A roaring human tide awaited our young heroes as they returned to the city. Cheers, shouts, and whistles rose from every direction the citizens swept up in fervor and euphoria. Their welcome matched the vast hope these heroes had come to represent.
As they crossed the city gates, an immense crowd awaited with palpable zeal. The streets rang with fiery acclamation, cries of joy, and whistles of admiration. Swept up in contagious euphoria, the citizens expressed their gratitude with overflowing intensity. Every look, every gesture brimmed with thanks and admiration a testament to the immense hope these youths embodied for the entire city.
"Glory to the heroes!"
"Glory to Sigma!"
"We no longer need fear monsters and dungeons!"
The people were overcome with a profound relief at the birth of a new force meant to shield them from the world's perils. After so many incidents and trials, this emergence was seen as a fresh hope promising that many of their long-standing troubles might finally find solutions. The air itself seemed charged with renewed optimism, buoyed by the certainty that these young heroes were more than mere protectors: they embodied renewal, the settling of old challenges, and the advent of a safer, brighter future for all.
They made a full circuit of the city in a victory parade, to the delighted cries of an excited, joyful crowd. Our heroes couldn't help but smile at such attention. Yet two figures stood apart in their reserve: Emma and Maïli.
Emma, timid and easily unnerved by nature, felt somewhat uncomfortable amid the jubilant throng. Grateful for the ovation though she was, she preferred to remain in the background, choosing quiet over the celebration's bustle. Maïli, for her part, wore only the faintest of smiles she did not seem thrilled at all.
After a jubilant tour through the streets, they finally turned toward the castle, still acclaimed by the citizens. Upon arrival, they were greeted by the king and his family, as well as Moïse and Zem.
"I'm glad to see you safe and sound, Lady Maïli," Raphaël couldn't help but say.
Maïli caught Sarah's gaze already fixed on her then answered the prince without even looking at him.
"Thank you for worrying about us."
The king then stepped forward, shaking Shawn's hand with evident pleasure.
"So how did your first mission go?"
Shawn glanced at Maïli before replying:
"Well, it went perfectly."
"Oh? Then I look forward to hearing all about it at the banquet."
"At the banquet?" Shawn asked, surprised.
"Yes. It's important to celebrate our heroes' first victory. My entire court will attend, as well as members of the Church."
"Oh, that sounds wonderful," Shawn replied with a smile.
"Good then we shall see you this evening. I'll let you go and rest now," said the king, escorting them down the castle corridors.
The heroes then shed their gear and took a long bath to wash their bodies and minds clean after the mission. They all sighed with relief as the grime and sweat of battle were rinsed away.
Yet while they enjoyed a well-deserved rest, someone slipped away to train once more. A sphere of water, hurled at extraordinary speed, split the air only to be cleaved in two by Maïli's blade. The fluid, precise strike spoke to her agility and impressive control. A determined light burned in Maïli's eyes, sending a clear message to her opponent:
"Take this a bit more seriously, Zem," Maïli said, annoyed.
"I was planning to go easy on you after today's mission," he replied with a smile, as blades of water materialized behind him.
In response, swirling blades of wind formed behind her, ready to answer in kind. A quick exchange of looks preceded the inevitable clash as their volleys of blades collided in an explosive burst of energy.
Unfortunately for her, the wind blades she had summoned didn't last long against Zem's. Rather than be discouraged by the setback, she reacted at once.
Charging forward with resolve, weaving through the attacks, she launched two powerful wind slashes at Zem. He met them with impressive strength shattering both with his bare hands, as if it were a simple, trivial task.
"Monster!" Maïli swore.
"I'm perfectly human it's you who's too weak. Still, you're improving day by day it's impressive. And my brother's sword suits you," he said cheerfully.
"It has to. The stronger you are, the freer you become from what others try to impose."
"True—and your group has the same mindset. They joined the Royal Knights not long ago, and they're training just as hard as you," he said, sending an attack that Maïli blocked by a hair's breadth.
"And the others?" she asked, counterattacking.
"They'll join the Adventurers' Guild as planned. As for the non-combatants like Dan and Max the Blacksmiths' Guild and the Alchemists' Guild," he answered with a smile.
"I see… Don't worry, I've told everyone what they need to know. The rest is up to them."
"I still worry about them."
"You worry when they're far stronger than Logan the one the king expelled on the very first day?"
"Logan is different. He'll do just fine on his own."
"I would've liked to meet him."
"Enough talk try stopping this, mentor!"
In a blinding flash, a tornado of wind filled with razor-sharp blades formed, ready to devour everything in its path.
"Oh, going all out already but it won't be enough…"
Before he could finish the sentence, a second tornado took shape this time forged of swirling flames, incandescent blades whirling within. The sudden surge in elemental force even seemed to surprise Zem; searing heat and blazing edges filled the air with a dazzling, dangerously vibrant tension.
"Poor Shawn he never stood a chance," Zem snickered.
"So you've already heard," Maïli laughed.
"The soldiers who were with you told us everything."
"And the king's reaction?"
"He seemed mildly displeased that his 'hero' was weaker than you but he won't do anything."
"He should have trained his hero instead of letting him strut around without knowing his place."
"Agreed. The moment I saw him, I knew he lacked both heart and work ethic."
A powerful surge of mana burst from Zem, sending a shiver down Maïli's spine. With an expert sweep of his blade, he sliced the air with deadly precision, calling forth a massive wave of water from nowhere. The brutal force of the attack was undeniable the very foundations of the training ground seemed to tremble.
"Tsunami Blade!"
The devastating torrent annihilated both tornadoes, sweeping them away like twigs in an unforgiving current. When the onslaught ended, the field showed only her still standing, gripping her shield as a final bulwark before she finally collapsed, drained by the attack's intensity.
"Oh, you would've died from that not long ago," he applauded.
"Don't mock me, you beast. I know you were only using five percent of your strength," Maïli shot back with a smile.
"That obvious, was it?" he chuckled.
"Bastard," Maïli laughed, exhausted.
Zem stepped in, offering his hand to help her up as she stood there soaked to the bone. After rising with Zem's help, Maïli brushed a few droplets from her face and clothes, and the two resumed their conversation.
"I heard we'll be meeting with the Guild Master of Sigma."
"Indeed you'll all be invited. I'll be there with the king, his advisor, and the royal family."
"It's about the recent events I've heard the servants talking."
"There were attacks on multiple villages with many dead and the triple incident: the mine, the Alchemists' Guild, and finally the beast palace."
"A triple incident in a single night."
"I was there," Zem said, his gaze turning admiring. "I saw the man behind it. In truth, he freed the slaves from the mines, from the Alchemists' cruel experiments, and from the wretched life of sexual slavery in the palace. Even behind a mask, I saw his eyes red, piercing eyes, filled with someone's thirst for justice."
"Red eyes, you say," Maïli murmured, a particular face coming to mind.
"You seem to have someone in mind?"
"Yes."
"Then we'll have more information in two days."
---
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