The Beast's Roar
A dazzling flash swept across the surroundings, completely scorching the interior of the castle.
The ceiling flew away, and the walls crumbled.
All the decorations that filled the castle were destroyed, and the massive throne vanished without a trace.
Rumiel quietly fidgeted with her hands, waiting for the dust to settle.
Soon, her vision cleared, revealing the destroyed castle.
A blood-red sky.
Cruelly burning flames, with lava jets erupting from various spots on the floor.
The hot, flickering red light enveloped the air.
The remnants of the castle had disappeared, replaced by a desolate land like hell.
And a low, resonant sound echoed.
Something began to slowly move within the rubble.
Cracked and shattered rock piles crumbled.
From there, a massive figure spewing red light emerged.
『Lv.185 Leohart, Peak of the Beast』
With intense heat, the massive being pushed through the rubble and stood up.
His body looked much more solid and gigantic than before.
A rough breathing sound like the roar of a beast spread out.
His golden eyes had turned into deep red.
The red aura rising from his entire body flickered like flames.
It was the awakening of pure destructive instinct.
The heavy iron gauntlet on his hand shattered.
Metal fragments scattered to the floor, and at the same time, a massive shockwave erupted.
Intense wind spread in all directions.
Fluttering flames and swirling lava.
It was the moment Leohart's power was completely released.
Rumiel shook her ahoge and quietly watched him.
Leohart bent his body and spoke in a heavy, deep voice.
“...Quite impressive.”
His voice was like that of a beast roaring.
A deep, rough voice that vibrated the air.
“For nearly a thousand years, no one has been able to break this sealing orb...”
He straightened his waist again.
A massive aura erupted, shaking the ground.
His heavy, lion-like gaze sharply looked at Rumiel.
“In all sincerity, I will face you...”
Holy Burst
— 《700,000,000,000》
As the shockwave spread, a resonance like the world itself shaking shook the ground.
With a deafening roar, a massive crack spread, and the burning lava erupted.
However, this burning hell didn't last long either.
The flames subsided, and the air rapidly cooled.
And the background changed again.
The blood-red sky had turned into a dark, calm ashen color.
It was a plain.
But it was a lifeless, foggy, dead land filled with mist.
The wind blew coldly, and only scattered ashes flew everywhere.
This place that was once a blue grassland was now covered in faint ashen light like an old memory.
A full moon hung in the sky.
The subtly spreading moonlight descended onto the calm plain.
In the center of the plain stood a man alone.
『Lv.190 Leohart, The First Beast』
He looked completely different from before.
His body was grotesquely thin.
His fingertips were so thin they seemed to break.
The beast form that shone with red glow was nowhere to be seen.
But despite that, his presence was overwhelming.
In the middle of the dark plain, he quietly looked up at the moon.
The wind blew.
His long, flowing black hair swayed.
His coat draped over his shoulders fluttered.
And, very slowly, he took off his coat.
“...Now is the time to release it.”
Leohart's low, deep voice filled the space.
Receiving the moonlight, he looked up at the sky with deep eyes.
“My rival.”
He turned his head.
An infinitely calm gaze looked at Rumiel.
There was no longer any beast's rage or destructive instinct in his eyes.
Only a quiet and nostalgic resolve remained.
“From now on, let's do our best to each other...”
Rumiel's ahoge slightly wiggled.
“Let's start a fight where we kill each other.”
Leohart took a step forward.
Stepping on the plain, he added his last words.
“Truly, like a beast.”
The wind blew.
The coat he had thrown off fluttered in the air.
The edge of the coat cut through the sky and fluttered.
Rumiel's hand moved swiftly.
She caught it.
She precisely caught the coat just before it was swept away by the wind.
The soft feeling of fur on her fingertips.
This was exactly the warm clothes Rumiel had wanted.
Rumiel's ahoge stood up straight.
No more hesitation needed.
Immediately, she opened her inventory and moved her finger to the cash tab.
“Teleport, Ice Cave.”
The space shook.
Light flickered, and Rumiel's figure gradually faded.
Then, completely disappeared.
A cold aura was felt once again beneath Rumiel's feet.
The familiar ice cave.
It was the spot she had left earlier.
Rumiel quietly looked down at the coat in her hand.
Her ahoge wiggled happily.
She unfolded the coat.
Soft and warm fur wrapped around her fingertips.
Cozy.
Rumiel approached the small being still crouching near Arte.
A small existence trembling with her body small and curled up next to the ice crystal.
Her blue eyes were still weakly shaking.
“Here.”
Rumiel's small hand extended the coat.
Arte's eyes widened in surprise.
“...What is this?”
Arte cautiously extended her hand.
When her wet fingertips felt the soft touch of the fur, her small body twitched.
Cozy.
Warm.
Her body that had been frozen until then seemed to melt slightly.
Arte hugged the coat tightly as if disbelieving it.
“...Warm.”
A small whisper as if dreaming.
The ice cave was still cold.
The surroundings were filled with white ice and blue light.
But inside the coat tightly held by Arte's two arms, a clear warmth seeped in.
Arte slowly raised her head.
Looking up at Rumiel in front of her.
“This... really, are you giving this to me?”
Her blue eyes sparkled cautiously.
Rumiel nodded.
Then, Arte smiled slightly.
Her slightly frozen lips softened.
And, hugging the coat she had been holding tightly with joy, she whispered.
“Thank you...”
A distant voice as if feeling warmth for the first time.
Arte quietly placed her hand on the coat.
Then, closing her eyes, she slowly began to infuse mana.
Faint blue light spread along the coat.
Warmth began to spread in the cold ice cave.
“Now... with this heat...”
Arte's voice flowed low.
From her fingertips that had been murmuring quietly, a gradually stronger magic flickered.
“I can... wake up Aaron.”
And the magic spread.
Blue light flickered and covered the massive ice crystal.
The being trapped inside began to slowly reveal itself in the light.
The massive ice gradually cracked and melted.
The being who had been asleep in the ice for hundreds of years was finally awakening.
Rumiel quietly shook her ahoge.
And slowly, she looked into the ice.
In the light, a being was slowly opening its eyes.
Her hair fluttered subtly.
Her ice-clear and transparent red eyes held the light.
As if time had stopped, the being who had been asleep for a long time was slowly waking up.
“...Aaron!”
Arte quietly opened her mouth.
In the moment the light flickered and faded, Arte's eyes shook greatly.
And,
“Aroooooon!”
Arte ran towards the being who had just woken from the ice with her eyes wide open.
In the cool and beautiful ice crystal, the hero stood as if time had stopped.
Slowly breathing in and out.
And his eyes slowly turned towards Arte.
The cool and transparent red eyes slowly moved. As if the sense of time that had been asleep for a long time was returning, he slowly blinked.
His black hair with a subtle glow slowly swayed.
“...Ugh.”
And, suddenly.
Aaron clutched his head.
“...My head.”
Touching his forehead, he frowned.
His head was dizzy.
The forgotten memories were slowly coming to the surface, but it was too confusing.
A vague feeling as if he had forgotten something important filled his mind.
“Aaron!”
At that moment, a familiar voice was heard.
Small footsteps. And soon, a warm warmth was felt.
It was Arte.
The small being in front of her ran towards him as if jumping into his arms. Aaron reflexively raised his hand, but Arte was already clinging to him tightly.
“Aaron, Aaron...! You really woke up!”
Her trembling voice. Her small and delicate arms hugged Aaron's waist tightly.
Aaron slowly lowered his gaze to Arte.
This touch, this familiar warmth. But for some reason, his memories were hazy.
“You...”
He opened his mouth with difficulty.
“Arte, right...?”
He called her name.
But, his memories were hazy.
It felt like he had lost his way in deep fog.
The name came to mind, but the time spent with her was vague.
What... what happened?
Aaron looked at Arte with a confused face.
“...I don't remember well.”
Then, Arte, hearing those words, slightly frowned.
“As expected.”
She gave him a slight hug and then slowly let go.
“...”
On the other hand, although one might be surprised by the tutorial scene unfolding in front of them, Rumiel just quietly shook her ahoge.
Because something was off.
Something was definitely wrong.
At first, she thought it was a new quest.
Hidden event, hidden reward, new progression route.
She had expected the thrill of facing a quest she hadn't seen in the game.
But, this wasn't a quest.
It was just the process of awakening the hero.
Thinking about it, in the early hero tutorial, there was a penguin that had fallen behind next to Arte.
At the time, she thought it was just a meaningless NPC added to naturally guide to the ice village.
Now, looking at the development, it seemed that penguin had given Arte a steamed bun or warm clothes or something.
In the game, there was no additional explanation for why the hero woke up at that timing, so she didn't know, but thinking about it, the puzzle fit perfectly.
“...”
So, the new quest from just now was not it.
Rumiel chewed on that horrific fact, her eyes drooping.
Sigh.