Leon hadn't forgotten his true purpose in sparring with Odin: to challenge a supremely powerful opponent and push himself closer to understanding the elusive Hyper Perception.
He was genuinely eager to see the Thunder Dragon King unleash his full, legendary strength.
After several intense exchanges, both combatants had developed a clear, respectful sense of each other's abilities. The warm-up was unequivocally over; now it was time to fight with everything they had.
Their gazes locked, a silent understanding passing between them, and in the next instant, both vanished from sight.
When they reappeared, their lightning-fast movements clashed violently in midair. Fists collided with a sound like shattering glass, sending a visible ripple of blue lightning outward from the point of impact.
Odin, using his massive dragon wings to generate extra force and stability, shoved Leon downward.
BOOM!
The two crashed onto a solid stone platform below, the impact sending thick clouds of dust and debris into the air.
When the dust settled, Leon was seen crouched low, his arms crossed in a tight defensive X in front of his face and torso, while Odin's iron fist pressed firmly against the intersection of his forearms.
A faint, shimmering golden aura flickered around Leon, a protective shield that had absorbed the brunt of the attack's force.
"Ninth Hell Of Gate, Seventh Gate: Twilight's Aegis," Odin murmured, his voice laced with recognition and a hint of respect. "As the only purely defensive skill within the Nine Gates, it's clearly a precursor to the ultimate technique, Nightmare's End."
He withdrew his fist and nodded approvingly. "Impressive, young man. Opening the Seventh Gate at your age is no small feat."
Leon lowered his arms and smirked, the golden aura fading. "You flatter me, old man. I've practiced a lot, but as for how many gates I can truly open... let's keep that a secret for now."
It was a clever answer—polite yet leaving ample room for strategic speculation.
A less tactful fighter might have boasted, "Try me, and I'll open all nine gates and destroy you!" But Leon wasn't here to fight to the death; this was a duel of respect and growth.
From the secure observation area, Rossweise and her sister Isha were carefully watching every nuance of the battle.
"Do you think he'll lose control and open all nine gates?" Isha asked lightly, her tone playful but with a distinct undertone of concern for her brother-in-law.
Rossweise shook her head, her silver brows furrowing slightly. "No. It's only been two years since the last time he fully opened them during the crisis with the Primordial Nightmare. His Heartshield Dragon Scale, and thus his life force, hasn't fully recovered yet."
Satisfied with her sister's calm assessment, Isha refrained from commenting further, turning her attention back to the arena.
Back in the center of the conflict, the battle continued with renewed ferocity.
Lightning roared as Leon's twin Thunder Wolves materialized from his palms, their glowing, bestial forms streaking across the arena toward Odin.
Odin, utterly unfazed, unleashed a gale-force wind from his powerful wings, amplifying a single, precise lightning arc that shot forward like a razor-sharp blade.
Grade A Lightning Magic: Stormbreaker Slash.
The moment the two ranged attacks collided, the resulting shockwave rippled outward, distorting the very air with its concussive intensity.
Before the visual aftershock could even dissipate, Leon and Odin charged at each other once more, instantly resuming their blistering close-quarters combat.
However, Leon quickly realized that Odin's aerial mobility, granted by his wings, made him frustratingly elusive. Every time Leon leveraged his strength to force a decisive opening, Odin would use a subtle beat of his wings to reposition minutely, evading the finishing strike with infuriating ease.
Recognizing this tactical disadvantage, Leon shifted his strategy. He timed a powerful, surprising kick to Odin's chest, using the counter-force momentum to launch himself backward and create critical distance.
Odin skidded several meters across the stone but remained fundamentally unharmed. Dusting off his chest with a casual hand, he smirked.
"Trying to distance yourself, are you? Planning to switch entirely to ranged attacks now?"
Landing smoothly on his feet, Leon adjusted his stance, his body coiled and ready. His eyes briefly flickered to the intricate dragon markings on his arm, mentally confirming that his internal magic reserves, while taxed, were still strong enough for a prolonged fight.
"Old man, your mastery of lightning magic is legendary," Leon said, his voice carrying clearly across the arena. "Let's see if I can learn a thing or two from you today."
Odin chuckled, a rich, thunderous sound as he raised his hands. "Very well, then. Let's see how you handle this, boy!"
Raw, untamed magic surged around Odin as dazzling, thick arcs of lightning enveloped his body, their brilliance illuminating the entire arena with the stark light of a storm.
Leon's eyes widened slightly in professional appreciation. "The sheer efficiency of his mana control and concentration... it's on another level. Truly worthy of a master of lightning magic."
Steeling himself, Leon began to gather his own magic, preparing a counter. But before he could execute his move, a massive, intricately designed blue magic circle flared to life directly beneath his feet.
"Damn it!" Leon cursed, instincts screaming as he attempted to jump away.
He wasn't fast enough.
The moment his feet left the ground, a precise lightning strike from above caught him mid-air, its shocking force cutting off his escape and brutally forcing him back down into the center of the glowing magical trap.
Landing with a pained grunt, Leon quickly examined the pulsating circle surrounding him. He tried to dart toward its edge from a different angle, but another pre-emptive lightning strike intercepted him perfectly, sealing the path.
Seeing no immediate physical way out, Leon turned his gaze toward Odin, a new respect in his eyes.
"Did he set this up during our earlier exchanges? While we were trading blows?"
It dawned on Leon that Odin had managed to counter his relentless assault while simultaneously and secretly laying the subtle groundwork for this trap. The depth of his multi-tasking and battle wisdom was staggering.
"Young man, don't give up now!" Odin called out, his voice echoing with authority through the arena.
With a sharp, definitive clap of his hands, the magic circle flared with blinding brightness, and a relentless rain of lightning bolts descended in rapid succession.
Grade S Lightning Magic: Lightning Prison Annihilation.
Leon was forced into a desperate defensive scramble, his body moving in a blur as he dodged each strike with near-impossible agility, the heat from near-misses searing the air around him.
Watching from a safe distance, Odin muttered to himself, a faint smile on his lips, "Impressive reflexes. Most would have been hit half a dozen times by now. Let's see how he handles an increased intensity."
Raising his hand high, Odin summoned a second, identical magic circle that materialized directly above Leon's position.
With the two formations now overlapping vertically, the frequency of the lightning strikes doubled, creating an unrelenting, seamless barrage that left no room to breathe or plan.
In the Twilight Tower's luxurious observation area, the assembled dragon kings were abuzz with animated conversation.
"Isn't Odin being a little too aggressive?" one commented, stroking his beard. "If the boy's morale breaks completely, what's the true point of this duel?"
"The kid failed to detect Odin's trap. That just shows his lack of experience against masters of this caliber. Can you really blame Odin for exploiting it?" argued another.
"Come now, who could possibly spot a setup that subtle and swift? Odin's been alive for over two thousand years. That kind of battle wisdom simply comes with age; it's not a fair comparison!" retorted a third.
The boisterous Golden Sand Dragon King, Morgan, gestured animatedly at the central recording stone.
"My gods, look at that! That's the genuine Lightning Prison Annihilation! Only Odin could pull off a technique of this purity and power on the entire Meir continent!"
Another dragon king rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Would you stop hyping it up? We get it. Odin's your old drinking buddy."
Morgan laughed heartily. "I'm just stating facts! And this technique isn't even showing its full, terrifying power yet. Things are about to get even more brutal for the boy!"
Isha pointedly ignored Morgan's antics, her sharp crimson eyes fixed unwaveringly on the recording stone. Though she found his commentary grating, she couldn't deny the stark truth in his words. Once caught in Odin's Lightning Prison Annihilation, escape was nearly impossible; the only way out was to endure until the caster's mana was exhausted.
Beside her, Rossweise's hands had subconsciously tightened around the fabric of her skirt. Normally the picture of calm and composure, she couldn't completely hide the growing anxiety in her amethyst eyes.
She had never seen Leon so thoroughly cornered in a fight. His usual strategy of overwhelming his opponents with sheer, explosive power wasn't working here. Against Odin, who combined immense strength with centuries of refined strategy and surgical precision, Leon was truly in a desperate struggle for survival.
Inside the terrifying trap, Leon dodged another searing bolt, his breathing becoming heavy, sweat dripping down his face and stinging his eyes. The air smelled of ozone and singed stone.
"Come on, Dad," Noah whispered from the observation area, her voice trembling. Her bright blue eyes were wide, filled with a mixture of awe and profound worry as she watched her father's desperate dance.
"Please... don't fall."