Journey to Become the Zenith

The Ancient Fortress

Two days have passed since the prime minister’s son subordinates tried to kill Videl, but until now they weren’t able to accomplish the job.

The dense forests outside Fantom City had become a silent battlefield.

Broken branches, traces of burned mana, and bloodstains hidden beneath fallen leaves marked the path of pursuit that had continued without pause for days. The enemy forces had searched relentlessly, sweeping through valleys, abandoned roads, riversides, and even monster territories.

Yet Videl remained alive.

That fact alone was enough to drive the pursuing forces into frustration.

They couldn’t head back to their lord with news of failure, so they called in mercenaries to help search.

The moment money became involved, the search expanded rapidly.

Mercenary groups flooded the surrounding regions like vultures circling prey. Some searched for rewards, others for noble favor, while a few simply wished to kill the mysterious academy girl who had managed to evade trained retainers for days.

Meanwhile—

Videl’s condition steadily worsened.

She had barely slept.

Her mana reserves had not fully recovered since breaking through the encirclement, and she was forced to constantly suppress her presence while moving through unfamiliar terrain. The lack of proper rest made her movements slower than usual, though she stubbornly continued forward.

Cold night winds brushed against her skin as she crouched silently atop a tree branch overlooking distant torchlights moving through the forest below.

Search parties.

Again.

Her sapphire eyes narrowed slightly.

”They’re increasing...” Amura muttered softly beside her in spirit form.

The silver-haired spirit looked unusually tense. Even she did not expect the pursuit to become this serious.

Videl quietly exhaled.

”They really want me dead.”

Her voice was calm, but exhaustion lingered beneath it.

For a brief moment, Victor’s face surfaced in her thoughts.

Black hair.

Golden eyes.

That calm expression he always wore whenever danger approached.

If he were here...

He would probably already have figured out the mastermind behind all this.

A bitter smile appeared briefly on her lips.

”I really rely on him too much sometimes...”

Amura glanced at her but said nothing.

The two continued moving once darkness deepened again.

...

On the third day the prime minister’s son subordinates were finally able to corner Videl in a cave.

The pursuit had grown dangerously close by then.

Several mercenary groups had already discovered traces of her movements, forcing her to continuously change direction. Eventually, while fleeing through a rocky mountain region near the edge of the Red Cliff Mountain Range, Videl discovered a hidden cave concealed behind overgrown vines and jagged stone.

Without hesitation, she entered.

Unfortunately—

The enemy noticed.

Bootsteps and distant voices echoed from outside as armed men began surrounding the entrance.

Videl who fled into the unknown cave had no choice but to go deeper in.

The deeper she walked, the stranger the cave became.

At first, it looked ordinary.

Cold stone walls.

Moist air.

The faint sound of dripping water echoing through darkness.

But after several minutes—

Something changed.

Soft golden light illuminated the path ahead.

Videl slowed slightly.

Her brows furrowed.

”This...”

Embedded along the walls were ancient crystal lamps glowing with faint mana. Despite the countless years that must have passed, the lights still functioned perfectly.

The deeper she went into the cave the more the cave looked like the inside of some sort of ancient fortress.

The rough cave walls gradually transformed into carefully carved stone corridors.

Ancient pillars lined the pathway.

Massive murals covered the walls.

Videl’s breathing unconsciously slowed as she looked around.

The paintings depicted enormous battles.

Winged beings descended from the heavens.

Armies knelt before giant dragons.

Heroes wielding blazing weapons fought monstrous creatures beneath crimson skies.

The atmosphere felt ancient.

Heavy.

Like the weight of countless forgotten years pressed against her shoulders.

Even Amura who had more experience had no idea what kind of place they stumbled upon.

Her silver eyes scanned the surroundings cautiously.

”I’ve never seen architecture like this before...” she whispered.

There was unease in her voice now.

Even as a spirit weapon who had existed for generations, this place felt older than anything she had ever encountered.

Videl had no time to admire the various stone paintings as she kept on moving forward.

Behind her, distant footsteps echoed through the corridors.

The pursuers had entered the cave.

And they were getting closer.

Videl tightened her grip around the Long Sword and continued deeper into the fortress-like structure.

Then—

She stopped.

A dead end.

A massive stone wall stood before her with no visible exits.

Silence filled the corridor.

The flickering crystal lights cast long shadows across the ancient chamber while the sound of approaching armored footsteps steadily grew louder behind her.

Seeing that there was no way out made Videl smile a bit.

Not because she found the situation amusing.

But because it reminded her of something Victor once said.

She remembered him sitting lazily beneath a tree at the academy courtyard while talking with that annoyingly calm expression of his.

”You have ridiculous luck, Videl. No matter how bad the situation gets, something always pulls you through.”

At the time she denied it.

Now—

Standing before death itself—

That memory resurfaced strangely clearly.

’I guess you were wrong this time.’

Videl held Amura and got ready for one final stand.

Mana slowly gathered around her body once more despite her exhaustion.

Her legs trembled slightly from fatigue.

Her injured arm still bled beneath torn fabric.

Yet her sapphire eyes remained steady.

If this was truly the end—

Then she would at least face it standing.

As Videl stood there sword at hand, the enemy knights arrived at her position.

The narrow corridor quickly filled with armed men.

Mercenaries.

Knights.

Mages.

All staring at the lone blonde woman standing before the dead end.

Some looked cautious.

Others looked relieved.

Finally cornered.

One of the mercenaries stepped forward while raising his blade.

”It’s over.”

Another mage began chanting quietly.

The atmosphere became suffocating.

As the knights were about to attack, everyone including Videl was assaulted by an enormous pressure.

BOOM.

The entire fortress trembled violently.

The pressure descended without warning.

It felt as though an invisible mountain had suddenly crashed onto everyone’s shoulders.

Several mercenaries immediately collapsed to their knees.

Others coughed blood.

Even the armored knights struggled to breathe properly.

Videl’s eyes widened.

Her instincts screamed danger.

Not from the enemies around her—

But from something far older.

Far more terrifying.

Then—

A voice echoed throughout the hall.

”Who are you people?”

The voice sounded ancient and menacing.

Deep.

Heavy.

Like thunder rolling across forgotten ruins.

The voice that spoke made everyone shiver in fear.

Some of the weaker mercenaries unconsciously stepped backward.

One even dropped his weapon.

No one dared answer.

Then—

Movement.

The wall behind Videl suddenly shifted.

Stone cracked apart slowly.

Dust filled the air.

What everyone initially thought was a dead end—

Was not a wall at all.

Out of the darkness the wall that looked like a dead end, turned out to be wings.

Massive wings.

Dark scales covered their surface like armor forged from ancient steel.

There in front of Videl stood a man that had wings similar to that of a dragon’s, but his form was that of a man.

The figure slowly emerged from the darkness.

Tall.

Broad-shouldered.

Overwhelming.

His long hair flowed behind him like shadows while his eyes carried an ancient pressure impossible to describe.

The very mana in the air reacted to his presence.

He scanned the people present until his attention was drawn to Videl.

The moment his gaze landed on her—

Everything became still.

He slowly walked towards Videl, as the ancient being did this no one dared to move, nay no one even dared to breath loudly.

Even the enemy knights instinctively lowered their weapons.

Fear gripped everyone present.

Pure instinct.

The ancient being stared at Videl, looking at her from head to toe.

His sharp eyes lingered on the Long Sword briefly before returning to her face.

Then—

His expression changed slightly.

Not hostility.

Recognition.

”I sense the light of the hero within you... The same light that I had a eons ago.”

Now that the ancient being got closer, Videl could see he was a stern looking middle aged man.

The pressure around him remained suffocating, yet strangely—

She did not sense killing intent from him.

Only an ancient exhaustion buried beneath overwhelming strength.

If Victor saw this person he would be shocked, as this person was none other than the one Victor called the fourth hero, the hero that he thought was dead.