Book 1 Chapter 967
967.
“It’s coming!”
Kyle cried out urgently.
Erebos’s unfocused eyes turned towards the three people in front of him.
Kugugugugugu-!
Erebos’s arm slowly rose.
Kwaaaa! Kwagagagagagagang-!
Soon, a gigantic fist plunged into the ground.
An enormous shockwave raged.
Though he couldn't use his divine power and was only acting on instinct, the fact that he was an evil god capable of destroying the world remained unchanged.
Thud-!
Arion climbed onto the back of Erebos’s hand, which was plunged into the earth.
Paat-!
He pushed off the ground and ran up Erebos’s arm with tremendous speed.
Woong-!
A massive golden aura erupted from the Brave clutched in Arion's right hand.
The golden sword, now as massive as a guillotine blade, emitted an eerie sharpness.
Arion gripped the sword with both hands and swung it.
Arion’s sword swung precisely towards Erebos's neck.
Suddenly, Erebos’s colossal body vanished before his eyes.
“Tsk!”
Arion clicked his tongue and kicked off into thin air.
Kwaaaaaaa!
Erebos reappeared behind Arion and swung his hand.
To avoid being caught, Arion quickly moved out of Erebos's reach.
At that moment.
Kyle's gray aura targeted Erebos's back.
But Kyle's sword also cut through thin air.
“Damn it!”
The moment Kyle swore.
Pajijijijijik!
A pure white lightning flashed, snatching Kyle from the air.
Where Kyle had been, Erebos's attack passed through, as expected.
“Albus? I didn’t summon you? And why are you, Lysander…?”
“No time to explain! Hold tight!”
Lysander grabbed Albus’s reins and began to move quickly.
Erebos began to persistently target Lysander and Kyle.
Erebos, with only instinct left, reacted sensitively to Kyle's power, which could be considered his natural enemy.
Despite Erebos's relentless attacks, Lysander enhanced Albus's abilities and evaded all of them.
Kyle, and even Albus, couldn't help but be amazed by his nearly divine skill in handling the mythical beast.
“It seems Albus should have made a contract with you after all.”
“I can’t, even if I wanted to! Elsie!”
-Yes
At Lysander’s call, Elsie smiled faintly and entered Erebos’s shadow.
Suddenly, Erebos’s movements stopped.
She had used Elsie's power to bind Erebos’s movements for a short time.
Seizing that fleeting opportunity, Arion charged forward.
Kyle and Dweno also targeted Erebos.
A golden blade and an axe blade.
A gray sword cut Erebos's neck.
Kwagagagagak-!
Black, murky blood splattered everywhere.
It was Erebos’s blood, a terrible, deadly poison that could cost one's life just by touching it.
Grraaaaaaaah-!
Erebos began to go berserk, scattering his blood in all directions.
No matter how unquenchable the flame, it was not without pain.
Moreover, one of the things that cut his neck was the power of purity, capable of annihilating Erebos.
But the great heroes of the present absolutely lacked the strength to defeat Erebos.
Therefore, while they could inflict pain, subjugation was impossible.
As Erebos began to burn his surroundings with black flames, Elsie, who had been binding Erebos's shadow, couldn't hold on and was flung out.
Dweno brought out his shield and blocked the black flames.
Kyle infused magic into Posteritas to protect Lysander and himself from the flames.
In Arion's case, he pushed his super-senses to the limit to glimpse the future.
‘Even seeing the future, it's hard to avoid!’
Arion gritted his teeth.
Inside Arion was the hero of the future, but his physical strength was not.
That's why just seeing a fleeting glimpse of the future was overwhelming for him to respond to Erebos's attacks.
Arion looked at Erebos.
A despairing difference in power.
Yet, Arion did not yield.
‘I’ve already lost too much to give up. Even so.’
Arion gripped his sword tighter.
‘There's still so much to protect!’
He could not retreat.
There was something he had to do for a new era.
Then there was only one choice left.
‘To advance!’
Ignoring the despair that rushed towards him, Arion charged forward.
At first glance, it seemed like an act of recklessness.
But Arion knew.
‘Behind my back is Luna! And the Kyle of the future!’
It was a trust in his comrades.
***
Leo’s Innocent magic was overlaid with Luna’s End.
Luna, who was drawing the magic spell formula, couldn't help but admire once again.
Through the fusion of magic, Leo’s presence was felt even more clearly.
Leo's magical power was etched all over her body.
It wouldn't be strange to call it empathy.
What Luna thought, Leo knew.
What Leo thought, Luna also knew.
It felt like they had become one.
It was a level of synchronization that could not be achieved unless one person completely understood the other.
But Luna did not fully understand Leo.
The Leo before her was the distant future of Kyle, whom Luna knew.
It was almost impossible for Luna, who couldn't even properly understand the current Kyle, to perfectly understand the future Leo.
In other words, it meant that Leo perfectly understood Luna.
From head to toe.
It felt like everything in her heart was transparently visible.
But Luna didn't dislike the feeling.
“It’s amazing.”
“What is?”
“Kyle was looking straight at me.”
To Luna, Kyle was a person she couldn't understand, even before he was her loved one.
Unlike Luna, who always believed in a brilliant future without doubt and moved forward, Kyle was a pessimistic person about the future.
To be precise, he didn’t dream of the future.
So Luna wished Kyle would dream.
Whether it was a realistic dream that could be achieved, or an unrealistic dream that couldn't be achieved.
She wanted him to set a goal.
But Kyle didn't dream.
She and Kyle were fundamentally different.
Because she thought so, Luna believed Kyle couldn't understand her.
But it wasn't true.
‘Now that I think about it, Kyle never denied my dreams.’
She realized it anew.
Kyle didn’t fail to dream.
He just chose not to dream.
Because if he dreamed, he would have suffered.
‘Kyle must have had many dreams in the past, too.’
It was only after seeing the future Leo that she finally realized.
‘Kyle and I weren’t so different after all.’
Luna smiled brightly, forgetting the current situation.
He had been looking straight at her and understood her perfectly.
“So you could also see where I was looking.”
Magic and magic fused.
Controlling Luna’s immense magical power, Leo gripped his staff tightly.
His body screamed, unable to withstand the magic.
But Leo didn't care.
Soon, Leo uttered the incantation.
“Zero.”
The pure magical power drove away the surrounding darkness.
A brilliant and beautiful light of purity.
Though it seemed fleeting and ephemeral.
A magic that shone hope.
Leo’s magic exploded upon Erebos.
Kwagagagagaga-!
Erebos’s body disintegrated without even a scream.
Since he was merely a mass of power, he could not be annihilated.
He was simply returned to where he should originally be.
But.
‘That alone is enough.’
This was the world of heroes.
Another possibility of an already determined past.
Another form of victory.
Soon, Erebos’s body vanished without a trace.
At that moment.
Above the gray, ash-colored sky.
Above the sky where Zero’s light surged, a blue sky was revealed.
With Erebos's defeat, Tartarus also began to withdraw.
With Commander-in-Chief Hell Kaiser also dead.
They judged that if even Erebos was defeated, they could not destroy Leisard.
“We won.”
As Leo muttered softly and swayed.
Luna supported Leo.
And embracing him tightly, she said.
“You worked hard, Leo.”
[Arion's World. Chapter: Mid-Chapter - Destruction of Leisard has been cleared.]
Leo couldn't just smile at the message that appeared before his eyes.
Clear complete.
This meant only one thing.
‘Farewell.’
***
All the clearers looked at the 'Clear Complete' message.
The moment they saw it.
Everyone cheered.
They had changed history.
That fact was enough to fill the hero candidates with uncontrollable joy.
Thud-
“Ugh… really. That was hard.”
As Azonia slumped down, Damian spoke.
“Maintain your dignity.”
“Huh? You publicly beat me up, so there's no dignity left to maintain!”
Azonia grumbled.
The hero candidates began to return to their original world one by one.
Then.
“…Azonia.”
“Ah, Master!”
Azonia scrambled to her feet.
Agon looked at Azonia and silently handed her a sword.
“This is…?”
“The sword I used. A sword exactly like Schatten.”
“…!”
Azonia’s eyes widened.
“I don’t understand everything… but aren’t you also my disciple?”
“…”
“I’m sorry for being a bad master.”
“Master is the best master.”
“Thank you for saying that. So…”
Agon looked directly into Azonia’s eyes.
“Don’t be bound by me and the children anymore.”
“…”
“Move forward. The children will want that too.”
“…Yes.”
Along with her answer, Azonia and Damian also returned to reality.
Agon, left alone, looked up at the blue sky, where brilliant sunlight poured down.
And he approached the great heroes below.
“How long are you going to stay like that?”
“Leo has used up all his strength, so I have to nurse him like this.”
Luna smiled brightly, giving Leo a lap pillow.
Lysander frowned at the sight.
Kyle said.
“Luna. It doesn't suit you, so don't pretend to be good.”
At that, Luna got up from her spot and charged at Kyle, planting a fist in his solar plexus.
Leo, who had been lying down and hit his head on the floor, protested.
“Why am I being abandoned?”
“That guy is you too, isn't he? Anyway. You're lucky. Pretty Luna is giving you a lap pillow.”
When Lysander sneered, Leo said.
“If you're jealous, you do it too.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. What’s there to be jealous of… Hey! Get off!”
Lysander made a stern face, seeing Leo resting his head on her lap.
But she didn't push Leo away.
She just scowled at Leo and then sighed deeply.
Luna and Kyle were too busy chasing each other to see the scene.
Dweno stroked his beard and muttered as he watched them.
“I've lived long enough to see all sorts of strange things.”
At that, Arion said.
“It’s amazing.”
“What is?”
“How could Kyle not know Lysander and Luna’s feelings?”
“…You didn’t know either, did you?”
“If I were Kyle, I think I would have known.”
“Hmm…”
“Yeah. I'm sure of it.”
Leo scowled.
Lysander scoffed.
“It’s because this guy is a bit slow.”
“Ah. So Kyle has a foolish side too.”
Arion nodded.
Watching that, Leo said.
“Do you guys know something?”
“What?”
“That guy was dating Lisa.”
“What?!”
“What in the world is that all about?”
Lysander and Dweno’s eyes widened at the mention of Arhi member, Lisa.
“They even promised to get married…”
“H-How did you know?! No! How much do you know?!”
Arion, flustered, covered Leo’s mouth.
“What? What’s going on?”
Luna, who had returned after punishing Kyle, asked with a puzzled look, and Lysander said.
“Arion was dating Lisa.”
“What?!”
Luna looked surprised, and Kyle, rubbing the spot where Luna had hit him, looked dumbfounded.
“You were doing all sorts of things, weren’t you?”
“N-Not now!”
“So you’ll be dating in the future?”
“Ooh! I thought you were innocent! Who confessed first? It must have been Lisa, right?”
“Th…”
“Gasp! You confessed first?”
Luna looked utterly astonished.
A commotion broke out.
Leo stepped back and watched.
‘Yeah… there were many times like this too.’
It wasn’t only dark and despairing times.
As Leo smiled faintly.
Thud-
Agon approached from behind.
“What are you talking about so intently?”
“It’s about Arion flirting with a girl.”
“What?”
“No, it’s not!”
At Leo's words, Arion made a tearful face and flared up.
Agon, who had a bewildered expression, let out a hollow laugh.
“Right. You’re a man too. I was worried a lot, but that’s certainly welcome news.”
Arion made a tearful face.
Agon, who burst into laughter seeing his disciple, bowed his head to Lysander.
“Thank you, Lysander. For saving Leisard.”
“I merely did what had to be done.”
Lysander smiled faintly.
“Even so, thank you. And… you all will save the world in the distant future.”
Agon looked up at the azure sky.
The clear sky he thought he would never see again.
Agon, who had silently gazed at the sky, looked back at the great heroes.
“…I cannot represent the people of the world, but… I truly want to convey this. Thank you.”
Seeing Agon bow his head and express deep gratitude, Lysander waved his hand.
Leo, who had gotten up, approached Arion.
“Arion.”
“Yeah. Leo.”
“You were amazing, weren’t you?”
“You were amazing too, Leo.”
Arion smiled faintly at Leo’s words.
“Are you going now?”
“…Yes.”
Time was running out.
Leo and Arion could see it.
The world was cracking.
“We'll definitely meet again.”
“…”
Saying that, Arion raised his fist.
Leo slowly looked at Lysander, Luna, Dweno, who were receiving Agon's thanks, and finally, Arion.
As always, meetings are short and partings are long.
Because they cannot live in the same timeline.
The time allowed is short, and utterly insufficient for a reunion.
However.
‘Let’s smile.’
They couldn't part with sadness.
At least, unlike in the past, they had to show that they could smile in the future.
Thinking that, Leo bumped fists with Arion.
Thump-!
Seeing Arion grin, Leo said.
“Arion.”
“Hm? Why?”
“Don’t smile like that. You look arrogant.”
“I think I look cool?”
At Arion’s words, Leo let out a hollow laugh.
And with that, his vision was dyed white.