CRRRAAAAAASH-!
As Lily swung her Battle Hammer, the ground across the surrounding area trembled.
The Spirits, too, resonated with Lily’s emotions, expressing fierce rage.
Watching this, Leo marveled.
'Her synchronization rate with her contracted Spirits is incredibly high.'
A Spirit Mage was someone who fought by drawing out the power of their contracted Spirits to the absolute limit.
It was meaningless to contract with a high-ranking Spirit if one could not draw out all of its potential.
And the most important factor in drawing out a Spirit’s power was the synchronization rate.
Lily understood her contracted Spirits so well that even her own emotions influenced them.
'Usually, people try to grow stronger by contracting with high-ranking Spirits. But this really is just like Lily. She built her foundation solidly.'
It was not easy to be that diligent and put in meticulous effort even into things people could not see.
'As expected, she isn’t called a monster for nothing.'
While Leo was marveling,
“Hmph. The students representing Lumene certainly have foul mouths.”
Setian let out a sigh.
“You all need to be more aware of the position you are in. Representing Lumene is by no means a light responsibility.”
Setian’s cold gaze turned toward Leo.
“Especially you, Leo Plov. Since you have risen to the rank of Hero, you must become a role model for others...”
CRACK-!
“......!”
The Aura bursting from Leo’s sword shot toward Setian’s neck.
Another knight from the Justice Guild standing beside him blocked Leo’s attack with a shield.
It was a sword strike unleashed in the blink of an eye.
The shield, reinforced with Aura, trembled violently.
“What power...”
The female knight’s expression hardened as she stared at Leo.
“I don’t think you’re in any position to lecture me right now, are you?”
Thud.
Leo took a step toward the Justice Guild.
'The one with the highest combat power among them is that guy, Joren.'
Leo glanced at Joren, who was clashing with Lily.
And as expected of someone from Lumene, he was by no means a weak opponent.
'A veteran who has survived countless battlefields. And the same goes for the others.'
Whatever insane values they held, they were still members of the world-renowned Justice Guild.
Leo’s red eyes scanned the four Justice Guild members.
'Two knight classes, one Summoner, and one Mage.'
It was an ideal party composition.
A glint flashed in Leo’s red eyes.
Seeing this, the female knight holding the shield flinched slightly.
“Such ferocious killing intent. That is not the bearing of a hero, Leo Plov.”
The female knight composed her expression and raised her spear.
“A Hero should, by right, set an example...”
“You’ve been spouting that nonsense about setting an example for a while now.”
Leo said, resting his sword on his shoulder.
“I’m someone who has never once wanted to become a Hero. Not in the past, and not now.”
“What did you say?”
“I’m just not the sort of person who fits the modern definition of a Hero.”
'If a Hero is someone who changes the world, guides it onto the right path, and shows countless people their dreams... then I’m the least suited person to be one.'
And he had no intention of becoming one either.
“The only reason I enrolled in Lumene was because there was something I needed to confirm for myself.”
Leo let out a smirk.
“I never aimed to become a Hero or worked hard to become one. It just sort of happened, I guess?”
Watching Leo shrug, the expressions of the Justice Guild members hardened.
“So doesn’t that make it ridiculous for you to tell someone like me to set an example as a Hero?”
“You... Just what do you think a Hero is!”
“How should I know? Was ‘What is a Hero?’ ever a question worth thinking that deeply about?”
The female knight’s shoulders began to tremble.
And it wasn’t just her.
Anger filled the faces of the other Justice Guild members as well.
“For someone like you to become a Hero! It’s unacceptable!”
“Whether you accept it or not, I’m already a Hero, aren’t I?”
“No! You are not a Hero! You are absolutely not someone fit to be a Hero! It must have been a mistake for you to be chosen by the gods and recorded in the Hero Record! That’s right! That’s why you don’t have an Epithet!”
Ignoring the hysterical female knight, Leo spoke nonchalantly.
“Even so, don’t you think I’m a much better fit to be a Hero than scum like you?”
“Nonsense.”
Setian revealed his anger.
“Becoming a Hero at such a young age must have blinded you to everything. You, who lack nobility, goals, ideals, and even ambition, are unfit to be a Hero! A Hero is a special existence! Only those who wish to devote themselves to the world can become Heroes!”
At that cry, Leo smirked.
'Those are certainly things I’ve never had.'
Lysinas’s nobility, who yearned for the light and sought to reclaim the light she had lost.
Luna’s quirky yet grand goal of filling the entire world with flowers.
Arron’s warm ideal of creating a world where children could live without worry.
Dweno’s great ambition to fill the world with beauty.
Unlike his friends, who each had their own path to pursue, Kyle never really had anything he himself was chasing.
He simply went with the flow.
He entrusted himself to the current of the world.
Even if the result was the great achievement of saving the world.
Even now, Leo still wondered.
'Why was I born as Erebos’s natural enemy, and why was I reincarnated with my memories intact?'
Whether it had been coincidence or fate.
He could not even tell if it had all been inevitable.
Why had the world chosen him of all people?
'There must have been others more suited to this power than me.'
Someone like Lysinas, for example.
'As the one who would save the world, she was far more fitting than someone like me.'
After thinking for a moment, Leo smirked.
'Is there any need to think that hard about it? What matters is that I have to pass on this world, the one I saved together with them, to the next generation. And...'
“That you bastards are definitely wrong.”
Leo looked at the full-plate knight pressing in on him.
'Mithril.'
A brilliant, flawless light.
It was high-purity mithril full plate armor.
Armor that provided both formidable defense and swift mobility.
The knight approached, holding a longsword and shield.
From the rear came the sound of Setian chanting, and the Summoner called forth a Water Spirit.
Powerful Magic Power swirled around Setian’s staff.
Fwooooosh-!
A pillar of water burst from the ground and swallowed Leo whole.
Terrifying water pressure crushed down on him.
That alone was enough to make an ordinary person’s body burst apart, but it did not end there.
C-c-c-crack-!
As Setian’s Magic completed, the water binding Leo froze solid.
Encased in ice, Leo was completely immobilized.
An Aura-clad sword and spear flew toward the trapped Leo.
It happened in an instant.
In that brief moment, they executed a flawless combination attack.
“Let me show you how vast the world truly is!”
Setian roared.
At that moment, inside the ice, the corners of Leo’s mouth curled up.
Crack-!
A crack spread across the ice.
CRUNCH-!
As the ice shattered, Leo broke free.
The Aura-clad spear and sword sliced through empty air and crossed paths.
Clang-!
Leo ducked under the attack and threw the sword in his hand.
Thwack-!
“Keuk?!”
The sword, flying faster than the eye could follow, lodged itself into the Summoner’s shoulder.
And just like that, it severed the Summoner’s shoulder.
Ignoring the Summoner as he was sent flying and crashed pathetically to the ground, Leo swiftly swung both fists at the two knights who were about to strike him.
Shatter-!
The sword and spear that touched Leo’s hands were destroyed pitifully easily.
“No...!”
“What?!”
Ignoring their shocked cries, Leo’s fists slammed into the female knight’s shield and the other knight’s mithril armor.
The female knight scoffed.
“This is an Adamantium shield! It boasts absolute defense...”
CRUNCH-!
The Adamantium shield was destroyed pitifully easily.
“No...!”
BAM-!
Leo’s fist struck the female knight directly in the face.
Her face caved in, and she collapsed on the spot.
His other fist crushed the mithril armor like paper before ripping it apart.
The knight’s chest caved in, and he vomited blood before sprawling on the ground.
After taking down three guild members in an instant, Leo approached Setian with a blank expression.
“W-what... what kind of trick did you use?!”
Setian’s lips trembled.
Three members of the world’s greatest Hero Guild had been defeated without even being able to fight back.
Watching the horrified Setian, Leo opened his palm.
“It’s just basic Spirit Magic.”
“What?!”
“I just tried imitating a friend of mine.”
What Leo had imitated was none other than Lysinas’s Spirit Magic.
“It’s all about fundamentals, I guess.”
Leo calmly held out his palm.
Lesser Spirits of water and wind appeared and crossed their arms as if to say, ‘Ahem!’
“A typical Spirit Mage becomes helpless if they can’t summon Spirits.”
Leo said, looking at the Summoner sprawled on the ground.
“He seemed to be a Spirit Mage who handles Water Spirits. I had my contracted Spirit interfere with his contract. His synchronization rate was pathetic, wasn’t it?”
The Spirit the Summoner had contracted with was a highest-ranking Spirit, but breaking the contract itself was simple.
“When it comes to knights, even if they reinforce their Artifacts with Aura, they become momentarily defenseless once those Artifacts are destroyed. So I used Spirit Magic to corrode their Artifacts.”
“There’s no way mithril and adamantium could corrode that easily...!”
“If you know the basics of alchemy, changing the properties of even the hardest minerals is simple. Though this only worked because their Aura was so poorly refined.”
Thud.
Leo arrived right in front of Setian.
“Your Magic is the same. I used Spirits to break part of your Spell Formula. That’s why it failed to function properly. Your Spell Formula was crude, by the way. Weren’t you lacking in your study of the basics?”
“Are you mocking us?! There’s no way something this absurd is possible! You used some special power, didn’t you?! It’s unfair! Why did the gods bestow special abilities on someone like you?! Why?! Why?! Why was I only given ordinary talent...!”
“Gods or not, you people were just lazy. That’s why you were taken down by something as unremarkable as basic Spirit Magic.”
Leo said irritably.
In truth, it was not basic Spirit Magic.
It was simple in theory, but carrying it out required overwhelming synchronization, understanding of Spirit Magic, and experience.
It was, quite literally, Spirit Magic beyond all common sense.
However, just as Leo said, it would not have worked if their fundamentals had truly been polished.
'It’s the perfect technique for crushing people who chase only what looks special while neglecting the basics.'
People obsessed only with visible results would always have their flimsy foundations betray them at a critical moment.
Even if Leo had not been the one facing them, they would have eventually died while pursuing some grand achievement.
“To think you talked so big about becoming a Hero when you don’t even know how vast the world is at your age.”
“You bastard!”
CRUNCH-!
“Keuk?!”
Leo kicked Setian in the chest.
The light faded from Setian’s eyes as he collapsed, vomiting blood.
“Sometimes, when I see trash like you, I feel a certain emptiness.”
Leo narrowed his eyes.
“When so many people who truly risked everything never got to enjoy this peace.”
Letting out a deep breath, Leo roughly scratched the back of his head.
“Well, I saved it knowing that, so it’s not like I regret it.”
It was probably the same for everyone who had saved the world.
Leo looked up at the sky.
He could feel a gaze watching him from afar.
'Still, I should at least have the right to do some cleaning up.'
Leo bared a fierce grin and raised his middle finger toward the empty air.
It was a declaration of war against the Justice Guild.
“I’ll wipe every one of you out. You pieces of trash.”
***
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