“Bow Hero Luna and Spear Hero Valen—now!”
*Whoosh!*
Suddenly, two figures—Valen and Luna—appeared on Leon’s right and left. Each wielded their holy weapons, launching a coordinated attack on him.
“Die!” Valen shouted, thrusting the Soaring Dragon Holy Spear toward the left side of Leon’s stomach.
At the same time, Luna drew back the bowstring of Celestial Frost, releasing an ice-blue arrow aimed at Leon’s right chest.
Seeing their sudden appearance and swift attacks, Leon’s eyes widened as he prepared to dodge—but it was too late.
*Boom!*
Both attacks struck Leon with devastating force, triggering a massive explosion and a small storm in the area.
Jim clenched his fists, staring intently at the scene, his excitement palpable.
“Did it work?” Jim muttered to himself, biting his lower lip.
In the various plans he had carefully laid out, he had accounted for the possibility that Leon might attempt to speak with him before the war began.
Therefore, when Leon attacked Rain and Natasya, Jim hadn’t panicked. He had already prepared a countermeasure.
Just as his spirits soared, a cold laugh suddenly rang out, making his heart skip a beat.
“Hahaha! What a clever plan! Using yourself as bait to lure them into attacking me—completely unexpected. As expected of the Prime Minister of the Holy Empire of Elysium, renowned for your cunning.”
The sandstorm slowly dissipated, revealing Leon’s towering figure, completely unharmed.
He held the tip of the Soaring Dragon Holy Spear with his left hand, while his right hand pinched the tip of Luna’s arrow with just his index and middle fingers.
“No… How is that possible!?” Valen exclaimed, his voice laced with disbelief.
The Soaring Dragon Holy Spear was a holy weapon, renowned for its immense power. Yet the Demon Emperor before him had effortlessly caught its tip as though it were nothing.
Valen quickly attempted to wrench his spear free from Leon’s grasp but found he couldn’t. Leon’s grip was unyielding.
Leon grinned at Valen’s pale expression, a playful smile curling at the corners of his lips.
“Since you’ve attacked me, it’s my turn,” Leon said casually.
Before Valen could react, Leon twisted his body and landed a swift kick to Valen’s stomach.
*Bam!*
The force of the kick sent Valen flying, crashing into a large cliff hundreds of meters away. Not content to leave him there, Leon quickly hurled an arrow from Luna’s Celestial Frost Holy Bow—the one he had pinched earlier—straight at Valen.
*Whoosh!*
The arrow shot through the air, embedding itself in Valen’s right side with a sharp “Thunk!”
“Pufft!” Valen coughed up blood from the powerful kick and the violent impact of his crash into the cliff.
But the pain from the arrow was far worse. It seared through him with an excruciating cold, so intense that his very bones seemed to freeze.
In an instant, he called upon his holy power to try to neutralize the wound and counter the bone-chilling effect of the arrow.
With a faint smile curling on his lips, Leon turned toward Luna, who was frozen in place. In the blink of an eye, he teleported directly in front of her.
Luna was caught off guard by Leon’s sudden appearance. Just as she tried to retreat, an unseen force locked onto her, rendering her completely immobile.
“What!?” Luna’s eyes widened in horror, but before she could react, Leon clenched his left fist and drove it into her stomach.
*Bang!*
The impact sent Luna flying hundreds of meters, only stopping when she crashed into a large rock behind her.
“Cough! Cough!” Luna gasped in pain as a sharp ache radiated through her back.
“How is that possible?” Luna muttered, frowning in confusion.
When the blow landed, Luna had expected to be seriously injured. But to her surprise, her body was intact, except for the pain in her back from the impact with the rock. She couldn’t understand why this was possible.
She turned her gaze toward Leon, her face a blend of confusion and astonishment, as he stood proudly, exuding arrogance.
Meanwhile, Leon couldn’t help but sigh as he relaxed his fist.
“That punch shouldn’t have caused any fatal damage to Luna,” he muttered softly.
Although Luna had attacked him alongside Valen earlier, he hadn’t wanted to strike her too harshly. He understood that Luna’s attack stemmed from her belief that he was the Demon Emperor.
If he revealed his true identity, he was certain Luna would stand by him.
However, he knew the time wasn’t right. To reveal his identity to Luna, it needed to be a private moment—just the two of them, without the presence of others like Jim, Rain, or the others.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Leon shifted his gaze to Jim, who stood a dozen meters away.
“Do you have any other plans? If this is all, then your title as the smartest figure in the Holy Empire of Elysium is wasted,” Leon taunted bluntly.
Jim didn’t react to the mockery; he simply narrowed his eyes, his expression indifferent.
“Why do I feel like you know me so well? This is the first time we’ve met, isn’t it?” Jim asked coldly.
Leon maintained his smile and replied playfully, “Just because we’ve never met doesn’t mean I don’t know you. As a smart person, you must have heard the saying, ‘Know your enemy, then yourself,’ right?”
Jim frowned and shook his head. “What’s that saying? I’ve never heard of it.”
Leon’s smile froze as he heard Jim’s words. He suddenly recalled that the saying was from his previous world and didn’t exist here.
Despite the brief embarrassment, Leon shrugged it off and swiftly drew his sword from his waist.
“If you have no other way to deal with me, then I see no reason to let you live,” Leon stated coldly.
In an instant, he charged toward Jim with blinding speed, raising his sword high and slashing down at him.
Jim’s expression remained unshaken as he calmly shouted, “Sword Hero Guren—now!”
*Clang!*
A white sword with a golden pattern encircling the blade suddenly intercepted Leon’s strike.
Leon was momentarily startled and turned his gaze forward, only to see a handsome, golden-haired man in a flowing white robe.
The man wielded the Holy Sword of Zenith, using it to block Leon’s attack.
Leon quickly stepped back, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the man—none other than the fourth hero.
“His name is Guren? Why does that sound so familiar? Wait… Guren? Isn’t that the name of one of the marquises in the Holy Empire of Elysium?” Leon thought in shock.
Two days ago, when he first encountered the Fourth Hero on the battlefield, Leon hadn’t known his face or identity, as he had swiftly defeated him with a powerful strike.
Now, seeing him clearly for the first time, Leon was shocked to learn that the Fourth Hero was Guren, the Marquis of the Holy Empire of Elysium.
“So, that’s it… I understand now,” Leon murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly.
With Guren’s identity revealed, Leon finally understood the events from seven years ago. At that time, Velix had suddenly announced his decision to appoint an unknown teenager as a Marquis. The people and other nobles had strongly opposed the move, causing widespread dissatisfaction.
Unfortunately, the Holy Empire of Elysium—an ancient empire that had endured for 7,000 years—followed a strict rule that the word of the Holy Emperor was absolute. No matter how strongly Velix’s decision was opposed, the teenager was ultimately granted the title of Marquis. That teenager was none other than the man before him—Guren Leywn.
“You appointed Guren as a Marquis to elevate his prestige among the people and nobles. Then, you conspired with your subordinates to kill me and make him a sword hero… What a devious and cruel plan, Velix Lauren,” Leon muttered, murderous intent swirling around him.
Whether his guess was right or wrong didn’t matter. What Velix and his subordinates had done was a betrayal of humanity.
Not only had they concealed the identity of the ‘fourth hero,’ but they had also attempted to kill him—the sword hero of mankind.
Now, he didn’t just want to kill them—he wanted to torture them viciously to atone for their sins!
As Leon pondered, Guren hurried over to Jim, his face etched with concern.
“Prime Minister Jim, are you alright?” Guren asked, offering his hand to help him up.
Jim nodded, grasping his hand, and replied softly, “I’m fine, Sword Hero Guren. Thank you for your help.”
“Your welcome,” Guren said, letting out a relieved breath.
He considered Jim a friend and didn’t want anything to happen to him. However, there was another reason for his concern—Jim’s crucial role.
As the Prime Minister of the Holy Empire of Elysium, Jim held the most power and influence after Holy Emperor Velix. Being close to him would solidify his position as a sword hero in the Holy Empire. He couldn’t afford to let Jim be injured or killed by the Demon Emperor.
“Sword Hero Guren, can you hold off the Demon Emperor for a while? I’ve devised a plan to defeat him, but I need five minutes to prepare it,” Jim said with determination.
Guren was momentarily surprised, then nodded resolutely. “Leave it to me.”
Jim gave him a reassuring smile and a pat on the shoulder. “I’m counting on you.”
With that, he rushed toward Rain and Natasya, who had already recovered their strength.
Guren turned toward Leon, his eyes narrowing as he drew the Holy Sword of Zenith.
“Demon Emperor, your opponent is now me,” Guren declared coldly.
Although the Demon Emperor before him was incredibly powerful, Guren felt no fear. With the Holy Sword of Zenith in his grasp, he felt invincible.
*Boom!*
Suddenly, a massive surge of holy power erupted from his body, forming a vast vortex of energy. The Holy Sword of Zenith in his hand radiated a brilliant golden-white light.
Seeing this, Leon couldn’t help but smile faintly as he drew his sword with his right hand.
*Boom!*
The chaos power surged from his body, spiraling into a vortex of energy that matched the might of Guren’s holy power.
Channeling the power of chaos into his blade, the sword glowed with a deep purplish-black light.
With cold eyes fixed on Guren, Leon sneered, “Show me your power, false sword hero!”
———-
