Chapter 1: One hell of a hangover.

Rewrite time baby!

This was kind of a long time coming considering how bad the older chapters are so instead of editing it and thinking that sprucing up a pile of shit will make it better I'm just gonna bite the bullet and rewrite.

Anyway, this is my first fanfiction so the quality varies and by that I mean the early chapters are pretty rough when compared to the later chapters and even then, the new chapters aren't exactly gems but I hope you enjoy nonetheless.

Here's a description for first time readers: This fanfic is gonna be AU with a Female Naofumi. The Spear Hero and Shield will get into a relationship down the line, It's gonna take some time, just to build it up between the two, yadda yadda. It's going to mostly focus on the Spear Hero but the Shield Hero is going to be just as important or even more so when things get rolling.

All rights go to their owners.

Talking: "That one could lose his way so could you pray with me?"

Thinking: 'That I don't lose my soul in the luxury.'

"Fuck off and let me sleep off this hangover."-New Spear Hero whining.

The moon hangs overhead in the sky, its pale light shining down on a suburb, almost completely peaceful if not for the thundering music disturbing the entire suburb. A woman in a sleeping gown crosses across the street. Her eyes bloodshot and a deep frown on her face. Her slippers tap the concrete ground, the woman muttering to herself with clear displeasure. "No respect for their neighbours."

Her destination is a home that's fully lit up. The porch lights and all the interior lights of the home beam out into the darkness of the neighbourhood. Easily standing out as the light glistens against the darkness of the sleepy suburb.

She walks up to the front door. She raises her hand and slams it against the door repeatedly. Hitting it with all of her frustrations and anger. The door opens and she cranes her head upwards, a male looking down at her with a confused look. "You coming in here dressed like that?"

The woman blinks, her scowl not dissipating in any sense of the word. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

The man shrugs before turning around, looking at something not seen by the woman. "Uh… around 1:34?"

A vein forms on her the woman's head, struggling to contain herself from not having a meltdown. "And some people are trying to sleep, so turn down the damn music."

The young man snorts, leaning on the door frame with a smug grin. "It's the weekend bitch." The man looks her up and down, a lustful twinkle in his eyes, the woman grimacing inwardly at his stare. "Actually you know what? Why don't you come in, I'll keep you company and show you a good time."

The woman takes a step back, her anger turning into disgust. "I'm married."

The man hums, licking his lips before it twists into a smile. "I'm sure I could please you more than your husband could, babe."

The woman takes another step back, her disgust completely overwhelming her will to argue with the man. "Turn it down or else!" She quickly retreats, the woman turns her head to watch the man ensure he doesn't follow.

The man chortles as she leaves, grabbing his crotch as he thrusts in her direction the action causing her to speed up even more. "You know you want it!" He closes the door, with a huff. "Stupid bitch."

"Who the fuck was that Mike!" A voice calls out from the living room, somehow over the music, and shouts within.

"Just some fucking broad moaning about the party!" The now named Mike calls out, reaches out to the table next to the door, and picks up his alcoholic beverage, sipping it.

"Alright cool!"

The party continues on completely unchallenged, the blaring music and shouts echoing out to the street. A mob of people within all drinking, the entire house full of beer kegs and plastic cups. Moans and grunts were heard from upstairs and even softly from the living room. A crowd of people surround one person, chanting.

"Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!"

A blonde male has a hose in his mouth, gulping down the alcohol pouring from the keg. Two people stand in the inner circle. One holding the keg upside down and staring at the blonde with a grin on his face while the other stands nearby, a stopwatch in his hand. A few more seconds pass before the blonde pulls out the hose, the one holding the keg instantly responding and spinning the keg around.

The one with the stopwatch raises his hand into the air, shouting out to the surrounding crowd. "Ladies and Gentlefucks! We have a new champion; Kane Stone! With 14 seconds of constant chugging with no breaks inbetween!" The crowd goes wild, shouting, screaming, and chanting. "Does anyone else have the balls to try and break the record?" The one with the stopwatch looks around, eyeing the crowd. One person with brown hair accepts the offer and steps up. Kane stepping out of the ring created by the crowd.

Kane walks around at a slow pace, the alcohol having its effect on him. He plans on finding the toilet to relieve himself.

"You fucked my girl you fucking chink!" A shout echoes out, Kane ignoring it.

"Watch it with that chink shit, limp dick. Ain't my fault she's going for people with good dick game." The familiar voice makes him turn his head to find his friend being harassed by a guy and his two goons by his side.

"You motherfucker-!"

Kane interrupts, entering the conversation. "You good Toby?" The four looking at him, the three seethe while Toby becomes more confident in his stance. A group of people watches the volatile interaction with bated breaths, hopeful for a more thuggish form of entertainment instead of the constant sex and alcohol that fills the air.

"Better now." Toby looks at the angry boyfriend, Toby smirks. "Ey, you remember Ashley?" Kane tilts his head before shaking it. "The one that sucked your dick at Marcus' house."

Kane blanks for a moment before he grins, nodding his head, the action making his world wobble for a moment. "Yeah, I remember her!" He turns to the boyfriend who becomes even more incensed at the revelation. "Mind telling her to call me sometime?"

The boyfriend throws a punch, throttling Kane in the jaw, Kane stumbles back from the blow. Toby bursts into action from this, slamming his elbow into the enraged boyfriend's face, The man's eyes rolling up as he begins slumping to the ground. The spectators all groaning at the action, the painful blow entertaining them.

Kane after he recovers from the punch charges straight in, the adrenaline beginning to course through him as he lets out a wild right haymaker aimed right for one of the friends of the dropped boyfriend, the ally of the man standing in shock at his compatriot's knocked out state. The blow connects, the person's head whipping back from the force.

Kane follows it up with a left hook, the hit connecting with his jaw and dropping him. He hears a thump and finds Toby stuck underneath the other goon that was supporting that unnamed boyfriend. Kane instantly rushes into action, pouncing at the male. The two fly off, Toby no longer stuck underneath someone else and Kane sits on top of the last friend, letting out a barrage of punches that brutally slams into the side of the person's face, his cheeks already beginning to swell. He lets out a few more punches before realising the guy's eyes were rolled back.

Slight scoffs are heard as well as disappointed muttering, the crowd of bored vultures hoping for a longer fight. Kane pulls himself off and onto the wooden floor with a sigh, getting into a sitting position. Toby holds out a hand for Kane which he takes, Toby with a bit of difficulty due to Kane's weight and height lifting Kane to his feet. "I'm surprised you didn't dodge that punch."

Kane slowly raises his shoulders in an attempt to shrug. "I'mmm seeing doubles over here."

Toby chortles. "How much did you drink man?"

Kane's lip turns upwards into a grin, his words slurred from his inebriated state. "14 fuckinnng seconds, probably not even gonna remember this night."

Toby whistles. He nods, impressed. "Man, I'm surprised you're even still standing." He points at Kane's face, the side of his attractive face having an angry red mark. "That's gonna bruise like hell man."

Kane's hand reaches the side of his face, prodding the area of where he was punched. He still doesn't feel the sting due to his wasted state and whatever adrenaline is left. "Fuuck, Ma is gonna give me sh-" Kane is interrupted by a panic voice.

"Oh fuck! It's the cops!"

The voice echoes out, the music drowning out; meaning only the people in the front room lingering around could hear the cry. The two instantly look at the voice to find a girl pulling down the blinds. "It's the fucking police! Everyone fucking book it!"

The words set everyone off, including Kane and Toby who bolt off for the garden.

The two shove past the panicking crowd of people, entering the garden. They look around for an escape, finding a shed, the two quickly run up to it.

Kane hops up and with his height is able to grasp the roof of the shed with ease, he lifts himself up. He spins around, leaning down on the roof of the shed, holding out a hand for Toby. The slightly spooked brunette jumps up and grabs Kane's outstretched arm. Kane attempts to lift him, struggling to pull up his friend. "Whatever you do, don't fucking hurl on me Kane!"

"Doing my best over here asshole." Kane grunts with a snarl, eventually he lifts Toby enough that the brunette can grasp the roof, the two standing on the shed and jumping the fence and hitting the floor, leaves, and grass crinkling underfoot. Toby quickly gets to his feet, while Kane lies on the floor. He helps Kane get to him as the blonde struggles to get to his feet due to his perception of the world.

Other people begin landing next to them, running off the moment they hit the ground. Cries and shouts are heard from the house, causing Toby and Kane to start running.

The two run for minutes, not stopping for a single moment. They only stop once they've made a good distance away from the house. They find themselves on a similar street as the one from before although this one is completely dead silent, nothing but the sounds of crickets and the wind can be heard. The two stop on the sidewalk, Toby bent over with his hands on his knees and gasping in the air while Kane leans on a tree. After a moment or so of gasping for air the two begin laughing to themselves, the adrenaline in their bodies pumping. Toby's laughter dies down to which he pulls out his phone, sniffing. "Imma call a Uber."

Kane hums in approval, pushing himself off the tree and pulling out his phone to do the same as Toby. He types in his passcode before clicking on the app, about to order one before it suddenly disappears. "You just stole mine."

Toby gives a cheeky smirk, closing his phone. "Gotta be swifter than that, my redneck friend."

Kane snorts, swiping a bit more on his phone. "Fuck yoourself, discount Bruce Lee." He finally finds one and orders it.

"Look who's talking. The hick that knows martial arts."

Kane raises his hands, performs mock karate stances while making loud noises. "Wachaw!"

Toby snorts, looking down at his phone. A calm silence envelops the two until Toby notices a certain celebrity on his Instagram to which he asks Kane a very mature question.

"Who would you fuck? Megan Fox or Scarlett Johansson."

Kane whistles, looking up to the black sky, the moon shining in the sea of darkness. Pondering the question in his head. "Megan, no actually Scarlett."

"Same." Toby nods his head sagely. The two boys were hit by a bright light of a car pulling up, the vehicle stopping before the two and waiting. Toby pulls up his phone before quickly putting it away. "Alright bro, talk to you later." The two bump knuckles, Toby moves towards the Uber, opening the back of the car and getting in the back, closing the door.

The car begins to drive away, leaving Kane alone on the quiet street. The darkness quickly rolls in after the car leaves. He raises his phone to check how much longer he has to wait for his own Uber, groaning as the app informs him that his ride is still thirty minutes away from him. He begins swiping through Instagram and Snapchat in boredom.

His phone's screen suddenly turns black, switching itself off due to low battery causing Kane to swear to himself and look up and down the street, becoming impatient. "This fucking Uber is taking forever." His boredom and impatience begin to rise for every passing second which for a drunk wouldn't mean much if they had something to do but for one that has nothing to distract them the seconds felt like an eternity.

Kane's grumbling and bitching is silenced by a sudden plop to his left. He turns his head to the noise finding a maroon book on the floor. Kane snorts, walking over to it and lifting the tome. A strange golden symbol adorns the front, with a title above it.

"The.. Record of the Four Holy Weapons? Ohhhh! The symbol is a bunch of weapons wait… why is there a Shield?" Kane forgets about the Shield, his mind already moving on. He hums, staring at the book in suspicion. "Random book that appeared out of nowhere that talks about Holy Weapons that's super fucking suspect." Kane's inebriated mind imagines the book being bashful. "…"

"Fuck it, I'm bored."

He opens the book, flicking through the pages, reading the sentences aloud. "Waves… apocal… apocaly… bad shit." He slurs through the rest of the book, the words coming out as complete gibberish due to him skipping entire lines of writing, the book however mentions the four Heroes and a princess although it's quickly forgotten.

Kane flicks the book to pages dedicated to the Heroes, muttering little notes to himself.

The Sword Hero; who constantly searched for ways to improve and strengthen themselves. "Oooh kinda like Vegeta?"

The Bow Hero; who constantly searched for injustice and evil to vanquish. "Batman? Nooo more like Robin Hood."

The Shield Hero; who constantly inspired and lead others with kindness and protection. "Now that I think about it getting throttled by that big ass Shield is gonna fuck you up no matter what."

He flicks to the Spear Hero section finding it… empty? Kane shakes the book. "Ahhh that's some bullshit man." The pages however begin turning by themselves, the first page slowly flicks to the side before the next one which goes by slightly faster then the next does the same until it begins speeding through the pages. It emits a yellow light, Kane reacting violently to it. "Ahhh! Bright fucking lights!" He drops the book, rubbing his eyes.

The book still turning it's pages, hits the floor. A massive form of light surrounds Kane before it disappears, leaving Kane in total darkness, his eyes shut close, suddenly sleeping after the surge of light almost as if something had put him under sleep.

Seconds, minutes, possibly hours pass with Kane floating in a sea of inky blackness. No discernable way to tell time with the only oddity amidst the endless abyss is Kane himself, who begins to stir. Opening his eyes. "W-What the fuck?"

Kane attempts to get upright but the action makes his head throb in a familiar pain, he squeezes his eyes shut and grasps his forehead. "Fu-" A light pierces his eyelids, making him grimace before he opens his eyes to find the light responsible. He finds it underneath him, the light shining like a torch in the surrounding darkness. "What the fu-?" Gravity suddenly takes hold of Kane, his words dying in his mouth. The blonde southerner plummets, rushing towards the light at terminal velocity. "Oh fuck!" He closes his eyes shut, ready to startle awake in his bed.

Only for him to hit the floor with a grunt of pain as he sprawls out pitifully, another voice is heard screaming in panic before impacting the ground like him.

Whispering and gasping can be heard, relief clear in the voices. A group of cultists stands before Kane's slumped form and three others. Bright smiles on each of the fanatics' faces as they watch the four with glee.

The three others that the cultists are interested in slowly begin rising, shuffling to the feet as their shoes stomp on the marble, a dull thud emitting and spurring Kane to open his eyes and attempt to raise his head. He instantly regrets it however as his head pulses with agony.

'I could be used as an example for what not to do in AA meetings at this point.'

The cultist all wear the same attire, robes with their hoods up except for one, the one in the middle. His hood is down and a crown adorns his head. "We did it! The summoning was a success!"

Kane weakly plants his hands over his ears, angrily muttering to himself. "Shut up…"

The cultist doesn't hear him, already speaking again, his voice echoing in the quiet room. "O brave Heroes, please save our world!"

"Excuse me?" Three different voices are heard, all speaking at the same time in confusion.

Kane however isn't happy, he growls like a greedy dog with a bone, muttering again, unheard by anyone. "Shut the fuck up and let me sleep off this damn hangover."

The person to Kane's right exclaims. "T-The hell is this!?" Kane winces at the loud voice about to snap at it.

"Spear Hero! Are you alright?!" The lead cultist shouts out, his voice rolling off the walls of the room. The voice finally pushes Kane over the edge. He opens his eyes and gives a harsh glare to the cultist who takes a step back at the sudden aggression. Kane's snarling mouth and bloodshot eyes with crimson irises make him appear rather intimidating, although if the cultist knew Kane would struggle to get to his feet, he wouldn't blink at Kane's snarl.

With gritted teeth, he slowly gets to his knee, slightly wobbling. The whole world spinning as he does so. He tries to fully stand up, however the world wobbles and spins even worse than before as if the entire planet was a merry-go-round and someone stuck a rocket to it. Kane violently closes squeezes his eyes shut again, just to stop the world from spinning. Despite closing his eyes he stumbles from his disoriented view of the world. Gravity snaking its harsh arms around Kane, about to pull him down.

However, just before he begins to drop, someone from the right grabs him, holding him tight to ensure he doesn't fall, by pure instinct he wraps his arm around the person's head subconsciously. The person stumbles a bit from the sudden weight but stands firm, holding up Kane as if they were anchor for him. "Are you alright?" A soothing voice is heard, the delicate tone calming Kane from his childish indignation at the cultist.

The head cultist whispers to one of the other cultists, noticing the red mark on Kane's cheek. He gives the other cultist an order to which the cultist bows before quickly scampering away to perform what was asked of them.

"Hey, are you alright?" The same voice questions Kane's health.

Kane not wanting to worry his helper speaks, his voice dry and gravelly due to his condition. "I'm alright, just give me a moment." Kane exhales and takes a deep breath, opening his eyes. The world still spinning but not as bad as before. He rubs his forehead. "I swear that's the last time I drink alcohol." He turns to the right to view his saviour.

He finds a short woman of Asian heritage, her green eyes staring into his with worry. Her raven black hair flowing down past her shoulders. He unlinks his arm. "Thanks for stopping me from faceplanting the floor, darling." The woman gives a smile before nodding, taking a small step back to the right and watching Kane, checking if he can stand on his feet properly, when he's capable of doing, she turns back around to face the cultists.

Kane looks around the room. The staring cultists putting him off with their looks of admiration and concern, he finds two others to his left; two males also with Asian heritage just like the woman who helped him. Kane grumbles in his mind. 'Real fucking nice of you two, letting only the chick help me.'

"...Are you alright, Spear Hero?" The head cultist speaks again, his hand clasped together. Kane looks at him due to him speaking, finding the man staring at him.

Kane tilts his head in confusion. "Are you talking to me?"

The man nods, causing even more confusion in Kane, he shifts his body as he's about to ask him what he means when something bumps his thigh. Looking down he finds a… Spear of all things. It's clearly ornate, the colour palette is the classic white and gold, giving the weapon a holy, regal look. The blade and spike at opposing ends are a contrasting grey. "The fuck?" He points at the Spear. "The fuck is this?" He raises both his arms, his voice rising. "Where the fuck are we?" He points at the cultists. "Who the fuck are you?" He's finally yelling. "And where the fuck can I get a drink, my god damn throat is drier than Gandhi's fucking flip flop!" The woman to his right snorts in amusement, while Kane rubs his throat, regretting his tantrum almost immediately.

The cultist waits for a bit after Kane's rant. "I-I'm sure you have many questions, but sadly time is short, but to make things short we performed a ritual to summon you four Heroes to combat the Waves of Destruction." The cultist bows his head. "That's the short story but please follow me, I will take you to the King who will describe the situation more in detail." He raises his head and stares at Kane, the blonde southerner staring back with a frown. "And I have already sent word ahead for a healing potion to be obtained for you Spear Hero."

Kane opens his mouth and then closes it, about to ask what he means when the name itself was self-explanatory. The two to his left agreed with this.

"Guess there's no one else better to give our demands."

"Agreed, I'm willing to speak to your King."

The woman to his right agrees like the others but with noticeably less confidence. "Uh… sure I guess."

The priest stares at Kane waiting for his agreement, to which Kane shrugs his shoulders with a sigh. "Better than standing around in your sex dungeon."

The head cultist bows and walks away, the two to Kane's left move first, following the priest. The woman to his right speaks to him. "You alright?"

Kane turns to her with a hum. "I'm fine Shieldy, just…" He looks ahead and sighs. "Walking is gonna be a pain in my ass." The woman gives a slight grin, patting him on the arm and walking ahead of him, Kane following behind her, not wanting to be left behind.

The priest and two other Heroes wait for the two, not wanting to get lost, and proceed to walk as a group. Kane is at the back with him not wanting to slow anyone down. He however was proven right when they reached a flight of stairs. "Who the fuck someone summons someone at the BOTTOM of the stairs?! Why not at the top, such horseshit." Only one other person can hear Kane grumbling to himself, the same person with a smile on her face, entertained at the moaning and creative swears from behind her.

She slows down, however, a window to the outside world earning her attention and earned it did. The view outside was amazing to the normal citygirl being mesmerised by the view of medieval town before her eyes. The European-styled building stretched on beyond her sight. Birds fly in the clear skies as a gentle breeze brushes her face, softly pushing her hair. "Such a pleasant breeze… It's like the typical sales pitch in all those tour brochures." She sticks her head closer to the window, taking a deep breath, the rich air clear of any pollutants like the city she grew up in or any other modern city for that matter.

The cultist and the two other Heroes look back at her, the Hero with the Bow. "Wait, have you never travelled outside of Japan?"

The one with the Sword looks out the window. "Going by the breeze outside, this place has your standard Mediterranean climate."

"So it's warm," Kane calls out from the back of the group. He walks around Naofumi, looking out the window. "Not a bad view." He looks down at the Shield Hero. "You're better looking though." He moves on, using his hands to stabilize himself as he walks up the stairs. The girl blinks at the sudden flirt, Kane however keeps walking up the stairs, the cultist letting him go first, finally at the end of the stairs. Kane huffing to himself in relief.

He exits the stairs with a smile before groaning as the sun hits his eyes. "Fuck me. Wish I had my sunglasses." He grumbles before straightening. He begins patting his body searching for his sunglasses before feeling the shape of it in his back jean pocket. He pulls it out and to his gratitude to whatever deity or luck was responsible for his sunglasses somehow remaining intact. He begins laughing to himself. "Aha! Shit is getting better for me!"

He flicks the sunglasses on. The southerner instantly sighed at the sun's harsh shine being dulled by his shades. The lead priest stares at him in slight confusion of the shades but doesn't think much on the oddity due to them being a Cardinal Hero who came from another world.

The group continues on, walking through marble hallways all speckless and shiny, undoubtedly cleaned and dusted recently just to impress the Heroes as they pass through. Some guards and maids even watch the Heroes pass, staring at the new Cardinal Heroes, talking amongst themselves.

The Sword Hero walks with forced indifference, excitement hidden under his veneer of stoicism. He stares ahead, his lips a straight line as his blue eyes track the head priest, but from time to time his eyes wander, staring at the soldiers and maids.

The Bow Hero walks with confidence, drinking in all the awe and amazement about the Heroes with a grin. His core warms at the constant positive attention, his golden eyes shining as his attention is completely on the passerbys.

The Shield Hero looks around the hall with slight awe herself, smiling meekly at the stares of awe and reverence. If she paid more attention she might have noticed how some would glare at her, dark mutterings aimed at her.

Kane however wasn't as dignified as the others. He was once again at the back, prodding the Spear, dragging his finger along the blade, and testing its sharpness, he hums a bit at the blade's bite, pulling away from his thumb, a bit of crimson blood escaping from his thumb. He ignores the blood on his thumb as he twirls the Spear, whistling to himself, entertaining himself while ignoring the people on the sidelines, muttering and whispering about the four.

The group finally reaches the throne room, All the other Heroes walk on apart from Kane who's stopped by a maid, handing him a pale grey bottle. Kane takes the offered item, pulling off the cork. He sniffs it before shrugging and greedily chugging it down. The contents of the bottle pour into Kane's mouth, a syrupy texture as it satiates Kane's dry throat. After a second or so emptying the entire bottle. Kane pulls it from his mouth, licking his lips, due to his dehydrated state he didn't really notice the taste which would have had him cringing.

His headache and dizziness seem to fade, bringing back Kane's mental faculties. He stares at the bottle in shock before smirking. "Health potion indeed." He stares at the maid and gives a nod with a grin on his face. "Thanks for that darling." The woman bows with an anxious smile, she holds out her hand for the potion to which Kane hands it to her, the maid quickly leaving.

"We await you Spear Hero." A mature voice booms, causing Kane to turn to find all the others standing in a line before the King.

Kane casually walks up, taking the space between the Shield Hero and the Sword Hero. The Shield Hero stares at him. "You feel better?"

Kane's smirk gets even wider. He nods at her. "I feel like a million bucks." Before the two can continue their conversation, the King speaks.

"So these four are the Cardinal Heroes of ancient legend?" The King stares at each individual in the line. The four not really looking like your stereotypical Heroes but nonetheless, he moves on. "I am the King of Melromarc, Aultcray Melromarc XXXII. Heroes, name yourselves." It wasn't a question it was a demand, he wanted to know the names of the future Heroes that would help in his country.

The Sword Hero goes first, his forced indifference still present. "Amaki Ren, sixteen years old, and a high schooler."

Kane just notices that Ren isn't speaking English and yet despite this, he understands him completely. He stares at him in confusion, further exasperated by the Bow Hero who goes next. "Kawasumi Itsuki, seventeen years old, and a high schooler."

Kane once again was shocked at understanding Itsuki. He's also shocked at his age, he thought with his height he was an only pre-teen. 'I was taller than that when I was twelve…'

"Well I guess I'm-" The girl from the right attempts to speak assuming she was next due to Kane not speaking, only for the King to interrupt her.

"Spear Hero what is your name?" The King stares blankly at Kane who suddenly turns.

"What? Oh yeah, shit. Name's Kane Stone, nineteen years old, and a college student."

"I'm Nao-" Once again she's interrupted by the King.

"Ren, Itsuki, and Stone, huh?"

Kane frowns at the intentional ignoring of the girl to his right. "Ayo, you forgot her." He points to his right, his finger in the direction of the Shield Hero.

"Hmmm? Oh right, forgive me."

Itsuki leans in whispering at Kane. "Hey, you can't just say 'Ayo' to a King like that, you have to address him with a little respect."

Kane stares at him, blinking. "You wanna see me do it again?" Itsuki deadpans at him.

The King clears his throat. "Please refer to me as King, moving on. Shield Hero what is your name."

The mentioned Shield Hero steps forward. "My name is Iwatani Naofumi, I'm twenty, and a college student."

The King stares at Naofumi with blank, cold eyes. As if he was looking right through her before moving on, the action confusing and annoying Naofumi. "I owe you Heroes an explanation." Naofumi frowns at being ignored once but she holds in her complaint, not wanting to come across as a petulant child.

The King's voice booms, as if telling a story, the Heroes apart from Kane all begin to become a bit excited. "My country Melromarc and the entire world is heading toward destruction.

Kane zones out as the King explains the entire situation. 'So he's a medieval King… wonder if he's fucked his sister like other Kings. Will he try to execute me if I ask? Yeah probably.'

The most intelligent thought Kane's had all day was interrupted by Ren. The black-haired boy smacking the marble floor with his sword, the action was definitely cooler in his head than in reality, the maids present, scowl at the mistreatment of the marble floor, having just recently polished it. "We get the gist of it now. Anyway, surely you didn't summon us expecting us to save you for free."

A man steps up from beside the throne, with grey hair, and a pointed nose, lifting his skinny fingers. A dark brown jacket, with a frilly white, a pure white ruff covering his neck, the collar dyed dark red, the accent being a dulled gold. The man to anyone else would be rich and powerful noble.

To Kane however. "Discount Dracula?" Muttering to himself although it's caught by Naofumi once again.

"Where's Richter when you need him?" Kane snorts at Naofumi's comment.

The man either doesn't hear the two or ignores them. "Of course, once you've repelled all the Waves, we shall reward you handsomely."

Kane sighs, rubbing his cheek. "Guess it could be fun aside from the whole y'know, Waves of Destruction thing."

The advisor or whatever position the man held, seems to have satisfied Ren, who nods to the deal. "We'll work with you, provided you don't turn on us. But don't think for a moment that you can tame us."

Itsuki agreeing with Ren nods his head. Speaking with a haughty and arrogant tone. "Exactly. We can't have you looking down on us."

"Heh." A small laugh escapes Kane.

Naofumi watches the three others. Grimacing at how arrogant Itsuki and Ren are acting. "R-Right."

The King's voice booms once again. "I trust we all have an agreement. Then, Heroes, you should check your statuses."

"What's a Status?" Naofumi asks the question that's on Kane's and Itsuki's minds.

Ren however answers it, speaking with a haughty tone which grates on Kane's and Naofumi's nerves. "What's wrong with you guys? It should have been the first thing you noticed in this world."

Kane stares at Ren with a frown. "You gonna tell us or keep us in suspense?"

Ren replies. "Don't you see the icon in the corner of your field of vision?"

Kane tilts his head, noticing the mentioned icon. Naofumi confirms aloud. "You're right! There it is."

Ren follows up with another instruction. "Try focusing on it."

Kane squints his eyes, a plethora of menus popping up. "That shit is gonna get real annoying, real quick."

"Level one… That's worrying." Itsuki rubs the bottom of his chin in thought.

"Is this what Google Glasses were like? No wonder it failed 'cause this sucks ass." Kane looks around, his head spinning everywhere, the menu following his line of vision. "How do I make it go away!" He answers his own question, the menu before his eyes disappearing. "There we go."

"Shouldn't you take a look at your stats first?" Itsuki questions Kane.

The southerner however just shrugs nonchalantly. "Why bother? We're all level 1 and our stats are dog shit. No point in bothering with it till we level up a bit more."

Ren nods at Kane's rather crass statement. "Wouldn't say it like that but yeah I agree, we need to strengthen ourselves."

Naofumi grimaces. "They aren't maxed out the box… Mine's not even a weapon." Slightly chaffed at being stuck with the Shield while all the others have more offensive weapons.

The advisor once again speaks. "You four Heroes need to go on adventures, killing monsters and gathering materials to improve your weapons in preparation of the Waves."

Naofumi hums, looking among the four of them. "Well, we can form a party and go ahea-" Naofumi is interrupted once again, making her inwardly scream.

"One moment, Heroes. You will have to recruit and adventure separately."

Itsuki questions the advisor. "Why?" The advisor quickly follows up with a response.

"It is said that the Legendary weapons repel each other by nature." Pop-ups emerge on each of the Heroes' vision.

When two or more wielders of the legendary weapons operate together, it causes an adverse reaction in the weapons. Working separately is highly advised.

The advisor continues. "It apparently hampers the growth of the Legendary weapon if you work together therefore it's best if you work separately. The sun is beginning to set, so we have prepared meals for you four and rooms for you each."

Kane pats his stomach. "Could use some grub in all honesty."

All the other Heroes wordlessly agree, the mention of food making them all realise how empty their stomachs were.

The King hums. "Perfect. We will have a banquet and room for you Heroes and then tomorrow you will have adventurers assigned to you for you to go forth out into the world."

Music could be heard from the massive hall. Tables with food almost everywhere in the centre, while the outer tables were empty, allowing the partygoers to sit down and enjoy their meals instead of standing around. Most of the nobles and other socialites mingle, mostly around the four Heroes, some even talking to the Heroes although all of the nobles completely ignore Naofumi, paying more attention to Itsuki, Ren, and Kane. Itsuki joyously accepts the compliments being showered on him, a smile on his face as he listens to the socialites harp on. Ren ignores them, trying to eat his meal in peace, not wanting to talk due to his antisocial nature. Kane is similar, giving quick answers to any nobles that try to communicate with him as the gathers food onto his plate.

He wanders around the centre tables, avoiding anything that even resembles seafood, instead picking more pork or chicken looking meals, although nothing resembles any animal he knows. Eventually his plate is filled to a satisfactory amount for Kane. He moves over to the table where all the other Heroes are seated. The King watched the four from his elevated position on the throne, a golden goblet full of wine in one hand.

Naofumi notices Kane's approach and kicks a chair out for him. He places his food down at the table and takes a seat, pulling the seat under him as he tucks himself in. "Thanks."

Naofumi nods. "You're welcome. You're pretty brave huh? Eating all that without even knowing what it is."

Kane shrugs, knife and fork in hand. "As long as it ain't human, don't really give a fuck." Kane carves a piece of meat and plants the flesh in his mouth, chewing it. It was rather odd in his mind, the texture of the meat rather different, not anything he really had before, there was an odd look on his face as he chews, Naofumi questioning him.

"That bad?" Naofumi asks, curious herself about the taste of the selection around her but a little more cautious on the food around here, only picking foods that she recognise.

"Nah it's just weird… like a mix between chicken and beef." Kane carves another piece. "Not bad though." He moves the carved slice with his fork into his mouth. Biting down on the cooked meat.

Naofumi hums, staring at Kane. The southerner continues on eating, filling his belly full of meat and various sides. Naofumi doesn't stop watching him the entire time. She examines him fully. Blonde hair, crimson eyes, and sun-kissed skin. He's clearly taller than most people here, towering over her and the other two Heroes, his form covered by a red hoodie. "Enjoying your look over there?"

Naofumi startles, looking up as her cheeks begin to flush red as Kane turns to her. "S-Sorry just find it odd that you're American while the rest of us are Japanese… I mean you are American right?"

Kane's face turns blank. "I'm from Florida. Is that an issue with you?"

Naofumi blinks in horror, shaking her hands, panic in her voice. "I didn't mean it like that! I just uh found it odd that you're different." Naofumi cringes at the end of the sentence, immediately regretting it.

Kane guffaws at Naofumi, planning on teasing her a bit more but Naofumi's nervousness makes him laugh. She joins in with a weak laugh, unsure of how to proceed. "I'm just fucking with you!" Naofumi sighs in relief, taking the little joke on her in good faith. Kane's laughter dies down ending it with a sigh. "Ah."

"She makes a good point however, the rest of us are Japanese but you're the odd one out." Ren speaks out, himself sharing similar thoughts.

Kane shrugs, going back to eating. "Dunno, what to tell you. I'm just here." He plants the fork in his mouth, chewing some roast potatoes he found along with gravy, the potatoes along with the gravy quickly finding themselves on Kane's plate.

Ren hums. "Guess it was just a random selection then…"

Time passes as the four Heroes casually eat, Itsuki still speaking to the nobles and socialites surrounding him while the other three continue on, Ren and Kane giving short answers, both not in the mood to talk while Naofumi is completely ignored.

When they finish eating, maids come and collect the Heroes and guide them to their rooms. The four Heroes all meeting up in Naofumi's room. Kane being the last to enter, his forehead slamming into the doorframe of Naofumi's room. "Fuck!" Kane rubs his head, leaning his head down and entering. The three other Heroes give a smirk or slight snicker. Kane grimaces, moving to the centre of the room and pulling out a chair at the table for himself. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up assholes."

Naofumi rubs her mouth, attempting to hide her smile. Her smile slowly fades as curiosity peaks into her mind. "This is kinda like a video game right, or am I alone in thinking that?"

Kane huffs, rubbing the crown of his head. "I don't remember hitting my head on doorframes to be honest." Naofumi stares at Kane with an amused deadpan look. Kane sighs. "But yeah, it does with all the menus and shit."

Itsuki joins in the conversation, attempting to answer Naofumi's question. "It's a console game called Dimension Wave."

Ren speaks afterward, disagreeing with Itsuki. "What are you talking about? It's a VRMMO called Bravestar Online."

Kane tilts his head. "VRMMO?"

Ren rolls his eyes. "Virtual Reali-"

Kane interrupts. "Yeah, I can guess what it means. The thing is VR doesn't have any MMOs on it, at least not any I've heard." He finishes with a shrug.

Ren stares at Kane in confusion. "What? How can you not have heard of Bravestar Online? It's like the most popular MMO game to ever exist."

Kane shrugs. "Ain't heard jack about it." He turns to the other two, who sit by with looks of confusion on their faces. "Do you two know anything about it?" Ren watches the other two, waiting for their responses.

Itsuki and Naofumi both shake their heads. Itsuki looking between Kane and Ren. "I've never heard of such a game. This world is similar to Dimension Wave which is only on consoles."

Naofumi echoes the same sentiment. "Same. I mean there's VR but VRMMO itself? That's only in light novels and anime." Naofumi taps her chin with her index finger. "Maybe we all come from different time periods?"

Ren and Kane look at each other, Kane shrugging at he stares at the Sword Hero, Ren turns back to Naofumi. "Alright… we could just ask common sense questions and figure it out that way." Ren blurts out the first question that comes to mind. "Like who's the current Prime Minister of Japan."

Everyone's answers differ.

"Shinso Abe."

"Yawara Koutarou."

"Yuta Masato."

"That dude that made Takeshi's Castle?"

Everyone stares at Kane, Ren and Itsuki annoyed while Naofumi tilts her head. "Wait, you know who Takeshi Kitano is?"

Kane shrugs. "Is that his full name?"

Naofumi nods. "Yep, that's his full name…" A brow on Naofumi's face rises. "How do you even know about that show?"

"Watched it on TV, It's a pretty good show although man that last bit is kinda bullshit, I don't think I've ever seen anyone win."

Ren shakes his head. "We're getting off-topic."

Kane leans into his chair. "Well I don't know shit about Japan other than stereotypes, so, this is between you three, not me."

The Three Heroes speak amongst themselves, quizzing each other and getting louder and louder as confusion begins to set in. Kane remains sitting, watching the interaction between the three.

Itsuki finishes answering with a huff. "It seems we're all from different versions of Japan from the sounds of it… well apart from Stone." Kane blinks at the usage of his last name but doesn't dwell on it, not caring much about it.

Ren nods in agreement. Naofumi sighs while staring up at the ceiling. "So there are parallel Japan out there, huh?" Naofumi looks at Kane. "I wonder if you and I come from the same world, Stone?" Kane shrugs yet again from his position, having nothing to add due to lack of knowledge. Naofumi mutters to herself. "I can't believe you two played games that are just like this world. Well, at least I'm not the only one unfamiliar with this world." Naofumi notices Itsuki wince and Ren staring at her. "What?"

Itsuki rubs his nape, looking slightly uncomfortable. "W-Well I just thought, it might be because you're the Shield Hero."

Ren crosses his arms. "Well, It's only natural."

Naofumi stutters worry in her voice. "Wh-What are you guy talking about? Is there something wrong with the Shield?"

Ren takes a deep breath in as if about to go on a lecture. The action starting to grate on Kane's nerves. "The Shield is only good in the beginning. Once the monster stats get higher they eventually get through the Shield's defence making it worthle-"

"Listen, just keep that shit to yourself, no need to go around saying that bull."

Ren looks at Kane with a blank look on his face. "What? I'm just informing her on how useless the Shield is." Naofumi frowns, staring at her Shield.

Kane however glares at Ren. "No, you're just shitting on her to make yourself feel better." He leans forward in his seat. "How about; instead of talking down to her, you tell us something useful: Like how to counter these so called Waves."

Ren glares back, unable to answer Kane's question, instead, he changes the subject. "What are you? Her white knight?"

Kane scoffs. "No, I just like her more than you two." Naofumi's lip slightly part in shock.

Ren gives Kane a dirty look. "Why do you like her more? Is it because she's a girl?"

Kane's glare deepens. "Or it's because she made sure I didn't crack my fucking skull on the stone floor while you two did jackshit." Kane raises a finger. "And you know what. I get it, I don't know you, you don't know me so you two have no reason to help me but she did, she was kind enough to make sure I didn't hurt myself." Itsuki shuffles and fidgets slightly while Ren grimaces, realising the Southerner's point. "So yeah. I do like her more than you two, so don't think I'm going to sit around with a thumb up my ass while you talk down to her you piece of fucking sh-"

"Okay!" Naofumi jumps in, interrupting Kane. Ren is nonetheless insulted, his grimace turning into a glare. Naofumi continues to speak, trying to placate the two. "Let's uh calm down, we're supposed to be a team!" There's an uncomfortable silence as the two glare at each other, not saying anything. "H-How did you guys find yourselves here?" A few more seconds of silence makes Naofumi look at Itsuki, waving him on to get him to speak first.

Itsuki accepts, wanting to help keep the peace. "W-Well I was walking home from school. I was crossing a street when a truck rammed into me. It was quick at least…" Naofumi nods, sympathetic to Itsuki.

Naofumi turns to Ren. "How about you Amaki?"

Ren doesn't respond for a moment before relenting. "I was also on my home from school, I found some random guy trying to murder my childhood friend. I tackled him but it went black after that." Ren rubs the side of his body as if phantom pain coursed through his body.

All of them stare at Kane, expectant for him to continue. He shrugs. "Don't remember, the last thing I do remember was chugging a keg at a party. Past that." He shakes his head. "Nothing but a blank."

Itsuki and Ren blink at Kane, they both frown at him but move on and stare at Naofumi, waiting for her to inform everyone else on how she found herself in this world. Naofumi looks slightly unconfident, however. "Do I have to?"

Ren crosses his arms. "Everyone else did, weren't you were the one that started this?"

"W-Well I was in a library… I noticed a strange book, I was curious so I picked it up and started to read it and here I am." She gives a guilty smile, assuming everyone else was summoned into the world like her.

Ren and Itsuki's frown deepens while Kane hums. Ren shakes his head and sighs. "Whatever, we should all go to the bed. We're going to need the energy for the adventure tomorrow."

All of them nod, agreeing to the logic presented by Ren. All of them standing up, Itsuki is the first out of the room, Ren after. Kane is about to pass through the door when Naofumi taps him on the arm, stopping him in his tracks. "Uh hey…" Kane turns around to find Naofumi fidgeting. "Just wanted to say thanks for… you know defending me, although the insults and swears weren't really necessary."

Kane gives an amused snort. "You're a complete sweetheart aren't you? Listen as nice as you are, you shouldn't let that douchebag talk down to you. I bet you're gonna be the most vital part of this team, so keep your head high."

Naofumi blinks, staring at Kane. "You really think so?"

Kane blows air through his nose. "We're the 3 DPS, so we're probably squishy as fuck but you." He points at Naofumi. She tilts her head in confusion. "You're the tank. Being support is thankless but damn is it vital."

Naofumi blinks in shock, her thoughts spurning at this. "You're right. I'm the tank, I meant to protect my friends and my team." Kane's brow raises a bit but he ends it with a nod and a smile. "Thanks again for defending me and making me feel better."

Kane's smile widens into a grin. "No worries Shieldy, see you in the morning."

Naofumi gives a small smile back. "Right, see you then." Kane turns around about to pass through the door. "Watch your head."

Kane blinks, before lowering his head down to pass through the doorframe, giving a thumbs up to Naofumi and walking away. Naofumi closes the door and walks to the centre of the room. Taking a seat on the couch. Her worries and concern for her Shield had melted away from Kane's words. 'He's right! I'm not useless, I'm just… different. I'm just as important as the others.' Naofumi's smile turns even bigger at her self discussion, with her worries and concerns of being inferior dissipated, excitement begins to set in. Excitement to explore a magical world, to fight monsters, and to become a Hero.

Kane lets out a satisfied sigh, relaxing in a pristine and luxurious bath. A thought buries into his head, he opens his menu and cycles through the tabs, finding the skills tab. He opens it, more to see how it looks instead of checking his most likely non-existent skills but to his surprise, he finds a single passive skill already in the list.

Quick Study: You were always a quick study at picking up new things and tricks but with the Waves of Destruction threatening the world you've suddenly found yourself in and being one of the few that can stop the Waves. As such your talent at picking up tricks and such are boosted than before. {You should really learn how to the use the Spear.}

Kane hums at this, the little note at the end was something he definitely agreed with. His knowledge on how to use a spear was extremely lacking. He finds something else that surprises him.

Secret Passive Skill

Secret Passive Skill

Secret Passive Skill

Kane rubs his cheek in thought. 'Fuck is this? Is it active at the moment or do I have to unlock it first?' Kane just shakes his head, leaning into the warm water, the heat soothing Kane. 'I'll get it unlocked eventually, no point in thinking about it too much at the moment.' His eyes slowly close to immerse himself into the bath. Kane however doesn't open his eyes, falling into slumber. He sits there for an hour or so until a maid comes by to check on him, waking him up, she leaves to give Kane privacy as he dries off and leaves for his room, looking forward to the bed in the room.

So here's the end of chapter 1 rewrite, I'm planning on rewriting chapter 2 and maybe 3, not sure on it yet.

Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review and I shall see you all in the next chapter.