Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to characters from the Mario or ROTSH franchises.
Chapter 6: The Second Wave
The Shield Team has just arrived at a village near some mines. The Village Chief had placed a monster extermination quest at the guild since some surviving monsters from the previous wave had taken up residence in the mines nearby. Upon their arrival, the Chief explained that due to the monsters occupying the mines, the village had fallen on hard times and would not be able to pay much. Luigi waved his concern off and said they would still complete the quest.
"Oh, thank you, kind sir! We are truly grateful for this." The Chief said as he and the rest of the villagers bowed to Luigi and his team.
"There's-a no need for the bowing. We're just-a doing what heroes are supposed to do." Luigi said.
"Indeed. Perhaps we should reevaluate the church's teachings. You are nothing like the demon they describe you to be."
"You're damn right he's not!" Daisy exclaimed as she hugged Luigi.
"Daisy, language!" Peach said before addressing the Village Chief. "Since we'll be completing the quest for a low price, would it be alright if we took some of the minerals inside the cave?"
"Hmm? Why, Peach?" Mario asked.
"To strengthen Luigi's shield."
"Oh, yeah!"
"Of course, it would be alright. As long as you don't leave the mines dry."
"Of course. We'll only take what we need." Peach explained.
"Alright then. May fortune favor you on your quest, brave heroes."
The Chief and the villagers waved the SuperStars off as they took off towards the mines. Once they arrived, Daisy began picking up some of the trash and gave it to Luigi to absorb. The first shields he unlocked were the Rope and Pipe shields. Everyone thought they would be useless shields until Luigi read their secret skills.
"Oh! That's-a neat!"
"Huh? What'd you find, babe?" Daisy asked.
"The two skills I got from these shields. One is called 'Air Strike Shield'. It lets me summon an energy shield anywhere within five meters of me. The shield lasts for fifteen seconds, and I can use it repeatedly."
"No cool down?" Mario asked.
"Not that I can see. I'll have to test it out later to find its limitations."
"Cool. And what's the other ability?" Daisy asked.
"It's-a called 'Shield Prison'. It lets me summon a cage of shields within five to six meters."
"Oh my! That is a wonderful ability, Luigi! With it, you can save someone from a fatal attack."
"Or use it to trap someone trying to escape."
Peach and Daisy commented.
"So amazing!"
"Papa is getting stronger and stronger! At this rate, he could handle the waves all by himself!"
Raphtalia and Rifana cheered. Everyone chuckled at their antics while Luigi rubbed the back of his head. That's when Keel noticed something.
"Hey," She said, getting everyone's attention. "Have you noticed a lack of monsters? Didn't the chief say that the mine was overrun with them?"
"Hmm, true. I wonder if they left?"
"Maybe they died?"
"Yeah. They probably starved to death by now."
Raphtalia and Rifana commented. The others pondered on this until Mario made a horrifying realization.
"Oh no."
"What is it, bro?"
"I think Raphtalia and Rifana may be onto something. Most of the monsters may have died, not from starvation, but from cannibalization."
"What!?" Everyone yelled in shock.
"Yep. These creatures run on instinct. Once food runs out, they'll turn to the next source, which is each other. And once that resource runs out."
"Then the monster that survived would come out in search of another food source. Oh no! The village!" Peach yelled.
The rest of the team was shocked by this realization.
"We have to kill that monster now!" Keel said.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's-a go!" Daisy said as she led the charge.
The rest followed her to complete the quest and protect the town. They went deep into the mines but found no monsters. However, they did find bones and pieces of monsters with teeth marks on them. This proved Mario's theory right and meant that the remaining monster had to be the strongest among them. Soon, the group reached the back of the mines and found the monster: a large, two-headed dog monster.
"Found it," Daisy said in a hushed tone. "Now, how to take it out?"
"Luigi and I are strong enough to take it out. So, you girls stay here and guard the only exit in case it tries to run. Hopefully, we'll be able to, huh? Girls? What's-a wrong with you?" Mario asked.
Everyone turned to see Keel, Raphtalia, and Rifana staring at the monster. Keel clenched her teeth in anger while Raphtalia and Rifana were frozen in fear.
"Girls?"
Peach was reaching out her hand to shake the girls out of whatever stupor they were in, but Keel spoke up.
"That beast. It looks just like the one that attacked our village."
The three girls began to have flashbacks to that awful day. Images of a large, three-headed dog monster destroying their homes and killing villagers. Raphtalia has vivid memories of watching the beast devouring her parents. While Raphtalia and Rifana were beginning to have a panic attack, Keel was about to rush out to attack. But Peach managed to pull her back before she did something stupid, while Daisy pulled the other two back.
"Girls, what's wrong? Why are you acting like this?" Peach asked.
"During the wave, the beast that did the most damage, that killed many of our friends, was a three-headed dog monster. Just looking at something that looks like it is making me so, so, so angry! I, I, I!"
Peach pulled Keel into her arms and began to calm her down.
"It's okay, Keel. We understand. Don't worry, we'll take down this beast so that tragic night never repeats itself."
Peach's words worked as Keel relaxed her body.
"Thank you, mother."
Peach smiled and looked to see how the others were doing. Luckily, Daisy had managed to calm Raphtalia and Rifana as well. Mario and Luigi nodded at each other and began to walk towards the beast. But,
"Wait!" Keel said, stopping them. "Father, please, let us kill the beast." Keel pleaded, gesturing to her and her friends. "I know it's not the same, but we must do this. To move past our fear."
Raphtalia and Rifana were terrified about this idea, but they steeled themselves and looked at the brothers with resolute expressions. Mario and Luigi looked at each other before letting out a sigh.
"Okay, okay. We'll let you fight it, but if things get out of hand, we're stepping in." Mario explained.
The three girls nodded and carefully approached the dog monster while the SuperStars watched. The three girls carefully approached the dog monster. They gave a nod to each other before Keel raised her hammer and rushed forward. The dog monster's heads woke up and jumped back to avoid Keel's attack. It was about to strike back, but it had to jump to the side to avoid a slash from Raphtalia. As it did, three arrows pierced its side.
"Nice shot, Rifana!" Keel shouted.
Rifana grinned at this while the dog monster glared at her. Before it could rush at her, Keel attacked, forcing it to dodge. The dog monster was constantly dodging attacks from the three girls. It managed to avoid a sword swing from Raphtalia and was about to counter-attack.
"I don't think so!"
But Keel shoulder-tackled the dog monster, forcing it back. Before it could get its bearings, three more arrows pierced its other side. It growled in anger and tried to walk forward, but it began to stumble. Unbeknownst to the beast, Rifana had been using her magic to add status ailments to her arrows. By her count, she had landed two poison arrows, a confusion arrow, a blinding arrow, a paralyzing arrow, and a vertigo arrow. Unfortunately, either due to her lack of skill levels or the dog monster's strength, the effects took some time to take effect. Luckily, they seem to be taking effect now.
"Now's our chance!" Keel shouted as she slammed her fists together and began to glow. She had activated her stone-skin skill and charged at the dog monster. Despite being weakened, the dog monster was still able to see her and opened both its jaws to bite her. It bit down on her shoulders, but thanks to her stone-skin skill, it didn't pierce her armor or skin. She then took hold of both heads and held them tight. "Now!" She shouted at her friends.
Raphtalia and Rifana nodded and rushed forward to finish off the beast. Raphtalia went left and cut off one of the dog heads with her sword. Rifana went to the right and fired three arrows. Two went into its eyes, and the third pierced its skull. The body went limp, and Keel felt the pressure let up from the heads.
"Great job, girls!" Luigi said as he noticed their levels go up.
The girls stared at the dead monster for a moment before letting out a collective cheer.
"We did it!" The three demi-girls shouted.
Raphtalia and Rifana hugged each other while Keel examined the dog beast. She had an excited look while she seemed to be pondering something.
"Great work, everyone," Peach said as she and the others came into the room.
"Thank you, Mother. It was all thanks to the training you all gave us." Keel said, with Raphtalia and Rifana nodding in agreement.
"Don't-a sell yourselves short now. You had great teamwork and excellent battle instincts. Be proud of your achievement."
The three demis smiled proudly at Mario's words.
"Okey dokey! Let me just absorb the monster, and then we can get out of here!" Luigi said.
After absorbing the monster and unlocking a new shield, the group left to inform the village chief about the monster's death and claim their reward.
Later, at Lurolona
After returning to Lurolona, the ladies took a bath together in the recently created bathhouse while Mario and Luigi were doing checks around the village. The girls had just finished cleaning themselves and were now relaxing in the hot baths.
"So, did it help?" Peach asked.
"Hmm? What do you mean, mother?" Keel asked.
"You're trauma. From the reaction you three had seeing that dog monster, it's obvious you three still harbor some fears from the night your village was attacked."
"Oh, well, I do feel better, but I don't think I'm over that night yet," Keel answered, a sullen expression on her face.
Raphtalia and Rifana also had sullen expressions remembering that terrible night. Upon seeing this, Peach pulled Keel into a hug.
"It's okay. Take all the time you need. We'll be here for you."
"Mom, thank you."
Keel hugged Peach back, feeling much better. Daisy had wrapped her arms around Raphtalia and Rifana, comforting them as well.
"Still," Keel let go and had a wide smile. "Killing that dog monster and saving that town from a similar fate makes me feel great. I'm glad you and Father helped me get so strong."
"All we did was steer you in the right direction; your effort led to this result. Remember that, Keel. You've earned that strength."
Keel's smile widened ever more at hearing Peach's praise. She stretched her arms into the sky, letting her large breasts show. Rifana saw them and looked at her breasts. She wasn't flat, but it was obvious that hers were the smallest of the three demi-girls. She sunk into the water while looking away.
"Rifana, are you jealous of Keel's size?" Daisy asked.
"What!? No! I just wanted to soak some more," Rifana responded.
"Rifana, you're beautiful just the way you are," Daisy said, rubbing Rifana's head.
"I don't know why you're so obsessed with these. They just get in the way during fights," Keel said.
"You'll understand one day," Peach said.
Keel was confused by this, while the other girls chuckled at this.
The next day
The Shield Team was waiting outside the gates of Lurolona. It was the day of the Wave, and the group was doing a last-minute check on their equipment and the security of Lurolona. Mario and Luigi were wearing their silver armor, while Peach and Daisy were dressed in their swordfighter outfits.
"Okay, so the Wave is about to strike, and we'll be teleported away. I assume that racist king will try something while we're gone. Are the defenses prepped?" Mario asked Eclair.
"Yes. The gear from Erhard arrived yesterday, and all the fighters have equipped them. Also, the walls you helped build will protect the village and give our archers excellent viewpoints of any attackers. Still, it would be better if we had some mages."
"Well, you could use some of the items we left behind. It may not be the same as the magic you're used to, but it'll work just as well." Peach said.
"Yes, it should. I still can't believe such simple items can be so powerful."
"Yeah, just make sure to use them sparingly. They take time to grow." Luigi said.
"Right, of course, Sir Luigi."
Luigi nodded before his status screen popped up in front of him.
"Oh, looks like it's-a time. Are you ready?" Everyone in his team nodded. "Good, let's-a go."
Luigi and his team were teleported away. In the woods, two shadows, one belonging to the church and one to the king, were watching.
"The Shield Demon and his allies are gone. Now's our chance! ATTACK!"
One of them shouted. A platoon of knights charged out of the woods towards Lurolona.
"I knew it! We're under attack! Defenders, take your positions!" Eclair shouted.
The gates opened, and dozens of demi-humans wearing armor and wielding swords and spears came out. The two large wolf demis stood beside Eclair at the gate.
"You two make sure no one gets past you."
The two nodded as Eclair rushed forward.
"Ha! Stupid beasts think they could-"
The knight was silenced when two arrows pierced his eyeballs. The shadow leading them looked up and saw archers on the wooden wall surrounding the village.
"They have archers! Those who have shields, protect your allies!"
With Luigi's Team
The Shield Team has just appeared where the wave would strike. Luigi noticed his brother's worried expression.
"What's-a wrong, Bro?"
"I still think one of us should have stayed behind."
"Mario, it'll be fine. Eclair has been training all the rescued slaves and has almost gained all her lost levels. Plus, we did leave a few items for them to use. So have faith that they'll be fine." Peach said.
"Okay. Hmm? Oh, look at that."
Everyone looked up to where Mario was pointing and saw a large crack in the sky.
"Mamamia. Is this the wave?" Luigi asked.
"Look at that!" Raphtalia shouted.
Hundreds of monsters poured out of the crack and spread across the lands and skies. The Shield Team was getting ready to fight them when Daisy noticed something.
"Hey, look over there. It's the other three heroes."
The group looked to see Motoyasu, Ren, and Itsuki rushing towards the nearby woods.
"Where are they going?"
"Maybe they found the boss monster already."
Peach answered Rifana.
"Then we should follow them. The wave ends as soon as the boss monster dies."
"Wait, Mario! Look!"
Everyone turned to where Luigi was pointing at. There was a village that the monsters were converging on. They could hear the sounds of people screaming in fear.
"Mamamia! Didn't the king evacuate the area?" Mario asked.
"Apparently not," Peach said in a disappointed tone.
"What do we do? We can't let them die!" Raphtalia asked.
Mario and Luigi pondered about this and came up with an idea.
"Alrighty! Peach, Keel! We'll follow the other three and help kill the boss monster." Mario said.
"Meanwhile, we'll save the village and its people," Luigi said, pointing to him, Daisy, Raphtalia, and Rifana.
The group nodded and left toward their objectives. A girl and her mother were running from a swarm of giant locusts when the mother tripped. The little girl stopped and tried to pull her mother up.
"Come on, Mama!"
"It's no use! Just leave without me!"
The little girl refused and continued to try and save her mother. Soon, the locusts were upon them, and the two closed their eye, expecting the end. But nothing happened. The two opened their eyes to see themselves inside a ball made of green shields.
"What the..."
The two were confused until the sounds of the locusts trying to break in got their attention. The two hugged each other in fear, but then the sounds of battle replaced the previous sounds.
"Huh? What's happening? Is that the Knights of Melromarc? Have they arrived!?" The mother said with hope.
The shield ball disappeared, revealing Luigi and his team standing victoriously over the dead locusts.
"Stupid grasshopper!" Daisy shouted as she stomped on a dead locust.
"I think they're locusts, Daisy," Luigi said.
"Eh, it doesn't matter. We still have to kill them."
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement when the mother spoke up.
"Excuse me, but are you the ones who saved us?" The group nodded their heads. "Oh, thank you, Sir Shield Hero!"
"Wait, you're the Shield Hero?" The little girl asked. Luigi nodded his head, but this only further confused her. "But, the church said the Shield is a demon."
The mother tried to silence her daughter while Luigi just laughed it off despite Raphtalia's and Rifana's protest.
"Hey!" Daisy shouted, getting everyone's attention. "What are you going to believe? Your own two eyes, or the church that isn't even here to help?"
"Daisy! She's just a kid!"
"I'm sorry, Luigi, but they need to learn not to believe everything that racist cult spews out."
"You're right!" The girl said. "I'll trust my own two eyes instead. Thanks, Mister Shield Hero!"
"Oh, you're welcome. Now, is there any safe place nearby?"
"The Chief converted the old mines into a bunker for emergencies." The mother answered.
"Okay then! Daisy, Rifana, you two take the mother and her daughter to the mines and save anyone you come across."
"Got it!"
Daisy and Rifana said. The two followed the mother to where the mines were located.
"Good, Raphtalia, you and I will protect the village and save anyone we can find."
"Yes, Father!"
Luigi and Raphtalia began to fight off zombies and giant locusts while protecting the buildings and searching for anyone else who may be trapped. Meanwhile, the other three heroes had found the boss monster. It was a large chimera with the body of a lion, the head of a dragon, the head of a goat, and a snake as its tail.
"Take this!" Motoyasu shouted as he tried to stab the monster.
It jumped back to avoid Motoyasu's spear thrust. As it jumped back, Itsuki aimed at one of its heads. But as he released his arrows, Motoyasu charged at the monster and got in the way.
"Whoa!" Itsuki yelped as he tried to avoid Motoyasu. While he was able to aim his bow down, the arrows were released mid-way and landed at Motoyasu's feet before exploding.
"What the hell was that!?" Motoyasu yelled.
"You got in my way, dumbass!" Itsuki shot back.
Motoyasu sneered at this and rushed to the chimera. Itsuki shook his head and continued to fire his arrows while keeping a watch for incompetent morons getting in his way.
"Are you okay, Sir Itsuki?" Rishia asked.
"Yeah, just annoyed by that moron. Man, I hope the Spear ditches his dumb ass soon and goes to Mario. He'd be much better at teamwork."
"Do you believe that is possible, Sir Itsuki?" Neia asked.
"I hope so. With everything that's happened with the Spear, it looks like it's trying to ditch him."
While this was happening, Ren was slashing at the beast while avoiding its attacks. The lion head tried to bite down on Ren, but he backflipped away. As he landed, he held up his sword as it glowed. This was his Sword Beam, a technique he learned about from one of Mario's stories.
"I don't know if it's as strong as Link's Sword Beam, but it should do." Ren thought.
However, as he released it, Motoyasu charged at the chimera and blocked his attack.
"Move!" Ren shouted.
But it was too late as the beam struck Motoyasu and knocked him down. Taking advantage, the chimera was about to pounce down on Motoyasu. Luckily, Itsuki fired some arrows at it, making it back off.
"Damn it," Motoyasu grumbled as he got up. He then turned to Ren and Itsuki. "What the hell! Why do you two keep attacking me!?"
"Huh!? What the hell are you talking about, Motoyasu!?"
"Yeah! You keep getting in the way of our attacks!"
Ren and Itsuki shouted back. The three began to argue, giving the chimera ample time to charge at them. They turned as it was about to pounce on them. They tried to either move out of the way or raise their weapons to defend themselves, but it would be too late. That is when a fireball struck the chimera and exploded, knocking it back.
"Mamamia, what's-a going on here?" Mario asked as he and his team arrived to help.
"Mario! Thanks for the save!" Itsuki said, with Ren nodding in agreement.
Motoyasu just glared at Mario before looking away, but not before sneaking glances at Peach and Keel.
"You're welcome, but what's-a going on? Why are you three just standing around?" Mario asked again.
"It's this moron," Itsuki answered while pointing to Motoyasu. "He keeps getting in the way of our attacks and then turns around and blames us for it."
Motoyasu glared at Itsuki, angered by his words. This anger only grew as he saw Peach shaking her head in disappointment while Keel pretended he didn't exist.
"Damn it." He growled to himself.
"Mamamia. Okay, so here's the plan. Those who excel in close combat will keep the beast at bay while range experts take shots when they can." Mario said.
"Hmm, it's a simple plan."
"Yeah, I was kind of expecting more."
Ren and Itsuki said.
"Not everything has to be complicated. Simple solutions are often the best. Now remember, this plan works as long as you are aware of each other. Know where your teammates are and be aware of their actions. Ren, if you notice Itsuki aiming his bow at the monster, then move in a way that will not hinder him. And Itsuki, if you notice Ren is too close, then wait until he's out of the way. Not keeping these things in mind is what leads to accidents like before."
Everyone nodded at Mario's explanation until.
"Screw this!"
Everyone turned to Motoyasu, who was shaking with anger.
"What are you doing?" Mario asked.
"I don't need help! Especially not yours, Mario!"
"Mamamia, I can understand if you're still angry, but we need to work together right now."
"Don't listen to that fat loser, Sir Motoyasu!" Malty shouted as she and the rest of Motoyasu's team approached them. "You can do it on your own. You don't need any of the lesser heroes to help."
"Yes, we believe in you, Sir Motoyasu!"
"You can do it!"
Lesty and Elana said while Rino stayed silent, concern seen in her eyes.
"You're right, Myne. As long as I have the faith of my team, I can do anything!"
Motoyasu charged at the chimera, determined to kill it.
"Wait! You moron!" Mario shouted. He then turned to Malty. "What's your game? Why did you do that!?"
"I don't know what you mean. And don't you dare address me like that, you fat piece of shit!"
Malty and Mario glared at each other while Motoyasu charged recklessly ahead.
"Die, you foul beast!" He shouted as he jumped into the air, intending to spear the chimera from above. Unfortunately, the chimera swatted him away and into a tree.
"Sir Motoyasu!" His team, minus Malty, shouted.
That's when Ren's and Itsuki's screens popped up.
"Oh, crap. He's in critical condition." Ren said.
"Hmm? How can you tell?" Keel asked.
"Besides the fact he's not moving? The spear symbol on our screen is flashing red. I'm assuming it's letting us know that he's about to die." Itsuki explained.
"Mamamia! Okay, small change. Peach, can you watch over the moron and make sure he's not dead?"
"Yes," Peach said with an annoyed tone.
"Good, now for the rest of us, let's-a go!"
The heroes followed Mario to finish off the chimera while Peach went to make sure Motoyasu wasn't dead. Malty watched this with a sinister grin.
"Good, she's separated from that fat bastard. Lesty, do you have it ready?"
"Right here."
Lesty pulled out a branding tool with the slave seal at the end.
"Good. I'll make that bitch into an obedient whore yet."
Rino didn't like the fact Malty was doing this but didn't dare speak up, or else she would be the object of Malty's wrath. Malty and Lesty left with two shadows who were nearby. While this was happening, Mario, Keel, Itsuki, and Ren were fighting the chimera. Mario and Keel took the forefront since they could take more damage than Ren or Itsuki, while Ren cut the chimera when a chance presented itself. Itsuki stood at a distance with his team by his side to protect him and fired when an opening was made. The chimera's life was quickly being depleted and would soon be killed.
Peach was watching while standing over Motoyasu. She had used her healing magic to heal him. Not enough to wake him up, just enough to make sure he didn't die. She didn't want him to get in the way. She was watching the fight when she heard something behind her.
"Hmm? Who's there?"
"Oh, it's just me, Lady Peach. Just making sure Motoyasu is okay." Malty answered.
Peach just nodded and turned back to watch the fight. Malty tried to initiate conversation, but Peach continued to ignore her.
"Hmm? What's with the cold treatment? I just want to talk."
"Are you serious? After what you tried to pull back at the church, you think I want to talk to you?"
"Don't be like that. I just wanted to help you. I can't imagine you're with that fat bastard willingly."
Peach narrowed her eyes at Malty.
"Don't badmouth Mario."
"Hmm? Why? He's just a fat..."
Malty didn't finish as Peach pulled out her rapier and pointed it at Malty.
"You should listen. I won't tolerate your insults just because you're the princess."
Peach and Malty stared at each other for a few moments until Peach noticed Malty grinning. She was confused by this until she heard some rustling behind her. Peach turned her head, only for a hand to grab her arm and cover her mouth. Peach dropped her sword and was about to try to free her arm when another person grabbed it and tore her shirt, revealing her chest.
"Quickly! Before she can free herself!" Malty shouted.
Lesty brought over the now hot slave brand while the two shadows held Peach down. Malty pricked her finger and let some of her blood drip over the slave brand. She then pressed it into Peach's chest. Peach let out a muffled scream while tears began to form in her eyes. Malty checked her status screen and saw Peach was added as a slave.
"Good. Now release her." Malty ordered.
The shadows released Peach. Peach got up on shaky legs, still recoiling from the pain of the slave brand being pressed against her chest.
"Now, Peach, who do you serve?" Malty asked with a shit-eating grin.
"I, I, I," Peach stammered out. Malty was grinning with glee that her plan had worked. "I serve no one!" But that grin quickly turned into a frown.
The slave crest began to shock Peach, but she still fought against it. Malty was angered by this and saw a warning symbol flash over Peach's name.
"No, this shouldn't be possible!" She shouted in anger. "You two, restrain her now!"
The two shadows followed Malty's orders and went to restrain Peach. But Peach had picked up her sword and swung at them to keep them away.
"Stay away from me!" She shouted.
The slave seal shocked her more, but Peach didn't stop.
"Damn it! How are you resisting the slave crest!? You should be my obedient whore!" Malty shouted.
Peach glared at Malty after hearing this, her anger rising.
"You! You, narcissistic, entitled, egotistical, maniacal, conniving, BITCH!" Peach shouted.
As she did, a torrent of flames surrounded her, forcing everyone to back off. Luckily, Elana and Rino had dragged Motoyasu away so he wasn't caught up in the flames. From the battlefield, Mario saw the flames surrounding Peach along with Malty and two shadows.
"What's-a going on over there!? Keel, go help your mother. I'll handle this."
"Yes, Father!"
Keel left to aid Peach. Meanwhile, Malty was livid with the situation. Peach should have been her obedient whore, obeying her every command. But she was fighting and resisting the slave crest.
"You damn bitch! Fine, if you won't be my slave, you'll be my trophy!"
Malty raised her arm and channeled her magic, ready to kill Peach. But,
"Princess, look out!" A shadow shouted.
Malty turned just in time to avoid a hammer strike from Keel.
"Grr, you damn animal!" Malty shouted.
Keel ignored Malty's insult and stood in front of Peach.
"Mother, what's wrong?"
"It's that pathetic excuse of a princess, Keel. She placed a slave seal on me."
"Oh no! We need to get that off!"
"As if I'll let that happen."
Malty snapped her fingers, and the two shadows pulled out their blades, ready to kill Keel and Peach.
"Mother, can't you use the same power Father and Uncle Luigi have to free yourself?"
"I should be able to. I am a Star Child as well. Just hold them off while I focus the power." Peach said while fighting off the effects of the slave seal.
Keel took a protective position in front of Peach while she began to focus her magic inwards. Malty and her shadows were confused when Peach started to glow, but that's when Malty noticed the warning symbol on Peach's name in the slave menu was flashing brighter.
"No! I don't know what she's doing, but you must stop her now!" Malty shouted.
The shadows nodded and rushed at Keel and Peach. As they got close, they jumped at Keel, their daggers poised to stab her and coated in a strange liquid.
"Stone skin!" Keel shouted as she punched her fists together.
The shadows thrust their daggers at Keel, but they did not inflict any damage thanks to her stone skin ability. But they smirked as the liquid that was on their daggers was now on her.
"Ha! Is that all you got?"
Keel grinned at the shadows but noticed them grinning back. That's when she saw the liquid that was still on her arms. Before she could question it, the liquid turned into a cloud of black smoke. Keel was shocked by this and had breathed some of it in. She began to cough violently as the black smoke consumed her.
"Ha! How do you like that!? You stupid beast!"
"To think we had to use one of our strongest poisons against an animal like you. Be honored; you die a death far greater than you deserve."
The shadows said as Keel continued to cough. The coughing then stopped, and the shadows smirked, believing she was dead. But as the smoke cleared, they saw Keel still standing and healthy as she waved away the smoke.
"What!? But how!?"
The shadows were shocked by this.
"Huh? You said something?" Keel mocked. Thanking the stars that her new parents had this armor made for her. She knew she would've been screwed if she didn't have it.
"Damn, filthy beast! You have the same armor as the Shield Demon and his allies, don't you?" Malty accused.
"What do you mean?" A shadow asked.
"The Shield Demon and his team have armor that protects them from all manners of drugs and poisons!" Malty answered.
"What!? How did they obtain such powerful armor?"
"And why did you not inform us of this until now?"
"What was that!? How dare you take that tone with me!?"
The shadow ignored Malty's words, being loyal to the church, and turned back to face Keel.
"So, what do we do now?" The other shadow asked.
"What do you think!? Kill them already!"
The shadows sighed, as the poison was their trump card, but pushed forward regardless. Keel just punched her fists together, not bothering to bring out her hammer. She knew shadows were agile fighters, and her hammer, while strong, was slow. She looked back to see how Peach was doing. Peach was still glowing, but Keel could see that the slave seal was slowly disappearing. She smiled and turned back just in time to see a shadow thrusting his dagger at her. She managed to parry it with her armored gauntlet and grabbed the shadow by his face.
"Hold up, where's the other one?" She asked. That's when she noticed the shadow she had looking behind her. She looked back to see the other shadow about to stab Peach. "I don't think so!" Keel threw the shadow she had at the other one attacking Peach. The two crashed into each other and were thrown away from Peach.
Keel was glad she had protected her mother until she saw a glow coming from behind her. She looked to see Malty charging a fireball and aiming it at Peach. Keel was about to charge at Malty, but she had fired her attack. Keel rushed into the path of the fireball and blocked it with her body.
"Grr, damn demi," Malty growled.
The smoke cleared to show that Keel was wounded from the attack. Not much, thanks to her armor, but there was damage. Malty smirked and thought a barrage of magical attacks would overpower Keel.
"You three, come help me kill this beast," Malty ordered the other members of Motoyasu's team.
Lesty nodded and joined Malty.
"I'm keeping watch over Sir Motoyasu," Elana answered.
"Fine, peasant girl! You know many spells, correct?"
"Y-Y-Yes." Rino answered Malty.
"Good, then come and help us," Malty ordered, but Rino didn't move. "What are you waiting for? I gave you an order!"
"No!" Rino screamed. "I won't! This is wrong! You can't enslave a person just because you don't like them! I don't want to be a part of this! I won't!"
Malty grits her teeth in anger.
"You! How dare you defy me!?" Rino was frightened by Malty's outburst but was even more terrified by her grinning soon after. "Fine, I'll deal with you later."
Malty's tone sent a shiver down Rino's spine. She knew Motoyasu wouldn't protect her; Malty had him wrapped around her finger. But what could she do? She couldn't run, or Malty would target her family next. While Rino was pondering her choices, Malty turned back to Keel.
"Time to die, filthy animal."
Malty and Lesty charged their magic, and Keel braced herself for their attack. But an arrow nearly hit them, interrupting their focus and stopping the chant.
"What!? Who dares!?" Malty asked.
Everyone turned to see that Rifana had fired the arrow. Soon, Luigi and the rest of the team arrived.
"What's-a going on here!?" Luigi asked.
Malty ground her teeth, knowing she and Lesty would be no match for Luigi. She decided it would be best to cut her losses and flee with Motoyasu and the others. But before she could turn around, a dagger was placed on her back.
"I don't think so, princess." A female voice said.
"Now, who is it!?" Malty asked as she turned her head.
She saw that it was a shadow belonging to her mother, who had placed the dagger on her back. She was angered and terrified by this, knowing her mother's shadows had more authority than her since they represented the queen.
"I recall the queen's decree explicitly stating that the Shield Hero and his term were not to be harmed or kidnapped."
"No! You don't understand! This is just a, a, a,"
"Enough. Save your words for the trial."
Malty didn't like this but wasn't concerned. As long as her father was the judge, she could just weasel her way out of trouble. While this was happening, Luigi and the rest of his team rushed over to Peach and Keel.
"Are you alright, Keel?" Raphtalia asked.
"I'm fine. Please help mother."
Everyone turned to see Peach still fighting off the slave seal.
"What happened?" Daisy asked.
"That bitch put a slave seal on her!" Keel answered, pointing at Malty.
"Why, you little!" Daisy charged at Malty but was stopped by the queen's shadow.
"Please, save your anger for another time. The princess will be dealt with by the law."
"Ha! That's funny, considering her father tried to use the law to falsely accuse Luigi, the Shield Hero, of a crime. So why should I trust the law to punish her?"
"I understand your frustrations, but please trust us. The queen gives you her word that Princess Malty S. Melromarc will not go unpunished."
Malty was getting worried after hearing the shadow's words. She believed she was fine because her mother was not in Melromarc. What could she have planned? Daisy bit her lip in frustration but relented.
"Fine! But she better receive a proper punishment and not some slap on the wrist. If she doesn't, then I don't care what your laws say, I'll punish her myself."
"Very well. Thank you for giving us this chance."
The shadow said with a bow. Before Daisy left, she looked at Malty and made the 'I'm watching you' gesture. Back with Peach, she was still fighting off the slave seal when the light surrounding her grew to its brightest. Everyone had to shield their eyes until it dissipated. When it did, Peach was on her knees, and the slave seal was gone. Malty checked her menu to see that Peach was no longer a slave. She growled in anger at that.
"Mother! Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine, Keel. Thank you for protecting me." Peach answered as Keel helped her up.
Keel hugged Peach as tears began to form in her eyes.
"I thought I was going to lose you."
"It's okay, Keel. It's fine. I've faced more threatening situations than Princess Bitch over there. I'm not going out that easy."
Peach said to reassure her adopted daughter. Keel still held onto Peach while she tried to reassure her she was fine. Luigi took this chance to look at the battle with the chimera. Mario was doing a great job at leading the other two heroes, and the chimera was almost dead. He then saw a platoon of knights approaching the battle and frowned.
Flashback
Luigi and Raphtalia were fighting off zombies and giant locusts while Daisy and Rifana guided other survivors they found to the mines. The two had just finished off the last of the horde when they heard large footsteps approaching them. They turned to see a giant zombie wielding a giant club getting closer.
"Mamamia, that's-a big zombie."
"Nothing we can't handle. Let's go, Father!"
Raphtalia and Luigi charged at the giant zombie. It saw them and raised its club to crush them. Luigi saw this and activated his new skill.
"Airstrike Shield!"
A green shield appeared above Luigi and Raphtalia, protecting them from the giant zombie's attack. Raphtalia used this chance to attack and used the airstrike shield as a platform. Luigi summoned a second shield so Raphtalia could get above the zombie's head.
"Now, Father!"
Luigi nodded and activated another skill. During their training sessions, Luigi learned that he could share power-ups with other members of his party if they were close enough to him. They discovered that only Luigi could do this and assumed it had something to do with the Legendary Shield. Luigi used this skill and gave Raphtalia the Drillshroom.
Raphtalia's gear changes into shades of brown and gray with a drill on top of her head. She flipped, and the drill was now on her feet as she dove toward the zombie. She pierced its skull and entered its head. The zombie clutched at its head while Luigi heard Raphtalia cutting everything in there. Soon, the zombie went limp and fell. Raphtalia then exited through the ear while shaking off all the gray matter covering her.
"Yuck! I'm going to need an extra long bath and shower when we return home."
Luigi just chuckled at this and activated the Bubbleshroom power-up. He then blew bubbles at Raphtalia that sucked up all the gray matter and cleaned her.
"Thank you, Father!"
"You're welcome, Raphtalia."
The two were about to search for more people when they saw something in the sky.
"What is that?" Raphtalia asked as she squinted her eyes to get a better look.
Luigi did the same and widened his eyes in horror. It was a massive fireball, and it was falling towards the village.
"Mamamia! Who sent that!?"
"I don't know, but it's going to destroy the village! We have to do something!"
"Right!"
Luigi raised his shield and activated the Airstrike Shield and its second shield. Then he combined it with the Giant Mushroom. The shields grew to giant proportions and managed to block the fireball and any fleeing sparks from it. As the shields disappeared, Luigi and Raphtalia smiled in pride at having saved the village.
"Alright! Who did that!?"
That was until they heard shouting coming from the edge of the village. They turned to the sound and saw a platoon of knights entering the village.
"It was you! Wasn't it Shield Demon? Only you would summon two giant shields to stop our glorious attack." The knight captain said in an arrogant tone.
"You released that giant fireball? Why?" Raphtalia asked.
"Hmph! To destroy all the monsters, of course."
"But what about the village!? What if there were still some villagers trapped in here? And what about their homes? That fireball would have destroyed all the buildings, leaving them homeless!"
"Tsk! Don't you dare lecture me, you damn beast! The sacrifice of a few villagers is of no consequence to save the kingdom."
This angered Luigi and Raphtalia.
"You idiots!"
Everyone turned to see Daisy and Rifana approaching them.
"What was that!?" The captain asked in anger.
Daisy didn't answer and just rushed at the captain. Everyone thought she was going to attack him, but she ran past him at a giant zombie about to attack the knights. Daisy used her rapier to parry the zombie's weapon. Then, while it was staggered, she unleashed a barrage of sword swings. The zombie stood still for a moment, and then it fell to pieces. Daisy looked back at the knights, who stared at her in awe and fear.
"If most of the men in this kingdom are like you, all talk and no action, then it's no wonder why Melromarc is a matriarchy," Daisy said as she walked past the knights.
Many of the knights' pride was hurt by words.
"What the hell was that!? How dare you speak like that to me, you whore!" The knight captain shouted as he approached Daisy. "Don't you know who I am? I am the captain of the, Whoa!"
Daisy didn't let the knight captain finish and lifted him by his armor.
"Captain!"
"What are you doing!?"
Some of the knights shouted. They wanted to rescue their captain but were terrified by the strength and skill Daisy had shown. Not to mention, Luigi was right next to her. Many of the knights still remember the tales of him and Mario defeating the Tyrant Dragon Rex.
"Listen, punk, I don't give a damn who you think you are. To me, you're just some loser who tried to kill the Shield Hero and nearly destroyed this town. By that logic, you should be arrested for breaking the queen's decree."
The knight captain began to panic at this. If the queen found out he ordered the attack that nearly killed the Shield Hero, his place on the guillotine was guaranteed.
"Wait!" One of the knights shouted. "We didn't know the Shield Hero was here. Our target was the monsters, not the Shield Hero!"
"Did you do recon? Send any scouts to make sure that no innocent villagers would get caught in your attack?" Daisy asked.
"Um, no. The captain saw the monsters and ordered the attack instantly."
"And you all just went along with it? Did any of you think about the people who may have still been in the village?"
"Well, some of us did, but..."
"But what!? Why didn't you say anything?"
"Well, he's the captain. So..."
"So you just went along with his idea because of his higher rank? Why?"
The knights looked away, too ashamed to look at Daisy.
"And there it is. Not only are the men in this world incompetent, but they're also spineless. How about you make yourselves useful and help fight off the remaining monsters?"
"What gives you the right to order MY men around!?" The knight captain asked in anger.
"Did you say something?"
Daisy turned and glared at the captain. He instantly backed down, not wanting a fight with her. Daisy scoffed and joined her family as they went to kill the rest of the monsters.
"Bah! Forget them! We need to aid the other heroes. Men, follow me!"
Some of the knights followed the captain, but the rest were still.
"Hmm? What are you doing?"
"She's right," A knight with a scar across his nose said. "We should've checked for survivors first."
"What!? Are you defying my orders!?"
"Fuck your orders! For any knight who still has a shred of honor, follow the Shield Hero and protect the village!"
The other knights cheered and followed Luigi and his team. The captain scoffed and continued with his men.
"It doesn't matter. As long as the Shield and his team are here, our other mission can be accomplished." The captain said with a smirk.
Present time
"Well, look who it is?" Daisy commented as she saw the knights.
"Huh? What's wrong? Why are you angry with those knights, Daisy?" Peach asked as she leaned on Keel.
"Those jerks almost killed us and then left to aid the other heroes."
"What!?"
"It makes you wonder, though. How did we get here before them?" Luigi asked.
"Either the captain is a bigger moron than we thought and got lost, or he's a coward and only came out when it appeared the battle was over. I'm guessing both." Daisy answered, with the rest of her team nodding in agreement.
"Huh? What? What's happening?" Motoyasu had regained consciousness. "Why does my body hurt?"
Motoyasu stood himself up using the spear, but as he did, a broken vial with gold trimmings fell out of his clothes. The queen's shadow and Malty noticed this, and she began to panic while the shadow picked it up.
"This is," The shadow turned to Malty with narrowed eyes. "Princess, why does the Spear Hero have this?"
"I, I, I have no idea. I've never seen that before." Malty answered.
"What is that?" Rifana asked.
"This is a resurrection vial. A powerful, expensive, and heavily regulated potion. It saves the person holding it from death."
"Oh, so like the One-Up Mushrooms."
Rifana's answer confused everyone besides Luigi's team.
"What is that?" The shadow asked.
"Oh, it's-a item back from our world. It gives you an extra life when you are about to die." Luigi answered.
"I see. You and your friends keep surprising us." The shadow commented.
Malty and Motoyasu were angered by this, but Malty was already scheming on how to steal all the powerful items Luigi and his team own. Luigi looked at the menu and was pleased by what he saw.
"It looks-a like the battle will be over soon."
"Huh? Oh crap! They're going to take the best loot!"
Motoyasu said as he finished drinking a health potion given to him by Elana and ran to the chimera. Mario, Ren, and Itsuki were almost done, as the chimera had a sliver of health left. Mario was about to deal the finishing blow when,
"YYAAAHHH!"
Motoyasu jumped at the monster with a spear thrust. He stabbed the chimera's leg, and it fell dead.
"Ha! I dealt the finishing blow! That means I get the best loot!"
"What!?"
"Hell no! Why should you get the best loot for stealing our kill!?"
Ren and Itsuki yelled back at Motoyasu.
"Shut up! I saved your lives; you should be grateful I don't take this beast for myself."
"Try that, jackass, and I'll drop you where you stand!" Itsuki responded as he readied his bow.
Motoyasu gritted his teeth as he saw Ren ready his weapon as well.
"Damn it."
While Motoyasu was glaring at the two, Mario approached him.
"Huh? What do you want, you-"
Motoyasu didn't finish as Mario grabbed him by his collar.
"Listen here, punk. You don't get to claim anything when you didn't do jack! I gave clear instructions, and you ignored them, resulting in you nearly dying. Because of that, Peach was put in danger protecting you."
Mario then dropped Motoyasu while still glaring at him.
"Now, while it would be fair to give you the worst loot, we do need all four heroes to save the world. So, we will divide the loot evenly."
Motoyasu looked away in anger while Ren and Itsuki agreed with Mario, albeit reluctantly. But before they could start dividing the chimera parts, the heroes' status screens popped up.
"Huh? That's weird." Itsuki said.
"What's-a a wrong?" Mario asked.
"My status screen is glitching out."
"Yeah, mine too."
Itsuki and Ren answered before turning to Motoyasu.
"Hey, Motoyasu! Did you do something to our status screens?" Itsuki asked in an accusatory tone.
"What!? Why are you blaming me!?"
Before the three heroes could start arguing, the screens cleared and displayed a new message.
/New boss monster, Vengeful Blacksmith, has appeared. Please dispose of the boss monster as soon as possible./
The screen then showed the level and health of the boss monster, but it showed question marks.
"Huh? What the hell?"
"How are we supposed to fight a monster when we don't know how strong it is?"
Itsuki and Ren said.
"Ha! If you can't handle something as simple as a bonus boss, then I'll handle it and claim all the sweet loot for myself." Motoyasu said in a smug tone.
Mario was about to say something, but that's when a portal opened up in front of them, and something big stepped out.
"Whoa, a steel giant. Sweet! They drop the best loot!" Motoyasu shouted.
Ren and Itsuki examined the boss monster in front of them. It was a metal giant with a large and long beard, wearing a crown and wielding a giant hammer with red and gold hands. Mario, however, was shocked by what he saw.
"No, how did he get here?"
"Finally!" The metal giant shouted. "I've finally escaped the UnderWhere and Jaydes grasp. And the power boost I got is a nice bonus. Now, where to..." The giant stopped as his eyes landed on Mario. "Mario! What are you doing here!?"
"Huh? What?" Motoyasu was confused by this.
"Mario, do you know this guy?" Itsuki asked.
"Remember when I said I fought living weapons? This is the guy who made them. His name is Smithy, and he's very powerful and extremely dangerous!"
Mario's explanation terrified Ren and Itsuki. Mario was the strongest guy they'd met, and even he was cautious of this giant.
"So, beating him will make me better than you? Perfect! Then I will defeat Smithy and claim my rightful place as the true hero of this world!" Motoyasu declared as he charged at Smithy.
"Wait! You moron!" Mario shouted.
Motoyasu thrust his spear at Smithy when he was close enough, but Smithy caught him with no difficulty.
"Hmm? Who are you?"
"Grr, I'm the true her o, and I'm going to defeat you!"
Motoyasu tried to stab Smithy's hand to release him, but he wasn't doing any damage.
"Ha! If you are what passes for a hero around here, then I'll have no problem conquering this realm once Mario is dealt with. Although, that spear you have looks interesting. I'll just take that."
Smithy tried to take the spear, but it shocked him as soon as he grabbed it.
"Oh, it's one of those weapons? Well, I know how to deal with that!"
Smithy pointed his finger at Motoyasu, and soon, he was surrounded by a purple glow. Then, he was zapped with purple lighting. It stung, but Motoyasu was fine, or so he thought. Unbeknownst to him, his connection with the spear had just been destroyed.
"Now then, I'll be taking that!"
Smithy took the spear from Motoyasu, now free from its connection to him.
"Hey! Give that baaaaaaaa..."
Smithy had thrown Motoyasu away, no longer needing him.
"Oh, yes. A powerful weapon indeed. Once I learn its inner workings, I can replicate it and create a- GAH!"
The spear was knocked away by a hammer swing from Mario.
"I don't-a think so!"
"Mario! You will get in my way no longer!"
Mario and Smithy began a hammer duel. Meanwhile, Itsuki fired some arrows at Smithy, but they dealt no damage.
"No way."
"We're too under-leveled for this. We can't do anything to help."
Itsuki and Ren were despairing when Luigi and his team showed up.
"Hey! What are you two doing?" Daisy asked.
"We, we can't help Mario. Our attacks can't damage Smithy!" Itsuki answered.
"Smithy? Smithy is here!?" Peach asked in fear. She looked to see Mario fighting Smithy by himself. "Oh no! We need to help him!"
"Right! So, since you can't help fight, then help by keeping everyone away while we fight Smithy. Oh, and also help that moron." Daisy said while pointing at Motoyasu.
"Right!"
Ren and Itsuki answered. Luigi and his team left to aid Mario, while Ren, Itsuki, and their teams left to help others. Mario and Smithy were trading blows when Mario used an upward swing. Smithy smirked and avoided the attack. Then he knocked Mario's hammer away. He then swung his hammer down on Mario.
"Shield Prison!" Luigi shouted, creating a sphere of shields to protect Mario.
Smithy growled as his attack was blocked, but he then had an idea. "Fore!" Smithy knocked the sphere away like it was a golf ball, with Mario still inside.
"Mario!" The Shield Team shouted.
"Is father going to be okay?" Keel asked.
"Hmm? Father?"
Everyone turned to face Smithy, whose eyes landed on Peach and Keel.
"So, Mario finally tied the knot with the princess. But why is their child so different?" Smithy asked, taking note of Keel's animal traits. He then stared at Luigi or, rather, the shield Luigi held. "So, Mario's brother also has a special weapon? And so did those other two kids. I can't wait to take them all."
"Like we'll let you!" Raphtalia shouted.
The Shield Team engaged Smithy in combat while Mario was still flying through the air. The sphere dissipated right before he crashed into the ground. Mario shook himself and ran to rejoin the battle.
"Wait."
But he stopped when he heard a voice. Mario looked around but didn't see anyone. He shrugged and was about to leave.
"Use me."
But he heard the voice again.
"Hello? Is-a anyone there?"
"You are more worthy."
Mario was confused by this and decided to search for the owner of the voice. He looked through the bushed until he found it. The legendary spear.
"Was that you?" Mario asked but received no response.
He knew that the weapons were stuck to their owners, but Smithy did something that made him able to hold the spear, so maybe he could as well. Mario decided it was worth a try and grabbed the spear. As he did, the gem on the spear glowed brilliantly, and Mario was covered in a red glow. Soon, the glow and the light dissipated, and Mario's status screen popped up. It showed his titles, and he saw that he was now the Spear Hero.
"Hmm, lucky me."
Mario pondered on this new development when he heard an explosion. He looked back and saw his friends and family fighting Smithy. He put his pondering on the back burner for now and ran to join them.
Back with the others, the fight with Smithy wasn't going well. He was much stronger than before for some reason. And his magic stopped most of their strategies. Thanks to his skill 'shredder,' any augments they made to their stats with skills were pointless. Keel found this out the hard way when Smithy dismissed her Stone Skin skill with a snap of his fingers.
"Mamamia, how did he get so strong?" Peach asked as she healed Keel.
"Who cares!? Just pummel him!" Daisy answered.
"Ha! If only I had this power during our first encounter, then I would have conquered the Mushroom Kingdom and all the other kingdoms of that world! Still, it doesn't matter now. Once I finish your lot off, I'll hunt those other two kids down and take their weapons. And once I find that spear, then nothing will stop me!"
Smithy began to laugh victoriously when,
"Let's-a go!"
Everyone heard Mario's shout as he jumped at Smithy from behind.
"Hmph! What can you-" Smithy was cut off when he felt a stabbing pain in his back. "ARGH! What happened!? What did you do!?"
Smithy shook himself, trying to dislodge Mario. He did, and Mario landed in front of the team with his new weapon.
"Wait, is that the legendary spear?" Luigi asked.
"Yeah. I found it in a bush and decided to use it." Mario responded.
"So, does that mean you're the Spear Hero now?" Peach asked.
"Maybe, but let's not focus on that right now. We got an old enemy to finish off."
Everyone gathered to face Smithy. He glared at them, knowing that he was now at a disadvantage against them. He was thinking of a way to turn the tables when he saw the knights nearby. He grinned and ran right at them.
"Wait! Where are you going!?" Mario shouted as he and the others gave chase.
The knights saw Smithy approaching and were terrified.
"Captain! The iron giant is approaching! What should we do!?" A knight asked. But when he didn't receive an answer, he looked back to see his captain already running. "You coward!" The knight shouts.
Smithy then leaped at the knights while swinging down his hammer. A dust cloud formed as the screams and cries of the knights could be heard.
"Mamamia! What is he doing to them?"
"I don't know, bro. But we need to stop him now!"
Mario answered Luigi. The group closed in and saw Smithy's shadow in the dust cloud. As they approached, Mario saw a notification stating that the union with his abilities had been complete,d and he could now use them alongside the spear's abilities. He smiled and activated the Fire Flower power-up.
"Hey, Luigi, let's-a finish him off with the same move we used on Reclusa."
"Okay!"
Luigi nodded and activated his Ice Flower power-up. He then charged a ball of ice while Mario charged a ball of fire. The two combined the attacks and sent it towards the shadow. It exploded, and they saw pieces of Smithy flying everywhere.
"You did it!" Raphtalia cheered.
"No, we didn't," Mario said. "His health didn't go down. That was something else."
Mario and Luigi noticed Smithy's health bar was still the same. That's when his arm landed in front of them, or at least that's what they thought. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed to be the knights' armor, with pieces of the knights' still inside, shaped into the form of Smithy's arm.
"Mamamia. He killed them just to make a decoy." Luigi said in disgust and horror.
Mario looked around for Smithy, but he was gone.
"How does someone that big get away!" Daisy complained.
The group continued to look, but that's when Mario and Luigi got a notification on their status screen.
/Vengeful Blacksmith has escaped. Second Wave, completed./
While they were happy the wave was over; the victory was bittersweet as Smithy had not only returned but was stronger now, had killed a lot of people, and had his eyes on the legendary weapons.
"Well, this sucks," Keel said.
"I know it seems bad, but let's look at the positives. The village and the people living there are safe. And the original boss monster was defeated." Raphtalia said to raise everyone's spirits.
"You're right, Raphtalia. Speaking of, let's-a go loot the chimera."
"Yeah! No use crying over spilled milk!"
Luigi and Daisy said.
"Excuse me!"
Everyone turned to see the knight with a scar approaching them.
"Oh, you're the knight who helped us," Rifana said.
"Yes. First of all, thank you for saving the village and showing us the errors of our ways." The knight said with a bow.
"Don't mention it. Just do better next time." Daisy said.
"We will. Now, we weren't supposed to say anything, but we did have another objective."
"Oh, what was it? Do you need help?" Peach asked.
"No, it has to do with you all. We were ordered to make sure you stayed here."
This confused the Shield Team.
"Huh? Why?" Keel asked.
"I don't know. But, if I had to guess, it has to do with the second platoon of knights. I don't know where, but they were ordered to attack some location during the wave."
The group thought about this until their eyes widened in horrific realization.
"Lurolona," Peach said in shock.
"We need to go back and help them!"
Everyone agreed with Raphtalia and were about to use a warp pipe to get back, but,
"There is no need."
One of the queen's shadows stopped them.
"The queen had anticipated her husband's actions and sent some of us to watch over the village. I just received word that the king's attack has failed."
"Really?" Rifana asked in a hopeful tone.
"Yes. The battle was one-sided, apparently. You have trained the defenders well."
The group let out the breath they were holding. Relieved to hear that everyone at Lurolona was okay.
Back at Lurolona
"No, this shouldn't be possible." A knight said as he was tied up and dragged to the holding cell by one of Lurolona's defenders. "You're just a bunch of animals. How did you obtain this strength!?"
"You and that racist king underestimate our resolve and skill. As well as the Shield Hero and his team. Thanks to their training and preparations, we were more than ready for you!" Eclair stated.
The fields outside of Lurolona showed signs of a major battle. But besides a few cuts and minor injuries, the defenders of Lurolona were unscathed.
"Damn it! It wasn't supposed to be like this." One of the shadows leading the attack force complained.
"You will have much to answer for once the Shield and his allies return," Eclair said.
"Ha! As if! You'll get nothing from me!"
The shadow bit down on something and began to foam at the mouth. He soon dropped dead.
"Oh, no, you don't."
Eclair approached the dead shadow with a green mushroom. She shoved it down his throat, and in a shower of sparkles, he was revived.
"Huh? But how!?"
"A gift from the Shield Hero. You don't get to escape that easily."
Eclair's words and glare frightened the shadow, knowing that there was no way for him to escape now.
And that's the end of the chapter. Sorry for the long wait, lots of stuff going on, like a busted laptop. But now I'm back with a new laptop and ready to continue my work. Thank you all so much for reading, feel free to leave a review, and have a nice day.