Let's Train Heroine

"You seek the final piece of the map," the spirit said, its voice echoing through the forest like a chorus of whispers. "But do you truly understand what you are after? The relic you seek is not without consequence."

Lucan knew the spirit. According to the game's description, the ancient spirit could see through people's motives, thoughts, and desires.

Lucan needed to think of nothing, to empty his mind.

"I know what I'm doing," Lucan replied, his voice steady. He met the spirit's gaze. "The map will lead me to a relic that I need."

The spirit's eyes narrowed, its form shifting as it sensed his every thought and intention. "Hm... You have good control over your thoughts... I can't sense them well..."

"Yeah, I'm good at controlling."

The spirit seemed to chuckle. "Many before you have said the same. None have succeeded. The map pieces you hold are not mere fragments of parchment; they are keys to a relic of great and terrible power. Are you prepared to face the consequences of unlocking it?"

"I am."

The spirit swayed, considering his words. Then it began to shift and change, its form dissolving into a swirling mist that enveloped Lucan. He felt a weight settle on his chest, as if the spirit's essence was pressing down on him.

The mist whispered around him, voices that sounded both ancient and familiar.

After a few minutes, the mist began to recede, the voices fading into the background. The spirit reformed before him, its expression inscrutable.
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"You have passed the test, though just barely. Your resolve is strong, but your heart is clouded by something unknown, something I can't understand," the spirit intoned. "Take the final piece, but heed this warning: the power you seek will demand a price. Be prepared to pay it, for the relic's true nature is beyond your control."

The spirit extended a hand, and from the mist, the final piece of the map materialized, glowing with an ethereal light. Lucan reached out, his fingers brushing against the cool surface of the parchment. As he took it into his grasp, the spirit began to fade, its form dissolving back into the misty shadows of the forest.

"Remember," the spirit's voice echoed faintly as it vanished, "the choices you make will shape the destiny of more than just yourself."

Lucan stood still for a moment, the final map piece clutched tightly in his hand. With the map finally complete, the Eye of Obsidian was within his reach.

As the spirit's presence faded, the forest around Lucan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. The fog began to lift, and the oppressive tension that had surrounded him lessened. Lucan tucked the map piece securely into his coat, turning to leave the forest. But as he did, he felt a familiar presence.

Maris stepped out from behind a tree, her eyes filled with a mixture of relief and concern. "Lucan-sama," she called softly, "are you alright?"

Lucan had thought it might be Maris who is behind but wasn't sure. He decided that it was time to tell her what he was going to do with this map.

"I'm fine," he said with a smile. "I got what I came for."

Maris's gaze flickered to the pocket where the map piece was hidden, then back to his face. "I see... That's good." She smiled.

"Of course..." After a few seconds of silence, he continued, "The seven map pieces make a big map that leads to the location of the Eye of Obsidian."

"Eye of Obsidian..." Maris muttered. She knew about the Eye of Obsidian from history but didn't know that there was a map that led to it.

"Yeah, I need the Eye of Obsidian to increase my power," Lucan said. "In the future, you'll be facing some tough opponents. As your guardian, I will also face trouble, and that's why I need to be strong."

Maris grew silent. She wanted to say that she was here, that she was powerful, but she couldn't even control her power well, so how could she say that?

The return journey to the academy was quiet.

---

Maris stood in the center of the empty dungeon. She had been preparing for this moment, the one she had feared yet longed for, the one where she would lift the Kingdom Class seal that had bound her power for so long.

The dungeon was a vast, empty space, a remnant of ancient times buried deep beneath the earth. It was the only place she could unleash her true power without fear of harming anyone.

With a deep breath, Maris closed her eyes and reached within herself, feeling the familiar pulse of her power, the one she had suppressed for so long. The Kingdom Class seal had kept it contained.

She whispered the incantation, her voice steady. The seal responded immediately, a shudder running through her body as the invisible chains began to loosen. A rush of energy flooded her senses, a force so potent it nearly knocked the breath out of her. Maris clenched her fists, grounding herself as the seal shattered, and her true power surged to life.

A brilliant light enveloped her, radiating from her core and filling the dungeon with an intense, blinding glow. Maris felt the power coursing through her veins, a torrent of energy that was both exhilarating and terrifying.

For a moment, she reveled in it, the sheer magnitude of her strength. She could feel the world bending to her will, the very air around her vibrating with her presence.

However, the power was growing, expanding beyond her control. She could feel it slipping from her grasp, like water through her fingers. Maris tried to rein it in, to pull it back, but it was like trying to contain a raging storm. The light around her intensified, the ground beneath her feet trembling with the force of her unchecked power.

Panic began to set in as the walls of the dungeon started to crack, thin lines spreading like spiderwebs across the stone. She had to stop it, had to contain it before it was too late. But the more she tried to control it, the more it spiraled out of her command, a force of nature that would not be tamed.

Chunks of stone began to fall from the ceiling, crashing to the ground with a deafening roar. The dungeon shook violently, as if the earth itself was protesting the unleashing of such power. Maris's heart raced as she realized what was happening—she was destroying the dungeon, and she couldn't stop it.

Desperation clawed at her as she struggled to contain the power, to pull it back within herself. But it was too late. The dungeon walls collapsed inward, the ceiling caving in as her power continued to surge uncontrollably. The ground split open beneath her feet.

Maris screamed as she poured all her will into one final attempt to stop the destruction. But the power had taken on a life of its own, a force that refused to be caged. With a final, earth-shattering explosion, the dungeon crumbled around her, burying her in a storm of stone and dust.

And then, there was silence.

As the dust settled, the ruins of the dungeon lay in a heap. The result of Maris's overwhelming power. Beneath the rubble, a faint glow could still be seen. It is Maris.

She lay buried, the weight of her own power pressing down on her, as she fought to regain control, to contain the force she had so recklessly released.

She went ahead and released the seal even though she wasn't ready.