Son of the Hero King

Chapter 779: One Step Horizon!

The largest meteor, immolating itself and the very air surrounding its flight with the fury of a dying star, descended like divine punishment— which it was, a divine punishment ordained by the Goddess of Love and Hatred. The roar of the immolated celestial body drowned out thought, its radiance rivaled the sun, and its sheer mass threatened to trigger a new extinction-level event. The angels' shields did not cover this region, deliberately left open for the beings fighting against this horror.

“Those angels are playing tricks again,” Ambrosia commented with a bitter smile tugging her lips.

Everyone and their mothers could tell that this was deliberate.

Slothein's angels had left this final trial untouched, fully confident that those in its path would either survive… or die trying. No matter how it went, they came out of it with no losses.

The sheer arrogance in this decision left Ambrosia utterly speechless. But she could not focus on those petty pigeons now, not with what they had to face soon.

The current situation was more pressing. Ambrosia banished the angels from her thoughts and searched for her companion among the chaos of the screaming world, wailing as the meteor inched closer and closer.

Lilith.

She stood at the very peak of a ruined spire, her dress billowing like tendrils of smoke and ash spiralling with an unknown wind. The wind howled around her, and her eyes locked on the blazing horror of a behemoth descending from above with morbid intensity.

“What will you do?” Ambrosia took a breath and started preparing her spells. She could flee now, no one could stop her from getting away from this place and saving herself from the impact and the aftermath. But Gluttony Foss was the country of her friend, and she was one of the participants in the G.O.D. project. Leaving the chimera to be annihilated like this, without any chance to save themselves, was not something she could allow. Especially since they would just be collateral in her own fight against the goddess.

However, she could not force Lilith to stay in such a situation. She was about to turn and tell Lilith that she was free to retreat now, that she was free to leave without consequence, but before she could even start forming any words…

“I am going to cut it.”

Ambrosia’s spell formation faltered for a second at the sheer absurdity of what she heard, leading her to question the ability of her ears. “You’re serious?” She asked, even though she knew Lilith would never joke about something like this. At least, not in their current situation.

“I want to create a sword art that can cut through everything. Be it the mysterious gods… or even the unfathomable stars. Wouldn’t it be pathetic if I couldn’t even cut down a single meteor?”

“You’re insane.”

“No,” Lilith denied, her voice steady and firm, full of overwhelming conviction. “I’ve never felt more lucid. Inspiration’s flooding my every pore. I can feel it, I’m on the verge of creating something new. So buy me some time, Ambrosia.”

Ambrosia exhaled softly, giving up talking further. Her eyes began to glow with a brilliant golden radiance, the projection of her innate power. Her rational mind was screaming at her that she should not listen to that sword-obsessed, crazy woman.

Nevertheless…

“I am going to put my trust in you, Lilith.”

｢ Avatar -::- Records of Akasha ｣

Iridescent light of untold brilliance danced in her irises as mana surged around her like a rising mist of kaleidoscopic hues. The Book of Akasha opened once again, and the pages turned until they landed on the image of Medea.

｢ Records of Akasha —::— Avatar -::- Chronos ｣

With an undulating flick of her wrist, a complex magic circle of interlocking locks unfurled below her steps, blooming and expanding— its shape like a great celestial clock, spinning in layers upon layers of interlocking mechanisms and gears that seemed to control the movements of each hand of the ethereal clock.

Time stuttered and creaked, groaning until… everything seemingly came to a halt.

The meteor’s descent slowed so significantly that… it was almost as though it was not moving at all.

“I can only give you a few seconds.” Ambrosia’s voice was calm, but sweat was already beading uncontrollably on her temple. Slowing time, especially infinitely close to a full stop, over such a vast area – especially something falling from orbit – was no small feat even for the Mother of all Witches.

“A few seconds is more than enough.” Lilith’s voice rang with peals of pure laughter as she admired Ambrosia’s incredible feat of strength.

Her core ignited.

｢ Mana Burst -::- Overdrive ｣

Mana surged.

Her mana flared like the combustion of a dying star on the process of achieving supernova, detonating from her core and infusing every fiber of her being. Her hair whipped like writhing tongues of wildfire, while her eyes blazed and shimmered into a fire of molten gold.

The air screamed and wailed. Her body shimmered with energy as violet flames of unbridled power erupted around her like a blaze of molten aura. In that instant, gravity faltered around her, reality bending at the edges due to her sheer presence alone.

The ground beneath her shattered, shockwaves rippling outwards in zagged streams.

This was Sol's technique. Though calling it such was an overstatement. This was nothing but an utterly wasteful usage of mana by overloading and flooding the body with it. It was a reckless usage of power that was impossible without virtually limitless mana or a body strong enough.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

Two things she had lacked in their entirety until her body had been recreated by Sol.

Now, though, she had everything she ever needed and more.

“I am going to sever that meteor.”

She braced her left foot back, sinking into a low stance. One hand found the hilt of her blade… the other hovered over the sheath. She could feel the mana pulsing inside her, wave after wave, each one hotter than the last. It was like a river of fire rushing through her, getting stronger with every beat of her heart.

So intense was the undulation of the mana streams that her body started cracking in its aftermath. Fissures sinuously criss-crossed on her skin, while the heat generated by her upsurge of mana was hot enough to evaporate through the blood coursing inside her veins.

Her head tilted downward, purple hair waving erratically in the wind. Yet her gaze never wavered. It pierced through the violet flames and disintegrating stones, locked on the heart of the descending meteor as if the behemoth of destruction was nothing but a mere target awaiting judgment brought by her own hands.

She could sever everything. That was her path, her creed. Giant meteors were no exceptions to that absolute rule— the rule of Absolute Severance. She took a deep, centering breath. As she tightened her grip around her sword, hard enough to crackle the very air, Lilith’s thoughts drifted over to the memories of her daughter. Unlike what Lilin had the misconception of belief, Lilith had always known that her daughter was extremely talented.

One breath to reach the speed of sound.

This was why she felt no shame in learning from her own daughter. Unfortunately, she did not have Lilin’s immense talent in the manipulation of space. Unlike her daughter, she could not simply ignore and erase the concept of distance and teleport anywhere she wished.

… Two breaths to go beyond sound.

Thankfully, such intricacies did not matter to her. She was the Sovereign of Swords— the song of each gleaming blade as it severed. All she ever needed… was a sword. The rest would fall into place accordingly.

….. One step to reach the ever elusive light and… Go beyond!

Shockwaves tore the ground apart into gravel as she kicked off into the air, shattering everything in her vicinity. Her form shot through the clouds in a flash of violet light, cutting upward straight into the crawling inferno. The world vanished into a blur, and a sudden, sharp calm took over the chaos of the world as her perception sped up and the meteor seemed to stop entirely in her eyes. Her burst of acceleration allowed her to rise several times above her maximum speed, and in a snap, she intercepted the meteor head-on.

Once she reached only a breath’s pace away, time seemingly at a standstill, waiting patiently for her act…

｢ God Slaying Sword Art -::- One Step Horizon ｣

Her sword gleamed white‑violet, thrumming with divine power, and clashed with the meteor.

All it took was one swing.

The blade left its sheath in a flash of violet and white, so fast the sound arrived seconds after the light. Across the continent, those who looked up saw the impossible— a single, pure line of white-hot-violet splitting the heavens themselves.

The world itself seemed to pause entirely in the aftermath of the line coursing through the heavens. Soon… Clouds parted. Winds stopped. Even the falling debris hung suspended for a heartbeat, as though confused and uncertain about how to proceed.

A blinding arc of mana raced across the gleaming sky of iridescent hues, carving through the very heart of the meteor. The impact was silent at first, too fast for the speed of sound to keep up with its law-breaking speed.

Four perfect lines carved through the kilometers‑wide mass, manifesting as though out of thin air, splitting the imolating hunk of stone into quarters. The sheer force tore open a fissure in the atmosphere, allowing the void beyond to be visible in daylight. A paradox of occurrence— the sky of night brought into existence at the time of day.

For a moment, silence reigned in the whole world. Then followed the aftermath. As formidable as her sword slash had been, it had not been enough to erase the entire meteor. But she had done her part.

The smattering debris of the disintegrated meteor continued its rapid descent, but this aftermath was well within Ambrosia’s capabilities to take care of in stride.

“I will leave the rest to you,”

Thankfully, Ambrosia did not disappoint the Queen Regent’s expectations.

Though tired after firing two explosions rivaling the supernovas of dying suns, she easily erased all the smaller meteors that threatened to fall in the vicinity of Gluttony Foss.

Watching her devastating performance, Lilth wiped the blood pooling and spilling out of the corner of her mouth. Mana Burst had been more exhausting than she had anticipated.

As the swirling aura of molten violet surrounding her body dissipated, she hovered amidst falling embers and molten shards. Her breath came heavy, drawn through gritted teeth and exhausting pain. Her sword, though dimmed significantly, still hummed with the residual power of her enlightenment, held fast in her grip.

Her body also bore the price of her impromptu attack. Burns laced her arms and shoulders. Shallow cuts bled along her legs. Smoke rose from her singed dress, and more than a few bones groaned in protest beneath the surface of her now withering skin.

⦗Overdrive⦘ was not a power accessible to just about anyone. She was not Sol, after all. After this, she might need a few days of rest unless Isis or Nefertiti were generous enough to heal her.

Nevertheless, such thoughts did not matter at the moment for her. Such superficial wounds did not have the weight to affect her chipper mood.

On her face bloomed one of the brightest, fiercest smiles she had ever worn. Her heart thundered in her chest, louder than the aftershocks of the divine wrath that almost descended and made the world collapse.

She felt pure ecstasy coursing through every sinue of her being as she savored the aftertaste of her previous sword strike.

Her hand was trembling, her soul was aching from the strain, but she could…

Rhythmic notes of hollow claps echoed faintly through the drifting embers, breaking her train of thought.

“I see. So you managed to cut it down. How impressive.

Lilith’s eyes narrowed. Euphoria’s voice cut through the haze, distant but clear, laced with mockery.

“So… what are you going to do about the second one?” Euphoria asked.

Confusion rippled across Lilith’s face.

Then, she understood.

She looked up.

And there it was.

Another meteor.

Even larger.

Even faster.

Falling straight for them.

This was the end of the line for the duo— or at least it should have been.

However…

“Man, perhaps I should have stayed in the dream? Getting welcomed by a meteor had not been in my bingo card.” A young man spoke with an exaggerated sigh as he appeared right beside her. It felt like the man had always been there, by her side, as though he had not just manifested into existence. Such was the ease with which the world allowed his presence.

The voice was one she recognized, rather intimately. Slightly cooky but oh so reliable.

Silver hair and eyes of shifting rainbow hue. An appearance much different from what she was used to seeing. Yet she could never in any scenario mistake him for anyone else.

“You really do appear at the strangest times.” Lilith's tense shoulder relaxed at his arrival. A feeling that everything would fall into place perfectly now that he had arrived here filled her heart and the depths of her soul.

“What can I do? Arriving fashionably late is the prerogative of the main character.” Sol was laughing dramatically, but his eyes were infinitely cold. Anger was rising inside his body like an active volcano as he observed the wounds covering Lilith’s body.

In the distance, he could also feel the bewildered gazes of the goddesses. After all, his current appearance was not what a Blessed should have.

He was not worried by their presence, though. The goddesses now had far bigger problems to worry about than little ol’ him. They would not antagonize him. At least not for the time being.

“Hum guys… This is great and all. But there is a giant meteor falling on my Kingdom where my true body is… Care to help?” Echidna, who had been standing all along beside Sol, muttered with exasperation. A simple meteor would never be enough to destroy the seal on her body, but it would definitely erase all her creations.

“Ah, that?” Sol looked up nonchalantly, as if only now noticing the presence of the world-destroying behemoth and… acted as though it were nothing. “Leave it to me.”

The silver-haired prince stepped forward a single step. With a single extended hand, the prince snapped his fingers, a faint sound… but that sound rippled through the void and echoed loudly in every corner of the world.

A soundless tremor rippled across the world alongside that snap.

And finally…

｢ Dimension Encroachment -::- Void Gate ｣

Reality cracked and shattered. Above them, space folded, then split open like the maws of the abyss. A rift bloomed across the heavens, wide enough to swallow mountains, maybe even continents whole.

From anyone's perspective, it looked like an abyssal beast of worldly proportions had just opened its hungry maws wide for supper.

A literal maw of abyssal darkness and soul-shuddering nothingness unfolded above them. Dozens of fanged extensions followed, latching onto the still-falling mass. The mouths bit deep, chewing through rock and heat in one resounding gulp that seemed to echo throughout the whole expanse of the world and beyond.

The meteor that had heralded annihilation— swallowed by a single gesture. The jagged rift pulsed once more before folding in on itself with a deep, muffled thud, like a door slamming shut on reality.

And just like that. Everything was gone, and the sky returned to normal… as though nothing ever had taken place to disturb the heavens above.