Chapter 507
Chapter Title: The Mirror Queen, Kanesy
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507.
The Mirror Queen, Kanesy.
5000 years ago.
She was one of the Legion Commanders they had subjugated.
Leo’s hand tightened.
Before long, Luna’s magic had rendered Leo, Luna, Lunia, and Kanesy imperceptible to their surroundings.
The people on the street simply passed by, smiling brightly at the flowers that had suddenly bloomed.
As Luna prevented any chaos, Leo drew his sword.
This was Leo, who had overcome countless battlefields and endless trials in his past life.
From Jormungandr, the first they defeated, led by Kyle and Lisinas, to Zerdiac.
Even the Demon Queen and the Giant King, who had survived for 5000 years and threatened the world.
Hideous beings, so monstrous that the world's continued existence felt like a miracle.
He had fought and triumphed over them all, ultimately subjugating Erebos and saving the world.
Even setting Erebos aside, the times he had risked his life were countless.
‘If I had to pick the most disgusting enemy among the Legion Commanders I’ve faced… it’d be this damned bitch.’
The Mirror Queen, Kanesy, had once single-handedly driven the Great Heroes to the brink of annihilation.
“You want to settle a score from 5000 years ago?”
Leo’s lips curled into a smirk.
“What’s there to settle when you were already defeated 5000 years ago?”
“That was not a victory achieved by your strength alone.”
Kanesy said with a dry, emotionless expression.
“It was merely the strength of your comrades. You were helpless before my power.”
At Kanesy’s words, Leo narrowed his eyes.
‘Her ability is certainly a pain in the ass.’
Just as Leo clicked his tongue internally.
“What? Leo is Kyle…? What does that mean?”
Lunia wore a dazed expression.
Failing to understand, Lunia turned to look at Luna.
Luna gave her a slight nod.
Lunia’s face filled with astonishment.
‘Wait, then all of Leo’s actions so far make sense!’
Even aside from being an All-Class, there were many questions about Leo.
His masterful handling of Star Magic despite being human, for one, and his overwhelming growth rate.
On top of that, his mental fortitude was stronger than anything Lunia could have imagined.
The realization that the person she had set as her goal was the Hero of the Beginning sent Lunia into a momentary panic.
‘Have I been speaking so rudely to a Great Hero all this time?’
Her past actions toward Leo flashed through her mind.
Just as Lunia was reeling in shock.
“Luna Rubinence?”
Kanesy, noticing Luna’s presence, let out a gasp.
“It’s been a while. I never thought we’d meet again, seeing as we were both dead.”
Luna stepped forward, crossed her arms, and smiled faintly.
Contrary to her gentle voice and expression, a killing intent no less than Kyle’s flowed from her eyes.
Leo and Luna’s fundamental attitude toward demons was different from that of the people of this era.
Though this was called the Age of Heroes, it was an age of peace.
Even with Tartaros still intact, they had coexisted for thousands of years.
As a result, compromises were sometimes made with Tartaros.
It was an era where demons were enemies to be subjugated, but the situation had to be considered.
But for Leo and Luna, who had lived through the Age of Calamity, no such considerations existed.
Demons were simply targets for annihilation.
The killing intent and aura emanating from Luna grew stronger.
*Vwoooom—!*
‘This is… the presence of the Great Heroes.’
Lunia swallowed hard.
Their very existence overwhelmed their surroundings.
She wasn’t even using magic.
What emanated from Luna now was the pure, unadulterated pressure of her being.
This was the presence of the great archmage who had stood against the God of Ruin that would have destroyed the world.
It easily surpassed the pressure of the killing intent Leo was emitting.
It wasn't that Leo's presence was weaker than Luna's.
Glancing at Luna, Leo narrowed his eyes.
‘Is she testing her?’
Leo’s gaze naturally shifted to Lunia, who stood beside Luna.
Lunia’s body was trembling from the indirect effect.
‘If this child is my successor. If she is truly one who will stand with Kyle on the battlefield against Erebos.’
Luna, too, glanced at the trembling Lunia.
‘She must overcome this much.’
It was different from Ar-on.
Ar-on, though somewhat rough, had pushed Ar while keeping an eye on her condition.
But Luna was not like that.
If Ar-on coached and pushed from behind.
Luna would shove her off a cliff.
This teaching style was also evident with Berchia.
Normally, she doted on her, but when it came to teaching magic, she was strict.
She always tested one’s limits.
Lunia gritted her teeth.
‘Get a grip! Lunia El Lundua!’
Lunia didn't realize that this situation was a kind of test.
But she endured it out of sheer stubbornness.
‘You decided to stand by Leo’s side! You were happy when Lady Luna called you her successor! If you can’t even withstand a presence not even directed at you, how pathetic is that!’
Her eyes flew open as she took a deep breath.
Lunia’s trembling subsided.
Seeing this, the corners of Luna’s mouth curved gently.
‘Reassuring.’
“I see, a Heroic Spirit.”
Kanesy looked slightly intrigued.
“Surprising. Of all the Great Heroes, I thought you’d be the last to leave behind any lingering regrets.”
Kanesy’s reaction was dry and detached.
Watching her, Luna frowned.
5000 years ago.
The one who had played the biggest role in subjugating Kanesy was none other than Luna.
Without Luna, they would not have escaped annihilation.
The reason was simple.
Kanesy’s ability did not work on Luna.
Even so, Luna found the Legion Commander before her unsettling.
The Legion Commander before her was ‘nothingness’ itself.
The demons of Tartaros feared and yet hated the Great Heroes.
It was inevitable.
They couldn’t help but harbor hatred for the Great Heroes who had subjugated their god and obstructed their destiny of world destruction.
But Kanesy was different.
She was the most peculiar existence among the Legion Commanders of Tartaros.
She followed the orders of her creator, Erebos, but she had no interest in the world’s destruction.
Naturally, she showed no animosity toward the Great Heroes who had subjugated Erebos and killed her god.
“I’m the one who’s extremely surprised. To think you’d be resurrected as an undead.”
Heroic Spirits and the undead were polar opposites, but the reason they lingered in the mortal world was the same: lingering regrets.
“A small regret formed at the moment of my death.”
Kanesy’s lips twisted.
“I grew curious about the end of the Surviving Hero.”
“What?”
“The Surviving Hero was the great god’s only natural enemy. But I believed the Surviving Hero would be the first among you to die.”
Kanesy smiled.
It was a hideous smile.
Gleaming with desire.
“His heart was a pile of ashes. There was nothing there. He was like me.”
A look of ecstasy filled her eyes.
“I wondered what kind of end he would meet. What expression he would have as he died. Ah! Yes! Perhaps this is similar to what you call the emotion of love!”
“Crazy bitch.”
Leo spat out without a hint of hesitation.
But Kanesy paid him no mind.
“Of all the people, you had to get a crazy bitch like that stuck on you?”
Luna scowled, and Leo replied nonchalantly.
“Tell me about it. Why are the women who like me never normal?”
At his words, Luna’s eyes widened as she glared at him.
Regardless of their exchange, Kanesy continued speaking her mind.
“But after being revived by the power of the Necro King, I heard an unbelievable story. That you, Kyle, were the last one standing and had subjugated the god.”
Curiosity sparked on Kanesy’s face.
“How was that possible?”
Seeing the various emotions on the Mirror Queen’s face, Leo furrowed his brow.
“Ah! I want to know more about you. I wanted to understand you more. I am certain I can understand you better than anyone.”
Kanesy’s body trembled.
“Bullshit.”
Luna laughed coldly.
“How could a mere demon possibly understand us?”
“Luna Rubinence. You could never understand.”
Kanesy smiled.
“One who shines with countless brilliant lights could never understand. You, who are so sure of the path you walk.”
Luna clicked her tongue.
This was not someone she could reason with in the first place.
“Surviving Hero Kyle, my desire to see your end has grown even stronger.”
*Woooong—*
Kanesy’s form changed.
Seeing this, Leo lowered his stance.
“Kyle.”
Luna wore a worried expression.
“Don’t worry. It won’t be like last time.”
At Leo’s words, Luna clenched her fists tightly.
Kanesy, now in the form of a giant mirror, reflected Leo.
In that instant.
Leo’s form vanished.
*Thud—! Thud—!*
Simultaneously, people in the surrounding area collapsed.
“What is this…!”
Lunia’s expression was one of pure shock.
“It’s the Mirror Queen’s ability.”
Luna ground her teeth.
“She reflects her opponent. She shows them an endless illusion of what they most want to see… or what they most dread seeing.”
‘Though this time, it seems she’s focusing all her power solely on Kyle.’
Back then, Kanesy’s illusion had no effect on Luna.
Luna, who possessed absolute faith in herself, forged her own path.
Neither sweet illusions nor terrible trials.
Nothing could sway Luna’s heart.
“The Mirror Queen Kanesy’s own combat power is pathetic. But her ability itself is among the most powerful.”
Like Jormungandr, who was famous for being a Legion Commander without a legion, she too was a Legion Commander without one.
However, unlike Jormungandr, who didn’t need a legion due to his immense martial power, her ability to create illusions of everything within the mirror made her an army unto herself.
“You called Leo Lord Kyle, right? What kind of illusion did Leo see 5000 years ago?”
“……”
Luna fell silent, then her lips parted.
“He said he saw an illusion of fighting us.”
The deeper the darkness in one’s heart, the more powerful Kanesy’s illusion becomes.
And at that time, Kanesy’s ability was a perfect counter to Kyle.
“In that nightmarish illusion, Kyle… killed all of us.”
Lunia gasped.
It was a kind of faith.
The faith that his comrades would never turn their swords against him.
With formidable mental strength, he cut down his friends.
But even so, his mental fortitude was worn down in the endless illusion.
Luna closed her eyes, recalling the situation when they had subjugated Kanesy.
Everyone had woken from the illusion.
But Kyle still had Lisinas by the throat, his sword aimed at him.
At his expressionless, mechanical movements, Dweno and Ar-on had intervened to stop his sword.
Lisinas, caught in his grip, had simply widened his eyes.
‘I’m okay, Kyle.’
Lisinas had smiled gently.
He had simply accepted everything about his friend.
‘I’m okay.’
‘Only then did Kyle realize it was an illusion and lower his sword.’
Luna looked in the direction where Leo had disappeared.
There wasn't the slightest waver in her eyes.
‘He’ll be fine.’
They had overcome countless trials together.
That was why Luna believed Kanesy’s ability could do nothing to Leo.
‘The Kyle of back then and the Kyle of now are different.’
“These people…”
“They’re affected by Kanesy’s ability. As it’s the power of a Legion Commander, ordinary people have no immunity. For now, let’s take care of them.”
“Yes, Lady Luna.”
Just as Luna and Lunia were about to move.
*Rumble—!*
A black rift appeared in the air.
Lunia’s face hardened.
Emerging from the dark space was a woman with blood-red hair and madness in her eyes.
Luna narrowed her eyes.
“And who are you?”
“Me?”
The woman offered a chilling smile.
“My name is Elzenie, the Blood Queen. A great Legion Commander of Tartaros.”