Chapter 300
The Giant King Gias trembled as he sensed a familiar power emanating from within Guardslone.
‘How could the will of the Great One be radiating from beyond those accursed walls?!’
Among the legion commanders, none worshipped Erebos with such fervent devotion as Gias.
Commander of Tartarus’s army.
More faithful than even the Supreme Commander, Hell Kaiser.
Cautious by nature, Gias became violently fanatical when following Erebos’s orders.
And this invasion—this campaign to annihilate Guardslone—had been decreed by his god.
So when he and his legion warped to the outskirts of the fortress, he was struck with utter disbelief.
There—he felt a presence identical to his own.
Another ‘him’.
‘Could it be… wrong to attack Guardslone?’
The divine command was absolute, but the impossible realization—that another Gias existed—sparked doubt deep within him.
Then, from within the fortress, Gias ‘felt’ Erebos.
To him, that sensation was nothing short of revelation.
—’Legion! The God calls to us!’
Gwaaaaahhh—!
With a roar filled with ecstasy, Gias raised his arm, and his army surged toward Guardslone like a dark tide.
He prepared to follow—
When suddenly, a golden flash streaked across the battlefield.
The radiant figure of a beastman appeared before him.
—’Arrogant Arron! You dare stand in my way?!’
Hatred burned in Gias’s eyes.
Lysinas, Kyle, Luna, Arron, Dweno.
Five names that seared his very soul.
They were the ones who defied the will of the gods.
The five heroes who felled countless legion commanders.
At first, he had dismissed them as nuisances.
But battle after battle, they grew stronger.
Now, they had become threats capable of overturning even the fate of a dying world—
The very embodiment of hope.
And to Gias, a being of Tartarus, ‘hope’ was the vilest of abominations.
Gwaaaargh—!
He raised his hand, and a colossal greatsword—large as his own body—materialized.
—’Perish!’
His roar split the heavens as he swung.
Shraaak—!
The air itself screamed as space was torn apart.
The Demon Blade.
Forged by Gias himself, the finest smith of Tartarus—
A masterpiece soaked in the blood of countless lives, pulsing with hatred and despair.
He was certain this one strike would erase the insignificant beastman before him from existence.
“Afraid already?”
In the instant before impact, Gias saw fear flicker in Arron’s eyes—
And laughed.
But then—
Clench—!
Arron gritted his teeth and raised his sword.
‘Brave.’
The sword Dweno had forged—
A blade named after ‘Courage.’
Flash—!
Golden aura erupted from Arron’s swing.
Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!
His light collided with the Giant King’s dark magic head-on.
Claaang—!
Both were hurled back by the impact.
Gias steadied himself and glared down.
—’You…!’
A roar of dark energy radiated from him, chains of corruption wrapping around Arron.
Curses rained upon him—spells strong enough to kill even the greatest of heroes in a heartbeat.
But—
“Rrraaaughhhhhh!”
Arron howled, his voice echoing across the land.
A wolf’s cry split the air.
The charging legion faltered, unnerved by that primal sound.
—’What are you doing?! You shame my legion! Destroy that wretch!’
Enraged, Gias commanded his army.
But Arron’s eyes glowed with defiance.
“Guardslone will stand.”
He raised his sword.
“It’s the hope of countless lives.”
—’Kahahahahaha!’
Gias burst into cruel laughter.
—’What can you do alone? Lysinas, Kyle, Luna, Dweno—none of them are here to help you. You are nothing but a coward pretending to be a hero!’
“You’re right.”
Arron’s voice trembled—but only for a moment.
Then his grip tightened, and the shaking stopped.
“But when I received this sword, I made a promise— To be brave even when I’m afraid.”
Rumble—!
A fierce golden aura surged from his body.
“To fight for everyone.”
The pressure in the air thickened.
Even the legion recoiled.
Arron now radiated the killing intent of a predator—a being who would slaughter everything before him.
—’That pathetic sword… Dweno forged that dull piece of scrap.’
Gias’s eyes gleamed.
—’If that worthless blade gives you courage… then I’ll snap it in half.’
Rumble—!
Dark power poured out of him, his eyes glowing crimson.
—’You will not live to see the sunrise.’
Arron smirked faintly.
“Trust me. That damned sunrise isn’t worth seeing anyway.”
—’Who dares…?!’
A chilling aura flared in Gias’s gaze.
Tap—
Leo appeared beside Arron.
—’Where is Dweno? You dare face me in his place?’
“He’s occupied. So I’ll be handling you—with Arron.”
—’And what can you do, dragging this coward along?’
Gias sneered.
But Leo chuckled.
“Funny. You seem more afraid of this coward than he is of you.”
—’What?!’
“If you weren’t, you wouldn’t have brought your whole army just to deal with one man.”
—’Cheap provocation.’
Gias grinned darkly.
—’But I’ll play along. Thanks to your foolish words, that city behind you will now die sooner.’
His eyes flashed murderously.
—’Legion! Tear down Guardslone!’
At his command, the legion charged once more.
But Leo had already vanished.
Whoooosh—!
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared before the vanguard, spear in hand.
He tightened his grip.
“Ifta.”
Fwoooosh—!
At his call, crimson fire flared violently.
Boom—!
The flames devoured a towering Gigantes at the front, reducing it to ash.
The charge halted.
—’…!’
Gias’s eyes widened as he spotted the boy standing midair.
—’Who are you?!’
He had expected Dweno to be the one holding back his legion—
Not some human child.
“This?” Leo smirked.
“I’m the guy who came to clean up you ‘and’ the trash inside Guardslone.”
—’How dare you blaspheme the Great One!’
Furious at the insult to Erebos, Gias raised his arm.
The air split—
Thud—!
A massive spear formed in his grasp, hurled at incomprehensible speed.
Leo raised his water shield.
Ssshhhhh—!
A wall of rippling water appeared.
It looked delicate—fragile even.
But—
Boom—!
The impact echoed like thunder, the spear deflecting off harmlessly.
Though uninjured, Leo was hurled downward by the sheer force.
Thud—!
The ground below softened, absorbing the blow.
He had manipulated Darden’s earthen armor to cushion the impact.
“You really are a monster.”
He exhaled.
—’You’re one to talk!’
—’How is it possible for a human to wield us this perfectly?!’
Ifta and Erham shouted from within him, disbelief in their voices.
To not only summon them but ‘wear’ them as Spirit Armaments—
And still maintain full control?
It was beyond reason.
Leo shrugged.
“I’m still not as good as Lysinas.”
—’Lysinas was our contractor and friend. Even she couldn’t wield our power this flawlessly.’
Sillesta spoke quietly, awe in her tone.
Leo smiled faintly.
“Sorry, but this isn’t the first time I’ve met you.”
—’What?’
“I’m just… imitating Lysinas right now.”
He stood, eyes fixed on the advancing horde, and extended his hand.
Whoooosh—!
A massive tornado erupted from his palm.
Fwoooosh—!
Flames intertwined with the storm—
A fusion of Sillesta and Ifta’s power.
Ziiiing—!
But on the enemy’s side, a massive magic circle flared.
Sensing the surge of black energy, Leo clenched his fist and slammed it into the ground.
Boom—!
Rumble—!
The earth rose, forming an immense wall.
Then—
Ssshhh! Crackle—!
Water coated the wall and instantly froze solid.
A perfect combination of elemental forces.
Watching this, Erham whispered in disbelief,
—’He’s… exactly like Lysinas.’
This boy who appeared from nowhere—
Commanding the Great Spirits, controlling Lysinas’s power, and now using spirit arts on par with the Spirit King herself.
—’Who… are you?’
Boom—!
The earthen wall shattered.
“My identity doesn’t matter right now,” Leo replied calmly.
Facing the endless sea of monsters, he gave a single command to the spirits.
“What matters is bringing them down.”
Rumble—!
The ground quaked.
An army of Gigantes—thousands strong—charged forward like a living mountain.
‘Arron’s handling Gias. My job… is to hold this army.’
“Depeser!”
Leo shouted toward the fortress.
“Ready the magic batteries!”
“Magicians, prepare for bombardment!”
Ziiiing—!
Magic circles ignited across Guardslone’s walls.
Leo fixed his eyes on the advancing horde.
“Fire?” Depeser called.
“Not yet,” Leo said firmly. “Wait.”
Depeser watched, anxious.
Moments later—
Gwaaaaahhhh—!
The legion roared, charging like maddened beasts.
Even Gias himself lost control, attacking Arron in a berserk frenzy.
His Authority, ‘Berserker’, was in full effect—
And through it, his entire legion had grown stronger.
Leo’s eyes widened.
“Now!”
“Fire!!”
Depeser’s command echoed, and Guardslone unleashed a rain of destruction.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions tore through the battlefield.
Dozens of Gigantes collapsed, reduced to heaps of ash and blood.
But the corpses became footholds for the next wave.
Thud! Thud! Crack! Crash—!
“Ughhh!”
“Take out the ones climbing the walls!”
Demons hurled stones and bodies upward, scaling the ramparts.
“Hold the wall!” Depeser roared.
“Master Arron and Master Dweno are holding back the Giant Kings! Fight with courage—for them!”
Cries of determination filled the air.
Then—
Fwoooosh—!
Far away, black flames erupted from Gias’s body as he battled Arron.
Leo’s eyes went wide.
‘No…’
He turned toward Guardslone.
Fwoooosh—!
Another jet of black fire rose high into the sky.
‘Erebos’s fragment… it’s strengthening Gias?!’
(T/N: Ughh!!! If I werent too busy with life I would have done a mass chapter release till we finish this arc. Sorry guys for leaving you with another cliffhanger!!)