Vol 8. Chapter 38: Ten Minutes to Take Your Head!

Leon stood beneath the iron-colored sky.

Before him surged the Crimson Flame Dragon army—monstrous beasts spewing fire, their roars shaking the earth as they swept forward in a storm of flame and dust.

Behind him lay emptiness. Not a single soul.

Yet even so, Leon showed no trace of fear.

Calm-eyed, he spread his hands, channeling the magic within him.

At once, two sharp, explosive bird cries cut through the dragon roars—piercing, unnatural.

A Chidori sparked in each of his hands as he strode forward toward the tide of dragons.

His pace grew faster. Faster. Until at last, he was sprinting, lightning trailing in streaks from his hands.

In the suffocating darkness of the battlefield, that single streak of blue light blazed all the brighter.

Even Rosvisser, hundreds of meters away with the retreating army, could still see it: that solitary yet unyielding radiance.

With dragon sight sharper than any human’s, she watched Leon’s every movement.

Years ago, she would have felt conflicted, unsettled.

But now, she could openly fangirl over that unwavering back.

Not just in her heart—she said it aloud:

"That’s way too handsome..."

The queen clasped her hands over her chest, silver eyes glittering with the light of a smitten girl.

Rebecca, guarding the prison cart, stared dumbfounded at the scene.

"Has he gone crazy, or have I... or maybe this whole world’s gone mad..."

But whether madness or not, Leon had already clashed with the Crimson Flame Dragons.

They swarmed from land and sky, attacking from all sides.

Flames erupted, heat crashing down.

A towering wall of fire rose before Leon.

"You think... this can stop me?!"

With a roar, Leon charged straight through.

A black figure burst out from the fire, black-gold armor still crackling with dying embers.

He leapt over rubble and ravines, Chidori surging ever more violently in his hands.

The dragon army met him head-on.

They collided.

Leon’s lightning pierced the chest of the first dragon, and then he was among them—cutting, tearing, weaving through tooth and claw.

Dragon screams split the air.

Alone, Leon became a slaughterhouse, a merciless machine of war. Wherever he passed, only blood and torn limbs remained.

...

"Aurora, cover Muse’s eyes. And yours too. Kids shouldn’t be watching this."

Before the scrying stone, Noa covered Moon’s eyes with her hand.

Then she paused, realizing she’d forgotten someone, and turned to Xiaoxue.

The little fox blinked her golden eyes and grinned.

"I’m an adult, Noa. I can watch."

"...Fair enough."

So Noa quietly closed her own eyes too.

"Tell us when Dad’s finished showing off, Sister Xiaoxue."

"Mm-hm! Got it!"

...

"Huff... huff..."

Scalding dragon blood steamed on his armor. Leon hunched slightly, back arched, breathing steady, controlled.

Behind him lay the corpses of countless Crimson Flame dragons.

But the battle was far from over.

When he raised his head, a vast shadow fell.

Scarlet wings blotted out the sky, crimson scales gleaming with cold light.

The Crimson Flame Dragon King—Constantine—descended.

Leon stared at the colossal dragon, muttering^

"Does he have to make such a dramatic entrance every time..."

Then froze.

"Wait—why did I say every time?"

In a blur, Constantine shifted to human form, eyes narrowing as he scoffed.

"A formidable human indeed. No wonder the Empire’s useless traitor failed to assassinate you—and even let you run free."

"Gibbering nonsense..."

Leon stepped closer, hands clasping then pulling apart, lightning solidifying into a blade.

"Don’t know why your clan is here—but since you came... you’re leaving your life behind!!"

Constantine scoffed back, striding forward.

"Ten minutes. That’s all it will take to take your head and hang it in the Crimson Flame Sanctum for all to see!!"

Thunder met fire, clashing into a storm that shook the battlefield.

...

...

"It’s supposed to be serious, but why did Uncle Constantine’s line make me want to laugh so bad?"

Aurora scratched her cheek, unable to hold back.

Muse darkened.

"Good thing Hefei hasn’t come visiting yet."

Moon, unusually serious, stared into the stone, then turned excitedly to Aurora.

"So is this where we’re holding Uncle Constantine’s funeral? Can I eat the offerings at his service?"

"...Sis, you’re not even born yet—actually, none of us are, not even me or Noa."

"Oh... what a pity~"

While her younger sisters rambled, Noa sank deeper into the vision.

"Aurora, if Dad defeats Constantine here, could he uncover the Empire’s plot back then?"

Aurora shook her head helplessly.

"I don’t know, Sis. The events in this timeline have already gone far beyond what I can see in the Web of Time."

"No one knows what comes next—well, except her."

Noa raised a brow. "Her? ...Oh. I get it. Tell me, Aurora—if it were her, she’d just do this effortlessly, wouldn’t she?"

Aurora covered her mouth, then nodded.

"Mm. What costs us everything to glimpse a single thread—she could see with a glance."

Seeing her sister’s discouragement, Noa smiled, ruffling her hair.

"It’s fine, Aurora. Keep practicing. One day, you’ll reach her level."

"Mm-hm. I know, Sis."

"Let’s keep watching."

"Okay."

...

"Constantine! I’ll show you... what strongest means!"

The Crimson Flame King was overwhelmed.

Like Rosvisser’s lightning-fast surrender, Constantine was struck down with lightning-fast defeat.

He staggered back, wounded, collapsing against a boulder.

The human before him, wreathed in lightning, fought like a perpetual motion machine, showing no exhaustion.

Leon raised his blade once more and charged.

Constantine had nothing left. If that strike landed—he would die.

"Damn Empire... should never have allied with humans..."

He tilted his head back, pressing it against the cold stone, eyes lifting toward the sky.

"Hefei... forgive me, my daughter."

"Constantine!!"

Leon leapt, blade high, then cleaved down.

Boom—!

The boulder shattered, dust exploding.

But when the dust cleared—Constantine was gone.

"What..."

Leon looked up sharply.

"You. Who are you?"

Another crimson-winged dragon stood there.

He had carried Constantine away in the final instant, shouldering his body.

Leon blinked, taken aback.

"You two... look kind of alike."

Indeed, the newcomer resembled Constantine—but older. Wrinkles creased his eyes, age showing in his face.

Constantine forced his eyes open, disbelief flickering within.

"You... it’s you?! You were banished—why are you here?!"

The other dragon gave no direct answer. His voice was low.

"Allied with the Empire—it was a mistake. We’ll speak once you’re safe."

Light flickered on his fingertip, and Constantine vanished into his grasp. Then the dragon spread his wings and soared skyward.

"Don’t run!"

Leon pursued—but even he, the strongest, could not catch him.

It was the flaw that had plagued his life: in the sky, against dragons, even he could not dominate.

He clenched his fist, staring at the fading red shadow.

"Damn it. If only I had Dragonbane right now, I’d blow them out of the sky."

Even in the past, against Star, he had needed Silver Dragon flames to form storm clouds to use Dragonbane.

Here, there was no chance.

"But at least I’m still alive... huh..."

He exhaled deeply, turned, and ran back toward his troops.

...

"Aurora, who was that dragon who looked so much like Uncle Constantine?"

"Third Sister, do the Crimson Flame exile their own too?"

"Aurora, did Leon-Uncle really not have a weapon back then?"

"Aurora, why don’t we get to eat Uncle Constantine’s offerings?"

"..."

The pink-haired girl clawed her head, overwhelmed by questions.

"Stop! One at a time!"

She explained:

"First—I don’t know who that dragon was.

Second—every dragon clan does exile those who commit serious crimes.

Third—yeah, Dad never had a personal weapon for a long time. Not everyone gets a divine spear from a god like Mom did with her ‘maternal radiance.’

Last—Uncle Constantine may have drunk plenty, but since he never actually had a funeral, Second Sister, you’ll have to wait for his offerings."

"Ahh, too bad, nya~" Moon still sulked over missing out.

Noa, however, pressed on.

"So this dragon—does he really exist? Or is he only part of this timeline’s illusion?"

"He’s real."

Aurora said seriously.

"In fact, in our own world, right now, this mysterious dragon is still out there somewhere in Samael."

"But I’ve never heard Mom or Dad mention him. Who is he...?"

Muse scratched her head too.

"And Hefei never said anything about family elders... Hard to believe Uncle Constantine had relatives besides her."

"And he called Constantine ‘A-Yan.’ Their bond isn’t ordinary," Noa added, frowning.

Aurora leaned closer to the scrying stone, voice low.

"So the butterfly effect is real. Since Dad wasn’t backstabbed by the traitor, everything after has diverged wildly from what we lived in the real world.

The Web of Time... really is that mysterious."