The Substitution of the Shield Hero

In the distant and isolationist island nation of Q'Ten Lo to the east of Siltvelt.

Within a fancy pagoda, a woman in a black kimono and with crimson hair grit her teeth as she read the latest reports from her spies. "That girl proclaimed herself Heavenly Empress...?!"

The image reflected on the scrying basin was clear. Unmistakeable.

Although Makina hadn't seen the girl in person before, there was no mistaking the traces of that rambunctious prince who ran away in that girl's face.

But even if Makina didn't recognize the girl from that prince...

"...She looks like the Heavenly Empress Natalia."

Heavenly Empress Natalia was the Pacifier when Q'Ten Lo and Siltvelt still possessed only two heroes: the Bow and the Shield. Before the fabled great merging that led to the current era.

And Raphtalia... No, according to her spies, that man had renamed her to simply 'Lia.'

Lia looked just like her ancestor... except harsher.

Was it because of what Makina did? Was it because she went out of her way to try and eliminate the root of that threat and have Lia's parents killed while sending Lia herself into slavery?

The girl- No. The young woman wearing the sakura-patterned kimono shown in the scrying basin was no frail girl. There were no signs of her time as an abused slave or any hints of fear.

A katana sheathed on her left side, a long sword sheathed on her right... and those eyes. Not the hue of red tea, but the murky and ominous hue of blood. Paired with the faint amusement on her face, as if everything was beneath her...

Makina bit her fingernails and murmured, "That boy, Ruft, said his powers had vanished. And the girl, Shildina... the preparations aren't complete yet for me to transfer bodies..."

Dangerous. No, not dangerous. Certain death.

Ruft had been Heavenly Emperor in name and title due to his bloodline. As the first in line due to lineage, he had obtained the powers and held them until now.

'But the world found a more suitable candidate.'

Was it because of the loss of the Legendary Shield? The fact that the man who picked up Lia was undoubtedly a monster worse than any that the waves could conjure up?

Either way, the divine mandate and mantle of Heavenly Emperor had been passed along... But to the wrong person.

Makina ran her hands through her hair, accidentally knocking off her hair pins and letting her crimson hair run loose. "You stupid world...! You didn't pick a better candidate, you gave the powers to one who would destroy the world itself!"

That man, the one who used to be the Shield Hero. The one who called himself Naofumi Iwatani...

He was a monster. Undoubtedly so. A being of calamity disguised as a human.

The proof of that was in how Zeltoble had been razed, Melromarc had been hollowed out, and how he was moving towards Siltvelt next.

If he wanted power, that would be fine. Makina could deal with men like that.

If he wanted beauties, that would be fine too. Makina could send them in droves.

If he wanted riches, that would also be fine. Makina would empty Q'Ten Lo's coffers to keep that monster away.

But he didn't.

Makina grit her teeth and looked in the scrying basin again, watching as that man moved into the manor to meet the four representatives of the major clans in Siltvelt.

An implacable face. A mildly amused expression, but one that was mostly blank. Observant.

Wearing a flowing black robe with blue highlights along the hem and sleeves, a bone white shirt and matching pants, a leather belt holding an ominous leather-bound grimoire with a pentagram on it, and a blue sphere quietly orbiting him...

"A foreign wizard. A magic user from another world. Surely."

Makina reflexively bit her fingernails, wracking her mind of the legends she'd heard.

But none fit.

At first she thought Naofumi might be one of 'them.' The shadowy organization behind the waves. But if he was, he would have allowed Melromarc to fall.

Instead...

"A third party...!"

Neither a native of this world, nor a normal summoned hero. Something 'else' that should not have emerged. Something that arrived as a consequence.

Makina tried to suppress her growing panic and anxiety.

'It will be fine.'

Yes.

It would be fine.

That man still didn't know Q'Ten Lo existed. Although that girl, Lia, had declared herself Heavenly Empress, she didn't know about her rightful homeland. Surely.

And even if she did...

'The Water Dragon would agree with me on this. That man must not come here.'

...Even that stickler of a Water Dragon in charge of the barrier around Q'Ten Lo would understand that having a monster like that arrive in the island country would only bring ruin-

Naofumi suddenly tilted his head.

Makina froze.

'...Surely he cannot sense me.'

The scrying basin used the same magic and authority as the Dragon Hourglasses. Because of that, they were above simple magical surveillance. Even the greatest magic users of the past would not be able to-

'Oh. So people ARE looking at me.'

Words that were slowly and deliberately spoken so that Makina could read his lips. Faint amusement and also anticipation flashing in his murky brown eyes as he turned to look directly in Makina's eyes.

Makina's breath hitched. Panic, fear, and crippling anxiety froze her in place.

She should cut the connection. End the spell.

...No, it must be a bluff. Surely he couldn't-

'I don't know who you are. But I know WHERE you are now. I'll be there soon.'

Again, that Naofumi slowly mouthed his words so that Makina could see them.

...And that unnerved her even more.

'How would he know that I can understand him?'

It was only due to her vast experience as an imperial advisor that Makina could read lips.

If it was an ordinary person scrying him, they probably would have thought he was just speaking to someone else.

But that Naofumi had acted as if he was certain she could understand him.

'How-'

A flash of blue light.

Makina froze and slowly turned her eyes towards the source of that light.

And then she saw it.

A single red spider lily, freshly plucked.

And impossibly sent through the Water Dragon's barrier protecting Q'Ten Lo.

Makina quickly looked back at the scrying basin to see Naofumi still looking back at her.

But now there was a young boy next to him as well. One with emerald hair, piercing blue eyes, and a blue hooded outfit.

The young boy raised an eyebrow, as if amused. And then he slowly spoke too, as if certain she could understand.

'All dragons obey me. You are a fool to think otherwise.'

And after that, the scrying basin shattered, dissolving into azure mist.

Makina stood there in a stupor for a while, praying that it was just a dream or stress-related hallucination. But seeing how the surroundings didn't change, and seeing the completely vanished scrying basin that had lasted from ancient times... she slowly crumpled onto the ground.

===

I high-fived Bahamut. "Good job, Boy."

Bahamut chuckled and said, "It was fun, Father."

Mina kicked her legs, sitting on my left shoulder. "Papa! Do you think they'll like my flower?"

Nina, sitting on my right shoulder, giggled and said, "Father is a bad guy. But funny."

I rolled my eyes and poked Nina's cheek. "I'm not a bad guy, Nina. I'm a GREAT guy. Know the difference. I get to do good and bad when I'm great."

Nina paused and then slowly nodded. "...Great men are beyond good and evil. Understood, Father."

Mina giggled and then flew up, causing her blue hair to flutter. "Papa is a Great Guy! So he can do good for funsies!"

"That's right." I nodded and glanced at the meeting hall up ahead where the girls had decided to take over negotiations.

We were in a fancy building that wouldn't look out of place from those old martial arts movies, complete with like pagodas and a courtyard with ponds and koifish.

But while the plan was originally for me to meet with the leaders of the four clans, Mein talked me out of it. And both Sylvia and Lia backed her up.

...I wasn't sure why they were so concerned. I was only going to kindly remind them that their country was on the verge of destruction and could use a powerful ally like Libertas... and that they had a very nice capital city.

...Mm.

Must be the Italian in me from my dad's side. In hindsight, that's very mobster of me.

Huh. Wait.

'Is that why Dad's such a goody two shoes? Was grandpa and like my uncles part of the mob?'

I never did get a clear answer on Dad's side of the family... He usually just said that he cut contact with them after his disastrous first day in Raccoon City as a police officer.

But anyway-

"Father." Bahamut spoke up, sounding mildly concerned.

I looked back at him and said, "Yes, Boy?"

"...Did you remember that Four Bray's attacks are coming towards you right now?"

I paused. Then my eyes widened. "OH SHI-!"

*BOOM*