The clock was ticking.


    With each step, Orion''s anticipation gradually built up.


    This stressful situation was about to take a drastic turn, where one single mistake could throw a wrench into the plan.


    ''Procyon''s matter has been dealt with.''


    ''That you did. It was magnificent.''


    ''Only because you were here.''


    ''Hehe~''


    Slowly retracing his thoughts through the many obstacles in his way, the two discussed as they approached the broken land, where Noah and Miasma were giving every last bit of energy they could to best the other.


    ''I will leave the angels and demons destiny and fate into Alyssia''s hands. She asked me to trust her, and so I will.''


    ''She will make good use of the information you gave her. Don''t worry.''


    He nodded.


    ''Are we certain that what we''ve discussed will happen?''


    With a smug tone, Tetra sounded like she was puffing her cheeks in pride.


    ''Of course! I am inside your core, so you can also benefit greatly from it.''


    With a faint smile, Orion continued forward. The sounds of explosions began to enter his ears.


    After just a few steps, he would enter the dark space Noah had created.


    But just before entering, he stopped inches from it.


    He looked at the sky.


    The cloud, which was a typically shaped fluffy cloud, began to cover the right side of the sun.


    ''Henrietta will do her part when she needs to. All that''s left is for us to clench our teeth, and clear the hurdle in front of us!''


    ''You bet we do! Let''s go, Orion!''


    The two entered the dark space with a determined expression, ready to brave the challenge of saving Noah and returning home.


    "Why won''t you die?!"


    Miasma''s furious voice echoed the instant Orion walked into the dome of darkness.


    "KH!"


    At the same time, what Orion and Tetra were waiting for was finally happening.


    The entire dome vanished like a bubble popping, and the rain of light stopped. At the same time, Miasma lost control of his power and began to release a large amount of corruption from his body.


    "Shit!"


    He looked around before settling his eyes on Orion.


    "Damn it."


    With just one glance, Miasma understood that his fate was sealed.


    Before giving him any way to escape, Orion leaned forward, stretching Celine''s robotic angelic wings.


    Sending a shockwave behind him, Orion flashed in front of Miasma.


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    ''Tetra, I''m counting on you!''


    ''Aye sir!''


    They ignored the cracking of energy happening behind them, and focused on Miasma.


    While the air began to grow overwhelmingly heavier due to Noah''s loss of control over his elements, which began to automatically fuse into the void element, Orion pierced Miasma''s chest with his left hand.


    "You''re coming with me!"


    Using the ''Fourth Gear'', the ''Overdrive'', and Celine''s wings, Orion pushed inside the large body of the Remnant.


    ''That''s where Alyssia and Alaric''s power come in handy!''


    A wide halo of light appeared around his right hand, which he immediately used to pierce open his enemy''s chest.


    "Stop! STOP!"


    Miasma couldn''t even fight back. The light magic purged his body of corruption, revealing a dark purple bead inside.


    "NO!"


    Miasma began to retract the pearl somewhere else in his large body, but Orion wasn''t going to let that happen.


    A dark thread appeared at the tips of the fingers of his left hand. They floated for a brief instant, before slapping around the bead, holding it in place.


    "DAMN IT!"


    As a last resort, Miasma broke free from his still prison and tried to punch Orion away from him.


    "Here we go!"


    The spirit of a pink-haired woman suddenly flashed behind Orion''s back. Her eyes were closed, her expression neutral, and her arms wide open.


    As he punched the bead with all his strength, Miasma''s fist was about to reach Orion.


    The recoil was intense, but Orion resisted it.


    Miasma''s entire body dissipated before he could touch him. With a frustrated expression, Miasma''s face vanished.


    Orion grabbed the bead in his left hand after pulling it with the strings.


    ''Not breaking it was tough...''


    Tetra wasn''t responding. He glanced over his shoulder, gazing at her figure appearing in this world for the first time.


    "Time to get your power back."


    Clenching the bead in his hand, threads of void magic began to envelop it.


    After just a few seconds, an energy he was familiar with fused inside his body. Now, the sigil of ''Space'' and ''Time'' was whole again.


    "All according to plan."


    When Orion opened his hand, he smiled.


    "Now..."


    He placed his right hand over his left, and with the use of both the void element and Tetra''s Remnant power, Orion focused on the bead.


    "We can''t have you miss in the future, can we?"


    With little effort, the bead separated in two.


    The bead in his left hand was the Miasma of his era, while the one in his right hand was the past Miasma.


    Without Miasma existing after losing to Noah, Orion''s existence wouldn''t be compromised.


    He turned around, dragged his feet behind him, and prepared to throw the bead in his right hand toward the south.


    "You better survive!"


    With the ''Overdrive'', Orion threw the bead with everything he had.


    "HMPF!"


    It traveled through the air at incredible speed. Crossing hundreds of kilometers, it moved over the Talviera Mountain Range, crossed half of Triazils, and landed in the snow at the border of the Frigoria Plains.


    Satisfied, Orion finally turned to the last feat to accomplish.


    "Henrietta! When I disappear, I''m leaving the rest to you!"


    Orion stretched his right hand in the air and made a thumbs up. He received no answer, but he knew that she listened.


    "O-Orion! I''m at my limits!"


    Noah, who was fighting back the intense energy raging inside his veins, was about to lose control.


    "Leave it to us!"


    Tetra''s arms began to bend toward her chest, as if she were holding an item.


    "Noah! Hang on!"


    Closing his eyes for a brief instant, Orion clenched his chest. Holding the bead in his left hand, he carefully placed it in his pocket.


    ''Tetra, you can do it. I believe in you.''


    When he opened his eyes, the sigil of her power flashed in over his pupils.


    I, II, III, ...


    The numbers began to rapidly count up, until the last number appeared.


    IV.


    "Longinus!"


    Inside the spirit''s hands, a scepter formed, bending the physics of space itself.


    Her apparition, caused by Orion''s void magic, could only affect this world like so.


    But only she could use the treasure bestowed by her mother, a Valkyrie.


    Slowly, Tetra''s spirit opened her eyes, revealing the same number shown inside Orion''s eyes.


    "Even if I have to suffer, I''ll bring you home safe and sound!"


    Blood began to seep through the corner of his eyes. Tetra''s power was tremendous, but Orion was able to counteract it with ''Calm Analysis''.


    Of course, his suffering was accentuated as seconds became longer, but he didn''t care.


    Alyssia''s light magic was working at full power, healing his wounds the moment they appeared.


    "Release everything, Noah!"


    "You... Are you sure?!"


    Holding his chest, Noah opened one eye and stared at Orion.


    "Trust me."


    His words eased his worries. Leaving his life in Orion''s hand, Noah''s body detonated in a giant blast.


    But right before exploding, Orion was seen compacting tremendous void energy between his hands.


    As the entire land was reduced to ashes, and a massive crater was created, the landmass attached to the mountains began to detach itself from the magnitude of the explosion.


    The twins, who watched everything from afar, were sent flying, gravely injured. Tiohr-nam and Tetra caught them, and everything followed the same path.


    ...


    "I''m counting on you, Orion."


    Henrietta wrote inside five pages.


    First, Tiohr-nam. Then, Mia, Nia, Tetra... and finally, her page.


    <The existence of Orion Feales, the second Hero that came to the past, won''t be remembered until his return into the future.>


    With a faint smile, she closed the book.


    The words instantly took effect, as her face changed into despair.


    "Noah..."


    ...


    Inside the explosion.


    "THAT''S SOME FUCKING MESS RIGHT THERE!"


    Orion was being hit by intense blasts of energy.


    At the center of the singularity caused by Noah''s overload of energy were the two men, protected by a thick layer of void magic.


    Even though the magic sealed them from being disintegrated, the actual force was still going through, as it was the same magic in nature.


    "ARE YOU HOLDING ON?"


    The sound was so loud that he had no choice but to scream for Noah to hear him.


    Noah, who was feeling exhausted, only nodded.


    "THINK OF YOUR HOME! IMAGINE IT IN EVERY DETAIL!"


    The picture of his family, his wife, and his child. He wanted to look at his phone, but he remembered leaving it in the hands of Tetra before the battle.


    As he forced his mind to recreate a scene of his household, Orion smiled.


    ''See you, Noah.''


    Tetra aimed Longinus at Noah, then behind Orion. A deep rift formed behind the men. A thread from the rift touched the Heroes, linking their minds to the portal.


    Inside the singularity, where not even the world could intervene, Orion pushed Noah inside the rift. Using the momentum, he threw himself into the ''Corridors of Time''.


    As Noah stared at Orion in disbelief, a room bathed by the light of dawn appeared behind him.


    Orion saw through the window of the room tall buildings and weird vehicles. He remembered the stories the man told him about his home world.


    Noah was swallowed by the rift, which began to close up.


    "Orion!"


    Before they could disappear entirely, the two men smiled at each other.


    "Thank you!"


    For Orion, this was the greatest accomplishment.


    The rift closed entirely, separating the two friends for good.


    One was sent back into the future, while the other returned to his home.


    The first Hero lost his life in Triazils, Miasma bailed at the last moment and survived, and everything continued like it should.


    No one apart from Alyssia recalled Orion''s existence.


    As the actual conclusion of this battle wouldn''t be known until a long time into the future, the concerned people would continue to believe in the sacrifice of Noah.


    The Tale of the Legendary Hero came to an end.