Chapter 580

Fwoooooosh—! Flutter—!

The billowing cloak drew every hero candidate’s gaze.

With the arrival of Kyle—a young man whose gray hair and eyes evoked cold ash—it seemed as though time itself had stopped.

His presence was simply that overwhelming.

Step—

“Ah.”

The moment Kyle stepped forward, time seemed to flow again, and the hero candidates let out breaths of awe.

'What is this presence?'

En, who had taken Leo’s form through her Original Magic: Mirror, swallowed dryly at the sight of Kyle dominating his surroundings merely by existing.

As Dragon Lord Melina’s successor, En had met countless heroes.

'No, comparing him to ordinary heroes would itself be disrespectful. But still...'

She had even spoken with Arron during summer break and had seen Luna up close during her recent stay at Lumene.

Both Great Heroes possessed overwhelming presences of their own, yet neither felt anything like Kyle.

Simply being around Arron put people at ease. His aura was gentle and reassuring.

Luna, meanwhile, was approachable. She mingled freely with everyone, and merely watching her naturally brought a smile to one’s face.

Even in battle, their demeanors remained much the same.

Kyle was different.

He was so overwhelming that he seemed untouchable—like a sword drawn from its sheath.

'Changing his appearance alone couldn’t transform his entire presence like this. Leo-nim simply never revealed his true self until now.'

En clenched her fists.

Step— Step—

Kyle stopped in front of her.

“Don’t be nervous.”

“Ah...”

His voice was quiet enough for only her to hear, and it snapped En back to her senses.

“Hold your head high and face the enemy. You’re the next Dragon Lord.”

A stern light shone in Kyle’s gray eyes.

“What will you do if something this minor is enough to freeze you?”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Startled, En straightened her back and stood tall.

Kyle gave a faint chuckle before continuing toward the front.

'...I see.'

Arron’s immense courage inspired people to follow him.

The Founder of the Nebula’s boundless confidence pushed people onward.

'Kyle-nim... pulls them forward.'

His charisma seized people with uncompromising severity and dragged them along behind him.

That blade-like pressure was not aimed at his allies. It pointed toward the enemy, and that knowledge filled them with absolute trust.

Realizing this was how Kyle inspired faith in others, En took a deep breath.

“Are you truly the Hero of Beginning?” Hark asked, visibly bewildered.

“I’m sure he’s Kyle-nim! He came with Seiren-nim to save us last year at Seiren too!” Lily exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement.

Just then—

“Hero candidates! If you’re ready, hurry up and support us!”

One of the mage heroes holding back Erebos’s flames flew over on a staff.

“We keep losing ground! We’re desperate enough to need whatever help you can give us!”

“Now, now. Does it matter whether he really is Kyle-nim?” Elena stepped forward to regain control of the situation. “What matters is destroying that thing.”

Her words jolted the spellbound hero candidates back to their senses.

“Kyle? What nonsense are you— Uwaaaagh?!”

The baffled mage finally noticed Kyle. He shrieked and fell off his staff.

Thud—!

“Kyle... the Hero of Beginning?”

Elena smiled at the dumbstruck mage, then walked up behind Kyle.

“Come now, Hero of Beginning-nim. Please hurry and help them.”

Still smiling sweetly, she pushed him forward.

(T/N : I bet from here on, Elina knows or suspects that Leo is Kyle)

Admiring exclamations erupted all around them.

“That’s Elena for you. Just looking at him makes it hard for me to breathe.”

“Is that the difference in their caliber?”

As admiration spread through the crowd, Kyle spoke.

“I can walk on my own, so stop pushing me, rookie.”

Elena froze, then darted around to stand in front of him and narrowed her eyes.

“That expression and tone remind me of a certain impudent junior without a shred of charm. And curiously enough, an impostor over there is pretending to be that very junior.”

Kyle chuckled.

Elena’s eyes narrowed further.

“I knew something was strange. You treated me like a child even though I’m your Sunbae—and clearly your Noona.”

Leo had always defied common sense.

His astonishing progress far exceeded anything ordinary growth could explain, and it was coupled with an unfathomable depth of experience.

If he had been Kyle, the Hero of Beginning, all along, everything made sense.

En’s behavior had already made Elena vaguely suspicious. Kyle’s appearance now confirmed that he and Leo were the same person.

(T/N: CALLEEEDDDD ITTTTT!)

At that moment—

Fwoooooosh—!

“Wh-What happened all of a sudden?! Aaaaaaargh!”

“Everyone, fall back!”

“The vanguard was caught in the flames! Healers!”

Erebos’s flames abruptly surged with greater force, inflicting critical injuries upon the heroes.

Kyle clicked his tongue.

“It noticed my presence.”

“This is bad.”

Sensing the danger as well, Elena tried to retreat to the rear.

At that instant—

Grab—

“Hm?”

Kyle caught her by the wrist and pulled her into his arms.

Elena’s eyes widened at the sudden embrace.

Kyle drew her closer and wrapped his cloak around them both.

Flutter—!

Flash—! Rumble—!

Space suddenly split open, and a colossal torrent of fire engulfed Kyle.

Fwoooooosh—!

Had Elena continued retreating, the attack would have struck her head-on.

'I would have died.'

A chill ran through her, but she quickly regained her composure.

Kyle pulled her so tightly against him that she could barely breathe.

Flash—!

After throwing off the flames, Kyle swept out his hand.

Fwoosh—!

A crimson sword formed in his grasp.

The blade imbued with Phoenix Fiora drove back the Calamity Flame.

“Tell the others to leave the front line to me.”

“By yourself, Leo-gun?”

“Yes. If rookies like you try to force your way in, you’ll only get in my way. That isn’t an enemy someone ignorant of Erebos can handle.”

“Some of the hero candidates, myself included, possess power comparable to that of heroes. I don’t believe we’ll hold you back. We can certainly help.”

Elena protested, a hint of dissatisfaction in her voice.

Kyle released her from his arms.

“What are you talking about?”

“Hm?”

“They’re rookies too.”

Kyle pointed toward the heroes fleeing Erebos.

Elena’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly.

Even heroes who had accomplished great feats were mere rookies to him.

“Support me from the rear. Understood, Elena?”

“What? Y-Yes, sir!”

Elena unconsciously snapped to attention.

Gasp—!

She clapped a hand over her mouth.

“Good girl.”

Treating her like a child who had finally listened to an adult, Kyle walked toward Erebos.

Elena stared blankly at his retreating back and muttered, “I think I understand... why Luna-nim fell for him.”

===

Fwoooooosh—!

Black flames raged all around him, but Kyle advanced toward Erebos without concern.

The Calamity Flame could inflict a fatal wound with the slightest touch, yet its scattered fragments posed little threat to him.

He possessed the Purity Mana Trait, Erebos’s natural enemy. He had also acquired Dweno’s flames after clearing Dweno’s World—the same flames that had once shielded the Great Heroes from Erebos.

Fwoosh—!

Golden fire blazed around Kyle’s body.

'That attack just now...'

Kyle narrowed his eyes at Erebos’s flames.

Space had suddenly split open in midair, releasing a flood of black fire without the slightest warning.

Any hero of the current era would likely have fallen prey to it—not because they were weak, but because they knew nothing about Erebos.

Erebos was no mere monster that spewed inextinguishable flames of calamity. It was a divine monster that possessed countless authorities and the secrets of innumerable worlds.

The Great Heroes had indeed defeated it during the Age of Calamity, but behind their victory lay countless heroes who had sacrificed their lives to uncover the means of defeating it.

Their strategy had been built upon the ashes of those heroes.

No matter how mighty a hero was, an unknown authority could render them helpless.

'That attack must have twisted the laws of space.'

It was not magic. It belonged to the realm of miracles wrought by gods.

'...An authority that interferes with space. Is it the head?'

Kyle discerned the identity of the fragment sealed within the World of Genesis.

Of Erebos’s six fragments, the one corresponding to its head had to be imprisoned there.

'The problem is that a fragment of Erebos should be nothing more than a mass of power without a will of its own. Yet it used an authority. And...'

Fwoooooosh—!

The foul odor of a burning world assailed Kyle’s nose—a stench only those who had fought Erebos in a desperate battle could recognize.

'The smell of burning is far worse than before.'

Kyle’s face twisted.

He had already destroyed fragments of Erebos and remnants of its malice, yet none had reeked as intensely as these flames.

'Does that mean it’s stronger than the other flames? Why?'

The moment Kyle narrowed his eyes—

Fwoooooosh—!

The Calamity Flame poured toward him.

Though it was merely a mass of power, it radiated hatred for Leo.

It knew the being before it was the one who had slain it.

Kyle’s lips curled into a smile.

“We feel the same.”

Flash—!

Golden Aura erupted from the sword in his left hand.

One of the beastkin heroes stared wide-eyed.

“Golden Aura?! Is that Arron-nim’s Aura?”

Slash—!

Kyle’s sword cleaved through every oncoming flame.

Fwoosh—!

Black fire surged up directly in front of him.

Kyle opened his right hand and summoned a magic staff.

He had been chanting from the moment he swung his sword. Now, he unleashed the spell.

“Star Magic: End.”

Flash—! Rumble—!

Destructive starlight blasted Erebos’s flames away.

Everyone who witnessed the breathtaking display trembled.

“So that’s the All-Class... Kyle, the Hero of Beginning?”

“...He’s basically an upgraded version of Leo.”

They stared at Kyle’s back in shock.

Crackle—! Pop—!

The sword in his hand cracked, and the orb set in his magic staff burst.

Both were top-quality creations forged by Driana. Under normal circumstances, he could have used them without causing any damage, but he had no room for restraint now.

Fwoosh—!

As the Calamity Flame blazed up once more, Kyle reached into subspace.

Hummm— Hummm—!

Several weapons within made their presence known.

Kyle paused.

“I’d rather not work these antiques to the bone.”

Hummmm—!

The resonance continued despite his wry smile.

Clack—!

Kyle drew a chipped greatsword from subspace.

At a glance, it looked liable to break at any moment.

Marigold, Damienne’s Student Council President, widened her eyes as she prepared to support Kyle from the rear.

“Is that Dweno-nim’s Divine Armament kept at Damienne?”

At that moment—

Fwoooooosh—!

Golden flames engulfed the greatsword.

Hummmmmm—!

The pure-white blade shone with dazzling light, as beautiful as a work of art.

Yet it had no name.

Dweno had always said a weapon was merely a weapon.

But the unnamed Divine Armament understood perfectly the intent with which its creator had forged it.

Its maker had died thousands of years ago, and now people saw the greatsword as nothing more than a relic of past glory.

Yet the blade had restored its former radiance and was burning away the last of its existence to fulfill its duty.

“He never gave any of you names.”

Kyle adjusted his grip on the greatsword.

“But he remembered every weapon he ever made.”

Whenever one broke, Dweno would drink and mourn it from the bottom of his heart.

Hummm—! Hummm—!

The nameless greatsword resonated even more fiercely.

“He’s gone now, but don’t worry.”

Kyle lowered his stance.

“I’ll remember your final moments.”

Boom—!

Kyle charged straight toward Erebos.

'Hold on a little longer.'

Thinking of everyone trapped within the Hero’s World, he tightened his grip.

'I’ll come save you soon!'

===

“Kyaaaaaah! Student Council President, you’re so cool!”

“Forget that commoner woman and come play with us! Please?!”

“...”

Carr stared up at the sky and let out a hollow laugh.

Eliza’s murderous glare stabbed into his back, all but screaming, 'What are you doing, you damned commoner?!'

'Someone... please...'

Carr’s nose stung as tears threatened to well up.

'Save me.'