The Lowest-Ranked Hero Has Returned
A massive tree had erupted from the grounds of the Hero Academy.
With sky-blocking blue leaves, countless vines wrapping around the entire outer walls, and thick roots warping the very foundation the school was built on — it was a tree so vast and imposing that it overwhelmed anyone just by looking at it.
And yet, it had appeared in the blink of an eye.
“What in the world is this...?”
Maurice and Khalid stood dumbfounded, jaws dropped at the surreal sight that defied belief even before their very eyes.
“Dale, is this...?”
“......”
Grinding my teeth, I looked up at the colossal tree reaching into the sky.
An all-too-familiar aura radiated from it.
As far as I knew, only two beings on this entire continent bore such a presence — myself included.
“...The Cult Leader of Eternity.”
Yes.
He had arrived.
To bring about the “End of the World.”
“D-Dale! Look over there!”
Iris pointed toward one of the tree’s twisting roots, which had torn through the ground and surged upward.
Crack.
The root split open, releasing a flurry of pure white petals that scattered like snowflakes.
Something stepped out from within the split root.
“That’s...”
“A c-corpse!”
“No! I-It’s alive!”
Iris shouted, her face pale with fear.
The figure stumbling out of the broken root — not a corpse, but a human — looked around with hollow, lifeless eyes, completely devoid of intellect.
“...Huh? That person...”
Yuren’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“You recognize him?”
“Y-Yeah. I’ve seen his face before... in a book called Great Heroes Who Left Their Mark on History.”
“...A book?”
“Ares Leonhart. You know Bella Leonhart, the upperclassman who just graduated recently? He’s from the same family.”
The Leonhart family.
One of the Empire’s most renowned noble houses, known for producing outstanding heroes.
“Never heard that name before.”
“That’s not surprising... Ares Leonhart was a hero who lived over 400 years ago.”
“...400 years ago?”
“Y-Yeah. I know it sounds impossible, but... his face looks exactly like the photo from the book.”
“I’ve heard of Ares Leonhart too,”
Iris added, nodding as if recalling something.
“He was one of the first people to receive the title ‘Master,’ right? Back when that term was first created.”
A hero from 400 years ago, titled ‘Master.’
My eyes met Lanez’s in midair as we exchanged knowing glances.
“D-Dale, this is...”
“Yeah. It’s just like back then.”
The Ice Witch, Seria Malam.
Despite having clearly died during an incident ten years ago, she had once returned completely unharmed.
Though I still don’t know if you could really call that ‘alive.’
She had lost her mind and was nothing more than a puppet, obeying commands without any will of her own.
Even though her consciousness briefly returned just before death, it wasn’t enough to say she had come back to life in any meaningful way.
If that’s the case... is this also a puppet revived by the power of the Cult Leader of Eternity?
I frowned, watching Ares Leonhart stumble out from the root.
Then—
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Dozens of roots burst from the ground and split open, and from within emerged heroes.
Heroes who had died decades ago, some even centuries ago.
“...This is insane.”
“D-Dale! The heroes — they’re heading toward the school!”
Just as Yuren said, the old heroes were shambling toward the academy.
“Damn it.”
If they were puppets of the Cult Leader of Eternity, there was no telling what kind of disaster they might unleash inside the school.
“Stop them! Don’t let a single one get inside!”
“Right! Got it, Dale!”
“Wait! Everyone, hold on — let me cast blessings first!”
Clutching the pendant around her neck, Iris traced a holy symbol in the air.
Her eyes glowed with a rainbow hue, and an immense wave of divine power surged from her, enveloping the entire party.
Incredible.
This level of divine energy... it surpassed even the Iris from my past life.
With our bodies brimming with energy from the blessing, we turned our eyes toward the approaching undead heroes.
“Let’s go.”
“Yeah! I won’t let even one of them through!”
Yuren dashed ahead, removing the pendant from her neck.
In a flash of radiant light, Yuren’s form shifted into Yurina.
“...What the?”
“Y-Yuren’s a girl...?!”
Khalid and Maurice, completely unaware of Yurina’s true identity, stared at her in stunned confusion — but now wasn’t the time to worry about that.
“Haa!”
Clang!
Yurina swung her sword, and Ares — who had been staggering forward — instinctively drew his blade to parry.
“Ah... Ugh... Wh-Who... Where...?”
Fragmented words that barely formed a sentence.
“Kill... all...”
With vacant, soulless eyes, Ares stared at Yurina, then suddenly slashed at her with a savage swing.
The swordsmanship of the “Lion King” from 400 years ago roared to life, aiming for Yurina.
“Ugh!”
Yurina blocked the strike and stumbled backward.
This...
Despite his hollow gaze and broken speech, I had assumed he would be easy to subdue.
But he’s strong.
His sword strikes were filled with the overwhelming might of a wild beast — it was clear why he had once been called the Lion King.
“I-I’ll help too!”
Panting, Lanez caught up behind Yurina and thrust both hands forward.
CRACK!
A blizzard of snow and ice swept over the ground, freezing everything in its path.
“Ah...!”
Ares’s movements visibly slowed.
Whoosh!
Dozens of silken threads shot out and coiled around Ares’s body.
“Now!”
Professor Elisha pulled the threads taut and signaled Yurina.
“Haaah!”
Yurina charged forward.
Her sword, glowing with silver aura, cleaved through the neck of the ancient hero who once dominated the continent.
Thud.
Ares collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut.
But there was no time to rest.
“Urgh... Grr...”
Another ancient hero followed behind Ares, swinging a massive iron mace at Yurina.
Clang! Boom! RUMBLE!
The clashes continued relentlessly.
A battle had broken out to prevent the old heroes that emerged from the tree roots from entering the school.
“Manifest!”
At Camellia’s gesture, the old heroes were ripped apart.
“Ugh. I don’t know what’s going on, but I feel completely sober now!”
Khalid's sword slashes sent the old heroes flying, coughing up blood.
And amid this fierce battle—
“Brother! You were here?!”
“What on earth is happening...?”
“Saintess! Where are you?!”
Berald, Sophia, and Camilla—
The party members who had stayed inside the school rushed to join the battlefield.
“Damn it! Demons again?!”
“...They don’t seem like demons.”
“E-Either way, we must stop them from entering the school!”
Following the party members, Professors Lucas, Bianca, Jade, and other faculty, having heard the commotion, came rushing out from the school.
“Brother! What is going on?!”
“I’ll explain later! What’s the situation inside the school?”
“The emergency alarm was triggered, and the candidates are being gathered in the main auditorium!”
“What about Principal Lionel?”
“He said he would open the warp gate to evacuate the candidates first, like last time!”
“Really?”
Perhaps it was because of the recent war with the demons.
The response inside the school was swift.
‘Looks like no old heroes have appeared inside the school so far.’
In other words—
If they could just take care of the old heroes outside, the inside of the school would be safe.
‘But where the hell is that Cult Leader of Eternity?’
No matter where they looked, there was no sign of anyone who resembled the Cult Leader of Eternity.
And another thing—
‘Even the cultists of Eternity... not a single one is in sight. Where the hell are they hiding?’
Even the apostles of the Cult Leader, who wore animal masks and displayed incredible martial prowess, were nowhere to be seen.
‘Was this just a probing attack to test our strength?’
No.
That couldn't be.
The enemy had gone so far as to grow a colossal tree, hundreds of meters tall, right in front of the school.
The investment was too great.
Kaang! Kagagagak! Thoom!
“Tch.”
Lost in thought, I turned my head at the sound of another explosion.
The battle with the resurrected old heroes, brought back by the Cult Leader of Eternity, was still raging on.
There was no time to be distracted.
“Bloom.”
As the fight with the old heroes raged on—
“Aaaagh!”
Maurice screamed and rolled on the ground.
“M-Maurice!”
Khalid Han rushed toward the fallen Maurice.
“Huff! Huff! I-I’m sorry... F-Fathe...”
“M-Maurice! Are you okay?!”
Khalid held the fallen Maurice and shouted in panic.
His hands, holding Maurice, were soaked in blood—the wound was severe.
“Let me see the wound!”
Iris ran up and examined Maurice’s condition.
“O Seven Gods, please bless and heal this wounded child.”
A pure white light surrounded the wound, slowly stemming the flow of blood.
“I-Is my son going to be alright?”
“He’s stabilized for now, but the wound is too deep.”
“Then...”
“Lord Khalid, please take Maurice to the main auditorium. Principal Lionel will be opening the warp gate soon to evacuate the candidates—send him through it.”
“Th-Thank you. But...”
Khalid hesitated, glancing around at the still-raging battlefield.
I gave him a small smile.
“We’ll handle things here.”
“...Are you sure?”
“Well, losing one drunk old man won’t change the tide of battle too much.”
“What did you say, you brat?”
“Just go already.”
“......”
Khalid hoisted Maurice onto his back.
“...Thank you. I’ll be back soon.”
“Then we’ll have this done before you return.”
Losing a Master was a significant blow to our forces, but there was no choice.
You can’t force a father to keep fighting while his son lies wounded.
Besides—
‘The tide’s already turned in our favor.’
Even if the old heroes retained a portion of their strength from life, they were still nothing more than mindless puppets.
With the remaining party members and professors joining in, the battle had gradually shifted in the school’s favor.
Khalid’s absence wouldn’t change the outcome.
“Well, let’s finish this.”
As I began walking toward the fallen old heroes, ready to end the battle—
Thud. Creak!
The fallen old heroes on the ground began regenerating at an alarming rate.
Even Ares, who had collapsed with his head severed, was no exception.
His body reattached to his head, and he staggered to his feet.
“...Goddamn it.”
The curse slipped out of my mouth.
‘It wasn’t enough to resurrect heroes who died centuries ago—he gave them immortality too?!’
What the hell is this Cult Leader of Eternity?!

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