Chapter 454

Amidst the sinking depths of unconsciousness, a faint voice called out.

"Aaron?"

That foolishly unwavering faith in her voice pulled his fading awareness back, little by little.

Along with it, old memories surfaced.

The Age of Calamity was a time when orphans were abundant, so he was just one out of many.

He had never known the happiness of an ordinary family. It was an era where misfortune was the norm. Peace had vanished even before he was born, leaving only despair to fill the world.

In that catastrophe, the weakest were the orphans—those with nowhere to go, no one to rely on. Each day was nothing more than a struggle to survive. A childhood where everyone he saw was suffering.

Among them, he had been one of the most unfortunate.

"What's wrong with him now?"

"I don't know. He says the sky scares him."

"What the hell? What's there to be scared of? What a coward."

The other orphans in the alley always looked at him with disdain.

Of course they did. He was always terrified.

The gray sky frightened him. So much so that he never dared to lift his head.

"They say the sky used to be blue."

"What's 'blue'?"

"Some kind of light shade of green, apparently."

"That sounds weird!"

The orphans shared the food they had scavenged during the day.

"Hey, wolf brat, have some of this too."

Back then, they called him "wolf brat."

He had no name. There had been no parents to give him one. They simply called each other whatever was convenient.

Fortunately, even as a child, he had been blessed with some kindness. Among the orphans in his group was a human girl who took care of the younger ones. Though only a little, she always made sure to share food with him, who was constantly trembling in fear.

Then, one day, a wolf beastman arrived in the orphan alley.

"Did you hear? It's the Guardian of the Azure Sky, Agon!"

"I've heard of him! He's really amazing, right?"

"But why would someone that great come here?"

"He said he's going to take care of us! They said we won't have to beg for food anymore!"

"For real?!"

The Guardian of the Azure Sky, Agon.

To the orphans, he was nothing short of a savior. Though they never ate to their heart's content, they no longer had to starve after failing to beg for scraps.

The children cheered, believing they had finally found true happiness.

From that moment, the orphan alley underwent a great change.

But it was also around that time… that his fear grew even worse.

From the day Agon arrived, he had done nothing but run away.

Scary! He's too scary!

The wolf brat was terrified of Agon. To his eyes, Agon was too immense.

He had once seen warriors departing the city on an expedition to protect it. Even they had frightened him, but Agon was on a completely different level.

And since Agon was always in the orphan alley, the wolf brat ended up skipping meals even more often.

Then, one day, the day came when his stomach was so empty that even the sound of hunger no longer came.

And in front of the slumped wolf brat, Agon appeared.

"You don't even have the strength to run anymore?"

"Hiik—!"

The wolf brat cowered and tried to crawl away, but he had no strength left.

Agon wordlessly set down a bowl of soup and a piece of bread in front of him, then sat a short distance away, watching the child.

Starving, the wolf brat greedily devoured the food.

Cough—! Cough—!

He ate too quickly and choked. But Agon merely closed his eyes and waited for the child to finish his meal.

After a while, the wolf brat slowly approached him.

So, the food has eased his wariness.

That's what Agon assumed as he opened his eyes—only to be met with an unexpected sight.

"Th-th-th-thank you."

The wolf brat was still terrified.

What was it about him that frightened such a small child so much?

He felt curious, but at the same time, he was impressed by the boy's courage—despite his overwhelming fear, he had still mustered the strength to show gratitude.

"The other kids call you a coward. But I think you're rather brave."

"M-Me?" The boy's face was filled with confusion as he trembled.

"Yes, little one. What is it about me that scares you so much?"

"A-Agon, sir… You're too big. The other kids don't seem to see it, but… You have an enormous power."

Agon's expression changed.

He saw through my power—and that's why he was afraid?

Agon had believed he was keeping his power perfectly restrained.

Shaken, he focused even further, suppressing every last trace of his aura.

The wolf brat's eyes widened. His face, which had been pale with fear, slowly regained its color.

And as soon as the fear vanished, the boy's expression brightened.

From that day on, Agon and Aaron spoke often.

"The sky scares you, huh… I see. You were born with an incredible power."

"I was?" The wolf brat blinked in surprise.

"Yes. You're always afraid because your instincts sense things that others cannot. An uncontrollable power can be more of a curse than a blessing. It must have been difficult."

At those words, the wolf brat's eyes welled with tears. "Then… I hate this power! It means I'll always be scared!"

The wolf brat resented the power he had been born with.

"No. There must be a reason you were given such an extraordinary ability."

"That's too complicated."

"You'll understand when you're older. So don't fear your power. Accept it. Make it your own. If you do, you might just become someone who saves the world one day."

Seeing the limitless potential within the child, Agon smiled warmly.

"What does it mean to save the world? Hmm… How should I explain it in a way that's easy to understand?" Agon pondered for a moment before nodding. "Saving the world means bringing back the clear sky."

"What's a clear sky?"

"A sky filled with colors like these."

Fwoooosh—!

Amidst the fading darkness, a sky-blue aura flowed from Agon's hands.

"A long time ago, the entire sky was this color."

"Wow… It's beautiful…."

The wolf brat's eyes were captivated by a color he had never seen before. He was deeply moved by it. Then, with an excited voice, he asked, "What do I have to do to save the world?!"

"It's an incredibly difficult task."

"I don't care if it's hard! I want to see a clear sky!"

"Is that so? Then first, you need to become strong."

"Strong?"

"Don't worry about that part. I'll train you. But before that, you should have a name."

Agon thought for a moment, then smiled. "Aaron sounds good."

"Aaron?"

"Yes. In the ancient beastman language, 'Aar' means courage, and 'On' means person. Together, it means 'a courageous person.'"

"A courageous person…? That doesn't really sound like me."

"No, it suits you well. Aaron, you saw the sky-blue color today. You understood that saving the world would be difficult, and yet, you still want to do it, don't you?"

"Yes."

"That's what courage is." Agon gently ruffled Aaron's white hair. "So whenever you're afraid or feel anxious, remember the sky-blue color you saw today. It will surely give you strength."

"Nyaaaaaah—!"

A sudden Howling snapped Aaron's consciousness awake.

Aru.

Aru's Howling was giving him courage. And in response, strength surged through his entire body.

Fwoooosh—!

Fueled by Aru's Howling, Aaron transformed. His fading body returned to its original state. As he opened his eyes, sky-blue hair came into view, and in Chelsea's hands, he saw a broken sword.

Brave.

The broken symbol of the Brave Hero. She had risked everything to bring it to him.

Aaron grasped the sword, looking at Chelsea's hair.

Fwoooosh—!

Dweno's flame?

A sudden burst of golden flames ignited, forming a blade over Brave. Seeing the sword restored to its perfect state, Aaron smiled.

Aru's Howling rekindled the fire of courage within him. The sky-blue hair before him showed him the way. The sword crafted by Dweno pushed him forward.

Aaron's golden eyes flashed.

Fwoooosh—!

Brave sliced through the flames of disaster.

Tap—

Aaron stepped into the world once more, his expression gentle as he spoke to the Chelsea in his arms. "Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, Chelsea. Because of you, I found my courage again."

"But… I didn't do anything…."

"The color of the sky gives me courage." Smiling warmly, Aaron carefully set Chelsea down.

Seeing his composure, Erebos's face twisted.

[How did you return? Was it a miracle born from sheer stubbornness to uphold the pathetic title of the Brave Hero?]

There was a hint of anger in his voice.

Aaron replied, "I don't care about the name of Brave Hero. I came back because I stepped into the realm of the divine, perhaps?"

[What nonsense…]

"What nonsense…"

The moment Aaron spoke the exact same words as him, Erebos's eyes twitched.

[You… don't tell me you can see…]

"Yes. Clearly."

[You bastard…]

"So now I know. The future can be changed, no matter what."

It was only for a brief moment. But for the first time, he saw beyond fragmented glimpses—he saw a clear future.

For just a fleeting second, he had succeeded in stepping into the realm of the divine. And in doing so, he had obtained a sliver of divine power.

"It's just a tiny fragment… but it's more than enough to put an end to you."

Flash—!

Aaron's sword swung at an imperceptible speed.

Squelch—!

Erebos's body was split in two from the head down.

[You! A mere remnant of a long-dead past!]

Aaron chuckled. "We're in the same boat, so let's not cling to this world too much."

[Grwaaaaargh!] Erebos let out a roar of rage.

Aaron swung his sword once more. A golden flash split Erebos into thousands—no, tens of thousands—of pieces.

Splat—!

"Incredible…!" Chelsea gasped in awe.

Flash—!

Leo's staff shone, and pure white light enveloped Aaron's sword. Realizing Leo had cast magic on his blade, Aaron's eyes widened.

Leo met his gaze and made a slicing gesture across his neck.

Understanding his intent, Aaron gripped his sword tightly with both hands and raised it. But just before swinging, as if he had just remembered something, he turned back and called out, "Chelsea."

"Yes!"

"Want to know a secret?"

"A secret?"

"Yeah. The truth is, Leo…" Aaron whispered softly. "…is the Hero of the Beginning."

Chelsea's eyes widened.

"Kyle has carried far too many burdens. He'll never share that weight with anyone. So please, as his little sister—be Leo's strength. Create a place where he can truly smile."

"Find what you want to do."

Before the final battle, Kyle had spoken those words—not as a friend, but as an older brother.

I thought I wanted to become the true Brave Hero in this world… but that's not it.

He had never cared about that in the first place.

What I really want is just one thing—to see my family live in a peaceful world, surrounded by good people, smiling. That's my wish.

If Leo had heard that, he would have been furious. He would have scolded him, saying it was just another selfless wish.

But Aaron liked it. Just thinking about it made him happy. So he decided to keep this wish locked in his heart.

Step, step…

Aaron, holding a sword infused with pure white power, walked toward the reawakening flames of Erebos.

"This is the end." Gripping his sword tightly, Aaron's expression turned fierce. "Disappear, primordial evil."

Flash—!

Kwooooooooo—!

Erebos's fragmented body let out an agonized scream as it was consumed by the golden aura and pure white light.

Kraaaaaaah—! Fwoooosh—!

Wrapped in divine radiance, Erebos vanished without a trace. The blackened sky faded. The monstrous creatures, once filled with bloodlust, were engulfed in black flames and crumbled to nothing.

Erebos was gone. The only evidence of his existence was the battlefield, scarred from the fierce battle.

As silence settled over everyone, the first light of dawn began to rise.

Watching it, Aaron shouted, "We won!"

"Yaaaaaaaahhh!"