Editor : Amethyst00



"An evil god?"

Kar's expression stiffened in confusion.

The only evil god he knew of was Erebos.

And now, before him appeared another being claiming to be an evil god.

What's more, the power it was emanating was no ordinary force.

Kar's transcendent senses told him that this being was both a fragment of Erebos—and yet something completely different.

'Whatever it is…'

Kar gripped his sword tighter.

'It doesn't change the fact that I must defeat it.'

Nyx gazed at the trembling Kar with a curious look.

"How fascinating. That a mere mortal like yourself could perceive my true nature."

On the surface, Nyx appeared no different from an ordinary human.

As an evil god, she had concealed her divine presence perfectly.

And yet Kar had seen through her essence without hesitation.

'He pierced the nature of a divine being? Truly a remarkable one.'

But that was all.

No matter how powerful, mortals would one day wither and die.

There was no way a being of flesh and blood could withstand her, a being of immortality.

The gap between them was clear.

"What… are you doing here?"

"I have no business with this place. It merely happens to lie on the southern edge of the world."

Nyx smiled faintly.

"My divine relic was sealed at the southernmost point of the world. I've come to retrieve it."

"Then just pass through."

Kar's voice trembled.

The presence of an evil god was overwhelming.

This being before him—was without doubt an enemy of both himself and his friends.

But there was no need to fight her right now.

'If she leaves… I can contact the others and form a subjugation party.'

It was too much for him to handle alone.

Then the best course of action—was to avoid a fight.

He had no choice.

Kar was a coward.

He hated terrifying things.

To his words, Nyx simply smiled.

"Yes. That's why I intend to grant eternal rest to those in this place."

"What?! Why must you fight?! We don't even intend to oppose you!"

"If you're walking down a path and see an insect, do you go out of your way to avoid it? No—you simply step on it. It's the same."

Nyx's eyes gleamed coldly.

"Why should I, a god, yield to the lesser beings of the lower realm?"

Nyx, the Frozen Death.

"Only the beautiful deserve to remain in this world."

She pointed toward Azonia with a finger.

"Those unchosen… to grant them rest is a mercy. Don't you agree?"

"……"

Kar's eyes were wide with fear.

The evil god's logic was incomprehensible to him.

'So in the end…'

There was no choice but to fight.

Behind Nyx, a massive door of ice formed.

And from within, emerged an army—Styx's legion.

Kar knew at a glance that they were demons, though unlike those of Tartaros.

His hands trembled.

An unknown evil god. And a demonic army following her.

'I'm scared.'

Fear gripped him.

Before he knew it, Kar stepped back.

'I have to protect the students.'

The students of Azonia.

Though rough and wild, they were pure, and brave.

They admired the false legend of him—a distorted version of his past—and wished to become heroes like him.

But… could he do it alone?

'I'm not a Brave.'

He was nothing more than a coward.

Kar clenched his eyes shut, the urge to run overtaking him.

There were no steadfast comrades like in his previous life.

'Can I do this… alone?'

Just as Kar wavered—

"Everyone! Battle stations!"

A bold voice rang out from behind.

"Do you know where you are?! This is the land where the great warrior Azonia built a sanctuary for the heirs of Heroes!"

The headmaster of Azonia, Zephia, shouted fiercely.

"You'll regret stepping foot here! Smash their skulls in! You ready, rookies?!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

The students of Azonia responded with firm and resounding voices.

"Don't let Kar get all the glory!"

"We're successors of the Brave too!"

"Hey! Kar! Don't tell me you're scared again?"

"No way he's scared! That guy—when the fight starts, he's the bravest of us all! Well… not outside of battle."

Kar's classmates and seniors shouted.

Looking at them, Kar clenched his fists.

These were the future heroes—the ones he had pushed, pulled, and guided.

They chased after the fantasy that was the Brave Aaron, and overcame their fear to walk that path.

'…It's heavy.'

The weight of responsibility.

He was leading only a few hundred, yet it felt unbearably heavy.

And for the first time, Kar truly understood—

—what it meant to bear responsibility.

And what it meant to become someone others admire.

'I'm nothing but a pathetic coward.'

His shaking stopped.

'I was a coward who only ever received help and care from my friends in our past life.'

He had always turned away from the modern image of the Hero Aruon.

That wasn't him, he thought.

A false legend created by the next generations—something he could never become.

And so he never tried.

But these children—were sincere.

They truly believed the lie and followed it.

They overcame their fear to chase it.

Kar's trembling stopped.

Step—

He took a step forward.

'Let's be brave.'

Step. Step.

'So they won't be disappointed when they learn the truth.'

Fwoooom—!

A golden aura flared around Kar's body.

Seeing it, Aru's expression turned to panic.

"K-Kar-sunbae! That's way too reckless…!"

Boom—!

Kar launched himself off the ground at blinding speed, charging straight at Nyx.

Crack-crack-crack—!

An ice wall rose in his path.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

His sword struck the wall—blocked.

"It's useless. That ice is the immortal frost. Nothing in the lower realm can leave even a scratch."

Nyx looked at Kar with pity.

Then—

Flash!

A golden energy surged from Kar's body.

Slice! Slice! Slice! Slice!

The sound of something being cut echoed.

Nyx's face stiffened.

"You… cut it?"

Her expression turned to shock.

Kar spoke quietly.

"If it has form, I can cut it."

"What?!"

"If I couldn't do that—I wouldn't qualify as a Great Hero."

Nyx's face contorted in rage.

"A mere creature of the lower realm dares—!"

Crashhh—!

A wave of frost tried to engulf Kar.

But Kar leapt skyward.

He pierced through the cold and charged at Nyx.

Nyx's expression twisted.

'Is this courage? Or just recklessness?'

Her body was incomplete.

Weakened from being long suppressed by the Calamity's Flame, even her dominion over Frozen Death had limited range.

Yet Kar had seen through her flaws—and closed the distance.

'Had he retreated, he would've frozen to death.'

Even so, charging into the center of the cold was no easy feat…

'What is this beast?'

Just as unease crept into Nyx's heart— Kar's sword sliced her neck.

Swoosh—!

Nyx's head flew through the air.

But an evil god wouldn't die from that alone.

Crack-crack-crack—

Ice formed atop her vacant neck, and her head reformed.

"You're quite skilled."

Nyx sneered.

"But such toys are meaningless against an immortal like me."

"I know. I've fought Erebos more times than I can count."

Had he recovered his past life's full strength, it might be different…

But as he was now, Kar couldn't truly harm Nyx.

He looked at his sword, then at Nyx, and let out a sigh of relief.

"What's that look of relief supposed to mean?"

"I felt it just now."

Kar's transcendent senses told him everything from that brief clash.

"That no matter what—I can't beat you right now."

"And you're relieved by that?"

Something about this unsettled Nyx.

The beast's relief—it was genuine.

As if to say, I'm still alive!

"Yeah."

Kar nodded brightly.

"Your power's on par with Erebos, but your fighting sense is garbage. That was a relief."

His words jabbed at Nyx's pride without intent.

Tremble tremble tremble—

"You…!"

Nyx's body shook with rage.

"A lowly mortal dares mock meeeeeee—!"

A storm of deathly frost roared out.

Watching it all, Kar grinned mischievously. His hypersense had revealed the truth behind her emotions.

"I get it now. You lost to Erebos, didn't you?"

"How dare a mere mortal mock me, the Frozen Death—!"

Crashhhhhh—!

Frost bombs rained down. Dodging through them, Kar muttered with a pained expression:

"I wasn't mocking you… I was just trying to smile like Kyle."