Hello, and this is the tenth chapter, where we are finally going to get into episode 4. You guys all are probably going to like this a lot more than my previous chapter, if you guys didn't like it. But anyways, one question I have is, Should I make this a harem fanfiction? I think it will be fine regardless, but I wanted to ask you guys first. At the very least, Raphtalia is going to be with Naofumi. Anyways, though, let's get into the Tenth chapter, with a side of pissed off Naofumi and topped with an even more anger inducing Malty, or at least a much more evil villainess.

I sat on the edge of the window sill, just wanting to collect my reward.

People were talking, and I continued to see red as all the trash did that.

The king was somewhere on the top of the stairs, all above the trash that had made it to this party.

I was at the very back of the venue, where no one else was.

My fists were white, so I distanced myself.

I saw everyone just eating well, having fun.

Unlike the people I had fought for, the trash around me were eating luxuriously, and held golden goblets to add to their growing level of alcohol within their body.

I saw red once again walking around me.

Then, I calmed down, or at least tried to, and tried small talk with Raphtalia, who was carrying the same plate that the trash were carrying.

"What are you doing, Raphtalia?"

She snapped to my voice, and looked at me, joyfully smiling with food stains still on her face.

"There's so much food here, and all of them look really different! I wanted to try all of them."

"Why don't you, then?"

She looked… worried.

"But… if I eat too much…"

"Eat up. You've earned it."

Then, she looked away from me, with a slight blush on her face.

"Do you prefer women who are on the stouter side?"

I saw… her expression once again.

"What?"

I close my eyes, facing downwards towards the floor that the scum around me would tell was worth more than my life.

"I don't care. If you get a bit fatter while fighting, nothing bad will happen."

"I'm telling you, I'm not fat! I'm grown up!"

"You're still a growing kid!" I spoke a little louder than I meant to.

Luckily, the scum around me were too entitled to themselves to care.

"Just… eat as much as you want here. We'll save money, anyways."

She walked to the buffet, murmuring something.

"What?"

"Let's eat together!"

She suddenly brought a plate, filled with many sweets that would make my younger self envious.

Now, I didn't look at it too well.

"You'll save money, right?"

I groaned.

'Using your own words against you! How clever!'

I sighed.

She gave me a fork, which looked cookie cutter, and had sharp edges that made it a pain to eat anything with it, let alone something as soft as a slice of cake.

But, I ate it, without cutting up my gums, and chewed on the soft, spongy texture cake.

"Well? Doesn't it taste amazing."

After swallowing the cake, having it go down my throat and into my stomach, a bitter aftertaste came.

"No. It doesn't."

I felt like throwing up.

For what reason? I wasn't sure.

I could only look downwards, while forcing myself to eat the cake, again trying hard not to cut the insides of my mouth.

It left the same bitter aftertaste, but at least I wouldn't crash in a high stress situation, in case I had to fight once again.

"There he is!"

'Huh?'

"Don't move one step from there, Naofumi!"

'Who talks like that anymore? He is from modern Japan. Is it that detached from my world that the way they talk is different?'

"What?"

"I heard about it!"

My eyebrow raised.

Then, he grabbed onto Raphtalia's right shoulder.

My arm tensed, until I heard what he had to say.

"Raphtalia, the only person you have on your team, is your slave!"

The chains, after hours of freedom, chained me once again.

But I kept that hidden from view, so no one would see it.

Everyone snapped to me,

Looks of disgust surrounded me once again.

"You're bringing this up now?"

I shrugged off the chains, at least to everyone's view.

"Yes, she is my slave. Which means you don't have the right to touch her."

I said that nonchalantly, even if it felt like throwing up while speaking.

Maybe it was the cake, maybe it was something else.

"The Shield Hero has a slave? Did he rape her like he did the adventurer?"

"Of course it was the Shield hero."

Further chains were added, and this time, people could see them.

The spear hero wasn't one of them.

"People don't belong to others! It's unforgivable for us, from our worlds, to do this! What would your family say about you doing this?!"

Another three chains were added.

"They'd probably be ashamed. Of all of us."

"What?!"

His confusion, mixed with anger, was a combination I didn't know was deadly.

"Unforgivable? I had to do what I needed to for survival. Meanwhile, what have you done? You've made off with every girl you see, whether they are ten, or 30. Wouldn't that make your family ashamed? Your previous girlfriends ashamed?"

His usually pale skin became even paler, along with his fists.

"Naofumi! Let's have a duel!"

He finally released Raphtalia, pushing her away from his grip, and against the stone wall.

"If I win, you'll release her!"

"Huh? Why would I accept?"

"Wait, I-"

Instantly, Raphtalia was gagged, and for a split second, I saw the same kid who was fighting with me behind her.

The person kept his face hidden behind her, so I could see his face properly.

"I heard what Spear Hero Motoyasu has said."

The king stepped down the massive stairway, all the way to the windowsill, showing his true status.

"A hero who would use a slave to his advantage. The Shield Hero, of course."

My teeth gritted.

"In comparison, Lord Motoyasu is compassionate. He treats his fellow teammates quite well."

'Yeah, because he is the kind of guy who would sleep with them one day, and forget about them the next. It's not like they can speak out against him, being a respected hero.'

My anger continued to circulate throughout my veins.

"I will permit this duel."

"Wait, I didn't sign up for this! Why the hell would I accept this?!"

My rage was now apparent to everyone, even if the chains weren't.

"Besides, without Raphtalia, I can't fight! You're setting me up to lose!"

"What a pity, this girl seems to be bound to you by a curse. It pains me to say this, but keep her restrained for the time being."

He went over her face, inches away from her.

"Upon Lord Motoyasu's victory, you will be freed from your obligations to the Shield Devil. You will… be set free."

"Wait! Listen to me!"

Everyone seemed to not hear that, excluding Motoyasu.

"Don't tell me you think of refusing, you coward!"

I looked at him.

All my chains… all of them were seen by Motoyasu.

He backed away, fearing his life.

'I am a monster…'

My chains limited me, so I relented.

I stood up from the windowsill that I was sitting.

"Fine. If I win…"

My voice slightly cracked, for some reason.

"You give Raphtalia back, right?"

His face went back to an arrogant smirk.

"Yes. If, that is."

All of the trash, as I walked past them, murmured to themselves, as I walked past them.

"He thinks he can win against the Lord of the Spear? What delusions have been put into his mind?"

I relented, and several more chains were added.

I had one thing to say, however.

"The only reason I have a slave… is because I can't fight monsters. The slave trade is still alive and well in this country. I'm not the only one taking advantage of it."

I pressed against the chains once again.

"But… if you are going to act like I'm the villain here, then fine! I'll accept this duel!"

I yelled back at the many captors that held me in.

"But don't think that I'm going to lie down and die again!"

I walked away from the party, meeting up in a Gladiator style stadium.

I couldn't look at any of my Captors.

They just led me to the stadium, and watched from afar to see their slave lose.

I looked forward, towards the Spear Hero, surrounded not by chains, but by trash.

Including the piece of trash hidden at the top of the stadium, where he was.

He didn't pick up on the smell, however, and continued to hold the trash close to him.

I pushed my chains away… for now. They receded, and I felt like I was free, for the moment, anyways.

"Henceforth, the duel between the Shield Hero and the Spear Hero shall begin! A loss shall be counted if a competitor is driven into a corner or admits defeat!"

"So, it's a matter of contradiction. Who will win, the Spear or the Shield? This won't be difficult, however."

"You are wrong." He said.

"And I will bring you to your knees for Raphtalia's sake, Tout de Suite."

That meant immediately. I remembered it from English class, which I aced.

"And now…"

He looked to be ready to charge, so I quickly shifted through the shields to try to find the one I needed.

"BEGIN!"

He charged at me, which I stopped.

A clank noise was heard.

No damage to either of us… yet.

"I suppose that's expected of the shield hero. Hiding behind your shield."

"Contradiction. A combination of statements, ideas, or features of a situation that are opposed to one another. Remember that from English class?"

I looked up for one second to see his confusion.

No anger.

His grip weakened with my taunt.

"This duel was that from the start. The spear and the shield are both contradictions in that old folk tale that we had to learn. The merchant was selling an impenetrable shield and an unstoppable Spear."

I slightly chuckled.

"Couldn't even say which was stronger, or which one would last if they were struck."

"What…"

His anger and confusion mixed once again.

"What does that have to do with anything?!"

I looked at him, the trash reflected by my eyes.

"If this is a battle between those…"

I prepared my shields.

"Then you lost the moment you couldn't pass my shield!"

He jumped back.

"I won't accept that!"

He struck my shield, and even though the clank noise could be heard far and wide, it moved my arm out of his way.

"Turbulent… Thrust!"

Using the momentum from his attack, I ducked under his spear.

"How's that for the unstoppable Spear?!"

He looked down, seeing the edges of my head.

"Like I said… I have no intention…"

I grabbed the balloons with my right and thrust upwards with my own "attack".

"To lose to scum like you!"

I heard a sharp breath from him, but also a clank as I struck his stomach.

I heard someone chuckle in the back, but I didn't care, and I chuckled back.

"Oww…."

He continued to groan.

Then, he looked at his side, and it was seen by the stadium.

"A Balloon?!"

I continued laughing, almost psychotically.

"I just replenished my supply of it in the fields. All of them are my fighters."

He pushed off the balloon, still biting on him, exposing his cuts and scrapes.

"This is a one on one duel!"

He cried like a self important child.

"So fight fair and square!"

He went back to fighting me, ignoring the balloon behind him.

"Oh really?"

He struck my new shield, which I smirked behind.

"Well, fine then.

"Oww!"

He was bitten by the double dog's bite, and by the balloon he had ignored.

"Air strike Shield!"

Another shield change went by, and I pushed him into a literal corner.

"Shield Prison."

I encased him in the prison I surrounded myself with, nearly all of the balloons I had.

"Ow! Stop! Damn it! That actually hurts!"

"Good then."

I was monitoring the bitch on the edge of the stadium, who just ran down.

"If you don't want me to deactivate the shield Prison and show you while you are weak, then surrender."

"Why would I surrender? It does hurt a little bit, but-"

"Oh? Should I add more then, and castrate you and destroy your face?"

Everyone around me seemed shocked.

Of course, it wasn't all for show.

"Without those, you'll just be some creepy hero."

I heard him groan.

I also heard the bitch at the edge of the stadium grunt, and looked to be preparing an attack to knock me down.

"You'll really be alone then!"

"Stop!"

He could only speak, when I was doing.

I threw the balloon, then, with my heart starting to race itself, I changed shields.

The attack from the bitch was launched, which meant that I only had a second till it would reach me.

"Shield Prison!"

Somehow, I managed to deflect the attack, and it bounced off of me, while Motoyasu continued to groan in anguish, trying to fight off the last of the balloons, and slice them away.

I changed back to my first shield, and looked smugly back at the bitch.

However, she didn't flinch.

I heard someone else groan, and fall to the ground, making a splat sound against the ground.

I looked back, and looked in horror.

"Raphtalia!"

I ran to her, ignoring everyone.

She was bleeding, her bones were slightly showing, and I tried shaking her.

"Raphtalia! Wake up!"

Her eyes shot open, and she backed away from me.

"No… don't hurt me… monster..."

My eyes widened, and a few tears fell from my eyes, as one of many chains came back to entangle me.

I tried shaking it off, but it wouldn't budge.

Then, more and more chains encircled me.

'This… is all that bitch's fault!'

I finally was able to shake away the chains, and look at the bitch in the eyes, with pure rage.

But then, as soon as I stood up with anger, I had been knocked down.

"You might have used tricks…"

Raphtalia no longer looked at me with fear, but now, she feared the man over me.

"I have won!"

I knocked the Spear away immediately, and stood up, despite feeling my bones crack.

"Says who?! I didn't surrender, so let's continue!"

I wanted to release all my hatred

He seemed smug, and tried attacking me at my side.

I ducked, but then he kicked my ribcage, knocking me onto my back.

"Now, I wouldn't usually like kicking someone while they are down, but… actually, I don't feel sorry for doing this to you, you rapist."

My fists tightened, and I did one more attack, at the floor.

"Shield prison."

I threw one more balloon towards him, and encased him once again.

This time, straight for his face.

But this time, the balloon popped midway, and, slowly, started cutting through the prison.

However, it took a lot out of him, as he had multiple scars along his arms, and near his neck.

The exposed armour showed his cuts, and they weren't shallow.

Both of us seemed exhausted through doing that, however, and although he continued to stand, he breathed heavily, and didn't seem to want to speak

He tried holding a smug face over me, but couldn't.

He knew that, despite me being a lower level, we were equal.

A tie.

The bitch went over to comfort him, but he soon collapsed.

I saw Raphtalia being dragged away, crying and yelling like a ten year old about being dragged away.

"Wait! Raphtalia!"

She was dragged up by people in cloaks, who ignored her injuries, and dragged her shirt down, right above her chest.

I saw her injuries, and her pain.

"Please… Malty."

She snapped back to me, looking over me rather smugly.

"Can…"

I fished around for medicine.

"You give this to Raphtalia? She's heavily injured. Please… she needs it."

"And why should I do that?"

"Look."

I looked up at her, losing my rage.

"I'm sorry. If I have done anything wrong, if previous shield heroes have done anything wrong, I'm sorry. But please… give this to her."

I sucked down my pride, and begged her.

I didn't care whether she was the person who accused me of rape.

I didn't care if she wanted me dead.

I just wanted Raphtalia to live, at that moment.

I showed her a vial. I had previously wanted to sell it for money, but, at that moment, I cared too much about her life.

She took it, with a surprised expression on her face, but she smashed it.

"Look. The hero… pleading for the life of his slave!"

She cackled, but I could only cry on the floor.

'Why did you think she would do anything else? She, like everyone else, is scum.'

I tried resisting the voice, but it, and the chains, suddenly encircled me again.

I looked at Raphtalia, while the voice continued to whisper in my ear.

'This is all a setup. For her and the spear hero to be remembered throughout history.'

The spell was cast, and the mark right above her chest disappeared.

'They defeated you here, so their names could be passed on and talked about in those textbooks you mostly ignored.'

I remembered having a debate with a person in my school.

"Might makes right." He said.

I couldn't believe him at the time.

I didn't.

But now, the voice coerced me into thinking like him.

'The story will be written down, about the incredible Spear hero, and the powerful, yet beautiful queen Malty, and how the strength of the hero made him stand far above the great evil that had infected his land.

'The waves… and you.'

"DAMN IT ALL!"

I smashed the shield against the floor of the stadium, and punched myself to stop me from crying.

"Damn it."

I heard something.

"The curse series has been lifted."

I didn't mind it at that moment, only feeling deep sorrow.

But I couldn't cry. Not in front of all the trash.

Then, I heard a slap.

"When did I ask you to save me?!"

I tried blocking myself from hearing it, which the chains did very well.

I only heard murmuring from the people there.

But then she continued to scream out.

"The only time he made me fight was when I was too scared to!"

"Exactly! No one should be forced to fight!"

"You just made him do that! You forced his kindness against him, because he wasn't going to leave me behind!"

My eyes widened, but the devil started to speak to me.

'Is that what you hope she would say? To release you from these chains?'

I lowered my head.

"He always lets me rest when I'm tired, feeds me when I am hungry, and defends me from both kinds of demons!"

'What's… she talking about? I gave her a kids meal, which she scrounged on, I woke her up even after she wasn't able to sleep, and I let her fight for me in most of the battles we fought.'

Chains continued to pile up, clanking on the floor.

'When did I do any of the things she said?'

The chains now covered my eyes.

"Would you be able to help a dirty slave who was suffering from a disease? Someone who you wouldn't know would become strong enough to make back the money you spent trying to free her?"

I lowered my head even further.

'I wasn't going to abandon you until you got my money back.'

I couldn't listen, with more and more chains piling up, all bound by a single lock.

"Lord Naofumi, when he barely had money for himself to survive, gave me food, water, cured me, and comforted me through my nightmares."

Her words destroyed my barriers, and added even more chains, to the point where I couldn't see anything.

"Would you be able to do that?"

He shakily spoke. I couldn't even hear him.

"Then you should have a slave, who isn't me, by your side."

Then, through the chains, I felt someone grab at my face.

"Don't come any closer!"

My voice cracked once again, as I felt someone try to grab me.

"I knew about the rumor, of you raping your comrade, my Lord."

My eyes widened once again, behind the chains.

"See! You're a victim too!"

"What! He would never do something like that!"

I swung at Raphtalia, saying the words I said before all this.

"I didn't rape her…"

More tears fell from my eyes.

"Please, release your anger, and listen to what I have to say."

I saw a white light, in the shape of Raphtalia.

She was a child, like I knew her to be.

"Shut up!"

I tried moving away, but my body was stuck, and my ribs just shattered.

I fell onto the ground.

"Even if the world goes against you, I will be there for you."

I tried moving away, but I lost the strength in my arms, and could only stay back.

"I know you didn't do it!"

She embraced me, with my face buried into her chest, being very careful not to injure me further.

The lock clicked.

Many of the chains vanished, into thin air.

I saw white light, and then, it settled, right with Raphtalia, somehow, completely fine.

Her injuries were healed, and the previous bone leakage wasn't anywhere to be seen.

'Did… someone heal her?'

Then, I saw her body, not as the child I forced myself to look at her as, but as the woman who was in front of me.

"I believe in you, Lord Naofumi!"

I was confused.

'How could any woman say that to me?'

"What?! Who are you?"

"It's me, Raphtalia."

She spoke softly now, with many of my chains gone.

"But… why would any woman… believe in me? The Raphtalia that believed in me… was a kid."

Another chain tried to grab onto me.

She looked softly down at me.

"There is a reason that you found me as a slave in that place."

She held her hands in front of her neck, as if she were praying.

"As children, our bodies grow to survive. Although I am still the age of a child, I have the body and mind of a woman."

I… still wasn't sure.

"Do you still not believe me?"

She grabbed my own hand, and this time, I didn't resist.

"Then you can place a curse upon me, as proof… that I will forever be your sword."

Her words came back to me.

I remembered her words that she told me earlier today.

'Does she… really mean that?'

"For the Shield Hero, who is destined for greatness, and for the man who saved me…"

I could only look in awe of her, even if she seemed to worship me.

"I will do all that I can."

I lost any barriers I had between Raphtalia and I, and continued to cry on her.

The chains didn't envelope me again, leaving me just this time to be free.

Eventually, I fell asleep, tears covering my eyes.

I woke up, hours later, in Raphtalia's lap.

When I came to, she was asleep, which made me smile.

The voice of the devil was nowhere to be heard.

Then, she said, while opening her eyes,

"Good evening, Lord Naofumi."

I stood up, and offered her my hand.

"Here."

She gave me a sandwich, filled with a bunch of foods that I saw at the party.

"Here's something for us to eat before we go back."

"Alright. I don't know whether I'm going to taste it though."

I didn't eat much from the party, so I decided to force myself to eat it.

But, for some reason, I could taste it.

The tough texture of the bread, the soft meat and still warm cheesy texture inside, along with the slight crunch of the lettuce inside it.

All of them lit a fire in my mouth, as I continued to shove it down my throat.

No bitter aftertaste was left behind.

"This tastes really good!"

She sighed.

"I'm glad."

I finished, and she did as well.

"Please… share all the pain from now on. As long as we are together, I know we will overcome anything."

She looked at me, with happiness and joy encircling her face.

I smiled.

Then, I did something I usually didn't do.

I kissed her on the lips.

"Thank you, Raphtalia."

She seemed to be very confused, even as we sat on the edge of the stadium.

"EHHHHHHHHHHH?!"

"Sorry, do you not like that?"

"NO! IT'S FINE!"

"Well, I won't do it anymore then."

"NO! IT'S FINE!"

She repeated herself.

I could only chuckle at her embarrassment.

"Though, please… make sure to speak your mind too." I looked away.

She quieted down.

"I don't want to force you into anything, Raphtalia."

I could hear a light chuckle from her.

"Of course, Lord Naofumi."

Without warning, she grabbed my hand, and ran forward, moving me forward as well.

Even though the chains were still there, they had lessened, making me feel… lighter.

'Thank you, Raphtalia… for everything.'

And that's the tenth chapter. Thank you for reading. This was one of my longer chapters, but don't think I'm going to forget the rapists that I introduced. They will play a part in later stories.