Vol 6. Chapter 165.2: The Five Divine Spirits (2)

"How amusing. You were this close to saving the world, oh mighty 'God of Time'—ha! Hahahaha!"

Atos burst into wild laughter, then raised his demonic sword, the tip aimed straight at Aurora’s brow.

"Well then, o great divine girl, now you can die."

In her pink eyes, the terrifyingly close blade reflected crystal clear.

Aurora shut her eyes, quietly awaiting death.

...

The sound of a blade piercing flesh echoed—sharp, unmistakable.

Aurora slowly opened her eyes, only to widen them in disbelief.

“D-Dad...”

That man—his entire body battered and broken—still stood before his daughter, taking the fatal blow for her.

Leon gripped the demonic sword with both hands, its edge slicing deep into his palm. Blood gushed between his fingers.

In that moment, he erupted with staggering power. Lightning magic surged and exploded, blasting Atos straight out of the palace.

And Leon didn’t stop—not even to catch his breath.

“Go! Keep following your sister’s plan!”

Kaiser also pushed himself up, calling out to the Dragon Kings.

“Leon and I will buy you all the time you need!”

“Kaiser... why? Why are you and Teacher Safina so determined to—?”

“Aurora! Stand still—don’t move!”

The Dragon Kings, wounded and staggering, continued channeling magic into Safina.

She too reignited the Mirror Abyss Eyes and resumed the mimicry.

Outside the palace, Atos once again clashed with Leon and Kaiser.

He sounded irritated now.

“Why won’t you two die already?!”

Kaiser fixed his eyes on his nearly useless right arm and growled,

“For my sister... for all of the Void... I absolutely won’t let you pass.”

“Kaiser, you—Kaiser, you—!”

“This has changed, Atos.”

Leon ignored the blood pouring from his right hand and began gathering lightning magic into his palm once again.

“You just now... tried to kill my daughter, didn’t you? I’m going to kill you. This has nothing to do with Samael or the Void anymore. Even if all I have left is my mouth, I’ll bite through your fucking throat, you bastard.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Atos’s eyes—

But it vanished quickly.

He sneered.

“You two? You’re neither gods nor inheritors. What makes you think you can kill me? Utterly laughable.”

With that, Atos finally lost his patience and charged forward, sword raised.

Leon and Kaiser threw everything they had into stopping him.

But they were far too exhausted. Neither of them could match Atos now.

Atos kicked Kaiser flying first, then grabbed Leon by the throat and hurled him hard into a massive tree.

“Seems I won’t be able to enjoy being the last god until I thoroughly kill you both.”

He turned and walked toward Leon.

“Let’s start with you.”

The demonic sword glowed a deep, eerie violet. Atos raised it high overhead with both hands—and brought it down with force.

The sword’s energy screamed through the air toward Leon.

Just as it was about to strike, a massive silver form dropped from the sky, throwing everything it had into blocking the blow.

But that same strike also forced the silver dragon back into humanoid form.

“Vida-senpai!!”

Leon cried out, trying to run to him, but the searing pain throughout his body kept him from moving.

“Leon... did you hear what he just said?”

Vida’s voice was weak.

“What?”

“Divine power... only divine power can defeat him—”

“—Ugh!!”

Before Vida could finish, Atos slashed him aside with one swing.

“Tch. Nosy old fool.”

Atos looked back at Leon, slowly raising his sword again.

“No matter. Dead is dead. What, cat got your tongue?”

Leon was on one knee, eyes locked tightly on his hands.

Atos followed his gaze—

And saw—

“...The Five-Spirit Thunder Cores...”

Leon, dragging his battered body, slowly stood up, gripping the four cores tightly in both hands.

Vida had passed them to him earlier—and reminded him.

Only divine power could fight Atos.

“What’s this? You really think a few broken stones are enough to beat me?”

Atos remained supremely confident.

“The Five-Spirit Crown is long gone. These thunder cores can’t unleash their true power. Give up your delusions.”

After a brief silence, Leon spoke softly,

“No. You’re wrong.”

“What?”

“Do you know what power Zeus used to create the Crown in the first place?”

“...”

“Lightning magic.”

With that, Leon laid the four thunder cores out before him.

The crystals floated in front of him, each glowing with a distinct elemental light.

From within his drained and broken body, Leon squeezed out the last of his mana.

Electricity surged through him. Lightning arcs flared as currents coiled around his body.

The arcs linked the four thunder cores—connecting their power.

Leon’s feet slowly lifted off the ground, floating upward.

Atos, sensing danger, raised his sword to attack.

But...

Kaiser suddenly lunged from behind, wrapping his arms tightly around Atos’s waist.

“Damn you! You bastard!!”

Boom!

A bolt of lightning split the clouds with a thunderous crash as it struck down from the heavens.

The thunder echoed across the land, as though heralding the return of a sovereign power.

BOOM! — BOOM! — BOOM! — BOOM!

The clouds churned. Lightning writhed in chaos. Rain poured in torrents.

The elements surged violently—as if they were welcoming something.

The four Thunder Spirit Cores slowly vanished before Leon’s eyes, fusing into the lightning that surged around him.

He opened his arms, eyes half-closed, quietly feeling the influx of this new power.

But in the very next moment, the power went berserk inside him. It rampaged violently through his body, threatening to tear him apart.

“Guh—!!”

Leon groaned through clenched teeth. Something deep in his chest felt like it was going to explode. The pain was unbearable.

Atos, seeing this, relaxed his tightly furrowed brow and flung Kaiser aside.

He pointed toward Leon, still floating in midair.

“You see that man? Kaiser, not everyone can wield absolute power. In five seconds or less, your dear comrade will explode before your very eyes.”

Kaiser collapsed to the ground, stunned, staring at the struggling Leon overhead.

“...How could this happen.”

Vida and Cecilia also took in the entire scene.

Noa, perched on a dragon’s back, saw her father writhing in agony and immediately tried to run toward him.

But the moment she moved, she stumbled forward, nearly collapsing.

Luckily, Moon and Muse caught her in time.

“Big sis...”

“I have to help him! He can’t take it anymore...! The Thunder Cores are too strong. Dad can’t handle it alone.”

“Noa! You’re not going anywhere!”

Cecilia shouted sharply.

“But—But Dad—!!”

“Aaaaargh!!”

Leon’s cry of agony tore through the rain and echoed across the mountainside.

Inside the palace, Rosvisser also heard the voice.

“That’s Leon... something’s wrong with Leon...!”

Her silver eyes trembled. She withdrew her dragon power and staggered toward the palace gates.

She looked in the direction of the voice.

“Leon!!”

The downpour felt like some kind of barrier, isolating any sound from reaching Leon’s ears.

All he could feel was his soul and body being torn apart by countless overwhelming forces.

He thought—maybe this time, he really had overestimated himself.

Not every battle could be won through sheer effort or by gambling with one’s life.

In his despair, he seemed to glimpse Rosvisser through the curtain of rain—running toward him.

If someone asked Leon what he regretted most in his life, he might take a while to answer—or never find one.

But if asked what he never regretted, it would undoubtedly be—loving Rosvisser Melkvey.

“How lucky...”

In the midst of being torn apart, he slowly closed his eyes.

“And for my last sight... it’s you.”

...

...

In a haze, Leon seemed to arrive at some unfamiliar space.

He looked around—it was a lonely street drenched in a torrential downpour.

“This is...”

“Leon.”

Someone called him.

He turned.

A beautiful, refined woman stood before him. Elegant and striking.

He recognized her at ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) once.

“Hera...”

Her voice was rich and magnetic.

“You’re awake?”

Leon nodded in surprise. “Yeah... Hera, this is my... consciousness?”

“That’s right,” she replied softly. “This is your inner space.”

“Inner space...”

Leon recalled Noa once telling him the ancestors could reside within one’s spiritual consciousness.

Hera stepped forward slowly.

Rain soaked her hair and long gown, but it couldn’t hide her transcendent grace and beauty.

She stopped before Leon.

It was his first time seeing his... creator so close.

“Did you defeat Atos?” Hera asked softly.

Leon’s shoulders trembled. He gave a self-deprecating laugh and shook his head.

“No. I failed. I let you down... I’m sorry, Hera.”

“Failure means death,” she said.

A chill ran down Leon’s spine. “So... this is death? I always thought dying would hurt more.”

He paused—then suddenly understood.

“So I’m here because I’m already dead... Are you here to welcome me?”

Hera said nothing.

After a moment, Leon shrugged. “Alright. Got it.”

He took a few steps forward, walking toward whatever lay behind her.

He didn’t know what waited beyond—but something called to him.

Maybe the end. Maybe something else.

But just as he passed her—Hera suddenly raised her hand and pressed it lightly against his chest.

“Stay here, for now.”

“What...?”

She looked into his eyes. In those ocean-blue irises was a gleam of hope and expectation.

“Wake up. Go feel Zeus’s divine power again. Remember—you are the child of thunder. A one-of-a-kind existence in this world. I gave my life to protect you—for this very moment.”

Leon stared at her in a daze.

In those brief seconds, he seemed to feel the thousand-year-long wish she had carried.

His senses slowly returned.

The thunder, the rain, Rosvisser’s cries...

Hera’s figure began to blur before him.

The next instant, Leon was violently ejected from his inner space.

When he came to—he was back.

Back in that same moment.

And the power tearing through him—was gradually calming down.

“Th-This... this is impossible!!”

Atos stared at Leon, for the first time showing a trace of panic.

“He actually absorbed the power of the Thunder Cores?!”

“Not just that.”

“Who’s there?!”

Atos followed the voice—it was Vida, who had just been struck down.

Holding his broken arm, Vida slowly rose and looked up at Leon.

“The Five-Spirit Crown was born from thunder itself. It was a cradle of power. Now, Leon has gathered the cores again—and fused them with his own thunder magic... You understand now, don’t you, Atos? He is the second vessel chosen to bear the power of the Cores. You may have destroyed the Crown. But you can’t destroy... Leon Casmod.”

Atos gritted his teeth and clenched his sword hilt.

“No... No, this can’t be happening!!”

Another thunderclap roared across the sky, cutting off his frantic scream.

He turned back.

Everyone’s gaze had locked on the figure now cloaked in lightning and electricity.

Arms spread, Leon slowly emerged from the chaotic maelstrom of elemental energy.

A bolt of lightning traced the scar on his face. The blue afterimage of divine light flowed back into his body.

On this night, it wasn’t only the God of Time who was born, but also the god of... Element.

Thunder King of Ruin · Holy Shadow of the Five Spirits!