Book 1 Chapter 966

966.

Celia didn't know how she should react to the sight unfolding before her.

It wasn't just Celia; everyone living in the present felt the same, experiencing fear and trembling at the sight before their eyes.

Having participated in a battle against a fragment of Erebus, she secretly thought she would be able to maintain her composure in the next battle.

But Erebus, faced once again, transcended imagination.

'I was arrogant……'

Celia looked down at her trembling hands.

Soon, she clenched her fists tightly, but the trembling didn't stop.

Only then did Celia realize her whole body was trembling.

All the hero cadets facing Erebus were trembling.

"Ugh-aah-aah-aah."

Iliana, hidden behind the city wall, shivered uncontrollably.

Duran gritted his teeth, glared, and showed his defiance, but he too couldn't stop his body from trembling.

Future and past.

Everyone was frozen in fear.

'This shouldn't be happening!'

Are instinctively felt it.

If they remain frozen like this, Leysar's city wall is in danger.

The cat's instinct, following in the footsteps of the hero, keenly assessed the current situation.

It was when Are was inhaling for a howl.

"Our cat! You're quite quick-witted, aren't you!"

"Keok?!"

Ajonia, appearing from behind, smiled brightly and slapped Are's back.

Are, choking, coughed uncontrollably.

At that sight, Ajonia chuckled, hugged Are, and rubbed her face all over his head.

"Let go, pleaseeeeee!"

Are instinctively struggled, but Ajonia paid no mind.

"Nyaa-aah!"

Finally, Are, unable to bear it, shrieked in terror and barely managed to break free from Ajonia.

"Why are you bothering the child?"

"An expression of affection."

Ajonia, smiling brightly at Damian's words, looked around the city wall.

And then she opened her mouth.

"Hey! You youngsters!"

At her booming voice, everyone's gaze turned towards Ajonia.

"You're all trembling, looking at that guy, aren't you?!"

Ajonia glared and shouted.

"Too scared to move, aren't you?!"

At that shout, the hero cadets bit their lips.

They wanted to retort, but they couldn't.

As everyone despaired.

"Don't hang your heads! It's natural! What about me, and this pretty dwarf here, Damian! Do you think we're not scared because we're corpses?!"

Ajonia put her hands under Damian's armpits and lifted him up.

As everyone made a dumbfounded expression, Damian jabbed Ajonia's temple with his elbow.

Ajonia, releasing Damian, rubbed the spot where she was hit and shouted.

"The important thing is that not a single one of you has run away!"

Ajonia spread her arms wide and clenched her fists.

"If you're trying to fight without running away! That's an act of courage! I!"

Ajonia roared.

"As one of the founders of the Hero Academy, I am proud of you!"

Gradually, the students' trembling subsided.

"So, raise your heads! Be a little braver! What's before your eyes is clearly a catastrophe that will destroy the world! But!"

Ajonia pointed at Erebus with her finger.

"Don't forget that you are the legends who will defeat that catastrophe!"

Everyone's gaze turned towards the Great Heroes.

"Raise your weapons! Squeeze out your courage! With that squeezed-out courage!"

Ajonia raised her sword.

"Write a new legend! Just as the Great Heroes did, and just as we did! Next, it's your turn to become a new legend!"

Gwwoooaaahhh-!

Kwack-!

The Skeleton King's head, which had climbed onto the city wall, was cut off diagonally.

Ajonia's speech instantly boosted morale.

Are's eyes widened as she watched the students overcome their fear of Erebus.

"Lady Ajonia! You speak incredibly well! It's unexpected!"

"Is this insolent mouth the one saying 'unexpected'?"

"Euaaaah!"

Ajonia smiled brightly and pulled Are's mouth.

Ajonia, having disciplined Are, looked at the approaching Tartarus army and said.

"Because I don't have the same abilities as Lord Arion."

Giving courage to people merely by one's presence is literally an absurd ability.

It requires intense charisma that can capture people's attention and inspire others with one's own courage.

Unfortunately, that was not an ability Ajonia possessed.

Even so, she was a descendant of the hero, in name.

Ajonia thought of a way to give people courage in her own way.

And that was through speeches.

"Well, since you resemble Lord Arion, you don't need to worry about things like this…"

"That's cool!"

Are's eyes sparkled brightly.

"It's like giving people courage with words, just like the Black Rabbit!"

"……"

Hearing Are's words, Ajonia looked at Leo's back as he advanced far away to subjugate Erebus.

'I see. That person also tried hard.'

"How can I do that! Please teach me!"

At Are's words, Ajonia gave a slightly pitying smile and patted Are's head.

"It's hard for a fool to learn."

At those words, Are didn't hesitate and bit Ajonia's hand.

Even for Ajonia, whom she respected, Are couldn't stand being constantly treated like a fool.

Driana, watching the scene, spoke to Damian.

"Lord Damian."

"Why?"

"Is there nothing you can teach me?"

"No."

Damian said curtly.

Driana, looking at such Damian, grumbled softly.

"You cheapskate."

At those words, Damian hit Driana's head.

Lunia thought as she watched.

'If I meet Lord Seirun, will I be like that too?'

She felt needlessly uneasy.

But she quickly shook her head.

'No. Lord Seirun and I will be different. Yes. It's clear. First of all, he'll adore me immensely. Because I purely respect Lord Seirun.'

Ajonia, looking at such Lunia, said.

"Damian."

"Why? You called?"

"What do you think will happen if she meets Seirun?"

Ajonia asked, smacking Are's forehead, who was biting her hand.

Damian, who was giving Driana a flick on the forehead, said.

"Seirun would be incredibly jealous. Saying she was personally taught magic by Lady Luna."

"Right? Seirun would torment her terribly, wouldn't he?"

Ajonia looked at Lunia with a pitying gaze.

***

Leo looked at his friends running ahead and thought.

'I miss this.'

He never knew he would come to miss these times.

But what Leo felt was clearly nostalgia.

But there was no time to dwell on such emotions.

Goooooooooh-!

Erebus opened its mouth towards the Great Heroes.

Seeing that, Dweno surged past Arion and pulled out a gigantic shield.

Kwak-!

Dweno, planting the shield forward, ignited golden flames.

Hwarrr-reuk-!

The shield began to blaze with golden flames.

"Leo!"

Lysinus shouted backwards.

No time to dodge.

They had to be protected by Dweno's shield.

But Leo, instead of answering, activated his spiritual power.

Pzzzzzt-! Flash-!

A Pegasus appeared with pure white lightning.

-Kyle… No, who are you?!

Albus looked startled at the presence of the unfamiliar man who had summoned him and was riding on his back.

Leo stroked Albus's neck and said.

"I'll explain later, so for now, accelerate."

Pzzzzzt-!

-…!

Pure white lightning crackled from Leo's body.

It was the power of the Pegasus King.

Not only had a strange man he'd never seen before summoned him, but when that man wielded pure white lightning, Albus was flustered once again.

Flash-!

Leo's spiritual power and lightning strengthened Albus.

Realizing he had transcended his limits, Albus shot off like a pure white flash.

Thud-!

Leo wrapped his arms around Luna and Lysinus's waists, then soared straight into the sky.

Flash-!

Dweno glanced back and said.

"You. Your beast summoning art is reaching a level close to Lysinus's."

"……"

Kyle didn't answer and gripped the sword his future self had given him tightly.

Hwaaahh-!

"Amazingggg!"

Luna felt the wind pressure in Kyle's embrace and let out a cheer.

Lysinus also showed a surprised expression.

Kwaaaahhh-!

Just then, Erebus's breath grazed the three of them by a hair's breadth.

Upon rising high into the sky, Lysinus said.

"If we drag this out, we'll be at a disadvantage."

"I know."

"Luna. Prepare your magic."

They had somehow reached Erebus's immediate vicinity.

At this distance, Luna's magic could reach Erebus.

"I'll protect you. Leo, prepare to cut down Erebus with Kyle."

Here, only Leo and Kyle, who possess the power of purity, have the strength to annihilate Erebus.

At Lysinus's words, Leo shook his head.

"No. There won't be an attack powerful enough to defeat that in one go. Even if Luna lands a solid hit."

Even without consciousness, the summoned Erebus possesses more than 50% of its main body's power.

To annihilate it in one go, their power is far too insufficient.

Nevertheless, there was no anxiety in Leo's eyes.

"You have a method?"

At Lysinus's question, Leo took Luna's hand.

"Luna. Do you remember the Zero Magic formula?"

"Yes."

"If I draw the Innocent formula, can you overlay the End formula on top of it?"

At those words, Luna hesitated.

"It's possible, but then you'd have to handle my magic power, wouldn't you? Are you sure it's okay?"

"It's okay."

Zero is fusion magic.

In theory, it can be combined with magic used by others.

Of course, it's only theory.

He would have to handle Luna's absurd magic power alone, and Luna would have to visualize complex magic formulas in her mind to complete a magic of pure chaos.

Even knowing the answer, writing the solution process from scratch with that answer was an incredibly difficult task.

"Hmm… still, this is too reckless. Even I, if I make the slightest mistake, you'll be in danger. Isn't there a safer way?"

Luna cringed.

If she made a mistake, this battle would be lost.

Moreover, Leo could also be in great danger.

That fact weighed heavily on Luna's shoulders.

"Luna."

"Hm?"

"I trust you."

"……"

"No matter what anyone says, you're the best genius mage I know."

At those words, Luna's ears began to twitch.

Luna, slightly avoiding Leo's gaze, snorted and declared confidently.

"Well. Okay. There's nothing I can't do, so why not give it a try! Even if I fail, what's the worst that could happen, death?"

"Why would you die? There's no way you'd fail."

"Ugh-aah-aah."

At Leo's confident words, Luna's face flushed deeply, and she hid behind Lysinus.

"Lysinus. He's incredibly harmful to my heart."

At those words, Lysinus gave Leo a glare.

Leo said to such Lysinus.

"Lysinus. You'll be able to control Albus and Elsy."

"What?"

The current Lysinus didn't know it, but by handing over the Dragon Heart, Lysinus had, by contract, become subservient to Leo.

Thanks to that, Leo could fulfill Lysinus's vows without compensation.

In other words, it also meant that Lysinus could fulfill Leo's vows.

'What is this? It's like… a soulmate.'

Feeling the connection with Leo, Lysinus's face flushed slightly.

Luna, who had been watching that scene with a sulky face, pushed Lysinus.

"Lysinus! You go command Arion and Dweno!"

At those words, Lysinus mounted Albus's back.

Albus, having more or less understood the situation, docilely accepted Lysinus as his rider.

Elsy smiled brightly and climbed onto Lysinus's head.

"Truly… it feels like we can win this."

When Lysinus glared at Erebus and spoke, Leo let out a small laugh.

"We have to win."

Leo reached his hand into his pitch-black cloak.

And pulling out a magic staff, he said.

"Because that's what I came here for."