Chapter 207
Chapter Title: The Hero of the Beginning
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Keeeeeyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
An ear-splitting roar echoed through Seirun.
The Hero Association was splitting its forces to stop Jerdiac, who had appeared in the middle of Seirun.
In the midst of this, a magic circle formed in the air.
Bennet, Albi, Ellen, and Chade emerged from beyond the circle.
The four who had disengaged from the battle with Silatuna had quickly rejoined the forces at the wall.
“Lumerne magic students, follow me.”
As Albi commanded with a blank expression, the magic students who had been holding back Silatuna’s legion with their spells hurriedly gathered around him.
“Jillian.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“You will all continue to defend the wall.”
Chade commanded the Llewellyn mages gathering around him.
“And you, my lord…”
“I’m going to stop that thing.”
Chade’s cold eyes looked up at the sky.
Jerdiac’s body had already mostly crossed over into this world.
“My lord, we will follow you…”
“If Llewellyn’s forces withdraw now, the already disadvantaged front line will collapse even further.”
Chade said coolly in response to Jillian’s words.
“You will serve as the core of the Hero Association and defend the front line. Or are you saying I’m a lord you can’t trust?”
“Not at all.”
The head of a noble hero family does not rely on bloodline alone.
It goes without saying that they are the strongest within their family.
Chade was the most powerful mage in Rodren, a true powerhouse of the continent's western region.
He was a renowned master, personally chosen by Sword Saint Kalian from the association to subjugate a legion commander.
His vassals from Llewellyn had no choice but to obey his command.
Because they trusted in the absolute power of their lord.
Ellen, too, quickly gathered the Seirun students.
Soon, all the personnel who would go to stop Jerdiac had assembled.
Meanwhile.
The first and second-year students, having evacuated the spectators deep into the school, rushed back outside.
When they saw Jerdiac attempting to cross into this world through the rift in the sky, their faces turned white.
Some lost their will to fight and collapsed on the spot.
A Legion Commander of Tartaros, a being of pure terror.
Even as hero cadets, they were still young boys and girls in their mid-to-late teens.
Faced with the worst disaster on earth, they couldn't help but be terrified.
“W-We have to run…!”
“What can we first and second-years do against a monster like that!”
One of the terrified Lumerne second-years shouted.
At his words, the hero cadets began to murmur amongst themselves.
Fear is contagious.
No matter how much courage one mustered to endure, a single word spoken aloud could shatter it.
“Th-Then we should retreat to where the Hero Association is…!”
As a Seirun second-year said urgently, Lunia shouted.
“Wait! What about the civilians in the school right now!”
Although they had been evacuated to the safest, most central part of the school, there was no telling what would happen if that monster descended to the ground.
“We have to defend this place no matter what…!”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Lunia El Lundua! What can you, a first-year, possibly do? Even I, a second-year, have no idea what to do against that monster!”
A Seirun second-year shouted, his face contorted.
“We’ve evacuated the civilians to the safest place! Our job now is to quickly join the Hero Association!”
Kuuuuuoooooooooo!
It was then.
Jerdiac, still crossing through the rift, let out a roar filled with fury.
Jerdiac’s fear-inducing aura struck the first and second-years’ ears.
Those with weak resistance momentarily lost consciousness and fainted.
“We have to stop it!”
Lunia shouted urgently.
Seeing her, a Seirun student said in a fluster.
“It’s impossible for us to stop that thing with our strength! We have to ask the upperclassmen for help!”
“That’s right!”
“Let’s hurry to where the upperclassmen are…!”
The first and second-year Seirun students cried out.
Influenced by them, Lumerne’s first and second-years also began to argue that they should head toward the Hero Association.
“If we fight like this, we’ll just be throwing our lives away!” a Seirun second-year yelled at Lunia.
Lunia took a deep breath as she looked at him.
Then she reached out, grabbed the second-year by the collar, pulled him forward, and slammed her forehead into his.
Thwack—!
“Gack?”
Caught by the surprise attack, the second-year’s eyes rolled back as he passed out.
Lunia pushed the unconscious student away and stared at the first and second-years with blazing eyes.
Seeing her, the students flinched.
“Those who want to go, go.”
Lunia said calmly, but with a voice clearly laced with anger.
“I will stay here and protect the civilians.”
If the first and second-years left now, the lives of those inside Seirun would be in certain danger.
At Lunia's words, the students began to murmur.
Celia and Chloe came to stand beside her.
“I will fight it.”
“We can’t back down like this.”
Abad and Chelsea joined them as well.
“My father is fighting, so I can’t retreat.”
“That’s right!”
Following them, Duran and Eliza scoffed.
“I was planning to stay, too.”
“The Seirun representative said all the cool things, so it doesn’t look as good, but I’ll fight, too.”
Woreden silently approached, crossing his arms.
Chen Xia joined with a grin, and Eiran and Luca joined as well.
With that as a start, the first-years from Lumerne and Seirun gathered by Lunia’s side.
“Hey, Ril! You too?”
A Lumerne second-year urgently asked Ril, who was joining the group.
Ril turned to look at her peer and said.
“Of course. Aren’t the first-years taking the initiative in what we should have been doing in the first place?”
“S-Still… isn’t it too reckless?”
“It is reckless.”
At Ril’s words, one of Seirun’s second-year class representatives grimaced.
“Why do something so reckless? We were chosen. Are you saying you’re going to throw your life away in a place like this?”
Ril smiled brightly at that.
“Because we were chosen.”
“…!”
“Isn’t protecting people the natural duty of a hero cadet?”
At Ril’s words, the Seirun second-year representative’s face twisted.
“You’re insane. All of you.”
The first and second-years were split half and half between those who would defend Seirun and those who would go to the Hero Association.
Rumble—!
Just then, Jerdiac, having emerged from the rift, fell to the ground.
The earth trembled.
Watching this, the first and second-years swallowed dryly.
‘How long can we last? Ten minutes? No… maybe not even five.’
Lunia gritted her teeth.
At that moment, black holes formed around Jerdiac, and from them, grotesque monsters began to pour out.
The faces of the first and second-years hardened at the sight.
“A legion…!”
“That monster! It’s really a Legion Commander?”
Cries of shock erupted from all around.
Jerdiac’s legion charged, targeting Seirun.
There was no reason in their eyes.
Only a ferocious charge, driven by the instinct for destruction.
The first and second-years gritted their teeth and fought back against the legion’s invasion.
“Stop them!”
“Don’t let them take a single step inside the school!”
At the urgent commands of the second-years, the first-years moved in perfect unison.
“Waaaaaaaaah!”
Just then, a giant, poison-spewing demon roared and charged at Celia.
Gritting her teeth at the sight of the demon, Celia summoned her flaming Aura.
Fwoosh—!
Swoooosh!
Celia’s sword strike slashed through the demon.
The demon’s flesh split open, and blood splattered.
Splurt—!
Celia hastily dodged the blood.
But she couldn’t avoid the toxic fumes that erupted.
“Ugh?”
Celia covered her mouth.
Grrrrr—!
“Blech!”
Every single member of Jerdiac’s legion was a monster carrying a deadly poison.
The more demons they defeated, the more the poison damage accumulated.
Seeing Celia stagger and cough up blood, the demon she had cut down raised its arm.
“Celia!”
Chloe urgently summoned her magic.
Crack—!
An intense cold swept over the demon.
As the frozen demon’s movements stopped, Chelsea flew in, grabbed Celia, and retreated to the rear.
“I can still fight…!”
“You’re saying that while coughing up blood!”
Chelsea shouted urgently.
In the rear, the healers were overflowing with the injured.
It was a scene of devastation that had unfolded in just a few minutes since the legion's attack began.
The legion’s assault was far too powerful for the inexperienced first and second-years to handle.
It was then.
Fwoosh—!
Fierce flames erupted from the front.
“Lis-sunbae!”
Ril shouted toward Lis, who had come for support.
It wasn't just Lis.
The Hero Officer students who had come to provide support were holding back the legion's attack.
The arrival of their upperclassmen.
But the first and second-years couldn’t be optimistic about the situation.
Their opponent was a legion of Tartaros.
They had narrowly avoided being completely overwhelmed.
But the tide of battle hadn’t turned dramatically for the better.
“Can we… defeat that thing?”
A voice filled with despair flowed from the lips of a hero defending the line.
They were somehow holding back Silatuna’s legion.
But the unknown legion rampaging in the rear was enough to bring despair even to the heroes who had achieved great feats.
If it were just Silatuna, perhaps.
But their forces were far too insufficient to face two Legion Commanders.
It was then.
The sounds of battle at the very front stopped, as if by a lie.
Sedjen stared at the front, his face hardening.
The battlefield of the Demon Queen and the Sword Saint.
The altered landscape, unrecognizable from before, showed just how fierce their battle had been.
And leaving that battlefield behind…
The Demon Queen was advancing.
Silatuna, with the lower body of a hideous monster and the small upper body of a human, licked the blood flowing from her forehead.
“The principal… has been defeated!”
“Is this really the end…!”
Despair clouded the heroes’ faces.
Looking at them, Halind spoke.
“If you have time to despair, prepare to fight.”
“Professor Halind…!”
Ren looked at Halind with wavering eyes.
“You are instructors of Lumerne.”
Halind said in his characteristic cold voice.
“When even the students are fighting against the legion, do not be the first to despair.”
At his words, the Lumerne professors gritted their teeth.
It was then.
Flash—!
A massive slash mercilessly cut through Silatuna.
A terrifying killing intent erupted from her body.
Kra-ga-ga-ga-gang—!
A crimson flash created by Silatuna’s dark magic poured toward the direction the slash had come from.
“Principal…!”
The Lumerne professors’ faces contorted.
***
“Kal…lian… Cough—! Cough—!”
In the midst of the devastating battlefield.
Riven urgently called out to Kalian.
As a dragon.
As a leader of heroes.
He had burned all his power for the hero he had chosen.
Silatuna was right.
An old hero and an old dragon.
Even in their prime, they couldn't have guaranteed Silatuna’s defeat.
And now, they were both far past their prime, their strength faded.
Against any other Legion Commander, it might have been possible.
But against a monstrous Legion Commander who had lived since before the Age of Calamity, there was nothing they could do.
Tremble—
Riven saw Kalian’s back as he used his sword like a cane to push himself up.
Riven gritted his teeth.
His body had reached its limit long ago.
But still, the Sword Saint moved.
‘It doesn’t matter if I die.’
Kalian raised his sword.
He had lived long enough. He wouldn't spare this one life for the sake of the future generation.
Kalian coughed up blood.
‘I have to cut her one more time.’
He had to leave behind a chance, however small, for the next generation to defeat Silatuna.
‘Move…’
Shing—!
Wringing out the last of his life force, the Sword Saint tried to unleash his Aura for another strike.
Stagger—!
But he lost his balance and fell.
Thud—!
He managed to stay on his feet, barely avoiding a complete collapse.
But to anyone watching, it was clear he was at his limit.
Step—
“Stop.”
A voice came from behind.
Kalian and Riven barely managed to turn.
“That’s enough.”
It was a young man with gray hair and gray eyes.
“You’ve done more than enough. So you can rest easy now.”
Looking into those gray eyes, Kalian felt as if he was reminded of a certain boy.
“Who… are you?”
To Kalian’s question, the young man opened his mouth.
“The Hero of the Beginning.”