LHAHS Chapter 492
Slash—slash—slash—!
Leo impatiently gripped Elzenie's head, relentlessly slicing her throat.
As she screamed in agony, her eyes suddenly met Leo's.
An expressionless, cold face devoid of emotion. And those dull, red eyes.
Elzenie felt chills run down her spine.
"Kiiiiiiik! Guhh!"
Her screams abruptly cut off.
What silenced her was none other than Leo's blade, the very one carving through her throat.
"You're too noisy. Stop yapping."
"Guhk! Urgh! Urgh!"
Thrust—!
Irritated, Leo pressed the sword deeper into Elzenie's mouth. The blade pierced through, tearing past the back of her throat and digging further into her flesh.
She gagged, blood gushing from her mouth as her crimson eyes flickered dangerously.
Flash—! KABOOM—!
A red light exploded from the blood Elzenie had unleashed, triggering a massive detonation. The ground shook with the sheer force of the explosion.
Amidst the surging crimson flames and billowing smoke, Elzenie burst out, clutching her throat.
"Hahaha! You fool! Do you even know who I am?!" She let out a derisive laugh, watching the blood-red flames burn. "I am the Blood Queen! My very blood is a formidable weapon! Even heroes fear its power! Serves you right! Ahahaha!"
She gasped for breath, eyes bloodshot, ridiculing Leo relentlessly. But the excessive chatter—it was a desperate struggle to free herself from fear.
As a demon, she had lived as a being of terror.
From birth, Elzenie had been an exceptionally powerful demon, strong enough to rise to the rank of legion commander. She had fought in countless battles, clashing with many heroes along the way.
She had almost never found herself in the position of prey.
Of course, she had encountered opponents stronger than herself, adversaries she couldn't handle. But she could say with absolute certainty—never before had she met someone who could kill her as easily as crushing an insect.
Leo's aura was not that of a mere overpowering warrior or a hunter.
He's like a butcher.
Fwoosh—!
"…!"
While she was still trapped in the terror Leo had imprinted on her, the crimson flames flickered, then gathered in one place.
Fwoosh—!
Despite being engulfed in the violent explosion and flames, Leo didn't bear a single burn.
Fwoosh—!
Leo gazed down at the burning bloodflame in his palm and then lifted his head. "The more I look at you, the more annoying you get."
"What did you say?"
"Are you from the Queen of Monsters' legion?"
"H-how do you know that?!" Elzenie flinched.
The legion commanders of Tartaros were leaders among demons. Many of them even created their own subordinates.
The characteristics of those demons were influenced by the nature of their commander.
The killing intent in Leo's eyes grew even colder. This was the place where Luna had once perished.
He would never allow a demon to set foot here. Especially not a demon connected to the Queen of Monsters, one of Luna's bitterest foes 5000 years ago.
Fwoosh—!
The bloodflame burning in Leo's hand suddenly flared up in a deep crimson hue.
"Purging Flame."
Leo completed the incantation.
A Stellar Magic spell—Purging Flame. Among the fire-based spells in Stellar Magic, it stood at the very pinnacle.
While the Flame Emperor spell Lunia had learned was theoretically superior, Flame Emperor had never been completed in Luna's lifetime.
Thus, in terms of finished spells, Purging Flame was the strongest fire magic in Stellar Magic.
And in truth, Flame Emperor was a spell Luna researched to kill Erebos, not to reach the pinnacle of fire magic.
Leo looked at the Purging Flame blazing in his hand. Though it didn't reach the level of Flame Emperor, for demons—except for divine beings like Erebos—it was a force of pure devastation.
It's the nemesis of flame-wielding demons.
Purging Flame was fire of purification. For demons who wielded flames, it was an absolute threat.
Fwoosh—!
Purging Flame enchanted Leo's blade.
"Sir… Leo?" Chen Xia hesitantly called out to him.
This wasn't the Leo she knew.
"Are you angry?" Her voice carried concern as she asked.
Leo turned to look at her, a small, bitter smile forming on his lips. "Do you two want to wait here?"
Then he turned back to his blade.
"I'd rather not show you this side of me."
At that moment, Elzenie, unable to bear watching any longer, fled. Her instincts screamed at her that the boy before her was a monster.
As Leo moved to pursue her, a gate opened, unleashing a horde of monsters.
Leo frowned at the sight.
Eiran unsheathed her sword. "Go ahead, Sir Leo."
"Are you sure?"
"You cannot forgive this, can you? A demon setting foot in the place where Lady Luna rests." Eiran's eyes sharpened, far different from her usual self. "I can't forgive it either. I'll cut down those abominable creatures."
Chen Xia smiled softly and raised a hand. "I don't know all the details, but… ever since I decided to follow you, Sir Leo, I've never once thought about holding you back. If Eiran and I work together, we can handle these monsters. Don't worry and go deal with that legion commander."
"You'll be alright?"
"Compared to you, we're still lacking. But please, don't treat us as people who always need protection. Remember what you told Duran in combat class? That you'd be waiting at the top." Chen Xia grinned. "I want to stand on the same battlefield as you, Sir Leo. I'll do my best to catch up. So trust us."
"Me too, Sir Leo!"
The determination in their voices made Leo pause and look at them.
Then, he let out a chuckle.
They sure grow fast, these kids.
Watching the two girls grow stronger before his eyes, Leo took a step forward.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you."
Leo stepped into his aura stance and shot forward at incredible speed, chasing after Elzenie.
"Let's go, Xia!"
Eiran, armed with a shield crafted by Erquint and Dweno, enthusiastically charged forward—only to stop short.
"Xia?"
She turned to see Chen Xia frowning slightly, looking dissatisfied.
"If he knows we're growing up so fast, he could at least start seeing us as women."
Leo dashed through the forest at an incredible speed, chasing after Elzenie. It hadn't taken him long to deal with the legion she had summoned, but even that brief amount of time was more than enough for a powerful demon of a legion commander's caliber to escape.
For a normal opponent, that is.
Leo narrowed his eyes. His awakened Hyper Perception rapidly scanned the surroundings.
During the height of the Age of Calamity, the Great Heroes had slaughtered countless demons. Before long, they had become figures of terror among demonkind.
Among them, the one who struck the greatest fear into demons was none other than the Surviving Hero, Kyle.
The reason was simple.
Because I was the most brutal when killing demons.
He had dealt with traitors, showing ruthless efficiency in his executions. As the world's sworn enemies, the very beings responsible for its near destruction, there was no reason to spare them.
And thanks to his long years as a mercenary, Leo knew this well: Nothing makes a battle easier than instilling terror.
Demons and monsters were living beings too. They felt fear just like any other creature. Any demon who had fought and survived against Leo carried unimaginable fear toward him.
Tap—!
Leo adjusted his grip on his sword. Then, in a motion as if throwing a spear, he hurled it forward.
Thud—!
"Guhk!"
The sword flew at tremendous speed, piercing straight into Elzenie's back.
"H-How…?!"
"You should give up on running."
Grab—!
Leo took hold of his sword again. "In all my battles, the only demon who ever managed to escape after I decided to kill them was Sillatna."
"You…! What nonsense…"
Slash—!
"Kyaaaaaaah!"
Leo swung his sword upward, violently tearing through Elzenie's body.
Splat—! Crack! Slice—!
His strikes shredded through her at incredible speed.
"S-Stop… enough already, you lowly creature!"
Elzenie, writhing in unbearable agony, released a spray of blood like scattered bullets.
Boom—! BOOM—!
The droplets of blood erupted into powerful explosions wherever they landed, but still Leo remained completely unharmed.
Crunch—!
"Gah!"
Instead, his foot slammed down, crushing Elzenie's head.
Crack—! Crack—!
Her caved-in skull rapidly regenerated. Leo kicked her away.
Elzenie tumbled across the ground in a battered mess before barely managing to push herself up.
"How…?"
"I haven't just killed a handful of demons, you know." Leo sneered coldly. "I've fought more abominations than I can count. And you know what? The ones with overwhelming innate power always rely on it too much."
His sword gleamed ominously.
"Kyaaaaaah!"
Slash—! Rip—! Stab—!
Leo mercilessly tore through Elzenie's body.
Even as she barely regenerated, trembling uncontrollably, she gasped in fury. "You… why?! Why are you doing this to me?!"
As she trembled in rage, Leo said indifferently, "Do you demons have a reason for trying to destroy the world?"
Elzenie was left speechless.
"It's the same thing. There's no reason for me to kill you so brutally." Leo smirked, his voice icy.
"Who… what are you?!"
"Leo Plov. Didn't the Lich King warn you about me?"
"L-Leo Plov?!"
Elzenie's face turned deathly pale. She had heard that name before. The Lich King had specifically warned them that if they ever encountered him, they should avoid confrontation, because survival would be unlikely.
Back then, she and the other legion commanders hadn't understood. Why would they need to fear a mere human, and a young boy at that?
But now, standing before him, she understood the meaning behind the Lich King's words.
"And for a legion commander, you're weak. That must be a real headache for him."
Leo immediately saw through her.
Among the legion commanders, she was one of the weakest. Even the resurrected King of Curses, Kigoroth, had been stronger than this.
Back then, Kigoroth hadn't been at full power, yet he had still been formidable enough to deserve the title of legion commander.
"Did you take over Sillatna's position after she disappeared? No wonder you're pathetic." Leo scoffed.
Elzenie's shoulders trembled violently. "How dare… a mere human mock me?!"
"A weakling who doesn't even deserve the title of legion commander has no right to complain."
Leo raised his free hand. A surge of overwhelming mana erupted as he summoned Cometes.
Fwoooosh—!
An intense aura of Stellar Magic surged around him.
"Just give up." Leo smirked. "You'll be more comfortable that way."
The Purging Flame burned more fiercely than ever before.
Fwoooosh—!
Elzenie's face paled even further.
Hum—!
"…?"
Suddenly, Cometes trembled.
Flash—!
What is this?
Lysinas's spiritual energy flooded into Leo's hand, and Cometes reacted to it.
Hum—! Hum—!
Cometes is resonating with Luna's mana?
Leo was momentarily stunned by the uncontrollable surge of power.
Crackle—!
Then, Cometes shattered into particles of light.
"What?"
Leo instinctively reached out for it. But the scattered light was beyond his grasp. Seeing this, his expression stiffened in shock.
The recall function of Cometes…?
When Luna had been alive, she had an immense attachment to the staffs she used. Like a knight treasuring their weapons, Luna had collected powerful magical staffs as a hobby. Because of this, she had also enchanted them with a recall spell—a function that only their rightful owner could activate.
Neither Leo nor even Seiren would have been able to use that spell.
Which means there's only one person who could have used it.
Leo's expression darkened in realization.
Fwoooosh—!
"W-What is this?"
Elzenie's body began to burn. Her face, which had been filled with confusion, suddenly twisted into ecstasy.
"Ah… power…! Power!"
The crimson flames turned black. Elzenie trembled at the overwhelming omnipotence she had never felt before.
"Ahh! I hear it! I hear it!"
Gripping her head, her eyes rolled back as she screamed in a trembling voice.
"The voice of God… the great God calls to me! He desires it!"
Elzenie, having lost all reason, rolled her eyes wildly and charged at Leo.
"The Surviving Hero, Kyle! Your death is demanded!"
At the sudden shift in atmosphere, Leo narrowed his eyes and raised his sword.
Slash—!
Elzenie's head flew through the air.
Leo had seen something similar before.
Erebos's remnant will.
It was reminiscent of the will of Erebos he had encountered at the place where it had died.
The fact that Elzenie had suddenly switched from calling him Leo Plov to Kyle was likely its influence.
Quickly grasping the situation, Leo adjusted his grip on his sword and prepared to cleave down upon Elzenie's torso.
Fwoosh—!
But her body was consumed by black flames and disappeared.
Thud—!
His sword struck the empty ground.
Leo gritted his teeth.
Did I lose her?
There wasn't even a trace of her presence left. She had completely vanished.
Sheath—click—!
Returning his sword to its scabbard and sending it back into subspace, Leo lowered his gaze to his hand, which had been holding Cometes.
A contract sigil had appeared on the back of his hand.
It wasn't the mark of a spirit contract, nor was it that of a spirit beast.
It was the first such contract sigil Leo had ever obtained.
A contract with a lingering spirit.
He had never formed such a contract, yet from that sigil, he could sense a faint trace of stellar mana.
It sent a tremor through his heart.
Step—step—
The entire forest went silent, and the presence of monsters that had been swarming moments ago completely vanished.
Leo took his eyes off his hand and surveyed the now quiet forest. Then, he began walking in the direction where Cometes had flown.
Step—step—step—
The soft sound of his footsteps crushing fallen leaves and scattered flowers echoed gently.
Rustle—rustle—
Soon, the sound changed.
He was now stepping on fresh, lively grass.
Leo stopped in his tracks.
A spell?
Seeing the illusion magic before him, his eyes widened. He didn't know who had cast it, but even he had difficulty detecting it.
Leo reached out his hand. The space wavered, revealing a new area.
Swoooosh—!
Before him stood two gravestones.
Leo's gaze landed on a familiar one. Five thousand years ago, he and Lysinas had built that gravestone.
And beside it…
My own grave.
The tomb where Velkia and Bihar had buried his remains.
In front of Kyle's gravestone lay a black dagger he recognized.
Bihar's dagger?
It was the dagger Leo had commissioned Dweno to craft as a gift for Bihar.
Hum—!
As Leo stepped forward toward the graves, the contract sigil on the back of his hand reacted.
His eyes turned toward Luna's grave. Floating above it was Cometes, now a cluster of glowing particles.
Within that cluster, he could feel a distinct presence.
Leo felt his heart tremble.
What is going on?
Questions swirled in his mind, but one thing was certain.
With a trembling hand, Leo reached toward Cometes.
As he extended his hand toward the unseen presence, someone took hold of it.
Whoosh—!
Petals scattered in the air, then the glowing particles gathered as they slowly began to take form.
However, it didn't form the shape of a staff. The glowing mass took the shape of a person.
As the light faded, standing there, holding Leo's hand, was a breathtakingly beautiful elf, floating in midair.
Leo inhaled sharply, unable to believe what he was seeing.
The elf—Luna—descended slowly to the ground, landing with a soft thud upon the earth.
Leo stood frozen, still gripping her hand, before cautiously saying, "Lu… na?"
At the sound of his voice, Luna's closed eyes trembled. Then, her golden eyes, shining like stars, opened to the world.
A soft breeze swept through, making her silvery hair flutter. Her gaze, hazy as though she had just woken from a long slumber, soon gained clarity.
Staring blankly at Leo, Luna smiled… and then responded to his call.
"Hey, Kyle!"