Vol. 5 Ch. 109

Everything he had done up until now had been to seize the power of the Dragon God.

The Tower Master frowned deeply, clenching his fists in frustration. "Even Ultimate Fear is just another stepping stone for him..."

"Well, Dimoss, I suppose there’s no prophecy this time about some hero defeating the Dragon God, right?" Morgan said in a faint, sarcastic tone.

"I admire your optimism, Golden Sand Dragon King," Isura replied, pulling Mives and Laity back by their wrists, retreating step by step. "But right now, I think we need to lie low."

Before Isura’s words had fully settled, the shadow wielder—now armed with Tiamat's divine power—launched a fierce assault.

In an instant, the primordial and chaotic energies exploded, raining down upon everyone below like a relentless storm.

"Listen closely: right now, all you can do is hide like turtles and wait for an opening," Odin commanded.

"Everyone, disperse!"

At Odin’s order, the Dragon Kings leapt from their positions and split off in various directions, retreating to the crumbling ruins of Sky City. Though more than half of the structures were destroyed, the remaining rubble and debris still provided some cover for their scattered followers.

The shadow's ethereal form shimmered faintly, appearing amidst the chaos. A sinister smile spread across his face as he said, "Well then, let’s play a game of cat and mouse."

Leon clutched Noa tightly, retreating with Rosvisser to the shelter of a dilapidated clock tower.

As Noa's strength gradually returned, she slipped out of her father's embrace. The family of three huddled behind a teetering wall, holding their breath as they listened to the commotion outside.

"I suspected Shadow might have a trump card," Leon muttered. "But I didn’t expect it to be such a devastating one. No wonder he always spoke of lesser beings with such disdain—he’s been planning this divine ascension for a long time."

"You said he was the former king. Does that mean he’s human, like you?" Rosvisser asked.

Leon thought for a moment before shaking his head. "To wield both primordial and chaotic energies without being consumed… there’s no way he’s human."

A sardonic laugh echoed from the shadowy void above them. "How ironic. The former king of the human empire isn’t even human."

In truth, Leon and the others knew very little about Shadow’s origins or his past. At first, Leon had assumed Shadow was merely a devoted follower of Ultimate Fear, working toward its resurrection. That, Leon thought, was the entirety of Shadow’s purpose.

But now, it was clear: Ultimate Fear wasn’t Shadow’s "boss."

Everything Shadow had orchestrated was to ascend as a god himself. Such a monumental power could never belong to a mortal body. Shadow’s history and motives became even more enigmatic.

Where had he come from? Why was he so determined to seize the Dragon God's power?

Questions swirled in Leon's mind as Tiamat’s divine energy continued to wreak havoc.

"This is outrageous—damn it!" Noa exclaimed, slamming her fist against the wall in frustration.

Leon and Rosvisser looked up at their daughter, noticing the subtle shift in her expression and demeanor. They exchanged a glance and nodded slightly in silent agreement.

"Noa?" Rosvisser asked cautiously.

"He's no god. He’s nothing more than a thief—a thief who stole the Dragon God’s power!" Noa’s white eyes blazed with fury as she glared at Shadow, who was wreaking havoc in the distance.

As a being directly created by Tiamat, Noa embodied the Dragon God’s will and benevolence. Her respect and reverence for the Dragon God were akin to a daughter’s devotion to her father. Seeing Shadow desecrate the Dragon God’s power in such a way was nothing short of blasphemy and an insult.

"Is there any way to separate the Dragon God's power from Shadow’s body?" Leon asked.

Noa, now slightly calmer, turned to face her parents. "Unless Shadow willingly relinquishes it, there’s no way."

Leon and Rosvisser felt a chill at her words.

"So our only option is to kill Shadow head-on," Rosvisser murmured. "But everyone is exhausted from the previous battle. And even if we had the strength, how could we face an enemy stronger than Ultimate Fear itself?"

Complete despair hung in the air. There was no prophecy, no destined hero to rely on this time. The being they faced was a unique anomaly: a mortal body that had stolen ancient, divine power.

Noa herself had never encountered such a situation before.

They had no answers, no plans—and no way out.

"As Rosvisser said, the only path left for us is to kill Shadow," Leon said grimly.

But how could they kill an enemy whose power defied comprehension?

Within the clock tower, the sound of grinding gears echoed faintly, a stark reminder of time’s relentless march.

"I could… try using the Nine Gates," Leon suggested hesitantly. "In his Dragon God state, only primordial magic and physical attacks can harm him. The Nine Gates might work."

"No," Rosvisser immediately refused. "The damage to your Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale from using the Nine Gates in the empire hasn’t fully healed yet. If you use it again, it could destroy your heart, just like the other users of the Nine Infernal Gates."

"But we don’t have any other options, do we?"

"Even so, I won’t let you throw your life away, Leon."

As they debated, a suppressed dragon's roar echoed from outside.

The three of them peeked out from behind the wall, their eyes widening in shock.

In the desolate street below, Shadow held Isha by the neck, lifting her off the ground with one hand.

Isha struggled to summon her primordial dragon flame, but her strength was utterly depleted, rendering her attacks useless. Her crimson tail hung limply, and her once-flaming hair clung messily to her face.

"The first mouse. Caught so easily," Shadow said coldly.

Though he could have snapped Isha’s neck at any moment, he didn’t. Instead, he called out, "Leon! I know you’re nearby. Stop hiding. Your family is on the brink of death. A single twitch of my finger, and she’s gone."

Shadow’s voice rang out, offering a "deal."

"Let’s make this simple. Trade your life for hers. How about it?"

But everyone knew it wasn’t a deal. Even if Leon surrendered, Shadow would still kill them all, one by one.

And yet, what choice did they have? Under the Dragon God’s overwhelming power, they were completely at his mercy.

"You bastard—" Isha rasped, gripping Shadow’s wrist with all her remaining strength. Though she was barely able to breathe, she forced out, "Leon! Protect Rosvisser! Don’t—don’t come out!—"

"So annoying. So useless. Let’s see how long it takes for Leon to step out. Let’s give him… ten seconds."

Shadow’s mocking voice counted down as he tightened his grip.

"Ten... nine..."

Isha’s body twitched involuntarily as the pressure increased, her struggles futile.

"Six..."

Behind the clock tower, Rosvisser’s dragon eyes narrowed in fury, the corners of her eyes sprouting faint scales from her rage.

"I’ll kill him. I swear I’ll kill him!" she hissed.

But just as she was about to leap into action, Leon placed a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Shadow wants me. I’ll trade myself for Isha," Leon said resolutely.

"Leon..."

"No matter what happens, don’t come out. I’ll buy you as much time as I can. If you can escape Sky City, do it."

"But—"

"Noa, take care of your mother," Leon said firmly.

Before Noa could respond, Leon turned to her, crouching down to meet her gaze. He held out his fist.

"I’ll protect everyone. You protect Mom. You can do that, right, Noa?"

Looking at her father’s scarred, weathered hand, Noa hesitated for the first time. She clutched the hem of her clothes tightly, her head bowed, tears welling in her eyes.

“What if you don’t come back…” she whispered, her voice trembling.

Leon paused, then smiled gently. “I will come back, Noa. Have I ever broken a promise to you?”

Noa sniffled, her heart heavy with doubt, yet she couldn’t deny the sincerity in her father’s words. Even so, she knew what his promise truly meant. With trembling hands, she reached out her small fist, bumping it gently against Leon’s.

“I’ll wait for you, Dad,” she said, her voice cracking slightly.

Leon nodded, stroking Noa’s head affectionately. “Good girl.”

Straightening up, Leon prepared to leave. Before stepping out of the clock tower, he glanced back at Rosvisser. Beneath the enormous, shattered clock face, the three of them exchanged a silent gaze. The motionless hands of the clock mirrored their desire to freeze this moment in time.

After a fleeting look, Leon turned and strode out.

“Leon!—” Rosvisser called after him.

“Three!—”

“Let her go, Shadow,” Leon demanded.

Shadow and Isha turned toward the voice.

“What a fool…” Isha said with a faint smile before her eyes fluttered closed.

Shadow tossed her aside casually and began walking toward Leon. Leon no longer evaded him, stepping forward to meet him.

The street wasn’t long, but every step felt like an eternity.

When Leon was about twenty meters away, he suddenly picked up speed. Shadow raised an eyebrow, puzzled by his actions.

“In a hurry to die?” Shadow mocked, gathering magical energy in his hand.

But Leon had no intention of attacking him head-on. Instead, he leapt into the air, catching hold of a brown shadow that swooped down from above—his loyal six-winged dragon eagle.

Using the momentum, Leon and the dragon eagle flew over Shadow, landing behind him.

“You have a very loyal pet, Leon,” Shadow remarked, turning around slowly.

The dragon eagle carried Leon directly to Isha. Leon scooped her up in his arms and gently placed her on the eagle’s back. Stroking its feathers, he said, “Run. Fly as far as you can and don’t look back.”

The dragon eagle hesitated briefly but then nodded and flapped its wings, soaring away with the unconscious Isha.

As the eagle disappeared into the distance, Leon turned back to face Shadow.

“Cat and mouse, is it? Let’s see if you can catch me,” he taunted.

“Boring,” Shadow said flatly, conjuring a sphere of light in his hand.

Leon’s eyes narrowed. The casually formed attack carried immense destructive power—far beyond any conventional magic.

In his current state, Leon couldn’t afford to take it head-on. His primary goal wasn’t to fight but to buy time for everyone to escape.

Thankfully, Shadow’s attacks, though powerful, were slow. Leon dodged nimbly, weaving through the ruins to avoid the blasts.

“You want me dead so badly? Then come and try,” Leon taunted as he ran into the rubble.

“Struggling in vain,” Shadow sneered. “Let’s end this.”

He gathered a massive purple energy sphere and hurled it toward Leon.

“Boom—!”

The explosion consumed half of Sky City, sending dust and debris flying in all directions. Shadow hovered in the air, watching the scene below with a cold, detached gaze.

Moments later, a blue figure emerged from the smoke, tumbling to the ground before crashing into a collapsed building.

“Ugh—” Leon coughed up blood, leaning against the wall as the Xu Mi Shadow around him began to dissipate. He struggled to open his eyes, glaring up at Shadow in the sky.

“I think it’s time to change the game,” Shadow said, standing mid-air with his hands clasped behind his back. He looked down at Leon with disdain.

“Don’t think I can’t see what you’re doing. You’re trying to play the hero, buying time for your family and friends to escape,” Shadow mocked.

“So, let’s play a new game.”

He raised a hand, aiming it toward the clock tower.

“Let’s see how many of them you can save before I kill them all,” Shadow said, a sinister smile on his face.

Leon’s heart sank. Despite the searing pain in his body, he forced himself to stand. Dragging his weakened body out of the rubble, he sprinted toward the clock tower where Rosvisser and Noa had hidden, silently praying they were no longer there.

“Boom!—”

The first light sphere struck, its explosion sending shockwaves that knocked Leon to the ground.

“No… No!” he cried, ignoring his injuries as he pushed himself up and continued running.

“Boom!—Boom!—”

The second and third strikes followed, relentless and devastating.

“Ha ha ha ha ha! Yes, that’s the face I wanted to see!” Shadow laughed maniacally. “I wonder, Leon—how many of them died in those blasts? Odin? Morgan? Constantine? Or maybe… your wife and daughter?”

“Zing!—”

A sudden flash of lightning shot toward Shadow, catching him off guard. He attempted to dodge, but the bolt grazed his chest. Though the Dragon God’s body rendered him immune to magic, the attack still left a mark.

“Is this all you’re capable of now, Leon? Then there’s no need to keep playing. Time to die.”

Shadow raised his hand, conjuring another energy sphere aimed directly at Leon.

But before he could strike, a black figure appeared at his side.

“What?” Shadow muttered.

The figure delivered a flawless mid-air spin kick, forcing Shadow to block.

When he finally got a clear look at his attacker, his eyes widened in shock.

“Mives?! You dare betray me?!” Shadow roared, grabbing her by the throat. “Don’t you want to save your family?”

Mives scoffed, kicking him in the chest and breaking free of his grip. She retreated to a safe distance and said coldly, “This is how I save my family.”

Shadow’s expression twisted in confusion and rage.

“Whatever you are, I’ll kill you too,” he snarled, hurling two energy spheres toward her.

Mives dodged, countering with twin lightning wolves that collided with the spheres, triggering a blinding explosion.

Using the distraction, she darted into an underground shelter where Rosvisser and the others had taken refuge.

“Isha is safe, thanks to the dragon eagle. Stay here until the battle ends,” Mives said, scanning the group.

Everyone stared at her with confusion and suspicion, their eyes filled with unspoken questions.

Mives shrugged. “Oh, come on. I just saved you all from Shadow’s bombardment. A little gratitude wouldn’t hurt.”

“Noa was the first to step forward. “Mives… who are you, really? Shadow said you were supposed to kill me, but you saved us. What’s going on?”

Mives crouched down, meeting Noa’s gaze with a soft smile. “There’s no time to explain everything. Just know this—I’m here to help you.”

Rosvisser frowned. “We? Who else is here?”

Mives smirked, standing up and looking toward the shelter’s entrance.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” she said cryptically.

A radiant white light suddenly erupted, flooding the room with primordial energy.

At that moment, a true god descended once more.

“Let’s go, Noa!” Leon’s voice echoed, filled with unyielding determination.