The sheer power radiating from Leon's Dragon's Extinction spell was so immense that it even drew the attention of Rossweise and Claudia, who were still clearing the hordes of lesser fusion beasts.
Claudia looked up at the sky, where the moon was now completely blotted out by churning, lightning-charged storm clouds. The thunderous energy roared like a living beast, eager to be unleashed.
"This level of lightning magic… it's excessive," she remarked, her voice laced with awe. Despite her vast knowledge of ancient magic, she had never witnessed anything as overwhelmingly powerful as this.
"It's one of his ultimate techniques. I've only seen him use it twice before," Rossweise explained.
The first time was during the Spatial Rift Battle against the Star Flame Dragon King. Back then, Leon had needed the support of the entire Silver Dragon clan to channel enough natural lightning to execute it. Now, he was summoning this cataclysmic power alone. Rossweise remembered the first time vividly—the triumphant display that felled six dragons in mere seconds. A proud smile touched her lips. Look at him, she thought, her heart swelling. My husband!
But her pride was tempered by concern. Using such a draining technique so early meant the Blade Trio was either formidable enough to force his hand, or Leon was simply impatient to end the fight.
Her thoughts were interrupted as a charred fusion beast landed at her feet with a thud. She turned to see Constantine approaching.
"I don't mean to interrupt your admiration," he said dryly, "but shouldn't we finish our task before staring at the sky?"
Having experienced Leon's strength firsthand, Constantine wasn't worried about his fight. His concern was for the battlefield around them.
"More fusion beasts are appearing. And I believe they are capable of a second phase of fusion," he reported.
Rossweise's brow furrowed. "A second phase? What do you mean?"
Before Constantine could elaborate, a massive shadow fell over them. Rossweise turned, and her expression hardened with disbelief.
The fusion beasts behind them were merging. Black, viscous tendrils extended from their bodies, binding them together. Their skins melted like tar, fusing into a single, colossal abomination with multiple heads and a magical energy signature rivaling that of a Dragon King.
"Just as Leon suspected. The Empire's depravity knows no bounds," Rossweise muttered.
Constantine stepped forward to stand beside the two queens. The three Dragon Kings stood united against the monstrous new threat.
"Let's burn this thing to ashes," Constantine declared.
As the second-phase fusion beast charged with a deafening roar, the three Dragon Kings moved in sync. They unleashed their power simultaneously, their combined fire magic forming a gigantic, unstoppable fireball.
Triple Dragon Fire Eradication!
The fireball struck the beast head-on, creating a colossal explosion that leveled nearby buildings and lit up the night. The searing heatwave lifted Rossweise's hair and skirt, embers dancing in her silver eyes.
When the flames subsided, the giant beast lay blackened and smoldering on the ground, barely breathing.
"Ha! It fell faster than I expected," Constantine scoffed, unimpressed by the stitched-together monstrosity.
"But… something feels wrong," Rossweise said, her voice wary. "The fight was too balanced. It doesn't make strategic sense for them to deploy a second-phase beast so early only to have us destroy it so easily…"
Claudia's eyes widened as she understood. "These creatures didn't fuse to fight us."
All three Dragon Kings turned their gaze toward Leon's isolated battlefield.
"They're heading for Leon!"
As if on cue, hundreds of fusion beasts surged like a tidal wave toward Leon's location.
"So, it wasn't just us who sensed the energy from Dragon's Extinction. Even these mindless beasts are drawn to it," Constantine observed.
"But why charge toward such a powerful attack instead of fleeing from it?" Claudia asked.
Rossweise's draconic eyes gleamed with sudden clarity. "They're not attacking. They're trying to form a shield for the Blade Trio!"
Having witnessed the spell's power, she knew the Trio could not withstand it alone. The Empire's mages were sacrificing their own fusion beasts to absorb the blast.
Realizing the danger, Rossweise and Claudia immediately spread their magnificent dragon wings and shot toward Leon's position, leaving a bewildered Constantine standing alone.
"Damn it! My stitched-together body doesn't have wings!" he grumbled, remembering that the Iron-Wing Dragon King Fael had brought him here. "I hate the Empire." With no other option, he broke into a sprint.
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On Leon's battlefield, a lion forged entirely of lightning emerged from the storm clouds, baring its fangs and claws as it descended upon the Blade Trio.
"Big brother! The attack range is too vast; we can't dodge it!" Jax shouted, abandoning any thought of blocking it together.
Anyone with basic magical knowledge could see that nothing on the continent could withstand the fury of Leon's lightning lion.
"Don't panic. Stay calm. Someone will intervene to help us," Kai said, his voice strained but steady.
"Help? Who? The useless imperial army?" Jax spat back.
"No. Not them. I mean… those things."
Jax followed his brother's gaze and saw a swarm of fusion beasts charging toward them, some even beginning a second phase of fusion as they ran.
Ren, the one-armed brother, shuddered. "I've seen second-phase fusions before, but they still make me sick."
"Better to be sick than be turned to dust by Leon," Kai said grimly. "Brace yourselves! It's coming!"
The lion of lightning struck. The impact was blinding, illuminating the entire battlefield and shaking the ground with tremendous force. The shockwaves rippled out, nearly shattering a nearby imperial land cruiser.
On the deck of that cruiser, King Canter collapsed to the floor, clutching his chest in panic. "W-What do we do now?! Even the Blade Trio can't block that! Who can stop Leon?!"
Queen Elizabeth stood calmly, casting a disdainful glance at her husband. "Pathetic. If the 'Shadow Lord' saw you now, he'd regret ever entrusting the throne to you."
Canter's already fragile composure shattered completely at the mention of the Shadow Lord.
"Relax," Elizabeth said, her voice ice-cold. "We will win this. Look—the fusion beasts have taken the hit for the Trio. Our Royal Sorcerers also report that Leon's last attack likely pushed him to his limit."
A confident smirk spread across her face. "Now, it's our turn to strike back."
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As the blinding light faded, Leon stood alone in the center of the devastated street. Before him lay the scorched, twitching remains of dozens of fusion beasts, the air thick with the stench of ozone and charred flesh.
He squinted through the smoke. "They blocked it."
The haze cleared to reveal the Blade Trio emerging from the rubble, battered and bruised, but alive. The beasts' sacrifice had worked; they had avoided a direct hit.
Kai stepped forward, a triumphant gleam in his eyes. "An impressive attack, Leon. We finally witnessed the power of the legendary dragon slayer. It's a shame… that move must have drained all your magic. We know your limits. This is the end for you."
Leon listened in silence. A moment later, two figures—one silver, one blue—landed gracefully beside him.
Leon glanced at them. "Where's Constantine?"
"Running here," Claudia replied flatly.
"Ah… the pain of being wingless. I understand."
"So, what's the situation?" Rossweise asked, her eyes scanning the field of fallen beasts. "It seems they used them as shields."
"Exactly. And now they believe I'm out of magic."
Claudia studied Leon, frowning. "You're not actually out of magic, are you?"
"No. I have plenty left."
The blue-haired dragon queen rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Then why do you look and sound like you're on your last legs?"
Leon shrugged. "To set the stage for an unexpected power surge."
"Huh?" Claudia was confused.
Rossweise let out a soft sigh. "He wants to trick them and make the reversal more satisfying."
"Immature! How did you end up marrying such a childish man?" Claudia muttered.
The Silver Dragon Queen covered her face slightly. "It's a story best left for another time."
Leon stepped forward, raising his right hand. "You said I was at my limit, right?" he called out to the Trio.
Kai's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, you—"
He was cut off as the air crackled violently. The familiar screech of the Chidori echoed as lightning formed in Leon's palm, its energy sweeping the dust away. The Blade Trio's faces froze in disbelief.
This defied all their intelligence! Their calculations were certain that Leon's last attack should have exhausted him. How could he use Chidori again so effortlessly?
"Your information must be outdated," Leon stated calmly. "It's true, after the Spatial Rift battle, that was my limit. Your conclusions were correct."
He paused, letting his words sink in. "But people can grow, can't they?"
"No human could double their magic reserves in just a few years!" Kai yelled, refusing to believe it. "You're bluffing!"
"A normal human couldn't, you're right," Leon agreed. "But there are… special methods."
That special method was the second Dragon Mark carved onto his arm. After his famous "Ten-Second, Six-Dragon Kill," he and Rossweise had inscribed a second mark on each other, dramatically increasing their magic storage capacity—a secret the Empire knew nothing about.
Leon's voice dropped to an icy, deadly tone. "As for whether I'm bluffing…"
He raised his right hand once more, and the sky above began to churn violently again.
"Trust me, when you hurt my mentor, every attack I make is meant to kill."
"So… if I unleash Dragon's Extinction again, and you survive, then you can ask me if I'm bluffing."
A palpable, killing intent radiated from Leon, washing over the Blade Trio. For the first time, the seasoned dragon slayers felt a genuine, chilling fear.
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On the land cruiser, King Canter gulped nervously. "The Sorcerers' analysis was wrong! Leon still has magic! And we have no more beasts left to block for us!"
Even Elizabeth's composed mask cracked, her face turning serious. "Don't panic. The 'Shadow Lord' provided you with a final recourse, did he not? Now is the time to use it."
"But… but that would sacrifice the Blade Trio!" Canter stammered.
"Hmph, Canter, after all this time as king, you still fail to see the board clearly," Elizabeth said with disdain. "For the ultimate victory, sacrificing a few pieces is necessary. Do it. The brothers should consider it an honor."
His hands trembling, King Canter reached into his pocket and pulled out a single, obsidian-black dragon scale.
"Shadow Lord… we are counting on your trump card."
He tossed the scale from the cruiser. It sailed through the air and landed amidst the corpses of the fusion beasts.
Leon and his allies watched it, immediately on alert.
"What is that?" Rossweise asked, her eyes narrowing. "A black dragon scale? I've never seen such a thing."
Claudia's eyes widened in horror as understanding dawned. "No… that's—"
Before she could finish, the corpses of the fusion beasts began to writhe and twitch.
"What's happening?" Rossweise exclaimed. "Dragon's Extinction should have killed them all!"
The black scale acted like a key unlocking the gates of hell. It required a sacrifice—a living sacrifice of immense power.
That sacrifice was the Blade Trio.
Still disoriented, the brothers cried out in shock as black tendrils shot from the corpses and wrapped around them, holding them fast.
"What's happening?! These things have gone mad!"
"Let go of us! You disgusting monsters!"
"Brother! What's going on?!"
Kai looked up desperately toward the royal couple on the cruiser. "Your Majesty! Order them to release us!"
King Canter's voice, cold and final, rang out. "Kai, now is the time to demonstrate your loyalty. You will gain unparalleled power and a new form. Isn't that what you always wanted?"
"W-What?!"
Before Kai could process this betrayal, the tendrils violently pulled the three brothers into the seething, black mass of corpses.
The sacrifice was complete. The black wraiths crossed the threshold of death and returned.
"ROARRRR!!!"
An ultimate monster was born from the bodies of hundreds of dangerous creatures, fusion beasts, and the combined life force of the Blade Trio.
The Primordial Nightmare had awakened.
It rose, a colossal and grotesque tower of flesh, with countless black tendrils writhing across its body. The heads of various beasts and fusion creatures protruded from its form at random. At its very peak, the faces of the three brothers stared out blankly, their bodies now completely consumed by the darkness, fueling the monster with terrifying primal energy.
The sheer pressure it emitted forced Leon and his allies to brace themselves. Behind them, terror spread like wildfire through the remaining imperial citizens.
"What… what is that thing?!"
"The Empire was hiding such an abomination?!"
"Run! Everyone run! That's beyond any of them… even Leon might not—"
Panic erupted, turning the chaotic streets into a frenzied stampede.
The noise seemed to provoke the Primordial Nightmare. It unleashed blasts of raw primal energy in every direction.
"Rebecca!" Leon shouted toward the rooftop where the Lionheart Society was stationed. "Help evacuate the citizens! Get everyone out of the upper district, now!"
"Yes, Captain!"
With the evacuation underway, Leon and the Dragon Kings had no choice but to face this final, monstrous foe.
"The resentment pouring off this thing is suffocating… I thought second-phase fusions were the Empire's lowest point, but this is a new depth of depravity," Claudia said, her voice tight.
"Judging by its magical density, even a direct hit from Dragon's Extinction might not be enough," Leon concluded solemnly.
Claudia glanced at him. "Wait, were you bluffing about being able to use it again?"
Leon offered a weak, tired smirk. "No. Two casts is truly my limit. Should we… test that theory?"
It was rare for Leon to doubt their chances, but the terror emanating from the Primordial Nightmare was palpable. It was an amalgamation of the Blade Trio's wrath and the malice of countless beasts. To it, every living thing was mere prey.
"So… it seems we'll have to risk everything," he murmured.
"Hold on," Rossweise said, stepping forward until she stood directly before the giant monster. Her small, silver-haired figure seemed insignificant against the towering abomination.
But in the next moment, a radiant, pure light erupted from her, spreading a wave of righteous, calming energy throughout the battlefield.
"Primordial Magic—" she declared, her voice resonating with power.
The queen, grasping the swirling, seven-colored energy with her hands, opened her magnificent dragon wings wide to anchor herself against the emanating force. The scene was breathtaking, like a celestial goddess descending to pass judgment.
"Soul Judgment."
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Meanwhile, Constantine was, indeed, still running toward the battlefield.