"Good heroes, take cover."

With a start, Itsuki awoke, sitting up. This wasn't the cave he was in before.

The air he took a breath of was clear, refreshing. Nothing like where he and Ren were.

Where they were... that's right.

The two heroes were investigating the Three Heroes Church out of mistrust. Their investigation led to the discovery of the existence of a legendary weapon, a replica of the four Cardinal Weapons. They went to the shrine it was supposed to be stored in, and Itsuki felt a coming attack, something massive. He yelled out to Ren, as a female voice echoed in his mind, and now....

Itsuki was on his knees, staring down at a stone path. Beside his hands, his bow rested as he panted.

"Urgh..." Itsuki looked beside him, where Ren was laying on the ground, regaining consciousness.

"Ren!" Itsuki moved to help the sword hero up.

"Itsuki... where are we?" Ren asked, holding his sword in one hand.

"Be not afraid, good heroes." A familiar voice spoke in front of them. Startled, Ren lifted his sword, pointing it at the pale woman who stood in front of them.

"You..." Ren slowly lowered his weapon as Itsuki picked up his bow.

"You're the one who spoke to us." Itsuki said. The woman smiled, nodding her head.

"Indeed. I am sorry I could do no more than deliver a futile warning." She told the two, bowing her head.

"Okay, but where are we?" Itsuki asked.

"I believe we died, and this is the afterlife." Ren stated. The two received a light giggle in return.

"No, and Yes... in a way." The woman answered.

"In a way? Who are you, exactly, and why are we here, if we're not dead?" Itsuki asked.

"I am merely a doll, an assistant for the Great One who brought you here." The Doll answered.

"The Great One... you mean Paleblood!?" Ren raised his sword again, alert.

"That is one of many names he hath been called over the ages, yes. But fear not, he harbors no ill will towards you Good Heroes." The Doll assured Ren.

"Really? Then... why are we here?" Itsuki asked.

"Why, to protect you." The Doll responded.

"Protect? You mean..."

"Yes. Without the Great One's aid, you would be gone, dead. I would not be here to speak with you." The Doll confirmed.

"If Paleblood brought us here, then where is he?" Ren asked.

"I see you finally reach for the true questions. Please, come with me." The Doll walked forward, between the two heroes. The surrounding area was covered in a light mist, but could be made out as a hillside. White flowers covered the ground, surrounding countless tombstones, many of which were too worn to be read.

The doll guided Itsuki and Ren down a path, to an open pair of iron gates.

"Come, step through these gates, and you will be face to face with the Great One." The Doll promised. Reluctantly, with a glance to each other, Ren and Itsuki stepped through.

"Urg-!" Itsuki immediately keeled over, clutching his stomach. His mind was warping, his heart racing. Beside him, Ren collapsed, his body dissolving into mist. Itsuki couldn't think, couldn't move, couldn't-

"Wake up." With a gasp and a shout, Itsuki sat up, breathing heavily as sweat dripped from his chin. The smell of blood permeated his senses, and a sudden feeling of nausea built up. Nausea that won.

Ren woke up to the sound of splashing liquid, his sword still in hand. He turned his head, looking at a pair of thick leather boots, stained with countless dark red spots.

"You too, Sword. On your feet." Your thick accented voice entered Ren's ears as he sat up, looking at Itsuki a few feet away, who was blowing chunks.

"You two were nearly killed. Seems you have more enemies then I thought." You told them as Ren stood up.

"You... what are you doing here?" He asked, an edge growing clear in his voice. You watched him, arms crossed.

"Making sure I don't screw up my pact with the queen by letting you two die." You told him.

"P...pact?" Itsuki asked, getting to his feet.

"Yes, pact. I made a deal with Queen Mirellia that forces me to do my best to preserve the lives of you four Cardinal Heroes. The very same deal that gave me the incentive to kill those knights you tried chasing me across the country to avenge." You told them.

"Wait, you mean-" Ren lowered his sword in realization as you clapped.

"And I didn't even need some nonexistent brainwashing shield to get you to realize. You remember the day I joined Naofumi, despite being alone? The first wave, when I jumped in to save your sorry hides? Even the night on that cliffside, when I could've let the Amygdala kill you, but didn't?" You listed off example as Ren sheathed his sword.

"So... this entire time, you've been acting under orders from the queen herself." Ren noted.

"Indeed. And now that you're finally awake, I can personally assure you that you likely have a grudge to pursue." You pointed out.

"A grudge?" Itsuki asked.

"A grudge. You don't think I released that explosion on you, right?" You questioned.

"You're right... we were investigating the Three Heroes church when that happened." Ren said.

"So... the church tried to assassinate us?" Itsuki asked you.

"Indeed. I'm surprised you're not questioning anything I say." You stated. Ren shook his head, holding his temple.

"Y/n... you said you were in communion with Paleblood, correct?" He asked.

"Yes, I did say that."

"When that attack landed on us... we woke up somewhere..." Ren stated.

"A hilltop covered in fog. There was a woman, she introduced herself as-"

"The Doll. Assistant of The Great One." You finished.

"You know her?" Itsuki asked.

"I do. I wasn't telling any lies now, was I?" You told him.

"No, I get the feeling that's wrong..." Ren was met with a confused glance from Itsuki and an amused one from you.

"Before you woke us up... the Doll said we were to step through some gates, where we would meet the Great One, Paleblood." Ren pointed out.

"I see where you're going with this, Sword. Before you finish, let me promise that all will be revealed in due time. For now, keep your suspicions of me to yourself. Now that they believe you're dead, the Three Heroes Church have likely moved on to their next target." You told them.

"Next target.. you mean Naofumi or Motoyasu, don't you?" Itsuki asked.

"That's exactly what I mean. I'm sure the Queen has arranged a punitive force by now, but we must make haste." You assured them. Ren nodded, sheathing his sword as Itsuki took a deep breath, before nodding as well.

"Let's hurry."

From that time you were forced away from Naofumi and the others, a day had passed, one you had used to watch over the wounded Bow and Sword heroes. They came out okay, thanks to your methods, but that wasn't the problem.

Naofumi and Motoyasu, with the parties of both behind them, were standing in a massive crater, which glowed red with heat everywhere but a single circle in the middle, where everyone stood. At the edge of the crater, the Pope of the Three Heroes Church stood, wielding a golden spear in hand. Behind him, thousands of followers were on their knees, hands clasped in prayer to God.

"Now, it is my turn to attack." The Pope announced. Taking the spear in both hands, he simply swung it, releasing a projectile towards the two heroes, which left a trail of flame as it traveled. It burst out, spewing flames in a wall in front of both parties. Naofumi hefted his Curse Shield, and Motoyasu his spear, the two standing side by side for the first time ever,

"What do you think? All this power with just a wave of my hand." The Pope gloated.

"Using that weapon is cheating! Fight us fair and square!" Motoyasu demanded as the Pope pointed the head of the spear at him.

"This power can even annihilate a devil." The Pope stated.

"Now, it is time to-"

"Hundred Swords!"

"Meteor Shot!" It was at this time when the two other heroes decided to make their dramatic entrances. You would simply observe for now. For now.

"Itsuki! Ren!" Malty cried out in surprise as the two leapt into the crater, joining the other two heroes.

"If you're here, then where is Y/n?" Raphtalia asked.

"Right here." You seemed to emerge out of nowhere, in the center of the group.

"Wait, how did you come back to life?" Motoyasu asked.

"They were never dead in the first place, Spear." You told him, watching Ren plant his sword into the ground.

"I personally made sure of that." You watched a circle of blue swords fly into the air, approaching the Pope at startling speed, only to be blocked by a glowing golden sigil.

"Y/n, do you have some sort of skill or weapon that can break that barrier?" Naofumi asked you.

"I can do so much more than that. In fact, I could win this fight instantly." You stated.

"Wha- why don't you do that? Use your A Call Beyond thingy, or summon some big beast!" Motoyasu told you.

"I take no orders from the likes of you, Spear. As for why I won't do that... prove to me that you truly require me to win." You told him.

"Excuse me?" Naofumi looked at you, scorn in his gaze.

"Don't look at me like that. You four are here, and there is someone trying to kill you. Show me that I need to personally intervene, and I will do just that." You told Naofumi.

"Fine." Naofumi lifted his shield again, looking to the Pope as you stepped back, near Melty.

"Y/n..." you looked down at the princess, tipping your hat in greeting.

"Good Noon, Melty." In front of you, Ren and Itsuki made their move, Ren charging forward as Itsuki launched a Meteor Shot to force the Pope on the defensive. Several glowing glyphs appeared to block the shot, all of which were shattered immediately. The last one had some extra force to it, generating a cloud of smoke which obscured Ren for a moment as he leapt upwards, landing with a headlong strike at the Pope, which was just barely blocked in a shower of electric blue and golden light. The clash lasted for a few second, before the Pope was pushed back, his weapon growing dull and heavy.

"So that weapon has limited fuel, huh?" You asked.

"Yes, and no. It's running on the combined mana pool of every follower behind the Pope." Melty explained.

"So, it's immense, but takes time to charge when overused. Say..." You studied the weapon, a hand on your chin.

"Such a weapon would suit me nicely, no?"

"What?" Motoyasu looked back as you as you flicked your hand at him.

"Ignore my ramblings and focus on your battle. That reminds me..." you cupped your hands around your mouth, shouting.

"The Queen is on her way with a punitive force!" This drew reactions of shock out of everyone except for the Bow and Sword heroes.

"Surrender at once, and I'm sure the queen will have mercy on you!" Ren added. This drew a moment of chatter from the Pope and his followers. Something he said, probably some 'we are with God' stuff, seemed to moralize them.

"Hmm, they're rallying." You pointed out.

"Oh well, if only there were a group of four legendary beings that could finally unify to fight the common enemy for once." You shrugged, popping the cork off of a pungent blood cocktail.

"Eh- Y/n, you're drinking at a time like this?" Motoyasu asked. You stopped yourself in the middle of a swig, walking over to him.

"Kitamura Motoyasu. You blindly follow the words of the prettiest woman around, letting her guide you into heinous deeds, and letting the Church throw their own weight around." You accused.

"What? I'm just trusting a member of my party!" Motoyasu tried to defend himself.

"You're obeying Myne's every order without so much as a second thought. Use your own head for once, and try to come to a logical conclusion." You told him.

"Yeah, he's got a point." Itsuki asked.

"Oh, I'm not done." You approached the bow hero next, to his surprise.

"Kawasumi Itsuki. Your little vigilante action against some corrupt king or lord or whatever lead to hundreds living in wretched poverty." You told him.

"All I did was teach that lord a lesson." Itsuki shot back.

"All you did was shift powers, leaving pieces to crumble beneath it." You corrected him.

"The title of hero isn't everything. Take a moment to think well, and think hard about how you can best use your powers to help others, not just punish." With Itsuki lectured, you turned towards Ren next, who simple looked aside as you walked up.

"Amaki Ren. I've told you this before, but that dragon you killed started a plague which took the lives of so many. This is not a game, Ren. Bodies don't just dissolve into mist and particles when you kill them. This. Is. The. Real. Life. Not just some fantasy." You insisted.

"Yes, I am aware." Ren didn't have some weak defense for his words, thankfully.

"Then act like it." You told him. Before you could get to the Shield Hero, Motoyasu chimed in.

"To think that you caused so much trouble fo-"

"You're at fault most of all, Spear." You wheeled yourself back around to him, getting him to raise his hands in defense.

"You passed out a sealed seed to a town in need, releasing a wave of vines and tendrils that warded off all that tried to get near." You stated.

"W-Well, that was the villager's faults, right? They took the seed without thinking, just because a hero gave it to them." Motoyasu pointed out.

"And does that not speak volumes about the trust the people have put in the heroes?" You asked. Motoyasu didn't take that well.

"All three of you let your status get to your heads, and now you refuse to spare a thought for anyone else. As a result, the waves almost overcame you. The first wave was unfair, I'll admit, but the second was shamefully easy. And yet, you'd rather embarrass yourselves then actually team up." You accused them. With a sigh, you turned around to face Naofumi, who was sitting down and strategizing with his party.

"And finally, Iwatani Naofumi." The Shield Hero looked up at you as you said his name, standing up.

"While at the least fault of them all, you cleaning up after the other heroes has led to a brooding hatred, which even now shows. You refuse to stand by them, even in crisis." You sighed, shaking your head in disappointment.

"You are a HERO, Naofumi. Just like Motoyasu, Ren, and Itsuki. Bow, Shield, Spear, and Sword. The world is in danger, and casting aside your differences is the only way you can win this." You took a swig from your cocktail, before sighing.

"Who's side are you on?" Naofumi asked, eyes narrowed.

"Not his." You pointed at the Pope. Naofumi sighed, raising his shield.

"This is truly a deplorable sight. To see you fighting amongst yourselves. You truly must be purged." The Pope stated.

"Fortunately, you have given us enough time to generate the necessary mana." He raised the spear, which began to glow with a brilliant light.

"Farewell, fake heroes! And goodbye, Devil of the Shield!" The light focus on the head of the spear, which he swung, releasing an arc of pure, unbridled energy.

"Brionac!" Naofumi ran forward, lifting his shield in time to block the hit, dispersing the energy in front of energy with waves of heat.

"Y/n... you're right." Naofumi admitted.

"I haven't forgiven you three. Far from it. You're all the same, abusing and using others for your own gain, and trying to take what's dear to me. But..." The energy stopped, allowing Naofumi to lower his shield, unharmed.

"We must work together, even only until we deal with this." You smiled at Naofumi, tossing away the cocktail and standing back.

"The four heroes finally stand together now." Itsuki stated, a smile growing on his face.

"Yeah..." Ren's expression remained stoic.

"Don't hold me back you guys!" Motoyasu said cheerfully.

"Right back at you." Ren remarked.

"Y/n, this is only until we deal with the problem at hand." Naofumi told you.

"But of course. All I require is that you show me how capable you are." You replied.

"Girls, lend me your strength." Motoyasu told his party. Two mages and Myne nodded.

"I'll do my best!" Filo declared, smoke proofing around her as she shifted her form.

"Let's show them the true power of the heroes." Itsuki decided.

"Raphtalia! Filo! Melty!" Naofumi held his shield up.

"Let's go!"

"Fighting with the Devil of the Shield? Truly an act befitting the fake heroes." The Pope decided. Behind him, his mana suppliers began chanting in unison, a spell that the Pope finished.

"High Level Multi Class Defense Magic... Cathedral!" From behind the Pope, spewing black gas, an iridescent orb flew to the sky, above the group. As you watched in interest, and the others shock, the orb expanded, fractal by fractal, as it formed a dome. The dome then sprouted walls and pillars, before finally descending, locking the Pope and the Heroes in a massive defensive stronghold.

"Welcome to my Cathedral! This is your final destination!" The Pope declared. You smirked at his silly words, observing the area.

"Remember you four. Victory is in your grasp." You reminded the heroes.

"However, given the situation, I feel I should change your conditions..." You brought the Loch Shield out of nowhere, pointing at one of Motoyasu's mages.

"You." She flinched as the Loch Shield skidded across the ground, landing at her feet.

"Tell me the incantation you use, and defend me while I prepare myself. If you can do that while the heroes go on the attack, then victory will be guaranteed." You told her.

"U-Umm..." she looked nervously at Motoyasu. A new, determined look crossed his face as he nodded, first at you, then his mage.

"Do it." He ordered.

"Right." The mage picked up the shield, donning it as you took to a knee. Shadows covered you as the mage stepped in front of you, hefting the shield.

"Now, let the true battle..." you smirked, mist surrounding your form.

"...begin."