The battlefield had gone strangely quiet for a single moment.
In the distance, Lily, Yuna, and the surviving World Martial Artist General were still recovering after defeating the five hundred warriors of the Demon Queen's army. Chenwei stood beside Leo, his legendary long metal staff in his hand, while the Demon Queen remained on the back of the enormous Black Hell Dragon.
Leo floated in the air in his final form.
One side of his hair had turned golden, while the other side remained red. Two horns rose from his head, a golden wing spread from one side of his back, and a red wing spread from the other. The fusion of the Lion Spiritual Beast and Phoenix Spiritual Beast had pushed his power to an entirely different level.
Leo looked toward Chenwei.
He moved close to his friend's ear and spoke quietly.
Leo: "I'm going to take the Demon Queen down from that dragon. You handle the dragon, okay?"
Chenwei looked at him seriously.
Leo: "And don't die. No matter what happens. This is our final match. After this battle, there won't be another war. Everyone will finally be able to live in peace."
Leo's expression became completely serious.
Leo: "The only threat left is her… the Demon Queen."
Chenwei tightened his grip around the legendary staff.
Chenwei: "I know."
His eyes moved toward the Demon Queen and then toward the people behind them.
Chenwei: "I'll be serious too. We have to protect the people we care about. That's what we're fighting for."
Leo smiled.
Leo: "Then let's finish this."
The next instant—
BOOM!
Leo disappeared.
The force of his movement shattered the ground beneath him as he launched himself upward.
His golden and red wings opened.
His spiritual energy exploded around his body.
He flew straight toward the Demon Queen.
The Black Hell Dragon reacted immediately.
Black Hell Dragon: "What?!"
The dragon swung its head toward Leo.
But Leo was already there.
He reached the Demon Queen in a single instant.
His hand grabbed her by the neck—not crushing her, but locking her position—and with one explosive movement, he pulled her away from the Black Hell Dragon.
BOOOOOOM!
The Demon Queen was ripped from the dragon's back.
Leo carried her high into the sky.
The Black Hell Dragon roared.
Black Hell Dragon: "DEMON QUEEN!"
Chenwei immediately moved in front of the dragon.
He raised the legendary staff.
Chenwei: "Your opponent is me."
The Black Hell Dragon's eyes narrowed.
Then—
ROAAAAAAR!
Its enormous tail swung toward Chenwei.
WHOOSH!
Chenwei barely dodged.
The tail smashed through a mountain behind him.
BOOOOM!
Rocks exploded into the air.
Chenwei spun around and raised his staff.
Chenwei: "That was close!"
The dragon didn't answer.
Its tail came again.
And again.
And again.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Chenwei moved through the air, dodging the rapid tail attacks.
The dragon's movements were far faster than something of its enormous size should have been capable of.
Chenwei blocked one strike with his staff.
KRAAAAAK!
The impact sent him flying backward.
He stopped himself in midair.
His dragon armor was already beginning to crack.
Chenwei: "You're seriously strong…"
The Black Hell Dragon opened its mouth.
A massive dark energy gathered inside.
Chenwei's eyes widened.
Chenwei: "Oh, come on!"
The dragon fired.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
Chenwei raised the legendary staff and created a massive water barrier.
The dark beam collided with it.
The entire sky shook.
At the same time, far above them, Leo and the Demon Queen had begun their own battle.
Leo threw the Demon Queen through the air.
She recovered instantly and twisted her body.
Demon Queen: "You're faster than before."
Leo appeared behind her.
Leo: "And you're still talking too much."
He swung his fist.
She blocked.
BOOM!
The shockwave spread across the clouds.
The Demon Queen countered with a powerful kick.
Leo crossed his arms.
BANG!
He was sent backward.
He opened his wings and stopped himself.
The Demon Queen smiled.
But inside her mind, she wasn't worried.
Instead, she was thinking calmly.
Everything is going according to my plan.
She suddenly changed her expression.
She grabbed her throat and began acting as though she was struggling to breathe.
Leo immediately noticed.
Leo: "What happened?"
The Demon Queen lowered her head.
Her hand secretly moved toward Leo.
Her fingers caught a small strand of his golden-red hair.
She pulled it free.
A tiny sample.
A sample of Leo's DNA.
She hid it immediately.
Inside her mind, she smiled.
Got it.
The sample is complete.
Even if they defeat me now… it doesn't matter.
My plan will succeed.
The Demon Queen continued pretending to struggle.
They think they are winning.
Let them.
Everything I needed has already been obtained.
Leo released his grip slightly and prepared another attack.
The Demon Queen suddenly recovered.
Demon Queen: "Thank you."
Leo's eyes narrowed.
Leo: "For what?"
She smiled.
Demon Queen: "Nothing."
She attacked.
BOOM!
Leo blocked her punch.
The two collided again.
BAM!
BOOM!
CRASH!
Their battle tore through the clouds.
Every collision created a shockwave that could be seen from the battlefield below.
But the true war was happening between Chenwei and the Black Hell Dragon.
The dragon's tail attacked from every direction.
Chenwei dodged one strike.
Blocked another.
Then another.
He used his legendary staff to create water blades and waves.
Chenwei: "Water Dragon—!"
A giant water dragon formed around him.
He launched it toward the Black Hell Dragon.
ROAAAAAR!
The Black Hell Dragon opened its mouth and destroyed the attack with its own energy.
Chenwei rushed forward.
The staff struck the dragon's head.
BOOOOM!
The dragon's head moved slightly.
Chenwei smiled.
Chenwei: "Got you!"
But the dragon suddenly swung its tail.
WHAM!
Chenwei was hit.
He flew through several clouds.
His armor cracked further.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Chenwei: "Okay…"
He looked at the legendary staff.
Its glow was becoming weaker.
The weapon itself was beginning to fade.
Chenwei's eyes widened.
Chenwei: "Not now…"
The legendary weapon required an enormous amount of spiritual energy to maintain.
Every attack was draining him.
Even holding it was becoming difficult.
The Black Hell Dragon charged.
Chenwei raised the staff again.
KRAAAASH!
The dragon's claws collided with the staff.
Chenwei's entire body shook.
His dragon armor began disappearing piece by piece.
Chenwei: "Ghh…"
The dragon pushed harder.
Chenwei's feet were forced backward through the air.
His spiritual energy was running dangerously low.
Then the staff flickered.
For a moment, part of it became transparent.
Chenwei stared at it.
Chenwei: "The legendary weapon…"
It was disappearing.
The dragon attacked again.
Chenwei barely escaped.
BOOM!
The attack grazed him and sent him spinning.
He recovered, but several more cuts had appeared across his body.
His breathing became heavier.
The Black Hell Dragon was also damaged. Cracks of spiritual energy ran across parts of its body, and its movements were no longer completely flawless.
Neither side was willing to stop.
Above them, Leo and the Demon Queen continued their brutal final battle.
Leo rushed forward.
Leo: "HAAAAA!"
His fist collided with the Demon Queen.
BOOOOOOM!
She was sent flying.
Before she could recover, Leo appeared above her.
BANG!
A second attack sent her downward.
She stopped herself.
Her eyes glowed.
Demon Queen: "You really believe defeating me will end everything?"
Leo descended toward her.
Leo: "Yes."
She smiled.
Demon Queen: "Then you're still too naive."
She unleashed a massive spiritual attack.
Leo crossed his arms.
BOOOOOOOM!
The explosion swallowed the sky.
Leo burst through the energy cloud.
His golden and red aura burned brighter.
He attacked again.
The Demon Queen blocked.
Their fists collided repeatedly.
BAM!
BOOM!
CRASH!
Every exchange pushed both of them farther across the sky.
But below them—
Chenwei was losing ground.
The Black Hell Dragon suddenly disappeared from his sight.
Chenwei froze.
Chenwei: "Where—?"
The dragon appeared behind him.
Black Hell Dragon: "Too slow."
WHAM!
Its tail struck Chenwei.
Chenwei was launched across the battlefield.
His legendary staff flickered violently.
His dragon armor disappeared from one arm.
Then another section vanished.
Chenwei tried to summon more spiritual energy.
Nothing happened.
Chenwei: "Come on…"
The staff became even more transparent.
Chenwei: "Not yet…"
He gripped it tightly.
Chenwei: "I still need you!"
But the weapon continued fading.
The Black Hell Dragon charged once more.
Chenwei raised the staff.
BOOOOOOM!
The impact created a massive explosion.
When the smoke cleared, both were still standing.
Barely.
Chenwei's form was breaking apart.
The Black Hell Dragon was heavily exhausted as well.
Chenwei looked toward the sky.
For a moment, he saw Leo fighting the Demon Queen.
He smiled.
Chenwei: "Leo…"
Then the dragon attacked again.
Chenwei turned.
Too late.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The impact sent him flying.
His legendary staff finally became almost completely invisible.
His dragon armor vanished.
His aura collapsed.
Chenwei's eyes widened.
Chenwei: "No…"
The last remaining energy around his body disappeared.
His transformation ended.
He became normal again.
He couldn't control his flight anymore.
He fell.
Faster.
Faster.
Chenwei: "AAAAAAAH!"
BOOOOOOM!
Chenwei crashed into the ground.
The battlefield shook.
Leo saw it.
His eyes widened.
Leo: "NO!"
For one terrible moment, Leo stopped thinking about the Demon Queen.
He looked toward the ground.
Chenwei wasn't moving.
Leo's golden-red aura began flickering.
His final form was reaching its limit too.
He looked at his own hands.
The energy around them was disappearing.
His wings flickered.
His horns began fading.
But Leo clenched his fists.
Leo: "I can't lose…"
His eyes hardened.
Leo: "My people are on the line."
He looked toward Chenwei.
Then toward Lily.
Yuna.
Renge.
Everyone who had fought beside him.
Everyone who had survived this long.
Leo: "If I lose…"
His aura suddenly surged again.
Leo: "I'll lose all of them."
Leo raised his head.
The Demon Queen stood before him.
She smiled.
Leo charged.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
And the final battle continued.