Editor : Amethyst00



"It's coming!"

Kyle shouted urgently.

Erebos's unfocused eyes turned toward the three standing ahead.

Rumble—!

Erebos's arm slowly began to rise.

Crash! Boom-boom-boom-boom—!

A massive fist struck the ground.

A tremendous shockwave erupted.

Though he couldn't use his authority and was driven purely by instinct, the fact remained that he was an evil god destined to destroy the world.

Tap—!

Aaron leapt onto the back of Erebos's hand embedded in the earth.

Flash—!

Kicking off the ground, he shot forward at incredible speed, running up Erebos's arm.

Hummm—!

From Brave, clenched in Aaron's right hand, a massive golden aura surged forth.

The golden sword, now the size of a guillotine's blade, radiated a chilling murderous energy.

Aaron gripped the sword with both hands and swung it down.

His strike came down directly toward Erebos's neck.

But in that instant, Erebos's massive frame vanished before his eyes.

"Tch!"

Clicking his tongue, Aaron kicked into empty air.

Boom!

Erebos reappeared behind him and swung a hand.

Aaron quickly escaped Erebos's reach to avoid being caught.

At that moment—

Kyle's gray aura aimed at Erebos's back.

But his sword too cut only through air.

"Damn it!"

Just as Kyle cursed—

Crackle!

A flash of pure-white lightning snatched him from the air.

The spot where Kyle had just been was torn apart by Erebos's attack.

"Albus? I didn't summon you…! And why is Lysinas with you—?"

"No time to explain! Hold on tight!"

Lysinas grabbed Albus's reins and swiftly began to move.

Erebos relentlessly began targeting Lysinas and Kyle.

With nothing but instinct remaining, Erebos was highly sensitive to Kyle's power—his natural enemy.

Despite Erebos's relentless attacks, Lysinas enhanced Albus's abilities and avoided every single one.

Her mastery over a divine-level beast was so astounding that even Kyle—and Albus—couldn't help but be in awe.

"Honestly, Albus should've made a contract with you instead."

"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't! Elsie!"

["Yes."]

At Lysinas's call, Elsie smiled faintly and sank into Erebos's shadow.

For a moment, Erebos's movements stopped.

Using Elsie's power, they had restrained Erebos for a brief time.

Seizing that momentary gap, Aaron lunged in.

Kyle and Dweno also charged toward Erebos.

Golden blade, axe blade—

Gray sword—struck Erebos's neck.

Splat—!

Thick black sludge-like blood splattered in every direction.

It was Erebos's blood, a horrific poison so lethal it could kill on contact.

Screeeeeech—!

Enraged, Erebos scattered his blood in all directions.

Even for an unquenchable flame, pain still existed.

And one of the weapons that had struck his neck contained the power of purity capable of annihilating him.

But the current Great Heroes were still far too weak to defeat Erebos.

They could cause pain—but they could not slay him.

As Erebos began burning the surroundings in black fire, Elsie could no longer restrain his shadow and was flung away.

Dweno pulled out a shield to block the flames.

Kyle infused Posteritas with mana to shield himself and Lysinas from the fire.

As for Aaron, he pushed his super-sensory perception to the limit and glimpsed the future.

'I can see the future, and yet I still can't dodge!'

Aaron gritted his teeth.

Though his soul was that of a future hero, his body didn't possess the power yet.

That's why merely glimpsing moments ahead wasn't enough to respond to Erebos's attacks.

Aaron stared at Erebos.

A despairing difference in power.

Yet Aaron did not falter.

'I've lost too much to give in now. Even so—'

Aaron re-gripped his sword.

'I still have so much to protect!'

He couldn't retreat.

There was something he had to do—for the sake of the new era.

And so, only one choice remained.

'Advance!'

Ignoring the despair crashing down on him, Aaron charged forward.

To the eye, it may have seemed like reckless bravado.

But Aaron knew.

'Behind me is Luna! And the future Kyle!'

It was faith in his comrades.

bl

Leo's Innocent magic merged with Luna's Extinction.

As Luna drew the spell circle, she couldn't help but be amazed once again.

Through magical fusion, Leo's presence became clearer than ever.

Leo's mana etched itself into every inch of her body.

It was almost like communion.

Luna knew what Leo was thinking.

And Leo knew what Luna was thinking too.

As if they had become one.

A synchronization impossible unless one truly understood the other.

But Luna didn't fully understand Leo.

The Leo before her was Kyle's distant future.

Even now, Luna didn't fully understand Kyle—so understanding the future Leo was near impossible.

Which meant—

Leo understood Luna completely.

From head to toe.

Every corner of her heart laid bare.

And yet, Luna didn't dislike the feeling.

"It's strange."

"What is?"

"Kyle… you really was looking straight at me."

To Luna, Kyle wasn't just someone she loved—he was someone she couldn't understand.

Unlike Luna, who always believed in a brilliant future and moved forward, Kyle viewed the future pessimistically.

More accurately, he never dreamed of a future.

So Luna had hoped Kyle would dream.

Whether it was a realistic dream or an unattainable one.

She wanted him to have a goal.

But Kyle didn't dream.

They were fundamentally different.

Because of that, Luna thought Kyle could never understand her.

But that wasn't true.

'Now that I think of it, Kyle never denied my dreams.'

It dawned on her.

Kyle wasn't incapable of dreaming.

He simply chose not to.

Because dreaming brought pain.

'I'm sure Kyle once had many dreams too.'

Only after meeting the future Leo did she finally realize—

'Kyle and I weren't that different after all.'

Luna smiled brightly, forgetting the situation around her.

He had looked at her directly. Truly understood her.

"You could see what I was seeing too."

Magic merged with magic.

Controlling Luna's immense mana, Leo gripped his staff tightly.

His body screamed under the strain.

But Leo didn't care.

Finally, he spoke the incantation.

"Zero."

Pure mana drove away the surrounding darkness.

Radiant, beautiful light of purity.

Fleeting, hollow—but shining with hope.

Leo's spell struck Erebos.

Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom—!

Unable even to scream, Erebos's body began to collapse.

As a being of pure power, he could not be destroyed.

He could only be returned to where he belonged.

But—

'That's enough.'

This was the Hero's World.

An alternate possibility of a predetermined past.

Another form of victory.

Erebos's body vanished without a trace.

At that moment—

Above the gray-ash sky.

At the peak where Zero's light soared, blue sky appeared.

With Erebos's defeat, Tartaros also began to retreat.

Now that Supreme Commander Hell Kaiser had fallen—

Even Erebos's loss meant Raysar could no longer be destroyed.

"We've won."

Leo murmured softly as he staggered.

Luna caught him.

Then held him tightly in her arms.

"You did great, Leo."

[World of Aaron. Chapter: Mid-phase—Raysar's Fall has been conquered.]

Leo couldn't smile fully at the message floating before him.

Conquest complete.

It meant only one thing.

'Farewell.'

bl

All the players looked up at the "Conquest Complete" message.

The moment they saw it—

Everyone let out a cheer.

They had changed history.

That alone brought uncontainable joy to the hero candidates.

Plop—

"Ugh… seriously. That was so hard."

As Azonia collapsed into her seat, Damien spoke.

"Have some dignity."

"Hah? You beat me to a pulp in public. What dignity do I have left?!"

Azonia grumbled.

One by one, the hero candidates began returning to their original world.

Then—

"…Azonia."

"Ah, Master!"

Azonia hurriedly stood up.

Agon silently handed her a sword.

"This is…?"

"The sword I used. One very similar to Schatten."

"…!"

Azonia's eyes widened.

"I don't claim to understand everything… but you are still my student, aren't you?"

"…"

"I'm sorry I was a poor instructor."

"You were the best instructor, Master."

"Thank you for saying so. That's why…"

Agon looked straight into Azonia's eyes.

"Don't be bound by me or the children anymore."

"…"

"Move forward. That's what they would want too."

"…Yes."

With that reply, Azonia and Damien also returned to reality.

Left behind, Agon gazed up at the blue sky bathed in brilliant sunlight.

Then he approached the Great Heroes.

"How long are you all going to lie there?"

"Leo's completely drained, so we have to nurse him."

Luna beamed as she let Leo rest on her lap.

Lysinas frowned at the sight.

Kyle spoke.

"Luna. Drop the nice act. It doesn't suit you."

At his words, Luna got up and socked Kyle right in the gut.

Leo, who had been lying down, hit his head on the ground.

"Why'd you toss me aside?!"

"Well, that guy's you too, isn't he? Anyway, lucky you. The Pretty Luna giving you a lap pillow."

As Lysinas teased, Leo replied.

"If you're jealous, you give me one too."

"Don't be ridiculous. Who'd be—hey! Get off!"

Lysinas glared as Leo laid his head in her lap.

But she didn't push him away.

She only sighed heavily as she stared down at him.

Luna and Kyle were busy chasing each other and didn't notice.

Watching them, Dweno stroked his beard and muttered.

"You see all kinds of things, if you're living long enough."

Aaron responded.

"It's strange."

"What is?"

"How did Kyle not notice Lysinas and Luna's feelings?"

"…You didn't notice either."

"If I were Kyle, I'd have figured it out."

"Hm…"

"Yeah, I'm sure I would."

Leo's face twisted.

Lysinas snorted.

"This guy's just dense."

"Oh. Kyle's got a dumb side after all."

Aaron nodded.

Seeing that, Leo spoke.

"You guys turning on me now?"

"It's true, though."

Aaron teased.

Leo looked at him and said—

"Hey, did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That guy was dating Lisa."

"What?!"

"What are you talking about now?"

At the mention of Lisa from Arhi, Lysinas and Dweno's eyes widened.

"They even promised to get married—"

"W-Wait, how did you know?! No, how much do you know?!"

Aaron quickly clamped a hand over Leo's mouth.

"What's going on?"

Luna returned after punishing Kyle and asked, confused.

Lysinas answered.

"Aaron was dating Lisa."

"What?"

Luna looked shocked, while Kyle—rubbing his bruised chest—looked dumbfounded.

"You were doing all that behind the scenes?"

"N-Not now!"

"So you're dating her in the future, huh?"

"Whoa! Thought you were a total rookie! Who confessed first? Bet it was Lisa, right?"

"Uh…"

"Gasp! You confessed first?!"

Luna looked utterly stunned.

A commotion erupted.

Leo stepped back to watch.

'Yeah… we had times like this too.'

Not every moment had been dark and despairing.

As Leo smiled faintly—

Step—

Agon approached from behind.

"What are you all talking about so intently?"

"Aaron's love story."

"What?"

"No, that's not it!"

Aaron panicked as Leo teased him.

Agon blinked in confusion, then let out a laugh.

"I see. So you're a man after all. I worried a lot, but I'm glad to hear that."

Aaron looked miserable.

As Agon chuckled at his student, he turned to Lysinas and bowed.

"Thank you, Lysinas. For saving Raysar."

"I only did what needed to be done."

Lysinas smiled softly.

"Even so, thank you. And… you all will surely save the world in the far future."

Agon looked up at the brilliant blue sky.

A sky he thought he'd never see again.

After a long silent gaze, he looked back at the Great Heroes.

"I cannot speak for the world, but… I must say this. Thank you."

Bowing deeply, Agon gave his heartfelt thanks.

Lysinas waved her hand sheepishly.

Leo stood and approached Aaron.

"Aaron."

"Yeah, Leo?"

"You were amazing."

"So were you."

Aaron smiled warmly.

"You leaving now?"

"…Yeah."

Time was running out.

Leo and Aaron could both see it.

Cracks forming in the world.

"We'll meet again. I'm sure of it."

"…"

Aaron raised his fist.

Leo looked at Lysinas, Luna, Dweno, and finally Aaron, receiving Agon's gratitude.

As always, meetings are brief and partings are long.

They could not share the same time.

Time was short—far too short to share even a reunion.

But—

'Let's smile.'

Parting in sorrow wasn't right.

At the very least, he had to show that in the future—unlike the past—they could smile.

With that thought, Leo bumped fists with Aaron.

Bump—!

Aaron smiled brightly.

Leo spoke.

"Aaron."

"Hm? What?"

"Don't smile like that. You look like a jerk."

"I look cool, thank you very much."

At Aaron's reply, Leo chuckled.

And with that, his vision turned white.