Hey everyone. So I decided to challenge myself as a writer by branching out of my comfort zone. I normally write for Teen Titans, but I just loved 'The Rising of the Shield Hero' anime so much I had to give at least a one-shot a try. For my Teen Titans readers who haven't seen the show, I definitely recommend it! And for those who haven't read my fics since I've stayed in the Teen Titans fandom since I started years ago, I hope you like my style of writing. Feel free to leave any comments, or requests that are within reason.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Rising of the Shield Hero. Or any of the characters involved in it.

Rage.

"Kill."

Anger.

"Kill them all."

All-consuming hatred.

"Suffer!"

Burn.

He stared at all the memories swirling in the air around him. The memories of all the horrible things that had happened since he came into this world. From the king's daughter falsely accusing him of rape, to the smirking face of the pope as he wielded his forgery of the legendary weapon to annihilate the so-called 'devil of the shield.' Him, who had done nothing wrong. Was called a devil.

It was all so unfair. The world around him was too cruel, too sick and twisted for its own good. It needed to be set in line. It needed to pay.

"Every last one of them!"

It needed to burn.

"Do you seek power?" The dragon's familiar voice asked from the shadows.

Naofumi's shield took on its Wrath form, and the all too familiar black dragon armor covered him from the neck down. "Yes! I want to burn this world until there's nothing left!" Naofumi screamed in a violent rage. His eyes taking on a red tinge.

The dragon in his mind chuckled mirthlessly. "As I remember, your rage still surpasses even mine. Very well. It is yours to use."

He could feel it then. The power of the dragon coursing through his veins. Fueling his rage. Bringing the power he'd wield against the world to new heights. It made him want to scream, both from the pain of harboring it, and the ecstasy it would bring when he released it on his enemies.

It was perfect. The waves were meaningless. Glass and her party of traitors were meaningless. Trash, Bitch, Wren, Itsuki, Motoyasu, and everyone else who had been or who still stood against him were meaningless. And with it, they would all burn.

He grinned maniacally. Pointing his shield at the memory that had started it all. The girl who had played him for a fool. "Dark Gas Burning!"

A green fire burst from his shield. He laughed, there it was. That pleasurable feel that came from destroying his enemy-

"Master Naofumi?"

The Shield Hero gasped, the red disappearing from his eyes. Suddenly, he was no longer surrounded by his memories. Instead, he was standing in front of the dragon's carcass. Raphtalia, his faithful sword, and companion was crying. To his horror, he realized he had just hit her with the very attack he had launched from his shield.

"Why, Master Naofumi? I thought... you cared... for Filo and... me..." Raphtalia collapsed to the ground.

"Raphtalia, no!" He yelled in terror. His dragon armor disappeared and his shield turned back into its default preset as he ran forward and picked her body up off the ground. "Raphtalia!" He yelled, shaking her. But she didn't stir.

"No!" He raised his hand above her. "As Shield Hero, source of thy power, I order thee, decipher the laws of nature; and heal my target! Fast Heal!" He chanted.

A glow went over Raphtalia's body, but she didn't move. The spell didn't have an effect on her. "Come on, hang with me Raphtalia! Fast Heal!" He chanted again.

The same thing happened again, with no result.

"What the hell, Fast Heal!"

No result.

"Fast Heal!"

No result.

"Fast heal!" He chanted again, his voice carrying for miles around.

'No. It's all my fault.' "FAST HEAL!"

Raphtalia's body glowed again, but she stayed the same. It was then he noticed her eyes gazing up at nothing above her. Her last tears were still fresh on her face.

Naofumi stared down in shock at her dead features, his eyes refusing to believe it. "No, no, please…" Tears leaked out from his eyes. "It, can't be…"

He pressed his fingers to her neck, searching for a pulse. But he found none.

"Raphtalia." He whispered, his head hanging down.

...

"Is this not what you wanted?"

Naofumi turned. The eyes of the zombie dragon carcass glowed red. It remained motionless on the ground though, staring at him. "What I wanted?" Naofumi asked confusedly.

"You wanted to watch everything burn. And you didn't care who would get burned up in the process. That has been all you've wanted since coming to this world. You never wanted even for a pitiful demi-human like her. That is why you killed her, did you not?"

Naofumi felt his heart start beating faster in his chest. His mind refusing to believe it.

"No, you're wrong!" Naofumi screamed in anger again. The tears still falling down his cheeks. "I didn't want this to happen to her! I wanted her to live beyond the waves! I wanted her to see her village built anew! I, I wanted her to be happy!" He yelled at the dragon.

"You should have thought about that than before you killed her. Shield Hero." The dragon said smugly. His laughter booming everywhere in his mind.

"No." Naofumi put his hands over his ears.

"Face it Shield Hero. You're just like me."

"You're wrong!" He shouted, his eyes closed tight.

"You hate this world. You hate everything in it. So much that you'd prefer killing your beloved friends yourself to keep them from suffering in it."

"Lies! You're lying!" He yelled. Tears still forcing their way from his eyes.

"You're always quick to give into rage. Always sticking to your pride instead of your bonds to others. You refuse to apologize, even when you're in the wrong." The dragon continued.

Different memories raced through his head. Ones like the time he pushed Melty away just because he learned she was royalty. The time he wanted to argue with the other heroes, even when the Pope was preparing to destroy them. Every time he had swindled money from a village for a service that should have costed a lot less.

"Face it Shield Hero. You're nothing but a monster, just like me. All you want is to be consumed by your rage. And to burn everything in this world, through, and, through." The dragon said the last part slowly, dragging each word out like a poisonous dart.

"Please." Naofumi was begging. He had never felt more sorrowful in his life. "Make it stop. Just make it stop." He fell to his knees while begging.

The dragon's laughter kept on booming around him.

…

"He's wrong, Master Naofumi."

Naofumi opened his eyes again. He was no longer in that mountain clearing with the dragon carcass. Nor was Raphtalia dead in front of him. "Ra… Raphtalia?" He asked in shock.

The demi-human girl nodded happily, her bright smile on her face. "You're not a monster. Not to me, you aren't."

*Gasp!*

Naofumi sat up straight on his bed. His eyes wide as he looked all around him. It took him a few moments to realize what had happened. He rubbed at the side of his head. "A dream… it was all a dream…"

He looked down at his right arm. The one his shield was attached to. He frowned at it and then got himself out of bed. It was in its default setting, just as it had been when he fell asleep. 'A dream… it was all a dream…'

He walked to his window and looked out over the town of Rurorona Village. The town he had just been made Lord over a couple of days ago. With it being the dead of night, there was no one out and about outside. Filo and the others were likely asleep.

'If it was all a dream… why did it feel so real?' He thought, his fist clenched with anger. 'Why do I still have to suffer from what they did to me?! Why did I…' He choked back a sob. 'Have to kill them…'

"Master Naofumi?"

Naofumi jumped at the sound of Raphtalia's voice and turned around. She was standing in the doorway, staring at him with concern. "Is everything okay?" She asked, the worry in her tone evident.

Naofumi sighed to himself and unclenched his fist. "Yes, everything's fine Raphtalia." He said indifferently, turning around to face the window again. "You should probably go back to sleep. You're helping to train Lecia tomorrow after all."

Raphtalia clutched a fist to her chest. "Master… I could hear you talking in your sleep through the walls." She admitted.

Naofumi's eyes widened in surprise. 'What… did she…' He thought, glancing back in her direction.

She surprised him again with how close she had gotten. He didn't know if it was because of her stealth stats, or if he had just been focused on the outside world. But by the time he noticed her, her arms had wrapped around him from behind. She rested her head against his shoulder, making sure he wouldn't get away.

"Raphtalia?" He asked. 'Is she… shaking?' He thought.

"Master… you… you don't really…" She looked up at his face. "You don't really think of yourself as a monster, do you?" She boldly asked.

Naofumi's eyes widened. The memory of his still fresh dream flashed through his mind. "You're a monster, just like me." The dragon's voice reechoed in his mind.

He looked to the side, his face appearing crestfallen. "Raphtalia."

She shook her head. The tears in her eyes were evident. "Master Naofumi… you know none of us would ever think of you like that, right?" She asked.

'That must be why she's so upset by this.' He thought sadly. Seeing her upset because of him never felt right. It was like when she said she didn't want him to leave. He didn't want her to be unhappy. That was all he wanted was for her and the others to be happy.

"Of course I know that Raphtalia." He said, before looking out the window. "It's only my mind that makes me think that way sometimes. When I think about what happened when I first came to this world. How all I wanted was for everyone and everything to go to hell."

Raphtalia hugged herself closer to him. "Do you, still think that way sometimes master Naofumi?" She asked.

"Sometimes, when I dream." He then looked back down at her before allowing himself to smile. "But to be honest, after everything we've been through. I think it'd be a shame if this place had been burned down just because I got angry." He said jokingly.

Raphtalia stared up at him. Then the familiar childish look she pulled whenever she got angry came over her face. Her tail also spiked up behind her. "Master Naofumi!" She complained.

He laughed, and Raphtalia backed away, her face burning a bright red. "How can you joke about something like that with me!?" She angrily asked.

"What, are you kidding? And miss the opportunity of seeing you act like a kid?" He asked with obvious humor in his tone.

"I am not a kid! How many times do I have to tell you that?!" She shouted, her hands forming fists in front of her.

"Let's see." He made a look of counting on his fingers. "How does about… seven more times sound?" He offered.

"Urghhhhh!" Raphtalia gritted her teeth and then huffed as she turned around. "I don't even know why I allow myself to get worried about you!"

'Yep, she might have matured since I last met her. But she can still act like a little kid sometimes.' He thought in amusement. "Don't be mad Raphtalia. I was only saying back then. I'd never want to do something like that now. Especially since I've been entrusted to run this place." He said in between chuckles.

"Hmph!" Raphtalia pouted, taking on her classic pouting pose of standing up tall, crossing her arms, pointing her tale to the side, and turning her head with her eyes closed. It made Naofumi feel better on the inside.

'At least she isn't sad about it anymore.' He thought.

"... but, seriously." She spoke quietly.

Naofumi stopped his chuckling and looked up. "Huh?" He asked.

Her pouting pose had dropped to a more vulnerable one. "Don't think of yourself as a monster Naofumi." She said, turning to look at him shyly. "Filo and the others don't think of you like that. And I especially don't think of you like that." She said, resting her hand on his shield. "I vowed to be your sword forever…" She looked up into his eyes. "I would have never made such a promise if I didn't think the person I'd be making it to didn't have a good heart."

Again, Naofumi was slammed by her words. 'Raphtalia.' He thought.

She gave him a hug again. And this time, he raised his arms and hugged her back. Resting his chin on top of her head. His eyes looking contemplative.

"Even if no one else believes in you, I'll always stand by your side. No matter what." She whispered.

He didn't need to hear it to know it was true. Again, he felt that familiar well of emotions bubble up in him. Gratitude for fate helping him to meet this girl. Admiration for how amazing she was. Amazement that she would go through hell with him willingly. Wonder as to how someone like her could ever exist. And…

He smiled, closing his eyes. His body relaxing as his mind prepared to reenter into sweet dreams. That was an emotion he'd think about another time. Though it was an emotion he found growing from day to day.

"Thanks, Raphtalia." He whispered, finding she had already moved him back to his bed.

She stayed sitting on the front of his bed. "It's no problem." She said as she pulled the covers over him.

"Aren't you going to get some sleep?" He asked when she remained at the foot of his bed.

"I'm going to stand guard here tonight. To make sure those bad dreams don't bother you again." She whispered.

Again, that emotion crossed his mind, causing him to smile. Within minutes, he fell asleep again. That same smile that came with the emotion still plastered onto his face.

Raphtalia smiled in return. "Sleep well Master Naofumi…"

'I'll always protect you, no matter what.'

Author's Note:

Well, I'm glad I got the chance to write this. I hope you all were able to enjoy it. Again, leave a comment if you have one. Or, send me a request. I'd like to know what people would like to see with these two should I plan on doing more works for them in the future.

Till Next Time

Allen