Journey to Become the Zenith

The Guardians Who Refused to Retreat

Videl, who had been watching from the walls of Fantom City, could no longer endure the sight before her.

The battlefield had become a living nightmare.

The defenders who had stood proudly at dawn were now little more than scattered groups desperately struggling to survive. Smoke rolled across the ruined plain, mixing with dust, ash, and the metallic scent of blood. The relentless tide of undead advanced without pause, their hollow eyes burning with eerie green flames that pierced through the haze like countless ghostly lanterns.

Everywhere she looked, someone was giving everything they had.

Knights fought until their swords broke.

Adventurers continued swinging their weapons despite bodies covered in wounds.

Mages collapsed after exhausting every last drop of mana.

Still...

The undead continued marching.

Videl tightened her grip around her Long sword.

Her sapphire-blue eyes swept across the battlefield one last time before settling on the defenders below. She had remained on the wall because she understood her responsibility. The Elder Necromancer had not yet committed its strongest forces, and neither had the defenders. It had become a silent contest of patience.

But patience had reached its limit.

Another explosion erupted below as dozens of undead poured through a gap in the defenders’ formation.

A knight disappeared beneath a sea of skeletal warriors.

An adventurer’s desperate cry echoed through the battlefield before suddenly falling silent.

Videl’s expression hardened.

”...Enough.”

Without another word, she stepped onto the edge of the wall.

Behind her, Lane watched quietly.

Normally, she would have stopped Videl without hesitation.

She understood better than anyone how important Videl was to the city’s defense.

But today...

She couldn’t.

The battlefield had already reached the point where holding back their strongest fighters no longer made sense.

The situation was simply too dire.

Lane slowly exhaled.

”Come back alive.”

A faint smile appeared on Videl’s face.

”I’ll do more than that.”

The next instant...

She leaped.

The stone beneath her feet cracked from the force as her figure shot into the sky like a golden comet.

The defenders on the wall instinctively looked upward.

”Lady Videl!”

”She’s joining the battle!”

Hope flickered across countless exhausted faces.

Yet before Videl could even reach the battlefield—

A deafening roar echoed across the heavens.

The undead dragon that had remained motionless until now finally opened its massive jaws.

Its enormous skeletal wings spread wide, stirring violent gusts across the battlefield.

Green flames erupted inside its rib cage before gathering into an enormous sphere of corrupt mana.

The air itself seemed to freeze.

Even the clouds overhead twisted under the overwhelming concentration of death energy.

BOOM!

The dragon released the spell.

A gigantic beam of emerald fire tore through the sky, leaving a trail of distorted space behind it.

The attack descended toward Videl with terrifying speed.

She didn’t panic.

Her expression remained calm.

With practiced precision, she raised the Long sword before her.

The blade shimmered with radiant light.

The spirit sleeping within the weapon, Amura, quietly awakened.

”My lady...”

Her soft voice echoed within Videl’s mind.

”The impact will be tremendous.”

”I know.”

Videl answered calmly.

”Let’s receive it together.”

The emerald beam crashed into the Long sword.

A violent explosion shook the heavens.

Brilliant golden light collided against ghostly green flames.

For several heartbeats, the two powers struggled against one another.

The shockwave spread across the battlefield like a hurricane.

Dust exploded into the air.

The ground below split apart.

Even the undead army staggered beneath the overwhelming force.

The defenders instinctively shielded their eyes.

”What... power...”

One veteran knight whispered in disbelief.

Gradually...

The green flames weakened.

The Long sword absorbed the remaining energy, drawing the corrupt spell into the enchanted blade before purifying it with radiant light.

When the smoke finally dispersed...

Videl was still floating in the air.

Completely unharmed.

She slowly lowered her weapon.

”So that’s what you’ve been waiting for.”

High above, the undead dragon released another earth-shaking roar.

It had never intended to attack the city first.

It had been waiting.

Watching.

Judging the perfect moment to strike.

At nearly the same moment, Lane’s crimson eyes narrowed as understanding dawned upon her.

”So...”

”They were waiting too.”

She finally understood the enemy’s strategy.

The Elder Necromancer had deliberately restrained its undead dragons.

There had been no reason to risk them while Videl and Lane remained on the walls.

Only the undead dragons possessed enough strength to fight them directly.

Using them too early would only expose them unnecessarily.

It had become a silent game of restraint.

Each side waited for the other to make the first move.

Now...

That balance had finally been broken.

Lane looked toward the battlefield below, where countless defenders were still risking their lives every second.

There was no longer any reason to remain behind.

She smiled faintly.

”It seems it’s our turn.”

Without another word, Lane stepped from the city wall.

Her elegant figure descended gracefully before black mana erupted beneath her feet, launching her across the battlefield with astonishing speed.

The second undead dragon immediately reacted.

Its skeletal wings spread as it intercepted her path.

The dragon’s burning green eyes locked onto Lane.

Lane looked back without the slightest fear.

”So...”

”You’ll be my opponent.”

The dragon answered with a thunderous roar that shook the clouds.

Below them, everyone instinctively stopped fighting for a brief moment as four overwhelming presences filled the sky.

The defenders looked upward with hope.

The undead continued marching without emotion.

Far away, atop a mountain of bones, the Elder Necromancer silently watched the unfolding battle.

The final pieces had entered the board.

The true battle...

Was only beginning.

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Authors Notes: Dear Readers, Thanks so much for joining me on this adventure! Your enthusiasm, feedback, and encouragement really keep me motivated to keep bringing *Journey to Become the Zenith* into existence. If you’re loving the Chapters, I’d love it if you supported my book with a Powerstone, review, or even a Golden Ticket—it helps me develop as a writer and lets more readers enjoy the story. I look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts, so please don’t hesitate to share!

With love,

Scorpio_saturn777

Creator of Journey to Become the Zenith

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