" ": You talking

' ': You thinking

* *: Narrator/Voice-off

Your POV:

Filo: Mmmmmm !! Sho delicious~ !!

"Don't make stomach noises while you eat... And close your mouth !"

Therese: It seems like she hasn't had enough...

"The fire can't keep up... Filo, for the love of god, slow down or you'll have to eat them raw !"

Filo: Eeeeeh ?!

L'Arc: ... I don't think we can fish anymore here. The fishes will disappear from the river if we continue.

"You single-handedly made the fish population in three different rivers into danger of extinction... Those scums... They were not feeding her properly !"

L'Arc: I'm pretty sure they learned their lesson already, so give it a rest.

"I know, I know... Focus on what's ahead..."

Therese: In that case, I'll help you level up, Filo. Raphtalia and Glass went ahead and are already training, after all.

"That would be good. The faster she grows, the better we'll move."

Therese: How so ?

"Didn't you know ? Filolials are birds that specialized in moving. They pull carriages back in Melromarc. So searching for the rest of the gang will be much easier that way."

Therese: ... What are you talking about ? Filo-Chan isn't a filolial, but a Humming Fairy.

"... A... A what now ?"

Therese: A bird monster from this world, more precisely her chick form. She looked like that before she transformed to her human form.

"... Going back to level 1, I can understand, that most likely happened to all of us... But changing species entirely ?"

L'Arc: the rules between our worlds are different. It's you guys who adapted to them after crossing the line.

"... So it's more like we started a new file on a different game... What even is a Humming Fairy ?"

Therese: A humming fairy is a monster that can fly high in the sky and has a beautiful singing voice. There are various names for it as it grows.

Filo: Master ! Look, look !

Filo: How is it ?

"... It's beautiful... Are there no filolials in this world ?"

Therese: Not that I know about. There's no bird monster that can pull a carriage.

Filo: Master, you see... Filo... Filo has no interest in pulling carriages anymore. But, but, just now when Filo flew in the sky... It was very fun ! If someone forced Filo, Filo wouldn't like it. But just now, it felt so fun !

"... You're right. If that's what you're happy with, then it's fine."

L'Arc: Now that we got the little missy back, shouldn't we go back to where we were going to begin with ?

"Oh, right... I believe it was..."

"So this is Central city..."

Therese: We had no problem blending in on the way here.

L'Arc: yeah, right. Missy is also back to normal. That appearance of yours has likely deceived our pursuers.

Glass: Now, there is only one more thing to do. Let's blend in with the crowd and proceed, 'till we reach the place where the hourglass is...

"Phew... This is the final lap."

Filo: *Piiiii*

"Shhhh. They haven't noticed us, so stay hidden."

L'Arc: ... Hm ?

Therese: What's wrong ?

L'Arc: It's just... It seems like they're doing something up ahead.

Raphtalia: Ahead ? You mean, we can't pass ?

"Is that a katana ? It looks familiar..."

L'Arc: It should be... It's a vassal weapon !

Therese: So it's a weapon with no wielder ? Even if this country has a vassal weapon, isn't it meaningless if there isn't anyone using it ?

Glass: That's why sometimes the country chooses to nominate a person, and hold a selection. But they're not always chosen by the vassal weapon. And if you're not chosen... You can't even hold it.

Therese: Raphtalia-san... ! Doesn't that mean...

Asshole: ... THIEVES !! CAPTURE HER !! WHAT ARE YOU DOING ?! DON'T JUST STAND THERE, GO !! THE VASSAL WEAPON GOT STOLEN, YOU KNOW ?!

Raphtalia: Eh... EH ?!

"No time to think about this ! We're out of here !!"

Guards: MOVE ! YOU'RE IN THE WAY ! WHERE ?! WHERE DID THEY GO ?!

"So they went as far as to declare an imposition of Martial law... They went all out."

Glass: Of course they would. Who would have though that you'd be the one chosen by the Vassal katana.

Raphtalia: ... I'm sorry...

L'Arc: You aren't at fault at all, Missy.

Filo: ... Did big sis Raphtalia got chosen instead ?

"Everything is pointing towards that... And everyone understood except that guy..."

Glass: Your sword talent is the real deal. Even if your level isn't as big as before... I admit that you have the skills to fight me.

L'Arc: You're talking about that other guy, but of course the Katana would like you more than him. I don't know who that guy even is, but I can tell with just one glance that I don't like him. How are we also thieves ?! WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING !!

Therese: L'Arc, be quiet !

*BONK*

Therese: In any case, rather than getting close to the Hourglass, we can't even walk freely outside anymore.

"Heh. Leave that to me. Just point me the direction, and I'll transport us all there in no time."

Glass: Don't try it.

"Huh ?"

Glass: it's more than likely they already deployed anti-transport charms all over the city. At best your spell simply won't work. At worst... We could get thrown away in the midst of the transport. I hope you know what will happen if we end up underground or right in a wall.

"Glups..."

Filo: What would happen ?

"Uhhh... Just picture a bunch of fruit paste... So no way out... And... Are these tigers ?"

Therese: Those things are probably replicas of Byakko (White tiger in Chinese myth). One of the four holy beasts...

Raphtalia: Byakko... ?

L'Arc: Yep. What they call a Holy Beast like the Spirit Tortoise. They're replicas of those beings. Moreover, if you were dealing with those kinds of numbers head on, not even your bones would be left.

Raphtalia: ... ... 'Is it because I got chosen by the vassal weapon ? The only proof that I'm connected to Naofumi-sama... I am no longer Naofumi-sama's slave... I... Did I become a hero... ?'

L'Arc: For the time being... let's keep quiet and wait for the night.

"Haah... Haah... Dammit... !"

Glass: This is bad... they found this place ! Let's hurry and go somewhere else...

*RAFUUU*

"... Raphtalia, was that you ?"

Raphtalia: N- No... I don't know what that...

???: *Rafuuu... !*

L'Arc: What the ?!

Therese: Somehow it looks like you...

Glass: ... Shikigami... ?

"Hold on for a second... You know what this thing is ?"

Glass: A shikigami... Created by mixing the essence of two persons to create a link between them... But you need a part of both parties to create one.

"... There aren't a lot of people who could get a hold of a part of Raphtalia... Would that mean..."

*A few minutes earlier...*

Rishia: ... Unexpectedly, we actually entered quite easily.

Naofumi: I thought that we could have blended with the crowd, but... there is nobody here. Was there an imposition of martial law ?

Kizuna: ... As I thought, they're encircling the road to not let something pass. So they're watching the inside instead of the outside for now.

Rishia: Them encircling the roads, that means...

Naofumi: ...' the selection ceremony of the Vassal Katana... Blockading the entire central city... if the vassal Katana has been taken by a third party... then the ones that took the vassal Katana and are being chased right now... Could they be Raphtalia and the others... ?!'

Kizuna: Either way, we can't confirm anything in this situation.

Naofumi: If they're near here... I might be able to use the slave crest search function. It it works, I'll be able to see Raphtalia's current status.

Kizuna: Oh ! That's nice ! Does that mean you can contact her ? I wish we could do something to tell them that we're here... ... Is something wrong ?

Naofumi: ... ... Gone... Raphtalia's slave crest registration... It's gone...

Kizuna: Eh... ?

Naofumi: But it was here before...

Rishia: So does that mean that Raphtalia is no longer Naofumi's slave ?

Kizuna: What the ? That means...

Naofumi: The contract was canceled by a certain method, or...

Raphtalia: I am Naofumi-sama's sword... Wherever you go, I will follow you.

Naofumi: As my slave, Raphtalia has always been by my side, and has said that she's my "sword". How long has it been since I'd lost that "sword"... ?'

Asshole: Oh ? That seems like a face I've seen before. So you've come to be killed by me, huh ?

Asshole: Don't tell me that you're aiming for the vassal weapon too ? That thing is supposed to be legitimately inherited by me...

Naofumi: You're too damn noisy ! Blabbering things... I don't have any interest in you or the vassal weapon. The sword that I'm searching for is first-class.

Asshole: Huh ? As I thought, you're searching for it too. We should completely exterminate the pests, don't you think ?

Naofumi: Pests... ? 'This trash can be exterminated quickly with a sword. If I'm alone, all I can do is defend against his attacks...'

"TUSK !!"

Asshole: GUH !!

Naofumi: That... !

???: Stop it. So for a single katana, you'd hurt the people that you should be protecting ? That's why the vassal weapon would neither listen to nor look at you.

Raphtalia: Naofumi-sama ! Your "Sword"... has returned !

Naofumi: ... ... You... You're late... !

Asshole: Damn thieves... Can't you just give it back ?!

"Sorry, but that isn't really a possibility anymore, I think."

Naofumi: So you guys were together...

"Naofumi, Naofumi, Naofumi... What would the tank expect to do on his own, without the DPS and magic support ? But now that we're here together, why don't we show that sorry excuse for a wannabe hero something he'll never be ?"

Naofumi: You never change... And I see you refurnished your spells on the meantime...

Raphtalia: I'm Naofumi-sama's sword... Nothing more and nothing less, but... If becoming a hero prevents you from pretending to be one, I'll gladly take this instead !