Kazaream arrived at the border of the Golden Land, El Dorado. The magnificent gate he'd envisioned was nowhere to be found. Instead, a small, peaceful town surrounded by glittering white crystal walls greeted him. A thin smirk grew on his face. This wasn't El Dorado, but an illusion, a facade crafted by a man who dared to claim the title of Demon Lord.
He stepped forward, passing through the illusion as if it were mere mist. Before him lay the true magnificence of El Dorado, radiating a piercing holy aura. The palace, made entirely of gold and gems, shone under an eternal sun. There, Leon Cromwell sat upon his throne, clad in gleaming platinum armor and a mask carved from sacred crystal that covered his face. Only his striking blue eyes were visible.
El Dorado's knights immediately surrounded Kazaream, swords drawn, but he ignored them, his eyes fixed on the calm figure of Leon.
"So, this is the 'human' who dares to claim the title of Demon Lord," Kazaream said, his voice a mix of condescension and calm. "I came here to see for myself how audacious you are. The title of Demon Lord is something earned through blood and power, not something a lowly human can just claim."
Leon didn't respond. A platinum sword simply appeared in his hand.
"You dare to ignore me?" Kazaream muttered. "Fine. I'll make you regret it!"
Kazaream began his assault with magic. With a wave of his hand, he created a thick, disorienting fog, Maze Mist, to envelop the entire fighting area. The mist swirled, twisting reality and sound. "I guess I'll just trap you in my little maze first," he taunted, his voice echoing from all directions. "My magic will make you lose your mind, human."
Yet, Leon Cromwell remained serene on his throne. He simply raised his sword. Without moving, Leon swung his platinum blade at the speed of light. His Light Speed Slash cleaved the fog in two. A sharp, holy light swept through the entire room, clearing the mist as if it had never existed.
"Illusions and tricks won't work on me," Leon said, his voice as cold as ice. "You're just wasting your time."
"Don't be so arrogant!" Kazaream retorted, his anger beginning to flare. He activated Locking Curse and Demon Dominate. The remaining mist converged and transformed into dozens of colossal shadow golems. Each golem carried a curse meant to bind Leon's movements.
The golems snarled, their massive arms made of shadows moving in unison. They covered the palace, their dark forms dancing on the walls.
Leon sighed. "Too slow," he muttered, his voice almost bored. He didn't bother to dodge. With a swing of his sword, he unleashed Hundred Breaker, a wave of holy shockwaves filled with purifying energy. The golems didn't just shatter; they vanished into particles of light, and the curses within them disappeared as if they had never been.
"What else do you have?" Leon asked.
Kazaream scoffed, his frustration mounting. "All you can do is destroy! Try facing this!" He launched a barrage of attacks, combining Elemental Magic of darkness with Creation Magic and Necromancy. Thousands of dark spikes formed in the air and shot toward Leon, while roaring cursed spirits enveloped the palace. Yet, every attack only added to the gleam of Leon's sword. He parried them all with ease, purifying each one with a swing of his sword filled with Holy Magic. The entire throne room became a battlefield between endless darkness and unconquerable light.
"You can't touch me," Leon said, his voice flat. "Your power... is no match for mine."
That taunt, combined with the frustration of his attacks having no effect, made Kazaream's anger boil over. He ignored Leon for a moment, focusing energy to launch a surprise attack. With Summoning Magic, he called forth a greater shadow entity, a Greater Elemental of Shadow, with a body like dark mist and glowing red eyes.
"This is the true power of a Demon Lord, you trash!" Kazaream shrieked, his voice starting to tremble.
The Elemental of Shadow launched a wave of thick darkness toward Leon. This time, Leon didn't evade. He raised his sword and blocked the attack, but the force of the blast pushed him back a few steps from his throne. His armor creaked, and small cracks appeared on his chest and shoulders.
In that very moment, Kazaream exploited the opening. He appeared beside Leon with Spatial Magic and launched one final attack filled with all his hatred. The attack didn't hit Leon, but it struck his mask.
Crack.
The sacred crystal mask shattered into pieces, falling to the golden floor with a clinking sound. For the first time, Leon Cromwell's flawless, blemish-free face was revealed. The eternal sun of El Dorado reflected off his smooth skin and blond hair, making him look like a being descended from the heavens.
Kazaream stared at him, and all the remaining calm within him vanished. A roar of fury erupted from deep within him, more ferocious than anything he had shown before. All self-control was gone.
That face! That perfect face! It's the face I hate!
"YOU BASTARD!" Kazaream screamed, his voice filled with deep-seated hatred. "How dare you show that face to me? That perfect face that has always been a mockery to me?! I WILL CURSE YOU! I WILL TURN YOU INTO AN UGLY MONSTER LIKE ME!"
He activated his Ultimate Move, (Ultimate Enchantment, Melchizedek, Lord of Dominion), which changed the atmosphere around him.
"Feel my power of absolute dominion, human!" he shrieked. The room filled with dark energy so dense the air felt heavy. From his shadow, a terrifying creature with many hands and glowing red eyes emerged, the King of Curses, Vritra, which shot toward Leon, ready to envelop him in a thousand curses.
However, Leon Cromwell showed not a single sign of fear. Instead, a faint, almost imperceptible smile formed on his face.
"You think your curses can hurt me?" he muttered. "I've been waiting for someone with this power."
Leon closed his eyes. The platinum sword in his hand shone brighter than ever. The light it emitted was so powerful that all of El Dorado trembled. He wasn't just fighting Kazaream's curses; he was fighting the very concept of darkness itself.
"I will end this," Leon said. "Because you are a monster who cannot learn, I will purify you! (Ultimate Skill, King of Purity, Metatron)."
Instantly, a giant holy sword of light appeared above Leon. The sword shot forward, piercing through Vritra's shadow and landing directly on Kazaream's chest.
"Your power of curses cannot curse me! Your power is no match for mine," Leon muttered.
As the sword exploded, Kazaream's body crumbled into sparkling dust. However, a small fragment of his spirit escaped the destruction and shot into the sky, attempting to flee.
Leon Cromwell watched it with an expressionless face, then turned and returned to his throne. "He is no longer a threat," he said to his guards. "Let him go."
With this victory, the name of Leon Cromwell, the human hero, now echoed throughout the world. And during the next Walpurgis, Guy Crimson would finally announce the only reason sufficient to acknowledge a human as a Demon Lord. An empty seat on the Demon Lords' council would finally be filled.