LHAHS Chapter 354
A torrent of black flames erupted from the Hero Record, engulfing the entire hall.
"What… What is this?!" Lehagen's voice broke in horror.
The raging fire surged toward the audience.
Flash—!
But no one in attendance was weak enough to be overwhelmed so easily.
Crack—!
A wall of ice shot up, radiating cold air from an elven mage seated at the very front of the audience.
Murmurs of awe rippled through the crowd.
"The Northern Tower Master!"
All eyes turned to Algren, the master of the Northern Tower. A chilling mana surged from his body.
Crrrrk—!
The ice wall shifted like a living creature, fluid and flexible.
With astonishing speed, Algren's ice wrapped around the black flames, encasing them.
Lehagen shouted, his face contorted with fury. "Tower Master! What do you think you're doing?!"
Algren's voice was as cold as his magic. "Can't you see for yourself? That black fire erupted from the Hero Record. The source of this disaster is the record itself. Eliminating it is the only logical course of action."
"You intend to destroy the great Seiren's record?!"
"If it's black fire, there is only one possible culprit. Removing the source is the only responsible action."
A collective gasp spread through the hall. Though the event had caught everyone off guard, Algren's words forced them to confront the truth.
Black flames.
A catastrophe so terrifying that even speaking of it felt forbidden.
Lehagen, his voice cracking with desperation, screamed, "Black fire doesn't necessarily mean it's the Primordial Evil!"
His breathing grew ragged.
"This is the Hero Record of the great Comet Mage Seiren! The only one ever discovered outside of those guarded by the dragons! Destroying a record brimming with infinite potential is an unthinkable offense!"
Just then—
Crack—!
A fracture formed in Algren's ice. His expression darkened. Already?
Boom—!
The black flames exploded through the weakened ice, spreading and consuming everything in their path.
Mages across the hall cast spells, desperately trying to extinguish the fire.
But the flames devoured mana itself, roaring even more ferociously as if mocking their efforts.
"This can't be happening!" Lehagen raged. "We only just obtained the Comet Mage's Hero Record! And now this?!"
But no matter how much he raged, no magic could touch the fire.
As they watched helplessly—
Whoosh—!
A wave of pure white flames collided with the black fire, halting its advance.
The relentless inferno finally wavered.
All eyes turned toward the one who had summoned the white flames.
Step. Step.
Wrapped in sacred fire, the girl's presence was almost divine.
"Lunia El Lunda."
Someone whispered her name.
The successor to the flames of the long-lost Phoenix King.
Lunia glared at Seiren's Hero Record. "This is Erebos's fire."
She had faced Erebos twice in the Hero World.
Of course, those had been mere fragments of Erebos's power. Yet even those slivers had forced her to pour everything she had into the fight.
But this… This is different.
A deeper darkness lurked within these flames. As the inheritor of the fire of purification, Lunia felt a primal fear gnawing at her.
I have to stop it!
Clenching her teeth, she unleashed even more flames. Her crimson-red hair turned pure white.
The audience stared, mesmerized. The black fire, as if recognizing her, surged toward her.
Boom—!
A tremendous impact rang out.
Before Lunia, a shield radiating life's light blocked the fire.
Eiran stood firm, gripping a shield infused with the power of the fae—a gift from Dweno. As she resisted, her expression tightened in strain.
Then, a fierce gust of wind tore through the hall, pushing back the black fire.
It was Hardin, Seiren's student council president.
"Seiren students, listen up! This is Erebos's fire!"
Having fought against Erebos in Luna's world, Hardin recognized it instantly. His declaration sent a ripple of shock through the Seiren students.
"From this moment on, we will eliminate the source of these flames."
"Hardin!" Lehagen's voice cracked in panic. "You… The student council president dares to destroy Seiren's record?!"
"Even if that truly is Seiren's record, leaving the source of this disaster unchecked would go against both Seiren and Luna's will."
"Well said, our student council president."
"What are you all waiting for? If we are to follow in the footsteps of the great Nebula Pioneer and the Comet Mage, then facing Erebos is our duty."
Marven, the top-ranked fifth-year, and Everton, the second-ranked, stepped forward.
The students immediately fell into formation.
Seeing Seiren's students seamlessly prepare for battle, the visiting mages also began readying their magic.
Leo, who had been watching the black flames intently, finally spoke.
"Anya."
"Yes, Leo."
Anya, the Northern Tower Master's daughter, appeared behind him, bowing respectfully.
"With your father's abilities, can he forcibly warp everyone here out of the Comet Sanctum?"
"Teleporting in is impossible, but teleporting out should be feasible."
Leo's eyes remained locked on Seiren's Hero Record. "Tell him to do it immediately."
"As you wish." Anya quickly sprinted toward her father.
Upon hearing Leo's request, Algren glanced at him briefly before activating his mana.
As expected of the master of the Northern Tower, Algren successfully teleported everyone outside the sanctum.
Whoosh—!
The students and mages, ready for battle, blinked in confusion at the sudden relocation.
"What just happened…?"
"Northern Tower Master! What is the meaning of this…?!"
BOOM—!
An explosion of black fire engulfed the Comet Sanctum.
Rumble—!
The towering structure, which had stood for centuries, collapsed in flames.
The long-preserved records of Seiren burned to ash.
The very symbol of Seiren crumbled into ruin.
Everyone watched in stunned silence.
Then, from the highest point in Seiren, at the Star Plaza, an aura of death surged.
A gate ripped open, unleashing hordes of undead.
"What… What is that?!"
"The Lich King…?"
"It hasn't even been that long since the Queen of Monsters attacked Seiren! How has the Lich King's influence already reached here?!"
All eyes turned to Lehagen.
"Acting Headmaster Lehagen! Explain this immediately! The Star Plaza is under your jurisdiction!"
Seiren's teachers erupted in anger, but Lehagen was nowhere to be found. Their fury turned toward the members of the Pureblood Society.
The faces of the Pureblood Society members turned deathly pale.
"W-We don't know anything about this!"
"That's right!"
They protested desperately, but it was useless.
Not long ago, undead had already appeared during the first-year midterms—an exam overseen by the Pureblood Society. And now, another catastrophe had struck. Given the circumstances, the blame could only fall on them.
Then—
A deep, ominous rumbling filled the air.
The black flames that had reduced the Comet Sanctum to ashes began to merge, forming the towering figure of a flame-clad giant.
Everyone's faces went rigid as they watched Erebos take shape.
[GWOOOOAAAARRR—!]
A deafening roar shook the air.
Terror seized the crowd.
The Primordial Evil.
A calamity capable of bringing ruin to the world—its mere presence was enough to crush the spirit of any living being.
People stumbled backward, gripped by the fear of impending death.
At that moment—
"Get a hold of yourselves!"
A powerful voice thundered across Seiren.
"…Howling?"
Stunned, all eyes turned toward the source of the voice.
There, bathed in golden aura, stood Leo.
Step. Step.
"This is no time to argue about blame. And it's certainly no time to be paralyzed by fear."
He advanced toward Erebos.
"If you claim to respect the Nebula Pioneer," he said, voice steady, "if you claim to follow the will of the Comet Mage…"
A surge of gray mana erupted around him.
"Then believe in yourselves and stand against this thing. That is the duty you accepted when you entered this school."
The suffocating fear lifted.
Leo's unwavering determination reignited the fighting spirit in those around him.
So Seiren's Hero Record is acting as a gateway.
Aside from the Hero of Dawn Records safeguarded in Dragonia, the Hero Records of the Hero of Dawnes had vanished from this world. Even the Great Hero Records, which Tartaros had systematically destroyed, still existed in greater numbers.
But the Hero Records of the Hero of Dawnes were even rarer.
Leo already knew the reason, having heard it from Mel.
Before stepping into the Hero World to stop Erebos, the Hero of Dawnes had deliberately erased their own Hero Records. They had left behind clear instructions for any remaining records to be destroyed, preventing them from being used as a conduit.
Then—
Whoosh—!
Pure white flames erupted into the sky.
Leo turned his head toward Lunia.
There she stood, mana surging as she formed a sphere of fire in her hands—the magic Luna had left behind to counter Erebos—Flame Emperor.
Whoosh!
The flames of purification consumed the black fire.
[GRAAAARGH!]
Erebos roared in fury.
Leo unsheathed his sword. Flames the color of a crimson phoenix soared into the sky. Seizing the opening Lunia had created, he launched a burning slash straight at the giant.
KWA-GAGAGAGAK!
[UOOOOHHH!]
A bellow of rage shook the heavens.
…It's not fully released yet.
Leo narrowed his eyes. It was powerful, no doubt. But compared to the Erebos fragments the Hero of Dawnes had fought, it was lacking.
Then—
Sway—!
THUD—!
Erebos staggered and fell to one knee.
"Did it take damage?" a mage shouted urgently.
…No. Neither Lunia's attack nor mine could have inflicted this much damage.
Leo narrowed his eyes. For a brief moment, he saw something strange at Erebos's core. The flames wavered—as if something inside was resisting.
Then, he understood.
Someone is fighting from within.
Blazing white-hot, the world was consumed by black flames. The surroundings had already been reduced to nothing but ashes.
Gripping Cometes, Seiren channeled mana through her entire body. Magical runes formed in the air.
"Extinction."
A flood of destructive light surged forward.
KWA-AAAAAAA!
The black flames scattered like dust.
Seiren, her body covered in burns, slammed her staff down on the embers that tried to reignite.
THUD—!
"You… are not leaving this place!"
Her scream rang out as she glared at the mass of black fire gathering before her.
A monstrous figure, cloaked in flames of darkness, emerged.
[How foolish.]
The black flames gazed down at Seiren with an indifferent stare.
[Your comrades cannot reach this world.]
There was no mockery in that voice. No anger at being obstructed. Not even annoyance at Seiren's resistance.
It regarded her the way one might look at an insignificant creature.
As if it could not comprehend her futile struggle, Erebos spoke. [What do you think you can achieve alone?]
"I…" Seiren gritted her teeth, clutching Cometes. "I made a promise!"
Her lip split as she bit down hard, drawing blood. "I promised Luna! I swore that I would protect the world they left to us!"
Her hands trembled. She did not fear death. The moment she witnessed the sacrifice of the Great Heroes, she had accepted her fate.
What truly terrified her… was failing to protect the world they had left behind, and the possibility that she was too powerless to keep her promise.
"I told Luna… to trust me!" Her voice wavered as she forced herself to remain steady.
Erebos responded. [What value is there in a promise made with a dead illusion?]
"…!"
[And even if such a promise was made—what use is it?]
For the first time, Erebos let out a scoffing laugh.
[You are nothing more than an arrogant, self-deluded mortal.]
Seiren's grip on her staff tightened.
[Luna Luminance was exceptional. Even to an immortal such as myself, she was a rare treasure among mortals, worthy of standing against me. But you… You are not Luna Luminance. You are not even close to her equal.]
Seiren's expression twisted.
[If Luna Luminance saw you like this, do you think she would have believed in you?]
Her breath caught in her throat.
[One should not make promises they cannot keep, mortal.]
Seiren knew better than anyone.
This struggle was meaningless.
She had long since lost faith in herself.
Her mind frayed, her resolve crumbling.
And yet…
I can't give up. Tears welled in her eyes. I made a promise to them.