Now, they fought in the space.
The battle between Leo and Kael raged on in the endless void of space, a deadly dance of fists, speed, and raw, unimaginable power. Each movement split the vacuum with shockwaves; their blows collided with such force that even the stars seemed to flinch. Leo's shirt had long since been torn away, his bare chest and muscles riddled with bruises, cuts, and fractures. But he kept fighting—undaunted, unwavering.
The only reason he hadn't already fallen was clear: he was immortal.
Leo thought to himself, "phew.. if it wasn't for that demon lord, I'd be dead a hundred times over." A half-smirk crossed his battered face. "Immortality and those ancient spells… guess I owe him."
Kael, just a few meters away in space, growled internally. "This human… no, this monster—he's still alive? I need to end this before it gets worse." He paused for a breath, then narrowed his eyes. "Wait… I still have reality erasure."
Kael raised his glowing hand, divine energy spiraling around his arm. The fabric of reality itself began to twist under his will. He focused on Leo and attempted to erase him entirely—his presence, existence, everything. But nothing happened.
Leo remained. Standing in space. Smiling.
Kael froze in disbelief. "What?! Why… why isn't it working?"
From across the void, Leo's voice echoed. "What's the matter, Kael? Did you really think I'd be erased that easily? Reality doesn't decide what I am. I do."
Kael's thoughts were in chaos. "He knew… he knew I tried to erase him. But more than that… why didn't it work?! I'm a divine hero! Reality should obey me!"
And then the answer came—not from Kael, but from Leo's memories.
A flashback. Leo, seventeen years old, was sitting with Lili under a silver moon. Her voice was soft but firm. "Hey, Leo. I've got a skill for you. Something special." He raised an eyebrow, curious. "What kind of skill?"
"It's called Absolute Defense Over Reality," she said. "It's mine… but I want you to have it."
Leo shook his head. "You don't need to give me that."
But Lili smiled. "You need it more than I ever will. You've got a future to carve, Leo. And this—this will help you survive what's coming."
Leo, silent but grateful, placed his hand gently over hers. Then, with a flicker of Void Reclaim, the skill transferred. A pact made in trust.
Back in the present, Leo chuckled faintly, whispering, "Thanks, Lili."
Without warning, he vanished from Kael's sight—only to reappear with a devastating punch straight to Kael's face. The blow was so strong it sent Kael hurtling through the stars, crashing onto a distant gaseous planet whose surface swirled with thick, toxic clouds.
But for beings like them, poison was meaningless.
Kael crashed into the surface of the gaseous planet, the force of Leo's punch sending shockwaves that tore through clouds of toxic vapor. For a moment, everything was still—until Kael slowly pushed himself up, coughing slightly, his divine aura flickering. His body trembled, not from pain, but from the pressure—the sheer monstrous force Leo had unleashed.
Across the swirling field of poisonous gas, Leo was already there, walking toward him.
Step by step.
Each footfall echoed like a war drum. His body was battered, blood dripping from his mouth, but his eyes were focused, sharp—unbreakable.
Then, without a word, Leo raised his hand.
A black gleam flickered in the haze, and with a pulse of void energy, the legendary sword Nullfang materialized in his grasp. It shimmered with a strange darkness, the kind that didn't reflect light but devoured it. A sword forged from anti-existence itself.
Kael's heart skipped. His breath caught in his throat.
"T-That blade… no… that's—"
His eyes widened. "Goddamn it… it is Nullfang. That black hue… that ominous stillness… its very presence is wrong. One cut… just one, and even my immortality won't save me. My so-called immunity to reality would mean nothing. That sword—cuts beyond logic."
Sweat ran down Kael's cheek, and for the first time, a sliver of fear pierced through his divine pride. Still, he clenched his teeth and forced a crooked smile. "Heh… fine then."
With a flick of his wrist, a radiant divine blade burst into existence—shining like a sun against Leo's abyss. "Let's see if your nothingness can swallow my divinity."
And then, in a blink, both vanished.
A violent clash erupted the very next moment. Their swords collided with such force that space-time itself warped around them. Each strike they exchanged shredded through the gaseous planet's surface, splitting mountains of gas and stone, vaporizing everything in their path.
Every swing carved silence.
The clash of swords continued, their blades moving at speeds so fast they bent light itself. Leo and Kael vanished and reappeared across the battlefield, every collision between their weapons sparking ripples through space. The ferocity of their strikes reached an unthinkable peak.
Then—from afar—the gaseous planet quaked.
A single, sharp line appeared across its surface.
SHHHHH—KRRAAAAKK!
A blinding slash tore the planet in half. Entire mountains of gas and rock were split in an instant. The planet groaned, cracked, and then exploded into nothingness. It wasn't just destroyed—it was erased, cut clean by the sheer force of their blows.
Yet even amid that annihilation, Leo and Kael kept fighting. Their speed surpassed comprehension—mere mortals could no longer follow their movements.
Back on the mountain—
The rebels watched in terrified silence as shockwaves reached even their peaks. The sky itself trembled. Some people of capital had begun to realize the truth about Lili.
"She's a witch…" someone whispered, stepping back.
Fear spread.
Lili stood apart, eyes downcast, the fear of others pressing into her like knives. She said nothing—she couldn't. After all these years, this reaction still hurt. She wasn't the enemy. But it didn't matter.
Then—Lyra stepped forward.
"Believe me or not," she said boldly, "but without Lili, Leo wouldn't be the person he is today. He's out there fighting for all of us. If you trust me and Leo—then you have to trust her too."
The crowd hesitated, still trembling from the overwhelming pressure in the skies—but fear of what was coming outweighed their prejudice.
"…Alright," a voice muttered. "Okay."
They had no choice now.
Suddenly, a loud rumble echoed above them—deafening, divine, terrifying.
Lili's face fell. "I wish… I could help him. But I'm not strong enough anymore. I'd only slow him down. I was right I am just burden"
"Don't say that!" Lyra snapped, grabbing her shoulder. "Leo got angry last time you said that. This time I will too! He's fighting for us. He's risking everything."
Lili blinked, surprised, then gave a smile. "...Thanks, Lyra."
"We should heal the wounded," Lyra said. "That's something we can do."
Lili nodded and moved toward Balzock, still gravely injured. Lyra turned to help Sheron, Zack, and Sara, patching up wounds and offering magical support.
After a few minutes, Balzock's eyes fluttered open.
He winced in pain but managed to speak. "...Ugh. Still alive, huh."
Sara rushed to him. "Chief, are you alright?!"
He grunted. "I'm breathing. That's enough. But… Leo…"
Sara's face turned grim. "He's still up there. And none of us can reach him."
Balzock turned to Sheron. "Where's Lili and Lyra?"
"They're healing the wounded," Sheron replied. "They helped us too."
Then Balzock's eyes caught a glimpse of someone unfamiliar—a small figure standing quietly nearby.
A little girl with a familiar look in her eyes.
"...Who's that?" he asked, confused. "That hair... those eyes..."
Zack looked over. "That's Lia. Leo's younger sister."
Lia stood silently, hugging herself, her eyes wide and worried. She whispered so softly no one heard her:
"Big brother Leo… please be okay…"
Behind her, Niya knelt and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Trust your brother," Niya said gently. "He will come back."
Lia nodded slowly, eyes still fixed on the flashing sky.
Above them, the battle raged.
Leo's body faltered mid-air. He gasped, barely catching himself as he staggered back. His muscles screamed. His vision blurred. His lungs burned like fire.
I'm… tired.
He wanted to give in.
Just for a moment. Just to fall.
But then—
No.
I can't stop here.
Not now.
He clenched his fists. Grit his teeth. His thoughts turned to Lia, to Lili, to Lyra, to everyone he swore to protect.
His heart thundered again.
I will not fall—not until he does.
Their swords clashed again—Nullfang in Leo's hands, black and ominous, humming with anti-reality. Kael's divine blade glowed with celestial energy, its edge wreathed in golden light. Each strike they exchanged was a miniature apocalypse. Waves of destructive force spread across the space.
Then, in a blur, Kael twisted past Leo's guard and drove a fist into his jaw.
CRACK!
Leo's head snapped to the side as his body was hurled backwards like a missile. He spiraled across the void, blood trailing behind him, but Kael wasn't finished. He vanished—and reappeared beside Leo mid-flight, slamming another punch into his stomach.
WHAM!
Again and again, Kael struck him—once in the ribs, then in the chest, then another blow to the face. Leo's body bounced across invisible air, his limbs flailing from the sheer force of the onslaught.
But then—
Leo growled, his eyes burning with defiance, and countered with a crushing punch of his own.
BOOM!
Kael was blasted backward, skidding across the void like a comet, his divine armor cracking slightly. He steadied himself, floating midair—blood dripping from his mouth. And then… he smiled.
From a distance, Kael stared at the battered figure of Leo.
"...You're still standing? Hah," he said, voice cold and sharp. "I must admit… you're more tenacious than I expected."
The space around Kael darkened. His aura flared golden, and a low hum filled the air as he raised his right hand slowly, fingers curling into a shape of control.
"Goodbye… Leo Vallis."
A sphere of golden-yellow light began to form in his palm, growing larger and brighter with each passing second. The space trembled as his voice dropped to a whisper:
"Divine Beam."
He smirked.
Leo, still catching his breath, turned—expecting nothing behind him.
But his eyes widened in terror.
Behind him floated his homeworld.
A planet not unlike Earth—but slightly different. Its some lands were pink. The continents bore a unique map pattern, the landmasses tinted with soft hues of yellow and violet. It was beautiful. Peaceful.
And directly in the beam's path.
Leo's heart dropped.
"No... No, not them—!"
The golden beam fired.
Leo roared and threw his arms forward in desperation, intercepting the beam with everything he had left. His hands burned as divine energy crashed into him. It was like trying to stop a collapsing star.
He screamed.
The energy pushed him backwards through space—straight toward his own world.
Far away, atop the rebel mountain—
Lili was still tending to the wounded when she heard the cries.
"Look! Look up there—what is that?!"
A bright golden light streaked across the sky like a divine sword splitting the sky.
Lili turned. Her face went pale.
"No…"
Lia, clutching her side, ran up beside her. "Lili—what is that?!"
Lyra, Zack, Sara, and Sheron gathered near. They all looked up—and froze.
"…It's Leo," Lili whispered.
Shock swept through the group.
"No… no way," Zack said. "He's… he's losing?"
Lia stared in horror. "Brother…"
Then—
BOOOOM!
The beam collided with Leo and drove him like a meteor into his homeworld.
A massive explosion erupted on the planet's surface—visible even from the mountaintop. Shockwaves screamed through the air and reached them seconds later, shaking the mountains and nearly knocking people off their feet.
Lili clenched her fists, teeth gritted.
"I'm going," she said, voice trembling with urgency. "All of you—stay here."
"But—!" Lyra began, eyes wide.
"No buts."
Her body shimmered, glowing with ethereal light. She released her Spiritual Body, wings of raw mana unfolding behind her like the wings of a divine being.
And then—she vanished, a comet of silver streaking through the sky.
Straight toward the battlefield.