The poor vampire was surrounded but Claire only saw her rampage. Bloody limbs and heads flew, strings of hardened blood flowed as she sliced and diced. A punch, a bang, and a smushed plaster of meat and gore remained. There were screams but the army was much too big for Alicia to take on alone and, soon, her vision filled with Goblins.

The Ice Queen frowned as she stepped forward, white hair blowing, an aura of dancing blue light shrouding her.

"I shall end this, then."

A trouble to her companion was a trouble to her.

She raised her hand and her mana flowed. An azure light glimmered just below the black ceiling of the mountain's innards and a massive block of ice covered the sky.

"Oh my god. . ." Aura said, staring up at the gigantic block after making her way to the two. She gripped her bag tighter with unblinking eyes. . .

Fieth's hand twitched, 'It was a mistake after all, I should have reached this city sooner.'

Claire strained her mind, controlling the beastly mass and ripping it to chunks of ice before shaping it into countless spears of ice.

. . .was this the strength she should wield? Was this what Fieth wanted?

"ALICIA. . .dodge."

A bloodied vampire turned into a bat and a rain of spears fell from the sky.

Claire accelerated her attack whence her companion fluttered. She showed no emotions as an army turned to none before her. They were apt to dodge as well as they could, but her cold, azure, eyes jumped to and fro—tracking every last one of them down with a whistling spear of ice that followed the initial rain.

However. . .

-Bang-

She narrowed her eyes.

. . .a goblin shattered her spear.

'Oh my,' She thought as the creature turned towards her, enraged, and soon chased.

It was bronze in color. Arguably smaller than any of the evolved goblins she had just slaughtered but—it was definitely far more powerful, and it was angry.

She was about to kill it as well when a voice called out.

"Wait-"

Claire turned around to see the dark elf jittering on her toes like a rabid dog.

'What's gotten into her all of a sudden?'

Aura took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Please. . ." She asked, a fire dancing in her eyes.

There was a tugging pain in her chest, seeking the beast before her, and pitting her. That was the call of a Hero.

".  . .please," She said as she dropped her bag, "Let me fight him."

"You?"

"What?" Fieth drew his weapon, "We had an agreement!"

Fuck, he cursed within his mind. Was his plan falling through? Why was his <Rumor> not working right?

He gripped the shoulder of the girl, and quickly spouted, "<I heard a rumor. . .that you entrusted me with your record> "

However, after seeing Fiora's confused eyes, and what little effect his words had, Fieth cursed and ran, pushing her aside.

"Fieth!" The elf shouted but the male was already gone.

'So, that's how it worked.' Claire smiled as she watched the man run towards the goblin. 'A rumor.'

The mystery formed and solved itself in her head with the last puzzle piece. His skill was truly broken, she thought. He could control a person's actions to a degree, but she reasoned only one individual could be influenced at a time, else why wouldn't he have tried it on her? Then, she thought, defeating a Hero's legend. . .would it make one a Hero in return?

"Umm-"

"Hush, just watch."

She held back the frenzied Dark Elf and looked at the clash to be ahead. Because, she knew, there was no way Fieth could win—there was simply an overpowering difference.

His sword slashed down.

An arm took the brunt of the attack, taking no damage whatsoever.

"Humph, you invaded my kingdom with this weak a strength?" Red eyes stared at him as the maw of the beast opened.

"What the-"

Flames danced and Fieth quickly jumped back. His weapon spun as he threw it into the air, escaping the blaze and coming back down with a stab.

However,

The creature merely scoffed and grabbed his weapon before slamming him upon the earth.

-BANG-

A scream leaped from his lips as a crunch rang.

'. . .so this is the power of a Record. . .' He struggled to think and gritted his teeth. He needed to be a Hero and he needed to come out on top, he needed to return to his family and reclaim his position.

His body laid limp on the floor yet, before he could move, a feet stamped upon his leg, shattering it and preceding another bloodcurdling scream.

A kick sent his body rolling across the space, and soon, a beast looked down at him as it raised a foot to his face.

"I'm sorry. . .I just. . .I just wanted to be a hero. . ."

"What delusions," The Goblin king spouted, "And I just wanted to save my people."

Claire looked on as the noble finally shouted.

". . .please, save me!"

Badum.

The Ice Queen smiled as a bat fell to her side.

Badum.

A heart bet wildly and an elf ran forward.

-BANG-

The creature slid against the earth, flying back and crashing into the corpses of his race.

"And I. . .above all else. . .above all else. . ." Aura Bello Fiora sucked in a cold breath as she stood before the man.

She watched as the beast stood back up, shake its head, roar, then leaped towards her with a maw that spouted flames.

Her fist clenched as tears fell from her eyes in remembrance of a past memory.

The ground rumbled, rocks, debris, everything shuddered upon it.

Mana ran through the veins of the earth and found its way through the soles of her feet. She took everything, gathered every last bit of strength she had.

'I get it now,' Claire thought as she watched the girl facing the oncoming flames.

The status of a Hero, when the need arises, made one overcome all fears. Even such a timid person turned into that. She smiled, taking more interest in this hero business and this world.

[Legend of the Hero of Heart, First Chapter, 'Smile - I want to be a hero!']

At that moment, Claire's mind boomed with a familiar voice as a scene played out in her mind, matching that which she was witnessing.

[She stood before his dying body, shielding him from the beast ahead as a fist formed with all the rage of the earth.

". . .I want everyone to smile. . ."

Her fist shined with a golden light.

"I want to be a Hero!" Her voice bellowed like that of a dragon's roar.

No matter what time it was, no matter what era the world found itself. Whether chaos loomed or peace reigned. . .

Her fist struck out.

The punch shattered the air and smacked away the flames to strike the creature.

The mountain trembled under the fist.

. . .the heart of a hero remained!

The ground cracked beneath her and the Goblin King blew apart upon impact, becoming a mush of blood that scattered within the air.

On that day, the Hero of Heart re-awoke to make her presence known.]

Tears filled Fieth's eyes.

He had failed.

As the girl fell to a crouch, taking deep breaths and having put her all into that single blast, Claire couldn't help but mutter.

"Those with the largest griefs. . .have the greatest heart."