DID YOU KNOW? YOU CAN NOW READ THREE TO SIX CHAPTERS AHEAD. CHECK MY PROFILE FOR THE LINK.
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The sun had only just begun to rise as Leon Cromwell watched the dignitaries of Maple Tree disappear into the distant horizon from the throne room of El Dorado.
The Gate of Hell was gone.
The corruption that had consumed the countryside had vanished along with it, leaving behind clear skies and untainted land as though the miasma had never existed.
Even now, the entire sequence of events refused to settle in Leon's mind. He had witnessed it with his own eyes, and yet it still felt unreal.
"The Primordial Yellow is now under the service of Maple Tree..." he murmured quietly. "There is a high likelihood that she will receive a name soon."
His golden eyes drifted upward toward the intricately woven illustrations decorating the ceiling above his throne.
"And that mage... Kanade." His eyelids slowly lowered. "I cannot decipher the extent of his true strength."
The image of the endless library surfaced once more within his thoughts.n"[Akashic Records]... What a ridiculous skill."
There was no disguising the admiration buried beneath his calm tone.
Fortunately, Maple Tree and El Dorado had now formally established an alliance.
Whatever strength Kanade and the rest of Maple Tree possessed would no longer stand opposite him, but beside him.
That alone was enough to ease one of the countless burdens resting upon his shoulders.
"Soon..." Leon quietly muttered. "Not much longer, Chloe."
He opened his eyes once more, lowering his gaze from the ceiling. Then... A faint chill crept across the back of his neck.
Someone was standing inside the throne room.
Silently. Motionlessly. Right beside the wall.
To almost anyone else, the figure would have appeared as nothing more than a vaguely feminine mass of oily blackness, its outline shifting and writhing like living ink.
Leon, however, saw her clearly.
Every feature, contour, every strand of darkness that formed her body.
"Kaede." His voice remained as calm and detached as ever.
Only the slight increase in his heartbeat betrayed the surprise he felt. 'What is she doing here? Did Kanade already make it back to Maple Tree?'
The chill at the back of Leon's head deepened ever so slightly.
Along with it came a faint humming sound, so subtle that it lingered only at the very edge of his senses.
"You will have to explain why you have appeared here without informing me first." His voice remained calm, though noticeably firmer than before. "The fact that I have allowed your subordinate a considerable amount of leeway does not mean I intend to be walked over."
The figure that resembled Kaede remained perfectly still. She neither moved nor spoke. She simply continued staring at him.
'...I'm talking too much.' The realization surfaced unexpectedly. 'Why am I talking this much?' Leon frowned ever so slightly.
'And why is she here? Why isn't she saying anything?' The humming grew a little louder. '...What is that noise?'
He blinked once, attempting to clear the growing layer of static that seemed to be accumulating inside his head.
His eyes settled upon the figure once again.
'No... Something is different.'
His senses swept over the Demon Lord carefully, searching for anything out of place even as the pressure inside his skull intensified once more.
'...Is this some sort of attack?'
The figure certainly resembled Kaede. Yet there were subtle inconsistencies.
She was noticeably shorter than the Kaede he had seen during Walpurgis. Her proportions were also... unnaturally perfect.
Almost artificial.
Like an exquisitely crafted porcelain doll sculpted to imitate life.
The steadily worsening ache in his head was beginning to test even his patience.
Leon slowly rose from his throne. Magicules surged from his body, filling the throne room with overwhelming pressure.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Almost as though waiting for those very words, the massive doors to the throne room burst open.
Claude hurried inside. "Lord Leon! I sensed your aura just now. What is troub..."
His words stopped abruptly.
Claude's gaze landed upon the silent figure standing beside the wall.
In that same instant... His eyes exploded. Thick, black blood streamed from the ruined sockets like tears.
The skin across his face sagged unnaturally before splitting open, peeling away from the flesh beneath.
His entire body rapidly lost its shape. Muscle softening, as his bones collapsed.
Within moments, Claude crumpled onto the polished floor like spoiled meat, his body no longer resembling anything that could have once been called human.
Leon didn't move. For perhaps the first time in centuries, genuine trepidation gripped his heart.
He had just watched his second-in-command die. Without even understanding what had happened.
'...Was that an attack?' Claude had done nothing. He had simply looked at the figure after entering the room.
'An Ultimate Skill...? If so...' Why hadn't Leon himself attacked the intruder yet?
He possessed both the speed and power to erase her before most beings could even register the movement.
Even after watching Claude perish before his eyes... He remained standing exactly where he was.
'...Something is wrong.' The thought repeated itself over and over within his mind.
Meanwhile, the strange humming inside his head continued growing louder.
Louder. And louder still.
He heard movement beyond the throne room doors.
More footsteps.
The remaining members of the Knight Corps were rushing toward the chamber, no doubt having sensed the sudden surge in his magicules.
Don't come. Leon tried to speak. He wanted to warn them. To order them away.
But... Nothing came out. His lips refused to move.
The doors burst open. Several knights rushed inside, their eyes immediately finding the figure seated upon the throne. Or rather... Finding Leon.
"Lord Leon!"
"Oh my God... what happened?!"
"Lord Leon!"
Leon frowned internally. '...What?' Why were they calling his name like that? Why were they looking at him with such horror?
He wasn't the one in danger. The thing standing beside the wall was.
Then... Almost as one, their attention shifted. Every one of them looked toward the silent figure standing motionless against the wall.
It happened again.
Their eyes ignited without warning. Darkened blood burst from their sockets, streaming down their faces in thick, tar-like tears.
Their skin began separating from the flesh beneath. It peeled away in long, heavy sheets before tearing completely free.
Their bodies rapidly lost all structure.
Within moments, each of them crumpled onto the polished floor, their forms breaking apart into grotesque masses of ruined flesh.
The throne room fell silent.
Leon still hadn't moved. The only sound remaining was...
Tap.
...
Tap.
...
Tap.
A small, rhythmic noise echoed softly through the chamber.
Once every four seconds.
For reasons he couldn't explain, Leon found himself searching for its source.
His gaze slowly lowered.
He quickly found it to be blackened blood. It dripped steadily onto the polished stone floor beneath him.
Tap.
...
Tap.
...
Tap.
His eyes followed the trail upward. The blood... Was coming from his own face.
Leon tried to blink, but couldn't. At some point, his entire body had gone completely numb.
He couldn't feel his fingers. He couldn't feel his legs.
He couldn't even feel the thick, black tears steadily pouring from his ruined eyes.
Then, understanding arrived.
His subordinates hadn't been screaming because of the figure. They had been screaming because of him.
Just like the knights... His own body had already begun falling apart.
Simply from observing the existence standing beside the wall.
The silent figure finally moved. She took a single step forward.
Leon felt his soul tremble. Instinct finally overpowered confusion. He reached for the power of his Ultimate Skill.
|Metatron|.
Nothing happened. His consciousness grasped toward the skill, but It slipped away.
Like trying to clutch something submerged beneath a layer of thick oil.
Every time he thought he had reached it... It simply slid beyond his grasp once more.
The figure continued walking.
She was already standing directly before him.
Leon felt an odd sensation spread across his body. As though something beneath him had begun dragging him downward.
Was his skin....Peeling away?
He couldn't tell anymore.
His vision had narrowed until the only thing remaining in the world was the girl standing before him.
Everything else had faded into meaningless darkness.
Then... Just before his consciousness finally gave way...
A single thought pierced through his mind.
An answer.
Yet he couldn't remember ever asking the question.
%%%%%Never gaze directly upon a God.%%%%%
[xxx]
Leon blinked his eyes open, closing and opening them a few more times to clear his vision.
He had just been... What was he...
"Did I fall asleep, just now?" He slowly rubbed the bridge of his nose. "A dream? No, that makes no sense. I was just watching the delegates of that country leave."
He stood up from his throne, feeling a growing sense of unease. "Claude. Prepare an escort, we'll be headed for Saurion."
Through the message link, Claude replied, although his voice felt a bit sluggish, as if he was waking up as well. "Yes, Lord Leon. I'll summon the knights."
Leon noticed the drag in his voice. 'This is...'
[xxx]
"And that's about it. The Spirit Riders performed well, just as expected. Maureen especially did an excellent job. Tingle is still coming along, although my expectations for her remain high."
Kaede listened quietly as Kanade completed his report. "Hmm." She tapped her chin lightly. "What did Ari say about Jaune? You weren't supposed to bring back a Primordial Demon, you know."
Kanade shrugged. "Ari wanted to ask you about it herself, but I told her I'd bring it up after giving my report. Besides..." He smiled. "You're the one who's going to be naming her."
"And what about the two hundred or so demons she brought along with her?" Kaede tilted her head. "Eh, Kanade? They're your responsibility now."
She rested her chin on one hand. "You don't even have a force of your own yet, either. Although..." She paused for a moment. "I don't actually know if demons make good helpers or not. Wisteria and Momokashi aren't exactly shining examples."
Her expression turned thoughtful. "Come to think of it... I haven't heard anything from Momokashi in quite a while."
Kanade rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose I don't mind taking them on. I'm not naming them myself though. Two hundred is far too many, and they'd gain considerably more from your title anyway." He glanced at her. "How much longer do you have to wait?"
Kaede shook her head. "At least one more day according to Artificia. Frey's Harvest Festival isn't nearly finished yet, and all of her close confidants are still asleep alongside her. I still have to guard her until it's over."
Kanade nodded slowly. "That sounds about right. Very similar to Rimuru's evolution, except he powered through his sleep rather than resting through it." He paused briefly. "She named her confidants beforehand, right?"
"Yeah, seems so." Kaede nodded. "Although honestly I think she should have just named all of her citizens while she had the chance."
"I shouldn't have to explain why that's a terrible idea, Kaede." Kanade pressed a hand lightly to his forehead with a quiet sigh. "Anyway. Leon had some Dryad services purchased from us. Just letting you know. Ari is already handling the paperwork." He reached toward the hologram controls. "Alright. Bye."
"Don't forget to say hi to Sally when you can." Kaede rushed out quickly.
The hologram vanished with an equally rushed. "Sure thing."
Kaede chuckled softly to herself before leaning back against the bed, her gaze drifting upward for a moment before settling on the figure lying quietly beside her.
Frey's sleeping face was almost impossibly serene. Kaede found herself simply staring, unable to look away for longer than she intended.
"Sally said it was okay," she murmured softly, more to herself than to anyone else. "So just wait a little bit longer, alright." Her expression softened. "At least by the time you've evolved, I'll finally be able to tell you."