Chapter 210
CLENCH—
Veins bulged on Leo’s arm.
With a sharp breath, Leo let out a a sharp breath and swung his arm.
SWOOSH—!
A cutting wind rang out as the slash from his sword surged toward Sillatna.
Seeing it, Sillatna spread her arms wide.
KRAKOOM—!
A massive crimson-black barrier blocked Leo’s strike.
As she deflected the attack, both of Sillatna’s arms morphed into giant serpents.
SPLIT—!
As the serpents opened their maws, crimson-black particles began to gather inside.
‘A breath attack.’
Leo tugged on Ahti’s reins and charged at Sillatna.
Empowered by Leo’s [Spirit Power], Ahti’s body began to glow white.
CRACKLE—!
White sparks danced across her form.
CRACKLECRACKLE—
Powerful lightning gathered at Ahti’s horn.
FLASH—! KRAKOOOOOM—!
Before Sillatna could unleash her breath, she was engulfed in a lightning storm, her arm reduced to ashes.
—Ghh!
Sillatna’s eyes flared with killing intent as she saw her own flesh disintegrate.
She aimed her remaining arm at Leo.
The breath of destruction unleashed from the serpent’s mouth hurtled toward him.
In that moment—
FLASH—!
A silver-gray barrier unfolded in front of Leo.
It deflected Sillatna’s breath.
The destructive beam streaked past her and embedded itself deep into a mountain in the distance.
FLASH—BOOOOM—!
With a brilliant explosion, a mushroom cloud bloomed.
The blast winds swept across Seiren.
Watching this, Herdeum from Seiren muttered under his breath.
“Is this… what a battle between a great hero and a Legion Commander looks like…?”
It was a fight that defied all logic.
His body trembled from the sheer intensity.
“Fiora!”
FWOOOSH—!
At his call, Fiora burst forth in flames right before him.
“Burn it all down.”
FLASH—!
Fiora’s crimson eyes glowed fiercely.
FWOOSH—!
Empowered by Leo’s [Spirit Power], Fiora spun upward into the sky.
FLAP—
An attack powered by the full might of a phoenix.
[Prominence Wing].
With a flap of her wings, a storm of flames surged toward Sillatna.
—You wretched Summoned Beasts!
Sillatna’s voice rang out, filled with murderous rage.
[Hah! What do you think of my power now?!]
Kirran crossed his arms and burst into laughter, but Ahti spoke up.
[That’s not your power—it’s Master’s.]
[Wrong! Leo only helped unleash my potential. So it’s mine!]
Watching Kirran speak so confidently, Ahti simply shook her head.
With divine power summoning Kyle’s strength, the usual bottleneck—insufficient [Spirit Power]—was no longer a problem.
As a result, the fully unleashed trio of Summoned Beasts now radiated the dignity befitting the Three Great Summoned Beasts.
‘If not for these three, I wouldn’t have lasted this long.’
Leo called Fiora back and pulled Ahti’s reins, soaring into the sky.
Sillatna’s magic, wild-eyed and crazed, constantly targeted Leo.
And each time, Ahti dodged with near-divine precision.
—Heh heh heh…
Sillatna suddenly let out a low laugh.
—Now I understand!
Her eyes sparkled.
—You’re not the Hero of the Beginning… You’re the Surviving Hero!
She remembered it well.
The Kyle of his prime—the one called the Hero of the Beginning in modern times.
The hated great hero who saved the world and ultimately defeated Erebos.
The world may have forgotten, but she had fought Kyle many times and knew him better than anyone.
—Yes! You don’t yet have the power to defeat me! That’s why you’re stalling!
Gaining certainty, Sillatna radiated intense killing intent.
—Kyle! I don’t know how you crossed into the present—but that doesn’t matter!
A vortex of dark magic roared.
WHOOOOOOSH—!
Crimson-black energy gathered in one of her hands.
‘Here it comes.’
Leo steadied his sword.
The ground around the Monster Queen darkened.
Her overwhelming magic turned the surroundings into a land of death.
Since the end of the Calamity Era—
The power of a Legion Commander, who had reigned as its greatest catastrophe, was monstrous.
FWOOSH—!
Sillatna swung her arm.
A massive mass of dark magic crashed down toward Leo.
There was no escape.
Leo made his choice and poured all his magic into a defensive barrier.
BOOOOM—!
The blast struck him directly.
Leo was hurled through the air and slammed into the ground.
A massive crater formed, like a comet had struck.
[Aughhh!]
[She’s a total monster!]
[Peep—peep!]
Ahti, Kirran, and Fiora, who were knocked down with him, groaned.
‘The barrier didn’t break.’
Leo stood.
But the sheer shock had shaken his entire body.
He shook his head and rose again.
THUD—THUD—
Sillatna charged without pause.
“Hmph!”
Leo activated his full [Aura].
BOOM!
KRAKAKAK—!
He caught Sillatna’s charge with his bare hand.
SCRAAAAAPE—
His feet skidded along the ground as he was pushed back.
—If it were Arron or Dweno, they’d have blocked that strike with ease!
Sillatna sneered and struck Leo again with her remaining arm.
WHAM—!
Leo’s body was flung once more by the blow.
SLIDE—
He landed on his feet, locking eyes with Sillatna.
‘Her attacks are relentless now.’
She had shifted from probing strikes to going all-in.
Until now, she had been ready to retreat at any moment.
But now, she was committed—intent on annihilating him.
The difference was massive.
‘I already fought Zegdiac once.’
The divine blessing that summoned his past strength wasn’t limitless.
It had slowly been wearing down.
And now, only a sliver remained.
Like a flame flickering before it dies.
Leo gripped his sword again.
And yet, he didn’t feel fear.
The reason was simple.
He had a comrade behind him—one who gave him courage.
‘She’ll be back soon, after defeating Zegdiac.’
Firm belief and trust.
Sillatna’s expression twisted.
‘Those eyes…’
The eyes of great heroes—eyes that never lost hope.
To the Legion Commanders who had fought them since the Calamity Era, those eyes were a nightmare.
—This time, I’ll end that nightmare!
WHOOOOOOOSH—!
An overwhelming wave of bloodlust erupted from Sillatna’s body.
—
“…How is he still fighting…?”
The heroes watched the hopelessly intense battle with disbelief.
They too had overcome countless hardships to stand here.
They had achieved miracles worthy of being called feats.
Yet, even they felt only despair watching the fight against Sillatna.
But the back of the great hero facing her—
Never wavered.
“That man… doesn’t know despair?”
“It’s not that he doesn’t know despair. He just doesn’t hesitate to keep moving forward.”
The elven hero’s murmur was answered by a voice that didn’t match the grim mood at all.
Everyone turned toward the voice—
And widened their eyes.
Standing there, beside a floating warp gate, was an elven woman.
As beautiful as a goddess.
“L-Lady Luna?”
One elf whispered her name.
Luna nodded gently.
All the elves immediately knelt.
“Ahhh!”
“Lady Luna!”
“O great Founder of the Nebula!”
Normally, such a claim would’ve been hard to believe.
But with the Hero of the Beginning, Kyle, fighting before them, no one could deny Luna’s presence now.
They couldn’t explain how the Founder had crossed time to be here—
But if Kyle, the long-lost great hero, could return…
Then why not Luna?
As reverence filled their eyes, students began stepping through Luna’s warp gate.
STEP—STEP—
Luna walked toward the fortress wall.
Those guarding the wall flinched and made way.
Below, the Monster Queen’s legion was launching a relentless assault.
Luna watched and raised her magic.
BZZZZZ—!
A formula appeared at the tip of her [Polium].
Her eyes glowed golden as she recited the incantation.
A moment later, she released the spell.
Her immense magic vaporized the Monster Queen’s legion.
“Woooah!”
“So this is the power of Luna, the Founder of the Nebula…!”
As astonished voices rang out, Luna turned to the students of Lumene and Seiren.
“You all said you’re hero candidates who dream of becoming heroes, right?”
“Yes.”
The one who answered was Rhys.
Luna smiled gently at him.
“Then watch that back.”
She looked at Leo, locked in battle with Sillatna.
“When an impossible battle begins, the first to rise is always Arron.”
Luna closed her eyes briefly.
“In endless wars, the weapon we could always rely on to the end was the one Dweno forged.”
She gripped her [Polium] tighter.
“In battles we should never have won, the one who led us to victory was Lysinas, with her wisdom.”
Luna tilted her chin proudly.
“And in every dire battle, the one who flipped the odds with overwhelming magic—was me.”
Despite the moment, Luna boasted shamelessly in front of everyone.
But no one objected.
Because she had.
“And…”
She opened her eyes and smiled, looking at Leo’s back.
“When everyone gave up—Kyle never did.”
BZZZZZ—!
A magic circle appeared above Luna’s head.
“That’s why Kyle became the Surviving Hero…”
A torrent of immense magic swirled around her.
“…and the Hero of the Beginning.”
The last hero to survive.
The one who defeated Erebos alone and began a new age.
But also the hero forgotten by all.
Everyone held their breath.
“Kyle… is the greatest among us.”
A chant flowed from Luna’s lips.
—
—…!
Sillatna, who had been relentlessly attacking Leo, lifted her head at the thunderous incantation.
She spotted the elf calmly chanting from atop the wall—and her eyes widened.
—No… impossible!
She shook her head in denial.
—Why is *she* here?!
Sillatna’s face twisted in fear.
The beautiful melody of Luna’s spell echoed in her ears like a death sentence.
She had to stop it!
If that spell completed—she would die!
Sillatna charged at Luna.
CRACK—!
Just then, power surged from her feet.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
—Kyle!
She spat his name at Leo with venom.
—This can’t be happening! Why are ghosts of the past appearing in the present?!
“Zegdiac being here makes sense, but us being here doesn’t?”
Leo swung his sword.
KRAKAKAKAK—!
—Guaaaagh—!
His blade left a massive gash across Sillatna’s body.
“And I’m not a ghost of the past.”
—What… did you say?
“I’ll give you one final goodbye.”
Leo wiped his hand across his face.
For a moment, Luna’s magic faded.
—…!
Sillatna’s eyes widened as she recognized his face.
—Leo… Plov!
The feared new All-Class of the future.
The rookie she once dismissed as a child—was in truth, her greatest despair.
—It was youuuuuuuuuu!!
Crimson-black magic burst from Sillatna’s body.
But Leo cleaved through it with his gray [Aura].
“Five thousand years of cursed fate ends here.”
He could feel Luna’s spell nearing completion.
Sillatna quickly cast teleportation magic.
A final, desperate attempt to flee.
But Leo poured his [Aura] and magic into his sword.
CRACKLE—!
Cracks spread across his weapon from the overload.
It was a treasured blade—but a cheap price for killing the Monster Queen.
KRAKAKAKAK—!
Leo’s sword shattered the teleportation formula.
The escape route was gone.
“Nice knowing you. Let’s not meet again.”
—KYYYYLE! LUNAAAAAAA!
At her final scream of hatred, Leo gave a crooked grin.
And with it—
“[Dawn].”
A cold starlight burst before Sillatna’s eyes.
Like a lone star welcoming the light of dawn after endless darkness.
That light wrapped around Sillatna.
—AaaaaaAAAAAAGH!
Her scream echoed through the battlefield.
And then—
FWOOSH—!
The light of [Dawn] vanished—
And nothing was left.
Only one person remained—
Leo, wearing the form of the Hero of the Beginning.
He turned and looked at the fortress.
And when his eyes met those of the friend standing there—
He smiled.
Luna, too, gave him a radiant smile.
It was the moment when one thread of a 5,000-year-old cursed fate finally came to an end.