Journey to Become the Zenith

A Hero’s Heart in Turmoil (Part 1)

While Victor and Clara were discussing how to flush out the assassin who specialized in curses, Videl sat alone inside her dormitory room, feeling completely lost.

The room was quiet.

Far too quiet.

Outside the academy windows, the evening breeze stirred the branches of the old trees, while distant voices of students echoed faintly through the campus. Life was slowly returning to normal after the undead invasion that had nearly destroyed Fantom City.

Yet for Videl...

Everything felt unbearably empty.

Amura and Rika, the spirits of her Long Sword and short blade, watched their master with worried expressions.

"My Lady..."

Amura spoke softly through their spiritual connection.

"You haven’t spoken for hours."

Rika folded her arms, trying to sound cheerful despite the concern in her eyes.

"You should eat something."

"Victor always says people think better with a full stomach."

Neither spirit received a response.

Instead...

The mental connection between them suddenly went silent.

Videl had closed the link.

It wasn’t out of anger.

Nor resentment.

It was a silent request.

A plea to be left alone.

The two weapon spirits exchanged helpless glances.

As spirits bound by a master-servant contract, they understood what that silence meant.

"...Let’s give her some time."

Amura sighed quietly.

Rika reluctantly nodded.

"If that’s what she wants..."

The two spirits withdrew into silence, remaining nearby while patiently waiting for their master to recover.

...

Not far away...

Aria had also been trying to comfort Videl.

The young woman stood beside the bed for several minutes.

"Videl..."

"You don’t have to carry everything by yourself."

No response.

She tried again.

"We’re all hurting."

"But Victor..."

"...he wouldn’t want to see you like this."

Still...

Nothing.

Videl didn’t even lift her head.

She stared blankly at the floor as though Aria’s voice couldn’t reach her.

Aria bit her lower lip.

She had never seen Videl like this before.

Normally...

Even when facing impossible situations...

Videl would force herself to smile.

Today...

That smile had completely disappeared.

Realizing that no amount of comforting would reach her, Aria slowly lowered her gaze.

If I can’t help...

Then maybe someone else can.

Victor.

That was the first person who came to her mind.

Whenever Videl was confused...

Whenever she doubted herself...

Victor always seemed capable of saying something that pushed her forward again.

There was also Clara.

Although the blonde woman often argued with Victor, Aria had noticed that the two understood each other surprisingly well.

Perhaps...

One of them could reach Videl.

Those two had become famous throughout Fantom City after the battle against the undead.

Finding them wouldn’t be difficult.

Aria walked toward the door before stopping.

She looked back one final time.

"...I’m going to find Victor."

"If anyone can pull you out of this..."

"...it’s him."

She informed Videl of her decision.

Just as before...

Videl remained completely silent.

She neither accepted nor refused.

Receiving no answer, Aria quietly left the room.

The door clicked shut behind her.

Silence returned once again.

...

Videl remained seated on the edge of her bed.

The dormitory assigned to her and her companions suddenly felt far too large.

Only a few days earlier...

The room had been filled with laughter.

Everyone had talked late into the night.

They had shared dreams.

Argued over trivial things.

Made promises about the future.

Now...

Only empty beds remained.

The absence of those familiar voices weighed heavily on her heart.

She slowly lowered her head.

Her hands tightened into fists.

Her nails dug deeply into her palms.

Pain spread through them...

Yet it was insignificant compared to the ache inside her chest.

Why...

Why couldn’t I save them...?

She clenched her teeth.

Every memory from the battle replayed itself mercilessly.

The screams.

The collapsing buildings.

The desperate faces of people reaching for help.

Most of all...

The faces of the friends she had recently met.

People who had welcomed her without hesitation.

People who had spoken excitedly about graduating together.

Now...

They were gone.

Never to laugh again.

Never to chase their dreams again.

The weight of that realization pressed down on her like a mountain.

When Videl had witnessed the citizens of Fantom City mourning their dead, she had genuinely sympathized with them.

She mourned alongside them.

Yet...

Hidden deep within her heart...

Another emotion had existed.

Relief.

The loss had been devastating.

Thousands had died during the undead invasion.

But...

The city itself had survived.

Had they failed completely...

Every single person would have perished.

She had comforted herself with that thought.

Even while repeating that a true hero should save everyone...

A small part of her had already accepted that such an ideal might never become reality.

Then...

She learned that several of her own friends had died.

For just a single instant...

One selfish thought had crossed her mind.

Why...

Why did it have to be them...?

The moment that thought appeared...

Videl felt as though someone had struck her heart.

She slowly covered her face with both hands.

"...What kind of hero thinks something like that?"

Tears quietly escaped between her fingers.

She had always dreamed of becoming someone who could protect everyone.

Someone who would never abandon another person.

Yet when tragedy finally reached those closest to her...

Her first instinct hadn’t been to mourn equally.

It had been to wish fate had chosen someone else.

That single thought shattered the image she held of herself.

Am I...

Really worthy of calling myself a hero?

Victor possessed overwhelming strength.

Unmatched intelligence.

The resolve to make impossible decisions.

Videl had none of those things.

She only had ideals.

Beautiful ideals.

Fragile ideals.

She slowly looked down at her trembling hands.

"These hands couldn’t even save the people closest to me..."

"How am I supposed to save anyone else?"

"No..."

"I couldn’t save the people standing right in front of me..."

"I couldn’t save the friends I had only just begun to cherish..."

"I couldn’t even save myself from despair..."

The room became unbearably silent.

Videl’s breathing grew heavier.

She slowly opened her mouth.

"In the end..."

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