The Substitution of the Shield Hero

"Fascinating." Ada watched as Leon, dressed in just his boxers, swam out from the beach and to the sea only for him to immediately reappear on the other side of the beach. "It seems that space is being wrapped around us."

Leon stood up and shook off the water from his body as best he could before slipping on his pants. "Looks like it. Weird, but not the weirdest that's happened."

Kizuna blushed, peeking at Leon from between her fingertips. "M-Mister Kennedy! P-Please put some clothes on!"

"Hm?" Leon tilted his head. "Why? It's hot."

Ada laughed, giving Kizuna a teasing smile. "Just enjoy the eyecandy, Sweetheart. But for the record..." She draped herself across Leon's broad shoulders and nibbled his earlobe. "This one's mine~"

Leon rolled his eyes. "Do you always have to do that, Ada?"

"Mm. Just reminding you who you belong to."

Leon smiled softly and placed his hand over her arm. "...As if I'd look at anyone else."

Seeing the loveydovey atmosphere, Kizuna managed to compose herself. Mostly because she immediately felt like a third wheel.

Leon turned and stole a kiss from Ada, making her laugh. But after that, he looked at Kizuna and said, "So we've confirmed what you said. It seems that we can't escape the island from normal means. So..." He stretched and looked at Ada. "Should we just clear it? Can't be more complicated than the crazy places we've been to."

Ada stretched too and said, "I suppose we should. It'll be like old times, solving puzzles and killing monsters... But this time we have infinite ammo." She picked up her laser pistol and blasted a Kappa trying to sneak up on them. Then she watched the small LED display on the side of the gun giving diagnostics. "...Looks like whatever's powering this thing can recharge on the energy floating around us."

"Really?" Leon looked thoughtful. Then he walked over to his bag and pulled out...

Ada laughed. "Is that a light saber?"

Leon pressed a button on the golden hilt, making a clear blue beam sword appear. "No. It's a beam sword. X said I could borrow it since Zero wouldn't be using it. And since it can parry things."

"Oh my god." Ada laughed harder and said, "Tell me you're not-"

Leon did a backflip and swung the blade, making blue beams fire out from the blade and blowing up some rabbits trying to sneak up on them. After that, he smirked and glanced at the blade. "Still got it. Heh."

Kizuna turned a bright red and averted her gaze, fanning her face.

Ada smirked and said, "Yep~ Hot, right, Sweetheart?"

"U-Um...! I-I'm going to go fishing! I-If you need me, I'll just... be over there!" After that, Kizuna sprinted off towards the far-side of the beach.

Ada chuckled and then looked at Leon. "So... should we get going then, Hubby?"

Leon tossed on his coat over his bare torso and said, "Might as well. I have a feeling I need to have a talk with my son. The sooner the better."

"Hm?" Ada tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"It's the same feeling as the time he hid samples of various viruses from Umbrella in his bedroom disguised as deodorant."

"...So THAT'S why you had me find a sample of the vaccine in the old labs!"

Leon coughed. "...Anyway. I have the fatherly urge to have a discussion with my son. Let's make that happen."

Ada chuckled and followed after Leon as he headed towards the portal to the first gate in the so-called Infinite Labyrinth they were in. "Mm... Yes. I've got the motherly urge to have a talk with my little boy too... Probably about women. I just have that feeling."

"...Then we should definitely hurry up. He has your charm."

"And your looks~" Ada paused. "...And none of your restraint- Oh. You're right. We should hurry."

===

I quickly sat up after getting a lap pillow from Rishia on the shore.

Rishia blinked and tilted her head. "L-Lord Naofumi?"

"...Forget it." I immediately plopped back down on Rishia's comfortable thighs and said, "If I'm getting a talking to anyway, might as well enjoy it. Also, your thighs are nice, Rishia. I appreciate you."

"...You're welcome?"

"Best maid ever. Mm. And I understand why so many nobles have affairs with said maids. Well, I don't get the forcing themselves part, but it's nice being taken care of."

Rishia slowly blinked, turning red. "W-Well... I-If you-"

"If I do that, my mom might actually kill me, so let's take a rain check, Rishia."

Rishia blinked. Then the implications hit her and she turned a bright red before a smile just as bright crossed her face. "O-Okay. I'll... prepare myself?"

"Mm, no rush. Mostly because Daji would definitely jump me after that. And Mirellia too."

"???"

Just as I was about to nod off while enjoying the setting sun, I heard Sylvia and Lia call out from the distance.

"Master! Come play with us!"

"Yes! Naofumi-dono! Come swim!"

I sighed, tempted to just pretend to be asleep.

But then I heard Nina call out. "Father! The sea is pretty! ...And Mina just went diving!"

"WHAT!?" I jumped to my feet and sprinted into the water, quickly shifting to swim trunks. "MINA NO!"

===

"Huh." Dante stared at the dissolving shadows of the weirdo who called himself the Lord of Shadows. Then he looked at the Royal Guard's Sword in his hands and a similar looking sword floating in a green orb while wrapped with roots. "So like, are all holy swords made by the same blacksmith or what?"

Nahobino walked up next to Dante and looked at the Sword of Light floating in the heart of Yggdrasil with intrigue. As he did, Proto-fiend's mechanical voice echoed. "Fascinating. Young Man, the sword that Sir Dante possesses and the sword within the green light have a similar origin. Both appear to be blades that dispel darkness. I have analyzed the properties of both... this will prove useful against the Qadistu."

Demi-fiend walked up with his hands behind his head, looking bored. Pixie, floating over his shoulder, rolled her eyes and said, "Can we hurry up and leave already? This world has too many icky monsters! Cute looking slimes... ew."

Vergil stared at the Sword of Light.

Dante noticed and said, "Hey. Vergil. No."

"...I am no thief, Brother. Unlike you, who stole countless Devil Arms."

"Says the guy with a pocket space filled with goodies from Hyrule and Euchronia."

Vergil's ears turned red and he said, "Silence. ...They were unclaimed."

"Suuure." Dante pointed his thumb at the Sword of Light. "Like how this is definitely unclaimed by floating here in the middle of nowhere?"

"..."

Pixie rolled her eyes again and said, "Ugh. Can we just hurry up? We're at Yggdrasil or whatever and killed that weirdo. Let's just go meet this kid you're supposed to find already!"

Vergil nodded. "Yes. We waste breath and time here." After that, he rested his hand on Yamato, concentrating.

Dante looked at Vergil and said, "We're close now, so don't mess up~"

"I will not." Vergil swung Yamato, opening another gash in existence. "Come. This should be it."

After that, the group stepped into the next world. And...

"Greetings! My name is Andrew. Is there something I can help you with?"

...They appeared in a grassy forest in front of a man with side-swept brown hair, jeans, and a light green shirt.

Dante slowly blinked and looked around. Then he noticed the faceless green and blue blobs hopping towards them. "Oh you have GOT to be kidding me."

Pixie screamed and hid behind Demi-fiend. "KING! SAVE ME!"

Demi-fiend sighed.

Nahobino looked amused. But then...

"Young Man. This world is corrupted. And I detect beings of unfathomable power."

Demi-fiend paused. Then his eyes narrowed as he looked at the moon. "...Kagutsuchi?"

Vergil paused too, glancing towards the west. "...I sense power, Brother. Like ours. But... different."

Dante's eyes sharpened and he glanced back the strange man with them. "Hey. You. Andrew. Tell us about this place."

Andrew nodded. "Sure! This world is Terraria. It used to be peaceful, but forces of evil began to corrupt this land and monsters began to appear. Rumors have it that a great witch of calamity is responsible for it. Although the Dryad has sealed a great many monsters away, unless they are all slain, this world will not know rest."

Nahobino blinked. Then, for the first time since they met him, he spoke. "Terraria? Like, the game Terraria? The one with the Moon Lord? And crafting?"

Dante turned back to look at Nahobino. "You know about this place?"

Nahobino smirked.

Demi-fiend paused. Then he spoke up. "Is it like Minecraft?"

Nahobino nodded.

Demi-fiend smirked too.

Vergil's eyes sparkled with interest. "...Is that so?"

"Wait." Dante turned to look at Vergil. "You know what they're talking about?"

"...The boy plays video games, Brother. I have seen a few things. And if this world is like the crafter of mines..." Vergil raised Yamato. "...We can gain great power."

Andrew nodded. "Yep! If you beat the monsters, you'll release rare ores with magical properties! I can teach you how to craft weapons and equipment with them! Also, the monsters drop coins! Copper, silver, and gold!"

Dante paused and slowly turned to Vergil.

Vergil froze. "No."

Dante grinned.

"Don't you DARE say it."

Dante opened his mouth.

"DANTE!"

"Jackpot!"

===

Back in the dimension where Naofumi was staying.

Iggy, the nascent World Tree that Naofumi had planted, felt a disturbance from a nearby dimension.

Materializing an avatar as a small girl with leafy clothes and green hair tied in a ponytail...

She tilted her head and stared at the world just a single dimension away where Dante was using an enchanted pickaxe to literally stripmine the entire surface, Vergil was fighting towering monsters with a copper sword just for the challenge, Nahobino was raiding treasure chests deep underground, and Demi-fiend was punching harpies out of the sky while trying to get to the moon.

Iggy blinked. Then she said, "...Papa, tell?"

She thought about telling her Papa since those people seemed to be looking for him.

But then she saw that her Papa was busy relaxing.

So Iggy shrugged and went back to sleep, although she left the dimensional door open just a crack for people to show up on the moon if they wanted to visit.