AN: This takes place during the Duel between Naofumi and Motoyasu.

A New Symbol of Faith

1: The Duel

The sight of Raphtalia being dragged away from him, bound and gagged caused all the rage and hate in Naofumi's soul to come bubbling back to the surface as he glared at the Spear Hero, who flinched at the unbridled look of insanity in his eyes.

"Fine," he growled, making the crowd gathered around them look on in interest, "Whatever." He raised his eyes level with Motoyasu's, the look of rage never leaving them, "If I win, you'll give her back to me, right?"

Motoyasu finally found his smirk, "Yeah, if you win, that is."

Around the ballroom there was the soft titter of laughter and giggles as the noblemen and women scoffed at the very idea.

"The Shield Hero?" A woman tittered.

"Against the Hero of the Spear?" Her partner chuckled.

"What's he going on about?" One fat lord asked, a glass of wine half-way to his lips.

"And how does he think he can win?" Another noble laughed, "How can one fight with only a shield?"

{Every last one of them is laughing at me again!} The Hero of the Shield growled, his hands tightening into fists. His eyes hardened into the fiercest of glares, "I'll say this one last thing," he growled, drawing Motoyasu's attention once again, "I didn't have any people who would fight with me, so that's why I bought a slave," he said, looking down at the floor so that Raphtalia wouldn't see the look in his eyes, "This country may have forbade slavery, and is trying to crack down on it, but you can't possibly think that I'm the only one taking advantage of this."

Motoyasu began to sweat a little as he started to see a point to his words.

"That's just the current situation of this damned country," He continued, making the king frown at him angrily, an obvious jab at his ability to rule. Naofumi raised his head again, "But if you're going to keep saying that I'm in the wrong, then fine, I'll accept this farce of a duel you want so much!"

Raphtali strained against her bindings as she tried to warn him off the fight, but the look in her Master's eyes was that of a wild beast, there was no getting through to him when he was like this.

He took a step forward, glaring at the king, his daughter, and the favored Spear Hero, making the latter take yet another step back. "But," he spat, "Don't think for a second that I'll just lie down and lose!"

Further away from the fiasco that Motoyasu and Malty had caused, Ren and Itsuki frowned. "Well, this turned out to be a bad party." The Sword Hero commented, crossing his arms as the two Heroes were led away, "Think that he has a chance?"

"I don't know, really," Itsuki said, "I mean I'm impressed that he defended Lute Village on his own, but going against Motoyasu without any support?" The Bow Hero shook his head, "That's asking for trouble."

"We don't really know that much about his abilities," Ren reminded the youngest of the Heroes, "For all we know, he may be able to fight on his own without a weapon...but the slave thing..."

"I know, but some countries allow it here," Itsuki sighed, "Besides, after what happened two weeks ago, who would want to partner with him?"

Ren frowned, "I'm beginning to have my doubts about that as well," he said, making the boy look at him in surprise, "Seems to me that as soon as we got here, the king and the rest of the nobles have been against Iwatani from the get-go. Highly convenient that the king's daughter just so happened to be the one that he supposedly raped."

Itsuki raised his brow, "You think she lied?"

"Perhaps," Ren shrugged, "A rape victim isn't likely to just fall into bed with her savior, is she? I hear she and Motoyasu aren't shy about screwing around wherever they go."

Itsuki nodded, conceding the point. "So what do you wanna do?" He asked, "Should we stop it?"

Ren shook his head, "We'll have to let it play out." He said, tilting his head slightly, "Huh, you hear that?"

Itsuki strained his ears for a moment, nodding, "Sounds like another crowd?"

"Let's go see what's going on before the fight starts," Ren suggested, heading for the courtyard with Itsuki tailing right behind him.

{シールド}

The arena was abuzz with activity as the two Heroes faced each other. The king looked down at them from his personal seat above the arena, Raphtalia at his side being restrained by his guards, and fighting against her bindings furiously.

"Henceforth, the duel between the Hero of the Spear and the Hero of the Shield will begin!" The king proclaimed loudly, "A loss will occur should a competitor either be driven into a corner, or concede to a loss himself!"

Down in the arena, Motoyasu stood across from Naofumi, his spear resting on his shoulder, "What a contradiction; who shall win, the sword or the shield?" He said haughtily, looking at the Shield Hero, "I'm afraid this won't be much of a fight." He said, and smiled at the hated Hero, "You're in the wrong, and you know it."

"Am I?" Naofumi asked, readying his shield, which transformed into a smooth diamond-shape, "Come on, then, Mr. Righteous Hero. Defeat me!"

The king raised his hand, "You may now...BEGIN!"

Motoyasu lunged forward, and clashed against Naofumi's shield. The Shield Hero didn't budge. Motoyasu's grin dropped ever so slightly, "Heh, I supposed you're not the Shield Hero for nothing, huh?"

Naofumi glared at him with a crazed grin, "Contradiction, a word that means inconsistency or something that is illogical," he said, confusing the Spear Hero.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's as if this duel was like that from the start," Naofumi grinned, "The sword and the spear are made for attacking, but the shield is meant to defend oneself." He said, casting a small glance toward Raphtalia, who now had a hopeful looking her eyes. "There purposes were different from the very beginning."

Motoyasu was starting to lose his patients, "And just what are you trying to say?!"

"If this really is a battle between the strongest Spear and the strongest Shield," Naofumi sneered, "Then you lost the moment you couldn't pierce through my Shield!"

Motoyasu stepped back, spinning his spear around in a slash that came crashing down against Naofumi's shield, "Not a single person," he snapped, spinning around to thrust his spear at him again, "Will accept an outcome like that!"

Naofumi lept back as the furious assault knocked his shield out of the spear's path. Motoyasu lunged forward, "Turbulent Thrust!" The spear jabbed at Naofumi, the Spear Hero grinning, believing that he had won the duel. "How's that!" He laughed.

It was only then that he saw that his thrust had missed completely for Naofumi had ducked beneath it, glaring at him from below the pole of his spear. "I've already said this," He growled, "But I have no intention of losing!" He roared, and slammed a hard left hook into Motoyasu's stomach, making the younger man gag as he was thrown back.

Seeing the blow connect, Raphtalia cheered behind her gag, hopping up and down excitedly, much to the guard's irritation, not noticing that she was busily chewing through the cloth used to gag her.

Next to the king, Malty scoffed, "He just can't see that he's beaten, can he?" She giggled haughtily, "A simple punch from him wouldn't even hurt, or itch..." She trailed off when she saw Motoyasu staggering back, holding his stomach, "What?!"

Raphtalia wanted to laugh as she know that her Master had hands that were practically made of iron thanks to all of his hard work in the mines, and fighting off Orange Balloons whenever he was angry.

"Ow...that hurts..." The Spear Hero whined as Naofumi advanced on him.

"What's the matter, Spear-boy, did I give you an owie?" He sneered, and socked him again, knocking him off of his feet, "To think, you're one of the Heroes!"

Motoyasu roared and lunged again while Naofumi blocked, switching to his recently acquired Two-Headed Dog Shield, both head stretching out and sinking their fangs into the Spear Hero's arm. "AAAAHHHH!"

Naofumi's Pipe Shield manifested next, "Shield Prison!" He called out, forming a cage of shields and chains around the stunned Hero, "Change Shield: Animal Needle!"

"OW!" Motoyasu howled from inside the prison, "What the hell is this?! Needles?!"

Naofumi walked up to the prison, and rapped his knuckles on the side, "Give up, yet?" He asked casually, "You've pretty much been cornered."

"The hell with that!" Motoyasu howled, rattling around, "Ow, ow, ow, ow! Dammit, that actually hurts!"

On the sidelines, Motoyasu's party members were looking on in shock, along with the rest of the audience, "No way, he's actually pushing Lord Motoyasu back!" Malty sneered.

"How is that possible?" Someone wondered, making the king grind his teeth in anger.

"He's just got a shield," a girl o the Spear Hero's party gasped, "How can he be holding his own against Lord Motoyasu?"

Malty was biting her thumbnail angrily, and hurried down into the arena. Raphtalia saw this and growled, gnawing through her gag with renewed vigor.

"Have you had enough?" Naofumi asked as he stood over the downed Spear Hero, sporting multiple puncture marks.

Motoyasu propped himself up on his spear, growling at the man across from him, "You...how...how are you this strong?!" He demanded, "There's no way - !"

"Obviously there is a way, you stupid kid." Naofumi sneered, his eyes shaded by his black locks. "Now yield."

"No!" He lunged again.

"Air Strike Shield!" Naofumi snapped, hurling the phantasmal shield at the approaching Hero, and catching him in the middle and sending him sprawling across the arena. Naofumi lowered his arm, "Get up." He ordered, stalking forward, "You want to keep fighting, right? GET! UP!"

Motoyasu whimpered as he looked up at the shadowy form of the Shield Hero, quivering with fear as the unbridled rage rolled off of him in tangible waves of malice, all of it focused on the Spear Hero. He summoned his Pipe Shield once more, preparing to lock the whimpering Hero away again -

"LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!" Raphtalia shrieked at the top of her lungs.

"SHIELD PRISON!" Naofumi ducked down as he was surrounded by his own shields just as a powerful blast of wind struck the cage that surely would have sent the Shield Hero flying had the raccoon Demihuman not called out to him.

He peeked out from between the cracks of his prison, and spotting an very pissed-looking Malty with her hand extended toward him, still glowing from the spell she had cast. {So you want to play it that way, eh?!} He sneered angrily, his hatred of the woman boiling over, and staining his very soul.

Deep in the darkest part of his being, a crack formed. He looked up to Raphtalia, who was fighting against her restraints once more, biting down on the hand of a guard as he tried to gag her once more, only to be struck in the face by the king himself. He saw him shouting at her, but he could not longer hear anything. The only thing he knew right there and then was hatred. Hatred for the woman that had betrayed him. Hatred for the king that believed her. Hatred for the world.

The crack widened.

{Cursed Series requirements met. Shield of Wrath unlocked.}

"YOU CHEAT!"

The shout just barely broke through his rage because it hadn't come from Raphtalia this time. Stunned, he let the Shield Prison fall apart, opening himself to assault...but he found that Motoyasu was just as stunned as a band of peasant folk roared from the stands.

"I saw that woman attack the Shield Hero from behind!" A man he recognized, the one he had defended from the giant zombie back int Lute village, "The Shield Hero wins by default!"

"SILENCE!" The king roared, but to little effect.

"Return the Shield Hero's sword at once!" A woman shouted angrily, "How dare you strike her when she can't even fight back!"

Motoyasu looked at them in shock, "B-but she's a slave?"

"Does she look like one?!" The man Naofumi recognized as the village lord shouted, "Slaves are thin, and badly treated!"

"She has the mark!" Malty shouted, grinning viciously, "And I don't know what you're talking about? I made no such attack!"

"Bullshit!" Naofumi shouted for himself, glaring at the woman with hatred, "If that's true, then why did Raphtalia have to chew through her gag to warn me!? Answer me that, bitch!"

"How dare you talk to the princess like that!" A nobleman shouted in outrage, and the rage that Naofumi felt doubled. It all made sense, now. Malty was the king's daughter, of course he would take her side, and make it sound worse so that his daughter would save face!

"All of this for a filthy Demihuman," a noblewoman sneered angrily, "What a disgrace!"

That was enough of that. Naofumi howled as rings of a black miasma leaked from his person. His shield shaped itself into a sinister black and gold shape with sharp, dangerous edges. The jewel in the center changed from the gentle green it had once been to a fiery red.

"Why are you even defending him?" Malty demanded, paying no attention to the sudden transformation, "That Devil Hero raped me!"

All had gone quiet then, and Naofumi's world came crashing down around him as the words left the woman's lips. {She knows,} his mind was reeling as he looked up at the sweet little Raphtalia he had tried to keep from the horrible lies, {Even if I tell her it's not true, she'll -}

Raphtalia had a look of utter disgust on her face as she spat at the princess instead of her Master, "Liar!"

Malty looked at the raccoon-girl in contempt, "What did you call me you filthy animal?!"

"I called you a liar!" She snapped, wriggling free and standing from her seat, a look of rage on her face. "Lord Naofumi would never do such a thing, let alone with a tramp like you!"

The king had had enough of the little DemiHuman, "Execute this beast immediately!"

"NO!" Naofumi roared, snapping out of his daze as the king sneered down at him, "Don't lay a finger on her!"

The knights surrounding her had already drawn their swords, and were poised to strike.

"Enough!" Ren appeared by the girl's side, blocking the attack with his sword.

The king was stunned, "Lord Ren, why - ?!"

"The duel goes to Naofumi," Ren spoke out clearly, his voice carrying over the din of the angered villagers, "Itsuki and I were watching from the stands, and both of us saw the princess try to attack Naofumi from behind. As far as the one-on-one duel goes, it's Motoyasu's loss due to interference from one of his party members."

"I agree," Itsuki said, appearing next to the king, "And the village of Lute would have been destroyed if it wasn't for Naofumi staying behind and fending off the enemy."

Motoyasu looked at the two Heroes, and toward Malty, then back up at them, "But I'm not wrong!" He called up, "It's not right to have a slave!"

"Why don't you ask her what she wants?" Ren asked, glaring at the fool of a Hero, "She was gagged before she could say anything. And she even defended Naofumi when he was unlawfully attacked during the duel."

Raphtalia looked at the young man gratefully, and then down at her Master, "I am Lord Naofumi's sworn sword, slave or not," she said, smiling at him radiantly. She then glared at the Spear Hero, "When did I ever ask for your help? When did I ever say I wanted you to free me!?"

"But you're his slave," Motoyasu said, stunned at her anger, "Isn't he mistreating you?"

Naofumi shot him a glare, "Of course I don't!" He snapped angrily, "She's just a kid! Barely ten years old!"

"Stop treating me like a kid!" Raphtalia shouted at the Shield Hero, making both of them flinch where they stood. "I've heard all of those rumors about him! And I ask you, for such an evil man, could he really extend a hand to a diseased, starving slave?" She yelled, her eyes brimming with tears. "He took me from that horrible place, gave me clothes to wear, fed me until my belly was full, and treated my illness! And you have the gall to call him a devil?!"

Naofumi jolted; the little girl in front of him...she was growing up right before his eyes. {R-Raphtalia?}

"The only time the curse activated was when I was too frightened to fight!" Raphtalia sneered.

"You shouldn't have to fight!" Motoyasu tried again.

"Someone has to, because Lord Naofumi was unable to fight on his own before we helped each other grow strong!" She yelled down, her tail bristling in anger, "None of what you're accusing him of can be true because he's never touched me! He's been nothing but kind! He had so little, yet he did everything for me! No matter what it was! He even held me when I had nightmares about the first Wave!"

"She's right!" The lord of Lute village shouted, "And a man as evil as you claim him to be wouldn't give two licks about our home! He defended us long before your knights came in and did more damaged than the monsters did! They were a nuisance! They even performed a magic attack on the village knowing full well that Lord Naofumi was present!" He roared in outrage, "They tried to kill him!"

Naofumi couldn't believe his ears. They believed him. They believed him!

"But why would you want to remain his slave?" Motoyasu demanded, bewildered, "Surely you'd want freedom to do whatever you want? Why stay with him?"

"Because I love him, that's why!" Still angered, Raphtalia yelled the answer before she even knew what she was saying, and immediately went so red that Naofumi could almost laugh. Almost.

The Shield of Wrath gave way to something new as heat blossomed in his chest. A new shield manifested. It was round, embossed with the head of a white unicorn complete with a spiraling horn jutting out where the jewel would normally be. From the nose hung a ring that connected a long chain that sported another spiraled spike at its end.

{Requirements met. Shield of Faith unlocked.}

The new shield was beautiful to behold, and obviously stronger than any shield he'd used against Motoyasu, and gave him a feeling of tranquility. He smiled. The first that Raphtalia had seen since meeting the Shield Hero. "Dispel the curse that binds Raphtalia to me."

"WHAT?!" The girl yelled, "Lord Naofumi, why!?"

Naofumi gave no answer, and walked off of the field.

"H-hey..." Motoyasu stammered as the Hero walked by, stunned that he had asked of such a thing. But the smile remained on the older Hero's face as he stepped out of sight.

As he walked down the halls, he saw a notice that Raphtalia had left his service. {So they removed it, huh?} He thought, unsurprisingly, considering the king and his daughter had presumably plotting against him from the beginning. {I wonder if she'll -}

"Lord Naofumi!" Raphtalia's voice reached him along with the sound of frantic footsteps. "Wait!"

He chuckled, and slowed down to a halt, "There she is." He turned and was nearly bowled right over as the girl slammed into him. "Hey, easy there!"

"Why?" Raphtalia sobbed against his chest, hiding her face from him, "Why did you release me?" She clutched at him, her ears flattening out, "You promised that you'd never leave me, remember? So why?"

Naofumi smiled down at her, and reached up to pat her on the head right between her ears where he knew she liked it the most, "Because...I don't need a slave anymore."

Raphtalia whimpered, clutching at him all the tighter, "But I - "

"A slave would walk behind me," he said, continuing to pet her, "but you weren't born to follow. I doubt you'll be able to lead me, because I'm used to doing that. No, I want you to walk right beside me, right where I need you." She finally looked up at him, her lovely pink eyes glowing in the dim light of the halls. "Can you do that for me?"

Raphtalia nodded, smiling at him happily through her tears, "Yes, Master."

"Just Naofumi, now," he chuckled, and kissed the top of her head, startling a shriek out of her, "Ah, sorry, did you not like that?"

"No,no, no, no!" Raphtalia yelped, waving her hands around wildly in a thoroughly flustered state, "It's not that, it's just - "

"It's alright if you get mad," he said, "That was rude of me."

Raphtalia looked at him, and then giggled, "I liked it very much," she said, stepping back into his arms, and looking up at him, "it's just...if you're going to kiss me, then you should do it properly."

She stretched out on her toes, and gently brushed her lips against his. Naofumi responded in kind, tasting just how sweet she really was in that moment. As she drew back, she smiled up at him with a huge blush across her cheeks, "Just like that."

"Raphtalia," he said, looking down at her, "just when did you...become like this?" He wondered, confusing her, "The Raphtalia I knew was a tiny little thing, barely higher than my knee."

Raphtalia giggled, "Jeez, you really weren't paying attention to me, were you?" She said, smiling, "When Demihumans level up as children, our bodies grow to match the level. So, while I'm only ten years old, my mind and body have developed to about eighteen human years. I'm an adult now."

"I can see that," Naofumi chuckled, very much aware of her pressing herself against him, albeit lightly. He sighed and leaned his forehead against hers, "I'm so sorry that you had to go through all of this, Raphtalia."

"I'm not," she said, sighing happily, "I...finally got to see you smile, Lord Naofumi."

"Will you stay with me?" He asked, "Without the curse?"

She nodded without hesitation, "Of course, I am your sword, and will follow - "

"No," he shook his head, "Walk right beside me. That's where I need you."

"And that's where I'll be." She promised, her ears flicking, "The king and his men are coming...we should leave before they get here."

"Good idea." He said, turning about with her at his side, "Let's go."

{シールド}

Before leaving the castle, Naofumi was awarded a sum of five hundred silver coins for his defense of Lute village by an attendant, and seen off by the villagers that had defended him. The young man made it a point to remind himself to return there, and give them his thanks personally as soon as he could. As it was, he and Raphtalia were camped out deep in the forest well off the beaten path so that no one would find them.

He did not trust the king not to send someone after them now that he knew that Malty was his daughter. Not only had he managed to hurt her pride, but he had disgraced them both at having caught them in a lie thanks to the people of Lute.

Now they camped by the river, enjoying a stew made from a rabbit Raphtalia had caught, the flavor having returned to the food. The girl smiled happily. "Do you remember this spot?"

Naofumi looked up, confused, "Huh?"

"This is the spot we used to come to after we were done grinding those first few days," she said, sighing at his forgetfulness, and blushed, "It's the place where you first held me, after I had a nightmare about my parents."

Naofumi frowned at his bowl of stew, "I wasn't the nicest person back then," he said, setting his food aside. "I'm still not."

The girl smiled at him, "You're nicer than you think," she said, moving over to sit beside him, "You were hurting. No one wanted to believe you at the time because it was the royal family's and the other Heroes' words against yours." She sighed and laid her head against his shoulder, "But you showed me time and again that you couldn't be that horrible of a person."

"I still forced you to fight," he said, trying hard not to think about how close she was, "You were so tiny not so long ago, and terrified of blood, and yet - " She stretched up and pecked him on the cheek, "Raphtalia!"

"Fighting for you gave me purpose," she said, "Because of you, my fears are gone, now, and I can finally fight against the monsters that destroyed my village."

Naofumi smiled a little, "Still, though, what did I do..." he found himself blushing a little, scratching the side of his nose, "What made you love me?"

"I don't really know," she admitted, "At first I was scared of you. You weren't like the Shield Hero my parents had told me about, but you weren't like the person everyone was talking about, either," she sighed, feeling him flinch at the mention of the horrid rumors. "But you treated me differently...like I was a real person. All my other owners tortured me horribly, but you...you took care of me, even told me to run away so that I would be safe while you held off that dog demon." She shivered, still having a deep seated hatred of canine type demons. "When I saw you bleeding like that, I felt something...snap into place, I guess. If you died, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. If you died, I wouldn't want to live. I wanted...I needed you in my life, no matter what, and nothing was going to take you from me, no matter what it was."

"I thought I was being cruel," the young Hero admitted.

"You were trying to toughen me up," she said, shaking her head, "There was no easy way around it."

Naofumi nodded, "I suppose that's true...and you turned into a real beautiful woman."

Raphtalia blushed with pride, "And...do you see me that way?"

"What way?"

The girl shifted, moving her left leg over his lap, effectively straddling him, "I mean," she said, her blush deepening, "Do you see me as a woman, Lord Naofumi?"

Naofumi gulped, "I...would be lying if I said that I didn't." He said, reaching up to drag his knuckles across her cheek, causing her to lean into his touch, "But you realize that...I'm a real mess, Raphtalia. Are you alright with someone like me?"

"That's what I should be asking," she said, "Demihumans aren't liked very much here, and if - "

"I don't care if you're a Demihuman," the Hero ground out, "You could be a goblin for all I care - !"

Raphtalia laughed, "Oh, don't say that! Goblins are horrible!"

Naofumi chuckled, and pulled her against his chest, "What a pair we make, huh?" He sighed, "A Demihuman, and a disgraced Hero."

He saw her ears flatten out, "You are not a disgrace...not to me, and not to the people of Lute." She said, leaning away from him, and began fumbling with the clasp on his cloak.

"What are you doing?!" He yelped, reaching to stop her, but she swatted his hands away, "Raphtalia!"

"Please, don't try to stop me," she told him, the cloak coming loose. She looked him in the eyes, smiling gently at him, "This is so you'll know that my feelings have nothing to do with a curse, or some sort of spell...I want you, Naofumi." She leaned in an kissed him once again. It was not the gentle, inexperienced kiss he had received once before. Though she still lacked the experience, there was a hunger behind her kiss that hadn't been there the first time.

A hunger that was present within him the very moment she had shouted from the balcony that she loved him. His already fragile will crumbled as he his arms wrapped around her lithe body. His fingers began fumbling with the cords holding her leather chest piece in place, feeling them loosen. She raised her arms to help him in removing it before working on his chest plate.

It soon joined her chest piece on the ground along with his shield and shirt. She dragged her fingers slowly across his chest, attempting to memorize every dip and curve of his muscles, and lingering over the scar on his right shoulder where the two-head dog had bitten him. His hands ducked under her shirt, making her shudder as they traveled up her back, and moved around to her front to cup her small, pert breasts.

"Ahn!"

He removed his hands as if burned, "Did I hurt you?"

She shivered, reaching down to remove her shirt. He was left breathless as his eyes raked over her slim figure. She then replaced his hands upon her chest, smiling shyly, "It felt really nice." She gave his hands a squeeze, which resulted in him squeezing her breasts gently, "Please don't stop."

Like Raphtalia, Naofumi had little to no experience in this sort of situation, even when he was still in Japan, women tended not to like him. All he really knew was what he had seen in magazines and videos.

So, slowly, he began to knead her breasts, her breath coming out in small gasps as he used his thumbs to flick and press her rosy nipples. The girl in his lap was biting her lip to keep from moaning too loudly, but the way her tail was wagging told him all that he really needed to know. She was enjoying his touch just as much as he was enjoying touching her.

Suddenly, she bucked her hips, making him wince as the movement brushed against the growing tent that was pitching in his trousers. He hissed at the movement bringing the girl's attention down on the Hero's source of discomfort. "Oh," she blushed harder than ever, "th-that doesn't look very comfortable."

"R-Really, it's not," he groaned, wincing once more as she adjusted herself in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure she had caused. She reached down and began unlacing her skirt, tossing it to the side with the rest of their clothes. Though she was unable to afford anything truly feminine, Naofumi couldn't think of anything she could have worn to make her look more desirable than the plain cotton underwear she had.

"I..." She mumbled, "I need to stand up, now."

Naofumi nodded, "I should probably spread out one of the sleeping mats, right?"

"It would be more comfortable," she said as she rose to her feet. He felt his breath hitch in his throat. He had already said it openly, but Raphtalia was a sight to behold in the dimming light of their campfire. Seeing the look he was giving her, she suddenly became shy, crossing her arms over her breasts, and tucking her tail around her hips. "Y-You're staring."

"Sorry," he said quickly, and got to his feet. He set about spreading one of their woolen blankets out on the ground, wishing they at least had a pillow or two. He looked back over his shoulder to where Raphtalia was standing, still covering herself, though he noted that her underwear had joined the pile on the ground.

"This...is embarrassing," she mumbled.

Naofumi could understand. He had never seen a naked woman before, either. "Come here."

She shyly stepped over to him, letting his arms circle around her, laying her head against his chest, her hands coming to rest on his shoulder blades. "Hmm," she let out a sigh, "You're so warm, Naofumi."

He kissed her hair beside her left ear, trailing down to her cheek, and traced her jawline with his lips. The action had very pleasing effects on the girl, who shivered with each kiss and nip of her skin, sure that he was leaving a new mark on her skin which pleased her to no end. Growing bolder in her actions, she pressed her lips against the space between his left shoulder and neck, using her slightly sharper teeth to leave a mark of her own. His lips soon found their way back to her own, however, and Raphtalia all but melted into him.

Slowly, so he wouldn't startle her, he bent down, and lifted her into his arms. She nuzzled against him as he turned them about and knelt down on the blanket. She reached around his neck and pulled him down with her, finding his lips again. He held her tightly as they kissed, growing bolder as they began to explore each other.

Her fingers trailed through his hair as his tongue flicked at her bottom lip. A moan escaped her as she hesitantly retaliated, sliding her tongue along his lips, and yelping when she felt his hands sliding down her back to cup her firm rear, her tail flicking stiffly.

Then his right hand dipped beneath her tail, and between her legs.

He was surprised when she nearly squealed against his mouth, but more so when he found just how wet she was. He pulled away slowly, seeing a look of embarrassment on her face as her ears were laid flat against her head, not even daring to look at him. He smiled down at her. "Do you want me to stop?"

She shook her head.

He brought his hand around to her front, slowly massaging her inner thigh before brushing against the soft curls between her legs. She whimpered, holding his shoulders tightly as he began to gently trace her outer folds. "Th-that feels...strange." She mumbled, quivering under the strange sensation his hand was causing. He would have asked if she wanted him to stop, but he saw how her tail was wagging, which immediately told him that she didn't dislike it.

Naofumi then decided to take things up a notch, and pressed his fingers against her opening. She went utterly still as he pressed further, sliding his index finger in, and felt her go completely rigid. She was impossibly tight around his finger as he slowly began pumping in and out of her. "Does it hurt?"

"No!" She gasped, nearly sobbing, "It...feels...good..." she chocked out, pressing her legs together.

Smiling, he added his middle finger, and Raphtalia let out a silent scream as he curled his fingers causing her body to shudder. He pulled back, his hand soaked with her juices. When she saw this for herself, she covered her face.

By this point, Naofumi was more than just uncomfortable with his erection straining against his trousers, and wasted no more time in freeing himself while Raphtalia recovered.

Raphtalia peeked through her fingers as she felt him moving, and yelped when he kicked off his pants, "It...it's big..."

Naofumi felt a little surprised by that. "I'm only a just above average." He admitted, though he felt a swell of pride.

The girl looked up at him in disbelief, "W-well, t-this is my first time." She said, blushing madly, "I've never...seen one before."

Now he understood; she was more nervous than she was letting on. And he didn't have the best confidence in himself, either. Still, even he had to admit that it was too late to stop at this point. So he slowly shifted himself so that he was above her, and kissed the top of her head, "I'll go as slow as you want."

She nodded, and slowly spread her legs to allow him to settle between them. Lining himself up with her, he slowly pushed into her. She arched her back as he gradually tore her open, biting her lip to keep from crying out until he was all the way in. Naofumi was in a small state of pain himself as the girl beneath him clenched around him tightly, almost too tight for him to manage. But soon he was all the way inside of her, and resting his head against hers, sweat beading both of their bodies.

It took a few minutes of keeping himself completely still in order to allow her to adjust to his size before she looked up at him, offering her lips for another kiss. He readily gave in, his lips lingering on hers before he began to move. She gasped as he pulled out a little before pushing back in, a slow and steady rhythm beginning as she got used to him.

"N-Naofumi -!" She gasped as he thrust into her harder. He silenced her with a hard kiss, holding her in place as he began to pound into her. Her nails raked across his back as she wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing against him with her ankles. She pulsed around him, telling him that she was already very close to climaxing.

He was feeling close himself as he drove into her. He didn't know how much longer he could hold himself back before he lost all control of himself. "Raphtalia, I - "

"Don't stop!" Raphtalia sobbed, tightening her legs around him, "Please!"

He groaned as she squeezed him, and grunted when she pulsed around him, clenching him tightly. A moment later, she clenched him again, squealing as she came, forcing a shout from him as he let go, flooding her with his seed. Trembling, he shifted his weight and drew away from her.

"Wait," she tightened her arms around his back. He smiled down at her as she nuzzled against him, "I want to stay like this a little longer."

He nodded, and turned them over on their sides, keeping their connection, and holding her close to him in the dying firelight. "Are you okay?"

She giggled, "Yes...I've never felt so good in my life." She sighed, closing her eyes. "Lord Naofumi?"

"What is it?" He asked.

"You love me, too, right?" She asked, looking at him shyly, "I've...I mean I've said it several times, now, and - "

He reached up and petted her hair between her ears. "I do, Raphtalia," he said, making her gasp, "I just didn't see it until today. I thought I was feeling something like being a father, but - "

"Jeez," she pouted cutely, "you're always treating me like a child."

He chuckled and held her against his chest. "What can I say? You still act like one sometimes." He laughed as she swatted his shoulder, "But I think I could get used to this." He smiled and kissed her again.

{シールド}

"Why did you have to side with Iwatani?" Motoyasu demanded as he glared at the Sword and Bow Heroes. "It's obvious that I was in the right!"

Ren looked at the Spear Hero, "You can still say that after what happened?" He shrugged, "I'm quite impressed."

"He's right, Motoyasu," Itsuki said, "Not only did he have you on the ropes, but you technically lost the moment Mein attacked him from outside the ring."

"She says she didn't do it," the Spear Hero protested. "None of the nobles saw - "

"You think they would go against the king's word?" Ren asked, arching his brow at the man, "And she's a princess. Who would go against her?"

Still, Motoyasu felt wronged that he had lost. To a man that didn't even use a weapon, no less! "It's surprising," Itsuki said, catching their attention, "I never would've guessed that Iwatani was that strong. You never even landed a hit on him."

"We wrote him off too soon," Ren agreed, nodding, "the next time we see him, we should talk."

Motoyasu grinned, "Well, you can both come with me in a few days when I head to Lute."

Both of the Heroes looked at him on confusion as the Spear Hero stood proudly, "The king made a royal decree to make me the lord of Lute village in place of the current lord."

Ren grimaced while Itsuki just palmed his face in exasperation.

{シールド}

Raphtalia woke up to birds chirping and the sun peeking over the tops of the trees. She felt sore, as well, but in a good way. Her nose twitched to the scent of burning wood, and the scent of fish roasting over the flames. She opened her eyes, and found several fish skewered around the fire, but no Naofumi.

Alarmed, she sat up, drawing the blanket around herself as she looked to where she had piled their clothes for the night, and found his gone. Shield and all.

"Naofumi?!"

She heard splashing off toward the river, catching sight of a head of black hair diving under the water. She sighed in relief, thinking that, for a moment, he had left her. {He wouldn't do that, though,} she thought, smiling a little as she reached for her clothes, and quickly dressed. Naofumi had swam back to shore when she finished, carrying a few more trout.

He smiled when he saw her. "Sleep well?"

"I did," she said, reaching out to help him from the water as he tossed the trout on the bank, "Why didn't you wake me up?" She giggled as he drew her into his arms, wet as he was.

"After last night, I figured you'd want to sleep a little more," he admitted, grinning as she sheepishly flicked her ears, "But you're up a lot earlier than I expected." He then frowned at her, "I know that this is a bit late, but do we have to worry about...you know, a baby?"

"Eh?" Raphtalia went a little red, and placed her hands over her stomach, "W-well, I've heard that previous Shield Heroes had children with Demihumans, but those were just stories. Several royal families in Siltvelt claim that they're descended from one of the Shield Heroes that came before you, and there have only been three of them, so..."

"So we don't know for sure if humans and Demihumans can have children," he sighed, frowning, "I...I suppose that's just a chance we took."

Raphtalia looked down, her ears flat, "Would...would you mind children?" She asked, making him blush, "I-it's just that...well, I -"

"I don't think I would mind having children with you," he smiled at her, making her beam at him happily. In truth, the idea had kept him up part of the night. The entire time that he had been in this world the only thing that had been on his mind was getting back home so he could put all the bad experiences behind him, and perhaps clean up his life in Japan.

After being with Raphtalia, however, he now couldn't see himself without her. And the thought that he may have gotten her pregnant filled with both excitement...and fear. She did more than her share of the fighting, which meant that she, and the child she could possibly be carrying, were in the most danger, even when he was at the top of his game.

"We should go back to the slave trader's," he sighed, though he was loathed to do it, "If anyone would know about these things, it would have to be him."

Raphtalia didn't look happy at all with that idea, "Does he...does he have to know about...us?"

"Absolutely not," Naofumi said, crossing his arms, "What we do is none of his business." He said, scratching his cheek, and sighed, "But...It would be nice to know how much of a chance we have at being parents." He said, frowning as she gave a nod of understanding, "Though, aren't Demihumans the product of Beastfolk and humans crossing?"

"I...don't really know." She said truthfully. "My kind has been around just as long as Beastfolk have; I couldn't tell you which of us came first."

He sighed, "We can think about that later," he said, bringing her back into his arms, "For now, let's eat before those fish I set out burn, and then head back into town."

{シールド}

"Well, well, look who it is!" The slave trader grinned widely as he spotted the Shield Hero, and, surprised by her growth, Raphtalia. "You've certainly raised this youngster into a fine looking Demihuman! Just as I thought you would!"

Naofumi tried to ignore the looks he was giving the girl, and tried to keep his poker face up. "I have a few questions I'd like to ask."

"Of course, of course," the man said, turning his gaze to the Hero, "What may I do for you today?"

He sighed, frowning, "I'd like to buy another Demihuman if you have one?" He said, "Also, is it possible for Demihumans and humans to produce a child?"

"Hoh?" The man grinned, "Have we a little romance going on?"

Raphtalia blushed, but Naofumi kept up the coldness in his face, "Whether I fuck my slaves, or throw them in the brothel is my choice, now answer."

The man backed off, though he still kept the grin in place, "Well, if you must know, Demihumans have been known to produce children with humans," he said, making his heart leap, "But, it is extremely rare. If you were to attempt having a child with one, provided she was healthy, I would say the chances were be around twenty percent."

Raphtalia's face visibly fell at this, {So low?}

"Is there a reason the chances are so slim?" Naofumi asked.

"It's the survival rate that's low, though no one's quite sure why," the man said, "When a child is lucky enough to be conceived, it's an uphill battle as the mother suffers great deals of unhealthiness. Raccoons in particular have this problem with their own kind." He said, "The child can be born healthy enough, but it would be very easily taken by illness if not carefully watched. After the first month, however, it should be strong enough to live without much worry if it takes after the human parent."

"So it's not the chances of conceiving, but the chances of miscarriages that's the problem," Naofumi nodded in understanding, "What would the child be like?"

"A Demihuman, of course," he said, "taking after the human side would only strengthen its constitution against illnesses, but in the end, the features it would inherit would be from the mother." He grinned at the pair lewdly, "This is all hypothetical, of course?"

"Of course," the Hero grunted, "Now, about that slave?"

The man stroked his chin, "Well, as far as Demihumans, I feel that even I would be cheating you if I sold you what I have," he sighed, "The man that Raphtalia was bound to brought a little Wanui in not long ago in very bad shape. She's a tough one, but she's quite broken."

"Show me." Naofumi demanded. He looked at Raphtalia, "You may want to wait here."

"I'll come," she said, nodding, "If my former master brought someone else in, I may know them."

And so the pair followed the slave trader into the back of his holding area, the stench of death hanging in the air. Naofumi noted that the Wolfman that he had been shown the first time around was gone, probably sold to a high ranking adventurer. A snakewoman was in its place.

"You keep Gorgons?" Naofumi asked offhandedly.

"Not usually," the man said, "That one was a lucky find. An adventurer caught her asleep before she could bite anyone." He said as he led them further back, "The one you're interested in is a female, and a Wanui, as I said; husky, I believe, given the hair color, but rail thin, and probably worth ten silver pieces."

"That is cheap," he said, remembering that he had charged three times that much for Raphtalia. She silently jabbed him in the side, giving him a sharp look which he smiled apologetically for.

"Yes, I was afraid she was dead at first," he stopped beside a cage, and pulled back a canvas tarp, "Well, here we are." He said without much enthusiasm. Naofumi peeked in, and immediately frowned. The slave was thin, gaunt, and filthy. Much worse than what he expected.

"Kiel!" Raphtalia suddenly screamed, pressing herself against the bars.

The trader looked at the Raccoon-girl, "Ah, so you do know this one?"

"Ten silvers, you said?" Naofumi asked, "Get her out, and we have a deal."

The slave trader grinned widely, "As you say, Lord Shield Hero."

{シールド}

Kiel had put up a small fight when Raphtalia had tried to rouse her, not believing her eyes when the girl pulled her from the cage. When the slave mark was put into place, however, the trader had offered something of a compensation to the Hero given that Keel was in such bad shape in the form of a monster egg. Naofumi had taken the egg gladly, and now had the grueling task of nursing Kiel back to health.

In that time, the herbalist he usually visited gave him a book on finer medicines, claiming that he had saved a relative of his while the Wave had been going on in Lute. The same had happened with the magic shop owner, having given him and Raphtalia a Grimoire each on healing and defensive magic, as well as Light and Dark magic.

Raphtalia was happy to have them, but she found out that Naofumi couldn't read. While caring for Keel, and his little monster egg, the two had studied for most of the night.

The medical book proved to be invaluable as Naofumi quickly learned that several other medicinal herbs lay in the forest around the castle walls. Within a day, Kiel had opened her eyes, and was treated to a hearty meal, much to her shock when she learned that her new Master was the Shield Hero.

The little Wanui was still unhappy with her situation and did not trust him. Especially due to the fact that she could smell his scent heavily mixed with her childhood friend's.

"It's nice to know," Raphtalia commented that evening while Kiel slept, and Naofumi was working on a stronger potion, "That there's a chance we could have a child."

Naofumi nodded, "We need to be careful," he said, looking at the girl, "If you start feeling sick for any reason at all, let me know right away."

Raphtalia smiled and draped herself across her shoulders, hugging him around his neck, "You don't really need to worry yourself like this," she smiled, "I've been in perfect health since you found me." She nuzzled against him, "If a baby comes, then I'm sure it will be healthy." Her tail started wagging happily, "And thank you, on Kiel's behalf. She won't say it yet, but I know she's grateful."

Naofumi smiled at her, and leaned back, "We'll head out to Lute village tomorrow," he said, "We've got a fair amount of time before the next Wave of Calamity hits, so it'll give Kiel time to heal, and grind some levels before anything else happens." He said, and looked at the monster egg on his desk, "And maybe we'll get to see what's inside this egg. It'd be neat if it were a dragon."

Rapthtalia giggled slightly, "I didn't know that merchant could be so nice."

"He's not," Naofumi said, "He just wanted me to come back for something more expensive." He sighed, "Or sell whatever comes out of this egg if I can't use it." The egg rocked a little in its cradle, almost like it was protesting. "Still, this thing was a freebie, so at least we'll make a profit."

Raphtalia nodded, "We need to be careful with your funds," she sighed, "Five hundred silvers goes fast."

"Four hundred and fifty." He reminded her, "We needed to eat, remember, then there's the cost for this room."

"And Kiel will need equipment," she sighed, her ears drooping, "But Mister Elhart always gives us a good price." She said, perking up a bit.

Naofumi chuckled, "Let's wait until she's back up to full strength before she starts fighting." He said, "I may have rushed things with you, but we have some time before the next Wave. She'll be prepared."

"And you thought you were cruel," she smiled, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Aren't I?" He asked, "I'll be forcing her to fight for me."

She shook her head, "I'll be fighting, too." She said, "She'll understand when she realizes how good you are."

Her hair fell across his face, allowing him to inhale her earthy scent. "You know, if the bed wasn't being used right now - "

"Oh, I do know," she all but purred, "But I don't think Kiel would appreciate the company."

He chuckled, "Get some rest. I need to finish this potion, and then I'll turn in."

She straightened, immediately missing his warmth as she began spreading a blanket out on the floor. He smiled down at her as she started dozing off. {Things aren't ideal,} he admitted as he poured a small amount of water over the herbs he was grinding, {But the world seems a little brighter now.}

{シールド}

AN: This was my first attempt at a lemon, and I couldn't think of a better anime to write about than this one. It's quickly become my favorite manga, and the anime is just as good. Spoiler-alert, things will be a little different, they already are as far as I'm concerned. Hopefully this will peak your interest. If not I'm happy to leave it as is.

Please review to give life to this story.