Book 1 Chapter 580

"Whooooosh! Flutter-"

The fluttering cloak caught the eyes of the hero candidates.

The appearance of Kyle, a young man with ash-grey hair and eyes, seemed to momentarily freeze time in the surrounding area.

Kyle's presence was that of that magnitude.

"Thump-"

"Ah."

As Kyle took a step, it was as if time resumed, and the hero candidates exclaimed.

'What is this presence?'

En, who had transformed into Leo through his unique magic, Mirror, involuntarily swallowed hard at Kyle's overwhelming presence.

As the successor to the Dragon Lord, Melina, En had met countless heroes.

'No, comparing him to heroes in the first place would be disrespectful… but…'

During summer vacation, he had even spoken directly with Arion.

He had also seen Luna up close when she was in Lumern recently.

Both great heroes possessed an overwhelming presence.

But it was different from Kyle.

Arion had a gentle aura that calmed the heart just by being with him.

Luna was friendly.

She approached and mingled with people easily.

Looking at Luna always brought a smile to one's face.

Even in battle, their demeanor did not change much.

But Kyle was different.

He was overwhelmingly out of reach.

He was like a sword drawn from its scabbard.

'The atmosphere can't change this much just by changing his appearance. Lord Leo had been hiding himself until now.'

En clenched his fist.

"Thump- thump-"

At that moment, Kyle stopped in front of En.

"Don't be nervous."

"Ah…"

Seeing Kyle speak in a voice so low it could only be heard by himself, En snapped back to attention.

"Look the enemy straight in the eye. You're the next Dragon Lord."

Kyle's grey eyes emitted a stern light.

"How can you be so frozen by this much?"

"Yes, yes!"

Startled, En straightened his back and stood tall.

Seeing En like that, Kyle chuckled and walked forward.

'…I see.'

Arion led people to follow him with his great courage.

The progenitor of constellations always pushed people forward with a confident attitude.

'Lord Kyle… pulls them along.'

Kyle's charisma sternly and decisively pulled people along.

That blade-like momentum was not directed at them.

It was directed at the enemy.

That gave them great trust.

En took a deep breath, realizing this was how Kyle earned people's trust.

"Are you really the Hero of Beginning?"

Hark asked with a bewildered expression.

"It must be Lord Kyle! You came to save us with Lord Seirun last year during the Seirun event!"

Lil said in an excited voice.

Just then.

"Hero candidates! Hurry and provide support if you're ready!"

A mage hero, who had been blocking Erebus's flames, appeared riding on a staff.

"We're being pushed back! We desperately need your help now!"

The mage shouted urgently.

"Now, now, whether it's Lord Kyle or not, does it matter? What's important now is to get rid of that."

Then Elena stepped in to sort out the situation.

At her words, the hero candidates, who had been lost in awe at Kyle's appearance, snapped back to reality.

"Kyle? What nonsense are you-- Ugh?!"

The mage hero, who had worn an expression of incomprehension, let out a scream of shock upon seeing Kyle and fell from his staff.

"Thud-!"

"Hero of Beginning, Kyle?"

Elena smiled faintly at the mage hero, who asked with his mouth agape, and approached Kyle from behind.

"Now, now, Hero of Beginning. Please help us quickly."

Elena nudged him with a bright smile.

Watching that, murmurs of admiration erupted from various places.

"As expected of Elena. I'm suffocating just by looking."

"Is it a difference in capacity?"

It was at that moment when admiration was being expressed everywhere.

"I'll go on my own, so stop pushing me, brat."

At Kyle's words, Elena flinched and then quickly moved in front of Leo.

Then she narrowed her eyes.

"Your expression and tone remind me of an arrogant junior who lacks charm. And there was a fake pretending to be a junior."

At those words, Kyle let out a chuckle.

Elena's eyes narrowed further at his appearance.

"I thought something was strange. You're my senior, and you're treating me, who is clearly older, like a child."

Leo was an unconventional being from the start.

A growth rate beyond what could be considered growth.

Along with a seasoned skill with unfathomable depth.

If all of that was indeed 'Kyle, the Hero of Beginning,' it was understandable.

Elena, who had vaguely sensed something strange by En's appearance, became convinced that he was the same person as Leo upon seeing Kyle.

Just then.

"Grrrrrrr-!"

"Wh-what?! Suddenly?! Kuaaaak?!"

"Everyone fall back!"

"The front lines are caught in the flames! Healers!"

The heroes began to suffer fatal injuries from Erebus, which suddenly began to emit even more powerful flames.

Seeing that, Kyle clicked his tongue.

"It's noticed our presence."

"Oh dear."

Elena also felt something unusual and tried to quickly retreat to the rear.

At that moment.

"Tap-"

"Huh?"

Kyle grabbed Elena's wrist and pulled her into his embrace.

Elena, who was suddenly embraced by Kyle, opened her eyes wide.

Kyle pulled Elena even closer and wrapped his cloak around her.

"Flutter-!"

"Flash-! KUGUAGUGUGUGUGUGUGU-"

Suddenly, space opened, and a giant flame engulfed Kyle.

"Hwarurururuk-!"

If Elena had retreated to the rear as intended, she would have been hit directly by the attack.

'I would have died then.'

Elena shivered, feeling a sense of dread.

But she soon regained her composure.

Kyle pulled Elena even tighter into his embrace, making it difficult to breathe.

"Paaat-!"

Kyle shook off the flames and swung his hand.

"Hwarurururuk-!"

A crimson sword materialized in Kyle's hand.

The sword, imbued with the phoenix, Fiora, pushed back the flames of disaster.

"Tell the others. Leave the front lines to me."

"Lord Leo, alone?"

"Yes. You brats interfering would only be a hindrance. That thing isn't something someone ignorant of Erebus can handle."

"There are students among the hero candidates, including myself, who possess power comparable to heroes. I don't think I would be a hindrance to you, Lord Leo? I'm sure I could help?"

Elena protested in a slightly displeased voice, reacting to his words.

Kyle released Elena from his embrace and said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Huh?"

"Brat also includes them."

Kyle pointed at the heroes fleeing from Erebus and said.

Elena's mouth gaped.

Even so, treating heroes who had achieved great deeds as brats.

"Support me from behind. Got it, Elena?"

"Yes? Yes!"

Elena, who had answered with a salute without realizing it, covered her mouth with her hand.

"Good girl."

Kyle walked towards Erebus, treating her like a child who listened to her parents.

Watching his retreating back, Elena mumbled blankly.

"I understand why Luna fell for him…"

***

"Hwarurururuk-!"

Black flames burned all around.

But Kyle approached Erebus without paying them any mind.

These black flames were flames of disaster that inflicted fatal injuries upon mere contact.

But for Kyle, fragments of such flames were not a great danger.

The characteristic of pure mana, which is the natural enemy of Erebus.

And he had also obtained the flames of Dweno, which had shielded the great heroes from Erebus's flames when he had conquered Dweno's world.

"Hwaruru-"

Golden flames blazed from Kyle's body.

'The attack just now.'

Kyle narrowed his eyes, looking at Erebus's flames.

Suddenly, space split in the air, and black flames poured out.

There was no warning.

Perhaps a hero of this era would have been hit by that attack.

It wasn't that the heroes of this era were weak.

'The heroes of this era have no information about Erebus.'

Erebus is not simply a monster that spews inextinguishable flames of disaster.

It is a god-like monster possessing the secrets of countless worlds and numerous powers.

That is Erebus.

During the Age of Disaster.

It was indeed the great heroes who defeated Erebus.

But behind them were countless heroes who sacrificed their lives to perfect the strategy for Erebus.

The conquest of Erebus was ultimately achieved through the ashes of heroes piled up.

No matter how powerful a hero, they are helpless before unknown powers.

'That attack must have twisted the laws of space.'

It's not magic.

It is literally the realm of miracles brought about by a god.

'…A power that intervenes in space… the head.'

Kyle saw through the identity of the fragment sealed within the Hero of Creation.

It was clear that the head, one of Erebus's six fragmented pieces, was sealed in the world of creation.

'The problem is that a fragment of Erebus, which should be a mass of power without consciousness, used its power. And…'

"Hwarurururuk-!"

The unpleasant smell of the world burning stimulated Kyle's nostrils.

A smell only those who had fought a desperate battle with Erebus would know.

'The burning smell has become more pungent than before.'

Kyle's face contorted.

He had defeated Erebus's fragments, thoughts, and pieces until now.

But this was the first time he had emitted such a pungent burning smell.

'Is it more powerful than other flames? Why?'

The moment Kyle narrowed his eyes.

"Grrrrrrr-!"

The flames of disaster poured towards Kyle.

Although it was merely a mass of power, the flames of disaster exuded hatred towards Leo.

It knew.

That the being before it was the one who had subdued it.

Seeing that, Kyle smirked.

"We're on the same page."

"Flash-!"

A golden aura erupted from the sword in his left hand.

Seeing that, the beastkin hero's eyes widened.

"Golden aura?! Could it be Lord Arion's aura?!"

"Jwaaaak-!"

Kyle's sword cleaved through all of Erebus's flames.

"Hwarurururuk-!"

At that moment, black flames surged in front of Kyle.

Seeing that, Kyle opened his right hand and summoned a magic staff.

Kyle, who had been chanting since he swung his sword, unleashed the magic.

"Apocalypse."

"Flash-! KAGAGAGAGA GAGAGAG!"

The starlight of destruction blew away Erebus's flames.

Everyone watching that awe-inspiring sight trembled.

"Is that… the all-class, Hero of Beginning Kyle…?"

"…He's a complete upgrade from Leo, isn't he?"

Everyone stared at Kyle's back with expressions of shock.

"Crack-! Clang-!"

At that moment, cracks appeared on the sword Kyle held, and the orb of the magic staff exploded.

These swords and staffs were top-quality items made by Driana.

Normally, he could have used them without breaking them, but he was in a hurry, so he had no choice but to handle them roughly.

"Hwarurururuk!"

Seeing the disaster flames reignite, Kyle reached into subspace.

"Woong- Woong-!"

Suddenly, some ancient weapons announced their presence within subspace.

At that, Kyle hesitated.

"I don't want to overwork these antiques."

"Woong-!"

Despite Kyle's wry smile, the resonance did not stop.

"Tap-!"

Kyle pulled out a chipped greatsword from subspace.

It was a greatsword that looked like it could break at any moment.

Marygold, the student council president of Demian, who was preparing to support Kyle from the rear, widened her eyes at the appearance of the greatsword whose functionality was questionable.

"Is that Dweno's divine artifact from Demian?"

At that moment-

"Hwarurururuk-!"

Golden flames enveloped the greatsword.

"Wu-wu-wu-wu-!"

The pure white greatsword emitted a brilliant light.

A greatsword so beautiful it was like a work of art.

But it had no name.

Dweno said.

An artifact is just an artifact.

But the divine artifact, which had not even been given a name, knew very well what heart its creator had put into making it.

Its creator had died thousands of years ago.

People viewed the greatsword merely as a relic of a glorious past.

But the greatsword was burning itself out to return to its glorious past and fulfill its duty.

"He didn't give you any names, you know."

Kyle gripped the greatsword tighter.

"But he remembered all the weapons he made."

When a weapon broke, he would drink and grieve sincerely.

"Woong-! Woong-!"

The nameless greatsword resonated even more strongly.

"He's gone now, but don't worry."

Kyle lowered his stance.

"I will remember your end."

"Quack-!"

Kyle charged towards Erebus.

'Hold on a little longer.'

Kyle tightened his grip, recalling those trapped in the hero's world.

'I'll be there to save you soon!'

***

"Kyaaaaaaaak! Student council president! You're so cool!"

"Forget that commoner girl! Play with us! Okay?!"

"……"

Karl let out a hollow laugh and looked up at the sky.

Eliza's murderous gaze, which seemed to be saying, 'What are you doing, you damned commoner!' was fixed on him from behind.

'Someone save me…'

Karl's nose tickled.

'Save me.'