Less than a month ago, Claude fought his hardest battle against someone he used to view as the strongest kid alive. Samuel was always impressive. His genes demanded it. His work ethic supported said demands.

Then Claude fought demon-snakes….. heroic forest spirits and magically tortured deer.

His scope changed.

He traveled.

Then it changed again. New aspects and elements to be considered.

It wasn't dark-fire. It was hotter.

A blazing arc of it ripped through the sand, sending a tidal wave of glass shards in Claude's direction.

He dove and rolled out of the way, feeling the heat burn the soles of his boots.

The second he got to his feet he was blocking a sickle slash from Marion. The shape of his construct-blade was abysmal. A block of glowing green metal lacking a serrated edge. Aura maintenance required a finesse he didn't yet have. Still, he got the job done.

Marion tried to back away quickly. Claude knew how assassins fought, so he had already planned for it. He'd only just been able to execute the plan because originally, Marion was way too fast.

Thankfully, Claude was made to run down his opponents. Assassins were not.

"Woah—" Marion tripped on the vine wrapping his leg.

He tried to sit up and cut himself free. Claude was already on him, kicking the wind out of his lean chest.

At the same time, Isaac exploded from the frozen wave of sand turned glass. A glowing juggernaut of blazing heat and explosive power.

Somehow— as a knight, Isaac was faster than both of them. An assassin and wolf-based beast-tamer.

He hit Claude so hard he came off the ground for a few seconds.

He didn't remember landing. He just opened his eyes and found the mid-day sky looking back at him. The whole left side of his body tingled like it had been asleep.

[60% HP Remaining]

"This is getting depressing." Claude sat up.

Marion and Isaac stood in the distance with their hands on their knees, catching their breaths. As if they too got the work of a lifetime.

Claude suddenly realized he was laying in a small crater.

"Damn, man! I haven't been this tired in….. ever." Isaac huffed, "I mean maybe when I used to train with my dad. But still…"

"You guys are tired? I'm half dead." Claude thought to himself as they walked over to him.

"Great run, man." Isaac held a hand out.

Nothing felt real. Such a violent change of pace. It had to be a set up.

Claude looked around for a moment.

"So you make me run through a bunch of glass then leave me hanging? Bro, you're evil." Isaac said.

Claude shook himself out of his paranoia, "My bad. I'm….. adjusting still." He took Isaac's hand and got to his feet.

"You sure? You're not even breathing hard, what's your heart made of?"

"Would you believe me if I said dryad magic?" Claude almost slapped himself.

"Hell no." Marion replied as he rubbed the boot print bruise on his chest beneath his shirt.

"I would." Isaac interjected, "My dad worked with someone who had skin grafts from a fire-elf. Said he could swim in volcanoes."

"What the hell is a fire-elf?" Marion questioned.

"I….. I think the name tells you what it is." Claude mumbled.

Isaac and Marion looked at eachother once before bursting into laughter.

"Feeling better, Liberator?" Naz's voice carried across the sands.

Claude looked up from the two young warriors. Behind them, Naz hopped down from the jungle cliffs and into the sandy beaches they occupied. She looked relaxed. Arms rested on the giant black metal scythe rested over the back of her shoulders as she walked over to them.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"No, not really." Claude replied.

"Cmon, do not be too hard on yourself. You did better than most. You might have lost the battle, but we are warriors…. And you are the only one who isn't tired."

"I mean…. He did take a nap." Marion replied.

"You let him." Naz shot back.

"She got you there." Isaac whispered as they all watched her approach.

She was mesmerizing. Both incredibly wild, and noble. She sucked up the air and heat and left everything else muted. She was a hero. She was what Claude imagined a heroes effect could do in the island gauntlet. She was living proof that Ursula was jaded.

"What the!?— you were the one that hit him." Marion shoulder bumped Isaac.

"And YOU are the assassin. I deal the big hits, you finish it…. Or else I'm getting a new—"

"Don't disrespect me out here." Marion said, seemingly serious for the first time.

"You right. My bad. Love you bro." Isaac put an arm around him. An awkward thing to see considering their aggressive height difference.

"Likewise."

The two shook up as Naz came to a stop in front of them.

She held Claude's gaze in the silence. Still wearing that teasing smile.

Isaac looked from her to Claude. Then to Marion.

"So, Mario…. You wanna?—"

"Yea."

"Yea, let's go."

Naz giggled as they scrambled and ran off to occupy themselves elsewhere.

"What was that about?" Claude asked.

Naz took a deep breath and motioned behind her, "Come with me."

As they walked, she spoke.

"You were asleep for many days. Less than the others but days all the same. Hunting groups took down boars and hunted fish to feed you blood. Once we got your name, many learned who you were. They judged you. You are not dense with muscle like Isaac. You are not wiry and vicious like Marion. You aren't beautiful like Carmen. Your spot at first did not look right to many. They said you are small. Aside from your name, where you come from is unknown. You have many features. I disagreed. I said you look handsome. Now they think I have a….. what is that word when you like someone?"

"A…. Crush?" Claude guessed.

Naz turned around and walked backward to face him, "Yes. They think I have a crush."

"Oh…." Claude had heard many girls in his class use such words in regards to Tai. Never him, though. He swallowed and tried to ignore the heat creeping up his neck.

Naz giggled again, "I think your shyness would also grant judgement. Only true combatants understand the social and physical aren't always the same. You don't talk to other humans much, do you?"

Claude almost tripped in the sand as they passed other students training and at work. "Humans?"

"You smell before you speak. You are able to be dominant when you need to be, but you avoid eye contact. Like a dog. You are around them more than humans."

Claude blinked in the silence, "….. I am. Were you watching me?"

Naz put her hands on her hips and looked elsewhere with a playfully evil smile, "Maybe…"

"Well what about you? You must've grown up around a lot of people, right?" Claude asked as they made their way up a hill leading to the jungle.

Naz turned her back to him, "No. I was only allowed to be around my tutors. One at a time. I went many suns without speaking. This is a thrilling change. I do not wish to stop. I want to speak my mind forever."

"I know the feeling." Claude surprised himself at the reply.

Naz stopped suddenly, waiting for him to catch up as she eyed him, "Really?"

"My dad— he uhm…. He's sort of like an action-scientist. He's gone a lot. Before I had Frosty or Ray, I was alone. I didn't talk either. It can get….. I don't know—"

"Maddening." Naz said.

"And lonely."

Naz grabbed his hand, "We aren't alone here. Let me show you around, Liberator."

***

End-Island was larger than Claude thought. Actually, it was the largest island he'd been on yet.

The jungle on the hill wasn't even a halfway point, but it looked out across miles of varying landscapes. They even had a hot spring. Temperatures were regulated by fire-element users. Like a sort of recovery bath for training students.

They walked the jungles. Claude's eyes never remained still, there was too much to discover.

"This is the Neodrassil or The New Gallows." Naz walked him to an impossibly wide hollowed out oak tree that was somehow still alive. He could feel it. "We keep any and all mages we can help there. The mind must be protected by the skull." Naz referred to the tanks and knights surrounding the treehouse in wood armor. They all gave the two of them a nod in respect. Some still harbored injuries from the Violet Scourge or worse. But their eyes lingered on Naz. Everyone's did.

"The people here like you a lot, Naz. You'll make a great hero." Claude said as they passed the planning room and stood at the edge of the jungle cliff.

She looked at him and smiled, "I think they will like you the same."

"You know…. It's actually kind of scary how you talk like you know me while I don't know a single thing about you." Claude said.

"What did I say before?" Naz questioned.

"What? You've said a lot of things that's like…. Super vague."

Naz pointed to her eyes, "Look with the right ones and I won't have to tell you anything."

Claude sighed, "There's that adult speak again."

Naz laughed, "I will tell you this. Like you, my blood is of two nations. Two brutal and efficient nations where freedom is a concept more close to fantasy than reality. You get to taste it by watching the monsters live as they please while you learn how to bow and satisfy the ego of others. I'm glad I came here. This land and these people— Glorians, I hear they were once a people led by it. Freedom. I want it."

She wasn't smiling. She wasn't angry either. She was in a frenzy. She looked high on life. Eyes wide. Skin radiant. He could see how hard she was breathing from the way her chest rose and fell.

"I think being free is the most heroic act you could make for someone. So here, everyone is free. You wanting the same makes us the same."

Claude had to stop himself from turning into a fan-boy. He'd never wished someone his age could have a biography to read but if Naz kept speaking he'd write one himself and put it with his books on The Nin—

A multicolored fireball shot into the sky from the edge of the island. So far away that all they could see where the dotted outlines of students where it originated.

"You guys have fireworks?" Claude asked as he squinted.

"No." Naz said before pulling a conch out of her waist bag and blowing the alarm.

Claude hugged his ears until it was over.

"Enemies approach our island. Attack our freedom. Will you help me defend, Liberator?"

Claude pulled out his construct-blade and molded it into a broad-sword. "You said I needed more practice. Let's go."

Naz laughed and jumped off the cliff.

Claude watched her divebomb fearlessly. Before she could hit the ground, she flipped and slammed her scythe into the cliff-face, disappearing behind a cloud of dust and rubble.

A dozen students followed after her, yelling and hooting as they also jumped off the cliff.

"Come on firsty, what you waiting on!?! It's time to play heroooo!" Isaac jumped and slid down the cliff-face on his shield of fire with Marion.

"This is unreal…"