LHAHS Chapter 453
While Aru's face remained clouded with unease…
"Melina, what should we do with this?" Chelsea asked, retrieving the sword Aaron had thrown aside and holding it up to Melina.
Melina looked at it for a moment before speaking. "Brave… Aaron's signature weapon. You know that too, don't you, Chelsea?"
"Yes, but… it's broken." Chelsea's face was uncertain.
Melina nodded. "It was already broken before we left the Hero World."
"Will a broken sword hinder Aaron?"
"It would still be better than fighting barehanded, even if it's broken. However… right now, Aaron doesn't have the composure to…"
Kwooooom—!
A deafening crash erupted from the front of the fortress. Aaron had been struck by another of Erebos's attacks and plummeted to the ground just outside the walls. The shockwave swept away the demonic beasts charging toward the fortress.
Aaron staggered as he got to his feet. His aura was still intact, but his body was in tatters.
Yet his fighting spirit remained unbroken. As if forcibly shaking off his fear, he set his determination ablaze and glared at Erebos.
Boom—!
Erebos landed right in front of him.
[What makes you struggle so desperately, cowardly Brave Hero? Are you afraid of the deaths of those pathetic creatures you dare to call your hope?]
"Graaaaaah!"
Aaron let out a Howling, his entire body surging with aura as he charged at Erebos once more.
Erebos's eyes gleamed as he swung his arm.
Kwooooom—!
Aaron was sent flying again, but still he refused to yield. Tearing through the ground, he lunged forward once more, claws bared, and ripped into Erebos's arm.
With Hyper Perception no longer showing him the future, Aaron's fighting style had become reckless—a terrifying melee battle between the Brave Hero and the Primeval Evil, something unheard of in all of history.
The sheer impact of their clash was beyond comprehension. Had it not been Aaron, no one could have stood alone against the embodiment of destruction.
Just a little longer. If I can hold out just a little longer, Kyle's spell will be ready!
Aaron's role was to hold Erebos back and whittle away his strength. No matter how unquenchable the flames of disaster were, even they would weaken if cut down endlessly. Immortal though he was, Erebos was not invulnerable.
I need to weaken him enough so Innocence can completely erase him!
His body was covered in burns, the pain unbearable, as if his very flesh were screaming.
Endure it!
Aaron's eyes widened.
Kyle has suffered far worse than this!
"Graaaaaaaah!" Aaron roared as he tore into Erebos's throat.
Meanwhile, the demonic beasts Erebos had spawned swarmed toward the fortress.
Chelsea, watching Aaron's desperate struggle, clenched her fists.
Isn't there anything I can do to help him?
She recalled the Aaron who had been so kind and gentle—the man who had smiled sincerely at the thought of a future where children could laugh freely.
Now, that same Aaron was fighting for his life. She couldn't stand idly by.
Chelsea stomped her foot in frustration before looking down at the sword in her hands.
"I'll take Brave to Aaron!"
Melina's eyes widened. "That's too reckless!"
"But I'm the best suited for this!" Chelsea said firmly. "I'm small and fast. I can dodge the monsters and get through! This is what wind mages specialize in!"
"Then we should send someone like Ulta…"
"You and Senior Ulta need to hold the line against the monsters!"
Melina and Ulta were crucial to the fortress's defense. If they left their positions, the fortress could fall in an instant.
"…I must be unworthy of the title Dragon Queen, sending someone so young into the most dangerous place."
"If it gets too dangerous, I'll run right back!"
"Hey, Chelsea… are you sure about this?" Carl asked worriedly.
Chelsea raised a finger and grinned. "Of course!"
With those words, she strapped Brave to her back and leapt from the fortress wall.
"Heatstorm!"
Chelsea activated her unique magic—a spell that allowed her to freely manipulate the wind around her. It granted her unparalleled speed and evasiveness.
Fwoosh—!
She streaked across the battlefield at incredible speed, heading straight for Aaron and Erebos's fierce battle.
The demonic beasts spotted her and lunged, bloodlust in their eyes. But Chelsea weaved through them effortlessly, avoiding their attacks with perfect precision.
Training with Leo helped a lot! And Aaron's Hyper Perception too!
Though she couldn't use Hyper Perception properly yet, her training had sharpened her senses to an extreme degree.
Several beasts continued to target her persistently. But from the fortress, spells rained down, covering her—snipers like Raynia and Juen had her back.
Finally, Chelsea neared the battlefield.
Kwooom—!
Something crashed down in front of her.
"Aaron!"
Aaron had reached his limit. His Beast Transformation had even worn off. Groaning, he tried to push himself up.
Chelsea hurried to support him.
Just then…
[Pathetic creature.]
A voice, filled with contempt, echoed in her ears.
Chelsea's body went rigid.
[Abandon that cowardly Brave Hero and leave. If you do, I will spare your insignificant life.]
Mockery and derision dripped from the voice, laced with a malice so deep it sent shivers through her entire being. Every instinct in her screamed—run.
This was an enemy beyond anything she could handle.
Her skin crawled, her body trembled. Tears welled up in her eyes. She wanted to run.
But she didn't let go of Aaron.
"Chelsea… step back." Aaron staggered, forcing strength into his legs. "Just a little longer. I just have to hold out a little longer. Get to safety."
"You're at your limit! You need to leave with me, now!"
Despite her fear, Chelsea tried to pull Aaron away from the battlefield.
[Hah. This little human girl is far braver than you, Brave Hero. How admirable.]
Erebos had no reason to care whether Chelsea lived or died. Her life held no meaning to him. He had merely wanted to watch Aaron's so-called hope cower and flee, to laugh at the sight of his despair.
However, she hadn't run. That alone was enough to irritate him.
[Curse your foolish bravado and die, human girl.]
Kwoooosh—!
At Erebos's words, flames erupted around them.
Aaron instinctively tried to summon his aura…but his body flickered.
That could mean only one thing.
My time has run out!
At the worst possible moment, Leo's divine power had been completely depleted.
Gritting his teeth, Aaron grabbed Chelsea and pulled her into his arms, forcing the last remnants of his aura to the surface.
At the very least, let me save Chelsea!
Fwoooosh—!
The black flames swallowed them whole.
Fwoooosh—!
"Ah…"
Everyone was stunned.
The Brave Hero, who had been holding back Erebos, was gone.
The word defeat naturally surfaced in their minds. Terror spread across their faces.
Fwoooosh—!
A crimson-black sky. A world burning under the black flames.
One thought echoed through the hero candidates' minds.
The return of calamity.
Tack—!
At that moment, as everyone was drowning in despair, Leo descended from the sky, landing in the heart of the scorched battlefield. He looked up at Erebos.
[It is over,] Erebos mocked. [The Brave Hero is gone. You cannot stop me with your power.]
His voice was laced with ecstasy. Erebos had no doubt that despair would soon spread across Leo's face.
[The Age of Calamity shall descend once more!]
With his declaration, the black flames roared even higher.
Fwoosh! Crackle—crackle—!
Yet despite everything, Leo's expression barely changed. He simply continued gathering strength to unleash Innocence.
No matter how much he pushed his limits, the magic he was preparing would not be enough to defeat Erebos. Even if pure mana was the natural counter to primeval evil, the sheer difference in power rendered it meaningless.
And yet…
[What is that expression?]
Erebos's face twisted in rage at Leo's unsettling calm.
[How can you still show such unwavering faith?! That coward is gone! That coward has vanished from this world…]
"Shut the hell up, you bastard! Who are you calling a coward?!"
Erebos's words were cut off by a furious shout.
Aru had sprinted forward and now stood beside Leo, glaring at Erebos. "Aaron is not a coward! He's the strongest, bravest person in the world!"
[Ignorance is terrifying,] Erebos muttered as if in disbelief. [He died 5000 years ago. Even the gods' feeble miracles have run their course. He has vanished from this world. And yet you dare defy me, drawing courage from a coward long gone? How utterly foolish…]
"Nyaaaaaah! Don't you dare call Aaron a coward, you mangled lump of filth!" Aru once again interrupted Erebos with a hysterical scream.
"I know Aaron gets scared! But he's not a coward! Even when he's afraid, he pushes through! The Brave Hero Aaron saved the world! That's why he's a Great Hero! How does it make any sense to call him a coward? Did your brain rot during your 5000-year nap?!"
Aru jabbed a finger at Erebos, veins bulging in her throat as she shouted. And her opponent was none other than the very embodiment of calamity—the being that even the gods had feared. The Primeval Evil, Erebos.
Her defiance left even Erebos momentarily speechless.
Erebos could clearly see the terror in Aru's eyes. A mere beastman should not even be able to speak in his presence. She did not belong on this battlefield.
A weak existence, unworthy of standing before him. A lesser being who should be cowering, unable to meet his gaze.
And yet…
"Aaron will rise again! He'll get up and beat the crap out of you!"
Even while trembling in fear, she screamed her defiance. She believed, without a shred of doubt, that Aaron—who no longer existed—would return.
[Unless he steps into the realm of gods, that is impossible.]
"Aaron is a god!"
She was beyond reason.
[A fool who will never exist again.]
"Who are you calling a fool, you idiot?!"
"…Kuh… Pfft… Hahahaha!" Leo, who had been silently observing, suddenly burst into laughter.
Even Luna, as reckless as she had been, had never managed to do what Aru just did. It was almost admirable.
"But she's right," Leo smirked. "Aaron will come back."
Fwoooosh—!
[Have you lost your mind?]
"No. I'm perfectly sane."
Even though Aaron had fallen, Leo's conviction did not waver in the slightest.
"That guy would never give up."
"Grrrrr…" Aru let out a low growl before tilting her head back and unleashing a Howling toward the sky. "Nyaaaaaaaah!"
Golden aura erupted from her body.
The moment Erebos's eyes twitched at the Howling…
Flash—!
Golden light burst through the black flames that had swallowed Aaron and Chelsea.
Erebos's face contorted in shock.
[Impossible!]
Aru's face lit up with a radiant smile.
Leo sighed in exasperation as he watched.
Who are you calling a burden, you idiot?
Leo looked down at his own hands. As if responding to Aaron's aura, Dweno's flames burst to life.
Clenching his fist, Leo whispered to himself, "I didn't keep going because I was carrying a burden, idiot."
He had endured because of Luna's voice, which had given him reassurance. Because of Dweno's unwavering steel, which had given him trust. Because of Lysinas's blinding radiance, which had lit his path.
And because of Aaron, the most reliable of them all.
Leo watched as Aaron emerged from the black flames, holding Chelsea in his arms.
You might think you gave up, but at the final moment, you always rise again.
He had comforted everyone, telling them the world would be saved. He had given them courage.
We're going to win.
He had never once doubted that his friends would be victorious.
You always deny it, but… the herald of every miracle has always been you, Aaron.