Chapter 492

492.

Crash- Crash- Crash-!

Leo was furiously holding Egenie’s head while slicing her neck.

Egenie screamed in pain from the sensation in her neck, and for a moment, her gaze met Leo’s.

A cold, emotionless expression that exuded no feeling.

Coupled with dry, lifeless crimson eyes.

Upon seeing this, Egenie felt a chill run down her spine.

“KIEEEEEEE! Hahk!”

Egenie’s screams were abruptly cut off.

Her cries had been silenced by none other than Leo’s sword, the very blade slicing her neck.

“Enough with the noise.”

“Hahk! Gahk! Gahk!”

Plop-!

With annoyance, Leo added pressure to the sword already embedded in Egenie’s mouth.

The blade pierced through her mouth, emerging from the back of her neck, digging deeper into her flesh.

Egenie’s crimson eyes, which had been gasping bl**d, suddenly glowed with danger.

Flash-! ROAAAAR-!

A crimson flash of light erupted from the bl**d Egenie had sprayed, causing a massive explosion.

A colossal quake shook the ground.

Amidst the rising deep-red flames and smoke, Egenie dashed out, clutching her neck.

“Hahaha! Fool! Do you know who I am?!”

Egenie laughed derisively while staring at the burning bl**d-red flames.

“I am the bl**d Queen! My bl**d becomes a powerful weapon! The very force heroes fear! Excellent! Hahaha!”

With fiery eyes, Egenie taunted Leo, catching her breath.

For all her excessive blabbering, Egenie’s words were an act of flailing to escape fear.

She had lived as a source of terror, being a Demon.

As a commander in the Legions, Egenie was powerful from birth, having excelled on countless battlefields and fought against many heroes.

Egenie rarely found herself in a position of weakness. Though, among those she had once faced, there were stronger foes beyond her capacity, but never someone who could eliminate her so effortlessly, like squashing a bug.

Leo’s emanating aura wasn’t merely that of a dominant warrior or predator; it was something else entirely.

“Like a butcher.”

As the fear of Leo imprinted deeply in her mind, Egenie couldn’t escape it.

Whoosh-!

“…!”

The bl**d-red flames began to coalesce into a single point.

Whoosh-!

Despite being caught in the powerful explosion and flames, not even a speck of soot stained Leo’s body.

Whoosh-!

Gazing at the fiery inferno of Egenie’s bl**d burning on his palm, Leo looked up.

“The more I look at you, the more irked I become.”

“What?”

“Did you come from the Demon Queen’s Legion?”

“How did you…?!”

Upon hearing Leo’s words, Egenie trembled.

The Legion Commanders lead Demons and also create loyal followers.

The nature of these Demon creations reflects the characteristics of the commanding Legion Leader.

The malice in Leo’s eyes deepened.

This place was where Lady Luna had passed away long ago.

It was unacceptable for the footsteps of a Demon to reach here, much less for a Demon connected to the Demon Queen who had deep ties with Luna five thousand years ago.

Whoosh-!

The crimson flames burning in Leo’s hand began to deepen in color.

“Purgatory.”

Leo completed his spell.

The starry magic of Purgatory, a flame of purification.

Among the fire-based magic spells Luna completed using the Magic of the Stars, Purgatory occupied the highest rank.

While the strongest fire-based Magic of the Stars is the Emperor spell, which even Lady Lunia mastered, alas, it was a magic that Luna herself didn’t fully complete during her lifetime.

Thus, when judged by completed spells, the strongest fire-based Magic of the Stars spell was this Purgatory.

Purgatory was an experimental spell created during Luna’s research to complete the Emperor spell, serving as its lower counterpart.

However…

“The Emperor spell was magic Luna researched to defeat Erebus.”

Leo looked at the Purgatory blazing in his hands.

Even if it was inferior to the Emperor spell, it was terrifying magic for the Demons, who were not divine beings.

More so…

“An enemy to fire-wielding Demons.”

Purgatory was the purifying flame.

To Demons who wielded fire, it was a fatal force.

Whoosh!

Purgatory enchanted Leo’s sword.

“Lord Leo…?”

Egenie’s hasty retreat caught Chen Sia’s attention, who cautiously addressed Leo.

He seemed different from the Leo she knew.

“Are you angry?”

Upon turning to Chen Sia’s concerned query, Leo offered a slight, bitter smile.

“Are you both intending to wait here?”

Leo redirected his gaze to his sword.

“It’s not a sight I wish to show.”

Just then…

Unable to bear Leo’s form any longer, Egenie fled.

Instinctively, she realized the boy before her was a monster.

As Leo prepared to chase after Egenie, a gateway opened, spilling out Demons.

Frowning at the sight, Leo hesitated.

“Go, Master Leo.”

Eiran unsheathed her sword.

“Will you be alright?”

“It’s unforgivable. A Demon stepping into the place where Lady Luna rested.”

Eiran’s sharp gaze betrayed a rare sharpness.

“I can’t forgive it either. I’ll cut down those hideous creatures.”

Eiran’s words caused Chen Sia to raise a hand.

“Though I don’t know the situation entirely… ever since I vowed to follow Lord Leo, I’ve never sought to hold him back.”

Chen Sia smiled wryly.

“I wish to stand on the same stage as Lord Leo. I’ll chase after him with all my might, so please trust me.”

“Me too, Lord Leo!”

The enthusiasm of the two prompted Leo to silently stare at them.

Then, he let out a hollow chuckle.

“Kids grow up quickly, don’t they?”

Witnessing the two girls advancing faster than he anticipated, Leo stepped forward.

“Then, I’ll trust you.”

With the activation of the Aura Step, Leo sped off at an incredible velocity in pursuit of Egenie.

“Let’s go, Miss Sia!”

Eiran, armed with the shield gifted by Erquent and Dwenno, enthusiastically moved forward before halting.

“Miss Sia?”

Noticing Chen Sia’s slightly discontented expression, Eiran appeared flustered.

“If you know I’ve grown up, it’d be nice if you treated me more like a woman.”

*

Leo traversed the forest at incredible speed, chasing after Egenie.

Though momentarily delayed by Egenie’s summoned Legions, it was enough time for a powerful Demon Commander to flee.

‘In an ordinary situation.’

Leo narrowed his eyes.

His awakened extrasensory perception began scanning the surrounding area.

During the height of the Era of Catastrophe,

the renowned Great Heroes who purged countless Demons eventually became feared adversaries to the Demon race.

Among them, the Demon race feared only one figure the most—none other than the Hero of Survival, Kyle.

The reason was simple.

‘Because I was the most brutal in killing Demons.’

Having executed traitors with a cruel hand, there was no reason to spare the race fundamentally opposed to their world, destined to bring its destruction.

Through his long mercenary career, Leo well knew that nothing facilitated battle easier than instilling overwhelming fear.

Demons and monsters are living creatures, carrying within them the emotion of fear.

Each Demon that crossed paths with Leo and survived carried away an indelible, tremendous fear.

Flick!

Leo tightened his grip on his sword.

At that moment, he hurled it like a dart.

Thud!

“Urgh!”

The blade sailed at breakneck speed, embedding itself into Egenie’s back.

“Wha-how…?!”

“Abandon the idea of escape.”

Flick!

Leo reclaimed his sword.

“Among all the Demon Commanders I’ve met on the battlefield and decided to k*ll, no one but Silatuna ever managed to escape.”

“Yip! What… nonsense…?”

Crash!

“KYAAAAAAAAAA!”

As Leo swung his sword upward, Egenie’s body was savagely torn apart.

Flick! Crack! Crunch!

Leo’s sword swept through Egenie’s body at an incredible speed.

“Stop, already! Ye, lowly creature!”

bl**d spurted out in geyser-like streams as Egenie struggled in excruciating pain.

BOOM!

The fragments of bl**d she expelled caused massive explosions wherever they landed.

However, Leo remained entirely unscathed from Egenie’s attacks.

Crash!

“Kihah!”

Leo was quicker, having smashed Egenie’s head with a swift kick.

Thud! Thud!

While the crushed head rapidly regenerated, Leo kicked Egenie aside.

After struggling pathetically on the ground, Egenie struggled to stand.

“How… how…?!”

“I’ve slain more than a few Demons.”

Leo grinned coldly.

“I’ve faced countless weird powers until they’ve become routine. Most just rely solely on the powers they’re born with.”

Having answered, Leo’s sword glinted.

“KYYYYYYYY!”

With unmatched speed, he hacked Egenie to shreds.

Egenie, though continuously healing, trembled in fear after undergoing such brutal torture.

“What… What reason do you have for doing this to me?!”

Upon seeing Egenie losing her mind in trembling fear, Leo responded.

“Do you Demons have a reason for trying to destroy the world?”

Egenie was left speechless.

“The same applies. I’m just doing what I must by killing you cruelly.”

Leo responded with a chilling smirk.

“What… Who are you?!”

“Leo Flove. Didn’t you hear from the King of Demons?”

“Leo Flove?”

The color drained from Egenie’s face.

She had indeed heard from the Demon King: if they crossed paths with him, survival would be nearly impossible, so it was best to avoid confrontation altogether.

Till that moment, neither Egenie nor the other Demon Commanders could fully understand why.

Who would ever fear a mere young human, regardless of being a Hero?

But now, facing him directly, she finally comprehended the Demon King’s warning.

“Still, you’re quite weak for a Commander. The Demon King must have his own set of troubles.”

Leo instantly recognized that the commander before him was relatively weak among commanders, even compared to Kigors, who was resurrected at one point.

“Did you take over Silatuna’s position once she disappeared? No wonder it’s so pitiable.”

Hearing Leo’s mockery, Egenie’s shoulders began to tremble.

“How dare… a mere human like you look down on me?”

“To someone who doesn’t possess the qualifications to be a commander, it’s none of your business.”

Leo lifted his free hand.

A powerful surge of mana erupted alongside the summoning of Cometes.

Whoosh-Whoosh!

“Give up.”

Leo taunted.

“Your choice to surrender would make things easier.”

An incomparably powerful Purgatory flame blazed forth, unlike anything Egenie had faced so far.

Whoosh-Whoosh!

Egenie’s face grew pale.

And then.

Hummm!

“…?”

Cometes reacted.

Flash!

‘What is this?’

Suddenly, Rissinas’ aura surged within Leo’s hand.

Cometes responded to this aura of Rissinas.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

‘Is the power Luna left within Cometes resonating?’

Taken aback by the uncontrollable force, Leo momentarily faltered.

Snap!

Cometes disintegrated into particles of light.

“What?”

Leo frantically stretched out his hand towards Cometes.

But it was impossible to grasp the light particles that had become Cometes.

Seeing this, Leo was stunned.

‘The retrieval function within Cometes?’

During her lifetime, Luna had a deep attachment to the staff she wielded.

Much like how a knight would collect armor and weapons.

Luna also had a hobby of collecting powerful magical staves.

Her strong attachment to her possessions ensured she engraved specific retrieval spells within them.

They were precisely that—spells exclusive to their true master.

Not only Leo but even Seirun would be unable to activate these spells.

‘And the one who can use it is only one person.’

Leo’s face fell as he processed this.

Fwooshh!

“What… what is this?”

Egenie’s body began to burn.

Confused initially, her face soon lit up with an expression of ecstasy.

“Ah… power… so much power!”

The crimson flames soon transformed into black flames.

Overcome by omnipresent power she had never before possessed, Egenie quaked.

“Ahh! I can hear it… I can hear it!”

Clutching her head and rolling her eyes back, Egenie screamed in a trembling voice.

“The… the voice of the great god is calling to me! The god desires it!”

Having lost all sense of self, Egenie leaped towards Leo with wild eyes.

“Surviving Hero Kyle! Your d*ath!”

Faced with the sudden change in atmosphere, Leo narrowed his eyes and raised his sword.

Crash!

Egenie’s head soared through the air.

Leo had seen something like this before.

‘The lingering thoughts of Erebus.’

This closely resembled the remnant of Erebus he encountered where he had died.

The unexpected switch in names—from addressing him as Leo Flove to Kyle—was likely influenced by this.

Having quickly deduced the situation, Leo prepared to strike down the corpse when,

Whoosh!

Egenie’s body vanished, engulfed by dark flames.

Plop!

With an exasperated sigh, Leo stabbed the ground.

‘Did I lose her?’

There was not even a trace of her presence.

She had disappeared completely.

Swoosh!

Having sheathed his sword and sent it to the voidspace, Leo looked at the palm that held Cometes.

There, floating on his palm, was a single mystical contract formation that Leo had never seen before.

It was neither from the spirits or familiars he knew before.

This was the formation Leo was encountering for the first time.

‘A spirit contract formation.’

An unfamiliar formation of someone’s spirit contract.

And Leo felt an almost negligible residue of the Magic of the Stars flowing through it, causing a flutter of excitement to ripple through him.

Crunch—Crunch—

The sounds of trampled flowers and fallen leaves echoed softly.

All traces of Demons’ presence had vanished as if washed away.

Breaking his stare from his hand, Leo surveyed the forest now restored to tranquility.

Then, he stepped towards the direction he felt Cometes had flown.

Crunch—Crunch—Crunch—

The sound of trampling leaves gradually faded.

Swoosh—Swoosh—

Soon, the sound morphed into the crunching of lively bushes underfoot.

At this moment, Leo halted in his steps.

‘Magic?’

Leo’s eyes widened in surprise at a magical illusion stretched before him.

He couldn’t tell who had cast it, but even he, Leo, found it difficult to discern the illusion before him.

As Leo extended his hand,

The illusion rippled, revealing a new space.

SWOOSHHH!

Two tombstones appeared.

The tombstone that Leo’s eyes immediately locked onto was familiar.

From five thousand years ago, when he and Rissinas had erected a tombstone together.

And beside it…

‘My tomb.’

The resting place of his remains collected by Berkiya and Bihar.

Before Kyle’s tomb was a black dagger he recognized.

’Bihar’s dagger?’

The dagger he had once commissioned Dwenno to create and gifted to Bihar as a present.

The moment Leo reached for the tombstone,

Uhhhh—!

The spirit contract insignia on the back of his hand reacted.

Leo’s eyes turned towards Luna’s tomb.

There, hovering, was the particle form of Cometes.

Through the light particles, Leo could sense someone’s distinct presence.

Watching it, Leo felt his heart stir.

‘What in the world…’

Though questions arose,

One certainty remained.

With a trembling hand, Leo extended towards Cometes.

The moment his invisible hand made contact,

Someone grabbed his hand.

And…

Whoosh!

Petals swirled around the surroundings.

The light particles coalesced, gradually taking form.

But it wasn’t the form of a staff.

It started resembling a human figure.

And after the light dissipated,

There stood a beautiful elf, holding Leo’s hand in the air.

Stunned, Leo caught his breath upon witnessing the sight.

The elf, Lu, slowly descended to the ground, the soft ‘swoosh’ of her landing filling the air.

While gripping hands, Leo stood still and carefully whispered.

“Lu… na?”

At Leo’s call, the closed eyes of Lu trembled.

Then, her star-like golden eyes revealed themselves to the world.

The wind blew, causing her silver hair to sway.

Gradually, the hazy beauty of her eyes came into focus.

And after a moment of gazing blankly at Leo, Lu smiled and responded to his call.

“Yep, Kyle.”