Book 1 Chapter 508

508.

At the sudden appearance of the Legion Commander, Lunia's face hardened.

The Queen of Blood, Elzenie.

She was one of the terrifying beings that made the world tremble in fear.

'A Legion Commander in this situation!'

Lunia bit her lip.

Last year's nightmare came to mind.

The massive invasion by the Monster Queen Shilathuna.

Added to that, the appearance of a Legion Commander that the Great Heroes of the distant past had defeated.

The despair she had felt then overwhelmed her.

If the Great Heroes hadn't been there then, Seyrun would have collapsed completely.

As Lunia's face was hardened.

Luna tilted her head.

"Legion Commander? You?"

Doubt arose in Luna's eyes.

"I know you're a powerful demon, but a Legion Commander with just this much?"

"What?"

Instantly, Elzenie's face hardened.

Lunia also looked back at Luna with a blank expression.

"Lunia, is that really a Legion Commander?"

Seeing Luna ask with a voice full of disbelief, Lunia inadvertently replied.

"Yes, the Queen of Blood, Elzenie. She is definitely a Legion Commander."

"Hmm."

Luna, with her arms crossed, tilted her head slightly, then mumbled.

"Are Legion Commanders nowadays of a low standard…?"

"Ugh! What is this elf girl blabbering about?!"

Sparks flew in Elzenie's eyes.

Gwoooooo-!

Massive dark magic swirled.

Flash-! Whoosh-!

Crimson-black flames enveloped Luna.

"Lady Luna!"

Lunia was startled and called out to Luna.

Whoosh-!

At that moment, the crimson-black flames gathered on Luna's palm.

Elzenie's face hardened upon seeing that.

Luna rolled the flames on her palm around, then smiled sweetly and threw them at Elzenie.

"I don't need it, so I'll give it back."

Whoosh-!

The flames were absorbed back into her surroundings.

"You… what exactly are you?"

Seeing Elzenie ask with wary eyes, Luna's lips curved upwards.

"The progenitor of the Nebula, Luna."

"Are you a mad elf?"

"You're just babbling recklessly with that open mouth of yours."

Luna's lips curved upwards.

"Monster Queen, did that damn hideous thing teach you that way?"

Gwoooooo-!

Magic power surged from Luna's hand.

Flash-!

Elzenie's eyes were filled with horror.

Kwagagagang-!

Pillars of light poured down from the sky.

'Magic of this power in an instant…!'

A shiver ran down her entire body.

Suddenly, a human flashed through Elzenie's mind.

'Leo Flov… the reincarnation of the surviving hero, Kyle…!'

The human with terrifying power and the elf before her overlapped.

"Ah… yes… that's how it was."

Elzenie's eyes rolled back.

"Yes… you… You are indeed Luna, the progenitor of the Nebula…!"

Elzenie's body trembled.

The moment she saw that, Luna narrowed her eyes.

"That is…"

"What exactly is going on?"

Lunia hurriedly ran to Luna's side.

"You could say it's a kind of divine possession."

"Divine possession?"

"Yes. They're receiving a blessing from Erebus, their god. It has an enhancing effect on demons."

"B-but the primal evil is surely in a sealed state…!"

"It's a kind of thought-form, you see."

Luna recalled what she had heard from Leo.

'Erebus said he held a strong grudge against Kyle, right? Then it would be the same for me.'

"I certainly died by Erebus's hand. But I definitely wasn't defeated easily."

The wounds Luna inflicted on Erebus as she died.

Those wounds allowed Leo to defeat Erebus.

'His grudge against me must be great.'

That grudge held by Erebus had manifested through the Legion Commander before her.

"Good then. Shall I take out my 5,000-year-old frustrations?"

A chilling murderous intent flowed from Luna's body.

Seeing that, Lunia gasped.

'She's definitely different from Leo or Lord Arion.'

The aura Leo exuded was a fierce one that seemed capable of tearing an opponent apart.

Arion exuded a sharp aura that seemed ready to cut at any moment.

In contrast, Luna's aura seemed capable of destroying everything that stood in her way.

Lunia, who was looking at Luna's back, unconsciously reached out her hand.

Squeeze-

"Hm? What's wrong, Lunia?"

Seeing Lunia clutching her clothes, Luna made a puzzled expression.

"Last time… Lord Arion… used immense power and disappeared."

At Lunia's words, Luna's eyes widened slightly.

"Last time, when you defeated the Monster Queen, Lady Luna, you used the End and disappeared… It's the same situation as back then, isn't it?"

Lunia becoming the Seyrun student council president in her second year was not simply because she possessed great power.

Though her personality was a bit rough, she basically had leadership qualities and was a wise honor student.

For Lunia, with her excellent insight, understanding Luna's situation was not difficult.

That's why she felt it instinctively.

'If Lady Luna uses her power… she will disappear.'

From the start, it was impossible for there to be no cost for a miracle of a Great Hero remaining in the present world.

The current Luna, unlike last time, is not staying in the present world through the power of the Hero Record, but through a spirit contract with Leo.

However, the foundation of that spirit contract was Luna's magic power residing in Kometes.

If that magic power is depleted, Luna would not be able to remain in this world in her spirit form.

Whether or not Luna had any lingering attachment to the current world.

"Yes, that's right."

"I… I wish Lady Luna would stay in the present world longer."

Lunia said in a trembling voice.

"I want to learn more from Lady Luna and be with Lady Luna longer."

Lunia gritted her teeth.

"I hope Lady Luna can enjoy this peace that she achieved for a bit longer."

"……"

Luna's eyes wavered.

Her heart was swayed by the young elf's words.

That was also something Luna very much desired.

"But if we don't stop that guy now, many people will die."

Luna said, looking at Elzenie, who was exuding an unusual aura.

"Don't worry about that."

Lunia said with conviction.

"Because even in this era, heroes exist."

Whoosh-! Kwaaaaaak-!

"Hryaah!"

The greatsword swung by the dwarf warrior sliced through the crimson-black flames.

"Aqua Will."

Swaaaaa-!

The magic invoked by the human mage protected the people from the flames that threatened to turn their surroundings into ash.

"Spirits of Wind, lead the people to safety."

The beastkin spirit user summoned countless spirits to evacuate the unconscious people to safety.

Luna recognized them at a glance.

The fact that all of them were heroes whose names were recorded in the Hero Record.

Lunia stretched out her hand.

"Renea."

With fierce flames, a beautiful phoenix appeared.

Whoosh-!

Lunia's hair turned into white flames.

Seeing that, Luna parted her lips slightly.

'I first saw this child… about a year ago from now, right?'

At that time, they combined their strengths and defeated a fragment of Erebus.

She also recalled her struggles when fighting Zerdia.

'I knew she had gotten stronger compared to back then, but I didn't expect her to have grown this much.'

"Don't worry."

Lunia said with conviction.

"Please believe in us. Though we may be lacking… there are those who follow in the footsteps of Lady Luna and the Great Heroes."

Lunia approached Elzenie.

"Lady Luna, please watch from there."

Currently, for the Twilight Festival, countless people have come to Lumeria City.

Among them, many were heroes whose names were recorded in the Hero Record.

Luna's eyes wavered.

"Can I… trust them with this?"

"Of course! Lady Luna, please watch from a safe place!"

Lunia, with a bright smile, ran out and shouted.

"I am Lunia El Rundia of Seyrun! That demon is the Blood Legion Commander! Elzenie!"

"To dare invade Lumeria City during the Twilight Festival, without fear!"

The human knight hero exclaimed indignantly.

Heroes continued to gather to stop Elzenie.

It was then.

"Kin, step back. This place is dangerous!"

Elf sword mages guided Luna to the rear.

"This is no place for you!"

Thinking Luna was an ordinary person, they hurriedly evacuated her with others.

"Ah…"

It wasn't just the heroes.

Countless people were trying to protect others.

Luna retreated from the battlefield and mumbled to herself.

'It's okay to leave it to them, right?'

Luna's eyes wavered.

'A bit longer… I can stay in this era a bit longer, right?'

Luna bit her lip.

'It's okay to enjoy this happiness a bit longer, right?'

***

Gwoooooo-!

Lumerne, located in the middle of the vast Lake Lumeria.

Above it, a huge, gloomy dark cloud had gathered.

Rumble-!

An ominous thunder echoed.

After class ended, students who were about to head to Lumeria City for the Twilight Festival murmured and rushed out of the building.

"What… what's going on?"

Karl mumbled in a bewildered voice.

Then Airan, who was nearby, said in a slightly frightened voice.

"It's like… during the Seyru War last year."

At those words, said with a shiver, the faces of those around them hardened.

"It's the Curse of Severance."

"Huh! Professor Mel?!"

Karl was startled.

During the summer vacation, in the process of subduing one of Erebus's fragments, Karl, along with Chelsea, realized that Mel was Melina.

Mel smiled sweetly at Karl, then said.

"This aura… it seems to be the Necrolord."

"N-Necrolord!"

When the name of Tartarus's true ruler was mentioned, Karl cried out in alarm.

'I heard from Lord Leo that the Necrolord's power had grown stronger, but…'

Flash-! Thud-!

Then, from the sky, something fell.

What landed on the ground were three people.

"W-what is it?"

"Who are those people?!"

The students gathered around wore bewildered expressions.

However, at the aura they emitted, everyone's complexion changed drastically.

"Undead?"

As all the students exuded hostility, the three people calmly approached someone.

"Long time no see, Dragon Lord."

At the words of the man in the center, everyone looked at Mel in astonishment.

"What did you just say?"

"Professor Mel is what?"

Looking at the opponent who revealed her identity, Mel let out a deep sigh.

"Long time no see, Lord Methelar."

"Methelar? Wait a minute! Methelar was the person who served as the principal of Lumerne, wasn't he?!"

"It's definitely the face I saw in the portrait…!"

At the appearance of a hero from several generations ago, everyone's eyes widened.

However, at the powerful demonic energy emanating from his body, their faces slowly hardened.

It wasn't just Methelar.

The others standing beside him were also famous heroes whose names were recorded in the Hero Record several generations ago.

As everyone wore expressions of shock, Mel opened her mouth.

"Were you all so unjustly treated?"

Mel opened her mouth with an expressionless face.

"That you couldn't challenge the world of Creation."

At Mel's words, the faces of the three heroes resurrected as undead twisted.

"We wanted to ask you. Why didn't you choose us?!"

At Methelar's words, Mel burst into laughter.

"It's not that I didn't choose you. I merely protected you. I couldn't drive heroes who had accomplished great feats into a death trap."

"Transcend your limits. That is Lumerne's teaching. We merely tried to follow it."

"Back then, I thought it was reckless courage. But now I see. It was nothing more than blind bravado, blinded by honor."

At one time, Mel considered the heroes before her as candidates to challenge the world of Creation together.

However, the heroes before her had not grown enough to challenge the world of Creation.

But they hoped to challenge the world of Creation, and Mel ultimately refused.

And… that became a grudge and they made a contract with the Necrolord.

Disgust filled Mel's eyes.

"For people who discuss Lord Lumerne's teachings, to choose to become slaves of the Necrolord… Don't you think that's contradictory?"

"It's because of you."

Hatred settled on Methelar's face.

"Because you didn't make the right choice! It's because of you!"

Seeing him charge forward, exploding with rage, Mel swung her palm.

Immense magic power repelled Methelar.

Kwagagagang-!

Methelar was slammed into a nearby building.

Starting with that, countless undead began to emerge from the ground.

Accordingly, Lumerne's students assumed battle stances.

Mel looked up at the sky and narrowed her eyes.

"So you want to try this, do you, Necrolord."

***

Leo opened his eyes.

'Inside the Mirror Queen's illusion.'

It was the streets of Lumeria City.

But Leo knew this place was an illusion.

It was when Leo was clenching and unclenching his hand.

"Kyle."

At the voice from behind, Leo turned his head.

"Lishinas?"

At the familiar face, Leo narrowed his brows.

In the previous illusion of the Mirror Queen, he had confronted Lishinas.

It was when Leo was tense.

"How is it? How does it feel to have saved the world twice?"

"What?"

Seeing Lishinas ask with a bright smile, Leo wore a bewildered expression.