LHAHS Chapter 524
Thud-! Thud-! Kwagagagagagagang-!
Leo and Azonia clasped hands, engaged in a contest of strength.
The aftermath instantly devastated the surrounding area.
Leo clicked his tongue as he looked at Azonia, who was smiling at him. "Are you enjoying this situation?"
There was no response to his question. The Azonia before him was a fake, recreated by the Hero Record.
It had no will of its own and was merely a puppet programmed to fight, yet, it clearly displayed the disposition and personality that Damien and Azonia had possessed.
Unlike Damien, who had exuded a solemn atmosphere, Azonia wore a warlike smile throughout her battle with Leo.
She enjoys the act of fighting itself, doesn't she?
The title of Grand Warrior was something Azonia had held even before she joined the Heroes of Dawn. To be precise, it was a title that had been passed down since before the Age of Calamity.
Beastmen, born with an inherent aggressiveness that made them relish combat, held ambition toward the strong. Because of that, they conducted a tournament called the Festival of Warriors, where the strongest beastman was selected. The one chosen through that festival would become the Grand Warrior, the leader of all beastmen.
During the Age of Calamity, this tradition had disappeared, but it was revived when the Age of Heroes began.
Back in the Age of Calamity, the one chosen as the Grand Warrior was Aaron, right?
Leo recalled the beastmen who had tried to appoint Aaron as the Grand Warrior, though of course, Aaron had been horrified and refused.
Once one ascended to the position of Grand Warrior, they would be constantly challenged by countless warriors and could never step down until they were defeated. Moreover, deliberately losing was not an option.
Considering Aaron's strength, the idea of him losing to anyone was unimaginable, making it, quite literally, an eternal path of struggle.
For the timid Aaron, the idea of being hounded for a lifetime by ferocious beastman warriors was unbearable.
Leo, still grappling with Azonia, lowered his stance. Caught off guard by the sudden shift in weight, Azonia staggered.
Leo took advantage of that opening and rammed his shoulder into her abdomen.
Thwack-!
Azonia, struck by an immense impact, flipped over and was sent tumbling through the air.
Thud-!
However, she landed on one hand, then immediately lunged back at Leo.
Whoosh-!
Seeing Azonia rapidly close the distance, Leo's expression stiffened.
Our strength is evenly matched, but her speed surpasses mine.
Leo curled his lips into a smirk.
The Age of Calamity ended, and the Age of Heroes began. The Festival of Warriors was revived, and the title of Grand Warrior was once again passed down for thousands of years.
Every beastman who ascended to the position of Grand Warrior was always granted the title of hero, but after Azonia, the Festival of Warriors was never held again.
That was why Azonia became the final Grand Warrior.
The reason for that was simple.
She defeated every Grand Warrior recorded in the Hero Record.
Having even vanquished all of the past Grand Warriors, Azonia became the one and only Grand Warrior. Her strength was so overwhelming that she even stripped her predecessors of their titles, ultimately making the title of Grand Warrior hers alone.
"Let's see for ourselves, then."
Thud-!
Leo caught Azonia's knee as it aimed for his temple.
"Aaron's successor, huh? Let's see if you live up to it."
He shoved Azonia away and drew his sword.
"Hoo…" He took a deep breath using Aaron's breathing technique.
Seeing Leo, Azonia also inhaled deeply.
Crack-!
The well-trained muscles in Azonia's body tightened further.
The breath of the Brave Hero.
If Seiren had restructured Stellar Magic to be usable by elves, then Azonia had adapted Aaron's breathing technique to be usable by beastmen.
Gooooo…!
Aura and spiritual energy enveloped Azonia's body.
Leo's eyes widened.
Wait, is this elementalization?
This was not the advanced elemental summoning technique called Elemental Armor. Rather, Azonia had literally become one with the spirit, freely using its traits and power.
Even Leo and Lysinas could not use such an ability.
The power of her contracted spirit isn't that strong, but her aura amplifies it explosively.
For Azonia, the power of spirits was simply an extension of her own body As such, the increase in power was beyond imagination.
Gooooo…!
"Impressive." Leo muttered in a low voice as he watched Azonia use Aaron's power in her own way.
With his sword hanging low, Leo radiated Aaron's aura.
Thud-!
Azonia clenched her fist and charged at him. Matching her movement, Leo also dashed forward.
Kwagagagang…!
The clash of aura against aura made even the barrier that Mel had created tremble.
Leo squinted his eyes. Just then, Azonia's body had wavered slightly, just as Damien's had earlier.
So, this test will involve taking on the forms of each of the Heroes of Dawn one by one?
He glanced at Mel, who was gritting her teeth. Unlike him, who only needed to focus on fighting the Heroes of Dawn, she had to suppress the overwhelming power radiating from both he and the Heroes of Dawn.
Leo gripped his sword firmly.
I can't let that thing rampage here any longer.
His gaze turned toward the Hero Dungeon, its entrance still open.
If this thing came out of there…
He lowered his stance.
Then I just have to shove it back in.
Thud-! Kwaang-!
Leo's body shot forward like a flash of lightning. At the same time, he swung his sword at the puppet, which had now taken Lumene's form.
Clang…! Kwagagagagak…!
Leo pushed against Lumene, their swords interlocked.
"Sir Leo!" Mel's urgent voice rang out.
"I'm going to take care of the root problem!" Leo shouted, then forced the puppet toward the entrance of the Hero Dungeon.
Whoosh…!
The Hero Dungeon released a bright light, swallowing Leo and Lumene whole.
Upon entering the Hero Dungeon, Leo was transported to another world.
He quickly assessed his surroundings. He was in a vast, arena-like space constructed entirely of massive marble.
He immediately recognized that the architectural style of this place did not belong to the current era.
It looks like a temple from the Age of the Gods.
The moment he confirmed the existence of this place, Leo became certain that the puppet before him was formed from divine power.
He pointed his sword at the puppet in Lumene's form.
Swish-
And Lumene pointed its sword at Leo in the exact same stance.
"…?" Leo narrowed his eyes. "Unlike Damien and Azonia, is it just mimicking its opponent?"
Leo lowered his stance with a puzzled expression.
Then, as if mirroring him, Lumene mimicked Leo's movements precisely.
Clicking his tongue at the sight, Leo thought， What a pity, I wanted to see what kind of person Lumene was.
Even though it was a fake, Leo was curious about Lumene's existence.
Rodia had Lysinas.
Seiren had Luna.
If Azonia and Damien were successors to Aaron and Dweno, then Lumene was undoubtedly his successor.
I heard that Lumene cleared my Hero World.
Leo did not know Lumene, but that did not mean he denied Lumene as his successor. Even though Lumene had no direct connection to him, if it had sought to follow in his footsteps as one of the Heroes of Dawn, that was enough.
I was curious about what part of my power it inherited and how it made it its own.
Rodia and Seiren, whom he had met in person, had been truly impressive, and while indirect, Damien and Azonia were also excellent warriors. Because of that, his expectations for Lumene were high.
And now I have to fight some kind of mirror image instead.
Leo felt his excitement wane as he charged at Lumene and Lumene, in turn, rushed at him.
Clang…!
Their swords clashed.
Leo held his sword down while simultaneously casting a spell.
Fwoosh—
Flames formed in his hands.
Shaaak…!
While Lumene used water magic.
Is it just a simple mirror?
Leo blinked, puzzled.
Kwakakakakang…!
A whirlwind of water trapped him, but it was no ordinary whirlpool. Sharp blades of water spun within its layers.
Fwoosh! Boom…!
Leo detonated his flames, shattering the water vortex.
Whoooosh…!
Scalding water poured down like rain, filling the air with thick steam.
Leo readjusted his grip on his sword.
This thing… could it be…?
He dashed toward Lumene, and Lumene took a defensive stance.
Clang! Kwa-ga-ga-ga-gak…!
Swords clashed, sending sparks flying.
Leo slid his blade along Lumene's sword, redirecting the attack. In response, Lumene immediately closed the distance into Leo's space.
Thud…!
Dropping its sword, it drew a dagger from its chest, but Leo swiftly kicked Lumene's arm away.
Using the recoil, they both widened the distance.
To regain control of the range, Lumene then opened an interdimensional space and pulled out a spear.
Tap…!
Landing on the ground, Leo lifted his head and stared at Lumene, now radiating bloodlust.
He had thought it was merely a reflection, but that wasn't the case. In its stance, he saw the shadow of someone.
That puppet isn't just mirroring me. It's Lumene itself.
And Lumene was perfectly imitating Kyle, from the way he breathed, his martial arts which freely wielded all weapons depending on the opponent's armament, to even the utilization of magic.
Fundamentally, it's different. The foundations are different, but…
Leo could feel that Lumene was desperately trying to become Kyle himself.
Why?
Leo's expression was filled with bewilderment. Mimicking someone did not necessarily make one stronger, because iltimately, Leo and Lumene were fundamentally different.
Leo was an all-class, while Lumene was a magic swordsman. The paths they pursued had to be different.
And yet, Lumene was imitating Kyle in every aspect as if it were his very shadow.
That would only ruin its own potential. And there's no way it doesn't realize that.
Whether it was Rodia, Seiren, Azonia, or Damien, none of the Heroes of Dawn had merely copied Lysinas, Seiren, Aaron, or Dweno. Each of them had refined their abilities in their own way.
Ssssshhh…!
As Leo was grappling with this revelation, Lumene suddenly faded and vanished, or rather, the puppet itself disappeared.
Leo's eyes twitched at the sight.
Kuguguguguung…!
A firmly closed door beyond the space rumbled as it creaked open with a heavy sound.
It's inviting me in?
Lost in thought, Leo walked forward without hesitation.
What is this place? A Hero World? If it's a Hero World, then why is there a god here?
It could not be a god of the past. When he had encountered Pivua in Luna's world, Pivua had ultimately declared that he was merely a fake created by the record system, and fakes could never exert influence on the outside world.
Then does that mean the god ahead is real?
Leo's expression grew even more confused.
How could a god remain on the surface?
5000 years ago, during the Age of Calamity, the gods had vanished from the mortal realm. They could no longer remain there as Erebos, their ancient nemesis, had destroyed the gate connecting the mortal realm and the divine realm, preventing them from descending.
After that, the remaining gods were hunted down and driven from the mortal world by Erebos, and after it disappeared, the gate was never restored, ushering in a new era without gods.
And yet, a god existed in this place?
With a puzzled expression, Leo reached the end of the corridor, where a gray door stood.
Gray, huh? Lysinas once said that gods don't particularly like that color.
Leo opened the door with a curious expression, only to find himself greeted by a world of infinite bookshelves.
Before he could take a good look at those shelves, however, there was a presence that immediately captured his attention.
A child, whose beauty made it difficult to discern whether they were a boy or girl, with gray hair and gray eyes, was staring at Leo with a stiff expression.
Leo instantly saw through the child's identity.
"How is a god…?" he began, but before he could finish his question, the god clasped their hands together, knelt, and bowed their head in a posture reminiscent of a devout follower greeting their deity.
The sudden display of reverence left Leo speechless for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and finished asking, "How is a god in the mortal realm?"
"This lowly being humbly greets the great and noble Hero of the Beginning," the god said solemly.
Once again, Leo was left at a loss for words. "Can you answer my question? How is a god in the mortal realm?"
The god finally raised their head and met Leo's gaze, their large gray eyes shining with a pure, clear light.
"The reason I am here in the mortal realm is…" The god, who had been maintaining a dignified expression befitting their status, suddenly lost it and screamed, "AAAAAAAH! I can't hold it in! I can't take it anymore! The Hero of the Beginning, Kyle, is right in front of me! How am I supposed to stay calm?!"
Like someone having a seizure, the god shrieked and then crawled on all fours toward Leo like a cockroach, clinging to his feet.
Even Leo, who rarely flinched at anything, recoiled in horror at the grotesque sight.
"Aaaah, Hero of the Beginning Kyle! My Great Hero! How have you miraculously returned after 5000 long years?! This resurrection must be fate! Your greatness is comparable to the gods… No, how could I compare you to the lowly, vile, and utterly worthless race that is the gods?! I deserve divine punishment for such blasphemy! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I beg for your forgiveness!"
The god, ashamed for having compared themselves to Leo, repeatedly slammed their head against the floor.
"Sir Kyle! Your greatness surely rivals that of the Creator! Please, bestow your grace upon me! Grant me the honor of kissing the soles of your feet! Your divine blessing!"
"……" Leo knew that few gods were sane, and that most were hedonistic beings who sought only pleasure and entertainment. However, no matter how depraved, they were still immortal beings responsible for maintaining the order of the world, yet now, one such existence was drooling, rubbing their cheek against his shoe.
Leo felt a shiver run down his spine. No, what unsettled him even more was that the god's eyes remained purely radiant…. which only made them seem even more insane.
What the hell? A madman with pure eyes can only be… a religious fanatic?