Journey to Become the Zenith

The Hero Beyond the Forgotten Age

”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.

His face carried countless years upon it.

Not wrinkles of weakness—

But scars carved by time itself.

His sharp crimson-gold eyes held an ancient depth that made even breathing difficult. Long dark hair flowed behind him like shadows dancing beneath the crystal lights of the ancient fortress, while the dragon-like wings behind him radiated overwhelming pressure.

The air itself trembled around him.

Every movement he made carried an indescribable weight.

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.

The ancient being also know to Victor as the demon emperor Anos but now this being looked at Videl in amusement.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Not mockery.

Not hostility.

Something closer to nostalgia.

To him looking at Videl was like looking at himself back in the days he was hailed as a hero.

Back then—

Before betrayal.

Before blood.

Before learning the ugliness hidden behind the smiles of mankind.

Before becoming something the world feared.

The fourth hero had already took notice of those honest eyes that could only see justice, the same eyes he had back then could now be seen in Videl.

Pure.

Stubborn.

Naive.

Dangerously kind.

The fourth hero silently stared at her for several moments.

The blonde girl stood exhausted before him, gripping her Long Sword tightly despite clearly being cornered. Dirt stained her clothes, several cuts covered her exposed skin, and exhaustion lingered beneath her sapphire eyes.

Yet even now—

She still stood in front of danger instead of kneeling before it.

That alone amused him greatly.

Most people broke long before reaching this point.

But heroes...

Heroes were different.

They shattered only after fate crushed them completely.

His gaze slowly shifted toward the knights surrounding the chamber.

The moment his eyes landed on them—

The atmosphere instantly grew heavier.

Several mercenaries visibly trembled.

One knight nearly collapsed from fear.

He then looked at the knights that were about to attack Videl. It was obvious to the fourth hero that the hero in front of him was being played by an aristocrat of sorts.

This was the usual pattern, a play that all heroes go through.

The fourth hero had seen it countless times across history.

Different kingdoms.

Different faces.

Different excuses.

But always the same ending.

Heroes were worshipped when useful.

Feared when powerful.

Discarded when inconvenient.

It could be because of the betrayal of a friend.

It could also be because a nobleman took a liking to the hero’s childhood friend.

It could also be because a royal member felt threatened by the hero’s power.

There were many more reasons that could be said, still no matter the reason, this was an inevitable scene in the script called the hero’s life.

The ancient fortress fell silent.

Only the flickering crystal lamps illuminated the cold stone hall while tension suffocated everyone present.

Videl frowned slightly.

She did not fully understand what this ancient being meant.

Yet strangely—

Part of her felt those words carried sadness.

Not anger.

Not hatred.

Sadness.

Like someone who had lived through the same tragedy too many times.

This made the fourth hero chuckle.

A low, deep laugh echoed throughout the hall.

Even though heroes were made to fight against the cruel tidings of fate, it would seem that they were the ones who were truly bond by it.

How ironic and pathetic.

The smile on his face slowly faded.

For a brief moment—

His eyes looked tired.

Ancient.

Like someone who had long since lost faith in the world.

Then suddenly—

His gaze returned to Videl once more.

And this time, there was curiosity within it.

”It would seem, I’m the strong wise old man in your tale, young hero.”

Videl blinked.

”...What?”

Confusion surfaced across her beautiful face.

A small awkward silence followed.

Even Amura looked confused beside her in spirit form.

The terrifying ancient being speaking like some wandering storyteller made the situation feel strangely surreal.

Videl didn’t understand what the fourth hero was talking about as he chuckled in front of her.

Still—

She instinctively lowered her guard slightly.

Not because she trusted him completely.

But because every instinct in her body told her one thing.

If this man truly wanted her dead—

No one here could stop him.

While Videl was thinking about what to do next, the fourth hero stepped forward.

BOOM.

The entire fortress shook lightly beneath his footsteps.

The pressure instantly intensified.

The knights could somehow figure out that this ancient being, was not on their side, but somehow on Videl’s side.

Panic immediately spread through the mercenaries.

”Move!”

”Attack now!”

”Kill the girl first!”

Several knights desperately attempted to raise their weapons.

A mage hurriedly began chanting.

But—

Nothing happened.

Their bodies froze.

Not from fear.

But because the pressure surrounding them had physically locked them in place.

They wanted to attack but an invisible pressure made them unable to move.

Sweat dripped down their faces.

Veins bulged from their necks.

Some tried forcing mana through their bodies just to move a finger—

And failed.

The difference in power was simply too overwhelming.

Videl’s eyes widened slightly.

Even she could barely breathe properly under this pressure, yet somehow the force around her was noticeably lighter compared to the others.

As though the ancient being was deliberately protecting her.

The fourth hero was coiling them with his mana.

The mana surrounding the chamber became visible.

Dark crimson energy flowed around the fourth hero like an endless sea.

Ancient.

Violent.

Overwhelming.

The very air distorted around him.

Then—

He raised his hand enveloping all the knights in the vicinity with his mana.

The mercenaries panicked completely now.

”W-Wait!”

”Please—!”

”We were only following orders!”

One knight tried desperately crawling backward despite the crushing force pinning him down.

Another began crying.

But the fourth hero showed no reaction.

His expression remained cold.

Indifferent.

Like a king passing judgment upon insignificant insects.

Videl watched silently.

Her heart beat heavily inside her chest.

This power...

It was monstrous.

No—

Calling it monstrous almost felt disrespectful.

This was a level of existence beyond anything she had ever witnessed before.

Even Victor...

For the first time in a long while—

She wondered if even Victor could defeat someone like this.

Then once he was done he clicked his fingers and all of them disappeared

No screams.

No blood.

No explosions.

They simply vanished.

One moment dozens of armed men filled the ancient hall—

The next—

Nothing remained.

Only silence.

A terrifying silence.

Videl instinctively tightened her grip around Amura.

Even Amura herself looked shaken.

”What... did you do to them?” Videl finally asked carefully.

Her voice echoed softly through the massive hall.

The fourth hero glanced at her.

For a moment, his sharp eyes studied her expression.

Checking.

Judging.

Perhaps even searching for fear.

Then he calmly answered.

”I merely removed the noise.”

His tone was casual.

As though erasing dozens of armed men was no different from brushing dust off his shoulder.

Videl swallowed slightly.

This man...

He truly was terrifying.

Yet despite that—

She still did not sense evil from him.

Only exhaustion.

Loneliness.

And something buried extremely deep beneath everything else.

Regret.

The fourth Hero slowly turned away from the vanished soldiers and looked toward the ancient murals decorating the walls.

For a brief moment, silence filled the chamber once more.

Then—

He spoke quietly.

”You remind me too much of myself.”

The words were soft.

Almost distant.

Videl remained silent.

She did not know how to answer that.