Editor : Amethyst00



Aru hurriedly followed behind Agon.

Just chasing after Agon, who was sprinting through the back alleys of Raysar at an incredible speed, was enough to leave Aru breathless.

'I didn't realize it when I met Lord Aaron during my first year, in his world…'

Aru knew that Agon was strong.

After all, he was Aaron's teacher.

But even so, Aru had never imagined he'd be this strong.

Compared to two years ago, Aru had gained overwhelming strength.

She was still young, but she had become a warrior who could no longer be called a mere fledgling.

Even so, Aru couldn't measure Agon's power.

'It's just like Lord Aaron and Lady Azonia…'

Clenching her teeth, Aru pushed harder with her feet to close the distance between them.

Ta-at—!

At the very moment Aru's speed increased further—

Agon suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Kehk?!"

Aru let out a shriek and hurriedly slowed down.

Barely managing to decelerate, Aru bumped her forehead lightly into Agon's solid back and finally came to a stop.

Agon looked back at Aru and said,

"Amazing. To have such power at such a young age."

"Huh? Ah! It's thanks to the person who taught me being a really good teacher!"

"I didn't expect Aaron to have such talent for teaching. That child is excellent at learning, but I didn't think he had any teaching ability."

"Huh?"

"Aren't you Aaron's student?"

"Ah, yes. You could say that."

Aru looked flustered.

"But… how did you know?"

"You used Aaron's technique."

"Ah…"

Hyper-sense.

A technique Agon had taught to Aaron.

More precisely, he taught how to control hyper-sense.

The ability itself was something Aaron had possessed since childhood.

Because he had been tormented by that power from a young age, Aaron had grown into a chronic coward.

"I didn't expect it to be something that could be taught to others."

At Agon's muttering, Aru recalled someone else who had helped teach him the ability.

'The Black Rabbit.'

It was Leo who had helped awaken Aru's hyper-sense.

As Agon had said, Aaron's ability to teach was not just terrible—it was hopeless.

Aru wagged her tail gently.

"So… that child has grown enough to take on a student."

A faint smile appeared on Agon's lips.

In his previously cold and emotionless demeanor, Aru saw a glimpse of the Agon she remembered.

Seeing that, Aru clenched her fist and said,

"Lord Agon…! Erebos might soon be summoned to Raysar!"

Aru spoke urgently.

Right now, the raiders were giving their all to stop the worst-case scenario—the summoning of Erebos.

The Shadows were also on the move.

But they were also preparing for the possibility that the summoning couldn't be stopped.

The hero candidates were preparing a siege just in case.

In such a situation, powerful warriors like Agon were needed—every single one counted.

At Aru's words, Agon let out a brief laugh.

"In that case, wouldn't it be better to leave Raysar quickly?"

"Huh?"

"This city is beyond saving."

Agon's voice was cold as ice.

Aru gulped dryly as she looked at Agon.

The Agon she had once known was no longer there.

Of course, Aru also knew why Agon had become like this.

Back then… if not for Leo and herself, the orphans would all have been slaughtered by men sent by Raysar's lord.

Agon knew this, too.

And yet, he had been unable to stand against Raysar for many years.

Agon's alias was Guardian of the Azure Sky.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the refugee city of Raysar had been built and protected by him.

Though he burned with hatred, his sense of duty as a hero suppressed it.

But the hatred nestled deep within Agon's heart did not fade.

The more he suppressed it, the more it burned fiercely.

Eventually, the flames of hatred consumed him.

And brought him to this state.

Agon swore revenge against the lord of Raysar and his followers.

In doing so, Raysar's safety ceased to be his concern.

To him, only revenge mattered now.

"You said Aaron asked you to meet me?"

"……"

"I don't want to show this side of myself to him."

He didn't want Aaron to see the ugly side of himself, consumed by hatred and set on destroying Raysar.

Agon had heard of Aaron's deeds.

He was proud of the student who had begun to bring hope to a world filled with despair.

At the same time, he loathed himself for becoming someone who would now drag that student down.

That's why Agon hadn't met Aaron.

No—he couldn't meet him.

'…They said the Black Rabbit dealt with Raysar's lord, didn't they?'

Back during the first-year raid on Aaron's world—

Leo was the one who dealt with Levaiten, who would have become Raysar's future lord.

But in actual history, it was Leo who had taken him down as well.

'And Lord Agon remained the Guardian of the Azure Sky.'

He had once tried to destroy Raysar out of hatred.

But when Raysar truly fell into crisis—

He had protected the people.

Did that mean he had let go of his revenge and hatred to return to being a hero?

'No… If that were the case, the Black Rabbit would've known.'

It wasn't Agon who eliminated the traitors.

It was Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning.

Aru clenched her fist.

Then she opened her eyes wide and looked at Agon.

Aru's blue eyes sparkled brightly.

Seeing them, Agon furrowed his brow.

"Why… are you looking at me like that?"

"Lord Aaron has always respected you, Lord Agon."

"…I'm not someone worthy of respect anymore."

"No."

Aru shook her head.

Her white hair swayed gently.

"Lord Aaron will continue to respect you."

In a moment of crisis—

The choice Agon made was not revenge, but saving people.

He couldn't help being a hero.

At Aru's confident words, Agon's eyes trembled.

Something about Aru's innocent expression reminded him of the orphans.

Then—

Whooooom—KWAANG!

Azonia flew in from afar and crashed into a building in the alley.

Rumble—

Rising to her feet, Azonia shouted fiercely.

"That damned bastard! No mercy at all!"

"Lady Azonia! Over here! Look!"

Aru pointed at Agon.

Azonia's eyes widened.

"Master…?"

"…?"

Agon looked momentarily puzzled.

Seeing that, Azonia gave a bitter smile.

It made sense.

Azonia had met Agon many times.

She had even become his disciple.

But that was inside the Hero's world.

Each time Agon accepted Azonia as a student, his memories were erased.

This time was no different.

To Agon, she was just a strange woman calling him Master.

Of course he'd be confused.

At that moment—

'Master!'

A memory flashed through Agon's mind.

He clutched his head.

"Urgh?!"

"Are—are you alrigh—"

KWA-GA-GANG!

Just then, Aaron landed not far away.

The shock blew debris everywhere.

Thunk!

A chunk of rubble conveniently hit the back of Azonia's head.

In that instant—

Agon vanished without a trace.

"Don't try to stop me. I'm going back to Godthrone…"

"Because of you, we lost Master Agon!"

Azonia lunged at Aaron, her eyes blazing, and grabbed him by the collar.

"You're so mean! We might've convinced him if not for you…!"

Even Aru looked teary-eyed and blamed Aaron.

"Uh… hmm…"

Aaron looked at Aru and Azonia with a flustered face, then turned toward where Agon had stood.

He gave a bitter smile.

"If Master doesn't want to see me… there's nothing I can do."

"Don't be ridiculous! It's not about you! I wanted to talk to him again!"

"Do you understand what kind of pain Agon must be feeling to be like that?!"

Azonia roared like she was about to breathe fire, and Aru scolded him too.

Aaron looked miserable.

'No one's on my side…'

"This way!"

"Capture the terrorists attacking the city!"

Just then, voices of Raysar's guards rang out.

Among them were some who worked as heroes in Raysar.

Aaron tried to run.

Azonia grabbed him by the scruff.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

"Let go! I have to get back to Godthrone…!"

"Don't be stupid! No way I'm letting you go! Cat! Grab this damn wolf!"

At Azonia's growl, Aru clung tightly to Aaron's back.

"Don't let go."

Azonia crouched and said,

"Let's break out and regroup with the others."

Kwaak—!

Azonia leapt.

Before the encirclement could fully form, the three escaped from the area.

bl

"This is… too easy."

Anya said to Damien.

And it was true.

Infiltrating the Raysar lord's castle had been far too easy.

Even with a hundred Shadows slipping in, there had been little resistance.

'Is this a trap?'

Anya couldn't help but wonder.

In response to her doubt, Damien said,

"It's easy because it has to be. Shadows don't exist in this era."

"Ah…"

The Age of Calamity was an era where Shadows did not exist.

So the defenses were inevitably lax.

The hundred Shadows began combing through the vast castle.

All of them were experts in rooting out and eliminating traitors.

They felt revulsion toward the lord of Raysar and the heroes who had sold their souls in this age.

A little later—

Damien and Anya reached a room deep underground.

Inside, they found a massive summoning circle—and their expressions hardened.

"This is…"

"Black magic."

Anya quickly analyzed the magic circle.

"A complex structure I can't fully decipher… I think this might be a summoning circle."

She began gathering mana.

"Should I destroy it?"

"…No."

Damien approached the circle.

Fwoosh—

Golden flames danced on Damien's hand.

It was the flame of Dwenno that he had inherited.

Using the golden fire to protect his hand, he reached out to the circle.

At that moment—

KWA-A-A-AH!

Black flames surged up.

"Lord Damien!"

Startled, Anya called out to him.

But Damien didn't pull his hand back, even within the black flames.

Moments later—

Whoosh!

Damien quickly pulled his hand away from the circle.

He barely shook off the black flames with the golden ones.

"A-Are you okay?!"

Anya rushed over in alarm.

Wiping the blood from his eyes and nose, Damien said,

"It looks like… we won't be able to stop Erebos's summoning."

"What?"

"And I found out what the summoning medium is."

Hatred flickered in Damien's eyes.

"What is it?"

"People."

"…Huh?"

"These lunatics are planning to sacrifice living people to summon Erebos."