The Last-Seat Hero Has Returned

83. The Moon Swallowed by the Sun (5)

In the dim, shadowy basement.

Only the faint glow of the magical sigils etched densely across the floor and walls illuminated the space, where a lady in a lavish dress twisted her face in a fierce scowl.

“The first Sun Gate has been breached?”

Rozanna Helios, the head of the Helios family, furrowed her brow at the absurd report relayed through the Hero Watch.

How could the Sun Gate, under the watch of hundreds of guards, be compromised?

“What’s the number of intruders?”

“Uh, just one.”

“One? Just one?”

Rozanna narrowed her eyes, glaring at the Hero Watch as the captain of the guard’s voice spilled out.

“Get a grip and report properly. What on earth is happening?”

[As reported! The intruder single-handedly subdued the 282 guards stationed at the Sun Gate and entered through the main entrance!]

“…….”

It wasn’t as if the intruder had sneaked in over a relatively unguarded outer wall; they had charged straight through nearly 300 guards?

‘What nonsense…’

Of course, the 300 guards weren’t ‘heroes’ blessed with divine marks, but they were all skilled fighters armed with magical tools.

No matter how superhuman a hero might be, breaking through a line of 300 armed guards alone was no easy feat.

“Report any peculiarities about the intruder.”

[The intruder has gray hair and is wearing the uniform of a hero school candidate!]

Gray hair and a hero school candidate uniform?

‘No way.’

Rozanna’s expression hardened.

The face of that audacious hybrid from the Republic, who had dared to challenge her on the day of the observation class, flashed through her mind.

“…Where is the intruder now?”

[They are rapidly approaching the mansion along the path!]

“Deploy the Knights of the Sun to subdue the intruder.”

The second Sun Gate, protecting the Helios family.

The knightly order, ranked among the top three within the empire, resided permanently within the grounds of the Helios family mansion, tasked with the duty of guarding the family against external threats.

[Understood!]

With the sound of hurried footsteps racing somewhere, silence settled in the basement.

“Mother, you can’t be….”

“Stay still, just lie there.”

Rozanna bit her lip nervously, glancing back at Yurina, who was trying to rise from the operating table.

Minutes slipped by, though it felt like an eternity.

A report came through the Hero Watch once more.

[The Order of the Sun is currently engaged in combat with intruders!]

“Well done.”

At the continuing report, Rozanna let out a sigh of relief.

Unlike the guards stationed at the entrance, the Order of the Sun was composed entirely of ‘heroes’ who had awakened their marks.

Not a ragtag assembly of heroes, but a powerful order formed solely from those who graduated with distinction from the Hero Academy.

If the Order of the Sun could stand against even the largest guilds, then a mere rookie candidate would be easily…

[Th-the Order of the Sun is being pushed back!]

“What?”

[Currently, half of the Order of the Sun has lost consciousness and fallen, while the remaining half is barely holding on!]

“What do you mean by that?!”

Rozanna pressed her face closer to the Hero Watch, her expression one of panic.

It had barely been five minutes since the report of the skirmish came in—what kind of absurdity was this?

Half of the Order of the Sun lost consciousness?

And the remaining half was barely holding on?

‘What on earth is happening?’

The situation was so outrageous that she almost wanted to believe it was a surprise show prepared by the captain of the guards.

[Currently, Captain Robert is engaged with the intruders!]

[Ca-Captain Robert is being pushed back!]

[Captain Robert has fallen! The entire Order of the Sun is incapacitated!]

With the next report, Rozanna’s face went pale.

Robert Helios, her closest confidant and the captain of the Order of the Sun, was a hero who bore the blood of the ‘Helios’ line.

Of course, being the child of a concubine and not a direct descendant of the main family, he had not been trained in the Sun Blade, the vision of the Helios family.

Yet, he was a powerful hero, one of the top 100 in the rankings of the Three Kingdoms, a so-called ‘Ranker.’

“Ha, a candidate has defeated a Ranker?”

And not just after a fierce battle, barely scraping by.

Considering the time the report came in, Robert had been overwhelmed in less than three minutes.

Even with the combined forces of the other Order of the Sun.

“What is this… what on earth is happening?”

Rozanna pressed her forehead, as if trying to comprehend the situation.

It was already absurd that a single candidate had dared to invade the Helios family, but to breach not one, but two Sun Gates that had never been penetrated in 500 years, in the blink of an eye?

It was an impossible feat unless a being of ‘Archbishop’ caliber were to invade.

[The intruder is heading towards the mansion!]

“Stop them!”

[But there are no more troops left….]

“There must be emergency forces still inside the mansion! Take everyone and stop him!”

[Understood!]

The urgent voice faded away.

“It seems the situation is not good.”

Faust, standing before the operating table, spoke as he observed the unfolding chaos.

“N-No! It’s fine! Please, don’t worry and focus on the procedure, teacher!”

“Hmm. This doesn’t seem like a situation suitable for a procedure….”

Faust shrugged and continued.

“Still, there’s no need for you to worry, is there?”

“Excuse me? What do you mean…?”

“The Helios family has three Sun Gates.”

“…….”

Rozanna’s expression stiffened at Faust’s words.

The third Sun Gate of the Helios family.

Inside the mansion, a protective barrier had been set up by the great sage Julius Bastian himself.

“But if we activate the protective barrier….”

Rozanna trailed off, biting her lip tightly.

The barrier established by Julius was not meant to ‘subdue’ intruders.

A barrier specialized in ‘extermination,’ turning intruders to ash in an instant with countless magical bombardments.

“Ugh….”

For Rozanna, who had no intention of killing a candidate just turned twenty, even if he was a hybrid of the Republic, hesitation weighed heavily upon her.

“What are you hesitating for? Surely you’re not thinking of showing mercy to the scoundrel who has invaded your house?”

“No, it’s not that….”

“If it’s not, then hurry and contact the guards to activate the Third Sun Gate.”

“…….”

Rozanna silently gazed down at the Hero Watch.

[The intruder has entered the mansion!]

Urgent reports continued to flood the Hero Watch.

“Is there anything more important right now than creating a ‘Sun’ for the Helios family?”

Faust’s sweet whisper lingered in the air.

Swallowing hard, she opened her mouth to speak.

From noble mtl dot com

“Oh, no!”

Yurina, lying on the operating table, suddenly sat up in alarm.

It was not difficult to discern the identity of the ‘intruder’ wreaking havoc in the mansion.

‘Dale.’

She did not know why he had come here.

But among the candidates she knew, there was no one else capable of single-handedly neutralizing hundreds of guards and the Order of the Sun.

The fleeting joy of Dale coming to save her was short-lived.

At the command to activate the ‘protective barrier,’ a chilling shiver ran down her spine.

‘I have to stop Mother.’

No matter how strong Dale was, there was no way he could remain unscathed against a protective barrier unleashed by the Grand Sage herself.

“Stop it, Mother… Aah!”

Crackle!

At that moment, a blinding light erupted from the magic circle surrounding the operating table.

The burst of light coiled around Yurina’s body like chains.

“Ugh…! Get this off me!”

“It’s unwise to defy your mother.”

Faust turned to Rozanna with a cold sneer.

“Lady Rozanna?”

“…I understand.”

Rozanna seemed to have made up her mind as she lifted the Hero Watch.

“Activate the barrier.”

[W-wait, the barrier?]

“Are we just going to sit here, twiddling our thumbs while an intruder has already breached the mansion?”

[Ah, no! I will activate the barrier immediately.]

Whooom!

The barrier of the Grand Sage activated, sending a powerful wave of magical energy rippling down to the basement.

“Oh, no! Please stop….”

Yurina reached out with a desperate expression.

But her urgent cry barely had time to linger.

Kugugugugugugugung!!!

A terrifying roar shook the entire mansion.

Cracks appeared in the ceiling of the basement, and dust rained down like tiny stones.

Soon, reports came through the Hero Watch.

[Protection barrier activation confirmed.]

“Haah. Good. What happened to the intruder?”

[I will go check personally.]

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed as someone rushed off, holding the communicator.

The captain of the guards, coughing repeatedly as if the mansion was filled with smoke from the magical bombardment, finally spoke.

[Intruder confirmed dead.]

“Well done.”

Rozanna nodded with a bright smile.

“Ah….”

Yurina’s eyes widened in shock.

“Ah, ugh.”

Yurina wrapped her trembling arms around herself.

“Ah, aaaH!”

She screamed, twisting her body as if seized by a fit.

The chains of light burrowed into her body, blood seeping out.

“You, you, how dare you!”

Yurina glared at Rozanna with eyes ablaze.

“Yurina, you….”

“I’ll kill you! You! I swear it!”

Rozanna, taken aback, stared at Yurina, who radiated a murderous intent.

A side of her daughter she had never seen before.

Where had the gentle lamb gone, the one who followed her every word? Now, Yurina twisted her face like a demon, thrashing about, her body stained with blood.

“What kind of words are you using with your mother….”

Just as Rozanna was about to scold her fiercely.

[…What is this.]

A voice, filled with despair, spilled from the Hero Watch.

[Why… why are you still alive?]

“…What did you say?”

Rozanna furrowed her brow, lifting the Hero Watch.

“What’s happening?”

[Ah, ah! Don’t come near!]

“Captain of the Guard?”

[Stay away, you monster!]

Crack!

With the sound of something shattering, the communication cut off.

“What on earth….”

As Rozanna stared blankly at the now-silent Hero Watch, a sound echoed from beyond the basement door.

Step, step.

She gazed at the firmly shut basement door with trembling eyes.

“Could it be….”

Before her words could finish.

KWA-BOOM!

With a thunderous roar, the basement door was shattered.

Dense, ashen smoke settled heavily in the air.

Amidst the swirling ash, a fierce green glow glimmered menacingly.

“Yuren… no, was it Yurina?”

Dale strolled leisurely into the basement, reaching out as he turned to look at Yurina, bound upon the operating table.

“I’ve come to fetch you.”