In the infirmary, Vetra sat on his bed with his back resting against the wall, quietly reading a book. His body was tightly wrapped in bandages, his wounds clearly in the process of healing. He had lost an arm—but it didn't seem to bother him much.
As he focused on his book, he heard the door to his room open.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Princess Clover.
His mood shifted instantly. So drastically, in fact, that he forgot about his injuries and moved too quickly—only to feel a sharp, searing pain tear through his body.
"Ah—!"
Clover rushed to his side at once, worry written all over her face as she helped him sit back properly.
"Are you alright, Vetra? You should take it easy. Your injuries are no joke," she said gently.
{S-she just used my name…? Is this a dream? Getting injured is officially the best thing that's ever happened to me…}
Vetra thought, smiling despite the pain.
"W-what are you doing here, Princess?" he asked. "I hope you weren't hurt."
"No, I'm fine. And that's thanks to you," Clover replied before letting out a quiet sigh.
"I came to apologize, Vetra."
He looked at her, confused.
"What happened to you was because of my stubbornness. If I had listened to you and moved when you told me to, we would've avoided the attack—and you wouldn't be here right now." She bowed deeply.
"I am truly sorry."
Vetra froze.
Then, panicking, he jumped out of bed to stop her—reopening his wounds in the process.
"DARN IT!!" he yelled as pain shot through him.
"Vetra! Take it easy!" Clover exclaimed, horrified.
"I-I'm fine… I'm fine, Princess," he said through clenched teeth as he leaned back again.
"Princess Clover, that wasn't your fault. Even if we had escaped that attack, I would've returned to the battle anyway. I'm a captain before anything else. Getting hurt—or even losing my life—is part of that duty."
He looked at her earnestly.
"I'm just glad my efforts weren't in vain… and that you're safe. So please—stop blaming yourself."
Clover stared at him… then smiled.
Vetra's heart skipped.
Twice.
It was the first time he had ever seen her smile like that—and to him, it was glorious.
"W-why are you laughing, Princess?" he asked.
"Forgive me," she said softly. "Your father told me the exact same thing."
She sighed, then looked him directly in the eyes.
"Thank you, Vetra. I promise to make it up to you."
That smile again.
Vetra was hanging on by a thread.
"Oh—right. That was actually one of the two reasons I came to see you," Clover continued.
"Someone else is here… and they said they can fix your arm."
Vetra stared at her in shock.
"You can come in now."
Jericho and Erica entered the room.
The moment Vetra saw Jericho, the blissful mood he'd been floating in evaporated. A dark cloud seemed to hang over him. The shift was so sudden it was impossible to miss.
Clover noticed—but chose to ignore it.
"Hello, Captain of the Slingers," Jericho said with a light laugh.
"I don't believe we've been formally introduced. I'm Jericho von Menssai—though just 'Jericho' will do for now."
He gestured to Erica.
"And this is—"
"I am Erica von Righteous," she said calmly.
"Crown Princess of Righteous and Captain of the Holy Knights."
Vetra straightened.
"It's an honor to meet you both. I am Vetra von Warmark, son of Duke Konrad von Warmark, and Captain of the Slingers Corps."
He bowed.
"Thank you for all you did for our nation. You were instrumental in our victory. And Princess Erica—thanks to you, Princess Clover and the twins survived. I am forever in your debt."
"No need for thanks," Erica replied. "I'm just glad I arrived in time."
Vetra bowed again.
"So… forgive me for being direct," he said, turning to Jericho.
"But what brings you here to see someone like me?"
Jericho stepped forward.
"I came to examine your arm. Losing Captain Sirius was already devastating—losing you as well would be disastrous for Warmark, especially now."
He lowered his voice.
"Captain Vetra… please allow me to help you. Let me restore your arm."
Silence fell.
Vetra looked down, deep in thought.
"I still can't believe Captain Sirius is gone," he said quietly.
"If someone had told me he would fall, I wouldn't have believed them."
He exhaled.
"You're right, Lord Jericho. This loss is devastating. And in this state… I'm useless to my nation."
Clover glanced at Jericho—but quickly looked away when she saw him about to return the gaze.
"The battle we faced was beyond anything we were prepared for," Vetra continued.
"If we want to survive… if we want to protect the people we love… we must adapt."
He lifted his head.
"So on that note, Lord Jericho… I must decline your offer."
"VETRA!" Clover cried.
He raised his remaining arm to stop her.
"Please—let me finish."
He looked at Jericho steadily.
"I'm grateful beyond words that you can restore my arm. Truly. But I want to keep this injury—as a reminder."
His eyes burned with determination.
"A reminder of the heights I must reach. I don't see this as a setback. I see it as my new motivation."
He clenched his fist.
"I will become the strongest in Warmark—and beyond. No matter who I face next time, I will emerge victorious."
Jericho stared at him—stunned.
Then he smiled.
"Well said, Captain. It would be an honor to fight beside you… and to call you my friend."
He placed a hand on Vetra's shoulder.
Without realizing it, Vetra smiled.
The bitterness he had felt toward Jericho vanished completely.
Clover noticed the change—and was relieved.
"I won't press the issue any further," Jericho said.
"But allow me to at least get you out of this infirmary… and give you a head start toward your ambition."
Vetra nodded.
Jericho extended his hand.
"Soul Casting… Silver Regeneration."
Light erupted from his palm. Liquid silver flowed outward, wrapping around Vetra and engulfing him completely.
Clover stared in awe—it was the first time she had ever seen Jericho use his power.
Moments later, the light faded.
Vetra stood renewed.
The blood-soaked bandages were spotless. His wounds were sealed. The pain—gone.
Only his missing arm remained.
"All the pain… it's gone," Vetra whispered.
"So this is soul energy…"
He dropped to one knee.
"Lord Jericho—I am forever in your debt. On my honor, I will assist you in any way you require."
Jericho offered his hand.
"It's fine. You'll be vital to what comes next. I'll be counting on you."
Vetra grasped it firmly.
"Of course, Lord Jericho."
⸻
Clover, Erica, and Jericho left the infirmary together, leaving Vetra behind as the doctors continued their examinations to ensure he was fully recovered. Though his pain was gone, they insisted on keeping him for observation a little longer.
Meanwhile, the three of them headed toward the training dome.
It was finally time to test Erica's ancient weapon.
As they walked through the castle halls, they ran into Alice, Rose, and William. Rose was leading them through what looked like a small tour of the castle, and judging by their direction, they were headed toward Warmark's famous garden.
"Oh?" William said with a smile as he noticed them. "Looks like the meeting's over. How did it go?"
"Oh, hello William," Jericho replied. "Yeah, it went very well. Everything's settled now."
He glanced at the others. "Where are you and Alice headed? And—um… Rose, right?"
Jericho gave a small bow. Rose nodded politely in confirmation.
"We got a bit bored just sitting around," William answered. "So Miss Rose kindly offered to show us around. We're actually on our way to the famous maze garden of Warmark."
His eyes suddenly locked onto the weapon Erica was carrying.
"…And what exactly is the commander holding?"
"Oh, that," Jericho said casually. "After the meeting, Clover took us to her lab—which, by the way, was incredible."
Clover turned red at the compliment.
"This weapon is one of the many relics she's been studying. And get this—it was crafted using the same material we're preparing to retrieve from the Mist Mountains."
Alice and William stiffened.
"The Luxton Star," Jericho continued. "We're heading to the training dome to test it out at Erica's full power."
Their interest ignited instantly.
"Oh my…" Alice said, eyes shining. "A weapon that can withstand the commander's full strength? Please—I have to see this."
William nodded firmly. "Looks like we're tagging along."
Together, they made their way toward the training dome.
⸻
When they arrived, the area was completely empty.
The king had issued days off for the military so everyone could focus on recovery after the recent attack. As a result, only Jericho, Clover, Erica, Alice, Rose, and William were present.
The training dome was massive.
A colossal stadium with a retractable roof, giving it its name. Elevated seating surrounded the field, allowing spectators to safely observe mock battles, tournaments, and large-scale drills.
It could accommodate nearly seventy-five thousand people.
The field itself was vast and open, with reinforced steel lining the walls—built to endure even the most destructive clashes.
Alice, Erica, and Sir William stood in awe as they took it all in.
"This place…" Alice murmured. "It's enormous."
"It's even larger than the training hall in Righteous," William added. "Mostly because this is outdoors… but still."
They could feel how advanced it was.
Erica stepped forward, her grip tightening around the sword.
Jericho and the others moved far back, putting as much distance between themselves and her as possible. Jericho then raised his hand and gave her the signal.
She inhaled deeply.
Steady. Focused.
And then—without holding anything back—
Using one hundred percent of her power for the very first time—
She began.
"Sword Technique… Lava God Strike."
The moment the words left her lips, the air exploded.
A violent, crushing wind manifested instantly—so powerful that the ground beneath them trembled. Jericho reacted at once, activating his ability to anchor himself and shield the others from being blown back.
{Did she just activate the third—and highest—class of the flame element?!}
Jericho thought in utter disbelief.
"W-W-WHAT IS THIS?!" William shouted, completely losing his composure for the first time in years.
"Since when could the commander do something like this?!" Alice cried out.
"I thought she only had the three standard casting techniques—what is this?!"
Clover clung tightly to Jericho, eyes wide.
{What… tremendous power… Is this really normal?}
Jericho laughed loudly—genuinely thrilled.
"She really did it…"
He laughed again.
"She's amazing. Truly a prodigy."
The others stared at him in confusion, still struggling to process the overwhelming force unfolding before their eyes.
⸻
As the violent wind erupted around her, Erica's body began to glow a deep crimson red. Slowly, that same color spread to her sword. The moment she swung it, a torrent of molten-red lava poured from the blade like a raging waterfall, the front of the attack shaping itself into the head of a massive dragon, jaws wide as if ready to devour its prey.
The attack engulfed the entire training dome.
Jericho reacted instantly. He grabbed both Clover and Alice, leaping out of the arena with all his strength. William scooped up Rose, activating his unique soul-energy enhancement technique to amplify his physical abilities, and followed closely behind Jericho. Even with the massive distance they had put between themselves and Erica, they barely escaped the strike.
That distance alone was what saved them.
The damage inflicted upon the training dome was astronomical. The thunderous roar of the attack echoed far beyond the grounds, reaching the residential sections of the castle and spilling into the city itself.
Erica exhaled heavily as both she and the sword stopped glowing. A sudden lightness overtook her head. Before she could fully process what had happened, she saw the sheer devastation her attack had caused. The shock alone was enough to push her past her limit.
"Wh-what the—"
She collapsed onto her back, unconscious.
As the smoke slowly dissipated, the others finally saw the full extent of the destruction.
It was catastrophic.
The reinforced steel lining the walls had completely melted away, leaving behind only pools of molten metal. The walls themselves were gone. The ground was riddled with massive craters, making it impossible to even find stable footing.
Erica had single-handedly destroyed the entire training dome of Warmark.
"Holy native melons…" Rose whispered, a cold sweat running down her face. "What was that? Did the princess of Righteous really do all this… with just one attack? That power is terrifying…"
Jericho looked down in the direction Clover was pointing.
"She's down! Is she alright? We have to check on her!" Clover called out anxiously.
Jericho gently set Clover down in the audience section that had somehow remained intact, near where William was standing, and immediately rushed toward Erica.
He lifted both Erica and her sword, then turned back to the others.
"Meet me at the infirmary," he said quickly before leaving.