Book 1 Chapter 513
Luna, having unleashed the "End of All Things," watched the spot where the Commander King had been.
'He wouldn't fall this easily.'
The current Luna was the same Luna from when the Great Heroes embarked on their final expedition.
By the standards of that era, the power of each and every Great Hero overwhelmed the Legion Commanders, who were subordinates of Erebus.
The Commander King Hel Kaiser, the supreme commander of Tartarus, was no different.
'But that's only when I was in my prime.'
The current Luna was in a spiritual state.
And what sustained her was her own magic residing in Cometes, augmented by the magic of Seirun.
In such a condition, there were significant limitations to using magic.
'And that dog-boned bastard. He's gotten stronger than he was 5000 years ago.'
Luna could easily guess the reason for his increased strength.
'It must be because of the fragment of Erebus he possesses.'
She mentally assessed the current strength of herself and the Commander King.
'To crush him head-on with brute force might be a bit difficult.'
As Luna stroked her chin.
Gooooooo-!
An unusual surge of dark magic erupted.
Seeing it, Luna narrowed her eyes.
'He must have absorbed that Legion Commander.'
Luna, who easily sensed the Commander King's further strengthened power, let out a light click of her tongue.
Fwoosh-!
Looking at the Commander King, who appeared with black flames, the same ones Elgenie had spewed moments ago, now held in one hand, Luna spoke.
"A tragedy of kin-slaying? Well, that's just how low demons are."
"It seems your foul mouth hasn't improved even in death."
"Those who achieve great things must remain consistent, whether alive or dead."
Luna chuckled and snapped her fingers.
Whirrring-!
A strange resonance echoed, and soon hundreds of swords made of magic materialized around them.
Swords of Banishment.
This was a magic Luna had created to confront the Commander King.
It was a magic that was like a natural enemy to the power of the dead.
Seeing Luna, the Commander King raised his hand.
Gooooo-!
Black mist poured from his hand.
At Luna's gesture, hundreds of swords rained down on the Commander King.
Pababababababababa-!
Instantly, the Swords of Banishment collided with the Commander King's mist and were blocked.
"Did you think your 5000-year-old trick would work on me?"
"Yeah, it seems it doesn't."
Tap-
Calmly, Luna grasped the remaining Sword of Banishment in her hand and unleashed her magic.
Flash-!
As the Commander King's eyes twitched at Luna's instantaneous disappearance.
'Teleportation magic?'
He quickly expanded his magical detection.
In a fleeting moment.
Sensing a killing intent from behind, the Commander King used teleportation magic.
Swish-!
The Sword of Banishment grazed the air.
"Too bad~"
Luna licked her lips, swinging the Swords of Banishment around.
Seeing her, the Commander King narrowed his eyes.
'Did she cast an acceleration spell on her own magic?'
It wasn't just a matter of increasing physical speed.
It was literally a magic that accelerated Luna's own time.
Luna, for a moment, controlled her own time.
'This is a magical concept that didn't exist 5000 years ago.'
The magical concepts related to time acceleration were only properly established recently.
It was a magic born from a mage who was born with a special mana characteristic.
Even now, it was rare to see a mage who could apply magic in such a way.
'As expected.'
It was impossible to know how many such individuals existed in this world.
However, the magic she used was vastly different from that of 5000 years ago.
'I expected it, but most of the countermeasures I prepared in anticipation of Luna Rubynance's appearance in this era will be useless.'
Last winter.
When he heard the catastrophic news that the invasion plan to destroy Seirun was thwarted by the appearance of the Hero of the Beginning and the Progenitor of the Nebula, the Commander King had already devised countermeasures against them.
It was a clear fact that the Great Hero had appeared in the current era through the Hero Records.
It was truly a miraculous event.
'But what has happened once can happen again.'
As the Commander King predicted, Great Heroes continued to appear in the current era.
The Brave Arion even vanquished one of Erebus's fragments and disappeared.
And now.
Before him stood Luna, the Progenitor of the Nebula.
'It would be more accurate to say that the level of magic has advanced one step beyond what I know.'
The Commander King used dark magic.
Kwagagagagagaga-!
Smoke made of black sand enveloped Luna at tremendous speed.
Seeing it, Luna quickly used acceleration magic to evade the Commander King's attack.
While she could have avoided it more easily with teleportation magic, Luna opted for acceleration magic.
Luna, approaching the Commander King at immense speed, clapped her hands together.
Clap-!
As her hands separated, particles of light poured out like a shotgun blast.
Kwagagagaga-!
A powerful explosion occurred.
However, it was blocked by the Commander King's crimson and black barrier magic.
Fwoosh-!
At that moment, the Commander King's hand transformed into the bone of a colossal beast.
The beast, burning with black flames, opened its maw and tried to swallow Luna.
Fwah-!
Luna quickly put distance between them again.
"How annoying."
The Commander King clicked his tongue.
The Demon Queen Silathuna, the Giant King Gias, etc.
They were Legion Commanders specialized in close combat.
Analogous to heroes, they were like Knights and Warriors.
In contrast, the Commander King was a Summoner and Mage specializing in summoning and magic.
Luna continued to engage the Commander King in close-quarters combat.
The reason was simple.
Luna displayed immense power even in close combat.
She easily overwhelmed the Commander King, who fought with traditional mage tactics.
The most powerful form of evasion is spatial magic.
However, Luna did not use teleportation magic.
This was not because close-quarters combat with teleportation was difficult.
For Luna and the Commander King, it was a simple spell.
However, teleportation had a fatal flaw.
Short-range teleportation was a magic that folded space onto itself.
As such, the teleportation destination could inevitably be predicted.
Of course, logically, this would be impossible in a fight, but Luna was known as the most powerful mage in magical history, and the Commander King was a being who had existed for millennia and was notorious for using the most potent magic and curses in Tartarus.
Luna, on her part, avoided using teleportation magic for fear of her position being pinpointed and counterattacked, and the Commander King chose to establish defensive magic in place.
"Are you planning on continuing this tedious attrition warfare?"
"Yes."
Luna smiled wryly.
Luna was in a situation where she would disappear if her mana was depleted.
The Commander King was aware of this.
'If there were no restrictions, she wouldn't have shown herself in the first place.'
But unfortunately, time was not on Luna's side.
'The Surviving Hero.'
Crack-! Crack-crack-!
Leo, trapped in the Mirror Queen's world, was trying to escape.
"Do you know the crucial difference between us, who seek to destroy the world, and you, who seek to protect it, Luna Rubynance?"
"I don't care! You dog-boned bastard!"
Luna's eyes flashed.
In an instant, a pentagram appeared in Luna's pupils.
Fzzzz-!
The barrier magic surrounding the Commander King was dispelled.
She understood the magical formation's structure and reverse-engineered it to destroy it.
Luna attempted to approach again.
Seeing this, the Commander King smirked.
Gooooooo-!
A massive surge of dark magic flowed from the Commander King.
Kugugugugugugugu-!
As the Commander King raised his hand, debris from various parts of Rumeria City shot up into the sky.
Luna paused.
"Destroyers only need to break what they see, but protectors must guard what they see."
Tukwagagagaga-!
"Eek!"
Luna cast a spell to protect the people.
The debris that was falling was stopped by the telekinetic magic Luna used.
Luna sent all the debris flying far away.
Seeing this, the Commander King raised his hand.
Gooooooo-!
Black flames enveloped Luna.
Just as the black flames were about to turn Luna into ashes.
Flash-
A colossal magic circle materialized in Luna's hand.
"Stella Radius."
As Luna's unique magic was completed, a flash of light drew a long trajectory and flew towards the Commander King.
Kwagagagaga-!
Half of the Commander King's body was blown away.
Crack- Crack-crack-!
However, the Commander King's body returned to its original state.
Seeing this, Luna scowled.
"Wow, it's disgusting no matter how many times I see it. You don't die."
"You know this well, don't you? Luna Rubynance. I am one of the dead."
The Commander King smirked.
"Unless the core is destroyed, I am immortal."
"Right, it's the same structure as those low-level liches."
Luna scoffed.
The core was always held by the Commander King.
However, destroying it was not easy.
'As the core of mana, it's unimaginably hard, and its location can be shifted at will, making it difficult to pinpoint.'
Luna scowled.
Seeing her, the Commander King laughed.
"The same applies to you, Luna Rubynance."
"What?"
"Have you forgotten? You are also one of the dead."
Crack-! Crack-crack-!
With a hand imbued with Erebus's thoughts, the Commander King tore off his opposite arm.
The arm soon transformed into a spear.
Goooooo-!
Tremendous dark magic whirled around.
'Targeting Magic!'
Luna's face stiffened.
It was a magic that never missed its target.
As Luna was about to counter the magic.
Thwack-!
"Gah?"
In an instant, the Commander King's magic pierced Luna's heart.
"You bastard…"
Luna's face contorted.
Seeing her, the Commander King said.
"This magic contains all the power of Lord Erebus, who burned with Elgenie as fuel."
The Commander King said coldly.
"It was originally meant to kill the Surviving Hero, but once a being like you intervened, that was already out of the question. After all, God's will, which used Elgenie as fuel, held even greater animosity towards you."
Luna coughed up-! Blood poured out.
"I consumed a Legion Commander. If so, I must break at least one thing for sure."
Luna, with her head bowed, trembled.
"Right now, you, who will advance the magic of this era by several steps, are a more threatening existence than the Surviving Hero. Luna Rubynance."
If the plan was ruined, one had to choose to gain the most from the situation.
From the Commander King's perspective, it was the crushing death of Luna Rubynance.
Drip-drip-!
At that moment, the bone spear disappeared.
In a single spell, it contained all of Erebus's black flames.
However, Luna did not die.
"You will not disappear immediately, Luna Rubynance."
The Commander King smiled coldly.
"Even with your heart pierced, limbs severed, and head blown off, you can exist in this world. You are a dead being like me. I wish to see you in your most pathetic state and die in despair."
"You damn bastard…!"
"Because I hate all of you Great Heroes."
The Commander King swung his palm.
KWAAANG-!
"Ugh!"
With an immense shock, Luna's body slammed into the ground.
Kwagagagaga-!
"Luna-nim!"
Lunia rushed to Luna with a pale face.
The Heroes who had been holding back the Commander King and the Queen of Blood's armies also wore expressions of despair as they saw Luna bleeding with her heart pierced.
"Don't come!"
Luna shouted, spitting blood.
And then, as if it were nothing, she got up.
An unbearable pain that threatened to shatter her sanity was squeezing her entire body.
Every movement felt like it would elicit a scream.
The power of Erebus and the curse of the Commander King.
Anyone else would have lost their sanity and gone mad.
But Luna laughed.
"Great! It means I can fight without holding back!"
There was no despair on Luna's face as she grinned ferociously, spitting blood.
Tap-
The Commander King, who had landed on the ground, shook his head at the sight.
"As expected of a Great Hero. You're tough. To be able to laugh even in the face of pain that would shatter your sanity."
The Commander King, who wore an expression of weariness, opened his mouth.
"Luna Rubynance. If you exist as a spirit, what is your lingering regret?"
"Not being able to chew you all up."
"That's possible. But I doubt you would consider that a regret, having entrusted the aftermath to the Surviving Hero who knows no surrender. Indeed."
The Commander King chuckled softly and said.
"Then perhaps this is your regret."
The Commander King opened his palm.
It was a pact formation of the undead.
Luna, who had been frowning, began to freeze as she read the contents of the pact formation.
A moment later, Luna's face turned ashen.
"Hoohoohoo. Hoohoohohoho- Khahahaha!"
The Commander King, suppressing his urge to burst into laughter, mocked Luna.
Luna, with a pale face, looked down at the ground.
"This seems to be the correct answer."
The Commander King hid the pact formation.
"Berkia, whom you were so worried about, has been resurrected as an undead. Didn't you teach your disciple poorly?"
Kwagagagaga-!
As the Commander King swung his arm, Luna was sent flying powerlessly and crashed.
Crash-! Crack-crack-!
At that moment, the entire space rippled violently and began to crack.
Seeing this, the Commander King's eyes narrowed.
'The Surviving Hero will arrive soon.'
Before that, he must crush Luna.
As he thought this.
A chant began to be heard.
Flash-!
A massive magic circle was emblazoned in the sky.
Seeing it, the Commander King's face stiffened.
"The End?"
He looked at the place where Luna had been flung.
There stood Luna, her eyes shining as usual, giving him the middle finger.
"Even after seeing your disciple resurrected as an undead, you have no mental damage?"
To the Commander King's question, Luna grinned and replied.
"As if, you dog-boned bastard."