Chapter 524: 524

Azeth and Eroju struggled to their feet with their bodies cracked and scorched, blood mixing with rain as it streamed down their twisted forms. They looked toward the man who had appeared with tired and fearful eyes.

He stood quietly.

A dark cloak covered his body, hiding his face completely. Rain fell hard around him, yet not a single drop seemed to cling to him. It was as if the rain avoided him on purpose.

For a moment, the world was silent.

Then a roar filled the sky.

"It’s YOUUUUUUUUU!"

The scream shook the entire capital. Broken towers trembled, and loose stones fell from the ruins. Abyssal beasts paused mid-movement, their instincts screaming danger.

The cloaked man slowly turned his head.

Ramos hovered in the air, his face twisted with hatred so deep it looked almost painful.

"Long time no see, Ramos. I hope you are doing wel—"

He did not finish his speech when a massive blast of water roared forward like a collapsing ocean, tearing through the air with terrifying force.

The cloaked man reacted instantly. He pulled out his sword and slashed once. The water blast split cleanly in half and exploded to both sides, flooding the ruins below.

But Ruth was already moving.

Lightning wrapped around his body as he flashed forward, sword blazing with violent arcs of thunder. His strike came from above, fast and merciless.

The cloaked man stepped sideways, his movement smooth and precise. Ruth’s blade carved a trench through the ground instead, lightning ripping apart stone and steel.

Ramos did not stop.

Another wave of water surged, this time twisting and folding in on itself. Spears of compressed liquid shot forward from multiple angles, aiming to trap and crush.

The cloaked man spun his blade in a tight arc. Shockwaves burst outward, shattering the water spears and sending a thunderous boom across the battlefield.

"Who are you?" Ruth demanded, his voice cold.

"The protector of these evil sects!" Ramos roared as he charged again.

The cloaked man shook his head lightly.

"Sorry to disappoint you. I am not from those sects you imagine."

He swung his sword again, and the impact created a catastrophic explosion that threw rubble into the sky.

"I am someone tasked with guarding balance," he continued calmly. "Every nation is allowed two Demi-Gods. A third is absolutely forbidden."

His gaze shifted to Ruth.

"The moment you appeared, you shattered that fragile balance again. Still, I will admit it. You people from Heizen are persistent. Hahaha."

He vanished in a blur, sonic booms cracking behind him.

Ramos roared in fury.

"Don’t get cocky!"

Mana surged violently around him. Water gathered from the rain, and from the shattered ground water splashed out shooting upward.

It spiraled around his sword, forming a massive water dragon that roared as if alive.

"You talk too much!" Ramos shouted.

He thrust his blade forward.

The water dragon split apart mid-flight and reformed into countless chains, looping and weaving through the air. They wrapped around space itself, forming a tightening net.

At the same time, Ruth raised his sword high.

Lightning storms gathered above. Thunder screamed.

He brought the blade down.

A massive wall of lightning crashed forward, flowing through the water chains, turning them into conduits of destruction.

The cloaked man smiled.

"Interesting. Very interesting. Hahaha."

He slammed his sword in the mid air.

A rippling shockwave erupted outward, smashing into the water and lightning at once. The impact shattered the storm, sending electricity and water exploding across the sky.

But this time, Ramos and Ruth did not stop.

Ramos clenched his fist, and the broken water chains collapsed inward, forming a spinning vortex that dragged everything toward its center.

Ruth moved with it, his lightning masked by the chaos. He disappeared inside the vortex.

For a brief moment, the cloaked man frowned.

That was enough.

Ramos surged forward, swinging his sword with all his strength. The blade tore through the air, ripping past the cloaked man’s shoulder.

The man twisted away at the last instant, but the strike grazed him.

His cloak was torn open.

The force blasted him backward, skidding across the ruins before he managed to stop himself.

The cloak fell away.

Ramos’ eyes widened in horror.

Ruth froze mid-step,with lightning flickering wildly around him.

"You..." both of them said at the same time.

The man stood slowly, rain finally touching his face.

And the face they saw was one they never expected to see again.

Bluish hair fell loosely over sharp shoulders, and a handsome face stood revealed exactly as described in ancient legends.

For a brief moment, the rain itself seemed to stop.

Ramos felt his thoughts shatter. His grip on the sword loosened, and his eyes widened as if he were staring at a ghost. His breathing grew uneven, and disbelief washed over his face.

"Am I seeing this..." he muttered hoarsely.

His hand lifted on instinct, ready to raise his sword, but before he could move, a strange sense of déjà vu struck him like a hammer. His body trembled, and cold sweat broke out across his skin.

Then—

A roar tore through the capital.

"ERICCCCCCCCCCCCC!"

The shout was so loud that it felt as if the sky itself had been ripped open. The sound rolled across the city, smashing through ruins and shaking the earth beneath everyone’s feet.

What followed was not just noise.

It was annihilation.

BOOOOOOM!

A deafening explosion erupted, and a terrifying wave of killing intent flooded the battlefield. The air screamed as if crushed by an unseen hand. The sky lost all color and turned crimson, dyed red by pure murderous will.

The world felt like it had fallen into a slaughterhouse.

Those below the Demi-God realm were the first to break.

Soldiers, nobles, abyssal creatures, and even hardened warriors were forced to their knees. Many slammed face-first into the ground, unable to breathe, unable to think, their minds overwhelmed by the suffocating pressure. Some trembled violently, while others lost consciousness on the spot.

Even Ruth and Ramos stiffened.

Their expressions hardened, eyes sharp with shock and disbelief. They had seen powerful beings before, but this was different. This was not just strength.

It was as if death in itself was taking form.

The man who had been smiling confidently moments ago finally changed.

His arrogant calm vanished. His hands trembled slightly, and his face turned pale as he slowly looked toward the source of that terrifying presence.

"Such killing intent..." he whispered with a strained voice and his body shuddered.

His eyes widened further as realization struck.

"Suck killing intent that can materialize in reality.."

"It can only be him..."

His lips trembled as if the name itself carried weight too heavy to bear followed by a wave of deja vu wrecking his heart.

"It’s him..."

He swallowed hard.

"I don’t believe this but this strength..."

His composure shattered.

With a fierce expression twisted by fear and hatred, he roared at the top of his lungs.

"LEONARRRDDDD!"

The name echoed across the ruined capital, carried by thunder, rain, and crimson-stained air followed by crimson explosions ravaging everything.

........

...Kekkeeke...So how is it?

Are you feeling deja vu.