Get to de choppa!

I'm a day or two late on this update, but I've been working on multiple stories at once. Sometimes my brain just doesn't want to work while writing one specific story or scene, and I end up procrastinating on it until I can think of the right way to write it. I'll try to be a little more consistent in the future.

I'll be going back to do a lot of editing on my earlier chapters (probably chapters 1-7 specifically) to make things a little more canon-workable. It'll still be an AU to keep the story in line, but smaller details (and a few major ones I happened to miss back when I was an anime-only) will definitely be fixed.

Things like Naofumi having a ridiculously high alcohol tolerance as opposed to physically not being capable of getting drunk. That kind of thing that I somehow managed to screw up.

Anyway, onto the chapter!

"Hello" - Words

'Hello' - Thoughts

Hello - Emphasis

Hello - Abilities/Magic spells/Demonic Speech

As always, feel free to review!

The group stared at Naofumi in awe. "Kiddo...what the hell..?" L'arc asked.

"Haha! You think a little demon like you can scare me? You and your little group of weaklings don't stand a chance! While you've been busy running around fighting the familiars, I've been absorbing energy!" Kyo laughed. The look in his eyes belied a deep madness within.

"So this whole time, you've been sitting here while thousands of people are killed?" Naofumi's eyes blazed with fury.

"That's right! And these two morons only made that easier!" The white haired man motioned to the crystals behind him. "You should have seen the look on their faces when they couldn't even scratch this stupid thing! It was priceless!"

"What are you doing to Master Itsuki!?" Rishia asked frantically.

"Haha! You mean you haven't figured it out yet? You guys must be dumber than you look!"

The Holy Spear and Bow were glowing faintly, as if they were trying to resist something.

"You're draining them of their power, aren't you?" Glass asked, unfolding her fans and preparing for battle.

"Hole in one, Miss Glass! These two were so weak that I almost didn't believe they were the real heroes! But their weapons still hold plenty of energy for me to harness. It's not like they'll need it if they're going to get themselves killed anyway!"

The air got hotter within the core chamber as Naofumi growled. He stepped forward until he stood between Kyo and the rest of the party. "You realize I'm not letting you get out of this place alive, right?"

"Oh, so scary! I'd like to see you try, little demon boy!" Kyo mocked as he opened up his book and a mass of pages flew out. They swarmed Naofumi, but were deflected by Ren's sword.

"I won't let you do what you want with them! Even if they're not strong now, they can get there!" Ren shouted. "What's your goal!? What do you plan to do with that energy!?"

"As if I'd tell you! I'm not some stupid villain telling the enemy his plans before trying to kill them! Now prepare to die!"

"I won't let you hurt them." Ost said, stepping forward and placing a hand on Naofumi's shoulder. Despite his aura, she seemed unaffected. "If you want to capture the remaining heroes, you'll have to go through me."

"Oh? Now who do we have here?" Kyo looked genuinely intrigued. "I wasn't aware that you could do something like that. You protective beasts are so damn stubborn! Just do what you're told and collect my energy!"

"What kind of protective spirit would I be if I didn't carry out my duty? None at all! That is why I have chosen to aid the one who holds the Holy Shield! That is the bond that connects the spirit of the Shield to the Spirit Tortoise!"

Naofumi was too angry to dwell on what Ost was saying. Even if he didn't understand the true connection between his shield and Ost, he would take it if it meant getting to put Kyo in his place.

Naofumi took a deep breath, and his aura was less chaotic than before. It hummed with power that begged to be unleashed. "Enough talk. I feel myself losing brain cells the longer I hear your voice."

"Right here with ya, Kiddo!" L'arc said, twirling his scythe. "I dunno what the hell he's talking about with the demon stuff, but I've got your back!"

"Agreed. It is our responsibility to defeat this man for the sake of both of our worlds!" Therese's gems glistened as her magic flowed.

Despite how angry he was, Naofumi wasn't blinded enough to think he could take on Kyo by himself. 'If only we had Motoyasu's and Itsuki's power up methods, this would have been a thousand times easier!' he thought in frustration.

"Then come on! I would have invited you all here when you got a bit weaker, but you managed to handle the familiars without too much trouble. And you brought all these pretty ladies with you, too! Maybe I'll keep them as souvenirs or something after I kill you?" Kyo said with a mocking grin.

"Naofumi! Don't listen, he's just trying to rile you up!" Raphtalia cried.

"Hahahahaha." Naofumi chuckled darkly. "Oh I know what he's trying to do. And it's WORKING!"

With a roar, Naofumi launched himself forward in a blaze of dark fire. Kyo sent page after page to block his path. The hero was forced to dodge and abandon his attack.

"You can't even handle this? You're almost as weak as the other two!" Kyo exclaimed. Naofumi couldn't get close enough to attack. "Your little flames won't be able to destroy my pages!"

"Haaaaah!" Raphtalia dashed forward and slashed with her sword, but it was blocked by Kyo's book. They struggled against one another for a moment before he forced her back.

"Be careful! That book is way stronger than it looks!" she yelled.

"Right!"

"Don't worry about me! Just kill this bastard so we can go home!" Naofumi shouted, charging forward like a fireball. Every step he made scorched the floor.

"Not so fast!" Kyo unleashed even more pages that fluttered around like bats. They homed in on not only Naofumi but the rest of the group as well.

"Shooting Star Shield!" Naofumi created a barrier as he charged at the Book wielder. "Change Shield (attack)! Demonflare barrier!"

The shining shield darkened and its surface became covered in flames. Any of the pages that touched it caught fire.

"What!? How!?" Kyo was shocked and off-balance.

"You're mine!" L'arc yelled. "Flying Circle!" He swung his scythe and a disk of energy shot out at high speeds. It was nowhere near as fast as it had been during the last wave, but it was still very fast.

"Zero Stance Rondo: Tortoise Shell Cracker!" Glass dashed forward with her fans folded into daggers. But as she got close, she ran face-first into a barrier that erupted around Kyo.

"Ha! I'm surprised you all managed to make me use my barrier so quickly!" Kyo taunted, brushing some dust off of his pants. L'arc's Flying Circle struck the barrier but did absolutely nothing. He summoned another swarm of pages that floated around his head. "Let's see how you handle this!"

"Composition form one! Bird of Flame!"

The pages caught on fire before merging into a bird-like shape. "Get behind me!" Naofumi yelled, running in front and blocking the attack before it could reach the others. His Shield of Rage gave him an incredible amount of resistance to fire damage, so he barely took any damage at all.

"Shining Stones! Rain of Thunder!"

Therese unleashed a powerful burst of lightning in retaliation, but the bolts were ineffective against Kyo's barrier.

"You may be strong, but you're not powerful enough to destroy this barrier! Now I think I'll let my minions take care of you!" He held his hands out to the large crystal and it glowed. The two trapped heroes writhed in pain as the glow intensified.

A loud clanking sound filled the chamber as almost a dozen new enemies emerged from the wall. They were Spirit Tortoise Familiars (neo guardian type), and they wore full suits of looked exceptionally strong.

They all had copies of the Holy Spear or Bow, and they looked to be just as effective as the pope's copy has been. Their armor clattered loudly as they stomped forward.

"What is that barrier made of!?" Ren grit his teeth as he dashed forward to intercept the familiars. "If we can't take that down, we don't stand a chance!"

"He's...he's using the Tortoise's energy to create that barrier. Breaking through will require an enormously powerful attack." Ost said, narrowing her eyes.

"We have to do something about these familiars too!" Raphtalia shouted as she clashed blades with one of the neo guardians. She overpowered it before slashing across its chest, and it vanished in a puff of smoke.

However, another one immediately replaced it.

Naofumi growled. "Filo! Raphtalia!"

"Oh don't think I'll make it easy for you!" Kyo yelled, creating more pages. "Composition form eight! Divine Punishment!" The pages sparked before firing lasers similar to the Tortoise, but on a smaller scale.

However, the sheer number of them made it difficult to dodge. Naofumi's barrier managed to block a large number of them, but the attacks quickly became too much for it to handle. It shattered, scattering the flames outward.

One of the familiars unfortunate enough to be too close burst into flames before vanishing into smoke.

"Mr. Naofumi, look out!" Rishia cried.

Naofumi quickly raised his shield to block a set of Lightning Shots from the bow-wielding familiars. They slammed against the shield, but weren't enough to deal any damage.

'The defense bonus from Demonic Resilience is really starting to show now. If these familiars can't hurt me, should I focus on blocking them or going after Kyo?' he thought to himself as he plunged his axe into a familiar's helmet, sundering it in half.

Raphtalia and Filo focused on charging their energy. 'If they're planning on using their strongest attacks, I need to defend them. Nobody else can block some of this guy's attacks, so I guess it's up to me!'

He ran in front of another set of flaming pages before they could reach the rest of the group. They struck his shield but dissipated without dealing any significant damage.

"Hahaha! How much more of this can you take, huh!? Use that big brain of yours, come on! Make this fun for me, at least!" Kyo cackled within the safety of his barrier.

"Shield Hero!" Ost cried, running toward him. "Do not be afraid! I will redirect your powers so they don't strike our allies!"

He nodded to her and allowed his demonic energy to surge forth. "Hooooooooh!" he roared. The flames around him whipped and crackled viciously, tearing apart anything unfortunate enough to be too close.

"I, Ost Horai, command the heavens, command the earth, defy all reason, join, and spit up blood. Oh, strength of this raging shield, rid us of the beasts that best us!" she chanted. The black flames crawled over her hands, scorching them horribly.

Kyo raised an eyebrow. "What are you-"

"Black Dragon Flame!"

The black flames erupted out of her hands, forming the shape of a twisted dragon's visage. They flew around the room, instantly vaporizing any familiars they came in contact with. After a few seconds, it roared, crashing into the barrier and cracking it.

"Tch! Even an attack like that isn't enough to break my barrier! You're just wasting your time!" Kyo yelled. Holding his hand out to the crystal once again, the barrier reformed and shined brighter than before.

"Careful! He's using even more of the Spirit Tortoise's energy for his barrier!" Ost shouted, before wincing in pain.

"Are you alright?" Naofumi asked, and she nodded.

"Yes...Any pain I feel is nothing compared to what I would feel for failing this world. This man must be stopped at any cost!" Her eyes burned with resolute fury, and Naofumi nodded at her.

"Ready, Filo!?"

"I'm ready, Sis!"

Raphtalia leapt onto Filo's back and they shined with magic power. Filo dashed forward in a blur and they struck the barrier, shattering it into pieces.

"Now's our chance! Haaaaaaaaaaa!" L'arc swung his scythe, but it was blocked by Kyo's book. Glass took the opportunity to attack as well, but with a graceful dodge Kyo managed to evade and create space.

"Hoho! I didn't expect something like that, even if you had some time to prepare! You're not too bad looking either, little demi-human girl! Maybe once I'm through with these other idiots, I'll take some time to give you a little pampering!"

"!"

The pressure and heat in the room intensified three-fold.

"You wanna run that one by me again?"

Naofumi's aura of black flames was so dark that he couldn't be seen at all aside from his glowing red eyes and a silhouette. Ost had backed away in shock, hands stained black from the curse. The horns on his head had grown significantly larger.

Kyo's eye twitched. "Didn't you hear me!? You're all weak! I'm gonna fuck that raccoon bitch as soon as I'm done murdering you! And she'll like it!" he yelled back, now behind the safety of his barrier once more.

The pressure increased again. Naofumi chuckled, an evil sound that put the villain's own laughter to shame. "Hahahaha...Hahahaha! HAHAHAHAHA!"

With one final roar, he exploded into a pyroclasm of dark fire. Over the sound of the raging fire, the screams of the damned could be heard.

"Kiddo!" L'arc said, swiping at another familiar. "Get a hold of yourself!"

"Naofumi, he's right! If you lose control, you might kill the other heroes!" Raphtalia shouted.

If he heard her, he wasn't paying attention.

"You think you can walk in here and threaten the only people I've ever cared about!? Huh!? Does that make you feel powerful!?" Naofumi yelled in maniacal rage. "If you want to see power, just take a fucking look!"

"Shield Hero!" Ost cried. She tried to get closer to him, but the flames pushed her away. "Please! Let me help!"

"No! I can destroy this bastard myself! He has to suffer!"

"As if you could defeat me with such measly powers! It's all show and no go!" Kyo yelled, creating a demon out of pages that burst into flames. "All of your attacks take too long to charge, so I can just make this barrier over and over!"

"You're wrong!" Ren shouted back. "You only have two heroes to steal power from, so you're nowhere near powerful enough to take all of us on! Your arrogance will be your undoing!"

"That's such a cliché line that it makes me sick!" Kyo spat.

"Shield Hero, please!" Ost pleaded. After a few more seconds, the black flames opened up a small path to Naofumi. His form was still obscured, but he seemed much bulkier than usual. "Allow me to aid you!"

"...Fine." It sounded more like a growl than a voice, but it was enough to make the woman sigh in relief.

"Don't forget about us!" Filo yelled, slamming into the barrier with all of her might. However, without fully charging her Spiral Strike, it wasn't enough to destroy it.

"We'll buy you time! Do what you need to do!" Therese shouted before flinging a blue fireball at a group of familiars in the back of the room.

"You won't get away with this!" Rishia screamed. She was filled with power and life force, and she attacked Kyo without rest. Her attacks could shatter his barriers thanks to her steadily improving mastery of Hengen Musou, but she was unable to deliver a decisive blow.

Ost laid a hand on Naofumi's shield. "Please, Hero. I know that rage dwells within you, but do not lose yourself to it."

"I'm not making any promises."

She cracked a smile. "I don't expect you to. Lend me your magic power, lend us that magic power. Let us shatter the barrier together."

Naofumi imagined himself using Zweite Aura.

"No, that will not be enough. Think bigger." she said, closing her eyes. "Think of the spells you know. Now imagine yourself spinning the highest magic into existence.

He was overcome with anger that it was difficult to concentrate. His entire being wanted nothing more than to tear Kyo apart limb from limb, over and over until he was satisfied. His mind was barely keeping itself together as it was! Casting magic in this state felt impossible!

"I...don't think I can." he growled in frustration.

Meanwhile, Raphtalia managed to shatter Kyo's barrier. There was just enough time for Ren to land a solid slash on the man's chest. However, it healed in seconds and the barriers were rebuilt stronger than before.

"You must focus, Shield Hero...no...Naofumi." Ost said his name with conviction that stunned him. "I believe in you. We all believe in you. The final piece of the puzzle is for you to believe in yourself."

His chest heaved with angry breaths, but he managed to calm down enough. Thinking a bit more clearly, didn't his Whale Core Shield have something called Magic Assistance?

With a grunt of effort, he managed to change shields to it. Now that he no longer held the Shield of Rage, his mind was much clearer.

"Good. Now focus your magic into something that will give us the strength to win this battle. I will help you."

He did everything he could to keep his mind on track, but the energy within him begged to be released. Maybe he could harness that power in addition to his magic?

Way of the Dragon Vein unlocked!

"I, the Spirit Tortoise, command the heavens, command the earth, defy all reason, join, and spit up blood. Oh great strength..." Ost chanted. Naofumi could feel power gathering around them in massive amounts.

Was this the true power of the Spirit Tortoise?

"A while ago, I wanted to teach you this spell. I'm sure you'll be able to cast it on your own one day, so remember this feeling." she smiled at him.

"Okay."

A series of shapes appeared in his mind, like a puzzle. It was fuzzy and difficult to make out exactly what the pieces looked like, but Ost was putting the pieces together for him. Every time he placed a piece incorrectly, they would vanish for a moment before reappearing.

Without Ost there to help, those pieces would probably not reappear at all. Just imagining trying to do it himself made Naofumi's head spin.

He watched as the pieces arranged themselves and he almost laughed. This took so long that he wasn't sure he would ever be able to do this, especially in the middle of a battle.

If an opponent gave him enough time to complete the equivalent of a 100 piece puzzle in his head, they deserved to lose.

Learning magic was actually fairly easy, but this spell was different. Instead of a set result, the different pieces would create different spells depending on how they lined up. The sheer number of possibilities seemed endless, which is what made this type of magic so difficult. All of a sudden, Naofumi found himself chanting.

"I, the Shield Hero, borrow the strength of the Spirit Tortoise to command the heavens, command the earth, defy all reason, join, and spit up blood. Oh great strength of the dragons - join the power of the heroes with magic. The source of power that is the shield hero commands you! Read and comprehend all that is under the sun, and show your power to me! I command you! Give them-UGH!"

Naofumi winced as his demonic power flared in rage, but he continued his incantation.

"Give them everything!"

"All Liberation Aura!"

But nothing happened.

"What's going on!? Why didn't it work!?" Naofumi panicked as he saw Rishia get knocked away by a lightning strike from the pages.

"I do not know! Something is interfering with the magic!" Ost cried.

"No no no, you're doing it all wrong, human. Demons cannot use such high level magic the same way as humans do. If you cast that spell in that manner, you would die. You must harness your demonic power along with your magic, not suppress it."

Naofumi heard a familiar voice echo through his head. "What do you mean, harness it!? I can't concentrate on magic if I use any of that power!"

"Then you must learn. Reattempt the spell with the guardian beast woman, and I will guide you both. However, I warn you that you may not like the outcome."

The puzzle pieces reappeared in his vision, and he and Ost nodded to each other. Even faster than before, the pieces fit themselves together in his mind. However, some of the pieces were tainted black compared to the rest. They weren't there before, and Naofumi could feel the Sigil on his chest burning hotter every time one of them fit into place.

The incantation came to him. "I, the Shield Hero, borrow the strength of the Spirit Tortoise and the demon within to command the heavens, command the earth, defy all reason, join, and erupt in blood. Oh great strength born of dragons - join the power of heroes with magic and demonic life. The source of power that is the shield hero commands you! Read and comprehend all that is under the sun, and show your power to me! I command you, allow me to glimpse what lies beyond the veil and complete my rebirth!"

"LIBERATION AURA: DEMONIC TAKEOVER!"

Naofumi exploded with power, and his flames darkened the room. The sheer force of power shattered Kyo's barrier and produced shockwaves that pushed everyone away. Ost went flying back, scorched black from cursed strength, but she was caught by L'arc.

When the wind died down, Naofumi stood at over 2 meters tall. He was massive compared to his usual form, and the ground around him bubbled from the incredible heat he gave off. Every breath expelled flames. His skin was a dark red color, and his armor was scorched black. The only reason it still fit was because it was magically enhanced to fit no matter his size.

"What!? What the hell was that!?" Kyo exclaimed. "I've never heard of magic like that before!"

Naofumi merely cocked his head to the side, as if he couldn't understand the man. Then, he roared.

"!"

The ground shook and everyone was forced to cover their ears. The flames around Naofumi flared dangerously along with his power. With a burst of speed, Naofumi was suddenly in front of Kyo in an instant. Nobody could follow him with their eyes.

"GAH!" Kyo cried as his barrier was shattered with such force that he was thrown into the far wall. Naofumi roared again, and this time the crystals holding the two heroes shattered.

"Master Itsuki!" Rishia ran forward, but was held back by Glass.

"Stay back! I don't think he has full control over himself right now! It would be suicide to get closer!" she yelled.

"But Master Itsuki-!"

"He'll live! Think about yourself!"

Naofumi rampaged around the room, crushing familiars with his bare hands and scorching every inch of ground he walked on. He was essentially destruction incarnate, annihilating everything that came too close to him.

"Urgh! To think I'd have to use this so early!" Kyo grunted as he peeled himself off of the wall. Holding a hand out toward the core, gravity suddenly intensified.

"I-I can't move!" L'arc winced, struggling to pick up his feet.

Ost could barely pick herself off of the ground. "He's using the Spirit Tortoise's power to increase gravity in the area!"

"But Kiddo looks just fine to me!"

"!" Another roar shook the chamber, and Naofumi dashed forward but noticeably slower than before. He slammed his fist into the wall where Kyo was, but the man barely managed to duck under it. As the demon tried to wrench his fist free, Kyo ran to the core.

"Just because you got a little power-up you think you're hot stuff! Well let's see what happens when I use all of the Tortoise's power!"

White cords appeared, snagging Ost by the ankles and dragging her to the core. She didn't have the strength left to resist. As soon as she entered the barrier Kyo created, it appeared to double in thickness and strength.

"You don't even know who this is, do you!? This is as good a time as any to show you!" Kyo laughed. Even though just moments ago he was being horribly overpowered by Naofumi in his demonic form, he was fully confident in himself.

"My real form...my real name...I am the Spirit Tortoise, manifest in human form." Ost said through grit teeth. "If the Spirit Tortoise dies, so will I."

"!"

With a roar even more powerful and agitated than the last, Naofumi slammed into the barrier. Ost cried out in pain as the barrier held. He continuously pounded on the barrier, generating loud booms with every strike.

"Ha! You don't stand a chance anymore, demon boy! Prepare to die!" Kyo yelled, gathering as many pages as he could and preparing to fire their lasers.

"!" Naofumi's shield swapped to the Stone Titan's Shield, and the red gem on it glowed brightly. In an instant, his power exploded as he used Titanic Strength. Kyo's pages were instantly incinerated along with the barrier. His skin melted and regenerated over and over.

Everyone could feel their skin sizzle from the intense heat, and the walls themselves began melting.

Naofumi grabbed Kyo by the throat, lifting him off of the ground.

"Urgh, don't think you've won just because you've gotten a boost! In the end, you're still just a pathetic little demon brat who can't save anyone! All you're good for is killing!"

Those words seemed to affect Naofumi even in his current state, and the man's grip on Kyo tightened and began to crush his throat. The flames burned his face and body, and he screamed in agony. Kyo began to panic as his regeneration failed to keep up with the damage being done both by Naofumi's hands and the flames that surrounded them.

"L-Let...go of me, you...freak!" he wheezed, clawing at the hands to no avail. "I swear, as soon as I'm...free from here *cough* I'll take...every last drop of energy...from this world...and *cough cough* erase you!"

"NAOFUMI!" Raphtalia screamed. "DON'T DO IT! STOP!"

She sprinted forward before wrapping her arms around Naofumi's back. For some reason, the flames didn't hurt her at all. In fact, they swirled around her protectively. "Please..! Come back to us! This isn't who you are!"

Naofumi continued to growl at Kyo, who's eyes were bloodshot with fear and panic. But his grip didn't loosen, holding the man in place.

"Please..." Tears brimmed in Raphtalia's eyes at seeing her beloved behave so viciously. "You regretted it last time, and I know you'll regret it again. So please..!"

"Come back to me!"

Those words caused Naofumi to stop in his tracks. The ragged, flaming breaths he was taking cooled. Only steam came with his puffs of air. "Raph..."

"Yes, my love. It's me."

"Raph...tali...a..."

She cried harder at the sound of his voice. It sounded like he was in so much pain, even with all of this power flowing through him.

"Grrrrr, let me go you bastard!" Kyo continued to flail helplessly in Naofumi's hands. Now that he had some semblance of control, the rest of the group approached.

"It's over, Kyo. You can't run from your crimes any longer." Glass said. "You took control of a Vassal Weapon for your own misdeeds, and you shall be punished so that it may choose a worthy wielder."

"Looks like it's the end of the line for you." L'arc shouldered his scythe. "I would feel bad, but you've caused us all a whole lot of trouble. Frankly? You brought this on yourself."

"I won't be defeated! If you kill me, I'll come back even stronger than before!" Kyo yelled hysterically.

"Good..."

Naofumi's voice was chilling.

"Get to...ki-killllll...a-again?...How...f-f-fortunate...for me..."

With a sudden snap, Naofumi broke Kyo's neck. The man fell, lifeless onto the ground. Rishia and some of the others gasped in shock at his brutality. L'arc and Glass averted their eyes, and Raphtalia just clutched the man tighter to herself.

"Come back...please...This isn't like you..." she cried into his back.

With a few deep breaths, Naofumi's aura subsided and he returned to normal. "What...what just happened?" he asked weakly as he fell backward. Raphtalia held him upright.

"Kiddo..." L'arc looked at him with sad eyes. "You really don't remember?"

He shook his head. "I remember casting a spell with Ost, but then...nothing."

Everyone did their best to avoid looking at Kyo's lifeless body. No matter how used to death one was, the sight of the dead was never easy. "Master!" Filo leapt forward, wrapping her arms around Naofumi's chest. "You're finally back! I was worried!"

"We all were." Eclair said, sheathing her sword. "Whatever power you possess, it is terrifying indeed."

Naofumi put a hand to the Sigil, feeling its warmth returning to normal. "I...killed him, didn't I?" he asked, glancing at the body.

Glass stepped forward. "You should not feel bad for him. Kyo was a horrible individual who abused the power he was entrusted with. He endangered not only your world, but our own. One way or another, he deserved a fate like this."

"Wait...Ost!" Naofumi coughed several times. "Where is she!?" He looked around frantically, searching for the woman who helped him protect the people he cared about.

"I'm right here...Shield Hero..." Ost weakly said. Her body was covered in burns and cuts, and she could barely keep her eyes open. Rishia held her off the ground.

"Ost..!" Naofumi grunted in an attempt to stand, and Raphtalia had to assist him. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know I would end up hurting you!"

She shook her head and Raphtalia and Naofumi knelt beside her. "Please, don't worry about me. That man needed to be stopped, and at least I can give you one last gift before I disappear. Shield Hero, no...Naofumi, lend me your shield."

He allowed her to touch the shield, and it was enveloped in a blinding light. It instantly unlocked the Spirit Tortoise Heart Shield, which had obscenely high bonuses, resistances to draining and magic, spell assistance, and a variety of other things. In addition, it was instantly powered up to the maximum for all of the power up methods he knew of.

Lastly, it had an ability called Energy Blast, and its icon was blinking at 100%.

"That shield is what remains of my power. Please, use it to destroy the core." she said with a raspy voice.

"But that'll kill you..." Raphtalia gave a concerned look.

"Your hesitation is touching, but it must be done. It was my fate to be hated by the heroes for what I had to do, so the fact that I feel close to you all makes this much easier." Ost was growing weaker by the second. "Mr. Naofumi...use that shield to destroy my core once and for all."

He glanced at the floating crystal. "And you're sure about this? Kyo is gone, so we can look for another way to disburse the energy without killing you."

"No. Even without that man controlling me, my duty remains. Should you allow me to recover, I will be forced to attack once more. Respect my wishes and kill me while you have the chance."

He grit his teeth as tears fell down his cheeks. 'Why does she have to be so damn nice about it!? That's not making this easier!'

He wiped the tears away. "Fine. Everyone, stand back."

The shield sprouted four legs to support its weight, and crosshairs appeared in the air around the core. An enormous amount of energy built up, forming a ball of crackling electricity. The shield extended until it looked like the barrel of a cannon, and a wing-like pedestal appeared in front of him.

Ost managed to stand and lean against Naofumi, adding more power to the blast. "No matter what happens, remember that I will always be with you." she whispered to him.

He nodded, and allowed the stored power to be unleashed. A blinding beam of electricity shot from the shield, decimating the core and everything behind it in an instant. Even the barriers that protected the core stood no chance against an attack of this magnitude.

With a loud, piercing shriek-like sound, the core shattered into thousands of pieces.

The roaring sound of the beam died down, and the dust settled. The core was gone, as well as the wall behind it. Sunlight poured into the chamber from the outside.

Everyone's ears were ringing from the noise, and it took several moments for them to regain their bearings.

"Is...it over?" Rishia asked from the back of the group.

Ost had vanished in the attack, pouring all of herself into it to ensure it didn't fail. Naofumi wiped the tears from his eyes. Even if Ost had only been with them for a short time, it still hurt to kill her like this. He wasn't a murderer by choice, but it was the fate that was thrust upon him. Ost's life, along with the lives of everyone else he killed, would stitch itself upon his heart to be remembered forever.

He may be part demon, but he wasn't so much of a monster to forget the names and faces of those he killed. Willingly, or otherwise.

"Huh? Naofumi, look!" Glass exclaimed, shattering the moment and pointing toward Kyo's body. It was glowing with a soft light, but other than that nothing could be seen.

"What is it?" he asked, confusedly. "I don't see anything."

"He's not dead! Kyo is still there!"

"What!?" Naofumi switched to his Soul Eater Shield, which had a property that allowed him to sense spirits. Immediately after, he could see a faint, shimmering outline of Kyo that looked much different than he used to look.

"Ha! So you found me out, did you? Well it's too late!" Kyo's spectral hands came together, and a small ball of light appeared. "I have to thank you for letting me sit there in hiding, Miss Glass! You even broke the core and made all of this juicy energy free to take wherever I want!"

"You bastard!" Naofumi said. He tried to run toward him, but fell to his knees. All of his energy had been expended between his demonic transformation and firing the Energy Blast, and he already lost too much blood to function properly.

In fact, he would later say he felt like he was barely conscious at all. The battle, while relatively short, had taken every bit of power he could muster.

"You ruined my plans, you stupid Shield Hero! But I'll be taking this energy with me, so don't think it's going back to the earth!" With that, the energy condensed into a dark sphere that tore into time and space.

"You're not getting away!" Ren yelled, switching to his Soul Eater Sword and dashing forward. If anything could hurt a spirit, it would be a weapon designed to eat souls!

"See ya, losers! Hahahahahahaha!"

Kyo vanished into the portal before Ren could reach.

"Dammit!" The one-armed man stabbed his weapon into the ground in anger. "He got away! ARGH!"

"Ren, calm yourself!" Eclair shouted.

"How am I supposed to stay calm in a situation like this!?"

Naofumi stood with Raphtalia's assistance. "Ren...don't worry. We'll get him. Raphtalia, Filo, Rishia, let's go." He hobbled his way over to the portal, where L'arc, Glass, and Therese gathered.

"This portal seems to lead back to our world. You won't be able to join us, Naofumi." Glass said with a sad look in her normally piercing eyes.

Naofumi reached the portal, but as he reached a hand through he was shocked. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in quite some time.

Action not permitted. Holy Heroes are not allowed to invade another world.

His shield's gem shined brightly before sparking a few times.

Special Request approved. The Holy Heroes may now conditionally invade other worlds.

Naofumi chuckled. "Looks like Ost is keeping an eye on us, after all. I apparently got some kind of special permission to go."

"I'm coming with you, Naofumi!" Ren said resolutely. "I'm not letting that creep do what he wants!"

Naofumi shook his head. "That's not a good idea. If both of us leave, what happens if a wave hits this world? There would be no heroes to help at all. With those two out of commission, I need you to stay here to keep everyone safe."

Ren grit his teeth in frustration. "But...! I can't just sit here and do nothing until then!"

Eclair put a hand on his shoulder. "Then train with me. We'll get stronger while Mr. Naofumi brings that man to justice. Besides, the soldiers need a hero they can trust to defend them. The Spear and Bow heroes do not inspire confidence, and that is the one thing people need in times like these."

He clenched his fist for a few seconds before relaxing. "Fine...I'll stay here and keep an eye on things." He jabbed his finger into Naofumi's chest. "But you'd better use your Soul Eater Shield and rip that guy to shreds for me!"

Naofumi smirked. "If I can, I'll do much worse than that."

"Good. Let's get these two some medical attention, then."

Naofumi and the others watched as Ren and Eclair retrieved the bodies of Motoyasu and Itsuki. He could really take charge of a situation when he needed to, and it put Naofumi's mind at ease.

"Naofumi, are you really coming to our world to stop Kyo?" Therese asked.

He nodded. "I have to. If he thinks he can come here and make things harder for us then run off, he's got another thing coming."

"Then let's go." Glass said, disappearing into the portal followed by L'arc and Therese.

"Alright everyone, you know what to do." Naofumi smiled at his companions despite the weakness he felt. "Who's ready to see a whole new world?"

Ren sputtered from behind him. "Was that a reference to a movie?"

Damn. He was fairly perceptive when he wanted to be.

"I'll always be with you, Naofumi." Raphtalia said as she smiled at him. "Whether it's this world or the next, I will follow you."

"Me tooooooo!" Filo bounced up and down excitedly. "Let's kick that creepy dude's butt and get back all of Turtle Lady's energy!"

"I agree. I cannot stand by while he brings such injustice upon our world." Rishia said with confidence that looked odd on her face. "I'm going with you."

Naofumi raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Don't you want to make sure Itsuki is okay?"

She shook her head. "As much as I want to, Mr. Ren can take care of Master Itsuki for now. I feel like it's my duty to stop the man who harmed him."

"You're really starting to grow a spine, huh?" Naofumi chuckled at her, and Raphtalia slapped his shoulder, eliciting a groan of pain. "Then let's go."

They followed the others into the portal, and were enveloped in darkness.

"-fumi! Mr. Naofumi!"

"Ughhhhhhhh... Did someone get the license plate number on that portal?..."

"Fueeeh! Oh no, he's losing his mind!"

Naofumi groaned as his eyes opened. Rishia was sitting over him with concern etched on her face. "Rishia?...What happened?..." he asked with a raspy voice.

"Umm...I'm not totally sure, to be honest. We went through the portal, but somehow we ended up here."

'Here' was apparently a dark room reminiscent of a jail cell. The smell of moss and rust pervaded the area. Naofumi slowly sat up from where he was, which was a dingy bed that looked like it hadn't been used in decades.

There were some miscellaneous items scattered about, as well as a stockpile of food. Someone must be living here, since most of the food looked somewhat fresh.

"Wait! Where's Raphtalia and Filo!?" Naofumi panicked as he looked to the corner of his vision.

They weren't there. It was just him and Rishia.

Anger flooded his system. 'That bastard..! Kyo must have done something to them in the portal!' He remembered the man's voice mocking him as they went through the portal.

"Hahaha! You're really dumber than I thought! Did you really think I wouldn't set a trap for you!? Have fun with the rest of your life! HAHAHAHAHA!"

"Fuck!" Naofumi slammed his fist into the bed. "This can't be happening!"

His worst nightmare had come true. Last time he feared for their lives, he couldn't muster the courage to see if their names were still on his HUD. They were still there, that time.

This time, he had that courage. And they were gone.

"Fueeeeh! Mr. Naofumi, please! Calm down!" Rishia coaxed him but he slapped her hand away.

"How am I supposed to stay calm at a time like this!?" he raged, looking through his status menu and finding even more things to be upset about. "And L'arc was right! Our levels got reset to fucking one! We couldn't beat Kyo even if we tried!"

"Fueeeh..." Rishia cowered in the corner, afraid of his wrath.

Naofumi looked to the shield on his arm, and saw an unfamiliar shield. It was called the Beginner's Small Shield, which had barely any stats whatsoever and no bonuses. All of that hard work he had put in meant absolutely nothing now.

It looked like a piece of cardboard with a handle on it. How the hell was this thing even considered a shield!?

'I have to figure a way out of here so I can find Raphtalia and Filo!' he thought frantically, trying to come up with a plan. 'I refuse to believe they're dead! They just can't be! Kyo didn't even have a body after we were done with him, so they have to be alive somewhere!'

He tried calling on the slave and monster seals that bound him to his other companions, but the only message he received was that they were out of range.

'That must mean they're still alive, so that's good.' He breathed a sigh of relief. "Let's just find a way out of here so I can rip that guy's head off."

"Fueeeeeeeh!"

Rishia really wasn't any help in situations like these. Where was all of that confidence she just showed against Kyo?

He walked up to the jail cell's door. He shook it to see if the metal was as weak as it looked, but the door opened. "..." His eye twitched.

"It's...open?" Rishia asked, curiously peeking over his shoulder.

"Let's just go. I'm too tired and pissed off to care about why this is open."

Naofumi walked down the dungeon hallway with no particular destination in mind. Rishia followed closely behind him, whimpering at every stray sound that happened to echo down the halls. If he was in a more joking mood, he would have intentionally jumped and screamed just to see what she would do.

As he was, Naofumi wanted nothing more than to find his two companions, wipe the floor with Kyo's smug little face, and go home.

He was exhausted from practically losing himself to his demon side and fighting for an entire day on top of that. Plus, he had completely burned through his SP so he felt sluggish.

For whatever reason, using his Demonic Takeover didn't use any of his HP. Rather than the usual pain he felt when casting magic, he felt nothing. He just blacked out instead. Whatever was different about that spell, it was dangerous enough for Zephyrus to warn him of its consequences.

Was the cost worth it? He doubted it, since Kyo managed to make it out alive.

Naofumi huffed with a dark smirk. 'Snapping his neck felt good though. I'll have to find a way to top that next time.' he thought. Rishia shivered from behind him, somehow sensing dark intentions.

They soon escaped the prison, but there were so many questions floating around their heads. Why weren't there any jailors? Where were the other prisoners? Why did the prison's exit seemingly teleport them to some tropical island that looked like it belonged in a travel brochure?

'Just where the hell are we!?'

The two spent the rest of the day exploring what they could of the island. Most of the monsters they saw were extremely low level, and weren't even able to hurt him. Most of the ones they encountered were just White Boxes, which were probably this world's equivalent of Balloons.

It was glaringly obvious how stacked the odds were against them, though. Naofumi couldn't use any of his shields because he wasn't a high enough level, couldn't cast magic without injuring himself further, and none of them had any weapons worth using.

Furthermore, Naofumi found that he couldn't use weapons in this world at all.

He had tried to use a spare sword from his inventory, but he received a familiar zap. The message, however, was different.

The Shield Hero cannot use weapons to battle. Magic, however, is still acceptable.

Naofumi was more than just annoyed. He couldn't get in contact with Zephyrus at all, so he couldn't get the demon god to fix this mess. He decided that he would need to learn to better control his magic if he wanted to limit the pain he felt.

'Why didn't Demonic Takeover use any of my HP then? Something doesn't add up.' he thought as he sat down on their makeshift couch in the jungle. It was made of logs and large tropical leaves, so it was at least comfortable enough to sit down on. 'Zephyrus said something about how demons don't use magic the same way, but he was so vague...'

He huffed, deciding to think more on that topic later. For now, they had to figure out where the hell they were and how to escape.

"Fueeehhhh..." Rishia whined from nearby. It was getting dark, so they were careful to avoid the deeper parts of the jungle where the monsters would be out to hunt for prey.

"What is it?" Naofumi growled.

"Feh!" She jumped. "I-I...I'm worried about Raphtalia and Filo..." she said softly.

The thought of something happening to either of them filled Naofumi with unbridled rage, but he forced it down. Rishia was just as worried as he was, so there was no reason to blow up in her face.

"*Sigh*...Yeah, me too."

"Where do you think we are?" she asked, taking a bite out of some red fruit they had found. It was pretty much the only edible thing on the island, since most of the monsters were just White Boxes.

"No idea, but we have to find a way out of here. I can only hope that Raphtalia and Filo are with L'arc and the others. At least they'll be safe that way."

The monsters became much more aggressive as night fell, so the duo decided to retreat to the jail cell. At least there were no monsters there to disturb their rest.

They woke up the next day and immediately explored the island as best they could. The monsters were extremely weak, but they provided a surprisingly large amount of experience. Between the fighting from the prior evening and that morning, Naofumi was now level 9 and Rishia was already level 16.

Compared to when he and Raphtalia had been when first starting out, Naofumi felt that he and Rishia were having a much easier time. The only downsides were the fact that Rishia wasn't as adorable as Raphtalia had been, and the fact that they were no closer to finding a way out of here than when they first arrived.

Naofumi still couldn't seem to replicate the feeling that he had while casting spells with Ost, though. Something about the way the magic worked was fundamentally different, and he had no idea how to even begin that process.

'If I could just pull up those stupid puzzle pieces I could at least try to do it, but I can't even get that part!' he thought. 'You sure picked a convenient time to disappear on me, Zephyrus!'

He got a shock for his complaint. Even if he couldn't speak, the demon god could apparently hear him.

"...Bitch."

He got a shock for that too.

Eventually they came upon a small lake. "Oh, thank goodness! I'm parched!" Rishia said, running to the edge and dipping her hands inside. Naofumi did the same.

"It's even clean and fresh. Just what is this place? Wouldn't an island like this have salt water?" he thought out loud. He shrugged as Rishia cupped some into her hands and drank. She sighed happily.

The sound of bubbles in the water grabbed his attention. "Rishia, watch out!"

"Feh!?"

He jumped in front of her just in time to block a creature that burst forth from the water. It was a monster called a Kappa, which looked like a cross between a reptile and an imp. It had webbed fingers and a turtle shell on its back, as well as a beak-like mouth.

He struggled against it for just a moment. "Rishia, kill it!" he shouted.

"Fu-fueeeeh...!" she whined.

"What are you- UGH!" Naofumi got cut off as the Kappa swung at his shield again. The attack was powerful enough to send him flying back into a tree.

"Mr. Naofumi!" Rishia shouted in surprise.

"Don't worry about me! Just kill it!"

She prepared herself as well as she could, but she was trembling. Despite being a fairly low level, its strength obviously outweighed their defense by a large amount if one attack could send him flying.

"!" It released a gurgling sound akin to a croak as puffed up to do some kind of ranged attack.

"Air Strike Shield!"

The spectral shield appeared just in time to block the high-pressure stream of water. However, it broke through without even slowing down. It struck Naofumi and he groaned in pain.

'Damn, that thing hurts! It must be because I haven't powered up any of these shields!'

"Second Shield!"

A second shield blocked the monster's claws. Naofumi sprinted forward and wrapped his arms around it from behind. "Rishia, quick!"

"F-fueeh! Okay!" She dashed forward, sword in hand. She struck the defenseless Kappa, but it only did a small amount of damage.

'Just how tough is this thing!?' Naofumi wondered, before his back exploded in pain. 'Another one!?'

Behind him was another Kappa, blood on its hands.

"Rishia, can you hurry it up!?" he shouted. "If you can't kill it, then we need to run!"

A third Kappa appeared a short distance down the river, and it came running at them. With this many enemies, their chances of escape just became slim to none.

Was this how it was going to end?

"!?"

The Kappa made a confused sound before its head was ripped cleanly from its shoulders. What looked like a thin wire had wrapped itself around the Kappa's neck and cut right through with little effort.

"Blood Flower Strike!"

There were two high-pitched *shing* sounds and a flash of light before the other two Kappas collapsed into bloody piles of flesh. Naofumi himself was unharmed by the attack.

'Who the hell!?' Naofumi turned quickly, preparing himself for battle. 'There's someone else here!?'

"Are you okay?"

The owner of the voice was a fairly short girl with dark hair tied into pigtails. She looked young, somewhere around the early teenage years. But her eyes and posture made her seem older.

'Maybe she's a real loli? Does that loli-fever extend to this world too!?' Naofumi almost facepalmed.

Her clothes looked very feminine in comparison to the confident, almost masculine stance she had. She wore a gothic dress with a haori on top, an odd combination for sure. As for her chest...?

'What chest? There's nothing there.'

If it weren't for the girly voice and feminine face she had, he could honestly mistake the person for a young boy. She carried a fishing rod in her hand.

Something seemed...oddly familiar about her. Though in that quick moment, Naofumi couldn't place it.

"I look away for just a few minutes and you almost get yourselves killed! If it weren't for me, you two would have been done for!" she said with a smirk.

"And just who the hell are you?" Naofumi asked, still guarded in case she was hostile.

"Just the person who's been keeping you safe since you two fell out of the sky."

"That doesn't answer my question. Who are you!?" Naofumi prepared himself for battle, while Rishia cowered behind him.

"You don't trust me?" the girl asked. Her tone made it obvious that her question was rhetorical.

"Who would be stupid enough to trust a random person in a place like this? We just got out of a prison, only to be saved by you a day later."

The girl scratched her head with a slight blush. "Well...I guess that makes sense now that you mention it."

'Just who is this girl? Is she some kind of airhead?'

"Since we have all the time in the world, let's chat. What's your name?"

"Isn't it polite to introduce yourself before asking for someone's name?" Naofumi shot back. He was still cautious as he casted a quick healing spell on himself.

"Zweite Heal!"

He coughed up a glob of blood before wiping it away as his wounds healed. The girl panicked.

"Hey, hey! What do you think you're doing!? Don't go killing yourself after all of my hard work! What are you, some kind of kamikaze!?"

'Wait a second...Nobody here should know what that word means in that context...' Naofumi's eyes widened.

"Are you Japanese?" he asked, and the girl tilted her head to the side.

"Yeah, my name's Kizuna Kazayama! I'm one of the four Holy Heroes - the Hunting Hero, to be exact."

'Hunting Hero? And she was a Holy Hero, too? Does every world have Holy Heroes?' Naofumi wondered.

"...What?"

"I said my name's Kizuna, now tell me yours." She put her hands on her hips with a sassy frown. She obviously didn't have a lot of patience.

With a sigh, Naofumi lowered his guard. "I'm Naofumi Iwatani. I'm also one of the four Holy Heroes - the Shield Hero."

"...What?" Kizuna was confused.

"Is something wrong?"

"Not really, I've just never heard of a 'Shield Hero' before." she said, shaking her head.

"Yeah well, I've never heard of a 'Hunting Hero' before." Naofumi shrugged. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say you were summoned here from Japan, then."

"Bingo. Based on what you've said, Naofumi - can I call you Naofumi? Anyway, I can assume you were summoned to another world as one of the Holy Heroes, right?"

"That's right."

"I have no idea how you ended up here of all places, then. Things aren't looking so good for you."

"Why do you say that? And just where is here anyway?" Naofumi asked, looking around. "Nothing about this place makes any sense."

"That's because it doesn't. This place is a never-ending labyrinth. There's no guards because there's no way out. It's a special kind of space."

"Impossible to escape, huh?" Naofumi chuckled. "If there's one thing I've learned from crappy movies, it's that every time something is called 'inescapable' there's some kind of way out."

"Trust me. I have no idea how long I've even been here. After the first year, you stop counting." The girl looked down with a sad face that made Naofumi feel slightly guilty. Although he hated the world he was summoned to at first, the few things that went in his favor made up for it.

He still wanted to go home, if only to see his brother again. His parents didn't give a rat's ass about him anymore, and he didn't exactly have any friends to miss. Aside from the awful beginning to his adventure, his life in that strange world wasn't half bad.

The fact that he met the woman of his dreams there certainly helped. Maybe he'd be able to bring the people he cared about back to his own world when he saves it?

Thoughts for later, he supposed.

"That's weird." Kizuna said, poking some of the Kappa remains with her giant knife. "I killed the monsters, but didn't get any experience from them."

"That's because we're both Holy Heroes. If they're too close to each other, neither one gains experience."

"Really? Is that how it works?" She looked genuinely confused, and Naofumi narrowed his eyes.

"You didn't know that already? That was like, the first thing they told us when we got summoned."

"I've never met any of the other Holy Heroes before, so that's news to me."

'Seriously?' Naofumi regarded the girl with jealousy. 'I wish I could have been summoned away from the other three at first. Maybe I could have had a normal start, if I had! Oh well...at least Ren came around eventually.'

"Anyway, Rishia. Go ahead and introduce yourself; I don't think she's an enemy."

"Feeh! I-I'm Rishia...Rishia Ivyread. It's nice to meet you."

"I noticed that you didn't introduce yourself as a hero."

"Feeeeeh..."

Kizuna cocked her head to the side. "What's with that sound?"

Naofumi managed to crack a small smile. "Right? She can fight like a beast when she needs to, but most of the time she's like this."

"Feeh!? Mr. Naofumi, that's so rude!" Rishia complained.

Kizuna shrugged and brushed one of her pigtails out of her face with a scowl. "Stupid jungle. Let's head somewhere else to talk."

"Agreed." Naofumi said. As far as he could tell, Kizuna didn't have any bad intentions. But he couldn't tell for sure whether she would demand a favor for saving their lives.

They broke down the Kappas into raw materials and meat, and fed them to Naofumi's shield to unlock a few more variants. He wasn't high enough level to use any of them, and the bonuses weren't great anyway. As they made their way out of the jungle, they talked. "Wouldn't you get summoned out of here whenever a wave comes?" Naofumi asked, ducking under a low-hanging vine.

"Waves? Those are real? I thought they were just legends." Kizuna responded, slicing through bushes with what looked like a machete.

"You've never fought in one?"

She shook her head. "Like I said, this is a separate space from the outside world. I don't know what's going on out there." Then, she giggled.

"What's that for?"

"Oh nothing! I just forgot how fun it is to have someone to talk to!"

"Seriously?.." Naofumi deadpanned. "Just how long have you been stuck here?"

Kizuna sighed. "Two years, at least. I've explored a pretty huge amount of this labyrinth, but I haven't found a way out."

They soon reached the beach where they had first appeared. After a bit more walking, they came upon a small house. "There has to be a way out, otherwise there wouldn't be a way to get in." Naofumi said.

The girl shook her head, brow furrowed. She sat down in what seemed to be a makeshift lounge chair. "Like I said, I haven't found one. I heard about this place back before I got stuck here. They say that once you enter, you can never leave. Based on how long I've been here, I'm starting to think they were right."

Naofumi regarded the pained look on her face. 'She really looks stressed out. I guess I can't blame her, though. Being stuck in a place like this alone for several years would drive anyone insane.'

"So...I have to admit, I've never known anyone from Japan that has horns."

"Huh?"

Kizuna pointed at him. "Is that some kind of headband with horns on it? I know you guys have a weird sense of style, what with the busted up armor and all that, but that's on a whole different level."

Naofumi patted the top of his head and sure enough, two small and spiky horns were there. He groaned. "Dammit...So that's what he meant..." he mumbled, before turning to Rishia. "Why didn't you say something earlier? I had no idea these were still here."

"Fueeeh! I-I thought it would be rude to point them out, just in case you got self-conscious about them. Besides, we had more important things to worry about."

"Yeah, that makes sense."

He was glad that she hadn't mentioned them before, especially when he was still freaking out about Raphtalia and Filo. If she had, he probably would have blown up in her face about how unimportant it was in comparison.

"You didn't answer my question, Naofumi. How'd you get those horns?" Kizuna asked, walking up to him. "Do you mind if...I touch them?" She had a nervous look on her face, but her eyes twinkled with curiosity.

Naofumi batted her hand away. "No. I don't even want these things here, so I won't let someone I just met touch them." He rubbed a finger down the length of one of the curved horns, and he winced.

'Plus, they're kind of sensitive...' He chose not to mention that particular detail. He didn't even plan to tell Raphalia, lest she use it to her advantage.

"How'd you get them, then?" Kizuna asked, crossing her arms under her non-existent chest.

"..." Naofumi let his eyes focus on the waves as they crashed against the shore.

"You can't ignore me, you know. I'm the only one who knows their way around this place, and you're stuck here anyway."

"..."

"You're not much of a people person, are you?"

Naofumi released a sigh that made him feel like an old man. "I wasn't born with them. I'm a half-demon." He ran a hand through his hair, but he had to avoid the horns. "Maybe more demon than human now, though."

He fully expected the girl to freak out or ask a ton of questions, so he was surprised when she hummed in thought. "Well that's not what I expected, but it's not the craziest thing I've ever heard. So, do you have some kind of demon locked inside of your shield?"

Naofumi fixed her with a confused look. "You're not surprised at all?" he asked.

Kizuna pulled out her fishing rod, which had a familiar green gem etched into the reel. "When I figured out my Hunting Tool has a mythical huntress locked inside, I guess it isn't so farfetched to believe something else could be locked in your shield."

"A huntress?"

She nodded. "Her name is Artemis, like the one from Roman history."

"She was Greek."

Naofumi was terrible with history, but even he knew that one.

"Details details." she said, waving her hand dismissively. "Anyway, after being stuck here for a while, I started hearing voices in my head. I thought I was losing it, but eventually I got sucked into some weird space called Limbo and met her. She's pretty chill, actually."

Naofumi nodded. "Zephyrus isn't exactly what I expected him to be, either. For a giant demon, he's surprisingly nice. If only he would come out and give me a hand here!" He smacked the shield and earned himself a nice shock for his trouble.

"Do all Holy Weapons have something like this?"

"I think so. The Sword Hero from our world has a dragon in his."

"Huh. Weird." Kizuna yawned. "Anyway, what's with your clothes? Does everyone from your world dress like that?"

Naofumi looked down at his Barbarian Armor. The arms were completely missing and the chestplate had definitely seen better days. The entire thing was scorched black, probably from the cursed fire he had used. Rishia's kigurumi, a costume designed to look just like Filo but had incredibly high stats, looked no different than usual.

She looked at her equipment and squealed. "Feh! It says something strange!"

Just like his armor, the letters must have been completely intelligible. "May as well take it off if it doesn't help us. So it's just like Glass told us; armor doesn't work when it crosses between worlds."

"You know Glass!?" Kizuna jumped forward, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Where is she!? Is she okay!?"

He pushed her off. "She's fine. She came through the portal before us, but somehow we got separated on the way here."

"Oh good." The girl sighed with relief, plopping back down onto her chair. "I've just been so worried about everyone since I got stuck here. I don't even know if time works the same, so for all I knew..."

Naofumi sympathized with her. He felt the exact same way about his brother back home. If time worked too differently, his brother could be old - or dead from old age - before he got back. Either that, or no time at all would pass and he would be the one who randomly got older.

"How did you guys end up here anyway?" Kizuna asked, regaining her composure. "I just sort of...got stuck here."

He explained the events that led up to them being imprisoned in the labyrinth. Naofumi didn't go into too much detail, only opting to give a general overview of what happened since he was summoned. Kizuna kicked back in her chair.

"Sounds like you got a pretty crappy deal at the beginning. If she wasn't dead, I'd probably want to punch that girl in the face."

"Glad you agree. Basically, some guy named Kyo Ethnina took control of the Spirit Tortoise, which is one of our four guardian beasts. In the end, Glass and a few others teamed up with us to take him down." He clenched his fists as a small amount of fire flickered from his body.

"I thought snapping his neck would do the trick, but the bastard still managed to get away."

Rishia cowered and Kizuna leaned away from him instinctively. "Woah...you weren't kidding about the whole 'demon' thing. Anyway, if Glass joined you to bring this guy down, he must be pretty awful."

"Try 'willing to destroy our whole world to boost his own power' kind of awful."

"Jeez. Well, since you were kind enough to tell me your story, I guess I'll tell you mine."

Kizuna was invited with her sisters to participate in a special online game called Second Life Project. Essentially, you got in a pod and were able to experience life in a different form of reality. Time moved much quicker in the game than in reality, so it was designed for you to be able to spend months or even years in-game while only an hour would pass in the real world.

She said it was a popular genre for working-class people who didn't have much time for games, and Naofumi didn't doubt it. If he had been born in a world with that kind of technology, he may have immersed himself in them too.

When she was first summoned, she thought it was just a tutorial. After a while, she realized her sisters were nowhere to be found and she was in a completely different world altogether.

Kizuna went on a few adventures that seemed to fit a classic RPG style. A ghost ship arrived and she, along with Glass, L'arc, and some others, solved the mystery. After it crashed, she had gotten thrown into the labyrinth and has been here ever since.

"Just how old are you, anyway?" Naofumi finally asked. His curiosity had gotten the better of him.

"Me? I'm eighteen, why?"

"..." Naofumi deadpanned at her. "You're not fucking with me, are you?"

"Of course not! Why would I lie about my age!?"

"Girls always do that."

"They lie to seem younger, not older! I know I look young for my age, okay!?"

She seemed pretty upset by that fact. 'Maybe she got picked on a lot for looking like a kid?' Naofumi thought to himself. He knew better than to voice that opinion, though. Raphtalia would kill him if she heard him say something like that.

"So what are you going to do now?" Kizuna asked with a huff.

"Well, I can't exactly just sit here and do nothing." Naofumi said, rolling his eyes. "I have a girlfriend and a pet to save."

"Fueh...I don't know if calling Miss Filo your pet is appropriate..." Rishia noted, weakly.

"What else would I call her?"

"Umm...your daughter...? Maybe?..."

"Fat chance of her sharing any sort of my DNA. That bird is as annoying as they get."

Kizuna watched the two bicker, though it was more like Naofumi refuting everything Rishia said and her just accepting it. "You could always come fishing with me. There's plenty of spots to catch some interesting stuff."

"Fishing?" Naofumi turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep! This place is pretty weird but if there's one thing that I've learned, it's that wherever there's water, there's fish!"

Naofumi stared at her for a moment before facepalming. "You're kidding, right?"

"What? Why would I joke around about that!? It's not like I had anything better to do while I've been stuck here!" Kizuna pouted. Her young appearance made it seem even more adorable.

"I guess I can't fault you for finding something to do with your time, but I can't afford to waste much time here." Naofumi said, standing and brushing a bit of sand off of his pants. "I guess we could relax for a bit, but tomorrow we're going to find a way out of this place. Whether I have to burn everything to the ground, or not."

Kizuna's eyes lit up. "You mean you'll come fishing with me!?" she asked excitedly.

Naofumi scratched his head. "I don't see why not. I guess fishing can be sort of relaxing, but if nothing happens it gets boring for me pretty quickly."

She shot upward and grabbed his hand before hauling him off down the beach. "You don't have to worry about a thing! My Hunting Tool makes catching fish a breeze! Oh this is gonna be so much fun!"

His eye twitched in annoyance as he allowed himself to be pulled along, leaving Rishia whining and chasing after them.

'Why do I get the feeling like I just made a huge mistake?'