The Hero's Rise

As Edward watched the blazing lion fade into the bright sky, he felt a hot spark in his heart.

He placed a hand on his chest, then looked lower to see Princess Colette, who glowed with flames of pride and authority. Her hair waved as the air blew around her, stirred by her own power.

He had never seen anyone so magnificent, as this Star Maiden in front of him.

‘...This is what a real hero is like.’ He thought with shimmering eyes.

He was snapped out of it by the scream of Nocturne, who had doubled over and dropped his weapon. He clutched his chest and shook his head, and the red glow in his eyes flickered. Then, to everyone’s surprise, another voice spoke out in desperation as her eyes turned back to pure silver.

“C-Col!”

“Hel!” Colette exclaimed with concern. “I’m right here, just keep fighting!”

Princess Helena nodded. “I-I’ll try, but…he’s so str-Ah!”

Her eyes flashed red as Nocturne regained control, and he sneered at the trio.

“You bitch…” He grumbled as he raised a hand. “I have no choice but to leave. I’ll leave you a little parting gift!”

He looked back at Fafnir, and his hand emitted black magic. The air rumbled as the dragon roared with rage, its body now flaring with the same dark energy.

Then with a sweep of his hand, the evil god disappeared into a portal, leaving the party to face a feral dragon as it breathed lightning at them.

“Damn you, Nocturne!” Colette bellowed as she cast Faith’s Shield.

While the lightning slammed into and surged around the holy barrier, Edward grimaced as looked at the enraged dragon beyond, then glanced at Lilian

“You fought that before, right?” He questioned. “How do we beat it?”

She looked up thoughtfully. “The Lord’s scales are tougher than steel, though it’s easier to damage them with magic. I might be able to break its defenses with a spell, but I need time to charge it. And we need to keep Fafnir on the ground.”

Colette grinned brazenly. “Then I’ll clip its wings! Sir Edward, stand guard over her until the opening is made!”

The fledgling Hero hesitated, then nodded. “Okay, leave it to me!”

The second the dragon’s electricity faded, Colette let down her barrier and charged toward it. At the same time, Lilian shouldered her bow, then closed her eyes and clasped her hands together. An icy-blue magic circle appeared at her feet, and gradually expanded as she started to channel her power.

Edward stood in front of her in a defensive stance, and glanced back with a determined expression as he made a resolution in his mind.

‘They all protected me…and she pushed herself harder than anyone else. I will not let their sacrifices be in vain!’

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Meanwhile, Fafnir roared and swung a huge paw at Colette as she approached. She rolled under it, and there was a ‘snip’ as sharp claws cut a few strands of her hair.

While she got back on her feet, the dragon opened its jaws and snapped at her. She quickly raised a hand and cast a barrier around herself, and its teeth clanged against it.

However, the dragon didn’t stop there. It growled with anger as it began to charge electricity in its maw, though Colette just smirked at it.

“You’re just a big dumb brute, aren’t ya?” She remarked.

She dismissed the barrier and dashed off, just before lightning was blasted on her. Dirt scattered all over as a crater was formed in the ground.

With the dragon’s neck in a low position, she jumped and grabbed on, then vaulted off to land on its spike-studded spine.

She looked at one of the dragon’s huge wings and readied her sword. But just as she was about to jump, Fafnir roared and reared back, and she had to brace herself on a spike to avoid falling.

The dragon then flapped its wings with enough strength to create gusts of air, and ascended to the blue sky. Colette grit her teeth as she struggled to hold tight, as it then looped and rolled around in an attempt to throw her off.

In the middle of a flip, her sword slipped out of her hand, which made her gasp in surprise.

“Crap!” She exclaimed as she reached out.

Her fingers narrowly missed her blade, and she watched with a scowl as it dropped to the ground below.

Fafnir then let out a triumphant bellow and beat its wings, going even higher to the point where the people below were like ants to Colette’s eyes.

She was then tossed up with another barrel roll, and after a moment of midair suspension she began to plummet with a brief scream.

She didn’t see the earth below for long, as the dragon darted past and began to rise at her. Its mouth opened with a roar, and her life flashed before her eyes. From her childhood with her father and great-grandmothers, to being trained in swordplay as a teenager by Captain Charles.

All led up to this moment…to fight the Lord of Nevermore itself.

‘Such a fearsome creature…’ She thought with widening eyes.

She heard Edward and Lilian scream her name, and the fire in her heart burned intensely. She growled with a valiant anger, and her aura flared red hot like the sun. Her muscles flexed tight as she threw a fist forward.

“LION OF DAWN!” She roared furiously.

Just before Fafnir’s jaws closed on the blazing princess, it was tackled away by her magic lion projection. With her floating in its body, it wrestled with the snarling and snapping dragon as they tumbled down, until they eventually crashed with enough force to break the ground.

Her lion faded, and she stood on the dragon’s side with a weary huff. It was shaking and growling in pain and rage, as its wings were now shredded and bloodied. Its obsidian scales were also cracked, though they were quickly mending themselves.

“You’re wide open now.” She said with a satisfied grin.

She jumped off and found her sword stuck in the ground. After picking it up, she looked towards Edward and Lilian.

Above the fae, ice crystals were merging in the form of a spear, cold and sharp. It was almost done…the time was now.

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Edward stood with his jaw open in amazement, having seen Colette pin down Fafnir by herself.

‘She’s…beyond any human.’ He thought with admiration. ‘Could I…be like that, one day?’

He blinked and shook his head as her voice brought him to attention.

“Sir Edward, get ready!”

He glanced back at Lilian, who gave him a determined smile and nodded. With the assurance that she would be fine, he started to run towards Colette.

However, he stopped only a few steps forward, as Fafnir let out an enraged roar and rolled onto its paws, and Colette scrambled to avoid getting crushed.

“Dammit, it’s still moving!” She said in surprise. “Watch out!”

The grounded dragon charged in the other two’s direction. Edward stepped back warily, then glanced at an equally worried Lilian.

“I’m so close…” She murmured. “Just a little more, but…”

“Then I’ll protect you!” Edward declared with a surge of courage. “Just stay focused!”

He dashed forward, straight towards the dragon. He scowled at himself, knowing how foolish it was for him to throw himself headfirst into certain death.

And yet, his heart was burning, screaming for him to at least try.

‘If I’m going to be a hero…If I am to save this world…’ He thought with desperation. ‘Then…I have to summon whatever bravery I have left!’

As he and the dragon got closer to each other, he crouched low and readied his sword. He focused on his target, ignoring the concerned yells of his comrades.

He gasped as he felt a pair of warm hands on his body, and they guided him to a more stable stance. The World Sword shined bright, and he felt divine magic course through its blade and elongate it.

‘Our hopes are with you, so go forth!’ Jenette said fiercely in his head. ‘By the name of Jenette de Leone, I grant you my strength! Shining…’

“SLASH!” Edward cried out with her in unison.

Fafnir snarled as it lunged for him, and he jumped aside to avoid its claws. Then on the landing, he turned with a heavy swing of his sword.

Specks of blood and rays of light flew as his magic-fueled blade sliced through the scales, and dealt a sizable cut on the dragon’s paw. It roared in painful rage as it reared back and stumbled from side to side, while Edward fell on his side with a tired gasp.

A few seconds after, ice-cold energy burst as Lilian’s magic was fully charged, and she called out in a warning tone.

“Sir Edward, stay down! FROSTBITE SPEAR!”

With a thrust of her hand, the spear was launched straight toward Fafnir while it was still in a stupor. The point embedded itself in its chest, and its roars were quickly silenced as ice crystals sprouted all over its body, completely encasing it.

They then shattered after a handful of seconds, taking the scales with them. The dragon collapsed and heaved for breath, now completely defenseless.

For a small moment, Edward was stunned by the sight, but was quickly snapped out of it when Colette stepped up to offer him a hand.

“Let’s put it out of its misery, together.” She suggested with a smirk.

He nodded with a serious frown as he took her hand. Once he was on his feet, she held her sword to him, and he gripped it tight.

“Combine your power with mine!” She said with more authority. “Concentrate, and stay in sync with me!”

The long blade of her sword flared as she charge magic into it, and Edward took a small breath before focusing on it.

He felt that gentle warmth of divine power coursing through his body, straight from his heart. He felt it connect with the almost burning hot energy that was Princess Colette’s, and entwine as one single mass.

Her sword shined brighter than ever before as their combined magic erupted into an even bigger blade, and Edward’s nearly buckled from the sheer intensity of this power.

“By the names of my ancestors, Jenette and Anastasia,” Colette declared. “we shall bring light to these dark times! As Solaris’s Star Maiden, I will save my world from the mad god!”

Edward grit his teeth and straightened up. “And I…as the Hero of Worlds…will see this through to the end!”

With a shared nod of resolution, they turned their eyes to the dragon, which was struggling to stand. It gazed at them in a manner that was almost accepting…like it was relieved.

Together, the Star Maiden and the Hero of Worlds yelled at the top of their lungs and swung down their sword of searing holy magic.

“HOLY SWORD!”

From where they struck, a giant column of light shot into the sky.

To those watching the fight, it was a true beacon of hope for their weary and broken hearts. Some soldiers wiped tears from their eyes, while others laid down with sighs of relief.

Others managed to stand and cheer, and even embrace each other. Meanwhile, the fae medics smiled softly and focused even more on their patients.

Even those in the town far behind could see that ray of light, as they had the fiery lion who brought the sun. From anxious husbands and wives, to frightened childrened, all cheered with happiness and relief as they knew they were safe.

The Lord of Nevermore had been vanquished, and the Hero of Worlds had awakened to his heroic spirit, alongside the Star Maiden whose fire now burned with no end.