Editor : Amethyst00



Lysinas's eyes widened.

"That idiot!"

When Leo volunteered to act as bait, she had assumed there was some kind of plan.

But never had she imagined he would go so far as to take a fatal blow just to fulfill that role.

"I swear—I can't live with that muscle-brained bastard!"

Luna also glared furiously, exploding in rage.

"Dweno! This was part of Kyle's plan too, right?"

"Of course it was! But even if it was, I'm still gonna beat the crap out of him!"

"Can I hit him once too?"

"Let's just pummel him!"

Even Aaron, who expressed his anger with meek restraint, drew a fierce shout from Dweno.

At that moment— The four of them sensed a change in their bodies.

"This is…?"

Lysinas's eyes went wide.

"Purity mana…?"

But it wasn't just ordinary purity mana.

It was their own powers—now infused with purity.

That is, a form of purified power they themselves could wield.

'It's like spirit evoking.'

Like channeling spirits into one's body.

But beneath that lay the principles of a magic on a far higher dimension.

Lysinas turned toward Luna with a stunned look.

Luna too wore a horrified expression.

Even she, hailed as the greatest magical talent since the dawn of magical history, couldn't fully grasp the scope of it.

'Kyle created this magic…?'

Luna's gaze shifted to Leo.

Leo looked at his comrades and gave a cheeky grin.

"You unbelievable…!"

Luna steadied her trembling heart and raised her staff.

Leo had created the perfect opportunity.

A chance to strike down Erebos while he was vulnerable.

"You really are a master at scaring people half to death!"

Vwoooom—!

Luna began to draw out all her mana.

At the same time, the very space around her began to ripple.

If she now possessed purity mana—

There was one spell she could cast.

A spell she had created, yet had never been able to use.

A spell meant solely for Kyle.

'Innocent.'

Of course, since the spell formula was designed specifically for Kyle, anyone else would have difficulty casting it outright.

But Luna was the one who created the spell.

Adjusting the formula to fit herself was a trivial matter.

'No way I'm stopping here!'

Runes of Extinction began flowing from Luna's lips.

More certain than ever—she invoked them with absolute conviction.

A mage's incantation is a beacon of hope for warriors on the battlefield.

No matter how hopeless the situation, hearing a mage chant with unwavering belief could grant courage to any soldier.

And even more so for those fighting on the front lines.

Flash—!

Dweno raised his battle axe high.

Fwoooosh—

The mighty flames covering his body surged into the axe blade.

Not to protect—but to destroy.

Aaron, too, raised his aura, sharpening his blade even further.

The weapons of the two mightiest vanguards flew toward Erebos.

"Hero of Beginning…!"

Erebos's eyes snapped wide open.

Seeing that look of hatred—of grinding fury—directed his way, Leo smirked and raised his middle finger.

"Looks good on you. Yeah… that face suits you way better than that smug, confident one you used to have."

At Kyle's provocation, Erebos quickly tried to retreat.

He had inflicted a fatal wound, but killing Kyle before Aaron and Dweno's attack landed was impossible.

And if he hesitated even a second longer—Luna's spell would strike.

Erebos assessed the situation in an instant and began to withdraw.

Fwoooosh!

Suddenly, a flash of light shot into the sky.

Fwoosh—!

A massive light rose into the heavens, as if a second sun had dawned.

That light chased away the sky of despair—symbol of the age of calamity.

In that moment—

Thunk—!

"……!"

Light-arrows that had pierced the heavens rained down, embedding into Erebos's body.

They pinned him to the ground, as if declaring they would not let him escape.

"Foolish… wretch!"

Erebos roared, his eyes wide as he looked to the sky.

There, standing against the light—was Lysinas.

Creaaak—!

She drew her bow, arrow trained on Erebos.

"No, you're wrong."

Lysinas spoke quietly, evenly.

"I was called a fool for carrying an impossible wish—to save the world. But…"

A mocking smile curled on her lips.

"We saved it."

That was the truth.

That absurd wish—

What once seemed like an eternal lie… had become reality 5,000 years ago.

"If bearing an impossible wish makes one a fool, then I am no such thing."

She was the Wise Queen who led the world to salvation.

"No… the true fool is you—for clinging to the absurd delusion of burning the world to ash."

The very same ridicule Erebos had once thrown at her—Lysinas now returned without mercy.

"So tell me—who's really the fool now?"

Thunk—!

The moment her words ended, a punishment arrow imbued with the power of purity pierced Erebos straight through the forehead.

As his body snapped backward—

Golden flame and golden aura—both infused with purity—cleaved through his form.

As the shattered pieces of Erebos floated in midair—

Aaron grabbed the critically wounded Leo and Dweno, leaping away with all his strength.

Fwoosh—!

As if space itself had been bent, they shot away from Erebos.

And then—

Luna completed her magic.

Extinction and Purity.

Absolute destruction fused with utterly pure power.

And the phrase that signified the beginning of all beginnings fell from Luna's lips:

"Zero."

Erebos's eyes went wide as the void's mana struck him head-on.

And then—

"Heh… hehehe…"

A hollow laugh escaped his lips.

It was absurd.

Where in the world did such infinite possibility even come from?

But—

"You still… cannot be complete."

What had occurred was a miracle—a fleeting moment born from the intersection of two worlds.

Even if regret lingered…

"In the end, the world will fall."

Erebos spoke with certainty.

So long as the Great Heroes were incomplete—

There would be a limit to their potential.

"Savor this brief peace while you can."

With those words, Erebos vanished.

And as his final words echoed, Luna stuck a pinky finger into her ear and muttered:

"…Bullshit."

bl

As the shards of Erebos faded, Tartaros immediately retreated.

A victory that once seemed impossible—

It was a miraculous moment, triumphing against even just half a fragment of Erebos.

Everyone gazed in awe at the distant figures of the Great Heroes.

"Those are… the Great Heroes."

Someone murmured under their breath.

"The ones who saved the world…"

And in that silence, Leo stood up with Aaron supporting him.

Tap tap tap tap—

Luna ran straight toward him.

Seeing her approach, Leo clicked his tongue.

'To think she really pulled off Zero right then and there…'

The magic Zero, a spell Leo had only managed to complete after long years of research.

And yet Luna had cast it flawlessly on the spot—her magical prowess was, once again, absurd.

"How did you even come up with Zer—?"

But as Leo asked with a smile, his face suddenly hardened.

And he yelled, "Hey, you crazy elf! I'm a critical patie—"

"Shut it, you damn bastard!"

Wham—!

Luna's flying kick struck Leo right in the chest.

Leo tumbled across the ground.

"You perverted geezer! Grab him!"

"Up you go."

Dweno grabbed Leo by both arms from behind and hoisted him up.

"Let go! I said let go, you perverted old man!"

As Leo kicked and screamed, Luna warned, "Oh? Oh? Struggle any more and I'll hit you again! This time in the gut! Even harder!"

Luna snarled, full of fury.

Lysinas stepped forward and pulled her back.

"That's enough. One hit's enough, isn't it?"

"Finally, someone reasonable—"

Wham!

Lysinas's fist struck Leo square in the solar plexus.

"Now it's my turn."

"You crazy lizard…"

Leo gasped, spitting curses as he struggled to breathe.

"You worried us sick!"

"Exactly! What if you'd died doing something that reckless?!"

"You're the ones killing me now… you lunatics…"

As Leo croaked in protest to the two scolding him, Dweno spoke up.

"You wouldn't die from just that."

At Dweno's cold words, Leo ground his teeth.

"I'm mad too. I want to hit him once."

Aaron spoke in a rare voice of anger, and both Lysinas and Luna stepped aside.

They assumed that soft-hearted Aaron would only give him a harmless flick on the forehead at most.

But in the next moment, Aaron's fist slammed into Leo's stomach.

Crack—!

A heavy, ominous sound rang out.

"…Kyle?"

Dweno shook Leo's limp body.

Then with a serious face, he said, "This is bad. He's not breathing."

"Gasp! Kyle!"

"Breathe! Breathe, damn it!"

Lysinas shook the unconscious Kyle, and Luna slapped his cheeks relentlessly.

"Aaron, that was too much. Do you not know moderation?"

"Why is it always me…"

Aaron pouted as Dweno scolded him.

Eventually, Leo came to—barely—and with a low growl, grabbed the collars of Lysinas and Luna.

Of course, they didn't back down and grabbed his collar too.

The three of them ended up locked in a collar-grabbing brawl, and the crowd around them could only gape.

"Are those… Great Heroes?"

Everyone wore stunned expressions as their image of legends crumbled into dust.

And just as they were all coming to grips with the truth of history—

Vwooom—!

An icy mirror formed in front of Leo.

Leo checked the watch he carried.

Tick—tick—tick—

The sound of the second hand ticking echoed.

The watch, once frozen, now ticked almost by the second.

'…It's time.'

The rowdy banter with his friends—the everyday noise—was drawing to a close.

'No… If I chose to stay here… I could.'

Leo turned around.

He had a choice to make.

And yet—

'No matter what I choose… I'll be left with regrets.'

His grip on the watch tightened.

As Leo turned to face the icy mirror—

Clack—

Someone grabbed his hand.

Assuming it was Luna or Aaron, Leo bit his lip and looked back.

And his eyes widened as he saw Lysinas—her trembling hand holding his.

Her face was on the verge of tears as she looked up at him.

Leo was at a loss for words.

Then Luna stepped forward, pried Lysinas's hand away, grabbed Leo by the collar—and kissed him.

Leo stood frozen in shock.

Luna smiled brightly at his dazed expression.

"I like you, Kyle."

"……"

"So I want you to make the choice that feels right to you."

She stepped back a pace.

"The Kyle I know… would believe in us. That even without him, we'd save the world."

She spoke firmly.

Holding back her tears.

"And… the Kyle I know is someone who'd never give up on saving the world."

"……"

"So… no matter where we end up… even if our paths diverge…"

Luna smiled radiantly.

"I hope we'll always stay true to ourselves. That's the choice I'd make."

Leo closed his eyes.

Then turned to look at Dweno and Aaron.

Dweno gave him a heavy nod, while Aaron sniffled and smiled weakly.

"I feel the same way as Luna."

"Don't smile like that, Aaron. It's creepy."

"What! That's your smile I copied!"

Leo chuckled bitterly at Aaron's indignant face and looked at the still-downcast Lysinas.

"Lysinas."

At that, she clenched her teeth and raised her head.

Then she threw her arms around his neck—and stole his lips.

"Mm?!"

Leo staggered back, stunned.

Luna, who had been smiling dryly, suddenly flared up.

"Sh-sh-sh-she—! Her tongue?! Gross! Does she think this is some kind of bedroom—mph!"

"That's enough. Let's not embarrass ourselves any further before the next generation."

Dweno sighed as he covered Luna's mouth.

Lysinas took a step back and said,

"Kyle."

"…Yeah."

"I like you."

Leo looked at her quiet smile and said, "Maybe… you'll meet another me someday."

"……"

"The me from this world."

At that, Lysinas nodded.

Then Leo turned his back to them.

Step, step…

He walked toward the icy mirror.

And then, as if hesitating, he stopped and turned back.

He etched the image of his friends into his heart—

And stepped into the mirror.

Fwoosh—!

For a brief moment, a void of darkness unfolded.

And then—

Step, step…

Leo saw someone walking toward him.

Kyle—the Hero of Beginning.

Leo's eyes widened, and then he chuckled.

Step, step…

At the midpoint between them, Leo extended his hand.

Kyle, wearing a puzzled expression, took it.

Leo handed over the divine power earned from vanquishing Erebos's shard.

Kyle looked at him and asked quietly,

"Got something to say?"

"No."

Leo gave him a smirk.

"Enjoy the extra workload."

"…Extra workload, huh."

Wearing the same smile, Leo turned back toward the world.

Just before they each passed into the other's world—

"You've got an annoying smile."

"You've got an annoying smile."

They muttered the same comment at the same time.

Fwoosh—!

Kyle disappeared into the mirror as a fragment of the Hero Record.

Fwoosh—!

And Leo reappeared—at the center of the battlefield.