AUTHOR NOTES.

Sorry, I am late?

Won't give excuses, if you read Blood God, you know what happened.

Enjoy.

ps:What height size do you consider to be scary? I mean, for me the intimidation factor came first from the aura certain people would project, and that their height would add to it, but I have received some reviews that overly focused on the height factor, considering I took Izuku's height into cannon.

Rushing and jumping through the rooftops of Shiramo Town, Naofumi was making his way towards the rest of his party on the next city. The hero did not stop for anything, his moves precise and backed by a purpose; making the shadow unit following him push herself in hopes of matching the performance of the hero.

This is truly astounding! Even when under leveled and being bothered by the kingdom, Shield Hero Naofumi still managed to grow this strong in such a short period of time. If he had the backing of the kingdom from the very beginning, what kind of monster would he be now? The agent mused in her mind, observing the defensive hero guide them to his companions. It was common knowledge that heroes and their companions grew at a different pace from the normal soldier or adventurer, the blessing that the hero received from their [Holy Weapon] guaranteed that a hero and their party had the effective strength of a country.

Heroes were that kind of special existence. Their power and otherworldly knowledge was essential for the battle against the [Waves of Calamity]. The [Will of the World] itself recognized them as special protectors, the very system that granted people their status magic. It would be beyond foolish to try and antagonize them. All of that was knowledge that even the poorest peasant was aware, so it baffled the agent that her king would do such a thing.

Melromark had a stigma against the Shield, their last war against the demi-humans one of the major facts into accounting the rise of the Church of Three Heroes and the practice of human-supremacy in the country. The incident against the king's family also fueled the hate of the royalty towards both the demis and the Shield. However, the operative was also aware that Melromark had not being built on a clean slate, considering they were an offspring from Faubley, thus many of their practices were also standard practice in the Matriarchal Monarchy.

The agent had done many immoral acts for her country and queen; espionage, sabotage, assassination and back-hand deals were some of the dirty dealings that happened behind the stages of the kingdom. There would be no other way to control a country such as Melromark otherwise, especially in the recent years with the growth in power that the state religion had. At first, it was convenient for the royalty to back up the Church of Three Heroes, using the background of the war to unite the people against one common enemy. The past Shield Hero and the Demi humans of Siltvelt.

Now, though, the Church had grown too powerful and too greedy. Their little conspiration plan of dethroning the Queen had long been discovered by the shadows. The only problem laid on the fact that the Church had the backing of many of the noble houses of the country, thus it would not be easy to take that power away from them without bloodshed.

Queen Mirelia had been slowly gaining the upper hand against them due to their rush to summon the Four Heroes, and now had been the perfect opportunity. She only needed the aid of the Shield Hero, the idea that he had been helping them would be good propaganda to spread and calm the other nations, as well as slowly change Melromark. That chance had clearly gone to waste, thanks to the king's needless meddling.

Now the operative hoped with all her heart that Shield Hero Naofumi changed his mind, even though she knew it was a false hope. It had been a miracle that he even decided to save Princess Melty, as he had no obligation to go along with the selfish desires of the Second Princess. She had good intentions for sure, but she only ended up putting herself in mortal danger.

"Look alive, we reach the others in ten!" Naofumi said to the agent, the woman finding that he had become quite good in the stealth arts. It was only expected when one finds himself being hunted down, she sarcastically thought, trying her best to not convey her nervousness as she nodded to his statement.

As per his word, ten minutes later and just at the edge of Ningenyami, there were his party. They had hidden in one of the many alleys of the developing city, inconspicuous enough that nobody would go out of their way to search the place. The hero did not wait for the agent, merely making his way to his girls. They seemed to be aware of their presence there, the raccoon demi-human and the Shadow unit immediately turning their heads into his direction as he descended into the alley like a well-experienced burglar.

"Naofumi-sama!"

"Master!"

The hero approached them, raising both hands to their heads. He began slowly patting the head of the swordswoman, the rogue/assassin content with the mere touch of his hand. His other companions waited their turns, the Hydra snake-ling and the Philorial clearly bothered that they had to wait their turns for their master's affection.

After a few minutes of intimacy with the two girls, Naofumi released them and made his way to the others.

The agent saw the display with some shame, her mind asking if she was allowed to see this intimate moment between the hero and his companions. Seeing their interaction made the agent disgusted that she had been bothering the hero for their internal affairs, pushing a job that was clearly theirs into his back and demanding he do it with a smile.

The agent wondered, only for a moment, if she could exchange places with the Shield Hero's Shadow. Would she be this appreciated? Would she be treated with such care?

[XXX]

[XXX]

Naofumi finished checking on both Firo and Dera, content to confirm their well-being. He finished giving the girls their headpats and hugs, the monster-girls complaining when he finished, the hero checked on his last companion.

"Felicia." He called, eyeing the witch as she fixed a coat around her shoulders. It did not match her Witch's dress, the bulky clothing very different from what he expected of the Zauberer girl.

She tilted her head to the side, giving Naofumi a lazy smile. "Fortress-sama, forgive the less than eye-pleasing clothes, but this sorceress is used to be spoiled by your comfortable and warm wagon. It got chilly and I wanted to save some mana." Her sarcastic and teasing tone made the hero regain some semblance of a good mood.

"Don't worry about it. Next time I'll make you something and enchant it." He said, giving her one of his gentler smiles. The witch was stunned, not used to see him making that kind of face. She could not help the blush that dusted over her face, although she hid it well using the wide brim of her hat.

"Aren't you a lady killer?" She joked, lightly punching his chest. He brushed it off and turned back to his girls.

"Everyone will get a gift after this is done." Naofumi said, dismissing the pouting lips of Firo, the blond girl crossing her arms and pretending to be angry at him. He scoffed, seeing that she could be this childish in their current situation. Dera was a good girl and merely waited for his orders, her tongues flickering out in regular intervals to taste the air.

"There is no need, Naofumi-sama." Raphtalia said, her mood still low. Her ears were down, making Naofumi's heart tighten a bit at the sight. She once more assumed a serious façade, trying to reassure him. "But, why is that shadow agent here?"

He took a deep breath, exhaling like he was absolutely exhausted. He had to raise one hand to stop Shadow from deploying Metal Thread Wire and slicing the other agent into bits.

"Melty got taken away by the town's noble, a fucking prick that goes by Butamaru. An associate of the Church." Naofumi said as he pointed to the castle at the cliff of a far elevation. "I decided to help Melty one last time. She will be the princess' ticket to her mother after we get her out." The hero said as he pointed to the agent.

Said agent was simply standing up there, avoiding any other moves. She had already pissed off both the hero and his party enough times to know that any unnecessary thing that left her mouth would only earn her a dagger between the ribs. Not a pleasant way to go, if you asked her.

Naofumi was busy noticing the trembling of Raphtalia's hands. He knew she was shaken by the recent events and that soldier's life which she had taken. However, this was different from that; it seemed as if the girl was on the very edge of having a panic attack. The hero noticed that she had become like this since he had mentioned Butamaru's name. It seemed as if the noble's name had triggered something inside his slave.

He approached her and once more gave the girl a few headpats, calming her somewhat.

"Mind telling me what got you like this?" He asked. Raphtalia seemed conflicted, wondering if she should or not open up to him. He waited patiently, sure that this was as serious as the time she had explained the circumstances behind her parents' demise.

The raccoon girl put one hand over the hilt of her sword, the other holding on his chest armor as if it was a lifeline. "Naofumi-sama...I-I'm sure that-t this is the town where me and Lifana-chan were sold to our most cruel master. For m-me, it was only a few days since the lord found me boring, but Lifana-chan stayed behind. I-I could not help her...N-Naofumi-sama." Raphtalia's voice cracked and it was clear to him that she was suffering as she remembered whatever had happened to her here. It caused the simmering in his stomach to return, the spark of rage that would lead to a fiery inferno.

Naofumi did his best to stop his wrath from going out of control, the hero formulating a plan in his mind. He took in account the information his unwanted add-on told him, the beginnings a devious plan being concocted in his mind.

He seems to have some sort of sealing monument in his castle. Releasing the seal doesn't seem to be a good idea, whatever is in there is sealed for a good reason. I could simply ghost by, but that fucker needs a lesson. Screw that! The entirety of this fucking kingdom needs to learn I won't simply let them step all over me!

The hero checked his [World Map], seeing if he could trace the best way towards the castle. A few routes marked, the hero kept listening as Raphtalia continued speaking.

"N-now I hold a sword, I'm strong. I-I have killed a person...I don't know if I'll be able to hold myself back if I see him, Naofumi-sama!" Anger began slipping into voice of the girl. She lifted her head to look at her master, wondering what he would say. Would he admonish her dark desires for revenge? Would he scold her for wishing to stain her blade with the blood of her torturer?

"Then don't hold back!" Naofumi exclaimed, making the Queen's shadow agent widen her eyes behind her mask. "Take your revenge Raphtalia, I'll be right there with you to protect you. Then, we will smear our happiness across their faces. The church, that bitch, that trash-king. I told you before, didn't I? They wanted a demon; I'll give them one!" It was clear that her master was more than pleased with her and her wish. Raphtalia knew that the dark feeling was one that could burn anyone out should it be left out of control, yet she could not stop herself wanting to indulge in it. The racoon girl breathed deeply, reassuring herself that her master was still kind. She might not be able to convince him to drop his quest for revenge (it honestly would be hypocritical of her to do so), but she latched into his last words. They would not just focus on revenge; they would make the kingdom wish they never betrayed him.

The girl steeled herself, forging that promise in her heart. She would be happy and make her master happy.

"It seems we are all deciding to go into a highway to hell, right?" Felicia joked, lighting her pipe and taking a puff out of it. "You better make this really worth it, Fortress-kun! I still want to study all your magic, so you better protect us!" The witch declared with confidence, approaching the duo.

The hero took her sight in once more, eyeing all his party members slowly. He gave them a light chuckle, raising the left arm where his shield rested.

"I am the Shield, am I not? My duty is to protect!" He said. Raphtalia let go of his armor and wiped her eyes, puffing her chest with newborn confidence. Felicia gave him a lazy smile. Shadow moved closer to him, dipping her head in respect to her master.

Firo and Dera ran closer to him, hugging his legs.

"Master, Firo will do her best too~!" The blond girl spoke in her usual sing-a-song tone, raising her arms in the air in excitement.

The four-headed hydra hissed in an affectionate tone, rubbing her heads wherever she could against the hero.

Naofumi took their affection to his heart. At the beginning of his journey into this world, he might have only cared about himself and the means to his survival; yet, now where he was, promising to help one of his girls to achieve revenge. The world truly does spin weirdly, he mused in his head. He also never let the shadow agent of the queen out of sight. He did not have any specific plan or message he wanted her to deliver to Melromark's Queen, but he guessed that his actions would be enough.

The queen wanted a puppet? A helpful cleaner that would bend to her whims? She would get nothing like that.

"Well then, it is time we move out." Naofumi called out, dividing his companions into three groups. He did not trust the queen's agent to not try some funny trick, so she would accompany him alone. Raphtalia and Firo would cause a ruckus at the front gates and hopefully distract the majority of the guards, which would allow Naofumi some time to skulk around. Hopefully he would manage to find Melty before long. And if he nicked some gold and silver from the mansion and the treasury, who could blame him?

Lastly, Felicia, Shadow and Dera would support the first group out of sight, aiding them and also scouting the castle.

He explained to the girls his idea, making sure to explain why he had divided them so.

"I chose the groups based on your performance. Don't hold back and be always on the move. If one of us finds Melty, we signal to each other. The time limit is thirty minutes." The hero explained, making sure that at least one person in each group could use some sort of flashy spell or skill. He had his [Lantern Shield] and the [Focus Light] skill to help him, Raphtalia had access to light magic spells and Felicia was a witch with a large range of magical spells.

"I'm pretty sure that I don't need to say this, but escaping is our priority. As soon as we find Melty, we get out." Naofumi said his last piece of information, eyeing the group. His girls all nodded to his explanation.

Good, can't wait to get this party started. The Shielder thought with a devious smirk.

"Shall we dance?!" He asked, his clothing morphing once more to wear his [Stealth Suit]. Everyone knew the plan and what they had to do.

"Let's rampage, Firo!" Raphtalia said with serious fire behind her voice, drawing her sword with a sharp move. The philorial was all too happy to agree, turning into her bird from and allowing the raccoon girl to mount her, the two rushing towards the front gates of the castle.

"Raphtalia-dono and Firo-dono need our support. We shall go now, master. Please, grant your blessings upon this worthless one." Shadow knelt in front of him, respectful as always. He gave her a headpat too, a quick chant of magic to answer her.

"I, the Shield Hero, have read and deciphered the laws of thy power. Grant my allies the power to resist adversity and protect them from every harm. First Aura!" His support magic enhanced Shadow, a dull glow settling over her frame that enhanced her strength and stamina for about fifteen minutes. The rogue/assassin took her leave, bringing the witch over her shoulders while Dera rapidly slithered behind them.

As he saw them leave, the hero then focused his glance onto the queen's agent. "I suppose it is time that you finally accomplish your goal. Try not to be useless this time." His harsh words made the shadow wince quietly to herself. Being called useless so many times by the hero she was supposed to be helping and winning over to her kingdom must have been a new low among the shadows of Melromark.

They made their way to the castle, Naofumi observing the rampage of Raphtalia and Firo as the duo made their way to the gates. Any guard that tried to stop them was kicked far, the philorial not messing around. It was a surprise to Naofumi when Firo began using wind magic to enhance her speed, speeding past any trouble that might try to halt their crusade.

They were on the bridge that connected led to the castle gates, more guards standing around now alert to their rush. To be fair, the girls were not trying to be stealthy, the rushing sound of wind alerting anyone in their surroundings of their presence.

The Shield Hero was further surprised when his HUD blinked into existence, alerting him that the two were performing a [Combo Attack].

"Firo-chan! Let's blow past them with one hit!" Raphtalia shouted to her companion, raising her sword high into the air.

"Yeah!" The philorial exclaimed her agreement, the wind aura around the two shifting. It began gathering around Raphtalia's sword, turning into a strong gale that spun around the metal with possible deadly force. The raccoon girl had a fierce expression settled over her face, absolute confidence in her stance atop her fluffy ride.

For the guards around the gate, it might have looked like a beautiful painting, if not for the fact that the winds were coming towards them.

"Bar the gates! Intruders!"

"Those are the Shield Demon's companions!"

"Invaders!"

The orders of the soldiers were delayed, no one expecting such a frontal assault against them. The hero's smirk grew even further.

The winds surrounding Raphtalia's sword howled like a storm, the girl finally completing the downwards slicing motion as they were ten meters away from the imposing wooden gates. The distance mattered not for them, their plan a total success.

""First Rending Swallow!""

The gale of wind flew from the sword, the illusion of it morphing into a bird all that the guards managed to catch as the attack slammed into the gates of the castle, the wood emitting loud sounds as the magic began drilling into it. The gates resisted as best as they could, but under the might of the magic they had no chance.

The wood splintered and broke apart into various chunks, Raphtalia and Firo rushing past them and blowing away the reinforcements that were coming. It was quite the comical sight, many men blown back by the two girls.

Naofumi took the chance, the guards distracted by the rampaging duo, and entered through the hole made by his girls. There a few remaining guards, most likely left to ensure no more intruders made their way inside the castle. They should have left.

The hero did not take into account the help of the queen's agent, not trusting her to be useful to him. He took a quick head count of the remaining guards, five in total. Two were closest to the gates, armed with swords, while the remaining three were closer to a small building, possibly the knight's garrison or a resting area for them. The Shielder rushed the two, hitting the first with a left shoulder check. As the guard fell down, Naofumi spun with a backhand strike into the second guard, the broken nose putting the man out of commission.

He did not bother with the remaining three at the back, the men already down as a purple haze settled over them. A light use of Dera's poison; they would not die, yet they would not feel very good either when they woke up. Not that it mattered to the hero, since by the time they awoke, he would be long gone.

The Shielder turned his attention back to the first guard knocked down, seeing the man stand up and draw his weapon to fight.

"Shield Demon!" The guard exclaimed in surprise, making Naofumi scoff at him. The man immediately rushed the hero, sword raised into an amateur's stance. Even if Naofumi could not use a sword, the countless hours of training with Raphtalia gave him a pretty good idea of the basics of swordsmanship. The hero did not block the incoming overhead slash, merely sidestepping allowed him to dodge the attack, his foot stuck out and tumbled the guard once more into the ground.

This is how Melromark trains soldiers? No wonder they need the four holy heroes to do their job for them. How in hell did this country last this long?! Naofumi wondered, bringing one foot to step over the man and pin him on the ground.

"Lord Shield-sama, If this useless one may?" The queen's agent spoke, finally managing to move. The shadow unit was once more impressed with the hero, the way he commanded his companions akin to the Master of Whispers of Melromark, an effective and strategical mind. "Instead of killing him, how about you extract information from him? Since he is one of Earl Butamaru's guards, he might know the location of Melty-sama." She proposed. She was aware that Naofumi might already have the idea in his mind, but at this point the agent was grasping at any straw she could.

The soldier put his best bravado, even when the weight of the boot of the Shielder on his back made his armor release odd noises that should not be releasing.

"I-I won't-t tell y-you anything, you d-demon!" The agent wanted to smack the soldier into submission. She almost made her way to him, but Naofumi picked the man from the ground, moving towards the small building. He kicked the door open, no one inside the garrison. It served the purposes of the Shielder alright.

Naofumi changed his shields, the [Spy Master Shield] turning into the [Chimeric Viper Shield]. The [Stealth Suit] returned into Naofumi's armor, changing the aesthetic of the hero from an intel gatherer/Assassin to that of a bandit leader. The shadow unit did not know what was better right now.

"Right then. I'll give you one choice. You can tell me what I want and be free, or you can make me force you to tell me what I want and get hurt. Your choice; I'll be happy with whatever you end up picking." The dark gleam in the hero's eyes told the guard that the Shielder was not playing around. Truly a Shield Devil.

The snake decorations of Naofumi's shield began moving, turning into very much alive vipers. One of them hissed and attacked the soldier, piercing the chainmail armor he wore as if it was tissue paper; the soldier screamed, unbelieving that Naofumi had managed to attack him.

"You see, I am the Shield Hero. That means I don't have truly reliable or continuous methods to attack, but it also means I have a ton of other utilities that work just as well as any attack. That viper that bit you just injected you with enough poison to kill 10 good soldiers. I reckon you have about five minutes to live, unless I give you the antidote. Now, you wouldn't piss me off and make me drop the only flask I have with me now, would you?" Naofumi asked, pulling out a glass vial from his hip pouch, the refreshing scent of expensive medicinal herbs emanating from it.

The soldier was already working up a fever, sweat quickly building over his forehead as a red hue settled over his face. The man fought back the urge to hurl, his stomach terribly upset by the terrible venom running in his bloodstream. The soldier's vision was beginning to spin around, darkness settling over the corner of his sight. He was quick to latch onto the closest person to him, his head looking up slowly. The sight of Naofumi's devious smile and hateful eyes made the soldier lose his grip upon the hero's armor, falling over his back akin to a potato bag.

"I-I will-l tell y-you anything that you need...j-just...j-just d-don't l-let me diehhhhh....." The man's speech began to slur, his vision spinning continuously. If the queen's agent was unimpressed with the performance of the soldiers before, now all she could feel was pity upon these foolish men. Not that she could pretend to have been better when Naofumi worked her over, but shifting the blame upon this unfortunate one did make her feel better about herself.

Naofumi scoffed, opening the cap off the potion and shoving the contents in the soldier's mouth. Only so much as to keep the soldier from the far end, as the Shielder grabbed the man and roughly pinned him against the wall. The man groaned, still weak from the fast-acting venom, but Naofumi slapped him a few times to keep him awake.

"Hey, Hey! No napping off now!" The hero shook the soldier, startling the man.

The man tried to stand on his own, but his legs had no strength to support his weight. It would be a foolish endeavor to try and flee now, considering that even if by some miracle the Shielder slipped up and let him go, there was a Shadow Agent right behind him. The agents of the queen were unrelenting in their job for the matriarch of Melromark. The Soldier decided that his life was had more worth than his "honor" for Ninguenyami's Lord. With baited breath, the soldier spilled every last bit of information he knew to Naofumi.

Each word that left the man's mouth stoked the hate flame in Naofumi's stomach more and more. The Shield Hero knew that the nobles of Melromark were trash, but for them to steep this kind of low was infuriating for him. They had condemned him, and even now were plotting his demise merely so that they could enjoy a few more golden coins in their treasuries; for a bit more of fame and prestige under the banner of the righteous ones that banished the Shield Demon; so that they could continue enforcing their human-supremacy act, blaming others for their never ending greed.

What further enraged Naofumi was that the other three idiots believed almost zealously that he had done all the wrong deeds of the world. Their view was so warped in favor of themselves that they were willing to ignore all the other wrongs of this world, so long as they benefited from it; and then, they had the gall to point at Naofumi and preach at him, calling him the wrong one.

The hero suppressed his rage as best as he could until the end, listening to the soldier as he memorized the information he had received. It took colossal effort for Naofumi to not burn the man to a cursed crisp. As the soldier finished his "report"', the Shield Hero sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

A fast kick from his steel-clad boots put the soldier out of commission for the while, whereas Naofumi simply cast a detox-spell over the soldier, cleansing him of all the venom running in his system.

Naofumi once more sighed, annoyance and tiredness mixing into an uncomfortable mix as he looked back at the queen's shadow. "How was your great plan to save the princess from this fat fuck?" The Shielder asked, his green eyes becoming slitted, resembling those of a serpent. Or a dragon. Whatever it was, the agent had no doubt that any response she gave him would disappoint him even further. Yet, she could not bring herself to give him any dignified answer. What was she to say?

We were counting in your ever-so-great tolerance to help and save the princess from the hands of the church-backed nobles. Never once it ran through our minds that those same nobles might kidnap the princess; or worse, because would they be so stupid? The shadow let the thoughts swim in her head, before she came to an even worse conclusion. Our queen knew it was a risk, but remaining idle would be even worse; that being the case, she bet all her chips upon Naofumi-dono, completely aware of the risks she was putting her daughter into.

The agent didn't know what to say.

Her silence was more than enough for Naofumi.

"I thought so." He said, marching out of the garrison. The agent followed him out of instinct, as a myriad of thoughts ran in her mind. He proceeded to make his way to the treasury, not before using his [Lantern Shield] to signal the way to the personal quarters of Butamaru. He could use a few extra gold coins; besides, the fat noble would not be missing them when Naofumi ran his fade by bashing his skull in with his shield.

Due to Firo and Raphtalia's rampage, the guards that normally would be guarding the key points of the manor were all being deployed to deal with them, meaning that Naofumi had quick walk to the treasure room. Walking through absurdly decorated halls with tasteful painting, Naofumi rapidly found the room that he was looking for.

The locked doors were not a challenge to him, as he merely melted the metal bindings of the doors with his cursed flame, taking the opportunity to feed them to his shield. The green gem consumed half of the gates before it unlocked other shields for him, after which Naofumi simply began running around the room, the piles and piles of treasure being sucked inside the [Currency-Holder Shield II] as if it was a vacuum. It took the sum of 5 minutes for Naofumi to rob the place clean, not leaving a single coin behind.

Not only had he taken the money, but also any and every other treasure was taken. Precious metals, jewelry, precious gems and all that was slightly of value was feed to his shield. The agent was impressed with the way Naofumi cleaned the vault, ruthless to a fault. Like a thief of the night, except he was doing so out of retribution.

"Consider it payment for damaging my image." He joked to himself, already leaving the empty husk of a vault behind him.

"Naofumi-dono...This one is inclined to ask, what about the populace of the town? Corrupted as the lord is, those are taxes that came from the hard work of Melromark's citizens. Might you be able to spare them of this...forceful acquisition of their safety funds?" Even as ashamed of her country as she was, it was her work to ensure that Melromark survived. It was her bound-duty as a shadow to support her country in any way, even if said means were not the cleanest.

The Shield Hero did not grace her the time of the night, too busy marching to the personal quarters were Lord Butamaru was sure to be. He did, however, gave her a response.

"Yeah? And what about the demi-human slaves that were forcefully brought here? Stripped of their families and possessions to enrich this town? Should they rot and die? What about the slaves right under us, that have life-forces so low they might as well be considered dead? Where is their safety fund? Where is their salvation? Where is their mercy? If I was not strong enough, would this not be happening to me right now instead?" Each word he said echoed with his steps as Naofumi continued his path to the Lord's quarters. The queen's agent hid her face under her hood, otherwise she might show the wince she had.

The hero spared her not even a glance, continuing his way. She would follow him if she knew what was good for her health and for the future of Melromark. My queen, please pray to the gods that the Shield Hero's rage is quenched with only this much.

On their last corridor before they reached the noble's quarters, one of the walls to their right burst open, the cloud of dust settling down to reveal Naofumi's party, ready to join him. Firo and Raphtalia were completely fine, if a bit tired from their repeated battles. Naofumi quickly cast his aura buff upon the entire group, getting them ready to face anything that would happen on the other side of the decorated wooden doors.

"Are you all ready?" The hero asked, glancing at his party. Raphtalia and Firo were more than ready, their eyes almost screaming their intent of murder. Shadow and Dera simply nodded, aware of their job. Felicia shook her head with suppressed mirth, merely enjoying the smoke from her pipe. "Then, we have a princess to fucking rescue." Naofumi said, finally turning the corner to the corridor. A few guards stood outside the door, surely the last people that they might have to face while here. Not a challenge to the Shielder and his party. They looked extremely surprised that the intruders had reached this place. Not for long though.

"Master, I want to safe Melty-chan!" Firo exclaimed, wind already surrounding the philorial. Naofumi looked at her from the corner of his eye, then back at the door.

"Firo. Charge!"

The words barely left Naofumi's mouth before Firo shot ahead like a bullet, the wind howling around her indicating what would happen should anyone try to stop her. The soldiers barely managed to jump away from the freight train named Firo, the wooden doors that blocked her path could never be considered a challenge for her.

"When did she learn wind magic?" Naofumi let the question float, making his way to the room unimpeded, seeing as before the guards could react, Raphtalia and Shadow were already upon them. The raccoon girl withdrew her sword from her waist, scabbard still sheathing the blade, and with one powerful blow she knocked the man out. The shadow of the Shield decided to follow the example of the elder slave, beating the pommel of her dagger over the helmet of her target until the man stopped.

As Naofumi entered the room, he immediately took notice of everyone inside. Butamaru had a few guards in the place, the soldiers holding the bruised and beaten Lord of Shiramo. On the other side of the room, Butamaru was much closer to Melty's personal space than what could be considered polite. That the man was holding Melty by her shoulders with visible strength and the girl had some tears staining her face, there wasn't much one could not guess simply by using their eyes.

"Alas! The Shield Demon himself has come to present me with his head! And he has brought gifts too! Such a considerate fellow! A pity that the gods have decided you shall fall!" Butamaru was quick to turn around, withdrawing a dagger from his hip and placing it against the princess' neck. "Now, Shield Devil, surrender yourself to the chosen one of the heavens, and you might just be able to die with some dignity!"

Naofumi was watching the sad spiel of the fat noble with tired eyes. Seriously, this shit had passed the point of angering me, and is just a bother now. His thoughts were clearly written all over his face, making Butamaru gain a red coloration all over his face. Naofumi almost ordered Shadow to act, but the Raphtalia beat him to the punch.

The raccoon girl took a few steps to the front, her hair hiding her eyes from the noble. The tension inside the room was great, but Naofumi wanted nothing to get in the way of Raphtalia. She would decide what she was to do with this bastard, and Naofumi was willing to spare no measure to assure that she could choose. Thus, he put one hand behind his back and signaled to Shadow, the girl whistling a quick sound to confirm she had received her orders.

"I hope that you remember all the cruel acts you forced upon us. All those tortures and all the beatings. How cruel you were to us, happy to hear our scream simply for your delight. I hope that you remember all of that, because I do. I will never forget that!" Raphtalia rose her head, her eyes wet with unshed tears of frustration and pain. The noble had wide eyes as he took in the features of the demi-human girl.

"Y-you are that raccoon girl! The one that was always smiling!" Butamaru said, surprised that Raphtalia was even alive, much more in front of him. Said surprise had him lower his dagger away from Melty's neck. And that was when Naofumi struck!

"[Air Strike Shield]!" His magic manifested as a green shield between Melty and Butamaru, pushing them apart from each other. Immediately, the shield disappeared and Raphtalia capitalized the advantage. A quick draw and a lunge attack had her sword dig into the noble's left shoulder, the blade carving a deep line across the area as Butaramu fell on the ground, clutching the wound and screaming.

Naofumi quickly made his way to Melty, the girl was tossed without care on the ground, staring with red eyes at the noble. Her head turned to meet Naofumi, the wet sheen of her eyes increasing as she took in the sight of the Shield Hero.

"N-n-naofumi! Why?" Melty's voice cracked, the noise grating at the ears of the hero.

He scoffed, running a hand through his wild hair. "Who knows?" He glanced at the legs of the princess, seeing that she could not stop trembling. The implications of what would happen had Naofumi being late were better left unsaid. The rage in his gut began sparking again, but he decided to see what Raphtalia would do. He carefully picked Melty up, observing her reaction to his hand reaching for her. Her hands trembled badly as she took his own, heavily leaning on his frame as she tried to steady herself. He allowed it for now, seeing as the girl was just about to break into tears. He guessed that she was trying to put up a front, to seem strong in front of him. Honestly, if you are going to cry, I prefer that you hadn't done all of this in the first place, he mussed in his thoughts, seeing Raphtalia hack at another part of Butamaru.

The raccoon girl was quick on her feet, another dozen shallow slashes added to the already large gash on the noble. The man tried to call for his guards.

"WHAT ARE YOU IMBECILES DOING? PROTECT ME?" His call fell on deaf ears, since the soldiers were knocked out, Shadow standing guard over them as Felicia used the pile of unconscious bodies as a resting chair. "HOW?" The noble howled, his eyes darting to all corners of the room in hopes of finding someone willing to help him. When he found nothing, the man immediately kneeled in place.

"Please, stop this! I beg of you! Is there anything that you want? I own various riches; I can get you anything! The church is my backer, they can protect you and even guarantee your protec–…" Butamaru noticed his pleas were falling on deaf ears, as Raphtalia looked even more infuriated by his behavior. She almost got another slash in, however, Butamaru managed to crawl to the back of his room, where something rested over the fancy desk.

CRACK!

The sound of a whip crackled, the noble using his good arm to wield the tool. "Filthy demi-human! How dare you rebel against your superior!? I have fought against your kind before! I will not be brought down by a disgusting follower of the Shield Devil." Butamaru shouted, spit flying out of his mouth as he swung the whip again, fully intent on hitting Raphtalia.

The raccoon girl was still for a couple of seconds, a sudden torrent of scenes flashing by her mind as she heard the crackle of the whip. The torture, the sadness; those dark days where she could only maintain her sanity by clinging to the promise of the flag. That flag that represented a shield. The Shield Hero, he who would was kind to demi-humans and would save them again and again, no matter the instance.

Before the leather weapon could mare her skin, Raphtalia had already entered action. Her sword flashed, reflecting the light of the lamps inside the room as she made an upward cutting motion.

"Crescent Moon!" Raphtalia shouted the name of the technique she developed, the steel cutting the tortuous leather which had plagued many of her nightmares. She smiled, even when tears began pouring out of her eyes, since even if she had not moved, there was a wall at her side that would protect her.

Her sword arched backwards, the girl taking advantage of the motion to execute another attack. Raphtalia spun together with the arch of the blade, using the momentum to aid her next move, a trusting attack. "Purple Lightning!" The name of the attack was justified, as her blade almost vanished as she plunges the sharp weapon deeply inside Butamatu's torso, the man widening his eyes as the cold bite of steel registered.

Raphtalia let go of the handle of her blade, a relieved expression finally being displayed across her face.

"This is for Lifana-chan and all the people of my village!" Butamaru could not utter words as he stumbled backwards, blood already coming out of his mouth. He looked at the sword inside his torso, unbelieving of it.

To Naofumi, it seemed as if Raphtalia had no wish to continue with this. For all causes, she had already killed Butamaru, it was only a matter of time until either blood loss or sepsis set in and killed the fucker. Yet, that was not closure for Naofumi. Magic was a big factor in this world, and if any healer reached the noble, he could be back on his feet. The hero looked at Raphtalia, a question displayed across his face.

Will that be all?

The raccoon girl looked at him with a focused expression. "We have Melty-chan. If we can rescue the demis in the dungeon bellow, I am more than satisfied!" It seemed as if a weight had been lifted from the girl's back.

The hero cracked his knuckles, sparks of dark flames appearing all around him. "Sure, we can help them. We already have Melty."

Butamaru was still focused on the sword goring him. The man had apparently gone into shock, but Naofumi had just the right recipe for that. As the Shield Hero approached the man, the cursed flames sprouted around him, the [Wrath Shield II (Shield of Wrath II)] snapping the noble out of his mind.

"I suggest you brace for it; people have told me that the flames do hurt quite a bit. I guess the title of Devil of the Shield is quite fitting, right?!" Naofumi grasped Butamaru's wounded shoulder with his gauntlet-clad hand, the black flames instantly latching upon the flesh and clothes of the man and cursing him.

The flames quickly engulfed half the man, the curse quickly taking its intended effect. Butamaru grasped the rosario that hung around his neck, the silver accessory beginning to soften and melt. The man ripped the cross-like shape made out of the three "holy" weapons and snapped it, his screams of pain turning into mad laughter.

"DIE SCUM! YOU SHALL FEAR THE POWER OF GOD! HERETICS LIKE YOU WILL BOW TO GO–" Before Butamaru could utter anything else, Naofumi grabbed him by his face, the hero's hand effectively crushing the noble's face and not allowing speech.

"Shadow!" Naofumi called out, like one would call for a simple task to be done. Like she never had left his side, the assassin/rogue almost materialized in front of Naofumi, and with one move her dagger flashed out in a crescent arc across Butamaru's throat. The cut was clean, Shadow's dagger only lightly stained with the man's blood. One could say she had splendidly copied Raphtalia's move and adapted to use with her shorter weapon. Or maybe it was the reverse, and she had taught the raccoon girl the move.

Whatever the situation, it was done. The noble's eyes were already dulled out, and Naofumi wanted nothing more with this garbage. The hero threw Butamaru's corpse out by the window, like one would throw trash. The fat body broke the glass pane, alerting whoever was down there of the noble's unquestionable demise.

Naofumi's HUD flashed to his eyes, alerting him that some random event was happening. He glanced quickly at the menu, skimming it before putting it away. Whatever it was, it could wait a few moments. He did not dignify Butamaru one last look through the window, merely opting to exit the room.

"Raphtalia, girls! Let's go. We have some people to help." Naofumi called out, almost exiting the room. Before he did though, he turned to Shiramo's Lord, the androginous looking man. Said noble was leaning on the closest wall, his face swollen and his glasses cracked. The hero kneeled in front of the man and began casting healing and support type spells. "Thanks for not spilling the beans. I hope that we are square with this." After burning through the entirety of his mana pool, Naofumi helped the lanky man up to his feet.

"It was nothing exceptional, although I will thank you for saving the princess." The man pushed his glasses up, before noticing that it would not make a difference. "I would try to offer you a reward, but I'm pretty sure you already helped yourself. I would do the same." The noble laughed, making Naofumi raise one corner of his mouth in a devious manner.

"A favor for favor. If you want to give me something, I'm open to gifts." The Shielder said, exiting the room.

The group began making their way to the dungeon under the manor, commotion inside the castle becoming more prominent as some peasants were invading by the broken castle doors. Naofumi noticed that the majority of those were demi-humans.

"It seems your people have come to your rescue." Naofumi joked with the noble, the man surprised as he watched the commotion. The way to the dungeon had the background noise of the invasion, the majority of the remaining soldiers giving up as they witnessed their liege dead close to the Sealed Monument. Not that that was his business anymore.

Following the path that the guard had told him previously, Naofumi and his groups finally reached the dark dungeon where he could detect the weakened life-forces. As the light of his [Lantern Shield] and Raphtalia's light magic lit the stone halls, Naofumi wished he could further bring pain to the bastard.

Sickly.

Weak.

Famished.

Tortured.

That was the state that he found some of the demi-humans locked in this basement. The smell of death and sickness filled the stale air with a pungent smell, bodily fluids being the smaller of the stenches that wafted up to Naofumi's nose. His mouth split into a vicious snarl, puffs of cursed flame exiting his mouth with each breath the hero took.

Melty hurled by the corner, the girl still following Naofumi and his group. The queen's shadow at least was trying to do her job, fully encouraging the girl for their departure before they sparked the flame of hatred inside Naofumi.

Naofumi, on his part, reached the closest jail cell bars and pulled. The metal bars groaned under the strain, not managing to contain the fury of the Shielder. The bars snapped off, the noise awakening the weak rabbit demi-human. It was a boy, covered head to toe in purple bruises and dirty as all hell. His health was also critical, considering he had not eaten apparently in days.

Naofumi chugged another mana potion from his hip pouch, not caring if later he would get mana sickness due to the frequent abuse to his mana pool, filling it and spending it this quickly.

"First Heal!" The magic barely had effect, but it was better than nothing. The hero searched his pouch for a supplement pill, finding only three. It will have to do! He exclaimed, breaking said pill in half and feeding it to the kid. He carefully put said kid over Firo, going for the next.

Naofumi did not stop until all cells were cleared out, the last two being side by side. He could feel that these two had the weakest life-forces out of the twenty-four slaves that he found in this sick place. The majority were weakened, but could manage to walk, the few that were too weak over on Firo's back.

Naofumi approached the cell, finding a demi-human chained to the wall. Also a kid, with what he guessed were dog or wolf ears over his head. The hero made to reach the cell, but Raphtalia beat him to the punch.

"Kiel-kun!" She shouted with vigor, Naofumi guessing it was someone from the girl's previous village. He handed her his second to last healing potion, opting to let Raphtalia take care of the kid. He quickly made his way to the last one.

The demi-human girl was over on the ground, his skill barely picking up life from her body. She was beyond malnourished, her hands little more than bone covered flesh. Naofumi was not a savior of all, but seeing a child being treated like this just infuriated him. The only thing maintaining his sanity right now was the fact that he could still save her.

He kneeled by her side, taking the utmost care to prop the girl up to tend to her. He slowly rose his water flask to her lips, but the girl would not drink it. There was some commotion on the cell where this supposed "Kiel-kun" was at, some shouting and then wailing. Naofumi barely heard it, busy with treatment of this girl. He brought the last half of a nutritional pill to his mouth and crushed it, filling his mouth with some water before he joined his lips to the smaller girl's. It was forceful mouth-feeding, but at this point it was a miracle the girl was even alive.

Her body seemed to react a bit, glowing softly with the colors of his magic. It is not too far; I can save her. He fought on, constantly casting healing magic so as to tether her life-force and maintain it, as weak as it was. He took off his cape and wrapped the girl with it, hopefully bringing some warmth to her cold and weak body.

I'm the Shield Hero, dammit! I specialize in healing and support! I can save a life that is fucking right in front of me! I can do this! My magic is geared towards this!

[Paladin Shield unlocked!] [Savior Shield unlocked!]

Naofumi would continue his treatment, but a sudden rumbling shook the entirety of the dungeon, before his HUD once more flashed.

[Seal Ritual has failed maintaining its integrity. The holy seal has been dispersed]

[Tyrant Saurus Rex has been released from the Seal!]

Whatever this thing was, it was getting in the hero's way. He promised Raphtalia to save these demis, and Naofumi was a man that would honor his word. Whatever this thing was, it would not get in his way.

It would know the fury of the Shield Hero.

It was time to release the Dragon of Wrath.

[XXX]

[XXX]

Fitoria looked at the night sky, sensing the mana of the world being disturbed by an abomination. It was supposed to have been sealed away, but corruption trying to rear its claws upon the world once more.

The Philorial Queen wondered if this had anything to do with the recent change in the mana of the world. One of the primordial veins, which fueled the Four Holy Weapons, had changed to a darker power. She could try to fix the mana, but the [Will of the World] itself had already registered the change, meaning it was recognized as something that would save the world.

The Queen used her connection to the mana to try and peak the location where the abomination had spawned. A human town which had been built around the Seal.

Fitoria sighed.

This was the work of the petty squabbling among the Four Cardinal Heroes, wasn't it?

Fitoria hoped that this Shield Hero would be comprehensible. They had a world to protect, why bother with insignificant pride? What did it matter if the Shielder could not attack? It was not his function to do so!

The [Will of the World] gave her mana for a teleport. It was asking her to intervene.

Fitoria sighed.

"I miss you, my master!"