One Punch Man belongs to One.
Rising of The Shield Hero belongs to Aneko Yusagi.
I own neither of them.

Learning From A Hero

After dealing with the crooked knight, the stranger in green cape brought Raphtalia and Rifana into a cave. It was located deep in the forest and it provided them a shelter from the rain which got heavier on that night.

The moment they arrived, the man immediately gave each of them a bottle of potion. Miraculously, all the wounds and aches they suffered vanished after they drank the medicine. Although they were still weak, Raphtalia didn't feel cold anymore and Rifana's fever gone. The bruises and cuts on their bodies also vanished, making the man surprised.

The man then gave them meal. It was dinner time indeed, and he asked about their stories. Hesitantly, the demi-humans told what had happened to them as a fire warmed their place.

"… Our village was ransacked by bad soldiers. They killed our family, just after our homes were destroyed by monsters." Rifana explained with sad face as Raphtalia patted her back.

"Then, we were captured and enslaved. A wicked nobleman took us. He tortured us in a dungeon." Raphtalia continued the story as she looked at the man.

"T-t-torture!?" The man stuttered as his eyes looked at both the little demi-humans in disbelieve.

The stranger's face suddenly was filled with anger as he looked at the burning fire. He clenched the stick in his hand very hard until it turned into dust. Both Raphtalia and Rifana widened their eyes as they looked at the man's face. His momentary wrathful look slowly dissolved as he took a deep breath and let out a sigh to calm himself.

"If… If it is not because of your kindness, we are doomed." Rifana spoke weakly for she felt afraid that she would anger the man once again. "Thank you so much, Sir."

"If you didn't save us, we don't know what would happen to us. We are very grateful for your kindness." Raphtalia added as she smiled sincerely at the man.

"I see… I am also happy that I can save you," replied the man as he also smiled, making both girls' face brightened up. "Thank you for sharing your story. It must be really hard for you. I am so sorry."

The man put a dejected smile. That made the two look down at the ground. They knew that their story had upset their savior.

"But it's alright, Sir. You have saved us. Verily, we cannot thank you enough, Sir." Raphtalia decided to word out her gratitude again to ease the man.

The man's usual smile came back in response. He seemed to be happy that the people he had saved became more open to him. His smile also cheered the two demi-humans as they became more comfortable with him.

"Please don't mention it. I just did what I could do." The man exclaimed as he roasted a chunk of meat and added some woods into the fire. "And well… Feel free to take more. I'm also glad that I can have friends for dinner."

Rifana who seemed to forget her sadness quickly finished her share of meat and took another chunk from near the man, making Raphtalia stared at her in bafflement while he chuckled. It was apparent that Rifana's hunger had urged her to take more despite her usual meek behavior. The man's very welcoming manner probably also made her feel at home.

"Oh, right. I haven't introduced myself." The man suddenly spoke as he poked some mushrooms with a twig. "I am Suiryu."

Raphtalia narrowed her eyebrows in response. "Su–…"

Rifana who was munching her meat didn't hear the man. Even she didn't know at all about her friend's confusion at the man's name. Instead, she interpreted her raccoon-friend's confused look as a hesitation.

"Raphtalia, you don't take more?" asked the weasel-girl as she looked at her friend's puzzled face.

"No, wait Rifana… I mean, Sir…" she switched her stare frantically from the man to her friend as she tried to repeat the man's strange name.

Seeing the confusion, the savior chuckled. "Well, maybe my name is very foreign. As foreign as people's name from this world for me. Okay, let me repeat. My name is Suiryu."

"Sui-ryu..." Raphtalia tried to repeat the name as she looked at the cave's ceiling.

"Suiryu?" Rifana repeated the man's name fluently, startling Raphtalia. "We never heard such kind of name, Sir."

"I see. And, you are… Raphtalia and… Rifana, correct?" Suiryu looked at the girls as he pointed at them in confusion while smiling.

"I am Raphtalia and this is Rifana," Replied Raphtalia as she patted her friend's back. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Sui–..."

"Suiryu." Rifana completed the name as she looked at her raccoon-friend while she was still holding her meat. "Is his name that hard for you to pronounce?"

Rifana's smile suddenly turned into a smug grin, gaining a pout from Raphtalia. This funny sight made Suiryu let out a hearty chuckle. Rifana giggled in response while her friend blushed in embarrassment.

"It's okay, Raphtalia." Suiryu said as he patted the little raccoon-girl's head. "Just call me Suiryu. I am just a commoner."

"Umm.. Yes. Thank you, Sir." Raphtalia replied meekly as she unconsciously enjoyed the pat from her savior.

Suddenly, both demi-humans' ears twitched. They heard something and when they turned their gaze to the source of the sound, their eyes widened in horror. They saw a pack of Giant Wolves had been waiting in front of the cave's mouth. Suiryu who also saw the hounds rose from his sitting place.

"Stay here. I'll deal with them." The man said reassuringly as he walked towards the entrance.

"But, Sir…!" Rifana tried to warn the man as Raphtalia froze, despite sitting near the fireplace.

"Don't worry. I can handle them." Suiryu smiled as he looked back at the girls.

The moment Suiryu walked towards the entrance, one from the pack lunged itself at him. Quickly, he grabbed its hind leg and slammed it to the nearest cave wall. A noticeable sound of breaking bones could be heard, mixed with yelp of pain from the dog.

The others then came to join the fray and he used the first wolf as a flail to bash them. Another squeals and growls filled the air as Suiryu hit each attacking wolf using his makeshift club. He did this casually like he was just swatting some bugs. As a result, none from the pack could rush any further than the entrance.

Raphtalia and Rifana in response slack-jawed at such display of strength and skill. They never thought that their savior was that powerful. They had seen him threw the wicked knight single-handedly. But to see him swung around a lion-sized wild dog like it was a wet cloth and used it to slew its fellows? Their savior was indeed a beastman in human form!

Instinctively, the rest of the pack which had lost their brothers fled. It had turned into a futile attempt of hunting since six of their members were lying dead before the cave. They knew that they should retreat, for their prey was not an ordinary human. The gate-guardian was a monster!

Dragging the makeshift furry club into the well-lit area, the martial artist came back from his totally boring fight to see the girls were staring at him with sparkling eyes. He could only blink in confusion at how they were looking at him.

"Umm… Rifana, Raphtalia?" asked their savior, flustered.

"S-s-sir… How did you do that?" Rifana asked back as she looked at him with an awe-filled expression. "That was…"

"Amazing…" added Raphtalia as she stared at the man with gleaming eyes.

The martial artist tried to digest what was happening before him. A moment prior, the two demi-humans looked scared by the incoming threat. But now, they looked at him like he was a divine being. The dramatic change somewhat confused him.

Back in his old world, whenever Suiryu went out and manage to kill monsters by himself, people around the scene would cheer on him while putting amazed faces. That was normal since they saw what they thought as something out of ordinary. Such kind of sight was very common for other heroes as well.

This time however, the two girls showed a very different kind of astonishment. Something far different than what he caught from spectators' faces in his old world. It was as if his action was something unimaginable. And the way they praised him emphasized such kind of awe. 'Well, much to be expected from kids…' thought the monk-fighter as he was still holding the wolf's leg. 'Still, there's something different. But what?'

"Oh, really?" Suiryu chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head. "I guess that was just nothing."

"Lord Suiryu, are you a hero?" Raphtalia asked as she looked at him.

The martial artist thought for a moment as his hand suddenly lost its grip on the wolf's leg. He could not decide whether he should tell them or not. That question brought a realization that even in this place where myth and magic were real, a man who could kill some oversized wolves was not a common sight. It seemed that his cover as a mercenary should be compromised.

After thinking further however, actually he found that revealing his identity was not a big deal. In this kind of world where he saw many people were still honest, there was no way that they would utilize children as spies like in stories of people from his world during warring eras. Maybe he was just overthinking about his image or perhaps the ordeal with Melromarc had made him paranoid.

"Well, if I am?" Suiryu replied with a question. "And what makes you think that I am a hero?"

Both girls looked at each other for a moment. They were not sure about how to answer their savior. However, they noticed that the man had many resemblances with a hero. They believed that no ordinary man possessed such kind of feats. And his kindness towards them left them no doubt that he was their awaited savior.

"Because you are very strong," exclaimed Rifana. "How you killed those wolves without any weapon… I think nobody can do that."

"What about adventurers?" The martial artist asked back to test them.

"I guess… Hmm… I don't know, but…" Rifana's only gave puzzled look. "Raphtalia, do you know anyone who can kill wolves with bare hands?"

"No. But the legends say that there is one hero who would save the demi-humans." Raphtalia replied with a very convincing answer. "And he is very kind towards our folks."

'Legend? Guess that people really love to tell stories for their kids about heroes, huh…?' Suiryu mused as he raised his brows at Raphtalia's answer. 'I wonder who's this guy?'

"And he is?"

"Shield Hero," replied Rifana and Raphtalia in unison, making their savior's eyes widened in surprise.

"I… see… You are smart."

Suiryu smiled as his hand went behind his back to retrieve the relic. The girls for a moment were stunned to see the holy weapon. Then tears began to roll down from their eyes.

"Sh-shield H-hero…" Rifana said with a broken voice as she and Raphtalia came closer to hug him. "Th-thank you…"

The monk fighter could not help but bent his knees and opened his arms, letting the demi-humans hugged him. He knew that this was not a hug from mere fans, nor a hug from ordinary girls he dated. This was a real form of love and gratitude from those who were longing for the arrival of a hero. An emotional expression from people who were trying desperately to grasp a small flickering light of hope from a very far distance.

This heartwarming moment had truly reminded him to his battered state after he got severely beaten by Gouketsu and Bakuzan. And the very moment when Saitama came to answer his call.

"Thank you, dear Lord Shield Hero." Raphtalia said as she clutched him.

"Don't mention it." Suiryu gave a fatherly smile as he caressed both girl's head. "It's a duty of a hero to save people."

The moment went on until both of them loosened their arms.

"Now, have you finished your meal?" asked Suiryu as the girls rubbed their eyes from the tears with their arm. "Please, take as much as you like."

"Thank you, Lord Shield Hero." The girls nodded and came back near the fireplace.

"Just call me Suiryu." The shield hero stood and tailed behind the girls.

As the martial artist followed, Rifana had grabbed her halfway eaten meat while Raphtalia took some mushrooms. They enjoyed it as he looked at them with joy on his face. He took his share and began to chat again with the girls.

It seemed that they had become much more comfortable since they shared more stories about their lives in their village. The stories was very important since Suiryu could draw many knowledge about the girls' race, the demi-human. And some of this info made him nearly choke at how ridiculous it was.

"So, demi-humans grow faster if they level up?" asked the monk-fighter.

"Yes. My mother ever said about that." Rifana replied as Raphtalia who sat beside her gave a nod. "Although, I haven't seen any people from my village grow this way."

"I see…" Suiryu nodded in understanding.

After a moment of silence, Raphtalia opened her mouth, only to shut it again before any word came out. Suiryu knew about her hesitance. There must be something important she wanted to say.

"Go on, Raphtalia. You want to ask something?" The shield hero gave a comforting smile to her.

"Umm… Lord Suiryu, is it okay if we join you?" asked the raccoon-girl as she twirled her hair.

The man blinked while her friend only looked down at the ground. He hadn't expected such question. To save them from slavery was his main objective, yet it seemed that he had not had any plan in hand for them. However, to bring children in a dangerous line of work was not a good idea.

"I'm so sorry. I cannot let you go with me." The champion gave a sad smile. "The journey of a hero is very dangerous. I'm afraid that–"

Rifana suddenly jumped from her place and grabbed his hand. She begged as she cried.

"Please, Lord Suiryu… We don't have anywhere to stay." She said between her sobbing. "We have lost our parents…"

"And on this land, we are regarded as slave." Raphtalia added as she did the same. "No one will save us except you."

The savior's heart sank as he thought about their fate. It seemed that in Melromarc, this race was treated as a mere tool just because they were not entirely human. The idea of people being forced to work inhumanly did not concur with a man who really love freedom like him. In his mind, slavery was among the worst crimes humans ever committed.

Nevertheless, bringing little child around would be difficult. Moreover, he was a fugitive and there was no assurance that bounty hunters would not ambush him along his way. As he thought about the feasibility of the plan to bring them along, the girls kept weeping as they waited for his answer.

'Can't be helped. This is very hard. I think I should also train them.' The martial artist thought as he looked at their pitiful faces.

Suiryu let out a sigh. "Alright, I will let you join me."

And another hug followed. Fortunately, he was not a good for nothing guy. When it came to feeling, he could act as a man who could give consolation for woman. In this case, his fatherly side was put in action.

"Thank you, Lord Suiryu…"

"Yeah. But you should also learn how to fight." The martial artist stated the fact as he smiled.

"Fight?" asked Rifana as she stepped back while Raphtalia stood beside her.

"Yes. Fight. Don't you want to be stronger?" Asked the martial artist as he gave a questioning face to the girls who looked a little bit uneasy.

"Can… Can we do that?" Rifana asked as she glanced at her own palms.

The monk-fighter placed his hands on each of the girl's shoulder. He knew that fighting was something unimaginable for these children. What he needed to do was how he could make these children to get stronger, so that they could survive. Fortunately, he could also catch a strong will to survive in their eyes. That was more than enough.

"Of course you can. Anybody can do it. I was not this strong." Suiryu chuckled. "Don't worry. We will train together to get stronger."

The girls' face brightened up. They seemed to be more than happy to be together with the hero they idolized. Although they didn't really understand about the meaning behind his words, they were delighted to join their savior in his cause.

Rifana and Raphtalia now join your party. You can check their status in your Party menu.

That was the message he got after he let the two join him. Since it had been decided, from that point on, he should take a good care of them. As of now, the best thing to do was to restore the energy. Besides, they had just healed from their battered state. They still needed to recover.

"Now, it's getting late. Rest well, Rifana, Raphtalia." Suiryu said as he stood and directed the girls to a makeshift mat from bear's fur.

Fortunately, his magical shield had a feature to store some inventories. Just before he went out from Erhard's shop, he had deposited some of his loots in it. The bear's fur was among these items he carried in his weapon.

As the girls rested on the mat, he took a blanket from the shield. The gem shone a green light, making the girls' sleepy eyes opened wider for a moment. Gently, he placed it on them.

"Thanks a lot, Lord Suiryu," said Rifana as her heavy eyes tried to look at him.

"Thank you, Lord Suiryu." Raphtalia thanked him as she squirmed slightly beside her friend. "Are you going to sleep?"

"Later on." Suiryu caressed their head gently. "Good night, Raphtalia, Rifana."

"Good night," replied the raccoon-girl while her weasel-friend had driven to sleep.

'Well… They really remind me to Suiko when she's still in their age. How long it has been?' Suiryu mused as he gazed at the two little demi-humans who had fallen asleep. 'I hope that I can see her again. Wish you're okay, imouto.'

MEANWHILE, IN ANOTHER UNIVERSE...

"ACHOO…!"

A female martial artist in black kung-fu attire with star buttons sneezed after she had just beaten a demon level monster. As she sniffed, a certain blond cyborg then landed near her. It appeared that the young disciple of the bald hero had just returned from a monster extermination mission.

"Suiko-san, I heard that your brother suddenly disappeared when he came to Neo Hero Association HQ for a certain meeting. Do you have any idea about his whereabouts?" Genos asked with his monotonic voice as he scanned the monster's carcass.

Suiko let out a sigh. "You know, Genos-kun… Since he was a kid, he really likes to leave me, just to wander anywhere without saying anything. I bet he's just bored and decided to go out. Who knows, maybe right now he's in the wood, doing something with some girls. Huuuh… Weird Onii-chan!"

The next morning, after breakfast and skinning the wolves, Suiryu took the little girls to a nearest village outside the forest. The two only wore rags, so they needed some clothes. He was sure that there might be some people who sold clothes as well as vendors who would buy the wolf furs at the village.

Their journey out from the wood went without much trouble and in some minutes, they had walked a dirt road which led to their destination. From afar, they could see the hamlet which was surrounded by forest. Such scenery reminded the martial artist to Y City countryside.

Along the way, Rifana asked Suiryu so many things about him while her raccoon-friend just decided to listen. Last night, the talk was mostly about their own stories, now was his turn to share his own.

During this fun chat, the champion was very surprised at how lively Rifana was. And her friend was also looked healthy. It was as if they never got any injury in the first place. He didn't know that two bottles of HP potion he got from an apothecary in the capital could heal his two companions who were very ill. It made him wonder about how such kind of magical thing could exist. If his old world had this kind of thing, it could save thousands of lives.

As they walked side by side, Rifana kept asking him about his old world and anything she could ask as a kid. When he mentioned about monster, Rifana and Raphtalia ceased their pace.

"M-monster…" Rifana stuttered as she looked up at Suiryu's face with widened eyes. "There are also monster, Lord Suiryu?"

"Monster…" Raphtalia mumbled as she shuddered.

"Yeah. Monsters also exist in my world," replied the champion.

"Is that why you don't fear at all when there were wolves?" inquired Rifana.

Suiryu chuckled as he patted her head. "I guess that's right, Rifana."

The conversation somewhat piqued the other girl's interest. She thought that if there were monsters, there should be heroes as well although it was a different world.

"Lord Suiryu, are there also heroes in your world?"

Suiryu for a moment pondered about the answer. He could give his answer right away, yet it brought another question about his determination as a hero. The moment he got summoned, he was aware that he was still bound in his duty to help people, no matter where he was. He really hoped that one day, he could come back home. However, to become a hero in this totally foreign world was not bad either.

"Yes, there are also heroes, back in my world. And there are, many." Suiryu replied as he looked at the sky.

"Many?" Rifana looked at him.

"Yep. There are hundreds of them."

"And you are one among them?" inquired Raphtalia as she held his hand.

The martial artist chuckled in response. "Yeah. I was one of them."

"Wow…" Rifana and Raphtalia looked at Suiryu with starry eyes as they imagined how heroic their savior was.

As Rifana and Raphtalia were eyeing the champion, a morning breeze blew past him. The sight of his figure with fluttering cape was an image which was etched so deep in the mind of both little demi-humans.

As long as they could remember, this was the first time someone gave them so much impression. Such stalwart figure like him was so awe-inspiring. His noble deeds had filled them with courage and hope.

They kept looking at him until he gently pushed them forward to walk.

"Okay. Let's go before the sun rises higher. We're almost there." The martial artist took his pace.

"Yes, Lord Suiryu," replied the two as they followed their savior.

Lute was the name of the hamlet the shield hero's party headed to. With population at around a hundred, this part of Melromarc was relatively peaceful. The people lived a simple life, mostly as carpenters. Some farmers and vendors also lived here as well. Basically, this hamlet could sustain their basic needs.

To avoid any suspicion, the champion had made a precaution by hiding his shield under his cape. He was aware that there might be possibility of spreading rumor about the evil shield hero. He was cautious that Aultcray would employ any dirty trick to harm him.

The moment they entered the hamlet, people kept staring at them. Not looks of hostility, but looks of wondering they got. It seemed that people only regarded the shielder as a simply odd adventurer with two little demi-human slaves. That means that his identity remained hidden.

After asking people around, Suiryu managed to find a small clothing shop. There, he found matching dresses for his new companions at a reasonable price. With 30 silver coins, he could get five sets of clothes for Rifana and Raphtalia, including two pairs of boots. Added with three rucksacks for them, the monk-fighter in total spent 75 silver coins. He knew that they were not of high grade material like those provided by Erhard, but it was sufficient.

Moving into his next objective, when he carried around the wolf furs as Rifana and Raphtalia tagged along happily, a vendor suddenly called him and opened a bargain. The martial artist was not good at bargaining, so without much thinking, he handed the furs as the man gave him three pieces of gold coins. He still remembered the lesson from Erhard and the vendor before him gave a standard price, so there was no problem. The most important thing, he could get rid of his load and get a fair cash in return.

Suiryu then decided to go back to the forest after he settled the matter with clothing and sellable item. However before that, he bought some equipment and supplies. After all, it would be more convenient to be well-prepared rather than have nothing.

With everything packed up, the martial artist went back with his companions to the woods to start the training. There was no time to waste since up until that point, he didn't know about when and where the Wave would come.

"Come on, Raphtalia! If you're slowing down, we cannot get back before the sunset!" Rifana shouted as she ran ahead of her raccoon friend.

"Alright. I'll catch up with you!" Raphtalia replied as she sprinted faster on the winding trail.

It was the third day after they visited Lute hamlet. So far, everything was good. The girls in the meantime were undergoing a training under their savior.

Every morning and afternoon, Suiryu had them to do physical exercises, ranging from running a three kilometers trail near their cave to forming some martial art stances and moves. At first, they protested. However, after they saw he trained together with them and how easily he could bring them beasts for their meal, they felt challenged. And now they seemed to enjoy the new routine.

Between the morning and the afternoon exercises, Suiryu brought the two to some outer parts of the forest. There, he trained them to kill some low level monsters like Orange Balls and Slimes. This basic hand to hand combat practice was the safest option before he could proceed to teach them how to slay bigger and smarter enemies.

During these three days, Suiryu noticed that his disciples' progress was surprisingly fast. Both Rifana and Raphtalia were currently at level eight. It made him think that demi-humans were natural born fighters.

However, after he discovered a feature called Companion Shield in his shield system, his jaw dropped in befuddlement. He never thought that the relic possessed such kind of super weird function. The idea of an item which could accelerate a training process was downright insane.

'Man… The more I make discovery, the crazier this world becomes. I wonder, how much money one should spend to make this kind of shield. Not to mention how long it would take.' Suiryu hummed as he read the menu in his shield function while he waited for his companions. 'I don't think that even Neo-Hero Association can make this kind of thing. I guess the point is magic. Is that right?'

A moment later, one of his disciples came into his sight. The weasel-girl brought a very cheerful smile, just like usual.

"Lord Suiryu!" Rifana called as she ran towards the shielder. "I'm the first again! Yay!"

"Yay!" Suiryu cheered his disciple as he ruffled her hair. "Good job, Rifana. Where's Raphtalia?"

"There she is!" Rifana pointed at her friend who was running towards them while panting heavily. "Raphtalia, I win again!"

"Huhh… I'm sorry…" The raccoon-girl apologized as she caught her breath. "I failed again, Lord Suiryu."

"Oh come on, Raphtalia. It's not about winning or losing." Suiryu encouraged his disciple as he led them to a space of the training ground. "But next time, try to run faster. I'm sure you can outrun Rifana if you push harder."

"Thank you, Lord Suiryu," said Rifana meekly as she looked at him.

"No way!" Rifana suddenly retorted as she puffed her chest. "Because I will become Lord Suiryu's top disciple and marry him!"

Suiryu blinked as his mouth gaped while Raphtalia covered her mouth in shock. Rifana was not joking and her words blew Suiryu's mind.

It was true that Rifana's dream was to become shield hero's wife, but her raccoon-friend never expected that she would be so blunt to utter it in front of the man. And the said man was totally at lost about what he had just heard. To think that a little kid would marry him probably scared him more than facing Gouketsu for the second time.

The martial artist gulped as he tried his best to change the subject while forcing out a smile. "Hmm… Alright, Raphtalia, Rifana. Let's focus on the next lesson. Last time, I saw you two can perform stances. Though, I think for you Rifana, you are quite suitable with low stances."

"Like this?" Rifana immediately made a low stance by positioning her legs wide between each other as her arms folded at her sides with balling fists.

It was so relieving for him that the weasel-girl was obedient and didn't press the matter any further. For a moment, it could distract him from the shuddering thought of her statement. He really wanted to bury the thought of a serious relationship with an underage kid. And it seemed that her friend shared his view. He could read the trace of disagreement on Raphtalia's face for such thought.

"Excellent." Suiryu commented as he gave a thumbs up at the weasel-girl. "And for Raphtalia, make a middle stance."

"Umm… Like this?" She asked as she did what he ordered.

"Space your feet wider and lower your body a little bit…" The monk-fighter looked at how she made the stance. "Okay, perfect. Now, Rifana, Raphtalia. Keep your stance until the sun sets. I'll prepare the dinner."

"Yes, Lord Suiryu!" said the disciples in unison as the master showed his back, heading towards the cave where they resided.

'Man… This is too much.' The [Void Fist] inheritor made an internal sigh as he rubbed some sweat beads on his forehead. 'If the one who said such thing was the palace maid, I think I can get it. But this… She's just a fifth grader and she blurted out that idea. With pride in her tone, no less! This world makes me really look like a child abuser. Ugh...'

The next day, Suiryu brought his disciples to a mine, some kilometers away outside the forest. He discovered the place the previous day during a training session. He didn't know what kind of mine it was, but judging by the state of the shack outside of it, it had been abandoned. Probably it was a coalmine or something else.

After rummaging some tools in the shack and added new Rope Shield into his shield function, he brought Rifana and Raphtalia along into the tunnel. Walking along a rail of mine-car, the path finally led them to a huge cavern, nearly filled with neon-blue crystals, protruding from the floors and walls. The magnificent sight made the three looked at it in awe.

Since it was a mine, these crystals must be worthy. Although Suiryu didn't have interest in this particular job of miner, he decided to give it a try since probably he could rake in more money.

"Rifana, can you give me the pickaxe?" Suiryu ordered as he opened the leather bag he brought.

"Here, Lord Suiryu," said Rifana as she handed the tool.

"Thanks."

The monk-fighter started to whack some of the mineral deposits as his disciples collected the chunks. It was much easier than he thought since in five minutes, the girls had filled half of the bag. They moved into another spot and filled up the bag. He took out another bag and that was when he felt something was off.

"...Rifana, Raphtalia..." His eyes widened when he saw Raphtalia was mortified by an unexpected sight.

Before them, a giant black dog with two heads and snake-like necks were directing their crimson eyes at them. Raphtalia was trembling on her place as Rifana was trying to pull her. As the giant hound was stepping forward with salivating mouth, Suiryu readied himself to attack it.

The moment the dog lunged itself towards the girls, Suiryu sent a weak kick to its front thorax, sending it flying to a rock wall. The martial artist intended to test the enemy's strength before he went on with his deadly blow. Its level was 15, two level lower than his and it was way too sloppy. The dog was only like a wolf level threat. Not that he wanted to scoff at his enemy, but he was afraid that it would end up like most forest beasts he found.

Nevertheless, there was something really wrong. As the dog was squirming out from its fall, Raphtalia only kept staring at it with utterly terrified look. She didn't even move when Rifana pulled her.

"Raphtalia, are you alright?" Suiryu looked back as the hound had stood on its legs. "Rifana, help her to move!"

"Lord Suiryu, Raphtalia has always have a bad dream about the black dog of the first Wave." Rifana explained as she tried to move her friend. "Please, Raphtalia! Let's move!"

"No… No… I can't!" The raccoon-girl cried as she kept looking at the dog.

That explained why Raphtalia always looked more terrified compared to her friend when she saw a wolf. During their stay in the cave, she always got scared when there was a wail of wolf. It was like she had ever experienced a very terrible thing which involved canine, but Suiryu didn't have the nerve to ask about it.

'I see. So she's a victim of the first Wave. That also explains why she often slurred in her sleep.' The martial artist concluded as he glanced at Raphtalia, then to the two-headed monster. 'Yet, this is a good opportunity to train them.'

The next moment, the dog launched itself for the second charge. He sent another light kick to the its side, making it went back some meters away from the martial artist. Its HP bar however had been reduced to 60% with just two kicks, meaning that it was pretty weak monster for the champion. However, he knew that it was a good chance to help his disciple get stronger. What he needed to do was to hold it down in place.

The problem was how he could convince the girls, especially Raphtalia, to slay this two-headed wolf-level monster. He should come up with a plan to help his disciples to overcome their fear.

"Raphtalia! Rifana! Hear me out!" Suiryu warned as the monster charged at him, only for its necks to be clutched by him. "If you want to be stronger, then fight this monster! If you can't do that, you will never get stronger!"

"I… can't!" Raphtalia screamed hysterically as Rifana dragged her. "Lord Suiryu, I… can't..."

The monk-fighter slapped one of the necks. As it squealed in pain and reared its head, Suiryu swiftly took his dagger and tossed it in front of Raphtalia.

"I believe in you! But…" Suiryu paused as he grabbed the hound's neck once again. "If you don't fight, you have failed! That also means that my sacrifice will go in vain."

The savior's words struck like a thunder. They knew that they were indebted so much to their savior. If they failed, that would only means that they had crushed the hope of the hero they idolized. Raphtalia and Rifana as well felt an overwhelming fear, but there was nothing more terrible than upsetting the man who had kindly saved them.

"Raphtalia, take my dagger!" Suiryu looked back at the two as he was still holding the dog in place. "Rifana, take that pickaxe! Now, stand and show me the result of our training!"

Gone the fear in Raphtalia's heart as a surge of courage filled her the moment she laid her hand on the hilt of the knife. The same could be said for Rifana as her eyes was filled with burning spirit as she held the weapon. For a moment, they stared at the figure of their savior who stood unmoved despite holding back a creature almost twice his size. Rifana and Raphtalia shared a nod before they prepared their attack.

"YAAAAAHH!" The duo screamed as they charged towards the giant dog.

With all their might, Raphtalia managed to thrust the knife into the front chest while Rifana lodged the pickaxe into the left neck, making the dog jumped back. However, Suiryu didn't let it back off since he grabbed it and tore it apart from the base of its neck down to the abdomen, rending the left and the right. After blood sprayed them, there, lying the dead monster which looked like two separated individuals.

A notification of experience points addition showed in Suiryu's vision afterwards, each of them got 370 points. Both Raphtalia and Rifana leveled-up to nine.

"See… If you are strong, you can defeat monster easily." Suiryu crouched and took the little demi-humans into his embrace to ease their shock.

"… L-lord Suiryu…" muttered Raphtalia as she sobbed. "I am so sorry. P-please, forgive me… I was so scared..."

"I… I will train harder, Lord Suiryu. I promise." Rifana also sobbed as she hugged her savior tighter.

"There, there… Raphtalia, Rifana…" The champion patted their backs. "Sorry for making you scared. I only want you to get stronger, okay. Alright, help me pack these things up and let's head back."

The rubbed their tears and smiled. "Yes, Lord Suiryu."

Four days had passed since the accident in the crystal mine. Rifana was now level 14 while Raphtalia was 13. Thanks to the Companion Shield feature and the training regimen, now they could slay a wolf on their own.

Aside from the level-up, the martial artist also had just learned a horrifying new fact about demi-human biology. His disciples had grown into 14-ish in just a week! Their dresses now could barely contain their more prominent features. It turned out that what Rifana had said was true. He should really rush to get new clothes for them.

Since Suiryu wanted to see Erhard, he thought that it would be better to buy some new outfits at the capital. Probably he could pick up nice things, regarding the fact that it was the center of the country.

On their way to the capital, the party saw a convoy of carriages who got a little trouble. Two of the carriages were stuck in a muddy road. Some of these travelers were trying to push the carriage while they used four horses and two ostriches to pull them, but they didn't budge although they had removed the carts' loads.

Without second thought, the champion offered an assistance. With simple pulls, each cart went out from the mud. As expected from a man who could chop a solid concrete arena into two and lifted one of its side with a stomp, pulling out those things was like brushing off some dust. His disciples and the travelers as well slack-jawed in response.

After some thanking with too much praise, the travelers introduced themselves as a group of merchants from a far-eastern kingdom called Reiki. They also offered him some of their wares. Among the items they sold, the clothes really caught his eyes.

He decided to take two sets of traditional Chinese frog-buttoned tunic, trousers, slippers and a conical hat. Those things which reminded him to his beloved grandfather had become his choice for buying. It made him giddy since he could find his late grandfather's special in a different world.

'At last, I can wear Ojii-san's favorite attire!' Suiryu mused excitedly as he grinned, making his disciples wondered.

For Rifana and Raphtalia, he took some qipao, some pants and slippers. The girls only raised their eyebrows when they saw the foreign female attires. When they put them on however, they found that those clothes were much softer than their old ones. Plus they didn't restrict their moves. It made them really happy since the shield hero knew what they needed.

On the other hand, it seemed that the champion's longing to reenact the memory of his old world had the better of him. When he saw his sister's new year dress, he chose them immediately. Besides, such attires allowed flexibility in movements for the wearer, unlike the dress he bought in Lute. Perhaps that was why a fellow martial artist, Lin-Lin from the dojo of Palm-Bell Fist chose to wear similar get-go.

Normally the prize for the purchase would be around seven gold coins. However, since he had kindly helped these vendors in an amazing way, he got a fifty percent discount. In the end, a C-Class hero job was actually beneficial if it comes in the right time.

The shield hero continued his journey after they bide farewell with the merchants. With their appearance which made people think that they came from the East, they entered the gate of Melromarc in the evening.

No single knight in duty recognized him. When he and the girls passed the gate, they even didn't bat an eye. It was like a bliss. He didn't think that the new outfit really concealed his identity.

With the sun already setting, Suiryu led the girls to search for a lodging. At first, he wanted to see Erhard, but he dismissed the idea since he thought that it would be very rude. He knew that people were already taking a rest for that day after the sun goes down.

After walking around the main street, he found an inn, only a couple of blocks away from the armorer's shop. When he and his disciples entered the place, a man who served as the receptionist suddenly gave a stink-eye to him. And the man even glared at the girls. Before Suiryu could ask, the man's answer came.

"Dear Sir, this place is not for demi-human." The receptionist warned the martial artist who had put down his conical hat.

"But, they are my apprentices." Suiryu gave his reason, only to get a sigh from the hardheaded receptionist.

That didn't look nice. It appeared that the people of Melromarc really regarded the demi-humans as something disgusting. It was saddening to know such kind of reality that a group of people were shunned just because they were different.

Rifana and Raphtalia were only waiting with worried look. They were aware that their presence in the country was like a bane. They felt guilty for dragging their master to such trouble although they didn't do anything wrong. However, it seemed that the hero had a trick up his sleeve for this kind of situation since he kept smiling.

"Sir, if you are in your own country, maybe that would be fine." The man in charge of the counter crossed his arms. "But this is Melromarc. We have our own custom."

"What if I triple the payment?" Suiryu asked as he put a gold coin while smiling, making the man blinked.

Money. That thing always speaks louder and solves nearly everything. Whenever the champion went, money became his best companion beside girls. Money made his life much easier. And he found that in this new world, it was just the same. With the profit from selling the crystals, he could shake the receptionist's fortitude.

"Well, if you insist." The receptionist's lisp curled up as he shrugged his shoulders. "Then, I can only offer you a single-bed room and a double-bed room for your apprentices. That would cost 50 silver."

"Thank you. That would be okay." Suiryu's smile became wider as the man took the coin.

Unlike people who thought with the logic of a gamer, Suiryu didn't want to be stingy. He was not a businessman nor a politician, but he decided to use gold-diplomacy, rather than bragging about the actual price. After all, securing a cozy place for the night worth more than harming his image as a "fake foreigner" although he knew that the actual fee wouldn't exceed 15 silver per night.

"The rooms are upstairs." The man took two keys and handed them to Suiryu. "Are you going to stay for two days?"

"I suppose so."

"Then, have a nice stay, Dear Sir." The receptionist bowed slightly.

"Thank you." Suiryu took his bag and headed to the staircase. "Let's go, Rifana, Raphtalia."

"Yes. Lord Suiryu." The girls replied as they tagged behind the martial artist.

As the "fake foreigners" left, the receptionist could only stare at the gold coin on his palm. He was a "good" citizen of Melromarc who abode the rules of his country, yet he was powerless in front of the worldly bling before him.

"Crazy! Actually who's he? Spending a hundred silver for two nights in this shack?" The man muttered as he put the coin into the register. "Are merchants from Reiki really that wealthy? I heard that they're closefisted. Still, as far as I can make money, I don't mind."

As the moon and the stars adorned the sky of the capital city, Suiryu decided to take Rifana and Raphtalia for a dinner at a nearby pub. The place was pleasant and the customers were mostly families and adventurers. There, they ordered some standard menus.

When the shield hero's party enjoyed their steak and soup while having some chat, three men who appeared to be some hoodlums came over their table. Their gait and their appearance suggested so. Suiryu was aware that this bunch was nothing more than a pain in his rear.

"Good evening, Dear Sir and ladies." One of the troublemaker who had spiky hair greeted them as he gave a toothy grin. "Are you enjoying your stay in Melromarc?"

"Anyway, we can offer you our service. We can either be your guide or your guard." His fat accomplice with bowl-head cut added as he showed a rather twisted smile.

Rifana and Raphtalia who sensed their ill-intention grabbed their wooden fork tighter as they frowned. Before the situation became tenser however, the monk-fighter took a bite of his steak and gave a very friendly smile. The disciples knew that he decided to play along.

"Good evening. We would really appreciate your help," replied the martial artist. "But firstly, please let us finish our dinner and then we can talk about our business."

"Very well, Dear Sir. Take your time. We will wait you outside." The third punk who seemed to be the weakest among them excused himself and left together with his pals.

"Thank you."

The martial artist should admit that for a group of mugger, the trio was rather elegant in conducting their plan. He assumed that their victims were mostly foreigners or newbie adventurers. However, that kind of cheap trick would not work for him since he always practiced his grandfather's lesson. A lesson for being aware of the surroundings and people's intention.

"Lord Suiryu, is it alright?" Raphtalia asked as she put down her fork. "I think they are bad people."

"That's right! Should we beat them?" Rifana chimed in as she poked the leftover cabbage on her plate. "They don't look any stronger than the wolf we killed yesterday."

Suiryu cleared his throat as he took out his coin pouch. "You get the point, Raphtalia. And Rifana… You should never underestimate your enemy."

Both girls nodded as they let their master's words sank in. They had learned many things from their savior in the past week. Not only did they learn how to fight, but also how to know the enemy before they engage.

As the monk-fighter stood and came to the counter to pay their meal, the disciples waited on their seat. Silently, they followed the martial artist afterwards and walked through the aisle towards the exit.

Suiryu put his conical hat on again as he glanced to the street and saw the punks had been waiting him. Their grin became wider as he walked towards them.

"I suppose it was a nice dinner, Dear Sir." The scrawny punk exclaimed as he put his hands in his pants pocket.

"Indeed." The martial artist nodded as he kept his smile. "Then about your service, how should we proceed?"

"Firstly, would you like to follow us? We should not talk about this at the street." The spiky-haired guy said as he took his step.

"Very well." Suiryu followed the bunch.

The martial artist looked behind him and showed a reassuring smile to his disciple. For Raphtalia and Rifana, such sign from him implied that everything would gonna be alright. They held each other's hand and walked behind their savior.

As expected, the hoodlums led them through an alleyway to a relatively quiet area. At this point, the master and disciples had expected that the bunch would show their true motive.

"To make it clear, Dear Sir, we need a down payment in advance." The fat guy said clearly as he cracked his fist.

"And, how much it should be?" inquired the martial artist as raised his brows.

"As much as we can take!" The spiky-haired punk took out a knife from beside his belt as he cackled. "Now give us all you have, or else…"

Suddenly, Suiryu heard some quick steps from above the nearby roofs. In a blink, he pulled Rifana and Raphtalia behind him to back off. And that was when they saw arrow bolts and knives flew towards them from above. His jump was far enough to save them from the barrage of attack, yet the same didn't go with the punks.

"Guuuhh…" The fat guy grunted before he fell face-flat to the ground, revealing knives and arrows lodged on his back.

"...T-he he-ll…" uttered the scrawny punk as blood spurted from his mouth before he fell.

The spiky-haired man who was sill standing suddenly got silenced with a dagger to his neck. As Raphtalia and Rifana stared in horror towards the macabre death, Suiryu directed his frown at the perpetrators. The killers then descended to the ground below. Their cold gaze never left the figure of the monk-fighter as they walked past the corpses of their victims.

The first was a tall and lean man in a black hooded-robe. Between his fingers were some throw-daggers. From his look, this priest-like assassin must be a very ruthless fighter. Suiryu could discern the man's murderous eyes despite being hidden by his hood.

The other one was a blond, stoic-faced hulk with blue eyes who wielded a crossbow. He dressed like most adventurers – black vest over a short-sleeved shirt, brown pants and a pair of leather boots. What made him different however was the giant blade on his back, giving an impression that he was a beast slayer. His expressionless face with a diagonal scar running down his left cheek would unnerve most people who faced him.

"Good evening, Lord Shield Hero." The priest greeted as he pulled down his hood to reveal his attractive face, piercing green-eyes and jet-black hair. "May God's grace be upon us. I was afraid that these filthy sinners would bother our meeting, so I should purge them."

Suiryu's face turned into a scowl as he hid it under his hat. To see these two killed mere muggers just because they were on the way only made him sure that they newcomers were pure psychopaths. He could only clenched his fists in anger as the priest continued his introduction. As he listened, he kept Raphtalia and Rifana behind his back.

Beside that, these people were quite terrible for stalkers. Suiryu supposed that the two had been tracking him for quite some time since they could find him easily. Either way, these killers were very professional assassins hired by Aultcray or whoever it was to kill him.

"And to disguise yourself as people from a relatively neutral country… I should admit that you are very cunning." The priest commented as his gaze bored at Suiryu who stood firmly.

"But you cannot fool us." The hulk deadpanned as he pulled his blade and put his crossbow at his back.

"Let me introduce myself." The priest bowed slightly. "My name is Salvatore Marconi d'Argento. And my dear friend over here is…"

"Otto Hartman von Jaeger." The giant said with a huff. "Enough talk Sal! You're wasting time! Let's get down to business."

For a man who killed his targets from behind, such kind of introduction was quite a spectacle for Suiryu. That kind of introductory commonly only exist among knights. However, that only made him think that Salvatore was a knight in its most corrupted form. The martial artist was sure that this person might have so many tricks under his robe.

The other one though, was nothing more than a hunter, or a brute to say the least. Simple and straightforward as he was, Otto was the way he was. The champion only felt that this person was another version of Bakuzan. Someone who was filled with killing lust and would only focus on strength. Although it was likely that he was not a muscle-brain.

"Unfortunately, our client had paid us for our usual service." Salvatore stated as he switched his daggers to a longer knife for each hand. "Which means–"

"We're here to kill you!" Otto lunged himself forward as he raised his two-handed blade to make a swing.

"Rifana, Raphtalia!"

Without further command, the disciples jumped back further as Suiryu countered the incoming slash by kicking Otto's wrist. A blast of wind occurred as the monk-fighter's foot blocked the swordsman's swing.

The hulk who was not fazed by Suiryu's move pulled back his blade to allow the assassin to make a strike. With incredibly faster move than his friend, Salvatore sent a flurry of slashes and thrusts, only to be dodged by Suiryu who seemingly turned into a blur.

From this display of blows, the martial artist recognized that Otto took the role as a heavy hitter while Salvatore would close the gap of each strike with his speedy strikes. This combination of heavy and swift attacks was intended to overwhelm the opponent. A decent tactic for a party of two persons indeed.

For the champion however, that kind of strategy wouldn't work at all. Even if he was slacking, he could still dodge and parry their strikes since he was way too faster than these people.

Nevertheless, he was still impressed since the two were on par with lower A-Class heroes. It made him a little bit pumped up since this was his first fight after he defeated the palace elite four knight, two weeks prior. Not to mention that these two individuals were quite skillful.

The second slash from Otto came and Suiryu evaded it by jumping upward. As the martial artist was flying, Salvatore took the opening and threw his knives at him. In response, Suiryu flapped his cape to shrug off the barrage of blades. The blades whipped away to the ground as he landed gracefully some meters away from the duo.

"Very amazing." Salvatore remarked as his skillful hands grabbed his long knives again while Otto readied his next charge. "Even without your Holy Weapon, you can keep up with us."

Suiryu didn't answer. He looked at where Rifana and Raphtalia were and saw them standing, gawking at the fight. Their expression were a mix of awe and concern.

Actually, he wanted to prolong the fight so that the girls could learn a real live combat, but the occasion was not right since his foes were cold-blooded killers. The safety of his disciples came first, so he should subdue the duo quickly.

"Otto, I think we should get serious." The assassin spun his knives and held them backhandedly while lowering his body.

"Guess so," answered the hulk as he cocked back his blade to his side. "After this, we'll finish those demi-humans."

"Try if you can!" Suiryu taunted as he made a middle stance, arms stretched forward while his fists were facing his enemies.

"Then, DIE!" Otto snarled as he launched forward while thrusting his blade.

"Arrivederci!" Salvatore said his jargon as he followed his pal to strike the martial artist.

For Rifana and Raphtalia, both murderers seemed to turn into blur. For the Super Fight Champion however, the forward charge of the attackers was like a snail. In response, he sidestepped and let them passed him.

"[Change Shield], [Airstrike Shield]!" The shield hero uttered his chant.

A transparent green shield materialized in front of the killers. They didn't have the time to stop their high speed charge and crashed onto it. They quickly recovered from their unholy impact as the magical shield disappeared and found that their target was not in front of them.

They turned their head toward their back. To their horror, they saw the martial artist was standing while putting a very wide smile under his conical hat.

"You are already dead," said the monk-fighter as his hands motioned into his signature moves.

"WHAT!" Salvatore and Otto screamed as they saw black streaks filled their vision.

"Lord Suiryu, what should we do?" Rifana asked as she stared at the dead bodies of the poor muggers.

"Well, they are killed." Suiryu mumbled as he fastened the ropes for tying knocked out Salvatore who was already black and blue from his beating. "We cannot do anything. Just leave them there."

As Raphtalia was eyeing Otto who also had the same state as his priest friend, they suddenly heard tapping noise from the nearest alleyway. They became alerted since this incoming person might be a reinforcement.

Suiryu glared at the direction of the incoming figure. "Show yourself!"

A short man who wore a black flap-coat with matching color pants, top hat and a pair of dark round-glasses appeared from the dark alley. As he walked slowly, he tapped his cane onto the ground.

"Peace, Lord Shield Hero. Beloukas, at your service." The mysterious man bowed as he grinned.

Author's Note

Italian in look but somewhat Chinese in cultural background. Probably that is what I can infer about Suiryu from the wiki and the web-comic. So, I come up with an idea to add the eastern kingdom of the Spirit Turtle and turn him into Ip Man. Hope this is not too much. :-3

Abut the Companion Shield, I take that since the Slave Shield is not available for our monk-fighter. I guess Beloukas will really cry for this. XD

A little bit M-Rated? I know, but it's because I don't like the fact that Naofumi could only scare them. So, I go a little bit far by let these trio killed by higher rank assassins.
So anyway, who's this d'Argento and von Jaeger? I will disclose them in the next chapter. ;-)

And what's with the "Omae wa mou shindeiru?"
Well, that's because my imagination ran wild after I've seen too much Kenshiro memes out there. :-}

Last time, I also heard one among my Dear Readers said about Suiryu X Mirellia & harem. Please, let me know about your opinion regarding this 'Hero and the Queen' relationship. Because... I also think that pairing the playboy with the second princess is not really healthy.

Okay, not much I can say here. And as always, corrections, suggestions, comments and constructive ideas are welcomed. Hope you enjoy my story, my Dear Readers.

See you in the next story. ;-)