Chapter 356

Leo reached out his hand.

At that moment, the broken Cometes floated into the air. The moment it touched Leo's hand, it emitted a radiant light and was restored to its original form.

Fwoosh—!

That wasn't all.

A brilliant light erupted from Leo, spreading outward, and the burning world was reconstructed before their eyes.

A miracle, in the truest sense.

The moment Leo acknowledged Seiren, everything was restored.

Powerful mana swirled around Cometes, now held firmly in Leo's grasp. This wasn't the real Cometes, it was the reward Seiren had obtained from conquering Luna's world. A mere replica that existed solely within Seiren's Hero World. Yet, within this world, it possessed the exact same power as the real thing.

Only those worthy could wield its strength.

Before entering the Hero World to seal Erebos, Seiren had left a portion of her mana and legacy to her younger sibling. In the present world, only her sibling's descendants had the right to wield Cometes' power.

And yet, just by being in Leo's hands, Cometes shone with dazzling brilliance.

Even when Seiren held it, it only radiated light when she actively channeled magic. Simply holding it had never caused it to glow like this.

Leo gazed at the resplendent Cometes, a nostalgic look in his eyes, before handing it to Seiren.

She took it, then slowly rose to her feet. Her expression trembled with disbelief as she asked, "Are you really… Sir Kyle?"

"That's right."

"How… how is this possible? How do you know me? And that form of yours…" Her voice wavered with confusion.

The Hero of the Beginning—Kyle. One of the Great Heroes, and the last among them.

The legendary figure who ultimately vanquished the Primordial Evil and restored peace to the world.

Seiren had cleared the Great Hero Records multiple times. She had met Kyle several times within the Hero World.

But those encounters had only been illusions. No matter how real they had seemed, in the end, they were just echoes of history.

For Seiren, Kyle was a figure from two thousand years ago.

And yet, here he was, standing before her, knowing who she was. Looking completely different from the Kyle she had known.

Seiren's face clouded with bewilderment.

Leo smirked. "Reincarnation."

Her eyes widened in shock.

"I heard about you from Melina."

"…Melina." Seiren's breath hitched at the name.

The Dragon Queen who had made the last attempt at reclaiming the world.

"She said you're doing your best," Leo said.

Seiren lowered her head. Doing her best? That was all she had been able to do. Buying time—that was all she could manage.

She knew.

The Heroes of Dawn, herself included, had likely been the first and last to clear the Great Hero Records in their entirety.

In the process of sealing Erebos within the Hero Record, the record had been split to ensure the seal remained intact. Many Great Heroes and countless others had their legacies fragmented, scattered across the world.

Even after inheriting the power of the Great Heroes, they had failed to completely stop Erebos.

That knowledge weighed on her. She couldn't bring herself to lift her head.

Gritting her teeth, she clenched her fists, guilt twisting in her heart.

Leo reached out and placed a hand atop her head. "Thank you."

"…!" Seiren's head shot up in shock.

"For protecting the world we fought for," he said softly. "For making sure our efforts weren't in vain. Thank you."

Tears welled in her eyes. A single drop rolled down her cheek.

That one sentence—it was an acknowledgment of the thousands of years of hardship she had endured. A salvation. A light cutting through an endless, suffocating darkness.

"I know it's selfish of me to ask…" Leo gave a rueful smile. "But could you hang on just a little longer?"

"…Of course!"

A brilliant smile spread across Seiren's face.

For the first time, she saw hope. A conviction that the endless waiting and struggle would soon bear fruit.

Cometes shone radiantly in her grasp, and the mana of the Comet Mage surged forth.

I can do this.

Seiren gripped her staff tightly.

Goooooo—!

The surrounding mana trembled.

The very beginning. The source of all existing heroes.

What could be more empowering than the words of the Hero of the Beginning himself?

I am the Comet Mage, Seiren Tingel.

"Stellar Chain!"

A massive magic circle formed, and from it, countless chains of starlight erupted.

I am the one who carries on the will of the Nebula Pioneer, Luna!

Seiren's eyes gleamed.

Clang—clatter—!

The chains rang out as they pierced through the void.

The world was no longer crumbling.

The world that Leo had rewritten had returned to its original state.

And this world, now fully restored, was the strongest prison for the darkness confined within it.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzt—!

A rift opened, and black flames spilled forth.

Leo narrowed his eyes. Erebos.

This was different from the mere fragments and remnants he had encountered until now.

This was a piece of the real Erebos, the one he had sealed away before. A flame of pure malice, powerful enough to bring about the end of the world.

Kraaaaaaaaash—!

[Impressive.]

Erebos, who had been attempting to escape into the outside world, narrowed its eyes at the restored Hero World.

[To think that this cursed prison of the gods has returned to its former state. What trickery have you used, mortal?]

Leo stood firm, staring at the infernal being.

"The true owner of this world has returned," Seiren replied.

[The true owner?]

Goooooooooo—!

Erebos's flames flared even more violently. It didn't question the situation. As a being on par with the gods, it instantly understood what Seiren meant. Its crimson eyes shifted to the human standing beside her.

Fwoosh—!

[So, that's how it is.]

Its gaze sharpened.

"Long time no see, Erebos," Leo said, his eyes glinting with deadly intent. "Not that either of us wanted this reunion."

Kraaash—!

Black flames, capable of incinerating everything, surged toward Leo, but before they could touch him, Seiren's magic deflected them.

Leo, unfazed, didn't even glance at the flames still raging around them. His focus remained locked on Erebos.

[The Surviving Hero. How did you manage to gain a new body and return to the world of the living?]

"Maybe it's the gods' will that I finish you off properly this time."

[You talk big, but you didn't defeat me alone in your past life.]

"Of course not." Leo smirked. "But even after five thousand years, my connection to them hasn't been severed."

He reached out his hand.

"No matter how many generations pass, those ties will always endure."

A system notification appeared before him.

[Seiren has inherited the Nebula Pioneer's mana.]

At that moment, Polyum, which had lost its power, responded to Luna's mana and radiated a brilliant light.

So this is the true power of the Hero Record.

The Hero Record—the system that connected generations. A mechanism that allowed the inheritance of a hero's power. But Leo, as the master of the Hero Record, was unique.

The world he stood in now—Seiren's world—was an entirely rewritten Hero Record. A perfect world, untouched by Erebos's corruption, like the Book of Shadows.

Within this world, Leo could automatically acquire the rewards Seiren had earned when she conquered Luna's world.

Now that I think about it, doesn't it seem strange? Why would the master of the record receive rewards?

The Hero Record.

The god Pivua, whom Leo had met in Luna's world, had explained the record system as the ability to manifest the power of those recorded within it.

The master of the record can freely wield the power of those inscribed in it.

A divine miracle left behind by the gods—one that defied all logic. That was why Leo had been able to inherit Luna's power through Seiren's record.

[That power…] Erebos trembled as it beheld Leo, his body radiating starlight.

Leo met its gaze. "Just wait a little longer."

He raised Polyum.

"I'll be coming to end you soon."

Vwoooom—!

A massive mana formation materialized in the air.

Seiren's eyes widened at the intricate runes inscribed upon it. Extinction? No… this is…!

Even she had never seen this legendary spell in person before.

"Innocence!"

A blinding, pure light erupted forth, and Erebos's form contorted under its radiance.

[It's all just meaningless resistance in the end,] Erebos sneered. [No matter what you do, you are alone.]

Fwoosh—!

Swallowed by the radiant light, Erebos vanished.

Seiren, watching in awe, murmured, "You really are… Sir Kyle."

"It's just the power of the Hero Record," Leo replied, feeling Luna's mana surging through him. He clicked his tongue. "This Hero's Page needs to be destroyed. As long as it exists, it can always be used as a gateway."

If this Hero Record was destroyed, Luna's mana that she had gained would disappear along with it. Even so, Seiren spoke firmly. "Still… thanks to your reincarnation, we've found the strength to keep going."

She looked toward the space where Erebos had vanished. "I'll be waiting… for the day you return, Sir Kyle."

Leo silently observed Seiren as she steeled her resolve. Then…

Thunk—!

"Kyah?!" Seiren let out a startled shriek, rubbing her backside in shock. "W-Why did you hit me?!"

Leo folded his arms. "Hey, you. You wrote that weird story about me and Luna, didn't you?"

Seiren flinched. "Uh… um…"

"And you called me an idiot in it, didn't you?" His voice turned sharp.

Squirming under his gaze, Seiren hesitated before mumbling, "B-But… you didn't even realize how Lady Luna felt about you! Do you know how much she loved you?!"

"She never showed it."

"She showed it all the time!"

Seiren, growing indignant, squinted at him. "Wait… So you knew how she felt but ignored it? That's heartless!"

"I only realized it after reincarnating. Thanks to her confession in the Hero Record."

Hearing that, Seiren muttered under her breath, "So you really are an idiot."

Smack, smack, smack!

"Ow, ow! That hurts!"

Leo rapped her on the head repeatedly with Polyum.

Despite her yelps, Seiren refused to take back what she had said.

If future generations ever learned that a Great Hero who had saved the world and a Hero of Dawn who had followed in his footsteps had engaged in such a childish squabble, they would surely weep.

"Aren't juniors supposed to be a little more endearing?" Leo grumbled.

"Lady Luna always said I was cute."

"You didn't have to inherit everything from Luna, especially the shamelessness."

Seiren laughed.

Leo studied her for a moment before speaking. "Hold out your hand."

Seiren blinked in confusion but complied.

"I'm not Luna," Leo said, placing Polyum into her grasp.

Her eyes widened.

"…But if she were alive, she would have acknowledged you as her successor."

For a mage, receiving a staff from another mage carried special significance. It was a declaration of recognition—a passing of the torch.

Seiren, clutching Polyum tightly, felt her eyes sting. "…Sir Kyle. Did we… did we do the right thing?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Leo pondered for a moment before responding. "…Why don't we step outside and see for ourselves?"