AU NOTES.

OK, it is enough China, we get it. You want to be a superpower and stuff, but this Covid shit really needs to stop. It has sucked all my creativity dry, which is why this chapter is shorter than usual and later than what I expected.

Enjoy it and give your thoughts on the review section.

Chapter 15: [Shield, Scales and Feathers.]

Naofumi was a man that prefered to deal with troublesome things as soon as possible, so as to have the most amount of free time after his duties were done. This world had offered him little free time so far, that with him being busy trying to survive at any cost. As such, after drinking the last of his mana potions, he began making his way out of the dungeon, instructing his group to follow him with a single move of his head.

"Take them out of here." The Shield Hero turned to Shiramo's Lord, the request in Naofumi's eyes clear for him to see. The androginous looking man nodded, pushing the broken glasses up to their perch over his nose.

"Worry not, Shield-sama. The demis will be safe in my town, I will guide them there."

Naofumi nodded to the man. He had little options at the moment, considering he had little to no supplies, everything had been left back in his wagon, the vehicle apprehended by the knights of the kingdom. The only chance of these malnurish and tortured people to survive was to put their trust on Naofumi, and the Shielder in turn had to put his trust on the nobleman. It left Naofumi with an ashen taste in his mouth, but he had to press on, considering that now he had to face a possible Boss-level monster summoned right in the middle of the town.

The Hero looked at his companions, the girls seemingly fully supportive of his actions. He took a deep breath, exiting the dungeon with a heavy heart. Naofumi and his group were quick to arrive at the plaza where the monumental seal was previously, now finding the marble construct to be nothing more than a pile of rubble at this point. Besides it, the creature that had been summoned roared in rage, its tail swinging around as the monster snarled once more.

[Tyrant Saurus Rex, The Ever-Hungry. Lv.150]

As Naofumi glanced at the monster, his eyes widened. He hadn't had to deal with monsters that high-leveled before, at most the difference would be of 15-20 levels, such as the time he had won a duel against Motoyasu. Even his group understood that the enemy in front of them was several dozen levels above themselves, sweat running down their backs as they noticed that the creature's eyes had focused on them.

Firo ruffled her feathers, wind already surging around her as she frowned at the enemy. Dera hissed loudly, her mouth dripping her most foul concoction of venom, the magenta-colored sludge corroding the stone floor where it dripped. Raphtalia had her tail stand up straigth, her sword already drawn out and ready for a very difficult fight; at her side, Shadow was also ready for a long exchange, a great length of Metal Thread Wire already being drawn out. Felicia took off the heavy coat she was previously wearing, stuffing the clothing inside her witch hat before she pulled out her silver staff. It was obvious that the girls were ready for a fight, Naofumi himself not different. Yet, he did not order their typical fighting formation.

It would not do to fight right in the middle of the castle, considering the slow pace of the rescued demis, there would be no way for them to have already left the castle, even if they had been carried by the other citizens that came from Shiramo Town. The castle, while on an elevated cliff, was still in the midst of the town, which limited Naofumi's mean to fight. He wasn't exactly caring for the lives of the people of Ninguenyami, but it would not do to have them be killed by the Jurrasic Park-look-alike; the Hero wasn't aware if the RPG-system of the world worked equally for Boss-monsters, but he preferred to not risk it and feed the already very difficult foe more Experience Points.

It would be the bane of his existance if the Tyrant Saurus Rex leveled-up during their fight.

As the situation seemed ready to escalate into full-blown combat, the Hero decided his course of actions. Which began by grabbing Felicia by her waist with one hand, turning to Raphtalia and bringing her over his shoulder and jumping atop Firo with one smooth move.

The Spacial Rend Witch released a most indignified scream as she was startled by Naofumi's sudden actions. While her witch's robe was made of durable cloth, it wasn't curred or boiled leather, thus the sensation of Naofumi's strong and calloused hand wrapping around her midsection was a fully transmitted to her skin as his strong arm spread a dull heat across where they held her. Felicia made sure to smack the hero on the head with her staff, the action more of annoyance than actual shame.

The act was barely registered by the hero, the man busy as he extended his hand for Shadow to grab, Firo already taking off towards one direction away from the castle; the route calculated to cause the least amount of destruction on the city. Less people would be complaining about reparations, if the situation ever come to such a troublesome scenario. Naofumi would not put past these people to do so, even while he saved their very lives from the summoned Boss Monster. Thus, he guided Firo as she ran over the rooftops, using her extremely agile and powerful legs to push the entire party to a more secluded location, the Boss already following them. The creature seemed to be short on the intelligence aspect, stubbornly following the group almost as if attracted to them by something irresistible.

[...ive! Pow... Core..s! Apotheo...is MINE!]

A far away voice echoed inside the Hero's head, the bloodlust that came along something the Shielder had already experienced in the past. A lust for power, for something that would grant sovereingship over heavens and earth. Something that could truly be described as [Power]. Naofumi felt his heart began to pound with a hymm that was not his own. Akin to a whisper, a weak voice that would be lost if cast on the wind, it began singing praises of this unknown power.

"Naofumi-sama, are you alright?" Raphtalia asked, clearly worried about him. It made the hero look at her curiously; he was worried about the situation of course, but was it showing that much on his face? His question was answered when Felicia pulled something out of her hat, the item a small hand-mirror. It wasn't made of glass, but of polished silver; yet, the reflective surface releaved a strange sight. He could recognize himself, but there were a few details that were different from the usual. His normally green eyes were slitted, weirdly resembling those of a reptile; his mouth felt strange, out of place, too small for it to be truly his. His teeth were also way sharper than what they were supposed to be. Naofumi widened his eyes and the reflected image did the same, confirming that it was indeed him in front of the mirror.

"What the hell?!"

The witch put her hand mirror away, lightly pushing his head to face forward, where they soon would be exiting the town for the surrounding forest.

"You can worry about your sudden additions later, Fortress-sama. Now it is time for us to focus on this encounter; I have a feeling we don't have a second to spare." The witch said. Almost as if to destify to that, the Boss Monster roared once more, the deafening noise sounding much closer than any one would like it. Dera accumulated a fair amount of her purple gunk, the four heads of the Hydra Snake releasing the foul concoction like a wave of sludge. The thick fluid managed to stick to the Tyrant Rex, immediately burning away at the scales of the gigantic creature. An obnoxious, magenta-colored smoke began to emit from the spots where the gunk had managed to cling to, but it seemed that all Dera's efforts only annoyed the Boss Monster further as it lunged to attack them.

"FIRO, WATCH OUT!" Naofumi shouted, moving his hands backwards to cast a skill. [Air Strike Shield] materialized in front of the monster as a deterrant, [Second Shield] already under Firo to become a platform for the philorial to use as a boosting pad. The Shielder heard his first magical construct shatter as the Rex clenched its maw around the skill. The green shield resisted its best, giving Naofumi and his group precious seconds to further the distance between them and the Boss.

The group cut throught the forest line, emerging at a lake. The area around the body of water would have to make due for their fighting, considering he'd ran for quite a while now, and something felt wrong about the situation. It was almost like something was begging Naofumi to defeat the Rex, a pleading voice that seemed to far out of his reach, but also just within his grasp.

"...hold for now...Help is on the way."

Instead of intense bloodlust, now it felt as if someone had caressed his very soul, a soft touch that could belong only to a mother. Naofumi glanced at his shield, the gem of his weapon seemed to shine for a brief moment, the calming tone doing little to ease his worried mind. For now, the only thing the Shielder could do was trust in his weapon; but if it was for him to fight this thing, it needed to be on a power he could effectively rely upon. Making the Tyrant Rex give up was completely out of the question, the group's only alternative left was to fight and defeat it. Which seemed impossible with their current gear and skills. Except, there was one thing in which Naofumi always fell back on when things got out of his hand.

[Wrath Shield II (Shield of Wrath II)].

The hero peeked at the skill tree for the [Curse Series, Sin of Wrath], his vision not showing any sign of corruption or outside influence. He remembered the first time when he tried to use the shield, almost falling to the rage and hatred inside his own heart. He couldn't say he had completely won over it and could use it freely, but he learned to use the cursed shield effectively. It seemed that he would be forced to rely back on the curse of his rage. He took a deep breath and blinked the Status Screen away; it is show time!

"RRRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" It seemed that the Tyrant Rex agreed with his inner thoughts, roaring its challenge as it finally reached the group. The eyes of the monster had full focus on the party.

"Naofumi." Felicia called the hero by his name, which rose several flags in his head. For the love of God, please do not confess right now! He sarcastically joked. "It might sound crazy for me to say this, but isn't the boss solely focused on you?" Having pointed her theory out, the party realized the weird fact. Althought the Boss Monster wasn't ignoring them, its major focus was on the Shield Hero. Better yet, the creature seemed almost obssessed with the man. The witch, now having had time to focus and think about the situation, noticed a few key details. The Boss Monster, while aggressive, hadn't gone on a rampage and destroyed its surroundings, contrary to the local legend that it was an ancient demon of thoughtless destruction; as soon as the creature had spawn, it began roaring and stand its ground, almost as if initiating some sort of challenge.

The moment the group - or specifically Naofumi - had exited the dungeon under the castle grounds, the Tyrant Rex focused on them and continued its round of roars and begann standing almost as if challenging the hero to a fight. It behaved wild and animalistic, but with a clear intent in its primal mind.

"Master, you armor is all shiny and stuff!" Firo commented, pointing her wings to his frame. True enough, his armor had a dull gleam about itself. More specifically, the gem cores engraved into his armor were shining, the glow seemed to be bathing Naofumi into some etheral light that escaped their notice until now as more worrisome matters had been their focus. The hero changed his current basic shield for the recently acquired [Paladin Shield]. A few skills were still locked, but this one was the strongest shield he had that wasn't his curse shield.

[Paladin Shield]

+360 to Defense; + 200 to Magic Defense; + 45 to Magic Attack

+150 to Endurance; +50 to Charisma

-Skills: [Enhance Allies (small)] [Charging Rush] [Strength up (medium)]

-Bonus Skills: [Holy Magic (small)] [Paladin Attire (locked)] [Bidding Smite (locked)].

The small shield changed to become a full Paladin's Shield, giving Naofumi a wall of steel with which he could defend. It went from his feet to his shoulders in length, being wide enough to cover his front completely. From an onlooker's view, it seemed that such shield would weight quite a lot, yet the Shielder lifted and yielded it with ease. He took his usual stance, being the first of the line and the one closest to the Rex.

The creature seemed almost delighted to have Naofumi in its eyesight, a hungry gaze that spoke to a primal part inside the hero. The faint whispers of his rage returned their soft ministration, as Naofumi noticed that the Boss Monster also had a dull glow emanating from its naturally armored underbelly. Equal in color, the glow called the attention of the hero in a way nothing else seemed capable right now.

[...nally, challe...]

The hero could swear he heard the words come from the monster in front of him, even while the creature had done nothing but emit growls and snarls. Naofumi almost released a growl of his own, focusing on the monster. Sweat run down his back, the Shielder fully aware that he had to play this fight very carefully if he wished to survive. Not thrive or win, survive.

There was a moment of quiet nothingness where even the wind seemed to stay still for a second. Then, the Tyrant Rex roared once more, this time a clear signal or the start of their battle.

The monster charged Naofumi, each step the Boss took causing a small quake. It resembled a freight train, the vision something that would surely nest fear in the heart of lesser men. Iwatani Naofumi wasn't just a man, neither was his party made of lesser maidens. The Shielder dug his heels into the ground, chanting a few of his buffing skills so as to increase his already absurd Defense status.

"[Reinforcement], [First Aura], [Iron Defense], [Holy Aid]!" The buffing complete - which encased the hero into a compressed veil of energy - Naofumi fixed his stance, the Boss monster just a few meters from reaching him. "When the blow hits, focus on getting whatever weak spot you can identify on it!" He shouted, the girls waiting their opportunity. The Tyrant Rex reached Naofumi in the span of a few moments, headbutting itself against the hero's shield with what sounded like a bomb had gone off. The mighty crack was followed by the dissipating shock waves that shook the very air behind the hero, even the lake parted its waters, so fierce was the impact. Yet, Naofumi resisted it. The Shielder wasn't moved an inch from his initial spot, even as his arms felt numb and he felt barely able to maintain his shield up, he managed to withstand the charging Boss.

Not a second passed before the girls sprinted into action.

Raphtalia was the first to move, sword flashing as she used her tecnique to hack at the Tyrant's trunk-like legs. What normally would be able to fell an enemy in one swoop barely seemed to phase the reptilian monster, the raccoon girl checking her sword to find the blade had been dulled and had a few nicks along the edge. Her eyes widened for a few moments before the girl retreated to a safe distance, Rex's tail passing by where she had been. Raphtalia returned to Naofumi's side with quick steps, trying to figure what she would do with her dull blade.

Shadow wasn't behind the raccoon girl, her many wire threads latching around the Boss' ankles, trying to dig at the very tough scaled hide. The threads did little, merely scratching the scales of the abomination. The rogue/assassin did try a few other tricks, but against the overwhelming lizard her weaponry was almost null. The agent began circling around the boss, dodging perfectly the few hits that came her way, be it a blind stomp or a tail bash.

Firo took Dera on her back and began pelting Rex with a series of attacks, retreatig at the mere sight of a attack coming their way. Guerilla tacticts at their finest, the philorial serving as the highly mobile unit and Dera as the de-facto attacker, her highly venomous gunk just about the most effective thing against the dranonid menace they were facing. In fact, besides Naofumi, the Tyrant Rex seemed to eye both the philorial and the Hydra snakeling with hateful eyes, snarling and roaring at the duo almost as if they were swore enemies of the boss. A multitude of purple spots began forming around the giant monster, noxious plumes of smoke emerging from all the spots Dera managed to hit.

Felicia was chanting something under her breath, her silver staff pulsing with power Naofumi could barely recognize. His [Appraisal] skill gave a few details about both the weapon and the skill being channeled into it, but there were many blanks to be filled as the only effective thing he could recognize was that the witch was casting an advanced spell. The Shield Hero didn't have to wait long for the answer to come, the witch approaching Raphtalia and touching the raccoon girl's weapon.

"Oh void, all incompassing void! Answer my call, head my pledge and become the weapon that grants the deliverance I seek! Split apart the skies as I command and become the black edge which cuts all of creation. All Dritte Fall, Spacial Rend!" As the witch finished her chant, the hero noticed the tremendous amount of mana that circled all the weapons of his group. From Raphtalia's sword, Shadow's many blades and Metal Thread Wire, to even Firo's mounted claws and finally Felicia's staff. Everything was covered in a layer of highly compressed mana, the attribute of the magic something that Naofumi could not analyze, but the hero had a fair guess of what it could be. After all, it was one of the reasons it had convinced Naofumi to take the witch with him in his travels, the letter from the Old Lady from the magic bookstore/shop was very clear on what were Felicia's skills.

A witch that understood very clearly dark magic, with knowledge and intelligence that allowed her to understand the principles of physics before even the national power that was the Faubley Empire. Felicia Zauberer was a witch that possessed [Space Attribute Magic] at her disposal. He'd seen a few of the spells she could cast, all of them very powerful, but also very mana consuming. Yet, nothing he had seen so far was comparable to the one she had just cast.

Raphtalia's sword was painted in a deep black that seemed to consume all light; if he wasn't paying attention, the hero of the shield would swear he was seeing the girl swing a piece of the cosmos vaguely shaped like a sword. More importantly, it seemed as if she cut anything with such a blade. Shadow was no different, her many weapons being painted with the rich tone of black that seemed to spell doom for anything that they touched. The rogue noticed that the mana cover was affecting even her many lenghts of Metal Thread Wire. Even Firo's claws had been coated, the philorial wasting no time attacking the Rex monster. For the first time in the fight, the Tyrant Saurus let out a surprised wail of pain, the metal claws of the philorial carving deep grooves in the boss, mangling the flesh underneath the tough scales.

"T-this is?" Raphtalia wondered about the spell, but shook her head to dispel her wonderment. There a very hard monster to slay right now, and she had received a helping hand, meaning it was not the time to be daydreaming. Her conviction renewed, the raccoon girl poised her sword to begin another sequence of strikes. "Purple Lightning! Crescent Moon!" The raccoon girl shot forward with a flex of her legs, her weapon now capable of easily piercing the tough scales of her enemy; such buff upon her weapon, the girl opted to attack using her trust attack, since now there was no way for her weapon to stay stuck. The blade easily pierced flesh, following the flick of the girl's wrist to ascend with a slicing motion that damaged Tyrant Rex's ankle and let it exposed for further attacks. The reptile tried to retaliate and bite the girl, but Raphtalia was long gone from its range of attack.

"ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAHHHHHHRRRRRRR!" The monster bellowed in rage, tilting and leaning its weight on the other leg. It tried to sweep everything in its path with its tail, tired of the bothersome pests that were delaying its reunion with another shard of core essence. It needed to challenge he-who-was-kin for the rights of apo*****. It had no time for these subordinates. It was a great mistake to underestimate them.

Felicia, who was resting after casting her magic, tapped Naofumi on his shoulder. The hero turned to face her. "Naofumi, block that strike!" The Shield looked at the witch, wondering if she had gone insane. He'd barely managed to stop the attack before, much less now that his arms felt like jelly, even with all his enhancements. The witch's eyes were burning with a light he hadn't seen previously. "We might win, just block that attack!" The Zauberer girl screamed to him, quickly casting another spell, this time the magic wrapped around both his and her feet.

"First, Sylphid's Rush!" Wind magic boosted the witch to the frontlines, where she would normally never be forced to be; it made him curse a loud "FUCK!" before he rushed to tank the blow.

Naofumi rushed to meet the incoming wall of flesh and muscle, roaring his own challenge as he raised his shield, swapping it his [Wrath Shield II]. Rage swallow his vision for a second before the veil of red vanished, Naofumi's armor following his will and becoming [Berseker's Armor]. As the metal shifted to resemble dracon scales, the hero angled his shield to be able to receive the incoming blow. Clenching his teeth, the Hero received the attack of the tail, feeling his arms receive the majority of the kinetic force and tremble greatly.

The hero exhaled greatly, wisps of cursed flame exiting his mouth. He reigned in the wish to activate his [Self-Immolation Curse], since Felicia was just behind him, raising her staff as if she was going to melee strike the Tyrant Rex. It was not an illusion, she was aiming for such a thing.

"In the name of the Dragon God of Space, begone foul creature! Spacial Rend!"

The big fuck-off Scythe that she now held in her hands might be the reason why she was so confident with the blow. The blade was made up of the same energy that covered the other girls' weapons, the silver staff being the handle that the witch held. Her swing was clearly that of someone that wasn't used to dealing such hits, but mattered not in these circumstances; the still tail of the Tyrant Rex made for the perfect target of the weapon, as the energy of the void bysected the flesh limb like a plasma cutter.

The Boss Monster wailed in pain, the tail falling off on the ground, the stump bleeding a fair amount. Not that the hero held any pity for the demon; if anything, Naofumi's mind told him it was the perfect opportunity for an all-out attack against the Rex. It was just that that he commanded his group to do.

"ATTACK!"

Dera jumped from Firo, immediately targetting the still bleeding stump that was previously a tail. The Hydra Snakeling sunk all her teeth into the inner flesh, the surrounding area where her mouths clamped immediately turned into disgusting shades of purple, venomous gunk pumped at full force directly inside the Tyrant Rex. It tried to attack Dera with its remaining leg, but Shadow was quick to throw a multitude of knives at leg, many sinking into the ground around the limb, yet the leg stopped still, various bleeding lines beginning to flow from the bound leg, Metal Thread Wire imbued with the [Space Attribute magic], which allowed it to cut deep.

Both legs useless, the Monster fell right in front of the shield hero, who stared into the Rex's eyes.

"Burn!"

[XXX]

[XXX]

Fitoria emerged close to the surrounding forest where the abomination had been spawned, the [Will of the World] guiding her to the location. The many philorial that she brought with her began to spread around, serving as the relay points of the magical ward she would cast.

"Huh?"

She questioned no one in particular, tasting that foul air that entered her nostrils. Cursed magic.

It was bothersome enough that Dragon Emperor Cores were awakening, but to have Original Curse Magic around one of the Cardinal Heroes, the Philorial Queen wondered if killing them wouldn't be easier.

Fitoria let her power flood the surrounding area in a radius of 50 kilometers, well enough to cover the abomination's fighting area with plenty space to spare. All her subordinates were already in place, so she lazily tugged at the source of her magic. The ahoge on her head shone, fog emerging from the ground and spreading at an impossible speed.

"All Revelation, Fog Prison Barrier!" Chanting would be a waste of time, so she didn't do it. Merely saying what spell she wanted to enact was enough. As her barrier spread, a screen appeared in front of the Philorial Queen's eyes.

[Source of Corruption Detected!]

[Abominations found!]

Fitoria found weird that her power detected two blights instead of the single one reported by the [Will of the World], but she dismissed it. No use worrying over something that she couldn't see; she would reserve judgement when she laid her eyes upon this threat. She let her magic expand around her form, increasing her size to her Royal form. The transformation took less than 10 seconds, allowing her to assume a form more capable of managing the bothersome foe spawned upon the world.

The queen pulsed magic through her ahoge, the Original Curse Magic that was irking her immediately jacked and weakened. She was curious as to why it wasn't completely supressed.

"I suppose I shall find it out soon enough."

[XXX]

[XXX]

Naofumi was still unbelieving that his party managed to survive the encounter with the Tyrant Saurus Rex, sweat soaking the hero's back. The monster lay on the ground, completely covered in cursed fire. Still, it was managing to survive through its high status, even under the assault of his black flames. He kept the curse active, waiting for Felicia to recover enough mana to cast another round of [Spacial Rend], but her constant panting and sweaty contenance told Naofumi that she was mostly out for the count. Still, it was one amazing spell for someone who hadn't had a class advancement yet.

The hero wanted to be through with this monster, as such he would not rest until he was completely sure that the Rex was dead. If he had to spend the entire night making burning the monster to a crisp so be it. The monster would follow him to the ends of the world unless it was either destroyed or defeated, of that the Shield Hero was sure.

He glanced around, seeing his girls rest a bit after the rather short, yet still very intense battle. Shadow was guarding the perimeter as Raphtalia was taking a few pieces of the tail of the Tyrant Rex so that Naofumi could feed his shield new materials such as the hide, meat, sinew, bones and scales. His rage was under his control, not showing any signals of spiking up. Firo and Dera were eating the other part of the tail where the raccoon girl wasn't busy, but their eyes glanced a few times at the draconid burning under cursed fire.

Naofumi focused his efforts, but his HUD blinked to his vision, showing a bunch of new messages.

[Detected arrival of multiple units!]

[Detected arrival of extremely powerful individual!]

[Sensing magic array being deployed. High-tier magic being cast!]

A fog began to spread over the entirety of the lake, making for an ominous sight. Shadow immediately rushed to his side, sensing that something was amiss. Naofumi narrowed his brows, worried that something was about to attack him again. He tried to hurry his flames to exterminate the Rex, but suddenly found them weaking. Static ran through his HUD, a new message bring displayed to him.

[ERROR! Interruption is being caused by High-leveled individual.]

[Wrath Shield II is being temporarily being sealed. Drag** Emper** Co*** resisting the influence of ?]

[Shield Hero Iwatani Naofumi has partially resisted the interference due to his job Hero(D*** Lo***) and bonus skill(Devil of the Shield). Wrath Shield II is being supressed back to (Shield of Anger I) until the interference is lifted.]

Naofumi's armor forcefully returned to its usual appearance as the Shield Hero felt his power being supressed. Almost like a physical weight, the influence of this new arrival made the hero almost panic, seeing his most reliable weapon being so easily subdued.

From afar in the trees, a shape emerged. It greatly resembled Firo when she was in her bird form, except she would never grow that big. Whatever the case was, seeing the philorial did not ease the hero's heart, as his [Appraisal] skill only showed him question marks. No name, no level. Nothing was being displayed. It iced Naofumi's heart.

"Don't use that hideous shield. I have arrived."

A voice rang through the entirety of the forest, something that seemed to be forcefully calming his heart. Mind magic?

His questions weren't answered.

The philorial look-alike approached rapidly, the hero now being able to see what the other various units were. Philorials. An army of them.

Dera hissed at a few of the birds that approached her tail meal, Firo also complaining at those of her kin that approached her meal. Naofumi wished he could be as carefree as them, seeing as he was being stared down by the gigantic philorial. He was sure that the pink pupils followed his every move, a fact that did nothing but increase the heavy sensation in his stomach.

"I see that you mostly finished the abomination. Forgive me for being so rude, but I must not allow you near the core." The philorial was speaking to them, mostly to him, but the surprise factor had run out for the day to him. The bird slowly approached the burnt and cursed form of Tyrant Rex, looking over it like one glances at trash. "I see. You did not have what it takes to control it and your body grew out of proportion to accomodate the emperor core. A foolish creature, as expected of a dragon. I would ask that you hand it over in exchange for your life, but putting you out of your misery seems to be the most appropriate course of action." The big philorial raised one of her wings, then lowered it. In a single moment the body of the Tyrant Rex was sliced by a burst of wind magic, Naofumi being unable to follow as the opponent that seemed so out of their range was defeated with no effort whatsoever from this philorial.

It sparked something in his chest.

Naofumi saw the pile of flesh that had become the Tyrant Rex and sighed in defeat, squashing the dark feeling in his gut. If he hadn't already turned into mush, there must be a reason; meaning that this philorial giant probably wanted something with him. Otherwise why keep him alive; the philorial had power to end his life before he could even blink.

The bird looked at him for a few moments, wonder filling her eyes as she took in the sight of his cursed shield. As that happened, Dera slithered towards the flesh remains of the Tyrant Rex. Something was calling her among the piles of meat and bone, something akin to her master's aura. The Hydra snakeling found what had been calling for her. It resembled a pretty stone, like the ones that her master would grind against a weird metal rod to make them pretty. Dera wondered if master wanted the stone, or if she could have it to herself. She liked pretty things, but her master mostly gave them away in exchange for glittering gold. Dera liked gold, but she would never take any from her master without his permission. She wanted to be just like Firo, who could use magic to become human just like master, to ask it he could give her a few shiny things.

A weird voice tried to talk to Dera, but master always said to ignore strangers unless they tried to hurt the group. The voice was annoying though, so Dera wanted them to dissapear. She bit the stone with her four heads, each taking a mouthful of the stone. Dera wondered why the stone tasted so crunchy and good, so she gulped and took a few more bites. After reducing the stone to just one forth of what it was previously, Dera stopped eating the pretty stone and wrapped herself around the remaining bits, bringing them to her master. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling he would like it, just like how Raphtalia-neen-chan was used to always do.

Dera exited the pile of meat just before the big philorial began searching it.

[XXX]

[XXX]

Fitoria wondered if the [Will of the World] liked messing with her just because she was the longest living (and currently only alive) Subordinate Hero. The mana of the world was previously so out of balance, asking her to fix the mess. She came to this place to fix the problem, only to find that this generation's Shield Hero was somehow managing to fix the problem by himself.

She particularly hated the method he was relying upon, such a cursed power must never be used so carelessly by a hero. She tried to intervene with the curse, but it seemed that while weak, the Shield Hero had some backing from the [Will of the World]. Even more bothersome was the fact that he was using the power of the Dragon Emperor Cores, a power she also particularly dispassed from the bottom of her heart.

Dragons were foul, cunning creatures that should be exterminated. They aren't appropriate companions for their own kin, much less the cardinal heroes. This Shield Hero had a philorial queen candidate by his side, why in the sacred leyline was he using draconic might? Why did he had a dragonkin among his personal troops? The questions were many, and made the queen shake her head sideways.

To finish the troublesome events, the Dragon Emperor Core had vanished. She had only turned her head a few moments to try to commit this Shield Hero's face to memory, even if he would only be blur in her lifespan, and the thing was gone.

The philorial queen looked back at the draconian carcass. At least the meat looks tasty. She turned her gaze back to the stunned Shield and his companions. It was time that she introduced herself. A minor use of magic had her body shrink with a soft blue glow, her human form becoming apparent to the group.

"Greetings, this generation Shield Hero. I am Fitoria, Queen of the Philorials. I ask that you present to me the queen candidate that you have been raising, as well as explain the events that led to the release of that abomination."

Naofumi had a strained expression as he took the information presented to him. The hero returned his shield to its base form and tiredly ran a hand over his face. How come these things only seem to happen to me? His stomach grumbled a complain, reminding Naofumi that it had been a while since he had eaten. He looked at the pile of meat that was close by and an idea ran in his head.

"Before we even begin things, let me ask you one thing." He pointed to the meat pile. "Do you have a pot that I could use to cook that?" Naofumi asked.

Fitoria nodded to him, her opinion of the hero going up by the slightest of margins, her stomach also complaining to her.

"How about that?" Felicia asked, having to lean on Shadow to walk since she had spent most of her mana and was exhausted. "Am I invited? I always wanted to eat dragon meat."

The philorial queen pointed to another direction, making the group follow her finger. A carriage was the target, an ethereal glow about it made Naofumi narrow his eyes at it.

"We can talk as we go to my nest. There is much that needs an explanation. As Fitoria spoke, her gaze was always glued to Naofumi, the Shield Hero a bit uncomfortable under her gaze. Did she mean that he was the one that needed to explain things? Was she not aware that he was the visitor in this world?

Naofumi sighed. Now he understood why people collected vices as they dealt with adult life. He might not be able to get drunk, but a cold beer or a shot of thoat-burning Vodka seemed right just about now. He was going to invest more time in the brewery section of his alchemic studies.