[{"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-26":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},1828563,2432,"Chapter 26: A Night of Unspoken Fire","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-26",26,"\u003Cp>A Night of Unspoken Fire\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor found Videl standing near the far end of the pocket shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she was no longer alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside her stood two women.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was calm and refined—her steel-colored hair cascading like polished metal, eyes steady and observant. The other looked younger, sharper around the edges, with black hair framing a stubborn face and eyes that glinted with defiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Videl herself now carried two weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across her back rested the massive blade—Amura’s physical form. At her waist hung a slender dagger that looked almost ceremonial... almost harmless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor raised a brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey,\" he said casually, folding his arms. \"Don’t you remember? Only one weapon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The calm spirit smiled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The younger one scowled at him and hid half a step behind Videl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know,\" Videl replied, scratching her cheek sheepishly. \"But I found another note. It told me that no matter what... I had to bring this one too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor snorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course the shop owner wanted to get rid of the troublesome one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another man’s trash is another man’s treasure,he thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well,\" he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, \"since we’re done here... let’s leave. I’ve had enough of this place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a strange heaviness in his tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Videl noticed immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s wrong, Victor?\" she asked softly. \"Didn’t you get a weapon?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That look on his face... she had never seen him so... drained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I did,\" he muttered, lifting his right arm. The red-and-black dragon tattoo gleamed faintly against his skin. \"See this? That’s the contract.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tilted his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Diana. Show yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air shimmered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tall woman cloaked in black appeared beside him. Long black hair fell down her back, red eyes burning beneath a thin veil. In her hand rested the weapon she embodied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the spirit of my weapon,\" Victor said calmly. \"And what she holds is what I chose.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nice to meet you,\" Diana said softly to Videl. Though her face was veiled, there was unmistakable composure in her voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Videl’s sapphire eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s so cool! How can she disappear and reappear like that? Why do you get a tattoo and I don’t?\" She turned toward her spirits eagerly. \"Can’t you do that too, Amura? Rika?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor stiffened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He named them already...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’s going to ask me to name her properly too, isn’t she?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amura smiled gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sorry, Master,\" she said warmly. \"I’m still too young to manifest so freely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rika nodded with a small huff. \"Same.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Videl’s shoulders drooped—but only for a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well... that’s okay,\" she said brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind them, Diana’s voice whispered directly into Victor’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master... why do I not have a name like that? Your friend named his spirits.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor closed his eyes briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was still irritated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still frustrated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still unsatisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine,\" he muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"From now on... you’re Diana.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, Master,\" she said quietly. \"I will treasure this name long after your bones turn to dust.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, yeah,\" he replied flatly. \"Let’s just leave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She dissolved back into the dragon-marked tattoo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amura and Rika returned to their weapons as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dimension trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the shop vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane stood alone in the empty lot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Men were scattered across the ground—some unconscious, some groaning, clutching bruised ribs or dislocated shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had not moved from her spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time a man tried to grab her—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She broke him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wasted motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The townsfolk had gathered, amused, betting how long the next fool would last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No guards were called.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had become entertainment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor and Videl appeared out of thin air beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd gasped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the next heartbeat—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three of them disappeared again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Inn\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They chose a quiet inn near the edge of town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No awkwardness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t the first time they had shared space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wooden door shut behind them with a soft thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped forward and pulled both girls into his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not hesitantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lips found Lane’s first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kiss was deep—intense—driven by something that had been building inside him since earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane inhaled sharply but didn’t pull away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers curled into his shirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hand slid around Videl’s waist, pulling her closer. His mouth left Lane only long enough to capture Videl’s lips next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kiss was hungrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Videl froze for a heartbeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then melted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her arms wrapped around his neck instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the frustration he had carried—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unfinished battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The provocation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rising heat he’d felt when facing Clara and Isabella earlier—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It spilled out in this single moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hands tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not crude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not careless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Possessive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hungry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane’s breath grew uneven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Videl’s cheeks flushed deep red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s control thinned—but did not break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He guided them back toward the bed, movements urgent but deliberate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clothing loosened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fabric slipped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warm skin met warm skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no rush to dominate—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the need to feel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To anchor himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To drown out the lingering tension from earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane’s quiet gasps filled the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Videl’s soft, trembling breaths followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor buried his face against Lane’s neck, inhaling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then turned, pressing his forehead to Videl’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t look at me like that,\" he murmured faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Like what?\" Videl whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Like I’m the only one losing control.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She swallowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t losing control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had already lost it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bed creaked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hands intertwined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Breath tangled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, the inn grew quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the Tattoo\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Diana felt the waves of emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pulse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was... distracting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She withdrew her senses deeper into the mark etched along his arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amura and Rika materialized faintly near Videl’s resting blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rika blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...That guy’s a beast.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amura flushed slightly but maintained composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master has... intense impulses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rika huffed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No kidding.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two spirits exchanged glances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither looked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not savage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not gentle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when silence finally settled over the room—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor lay between the two girls, breathing steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The storm inside him had quieted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And tomorrow—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new one would begin.\u003C\u002Fp>",1028,"2026-06-09T06:06:36.650Z",1,"novelbin.me","1b53c2a7cf0120ea99929ffc042eadfad6063f421994be1faaa6f1986a6e2997","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-27","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-25",253,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fjourney-to-become-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]