Book 1 Chapter 696
696.
[System Error: An unauthorized entity has invaded the world.]
"What?"
Gias couldn't help but freeze at the message that appeared before his eyes.
"What in the…!"
Gias immediately understood that this was no longer the world of the Legion.
He didn't know what had been done, but the owner of the world had changed just moments ago.
It wasn't difficult to guess who that owner was.
Gias's face twisted.
'If you only look at the situation, nothing has changed.'
Even if it had become the world of heroes, the current rampage was still ongoing.
Even if perfect control like in the Legion's world was impossible, as long as it had already rampaged, the dungeon could be maintained indefinitely.
'No, even if the plan went awry, all I have to do is kill Kyle.'
That alone was enough.
No, it was more than enough.
Because that itself was Tartaros's deepest desire.
"Uwoooooooo!"
Gias roared.
Gooooooooo-! Hwarururuk!
Dark magic and Erebus's flames raged from his body.
'First, I must finish Kyle!'
Dweno would arrive soon.
At this moment, when everything was uncertain.
Only the fact that Dweno was coming was clear.
Kwang kwang kwang kwang-!
Gias, raising his sword, charged towards the fortress wall.
"Block him!"
"Concentrate fire on Gias!"
Ivaldi's mages concentrated their magical bombardment on Gias.
"Do you really think such low-level magic will work on me?!"
Gias roared.
The mages' bombardment couldn't reach Gias and vanished.
Watching such a Gias, Leo closed his eyes.
"Hey, Black Rabbit! I'll help too…"
-.
"Eeeeh?!"
Ar stared wide-eyed at Leo, who stood on the fortress wall.
Runic words began to flow from Leo's mouth.
Goooooooo-!
Pale silver magic surged from Leo's body, and his clothes began to flutter.
"M-Magic in this situation?"
And not just any magic.
It was clearly a grand magic, taking a long time to complete.
Ar wore a bewildered expression.
Gias also stared wide-eyed at Leo.
The surging pale silver magic reminded him of someone.
'Luna Luminance!'
The witch who calls forth destruction.
A symbol of terror who had inflicted Tartaros with impossible defeats countless times.
Gias knew all too well what awaited him at the end of that.
A nightmarish scene came to mind.
'Apocalypse.'
"Guwooooooooorgh!"
The dreadful bloodlust and aura Gias unleashed focused on Leo.
----.
But Leo chanted on, completely unfazed.
Even for the same magic, the longer a mage's chanting time, the greater its power.
Gias reached a point near the fortress wall where Leo stood.
The fidgeting Ar gritted her teeth and kicked off the fortress wall.
Leo's chanting showed no sign of stopping.
Ar also knew.
That Gias could not be defeated with merely this much chanting time.
Yet, the fact that he began chanting meant he was confident in defeating Gias once the magic was complete.
If so…
'I'll buy him time!'
Golden aura surged from Ar's body as she put on a resolute expression.
"Haaah!"
She charged at Gias with a battle cry.
"How ridiculous."
A sneer appeared on Gias's lips as he watched Ar.
No matter how strong she was, she was still a mere greenhorn.
Perhaps in the future?
In the current situation, Ar's best course of action against Gias was to buy a fleeting moment.
Suddenly, Gias's eyes met Ar's.
And he felt a chill.
For a moment, he glimpsed a fragment of Arion in Ar.
Overwhelmed by the bloodlust and aura Ar unleashed, Gias flinched.
"This girl!"
But soon, Gias, enraged by the fact that he had been overwhelmed, raised his sword.
Ar clenched her fist, looking at Gias.
Just before Ar's fist and Gias's sword clashed.
Hwarurururuk-!
Golden flames descended from the sky like a meteor.
"Unyak?"
Dweno, who flew towards Gias at incredible speed, grabbed Ar by the scruff of her neck and threw her back.
Then, he swung the battle hammer in his hand towards Gias's sword.
-!
For a moment, a silent shockwave erupted.
Kwagagagagagang-!
A shockwave similar to the previous clash between Leo and Gias swept through the surrounding area.
"Hmph?!"
Gias's eyes widened.
Kung! Kung!
Gias, who had retreated two steps, let out a battle cry, "Gyaaaaaah!"
Tuhak-!
The repelled Dweno flew towards the fortress wall.
Kwang-! Kwagagagang-!
Dweno's body, propelled like a bullet, slammed into the fortress wall.
The part of the fortress wall where Dweno had been flung collapsed.
"Uwaaaaaaaah!"
Ar, who was below that section, screamed.
"Kekeke. Dweno may be here, but it's just a past iteration."
It was then that Ar, who had barely emerged from the rubble of the fortress wall, gritted her teeth.
Kwagak! Kwak! Hoodudududuk! Kung-!
Dweno, who had barely broken through the rubble of the fortress wall that had crushed him, brushed off the dust.
"A-Are you alright? Lord Dweno! Are you hurt anywhere… Ow ow ow ow ow! It hurts!"
"Seriously! Your personalities are polar opposites, but why do you act so similarly?! Charging out so foolishly when things go wrong! You nearly died! Really! There's a limit to how much you can resemble someone!"
"Ehehehe. I do resemble Lord Arion a bit, don't I…"
"That's not a compliment!"
"Aaaargh!"
Ar screamed as Dweno grabbed her ear.
"If you act so recklessly again, I'll fold you in half!"
"Yes, yes, sir!"
Ar quickly replied, shrinking her shoulders.
"Hoo… right. My idiotic fault is the biggest, isn't it?"
Dweno, letting out a deep sigh, handed Brave to Ar.
"Take it."
Ar took Brave with trembling hands.
And drew the sword.
Ar's mouth fell open at the sight of the blade.
"This is… Brave!"
"Yes. It is Brave."
The sword that symbolized the hero.
"It's my third work. It will probably never break again."
Dweno, speaking firmly, stepped forward.
Thud- Thud-
Dweno, carrying his battle hammer, walked towards Gias.
Ar, gripping the sword, followed behind Dweno.
"Hahaha… have you come to die, Dweno?"
"No. I've come to kill you, Gias."
Dweno curled the corners of his mouth.
"It seems your head is still firmly attached."
"You… you have memories?"
"Ah, of course. I have all my memories, right up to the moment of my death."
At Dweno's words, Gias's face hardened.
But a moment later.
Gias, returning to his original expression, curled the corners of his mouth.
"It seems you only have your memories."
Dweno's power was not at the level of his prime.
He had memories and experience, but the timeline in which the world was manifested was the past.
Therefore, his power itself could not return to its complete state.
"Then it's easy."
"Hahaha. Hahahahahaha!"
At Gias's words, Dweno burst into boisterous laughter.
"What's so funny?"
"It seems you're afraid of me, Gias."
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Because you're so focused on me, scanning your surroundings, it looks like you still haven't grasped the situation at all."
"What?"
At Dweno's words, Gias hastily scanned his surroundings.
And his face hardened.
When he clashed with Leo earlier, the entire surrounding area was devastated with just one strike.
The recent exchange with Dweno was also a clash of similar powers.
However, the only damage around was the fortress wall that Dweno had flown into and destroyed.
Even so, the spot where Leo stood remained intact.
And up to this very moment, Leo had not stopped chanting.
He had certainly fulfilled his role as the vanguard protecting the mage.
"Undoubtedly, compared to my power in my prime, I am clearly weaker now."
Dweno's cold gaze turned to Gias.
"But I can buy enough time for that friend to kill you."
"Don't make me laugh!"
Gias roared and charged.
Dweno gripped his battle hammer and charged towards Gias.
Kwang-!
Dweno's battle hammer and Gias's sword clashed.
Kwagagagagagagagag-!
"How is it, Dweno! The sword I made!"
Veins bulged from Gias's forearm, gripping the sword.
"Hmph!"
For a moment, Dweno lost his balance and staggered.
Dweno, gritting his teeth, swung up his battle hammer, deflecting Gias's sword.
"Hahaha! As expected, the weapon you made is sturdy! But!"
Huwang-!
Gias's massive sword swung again towards Dweno like a guillotine.
Kkwaang-!
"That's all! I have trained my skill for the past 5000 years! And after visiting your world last time! I achieved a level that surpasses you! And this sword is made from the finest materials!"
Kung-!
One of Dweno's knees bent.
"Your weapon! And you! It's all over now!"
"Amazing."
"Hahahahaha!"
"How on earth did you only develop by a mere speck in 5000 years?"
"What?"
"Surprisingly crude craftsmanship. What a waste of materials."
A sneer appeared on Dweno's face.
"You bastard…!"
"Look closely at your weapon."
"What…"
Gias's face, which had been contorted, hardened.
Where it had struck Dweno's battle hammer, a chip had been knocked out.
'It is Kyle, indeed.'
Dweno glanced back at Leo, who was behind him.
In the fight with Gias, he must have concentrated impact on one part of the sword.
Of course, it was a sword made from Gias's spine.
Furthermore, it was a sword Gias had poured his skill into creating.
There would have been nothing harder than Gias's sword in this world, save for one.
Save for one.
'Posteritas.'
Gias's knowledge of Dweno's smithing technique was from before Posteritas was made.
And.
The moment he created his masterpiece as a smith.
Dweno's technique had advanced one step further.
In the end, despite pouring in 5000 years of effort, Gias's skill could not reach Dweno's.
As a result.
By now, there were three artifacts more sturdy than Gias's sword.
Posteritas.
Brave, re-forged by Dweno.
And…
Dweno gripped the battle hammer in his hand tightly.
"Hmph!"
He mustered all his strength to push Gias back.
"Haaah!"
Jeong-!
Dweno's second masterpiece struck Gias's sword.
It delivered a decisive blow to the impact already inflicted by Posteritas.
Pajijijik-!
"Impossible…!"
"You've suffered a lot, wasting 5000 years on futile efforts."
"You son of a biiiiiiitch!"
Kwaduk-!
Gias's sword shattered, and fragments swirled.
"Even so, the fact that you will be defeated remains unchangedddd!"
Gias's enormous hand directly engulfed Dweno.
Kkwang-!
"The apocalypse of surviving heroes cannot defeat me now!"
The chanting had stopped at some point.
Leo's magic had reached its peak, and thus the spell was complete.
Gias realized this when he saw it.
Leo was not Luna.
Likewise, that magic was not Luna's Apocalypse.
Therefore, it contained insufficient power to defeat him.
Joy appeared on Gias's face.
He had been unnecessarily afraid.
"Ultimately, victory is mine!"
The moment Gias was certain.
-.
Leo's chanting began again.
The moment he finished chanting the Apocalypse using Luna's magic.
Leo was certain that his Apocalypse alone could not defeat Gias.
Gias, blessed by divine authority and Erebus's grace, had obtained the strongest defense.
This was because through combat, he had realized that while his destructive power might be inferior to Jörmungandr's, his defensive power surpassed it.
But he didn't care.
He had known from the beginning that Apocalypse alone couldn't defeat him.
Leo chanted again.
Gray magic surged from Leo's body, matching the runic words.
The name of the magic was…
'Innocent.'
The magic the progenitor of the Nebula had bestowed upon him.
The only magic that could defeat Erebus.
But even with this, Gias could not be defeated.
Innocent was, after all, magic meant to defeat Erebus.
Apocalypse and Innocence were merely ingredients.
'In a world where everything has met its end, nothing would exist, right?'
Perhaps that was the scene Erebus most desired.
An empty landscape.
'But perhaps, because nothing exists, it's the purest state.'
Before meeting Lysinus, Luna, Arion, and Dweno.
He had desired nothing, only emptiness.
Thanks to that emptiness, he was able to fill himself with what he received from his friends.
Was it said that magic is a way to express one's inner world?
'If so, this might be the inner image that suits me best.'
Beyond the proclaimed end.
That pure moment where nothing exists.
'A state where anything can be.'
The pale silver magic of the stars and the gray magic of innocence merge.
The power of absolute destruction and an infinitely pure force meet to create a colorless, odorless, absolute void.
Leo, who completed the magic, spoke its name.
A word meaning just before the beginning.
"Zero."