Meanwhile, Kaelen and the Demon soldiers who witnessed the battle between Leon and the heroes were unable to hide their shock.
“What’s going on? Why is General Leon fighting three heroes instead?” One soldier murmured in disbelief. “Didn’t he say his goal was to communicate with them?”
“I don’t understand either,” his companion replied. “Maybe by ‘communication,’ he meant fighting them like this.”
They fell silent, the answer seeming plausible as they watched the battle unfold.
At that moment, a Demon soldier rode up to Kaelen and stopped beside him.
With a concerned expression, the soldier asked, “Kaelen, what should we do? We can’t just stand here while General Leon faces off against three heroes, can we? Should we step in to help?”
Several other Demon soldiers nodded in agreement, looking at Kaelen expectantly.
Although Kaelen was still young, the Demon soldiers did not underestimate him. They knew he was no ordinary soldier but an exceptional genius. Not only had he graduated from the military academy at a young age, but he had also fought alongside the Demon Generals against Sword Hero Leon Kruger in the past.
More importantly, his close relationship with General Leon set him apart from the others. They hoped that Kaelen would take command and lead them in assisting General Leon.
However, Kaelen shook his head with an indifferent expression when he heard the request from the soldier.
“No, we can’t move without General Leon’s orders,” Kaelen said firmly. “Even though I don’t understand why he’s fighting three heroes, we still have to follow his instructions.”
The soldiers fell silent; their hopes dashed.
“But…” One soldier persisted, about to speak, but Kaelen swiftly raised his right hand to stop him.
“I know you want to help General Leon, as he is our only remaining leader,” Kaelen said calmly, sighing softly before continuing, “but we must also consider the consequences if we act without orders.”
He gestured toward the massive ranks of humanity’s army and added, “If we move now, they will surely follow suit, and it would be disastrous for us, as we’re outnumbered. This is why General Leon forbade us from acting without his command.”
Kaelen’s logical reasoning left the soldiers momentarily stunned. Their desire to help Leon had momentarily blinded them to over half a million soldiers in the human army.
They immediately looked at Kaelen with renewed respect, their admiration for him growing.
“You really are sharp, Kaelen. I completely overlooked that,” one of the Demon soldiers admitted.
“You’re right! You’re amazing!” another soldier added enthusiastically.
Kaelen’s expression remained unchanged at the praise, his attention fixed solely on Leon, who was locked in battle with the heroes.
“Even though General Leon is incredibly strong, I’m not sure he can defeat the heroes alone,” Kaelen muttered with a heavy heart.
He took a deep breath and clenched his fist. “Though the odds are slim, I hope he wins.”
Meanwhile, Leon and Guren locked eyes, both filled with killing intent, before charging at each other in an instant.
Guren raised the Holy Sword of Zenith and slashed at Leon with blinding speed.
Leon remained calm, effortlessly raising his sword to block the attack.
*Clang!*
The clash of the two swords echoed loudly.
Surprised by how easily his attack was countered, Guren narrowed his eyes, swiftly twisting his body to slash horizontally toward Leon’s stomach.
The Holy Sword of Zenith glowed with powerful holy energy, and Guren was certain the strike would wound Leon if it landed.
However, reality defied his expectations. Leon spun his sword and blocked the slash effortlessly once again.
Guren’s expression shifted, and just as he prepared for another attack, Leon landed a solid punch to his face, sending him flying tens of meters away.
Leon stared coldly at Guren, a dismissive smile curling his lips.
“Is that all you’ve got? If so, you’re a complete waste, unworthy of wielding the Holy Sword of Zenith,” Leon taunted bluntly. “Your abilities don’t even come close to one percent of Sword Hero Len Kruger’s power.”
Guren felt the sharp sting of pain from Leon’s punch, but his anger erupted when he heard the taunt—especially the comparison to the one person he hated most, Leon Kruger.
“Damn it! Don’t compare me to that dead man!” Guren spat coldly as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and rose to his feet.
What Guren despised most was being compared to Leon. Whether it was looks, popularity, talent, or strength, he knew he could never measure up. But he refused to admit it and constantly strived to surpass Leon, determined to be the greatest.
Leon sensed the deep hatred Guren harbored for him, and, despite the situation, curiosity stirred within him.
“Does he despise me that much?” he wondered to himself.
In the past, he had come to realize that his prominence invited hatred from others, like Velix. Yet, he was still somewhat surprised by the intensity of Guren’s hatred.
At that moment, Guren raised the Holy Sword of Zenith high, and it soon blazed with a blinding white light.
A proud expression returned to Guren’s face as he locked his gaze on Leon, his killing intent palpable.
“Though I’ve only just become a sword hero, that doesn’t make me weak. Now, let me show you one of my techniques,” Guren declared coldly. “Hero Technique: Celestial Cut!”
*Whoosh!*
Guren swung his sword forward, sending a slash of white light racing toward Leon. Each time the light streaked past, the surrounding space warped violently, as if it might shatter at any moment.
Leon’s expression shifted for only a moment before a faint smile tugged at his lips.
“To master a hero technique in such a short time… You truly are talented, Guren Leywn,” Leon murmured, his eyes slowly closing. “Unfortunately, you chose the wrong opponent. No one in this world masters hero techniques better than I do. Before me, your technique is meaningless.”
He raised his sword with a subtle motion, executing a simple horizontal slash.
*Bang!*
In an instant, the slash of light shattered before it could even reach him.
Guren’s eyes widened, and his grip on the Holy Sword of Zenith faltered as his hand trembled.
“How is that possible!?” Guren exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief.
Leon slowly opened his eyes and regarded him with a calm, mocking gaze.
In the four years since becoming a sword hero, he had mastered roughly 80% of the inheritance within the Holy Sword of Zenith, passed down by previous sword heroes.
His mastery surpassed that of Valen and Luna, who had only mastered 40% and 50% of the inheritance within their holy weapons, respectively. As a result, he had easily outmatched them in the past and had become a source of concern for Velix, who recognized the threat of his potential.
A faint smile played on Leon’s lips as he glanced at Guren and murmured, “Now, it’s my turn.”
In an instant, his body transformed into a swirl of black light, reappearing two meters above Guren.
Leon spun in midair, delivering a brutal slash with his sword, now imbued with the power of chaos.
Reacting swiftly, Guren raised the Holy Sword of Zenith to block the attack.
*Boom!*
The clash of their swords unleashed a powerful shockwave, and Guren felt as though his hands might shatter from the impact.
“Damn it!” Guren shouted, unleashing holy power that surged from his body.
The holy energy charged toward Leon but was immediately countered by the chaos power erupting from Leon’s body.
*Boom!*
Like two opposing forces, the powers collided in a violent explosion, forcing both Leon and Guren to be thrown back.
“What the hell is that purplish-black light? Why is it resisting my holy power?” Guren gasped in shock, clutching his aching chest.
He had sensed the purplish-black light during his battle with Leon but had dismissed it. In his mind, nothing could surpass the holy power of heroes. However, he never expected it to not only restrain but actually suppress his holy power!
Meanwhile, Leon quickly regained his footing, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
“The power of chaos is truly overwhelming. It can even suppress holy power with ease,” Leon muttered to himself.
He hadn’t defeated Guren right away because he was curious to see how his chaos power would clash with Guren’s holy power. Although Leon also possessed holy power, he couldn’t use both simultaneously, as his control over chaos power was still incomplete.
Leon snapped out of his reverie, his purple eyes turning cold as they fixed on the Holy Sword of Zenith in Guren’s hand.
“Enough playing around. It’s time to reclaim the Holy Sword of Zenith,” he said icily.
In his eyes, Guren, as a thief, had no right to wield the Holy Sword of Zenith. No matter the circumstances, as long as he was alive, it belonged to him.
“Miranda, are you ready?” Leon asked inwardly.
“I’m ready, master,” Miranda’s smooth, gentle voice echoed in his mind.
Nodding slightly, Leon pulled his left leg back, preparing to lunge at Guren. But just as he was about to move, he sensed a threat from his right side. He quickly leaned back as a long red spear flashed just in front of his face.
Turning, Leon found Valen staring at him with a cold, steely gaze.
“That was close,” Valen murmured coldly, extending his hand.
In an instant, the Soaring Dragon Holy Spear flew back into his grasp.
“Even with a surprise attack, you still missed. How pitiful, Valen,” came a woman’s cold, indifferent voice from Leon’s left.
Leon turned and saw Luna hovering in the sky, holding the Holy Bow of Celestial Frost with an emotionless gaze.
Realizing he was now surrounded by three heroes, Leon’s expression remained unfazed behind his mask.
“So, it’s one against three?” Leon asked casually.
Valen smirked, settling into his stance. “As the Demon Emperor, I admit you’re formidable. That’s why we need to join forces.”
Leon glanced at Guren and Luna, already poised to attack, a slight smile crossing his lips.
He raised his sword, calm yet radiating a powerful, domineering aura.
“In that case, all of you come at me together—don’t waste my time.”
