Chapter 449

Chapter 449

WHAM-!

Erebos took a step forward.

RUMBLE-!

With that single stride, the entire landscape convulsed.

FLARE-!

Pitch-black infernos erupted around Erebos. Even from a great distance, a suffocating, oppressive heat radiated from his form.

Torua whispered, cold beads of sweat forming across his brow. “Just his mere presence exerts this much pressure.”

Erebos hadn’t even unleashed an official technique or unique ability. It was a single pace. He had simply shifted his foot. Yet the resulting impact mirrored a catastrophic natural disaster. The heavens above bled an even more terrifying, deep crimson radiance.

Ulta, keeping Riennia securely positioned ahead of him, murmured, “Now it makes sense. It is clear why Lord Arion chose not to bring any additional vanguards with him for this clash.”

Virtually every member of the vanguard squad, apart from Arion, specialized in long-distance strikes. Lunia, Eiran, and Eliza operated as a unified trio. Lunia dedicated her entire focus toward raw offense utilizing Phoenix King’s White Flame. Eiran, utilizing his lineage’s distinctive sorcery of anima swords and armor, served as Lunia’s protective barrier, while Eliza’s duty was to maneuver Lunia swiftly across the field to dodge Erebos’s counterstrikes. It was a tactical formation specifically assembled so that the still-developing Lunia could devote herself entirely to throwing destructive spells.

“Initially, when the word came that Lord Arion would confront him completely unaccompanied in the front lines, I figured, ‘Of course, the Hero operates on another level,’ but I completely missed the point.” Riennia broke out into a cold sweat. “Had any standard knight class attempted to hold the vanguard position, they would have been reduced to cinders in an instant.”

The choice to leave behind front-line fighters such as Lisna, Zamua, or Banir stemmed from the reality that they simply lacked the qualifications to survive on this particular stage. In truth, they themselves were just as unprepared for a clash of this magnitude. Their only viable option was to offer marginal assistance to Arion from the outer boundaries of the conflict.

Though, there is one particular student who has already ascended to that level.

Riennia shifted her gaze toward the sky, observing Leo as he looked down upon Erebos. Exhalating deeply, Riennia hoisted her bow. “I am relying on you, Ulta.”

“Consider it done.”

Among all the rising heroes gathered on this field, Riennia possessed the most devastating raw destructive output. As the former student council president of Seirun, she was a formidable magic archer capable of weaving both sorcery and aura simultaneously. However, even during her era, raw combat strength alone was not enough to secure the position of Seirun’s student council president.

Even if the criteria has shifted by now.

Up until the previous year, only the most exceptional Star Mage of the entire generation could claim the title of Seirun’s student council president.

Following Riennia’s lead, Torua sent Lunia airborne toward Eliza. “I am counting on you, my short-tempered junior from the Summoning Department.”

“You seem remarkably composed given the gravity of our situation.”

“True enough. After all, our job is merely to back up Lord Arion from the fringes of the arena. Furthermore…” Torua fixed his gaze on Arion’s back as the man stood resolutely before the massive, dark catastrophe. “We have the Hero on our side.”

“Are you truly prepared… to watch this world burn all over again?” Arion narrowed his vision.

Beholding Arion, Erebos’s eyes twitched slightly. Not a single trace of dread could be detected within Arion’s gaze.

—Hoo.

Erebos let slip a grimly amused expression.

—The pathetic creature who could not even brace for his own demise, even when his instincts screamed it was coming, now stands unbothered by death.

Maintaining a completely stoic countenance, Arion leveled his blade directly at Erebos.

—Did you conquer the terror of the unknown by actually experiencing death? Or perhaps…

SWISH-!

Erebos hoisted his massive black arm.

—Are you nothing more than a sorrowful echo of days gone by, entirely indifferent to existence or extinction!

CRASH-!

Dark flames surged violently into the stratosphere as Erebos swung his arm with absolute, devastating force. The black torrent swept directly over Arion’s position.

“Lord Arion!” Melina screamed out in sheer panic.

Leo countered calmly, “He is perfectly fine.”

“What?”

“He won’t fall to an assault of that caliber.”

Right at that split second, an intense golden beam ruptured outward, tearing straight through the dark inferno. Arion wrapped both hands firmly around the hilt of his blade.

WOOM-!

“Hoo—”

Drawing a deep breath, he shut his eyes tightly and channeled his absolute mental focus. His supersenses expanded fully. Upon opening his eyes, he witnessed the chaotic flames coiling aggressively around Erebos. He locked eyes with Erebos’s hideously contorted face, which wore an unmistakable expression of pure mockery.

Yet Arion remained entirely untroubled.

Serene.

Arion had tasted defeat before. He understood that reality far better than anyone else. The exact moment he registered the passings of Kyle and Luna through his supersenses, absolute terror had gripped his soul. In that moment, he opted for his own demise to spare them, driven entirely by the paralyzing dread of watching his companions perish.

Yet the second Kyle arrived to pull me from the brink, I gave up entirely.

In those final breaths, Arion had despaired, completely doubting that the world could ever be redeemed.

Dweno would absolutely never have thrown in the towel.

He brought to mind his companion, a man forged with an unyielding iron will.

Luna would have maintained absolute faith in her own capabilities until her final breath.

The friend who placed boundless, infinite trust in her own hidden potential.

Lysinass would never have allowed hope to slip away before the end.

The companion who carried a brighter flame of hope than anyone else across this entire realm.

Because he would have held onto the unwavering belief that Kyle would fight until the very end. Unlike myself.

Arion raised his weapon perfectly upright, his emotionless reflection staring back from the polished metal of the blade. A coward who had been paralyzed by fear time and time again stood there, thoroughly shattered.

But because of my companions, I was given the privilege to see a world successfully preserved. Because of that, I carry no remaining regrets. And so…

“I will erase you from existence, by any means necessary!”

FLASH!

Coinciding precisely with Arion’s roaring declaration, a brilliant streak of golden sword energy slashed violently toward Erebos’s neck. However, it failed to slice through his flesh.

CRASH-!

Erebos’s colossal frame crashed downward, driving heavily into the earth below.

“A relic of history! A mere echo of the past shall be the one to bring you down!” Arion thrusted his blade toward the heavens.

SWISH-!

An blinding golden radiance shot straight into the upper atmosphere. The very instant that miniature golden orb, resembling a blazing sun, detonated in the sky—

FLASH-! RUMBLE-!

A torrential downpour of condensed sword energy cascaded from above, completely burying Erebos in a relentless barrage.

“Good heavens.”

“That… that is the true combat of a Great Hero…!”

The aspiring heroes gathered atop the defensive city wall stood frozen with their mouths agape. A battle involving a Great Hero completely shattered the boundaries of conventional logic. It sent shockwaves through individuals who had spent their entire lives raised on legends of Great Heroes, honoring their names, reverying their might, and singing praises of their grand exploits.

“So this is the sheer power required to preserve the world,” Duran whispered, his facial features completely frozen in profound awe.

“Unbelievable… I thought the defensive stand at Guardsron was mind-blowing, but this exists on an entirely incomparable plane of existence,” Carl added from beside him, clicking his tongue in disbelief. Even having witnessed Arion’s destructive capabilities once before, the sheer scale left Carl deeply rattled.

“Is that truly Lord Arion as he is depicted in the concluding accounts?”

He matched the historical records flawlessly. He was, in the most literal sense, the living embodiment of the ‘God of War’ itself.

“And Leo is actually standing at the absolute vanguard of a clash like that?” Abbad murmured under his breath.

Triggered by Arion’s opening gambit, the coordinated assaults from Torua, Ulta, and Riennia commenced. Torua’s sorcery pierced straight through the blazing torrents Erebos exhaled, slamming heavily against his physical form. Ulta soared at breakneck speeds atop his Pegasus, actively intercepting and neutralizing Erebos’s spreading flames.

FLARE-!

Right at that juncture, an immense, unblemished white inferno erupted toward the upper heavens. The moment her eyes locked onto the sight, Dryana whispered a single name. “Lunia.”

The very instant the words left her lips—

WHOOSH-!

The Flame Emperor completely enveloped Erebos’s massive frame.

Deafening cheers broke out among the gathered Seirun students.

“As expected of our Senior Lunia!”

“The undisputed choice for Seirun’s upcoming student council president!”

“According to historical accounts, the unique flames of the Phoenix King are classified as an unquenchable blaze, aren’t they?”

The eyes of the Seirun first-year students gleamed with excitement.

CRASH!

However, their excitement instantly turned to dread as they watched Erebos step forward, tearing effortlessly through the white infernos. Despite taking direct, unmitigated hits from both Torua and Lunia’s high-level magic, Erebos showed zero indicators of slowing down.

“To shrug off a magical barrage of that scale without so much as a flinch…”

“Is it even… humanly possible for regular people to take part in a clash of this nature?”

Anxious, fearful murmurs began circulating not just among the freshmen, but within the sophomore ranks as well. Witnessing the sudden dip in morale, Celia scowled. It was natural for panic to set in when individuals were confronted with a reality that completely shattered their conceptual boundaries.

Because I went through that exact same phase.

During the midterm examinations of the very first semester, Leo’s mere presence had been an overwhelming, terrifying force. She had experienced profound dread and utter despair just watching Leo move, convinced she could never dream of closing the gap between them.

Yet I couldn’t simply keep my head buried in the dirt forever.

The sight of Leo’s silhouette constantly forging ahead, his back turned to them, felt like a silent command to catch up. It felt as though he was signaling that he would patiently await the moment they could finally share the exact same combat zone.

The rest of these students need to realize that truth as well.

Celia racked her brain, searching for a way to inject some spine back into her peers and underclassmen.

STOMP- STOMP- STOMP-!

Ar slammed her foot against the stone floor in pure frustration.

“What is eating at you?” Carl questioned.

Ar barked back in response, “It is completely infuriating!”

“What do you mean?”

“The Black Rabbit and that sharp-eared, short-tempered girl! Even Eiran managed to secure a spot on that battlefield!”

“Well, Leo possesses an entirely unique tier of genius. Lunia and Eiran are out there because they possess highly specialized capabilities. It doesn’t imply that you are fundamentally inadequate—”

“That is precisely why it drives me mad!”

A physical transformation began rippling across Ar’s form as feline traits manifested far more aggressively through her physical structure. It was the process of animal transformation.

With her hair and fur standing entirely on end like an agitated, hissing feline, Ar growled, “I still lack the necessary qualifications to set foot on that specific battlefield! Even with the Great Hero right there in front of us! I am completely denied the privilege of standing alongside him!”

As her words echoed out, every single student shifted their attention entirely toward Ar.

“I am absolutely furious! And I am going to take every single bit of this rage out on those repulsive abominations!”

MEOOOOOW!

Unleashing a piercing, feral screech, Ar bounded over the defensive wall and charged straight into the fray.

Watching Ar’s shrinking silhouette run headfirst into danger, the surrounding students—who had just been utterly paralyzed by a clash that defied human understanding—clenched their jaws, their expressions twisting into deep embarrassment. They had been trembling in terror, yet someone else was entirely enraged simply because they weren’t strong enough to leap into the epicenter of that very same fight. The sheer contrast in their mindsets filled them with intense shame.

“To hell with this!”

“Am I really going to sit here acting like a helpless coward? Not a chance!”

They forced themselves through their own panic, shouting at the top of their lungs to drown out the fear.

Beholding the sudden shift in the crowd, Celia whispered, “Did she orchestrate that response on purpose?”

“That absolute simpleton? Highly unlikely,” Carl replied, letting out a breathless, dry chuckle.

Beside him, Dryana offered a small nod of agreement. “It certainly wasn’t an intentional manipulation. However, I believe that is precisely where Ar’s unique gift lies.”

“Ar’s unique gift?” Celia tilted her head to the side, confused.

“She is the individual whom the Hero personally selected to be his successor. It makes perfect sense that her instinctive behavior naturally kindles bravery within the hearts of those around her.” Dryana smiled softly as she manifested a massive, imposing battle-axe out from her sub-space storage.

Staring at her back, Celia tightened and released her fist repeatedly. “I refuse to just sit back and fall behind everyone else.”

The true conflict wasn’t confined solely to the primary arena.

ROOOAAAR-!

Vast waves of corrupted aberrations spawned by Erebos’s dark energy began throwing themselves aggressively against the defensive structures of the city walls.

“Lord Leo, we await your directives.”

Responding to Melina’s prompt, Leo questioned calmly, “Melina, you are the chosen successor to Lysinass, are you not?”

“Excuse me? Ah, yes. Though I am profoundly inadequate, I must shamefully admit that I managed to conquer Lord Lysinass’s world and—”

“In that case, the responsibility of tactical command falls entirely on you.”

“What?” Melina froze, completely caught off guard. “B-but given that Lord Leo is personally present on this field, how could I possibly take it upon myself to issue commands…”

“Tactical command has always been Lysinass’s designated responsibility.”

“….!”

“How much longer do you intend to maintain this vow of silence?”

Faced with Leo’s sharp, unyielding tone, Melina ground her teeth tightly together and lowered her gaze.

Back when her squad had attempted to conquer the World of Genesis, Melina had been the one directing the tactical movements. That endeavor had concluded with the total slaughter of her entire group. From that tragic turning point onward, Melina had earned the grim title of the Dragon of Silence. Even now, having finally shattered her self-imposed muteness, she hadn’t possessed the courage to even imagine directing forces while standing directly in front of Erebos.

Noticing Melina’s deep internal conflict, Leo spoke up once more. “Melina.”

“…Yes.”

“Cast your eyes over there.” Leo extended his arm, pointing directly toward Arion as he clashed fiercely against Erebos.

“Lord Leo…”

“Whenever terror threatens to paralyze you, focus entirely on his back. That exact image is precisely where we drew our own resolve from. If you find it impossible to place faith in your own decisions, then place your trust in me instead. You possess more than enough latent capability to masterfully direct this vanguard and wage war against Erebos. I give you my absolute word on that matter.”

Absorbing his words, Melina drew a massive, stabilizing breath. “Understood!”

At her resounding response, a smile broke across Leo’s face.

“What assignment will Lord Leo be executing?”

“Myself?” Leo reached his hand outward into the open air. With a sudden burst of brilliant illumination, a mystical staff materialized in his grip. “It might not exactly align with my usual approach, but…”

Tracing his fingers along the intricate tip of the staff, Leo remarked casually, “I think I will attempt to replicate the fighting style of that particular Luna.”