by Aneko Yusagi
“That’s true…”
Motoyasu was standing near the border crossing. The fire-spewing demon was with him.
I wished he’d go somewhere else. He’d never really listened to me.
Or so I was thinking when Fitoria’s words came back to me. Could it be that my own assumptions were preventing us from reconciling?
Regardless, Bitch was there too—and there was no way that she would hear me out.
Anyway, there didn’t seem any way to cross without just charging head-on.
I held on to a small hope that maybe they would listen to Filo, Melty, or Raphtalia.
If we looked for another crossing now, we’d wander for a few days at least. And besides, our goal was right there before us.
The main problem was Motoyasu. We’d made it out of all of our scuffles so far. If he wouldn’t listen to what we had to say, then we would just have to push through.
Right—we’d just have to force our way through.
“Melty, the goal is right there. We have to push through, whatever happens. Still, I’m going to try talking to Motoyasu.”
I figured she was throwing some kind of hysteric fit, but it was important to make sure we were all on the same page.
“Okay.”
“Huh? What’s that?”
“What’s what?”
“I thought you’d tell me not to because it would make us look bad.”
“…”
She turned away and sighed in frustration.
“If the country is behaving so rashly, then a rash treatment is necessary.”
I knew what she meant. She was thinking of the nobleman that had wanted us dead so badly he’d release the seal on an ancient monster. He’d burn the country down to get at us.
Melty was decisive. That was good.
Forcing our way over the border would probably result in less destruction than continuing to run.
“Okay. Let’s move! Are you all ready?”
“Completely.”
“Yup!”
“I’ll give it my all.”
“All right!”
I raised my hand, and Filo threw her weight forward, running full-tilt with the carriage.
We ran right up to the border crossing.
“It’s the Shield Demon!”
Some greeting…
I’d been planning on compromising and trying to talk things over. And this is how they said hello?
I’d reconsidered my approach after talking through it with Fitoria. But had I been wrong?
“Stop right there!”
Before the actual crossing there was some kind of mat laid out. It was covered with protruding nails. We’d never get the carriage over it.
But Filo didn’t show any signs of slowing down.
“Here they come!”
Motoyasu leveled his spear in our direction.
He was a feminist. He wouldn’t raise his spear to Filo… would he?
His spear began to glow.
“Myne!”
“Okay!”
Bitch started to cast a spell.
“Zweite Fire!”
“Air Strike Javelin! And…”
As Myne finished casting her spell, Motoyasu raised his shining spear and threw it at us.
“Combo Skill, Air Strike Fire Lance!”
A spear made of fire was flying straight for us.
Shit!
I immediately jumped up onto Filo’s back and began to cast my own spell.
“Air Strike Shield! Second Shield!”
The two Air Strike Shields appeared in the air and stopped Motoyasu’s burning lance.
But the shields were not able to stop the lance completely. It ricocheted and kept flying for the cart. Filo jumped away from the cart to dodge it. I turned back to see Raphtalia and Melty hold hands and leap from the cart just in time.
Was Motoyasu flinging skills at us without hesitation now?
Besides, what WAS that? Magic and skills could be combined into combo skills?
I guess so. It was like the magic sword.
Had he been holding back this whole time? Is that why they hadn’t used it up until now?
“What are you doing?!”
I was planning on trying to talk to him before we ran away, but he’d just run up and started attacking.
“Myne!”
“I know!”
Bitch, the princess, shot a look over at the soldiers.
When she did, a magic cage, rippling and crackling with energy, appeared around us.
“What?!”
“What the… What is this?!”
“What’s happening?”
It was very large, about forty meters across. It appeared to be made out of lightning.
Was it… magic? Or was it made from something else?
“We finally found you, Naofumi. You won’t get away this time.”
“Motoyasu…”
He was looking at us, unmistakably gloating.
What was that supposed to mean? His normal nonchalance was gone.
“Naofumi, this is a magical device called a Lightning Cage.”
Melty looked at the cage and explained its purpose.
“It is a trap installed over a specific area. It is designed to trap wizards and magic users.”
“For wizards? What’s the point of it?”
“It’s supposed to keep the targets trapped inside.”
Now it made sense. They’d seen us escape on Filo’s quick feet before, so they wanted to fight in an area that would circumvent that entirely.
“I can break it, but it will take a little time.”
“What’s the normal way to get out?”
“You need the key from the person who set it up.”
I climbed down from Filo’s back and glared at Motoyasu.
“Are you going to fight?”
“Well I wanted to discuss things before it came to that. But it’s looking like a fight is more likely.”
Raphtalia unsheathed her sword and readied it.
“Raphtalia, you should focus on defense. Stay back if you can.”
“But I...”
“Am I fighting?”
“Yes. If it comes to that.”
Motoyasu was weak when it came to pretty girls. He had just attacked without hesitation, but I was going to assume that he thought we’d dodge it.
“Melty, can you focus on breaking the cage?”
“I can try… but I can’t make any promises.”
“Okay then—Raphtalia, you focus on protecting Melty as she works to break the cage.”
“All right!”
After I finished assigning everyone their roles, I walked over in Motoyasu’s direction.
“Motoyasu, listen to me.”
It might have been because of the chat I’d had with Fitoria, but I was starting to suspect that Motoyasu really was just being deceived by Bitch.
If that wasn’t the case, then he wouldn’t have tried to go out of his way to save Raphtalia from me.
He might have been a little slow on the uptake, but for the time being I was going to assume that he had never really intended to frame me.
“You think you can brain wash me with your Brain Washing Shield?!”
Oh man… He was already convinced that the Brain Washing Shield was a real thing.
Honestly though, it was his complete lack of critical thought that reeked of brain washing.
But he was the Spear Hero. If I could trust what I’d been reading in The Records of the Four Holy Warriors, then the Spear Hero was supposed to have a loyal heart.
Loyalty, in this case, clearly meant that he did not doubt those that he considered his friends.
And Bitch, the princess, and Trash, the king, were right behind him. If he’d believe his so-called friends without a second thought, then he was just an idiot.
“Mr. Motoyasu! We have to hurry and save Melty and the other brain washed victims of the Shield Demon!”
Bitch was always
ready to add fuel to the fire. How rotten was this woman?
“I’m not going to hold back anymore.”
“…Me neither.”
After I was summoned here, I had to endure Motoyasu’s absurdity on the second day, then on the first day of the second month.
The thought of ending all that seemed reasonable enough.
Dammit! There I was, falling into the same pattern again. Why didn’t I learn?!
“Anyway, listen to me. Is this really the time for heroes to squabble among themselves? Where are Ren and Itsuki? If you don’t think of a good reason for just you to devote all your time to chasing me, then you’re acting like a fool!”
If he were convinced I was evil, then I would turn the conversation to Ren and Itsuki—because they weren’t chasing me.
If we talked about them enough, maybe Motoyasu would wake up to his own suspicions.
“Even though they’re dead, I won’t believe anything you say!”
“Huh?”
Dead? What was he talking about?
Ren and Itsuki? Us? Who? What?
“Hey, Motoyasu. What are you talking about? Who’s dead?”
“That’s how you tricked Ren and Itsuki too! That’s how you killed them!”
“What? What are you talking about? Explain yourself!”
“You’re trying to trick me! I won’t listen! I know all about it! After that monster was released from a town YOU were at, you snuck up behind Ren and Itsuki and killed them!”
What the hell happened in Melromarc while we were with Fitoria?
The only idea I could come up with was that Ren and Itsuki had gone looking into the broken seal. They were getting too close to the truth, so someone had them killed.
I don’t know if it was Trash or the Church, but someone was trying to pin the whole thing on me, and they were whispering to Motoyasu about it!
“You’re wrong! Think about it! I don’t have a reason to kill Ren or Itsuki!”
“Shut up. I don’t believe you. I’m done holding back! Even if a girl has to be the new Shield, I’ll have to dirty my hands to avenge Ren and Itsuki!”
It wasn’t working. Motoyasu had made up his mind that I had murdered the other heroes.
Damn. Someone had beaten me to it.
Fitoria, I’m sorry. The heroes didn’t seem to care about saving the world at all.
Of all the heroes needed to somehow stand up to the crisis bearing down on the world… somehow… there were only two left.
And looking at Motoyasu’s behavior, he wasn’t going to be satisfied until I was dead too.
But I couldn’t die there.
I changed my shield into the Chimera Viper Shield and turned to face Motoyasu.
Motoyasu had Bitch and two other girls in his party. There were soldiers pouring from the border crossing. The cage kept them from interfering directly—but it also prevented our escape.
As for my side of things, Filo and I stood at the front lines. Melty was in the back trying to break the cage while Raphtalia protected her.
“Everyone, let us have our revenge!”
“Motoyasu, you’re crazy. It’s time you realized that.”
Fine. Things were different now.
Melty couldn’t fight, but I still had Filo and Raphtalia.
If I really used my shield, we wouldn’t lose.
Finally, we were going to settle this whole matter once and for all.
“AAAAHHHHHHHH!”
We ran headfirst into the battle for the future.
Chapter Seven: The Battle of Shield and Spear
“Filo, you go for Motoyasu, and…”
As the battle began, I gave Filo orders.
Motoyasu said that he wouldn’t hold back—even against women. His eyes were burning with hatred. He readied his spear.
“I, the next princess, am the source of all power. May the entire universe hear my words and heed them. Rain fire on the enemy!”
“Zweite Fire Squall!”
When Bitch’s pompous chanting came to an end, it was followed by magical fire raining from the sky.
“Naofumi! Filo!”
“I am the source of all power! Hear my words and heed them! Stop the rain that falls on them!”
“Anti-Zweite Fire Squall!”
Melty stopped trying to break the Lightning Cage so that she could cast an interference spell on the raining fire.
But she wasn’t able to completely negate the effects of Bitch’s spell, and fire continued to fall on us.
The whole area burst into flames. It looked like a sea of fire. Luckily, it was only large enough to affect Filo and me on the front line.
“That’s right. I’m not letting you kick at Mr. Motoyasu this time.”
Bitch was running for us now, casting spells without hesitation.
But Melty was good with magic too.
Still, Bitch’s level was higher.
“Filo! Are you okay?!”
“Yup! I’m fine!”
Filo hadn’t taken any significant damage from the fire.
As for me… I’d been fine the last time the Crown’s wizards decided to subject me to baptism by fire. It didn’t bother me this time either.
“I am the source of all power. Hear my words and heed them! Bring the rain of mercy!”
“Zweite Squall!”
Melty summoned a powerful rain to protect her and Raphtalia.
“Ha! Mr. Motoyasu, you just stay focused on the Shield Demon! I’ll take care of this bird with my magic!”
Bitch and the other girls in Motoyasu’s party all began to chant spells.
“I’m going!”
Filo didn’t bother to pay attention to the chanting. She rushed straight for Motoyasu.
“Wait, Filo!”
She shouldn’t just run in—we had no idea what was waiting for us!
“Wing Tackle!”
A huge ball of wind appeared and flew straight for Filo, who was still running at Motoyasu.
“Hoh!”
With a puff, Filo transformed into human form in mid-stride. In a flash she slipped on the power gloves and ran to slice at Motoyasu.
“Ugh…”
Motoyasu turned his spear vertical and blocked Filo’s attack.
Now I see. Fitoria taught Filo how to fight in human form, and Filo had used that to dodge the attack!
“Here I coooooooome!”
Filo’s claws were slicing at Motoyasu in an instant. It was like a catfight. Filo’s high agility rendered her attacks so quick that they were hard to follow. Sure, she had already been really fast, but the tricks Fitoria had taught her had an apparent effect. She was stronger.
“Sorry, Filo!”
Motoyasu readied his spear and sent a skill at Filo.
“Shooting Star Spear!”
I wouldn’t let him get that skill off so easily! I jumped between him and Filo and blocked the attack with my shield.
Motoyasu’s spear began to glow brightly, and it formed into a spear of light. He threw it at us.
The energy spear split and rained down from above.
“Ugh?!”
I used the hardest part of my shield to block the attack.
The shock of the attack was very powerful. I felt it reverberate through my shield.
My bones rattled. I felt like I could hear them. Was he using his most powerful attacks already? What did he want?
Well, if it was a real fight, I guess there was no reason for him to hold back.
“How’d you like THAT? I’ve got more where that came from! Chaos Spear! Rising Dragon Spear!”
Motoyasu sent out skill after skill. My Chimera Viper Shield didn’t even have a chance to trigger its Snake Fang counterattack.
Dammit! He was so confident! His level must have been very high.
“Myne! Everyone!”
“I know! Zweite Fire!”
“Zweite Air Shot!”
“Fire and wind—and my skills combine. Combo skill! Air Strike Burst Flare La
nce!”
“Ugh!”
Every place on my body that I hadn’t covered with my shield shouted out in pain.
I didn’t even want to think about what would have happened if my Barbarian Armor hadn’t come with fire and wind resistance. Had I only survived because of Fitoria’s protection?
I didn’t want to see it, to accept it… but I couldn’t ignore the blood seeping through the cracks of my armor.
I needed recovery magic… But Motoyasu wasn’t going to give me the time to cast it.
“Shield Prison!”
A cage of shields appeared around Motoyasu.
“Windmill!”
Motoyasu spun his spear in wide circles very quickly. The shields composing the cage all flew away.
Damn… His attack power had clearly outgrown my ability to defend against it.
The cool down time for his skills had expired, and he began to send skills at us again, one after the other.
There was no way to win this fight if we had to be on the defensive the whole time.
“Master!”
Filo crossed her arms and ran at Motoyasu.
“Don’t interfere!”
Motoyasu spun his spear around and jabbed Filo in the gut with the handle.
But before the hit connected, I was able to cast a spell.
“I am the Shield Hero and the source of all power. Hear my words and heed them. Protect her!”
“First Guard!”
There was a crashing sound, and it looked like I got the spell cast just in time. The handle of Motoyasu’s spear clattered away from Filo before the hit could connect.
Luckily we’d found out, in the course of the battle with Fitoria, that Filo’s human clothes had an excellent defense rating.
Combined with my defense spell, her defense had become impressively high.
“Dammit!”
“I’m not losing!”
Too alert to let the chance slip by, Filo flashed her claws at Motoyasu while he recovered.
“Damn! I won’t let you get me!”
Motoyasu dodged her attack. He moved to counter attack, but Filo had already jumped back and was chanting a spell.
“I’m the source of all power. Hear my words! Attack him with a fierce tornado!”
“Zweite Tornado!”
“I’m the source of all power—may the whole universe hear my words and heed them! Disperse the tornado!”
“We are the source of all power. Hear our words and heed them! Disperse the tornado!”
