Book 1 Chapter 210
210
Flex-!
Tendons bulged on Leo's arm.
Gritting his teeth, Leo swung his arm with a shout of "Hup!"
Swoosh-!
With a sharp sound, a slash erupted from the sword's tip, flying towards Shilatuna.
Seeing that, Shilatuna spread her arms.
CRASH-!
A massive dark-red barrier blocked Leo's slash.
As she blocked the attack, Shilatuna's arms transformed into gigantic snakes.
Snap-!
As the two snakes opened their jaws, particles of dark-red light began to gather there.
'Breath.'
Leo pulled Ahti's reins and charged at Shilatuna.
Ahti's body, infused with Leo's spiritual power, began to glow white.
Crackle-!
White sparks began to fly from Ahti's body.
CRACKLE-!
A powerful lightning force began to coalesce in Ahti's horn.
Flash-! CRASH-!
Before Shilatuna's arms could unleash their breath attack, they were engulfed by a lightning storm and turned to ash.
-Tch!
Seeing her disintegrating flesh, Shilatuna's eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
She aimed her remaining arm at Leo.
A breath of destruction, unleashed from the snake's mouth, engulfed Leo.
At that moment-!
Flash-!
An silver-gray curtain unfolded before Leo.
The silver-gray curtain deflected Shilatuna's breath attack.
The breath of destruction, passing by Shilatuna, slammed into a distant mountain.
Flash- BOOM-!
A powerful flash was accompanied by the rise of a mushroom cloud.
The storm unleashed by the aftermath of the explosion engulfed Seyrun.
Seeing that, Seyrun's Herdium muttered quietly.
"Is that… the fight between a Great Hero and a Legion Commander…?"
It was an immense battle that defied common sense.
A shiver ran through his entire body.
"Fiora!"
Whoosh-!
At his call, Fiora appeared right in front of him, spewing flames.
"Burn it."
Flash-!
Fiora's red eyes flashed.
Whoosh-!
Fiora, her flames enhanced by Leo's spiritual power, spun and soared high into the sky.
Flap-
An attack that maximized the Phoenix's firepower.
Prominence Wing.
With Fiora's wing beats, a colossal storm of flames engulfed Shilatuna.
-These damned spirit beasts!
Shilatuna's murderous voice echoed.
[Hmph! How's that! My power!]
Kiruan folded his arms and burst out laughing, "Hahaha!" Then Ahti said,
[That's not your power, it's Master's power.]
[No! Leo merely drew out my potential! So it's my power!]
Ahti shook her head, watching Kiruan speak so defiantly.
Now that Kyle's power had been summoned through divine power, the chronic problem of spiritual power deficiency was resolved.
Thanks to this, the three spirit beasts, with all their potential unlocked, were literally demonstrating the majesty of the Three Great Spirit Beasts.
'If it weren't for these guys, I wouldn't have been able to hold out this long.'
Leo recalled Fiora, gripped Ahti's reins, and soared into the sky.
Shilatuna, her eyes wild, frantically targeted Leo with her magic.
Each time, Ahti dodged all of Shilatuna's attacks with godlike movements.
-Hehehe.
Watching that, Shilatuna let out a low laugh.
-Yes! Now I understand!
Shilatuna's eyes flashed.
-You are not the Hero of Beginnings! You are the Hero who survives!
Shilatuna remembered clearly.
Kyle's power during his prime, when modern people called him the Hero of Beginnings.
The hateful Great Hero's power who saved the world and ultimately vanquished Erebus.
Though forgotten by humans, she, who had fought Kyle countless times, knew him better than anyone.
-Yes! You still don't have the power to defeat me! That's why you're stalling, aren't you!
With renewed conviction, fierce murderous intent erupted from Shilatuna's body.
-Kyle! I don't know how you crossed over into this current era, but that's not important!
Massive dark magic surged.
Roooar-!
Dark-red dark magic gathered in one hand.
'She's getting serious.'
Leo gripped his sword tightly.
The ground around the Monster Queen began to turn black.
The powerful dark magic transformed the surrounding area into a land of death.
After the Age of Calamity ended.
The power of the Legion Commander, who had reigned as the most fearsome calamity, was truly formidable.
Whoosh-!
Shilatuna swung her arm.
A massive mass of dark magic then engulfed Leo.
It was impossible to dodge.
Deciding so, Leo concentrated all his magic and cast a barrier spell.
CRASH-!
The dark magic directly hit Leo.
Leo was flung back and slammed into the ground.
A massive crater formed on the ground, as if a comet had fallen.
[Oooowwwwww!]
[She's a complete monster!]
[Peep- Peep!]
Ahti, Kiruan, and Fiora, who had also slammed into the ground, groaned.
'The barrier wasn't broken.'
Leo got up.
But the formidable impact shook his entire body.
Leo shook his head and got up.
Thump-! Thump-!
Shilatuna charged relentlessly at the standing Leo.
"Hmph!"
Leo activated aura throughout his body.
Clang-!
CRACKLE-!
And he blocked Shilatuna's physical attack with his hand.
Scrape-! Leo's body was pushed back, his feet scraping the ground.
-If it were Arion or Dwyno, they would have easily blocked this level of physical attack!
With a sneer, Shilatuna struck Leo with her remaining hand.
Thwack-!
With a shock running through his body, Leo was flung back once more.
Skid-!
Leo, who had regained his balance and stood, glared at Shilatuna.
'Her attacks have become relentless.'
The moment she concluded that the reconnaissance was over and she could sufficiently confront Leo, she abandoned her passive stance.
Until now, Shilatuna had engaged in battle with escape in mind, but now she was determined to annihilate Leo.
That difference was immense.
'I've already fought Zerdian once.'
The power of the past, materialized by divine power, was not infinite.
Now, it was gradually being consumed.
Little power remained.
Like a lamp in the wind.
He felt it slowly fading away.
Leo gripped his sword anew.
Yet, despite that, Leo felt no unease.
The reason was simple.
The fact that he had comrades behind him who gave him courage gave Leo the strength to press forward.
'She'll soon return after subduing Zerdian.'
Unwavering faith and trust.
Shilatuna's face twisted.
'Those eyes.'
The eyes of the Great Heroes who never lost hope in any situation.
That gaze was like a nightmare to the Legion Commanders who had opposed the Great Heroes since the Age of Calamity.
-Today, I shall finally erase that nightmare!
Roooar-!
A terrifying murderous intent erupted from Shilatuna's body.
***
"……Why…… can he fight like that?"
Watching the desperate battle, the heroes wore expressions of disbelief.
They too had overcome countless adversities to stand here now.
Those who had repeatedly performed miracles worthy of being called great feats.
But even to them, the fight against Shilatuna was filled with nothing but despair.
Yet, the Great Hero fighting Shilatuna showed not the slightest tremor in his back.
"Does that man… not know despair?"
"It's not that he doesn't know despair, but rather that he simply doesn't hesitate to move forward."
Answering the elf hero's murmur was a clear, resonant voice, utterly out of place in this situation.
Everyone's gaze turned towards where the voice came from.
And upon discovering the one standing there, their eyes widened.
There stood an elf woman who had opened a warp gate in the air.
A beauty like that of a goddess.
"Lu, Lady Luna?"
One elf spoke that name.
As if in response, Luna nodded, and all the elves collectively knelt.
"Ah!"
"Lady Luna!"
"Oh, Great Progenitor of the Nebula!"
Normally, they wouldn't have easily believed it.
But with the presence of Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings, fighting the Monster Queen, they dared not deny Luna's existence.
They couldn't know why a progenitor from the distant past had transcended time to be here.
But the forgotten Great Hero who hadn't existed for a long time.
If Kyle had appeared, there was no law saying the Progenitor of the Nebula couldn't appear in the current era.
As everyone watched Luna with awe-filled eyes, students began to emerge from the warp gate Luna had opened.
Thump- Thump-
Luna approached the city wall.
Those guarding the wall flinched and cleared the way.
Below the wall, countless legions of the Monster Queen were launching a fierce assault.
Seeing that, Luna stirred her magic.
VWOOM-!
A magical formula appeared at the tip of Folium.
Luna's eyes, as she chanted the spell, glowed golden.
Soon, Luna unleashed her magic.
The Monster Queen's legions evaporated due to the powerful magic.
"Ooooh!"
"This is the power of Lady Luna, who is called the Progenitor of the Nebula…!"
As everyone watched in astonishment.
Luna turned back to look at the students from Lumern and Seyrun.
"You said you were hero candidates, dreaming of becoming heroes, didn't you?"
"Yes."
It was Lis who answered Luna's question.
Luna smiled faintly at Lis.
"In that case, observe that back."
Luna gazed at Leo's back as he confronted Shilatuna.
"When an impossible battle begins, Arion is the one who shows the most courage."
Luna's eyes fluttered shut.
"In endless battles, what everyone could trust and rely on until the very end were the divine artifacts Dwyno created."
Strength entered the hand holding Folium.
"It was Licinas's wisdom that led us to victory on battlefields where victory seemed impossible."
Luna lifted her chin, wearing a proud expression.
"It was I who repeatedly turned unfavorable battlefields around with powerful magic."
Luna boasted about herself, seemingly unashamed in front of everyone.
But not a single person questioned her.
In fact, Luna had turned around every unfavorable battlefield.
"And…"
Luna, opening her eyes, looked at Leo's back and smiled.
"When everyone else gave up… Kyle was the one who never, ever gave up."
Hum-!
A magic circle appeared above Luna's head.
"That's why Kyle was the Last Hero and…"
Powerful magic surged.
"He could become the Hero of Beginnings."
The Great Hero who survived until the very end.
And ultimately, he alone accomplished the subjugation of Erebus, initiating a new era, the beginning of everything.
But the Great Hero forgotten by all.
Everyone held their breath.
"Kyle is… the greatest hero among us."
A spell flowed from Luna's lips.
***
-…!
Shilatuna, who had been relentlessly pressing Leo, raised her head at the sound of the spell shaking the battlefield.
And upon discovering the elf elegantly chanting a spell atop the wall, her eyes widened.
-No way…!
She shook her head as if to deny the situation.
-Why is that wench here!
Shilatuna's face was painted with terror.
The beautifully melodious spell flowing from Luna's lips sounded like a death sentence to the Monster Queen.
She had to stop it!
If that spell was completed! She would die!
Deciding so, Shilatuna tried to charge towards Luna.
Clench-!
At that moment, a massive force was felt at her feet.
"Where do you think you're going?"
-Kyle!
Seeing Leo sneer at her, Shilatuna snarled.
-Impossible! It's impossible! How did you specters of the past appear in this era?!
"And Zerdian appearing in this era makes sense?"
Leo swung his sword.
SMASH-!
-Urgh-!
Leo's sword left a massive sword mark on Shilatuna's body.
"And… I'm not a being of the past."
-Whaaat…?!
"Let me tell you one thing as a final farewell."
Leo ran his hand over his face.
In an instant, the spell Luna had cast was broken.
-…!
Shilatuna confirmed Leo's face and her eyes widened.
-Leo… Flobe!
The new All-Class she had thought of as a future formidable foe.
That fresh-faced youngster she had deemed a mere novice… to think he was their greatest despair.
-It was youuuuuuuuuu!
Dark-red dark magic erupted from Shilatuna's body.
But Leo cut through that dark magic with his gray aura.
"The tiresome 5000-year-long ill-fated connection ends now."
He felt the spell nearing its completion.
Shilatuna rapidly deployed magic.
Teleportation.
Her final struggle to survive.
But Leo poured his aura and magic into his sword.
Crackle-!
The sword, overloaded with excessive aura and magic, cracked.
But Leo didn't care.
It was undoubtedly a precious sword… but a small price to pay to defeat the Monster Queen.
CRACKLE-!
Leo's sword destroyed the teleportation magic formula.
Her escape route was completely blocked.
"It was filthy meeting you, let's never meet again."
-Kyyyyle! Lunaaaaaa!
Leo grinned at her scream, filled with hate, almost a wail.
Along with that.
"Annihilation."
The cold starlight of dawn flashed directly in front of Shilatuna.
As if a lone star shining in the long darkness welcomed the light of dawn.
That light engulfed Shilatuna.
-Aaaaaaaaargh!
Shilatuna's scream, filled with agony, echoed.
And then…
Poof-!
The light of Annihilation vanished.
Nothing remained there.
Only one.
Only Leo, in the guise of the Hero of Beginnings, remained.
Leo turned his head and looked at the city wall.
And when his eyes met those of his friend standing there, he smiled.
Luna, too, gave Leo a bright smile.
It was the moment one of the tiresome 5000-year-long ill-fated connections came to an end.