Book 1 Chapter 751

751.

White flames surged.

All Seirun students except Ailan had already fallen into combat incapacitation.

"He's overwhelming…"

Runia looked at Lisinas, who had returned to his form as a giant black dragon.

Lisinas hadn't used his signature summoning magic.

He had only casually used dragon language magic.

He had dealt with them using pure mana control alone.

It was a moment that made them realize the gap between them and a Great Hero once again.

But…

'I have no intention of being intimidated.'

I have to lift my head and look forward.

"Linea."

*Fwoosh-*

At Runia's call, her bonded phoenix, Linea, appeared with crimson flames.

*Tap-*

Linea, perched on Runia's outstretched arm, asked.

[What powerful enemy are you fighting now to be in that state?]

Linea asked with a slightly worried expression.

Runia, whose white hair was a result of using white flames.

Runia's family, the Lundas, had a generations-long pact with phoenixes.

This was possible because they had burned themselves to fight against the impure.

Most noble elf families boast immense histories.

Even Ersar family of Eilan, called the oldest noble family in elf history, has a 5,000-year history, and Tinggel's history is 3,000 years.

Most other noble families have histories well over 1,000 years.

The Lunda family does not have such a deep history.

However, despite its relatively short history, the Lunda family stood shoulder to shoulder with those noble families and vied for the top in terms of nobility.

The reason was simple.

They had carried the torch by becoming the torches themselves.

The elves of the Lunda family had used flames so powerful that they could even incinerate themselves.

Enduring that pain, they had always been at the forefront of battles against the demons of Tartarus.

It was only natural that elven society respected them.

Even within the history of such a Lunda family, Runia was born with an extraordinary flame power.

And that flame grew stronger by inheriting the flames of Katarius and the white flames of Luna.

However, as a result, the burden on Runia's body also increased.

"It's time for me to prove myself."

[You have to prove yourself?]

"Yes. In front of me… is the last sworn ally of the Phoenix King."

At those words, Linea's face instantly changed.

Runia looked up at the giant black dragon.

Runia was also Luna's successor.

More importantly, she had inherited Lisinas's power.

Lisinas, the last sworn ally of the Phoenix King, was an object of admiration and respect for summoners, especially sworn allies of the phoenix.

That Lisinas was right in front of her.

Regardless of anything else, she could not back down.

*Fwoosh-*

Linea became flames and nested within Runia's body.

Seeing that, a glint appeared in Lisinas's eyes.

'Did she learn it from Kyle?'

Spirit Armor, the materialization of spirits, was a high-level spirit magic, but it wasn't difficult.

It was a technique that maximized the power of spirits, so countless studies had been conducted.

However, the technique of allowing mythical beasts to nest in one's body or weapons was not easily replicable.

Unlike pure spirits, mythical beasts have physical bodies.

Lisinas was the first to use the essence of a mythical beast.

'Kyle only reached that level of summoning mastery at the end of his journey.'

She must not have stopped training after reincarnation.

'She said she didn't train her mana for 15 years after reincarnation?'

It must have been to create a vessel.

But she wouldn't have just stood still.

She must have constantly pondered how to implement the techniques her companions used in her mind, gauging her own abilities from when she was Kyle.

After finally awakening her mana, she must have begun serious training.

'That training must be continuing even now.'

To surpass her past self.

And to reach other Great Heroes on her own.

To pass on what she received from her companions to future generations.

Ultimately, she would have tried to surpass Erebus.

Lisinas, who had been looking at Runia, glanced towards Leo's location.

Leo's figure, drawing Arion's sword, caught her eye.

A moment later, Lisinas looked back at Runia.

'This child's technique isn't learned from Kyle.'

It was clear she had learned it on her own, inspired by Leo.

*Flash-!*

Lisinas's body transformed into a human form.

*Tap-*

Lisinas, sitting on the floor, reached out a hand.

"Fiora."

*Fwoosh-*

"Peep?"

Fiora appeared at Lisinas's call.

Seeing Lisinas, who had summoned her out of the blue, Fiora fluttered her small wings and tilted her head in confusion.

Leo and Lisinas were currently bound by a Heroic Spirit contract.

In a sense, they were one.

Of course, even so, ordinary heroic spirits could not interfere with their summoner's contract.

However, Lisinas easily exerted her power over Leo's pact.

When Lisinas summoned her, Fiora showed an expression of momentary incomprehension.

Seeing Fiora like that, Lisinas's expression became one of utter disbelief.

"Did you get fat?"

"Peep! Peep! Peep!"

Fiora flapped her wings and shook her head with a flustered look.

After watching Fiora for a moment, Lisinas said,

"I'll pretend I didn't see it, so can you help me for a moment?"

At those words, Fiora nodded.

Fiora felt a sense of familiarity from Lisinas.

The young Fiora didn't know it was the power of the Phoenix King's sworn ally, but she felt she had to help Lisinas, no matter what.

*Fwoosh-*

Fiora turned into flames and appeared on Lisinas's hand.

"Ista."

Along with that, Lisinas summoned another of Leo's sworn allies, the great fire spirit Ista.

[What is going on?]

Ista also showed a perplexed expression.

"Can you help me?"

[Hmph! Even if you are the King of Wisdom, my sworn ally is Leo Flove. My obligation to help you…]

"Should I call Else?"

[As the King of Wisdom, you are certainly qualified to handle me.]

Ista, who had been resisting pointlessly, immediately backed down.

*Gooooo-*

The flames on Lisinas's hand flared.

Seeing that, Runia gritted her teeth and increased the heat of her flames.

"Ailan, move aside."

"Yes? But…"

"It's okay."

Seeing Runia's determination, Ailan moved aside.

Lisinas smiled faintly at Runia and sent a fist-sized flame towards her.

Runia's eyes widened, and she sent out the flames concentrated at her fingertips.

Crimson flames and pure white flames clashed.

And…

*KA-BOOOOM!*

A giant pillar of flame shot up.

*Fwoooosh!*

The scorching heat enveloped the world.

Runia knelt on the ground.

*Thump- thump-*

Lisinas approached Runia and said,

"Amazing."

Runia shivered as she looked at Lisinas's faint smile.

Her entire body was covered in burn marks.

"Did… did I pass the test?"

"Test?"

Lisinas's eyes widened.

Then, realizing what Runia was saying, she burst into laughter.

"Yes, you passed. Not just you, but all the students of Seirun were wonderful."

At those words, Runia breathed a sigh of relief.

However, she tensed up at Lisinas's next words.

"But…"

"Is… is there something lacking?"

"No. That's not what I'm trying to say. Runia El Lunda."

Lisinas waved her hand.

With that, the powerful fiery energy tormenting Runia disappeared.

Runia's burns also began to heal at a rapid pace.

It was the power of the Phoenix flames.

"It's true that I was a selector of heroes in the past… but not anymore."

"Huh?"

"Your desire to see your powers was purely personal curiosity."

Lisinas, reaching out to help Runia up, said,

"Hold your head high, Runia El Lunda. You are a hero chosen by Kyle and recognized by Luna."

Lisinas placed a hand on Runia's shoulder.

"That is enough."

"…Yes!"

Runia replied with a powerful voice.

Lisinas smiled gently at Runia and walked away.

Runia watched Lisinas's retreating back and felt a great sense of emotion.

'She's so cool.'

By meeting Lisinas, Runia had seen all the Great Heroes.

But Lisinas was distinctly different from the other Great Heroes.

What should I call it?

Should I call it charisma?

Although Luna was still her admired Great Hero, Lisinas possessed something different from Luna.

It was different from the unique, overwhelming presence Leo had.

She possessed a power that made one look up to her.

'That's the King of Wisdom… the leader of the Great Heroes.'

It was when Runia felt a great sense of emotion.

"Oh, right, right, right."

Lisinas stopped walking, smiled faintly, and looked back.

"There seems to be a strange rumor circulating among the elves?"

"…"

"Shouldn't we manage it?"

It was the same smile as always, but Runia felt her mind go blank.

"I, I will correct it…"

Seeing Runia shrink her neck, Lisinas laughed and approached Leo.

"Ailan."

"Yes, Miss Runia."

"Let's keep the kids in check. If we mess up, we could really get in trouble."

It was clear that while this instance would be overlooked, the next one wouldn't be.

Runia didn't want to see the wrath of a Great Hero fall upon them.

***

Knights and nobles fled, and in the end, only soldiers remained.

As their commander disappeared, the Second Prince's faction's army was in disarray.

"You will follow Seirun's lead."

Nominally, Seirun intervened to help the Second Prince.

"They won't take you to the battlefield. Instead, they will help end the war and allow you to return home."

"Yes, yes."

"Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me," Leo said calmly.

The Second Prince's faction's advance halted, and the battlefield entered a lull.

Seirun students, after tending to some of their wounds, approached Leo.

The Lumern students, who had been watching the situation from the castle walls, also reached Leo's side.

Awkwardness hung between the Lumern and Seirun students, who found themselves facing each other.

After all, outwardly, they were enemies who had intervened in a civil war as different factions.

Amidst this, Leo simply sat in silence.

Runia and Elena approached Leo.

"Leo-kun. What should we do now?"

"Should we just retreat like this?"

Leo, who had been closing his eyes, replied to their questions.

"First, we should honor the souls of the dead."

"Huh?"

"The souls of the dead…?"

"They're arriving just in time."

Leo opened his eyes and looked towards the horizon.

There, Lisinas was seen leading countless soldiers.

All of them were the dead.

The warriors who had not been recovered from this battlefield.

Their appearance stunned not only the hero candidates but also the soldiers.

In the middle of the vast plain, the battlefield, Lisinas knelt down.

Following her lead, the heroic spirits who had accompanied Lisinas also knelt.

[We are wronged. We are wronged!]

[We don't want to die!]

[Our families are waiting!]

The mournful voices of the heroic spirits were carried by the wind.

Seeing them, Lisinas closed her eyes with a bitter expression.

*Wooooong-*

A bright light emanated from Lisinas's body, enveloping the fallen warriors.

"What is that…?"

Elena muttered in surprise, and Leo said,

"She's listening to the voices of the dead one by one."

There were easily over a thousand of them.

She was listening to their stories all at once.

"Why?"

Runia asked with a surprised expression, and Leo said,

"To send off the soldiers."

Listening to the stories of the dead,

And comforting them.

But staying here would only prolong their suffering.

Those who died unfairly would not accept it.

Still, Lisinas listened to their stories.

It was a very difficult and arduous task.

But Lisinas considered it her duty.

No one else could do it.

Only Lisinas, born with overwhelming heroic spirit magic, could do it.

A moment later.

The bodies of the heroic spirits shone brightly and scattered into particles of light.

Lisinas gently laid the fallen warriors, now just corpses, to rest.

And she murmured softly,

"May you find peace in your next life."

Watching her, the hero candidates didn't know what to say.

It was beautiful… sacred… and noble.

They only vaguely understood why Lisinas was called the most noble person in this world.

"How can she do that?"

Runia asked Leo without realizing it.

To that, Leo calmly replied,

"She once carried the world alone."

Leo looked at Lisinas, who was gazing at the heroic spirits ascending to the heavens, and said,

'Seeing that, I had no choice but to take her hand.'

In the distant past, remembering the hand that had been extended to him, Leo gave a wry smile.