Chapter 580
Editor : Amethyst00
Whoooosh—! Flutter—
The fluttering cape caught the eyes of the hero candidates.
With the arrival of Kyle, a young man with ash-gray hair and eyes reminiscent of soot, it felt as if time momentarily stopped around him.
Kyle’s presence was that overwhelming.
Step—
“Ah.”
As Kyle took a step, time seemed to start flowing again, and the hero candidates gasped in awe.
‘What is this… this presence?’
En, who had assumed Leo’s appearance through the unique magic Mirror, involuntarily swallowed hard at Kyle's overwhelming aura that dominated the surroundings by mere presence alone.
As Melina’s heir and the future Dragon Queen, En had met countless heroes.
‘No… just comparing him to other heroes is probably disrespectful… But still…’
During summer break, En had spoken directly with Aaron.
Not long ago, when Luna visited Lumene, En had seen her up close as well.
Both of those great heroes had overwhelming presences too.
But Kyle was on a different level.
Aaron had a calming, gentle aura that brought peace to those around him.
Luna was approachable.
She mingled effortlessly with others, warmly engaging with people.
Just watching her made one smile.
Even during battle, that aura didn’t change much.
But Kyle was different.
His aura was so overwhelming, it was impossible to approach.
Like a blade unsheathed.
‘You can’t change your aura that much just by changing your appearance. Lord Leo must have been hiding his true self all this time.’
En clenched her fists tightly.
Step— Step—
At that moment, Kyle stopped in front of En.
“Don’t be nervous.”
“Ah…”
Spoken in a voice only En could hear, Kyle’s words snapped her back to her senses.
“Lift your head and face the enemy. You’re the next Dragon Queen, aren’t you?”
Kyle’s gray eyes glinted with stern light.
“If you freeze from just this, how are you going to handle what’s ahead?”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
En straightened her back in alarm and stood tall.
Seeing this, Kyle let out a faint chuckle and walked forward.
‘…I get it now.’
Aaron led people forward with great courage.
The founder of hero academies always pushed others ahead with confidence.
‘Kyle… pulls people forward.’
Kyle’s charisma was strict and firm—he dragged people forward.
That blade-like force wasn’t aimed at allies.
It was aimed at the enemy.
That gave people tremendous trust.
En realized this was Kyle’s way of instilling belief and took a deep breath.
“Is he really the Hero of the Beginning?”
Hark asked, looking flustered.
“I’m sure it’s Lord Kyle! He came to save us with Lady Luna last year, remember?!”
Lyl shouted in excitement.
Then—
“Hero candidates! If you’re all ready, come help already!”
A wizard hero who had been holding off Erebos’s flames flew in on a staff.
“We’re being pushed back! We desperately need your help!”
The wizard shouted desperately.
“Hey now, whether he’s really Lord Kyle or not isn’t the issue right now, is it? The important thing is stopping that.”
Elena stepped forward and calmed the situation.
With her words, the dazed hero candidates snapped back to reality.
“Kyle? What nonsense are you—ugh?!”
The bewildered wizard hero spotted Kyle and screamed in shock, falling off his staff.
Thud—!
“Hero of the Beginning, Kyle?”
Mouth agape, the wizard stared in awe, while Elena approached Kyle from behind with a smile.
“Come on, Hero of the Beginning. Help us out already.”
Elena beamed as she nudged him forward.
Gasps and admiration echoed around them.
“As expected of Elena. Just seeing him makes me hard to breathe…”
“Is this what they mean by a different caliber?”
While people murmured in awe—
“I said I’ll go on my own. Stop pushing, rookie.”
At Kyle’s words, Elena paused, then swiftly appeared in front of Leo.
She narrowed her eyes.
“That expression and tone… it’s just like that rude junior with no charm. And coincidentally, some fake is pretending to be that junior, huh?” Kyle chuckled.
Elena’s eyes narrowed even more.
“I thought it was strange. He always treating me like a child, even though I’m clearly older.”
Leo was always a bizarre case.
An absurd rate of growth that defied logic.
And a depth of experience one shouldn't have at that age.
If he was actually Kyle, Hero of the Beginning, it all made sense.
Seeing En earlier had sparked her suspicion. Kyle’s appearance confirmed it.
Then—
Woooooo—!
“What the?! Suddenly?! Aaargh?!”
“Everyone fall back!”
“The vanguard is caught in the flames! Healers!”
Erebos’s flames suddenly grew stronger, injuring the heroes severely.
Kyle clicked his tongue.
“He’s noticed I’m here.”
“Damn…”
Elena sensed the danger and tried to retreat.
Then—
Tap—
“Huh?”
Kyle grabbed Elena’s wrist and pulled her into his arms.
Elena’s eyes widened as she was suddenly embraced.
Kyle held her tighter and wrapped his cape around them.
Flutter—!
Flash—! BOOOM—!
Space tore open as massive flames engulfed Kyle.
Fwoooosh—!
Had Elena retreated, she would’ve been hit directly.
‘I would’ve died.’
Shivering from the chill of death, Elena regained her composure.
Kyle tightened his hold until it was hard to breathe.
Flash—!
Waving his hand, Kyle blew the flames away.
Fwoooosh—!
A crimson sword appeared in Kyle’s hand.
The sword, imbued with Phoenix Fiora’s essence, pushed back the flames of disaster.
“Tell the others. I’ll take the front.”
“Leo, by yourself?”
“Yeah. You rookies would only get in the way right now. That thing isn’t something someone ignorant of Erebos can handle.”
“There are students among the candidates with power rivaling heroes. I don’t think we’d drag you down—quite the opposite.”
Elena protested, her tone slightly irritated.
Kyle released her from his arms and said,
“What are you talking about?”
“Huh?”
“Rookies include those guys too.”
Kyle pointed at the heroes fleeing from Erebos.
Elena’s jaw dropped.
Even seasoned heroes were being called rookies?
“You support me from the rear. Got it, Elena?”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
She instinctively stood at attention, then quickly covered her mouth.
“You’re adorable.”
Treating her like a well-behaved child, Kyle strode toward Erebos.
Watching him go, Elena murmured absentmindedly.
“I can see why Lady Luna fell for him…”
Fwoooosh—!
Black flames surrounded the area.
But Kyle walked toward Erebos without concern.
The black flames were a disaster; mere contact meant fatal wounds.
But Kyle wasn’t threatened by such fragments.
His mana trait—Purity—was Erebos’s natural enemy.
He also had Dweno’s Flame, obtained when he conquered Dweno’s world, the very flame that shielded great heroes from Erebos.
Fwoosh—!
Golden fire blazed around Kyle.
‘That attack just now…’
Kyle narrowed his eyes at the flames.
Space had suddenly split, and black fire had rained down.
No warning.
Modern heroes would’ve been hit.
Not due to weakness—
‘It’s because they know nothing about Erebos.’
Erebos wasn’t just a monster spouting unquenchable fire.
He was a divine creature with countless secrets and powers from infinite worlds.
During the Age of Calamity, he was defeated by great heroes.
But many more sacrificed their lives to discover his weaknesses.
That strategy was built on their ashes.
Even the strongest hero is powerless before unknown power.
‘That attack… bent the laws of space.’
Not magic.
A divine miracle.
‘A power that manipulates space… The Head, huh.’
Kyle saw through the sealed fragment inside the Hero of Dawn.
Of Erebos’s six fragments, the one sealed in the Dawn world was the Head.
‘The problem is… that fragment, which shouldn’t have a will, used its power. And…’
Fwoooosh—!
The acrid burnt stench made Kyle grimace.
Only those who had fought Erebos would recognize this smell.
‘It’s worse than before.’
Kyle frowned.
He’d defeated shards, thoughts, and fragments of Erebos.
But none smelled this foul.
‘Is this one stronger? Why?’
As he narrowed his eyes—
Wooooooo—!
Flames poured toward him.
Though just a bundle of power, the fire radiated hatred toward Leo.
It knew.
That this was the one who had defeated it.
Kyle smiled.
“Looks like we’re on the same page.”
Flash—!
Golden aura erupted from the sword in his left hand.
A beast-kin hero’s eyes widened.
“A golden aura?! Is that Lord Aaron’s aura?!”
Slash—!
Kyle’s sword cleaved through all of Erebos’s flames.
Fwoooosh—!
Black fire surged up.
Kyle summoned a magical staff to his right hand.
He had already begun casting while swinging his sword.
“Extinction.”
Flash—! BOOOOM—!
Starlight of destruction blew away the flames.
All who watched shuddered at the spectacle.
“That’s… the All-Class Hero of the Beginning, Kyle…?”
“…Isn’t he just a better version of Leo?”
Everyone stared at his back in shock.
Crack—! Pop—!
Kyle’s sword cracked and the orb on his staff shattered.
They had been premium weapons crafted by Drianna.
Normally, he wouldn’t have broken them.
But he had no time to be careful now.
Fwoooosh!
As the flames reignited, Kyle reached into his subspace.
Vmmm— Vmmm—!
Something resonated within.
Kyle paused.
“I didn’t want to abuse antiques…”
Vmmm—!
Despite his wry smile, the resonance didn’t stop.
Click—!
He pulled out a chipped greatsword.
It looked like it might break any moment.
From the rear, Marigold, president of Damien’s student council, widened her eyes.
“Isn’t that Dweno’s relic at Damien?!”
Then—
Fwoooosh—!
Golden fire engulfed the sword.
Vmmmmmmm—!
The white blade shone brilliantly.
A beautiful sword, like a work of art.
But it had no name.
Dweno once said: “A weapon is just a weapon.”
Yet the nameless relic knew exactly why its creator made it.
Its creator had died millennia ago.
People saw the sword as a relic of a glorious past.
But the sword chose to burn itself to fulfill its duty one last time.
“He didn’t give you names…”
Kyle readied the blade.
“But he remembered every one of you.”
Whenever a weapon broke, Dweno drank and mourned.
Vmmm—!
The nameless greatsword resonated even stronger.
“He’s gone now, but don’t worry.”
Kyle lowered his stance.
“I’ll remember your final moments.”
CLANG—!
Kyle charged at Erebos.
‘Just hold out a little longer.’
Thinking of those trapped in the Hero’s world, Kyle tightened his grip.
‘I’ll come save you soon!’
“Kyahhhh! President! You’re so cool!”
“Forget that commoner girl! Come play with us! Please?!”
“…”
Carl laughed bitterly and looked up at the sky.
From behind, he felt Eliza’s murderous glare screaming, ‘What are you doing, you damn commoner?!’
‘Someone, please…’
Carl’s nose stung.
‘Save me.’