Editor : Amethyst00



“Block them!”

“Don’t let the Legion breach the defensive line!”

The Hero Alliance shouted desperately as they tried to stop the Legion’s advance.

Sillatna, who had won the fight against the Sword Saint, was steadily approaching.

The wall Sedgen had created was also reaching its limit after the continuous assaults.

“It’s impossible to hold them off any longer! Shouldn’t we retreat to the walls of Seiren?”

One of Seiren’s teachers said to Harrid.

At those words, Harrid looked at the approaching Monster Queen.

“If we do that, that thing and the unidentified Legion Commander within Seiren will join forces.”

The teacher of Seiren swallowed hard.

“Can you stop them if that happened?”

Harrid was right.

If the two Legion Commanders combined their power, that would truly be the end.

A dilemma with no way out.

The word despair vividly filled the minds of the Hero Alliance.

Hwaaak–! Tak–!

Then, someone appeared from the sky.

“Who are you?”

One of Seiren’s heroes shouted toward the gray-haired young man who had appeared before him.

At that shout, the young man—Leo—glanced briefly at the elf.

“A reinforcement.”

“What?”

The elf hero showed a confused expression at that curt answer.

At that moment—

Jiiiing–!

A gigantic magic circle formed above Sillatna’s head.

The crimson circle, glowing with a destructive aura, unleashed a flash imbued with power.

Flash–!

“Evade!”

“Everyone, fall back!”

Sillatna’s chilling black magic destroyed everything in its path.

Those who had witnessed her battle with the Sword Saint from afar knew too well how powerful her attacks were.

As the Hero Alliance retreated, Leo drew his sword.

Uuuung–!

A gray aura gathered at the tip of Leo’s blade.

“What are you doing!”

“Get back!”

Everyone looked horrified as Leo prepared to face Sillatna’s attack head-on.

'He’ll die!'

That was what everyone thought upon seeing him.

Just when they all froze, imagining Leo turning to ashes without leaving even a corpse—

Flash–!

The gray sword strike split Sillatna’s magic in two.

Kwagagagagang–!

A massive explosion erupted in the air, sweeping through the Legion.

Every member of the Hero Alliance turned their eyes toward Leo’s back.

Swooooshhhh–!

The downpour didn’t stop.

Leo spoke.

“How long are you going to stay afraid?”

A quiet voice.

But through aura, that voice reached every ear of the Hero Alliance.

“You’re heroes, aren’t you?”

Leo turned around.

“You earned the title of hero because you achieved deeds acknowledged by the gods, didn’t you?”

“Who are you…?”

Sedgen asked in shock.

That sword strike from moments ago—

'A strike equal to the principal’s… no, beyond even that.'

“Who are you?”

At Sedgen’s question, Leo lowered his sword and said calmly,

“My name is Kyle.”

Leo’s gaze fixed forward.

“I’m the one you call the Hero of the Beginning.”

“What?”

“The Hero of the Beginning?”

“That’s impossible…!”

The being long regarded as a mythical, nonexistent hero—

A mysterious great hero whose existence had only recently been confirmed.

The Hero Alliance couldn’t easily believe Leo’s claim that he was that Hero of the Beginning.

But Leo didn’t care.

Whether they believed him or not—

It didn’t matter.

What mattered now was subjugating the Sillatna before him.

“If you’re heroes, then prove it.”

Leo spoke coldly to the frozen heroes.

“If you’re heroes acknowledged by the gods, then show me your valor.”

The young man who called himself the Great Hero spoke into their ears.

“The Monster Queen will be slain here today.”

Leo raised his sword toward the sky.

Flash–!

Kwagagagagagang–!

Lightning struck down upon his sword.

“[Lightning Storm].”

At Leo’s incantation, a storm of lightning surged forth.

Pazizizizizik–!

“He’s using magic of that power level?”

“Wasn’t he a knight?”

The heroes were astonished at the power of the spell, far exceeding that of any archmage.

Ain clenched his fist.

“Could it be… the real Hero of the Beginning?”

According to legend, the Hero of the Beginning was All-Class.

If that man truly was the Hero of the Beginning, it wouldn’t be strange for him to wield both powerful aura and magic.

Sillatna’s Legion was electrocuted by the lightning.

[Impossible. Impossible. Impossible!]

Sillatna’s face stiffened as she watched from afar.

This couldn’t be.

That man who vanished five thousand years ago—how could he be here now?

'Zodiac returned to the world thanks to Lord Erebos’s power!'

That was how he crossed from the Hero’s World into the mortal world.

If Zodiac came through, theoretically, Kyle could have too.

But—

'The gods vanished from the earth long ago!'

There was no one with divine power capable of summoning the Great Hero back to this world.

Then how could the Hero of the Beginning appear here?

Sillatna raised her massive arm.

Pazijijik–!

Crimson sparks burst forth.

A spear formed in her hand, made of pure black magic.

[Disappear! Wraith of the past!]

With a killing roar, the spear of destruction flew toward the source of Kyle’s power.

Kwaaang–!

Power clashed against power.

Gray aura and crimson magic collided, shooting a pillar of light into the sky.

Hwaaak–!

The rain clouds around them scattered in an instant.

The dark sky cleared, and sunlight broke through.

Coincidentally, the sunlight shone directly on Leo.

Sillatna’s face trembled.

[Kyle!]

As she spat his name like a curse, Leo gripped his sword tightly.

“I’ve come to sever our cursed bond from the past, Monster Queen.”

At those words, three summoning circles appeared around Leo.

“Summoning magic?”

“Wait! This power is…!”

The summoners widened their eyes.

Scarlet red, pure white, and vibrant light green—

They knew all too well what those colors signified.

Through the circles, three familiars appeared.

A phoenix with grand wings perched on Leo’s forearm.

A small fairy sat on his shoulder.

Lastly, a beautiful Pegasus stood beneath him.

[Chirp?]

[Huh? Who are you?]

[Are you really our master?]

Fiora, Kiran, and Alty reacted with surprise as they confirmed their contractor.

Leo spoke to the three.

“I’ll explain everything later. For now, we must fight that thing.”

The familiars’ gazes turned to Sillatna.

[What’s that ugly monster?]

[The Monster Queen.]

[Chirp! Chirp!]

Kiran made a disgusted face, Alty narrowed her eyes sharply, and Fiora flapped her wings eagerly.

“I need your power.”

Right now, Leo’s strength was only a temporary manifestation of his past power through divine force.

He could fight Sillatna alone, but not subjugate her alone.

'It’s not my full power from back then.'

And his time was limited.

To completely defeat Sillatna, he needed to join forces with Luna.

But Luna was currently off subjugating Zodiac.

'Even if he was revived by Erebos’s power, that one already died once. He won’t be whole.'

Until then, Leo had to use everything he had to stop Sillatna.

“Fiora, Kiran—grant your blessings to the heroes.”

At his words, Fiora and Kiran flapped their wings and flew toward the wall.

“Alty, you and I will face that thing.”

Saying that, Leo pulled on the reins.

[This feeling! Ah! It really *is you, master!]*

Alty cried out in joy at his touch.

Then they soared toward Sillatna at immense speed.

[How can you exist in this world!]

“Zodiac crossed over—why shouldn’t we?”

[Kugh!]

Leo sneered and swung his sword.

Flash–! Kwagagagagagak–!

A massive gray aura slash aimed for Sillatna’s neck.

But her barrier activated just in time.

[I’ll kill you again!]

The flesh on Sillatna’s body turned into a massive serpent.

Like a hydra, its gaping jaws flew toward Leo.

Leo pulled on the reins and shot upward.

Then he began chanting.

Luna’s strongest magic.

Uuuung–!

A complex magical formula formed above his palm.

As he completed the spell, Leo spoke the incantation.

“Extinction.”

Flash–!

Cold dawn starlight surged forth.

The giant serpent made by Sillatna turned to dust.

[Kugh!]

Sillatna’s eyes widened.

Looking down at her, Leo said,

“Monster Queen.”

He declared like a sentence.

“Your time ends today.”

Sreung–!

Leo gripped his sword again.

“I’ll bury you, like your comrade Zodiac, back into the calamity of the past.”

bl

Step– step–

With light footsteps unsuited to the tense battlefield, Luna walked into the center of war.

Everyone’s eyes widened at her appearance.

There was no one who didn’t know her.

From textbooks, from records—

They had all seen her beauty countless times.

The idol of all.

The hope that restored peace to this world.

The greatest elf alive.

That was Luna.

Zodiac’s maddened Legion charged from all sides.

But Luna didn’t even glance at them as she gathered her mana.

Flash–!

Hundreds of golden magic circles appeared around her.

She was Luna, the greatest magician in history.

Though she no longer held the full power of her prime, the mindless Legion could not stop her.

Kwagagagak–!

Needles of light formed around her and poured down like rain.

Swoooosh–!

Luna looked at the rain soaking her hair.

It wasn’t the loathsome black rain.

It was pure, clear rain.

For Lumene and Seiren, this rain had once signaled disaster—

The mere presence of Sillatna could alter the weather.

But for Luna, this rain was precious.

'How many years has it been… since I last saw clear rain?'

As she thought that—

Flash–!

A column of light rose in the distance, scattering the clouds.

Sunlight poured through the parted sky.

Luna looked up.

In her large golden eyes, a clear blue sky spread wide.

Grip—

She tightened her hold on Polyum.

'We… really did save the world.'

Tears almost welled up.

How much despair had there been?

She had fought against Erebos and Tartaros, comforting people, saying there was still hope—

Yet deep down, she had trembled in fear.

Afraid they might fail to save the world.

Even if she died, she had said—

She would gladly go, without seeing the restored peace with her own eyes.

That was why this sky was special to her.

It felt like a reward for all the suffering and despair.

Step–!

Luna stopped walking.

'I don’t have much time here.'

She could feel her divine power dwindling the more she used her strength.

Her remaining time was very short.

But within that short time, she could still do much.

Luna turned toward the old elf wielding the Star Sorcery.

A stranger, yet using her own magic, as if he had learned from her.

That alone reminded her this was the future.

Then—

Zzeoeog–!

Zodiac opened his mouth.

A poisonous breath burst forth.

“Kuh!”

Benneth strained his mana to block the attack.

Luna gripped Polyum.

Flash–! Kwagagagagagang–!

A barrier of light deflected the breath.

“……!”

The heroes fighting Zodiac all turned to Luna in shock.

“You must not despair.”

Luna smiled gently.

“I hope this light won't be taken from us again.”

Uuuung–!

Luna’s vast mana began to stir.

Gugugugugugu–!

The ground trembled under her power.

“Don’t repeat the same misfortune we did.”

A hexagram-shaped magic circle rose above her palm.

Benneth’s hand trembled.

Known as the First Star of the Poet, he knew this spell.

He had used it himself.

But… this was incomparable to his own.

'It's the original.'

Looking at the golden light radiating from her, Benneth spoke in a trembling voice.

“Lady Luna?”

Luna smiled as if answering his call and completed the spell.

“[Starlight].”

The light of stars burst from her hand, engulfing Zodiac.

[Gyaaaaaaaah!]

Zodiac’s maddened body was torn apart as he screamed in agony.

'He died once by Kyle’s hand. Zodiac isn’t whole now.'

He’d lost his reason and already suffered heavy damage from the heroes.

To Luna, Zodiac no longer looked like a commander—

Just a monster consumed by destruction.

Zodiac’s eyes flared as he summoned his massive greatsword, Venom.

[Kwooooooooh!]

Thud! Thud! Thud!

With a roar, he charged at Luna.

Benneth hastily cast a spell.

“Chain Stella!”

Kwajijijijijijik–!

Chains of light burst from the magic circle and bound Zodiac’s body.

Kuung–!

Kugugugugu!

His muscles bulged as he strained against the chains.

“You, the beings of the past should not exist in this world.”

Luna pointed Polyum at Zodiac.

“You'll only bring chaos.”

Uuuung–!

A massive magic circle formed.

“So disappear.”

Flash!

“[Stella Radius].”

An unknown spell, one not recorded even in Leo’s Bible—

A flash of starlight that only Luna could use burst from Polyum.

Kwagagagang–!

It shot into the heavens, piercing the sky.

Zodiac’s upper body was blown away, and his body began to crumble.

Saaaa–!

Like sand, he scattered into dust.

The Legion summoned by Zodiac vanished as well.

Lowering her staff, Luna looked around.

Students from Lumene and Seiren gathered around her.

“Ancestor… nim?”

An elf asked in disbelief.

Luna didn’t answer—she simply smiled.

“Ancestor!”

“Ahh! O great Poet of the Star!”

The students of Seiren knelt and bowed deeply.

Even among the Lumene students, some performed the hero’s salute toward Luna.

“Lady Luna.”

Benneth approached, his voice trembling.

Luna said,

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have much time.”

“What?”

Uuuung–!

Luna opened a warp gate through magic.

“I have to go now.”

“Where are you going?” Ellen asked urgently.

Luna smiled as if it were obvious.

“To Kyle.”