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Chapter Text

"Soon, the sun will set again! And here I sit, helplessly, fearing that I may again become... THE HULK!"

- Dr. Robert "Bruce" Banner

Bruce Banner didn't know what he was doing in the Douglas County Library. He wasn't sure why he did a lot of things these days, walking along the highway roads hitching for rides or taking the bus with no clear destination.

Where did a man who was supposed to be dead have to go?

Bruce's left hand glided against the spinal covers of the books, not really sure what he was looking for. "Wish you would give me some hints." He told the Big Guy. "It would make things a lot easier."

When he received no reply like a head-splitting headache he looked to the glass windows of the library. It was faint but he could see the image of the Hulk on it.

He was staring back at him, not pounding on the glass. His eyes glowed green from within the show of his brow. Watching him, judging him...

The Hulk did a lot of judging these days.

Bruce felt something twitch at the back of his mind when his hand brushed against a single spine that seemed out of place. Frowning, he took it out and looked at the cover.

"The Records of The Four Cardinal Weapons?" He looked over the book suspiciously. It didn't have a marker for the Dewey Decimal System and there was no author listed anywhere. The red binding was stained and Bruce couldn't feel any gamma radiation coming from it. For all intents and purposes, it appeared to be just some book brought in from outside and shoved into the shelf.

He should just put the book back and walk away... but the Hulk had lead him to here and a part of him was curious.

"It better not try and eat me, though." He dealt with many monsters over the years, but he could do without any demons aside from the personal variety.

He opened the book and thumbed through its aged pages, taking in what could charitably be called a story. It was more like a proof of concept than anything else. Four magical heroes are summoned to another world and given four magical weapons in the form of a sword, spear, bow, and shield. What followed was them wandering about the lands, gaining strength and followers while killing monsters. There was the vague goal of stopping the waves of monsters from entering the world, but for the most part is seemed that these four were content to bask in their change of fortunes and save the occasional village or kingdom.

Fairly standard fantasy tale not unlike the Chronicles of Narnia, but somehow more meandering and without the benefit of a decent prose.

"Children would probably like it. Maybe the occasional teenager for the wish fulfillment aspect."

He skimmed the rest of the pages, already bored with the story that had an ending he could see coming a mile away. The heroes would defeat the dark king or whatever and free the land, given the choice to stay in their fantasy or return to the real world.

Most didn't realize that when saddled with the title of "hero", they didn't have a choice. There was no end to that job besides death.

"And I can't even have that."

Bruce paused when he reached near the end. There was an entire section dedicated to describing the heroes, which was odd since summaries like that were supposed to be in the beginning after the index of chapters. Much like the story the descriptions were fairly bare-bones. The sword, bow, and spear heroes had the characteristics of what most wanted from their heroes. Strong, loyal, and seekers of justice.

He had been called a hero at various points in his life, the Hulk managing to save the world from gods and monsters through his strength.

But most of the time he, and the Hulk, were just a monster in the eyes of the public. Their reasons were ones that Bruce could understand. The Hulk was terrifying, a rage-filled child granted strength that could tear apart tanks like paper. One whose rampages have destroyed entire towns and lives because nobody would leave him alone...

Bruce had to live with that ever since he saved Rick Jones from the gamma bomb. A selfless act that resulted in unleashing and personifying his various demons. The military wanted to use him as a weapon of war while people like Samuel Sterns wanted to subjugate the power for their own selfish ends.

He spent years running, trying and failing to find some cure for his condition only to come up empty. Any peace he found was fleeting, any time he and the Hulk came to an agreement was temporary, whatever friends he managed to acquire looked at him with a mix of awe and fear, his scientific achievements being pushed aside to focus on the Hulk's power...

...his relationship with Betty...

Everything fell apart, smashed by the existence of the Hulk.

Was it really any surprise he wanted to die?

Bruce found himself staring at the picture of the spear hero lost in thought. It was an open secret that he had tried to kill himself several times, the most famous story being that he put a gun into his mouth and the Hulk spit out the bullet. What people seemed to take for granted were the times he should've died.

Like after his first transformation, where the doctor that Rick had dragged his body to stated that he was, in fact, dead. Then there was the time his head got cut off by a future Captain America's shield. After that Glenn Talbot standing over his body declaring that the traitor was dead after a soldier shot him mid-transformation, Leonard Samson pulling a sheet over his body after an attempted cure went wrong, the Hulk persona Joe Fixit succumbing to poison, being smothered in an irradiated cocoon, and just straight-up being shot in the head.

Every time he should've died and yet he still lived.

Every time, for a brief instant, he saw a green door crack open.

After the last attempt to kill him produced no real results, Bruce had quietly began working on a sure-fire way to kill himself the next time the Hulk got out of control. A gamma-enriched vibranium arrowhead that would utterly destroy all his motor functions. He had given the Hulk-killing arrow his colleague Clint Barton and convinced him to shoot it whenever he felt his friends and the world could be threatened.

For a time he didn't see anything.

Then, Jericho Drumm made him awaken in a white plane to put his spirit to rest after the Hand began using the Hulk's corpse to their ends.

The next minute he was waking up, revived by HYDRA to carry out their sick designs.

For a brief instance, Bruce had contemplated that the reason he came back to life was because nobody would let him stay dead.

But that wasn't it.

He realized the truth when that cosmic being, The Challenger, brought him back with this new Hulk persona at the wheel.

Bruce Banner just couldn't die.

No matter how much he wanted it, the Hulk would not let him die!

And now here he was, wandering the world like a ghost. This new Hulk not coming out whenever he got mad or his heartbeat reaching a certain BPM, but at night when the sun had fully set. Bruce would hear him in his head and see him in the reflection, pounding on the walls and wanting to get out!

Bruce could die. He did so several times already. But when night fell... the Hulk would come out, and Bruce would find himself standing in an unfamiliar place in rags and fully healed.

"I guess all those people were right." He turned the page as his thoughts curdled. "The Hulk is... I am... a monster."

He frowned when he observed where the shield hero's profile should've been. It was completely blank, missing everything besides the title. "That's not right." He turned several more pages and found them completely blank. "Did the author just shove his notes into the library or..."

Something strange began to happen. The pages began flipping on their own. At first it was slow but soon the pace began to pick up while the tome began to glow alarmingly.

"No..." Bruce dropped the book and turned. "NO!" He could feel the distant memories of the gamma bomb. The fear of what was to come, the mental ticking of a seconds hand in a watch as doom pulsed in unfeeling and cold bomb miles away with salvation so close yet so far.

Like then, he could feel something pounding in his head, shaking the chains he didn't know were there in the first place.

Everything went white.

He saw the green door crack open as a voice that was many voices yet one spoke one word.

INTERESTING.

And then...

"Oh great heroes, please save our world!"

Bruce landed on a stone floor of some sorts, gasping in fear as he looked around wildly. "W-Where am I!?" He screamed while trying to take stock in his surroundings. He was in a chamber of some sorts, markings and candles along with robed figures indicating a religious or mystic ceremony of some sort. He was on top of some glowing circle and...

He noticed that there was some sort of small shield on his right forearm.

"What is this...!?" He pulled on the shield, the panic rising within him when it couldn't come off. He looked at the robbed figures, who shuffled uncomfortably in response to his actions. "What did you people do to me!?"

"Sir Shield, please calm yourself!"

Bruce was about ask more before he felt a hand on his shoulder. Whirling around he saw a young pony-tailed blonde man holding a spear looking at him with genuine concern in his eyes.

"Dude, are you okay?"

For the first time he noticed that he wasn't the only one in the circle. There were two others besides the pony-tailed man, a teenager with dark-blonde hair with feminine features that also seemed worried about his state and a serious-looking black-haired teenager who was pointedly keeping his attention on the priest. The two held a bow and a sword respectively.

"Just like the story..."

"Mister, please just relax." The bow-wielding kid motioned to the robed men. "They aren't attacking us, so they probably didn't bring us here just to kill us or something."

"I am, however, interested in hearing the reason." The sword-wielding boy pointed his blade at the priests. "And it better be a good one."

"I-It is! It is but the fate of our very world that is at stake!" One of the priests said, seemingly glad that things were going back to the script.

"Come on, man. Being on the ground like that isn't a good look for you." The pony-tailed man offered his hand. "Let me help you up."

Numbly, Bruce took it. "Thanks..."

"No problem. Name's Motoyasu Kitamaru."

Bruce didn't want to offer his name. If he said "Bruce" or "Doctor Banner", then anyone would put two and two together and figure out he's a man who should be dead and begin fearing for their lives. But it would be impolite to not offer the kid something.

"...Robert. My name is Robert Banner."

The priest began saying something about summoning four great heroes through their ritual, but Bruce heard nothing. The words were coming to him as if they were being said through cotton in his ears.

These people... they did something. They were doing something and making him involved in their conflict. Just like the Beyonder, Challenger, and their ilk.

These people wanted a warrior.

They wanted a Hulk.

"Oh god... why... why can't they just leave me alone?"

"Champions?"

"Nope."

"New Warriors?"

"Never heard of 'em."

Bruce wracked his brain for another superhero team that was made up of young people. Vague memories of a news report regarding Clint's recent activities made him ask, "...West-Coast Avengers?"

Motoyasu glanced at him with an upturned eyebrow. "That's gotta be the lamest band name I've ever heard."

"Honestly, they sound like sports teams to me." The youngest of the three that Bruce was summoned with, Itsuki Kawasumi, stated while he inspected his bow. "If that's the case it's no wonder we haven't heard about them, Banner-san. I really only paid attention to games and stuff like that."

"What? No way! I'm a gamer too!" Motoyasu grinned at Itsuki and clapped him on the back. "What're the odds?"

"...These kids... they aren't superheroes?" Well, he should've expected that when they initially refused to save this world after their summoners told them how they needed the four heroes to save their world. Most of the kids he had met, Amadeus' friends and colleagues, would've jumped at the chance or at least asked for more details. Motoyasu, Itsuki, and the dark-haired Ren Amaki had refused both because of the fairly rational indignation of being dragged into another world against their will and not being assured they would be compensated for their services. "But they must have at least have some prior experience with a situation like this. They are taking things almost in stride."

Being conditioned or resigned to accepting the utter unpredictability of life was something he could relate to.

Now they were ascending a stone spiral staircase to this country's king who ordered their summoning. The robed men had assured them that they would receive a full explanation there.

"...I have an idea of what this is, but I need to hear whatever this king says to confirm it." Ren turned his head to look out the window and muttered, "This climate... it's almost Mediterranean."

Bruce followed his gaze and saw a mountain range in the distance. The buildings surrounding the structure they were climbing seemed to be like something from a period piece show, recreations made of pale bricks and red-tiled roofs which were more suited for this humid climate than simple wood.

He stretched his collar and tried his best to ignore how hot and sweaty he was. "At least I'm not in a crowd like those times I went to South America... god, what an idiotic idea that was. Crowded cities where everything stressed me out..."

"Yeah, guess we really are in another world, huh?" Motoyasu gave a sharp laugh. "Man, this is freakin' cool!"

"...You seem confident." Bruce noted. "Did you do this before?"

That seemed to catch the talkative twenty-something off guard. "Huh? Uh, no. Why would I...?"

"You may not know this since you're American, Banner-san, but there's this subgenre that's popular in Japan called Isekai. Usually it has teenagers or young adults being transported to or reincarnated into another world where they get to become heroes!" Itsuki eyes almost seemed to sparkle with anticipation. "Defeating monsters, bringing the downfall of villains and bullies, and helping the innocent!"

"And getting a harem of babes! Don't forget that!" Motoyasu waggled his eyebrows. "With great power comes great responsibility and even greater perks!"

"Oh god, not one of those..." If there was one thing Bruce didn't get in his adulthood, it was how some teenagers and twenty-year-olds were obsessed with sex. Sure, he enjoyed it with Betty before the arrival of the Hulk but he didn't let that get in the way of his work.

Itsuki huffed. "Sure, if you just want one of those poorly-written stories but the real appeal lies in..."

"What matters is that we are here and these people summoned us for a reason." Ren interrupted the two's literary conversation with a tone as sharp as steel. "While this situation bears some resemblance to those stories, I'm not convinced about becoming this world's hero or whatever until after the king gives us an explanation and a reason why we should do it."

"Sheesh. Kids these days are way too serious." Motoyasu leaned back and whispered, "Guess it's up to us adults to show 'em how to loosen up, huh?"

"...Aren't you eighteen?"

"Dude, I'm twenty-one! Sorry if I'm not forty or whatever..."

For the first time since he got here, Bruce chuckled slightly. "I'm thirty-four."

"...Damn, man. No offense, but you look like crap."

God, did he know it. It wasn't exactly easy to keep a neat appearance or shave when nights without the Hulk coming out were fleeting and he usually didn't have the money for a hotel room or cosmetics.

"I could really use a shave, too."

As they were lead past the mostly empty courtyard, Bruce felt a slight throbbing in his head and his heart began to race. Years of experience told him that somebody or something was watching him. "Calm down." Bruce thought to himself as they were lead into a massive space. "It's not like they can kill you."

But he couldn't say the same for Motoyasu, Itsuki, and Ren. If he died and they were captured or killed...

He took a moment to admire the surrounding architecture. It had an entire wall covered in windows flooding the room with light along with half a dozen chandeliers with lit candles. There were high arches spanning across the room, all white and gilded with gold. He could see guards lined up the entire stretch of the room as well as several people who looked to be nobles, and at the end of the hall sat a man adorned with a crown and various jewels and furs. He was old with silver hair and a beard to match, a somewhat portly body, and wore high quality purple robes on along with various pieces of jewelry besides his crown.

"So that's their king..."

As they were lead ten feet in front of the king, the man observed each of them with disinterest. For someone who was in dire need of otherworldly assistance, he seemed bored with them already.

"So these four men are the cardinal heroes of ancient legend?" The king sighed before saying in a dull tone as if he were reading from some prepared script, "I am the king of Melromarc, Aultclay Melromarc XXXII. Heroes, name yourselves."

Ren decided to take the initiative. "Ren Amaki. Sixteen years old. Highschooler."

Motoyasu nudged Bruce and whispered, "Watch this." He stepped forward, spun his spear with his fingers before resting it over his shoulder, and with a cocky look on his face said, "Name's Motoyasu Kitamaru. Twenty one and a college student."

"...Tony probably would've loved this kid."

"I suppose I'm next." Itsuki stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Itsuki Kawasumi, seventeen years old and a highschooler."

Bruce opened his mouth to introduce himself only to be interrupted by the king.

"I see. Ren, Motoyasu, and Itsuki I take it?"

He looked at the king who was making full eye-contact with him. Bruce had seen looks like that plenty of times whenever he met with S.H.I.E.L.D agents or members of the press whenever there was a period when the Hulk wasn't considered a monster. That look of hate mixed with wonder, daring him to go off and expose himself for the monster he really was.

"I see. So he really does know who I am."

Well, what else was new? People wanted the Hulk, but at the same time they still hated him. He was a monster but a useful one and nothing more.

And so, he remained quiet and looked away. He could hear the small huff of disappointment from the king but the man decided not to push it.

The story he proceeded to tell was nearly identical to the plot of the book. Apocalyptic waves were threatening to destroy the world, each wave stronger than the last. Each county had something called a "dragon hourglass" that would keep track of the time between waves and predict when they would arrive next. Apparently the first wave already happened before they were summoned. Various local adventurers and knights were able to fight it but just barely. The devastation from the first wave led them to the conclusion that they needed the four heroes of legend, or they'd never survive a second wave. So that led them to perform a ritual to summon said four heroes, which led to their arrival.

"-This is why we have no time to lose! The next wave is in a month's time and we need you."

"No, all you needed was the Hulk. These kids were just brought along to help control him." Bruce knew that he should be angry, but he was almost resigned to the idea. After all, it wasn't that long ago when the people he once thought of as friends had shot him into space just to get rid of the Hulk. Having an otherworldly king summon him then give three random teenagers power to put him down if he got unruly wasn't as infuriating.

Ren stabbed his sword into the ground, bringing Bruce's attention back to the here and now. "We get the gist of it now. Anyway, surely you didn't summon us expecting us to save you for free."

A expensively dressed old man who looked to be some sort of shady adviser answered him instead of the king. "Of course, once you repel all the waves we shall reward you handsomely."

The three kids looked at each other and nodded. Motoyasu nudged Bruce and asked, "What do you think?"

"That I don't have much of a choice." He sighed and glared at the king. "I just... I want to leave when all is said and done."

The king smirked and gave an almost sadistic grin at that but said nothing.

"Probably already making plans to have me killed when the waves aren't a problem." Well, he could try. If it didn't work the Hulk will most likely kill him.

The three teens then gave their affirmations at once.

"Well, as long as we have your word."

"We'll work with you provided you don't turn on us. But don't think for a moment that you can tame us."

"Exactly. We can't have you looking down on us."

Satisfied with the answers given, the king gave a small nod. "Very well. I trust we have an agreement then..."

"Will there be someone to teach them how to fight?"

Bruce's question caused the king to blink in surprise. "Ah, yes. The Shield Hero..."

The unanswered question was apparent. "Doctor Robert Banner." Feeling a bit awkward he added, "Age thirty-four."

For some reason, the various nobles began muttering.

"The Shield Hero practices medicine?"

"Well, that's certainly unexpected."

"Come now, would you look at those clothes!"

"Indeed! He is most likely one of those commoner doctors that hacks off a limb and gives them a cup of swill to make them better!"

"A doctor you say?" For the first time in a while the king seemed interested in him. "That's rather intriguing. Perhaps..."

"I'm not that kind of doctor." Bruce decided that now was the time to nip that misconception in the bud. "I'm a nuclear physicist." No need to tell the kids about how he was a specialist in gamma radiation.

Once upon a time he could provide input when it came to putting people back together or healing their wounds. He had spent years studying various fields while focusing on gamma and had spent time with the greatest minds in the world. But after coming back to life he lost that knowledge. He could no longer make wearable force-fields and the like, only his knowledge about radiation remained.

It was frustrating, especially when he had the sneaking suspicion that the Hulk was smarter than him now.

"Oh, well that's disappointing." King Aultclay's bored expression returned and he leaned back into his chair. Bruce could hear the mutterings of the nobles asking one-another what the hell a nuclear physicist was and whether or not he made it up. "To answer your question, Shield Hero, the legend states that the Heroes will learn their skills and powers on the field of battle."

"That's rather irresponsible."

"Bite your tongue, Shield Hero!" The adviser barked while glaring at him. "Are you saying that our king does not care for the well-being of the Cardinal Heroes!?"

"Relax, Banner-san." Itsuki's voice was so confident as if what he were saying was just the facts of life. "That's how it goes with these kind of games and stories. Sure, things are difficult at first but with all the power these legendary weapons give us we'll be picking things up in no time!"

"...I hope you're right." If not, well what happened with the New Warriors was the worst-case scenario.

King Aultclay raised his hand to silence the room. "Now, if there aren't any more questions I recommend that you heroes check your statuses."

He frowned. "Status?" He looked at Motoyasu and Itsuki who gave helpless shrugs.

Ren let out a long-suffering sigh. "What's wrong with you guys? It should've been the first thing you noticed in this world. Don't you see an icon in the corner of your field vision?"

No he hadn't noticed some sort of 'icon' when he first arrived. He was more focused on trying to understand what the hell had happened for him. His field of vision was completely clear until all of a sudden a black dot appeared in the lower right half of his vision. There was no such icon there a second ago until Ren mentioned it.

Itsuki let out a light gasp and then said, "Alright, I think I see it. So what do we do with it now?"

"Try focusing on it."

Bruce didn't really know what that entailed so he settled on staring at it until something happened because what else could he do.

Something quickly flashed across his vision leaving behind a strange floating image in front of him. It was semi transparent with various abbreviations with numbers next to them which he had no idea how they correlated.

It was certainly more complicated than the Minecraft screens.

A notification of some sort flashed in front of the "screen" with a simple message.

PARAMETERS FOR CURSE SERIES: WRATH MET!

BRUCE BANNER  CAN NOW USE WRATH SHIELD!

Well, that was certainly odd.

"Level one? That's worrying."

"Yeah, no telling if we can fight like this."

Closing the mysterious window Bruce took the time to observe his level.

"Level one I can get. I think that's where everyone starts in games. But this..."

Level: 1/34/34/25

Max HP: ?

Max MP:30/281/0/200

Max SP: 45/?/?/?

"I can't even see my health? And those extra numbers..." He could guess it had something to do with the Hulk, but how could he manipulate things to this degree?

More importantly... "What's MP and SP?"

"Magic points and skill points." Ren explained as his eyes scanned the space in front of him. "They are used to cast magic spells and use for various skills, respectively."

"So we need these things to attack?" Bruce scratched the back of his head. Yup, definitely not Minecraft.

"Haven't you played games like this?" Motoyasu asked. "Y'know, like Emerald Online?"

"Never heard of it."

"Wha-?"

"One more thing, heroes." Motoyasu was of course cut off by the adviser who seemed unreasonably pleased with himself. "It is important to know that each of you will need to recruit and adventure separately. Partying up with each other is unfortunately not recommended."

That made all of them pause. "And why is that?" Itsuki asked, suspicion interwoven with every word.

"It is said that the legendary weapons repel each other by nature. If you work together, it apparently hinders their development." As he spoke a warning popped up in Bruce's vision under the bold letters of 'HELP'. "When two more wielders of the legendary weapons operate together, it causes an adverse reaction in the weapons. Working separately is advised."

"But that's ridiculous!" Bruce's shout surprised even himself. Everyone was staring at him with astonishment. "If these monsters are as dangerous as you say and I...!"

"Do you wish to protect yourself through others, Shield Hero?" The king barked, his eyes narrowing hatefully at him. "Are you that much of a coward!? Fighting by yourself not only strengthens your power through hardship, but protects your fellow heroes! Do you seek to deprive them of that to save our own skin!?"

"No, that's not the point and you know it! If the Hu-!"

Bruce was surprised when Motoyasu clapped him on the back, interrupting him. "Stop freaking out, Bob! I know it sucks that you got the loser class, but it doesn't mean you can't handle the weaker grunts! Let us handle the big fish and you'll be fine!"

"Loser class?" Bruce didn't understand. What was wrong with the shield!? Why wasn't the king warning them about the Hulk!? Was he trying to lead them to a meat grinder? This whole system was illogical! If the three didn't work together then the Hulk would tear them apart!

Why were his emotions all over the place?

He noticed the sunlight was now orange and realization dawned on him. "No..." He looked out the many windows and saw that the sun was setting in the distance. "Damn it! Not here!"

With the spear-wielding man's declaration the king seemed to calm himself. Coughing he then said, "The sun is about to set. Rest up tonight, and set forth tomorrow. In the meantime we'll gather the best of the best to form your parties."

He waved his hand and a well dressed woman came to approach their group. "We've prepared rooms for you. Please come this way." She bowed to them before motioning for them to follow her.

"Not now... please not now..." Bruce grit his teeth as he felt the Hulk begin to pound in his head, demanding to be let out here and now. To smash these puny humans and make them pay for the blatant disrespect they showed him.

"Just for tonight... Please..."

The Hulk didn't come out during dinner, but Bruce felt that his alter-ego sorely wanted to.

The meal spread out for them before they were brought to their rooms was certainly of better quality than Bruce had gotten used to since his revival. Usually he only got a couple of dollars from the clothes he stole from clotheslines or windowsills, and even then that was rare. It was usually enough for a simple sandwich and a bus-ride, or if he wanted to forgo the bus he got one night at a seedy hotel. The spread of meats, vegetables, and starches were exquisite and Bruce at them greedily.

The servants were disgusted with him and the others seemed to be morbidly curious about where he got such an appetite but said nothing.

They probably thought he hadn't eaten in days.

"Seriously? All you've played is Minecraft!?" Motoyasu scratched his head while leaning back in his chair. "And on Peaceful of all things!?"

"I enjoy it for the building and exploration." Bruce shrugged helplessly. "I didn't have much time for other games."

Partly because his lifestyle left very little room for hobbies.

"Ah, I get it." Itsuki snapped his fingers. "Because of your studies, right? I'd imagine that being a doctor means you didn't have enough time for real games."

"It certainly puts you in a disadvantage here." Ren remarked with a nod. "If you had played Brave Star Online..."

"Okay, I dunno what kinda game you are playing but this is totally Emerald Online." Motoyasu scoffed. "Brave Star Online... sounds like a cheap copycat!"

"You two are the ones playing crappy games." Itsuki seemed pleased with himself. "Now Dimension Wave... that's a game!"

Bruce was now totally lost. Were these popular video games? If they were then why hadn't Amadeus mentioned them?

After dinner the four of them went to Motoyasu's bedroom to talk about things. It was rather spacious but was sparse in terms of furniture or decoration and looked rather nondescript. It had a queen sized bed with no pillows just a quilt and a small table at its foot with some chairs spread around it. The room was illuminated by several candles hanging from a small chandler and the occasional candelabra. It had a large window mirrored by a balcony on the other side.

Bruce glanced at the mirror and saw the Hulk beating on the glass with its massive fists, cracking it and screaming to be let out...

"Bob? Yo, Earth to Bob!"

Bruce was already regretting telling Motoyasu that his name was Robert. The reason why he went by Bruce was because Bob sounded so annoying. "Yes?'

"We're trying to figure up what's going on. Y'know, why we're all talking about games the other hasn't heard of before." Motoyasu motioned to Ren. "He thought it up."

"We've already figured out we're all from different versions of Japan." Ren looked him directly in the eyes. "Except for you. Do you mind answering just a few questions?"

"Sure..."

"What countries won World War Two?"

"The Allies. Primarily the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union."

"Who's your current president?"

Bruce winced at that. "Donald Trump."

"Wait, that business tycoon?" Motoyasu groaned. "No way, you're pulling my leg!"

"So he actually won...?" Itsuki looked at Bruce sympathetically. "Sorry, Banner-san."

"I didn't vote for him."

"What websites are you streaming on?"

"I don't stream movies over the internet." Not many opportunities to watch movies without getting excited and "Hulking Out" in the theater.

"Okay then... what's the current year?"

"2018."

Ren's face remained stoic but Motoyasu and Itsuki''s drained of color.

"I guess that settles it." Motoyasu nodded solemnly. "We're all from different worlds."

"Seems like it. But if the king wanted people to control the Hulk why didn't they just get Hyperion or some alternate Hulk?" Likely so that they would have manageable pawns. People that would become powerful but not too powerful to handle.

Bruce was tapping his foot, trying to get a handle of his emotions. He can't loose control. Now here and now... Not when the Hulk was already vying to get out!

The night was his time, and it took all of Bruce's willpower to not let him out.

Deciding to take his mind off of that, he asked Motoyasu, "Why did you say that the Shield was the loser class?"

"Huh? You don't...? Oh right, only played Minecraft." Motoyasu cleared his throat. "Well the thing is...shielders tend to have a bad rep because they're super useless. They barely get any abilities outside of being a damage sponge and at higher levels they can't even keep up anymore. Enemies do more damage then they can take and at least in my game the developers never patched it. Plus no one wants to play as support when you could be the one doing the damage."

"...That doesn't make much sense." He looked towards Ren and Itsuki. "If that's the case and the people playing shielders can't attack much... then why put them in the game at all?"

"Beats me. That's just how it is." Itsuki shrugged. "Sorry Banner-san."

"Though I suppose it's the perfect class for me. I don't like to fight." His hands balled into fists. "It's the Hulk that likes to do that. He's the one that likes to destroy his enemies entirely."

Enough to break a world when pushed far enough...

"But like I said, you can handle the low-level grunts so there's no pressure." Motoyasu then glanced at all three of them and asked, "So... how did you guys get here?"

As it turned out, most of them had died to do so. Ren presumably succumbed to injuries inflicted by a serial killer after he tackled them to save his best friend. Motoyasu died after being caught two-timing by both of his girlfriends, who decided that it was more his fault than either of theirs and stabbed him to death. Itsuki's death wasn't nearly as dramatic. He died after being run over by a truck on his way home from cram school.

"God... they're... they're just kids! How could they... is this some kind of sick joke!?"

Bruce had died many times, each one was painful and frightening even if the experience was becoming rather numb. For these three kids to have died to get here with the promise of adventure and riches... no wonder they were disturbingly easy-going about this! This world must seem like paradise to them!

It almost made him ashamed to tell his story.

"I... didn't die to get here."

All three of them just stared at him with bewilderment and in Itsuki's case not unreasonable jealousy in his eyes.

Motoyasu was the first to voice his thoughts. "...S-say what..?"

Ren crossed his arms and furrowed his brow."Then how did you get here?"

"I... felt compelled to go to a library. In it I found this book about four legendary heroes summoned to fight evil or something along those lines. While I was skimming through the book the pages started glowing. I tried running from it but the next thing I knew I was in that summoning room."

Bruce saw the silent contempt in Itsuki and Ren's gazes. He didn't blame them, really. They both suffered horrible and sudden deaths, likely suffering in the few seconds or moments they had before darkness settled it. Now, sitting before them, was a man who didn't have to die in order to get into what they saw as paradise?

His temple pulsed, the headache settling in as the Hulk continued to rage inside.

Bruce heard the sound of glass cracking and stood up. "I-I need to go to sleep." He lied as smoothly as he could. He could already feel the beads of sweat run down his brow. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Hey, Bob hold...!" But Bruce already exited the room before Motoyasu could say anymore.

He needed to be alone. He needed to talk this out with the Hulk.

He needed to convince his other half that they needed to just stay inside for one night...

Motoyasu would discover this later, but running across his window was a spiderweb of cracks. He would chock this up to a bird hitting it, but deep down the young man knew that no bird could've made that mark...

"I know you want to come out..."

Theleb was one of King Aultclay's best spies. She was someone who knew how to erase her presence, to remain hidden and hear every little word even if it was spoken in a whisper. Her skills with a dagger were a class of their own, the cuts so neat when she slipped them between ribs to cut a heart in half.

Today, she had been sent to spy on the Shield Hero. The devil, according to the King and the Church, who would bring the end to the kingdom.

Theleb never believed those words. To her, all were just sacks of meat that walked, talked, and paid her to kill other sacks of meat. They bled all the same, whether they were human or demi-human. She never voiced these thoughts since it would be bad for her position, but they were her own.

So she didn't see the Shield Hero as some sort of devil. Rather he was just a man given a mystic tool.

"Please, now's not the time...!"

She watched from the crack of the door as the Shield Hero sat on his bed facing a mirror. The room itself was a shabby piece of work, smaller and much less luxurious as the rooms of the other Heroes. Another insult laid by the king against the devil who earned his ire merely by existing. The man, Robert Banner, was pale and sweating through his otherworldly clothes. He was shaking, both feet rapping on the floor while his hands were to the sides of his head.

The man was no devil... but he was obviously unwell.

"We still don't know much about this place... this situation..." Banner glared at his reflection. "The one you put me in!"

So he was blaming himself for being saddled with their plight? Such a strange way of seeing things.

He winced as if he were being shouted at. "Fine, fine you don't know either. But the fact of the matter is that we're stuck here. We need more information that the king can provide. T-Then we can go..."

"Go?" Theleb could not believe what she was hearing. The Shield Hero wanted to leave? While the king would certainly be happy, or not if the man wanted the Shield Hero to be dead, she was curious. The man looked like he hadn't eaten in days. While he could survive on his own with only the monetary rewards of quests, he needed money from the kingdom to do that! Why leave a steady paycheck?

"Oh, right. Because he's sick in the head." The man had bags under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in days. If she had to guess it was because he talked to himself all night...

Theleb then saw something.

The mirror, without any warning, cracked and within it she saw a monster.

A green, hulking thing with bulging muscles and eyes that shone like demonic stars under the shadow of its brow.

It was not looking at Banner.

It was looking at her and smiling...!

Theleb put her hands over her mouth and ran.

She tried to convince herself that it was merely her imagination. Long nights and that new drug she took to calm her nerves had obviously done a number on her. She hadn't seen a monster. She hadn't seen the Shield Hero talking to it as if it were inside him! The rantings of the king, his court, and the Church were just filling her head!

Despite thinking that, Theleb would hand in her report and in the dead of night flee the city.

She had money squirreled away in the lands of the other kingdoms complete with papers of a new identity.

Whatever that thing was... be it a monster or an omen... it spelled doom for the Kingdom of Melromarc.

The Ninth Cosmos

Par%l observed the Observer's Berth from hir cabin, the intricate structure glittering as it tacked to the starlight. The pseudo-minds knew how to make their home beautiful as it danced through the orbit of planets, their bodies dancing and celebrating life away from hir sight.

They knew what was coming and refused to succumb to despair.

Their acceptance infuriated hir.

Par%l's membrane pulsed from her anger, the soft and rich aqua darkening before it softened. Her nucleus fluttered within the gel of hir underskeleton as the hard truth came to her. The pseudo-minds knew that it was far too late for them. To struggle and fight wouldn't even delay the inevitable, and all they could do was pass their information and everything about them to hir.

Because it was hir and hir lover's plan that would lead to the salvation of the universe.

Telepathically summoning hir manipulators, she glided them across the controls and directed hir ship to the dock. The darkness around hir ship was so complete, so cold. Only pieces of planets long dead floated about. A constant reminder to the denizens of O%los of what is coming.

Hir nucleus shifted once more, sorrow at the memory of hir beautiful home world with its boiling chromatic seas and crystal superstructures of the moon.

Par%l remembered the beach where they met. The same beach where they would consummate their communion again and again, celebrating life that they knew was fleeting.

Hir lover was the first to greet hir. Their nucleus was a soft color that was not dissimilar to the one their doom. Once they were discriminated for it, feared and hated, but time and time again they proved that they were perhaps their only hope.

That determination was why they fell in love.

Hir lover summoned their right manipulator and reached out with it, their left holding the structure that was dubbed a "shield". Moving hir own, their manipulators made contact and the bond was reestablished.

"Now we two are one."

"Yes." Par%l shifted uncomfortably. "I have all that the Observer's Berth has given regarding the Breaker. It is approaching faster than predicted."

"Then that means..."

"Yes. Once they are gone O%los will be the last planet in the universe."

A moment of solemn silence passed between them, the weight of all those broken worlds and the lives lost passing through them like waves. They were all alone in a lifeless universe, smashed and with only one star lighting the darkness.

"...I'll kill it, Par-chan. I will do it. I have faced monsters like it before... and I'm still here."

That strange nickname... brought from another time and place now dead by hir lover. Par%l remembered how confused they were at first, adjusting to their new state of being and their place within O%los. But now they were a hero of their world, a champion among champions.

"And if not, I will have our backup plan."

That horrible message in a bottle that would make the more philosophical and spiritually-inclined of their race retch in horror.

They observed each other, grim determination and love intermingling in the shadow of the Breaker of Worlds.

"I love you, Naofumi."

The consciousness of an otherworldly being inhabiting the body of one of hir race used one of hir manipulators to trace Par%l's body.

"I know. We will get through this. That's a promise."

Chapter 1: Crossing Over

Chapter Text

"Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change."

- Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

"Hey! What are ya tryin' to do!? Make them think I'm chicken!?"

"Come on, you fool! We've got to reach the protective trench before the bomb goes off!"

"Bomb!?"

The sun beat on him as Bruce dragged a young hotheaded Rick Jones to the trench, mentally cursing the teenager for doing something so stupid on a dare of all things and himself for driving all the way here to save him. The air of the desert was dry, shriveling his lips and evaporating the spit in his mouth yet seeming to do nothing for the sweat dripping down his brow.

The boy was scared, his mind beginning to comprehend what Bruce was saying. Memories of nukes were flashing in his brain and he wouldn't be wrong. The military wanted a weapon comparable to the nuclear bomb but better. Using the power of gamma radiation which Bruce spent all his life researching.

This was supposed to just be a stepping stone to greater things. An easy way to make the military and Betty's warhawk of a father pay the bills.

Bruce was silently praying, something he hadn't done in years. Not only was he a scientist, but his life experiences left little room for belief in God. A monster of a father, a murdered mother, years of silence, and his own part in his father's death made him wash his hands of the concept.

But now? Now he sorely hoped something out there was listening. That Igor had informed the button-pushers to delay the countdown and possibly save the two of them.

He could hear the ticking of a watch as the seconds passed.

The trench was up ahead. If they went in they would be safe. The bomb wouldn't leave fallout. After a few seconds below ground it would be safe to come out and he could give this stupid teenager a real talking-to before handing him over to Ross for the old man to handle.

Bruce didn't know why but he pushed Rick in. Was it just to speed along a boy still comprehending the horrible situation he found himself in? Him being selfless? He didn't know even to this day.

"There! You're safe! And now I'll- AHHH!"

He heard a thunderclap before his eardrums burst. A force slammed into his back, the radiation cooking his skin. He could feel every part of him bulging and soaking in the gamma as the energy began cooking him alive inside and out. Everything seemed to stand still, the pain growing with every second as he stood at the brink of eternity.

Bruce Banner let out an ear-splitting scream from the depths of his soul.

"AHHH!"

Bruce found himself screaming as his eyes opened. It took him a second of confusion to recognize that he was in a bedroom and another second to remember the events of yesterday. "Shit..." Groaning as he rubbed his eyes, he took a peek out of the window and saw the morning rays of light. "Morning. Thank God."

Something was now knocking on the door. "Shield Hero!" Another second and the door opened to reveal a scared-looking servant. "Shield Hero, are you alright? I heard screaming and..."

"Fine. I'm... fine." Bruce put his hands to his face and collected his bearings. "I just had a nightmare. That's it..."

"Oh... Um... well, that's good." He peeked between his fingers to notice the girl was shifting uncomfortably. "Is there anything you need? Please keep in mind that I have been ordered to escort you and the other Cardinal Heroes."

Bruce glanced at what could generously be called a bathroom with its basin of water, soap, and cracked tub. Rubbing his chin and feeling the stubbles of hair he asked, "Can I have a razor to shave with?"

"Of course." The servant closed the door. Looking under his bed, he saw the little porcelain chamber pot with intricate markings and sighed.

"Wonder how those kids are handling being in a time period before the toilet? Doubt those 'Isekai' stories ever mentioned that interesting tidbit."

As he relieved himself Bruce cursed how he passed out. Sleeping at night was dangerous. It was when his mental locks on the Hulk weakened and allowed his other half to come out. Thankfully the lack of a giant hole in the wall indicated that he hadn't gone exploring in the city. The last thing he needed was this king to think he was unmanageable and up the security, thus making his planned exit from the kingdom all the harder.

"Well, not for me. It's mostly for the guards and kids' benefit."

Bringing up his zipper, Bruce walked to the door as he heard the knock and opened it. The servant handed him the blade and he muttered his thanks before closing it. Taking the blade, soap, and water basin he walked to the mirror and stared at what should've been his reflection.

Instead it was the Hulk.

One of the most frustrating things about never seeing his reflection was the fact it made shaving even more troublesome. He could not see if he was doing a good job and could only rely on the Hulk's face as an impression on how he was doing. Afterwards he would rub his face and find missing spots and how he managed to shave off some of his sideburns in the process.

So, wetting his face before rubbing the soap onto it, Bruce brought up his arm with the Hulk mirroring his action.

After a few minutes and hissed curses, Bruce set down the razor and rubbed his face against his sweatshirt's sleeve. The knocking on his door returned and he looked into the mirror. The Hulk was raising his eyebrow, as if asking if he was really going along with this. "For now." He assured his other half. "When we've gotten everything we need, we'll go."

He walked to the door and opened it to see the woman from earlier. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." He exited the room and noticed that Motoyasu, Itsuki, and Ren were exiting their own rooms.

Motoyasu noticed him and waved in greeting. "Yo, Bob. You sleep..." The pony-tailed man seemed to get a good look at him and changed his question. "You get any sleep?"

"I've got insomnia." It wasn't exactly a lie. Having to stay up all night to prevent the Hulk from coming out could be considered a case of insomnia. "You ready for your first day as a hero?"

"Hell yeah, I am!" That seemed to wash away his grogginess. He seemed as giddy as a schoolboy as he continued. "I mean, today's the day when we're supposed to get our party!"

"Huh?"

"Weren't you paying attention yesterday?" Ren huffed in annoyance. "Adventurers are going to be assigned to us in order to act as our parties. They provide combat support and generally help with keeping supplies."

"Well, I wouldn't blame him for missing that. Yesterday was kinda a lot to take in, especially for a non-gamer." Itsuki smiled at Bruce. "At least you won't be fighting alone!"

"Crap." Just what he needed. Some people that will be following him around constantly. Had the king guessed he would make a break for it? No, this was likely for the other three's benefit. They would need all the help they could get in order to keep the Hulk under control, and his "party" would likely be there just to keep a closer eye on him. "No, it's fine. I can deal with this if I just lay down some ground rules."

"God, I hope that my party's full of cute girls!" Motoyasu looked hopefully at their guide. "So, we going to meet the king for that?"

"Unfortunately, the king requires extra time to prepare for the morning." Bruce got the subtle message that the king was a late-riser. "I am to bring you for breakfast. If you'll follow me..."

Breakfast was as diverse and plentiful as last night's dinner. Bruce could've had anything ranging from a whole pig to a rainbow of pastries. Instead he settled for his favorite breakfast which consisted of two eggs sunny-side up, three pieces of bacon, and a piece of toast. Rather than have the servants season the eggs for him he did it himself, savoring each bite and ignoring Motoyasu's complaints about how he should live a little.

In a life like his, it paid more to enjoy the little things.

Bruce had finished his breakfast when the real summoning to the king occurred. The four of them were quickly but politely hustled over to the throne room which was now packed with more people. Twelve people stood in front of the king with their armor, weapons, and general disposition informing him that these were the adventurers. For some reason the girls were dressed in less armor than the men but it it hardly phased him. After all, most women in the superhero business seemed to do that for reasons Bruce couldn't fathom.

He remembered Tony once joking when he was drunk, years before he quit, that most of them did it because it was some sort of fetish. Janet slapped him across the face for that.

"Welcome, Heroes." All of them bowed to the king's greeting, though it felt awkward for Bruce. Was it awkward for the others too? "Now as promised we have gathered various brave warriors who will fight the waves with you legendary heroes. Now, future heroes of this country, time to begin your journey! Choose the one you wish to serve!"

The twelve proceeded to walk towards them and began weaving as they lined up behind Motoyasu, Itsuki, and Ren. None of them gave him a second look except for a red-haired woman who gave him a smile and a wave. Aside from her none of them even glanced at him or briefly headed to his direction.

By the end of it, Motoyasu had four party members who in some strange twist of fate were all women, Itsuki had three, and Ren had five.

He had none.

"Well, this is kinda awkward..." Motoyasu muttered as he scratched the back of his head.

Bruce, however, was relieved. No party members meant that he would have less people shadowing him and fewer people who would get hurt when it turned to night.

Everyone else, however, just looked at his situation in astonishment. Some of the adventurers had the decency to look a bit embarrassed with how things played out while other people in the room shot him looks of pity and barely-concealed amusement.

Aultcray looked unsurprised about this turn of events beyond a slightly raised eyebrow and the beginnings of a smile. "I have to admit, I wasn't expecting something like this to happen."

The advisory next to him, however, decided to forgo basic politeness. "Not a single volunteer? Perhaps they think the Shield Hero will fall asleep on the battlefield or ramble about his 'nuclear physics'."

Bruce didn't say anything and watched as a servant whispered something into the king's ear who nodded at the news. If he stayed quiet then perhaps the man would decide that forcing any watchdogs on him was more trouble than it was worth.

"It appears that rumors have been spread among the people." The king motioned to him. "They believe the Shield Hero to be a coward, one that has no knowledge of combat and who only partakes in this quest due to a lack of options."

Okay, the first and third reasons Bruce could understand. The way yesterday's conversation with the king went would make him out to be a coward to the populace who had no knowledge of the Hulk and he had said they didn't have much of a choice with this mission. But...

"How could they have known about you not playing any games?" Motoyasu whispered, just as confused as he was about the rumor.

"I think someone was spying on us, yesterday." Ren glared lightly at the king. "They don't trust us."

"C'mon, you're just being paranoid." Itsuki laughed and shook his head. "I mean, everyone knows that shielders aren't really combatants."

"It's fine." Bruce shrugged. "I'm... not really a person who likes working in groups, anyways."

Oh, he had joined various superhero teams like the Avengers and Defenders. But his time there was always fleeting, his allies laughing but always on edge wondering if he'll be set off and they'll have to battle the Hulk. The Hulk even got sick of the Avengers a couple of missions in when they first formed and left!

"Because of Minecraft, right? Solo-player. I get ya, but still..."

Did they always have to refer to things in terms of some video game? Bruce wasn't even an avid player of Minecraft and they were acting like it was the only thing he did during his free time!

"This is a problem. It would not be wise to send out one of the four Cardinal Heroes without a party." The king looked at the other three and asked, "Would any of you be willing to lend the Shield Hero one of your members?"

Ren shrugged. "I'm comfortable with my party, but I'll be the first to admit I'm also a loner." He glanced back at his party and said, "If any of you can't keep up and slow me down I'll leave you behind." He regarded his new companions in such a cold manner yet it yielded no reactions, nor even a change in expression.

A tad overdramatic in Bruce's opinion, but it still served its purpose. None of Ren's party were willing to leave his side.

Motoyasu piped up next. "Well, to be honest, I'm pretty comfortable with my group. Surprisingly they're even all girls! But in the end, it's really not my decision to make…"

Finally Itsuki decided to add his opinion on the situation. "I agree the follower ratio is uneven and that it would be best to have groups of three each, but if we force it against their will it could be terrible for morale." The two girls behind him furiously nodded in agreement.

"Well, this is going better than I would've hoped!" None of them were interested in joining up with him and it didn't seem like the nobles were about to volunteer.

"Really? Will none of you go with the Shield Hero?" The king sighed and raised his hand. "Very well. I suppose that..."

"Sir Spear Hero!"

Glancing behind Motoyasu he saw it was the red headed woman again. He had a better look at her now that she was closer. She had bright acid green eyes and a fancy blouse with a choker on her neck. Over top of that was leather armor that still left the entirety of the upper part of her chest exposed along with matching leather gauntlets. She had a royal purple skirt with belts strapped over top to support the scabbard for her short sword.

She stepped forward into the forefront and grabbed the attention of everyone in the room. She put on a gentle smile as she placed a hand on her chest.

"Would you allow me travel alongside the Shield Hero?"

"...Shit."

This shocked everyone in the room. Almost everyone. The king strangely didn't react at all to this while Motoyasu was stuttering over his words. "R-Really? Are you sure?"

With all the resolve she could muster she responded with a simple but clear "Yes." She looked to Bruce with a kind smile on her face.

Alarm bells rang off in Bruce's head and he could feel the rumblings of the Hulk. This showy turn of events... the theatrics with bravely volunteering to be with him... it was staged.

This girl was the king's spy.

He needed to find a way to worm out of this. "Are you sure?" He asked before glancing at Motoyasu. "Y-You know I'm a shield...er?" When he received Motoyasu's stiff nod while the man gaped at his former companion, Bruce continued. "I cannot really fight and you'll be doing most of the combat. I don't feel right with that kind of arrangeme-."

"I'm well aware of the risks, Lord Banner." The woman replied in a tone that dripped with determination. "And I, Myne Sophia, accept them wholeheartedly! It would be an honor to fight beside you against the forces of evil!"

"Well, I don't want to deprive Motoyasu of..." The pony-tailed man nudged him and Bruce turned to see the face of a person making a great sacrifice.

"Dude, don't argue with it! If there's a chance for a hot chick like that to fight in your party you take it!" Motoyasu then glanced fearfully at the newly-named Myne. "Not that I don't respect your opinion or anything! If you aren't comfortable with joining Bob's party then you don't have to!"

Bruce could tell that the man was lying through the teeth. He sorely wanted this woman in his party but didn't want to be impolite about it.

It also meant that Bruce had no way of getting himself out of this arrangement.

Sighing, he nodded at Myne. She smiled brightly at him before quickly moving to the invisible line behind him.

The king seemed to be pleased with this turn of fortune to his plans. "Very well. Now, you heroes will be provided funds by us every month to aid your mission. Due to the nature of the Shield Hero's party, he shall receive a slightly higher amount." The man snapped his fingers and four bags were rushed to them by servants on top of velvet pouches. "These shall be your initial funds. Six hundred silver for the Sword, Bow, and Spear Hero while the Shield Hero receives eight hundred. Use them for the equipment you see as necessary!"

With that, they were dismissed and the crowd of nobles were dispersed. As one, Bruce and the others filed in the neighboring hallway in order to get to know their party.

"Sorry about how I acted back there." Myne chuckled slightly in embarrassment. "But, well, nobody was going to volunteer and I just had to make a stand."

"...It's fine." Bruce didn't like this woman hanging over him but he didn't want to be rude either. "You don't have anything to prove with me. And if you're ever uncomfortable with this you can just go back with Motoyasu."

"Trust me, Lord Banner." She was on his side and grabbing his arm. She hugged it tightly against her body and looked up to him with a sly grin. "There's nothing you could do that would make me feel uncomfortable."

"...God, I miss Natasha."

At least the Black Widow knew how to be subtle when she was trying to seduce someone.

His farewells to the other heroes were brief, each of them almost giddy with excitement for their first mission. Bruce supposed that he couldn't blame them. A lot of the young superheroes he met had the same disposition. That odd mix of joy and fear as they set out to put their lives on the line for their fellow man.

When the drawbridge lowered and the gates opened Bruce got his first good look at the kingdom. The architecture of the various buildings and townhouses looked familiar yet so different with its red clay roof tiles, white walls and dark wood accents. The crowds milling around the streets weren't as dense as the ones he knew from the major cities, but it was still pretty crowded.

"So... where do you want to go first?" Myne asked him they stood in the middle of the throng of people. "We've got eight hundred silver pieces to spend on supplies. That can get us plenty with the places I know."

"I'm not used to this adventuring business. Where should we go first?"

Myne hummed for a minute while placing her index finger on her chin. "...The blacksmith is our best bet for weapons and the like. I know a really good place that'll sell us quality goods!"

"Do they sell clothes?"

That made Myne stumble a bit. "B-Basic armor and stuff, yeah. But why would you want to go to a tailor?"

"...I have my reasons." Pants that could stretch was one thing he desperately needed for his trip.

"Alright then, follow me!"

They made their way through the busy market chocked full of merchant stalls and shoppers. He watched as a massive lizard like creature parted through the crowd. It almost looked dragon like with three massive horns protruding from its skull and the vibrant blue and yellow coloring of its scales. "Fascinating. Do horses exist in this world or are these the equivalent of them?" He noticed the young man leading the mount and saw that he had cat ears on his head. "Mutants, too? Or perhaps an offshoot of this world's humanoids. Most of these people do not have natural hair and eye colors so it wouldn't be out of the question."

The trip through the market was rather educational for Bruce. For all its similarities to Middle-Ages Europe and Renaissance-era Italy there were clear differences from his Earth. The fish and some of the vegetables being sold looked completely alien to him. A part of him wondered what they would taste like and guessed he would find out eventually. He noticed a few street performers were out displaying obvious magic, but nothing like the reality-bending feats the likes of Doctor Strange would show. Compared to him these people might as well be performing parlor-tricks.

But there was one thing that was bothering him.

"Why can't I read your language?"

"Huh?" Myne looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean obviously I can understand you and vice-versa. I can even understand Motoyasu and the others despite the fact they are native Japanese speakers. They would be speaking their native language when they first arrived in your world because it would be more convenient." Bruce bit his lip. "Do you know?"

"Can't say..." She didn't seem too enthused about answering this question. "If I remember from the lecture we got yesterday regarding you Heroes, you should've been gifted a skill that allows you to understand languages. Have you checked your status?"

No, he hadn't since yesterday. Grudgingly, Bruce focused on the black dot again to bring it up. Briefly looking through the options he decided to press on the Help button and selected the language option.

ATTENTION:

Your Cardinal weapon will automatically translate any foreign languages to your native one. Vice versa your weapon will also translate your own speech to the listener's own language. HOWEVER any written text cannot be translated for you. You are required to learn any language yourself as apart of the "Language Comprehension" skill.

"Well, that's annoying." So he could understand when people spoke to him but couldn't read it? That was just way too inconvenient! If there was one thing Bruce hated more than the Hulk it was feeling like an idiot. "Any way I could learn it? Like a children't book or something?"

Something flashed across Myne's face. Annoyance mixed with contempt before it smoothed out to simple mirth. "I wouldn't waste your money on that. I mean, eight hundred can buy a lot of equipment!"

"It's a children's book, Myne. It can't be that expensive."

"Alright, alright. We can grab that after we go to the blacksmith." She motioned Bruce to follow. "He's close by here, so it won't take long. Dunno why you want a kid's book, though. I can just read you everything."

"It's the principal of the thing." It was obvious that the woman didn't really like him, but her orders were likely to fulfill any of his wishes until told otherwise.

After a few minutes of walking they eventually made it to a store that had a large sword printed on the sign. Looking to to the shop the sign lead to he could see a smaller one pinned above the entrance that also had some words in the native language engraved on it. "Ta-Da!" Myne looked pleased with herself as she stared at it. "Here's my recommendation. I know the owner and he's one of the best blacksmiths around."

"Alright, then. Lets see what he's got."

They entered the shop and Bruce could see that every square inch of the shop was covered in goods. Various shields hung directly on the wall while several freely standing racks displayed dozens of swords. There were even a few mannequins displaying full sets of armor. It was as if he were in a museum dedicated to the art of war.

"Welcome!"

A voice bellowed from the back of the shop. Turning his gaze from the many weapon racks he found himself staring at who he guessed was the shop owner. Besides a darkly colored beard he was bald and had a very muscular frame. He was wearing nothing but a simple tunic and a leather belt with several pouches and pockets.

"Hey, Myne. Fancy seeing you here." The man nodded at the woman who smiled back at him. "Who's your friend?"

"May I present to you Lord Robert Banner, the Shield Hero." She motioned Bruce to the man. "Go ahead and ask for whatever you want. I'm just going to look around."

"So... you're the Shield Hero, huh?" The man looked Bruce from head to toe. "Gotta say, you don't look like much of a fighter."

"I've been getting that a lot." Bruce admitted with a small smirk. "To be honest I don't even know where to begin with this place."

"Well, you've come to the right shop if you want advice. Bein' the dud of the Heroes you'll need it more than the others." Great, now even blacksmiths were thinking he was the dud among the Heroes. Well at least it confirmed that the citizens weren't aware that he was the Hulk. "And since you're one of them Cardinal Heroes and Myne introduced you I'll give you a discount. Name's Erhard."

"Nice to meet you." They shook hands and Bruce glanced at the sword rack. He didn't need one but Myne likely was expecting him to get her something. "What do you have for basic swords?"

"Well, first I need an idea of what metal you want. We've got iron, magic iron, magic steel, and silver. Iron is rather self explanatory. It's just your basic metal. Magic iron and steel have the benefit of enhancing any spells you happen to be using at the time by a small amount. Obviously magic steel has a higher percentage over magic iron. Silver iron has a small holy buff and is especially useful against wave monsters. No doubt that's going to be a top seller soon enough."

Yeah, he didn't know how to make heads or tails of what would actually be useful. To him they were all just swords. "Hey, Myne? Which one do you want?"

Myne was by his side in an instant. "Oh, Lord Banner! You shouldn't... I mean I have my own equipment and...!"

"Consider it a treat." More like a bribe considering what he was going to ask of her when they left this place.

"Well..." She pointed at the middle one. "That one! If I have to judge it's worth at most two hundred and seventy-five silver."

"It is, but only because I'm being nice to the new customer you brought me." He took it off the rack and asked, "For an added bonus it's treated with Blood Clean. Free of charge, of course."

"What's that?"

"It's a special coating that makes blood and gore slide right off the blade. Keeps it from going dull and makes it so you don't have to manually clean your weapon every time."

Sounded morbid. "That sounds great. Now I would like to talk about armor and the like."

"Okay, shoot."

Now he felt a bit awkward, especially with Myne listening in. "Do you have anything that can... well... stretch with its user."

Erhard blinked as did Myne. "Stretch?"

"Yes, like if the user grew or something would it grow with it?"

Erhard scratched his chin. "Can't say that I have. It's a pretty unusual request... maybe if you ordered it a week in advance I could see what I could cook up but..."

"Why would you want something like that, Lord Banner?"

Bruce sighed. "Forget it. It's not important..." He looked at the armor and asked, "You have anything light and cheap?"

"You're a real miser, you know that?" Bruce guessed that the translator was just reinterpreting the closest equivalent this world had to the term. "Well, if you're not looking for anything heavy I suppose I can give you some chain mail and a leather breastplate... but in exchange can I see your shield? Not everyday a legendary weapon comes into my shop."

Shrugging, Bruce lifted his arm and placed it on the counter. "Sure, but I can't take it off if you want a closer look."

"No, this is fine." The man fished out a monocle and mumbled something. Soon, his eyes widened and he gasped in awe. "Amazing... it looks like an ordinary shield but there's something to it..." The man frowned. "Is it magic? It seems a bit... off..."

"More off than a magical shield?"

"No, that's rather mundane in these parts. There's just something strange but my Appraisal magic can't seem to pin it down..." Shrugging, Erhard put away his monocle. "I'll just chock it up to 'legendary weapon' shenanigans and leave it at that. Keep an eye on that jewel in the center, though. Something's odd about it."

Well, magic was a field of study Bruce never liked to mess with. Too unpredictable and unwieldy.

Too much like gamma...

"You wanna try a weapon before you get fitted for the armor?" The blacksmith motioned to the swords. "Doubt that shield'll be enough for the kind of fights you're gonna get into."

Bruce smiled bitterly at that. "Unfortunately... I'm not the kind of person that can fight. Those weapons would be wasted on me."

Erhard seemed unconvinced but shrugged. "Well, it's your life on the line and your money. Can't say I approve, though."

He expected Myne to voice her own concerns but the woman stayed silent. "Probably thinks that if I get myself killed then it'll be one less problem." He followed the blacksmith to the back where he showed him the leather armor. After a few measurements and a tour through the rather standard clothes the store had to sell for adventurers he was put into a changing room.

Putting on the clothes had a strange affect. His "defense" leveled up from the chain mail and the leather breastplate with the menu cheerfully informing him that light slashes from enemies would be have reduced damage.

"If this is really like those new games the others have been playing then they can keep it."

His outfit was a rather simple one. A pair of purple pants that were tucked into the dark-brown shoes which reached to the middle of his shins. He wore a long-sleeved dark green shirt with the leather breastplate shining in the light. In order to complete the set he chose to wear a pair of dark brown leather gloves. It was a rather cheap set, only two hundred and fifty coins altogether.

Though he would likely lose it come nighttime.

"Excellent outfit, Lord Banner." Myne was holding the sword as Bruce stepped out with the blacksmith.

"Thanks." He turned to Erhard and began giving the man the money for his services.

When he was done the blacksmith grinned. "Well good luck and come again! Maybe by tonight you'll come to your senses and realize you need a sword!"

"Here's hoping." Waving at the man he and Myne left the shop. "Myne, before we head to get the book..."

"Yes, Lord Banner?"

"Well, first off you don't need to call me Lord Banner. Robert will be fine." He didn't feel comfortable being addressed as if he were royalty. The Hulk didn't mind solely because his personalities barely cared. Well, save for the Green Scar but that was opening a whole other can of worms. "And regarding our partnership..."

Myne looked at him, her eyes turning cold and calculating.

"Yes?"

"I just have two rules." He held up his index and middle finger. "One, when the sun begins to set we'll call it a night and head back."

"...Manageable, but we will not encounter many monsters that way."

Well, good because Bruce didn't want to fight monsters all day. He'll leave that to the Hulk and the other Heroes. "And two, you won't go to my room at night."

"E-Excuse you!?” Myne sputtered, her eyes widening in surprise.

Bruce's cheeks reddened. God, he phrased that wrong. "Not like that. I mean... you'll hear some things. Things that might scare you or become concerned for my well being. If you hear that then do not go near it. Ignore it and go back to your room."

Myne was quiet for a few seconds, dissecting his requests in her head with pursed lips. Eventually she nodded. "Very well. I can do that, Robert."

Weird. He expected more protests from her. "Alright then. So long as we're in agreement lets go and get that book.

The two set off with Myne leading the way. She was silent throughout the trip, and Bruce was too preoccupied observing his surroundings to noticed her clenched fists and the snarl on her face.

The book itself was a fairly standard picture book which included the letters of the local alphabet that were under pictures for the reader to make a connection. It was fairly interesting for Bruce to read, partially because throughout his career he never really bothered to learn other languages. Sure he knew Spanish and a smattering of Russian from his time working alongside Igor but for the most part he never tried to learn the languages of his world. This world's standard language seemed rather similar to English, though Bruce was still struggling with it.

"If I were like I was before the arrow, I probably could've figured this out in a day."

Myne had directed them to the gates and Bruce found that, yes, this world did in fact have horses. Myne wanted to take them in order to reach the village that was currently having a monster infestation in its fields but Bruce insisted on walking.

He had spent most of his life walking across the highways of America. He felt far more comfortable on his own two feet than on the back of a horse.

Reluctantly, the woman had agreed but still took one so it could carry any supplies they had.

While they walked with the horse in tow Bruce was trying to figure out his menu. While it was straightforward at points some parts were just confusing. The 'magic' tab was actually crossed out while the equipment section just gave him a run-down on what he had on his person. One tab had caught his eye, which was helpfully 'Persona'. Clicking on it he got two profiles with very short descriptions.

????? Hulk:

Condition: One of two parameters must be unlocked in order for user  Bruce Banner  to access this persona. The user's health must be depleted and nightfall must come, or the user waits until nighttime. Persona will have all skills it or  Bruce Banner  has unlocked since.

'Savage'  Hulk:

Condition: Unknown.

"I guess that confirms it. This Hulk is the new one." He had labeled the Hulk that had the mentality of a child and spoke in the third-person 'Savage Hulk' years ago. The Savage persona was a simple one, all it cared about was being left alone and generally didn't attack others unless provoked or tricked. Unfortunately, the requirement for him to transform with that persona was if he ever got mad.

This new one, though... it was more aggressive. More calculating and determined to get out whenever night came. Bruce could only assume that it was a new persona unlocked from the trauma of his many deaths, which wouldn't be unexpected. He did have Dissociative Identity Disorder, which had been untreated thanks to being undiagnosed for years. A new personality crawling up from the depths of his head which was already home to the likes of Joe Fixit, the 'Guilt' Hulk, and the 'Devil' Hulk persona wasn't out of the question...

The Devil Hulk... that thing still gave him nightmares from time to time. The hissing, reptilian thing chained up which called Bruce its 'darling boy' and beckoned him to come closer. The thing that wanted to end the world and would do it if let loose. A prior experience had informed him the thing was actually just a manifestation created by Nightmare, but he wasn't convinced. It seemed too personal, like something he would create and suppress.

"But my head... if that arrow had pierced my brain... could it have gotten out?"

"Robert? We're here."

Bruce was a bit embarrassed to realize they were at the town entrance and a couple of the guards were coming over to greet them. After the usual pleasantries they mentioned that monsters had infested the fields outside of town and that they would be a good starting point for all of them. It would seem that some of the others had heeded this advice as he could hear Ren and his group fighting, the young boy grunting as his blade impacted against something. The cheers and encouragements of unfamiliar voices carried farther, but likely the young man's party since they shouted his name a lot.

"You ready for our first mission?" Myne asked with a grin. "I'll be providing support, so don't worry too much and just take the lead."

Damn it, he wasn't suited for this. He could lead a research team, sure, but actually having to give someone instructions and be the first to strike wasn't his forte.

They trudged up the hills and Bruce couldn't help but admire the greenery and blue skies. This was a world that hadn't experienced the troubles of the modern age with massive deforestation and pollution. Global Warming isn't even in the horizon yet, meaning that most of what he saw before him was unspoiled by humanity.

That moment of silent admiring was interrupted by... small angry orange orbs?

"Balloon monsters!" Myne helpfully informed him while unsheathing her sword. "Get ready, Robert! They may be small and weak but when they gang up they can be a real handful!"

"Alright." he raised his shield and watched the advancing monsters hop towards him. While it was true he didn't have a weapon, the shield would act as a sufficient blunt object. "Are these really monsters? They're more like cartoons."

When the first jumped towards him and opened its almost cartoonish maw, Bruce smacked it away with his shield. Unsurprisingly, the orange monster just fell a couple of feet away and was shaking itself as if in a daze.

"Huh, this might be easier than I...!"

Searing pain came from his shin. He screamed and looked down to see one of the Ballons biting into his ankle, its maw cutting through the leather and drawing blood.

"Robert!" Myne shouted and ran to his side, stabbing the balloon which burst into a cloud of light that then flowed into his shield.

Orange Balloon defeated!

Orange Balloon Scraps  acquired!

One out of twenty needed to unlock Orange Small Shield!

"What good is that information right now!?" Bruce was kicking and bashing against the balloons which seemed to have it out for him. More were spawning and swarming towards their direction. His attacks weren't doing much and while he defeated some of them the others were slipping through his defenses and gnawing at his body. Myne herself seemed scared and confused at this sudden turn of the battle. "What do I do!?"

Two options entered his head: One, he let these Balloons just chew him until he died. But that would likely result in Myne's death and he wouldn't allow that to happen even if she was the king's spy. Two...

He grabbed Myne's wrist and pulled her away with him. He ignored her protests as he ran down the hill, batting away at the balloons still on him. One of them managed to take a rather big chunk out of his side and it was bleeding all over his pants.

"I don't understand." Myne looked wildly from him to the top of the hill. Now the swarm practically covered the hill as they bounced in their direction. "They swarm at their prey, sure, but they aren't this aggressive! What could've set them off!?"

"They likely sense the Hulk. They want to kill me... him... before he comes out." Shit, what could he do? He didn't have many options and he wasn't a fighter. What on Earth could he...?

Memory hit him. "That Wrath Shield I unlocked..." Going to his menu, Bruce took a chance and selected equipment. The tab labeled Legendary Shield was glowing and when he hit it he saw two shield options: the 'Base' Legendary Shield and 'Curse'.

He didn't like the sound of curse but he selected it anyways.

The next thing he knew was searing pain.

Fire was consuming his limbs, burning his flesh as he fell to his knees on the ground. Myne was shouting something but it was drowned out in the flames and the pulsing of blood in his ears. "Oh God, what's happening to me!?"

OUT.

LET ME OUT.

That voice... was it the Hulk's? His own?

I CAN TAKE THEM. SMASH THEM. MAKE THIS TIME MY TIME AND THEY WILL NEVER HURT YOU AGAIN.

NEVER AGAIN!

"NO!" His vision was being drowned in a sea of green. "No, you can't come out! Not here! I won't let you!"

As if God were listening to his declaration, the flames died away and the green left his vision. He was now staring at the ground, letting out gasps of breath while his sweat dripped off his face.

"W-What was that..." He turned his face to Myne, who was on her backside shaking and looking pale as she stared at him. "What on Earth was that...?"

"I-I..."

"Couldn't say. If I had to guess it was some sort of special ability you unlocked too early."

Bruce turned his head to see Ren standing in front of him sheathing his sword. The hill was now free of monsters and on the top was the young man's party staring at the events from a safe distance.

"Ren...?" Bruce shakily got to his feet and winced at the stinging of his now cauterized wounds. "Did you...?"

"Those were low-level monsters, you know. Even someone in the shield class should've been able to take them with minimum difficulty." Ren regarded him coldly. "If that was too much to handle, I suggest you give up right now. The battles we're going to be in won't be as forgiving and we won't always be around to assist you."

With that, the young man turned and began walking up the hill while leaving Bruce and Myne alone.

"Trust me, kid. You'll need all the help you can get when the Hulk comes out." He stared at his shield whose cold reflection revealed a stoic Hulk. "What the hell are you?"

His inner monster and the shield only offered silence.

"I'm really sorry. I was sure that I packed a healing potion or two."

After the incident, the other three heroes had cleared the fields of monsters and Bruce decided now was a good time to head back. Myne believed it was just so they could restock on supplies but he just wanted to call it a night. He was tired and the sun was still up. A nap was something he sorely needed since he was running almost solely on adrenaline. It also seemed that this country hadn't discovered the magic of coffee beans or its closest equivalent, which was unfortunate.

"Fine. It's fine. I'm just sorry that I couldn't be more helpful back there." Bruce winced and rubbed his side. God, it still stung. He was almost glad that tonight's transformation would make the wound disappear.

"Well I did know the risks when I joined your party." Myne looked at him oddly. "Robert, what was that back there with your shield? It changed form and what I felt..."

He should've expected this. "I have no idea. I had gotten this notification when I accessed my status the first time about a Wrath Shield and thought it would help. Something about a Curse Series..."

Another emotion passed through Myne's face, something he never thought he would see on the girl in such a casual conversation.

Pure, unadulterated fear.

"Myne?"

"Did you say Curse Series?" She whispered out loud. "Are you sure that was what it was?"

"Yes, but... what's so special about it?" He watched as Myne hesitated. Well, this was unusual. "Do you know something?"

"I... cannot say. It's not my place. You would have to talk to the priests and magicians if you want more..."

Something caught Bruce's eye in the alleyway just behind her.

A brute of a man was kicking a young woman with fox ears and a tail, who was dressed only in rags with bruises littering her face. The man had a sick angry scowl on his face as he let out proclamations.

"Bitch! Little demi-human bitch! Did you think you could rob me and I wouldn't notice your stench!?"

Bruce knew that it wasn't his business. That he should just focus on Myne and uncover the mystery of his shield before informing the guards about this incident.

He wasn't one to confront other people. That was the Hulk's job, not his.

"Y'know, it's a funny thing... I'm an orphan, and no one ever did anything for me before... 'cept you, a stranger!"

Rick Jones' words from their first night together made him sigh and circle around Myne. "Hey, Robert! It's not our business!" Myne shouted at him but followed just a step behind.

He entered the alley and coughed, bringing the man's attention to him. "Okay, that's enough."

"Who the hell are you?" The man shouted before looking down. "Wait a sec... you're the Shield Hero?"

The woman was looking at him with blackened and puffed eyes.

"That's right." He motioned to the woman. "I heard you say that she stole from you. Don't you think that beating her is a bit excessive?"

The man sneered. "HA!" He stomped over to Bruce and poked at his chest. "Shows what you know! Those demi-humans aren't worth the shit on the bottom of my shoe! I have the right to do to her whatever I see fit since I caught her stealing my goods! Law's on my side, so what the hell are you going to do about it!?"

"I guess some things never change." Bruce muttered bitterly to himself. He nodded to the woman. "Get out of here. I'll deal with this."

"T-Thank you, Shield Hero." As quickly as she could, the woman got to her feet and ran away.

"Hey! Get back here!"

Bruce put his arm on the man's shoulder. "Look, just take it easy and..."

It was a blur from Bruce's perspective. The man reached to his belt and unhooked something before thrusting it into Bruce. The next thing he knew he felt something cold enter his throat before the red-hot pain filled him. He tried to breath but couldn't. Blood was filling his lungs and he was stumbling to the wall.

"Oh shit." The man breathed out, looking from Bruce to his hand and back again. "What did I...? Fuck!" He looked sick as he passed by Myne, who was staring at Bruce with an unreadable expression.

"H-H-H...!" He reached out to Myne, hoping that she would do something. Call for help! A magician to heal his wound! Anything!

Instead, a small smile graced her lips.

"Well, that actually went better than I could've hoped." She sauntered towards him and went on her knees by his side. She took his right hand and gently led it to the handle of the dagger. "This almost makes up for the Balloons swarming me and having to degrade myself being led around by you."

"M-M-M..." Shit, she was seeing this as an opportunity to get rid of him! The king must've given her orders to just let him die if the opportunity came! They didn't know about the Hulk's current status!

"If we're being honest, and now's the best time for honesty, the original plan was for me to cry rape tomorrow and publicly humiliate you. Strip you of your very dignity and laugh as the entire kingdom and your fellow heroes turned against you." Slowly, she made his fingers wrap around the handle. "But this works out so much better."

He tried to push away his hand and fight Myne, but she was strong.

"Oh don't be such a baby, Robert."

She had him grip the knife and slowly pulled it out of his throat.

"It'll all be over soon."

Darkness settled into his vision as he began choking on his blood. Some of it splattered against Myne what the rest began to drip down and soak his shirt. As if he were watching and listening from down a long hallway, he watched as Myne hyperventilated while tears formed in the corners of her eyes and and her face morphed into the perfect picture of despair.

"HELP! HELP! THE HERO...! THE SHIELD HERO IS... IS...!"

Then, everything went black.

And it would remain that way until he saw the Green Door cracking open like an unholy beacon.

"This is so screwed up." Kitamura muttered as he and Kawasumi sat to Ren's sides.

When they had returned to the castle after their little level-grind mission they were informed that Banner had died. The story was that he spotted a demi-human being viciously beaten by a bread-vendor for stealing. Unaware of the kingdom's laws against theft, the Shield Hero had gone over to try and diffuse the situation. The man was obviously on his last bit of health and didn't have in mind to heal up as soon as he completed the mission, so one stab and pulling the knife out did him in.

It was scarily efficient how the king was able to set up a funeral for Banner. Servants cleaned them up and rushed them into the main hall where Banner's body was laid on a golden slab with a sheet covering him and gemstones weighing it down. Nobles and their fellow party-members cried while the king and Banner's traveling companion gave eulogies about his bravery and how he was taken from them before he could truly rise.

Ren, Kitamura, and Kawasumi didn't shed a tear.

He could guess that it was the shock still settling into them. After all, none of them expected to encounter real death so soon in their journey. Didn't it take longer for this kind of thing to happen in stories and games like this? Shouldn't they have gotten to know Banner a bit more?

"Tell me about it. I figured that his shield would have enough defense for just a stab even with low health." Kawasumi shuddered. "And the body just stays there? It's not dissipating?"

"I don't think this is that kind of Isekai world, dude."

Ren remembered his death quite vividly. Tackling that man who broke into the school when his legs acted on their own, trying his damndest to shove the psychotic away from Ryotaro only to feel the knife going through his chest. Everything stung and burned when his heart was pierced and for some reason he had tried to take the knife out. He had screamed so much as the blade scraped against his broken ribs...

"And that's what Banner had to experience."

Now he felt guilty for his jealousy last night. His bitter thoughts about how the older man didn't have to experience death in order to enter the game now seemed so small and petty.

Well, he was experiencing it now and there were no do-overs this time.

"It's almost unreal, you know." Kawasumi looked up to the richly-painted ceiling. "Sure, he was the shield class but Banner-san shouldn't have died. This isn't how things are supposed to go..."

"Over an NPC of all things..." Ren muttered bitterly.

"Huh?" Both of his fellow heroes turned to him.

"We need to use this as an example. This world isn't playing around and we cannot afford to get careless." Ren nodded to the slab that contained Banner. "He wasn't cut out for this world. He didn't understand how it worked and that's what did him in. We're not like him. We need to keep getting stronger no matter what or we're all dead."

Kitamura scratched the back of his head. "That's kinda cold."

"It's the truth." It wasn't that he blamed Banner for his own death. The man just wasn't a gamer and this world pulled no punches for people like that. He was also grieving for the scientist, even if he didn't know the guy well. But he would do it his own way.

Kawasumi sighed. "Well, at least he died trying to do the right thing. I guess we have to look at it like that."

Kitamura nodded before noticing something. "Hey guys, I'll see you later. I gotta go and do something."

They watched the pony-tailed man as he walked over to the sole-member of Banner's party who was sobbing into a handkerchief in her seat. He said something to her before embracing the woman in a hug, who cried all the harder.

"We all grieve in our special little ways."

Malty Melromarc, known to the adventurers and outsiders as Myne Sophia, laid in bed sipping on a glass of wine from her mother's personal collection.

"And with that, my side of the bargain has been fulfilled." She took another sip. "Now lets see what the Church will do."

It had been so easy to fool idiots like Motoyasu with her tears. Honestly, if there was an award for acting she likely would've won it by now. She had been the picture-perfect representation of a shocked and heartbroken party member who bonded with her leader in a short time, only for the man to be cut cruelly down by fate.

She chuckled to herself. That display had been a cakewalk. All her life she wore masks to get what she wanted. The dutiful but loving daughter, the stern older sister, the savvy political genius, the wet-behind-her-ears adventurer, the kind mistress, the sadistic punisher of evildoers...

Well, that last part wasn't hard to fake.

"After all, evil is whatever the kingdom declares it to be."

The Shield Hero's death was unexpected but welcome. The sooner she was able to deal with him the better. Not that she would've minded crying rape and breaking that sad, thin man's spirit down publicly.

There was many things she had in her character. Shame was not one of them.

In the end, how it was done didn't matter. The Church wanted the Shield Hero gone and so she did it. His killer wasn't going to be searched for. If anything the man did a public service! And now her position with the most gullible of the Heroes was secure, her path to the throne all the clearer, and the Shield Hero was dead.

God, that made her shiver in satisfaction.

She had been disgusted with the man the first time she saw him. He was shabby, bags under his eyes and pale as a corpse. The man was a coward, but an observant one who knew that she was there on behalf of her father. She had been worried when he asked her to not visit him room, thinking that Banner had somehow deduced her plan of action, but it was just the man's paranoia about the night showing itself.

"Killing him was surprisingly simple." Malty hummed to herself while finishing off her glass. "A quick tug with the knife was all it took. What frail things human bodies are."

She looked forward to when the other heroes stopped visiting the man's grave. Her father already made plans for it to be dug up at as soon as possible so they could throw the body in a river somewhere.

"More than the devil deserves." was how her father phrased it.

Suddenly, everything shook. Malty screamed as her glass fell to the floor and shattered. "An earthquake!? All the way out here?"

The rumbling did not stop and instead it grew harder in intensity. She heard a knocking on the door and throwing on her nightgown she rushed over to open it. Motoyasu was in front of it flanked by the other whores of his party and several guards. "Myne, you okay!?"

"I-I'm fine!" She peeked outside. "What's going on?"

Motoyasu's expression changed to one of pain. "I don't have a clue. Ren and Itsuki went over to investigate with their parties but they haven't come back. I was thinking we go over to help them out."

She wanted to tell him to go to hell and shut the door in his face, but that would flush so much hard work down the drain. Instead she nodded and closed the door to get changed. Once she was back in her adventurer clothes she opened it and followed the group down the hall.

"Stay behind us." Motoyasu warned. "I know you're not a hundred percent after Bob's death so it's best if you just acted as back support."

"Understood." Well, at least it meant these morons would die before she did.

She could hear the sounds of battle from the throne room past the door. She heard screams and shots of magic being flung around by experienced adventurers alongside the Sword and Bow Hero. She could distinctly smell something burning... was it flesh? No, it smelled almost acidic and...

Malty watched as the wall exploded, blinding them all with a cloud of debris.

She could see a massive figure approaching them, its arms covered with green flames as something hung off its right.

Motoyasu charged forward, spear drawn back and ready to strike.

A massive fist decked him first and she could only watch as his body sailed overhead.

Malty heard screams from the other women in the party as something grabbed them and pulled them further into the cloud. "PROTECT PRINCESS MALTY!" The guards shouted and charged.

"What the hell is that!?" Not one to waste an opportunity, Malty turned on her heel and ran away. The cloud was fading but she could see this creature, whatever it was, throwing a guard into the air and go through the ceiling. "Did it... did it beat Ren and Itsuki!? No, that's impossible! Nothing can defeat two legendary heroes like that! Not unless it were part of the Waves!"

She reached Motoyasu who was trying to get up. "Get up! Get up you fool, or we're both dead!" She hissed while helping the man to his feet.

The pony-tailed hero seemed to be in a daze and she cursed at the trickle of blood coming from his temple. "A concussion. Isn't that just perfect."

"M-Myne?" Motoyasu mumbled, his eyes swirling in his sockets while trying to get back his bearings. "You're a princess...?"

"Yes, but now's not the time for that!" Myne pointed to the rapidly disappearing cloud

That seemed to sober Motoyasu up. "Myne, go to your room and stay there. Don't come out unless I'm the one to knock."

She wouldn't argue with that, but she had an image to maintain. "What about you?"

"I'm just going to kill the monster and be the hero." The man gripped his spear. "That's what heroes d-."

Suddenly, two massive green arms shot out from the wall. They were as thick as tree-trunks and rippling with muscle, blood trickling down them like little streams as they grabbed Motoyasu. The man barely had time to scream as he was pulled into the darkness.

Not wasting any time, Malty ran into her room and shut the door behind her.

She felt the vibrations and listened to the battle. She couldn't make out what the Spear Hero was saying but she could hear the sound of metal clashing against metal, something piercing flesh, and the breaking of stone which shook the entire room.

Eventually, she heard one shout from Motoyasu as clear as if he were speaking right in front of her.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YO-!?"

Malty felt her her blood turn cold when Motoyasu's scream was silenced.

"Is he dead?" No, that was impossible! Whatever this monster was, it could not stand against the combined might of three Heroes! "They aren't that fucking useless! The Waves haven't even started yet!"

No, it had to be a trick! The other two must've shut that idiot up and were planning their next move. Itsuki and Ren weren't as idiotic as Motoyasu. They could plan! They could be stealthy!

So why hadn't she heard anything?

Carefully, Malty began to open the door and peered outside.

The hallway to her right in shambles. The holes littered the ground and ceiling, giant craters of broken marble and stone that let moonlight seep in from the ceiling and gaping maws of darkness from the walls below. The wall where those massive green arms swept up the Hero of the Spear was yawning from the wind, beckoning to her to come and take a look...

"Father? Where's father and the guards!?" She could hear nothing. The castle had become as silent as the grave. "I have to get out of here..." Her father had his own retainers to care for him and she couldn't give less of a shit about the knights or servants. "I'll go into town and rally the common folk and guards to hunt this beast down. I'll stay in one of the underground bunkers coordinating the search as the full force of Melromarc descends onto this... this thing!"

She couldn't run away. If she did then the Church would lose faith in her and when her mother got the news she would begin poking and prodding. Her mother would ask questions like how the hell did the Shield Hero die on his first day and why did people see Malty in his party. The dominoes would fall and she would lose her chance at getting the crown to her bitch of a sister!

A firm plan of action in mind, Malty turned...

"So, you're the princess?"

Malty saw the giant green monster in front of her, massive and looming over her with its left hand on the ground while the right was raised and aimed at her. Now that she got a good look at it, the thing looked distinctly like a man. His emerald green skin seemed to accentuate the hard and rippling muscles that seemed ready to act on its every whim. Its hair was a darker shade of green, waving slightly in the air. It didn't wear any gear besides a pair of stretched and torn pants, which miraculously managed to stay on despite looking like they could burst at any second.

But that wasn't the thing that made Malty's blood freeze and begin hyperventilating.

Its eyes were a light shade of green, glowing in the darkness as they bored into her. Those pools seemed to be staring at her, through her and peering into the depths of her soul.

On his right arm was a shield, huge and menacing looking. It was stylized with green markings and black highlights that made it appear as if the shield were made of flames. In the center was a green, reptilian eye that kept looking at her!

Oh god, why was it looking at her?

"T-That shield! No... No it can't be! He's dead! He's fucking dead and that weakling could never... he never...!"

"Why?" The beast asked her, its voice almost like the growl of an unholy demon.

"I-I..." Malty was already beginning to back into her room. The beast was following her, unperturbed by her actions. "I... For the good of the kingdom...!"

"For the good of the kingdom..." The beast was repeating her words, tasting them and finding them amusing. "Please. Do you wanna know how I found you? How I'll keep finding you even if you manage to run away?"

To Malty's horror, it plowed through the wall as if it were nothing. Debris and marble stone fell past its body as if it were water. She could see in the moonlight it was bleeding, but it was undisturbed by this and the green streams of liquid dripped onto the floor.

It grinned, showing a maw of straight and pearl-white teeth. Each as big as her fist...!

"It's because ever since you learned how to speak... you've been lying, 'Myne'. To those idiots, your coward of a father, your subjects... you've been lying to everyone but yourself. And I can smell a liar."

No... no! It had to be lying! Nobody could smell lies! It had to be magic of some sort! This beast knew magic and nothing more!

"But those eyes...!"

"Come on, lets be honest with each other. It's just you... and me. Backup isn't going to be coming for a good while. I've made sure of that." It took another step and Malty realized that she had fallen onto the floor. "Haven't you ever wondered what it would like to be honest? To finally throw away all the masks and just show the world what you really are?"

"I-I..." She was dead. This thing was going to kill her! It was playing her and... "T-The Church! The Church of the Three Heroes promised... they promised...!"

"Lemme guess, they promised you power right? The throne when daddy dearest and mommy finally croaked, and all you had to do was off Banner?"

Why was it talking as if it and the Shield Hero were two different people!?

"I-I deserve it!" The words came out of her mouth before she could do anything about it. "My mother and Melty are too soft! Their actions do nothing to help the kingdom, giving so much to the rabble and demi-humans! My father... he's a weak and posturing old man! Under my rule... under..." Why? Why was she crawling away like a pathetic weakling!? "Please! I-If there was another way to secure my rule...! We would've never summoned you Heroes! T-The Shield Hero wouldn't have died and...!"

The thing raised its hand and wagged its finger.

"Tsk-tsk your highness... I thought we were being honest with each other." Its steps shook the ground and Mary found herself crying in freight. "You see everyone around you as pawns, disposable for your rise to power and amusement. Your own family isn't even exempt from this. All they are is just slightly more useful. After spending so much time trampling and spitting on your lessers... did you not think the bill would come due?"

"P-Please!" She was now on her knees, blubbering with her hands clasped in prayer. "I promise that I will lead a better life! Y-You made your point...! I-I'm sorry! I-I'm sorry for letting the Shield Hero die! J-Just don't kill me!"

The beast chuckled at her pleas.

"Sorry, Princess. You made your bed..." It reached out to her with both of its hands, its eyes glowing ever brighter in that sickly green while its teeth seemed to glow in the moonlight. "Time for you to lie in it."

Princess Malty Melromarc barely had time to scream.

"I didn't know she was your daughter." Motoyasu told King Aultcray, who stared at Myne's... Princess Malty's... form.

The red-haired woman he had tried to comfort after Bob's death was on top of her bed wrapped in bandages.

That monster had done a number on her. The kingdom's best healers did what they could and reported the damage as it was discovered. A collapsed lung, internal bleeding, and just about every bone in her body either broken or crushed. She was unresponsive, and Motoyasu had enough sense to realize they were saying she was in a coma.

The potions they were dripping into her open mouth would heal most of the damage, but mending the bones would take time and the scars would never go away.

"Damn it... damn that thing...!" Motoyasu gripped his spear tighter with his left hand. His right arm was still mending and was in a sling. In comparison to Malty, he and the others had gotten off lightly. Just a few broken bones and some bruises.

It was as if it had singled her out.

"I know, Lord Motoyasu. I know." The king sighed and Motoyasu could see the man's true age at that moment. All the despair of seeing his daughter in that state was doing a number on him. "I do not blame you for being enamored by her. Many a men were."

"Then why...?"

"She wanted to become an adventurer, to aid the fight against the waves and fight alongside you heroes." The king then sneered. "Just her luck that she chose to be with the Shield Hero. If she were with you, then...!"

Motoyasu allowed the man to vent. The guy was upset and looking for someone to blame. It made him sick that it was Bob, but hey what could you do. He was never good with handling raw emotional situations like this.

It was how he ended up in this world in the first place.

"Swear to me, Lord Motoyasu." The king said coldly, wiping away his tears. "Promise me that you'll hunt his beast down... and end its miserable life. I want its head brought to me on the tip of your spear! Oh, Malty... My sweet, sweet daughter..."

"Yeah, I promise." 

With that, Motoyasu exited to room to be greeted by Ren and Itsuki. They didn't look so hot themselves with Itsuki on crutches as his right leg mended in a cast while the right side of Ren's face remained bruised.

"How's he handling things?" Ren asked Motoyasu, who only grunted.

"He told me to bring the monster's head on my spear, so you tell me."

"What was that thing?" Itsuki asked them quietly. "That beast... it was no monster from a game. Such a high-level creature... its speed and strength stats were off the charts!"

"Not only that, but its weapon." Ren looked Motoyasu directly in the eyes. "It was on fire but I saw it. It was a shield."

Motoyasu would be the first to admit he wasn't a smart guy. He was a doer, not a thinker. But that little tidbit was enough for him to get what the teenager was implying. "Come on, no way. You're crazy."

"The way that shield was shaped... it was similar to the one Banner used on the fields against the Balloons. It can't just be a coincidence."

"Come on, Ren-san." Itsuki laughed. "Banner's dead. We saw his body and everything!"

"Yeah, and there's no way in hell Banner was alive and he just sat in his coffin six feet under waiting for us to go to sleep! And next you'll say that in the moonlight he transformed into that monster like a freakin' werewolf before bursting out!" Motoyasu scoffed. "You've watched way too many horror movies."

"I never said he wasn't dead."

That made Motoyasu's blood run cold and he could see Itsuki grow pale.

Ren, however, just glared out the window. "We're all from different worlds. We've confirmed that two days ago with Banner. But we forgot to ask one important question."

"Yeah, and what's that?"

Ren's hands clenched into fists.

"Was he a human?"

"What nonsense are you spewing!?" Aultcray roared to the guard as the man led him down to the Shield Hero's grave. "A body does not just dig itself out and walk away!"

"I-It's the truth, your majesty!" They reached the hallway and stamped down it. "The guard came out to check on the gate to find a possible entry point for the monster that attacked last night, but he found the Shield Hero's grave dug up! We don't know how it happened!"

Aultcray growled. Nothing was going right today. He had spent all of yesterday in a fog of satisfaction, piss-drunk after the funeral in celebration for the Shield Devil's death. His sister was now properly avenged and all was right in the world. He was actually glad that his daughter wouldn't have to debase herself by saying that thing wearing human skin had raped her. He even commended her ingenuity when she told him all that she had done was remove the knife stabbed through his throat.

But then they were attacked by that monster that had practically killed his daughter! She was now lying in bed with a broken body and her mind a prison, unable to say or do anything!

Not only that, the monster had beaten three of the Cardinal Heroes before leaping off into the night. Sightings were being reported every moment by scared nobles and commoners, and news had reached his ears that a bread salesman was found broken and bloodied inside his own shop. The beast had even decided to attack slave traders before destroying a portion of the kingdom's walls, allowing the demi-humans to escape into the night!

"This is a nightmare." Aultcray wiped his brow with a handkerchief. He had sent a messenger out to tell his wife, the Queen, and his youngest daughter the news about Malty's condition. They would likely drop their negotiations with the neighboring countries and return demanding an explanation. He would be forced to try and hide his plans with the Church to eliminate the Shield Devil, but his wife would find out and he would be punished severely. Everything was going wrong... and it could all be traced back to the Shield Devil! "Damn him! Damn his rotten soul!"

He and the guard went through the gate and the king gaped at what he saw.

Within the small garden they had buried the Shield Devil's body, strictly for the benefit of the other heroes, was a massive crater of upturned earth. The tombstone that was chiseled for Robert Banner was smashed into pieces, scattered into the flowerbeds that circled the garden.

"We don't know what happened, your majesty." The guard explained as Aultcray circled around it. "We couldn't find any fresh footprints. There's no sign of tools or magic being used to dig it up... it's like something came from the depths of hell itself!"

Yes, he could see it. It had been years since Aultcray had been a hero and he was fat from the luxuries of being the king, but he still retained the eyes of a warrior. He could see that whatever had dug up the hole... it came from within the ground.

And there was the matter of the Shield Devil's coffin.

It was empty, with no signs of struggle from within. Instead the sides were splinters as if something had grown from within. An image came to Aultcray's mind of this thing punching its way of the coffin as it grew too big for its confinements.

"By the gods..."

Just what had they summoned?

Was Robert Banner truly a man...?

Is he a monster...?

Chapter 2: ...Or Is He Both?\

Chapter Text

"We and you too, you most of all, dear boy, will have to pass through the bitter water before we reach the sweet."

― Bram Stoker, Dracula

Raphtalia coughed as she trudged through the forest, the stones and twigs poking and prodding her feet and the bare skin of her legs.

"Farther. I have to go farther."

Her marking in the middle of her collarbone pulsed with every step she took, guiding her to lands that were unfamiliar to her. She had only seen the forest through the slots of the caravan that brought her inside the city walls. The trees were lush and green, but further in were fallen branches and trunks that made them seem like bony hands. They beckoned her to go further into the darkness.

Into a land of monsters.

She shivered while clutching the egg she held with both her hands closer to her chest. It was stupid, really. It was the only thing she had brought along with her while making her escape through the hole in the wall. She could've gotten anything from that blacksmith shop the rest of the demi-humans ransacked, albeit politely by their savior's demand. Instead, she took one of the many eggs that her former trader had kept. She didn't know its importance, but it had the markings of a Slave Crest so she took it while the rest just followed the giant out of their torn cages and past the broken body of the trader into the city streets.

"D-Do you think we're safe, yet?" Raphtalia asked the egg only to receive no reply. "I hope so... I don't want to see any monsters."

No, monsters were big and terrifying. Things of many shapes resembling creatures she knew but worse. Claws and teeth that gnashed and tore, that spilled bellies and...

...the blood... so much blood, red and dark to the point that it was almost black. The screaming that followed as Mommy and Daddy...!

Raphtalia stopped and began to hyperventilate. She felt numb and cold, the memory consuming everything. Her town destroyed by the Waves, the monsters killing her parents, falling down the cliff as that... that thing bit off Daddy's head and made it squirt blood all over her...

She began to cry, tears streaming down her cheeks while clutching the egg tighter.

"Why? Why does the world need to be so cruel?" She sobbed out while collapsing on her back. She didn't even mind that a branch had cut her foot. She just wanted to lay down and cry. To not do anything but stay on the ground and looking at the clear and beautiful morning sky through the tree leaves. "I don't... I don't understand..."

"What you do now is your choice. Go on, get outta here."

Her savior's words came to her head and stopped the sobbing. She hiccuped and looked down at the egg. It was unbroken, but she needed to be more careful with it.

It was her only friend right now.

The sun glinting off her shackles hit her eyes and made Raphtalia wince. These things were cold and reminded her of days she would rather forget.

The nights going hungry, coughing in a steel cage as her trader would show her to people only for them to pass her by.

The days just sitting there, hearing only the screams, curses, and pleadings of her fellow slaves.

The beatings and insults, the slanders against herself and her people while the humans laughed at her misfortune.

Of her time with the hands and the masters, groping and petting her while their teeth sunk into her flesh...!

Something bubbled within her. Her mark began to pulse as she set the egg down and took note of the fact she was by a riverbed. There were plenty of rocks inside and a giant bolder sat at the edge. She walked towards it and felt the cool water run over her legs and she picked up a rock the size of her fist.

Oddly, it didn't seem all that heavy.

Walking towards the bolder her breathing grew harder. Her head seemed to throb and she ground her teeth.

"Never let them do this again. Ya hear me? If those puny humans ever get their hands on you and start talking all that crap, wanting to bind you in chains..."

"Smash them."

Raphtalia set her right wrist on top of the bolder and clenched the rock with her left hand. Bringing it back, she smashed against the iron shackle.

"Smash."

The image of the trader entered her head, reminding her time and time again how she didn't have long.

"Smash."

Her former master came next, and his tortures made the pain going through her wrists and hand seem like nothing. She didn't even care about how her head felt like it was being split apart.

"Smash!"

The three-headed Wave monster with its fangs and horns, slowly approaching her and her parents at the edge of the cliff.

"SMASH!"

The mark of emerald blood that her savior had put on Raphtalia, erasing her Crest and granting her the freedom she had not experienced since those quiet days with her parents, was now screaming. On the edges of her vision she saw emerald green swimming as she brought the rock down again on her shackle, a tiny crack beginning to form.

And she remembered last night when the Shield Hero saved her.

"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch the moment I get out."

"You've been saying that for weeks. Quit kidding yourself."

"I would if I could!"

"SHUT UP! Some of us are trying to sleep here!"

"You may be willing to throw away your pride as a demi-human, but I will not!"

"Hey, fuck you!"

Raphtalia coughed hard within her cage, the chains of the shackles around her wrists and neck clinking in the cold darkness of the "troublesome" demi-human section of the tent. The air smelled distinctly of sweat and urine, the clean-up time still some time away. Raphtalia could not tell if hours have passed since or minutes, but the trader made it a point to not make the place unbearably filthy.

Nobody wanted to purchase a slave covered in their own filth.

Her muscles ached and it felt like something was stabbing into her lungs with each cough she made. Her former master had done a number on her, to the point that the trader had said she was "damaged goods" and "cheap" in front of her as he showed around new buyers. They took one look at her and agreed.

It scared her. Some nights she would stay up and curl into a ball, shivering at the thought that soon she would be dead. Dead just like Mommy, Daddy, and Rifana. So many people dead and the blood that flowed when it happened. The stench and the color draining from their skin and eyes as their souls left this world to the gods.

She prayed sometimes, but not that often. Her former master discouraged it and the slaves around her laughed.

They told her if the gods really existed then they wouldn't have stuck her in here.

She never saw the demi-humans around her for long. Sometimes they were sold, sometimes they just died in their cells, and sometimes they committed suicide. Their trader just clicked his tongue whenever that happened as two of his assistants dragged away the body, muttering about a loss of an investment.

Raphtalia rarely spoke. But she wasn't like the ones here who had been reduced to snarls and barks. She hadn't become the animal most humans considered her to be.

The only time she spoke was when someone was talking to her, and even that was painful.

"I want to go home..." That thought made tears run down her cheeks.

There wasn't a home to go back to. The Waves and its monsters took that away from her.

"My, my. So rowdy."

Raptalia glanced up to see the trader, the fat and short man wearing a tuxedo with a red bowtie. His vest was purple which matched the feathered collar he wore. His mustache barely twitched as he smiled, his perfect teeth matching the glint of his glasses in the firelight.

"Though I suppose that is what makes you so attractive to adventurers and those of a... less savory disposition." He sighed and shook his head. "Never understood the sadists. So much money wasted to do something that they could so with a captured animal or insect."

Her fellow demi-humans didn't express their hatred in words she could understand. Most of them reverted to animalstic barks and snarls while some shouted curses in tongues.

But they all hated him.

Even she hated him, but her fear was greater. This was the man who will sell her to the next master, bound to be just as cruel if not crueler than Idol Rabier and he would do it with a smile.

The trader sighed as he looked over them. "I'm afraid that tonight will be a slow one, my dear slaves. It appears that my assured sale and commission will be for naught, as the Shield Hero is dead."

Raphtalia stared at him in horror.

"No, he's lying. He can't be... the Shield Hero can't be...!"

"LIAR!" The lizardman in the cage across from her shouted. "The Shield Hero cannot be dead!"

"You're not going to break our spirits anymore by telling us stupid shit like this!" A kitsune growled, bearing his fangs in anger. "If I didn't have these chains on me I would rip out your fucking heart for this blasphemy!"

"I would tear out your throat! Make it a really slow one and watch as the life drains from your eyes!" The werewolf further off from their location howled. "Just you wait, Beloukas! I'll do it the moment I'm free!"

"Please, settle down!" He raised his hand to make his two assistants back off from torturing the werewolf for his disrespect. "Let me assure you there is none more disappointed about this news than I! I was meant to sell the man one of you fine demi-humans to him by the order of the Queen herself! Perhaps with a nice bit of extra coin with a commission added to the Shield Hero's fee. But, alas, it was not meant to be." He sighed dramatically. "Such a shame, really. In this fine kingdom any of your would make for fine party members."

"He's not lying." If there was one thing she knew about her trader, it was that he valued money as his god. To him, a loss of money was no laughing matter. "He's... he's telling the truth..."

The Shield Hero, the legendary hero meant to stand tall to the Waves and savior to demi-humans, was really dead.

Raphtalia couldn't help it. She began to sob.

It hurt, and she was coughing while it happened, but she couldn't stop. Her wails were mixed with those of her fellow demi-humans who understood that the man they all hated was telling the truth.

The hero she thought would come and rescue her, the one she prayed to in her nights at Idol's residence with Rifana and here to come and rescue them all. To make those who enslaved and tortured them pay and whisk her off to some place without pain was now dead.

Dead like her parents. Dead like her friends.

Dead. Dead. Dead.

She looked up at her trader and allowed for a blasphemous thought to enter her head.

"Gods, please... make this man suffer for what he has done to us."

Everything happened so fast.

Something crashed through the roof of the tent, tearing cloth and slamming into the ground which spread dust and debris into the air. Raphtalia shielded her eyes as she heard the shouts of her fellow slaves and the muffled screams of her trader's assistants. She lowered her arms in time to see the two flung into the over the shoulder of the intruder.

Even she had to admit he looked terrifying.

It was a hulking... creature... that looked like a human but certainly wasn't one. Heavily muscled and green-skinned with a matching head of dark green hair. It was bleeding emerald which glinted in the moonlight, but what stood out more were the piercing green eyes that glowed brighter than the moon itself.

But what stood out the most was what was attached to its right arm.

A silver shield with an emerald gem at the center.

"W-Wh...!?" The trader was at a loss for words as he fell on his butt, staring at the creature.

"Hrm." The creature took one look around and sneered. "Thought I smelled something rotten around here." he turned his attention to the trader and grinned. "So tell me... what's it like treating people just like you as if they were less than animals?"

"I-I... This is a legitimate business!" The man was babbling as he pointed at the creature. "Y-You have no right to judge me!"

The creature leaned down, sniffed the air, and somehow his grin grew wider. "Ah... I see. You're one of those people, right? Can't see others as anything but walking sacks of money that flow directly into your pocket." Almost as quick as lightning, it put its hands over the trader's head while his massive thumbs floated over the man's eyes. "Lets fix that."

"Wait, do-!"

The creature... no... their savior... thrust his thumbs forward and she heard her trader scream as something cracked and crimson liquid shot onto his arms. The demi-humans howled and cheered in triumph. She shivered at the sight, the blood coming out of the spots where the trader's eyes once were...

The blood... by the gods the blood as he screamed and clutched his face. Mommy was crying by Daddy's side before the monster crushed her spine in its jaws...!

Their savior flicked the trader away with his massive right hand, sending him careening into a support beam before the man landed in a meaty thud, broken and unconscious.

"That shield...!"

"It's the Shield Hero!"

"I knew that fucker was lying!"

"Shield Hero! You've risen from the grave to save your chosen people!"

"I don't give a damn if you're the Shield Hero or the devil itself! Just get me the fuck out of this cage!"

The demi-humans continued to cheer and hurl curses at their broken trader's body, spitting in his general direction before clasping their hands in prayer towards the Shield Hero's direction. He, however, seemed to be focused on her and frowned at the sight.

He went on one knee and reached towards the bars. She wanted to smile at him, but her eyes kept looking back at his hands that were stained in blood.

She couldn't help it. She began screaming.

It was a wail from the depths of Raphtalia's soul as the Shield Hero parted the bars as if they were made of paper and reached out to her. The image of the hand transformed to that of the snarling, gaping maw of the monster. It had come for her after feasting on Mommy and Daddy's bodies and drunk on their blood. Coming for her! Coming to get her and finish the job that they had started...!

"Hold still, kid."

Something dug into the flesh of her collarbone and she hissed in pain, bringing Raphtalia back into reality to see that the Shield Hero had snapped the shackle on her neck. It was bleeding now, just above her crest while her savior winced. "Told you to keep still." He reached with his index finger to her wound as a dollop of emerald blood rolled off the tip and landed on her wound.

It burned and she hissed in pain as it rolled down and...

Her crest glowed green, shining brightly and pulsating. In her shock she began to wipe at it, but the blood smeared on her skin and glowed as it dried. Tried as she might it would not come off.

"I... I can't feel it...!" She looked at her savior who had raised one of his massive eyebrows. "My crest... it's gone...!" Even her coughing had subsided! This was... this was like something from the fairy tails Mommy and Daddy told her! She began to cry and muttered, "Thank you... thank you...!"

The Shield Hero brought back his arm and looked at his blood in wonder. "That's new... never thought letting those idiots wail on me and cut me up a bit would do this. Hell, thought the cuts would've healed by now. Guess wounds left by Legendary Weapons take a bit longer than others..."

He fought the other Cardinal Heroes for their freedom!? And won!?

"Look! The Shield Hero's blood liberates us!" One of the demi-humans screamed. "It's a sign!"

"Holy shit!"

"It's a miracle! A sign from the gods!"

"Oh Shield Hero! Please free us!"

"You're the only one that can!"

"Shield Hero, our lord and savior, please...!"

"Quit callin' me Shield Hero. That's just what those idiots called Banner back at the castle before they killed him." The Shield Hero grunted before getting up. "Call me Hulk."

He seemed to ignore the shouts and pleas, the chanting of Hulk intermingled with Shield Hero echoing into the night. Raphtalia watched as he rubbed his chin in thought.

What could their savior be thinking?

After another second he spoke. "Alright. I'll free you all... if you help me out with something later down the line. I'll call on you, all of you, and you'll do whatever me or a guy called Banner says." With that, he squeezed his right arm and made his blood drip out more rapidly to create a small puddle on the ground. "Do that and I'll let you right out of those cages and let you rub as much blood as you want on those crests of yours. I'll get all of you out of this place and you won't ever have to look back."

Surprising even herself, Raphtalia was the first to speak.

"W-What do you want help with, Lord Shield Hero?"

She shivered when he looked at her and grinned. His eyes seemed to glow all the brighter as he spoke.

"A little something called ending the world."

"This'll do." The Shield Hero muttered as he hefted a sack of coins in his hand. He looked over his shoulder towards the broken body of their former captor and said, "Now, I'm sure that's all the money this place has, right? And don't try to lie to me. I can smell a liar."

The fat man groaned as a rabbit demi-human with an injured arm walked over to his body and kicked him hard. "Answer the Shield Hero, you shit-stain!"

"Y-Yes...!"

Raphtalia was on the tips of her toes as she sifted through the contents of the trader's desk. Once their savior had freed them from their cages and chains, all the former slaves began dipping their fingers into the Shield Hero's green blood and rubbing it on their crests. They hissed as if they were being burned, but they all felt it disappear. In the crest's place was a mark of green not unlike paint or blood being smeared on the skin and completely covering the symbol of their captivity.

A few tried to put the blood in their mouths but the Shield Hero discouraged it. Said that they would just burn up from the inside out.

Now they were ransacking the trader's supplies, searching for anything that might be of use. Some of the men were making good use of the spare clothes the man had squirreled away while others kept searching for weapons.

All she wanted was a new pair of shoes.

"I'm sorry, Shield Hero..." A Kitsune stood to their savior's side and looked up to the massive hero. "But..."

The Shield Hero glanced at him. "I told you to call me Hulk. Are you trying to piss me off?"

"R-Right... Hulk." The Kitsune shook himself and motioned towards the upturned office. "It appears that other than a few pokers there isn't much in terms of weaponry. Beloukas and the shuffling morons he kept around probably didn't want the possibility of an uprising."

"Hrm. Figures. Men like that like to think they're always in control, but there's always an itch in the back of their heads. Something always telling them that any day now, the people they've wronged are going to come knocking on the door demanding their pound of flesh." The Shield Hero chuckled to himself. "I think we've gotten it now, haven't we?"

The Kitsune glowered at that. "No, we haven't."

The green giant shrugged. "Yeah, but we can't keep at it. Not enough time, and the bastard would die before you all got what is due to you." He nodded to a Nui and said, "Hey, get some containers and fill them with the blood. I ain't gonna bleed forever and we're going to make a few stops."

"Right, Lord Shi-." Their savior, their Hulk, growled. The Nui quickly corrected himself. "Er.. I mean, Lord Hulk!"

"Don't push it."

"Lord Hulk..." It was strange testing that title in her head. A hulk... was not what one called a hero. She had heard the legends from her bed and Daddy's knee that the Shield Hero would come from another world, one where the names and even the customs were strange. But Hulk sounded like the name of some beast.

Of some monster.

"And he said he wants us to help him destroy the world..." That sounded so much like the wishes of a monster. The Shield Hero hadn't elaborated on what he meant, but the others were all for it. Declaring that the end times have come and other stuff Raphtalia could barely understand.

He couldn't have meant it literally. He was supposed to lead the demi-humans to prosperity and freedom, to guide them to a better world! Surely it didn't mean destroying the very world!

...Could it?

"No, don't think like that." She opened a small box in her so far fruitless attempt to find at least some shoes but paused at the contents. Within velvet cushions and dividers were sixteen eggs, each divided into rows of four. Every one of their number was branded with what looked like a variation of the slave crest... though she could not be sure. "Oh who am I kidding. It probably is one."

It pained her to know each of these little ones weren't even in this world yet and their fates had been already sealed.

"They are so much like me. Like I was in that cage..."

"Alright, all of you! We're heading out so grab whatever you think is useful and follow me!"

Gasping to herself, Raphtalia's eyes scanned the eggs. She wanted to bring them all but she could only carefully carry one. If she took anymore then there would be a chance they would be all squished. "Which one? Which one!?" Her hand hovered over them, going past their tops row by row.

Then, something began to throb when her hand hovered over the second egg to the right of the third row. She looked down and saw that the mark that the Shield Hero left her was lightly glowing green, pulsing almost to the tune of her heartbeat. "T-This one?" She muttered to herself but received no response. Hesitantly, she took it in her hand.

It felt warm.

"What's keeping you?"

Raphtalia turned and looked up at the Shield Hero. He seemed almost bigger than when he was in the cage. His wounds had closed and he seemed to be lightly glaring at her.

"I-I...!" Suddenly, she began coughing. She put her free hand over her mouth and cursed herself for doing this in front of her savior.

"Ah, that one..." The Werewolf grunted while twirling his poker. "I heard it from the shitbag himself. Her old master was one of those sadistic bastards who loved to torture demi-human kids. She won't last long."

But... that wasn't true. She was coughing, sure, but it didn't hurt as much. Her old wounds weren't stabbing her as if the hot knives and whips were still tearing her skin. In fact she was already recovering!

"I'll be the judge of that." Raphtalia squeaked in surprise when the Shield Hero picked her up with his massive right and index finger by the scruff of her neck.

"L-Lord Hu-!"

"Just Hulk, girl." He placed her on his massive shoulder and glanced up into her face. "I'm not going to do this forever. When you feel better or if we run into trouble I'm taking you right off."

"T-Thank you..." She wanted to cry, but held it in. This Hulk who had the name and even looked like a monster was treating her with kindness she had not seen since her parents' deaths. "I-I won't be a burden!"

"Trust me, you couldn't be one if you tried." Hulk began walking through the crowd of former slaves and she could see them all staring up at him with awe and scary devoted looks. It... frightened her a bit. When they reached the entrance leading to the main road he turned to the corner. "Hold on. I wanna try something."

With a casual flick of his finger, the Shield Hero took out a portion of the wall. Raphtalia couldn't help but gape at the display of power. Wasn't the Shield Hero supposed to be physically weak, but strong in both defense against injustice and the heart which gave love to his chosen people?

"Amazing...!"

"The Shield Hero just arrived, and he can destroy buildings with a mere flick of the hand...!"

"Ha! This damn kingdom's time has finally come!"

"Judgement is at hand!"

The Shield Hero ignored them all and brought his shield in front of it. In a swirl of light and magic, the stone was gone and Raphtalia bore witness to the Legendary Shield transforming.

What was once a shield of metal was now something shield-shaped comprised entirely by brick. In the center of the orange bricks was a single green gem that glowed ever brighter.

"Amazing..." She whispered in awe. She had never seen something like that before! All the stories she heard from the fairy tales paled in comparison to this! It was like light hand molded the shield with the hands of angels, granting it a new form with the material around it!

Her savior grinned savagely and admired it in the firelight. "Well how about that..."

"HALT MONSTER!" The Hulk didn't even move his head and grunted when soldiers came running down the left side of the street. Their swords were unsheathed and others were beginning to draw their bows. Raphtalia gasped while the demi-humans behind them growled. "LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS SO THAT WE MAY GIVE YOU A PAINLESS...!"

"Shut up." Hulk drew up his arm and clenched his fist. The floor in front of the soldiers glowed a green light before bricks began to form. Brick after brick that slowly made a wall going from one side of the street to another, as higher than the buildings themselves and completely blocking the soldiers from getting to them. "Wall Shield, huh? So this is how you work? I just keep feeding you crap and you get more powers?" The gem glowed a bright green as if in response. "I think I'm gonna like you."

They began marching down the street, the demi-humans that were once slaves now walking tall and proud as shopkeepers, nobles, and the occasional commoner closed up shop or leapt into open doors before shutting them.

They were all afraid of them.

"Good."

Raphtalia blinked when that thought exited her head. It sounded so... angry. So bitter. What was happening to her? She never thought stuff like this!

Eventually, they made it to the front of a blacksmith shop. Raphtalia squinted and began sounding out the words. "Er...hard's Black... smith.. Forge?" She hadn't been able to read for years. It was a miracle she could even understand the words.

The Shield Hero said nothing and tapped on the door lightly with his massive hand. It opened to reveal a very muscular dark-skinned man who blinked in surprise of the Hulk's presence. He licked his lips and gulped but said in a shaky but calm voice, "May I help you... sir?"

Hulk grinned at him. "Me and my friends would like some of your goods. Hope you don't mind."

The blacksmith leaned to the left and saw the group of demi-humans before looking back at the Hulk. Then, with a shrug, he stepped out of the way of the door. "Try not to damage anything."

"You heard him." Hulk inclined his head. "Take whatever you need. Don't mess up his nice little display cases."

The demi-humans cheered and barged into the store. They took any weapon that wasn't nailed down. A sword, an axe, daggers... anything that they could carry on them.

"You gonna get anything?" The Shield Hero asked her. Raphtalia shook her head vigoriously.

She couldn't. Knives meant killing. It meant cutting and bleeding like the teeth of the monsters and the knives of Idol.

"We oughta kill this one." She was snapped out of her memories and saw that the Werewolf had the tip of his broadsword at the blacksmith's throat. The man was leaning back but he showed no fear. He stared at the demi-human directly in the eyes and kept his hands up in the air and steady. "He'll alert the guards."

"Put it down." The Hulk's voice rumbled. He seemed angry, but it was a calm and steady flame.

"Why should I?" The Werewolf asked with narrowed eyes. "This bastard is a human. Just like the ones who enslaved me and my kind. Who threw me into the ring time and time again before tossing me aside in that shitbag of a country Zeltable."

"I'm not going to ask twice."

All activity in the shop stopped, the demi-humans staring at the scene in wonder. The Hulk leaned forward and told the Werewolf, "You can kill him sure, but do that and I'll come after you. I'll make sure you regret it, and if you do somehow manage to escape... if you somehow manage to kill me..." He grinned. "I'll come back and find you."

The Werewolf shook in fright, staring at the Shield Hero in horror. "Y-You're a lower level than me..." It sounded more like a wheeze than an implied threat.

The Shield Hero merely chuckled. "You really think that matters? Look into my eyes and tell me I'm bluffing."

That seemed to squash any remaining fight in the Werewolf. He lowered his sword and trudged out of the store, not even glancing at Hulk.

"A-Amazing..." Raphtalia whispered in awe while clutching the egg. "I-Is it true? Would you have come back to us, Shield Hero?"

Rather than answer her, the Hulk shouted, "And that goes for the rest of you! Any human who isn't attacking will not to be harmed! They may be puny but at least they've got brains!" He then pointed to the main desk. "And no taking the guy's money! You don't need it!"

He turned to the blacksmith who was rubbing his neck. The man looked up to him and muttered, "T-Thank you..."

"Don't thank me. Thank Banner." Hulk then dropped the sack of the trader's loot and said, "Consider that half of the payment. The other half is an I-Owe-You whenever you need it from me."

As the demi-humans filed out of the store the blacksmith just stared at the Shield Hero. "That shield..." Then, the man began to chuckle before laughing. "No wonder you didn't need a sword! And here I thought you were stupid!"

To Raphtalia's shock, the Hulk gave an amused smirk rather than threatening the man. "I'll let that slide. But only because you were the only one who treated Banner decently in this crappy little kingdom." With the blacksmith waving farewell, the Hulk began leading their band again.

"D-Did you know that man, H-Hulk?" She asked tentatively to her savior who merely grunted.

"Banner did. Really, talking to him was the only time he felt comfortable in his own skin since getting here. Everyone else either confused him, made him sad, or just pissed him off a tiny bit."

"Who's Banner?" Was he the Shield Hero's friend? He talked about them as if they were one in the same.

"You'll see him eventually. Especially if you keep your end of the deal."

Raphtala fidgeted on her place atop Hulk's shoulder. She still didn't know what he meant by that and it didn't seem like the Shield Hero was interested in explaining it to her.

Was he that enraged by their plight? Was he seeking to punish the unbelievers like some of the demi-humans said? He didn't seem to act like someone with a divine mission.

"I just don't know. It's all so complicated..."

"There they are!" A guard screamed while several of his men got into position. The ones in the front lowered their spears while the men in the back drew their swords. "Damn it... that devil gave the demi-humans weapons! Show no fear men! Your training under the Kingdom of Melromarc will allow you to overpower these beasts!"

"Great, I was waiting to test out my blade!" The rabbit demi-human twirled his dagger, grinning in anticipation.

"We don't have time for this." Raphtalia didn't scream this time as the Shield Hero placed her on the ground and stepped forward. "Cover your ears..."

Setting the egg down, Raphtalia did as instructed and watched as Hulk raised both his hands.

"This is gonna get loud."

The Shield Hero roared as he stepped forward and clapped his hands. Raphtalia screamed as the sound of something booming filled her ears and rattled her brain. She watched as the air in front of the Hulk seemed to shimmer and the soldiers were flung back screaming. Glass broke in the windows of buildings and the structures began to shake. The demi-humans of the canine variety began to bark and howl when they weren't yipping in pain.

But, as soon as it came, the noise left and Raphtalia slowly uncovered her ears.

Everything was destroyed. Stalls made of cheap wood were knocked down, the splinters intermingling with the broken glass. The soldiers were on the ground, the few that were on their knees were throwing up and clutching bleeding ears.

The Hulk, however, let out a dissatisfied huff. "Should've done more damage."

Raphtalia gaped at him. The Shield Hero did this much with a simple clap and he was complaining about it being too weak!? Just how much power did he have before being blessed with the Legendary Shield!?

"Come on, we're wasting time here."

Raphtalia picked up her egg and followed the Shield Hero while the demi-humans cheered in victory. They didn't rest on their way to the walls, freeing two other slave shops, one that specialized in female slaves and the other in cheap indentured servants. Raphtalia could not help but feel bitter about the latter one. The 'indentured servants' comprised mostly of human peasants that were enslaved for failing to pay back loans or angered a noble.

Their accommodations were more comfortable than that of her kin's.

But at the same time, she could not help but marvel at the Shield Hero's kindness and generosity. "I think... I understand him a bit more. He doesn't care about our race at all. To him, all that matters... is that injustice was committed against us."

Most of them fled in terror but a few stayed with their group with the Shield Hero silencing any protests with a glare. A few more guards and even some adventurers came at them, but they quickly fell to their greater numbers. Raphtalia didn't look to see what had happened. She didn't want to know if they were dead or not.

It was better this way.

Soon, they were at the walls of the kingdom. She followed just behind the Hulk as he placed his hand on the smooth surface.

"I want all of you to watch. To see what these walls those idiots put up mean to me."

Then, with one mighty punch, a giant hole was carved out. The stone went flying into the grass of the land outside while cracks began to snake up to the top and the sides.

"Not a damn thing." The Shield Hero then pointed out to the dark expanse with the moon and stars being the only things that provided light. "What you do now is your choice. Go on, get outta here."

Raphtalia shivered as she looked into the forest. Everything was so dark, so cold. As much as she hated herself for thinking it, she wanted to go back into her cage. At least there was light. There was a sense of security, a place for her.

Out there was the unknown.

"But, Hulk!" Someone behind her cried out. "We wish to fight alongside you! Let us follow you so that we may begin our mission right away!"

Her heart soared at the idea. Traveling alongside the Shield Hero? That was the greatest wish of any demi-human! By his side, she would be safe! She would help him with whatever he wished and finally have a purpose!

She would fulfill her promise to her parents and friends, long since dead and lost.

"I ain't ready yet, and the last thing I need is dead weight before I'm ready."

"Oh..." Well, it figures didn't it? The Shield Hero didn't want just anybody by his side. Not when there was a world to explore and power to be gained in order to destroy it.

"But when I'm ready, I'll give you all a sign." He turned to her and Raphtalia tried hard not to flinch as those green eyes stared down at her. "Never let them do this again. Ya hear me? If those puny humans ever get their hands on you and start talking all that crap, wanting to bind you in chains..."

Hulk turned around, crouching low as his massive leg muscles bulged. He grinned savagely as he finished his statement.

"Smash them."

She didn't know if the Hulk had jumped or just began to fly. He soared into the air in an arc, his form growing smaller and smaller with each passing second. Within a few blinks of her eyes, he was gone and she was alone again.

The former slaves ran past her, fleeing into the night. A few ran back into the streets intending on killing a few guards to cover for them. She, however, stood at the hole and stared into the unknown.

Where could she go? She had no home to return to. No friends to share her newfound freedom with. All of her fellow former slaves would see her as a nuisance at best.

Her mark then pulsed and she stared into the moon where the Shield Hero had flew into.

Raphtalia, clutching her egg, made her choice and stepped out into the night.

She panted when the shackle snapped off, revealing a reddened and bleeding band around her wrist. The hunk of metal fell into the river with the water swallowing it whole.

She had done it.

She had broken her chains all on her own.

"Not done." Raphtalia moved the rock into her right hand while the edges of her vision swam in green. "Not yet."

She bared her teeth while breaking her left shackle. It amazed her how easy it seemed to be. Shouldn't this be more of a struggle? She was never this strong before.

But as she continued to beat down at the iron she felt... better somehow.

"Is this what the Shield Hero feels when striking his opponents?" She needed to ask him when they met.

He probably would be a bit angry... but this was her choice as given to her by him. She had nowhere to go. She had nothing to live for. All that remained... was her promise to him.

That she would help him end the world.

When her left shackle fell into the river, Raphtalia dropped the rock and stumbled back to the egg. She muttered to herself, "And maybe... maybe he'll tell me what that means." When she was close to it she fell to her knees while the green seemed to fade away. Her mark stopped pulsing and the skin grew cool. Laying beside the egg she said, "I should give you a name..."

But what would be a good name? A name to give to her only friend in this cruel world? Her companion in these unknown woods?

"A friend..." Her best friend came to mind. Her soft and short blond hair and golden eyes, with ears so much cuter than Raphtalia's own. "Your name will be Rifana..."

With tears swimming in her eyes, Raphtalia fell asleep without chains for the first time in years.

Bruce woke up with a silent scream and grasped his neck. "The knife! I have to stop her from pulling out the..." When he rubbed his neck and found no blade he moaned and laid back in the grass staring up at the clear morning sky.

"Figures."

Well, he supposed that a day and a half without dying or turning into the Hulk in this new environment set a new record. And, if he were to look at the bright side of things, he was grateful that the Hulk hadn't decided to just stick around after dark to do his own thing.

He already dealt with that on Sakaar and wouldn't like a repeat.

Bruce took a look around and saw that there were the corpses of several creatures that looked similar to creatures from his world while others he could not recognize. There were some torn-apart winged beasts that vaguely resembled bats but with a bell-like main body while further down the clearing were the burst remnants of those Balloon monsters, but yellow-colored.

"Interesting..." Allowing curiosity to guide him, he picked up one of the bat creatures with his left hand. Its head was like a burst grape while its right wing was completely torn off. Glancing at his shield, Bruce asked the Hulk's reflection, "Should I even bother to ask?"

The gem in the center of the shield pulsed and the bat corpse glowed a bright white light. It seemed to turn into water in Bruce's hand, flowing from his fingers into the shield itself. "This thing consumes material?" Then why wasn't it just trying to eat everything in the vicinity? Was their a range restriction or did he need to hold material for the process to begin!"

The gem only pules once before a new notification appeared in Bruce's vision.

Ten out of Ten bats defeated! Restrictions to Voice Ganger Shield (Bat Type) have been lifted!

Voice Ganger Shield  unlocked!

"Just like what happened with the Orange Balloons..." But he hadn't defeated enough to unlock that "Orange Small Shield" thing. "I guess you've been busy last night." He didn't even bother to look at the Hulk and instead pulled the rags that were once his pants to the left and tied them closer to his body. Seeing smoke a bit past the trees in front of him, he proceeded to walk towards them.

Smoke meant civilization. Civilization, especially one that wasn't past the medieval area, meant clothes drying on clotheslines.

Clothes were a really nice idea right now.

"I can only hope that the Hulk didn't kill Myne. I don't think Amadeus' theory will apply to him anymore." Amadeus Cho, one of his and the Hulk's more recent friends as well as a current "Hulk" himself, once made a theory that Bruce retained a subconscious influence on the Hulk. That was why the Hulk always seemed to cause tons of property damage but never any intentional human casualties during his rampages.

Bruce himself had some doubts about that, but the theory had some merit. After all, by all rights there should be thousands of not millions of people killed by the Hulk and yet it wasn't until a couple of years ago that his colleagues decided to shoot them into space for the good of the human race. But Amadeus never accounted for the people who died because of the aftermath, those who lost their homes and livelihoods because of the Hulk's rampages and the army's insistence to waste billions of dollars trying to capture him.

And he doubted that Amadeus accounted for this Hulk.

"This one doesn't mind killing." Likely in self defense since those Balloon monsters seemed especially thirsty for his blood, but it was still jarring when the Savage personality couldn't even bare to hurt puppies. "And it is supposed to have access to this shield's skills... did he just kill these things to gain this shield form?"

There was so much he didn't understand.

"I will have to assume that Myne is still alive, but not living well." This Hulk tended to cripple his opponents by breaking their bones and at worst putting them into comas. Was it to make them suffer for killing him? "Which means I have to assume I'm a fugitive again... though that's not anything new. The lack of modern conveniences will be a problem, though."

Maps in this era likely cost a lot of money and those 'adventurers' likely had access to especially detailed ones. If he was going to get a sense for where he stood on the map, he would need to purchase them. He never knew how much he missed Google Maps until now.

As Bruce made his way through the forest, his mind drifted back to Myne. "She enjoyed killing me." He had countered enough sadistic madmen to tell the difference between satisfaction in completing a mission and pure sadism. "She didn't plan for it but she wanted to make it as painful as possible." She mentioned a plan to discredit him with a rape accusation but what was the point in that? They had him in their servitude! He was already in the "weakest" class and the other Heroes were training to be ready to kill the Hulk. What purpose was there in socially disgracing an asset as powerful as the Hulk?

Was the king just trying to rub in how much power he had over the people? That one judgement from him was all that it took to make him a pariah?

"And rape of all things... after everything the Hulk has done, was making up an accusation of rape on the spot all they could come up with!?" Bruce rubbed his forehead. "No, calm down. It's all over now. I'm a criminal all the same and I have to assume Ren, Motoyasu, and Itsuki will be on my trail. I have to get moving..."

It didn't take long for Bruce to see the backyard of a small cottage. To his relief there were a pair of pants and a shirt drying on a clothesline that seemed about his size. Carefully running out and keeping his eyes on the windows, he took the garments off the rack and ran back into the woods.

"A bit big, but they'll do." He muttered while buttoning up the grey slacks and looking at his shield.

A new notification appeared in his vision.

Equipping Upper Garments? Yes/No

By clicking on the yes option, the shield dispersed from view and allowed for Bruce to put on the brownish-red shirt. When he was done the shield reappeared on his arm as if it had never left. "Aren't you convenient."

The next part was what he hated the most.

Going to the neighboring house, Bruce peeked through the window from the bottom and looked around. Nobody was inside and all seemed quiet. Slowly, he inched to the backdoor and opened it. No barking of a dog meant that this place was probably safe to steal the essentials from.

Before, when he only transformed when he got angry, Bruce could spend weeks or even months never turning into the Hulk. That was enough time to pick up a job, albeit never a good or well-paying one, and buy his own clothes and food. With his new situation, however, Bruce had to be a bit more... pragmatic about things.

Stealing clothes, taking money if they were in the clothes, and occasionally breaking into empty houses for both.

He wasn't going to get far without a pair of shoes and something for breakfast.

Going inside was a tense affair. It was incredibly likely that in this world's development period the wife or daughter was still inside and then he would either have a very difficult discussion or they would kill him in self-defense. Neither were particularly appealing scenarios, so he needed to tread carefully.

Finding a pair of leather shoes that fit him was something that made the affair worth it. He couldn't find any money on the tables or counter tops and Bruce could guess that the family kept them hidden. Deciding not to waste what little time he probably had ransacking the place, he instead searched the kitchen and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of a loaf of bread and a hunk of dry cheese.

"Breakfast. Thank god."

Taking both, he quickly but quietly left the building with his heart racing. He needed to get onto the main street before people asked what he was doing traveling around people's backyards.

To his surprise, everyone was gathered outside and forming a crowd around two dismounted knights bearing the Melromarc flag. Bruce turned so that they would not see him, but listened while taking a bite of the bread.

"Hear me, good people of Tanelorn! We have come to announce the death of the Shield Hero!" The knight's voice boomed as he read off of the prepared speech. "Sir Robert Banner had been killed by a merchant to defend a demi-human who had stolen his wares! With this, the Four Cardinal Heroes have been reduced to three!"

"No mention of the Hulk..." Either the King had decided to not make that public yet or the messenger informing them all about his resurrection hadn't come yet. In this age before even the telegram was invented, news was slow and updates came and went whenever the person delivering it made their way to the village. "I suppose I should be glad. It means that I've got a head start."

"The Shield Hero's dead?" One of the villagers muttered. "That's a bit of a shock. It hasn't even been two days!"

"Well, I suppose it was a foregone conclusion. In the end, the Shield Hero does not come close to the strength of the others."

"I, for one, am glad! At least now the devil cannot trouble us or throw the demi-humans into a frenzy!"

"This culture is strange." He glanced at his shield while making his way to the village's exit. "They're acting like the Shield Hero would've caused trouble regardless. Is there some sort of stigma against the Shield Hero in their legends?"

If that were the case then the old Shield Heroes must've been bastards or something. Nothing else would warrant the nickname "devil".

Bruce shivered at the name and made his way into the woods. Once he was deep enough he sat down and continued with his meal.

This situation was looking bad. He didn't have any money, most of the kingdom would be against him for what the Hulk did, and he had no way of trying to find a way back to his universe until these Waves were finished off. "So I need to assume that I will be stuck here for an indeterminate amount of time." He paused mid-bite into the cheese and looked around. When he heard nothing else he continued chewing. "Then there's the issue with this world's aggressive fauna."

Those monsters from yesterday acted differently towards him. Myne's reaction confirmed that the behavior was not natural for their species, which meant that they had to be reacting to the Hulk. They could sense him, and it would be safe to assume that other creatures like the Balloons would flock towards him with the intent to kill.

While dying was not exactly much of a concern, there was the fact that it hurt. He felt the pain of being stabbed or shot with all his blood draining out while his nerves sent the signals to his brain. Dying was never a painless experience and he preferred not experiencing it if at all possible.

So how could he avoid it? How could he survive in this world and not die every day?

Finishing his meal, Bruce got up and brushed the crumbs off his pants. He then felt it, a tug in his brain telling him to look.

A hunch, and he knew that it was his other half directing that extra sense.

Reluctantly, he turned his gaze to the right and noticed a herb of some kind with leaves that had ridged edges. "Is this... mint?" Plucking a leaf, Bruce rubbed it against his fingers and sniffed it. It did smell like mint, but it had an almost chemical edge to it as if he just took a whiff of chlorine. "I should probably ask if its edible..." He had done foraging from time to time, but he was now in an alien world and the last thing he wanted to do was to figure out toxicity of the flora by eating them and hoping for the best.

To his surprise, the gem of the shield glowed again and enveloped the leaf in a bright light. When it vanished from his hands a new message appeared.

Due to the usage of the medical herbs, the restrictions on the Leaf Shield have been lifted!

Leaf Shield unlocked!

"What is with all these shields?" Bruce rubbed his chin while resting his back on the tree. This just proved that the shield had different forms, and he doubted that they would be just for aesthetic purposes. "The Wrath Shield had its own power... Though that one will bring the Hulk out, so that's a no-go."

But what was the power of these other shields?

Opening the menu again, Bruce went straight to "Help" and read the instructions carefully.

The Legendary Shield allows for the user to unlock multiple forms when requirements are met. Each shield has their own unique ability that can aid in combat and defense, while having their own MP and SP requirements. Currently held shields, their abilities, and the requirements for other forms can be found in the Status Tree.

"It's almost like this shield is making itself easier for me to use." Bruce pressed on the highlighted 'status tree' option and viewed a graph that had the Legendary Shield in one circle before it branched into seven different shields.

Wall Shield

Equipment Bonus: Barrier 1

Oil Shield

Equipment Bonus: Oil Stream 1

Orange Small Shield

Equipment Bonus: Defense +2

Yellow Small Shield

Equipment Bonus: Defense +2

Voice Ganger Shield

Equipment Bonus: Megaphone 

Leaf Shield

Equipment Bonus: Harvest Skill 1

Curse Series: Wrath Shield

Equipment Bonus: Change Shield (Attack), Iron Maiden

Special Effect: Self-Burning Curse Physical, Strength Up

Well, this just confirmed that the Hulk had been busy before leaving the kingdom. "These Wall, Oil, and Ganger Shields sound like they have greater offensive and defensive capabilities. And if I take into account what the shield has told me about its ability to unlock new forms it must mean that I need to keep feeding it both monsters and materials if I want something useful to defend myself with." He grimaced. "How morbid."

Bruce had killed a few animals during his time on the run. Well, Rick had done most of the work. The last thing either of them wanted was for him to get upset from a missed shot or a busted trap and let the Other Guy out. When the choice was starvation and killing an animal for food the choice was very clear.

The times he had no money for a meal just helped to make that choice into a cold hard fact.

But just traveling around and going out of his way to kill monsters sounded too much like senseless slaughter. How many animals had been driven to extinction just because the hunters found that their fur sold for a killing? The last thing he wanted was to completely destroy an ecosystem just to survive.

"But this information is useful. It means that I do have a way to fight back if needed." Curiosity taking hold of him, Bruce decided to check the levels again.

Level: 1/38/34/25

The one level that had increased probably belonged to the new Hulk persona in control. He could only assume that went up because he fought those monsters and probably some guards.

"Meaning that getting into battles and winning will increase my own level." For the first time since arriving in this world, Bruce felt slightly elated. This was what he was made for. He was a scientist and he was supposed to figure things out. "But I can't get overconfident. I still don't know much about my surroundings and there's still the matter of money."

Well, that wouldn't be too much of an issue. Nobody knew his more common name and it wasn't like these people could check up on his work history. He could probably pick up a simple job or two to get enough coin for a map and some food.

"But you don't know where to go, genius." Bruce hated to admit it, but he would have to rely on the Hulk for his sense of direction. The Hulk seemed to have an almost supernatural sense of direction, a sixth-sense that directed them where they needed to be in order to punish the wicked and all that stuff. "So... where to?"

He stood still for a moment, closing his eyes and feeling the cool breeze. When his mind was completely empty he turned slightly to the right and began walking.

He just needed to keep going straight for another two hours, and by then he would reach a town that needed him.

Call it a hunch.

"Get up, you little shit."

A sharp pain in her stomach caused Raphtalia's eyes to open and then close as she began to dry heave while clutching it.

"What? What's happening!?" Was what happened a dream? Was she back in her cell? No, no she didn't feel her chains. She could feel the wind and hear the running water of the river.

Opening her eyes, she looked up to see the forms of two armored knights. Both men had their faceplates up and were grinning in sadistic delight down at her. One was slightly fatter than the other, but the thin one had cruel red eyes that traced her body.

"Who knew that you coming here to take a piss would be so fortunate to us!" The red-eyed knight laughed as nudged the fatter one. "I owe you ten silver, Kris!"

"Damn right! Told ya she was here!"

Raphtalia shivered in fright. She was caught already!? "No, no this isn't happening! I-I ran all night! How could they have found me!?"

But that was it. She, a ten-year-old Tanuki, had ran as far as she could. And in an unfamiliar woods with short legs that wasn't very far.

"I need to go! Now!" She reached out for Rifana, plans of grabbing her and diving into the river flew into her mind.

They were shattered when the red-eyed knight kicked her again, this time making her body fly back-first into a tree.

"By the gods, you'd think that demi-humans would be smart enough not to run." The red-eyed knight began to saunter towards her, one hand holding his blade while the other on his belt.

"It's their brains, I'm afraid. I've read a few books about it. Demi-human skulls tend to compress their brains and diminish their thinking abilities." The fat knight shook his head. "Just genetic proof of humanity's superiority."

"Sounds like a lot of crap, but whatever."

Raphtalia was wheezing with tears coming out of her eyes. Everything hurt and she wanted to just cry. How could this happen when she Shield Hero just rescued her!? Wasn't she supposed to be by his side right now free of men like this!?

She felt something poke her chest and cried when the sword cut through her rags to reveal her mark.

"Yup, that's it. Green and bright as the day itself." The red-eyed knight sneered. "The mark of the Shield Devil."

"That means we kill her, right?"

Raphtalia held her breath, her eyes widening in horror.

She was... going to die?

"Nah, she's worth more alive."

"Good god man, she's a child and a demi-human to boot."

"Not me. She's ten years too early, but I know a noble that has a penchant for young ones." The tip of the sword forced her head up so the knight could see her face. "Someone as pretty as her should get us some gold."

No, it was worse. They were going to bring her back! Put her in chains again and throw her to men like Idol! The hands... the sharp pains... the biting...!

"N-No! I can't do that again! I'd rather die!"

"Never let them do this again. Ya hear me?"

Raphtalia gasped as she remembered the Shield Hero's words.

Her attention drifted from the red-eyed knight and saw that the fat one was picking up Rifana.

"Hey, I know this little bugger! It's one of those Monster Eggs from the raffles!" The fat man inspected the egg. "Good chance at getting a dragon from one of these."

"Keep it if you want. The orders didn't say anything abou-."

"P-Put her down..." Raphtalia muttered under her breath.

"Hrm?" The red-eyed knight raised an eyebrow. "What was that, little raccoon?"

"Put her down! Put Rifana down now!" She screamed, the anger bubbling inside again as she glared at the fat man. Her mark was pulsing and her head was pounding. Every second he spent getting his grubby little hands on Rifana just made her angrier!

"If those puny humans ever get their hands on you and start talking all that crap, wanting to bind you in chains..."

"Such insolence!" Raphtalia's head snapped to the side and she felt the sting of a new cut on her left cheek. The red-eyed knight just smacked her with the flat of his sword. "Keep talking like that and I won't even bother sparing your miserable life!"

"He hit me. They keep hitting me, over and over again talking about how I deserve it and should be grateful I'm alive! They're treating me and Rifana as if we're just things to buy and sell!"

Her vision swam in green.

"Smash them."

Raphtalia let out a scream as she grabbed the blade on both sides. Ignoring the searing pain in her palms, she pulled the blade out from the knight's hands.

"What in the...!?"

Grabbing the handle and feeling the blood run down her wrists, she turned and swung up. The red-eyed knight's arm flew in the air as blood began to spew from his shoulder.

"AH! OH GOD!" He screamed while falling to the ground, clutching the now bleeding stump of a shoulder and rolling around in pain.

"LET HER GO!" She yelled while running forward, the blade still in her hands and soaked in its former wielder's blood. The sound of pounding kept echoing in her ears as her mark seemed to sear into her flesh. Every vein in her body felt like they were pumping fire.

"N-No! Please!" The fat man set Rifana to the ground and was backing away, waving his hands in surrender. "Don't come any...!"

She could barely hear him. Her head was hurting and her eyes... her eyes must be playing tricks on her.

His face was Idol's face!

With a scream she leapt forward and plunged the blade into his throat, landing atop his body as Idol fell back. Rifana's killer... their tormentor was underneath her choking out blood. She kept pushing the blade further until the hilt reached his neck and with one final shove heard it crack.

"Die! Die you monster!"

She heaved out breaths of air as she stared into his eyes. The eyes that enjoyed seeing her suffer when she learned of her village's destruction, the eyes of those who killed her friend and so many of those she thought of as friends, the eyes of a monster in the form of man...

But when they drained of color, the pounding of her head began to lessen and her mark stopped burning. With every blink, her vision became clearer as the green retreated back into the edges of her vision. "What? What did I...?"

She wasn't on top of Idol. Idol was never here.

She... She killed two people. There was blood coming out of his mouth and... and... she chopped off the other one's arm and pushed the blade into his neck!

"Blood... so much blood!" She looked at her hands and saw the rivulets coming down to her wrists.

The wail that came out of her didn't sound like her voice.

The rest was a blur. She stood on top of the fat knight crying and screaming until her throat was hoarse. When that happened she went to Rifana, who had miraculously remained unbroken, and curled up into a weeping ball.

It was dusk when she got up with Rifana and set out to the river.

"I have to get it off..." Raphtalia muttered to herself. "Clean it off... I-I can't have it on me...!"

Sobbing, she set Rifana down before dunking her arms into the water and wiping them clean. She needed to wash away all this unpleasantness. She needed to make the blood disappear.

"They were going to sell me! They were going to sell me and take Rifana! They deserved it!"

"No, no!" She shook her head. "I didn't mean to...!"

"I smashed them. Smashed them like the Shield Hero told me to! I should feel good about this!"

But she didn't. She didn't feel good at all.

She only felt like a murderer.

Washing her face, Raphtalia noticed something.

On the sides of her face were veins that lead to her eyes. They glowed a sickly green that was brighter than anything she had ever seen. Her eyes, once a teal-red that Mommy called beautiful, was now green. The veins ran down her neck and into the mark left to her by the Shield Hero which began to pulse.

"What's happening to me...?"

Chapter 3: Journeys Begin

Chapter Text

“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”

- H.P. Lovecraft, Supernatural Horror in Literature

Raphtalia hated the dark.

It wasn't because she couldn't see where she was going. Most objects in her path were almost as clear as day, revealed in hues of green for her to navigate around. Mommy had explained it to her as a gift from the gods so that their people could traverse the night world. They did not need the sun like humans or other demi-humans, but sudden bursts of bright light would harm their eyes as a reminder that they should not solely rely on this gift to see.

But it was different now.

The formerly light green had become a darker shade, almost emerald and brighter than before. Her marking lightly pulsed as she held the sword in front of her, the blade slightly shaking from both her nervous steps and her own fear.

She had stayed by the river until the sun had set and the moon began to rise. Part of her hadn't wanted to get up. After all, she had killed two men and there seemed to be something changing her. The Shield Hero's mark was making her veins glow and it gave her strength. The fact that she had killed two knights with a sword far too big for someone like her was proof of that.

"But the anger... I never got angry like that before today!" Was it a blessing? No, it couldn't be. Blessings don't make people feel horrible about themselves. They don't make the blessed feel sick and guilty over what they had done. None of the stories of men and women being given fantastic powers ever talked about what Raphtalia was feeling.

But, in the end, she decided to move. She could not stay, not with the bodies of the knights decomposing and acting as an easy meal for monsters. Not when their companions would come searching for them and be all too happy to enslave or kill her for their deaths.

Knowing that she had a long journey ahead of her, she had done something unthinkable.

She had looted their corpses.

Raphtalia still felt sickened by that. She had taken off the red-eyed knight's belt and tightened it around her, disposing of anything that wasn't food or money and doing the same to the fat knight. She gagged when the smell of their decay and empty bowels hit her nose, and she had closed her eyes to avoid the sight of their blood.

Blood that she had spilled.

But she had done it. She put Rifana into the empty pouch in front of her right hip and, hesitantly, she had taken the fat knight's sword.

It was almost bigger than her, yet it felt as light as a common stick.

Raphtalia knew that she wouldn't make it far in her journey without a weapon. There were monsters in these woods and the knights would still come after her. They wanted to kill her because the Shield Hero had freed her, and she would rather die than be chained up again.

"Can I do it, though? Can I really swing this sword to fight them off? Can I... can I kill again?" Shaking her head, Raphtalia continued walking forward and ducked under a low-hanging branch. "No... no, I don't need to. I can just run! Yes, I can run and no one else will have to die! I don't... I don't have to make anyone else bleed!"

Blood. All that blood from those two men came from her.

She was standing still again, her whole body trembling as she hyperventilated. What had happened to her back there? All that anger... she had been so eager to smash them! To kill them! She didn't even really see them as she did it, instead seeing the visages of her former tormentors. When she was driving the blade through their flesh and bone she had seen the monsters, her old trader, and Idol.

"I might as well have been killing them. I want to kill them. Those two would've seen what Idol had done to me and laughed!"

The worst part of it was... some piece of her felt satisfied. It relished in seeing the life drain from the fat knight's eyes after all the remarks he made. After he picked up Rifana and treated her like his future property, something in her snapped.

She wanted to smash them like the Shield Hero. For her fist to become his fist and...!

Something rustled and she whirled around on her heel. She could see a white blob coming from the bushes. "A Balloon monster!?" She couldn't tell what type it was. The gods had given her people the ability to see the night world as clearly as day but they did not give her the gift of distinguishing colors during its use.

Raphtalia heard it hiss, seeming to deflate but she knew that it was only preparing to leap at her. It would be on her even if she turned around to flee, biting through her flesh and making her bleed like Mommy and Daddy. "But I... I don't want to kill it! I don't...!"

"But what about Rifana? Are you willing to let her die just because you don't want to see blood?"

That voice, her own but soft and more mature, cut through the haze of fear. She could see it now. The Balloon biting through her neck and as she fell Rifana's egg would roll out of her pouch. The Balloon would notice it, hopping towards its next victim salivating from the mouth.

Salivating like the three-headed dog.

"No... NO!" The hot anger came from within, her mark pulsating as the hues of green in her vision grew darker. "No one will hurt her! Not again!" The Balloon leapt as Raphtalia brought her sword to the left and swung horizontally, screaming as the blade whistled in the air before a loud squelch echoed into the night. "NOT AGAIN!"

The Balloon was cut in half, the creature popping as its remains fell forward and dropped onto the ground. She breathed in and out while staring at the marks of blood on her blade while the white glow of the Balloon slowly faded.

"Safe... we're now safe..." She muttered to herself while patting Rifana's bag. "I... I don't feel so bad." Was it because she was protecting Rifana?

But she still couldn't look at the slain Balloon. Instead, she stepped over it and continued to follow the pulses of her mark with the sword held in front of her.

Night belonged to the monsters, after all.

It was their world.

Father Claude Callahan sat in the rich carriage that the church had sent him off in and looked at the holy scripture only to feel nothing.

There was a time when looking at the divine text of the Church of Three Heroes would give him confidence. It would soothe his mind to know that he was doing the will of the gods.

"In this book is the true scripture. One free of the lies of the Shield Hero, one not tainted by the Dragon's whispers so that we may march like sheep to the end."

That was the first lesson the priesthood had taught him.

He had grown up on the church's teachings, studying in the squalor of their schools living on little more than bread, cheese, water, and the occasional meal of meat. They had been told that this was to make them humble. That in order to become closer to the gods they needed to have as little as possible.

What a shock it was when he had reached his standing as a priest that most of the Church lived in the lap of luxury.

Claude had known how the people of Melromarc revered their order. The only way the deacons could obtain funds for their housing is by begging on their knees in the street. So many were willing to give copper or silver pieces to them. But what the priests received happened to make those paltry givings pale in comparison. Nobles showered them with riches and even the king himself was willing to throw so much gold their way when the bookkeepers and Her Majesty weren't looking.

Their meals were feasts, their wine superb, and their entertainment fit for royalty.

It was how he obtained his little problem.

Claude reached into the cabinet and uncorked a bottle of the wine he was nursing. Taking a swig he looked down on the texts of the church. "Why can't I feel you?"

But he knew why. How could he not?

It had started only a few months ago. His Holiness, Pope Bisca T. Balmus, had sent a notice to all followers that they had granted the Kingdom of Melromac the blessing to summon the Cardinal Heroes. The Shield Hero would be dealt with shortly and the Kingdom would become the true holy city of the world.

Claude had many questions but wouldn't speak them. The church was a place with thin walls, and heresy would not be tolerated.

"Why? Why would we be the ones blessing the kingdom? If it were truly the will of the gods, then wouldn't the kingdom have gotten them regardless?"

It frightened him. He had gotten a nagging feeling that this was less the will of the gods and more of the machinations of man. It was no secret how embedded the church was with the high society of Melromarc. Could it be possible... no, he imagined it was possible.

His Holiness had acted as a man and not the mouth of the gods. All in the name of securing their power and having control of the true Cardinal Heroes.

He took another swig of wine. He needed to drown out these feelings in a deep sleep of alcohol. He could not keep thinking them lest he sign his own death warrant.

"Have the gods turned their faces away from us for this blasphemy?"

Claude's family had grown up poor. He had been sent to the priesthood solely so that they would have one less mouth to feed, and so that one of their number could perhaps make something of himself within the order. He had grown up with the scriptures rattling in his mind. Tales of the Fathers who worked alongside the Sword, Spear, and Bow Heroes. The tales of treachery from the Shield Hero who fought against them and the gods. It was said that one day, the Shield Devil was fated to end the world. That his Legendary Weapon would consume the sun and the moon before doing battle with the Heroes for the fate of the chosen.

Yet, now that he was old and embedded within his order as a lowly priest, he could see the contradictions to the scripts. The 'exceptions' made by the High Priests and the Pope. He had seen demi-humans and even attended an autopsy of one during his studies. The intent was to prove the inferiority of the species by showing their unholy organs.

But Claude wanted only to look away. He could only see the poor demi-human as merely a human with extra features and was forced to sit there and take notes.

He had gotten high marks on his examination later that month.

"Damn it all. Damn it all..." His faith was weakening. He could feel it and it terrified him. "I must believe. I cannot afford not to. Even if members of my orders have turned their backs I must stand firm! The Shield Devil will kill us all if I were to crumble now!"

Slowly his eyes began to close. The alcohol was finally doing its trick. His escorts would have to carry him into the Village of Caspian's church but what else were they good for. They were brutes brainwashed by the scripture and blind to their own wretchedness.

A roar came from nowhere, loud and angry. It sounded human and yet it was not. Claude had heard monsters cry out while knights and adventurers slew them. He had seen first-hand the evils that the Waves spewed out. It was nothing like that at all.

Claude sat in his chair, clutching his bottle close to his chest as the bible fell off his lap and laid just before his feet. "What manner of creature is this!?"

The roar soon ended and the cart shook. The horses whinnied while the knights shouted curses to calm them. The door to the cart opened and a knight bowed at him before entering. "Father Callahan, are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine, Sir Don." Claude licked his dry lips. "Are we under attack?"

"No, no it appears that the monster is nowhere near here. I'll send some men to look but I don't expect to find much." The knight smirked. "Especially with the Church's divine protection over us!"

He bit back a laugh rising from his throat. This cart was merely wood and metal. Fat lot that would do against the bigger beasts. "Yes, yes of course. Carry on then."

The knight bowed, sent a short prayer, and closed the door.

The priest would soon continue his journey drinking, trying desperately to forget the roar he had heard.

The cry sounded so angry...

"At least there weren't any monster corpses this time..." Bruce trudged across the fields of a massive farm. He had woken up in a forest again, once again in an unfamiliar location. However, his intuition... the Hulk's intuition was guiding him to the shabby-looking farmhouse that was in the distance. "And breakfast was easy to find."

The benefit of stumbling on a farm with no farmhands around was an abundance of fresh food. He could get an armful of vegetables and fruits and hide out somewhere else in town with a full belly and no regrets. Sometimes, if he were lucky, he could sneak into the barn and get himself some milk from a cow.

It wasn't like the bacteria would kill him anymore.

"The differences in this world's fauna are fascinating." The fruits that bore a resemblance to strawberries save for the spike-like growths on the sides actually tasted like the fruit, albeit with a semi-spicy aftertaste. There was a form of corn that grew in bushes, not unlike raspberries, and potatoes seemed to grow from miniature trees rather than underground. "Though that does raise questions in regards to the feast we received in the castle. Everything there looked like it had come from our world." The fact that some animals from his world were on this alternate one was an amazing coincidence. But how did the people of Melromarc know how to cook them in a recognizable fashion? "Our summoning was a ritual... it must mean that there have been other Cardinal Heroes. They likely described our cuisines in some form or another to the kingdom and they sought to recreate the dishes."

Yesterday had gone a lot better than the day before. For the most part, he had avoided monsters save for running into mushroom-like creatures that were highly aggressive. Thanks to the Voice Ganger Shield and multiple kicks he had been able to kill a few and run away before more could come. The entire exercise actually earned him the "Mush Shield" and advanced him by two extra levels. After using its Plant Appraisal skill and the Leaf Shield to gather some healthy medicinal herbs he made his way to a small village to ask about their purpose.

Most took one look at his shield and sneered at him, muttering about foreigners and heretics. A merchant, however, was more than willing to 'enlighten' him about the herbs. They were a primary ingredient for healing potions which advanced recovery from physical wounds and elixirs which helped people to recover from poisons and the like. The merchant had been willing to give Bruce money for the herb leaves he had collected but advised him to drop the shield since the place was a "Three Heroes" village.

Apparently news of Bruce's death had reached the place, so they didn't suspect him of being the Shield Hero. They just thought he was either some heretic, confirming Bruce's suspicions that the bias against the Shield Hero had some deeper meaning than implied cowardice, or someone going to a party where they would make fun of the Shield Hero.

"Even then, the man short-changed me." Probably had patted himself on the back for swindling a shield-wielding heretic too. Bruce glanced at the Hulk's reflection and stated, "You smashed up his shop last night, didn't you?" He rolled his eyes when the Hulk grinned back at him.

Sometimes his other self, even one as mysterious as this new persona, could be childishly petty.

But the money was enough for one hot meal and a night in a dirty inn. It still amazed him how he could get Japanese-style curry in an obviously Western medieval-era country. It was a nice break from just wandering around aimlessly relying on his sixth sense.

The Hulk, however, had other plans and come nightfall Bruce found himself at the edge of a farm with a notification telling him he had gotten the small Needle Shield.

The closer he got to it the more run-down it seemed. Several wooden boards were falling off, the paint was curling, and there was a washed off marking on the side that he couldn't understand. "Judging by the penmanship, it's probably nothing good."

The Hulk had guided him here for a reason. There had to be something that only he, they, could solve and it all started here. The Hulk was good at this kind of thing, guiding Bruce on the trail to heinous crimes or something involving gamma radiation. Usually, the trail started out in a bar but there were cases like this where he would go to some family home and, by complete chance, get wrapped in their problems.

"So breaking and entering would not make a good first impression." Clutching the hem of his tattered pants, Bruce trudged to the front porch and knocked once. Silence greeted him so he knocked again. "Hello?"

"G-Go away..." He heard a feminine voice mutter from within. "We've given you your taxes already. What more do you want?"

"I'm not here for that." That tone was never a good sign. "I'm here because I'm wondering if you need some help." When he didn't receive another answer he decided that now wasn't a good time for subtlety. "I'm a Cardinal Hero, after all."

The door cracked open and Bruce got a good look at a young woman, likely in her twenties, with short black hair and cat-like ears that were white-tipped. Her eyes were yellow and slit, growing wide as they looked at him up and down before focusing on the Legendary Shield. "The Shield Hero?" She asked in a soft and shaky voice.

Sighing, he nodded in confirmation. "I understand if you've got questions but..."

She suddenly grabbed his right hand and said, "You need to come inside, Lord Banner. It's not safe to talk here." Before he could answer she practically dragged him in and shut the door.

Well, it was a nice change of pace than some variation of "you're supposed to be dead".

"Father? Father, are you awake?"

Claude groaned as he got up from his bed, head pounding as if the gods themselves were admonishing him for his vice. "Yes, yes I'm coming! Quiet down that blasted racket!" He rubbed his temples while looking to the right. In the mirror, he could see that he hadn't changed out of his robes from last night. There was still a red stain on his collar from the wine he had spilled. "Why bother changing? They'll either completely be blind to any faults in my attire or ignore it out of fear."

Still, he needed to make some effort. After he quickly brushed his hair with a comb he opened the door to his room to be greeted by his knight escort. "What seems to be the trouble, Sir Don?"

The commander of the knights, Sir Don, kneeled and said, "I must beg for forgiveness, Father Callahan, but it is nearly ten and the mayor would like to begin making his collection rounds."

"I see... Well then, let's not keep them waiting." Motioning the knight to get up he followed the five knights out of the church and into the village streets. Caspian Village was bustling with activity with stores selling their wares, children playing, and both the men and women talking among themselves as they went about their tasks. Whenever they spotted him they lowered their heads and tapped their forehead and both their breasts with the right hand. Claude, in turn, raised his own and muttered a soft "Peace be with you."

It felt empty. Like his words were merely routine rather than a blessing of any kind.

Rather than remain silent and let the knights go on about religious drivel, he started some small talk. "The buildings are rather well-maintained." He motioned to the small butcher as they passed it by. The wood planks had been freshly painted and the establishment was clean. "Has the village come under recent riches?"

"All thanks to the mayor from what I hear!" Don smirked as he pointed to the vegetable seller up ahead. "Especially since he set up that little deal with the beast farmers!"

Claude's eyes widened at that. "The farmers for this village are demi-humans?"

The commander sneered. "Yeah, disgusting isn't it? From what I hear, the old mayor had not heard the true word and had 'freemen' settle around here. Well, after that heretic bastard kicked it the current mayor decided to make some corrections. He had them all go to the outskirts of town and use the foul land there." Claude could not help but shudder at the chuckle elicited from the man. "Used to be the site of some old battlefield."

This situation wasn't uncommon. 'Freemen' were slaves that had been freed by their owners, either by serving their indentured servitude or in the case of demi-humans freed by their former master's will upon death. While by definition they were legal citizens of the kingdom the reality was different. They were treated trash, given low-paying jobs fit for their former stations in life.

Really, being a freeman was just being a slave with some empty perks.

The policies regarding them differed from village to village, but it usually had all of them perform menial labor and get abuse from some cruel locals. On occasion, the human residents would find it in them to erase the 'uppity' demi-human.

"Disgusting..."

"I know, right?" Claude bit his lip. He must be slipping with his old age. Luckily the knight was too stupid to guess it meant anything other than what his cruel little mind decided a priest's opinion would be. "Well, don't you worry, Father. Most of the proceeds go straight back to the village and the demi-humans get barely any copper! Hell, if they can't pay their taxes then the mayor strips away more acres of their land!"

"I'm beginning to dislike this man already." But he had been sent to this village for a reason and he would do it. "Even if it’s distasteful. Even if it only benefits man and not the gods."

Despite the king's policies towards demi-humans and his devotion to the church making him fairly popular in the eyes of nobles, his standing with the common folk was shaky. While the Queen was away performing negotiations with the neighboring countries he had begun to steadily increase taxes to help fund the church's expansion. A significant number of the poorer citizens may be devoted to the church as well, but they disliked the idea of giving up their money to an earthly government for no reason.

That was where the church came in. The Church of Three Heroes had decided that it was important to make their presence known and give the decisions of the kingdom a degree of legitimacy with priests accompanying the mayors and tax collectors. Claude had been sent to this village on a whim, far from his home in Calla Bryne which rested to the east.

"But that would require the High Priest to give a damn about our feelings." Despite being a priest he was still an outsider. The people of this village showed him the due respect that a man of the cloth deserved, but even he could not tell if it was because they actually revered his presence or they simply did not wish to have their bellies gutted by the fanatical.

It made the swirling in his stomach and the pounding of his head worse. What did it say about their order if he could not tell who was devoted or fearful?

"Well, I'm not complaining. A tater is a tater in my opinion!" One of the other knights snickered. "And if it’s that good, imagine what'll happen when its human hands growing them!"

Claude's eyes caught the sight of the local tavern. Compared to the other buildings it was far messier with fresh vomit and urine on its sides and discarded mugs in the front. The owner was making only the barest of progress as another hungover patron from the other night stumbled out the doors, but he seemed pleased with himself.

"A party of some sort?"

They reached the mayor's residence and he frowned at the sight of it. It was a mansion built of stone rather than wood with heavy oak doors that looked as if they could withstand a siege. This was the work of someone who wished for a castle but lacked the funds for a proper one. Don knocked twice and the doors opened before they were ushered in by a female rabbit demi-human slave, her top slightly opened to display a slave crest emblazoned on her collarbone. Claude could see the lustful gazes of the knights as they passed her by, the young woman keeping her head down and doing her best to ignore them.

The Church of Three Heroes had always taught that the demi-humans were cursed beings. The product of the first murderer, the father of the first Shield Hero, rutting with animals and birthing an unholy race from their loins. To the church, demi-humans were beneath even animals and were certainly not people. The church held a dim view of indentured servitude but kept silent in regards to demi-human slavery. Despite rape being considered a cardinal sin, rapists of demi-humans were not subjected to the harsh eye of the church.

"It's vile... if they said that laying with a demi-human was akin to bedding a beast then the devoted would cease their acts. But they cannot even do that?" This was a contradiction that Claude could not overlook. It was vindictive, outright cruel, and unbecoming of the true word of the gods to allow such sinful acts to occur. Even if demi-humans were supposedly cursed, did they not all bleed the same? Did they all not have a brain, lungs, and heart?

"Welcome! Welcome, Father Callahan!" The mayor of the town, Jargeen, greeted him garbed in fine velvet robes and an obvious blond toupee. The man was well-fed if the flabs of fat and the buttons barely holding in his girth were of any indication. "It is an honor to have a man of the church here in Caspian!"

"It is a fine town, Lord Jargeen." Claude allowed himself to say while he took in the flushed cheeks on the man. While fat men were usually short of breath and blushed from the exertion of walking this was different. "You seem to be of high spirits."

"Oh? You haven't heard the news, Father?" When he shook his head Jargeen grinned. "The Shield Hero is dead!"

Claude felt cold. His body began to shiver and his eyes widened. With a mouth that suddenly felt dry, he sputtered "W-What...?"

"It's true!" The mayor laughed while clutching his immense belly. "Can you imagine that? Not even a day after being summoned the Shield Devil has been killed! It wasn't even the monsters that did him in, but the knife of a mere mortal man!"

"No, no that's impossible! It cannot be!" The Shield Hero was fated to be killed by the three true heroes at the end times. When the land was enveloped in darkness the heroes would combine their weapons and break the unbreakable shield that protected the unholy and damned. It was written! "And yet it has happened again!?"

The previous Shield Hero had been struck down in Siltvelt less than a month in his journey, though the circumstances were unknown. In fact, all the Shield Heroes' deaths were done under mysterious circumstances. The Church of Three Heroes merely declared that this was the will of the gods. That they ended the Shield Hero before he could begin his vile work and allow humanity time to prepare for the end times.

For years he had believed that... until the previous Shield Hero's death. It did not take a genius to see that the Shield Hero was killed by the ruling classes for being ideologically opposed to them. The gods had nothing to do with it, and it was merely the fact that the heathen church saw little use in the man that held the shield.

"A-Are you sure, Lord Jargeen?" Don asked in a quavering voice. The knight could not believe his ears either, but for another reason. The news, to him, was just too good to be true. To him, it must be some sort of joke that the mayor was playing on them and everyone would soon burst out laughing at his foolishness in believing it. "Surely, you are mistaken!"

"I am not! A messenger from the king himself came to inform the townsfolk!" The disgusting man gave Claude a smug look. A spoiled child seeking praise from a parent. "Apparently, the Shield Hero went off and got himself killed over some random demi-human! Can you imagine a more fitting end to the Shield Devil? Dying over some piece of trash?"

"Stop it. Stop acting so cheerful over this!" This was wrong, all wrong! The Pope made no declaration of planning the death of the Shield Hero because, for all his selfishness and heresy, he had known that duty lay solely with the Cardinal Heroes and the gods. Yet despite the Pope being the mouth of the gods, both greedy demi-humans and some random human were able to slay the endbringer? "Do they not see? Can't they see how this shakes the very foundation of our faith!?"

"I-I..." Claude was at a loss for words. Should he shout at the man to cease his self-satisfaction? Make his thoughts heard about how this went against the very words of the gods? But what good were the words of the gods when they were obviously wrong?

The empty feeling in him grew. The scriptures he carried feeling more like dead weight than a collection of holy words and prophecies.

"Gods, I need a drink."

The knights snickered before laughing. With loud banging of metal against metal, they clapped themselves on the back in celebration.

"Glorious! This is such glorious news!" Don shook him in his joyful state of being. "Now, there is nothing to stop the Cardinal Heroes from defeating the Waves! Those damn demi-humans have lost their savior and the age of man has finally come!"

"Get off me. Get off me you scum!"

"Speaking of which, where is that fine rabbit I saw earlier!? This calls for a celebration!" The captain began looking around, sinful thought after thought racing between those greedy eyes. "It's about time we show those freaks the new world order!"

"May you rot. May you burn in the fiery pits at the bottom of the damned void!"

"Oh, me and the city guard had a fun time yelling at those beasts that dare to think they are free." The mayor nodded to himself, his eyes growing misty and fond. "How they cried and cried... slinking back into their hovel at our jeers. Some of the children even threw their own disgusting produce at them! Such a beautiful sight that shows the unity of man!"

Were these the men he was supposed to be in paradise with? All those who remained in this world after the Shield Hero's death would be rewarded with bountiful riches and rewards. The gods smiling on them as humanity was ushered to a peaceful new age in paradise. But if the Shield Hero was dead and these men were with him...

"A drink. One drink... that's all I need..."

"Lord Jargeen!" Loud knocks silenced the celebration. "Lord Jargeen, I have urgent and terrible news! Open up, damn you! I must tell you! We do not have time for delay!"

"By the gods, what is it!?" The mayor sneered and barked, "Jessica, you damned animal! Open that blasted door already!"

Silently, the slave did just that and the heavy wooden doors burst open to reveal a messenger knight. His face was drenched in sweat as was the cloth that adorned his body. He had a crazed look in his auburn eyes, the irises shrunk to a pin and shaking as he ran down the hall.

"Slow down, boy!" Don and another one of his men grabbed the messenger by his arms. "You look ill! What happened? Were the beer and wine too much for you?"

"There's nothing to celebrate! No-!" The messenger began to cough and Claude grabbed one of the knight's water pouches. Bringing it to the boy's lips, he drank greedy gulps before continuing. "M-Many thanks, Father, but..." The messenger's voice lowered. "T-The Shield Hero... he lives!"

Nobody spoke. All those cheerful faces gave each other nervous glances, seeming to write off the messenger as a madman.

Jargeen shook his head. "That's impossible. I've only received word yesterday that the devil had died!"

"Keep your voice down! That's an order from his majesty, the king!" The messenger hissed before reaching into his pouch. Producing a scroll he handed it to the mayor. "The Shield Hero turned into some sort of beast and... and he... burst out of his grave..." The man shed heavy tears as he continued. "Princess... Princess Malty is bedridden from her injuries and... and the beast broke the castle walls! By the gods it's horrible..."

Claude saw Jargeen's face grow paler as he read the scroll. A line of scripture entered his head.

"And so the Dragon spoke unto the Shield, 'go on into this world free of sin and spread my word. No mortal blade shall make you bleed and never to death will you be slain'."

His hands tightened onto the collection of scripture as the knights tried to convince themselves this was a sick prank by the king.

None of them noticed the slave's rabbit ears twitching.

"How can soldiers eat this stuff?" Raphatalia took another bite of the hard dry cheese that had been in the soldiers' possession and tried not to cough. It was brittle and sharp in flavor to the point that she wanted to throw up. But at the same time, she could not stop eating it. She hadn't eaten for almost a day and this cheese along with the pieces of bread that had nuts and fruit in it were like a feast to her. “They have enough money to get good food!” 

She was sitting in the base of a tree, the sunlight beaming onto her with the sword resting to the left and Rifana to the right. The silver blade had old blood on it, still sticky and only starting to dry. Such a sight would’ve horrified Raphtalia just a day ago, and she still couldn’t bear to look at it directly.

But the night had been its own host of horrors that made the blood seem small in comparison.

Monsters had come after her in the forest. Small ones that growled and lunged, intending to rip her to shreds. She kept swinging the sword, screaming and babbling to quell her fear. The anger and the Shield Hero’s mark kept her aware of her surroundings, but the thing that had made her stay awake was the thought of Rifana having no one to protect her.

“But she had no one to protect her. The real Rifana had no one.”

Raphtalia held the last crumb of cheese in shaky fingers. Fingers that held Rifana’s dying body as her friend tried to remember their village flag.

“And all I did was smile.” 

She dropped the cheese and held her knees to her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks as something kept talking to her.

“The Shield Hero had come, but far too late. And what did he say when he freed me? Smash the puny humans that enslave and torture. Why feel guilt or fear from that? What good are smiles when all they know is pain and death?” 

“Stop it…” She sobbed to herself. “Please, no more… I want to save Rifana. That’s all that matters…”

“Yes, because I couldn’t save her when it really mattered.”

Did the Shield Hero feel like this? No, surely the Shield Hero that had freed her would sneer at such voices and silence them forever. He felt no guilt with his holy wrath. Heroes do not think such things, and if she found him…

“When I find him he’ll tell me what to do. He’ll make the voices go away. He’ll save me.”

“Be silent, you cur!” The crack of a whip broke Raphtalia out of her thoughts. Wiping her face, she slowly peaked from the top of the hill to the road below. Riding down it was a cart packed with cages of monsters that snarled and bit from between the bars. Trailing behind the back end of the wagon and led forward in chains were five demi-humans, two men in the front with women and children behind them, alongside what appeared to be a couple of humans between the demi-human men and women. It was led by a troupe of guards, with a rider up front. One guard to the right was waving his fist at the cage in anger. “One more word out of you and I’ll cut off your tongue!”

“Your mother would be most upset about that loss!” Came the crass response from a muscular human with blond hair that bordered on white dressed in only his pants. When the guard struck him on the shoulder with a whip he laughed. “And death would be better than what the lot of you got planned for us!”

“Speak for yourself, human!” Came an angry reply from one of the human’s fellow captives. A member of her kind, a tanuki woman with shoulder-length dark red hair and black circles around her eyes. She was rather thin but that snarl promised untold pain to the man in front of her. “I intend to live!”

“And what, rip your future master’s bloodline off with your teeth?” The woman kicked the human man in the small of his back, causing him to stumble a bit. “Feisty one, aren’t you? I can see why you were sent alongside us!”

“Slave traders.” They were likely on their way to a village in order to sell their wares to any nobles who desired them. These were the type of men who found her and the other survivors of her village, wearing cruel smiles as they bound them all in chains and seared the slave crests onto their bodies.

She wanted to hide. To take Rifana and hide in the forest without looking back. What if they caught her? What if they wrapped her in chains?

“I have the strength to beat them. The Shield Hero gave me the power to break their puny chains. Use it. Use it again and spill their blood.”

“But… but then I had no choice! Rifana was going to be used by those knights and I…”

The child demi-human caught her eye. A weasel, like Rifana, the old Rifana, but with dark brown hair and her right eye shut with dry blood on her cheek. The chains on her wrists bounced as she held them in front of her, trying desperately to keep up with the older women and not fall behind.

Rifana’s arm fell onto the cold and dirty floor, the chain links clinking against each other before ceasing. Raphtalia kept her smile as the rise and fall of her friend’s chest ceased, the eyes growing dark as a putrid smell hit her nostrils…

“Stay here, Rifana.” She whispered to the egg as she got up and grabbed the sword by the handle. The mark seemed to celebrate her decision and throbbed in anticipation. “I’ll be back soon…”

And with each step she took on the green hill, the anger in Raphtalia’s body multiplied.

Martin Leigh did his best not to wince while marching forward. “Damn woman has one hell of a kick despite being a thin thing.”

It was rather funny being one of two humans in a caravan of beasts and demi-humans. It truly put things into perspective. To these slavers and the people that would buy them, they were all equal by being less than shit.

“And to think I was living the high life only a few days before.”

He had been an adventurer and a damn good one in his opinion. No job was too small or too dirty for him to do so long as he got paid a reasonable price. Killing monsters or killing men was the same, they all bled and died like anyone else.

Some of his fellow adventurers in the guild often said that he was better suited for mercenary work and Martin couldn’t disagree with that sentiment. At least if he were a mercenary he wouldn’t have to pay taxes and all the other shit to feed men that hadn’t seen battle in years.

Even the first Wave had been good to him. He and a couple other adventurers had defended a village as best as they could and only suffered a few casualties. They had been treated like gods by the villagers, given all the food, ale, or women they desired coupled with several families’ life savings. A very profitable outing in his opinion.

But after that things went downhill. Knights from the kingdom began recruiting adventurers to be members of the Cardinal Heroes’ parties. Everyone that joined would get a sackful of silver each month and all they had to do was follow the king’s every order. One of which was to not become a member of the Shield Hero’s party.

Martin was no fool. A man would have to be blind to not see the influence that the Church of Three Heroes had on the kingdom. Well, he had no intention of serving someone who bowed and scraped to another master so he had refused.

Then he was betrayed by the guild. Oh, they said that the jobs weren’t suited for lone adventurers but he knew that was a load of horseshit. This was the king and church deciding to punish all adventurers who didn’t accept their ‘generous’ offer. The one job he did get was to a mayor that wanted some men who kicked the shit out of his tax collector dead.

He did it but then the noble kept making all those snide remarks. How Martin should be grateful, that it made sense for a brute like him to do such a dirty job, and that he would’ve been suited for the Shield Devil’s party and other religious shit.

So he bloodied the fat bastard’s nose and got imprisoned for it. The noble pulled some strings and had him become a slave with the guild denying ever having registered him.

“Bastards. I’ll make them pay the next time I see them.” 

“It’s funny. I haven’t heard you pray at all since I was shackled here.”

Martin raised an eyebrow at the man in front of him. It was a young human no older than nineteen with skin red from the sun and long brown locks that reached his shoulders. The boy was looking over his shoulder and Martin saw his piercing green eye.

“Mind saying that again?” He asked as they marched, the sound of the horses hooves and the snarling of beasts drowning into the background.

“I’ve noticed something since we’ve begun our march.” The young man inclined his head ahead of them to the Kitsune and Nui in front of them. “It took a bit longer for these two, but they began praying to their deities an hour back in between sobs. The women are cursing theirs under their breath and of course, the child is begging to be saved until threatened by our guards. Yet you haven’t uttered a peep? Why?”

“I never pray to gods.” Martin chuckled at the boy’s disbelief. “Not since I was a boy when my father would’ve cracked me over the head for such disrespect. Then when I was old enough I beat him and ran from that tyranny.”

“An unbeliever, are you?”

“Please, only a fool wouldn’t believe in the gods. There’s plenty of evidence with the Legendary Weapons and the Waves being just the biggest examples.” He shrugged his sore shoulders. “I just don’t give them the satisfaction of my prayer. My fate is my own and anyone who says otherwise can go to the pit.”

“You are an interesting man.” The boy smiled slyly at Martin. “My name is Steven of House Hawkwind.”

“A noble? Here?” The Nui looked at Steven and snarled. “I should kill you just for having the same blood as our captors, human!”

“Thankfully, the people in my country aren’t fond of inbreeding.”

Martin couldn’t help but notice that the boy’s chest wasn’t swelling in pride. A strange attitude for a noble. “And where is your country?”

“Faubley.”

He sucked in a breath. What on earth was a man from Faubley doing in Melromarc? Martin had heard whispers about the continent, home of the bloodlines of heroes and holder of their technology that the Church deemed ‘unholy’. “And what brings a noble from so far away to this lot in life?”

Somehow, the boy’s cheeks grew redder. “Well, I was being housed by a noble as I made my travels across the land. But, unfortunately, there was an… incident… with his daughter. I tried to explain myself but…”

“Oh, so that’s how it is?” The noble’s daughter got lonely and decided to see if the man from Faubley was better than her usual lay. “Well, that is certainly a unique way of ending up a slave!”

“Should’ve killed ya. At least then I wouldn’t have to suffer the indignity of being in your company.” The Tanuki behind him growled. “We end up slaves to bastards while you two will be just sentenced to hard labor!”

“Not with my future ‘master’.” Martin knew because the noble bragged about it while he was shipped away. He was being given to an acquaintance that loved to throw away his money so he could torture and kill. “I’m little better than you demi-humans. We’re all going to get hell for our crimes and there’s nothing that can be done about it save for death.”

“Mommy…” The child in the back sobbed. “I want my mommy…! I don’t wanna be a slave!”

“Shut it, all of you!” One of the guards screamed. “Shut your trap or I’ll make you regret opening your damned mouths!”

“What is there to regret? You’ve already enslaved us!” Stevens yelled back, his eyes narrowing in anger. “Do you think that you can do worse than just inflict physical pain? Or will you just yell and go on and on about human superiority!?”

The whip cracked and a line of blood appeared on the gash across Steven’s forehead. The noble, however, didn’t seem to mind and kept going. “You people… you are so damned boring! Predictable even! Have you no shame about beating women and children? Do you spend nights alone feeling satisfied about chaining up…!?”

Martin had to admit that the man knew how to withstand whips. Gash after bloody gash appeared on his sunburnt body but Steven hurled curses in turn at the guard. The two male demi-humans and the Kitsune woman in the back pleaded for him to fall silent but the noble from Faubley didn’t hear them or didn’t care.

After a moment of this, something caught Martin’s eye.

A young Tanuki girl dressed in rags that came up to the middle of her thighs was running down the hill. Her eyes were crazed and glowing such a strange green. Her veins were also glowing and trailed down to the mark on her collarbone. She was carrying a sword for an adult man and far too big for her tiny arm, yet she held it over her head like it weighed nothing. She was screaming something but it was drowned out by the cracks of the whips and Steven’s curses.

“...and your mother is the spawn of do-!”

“LET THEM GO!” The Tanuki drew near and swung her sword down across the guard’s back. To Martin’s surprise, he toppled forward and the adventurer could see that the blade had managed to sever the man’s spine in half.

“By the gods!” The guard further back shouted as he whipped at his horse and began to draw his sword. “You little bitch!”

The Tanuki turned and bared her teeth. He thought that he saw the incisors were beginning to grow in size and sharpness with each pulse. When the guard drew near and bore to the left to swing at the girl with his right hand, the young woman brought her sword up and severed the hand from the wrist.

The female Kitsune screamed as the limb and sword fell by her feet and the weasel demi-human child fainted.

“Stop her, damn it! Stop her now!” The driver of their caravan shouted at the three remaining guards while stopping the cart. Two of them dismounted while drawing their swords and running to the Tanuki while one remained on horseback by the trader who was fumbling for his whip.

“Not again!” She screamed out in anger. “You’re not going to hurt her again!!”

“This girl’s insane.” Martin had seen that look in many knights and other adventurers. The one of a man who believed themselves to be somewhere else but here, trapped in their memories or wishes than reality. “But she’s also trying to free us…”

“Put that sword down, now!” one of the two ordered as they drew near. The horses were running up the hill, clearly scared out of their tiny little minds from the excitement. “Do it and I’ll make your death painless!”

“Smash. The Shield Hero told me to smash…” The girl was rambling to herself while holding the bloody sword up in front of her. “You won’t hurt Rifana ever again!”

“Wait, Shield Hero?” This girl was a part of that Cardinal Hero’s party? No, if that were the case then they would be with her.

“What the hell are you talking about, you damned demi-human!?” The Tanuki replied to this by charging forward and swinging her sword vertically. The guard brought his up and blocked the blow, but to Martin’s amazement, the Tanuki girl seemed to be winning the battle of strength. Her glowing veins grew in intensity and spread as the blade inched closer and closer to the man’s collarbone. “Don’t just stand there, Dante! Help me!”

“R-Right!” The man’s comrade began moving with the intention of circling around his comrade and striking at the demi-human.

“First mistake about this method of transporting slaves.” Martin stuck out his left foot and tripped the fool, making him crash into the back of his fellow guard and lose his battle of strength. “They can do something like this.” 

The man howled as the blade cut through his collarbone and squirted blood onto the bound slaves. The blade’s point went right through the tripped guard’s forehead and pierced the brain, killing the man instantly.

“That’s enough!!” The trader snapped his whip and the girl cried in pain as her rags tore and a red cut appeared on her back. She whirled around at the man who held up his whip ready for another blow. “You uppity demi-human! You would dare…!”

The girl didn’t let the man finish speaking. With a bloody arc that severed one of her victim’s heads, she threw her blade past the trader's last remaining guard and buried into his chest. He stumbled back, blood oozing onto his clothes and bubbling from his mouth before falling back dead.

“Y-You…!” The last survivor of the rampage turned his horse around and rode away, fear plainly written on his face before riding away. “The kingdom will hear about this!!”

Martin looked back at the Tanuki girl, who was hyperventilating and looking at her bloody hands. “She’s in shock… and yet this isn’t the first time she has killed.” That intent was clear as day with how she mowed through those five men. She had come in wanting to spill their blood. “And yet she’s frightened of it. Did she survive the razing of a demi-human village?”

“I-I did it!” The girl giggled and looked at them, a crooked smile spreading across her face marred by speckles of blood on her cheeks. “I saved you all! I-I did something good a-and I didn’t smile once! Heh…”

“Girl, if you want to save us get the keys on the fat man’s belt.” Martin knew he had to act fast. The last thing he wanted was for this girl to break down amid the bodies and for them to wait for the knights to come. “Do it so that we can be free of these shackles!”

Some sense returned to her eyes at the order. “R-Right! Right, I need to do that!” She set off for the fat man, keeping her eyes on his belt and seeming to do her best to ignore the rising pool of blood.

“Did she grow a few centimetres?” Steven whispered to him, his eyes wide with astonishment. It wasn’t every day that one saw the death of five men at the hands of a little girl. “I swear I saw her… when the battle ended…”

“I’ve heard of such things.” Martin eyed the Tanuki behind him, whose eyes were narrowing at the young one. “Some demi-humans physically age the more experience they get. Their bodies age in order to handle their increase in levels.”

The woman seemed to notice him and huffed. “How the hell should I know, human? This is the first time I’ve seen it!”

“What’s important is that girl likely just signed our death warrants!” The Nui whined while sitting on the floor, his hands covering his face and letting out hard sobs. “We’re all going to die! Once the knights catch us there’s going to be no mercy!”

“Oh get up! Didn’t you hear that she was doing this on behalf of the Shield Hero!?” The Kitsune kicked him and his mouth was wide with a demented grin. “The Shield Hero has arrived and is instructing his chosen one to liberate us!”

“If that were the case he would’ve sent actual men! Not one mad child!”

“I-I’m sorry…” Martin looked down at the Tanuki girl who held the keyring in her hands. She was fidgeting while the glow of her veins and eyes slowly died down. “I-I just couldn’t stand by and let them take you to be tortured and… and…” She began to weep. “Not again…” She raised her right hand and pet the slave crest on Martin’s right bicep.

Something miraculous happened.

A green, unearthly glow came from the hand. Martin felt a tingling sensation spread across his skin before his ears were hit with the sound of unearthly screams intermingled with laughter. Pain shot into his flesh like a hot knife until he heard something crack.

The girl brought back her hand and looked at him in horror. “What did you do?” He looked down and saw that his crest had changed. What was once red was now green, the mark now cracked and broken as if the lines had been made of glass. “Did you… break my crest?”

“Fascinating…” Steven stroked his chin. “I’ve never seen magic like that before…”

“How…” The girl seemed as confused as them with this recent development. “The Shield Hero… he did this with his blood and I… All I had to do was…”

“The Shield Hero blessed this child!” The Kitsune man screamed in religious fervor. He jumped in place with maddened glee in his eyes. “The Shield Hero and the gods must have given our people a saint through you! You who break the chains and…”

“Will you shut up!” The Tanuki woman snarled at the man while the other woman and child stared at the girl. “Celebrate after we’re out of these stupid chains!”

“How? This is impossible…” The Nui stared at Martin, the look of a man trying to comprehend the sheer impossibility of reality plastered on his face. “Only… only the rulers of the kingdom and traders can take off that mark! So how…?”

“Hell if I know.” A girl with near-impossible strength and the ability to destroy crests? “This is new…” He noticed that the girl was zoning out while looking at her hand and snapped his fingers. “Girl! What’s your name?”

“Don’t shout at our savior, human!” The Kitsune screamed only to be silenced by Martin’s glare.

“R-Raphtalia…” The girl whispered and he noticed that they were glowing again in that unearthly green. “M-My name is Raphtalia.”

“Well, Raphtalia, my name is Martin.” He held out his hand. “Now, it’s obvious that you have one impressive gift given to you by the Shield Hero. I thank you and him for freeing me. How about you hand me the keys while freeing the others? I’m sure they would appreciate it.”

“Saint Raphtalia, do not trust that human!” The Kitsune jabbed a finger at him and Steven. “The Shield Hero granted you this power to liberate our kind! We are to strike down our oppressors and…!”

“That’s not true!” Raphtalia screamed, catching everyone off guard. “T-The Shield Hero… he freed me and other demi-humans in Castle Town, but he did not discriminate! He gave humans who had been enslaved freedom too, a-and gave them the choice to follow him or leave! T-To him, we’re all equal and don’t deserve chains!”

“You really met the Shield Hero? He freed you in Castle Town… and lived?” The weasel girl spoke for the first time, her voice almost a faint whisper in the air.

Raphtalia nodded furiously. “H-He beat the other Cardinal Heroes and smashed the walls! Told us… told us to smash anyone that tried to put us in chains again! T-That’s why I… I…”

Martin grinned. Seems like this little tale of heroism just bought him his life and opened a whole new window of opportunities. “Well now, that sounds grand! Truly the Shield Hero is someone I can respect!” He motioned to Steven. “So how about it, Raphtalia? Want to try your hand in practicing what the Shield Hero taught you?”

The girl looked to the side for a second in thought before handing him the keys and rushing to Steven. As she placed her right hand on the center of his chest Martin unlocked his shackles and allowed the cool air to kiss the bleeding marks they left.

“Here you are, girl.” He handed the keys to the Tanuki woman who snatched them away. “Feisty one, aren’t you?”

“You don’t fool me for a second, Leigh. I saw the greed in your eyes.” She lowered her voice and said, “You’re planning on following her… and so am I. If you even raise one hand against her I’ll slit your throat in your sleep.”

Martin whistled in appreciation. Those eyes were full of murder and she meant every word. “I’ll keep that in mind and sleep with my sword, woman.”

“My name isn’t woman.” The Tanuki rubbed her wrist while handing the keys to the Kitsune woman. “It's Poko and you better remember it.”

He nodded and glanced at Steven. He could see in the young man’s eyes that he was fascinated by the young Tanuki girl. Martin didn’t know his reasons but the man would follow Raphtalia no matter where she went.

All of them were now fugitives. Escaped slaves that had stood by as their legal caretakers were slain and broken free from crests. If any of them were caught then they were as good as dead.

But Martin had no intention of dying and neither did any of these people. They would need money to survive, and he knew a few good ways to put Raphtalia’s strength and power to work in that regard.

Once they were all freed from their chains and crests Raphtalia went back up the hill to collect an egg she called Rifana. The rest of them save for the young weasel whose name was Polly took the shoes of the dead men and anything of value that was in the cart. Once they had their spoils they collected the horses and rode off, Raphtalia holding onto Poko at the head while giving her directions.

“It seems the mercenary life is our future… and perhaps more.” 

“Really, this is too much.” Bruce tried to give an assuring smile to the fifteen demi-humans that were watching him from across what could charitably be called a table. Whoever had made it was obviously not a craftsman because it moved with the slightest touch.

“No, it really isn’t.” The catwoman, whose real name was Susanna, looked down in shame. “It’s all that we could scrounge up for you, Lord Banner. We would’ve had more meat but the hunters have either killed or driven off the animals from our land and we’re barely getting any money back from our crops.”

“I can see that from the soup alone.” It was incredibly watery and had only scraps of vegetables in it. Next to it was a pan-seared rabbit that was incredibly small, likely a bunny, and this strange vegetable that they called ‘sour breadfruit’. It looked like cauliflower but when fried it amazingly tasted like sourdough bread. “Well, you all need it more than I do.”

A dogman winced at the sentence. “I-If it’s not sufficient for you, then I can run into town and…”

“Okay, please stop acting like your walking on eggshells with me.” Bruce set down his spoon and took a good look at all the demi-humans. They seemed to be in an odd state of fear and awe. Like he was some sort of alien dropped onto their lap. “I understand if you're a bit scared because I’m supposed to be dead, but…”

For the first time since he got here, Susanna smiled brightly. “Oh, we never believed that drivel!”

“Huh?”

A woman with more cat features complete with fur and whiskers snarled as she leaned against the wall. “Those Melromarc bastards always lie to us, especially when it comes to you, Lord Shield Hero. The Church of the Three Heroes just wants to screw with us and discredit you…”

“I mean, saying that you died because some human stabbed you!” The dogman laughed hard, clutching his stomach with tears forming at the corners of his eyes. “Couldn’t they have come up with a better lie than that?”

Bruce’s mind flashed to the cold steel piercing his neck and cutting through his windpipe. His own blood choking him as Myne strutted towards him giving her speech to rub salt in the wound.

“...Yes, it's hilarious.” No need to excite these people by saying it's not a lie.

“I imagine that the king and the other heroes ran you out of the capital.” Susanna leaned forward and put a tentative hand over his. “I’m so sorry that your journey has been wrought with lies and deception from those church fanatics…”

“Wait, so a church controls this kingdom?” Bruce almost felt stupid for asking that. Of course, the local popular religion would have a foothold in the politics of the kingdom. In this stage of cultural development, the church would be a political authority unto itself, comprised of nobles and holding control over what the common people thought or believed. Any royal family would seek their approval since it kept the rabble from asking too many questions along the lines of ‘wait, why the hell do I have to grow crops that the local lord is just going to take away for little pay?’.

“Yes.” The catwoman sneered at the thought. “Though calling them a church is being charitable.”

“It’s a goddamn cult!” A man with buck teeth and a beaver tail protruding from his back snarled. “None of the other countries believe their shit!”

All the demi-humans nodded in agreement. Susanna closed her eyes in order to steel herself before saying, “The Church of Three Heroes… they broke off from the Holy Four Heroes order and have made Melromarc their home. All they preach about is how us demi-humans are unholy abominations and… well… how you are the endbringer.”

“...Why am I not surprised.” Great, now this world has a cult that thinks the Hulk is their version of Satan. “Let me guess. They call the Shield Hero the ‘Worldbreaker’?” The demi-humans exchanged confused glances. “Forget it.” Bruce sighed and scratched the back of his neck. “So this religion is the reason why a majority of this kingdom is against me.”

“But we’re not, Lord!” The dog-like demi-human got up and placed his hand against his left breast. “We know the truth! How you only seek to protect our kind with your divine shield from the evils of this world! It's merely the damned humans like the king who are too stupid and cruel to see through the cult’s lies!”

Bruce bit his lip but said nothing. Just his luck to be sent to a world where he and the Hulk were seen as divine figures.

The events of their time on Sakaar were still fresh in Bruce’s mind. Days that stretched into weeks before they became months of betrayal, battle, conquest, comradery, and death. They had been called the Sakaarson and Worldbreaker, a savior and destroyer of the world who held its fate in the palm of their hands.

And where did that all lead?

Nothing but fire and death caused by a friend driven mad by vengeance and religious fervor. His… the Hulk’s wife… disintegrating into ashes in his hands. Miek’s deception bringing them back to Earth where they caused more pain and destruction.

“NEVER STOP MAKING THEM PAY.”

“Yeah! Goddamn Aultcray. If her majesty hadn’t left…” The catwoman’s hands balled into fists. “She may have been dragging her feet about it, but she was trying to make our lives better!”

Bruce blinked. “Wait, the king had been doing this because the queen left?” Bruce thought about it for a second before he made the proper connections. “I see… so this country is a matriarchy and the king was left to act in her stead.”

“That’s right. And that bastard has been abusing his power ever since.” Susanna glared at the fire. “He’s been replacing the lords that weren’t bastards with churchmen or nobles that share his views, increasing our taxes to help fund the church, and been doing everything in his power to spread their propaganda about you. The declaration that you were dead was merely another trick of theirs.”

“This situation is looking worse by the minute.” So the king had summoned him for two reasons. One was to use the Hulk to combat the Waves and the other was to eliminate their satanic or antichrist figure. “I can only guess that they thought whatever scripture said that the Shield Hero was immortal was only metaphorical.”

“You should flee to Siltvelt.” Susanna said automatically, her eyes locking onto his. “There you will be appreciated. Guarded, even!”

“Fuck that!” The beaver demi-human shook his head. “The last Shield Hero died there! Plus, the last thing he needs is to deal with those bloodline nobles! Shieldfreeden’s ten times safer than that shithole!”

“Siltvelt… Shieldfreeden… so those are two countries that revere the Shield Hero.” But he was getting a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. The Hulk was warning him against going to either of those places. “At least with Siltvelt I can understand. The last…” Bruce shook his head. Had he heard them right? “Wait, there were other Shield Heroes before me?”

Susanna opened her mouth to answer before a knocking on the front door rang out. “Susanna! It’s Jessica! Open up, quickly!”

The demi-humans moved at once in front of Bruce to block him from being seen from the door. But he could see in the spaces between them as Susanna opened the door to reveal a rabbit woman in a maid outfit. Her eyes were wild with fear and her hair frazzled, a mark of some kind shining in the light of the sun as she grabbed the cat demi-human on the shoulders.

“Thank the gods you're here…” The rabbit woman, Jessica, panted out. “You… you have to leave! Don’t bother packing and just go!”

“What’s happening?” Susanna glanced in his direction nervously. “What the hell does that fat bastard want from us now?”

“I-It’s the Shield Hero!” Jessica glanced over her shoulder as if checking to see if she was followed. “News just arrived that the Shield Hero is alive, at least officially, and that he had crippled Princess Malty and fled Castle Town after freeing some slaves!”

“Great. You crippled a princess too!?” Bruce groaned and put his hand against his forehead. “You’re only lucky that this kingdom wants to kill me already.”

“Jargeen is gathering the city guard and the knights that the new priest brought along with him. They’re planning to march over here and kill you all for treason!” The rabbit woman began to cry as her body shook. “H-He knows the Shield Hero probably isn’t here, but this is the perfect excuse for him to legally kill you all! I-I came as fast as I could but there isn’t much time! You need to leave!”

“We can’t.”

The rabbit demi-human lifted her head and looked at Susanna like she was crazy. The cat woman nodded towards the others and they parted like a sea to show Bruce to the new arrival.

He couldn’t help but feel a bit exposed as Jessica gawked at him.

“The Shield Hero is here.” Susanna was eerily calm as she walked towards Bruce. “And we need your decision on this matter, Lord Banner. If you wish to stay and fight we will do so. If you tell us to flee then we will. The choice is ultimately yours.”

“I…” Damnit, how the hell did he get into this spot!? Bruce was never a leader. The closest he had ever gotten was leading science teams and trying to teach his son Skaar. “In my opinion, you should all run and leave me here.”

Everyone was looking at him like he was crazy, but he understood why. Bruce Banner was nothing to look at. A skinny human with a shield against who knew how many armed men? The very idea was ludicrous!

If the Hulk were out they wouldn’t have hesitated like this.

“Lord Banner…” Susanna gave a nervous smile. “No offense, but… I really don’t think that’s a wise decision.”

“They want only me. If you were to run now I doubt that this mayor will bother to send people to search for you.”

“But this is our home!” The dog demi-human’s hands balled into fists. “And I’m sick of bowing and scraping to these bastards that would rather see us wiped from existence! What good is being free from servitude if we’re treated like less than bugs!? And you’re the Shield Hero! By the gods, you should be leading us against them!”

The Hulks would lead them. All of them would smash these knights into broken heaps without hesitation. But he wasn’t the Hulk. Bruce Banner knew that there were some battles that one could not win. “I’m also the Shield Hero who's telling you to get out now!” He raised his right arm to show his shield. “I’ve got this and come nightfall I’ll be able to fight them off.”

“Well, I hope that you're ready to fight now.” The beaver demi-human was looking out the window, his face turning pale with each passing second. “Because that fat bastard can move when he wants to.”

Bruce and the others rushed over and saw with mounting horror the glint of metal down the path and further into the trees. A party of two were approaching with drawn swords and arrogant smirks on their faces.

“A pair of overeager scouts. They want to see if these people will put up a fight.” Bruce glanced up. The sun wasn’t even close to setting. “Damn it? What do I do? What the hell do I do!?”

But he knew the answer. He knew it even before he heard the pounding of the Hulk’s fists in his head.

He would have to fight.

Chapter 4: First Battle