Editor : Amethyst00



Clench-!

Veins bulged on Leo’s arm.

Leo gritted his teeth and, with a “Hup!” shout, swung his arm.

Swaak-!

With a sharp sound, a slash burst from the tip of his sword and flew toward Sillatna.

Seeing that, Sillatna spread both arms wide.

Kwagagagagang-!

A massive dark crimson barrier blocked Leo’s slash.

After blocking the attack, Sillatna’s two arms turned into the form of giant snakes.

Jjeoeok-!

When the two snakes opened their jaws, particles of dark crimson light began gathering there.

‘A breath attack.’

Leo pulled on Alty’s reins and charged toward Sillatna.

Receiving Leo’s spiritual power, Alty’s body began to glow white.

Pajijijik-!

White sparks began bursting from Alty’s body.

Pajijijijik-!

A powerful lightning force began to gather on Alty’s horns.

Flash-! Kwagagagagang-!

Before Sillatna’s arms could unleash their breath, they were engulfed by a storm of thunder and turned to ashes.

“-Kuk!”

Seeing her crumbling flesh, Sillatna’s eyes flashed with killing intent.

She aimed her remaining arm at Leo.

A breath of destruction spewed from the snake’s mouth and struck toward Leo.

At that moment—!

Flash-!

A silvery-gray curtain unfolded in front of Leo.

The silvery-gray curtain deflected Sillatna’s breath.

The breath of destruction passed beside Sillatna and struck a distant mountain.

Flash- Kwaaang-!

With a powerful flash, a mushroom cloud rose.

The storm from the explosion’s aftermath swept over Seiren.

Watching that scene, Seiren’s Herdium murmured quietly.

“Is that what they call a battle between a Great Hero and a Legion Commander…?”

It was an incredible battle that transcended reason.

A shiver ran through his whole body.

“Fiora!”

Fwoosh-!

At the call, Fiora appeared before him, breathing flames.

“Burn it all.”

Flash-!

Fiora’s red eyes flashed.

Fwoosh-!

Empowered by Leo’s spiritual power, Fiora spun and soared high into the sky.

Flap-

An attack drawing out the phoenix’s firepower to its utmost—

[Prominence Wing.]

With Fiora’s flap, a massive storm of flames engulfed Sillatna.

“-You damned mythical beasts!”

Sillatna’s voice, filled with murderous rage, echoed.

[Heh! How about this! My power!]

As Kiran folded his arms and burst out laughing “Uwahahaha!”, Alty spoke.

[That’s not your power, it’s Master’s power.]

[Wrong! Leo just drew out my potential! So it’s my power!]

Seeing Kiran speak so proudly, Alty shook his head.

Now that divine power had summoned Kyle’s strength, the long-standing issue of energy deficiency was resolved.

Thanks to that, the three divine beasts, with all their potential released, were displaying the true majesty of the Three Great Mythical Beasts.

‘If it weren’t for these guys, I wouldn’t have lasted this long.’

Calling Fiora back, Leo gripped Alty’s reins and shot up into the sky.

Sillatna, her eyes crazed, unleashed frenzied magic targeting Leo.

Each time, Alty evaded every attack with near-divine movements.

“-Huhuhuhu.”

Watching that, Sillatna let out a low laugh.

“-Yes! Now I understand!”

Sillatna’s eyes gleamed.

“-You’re not the Hero of the Beginning! You’re the Surviving Hero!”

Sillatna remembered clearly—

The power of Kyle in his prime, known to people of the modern age as the Hero of the Beginning.

The power of that detestable Great Hero who saved the world and ultimately defeated Erebos.

Forgotten by people, but she who had fought Kyle multiple times knew better than anyone.

“-Yes! You still lack the power to defeat me! So you’re stalling for time, aren’t you!”

With newfound conviction, fierce killing intent burst from Sillatna’s body.

“-Kyle! I don’t know how you crossed into the present world, but that doesn’t matter!”

A massive surge of black magic raged around her.

Gooooooo-!

Dark crimson-black magic gathered in her hand.

‘She’s coming for real.’

Leo gripped his sword tighter.

The ground around the Monster Queen began to blacken.

The powerful black magic turned the surrounding area into a land of death.

After the Age of Calamity ended—

The power of the Legion Commander, who had reigned as the most dreadful calamity, was truly terrifying.

Hwaak-!

Sillatna swung her arm.

A massive clump of dark magic surged toward Leo.

He couldn’t dodge.

Determining that, Leo gathered all his mana and cast a barrier spell.

Kwaang-!

The dark magic struck Leo directly.

Leo was blown away and crashed into the ground.

A massive crater formed as if a comet had fallen.

[Awooouugh!]

[She’s a total monster!]

[Chirp- Chirp!]

Alty, Kiran, and Fiora, who were also slammed into the ground, groaned.

‘The barrier didn’t break.’

Leo rose to his feet.

But the immense shock rattled his whole body.

He shook his head and stood up.

Koom-! Koom-!

Sillatna charged at Leo without hesitation.

“Hrrgh!”

Leo activated aura throughout his body.

Kwaaang-!

Kwagagagak-!

He blocked Sillatna’s physical strike with his hand.

Skreeee-! His feet scraped along the ground as his body was pushed back.

“-If it were Aaron or Dweno, they’d easily block a hit like this!”

With a mocking laugh, Sillatna struck Leo again with her remaining hand.

Puh-eok-!

With the impact, Leo’s body was thrown back once more.

Jwareuk-!

Catching his balance, Leo glared at Sillatna.

‘Her attacks have become relentless.’

The moment she judged that she could face Leo head-on after their probing battle, she abandoned her cautious stance.

Until now, Sillatna had fought with retreat in mind, but now she was determined to annihilate Leo.

That difference was enormous.

‘I’ve already fought Zodiac once.’

The power recreated through divine energy wasn’t infinite.

Bit by bit, it had been consumed.

Now, little strength remained.

Like a candle before the wind—

He could feel it gradually fading.

Leo readjusted his grip on his sword.

Yet despite that, he felt no unease.

The reason was simple.

Because the comrades who gave him courage stood behind him—

She gave Leo the strength to move forward.

‘She’ll subjugate Zodiac soon enough.’

Unshakable faith and trust.

Sillatna’s face twisted.

‘Those eyes….’

The eyes of Great Heroes who never lost hope no matter the circumstance.

That gaze had been a nightmare to all Legion Commanders since the Age of Calamity.

“-Today, I’ll erase that nightmare once and for all!”

Gooooooooo-!

A terrifying killing intent burst from Sillatna’s body.

bl

“……How…… can he fight like that?”

Watching the hopelessly fierce battle, the heroes wore faces of disbelief.

They too had overcome countless hardships to stand here.

Those who had wrought miracles that people called great feats.

Yet even to them, the battle against Sillatna was filled only with despair.

However, in the back of the Great Hero fighting Sillatna, not a single tremor could be felt.

“That man…… does he not know despair?”

“It’s not that he doesn’t know despair—he just doesn’t hesitate to move forward.”

To the murmuring elf hero, the reply came from a bright, clear voice unfitting for the grim situation.

Everyone turned toward the source of the voice.

And when they saw who stood there, their eyes widened.

An elven woman stood, having opened a warp gate in midair.

A beauty like that of a goddess.

“La-Lady Luna?”

An elf called her name.

As if responding, Luna nodded, and all the elves knelt at once.

“Ah!”

“Lady Luna!”

“O great Poet of the Star!”

Ordinarily, it would’ve been hard to believe.

But with the existence of Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning, now fighting the Monster Queen, none could deny Luna’s presence.

No one knew why the Poet from the distant past had crossed time to appear here.

But since the forgotten Great Hero Kyle had returned, there was no rule saying the Poet of the Star could not.

As everyone watched Luna in awe, students began stepping out of the warp gate she had opened.

Ttubuk- ttubuk-

Luna walked toward the defense wall.

The defenders of the wall flinched and made way.

Below the wall, the Monster Queen’s armies were launching a fierce assault.

Seeing that, Luna raised her magic power.

Uwoong-!

At the tip of her folium, a magic formula appeared.

Luna’s eyes glowed golden as she chanted her spell.

Soon, Luna unleashed her magic.

By her overwhelming power, the Monster Queen’s army was vaporized.

“Ooooooh!”

“This is the power of Lady Luna, called the Poet of the Star…!”

As all looked on in awe, Luna turned to the students of Lumene and Seiren.

“You said you’re hero candidates who dream of becoming heroes?”

“Yes.”

It was Rhys who answered Luna’s question.

Luna smiled gently at Rhys.

“Then, watch that back.”

Luna looked at Leo’s back as he faced Sillatna.

“When an impossible battle begins, the one who shows the most courage is Aaron.”

Luna closed her eyes slightly.

“In endless fights, what everyone could trust until the end were the weapons crafted by Dweno.”

Her hand gripped the folium tighter.

“In battlefields where victory seemed impossible, what led us to triumph was Lysinas’s wisdom.”

Luna tilted her chin up proudly.

“And the one who overturned disadvantageous battlefields over and over with powerful magic was me.”

Before everyone’s eyes, Luna flaunted herself without embarrassment.

Yet none questioned it.

For it was true. Luna had indeed turned the tide of dire battlefields.

“And……”

Opening her eyes, Luna smiled as she looked at Leo’s back.

“When everyone gave up…… the one who never did was Kyle.”

Uwoong-!

A magic circle rose above Luna’s head.

“That’s why Kyle was the final hero and……”

A storm of immense magic surged.

“……the one who become the Hero of the Beginning.”

The Great Hero who survived till the very end.

Who alone defeated Erebos and opened a new era— the beginning of everything.

But the hero forgotten by all.

Everyone held their breath.

“Kyle…… is the greatest hero among us.”

A chant flowed from Luna’s lips.

bl

“……!”

Sillatna, who had been relentlessly pressing Leo, raised her head at the thunderous chant that shook the battlefield.

And when she spotted the elf standing proudly atop the rampart reciting the spell, her eyes widened.

“That's impossible……!”

She shook her head as if to deny the reality.

“Why is that woman here!”

Sillatna’s face was painted with fear.

The beautiful melody of the spell from Luna’s mouth sounded to the Monster Queen like a death sentence.

She had to stop it!

If that spell was completed—she would die!

Determining that, Sillatna tried to charge toward Luna.

Kwack-!

At that moment, an immense force pressed from her feet.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Kyle!”

Sillatna spat the words through clenched teeth, glaring at Leo, who mocked her.

“Impossible! Impossible! How can ghosts of the past like you appear in the present world!”

“And Zodiac appearing in this world makes sense?”

Leo swung his sword.

Kwagagagagak-!

“Keurk-!”

Leo’s sword left a huge gash on Sillatna’s body.

“And…… I’m not a being of the past.”

“What…… did you say!”

“I’ll tell you one last thing as a final farewell.”

Leo ran his hand across his face.

In that instant, the magic Luna had placed on him was undone.

“……!”

Sillatna, seeing Leo’s face, widened her eyes.

“Leo…… Plov!”

The new All-Class she once thought was merely a future threat— that immature fledgling— turned out to be their greatest despair.

“It was youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!”

Dark crimson-black magic erupted from Sillatna’s body.

But Leo sliced through the dark magic with gray aura.

“5000 years of accursed fate ends here.”

Leo felt Luna’s spell nearing completion.

Sillatna rapidly cast magic—

Spatial movement.

A final struggle to survive.

But Leo poured both aura and mana into his sword.

Craccck-!

Cracks ran along the blade from the excessive energy.

Yet Leo didn’t care.

It was indeed a precious sword.

But to kill the Monster Queen, it was a cheap price to pay.

Kwagagagagak-!

Leo’s sword shattered the spatial movement spell formula.

Her escape was perfectly cut off.

“Meeting you was filthy and let’s never meet again.”

“Kyyyyyyyle! Lunaaaaaaa!”

With a scream of hatred close to a death cry, Leo grinned.

And then—

“Extinction.”

The cold starlight of dawn flashed right before Sillatna’s face.

Like a lone star welcoming the light of dawn after a long darkness—

That light wrapped around Sillatna.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Sillatna’s scream of agony resounded through the air.

And soon——

Hwack-!

The light of Extinction vanished.

Nothing remained there.

Only one—

Leo, bearing the visage of the Hero of the Beginning, stood alone.

Leo turned his head toward the rampart.

And when his eyes met those of his friend standing there, he smiled.

Luna, too, smiled brightly back at him.

It was the moment when one of 5000 years of dreadful fate came to an end.