The appearance of the three Dragon Kings sent waves of shock and debate through the onlooking crowd.
"The Dragon Kings... they really are Dragon Kings!"
"But why are they helping Leon fight the Empire? Wasn't it said that the Empire colluded with the dragons to control this war?"
"Maybe some dragons have always wanted to expose this conspiracy?"
"I don't know if I trust them... especially that one called Constantine. He looks terrifying."
"Well, of course! Do you think someone gentle could become a Dragon King?"
"Regardless... if we've all been deceived and oppressed by the Empire, then I'll support anyone who can defeat that tyrant king!"
The citizens were divided. Some placed their faith unconditionally in Leon, while others watched his draconic allies with cautious skepticism. However, one thing was unanimous: after hearing the damning recording, none were willing to side with King Canter. They were all victims of the Empire's long-standing corruption.
This was exactly the outcome Leon had hoped for by exposing the truth. He didn't need everyone's unwavering support; he just needed them to see the Empire for what it truly was.
Across the square, the Blade Trio watched the three Dragon Kings descend, their confidence momentarily shaken. They were the Empire's ultimate dragon-slaying weapons, designed to be more efficient than even Leon in his prime. But these were Leon's allies—they were undoubtedly different from the ordinary Dragon Kings they had faced before.
Especially Constantine. The brothers knew of this monstrous fusion, a being who had broken free from the Royal Sorcerers' Corps' mental suppression and escaped. Now, he had returned, a symbol of burning vengeance.
Despite the daunting challenge, their leader, Kai, refused to show fear.
"Seems you haven't done well for yourself among the dragons, Leon," Kai sneered, trying to regain the upper hand with words. "Two women and a corpse that's died twice? These are your allies? If you couldn't find decent company, you should have just surrendered."
Jax, the second brother, joined in the mockery. "It's just embarrassing."
The one-armed Ren grinned arrogantly. "Three Dragon Kings... just enough for one each. No need to share this time!"
Leon, however, was long past the point of trading petty insults. His wife, Rossweise, and her aunt Claudia had the patience and grace of queens, and they merely watched the trio's antics with a look of mild, superior pity. Constantine, called a "corpse," remained eerily calm. He was here as Leon's hired muscle, promised a library of ancient magical tomes as payment. Unless Leon gave the order, he wouldn't waste energy on taunts.
Seeing that none of his allies were going to engage, Leon sighed inwardly. A few words were necessary to set the stage.
"Don't worry about the headcount," Leon said, stepping forward. Lightning crackled to life in his palm. "I'll handle the three of you myself. Constantine and the others will deal with the fusion beasts."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "You're that arrogant, Leon? Our dragon-slaying record is just as impressive as yours was."
A cold chuckle escaped Leon's lips as he bent into a ready stance. "Let me show you the difference."
Without another word, Leon became a blur of motion. In a battle of life and death, there was no starting bell. He closed the distance in an instant, the sharp cry of his lightning magic screeching in Kai's ear.
Boom!
A clean, powerful strike sent the Blade Captain flying backward.
The move, "Chidori," was the opening salvo. On his command ship, a panicked King Canter wiped sweat from his brow and screamed, "Go! Kill that traitor!"
With a collective roar, the horde of fusion beasts and dangerous breeds surged forward.
Just as Leon had declared, these lesser threats were for his allies.
Claudia's eyes swept over the monstrous army, a sly smile on her lips. "So, he keeps the strong ones for himself and leaves the riffraff for us. Rossweise."
"Hm?"
"Your husband is quite stingy."
Rossweise simply chuckled, falling into a battle stance. "In battle, stinginess is irrelevant. Every enemy deserves our full effort."
"What a noble resolve. No wonder you're a couple," Claudia replied, her teasing done.
She raised a hand, unleashing a torrent of dragon fire that blasted the first wave of creatures into the sky. Rossweise timed her own fireball perfectly, complementing the attack with seamless coordination.
"Not bad. Let's keep it up," Claudia said, and the two fell into a devastating, elegant rhythm.
Constantine's approach, meanwhile, was pure chaos. His deep-seated hatred for the Empire, fueled by the sight of fusion beasts that reminded him of his torture in their labs, left no room for restraint. He unleashed massive blasts of dragon fire that scorched entire city blocks. Fortunately, the Lionheart Society had evacuated the area, preventing civilian casualties.
"Pathetic scum," Constantine muttered, wiping embers from his hand before charging a particularly massive fusion beast. Only a worthy opponent could satisfy the Crimson Flame Dragon King's fury.
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The battle for the Empire's fate raged on.
Leon faced the Blade Trio alone. Despite being outnumbered three to one, he was utterly unphased. The brothers attacked in a storm of fists and kicks, each move fast as lightning, but Leon dodged and weaved between them effortlessly. No matter how ferocious their assault, he remained untouched.
The four combatants moved from the upper district, their fight carrying them two blocks away. Leon fought defensively, drawing them out.
"Hey, revolutionary hero! Are you ever going to fight back?" Ren, the one-armed brother, taunted mid-attack.
Leon blocked a heavy punch from Ren with his crossed arms. "And you've been fighting all this time with only one arm. Is that by choice, or because you can't use the other?"
Leon's verbal barbs were far sharper than any of the brothers'. Years as a commander, followed by domestic life with Rossweise, had honed his tongue to a razor's edge. Out-talking him was impossible; defeating him was even more so.
Ren's face flushed crimson with rage, and his attacks became wild and reckless.
"You bastard! I'll rip both your arms off!"
"Ren, wait! Don't break formation!" Kai yelled.
But it was too late. The enraged brother lunged forward, aiming a powerful kick at Leon's waist. This was the opening Leon had been waiting for. The instant Ren separated from his brothers, Leon created distance.
Now, it was one-on-one. Leon pretended to leave his waist exposed, baiting the kick. As it came, he swung his elbow down hard onto Ren's leg.
Crack!
The sound of breaking bone was followed by Ren's agonized scream.
Capitalizing on the moment, Leon grabbed Ren's ankle, spun him around, and hurled him like a discus into a nearby low building. The structure collapsed, burying Ren in rubble.
"Ren!!" Jax's eyes widened with fury and fear at seeing his brother defeated.
"Worry about yourself," Leon's voice was a whisper beside him. In a blink, Leon had closed the distance again. The crackle of thunder announced another "Chidori," and Leon used the concussive shockwave to send Jax flying through the air.
Kai's attack came from behind, but Leon sidestepped with minimal movement, the strike grazing past him. In the same fluid motion, Leon drove his knee hard into Kai's abdomen. The blow knocked the air from Kai's lungs and stole his ability to move.
Leon grabbed Kai by the throat, lifted him, and slammed him headfirst into the pavement. The stone cracked under the impact, and Kai coughed up blood, his body going limp.
Leon stood up, calmly nudging the unconscious Kai aside with his foot. Now, the famed Blade Trio lay around him in a broken triangle: one buried in rubble, one thrown aside, and one nearly embedded in the street.
Leon remained vigilant, knowing this wouldn't be enough to finish them. Sure enough, the trio began to stir, their bodies wounded but their spirits burning with even greater rage.
"Today's lesson," Leon stated calmly, his voice cutting through the dust. "When fighting outnumbered, separate your opponents. Turn one battle against three into three separate battles of one against one."
He stood tall, his gaze locking onto Kai, who was struggling to his feet.
"Now, let's return to your earlier claim," Leon continued. "You said your record on the dragon-slaying field was just as good as mine. That is not true."
He raised his right hand. Blue lightning, far more intense and violent than before, exploded to life in his palm, crackling with ferocious energy.
"You may have killed Dragon Kings because that is your limit," Leon declared, his voice unwavering and clear. "But I kill Dragon Kings because—"
"The strongest beings in this world are the Dragon Kings."
"And if there is anything stronger," he said, his eyes blazing with absolute certainty, "it just hasn't met me yet."
With that, Leon brought his hands together in a thunderous clap. The raw power of his lightning erupted outwards, shaking the very air. The sky above darkened instantly, storm clouds swirling into a vortex. Within the clouds, colossal bolts of lightning twisted and leaped like caged primordial beasts straining to be free.
Ultra S-Class Lightning Magic: Dragon's Extinction!
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From her vantage point outside the battlefield, Rebecca watched in stunned silence. Leon had resorted to his most powerful spell a mere three minutes into the fight. She muttered under her breath, a mixture of awe and sheer disbelief at his overwhelming power:
"Captain... isn't that a bit of an overkill?"