The Rising of the Scythe Hero

Since I couldn't teleport Naofumi and his cart, we had to make our way to the destination the old-fashioned way. There was plenty of room inside, so we didn't have to squeeze in. The only other passenger, aside from Night and me, was Raphtalia. Night, for her part, seemed distinctly uneasy about being a passenger rather than the one pulling the cart. If anything, it really did seem like the instinct to haul a wagon was in a filolial's blood.

Our companion sat on edge the entire trip. The turmoil on Raphtalia's face was practically spelled out in big, bold letters. She wanted to help her fellow villagers, but when it came to the one most responsible for their suffering — she clearly didn't know what to do.

"Worried?"

"Huh?" The girl suddenly lifted her gaze to me.

"Don't know what to do about Rabier?" Raphtalia blinked at me. "He tortured not only you but your friends as well. Many of his slaves died purely for his amusement."

"I… I don't know." Raphtalia's shoulders slumped. "I'm afraid that if I see him, I might not be able to hold myself back. He's caused so much pain to the people of our village… What should I do, Nott-sama?"

"I doubt I'd make much of a good advisor." I smirked. "You probably already know what I'd do if I were in your place."

"You… would kill him?"

"Yup. The only question would be how quickly. But given what he's done… he'd die slowly. Very slowly."

"…And still, I don't understand, Nott-sama." Raphtalia was silent for a long moment before she finally gathered the courage to ask. "Is it really… that easy to take a life?"

"That's a hard question. But if you want to know, the first time I ever took a life was here, in this world. You see, in the world I came from, progress had gone pretty far" — it seemed that Raphtalia, momentarily pulled away from darker thoughts, began listening intently, her ears twitching with interest — "both in terms of technology and in moral values. Killing had become something… outrageous and repulsive. Even the death penalty, as the highest form of punishment, eventually disappeared from most countries. Death… scared people, so they did everything they could to make the illusion of their longevity as unshakable as possible."

"I still don't understand…"

"In my world, the value of life was elevated to an absolute. But death is an inseparable part of it. There's no escaping it for anyone, no matter what laws humanity comes up with — at least, not in the reality of my world. But in my view, killing is just as much a part of life. People rob, rape, murder, torture… and in the end, all they face for it is prison, often with a fixed term. Can you picture the face of a parent whose child was murdered by some vile bastard — only for that bastard, after serving his time, to walk out free and live the rest of his life however he pleases? While the life he took is gone forever."

"That's… horrible."

"Maybe so. But those rules were built over centuries, and it's not my place to rewrite them. I'm only saying all this to make one point: sometimes killing is the only truly right choice. But deciding when it's 'right' — that's something each person has to decide for themselves. And now, you have to make that choice too."

That was where my "wise man mode" ran out of steam. If Naofumi had heard us, he probably would've been furious. He'd no doubt be willing to kill someone himself — but only if there was absolutely no other way. And there's no way he'd allow his precious "protégé" to kill anyone. He'd do everything in his power to keep her from carrying that kind of burden. That's just the kind of person he is — the type to shoulder it all himself so no one else has to.

The cart fell silent after that conversation. But since I'd touched on some unpleasant topics, I figured it was better to wrap things up on a lighter note.

"Hey, Birdie." Night, sitting beside me, lifted her eyes. "There's a chance we'll be meeting the Big Bird. I plan on making an impression on her, so if it comes to that, I want you to give it your all too, all right?"

"Big… bird?" My companion tilted her head in confusion.

"You'll understand if we're lucky enough to meet her. Just don't think about me when it happens. Show her everything you've got."

"…All right. I understand."

"Good. That's what I like to hear."

That was it. The topics on my mind were temporarily exhausted — at least, the ones I could discuss with this company. I could always pester Naofumi a bit more, but… eh. Maybe another time.

Not much time had passed since the Heroes' meeting, so Naofumi hadn't traveled far from Melromarc, and the trip to Rabier's estate didn't take long. As we neared our destination, we went over the plan for the coming performance one more time. And just short of the estate, Night and I hopped off the cart, activating Camouflage.

Let the hunt begin.

***

The cart, pulled by a yellow-feathered filolial, came to a stop in front of the estate belonging to the local lord — Idol Rabier.

By now, nearly everyone within Melromarc's borders knew of the bird pulling this cart. The people had dubbed her the Divine Bird that pulled the Saint's wagon. That was the kind of reputation the owners of the simplest cart in the kingdom had managed to earn.

Coming out to greet the arrivals in person was the lord of the estate himself — a man of considerable girth with an unpleasant appearance: unkempt blond hair sticking out in all directions, a sparse and oddly shaped mustache, and a bulbous nose. His expression radiated haughty disdain, and the smile he wore was steeped in falsehood. Even that faded into a twisted grimace the moment his eyes fell on the demi-human who stepped out behind the Shield Hero.

Idol Rabier was not only a staunch supporter of the Three Heroes Church — of which the arriving Shield Hero was clearly not a part — but also one of the most radical haters of demi-humans. Now, faced with not one but two living embodiments of everything he despised, it clearly took him considerable effort to maintain even the semblance of a smile.

"The Saint himself visits my lands. What… an honor." The true nature of his feelings seeped through his voice regardless, the last two words spat more than spoken.

"Yeah. I'm thrilled to see you too." The Shield Hero gave a dismissive wave. "Let's not waste each other's time. Here, take a look." From his bag, he pulled a rolled-up sheet of paper and tossed it straight into the man's hands.

"You—" Rabier's mustache twitched furiously as he nearly lost control. But then his gaze fell on the document. "'…is to be arrested, stripped of all titles and property'? What kind of nonsense is this?"

"Not my idea." Already knowing what the paper said, the Shield Hero only shrugged indifferently. "I've just been put in charge of arresting you. Let's not make this harder than it has to be."

The paper in Rabier's hands crumpled under the pressure of barely contained rage. But then, as if at the snap of a finger, his face smoothed out, and his grip on the sheet relaxed. It was as if all his anger had drained away in an instant.

wondering what he was supposed to do. In the plan they'd discussed not long ago, this kind of reaction hadn't even been considered. No one in their right mind would have predicted Rabier's voluntary surrender.

But as soon as he was close enough to the baffled Shield Hero…

"Naofumi-sama!" Raphtalia's voice rang out as she jerked toward the advancing noble.

"Ha! Filthy animal, don't you dare interfere!" In an instant, Rabier's friendly smile twisted into a hideous mask of unrestrained rage.

As he came level with the Shield Hero, he struck without hesitation, snatching the whip from his belt in a motion too quick to follow. Raphtalia intercepted the attack, parrying the strike with her blade.

Only, to her surprise, the blow was so strong she barely managed to hold onto her weapon. Stumbling a few steps, dragged along by the whip wrapped around her sword, she still managed to yank it free from its grasp.

"Tch. Mirellia's a fool if she thinks I'll just hand myself over to this trash. But no matter" — a vile grin spread across Rabier's face — "things will soon change. It won't be long before she's kicked off that royal throne of hers. We'll see to that." Then his gaze shifted to Raphtalia. "And as for you, filthy animal… I'll have my fun with you later. You remind me far too much of one of my favorite toys…"

"I won't let you hurt anyone else," Raphtalia said — but her words were already matched with action as she lunged at him.

The whip she'd knocked away only moments ago still lay on the ground, so she charged forward confidently. But Rabier, flashing another vile grin, reached toward his other side — the one his opponents hadn't been able to see until now. With a sharp, pulling motion, the air split with the crack of a second whip.

"Raphtalia!"

Snapping out of his daze, Naofumi stepped in front of his companion, taking the attack himself. A moment late, but the realization finally hit him — there was something unusual about their opponent's weapon.

"Shield Prison!" Chains wrapped around a dome of light that enclosed them both, the whip lashing uselessly against it. If Naofumi had hesitated even a second longer, the strike would have curled around his shield and at the very least cut into Raphtalia.

"Pathetic trash… the Shield Demon and a filthy animal! Couldn't find a worse pair if you tried!" As soon as the protective dome fell, Rabier was forced to leap back, dodging a thrust of her blade. "But you're far too weak to match me!"

The fight settled into a stalemate. Rabier couldn't land a decisive blow on the Shield Hero or his companion, and they, in turn, couldn't score a clean hit on the high-level veteran of one of Melromarc's bloodiest wars.

Because once, long ago, this bloated man had fought side by side with the Wise King himself against the united armies of Siltvelt and Shieldfreeden — and had walked away alive.

But even with his high stats, he was starting to give ground. First, a shallow cut appeared on his round frame, then another… and then a far more serious wound.

He was being forced back the entire time. With obvious effort, he managed to avoid truly crippling injuries, but they were herding him into a corner.

Then, after yet another retreat, clearly winded, he failed to notice the shield materializing under his feet. Losing his balance, he landed flat on his backside…

"Kh! Damn it!" Rabier jerked his arm upward, clutching at the fresh hole in his shoulder — a wound Raphtalia had given him when she seized her chance.

"For Lifana-chan… and for everyone who's suffered at your hands."

When he looked up, he saw on the demi-human's face an expression that could only belong to someone who had just made an important decision.

"Trash… vermin… worthless scum! You'll die, you'll all die!"

Like a madman, he swung both whips wildly in every direction, tearing into the ground and kicking up clouds of dust. Caught off guard by the desperate frenzy, Naofumi and Raphtalia lost sight of him for a moment. When they pushed through the haze, all they could see was Rabier's back as he darted around the corner of the estate.

Without hesitation, they gave chase. But the moment they rounded the same corner, they ran straight into the manor's guards, drawn there by the noise.

A wall of armored men blocked their view of whatever was happening ahead.

And only one figure — a man with a Scythe — watched it all unfold with a satisfied smile…

"Ha-ha-ha-ha! Now you're finished for sure!" Rabier, grinning like a madman, let the blood pouring from his shoulder spill over a lone gravestone oddly placed in the middle of his courtyard. "Everyone's finished! You, the townsfolk… everyone! And it's all because of you, filthy Shield Demon!"

"I can't even see what you're doing over there, you idiot! And whatever it is — how the hell is this my fault?!" the Shield Hero shouted back, entirely justified in his outrage.

"Die, you fool!" Rabier kept spitting out senseless insults as he raised his arms toward the sky. And then…

Crack.

The gravestone split down the middle. For a moment, silence rang in the air — and then the ground trembled beneath them. The once-clear blue sky darkened before their eyes, swallowed by black, roiling clouds. A flash of violet lightning tore across the heavens, and the sky itself split open, revealing a rift — one the Shield Hero had only ever seen during the Waves.

And from that rift, as if for dramatic effect, something massive and clearly dangerous began to emerge. First came clawed hind legs, reptilian in shape. Then a massive body, covered in thick, dark green hide. Finally, the head came into view, belonging to…

"Damn… it really is a dinosaur..." came a voice from somewhere off to the side.