LHAHS Chapter 389
That power must be why Lysinas was never able to form a contract with the pegasus.
Dragons had upheld the world's order since the Age of the Gods. As the messengers of the gods, they protected the world and followed divine will. Each dragon species had its own duty, and for the black dragons, that duty was the eradication of all who turned their backs on the world.
Because of this, black dragons were feared. They were brutal, merciless. Especially in the Age of Calamity, darkness itself became an object of terror and hatred.
Many black dragons did, in fact, fall to corruption and side with Erebos.
Different as they may have been, their essence remained the same—darkness. It was all too easy to fall.
Leo recalled the countless corrupted black dragons he had buried with his own hands.
It's no wonder Lysinas hated her own nature.
More than hatred—Lysinas feared her own essence.
Leo had always known that. That was why, without hesitation, he had stepped into the darkness in her place—so that she could walk toward the light.
Because to me, the light she showed was hope itself.
For Leo, carrying the burden of her duty had been the natural thing to do.
Leo walked through the depths of Godthrone with Rodia at his side, heading toward the city's darkest back alleys.
Rodia followed, her expression shifting to mild surprise. "This place… I had no idea it existed."
Even after attempting to clear Lysinas' world multiple times, she had never come across this path.
"I researched this era of Godthrone as thoroughly as I could to try and clear it, but I suppose no one can know as much as Kyle, who actually lived in this time."
"That's right," Leo replied. "But there are things you know that I don't."
"Yes," Rodia admitted, nodding.
Leo glanced at her. "How far can we go in this Hero World?"
"As far as Godthrone is concerned, there's nowhere off-limits," she said, then proceeded to carefully explain what she had learned from her past attempts. Having failed multiple times, Rodia was well aware of the conditions that led to failure.
"This world cannot be cleared unless Kyle is here."
Leo narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"The moment Lysinas realizes that the challenger isn't an All-Class, the attempt fails immediately."
This was a possession-type Hero World. In other words, the challenger was supposed to possess Kyle's body and fight alongside Lysinas against Jörmungandr.
But even if someone entered Kyle's body, they would not become Kyle. No matter how well they imitated him, they could never replicate his unique mana attribute—Purity. His All-Class abilities, which stemmed from that unique mana, were impossible to mimic.
Rodia had attempted to conceal the truth and push through, but in the end, Lysinas had always seen through the deception.
Leo frowned. "That's strange. Even if she figured it out, immediately failing the attempt regardless of the situation seems extreme."
Rodia chuckled. "Well, since you're actually Kyle, we don't have to worry about that."
Leo nodded in agreement.
They reached a dead end.
Rodia studied the wall in front of them and clicked her tongue.
If I hadn't come here with Kyle, I would never have noticed this.
It was an entrance—but so meticulously concealed that even Rodia, the Dawn Dragon, had difficulty recognizing it.
"The barrier of the White King… Unlocking it won't be easy," she murmured.
Leo smirked. "Don't worry about that."
He reached out and placed a hand on the wall. A pale gray mana flowed from his palm, spreading across the surface.
Moments later…
Woom—!
The wall shimmered. An entrance appeared.
"As expected of you, Kyle."
Leo stepped forward, a knowing glint in his eyes. "No one understands Albus' abilities better than I do."
Beyond the entrance was a corridor of pure white. At the end, they stepped into a vast hall. Inside, men and women sat with quiet dignity.
As soon as they noticed Leo and Rodia, their eyes widened.
"A human and a dragon?"
"How did they enter this place?"
Their disbelief was evident.
Leo spoke calmly. "I came to see a certain pegasus."
A white-haired woman stepped forward. "That face… It's familiar."
Leo's gaze flickered toward her.
"The Surviving Hero—Kyle."
He recognized her as well.
Alphia. Arlene Frielene's contracted pegasus.
Arlene was one of the spirit beast summoners tasked with defending Godthrone. Leo had crossed paths with her many times on the battlefield.
She was a positive one. Fitting, for a pegasus' contractor.
The contractors of the Three Great Summons were always those with extraordinary mental fortitude. Most people in this era had been forced to fight to survive.
Simply stepping onto the battlefield to defend a city was enough to grant one immense privilege. City protectors were treated as nobles in all but name.
But the contractors of the Three Great Summons did not fight for status. They fought to protect a hope that no one else could see.
Arlene had been one of them.
And in this era, those who sought hope were often ridiculed. In a world on the brink of destruction, searching for hope was meaningless.
Kyle, the Surviving Hero, had been one of those who sneered at them.
And Alphia had been furious when she saw him mocking her noble contractor.
Now, she gazed at him with undisguised disdain.
"Defiled one," Alphia spat. "Why have you trespassed upon the sanctuary of the pegasi?"
Leo's expression didn't change.
But Rodia's did. Her voice was cold. "Who do you think you're calling defiled?"
Alphia turned her gaze to her. "A young dragon," she scoffed. "To walk beside this defiled one—you should be ashamed."
Rodia's lips curled into a smirk. Their eyes met.
Alphia flinched.
This… This can't be the gaze of a mere young dragon.
Cold sweat ran down her spine.
Rodia had unleashed her Dragon Fear. The sheer pressure in her stare made Alphia tremble.
Though she had the form of a young girl, she was one of the Heroes of Dawn, a dragon strong enough to defend the world once more. She was the successor of the Wise Queen, Lysinas.
Even a mighty pegasus could not overpower her so easily.
The other pegasi in the hall stirred, gathering around their comrade. Rodia did not back down.
To her, Alphia's words were unacceptable.
Kyle was the Hero of the Beginning—the one who had paved the way for a new era. One of the five most noble beings Rodia had ever known.
To hear someone call him "defiled" was an insult beyond forgiveness.
The tension in the air thickened.
Just as the standoff threatened to escalate…
Leo reached out… and firmly pressed down on Rodia's head.
Leo placed a hand on Rodia's head and pressed down firmly. "Calm down. You've attempted this world multiple times. You should be used to this kind of treatment by now."
Rodia scowled. "It's different when it happens to me and when it happens to you."
"I appreciate the sentiment, but let it go. At this point in time, I had no right to complain about how I was treated."
She gritted her teeth but eventually stepped back. Satisfied, Leo took a step forward.
"I apologize for intruding on your sanctuary and for provoking hostility," he said. "But I have a reason for being here."
Alphia's gaze remained distrustful. "And what business do you have here?"
Leo met her eyes without hesitation. "I came to see the White Queen."
"You wish to meet the queen? For what purpose?"
"To form a contract."
At that, Alphia burst into laughter. She wasn't alone. The other pegasi in the hall also let out derisive laughs.
They all knew what kind of man Leo was—the Surviving Hero, satisfied merely with existing. A coward, trembling in fear of the world's inevitable demise, yet unwilling to fight against it. A man who sneered at hope and denied its very existence.
And now, that same man claimed he wanted to form a contract with the noblest being in existence—the White Queen. It was absurd.
"Know your place, Surviving Hero," Alphia spat. "You are unworthy of being our queen's contractor."
She narrowed her eyes at Leo. "I acknowledge your strength. There is no one in Godthrone stronger than you… except for the noble dragon Lysinas, perhaps."
"But Lysinas was never able to form a contract with a pegasus."
"Indeed," Alphia said. "And that is truly unfortunate. Had she not been a black dragon, she would have been a fitting partner for our queen."
Letting out a bitter sigh, she turned back to Leo, her expression hardening. "The pegasi are the noblest of all spirit beasts. We never abandon hope. No matter how powerful you may be, a man like you, whose will has long since broken, could never form a contract with one of us."
Her tone was final. "Your call will never reach us."
Rodia folded her arms. "Isn't that something for the White Queen to decide? At least let her hear the request."
"Hmph. As if it weren't disrespectful enough to bring the Surviving Hero here… The queen is in deep slumber," Alphia said. "She was gravely wounded in the battle against the accursed forces of Tartaros and has yet to recover."
So she was still asleep at this point.
Leo had known that Albus had fought against Tartaros since the early days of the Age of Calamity, but he hadn't realized the White Queen had remained asleep up until this very moment.
"If you have no other business, then leave. The Surviving Hero and the young dragon have no place here."
Rodia scowled.
Woom—
A ripple of spiritual energy spread from Leo's palm. A summoning circle formed, its intricate patterns glowing softly in the air.
Rodia's eyes widened. The pegasi in the hall stiffened.
"Foolishness," Alphia muttered.
Leo smirked. "We'll see about that."
Rodia crossed her arms, a smug expression on her face.
Awaken, Albus.
Leo called upon the partner he had lost long ago.
I need your strength.
Woom—!
The summoning circle flared, filling the air with a radiant light. A blinding flash followed…
CRACK! KRRRAAAK—!
A white lightning storm erupted from the summoning circle, tearing through the space around them.
Gasps of shock filled the hall as the pegasi recoiled in disbelief. A powerful storm of spiritual energy swirled around Leo, pressing against the walls of the sanctuary.
FWOOOSH—!
From the summoning circle, a brilliant white glow burst forth.
Everything faded into white.
When the light settled, only two figures remained—Leo and a girl with flowing white hair.
Albus stared up at Leo, confusion flickering across her delicate features. "…Only my contractor can awaken me," she murmured, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "But I have never formed a contract with you. Who are you? How did you wake me?"
Leo chuckled. "Fate, maybe?"
"Fate?"
He smiled at her, eyes filled with familiarity. "In the near future, you will form a contract with me. That future has simply arrived a little earlier than expected."
Albus narrowed her eyes. "That's ridiculous."
Leo shrugged. "What matters is that my call reached you and that my spiritual energy was able to wake you."
She fell silent, staring at him. The spiritual energy emanating from him was unlike anything she had ever encountered. As the queen of the pegasi, she had met countless noble souls, but never one with spiritual energy this pure.
Perhaps… that was why she had awakened despite never having formed a contract with him.
"Can you help me achieve what I seek?" she asked.
"Of course," Leo said without hesitation.
Albus let out a small scoff. "You answer so confidently without even asking what I want."
"You want to eradicate the Flames of Ruin," Leo said.
Her breath caught.
"We need your strength to do it," he continued, extending a hand toward her. "Come with me."
Albus hesitated, staring at his outstretched hand. This man was a stranger, and yet, in the future she had yet to see, he would be her contractor.
Without hesitation, she reached out and took his hand.
"…It's been a long time," Leo muttered.
"What?"
Leo smiled wryly. "Just talking to myself."