The heavy wooden gate creakedLeo stood at its threshold, a slight frown across his face.
"This was… easier than I expected," he muttered. "No guards. No traps. Something's off."
His boots echoed through the ancient stone chamber until he reached the sacred pedestal—an ornate map floated above it, glowing with runes.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the map and turned to leave.
But before he could take a step, a shadow darted down from above.
Kael landed with a crash, dust spiraling around him.
"Long time no see, Leo."
Leo narrowed his eyes. "General. I don't have time for you."
Kael smirked. "Our special team has already surrounded the village. You can't run."
Leo stepped back, dropping into stance. "Run? Why would I run? If I kill you here... they won't stand a chance."
Kael drew his blade. "Take your chance, then."
Leo launched forward, his shadow magic enveloping the hall in darkness. Dozens of shadow clones rushed at Kael from all sides, each holding black blades.
But Kael's pupils flickered with a faint glow—his foresight ability activated.
Narration: Kael's foresight allows him to see soul imprints—tiny traces left behind when someone makes a decision. Before any action occurs physically, Kael sees its echo in time, letting him dodge before the move even begins.
With precise, fluid movements, Kael dodged every strike. He spun, parried, and counterattacked through shadows and clones alike.
"You've gotten stronger, Leo. But you're not fast enough," Kael said mid-combat.
Leo clenched his teeth. "Then let me try harder."
He slammed his palm to the ground—vines erupted, mixing nature magic with shadows. Roots constricted Kael's arms while Leo lunged with a dagger of condensed darkness.
Kael raised his arm just in time, deflecting it—but a cut drew blood across his cheek.
"That's more like it," Kael grunted.
With a sudden pulse of energy, Kael shattered the roots and lunged.
Leo leapt up, crashing through the roof tiles, rising into the open air.
As Leo landed on a rooftop, he was met by familiar faces—Ruka, Sumi, Zero, Akumo, and Edward.
Sumi stepped forward, eyes trembling. "Leo... what happened to you? Please—surrender."
Kael leapt from behind. "Silence! Take him down. Dead or alive!"
Edward lunged with his blade, but Leo side-stepped effortlessly.
They came at him together—Akumo with his portals, Zero with shockwaves, Ruka with ice, Edward with steel. Sumi stood back, unable to strike.
But Leo—handled them all.
He turned Edward's own blade into a shadow whip, knocked Akumo into a wall with his own collapsing portal, and froze Ruka mid-cast with nature vines coiled around her ankles.
"He's... not the same," Kael muttered from a distance, watching. "This kid's changed a lot."
Ruka poured energy into a massive spell, freezing the entire village square. The soldiers had already been evacuated.
But Leo escaped unscathed—his shadow magic allowed him to slip between frozen molecules, bypassing the frost. He unleashed a burst of vines and darkness that shattered half the ice dome, taking out multiple attackers.
Only Zero and Ruka remained standing.
As Leo hovered above, No. 1 and No. 2 arrived on a nearby rooftop.
They looked down at the frozen village.
No. 2 nodded. "She has potential."
No. 1 asked, "Did you get the map?"
Leo held up the scroll. "Yes."
"Then go. We'll handle them."
Without hesitation, Leo vanished into the treetops.
Kael lunged after him, but No. 1 blocked his path.
"No, General. Your fight is with us now."
No. 1 revealed his face—it was Jack, smiling ominously. No. 2 beside him—Necros, his once-feared hands coated in thick crimson aura.
Jack raised his hand. "Let's have some fun, kids."
The battlefield erupted.
Necros summoned waves of gravity, pinning Zero and Edward to the ground while Jack fought Kael directly—each of Jack's punches breaking the air around them. Even with foresight, Kael struggled to keep up.
Akumo opened portals to trap them, but Jack pierced through dimensions with sheer force.
Ruka froze the air, but Necros shattered ice with gravitational implosions.
Kael screamed, "Fall back! Don't take them head-on!"
But it was already chaos.
Far from the battle, Leo sprinted through thick jungle. Suddenly, someone stepped out from the shadows.
"How are you?" Ardy asked.
Leo stopped. "Ardy. Your voice... it's different. Cold. Serious. So, is this the part where we fight?"
"I'll give you one chance to surrender."
Leo smirked. "Surrender? And what, go back to prison?"
"You helped a terrorist group. The same one that killed... Eno."
Leo's expression darkened. "...This is all for her."
"You think you can bring her back?"
"No. I know I can't. But he can."
"Who? Who is giving you this madness?"
"You think I'll just tell you?"
Ardy took a step forward, voice softening. "Leo… please. Come back. You don't have to do this."
Leo lunged. Ardy didn't fight back—only blocked.
Their movements were fast, brutal—Ardy parried every swipe of Leo's shadow blades, refusing to counter.
But finally, Leo slashed across Ardy's chest. Ardy stumbled… and his patience snapped.
He released a powerful punch to Leo's jaw, knocking him back. Leo spat blood.
"You're strong," Leo growled. "But I'll still win."
They clashed again—this time, both serious.
Ardy's flames roared. Leo's shadows danced.
Their fists collided mid-air, sending shockwaves through the trees.
Breathing heavily, Ardy shouted, "Stop this!"
Leo screamed back, tears mixing with blood. "Why?! I just wanted to live with her! Just once! A life with Eno! Is that so wrong?!"
Ardy's voice cracked. "And for your happy dream, you destroyed others' families! You murdered soldiers!"
Leo: "Did they care about me when I was dying? They didn't save me. You didn't either!"
"You've changed, Leo… You used to cry over a hurt animal. What happened to that boy?"
Leo dropped to one knee. "That day... the day I fell... I woke up... and I saw him."
Leo's vision had returned to the dim glow of a cave. Jack stood over him.
"It's been three days since you fell."
Leo tried to rise, but collapsed.
"You need rest," Jack said softly.
"Where's Eno?" Leo asked.
Jack paused. "…She's gone."
Leo's hands shook. "Why?! You killed her! Now you help me? Why would you—"
"I lost someone too," Jack whispered.
"I was born different. No magic. No talent. My own family threw me into a dungeon."
Leo stared.
"In that abyss, I met a species—fluid, shifting, sentient. The last of its kind. It made me its host… and I survived."
Images flashed—Jack's village burned. His family murdered. Magic-wielders smiled over the flames.
"Humans feared what they didn't understand. I was their proof."
Jack trained in forbidden sciences, blending technology with magic, forging his revolution.
"In that dungeon, I found a temple. A history... of the gods. The god of creation, Erabus, saw humans destroy themselves. He tried to stop it—but the other gods sealed him."
Jack leaned in. "I will free him. And he will reset this broken world."
Leo: "You're lying."
Jack: "The Emperor tried to stop hate. He failed. We will not."
Necros had returned with a hand—Eno's. On it… Leo's mother's ring.
Leo fell to his knees, weeping.
"…I'll help you."
"I'll open the Gate of End," Leo said coldly. "And I'll free our god."
Ardy's eyes sharpened. "Then I'll kill you myself."
He released his dark aura—a swirling black blaze that scorched the earth.
Leo responded with a powerful surge, enhanced by the magic stone.
Their powers clashed, dark energy against divine fury.
"Come," Leo whispered.