Book 1 Chapter 587

587.

Sizzle-!

Lightning auras erupted from Duran's body.

Watching Duran, Airan shouted urgently.

"Wait a moment! Duran-nim! If you attack now, others might get hurt!"

"Krrk!"

Duran quickly sheathed his sword.

WHOOSH-!

Black flames erupted in front.

Seeing that, Airan blocked the black flames with her aura-infused shield.

Just as mages have their traits, knights can also be divided by their fighting styles.

Celia and Duran are attack-specialized types.

Based on their powerful aura abilities, they overwhelm enemies in the front and protect allies.

And Airan is a defense-specialized knight.

In the current situation, where there's an overwhelming difference in power between the enemy and allies, Airan's defense specialization shone even brighter.

FLARE-!

"Hk!"

"Airan-yang! Are you okay?"

Chen Xia quickly summoned water auras to push back the black flames around Airan.

Pushed back momentarily by the even more powerful black flames, Airan nodded hurriedly.

"I'm fine! I'm not having any problems!"

Although Airan answered spiritedly, her body was covered in large and small burns.

Currently, she is one of the main pillars of defense, blocking the black flames.

Without her, this party would have been annihilated long ago.

"Airan! You're overdoing it! Rest now!"

At that moment, Dryana, who was blocking the black flames with a shield larger than herself, shouted.

"No! I can do a little more…"

"The situation won't change if you keep overdoing it! If you fall, it's truly over! Now is the time to recover your body!"

Dryana, who was sharing the defensive burden with Airan, admonished her.

Airan bit her lip.

"But if I step back, Dryana-yang will have to bear the burden alone!"

"Don't worry. Am I not the successor of Deweno-nim, who became the shield of the great heroes?"

Dryana laughed confidently.

"My body is sturdier than yours! So don't worry and rest."

"Airan! Retreat to the rear quickly!"

"Uwaaaang! Airan! You've worked so hard! Rest even for a moment!"

The students of Seirune, with tears in their eyes, helped the staggering Airan retreat.

"…Are you really alright?"

Chen Xia asked Dryana.

To Chen Xia's question, Dryana chuckled.

"Not at all."

Dryana, who had been acting as the party's shield alongside Airan, had suffered just as much damage.

The reason she could stand firm was because dwarves are physically sturdier than elves.

"I can help too."

As someone with a balanced type in both defense and offense, Chen Xia also showed strengths in defense.

Seeing Chen Xia, Dryana shook her head resolutely.

"Both Airan and you! You are my precious nude models! It would be a problem if you got scars!"

"Hearing you say that, you seem to have some leeway."

Dryana smiled and gripped her shield even more firmly.

"By the way, this is serious."

FLASH! KWA-GAGA-GANG! WHOOOOSH! KUGUGUNG! KWA-AANG!

From not far away, a tremendous explosion and an earth-shattering shockwave rushed in.

It was the sound of Rumern fending off Erebus at the front line.

"If Rumern-nim hadn't appeared midway… we would have been dead by now."

What the students of the Hero Academy are blocking now is the flame spewed by Erebus.

"This battle is incomparable to any we've faced before."

We haven't even stepped onto the main stage yet.

Yet, it's already overwhelming for us.

"The lack of perfect coordination is the biggest problem."

Chen Xia revealed her anxiety.

The students of the four Hero Academies were cooperating based on their experience fighting Erebus during the summer vacation of last year.

Therefore, they weren't completely uncoordinated.

However, it was insufficient to overcome the current situation.

Dryana narrowed her eyes.

"We need Kal."

"Yes."

Currently, Chloe, who has excellent command ability among the second-years, is in charge of command.

However, Chloe's strength lies in reading the flow of a large battlefield and devising strategies.

Kal cannot compare to that.

On the other hand, Kal is superior in battles to defeat a single powerful enemy, showcasing his observation skills and quick wit.

"I wonder where he's been goofing off at a time like this."

As Dryana expressed her frustration at Kal's absence.

"Uwaaaaaaaaah!"

A scream was heard.

Everyone looked around.

"Above."

To Chen Xia's mumbling, everyone looked up.

Just before plummeting to the ground.

Kal barely managed to deploy a fly spell and landed on the ground.

"I, I barely landed! Eliza, that guy! Throwing me here using acceleration…"

"Where have you been slacking off until now?!"

Chelsea ran to Kal, grabbed him by the collar, and shook him violently.

"Hmph. Did you miss me?"

As Kal spoke in his characteristic sly tone, Chelsea gritted her teeth.

"Can I hit you once?!"

"Move aside, Chelsea Lewalin."

"Why!"

"Because I'm going to hit him."

At Duran's chilling voice, Chelsea let go of Kal's collar.

"Wait! Chelsea-nee-san! Don't abandon me! I won't speak insolently!"

Seeing Duran about to hit him, Kal, his face pale, pleaded with Chelsea for help.

"Why are you so late?"

Even Abad, who maintains composure in all situations, asked Kal with urgency while calming Duran.

In response, Kal showed the staff in his hand and said,

"I was late because I had to find the key item to deal with that."

Everyone's eyes widened at Kal's confident demeanor.

WHOOSH-!

At that moment, black flames surged like a tidal wave.

Screams erupted from the front line defending against the attack.

Seeing that, Chen Xia hurried to Kal.

"Kal-gun! For now, please take command!"

"Huh? Is it okay for me to do that…"

"It has to be you, Kal-gun, hurry!"

Chen Xia took Kal and ran to where Chloe was.

"Celia! Watch out on the left… Ah! Kal!"

Chloe, who was assisting allies within the magic circle that provided a clear view of the battlefield, lit up upon seeing Kal.

"Come here!"

Chloe quickly moved from the magic circle.

As Kal stepped onto the magic circle, multiple screens began to appear before him.

"If we talk here, your voice will reach everyone!"

At those words, Kal nodded involuntarily.

Chloe joined the front line.

"I don't know if I can do this."

Kal mumbled in a tense voice, and Chen Xia said,

"I believe you'll do it better than anyone else."

At that, Kal glanced at one of the screens.

There, the back of a man fighting a fierce battle with the main body of the calamity flame was visible.

'Rumern-nim.'

***

GOOOOOO-!

Rumern raised his sword, gazing at the calamity flame burning before him.

Erebus's form was not that of a giant.

It was about the same size as Rumern.

The primordial evil, wreathed in black flames, spread its arms.

The twilight aura emanating from Rumern's sword severed Erebus's neck.

WHOOSH-!

Erebus's head momentarily soared into the sky.

Rumern extended his hand.

FLASH-!

KWA-GAGA-GANG-!

Spears of light, flying from all directions, pierced Erebus's body and tore it apart mercilessly.

Swordsmanship and magic to thoroughly annihilate the opponent.

Despite being a sword mage, he was not biased towards any one aspect.

He was literally overwhelming Erebus with overwhelming swordsmanship and magic, leaving no room for error.

However…

WHOOOOSH-!

The revived black flames enveloped Rumern.

Rumern leaped quickly, evading Erebus's attack.

-You imitate a hero who continues to survive. How tiresome. Knight of Twilight.

WHOOOOSH-!

Erebus's collapsed body regained its original form.

-You have already reached your limit. Yet, why do you not give up?

Erebus sneered.

-Did you not give up on defeating me long ago?

"Yes, I gave up on defeating you. Because it's something I can't do."

Rumern gripped his sword tightly.

"But I've never thought there was no future."

Facing the endlessly burning calamity flame, Rumern said powerfully.

"Those children are the future."

Since chasing Erebus out of Lyan's study and coming here, Rumern had witnessed the Hero Academy students.

And he saw.

Possibilities he thought he didn't have.

'The future isn't just Kyle-nim.'

He realized that his choice, which had gambled everything on the future, was not wrong.

-You have a terrible eye too, Knight of Twilight.

Erebus shook his head.

-Do you believe these wretches who struggle even with a small ember can achieve what even you failed to accomplish?

"Inexperience will be resolved by experience."

Rumern smirked.

"These children will stand before you in the near future. And together with the Hero of Beginning, they will defeat you. You scoffed that the Hero of Beginning was alone, but…"

Rumern pointed his sword.

"Now, that person is not alone."

-So you intend to stop me here, even at the cost of your life, for the sake of these wretches.

Erebus raised his hand.

-Yes, you held out for a long time. You were a more tenacious hero than any I know.

WHOOSH

A hero who doesn't give up is frightening.

How terrifying that unyielding will is, through the great heroes.

Through Kyle, the Hero of Beginning, he keenly realized.

And when Erebus first saw Rumern, he saw Kyle's shadow.

Although he failed to defeat himself, the sight of him never giving up and finding a way gave Erebus a strange fear.

Because he didn't know when Rumern, who had hit his limit, would break through it.

But…

-Are you satisfied? Knight of Twilight.

At this moment.

The shadow of Kyle that had dwelled within Rumern disappeared.

Erebus's body soared high into the sky.

Seeing Rumern, who intended to self-destruct with him, Erebus smirked.

To the successors who would follow him.

Rumern, satisfied with entrusting everything to his companions who would replace him, was no longer a source of fear for Erebus.

Someone who has done all they can and has no regrets even if they die is no longer a threat.

-It's just a dying flame.

And this was Rumern's limit.

GOOOO-!

As Erebus was about to spew flames at Rumern.

WHOOSH-!

Someone broke through the black flames that were burning all around and reached this battlefield.

"Successor of Arion-nim?"

Rumern's expression was one of shock as he saw Ar, who had stepped onto a battlefield he couldn't yet reach.

"Uryaaaaaah!"

Ar let out a fierce roar and kicked Erebus.

KWAANG-!

White flames erupted from Ar's foot, armed with Arion's aura.

KWA-GAGA-GANG-!

Erebus flew back and was slammed into the ground.

Ar, who had concentrated all his strength in his toes and even imbued them with Lunia's flames, crashed to the ground.

WHOOSH-!

Eliza caught Ar mid-air.

"Rumern-nim! I've come to help!"

Celia hurried to Rumern's side.

"How…"

Rumern asked with a dazed expression.

They are still inexperienced hero candidates.

Although their bright future was anticipated, they were far from being able to join this fight.

He thought they were still one step away from coming here.

It might seem like just one step, but

One step from the limit is a vast distance.

Potential does not blossom easily.

'What on earth changed to allow these children to come here?'

Erebus, who had been sent flying by Ar's blow, got up.

'I only thought of them as trash.'

Indeed, the potential of the hero candidates he met this time was enough to surprise Erebus.

But Erebus knew.

Potential is not power.

Only a very small number of people in the world awaken their full potential.

'There are plenty of insignificant trash who possess more than they deserve.'

That's why he didn't pay attention to the hero candidates.

After all, it was clear they couldn't even handle the flames he spewed.

However, they now exceeded Erebus's expectations.

'Their movements suddenly changed.'

Erebus's eyes narrowed.

'Has someone with insight comparable to a fool appeared?'

Erebus's eyes quickly scanned the battlefield.

And he found a particularly insignificant human boy among the hero candidates.

A pathetic human.

A human far inferior even to those Erebus called trash.

But…

'He draws out the potential of others.'

Erebus's eyes clearly saw Kal's ability.

The Erebus of the past would have scoffed.

He would have dismissed the potential of mere mortals as having limits.

But now he knew.

How terrifying that ability was.

'He must be eliminated now.'

Erebus's killing intent turned towards Kal.

***

CRUNCH-!

Kyle gritted his teeth, looking at Deweno's weapon that had melted and disappeared.

'…You worked hard.'

With this, another artifact disappeared.

The divine artifacts, unable to withstand Kyle's power and Erebus's flames, were reaching the end of their lifespan.

Kyle, who habitually reached into his cloak, stopped.

'…Yes, this cloak is fake.'

The cloak made by Lisinas and Luna has an subspace function in addition to its powerful defensive capabilities.

Kyle had stored his artifacts in that subspace long ago.

But no matter how real it seemed, it was ultimately a fake.

The magic imbued in the cloak, except for its defensive abilities, was all dormant.

Naturally, the subspace function was also gone.

Only the creator can restore a magical artifact of this level to its perfect state.

'Do I have to use divine power?'

Kyle, feeling the divine power dwelling within his body, fell into thought.

Until now, he had fended off the calamity flame with only his abilities after reincarnation.

But the flames showed no signs of subsiding, no matter how many times he cut them down.

Rather, they blazed even more fiercely.

The reason was simple.

'That flame is not the main body.'

Unless he invaded the hero's world and blocked the crack, it was clear it would continue to burn.

'Besides… it's not the power of a single fragment.'

He had discovered something while dealing with the calamity flame.

The flames of Erebus now were not the power of a single fragment.

The more the flames burned, the stronger their heat became.

And that was the same for the calamity flame.

'Thousands of years have passed since the fragments of Erebus defeated by the heroes of creation were revived.'

And for those thousands of years, the calamity flame had continued to burn within the hero's world.

The hero's world also contained divine power as fuel.

Then…

'It wouldn't be strange to have acquired more than one fragment's power.'

Kyle clenched his fist, his hand inside his cloak.

'There's no other way. Now is the time to use divine power.'

As he made his decision and was about to summon his divine power.

Tap-!

"…!"

Something touched his hand.

Without realizing it, Kyle pulled out what he had grabbed from his cloak.

A plain-looking longsword.

However, its blade was sharper than any renowned sword.

And this sword was too familiar to Kyle.

The sword that Deweno, the divine blacksmith, had uniquely recognized and named.

The sword that had stayed with him until the very end.

"Posteritas."