Book 1 Chapter 208
208
Leo raised his hand towards the back of Zerdiek, who was trying to pass through the rift into the present world.
Wooong-!
A mighty grey magic surged.
Leo, generated by the gigantic magic circle, completed the spell.
“Moonlight.”
As a silver-green flash sparkled, a barrage of light struck the defenseless Zerdiek.
Flash-! Kwagagagagang-!
“……!”
But instantly, flames of the abyss that erupted from behind Zerdiek swallowed Leo's magic.
Leo's face hardened as he saw it.
‘Erebos's Flames!’
“Damn it!”
Leo, who swore, bent his knees.
Kwak-! Kwang-!
As he kicked off the ground, Leo's body flew towards Zerdiek like a bullet.
Sreung-!
A grey aura gathered on Leo's sword.
Kwagagagagagak-!
Leo's sword strike aimed at Zerdiek.
But the flames that erupted again blocked Leo's sword.
‘This confirms it, these flames clearly possess a will!’
And what it aimed for was one thing.
To bring its loyal subordinate back to the present world.
‘I have to stop it!’
The current era, called the Age of Peace.
But that peace was, quite literally, maintained by a delicate balance.
The peace, barely maintained thanks to many continuously raised heroes, could easily crumble with even a slight crack.
But only Erebos was absent.
Tartaros's forces were still strong.
Especially the Lich King, the Giant King, the Monster Queen.
These three legion commanders and the legions they lead are monsters possessing the full power of a single Hero Academy.
In such a situation, what if another legion commander with power equivalent to these three were to reappear in the present world?
The long peace was clearly destined to end.
Leo's red eyes flashed.
He gritted his teeth and burned his magic power.
A pure white light emanated from Leo's hand.
Kyle's unique magic, gifted by Luna, the Ancestor of Nebulae, to the Hero of Beginnings.
“Innocent.”
Hwaak-!
The power of purity gathered in Leo's hand.
And he threw it towards the flames of the abyss.
Hwaak-!
For an instant, the black flames scattered.
But soon, the flames burned even more fiercely.
‘Is this a fragment of power more formidable than the fragment of Erebos I encountered in Luna's world before?’
Leo gritted his teeth.
And he tried to unleash even more powerful magic.
Huwook-!
Instantly, the flames began to gather into a small mass.
Leo's face stiffened as he saw it.
‘It's going to explode…!’
Realizing what was about to happen next, Leo quickly deployed his magic power and aura.
Kwaang-!
Along with an explosion that seemed to tear eardrums, a massive shockwave struck Leo.
Kung-!
“Damn it!”
Leo, slammed into the ground, swore.
Hwarururuk-!
As if mocking Leo, the black flames clearly blazed.
And then, they soon died down.
Chaenggeurang-!
Along with that, with a sound of something breaking, Zerdiek escaped into the present world.
A great calamity had crossed the boundary of the past and reappeared in the present world.
Leo sprang to his feet.
Beyond the massive rift, the landscape of Seirun was visible.
‘Shilatuna!’
The landscape of Seirun, viewed from beneath the sky, was despair itself.
‘I have to go and stop them…!’
Deopseok-!
Leo, who was about to rush forward, instantly stiffened his face at the force pulling his clothes from behind.
Silver-blonde hair and golden eyes shining like stars.
The beautiful elf was staring intently into Leo's red eyes.
“Zerdiek… where did he go?”
“Luna.”
Leo gritted his teeth.
A beloved comrade.
A friend he had never forgotten for a single day.
What was he supposed to explain?
Was he supposed to explain that this was the world of the past and Zerdiek had crossed into the present world?
Leo knew well.
That the friend who exclaimed she would make this world bloom with flowers was an innocent woman who always envisioned a distant future and moved forward.
That she was a spirited young lady who never doubted she would be in that brilliant future.
Therefore, he couldn't bring himself to say it.
‘This is a false world… and you are already dead.’
That she was a being of the past, already dead and gone.
Leo could never tell Luna.
Watching Leo's distorted face, Luna gently released the strength in her hand.
And smiled.
“You're… making that face again.”
Luna stepped closer.
And reached out her hand.
“It's strange.”
Luna's hand touched Leo's cheek.
“…Your face is different… and you're not the Kyle I know… but still, you don't feel unfamiliar.”
Leo's red eyes widened.
Looking at her own face reflected in those red eyes, Luna smiled.
“It's been a long time, Kyle… no, Leo.”
“You… you remember what happened then?”
“No. I had forgotten it originally. But the moment I saw you, I remembered. You gave me courage when I was in despair, and the strength to move forward, didn't you?”
Luna smiled softly.
“That I'd be called the Ancestor of Nebulae in the future.”
Luna closed her eyes slightly.
“Looking at your face, I understand. In the future, I… die, don't I?”
Leo gasped.
Luna, opening her eyes, looked at Leo with her golden eyes.
“Just tell me one thing.”
“What?”
“Erebos… you defeated him, didn't you?”
“…Yes.”
“My death wasn't in vain, was it?”
“That's right.”
Seeing Leo reply with a face as if he were about to cry, Luna smiled brightly.
“Then it's fine.”
The great hero of the past… calmly accepted her unchangeable fate.
As if she was content as long as her death wasn't in vain.
She wore an incredibly beautiful smile.
“But the danger isn't completely over, is it? Kyle.”
“That's right.”
“Where did he go?”
“…To the future, 5000 years from now.”
“5000 years…”
Luna blinked her large eyes, then scratched her head vigorously.
“It's too distant a future for me to grasp. What kind of era is it, exactly?”
“…It's the Age of Peace. Erebos has been sealed.”
“Really? Then how did you get here? Those kids we met back then also came from the future, right?”
“…In the future, there's something called Hero Record.”
Leo briefly explained about the Hero Record.
“Hoo. I see! The gods left behind something quite useful, didn't they?”
Mmm-hmm! Luna, nodding in admiration, chuckled.
“Anyway, for all the elves, and even other mages, to praise me as great. I knew it would turn out this way. Because I am great!”
Luna, who was laughing, "Hahaha!" with her arms crossed and chin raised, then covered her mouth and chuckled, "Pooh-."
“By the way, you were forgotten? Pooh! Only you? You saved the world? That's really funny! Puhehehe!”
“…Can you really laugh?”
Leo let out a wry chuckle.
Quickly becoming proud and looking down on others.
What kind of expressions would people make if they saw her like this?
“Right, this isn't the time for laughing and chatting.”
Luna nodded.
“Then let's go, Kyle.”
“What? Where?”
Luna looked at Leo with a pathetic expression.
“Where else? We have to go to the future.”
“…You can't go.”
Leo looked up at the rift in the sky.
Zerdiek must have crossed into the present world by Erebos's power.
But Luna was not.
Luna was strictly a being within the world of heroes.
Moreover, Luna's world had not even been conquered yet.
Luna wouldn't be able to go outside.
Leo was certain of that fact.
Because… Luna didn't seem to see the large rift in the sky.
She couldn't see the appearance of the present world beyond it.
That was proof that Luna was a figure of the past, strictly confined to living within a story.
At Leo's words, Luna looked up at the sky.
“Indeed, to my eyes, only a gloomy sky is visible.”
Jjeojeok-
Cracks appeared on Luna's body.
Leo's face hardened as he saw it.
Not just Luna's body.
The world itself was slowly cracking.
Hwaruruk-!
Black flames flickered through the cracks.
“But this world doesn't have much time left.”
As the owner of the world, Luna had a premonition.
That her world didn't have much time left.
‘Is the world itself… the Hero Record collapsing due to the shock?’
Leo gritted his teeth.
“Kyle.”
Luna looked directly into Leo's eyes.
“I can't let my sacrifice be in vain like this. It would be a waste. It's unfair.”
“……”
“If a ghost from the past went 5000 years into the future, I'll chase after him and kick that ghost's ass.”
Luna's golden eyes flashed.
“I'm going to save my cute descendants who praise me in the future! Because I'm the Ancestor of Nebulae!”
“…They're not that cute.”
“Anyway!”
“…Do you have any method in mind?”
At those words, Luna clapped her hands together, "Chalsseok-!" and then spoke.
“I'll pray earnestly to the gods.”
“…You usually curse the gods as incompetent, and now you're going to pray earnestly?”
“Oh gods, I beg you. I beg you. Please help me go 5000 years into the future and defeat that ugly Zerdiek.”
Without listening to a single word from Leo, Luna began to pray.
With an extremely serious face, Luna pleaded and pleaded.
“Send me! Send me 5000 years into the future! You incompetent gods!”
Leo, who was sighing deeply at the sacrilegious words that would make any god who heard them reconsider granting a wish, suddenly looked down at his wrist.
The sight of the Folium, which was granting him power, caught his eye.
‘God…’
The miracle of a god who allowed Leo the power of the past.
Leo transformed his Folium back to its original form.
Luna's eyes widened at the sight of another Folium.
Leo handed the Folium to Luna.
Luna received the Folium.
Instantly, Luna's eyes shone brightly like stars.
The cracks that had appeared on her body also began to vanish.
“Ah…”
Luna looked up at the sky and exclaimed.
“That's the future.”
Luna made a surprised expression, then grinned.
“With this, I can tear that ugly lizard to death.”
Luna, wearing a belligerent smile, spoke to Kyle.
“Let's go! Kyle! Let's go to the future and blow those Tartaros guys away!”
“You're full of enthusiasm.”
Leo burst out laughing as he watched Luna, whose eyes were sparkling brightly.
“Before that!”
Luna aimed the Folium at Leo.
Luna's magic surged through Leo's body.
The bright light subsided, and Leo looked down at his body.
“Hmm! Now I'm starting to get used to it a bit.”
Luna nodded.
By then, Leo had transformed into Kyle's appearance.
It was the appearance Luna remembered.
“Honestly, the pretty boy look is a bit more to my taste… but still, I think that appearance suits you best, Kyle.”
Luna smiled brightly and poked Leo's side.
“Don't you dare put on a rude pretty boy look! You, Kyle!”
Having said that, Luna floated up.
“Luna, the Ancestor of Nebulae, is coming!”
“…You seem to like your nickname.”
Leo burst out laughing and used fly magic to follow Luna.
“Oh, by the way.”
“Huh?”
“Lisinas said she liked me.”
“What?”
Luna's eyes widened.
“Really? I had no idea!”
Seeing Luna make an incredulous expression, Leo nodded.
‘Right, it's not that I'm strange. Lisinas just didn't show any signs at all.’
Thinking that, Leo stared intently at Luna.
“Why?”
“It's not you, is it?”
“You've been living peacefully in the future 5000 years from now, have you gone mad?”
“Right. It's not, is it?”
“Of course not.”
Seeing Leo burst out laughing, Luna nodded.
“Then it's fine. Let's go.”
Leaving Luna behind, Leo flew towards the hole Zerdiek had created.
Luna, staring intently at his retreating figure, muttered.
“How come even after dying and coming back to life, he's still like that? That idiot.”
***
Kioooooh!
Bennett's magic exploded on Zerdiek's neck.
Alby, Ellen, and Chade, including Bennett, poured all their strength into somehow stopping the rampaging Zerdiek.
Against Zerdiek, who had no reason, the four heroes showed excellent performance.
But they were unable to deal enough damage to subdue Zerdiek.
Lunia, watching the scene, gritted her teeth.
‘Father… Principal.’
Hwarururuk-
Fierce flames blazed on Lunia's body.
It was the Phoenix's flames, powerful enough to consume even herself.
In Lunia's eyes, the rampaging demon, having lost its reason, came into view.
‘I have to defeat at least one more. To lessen the burden on others.’
Even though her entire body was already covered in burns, Lunia did not stop.
“Miss Lunia!”
At that moment, Eiran urgently approached.
“It's too dangerous! You need to retreat and treat your burns…!”
“I… I can do more!”
“No! Your life is in danger if you continue!”
Eiran tried to stop Lunia, her face as if she were about to cry.
Lunia truly seemed as if she would turn herself into ashes.
“I can fight more…”
“Wouldn't it be better to listen to your friend?”
Lunia flinched at the voice from behind.
It was a familiar voice.
A voice she could absolutely, never forget.
‘It's impossible… it can't be.’
Luna's body trembled.
“I thought it then too, but you really are a reckless child, aren't you?”
If Leo had heard that, he might have scolded her, asking if that was something she should say.
But Leo was not here now.
Lunia turned her head.
Eiran also stared at her with an open mouth.
An incredibly beautiful elf stood holding two Foliums.
Eiran rubbed her eyes.
But the being before her did not disappear.
“Lady… Luna?”
“Yes.”
Luna smiled sweetly.
“You've been through a lot.”
Luna, releasing the Folium from her hand, reached out and patted Lunia and Eiran's heads.
“Leave the rest to big sister.”
Luna looked at Zerdiek.
“Because a specter from the past will be handled by a being from the past.”
Now, the legend that had been sleeping before their eyes revealed itself.