Chapter 454

Deep within a fading mind, plunging into a dark void, a distant shout echoed.

‘Ar?’

Upon hearing that voice, which carried a faith so absolute it verged on foolishness, his slipping consciousness began to steady and return.

With its revival, a long-buried recollection came to light.

The Age of Catastrophe.

A time when countless children were left without parents, an occurrence viewed as completely commonplace.

They grew up knowing nothing of the warmth found in a normal household.

It was a period where hardship was the standard reality.

Tranquility had dissolved long before they were even born, leaving a world saturated only with misery.

Throughout that ruinous era, orphans were the most vulnerable, possessing nowhere to go and no one to turn to for help.

Those were days spent merely figuring out how to stretch out existence for one more day.

An upbringing where every face they encountered was marked by sorrow.

Among those youngsters, he was far unluckier than the rest.

“What is his problem now?”

“Who knows. The sky terrifies him.”

“Unbelievable, what’s there to be frightened of? Such a weakling.”

The other homeless children in the alleyways constantly regarded him with contempt.

It was only to be expected.

Because terror gripped him constantly.

The overcast, gloomy sky filled him with dread.

Consequently, he never dared to raise his gaze upward.

“Word is the sky used to be sky-blue.”

“What does sky-blue mean?”

“Supposedly it’s a soft, pale blue.”

“What’s that about? How bizarre!”

The children gathered to share whatever scraps they had scrounged up through the day, filling their bellies as best they could.

“Wolf cub, come have some of this.”

Back during that time, they called him Wolf Cub.

He possessed no real name.

There had been no mother or father around to bestow one upon him.

The group simply used whatever label was easiest for them.

Mercifully, even as a young boy, he was surrounded by kind souls.

A human girl in their little band took it upon herself to look after the younger children.

This girl frequently offered a portion of her own food to him, since he was perpetually paralyzed by fear.

Then came a certain day.

A wolf beast-man arrived in the quarter where the orphans lived.

“Did you hear the news? That’s Lord Agon, the Guardian of the Azure Sky!”

“I know that name! He’s a legendary figure, isn’t he?”

“What brings someone so grand to a place like this?”

“He came to watch over us! He promised we won’t have to beg for scraps anymore!”

“Is that true?!”

Agon, the Guardian of the Azure Sky.

To those abandoned children, he was nothing short of a redeemer.

Even if they couldn’t feast until stuffed, they no longer faced starvation and didn’t have to plead desperately for every meal.

The youths rejoiced, declaring that true joy had finally arrived.

Because of this, a massive transformation swept through the alleyways.

Yet it was precisely during this period.

His internal terror grew even more profound.

From the very hour Agon arrived in their midst, the boy fled, doing everything to keep out of his sight.

‘Frightening! So frightening!’

The wolf cub harbored an intense dread of Agon.

To the little boy, Agon loomed like an absolute giant.

He had previously observed warriors on the main thoroughfare preparing for campaigns to defend the city.

The wolf cub had felt intimidated by them as well, but Agon belonged to an entirely different tier of power.

Since Agon remained constantly in their area, the wolf cub found himself going without food more frequently to avoid him.

One afternoon, when his hunger was so deep that his stomach lacked the energy to even growl.

Agon walked right up to the slumped, exhausted wolf cub.

“Have you run completely out of strength to flee from me?”

“Hiiik-!”

Filled with panic, the wolf cub attempted to scramble away.

Yet even that tiny bit of vitality deserted him.

Without a word, Agon set a bowl of warm soup and a loaf of bread directly before the trembling boy.

Then he retreated to a respectful distance, quietly observing the youth.

Driven by starvation, the wolf cub frantically gulped down the soup and bread.

“Cough-! Cough-!”

He began to choke from consuming it so wildly.

Even so, Agon merely closed his eyes and waited patiently until the child had finished every bite.

A short while later.

The wolf cub slowly crept closer to Agon.

He reasoned, ‘The food must have made him lower his guard.’

Yet when Agon opened his eyes, an entirely unexpected sight greeted him.

“Th-th-thank you.”

The wolf cub remained visibly terrified.

What was it about his presence that struck such deep fear into this small child?

As he pondered this, he felt deep admiration for the boy’s willpower to offer thanks despite being so thoroughly frightened.

“The other youngsters label you a coward. Yet from what I see, you possess true bravery.”

“M-me?”

Agon gave a warm, gentle smile, looking down at the shivering wolf boy whose face was blank with confusion.

“Yes, little one. Tell me, what makes me so terrifying to you?”

“L-Lord Agon… is simply too massive. The other children don’t seem to perceive it, but… you carry a monumental, overwhelming power.”

Hearing this, Agon’s countenance shifted instantly.

‘He perceived my true strength and was driven to terror by it?’

Agon believed he had completely shrouded his immense power from view.

Startled, Agon forced even the faint, subconscious aura he emitted to completely withdraw deep inside himself.

Instantly, the wolf cub’s eyes went wide.

The pale, bloodless color returned to his cheeks.

As the oppressive dread dissolved, the youngster’s face became radiant and pure.

Following that encounter, Agon shared numerous deep discussions with Arion.

“Frightened of the sky, I see… It makes sense now. You were born inheriting a stupendous power.”

“I was?”

The wolf cub’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Yes. The reason you live in perpetual fear is that your primal instincts recognize what others are blind to. A power you cannot control can feel very much like a affliction. It must have been an exhausting burden for you.”

Upon hearing those words, the wolf cub’s features twisted into a heavy scowl.

“Then I despise this power! It’s the reason I am forced to be terrified all the time!”

The young boy grew to resent the inherent strength he possessed from birth.

“No, there is a grand purpose behind why you were given such a monumental gift.”

“It’s too complicated.”

“You will comprehend it when you grow older. Therefore, do not dread your own strength. Welcome it and command it as your own. If you manage that, you might just be the person destined to rescue this world.”

Agon offered a brilliant smile, recognizing a latent talent within the boy that defied imagination.

“What does it actually mean to rescue the world?”

“Hmm. How can I explain it simply?”

Agon paused to consider, then nodded knowingly.

“Yes, rescuing the world means bringing back the clear sky.”

“What exactly is a clear sky?”

“It is a sky drenched in this precise color.”

Woong-!

A vibrant, sky-blue radiance emanated from Agon’s outstretched palm.

“An age ago, the entire sky was painted in this hue.”

“Wow… it’s so beautiful….”

His gaze was utterly ensnared by the magnificent shade, one he had never witnessed in his life.

The wolf cub felt an intense wave of emotion washing over him as he stared at the light.

Then, with an eager voice, he questioned.

“What must I do to rescue the world!?”

“It is an incredibly arduous path.”

“Even if it is painful, I will accomplish it! I want to look upon a clear sky!”

“Truly? In that case, your first step is to become exceptionally powerful.”

“Become powerful?”

“Do not fret over that detail. I will guide and train you. Before we begin, it would be fitting for you to possess a proper name.”

Agon thought for a moment, then beamed broadly.

“Arion shall be your name.”

“Arion?”

“Yes. Within the ancient tongue of the beast-kin, ‘Ar’ signifies courage. ‘On’ denotes a person. Bound together, it signifies a courageous person.”

“A courageous person… I don’t believe that matches someone like me?”

“No. It fits you perfectly, Arion. You looked upon that sky-blue light, understood the immense hardship ahead, and yet you still chose to save the world, did you not?”

“I did.”

“That is the definition of courage.”

“Courage…”

“Yes, so whenever anxiety and dread threaten to overwhelm you, call back the sky-blue you witnessed today.”

Agon gently ruffled Arion’s snow-white hair.

“It will unfailingly grant you the strength you need.”

Aaaah-!

An abrupt, resounding howl pulled Arion’s mind entirely back to reality.

‘Ar.’

Ar’s fierce cry was instilling him with newfound bravery.

Answering that call, a torrential wave of strength flooded through Arion’s entire being.

Hwaak-!

Fueled by the energy of Ar’s howl, Arion underwent a transformation.

His fading, unstable form solidified back to its true state.

Opening his eyes, his hair had transformed into a striking sky-blue.

Before him lay the shattered blade held tightly by Chelsea.

Brave.

The legendary emblem of the broken champion.

To hand this over, Chelsea had summoned every ounce of her resolve to reach his side.

Arion took hold of the fractured hilt, his eyes reflecting Chelsea’s hair.

Hwarr-!

‘Dwenno’s Flame?’

A sudden, radiant golden fire erupted, forming the missing blade of Brave.

Arion grinned, staring at the weapon that had been restored to its flawless state.

Ar’s echoing howl had rekindled the valiant spark that had nearly gone out.

The sky-blue tresses right before him pointed toward his path.

The blade forged by Dwenno propelled him into action.

A brilliant golden gleam ignited within Arion’s gaze.

Hwaak-!

Brave sliced effortlessly through the catastrophic inferno.

Tadak-

Stepping back into the world, Arion looked down at Chelsea, who was secured safely in his embrace, offering a gentle smile.

“Are you unharmed?”

“Yes.”

“My thanks, Chelsea. Because of your actions, I managed to reclaim my courage.”

“What did I even do…?”

“The color of the sky-blue gives me strength.”

Arion offered a warm smile and tenderly placed Chelsea back on her feet.

Erebos’s features contorted in rage upon witnessing Arion’s altered state.

-How have you returned? Is this some miracle born of sheer stubbornness to uphold the title of an insignificant hero?

Arion offered his retort to Erebos’s furious words.

“I hold no desperate grip on the title of ‘hero.’ Did I not return precisely because I crossed over into the territory of the Divine?”

-What absolute, ridiculous drivel.

“What absolute, ridiculous drivel.”

Erebos’s eyes twitched violently as Arion spoke the exact words forming in his own mind simultaneously.

-You… could it be the future…

“Yes, I perceive it flawlessly.”

-Him…

“Which is why I recognize the truth. The fact that what is to come can be altered at any given moment.”

For a fleeting instant.

His vision had unlocked to reveal a crystalline view of what lay ahead, far surpassing mere fractured premonitions.

Just for a heartbeat.

He had managed to momentarily plant his feet within the realm of God.

By virtue of that feat, he had successfully grasped a tiny, minute ember of celestial authority.

“It is merely a minuscule fragment… but it is more than enough to put an end to you.”

Flash-!

Arion’s weapon lashed out with a velocity invisible to the eye.

Kwaak-!

Erebos’s form was cleanly split in two from crown to base.

-A mere phantom of a bygone era, deceased ages ago!

Erebos’s maddened voice thundered.

Arion smirked, meeting Erebos’s gaze.

“We are both lingering spirits, so let us cease grasping onto this living world.”

-Gwoooooooo!

Erebos’s furious, booming roar shook the surroundings.

Observing the display, Arion unleashed another strike.

A brilliant golden arc flashed, and Erebos’s form shattered into countless thousands of fragments.

Pwahk-!

“Incredible…!”

Just as Chelsea’s eyes widened in awe.

Flash-!

Leo’s staff erupted with light, sending a torrent of unblemished white energy straight into Arion’s blade.

Arion blinked in surprise, looking over at Leo, who had just bestowed a magical enchantment upon his weapon.

Leo drew a sharp finger across his throat, directing the gesture toward Arion.

Grasping the intent, Arion clenched the hilt with both hands and hoisted it high.

Right before delivering the strike.

He paused, looking back as if struck by a sudden thought.

“Chelsea.”

“Yes!”

“Would you like to hear a secret?”

“A secret?”

“Mm. The truth is, Leo is actually…”

Arion lowered his voice to a soft whisper.

“…the Hero of Beginnings.”

Chelsea’s eyes dilated in sheer shock.

“Kyle shouldered far too many heavy burdens. He is the type who will never share those weights. Therefore, I ask of you. As a sibling, be Kyle’s… Leo’s sanctuary. Provide a place where Leo can truly smile without worry.”

“Discover what it is you truly wish to achieve.”

Before the ultimate conflict.

Those were the words Kyle had shared with him, speaking as an elder brother rather than just a comrade.

‘I once believed I desired to become an authentic hero after arriving in this world… but that isn’t my true longing.’

He had never harbored a genuine passion for such grand titles from the start.

‘There is only a single thing I truly desire. For my loved ones to live and smile within a tranquil world alongside good people. That is my ultimate wish for myself.’

It was a desire that Leo undoubtedly would have scolded him for had he ever caught wind of it.

He would have lectured him, claiming it was a fundamentally selfless wish wrapped in self-interest.

Yet Arion found joy in it.

Simply contemplating that future filled him with delight.

Thus, he chose to keep this truth locked deep within his soul.

Stomp- Stomp-

Arion stepped resolutely toward Erebos, whose scattered remnants were beginning to ignite once more, raising the blade overflowing with pure white authority.

“This is the conclusion.”

Swooosh-!

Arion tightened his fingers around the weapon, his expression turning entirely fierce.

“Fade away, ancient abomination.”

Flash-!

Kuooooooh!

The fractured shards of Erebos, pierced by the unblemished white radiance and the brilliant golden aura, screamed out in pure torment.

Kwaaaaaak! Hwaak-!

Shrouded completely in the celestial white light, Erebos dissolved into nothingness.

The oppressive, dark crimson sky began to break apart and clear.

The bloodthirsty beasts likewise caught fire, consumed by dark flames before turning to ash.

Erebos was completely gone.

The sole proof that the primordial malice had ever trod upon the earth lay in the scarred ruins of the brutal battlefield.

Amidst the profound quiet of the gathered crowd, the first rays of dawn started to pierce the horizon.

Beholding the light, Arion roared at the top of his lungs.

“We have won!”

“Waaaaaaaaah-!”