[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-journey-to-become-the-zenith":3,"chapter-journey-to-become-the-zenith-journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-105":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Journey to Become the Zenith",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1828442,2432,"Chapter 105: The Third Strike","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-105",105,"\u003Cp>The Third Strike\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well, young knight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The massive blade rose above Queen Amara’s shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brace yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air inside the throne room seemed to tighten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the faint dust floating in the sunlight paused, as if the world itself was holding its breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For this... is the last strike.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time the Queen did something different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until now she had held the enormous sword with a single hand, swinging the weapon with terrifying ease. But now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She placed both hands on the handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The simple act sent a ripple of unease through everyone watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the hidden guards in the shadows stiffened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant she was truly serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>High above her head went the sword, lifted by Amara with quiet slowness. Light from the tall windows struck the blade just right - suddenly it shone, sharp and bright, like a star mid-fall, pausing before the drop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across from her, Videl stood silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hands were already numb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the last hits, her fingers shook. Like fire inside, her arms burned with every move. She could barely lift them again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her legs Shaking took hold of as if they might give way at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She did not move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her sword remained raised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her breathing was heavy, but her sapphire eyes never left the Queen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her body screamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every instinct she possessed howled the same warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Death is coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pressure radiating from Amara felt overwhelming, like a mountain about to fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a fleeting second, fear tried to creep into Videl’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But another voice appeared instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lazy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost teasing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When facing an opponent stronger than you...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Use their strength against them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Videl had heard that advice countless times during training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she had never truly understood it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could someone possibly use the strength of an opponent stronger than them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had always sounded like a riddle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But right now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t have the luxury to question it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I don’t do something...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ll die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amara moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third strike descended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword fell like a collapsing mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sheer force behind the attack distorted the air. The blade screamed as it tore downward, the wind pressure alone forcing Videl’s hair to whip violently around her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To anyone watching—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attack looked capable of cleaving a mountain in half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Videl’s heart pounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mind moved faster than ever before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Use their strength against them...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Use their strength...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Amara’s sword crashed down—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Videl acted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of gripping her weapon tightly like before...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She loosened her grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword in her hands shifted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Queen’s blade collided with Videl’s sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But instead of resisting the full force—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The loosened grip allowed the weapon to slide and redirect the momentum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The terrifying strike was deflected to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade smashed into the marble floor with a thunderous crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same instant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Videl twisted her body and stepped away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attack missed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a brief moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence filled the throne room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It worked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had survived the strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amara’s eyes widened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A smile was already beginning to form on her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well done—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before she could finish the sentence—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She felt it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden, sharp danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A warrior’s instinct screamed inside her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without thinking—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amara shifted her body slightly to the left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that exact moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Videl moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had been standing motionless for a heartbeat after the deflection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her body began to glow faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mana surged violently around her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every last drop she possessed gathered into one final movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her muscles screamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her lungs burned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she forced her body to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her sword flashed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not a wide swing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a heavy strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a single, precise motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A technique Victor had once shown her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strike meant to end a battle instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faster than a blink, the blade sliced the sky. It moved sharp and sudden, flashing past sound itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Footsteps faded into silence. Stillness settled like dust after rain. A breath held too long finally let go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a whisper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sliver of metal cut the air, missing Amara’s skull by inches. The spot she’d occupied seconds before now held only motionless silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A split after that moment -\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRACK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The roof of the throne room exploded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chunk of rock split apart when a thin opening tore down from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A beam of light cut through the high gap, spilling into the hall’s heart. Gold flooded where the king once sat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Floating specks rode the slant of morning sun. Light caught each tiny particle midair. Quiet movement filled the still room. A single shaft showed what usually stays unseen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hush dropped through the room. Silence took hold, sudden and full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amara slowly raised a hand to her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers brushed her right cheek.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she pulled her hand away—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thin red line appeared across her skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young knight’s strike had cut her cheek.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time in years—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone had managed to land a blow on the Queen of Skyfall Kingdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amara stared at the blood on her fingertips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then her gaze slowly shifted back toward Videl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her crimson eyes filled with astonishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What... did you—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another surprise awaited her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young knight who had just pierced the throne room’s roof...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young woman who had cut the Queen’s cheek...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was no longer moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Videl stood frozen in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her sword still raised slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her body perfectly still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her knees gave out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her sword slipped from her fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she collapsed forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Videl had used her final technique—a desperate move that drained every last fragment of mana inside her body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the strike finished—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her consciousness faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young knight who had injured the Queen of Skyfall Kingdom...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had already fallen unconscious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>------------------------------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Authors Notes: Dear Readers, Thanks so much for joining me on this adventure! Your enthusiasm, feedback, and encouragement really keep me motivated to keep bringing *Journey to Become the Zenith* into existence. If you’re loving the Chapters, I’d love it if you supported my book with a Powerstone, review, or even a Golden Ticket—it helps me develop as a writer and lets more readers enjoy the story. I look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts, so please don’t hesitate to share!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With love,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scorpio_saturn777\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creator of Journey to Become the Zenith\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>--------------------\u003C\u002Fp>",1075,"2026-06-09T06:06:36.927Z",1,"novelbin.me","63d08f0d8ab64f322c290f54c0fb9529a73dc3239da758ad9360399f7f606f49","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-106","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-104",253,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fjourney-to-become-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]