LHAHS Chapter 301
Swoosh—!
A chilling sound sliced through the air, and Drianna's body froze as a sword aimed for her throat.
I can't block this!
Drianna was a smith, but before that, she was an outstanding warrior as a hero candidate. She had always stood at the front, faithfully serving as the party's shield. She had been cut down by the monstrous being's sword several times, yet she endured and stood firm.
Now, however, her instincts as a warrior were screaming at her, telling her that this attack would kill her.
Unfortunately, it was too late to dodge.
Just as that thought crossed her mind…
Clang—!
A silver-blue suit of armor blocked the sword.
Eiran, clad in Animus armor, had stepped in front of Drianna.
"…Beautiful." Forgetting the situation, Drianna let out a breathless murmur of admiration.
At that moment, Aru's kick came crashing down on Erebos's remnant.
Boom—! Thud—!
With a tremendous shockwave, Erebos's remnant's feet sank deep into the ground.
However, that was it. There was no further damage.
Aru's face stiffened. "This didn't work either…!"
Growing anxious, she quickly created distance from Erebos's remnant.
At that moment, Velkia, also clad in Animus armor like Eiran, charged into Erebos's remnant's space. A powerful spell surged toward her, but she broke through it head-on with the power of the armor and swung her sword.
Clang—!
Erebos's remnant blocked Velkia's attack.
Velkia gritted her teeth. "That's exactly how Master Kyle moves!"
"Now! Fall back, everyone!" Carl shouted.
The four holding off Erebos's remnant simultaneously retreated.
Fwoosh—!
Scarlet flames of a phoenix erupted.
Boom—! Rumble—!
A massive blaze of mana surged.
Sizzle—!
Even from a distance, the searing heat felt like it would scorch their skin.
Watching this, Carl clenched his teeth. "Please… just fall."
It was a desperate murmur, but the entire party shared Carl's feelings.
Under his command, they had landed several successful attacks on the monstrous foe before them, but each time, Erebos's remnant had resurrected completely unscathed.
And each time, it had grown stronger.
Now, even standing against it was a struggle for the frontline fighters.
Lunia gritted her teeth. If this thing doesn't fall here… what more can we even do?
Her entire body was covered in burns. It was the price of pushing her firepower beyond its limits.
Fwoosh—!
Black flames flared up.
Erebos's remnant had resurrected again, its form clearer than ever.
Despair filled everyone's expressions.
Swish—!
Then, Erebos's remnant stretched out its hand.
Vwoom—!
In an instant, magical circles filled the air.
Stellar Magic.
For a brief moment, Lunia's face turned pale. "Everyone, dodge!"
Whoosh—!
A sphere of black, despair-ridden light formed in Erebos's remnant's hand.
Lunia instantly recognized what it was. "That's Extinction!"
Flash—!
The light of annihilation scattered in all directions.
There was no sound.
Extinction's light vaporized everything.
And amidst it all…
"V-Velkia…!" Eiran, her face deathly pale, looked up at Velkia, who was standing over her.
"Are you okay?" Velkia asked in her usual deadpan voice.
"I-I'm fine… but… Velkia, you…"
"…It hurts." Velkia collapsed to her knees.
"W-Why did you…?" Eiran, on the verge of tears, desperately examined Velkia's wounds.
"I wonder… why?" Velkia gently cupped Eiran's cheek with a faint smile. "Maybe… because you're my family."
"H-How do you…?" Eiran gasped in shock.
"When I used my unique magic, Animus Armor, I was certain." Velkia gave a faint smile. "You… are my descendant."
"Ah… ah…"
Velkia's voice grew weaker. "A grown-up saving a child… is just natural. That's what Master Kyle always said. So, I saved you."
"Velkia…"
"Eiran."
"Yes…?"
"Want me to teach you… a secret spell?" Velkia smiled gently.
It was the same smile Eiran had read about in historical records.
Meanwhile, Lunia clenched her teeth as she looked at Aru, who had shielded her.
"…You idiot cat." Lunia's voice trembled. "Why didn't you dodge?"
"That damn black flame… you're the only one who can hurt it. Luckily, that crazy dwarf saved our leader too… so now, we just need to pull ourselves together… and take down that fake Black Rabbit…" Aru gasped, trying to get up, but in the end, she collapsed.
Lunia quickly caught her and looked around. Carl was urgently administering potions to Drianna. Eiran was frantically supporting Velkia.
Step— Step—
Erebos's remnant approached.
Seeing that, Lunia pushed herself up.
I have to fight.
She gritted her teeth and stepped forward.
If it were Leo… he wouldn't have given up. He would have kept fighting.
Just as Lunia recalled the boy she had fought alongside countless times and prepared to summon her flames, a voice rang out from behind.
"You're quite persistent."
Lunia flinched and turned her head. There, an arrogant woman wreathed in white flames sat in midair, one leg crossed over the other.
"Lady Katariou…"
Katariou smiled. "Lunia El Lunda. What do you think is the essence of fire?"
Lunia looked at the black flames. An eternal blaze that reduced everything to ashes. Was that the essence of fire?
No.
Dweno had said that the essence of fire was creation.
The essence of fire… depends on the person.
There was no absolute answer, but for Lunia, who had always longed for the phoenix's flames, there was only one truth.
"Purification."
The phoenix's flames burned endlessly. They seemed eternal only because of the creature's immense vitality.
Though phoenixes were originally granted lifespans close to immortality, they sacrificed their own lives to sustain their flames.
And there was only one reason they did so—To burn away evil and purify the world.
At Lunia's answer, Katariou let out a deep chuckle. "Did you know, Lunia? A phoenix king's lineage isn't inherited through blood."
"What?"
"The phoenix chosen by the previous king inherits the white flames of purification and becomes the Flame Emperor."
Fwoosh—
Katariou held a pure white flame right before Lunia's face. "The blood of a phoenix runs through you."
"……"
"Do you want to taste it?"
Lunia met Katariou's gaze.
"But it won't be the same as Dweno's essence of fire. If you fail to accept it, you'll die. You're not a pure phoenix, after all."
"Do I have a choice?" Without hesitation, Lunia swallowed Katariou's flames.
Fwoosh—!
Pure white fire flared from Lunia's body.
Giath, who had lost all reason, charged forward as Dweno struggled to hold him back.
This is…
Fwoosh—!
Black flames erupted from Giath's body.
Erebos's flames!
Golden fire surged from Dweno's body.
Kwaaang—!
The black flames devoured Dweno's fire, and even burned Dweno himself.
Flash—! Kwaaaaang—!
Jörmungandr's corpse sword swung down to cleave Dweno apart.
Slash—!
Dweno barely managed to block the strike with his battle-axe.
Has he… gotten even stronger?!
Dweno gritted his teeth and held on.
Creeeak—!
"…!"
Cracks spread across the battle-axe.
Kwang—!
Unable to endure any longer, Dweno was sent flying.
Kwagagagang—!
Like a meteor crashing to the ground, Dweno's body was driven deep into the earth, leaving behind a massive crater.
"Urk!" He coughed up blood. He had barely shaken off the black flames, but his body had taken serious damage.
Thud—! Thud—!
Giath strode toward Dweno. [You're in a pathetic state,] he sneered.
"You don't look much better yourself," Dweno replied, using his battle-axe as a crutch to push himself up.
Crack—!
A chip broke off from the axe blade and fell to the ground. It looked like it could shatter at any moment.
Just like Giath's own body, which was tattered and broken. The berserker state had worn off, and his immense regeneration could no longer keep up with his wounds. His last attack, where he had squeezed out every last ounce of power, had drained him completely.
[Heh. But unlike you, I have been blessed by my god.]
Fwoosh—!
The black flames burning across Giath's body flared even stronger. [And in the end, I have won!]
"I'm still alive, aren't I?" Dweno smiled calmly. "You can't claim victory until the moment my life is truly extinguished."
[Kuhuhuhu… Kuhuhuhuhuhu. Kuhahahahaha!] Giath burst into laughter at Dweno's words. [You seem to be under a grave misunderstanding, Dweno. I did not come here just to end your worthless life.]
Click—!
Giath adjusted his grip on Jörmungandr's corpse sword. [The fact that the weapons I forged have defeated your pitiful creations—that is what truly matters!]
His emotionless eyes bore into Dweno.
[Your long-dead, worthless life holds no meaning. I, the Giant King Giath, have been chosen by the gods to destroy the world. But you…]
Thud—!
[You are nothing more than a ghost of the past. Whether you live or die here, you will have no impact on the future. Because you are nothing but a false illusion.]
"…You're saying… I'm fake?" Dweno's face hardened.
Seeing that expression, Giath smirked.
[Indeed. You're nothing but a mere imitation—an illusion close to the real thing. I wonder how you'll react when you hear how your comrades met their end.]
He chuckled.
[The first to die was Aaron. He took your place as a shield, only to be struck down by divine judgment. He foolishly placed his trust in that pathetic sword you gave him until the very end. Khuhuhu. You lot speak of his death as some noble sacrifice… but in truth, he simply fled from the battle against a god, too afraid to face his own demise.]
Giath watched as Dweno's face grew expressionless. A gleeful look spread across his face.
[The second to die was you, Dweno. That foolish dwarf who dared to challenge the divine flames, only to be burned to ashes without even serving as a proper shield!]
Dweno's body trembled.
[The third was that foul-mouthed elf girl, Luna. She exhausted her mana, flinging her precious spells around, and died! She must have despaired! Realizing her own incompetence, unable to do anything at all!]
Clench—!
Dweno's grip tightened around his axe.
[The fourth to fall was that foolish lizard, who actually thought she could resist the gods! Just thinking about it makes me laugh! I can still picture her face as she died, chasing an impossible dream! Khahahahaha!]
Dweno lowered his head. Then, after taking a deep breath, he slowly raised it again. "What about Kyle?"
[…What?]
"How did Kyle die?" Dweno smiled.
Giath's expression twisted at the sight of Dweno asking about Kyle's death.
"Let me correct you." Dweno's face turned completely blank. "Aaron didn't become a shield in my place because he was afraid of fighting Erebos. He feared losing us more than he feared dying himself."
His expression darkened. "Because that fool was that kind of man."
Biting his lip, Dweno continued, "I don't think Luna ever despaired. She was a fool, too. She never doubted in a bright future."
Fwoosh—!
Golden flames surged from Dweno's body.
"Lysinas… she must have worn a sorrowful expression." A bitter smile crossed his face. "Because we left her behind all alone."
And then, Dweno grinned. "That fool who supposedly died a meaningless death without even serving as a proper shield has nothing to say."
He was smiling. A smile like the bright sun in the sky.
"What matters, Giath, is that not one of us ever despaired."
Fwoosh—!
Dweno's entire body burned like a radiant sun. "Because we knew—because we believed—in the one fool who would never give up."
[You bastard…!]
"We must have cursed ourselves for our own weaknesses—for the burden we forced him to endure! But!"
Kooooooh—!
Dweno's battle-axe radiated immense power.
"Once again, I ask you, Giant King Giath!"
Screeeech—!
Dweno lowered his stance.
"What was the fate of the Surviving Hero, Kyle?"
[Krooooooohhhhhh—!]
"You meant to taunt me with your petty words, but too bad for you! Your mockery only fills me with even greater hope! Because in the end…"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!—!
Giath roared in fury and charged at Dweno, unable to stand his words any longer. Half-mad, he raised his mighty corpse sword, intent on ending Dweno once and for all.
"—we saved the world, didn't we?!"
[Silence, you wretched specter of the past!]
Clang—!
The corpse sword and Dweno's battle-axe collided. The massive corpse sword bared its fangs, seeking to shatter the battle-axe.
Cracks spread across the axe's entire surface.
"Hngh!"
Dweno tightened his grip and roared, "If you were forged to fight—!"
As he bellowed, his battle-axe rang with a deep resonance, as if answering his call.
"Then fulfill your duty! I forged you—!" Dweno's eyes gleamed. "To annihilate Tartaros!"
Craaaack—!
[Urgh—?!] Giath's eyes widened as cracks began spreading across the corpse sword.
Snap—!
[Impossible—!]
Bam—!
"Gah—!"
Dweno's body shot high into the air. His battered but unbroken battle-axe radiated golden light as it split the corpse sword in half.
The Divine Blacksmith, Dweno. The weapon forged with his will did not shatter—it shone ever brighter.
Now hovering above Giath's head, Dweno smirked coldly. "I don't know how much time has passed since my death…"
Swoosh—! Fwoooooosh—!
A massive golden axe blade materialized.
"…But you just lost to a mere specter."
[DWENOOOOOOOOOOOOO!]
Slash—!
Dweno's axe cleaved off Giath's head.