Chapter 302
Chapter Title: The Hero of the Beginning
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*Whoooosh-!*
A pure white flame raged around Lunia.
*Fwoosh-*
The flame began to burn Lunia.
Lunia bit her lip hard.
The flame she had lived with her entire life was now devouring her body.
‘This is… the Phoenix King… the flame of the Flame Emperor.’
As the flame threatened to swallow her whole, Lunia’s face contorted in agony.
*Rumble-!*
The remnant of Erebos approached Lunia.
Just as Ar gritted his teeth at the sight—
*Step-*
“Eiran…”
Eiran stepped forward, blocking Erebos’s path.
Clad in brilliant silver armor, Eiran was chanting an incantation.
‘The magic formula Leo taught me.’
It was fundamentally the same as the secret magic Verchia had mentioned.
But the details were different.
‘I could see Lady Verchia’s own efforts… to manifest this magic.’
Verchia had never managed to master star magic.
The elves only became able to learn star magic long after Verchia had passed away.
For that reason, Verchia…
Had never been able to complete the magic left behind by her teacher, Luna.
But she never stopped struggling.
She contemplated it countless times, and challenged it countless times.
Eiran could feel the endless effort she had put in to not be ashamed before the great teachers she had to follow.
‘She’s just like me.’
Eiran smiled.
Their personalities were different.
But she felt a strong sense of kinship in the way they both struggled to chase after someone they admired.
With that thought, Eiran chanted the spell.
Failure meant only death.
But…
‘I’ll succeed.’
Gripping the Erquint that Verchia had given her, Eiran confronted the remnant of Erebos.
“Sword of Animus.”
A star magic, brimming with the power of fairies, manifested.
The fairy’s power, born from wringing out every last drop of her mana and filled with the verdant green of life, slashed through the remnant of Erebos.
*Gwoooaaar!*
For the first time, a scream of agony erupted from the remnant of Erebos.
Having exhausted all her mana at once, Eiran collapsed on the spot.
*Thump-*
The body of Erebos’s remnant, which had always recovered instantly from any attack, began to twist.
The power of the origin magic Luna had left behind was immense enough to scar even an immortal being.
*Fwoosh-!*
Writhing in pain, the remnant of Erebos raised its arm.
Eiran looked up at it and smiled faintly.
‘I… believe in you.’
The girl she thought shone so brilliantly, the first she had ever met since birth.
The friend who was like a hero from a fairy tale.
Eiran believed in her.
*Craaack!*
“Just who do you think you’re touching with those filthy hands?”
Lunia’s fierce voice rang out.
Her pure white hair and beautiful red eyes blazed.
*Fwoooosh-!*
A ball of white flame floated above Lunia’s palm.
She controlled the pure white flames overflowing within her body.
The magic Luna had created to counter the flames of Erebos.
The magic that could never be completed and had to disappear into the annals of history now bloomed in Lunia’s hand.
“Flame Emperor.”
As Lunia completed the spell, the pure white flame devoured the black one.
*Gwoooaaaaaaar!*
The agonized shriek of Erebos’s remnant echoed.
*Whoosh-!*
*Clang-!*
And then, the remnant vanished without a trace.
*Thump-*
Lunia collapsed to the ground.
*Thud- thud-*
Katariu approached Lunia and smiled faintly.
“How is it? The true flame of the Phoenix?”
“...It hurts.”
Lunia uttered her honest impression before collapsing as if fainting.
***
*Craaaaash-!*
Engulfed in an attack of black flames from Erebos, Ar-on was sent flying a great distance before slamming into the castle wall.
The power of Gias, enhanced by the grace of Erebos, was far too strong.
*Craaaaash-!*
The castle wall crumbled, burying Ar-on in the rubble.
*Groooowl!*
Gias let out a roar toward the sky.
Seeing this, Depesere’s face turned pale.
Everyone on the walls of Gardsrone looked up at the sky, feeling the formidable wave of dark magic.
A giant magic circle appeared in the air.
With it, black lightning began to strike.
*Crackle-crackle-crack! Craaack!*
Dark magic of a terrifying scale.
As they watched the intense lightning strikes, which seemed to herald the end of the world, despair clouded the eyes of many heroes.
In that moment…
*Flash! Craaaaaaaack-!*
A shield of water shot up into the sky, blocking all the electric shocks.
Everyone’s gaze turned to Leo.
*Cough-!*
The backlash from blocking the massive attack reached Leo.
-This is the limit! Any more damage and you, the contractor, will have to bear it!
Erham shouted urgently.
*Thump-!*
Leo fell to his knees.
The power of Gias, enhanced by Erebos, was strong beyond imagination.
Depesere’s face filled with despair as he looked at Leo’s pained expression.
“Don’t make that face.”
“Leo…?”
Leo forced himself to his feet.
The shield of water was still raised.
Blocking the downpour of lightning, Leo stood tall.
“All of you, don’t hang your heads.”
Leo looked at those who had desperately held back the legion’s assault from the castle walls.
There were many familiar faces.
More than half of them had died in this battle.
Even if he saved them in this moment, history would not change.
Even so, Leo did not lower his shield.
“Hold your heads high. You are the heroes who protected this era.”
Heroes whose names were not even left in the Hero Record.
The countless heroic spirits who had fallen during the Age of Calamity.
But it was because of them that the present era existed.
Leo, who had lived in this era… who knew this era better than anyone, could not tolerate seeing them despair and bow their heads.
“Soon, not that damn black sun… but a bright sun will rise again.”
Leo said forcefully, looking at the gloomy sky where dawn was beginning to break.
“So don’t give up. Let’s fight. I believe in you.”
Everyone stared blankly at Leo, who wore the same wise smile as a certain dragon.
“Trust in the Brave Hero who gave you courage.”
*Craaaaaack-!*
A golden flash erupted through the fragments of the castle wall.
The figure of the Brave Hero, clad in a golden aura, shone as brightly as the sun.
Leo looked at Ar-on, who held Brave high.
There was no longer any fear in his eyes.
Fueled by the Brave Hero's Breath, the aura extending from Brave grew immense, as if to pierce the heavens.
Ar-on, gripping the golden sword, stepped on the air and charged toward the Giant King.
*Grooooooooowl!*
The Giant King let out a ferocious roar.
In that moment.
*Whoosh-!*
The calamitous flame that symbolized Erebos vanished.
Reason returned to the eyes of the ferocious Gias.
His eyes widened as he saw the golden blade that had reached him.
[Ar-oooooooon!]
*Claaaang-!*
Brave and Gias’s sword clashed.
*Slice-!*
In an instant, Gias’s sword was cut apart with absurd ease.
That wasn't all.
*Thwack-!*
Ar-on’s sword bisected Gias at the waist.
[Im… possible…!]
Gias’s face was colored with shock.
*Splaaash-!*
A golden flash raged.
Swinging his sword thousands of times at an imperceptible speed, Ar-on instantly reduced Gias to pieces of flesh.
*Splat-splat-splat-!*
Pieces of blood and flesh rained down.
For a legion commander with even a miraculous healing ability, it was a fatal blow.
Drunk on the power of Erebos, Gias had advanced too deeply.
The price for his mistake was death.
In that moment…
*Whaaaaaa!*
Realizing their commander was dead, the Giant King’s legion began to flee in terror.
“You did it.”
Leo thought of his friends who had subjugated the remnant of Erebos and burst into laughter.
[The Giant King’s invasion has been thwarted.]
[[God’s Blacksmith] and [Brave Hero] have survived.]
[Dweno’s World: Mid-game - The Siege of Gardsrone has been cleared.]
Seeing the message before him, Leo sank to the ground.
“It’s over.”
***
“Hmph, not bad, Seirun’s representative.”
“How about that? Me, having mastered Lady Luna’s magic. You have no choice but to admit I’m better than you now, right?”
“No matter what, I, who was personally instructed by Sir Ar-on, am still more amazing, you know?”
Lunia and Ar were bickering with each other.
“Driana, are you okay?”
“…Karl, I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it? I’ll do anything I can.”
“…When we get back, be my model in a pose of despair. A nude model, of course.”
“You’re saying perverted things, so you must be fine.”
Karl let out a hollow laugh.
“Eiran.”
“Yes, Lady Verchia.”
“Who do I marry?”
“Uhm… well, the founding ancestor was…”
Verchia was putting Eiran in a difficult position by prying about the future.
It was then.
*Fwoooosh-!*
A black flame flared up.
Seeing it, everyone’s faces turned white.
“It’s… reviving?”
“No way! We don’t have the strength to fight anymore…!”
‘It’s still… the magic was incomplete.’
Lunia gritted her teeth.
She had only barely managed to activate the spell.
Lunia’s magic was still incomplete.
Just as the party’s faces darkened with gloom while they stared at the black flame—
*Flash-!*
A white flash shot down toward the flame of Erebos.
*Crackle! Crack!*
Sparks flew in all directions.
“A Pegasus…!”
Karl’s face was one of surprise.
Everyone’s gaze turned to the gray-haired man riding the Pegasus.
*Swoosh-*
The man opened his eyes and dismounted the Pegasus.
“What’s this situation?”
The man looked around.
“I felt the power of Erebos and rushed here first… did you guys defeat Erebos?”
“Are you, by any chance, the Hero of the Beginning?”
Karl asked, swallowing hard.
“Hero of the Beginning? What’s that?”
The man looked puzzled.
Looking at Kyle, Eiran asked in a trembling voice.
“Are you… Sir Kyle?”
“That’s right. It’s Master Kyle,” Verchia answered in a blunt tone.
“And why are you so injured?”
“Shouldn’t you be praising your student who fought so hard?”
As Verchia pouted and grumbled, Kyle clicked his tongue.
“Yeah, yeah. You did well.”
Kyle approached Verchia and roughly ruffled her hair.
Verchia, who had been making a displeased face at the rough touch, broke into a silly grin.
“Who you are, I don’t know, but you all fought against Erebos, right?”
“Ye-Yes!”
Kyle grinned at the hero candidates who answered with tense expressions.
“I’m glad. That there are people like you to whom I can entrust the future.”
The hero candidates held their breath as they saw Kyle smiling in relief.
*Fwoooosh-!*
The black flame flared up again.
*Swoosh-*
With cool eyes, Kyle aimed the tip of his sword at the remnant of Erebos.
*Craaaaaack-!*
A storm of gray aura raged, launching the remnant of Erebos high into the sky.
*Gwoooaaar!*
The black flame flailed in the air.
Towards that black flame, Kyle chanted an incantation.
*Vwooom-!*
Seeing the magic circle activate in the air, Lunia and Eiran realized it was star magic.
But it was very different from the star magic they knew.
‘This magic is also an Origin?’
Just as Lunia was surprised.
“Innocent.”
The moment Kyle completed the spell, a pure white flash soared into the sky.
The black flame vanished as if washed away.
Even the piece of metal that was its main body.
Seeing this, the party’s jaws dropped.
“This person… is the Hero of the Beginning… Kyle.”
Kyle, with his sword resting on his shoulder, smiled.
“So, what is that, really? I’ve never been called by a grand name like Hero of the Beginning.”
At the smile that was somehow reminiscent of Leo, the party’s eyes widened.
In that moment.
[The Giant King’s invasion has been thwarted.]
[[God’s Blacksmith] and [Brave Hero] have survived.]
[Dweno’s World: Mid-game - The Siege of Gardsrone has been cleared.]
The world came to an end.