Chapter 354

Fwoooosh—!

The black flames erupting from the Hero Record engulfed the entire hall.

“W-What is this?!”

Luhagen cried out in horror.

Whoosh—!

The rampaging black flames surged toward the audience.

Flash—!

But no one present was weak enough to be taken out by flames like these.

Crackle-crackle-crackle—!

A wall of ice shot up.

Chilling cold radiated from the elf magician seated in the front row.

Those around him gasped.

“The Northern Tower Master!”

Everyone turned their eyes to Algren, the Northern Tower Master.

Rumble—!

Frosty mana surged from Algren’s body.

Crack-crack-crackle—!

The ice wall began moving freely, like a living slime.

Whoosh—!

In an instant, Algren’s ice surged forward and wrapped around the black flames.

Luhagen yelled angrily.

“Northern Tower Master! What do you think you are doing?!”

Bloodshot-eyed, he glared as Algren answered with a cold voice.

“Can you not see? The black flames erupted from that Hero Record. It is clearly the source of this disaster. Destroying it should be obvious, shouldn’t it?”

“You intend to damage the sacred records of the great Seiren?!”

“When you say black flames, they can signify only one thing. Eliminating the source is only natural.”

Everyone inhaled sharply.

The sudden chaos had shocked them, but Algren’s words made things click into place.

Black flames.

They were the unmistakable symbol of a catastrophe too dreadful to speak aloud.

“You cannot simply declare it the Primordial Evil!”

Luhagen screamed.

“This is the Hero Record of the great Comet Mage Seiren! A Hero Record, previously found only in the safekeeping of the dragons! Destroying such a priceless relic is blasphemy!”

He shrieked hysterically.

At that moment—

Crack—!

Fractures tore through Algren’s ice.

His expression stiffened.

‘Already?’

Before he could react—

Kwooooom—!

The black flames tore through the ice and scorched everything around them.

Everyone unleashed their magic.

They tried desperately to extinguish the black fire.

But the flames devoured every spell used against them, growing fiercer, as if mocking the attempt.

“This cannot be! This is the Hero Record of the Comet Mage! How can this be happening?!”

Luhagen screamed, eyes bloodshot.

But the black flames were immune to all magic.

As everyone helplessly watched—

Rumble—!

A pure white flame rose and blocked the black fire.

The overwhelming rampage of the black flames faltered.

All eyes widened, watching the one emitting the white flames.

Step— step—

A girl wrapped in white holy fire stepped forward.

“Lunia El Lunda.”

Someone whispered her name.

In a distant past—

She inherited the flames of the long-vanished Phoenix King.

Lunia glared at Seiren’s Hero Record.

“This is definitely Erebos’s flame.”

She had faced Erebos twice in the Heroic World.

Both times, she fought only a tiny fragment of Erebos.

And even those fragments required every last drop of strength to defeat.

‘But this… this is different from before!’

A deeper darkness.

Even as the successor of purification’s flame, Lunia felt endless terror from this fire.

‘I have to stop it!’

Gritting her teeth, Lunia unleashed stronger flames.

Her fiery red hair bleached into pure white.

Everyone watching fell speechless.

The raging black flames seemed to recognize her and charged toward her.

KRRRRRSH—! FWOOOSH—!

Eiran stepped in front of Lunia.

In her hand was a shield radiating the light of life—

A shield crafted with fairy power, gifted by Dweno.

Eiran grit her teeth as she blocked the flames.

Then—

A fierce gale of wind aura swept through the hall.

The wind aura pushed back the black fire.

It was Hadin, the Student Council President of Seiren.

“Seiren students, listen well! Those flames belong to Erebos!”

Hadin had also faced Erebos in Luna’s world, so he identified the flames instantly.

The students of Seiren gasped.

“From this moment on, we eliminate the source of the flames.”

“Hadin!”

Luhagen shrieked hysterically.

“You dare destroy the sacred record of Seiren?!”

“Even if it is Seiren’s record, leaving the source of this disaster unaddressed would go against both Seiren’s and Luna’s will.”

“Well said, Student Council President.”

“What are you all doing? If you inherit the legacy of the Founder of the Nebula and the Comet Mage, facing Erebos is your duty.”

With the 5th-year top student Marven and runner-up Evertune stepping in, Seiren students swiftly assumed battle formation.

The magicians attending the conference also readied their spells.

Watching this unfold, Leo narrowed his eyes at the black flames.

“Anias.”

“Yes, Leo.”

The Northern Tower Master’s daughter appeared behind him, bowing.

“With the Northern Tower Master’s power, can you warp everyone inside this hall to the outside?”

“From outside to inside is impossible, but from inside to outside should be possible.”

Leo looked at Seiren’s Hero Record.

“Tell him to do it immediately.”

“Yes.”

Anyas sprinted to Algren and conveyed the message.

Algren glanced at Leo briefly, then activated his power.

In an instant, he warped everyone in the hall outside.

FWOOOOM—!

Those who had been preparing for battle froze in confusion.

“What is this—?!”

“Northern Tower Master! What are you—?!”

KABOOOOOOM! FWOOSH—!

The black flames exploded outward, consuming the Hall of the Comet.

Ruuuuumble—!

The towering building collapsed.

The ancient records preserved within were incinerated.

Seiren’s most iconic structure turned to ashes.

Everyone stared in horror.

At the same time—

Deathly energy erupted from the highest point of Seiren—Starlight Plaza.

A gate opened, and undead poured out.

“W-What is that?!”

“The Death King…?!”

“How long has it been since the Monster Queen invaded, and now the Death King’s power reaches here?!”

“Acting Principal Luhagen! Explain this! You’re responsible for managing Starlight Plaza!”

Seiren’s teachers erupted in fury.

But Luhagen had vanished.

Their anger turned toward members of the Pureblood Society.

Their faces went pale.

“W-We know nothing of this!”

“That’s right!”

Their desperate protests were ignored.

Not long ago, undead had also appeared during the Pureblood Society-supervised 1st-year midterms.

And now, another disaster.

There was only one group to suspect.

At that moment—

Ruuuuumble—!

The black flames which destroyed the Hall began to gather.

They formed a gigantic flaming giant—Erebos.

Everyone froze.

ROOOOOOAR—!

A monstrous roar shook the world.

The Primordial Evil.

A catastrophe capable of ending the world.

The roar alone drained everyone of their will to fight.

Everyone staggered back.

Terror overwhelmed them.

That moment—

“Get it together!”

A mighty shout thundered across Seiren.

“Howling?”

Everyone looked at the source.

There stood Leo—

His entire body wrapped in golden aura.

Step—step—

“This is not the time to point fingers. And it’s definitely not the time to cower.”

Leo stood before Erebos.

“If you truly respect the Founder of the Nebula…”

He spoke clearly.

“If you inherit the will of the Comet Mage…”

Rumble—!

Gray mana surged around him.

“Then believe in yourselves and stand against that monster. That is your duty as students of this academy.”

The crushing fear shattered.

Their fighting spirit returned.

Leo glared at Erebos.

‘So Seiren’s Hero Record is acting as a conduit.’

Except for the Hero Records held by Dragonia, the Hero Records of the Heroes of Genesis no longer existed in this world.

Even the Hero Records of the great heroes destroyed by Tartarus remained.

But the Genesis Heroes’ records were far rarer.

Leo knew the reason from Mel.

Before entering the Heroic World to fight Erebos, the Genesis Heroes destroyed their own Hero Records so they couldn’t be used as gateways. They also left instructions for future generations to destroy any remaining ones.

Fwoooosh—!

White flames burst forth.

Leo turned toward Lunia.

She had formed a sphere of sacred fire in her hand.

A spell Luna left behind specifically to counter Erebos—

The Pyre.

FWOOSH—!

The pure white flames of purification consumed the black fire.

ROOOOAAAR—!

Erebos let out a furious scream.

Leo drew his sword.

FWOOOSH—!

Crimson phoenix flames erupted skyward.

Leo slashed, aiming for the opening Lunia created.

CRACK-CRACK-KRAAAASH—!

ROOOOOAR—!

Erebos shrieked with hatred.

‘…It’s not fully freed yet.’

Leo narrowed his eyes.

Threatening, yes.

But far weaker than the fragment the Genesis Heroes once fought.

Then—

Wobble—! THUD—!

Erebos staggered and dropped to one knee.

“Did it take damage?”

A magician shouted urgently.

‘…No. Neither my attack nor Lunia’s was that strong.’

Leo sensed something strange.

Deep within Erebos’s core—the flames twisted.

As if something inside was consuming it.

Leo realized instantly.

‘Someone’s fighting it from the inside.’

—

FWOOOOOSH—!

Black flames everywhere.

Everything had turned to ash.

Seiren gripped Cometes, her body blazing with mana.

Magic circles floated in the air.

“[Star Magic: End].”

The spell completed, unleashing a storm of destruction.

KRAAAAAAASH—!

The black flames scattered.

Burned all over, Seiren smashed the reforming flames with her staff.

THUD—!

“You’re not getting out of here!”

She screamed, staring at the massing flames before her.

Rumble—!

A colossal giant of calamity formed, wrapped in black fire.

[How foolish.]

The black flames gazed down at Seiren with indifference.

[Your companions cannot enter this world.]

The voice held nothing.

No mockery at her struggling.

No anger at her resistance.

Not even annoyance.

It looked at her the way one looked at a trivial, fleeting creature.

It spoke as though unable to comprehend her desperation.

[What do you think you can accomplish alone?]

“I…”

Seiren gripped Cometes tightly, teeth clenched.

“…made a promise!”

Blood dripped from her bitten lip.

“I promised Lady Luna! I swore to protect the world they left us!”

Her hands trembled.

She did not fear death.

After witnessing the sacrifice of the great heroes—

She had long accepted it.

What terrified her was failing to protect the world they left behind.

And the powerlessness of not keeping her promise.

“I told Lady Luna… to trust… only me!”

Trembling, she forced her resolve back into her voice.

Erebos spoke.

[What value is there in a promise made with a dead illusion?]

“…!”

[And even if you promised… what use is it?]

For the first time, Erebos sounded amused.

[You are nothing but an arrogant mortal who overestimates herself.]

Her hands shook.

[Luna Lubinence was extraordinary. A treasure of the mortal realm worthy of challenging an immortal such as myself. But you are not Luna Lubinence. You are not even close.]

Seiren’s face distorted.

[Had Luna Lubinence seen you, would she truly believe in you?]

She fell silent.

[One should not make promises they cannot keep, mortal.]

She knew it better than anyone.

What she was doing now was meaningless struggling.

She had long lost the ability to believe in herself.

Her mind was wearing away.

Her barely-held resolve was breaking.

But still—

‘I cannot give up.’

Seiren looked as though she might cry.

‘I made a promise to them.’

(T/N: Wait a minute, technically the Genesis Heroes are still alive but trapped in some Heroic World right? That’s what I remembered from previous chapters. Correct me if Im wrong)