"You dared to hurt someone that belongs to me… Are you ready to pay for your crimes, worm?"
Leon stared at Zenon, the glint of anger faintly burning within his otherwise calm purple eyes. His icy voice sent shivers down the spine of anyone who heard it.
To achieve his goal, he needed a heart as cold and solid as stone.
He couldn't afford to get angry just because one of his subordinates was in danger—but that was simply his nature.
He would never abandon one of his own.
"Master…"
A blush spread across Sinon's face as she gazed at Leon with sparkling eyes—her beloved master was furious because she had been hurt.
The little wildcat, usually cold and distant toward everyone, cast Leon an incredibly affectionate look. Alexia, standing beside her, was stunned by the contrast in the girl's behavior.
"You must be Midnight, right? So you're the wild dog that's been chasing the cult? You want me to pay for some crime? Don't be ridiculous! I'm invincible now! Nothing and no one can stop me!" Zenon shouted, consumed by arrogance and rage.
How could he possibly be defeated now? He sacrificed a hundred years of his life in exchange for this temporary power, all for the sake of strength. Regardless, he was going to die tomorrow or the day after due to the drug's side effects.
But now, right now—he was the strongest being in the world!
He raised his sword, poured immense magical power into it, and charged at Leon.
"Be careful!"
Alexia shouted instinctively, but Sinon simply shook her head, no trace of concern in her admiring blue eyes.
"It's fine. Master won't lose to someone of that level. No… he'll never lose to anyone."
"Heyaaaaaa!!!"
Zenon's sword struck Leon's shoulder.
But it didn't cut, didn't pierce, not even scratch his clothes…
Nothing happened.
Zenon's eyes widened in disbelief. It was like trying to cut a mountain with a butter knife.
"That's your 'invincible'?" Leon asked softly, not moving an inch.
"I-it's impossible!" Zenon staggered back, stunned.
"W-what are you!?" he screamed.
"You're pathetic, Zenon Griffey," Leon said coldly.
Just the sight of those purple eyes filled Zenon with uncontrollable fear. He screamed and began swinging his sword wildly, with no technique or form, as if trying to slash away the terror consuming him.
Yet the strikes had no effect. No matter how wildly he swung, his opponent remained untouched.
The sword that once appeared terrifying in Alexia's eyes now looked like a harmless toy.
"Alright, the fun's over."
As if bored, Leon caught Zenon's sword between two fingers—and shattered it into pieces.
"Impossible! How did you do that?! Monster! You monster! How could my strike do nothing to you?! What did you do?!"
"ROOOARRR!"
"What was that?! Is that the roar of a dragon?!"
Zenon was completely shaken.
He saw the magical power emanating from Leon's body take the shape of a colossal dragon—formed entirely of pure magical energy that seemed alive and breathing.
"You'll be a perfect test subject to observe the effects of my subordinate's latest creation—[Dragon Heart]," Leon said with narrowed eyes.
A few days ago, Eta had completed this masterpiece. It was crafted using the magic stone from the dragon Leon had previously slain. What the girl created wasn't a simple magical item like Anis would've made, but something far more direct—a study in the absorption of draconic power by the human body.
She ground the dragon's magic stone into powder, mixed it with dragon's blood, added various rare magical potions and materials, and finally transformed it into a kind of "dye" which she used to paint Leon's body.
If Leon took off his shirt now, one would see a tattoo of a red dragon emblem across his upper torso.
Now, as long as Leon wills it, he can channel his magical power into the tattoo. In that state, he also gains the various abilities of a dragon.
For example… magical and physical resistance that can reduce damage by up to 90%, the terrifying aura of dragons, and a body far beyond the limits of any human.
This is no longer the power to control a dragon.
He is a dragon.
"It was with this hand that you grabbed Sinon's neck, wasn't it?"
"No, no, stay away from me!"
Crack!
"ARRRRRRRGH!!"
Zenon screamed in agony. His right arm was twisted, torn off, and thrown to the ground by Leon.
Compared to Zenon's massive limbs, Leon's arms looked slender—but they carried power far beyond their appearance.
"I like things to be symmetrical."
"No! Please! Don't do this!"
Crack!
Zenon's plea for mercy was useless. His remaining arm was also twisted and ripped off. The merciless look in Leon's eyes awakened a primal fear in his soul.
Is this the real world?
Alexia stared at the scene, wide-eyed.
That night, her worldview and values were utterly shattered. She had witnessed the conflict between two mysterious organizations—be it the Night Raid or the Cult of Diablos—and the terrifying power involved made her tremble.
She had once thought herself to be quite powerful.
But now, she had been surpassed and overwhelmed again and again.
Especially by this man, who crushed Zenon with absolute violence—an enemy she couldn't even defeat in his base form (without drugs).
Alexia looked dazed.
This world… is unfathomable!
"No, I don't want to die yet. I can't die like this. Haha, this is a dream. It has to be a dream. Just a nightmare. I'll wake up. Once I wake up, I'll still be the same Zenon…"
Zenon writhed on the ground and tried to crawl away. His legs had already been broken by Leon.
The erosion from the drugs, the fear of Leon, and the excruciating pain left him mentally unstable. In other words, his mind was on the verge of collapse.
There was no mercy in Leon's eyes.
With [Spatial Magic], he could sense everything within a two-kilometer radius with ease.
He was currently inside Zenon's stronghold and could feel the traces of countless horrific tragedies that had occurred within these walls—even without seeing them.
Death would be too light a punishment for this man.
His soul deserved to burn for all eternity.
"I haven't figured out how to torture a soul yet, but… I'll be as cruel as I can and erase every trace of you from this world, along with this filthy fortress."
"No, no, no…"
The magic sword in Leon's hand surged with magical power.
But it didn't take the shape of a regular blade.
It became the enormous claws of a red and blue dragon!
There is no sword in the world sharper than a dragon's claw—and Leon had recreated its form with dragon magic, injecting it with such a terrifying level of power that not even a real dragon could match.
His strike echoed like a dragon's roar.
The bluish-red magical energy obliterated everything in front of him. Zenon was vaporized, and the massive fortress—soaked in blood and sin—was completely destroyed in an instant.
But the overwhelming magical energy didn't stop there—it tore through the ground and swallowed everything before it, then launched into the sky and exploded.
"ROOOARRRR!!"
The shadow of a dragon appeared in the night sky.
A sudden storm followed, clearing the dark clouds in an instant.
What remained afterward was the beautiful full moon and a ruined, starry sky.
In the end, the shadow of the dragon turned into rays of light, painting the royal capital that night with Leon's colors.
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."