LHAHS Chapter 476
Whiooooooo-!
A dry wind swept across the plains.
Blood and flesh were crushed and scattered in all directions, and broken weapons lay strewn about.
In the middle of the gruesome battlefield, an elf woman in a brown robe knelt on the ground, murmuring to herself, "Unforgivable, unforgivable, unforgivable…"
Step-step-
Figures clad in pure white armor and robes approached her.
"We gave you quite the grand farewell," the leading mage remarked, stroking his beard. "You are the Iron-Blooded Mage, Tiaru?"
The elderly mage's voice carried a benevolent tone, but Tiaru did not so much as glance at him.
"Silence is consent, then. But, well… what a curious thing." The old mage chuckled as if amused. "The Iron-Blooded Mage was a hero from a thousand years ago. And yet, here you are, suddenly appearing in the present."
Even at his casual remark, Tiaru clutched her head, never ceasing her murmuring.
"Ah, not that I doubt you are truly the Iron-Blooded Mage."
At the old mage's words, the knight standing beside him nodded.
"This is an era where the Brave Hero Aaron, the Nebula Pioneer Luna, and the Comet Mage Seiren have returned."
Tiaru, who had been muttering in a daze, abruptly froze. "What… did you just say?"
Her blank face lifted as she stared at the knight.
"That's a lie. That's impossible. They… they couldn't… They could never be like me… They could never be as wretched as I am…"
She began to ramble once more, like a broken doll.
Watching her, an summoner clad in pure white priestly robes scoffed. "Of course they're different from you. Their return to this land is the will of the great god." Disgust flickered across his face. "They are clearly distinct from you, who have been resurrected through the vile black mana of Tartaros."
Yet, even at those words, Tiaru could only mutter, "Impossible, impossible…"
Watching her, the mage in the white robe spoke. "I shall now grant you peaceful rest, specter of the past."
Fwoooosh-
A massive burst of flames erupted from his hands.
"May you close your eyes in peace, in honor of the great deeds you once achieved. Though… I suppose there is no stopping your name from being cast into the dirt." The old mage spoke solemnly. "A hero is one chosen to lead the world. A hero who has been swayed by the demonic beasts of the vile Lich King cannot be tolerated."
Even among elves, the Iron-Blooded Mage Tiaru had been treated as an outcast among heroes.
"With this, your name shall be erased from the pages of history."
Kwagagagagagaaang!
With a powerful explosion, flames soared into the sky.
As the towering pillar of fire blazed behind him, the old mage pulled his white robe tightly around himself and murmured, "All in the name of justice."
"That was disappointingly easy." The summoner woman, the White Inferno Keleni, scoffed. "Even if she was once a hero, she was nothing more than a pitiful soul who had fallen into the grasp of the Lich King. There was no way she could be a match for true heroes like us."
"You're right," the Flashing Fang, Nergian, added.
The Purification Staff, Nogun, nodded.
Keleni, Nergian, and Nogun were all heroes recorded in the Hero Record and members of the Justice Guild.
"Hah, defeating the Iron-Blooded Mage should be more than enough to earn a promotion to Queen class."
"But the one who landed the final blow was Sir Nogun, wasn't it?"
"Ugh, whatever! We all took her down together, didn't we?"
"I have no intention of monopolizing the credit. However, I do wonder if simply defeating an undead former hero will truly be enough for a promotion."
"I think this feat alone is more than enough to elevate our guild's prestige, don't you? Hohohoho!" Keleni burst into laughter.
"Tsk," Nergian clicked his tongue.
Just as Nogun was shaking his head at his distracted companions, he suddenly stopped and muttered as he looked ahead. "Leo Plov."
"What?!"
"You said… Leo Plov?"
Keleni and Nergian turned in shock to face forward.
There, standing above the three heroes, was Leo Plov.
"Heh, looks like a cocky brat has come here to die."
"I will not forget the grudges of our fallen guildmates."
"Strange. I don't recall ever killing a Justice Guild member," Leo remarked.
Nogun replied, "It is unthinkable that you would not know we are aiding the Petimen Kingdom, Leo Plov."
The elderly mage hero stepped forward. "Leo Plov. The Guildmaster of Justice, Light Seeker, has expressed great displeasure with your acts of hostility."
"Displeasure, huh?" Leo let out a short laugh.
"But before that, they also expressed great interest in having you join the Justice Guild. If you agree, they will guarantee you the rank of Queen. Furthermore, they will overlook the guild members you have slain."
"Nogun, are you serious?! This is unacceptable! To offer a mere outsider the rank of Queen?!"
"Indeed! It is far too great an honor for one who has done nothing for our guild!"
Keleni and Nergian protested in outrage.
The Justice Guild referred to its guildmaster as King, and those who controlled the guild alongside him were given the title of Queen. The other heroes were granted knightly titles—Knights for warriors, Rooks for mages, and Bishops for summoners. Ordinary guild members were called Pawns.
The Queen ranks was also the pool from which future Kings were chosen. As such, it was a position that could only be attained after joining the guild and proving one's worth.
To offer such a rank to a mere upstart who stood against the guild?
"This is not only the will of the guildmaster. It is the will of all the executives. And Leo Plov is more than qualified," Nogun stated.
Leo chuckled, "Is this 'Queen' title really that valuable?"
"It is. Depending on one's rank, they will receive territory in the nation that our guild will one day establish."
"A nation?"
"Indeed. Our Justice Guild is planning to create a new and ideal country ruled by heroes."
"Hero nations have existed since long ago. What's so new about that?"
"This one will be different. It will be a nation where heroes are the law itself."
"……"
"Heroes are akin to divine agents. Only the exceptional can become heroes. It is only natural that they should rule the world." Nogun spoke with a benevolent tone. "It is our right and duty to guide the ignorant masses toward the light."
"Do you feel no guilt, waging wars that never needed to happen just to forcefully accumulate karma and become heroes?"
"None. Their sacrifices will serve as the foundation for a just world."
Leo closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "The heroes I envision are nothing like you."
"Then what do you believe a hero should be?"
"Someone who can lay down everything for the sake of others."
"That is the naive delusion of a child who knows nothing of the world."
"Call it what you want, but one thing is certain—you are no heroes," Leo declared icily. "You're nothing more than self-important fools who think you're special."
"We have no need for your opinions. The Hero Record and the gods themselves have acknowledged us as heroes."
"Then those gods must be absolute idiots."
Leo understood the nature of the gods. Some were righteous and sought order, while others pursued chaos. There were even hedonists who sought nothing but pleasure.
If those shitty gods were watching the mortal realm, this whole farce, where those fools prance around calling themselves heroes, would be just another form of entertainment for them.
Nogun responded coldly. "Do not blaspheme divinity. If you refuse our offer, your only fate is destruction. You may very well die here at our hands."
Leo crossed his arms. "Before you come at me, maybe you should worry about what's behind you first."
"What…?"
Kwagagagagagagagagaaang!
The towering pillar of fire disappeared, and a dark red magic circle rose into the air.
The overwhelming mana made the heroes of the Justice Guild freeze in shock.
"T-This is impossible!"
"A mere specter of the past couldn't possibly possess such immense mana!"
Keleni and Nergian wore expressions of horror.
Leo furrowed his brows as he observed the magic.
That's… Stellar Magic?
Even he felt a chill from the sheer distortion of the spell.
The magic left behind by the Iron-Blooded Mage had been recorded as hero magic and passed down in Lumene. However, its immense power was matched by its extreme complexity, making it one of the most avoided spells.
The only one who could wield the Iron-Blooded Mage's magic is Elena.
Leo recalled Elena Zeron, a fourth-year magic student at Lumene, known for her twisted personality.
Now I understand why the elves considered her a heretic.
Tiaru's magic was overflowing with hatred.
With that level of hatred, she must have been the perfect undead material for the Lich King.
Just as Leo's expression darkened…
"Sir Nergian! Keleni! Form up!" Nogun gripped his staff tightly. "We must purge this specter!"
At his words, Nergian activated his aura, and Keleni summoned an elemental.
"We shall show this wretched ghost that dares to tarnish the name of heroes what the power of a true hero is!"
The cataclysmic battle between heroes came to an end.
At the heart of the scorched battlefield, Nogun, his lower body completely gone, was desperately crawling away.
"Damn it… How dare… how dare… a filthy undead…!"
Tiaru approached to finish him off.
Step—
Leo walked past Nogun.
"L-Leo Plov. P-Please… help me…!"
Leo looked down at him with cold eyes.
"W-We are heroes recorded in the Hero Record… Shouldn't we stand together against the vile undead of Tartaros?"
Ignoring Nogun, Leo walked toward Tiaru.
"You damn heartless brat! Spare me…! Spare me! I'm not someone who should die so meaninglessly in a place like this—Kugh!"
Nogun, who had been begging for his life in a fit of rage, vomited blood and collapsed.
The three heroes of the Justice Guild had fallen in an instant. The difference in power between them and the Iron-Blooded Mage was overwhelming.
Well, that's the limit of fabricated heroes.
Unlike them, who had merely accumulated karma to gain their titles, the mage before him was a true hero. Even though she had been revived as an undead by the Lich King's schemes and burned with endless hatred for the world, the effort and achievements she had built as a hero remained unchanged.
Leo looked at Tiaru's face. Her eyes were unfocused. All that remained was pure hatred toward the world.
Undead resurrected through necromancy inevitably loathed all living things. Leo knew this well, having faced countless undead before.
But this one is fundamentally different.
A mage could understand a person through their magic, and he could see that the Iron-Blooded Mage's magic itself was distorted by hatred.
As far as Leo knew, every elf revered Luna. They cherished the Stellar Magic she had left behind. Magic was the manifestation of a mage's heart. To carelessly defile the great legacy left behind by Luna was to insult her memory.
This one must have been no different.
Koooooo—!
"Aizen un Blut."
A spell spilled from Tiaru's lips. A brutal magic that shredded its target with iron and blood.
Tiaru had no reason left. Only hatred remained, and the pure desire to tear everything apart.
Leo sighed. I can't let this continue.
An undead consumed by hatred was a walking calamity. She would never stop slaughtering everything in her path until she herself was destroyed.
I have to take her down.
As Leo gathered mana, a sudden surge of jet-black mana erupted from his hand.
Fwoosh!
"What?" Leo's face stiffened as he stared at the mana escaping his control.
A rampage?
The thought crossed his mind for a moment, but the mana wasn't rampaging.
Leo hastily dodged Tiaru's magic and landed on the ground. Then, he looked down at his right hand, where the black mana still flowed.
Lysinas's mana?
As Leo reeled in confusion at the sudden manifestation of Lysinas's mana, the black mana radiated a brilliant light.
Fwoosh!
"Ugh?" Leo shut his eyes.
"May you… find peace in your next life."
At the center of the battlefield, Lysinas knelt, her hands clasped in prayer. A gentle, pure white spiritual energy flowed around her. She had just finished purging thousands of Death Knights controlled by the Lich King and was now offering a requiem for their lost souls as a spirit summoner.
Fwoosh!
The light faded. Before Leo knew it, the black mana had turned into pure white spiritual energy.
He stared blankly at the mana. "You want me… to save her?"
Wuuung—!
As if answering his question, Lysinas's spiritual energy resonated.