The Last-Seat Hero Has Returned

38. Last Will (7)

Whoosh!

The flames rise.

The fierce flames, as if to devour the world, roared violently.

Gray ash swirled around the fiercely burning flames.

“What the…!”

Ashtaroth hastily used the Blessing of Distortion, staring at the greedily approaching flames.

Purple demonic energy spread out like a spider web, consuming the space.

The distorted space became a giant shield, enveloping Ashtaroth.

And then.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The clash of the distorted space and the sword.

The sword, which had been helplessly bounced back by the distorted space just moments ago, began to push the space itself with an overwhelming force.

The more the magic surged, the fiercer the flames burned.

The sword engulfed in flames split the distorted space in half.

“You crazy…!”

Without even having the luxury to utter a cry of astonishment, Dale’s sword pierced through the split space like a beam of light.

Slash!

“aaah!”

A terrible pain spread from the severed left forearm.

Ashtaroth hastily retreated, clutching the bleeding stump of his left arm.

“Damn it!”

The previously composed Ashtaroth now spat out rough curses.

He glared fiercely at Dale, who was engulfed in flames, as if he would explode with rage.

“This is really annoying!”

He had expected some variables.

After all, plans never proceed exactly as expected.

‘But this is too much!’

He had broken through the veil of illusions, created by sacrificing the lives of 200 subordinates, in an instant.

Despite being a mere candidate, he possessed skills incomparable to most professors.

He thought he had killed him, but he revived in an instant.

‘I thought he wouldn’t be able to interfere this time since his mana was completely depleted.’

But now, flames suddenly erupted from his body, and he was spewing mana everywhere?

‘What kind of monster is this?’

Ashtaroth looked at Dale with an incredulous expression.

It was enough to make him wonder if the world itself was maliciously obstructing him.

“Damn….”

Ashtaroth was confused by the sudden turn of events, clutching his severed left arm.

“Sigh.”

Dale, too, looked down at his flame-engulfed body with an equally puzzled expression.

‘What is this?’

Even though he was engulfed in flames, he didn’t feel any pain.

His clothes didn’t turn to ashes, nor did his skin blister from burns.

‘Is this the primordial flame?’

If the flames engulfing my body are the primordial fire.

Why is the primordial fire, which had never budged no matter how hard I tried, now blazing fiercely, wrapping around my entire body?

‘That’s not what’s important right now.’

Pushing aside the questions that arose in my mind, I turned my head towards Iris.

“Da-Dale!”

Iris, eyes wide open, stared at me as I was engulfed in flames.

I took a step towards Iris.

“How did this… kyaaa!”

I lightly tapped Iris’s head with my fist.

She covered the spot where I hit with both hands, her eyes welling up with tears.

“Wh-why all of a sudden?!”

“Didn’t I tell you to stay still earlier?”

“B-but!”

“No buts.”

I let out a deep sigh and stood in front of Iris as if to protect her.

“Don’t step forward this time. Stay here.”

“…Okay.”

Iris nodded with a sullen expression.

I turned my body towards Ashtaroth, leaving Iris behind.

Thud.

At that moment, Ashtaroth’s left arm, which had been lying on the ground, touched my foot.

In Ashtaroth’s left hand was a tool bent like a spoon.

‘Wasn’t that the tool to gouge out Iris’s eyes?’

My heated head cooled down.

‘If it weren’t for the primordial fire, Iris’s eyes would have been gouged out by that thing by now.’

The flames engulfing my body spread to my heart.

Blaze, blaze.

The flames spreading in my heart turned into a giant fire demon, devouring the world.

“Ashtaroth.”

I spoke towards Ashtaroth, who was watching me with wary eyes.

“Earlier, we said we’d check who is more loved by the gods, didn’t we?”

According to the records, the primordial fire was a power created by the demon god.

Well, strictly speaking, isn’t the demon god also a god like the seven gods?

“Come on, don’t just stand there blankly, let’s finish checking.”

Boom!

Stomping roughly, I spread the overflowing magical power within the stigma throughout my body.

The magical power surged so violently that it felt like my blood vessels would burst.

For someone like me who had suffered from chronic magical power deficiency since my previous life, it was a sensation I had never felt before.

‘I don’t know why the primordial fire suddenly started moving.’

I could roughly guess why the magical power filling the stigma was created.

‘They said the primordial fire started creating magical power by burning the tree of creation.’

In other words.

The primordial fire has the ability to create magical power by burning something.

‘Then, what is the “something” that the primordial fire is burning right now…?’

Isn’t it obvious?

I looked down at the flames engulfing my body and let out a hollow laugh.

“Never thought I’d become firewood in my lifetime.”

The primordial fire is burning my body to create magical power.

As evidence, isn’t the gray ash, which is created when the ‘blessing of resurrection’ is activated, scattering around the fiercely burning flames?

‘If the primordial fire is using my life force as firewood to create magical power.’

In theory.

Doesn’t that mean the primordial fire can create nearly infinite magical power as long as it burns?

“Hah.”

A thrilling sense of omnipotence flowed down my spine.

My body felt light, as if I had thrown off the heavy shackles that had been binding me.

I could instinctively tell.

The techniques I had only been imitating superficially until now.

Everything I had been endlessly training in the white snowfield.

‘If it’s now.’

I can use them fully.

“I’m going.”

Rumble!

With a light step, the ground shook as if an earthquake had occurred.

The distance closed in an instant.

He threw a clenched fist at Ashtaroth, who was retreating with wide eyes.

Berald Martial Arts.

Mountain Crusher.

Boom!

With a fierce roar, a terrifying gust of wind swept the surroundings.

“This crazy…!”

Ashtaroth spat out a curse and used the Blessing of Distortion.

The space distorted and blocked the gust for a moment.

But the Blessing of Distortion was pierced in an instant, and Ashtaroth’s body was swept away by the gust and flung backward.

“Ugh!”

Ashtaroth fell, spitting blood from his mouth.

“Hah, hah!”

Ashtaroth panted heavily and staggered to his feet.

He looked at Iris in the distance and then bit his lip hard.

“…Damn it.”

Neither the illusion nor the Blessing of Distortion worked.

There was no longer any means to deal with that immortal monster.

‘I give up on the Seven Eyes.’

He didn’t know when he would have another chance to get the Seven Eyes if he retreated now, but as it was, he would die a dog’s death here without even getting the power of the Seven Eyes.

“Dael Han.”

Ashtaroth glared at Dael with a fierce expression.

“I will remember your name. Definitely.”

Snap.

Ashtaroth snapped his fingers with his remaining arm, and the purple curtain that had been covering the surroundings disappeared.

The cool night air blew in, revealing the dark night sky.

Ashtaroth turned to leave the school grounds.

“Where do you think you’re running off to?”

As Dale lightly stomped his foot, the flames that had been swirling around his body spread out like a curtain, engulfing the surroundings.

“Is this… a barrier?”

Ashtaroth stared at the curtain of flames surrounding him, his mouth agape.

No.

Now he’s even using barrier techniques?

“Weren’t you… a candidate for the warrior division?”

“Why? Is there a rule that says warriors can’t use magic?”

“……”

Ashtaroth clamped his mouth shut, as if he couldn’t think of a retort.

“Not only do you have the blessing of immortality, but you also know swordsmanship, martial arts, and magic…?”

Grit.

The sound of teeth grinding echoed fiercely.

“No, damn it. This is ridiculous.”

Ashtaroth muttered harsh curses, clutching his head.

“Do you have no sense of moderation?! Huh? How is this even possible!!!”

Ashtaroth’s scream was almost a wail.

Well.

It’s not like I don’t understand his feelings.

The ‘Archbishop,’ who reigns over thousands, tens of thousands of demons, never imagined he’d be cornered like this by a mere candidate, not even a professor.

No.

Considering the absurd power the Archbishop possesses, even if he fought against all the professors in the school, he wouldn’t be in such a dire situation.

‘But.’

So what?

“You said earlier that the reason the kids from the orphanage had to die was simply because they were unlucky enough to be here today, right?”

When I had just arrived at the curtain of illusions to find Ashtaroth.

I remembered hearing those words beyond the curtain.

“It’s the same.”

I raised my sword towards Ashtaroth with a fierce grin.

“You were just unlucky enough to meet me today.”

Isn’t that reason enough?

“Wa-wait! If you kill me…!”

Before Ashtaroth could urgently say anything.

I infused the overflowing magic power into my sword.

Whoosh!

The flames engulfing my entire body intensified, and the fire surged up the sword.

I had wielded the sword for an immeasurable amount of time.

But this unfamiliar sensation made my body tingle with excitement.

“Ha.”

A dry laugh escaped my lips.

Suddenly, a brief conversation I had with a friend in my previous life came to mind.

– Did you know, Dale? When you reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship, you can cut the sky with just the sword, without using magic.

“You were wrong, Yuren.”

I tightened my grip on the sword.

A sensation I had never felt when I was struggling with insufficient magic power.

As if wings had sprouted on my back.

Things I had never been able to do before began to vividly form in my mind.

Sun Sword.

Form 9, Twilight.

The fiercely burning sword of flames cut through the sky.