Chapter 493
Chapter Title: A Beautiful Reunion
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Leo looked at Luna, who was holding his hand and smiling, and found himself at a loss for words.
Luna was dressed just as she had been 5,000 years ago.
A mage's robe, soaked in blood from the fatal wound inflicted by Erebos.
Fortunately, the wound she had sustained 5,000 years ago was gone.
She was different from Ar-on.
But she was also different from the Luna who had crossed over to the present world before.
The heroes of the World of Heroes, no matter how real they seemed, were ultimately illusions.
But Heroic Spirits were different.
A Heroic Spirit was like a lingering memory embedded in mana.
A fragment of someone who had once existed.
But in essence, they were the person themselves.
The person before him was Luna herself, the one whose time had ended 5,000 years ago.
‘And this body.’
This was the crucial difference between Spirit Summoning and Necromancy.
In Spirit Summoning, a Heroic Spirit inhabits the summoner's body to manifest its abilities.
Thus, it couldn't create a physical body from their lifetime, unlike Necromancy.
But right now, Luna had a physical body.
Just as bewildered as Leo, Luna also seemed perplexed by the situation.
She examined her body from head to toe, then spun around in a circle.
“Ooh, ooh?”
She let out a cry of admiration, fiddled with the tips of her pointed ears, and then broke into a bright smile.
Then, she made an 'L' shape with her left thumb and index finger, placed it under her chin, and gloated.
“The great Luna, resurrected!”
“Seeing you spout nonsense so nonchalantly, you're definitely Luna.”
“What's with that dry reaction? Aren't you happy I've been resurrected!?”
Luna's eyes widened as she glared at Leo.
Looking at her, Leo spoke seriously.
“That you were resurrected as a Heroic Spirit and we could meet again… I'm happy.”
Luna was taken aback by the unexpected answer.
‘I-I thought for sure Kyle would give me a snarky reply.’
His honest and serious reaction secretly pleased her.
“H-Hmph! Then you should just be honestly happy, shouldn't you?”
Hiding her bewilderment, Luna crossed her arms, turned her head away, and spoke.
Watching her, Leo said.
“The reason you became a Heroic Spirit.”
Leo clenched his fist.
“Luna, in the end, I lost Lisinas too.”
“…”
At his words, Luna's ears drooped.
“But I managed to defeat Erebos and save the world. What do you think I felt as I was dying?”
“…I can't imagine.”
“Relief.”
Leo said, closing his eyes.
“I couldn't completely defeat Erebos either. In the end, there was a limit to what I could do alone. I had to console myself with the fact that I had no choice but to leave it to the next generation.”
In the final battle against Erebos, what terrified Leo most wasn't the black flame that burned everything.
It wasn't the anxiety of potential failure.
Nor was it the fact that the fate of the world rested in his hands.
It was simply the fear of being alone.
And the fear that he might not fulfill the wishes of his friends who had departed before him.
So, in the moment he succeeded in subjugating Erebos and, his strength spent, fell from the high sky to his death.
He felt relief as he watched the rising sun and the clearing gray sky.
Relief that his departed friends could finally close their eyes in peace.
“I hoped you all wouldn't have any lingering regrets.”
“…Kyle.”
Hearing Leo's words, Luna clenched her fists tightly.
“You became a Heroic Spirit because of a lingering regret, didn't you?”
“I think so.”
“What kind of regret is it?”
Leo met Luna's gaze with a serious expression.
Looking at Leo's serious face, Luna took a deep breath.
“My regret is…”
“Yes.”
“I don't know.”
“…”
Leo fell silent at Luna's answer.
“It's like, I feel like I have a regret, but I have no idea what it is?”
Luna said nonchalantly with a bright smile, patting Leo's shoulder.
“So stop acting like you care about me, it doesn't suit you. It's actually kind of gross.”
“Fine, I get it.”
Leo grabbed Luna's cheeks and pulled them forcefully.
“Whaugh ahh yoo doin'!”
“Because I feel pathetic for worrying about you.”
With a blank expression, Leo shook Luna's face back and forth while still holding her cheeks.
Unable to take it anymore, Luna started choking Leo.
It was nothing short of a beautiful reunion for two people who had crossed the boundary of death.
***
After their little scuffle.
Sitting across from Luna in the flower field, Leo spoke.
“Let's sort this out. After the great battle with Erebos 5,000 years ago, you had some lingering regret that turned you into a Heroic Spirit, and now you've formed a contract with me. Is that right?”
“Yep.”
“But how did you know right away that I was Kyle?”
It was a detail he had overlooked in his shock at Luna's appearance as a Heroic Spirit.
It would be strange for the Luna from 5,000 years ago to recognize him as Leo Flove.
“And how do you, a Heroic Spirit, have a 'physical body'?”
“Hold on, let me try to sort out my current situation too.”
In response to Leo's questions, Luna crossed her arms and fell into thought.
After a moment, Luna nodded and said.
“First, I think I should explain why I, a Heroic Spirit, have a physical body.”
“Go on.”
“The reason I can have a body right now is because of the Cometes you had.”
“Cometes?”
“Yes. That thing called a Hero Weapon, obtained by someone conquering my World of Heroes. It seems I was able to form a body thanks to that Hero Weapon.”
Leo could use the Hero Record and his divine power to summon individuals from within the World of Heroes to the present.
He had already used that power once to bring Luna and Ar-on to the present world.
“So, you're saying Cometes acted as a medium, allowing you to have a physical body?”
“Yep. I think so. So when all my mana imbued in Cometes is depleted, I probably won't be able to stay in this world as a Heroic Spirit.”
Leo fell into thought at Luna's words.
Luna's deduction was very plausible.
A deep and flexible way of thinking was a mage's greatest virtue.
With only the fragmented information she had, Luna had accurately deduced the current situation.
“And the reason I know you're Kyle is also deeply related to Cometes.”
“How is it related?”
“A portion of the memories I experienced inside the World of Heroes was passed on to me through Cometes.”
“A portion?”
“Yep. The memories of meeting you during my school days and when Jerdiac escaped to the outside.”
“What about the memories from when you left the World of Heroes?”
“Don't have them.”
Luna shook her head.
‘So only the memories from within the World of Heroes were transferred? But why?’
Leo's expression turned serious.
Although he was the owner of the Hero Record, even Leo knew nothing about it.
‘After all, the only time I ever saw the Hero Record in its complete state was once, in Rodia's world.’
Even for Leo, it was difficult to fully grasp the extent of the Hero Record's potential under such circumstances.
“A shame you don't have those memories.”
“What? Why is it a shame? Did something happen when I went out?”
Luna's eyes went wide, and she leaned in close, bringing her face right in front of Leo's.
“What did the me from the World of Heroes do?”
Looking at Luna, who was blinking her large eyes with an innocent expression, Leo put on a look of extreme disappointment.
“Oh, she did something.”
“W-What did she do?”
Watching Luna's face flush slightly, Leo said.
“We defeated that damned monster queen together.”
“Huh?”
“She was your nemesis. It would have been nice if you remembered defeating her.”
“Really?”
Luna's eyes widened in surprise.
“Anything else?”
“Anything else? Not really.”
Leo shrugged and got to his feet.
Looking up at him, Luna's face twisted.
‘This goddamn idiot! We had a tragic parting! A tragic parting!’
The truth was, Luna did have memories from the outside.
The reason she pretended not to remember was simple.
‘It's so embarrassing! I confessed all by myself! I kissed his cheek all by myself!’
Her pride wouldn't allow it.
Right before she died, she couldn't confess because she was worried about placing a greater burden on Kyle and Lisinas, who were about to face their final battle.
In the World of Heroes, she had managed to convey her feelings, thinking she might never see him again.
And… now.
‘Is it possible to create a time-reversal spell?’
Luna genuinely wanted to smack her past self on the back of the head.
More specifically, she wanted to knock herself out at that very moment.
The reason she hadn't confessed in her lifetime was also due to her pointless pride, wanting that guy to figure it out first.
‘By the way, to think Lisinas had feelings for Kyle too.’
Luna thought of Lisinas.
Lisinas.
‘Honestly, even as a woman, I have to admit she's pretty.’
Even Luna, who was confident her beauty was second to none, felt a little self-conscious when compared to Lisinas.
‘Plus, she's mature and smart.’
She wasn't called the King of Wisdom for nothing.
Of course, Luna, known as the strongest archmage in history, was by no means lacking in intellect.
But when it came to knowledge outside of magic, she couldn't hold a candle to Lisinas.
‘And her aura.’
If she was a tomboy, Lisinas was a noble lady.
‘…’
As Luna pondered this seriously, a doubt crept into her mind.
‘Why in the world does she like that idiot?’
Why would the perfect savior of the world, who lacked nothing, like Kyle?
Along with the question, her confidence began to wane.
Luna was always overflowing with confidence and quick to get cocky, but she could also lose heart just as quickly.
It would be different if the comparison was with someone else.
But against Lisinas, even Luna couldn't remain entirely triumphant.
Seeing Luna's ears droop and her expression turn gloomy, Leo let out a deep sigh and said.
“Don't be too disappointed. You're the one who defeated her, after all. And… whatever the reason, we've met again like this, right?”
Leo smiled.
“For now, don't think about anything and just enjoy this moment. There are countless sights you wanted to see. I hope you get to see them, Luna.”
At Leo's words, Luna's eyes widened.
And soon, she broke into a bright smile.
“Okay!”
Her spirits restored, Luna's ears perked up.
‘That's right! There's one thing I'm definitely better at than Lisinas!’
Her energy back, Luna placed her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest.
‘I'm rich in the chest department, but she's poor, right? Men like rich people more!’
Without hesitation, Luna thought something that would have made Lisinas pounce on her, nodding to herself. Hmm, hmm!
Watching the re-energized Luna, Leo let out a small chuckle.
Then, with a serious gaze, he walked over to his own grave.
“Whose grave is this?”
“Mine.”
Luna's eyes went round at Leo's answer.
“Verchia recovered my body and buried it next to you. It seems they couldn't find the others' bodies, though.”
“Oh…”
Luna let out a sigh tinged with sadness.
“…Do you think the others have lingering regrets too?”
“There's no way to know. But I don't think they did.”
“…That's probably true.”
Even Luna herself didn't know what her own regret was.
But she didn't think her other companions would have lingering regrets like her and become Heroic Spirits.
She hoped they hadn't.
Amidst this, Leo reached for Vihar's dagger, which lay in front of his grave.
And paused.
‘…It hasn't been here for long.’
This wasn't something that had been here for a long time.
A few days at most.
‘…’
‘The flowers blooming in this area, despite it being autumn, might be Luna's influence, now that she's been resurrected as a Heroic Spirit.’
Considering these were flowers Luna had loved, it was a possibility.
‘The memory I saw back then—whether it was Verchia's or Vihar's, I still don't know—is also still a mystery.’
Leo tightened his hand.
‘The fact that this dagger is placed before my grave… does that mean Vihar came here?’
Swoooosh-!
The wind blew past.
Looking down at the dagger, Leo clenched his fist.
‘Vihar… don't tell me you've been revived by the Necro King's power?’