Book 1 Chapter 355
355
[Grooooaarrrrrrr-!]
Erebos let out a roar.
Along with that, he raised his arms.
Fwoosh-!
Black flames began to swirl.
Upon seeing this, the students of Seirun quickly retreated.
Leo charged towards Erebos without hesitation.
“Hey! Wait…!”
Lunia, with a flustered expression, tried to stop Leo.
Others who were preparing defenses against Erebos’s attack also looked appalled by Leo's sudden action.
The tip of Leo’s sword trembled.
Kiiing-!
What burst forth with a sharp sound was a gray aura.
Kwang-!
Erebos’s fist struck the ground.
Along with that, countless black flames shot up.
The massive black pillar of flame, rising to the sky like a waterspout, began to target Leo like a living snake.
Upon seeing it, Leo plunged directly into its center.
Leo’s red eyes followed the trajectory of the black flames assailing him from all directions.
‘As expected, this is only a part of Erebos’s power. There is no reason.’
Leo narrowed his eyes.
The main body is still beyond the Hero Record.
‘Indeed, it is Seirun who is holding Erebos back.’
Leo put strength into his legs and kicked off the air.
Whoosh-!
A pillar of black flame grazed past Leo.
The pillars of flame rushed at Leo in a dizzying array, like scattered light.
A terrifying movement that seemed capable of turning Leo to ashes at any moment.
But Leo had evaded all of Erebos's attacks with minimal movement.
Upon seeing this, Lunia’s mouth fell open.
“Oh my goodness…”
A situation where it wouldn't be strange to turn into ashes at any moment.
Even in that danger, Leo approached Erebos without batting an eye.
“Amazing.”
Eiran stared at Leo, spellbound.
As a knight.
He could tell how outrageous Leo's movements were right now.
Simply calling them godlike movements was an understatement.
A situation where one could lose their life with a slight mistake.
To be able to move so calmly under such pressure.
Whoosh-!
With a pillar of flame narrowly grazing past his side, Leo raised his sword.
It was Erebos whom he had fought against countless times.
Only a minuscule portion of Erebos’s power.
Moreover, evading Erebos’s attacks, which were driven solely by instinct, was no challenge.
Rather, Erebos’s presence awakened the senses of the great hero.
Leo’s sharply honed sword drew a spiral trajectory in the air.
‘It’s been a while since I've used this.’
Kyle's aura skill, Spiral.
Kwagagagagak-!
The spiral aura trajectory slashed at Erebos.
Erebos’s body split open.
Leo did not hesitate and plunged into the gap.
And upon reaching the center, he saw the Hero Record.
Hwalalalalalak-!
Leo clucked his tongue as he tried to reach out to the burning Hero Record.
He felt Erebos’s power swelling.
‘It’s going to explode.’
Leo quickly moved away from the center of Erebos’s body.
Thud-!
Leo landed on the ground and stood up.
Kwagagagang-!
Along with that, a powerful explosion erupted, scattering flames everywhere.
Leo did not look back at the explosion, re-gripped his sword, and walked towards Lunia.
‘With my current strength, it’s impossible to reach the Hero Record alone.’
Nor could he rashly destroy the Hero Record.
‘To Erebos, the Hero Record is a door. If I were to destroy it before it crosses over, that might be one thing, but if I recklessly destroy it in a situation where it's connected to the outside, I don't know what might happen.’
He might end up helping Erebos, who had already begun to escape to the outside.
Leo narrowed his eyes.
‘It would be better to resolve this within Seirun’s world after all.’
“How did you cut it? No matter how much I cut it, it wouldn't be cut?”
Hardin, who had been standing ahead, fighting undead, asked with admiration.
“An ordinary attack wouldn’t inflict effective damage on it.”
Leo calmly looked down at his sword.
Chiiiiiik-!
The sword was melting due to the effect of cutting Erebos.
This sword was also a renowned blade crafted by a skilled artisan.
However, merely cutting Erebos had drastically shortened its lifespan.
“So, your attack just now wasn’t an ordinary attack?”
“You could say that.”
Leo put strength into his sword, shaking off Erebos’s power.
It was the result of Leo's mana characteristic, Purity.
Combined with the swordsmanship Leo had honed over many years.
‘I was as good as Arion when it came to cutting things.’
Kyle, the Hero of Genesis, did not reach the pinnacle of martial arts like Arion the Brave.
Arion, who had truly reached the pinnacle of martial arts, possessed terrifying power when it came to combat.
Kyle ultimately failed to perfectly wield the aura Arion had left behind.
But one thing.
He was no less skilled than Arion when it came to cutting something.
Leo looked at Erebos, who had begun to revive again.
What was before his eyes was only an extremely small part of Erebos.
If the main body were to cross over, the world would once again face the reappearance of disaster after 3000 years.
‘I have to close the portal before that happens.’
Leo looked at the disastrous flames rising up.
“Lunia.”
“Yes.”
“I’m going into Seirun’s hero’s world now.”
“What?”
Lunia wore a flustered expression.
“Yes, something is definitely happening within Seirun’s hero’s world right now. I intend to go in and find out what the root cause is.”
“That’s too reckless! That means you have to go into the center of the black flames!”
“That’s right.”
Leo said, looking at the black flames.
“That’s why your role is important.”
Leo smiled, meeting Lunia’s eyes.
“Open a path. Your flames can do it.”
“But… my magic can only block the black flames.”
Lunia gritted her teeth and lowered her head.
It was true that Lunia’s purifying flames could counter Erebos’s flames.
However, with Lunia’s current strength, all she could do was quell fragments of the black flames that had spread out.
She couldn't inflict even a small blow on the main body.
The black flames instantly swallowed the white flames that resisted them.
Seeing such Lunia, Leo reached out his hand.
“Huh?”
Leo, who grabbed Lunia’s chin with his hand and made her look at him, spoke to the very flustered Lunia.
“Believe in yourself.”
Leo smiled gently.
“Isn’t that your school's motto?”
Lunia stared blankly at Leo, who wore a mature smile.
“You are the sole successor of the magic Luna created to defeat Erebos.”
Lunia’s eyes widened as she looked at his red eyes, identical to her own.
“Believe in Luna’s magic, and believe in me, who passed that magic on to you.”
Leo, who gently tapped her cheek, turned his body towards Erebos.
Watching Leo’s back, Lunia slapped her own cheek.
“Seriously.”
Then, with a slightly annoyed look, she glared at Leo’s back.
“Why does he look so good acting like an adult?”
The anxiety in her heart vanished.
Lunia took a deep breath and spoke.
“Eiran, protect me… What’s wrong?”
Lunia looked at Eiran, who was fidgeting with her hands, with a puzzled expression.
“Just now… the atmosphere was really sensual.”
“What in the world are you thinking in this situation?!”
“Eeek?”
Eiran, who flinched slightly at Lunia’s red-faced shouting, hastily picked up her sword and shield and stood in front of Lunia.
“Seriously.”
Lunia, sighing deeply as if she couldn't help it, prepared her magic.
Accordingly, the Seirun students nearby positioned themselves to protect Lunia.
‘Let’s do this!’
Pure white flames erupted from Lunia’s body.
Feeling that Lunia was ready, Leo lowered his stance.
Runes flowed from Lunia’s lips.
The runes of the stars.
In front, Erebos; behind, the magic left by Luna.
‘Luna, even after 5000 years, you still give me courage.’
Feeling the presence of his friend, Leo smiled.
Goooooooh-!
Mana swelled.
Along with that, a warm heat enveloped Leo.
“Flame Emperor.”
Lunia’s magic was unleashed.
At the same time, Leo sprinted towards Erebos without hesitation.
Pure white flames pierced Erebos.
Leo plunged into that fleeting gap.
The opening Lunia had created.
Leo reached out his hand towards it.
Thump-!
Along with that, he grasped the Hero Record that was spewing black flames.
[Hero Record Open. Se** of ■■■. ■■: ■■■■■]
A message whose form was unrecognizable appeared before his eyes.
Whoosh-!
At the same time, Leo’s body was sucked into the hero’s world.
What he saw when he opened his eyes was ashes.
The surroundings were burning.
A sight too familiar to Leo.
Ashes left after Erebos had burned everything in its path.
In Leo’s eyes, an elf was visible.
An elf sitting slumped, holding a broken staff in her hand and bowing her head.
Her platinum blonde hair had lost its luster.
‘Seirun Tingel.’
The moment Leo recognized the elf and took a step.
“I… failed.”
Seirun muttered, her shoulders trembling.
Along with that, the ground Leo was standing on began to collapse.
As if falling into a swamp.
Leo’s feet began to sink.
It wasn’t just Leo.
Seirun too was slowly being sucked into the dark mire.
***
Kwagagagagaga-!
Black flames shot up.
[You can do nothing alone.]
Erebos passed judgment on Seirun.
[It is merely a meaningless struggle.]
Seirun’s face was tinged with despair.
The world was burning.
The hero’s world was distorted.
Whoosh-!
The remaining scenery turned to ashes.
The entire hero’s world burned.
The word ‘end’ flashed through Seirun’s mind.
The world of each hero is connected.
Therefore, a hero who entered their own hero’s world could move freely to any page they desired.
However, this was not the case for companions who had entered together to stop Erebos.
The only hero’s world that the Heroes of Genesis could share was one.
The final chapter where the fragments of Erebos were subjugated.
Other than that, they could not move to another companion’s world.
But Erebos was a divine being.
Its very existence distorted and broke the laws created by the gods.
Another hero’s page could become a gateway for Erebos.
Therefore, before the Heroes of Genesis went to the final chapter.
They were ordered to find, seal, and destroy their own Hero Records.
‘…Someone didn’t destroy their Hero Record.’
Seirun’s face was tinged with despair.
Thud-
Her legs gave out, and she slumped to the ground.
Her body had already reached its limit long ago.
Erebos looked down at such Seirun and spoke.
[Be trapped in this world and await death with your world, foolish mortal.]
Having said that, Erebos moved to step outside, as if Seirun was not even worth killing.
‘It’s… over.’
What did she have left?
Lumerun and Damian, who protected her from the front, were gone.
Azonya, who fought by her side… and Rodia, who gave her faith from behind, were also gone.
“Guys… I’m sorry… I’m sorry.”
Seirun wailed, apologizing to her comrades.
“I… failed.”
Slowly-
Darkness slowly swallowed Seirun.
“In the end, I couldn’t save the world because of me.”
Her entire body was sucked into the darkness.
The end was near.
If this hero’s world were to end…
Seirun would die, and Erebos would be completely liberated.
Her entire body sank deep into the darkness.
An unpleasant feeling of buoyancy enveloped her.
Submerged in deep darkness, her breath was stifled.
Even then, she desperately struggled, flailing her hands.
Though her spirit had already broken, and she believed she had failed.
To struggle to the very last.
She struggled to stop Erebos.
But soon, her strength gave out.
As her consciousness faded and she was about to close her eyes.
Thwack-!
A hand imbued with strong power gripped her wrist.
As if pulling someone out of water.
Someone pulled Seirun out of the darkness.
Pwoosh-!
With her lower body still submerged in darkness.
As only her upper body barely escaped the darkness, pure white hair appeared in Seirun’s vision.
“Who?”
Seirun asked blankly.
“Why do you say you failed?”
The boy was smiling.
“Look, you’re still not giving up, are you?”
As if he knew how difficult it must have been for Seirun.
With a gentle smile that seemed to understand, he carefully pulled Seirun out of the darkness.
Freed from the darkness by the boy’s strength, Seirun stared up at the boy blankly.
She had seen someone with that exact smile before.
A smile a man who had once saved the world had given to his fellow mage, who had achieved a great feat.
She recalled the image of the mage, whose face turned beet red and who became flustered at that smile.
A smile she had seen only once, but could never forget.
“You didn’t fail.”
When a hero who saved the world despairs of failure, who can deny that failure?
Perhaps…
“Lift your head, Seirun Tingel.”
It would be someone who had already saved the world before.
“You saved the world.”
[Your feat is being recorded.]
A message appeared before Seirun’s eyes.
The world that had burned and vanished instantly regained its original form.
Once again, Seirun’s feat was being recorded.
The Hero Record was a legacy left by the gods in the lower world.
As far as Seirun knew, only the owner of the Hero Record could rewrite that record.
And Seirun knew that owner.
“The Hero of Genesis?”
Leo smiled, as if affirming her words.