Book 1 Chapter 142

142.

Elena approached the elf girl writhing on the floor.

A slave girl who had been kicked in the stomach. Blood was flowing from Merin's mouth.

Elena generated magical power.

Woong-!

With a soft light, Merin's face relaxed.

"E-En. You could use magic?"

Merin couldn't hide her surprise at seeing her friend, with whom she had lived since childhood, using magic.

"I am not En anymore, Merin."

"What?"

Seeing Merin flustered, Elena smiled broadly.

"I came to punish the bad guys by borrowing your friend's body."

Merin was bewildered as she watched Elena gently stroke her head.

She didn't understand what her friend was talking about.

However, the girl, too young to understand the world, believed Elena's words.

"A, are you an angel?"

"Oh my, how kind you are."

Elena smiled broadly and stroked Merin's head.

Squelch-!

Just then, a squelching sound was heard.

Hearing the sound, Elena said with a radiant smile,

"Merin. Now, close your eyes until I tell you to open them, okay?"

"Yes, yes."

Merin squeezed her eyes shut.

Elena got up and turned around.

Then, seeing Sarman, who was getting up with his upper body blown off, she said,

"Why didn't you just lie there? It would have hurt less."

"You damned bitch!"

His half-blown-off face regenerated, and he grinned menacingly.

A grotesque appearance, different from his neat appearance just before.

Most people might have screamed or gagged at the sight, but Elena was unfazed.

"You speak carelessly."

Elena smirked.

"You don't want to die peacefully, do you?"

Elena's eyes began to emit a deep pink glow.

Seeing that, Sarman flinched.

The pink light emanating from Elena's eyes grew darker and eventually began to emit a red light.

Seeing that, Hardin smiled bitterly.

'Has she… gotten stronger again?'

Up until her first year, Hardin was a typical Seirun student.

He was proud of being a Seirun student and had no doubt he was a chosen elf.

A speciesist mindset that elves are the best.

He entered Seirun as a top student in the advanced class and became the class representative, so he had no doubt he was chosen among those elves.

'I dreamed of becoming a hero.'

For a Seirun student.

No, for a student of a Hero Academy, it was naturally the goal to aim for.

In his first year, Hardin's goal was to be a hero.

Then, at the inter-school competition between Lumern and Seirun, he met a girl from the same first year.

Elves are all beautiful due to their racial characteristics.

A girl with a nobility and beauty that even those elves would gaze at in awe.

In a match that determined the pride of their school, Hardin was thoroughly defeated.

'I couldn't even do anything. The difference was literally on another level.'

That was the 'level' Hardin had experienced for the first time in his life.

After that day, Hardin's goal changed to Elena.

Even the outstanding seniors at Seirun.

He found himself chasing a girl from the same first year, not someone who would leave their name in history as a hero.

'It was never a feeling of admiration.'

From the moment Hardin first met Elena, he knew something was off about her.

The twistedness and cruelty hidden behind her beautiful appearance.

She was not someone to be admired.

Yet, Hardin did not stop pursuing Elena as his goal.

The more he did, the more keenly he realized.

'That we can never stand on the same ground.'

Hero academies often encounter each other outside of inter-departmental competitions.

Especially if they are in the same year, their paths overlap more.

No matter how much he chased.

Every time they met, the widening gap became apparent.

He didn't even feel despair at that fact.

It just made him laugh hollowly.

They were born so differently.

Because he is aiming for her, he sees her more clearly.

The girl before his eyes, who is envied and praised as a genius, cannot simply be called a genius.

She was literally born that way.

'A chosen person born to be a hero.'

He could never catch up.

Even knowing that, Hardin did not give up.

"Y-you…!"

"So."

From her eyes, which had turned blood-red, a suffocatingly intense killing intent emanated.

But unlike that chilling killing intent, Elena's face was incredibly calm.

With a lovely smile, Elena covered her mouth with her index finger.

"I told you to watch your mouth."

Flash-! Kwoogagagagag-!

A magic circle appeared in the air, and chains of light poured out.

A thousand years ago.

A magic that was a symbol of Tiar, an elf hero known as the Iron Blood Mage.

Aizen Unblut.

This is the heroic magic version of that magic.

This magic, which crushes the opponent's bones and flesh, was considered heretical even by elves, despite being a magic left by an elf hero.

Although Tiar rose to the position of hero with this magic, the magic was too cruel.

She is a hero who is condemned even now for defiling the star magic created by the progenitor.

Naturally, it is forbidden for elves to learn her magic.

However, its power is undeniable.

'Magic thoroughly designed to hunt Tartarus.'

Elena's magic brutally dismembered Sarman.

Squelch-!

Seeing Sarman turned into blood and flesh, Elena clapped her hands with a bright smile.

Despite creating a horrific festival of blood and flesh, her demeanor was incredibly innocent.

"Are you still alive? You're an interesting toy. I guess you have a curse? Let's see… [Nullify] It's a curse."

Elena, who instantly grasped Sarman's abilities, wore a bored expression.

"But there's nothing else to see."

Elena's interest vanished.

Once the queen loses interest, a toy has no value.

Then, there is only one end.

Fwoosh-!

Crimson flames appeared at Elena's fingertips.

Sarman's face, which was regenerating, turned pale.

"Still, meeting you was interesting."

With a sweet smile, Elena burned Sarman to death.

"H-how."

Sarman, with only his face left, looked up at Elena with terrified eyes.

Looking down at Sarman, Elena idly twirled the tips of her hair with a bored expression and said,

"If you want to beat me, bring a subordinate of a legion commander. Mere fiends like you are no match for me. Goodbye then."

Elena smirked and stomped on Sarman's head with her foot.

Then, even his remaining head disappeared in flames, leaving no ash.

Elena turned around and stood before Hardin with a surprisingly light step, as if she hadn't shown such a brutal display just moments ago.

And she wore an amused expression.

"As expected, you're interesting, Hardin."

"What do you mean?"

Elena snapped her fingers.

Crack-!

The magical artifact restraining Hardin was easily destroyed.

"People who know my true form are one of two: they are either afraid or they despise me."

Elena clasped her hands behind her back with a prim air.

"But you're the same as when we first met."

Elena spun around and approached En with light steps.

"You're aiming for me. Even though you know you can't catch up."

"Do you think it's foolish?"

"No. I think that's your charm. It's interesting too."

Elena smirked.

"You will surely become a great hero."

Elena, who had seen many heroes since she was young, was sure of it.

Looking at Elena, Hardin asked,

"Don't you still want to become a hero?"

To that question, Elena idly twirled the tips of her hair with her finger.

Then she chuckled.

"I also admire heroes."

There was no falsehood in those words.

"But I have a bad personality, so perhaps the gods won't recognize me as a hero."

Elena shrugged.

"More importantly… I don't really want to be a hero."

She could lead others as much as she wanted.

But merely leading people doesn't make one a hero.

'You also have to be able to sacrifice for someone.'

Elena admired heroes.

But at the same time, she disliked them.

No, she hated them.

'Because they took away what was precious to me.'

That's why even though she admired heroes, she couldn't admire their lives.

"Let's get out of here first. Oh, and take this child too."

Elena pointed at En.

"Why?"

"If you leave her here, she'll surely face great misfortune. You noticed too, didn't you? That the noble elves you know are gone in this era."

Elena said teasingly, and Hardin let out a deep sigh.

"Alright."

"But how did you end up in prison? Well, it's obvious. You got excited and did something foolish again, didn't you?"

"I have nothing to say."

"Admitting it so readily. How boring."

Elena grumbled and said,

"Anyway, Hardin. You also know how serious the situation is right now, don't you?"

"Yes."

Elena approached En and took her hand.

En's eyes widened.

Looking at the girl, Elena smiled brightly.

Due to magic, En could not hear the current conversation.

"Tartarus has entered the world of heroes like us. This is an unprecedented event."

"That's right."

Elena narrowed her eyes.

"This might even overturn the world's balance."

***

Luna entered Akint's research lab.

"It's unlike you, Professor Akint, to offer counseling."

"I don't think our relationship was that bad, was it?"

"…That's right. Professor Akint, you are more than just a professor to me; you are like my magic tutor, and…"

"And?"

"No. It's nothing."

Luna smiled awkwardly.

Leo knew what words she had swallowed.

'Someone like a father.'

Even so, Leo felt a slight distance between Luna and the current Akint.

Leo knew what that meant.

'The history has been completely distorted.'

So much so that the bonds with the people Luna cherished have become distant.

Akint is undoubtedly still a strong support for Luna.

However, the pressure he is facing within Barkhaloon because of that fact was evident even from the class earlier.

That fact must have been agonizing for Luna.

'Is that why she isolated herself?'

Luna was the top student, supported by the Elf King.

It didn't make sense for her to do magic research in a storage room, and it was even less sensible for her to find materials alone.

Even if the elves of this era were corrupt, their minds weren't completely rotten.

They would all have realized the moment they first saw Luna.

That the greatest mage in elven history had been born.

Even if she was of low status by their standards, Luna was an object of awe to the elves of this era.

Luna was famous even before the Age of Calamity.

Yet Luna is being treated like this.

She has lost confidence, her shoulders and ears drooping.

'It's certain that those Tartarus bastards entered here and changed history. But what exactly is their reason?'

They are plotting in the world of heroes.

'It's probably deeply related to why my page turned out like this. Are they hindering the conquest? No. No one has entered, so why would they hinder the conquest? Wait, conquest?'

Leo, who was speculating, paused.

For those on the ground, the conquest of the hero world is about overcoming trials.

But under the same conditions, what would be the conquest condition for Tartarus?

'For them, heroes are the most threatening enemies. Overcoming hero trials and helping them is not their role.'

Tartarus's purpose is likely to hinder heroes.

'Could it be… they are conquering the hero world in their own way?'

Luna, though young, is still a powerful mage. Unless it's a demon lord-class fiend or a subordinate of a demon lord, fighting Luna would be suicidal.

The option of killing Luna is out.

So, it wouldn't be strange for them to engage in troublesome actions to hinder the heroes' achievements.

And the conquest goal of this world is to help complete the star magic.

If Tartarus's goal is to prevent the completion of star magic, their actions would be understandable.

Thinking that far, Leo gritted his teeth.

'How dare they defile Luna's world?'

"Actually, it's been tough lately."

Luna, bowing her head, fiddled with her fingers.

It was a habit she had when in conflict, done unconsciously.

"…whether I am an elf who truly belongs in Barkhaloon."

Luna's eyes trembled.

"Whether the magic I pursue is truly great."

Seeing Luna who had lost her confidence, Leo intuitively felt that Luna was broken.

Tartarus's plan was almost complete.

But Leo laughed at them.

'Will a single break be enough?'

"Luna."

"Yes?"

"I guarantee it."

Leo knew better than anyone.

There was nothing special about great heroes.

Great heroes also falter, despair, and lose their will.

No, great heroes faltered and despaired more than anyone else and were broken countless times.

The reason they were able to achieve the subjugation of Erebus was simple.

They just stood up each time.

And Leo knew the magic words to lift Luna up.

Words that only those who had gone through that era together could utter.

Leo knew it well.

'I used to say it like a habit.'

"Barkhaloon has existed to nurture an elf like you."

Luna's eyes widened.

"You will become an elf who is more respected than anyone in future generations. Why?"

Looking at Luna, who had rabbit-like eyes, Leo guaranteed.

"You are destined to become a being who will shine like the stars in the night sky."