Promise

"Sob!...Sob!...Sob!... I'm sorry...

...This is all my fault...

...If only I hadn't told you that day that you could still become a great Adventurer even if you can't use Magic, unlike everyone else...

...If only I hadn't taught you a way to fight using the Knowledge of the person who I was once before...

...If only I didn't help you find your strength...

...If only I had just told you that it's enough to live a fun and ordinary life...

...If only I didn't desire to see more of this unfamiliar world...

...Then you won't be here dying in this place."

Vier wakes up hearing the cry of the person standing in front of her.

The person who believes in her even though she has already given up on her dream.

The person who has taught her not just to fight but many other amazing things.

The person who helped her find the strength to stand on her own.

The person who inspired her dream of a great adventure.

The person who only asks one thing for all the great things she has given to her.

...Promise me that you won't give up your dream to become a great Adventurer. Become a great Adventurer and show me more of this unfamiliar world of yours...

Vier wakes up hearing the cry of her Onee-chan, who is always there for her.

She doesn't need to ask what happened. For Vier has witnessed with her own eyes everything that happened with the fight against the Rank 6 Black Weretiger Monster.

She doesn't need to wonder for the reason behind those tears. For Vier understands what her Onee-chan means when she says that Vier is dying.

She doesn't need to hear her Onee-chan's cry to know her pain. For Vier already feels that same pain in her heart.

She's nothing but the girl who once cried in her dream, a weak girl who until now has received many great things from her. Yet, at this moment, Vier wanted to become someone who could console her Onee-chan crying in front of her.

And at that moment, for the first time since she has met the being who is her Soul Ember, the Phantom who has chosen to become her Onee-chan, Vier, who keeps on trying her best to fulfill her promise, speaks of words to become someone who can console her Onee-chan.

"If this is going to be the last of my adventure, then I'm going to make it the greatest of all."

When the Phantom raises her head to look at Vier, what she finds is not an image of a little girl crying because of hopelessness nor the image of a weak girl trembling because of fear from the monster hunting her.

What she finds is an image of a girl brave and proud, a girl who is prepared to face the fate that stands before her.

"Please keep on watching me until the end, like how you've always been there for me, Onee-chan."

At that moment, Vier woke up back to the place where she would fight until the last of her strength.

.

.

.

After being driven to the corner by the repeated explosions of Karna's Magic, the Black Weretiger Monster retaliated, unleashing power with all of its strength.

A large blast of Dark Attribute exploded creating a shockwave to counteract Karna's Magic and release hundreds of Dark Attribute blades that tear everything apart that is blocking its paths. Including Vier's Aurichalcum Shield.

The shockwave from the explosion of Dark Attribute didn't only blow the Neo Heroes and Vier but also made all of them unconscious.

The Dark Attribute blade not only tear apart Vier's Aurichalcum Shield and injured Slain and Renxa, but it also cut Vier's face, blinding her left eye and severing Vier's right arm.

Vier woke up, unable to see half of what was in front of her and unable to feel anything below her right shoulder.

Even without the cut on her face, Vier should have been dead from the loss of blood from having her right arm severed.

Yet when Vier looks at her right shoulder, where her right arm should be attached, what she finds is her pet slime, Puro-III, doing its best to stop the bleeding of her severe arm using its Regeneration skill.

Vier smiles at the site of her pet slime, her loyal companion, and her friend, who, even in this grave situation, hasn't still abandoned her and once again has saved her life.

"Thanks for giving more time, Puro-III."

Vier understands that Puro-III's Regeneration skill won't be enough to heal her injuries completely and save her life. Puro-III can only keep Vier alive for a few more minutes until its Mana runs out.

"But that's enough time to let this bastard know its place."

That between Vier and the Rank 6 Black Weretiger Monster, Vier is the hunter, and the bastard is the prey.

.

.

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As the consciousness of the Neo Heroes returns with the pain of their injuries, they also see the dreadful yet admirable image in front of them.

A little girl standing in front of them, confronting a monster way beyond what they feared.

Yet that girl never trembles in fear.

The ground where she's standing has been stained red from her blood dripping from her severe arm.

But that girl stood there brave and proud, ready to face the monster.

And when that girl speaks to them, her voice doesn't have any signs of despair but is full of courage even in the hopeless situation she is about to face.

"I'm gonna make that bastard suffer for hurting my friends."

Understanding Vier's resolve of what she intends to do, Renxa and Slain gather what is left of their strength to get back on their feet.

Slain carries both the unconscious Mifumi and Felin as Renxa does his best to drag Karna, who refuses to leave Vier behind.

"No!... I won't leave you behind!... I won't abandon you!... I promise her that I will save you!..."

"You already saved me once, Ms. Karna. So please, I'm asking you to save my friends this time."

Once again, Karna feels like a hypocrite. Wanting to save everyone else yet she can't save the little girl standing in front of her. To save Mifumi and Felin at the cause of abandoning Vier.

"Please don't make me regret the life I chose for myself."

Karna can only whisper those wishes as she watches Vier's image disappear.

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"Now that it's only the two of us, let's see which one is the savage hunter and the hopeless prey."

...RARWWW!!!...

"Puro-III..."