Chapter 74: Volume 2, Chapter 19 – I Am Starting

“Something on your mind, Ryuuko?”

At last, someone had broken the gentle silence that had settled around us ever since we departed from the checkpoint. 

The three of us walking back to the Fissure together was kind of nostalgic in a way. Memories of my journey with Lucrezia and the others had slowly made their way into my mind, and even the memories of lugging Liandra around over my shoulder as we headed toward the Precipice of Night were fond.

An unspoken oath of unity had been born between the three of us, and the silence had been proof of that, like a palpable expression of that bond.

So we allowed it to drag on as we basked in its comfort, almost as if it were sacrosanct.

I turned to Liandra, curious as to why she’d suddenly decided to address me despite that. I touched a hand to my face, wondering if my expression had really been that concerning.

It hadn’t.

“Somewhat. Though, I didn’t expect you of all people to be concerned about me.”

Liandra frowned, and I immediately regretted my choice of words. “‘You of all people’? Yeah, I suppose. We were enemies not too long ago, and I’ll admit that I hated your guts. I can’t say that I’ve lost all of my resentment for you, but...”

Liandra’s voice trailed off and her eyes slid away from mine. It was clear that she wasn’t ready to express those particular feelings about moving on from the past just yet, but at the very least she seemed to no longer see us as enemies.

Honestly, I was amazed. Liandra and I had been at each other’s throats only months ago. Not only that, but I’d destroyed the place that she’d spent most of her life and taken her away from her home. Yet, she’d found it in herself to forgive me so easily.

Despite that, I was still stuck in the past. Sure, I was well on my way to moving on, but part of me still bore those chains. Part of me still couldn’t ignore those eyes that never stopped judging or those hands that never stopped pulling.

Truly, I began to develop a sense of respect for Liandra, and it only reinforced my resolve toward what I knew I needed to do.

Two years wasn’t even that much time when you really thought about it. Upon leaving the fortress, I knew what I wanted, but I still hadn’t found the resolve I needed to really start putting it into action.

I still wanted to put it off as long as I could, trying to invent whatever excuses I could find. But no longer.

Not when Liandra showed me that the only thing holding me back was myself.

Those heavy shackles preventing me from living in the present... Those blackened chains obscuring the light of tomorrow, I’ll shatter them all now!

“Liandra, Radeca. I need your help.”

The two looked at me in question as I stood still. A brief gust of wind tousled my long black hair before the air became still. The cerulean sky was cloudless, and the sun was struggling to reach its zenith.

You are reading story I Am the Greatest at novel35.com

Around me was nothing more than barren dirt and dust, disturbed by our movement. Yet even that would settle soon and return to the ground.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The next time I opened them, I felt a sense of certainty set over me. Liandra and Radeca could feel it too, their expressions betraying a mix of surprise and curiosity.

Although the slight pause between us was probably meant for me to elaborate more on the nature of my request 

“You saved my life, Ryuuko. I am willing to consider whatever it is you ask of me.”

In contrast, Liandra scoffed. “Just get on with it. I owe you for freeing me from that collar, but I’m not going to do anything ridiculous.”

I nodded and gathered my courage before speaking. If they refused me after listening to what I had in mind, I wouldn’t blame them. It was crazy, anyway.

“What I’m about to ask of you is probably insane, but I have a feeling that we’ll be able to pull it off. In fact, it’s so insane that you might even end up dying as a result of helping me out. But even so, I can’t tell you what it is until you’ve agreed. Knowing this, would you still lend me your aid?”

Of course, there was a moment of long silence. It was painfully obvious that the two of them were considering the consequences of joining me in what sounded like a suicide mission. The fact that I couldn’t provide any information outside of it being an idea so insane that death was a high possibility wasn’t helping either.

Whatever... I gave it a shot, and it wasn’t like I was expecting any—

“I’ll do it.” Radeca’s clarion voice rang loud and clear, brighter than even the noonday sun that now hung high above our heads. “I no longer have a home to return to, and I do not wish to live out my life as naught but a vagrant. If I die in the process of seeking greatness, then so be it.”

I blinked, stunned. Although I was the one who had asked her to join me in this insane quest of mine, I didn’t actually believe that she’d accept. Of course, part of me wished that she would, but I knew that such a thing would never come true.

At least, that was what I thought.

“You’re crazy, Ryuuko. Like I said, I haven’t completely gotten over my dislike of you. And here you are, standing before me and pretty much asking me to die for you.” Liandra laughed, her response a stark contrast of Radeca’s. “What a farce.”

Liandra floated toward me and levitated upward so that her eyes were level with mine. She reached out with one delicate hand and grasped the collar of my shirt. “I can’t die, Ryuuko. I’ve never truly lived. All my life, I’ve lived for others. The Tall Tower, the Black Constellation, and most recently, the goddamn Ardene Kingdom.” 

I began to nod, thinking that was her way of rejecting my offer. But then, Liandra smirked. “If you want me to die, you’re going to have to show me how to live first. So, what’s the plan, Ryuuko?”

I smiled. Radeca and Liandra were probably the most unlikely of allies. We barely knew each other and yet, here we were, acting as if our hearts were bared.

There was no more hesitation in my heart. I spoke my next words with fervence and determination. It was finally time to mark the beginning of my story in this godforsaken world.

“We’re going to make this world ours.”

You can find story with these keywords: I Am the Greatest, Read I Am the Greatest, I Am the Greatest novel, I Am the Greatest book, I Am the Greatest story, I Am the Greatest full, I Am the Greatest Latest Chapter