Chapter 116
“You bastards!”
“You think you can get away with this?”
As the Hero Corps of Reysar shouted, Ar revealed her killing intent.
“And you have the nerve to talk big after what you’ve done?”
The usual softness in Ar was nowhere to be seen.
Ar’s aura was sharp, filled with disgust and anger toward those who had tried to kill a young girl without hesitation.
The members of the Hero Corps flinched at Ar’s momentum.
Leo narrowed his eyes as he watched.
‘They’re not a formal Hero Corps, but a trainee unit.’
Putting those who are not ready onto the battlefield will only result in death.
Even in this era, there was a process for training heroes.
These people could be called hero candidates like Ar.
‘Of course, they’re not like Ar.’
It’s not about the era.
Even during the Age of Calamity, there were many candidates who dreamed of becoming true heroes.
But not these people.
They joined the Hero Corps to satisfy petty superiority or lust for power.
You could tell just by looking into their eyes.
It wasn’t about natural talent or the power they had.
‘It’s a fundamental difference.’
“I am Jerin of the Hero Corps of Reysar! Interfering with our work is the same as disobeying the lord’s orders!”
The woman in front, Jerin, shouted sharply at Ar.
“The lord’s orders? Or Levaiathan’s orders?”
When Leo asked coldly, Jerin flinched.
“So, you used a fake plague as an excuse to kill all the children and collect Shatten.”
The faces of the orphans went pale.
Ar’s expression also turned cold as she understood the situation from Leo’s words.
Step—step—
Leo stepped forward.
“No matter how bad things get, there are some lines you don’t cross.”
Srrng—
With no expression, Leo pointed his sword at the Hero Corps of Reysar.
“If you want to call yourselves heroes, you should at least keep the minimum standards.”
Anger burned in Leo’s eyes.
“Otherwise, it’s an insult to those who really risk their lives to save the world.”
“That’s right! People like you shouldn’t call yourselves heroes!”
Ar also shouted, backing up Leo.
“Insolent… So you really intend to get in our way to the end.”
Jerin raised her [Aura].
“Just because you’re a little skilled, you think you can do anything. I’ll show you how wide the world really is.”
Clank—clank—clank—!
Armor began to wrap around Jerin’s body.
In an instant, Jerin was fully clad in silver full plate armor, gripping her shield and spear as she approached Leo.
Leo spoke to Ar as he watched.
“I’ll handle her. You take care of the others.”
“Okay.”
There were five members of the Hero Corps in total.
If those who use [Aura] decided to kill the children, it would be easy.
‘If the real skilled ones came, it would have been a headache, but sending these trainees means the Hero Corps isn’t fully under Levaiathan’s control yet.’
The true experts in the Hero Corps were veterans who survived the Age of Calamity.
Even for Leo or Ar now, they would be formidable opponents.
‘Well, those people wouldn’t follow Levaiathan’s orders anyway.’
Jerin sneered as she saw Leo approach without his guard up.
“Foolish brat!”
Fwoooosh—!
Jerin gripped her spear and aimed a sharp thrust at Leo.
Wham—!
As she kicked off the ground, Jerin’s foot dug deep into the earth.
Leo swung his sword upward from below as the opponent closed in with speed.
‘You think you can block my attack with such a simple move…?’
Clang—!
“…!”
Jerin’s eyes widened.
Leo had easily deflected her [Aura]-imbued spear.
“And you call yourself Hero Corps with that level of skill.”
“Are you mocking me?!”
Jerin shouted sharply, charging at Leo with [Aura] filling her shield.
Leo raised his right hand, which wasn’t holding his sword.
Fwoosh—!
A flame of [Aura] formed in his right hand.
“Fire attribute [Aura]? That’s an unusual ability!”
In this era, it was common to imbue [Aura] with attributes, but not during the Age of Calamity.
Jerin was surprised by Leo’s flame, but then smirked.
“But do you think a flame like that can stop my shield?”
Leo looked at her shield and clenched his fist.
“So your [Aura] is specialized for defense.”
Fwoosh—!
Leo’s red eyes flashed.
“So what?”
Boom—! Fwoooosh!
Flames surged.
The fierce flames not only blew away Jerin’s [Aura], but also melted her shield.
“Kyaaa!”
Jerin screamed as molten metal poured over her.
“Your skills and your gear are both pathetic.”
Sheathing his sword, Leo looked toward Ar, who was handling the other four.
Thump—!
Ar leapt, and a strange sound rang out.
Crash—!
“Keugh!”
With Ar’s kick, one Hero Corps member’s armor shattered.
Baring her fangs like an angry cat, Ar sensed the killing intent of a sword at her back and lightly jumped.
Thump—!
Another strange sound, and Ar’s body bounced up.
Thump—!
She kicked off the air, changing direction mid-flight.
‘Elasticity?’
Seeing Ar’s [Aura] trait, Leo’s eyes sparkled with interest.
Each time Ar used [Aura], her body bounced freely.
With that tremendous speed and complex movement, the four Hero Corps members Ar faced were helplessly overwhelmed.
‘It’s like a cat toying with mice.’
She kicked the last Hero Corps member in the back.
The four knights foamed at the mouth and collapsed.
Ar snorted at the sight.
“Hmph. And these guys call themselves Hero Corps?”
Then she narrowed her eyes at Leo.
“So your [Aura] trait is fire.”
As a beastkin, a race best at handling [Aura], Ar could tell just by looking how powerful Leo’s [Aura] was.
“If we ever fight, it would be an interesting match.”
Seeing Leo’s strength, Ar smiled fiercely.
The playful air was gone, leaving only the dignity of Azonia’s top candidate.
“Well, since we’ll be attending the same academy, we’ll have a chance to settle it soon. Being around you is going to make school life really interesting.”
Ar smiled brightly at Leo.
“You, me! And even that scrawny wolf—if we team up, we can beat The Human Hero Academy, Lumene!”
Ar snorted and clenched her fist.
‘She’s so excited… I almost feel bad about revealing I’m from The Human Hero Academy, Lumene.’
Leo scratched his cheek.
“Hmph, foolish things.”
Jerin sneered.
Her whole body was covered in burns, her eyes filled with venom.
“You dare lay hands on the Hero Corps? Do you think Lord Levaiathan will let you get away with this?”
Grit—!
Jerin ground her teeth and cursed.
“Idiots! For some filthy orphans, you’ve made enemies of Reysar!”
Ar, watching Jerin with a sullen face, cracked her knuckles.
“So you want another beating?”
Jerin flinched at the sight of the murderous cat approaching.
Leo raised a hand to stop Ar.
“Can you take the kids and get them out of here?”
“What?”
“I have something to talk about with this one.”
The moment Ar saw Leo’s smiling face, she felt chills down her spine.
‘Something feels dangerous.’
Her wild instincts sensed the threat.
Leo spoke as Ar, ears and tail twitching, hesitated.
“Please.”
“…Okay. Everyone, let’s get out of here for a bit.”
At Leo’s words, filled with irresistible power, Ar led the kids away from the clearing.
Jerin sneered as she watched.
“Hah? After pretending to be a hero, are you afraid for your life now? Planning to beg for your life? Or did you send them away so they wouldn’t see you beg? You’re just as disgusting as the rest…”
“I think you’re mistaken.”
Srrng—
Leo drew his sword and approached Jerin.
“I just didn’t want the kids to see what comes next.”
Jerin felt chills run through her at Leo’s emotionless face.
The moment their eyes met, she instantly realized—
The boy before her had no hesitation when it came to killing.
“D-don’t come any closer!”
Jerin crawled back, her face white.
“If you kill me, Lord Levaiathan will never let you go—!”
“He wouldn’t, whether I kill you or not. If your report doesn’t reach him by the promised time, he’ll come himself.”
Leo’s cold gaze bore into Jerin.
“And I have no intention of letting him do as he likes. There’s no reason to let you live.”
“T-then take me hostage—”
“Do you think you’re worth that much?”
Leo raised his sword.
Under the gray, sunset sky.
Leo’s eyes held no emotion—they were chilling.
Leo’s sword fell like a guillotine.
“Wa—”
Slash—!
With a clean stroke, Leo cut off her head, and without hesitation, ended the lives of the other four as well.
Leo wiped the blood from his sword.
If they had come here just following orders, Leo wouldn’t have taken their lives.
‘But they knew everything.’
There was no reason to spare them.
“You didn’t hesitate at all.”
“I’m used to it.”
Leo replied indifferently to The Shadow Spirit, Elci, who had appeared behind him.
“Dealing with traitors and turncoats like these.”
It wasn’t just Erebos and Tartarus that made the Age of Calamity hell.
People like Levaiathan and Jerin, who called themselves heroes and killed the innocent to satisfy their desires, were everywhere.
And it was always Kyle who took their lives.
He never wanted to make his friends do such dirty work.
“…Did they really kill my friends just to get Shatten?”
The Shadow Spirit, Elci’s voice trembled slightly.
“Yes.”
“…”
Even though The Shadow Spirit, Elci was a great spirit, she was still young and inexperienced.
She had fought Tartarus since birth, and then waited with Agon for the true hero to appear.
She probably never had a chance to witness human malice.
This was likely the first time The Shadow Spirit, Elci had seen the world’s ugliness.
‘Originally, she would have seen Arron’s siblings get murdered.’
Leo realized why she had asked when they first met if this world was worth saving, and his expression darkened.
‘Saving the world means saving people like this too.’
In the end, she didn’t make a contract with Lysinas, no matter how much she wished.
– ‘Do you think this world is worth saving?’
– ‘Of course.’
Lysinas had not hesitated at all.
Nor had Luna, Arron, or Dweno.
Only Kyle hadn’t answered The Shadow Spirit, Elci’s question.
That’s why The Shadow Spirit, Elci chose Kyle.
– ‘Even though she was disappointed in the world, the reason she joined our journey… was probably because she still wanted to save it.’
After the fight with Necroking Hell Kaiser, as she faded away, The Shadow Spirit, Elci smiled for the first and last time.
– ‘I still want to find it.’
– ‘Find what?’
– ‘A reason to save the world.’
Remembering the contractor’s final words, Leo spoke.
“The Shadow Spirit, Elci.”
At some point, The Shadow Spirit, Elci’s face had gone blank, just like when she first met Kyle.
“I promise you.”
On the day he was reborn.
Recalling the night sky outside the cradle window, Leo smiled.
“The starlight in the night sky is more beautiful than you can imagine.”
The Shadow Spirit, Elci’s eyes widened slightly.
“So yes, this world is worth saving.”
The Shadow Spirit, Elci stared blankly at Leo, then finally beamed.
“Okay!”