by Aneko Yusagi
“What?”
“I feel an ominous power coming from the Shield. Have you used the Curse Series?”
“You sure know your stuff.”
She really was the stuff of legends. She even knew about the Curse Series. She knew about the Shield of Rage.
“I understand that the Curse Series is very powerful, but it asks for much in return. Eventually it will consume you. You mustn’t use it.”
“But there are battles I cannot win without using it. I’ve been able to control it so far, so I think I’m okay.”
It was true. There had been a number of battles that I wouldn’t have been able to win if I hadn’t used the Shield of Rage. She was right that it asked for a lot in return, but I figured I’d be all right if I was able to control it.
As long as Raphtalia was with me, I should be able to fight off my rage.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
Fitoria reached out and touched my shield. She shut her eyes.
“The cursed Shield will, one day, overpower the Shield Hero’s strength. The dragon’s consciousness entered the Shield when its core was absorbed. It must not be used near the person that killed a dragon—or the rage will become too powerful to control.”
The Shield of Rage had grown stronger after absorbing the dragon’s core.
Did that mean that it absorbed the dragon’s anger too?
If that was why the shield had grown so powerful, then who was the person that it hated? Who was the person that had killed it?
Could it be Ren? The Sword Hero had killed the dragon.
So what Fitoria was saying was that I shouldn’t use the Shield of Rage when Ren was around? That, if I did, the power would get out of control?
I had fought with Ren recently, but I’d maintained plenty of distance. And Ren hadn’t really been trying to fight me anyway.
Was that why nothing had happened? Or could it be that the shield had tried to take over, but it wasn’t powerful enough to control me?
“But if I want to survive the battles to come, I might have to use it.”
I understood that it was dangerous. But if I wasn’t able to protect people without using it, then what choice did I really have?
After the waves ended and the world was restored to peace, I planned on going back to my own world.
It was easy to say that the shield was dangerous and that I shouldn’t use it—but there were times when I had no choice.
“Very well. Allow me to change the subject.”
“It doesn’t look like you agree with me.”
She nodded. I guess she didn’t agree but was ready to move the conversation to the next topic.
“The world is in great turmoil because of the waves. Why are the Heroes fighting among themselves?”
“It’s not my fault. It’s them—and the country. They framed me and are discriminating against me.”
“I’ve heard the basics. They are irrelevant. The Heroes do not have time to spend on such trivial matters.”
“Such high ideals.”
“I’ve been charged with the protection of the world. But I cannot do it alone. I cannot do it without the Heroes.”
After all the power she’d just showed off? Was she sure she couldn’t save the world from the waves?
From what I’d seen, she was already much more powerful than Itsuki, Ren, or Motoyasu.
She still wasn’t powerful enough to save the world.
Or maybe she was saying that she wouldn’t be able to do so forever.
Did that mean that the heroes could still become much more powerful? More powerful than she already was?
I guess they were still heroes, even if they were rotten to the core. If the heroes weren’t inherently useful, I supposed these countries wouldn’t go through all the trouble of summoning them from another world.
“Honestly, the affairs of humans do not concern me. How they fight… what they fight… But the Heroes are different.”
“Why?”
Fitoria silently shook her head.
“It happened… so long ago, so long ago that I can’t really remember. All I remember is that I cannot permit the Heroes to fight among themselves.”
She forgot the very thing she is so upset about?
Well, she was a Filolial, after all. I couldn’t expect her to be some kind of genius with a photographic memory. Just look at Filo.
But she still remembered it. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something felt very wrong.
I had felt a strange pressure coming from Fitoria for a little while.
Something powerful, something… aggressive. It sent shivers down my spine.
“I remember. I was told… If the Heroes ever start to fight among themselves… then, for the good of the world I am to dispose of them so that new Heroes may be summoned.”
There it was. That’s what she’d wanted to tell me.
She was saying that if I didn’t play nice with the other heroes, she’d kill us all. That was the only way to defeat the waves.
That’s what the Legendary Filolial had to say. There must be a good reason.
It must have been an order from one of the heroes from the past.
But—
“It’s not my fault. They refuse to listen to reason. They refuse to play nice. There’s nothing I can do about it.”
Yes. Bitch framed me. Trash arrested and discriminated against me, and the other heroes turned on me without even considering my side of the story. There was nothing I could do about any of them.
And now… after I’d raised all that money and earned so many people’s trust… Now they framed me for the abduction of Princess Melty and sent assassins to murder us.
And Fitoria wants us to get along? All I could do was get Melty to her mother. That would deal a fatal blow to the Church of the Three Heroes, and then I’d find sanctuary in another country when it all blew over.
Be friends with the other heroes? Impossible.
“…Well.”
Fitoria sighed, as if she were giving up. Then fire came into her eyes.
“Then I suppose there is no avoiding it.”
She stepped back then walked off into the night. It was a strange way to end the conversation.
I didn’t like where this was heading. I doubt she would just walk off and leave us alone.
But I… There was no way I could depend on the other heroes. It was impossible.
Chapter Five: Filo vs. Fitoria
It was hot…
“Gahhh!”
I could hear a bunch of Filolials calling out in unison, and my body felt warm and constricted.
When I opened my eyes I realized I was completely surrounded by Filolials vying to get near me.
“Wh… What’s going on?!”
“Hey! Master is MINE!”
Filo was greedily pushing the other Filolials out of the way in an effort to keep me all to herself.
“Oh, come on…”
When I finally came to my senses I realized it was around noon.
If I started cooking and relaxing, would this day end up just like last night had?
“Hey, is it true that you fought with the legendary Griffin King?”
“Yup. I did. To be precise, it was actually a monster that a human made by changing normal griffins. He made so many of them that all the flying Filolials disappeared. The sky was filled with flocks of flying griffins.”
“Okay, but did you defeat the Dragon King?”
“I did. I ripped him to shreds, but he kept regenerating. That made the fight difficult.”
“Wow! Hey, is it true that the legendary Holy Sword rests in the Filolial sanctuary?”
“There’s a holy sword, but I don’t know about a legendary sword. I don’t think there is anything like that. Though some of the old Heroes’ weapons are still here.”
Melty’s eyes were sparkling again, and she was shooting questions like a machine gun at Fitoria.
At the same ti
me, Filo stood back and watched. She was clearly jealous.
It was a funny scene. I hope their friendship could survive it.
“Okay. We’re done resting now. What should we do?
I ate a light meal and turned to Fitoria. We really didn’t have time to stand around and smell the flowers—or to eat them.
I figured that Fitoria was probably powerful enough to teleport us all to wherever the queen was. I’d have to find a way to convince her to help us though.
“Okay… now then.”
Fitoria rose to her feet and began to cast a spell on Melty.
The wind rose and formed a sort of cage around her.
“Wh…what’s this?!”
Melty grabbed the bars and tried to escape, but they were sharp and cut her hand. A little blood trickled over her finger.
“What are you doing?!”
Filo was glaring angrily at Fitoria.
“Mel-tan, you’ll have to be my hostage for now.”
“Why?”
“…”
Fitoria didn’t answer but continued to glare at us. The air was crackling with tension.
Was this… Was this the continuation of what she’d been talking about last night? Was she going to kill us… and then go kill the other heroes too? We should probably assume so.
“Melty!”
Raphtalia shouted for Melty.
Damn… did we have to fight that giant Filolial here?
I couldn’t imagine a way that we could win.
The area was filled with a threatening atmosphere, but it wasn’t coming from me.
What choice did I have but to use the Shield of Rage?
“You mustn’t use the cursed power.”
Light appeared around my shield.
—Due to interference, the shield may not be changed.
…Appeared in my field of vision. It was the same thing that had occurred the day before.
“Please listen to me.”
“Why should I listen to someone behaving as you are?”
“If you refuse to listen, I’ll have no choice but to kill the rest of the Heroes.”
“Wh…”
She probably could do it.
She was considerably more powerful than we were.
Considering that we hadn’t been able to do any real damage to the Tyrant Dragon Rex.
Despite how powerful the beast had been, Fitoria had defeated it without breaking a sweat.
And now we had to fight her?”
We’d lose.
“There’s no way we’ll all just get along.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Last night this girl said that she would kill us all if the Heroes didn’t start working together.”
“Reconcile with the other Heroes? I’m not sure that is possible.”
Raphtalia knit her brow and thought for a moment. Did Fitoria even understand what we were saying? Wouldn’t it be more rude to lie and say that we’d all just be friends?
“Very well then…”
Fitoria raised her index finger and leveled it at Filo.
“Then I demand a duel with the Filolial you raised. If she is strong enough then I will release Melty, and offer you a postponement.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’ll figure it out.”
What did she want from me?
“I will battle in my current form. Filo, I ask that you also fight me in this form.”
They had to fight in human form? Filo might stand a chance after all…
Had they fought in their true forms, Filo didn’t stand a chance. But if they were both humans, maybe Filo could win. Luckily enough, we had a weapon that Filo could use when she was in human form.
“Okay!”
Filo reached behind the wings on her back and produced the power gloves.
The old guy who ran the weapon shop had originally made them for me so that I could pull the carriage if I needed to. But Filo’s magic had turned them into something more like claws. They’d served us well the last time we’d gotten into a scuffle with Motoyasu. And yet…
“Hey! Don’t just start whenever you want.”
“Yes, Filo. You should do as Mr. Naofumi says.”
“But Mel…!”
“If you don’t fight, then everyone will die. We don’t really have a choice.”
“Damn…”
It sure seemed like Fitoria was planning on making the first move.
It made me very anxious to think that all I could do was stand back and watch. She might have been planning to defeat Filo, then turn to us and kill us next. I don’t think I’d be able to stop her.
We didn’t have any other choice.
“…Fine.”
“Then let us begin.”
Fitoria raised her hand, and a wall formed from wind appeared between them and the rest of us. Partitioned off on their own, Fitoria and Filo stood in a ring of sorts.
“You must remain in your human form inside this ring. The rules may not be broken.”
“I’ll save Mel! I won’t lose to Fitoria!”
I was very anxious about standing back and watching the fight. If it looked like Filo was in trouble, I’d break the rules and interfere.
“Here I come!”
Filo raised her gloves and closed her eyes in concentration. The gloves morphed into claws, and she brandished them before rushing at Fitoria.
“Ya!”
Filo was the first to attack.
She jumped into the air and spun to kick Fitoria in the stomach.
“Dull.”
Fitoria raised a hand and easily stopped the kick.
“Whoa!”
Filo spun back from the blocked attack, but Fitoria was there behind her, delivering punches, one after the other.
Filo was managing to avoid them. Then the ground shook. Fitoria had slammed the soles of her feet into the ground and formed a crater around herself. How powerful was this girl?
“You can do it, Filo!”
Melty shouted from the interior of her cage.
“I’m not losing!”
Filo turned back to Fitoria and swiped at her with the claws. At the same moment, Filo appeared to blur.
“Too slow!”
“Clang!”
There was a reverberating bang, but Filo had managed to dodge the attack with a deft backbend.
“W…What?!”
“Too slow.”
“Ugh…”
Filo groaned in a voice she rarely used.
“She’s so fast. But I’m not gonna lose.”
Filo straightened her back and crossed her arms before rushing forward. Was she already using her best attack?
“Haikuikku!”
Suddenly Filo was a blur, and the air was filled with the reverberations of quick connecting attacks.
“I told you. Too slow.”
Fitoria slowly raised and lowered her arms. Then she lightly spun one of them in a circle.
That was all she’d done, but…
“AHHHHHH!”
Filo was flipping backwards through the air.
Filo twisted, and the wings on her back opened. They filled with air, and she landed lightly on her feet.
“You blocked my best attack!”
“Mel is your friend, isn’t she? If you don’t give me all you’ve got…”
Fitoria stood there with both her hands on her hips, taunting Filo. She looked like she was disappointed in Filo’s performance.
Suddenly Melty’s cage shrunk. It was now pressing in on all sides.
“Wa!”
Melty squirmed and hunched her shoulders to keep the bars from cutting into her. Filo watched in horror, and something snapped.
“Mel! Uh…”
Filo’s wings flew open, and she held her claws out at Fitoria. She attacked.
Fitoria did not move. She didn’t dodge the attack or attempt to defend herself. Sparks flew when the attack connected, but she remained unharmed.
That was impressive. Was she strong enough to ignore Filo’s attacks?
What could I say? Filo had the highest attack of anyone in our party, by far. If Fitoria could just play with her like this…
She must have had a great deal of experience. I wondered what level she was.
“Then take THIS!”
Fitoria curled her fingers into a fist and swung a counterattack at Filo. It didn’t connect. It didn’t even brush her. But Filo’s clothes were apparently torn by it.
“I don’t think magic clothing like that can protect you.”
She went on pummeling, and now the attacks seemed to be connecting.
Dammit… I hated that I couldn’t interfere.
What did she mean by magic clothing? That’s right. Filo’s clothing had been made at a magic shop. They’d formed Filo’s own magic into threads, and then they used the material to make her clothing.
That must be what she meant. Magic clothing was clothing made of magic.
Fitoria raised her hands, and suddenly they were topped with glowing claws. She began to swipe at Filo with them.
They left trails of light as they moved through the air. Filo ducked under one of the glowing parabolas. It brushed the top of her head.
“That would have hit had you been in Filolial form.”
Fitoria calmly explained.
The attack had been so quick that there had been no hope of dodging it. And it was a magic attack.
“I’m not losing!”
Filo once again began to move her arms up and down.
“I’m the source of all power. Hear my words and do as I SAY. Produce a tornado of wind and carry her away!”
“Zweite Tornado!”
A howling tornado erupted from Filo’s hands and flew towards Fitoria. But…
“I’M the source of all power. Here my words and do as I SAY. Render her tornado ineffective!”
“Anti-Zweite Tornado!”
There was a loud clang, and something seemed to enclose Filo. The magic tornado that Filo had produced vanished as though it had never been there at all.
“Interruption magic…”
Let’s see… Yeah, I think the beginning book on magic I had mentioned something like that.
Magic Interruption. Yes, I think it said that it was possible in theory, but that it depended on your ability to understand the nature of your opponent, which required great stores of strength.