Vol. 5 Ch. 102

Claudia braced against the wall, slowly pushing herself to her feet. She walked toward Leon, her sharp gaze flicking over his imposing figure before muttering with faint sarcasm,"Don’t tell me you’re late because you were too busy putting on that armor."

Leon, clad in his black-gold battle armor, seemed unbothered. The moonlight danced off the sleek metallic surface, giving the armor a mesmerizing glow under the night sky.

"No, the delay was because the dragonhawk isn’t as fast as Rosvisser," he replied nonchalantly.

"Rosvisser?"

Claudia raised an eyebrow. She already knew Leon had bonded the dragonhawk as his summoned beast.

But in the midst of such a critical battle, why hadn’t he flown with Rosvisser instead of the slower beast?

"Where is she? Why didn’t she come with you?"

Leon’s lips curled into a mysterious smile. "She’s off picking someone up. She’ll be here shortly."

"Picking someone up?"

Claudia opened her mouth to press further, but before she could, the Tower Lord’s voice called out from a distance."Who goes there? Is that the Prince?"

Leon’s black-gold armor made him hard to recognize, so the Tower Lord could only speculate based on the thunder magic Leon had just wielded.

Claudia turned to the Tower Lord briefly before lowering her voice to Leon."I don’t know why you chose to wear that armor, but doing so is as good as declaring your human identity to the Tower Lord and the other Dragon Kings when they arrive."

The black-gold armor, known as the Black Chariot, was legendary on the battlefields of the War of Dragons. It had earned immense renown for the human faction, and its striking design was imprinted in the memories of both humans and dragons.

Among dragons, Leon had been infamously dubbed "the man in black armor." His heroic defense of the frontlines and the devastating losses he inflicted on the dragon faction during that war were unforgettable.

Even St. Heath’s Academy had established a curriculum centered around analyzing the Black Chariot’s combat capabilities, elevating it as an icon of respect.

By wearing this armor, Leon was essentially announcing to all the Dragon Kings that he was the legendary warrior who had once stood against them.

"So many years have passed," Leon said, his voice steady. "In every battle, I’ve fought as the Silver Dragon Prince. But this time… I want to fight as a human and claim victory as one."

It was a decision he and Rosvisser had discussed in quiet agreement.

Though he had been accepted as a dragon prince, Leon’s human blood remained a fundamental part of who he was. In this decisive battle, he wished to embrace that identity fully.

Rosvisser, understanding her husband better than anyone, had retrieved the Black Chariot from where it had long been sealed, knowing it was the right choice for him.

Claudia studied him for a moment before asking,"And are you prepared to face the consequences of revealing yourself?"

Leon smiled. "I’d already planned to come clean after this battle. Consider this moving the timeline forward by a few hours."

Claudia couldn’t help but chuckle. "You’re such a strange man."

Their conversation was interrupted by the Tower Lord, who approached cautiously.

As he drew closer, recognition dawned in his eyes. The Black Chariot left no room for doubt.

"It’s me, Tower Lord," Leon said, his tone calm. "From your expression, I can see you’ve guessed the truth. I owe you an apology for keeping it hidden all this time."

The Tower Lord, ever composed, quickly regained his composure.

"To reveal this now, at such a critical moment, is a calculated decision, Your Highness."

Leon nodded. "With the enemy preparing to unleash the Fearful Barrier, the question is—will you settle old scores with me now, or will we unite to fight?"

The answer was obvious.

"No need for formalities now, Tower Lord," Leon continued, his gaze shifting toward the four Flame Demons blocking their path and the ominous violet glow emanating from the distant Twilight Tower.

"Shadow’s there, isn’t he?"

"Yes," the Tower Lord confirmed. "Judging by the light, he’s already begun breaking the seal of Ultimate Fear. We must stop him, but these creatures are holding us back. Be careful."

Leon nodded, gripping the hilt of his Thundercloud Blade. "Reinforcements will arrive soon. For now, I’ll handle these pests."

The moment he finished speaking, he unsheathed his blade, sending a wave of lightning rippling outward. The energy pulse forced the Flame Demons and surrounding creatures to stagger back.

"Before the reinforcements arrive, I’ll clear the way."

With that, Leon dashed forward, his form a blur of black and blue. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before the lead Flame Demon, his blade raised high.

"Without the advantage of the Flaming Valley, I wonder if you can withstand this."

The blade descended, crackling with electricity as it sliced through the air.

Clang!

The strike severed one of the demon’s massive flame horns and tore a chunk from its thick, molten flesh. Lava-like blood sprayed from the wound as the creature howled in agony.

Despite its injuries, the demon roared and lunged at Leon, its fury undiminished.

"You’ve been upgraded, I see," Leon remarked, dodging with practiced ease. "But it’s not enough."

With a swift upward slash, the Thundercloud Blade cleaved through the demon’s body, bisecting it.

As the flames and smoke dispersed, Leon charged toward the remaining three Flame Demons.

From the rear, the Tower Lord watched in awe."He’s even more formidable than the legends say…"

Claudia, having recovered slightly thanks to healing magic, approached the Tower Lord with a wry smile."Humans’ drive to grow stronger can rival that of dragons. And Leon…" She paused. "He was born to fight."

The Tower Lord glanced at her, suspicion flickering in his eyes."Princess, you knew he was human all along, didn’t you?"

Claudia smiled knowingly. "Was it that obvious?"

"Next time, spare me the scolding during Dragon King meetings," the Tower Lord quipped, earning a soft laugh from Claudia.

"Enough talk," Claudia said. "We should assist him."

…

Leon stood atop the last Flame Demon’s corpse, severing its head and kicking it into the oncoming horde of dangerous creatures.

He raised his hand, unleashing a bolt of lightning that obliterated the head mid-air, sending shockwaves through the ranks of the monsters.

As the path momentarily cleared, two beams of magic shot out from either side of him, pushing back the remaining creatures.

"Your Highness, we’ll hold them off. Go to the Twilight Tower and stop Shadow!" the Tower Lord shouted.

"Understood."

With reinforcements from the Tower Lord and Claudia, Leon summoned his dragonhawk.

The creature’s cry pierced the air as it swooped down. Leon leapt, grabbing its talons as it ascended, soaring toward the distant tower.

Swinging his blade to fend off aerial attackers, Leon’s gaze locked onto the figure at the center of the glowing seal.

"Shadow," he muttered, his voice low. "We meet again."

Leon raised his Thundercloud Blade slowly, the tip of the blade crackling as lightning magic began to concentrate.

Before he could strike, a massive pelican-like creature dove toward him from the front.

The dragonhawk reacted swiftly, halting midair and retreating with Leon to a safe distance.

Leon looked up, narrowing his eyes at the figure perched on top of the colossal bird.

“Elizabeth…”

Recognizing the figure, Leon flipped himself onto the dragonhawk’s back.

Elizabeth, however, didn’t attack right away. She manipulated her pelican mount to hover at Leon’s level, her expression carrying its usual smug contempt.

“Leon Casmod,” she sneered, arms crossed. “Wearing the armor forged for you by the Empire to stand against your former master—how rebellious of you.”

Leon arched an eyebrow. “Elizabeth, is it really you up there? Or just the dark little vagabond hiding behind the hooded figure you call your master?”

“Don’t you dare insult Lord Shadow, you insolent worm!”

Clang!

Leon raised his blade, pointing its tip directly at her. His voice turned cold.

“Get out of my way, Elizabeth.”

“Get out of your way? I could, but…”

Her gaze shifted, motioning behind her. “I don’t thinktheywill agree.”

At her signal, a massive swarm of pelican creatures descended from the clouds, their sheer number blotting out the moonlight. Leon glanced upward, frowning slightly.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Elizabeth smirked. “Even with your fancy armor and your new tricks, what can you possibly do againstthis? Shadow will break the seal and unleash Ultimate Fear while you’re swarmed by my pets.”

“Numbers are the most effective tactic against you, Leon. They were at the Flaming Valley, and they are here as well. In fact, this time my pelican army dwarfs what you faced before.”

Elizabeth’s mocking laughter echoed through the battlefield, her tone full of triumph.

Behind Leon, the Tower Lord and Claudia watched in shock.

“How many pelicans are there? How can the Prince handle this alone?” the Tower Lord muttered.

Claudia’s expression darkened. “Even with all my years of battles, I’ve never seen such a force. Leon… hold on. I’ll come to help you.”

...

“Why so silent, Leon? Weren’t you just full of bravado?” Elizabeth taunted, raising her hand dramatically as if showcasing her army. “Are you struck speechless by my pets? Haha!”

“You have all the time in the world to regret your lone hero act. How will you, isolated and unsupported, possibly stand against Lord Shadow’s black-scaled horde?”

Boom!

A thunderous crack drowned out Elizabeth’s laughter.

She froze, whipping her head toward the source of the sound.

From the storm clouds emerged a blue figure, descending slowly. His massive dragon wings stretched behind him, white hair flowing gently in the wind. His deep blue dragon eyes radiated confidence and strength.

Behind him, electricity danced and thunder roared, as if nature itself was celebrating his arrival.

Elizabeth’s face paled. She immediately recognized him.

“Thunder Dragon King… Odin.”

Her moment of shock passed quickly, her expression hardening. “So what if reinforcements have arrived? They’re still—”

A voice interrupted her from the side.

“Brother-in-law, don’t tell me your former boss is this loud-mouthed woman.”

A crimson dragon flew up alongside Leon, its scales shimmering like flames. It shifted into a human form, revealing fiery red hair and an imposing presence.

Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “You’re… Melkvey… the Red Dragon King…”

Another massive figure approached—a dark gold dragon. Shifting to human form, he flew next to Elizabeth, attempting a friendly pat on her shoulder. She shot him a deadly glare in response.

“Come now, Red Dragon King, no need to be so distant,” he teased.

“You and I have had no dealings for centuries. Let’s keep it that way,” Melkvey replied coldly.

“Ah, but today we’re both here to help your brother-in-law. That’s some connection, isn’t it?”

“Don’t push your luck.”

“Enough fooling around,” Odin said sternly, joining Leon’s side. A silent nod passed between the two, an unspoken understanding of their mission.

The Tower Lord and Claudia finally broke free from the swarm and regrouped with the others.

Elizabeth’s gaze swept over the gathered dragons, her fists clenching tightly.

“Odin, Melkvey, Morgan… and the Sea Dragon Princess…” she spat, her voice trembling with barely contained anger.

But her sharp tongue refused to yield.

“More reinforcements? They’re just fodder. Nothing will change the outcome of this battle!”

She sneered at Leon. “And where’s your precious dragon wife, hmm? Hiding at home with your children, trembling in fear?”

“Did you at least say a proper goodbye to her before coming here? If not, what a shame—”

Bang!

A gunshot cut her off.

Elizabeth gasped, staggering as blood blossomed from her shoulder. She fell to her knees, clutching the wound with a grimace of pain.

“Who… who dares—”

A silver dragon descended from the sky, its gleaming wings stirring the air. On its back knelt a green-haired girl, holding a sniper rifle in a steady, practiced grip.

Rebecca, her shot perfect, rose slowly to her feet, the massive rifle slung over her shoulder.

“Bitch, you dare insult my sister-in-law?”

Claudia’s eyes widened as she took in the silver dragon and the group of figures behind it—members of the Lionheart Guild.

“So this is what you meant by ‘picking someone up,’” she muttered to Leon.

Leon grinned. “Surprised? Or is this what you expected?”

“I had a feeling you’d call your Lionheart Guild, so no, this isn’t shocking.”

“Oh? Well, in that case…” Leon gestured toward Rebecca and called out, “Is he here yet?”

Rebecca cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted back, “If you want him to show up now, isn’t it a bit early?”

“It’s not early at all! No one in Samael Continent times a rescue better than me. Bring him out!”

“Fine!” Rebecca pulled a signal gun from her belt and fired it into the sky.

The flare streaked upward, bursting in a dazzling display.

Elizabeth scowled at the spectacle. “Idiots. What are you planning now?”

A deafening roar split the air, shaking the battlefield. The pressure of dragon might was palpable, forcing the dangerous creatures to falter. Some collapsed outright.

From the edge of Sky City, a fiery light blazed, growing brighter and brighter. It surged forward like a burning blade, cutting through darkness and monsters alike with unstoppable force.

Before Elizabeth could react, the inferno halted beneath them. The flames dissipated, reducing the surrounding creatures to ash.

In the lingering heat stood a towering figure, unmoving and resolute.

He gripped a massive war hammer, his fiery red dragon eyes glowing like molten lava.

“Constantine… has arrived.”