Book 1 Chapter 820

820.

Kwaaak-!

Dweuno's axe blade split the black flames.

But the split black flames, like living beings, coiled around the divine blacksmith.

A catastrophe that burns the world.

The never-extinguishing flames of destruction began to burn the tiny dwarf's body.

Thump-!

But Dweuno moved forward without regard.

He advanced, and advanced, overcoming the black flames with the golden flames that enveloped his entire body.

His appearance resembled a shield.

As if to protect his comrades from these flames.

Despite his body burning in the flames of catastrophe, more painful than anything, his expression didn't change.

'No weapon is perfect.'

Even the weapons born from his hands, called the divine blacksmith, would eventually break before time.

Or before insurmountable power.

But even broken weapons can be given new life.

Melting the broken weapons and re-forging them to be reborn as new weapons.

In that process, they can become stronger and sharper.

That is what a 'weapon' is.

'I was broken long ago.'

He took it upon himself to be the shield of his friends.

But in the end, he could not protect anyone from Erebus's flames and was destroyed.

'Never again! I will never repeat that!'

He was filled with an unbreakable will, harder than steel and hotter than flames.

He did not yield to pain that could burn even his soul.

This was the heart Dweuno wanted to pass on to future generations.

To be a steadfast pillar for his comrades, always remaining the same…

It was an unbreakable, indomitable will.

"Haaah!"

Dweuno's flames burned even more fiercely, creating a golden giant.

Kwagagagak-!

As the golden giant completely pushed back the black flames, a golden flash cut across the void.

Arion, enveloped in aura all over his body, saw the black flame giant.

A being like the incarnation of evil, larger than the Giant King and exuding an incomparably greater sense of dread.

Since childhood, Arion, due to his innate extrasensory perception, was afraid to look up at the sky.

He was always scared, so he became a coward.

And Erebus was the source of the power that made Arion a coward.

And for Arion, who could feel Erebus's presence more clearly than anyone else, Erebus was a being so terrifying he could barely look at him.

But his gaze turned towards Erebus.

Not just his gaze.

Sight, touch, smell.

He even focused on the metallic taste in his mouth, created by Erebus.

Arion, using all his extrasensory perception to feel Erebus's presence, began to accelerate.

Hwaak-!

Erebus's giant arm targeted Arion.

Kwagagagagang-!

As Erebus slammed the ground, the black flames that spread in all directions became lines trying to capture Arion.

But Arion's extrasensory perception allowed him to predict all of Erebus's attacks.

Paat-!

Dodging the black flames, Arion appeared on the back of Erebus's hand and kicked the air.

A wave of golden aura spread from Arion's toes.

Arion, rushing at Erebus with incredible speed, raised his sword.

A dark killing intent bloomed in Arion's eyes.

'I will kill.'

Arion's pupils flashed.

'For my loved ones… I will kill Erebus!'

Kwadeuk-!

Arion's sword severed Erebus's neck.

Erebus's neck separated from his body for a moment.

But then, flames erupted and reattached the severed ends.

The black flames, which had lost their momentum, blazed fiercely again.

They overwhelmed Dweuno and Arion as they burned.

At that moment.

"End."

Luna's magic engulfed Erebus.

A trump card to turn the tide of an unfavorable battle.

Erebus's eyes twitched.

Luna's magic, which was already dangerous 5,000 years ago.

But now Luna's magic had become even more dangerous.

Her resentment, which had only thought of Erebus's annihilation, was imbued in the magic.

Kwaak-!

Erebus's body was annihilated.

But like extinguished flames reigniting.

Erebus's giant body regenerated.

Rishinas, who was commanding the great heroes from afar, clenched his fist as he watched.

'They've all started moving.'

He could feel that their frozen time was flowing again.

Rishinas's gaze turned backward.

The place where Kyle was currently located was the front line of the battlefield against Tartarus.

However, in the battle against Erebus, he was at the very rear.

From there, Kyle was preparing a final blow to defeat Erebus.

It was the same situation as 5,000 years ago.

The five of them had gathered in one place and were pooling their strength to defeat Erebus.

What had changed was…

'That we are operating with only four of us.'

Originally, Luna should have been in Kyle's place.

And at the front, not just himself, Dweuno, and Arion, but also Kyle should have been there.

But even though they were operating with four, their coordination was perfect.

From the moment they realized that Kyle had not reincarnated, even though they had.

Despite denying it, the great heroes looked ahead.

Even though they denied a future without Kyle, their gaze was fixed on a future without Kyle.

'Except for Dweuno… they were all standing around blankly and couldn't move, but…'

Their gazes, however, followed Dweuno and looked towards a future without Kyle.

That's why the four of them thought endlessly.

How to fight when Kyle wasn't there.

And this was the result.

They had never practiced together, but based on their experience from 5,000 years ago.

They perfectly understood how to fight Erebus in Kyle's absence.

This was possible because the great heroes knew each other so well.

Kyle never tried to join this combination.

Because he knew that awkwardly intruding would break the balance of the combination.

He silently prepared what he had to do.

'Just as we assumed a future without Kyle… Kyle must have assumed a future without us.'

Even though they were fighting the same enemy together, Rishinas, as the commander, could clearly feel it.

He felt anew that Kyle and they had walked different paths.

Rishinas completed his magic in a trembling voice.

"Punishment."

It was a judgment announcing to the enemy who sought to destroy the world.

It was also a denial of Erebus, who should not exist as the king of the world.

Arrows of light flew towards Erebus.

Although not as powerful as Luna's "End," "Punishment" was also a threatening magic for Erebus in its intent to punish the unrighteous.

Kwaaang-!

The arrow of light pierced Erebus.

Erebus's upper body flew off.

But he soon regained his strength.

"As expected, you are the greatest obstacle I must overcome."

Erebus burst into laughter.

"But I know. What is supporting you now."

Erebus's eyes gleamed dangerously.

"What is most threatening to me!"

Jjeojeojeojeojeojeo-!

Erebus's body began to freeze and then flowed down as if scattering on the floor.

Luna's face contorted in shock as she saw this.

"Wait! Is this an ice clone?!"

Of course, Erebus hadn't used ice clone magic.

But the principle was similar.

Hwareureuk-!

Erebus appeared in front of Kyle, who was preparing 'something'.

In a form imitating the Hero of Beginnings.

***

"That… is the fight of the Great Heroes…!"

"Amazing…"

"Hooook! Hooook! Arion-nim! You're amazing! Hooook!"

Driana and Lunia could only stare in awe.

Ares breathed heavily, trembling.

Legends were fighting before their eyes.

They thought it was a realm of combat they could never reach or understand.

At that moment.

"Why are you thinking of it as something from another world?"

"Huh?"

Another legend, who had been gazing at the battlefield with concentration, spoke to the three.

"That is the world where you will stand someday."

Kyle said to the three from another world with a calm demeanor.

Lunnia, representing them, smiled and said,

"Oh, Kyle-nim. No matter what, we can't fight like those people…"

"You can."

"…"

"No, you must."

Kyle said firmly.

"You've realized it now, haven't you? That your student council presidents are Great Heroes."

"…"

"We need successors too."

Kyle said, looking at the three.

"How long will you depend on us?"

It was a simple but heavy question.

Seeing the silent three, Kyle said,

"Next, it's you."

"Can we do it?"

Driana asked with bewilderment, and Kyle chuckled.

"That depends on you. But you certainly have possibilities that we don't."

Although it was a different worldline, he had seen it clearly.

The three people who had reached a realm they couldn't reach.

While their power was still lacking compared to themselves 5,000 years ago…

Their potential was by no means small.

"Carrying the world… is quite heavy. So, you help those guys."

"Kyle-nim, you speak as if you're going somewhere else?"

Ares tilted his head.

A very sharp question.

At that question, Kyle closed his eyes.

"It seems the time of those who were stopped has started to flow."

The stopped time began to flow.

And the more time passed, the further he would drift away.

The moment Kyle opened his eyes.

"You were careless, Hero of Beginnings."

Erebus, with the exact same appearance as himself, appeared.

"Welcome, I've been waiting."

"I don't know what you were preparing, but it's too late!"

Kyak-!

Erebus's sword tried to pierce Kyle's heart.

But Kyle grabbed the sword with his hand and twisted its path.

Erebus's eyes twitched.

As if his movements were perfectly predicted, the sword was defended.

"You are imitating my appearance."

Sreuk-

Light emanated from Kyle's body.

Along with it, he returned to Leo Flob's form and grinned.

"Imitation is my specialty. And since you're imitating my appearance, isn't it easy to predict your movements?"

He dodged the vital point, but couldn't prevent his body from being pierced.

It was just changed from instant death to a critical injury.

"Hoo, so what? If you die alone, the Great Heroes will crumble."

At Erebus's words, Leo scoffed.

"No, even without me, those guys won't crumble now. Just like I did."

Leo said with faith.

"They won't give up."

Erebus snorted at Leo's words and tried to move his sword.

But the sword wouldn't budge.

"I'm just a decoy."

Leo said calmly.

"The one who will defeat you is not me."

"With your current state, do you think you can use magic… Innocent or Aura of Purity to defeat me?"

"I told you, it's not me who will defeat you."

Leo chuckled.

And he looked at the great heroes running towards this place behind Erebus.

"It's those guys."

"What?"

At that moment.

Leo's eyes turned pure white.

Pure magic and spiritual power swirled.

Erebus's eyes twitched as he saw this.

"Bible?"

He knew this magic incantation.

One of the two unique magics used by the Hero of Beginnings.

The other was the most threatening magic of all, Innocent.

Both were powerful magics, but to Erebus, Bible was not a threatening magic at all.

Bible was merely magic that allowed one to use all magics freely without penalty.

It was a miracle for a mage, but there were no magics among them that could reach Erebus.

It was merely a residual skill of the Hero of Beginnings, a mere imitation.

Therefore, Erebus was bewildered when Bible was used in this situation.

'I prepared for Innocent… Hmm?'

At that moment.

Erebus's face contorted.

'This is… not Bible.'

The basic incantation structure was the same as Bible.

But the magic that unfolded afterward was not Bible.

For a moment.

Erebus's face hardened.

'This structure is…'

"Record System?"

Leo deployed his new unique magic.

'I inherited the powers of the others, but I couldn't handle them perfectly.'

But even so, he could deal a blow to Erebus.

The reason was simple.

'Because my power imbued their power.'

Golden flames and aura imbued with the power of purity.

So were the stars' magic and the Dragon Heart's mana.

Since he was the vessel, his mana characteristics were imbued in their power.

'I can only imitate.'

Unlike Arion, Luna, or Rishinas, he couldn't pioneer new realms in aura, magic, or summoning.

He was merely following the path they had pioneered.

But…

'I can develop that power through imitation.'

Just as the power of his comrades was imbued with the power of purity.

So Leo pondered.

Could he not pass on the power he had inherited and developed to others?

Is there a way to leave behind the power to defeat Erebus at the final moment, even if he dies first?

This was the result of that contemplation.

His new unique magic, developed by studying the Hero Record.

A magic that evolved Bible to a new level, reaching its own domain.

A magic that perfectly implements not only magic but also aura and spirit summoning, and transfers that power to others using 'Summoning Ritual'.

It was still an unfinished magic, so if he carelessly passed it on to others, those who received the power would not be able to withstand it.

But…

'It's different with those guys.'

They would be able to handle this power sufficiently.

'I am merely giving it back.'

Leo smiled and repeated the name of the magic.

A magic that could briefly share the power of purity with others, a divine realm reached solely by Leo's own power.

"Record."