Editor : Amethyst00



Ssssshhh—!

A burst of water aura splashed through the air like a flowing stream.

Chen Xia glided atop it as if skating on ice, moving rapidly.

"Wow…"

Chelsea, watching from afar, widened her eyes.

"She looks like a water elemental…"

"She's not like a water elemental."

Melina suddenly appeared behind her, but Chelsea turned around, unsurprised.

Melina, slightly taken aback by Chelsea's calm, soon smiled warmly.

"Xia truly handles water on a level equal to the elemental."

Even Leo couldn't manipulate elements as deftly as an elemental.

Not even Lysinas, the Wise Queen once hailed as the greatest Elementalist, could do such a thing.

Handling elements on par with elementals doesn't automatically grant overwhelming power.

However, how one uses it can drastically elevate their combat ability.

Chen Xia, in fact, was restraining the Primordial Evil with fluid, almost dance-like movements.

Even with Melina providing support from both front and rear, it was a feat worthy of awe.

"Professor Mel?"

"Yes?"

"Right now, who at our school is closest to Leo in ability?"

"Well, even if the target is the same, each person has their own direction."

Melina turned her gaze to Chen Xia, who was holding back Erebos.

"If we're talking about their goal and trajectory… Xia is undoubtedly the closest to Leo."

"I see."

Chelsea gripped her staff tightly.

She felt frustrated at being left behind.

But she didn't seem dejected or disappointed in herself.

Rather, her fighting spirit burned even brighter, driving her forward.

'To push forward, fueled by rivalry, even in a battle for the fate of the world…'

Melina silently watched Chelsea's back as she began to sing.

Overall elemental handling? Chen Xia had the edge.

But in one specific realm… the realm of sound… Chelsea wielded wind beyond the level of elementals.

The fact she sensed Melina approach without a hint of presence proved it.

Responding to Chelsea's song, magic surged.

A grand spell was instantly completed and tore through Erebos' body.

In that opening, Eliza, pushing Pegasus's power to the limit, struck Erebos with a thunderous bolt.

Though it was a power temporarily gained through the Fairy King Sylord, the three of them were clearly holding their own against Erebos.

They were afraid of the uncertain future, yet had unshakable belief in themselves.

They were, indeed, the heroes of the future chosen by Kyle, no—by Leo Plov, the King of Beginnings.

'If I let my guard down even for a second, I'll be obsolete.'

Of course, she had no intention of stepping aside.

As the successor to the Wise Queen.

As a senior hero who had supported this era for so long.

She had no intention of retreating from the frontlines.

"Kiran. Help me."

["…Got it."]

Gritting his teeth, Kiran began deploying fairy magic.

It was the power of sealing, meant to suppress the enemy's strength.

Melina, focusing her mind, amplified Lysinas' mana.

Wooooong—!

A ripping pain tore through her body.

The power Melina now wielded clearly surpassed her limits.

She converted Lysinas' mana into spiritual power to strengthen Kiran's abilities.

Kiran was Leo's contracted beast.

But that contract also contained a portion of Lysinas' mana.

Thus, Melina could forcibly invoke the terms of Kiran's contract.

Already under immense physical strain, the cost was brutal.

Blood began flowing from Melina's mouth, eyes, and nose.

"Professor Mel!"

Carl's urgent voice rang out.

Aside from Carl, none of the other hero candidates knew.

The reason the three could hold their own against Erebos wasn't just their individual skills—it was also Carl's command and Melina's support.

If they realized one of those pillars, Melina, was faltering, they would all lose focus.

"Don't tell them, Carl."

"But—"

"I'm not so weak that I need you to worry about me, Carl Thomas."

Melina used Carl's full name.

It meant she acknowledged him—as a fellow hero on the battlefield.

"I'm staking everything on this battlefield."

Even if it meant her life.

Crackle!

Rumble rumble rumble—!

With the contract forcibly invoked, Kiran's power surged.

The seal began to suppress Erebos.

Fwoosh—!

["Guh?!"]

Kiran's eyes flew open.

["He got stronger?!"]

BOOOOM!

Despite Kiran's sealing spell, Erebos' power only increased.

Melina's eyes narrowed.

"That fragment of Erebos had just awakened…"

It was natural for him to grow stronger as his flames burned hotter.

He hadn't fully regained his strength yet, which was the only reason they could hold him back.

But now, his power had suddenly spiked.

He couldn't have recovered this quickly.

"Carl Thomas. Do you know what's going on?"

Melina's sharp question made Carl bite his lip.

"According to Lord Sylord… it's because he's reminiscing about the past."

"I see."

Melina nodded.

She understood.

The current owner of this illusion magic was Sylord.

But Erebos had tainted it using his authority of corruption.

They were now intertwined with the illusion.

"So the more Sylord longs for the past, the more power Erebos regains from that time…"

For Erebos, just sealed, rewinding time was the fastest way to recover.

["Hey, can't we just tell Father not to long for the past?"]

Kiran asked anxiously.

Melina gave a bitter smile.

"That's impossible."

["Why?! Why not?!"]

"…Because he's an adult."

["What?!"]

Kiran looked stunned.

"Adults yearn for the past for one reason."

Melina looked toward Erebos.

"Because the present is too hard."

The responsibilities and burdens they carry.

"Though the scale may differ, adults have so much to worry about."

That's why they yearn.

For the childhood days when they simply dreamed of the future.

For the yesterdays filled with hopeful excitement.

Even for the painful past, shared with those they can no longer meet.

"The harder the present, the more we long for the past."

BOOOOOOM—!

As if responding to her words, Erebos released a massive surge of power.

"Your resistance is futile."

Erebos' voice echoed.

"No matter how much you believe in the future, it is meaningless."

Fwoooooosh!

"It's getting bigger!"

Carl shouted in alarm.

"Ugh?!"

Chen Xia hurriedly summoned more water aura.

Sizzle—!

But it evaporated instantly.

"Xia!"

Whoosh—!

Eliza flew at incredible speed, grabbed Chen Xia's wrist, and soared upward.

BOOM BOOM BOOM—!

Black flames exploded from Erebos' body.

Flames of Calamity that burn forever once touched.

They looked ready to consume Xia and Eliza instantly.

"Grr!"

Eliza clenched her teeth, summoned more spiritual power, and accelerated.

Just then, a beautiful song rang in her ears.

Chelsea's magic boosted her speed.

BOOOOM—!

Eliza barely escaped with Xia from the black flames.

"Thank you, Eliza."

Xia expressed her gratitude.

Eliza bit her lip.

"Don't thank me yet. We still need to stop those damn black flames."

"…"

Xia gathered herself.

"You have no future."

Erebos continued mocking them.

"As long as that old, worn fairy longs for the past."

ROOOAR—!

The flames grew stronger.

Sylord bit his lip hard.

["It's my fault. I'm too weak…"]

"No! Weak? You've done more than enough!"

Carl shook his head.

"You've endured 5,000 years! I'd miss the past too if I lived that long!"

["…"]

"Don't worry."

Carl raised his thumb confidently.

"The monsters at our school aren't ones to give up! Even if they die, they'll come back!"

It was bravado.

But Carl did his best to uplift Sylord.

["Carl Thomas… you're just like Lysinas."]

"Haha, well…"

["You'd be a great con artist."]

"…."

Carl made a complicated expression at Sylord's ambiguous compliment.

["Yes… They're all Kyle's successors."]

Sylord's dim eyes regained clarity.

His whole body was burning.

Yet he smiled.

["Then I must try harder."]

Wooooong—!

The Fairy King's mana intensified.

["My contracted ones… my dear friends… must've endured this much pain too."]

bl

Whoooosh! BOOM BOOM BOOM—!

With a swing of her battle hammer, Lyl shook the earth and whipped up a violent storm.

"This is… beyond monstrous. A walking natural disaster."

Ziguas, the King of Desire, looked on with hollow eyes.

"If you keep saying rude things, I'll scatter your body to the winds."

Lyl growled fiercely.

Ziguas shook his head.

"I truly don't wish to fight you. I'd rather face the infamous villainess Elena Zeron."

"You'll wish for death if you fight Elena-sunbae."

Lyl adjusted her grip and charged at Ziguas.

He glanced over—at Leo, in infant form, overwhelming the legion commanders.

'So this is the Hero of Beginnings. Even in that state, he can handle us fledglings with ease?'

It wasn't just a matter of raw power.

'Even if he's the Hero of Beginnings, Leo Plov hasn't yet reached his full potential.'

The new legion commanders surpassed those born in the Age of Heroes.

Right now, the only gap between them and Leo was experience.

At this rate, Ziguas couldn't defeat Lyl and reach Leo's side.

'Even if I could, I'd be destroyed.'

He waited for his chance silently.

If the new commanders were mentally broken, Tartaros would have to make new ones.

'That must be avoided.'

Not out of camaraderie.

It simply wastes too much time.

The current batch, crafted by Hell Kaiser, were quality creations.

Too valuable to be thrown away.

'But if it comes to it, I'll discard them.'

Just then—

ROOOOAR—!

A massive surge of power erupted from Erebos.

Lyl flinched, Leo turned his gaze that way.

In that instant—Ziguas moved.

"Ah! Hyung-nim, watch out!"

Lyl shouted, chasing after Ziguas and warning Leo.

Before Leo could react, Ziguas used his authority.

"Hero of Beginnings—what would happen if you went even further back in time?"

Leo's body shrank rapidly.

Fwoosh—!

And then—Leo vanished.

"H-hyung-nim…"

Lyl's face went pale.

"Fufu. Even a great hero couldn't let go of the comrades of his past."

Ziguas chuckled darkly and faced Lyl.

"Well now… no matter how much of a natural disaster you are…"

The legion commanders, once overwhelmed by Leo, stood back up.

"Can you handle four of us at once?"

Lyl bit her lip tightly.