Book 1 Chapter 205
205
The atmosphere inside Seyrun's campus was dark.
It couldn't be helped.
Everyone here was a civilian.
Their hearts trembled at the heroic tales of the heroes they admired, but they were not heroes themselves.
They weren't even hero candidates.
Even Tartaros's legion commanders were distant beings they could only encounter in stories.
To such people, the news that a Tartaros legion commander had invaded Seyrun could only cause immense fear.
“Is the warp gate not ready yet!”
“Please, let us escape from here quickly!”
“Damn it! I shouldn't have come to watch this Luse War!”
People in a panic were causing a commotion everywhere.
“Oh, great founder of the Nebula, repel evil and save us.”
“Watch over the heroes fighting our enemies.”
Or those quietly praying to the Great Hero.
Those holding their breath, listening intently to the sounds outside.
“The heroes will take care of it themselves!”
“That's right! That's right!”
The children clenched their fists and spoke of hope.
In the midst of this, Lunia approached those causing a commotion, demanding the warp gate be activated.
“Please calm down, many people are anxious because of you!”
“Who are you?”
“I am Lunia El Rundia, first-year representative of Seyrun.”
Lunia spoke firmly to the human.
Seeing Lunia, the human spectator's face contorted.
“First-year representative of Seyrun? Then you must be very skilled, aren't you?”
“I am not exceptionally skilled. I am only barely managing to maintain my position as first-year representative.”
“I don't care about that! If you're a hero candidate, don't stay with us in this safe place, go out and fight!”
The man, who appeared to be a human noble, shouted irritably.
Seeing him, Lunia said coldly.
“The duty of first and second-year students is to protect the people within the campus.”
“Hmph! You're not just chickening out, are you? What's with all the talk about being a hero candidate? Are you saying you're on the same level as us?”
Lunia frowned, watching him laugh mockingly.
'Should I smash him?'
“Oh, you wanna hit me, judging by your face? Go on, try it. Try it. I watched this Luse War as a special guest of Lumerne! I'll expose you for assaulting me, the representative of Seyrun, during a crisis, so go on and hit me once…”
Thwack!
Just as Lunia was about to hesitate and punch him.
A fist shot out from behind, caving in his face.
The man, whose body had floated in the air, now fell miserably to the floor.
Thud!
“Keeheeheeheek!”
Lunia wore a blank expression, watching the human noble scream, clutching his face.
Duran, who had thrown the punch, turned to Lunia and said.
“He's a guest of Lumerne. If you carelessly touch him, it will become a diplomatic problem.”
Duran looked at the blood on his hand with a displeased expression, then extended his hand sideways.
“I'd like to borrow a handkerchief, Illyana Raden.”
“Hey, I'm not your maid, you know?”
Illyana, who was with Duran, grumbled but still obediently lent him a handkerchief.
Duran wiped it, then threw it at the man who was clutching his face and writhing in pain.
“Ah! Hey! Why are you throwing it away just like that? That's expensive!”
As Illyana protested, Duran scoffed.
“Forget it. Taking back a handkerchief that wiped the blood of such a vulgar person would only lower my dignity. I'll buy you a better one.”
“Oh my. As expected of a prince, you're truly different, aren't you?”
Illyana chuckled with delight.
“But, if he's *your* guest, shouldn't *you* also not touch him?”
Lunia asked with a bewildered voice, and Illyana shrugged.
“Normally, no.”
“No?”
“It's fine because it's Duran.”
It was then that Lunia made an incredulous expression.
“Agh! You! You're a Lumerne student, aren't you? State your year and name! I'll report you to the board immediately…! No! There's no need to report you! With the power of my family…”
“I am Duran Moira. Is that sufficient for your answer?”
“Gasp!”
The face of the man who had been shouting in excitement turned pale.
Duran was not merely a student with top grades in his year.
He was the prince of the Moira Kingdom in the Central Continent.
Furthermore, he was a figure close to being a crown prince, with a strong likelihood of succession to the throne.
Although the Moira Kingdom was merely a duchy, its renown was on par with any major nation.
As it was called the Knight Kingdom, renowned knights gathered under Moira's banner.
Moira's army was a knighthood comprised of thousands.
No matter how small its scale, its influence on the world was immense.
As such, he was a student in a position that even a special guest of Lumerne could absolutely not treat carelessly.
“Prince Duran! I have committed a rudeness!”
As the man bowed his head deeply, Duran smiled coldly.
“If you've committed a rudeness, you'll have to pay the price, won't you?”
“Th-That's!”
“Tell me the name of your esteemed family.”
“Prince Duran! Please, I beg for your forgiveness!”
Lunia wore a curious expression, watching him kneel and plead desperately.
That a human who had been so arrogant just moments ago would kneel before a boy significantly younger than himself.
'I don't understand human power.'
As an elf, such a sight was very strange to Lunia.
In the midst of this, Illyana sighed.
“It was a good thing we decided to patrol, just as Chloe said.”
Because so many Luse War spectators had entered Seyrun's campus all at once, the first and second-year students were overwhelmed trying to calm people down.
Amidst this, Duran and Illyana were patrolling to see if anyone was causing trouble.
“Thank you for your help.”
As the situation concluded, Lunia said with a gentle smile.
In response, Duran scoffed.
“I merely silenced a fellow who was disgracing his race. No thanks are necessary.”
At his reaction, Lunia cautiously asked Illyana.
“Is he always this aloof?”
“Yes. That's why he's sometimes cute… Ow ow ow ow ow!”
“There's no time to loiter here, let's go to the next place.”
“L-Let go of this… It hurts! It hurts!”
Duran dragged the flailing Illyana, who had her ear caught, and headed to the next location.
Lunia let out a hollow laugh watching their backs, then sat down.
'I wonder what's happening outside?'
Lunia's hands trembled slightly.
She had experienced a lot for a first-year student, but even so, she couldn't help but be terrified by this incident.
Many teachers were outside.
Seniors she had gotten close to.
And her father was fighting for his life.
For heroes and hero candidates, this was a natural course of events.
But even so, it was impossible not to feel scared and worried.
'Because heroes aren't perfect beings.'
Lunia's eyes wavered.
Even Luna, who was praised as flawless, had weaknesses.
There are no perfect heroes as people describe them in this world.
Even heroes would be terrified and want to run away.
But they must gather courage for the burdens they carry.
'What would Leo have done in this situation?'
She was thinking of her friend, who always responded calmly to any situation.
Rumble rumble rumble rumble!
Seyrun's school building began to shake.
As the entire Seyrun, shaped like a massive ancient castle, trembled, murmurs spread among the spectators.
'What on earth is happening?'
It was then that Lunia, who had abruptly risen from her seat, made a perplexed expression.
“Lunia! Evacuate the people deep inside the school!”
“What's wrong?”
Lunia urgently asked at the words of a Seyrun second-year senior.
Seeing Lunia, the Seyrun second-year senior shouted with a pale face.
“Another legion has invaded!”
***
The Hero Alliance noticed the anomaly about a minute after Riben realized a hole had been torn in the sky.
“What on earth is that?”
“A hole?”
“When did something like that appear?”
The Hero Alliance wore perplexed expressions at the black hole torn in the sky.
“What on earth is that? It looks incredibly ominous.”
Hark grumbled, frowning.
“Indeed, it's like…”
Elena, who had been indiscriminately firing magic nearby, frowned.
“It looks like a monster might pop out.”
It was then.
Crunch!
As if tearing the hole in the sky.
A grotesquely long arm stretched out, then began widening the hole in the sky frantically.
As if digging through the earth.
The ravenously clawed-open hole soon spewed out the upper body of a bizarre-looking monster.
The faces of the Hero Alliance were stained with horror upon seeing it.
“Wh-What is that!”
“Judging by its aura, it looks like a demon!”
“And not just any demon! It's a monster with legion commander-level magic!”
The appearance of yet another legion commander threw the Hero Alliance into a panic.
The legion commander's upper body was covered in tough scales.
That appearance alone brought to mind a dragon.
Its face was also similar.
But it was distinctly different from a dragon.
Long, scale-covered, deformed arms instead of a dragon's blunt, short legs.
Moreover, while it brought to mind a hunchback, it possessed a human-like upper body.
The fangs exposed in its mouth looked sharp and ruthless, as if they could chew through anything.
Overall, it had the appearance of a colossal dragon-human.
An appearance that filled observers with terror.
But what terrified the Hero Alliance most of all was…
“Was there… such a legion commander?”
An elven hero muttered with a pale face.
Indeed.
The legion commander before them was, quite literally, an unknown legion commander of unknown identity.
Kiiiaaaahhhk!
The legion commander, Zeldak, opened its mouth and roared.
Zeldak, with its mouth wide open, spewed a purple breath towards the ramparts created by Sedgen.
Kiiiiiing! Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-gang!
The breath, flying at tremendous speed, not only destroyed one section of Sedgen's ramparts but also evaporated Shillatuna's legion.
Shillatuna frowned upon seeing it.
'No reason? So it didn't cross over to the present world in an intact state. Was this what "the plan went awry" meant?'
Hell Kaiser, who had intended to go meet his kin, told Shillatuna that the plan had gone wrong and entrusted him with the invasion of Seyrun.
It seemed Hell Kaiser had anticipated that Zeldak would cross over to the present world as a monster of destruction with only its instincts remaining.
'Well, it doesn't matter.'
Whether his former kin was a monster with only destructive instincts remaining or not.
Zeldak was a legion commander, regardless.
Its abilities wouldn't disappear.
'If it's stupid, isn't it easier to handle?'
Shillatuna's eyes gleamed.
'By the way, to truly succeed.'
This was Hell Kaiser's plan.
To summon a past legion commander recorded in the Great Hero's Hero Record.
'To think that the hateful legacy of the gods would one day be useful to us.'
Elation rose in Shillatuna's eyes.
'With this, I can burn down this hateful world.'
Shillatuna's body trembled.
'We can now fulfill the mission given to us by God!'
The world would burn.
Life on earth would fall into despair.
Though God was still sleeping, it wouldn't be long.
5000 years ago.
The day to return to those longed-for, cherished times.
Shillatuna was certain that the day to see that scenery was not far off.
“Tremble in fear, you bugs! Lumerne and Seyrun will be annihilated, and the world will once again be plunged into darkness!”
Giyooohhhhhhh!
As if agreeing with Shillatuna's words, Zeldak also let out a roar.
A legion commander in front.
A desperate situation with another legion commander behind.
It was then that despair clouded the faces of the Hero Alliance.
“Bennet.”
Kallian calmly called Bennet.
“You, lead Albi, Ellen, and Chaid and stop that legion commander.”
“What?”
Bennet, Seyrun's principal, hardened his face and looked at Kallian.
“What about you and Riben?”
“We will stop the Monster Queen.”
Swish-
“It's impossible alone.”
Albi said with a firm voice.
“I will not listen to insubordination. This is an order.”
Kallian smiled gently.
“The greatest hope of our world right now is the young sprouts, Albi.”
Thump- Thump-
Kallian walked towards Shillatuna.
“We have a duty to pass on this era to the children who have not yet met their own time.”
Kallian's sword pointed at Shillatuna.
“This is also my duty as one who bears the era. So don't worry about me, and go.”
“Principal.”
Chaid gritted his teeth.
“Let's go.”
As Albi said with an expressionless face, Chaid let out a Kuk-! sound of anguish and left the battlefield.
Ellen also bowed his head and departed, and finally, Bennet said.
“I entrust this to you, Sword Saint.”
As they left the front line, Shillatuna clicked her tongue.
“Ah, in the end, only you two are left. To face a decrepit human and a dragon in the end. How dull.”
Shillatuna made an unenthusiastic expression.
“You just said it yourself, Sword Saint. That stopping me is a duty for one who bears the era. Yes, that's right. I've seen countless heroes who bore their eras. The great predecessors you speak of. So I can assure you.”
A sneer formed on the Monster Queen's lips.
“You are the most pathetic hero among all the heroes who bore their eras that I have known.”
“I'll take that as a compliment.”
“You're sarcastic to the very end.”
Goooooooh!
An unusual dark magic emanated from the Monster Queen's body.
“Still, I'll show you some courtesy. Heroes who are resolved to die are the most troublesome, after all.”
Creaak- Craack-
Shillatuna's form began to grow enormous.
[I will trample your end most miserably.]
Rumble rumble!
Kallian smiled, looking up at Shillatuna, who had revealed her ferocious true form.
'I wonder how long it's been.'
Despite encountering insurmountable despair before his eyes, the Sword Saint, who bore the era, smiled.
'To challenge the impossible.'