Book 1 Chapter 355
[GRRRRRRRRRRRRR-!]
Erebos roared.
With that, he raised his arms.
*Fwoosh-!*
Black flames began to swirl.
Seeing this, the students of Seirun hastily retreated.
Leo charged towards Erebos without hesitation.
“Hey! Wait a minute…!”
Runia, with a bewildered expression, tried to stop Leo.
The others, who had been preparing defenses against Erebos's attack, also showed expressions of shock at Leo's sudden action.
The tip of Leo's sword trembled.
*Kiiing-!*
With a sharp sound, a gray aura burst forth.
*KWAANG-!*
Erebos’s fist struck the ground.
Along with it, countless black flames erupted.
The massive pillar of black flame, soaring into the sky like a tornado, began to target Leo like a living serpent.
Seeing this, Leo plunged directly into its center.
Leo’s red eyes chased the trajectories of the black flames engulfing him from all sides.
‘As expected, this is only a part of Erebos’s power. There is no reason.’
Leo narrowed his eyes.
The main body was still beyond the Hero Record.
‘As expected, it’s Seirun that’s holding Erebos.’
Leo stomped on the air with his legs.
*Hwaak-!*
The pillar of black flame brushed past Leo.
The pillars of flame assailed Leo chaotically, like reflected light.
A terrifying movement that seemed ready to turn Leo to ashes at any moment.
But Leo avoided all of Erebos’s attacks with minimal movement.
Seeing this, Runia’s jaw dropped.
“My goodness…”
A situation where it wouldn’t be strange for him to turn to ashes at any moment.
Even in that danger, Leo approached Erebos without batting an eye.
“Amazing.”
Eiran watched Leo, lost in thought.
As a knight, she could tell how absurd Leo’s movements were.
The expression of near-superhuman movement was not enough.
A situation where a single mistake could lead to death.
To be able to move so calmly under such pressure.
*Hwaak-!*
Leaving behind the pillars of flame that had narrowly grazed him, Leo raised his sword.
Erebos, whom he had fought countless times.
Only an extremely small part of Erebos’s power.
Furthermore, avoiding the attacks of an Erebos that existed only by instinct was no trouble at all.
Rather, Erebos’s presence awakened the senses of a great hero.
Leo’s sharply honed sword drew a spiral in the air.
‘It’s been a while.’
Cale’s aura skill, Spiral.
*Kwa-ga-ga-gak-!*
The spiral aura slashed Erebos.
Erebos’s body split open.
Leo plunged into the gap without hesitation.
And when he reached the center, he saw the Hero Record.
*Hwa-la-la-la-!*
Leo, who was reaching out for the burning Hero Record, clicked his tongue.
He felt Erebos’s power swelling.
‘It’s going to explode.’
Leo quickly moved away from the center of Erebos’s body.
*Tak-!*
Leo landed on the ground and got up.
*Kwa-ga-ga-gang-!*
Along with it, a powerful explosion occurred, and flames scattered in all directions.
Without looking back at the explosion, Leo readjusted his grip on his sword and walked towards Runia.
‘With my current strength, it’s impossible to reach the Hero Record alone.’
He couldn’t carelessly destroy the Hero Record either.
‘To Erebos, the Hero Record is a door. If it were destroyed before it opened to this side, perhaps. But if it’s destroyed carelessly in a situation connected to the outside like this, who knows what might happen.’
He might even end up helping Erebos, who had already started to escape to the outside.
Leo narrowed his eyes.
‘As expected, it’s best to resolve this within Seirun’s world.’
“How did you cut it? No matter how many times I cut, it wouldn’t be cut.”
Hadin, who had been fighting undead in front, asked in admiration.
“It won’t be possible to deal a effective blow to it with ordinary attacks.”
Leo looked down at his sword calmly.
*Chiiiiiik-!*
As a result of cutting Erebos, his sword was melting.
This sword was also a famous sword made by an excellent craftsman.
However, just by cutting Erebos, the sword’s lifespan was drastically reduced.
“So your attack just now was not an ordinary attack?”
“Something like that.”
Leo applied force to his sword, shaking off Erebos’s power.
It was the result of Leo’s mana attribute, Purity, combined with the swordsmanship he had honed for ages.
‘When it comes to cutting, I was as good as Aron.’
Cale, the Hero of Beginning, did not reach the extreme of nothingness like Aron.
Aron, who had literally reached the extreme of nothingness, possessed terrifying power in combat.
Cale could not perfectly wield the aura left by Aron.
But one thing.
When it came to cutting something, he was no less than Aron.
Leo looked at Erebos, which was beginning to revive.
What was in front of him was only a tiny part of Erebos.
If the main body were to cross over, the world would face the return of disaster after 3000 years.
‘I have to close the passage before that.’
Leo looked at the disaster’s flame as it began to rise.
“Runia.”
“Yes.”
“From now on, I will enter the world of Seirun’s Hero.”
“What?”
Runia looked bewildered.
“Yes, something is clearly happening within Seirun’s Hero world right now. I intend to go and find out what the cause is.”
“That’s too reckless! That means you have to enter the center of the black flames!”
“That’s right.”
Leo said, looking at the black flames.
“That’s why your role is important.”
Leo met Runia’s eyes and smiled.
“Open the way. Your flames can do it.”
“But… my magic can only block the black flames.”
Runia gritted her teeth and lowered her head.
It was true that Runia’s purifying flames could counter Erebos’s flames.
But with Runia’s current power, she could only suppress the scattered fragments of the black flames that had emerged.
She couldn’t inflict even the slightest damage on the main body.
The black flames instantly consumed the white flames that opposed them.
Seeing such Runia, Leo reached out his hand.
“Huh?”
Taking Runia’s chin in his hand and making her look at him, Leo looked at the bewildered Runia and said,
“Believe in yourself.”
Leo smiled faintly.
“Isn’t that your school’s motto?”
Runia stared blankly at Leo, who had a mature smile.
“You are the sole successor to the magic created by Luna to defeat Erebos.”
Looking into eyes as red as his own, Runia’s eyes widened.
“Believe in Luna’s magic, and believe in me, who passed that magic to you.”
Leo, who gently tapped her cheek, turned towards Erebos.
Looking at Leo’s back, Runia slapped her own cheek.
“Honestly.”
And with a slightly annoyed expression, she glared at Leo’s retreating back.
“Why does that act of being an adult suit him so well?”
The anxiety in her chest subsided.
Taking a deep breath, Runia said,
“Eiran, protect me… What’s wrong?”
Runia looked curiously at Eiran, who was fiddling with her hands.
“Something just… felt really intense.”
“What on earth are you thinking about in this situation!”
“Hiiik?”
Eiran flinched and hastily grabbed her sword and shield, standing in front of Runia as Runia shouted with a blushing face.
“Honestly.”
With a sigh of resignation, Runia began to prepare her magic.
Following her, the surrounding Seirun students positioned themselves to protect Runia.
‘Let’s do this!’
Pure white flames ignited on Runia’s body.
Sensing that Runia was ready, Leo lowered his stance.
Runia uttered runes.
The runes of stars.
In front was Erebos, behind was the magic left by Luna.
‘Luna, even after 5000 years, you still give me courage.’
Feeling her friend’s presence, Leo smiled.
*Goooooo-!*
Magic swelled.
Along with it, a warm heat enveloped Leo.
“Flame Emperor.”
Runia’s magic was unleashed.
At the same time, Leo charged towards Erebos without hesitation.
Pure white flames pierced Erebos.
Leo plunged into that momentary gap.
The gap created by Runia.
Leo reached out towards it.
*Tap-!*
Along with that, he grasped the Hero Record, which was spewing black flames.
[Hero Record Open. Se■ of ■■■. ■■: ■■■■■]
A message that was unrecognizable appeared before his eyes.
*Hwaak-!*
At the same time, Leo’s body was sucked into the world of heroes.
When he opened his eyes, he saw ashes.
The surroundings were burning.
A sight too familiar to Leo.
Ashes that Erebos had burned through everything.
Then, Leo saw an elf.
An elf sitting slumped on the ground, holding a broken staff, with her head bowed.
Her platinum hair had lost its luster.
‘Seirun Tingel.’
As Leo recognized the elf and took a step,
“I… I failed.”
Seirun muttered, her shoulders trembling.
Along with that, the ground Leo stood on began to collapse.
As if sinking into a swamp.
Leo’s feet began to sink.
And not just Leo.
Seirun also slowly sank into the dark abyss.
***
*Kwa-ga-ga-ga-!*
Black flames soared.
[You can do nothing alone.]
Erebos declared to Seirun.
[It is merely a futile struggle.]
Seirun’s face was filled with despair.
The world burned.
The hero’s world distorted.
*Hwaak-!*
The remaining scenery turned to ashes.
The entire hero’s world burned.
The word ‘end’ flashed through Seirun’s mind.
One hero’s world was all connected.
Therefore, heroes who entered her hero’s world could freely move to any page they desired.
But not the companions who had entered together to stop Erebos.
The hero’s world that the heroes of the epoch could share was only one.
The final chapter, where the fragments of Erebos were subjugated.
Apart from 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.
Other heroes’ pages could become a passage for Erebos.
Therefore, the heroes of the epoch, before going to the final chapter,
Ordered to find, seal, and destroy their own Hero Records.
‘……Someone didn’t destroy the Hero Record.’
Seirun’s face was filled with despair.
*Thump-*
Her legs gave out, and she sank to her knees.
Her body had already reached its limit.
Erebos looked down at Seirun and said,
[Be trapped in this world and await death along with your world. Foolish mortal.]
With those words, Erebos, as if Seirun was not even worth killing,
Began to move towards the outside.
‘It’s over…’
What did she have left?
Lumern and Demian, who had protected the front, were gone.
Azonia, who had fought by her side, was gone… Rodia, who had given her faith from behind, was gone.
“Guys… I’m sorry… I’m sorry.”
Seirun wailed, apologizing to her companions.
“I… I failed.”
*Sssm-l-*
Darkness slowly engulfed Seirun.
“In the end, I couldn’t save the world because of me.”
Her entire body was sucked into the darkness.
The end was approaching.
If this hero’s world ended…
Seirun would die, and Erebos would be completely liberated.
Her entire body sank into the deep darkness.
An unpleasant buoyancy enveloped her entire body.
Suffocating in the deep darkness.
Even so, she struggled desperately, flailing her hands.
Although her spirit was broken and she thought she had lost,
She struggled until the very end.
She struggled to stop Erebos.
But soon, her strength gave out.
As her consciousness grew distant and her eyes began to close.
*Tak-!*
A hand, imbued with strong power, grabbed her wrist.
As if pulling a drowning person up.
Someone pulled Seirun out of the darkness.
*Puahk-!*
Her lower body submerged in darkness,
Seirun, whose upper body had barely escaped the darkness, saw white hair.
“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 knowing how hard it had been for Seirun,
With a gentle smile that conveyed understanding, he carefully pulled Seirun out of the darkness.
Freed from the darkness by the boy’s power, Seirun looked up at him blankly.
She had seen someone with the exact same smile.
A man who had once saved the world… had given a smile to his fellow mage who had achieved great deeds.
She remembered the mage’s embarrassed face, blushing at that smile.
A smile she had only seen once, but could never forget.
“You didn’t fail.”
Who could deny the failure of a hero who had saved the world when they despaired of failure?
Perhaps…
“Lift your head, Seirun Tingel.”
It would be someone who had already saved the world.
“You saved the world.”
[Your great deed will be recorded.]
A message appeared before Seirun’s eyes.
The world that had burned and disappeared instantly regained its original form.
Once again, Seirun’s great deed was recorded.
The Hero Record is a legacy left by the gods in the lower realm.
Only the owner of a Hero Record, as Seirun knew, could rewrite that record.
And Seirun knew that owner.
“The Hero of Beginning?”
Leo smiled as if to affirm her words.