Chương 83: Apostle

A choice between two gods. Noah could already imagine what accepting Ashe's offer would mean. He could abandon the pain of being a Hero. The betrayal. The constant fear. The way his skin crawled whenever he drew upon The Ladybug, as though the suffering stored within him were trying to tear its way free. Ashe's blessing would strengthen his negative energy. More importantly, it would prevent that power from harming him.

For the first time in his life, Noah could exist without being crushed beneath the suffering of others. He could live the life he had always dreamed of. No longer a Hero. No longer a weapon. Just a student at the Heroes Academy in Castletown. Noah could picture himself standing before the entrance exam, determined to prove that Ashe had made the right choice. He would become the first student in the academy's history to earn a perfect score— A feat no one else would accomplish for another six and a half years.

He would spend his days beside Ava. They would attend classes together, train together, and slowly grow stronger without the threat of death hanging over every moment. Leonardo could teach them martial arts. Deer Man could guide them through the realities of the outside world. Erzabet would no longer be someone Noah had to fear. And he could keep a careful eye on the strange therapist named Alaric Sanguine. It sounded peaceful. Almost ordinary.

Noah had once dreamed of graduating at the top of his class and eventually becoming an instructor himself. He could teach the next generation of Heroes without ever being forced to become one. A quiet life surrounded by people he cared about. A future where he grew old beside Ava. All he had to do was accept Ashe's hand. To choose such a slothful path— To abandon his duty and all the pain that came with it— Was a temptation as sweet as honey. Yet what of his family?

The people who had been murdered, kidnapped, and scattered across the world. To abandon his role as the Hero would mean abandoning his siblings—the two people he still loved with all his heart. It would mean ignoring the resentment that clung to him whenever he remembered his parents. The screams that echoed through his thoughts. The voice inside him that demanded revenge. Perhaps Ashe's blessing could take away the pain carried within his body.

But it could never erase the regret that would poison him if he stopped searching. Abandoning Isaac and Isabelle would hurt far more than death. What if Noah failed to find Isabelle in time? What if The Crows transformed her into the Apocalypse of Curses? And what if they did the same to Isaac, forcing him to become the Apocalypse of Calamity? Countless people could die beneath the destruction they brought. Entire cities might disappear. But above everything else, the lives of Noah's siblings would be shattered.

He could not allow that. Then there were the lives he had already saved. Nox. Cyrus. Cynthia. Even Reverie. Without Noah, most of them would likely be dead. If he had never become the Hero, those smiling faces would never have escaped Medusa's castle. They would not be together now, laughing, arguing, and cherishing the time they had reclaimed. And what of all the people he might save in the future? Could Noah truly abandon them for the sake of his own happiness? No. He could not.

Even if he walked away and lived the peaceful life Ashe promised, he would never be able to forgive himself. That was simply who Noah was. He had promised to live for tomorrow. To stop sacrificing himself without thought. Yet somewhere deep inside, Noah understood the truth. He did not know how to turn away from someone who needed him. Even if his body screamed in pain— This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Even if his power burned through his flesh— As long as he could save one more child or protect one more family, Noah would endure it. He would let himself burn a hundred more times. Deep down, Noah already knew his answer. He had to reject the path of Sloth. The path that promised peace. The path that guaranteed his happiness. Because that happiness would mean nothing if it were built upon the corpses of everyone he had forsaken. Noah looked between the two gods.

"I've made my choice." His eyes burned with conviction. Ashe regarded him curiously.

"Thorns or roses, young Noah?" He rested both hands upon his cane.

"Which path will you choose?" Noah turned toward Lux.

"The path of thorns." Ashe's smile weakened.

"I'll remain the Hero." Noah tightened his grip around his Regalia.

"I refuse to abandon my mission." The faces of his family passed through his mind. Walter. Sarah. Isaac. Isabelle. Then came everyone he had already managed to save.

"Even if this path destroys me over and over again…" His voice trembled, but his decision did not.

"I can't turn away." Lux stared at him for a moment. Then she leapt forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"I knew you'd make the right choice!" Noah stumbled beneath the sudden embrace. Lux squeezed him tighter.

"I mean, I was a little nervous." She glared toward Ashe over Noah's shoulder.

"But only a little." Ashe sighed.

"So be it." Lux released Noah and stepped protectively in front of him. Ashe adjusted his top hat.

"The doors of my academy will always remain open to you." Purple light began gathering around his body.

"I'll remain in the city until the tournament concludes. I'm rather interested in seeing how my dear employees perform." His smile became strained.

"Especially since so many of them decided to abandon their responsibilities and attend without my permission." Alaric immediately came to Noah's mind.

"If you ever change your decision…" Ashe's body began fading into violet light.

"Simply find me." He disappeared completely. The field became silent. Elsewhere, Ashe emerged before a distant orphanage. Sunshine Orphanage stood within the region of Midgard, only a few miles beyond Castletown. It was a peaceful building surrounded by trees and a wide yard where children played beneath the afternoon sun.

"After all…" Ashe rested his cane against his shoulder.

"I still have my other projects." His purple eyes settled upon two young boys in the yard. Isaac sat quietly beneath the shade of a large tree, protected from the sunlight by its branches. Several books rested around him, each far beyond what someone his age should have been capable of understanding. He turned another page without looking up. Nearby, a boy with crimson hair raced through the grass. A black mask covered the lower half of his face as he chased the other children around the yard.

Ashe watched them both with a gentle smile.

"The vessels of Calamity and Plagues." His gaze lingered upon Isaac. Then he turned toward the orphanage entrance and stepped inside. Meanwhile, Lux smiled happily. A small part of her wished Ashe had stayed longer, if only so she could gloat over her victory.

"Alright, Noah." She straightened her posture and took a deep breath.

"Get on your knees so I can bestow my blessing upon you." Noah blinked.

"You could ask a little less dramatically."

"I could." Lux placed both hands on her hips.

"But I won't." Noah sighed before lowering himself onto one knee before her. Lux's playful expression softened.

"A god's blessing manifests differently within every apostle." Golden light began gathering around her body.

"The ability you receive will be connected to my authority, but even I cannot predict its exact form." Noah listened carefully.

"An apostle's power is born when the essence of their soul merges with the concept represented by their god." Lux raised one hand.

"Hope can take many forms." Golden butterflies appeared around them, slowly circling Noah.

"Valor naturally inspires faith in those around him. People are drawn to believe in him, even when they have every reason not to. It is practically a form of hypnosis." Her expression darkened briefly.

"Noah Crest, meanwhile, gained the ability to heal those near him." The butterflies settled upon Noah's shoulders.

"The blessing reflects who the apostle truly is." Lux looked down at him.

"Not who they pretend to be." Noah tightened his hand around the hilt of his Regalia.

"Whatever power you give me…" He raised his eyes toward her.

"I know it will help me on my journey." Lux smiled.

"Good." She stepped closer.

"Noah Fafnir." The golden light surrounding them grew brighter.

"I accept you as my rightful apostle." Her voice carried through the field with divine authority.

"And as the Eighth Hero of this world." Noah felt the air grow warm.

"You are noble down to the very core of your soul." Lux placed one hand against the side of his face.

"The world may change." Empires could fall. Heroes could become monsters. Hope could be twisted into despair.

"But that truth never will." Lux leaned forward and placed a small kiss upon Noah's forehead. Power flooded through him. Noah gasped. Golden light poured into every part of his body, flowing through his blood and gathering around the darkness stored within his skin. Noah looked down as warmth gathered around his wrist. A golden marking appeared upon his skin. Two delicate wings spread from a narrow body. The symbol of a butterfly. Lux stepped back and admired it proudly. Noah stared at the mark.

He had rejected the path of roses. Chosen the thorns. Accepted every wound and burden that awaited him. Yet as the butterfly's wings glowed upon his wrist, Noah felt something he had not expected. The path ahead was still cruel. It would still hurt. But he would no longer walk it alone. The God of Hope had placed everything upon him. And Noah intended to prove that her faith had not been misplaced.