Book 1 Chapter 964

964.

Guaaaaaaaaaaaa!

The giant of black flames roared.

The summoning had not failed.

But it wasn't a proper summoning either.

The result of that imperfect summoning was a monster with only destructive instincts, devoid of reason.

Erebos, as it was now, could not be called an evil god.

Naturally, it could not use its powers either.

It was merely a giant disaster, ruthlessly burning everything in its path.

The problem was that, even so, the opponent was Erebos.

A monster that could burn the world.

'I was just forcibly separated from my consciousness.'

Even if they defeated it here, Erebos would not be annihilated.

It would only be driven back.

Furthermore, even with an imperfect summoning, a part of its power was at a despairing level.

Originally, Reysar would have turned to ashes and perished from such an imperfect summoning alone.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaa-!

The surroundings were engulfed by waves of black flames.

The ground shook and cracked, spewing magma.

The magma burned not red, but black.

It felt as if this was what it would be like when the world plunged into destruction.

No.

It was very similar to the phenomena that occurred when the world actually plunged into destruction.

Leo, of all people, had witnessed that scene with his own eyes.

'Well, it was more severe back then.'

Recalling the final battle, Leo slung Luna over his shoulder.

"Arion, take Dweno! Azonia, take Damian! We're returning now!"

Leo's party's goal was to disrupt Erebos's summoning ritual.

That plan was a great success.

Now, all they had to do was return to Reysar with their speed.

Arion ran ahead, and Azonia followed.

And the moment Leo kicked off the ground.

Gooogooo-!

A crimson-black mist began to swirl before their eyes.

"Where do you think you're going?"

With a chilling voice, the Undead King, Hell Kaiser, blocked Leo's path.

"Kyle!"

Arion urgently called out to Leo, who gestured for them to go ahead.

"Ho? Kyle… the hero who survives. You look different from the one I know?"

Hell Kaiser's eyes flashed.

Seeing Hell Kaiser like that, Leo smiled coldly.

"I've come from the future to personally mess with you, you son of a bitch."

Fwaaash-!

Leo unleashed Zerdinger's flame.

As Hell Kaiser's eyes twitched at the sight of the phoenix's flame that burned the impure, Leo unleashed Zerdinger's flame.

With an aura reminiscent of a grand magic, Luna also conjured her mana.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaa-!

A vortex of flames whirled.

The swirling phoenix flames.

For the Undead King who ruled death, the phoenix's flame that burned the impure was one of his natural enemies.

"The future."

Hell Kaiser curled his lips.

He took out a giant staff made of black bones.

It was Hell Kaiser's magic machine, made from Erebos's finger bones.

Thud-!

He struck the floor with the staff.

Crack-! Crack-!

The undead emerged, piercing through the ground.

Luna's face stiffened for a moment at their appearance.

"They look just like they did in life?"

What Hell Kaiser had resurrected were faces that Leo and Luna both knew.

They were the comrades who had died at Guardsron.

There were those they were close to, those they had only spoken to a few times, and those they merely knew by face.

And there were also those they didn't even know by face.

But they all shared the commonality of having stood on the same battlefield and not returned.

"You damn bone-bag son of a bitch!"

Sparks flew from Luna's eyes.

Ignoring Luna, Hell Kaiser's gaze turned to Leo.

"As expected of the hero who survives. Unfazed by the dead."

Hell Kaiser burst into laughter.

Leo stood atop the deaths of countless comrades.

Therefore, he wasn't enraged by Hell Kaiser's actions of toying with the dead.

He merely exuded cold anger.

Luna was the same.

Luna's life had not been easy enough to be shaken by such things.

No matter what anyone said, Luna was an elf who had experienced the era of calamity from the beginning.

Hell Kaiser was targeting only one person.

"But what about Arion?"

Arion, the most mentally immature among the Great Heroes.

The undead were not only blocking Leo and Luna.

Before the advancing Arion, the dead had also risen as undead.

"There is no Lisina here now."

Lisina was special to the Great Heroes.

Whenever they wavered, Lisina always showed them the way and held them steady.

It was thanks to Lisina that Arion could muster courage on countless battlefields.

But now, Lisina was guarding the city walls.

"It was a mistake not to come here with Lisina, hero who survives."

Hell Kaiser said with a sneer.

"I'm curious how you came to the past… but it's not that important."

A chill settled in his crimson-black gaze.

The one who claimed to have come from the future.

And a completely changed face.

But the atmosphere felt undeniably like the hero who survives.

'Reincarnation.'

Reincarnation was a phenomenon that even the Undead King, who ruled death, could not confirm the existence of.

But it was not impossible.

And if the hero who survives, Kyle, had reincarnated.

'It means we were defeated.'

Given the current situation, it seemed impossible.

But perhaps the monsters before them had achieved the impossible.

The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

But on the other hand, he thought it was not a complete defeat.

'His eyes still hold the will to fight.'

Moreover, Leo radiated the resentment of countless demons.

If Erebos were to be annihilated, demons would cease to exist.

'I don't know why you came to the past, but…'

He had no intention of letting them go willingly.

Thinking so, the Undead King looked at Arion's retreating back.

The only weakness in the current situation.

"What can you do with that weak beast in tow, hero who survives?"

At Hell Kaiser's words, Luna bit her lip hard.

It was humiliating, but not wrong.

Arion was excessively weak and timid.

He would show immense courage when it was absolutely necessary, but once his momentum was broken, he had the critical weakness of taking a long time to regain his courage.

'What should I do?'

Luna felt uneasy and glanced at Leo.

Then her eyes widened.

"What's so funny?"

Hell Kaiser's face contorted.

"No. It's funny."

Leo chuckled.

"In this situation, the most dangerous one for you isn't me."

Kuo-oooooooooo-!

Erebos roared.

His giant fist, engulfed in black flames, cast a shadow.

At the moment the flames of disaster engulfed the party.

Quagagagagag-!

A golden flash shot up into the sky.

Everyone's eyes widened at the brilliantly shining golden aura.

"Huh…?"

Luna wore a dazed expression.

It wasn't just Luna.

Dweno, Azonia, and Damian all stared blankly at Arion.

Arion, with a blank expression, severed Erebos's arm.

"The most threatening enemy to you right now is Arion."

As he said that, Arion's sword cut through the air.

The golden aura sliced through the undead.

There was not a shred of hesitation in that sword strike.

"Please rest in peace…"

Arion said calmly, watching the undead scatter and disappear in golden light.

"Arion, you…"

Dweno called out to Arion blankly.

Arion gave Dweno a wry smile and glanced at Hell Kaiser.

The moment their eyes met, Hell Kaiser felt a chill.

The cowardly beast that Hell Kaiser remembered was no longer there.

In his eyes, there was not fear, but clear rage and killing intent.

"I've hated you since long ago."

Arion growled low.

The demons and monsters surrounding them unconsciously retreated at the killing intent emanating from Arion.

"You toy with the dead."

As if to pierce the heart of the timid Arion.

He always resurrected the dead before Arion.

Because of that, Arion always had nightmares.

Facing those who died before him was always frightening.

But one day.

On the day before his final journey.

Arion no longer had nightmares.

It wasn't because Arion had gained more courage or overcome his trauma.

He had simply become numb to people's deaths.

The Undead King felt no fear.

He was the Grand Commander of Tartarus and the Legion Commander who ruled death.

There was only one thing that could make him feel fear.

Erebos's complete annihilation.

But there was no possibility of that.

Even if he were defeated now, he would be resurrected in the distant future.

Hell Kaiser was certain of that.

Yet, at this moment, he felt fear.

Overwhelmed by a single beast, whom he had mocked and ridiculed as a coward.

Hell Kaiser unconsciously stepped back.

And he unconsciously asked a question that didn't expect an answer.

"…What is that?"

Hell Kaiser's voice hardened.

"That monster…"

He hadn't expected an answer.

But Leo kindly replied.

"What is it?"

A sneer flickered across Leo's face.

"It's the beast that will kill you."

\Clang!\

At those words, Arion, closing the distance at invisible speed, decapitated Hell Kaiser.

In the blink of an eye, Arion was where Hell Kaiser had been.

Luna's mouth moved, but no sound came out.

"Is that… Arion?"

It was different from the Arion Luna knew.

As she thought that.

"Kyle."

Arion met Leo's eyes.

"Go ahead."

"Wait, go ahead?"

When Luna tried to stop him in surprise, Leo nodded.

"Alright. Don't overdo it."

"Wait. Kyle. What on earth happened to Arion? Why did he suddenly change?"

"I'll explain later. You don't need to worry too much right now."

"Why?"

"He's complete now."

***

Hell Kaiser restored his body.

His flesh was merely a shell to him anyway.

He could simply revive.

That was the most powerful ability Erebos had granted him.

As long as his core was not destroyed, he could revive his body indefinitely.

And the only moment his core could be targeted was the moment his body revived.

The revival could occur wherever the Undead King wished.

Unless he could foresee the future, he was, in a sense, perfectly immortal.

'What in the world happened?'

Hell Kaiser felt a chill run down his spine.

What he felt from Arion was the fear of death.

'Impossible.'

How could he, who was immortal as long as his core was not destroyed, experience death?

As Hell Kaiser was about to revive.

\Clang!\

"…!"

Before his body could revive, Arion pierced him with his sword.

"He ran away again."

Arion muttered coldly.

'How did he know where I could revive…?'

How did he find the corpse where his core resided?

As Hell Kaiser was bewildered.

\Clang!\

The moment Hell Kaiser thought of reviving, the corpse was destroyed.

For a moment, his core was about to be destroyed.

'This guy… maybe…'

Hell Kaiser felt astonishment.

'The future…?'