The Greatest Warrior of All Time Returns

[Translator - Night]

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Chapter 130

If memory served correctly, they were nearing the forest’s boundary.

Beyond that point, the monsters of the Demon Realm wouldn’t step outside—at least, that was their last hope, based on what they had been taught.

“Huff… Huff… Aagh!!”

It happened then.

Something suddenly lunged from the side of the girl running at the rear, knocking her to the ground.

—Kiiiiiii…

It was an undead woman emerging from the depths of the forest.

“Kyaaaa!! No!! No!!!”

The grotesque-looking undead pounced on her, attempting to sink its teeth into her throat.

In a panic, the girl thrashed desperately, trying to resist.

Crunch!! Crunch!!

But the undead, possessing overwhelming strength, bit down on her neck.

Each time it did, light burst from her artifact, its protective barrier breaking apart.

The barrier had a clear limit, but the monster continued its relentless assault.

“Ulla!! Damn it!!”

Seeing this, the cadets who had been running ahead halted and rushed toward the undead, swinging their weapons at it.

Clang!!!

However, their swords, unable to properly channel aura, couldn’t even scratch the creature’s tough skin.

While they could enhance their physical abilities beyond normal human limits using aura, that was their limit.

The monster, with its hardened body, ignored them and continued to bite down on Ulla.

“Kyaaaa!! Help me!! Please, help me!!”

Terrified beyond reason, Ulla thrashed wildly, unaware of the strain she was putting on her muscles.

She was so scared that the fabric of her skirt darkened, but no one paid attention to that.

“Dason! Please save me!!”

“This damned thing! Damn it! Why is it so tough?!”

The boy called Dason swung his greatsword with all his might, but nothing changed.

Crunch!!

And then, the final protective layer of her artifact shattered.

Ulla’s eyes widened in horror.

Now that her sturdy defense was gone, she was nothing more than a helpless prey before a starving beast.

“Hh… Hhk… S-save me…”

—Kggggggg…

With a grotesque, crackling sound, the undead opened its jaw wide.

As if waiting for this moment, a group of ten more undead emerged, encircling them.

They were struggling against just one, and now there were ten.

It was a nightmarish scene.

Black blood dripped from the gaping maws of the undead as one of them moved to bite down on Ulla’s neck.

Ssssss…

A cold breeze blew.

And in that instant, crimson threads of light streaked through the darkness of the forest.

Sshhk!

In the blink of an eye, the crimson threads shot out, spreading like ink on a canvas.

What followed was a sight that left them in shock.

Shraaack!!

—Kieeeeeek!!

The undead, caught in the crimson threads, were sliced apart as if they were nothing more than soft tofu.

Those creatures that had been impervious to their weapons were now being effortlessly cut down.

Still frozen in terror, Ulla felt the weight on her body lift as the massive undead that had pinned her was reduced to pieces.

She turned her head.

The first thing she saw in the darkness was a pair of cold, sky-blue eyes.

“Are you alright?”

The calm voice that followed made her tears burst forth.

He didn’t look much older than them.

That was why most of the cadets thought that this instructor named Leon had simply used a magic artifact.

But they would soon realize how mistaken they were.

Because there was no mistaking what they saw emanating from his crimson sword.

Aura Blade.

The mark of a Sword Master.

For any sword wielder—whether a cadet or a veteran warrior—it was the ultimate dream, the peak of mastery.

Yet, that very symbol of overwhelming power was radiating from the sword of Leon, a boy who looked only a few years older than them.

A magic artifact?

No.

This boy was far beyond the level of someone relying on tools.

He was a human who existed at a level beyond their comprehension.

At this point, they began to wonder—was he really just a teenager?

Was he even human?

And in this dire situation, the sight of him rescuing them filled them with overwhelming trust and gratitude.

“I-Instructor…?”

“Is anyone missing?”

“N-no… Everyone’s here…”

“That’s a relief.”

As soon as he said that, more undead began swarming toward them from the forest.

“Hiiiik!!”

“T-they’re back! Those damned monsters!!”

Glancing at the terrified cadets, Leon passed Ulla over to Dason.

“I’ll clear a path. Get out of here.”

“B-but most of us are exhausted…”

At those words, Leon extended his index and middle fingers and flicked his wrist toward the air.

Krrrrrk—Crack!

Then, something unbelievable happened.

From the shadows on the ground, pitch-black, ghostly horses began to emerge.

“Get on and escape. They’ll move at full speed.”

At his command, the phantom horses grabbed the stunned cadets by the scruff of their necks, lifted them into the air, and placed them onto their backs.

“They’re fast, so hold onto their manes and don’t let go.”

“A-aren’t you coming, Instructor?!”

“I need to clean up here and rescue the other cadets.”

“But it’s dangerous—!”

“My role is to protect the cadets in emergencies.”

Hearing those words, some of the cadets’ eyes welled up with tears.

It was a natural reaction in such a desperate situation.

“S-sniff… Instructor…”

There was no anxiety or fear on Leon's face.

Only calmness—an expression that suggested he had expected this outcome.

At that moment, the cadets recalled how, before the test began, Leon had spoken with Professor Rommel about the dangers involved.

Back then, many of them had thought he was overreacting, making a fuss over nothing even in a supposedly safe area of the demonic realm.

They had dismissed it as bravado, assuming he was just another coward at heart.

"And all of you."

Leon slightly turned his head.

"There is no such thing as a 'safe' demonic realm in this world. Keep that in mind."

Just as there is no such thing as a 100% dormant volcano.

"I... I'm sorry for speaking recklessly..."

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Having barely escaped death, the cadets finally seemed to grasp the true dangers of the demonic realm.

At the same time, a crimson thread spread out momentarily, slicing through the undead that had been closing in from all directions.

"Move."

At Leon's command, the phantom horses began to gallop at full speed.

Clinging desperately to their necks, the cadets struggled to keep from falling as the phantom horses dashed through the forest at an incredible pace.

"One team is secured. Report the situation."

The radio crackled to life at his next words.

—Leon, we found Isna. She's injured and had to pull back separately.

"She's injured? How bad?"

—Nothing major. Seems she got hurt while saving a cadet. We couldn't confirm the details.

"At least that's some good news. What about the other cadets?"

This time, Professor Rommel responded.

—I assume those phantom undead are under your command? Regardless, I’ve managed to evacuate most of them. We’ll be regrouping soon...

The fact that "most" had been evacuated meant that some were still left behind.

"Who’s still there?"

—The First Squad, including Princess Eilena...

According to the plan, they should have already taken another route and been guided out by the undead.

If they hadn't been guided out, it meant they were outside the designated safe zone.

There was only one conclusion.

They had ignored his warning and entered a danger zone.

"They really don't listen, do they?"

The red sky was one thing, but the surrounding mana currents were becoming increasingly unstable.

A little more, and this whole area could turn into a literal hellscape...

Time was running out, and the situation was critical.

Extreme measures were necessary.

—Don’t take unnecessary risks. Wait for me to join first...

"Luna, don't let anyone enter the forest from now on."

—Leon?! What are you planning?!

"I'm going to blow it up, so no one else can go in."

A brief silence followed before Luna’s response came.

—Ah, that thing. Understood.

—What are you talking about?! You can’t possibly...

CRACK!

Leon smashed the noisy artifact and tossed it aside.

It was only getting in the way with its incessant alarms.

The First Squad, which included Princess Eilena, was the same group he had encountered just before the Red Moon event began.

One of his phantoms was stationed nearby.

Using Shadow Shift, he transferred his position to it.

Then—

BOOM!!!

The Red Moon in the sky suddenly began to split apart, like a giant, watching eye being torn open.

* * *

[Warning... Warning.]

"Librarian, what now?"

[The Red Moon's erosion has begun. The speed is twenty times faster than expected.]

Just as the Librarian said, the surrounding mana flow was rapidly deteriorating.

The influence of the Red Moon was twisting everything in the area.

So the eerie mana shift I felt earlier was a precursor to this?

"What happens if the erosion completes?"

[By your standards, it would become an unending hellscape.]

No more distress signals were coming in.

Luckily, most of the cadets had already been evacuated.

Now, it was time to retrieve the troublemakers.

"It's important to teach them about the dangers of the demonic realm, but this is going too far."

For the first time, he wondered if sending Melissa to this academy had been the right choice.

Of course, the academy might argue it was unfair to judge them under such extreme circumstances.

If not for the Red Moon, this wouldn’t have happened.

But accidents always happen unexpectedly.

And the demonic realm is a place where accidents tend to be catastrophic.

After another Shadow Shift, Leon sensed multiple presences nearby.

They were in the very forest he had told them to stay out of.

"Damn it! Move, you bastards!!"

"Damn it! Why won't they die?! Please... please! Just die already!! Die!!"

One of the cadets was desperately hacking away at an undead on the ground.

But no matter how much he struck, the undead kept rising to attack them.

Slick!

Leon cut through all the undead in one swift motion, causing the cadets to freeze in place.

"I distinctly remember telling you not to go in. Points don’t save your lives."

"We... we just..."

"Does this place look like a playground to you? Did my words mean nothing?"

The cadets flinched at his cold tone.

"That's not it, we just..."

"Forget it. Let’s get out of here—"

That was when it happened.

"Leon... Leon..."

A voice suddenly echoed through the forest, freezing him in place.

What... did I just hear?

Staring blankly into the dark forest, he heard the voice again—a gentle, feminine voice.

"Leon... my son... Leon..."

"That voice! That’s why we came in here!!"

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]