The Knight's First Steps

(Yuji's POV)

The vibrations of the violent clash shook the trees around us. The forest cried, shrieked as the echoes of blades reverberated the area. A clash between a higher demon against the five fairies who fought to protect, and a messily knight who couldn't offer his protection to not just his own people, but to his very friends.

I clenched my fist, torn between which battle I should win. The one where I save my friend, or the one against this demon, right here... and now.

I glanced over to the fairies who fought valiantly- but it was to no avail without my helping hand.

Yuri jumped out of the way of an incoming claw attack- but hadn't been able to predict the incoming pierce from the tail that followed soon after. With just enough reaction speed, she managed to block the attack- but was sent a few steps back which made her lose balance. Kerian stepped forth however, leaping onwards as his blade glew green. Throwing himself at the demon, he somersaulted and used the incoming momentum to drive his blade deep into the demon- but it was simply too fast.

Mid-air, he was almost struck, if not for Yuri's fast pace to catch him. She had the special ability to fly under the moonlight- thus meant she was the most prominent force in this current fight in terms of offense and defense.

As the two recovered, Leila rushed in, surrounded by the magic blades forged from Reina, and as each blade protected her from the demon's wrathful nails, Leila was able to merely land one hit before all the blades were destroyed. As the Mana flow had bursted in front of her, Leila was blasted away upon impact, landing roughly on the ground being stopped by Anthesis who fought with all her strength against the demon's quick movement. Using her blade, she tried parrying it's claws- but...

"N-no! Anthesis! Leila!"

Yuri cried, to which Kerian had soon broke into a sprint to save the two. Anthesis held her own, and yet- here I was... Doing nothing..! You good for nothing knight..!

"Y... Yuji..."

Her voice broke out to me. Blanc, who was still fighting the cells. As if her calling me name had cleared up my mind- in that moment that felt like an eternity- I had begun to realize how flawed I truly was. No matter what fight I had fought, if I had time to hesitate- if I had time to mourn or to second guess... Then that could be another life that is cost.

Blanc, though she was immobile... She was still fighting, and if she could stand- she wouldn't hesitate. So why am I..?

Blanc is injured, and the only way that we could have hopes to stop this mess, is if we defeat this demon whose cells are plaguing her body... If the cells are active, is it because the demon whose brain is still intact, still has control over said cells?

Regardless of whatever answer, our odds are better if we act together... I... Must protect my friends. My people!

"Gah!! ANTHESIS, LEILA!"

Kerian cried out, his blade running through a deep crimson red as he was ready to attack the demon- but... As he did so, the gasp of air that came out of his mouth had sprung realization as to what he was about to lose, as the demon began to raise its other arm and tail to strike the two fairies on their last legs... but.

"RERAAAGH!"

It screamed, as it was sent flying. I had poured all my strength into that single punch. My fist, having ran through it's body had burnt and smoked from the massive impact I had unloaded. My gauntlet received damage, but I hadn't cared. Two lives could've been lost had I not acted. Though my skill wasn't done just yet. Driving my foot into the ground, I lunged at the demon before it could fly away too far- and with my left fist, I had drove its head into the ground, as a surging green flash from my fist had completely surrounded the demon's head, shattering the very ground beneath it.

My skill, Devouring Punch, was a two hit skill, and with the self buffs I activated, it's knockback is where most of the damage comes from. But what happens if there was no air to knock back to? With its head having nowhere to run, my fist was able to drive straight into it with all the skill's might. That was the perfect time to catch it off guard, and I wouldn't have caught another chance to activate the skill.

Suddenly, Kerian followed up, his crimson blade now meeting with the demon's head, and as if Yuri had reacted to the situation- her blade turned into a deep violet, swinging it down to cut at its neck as well. The flourishing blast of colours surrounded by vision- but even I knew that it would have to take more than that to fully slice through this demon's head. I drew my blade in a hurry, and poured all my Mana into my next strike. This was the deciding factor... if my attack didn't cut through now- this demon will have absorbed Kerian's, Yuri'e and My Mana. But I didn't think of the consequences. I only yearn for one goal, and it was to kill this demon.

"Now!"

I roared, my blade glowing in a fierce gold. I was caught off guard, something that had never happened to me before. It felt as though I surged in power for a moment, and the usual blue tinge to my sword skill was now a glowing gold. With every ounce of my strength, I swung with all my might, matching the flow of violet and crimson with an everlasting gold. The demon's neck grew brittle, and as the three of us pushed forth...

"HRAAAA!"

We fiercely dominated the demon, it's neck being completely severed from its body.

And suddenly... it's body began to dissipate into countless dust particles. After pouring my everything into my attack, that golden glow had disappeared, and my gaze fixated onto Blanc who was still immobile. I let out a sigh of relief, as I had saw black dust escaping her body. Those must've been the demon cells...

"Blanc!"

I called out, rushing over to her to see if she was able to move. My heart raced, pleading for a positive moment... but...

"Yuji... I... think the demon cells have stopped attacking my body... but... I still can't move..."

She said, as she tried lifting her hand. She was shaking, as if her body was on the verge of collapse. I held her up, putting her arm over my shoulder.

"It looks like the demon cells were attacking her because that demon was still alive... Luckily, we managed to deal with it in time..."

Kerian stated, walking over with the rest of them. I had to truly give props to Yuri and Kerian... their valiant swordsman ship was truly a spectacle, and given our current circumstances- had Noir and all of us tackled on this ourselves, I somehow doubt we would've reached the same outcome.

"You all... thank you... you saved Blanc..."

"Don't count your chickens yet, we still have a problem on our hands..."

Leila said, walking over to Blanc, who was frail.

"It looks like the demon cells did some damage to your body overall... if we don't get you back to our home, you might face some irreparable damage..."

She said, though was horrible news- she knew she had to be the one to break the details.

"I can take her back... You all must continue, or..."

Anthesis stated, but Kerian held onto her hand.

"We can't risk going in alone. We have to take Blanc back, and if you two get attacked on the way there- or even if we get attacked, there's no guarantee that we'll be able to make it out alive."

He said calmly. Trusting in his judgment, she assisted in helping Blanc up.

"Thank you all..."

She said, before she helplessly limped with out aid.

"Yuri, you'll be our greatest helping hand here. We'll be behind you, but you should be safe if fly with Blanc. You can get there the fastest, and we'll be sure to keep up with you..."

"Don't have to ask me twice, c'mon Blanc, hug tight onto me!"

Yuri said, before bridal carrying Blanc. Yuri was surprisingly strong, and as she activated her wings, the glistening sparkles left a trail from where she flew. She was already quite ahead of us, and so- we all broke into a quick jog.

Anthesis began casting a spell, and my feet had grown significantly lighter.

"This should help us keep up, we won't be too far behind... We should get back as soon as we can, and rest up to get ready to depart again tomorrow."

Anthesis suggested. I wasn't opposed to the idea, but I couldn't help but fear for the worst... After all, Noir and the others were still out there... somewhere...

...

"Nurse Lana! Yuri and Blanc arrived here right?"

Anthesis asked, and as if she had already prepared for this situation, a portal was already open leading directly to Yuri and Blanc.

"Yuri told me of your arrival, the situation is urgent and we may need the support of your mana."

Nurse Lana had bowed, before we all continued to see how Blanc was doing. I felt sick to the stomach the moment I walked in- seeing her sweating profusely as she was given air. Yuri had tears, as if this was the first time she saw someone suffering so much... My chest was aching, and even I myself felt like I could cry.

"Lady Anthesis, your friend is having trouble breathing... She will be alright, but we need a substantial amount of Mana to keep her pulse regulating... Her heart rate is drastically increasing, but her body is on the verge of collapse..."

"Say less!"

She said, before holding her hand over a magical device that was directly implanting Blanc with Mana... Though at first it seemed like Blanc was suffering even more- it suddenly died down, as her breathing stabilized...

"Blanc..."

I couldn't help but utter her name. I felt so worried. It had only been two months, but I felt so strongly towards all my friends.

"It... hurts..."

She said, her body completely still. I sat down on the nearest chair, before burying my head into my hands...

"Yuji..."

Yuri cried, patting my back consolingly.

"What are the chances of her living..?"

Leila asked, before holding onto Blanc's hand.

The nurse, though was ultimately doing her job- had told us all. It was clear that even she didn't want to answer it.

"It could be anywhere between a 10-15% chance... Her odds aren't looking good. Our bodies are mostly made up of red blood cells. But those are ultimately made up of small molecules known as Everbits."

The nurse explained, sitting down on her chair before looking through her device.

"This world flows on molecules, and the collective is known as the Everstream. When an individual's Everbits are damaged, it makes the individual incredibly unstable to the flow of the Everstream. It's like trying to swim against a wave of a crashing river. Most of us would flow, but to someone who loses a certain amount of Everbits, the river is bound to simply crash through them. Her body is being held up by her will alone..."

After hearing the brief explanation, I felt sick to my stomach. I could throw up at any moment, but I tried to hold it all in.

"Everbits are what allow us all to control Mana. In essence, Mana is just as important as our own Health. They coincide, and no individual can live without the other. They merely succumb to the absolute pressure placed on their body."

"Blanc, you'll be okay... So keep fighting, okay? We'll be able to come up with a solution..."

Anthesis threw words blindly, as much as I could appreciate her sentiment- it felt wrong to throw blind hope to Blanc like that...

"It's... okay... I'll fight through this..." She uttered. She attempted to reach for her pendant, but even her muscles were growing weaker.

"Don't push yourself Blanc. You still have several days on you, so until then, allow your body the rest it needs. It's a simple case of inducing a flow of Mana into your body to jumpstart the Everbits in you to multiply again. For now, just rest."

The nurse suggested, before she let go of her strength. Almost immediately- Blanc had passed out. Kerian and Leila both looked towards me and Yuri, before Kerian had broken the silence.

"Leila, you should stay with Anthesis and switch between each other to fuel Blanc with Mana. For now, Yuri, Yuji, let's go get some rest."

I didn't dare utter a single word. It's as if my body rejected me from doing so. I could only bury my head deep into my hands, before finally lifting myself from the chair and letting go of my frustration.

"You're right."

I said.

"We should get rest..."

I said, before frantically leaving the room and into the portal back to reality.

Yuri and Kerian shared glances, before following thereafter.

The two took me to a place where I could stay. It was Anthesis' home, and though it felt luxurious and homely, nothing could shake this feeling of discomfort and anxiety surging through my body.

I plumped myself on the bed after having removed my armour, and took several moments to think to myself. Surges of bad thoughts had constantly streamed into my head- but all was silenced the moment I heard a knock.

"Yuji? Can we talk?"

It was Kerian's voice. I sat up, turning the light switch on to remove the gloomy atmosphere.

"The door's open."

I said, before he walked in. He was in his casual clothes, which was a bit unusual for me considering I had always seen fairies as mystical creatures. In some essence, they felt human. Considering they're also an intelligent species, that should've been obvious- but I somehow expected them to be more elegant and serene than humans. But in this case, Kerian to me- felt like a human.

"Yuji, don't blame yourself so much over everything that happened today."

"Oh... Right..."

Silence filled the room, before I managed to say a few words.

"Even if you say that, it's hard for me not to..."

"Well I'm telling you not to. It's not a mere statement. Consider it a command. Letting stuff like that eat you away will ultimately make you forget what it was that gave you the thrill of life."

Kerian got comfortable, leaning his back against the wall after sitting down, raising his one leg over the other as he folded his arms.

"I can't imagine living such a thrilling life when I can't even uphold my duties as a knight..."

"Yuji, the duty of a knight is to protect his or her people. Needless to say, even knights can't protect everyone. There are those who die of diseases, those who die of age and even those who die from random instances... Being a knight is to protect, not to control life or death."

His words broke me into silence. I couldn't exactly argue against such logic, but using such logical conclusions won't change how I feel about what did or didn't happen.

I didn't speak a word, and merely sought to listen to Kerian. He let out a huge sigh, before speaking up.

"When I was younger... About the age of 15. I had a group of friends who I loved more than the world could care for. They were my allies, and though I was significantly stronger than them, they truly made my world shine in such a way that I never thought could happen.

They were the bestest of friends, and though I was merely added because I saved them, instead of merely thanking me and going about their lives... they wanted to include this lonely soul into their ranks.

I was obsessed with becoming something to this world, but in that obsession, I forgot how to live, how to love, and how to express any meaningful desire for interaction. I didn't see anything wrong with the way I lived- but when they saw how lonely my eyes were, how could they turn me away?

I don't know what triggered me to stay around them- maybe deep down, I did yearn for friendship and companionship. They taught me something that I'll never forget... To live my life to the fullest, and to cherish every memory I make a long the way.

In their final moments, I failed to protect them. In their final moments... though their words echoed in my mind... I was forced to slay them as demons. Hearing their cries every night before I slept, hearing their distorted anguish in moments of wake. I was haunted by my horrible mistake of not being powerful enough.

In the end, I look back to those days and question if what I did was right. I slayed countless monsters, seeking boundless strength- and yet, I never ever cherished the moments I had with them. I never once considered, what would be the way they would want me to live? Is living a life of mindless slaughter truly the Kerian that they'd want to see? or would it have been the Kerian who truly enjoyed himself on a day to day basis, living everyday the best he could..?"

He stood up, and held the ring that belonged to his wife. "When I met Princess Anthesis and became her mercenary, I felt my life differently and took on the outlook of life completely differently. She gave me a different meaning, but not many people can recover from something like that. Most would soon meet their ends... I would have too. I don't want you trailing down that path. Not when all of your friends value you so much too. They know you fight with everything you have, and they know that you are more than enough to make the world a brighter place. Misfortune happens to all of us, but don't continue that path of misfortune thinking it's the only way."

He walked over to the door before jiggling the knob and opening it.

"It's okay to mourn, to cry and to regret the past. But what happens then, is what makes you, you now. What you do now, will decide who you are in the future... Yuji... you saved my wife, and my kid-sister. So don't think about only the wrongs that have happened, because you acted and did what was right."

He soon left, and my mind rushed in the memories I had made with everyone. It was unsightly for a knight to cry, but... just this once, I let myself go.

Who am I really..?

Is being a knight... all I ever cared about..?

...

"Sir! We have a new cadet, and a promising one at that! We would like you to meet Yusuf Veilhaber!"

I was but a young knight, and had only graduated from school. Yet- my esteemed academic records alone was enough for me to meet someone so fiercely admired by all. In my mind, this man embodied everything a knight was. He, who is the Grandmaster of the Knights, stood before me- and proud.

"Nice to meet you kiddo, the name's Drake... Hm... A Veilhaber eh? Haha! Interesting!"

"Sir, Grandmaster Sir!"

I saluted, placing my right hand over my chest and my left behind my back, keeping my body up straight and raising my head to look up.

"You may leave now, I've got a few things I want to ask this kid."

"Sir!"

The Knight's who escorted me here had left, and I was left alone with that grandmaster. It was then that I was asked a bunch of questions which I had never though much of until this day.

Back then, he had asked me a simple three questions...

"How old are you boy?"

"I'm 16 Sir."

"Why did you study?"

"Because I wanted to become a knight Sir!"

"So why do you want to be a knight?"

I never did answer the third one. I was left speechless, but the grandmaster merely chuckled before assigning my first mission.

When did I become so obsessed with becoming a knight..? Why did I choose to be a knight in the first place..?

But, the more I questioned it- the more I realised that... it wasn't to become a knight that was my dream...

My father, he was a knight in shining armour- and he was a valiant fighter in every way shape or form. He was regarded as Rivdale Exis' most prestigious knight behind the Grandmaster, and I knew the two of them were friends. But my father died in an unfortunate expedition. The more I thought of my father when I was older however, the more I learnt that he embodied something different to a knight. I wanted to become like him, but somewhere along the way- I had misconstrued my own image of what it was I wanted to become.

I wanted to surpass my father, thinking that I could be a better knight- to become the true embodiment of one. But what made my father so different..?

My father, though was a knight, had defied the order several times. But why was such an imperfect knight so perfect in my eyes...?

Aster was someone who embodied the ideal of what a knight should be. He never was one, and in the stories- he fought valiantly until the end, to conquer the evil of his world and to save the world from the Demon King. My father told me this story every Knight, and every day- I saw my father as Aster.

My father didn't act like a knight- because he chose justice over law. He was a hero, and that was what I had yearned to become. When I grew older, I naturally pushed the idea of a hero out of my mind, and had naturally seen my father as a failed knight who didn't understand the importance of law. I was wrong however. He did understand the importance of it, but ultimately- he knew that the importance of one's own humanity was significantly more important than the law that restricted it. He fought in battles he shouldn't have, he provided medical assistance to those in need of it, and did things no Knight would dare to do- simply because he loved the people more than the idea of pushing the law onto them.

I never once thought of pushing the law onto the people I swore to protect. But I grew obsessed with the idea of protecting humans, that I ultimately diminished their humanity along with it. I had become a knight that was so flawed in every aspect with no deeming qualities that my father had as a Hero.

Noir, his true identity is Aster. I doubted that so yet it's the truth. He has traits of a hero. Faced with a boundless tragedy, he sought with every fiber of his being to overcome such tragedy. I've only witnessed him break the boundaries once- and that was against the Necrodragon... But he was able to defeat Zarkov too. Countless times in the last two months, he has displayed his incredible quick thinking and adaptation to any situation...

Even Kyouko, her magnificent blade works allowed her to carry through her will in fights against tremendous enemies, and her impervious ability to slice through all is a more direct term of physical prowess. Though she dismisses the idea of being a hero, she's ultimately got the skills of one regardless.

Maru, someone who wanted to desperately hide her Divine Blading, used it in situations where it was absolutely necessary. Maru doesn't hesitate to use the cards she has at her disposal when the time calls for it. Her selfless acts despite the incredibly risky consequences has pushed her to grow. Even she is somewhat of a hero in growing.

Blanc, someone who was once so weak- had never hesitated to take action and knew what was right deep in her heart. She was scared at first, and always knew that one mistake could cost her life. But she acted anyway, knowing that if she fought for something that was right- that even if she died, she did so doing something for the goodness out of her heart. Blanc, is already a hero. More heroic than anyone I had met.

Have I ever taken the first steps towards heroism? Or did I always blindly believe that being a knight would mean that I'm a hero..?

I didn't take my first steps at all...

Kerian's words... 'What you do now, will decide who you are in the future... Yuji... you saved my wife, and my kid-sister. So don't think about only the wrongs that have happened, because you acted and did what was right.'

They echoed in my mind, and as I thought about those moments, I had remembered that golden glow I had felt...

These were my first steps, as a Hero. What I did today, will decide who I become in the future... I don't want to be a Knight. I want to be a Hero, who defends and protects the good will of his people.