The situation unfolded just as one might expect.
The moment Leon collided with the two towering, bull-shaped demi-spirits, it was over in an instant. There was no dramatic back-and-forth. Leon didn't even draw a weapon.
With a calm that chilled the air, he thrust both hands forward—straight into the massive, armor-like hide of one of the demi-spirits.
Then—
RIP—!!
With a terrifying force, Leon tore the creature in half. Muscle, bone, and magic circuits snapped like thread beneath his grip. The demi-spirit shrieked as its body disintegrated into dust, collapsing into ash as if it had never existed.
All that remained was a glowing, multicolored magic stone, suspended midair for a moment before falling. Leon swiftly reached out and snatched it with one hand, not sparing the faintest glance at the fading corpse.
The second demi-spirit, which had previously been filled with murderous bloodlust, froze. It stared at Leon, eyes wide, soul shaken, as if it couldn't comprehend what had just happened. The being that had stood shoulder to shoulder with it only moments ago… had been ripped apart.
It stared. Leon didn't.
Having pocketed the magic stone, Leon disappeared from his spot like a blur.
Swish—!
He reappeared right in front of the stunned bull-shaped demi-spirit. Before the monster could even react, its fate was sealed.
Another magic stone fell gently to the ground, the second demi-spirit now nothing more than dust in the wind.
Dionysus stood several paces away, mouth slightly agape, eyes trembling. He was… stunned, no—terrified.
Just half a month ago, Leon had still been in the shadows, an unknown variable. And now… he could tear apart demi spirits with his bare hands?
These demi-spirits were physical titans, constructed to be Level 7 behemoths. Monsters that even elite adventurers struggled to bring down in groups. And yet, Leon had destroyed them effortlessly.
In his moment of disbelief, Dionysus failed to notice that Lucifer, Leon's thought projection, had vanished. By the time he realized something was off, it was too late. A hand landed firmly on his shoulder.
"Huh?!"
The crushing force behind it dropped Dionysus to his knees in an instant. He gritted his teeth, his sealed Arcanum offering no resistance. Shame burned in his veins, hotter than lava.
"Y-You bastard…!" Dionysus roared, his voice trembling with humiliation.
In a desperate effort, he tried to release divinity from deep within himself.
But—
BOOM—!!
An even more overwhelming divine pressure slammed into him.
Dionysus' power was suppressed instantly. As though the weight of the heavens themselves had been dropped upon him.
Leon's calm voice echoed in his ear, "Last time,the gods were watching. I couldn't act."
"But now? Now you're just a rogue god of Evilus. No one will weep if you return to heaven. In fact, they'll applaud."
He tightened his grip, unmoved by the divine energy struggling beneath his palm.
Dionysus gritted his teeth, face darkened. But then, he started laughing.
"Haha… HAHAHAHA!!" His laughter echoed ominously within the cavern.
"Send me back to heaven? So what?!"
"Even if you interrupt the Gate of Heaven, it's already too late."
"That guy… has gone berserk."
Dionysus's voice grew hoarse, but triumphant.
"It will never forgive Orario, it will counterattack. And when it does—!"
"It will devour this city and this world."
"Not even you can stop what comes next!"
Leon's eyes narrowed. He knew exactly who Dionysus meant.
Corrupted spirit.
The one who provided the jewel fetus for the demi spirits, the one who remained shrouded in mystery.
If what Dionysus said was true…
Ais.
Could this be connected to Ais?
A thread of thought flickered in his mind but Leon kept it silent. He wouldn't show his cards. Not yet. Instead, he simply poured more power into Lucifer's hand.
Dionysus' expression twisted in shock.
BOOM—!!
A sacred light erupted from his body, shooting into the sky like a divine lance.
The pillar of divinity broke through the entire artificial labyrinth, piercing up through the surface of Orario and into the heavens.
Dionysus' figure, bathed in radiant light, rose with the divine column. And in that final moment, his bloodshot eyes remained locked on Lucifer—on Leon but Leon didn't flinch. He watched without emotion.
The column of light illuminated the sky like a divine omen. All across Orario, mortals and deities alike paused.
"Another god was sent back to heaven?"
"This is getting frequent… wasn't it Ishtar just half a month ago?"
"The children of the lower world are terrifying…"
"Looks like it came from Daedalus Street."
"Must be another Evilus god."
"Only Leon would dare something like this."
"It's Leon for sure. That kid's insane."
"Heh… bold as ever."
In Folkvangr, Freya swirled a glass of red wine by her window, eyes gleaming as she stared at the pillar in the distance.
"Well done, Leon."
Meanwhile, in a quiet library, Hestia rushed to the window, fist clenched in triumph.
"That's my child. Well done, Leon."
She'd been in constant contact through Ellie. The moment the divine surge appeared, she knew exactly who was responsible.
Dionysus… Hmph. She'd had her doubts about him even in Heaven. His descent was always suspicious. His departure? A blessing.
"A new chapter begins…"
In the depths of the Guild's underground altar, Ouranos stood before the stone tablet, murmuring solemnly as divine pressure passed through Orario.
Across the city, gods stepped outside their domains, all watching the sky-bound column of light in silence. Each had their own thoughts but all shared one conclusion:
Something big had changed.
And then, in just under a minute, the light vanished. The pillar was gone, and the sky returned to calm. But every eye now turned toward Daedalus Street.
Back in the depths of the artificial labyrinth, Leon stood alone beneath the massive hole carved by the God's Return.
Lucifer had vanished. Only Leon remained, quietly observing the residual light.
"That aura... Freya Familia?"
He narrowed his eyes.
He could feel it. The dense, familiar energy of Freya's warriors. Before he could think further, a sound tore through the air.
Whoosh—!!
Dark shadows descended from above, crashing to the ground like meteorites. The floor quaked under the impact.
Standing tall before him was a hulking man with two greatswords strapped to his back.
"We meet again, Leon." He said, voice deep and calm. "Freya-sama sent us to assist."
Ottar.
The strongest warrior in Orario.
"Yo, Leon!" Another voice chimed in arrogantly. "Where's the target? Point us at 'em already." Allen grinned from ear to ear.
Hedin stood silently to the side, adjusting his glasses without a word.
Leon looked at the three of them. Then he smiled faintly.
"…I'll be counting on you."
Perhaps it was due to the sheer dominance Leon had displayed in his last battle against Ottar, when he crushed Freya Familia's strongest in broad daylight within Orario, that even the proud warriors of Freya Familia dared not act arrogantly before him.
Even someone as brash as Allen, though his tone remained sharp, showed restraint in his words. Beneath the swagger, it was clear that they acknowledged Leon.
The fact that Allen allowed Leon to assign their enemies made it unmistakable. The Freya Familia had accepted Leon's authority in this mission. If it had been anyone else, they would have scoffed, ignored, or outright rejected it. But Leon wasn't just anyone.