The first official chapter seemed to get off to a roaring start. This series has grown the fastest out of all my other series to date, even faster than my RWBY series. And also, sorry for the wait for a new chapter. I've begun a new job and the wifi here isn't great, making it difficult to write. I'm also trying to get caught up with some of my other series. I've recently come back to my RWBY series, started this series and a side series for my MHA story, and pretty soon, i'll be going back to my original MHA and my Fairy Tail stories. I've got a busy schedule ahead. But for now, just sit back and enjoy this new chapter. Enjoy!

After our negotiations with the king, the five of us were treated to dinner. The food was strange but it tasted better than anything that I'd ever made. And i'm a pretty damn good cook. Regardless, the five of us were then showed our quarters where we would stay for the night. About ten minutes after, we all gathered into Motoyasu's room to discuss our current situation. "Well... today was.... interesting." Motoyasu said as we all agreed with him. "You've got that right. We were all just dropped into this world and now we're expected to fight this unknown enemy. It's pretty crazy if you think about it all." I said as Naofumi agreed with me. "It's so weird. This all feels like some sort of video game." Naofumi said, just staring at the floor. I assumed he was looking at his own personal status. "That's because it is a video game. It's exactly like Emerald Online." Motoyasu said which confused me a bit. "Emerald Online? Never heard of it before." I said to him. "Yeah, same here." Naofumi said. "Seriously? It's huge." Motoyasu said but I just kept shaking my head. "What are you talking about? This isn't some online game. It's a brand new console game i'm playing." Itsuki said as Ren now stepped in. "You're both wrong. This is all a brand new VR MMO that i'm playing." He said as I thought about all the games I've played that are like this world. "I guess i'm in the same boat as Itsuki. This is a little similar to a game I like to play often." I said as Naofumi let out a sigh. "Man, it's so weird that you've all played video games that are so much lime this world. How come i'm the only one who hasn't?" He questioned as Ren, Itsuki and Motoyasu began to stare him. "What? What is it?" Naofumi asked them. "Oh, it's nothing. I just assumed it was because you're the shield hero." Itsuki said. "Huh, you too?" Motoyasu said to him. "Well, yeah, it makes sense." Ren said as Naofumi and myself became confused. "Huh? Why? Is there something wrong with the shield?" Naofumi asked. Motoyasu then walked over to him and said "Calm down. As the oldest one here, let me bring you up to speed on the basics. As far as I've ever seen the shielder class who specializes in the shield.... It's for losers because no true gamers ever play it." And then, Naofumi made the connection. "What? NOOOOOOOOO!" Naofumi cried. "What's so bad about the shield? If it's that weak then that means it gives you the best challenge. Who doesn't like a challenge?" I said as everyone then looked at me. "It's not that we don't like it, it's just that it's literally unwinnable as the shielder class. And thus, everyone chooses one of the real classes." Ren explained. 

Naofumi then fell over, laying down on a couch and letting out another sigh. "So, what's the terrain like?" Motoyasu asked Ren. "Not sure. But it looks very similar to what i'm used to." Ren said as I just rolled my eyes at him. "Oh shut up. Stop trying to show off by claiming you know everything." I thought as I let out some sighs. But then, Naofumi got up from the couch and walked out onto the balcony. He stood there for a few minutes before finally letting out a cry of determination. "Lookout! I'm coming world!" He yelled into the night sky. "Well he certainly changed in the last minute. He was just sulking but now he seems more pumped up than any of us." I said as everyone agreed with me. "He'll probably have the hardest journey of us all. It's good that he stays positive." Itsuki said. "Yeah. But anyways, we should all get some sleep. We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow." Motoyasu said as we all agreed. We all then retired to our rooms for the night, eagerly wanting to know what is waiting for us tomorrow.

When the morning arrived, the five of us were to meet back in the throne room. There, the king awaited us with several other people who were clad in armor and weapons. "We have gathered the bravest warriors in the land. These brave souls will fight the waves along side you." The king said as I looked at all the warriors. There was a good mix of men and women, some looking like knights, other like mages and some where I couldn't tell what they could do. I assumed the five of us were going to pick one at a time until none were left. "Our future champions, the time has come to begin your journeys!" The king said as all the warriors began to walk towards us. "Oh, so they're the ones who get to decide on who they go with. I guess that's the fairest decision for them. But... Something about this doesn't feel right...." I thought as two warriors stepped behind me. Two were behind Itsuki, and four behind both Ren and Motoyasu. Naofumi, for some reason, had no one behind him. "Uh, yo, king! Is there something going on here?" Naofumi asked. "I am loathed to admit it, but even I was not expecting this. However, I have been made aware of an unsettling rumor." The king said as we all grew curious. "Has something happened, sir?" Motoyasu asked. "Not exactly. The rumor that is quickly spreading around town is that the so called shield hero is ignorant of this world. Legend tells us the heroes arrived with  firm understanding of our lands and the town's people seem to think he doesn't meet that criteria." The king explained as I grew even more curious. "How could the town's people know that? The only time it was mentioned was when it was the five of us in Motoyasu's room. Which means someone must've been eavesdropping on us." I thought to myself. "Regardless, you and Motoyasu don't need four! How about you give some of your warriors to me, please!" Naofumi asked Ren. "I'm a loner, you're right. I don't need them. Whoever cannot cut it gets left in the dust." Ren said to his warriors. "And actually..." I began to say as the king turned his attention over to me. "What is it, axe hero?" He asked me. "As much as I appreciate you gathering the finest heroes, I actually wish to decline this offer." I explained as the king looked at me a little curiously. "Oh? And why is that?" He asked me. "Don't get me wrong, I thank you very much for doing all this. I would just prefer to gather my own members rather than them just being given to me. That way, it'll be easier for me to analyze their strengths, weaknesses, and help them grow along side me. So, for now, I wish to start my adventure alone." I explained as the king gave me a small smile. "Very well. The two warriors that chose the axe hero, please change to the next hero of your choice." The king said as the two warriors behind me walked over to who they would've chosen next. One picked Ren and the other picked Itsuki. 

And then, from Motoyasu's party, one person raised their hand. "Sir hero?" A woman said. She had red hair, green eyes, brown leather armor, and purple pants. "Would you kindly allow me to switch partners and join the shield hero?" The woman asked Motoyasu. "Are you sure?" Motoyasu asked her. "I am." She said happily. Naofumi had the most stunned look on his face. Probably because he was expecting no one to join his party at all. "Are there any others who would be willing to join master Naofumi on his quest?" The king asked but no one spoke up. "Ah well, so be it. We shall have to take other measures then. Master Naofumi, much like lady Ayuma, you will have to recruit your party yourself." The king said as Naofumi faced him. "Oh, uh, right. Yes, sir." He said to the king. "Every month, we shall provide each hero with the funds they require. This one time however, master Naofumi and lady Ayuma's payment will be higher than the others." The king explained as five men appeared, each holding something in their hands. "Here are your initial war chests. Accept them with our thanks." The king said as I was handed a sac of silver coins. "The shield and axe hero's receive 800 silver coins while the rest of you each receives 600 silver." The king's assistant explained to us. "Procure all necessary equipment and set forth!" The king said to all of us. "Yes, sir!" The five of us said as we all bowed to him. We all then left the throne room, officially beginning our grand adventures in this world. We each left the castle, heading through the main gates and separating into town. "Later, Ayuma!" Motoyasu said to me. I turned around and waved goodbye to him and the other heroes before they left my view. "Good luck, guys! I hope i'll see you around sometime!" I yelled as I began to walk through town. 

"Now, let's see.... It'll probably be a little while until I find my first party member.... which means for now, I should focus on upgrading myself. I bet i'll need to level up before I can upgrade my weapon, so I guess for now, I should find a good set of armor to wear." I said as I walked through the streets, looking for a blacksmith's shop. I couldn't see one anywhere though so I tried asking some of the town's people. "Excuse me, do you know where the nearest blacksmith shop is?" I asked a man who was working in a bread stand. He took a good look at me, looking a bit weirded out at first, probably because he's never seem my type of clothing before. But then he saw the axe that was strapped to my back and he made the connection. "Hey, you're the axe hero! Yeah, sure, i'll give you directions. There's one just a few minutes down this street. But, if you're looking for the best in town, go five minutes down and then take a left for another three minutes. No finer blacksmith in this village." The man said as I thanked him and bowed to him. "No problem, miss. And please, thank you." He said as I started to head for this quality shop he was talking about. 

I managed to find the blacksmith shop that the man directed me to. When I entered, I could see all types of weapons and armor around the room and along the walls. Swords, spears, crossbows, everything was here. "Can I help you?" The blacksmith asked as he appeared from a back room. He was a large man with a bald head, small black beard, a gray shirt, black pants and brown boots. He seemed to spot the weapon on my back and he grew a smile. "So, you're the one who's become the axe hero. Nice to meet you. Call me Erhard." The blacksmith said as we shook hands. "A pleasure to meet you, Erhard. My name is Ayuma Saruwatari. I hear you have the best blacksmith shop in town." I said as he chuckled a bit. "You've heard right. Whatever you need, I can provide." Erhard said as he now started to laugh. "That's great to hear. I was looking for some new armor to wear. Mind showing me what you've got?" I asked as he looked at me curiously. "How much do you got on you? Just so I can figure what would suit you best." He said as I pulled out my sac of coins. "I've got 800 silver coins. But I kinda make it a rule for myself not to spend over half. So, I guess 400 is my max." I explained as Erhard stepped into the back of his shop. "Let's see here.... I think I know what'll be good for someone like you." He said as he came back out with a full set of armor. "This should do. What do you think?" He said, displaying armor with chainmail on the arms and legs, as well as leather padding for the chest area. "It looks great! But, how much is the full set?" I asked. "Normally, the entire set is 600 silver. But, because you're one of the cardinal heroes, I'll offer you a nice discount. 33% off. Which means it's just barely in your price range." Erhard said as I grew a smile. "Really? Wow! Thank you so much! Oh, this is perfect!" I said as he handed me the armor. It didn't feel heavy at all. It felt like I was carrying a blanket. "It's so light. I thought this chainmail would make this whole thing pretty heavy. What's it made out of?" I asked. "A very rare mineral found in a couple of mountains in this land. It provides a few resistances to to fire and some poisons." Erhard explained as he took the armor back from me. "Before I give this to you, I need to measure you. That way, I can make a set that actually fits you." Erhard said as I looked at the armor. It did look a little big, most likely it was made for a large man. "I guess that makes sense. Let's do it!" I said as I stepped into the back of the shop with Erhard. 

About a half an hour later, everything was complete. My armor had been made thanks to the measurements Erhard took and I was set to go. "Now you're looking like a traditional hero!" Erhard said as I handed him his payment. "Thanks again, Erhard! I hope I can come back here and get even more armor and upgrades from you!" I said as we shook hands again. "It was my pleasure, miss Ayuma. I wish you luck on your adventure. I hope you can find some party members soon, too." He said as I waved goodbye before leaving his shop, now clad in my new armor. "Ok, I've got some armor now. I should probably try and level myself up next. So, that means I've gotta find some sort of enemy or monster to fight." I said to myself as I walked through the streets and eventually, out of the village. I walked for about a mile before I started to hear people fighting. I looked to my right and I could see a bunch of people in a field. And in the centre of them all were Ren, Itsuki, Motoyasu, and Naofumi. They were each fighting some sort of enemy. They looked like small orange balls with large teeth. They were jumping around them and trying to bite them. They seemed to go down easily though as I saw Itsuki defeat one with one shot from his bow. Everyone also seemed to have found some armor to wear now, too. They must've all went to a blacksmith shop in town, too. I started to walk over to them all and I watched as Ren defeated his last enemy. He then spotted me and him and his party began to walk over to me as well. We stopped in front of each other with about 20 feet in between us. "Looks like you're all pretty busy out here. Trying to level up quickly by beating weak enemies?" I asked as Ren gave me a nod. "That's correct. But these foes are so weak that they give barely any experience. I've defeated over a dozen of them and I still haven't leveled up. So, for at least one of us, let's speed up the process." Ren said as I looked at him, a little confused. He then raised his sword up and said "We may not be able to join each other, but that does not mean we cannot battle each other. If one of us is able to beat another hero, I can guess that we will gain much more experience than these other weak foes." Ren explained as I gave him a nod. "I see where you're going now." I said as I removed my axe from my back and held it in front of me. "So do you accept my challenge?" Ren asked me. "You've been acting like you know everything since the moment we all got here. I think it's time someone put you in your place. So yes, I accept." I said as he now held his sword with both of his hands. 

Everyone else had begun to notice that we were about to fight and had walked over. Me and Ren were now trapped in a circle of spectators. "By all means, ladies first." Ren said as I chuckled a bit. "Thanks. You're too kind!" I said as I charged him. I swung my axe over my head and brought it down with most of my strength. We clashed blades and became locked in combat. The force of my weapon meeting Ren's created a shockwave that made a small gust of wind around us. "You've got power. I guess that comes with having a very offensive weapon." Ren said as he shoved me away. "Thank you. I play baseball often too. I've got a pretty mean swing." I said as Ren swung his sword at me from his left. I dropped to my knees as his sword went right over me. I then spun my legs around, going for a sweeping kick. I made contact with Ren's legs and I tripped him, making him fall oh his back. I then jumped onto my feet and I swung my axe down at Ren. He blocked my attack again with his sword and again, a shockwave was created. Our blades were locked once again and neither of us were giving an inch. But in an attempt to get away from me, Ren kicked one of my knees, making me stumble a bit. It made me fall back a few feet, giving him his chance to stand back up. "Not half bad. Maybe I should start trying." Ren said as I just rolled my eyes at him again. "Just shut up, already. You're not impressing anyone here." I said as Ren now charged me, pulling his sword over his head. I removed one hand from my axe and I swung it upward. Ren brought his weapon down and we clashed. We were now in a shoving match, trying to knock the other over but neither of us were making any ground. However, I was one step ahead. Thanks to me only wielding my axe with one hand now, I had a free hand to work with. I used it to grab onto the grip of Ren's sword, pushing it back and allowing me to slowly edge my axe forward. After a few seconds, Ren's sword was getting close to his neck. He was beginning to struggle and he started to step back. But when he went to step and lifted his foot, I capitalized. I sweeped my left leg at the foot he raised and I made him fall back. And in the midst of his fall, he lost grip of his weapon, allowing me to toss it aside. Ren now laid on his back, with me standing over him. I held my axe to his neck. "It's over. Admit defeat." I said as he sighed and gave me a nod. 

I then put my axe back into the strap on my back and I helped Ren to his feet. "I underestimated you. Next time, the outcome will not be the same." Ren said to me as I gave him a small shove. "Would you stop acting like a stupid tough guy for once. Jeez, it's no wonder you say you're a loner." I said as I activated my status magic. I checked my level and I saw the experience bar going up. It kept going until I reached level 4. "Wow! I gained a bunch of experience from our battle! I got all the way to level 4!" I said. "So it did work. Which means the stronger the opponent, the more we gain. So, any time we heroes meet, we should battle. It'll help us all whether we win or lose. If you lose, at least it'll highlight any weaknesses you may have." Ren said. "Finally, something I can agree with." I said as he gave me a small smile. "I like the sound of that. And don't expect me to go easy on any of you. I play to win." Motoyasu said. "I look forward to any combat I have with all of you." Itsuki said. "It won't be easy for me to fight, but i'll do my best too." Naofumi said as the sun now began to set. "It'll be dark soon. We should all find places to stay for the night." I said as everyone agreed with me. We all then walked into the village and separated again. I found a small inn that offered me a pretty cheap price to stay for the night. I laid down in my bed and relaxed until I fell asleep. For my first day of my brand new adventure, I'd say it went pretty damn well.