Okay, its been a while since I've actually posted any of my work online for others to read, so I'm not gonna lie. I'm feelin really nervous as I type this out, but here goes nothin.

Hello there to all who've decided to take the time to give my story a read, and let me just say, thank you all very much for doing so.

Now then, as I've said, its been a long time since I've posted anything online for others to read. About three years by now I think, but I've always wanted to take another crack at it, and after I finished watching The Rising of the Shield Hero, the inspiration for this fanfic hit me like a ton of bricks. Seriously, that anime is just awesome! Am I right?!

Anyway, my grammar's not the best, I know, and I'm not expecting to have the number one Shield Hero fanfic on this entire site or anything. I'm just writing this story because I got the inspiration for it and I really wanna write again. Plus, every person I've talked to about this told me that I should just go for it, so here I am.

Of course, I am open to any and all feedback from those of you who've been nice enough to take the time to read my fic, but please go easy on me, okay? I have really bad anxiety and autism as well, so I don't take criticism or negative feedback nearly as well as other people. But again I say, please don't let that stop you from telling me your thoughts on my story.

My story is going to follow the main Shield Hero storyline from the anime/manga/light novel, but with my own OC as the protagonist, as well as my own original touches to the storyline, like most authors on this site do for their favorite anime, video games, etc. Honestly, my one hope for this story is that it'll do better then all my previous works that I've posted online in the past, but sadly ended up not doing as well as Id hoped.

Also, a big thanks to one of my personal favorite authors on this site, who also gave me some great advice and encouragement that I will put to good use moving forward with my story. theoneandonlyedster. If you haven't read his Shield Hero fanfic, Rise of a True Shield Hero (Redux), I highly recommend that you check it out.

Well, I think that's everything, so please read on, and hopefully you enjoy the prologue.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Rising of the Shield Hero, its characters, or anything else pertaining to it. The only things I do own are the OC's you'll come to know and hopefully love in the following story.

Prologue - A Dream Born from the Abyss

It was a foggy morning, the sun was just starting to rise over the horizon, and I stood there on a cliff overlooking the sea, watching it happen. The only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of the waves washing over the base of the cliff below, and the wind as it blew passed me, making my hair and my cloak sway with it. Then, out of the fog, I started to hear the sounds of footsteps walking towards me. I turned just in time to see a lone figure emerging from the fog, and it was a girl. A girl with animal ears, a tail, and a pair of red eyes that gave off a faint but beautiful glow. I was awestruck for a moment, as she slowly extended her arm, and held out a hand to me. Without hesitation, I proceeded to walk towards her, and reached out to grab her hand, as the sun continued to rise behind me.

Suddenly, I gasped, opening my eyes up wide, waking up in my bedroom, realizing that it was nothing more then a dream. "Another glorious, boring day in paradise." I said to myself after letting out an annoyed sigh, talking in a very sarcastic tone, as I finally managed to scrap myself out of bed at 2 in the afternoon. Id spent the majority of the previous night doing what I usually do with myself these days. Watching anime, playing video games, and wishing that I could trade places with any of the main characters from either.

I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Damian. Damian Abyss. 21 years old, high school graduate, college drop out, currently unemployed, and a hard core otaku. I live in America, North Carolina, and am still sharing a home with my parents, and three younger siblings.

I got myself out of bed, stood up, stretched out, then took my usual look at myself in the mirror in my bedroom. I wasn't much to look at, but I wasn't hideous either. My looks were pretty average, if I'm being honest. I stood at about 6 feet in height, with neck length black hair, which was kind of messy, in a way that made it look like I had two small devil horns on my head, one on each side of it, and aqua colored eyes. My body was lean, yet fairly muscular. Despite being an anti social shut-in, I always tried to work out every chance I got, not wanting to let myself go. My outfit of choice for today was a white t-shirt with the demon symbol for wrath on the front of it in red, some black pants, white socks, grey shoes, and a hoodie based on the main outfit of one of my personal favorite anime characters.

It took me about twenty minutes to get dressed, brush my teeth, and do everything else I did to get ready for the day, but I was in no hurry to go downstairs to get some breakfast, which by this time, most other people would call lunch. It was Saturday, and since my mother was a teacher, that meant that she had off from work today. I let out another sigh, and began to make my way down the stairs, unable to ignore my hunger. "Lets just get this over with." I thought to myself as I walked, bracing myself for what I knew was coming. Its not that I didn't love my mother. Its just that she, like the rest of my family, didn't understand me one bit. And it wasn't just them. This whole world didn't understand me at all!

As soon as I entered the kitchen, I went straight for the fridge, looking around for what ever I could find to eat. I settled on some leftover pizza from last night's dinner, turning around to find my mother and sister sitting at the table. My mother was reading one of her books, and my sister Julie looked to be doing some work on her laptop. Julie is 15, and a very hard worker, the total opposite of me. She's not even halfway through high school, and she's already studying hard for the career she wants to get when she graduates. "Tch. Overachiever." Was the one and only thought on my mind on the subject, as I swallowed a bite of my pizza slice.

Several seconds after I started eating, my dear little sister glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, and was quick to make a witty and insulting remark. "Oh, look who finally woke up. How's that dream of yours coming along Damian? Any closer to achieving it today?" She asked me in a condescending tone, already knowing the answer.

But before I could give her my usual response, my mother turned in my direction, and began her daily assault. "Oh good. You're finally awake. I found an easy job delivering packages that I think would be perfect for you Damian. Or if that doesn't sound good, I went online and found some night classes that you could take that could help you experience a variety of different jobs." She began naming off all the different job opportunities the classes offered, trying once again to get me to find a job, and do something with my life besides watch anime and play games.

After naming off more then thirty different career choices, she finally stopped, and like always, I got annoyed, and shot her down. "Mom, enough already! We go through this everyday, and I don't know how to be any clearer. I don't want some stupid job!"

"Well you have to do something with your life Damian. You cant just live here for the rest of your life. Have you at least thought about going back to your old college and giving it another try? Your brother Alex goes there now too you know, and he's doing great for himself." My mother continued to pester me about my unemployed status, as well as my future, but bringing up my younger brother's current success in life only annoyed me even more.

"This world has nothing to offer me! I don't belong in this world! How many times do I have to tell you that?!" I wasted no time responding, then quickly calmed down, and began to explain my life's plan to my mother for what felt like the hundredth time. As I spoke, I struck a confident pose, with a facial expression and tone to match, using my left hand to cover the left half of my face. "I am the demon lord, Damian Abyss, not some mere human. One day, when the time comes, I will leave this world behind for the world I was meant to be born into all along. When that day arrives, I will attain power far beyond any mortal's comprehension, gather a harem of trusted, skilled, inhuman, and very beautiful female followers, and together, we'll build a kingdom of our very own, with me as their lord!" I spoke with passion and determination, never losing hope that one day my greatest dream would be fulfill. No matter how foolish all of that sounds to anyone who heard it.

Several seconds of silence followed, until Julie broke that silence with a round of mocking laughter. "Ahahahahahahah!" She laughed for a full minute before finally calming down, much to my dismay. "See, this is why you're still single. You're a 21 year old who still lives with his parents, has no future plans, and continues to waste his time chasing fairy tales. When are you gonna finally stop wasting your life Damian?"

Comments like that were nothing new to me. Id heard them many times in my life. My dream had been with me since middle school, and as one can imagine, I got picked on quite a bit for it back then, and all the way through high school as well. As a result, I've never had a girlfriend, or even a regular friend since high school. But things like that still stung to hear out loud, and were more then enough to make me glare at my sister. "My dreams are not a waste! It'll happen for me one day! You'll see! You'll all see damn it!"

"Grow up already! Demons! Magic! Other worlds! Its all just make believe! Get that through your thick skull, then go get a job you lazy, shut-in loser!" Julie yelled back at me, then huffed, and turned back to her laptop to resume her work.

Mother had always hated seeing her children fight, but she felt that she had to say something. So she took a deep breath, then chimed in, speaking in the best understanding and comforting tone she could muster. "Damian, I'm sorry, but your sister does have a point. You've already been fired from five jobs, and you dropped out of college because of these silly fantasies of yours. Your father and I only want the best for you sweetie, so I really think that you need to move passed all of this, and start living in the real world, rather then your own little fantasy world."

My fist clenched in anger, though not because of my mother or my sister. My anger was directed at the world itself, and all the humans in it who've made it the way that it is. I know they say that there's a place for everyone in this world, but not for me. People can go ahead and say what ever they want about me. I stopped caring about other people's opinions of me a long time ago, but that didn't change the fact that I've never once felt at home in the world I was born into. It was a mistake! It just had to be! The lord almighty sent me to the wrong world! I just knew it! And after years of praying to him for a miracle, I eventually lost faith in him and everything he stood for altogether.

That's where all my demon lord talk came from. My family had gone to church every Sunday for years, like others, but that never felt right to me either. And after years of loneliness and depression under the lord's so called "faith", I made the choice to seek faith from another source. The exact opposite of the lord. The devil. Yes, saying that I was a devil follower, and a demon lord myself did earn me more then a few weird looks from people, but it just felt right to me, so I stuck with it. Besides, after almost ten years of taking crap from pretty much every single human being I've ever met, I've also grown a strong, burning hatred for human beings as well.

In my eyes, all humans were the same. Selfish, idiotic, and close minded. No one ever gave me and my ideals a chance, and I was forced to put up with all manner of non-stop stupidity from humans on a daily basis. That's why I shut myself off from the world, and stopped considering myself a human as well. I was a demon lord, and no matter what anyone may say or think, they'll never convince me otherwise. My mind was made up. Still, my constant state of loneliness inevitably drove me to depression, and I couldn't even remember the last time I was really happy, or even the last time I truly felt alive at all. I really did try to make it through college and keep those jobs I had, but its hard to stay motivated when none of it ever feels right.

Somewhere out there, there was another world. One filled with castles, monsters, magic, and heroes. I knew Id find it one day, then leave this world behind for good, and build a better life for myself in that new world. I truly believed that. That had been my life's goal ever since I first fell into the world of anime and gaming, and discovered the isekai genre of course. As soon as I watched my first isekai anime, I knew right then and there that that was my true destiny. Naturally, like my whole demon lord identity, every single person I told this to called me everything. Crazy, insane, a freak, and said that I needed a serious wake up call. But no matter how many times I heard those things, and no matter how many people tried to make me give them up, there was no way I was ever gonna give up on my dreams. Not now. Not ever.

"Urgh! Are you still here?! Hurry up and move out already!" My inner monologue was cut short by the sound of a very familiar, and very rude voice. It came from the youngest member of my family, my brother, Andrew. He was currently 13 years of age, and had just entered the kitchen from the back door of the house, carrying with him a basket filled with chicken eggs. Our parents bought him some chickens and a coop about two years ago, and he's been taking care of them on his own, while also running a small business selling their eggs ever since. And, like the rest of my family, he got on my case every single time we crossed paths. Which, since we lived in the same house, was far more often then I preferred.

Before dignifying him with a response, I quickly finished my very late breakfast, then proceeded to have some orange juice for a drink. "Don't worry. Ill be out of everyone's hair soon. Its only a matter of time until I'm sent to the world I was always meant to be born into." I was feeling a bit calmer then I was a moment ago, having had some time to collect my thoughts, but the abuse wasn't over just yet.

"When?! You've been on this for like ten years now! I say we just have Damian do his whole demon lord routine for some doctors at a mental hospital, and let them take him away." Andrew said in a half joking tone, but I knew better then anyone that he wanted me out of the house more then anyone else.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Julie commented in a slightly more harsh tone, her attention still half focused on her laptop.

That's when mom stepped in, having never enjoyed the sights and sounds of her children fighting amongst themselves. "Andrew! Julie! Don't talk about your brother like that. He'll find his way in this world. We just have to have faith in him." Mom did her best to stay positive, but I could tell that even she was nearing the end of her rope with me as well. One time, I even heard her ask herself "Where did I go wrong with him?" Still, she and my father have refused to give up on me, despite my years of fantasy talk and employment attempt failures. Honestly, sometimes even I was a little surprised they hadn't kicked me out of their house long ago, but its not like I just locked myself in my room, watched anime, and played video games all day, everyday.

While my parents were at work, and my siblings were at school, I was at home, cleaning the house, and doing everything else I could to earn my keep. Doing laundry, washing dishes, vacuuming the house, and anything else my mother left on the chores list before going to work each day. It might not have been a real job, but even I knew that I had to earn my keep somehow. Admittedly, I mainly just did the work so she wouldn't end up throwing me out, and therefore, I could continue to carry out my anime filled, shut-in lifestyle. But in the back of my mind, I was still extremely grateful that my parents have been willing to put up with me for as long as they have. It was a clear sign of just how much they cared for me, despite how I acted, which is why, while it may not have seemed like much, I always put forth my best effort when tackling these household chores, and my parents definitely seemed to appreciate it.

Yet another sigh escaped my lips after the scene that had just taken place, as I scratched the back of my head, then turned, and headed for the door the lead to the garage. "You're wrong mom. There is no place for me in this world. So do me a favor. When my dream is fulfilled, Ill likely never return to this world, and vanish from it without a trace. So don't waste your time looking for me. Just know that Ill be in another world, the likes of which no one in this world could possibly imagine, living the life I've always dreamed of having. In the meantime, I think Ill head down to the beach for some fishing. If I don't get my lucky break today, Ill be back around dusk." I explained to my mother and two younger siblings, getting myself ready to head out.

However, before walking out the door, Andrew just couldn't resist getting in one final put down while he had the chance. "Ya know what? I hope your weird dream does come true one day, and soon. And don't worry, no one will bother looking for you when you disappear, because no one in this world will miss you!" He yelled at me in a cold, unforgiving tone, putting forth his best effort to hurt me.

I stopped dead in my tracks after that, and silence fell over the room, with my mother and sister turning to Andrew with shock, not believing that he just said something so cold and mean to me.

Meanwhile, I just stood there with my back to them all, staying silent as well. Many hurtful things have been said to me in my life, but that thing my own brother just said to me really stung in the worst possible way. Be that as it may, I continued on my way out the door, turning the knob, opening it, then proceeding out into the garage of my home. I closed the door behind me before any of them had a chance to say anything else, and never offered any sort of retort myself. "Whatever..."

It took me all of three minutes to gather my fishing rod, lures, and everything else I knew Id need for my fishing trip to the beach, having done so many times before. It also helped that the beach was only about twenty minutes from my house on foot. Fishing wasn't anywhere near as dear to my heart as anime and video games were, but I still enjoyed it a great deal. Additionally, it was one of the only things that got me up and out of the house, so my family enjoyed it quite a bit too. As I took my first few steps outside the garage, I quickly let out an annoyed grunt, shielding my eyes from the bright sunlight, as it shinned down right into my eyes. "Urgh...Should've grabbed some sunglasses."

But then, I was met with a slightly unsettling surprise, as my father's truck suddenly pulled into the driveway. He normally didn't get home until around six pm, so this sudden turn of events had me mildly confused as well. Dear old dad managed his own auto body shop in town, and made some pretty nice cash selling tires as well. He brought his truck to a stop, then opened the door, exited the driver's seat, and smiled and waved at me afterward. "Damian. Good to see you up and out of your room. Going fishing?"

I gave him a single nod, and a small wave back before giving him an answer. "Yeah. I've just gotta get out of here right now. Ill be back around dusk. And while we're on the subject, you're home early dad. Why's that?"

"I had some work to do around the house, so I asked my boss if I could leave early today. As you can see, he said yes." Dad answered my question, looking pretty happy that he was given the rest of the day off from work. He may have been the manager, but he only managed his one shop, so unfortunately he still had to take orders from a boss. While I did take care of most of the chores around the house, dad was still the family's handy man, who was always there to fix something if and when it was broken, as well as handle any home improvement projects he and mom decided to undertake. In this particular case, I knew that he was referring to the basement. A few days ago, he and mom made the decision to replace the carpeted floors with tiles down there.

"I see. Well, lucky you. Now, if you'll excuse me." I proceeded to walk passed him, but I quickly halted to another stop when I suddenly heard my father speak to me once again.

He turned to me, and gestured to his truck, making me an offer. "Hold on a second Damian. I can give you a ride if you want. I don't mind."

I listened, but didn't turn to face him, doing my best to hide my hurt feelings from him. "Its alright dad, thanks. Its only a twenty minute walk, and I could use the exercise. Later." I made another attempt to leave, but was once again stopped by the sound of my father's voice.

My dad sighed before he continued, his smile fading from his face, in favor of a more knowing and concerned expression, with a tone to match. "You cant run away from responsibility for the rest of your life Damian. You know me, your mother, and your siblings only say and do the things that we do because we all care about you, and we don't wanna see you go through life sad and alone forever, right?"

I remained quiet for about thirty seconds before responding, taking a nice, long deep breath, then turning to face my father again. "...Yeah, I know. I'm not trying to avoid responsibility dad, I just don't fit in anywhere in this world. I've tried just about everything, and nothing's worked out. What am I supposed to do? Get a job I know Ill hate, then work for the rest of my life until I die? No thanks. My life in this world is only the beginning. Once my dream is fulfilled, Ill have everything I've ever wanted and more. So much more." I sounded so sure of myself, a small grin appearing on my face without me even realizing it.

"Well, what about fishing? You seem to like fishing. How about pursuing a career in that?" My father made me a suggestion, just as my mother had tried to do inside our house several minutes ago.

"No thanks. Fishing is more of a hobby for me, and I don't even do it that often. I cant see myself doing this for the rest of my life, ya know?" But just like with my mother, I shot down his job suggestion as fast as he'd pitched it to me, losing my grin in the process.

However, dad wasn't done with me just yet, as he quickly switched gears on me. Going from career options, to fatherly advice, changing the tone of his voice to better fit the situation. "Listen Damian, I know you're tired of hearing about how impossible that dream of yours is, so lets assume for a minute that it does come true for you. You get transported to another world, where things are much different from here, then you gain some magical powers and skills, and are tasked with the job of saving that entire world from some evil force or something."

It was rare that my father, or anyone for that matter, talked to me about my dream in this way. He definitely had my attention, and I was curious to see where he was going with this. "I'm listening. So what's your point?" I told everyone in my life about my hopes and dreams at least once, so I knew my dad pretty much had all the details to go on with his explanation.

Father then walked over to me, and gently placed his hand on my shoulder before continuing to offer me his advice. "I don't deny that if that ever happens to you, you'd make a great demon lord and ruler of your own kingdom Damian, but you must know that no one starts out that way, even in other worlds Ill bet. You'll have to do a lot of work to make it to that point, and you'll have to learn how to trust at least some people. I also know how you feel about others, but how do you expect to find the good people in the world if you refuse to open up to anyone at all? I'm sure that one day, you'll meet people that you can trust and depend on for anything and everything, and they'll feel the same way about you too, but only if you can take that first step. What I'm trying to say is that you're gonna have to grow up one day Damian. It takes hard work, responsibility, and trust to make your dreams a reality. That's true in any world. Not just this one. Remember that, and I'm sure you'll do just fine son. Now go on and catch yourself some fish, and try not to get into any trouble, okay?" He finished his words of wisdom, then gave me a smile filled with encouragement, as well as a few good pats on the shoulder.

Thanks to all my anime and gaming knowledge, I knew he was right, so I made no effort to argue with him. In almost every single anime I've seen, the main character always starts out like me. A loser with no friends, and little to nothing going for him as a person and in life, but after overcoming trial after trial, even someone like him or her ended up becoming a real badass. And in every RPG, the player always starts out at level 1, and has to work his or her way up to the higher levels to achieve real power. So, I returned my father's smile with one of my own, feeling rather grateful that someone in my life took the time to encourage me and my dreams, rather then just put me and them down for what might've felt like the millionth time. "Once again, I know. Thanks dad. Believe me, once I make it to that new world, Ill do what ever it takes to make my dreams a reality. Ill work harder then anyone ever has before, Ill gather those I know I can count on to join my cause, and Ill finally become a true demon lord."

A few chuckles escaped my father's lips after that, but I could tell that he wasn't laughing at me, so it didn't bother me. "Just make sure ya don't get yourself killed Damian." And with those final words, he turned, heading inside the house, leaving me on my own.

"Never." I said to myself after dad was gone, shaking my head from side to side two times, having absolutely no plans to die once I finally entered the new world. Now that that was done, I turned around once more, and began my walk to the beach, doing some hard thinking on the way there. I knew that starting from square one in a world where Id likely know next to nothing about the people, the world, and the culture was gonna be anything but easy, but I never expected it to be. To make my dreams a reality, become a powerful demon lord, build my own kingdom, and a harem of beautiful non-human girls, I was more then willing to put in the work, unlike the world I was currently trapped in.

X

After a good twenty minute or so long walk, the sounds of the ocean waves were coming in loud and clear, accompanied by the sea breeze and smell of salt water in the air. Id arrived at the beach, which like most days, had a good number of people around. Some played in the sand or in the water, while others just laid back on their beach towels or lounge chairs and just relaxed, enjoying the bright and sunny weather we were having. There were even some other fishermen around as well, but I could see that they were taking up most of the space on the dock, so I was forced to look for my own spot on the sand. It cost me another ten minutes, but I eventually found a nice, quiet spot on the beach, far enough away from all the people. Once I finally had my spot, I set all my fishing gear down, and got my rod set up. As opposed to bait, I usually used artificial lures instead. After attaching my lure of choice to the end of my line, I cast it out into the open ocean as far as I could.

Time went on from there, and before I knew it, four hours had gone by. Id managed to catch a few decent sized fish, but I threw all of them back, as it was always my policy to catch and release, unless I absolutely had to keep the fish in question. By this time, I was sitting in the sand, with my fishing rod in one hand, getting ready to call it a day and head back home. The tide was beginning to come in, and the wind had been blowing non-stop for over an hour, as I struggled to keep the sand out of my eyes. "Yeah, definitely should've brought some sunglasses." I said to myself, while starting to reel my line back in.

By this time, the beach was mostly empty, as everyone else had either gone home, or was getting ready to do so. Once my line was back in, I packed up all my fishing gear, got back on my feet, and began my walk back home. "Woah! Oof!" I didn't get very far though, tripping on something sticking out of the sand, and falling face first into said sand. I dropped all my fishing gear when I fell, and was spitting sand out of my mouth when I got back up. "Yeah, that's exactly what I needed today. A face full of sand." I said to myself in an annoyed and sarcastic tone, cleaning the sand off my face before opening my eyes to see what it is that I tripped on.

To my surprise, and curiosity, what I saw what the corner of a thick, hard cover book sticking out of the sand. It definitely wasn't there when I arrived, so I just figured the wind must've blown the sand that was covering it away. I also figured that someone must've left it here and forgot about it, and with curiosity getting the best of me, I decided to pull it out and have a closer look. So I grabbed the book, pulled it out of the sand, and brushed more sand off the cover to get a clear look at it. "The four cardinal weapons, huh?" I questioned as I read the title, having never heard of anything like that before. The same could be said for the picture I saw on the cover as well, so I opened the book and started reading it, hoping to get some answers. Straight away, I was surprised yet again by how clear and legible the pictures and writing inside was, after the book had been buried in the sand for who knows how long.

"In order to fight against the waves of catastrophe, four heroes will be summoned from another world to fight against this great evil." I spoke the words I was reading out loud, and kept on reading, my curiosity growing more and more with each line I read, as my otaku side was quickly taking over. "Each hero wields a legendary weapon. A sword, a spear, a bow, and a shield." The part about the shield caught me off guard, as it wasn't technically a weapon. Still, Id seen and played through several anime's and video games with character that fought with shields, and they usually did pretty well for themselves. "Hmmm...If it meant I could be one of these heroes summoned from another world, Id gladly be this world's shield hero. No question." I said to myself without even a single hint of doubt in my voice, then I continued reading, finding this book to be very interesting.

"These four cardinal heroes are probably the male protagonists of the story, but where's the female protagonist of the story? Every good story needs a nice, beautiful, quirky girl to follow the main protagonist around, fight alongside him, and get into all kinds of funny, or romantic moments. There's no way its this princess character. She's a total bitch. This world might be different, but I guess one thing's still the same. Humans are the worst." Despite my displeasure with the princess, I continued to read through the book anyway, finding very detailed passages on the sword, spear, and bow heroes. But when I got to the pages on the shield hero, I was surprised, confused, and a little let down to find that they were all blank. "Wait...blank? For real? What the heck? The author did a great job writing about the other three heroes, but when he gets to the shield hero he just stops? Well that's dumb."

My disappointment was cut short, and replaced with pure shock, as the pages of the book began to glow, catching me off guard. "Wait a minute, what's this?" That was all I had time to say, as my brain was having a hard time processing this very sudden turn of events, not that it had the time to. Within seconds, the glow got brighter and brighter, causing me to shield my eyes again. When my eyes finally adjusted to the light, I couldn't help but gasp, looking around to find myself in a completely different and unknown area. It looked like I was moving, but I never even got back on my feet. My brain was going a mile a minute, until it all went black.

I had no idea what was happening to me, but if I was being honest, I didn't necessarily hate it.

And that just about sums it up. The prologue is over and done. Its purpose was just to give you all a basic idea of what kind of person Damian is, and what his life was like before the Shield Hero storyline begins for him. However, do NOT let the prologue deceive you. There is far more to Damian then what you've just read. His full history, motives, and everything else will be told at certain points throughout the story. I know I could've told you all of that here and now, but Id rather do so in the real story, rather then the prologue.

I do apologize if that upsets any of you at all, but I've always been the kind of guy who prefers not to keep his readers guessing, and not give everything away right up front. So sorry, but you'll have to continue reading to learn more about Damian and what he's all about.

Also, before you decide to just stop reading my story right here and now, Id really appreciate it if you could at least take the time to read the description at the beginning of chapter 1. Hopefully it'll lay any concerns or problems you may have to rest, but if not, then I thank you for at least taking the time to read it and the prologue of my fic.

I'm well aware that Damian is far from the title of "Best Protagonist Ever", but he's my protagonist, and I'm stickin with him. Besides, he gets A LOT better, and more mature as the story goes on, as the description at the beginning of chapter 1 will explain to you in greater detail.

Anyway, if you have any questions, please feel free to comment here or PM me, but while its on my mind, I think Ill clarify a few questions you might have already.

Why did I decide to make an American protagonist as opposed to a Japanese one? Its because I'm from America myself, and while I am a huge fan of anime, and Japan as a whole, I don't with to upset anyone by making any mistakes in terms of culture or anything like that. It seems odd, I know, but I thought it best to just stick to what I know and play it safe.

How often do I plan on having chapters up? To be honest, I'm not really sure yet. Nor am I sure of how long each one will be. Right now, I'm just writing whenever I can and doing my best.

Why did I choose to write all of Damian's lines and thoughts in first person format? Because I thought it might make the story a bit easier to understand. I got the idea from theoneandonlyedster's Shield Hero fanfic, and I thought it was a good and interesting way of writing. And if your reading this Ed, I hope its okay with you that I did this. Thanks.

The actual story begins next time with chapter one picking up with when the four cardinal heroes are summoned to Melromarc. We all know how Naofumi responded and reacted to all of that, but how will Damian decide to do things? I could tell you, but it'd be far more fun to show you next time.

Until then, this is OverlordDracoLucifer, signing out! See ya next time!