"This area... is the place, right?"
"Yeah, this is it."
"Uh-huh."
A large wine-red crack extended down to the ground at the heart of the Wave.
From it, monsters were spilling out in droves.
"Hm?"
I looked and saw what appeared to be a ghost-like fish? — white, with a vicious expression, red eyes, a huge mouth with fangs, like a ghost made of white cloth. It was lying on its side.
It was already dead, but could this have been a big one from the Wave?
Ghost-like... I had a feeling physical attacks wouldn't work on this kind of monster.
"A fishy?"
"What in the world is this...?"
"Hmm... This looks like a tough enemy for us to fight."
"Really?"
"Regular attacks won't work. It's the type that only takes magic damage."
Having experience with online games, knowledge like 'you need elemental weapons or magic or you're out of luck' flickered through my mind.
"Then
"Huh? Kicks won't work, you know?"
"Mhm. Filo, you can use offensive magic too, right?"
"I could from the start, duh!"
"Nyaa~ But kicking is stronger than magic."
Ugh... I still can't quite figure out how much magic Filo can use. Even asking her directly only gets vague answers like trying to grab at clouds.
"Didn't those guys already take out the boss?"
Where is it?
I looked around, and heard the sounds of fighting — clang, clang, clang.
"That way?"
"Yeah. Let's go!"
Filo heard the sounds too, and we ran in that direction.
"Round Dance Zero Form — Reversed Snow Moon Flower!"
Even though it was daytime, the sky stained wine-red glowed crimson.
Looking up, a blood-red moon shone as if responding to the words of the one who'd attacked.
And a crimson flash traced a circle, piercing through several humanoid figures.
"Gwaaaaaaaah!"
It must have been the exact moment we arrived.
Like a tornado, something sent Motoyasu, Ren, Itsuki, and their companions flying, all knocked down at once.
"Guhaa!"
What on earth was going on?
It seemed like they'd taken massive damage from some magic the enemy had launched...
No, wait. Those guys knew this world inside and out and were surely high-level. There was no way they'd go down easily.
So what was this about?
Motoyasu and the others came tumbling toward us.
"My Spear of Meteor should have hit..."
Ren muttered alongside Motoyasu.
"My Sword of Meteor should have gone through..."
Itsuki, too.
"My Bow of Meteor should have connected..."
What?!
"...Is that some kind of trend?"
With that last line, the Heroes who'd been there passed out. Yeah, passed out — I don't think they were dead.
Meteor... Is that a thing now?
"New challengers?"
When the tornado stopped, a person appeared at its center.
Their clothing was a kimono, pitch-black, adorned with silver embroidery — by the standards of the world I came from, it was like the funeral attire relatives would wear, but elevated to high fashion.
She was a beautiful girl, by the looks of it. Her facial features were at least on par with
She seemed serious in personality, with long hair.
Just... how to put it. Occasionally, like a ghost, she'd go slightly transparent, and you could see through her.
The weapon she carried was an iron fan. Holding the iron fan in both hands, she moved as though she were dancing.
This humanoid woman appeared to be the winner here.
"I was told the Heroes of this world would be something special, but they're quite the disappointment, aren't they?"
That... humanoid woman turned toward us and declared.
"Master~ I think she's really strong. That girl."
Filo's feathers bristled all over as she told me.
"Yes. Just being near her, I can feel an overwhelming pressure. She's on a completely different level from ordinary monsters."
Raphtalia held down her own tail, which had been trying to stand on end, and warned me.
"So you're the one who took them out?"
I walked over to the unconscious bitch who'd been blown nearby, planted my foot on her face, and asked.
"Hmm... You there. What manner of treatment is this toward a fellow ally?"
The kimono woman didn't seem to like my attitude and admonished me.
"Ally? Sorry, but she's not."
I ground my foot on her a few more times, which took the edge off my anger slightly. The rage wasn't gone yet, but serves her right.
"Either way, what you're doing is barbaric."
"Barbaric is fine. These bastards have done worse. I've got a serious grudge."
"Master is mean~"
"Shut up."
"She's got no comebacks when the enemy hits her with the truth..."
Raphtalia muttered, exasperated.
The audience is noisy.
"Filo can copy that too, right?"
Filo raised her foot toward Motoyasu.
"Don't. She'll actually die."
"Okaaay."
The enemy also seemed somewhat taken aback by our behavior.
"...They may not be allies, but your actions are no less than a violation of all decency."
"Say what you want."
"Well then — you must be from this world, but I cannot afford to lose."
She readied her iron fan and charged at us.
Fast!
I raised my shield in a flash.
Clang!
Tsk... That was incredibly heavy.
Nothing like the Dragon Zombie — the weight of the blow was on another level entirely.
If an iron fan could hit that hard, then Raphtalia and Filo would be in danger if they took a direct hit.
"Raphtalia, Filo! Be careful — she's strong!"
"Right!"
"Got it!"
*'I, the Shield Hero who is the source of all power, give this command. Read the laws of the world once more and protect those by my side!'* "Fast Guard!"
I cast the support magic on both of them and myself, and the fight began.
She seemed to grasp my intentions, because she changed location. We followed.
Right — the other Heroes and their companions were in the way.
That was probably why the Wave's boss-looking enemy had been lying there defeated too.
A blow from the iron fan, even if I caught it with anything other than the shield, left me in real pain.
When I had breathing room, I'd cast Fast Heal to tend to my wounds, but it was rough.
The enemy's attacks were fierce, and her movements were fast.
Realizing she couldn't get through to me, she actually tried to switch targets to Raphtalia or Filo.
"Like I'll let you!"
So I grappled with the enemy, grabbing hold and hampering her movement.
"Let... go of me!"
But my hold wasn't the kind to come loose that easily.
"The same fighting type, are you...? More troublesome than the last ones."
She was unfazed even after taking a Snake Fang Poison (Medium) hit.
I'd already noticed she was focused on defense — she'd been deflecting Raphtalia and Filo's attacks with her iron fan without issue.
Either way, she was heavy. Everything about her.
The fact that she'd taken down the other Heroes said it all.
"Master, watch Filo's magic~!"
Filo crossed her right hand and left hand together and charged at the enemy.
"Hai — kui — tsuku~!"
For an instant — yes, truly just an instant — Filo seemed to flicker.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
An impact like vibrating air traveled through the enemy and into me.
"Tsk...!"
It was the first time the enemy showed a pained expression.
"Whoa... This person is really, really hard. Filo's attack sent her flying not at all~"
"What... That was a rapid barrage of heavy blows... matching the strength of a sword-wielding Hero. Eight kicks in that one instant..."
Huh? She could actually see Filo's attack?
"Filo, one more time!"
"Nyaa~ No way, I'm out of mana and it takes time to recharge for the next shot~"
So that had been Filo's special attack.
"Take this!"
Raphtalia exploited the opening.
"Foolish!"
She slipped her sword through a gap in the iron fan, timed to the thrust.
Crack!
"My—!"
Raphtalia's sword broke!?
How much strength did this woman have? Iron fans naturally had sword-breaking properties — they were sword-breakers — but to use them with this level of mastery...
Even with Fast Guard up and using the sturdiest part of my shield, I could barely hold on...
The only one left to land a decisive blow was Filo.
"Tsk..."
Raphtalia backed off and drew her spare sword.
Was there really nothing else we could do?
"Hah... hah... You're quite capable."
No — if we could drag this into a battle of attrition, there might be a chance.
She'd been fighting three other Heroes before us. Even if she'd come from the Wave, she clearly wasn't tireless.
"This ends here."
Her entire body began glowing.
Dangerous! This was the same attack that had taken the others down!
"Raphtalia, Filo!"
The enemy began spinning at high speed like a dancer.
We used what little time we had — though it was only a few steps at best — and Raphtalia and Filo hid behind me as planned.
"Shield Prison!"
The target was myself. A cage of magic shields surrounded us.
"Round Dance Zero Form — Reversed Snow Moon Flower!"
A tremendous gale and the iron fan attack mowed through the shields as they appeared.
"Tsk...!"
Brutal. If I was taking this much damage, it made total sense that the other Heroes didn't stand a chance.
"Are you two okay?"
"Barely..."
"It hurts~..."
I looked back. Both of them had taken serious damage.
I applied Healing Salve to my own wounds.
The skill had a one-meter range, so it gradually healed their wounds too as they were within it.
"Oh my... You're standing against my trump card, are you... Your defensive power is quite impressive as well."
The tornado stopped, and the enemy approached us.
"I'm honored by your praise."
We were pretty battered, but we hadn't lost yet.
But we lacked a finishing move.
"Heave-ho!"
Filo was darting around at high speed, chipping away at the enemy little by little, but this was going to turn into a long fight.
And a long fight meant a war of attrition. Winning was uncertain.
What to do...
There was only one — yes, only one option that could turn this situation around.
"Raphtalia."
I grabbed Raphtalia's hand as she'd fallen back.
"What is it?"
"Lend me your strength..."
Raphtalia understood what I was planning.
"Yes. I am Naofumi's sword. I will follow you into any hell, no matter what."
"...Got it."
She trusted me.
It wasn't that the fear of potentially betraying that trust wasn't there.
But if I lost here, then Raphtalia and Filo would both... die.
I wished with all my heart that that was the one thing I would not allow. That I had to protect them.
I swore — I absolutely would not be consumed by wrath.
I placed my hand on the shield and thought.
Shield of Wrath!
Growth via the Rotting Dragon's Core Stone!
Curse Series — Shield of Wrath, power enhanced!
Shield of Wrath II Abilities locked... Equipment Bonus, Skills: Change Shield (Offense), Iron Maiden Exclusive Effects: Self Curse Burning, Strength Enhancement, Dragon's Fury, Roar, Rampage of the Familiar Wha— The last memories of the dragon I'd used as material for the shield flickered through my vision.
Pierced through the chest and brow by the sword-wielding Hero — consciousness snapping like a string. The rage from that moment was beyond imagination.
Defeated by a human. I could now understand just how much of a humiliation that was for a dragon.
Growth...?!
The shield's form changed from one adorned with flames to one blended with a crimson dragon.
Furthermore, linked to the shield, Barbarian Armor +1 had transformed as well.
What the heck... Was this because of the Rotting Dragon's core?
My rider suit had become armor modeled after a pitch-black dragon.
As the price, black shadows were creeping into the edges of my vision...
A character who looked familiar somewhere has appeared, but— That character was modeled on this one.