Chapter 296 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 296
Chapter Title: A Shared Burden
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Groooooooooooar!
Gias let out a roar into the air.
With it, a massive dimensional gate opened, revealing knights and mages clad in black armor and robes.
Seeing this, Eiran flinched, her shoulders trembling.
"W-what are they? They don't look like demons at first glance."
"Traitors."
Verchia's eyes narrowed as she drew her sword.
"Those who sided with Tartaros to survive."
Not just Eiran, but all the party members gasped.
The traitors who would later be known as the 'Hero Hunters.'
Unless it was a special case, they would never have to fight the likes of Hero Hunters… those who had betrayed the world and joined Tartaros.
The party members did not yet know the pressure of having to cut down their own kind, who looked just like them.
"What should we do?"
Ar-on asked Dweno, watching Gias who was staring at Gardsrone from a distance.
At Ar-on's question, Dweno was lost in thought.
"It would be best to defeat him before he begins his full-scale invasion of Gardsrone, but…"
Dweno narrowed his eyes.
"If we do that, Gardsrone's defenses will be weakened. The moment you or I leave Gardsrone to strike him, it would be troublesome in many ways if his legion were to attack this place."
The endlessly surging legion of a Legion Commander is a symbol of despair.
Moreover, unlike other Legion Commanders who had depleted their forces by participating in several major wars, Gias's legion had rarely seen combat and boasted formidable strength.
"He's a cautious one, despite his size. And cunning, too."
Dweno narrowed his eyes.
"There's no telling what kind of traps he's laid."
Rage boiled deep in Dweno's eyes.
Seeing this, Leo gripped his sword.
*It was only natural.*
Shortly after the Age of Calamity began.
It was Gias who had destroyed Dweno's hometown.
Meanwhile, countless monsters began to pour out of Gias's dimensional gate.
Seeing this, Leo narrowed his eyes.
*I see… so he's spent the last ten days scraping together anything in the area that could serve as a subordinate.*
Without a legion, a Legion Commander's power is as good as halved.
To compensate for that weakness, he must have created his own legion over these past few days.
It was nothing more than a ragtag mob, but the fact that there were two Giases made even this disorderly legion an immense threat.
*So he's planning to crush Gardsrone for sure, is he?*
"He won't make a move until dawn."
Leo looked at Dweno and Ar-on.
"So one of you should conserve your strength until dawn."
"Conserve our strength? Are you telling us not to fight?"
"Yes."
The true potential of a Great Hero is best known by the Legion Commanders who have fought against them.
The power to make the impossible possible.
It's not simply because the Great Heroes are strong.
*Looking back, we always dug our way to victory in unfavorable situations and seized it.*
Thinking about it now, it's a wonder how we managed to win so many of those battles.
Countless victories that were nothing short of miracles.
Gias was more wary of that potential than anyone.
*He plans to whittle down their stamina, step by step, as if hunting.*
The moment this night passes and the Gias and legion of the past appear.
Dweno and Ar-on, already exhausted, will no longer be able to resist.
*He's planning to use himself as bait?*
Leo clenched and unclenched his fists as he watched Gias in the distance.
Seeing Leo like this, Dweno spoke.
"I understand what you're saying. But if a monster of Gias's caliber makes a move… we have no choice but to step in."
To Dweno's heavy words, Leo replied.
"You are indeed the hope of the world."
Leo looked at Dweno and Ar-on.
"Without you, the world would have perished long ago. That's why you've shouldered so much."
Leo smiled.
"But… isn't it okay to share the burden sometimes?"
Whoosh-!
A giant shadow appeared in the sky above Gardsrone.
Karl gaped.
"Dragons…"
The sight of dozens of dragons adorning the sky was truly a spectacle.
All the party members let out gasps of awe at the magnificent sight, something that could never be seen in the current era.
Starting with the dragons, warriors, mages, and summoners of various races appeared atop the fortress walls.
Watching them, Leo muttered softly.
"I tried carrying it once, and it was too heavy."
Flash-!
The dragons flying in the air polymorphed and descended onto the fortress walls.
At their head was Depesere.
"All of you, stand back."
Depesere said, looking at Leo and his party, including Verchia.
"This battle is not child's play. Evacuate to a safe zone."
"I want to fight too. I have more than enough strength to fight."
Verchia said stubbornly.
Looking at Verchia, Depesere adjusted his glasses.
"Miss Verchia. I am well aware of your skills. However, you are one of the world's future. Aren't you still too inexperienced to participate in a battle like this?"
Verchia flinched at Depesere's unusually sharp gaze.
Depesere.
He was like a father to all the children of Gardsrone.
He personally ran an orphanage, and Verchia too had known Depesere since she was young.
He was usually gentle, but in moments like this, he was so resolute it was difficult to defy him.
Depesere's gaze turned to the others.
"Now, hurry."
Watching Depesere, Leo spoke.
"Battle is something one must experience eventually. If you believe in Verchia's future, why not believe in the Verchia of today?"
At Leo's words, Depesere's cool gaze shifted to him.
"Do you think you are qualified to be here right now?"
To that, Leo smiled.
"More than enough."
Leo looked at his party members.
"That's what we've been training for."
Rumble-!
The sound of monsters reaching the vicinity of Gardsrone could be heard.
Watching them, Leo raised his hand.
Whoom-!
A magic circle was embroidered in the sky.
The moment he saw the magic circle, Depesere's eyes widened.
It wasn't just Depesere.
Everyone wore a look of astonishment.
"Lady Luna's… magic?"
The magic circle adorning the sky, reacting to Leo's magic.
It was none other than the magic of stars.
The moment Leo completed the spell, orbs of light poured down toward the monsters.
Kaboom-!
Watching the pouring magic of light, Dweno closed his eyes.
"Ar-on."
"Y-yeah?"
"You will conserve your strength in case of an emergency."
At Dweno's words, Ar-on's eyes widened.
Ar-on was bewildered by the fact that Dweno, who could be called the current commander-in-chief of Gardsrone, was following Leo's opinion.
"Depesere."
"Yes!"
"You will defend the walls."
"Then, Lord Dweno…?"
"I will strike the Giant King."
Grip-!
Depesere was flustered, watching Dweno readjust his grip on his battle-ax.
"N-no! If you go alone to face the Giant King and fall into a trap, Lord Dweno…!"
"Who said I was going alone?"
Dweno looked at Leo.
"This friend here will watch my back."
Dweno said, looking at Verchia and the party members.
"Don't overdo it, and defend the walls well."
"Yes, sir! Don't worry, and come back safe! Those ugly monsters won't ever cross Gardsrone's walls!"
At Verchia's shout, Dweno let out a hearty laugh.
"How reliable!"
Laughing heartily, Dweno leaped down from the towering fortress wall.
Leo, too, followed him without hesitation.
"L-Leo!"
Lunia called out to the falling Leo with a bewildered expression.
Leo looked back at Lunia and smiled.
"We'll be back, so hold the fort!"
Thud-!
Crack-!
The two who landed on the ground simultaneously ran toward the Giant King.
Grrrroooooar!
A large monster, an ogre, charged at the two of them.
As Dweno was about to swing his battle-ax, Leo stepped forward.
"You stay out of it until you fight Gias."
"Oh? Can you clear a path?"
To Dweno's question, Leo raised his sword.
Fwoosh-!
Flames of aura and magic enveloped the sword.
Whoom-!
A summoning circle appeared in the air, and a small phoenix emerged.
Chirp-!
"What? You lost weight?"
Chirp-! Chirp-!
Piora flew around in front of Leo, as if showing off her body.
"If you get fat again, we'll just have to play ball."
As Leo, who had seen how Katariu made Piora lose weight, muttered this, Piora chirped and shook her head frantically.
Leo chuckled at Piora and summoned his spiritual power.
Fwoosh-!
In response to Leo's spiritual power, Piora's body blazed fiercely before seeping into the sword.
Kwoooooooooosh-!
The flames of the phoenix raged.
Leo's eyes glinted as he looked at the ogre blocking his path and the monsters behind it, then swung his sword.
Fwhoosh! Kra-ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-boom-!
As the phoenix's flames raged, they simultaneously wiped out the troop of monsters before them.
Sizzzzzzle-!
"Quite impressive."
Running down the straight path of fire that had been created, Dweno readjusted his grip on his battle-ax.
Leo ran ahead of Dweno, charging toward Gias.
He burned and cut down everything that blocked his path.
In an instant, Dweno reached Gias, gripped his battle-ax, and bent his knees.
"It's been a while."
Kwoooom-!
When Dweno kicked off the ground, he shot toward Gias's face like a cannonball.
"Giant King Gias."
Killing intent flickered across Dweno's face.
Kra-ka-ka-ka-boom-!
Golden flames flickered from Dweno's battle-ax, forming the shape of a giant ax blade.
As if to sever Gias's thick neck in a single blow, the swollen, fiery ax blade was swung fiercely.
Fwhooooooosh!
-It certainly has been a while! Dweno!
Gias swung the Jormungandr's Corpse Sword he held in his hand.
His eyes glinted with ecstasy.
-I've wanted to kill you!
Kwwaaaaaaaaang-!
The golden ax and Jormungandr's Corpse Sword clashed.
Kru-ka-ka-ka-ka-boom-!
The shockwave swept over the area.
The ground was overturned, and everything nearby was sent flying.
Kra-ka-ka-ka-kak-!
Leo withstood the shockwave and charged toward Gias.
-Hah! I thought you'd come with Ar-on. Who is this wet-behind-the-ears brat?
Gias sneered, unleashing his dark magic.
Swoooooosh-!
A mass of crimson-black dark magic erupted from Gias's body.
"Hup!"
Dweno summoned his Aura Armor to withstand Gias's attack.
It didn't deal any damage, but Gias didn't care.
The attack was aimed at Leo from the start, not Dweno.
A Legion Commander's magic emission possessed a power that could induce terror just from exposure.
On top of that, taking a direct hit from the emitted magic would normally make it difficult to survive.
Whoosh-!
However, Leo showed no sign of wavering, even when directly exposed to the fear from the magic emission.
It might affect an ordinary person, but a Legion Commander's fear didn't work on Leo.
He swiftly dodged the mass of emitted magic using Aura Step.
Seeing that godlike movement, Gias's eye twitched.
"Aren't you being too careless just because you know the future?"
Hearing Leo's taunt, Gias's eyes widened.
-You are…!
"Of course, knowing the future won't change the outcome."
Fwhoooosh-!
Aura gathered on Leo's sword.
-Leo Flove!
Shwwwiiiiing-!
Leo's sword slashed across Gias's chest.
Pshhhhhhh-!
Blood gushed from Gias's chest.
Having allowed the attack due to his carelessness, Gias's body staggered slightly.
Whoosh-! Thunk-!
Dweno's ax blade dug into that opening.
The ax blade lodged in Gias's neck.
However, just before he could sever the neck, Dweno hurriedly let go of the ax and retreated.
Whoosh-!
Gias's arm swept through the spot where Dweno had been.
If he had put his strength into severing the neck, he would have been hit by that arm and sent flying.
*A pity. I could have taken his head.*
Dweno clicked his tongue.
Gias wouldn't die just from having his neck cut.
*If he could die from just being decapitated, we wouldn't be struggling this much.*
But it would inflict significant damage.
It would have allowed them to secure a definite advantage in the battle to come.
*It's just like that time.*
Dweno's eyes darkened.
It was the same when Gias attacked Dweno's hometown.
Dweno had almost severed Gias's neck.
Of course, even if he had, he wouldn't have been able to defeat Gias.
The Dweno of that time was weaker than the Dweno of today.
But the outcome might have been a little different.
*I might have been able to save the people of my hometown.*
Just as Dweno was forming a bitter smile.
Thump!
"…?!"
"What are you spacing out for!"
Leo, who had flown behind Dweno at some point, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.
"Hurry up and cut his head off!"
Whoosh-!
Leo threw Dweno with all his might toward the battle-ax embedded in Gias's neck.
Dweno summoned aura all over his body.
Thunk-!
-You bastards!
Gias's eyes widened.
Watching Gias, the corners of Dweno's mouth curled up.
*Right, this is different from that time.*
Squeeze-! Thunk-!
The sound of the ax blade digging into bone rang out.
*Now… I have comrades.*
Thwack-! Pshhhhhhhhh-!
Gias's head flew through the air.
With it, a fountain of black blood erupted.
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