Van is a young man at war with himself with two very powerful opposing sides. The one side is his desires-what he specifically wants. The other is duty-what he owes or believes he owes other people. The two forces keep him tangled up and confused until the final battle where he must fight against a friend or seek the one he loves. There is one scene at the beginning of the show where this conflict is especially clear.

Hitomi had been chasing Merle because she stole her pendent and was running away with it. She passes by a sliding wood door that happens to be open a bit and sees something that makes her stop. Van appears to be in sword training with Balgus. They both hold their swords down at a 45-degree angle from their sides. Van swings his sword in a slow, fluid motion, grasping the handle with both hands, and then he turns it upright until it is completely vertical. He quickly pivots it so the broad part is to the side.

Balgus does much the same thing except faster and with more skill. Van lowers his sword into a charging position and, after a pause and a deep breath, Van charges at his teacher. The swords clash and it appears Balgus has easily blocked Van's attack. He forces Van back and declares, "You're not charging aggressively enough, Lord Van. Come at me like you mean to kill me!"

Van (who is no longer in battle mode so to speak) gets a very typical teenager look (he practically rolls his eyes) as he says, "I don't like mortal sword combat."

"Lord Van, it's a poor thing for a man who is about to become king of Fanelia to hold such weak sentiments."

"It's not like I'm becoming king because I want to," he quietly replies, his expression one of sullen reflection.

Considerably less severe, Balgus only says, "Lord Van…" A realizes that Hitomi is there and says, "We have a guest."

Van turns to the door and sees Hitomi who looks around and, apparently unable to escape, and says, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to snoop."

"Oh, it's you," Van responds.

Suddenly Merle, who was sitting near Hitomi, speaks. "That's the problem with you foreigners… No manners."

The scene ends with Hitomi getting her pendent and Balgus promising to help her return to her planet since she had saved Van's life.

This scene is significant for several reasons. Van is still in many ways still a teenager. Although he was able to take the dragon, he still hasn't completely developed as a warrior. Right now his attacks aren't aggressive enough, while later he would become overly aggressive to the point of being reckless. Also he doesn't finish his lessons which would have taught him better judgement, something that would have also been helped with time and experience. In this scene he is being uncharacteristically passively deviant, declaring his own desires, but obviously trapped from acting on them.

Second, Van's attitude becomes clearer. At first he seems very cocky (as Hitomi points out) and so stuck up that he won't even acknowledge Hitomi's aid in the dragon battle. In fact, he doesn't have the confidence that would be expected of some one who had completed the rite to become king. He seems cocky because he is trying very hard not to be scared, and frankly facing a dragon with the objective of killing it is a situation where only a fool would feel no fear. He obviously knows that Hitomi helped him with the dragon since he comments on how she keeps saving him. The dragon slaying is a rite and to need aid might be considered weakness, even if he is very young, and the fact that she is a girl might make things worse.

Finally he says something very important. "I don't like mortal combat." Although Folken indicates something to that effect, Van rarely acts reluctant to battle. This moment isn't simply foreshadowing the change that will occur from this point to the climactic battle, but rather reveling a core truth to Van's character. He doesn't really want to fight, nor does he want to be a ruler. The answer Balgus gives is significant as well. His desires are in conflict with his responsibilities and this will only worsen as he is pulled into war until he practically forgets exactly what it is he wants. Folken knows he wants peace and an end to the violence, but his method only hurts more.

His feelings for Hitomi are tied in with this essential conflict between his sense of duty and his sense of self. For instance, he confuses Hitomi with her powers, which earns him a smart slap. He also seems to believe that he can best help her by fighting for the sake of protecting her (as he says he will in the last battle) when it only causes him more suffering, which in turn hurts Hitomi. In the end, he abandons the battle for the sake of what he desires, which is to be with Hitomi.