Leon seized the opportunity, Chidori blazing in his hand, and charged straight through the already weakened firewall. He dashed forward, bent low, the Chidori scraping across the expensive lawn Isha had purchased.
"Brother-in-law, you'll have to help my sister plow the fields later! On behalf of the Melkvey family, I thank you!" Isha's shout was swallowed by the shrieking sound of the Chidori.
Leon became a blue streak of light, shooting directly toward Constantine. Facing this resurrected "old friend," Leon didn't dare hold back. He had just witnessed that even Constantine's opening move required the combined effort of two Dragon Kings, Rossweise and Isha, to withstand. The monster before them was no longer just the 'Crimson Flame Dragon King'; it possessed far more powerful and complex abilities.
Just as he planned, Leon struck out with the Chidori, aiming for Constantine's abdomen. The impact forced Constantine to halt his charge. However, Leon's expression darkened. The moment the Chidori made contact, the electrical energy in his hand completely dissipated, vanishing like a flame meeting water—without a trace.
"How is this possible…"
"Cos…mo...deous…!!" The monster let out a hoarse, eerie scream, then erupted with energy, sending Leon flying backward.
After regaining his balance and standing upright, Leon muttered, "Turned into a monster, and you still recognize me… So… just how much do you hate me?"
Rossweise and Isha ran up, flanking Leon on either side.
"Did you learn anything?" Rossweise asked.
"His defense is far stronger than I imagined," Leon's tone was grim. "A full-power Chidori had no effect on him."
Hearing this, Isha raised an eyebrow and glanced at her brother-in-law. She carefully sized him up but remained silent.
[Author's Note: Leon used the term 'Chidori.' Dragons typically refer to it as 'Thunder/Lightning Thrust.' Leon's unintentional use of 'Chidori' in front of Isha became a critical moment where she grew suspicious and nearly uncovered Leon's human identity. This moment solidified her doubt: Her brother-in-law is not a Dragon!]
"This time, let's attack together," Rossweise suggested.
Leon nodded. "Alright."
The three assumed their stances and charged toward Constantine.
Meanwhile, on a distant mountain, Scott stood with his hands behind his back.
"I didn't expect it to be this easy."
Fael glanced at him. "What do you mean?"
"We initially planned to have Constantine attack the Red Dragon Tribe to draw Leon out, depriving him of his home-field advantage," Scott explained. "But unexpectedly, he conveniently showed up here tonight, saving us the trouble of waiting."
Fael's eyes shifted. "Dragons rarely interact, Mr. Scott. It seems the Empire has had a stroke of luck."
Scott smirked, tilting his chin proudly.
"You see, Fael, the 'ultimate creature' the Empire poured countless resources into creating is so perfect that even under the siege of Leon and two Dragon Kings, it maintains the advantage. Such strength… isn't this precisely what your dragons have always craved?"
Fael listened in silence, offering no response. He narrowed his eyes, watching the resurrected Constantine in the distance. Even against the combined forces of Leon Cosmodeous and the Silver and Red Dragon Kings, Constantine was holding his ground. Indeed, the mad Crimson Flame Dragon King had acquired the power and body he had always dreamed of. But he had become a puppet—devoid of thought, devoid of will, unable to control even the simplest breath. What was there to crave about strength gained at the cost of 'freedom'?
Fael smiled faintly. "It is indeed powerful strength, Mr. Scott. I hope you can control it tightly."
"Not just this power," Scott smiled confidently. "In the future, the Empire will control even more, stronger forces."
"Take only what your bowl can hold, lest you choke, little human. I hope you understand this." Fael glanced at Scott but said no more, returning his attention to the battle.
Outside the Red Dragon Temple, Leon was slammed into a pavilion, reducing it instantly to rubble.
"Brother-in-law, that pavilion was expensive too!!" Isha cried out in frustration.
General Leon crawled out of the rubble, dusting himself off and wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "It's fine, sis. My wife will compensate you."
Rossweise: ?!
He walked back toward the two sisters, looking at the towering stitched monster with a worried tone. "I have no idea how to hurt that thing…"
After several exchanges, their magical attacks had proven utterly ineffective against Constantine. The defensive power of the Steel Mammoth's body exceeded all comprehension.
"Do you still have enough magic power?" Rossweise asked.
Leon clutched his chest and shook his head slightly. "Not much left."
It had been just over a month since Leon's heroic 'Ten-Second Six-Dragon Kill,' and his magic power had barely recovered. Moreover, the side effects of the Gates of Nine Hells hadn't completely faded, and Leon's body still felt unwell.
"So, brother-in-law, your body's like a battery now?" Isha teased.
"Sis… this isn't the time for jokes."
Leon rarely found dragon-slaying to be a challenge, but now was one of those times.
Isha smiled faintly, then looked at Rossweise. "Little Rose, use that move."
Rossweise nodded. "Alright."
Leon was stunned. "Wait, what move? It's not some attack that hurts the enemy a thousand and damages us eight hundred, is it?"
"Not just that, brother-in-law," Isha added dramatically. "This move of ours, if it fails, will sever our meridians at best, or kill us both at worst."
"….No, no way, sis! Even if things are tricky, it's not worth a suicidal attack. Trust me, I still have a trump card left." Hearing that his wife might die, General Leon would never agree. It wasn't worth perishing together over a recently resurrected defeated enemy!
"Stop scaring him, sis." Seeing her husband's genuine concern, Rossweise felt a warmth inside. But now wasn't the time for sentiment; any personal feelings had to wait until the problem was solved. "It's just a linked technique. My sister and I have practiced it before, but this is the first time we're using it in battle. Hopefully, it works," Rossweise explained.
"Ah…" Did I just get tricked? Leon wondered.
"Go, Little Rose."
"Mm!"
The Silver and Red Dragon Kings stepped forward, spreading their dragon wings and transforming into their majestic dragon forms. They beat their powerful wings, soaring into the night sky, charging toward the darkness. The full moon hung high as the two giant dragons spiraled upward, their speed increasing until their massive bodies became two streaks of intertwined silver and red light. The high-speed rotation generated violent air currents, forcing Leon to bend down and brace himself to avoid being blown away.
He squinted, watching the intertwined silver and red light in the night sky. It resembled a sharp blade, cutting through the darkness, heading straight for Constantine.
S-rank Physical Magic·Linked Technique·Galactic Crimson Impact
Combining the Silver Dragon Clan's speed with the Red Dragon Clan's physical strength, they spun at high velocity while enveloping themselves in intense Dragon Fire. This technique merged magical attack with physical penetration, another method to overcome the inherent 'combo technique flaw.'
Below, Constantine showed no intention of dodging. He let out a series of low growls, his vicious dragon eyes fixed on the approaching silver-red blade. The air currents howled like monsters, the wind pressure obliterating everything left in the courtyard. Constantine roared, then spread his arms wide.
Leon was slightly surprised. "Is this guy planning to take this attack head-on with his body… that's too absurd."
As expected, the silver-red blade struck Constantine directly. A surge of wind and magical energy exploded outward in all directions. Leon struggled to stabilize himself, his feet carving two short trenches into the ground as he was forced backward.
Even from a distance, Scott and Fael felt the impact of the energy.
"Mr. Scott, even with such an attack, can Constantine withstand it?"
"Just wait and see, Fael. He'll shock you!"
The energy continued to spread. Even deep within the underground shelter where Noah and her sisters were hiding, they felt the powerful tremor. Noah held her sisters' hands tightly, looking up at the dark ceiling of the shelter. "Dad, Mom, Aunt… please be okay."
On the surface, after the impact subsided, the two sisters distanced themselves from Constantine and returned to human form.
"How is it? Did it have any effect?" Leon asked urgently.
Isha rubbed her sore shoulder, looking at the lingering flames ahead. "The situation… isn't good."
"ROAR!!—" A deafening dragon roar dispersed the flames, and the terrifying dragon's might spread like a plague. The reborn Crimson Flame still burned fiercely.
.
.
.
"LEON!!" Since the battle began, these were the only words Leon had heard from Constantine. Madness, fury, and burning hatred—it seemed that given the chance, Constantine would tear Leon to pieces without hesitation. In his past life, he had been an extremely combative mad dragon; now, as a stitched monster, his emotions were solely driven by "revenge."
Leon and the Melkvey sisters had fought dozens of rounds against this creature, employing every method they could. But not only had they failed to inflict significant damage, they hadn't even seen a single grimace of pain from Constantine. He was like a relentless killing machine—tireless, immune to pain, and his sole purpose upon resurrection was to kill Leon.
How can the living confront something that has already died? After all, the opponent had nothing left to lose, including life itself.
The overwhelming power of lightning once again dissipated harmlessly from Constantine's body. Leon had launched several attacks within seconds, but the result could be summarized as "all thunder, no rain." To put it simply—it was like scratching an itch.
Retreating to a safe distance, Leon looked at the fading sparks in his hand and, for the first time, questioned his own abilities.
"Brother-in-law, put some effort in! Are you giving him a back rub?" His teammate started piling on the pressure.
Leon shrugged. "How am I supposed to put in more effort when I've already done my best?"
"Don't give up, brother-in-law! We need to turn this into a comeback!" Isha transformed the tension into motivation through humor.
Leon sighed, then clapped his hands together.
"You're right, but this is Constantine. He's stitched together with the organs of Steel Mammoths, Hellfire Titans, and several other dangerous species. His physical defense is invincible, and he can even counterattack. He has long-range attacks that are more powerful than when he was alive. He has regeneration—we barely drew blood after all that scraping, and BYD, the wounds healed in two seconds. This thing is the supermodel of stitched monsters."
In this bizarre, magic-filled, and unknown world of Samuel Continent, there was never a shortage of powerful beings. They were the chosen ones, the unique, the children favored by the world itself. But Leon Cosmodeous was different. For a long time, he was neither the chosen nor the unique, and certainly not a child of fortune—he was the father of the current era. In past battles, General Leon had crushed almost all enemies with his outrageous stats. No matter what kind of dragon—one that flew in the sky, ran on the ground, swam in the water, blue, white, or golden—if they met General Leon, he would break all their defenses with pure, overwhelming strength. Such a person was called a "stat monster."
And today, Leon had finally learned the meaning of "there's always a bigger mountain." To defeat a stat monster, one must rely on a stitched monster—this was the truth! The body of the Steel Mammoth was a natural counter to Leon's lightning power. If it were just a Steel Mammoth, Leon could have subdued it using other methods. But the problem was, the resurrected Constantine wasn't just a Steel Mammoth. His new body was a composite of so many dangerous species that even Leon, for all his power, couldn't easily surpass it.
"By the way, brother-in-law, didn't you say you had a trump card left?" Isha looked at Leon. "Is it time to use it?"
"Ah…"
"What's wrong?"