Chapter 485

Chapter 485

“Archers, prepare for another volley.”

Lil gave the order to the knight stationed beside her.

Receiving the command, the knight frantically gestured toward the archer divisions with his drawn blade.

“Archer units! On standby!”

Promptly, the bowmen frantically fitted arrows to their strings.

Nevertheless, the reload speed of these archers, who lacked the rigorous training expected of the capital defense forces of a frontier kingdom, was visibly lagging.

“Hurry it up! The enemy has already advanced into our range!” the knight barked in frustration.

Observing the delay, Lil let out a soft sigh and lifted her palm.

RUMBLE—!

The earth spirits bound to Lil violently convulsed the ground below.

The advancing vanguard of Tamuz’s army lost their footing and tumbled as the terrain buckled beneath them.

In that window, the archers who had finally finished preparing released their volleys.

SWISH—!

The collective whistle of arrows piercing the air resonated across the field.

Reacting instantly, Lil called upon wind spirits to accelerate the projectiles.

Bolstered by the elemental gales, the arrows struck with lethal force, causing Tamuz’s frontline soldiers to drop instantly.

“I-incredible.”

“Are spirit contractors truly capable of such feats?”

Lil’s solitary presence altered the entire landscape of the battle.

Despite her youth, Lil was remarkably seasoned in the realities of warfare and displayed an overwhelming aptitude for battlefield command.

She was, in the most literal sense, a figure whose mere participation swayed the course of the engagement.

Standing atop the ramparts, the other commanding officers tasked with directing the defense were left completely speechless.

“Lady Lil! Your prowess is breathtaking! You resemble a goddess destined to deliver us victory!”

“I am nothing remarkable. My brother surpasses me by far. He is the one who truly deserves to be likened to a deity.”

“Your… brother?”

Hearing Lil, a young girl of undeniable beauty, speak of a “brother” left the surrounding knights wearing bewildered expressions.

Right at that moment, a brilliant flash of illumination erupted across the heavens.

Startled by the sudden phenomenon, everyone cast their gazes upward.

“Watch closely,” Lil remarked serenely.

Just then, Lu, one of the young orphan soldiers, rushed up to her, offered a salute, and inquired,

“Captain! When do we get to deploy!”

Lu was clearly burning with eagerness to join the fray and strike down the invaders.

Directing her gaze toward him, Lil responded,

“You will be sitting this engagement out.”

“What? Why? We possess far greater strength than these troops!” Lu countered, looking entirely perplexed.

Lil met his gaze and replied,

“You are undoubtedly more capable than they are. However, you are still at an age where you ought to be shielded.”

Elsewhere, a segment of the city walls had given way.

Exploiting the breach, Tamuz’s knights had successfully penetrated the inner perimeter.

Nevertheless, Lil had already received an update regarding that sector from Jeremin.

‘The Shadow people are managing the civilian evacuation.’

The encroaching host was being swiftly neutralized.

Consequently, Lil was able to dedicate her complete attention to the main front.

“Tell me, what is your true purpose here?”

“To crush the invaders…”

“No. It is to discover what it is you truly wish to pursue in life,” Lil interjected decisively, cutting Lu off.

Hearing this, the eyes of the orphan soldiers went wide.

“Therefore, leave these matters to the adults. Isn’t that right, Sirs?”

The surrounding men were momentarily robbed of speech as they watched Lil deliver this question with a subtle wink.

Though such levity was misplaced given the critical nature of the siege, Lil effortlessly commanded the room, instilling a sudden wave of reassurance among them.

It was precisely then that a voice echoed from above.

“Are you the third-year representative of Lumerin directing this defense, Lightseeker?”

Every eye turned toward the source of the sound.

A man stood there—Jerom—cradling a mangled arm while his features contorted in agony.

“Are you the Guild Master of the Justice Guild?”

“You are well aware of who I am. In that case, relinquish command to me. I shall guarantee the survival of everyone on this battlefield,” Jerom declared, his teeth grinding together.

‘My status as a hero has been stripped away? On what grounds!’

Having conquered an untold number of hero worlds, Jerom recognized that the notification he had witnessed was no illusion.

Throughout history, a revocation of hero status was unprecedented.

Should this reality come to light, Jerom would be permanently rendered a historical mockery.

‘This cannot stand. I must rapidly secure a monumental triumph to restore my standing as a hero!’

Jerom’s consciousness was consumed entirely by this singular desperation.

Lil stared at Jerom, frozen in hesitation.

Setting aside his severe physical trauma, she was conflicted about surrendering her authority.

She was fully aware of the philosophy he operated under.

Yet, as an individual who had successfully scaled the heights of a hero, he might very well possess a superior capacity for managing this military crisis compared to herself.

As Lil weighed her options, others spoke up.

“Lightseeker. We acknowledge your offer to oversee the defense, however… the Justice Guild deserted us. Aligning under your leadership would severely fracture the resolve of our troops.”

“Lady Lil is already executing the command of this engagement flawlessly.”

The knights representing the Kingdom of Carnel explicitly voiced their allegiance to Lil.

Witnessing their defiant stance, Lil’s eyes widened in surprise.

“How dare these worthless peasants speak to me so,” Jerom hissed, his expression turning venomous.

“When I extend the grace of my leadership, you ought to bow in gratitude. Yet you dare decline?”

WOOSH—!

A tempest of spiritual energy erupted violently from his frame.

Instantly, Lil’s gaze sharpened with hostility.

SWISH—!

Without a word of warning, she swung her war hammer straight at Jerom.

“Hmph—! A pathetic attempt!” Jerom sneered, his eyes flashing.

Even though he had depleted a massive portion of his reserves in his prior clash against Tamuz and had been deprived of an arm, his status as one of the elite combatants among contemporary heroes remained an absolute reality.

Lil, who was merely a prospective hero candidate, was not a foe capable of easily matching him.

Yet, tightening her grip around the shaft of her war hammer, Lil braced herself further.

If she faltered here, the Carnel knighthood would face total annihilation.

Recognizing this truth intuitively, Lil gritted her teeth in defiance.

“To target those who simply refuse to submit to your whims! You! How dare you treat human existence so cheaply?!”

“Do you presume to instruct me! What could a mere child like you possibly understand about the nature of heroes to speak so boldly? Heroes are elite entities destined to guide the epoch! Ordinary mortals are nothing but disposable tools meant to blindly obey the directives of heroes!”

At Jerom’s declaration, Lil’s frame trembled with rage.

“I am truly fascinated to see where such a pathetic worldview leaves you!”

“At the very least, I will never degrade myself to what you are! You utter bastard!”

“What?”

As Lil hurled the profanity, her latent power surged violently past its ordinary thresholds.

CRACKLE—!

Fissures began splintering across the protective barrier of light Jerom had manifested through spirits.

“What?!”

CRUNCH—!

“Cough?!”

The war hammer slammed squarely into Jerom’s sternum.

His body was thrown backward through the air.

“Haa… Haa… How is this possible?”

[Highly impressive.]

A hand gently pressed down on Lil’s head in a fond gesture of approval.

“Lady Laruel?”

The manifestation Lil had utilized was none other than the authority of Laruel.

It was a sudden activation of the Spirit Armored technique that Leo had implanted within Lil for her training modules.

[To be fair, my ability to manifest this power was entirely due to Leo.]

When Leo initially affixed the Spirit Armored technique onto Lil, Laruel had briefly merged with her physical vessel.

This interaction had established a sort of provisional pact.

Even so, the actual execution of Laruel’s power was a testament to Lil’s individual capability.

[Had Leo not intervened, it is highly probable that you would have been the one to forge a contract with me.]

Looking up at the immensely proud expression on Laruel’s visage, Lil’s features suddenly twisted in discomfort.

“Ugh?!”

Clamping a hand over her mouth, she sprinted toward a secluded portion of the battlements.

“Blech.”

Such was the toll extracted for tapping into a reservoir of energy far exceeding her body’s capacity.

Laruel watched Lil suffer through the physical backlashes rocking her core, displaying a peculiar expression before gently rubbing Lil’s back to soothe her.

“Waaah!”

“Glory to Lady Lil!”

“The goddess of triumph stands with us!”

The garrison and knights erupted into roaring cheers, fully conscious that Lil had delivered them from disaster.

[They are chanting your name with such fervor, why not offer them a wave?]

“If I throw up… Ugh! Will it finally pass? Blech!”

[…That would certainly ruin the mystique. Best to wait until your stomach settles.]

Accompanied by a monumental detonation of light, Tamuz crashed heavily down into the earth.

[Astonishing power,] Arti remarked, filled with genuine appreciation.

“I merely concentrated an immense volume of destructive force into a single moment.”

Even for Leo, sustaining that tier of offensive output over a prolonged duration remained an arduous task.

Should an adversary evade the strike, the effort would be squandered.

Regardless of an attack’s magnitude, its efficacy relied entirely on making contact.

To this, Kilran inquired with an eager tone,

[How does Leo’s current destructive capacity measure against his previous incarnation?]

“In terms of raw offensive output, it is comparable to the period when I first encountered Risinas. However, bridging the gap regarding overall combat versatility is still a distant goal.”

Providing his answer, Leo tracking down Tamuz’s location.

‘He hasn’t been entirely extinguished yet.’

True to a being harboring such formidable energy, he managed to survive the devastation of that assault.

WHOOSH—! CRASH—!

Just then, Jerom, who had been launched by Lil’s counterattack, plummeted out of the sky and slammed directly onto the terrain before Leo.

“Cough! Ack! That wretched girl!” Jerom snarled, scrambling to his feet with a gaze dripping with homicidal intent.

Staring down at him, Leo commented dryly,

“It appears Lil gave you quite the reception.”

“Leo Flobe?” Jerom’s entire body went rigid.

Observing the residual traces indicating that Lil had successfully invoked Laruel, Leo’s lips curled into a faint smirk.

“What is it like to face an authentic hero?”

“Was it your doing… Are you the reason behind my hero qualifications being annulled?!”

“Interpret it however you please.”

Jerom trembled violently as Leo openly disregarded him.

Witnessing that dismissive demeanor, he became entirely certain.

His banishment from the ranks of heroes was intrinsically tied to Leo.

“Why?” Jerom whispered under his breath.

“Why?! Heroes are sanctified beings! And I am the one chosen! I have consistently stood above all others! I have enforced justice across the realms! Why should I be cast out from the status of a hero! Why must I suffer this, when I have accomplished such grand feats!”

Faced with Jerom’s desperate, screaming protests, Leo responded with absolute indifference.

“From my perspective, you aren’t anyone of note.”

“What?”

“To me, you are merely a fool who presumes he holds the right to toy with the world simply because he wields a fraction of power.”

At Leo’s freezing words, Jerom’s face froze in shock.

“Isn’t the mantle of a hero far too grand for an idiot of your caliber?”

“Kuaaaaaaah!”

Consumed by absolute lunacy, Jerom lunged directly at Leo.

With a fluid motion, Leo slipped past Jerom’s trajectory.

SLASH—!

Accompanied by a cold, slicing sound, Jerom’s momentum ceased entirely.

SPLASH—! THUD—!

Jerom’s severed skull separated from his torso, and his body collapsed limply to the ground.

Maintaining an unreadable expression, Leo cleansed the crimson stains from Nox, paid no further heed to Jerom’s corpse, and resumed his pursuit of Tamuz.

Presently, the interior of Carnel’s capital remained embroiled in devastation brought about by Tamuz’s forces.

‘If I do not neutralize him permanently, his subordinates will continue to flood the city.’

Leo pressed forward after his target.

A brief moment later, he located the entity amidst a expanse of shattered ruins.

Sensing Leo’s arrival, Tamuz turned his headless form toward him and bellowed fiercely,

“This is far from concluded!”

Tamuz emitted a thunderous roar.

“I have yet to reclaim the zenith of my capabilities! Once I fully restore my original strength as a Spirit Lord, striking you down will be a simple matter!”

Tamuz radiated an intense desire to kill.

Though Leo had dealt him a catastrophic blow, he had not managed to completely snuff out his life force.

“Cease this pathetic struggling and meet your end with a shred of honor,” Leo countered, lifting Nox with an annoyed sigh.

FLASH—!

Suddenly, a brilliant array of light erupted from the earth directly beneath Tamuz’s feet.

“This domain is the very territory I held dominion over three millennia ago,” Tamuz hissed, his spiritual essence flaring.

“Is it any wonder that I retain perfect memory of my treasury’s location?”

Grinning widely, Tamuz extended his arm toward the empty air.

In response to his gesture, a spatial gateway manifested.

“You won’t be capable of unlocking it without the proper mechanism, will you?”

“Heh. Do you honestly believe a mere key is required for me to access my own storehouse?!”

Mocking the notion, Tamuz forced the portal open.

FLASH—!

Accompanied by a blinding radiance, the surrounding environment shifted entirely.

When Leo blinked away the glare, a colossal armory materialized around them.

Positioned in the dead center, Tamuz stood adjacent to an ornate throne.

Tamuz retrieved the skeletal head resting upon the seat and attached it directly to his bare neck.

FLASH—!

The hollow sockets of the skull ignited with a vibrant glare.

“At last, my absolute power has returned to me! Hero of the Beginning! Hahahahaahaha!”

Bursting into a fit of unhinged laughter, Tamuz threw his hand skyward.

“Behold! The might of my treasured legion of heroes!”

WOOSH—!

Spiritual energy rippled outward from Tamuz’s frame, sinking directly into the countless armaments arranged throughout the massive chamber.

FLASH—!

The infused energy rapidly manifested the spectral, living forms of the weapons’ historical masters.

“I have not forgotten your defiance against my rule three thousand years ago! Yet, I grant you my clemency! Ignorant phantoms! You shall serve as my thralls and dominate this realm once more!”

Tamuz’s gaze burned with madness.

“We shall eradicate the pretenders who climbed to the status of heroes relying solely on the Hero Records! We will demonstrate to these blind masses what constitutes a genuine hero! Obey my command and execute him!”

Spurred by Tamuz’s frenzied direction, the spectral warriors began closing the distance toward Leo.

Tamuz’s specialized spirit art, reconstructed via the legacy of the Necromancer King, operated on principles akin to dark necromancy.

It overrode the autonomy of others, reducing their essences to undead servitude.

Watching the approaching legion, Leo’s expression turned grim.

It was not an expression born of dread or apprehension.

Rather, he could hear the agonized cries of thousands of spirits trapped in endless torment.

‘I see.’

Leo cast his gaze down toward his own palm.

‘I have awakened Spirit Art.’

The mournful wails of the spirits reached his consciousness, echoing the exact manner Risinas used to experience them.

FLASH—!

An untainted, pristine white spiritual aura began to radiate from Leo’s hand.

Bathing in that pure light, the advance of the spirits ground to an immediate halt.

“You are permitted to act according to your own desires,” Leo announced softly.

“You are emancipated. No entity possesses the right to bind you.”

CLANG—!

Upon making contact with the radiant white aura, the phantoms shuddered before fading away one after another into nothingness.

The weapons they had brandished dropped uselessly against the stone flooring.

Witnessing the scene play out, Tamuz’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

“H-how can this be?!”

“I merely replicated the technique of a spirit contractor who vastly outclasses you,” Leo explained calmly, stepping closer to Tamuz.

WOOSH—!

An unprecedented aura of killing intent rolled off Leo’s body.

Staring at the approaching figure, Tamuz’s voice cracked with terror,

“S-spare me.”

He had been thoroughly routed, both in the discipline of a knight and as a wielder of spirits.

Only two paths remained before him: embrace his demise or beg for his existence.

“Hero of the Beginning! I… no! I can combat the influence of the ancient Necromancer King! That detestable Necromancer King revealed it himself! That a remnant of Erebus has been resuscitated! And that he holds that very fragment of Erebus! I can serve as a monumental asset to you in this era! I beg of you, grant me life! As the legendary grand hero, show benevolence to your successor!”

Looking down at the pathetic display of Tamuz kneeling and desperately imploring for his life, Leo noted,

“Undoubtedly, a warrior harboring your level of strength would possess great utility.”

“Y-yes, precisely…”

“A hero, you claim.”

Leo elevated Nox into position.

Tamuz’s features froze.

“Except you are no hero, are you?”

“S-mercy! Surely you recognize that an existence like mine is irreplaceable!”

“There are countless individuals in this age who will far surpass your capabilities.”

“Kuaaaaah!”

Driven to utter desperation from his knees, Tamuz launched one final, chaotic strike toward Leo.

SWISH—!

In that fleeting instant, Tamuz’s head soared into the air.

Mirroring the events of three millennia past, his neck was severed by the exact same sword arc that had originally claimed his life.

Tamuz’s physical form disintegrated into nothingness.