The One King

The war had not stopped.

Despite the words that had shaken the Central Continent, and despite the threat Azrael had issued before the entire world, the battlefield remained engulfed in flames.

Fires rose from scattered areas.

The land that had once been green was now covered with the deep scars of battle.

On one side, the corpses of the fighters of the Races Protection Association were scattered among the wreckage.

On the other, the remains of the soldiers wearing golden armor lay across the ground.

Yet large numbers of fighters from both sides were still battling.

The Golden Army reformed its formation.

Despite the casualties it had suffered, its discipline remained intact.

Soldiers who had been severely wounded withdrew to the rear, while others advanced to fill the gaps.

One of the Association's commanders stared at them.

"They're reorganizing their ranks quickly."

Another commander answered:

"Don't give them time."

He raised his weapon.

"Attack!"

The Association's forces charged once again.

The beast warriors were at the front.

The mages stood behind them.

And the winged warriors flew above them.

At the same moment, the Golden Army moved.

The two forces collided once again.

BOOOOM!

The ground shook.

The battlefield became a massive display of organized chaos.

Swords clashed against shields.

Spears pierced armor.

Magic exploded among the soldiers.

And cries rose above the sounds of steel.

But something was different this time.

The Golden Army was advancing more aggressively.

One of the Association's fighters shouted:

"They're faster!"

His companion replied:

"Don't retreat!"

Three golden-armored soldiers appeared before them.

They moved simultaneously.

The first attacked from the front.

The second blocked their escape route.

The third struck from the side.

The two fighters were forced to retreat quickly.

But there were other fighters behind them.

One of them shouted:

"Where do you think you're going?"

He charged toward the golden soldiers.

Weapons collided.

One of the golden soldiers fell to the ground.

But two others immediately advanced.

One of the Association's commanders shouted:

"They're replacing their losses too quickly!"

Then he yelled:

"Focus your attacks on small groups!"

The Association's forces began changing their tactics.

Instead of confronting the golden formations directly, they began targeting specific groups.

At first, it worked.

One group fell.

Then a second.

Then a third.

The Golden Army began retreating several steps.

Cheers erupted from the Association's forces.

"Push them back!"

"Don't let them reform their ranks!"

"Forward!"

But at the front of the Golden Army...

Their commander stood still.

He did not move.

He simply watched the battlefield in silence.

One of the soldiers approached him.

"Sir, the Association's forces have begun breaking through our formations."

The commander said:

"Let them."

The soldier hesitated.

"But they're advancing."

"I know."

The commander looked toward the battlefield.

"Just watch."

The soldier asked:

"What are we watching?"

The commander answered:

"Their true strength."

Then he added:

"I don't want us to kill them too quickly."

He raised his eyes toward the sky.

"I want to know how far they'll go when they believe they have a chance of winning."

On the other side...

The Association's commanders did not know what was happening.

They saw the Golden Army retreating and believed their strategy was beginning to succeed.

One of the commanders said:

"The plan worked."

A female commander replied:

"Don't celebrate too soon."

"Why?"

She looked toward the golden soldiers.

"Because their retreat is far too organized."

Then she said:

"They aren't fleeing."

Silence fell.

Another commander said:

"They're retreating while watching us."

She nodded.

"Exactly."

Then she tightened her grip on her weapon.

"They're waiting for something."

At that moment...

A massive explosion erupted on the eastern flank.

BOOOOM!

A cloud of dust rose into the air.

Everyone turned.

One of the soldiers shouted:

"The eastern flank!"

Part of the Association's forces had been subjected to a surprise attack by another golden unit that had been concealed behind the terrain.

One of the commanders said:

"They left that opening deliberately!"

The female commander answered:

"They lured us into it."

Then she shouted:

"Reform the lines!"

But it was already too late.

The Golden Army began surrounding them.

The Association's forces rapidly retreated.

One of the soldiers shouted:

"They're surrounding us!"

His commander yelled:

"Don't let them close the circle!"

The fighters charged forward to break the encirclement.

The battle continued.

Nearby...

Leon stood in the middle of the chaos.

His sword was stained with blood.

But he was not looking at the enemy in front of him.

His eyes moved among the soldiers.

He saw fear.

Exhaustion.

Anger.

And he saw warriors of different races fighting alongside one another despite their differences.

Then he heard a voice behind him.

"Leon!"

He turned.

One of the Association's commanders was approaching him.

He said:

"We need your help on the eastern flank."

Leon looked toward the battlefield.

Then nodded.

"I'll go."

He charged toward the eastern flank.

He was using only the level of power everyone was accustomed to seeing from him.

As for the true power that Caesar had concealed...

It remained sealed within his body.

Leon reached the collapsing flank.

He found dozens of fighters surrounded.

He raised his sword.

And charged.

One strike.

A golden soldier fell.

A second strike.

Another fell.

Three soldiers advanced toward him.

Leon moved between them with incredible speed.

He struck the first.

Then the second.

Then brought down the third.

One of the Association's fighters raised his head in astonishment.

"He saved us!"

But Leon did not stop.

"Get up."

The fighters looked at him.

"What?"

He said:

"The battle isn't over."

The fighters began rising.

Then they charged behind him.

On the other side of the battlefield...

The commander of the Golden Army raised his eyes.

He saw Leon.

Then fixed his gaze upon him.

One of his soldiers asked:

"Is that him?"

The commander answered:

"Yes."

"The one who challenged our Lord?"

The commander remained silent.

Then said:

"Watch him."

"Should we attack him?"

"Not yet."

Then he added:

"I want to see what he's hiding."

At that moment...

Leon felt his gaze.

He turned.

His eyes met those of the golden commander.

Neither spoke.

Yet something strange passed between them.

Then the commander raised his weapon.

He took a step forward.

His voice was loud enough for the nearby soldiers to hear.

"So you're Leon."

Some of the battles briefly came to a halt.

Leon looked at him.

"And you?"

The commander said:

"One of those who came to end this war."

Then he added:

"But I didn't come to kill you."

Leon narrowed his eyes.

"Then why?"

The commander answered:

"To find out whether the man who dared challenge our Lord is worthy of having the world hear his voice."

Silence fell.

Leon raised his sword.

"You can find out for yourself."

The commander smiled faintly.

"Not now."

Then he turned around.

"This war hasn't reached that stage yet."

The commander withdrew.

Leon continued watching him.

He knew this was not random.

That commander did not want to kill him.

He wanted to test him.

Elsewhere in the world...

News of what had happened spread rapidly.

"Leon has appeared on the battlefield!"

"He's fighting alongside the Races Protection Association!"

"One of the Golden Army's commanders spoke to him!"

"He didn't kill him!"

The news traveled from one city to another.

And the rumors began to grow.

Some people said that Leon was the only hope capable of standing against the Council.

Others said he was insane for challenging Azrael.

And some rulers did not know what position they should take.

One king said:

"Order our forces to stay away from that battlefield."

His adviser said:

"But we may lose the opportunity to ally ourselves with the Association."

The king answered:

"I don't want to become Azrael's enemy."

In another kingdom...

A ruler was studying a map of the war.

He said:

"If Azrael descends himself..."

He stopped.

Then said:

"Everything will change."

And in a third city...

People were discussing the threat Azrael had issued.

One man said:

"I've never heard a threat like that before."

Another replied:

"Neither have I."

Then he said:

"But the question is..."

"What will happen when he fulfills his threat?"

No one had an answer.

Meanwhile...

The Foyd family had left the Kingdom of Light.

Their carriages were moving quickly along roads that were no longer safe.

Soldiers escorted them.

But the scars of war could be seen everywhere.

A burned village.

A road filled with wounded soldiers.

Families walking while carrying whatever remained of their possessions.

And children crying in their mothers' arms.

Liliane looked through the carriage window.

She said nothing.

She was witnessing the consequences of the war that Leon had become part of.

Valer said:

"Don't look too much."

She replied:

"How can I not?"

Then she said:

"All these people are suffering because of the war."

Silence fell.

Alex said:

"That's why we must reach Leon."

Lunaria said:

"The longer we wait, the greater the chance that Azrael will reach him before us."

Selena asked:

"Do you really think he'll come?"

No one answered.

Then Liliane said:

"He will."

Everyone looked at her.

She said:

"You heard his voice."

Then she added:

"That wasn't an empty threat."

She clenched her hand.

"It was a promise."

Valer said:

"That's why we'll reach him first."

Elsewhere...

Inside Abaddon...

Azrael stood before a massive window.

Several of his followers stood behind him.

One of them said:

"My Lord."

Azrael did not turn around.

"Speak."

The follower said:

"The front against the Races Protection Association is still raging."

Azrael remained silent.

Then he asked:

"And Leon?"

The follower answered:

"He's still there."

Azrael slightly raised his eyes.

"Good."

The follower hesitated.

"My Lord, do you want us to order our forces to eliminate him?"

Azrael remained silent.

Then said:

"No."

He slowly turned around.

"He asked me to descend myself."

Silence fell.

Then Azrael said:

"And I will grant him what he asked for."

One of his followers lowered his head.

"When?"

Azrael answered:

"When the time comes."

Then he turned his gaze back toward the horizon.

He did not say when.

Nor did he say how.

But one thing was certain.

Azrael had not forgotten Leon's challenge.

On the battlefield...

The battle was becoming even more fierce.

The Golden Army resumed its advance.

The Races Protection Association reformed its ranks.

Magic filled the sky.

And blood covered the ground.

As for Leon...

He stood at the front.

His sword in his hand.

His true power still concealed.

He raised his eyes toward the sky.

Then said quietly:

"Azrael..."

He paused for a moment.

"I'm ready."

But deep inside...

He knew that the battle awaiting him had not yet begun.

And somewhere far away...

The Foyd family was drawing closer and closer to the battlefield.

Azrael was preparing to descend.

And the Central Continent...

Had no idea which of them would arrive first.

The savior who had challenged the Council...

Or the entity who had sworn to make his soul suffer until the end of time.

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