Chapter 424

424.

Crackle—Crack—

A black fissure appeared in the void.

As if a crack had been made in glass.

Drip—streams of pitch-black energy gushed forth from the rift like flowing crimson fumes.

After a short moment,

the dark smoke pouring out of the fissure carried with it an overwhelming aura of d*ath.

The green grass beneath began to rot away.

Had any student seen this scene, they’d likely have been paralyzed with fear, unable to scream.

The energy of d*ath soon took on the form of a man, cloaked in black robes, looking out at the scenery of Lumeran.

His identity—none other than the General Commander of Tartarus, reigning for the past five thousand years as an epitome of dread and calamity: Demon King Hel Kaiser.

With every breath he exhaled, the air was polluted, and everything he touched faced inevitable d*ath.

A Legion Commander of Tartarus wielding the most dangerous force of all: d*ath itself.

He truly was the embodiment of d*ath.

Step—

Before this Hel Kaiser, someone materialized.

A boy with snow-white hair and eyes of crimson.

Hel Kaiser lifted the corner of his lips in a smirk.

The reason he had come to Lumeran today.

“I’ve been wanting to meet you, Leo Flove.”

*

The presence of the Demon King who infiltrated Lumeran was not felt only by Leo.

“Leo-sama.”

“I know.”

Calmly responding to Melina’s urgent call through magic, Leo remained composed.

“I’m coming with you.”

“No, there’s no need for that. Be prepared for any unforeseen situation.”

“But—”

“The guy’s probably here for a reason. He’s not the type to recklessly barge in.”

The Supreme Council was a gathering of heroes heralded as the greatest of the current era.

Even if the Demon King was an immensely powerful being, having terrorized for five millennia, it would be reckless to storm a place where all these heroes were gathered.

“If he wanted to barge in, he would’ve done so when the Demon Queen and the Giant King were still around.”

“So then, why is he here?”

“I have an idea.”

And with that, Leo headed toward the source of the Demon King’s presence.

Step—

There stood the Demon King, his appearance unchanged from five thousand years ago.

Seeing Leo, Hel Kaiser smirked.

“I’ve been wanting to meet you, Leo Flove.”

Clomp—clomp—

Hel Kaiser approached Leo.

“The heralded hero candidate of the next generation, who has interfered with my plans and created numerous miracles?”

Gooo—!

An ominous black magic surged from Hel Kaiser’s body.

“When I inquired about you earlier, wasn’t it said that you would be the one to destroy me?”

Hel Kaiser’s scarlet gaze intensified.

“I shall ask again.”

Swish—

The tip of his raised hand emanated with the aura of d*ath.

“What is your true identity?”

KABOOM—!

A tremendous explosion shook the earth.

Bursting through the thick smoke, a flame of aura targeted Hel Kaiser’s neck.

GACK—!

Leo’s sword slashed toward Hel Kaiser’s neck.

However, it was blocked, failing to sever the neck.

Gooo—!

A great surge of energy erupted from Leo’s body.

Seeing this, Hel Kaiser raised his hand.

An ugly, black bone staff materialized in his grasp.

Swoosh—!

Wielding the staff, a flood of black energy covered Leo.

Using an Aura Step, Leo avoided the Demon King’s attack.

Sssshh—!

“Curse of Decay.”

Everything touched by this black energy rots away.

Leo observed his surroundings.

The region was now engulfed in a curse.

“It’s a Severance Curse.”

A curse that cuts off its interior from the outside world.

No one outside would know if Hel Kaiser caused a commotion here.

Looking toward Hel Kaiser, Leo thought:

‘As I expected. He’s here to find out my identity.’

Leo narrowed his eyes.

The man standing before him now was not the true Demon King but a manifestation.

Yet, even this manifestation possessed formidable power.

Grr—!

In Leo’s free hand, a magic spell formed.

Magic of the Stars.

Flash! KABOOOM—!

Hundreds of beams of light shot out from the magic circle, blanketing the Demon King.

“Playing around with such crude tricks?”

Hel Kaiser’s gaze quickly swept over the magic.

Swoosh—!

Even before the beams of light reached him, they evaporated and vanished.

Not blocked by Hel Kaiser’s power, but deciphered and canceled.

“I’ve undone the magic of Luna herself. Aren’t you aware, Leo Flove, that her legacy tampered with by you holds no power against me?”

Gooo—!

Above Leo’s head, a black void opened up.

From it, fragments of bone, flesh, and bl**d rained down.

“Hero of Survival.”

Pieces of bone, flesh, and bl**d rained down on Leo.

Seeing this, Hel Kaiser let out a chilling laugh and activated a dark magic spell.

KABOOOM—!

The pile of corpses exploded, shaking the ground violently.

“Predictable. Such magic doesn’t affect you.”

Hel Kaiser broke into laughter.

“It’s been a long time, Spirit of Glow, hasn’t it? Three thousand years, I believe.”

“Hel Kaiser.”

Rael gritted her teeth, revealing her hatred.

Three thousand years ago, Rodia, the Dragon of the Cataclysm, had fought against him many times, an abhorrent foe she had come across.

Rael’s magic protected Leo from the dark magic, allowing him to look around at the scattered fragments of bones and flesh.

On his knees, Leo picked up a sword hilt amidst the debris.

A weapon that no longer served any purpose.

Apparently, it was something used by one of the people in the mass of corpses that had just fallen on him.

Leo looked up at Hel Kaiser.

“Are these the bodies of heroes?”

“Your reunion gift, Hero of Survival. Didn’t you survive by standing on the deaths of countless heroes?”

Hel Kaiser laughed.

“Didn’t you leave behind the deaths of Great Heroes, even ones more valuable than life?”

Hel Kaiser’s laughter reverberated.

“When courageous warriors apologized and departed, were you crying? What were you feeling facing the d*ath of Dwenno, who left behind a sacrilegious weapon?”

Leo’s eyes flashed with anger.

“What did Luna think when she decided that it was better for you to survive than herself?”

Crunch!

“Even when Lissinas abandoned everything to you and eventually once again, you being left as the Last Hero, how were you feeling?”

Gooo—!

The rage emitted from Leo’s body rippled through the air.

All living creatures who had survived, barely enduring Hel Kaiser’s presence, struggled to distance themselves from him as far as possible.

“Hold your head high, Hero of Survival. Or rather, the Last Hero.”

Hel Kaiser’s terrifying voice smiled.

The decaying skeleton spread its arms.

“Even if the world forgets the sacrilege you committed by overthrowing the gods, I remember.”

Hel Kaiser shouted, gazing at the sky.

“At the end, when no one else can defy d*ath, you have defied it alone, again challenging the gods by yourself. I am aware!”

Rattle—Rattle!

The sound of bones clashing echoed.

“At the end, you will once again become the Last Hero! You are indeed the beginning and the end of this era! But don’t worry. Until the world burns and disappears due to the divine decree, I will remember that you existed! Hahahaha!”

Grr—!

Turning into light, Rael enveloped both of Leo’s feet.

Spirit Armor, enhancing the spirit into physical combat.

“Are your provocations over, Demon King?”

Leo smiled.

And the chilling smile shook Hel Kaiser.

“It’s not working.”

Having intended to provoke Leo, it was having no effect.

Despite the surging rage, Leo remained extremely composed.

Swoosh—!

Leo dashed toward Hel Kaiser, closing the distance like a streak of lightning.

TSHN—!

Leo’s sword slashed Hel Kaiser’s neck.

Hel Kaiser’s separated body flew through the air.

Spirit Armor, using a spirit to empower the body, allowing one to utilize the abilities of entities.

Currently, Leo’s speed was comparable to that of even the Spirit of Light itself.

“You don’t need to remember.”

Leo said coldly.

“Because this world will never perish.”

KABOOOM—!

Tracing a path of light, Leo instantly tore Hel Kaiser’s body apart.

“Neither will I become the Last Hero again.”

Gooo—!

A surge of black magical power erupted from Hel Kaiser’s body.

As dark magic enveloped Leo,

Swoosh—!

Leo’s shadow surged upward.

KABOOM—! CRUNCH—!

The shadow turned into a blade, breaking Hel Kaiser’s prime staff.

In an instant, Hel Kaiser’s eyes widened.

“This is….”

The Spirit of Shadows.

Not just any ordinary Spirit of Shadows.

Recognizing this dark spirit, Hel Kaiser was, for the first time, shaken.

“Shadow Spirit?”

Five thousand years ago.

This force of the Great Spirit of Darkness, known to Hel Kaiser, had been destroyed by his own hands.

Seeing Elshi perched on Leo’s shoulder, Hel Kaiser’s face contorted.

“How…!”

At that moment,

Leo approached Hel Kaiser, grabbing his face.

Leo activated the aura.

Clad in a gray aura that surged through his body, Leo skyrocketed toward the sky.

BOOM—!

In an instant, Hel Kaiser’s face was slammed against an invisible wall.

A wall formed by the Severance Curse.

KABOOOOM—!

As Leo continued rising into the sky, slamming Hel Kaiser’s face again and again against the Severance Curse wall.

Drip…DRIP—!

Unable to withstand Leo’s power, cracks appeared in the Severance Curse.

CLANG—!

The Severance Curse finally formed a hole, with Hel Kaiser still held by Leo, ascending into the sky.

“For centuries, you’ve driven countless heroes to d*ath, mocked their deaths, and violated their corpses. Now, it’s time you pay the price.”

Leo’s voice deepened.

Hel Kaiser, whose very existence mocked those who sacrificed themselves for the world.

Knowing this, that was why Hel Kaiser provoked Leo in the first place.

But Leo, though angered, never lost his composure.

“You…!”

Seeing Leo’s cold determination, Hel Kaiser’s face distorted.

Leo forcibly twisted the face he had in his grip.

CRACKLE—!

A chilling sound of snapped bones echoed.

SHN—!

In an instant, Leo tore off Hel Kaiser’s head.

“Look. Remember this.”

Leo held up the detached head of Hel Kaiser to gaze at the stadium where the freshmen tournament was being held.

“These kids will destroy you, Erebus. They’ll defeat Tartarus…”

Leo forcefully turned Hel Kaiser’s head toward himself.

“They’ll exterminate you, Hel Kaiser.”

WAAAAH—!

Amidst the cheers of the crowd for Luke and Aina’s victory,

Leo smirked.

“It’s not us who will burn and vanish!”

“Kaill…!”

CRUNCH—!

Cracks spread through Hel Kaiser’s head.

“It’s you, your kind!”

BANG—!

Hel Kaiser’s head exploded in Leo’s grasp.

SHHH—!

Hel Kaiser’s manifestation turned into sand and disappeared.

At that very moment,

Fwoosh—!

Black flames rose.

“Flames of Catastrophe?”

Unexpected, Leo’s eyes widened at the sight of the Flames of Catastrophe.

Fwoosh—!

Leo summoned mana.

Gray mana wrapped around a black flame that would never extinguish.

Fwoosh—!

The Flames of Catastrophe began to fade.

At that moment,

Grr—!

As the Flames of Catastrophe subsided, they emitted a white light before merging with the gray mana.

Leo’s eyes widened in shock.

‘Is this… divine power…?’