Vol. 6 Ch. 56

Taros froze, his pupils contracting sharply.

This man who had suddenly appeared—

The crackling force of lightning surged around him, his body radiating an unfathomable magical presence.

Just standing there, this newcomer’s mere existence weighed down on Taros with an indescribable pressure.

But the man—Leon Casmod—didn’t attack immediately.

Instead, he simply turned away.

Lowering himself, he wrapped Rosvisser’s arm over his shoulder, his other hand gently supporting her waist, lifting her with careful ease.

"Can you walk?" Leon asked in a quiet voice.

Rosvisser nodded slightly.

"Alright, I’ll take you to the dwarves first."

"Mm."

Without another word, Leon helped her walk toward the underground outpost in the distance.

"You arrogant bastard… you dare ignore me?!"

CLANG!

With one hand still supporting Rosvisser, Leon drew the Thundercloud Blade in a single motion.

The sharp glint of steel cut through the cold air—

Its tip pointed directly at Taros.

"Stay still."

Leon’s voice was calm.

He didn’t even bother looking at Taros—

His eyes never left Rosvisser.

Like Taros wasn’t even a worthy opponent.

Or maybe—

Leon simply didn’t consider him an opponent at all.

The sheer indifference behind those words—

That undeniable sense of superiority—

It burned.

Taros wanted to rage.

Wanted to strike back.

But he didn’t dare move.

With white-knuckled fingers, he gripped his scythe, yet his feet remained frozen—like a stuffed straw doll, standing in place uselessly.

All he could do was watch helplessly as Leon walked past him, supporting Rosvisser without a care.

At the entrance of the underground shelter, Leon handed Rosvisser over to two waiting dwarven attendants.

Then, he turned his attention to Aju.

The black-furred donkey perked up instantly, rushing over with excitement, nuzzling against Leon’s arm.

Leon let out a small chuckle, running his hand through Aju’s soft fur.

"It’s been a while."

But the moment was short-lived.

As his fingers brushed lower, Leon’s expression froze.

His smile vanished.

There—on Aju’s legs and body—were small wounds.

Not self-inflicted injuries—

Someone had hurt him.

Leon’s gaze darkened.

"Remember those two bastards Doroton mentioned harassing the Yiren?"

Rosvisser spoke casually, tilting her head toward Taros and Karl.

"It’s them."

Leon didn’t respond immediately.

He simply turned toward them.

His grip on the Thundercloud Blade tightened ever so slightly.

Rosvisser continued.

"Taros can open space rifts—be careful not to let him play you."

"Karl, on the other hand, lost his Void Weapon earlier. I don’t know if he can still use his ability, but he could control all sorts of materials before."

Though it had been a month since they last saw each other—

Now wasn’t the time for sentimental reunions.

Rosvisser quickly briefed him on their enemy’s abilities.

Leon nodded once.

"Got it."

"Rosvisser! Aju!"

A small figure came rushing in—

Xiaoxue hurried to Rosvisser’s side, her voice breathless with concern.

"A-Are you okay? Are you hurt?!"

Rosvisser let out a weary smile, reaching out to ruffle Xiaoxue’s hair.

"I’m fine. Aju’s fine too."

Leon glanced at the girl.

"And she is…?"

"Oh, right."

Rosvisser gestured toward Xiaoxue, introducing her briefly.

"She’s Xiaoxue, a war orphan the dwarves took in."

Then, looking at Xiaoxue, she nodded toward Leon.

"Xiaoxue, this is the ‘Leon uncle’ you’ve been wanting to meet."

The girl’s eyes widened, staring up at the man beside her.

Black hair. Dark eyes.

A strong, commanding presence—and an overwhelming storm of lightning surrounding him.

"W-Wow… so cool."

Leon barely reacted to the compliment.

Instead—

Without another word—

He turned.

And began walking.

Step by step—

Toward Taros and Karl.

"The dwarven chief and the others will be here soon."

Leon spoke as he walked.

His voice was low, steady—each word sinking into the cold air like a blade.

"And before they arrive—"

With a single, fluid motion—

He raised the Thundercloud Blade, electricity snaking along its edge.

"I’ll deal with these two first."

"Tch! Don't get ahead of yourself!"

Snapping out of his frozen state, Taros clenched his scythe, shifting into a battle stance.

"A damn Samaelian primitive like you dares to talk big?! I’ll show you—"

Before he could finish his sentence—

A streak of blue lightning flashed before his eyes.

Too fast.

Taros’s body stiffened, his pupils dilating.

A shadow had appeared directly in front of him—

Without warning.

His instincts screamed—

But fear came first.

That primal, gut-wrenching terror—

The kind that erupts within weak prey when standing before an apex predator.

Before Taros even registered what was happening—

Leon was already there.

No battle cry.

No flourish.

No fanfare.

Just a man—with a calm, emotionless gaze, staring through him like he was nothing.

"Taros! Watch out!!"

Karl’s warning snapped Taros out of his daze.

Just as Leon’s Thundercloud Blade was about to cleave his forehead open, Taros raised his great scythe horizontally, blocking the strike at the last possible second.

But even though he had managed to defend himself, the sheer force behind Leon’s downward slash sent a violent shockwave reverberating through Taros’s arms.

A sharp, numbing pain shot through his limbs.

His muscles trembled.

The pressure forced him onto one knee, the only way to absorb the impact without having his arms snapped in half.

Yet Leon didn’t let up.

His blade pressed down harder, forcing Taros to struggle just to hold his ground.

With weapons locked, the battle had immediately devolved into a brutal contest of strength.

But it wasn’t a fair match—

Taros was clearly overwhelmed.

"You… you bastard—!"

Gritting his teeth, Taros glared up at Leon, his face twisted in frustration.

But Leon, in contrast, remained calm, his expression unbothered.

Looking down at Taros from his higher position, he spoke flatly.

"I was actually planning to test the new abilities of my upgraded Thundercloud Blade."

BOOM!

A sudden surge of lightning erupted, sending the surrounding snow flying into the air.

As the blinding white mist cleared, both Leon and Taros now stood in the middle of a deep crater, the snow having been completely blown away, exposing the bare ground beneath.

Leon lowered his blade, tilting his head slightly.

"But now I see—"

His golden eyes sharpened.

"You’re not even worth testing it on."

"Big talk for a dead man!!"

Taros snarled, his fury igniting.

"I’ll—"

"Who’s the one talking big?"

Leon interrupted, his tone still unbothered.

Then—

He sheathes his blade.

Taking two confident steps back, Leon simply raises a hand, curling his fingers—

A small, taunting beckon directed at Taros.

The mockery in that gesture—

Taros instantly snapped.

Blood rushed to his head, drowning out all rational thought.

He didn’t care about the power gap anymore.

Didn’t care that Leon was stronger.

Didn’t care that he was falling right into the trap.

He just wanted to kill him.

With a furious roar, Taros raised his scythe high—

"I don’t give a shit if you’re a Samaelian! Fire magic, lightning magic—"

"You’re all going to die today!"

"That damn silver dragon was already as good as dead—if you want to die with her, then so be it!!"

BOOM!

Taros swung his scythe down with full force.

A dark-red energy wave exploded from the blade, tearing through the snow, its impact demolishing what remained of the ice mountain ruins.

Snow and debris erupted into the air, blotting out the battlefield in a white storm.

But when the dust settled—

Leon hadn’t moved.

Taros’s scythe was buried deep into the ground, the force of his own attack having driven it downward.

And directly in front of him—

Leon’s Thundercloud Blade was already pressing against his forehead.

"So what you’re saying is—"

Lightning snaked up Leon’s arm, dancing along the edge of his blade.

For the first time—

His calm, golden eyes burned with thunderous rage.

"You not only dared to lay a hand on my wife…"

"But you actually planned to kill her?"

Taros tensed.

Even with his mind screaming in fear, he refused to back down.

He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to sneer—

"Yeah… yeah, and what if I did—?"

Leon’s lips curled slightly.

"Good."

The moment those words left his mouth—

The sky shifted.

The clear, blue expanse from earlier was gone.

Instead—

Dark storm clouds rolled in, filling the heavens in an instant.

Thunder rumbled behind the thick clouds—

And streaks of lightning flickered ominously within them.

"W-What are you—"

Taros’s voice shook.

Leon didn’t answer.

A deep, thunderous roar echoed from within the clouds—

A beastly growl that sent shivers down Taros’s spine.

Then—

A bolt of pure lightning crashed into the ground behind Leon, its energy coalescing into a massive form.

A thunder lion.

A majestic, terrifying creature of lightning, its golden mane crackling with power.

It prowled slowly around Leon, eyes fixed on Taros, as if gazing at nothing more than helpless prey.

"You idiot!!"

Karl’s panicked shout rang out from the distance.

"Run, Taros! If you take that hit, you’ll die!!"

Even though Karl’s magic system was different from the Samaelians—

Even he could sense the overwhelming energy radiating from Leon.

Even the dwarven warriors watching from afar felt it.

"To think… the other emissary lord…" Doroton murmured, awestruck.

"Had such power hidden all along…"

Earlier—

Rosvisser fighting alone against two enemies had already left the dwarves speechless.

But Leon’s power—

It shattered their previous expectations entirely.

"Leon Uncle is amazing…"

Xiaoxue’s golden eyes sparkled with pure admiration.

Rosvisser, still leaning weakly against Aju, watched the man before her.

The stormlight reflected in her silver irises, his thunderous aura illuminating her gaze.

And—

She smiled.

"That’s my husband."

Battlefield—Thundercloud Execution

Leon let out a battle cry, his Thundercloud Blade swinging through the air.

The howl of his blade blended with the deep, echoing roar of the thunder lion—

The very pressure of his attack alone sent Karl flying backward, knocking him out of the fight.

And then—

Lightning swallowed Taros whole.

The battlefield—

Was completely consumed by blue thunder.

Ultra S-Rank Lightning Magic—Dragon Extinction Variant: Azure Thunder Lion Slash.