Chapter 447

Chapter 447

A profound hush fell over the crowd, stunned by the sky-cleaving grandeur displayed by Arion.

Kugugugugugugu—!

The dark pillar of conflagration erupted from a distance that seemed entirely unreachable from Arion’s position. Yet, completely disregarding the vast space between them, Arion severed the blazing pillar with absolute might. A colossal fissure from the blade stretched across the terrain in a perfect line connecting him to the eruption. Massive clouds of debris billowed upward.

The eyes of every single student gradually converged on Arion’s back.

“Just as I thought! Lord Arion, you are truly magnificent!” Ar roared, hoisting both arms high into the air.

His shout broke the collective trance, jolting everyone back to reality.

“C-Could that be the genuine Hero, Lord Arion?”

“Who else could unleash a strike of such devastating proportions?”

“And you, Ar! Did you not just distinctly call out ‘Lord Arion’?”

The striking facial resemblance and the sheer, otherworldly power left little room for doubt. Furthermore, Ar had personally witnessed Arion’s strength while traversing the trial of the hero.

“The Hero!”

“He has returned to our world, mirroring the legends of the First Hero and the Progenitor of the Nebula!”

“Lord Arion!”

Across the fortification walls, which had moments ago been steeped in absolute hopelessness, a glimmer of optimism flared.

“Is that individual truly the Hero?”

“Indeed. He is the authentic Hero,” Melina affirmed, giving a firm nod to the stunned Akatis.

Beside them, En remained transfixed, unable to tear his gaze away from Arion.

Kugugugugugung—!

Once more, the ground beneath them convulsed violently.

Kwagagagagagang—!

A viscous, pitch-black material, resembling molten rock, erupted violently from the site of the dark conflagration.

Cheolpeok—! Chiiiiiik—! Hwareuk—!

Blazes instantly ignited wherever the dark ooze splattered against the earth. The liquid mass began to coalesce, molding itself like clay until it formed the shape of an immense, flaming titan.

Melina drew in a sharp breath as she witnessed Erebus taking shape. For someone who had faced the trials of the World of Genesis, this entity was the epitome of a waking nightmare.

The expressions of the prospective heroes instantly hardened.

Erebus.

The absolute, ancient malice that had pushed civilization to the edge of annihilation five millennia and three millennia ago. No one living in the current epoch of heroes could be ignorant of that name. However, in the three thousand years following the end of the cataclysm by the hands of the Genesis heroes, practically no one had laid eyes on the actual entity. They had only envisioned and reconstructed its visage through historical chronicles.

“Haha… perfect. It’s a carbon copy of the old legends,” Karl muttered, his voice laced with a tremor.

Runia squeezed her fist tightly, her expression darkening. “This… is completely different from before.”

Having previously combated a dormant remnant of Erebus within Luna’s domain, she swallowed hard, feeling an overwhelming dread that vastly eclipsed her past experience. If the fragment she faced back then was a mere ember, the entity before them now was a raging inferno.

“There is absolutely no reason to panic! Lord Arion is standing right here with us! If we unite our capabilities, we can easily crush a mere piece of a revived Erebus! Everyone, hold your ground!” Ar bellowed, his gaze gleaming with intensity.

Even so, individuals confronting a world-ending catastrophe they had only ever read about in fables found it incredibly difficult to muster their resolve. As Erebus finalized its form, the collective terror grew palpable.

“Fear is a natural response,” Arion remarked, keeping his back toward the new generation of heroes. “Trembling before an absolute terror is only human. I experienced it myself, as did Risinas, Kyle, Luna, and Dweno.”

Arion took a deep breath. “The true test lies in mastering that fear. So, will you show me?” Turning around, he looked them in the eye. “Show me your resolve.”

Hearing those words, Banir’s eyes widened, and he resolutely strode forward. “Valiant fighters! Academics who carry the prestige of Azonia!” he bellowed toward his fellow peers.

Every head snapped in his direction. Arion’s shoulders twitched slightly at the intense volume of the shout, though the movement went unnoticed by the crowd.

“The legendary Hero is giving us an opportunity to display our grit!”

“Ah, wait. It isn’t exactly an interrogation… I simply wished to see…”

“Did we not come to Azonia for the protection of this world! With the resolve the Hero has sparked within us! Did we not aspire to walk the path of champions to safeguard the realm passed down by the legendary figures!”

“Sir, yes, sir!” the Azonia student body thundered in unison.

“A crisis stands before us! Even if we are nothing but fragile insects compared to Lord Arion—no better than random pebbles on a path!”

“Insects? There’s no need to demean yourselves to that extent…”

“But! If we shrink away in cowardice right here, we are lower than those pebbles! We are garbage! Do any of you desire to be garbage?!”

“No, sir!”

“Then let us demonstrate our worth! Prove that you are not trash! If you take pride in being the heirs to Lord Arion’s legacy, manifest your courage! Is that understood?!”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

Arion placed both of his hands onto the shoulders of Banir, who was passionately rallying the underclassmen, and spoke with absolute earnestness. “You must not use such derogatory terms like ‘fragile insects,’ ‘lower than pebbles,’ or ‘garbage’ to describe yourselves.”

“Lord Arion…!”

“You and everyone from Azonia are students to be immensely proud of. I am not testing you. I only wished to witness your determination. Therefore, hold yourselves in high regard…”

“Did you catch that, you miserable insects?! Lord Arion explicitly stated that we are a source of pride!”

“Uwoaaaaah!”

As Banir roared with overwhelming emotion, Arion adopted a perplexed expression and glanced toward Melina.

“It is probably best to let them be. The students of Azonia tend to be rather straightforward,” Melina offered with an embarrassed grin.

Torua tilted her head, asking, “He still gets completely carried away when he’s worked up, doesn’t he? Lise, don’t we have some grand declaration to make?”

Lise chuckled softly before addressing her own peers. “Let’s demonstrate to them that valor isn’t a trait exclusive to Azonia.”

“Right! We’re with you!”

“Lord Arion, you are incredible!”

“Please give us your signature after this!”

Exuberant cheers erupted from the ranks of Lumerne as well.

Rienia crossed her arms, chiming in, “Alright, pay attention, everyone. We carry the conviction of Lady Luna, the great Progenitor of the Nebula, don’t we? Furthermore, Lord Arion is here on the field, and the Azonia crowd will serve as excellent frontline shields. Is there any logical reason to be terrified when we have such high-quality meat shields at our disposal?”

“Hey! Who are you calling a meat shield?!” Banir snarled under his breath.

Rienia quickly amended her phrasing. “Comrade shields.”

“That isn’t any better?!” Banir barked, though Rienia completely ignored his outburst.

“In any case, we from Seirun already demonstrated our supremacy to Lady Luna and Lord Kyle last year! Let’s ensure we prove to Lord Arion that we are the absolute best this time as well!”

“When exactly did you ever prove that to Lady Luna and Lord Kyle?!”

“Azonia will be the ones to earn Lord Arion’s validation!”

Driana, who had been observing the bickering between the past student council heads, raised a hand. “Shouldn’t the former president offer a few words as well?”

“What would be the point? My voice would just be completely drowned out by those lunatics.”

“President, your presence is as faint as ever.”

“Is that supposed to be an insult?”

“Consider it a compliment.”

At that moment, Wackerd, the past student council head of Demian, let out a heavy breath.

“Pardon me, but would it be possible to borrow a blade?”

“Ah! Lord Arion!” Wackerd’s eyes snapped wide. “I-I will gladly offer you one! Please, take it!”

Overjoyed and utterly overwhelmed that the legendary Hero was requesting a weapon from him, Wackerd manifested a dimensional storage space, dumping a massive assortment of blades onto the ground. “Please select whatever suits your preference!”

From the pile of Wackerd’s collection, Arion pulled a flawlessly sharpened weapon.

Thud—!

Gripping the hilt, Arion drew a steady breath.

Sreung—!

Though it bore no legendary title, the weapon was undeniably a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Staring at his own image reflected in the polished metal, Arion remarked, “An exceptional piece of work. I shall handle it with care and ensure its safe return.”

“Please, think nothing of it! Hehehehe!”

“He looks exactly like a brown-nosed sycophant.”

“Well, that’s the only time he actually stands out, you know?”

Graduates from the alternative academies murmured among themselves, but Wackerd paid them absolutely no mind.

Right then.

Thump—!

The earth violently shuddered. Having fully solidified its manifestation, Erebus began its advance.

Goooooooh—!

The ancient titan unleashed a deafening roar.

Hearing the sound, Arion inhaled deeply.

—Khuwooooohhhhh!

Arion countered with a booming battle cry of his own, completely suppressing the sound of Erebus’s roar. Those within earshot stared in sheer awe.

“Is that the battle cry of the Hero?”

“Incredible!”

The lingering traces of dread that had gripped them just moments ago evaporated instantly. Their pulses quickened, and their morale surged tenfold.

Under the watchful, admiring gazes of the crowd, Arion elevated his weapon. “Everyone, prepare yourselves.”

Hwarrrururuk—!

Vast sheets of flame erupted across Erebus’s massive frame.

“It is commencing.”

Kwaaaaahhhh—!

An immense tide of dark fire surged directly toward them.

Goooooooh!

Arion tightened his grip around the hilt and delivered a massive horizontal slash.

Hwaak—!

A brilliant, massive arc of gold cleaved straight through the incoming wave of dark fire. The luminous, razor-sharp energy smashed directly into Erebus.

Swoosh—! Pwooaahhhk!

Khuwooooooooh!

Sunder into two halves, Erebus let out a horrific, agonized wail.

Arion’s eyelids flinched minutely as he observed the result.

Hwarrruruk—!

A torrent of deep, crimson fluid poured from the massive gash, drenching the terrain. However, the severe injury was rapidly blanketed by dark fire, knitting itself back together in moments.

Hwarrruruk—!

The spilled fluid of Erebus that had coated the ground began reshaping into aberrant, monstrous entities.

Observing this phenomenon, Arion whispered, “…Is that the right arm?”

“Pardon?”

“It is nothing,” Arion dismissed, shaking his head as he faced the group. “I shall now designate the vanguard team that will accompany me to neutralize Erebus.”

“It appears to be the right upper limb,” Leo observed, narrowing his vision.

—What are you implying? Kirean questioned, visibly perplexed by Leo’s quiet observation.

“That particular entity is a manifestation of Erebus’s right arm.”

“How can you deduce that, Master? From our vantage point, it simply resembles a massive dark behemoth, doesn’t it?”

As Atti tilted her head in confusion, Leo clarified, “You are all well aware that the demonic lineages were originally spawned by Erebus, correct?”

The mythical creatures offered a collective nod of agreement.

“Erebus utilized his right limb whenever he brought forth demon races, corrupted beasts, and monstrosities. Risinas maintained the theory that the essence of creation was concentrated within his right hand.”

It was a matter of fact that Erebus manifested his most dedicated vassals using that specific hand.

—Understood. Therefore, you concluded it was the right arm based on the fragment you severed earlier, Elsie remarked with a look of realization, prompting a nod from Leo.

“However, it raises questions. The process of creation demands an immense expenditure of vitality, so what is the purpose behind squandering his energy like this?”

He found himself puzzled by why Erebus would recklessly deplete his strength to manufacture monsters without any restraint.

“Leo!”

Having completed the selection for the assault team against Erebus, Arion called out.

Leo descended back to the solid ground, taking a moment to evaluate the chosen vanguard.

‘Arion, Melina, Torua, Ulta, Rienia, Runia, Eiran, Eliza.’

Setting Arion aside, the group was entirely devoid of standard knight archetypes. While Eiran and Rienia were classified as magic swordsmen, their agility was easily on par with elite vanguard units, and their destructive output easily eclipsed standard spellcasters.

‘A lineup tailored specifically for maximum damage and high mobility.’

Rienia and Eiran also bore somewhat complicated expressions, indicating they had likely already received their specific objectives from Arion.

Just then, Ar made his way over to Leo. “Black Rabbit! Lord Arion claimed he would handle Erebus completely on his own, but is that truly alright? Shouldn’t we offer some sort of assistance?” Ar inquired, anxiety written across his face.

Staring back at Ar, Leo responded, “If he declared he would manage it alone, it is because he possesses the power to back it up.”

“B-But…”

This wasn’t just any ordinary adversary; it was Erebus itself. The most catastrophic horror to ever walk the earth, an entity that had pushed the realm to absolute ruin. Even if it was merely a single piece, the concept of confronting such a legendary terror unassisted felt incredibly reckless.

“You still haven’t figured out exactly what point in history this Arion was pulled from, have you?”

“Huh?” Ar’s eyes widened in surprise. Come to think of it, he realized he hadn’t been informed. “What point in time did he come from? Did you find out, Black Rabbit?”

“The absolute conclusion.”

“What?”

“This is the Arion from the exact era when he successfully defeated Erebus.”

Ar’s eyes stretched even wider at the revelation.

‘Were it not for the constraints that cause him to fade once his divine energy is fully spent, the Arion standing here could easily single-handedly eradicate the forces of Tartarus.’

With the Empress of Monsters defeated and the Monarch of Giants completely missing from the equation, Tartarus, left with only the King of Necromancers, stood absolutely no chance against Arion at his absolute peak.

“Your assignment is to remain here and contain the lesser monsters,” Leo instructed.

Stomp— Stomp—

Leo walked over to stand beside Arion. “Well, shall we begin our advance?”

Arion tightened his hold on the weapon, his gaze focusing ahead. “Let us bring an end to this primordial malice.”