Author's Note: Aaaand we're back with another chapter! Welcome all new and returning readers! So, if you decide to go back and reread chapters 1 - 5, I went back and fixed the dialogue split between characters. The early chapters should be a lot smoother to read now.

Also, I guess now is the time to say what the Easter Egg from chapter 5 is. It's at the bottom - "As she continued, sunlight began to break through the clouds, making the world beyond them seem to glimmer." It's a Battlefield 1 Prologue reference.

Oh, and one final thing. This is a chapter I know many of you have been waiting for. Oh trust me, it's going to be a good one. You'll see what I mean soon, dear readers.

Now, without further adieu, chapter 17!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rising of the Shield Hero or any of its characters.

"Dialogue."

"Writing."

Thoughts.

The fire continued to rage on as the group watched the mountain burn from a safe distance. Filo and Melty held worried looks on their faces while Rifana gave them words of comfort to ease their concern. Raphtalia and Leo stood side by side, hand in hand as the inferno continued to engulf the forest.

"I can't believe she would do something like this. If she's willing to go this far to get us, then I'm afraid of what she will do if she does get us." Raphtalia said, her voice wavering as she spoke.

Leo pulled her into a brief hug before kissing her on the forehead, causing all her worries to momentarily vanish. "We'll be fine, we just need to keep moving. We need to get down the mountain before that fire reaches us. Come on, we have to go." Leo said to the other three members of his group. With haste, the group of five began to walk down the rest of the mountain once more, the intensity of the fire growing behind them, the blaze having sent fear into even the strongest of warriors.

As the slope of the mountain began to slowly level out, the scene of flames was barely visible as the path twisted and turned as Leo and his party went further down the mountain. A sum of days. Will we even last that long? We're running out of supplies, we're tired, and we have the entire damn country looking for us. At this rate, that Reichnott guy may be our last hop-.

"Leo." Raphtalia suddenly said, bringing Leo out of his thoughts. Slightly slowing his pace, he allowed for his partner to catch up before she went on. "I- I've been thinking, what if the Queen doesn't arrive on time, or we get captured before she can help us? We've been through so much that, although I'm afraid to admit it, I'm scared. I'm scared of being separated from you, from everyone, and being tortured again." A few tears began to trail down Raphtalia's face as she clung to Leo's arm.

For the first time in a long time, Leo brought his hand to her head and began to rub her hair. The calming action forced Raphtalia to close her eyes and breath softly for a moment. When she opened her eyes, she saw Leo's own emerald green eyes staring at her. Using his gloved thumb to wipe a tear from her face, he spoke in the calmest, most soothing voice he could muster. "I won't let that happen. No matter what, whether we are against one knight or the country's entire army, I will never leave your side. You are the most important person in the world to me, and I would rather die than be separated from you in life. I promise you that, no matter where we go, no matter what happens, that I will be there for you, for Rifana, for Filo, for everyone. We'll make it through this crisis, one way or another."

Once Leo had finished speaking, Raphtalia's tears began to fall once again. This time however, they were tears of joy and happiness, as Leo's words provided her comfort. Pulling Leo into a tight hug, her tears stained a small part of his clothing, but he did not care as he instantly reciprocated the affection. The embrace made Raphtalia feel safe, as if nothing else in the world mattered at that moment.

Rifana, Filo, and Melty all stood off to the side and simply watched the scene play out. After nearly a minute, the two released from their embrace and stared each other in the eye, but not before someone cleared their throat. Looking over at the trio, Leo and Raphtalia saw that it was Rifana who had interrupted the moment. The two lovers blushed due to the look that Rifana was giving them. With a smile, Leo pulled up his mask and lowered his goggles, his face becoming concealed as the sun began to rise above the horizon, giving birth to a new day.

"Let's get off this mountain. I see a town over to the south, so we can head there and resupply. Make sure to stay hidden on the outskirts when I go in to buy some supplies. We need to keep a low profile for the time being." Leo said before continuing on in the direction of the town. The others followed him as they always did, leaving the burning mountain for all to see.

As they got closer to one of the gates that led into the town, a small squad of knights was also approaching from one of the two interconnecting roads. Leo grabbed Melty while Rifana did the same with Filo before jumping into nearby bushes to hide. After watching the knights enter, Leo scanned the surrounding area for any other groups of Melromarc's soldiers. Despite seeing none, Leo was not about to take a chance in getting caught. Silently, he gestured for the other four to move around to the east side of the town.

After they were on the move, Leo snuck around to look for any smaller and less patrolled entrances. Within five minutes, he had managed to find a small gate that was being watched by only one guard. When the knight turned to look over at the other direction, Leo snuck in. Due to the presence of the knights, Leo took off his helmet, goggles, and balaclava, storing them in his backpack. If any knights were to see him, they would have to recognize him by his clothing.

Leo's messy hair blew slightly in the breeze that blew through the town. The helmet's been getting a bit uncomfortable lately. Gonna have to cut the hair soon. Making his way to the nearest vendor selling food, Leo made a quick purchase of a few loaves of bread, a dozen potatoes, and a bag of fruit. Due to how close his team was to finally reaching Van Reichnott's land, he bought only what they needed since he planned on getting a proper meal there. Paying the vendor, Leo gave the man a quick thanks before he walked into a nearby alleyway. Cutting around the back of buildings and between alley's, Leo snuck towards the east side of the town so as to meet up with his team.

Hearing footsteps come down the dirt path, Rifana took out her tomahawk and hid behind a tree, ready to strike against the incoming person if they were found. Peeking around her cover, she saw a camo pattern that she was all too familiar with. With a sigh of relief, she holstered her tomahawk before whistling in Leo's direction. When she saw that she had his attention, she waved for him to follow her as she snuck further into the treeline.

Walking down a path of leaves, Leo followed Rifana back to where the rest of his party was held up. "Leo, you're back! What'd you get?" Raphtalia asked when he and Rifana entered the small opening in the forest.

"I bought us some bread, potatoes, and a small assortment of fruits." Taking out his map, he pointed at the Reichnott territory. "Since we're only a few miles from our destination, I figured we wouldn't need much. I planned on us getting a meal at Van Reichnott's, as well as an actual break. This pack gets heavy, you know?" Leo stated as he put the map away.

Raphtalia popped her back before taking hold of her own backpack and putting it on. "Trust me Leo, I know. You said we're only a few miles away, right?" Leo quickly nodded in response. "Then we should get going. We can't stop now, not when Melty is so close to safety." She suggested with a serious look on her face.

Melty shook her head before speaking up, giving her thoughts on Raphtalia's idea. "Lady Raphtalia, surely we can rest? We have been traveling for hours, so the least we could do is take some time and catch our breaths before we go."

Filo instantly agreed, her hungry nature being the main reason. "Master, I'm hungry! Mel's right, we should stop and eat!" She exclaimed in an energetic attitude.

Leo weighed his options. On one hand, they could go and arrive sooner, albeit tired and hungry without any stops, or they could eat and possibly risk getting caught, but have the energy to get to Van Reichnott's in a quick fashion.

"Alright, we'll stop for a few minutes. We'll eat a snack, but we have to be on the move in the next half hour, got it?" Leo sternly said to the others. Nobody complained as he took out three of the four loaves of bread and split them in half. Once everyone had half, while Filo was given the final loaf as a whole, they dug in, letting their aching legs catch a break before continuing on.

Once their thirty minutes were up, the group was on the road again as they finished the final stretch required to reach Van Reichnott's.

"So, Melty, tell me more about this Van Reichnott character." Leo said in the midst of their travel. With the lack of people currently chasing them and actively trying to kill him, he figured it was time to finally learn more about their destination.

Melty appeared to be in thought for a moment before looking up at Leo. "Well, Lord Reichnott is now one of the leading members of the nobility who yearn for peaceful relations between demi - humans and humans. There was a lord who was even more influential, but sadly, he was killed during the first wave." Melty explained somberly. Her face told the rest of the group that the previous lord's passing was all too great of a loss.

Choosing his words wisely, Leo waited a moment before letting the conversation continue. "So, this other noble, who was he? Just how important was he to the cause?" Leo asked in a curious tone.

"He was Lord Seaetto of the Seaetto Region. Mother always went to him for assistance if she required something done politically. He was one of mother's closest advisors and friends, as well as the main speaker for peace and equality between our races." This made Raphtalia and Rifana stop for a moment as they both looked at each other with slight despair.

Leo sensed the change in attitude almost immediately. "Raphtalia, Rifana, are you two ok?" Their sudden change in attitude worried Leo, Melty, and Filo. The two demi - human friends were always in good spirits with each other around, so for both of them to stop was quite unnerving.

"We're fine, it's just that, the Seaetto Region was where our village was located. After the first Wave, we had silently hoped that the noble in charge managed to survive. Hearing that he died just makes it harder knowing the fact that there's a chance that we could never go back home." Raphtalia said. Her voice gradually became weaker as the pain of losing her home crept back into her mind. The same went for Rifana, as the memories of everything that had happened all those months ago took hold of her mind.

Rifana kept her head down as she went to sit against a tree. As she spoke, it was evident that she was on the verge of tears. "After the Wave was over, those of us that survived went back to our village. It was in absolute shambles, but we pulled through. It was actually Raphtalia here that gave us the hope to rebuild. But even that came to an end. Not even a week later, around a company of Melromarc's knights arrived. We thought they came to give us supplies or help us rebuild, but instead, they attacked. They killed all the adults who survived before taking everyone else. That's how we ended up in Idol Rabier's possession. We were beaten, starved, whipped, and worse for months. After that, we ended up with that slave merchant, Beloukas. From there, well, Leo knows the rest."

To say Leo and Melty were shocked beyond belief was an understatement. Leo knew the situation was bad, but hearing about it himself by someone who underwent that treatment made him sick. Even Filo's happy - go - lucky, energetic personality seemed shattered, as she was filled with sadness after hearing Rifana recollect her and Raphtalia's past.

Melty's sad expression soon turned into that of anger and conviction. "Raphtalia, Rifana, the next time we talk, I want you to tell me everything you can remember about those soldiers. As crown princess, I assure you that they will face justice for their actions, even if some must be put to death." This brought a smile to the two demi - humans' faces, as well as Leo's.

Leo let out a deep breath before catching everyone's attention. "Let's keep going, we're almost to Van Reichnott's." He simply said. Waiting for his two soldier companions to get up, the group got on the move once more.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence.

As they walked over a small incline in the road, the group came face to face with a large area of land that was currently being cultivated by demi - humans. In the distance, they could see a large manor that overlooked a nearby village, no doubt Van Reichnott's place of residence.

"This is it! This is Lord Reichnott's territory! We made it!" Melty exclaimed happily. Their long, four day journey was finally nearing its end, all they had to do was find Van Reichnott himself.

Putting a hand on Melty's shoulder, Leo, as tired as he was, was celebrating with her. "Fucking finally. After dealing with the knights, your sister, and that idiot Motoyasu, we can finally have a break." Leo said in his tired state. He could only imagine being able to take a proper bath after weeks of suffering, and as much as he loved Raphtalia, she needed to clean up even more than he did.

"Yeah, but the question still remains: Where is Van Reichnott exactly?" Rifana asked as she slowly walked up behind the others. This question quickly ended the high hopes the others had, replacing it with curiosity and question instead.

Suddenly, a new voice called out from a sum of feet down the road. "No need to look for me adventurers, I am right here." A man with blue hair said as he walked up to the group.

Van Reichnott's appearance made Melty smile, as she not only did she get to talk to a close family friend, but also with someone who she knew she could trust no matter what. "A pleasure to meet you again, Lord Reichnott." Melty said with formality.

Van Reichnott smiled back, his cheery demeanor becoming obvious to the members of Leo's party. "And it is a pleasure to see you, Princess Melty. I assume you have to discuss something with me." After she gave him a quick nod, Van Reichnott turned to the three soldiers and young girl that were with the princess. "And you must be the adventurers hired to protect her on her way here. I am pleased to meet you too." Van Reichnott stated with a pleasant tone.

Leo went for a handshake, which the nobleman accepted without hesitation. "Good to see you too sir. I'm going to cut to the chase and say it now. Lord Reichnott, we really need your help."

Reichnott held his hand to his chin for a moment while in thought. After a few seconds, his smile returned. "Then whatever you have to discuss, we may talk about back at my manor. Please, come with me." The nobleman said in his natural pleasant tone.

After following the noble for ten minutes, they arrived at his house: A large white building with a green roof, three floors, and windows everywhere. Now this looks like a house Jan Kulczyk would rent out to someone. The rooms are so… elegant. Leo thought as he followed Van Reichnott through the house. Rifana, Raphtalia, and Filo were awestruck at the sight of the house, both inside and out.

When they reached one of the hallways, Van Reichnott spoke up. "If you would like, you may leave your stuff here so that the maids can bring it to some of the guest rooms. If not, that is fine too." Leo, Raphtalia, and Rifana all appeared a little hesitant to do so, but when Melty gave them a confident nod, they relented and placed their backpacks next to each other against the wall. Of course, Leo took out the binoculars and clipped them to his belt, while Raphtalia and Rifana kept their weapons on them. "Now that that's done, please, follow me to the dining room. We may discuss your troubles over some lunch." Filo's eyes sparkled in delight at the mention of eating food. Leo rolled his eyes at the hungry transforming filolial.

Going further down the hallway, Van Reichnott opened one of the doors which led to a simple room with a wood table and chairs. Once everyone was inside, Van Reichnott made sure that nobody was nearby before closing the door.

"So, Shield Hero, what is it exactly that you require my help for? Is it protecting Princess Melty?" Van Reichnott asked as he moved to stand by one of the windows. The fact that Van Reichnott already knew what Leo and his party came here for, as well as who he was came as a quick surprise.

"How did you-?" Leo began to say with a bit of confusion and wonder.

"Know who you were and why you came? Oh, that's simple, Sir Shield Hero. One of the shadows came by in the early morning and explained that part. What troubles me however, is the report the knights provided me with early today. They said that you were the culprit behind the wildfires that plagued the mountain some miles away so as to cover your tracks. Tell me, Sir Shield Hero," Van Reichnott stated as he turned towards the standing Leo, "Is that information accurate? Or is it simply another tragic effort to condemn you and your party?"

Leo sighed before sitting back down, his annoyance through the roof with the knights of Melromarc. "Of course they would do that. Lord Reichnott, I can assure you that my party and I are innocent of that mess. More than likely, it was Princess Malty who started the fire, and if that's the case, then I'm worried for Ren and Itsuki." At the mention of the Sword and Bow Heroes, Reichnott raised his eyebrows for a moment, while the rest of those in the room had worried looks strewn across their faces.

"Hm, tell me Sir Shield Hero, are you talking about the Sword and Bow hero?" Van Reichnott asked. Leo nodded to confirm the noble's suspicion. "Hm, then this is gravely concerning. The knights reported that both the Sword and Bow Hero turned against the Princess and Spear Hero, betraying their loyalty to the crown. Other than that, it was reported that they had escaped from the princess and her knights."

That piece of information brought everyone a piece of relief. Knowing that Ren and Itsuki managed to escape gave him comfort in knowing that two of the other three heroes were completely on his side of the fight.

Throughout the entire meeting, Reichnott could see just how exhausted everyone truly was from the adventure. The lack of proper sleep for a few days, alongside running from Malty and a forest fire had taken a toll on the well being of Leo's entire party, including Melty. Well, everyone except for Filo, who seemed as energetic as ever since she had been waiting to eat some food.

"You all must be quite tired from your travels. If you wish to do so, you may rest here until you need to go. And as for lunch, it shall be provided. So please, eat as much as you wish." As if on cue, the doors leading into the dining room opened up as two maids pushed carts full of food into the room. With ease, the maids put plates down in front of each person sitting at the table before removing the lids, revealing slices of beef, vegetables, and a side plate of bread per person.

"Yay, food! Ok everybody, let's eat!" Filo exclaimed in excitement. She immediately began reaching for a piece of the beef with her bare hands before both Rifana and Raphtalia stopped her.

"Filo!" They both said at the same time, with Raphtalia continuing on. "Use your manners! We are guests here." Filo appeared to be sad for a moment since she was forced to use utensils. The small reprimand made Leo chuckle at Filo before he took off his entire head protection: Helmet, goggles, and balaclava, so as to eat and give his head a break from wearing his equipment almost all the time.

As the meal went on, Filo had once or twice tried to eat the food with her hands, which Raphtalia always caught. Since this was their first true meal after a few days, the group ate in silence as they savored the tastes. In the midst of their meal, Leo spoke up after swallowing one of the last pieces of beef. "Alright, here's what we're going to do. We'll spend a night or two here and rest up. Once we've cleaned up and recovered, we're gonna hit the road again." Leo explained.

His plan did not seem to sit well with Melty, who sent a curious glance over to Leo. "What? Why can't we stay for longer? You know how tired we all are Sir Leopold." Melty inquired.

"Yes, I know. Melty, if we could stay for longer, then we would, but we can't. The longer we stay, the more likely this place will become a target of a search. Plus, it's not like we won't come back. We'll return about a week after we leave, which should be enough time for your mother to come and hold this area. If everything goes according to plan, we'll stumble right back here and deliver you to your mom without issue." Leo stated as if he had this all figured out. Truth be told, he did, at least if nothing were to happen during their stay.

After some time, the group eventually finished their meals. Filo wanted to see more of the manor, so Melty offered to show her around. While those two were off, Van Reichnott had shown Leo, Raphtalia, and Rifana the location of the two bathrooms. Leo let the two females go bath first while he went to one of the rooms reserved for his group to study his map. The interior of the room was decorated with three larger beds, a couch, two chairs, and a desk.

Sitting at the desk, Leo took a look at the many 'X' marks on his map, which he had now dubbed dark zones. Taking out his pencil, he erased the previous marking he had for the Reichnott territory, instead replacing it with an arrow and the words 'Safe Zone.' Looking over at Faubrey, Leo figured that if the Queen were to get on the move within the next four days, then it would take her almost a week and a half to make to Van Reichnott's with minimal stops.

With Melty taking Filo exploring throughout the manor, and Raphtalia and Rifana taking baths, Leo finally had a bit of time to himself. Taking out his journal, now was a better time to write than ever.

September 21, 2020

"We have made it to the Reichnott territories, thank God. We had to pass through a section of a mountain range in order to reach it. It would not have been so bad, if not for the intrusion of Princess Malty, who was trying to KILL her sister. After some talks, we managed to persuade Itsuki, the Bow Hero, and Ren, the Sword Hero, to join us on our 'quest' to take Melty to Lord Reichnott for her own safety, as well as to allow us some time to rest. When Motoyasu, the Spear Hero, attacked us, Ren and Itsuki bravely fought both the Spear Idiot and Communist Princess, buying us time to escape. I recently learned that they too managed to get away from the princess and her forces after some time, so finding them is going to become a priority soon. If everything goes according to plan, we should be safe with the Queen within the next two weeks or so."

- Private First Class Wisniewski

Setting his journal aside, Leo went back to the map, marking every checkpoint that allowed travel between Shieldfreeden and Melromarc as 'CP 1,' 'CP 2,' 'CP 3,' 'CP 4,' 'CP 5,' 'CP 6,' and 'CP 7.' Once they were marked, he took a look at the roads that connected with the Reichnott territory. If he could deduce which ones were the least likely to have knights patrolling them, then he and his companions would have an easier time staying hidden within the country.

A sudden knock at the open doorway caught Leo's attention, bringing him out of his tactical planning. Looking over, he was met with Raphtalia, who was leaning against the doorway wearing a standard camo tank top and a spare pair of her normal pants, the clothing she had worn previously having been taken by the maids to be washed.

Leo was starstruck at the sight. Raphtalia's clothing and increased physical fitness, alongside the room's lighting showed off her muscles and curves in such a way that left Leo staring for a moment at her beauty.

"Hey." She greeted as she got off the doorway and walked into the room.

Blinking, Leo shook his head nonchalantly before he turned back to the map and his journal. "Hey." He simply replied as Raphtalia walked up behind him.

Peering over his shoulder, she saw his opened journal and map, both with new writings and markings. "Writing again, huh?" She asked with a slightly curious tone.

"Yeah, that and adjusting the map." He pointed at their current location before running his finger along the border. "I changed up the names of places we could visit, and those we can't. We know that Van Reichnott is a trustworthy man, so we can come back here to relax every once in a while." Raphtalia nodded understandingly. Leo always seems like he's several steps ahead of everything. Good thing too. Who knows how bad things might actually have been if Leo wasn't the one who had been summoned that day. That's one of the reasons I love him: He's always prepared for the unexpected.

Raphtalia stretched, her joints popping back into place as she went over and sat on one of the beds. "Alright then. One of the bathrooms is open now, so you can go clean yourself up. Rifana's cleaning her hair right now, so that could take a while." She joked with a smile.

The joke brought a smile to Leo's face. Some comic relief was always good. It kept morale up during harder times. "Thanks for the notice. Go ahead and get yourself situated while I go clean up." With that, Leo left the room to go take a bath and wash up.

As the sun set and night began to take control of the land of Melromarc, everyone was back in the room that they had been left with for the time they would be there. Due to the fact that the room only held three beds, Rifana decided that she would simply take watch in case any knights decided to show up at the manor. With her decision, Melty and Filo took two of the other beds, while Raphtalia and Leo took the last one.

As they lay next to each other, Raphtalia's head was dug into the crook of Leo's neck as she hugged him in her sleep. Whether she was up and about or sleeping soundly, Leo's company and comfort made her feel safe, even with the current nightmare she was having.

In her nightmare, she was face to face with Idol Rabier as he forced her watch him torture her best friend: Rifana. She pleaded with him to stop over and over but to no avail. Suddenly, she found herself free from her bonds and a hand upon her shoulder. Turning her head, she saw the silhouette of a soldier standing tall next to her, as if to tell her that everything was ok. His face was hidden by the shadows of the dungeon, but she felt as if she recognized the individual. Looking back towards Rifana, she expected to see Idol standing there, whipping her. Instead, she saw that same soldier kneeling over her friend, giving her a sip of water from his canteen. Idol was nowhere to be seen, as if he had simply vanished into thin air. In the real world, a lone tear made its way down her face and onto the pillow that she and Leo shared, a small smile growing on her face.

As dawn gave way to a new day, the bits of sunlight that shined into the room found its mark on Raphtalia's face. Slowly, she woke up and blinked so as to let her eyes adjust to the sunlight. When her vision cleared, she was met with the sight of Leo, his eyes still closed as he continued to sleep.

Can't say I blame him for not waking up. He's been working real hard to keep us going these past few days with barely any rest compared to us. He deserves a break. She thought tenderly as she pushed herself up into a sitting position.

"Welcome back to the land of the living Raphtalia." A voice said from the window.

Looking over, Raphtalia saw Rifana in her full BDU, rifle slung across her back. "Did you stay up all night Rifana?" Raphtalia asked her friend.

Rifana shook her head as she leaned against the window sill, the curtains blocking her from anyone viewing the room from the outside. "Of course not. Melty and I swapped in the middle of the night. We actually traded watch about two hours ago." The weasel demi - human explained. Raphtalia let out a quick 'oh' before Rifana took another look outside the window. "Wait, what the hell?" She suddenly said.

Carefully, Raphtalia got out of bed so as to not wake up Leo. Walking over to the window, she saw Van Reichnott being taken away by a trio of knights. "Shit!" Reverting back to how she was trained, she ran over and shook Leo until he woke up.

Leo yawned as he began to open his eyes. Sitting up, he found Raphtalia shaking him in a frenzy. "Raphtalia, what is it?" He asked in a semi - tired state.

His girlfriend pointed towards the window before giving Leo the bad news. "Some knights just took Lord Reichnott prisoner. Leo, they're here." Leo's eyes popped out of their sockets after that bit of information. With no time to waste, he sprung into action and began doing what he had done best for the past two months: Be a leader.

"Raphtalia, suit up. Get your weapons ready. Rifana, watch our exit with your Kalashnikov, make sure no knights come through that door. We have to find the others. For now, get a move on!" Leo exclaimed as he went to put on his ballistic vest. Reaching into his backpack, Leo took out all of his normal equipment that he wore and put them on in the fast manner he was trained to. As he was taking hold of his backpack, the door suddenly opened, revealing one of Van Reichnotts maids. Rifana would have accidentally shot her if it wasn't for the fact that she had opened the door slightly and peered outside the room five seconds prior.

The maid spoke in a panicked state, almost as if something or someone had spooked her. "Sir Hero, you and your party are in danger and need to leave, now! A neighboring nobleman marched over here with some soldiers and accused Lord Reichnott for taking you in! When Lord Reichnott refused to talk, he had him arrested! Come, follow me. I know a way outside."

Glancing at Rifana and Raphtalia, Leo nodded and gestured for them to follow the maid. Quickly they ran outside the room and down the corridor. "Ma'am, do you know where the rest of our party is? Princess Melty and another small girl?" Leo asked as they ran. Before she could answer him, the group came up to a corner. Stopping, the maid peeked around the corner only to find two knights standing in their way.

"Crap, they're blocking our route!" The maid quietly exclaimed. Leo placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her away from the corner. Silently, he motioned for Raphtalia to follow him. Sneaking up on the knights, they locked the two soldiers in tight choke holds. Within seconds, the knights were unconscious as they dragged them and put them in a closet. With the route now clear, the group quickly made their way downstairs and into the kitchen.

Luckily, the kitchen was empty save the food. Before the maid could lead them outside, a pair of heavy footsteps were heard approaching the kitchen. Pointing towards the pantry, the maid waved them inside. "Hide here before they find you, quickly!"

Letting his companions go in first, Leo followed and closed the door just as two knights burst into the kitchen. Looking through the gaps in the door, the darkness hid them as one the knights grabbed the maids' arm. In the midst of the knights' attempt to arrest her, Melty rounded the corner and began demanding the knights to stand down.

"Well well well, princess Melty. A pleasure meeting you here." A voice suddenly said from outside the kitchen. Raphtalia and Rifana knew exactly who that voice belonged to. Their blood began to boil in anger as all the repressed memories of their time as slaves took over their thought process. The two demi - humans' tails stiffen as they gripped their melee weapons with shaking hands.

Noticing their pure hatred, Leo pulled the two into a small hug in an attempt to calm them down. "Hey, calm down you two. Everything's going to be ok. Don't let your anger take hold of you now. Just listen to the sound of my voice, ok?" Leo whispered to the two friends. Their deep breathing slowly eased, the grips they once held on their weapons being released. "Remember what I taught you. Remain calm and breathe."

As Leo was helping Raphtalia and Rifana, the nobleman took a step forward, revealing himself to be a fat man with a sword and cape. He bowed at Melty before speaking in the snobby voice that he had greeted her with. "It's good to see that you are ok, your highness. The moment I heard that you had taken up residence here, I rushed over with my men to rescue you from that Shield Devil." The nobleman explained in an attempt to lie.

"Idol Rabier." Melty said, causing Leo to turn around for a moment and look through the slits in the door. For the first time, he finally had a visual description of the 'Idol Rabier' that tortured his companions, his girlfriend. Listening closely, Leo watched Idol carefully, judging each of his movements and the way he spoke.

"-ake me to my father immediately. I wish to explain this whole ordeal to him and clear the Shield Heroes name." Melty commanded the fat noble.

Idol smiled in a way that sent a bad message to Leo. "Of course your highness. I will be able to provide better transportation once we reach my manor. From there, I will have a ride arranged for you. Please, allow me to personally escort you." Melty had no choice but to agree to Idol's "kindness." Without another word, she followed the small escort of knights as they led her towards a carriage outside.

Once the coast was clear, Leo, Rifana, and Raphtalia finally left the pantry to go search for Filo. With all the knights having left with Idol and Melty, they began to search every room for the girl to little success. As they continued to comb the house, they still had no sign of Filo.

"Dammit, where could she be?" Rifana asked worryingly.

"Hopefully she hasn't left to save Melty, but there's only one way to find out." Leo told them. Taking a deep breath, Leo's voice rang out throughout the manor. "FILO! We need you out here now! Melty's gone!"

Above them, they heard heavy footsteps make their way to the stairs. Within seconds, an angry filolial queen was with them. "They took Mel?! We have to save her, come on!" She exclaimed before taking off in a run.

"Filo, stop!" Leo ordered, causing her to slow down into a halt. "We can't just barge in there, we need a plan. So here's what's going to happen. We're gonna scout the manor from a distance, look for any openings. When we find one, we make our way inside. From there, we find Melty and take out Idol. Once he's gone," Leo stopped before he faced his demi - human party members, "We get your people the hell out of there."

Rifana and Raphtalia were ecstatic to hear that they were finally going on a rescue mission to save their village. Getting onto Filo, the group followed the tracks the carriages and knights left behind. Don't worry everyone, we're coming.

Leo was currently crouched behind a log while looking through his binoculars. "Hm, looks like he's got the place locked down. Seems like the only way in is through the front door. No sewage entrance, backdoor, anything. He's one clever bastard, I'll give him that." Leo commented as he continued to look around at the manor.

In the distance, a mob of demi - humans were at the main gate leading across the deep pit that separated Idol's manor from the rest of the town. "Thank God for them, giving us the perfect distraction." Looking back at the manor, Leo could see a fat man watching the mob through one of the windows. "Bingo. Raphtalia, Rifana, Filo, H.V.T. spotted, fifth floor. Let's go. Filo, cut through the pit and take us inside the wall. Once we're inside, here are your orders." Leo paused for a moment to turn around and face his party. "If they surrender, take them prisoner. Other than that, no survivors." Leo darkly commanded. Rifana and Raphtalia agreed immediately, having lived through the hellhole that was Idol's estate for months. Filo seemed apprehensive, but agreed anyway. Anyone who took her friend away was a bad person in her book.

Putting his binoculars away, the three soldiers got onto Filo once more before she jumped into the pit. Jumping from rock to rock they made their way towards the second wall that defended Idol's manor. Leaping over it, the knights on duty were alerted almost immediately.

As the group continued forth into the fortress - like manor, many of Idol's knights thought it would be a good idea to attack. They were wrong. The moment Leo's party and the company of knights clashed, blood was spilled. Knights fell left and right, deep slashes from Raphtalia's sword causing them great agony or even death. Others simply found themselves decapitated, their rolling heads taking other knights by surprise before they too were killed.

Rifana's fight was even bloodier. Her tomahawk did not cut or slash, but rather, it dug. Bringing the blade down onto a knight, the blade dug itself deep into the torso with such strength that it reached the heart and sliced it in two. Other knights who tried to fight the stronger opponent quickly saw how useless it was as each knight was effectively hacked to death.

On Leo's front, he had taken out his Breath of Death Shield and began to spray into the crowd of knights who attempted to rush him at once. In a single moment, their advance was stopped, only to be replaced by heavy coughing and screams of pain. Those that did not die instantaneously began to cough up blood as the gas destroyed their internal organs.

"Keep moving, we have to hurry!" Leo exclaimed as he hit a knight over the head with his shield. Raphtalia and Rifana killed the last few knights they were fighting before catching up to Leo. Passing the entrance that led to the courtyard of the manor, Leo's attention was caught by a dark stairway that led into the ground. He also noticed how his party members also eye'd the staircase. "That must be it, huh?" Leo said. All he got were silent nods in response. "Alright, once we save Melty, we'll come back for them. Nobody is getting left behind." Leo said before he began to run at the manor's front door.

Suddenly, the wall next to the trio blasted open, revealing an angry looking Filo. As the dust cleared from the debris, Leo could see a few knights laying on the ground, motionless. That smash must have broken their spines. Lucky bastards.

Reaching the front door, Leo kicked it open, revealing a red and gold interior design. With Filo rushing in front of him, he, Rifana, and Raphtalia took out any knights that Filo missed on the way up the stairs. As they made it to the fifth floor, they saw a lone knight running for a room and opened a door. With one final push, Filo smashed the doorway and the knight standing in it.

"Mel, are you ok? We're here to rescue you!" Filo exclaimed to the cornered princess.

"Yeah, I'm ok!" She replied before running for safety with Filo. Before she could get far, Idol grabbed one of her ponytails and pulled her towards him. Taking out his sword, he held it to Melty's throat.

"If any of you move even an inch, the only thing you'll get is her head!" Idol threatened as he pulled the rapier closer to Melty's throat.

Raphtalia and Rifana knew that Idol had lost, so instead of doing anything over - the - top, they took the simple route. Taking out her pistol, Raphtalia shot Idol in the shoulder, forcing his sword away from Melty's throat. As he recoiled in pain, Rifana charged forward and kicked him with enough force that he left a dent in the wall where he hit.

It was now that the two demi - humans decided to play with their prey before killing him. Standing completely still, they let Idol stand up, forcing him to endure the pain of the bullet and the kick. When he regained enough strength, he reached for his whip and readied it.

"You damn demi's, I'll make sure you pay for that!" With a pitiful cry of rage, he went to crack his whip at Rifana. Rifana easily caught the whip mid - air before it hit her, with Raphtalia taking out her sword and slicing Idol's hand off. The fat nobleman cried in pain at the loss of his hand as blood began to pour out of the wound.

Crawling backwards, Idol reached the wall and began to beg and whimper. "Please, I beg of you, don't kill me! I'll give you whatever you want, just please, spare me! I can give you money, my manor, anything! Please!" The two demi - humans had none of it however, as they simply stood over the noble.

"So many demi - humans have suffered under your cruelty! They begged for their lives just as you beg for yours, but you showed them no mercy! You've taken so much from us, but now, it's our turn."

Author's Note: And there we have it, the moment you've all been waiting for: Idol Rabier. We also got to see a bit of Leo's dark side in the rescue mission. Other than that, not much else for me to say. Stay safe, bye!