“Alright, we’re here,” Leon said calmly as he brought his horse to a stop.
He raised his right hand, and the Demon army behind him followed suit, halting their horses. Leon’s gaze shifted to the human army, about eight hundred meters away.
From their position and condition, he estimated they had likely arrived an hour earlier. In that time, they would have no doubt already devised a plan to defeat him and his forces.
Nevertheless, he felt no fear, for he was fully prepared for the coming battle.
Taking a deep breath, he dismounted and turned to Kaelen and the other Demon soldiers he had brought from the outer palace.
“Stay here. I’ll approach their leaders first,” Leon said, his tone calm and detached.
Kaelen and the other Demon soldiers exchanged shocked glances, clearly baffled by Leon’s words.
“General Leon, what are you saying?” Kaelen inquired, his voice laced with disbelief. “Approaching the leaders of humanity’s army? Isn’t that practically suicide?”
“Exactly!” another Demon soldier added, his expression serious. “If you go towards them, you’ll be killed for sure! If that happens, what was the point of us coming here at all?”
They simply couldn’t grasp Leon’s reasoning. In all their experiences on various battlefields, they had never seen a leader intentionally approach the enemy’s leader like this.
Leon smiled faintly at their concerns, then waved his right hand in a nonchalant manner.
“I appreciate your worry, but there’s no need. With my power, no one can threaten me. At least, not them,” Leon replied confidently, pointing toward the ranks of humanity’s army.
Kaelen and the surrounding Demon soldiers fell silent, unable to dispute Leon’s words. They had witnessed a fraction of his power in the outer palace courtyard, and the memory still chilled them.
Despite this, they were reluctant to let Leon approach humanity’s army alone. After all, he was now the only leader left in the Demon army, following the death of Arch-demon Heidel and the injury of the Demon Generals in their defeat two days ago.
“But General…” One of the Demon soldiers began to protest, but before he could say more, a hand suddenly tapped his shoulder.
Startled, the soldier turned to find Kaelen looking at him with a calm, confident gaze.
“Since General Leon has spoken, we, as his subordinates, must trust his decision,” Kaelen said firmly.
The Demon soldier and the others were taken aback by Kaelen’s words, their expressions gradually turning serious.
“You’re right, Kaelen,” the soldier replied, his tone respectful. “Take care, General.”
Leon clasped his hands behind his back, facing them. “Don’t worry. Stay here and hold your position until I give the order.”
With a final, commanding look at Kaelen and the Demon soldiers, he asked, “Understand?”
“Understand, General!” they responded in steady unison.
Leon nodded in satisfaction, then turned toward the ranks of humanity’s army, striding toward them at a calm, measured pace.
On the other side, Jim, Natasya, Rain, Valen, Luna, and Guren stood at the forefront of humanity’s army, their gazes fixed on the Demon army, which had halted about eight hundred meters away.
“Spear Hero Valen, Bow Hero Luna, and Sword Hero Guren, is that the Demon Emperor who attacked you?” Jim inquired calmly, gesturing toward the tall figure wearing a black half-face mask.
Luna and Valen nodded slightly in unison. “Yes, that’s the Demon Emperor,” they confirmed.
However, Guren immediately shook his head. “I don’t know, Prime Minister Jim. He attacked me secretly back then, and I lost consciousness after Valen collided with me. Still, based on his figure, it seems like him.”
Valen, sensing the underlying mockery in Guren’s words, shot him a cold glance but chose to remain silent.
“So that’s it…” Jim nodded slowly, narrowing his eyes before continuing, “From his appearance alone, he’s very mysterious, and the fact that he’s the Demon Emperor seems undeniable.”
He paused for a moment, took out a folding fan, opened it, and covered half his face with it.
“Still, does anyone else think his mysterious appearance reminds us of someone?” Jim asked with a playful grin, catching Valen, Luna, Guren, Natasya, and Rain off guard.
In an instant, the image of a handsome man in a white robe and half-face mask appeared in their minds—Leon Kruger.
“No, it can’t be Leon. Just the color of their hair and eyes is completely different,” Luna argued firmly.
Valen, Guren, Natasya, and Rain all nodded in agreement with Luna.
“Yeah, it can’t be Leon, Jim,” Rain added nonchalantly. “This Demon Emperor radiates an incredibly terrifying aura, very different from Hero Leon. Plus, his appearance is genuine, not altered.”
As a Great Mage, Rain had an exceptional ability to detect any illusion or transformation.
She could instantly tell if someone was using appearance-changing magic with just one glance.
However, she sensed no such magic from the Demon Emperor, confirming that his appearance was genuine, and it couldn’t possibly be Leon.
“Pfft! I was just speaking casually, but I didn’t expect you all to take it so seriously,” Jim chuckled.
He then turned his gaze toward the Demon Emperor and raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What’s the Demon Emperor up to? Why is he walking toward us?”
Valen, Luna, Natasya, Rain, and Guren quickly turned to look at the Demon Emperor, who was indeed heading in their direction.
“Do you know what he wants, Jim?” Natasya asked, her confusion clear.
Jim didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he smiled and narrowed his eyes, as though considering something.
After a moment, he folded his fan and tucked it into the pocket of his kimono robe.
“I’m not sure of his exact intentions, but it looks like he wants to talk about something,” Jim replied nonchalantly.
Turning to Natasya and Rain, Jim continued, “You two, come with me. Bow Hero Luna, Spear Hero Valen, and Sword Hero Guren, stay on guard here for a moment.”
Guren’s brow furrowed, and he quickly spoke up, “Are you sure it’s safe to only bring them? Aren’t you worried the Demon Emperor might try to kill you, Prime Minister Jim?”
“Don’t worry, I’ve already made preparations,” Jim replied casually, then turned to Valen and Luna, adding, “I’m relying on you two.”
Valen and Luna gave small nods, while Guren was left puzzled, unsure of what they were planning.
Jim, with Natasya and Rain following, moved forward with steady steps, halting only once they were eighty meters from Leon’s position.
Seeing Leon up close, Jim couldn’t suppress a smile.
He clasped his hands and greeted Leon calmly, though his curiosity was evident: “It’s a pleasure to meet you, the Demon Emperor of this era. I never expected you’d be leading the war in person.”
Leon was slightly taken aback by his call and glanced at Jim with a puzzled expression.
“Demon Emperor? Does this four-eyed man really think I’m the Demon Emperor too?” Leon thought inwardly, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his mind.
Given that Liliana had never revealed herself to humanity and the Demon race had secluded themselves after their defeat by the three heroes in the previous era, it was understandable that Jim and the others would mistake him for the Demon Emperor.
A faint smile curled at his lips, and he couldn’t help but regard Jim with a playful gleam in his eyes.
Since they had mistaken him for the Demon Emperor, it worked to his advantage. This way, he could move freely without them suspecting he was actually Leon Kruger.
Folding his arms across his chest, a terrifying aura suddenly emanated from Leon, pressing down on Jim, Rain, and Natasya.
“I didn’t expect you to uncover my identity. Impressive, Prime Minister of the Holy Empire of Elysium,” Leon said casually, though his voice carried a subtle mockery.
When he first laid eyes on the three of them, a surge of murderous intent flooded his heart, and the urge to tear them apart grew.
Yet he knew he had to hold back. At the very least, he wanted to toy with them before ending their lives. After all, an early death would be too merciful for these traitors.
Jim had no time to respond to Leon’s words as the crushing pressure left him breathless and struggling to stand. Rain and Natasya, standing beside him, faced the same difficulty.
“High-level magic: Aetheris!” Rain quickly raised the Calamity Magic Staff in her right hand and invoked the spell.
*Buzz!*
White light suddenly appeared, forming a protective dome around them. Moments later, the heavy pressure that had been weighing down on them vanished in an instant.
Leon’s brows lifted slightly, a new glint of interest in his eyes as he observed Rain.
“Has this loli mage gotten stronger?” Leon mused inwardly, intrigued.
But he quickly dismissed his curiosity and turned his attention back to Jim, whose face had turned pale. A faint, amused smile tugged at Leon’s lips.
“This is only the beginning, Jim,” Leon whispered, his purple eyes burning with murderous intent.
Meanwhile, Jim, finally able to breathe freely, glared coldly at Leon.
“As expected of the Demon Emperor—rude and shameless,” Jim remarked bluntly.
With Leon’s attitude already clear, Jim no longer felt the need to be polite.
In response to Jim’s insult, Leon showed no anger; instead, he kept his faint smile.
“Since you’re aware of my shamelessness, would you like to see another side of it?” Leon inquired abruptly, catching Jim, Natasya, and Rain off guard.
Before they could react, Leon—who had been eighty meters away just moments ago—appeared right in front of the magic dome Rain was casting. He clenched his left fist and struck it hard against the dome.
*Bang!*
The magic dome shattered instantly under the force of his blow. Not satisfied, Leon teleported a meter in front of Jim, clenched his fist again, and aimed a punch at his face.
But before the attack could land, Natasya swiftly drew her sword and drove it into Leon’s fist.
*Boom!*
The clash of their attacks triggered a deafening explosion, sending Natasya flying tens of meters before crashing into a small cliff with a thunderous “Boom.”
Rain, shocked by the scene, tried to strike Leon but found herself completely immobilized.
“What… what’s happening?” she wondered in horror.
Before she could react, a hard punch slammed into her stomach, sending her flying back tens of meters.
Watching the two being beaten so thoroughly, Leon felt his blood boil with excitement. He then turned his gaze to Jim, whose face had turned pale.
“Now that they’re down, it’s your turn,” Leon taunted, stepping slowly toward him.
Jim narrowed his eyes, unfazed, as though he had anticipated this.
Taking a deep breath, he called out firmly, “Bow Hero Luna and Spear Hero Valen—now!”
