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Chapter 86 – The Ascension of the Sun's Shadow
### **Four Years Later…**
The world had changed.
Kingdoms had risen and fallen. Wars had been fought and lost. The gods themselves had begun to stir from their ancient slumber.
But **one name** had never faded from the whispers of rulers and commoners alike.
**Leonhardt Valerian Everhart.**
The traitor. The fallen heir. The man who had abandoned the empire, the throne, his title—**for a woman.**
And yet, he had become something **far greater** than they could have ever imagined.
The world had always known limits. A peak. A ceiling that could not be broken.
But Leonhardt had **shattered** it.
He was no longer a mere **9th-Class Magician.**
He was **beyond magic.**
He was no longer an unparalleled **swordsman.**
He had surpassed the **Grandswordmaster realm**—a realm no human had ever set foot in.
And now, the world trembled under the weight of his existence.
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### **A Realm Unknown to Mortals**
A storm raged across the heavens, black and red lightning crackling through the sky as if the world itself feared what was about to come.
Leonhardt stood at the center of a ruined battlefield, his ashen-black hair flowing behind him, illuminated by the flickering embers of destruction.
His crimson eyes, flecked with gold, burned with an intensity that sent **shivers** through the air itself.
This was **not** the gaze of a mortal.
Before him, kneeling, lay **the strongest warriors of the world**—emperors, kings, warlords, mages, and swordsmen, all trembling under an unseen force.
They had not chosen to bow.
They simply **could not resist.**
The weight of his presence, his **existence,** forced them to their knees.
A cold, unreadable expression settled on Leonhardt's face.
"Is this it?" his voice, neither loud nor soft, carried across the battlefield. It echoed in their bones, in their very **souls.**
Not a single one of them dared to speak.
Because they knew.
They had come to challenge him.
And they had **failed before they could even lift their swords.**
A step.
Just one.
Leonhardt took a single step forward, and the air **fractured.** The very space around him twisted, as if reality itself could not withstand the sheer force of his being.
A second later—
**Silence.**
There was no grand explosion. No screams. No battle.
**Just silence.**
When the winds settled, nothing remained.
The battlefield was empty.
Every ruler. Every warrior. Every so-called "strongest of their era"—**erased from existence.**
Without a drop of blood spilled.
Without a single move made.
This was **absolute power.**
This was **Leonhardt Valerian Everhart.**
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### **The World's Fear – The First True Demigod**
The moment **he ascended,** the world felt it.
In the depths of the Magic Tower, the **only** 9th-Class Magician—his mother, the strongest magician to ever exist—stood frozen, her golden eyes wide.
She had always believed herself to be at the pinnacle of magic. That there was **no such thing** as a power beyond hers.
But now—
**She was no longer the strongest.**
In the Everhart Imperial Palace, the emperor sat in his throne room, his hands gripping the arms of his golden chair. The **same man** who had once denounced Leonhardt as a traitor.
Now, he felt **fear.**
For the first time in his life, **Aldric Everhart feared his son.**
Because **Leonhardt had become something beyond human.**
In the distant kingdoms, the rulers gathered in frantic, whispered meetings.
**"He has surpassed magic."**
**"He has surpassed the sword."**
**"He has become something the world has never seen before."**
**"A true Demigod."**
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### **Aetheria's Proclamation – The Goddess Speaks**
Far away, in the celestial palace of Aurion, a throne bathed in moonlight stood in absolute **silence.**
Seated upon it was a woman—**Aetheria Nyx Lunaris Solis.**
No longer just the Night's Queen.
**Now, a Goddess.**
Her silvery-white hair glowed faintly, as if woven from threads of starlight itself. Her deep violet eyes, specked with endless constellations, shimmered with power.
She had **felt** his ascension.
And a slow, knowing smile spread across her lips.
Her king had **finally caught up.**
She stood, her divine presence shattering the very air around her. The moon itself **dimmed,** as if bowing to its ruler.
Then, her voice echoed across the world.
Soft. Cold. **Absolute.**
**"He is mine."**
The moment the words were spoken, **reality itself trembled.**
Across continents, **every single living being**—from the lowest beggar to the mightiest emperor—
**Bowed.**
Not because they wanted to.
Not because they chose to.
But because their bodies simply **could not defy her command.**
Even the gods, who had watched from their celestial realms, felt **pressure** unlike anything they had ever known.
Aetheria's declaration was **not a request.**
It was **law.**
Leonhardt Valerian Everhart was **hers.**
And the world would **never** take him from her again.