Chapter 511

511.

The unexpected onslaught of Tartaros.

To the mighty, it might have been merely a fierce trial to endure.

Yet to the defenseless masses, it was nothing short of an absolute, unprecedented calamity.

Defiance was entirely beyond their reach.

This failure did not stem from their own flaws or lack of effort.

For ordinary citizens who simply lived their lives with diligence, this disaster was like a sudden bolt of lightning from a clear sky.

Shielded by those possessing extraordinary abilities, the populace fled toward secure shelters far from the destructive reach of Tartaros.

A few individuals capable of utilizing basic techniques like auras, magic, or summons offered to join the fray, but the coordinators overseeing the evacuation firmly turned them away.

“Absolutely not! With your current strength, stepping onto that field is nothing short of suicide!”

“But—but surely we can provide some assistance!”

“Don’t count me out! I’ve trained with a blade for many years!”

“No, your strength falls short of mine; going out there means you would only hinder us.”

The elven knightess delivering this harsh reality ground her teeth in frustration.

“Even my own abilities are insufficient to make a meaningful difference on the front lines right now.”

With a look of sheer helplessness, she recognized her own inadequacy to participate in the clash raging just a short distance away.

This deficiency was precisely why her current duties were restricted to guarding the civilian population in the rear.

A beastman warrior sharing her assignment chimed in, offering reassurance.

“The rear lines could become a target at any moment. Let us channel our resolve into defending this perimeter together.”

“I suppose you’re right…”

“Understood.”

Squeezing their hands into fists, they nodded, their expressions taut with apprehension as they braced for whatever might come.

A heavy cloak of anxiety hung over the crowd.

Mercifully, no lives had been lost up to this point.

Wounds were plenty, but the rapid intervention of numerous mages and summoners kept fatal outcomes at bay.

Such coordination was only possible because a vast gathering of champions and exceptional individuals had converged on Lumeria City to partake in the Twilight Festival.

Even so, the thunderous detonations and ghastly shrieks echoing from the distance kept the refugees trapped in a state of terror, dreading the moment the violence might breach their sanctuary.

Kugugugung!

The tremors of cataclysmic sorcery rippled through the earth.

The refugees instinctively cringed, pulling their shoulders inward.

Deep within the throng, an elf sat with her chin resting low.

Her fragile frame gave a subtle shiver each time a concussive blast reverberated through the air.

With her ears pinned flat in distress, she remained isolated in a secluded spot, her gaze locked onto the dirt.

‘Everything will turn out fine.’

Luna pressed her lips together, refusing to look up from the ground.

‘Runia has truly transformed into someone dependable.’

Her growth was more than enough to solidify her status as a rightful successor.

‘The contemporary champions are equally reliable.’

True to Runia’s assertion that the responsibility of this era belonged to its current protectors, these modern heroes proved themselves to be honorable and steadfast.

‘There is no requirement for me to step into the fray.’

Luna squeezed her eyelids shut.

She harbored a deep yearning to linger in this mortal realm a while longer.

To witness a radiant dawn that had once seemed entirely out of reach.

In a reality brimming with fresh prospects, the avenues available to her were limitless.

Back when she first dipped her toes into the arcane arts.

Luna had been utterly entranced by magic.

Her ultimate ambition had been to uncover its deepest, final secrets.

Yet the state of the world refused to grant Luna that peace.

The looming perils of her era denied her the luxury of devoting herself solely to the pursuit of magical mastery.

And by the time tranquility was finally restored to the lands.

Luna’s remaining time had already run out.

‘At present, my presence isn’t a necessity.’

Luna bit down on her lip.

‘I have already fulfilled my duty, haven’t I?’

The desire to remain in this world permanently consumed her.

There remained an endless list of experiences she wished to pursue.

Yet the thought that truly stoked Luna’s rising panic was something else entirely…

‘Can I finally stand by Kyle’s side in absolute peace now?’

The concept repeated in her mind without ceasing.

What sort of life would they have shared if her path had crossed with Kyle’s within a vibrant, optimistic era, rather than a bleak and hopeless one?

Naturally, their initial interactions would have been disastrous.

Yet over time, she inevitably would have found herself drawn to the essence of the man named Kyle.

‘Would we have raised a family together? Could we have experienced the simple joys of a peaceful, ordinary existence?’

Such domestic bliss was a reality she could never grasp now.

‘My own progression has ceased, whereas Kyle’s life continues to march forward. If that is the case… I simply wish to accompany him for just a brief moment more.’

It was undeniably a self-centered craving.

‘But is it truly a sin to want that?’

Luna tilted her chin upward ever so slightly.

Her gaze, which typically shone with brilliant clarity, was currently clouded.

‘Please, just a fraction more time…’

Swoosh—

In that exact instant, an object materialized directly in her line of sight.

“Oh?”

Luna let out a soft, bewildered breath.

The haze obscuring her vision began to clear.

A solitary blossom was being extended toward her by a tiny hand.

Luna shifted her gaze upward.

Standing before her was a young elven girl, presenting the flower with innocent intent.

“Beautiful big sister, are you feeling frightened?”

The youth inquired, her features etched with concern.

“Ah.”

“Please don’t be scared. I want you to have this flower.”

“My thanks.”

Luna accepted the offering, a gentle, subtle smile gracing her lips.

“Little one, are you out here all by yourself? Where might your family be?”

“My mommy is out there right now, taking down the nasty monsters!”

The child declared, tightening her grip on a plush toy tucked under her opposite arm.

Luna recognized the nature of the toy instantly.

‘A doll made in my likeness.’

The young elf, cradling the stuffed figure with immense care, continued proudly,

“My mommy possesses incredible strength! She completed her training at Seirun, and she can command star magic just like Luna-nim, crackle spark! So there is absolutely nothing to fear!”

The youth offered a radiant, beaming grin.

Beholding such unblemished optimism, Luna found herself letting out a spontaneous chuckle.

‘She strongly reminds me of Belkia during his younger days.’

Exhibiting profound bravery even when surrounded by extreme peril.

It was the specific brand of fearlessness unique to a child insulated from the grim realities of the world… yet it remained a beautiful sight.

‘Such spirit remains intact because she belongs to a generation that has never known true despair.’

Luna extended her arm and softly ruffled the girl’s hair.

“You possess the heart of a true warrior, little lady.”

Right at that moment.

“Hey! Look, it’s the pretty lady who drinks too much!”

A young boy sprinted over—the very same youth who had voiced his immense admiration for Dweno when they crossed paths on the festival’s opening day.

“Big sister, look! I managed to get a Luna-nim mask for myself.”

The boy beamed with pride, displaying the Luna mask resting against his chest.

“Oh my…!”

The elven girl’s jaw dropped, her eyes shimmering with instant fascination upon seeing the item.

Noticing her captivated expression, the boy paused, tilted his head in thought, and then pulled the mask over his head to present it to her.

“Do you want to have it?”

“Uh-huh!”

“Then let’s promise to be friends from now on.”

“Deal!”

‘…The youth of this generation certainly know how to charm.’

Luna observed the seamless blending of their worlds with a gentle, silent amusement.

“Big sister, if fear takes hold of you, you can just stay close to us.”

“What’s that?”

The young boy grasped the hand of the startled Luna, guiding her toward the area where the rest of the children had congregated.

Humans, elves, beastmen, and dwarves.

A diverse group of youths from various backgrounds sat together, sharing hushed conversations.

They had evidently been pooled into a single location to streamline a rapid departure should the perimeter collapse.

Though subtle hints of stress and anxiety rippled through them, the youths maintained an unshakeable conviction that their champions would ensure their safety.

“Oh, I recognize that big sister. She’s the one who shared tales regarding the Great Heroes with us yesterday. She mentioned that Kyle-nim holds a deep affection for Luna-nim.”

“What exactly does ‘affection’ mean?”

“It just means he likes her a whole lot.”

“Big sister, please share more legends about the Great Heroes!”

“Me too! I want to hear about Arion-nim…!”

The children spoke in a continuous flurry of voices, directing their eager gazes toward Luna.

Trying to track their rapid-fire chatter left her feeling mildly overwhelmed.

Within moments, the young ones had already leapt to an entirely different subject.

Observing their boundless vitality, a soft, internal smile crossed Luna’s face.

‘What kind of futures await these children as they mature?’

“Arion-nim is bound to descend from above and rescue every one of us.”

A young beastman stated, tightening his small hand into a fist.

“Don’t you think Dweno-nim will show up as well?”

“My greatest wish is to catch a glimpse of Kyle-nim.”

“I want the chance to speak with the King of Wisdom!”

Fanciful, imaginative notions tumbled from their lips, fitting for their youth.

‘My goodness… keeping pace with this dialogue is nearly impossible.’

Just as Luna found herself struggling to navigate the children’s rapidly shifting topics of interest.

“I have a feeling Luna-nim herself will make an appearance.”

The elven girl who had gifted Luna the blossom spoke up, her face alight with anticipation.

“You believe so too, don’t you, pretty big sister?”

“…”

Luna clenched her fingers into a tight, firm fist.

Kwagagagagagang—!

In that very heartbeat, a thunderous detonation ripped through the nearby air.

Hwarrrrrr—!

Immediately following the blast, plumes of deep, blood-red fire erupted toward the sky.

“We must relocate the perimeter immediately!”

“Clear the path! Prioritize the youths!”

The surrounding environment dissolved into immediate chaos.

Amidst frantic directives, adults began herding the young ones away from the danger zone.

Panicked shouts filled the air.

Caught up in the sudden frenzy, the children began to wail in terror.

Right then.

Kugugugugung—!

The blood-red spires of fire stretching into the heavens underwent a sudden mutation, turning pitch black.

Luna’s expression turned utterly rigid at the sight.

‘The Flames of Erebos!’

Kwaaaaaaaaak—!

The dark conflagration surged forward, threatening to incinerate the fleeing crowd.

The moment Luna witnessed the impending doom and prepared to manifest her sorcery.

Hwaaaaaaaaaa!

A barrier of blinding, pristine white fire materialized, intercepting the dark onslaught.

“Ghh!”

Runia, who had manifested the protective wall of fire, let out an involuntary grunt of exertion.

“Runia!”

Luna called out to her with immense urgency.

Lacking the spare focus to offer a verbal reply, Runia ground her teeth together, her crimson gaze blazing with intensity as she forced the pristine white conflagration to burn with even greater ferocity.

“Ahahahahahahahaha! Behold this grandeur! The celestial blaze! Ahhh! A divine message is washing over me! His divine voice echoes in my ears!”

Eljenie’s manic, euphoric cries echoed across the space.

Luna’s pupils quivered as she processed the scene.

‘That is far more than a simple blessing bestowed by Erebos.’

Luna discerned the reality of Eljenie’s state in an instant.

‘Erebos is actively feeding the conflagration by utilizing that vanguard commander as a living conduit.’

Eljenie was functioning as mere tinder.

The critical issue lay in the fact that she was an extraordinarily potent source of fuel.

The spark of Erebos’s malice, nourished by the immense power inherent to Eljenie, flared with escalating, catastrophic violence.

“Frail! Utterly frail! Do you genuinely believe such pitiful sparks can hope to suppress my eternal pyre? Kyahahahahahahaha!”

Accompanied by Eljenie’s unhinged amusement, the dark fire surged with renewed malice.

“Silence your ridiculous ranting and vanish from my sight!!”

Runia bellowed, pushing her destructive output to its absolute ceiling.

Kwagwagagagagang—!

The ivory inferno drove back the dark tide, triggering a massive, earth-shaking shockwave.

“Haa—! Haa—!”

Runia pulled ragged breaths into her lungs.

The frontline champions, who had temporarily lost ground, were already reorganizing their ranks.

Luna observed their efforts in absolute silence.

“Luna-nim! Evacuate this area to the others and seek safety immediately!”

Runia commanded at the top of her lungs.

Despite the urgent plea, Luna remained anchored to her spot, perfectly still.

In that precise moment.

Gooooooo—!

A multitude of intricate summoning arrays materialized across the surrounding terrain.

The color drained instantly from the champions’ faces upon witnessing the phenomenon.

“This specific energy signature…”

“Could it truly be the Necromancer King?!”

Clang— Clang—

A legion of skeletal and spectral warriors began to stream forth from the glowing arrays.

Runia’s visage hardened into stone in an instant.

“Luna-nim! You must withdraw from this location without delay!”

“Yes, pretty big sister. Let’s get away from here quickly.”

Just then, a small hand gripped Luna’s fingers, pulling with gentle urgency.

Luna turned her head to look down at the elven girl anchoring herself to her side.

The youth’s frame was visibly shuddering with fear.

Yet out of sheer concern for Luna’s well-being, she had braved the surrounding chaos to reach her side.

“Roo!”

Suddenly, an elven woman locked in combat on the vanguard screamed out in sheer panic.

The champion sorceress looked utterly horrified upon spotting her offspring in the danger zone.

“Mommy! Watch out!”

The young girl’s eyes stretched wide in terror.

Hwarrr—!

In a flash of motion, a stray tendril of dark fire slipped past the line, surging forward to consume the elven mage.

Runia’s gaze widened with horror at the sight.

Irrespective of raw magical capacity, Runia was the sole individual capable of intercepting these specific dark flames at this moment.

“Kh!”

Just as Runia desperately attempted to construct a defensive spell.

Flash—! Kwagagagagagang—!

A brilliant beam of luminescence erupted from behind Runia, physically striking and repelling the dark fire.

It utterly dispersed the dark conflagration with a display of unyielding, dominant force.

“Luna-nim?”

Runia spun her head around in astonishment.

Standing there, Luna held a single arm extended outward.

Meeting Runia’s stunned gaze, Luna offered a soft, tranquil smile.

Runia’s features crumpled in profound sorrow, fully comprehending the weight behind that particular expression.

“Did you say your name is Roo?”

“Huh?”

Luna shifted her gaze down to Roo, who still gripped her fingers, and offered a gentle look.

“My apologies, this blossom… it seems to have been crushed.”

Luna indicated the damaged flower Roo had previously gifted her, and then tapped into her internal well of magic.

Instantly, a fresh, radiant blossom unfurled directly within Luna’s palm.

Luna carefully tucked the newly formed flower into Roo’s small hands.

Then, she delivered the reply she had held back.

“This big sister shares your belief. This Luna-nim is going to thoroughly obliterate every single one of these wretched monsters. So rest easy.”

Luna reached out, softly stroking Roo’s hair one final time, and then strode out toward the battlefield.

‘To be sure, if I chose to ignore the plight before me, I could extend my own existence.’

She could accomplish minor goals and gather more cherished memories alongside the individuals she held dear.

‘Yet… would acting in such a manner truly reflect who I am?’

Five millennia in the past.

The motivation that drove her to step forward and preserve existence.

It was never merely about the abstract concept of salvation.

‘It was born from a desire to safeguard this very reality that I occupied and cherished.’

Did she harbor bitterness over the immense personal losses required to keep the world safe?

‘Such an emotion could never find a place within me.’

Did she feel resentment about perishing prior to fulfilling every single one of her personal aspirations?

‘Absolutely not. This was the specific path I chose to tread.’

Attaining heights within the mystical arts that bordered on the miraculous.

The true reason her name carried such immense reverence across subsequent generations.

‘It stems from the reality that I remained utterly true to my own nature until the very end. If that holds true…’

I am incapable of walking away at this juncture.

‘The exact moment I turn my back on this fight, I cease to be the person I am. Is that not right, Kyle?’

Luna smiled to herself, evoking the memory of the companion she placed her absolute faith in above all others.

‘Every one of you would have ultimately arrived at the exact same conclusion to confront Erebos once more, just as I am doing.’

Leo’s spectral echo seemed to resonate in her thoughts.

Luna offered a quiet, internal laugh at the phantom remark.

‘I believe your assessment is entirely accurate, Kyle.’

Stomp— Stomp—

Grab—!

Runia instinctively reached out and caught Luna’s arm as the ancient figure attempted to pass her by.

With tears welling in her eyes, she managed to choke out,

“Luna-nim…”

Luna regarded Runia with a brief, steady look before extending her hand outward.

Whoosh—!

Cometes materialized directly within Luna’s grasp.

The legendary catalyst delivered by the Comet Mage to the original champion of old returned once more to the Progenitor of the Nebula.

And in the next breath, it was passed forward to the modern era.

“Dry your eyes, stand tall, and lift your chin, Runia El Rundia.”

Luna offered a gentle, fleeting smile.

“For you are the true inheritor to the legacy of the Progenitor of the Nebula.”

Runia bit down hard on her lower lip, forcing her tears to halt.

“Observe with absolute clarity the nature of the individual you place your reverence in.”

Having fully transferred the responsibility of the rear lines, Luna advanced toward the front.

Goooooo—!

The dark fires raged with unbridled fury.

Witnessing the display, Luna extended her arm, closing her fingers around the empty air as though catching hold of a physical entity, and violently yanked her arm back.

Kwagagagagagagagang—!

The very fabric of local space warped violently, and a figure was forcefully dragged from concealment and slammed brutally into the earth.

“This immense signature… it cannot be.”

The Necromancer King’s trembling voice echoed from the secure, shrouded vantage point where he had been tracking the engagement.

“Precisely. You are entirely correct, you pile of old bones.”

Luna let her lips curl into a freezing, ominous smile.

“Luna-nim has taken the field. Which means your existence ends here. You miserable wretch.”

Flash—! Kwagagagagagang—!

The moment the words left her mouth, a torrent of the Light of Demise completely consumed the Necromancer King.