Chapter 298
Chapter Title: A War on Three Fronts
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298
KRA-KOOOOM-!
“Hmph!”
Seeing the shockwave surging toward him like a tidal wave, Dweno tensed his entire body.
A vein bulged on his forehead.
Leo leaped behind Dweno, taking cover behind his back.
KRU-RUMMMBLE-!
The storm of the shockwave slammed directly into Dweno.
“HRAAAAAH!”
Using his battle axe as a shield, Dweno withstood the blast.
As the shockwave subsided, Dweno readjusted his grip on the axe and crouched, preparing to charge at Gias.
But then he froze.
Dweno’s movements came to a halt.
“What’s wrong?”
Leo, who had been watching with a puzzled expression, saw his own face pale.
Thump-! Thump-!
Gias also stopped walking and looked toward Gardsrone.
-Hehehe.
Watching Gias burst into laughter, Dweno tightened his grip on his battle axe.
“That’s a disgusting laugh.”
-Leo Flove.
Gias’s gaze shifted to Leo.
-You said it yourself, didn’t you? That you are the biggest variable in my plan? Fine, I’ll admit it. I did not foresee your existence. And you are proving to be more of a nuisance than I anticipated. For that, I commend you.
Leo frowned at the sudden remark.
-I do not know how you entered this place. This world has not yet undergone dungeonification.
‘It’s not a Hero Dungeon?’
A Hero Dungeon.
A phenomenon where an unstable Hero Record goes berserk, consuming its surroundings.
It was a side effect that arose after Erebos was sealed within the Hero Record.
A rampage caused by pages tainted with Erebos’s power.
Until now, Leo had thought Dweno’s world was a Hero Dungeon created by such a rampage.
But Gias was saying it wasn’t.
‘If Dweno’s Hero Record wasn’t tainted by Erebos’s power… then the World of Heroes must have activated because Eiran touched it.’
Verchia was undoubtedly one of the main figures in this world.
After all, she had officially joined the battlefield after the Siege of Gardsrone.
Eiran was Berika's descendant.
And since she possessed Erquint, which Leo had given her, Eiran must have been the key.
‘Then… how in the world did this bastard get in here?’
-Aren’t you curious? About how I was able to enter this unpleasant world?
Gias’s eyes flashed.
-A great god guided me.
“What?”
-The god bestowed upon me the key to this world. And now, that god has awakened from a long slumber and opened his eyes.
A grotesque grin spread across his face.
Gias bared his disgusting teeth and laughed.
-It matters not if you are a variable. This place will be your grave, and this world will burn to ashes. Mwahahahahaha!
At Gias’s taunt, Dweno spoke.
“Go back to Gardsrone.”
-Whether you go or not, the result will be the same.
Thud-!
Gias’s massive foot blocked the path to Gardsrone.
-Do you think I’ll let you do as you please?
At those words, Dweno gave him an indifferent look and drew back his battle axe as if loading it.
WHOOOOSH! CRACK-!
-Ghk?!
“Your opinion is of no concern to me, Gias.”
The battle axe, spinning at an incredible speed, flew and struck Gias’s ankle.
“I told this fellow to return to Gardsrone. That means I’ll make it happen, no matter what you do.”
CRASH-!
With its ankle severed, Gias lost its balance and collapsed to the ground.
Seizing the opportunity, Leo leaped toward Gardsrone with tremendous speed.
-You think I’ll let you go!
Gias swung its free arm at Leo.
Whoosh-!
Dweno charged at a furious pace toward Gias’s palm.
BOOM-!
Dweno’s body slam sent Gias’s hand, which had been aimed at Leo, flying away.
-You!
Enraged, Gias struck Dweno with its other hand.
SWOOOSH! CRASH-!
Hit by Gias’s hand, Dweno was slammed into the ground at an incredible speed.
A deep crater formed.
BOOM-!
But Dweno burst out of the crater, flew straight up, and slammed his head into Gias’s chin.
-Gack?!
Gias, who had been trying to stop Leo, staggered and fell to the ground.
Thud-!
Dweno landed on the ground and said.
“I told you, didn't I? You have no choice but to let the boy go.”
Rumble-!
Its severed ankle regenerated, and Gias pushed itself up.
-A futile struggle…
Thud-!
Gias rose to its feet.
A size like that of a great mountain.
He looked down at the dwarf, the smallest of all races.
Dweno raised his head and gazed up at the impossibly tall Gias.
-The god’s flame will ultimately burn everything.
Gias lifted the Corpse Sword of Jormungand.
-It will burn endlessly until all is turned to ash. No matter how much you struggle, your fate… the fate of this world will not change.
Gias’s eyes glinted.
-You and your comrades… everything is destined to burn and disappear.
“You speak with such confidence. For all that talk, the future seems to be shining brightly.”
At Dweno’s words, Gias’s eyes trembled.
-You…
“Which means… our expedition was a success, wasn’t it?”
Dweno burst into a fit of crazed laughter.
“I don’t know what you crawled back into this distant past to change.”
Dweno’s eyes flashed.
“But your future will not change.”
-Blabber all you want. I won’t listen to the ramblings of a ghost from the past.
Veins began to bulge on Gias’s body.
-And this fight, too, is only just beginning.
‘His Authority.’
The Giant King Gias’s Authority: Berserker.
The moment Berserker was activated, all his powers would skyrocket, transforming him into a demon of ruin bent solely on destruction.
It was Gias in his Berserker state that had ultimately destroyed Dweno’s homeland.
‘The drawback… is the loss of reason.’
A massive body also meant a massive target.
No matter how formidable his defense, it would eventually crumble under continuous attacks.
His immense size granted Gias tremendous destructive power, but it also became a reason for his excessively cautious nature.
A monster that destroyed everything without a second thought was, in a sense, prey with many openings to attack.
It was a power that was, quite literally, a double-edged sword.
‘This time, I’ll sever this stubborn, ill-fated connection for good.’
***
Thud-!
Returning to the walls of Gardsrone, Leo’s face hardened at the scene before him.
SHRRRRIP-!
Amidst the roaring black flames, Ar-on was engaged in a fierce sword fight with a demon made of black fire.
Wham-!
Ar-on’s kick slammed into the flame demon’s abdomen.
BOOM-!
The demon flew at an invisible speed and crashed into the fortress wall.
Baring his teeth, Ar-on rushed before the demon and raised his hand.
SHRED-!
His sharp claws tore the flame demon to shreds.
Clink! Clank! Shatter-!
As the demon’s body scattered into embers, a piece of metal that had been at its core fell out.
Leo’s gaze was captivated by the molten piece of metal.
He felt a familiar energy.
The only weapon Dweno had ever considered a masterpiece.
The one and only sword in this world created for the All-Class.
The sword Dweno had given Kyle, asking him to open the path to the future.
“Posteritas.”
In the final battle against Erebos.
Posteritas had fulfilled its duty and broken in two.
It wasn’t shattered.
The tip of the sword, which had melted and embedded itself in Erebos’s body, had broken off.
The whereabouts of the remaining half were unknown.
Kyle had exhausted his strength and closed his eyes.
The hilt, which Kyle had held until the very end, was recovered by the dwarves much later.
He had thought the other part had melted away and vanished.
But… here it was, in this World of Heroes, its form barely recognizable.
‘The god bestowed upon me the key to this world. And now, that god has awakened from a long slumber and opened his eyes.’
Gias’s words from a moment ago echoed in his mind.
At that moment.
Flash-
A reddish-black eye appeared on the sword.
That hideous, reddish-black eye stared at Leo, filled with unmistakable hatred.
Seeing that eye, Leo felt a chill run down his spine.
He had seen that eye before.
A singular will.
A hateful animosity directed at him.
Just after the entrance exam had ended.
It was identical to the eye of Erebos he had seen in that fleeting moment.
Fwoosh-!
The flames erupting from the fragment of Posteritas once again took a human form.
But this time, its target was none other than Leo.
WHOOSH-!
Just then, Ar, seizing the opening, flew in and attacked the demon’s flank.
Thwack-!
“Huh?!”
A spell activated in an instant, blocking Ar’s attack.
And with that…
Woooong-!
A summoning circle appeared, and demonic beasts poured out.
A grotesque beast opened its maw, attempting to tear at Leo’s neck.
SHRRRIP-!
A swirling light-silver aura erupted as Eiran sliced through the beasts’ necks.
“Sir Leo! Are you alright?”
“...I’m fine.”
Just as Leo’s face hardened.
“Stop reviving and just die already!”
With an enraged voice, Lunia’s red flames engulfed the demon.
But the demon broke through the flames.
Ar and Eiran swung their claws and sword to stop the demon.
But even as its body was being torn apart, the demon’s sword was aimed at Leo.
Leo’s eyes grew cold.
Whack-!
A head was suddenly sent flying into the air.
Leo had drawn his sword and sliced off the demon’s neck.
“Disgusting.”
He understood.
This was a remnant of Erebos’s consciousness.
‘So this is how he entered this world.’
A fragment of Erebos’s lingering will.
The remnant, which had lain dormant in the tip of Posteritas, had awakened for some reason.
And it had summoned Gias.
The remnant, having entered the World of Heroes, was influenced by its past self that existed in this world, gradually regaining its power and awakening.
‘And it read the memories embedded in Posteritas and took that form.’
Leo’s face hardened at this completely unforeseen development.
‘I have to deal with this quickly.’
The moment a kindling touches a dying ember.
The ember reignites.
It was just a small spark now, but it would slowly, surely, grow into a massive flame.
Just as Leo gritted his teeth.
Fwoosh-!
A magic circle appeared in the air, and a boy materialized.
It was a boy Leo recognized.
‘Jers.’
He was the dragon boy who had lost his life in the Siege of Gardsrone in the past.
“S-Sir Ar-on! On the west side of Gardsrone…! The, the Giant King and his army have appeared…!”
“What?”
Ar-on’s eyes filled with shock.
It wasn’t just Ar-on.
Everyone who heard the report turned deathly pale.
“W-Wait! Sir Dweno is holding off the Giant King right now! So why is another one appearing!”
An elven mage shouted in a panicked voice.
“E-Even if you ask me, I don’t know why either…!”
Jers looked completely lost.
Dweno was fighting the Gias from the future.
The appearance of the Gias from the past was within his expectations.
But the remnant of Erebos was not.
The situation was too desperate.
‘Should I defeat this thing and hurry to the west gate? But what if the west gate falls in the meantime….’
Leo gritted his teeth.
They were short on hands.
Leo alone could handle what was within the scope of his predictions.
But this deviation from his expectations had made things far too big.
“Sir Ar-on! Everyone! Hurry to the west!”
Just as Jers was frantically pacing.
SWOOOOSH- CRASH!
“Kyaaaaah!”
“W-What was that! An attack!”
Something flew from Gias’s direction and crashed onto the fortress wall.
Amidst the panic, Dweno emerged from the dust.
“Ahem! That hurts!”
Pat, pat-!
He spoke nonchalantly while dusting himself off, but he was a mess.
Dweno looked at the reigniting black flame, narrowed his eyes, and asked Leo.
“What is that thing?”
“...It seems to be… a fragment of Erebos.”
“A fragment, you say.”
Dweno stroked his chin.
“S-Sir Dweno! Another Giant King Gias and his army have appeared in the west!”
“Is that so?”
Dweno’s eyes darkened.
With a deep sigh, Dweno spoke.
“Ar-on, you stop the ones in the west. Leo, you help Ar-on.”
At his words, Ar-on hesitated.
“Then what about Erebos?”
“We can’t leave it on the wall, it’ll be a huge hindrance to the battle. We have to get rid of it.”
“Get rid of it? To where?”
“Where else.”
Dweno charged forward, readjusted his grip on his axe, and slammed the flat side of it into the Erebos remnant.
CLANG-!
With a tremendous sound of striking metal, the Erebos remnant was sent flying into the city.
KRA-KOOM-!
A building collapsed, and a thick cloud of dust rose.
“That thing will have to be dealt with inside the city.”
At those words, Depecer spoke up.
“The dragons and I will face it.”
“No, you all will stop the Giant King’s army that appeared in the west.”
Dweno glanced at the Erebos remnant.
“That thing will be handled by Berika, Lunia, Ar, Eiran, Driana. And Karl. You all will stop it.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Got it.”
Ar answered energetically, while Lunia cracked her knuckles and glared at where the Erebos remnant was.
Watching them, Leo approached Dweno and spoke softly enough for only him to hear.
“It’s dangerous.”
Leo said.
“You know how powerful that thing is, don’t you? Even if I were to join the members you’ve chosen, it would be a struggle!”
The power of the Erebos remnant, which had begun to flare up in such a short time, was immense.
It was enough to instantly overturn the battlefield dynamics Leo had predicted.
It was, quite literally, a despair-inducing variable.
It was true that the six Dweno had chosen were strong.
But they were still incomplete vessels of heroes.
Telling them to face the now-powerful Erebos remnant was far too reckless.
“But I can’t have you face that thing. Ar-on will need you.”
“Still…”
“There’s no other way. It’s a checkmate.”
Dweno said, looking calmly into Leo’s eyes.
Just as Leo clenched his fist.
“So, trust.”
“...What?”
“I’m telling you to trust the future you chose.”
“...!”
“From what I can see, those children are ready to face the trial.”
Dweno looked at Leo with calm eyes.
“They are more than capable of becoming the pillars that support your back. So, trust them.”
Leo turned his head to look at his friends preparing for battle.
“You can’t keep carrying it all on your own forever, can you?”
“…”
Leo closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“I haven’t gotten old for nothing.”
“Hah. Even Lisinas comes to me for life advice.”
“Lisinas does?”
“Aye. Though it’s more like complaining, thanks to the foolishness of a certain fool.”
Leo let out a hollow laugh at Dweno’s sharp words.
Dweno looked at the crazily rampaging Gias.
“Well then, shall we begin round two?”
***
Thud-! Thud-!
Faced with the terrifying sight unfolding before them, everyone who had come to the west wall was struck with fear.
Overwhelming despair dominated their minds.
It was nearly impossible for Ar-on alone to stop an army and its commander.
“Are we… going to end like this?”
Someone muttered in a trembling voice.
“Are we going to be annihilated just like this?”
A voice filled with despair was heard.
Fear is highly contagious.
And the fear that began to seep in endlessly begets new fear.
It was then.
Awoooooooooooooooooooooo-!
A wolf’s howl echoed throughout Gardsrone.
At the howl, the army’s advance halted.
The eyes of all who had been paralyzed with fear sharpened.
The contagious fear vanished in an instant.
The echoing howl suddenly ceased.
“Everyone, prepare to fight.”
A voice that had always been filled with fear now calmly entered everyone’s ears.
Thud-!
Ar-on, who had appeared on the wall, drew his sword.
Shing-!
With that, his body began to transform.
His canines grew longer, his nails sharpened.
Fur bristled all over his body.
“We might meet our end today.”
Calmly… having steeled his resolve, Ar-on spoke in a steady voice.
“But it might not be the end, right?”
Ar-on looked back at the heroes who were fighting, risking their lives for the future.
“We made it this far because we never gave up. We saw hope because we didn't give up, right?”
Ar-on smiled.
“So let’s just be a little more courageous.”
It wasn’t a grand speech.
Just a small encouragement to be brave.
But.
The encouragement from the coward who stood at the very front gave strength to everyone.
“No matter how I look at it, when it comes to speeches like this, you’re better than Lisinas.”
Whoosh-! Thud-!
Leo, landing next to Ar-on, said with a smile.
Courage soared in everyone’s eyes.
If fear was highly contagious.
Then courage was highly contagious too.
“We can win this.”
Leo said to Ar-on in a tone filled with conviction.
“And to do that…”
Leo reached his left hand into his coat.
And when he pulled it out, four colored orbs—red, blue, light silver, and brown—were nestled between his fingers.
“That’s why I’m here.”