Attila woke up in cold sweat, escaping a traumatic nightmare. She had relived the day her parents died, their charred corpses etched on her mind. Slowly, reorganizing her thoughts, she remembered that it was the weekend.

A ray of light shone from the windows, illuminating the room in warm tones. Attila had been living in Sivrit’s house for around a week now, and she was no different than family to those around her.

However, the torment still lingered.

“You okay? Attila?” asked Cupio

Cupio was staying in Attila’s body around the clock now, providing her with a constant buff. He was one of the only people she talked with about her family. Contrary to their first meeting, Cupio acted much more maturely and helped her in daily living. His talent for granting minor wishes was especially useful.

Heading downstairs, Attila greeted Sivrit. She noticed that Sivrit seemed down after she left with Reginn yesterday and asked her what was wrong.

“...It’s nothing”

“Come on Sivrit, you were there when I needed you the most, and I want to be there when you need my support. I won’t judge you or tell anyone, so please tell me if there’s anything wrong”

“It’s- Well- I don’t really know… I guess to put it simply, I guess I thought I shared similar a belief with the people I know, but it turned out that those people… I-I didn’t really know those people in the end”

“...Is this about Reginn?”

“...Yes”

“What happened yesterday? Did you guys fight or something”

“...I have to tell you something Attila, it’s something I’ve been keeping a secret”

“...Go on…”

“Reginn’s actually a-”

The doorbell interrupted Sivrit before she could reveal that Reginn was a hero.

“...I’ll go get that”

Attila approached the front door and opened it. Behind the frame awaited none other than Blodelshein, dressed in casual clothes. They were the ones Sivrit’s father bought for her at the mall.

“Good morning Attila, Sivrit”

“Uh, Hi! What are you doing here so early in the morning?”

“I’m here to speak to Sivrit about something”

“...Is it about Reginn?”

“...It’s a personal matter” replied Blodelshein “, could I speak to you in private, Sivrit?”

“Okay…”

The two went up to Sivrit’s room, Blodelshein searching the premises before closing the door.

“So… Is this about yesterday?”

“I suppose it is. But first, did you just try to tell Attila that Reginn was a hero?”

“...Yeah, I’m sorry…”

“Oh, there’s nothing to be sorry about. I don’t mind you telling Attila, she’s a good friend after all”

“Then, what is it?”

“From what I’ve gathered, you made a World contract with him, didn’t you?”

“Ah yes, back in the forest before I met you guys”

“You hopefully remember that one of the conditions - Reginn’s condition - was that I quote, ‘you won’t be able to tell anything I - Reginn - say to someone that is not a hero’, end-quote. Breaking a World contract has severe consequences, so I’d keep that in mind”

“Thanks for stopping me then, Blodelshein”

“You’re welcome. However, that’s not the only reason you found me at your home today”

“What did you want to talk about?”

“It’s about Attila. Ever since I was been reincarnated, I’ve been searching for the next hero candidate. So far, I’ve narrowed it down to the princess of this nation, Attila or you”

“M-me?!”

“Yes. I truly do believe that you have great potential, and I wish to assist you three on your journeys. I came here to give you a small gift, as an apology for… my unsavoury behaviour yesterday”

Blodelshein handed her a watch, which looked expensive, but still ordinary.

“This is just an ordinary wristwatch, but I’ve enchanted it to be able to communicate with me. It’s imbued with telepathy spells and while it is weak on its own, when I receive the signal, I’ll be able to connect with you. Of course, I’ve prepared it for all hero candidates.

“Thank you… I’m not sure when I’ll need it, but I suppose this could come in handy”

“Oh, you will definitely need it. The path of a hero is not a peaceful one, and if you are destined, obstacles will naturally form in front of your eyes”

“And you said Attila was a hero candidate too, right?”

“Indeed. Did you notice anything different with her recently?”

“Well… I’m not sure. I mean, she’s grieving in her own way but other than that… Maybe she’s gotten a bit stronger?”

“Correct, she did gain more strength. However, it is not just ‘a bit’. She’s gotten to a point where she is comparable to a weak hero, below Kallen’s strength and above your average adventurers”

“Wow… But how did that happen?

“It seems that fate is also toying with her as well. You remember the World Beast we were researching right?”

“Yeah, its name was Har-something wasn’t it?”

“Har-Meggido. I was simply following the Goddess’s narrative, but it turns out that the World Beast had been protecting a unique hero, one that possessed others like a ghost, but instead of taking control, it instead granted increased strength, defence and speed. From my research, it seems that it can also grant wishes, though that may be another spirit”

“I see… And she knows about it right?”

“Of course. That is why she is one of the hero candidates. The spirit allows one to become a hero, but it is not guaranteed, especially when in steep competition. Also, being strong isn’t everything, a hero can be chosen for any aspect, their charisma, their intellect or even their personality. However, seeing that she has lost her family, the trauma may help her become even more powerful”

“...What about that princess? She was the last candidate, right?”

“Those of royal blood have a genetic advantage over others, that being the Royal Blood they possess. This is why many royals become heroes, and the heir to the throne of this era seems eager to become one. Of course, you can’t be a hero because you want to be - though the opposite is true”

“So Attila has the heroic spirit, the princess has the royal blood, but what about me? Why did you choose me?”

“Simple. I did not choose you, Reginn did”

“Reginn?!”

“Quite recently too. I must admit, as a World Beast and the one closest to the Goddess more than any of us, he can see things that I can’t. Perhaps it’s your personality or your ideology. Maybe it’s even the fate you will walk. Reginn told me that you were the most likely to become a hero of Avangarden. While I don’t fully understand it, I respect his opinion and so, the three of you were chosen”

“...I don’t really get what he sees in me either”

“...Keep your head high, Sivrit. Not many have been acknowledged by the World Beast. In truth, I don’t think he respects any other heroes, seeing them as only tools of the Goddess. But you, I think he expects great things from you, even if he doesn’t say it. He even let you borrow his sacred relic, AGOTA for a short time”

“...Thanks, Blodelshein. Now are you going to speak with Attila?”

“Yes, but I’d like you to stay with me. You’re her best friend after all”

Blodelshein called Attila for her time and first, formally introduced herself as a hero to Attila’s surprise.

“Huh?! You? A hero?”

“Now, that sounded a bit insulting, but I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. Oh and Reginn is a hero as well”

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“...I mean, that’s not as surprising - no offence by the way”

“Full offence taken. Anyways, here’s a gift for you - and for your spirit friend as well”

“You know about Cupio too?!”

“I know a lot of things. Most things in the kingdom actually”

“Wow… That’s crazy! Anyways, what does this watch do?”

“Think of it like a cellphone, but powered by magic. You’ll be able to contact me anytime you want using the watch”

“How do I use it?”

“If you press the small knob, it’ll send a small telepathic signal to me, and then I’ll be able to connect with you myself”

“Wow… Thanks! But why are you giving this to me?”

Blodelshein explained to Attila that she was a hero candidate, to her surprise. After a long explanation of the capacity of the watch as well as about the hero candidates, she left the mansion to let the two hero candidates ponder over it themselves.

“Wow… So what are you going to do now, Sivrit?”

“...I think I’ll need to talk to Reginn”

“...Do you need me to come with you?”

“Thank you for the offer, but no. This is something I have to talk to him alone about”

“...I see. Well, I’ll be waiting here”

“See you at lunch, Attila”

Sivrit also left her house and headed toward Siege’s abode.

“...Are you going to follow her?” asked Cupio

“No. I trust Sivrit”

“Aren’t you afraid she may be in danger?”

“I know you didn’t know Reginn for long, but I know he isn’t like that. He may act boastful and superior, but he really does care for his students and other people. I trust both of them”

“I see… So what about you? What will you do now?”

“...I think I’ll go back to sleep”

…

When Sivrit asked Orchestra and the other heroes where Reginn was, they were all clueless. Sivrit left the house with nothing but a hunch and began searching the forest. She had a feeling that Reginn was waiting for her.

Finally, after a few minutes of wandering, she came across a small field covered in the dead leaves of trees. This was where Reginn reincarnated, though Sivrit did not know that.

Reginn was sitting in the centre, enjoying the sun and waiting for Sivrit. He was waiting for the clothes Sivrit bought for him when they first met.

“So. You found me, Sivrit”

“...You were waiting for me”

“Maybe I was. All I knew was that you would find me here. So, what are you here for?”

“...I need to talk to you Reginn”

“Speak”

“...Why do you follow the Goddess with violence? You didn’t have to kill all those demons-”

“We already talked about this Sivrit. My faith is stronger than words, you’ll have to do better when trying to change my mind”

“...What do I have to do?”

“Show me with strength, show me with victory. If the Goddess believes I am right, I will win. If she is on your side, you will win”

“That’s not right, the Goddess doesn’t-”

“You don’t know anything about the Goddess, but I do. I’ve lived with her, learnt from her and was loved by her. She is like a mother to me. So don’t say that the Goddess wouldn’t do that”

“...”

“...There is only one way to convince me. Train. Become stronger. Show me with actions, not words. This is the battle of ideals, of fate. You do not have to defeat me but show me how you will become a hero. What you will do? I think you’ll see that the world is a bloody place and sometimes, violence is the only answer, but maybe you’ll find something I didn’t”

“...Reginn…”

“I suppose Blodelshein told you why you were chosen as a hero candidate. Even I’m not sure why I chose you, but I think it’s because I want to see if you were right. Maybe there is another way. I am the champion of the Goddess, not of violence. If you show me a better path of following the Goddess, I’ll follow you. Until then, I’ll continue being the same hero”

“...I see… I’ll get stronger! Even stronger than you! I promise I’ll show you a new fate, and I’ll become a hero!”

“That’s the spirit. Now go, and prove me wrong”

“...The next time we meet, I’ll be a new Sivrit”

“I’m hoping on it”

“Goodbye for now, Reginn”

“...Goodbye”

Sivrit left the forest running, now sure of what she had to do. She had finally found her purpose in life, and to show Reginn a new fate, to protect the people she loved, she would become a hero.

…

Liliya was relaxing in her bedroom, reading a pile of comics retelling the legends of the heroes. A strong gust of wind blew through the pages, causing her to close her eyes and lose her page. She then noticed a young girl around her age, sitting at the window ledge.

“Wah! W-who are you?”

“No need to be alarmed princess, I mean no harm. And please don’t scream, no one will come here anyways”

“...What do you want?”

“Oh, I’m not here to take anything, but first, I must introduce myself,” said Blodelshein while dropping to the bedroom floor “I am Blodelshein, the 14th hero of Avangarden”

“A-a hero?!”

“I know it may be difficult to believe, but the heroes of the past are being reincarnated for an unknown reason. You may even know some of them yourself-”

“I-I know that the heroes are resurrected, my father told me. But I never expected one to come to my bedroom”

“...I see. Well, that just makes everything easier to explain. You see, I am here on behalf of the heroes to congratulate Your Highness. You have been officially selected as a hero candidate”

“Hero candidate?”

“Yes, we were searching for the 100th hero of Avangarden and found you and two others the best fit”

“Who are the others?”

“They attend the Royal Gladiatorial Academy, you may come to meet them in the future. They are Attila and Sivrit”

“Attila… Yeah, I met her yesterday at the academy. I never expected her to be a hero candidate… I wonder who Sivrit is”

“Anyways, I am not only here to congratulate you but to give you a gift. This shows you that you are one of the few candidates. Here, please take this”

Liliya’s hands were trembling as she received the watch from Blodelshein. While the base was still an ordinary watch, to her, it was now the most precious thing she had.

“W-wow… What is this?”

Sivrit quickly explained the functions of the watch as well as how to use them.

“I trust that your highness will be a great asset to the heroes if not a hero yourself. But please do not use the watch too often, I have a lot of work on my plate as a hero. Have a great day, princess” said Blodelshein as she teleported away

“Y-you too…”

After making sure that the hero was really gone and that there was no one else around, Liliya began hopping and dancing around her room in happiness. This was a dream come true for her, something she had dreamt about so many times. While she was still a mere candidate, she was one of the only three in the kingdom. She was fired up to work as hard as possible to receive the Goddess’s attention, she’d work harder than anyone else!

…

Blodelshein wondered where she should head next and decided to check on Siege and the Anti-Demon Lord, Reina. She had great ambition in the project, and Reina’s progress would dictate the project’s next steps.

Blodelshein landed at Siege’s abode, but he and the girl were nowhere to be found. Blodelshein was forced to use her talent to scour the city to find him, finally locating the hero inside a small apartment.

After ringing their doorbell, she was soon greeted by Reina, annoyed by her presence. Her frowning face also annoyed Blodelshein as well.

“...Can you speak now, brat?”

“...Hmph! I don’t like you”

“Where’s Siege?”

“...Outside”

“Alright, I’m letting myself in”

“No!”

Reina tried her best to push the door back, but Blodelshein easily controlled Reina to open the door for her.

“Thank you”

“Wah! Get out of here!” shouted Reina after regaining consciousness

“It looks like the rapid mental aging is working. You were no more than a baby a week ago but look at you now. So, do you know why you moved here?”

“...No”

“You do know that I can read your mind right?”

“No, you can’t!” said Reina while covering her head

“...I see, so it seems that Siege doesn’t fully trust the heroes with your safety… I suppose it’s understandable, with heroes like Kaizer and Solas around, it’s not really fit for a child. And this apartment is close to the Royal Gladiatorial Academy too… Now I see what he’s trying to do. Not bad”

“Papa told me that that’s supposed to be a secret!”

“...Calling him papa now, are you? Well, I suppose it’s easier to explain to other people that way. ‘The child of the hero…’. Hm… You know what, I’ll give you a little gift”

“Gift?!”

“So you know what a gift is huh?” said Blodelshein while pulling out a spare watch she made just in case “Make sure to give this to your ‘papa’ after he comes back. Maybe even you can become a hero someday, seeing the Goddess’s… strange past decisions. I mean, you already have the physical capacity already and I’d say that you are stronger than most heroes, around Solas’s level”

“Wow…” exclaimed Reina, mesmerized by the beautiful watch

“Make sure you don’t break it”

“...I won’t!”

Blodelshein left a little note on the countertop, explaining to Siege about the watch as well as what it meant. Now she was truly done with meeting all the hero candidates.

The future was in their hands now, the new generation. Perhaps they would become a new kind of hero with an ideal like Sivrit, a hard-working warrior of a mysterious past as well as the support of a hero like Attila, another royal hero, the one willing to commit her entire life for the chance with the most passion like Liliya, or perhaps it may even be the powerful demon lord under the guidance of the current hero like Reina.

However, there was no use thinking about the future when she was occupied by the present. The Goddess would prepare the perfect fate for all four hero candidates.

…

“Sivrit, where are you going?” confronted Attila

It was midnight, and Sivrit was packing her bag after she left notes for everyone on where she left and why she did so. She knew that the sheltered life wasn’t going to help her become a hero, and knew that she was but a frog in a well compared to the experienced heroes. Sivrit had to see the country and experience the real world before she could even hope to become a hero.

“...Damnit, if you’re going away, at least take me with you!”

“...You aren’t trying to stop me?”

“Look, I understand where this is coming from. You’re trying to become the hero right? Well, I won’t let you get a head start on me like that! Wait for me, because I’m joining you!”

“But what about school and-”

“Becoming a hero is more important than all of that! And besides, without me by your side, you wouldn’t even survive a day in the real world!”

“...Heh, thanks Attila”

“...I see,” said Gram

Sivrit father had been sitting at the dining room table all this time and surprised the two when he finally spoke up.

“So, my girl is becoming a real adult now…”

“Dad…”

“I don’t quite understand what all these hero shenanigans are about, but follow me, I have something to show you,” said Gram while walking toward the basement

After sharing a confused look, Sivrit followed her father while Attila returned to pack her bags.

Within the basement was the trophy room where Grams kept his dozens of Gladiatorial trophies from over the years. At the centre of the display case was his signature weapon, ‘The Resistor’, which Gram pulled out.

“You asked me about the rapier yesterday. Well, the best way to practice is to put it into action. You can wield my blade while I wield my spare. Now, show me your resolve!” said Gram while passing her The Resistor

Sivrit vs. Gram

After catching the blade, the battle began immediately, with Gram going on the offence. Sivrit barely managed to defend against the attacks and his strikes caused spilled blood. This was no ordinary spar, but the battle of resolves.

“Sivrit! You must use whatever tool you have at your disposal! Forget about the trophies in the room and fight back!”

“Kh… ⌈Flame⌋!”

Gram quickly jumped back and cut the flame in half with his blade. However, this single second was enough to change the tide of the battle, with Sivrit now going on the offence. The barrage was amateurish for sure, but it was impressive for a person who had never held a rapier until yesterday. Gram was proud to see how much her daughter had grown.

“...This is my final strike, Sivrit! If you can withstand it, you will have proven your resolve!”

Sivrit braced herself for the attack as Gram closed their distance and cast his skill.

“⌈Zapier⌋!”

The moment the blade touched Sivrit’s, a pulse of lightning ran through her, causing her to take immense amounts of damage. However, this had to be done. If she could not withstand this attack, she was not yet ready to be a wandering adventurer. Gram slowly opened his eyes to see whether he was right.

To his surprise, Sivrit continued to stand after tanking the entirety of the skill.

“Y-you’ll have to have more than that…”

“...I see,” said Gram

The sparring match was over. It was Sivrit’s absolute victory.

“...Aren’t you going to take your blade back?”

“Keep it. It’s better to be in the hands of a warrior rather than to rot on a shelf forever”

“...Thanks Dad”

“It’s nothing. Who wouldn’t do it for their child? I just hope that your mother is as understanding as me… Now go! The veil of the night is about to end!”

And so Sivrit and Attila began their journey around Avangarden. To train, to explore the real world, to meet new people. It was going to be a long and excruciating journey, but it was what the two candidates needed the most.

The candidates looked back at the city in all its glory as the sun began to rise. It was going to be a long time before she returned home, but Sivrit and Attila were ready to be heroes.