Journey to Become the Zenith

The Chains of Destiny [Part 2]

”Now that you are informed about the different kinds of heroes, that I know of, let me tell you about-” Before Niklaus could continue talking, Videl raised her arm and gestured for Niklaus to stop.

The quiet room had become strangely oppressive.

Only moments ago, Videl had been sitting there listening carefully, trying to absorb the enormous amount of knowledge Niklaus had placed before her. The words had seemed distant at first—interesting, perhaps even unbelievable.

But then Niklau s had spoken about Natural Heroes.

About destiny.

About control.

And suddenly, the room no longer felt warm.

Videl’s fingers slowly curled against her palm.

Her blue sapphire eyes, which had been focused on Niklaus with curiosity, trembled slightly.

Something inside her had begun to crack.

”Wait a minute!”

Her voice came out sharper than she intended.

Niklaus stopped.

Videl’s breathing became uneven.

”You’re telling me that I’m being controlled?! You’re telling me none of the things that made me, me, are mine, to begin with?!”

The words echoed through the chamber.

For a moment, nobody moved.

Videl’s chest rose and fell rapidly beneath her white shirt. Her long blonde hair shifted around her shoulders as an unstable wave of mana suddenly erupted from her body.

The air itself trembled.

A low vibration spread across the room.

Gold-colored mana surged outward in uneven waves, disturbing the dust resting on the ancient stone floor. Several of the priceless artifacts surrounding them rattled inside their displays, their surfaces humming faintly beneath the pressure.

Videl stared at her own hands.

They were shaking.

”No...”

Her voice became quieter.

The memories came rushing back.

The battles.

The people she had saved.

The moments when she had chosen to step forward.

The times she had decided that becoming stronger was necessary.

The anger she had felt toward injustice.

The desire to protect innocent people.

The countless times she had risked herself because something inside her had told her that she couldn’t simply stand aside.

Were those really her decisions?

Or had she merely been following a path that had already been written?

Her heart tightened painfully.

Then another thought struck her.

Victor.

Her childhood sweetheart.

The person she loved.

The person she had chosen to stay beside.

Was even that feeling hers?

The thought frightened her more than anything else.

”No...”

Videl clenched her teeth. ℯ

She didn’t want to accept it.

She couldn’t.

Her mana continued pouring from her body.

Amura immediately stepped forward.

”Videl!”

The spirit of the Long sword reached toward her master, but the instant she entered the turbulent field of mana, an invisible force pushed her backward.

Amura’s silver robe fluttered violently.

She gritted her teeth and planted her feet against the floor.

Rika moved from the opposite side.

”Videl, calm down!”

The spirit of the short-knife-looking sword tried to approach as well, but the violent mana surrounding Videl forced her back.

Neither spirit could get close enough.

Videl didn’t even seem to notice them anymore.

Her sapphire eyes were wide, unfocused.

Her thoughts were becoming tangled.

Every answer created another question.

Every memory became something she could no longer trust.

If destiny had guided her from birth...

Then where did Videl begin?

And where did the path chosen for her end?

The mana around her suddenly surged again.

A sharp gust swept through the chamber.

Amura shielded her face with one arm.

Rika’s black hair whipped behind her.

The pressure continued increasing.

Watching what was happening to Videl made Niklaus sigh.

He had expected Videl to have better mental resistance than that.

Especially knowing that Victor was with her.

Still, Niklaus couldn’t entirely blame her.

He remembered the first time he had begun to understand the truth.

He remembered that sensation.

The terrible moment when the foundation beneath his beliefs had been pulled away.

The feeling of discovering that the person you thought you were might not be entirely your own creation.

It was not something anyone accepted easily.

’Well, I guess there were some unrealistic expectations from me since she was trained by that guy.’

Niklaus’s crimson-golden eyes remained fixed on Videl.

There was a faint trace of surprise in them.

Victor had always possessed an unusual way of training people.

He demanded discipline.

He forced those around him to confront themselves.

And somehow, Videl had grown far stronger than someone at her current stage should have been.

Niklaus narrowed his eyes slightly.

’Hmmm, still this level of power pouring out of her is incredible for a beginner hero.’

The pressure continued to spread through the room.

Ancient treasures trembled.

The stone beneath Videl’s boots cracked faintly.

Niklaus’s expression became thoughtful.

’As expected of Anos training a hero to this degree in such a short time.’

There was almost admiration in his thoughts.

Anos had always been exceptional.

Even among those who had walked the path of heroes, his methods had been abnormal.

Niklaus had seen many talented people throughout his long existence.

Yet Anos had possessed a frightening ability to bring out potential in others.

And now, looking at Videl’s uncontrolled mana, Niklaus was once again reminded of that fact.

Videl’s breathing became harsher.

Her hands trembled.

She didn’t know what to believe anymore.

”Then...”

Her voice barely escaped her lips.

”If everything was decided already...”

The words were swallowed by another surge of mana.

Amura and Rika struggled against the pressure.

They were both weapon spirits, powerful beings in their own right, but their master’s emotional instability was making her mana chaotic.

”Videl!”

Amura called out again.

”Listen to us!”

Rika stepped forward despite the force pushing against her.

”Don’t let those words control you!”

But Videl couldn’t hear them properly.

The voices reached her as though coming from the bottom of a deep lake.

Her mind remained trapped inside itself.

She remembered every time she had wanted to become stronger.

Every time she had thought she needed to save someone.

Every time she had believed that she was doing what was right.