"I saw the hero."
At the boundary where the sky and the sea blended into absolute darkness, as if the end of the world were in sight.
In the vast ocean where despair and sunset alternated like endless waves.
There, in the midst of the all-devouring darkness, tearing through the roars of monstrous creatures, I saw the radiance of a hero.
"The root of the curse is the blessing. The original sin that consumed half of my soul."
The force of the sea was more than mere turbulence; it pulverized and crushed everything without mercy. The drops flying through the air felt like bullets.
For a human, standing upon water was an act of intolerable arrogance.
In a distant future, where a great floating fortress known as "Academy" lay in ruins, its scattered remains were nothing more than broken boards, shamefully drifting across the ocean.
Yet, even in this final and desolate expanse of the sea, the light of the hero never went out.
Clinging to a broken plank, I could only gaze in awe as that light burned itself into my eyes.
"There is no purification. There is no redemption. There is no salvation. There is only the resounding voice of the heavens — my sin."
A lengthy, solemn incantation.
An immense magical power.
A witch with grey hair stood against the storm and the raging wind, singing with lips dyed a deep scarlet.
In a sea where reason itself was distorted by chaotic vortices, even colossal creatures that had once ruled the ocean trembled in her presence.
Those immense beasts, which with a single movement could raise devastating waves, roared in fear.
"Trumpets of the gods, harps of the spirits, melodies of light… the marks of eternal sin."
The sea struck back with a supreme blow.
A monstrous wave, capable of wiping away everything in its path, was held back only by the cries of other heroes who stood against it.
An endless rain of sparks was repelled by the sword of a brave woman.
The brutal attack of a king of the ocean, powerful enough to destroy worlds, was contained by a single warrior with a sword.
The magic of those who clung to the ruins shattered its scales.
And the warriors of the sea, staring death in the face, leaped into the abyss to drive their harpoons into its colossal body.
"Oh, fate beloved by the sealed garden… break into pieces! I detest you profoundly."
The blood flowed without end.
The screams were ceaseless, eternal.
The song turned into a requiem.
And yet, the tragic melody cried out for a victory.
Even when my body could move no more, that light tearing through the darkness burned its radiance into my eyes.
"With this offering, with this seal of sin, I will destroy everything, Holy Bell Tower."
The power reached its limit and, without ceremony, was released.
The symbol of the world's end was consumed by a destructive blessing.
The world, tinted by darkness, turned a blinding white. Without a trace of beauty, the climax of devastation enveloped everything.
Just before losing consciousness, in that white world, the last thing I heard was this:
The triumphant roar of the heroes who defeated the immense beast.
The weavers of miracles and hope who challenged the impossible.
Was that it?
Was that what it took to illuminate this forsaken world?
Was that radiance what was needed to save it?
"I saw the hero."
The spreading of light — known as hope — must never be allowed to fade.
Even if our time came, we had to bring back that shining scene.
The world needs heroes.
It's as simple as that.
Just as the world longed for them, my eyes and my heart would search for them as well.
A new hero was being born.
The first cry of another hero in this world.
We, as humanity, wish for a guide, a bearer of hope.
"León."
The sky was blue and clear.
Behind my closed eyelids I still remembered that dark ocean, but in front of me, the brackish lake glimmered as always.
Listening to the song of the seabirds from the highest point of Frigg's central tower — the giant ship — I gazed upon the academy sprawling beneath me.
Then a divine voice called me, making me turn.
"Baldur-sama. Is something the matter?"
"We have received a message from the Great Wall. One of the 'snores' has echoed from the valley."
The air, previously so calm, tightened around me.
"How large is the one that escaped?"
"It appears to be a large one. It's gotten trapped in our barrier, but it won't be long before it breaks free."
The academy's principal — my deity, Baldur — delivered this message to me. I pressed my lips together and fell into a brief silence, gazing northward, where the peaks of the mountains formed the horizon.
—"I'd like to know the divine perspective. How much time do you think we have?"
—"Twelve days. Although it's only a hunch."
The God's answer was brief, and I did not doubt it. I nodded slowly.
—"In that case, I'll go. And if I may… I'd like to bring a companion."
—"Him?"
—"Yes."
The God's serene expression softened into a smile, and I responded with a smile of my own.
For the last time, I turned to look at it: the walled city, home to heroes, and its majestic white tower that pierced the heavens.
—"I'll keep the promise of that 'adventure.' And perhaps… I'll dream of a new hero."