Book 1 Chapter 886
Kiiiiiing- Flash! Kwagagagagang-! Hwareureuk-!
As Erebus's eyes flashed with an inner light, a beam shot out.
The heat ray, emitted like a dragon's breath, pursued Leo.
As Leo darted back and forth through the Guard Slaon, evading Erebus's attack, the Guard Slaon in the illusion was instantly devastated.
Then, in the very fleeting moment the attack ended.
Leo, gripping his sword again, plunged into Erebus's embrace.
Woong-!
A pale, pure white sword strike swept up Erebus's body.
-
For a moment, the world was engulfed in silence, and Erebus disappeared.
The moment those watching the fight realized it.
The spot where Leo stood suddenly caved in as if a meteor had fallen, creating a massive crater.
Kugagagagagagagagang-!
And then, belatedly, the shockwave and noise swept in.
"This feels like the world is ending!"
Kal said, his face deathly pale.
It was as he said.
The aftermath of the fight between Leo and Erebus alone felt as if the world was about to end.
"What in the world is going on?!"
Chelsea crouched down, trying to avoid being swept up by the shockwave in horror.
Chen Xia, who had been watching the fight with wide eyes, explained the situation.
"Leo-doryeong sent Erebus flying into the sky."
"Is the reason it landed back on the ground due to the recoil?"
In response to Lil's question, Chen Xia shook her head.
"No. Leo-doryeong immediately chased Erebus into the sky, but he was hit by Erebus's counterattack and fell back to the ground. That crater was formed by that impact."
Chen Xia, with her keen eyesight, could barely grasp the situation.
Lil swallowed dryly.
"Our fight… it was like a child's play."
This was the true fight for the fate of the world.
"The higher the goal, the better."
Eliza said, clenching her fist tightly.
'It's fortunate that everyone didn't break.'
Melina, watching the hero candidates, looked at Leo with a worried expression.
'The power is evenly matched…'
To show equal strength against Erebus, who was close to his complete form, was a miracle.
However, there was no decisive blow that could overwhelm Erebus.
'Leo-nim.'
***
Hudukudududuk!
Leo, who had been lying flat on his back, got up, and dust poured down.
Tuk- Tuk-
Leo brushed off the dust that had accumulated all over his body and looked up.
Kug-!
Erebus, who had been flung into the sky, landed on the ground.
-Interesting.
Erebus revealed his warlike nature with a ghastly laugh.
Googogogogogog-!
As Erebus spread his hand, flames erupted from his hand, engulfed in black fire, and began to fall toward the ground like lava.
Chiiiiiiik-
The power of erosion fell to the ground and burned the world.
Seeing that, Leo's eyes twitched, and he raised his hand.
Woong-!
Mana formed magic circles…
Flash-!
Hundreds of magic circles adorned the air.
"What is that…?"
As Lil's eyes widened, Melina said.
"Luna-nim's magic, 'End'."
Leo, creating hundreds of spells in an instant, stacked the magic.
Magic circles were inscribed on Leo's body.
He had enchanted his body with Bible magic.
Hundreds of 'End' spells were stacked.
The concentrated magic converged into a single point and struck Erebus.
Flash!
Kwagagagagagagag-!
Space distorted, and Erebus's upper body flew off.
Hwareureuk-!
However, the black flames did not extinguish and still burned.
-Are you imitating Luna Rubygnance?
Erebus chuckled.
It wasn't mere imitation.
It was no exaggeration to say it was Luna herself.
-You're certainly different from how you were back then.
During the final battle, Leo carried the strength of all his friends.
However, he was merely contained within the vessel called Kyle.
He couldn't perfectly wield his comrades' power.
And the future Leo had perfectly overcome that state.
It was no exaggeration to say that the current Leo was the great heroes themselves, perfectly utilizing the abilities of other great heroes.
'But it's not enough.'
Leo clenched and unclenched his fist.
The reason he could defeat Erebus in the final battle was that four great heroes had inflicted fatal wounds on him at the cost of their lives in the preceding battles.
Erebus was also not in normal condition at the last moment.
But now, he was literally in his complete form.
-'Kyle. How about envisioning a stronger future?'
At Silode's words, Leo sighed softly.
"Adults lack imagination unlike children."
-'That's true too.'
Silode burst into laughter at Leo's words.
Although he had become his future self, the power residing in his current body was only the maximum strength he could imagine.
He had only reached a level comparable to the complete Erebus by gathering all his strength.
It was incredible in itself, but not enough to completely defeat him.
He had maximized his pure power, but it was meaningless if it didn't hit.
Leo felt impatience.
'If this continues, Silode's lifespan will run out.'
Silode had been suppressing fragments of Erebus alone for 5,000 years.
Leo wanted to free Silode from all his obligations at the moment of his passing.
So he could close his eyes in peace.
-'Kyle.'
"Why?"
-'You've changed so much.'
"…"
Leo smiled bitterly at Silode's words.
"I know now… how scary it is to be left alone."
The pain he had ignored when he was a surviving hero.
Silode had endured that pain of being alone for 5,000 years.
Googogogogogog-!
Black flames blazed.
An unpleasant atmosphere permeated the air.
'I need more power.'
Leo concentrated his mind.
He gauged his potential and strength.
He searched for the strongest card among the cards he was given.
At that moment.
Hwareureuk- Pajijik-
He felt fire and lightning.
The power of the Phoenix and Pegasus.
But it wasn't Fiora and Atti.
It was a power more pure and closer to the origin than the two's power.
And he felt a lingering attachment that only Leo, who had reached Lysinas's level as a summoner, could feel.
Leo's eyes widened.
'Could it be…?'
Leo opened a spatial rift.
He grasped an old spear and a necklace in his hand.
Silode's eyes widened.
-'The Spear of Punishment… and the Necklace of Purification?'
The symbols of the beast kings, just like himself.
'Yes. We weren't the only ones with lingering attachments.'
In a sense, those who closed their eyes without appointing successors would have more regret and lingering attachment.
Woong-!
Spiritual energy surged from Leo's body.
There was no need to make a pact as a spirit summoner.
The pact had already been made.
"In the name of the covenantee."
If he could feel their presence.
He just needed to summon them here as spirits.
"Respond to my call according to the pact."
Hwareureuk! Pajijijik!
Silode's eyes widened.
Kwaaaaaaaaah!
Spiritual energy exploded, and pure white flames and lightning swirled to Leo's left and right.
-'Who are you? I thought I had perished.'
-'How did you summon me?'
The Phoenix and Pegasus looked at the young man with white hair in bewilderment.
-'Katariou, Albus…!'
Silode called out to the two mythical beasts.
-'Silode?'
-'Why have you aged so much?'
The Phoenix King and the Pegasus King looked at Silode with surprised reactions.
-'Well… because 5,000 years have passed.'
-'5,000 years?'
-'My word…!'
At Silode's words, Katariou and Albus reacted with near-horror.
-'Why on earth did you live for 5,000 years!'
-'Why did you do such a thing!'
Mythical beasts do not have a precise lifespan.
It is simply the time granted to them when they decide to end their own time.
However, even for such mythical beasts, living for more than 1,000 years is difficult.
1,000 years is enough for countless things to change.
A time when one must repeatedly bid farewell to loved ones.
For a sentient being, the repetition of parting is a cruel and terrible pain.
The pain of parting with a being with whom one has shared their heart is equal for everyone.
That is why even the most mentally strong mythical beasts grow weary.
The two mythical beasts, knowing how terrible it is to live for 5,000 years, could not help but get angry.
Silode smiled brightly at the two who were angry.
Katariou and Albus, who had not inherited the knowledge of the Fairy King despite being born as a successor, had guided Silode to become a proper Fairy King.
For Silode, the two mythical beasts were more than companions; they were like a mother and an older sister.
-'Are you laughing at this?'
Katariou glared.
But the laughter didn't stop.
Seeing Silode like that, Katariou could no longer be angry.
He knew there must have been a reason why he had to choose a life of 5,000 years.
"Aren't you at all surprised that the world has been saved?"
-'Of course not. Because it's Lysinas.'
-'Kyle would never give up.'
Leo's words showed the strong faith the two had in their covenantee.
-'By the way, has that damned flame of disaster revived after 5,000 years? Damn Kyle! He should have done a proper job!'
Katariou grumbled with a displeased expression.
At that moment, Albus tried to kick Katariou with his hind legs.
-'What are you doing!'
-'You, of all people, shouldn't insult my covenantee!'
Leo chuckled at the two growling mythical beasts.
"It's nostalgic."
At those words, their gazes turned to Leo.
The doubts about this young man, which they had put aside for a moment, resurfaced.
Who was this young man who had summoned two mythical beast kings as spirits?
The moment they looked at Leo.
Albus's eyes widened.
-'Could it be… Kyle?'
-'What?'
Katariou also looked surprised.
"We'll have our greetings a little later."
Leo stirred his spiritual energy.
"Now is the time to settle the past."
Woong-!
As the summoning circle unfolded, Fiora and Atti appeared.
For the two in spirit form to exercise their power without limit, a medium was needed.
"Fiora, Atti. I'll borrow your bodies for a while."
-'It's an honor.'
-'Hyaaaa! To have my body taken over! I'm so happy!'
Fiora bowed gracefully, and Atti rejoiced.
Flash-! Kwaaaaaaaaah-!
Leo possessed Katariou and Albus.
-'This is absurd…'
Erebus's face was filled with horror.
Hwak-!
Albus, with Leo on his back, flew high into the sky.
As Leo extended his right hand, Katariou sat gracefully above it.
Silode was still sitting on Leo's left shoulder.
Leo made eye contact with Erebus.
"Well then."
A murderous smile flickered on Leo's lips.
"Shall we fight with a new pattern you don't know?"