Chapter 398
Chapter Title: A Long-Awaited Reunion
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Flash—!
A pillar of light shot up into the sky.
Everyone's eyes widened at the sight.
But Leo was the only one who wasn't surprised.
"You're late, you damn lizard."
Leo's lips curled into a smirk as he felt Lisinas's mana.
It was as if he knew Lisinas would come.
Leo calmly looked at Jormungandr.
"What in the world are you!"
Jormungandr roared, trembling with rage.
He wouldn't fall, no matter how many times he was struck down.
He would rise again and again, pointing his sword.
Jormungandr, who had spread fear across the world, was now being consumed by it himself.
"Are you immortal!"
"If we were, we wouldn't have gone through all this trouble."
Leo replied coldly to Jormungandr's words.
"Just think of it as fate."
"What?"
"Your fate is to die at our hands."
"You bastard!"
His eyes rolled back, and the flames of calamity blazed fiercely from Jormungandr's body.
The flames of calamity, kindled by sacrificing his own flesh and soul, had granted Jormungandr temporary immortality.
"It's useless, no matter how much you struggle! Your end is set! As long as I possess the power of a great god, the power of immortality, your destruction is assured!"
"About that power of yours."
Leo's lips curled into a smirk.
"If it's borrowed power, then unfortunately for you, it won't work on me."
"What?!"
"I was chosen by the greatest Great Hero in this world."
Leo unleashed his magic.
"I'm Erebos's one and only natural enemy."
Flash—!
The unleashed light of Innocent engulfed Jormungandr.
"Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaah—!"
Jormungandr writhed in agony.
The pure light woven by the world's greatest magician blew away the undying flames of calamity.
Whoosh—!
"This is impossible...!"
Jormungandr was horrified to find that Erebos's blessing had vanished.
The black flames, which should not have been extinguished until they had consumed his very being.
The power of immortality he had gained by sacrificing everything was gone.
"It's not over! The god's blessing may have vanished due to your tricks, but my own power is still intact!"
Guooooooooooh—!
Seeing Jormungandr spew out dark magic, Leo's lips curled into a smirk.
"It's over, you damn worm."
Rrrrrrumble—!
Lisinas's body transformed into a black dragon.
Guooooooooooh—!
An immense wave of mana surged from Lisinas's mouth.
The strongest attack a dragon possesses.
Flash—!
Lisinas unleashed his breath.
A flash of gray light.
The Chaos Breath, created by the combined powers of light and darkness.
Jormungandr, who had been resurrected from near death by Erebos's power, let out a scream.
"O, Ereeeeebooooos!"
Struck directly by the breath, Jormungandr cried out to the heavens as he turned to dust and vanished.
[Lisinas's World: Prologue - The Beginning has been cleared.]
***
"We won...!"
"We really won!"
"Haha. Not a single one of us died!"
Voices filled with joy erupted from the expedition team.
They had thought only death awaited them.
But not a single member of the expedition had lost their life.
Whoooooosh—!
His strength spent, Leo's body plummeted from the sky.
Fwoosh—!
Albus hurriedly flew to catch Leo's body.
"Kyle! Are you all right?"
"I don't think I'm going to die."
Leo gave a weary smile as he stroked Albus's mane.
After landing, Albus brought Leo to where the expedition team was.
The polymorphed Albus helped Leo to his feet.
"You did well, Albus."
Leo patted Albus's head.
At that, Albus looked up at Leo.
"You really did it."
Albus smiled brightly, recalling how Leo had vowed to defeat Jormungandr.
"Yeah."
Leo smiled.
"This... will surely be a great leap toward the future."
Meanwhile, Elsie and Silroad flew around Leo.
"Amazing! That was amazing!"
"To think you defeated the King of Gluttony!"
Watching the spirit and fairy chatter so loudly it made his head ring, Albus said.
"Kyle needs to rest now. Please be quiet."
Despite Albus's stern warning, the two didn't stop chattering.
Unable to watch any longer, Albus clamped his hands over both of their mouths, silencing them.
Leo gave a weary smile at the sight.
He wasn't sure about Elsie and Silroad.
But in Albus's case, he would never be able to see him again in reality.
To Leo, he was a precious partner from the past.
"How am I, Albus? As your contractor?"
At Leo's question, Albus, who was still holding the other two, smiled brightly.
"The best. I'm glad I followed you."
*'You were the best. I have no regrets about following you.'*
Seeing Albus give him the same bright smile as he had at the end, Leo's expression turned bittersweet.
"Hurry and move Rodia!"
"My god... it's mana exhaustion!"
"To think he squeezed out his mana until he was like this!"
"Kyle! You need treatment too..."
"I'm fine, so take care of him first."
As the expedition members crowded around him, Leo pointed to the gasping Rodia and spoke.
Leo was in a terrible state himself, but in terms of severity, Rodia was in more urgent need of care.
As Leo gasped for breath, Rodia's expression seemed to stabilize a little.
Craaack—
The world began to crack.
*'...Is this the end.'*
Now that the world had been cleared, he could no longer stay here.
While Leo wore a bittersweet expression, the expedition team gathered around him.
"It's a miraculous victory."
"...This victory will surely bring about a massive change."
Just as Kyle was about to speak to them, their faces full of emotion.
[Would you like to record the hero's story?]
A message appeared before Leo's eyes.
Something like this had happened before.
*'Record.'*
The moment Leo chose to record.
Fwip-fwip-fwip—!
Pages of the Hero Record began to swirl around them.
The entire expedition was startled by the sudden event.
In the midst of it all.
A single page was placed in the hands of each hero who had joined the expedition.
"This... is my name, isn't it?"
"I can feel divine power. But the gods should have vanished from the world long ago, shouldn't they?"
"...Our story is written here."
Allox, Perique, and Alene looked bewildered.
Leo reached out his hand.
At that moment.
Fwip—
The pages the heroes were holding were drawn into Leo's hand.
Leo looked at the pages in his hand and said.
"...I'll make sure to carry your stories into the future."
"What did you say?"
Even if he changed the outcome in the World of Heroes, history itself would not change.
But at the very least.
He could carry the proof of their existence into the future.
Their stories, their great deeds, their sacrifices.
He could at least make known the fact that they had become the cornerstone of the world's peace.
"It's the least I can do to repay you."
Leo gave a weary smile.
"It was nice meeting you all."
Leo patted the head of Albus, who was standing beside him.
Just then, Lisinas walked up to Leo.
"Sorry I was late."
Lisinas said, her eyes downcast.
"...I'm sorry for being satisfied on my own and leaving it all to you."
Leo smiled at her words.
"I'm used to taking on burdens, so it's fine. Just... I hope you don't give up."
He reached out and gently stroked the foolish one's cheek.
"It'll be harder for you than anyone else... but we will definitely save the world. Your foolish, tragic wish... will come true."
Lisinas caressed the hand that was stroking her cheek.
Looking at Lisinas, Leo said.
"Stay strong."
Those were the only words he could offer.
Craaack—
The cracks in the world grew larger.
The time for farewell was approaching.
Kyle's form had vanished, leaving only a boy with white hair and red eyes.
Lisinas might have been surprised by the sudden change, but he remained calm.
"Actually... I couldn't wake up on my own. Someone woke me."
"Woke you up? Who?"
"The King of Wisdom."
Leo's eyes widened at Lisinas's answer.
"I was able to meet the future me that resides in your mana."
Leo's eyes wavered.
Looking at Leo, the Lisinas of the past said.
"It seems this is the only way I can repay you."
Craaack—!
The world crumbled away.
In that instant, Lisinas's eyes slowly closed.
Shatter—!
At the same time, the world disappeared.
A space of pure darkness.
Only Leo and Lisinas remained there.
Lisinas, who had closed her eyes, opened them again.
Her eyes seemed somehow deeper.
Lisinas spoke, her voice trembling.
"...It's been a while, Kyle."
A voice filled with longing.
Leo felt a lump in his throat.
"Lisinas."
His friend, from whom he had parted long ago in the distant past.
It was Lisinas, the King of Wisdom.
Of course, it wasn't truly her.
Both Leo and Lisinas knew.
Necromancy.
It was said to summon souls, but it didn't bring back the dead in their complete state.
The memories of the soul dwelling in the mana were but a tiny fragment.
But...
It was enough to convey a story.
"This is a first."
Lisinas reached out and wiped the corner of Leo's eye.
"Seeing you cry."
Kyle never cried at the deaths of his comrades.
To give his dying comrades faith.
He refused to cry, to show them a strong front so they wouldn't be anxious in their final moments.
"Is it so strange, you damn lizard?"
Leo replied fiercely.
But a smile lingered on his lips.
Looking at Leo, Lisinas said.
"I can only feel sorry. You couldn't even cry freely at your comrades' deaths. And... thank you."
Lisinas lowered her gaze.
"For saving the world."
"...I didn't save it alone. It was only possible because we were together. And."
Leo reached out and roughly grabbed Lisinas's chin.
"Oof?"
"If you're thankful, you should look me in the eye and say it proudly, shouldn't you? Why are you moping with your head down?"
Normally, Lisinas would have immediately kicked him for such a rude gesture.
But Lisinas couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes.
"...I couldn't keep my promise."
The promise not to leave him alone.
In the end, Lisinas couldn't keep it.
Kyle once again became the hero who survived.
To Lisinas's words, Leo replied.
"Don't worry about it."
Leo chuckled.
"I already knew you were a vicious con artist anyway."
"...If you're going to comfort me, would it kill you to use nicer words?"
Though she scowled, Lisinas gave a bright smile.
"How's the future?"
"There's still a mountain of things to do. I have to completely deal with Erebos, who we only managed to seal. And to do that, I need to raise comrades to fight alongside me."
As Leo shook his head as if overwhelmed, Lisinas crossed her arms and chuckled.
"Now you know how hard it was for me."
"Yeah, yeah. You're so great."
Leo said nonchalantly.
Watching him, Lisinas grinned.
Leo said to her.
"So... don't worry too much."
"Hm?"
"The world we risked everything to protect won't be engulfed in the flames of calamity again."
Leo smiled at Lisinas.
Lisinas's eyes widened.
It somehow resembled her own smile.
The smile she used to give people hope.
*'But it's different from mine.'*
If she had given people faith with a false smile.
That smile was different.
"The courage Ar-on taught me, the will Dweno showed me, the light Luna gave me. The hope you showed me."
It was a smile that truly gave hope.
"I'll pass all of it on to the next generation."
*'Sometime, Kyle has...'*
Lisinas looked on blankly.
"This time, I'll end it for good."
*'...become a true hero who will save the world.'*
Looking at Leo, Lisinas gave a bright smile.
Soon, Lisinas's body began to fade.
"To think *that* Kyle has become like this. It's fascinating."
"It's because you dumped it all on me, you damn lizard."
Leo said bluntly.
Watching him, Lisinas reached out her hand.
Grab—!
She roughly seized the front of his shirt.
It seemed she was finally going to hit him.
...the moment he thought that.
Fwoosh—!
Lisinas pulled Leo in by his shirt.
Leo's eyes widened slightly.
Their lips met unexpectedly.
After a long kiss, Lisinas calmly stepped back.
Then she looked at the head-bowed Leo with a beaming smile.
*'He must be flustered.'*
This dense idiot probably had no idea how she felt.
Lisinas anticipated seeing her friend, who was rarely flustered by anything, in a state of panic.
"You're terrible at that."
Leo bluntly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
At the sight, Lisinas's face stiffened.
Leo looked at Lisinas with a pathetic expression.
"And here I thought it was something serious. If you were going to do it, you should have practiced first."
Lisinas's shoulders trembled.
She had finally worked up the courage, but Leo's calm demeanor sent a surge of anger through her.
"I read your memoirs, you know. Thinking about it now makes me feel wronged. Hey, you should have given some hints. Because of you, I got called an idiot by some kid who's wet behind the ears. Take responsibility."
"Die! Just die!"
Her eyes wide with rage, Lisinas lunged at Leo and started choking him.
"Just die already! It's true you were too much of an idiot to notice! You damn human!"
The enraged Lisinas, with uncharacteristic roughness, continued to choke Leo while spewing harsh words.
After the commotion, Lisinas panted heavily.
Leo, who had been chuckling at her, opened his mouth.
"Lisinas."
"What!"
Seeing Lisinas's sharp reaction, Leo said.
"That day... thank you for reaching out your hand to me."
Lisinas froze.
Then, she bit her lip, holding back tears, and hugged Leo without realizing it.
And as if choked with emotion.
She offered her thanks.
"I'm the one who's thankful. For taking my hand."
Seeing the tearful Lisinas, Leo stroked his friend's head.
Whoosh—!
Soon, Lisinas became light and disappeared.