Heroes of the Holy War

"HA?! NO?!" Akira shouted in surprise, almost dropping the ring from his hand. Aki, taking the ring from him and examining it closely, said calmly, though with a slight blush on her face:

"It's not an engagement ring."

Hearing those words, Akira collapsed to the floor like a punctured balloon, pale and stunned.

"If I buy another one... will you say yes?" he asked almost in a whisper, barely staying conscious.

Aki, placing the ring on the cabinet next to her, replied, averting her gaze and gently clenching her hands:

"Yes."

Meanwhile, Aria and Gamble entered Gamble's room, closing the door behind them. Gamble took off his coat, tossing it onto a nearby chair, and looked at Aria with a serious expression.

"Have you ever done something that seemed good, but then... it turned out to cause harm?" he asked unexpectedly, breaking the silence.

Aria looked at him, surprised by the tone of his voice, but before she could answer, Gamble sat on the bed and hung his head.

"I... I put on that stupid mask!" he exclaimed, grabbing his head. His voice trembled, and tears began to stream down his cheeks.

Aria stepped closer and sat beside him.

"You always think everything is your fault..." she began quietly, but Gamble interrupted her, grabbing her hands. His gaze was filled with fear, yet also determination.

"If I start behaving like I did then... if I lose control again... do whatever it takes to kill me."

Aria froze, her breathing quickening. For a moment, she looked at him in silence, trying to find the right words, but all she could manage was a quiet, trembling, "But..."

Gamble didn't take his eyes off her. Finally, Aria nodded, though it was clear she wasn't confident in her decision. Gamble sighed with relief, as if the weight of the world had momentarily lifted from his shoulders. He was about to lie down when he heard her voice.

"But... when that time comes, I want to ask you something first."

Gamble looked at her with curiosity, though a shadow of unease remained in his eyes.

"Have you... have you ever had a crush on me?" she asked softly, averting her gaze, a faint blush appearing on her face.

Gamble, blushing all the way to the tips of his ears, quickly turned on the bed, pretending to sleep.

"Akira told me... Not that I'm expecting anything, but..." she began, but her voice faltered when Gamble suddenly turned back and exclaimed:

"Y-yes! I fell in love with you the first moment you came to the capital for the summer!"

Aria held her breath, trying to say something, but suddenly there was a noise from behind the door. Moments later, Akira burst into the room, breaking the door with a bang.

"CAN YOU KEEP IT DOWN?! I'M TRYING TO PROPOSE IN PEACE!" he shouted, and Gamble, hearing him, couldn't hold back.

"OH YEAH? WELL, THERE'S TWO OF US HERE!" Gamble shouted back, standing up.

Moments later, the two of them charged at each other, starting to scuffle on the floor. Aki entered the room, quickly assessing the situation. Without a word, she grabbed Aria by the hand, led her out into the hallway, and then, as if nothing had happened, put the door back in its frame.

"Alright, now it's peaceful," she said, sighing heavily.

Aria, holding her forehead, muttered under her breath:

"Why did I fall in love with such an idiot?"

Aki looked at her with a slight smile.

"I had the exact same reaction."

When emotions between Akira and Gamble finally settled, their fierce fight transformed into quiet understanding. Queen Anna, aware of the ticking clock, called a council of the weapon heroes to discuss the details of the impending war.

As Akira and Gamble arrived in the throne room, they saw a round table where Seraphina and Elara were already seated. The atmosphere was tense, and the silence was broken only by the faint creaking of wooden chairs as the queen unfolded a map.

"Alright, let's begin," Anna said, her voice serious, almost stern. "We have more precise information about the enemy's arrival. Their target is the Root of the Source Tree, the foundation of our reality."

Elara frowned, her voice filled with skepticism:

"How do you know where and when they'll strike?"

Without hesitation, Anna reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, shimmering diamond.

"This mineral comes from the heavens," she explained. "It reacts to mana portals. If one opens, it starts to emit light. Our archmages monitor this energy constantly."

As she was putting the diamond away and about to continue, Darion burst into the room, kneeling before the queen.

"With utmost respect, I report the arrival of two guests from the north," he announced, his voice full of tension.

Anna sighed, trying to hide her irritation.

"Take them to their rooms. I'll come when we're done here."

Once Darion left, the queen looked at the heroes:

"I want you to lead four divisions: defenders, archers, suppliers, and vanguards."

Akira raised an eyebrow, visibly annoyed.

"Excuse me, but I don't intend to command anyone."

Anna froze, surprised by his defiance, but before she could say anything, Gamble interjected:

"If we're busy giving orders, we won't be able to focus on the arriving god and angel."

The queen nodded, thoughtful, her gaze fixed on the map.

"Then what do you propose?" she asked.

"Let Akira and Gamble operate independently," Seraphina suggested. "We'll handle the defense while they devise a surprise attack plan."

Elara crossed her arms, clearly unconvinced.

"And what if they attack us at full strength right away?" she asked.

Gamble looked at the map, activating his Seraume. His eyes scanned the details until he finally spoke:

"If their target is the Root, that's where we need to act."

A heavy silence fell.

"The Core Tree holds immense life energy," Akira added. "We could use its wood to create special arrows or spread a protective barrier."

Anna shook her head, smiling wryly.

"If that were possible, I would've thought of it myself. The tree is untouchable for mortals. One touch binds you to it, and if you let go... you'll age 500 years instantly."

Silence filled the room as Gamble nervously stared at his shadow. Suddenly, he felt it move on its own, as if alive.

"You know... I have an idea. Care to listen?" the shadow said with a quiet, mocking laugh.

Gamble turned pale, his heart pounding wildly, but he answered:

"I'm listening."

The shadow chuckled, its voice vibrating in Gamble's head:

"The tree protects your reality. But there are ways to obtain a fragment... Guess for yourself. I won't make it easy."

When the shadow disappeared, Gamble fell to his knees, breathing heavily. Akira tried to approach, but Gamble pushed him away.

"I know how to get the wood," he whispered.

Hope ignited in the room as Gamble marked a nearby village on the map with his blood.

"We need two artifacts: the Earrings of Tomorrow and the Ring of Yesterday. Wearing them will make me a half-existing mortal, allowing me to touch the tree."

Elara looked at him in fear.

"But you'll be half-dead..."

A heavy silence followed, broken by Akira:

"What if a young elf tries? How long do pureblood elves live?"

"700 years is the minimum lifespan," Seraphina replied. Her eyes suddenly lit up with realization. "Wait, this might work!"

Their conversation was interrupted by Kazoto, who burst into the room with terror in his eyes.

"Trouble! Akira, quickly!" he shouted before disappearing through the door.

Akira rushed after him and found Kaen pinned to the ceiling with a sword. Blood dripped onto the floor, igniting a surge of fury within him.

"He brought it on himself," said a boy holding the sword, standing in the shadows.

Akira stared at him in disbelief.

"Who are you? What do you want?" he asked, trying to suppress his anger as he pulled Kaen down from the ceiling and healed his wounds.

The boy, introducing himself as Raiden Arashi, smirked mockingly.

"And you, old man?"

Passing Kaen to Elara, Akira replied, "Akira Izumi." Summoning his sword, he added, "Sword Hero."

"Sword Hero? You don't look it. Maybe more like a weakling who crawled out of the sewers," Raiden sneered.

Akira sighed, clearly displeased, but removed his coat, revealing his toned muscles.

"I was hoping to avoid this," he said, laying his coat on the ground. "But since you insist, I'll show you why they call me the Sword Hero."

Raiden struck first with a swift slash—Polished Flash, the first technique of the Azure Flash. He was certain Akira wouldn't be able to dodge.

"Don't disgrace the Sword Heroes," Raiden said, turning triumphantly.

But Akira stood behind him, holding the blade of his sword.

"Too slow," he whispered before driving Raiden into the wall, sending him crashing through three rooms.

Raiden, freeing himself from the rubble, shook the dust from his long, dark hair and glanced at the broken sword lying beside him. Reaching for it, his arm refused to move. He frowned, and with a determined expression, grabbed a sharp shard of stone and sliced his own palm. Blood dripped to the ground as he ignored the pain and recited a mysterious incantation:

"Spirits of creation, conduits of power... The child of prophecy asks for your blessing to heal wounds earned in battle."

As he finished, his hand began to heal. Slowly, he stood up, clutching the broken sword, and pointed it at Akira.

"I underestimated you, but in my eyes, you're no Sword Hero!" he shouted. "You used your hand to attack!"

Akira, visibly confused, smirked mockingly.

"If I'd used my sword, I would've killed you."

Raiden ignored his words, gritting his teeth as his body began to glow with polished energy. He launched a renewed attack, faster than before. But Akira grabbed him by the collar, flipping him over his shoulder and slamming him to the ground. The crack of Raiden's bones echoed through the room, and pain was written all over his face.

Raiden hissed, starting his healing incantation again, but this time Akira grabbed his leg, lifted him overhead, and hurled him down the corridor. Raiden crashed into a stone wall and landed before Queen Anna and the other heroes.

"Even the strongest can be provoked by children..." Queen Anna sighed, her tone a mix of disappointment and irony.

Raiden, barely standing, collapsed shortly after, hearing a mocking voice. A fox-like girl with several swishing tails grinned mischievously.

"Really, Raiden? You were supposed to wait for me! I love fighting too!" she teased, her words dripping with exaggerated sweetness.

Raiden groaned in irritation. "Sorry, it's my fault..." he muttered as Kazoto stepped forward, bowing apologetically to the queen and the heroes.

"Please, forget this incident!" Kazoto pleaded.

Akira, looking at Kazoto with mild pity, grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him upright. "Who is this?"

Kazoto, clearly unhappy, muttered under his breath, "My brother, the one I told you about."

Akira turned to Raiden and noticed something peculiar.

"Raigan... Why didn't you use it?" he asked curiously, as if the earlier conflict had been forgotten.

Raiden averted his gaze, standing up slowly.

"Why should I tell you?" he retorted coldly, walking toward the corridor.

Queen Anna stopped him before he left. "You came to deliver a letter?"

Raiden extended his hand toward the fox girl. "Give it to me."

She grinned smugly. "What do you say?"

Raiden, visibly annoyed, retrieved the letter himself from her clothing.

"Pfft, I was going to give it to you anyway!" she said with feigned indignation, heading toward the guest quarters.

Raiden turned to the heroes and said, "We'll join you for the war. I look forward to fruitful cooperation." He gave a slight bow and followed the fox girl.

"I have a strange feeling she reminds me of Kaen..." Gamble murmured to Akira.

"What, Kaen looks like a girl now?" Akira replied, glancing at Kaen with a faint smirk.

Gamble facepalmed and walked away, leaving them to their banter.

Meanwhile, the heroes resumed their meeting. The plan was set:

Akira and Gamble would set out to find a pureblooded elf to retrieve a piece of wood from the Root Tree. Mission duration: three weeks.

Elara and Seraphina would train warriors and establish camps.

Kaen, Kazoto, and Elarina would assist in Zan's forge.

Kaido and Hana would support Akira and Gamble.

Six weeks remained until the arrival of the god...

In the celestial heights,

the goddess of war, Zephyra, led her council. Her cold, beautiful voice filled the chamber.

"The portal to the mortal realm will open in seven weeks," one of her advisors announced hurriedly, bowing low.

Zephyra tightened her grip on the axe in her hand. "Can it be sooner?"

"Yes, but... my lady, you would have to become mortal for the duration of your stay. The portal could be ready in five weeks."

The goddess smiled faintly. "Very well. Prepare the ritual and gather the souls for war. I want to bring one angel with me."

Her voice echoed ominously, a harbinger of the mortal heroes' looming fate. Time was slipping away faster than they could imagine.