Book 1 Chapter 821
821.
Lysander’s eyes shot open.
“That fool!”
When Leo volunteered to be the decoy.
He thought there was some plan.
But he never imagined that he would literally play the role of a decoy, even if it meant sustaining such a fatal injury.
“I swear, I can’t live like this! That ignorant bastard!”
Luna also glared, her anger erupting.
“Dwenno! Is this part of Kyle’s plan too?”
“It must be! Of course, even if it’s a plan, I’m still going to beat him up!”
“Can I hit him just once too?”
“We’ll beat him senseless!”
Dwenno unleashed a fierce burst of anger towards Arion, who was timidly expressing his rage.
Then.
The four of them noticed a change in their bodies.
“This is…?”
Lysander’s eyes widened.
“Pure mana?”
It wasn’t simply pure mana.
It was his own power, imbued with pure mana.
In other words, it was the pure power he could use.
‘It’s similar to necromancy.’
The principle of necromancy, which allows spirits to inhabit a body.
But beneath that, there was a magical principle of an infinitely higher dimension.
Lysander looked at Luna with a bewildered expression.
Luna also wore a look of astonishment.
It was a realm that even Luna, considered the greatest talent since the beginning of magical history, could not easily fathom.
‘Kyle created this magic?’
Luna’s gaze turned to Leo.
Leo grinned, looking at his friends.
“Honestly…!”
Luna calmed her trembling heart and raised her staff.
A perfect opportunity created by Leo.
A situation where they could eliminate the defenseless Erebus.
“He really knows how to surprise people!”
Whoosh-!
Luna began to draw upon all her magic power.
At the same time, the surrounding space began to ripple.
If she possessed pure mana.
There was one magic she could manifest.
A spell she had created but could never use.
A magic solely for Kyle.
‘Innocent.’
Of course, as it was a spell formula designed for Kyle, it would be difficult for anyone else to use Innocent immediately.
But Luna was the one who created this magic.
Modifying the spell formula on the spot to suit herself was no problem.
‘It would be disappointing if it ended here!’
Words of the Final Rune flowed from Luna’s lips.
Runes more confident than ever before.
A wizard’s incantation is a great hope for those fighting on the battlefield.
No matter how desperate the situation, anyone who hears a wizard’s confident incantation can find courage.
Even more so for warriors fighting on the front lines.
Flash-!
Dwe raises his battle-axe.
Whoosh-
A massive flame that erupted from his body was sucked into the axe blade.
Not power to protect, but power to defeat.
Arion also generated an aura, making his sword even sharper.
The weapons of the two, considered the strongest vanguards, flew towards Erebus.
“Hero of the Beginning…!”
Erebus’s eyes snapped open.
Leo, grinning as he saw Erebus looking at him with hateful eyes, as if spitting him out, raised his middle finger.
“Looks good. Yeah, that expression suits you best, not that confident one.”
At Kyle’s taunt, Erebus quickly tried to escape.
He had dealt a fatal blow, but killing Kyle before Arion and Dwenno’s attacks reached him was impossible.
And if any more time was delayed here, Luna’s magic would strike.
The moment Erebus, having quickly assessed the situation, tried to leave.
Kiiwooowooong! Whoosh-!
Suddenly, arrows of light shot up into the sky.
Whoosh-!
Along with it, a massive light, as if a sun had risen, appeared in the sky.
The light drove away the sky of despair, the symbol of the Age of Calamity.
At that moment.
Thud-!
“…!”
Arrows of light that pierced the sky poured down and embedded themselves in Erebus’s body.
The arrows of light plunged deep into the ground, as if determined not to let Erebus escape.
“Foolish… one!”
Erebus’s eyes widened as he looked up at the sky.
There stood Lysander, with light at her back.
Creak-!
Lysander’s arrow aimed at Erebus.
“No, you’re wrong.”
Lysander said nonchalantly.
“I was called foolish because I harbored an absurd desire in my heart to save the world. But…”
A clear, mocking sneer formed on Lysander’s lips.
“We saved the world.”
That was the truth.
The absurd desire.
The lie that seemed as if it would last forever became reality 5,000 years ago.
“If you call someone who harbors a foolish desire a foolish person, then that’s not me.”
She was the Queen of Wisdom who led the world to salvation.
“It’s you, who had the ridiculous delusion of burning down all worlds.”
Lysander returned the same sneer Erebus had directed at her 5,000 years ago.
“Now, who is the real fool?”
Thud-!
As Lysander’s words ended, an arrow of retribution, imbued with pure power, pierced Erebus’s brow.
The moment Erebus’s body was thrown back.
Golden flames and golden aura, imbued with pure power, sliced through Erebus’s body.
As the shattered fragments of Erebus floated in the air.
Arion, holding the fatally wounded Leo and Dwenno, leaped with all his might.
Whoosh-!
They moved away from Erebus with a speed as if teleporting.
At that moment.
Luna completed her magic.
Finality and Purity.
The fusion of absolute destruction and infinitely pure power.
Luna uttered the word that signified the starting point of all beginnings.
“Zero.”
Erebus, hit directly by the void's magic, his eyes wide open.
Soon, a hollow laugh escaped his lips.
“Heh heh heh.”
It was absurd.
What exactly was the driving force behind this infinite potential?
But…
“You can never be a complete being.”
The current outcome was a momentary miracle that occurred at the instant worlds intersected.
Even if a deep regret remained.
“Ultimately, the world will perish.”
Erebus spoke with conviction.
As long as the great heroes were not complete beings.
Their potential would have its limits.
“Enjoy your brief peace.”
With those words, Erebus disappeared.
Luna, hearing Erebus’s last words, dug her pinky finger into her ear and mumbled.
“Bullshit.”
***
As Erebus’s fragments vanished, Tartarus immediately retreated.
A victory that seemed impossible.
It was a miraculous moment, winning against half of Erebus’s fragments.
Everyone looked at the great heroes in the distance with awe.
“That is… a Great Hero.”
Someone whispered softly.
“Beings who saved the world…”
Meanwhile, Leo stood up, supported by Arion.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-
Luna ran towards Leo.
Seeing her, Leo clicked his tongue.
‘To think she could create Zero right there, just like that.’
Leo, smiling, thought it was outrageously unfair how Luna had instantly manifested Zero, a magic he had spent a long time researching to create.
“How did you come up with Zero…?”
Leo’s smiling face stiffened as he asked.
And he shouted.
“Hey, you crazy pointy-eared bastard! I’m a seriously injured patient…”
“Shut up! You damn jerk!”
Thwack-!
Luna’s flying kick landed precisely on Leo’s chest.
Leo tumbled to the ground.
“Perverted old man! Catch that bastard!”
“Whoa.”
Dwenno grabbed Leo by both arms from behind and helped him up.
“Let go! Let go of me! You perverted old man!”
As Leo screamed and struggled, Luna said.
“Oh? Oh? It’ll hurt more if you struggle, you know? Solar plexus! I’ll really hit your solar plexus one more time if you don’t stop resisting!”
Luna snarled fiercely.
Lysander pulled Luna back from behind.
“Stop it. One hit was enough.”
“At least you’re reasonable…”
Thwack-!
Lysander’s fist struck Leo’s solar plexus.
“Now it’s my turn.”
“This crazy lizard…”
Leo gasped for breath, cursing.
“There’s a limit to how much you can make us worry!”
“Right! What if you had died, doing something so foolish!”
“You guys are trying to kill me right now… You ignorant fools…”
As Leo squeezed out his words towards the two who stood before him, scolding him, Dwenno said.
“You wouldn’t die that easily, would you?”
As Leo gnashed his teeth at Dwenno’s cold words.
“I’m angry too. I want to hit him once.”
When Arion said this in an angry voice, Lysander and Luna moved aside.
They thought gentle Arion would at most give him a light tap on the head.
At that moment, Arion’s fist struck Leo’s abdomen.
Crunch-!
An ominous sound echoed.
“…Kyle?”
Dwenno shook the limp Leo.
Then he said with a serious expression.
“This is serious. This friend isn’t breathing.”
“Gasp! Kyle!”
“Breathe! Breathe! Breathe!”
Lysander shook the limp Kyle, and Luna frantically slapped his cheeks.
“Arion, you went too far. Don’t you know when to stop?”
“Why only me…?”
Arion’s face crumpled into a frown as Dwenno chided him.
A moment later, Leo, barely regaining consciousness, snarled fiercely and grabbed Lysander and Luna by their collars.
Of course, the two didn’t back down and grabbed Leo’s collar as well.
Everyone’s jaws dropped at the sight of the great heroes wrestling each other by their collars.
“Is that… a Great Hero?”
Feeling their imaginations crumble into dust, everyone wore blank expressions.
As everyone grasped the truth of history.
Whoosh-!
An ice mirror appeared before Leo’s eyes.
Leo checked the watch from his pocket.
Tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock-
The sound of the second hand moving was heard.
The watch that was now moving almost by the second.
‘…The time has come.’
The everyday life of loudly shouting with friends just moments ago was coming to an end.
‘No… if I choose to stay here… I could stay.’
Leo looked back.
He could choose.
And…
‘Whichever I choose… regret will remain.’
Leo’s grip tightened on the watch.
The moment Leo turned his head to look at the ice mirror.
Thud-!
Someone grabbed Leo’s hand.
Thinking it was Luna or Arion, Leo bit his lip and looked back.
And his eyes widened as he saw Lysander, holding his hand with trembling fingers.
Leo, at a loss for words, didn’t know what to say as he looked at Lysander, who gazed up at him as if about to cry.
Luna approached, took Lysander’s hand, and pulled it away.
Then she grabbed Leo by the collar, pulled him in, and kissed him.
Luna smiled faintly, seeing Leo’s blank expression.
“I like you, Kyle.”
“…”
“So… I hope you make a choice that’s true to yourself.”
Luna stepped back.
“The Kyle I know… will trust us. That even without you, we will save the world.”
She spoke with conviction.
Holding back tears.
“And… the Kyle I know is someone who will never give up and will save the world.”
“…”
“So… so…”
Luna smiled brightly.
“No matter which world you’re in… even if our paths diverge, I hope we can remain true to ourselves. I would have made that choice.”
At Luna’s words, Leo closed his eyes.
And looked at Dwenno and Arion.
Dwenno nodded heavily, and Arion sniffled, grinning.
“I think the same as Luna.”
“Arion, don’t smile like that. It’s annoying.”
“Why! I was just imitating your smile!”
Leo chuckled bitterly, looking at Arion’s wronged expression, then looked at Lysander, who had her head bowed.
“Lysander.”
At his words, Lysander clenched her teeth and raised her head.
Then she put her arms around Leo’s neck and stole a kiss.
“Mmph?”
Leo stumbled backward, a flustered look on his face.
Luna, who had been smiling wryly at the sight, suddenly narrowed her eyes.
“That, that, that, that! Is she… using her tongue?! How indecent! Does she think this is a bed… Mmph-mph-mph!”
“That’s enough. Don’t show such disgraceful behavior to future generations.”
Dwenno sighed and stopped Luna.
Lysander, having stepped back, said.
“Kyle.”
“…Yes.”
“I like you.”
Leo said, looking at Lysander, who was faintly smiling.
“Maybe… you’ll be able to meet another me.”
“…”
“The me from this world.”
At those words, Lysander nodded.
Soon, Leo turned around.
Step-step-
He approached the ice mirror.
Then he stopped and looked back.
Leo, taking one last look at his friends, stepped into the ice mirror.
Whoosh-!
For an instant, a black space was visible.
And…
Step-step-
Leo’s eyes widened as he saw Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning, approaching him, then he let out a small laugh.
Step-step-
Meeting midway, Leo extended his hand.
Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning, took his hand with a puzzled expression.
Leo handed over the divine power he had gained from defeating Erebus’s fragments to Kyle.
Kyle, holding it, looked intently at Leo and said.
“Anything to say?”
“No.”
Kyle chuckled.
“Have a bit more trouble.”
“…Trouble, huh.”
Leo, giving the same smile, headed towards his world.
Just before each reached their respective worlds.
“Your smile is pretty annoying.”
“Your smile is pretty annoying.”
They uttered the exact same comment.
Whoosh-
Kyle, turning into a fragment of Hero Record, disappeared into the mirror.
Whoosh-!
Leo appeared in the middle of the battlefield.