Book 1 Chapter 815

815.

From the perspective of those living on the surface, the flame of disaster, Erebus, was an utterly incomprehensible being.

It wasn't because Erebus was the primordial evil, nor was it because he was a divine being.

It was precisely the purpose of Erebus's existence.

The inhabitants of the surface, who live finite lives, live to survive.

Life is fierce because an end exists for everyone.

Unlike the inhabitants of the surface, Erebus possesses infinite time.

And he lives to bring that infinite time to an end.

Harboring the ultimate desire for the world's destruction.

Rea bit her lip tightly.

'For Erebus, the instinct for destruction is like the instinct for survival for us.'

The survival instinct is something utterly natural for living beings.

The most primal and powerful desire.

'But that's not desire.'

Living beings have desires.

In various sizes and diverse forms.

Even the great heroes who have been reborn as beings with transcendent power all possess their own desires.

'What we strive for is also desire.'

Impatience flickered in the King of Wisdom's eyes.

The cause of that impatience was fear of the unknown.

Erebus, the primordial evil, the flame of destruction, was a being without desire.

It had to be so.

His ultimate desire was solely the destruction of the world.

Just as creatures' obsession with life cannot be a desire.

For Erebus, the destruction of the world could not be a desire.

Furthermore, it was utterly impossible for a being that only wished for the world's destruction to harbor desire.

But a moment ago.

Erebus revealed desire.

A powerful desire to burn not only this world he currently existed in, but the entirety of the infinitely unfolding parallel worlds.

And desire can also take the form of a 'dream'.

Rea knew well how powerful having a dream could be.

The driving force that allowed them to overcome the impossible and save the world was also a 'dream'.

'That monster harbored such a thing?'

Goosebumps rose.

Now Erebus had obtained the power to transcend limits.

'We have to stop him!'

"Arion!"

Rea's voice was filled with such urgency that she even forgot to call Arion by his warrior name, Kar.

At Rea's cry, Kar, whose golden eye-light flashed, kicked off the ground.

Thud-stab!

Kar closed the distance with Erebus like a streak of lightning.

Kar, his eyes flashing, plunged his sword straight into Erebus's back.

Stab!

Erebus's body was momentarily pinned to the ground.

Whoosh-sizzle!

"Ugh?!"

But wings of black flame erupted from Erebus's back, flinging Kar away.

Seeing that, Rune shouted.

"It looks like Spirit Armored, but who summons so ungracefully?!"

"I use it like that!"

At Rune's cry, Leo summoned Piora.

Crackle-crackle-crackle-

Along with that, pure white lightning surged from Leo's body.

The contractor from the distant past.

Leo, who had embodied the power of the Pegasus King, raised his speed to the maximum.

Whoosh!

Chasing Erebus in an instant, Leo extended his hand.

Snatch!

Leo, snatching Kar's hand that had been flung back, shouted.

"Kar! Accelerate like this!"

"Then Kyle, you might get hurt…"

"It doesn't matter, just run!"

He would become the support, adding the current acceleration to Kar's leg strength.

Of course, he had to take the full recoil of the aura Kar emitted, but Leo didn't care.

They had overcome their limits by pushing their bodies to such extremes.

What difference would it make now?!

Kar gritted his teeth and concentrated aura at his toes.

At the explosive aura of the hero, Leo tensed all the muscles in his body.

Boom!

From the recoil, Leo was flung backward, and Kar was shot forward at terrifying speed.

"Haaahhhhhh!"

Hum!

Rune's magic imbued the tip of Kar's sword, and Rea's Dragonic magic and spirits imbued his body.

Crackle! Snap!

With horrifying force, Kar's body was being destroyed, and immense pain overwhelmed him.

Kar felt his vision turn crimson.

Roaaaaaar!

The aura erupting from Kar's body, blessed by Rea, imbued Valhall's weapon.

Crack!

As it absorbed Rune's magic, followed by Kar's enhanced aura, the sword could no longer endure and began to crack.

With all the Great Hero's power imbued, no weapon, no matter if forged by a divine blacksmith, could have withstood it.

No, it was precisely because it was made by Valhall that it could even marginally withstand this power.

"…I'm sorry."

Kar bit his lip tightly and apologized.

Hum! Hum!

The sword resonated as if saying 'don't mind it'.

That this was its duty.

It responded that it was the will of its creator.

"Here I go…! Drang!"

A name personally bestowed by Valhall.

Drang, the sword acknowledged as a masterpiece by the divine blacksmith, unleashed its final sword aura.

In Kar's eyes, he saw the mirror Leo had crossed from afar.

Ziiiiiiing!

Instantly, a pure white light imbued Drang's sword.

Leo's unique magic, Innocent.

'With Kyle's power added, it won't last much longer.'

Before the sword's lifespan ends!

Flash!

The sword strike emanating from Kar's sword cleaved space.

Slaaaash!

Erebus's entire body was torn to shreds.

A single strike that poured out all power in an instant.

But even with that attack, Erebus did not stop.

"Rea!"

Leo, supported by Valhall, cried out urgently.

His body, which had fully absorbed Kar's aura, was already a wreck.

Spitting blood, Leo said.

"Shoot!"

With that command, Rea shot a bolt of Retribution towards the mirror.

The moment the arrow of light touched the ice mirror.

Groooooaaaaan!

Thud-stab!

"We will meet again."

Erebus grinned in front of the ice mirror and took the arrow of light.

Craaaack-craaaack-craaaack!

The ice mirror cracked.

"Await the end, great heroes."

Erebus was sucked into the ice mirror.

Shatter!

Simultaneously, the ice mirror shattered into pieces and burst into flames.

Erebus had burned away the entrance.

Thud!

"Damn it!"

Rea immediately slammed her fist into the ground and cursed.

"We were perfectly outmaneuvered."

Valhall muttered in a despondent voice.

He had never imagined that Erebus would cross into a parallel world.

"What happens now?"

Rune asked with an anxious face.

In response to that question, Rea, cradling her head with one hand, spoke in a trembling voice.

"Leo. In your timeline… is there anyone who can stop Erebus?"

"Lycina, I have summoned you through a spirit contract, but…"

Leo paused for a moment, then spoke in a serious voice.

"It would be difficult for her to handle it alone."

Rea let out a deep sigh.

"Erebus probably won't stop at simply burning down that side and returning here."

"Then?"

When Kar asked with a terrified face, it was Leo who answered.

"He'll try to devour all the fragments over there."

At those words, Kar gasped.

"Then…"

"Yes. If that happens, he'll obtain power beyond that of a complete being."

The atmosphere grew heavy rapidly.

Valhall, who had approached the direction where Erebus disappeared, scanned the surroundings.

Rune looked up at the sky.

Innumerable legions of Tartarus were visible.

Rea, arms crossed, spoke.

"Rune."

"I know without you saying it."

Thud!

Rune slammed her staff onto the ground.

Ziiing!

Then an enormous magic circle formed.

It was a warp gate created on the spot.

"I've connected the coordinates to the warp gates of each Hero Academy."

Rea nodded at Rune's words.

It was a desperate situation.

The flow of time here and there was becoming similar.

'But at the very least, it's true that the flow of time over there is slower than here.'

As proof, Leo's watch, which showed the time of that world, was still ticking slowly.

'It's a desperate situation, but…'

When had it ever not been?

Determination flared in Rea's eyes.

'We will defeat Erebus, no matter what.'

Even if it means crossing over to that world.

Watching Rea steel her resolve, Leo clenched his fist.

'It's not over yet.'

There was hope.

The path to travel between parallel worlds had been destroyed by Erebus.

But Chloe had crossed the wall of parallel worlds using magic.

'The problem is time.'

He needed time to return.

"Leo, come here."

"Why? Did you find something?"

"Look at this."

Valhall showed him a small shard of ice from the ground.

"It's a small piece that remained unburnt."

At Valhall's words, Leo touched the fragment.

Slide-

The tip of Leo's finger slid in.

But his finger soon got stuck.

"…It's too narrow."

"So, passing through with the remaining fragment is impossible after all?"

'A way to use this… Huh?'

It was then, as Leo was deep in thought.

Something in his pocket reacted.

Leo reached into his inner pocket and pulled out the item.

"Hero Record…"

It was a fragment of his own Hero Record, belonging to no one else.

The fragment of the Hero Record that Leo possessed when he crossed over became an entrance.

What he had obtained in its place was this.

'…Can't I create an entrance with this?'

Having thought that far, Leo's eyes widened.

Soon, Leo clutched the fragment and murmured.

"It's worth a try."

***

Nyx, who had been watching Styx's advance from afar, smiled faintly.

"It seems his soul ultimately chose to remain in that world."

Now it begins.

The beginning of fulfilling the ultimate desire to freeze this world and turn it into a world eternally stopped.

Rumble-rumble-rumble-

At that moment, the ground began to shake.

'What is this?'

It was not a natural phenomenon.

Nyx, who had been frowning, slowly began to stiffen.

"Could it be?"

Nyx's face turned ashen.

Meanwhile.

Lycina's face, who had been commanding the spirits from atop the city walls, stiffened.

"Lady Lycina?"

Chen Xia, who was assisting her, looked at the frozen Lycina with a bewildered expression.

Lycina bit her lip.

"…He's coming."

"What? What is?"

CRRRRRAAAASH!

A colossal black pillar of flame soared into the sky.

Everyone's faces stiffened.

The sky began to turn crimson-black.

"That… Could it be?"

Chen Xia's face turned ashen.

"Erebus…"

It was then that Lycina's face hardened.

Thud-

Someone landed behind them.

"Long time no see, foolish one. No. I saw you just a moment ago, so is it not a long time?"

"…"

At the voice from behind, Lycina's face hardened.

Turning around, she saw Erebus, in the form of Kyle.

"How dare you take that form…"

Intense killing intent flared in Lycina's eyes.

Erebus smiled, looking at Lycina.

"Regrettably, I have no time to deal with mere spirits."

Erebus's gaze turned towards somewhere beyond the city walls.

"For now, retrieving my fragments is the priority."

"Do you think I'll just let you go?"

The moment Lycina stirred her magic.

Erebus's sword strike assaulted Lycina.

Startled, Lycina urgently pushed Chen Xia away and then blocked the sword strike.

CRRRRRAAAASH!

The city wall collapsed, and Lycina was slammed into the ground.

"Stay down, foolish one."

Erebus sneered.

"From there, just watch the world descend into ruin."

Having said those words, Erebus simply left the city wall.

'That's not this world's Erebus.'

Lycina struggled to get up.

"Lady Lycina!"

Chen Xia ran over and supported Lycina.

"You mustn't overexert yourself! Your existence might vanish!"

"I'm already overexerting myself. Now is the time to push beyond limits! We have to stop that bastard!"

The insight of the King of Wisdom was accurately informing her of the current situation.

It was dangerous.

If they didn't stop Erebus now, the situation would become uncontrollable.

'What should I do! What should I do!'

It was then, as Lycina contorted her face, seeking a solution.

Flutter.

Something fell from the sky.

"Huh?"

Chen Xia gasped and reached out her hand.

"Hero Record?"

Softly-

It landed softly on Chen Xia's palm.

"That?"

Lycina, with a bewildered expression, reached for the Hero Record.

And then froze.

"Lady Lycina?"

Chen Xia, wearing a flustered expression, called out to Lycina, who was staring straight ahead.

"Indeed… A clever move."

Lycina smiled and raised herself up with her own strength.

"Step back, Chen Xia."

"Yes."

As Chen Xia stepped back, Lycina looked at the message that appeared before her.

[Would you like to open Kyle's World?]

"Open it."

[Hero Record Open. Kyle's World. Chapter: Finale - Hero of Beginning]

The Hero Record opened before her eyes.

Kyle's World in a controlled state, not a hero dungeon caused by rampage.

Lycina reached her hand into that world.

Lycina was also the owner of a Hero Record.

That meant she possessed authority equal to Leo's.

And currently, Lycina was Leo's spirit.

And Leo's physical body was here.

That meant.

'Divine power.'

She would use divine power through delegated authority.

Clench!

Someone's hand was clutched.

Lycina, with all her might, pulled the person from Kyle's World into the present.

Whoosh!

Light materialized.

Along with it, the one who appeared was Kyle, bearing terrible wounds that made it unsurprising if he were to die immediately.

As she received the dying Kyle, her hands involuntarily tightened.

Lycina's fingertips trembled slightly.

'…Finale. Yes… This is Kyle right after the decisive battle with Erebus.'

"Kyle."

At Lycina's call, Kyle, who had been lying limply as if dead, opened his eyes.

Kyle staggered, barely managing to raise his body, and stared blankly at Lycina.

"Did I… come to the afterlife?"

"No. You're right that you died… but this isn't the afterlife."

Lycina shook her head and used healing magic, and Kyle's dying body was healed.

"Kyle, I'll explain now… Ooph?!"

Before she could even finish her sentence, Kyle embraced Lycina.

Seeing Kyle silently embrace her tightly and tremble, Lycina silently patted his back.

"You did well… You did well, Kyle. Thank you. For fulfilling our ultimate wish."

She praised him as if consoling a child.

Soon, as Kyle calmed down, Lycina extended her hand.

As she placed her palm on Kyle's forehead, a bright light emanated.

"So that's how it is."

Kyle, having received memories through Lycina's magic, nodded.

And he looked in the direction Erebus had disappeared.

"Lady Lycina! Are you… Huh?!"

"Th-the Hero of Beginning?"

The heroes who had descended from the city wall wore astonished expressions.

Kyle glanced at them, then slowly walked in the direction Erebus had gone.

As everyone held their breath and focused on Kyle.

He spoke.

"Don't worry now."

Roaaaaaar-

Gray mana flowed from Kyle's body.

"Because I'm here."