Book 1 Chapter 590

590.

"Kyle… sir?"

Lumerne turned his head with difficulty and looked at Kyle.

Seeing Kyle sitting on a rock and looking at him with indifferent eyes, Lumerne felt relieved.

"Thank goodness… it's a relief…"

Lumerne's body lost strength.

If Kyle had come, there was nothing more to worry about.

Erebos, who was rampaging in his world, would no longer be a threat.

"My struggle was not in vain… Thank goodness…"

*Thwack-!*

"Gasp?!"

"What are you so relieved about, you damn brat?"

Kyle picked up a piece of brick lying nearby and threw it at Lumerne's face.

Lumerne, who had his face struck, wore a dazed expression.

Seeing Lumerne like that, Kyle said,

"If you die like this, won't your comrades suffer in the world of creation?"

"…"

"And after Erebos comes out again."

Kyle's eyes narrowed.

"It will be these children who have to face Erebos."

Kyle looked at the hero candidates fighting against Erebos.

"Is that something to be relieved about?"

Lumerne bit his lip at Kyle's cold question.

"Believing is not a bad thing, is it?"

"…"

"Believing in my comrades… believing in the children who will follow me…"

Lumerne's hands tightened.

"Believing in you is not a bad thing, is it?"

"It's not bad."

*Whoooooosh-*

The wind that blew swept past Kyle's hair.

Kyle's dear friends who left first also closed their eyes in peace in the end, trusting Kyle.

"I can't imagine what kind of time you've spent for thousands of years. It's natural to be tired."

A world of infinite repetition.

He didn't even know how many times he had repeated this when the world started anew.

But he knew when he was trying to conquer the world and start the loop again.

How many times they had repeated this.

It was inevitable that they would be tired.

In such a situation, Seirun delivered the news.

The resurrection of Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning.

Rhodia also conquered Rhysina's world with Kyle.

In the endless loop, Kyle's appearance must have been hope and relief for the Heroes of Creation, a chance to finally rest.

It was natural to want to rest.

Even if it meant their own death.

They had done as much as they could.

It was not wrong.

However…

"Are the other Heroes of Creation like that too?"

"…"

Lumerne's eyes widened.

"Seirun and Rhodia, whom I saw, were also terribly tired. But they were different from you. They didn't give up and pushed themselves harder. They must have thought they would rest only after Erebos was completely subdued."

Kyle met Lumerne's gaze.

"They are also believing. Believing that you will not give up."

Lumerne's hands trembled.

Kyle shifted his gaze to the hero candidates.

"These children are the same. Because they believe in you, they are fighting even though they know it's impossible. They believe that you…"

Kyle narrowed his eyes.

"…will overcome their limits, just as the Knight of Twilight taught them."

Lumerne's hands tightened.

"What were your students like, the ones you saw?"

Lumerne turned his body with difficulty.

His body screamed.

A massive explosion caused by burning all his mana at once.

His body was already tattered.

But Erebos must have been the same.

*Grip-*

Lumerne tightened his grip.

'My students… they were the students I wished for.'

Lumerne's students were all ideal students he had hoped for.

Children who challenged the impossible without hesitation when they hit their limits.

Among them, there was a student who was completely unlike him.

'Cal Thomas.'

A student whose presence here was a miracle.

But that's precisely why he was the hero Lumerne regarded as most ideal.

He had overcome countless limits.

Lumerne knew.

It was not his ability, but his will that made him the Hero of the Beginning.

Cal was here solely through his pure will.

Lumerne wanted to become such a hero.

'I forgot.'

The reason he admired the great hero before him.

His ideal of constantly pushing his limits, never giving up, and making the impossible possible.

'Overcome your limits?'

Lumerne bit his lip.

'Who am I telling to overcome their limits when I've already given up?'

The Knight of Twilight must show these students, who unquestioningly believed he always surpassed his limits.

To these children who stand here, admiring his false self.

He must show them that the admired self was not false.

'That would be the role of an educator… who founded a school.'

Lumerne got to his feet.

He squeezed out strength, igniting the flame of life that could extinguish at any moment.

"Cough. Cough."

Blood that had backed up from his insides spewed from his mouth.

But Lumerne didn't care.

*Thump- thump-*

Kyle watched Lumerne wordlessly.

He offered no help.

He just watched.

Lumerne smiled at his seemingly heartless attitude.

'Yes… this is also belief.'

The belief that his successor would not fall to such a trial.

*Thump- thump-*

Lumerne moved his steps with difficulty.

His steps quickened.

Soon, Lumerne began to rush towards the battlefield.

Watching Lumerne's retreating figure as he stood up and started to run, Kyle thought.

'I don't think I need to step in.'

Lumerne was now beyond his limits.

If Lumerne, who had begun to leap towards new possibilities.

It would be no match for such a mere fragment, unless it was an intact piece of Erebos.

Kyle's gaze turned to Cal.

'Only those with great power can achieve great deeds.'

Compared to other hero candidates, Cal's skill was insignificant.

But…

'Cal has many aspects.'

Courage to overcome fear.

Eyes that find the potential in others, see hope in that potential, and find a path forward based on it.

Crucially… a heart that does not give up.

Strangely, Cal was gradually resembling the great heroes.

'Perhaps it's not strange.'

It was they, and no one else, who created the current era.

And Rhysinas, who led the way in creating this era, thought.

He hoped that the values they pursued would remain in future generations.

Just as Rhodia wished for countless possibilities to bloom in the world of heroes for future generations.

Rhysinas also hoped that in the future, the pursuit of the great heroes would remain in the trivial actions of ordinary people.

Cal's ability was extremely simple.

When everyone was looking at utter despair.

Finding possibilities within it and starting.

A simple but incredibly difficult ability.

An ability that can do nothing alone.

But in the first place…

'What can I do alone?'

He himself couldn't do anything alone.

Not being able to do anything alone is not a flaw.

If someone is by your side, you gain infinite possibilities.

With the advent of Hero Records, it became an era where only those who achieved great deeds were called heroes.

"But it was simpler in the old days, wasn't it?"

Kyle smiled, recalling Rhysinas.

He remembered the reply he received after irritably saying he wasn't a hero or anything, to Rhysinas' words about becoming heroes who saved the world together.

'A person who can exert strength for others. I think of such a person as a hero.'

Kyle touched the hem of his cloak, remembering Rhysinas who smiled faintly.

***

*Fwoooooosh-!*

"They're coming!"

At Cal's shout, Eliza, who was holding the reins of the Wind Wyvern tightly, yelled.

"Hold on tight!"

*Whoosh-*

The Wind Wyvern began to descend at tremendous speed.

Erebos, who had chased Cal to turn him into ashes, pursued Cal and Eliza.

"Why is it only targeting you?!"

"How should I know!"

"Lucky you! The world's worst disaster acknowledges you! It says you're the one who poses the greatest threat to it! You must be proud!"

"Does this look good to you! Does this look like something to be proud of?!"

"Hold on tight!"

*Thwack-!*

Cal tightly gripped Eliza's waist and pressed himself against her.

Eliza invoked her spiritual power.

*Crackling-! Crackle crackle!*

In an instant, pure white lightning erupted from Eliza's body.

"Huh? Huh?"

While Cal wore a surprised expression, pure white lightning enveloped the Wyvern's entire body.

"What is this?!"

"Imitating Leo Frove!"

Having been continuously exposed to the essence of lightning by Leo, Eliza had, at some point, begun to accumulate lightning in her spiritual power.

Her spiritual power matched Pegasus's wavelength from the start.

Of course, it wasn't the essence of lightning itself, but Eliza's potential was gradually opening up.

And it was now that it awakened.

*GAAAAAAAAH-*

The Wind Wyvern's speed began to outrun Erebos.

Seeing that, Cal shouted,

"Chloe!"

At that moment.

*Crack-crack-crack-crack-!*

The world froze.

For a brief moment.

Even Erebos, weakened by Lumerne's attack.

*Saaaaaaah-!*

No one stood around Chloe, who had deployed her magic.

Because they would freeze if they got too close.

White frost bloomed from Chloe's body.

"Magic… is it possible to manifest ice magic of this magnitude?"

Lunia's face showed shock, and Eiran swallowed hard.

"If you consider the purity of the magic… it's comparable to an ice spirit."

"What? Chloe Muller is a pure mage!"

"This is the magic Luna left for Chloe before. I know it's magic that can enter the realm of an ice spirit."

"My goodness."

Luna, who created such a magic array, was amazing, but Chloe, who had completed such an absurd magic array to this extent, was also amazing.

*Crack-crack-!*

At that moment, cracks began to appear in the ice.

*Crack-! Crack crackle crackle!*

Erebos, who broke through the ice, tenaciously chased Cal.

Seeing that, Arg stomped his feet.

"No! Why is that fireball only targeting Cal! We can't do anything about it!"

Arg wasn't slow either.

However, compared to Eliza, he was lacking.

Furthermore, Eliza, as a summoner, was the most suitable for protecting Cal while evading Erebos.

"Thanks to that, it's easier for us too."

Abad smiled faintly and waved his hand.

Chelsea closed her eyes and opened her mouth slightly in response.

"Ah-"

As Chelsea began to sing, the surrounding magic wavered.

This was also magic that Luna had left for the two of them.

Unspoken magic and magic that controls the surrounding wind with voice.

The two people's magic flowed towards Celia's sword tip.

*Fwoooooosh-!*

As Zerdinger's flames and Lewellin's wind met, a colossal flame was created.

"Perfect."

*Gooooooooo! Fwoooosh!*

Lunia grinned and used Flame Emperor.

Pure white flames swallowed Zerdinger's flames and grew even more powerful.

Thanks to Cal and Eliza buying time, an attack of immense power was completed.

"The problem is how to hit Erebos with this."

"I'll do it!"

Arg bravely stepped forward, but Dryad grabbed Arg by the scruff of his neck.

"You already have serious internal injuries."

"But who else can endure when that magic is enchanted…"

"I will."

Everyone's eyes widened.

There stood Lumerne.

Eiran urgently asked Lumerne,

"Lumerne-nim, are you alright? You shouldn't overexert yourself."

"I'm fine."

Lumerne drew his sword.

"There's no time, so please."

Lunia, whose entire body was wrapped in Flame Emperor, nodded.

*Gooooooooo-!*

Flame Emperor's flames imbued Lumerne's sword.

Seeing that, Lumerne bent his knees.

*QUAAAK-!*

Lumerne leaped towards Erebos.

*Fwoooooosh-!*

Feeling the dark flames from behind, Cal tightly gripped the staff in his hand.

-Stop your foolish resistance and give up.

Erebos's mocking voice was heard.

In response, Cal held up his middle finger towards his back.

"Would you give up if it were you!"

"Yes."

"……!"

-Lumerne?

Cal's eyes widened at the voice that immediately came from behind, and Erebos's face contorted.

"You learn a lot from your students."

*Fwooooooooosh-!*

Lumerne raised his sword.

"Eliza!"

As Cal shouted urgently, Eliza changed direction on the spot.

"Reliable."

Lumerne burst into laughter watching her and plunged his sword into Erebos.

*Fwooooooooosh-!*

Dark flames and white flames mixed, and for a moment, Erebos's body contorted.

And in the meantime.

A black sphere resembling a hole was visible.

"Ugh-!"

Cal plunged his staff directly into the hole.

*Whoosh-!*

At that moment.

The flames of disaster scattered and disappeared without a trace.

"We won!"

Cal clenched his fist and shouted.

The hero candidates watching him also let out cheers.

***

Kyle, who had been watching the heroic candidates' struggle from the ground, smiled faintly.

"Excellent."