Chapter 629
Chapter Title: Hero of the Beginning
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*Rumble-!*
The earth trembled.
Clad in armor of rock, Jorua charged toward Reina.
*Swoosh-!*
Reina's sword moved with fluid grace.
*Fwoosh-!*
Flames embroidered the air, following the arc of her swung sword.
The scattered flames, instead of dispersing, instantly compressed and settled onto the blade.
The blade of Flame Storm, burning crimson.
Reina's sharp gaze fixed on Jorua as he closed in on her.
*Scrape-! Crack-!*
With a heavy thud, Reina's sword failed to cut Jorua and was deflected.
Gritting her teeth, Reina used the recoil to spin her body, deflecting Jorua's attack.
*Craaaash-!*
A tremendous shockwave erupted in a straight line where Jorua had charged.
Reina grit her teeth against the sharp, numbing pain shooting up her right hand, the one holding the sword.
*‘It’s broken.’*
Her wrist had been shattered by the earlier impact.
[Hey! Reina Flove! This is really your limit!]
Ista spoke urgently to the teeth-gritting Reina.
Reina's body was already covered in wounds, large and small.
Many of her bones were broken as well.
She was literally forcing herself to continue the fight, barely avoiding only the most fatal of injuries that would render her immobile.
She used her flames to forcibly move her unresponsive body.
But even continuing the fight in such a manner had reached its breaking point.
[When the body collapses, the mind follows! My flames will soon devour you!]
Reina tightened her grip.
[You're incredible enough! More heroic than any hero I've ever seen!]
Ista was desperate to stop Reina somehow.
[You've done enough!]
“No.”
Reina forced her sword to point at Jorua.
“I can still fight.”
She had already surpassed her limits several times over.
Furthermore, her opponent was already weakened from his battle with Leo.
Even so, the difference in their power was clear.
There are certainly things in this world that cannot be overcome by will alone.
The Jorua before her was one such thing.
Reina could never defeat Jorua.
“There is something I must pass down to the next generation.”
But Reina did not give up.
“A flame always burns brightest in its final moments.”
If she retreated here, the one who would carry on after her would die.
Reina glanced at Celia.
“I haven't passed on everything I have yet.”
She had to pass on, at the very least, what she could.
With that thought, Reina's will blazed.
“So lend me your power.”
[Gah! You stubborn woman! Then do as you wish!]
*Fwoooooosh-!*
The flames grew even stronger.
A firepower so intense that even Reina's consciousness momentarily faded.
The pain of her entire body burning made Reina steel her mind even further.
*‘Just a little! Hold on just a little longer!’*
“You infuriating bitch!”
Jorua’s voice, filled with killing intent, echoed.
Had he been able to maintain even a shred of composure, he might have ended the fight long ago using the various abilities he had stolen.
But thanks to being thoroughly toyed with by Leo and struggling even against Reina, whom he was certain was weaker than him, Jorua was steadily losing his reason.
That was why he had chosen the simple method of pushing through with overwhelming power.
The difference in power was clear.
But Jorua, who prided himself on controlling his power, was merely being swayed by it.
Jorua couldn't handle his abilities to their fullest extent.
It was the limitation of one who had stolen the power of others.
“This is the end!”
*Rumble-!*
Jorua, cloaked in the earth aura that was the natural enemy of flame, charged toward Reina at incredible speed.
A power imbued with such immense physical force that a mere graze would leave no trace behind.
Reina took a deep breath.
The heat grew even more intense.
The pain of her body burning and the intense heat that made her mind reel.
But Reina did not lose consciousness.
*‘Focus.’*
She focused the flames into a single point.
*‘Follow him with your eyes.’*
Reina's red eyes locked onto Jorua.
*‘Don’t retreat! Don’t be afraid!’*
She steeled herself.
*‘I can cut him. Forward… advance!’*
*Step- Slash-!*
Reina stepped forward and swung her sword.
*Squelch-!*
In that instant, Jorua's body, which had reached right in front of Reina, was bisected.
*Thump- Fwoosh-!*
Reina collapsed to the ground.
The flames that had enveloped Reina vanished.
*Slump-*
Reina's body fell forward.
“Aunt Reina!”
Celia ran over, her face pale.
Breathing faintly, Reina managed a weak smile.
“I guess… I succeeded… in cutting him…”
“Yes.”
Celia grit her teeth and nodded.
“Celia, that last strike… you must not forget it. Understood?”
“Of course.”
Suppressing the sobs that threatened to burst forth, Celia answered firmly.
Celia knew very well what Reina was trying to pass on to her.
“This bitch… to the very end…”
A terrifying killing intent erupted from the body of Jorua, who had been killed by Reina once again.
“But now, this is truly the end! I’ll turn you into a bloody pulp!”
Jorua shouted in a chilling voice and raised his hand.
Just as Celia saw this and raised her aura.
*Flash-!*
“...!”
A pure white light burst forth from behind Jorua.
“Huh?”
Reina's eyes widened.
“It can’t be! Leo Flove!”
Jorua turned his head and let out a horrified cry.
There, stood Leo, silhouetted against a pure white light, as if the dawn were breaking.
“Leo!”
Celia's face brightened.
“Aunt Reina! It's Leo! Leo's finally…!”
Celia, who was about to help Reina up, wore a puzzled expression.
“Aunt Reina?”
Reina was already staring at Leo with dazed eyes.
The sight of Leo, silhouetted by the brilliant light, was familiar.
A long time ago.
It overlapped with the image of a person who had stood in the radiant sunlight that had pierced through a dark world.
Reina unknowingly murmured that name.
“The Hero of the Beginning…”
***
Rushing towards the presence of Jorua, Leo's eyes twitched.
He could see monsters using special abilities.
Chelsea, who was fighting an ogre, spotted Leo and her face lit up.
“Leo!”
“What are those?”
“I don't know the details! But they're using special abilities! And they're highly intelligent!”
“Is that so?”
He had a hunch.
*‘The World of the Legion.’*
When you conquer the World of Heroes, you are given power as a reward.
The World of the Legion would be the same.
*‘Are these guys the traitors who conquered the World of the Legion?’*
It seemed the reward was the power of monsters.
*‘More like a curse than a reward. Well, it’s a fitting end for traitors.’*
Having thought that far, Leo looked at Zamua.
“Do you need help?”
At those words, Zamua's lips curled into a smirk.
“Do I look like I do? Hyaaaah!”
*Bam-!*
Zamua charged the ogre and slammed into it with his body.
The ogre, taking a massive impact, was sent flying.
“Chelsea!”
“Yep!”
“That's it! So energetic! Just like a Knight Department student!”
“I’m from the Magic Department!”
“You take Knight Department classes, don't you!”
“I take them as a minor because I’m a battle mage!”
*‘They’ll be fine.’*
Watching the two bicker while coordinating perfectly, Leo turned his head to the side.
There, Lis and Abad were overwhelming a Gigantes.
In the sky, Ulta was slaughtering demonic beasts.
The morale of the others also soared with Leo's arrival.
The tide of battle had turned with Leo's appearance alone.
Finally arriving where Jorua was, Leo raised his aura.
*‘He must have revived with the Necro-King’s Authority and awakened a new ability, right?’*
That newly awakened ability was to replenish his lives with the powers he had stolen.
*‘Killing him multiple times is a pain. In that case.’*
Leo's red eyes flashed.
*‘I’ll destroy the authority itself.’*
The Necro-King's Authority was a power obtained through the blessing of Erebos.
The Necro-King, having obtained a fragment of Erebos, had acquired an authority even stronger than the one from 5000 years ago.
But if that authority was derived from the power of Erebos…
*‘I should be able to destroy it with the power of purity.’*
A gray aura gathered at the tip of Leo's sword.
The gray aura soon began to transform into a pure white light.
Along with it, a brilliant light burst forth, as if the dawn itself had arrived.
The Aura of Purity.
The power Leo had obtained at the end of his endless training in this life.
Leo looked at Reina, who was facing Jorua.
*‘Did she borrow Ista’s power…?’*
Leo let out a dry laugh.
*‘Reckless.’*
But it was just like Reina.
Reina sometimes had a childish side to her.
But…
*‘She’s a respectable adult… and a respectable mother.’*
Leo took a step.
*Fwoosh-!*
Reaching Jorua in an instant, Leo spoke.
“I told you, didn’t I?”
The words that left Leo's lips were a clear mockery.
“That you’re just letting the power you stole go to waste.”
With a cold smile, Leo cut Jorua down.
*Squelch-!*
“Keuk!”
Jorua's body collapsed.
Leo casually flicked his sword clean and sheathed it.
*Thud- Thud-*
And without a second glance at Jorua, he walked toward Reina.
“It’s just! I’ve only died once!”
Just then, Jorua stood up, screaming.
Jorua had already taken on Reina’s form.
But soon, his flesh began to melt away.
“What?”
From within, Torua's form was revealed.
“What is this…!”
No matter how many other forms he took, they all soon melted away.
“Impossible! I’m dying!”
Understanding his situation, Jorua's face turned deathly pale.
“N-no! I am destined to become a perfect! A perfect being! I am the man who will become a god! But! To die so meaninglessly!”
*Thump-!*
“Aaaah!”
Jorua, now a skeleton, fell to his knees.
He frantically felt his own face.
“I can’t die like this…”
*Sshhh-!*
Jorua’s body, which had been denying its own death, soon turned to dust and disappeared.
***
*Thud- Thud-*
Supported by Celia, Reina silently watched Leo walk up to her.
“Are you alright?”
To Leo's seemingly indifferent question, Reina smiled and nodded.
“Of course.”
“That’s a relief.”
At Leo's dry words, Reina pouted.
And said, as if sulking.
“Aren’t you going to tell me not to do that again?”
“Would you listen even if I did, Mother?”
Seeing Leo chuckle, Reina muttered under her breath.
“Such a charmless boy. Is he always like that with other people?”
“Pretty much.”
Celia smiled wryly.
It was then.
-Ahem! Lie down here!
Kiruan appeared in front of Reina.
-Leo told me! To heal you no matter what, ma'am!
Fairies could use powerful healing magic.
-Lady Reina. I'm Elsie. Leo is very worried about you. Is there anything you need?
*Peep- peep-*
Even Elsie and Piora clung to Reina, showing their concern.
“…”
Reina let out a dry laugh.
“He hasn’t changed a bit since he was a kid, has he?”
“In what way?”
“He acts all indifferent and prickly on the outside.”
“He does.”
“But he takes care of you immensely behind your back.”
“Ah.”
Celia nodded as if she understood.
Leo definitely had that side to him.
Reina clicked her tongue as she looked at Leo, who was standing far off with his back turned.
“I’m not just saying this because he’s my son. There must be a lot of girls who have fallen for him.”