Journey to Become the Zenith

The Smile Before the Darkness

The sky above Fantom City became the stage for a battle that surpassed human understanding.

The moment Videl and Lane drew the two undead dragons away from the city, the pressure crushing the defenders instantly eased. The dragons no longer cared about the countless soldiers below. Their blazing green eyes were fixed solely on the two women before them.

A deep, thunderous roar shook the heavens.

One undead dragon swept its enormous skeletal tail toward Videl with enough force to split a mountain.

Videl didn’t retreat.

She stepped forward in midair.

Her Long sword traced a brilliant arc of golden light.

CLANG!

The collision echoed across the battlefield like a ringing bell.

A shockwave erupted in every direction, scattering dark clouds and sending violent winds sweeping across the plains.

Far below, both humans and undead alike were thrown off their feet.

The sheer force of their clash reminded everyone watching that this was a battle on an entirely different level.

The dragon’s enormous body slid backward through the sky.

Videl didn’t give it a chance to recover.

She shot forward like a streak of light, her blade flashing repeatedly.

Each strike landed against ancient bone, sending showers of glowing fragments raining toward the battlefield below.

The undead dragon answered with claws, fangs, and torrents of corrupt mana.

Green flames and golden light collided again and again, painting the heavens with violent bursts of color.

Not far away, Lane faced the second dragon alone.

Unlike Videl’s direct style, Lane moved with graceful precision.

She slipped between sweeping claws by the narrowest margin.

Every movement was calm.

Every step deliberate.

A massive claw descended.

Lane twisted her body, narrowly avoiding it before driving her weapon into the dragon’s foreleg.

The dragon roared in fury.

Its skeletal wings beat violently, releasing countless blades of compressed wind mixed with corrupt mana.

Lane crossed her arms before her body as dark energy gathered around her.

The attacks exploded around her like a storm, yet she continued advancing through the barrage.

”...You’re slower than I expected.”

The dragon answered with another furious roar.

Its jaws opened.

A sphere of eerie green fire rapidly formed deep within its throat.

Lane’s expression became serious.

”So that’s your answer.”

Before the dragon could release the attack, she accelerated.

Her figure vanished.

A heartbeat later—

BOOM!

The dragon’s breath exploded harmlessly into the empty sky while Lane appeared above its skull.

She drove her weapon downward.

CRACK!

Several massive bones split apart, forcing the dragon to spiral uncontrollably before regaining its balance.

Neither side gained a decisive advantage.

The four combatants continued drawing farther and farther away from Fantom City.

Each collision sent tremors across the land.

Each explosion shook the battlefield below.

To the soldiers fighting beneath them, it felt as though the heavens themselves were at war.

...

Far below, Clara looked toward the distant flashes of bright light illuminating the dark sky.

Before the dragon could release the attack, she accelerated.

Even from this distance, she could feel the overwhelming mana erupting with every clash.

A faint smile slowly appeared on her exhausted face.

”The first time I met those two...”

She laughed weakly despite the blood staining her lips.

”I honestly thought they were nothing but trouble.”

Back then, both Videl and Lane had caused endless headaches inside the Adventurers’ Guild.

Arguments.

Property damage.

Extra paperwork.

Every encounter had somehow doubled Clara’s workload.

She had been convinced they would become her greatest nuisance.

Yet fate had a strange sense of humor.

Now...

Those same two people were risking their lives for everyone inside Fantom City.

Including...

Her family.

Kary.

Livia.

Their mother.

Every frightened child hiding beneath the city.

Every wounded soldier still breathing.

Clara closed her eyes for only a moment.

”Please...”

Her whisper disappeared into the wind.

”Protect them.”

She trusted them.

Completely.

There was no room left for doubt.

Not anymore.

Her smile lingered for another heartbeat before reality dragged her back into the battlefield.

A skeletal warrior lunged toward her.

She instinctively parried its blade before crushing its ribs with her mace.

Another rushed in.

She cut it down.

Then another.

And another.

Her body continued moving even though every muscle begged her to stop.

Suddenly—

A faint ripple of mana spread behind her.

Too late.

An undead mage had quietly completed its spell.

A blazing fireball shot through the smoke.

Clara sensed the danger only an instant before impact.

She tried to turn—

BOOM!

The fireball exploded against her back.

Although it was only a low-level spell, her mana had already been exhausted.

Her shattered armor could no longer protect her.

Flames scorched her back.

Pain tore through her body.

”Agh...!”

She stumbled several steps forward before collapsing onto one knee.

The burning sensation spread across her skin.

Before she could recover—

An undead warrior charged from her blind side.

Its rusted sword pierced straight through her right leg.

SHHK!

The blade buried itself deep into flesh.

Clara’s entire body trembled.

Her vision blurred from the sudden agony.

Even so...

She refused to scream.

Instead, she clenched her teeth until blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

With every ounce of strength she had left—

She swung her mace.

CRACK!

The undead warrior’s skull shattered instantly.

Its body collapsed lifelessly beside her.

But victory brought no relief.

When Clara tried to stand...

Her right leg refused to obey.

Blood flowed freely from the wound, soaking the earth beneath her.

She could no longer move.

The mages atop Fantom City’s walls noticed her desperate situation.

”Support Captain Clara!”

Several magic circles lit up simultaneously.

Streams of fire, wind, and holy light rained toward the undead surrounding her, buying her a few precious moments.

But everyone understood the truth.

Without the ability to move...

She had become an easy target.

A sitting duck.

The undead slowly closed in once more, their hollow eyes burning with eerie green flames as they surrounded the wounded guild captain from every direction.