Chapter 395

[Who are you?]

Those were the first words Elsie spoke upon being summoned through the summoning circle. The young Elemental Lord of Darkness wore a deeply bewildered expression.

It was only natural. Elsie had only been born recently and had never formed a single contract before, yet now, she had been forcibly summoned by a pact that had never even been made. It was no wonder she was in shock.

The same went for Sylord, the successor to the Fairy King.

[H-How did you kidnap me?!]

Sylord looked absolutely terrified.

Five thousand years in the future, he was the last remaining spirit beast king, having lived through everything from the Age of Calamity to the Era of Dawn. The undisputed strongest spirit beast, known far and wide as the Fairy King Sylord.

But to Leo, this frightened Sylord was a far more familiar sight than the dignified legend of the future.

[I've never formed a contract with someone like you!]

[M-Me neither! Let me go!]

Elsie and Sylord flitted around him like moths in a frenzy. Leo reached out.

Grab—!

"I need your power," he said softly. "To reclaim the starlight in the night sky."

[Stars?]

"To bring back the forests, lush and green once more."

[Forests?]

Leo spoke of things that would surely tempt the young elemental and fairy.

"Yes! And to do that, we have to fight that thing right now."

[That thing?]

[What are you talking abou…]

Kuoohhhhhhhhhh!

Jörmungandr roared at Leo, who hovered high in the sky.

Wuuung—!

In response, a massive surge of black mana formed around Leo.

A Curse of Confinement.

Leo's eyes gleamed. Analyzing the pattern of the curse, he swiftly constructed a counterformula.

Snap—!

In an instant, he dispelled the curse, causing Albus to look at him in shock.

[You just broke a legion commander's curse that quickly?!]

[A legion commander? That massive serpent is a legion commander?!]

[Wait, is that the King of Gluttony, Jörmungandr?!]

Elsie and Sylord gasped at Albus's words.

"I'll explain how you were summoned in detail later. Right now…"

Leo activated his spiritual energy, causing Elsie and Sylord to resonate with that power.

"We focus on taking that bastard down!"

Leo yanked hard on Albus's reins.

Pazzzzzzt—!

Pure white lightning roared to life.

Jörmungandr lunged at them with his jaws wide open.

Kwagagagagagak—!

Albus dodged and bolted forward as a streak of lightning. Seeing Leo and Albus pulling away in an instant, Jörmungandr bellowed furiously.

[You fool! Do you think you can escape me?!]

Kwagagagang—!

Jörmungandr immediately gave chase.

However, among all spirit beasts, pegasi were known for their unparalleled speed, and among them, the White Queen was the fastest of all. Her speed was so overwhelming that the word swift barely did it justice.

Yet despite his massive size, Jörmungandr was rapidly closing the distance. He was fast, but not quite fast enough to catch Albus. Even so, the gap was steadily shrinking.

Wuuuuung—!

A surge of black mana lashed out at Albus. She dodged, soaring higher into the sky, but Jörmungandr moved as if he had predicted her every action, cutting straight across the shortest distance to close in on her.

His nostrils flared.

I can smell you. I can smell your hateful presence moving.

His advanced sense of smell not only tracked Leo's movements—it predicted where he was going next. It was an ability so precise that it could be called prophecy.

The King of Gluttony, Jörmungandr.

He wielded overwhelming power but lacked the cunning of other legion commanders and commanded no army of his own. And yet, he was feared as the most terrifying demon of this era because of his unparalleled, nearly precognitive sense of smell.

With that ability, Jörmungandr had devoured everything that stood in his way. A devourer of heroes who had swallowed countless warriors who fought to protect the world.

And just as he had done countless times before, he now sought to consume the hero before him.

Chomp—!

[I'll chew you to bits!]

Jörmungandr opened his maw wide.

At that exact moment, Leo activated his aura.

Hyper Perception.

He sharpened every sense in his body. This was a technique of the Brave Hero, honed by standing at the front lines of countless battles.

His heightened senses detected the crisis before him.

Fwoosh—!

Jörmungandr's eyes twitched as Leo moved unpredictably. [You little…! Using tricks, are you?! But you cannot escape my sight! The great god has granted me this power! I foresee the future in battle!]

"I know. That ability was a massive pain in the ass," Leo spoke coldly. "But you're not the only one who can predict the future in battle."

Leo knew another person who could see the future in battle.

Aaron.

The Brave Hero's Hyper Perception transcended even time itself. Even Leo, who had inherited Aaron's aura, had never reached Aaron's domain.

Even after Aaron passed his aura down to Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning had never stepped into the Brave Hero's realm—except for one single moment.

The final battle.

Leo's eyes gleamed. His aura ignited. Every sense in his body sharpened to the extreme.

Thump—Thump—Thump—

His heart pounded violently in his chest.

The moment he heard that sound, everything in his vision slowed. Or rather, his perception had begun to transcend time itself.

I can't step into Aaron's domain again…

Leo's vision captured Jörmungandr pulling ahead of him.

But…

Blood vessels popped around Leo's eyes.

Thump—Thump—Thump—

His heartbeats slowed, one by one.

For just a single instant, surpassing Jörmungandr…

Thump—

I can do it.

His heart stopped. No, he simply felt as if it had.

In that moment, Jörmungandr's voice rang out in utter shock. [Impossible! Someone surpassing my perception?!]

"That fancy future prediction of yours… it's useless against someone who sees a step ahead of you!"

[Do you really think such a monstrous being exists?!]

"You're looking at him right now." Leo sneered at Jörmungandr. "And if I'm faster than you, there's no way you can catch me."

His grey eyes gleamed.

"Keep writhing in the dirt, struggling to keep up, King of Gluttony."

[You bastard—!]

Jörmungandr's furious roar shook the air.

Kugugugugugung—!

Curling his massive body, he began to spin.

Ziiiiiing—!

At the same time, black mana surged from his body.

[I'll wipe this entire area off the map!]

Kwagagagagagak—!

A colossal vortex of black mana erupted around him, a literal catastrophe that would obliterate everything in its path. Leo could feel the air itself being sucked toward Jörmungandr.

Summoning his spiritual energy, Leo yanked on Albus's reins.

Pazzzzzzt—!

Encased in pure white lightning, Albus was suddenly engulfed in crimson flames.

[Phoenix flames?!]

Albus's eyes widened in shock. The wings of the white Pegasus blazed furiously, looking just like the wings of a phoenix.

Empowered by Leo, Albus was now wreathed in Zerdinger's flames. Just as a weapon could be reinforced with aura, Albus had been imbued with the might of the phoenix's fire.

[Unbelievable…!] Albus's expression twisted in astonishment.

"You said I could be rough with you, didn't you?"

[Urgh?!]

The flames burned at her wings. A phoenix was a spirit beast that incinerated itself to annihilate wicked foes, so it's flames brought Albus pain.

"Sorry, but bear with it."

Albus flapped her blazing wings. [You really are the worst contractor ever!]

"This isn't over yet. Sylord! Buff magic!"

[Y-Yes! Right away!]

A fairy's magic circle formed over Albus's white body.

Fwoosh—!

Leo, still maintaining Hyper Perception, gathered every ounce of aura and spiritual energy within him. Veins bulged on his forehead.

[Amazing…] Sylord watched Leo endlessly amplifying Albus, utterly dumbfounded.

But Leo wasn't done yet.

"Elsie."

Gooooo—!

At Leo's call, black mana surged from Elsie's body.

"Crush that thing."

[Understood.]

Elsie spread her arms.

Clench—!

[Hngh?!]

At that moment, Jörmungandr's body came to a halt. Something was restraining him.

[What pathetic trick is this?!]

He writhed violently, trying to break free, yet despite his monstrous strength, he couldn't move an inch.

What the hell?! What is this?!

His furious gaze shot toward his own shadows.

Squelch—Squelch—Squelch—

They were distorting as if an unseen hand was kneading them like clay.

His shadows were being pulled together into a single point. And as they compressed, so did his own body.

Shadows…!

Realizing what was binding him, Jörmungandr's eyes darted toward Leo, who sat atop the flaming pegasus.

A pegasus, a fairy… and even the Elemental Lord of Darkness?! Just what are you?!

Drip—

Blood trickled from Leo's eyes.

[Kyle! Are you alright?] Albus urgently asked.

"I'm fine, it's just…" Leo pulled on the reins. "I've pushed past my limits a little."

Pazzzzt! Fwoooosh! Gooooo—!

Leaving a trail of lightning and flames, Leo charged forward with Albus.

Whoosh!

Darkness loomed ahead.

Leo, a lone light rushing toward the massive Jörmungandr, seemed pitifully small.

But the moment that sliver of light pierced through the darkness and struck Jörmungandr…

Flash—! Kwagagagagagagak—!

An immense burst of light erupted, leaving behind a massive crater.

Kugugugugugung—!

A colossal shockwave spread in all directions. Enormous trees bent away from the explosion, then were ripped from their roots entirely.

Unfathomable destruction.

A single blow wrung out by pushing a spirit beast king to its absolute limit.

As flames and lightning surged toward the heavens, Leo soared into the sky.

[That was incredible,] Elsie murmured.

"Yeah." Leo tightened his grip on the reins.

[But it's not over yet.] Albus spoke coolly.

Kugugugugu—

[Kuhuhuhuhuhu…]

A low, eerie laugh echoed from the center of the explosion.

[Kahahahahahahaha!]

A crazed laughter burst forth.

Jörmungandr's massive form rose once more. His body was charred and melted, his face grotesquely deformed. Even with a legion commander's monstrous regeneration, the pegasus's lightning and phoenix's flames had halted his recovery.

And yet, Jörmungandr remained standing.

Leo had squeezed out every last drop of strength for that strike. It had been an incredible attack.

But it wasn't enough to bring Jörmungandr down.

[No matter what it takes, I will devour you!]

Jörmungandr's eyes burned with hatred. He fixated on Leo, ignoring everything else. His gaze held only a single purpose—to erase Leo at all costs.

"The first condition is met."

A maddened Jörmungandr would never stop until Leo was dead.

"I'll leave the rest to you, Lysinas."