Chapter 491

Chapter 491

“Monarch of the Deceased. What brings you to these desolate remnants?”

The lady standing adjacent to Hel Kaiser, the Monarch of the Deceased, inclined her head as she inquired.

She was Eljenie, the Empress of Blood, recognized as one of the Legion Commanders of Tartarus.

“These are the burial grounds of Kinesis, a Legion Commander who was once revered as the Empress of Mirrors in eras long past.”

Answering Eljenie’s inquiry was none other than Artkhan, the Grand Duke of Dirges.

Eljenie cast a sharp look toward Artkhan.

Though Artkhan was a formidable fiend who had endured for five millennia, he remained a loyal subordinate to a Legion Commander.

In the hierarchy of fiends, Eljenie possessed a superior rank.

Nevertheless, Eljenie sensed an immense peril emanating from Artkhan.

And she was not alone in this sentiment.

Every single Legion Commander within Tartarus presently viewed Artkhan with utmost vigilance.

For even among the Legion Commanders, equality was an illusion.

The triad of Legion Commanders who had persisted since the Age of Calamity—the Monarch of the Deceased, the Behemoth Empress, and the Colossus Monarch—occupied an entirely different echelon of existence.

Eljenie herself was a trusted follower of Shilathuna, the Behemoth Empress.

Back when she ascended to her commander rank under Shilathuna’s wing, she harbored few anxieties.

However, following Shilathuna’s downfall, her standing inside Tartarus grew precarious.

No Legion Commander was oblivious to the reality that the Monarch of the Deceased, who ruled Tartarus in all but name, held little affection for those who attained their titles later on.

‘An inadequate Legion Commander could be liquidated without warning. Should that transpire, he will almost certainly seize our position.’

Had Artkhan not been so staggeringly capable, he likely would have claimed a commander’s seat already.

It was during this tense realization that Eljenie bit her lip.

“The Empress of Mirrors, Kinesis, was broken by Luna on this very soil five millennia ago,” the Monarch of the Deceased uttered in a serene tone. “I require the sepulcher dirt of an entity that harbored profound malice.”

“I shall journey to the resting place of the Progenitor of the Nebula.”

“No, allow me to go, Your Majesty, Monarch of the Deceased.” Eljenie moved forward, dropping to one knee. “I beg of you, grant me this mandate.”

“If such is your desire, you may proceed, Empress of Blood.”

“Understood. I shall not fall short of your expectations.”

‘What exactly was that?’

Having cleansed the abundant crimson stains, Leo maintained a solemn countenance.

The undeniable agony and the metallic scent of blood proved beyond doubt that this was no trick of the mind or a mere hallucination.

‘Could it be tied to dreams?’

He turned his thoughts back to the vision he had just experienced.

The events of that dream were etched indelibly into his mind.

‘Because it was far from a commonplace dream.’

It was a fragment of reality that had unfolded on this exact ground five millennia past.

The triad of supreme champions, having already endured the losses of Arion and Dweno, engaged in a catastrophic final clash with Erebus here.

‘And… they were bested.’

Ultimately, it was not an absolute downfall.

Just as the supreme champions proved unable to vanquish Erebus, Erebus likewise lacked the capacity to completely eradicate them.

On the contrary, Erebus sustained severe trauma himself and was forced to withdraw.

The same applied to Arion and Dweno.

Enduring immortality did not render one immune to devastating trauma.

The injuries Arion and Dweno inflicted upon Erebus at the cost of their existence undoubtedly cleared a path for the surviving champions.

The five brutal conflicts encountered during that ultimate crusade were all vital strides toward bringing down Erebus.

Even so, the reason Leo viewed those prior four engagements as losses was due to the passing of his comrades.

Leo exhaled deeply.

‘The vision did not unfold through my own eyes, but through Luna’s.’

Leo brought to mind the third engagement.

Having inherited Arion’s spiritual pressure and Dweno’s blaze, Leo had taken up the mantle of holding Erebus at bay single-handedly at the vanguard.

Closing his eyes, Leo envisioned the world five millennia ago.

‘We laid Dweno to rest and advanced toward the east. And after that…’

It occurred during a brief respite ahead of the third engagement.

‘…We must emerge victorious. We must win and survive at all costs.’

Luna had spoken those words, framing them like a sacred pledge.

‘The three of us will realize the aspirations of Arion and Dweno. Let us persevere fiercely for both of them.’

When Arion breathed his last, Luna had wept until consciousness left her.

Yet when Dweno departed, no tears fell from Luna’s eyes.

She bottlenecked her grief, letting it transform purely into a murderous intent directed at Erebus.

‘Just before we set out on that conclusive campaign, our convictions were entirely disparate.’

Arion felt a deep dread regarding the demise of his companions.

Dweno was resolved to offer up his own life to shield the rest.

Lishinas swore an oath to salvage the realm, regardless of the toll it demanded.

‘As for me, I had steeled myself for the prospect of ruin.’

Leo’s gaze grew solemn.

While the others had braced themselves for martyrdom, Luna stood unique among the five as the sole individual who refused to believe anyone would perish.

Her naturally sanguine disposition played a role, but more than that, Luna simply could not conceive a world where they were parted.

‘To think that even a single member of our five would be torn away.’

Though they belonged to different races, they were kin in every way that mattered.

The loss of even a single companion was unacceptable to her.

‘Let us fashion the joyous realm that Arion envisioned for the youths… Let us construct a magnificent world teeming with everything Dweno sought to achieve. Therefore… let us find true happiness.’

Those were the parting words Dweno had gifted to Luna during his final breaths.

To Lishinas, he offered words of absolute reliance, and to Kyle, he gave the charge to press onward.

But to Luna, his final wish was for her joy.

Luna and Dweno were the two who bickered most frequently within their circle.

Their respective species were fundamentally at odds, and their characters and goals diverged wildly.

Even so, they shared the strongest bond when it came to sharing a drink.

‘They resembled a niece and her uncle.’

For that reason, Dweno harbored a genuine concern for Luna, knowing how fiercely she struggled with goodbyes.

Luna, who had beamed at him and Lishinas while uttering, “Let us find true happiness.”

That marked the final genuine expression of joy Luna ever displayed.

Then, the third monumental clash commenced.

The manifestation of Erebus differed from his previous appearances.

The monstrous, primordial malice compressed its form down to the dimensions of an average mortal before manifesting in front of the triad.

This abrupt alteration in the fiend’s shape was telling.

The triad immediately comprehended whose capabilities forced him into such a configuration.

‘He harbored the greatest dread for Luna’s sorcery.’

During that epoch, Luna’s sorcery possessed a potency that could harm even a divine manifestation like Erebus.

Granted, ending the undying Erebus was unfeasible because her arts lacked the essence of unadulterated origin energy; nonetheless, had he sustained a direct assault from Luna’s sorcery prior to engaging her in combat, he would have been utterly incapacitated.

Consequently, he minimized his physical presence to present a smaller target.

The conflict erupted, and Erebus single-mindedly pursued Luna.

‘Yet Luna possessed a brilliance that far outstripped Erebus’s calculations.’

Mid-battle, Luna adapted her cataclysmic spell—a force capable of threatening Erebus—into a personal combat art.

As a consequence, while Erebus managed to deal Luna a mortal blow, he was simultaneously struck by a devastating counter-assault from her sorcery.

Subsequently, in order to overcome Erebus after he reverted to his colossal configuration, Leo stepped forward to face him in isolation.

‘I ought to have vanquished him at that moment.’

Leo’s features contorted as those memories resurfaced.

He had fallen short in his attempt to halt Erebus single-handedly.

Instead, he incurred a devastating injury.

As Lishinas stepped into the fray alone to combat Erebus in place of her two wounded allies, Luna turned her gaze toward Leo, offering a smile meant to console him.

Though it took the shape of a smile, the sight of her agonized expression on the brink of tears conveyed an unspoken truth.

Luna, too, was placing her faith in him as she prepared to depart.

‘Hey…!’

‘Kyle…’

‘Refuse it.’

‘If a lone survivor must remain… you grasp that it needs to be you, the one bearing the legacies of Arion and Dweno, correct?’

‘I commanded you to stop! You insufferable woman!’

‘This stands as the optimal path. You would mirror my actions were our roles reversed.’

‘No…! Absolutely not!’

‘Forgive me for shifting this entire burden onto your shoulders.’

Reflecting on days gone by, Leo directed his gaze down toward his palm.

‘Could this vision be connected to the art of Conjuring Spirits?’

Lishinas had once informed him of such phenomena—that on occasion, an individual might glimpse the memories a spirit once lived through.

‘There are instances where occurrences within a dream carry the weight of reality.’

Yet that did not imply physical trauma incurred in a dream would manifest on one’s actual flesh.

‘Furthermore… is it even plausible for Luna’s spirit to linger here?’

Leo’s expression turned grim.

This was an affair that took place five millennia ago.

A spirit typically manifests from unfulfilled yearnings tying it to the mortal plane.

And Leo harbored no belief that his fallen comrades would leave behind unresolved attachments in this realm.

Though they closed their eyes before witnessing the salvation of the world, they held absolute faith that their surviving companions would see it through.

In truth, the world had been preserved.

With that realization, the supreme desire of his comrades had been realized.

‘If that vision truly stemmed from Conjuring Spirits… did Luna harbor some alternative anxiety?’

While Leo remained deep in these somber reflections, a sound echoed.

Knock— Creak—

“Young Master Leo, have you awakened?”

Following a gentle rap on the wood, the door swung open slightly, and Chen Shia peered inside.

“I am awake.”

“Understood. Kindly come and partake of your food.”

“Very well.”

He had stirred at the first light of dawn, yet the morning had already fully arrived.

“What course do you intend to pursue today?” Chen Shia inquired, walking alongside Leo as he stepped clear of his quarters.

Leo offered a serene reply: “I have an object to locate.”

“An object to locate?”

“Correct.”

“What exactly are you seeking?”

In response to Chen Shia’s bewildered inquiry, Leo spoke plainly.

“A burial site.”

Once their morning meal concluded, Leo immediately journeyed into the heart of the woodlands.

“Master Leo. Miss Shia mentioned you are seeking a burial site. Whose final resting place do you seek?”

“Luna’s burial site.”

“Ah, Lady Luna… Wait, what?”

Eiran, who had been nodding in comprehension, suddenly stared in shock. Her lips parted in sheer disbelief.

“L-Lady Luna?”

“Correct. This territory marks the ground where Luna perished.”

“O-Oh heavens!”

Eiran’s gaze widened in astonishment. Noting her shock, Leo raised an index finger to his lips, prompting Eiran to swiftly clamp her hands over her mouth.

“What manner of confidence are the two of you sharing so secretively?” Chen Shia remarked as she closed the distance, looking thoroughly perplexed.

“It is of no great consequence.”

He was unable to disclose the truth of Luna’s burial site to Chen Shia, given that she remained unaware of Leo’s authentic history.

With that, the triad commenced their exploration for the burial site within the thicket.

“Are you unaware of the precise coordinates?”

“My knowledge does not extend that far.”

Leo countered Chen Shia’s query without emotion.

‘The probability is high that no physical marker of the burial site remains.’

As midday arrived and the sun occupied the apex of the sky, Leo’s expression altered subtly while contemplating Luna’s resting place.

“Young Master Leo?”

It was precisely as Chen Shia observed the sudden shift in Leo’s demeanor with confusion that an intrusive voice broke the silence.

“Are these the prospects for future heroes? What business do such naive children have in a place like this?”

A mocking jeer drifted through the air.

Rustle— Rustle—

Accompanied by the snapping of twigs and shifting foliage, a lady possessing crimson tresses and matching crimson eyes stepped into view.

“A fiend?” Chen Shia grimaced, instantly detecting the spiritual pressure radiating from the newcomer.

“I am far from a common fiend, mortal maiden.” Eljenie, the Empress of Blood, let her lips curl into a smirk. “I am Eljenie, the Empress of Blood, a Legion Commander serving the magnificent Tartarus.”

Both Chen Shia and Eiran recoiled slightly at the unexpected confrontation with an entity of such stature.

“What business brings a Legion Commander to this place?” Leo questioned, his face remaining entirely blank.

“I have no obligation to enlighten you, though hmph, I shall reveal this much: I arrived here under the decree of the Monarch of the Deceased.” Eljenie spoke with an arrogant sneer.

Her motive for invoking the title of the Monarch of the Deceased was transparent.

The Monarch of the Deceased—that designation alone held the capacity to strike absolute terror into the hearts of adversaries upon utterance.

Her intent was to multiply the dread consuming these hero prospects, who were already paralyzed by her formidable aura.

The Empress of Blood fully intended to extinguish the lives of the three companions after thoroughly breaking their spirits with fear.

“The Monarch of the Deceased.” Leo’s lips twitched upward into a cold smile. “For him to dispatch a fiend of a Legion Commander’s caliber to this distant region… is his quarry Luna’s burial site?”

“How could a brat like you possibly possess that knowledge?” Eljenie’s countenance twisted in astonishment.

And in that identical heartbeat, Leo’s gaze ignited.

An oppressive, homicidal intent surged violently from Leo’s form, causing the very atmosphere of the forest to shudder.

Chen Shia’s complexion drained of all color.

As someone bound by pacts to water spirits, she could perceive the spirits scattering in absolute panic.

Eiran’s jaw quivered uncontrollably.

It was a manifestation of pure, unadulterated murderous intent.

Then, abruptly, it vanished.

“From the moment a fiend set foot on this ground, I harbored no intention of granting a merciful passing regardless.” Leo was grinning now. “If your target truly is Luna’s burial site, then I must apply myself with far greater scrutiny.”

‘What manner of mortal is this?’

Eljenie’s features became a mask of absolute horror.

This sensation transcended mere unease or fright.

Bearing the title of the Empress of Blood, she reigned as a Legion Commander gifted with dominion over life-blood.

Yet the instant her crimson gaze locked onto Leo’s, she felt choked by an overwhelming, suffocating reek of gore.

‘The reek of slaughtered fiends.’

Simply enduring his stare left her completely paralyzed.

Her primal survival instincts screamed at her, declaring that the mortal standing before her had butchered an incomprehensible multitude of her kind.

Just as Eljenie, staring into eyes that belonged to a seasoned executioner, instinctively prepared to take flight—

Slash—!

“Kyaaaaaaaah!”

Leo’s blade cleanly severed Eljenie’s neck.