Chapter 209

209

“Stop them!”

“Keep the legion from breaking through the defense line!”

The Hero Alliance desperately tried to halt the legion’s advance.

Sillatuna, victor of the duel with the Sword Saint, was slowly approaching.

The fortress wall created by Sedgen was also reaching its limit from the continued attacks.

“It’s impossible to hold on any longer! Shouldn’t we retreat to Seirun’s fortress?”

One of Seirun’s instructors suggested to Halind.

At this, Halind looked toward the approaching Demon Queen.

“Then that guy and the unknown Legion Commander inside Seirun will join forces with her.”

The Seirun instructor swallowed hard.

“Can you stop that?”

Halind’s assessment was correct.

If the two Legion Commanders combined their powers, all would be lost.

Trapped between a rock and a hard place, the word “despair” began to clearly invade the minds of the Hero Alliance.

Whoosh! Bang!

At that moment, someone appeared in the sky.

“Who is that?”

One of Seirun’s heroes shouted at the gray-haired young man who had appeared in front of him.

At his shout, the young man – Leo – briefly glanced at the elf.

“Reinforcements.”

“What did you say?”

The elf hero showed a bewildered expression at Leo’s curt reply.

At that moment,

Buzzzzz!

A giant magic circle formed above Sillatuna’s head.

The crimson magic circle emitted a destructive flash of light.

“Get out of the way!”

“Everybody, retreat!”

Sillatuna’s terrifying black magic destroyed everything.

Those who had witnessed the battle between the Demon Queen and the Sword Saint from afar knew all too well just how powerful her attacks were.

As the Hero Alliance retreated, Leo raised his sword.

Whoosh!

A gray aura formed at the tip of Leo’s sword.

“What is he doing?”

“Get out of the way!”

Everyone was horrified as they saw Leo attempting to take Sillatuna’s attack head-on.

‘He’s going to d*e!’

Everyone who saw Leo’s figure thought so.

As they braced themselves, imagining Leo being wiped out without a trace –

Flash!

Leo’s gray sword strike cleaved Sillatuna’s magic in two.

Kooong!

A massive explosion shook the air, sweeping through the legion.

Everyone in the Hero Alliance looked at Leo’s back.

Zwooosh!

Amid the downpour that did not reach them,

Leo spoke.

“For how long will you all continue being frightened?”

A quiet voice.

But through the power of the aura, it reached the ears of everyone in the Hero Alliance.

“You’re heroes, aren’t you?”

Leo turned around.

“Didn’t you achieve great deeds acknowledged by the gods to earn the title of hero?”

“Who exactly are you…?”

Sedgen asked in surprise.

That one strike earlier.

“The principal himself would not have… No, even Principal surpass wouldn’t exceed such powerful swordsmanship…”

“Who are you?”

At Sedgen’s question, Leo casually replied as he lowered his sword.

“My name is Kyle.”

Leo’s gaze turned forward.

“You’re the existence that people call the ‘Hero of Beginning.'”

“Huh?”

“The Hero of Beginning?”

“Nonsense…!”

An existence that had long been treated as a fictional Great Hero.

It was only recently that the existence of this mysterious Great Hero had been uncovered.

The Hero Alliance couldn’t easily believe what Leo was claiming – that this individual was the Hero of Beginning.

But Leo didn’t care.

It didn’t matter whether they believed in his existence or not.

What mattered now was wiping out Sillatuna ahead of him.

“If you are heroes, then prove it.”

Leo said coldly to the frozen heroes.

“If you’re heroes recognized by the gods, show me your valor.”

The voice of the young man who called himself a Great Hero echoed in the heroes’ ears.

“The Demon Queen will be wiped out here today.”

Leo raised his sword upward.

Flash!

Kooong!

Lightning struck his sword.

“Lightning Storm.”

As Leo recited the spell, a storm of lightning surged forth.

Crackling!

“Can someone use such powerful magic…?”

“Isn’t he a knight?”

The power of the magic far exceeded that of even a fairly great archmage, shocking the heroes.

Ain clenched his fist.

“Could it be… the real Hero of Beginning?”

According to legend, the Hero of Beginning was an all-class hero.

If he really was the true Hero of Beginning, it wouldn’t be strange for him to handle both powerful aura and magic simultaneously.

Sillatuna’s army was electrocuted by the lightning.

“No way. No way. No way!”

Watching this from far away, where she had moved away from the fortress, Sillatuna’s face froze up.

This shouldn’t be possible.

Why is he here now, after disappearing 5000 years ago?

“Zerdiaq’s revival in this world was thanks to Lord Erebus’ power!”

Thanks to that, he was able to cross over from the Hero’s World into this world.

If Zerdiaq could cross over, theoretically, Kyle could also move into this world.

But…

“The gods disappeared from the Earth a long time ago!”

There is no one with divine power capable of summoning a Great Hero into this world.

So, how did the Hero of Beginning appear in this world?

Sillatuna lifted her enormous arm.

Crackling!

Crimson sparks flew.

A spear made of potent dark magic formed in her hand.

“Vanish, o specter of the past!”

With a roar filled with killing intent, the spear of destruction flew toward where Kyle’s presence was felt.

Kuang!

A clash of powers.

The gray aura and crimson mana mixed, sending a pillar of light soaring into the sky.

Whoosh!

The dark clouds around disappeared instantly.

The rain ceased, and sunlight that had been hidden behind dark clouds shone through.

Coincidentally, the light fell directly on Leo.

Sillatuna’s face trembled.

“Kyle!”

As Sillatuna called out his name like spitting it out, Leo gripped his sword tightly.

“I’ve come to sever the long-standing grudge from the past. Demon Queen.”

As he said this, three summoning circles appeared around Leo.

“Summoning?”

“What? This power…!”

The summoners’ eyes widened.

A crimson red, a pure white, and a vibrant green that evoked a sense of life.

The summoners knew very well what these colors signified.

Three familiars emerged through the summoning circles.

A giant phoenix perched on Leo’s forearm, its powerful wings flapping.

A small fairy settled on Leo’s shoulder.

Lastly, a beautiful pegasus carried Leo aloft.

[Peep?]

[Huh? Who are you?]

[Is that you, Master?]

Fiora, Kiran, and Arti showed bewildered reactions as they recognized their vower.

To them, Leo said, “I’ll explain the details later. Right now, we have to fight against that.”

The familiars’ gazes turned toward Sillatuna.

[What? That ugly monster?]

[It’s the Demon Queen.]

[Peep! Peep!]

Kiran made a curious expression, while Arti’s eyes narrowed sharply.

Lastly, Fiora flapped her wings belligerently.

“I need your power.”

At this moment, Leo’s power was merely a brief restoration of his past power through divine power.

He could fight Sillatuna head-on but not enough to defeat her alone.

‘I’m not at my prime power.’

Moreover, Leo had a limited time in his current state.

He needed to cooperate with Luna to completely defeat Sillatuna.

But Luna was currently fighting Zerdiaq.

‘Even with Erebus’ power for resurrection, his body has died once before; he can’t be in a complete state.’

Until then, Leo must hinder Sillatuna with all his strength.

“Phoenix, Kiran, bestow your blessings upon the heroes.”

At this, Fiora and Kiran flapped their wings and headed toward the fortress.

“Arti, let’s deal with that.”

With that, Leo pulled on the reins.

[This feeling! Ah! It really is you, Master!]

Arti cheered at Leo’s touch, and she flew toward Sillatuna at an incredible speed.

[How are you here in this world?!]

“Since Zerdiaq could come here, why shouldn’t we?”

[Guh!]

At Sillatuna’s shout, Leo smirked and swung his sword.

Flash! Kooong!

Leo’s enormous gray aura aimed to decapitate Sillatuna.

However, a barrier surrounding Sillatuna activated.

[Let me k*ll you again!]

The mass of flesh on Sillatuna’s body transformed into the shape of a giant snake.

Like a Hydra, the snake’s mouth wide open flew toward Leo to devour him.

Leo pulled on the reins and ascended rapidly into the sky.

And he began to recite a spell.

The strongest magic created by Luna.

Whoosh!

A complex magical seal appeared above Leo’s palm.

Leo finished the incantation.

“End.”

Flash!

Cold morning starlight surged forth.

Along with it, the giant demon snake created by Sillatuna disintegrated into dust.

[Guh!]

Sillatuna’s eyes widened in shock.

Looking down at her, Leo said,

“Queen of Demons.”

Leo pronounced the verdict to the legion commander.

“Your time ends today.”

Swish!

Leo tightened his grip on his sword.

“I’ll bury you in the past, like your companion Zerdiaq.”

*

Clomp… Clomp…

With an uncharacteristically light step that didn’t match the tense situation, Luna walked through the center of the battlefield.

Everyone’s eyes widened at the sight of her.

There was no one who didn’t know Luna.

In textbooks, in written records.

Her beautiful appearance had been seen countless times.

The aspiration of all who beheld her,

The hope that brought peace to this world.

Luna was such an existence, the greatest elf of this world.

The mindless legions of Zerdiaq attacked from all sides.

But Luna didn’t even spare them a glance as she summoned her mana.

Flash!

Hundreds of magic circles, glowing with a golden hue, floated upwards.

Luna, known historically as the strongest mage, raised her mana.

Though she didn’t currently possess the power she had at her zenith, she was far beyond what the mindless legions could ever hope to match.

Kooong!

The spears of light generated around Luna rained down like a torrent.

Zwoooosh!

Luna looked at the rain soaking her hair.

It wasn’t the monotonous black rain.

It was a crystal-clear rain.

To Lumeran and Seirun, this rain symbolized the arrival of calamity.

Simply by existing, Sillatuna could alter the climate.

But to Luna, this rain was very welcome.

‘How many years has it been since I’ve seen clear rain…’

At that very thought,

Flash!

Far away, a pillar of light shot up, dispersing the rain clouds.

Along with it, the sunlight hidden behind the clouds showered down.

Luna looked up into the sky.

Her large golden eyes took in the clear blue sky.

Grip!

Luna’s fingers tightened around her staff, the Polium.

‘We… we truly did save the world.’

Pfft… Tears threatened to fall.

How much had they despaired?

While battling Erebus and Tartarus, they tried to console others with words of hope.

Yet they trembled in fear.

Repeatedly they fell, believing they might fail to save the world.

Even though she herself would d*e.

Even though she wouldn’t be able to witness with her own eyes the recovery of peace in the world.

For Luna, this sky was special.

It felt like being compensated for all the suffering and despair until now.

Stomp!

Luna stopped.

‘The time I have left to remain here is short.’

She could feel her divine power diminishing as she used more of it.

The time she was granted was extremely limited.

But much could be done with even the short amount of time available.

Luna looked at the old elf using the magic of the stars.

The first elf she had ever seen, who seemed to have learned star magic from her, was truly surprising.

It was then when she realized anew that this was the future.

Crack!

Zerdiaq opened his mouth wide.

A torrent of lethal breath poured forth.

“Guh!”

Bennett squeezed out the mana to try to block the attack.

Witnessing this, Luna gripped the Polium.

Flash! Kooong!

A light barrier deflected the breath.

“…”

The gazes of the heroes battling Zerdiaq converged on Luna altogether, and their eyes widened.

“Don’t despair.”

Luna smiled gently.

“It would be nice if we didn’t have to take back this light again.”

Whoosh!

The vast mana around Luna stirred.

Booooom!

The ground began to shake from Luna’s mana.

“Don’t repeat the same misfortune as us.”

A hexagonal magic circle appeared above Luna’s palm.

Bennett’s hands trembled.

He, called the first progenitor star, knew what this magic was.

He had used it himself.

But… it paled in comparison to hers.

‘The original.’

Bennett looked at the elf exhaling golden mana with a trembling voice and called out her name.

“Lady Luna?”

As if responding to that call, Luna smiled faintly and completed the incantation.

“Star Light.”

The burst of starlight flowing from her hands enveloped Zerdiaq.

“Kiiaaaaaah!”

Zerdiaq’s body, who once died and revived in Kyle’s hands, writhed in agony as his body was torn apart.

‘He’s not in perfect condition.’

Moreover, he had lost his mind and had already taken significant damage from the heroes.

In Luna’s eyes, Zerdiaq wasn’t a legion commander.

Just a monster driven by the instinct to destroy.

Zerdiaq’s eyes flashed and he summoned the gigantic great sword, Venom.

“Rooooaaaar!”

BOOM BOOM BOOM!

Roaring, he charged toward Luna.

Bennett hastily deployed a magic.

“Chain Stella!”

Ziiiiiiing!

The light chains that extended from the magic circle wrapped around Zerdiaq’s body.

Kooong!

Zerdiaq’s muscles trembled under the light chains.

“Entities from the past should not exist in this world.”

Luna pointed the Polium at Zerdiaq.

“It only causes chaos.”

Whoosh!

A massive magic circle formed.

“Thus, vanish.”

Flash!

“Stella Radius.”

An unnamed magic in history.

A magic exclusive to Luna, not even recorded in Leo’s Bible—a flash of starlight erupted from the Polium.

Kooong!

The flash of starlight, which seemed to pierce the sky, disappeared into the heavens.

Zerdiaq’s body, its upper half blown away, started collapsing.

Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh!

It disintegrated into powder like sand.

The legions summoned by Zerdiaq disappeared similarly.

Luna looked around after putting her staff down.

The students of Lumeran and Seirun gathered around.

“Progenitor… ma’am?”

An elf asked in disbelief.

At this question, Luna smiled without answering.

“Progenitor!”

“Ah! Great Progenitor of the Great Stars!”

The students of Seirun knelt, bowing their heads.

Not only the students of Seirun,

Even among the students of Lumeran, there were those who gave Luna the courtesy of a great hero.

“Lady Luna.”

Bennett approached with a trembling voice.

“Sorry, but I don’t have much time.”

“Eh?”

Whoosh!

Luna opened a warp gate using magic.

“I must go.”

“Where are you going?”

As Ellen asked in a hurry, Luna smiled as if it were obvious.

“To Kyle.”