Boom-!
Erebos took a step forward.
Ruuuumble-!
With that single step alone, the earth shook violently.
Whoosh-!
Calamity Flame blazed fiercely around Erebos.
Even from a distance, the heat radiating from it was enough to suffocate them.
Torua muttered as she wiped away a cold sweat.
“To be this overwhelming just by existing...”
Erebos wasn’t using any special power.
It had only taken one step.
It had merely shifted its footing.
And yet it felt as though a great calamity had already descended.
The sky gave off an even more ominous crimson-black glow.
Ulta, with Riennia riding in front of him, murmured,
“I see now. This is why Arron-nim didn’t bring any other front-line fighters.”
Most of the party members, aside from Arron, specialized in long-range attacks.
Lunia, Eiran, and Eliza were one team of three.
Lunia would focus solely on attacking with the Phoenix King’s White Flame.
Eiran would shield Lunia with his family’s Original Magic, [Animus Sword and Armor], and Eliza’s role was to carry Lunia while evading Erebos’s attacks.
It was a combination tailored to let the still-immature Lunia focus only on offense.
“At first, I thought it was because Arron-nim was going to hold the front by himself, that a Hero really was on a different level, but that wasn’t it.”
Cold sweat broke out on Riennia’s brow.
“If another knight-type had taken the front, they would have been reduced to ashes in an instant.”
The reason he hadn’t brought front-line fighters like Rhys, Jamua, or Vanir was because they were not yet qualified to stand here.
In truth, they themselves were also out of place on this battlefield.
At best, they could barely provide support for Arron from outside the main clash.
‘Still, there is one student who has already stepped onto that stage.’
Riennia lifted her head and looked up at the sky.
She could see Leo looking down at Erebos.
Taking a deep breath, Riennia raised her bow.
“Take care of me, Ulta.”
“Leave it to me.”
Among the Hero Candidates gathered here, Riennia had the greatest raw firepower.
She was the former President of Seiren’s student council.
A magic archer who wielded both Magic and Aura, but in her time, simply being strong had not been enough to become Seiren’s Student Council President.
‘It’s different now.’
Until last year, only the strongest Star Mage of the generation could become Seiren’s President.
Following Riennia, Torua sent Lunia over to Eliza.
“Take care of her, you bad-tempered hubae from the Summoning Department.”
“You’re surprisingly relaxed for a situation like this.”
“Yeah. We’re only here to support Arron-nim from outside the stage. Besides...”
Torua looked at Arron’s back as he stood before the colossal black calamity.
“We have a Hero with us.”
“Once again... are you prepared to watch the world burn?”
Arron narrowed his eyes.
Seeing him, Erebos’s eyes twitched.
There was no fear in Arron’s gaze.
-Hoh.
Erebos looked amused.
-The one who could not steel himself for death even when he sensed it coming now no longer fears death.
Arron expressionlessly pointed his sword at Erebos.
-Have you overcome the fear born of ignorance because you have experienced death? Or...
Swoosh-!
Erebos’s black arm rose.
-Is it because you are nothing more than a pathetic ghost of the past, one who no longer cares whether he lives or dies!
Ruuuumble-!
As Erebos swung its arm with all its might, Calamity Flame surged high into the sky.
The black flames swept straight toward Arron.
“Arron-nim!”
As Melina cried out urgently, Leo answered,
“He’s fine.”
“Huh?”
“He won’t fall to something like that.”
The moment he said those words, a golden flash shot up and pierced through the Calamity Flame.
Arron gripped his sword with both hands.
Oong-!
“Hoo-”
He inhaled deeply, closed his eyes, and focused his mind.
[Hyper Sense] activated.
When he opened his eyes again, he could see the flames writhing around Erebos.
He could see Erebos’s face twisting viciously.
That unmistakable sneer aimed at him.
But Arron paid it no mind.
‘I am calm.’
Arron had been defeated.
He knew that fact better than anyone.
The moment he learned of Kyle and Luna’s deaths through [Hyper Sense],
Arron had felt extreme terror.
And in their place, he chose his own death.
Because he was afraid of his friends dying.
‘But the moment Kyle came to save me, I gave up.’
In the final moment, Arron had doubted and despaired that this world could still be saved.
‘Dweno would never have given up.’
He recalled the friend whose will had been like steel.
‘Luna would have believed in her own potential until the very end.’
The friend who had placed boundless trust in her own possibilities.
‘Lysinas would never have let go of hope until the very end.’
The friend who had carried the greatest hope in this world.
‘Because she would have believed that Kyle would never give up until the end. Unlike me.’
Arron raised his sword straight up.
His expressionless face was reflected in the blade.
There exists a coward who had been frightened countless times and was now truly broken.
‘But thanks to my friends, I got to see a world that had been saved. So I have no more regrets. Therefore...’
“I will annihilate you no matter what it takes!”
Flash-!
With Arron’s shout, a golden sword Aura slashed toward Erebos’s neck.
But it didn’t cut through.
Ruuuumble-!
Erebos’s massive body tilted and crashed into the ground.
“I’ll leave the remnants of the past to the ghost of the past!”
Arron pointed his sword toward the sky.
Shhk-!
A brilliant golden light shot into the heavens.
Then the instant a small golden sphere, like a sun, burst open in the sky—
Flash-! Ruuuumble-!
A torrential rain of sword Aura poured down like a storm, engulfing Erebos.
“My god.”
“That’s... a battle of Great Heroes...!”
The Hero Candidates standing atop the castle walls stared with their mouths open.
A battle between Great Heroes truly transcended common sense.
It was shocking even to those who had spent their entire lives hearing tales of the Great Heroes, respecting and admiring them, praising their power and achievements.
“So this is the level they reached to save the world.”
Duran muttered, his face filled with awe.
“Wow... I thought what we saw during the Guardslone siege was already incredible. But this is on a completely different level, isn’t it?”
Beside him, Carr clicked his tongue.
Even for Carr, who had seen Arron’s power once before, it was shocking.
“So that really is Arron-nim from the final chapter?”
It matched the descriptions in the records exactly.
He was literally the God of War himself.
“And Leo is standing at the forefront of a battle like that?”
Abad murmured quietly.
With Arron’s attack as the signal,
Torua, Ulta, and Riennia launched their attacks as well.
Torua’s magic pierced through the flames spewed by Erebos and struck its body.
Ulta, riding her pegasus, flew at incredible speed and intercepted Erebos’s flames.
Whoosh-!
At that moment,
a massive pure white flame soared high into the sky.
Seeing it, Driana murmured,
“Lunia.”
The instant her name left Driana’s lips—
Whoosh-!
[Flame Emperor] engulfed Erebos.
Cheers erupted among the Seiren students.
“As expected of Lunia sunbae-nim!”
“Seiren’s next Student Council President!”
“The records say the Phoenix King’s flames are inextinguishable too, right?”
The eyes of Seiren’s first-years sparkled.
Boom!
But they soon flinched when Erebos emerged from within the white flames.
Even after taking Torua and Lunia’s magic head-on, Erebos showed no sign of faltering.
“To not even budge after taking magic of that level...”
“Is it even possible to fight in a battle like that...?”
Frightened voices rose not only from the first-years, but also from among the second-years.
Seeing that, Celia frowned.
People often became afraid when they witnessed something beyond imagination.
‘I was like that too.’
During the first-semester midterms.
Leo’s existence itself had been terror.
When she saw Leo, she had been frightened and filled with despair.
Because she had thought she would never be able to catch up.
‘But I couldn’t keep my head down forever.’
Leo’s back as he moved forward seemed to be saying, ‘Follow me.’
As though he were waiting for the day they would stand on the same battlefield.
That was what Leo’s back seemed to tell her.
‘The others need to realize that too.’
Celia was wondering how she could encourage her classmates and juniors when—
Tap- tap- tap-!
Ar began nervously stomping her foot.
“What’s wrong?”
At Carr’s question, Ar shouted,
“I’m angry!”
“Huh?”
“The black rabbit and that nasty pointy-eared girl! Even Eiran is standing on that stage!”
“Well, Leo is exceptionally special. Lunia and Eiran have special abilities, so they’re up there. It’s not really because you’re lacking...”
“That’s exactly why I’m angry!”
Ar’s body changed.
The beastly traits in her body became more pronounced.
Beast Transformation.
Like a hissing cat, Ar stood with her fur and hair bristling as she said,
“I’m still not qualified to stand on that stage! There’s a great Hero there! And I can’t even share in the glory of standing beside him!”
At those words, every student’s gaze turned to Ar.
“I’m furious! I need to vent this anger on those ugly monsters!”
“Meeeoow!”
With a sharp cry, Ar raced along the top of the castle wall.
Watching her retreating figure, the students who had been overwhelmed by the battle beyond all common sense gritted their teeth in embarrassment.
They had been cowering in fear,
while someone else was angry because she could not join that battle.
Ashamed of that stark difference, they clenched their jaws.
“Damn it!”
“Was I really this weak? No, I’m not!”
They forced themselves to push past their fear.
Watching this, Celia murmured,
“Was that intentional?”
“That idiot? No way.”
(T/N: What a great parallel to Arron.)
Carr let out a hollow laugh.
Beside him, Driana nodded.
“It definitely wasn’t intentional. But I think that’s Ar’s strength.”
“Ar’s strength?”
Celia tilted her head.
“She’s the person the Hero chose as his successor. It wouldn’t be strange if every one of her actions inspired courage in others.”
Driana chuckled and pulled a massive battle axe from her Subspace.
Watching her back, Celia clenched and unclenched her fist.
“I can’t afford to fall behind either.”
The battlefield wasn’t only over there.
Grrrrrr-!
The Demonic Beasts born from Erebos’s authority swarmed over the castle walls.
===
“Leo-nim, your orders.”
At Melina’s words, Leo said,
“Melina, you’re Lysinas-nim’s successor, right?”
“Huh? Ah, yes. Though I am unworthy, I did clear Lysinas-nim’s world...”
“Then you take command.”
“Huh?”
Melina looked startled.
“B-but with Leo-nim here, how could I possibly dare to command...”
“Command was originally Lysinas’s role.”
“...!”
“How long are you going to stay silent?”
At Leo’s cold words, Melina gritted her teeth and lowered her head.
When they challenged the World of Genesis,
Melina had been the one in command.
And Melina’s party had been annihilated.
From that day on,
Melina became the Silent Dragon.
Even now, though she had broken her silence, she still could not bring herself to think about commanding the party in front of Erebos.
Seeing Melina hesitate, Leo spoke.
“Melina.”
“...Yes.”
“Look at that.”
Leo pointed at Arron, who was fighting Erebos.
“Leo-nim...”
“If you’re afraid, then look at that back. We drew courage from that sight. If you can’t believe in yourself, then believe in me. You have the ability to lead this party brilliantly and fight against Erebos. I guarantee it.”
At those words, Melina took a deep breath.
“Yes!”
Seeing that, Leo grinned.
“What will you do, Leo-nim?”
“Me?”
Leo stretched out his hand.
A staff appeared in a burst of bright light.
As he idly fiddled with the tip of the staff, Leo said,
“It might not suit me.”
He lightly spun the staff in his hand.
“I’m going to play Luna's role.”
***
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