Book 1 Chapter 507

507.

Mirror Queen Kaneshi.

5000 years ago.

She was one of the legion commanders they had subjugated.

Power entered Leo's hand.

Before they knew it, Luna's magic made it so that the surroundings were unaware of Leo, Luna, Lunia, and Kaneshi.

People on the street simply smiled brightly, looking at the suddenly bloomed flowers, and passed by.

As Luna prevented chaos, Leo drew his sword.

This was Leo, who in his previous life had crossed countless battlefields and overcome endless trials.

Starting with Jörmungandr, which Kyle and Licinas first subjugated, there was Zerdiaq.

Even the Monster Queen and the Giant King, who had survived 5000 years and threatened the world.

These were monstrous beings, to the point where the mere continued existence of the world felt like a miracle.

He fought and won against all of them, eventually subjugating Erebus and saving the world.

Even if Erebus were excluded, there were countless times he had risked his life.

'If I had to pick the most unpleasant legion commander I faced… it's this damn bitch.'

Mirror Queen Kaneshi had once single-handedly driven the great heroes to the brink of annihilation.

"Shall we settle the score that we couldn't 5000 years ago?"

Leo's lips curled up.

"What score? You were already subjugated 5000 years ago."

"That was not a victory achieved purely by your strength alone."

Kaneshi said with an expressionless face.

"It was merely the strength of your comrades. You were helpless before my power."

At Kaneshi's words, Leo narrowed his eyes.

'Indeed, this one's ability is troublesome.'

It was then that Leo clicked his tongue internally.

"What? Leo is Kyle…? What does that mean?"

Lunia wore a blank expression.

For a moment, Lunia, who didn't understand, looked back at Luna.

Luna gave Lunia a slight nod.

Lunia's face was painted with astonishment.

'Wait, then Leo's actions make sense now!'

Even excluding the fact that he was an all-class, there were many questions about Leo.

Starting with his skillful handling of star magic despite being human, there was his overwhelming growth rate.

Furthermore, his mental strength was so powerful that Lunia couldn't even imagine it.

Lunia fell into a momentary panic at the fact that the person she had set as her goal was the Hero of the Beginning.

'Did I just speak disrespectfully to a great hero all this time?'

Memories of her past actions towards Leo flashed through her mind.

It was when Lunia was aghast.

"Luna Rubenence?"

Kaneshi, who recognized Luna's presence, gasped.

"It's been a while. I never thought we'd meet again, especially after both of us died."

Luna, stepping forward, crossed her arms and smiled faintly.

Unlike her gentle voice and expression, a killing intent comparable to Kyle's flowed from Luna's eyes.

Leo and Luna fundamentally had a different mindset towards demons than the people of this era.

Though it was called the Age of Heroes, it was an Age of Peace.

Even if Tartarus had been intact, they had coexisted for thousands of years.

As such, they would compromise with Tartarus depending on the situation.

Demons were indeed enemies to be subjugated, but it was an era where circumstances had to be considered.

However, for Leo and Luna, who lived in the Age of Calamity, there was no such thing.

They were simply targets for annihilation.

The killing intent and aura emanating from Luna grew stronger.

Goooooooo-!

'This is… the aura of the great heroes.'

Lunia swallowed dryly.

Their very existence overwhelmed their surroundings.

They weren't specifically using magic.

What was emanating from Luna right now was purely the intimidating presence of Luna herself.

This was the presence of the Archmage who stood against the God of Destruction, who would destroy the world.

It easily surpassed the intimidating presence of Leo, who was currently exuding killing intent.

It wasn't that Leo's presence was inherently weaker than Luna's.

Leo, glancing at Luna, narrowed his eyes.

'Is she testing her?'

Leo's gaze naturally turned towards Lunia, who was standing beside Luna.

Lunia's body, indirectly affected, was trembling.

'If this child is my successor. If she is truly meant to stand on the battlefield against Erebus with Kyle.'

Luna also gave a sidelong glance at the trembling Lunia.

'She must overcome at least this much.'

It was different from Arion.

Arion, though somewhat rough, pushed Ar while checking her condition.

But Luna was not like that.

If Arion encouraged and pushed from behind while teaching.

Luna pushed one to the edge of a cliff.

This kind of teaching was also evident with Berkhia.

She usually doted on him, but when it came to teaching magic, she was strict.

She always tested limits.

Lunia gritted her teeth.

'Pull yourself together! Lunia El Lunda!'

Lunia didn't realize that this situation was a kind of test.

But she endured out of sheer stubbornness.

'You decided to stand by Leo's side! You were happy when Lady Luna called you her successor! If you can't even withstand an aura not directed at you, how embarrassing would that be!'

She opened her eyes wide and took a deep breath.

Lunia's trembling subsided.

Seeing that, Luna's lips curved gently.

'She's reliable.'

"Indeed, a spirit."

Kaneshi wore a slightly curious expression.

"Unexpected. I thought you, among the great heroes, would be the least likely to leave any lingering attachments."

Kaneshi showed an emotionless reaction.

Luna frowned, looking at Kaneshi.

5000 years ago.

It was Luna, not anyone else, who played the most active role in subjugating Kaneshi.

If not for Luna, they would not have avoided annihilation.

The reason was simple.

Kaneshi's abilities did not affect Luna.

But even so, Luna found the legion commander before her troublesome.

The legion commander before her was 'nothingness' itself.

The demons of Tartarus feared and yet hated the great heroes.

It couldn't be helped.

They, too, could not help but harbor feelings of hatred towards the great heroes who subjugated their god and blocked their destiny of world destruction.

However, Kaneshi was not like that.

She was the most anomalous among Tartarus's legion commanders.

She obeyed the commands of her creator, Erebus, but she had no interest in the world's destruction.

Naturally, she did not show hostility towards the great heroes who subjugated Erebus and killed a god.

"It's quite unexpected on my part, too. That you'd be revived as an undead."

Though spirits and undead are polar opposites, the reason they remain in the present world is due to lingering attachments.

"A small lingering attachment arose at the time of my death."

Kaneshi's lips twisted.

"Because I became curious about the end of the hero who survived."

"What?"

"The hero who survived was the great god's only natural enemy. But I thought the hero who survived would be the first of you to die."

Kaneshi laughed.

That laugh was utterly monstrous.

It gleamed with desire.

"What kind of end he would meet. What face he would make as he died. I was curious. Ah, yes! This might be similar to what you call 'adoration'!"

"Crazy bitch."

Leo spat out without a moment's hesitation.

But Kaneshi didn't care.

"Why did you have to get stuck with a crazy bitch like her?"

As Luna said, frowning intensely, Leo said calmly.

"Yeah, why are the women who like me never normal?"

At that, Luna opened her eyes wide and glared at Leo.

Regardless of what the two of them were doing, Kaneshi only spoke her mind.

"However, after being revived by the power of the Lich King, I heard an unbelievable story. It was the story that you, Kyle, as the last survivor, subjugated the god."

Curiosity arose on Kaneshi's face.

"How could that be?"

Leo narrowed his brows, observing the Mirror Queen's various emotions.

"Ah! I've become more curious about you. I wanted to understand you more. Because I can surely understand you better."

Kaneshi's body trembled.

"Bullshit."

Luna gave a cold laugh.

"How could a demon possibly understand us?"

"Luna Rubenence. You will never understand."

Kaneshi laughed.

"One who emits countless brilliant lights will never understand. You, who are certain of the path you walk."

Luna clicked her tongue.

She was not a person with whom conversation was possible from the start.

"Hero Kyle, the one who survived, I want to see your end even more."

Woong-

Kaneshi's appearance changed.

Seeing that, Leo lowered his stance.

"Kyle."

Luna's face showed a worried expression.

"Don't worry. The same thing won't happen this time."

At Leo's words, Luna clenched her fist tightly.

Kaneshi, now in the form of a giant mirror, reflected Leo.

At that moment.

Leo's figure disappeared.

Thump-! Thump-!

Along with that, people in the surrounding area collapsed.

"What is this…!"

Lunia wore a surprised expression.

"It's the Mirror Queen's ability."

Luna gritted her teeth.

"She reflects the opponent's image. She continuously shows them the illusion they most want to see… or most hate to see."

'This time, it seems she's focused all her abilities entirely on Kyle.'

At the time, Kaneshi's illusion did not affect Luna.

Luna, who had absolute faith in herself, forged her own path.

Neither sweet illusions nor terrible trials.

They could not shake Luna's heart.

"Mirror Queen Kaneshi's combat power itself is abysmal. But her ability itself is the most powerful."

Like Jörmungandr, who was famous as a legion commander without a legion, she too was a legion commander without a legion.

However, unlike Jörmungandr, who didn't need a legion due to his uniquely powerful martial prowess, Kaneshi, who could turn everything reflected in the mirror into an illusion, was an army unto herself.

"You said Leo is Kyle, right? What illusion did Leo see 5000 years ago?"

"…"

Luna fell silent, then moved her lips.

"He said he saw an illusion of fighting us."

Kaneshi's illusions showed more powerful visions the deeper the darkness in one's heart.

And at that time, Kaneshi's ability was like a natural enemy to Kyle.

"In that nightmarish illusion, Kyle… said he killed all of us."

Lunia gasped.

It was a kind of faith.

The belief that his comrades would not point swords at him.

He cut down his friends with formidable mental strength.

But even so, in an endless illusion, mental strength wears down.

Luna closed her eyes and recalled the situation when she subjugated Kaneshi.

Everyone woke up from the illusion.

But Kyle still gripped Licinas's neck and pointed his sword.

Dwayno and Arion blocked Kyle's sword, whose movements were mechanical, without a change in expression.

Licinas, whose neck was seized, opened her eyes wide.

'I'm okay, Kyle.'

Licinas smiled gently.

She simply accepted everything about her friend.

'I'm okay.'

'It was then that Kyle realized it was an illusion and sheathed his sword.'

Luna looked in the direction where Leo had disappeared.

There was not the slightest tremor in her eyes.

'He'll be okay.'

They had overcome countless trials together.

That's why Luna believed that Kaneshi's ability couldn't do anything to Leo.

'The Kyle of then and the Kyle of now are different.'

"These people…"

"They've been affected by Kaneshi's ability. As it's a legion commander's power, ordinary people have no immunity. For now, let's take care of the people."

"Yes, Lady Luna."

It was when Luna and Lunia were about to move.

Ku-gu-gu-gu-gu-gung-!

A black rift appeared in the air.

Lunia's face hardened.

Breaking through the pitch-black space was a woman with blood-red hair and madness in her eyes.

Luna narrowed her eyes.

"Who are you?"

"Me?"

The woman gave an eerie smile.

"My name is Elgenie, the Blood Queen. I am the great legion commander of Tartarus."