Two years had passed.
The once-rookie Leo had become a storm in human form.
The sky was bruised with orange and crimson, the trees torn from their roots by a pressure that could only come from the collision of two titanic forces. Magic saturated the air so thickly it crackled like electricity. The forest floor, once lush and calm, was now a battlefield scarred by fire, lightning, and raw energy.
A figure dashed across the battlefield, too fast for the naked eye—his movement creating shockwaves as he launched himself through the air.
It was Leo.
No longer the boy he once was. He now stood tall and sharp, his face more mature, gaze deeper—eyes glowing violet like two stars in the void. His long cascade with ponytail white hair danced wildly behind him, reaching just past his shoulders. He wore a big black cloak, fluttering violently as he moved, with a white shirt underneath, black pants, and obsidian black combat shoes—every part of him radiated lethal grace.
Across from him, Lili's clone hurled a sphere of swirling dark energy, layered with elements—ice, fire, lightning—and screamed, "Hey! Is that all you've got?!"
But Leo didn't even blink.
He disappeared in an instant, warping reality with his sheer speed—light itself struggling to catch up. The next moment, he was already in front of her, his fist crashing into the clone's midsection.
Boom—!
The shockwave leveled the remaining trees around them. The clone was sent flying, carving a trench into the ground.
A little away from the chaos, Lyra stood on a boulder, watching wide-eyed. "Is that… alright?"
Beside her, the real Lili stretched her arms with a yawn. "Yeah, yeah, he's just fighting my clone. Let the boy play."
Leo stood in the center of the crater, panting slightly—but grinning.
The entire battlefield trembled under his next step. Every attack he made broke the ground apart—punches faster than light, teleporting mid-strike, mixing gravity fields with elemental storms. Fire roared from one side, while lightning coiled around his arms. He weaved magic effortlessly—light, darkness, wind, and time, all bending to his will.
When the clone rushed in for close combat again, their punches met—
Crack—!
A visible shockwave tore through the forest. The ground cratered beneath them. Birds flew in panic. Dust swallowed the horizon.
But once again, Lili's clone staggered back, arms trembling from the sheer force.
The clone landed, breath ragged, and held up a hand. "Okay, okay! Done for today!"
Leo landed smoothly on his feet, purple eyes glowing with raw, hungry energy. "But I can go for more."
"You shut up," Lili's voice echoed from the side. She walked toward him, holding something in her hand. "You're already breaking my land. I'll have to rebuild all of this, you monster."
He laughed softly. "I guess I went a bit far."
"A bit?!" Lili shook her head with a smile. "Anyway—I've got something for you."
Leo tilted his head. "What is it?"
She held out a sheathed sword, wrapped in black cloth. The hilt shimmered faintly with ancient runes, and the air around it seemed to ripple like a mirage.
Lili looked at him, her tone calm but proud. "First… you're ready now. Ready to face that hero. Ready to change everything. I've taught you everything I could. There's nothing left for me to give—except this."
Leo reached out, unwrapping the cloth. A sleek, obsidian blade rested within. It radiated a silent, eerie pressure—one that didn't belong to this world.
"This is Nullfang," she said. "Forged beyond the laws of this world. It doesn't follow the principles of mana, magic, or even reality as we know it. This sword can cut through immortality, through infinite durability, even through fate itself—because it only answers to one thing."
She met his eyes. "Your will."
Leo's breath hitched as he held the blade. It hummed softly in his grasp, like it recognized him.
He smiled. "Thank you… Without you, I'd never be standing here."
Lili gave a small laugh. "No, Leo. You earned this. You carved your path before I ever met you. You survived everything long before our paths crossed eight years ago."
Leo nodded slowly, gripping Nullfang. "Yeah."
She crossed her arms, grinning now. "So. When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow night."
Her eyes lit up. "Perfect! Then we're having a farewell party!"
Leo blinked. "A what?"
Lili's expression twisted in mock outrage. "EXCUSE ME?! We've had an eight-year-long mentor-student relationship and you're telling me we can't even have a farewell party?! LYRA, BACK ME UP!"
From behind, Lyra giggled. "We're not leaving you, Lili."
Lili blinked. "Huh?"
Leo turned to her. "Yeah. You're coming with us."
"But… what about your sister? My mom? Don't you want to save them?"
"We do," Leo said. "But we can't do it alone. I can't do it without you."
She looked down, hesitating. "If I go with you, people will hate you. I'll make you a target. You'll be hunted, blamed… I don't want that for you…I don't want to become trouble for you guys"
Leo's voice hardened. "What do you mean by 'trouble'?"
Lili looked up at him, surprised by the intensity in his voice.
"You're not a burden, Lili. You're not a curse, not a mistake, not a danger." His eyes shimmered with something deep and raw. "You're family. You trained me, stood by me, believed in me when no one else did. You gave me a place to grow, to heal. You never gave up on me. And now you think I'd give up on you?"
He looked away, fists clenched. "If anyone says you're a problem, then let them. I'll show them what kind of 'problem' I am."
He turned and walked off into the dark, his cloak trailing behind.
"You're coming with us, Lili. And that's final."
"Leo, wait—!"
But he was gone.
Lili stood frozen, stunned. Then slowly, her fists unclenched.