Chapter 207
KIIIIIIIIIIII!
A piercing roar echoed through the heart of Seiren.
The Hero Alliance had divided its forces to stop Zegdiac, who had appeared in the center of Seiren.
Meanwhile, a magic circle formed in the sky.
Beyond the magic circle, Benette, Albi, Allan, and Chade appeared.
The four who had withdrawn from the battle with Sillatna quickly regrouped at the fortress walls.
“All Lumene Magic Department students, follow me.”
At Albi’s emotionless command, the students who had been blocking Sillatna’s army with magic hurriedly gathered around him.
“Jillian.”
“Yes, House Lord.”
“You are to continue holding the walls.”
Chade gave instructions to the Lewellin mages surrounding him.
“And you, House Lord…?”
“I’ll go stop that thing.”
With cold eyes, Chade looked up at the sky.
Zegdiac’s massive body had almost completely crossed over into this world.
“House Lord, let us accompany—”
“If Lewellin’s forces withdraw now, our already unstable front line will collapse even further.”
Chade cut off Jillian calmly.
“You all must be the core of the Hero Alliance and hold the line. Or are you suggesting I’m an untrustworthy house lord?”
“Of course not.”
The head of a Heroic House wasn’t chosen based solely on lineage.
They were expected to be the strongest in their family, without question.
Chade was known as the mightiest mage in the western continent’s Lordren region.
A powerhouse personally selected by Sword Star Kalian to defeat a Legion Commander.
His retainers had no choice but to obey, trusting in their house lord’s absolute strength.
Allan also quickly rallied the Seiren students.
Soon, everyone who would go stop Zegdiac had gathered.
Meanwhile—
The 1st and 2nd years, having evacuated the spectators to the deepest part of the school, rushed outside.
And when they saw Zegdiac crossing over through the sky’s rift, their faces turned pale.
Some collapsed where they stood, their fighting spirit completely crushed.
A Legion Commander of Tartarus, a being of pure terror.
Even as Hero cadets, they were still just teenagers in their mid to late teens.
Faced with the worst calamity on Earth, fear was inevitable.
“We… we have to run…!”
“What could 1st and 2nd years like us possibly do against that monster?!”
One terrified 2nd-year from Lumene cried out.
The cadets began murmuring in panic.
Fear was contagious.
No matter how brave one tried to be, a single voice of despair could unravel it all.
“T-then let’s retreat toward the Hero Alliance’s position first—!”
As a 2nd-year from Seiren shouted in panic, Lunia yelled back.
“Hold on! Then what about the civilians still at the school?!”
They’d evacuated them to the safest central area of the school—but if that monster reached the surface, who knew what would happen?
“We have to hold this place, no matter what—!”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Lunia El Lunda! What can a 1st-year like you possibly do? Even I, a 2nd-year, have no idea how to deal with that thing!”
A Seiren 2nd-year shouted angrily.
“The civilians have already been moved to the safest location! Our job now is to regroup with the Hero Alliance!”
KUUOOOOOOOOH!
At that moment—
Zegdiac let out a furious roar as he crossed through the rift.
His [Fear] struck the ears of the 1st and 2nd years like a thunderclap.
The weaker ones collapsed and fainted instantly.
“We have to stop him!”
Lunia cried out in desperation.
A Seiren student beside her panicked.
“We can’t stop that thing on our own! We have to call for help from the upperclassmen!”
“He’s right!”
“We need to get to the upperclassmen, quickly—!”
The Seiren 1st and 2nd years shouted.
Swayed by them, the Lumene students began insisting they too should head for the Hero Alliance.
“If we fight here, we’ll die for nothing!” a Seiren 2nd-year yelled at Lunia.
Lunia took a deep breath.
Then reached out, grabbed the 2nd-year by the collar, yanked him forward, and slammed her forehead into his.
THWACK—!
“Guh?”
The ambushed 2nd-year’s eyes rolled back as he fainted.
Lunia shoved him aside and glared at the other 1st and 2nd years with burning eyes.
They all flinched.
“Anyone who wants to go, go.”
Lunia spoke calmly, but her voice was clearly laced with fury.
“I’m staying here to protect the civilians.”
If the 1st and 2nd years left, those still in Seiren would be in real danger.
Murmurs spread among the students.
Then Celia and Chloe stepped up beside Lunia.
“I’ll fight that thing.”
“I can’t retreat like this.”
Abad and Chelsea joined them.
“My father’s fighting too. I can’t just run.”
“She’s right!”
Following them, Duran and Eliza smirked.
“I was planning to stay anyway.”
“Seiren’s representative already said the cool stuff, so I’ve got nothing left—but I’ll fight too.”
Walden quietly folded his arms and stepped forward.
Chen Xia joined with a gentle smile. Eiran and Luca followed.
And so, the 1st-years of Lumene and Seiren began to rally behind Lunia.
“Hey, Lily! You too?”
A Lumene 2nd-year shouted at Lily, who was stepping forward.
Turning back, Lily answered.
“Isn’t it obvious? The 1st-years are doing what we should’ve done first.”
“B-but… isn’t this reckless?”
“It is.”
A Seiren 2nd-year representative grimaced.
“Why do something so reckless? We were chosen. Are we really going to throw our lives away here?”
Lily smiled brightly.
“Because we were chosen.”
“……!”
“Isn’t protecting people exactly what Hero cadets are supposed to do?”
The 2nd-year’s face twisted.
“You’re insane. All of you.”
The 1st and 2nd years split—some staying to defend Seiren, others heading toward the Hero Alliance.
RUMBLE—!
Zegdiac finally emerged from the rift and landed on the ground.
The earth shook.
The students swallowed hard.
‘How long can we last? Ten minutes? No… maybe not even five.’
Lunia clenched her teeth.
Suddenly, dark holes opened around Zegdiac, and twisted monsters poured out.
The students’ expressions hardened.
“A legion…!”
“That monster really is a Legion Commander?!”
Cries of horror erupted.
Zegdiac’s legion charged toward Seiren.
There was no reason or thought in their eyes.
Only a frenzied instinct to destroy.
The 1st and 2nd years gritted their teeth and stood against the incoming horde.
“Stop them!”
“Don’t let a single one set foot inside the school!”
The panicked 2nd-years led, and the 1st-years followed in perfect sync.
“UOOOOOOOH!”
A massive demon spewing poison charged toward Celia.
Grinding her teeth, Celia unleashed her [Flame Aura].
FWOOSH—!
SLAASH!
Her sword strike tore through the demon.
Its flesh split and blood sprayed.
SPLURT—!
Celia barely dodged the spray.
But she couldn’t avoid the toxic fumes.
“Ugh?”
She covered her mouth.
GRRRR—
“Guhhhk!”
Zegdiac’s legion—each monster carried deadly poison.
The more they defeated, the more the poison built up.
Celia staggered, coughing up blood, as the demon she had slain raised its arm.
“Celia!”
Chloe quickly released her magic.
CRACKLE—!
Freezing cold encased the demon.
As its movements halted, Chelsea swooped in and pulled Celia back to safety.
“I can still fight…!”
“You’re coughing blood! Don’t say that!”
Chelsea shouted urgently.
The rear lines were overflowing with wounded being treated by healers.
The carnage had unfolded in mere minutes since the assault began.
For the untrained 1st and 2nd years, the legion’s assault was overwhelming.
Then—
FWOOSH—!
A massive flame erupted at the front line.
“Rhys-senior!”
Lily urgently called out to Rhys for support.
And not just Rhys.
Hero Academy cadets had arrived at the rear to stop the legion’s advance.
Their upperclassmen had arrived.
But the 1st and 2nd years couldn’t afford to relax.
This was the legion of Tartarus.
They’d narrowly avoided being overrun.
But it wasn’t enough to turn the tide.
“Can… can we even defeat that?”
One of the defending heroes spoke with despair.
They had barely held back Sillatna’s legion.
And now, another unknown force was running rampant behind them.
Even the most seasoned warriors began to despair.
Sillatna alone might’ve been manageable.
But facing two Legion Commanders? It was too much.
Then—
The sound of battle at the front stopped as if someone had flipped a switch.
Sedgen turned toward the front, his face grim.
The battlefield between the Queen of Monsters and the Sword Star.
The terrain was so completely changed, it didn’t even resemble the earlier battlefield—proof of how intense their battle had been.
And now—
The Queen of Monsters was advancing.
Sillatna, with a monstrous lower body and a small human torso, licked the blood from her brow with her tongue.
“The headmaster… was defeated!”
“This… this really is the end…!”
Despair spread across the faces of the heroes.
But then—
Professor Harrid spoke.
“If you’ve got time to despair, use it to get ready.”
“Professor Harrid…!”
Len looked at him with trembling eyes.
“You are instructors of Lumene.”
Harrid’s cold voice rang out.
“When even the students are standing against the legion, don’t you dare be the first to give up.”
The professors of Lumene clenched their teeth.
Then—
FLASH—!
A massive slash cut through Sillatna mercilessly.
A horrifying murderous aura erupted from her body.
CRACKLE—!
A storm of dark red flashes born of black magic surged toward where the strike had come from.
“The headmaster…!”
The professors of Lumene cried out in shock.
—
“Kalian… urgh—! Urgh—!”
In the midst of the devastated battlefield—
Lieven frantically called for Kalian.
As a dragon.
As the one who led the heroes.
He had poured all his strength into supporting the hero he had chosen.
Sillatna had been right.
An aging hero and an aging dragon.
Even in their prime, taking down Sillatna would’ve been uncertain.
And now—long past their prime, worn down by time.
Against a monstrous Legion Commander who had lived since before the Age of Calamity, they had no chance.
Shaking—
Lieven saw Kalian using his sword like a cane to rise.
He clenched his teeth.
That body had long since reached its limit.
Yet still, the Sword Star moved.
‘I don’t care if I die.’
Kalian raised his sword.
He had lived enough. If he could give the next generation a chance, this life was worth spending.
He coughed up blood.
‘I must strike once more.’
He had to leave behind even the slightest hope that Sillatna could be defeated.
‘Move…!’
SHING—!
Squeezing out the last of his life, the Sword Star tried to unleash one final [Aura Slash].
Stagger—
But he lost his balance and collapsed.
Thud—!
Barely managing to stay upright, he stood.
But anyone could see—he was at his limit.
Step—
“Enough.”
A voice came from behind.
Kalian and Lieven turned their heads.
“You’ve done enough.”
A young man with gray hair and gray eyes stood there.
“You did well. Now, you can rest easy.”
As Kalian looked into those gray eyes, he thought of one boy.
“And you… who are you?”
To that question—
The young man answered,
“The Hero of the Beginning.”