LHAHS Chapter 393
Lysinas walked through the study when a voice she didn't recognize rang out.
"The final expedition is about to begin."
It was a woman's voice, one she had never heard before. As if drawn by it, she instinctively moved toward the source.
When she arrived, she saw an elven woman standing there—soft silver hair, golden eyes. She was more beautiful than anyone Lysinas had ever met, but there was a shadow over her face.
"Do you think we can do it?" the elf asked, ears drooping with worry. Her expression was filled with uncertainty.
Just as Lysinas thought there was something oddly familiar about her…
"It's only natural to be worried."
"Huh?"
At the sound of the second voice, Lysinas let out an involuntary gasp.
"But this is something only we can do," the woman said, her voice gentle yet firm as she reassured the elf. "I believe in you—the one who has overcome every impossible challenge."
The woman had black hair and a confident smile, filled with unwavering faith.
"Believe in us, in the companions who have walked this great journey together," she continued. "We will defeat the Primordial Evil and save the world."
Lysinas' eyes widened.
Huh? Is that me?
The night of despair passed. A foreboding dawn was breaking.
Lysinas awoke.
A dream?
It had been so vivid, lingering in her mind as if burned into her memory.
What kind of dream was that?
She sat up, recalling the elf she had seen.
I've never seen her before.
It wasn't something from the past.
A premonition?
The thought crossed her mind, but she shook her head. Some individuals with unique mana traits could foresee the future, often through precognitive dreams.
Lysinas possessed a special mana trait, but it wasn't the ability to see the future.
I can only witness events of the past through necromancy.
Among summoners, only a rare few possessed the talent for necromancy.
There were many forms of spirits, but at their core, they were the same.
Fragments of memory carried by mana.
The stronger the soul had been in life, the more distinct the lingering echoes of their mana. Necromancers could manifest that mana into spiritual energy, recreating a person's past abilities and memories.
It was just a strange dream.
That was the conclusion she settled on before making her way toward the others, who were already having breakfast.
"Lysinas, I heard you went off alone last night. Was there a battle?" Allox asked. "Kyle said it was just reconnaissance, but I couldn't help wondering."
Lysinas glanced at Leo, who was quietly chewing on dried meat.
So Kyle didn't say anything?
She thought back to last night—to the traitors she had executed. To her, it had simply been something that needed to be done.
And yet, Kyle looked… shocked.
If Kyle was the hero meant to save the world—if he was the one who would fulfill her wish—then she was willing to sacrifice herself for him.
"There was a suspicious presence, so I went to scout," she replied. "But I didn't find anything."
"Is that so?" Allox nodded and turned away, settling into his seat for breakfast.
Rodia soon approached, cheerfully striking up a conversation with Lysinas.
Why did Lysinas choose the path of the Shadows?
Leo watched from the side, lost in thought.
Was it because of something she saw in me?
The course of events was beginning to deviate from the memories he knew.
Then again, I don't know everything about Lysinas.
Just as he had things he never shared with her, Lysinas must have had struggles she kept to herself. In this era, she had led Kyle toward hope, but there must have been burdens she never spoke of.
I just wanted to ease even a little of that burden for her.
For Lysinas, this was only the first step.
But…
Leo knew how this journey would end.
For her, this was the beginning of her story.
For him, it was already finished.
They weren't standing at the same starting line.
Just as I was once captivated by the light Lysinas showed me… now, has she been captivated by something in me?
Perhaps she had made this choice in place of the one he once made.
This was a story of the past, of days long gone. Even if things changed now, the future would not.
After all, Hero Worlds were a fabrication.
And whether it was guiding people toward hope in the light or delivering despair to traitors in the darkness—ultimately, both paths belonged to Lysinas.
But…
…Is it really right to leave her like this?
Leo looked at Lysinas, his gaze slightly uncertain.
"They're coming!"
"Mages and summoners, to the front!"
KIIIIIIIEEEEEEK!
A tense voice rang out as a horde of Fafnirs, high-ranking demonic beasts, appeared before the expedition party.
Fafnirs—one of the most dangerous demonic beasts of the Age of Calamity. The Great Heroes had made a deliberate effort to exterminate them, and by the end of that era, they had vanished, leaving no trace for future generations.
Their most terrifying trait was their aerial superiority.
Having demonic beasts on par with wyverns, a top-tier species of spirit beasts, dominate the skies was a nightmare scenario.
As the party tensed, Leo stepped forward.
"Mages, prepare your spells," he ordered before bending his knees.
Aura gathered at his feet.
BOOM!
With a single leap, he shot into the sky at an incredible speed.
The elf mage Perique narrowed his eyes. "What was that technique? Magic?"
"No… that's aura!" Allox exclaimed in awe.
Aura Step. A technique developed through aura research in the future. After its invention, battlefields expanded beyond the ground to the sky and even the water, revolutionizing aura combat.
Even in the Age of Calamity 5000 years ago, there were those who could use aura to run through the air, but it wasn't as common as it is now.
At Lumene Academy, any knight student could learn Aura Step by their second year. Yet, in this era, even those hailed as heroes struggled to master it.
As Leo ran through the sky, he unsheathed his sword.
Of course, just because they couldn't use Aura Step didn't mean the knights and warriors of this era were weak.
RUMBLE!
The ground shook.
CRACK!
Enormous centipede-like monsters burst from beneath the earth.
"Great Worms!" Allox grinned. "I'll take care of those things with Arlene! You lot handle the flying pests!"
Great Worms—monstrous creatures with armor-like hides capable of reducing entire landscapes to ruin. And now, five of them had emerged.
This was the heart of the Age of Calamity.
Massive threats like this were constant, yet no one wavered. Not a single one of them flinched.
WHIRRRR!
Arlene stepped forward, and a radiant summoning circle formed around her.
FLASH!
With a burst of light, Pegasus Alphia appeared.
[Did you call, contractor?]
"I need your help, Alphia."
[Leave it to me.]
FWOOOSH!
A knight astride a pegasus soared into the sky.
SWHOOSH!
A spear materialized in her white-gloved hand. Arlene, a Pegasus Knight, was a vanguard of the frontlines.
WHOOM!
White aura flared from her spear.
"Hah—!"
Allox followed her lead. Gripping the massive battle axe strapped to his back, he spun it in both hands, whipping up a fierce gust of wind.
"LET'S GOOOOO!"
THUD!
As the bear beastman stomped the ground, cracks spread outward.
WHOOSH!
Allox became a living projectile, a mass of sheer force shooting toward the leading Great Worm.
SLASH!
His axe split the monstrous centipede apart.
SPURT!
Thick, green blood sprayed in all directions.
SSSSS!
The acidic fluid sizzled as it melted the earth.
"Hahahahaha!"
Even as the caustic blood splattered onto him, Allox only laughed as he continued tearing the Great Worm apart.
Meanwhile, another Great Worm reared back—only to have a massive hole blown through its body by Arlene's spear.
As their charge was stalled, Leo held back the Fafnir swarm in the sky.
SLASH!
He severed a Fafnir's throat mid-air and ran across the sky as though it were solid ground. Fast. Precise.
Alone, Leo had single-handedly pinned down an entire Fafnir unit.
Perique, who was chanting an incantation, clicked his tongue. "He's gotten stronger."
Rodia, watching from below, shook her head.
No, if you compare him to Kyle from this era, the current Kyle is much weaker.
At this time, during the beginning of his great journey, Kyle had already possessed overwhelming power. The Leo of today—barely in his mid-teens—couldn't compare.
And yet, the others thought he was stronger now for one simple reason.
Experience.
Having brought an end to the Age of Calamity and saved the world, that experience allowed him to fight with absolute dominance.
Meanwhile, Perique completed his spell.
"Holy Arrows."
FLASH!
Countless arrows of light formed in the sky.
As Leo swiftly moved out of range, the divine projectiles rained down on the Fafnirs.
True to his reputation as an elf Lysinas had tried to recruit, Perique was an exceptional mage.
Watching the battle unfold, Rodia clenched her fists.
It's possible.
This Hero World, where she had failed countless times before…
Victory was now within reach.
RUMBLE!
The ground quaked.
A colossal serpent devoured everything in its path.
CRUNCH!
The grotesque monster crushed and chewed through the massive head of a Gigantes, a high-ranking demonic beast.
GROWL.
Six eyes gleamed with murderous intent as it lifted its head.
The King of Gluttony, Jörmungandr, flared his nostrils.
[Something is strange.]
His voice slithered with irritation as he dragged his massive body across the ground.
Jörmungandr was a monster that consumed all.
Living creatures.
Fortified walls.
Lush forests.
Even radiant light and hope—everything he devoured turned into darkness, spreading it across the land.
It was for that reason he was considered just as special as the Lich King among Tartaros' legion commanders.
Wherever he passed, Erebos' domain followed.
Where he went, Erebos himself would appear.
RUMBLE!
His massive form shifted. His transcendent sense of smell had picked up a scent in the distance—one that sent chills down his spine.
[A scent of blood spilled by the Great Calamity.]
Every legion commander had tasted the blood of the Calamity. It was their baptism, their highest honor.
Jörmungandr had smelled Erebos' blood before. But this scent was different.
It was as if someone had bathed in the blood that had endlessly flowed from a slain god.
[It smells like…]
He had never encountered it before.
But if such a detestable existence had ever appeared in this world…
It would have reeked like this.
Jörmungandr uttered the blasphemous words.
[A godslayer.]