave a serious expression before turning around and leaving the area, having noticed that the Cathedral started to disappear.
There were no words to exchange between the two heroes, seeing that their temporary alliance had fulfilled its purpose though the two were not in the mood to fight each other either.
As Itsuki left the area, Raphtalia and Filo hugged Naofumi, happy that they made it through but also that their master made it through the fight unscathed.
Naofumi had a brief smile as this happened, though it went away as he thought on how they were going to get out of this situation.
Knowing the King, he'd probably spin this into somehow being his fault.
Before he could begin planning their escape, a few familiar shadows emerged behind him.
Garfiel was the first to take notice, followed by Raphtalia and Filo, with Naofumi realizing it last.
"Zir Shield Hero, the Queen would wish to speak with you."
Naofumi tensed at the voice, turning to face the newcomers.
Standing before him were the Queen's personal envoys, their expressions unreadable yet carrying an air of urgency.
The battle was over, but a new confrontation was about to begin.
He exchanged a glance with Raphtalia and Filo, both still holding onto him, their relief now mixed with uncertainty.
Garfiel remained on edge, his sharp eyes locked onto the envoys. Naofumi exhaled, straightening his posture.
"Fine. Lead the way."
With the Cathedral fading into nothingness behind them and the battlefield littered with the aftermath of their struggle, Naofumi and his party followed the Queen's shadows towards wherever the Queen was located, all of them were wary for what comes next.
Author's note:
So yes, we are finally, FINALLY, done with the fight against the Priest (or pope to be more accurate, i ain't changing that anytime soon). Now I was motivated to jump immediately back here because of the Garfiel vs Kurgan fight. Now, the next chapter does end this second arc but I want to say one thing, Garfiel getting hurt and having this arc was supposed to happen next arc, that's my bad but it means that I have a whole new idea that works with the next arc. It won't be long since it's the exp island/third wave arc but I will say, a certain hero will get a character development and a Re:Zero character will be joining the story. Now, I hope you all enjoyed not only this chapter but the 5 part fight between the cardinal heroes and the three heroes church.
Also, I am working on a YouTube video in relation to Garfiel Tinsel, so please go to my channel (GreenWarrior291) and subscribe if you want to see that video. Optional side quest.