Rise of the Sword and the Shield

New Comrades

Lyall the Werewolf: My deepest apologies for the late updates. Laziness and other things can take over when least expected. At least I uploaded this chapter before the end of the year.

I believe we all know what this chapter entails, judging from the title. But, I'm adding a bit of a twist this time.

(I don't own Senran Kagura or Shield Hero)

----------------------------------------------------------------

After the race in Lute Village, Albert gave Naofumi a discarded carriage as a reward for winning the race. The Shield Hero declined any money as a reward because that would be a dick move after Asuka had donated some of her money to help with repairs and Motoyasu's near-hostile takeover of the village. Filo was the one to help him make the decision to take the carriage, as she wanted one to pull. Additionally, Albert also gave Naofumi a merchant's pass, knowing he was interested in the merchant trade. Now, Naofumi could travel around the country without having to pay tolls and make a steady income on the merchant trade.

Speaking of merchants, the Sword and Shield Hero parties decided to go see the Slave Trader for an explanation for their Filolials' sudden transformation.

"Well, what's the deal with this?" Naofumi asked as he pointed to the giant-sized Filo, Ikaruga, and Homura.

"I-I don't know what to say. This is the first time I've seen something like this myself." Beloukas answered as he examined the bloated Filolials, "But I presume they must be Filolial Chiefs."

"Filolial Chiefs?" Asuka asked.

"In the wild, Filolials travel in large flocks. The Chief is the one leading the flock. They're either called Kings or Queens depending on their gender." Beloukas explained, "These three are females, so they're Filolial Queens."

"I've heard rumors about that too. But, Filolial Chiefs are rarely seen. I didn't think Filolial Chiefs would look like this, though." Elena said.

"Ditto," said Rino.

"It's said that Filolial Chiefs are skilled at transformation magic, so they can blend in with the flock," Beloukas informed.

"Transformation magic...?" Asuka thought.

"Other than that, you don't know anything else, do you?" Naofumi asked.

"As I said, this is my first time seeing something like this. I'm afraid I don't have an explanation for why they turned out like this." Beloukas replied defensively.

"Maybe it has something to do with us." Asuka suggested, "We're Cardinal Heroes, so maybe monsters raised from birth by us could become special in some way."

Beloukas nodded to the theory, "It's certainly possible. There are stories of previous Cardinal Heroes having animal companions aiding them on their quests. For example, there's a tale of a Cardinal Hero who raised a Dragon King. The details are scarce, but that Hero had an explosive temper, so a dragon was his natural choice."

"I guess that makes sense." Naofumi concurred. He couldn't imagine that Cardinal Hero had good enough social skills to be a Hero in general if he was so temperamental.

Asuka examined the Filolials curiously. The three meet her curious gaze as well.

"Is there something else on your mind, Sword Hero-sama?" Beloukas asked.

"You said Filolial Chiefs are good at transforming, right?" Asuka inquired.

"Indeed I did." the slave trader nodded.