Chapter 395
Chapter Title: Beyond Prediction
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-Who are you?
That was the first thing Elsie said after being summoned through the magic circle.
The young Great Spirit of Darkness wore a completely bewildered expression.
And for good reason.
Elsie, having only been born a short while ago, had never once formed a pact.
To be forcibly summoned by a pact she hadn't even made was bound to be astonishing.
The same was true for Silode, the heir to the Fairy King.
-H-How did you kidnap me?
Silode looked utterly terrified.
In 5,000 years.
He would be known as Fairy King Silode, the sole remaining Phantom Beast King and the undisputed strongest of his kind, having experienced everything from the Age of Calamity to the Age of Genesis.
But to Leo, this version of Silode was far more familiar than that dignified figure.
-I've never made a contract with someone like you!
-M-Me neither! Let me go!
Leo reached out to Elsie and Silode, who were flitting about him frantically like moths.
*Snatch—!*
“I need your power.”
Leo said softly.
“To bring back the starlight to the night sky.”
-The stars?
“To cultivate a forest that shines verdant once more.”
-A forest?
Leo spun a tale that would entice the young spirit and fairy.
“To do that, you have to fight that thing with me.”
-That thing?
-What in the world...
*ROOOOOOOOAR!*
Jormungandr roared at Leo, who had soared high into the sky.
*Vwoom—!*
As if in response to the roar, a vast amount of demonic energy formed around Leo.
*‘Curse of Binding.’*
Leo's eyes flashed.
Having analyzed the curse's pattern, Leo quickly wove a dispelling formula.
*Zap—!*
Albus looked on in surprise as Leo instantly dispelled the curse.
-To dispel a Legion Commander's curse so quickly.
-A Legion Commander? Is that giant snake a Legion Commander?
-Don't tell me it's Jormungandr, the King of Gluttony?!
Elsie and Silode were shocked by Albus's words.
“I'll explain the details of how you were summoned later. For now...”
Leo roused his spiritual power.
Elsie and Silode resonated with that power.
“Focus on taking that thing down!”
Leo roughly pulled on Albus's reins.
*Crackle—!*
In response, pure white lightning surged.
Jormungandr lunged, its maw wide open.
*CRUUUUNCH—!*
Dodging the attack, Albus streaked away like a bolt of lightning.
Watching Leo and Albus instantly distance themselves, Jormungandr bellowed.
-Foolish creature! Do you think you can escape me!
*CRASH—!*
Jormungandr gave chase in an instant.
The Pegasus is the fastest of all phantom beasts.
And the White King is the fastest among them.
A speed so tremendous it could only be described as divine.
Yet Jormungandr pursued them with a speed that defied its massive size.
It was fast, but not as fast as Albus.
Despite that, the distance between them steadily closed.
*Vwoooom—!*
Demonic energy swirled, targeting Albus.
Albus soared, dodging the demonic energy.
As if predicting Albus's movements, Jormungandr cut across the shortest path, gradually closing the gap.
Jormungandr's nostrils flared continuously.
*‘I smell it. The scent of your hateful movements!’*
Its developed sense of smell not only allowed it to track Leo but also told it where Leo was headed.
It was an ability that could truly be called prophecy.
Jormungandr, the King of Gluttony.
It possessed overwhelming power but lacked the cunning of other Legion Commanders, nor did it command a legion.
The reason it reigned as the most feared demon of this era...
...was due to its overwhelmingly developed sense of smell, which bordered on future sight.
With that ability, Jormungandr devoured everything that stood in its way.
The Devourer of Heroes, who swallowed countless heroes who tried to protect the world.
Just as it always had, Jormungandr intended to devour the hero before it.
*CHOMP—!*
-I will chew you to pieces!
Jormungandr's mouth gaped open.
At the same time, Leo unleashed his Aura.
Super Sense.
He sharpened every sense in his body.
The technique of the Brave Hero who always stood on the front lines in moments of greatest crisis.
His keenly honed senses detected the danger.
*Whoosh—!*
Jormungandr's eyes twitched at Leo's movement, which defied its prediction.
-You! Such petty tricks! But it is impossible to escape my sight! The ability granted to me by the great god! In battle, I predict the future!
“I know. I had a hell of a time because of that ability.”
Leo said coldly.
“But you're not the only one who can predict the future in battle.”
Leo knew.
Another person who could predict the future in battle.
*‘Ar-on.’*
The Brave Hero's Super Sense transcends even time.
A realm unique to Ar-on, one that even Leo, who had learned Super Sense from him, could never reach.
Even after Ar-on passed his Aura to Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning could not reach the Brave Hero's domain of Super Sense.
However, there was a single moment when Kyle had stepped into Ar-on's realm.
*‘The final battle.’*
Leo's eyes flashed.
His Aura combusted.
Every sense in his body was sharpened.
*Thump—thump—thump—*
The sound of his heart pounding fiercely grew louder.
The moment he heard it, everything in his vision began to slow down.
To be precise, Kyle's perception was transcending time.
*‘It's impossible for me now to step into Ar-on's realm again.’*
Leo's gaze caught Jormungandr overtaking him.
*‘But...’*
Veins bulged around Leo's eyes.
*Th-ump— th-ump— th-ump—*
With that, Leo's heartbeat began to slow.
*‘For just a moment, surpassing Jormungandr...’*
*Th—*
*‘...is possible.’*
His heart stopped.
No, that's what it felt like.
In that instant.
Jormungandr's astonished cry rang out.
-Impossible! A being that surpasses my perception!
“That vaunted future prediction of yours won't work on someone who sees one step ahead of you!”
-Do you really think such a preposterous monster exists!
“There's one right in front of you, isn't there?”
Leo sneered at Jormungandr.
“And if I'm faster than you, it's impossible for the likes of you to catch up.”
Leo's red eyes glinted.
“Struggle all you want to catch up. Crawl on the ground to your heart's content, King of Gluttony.”
-You baaaaastard!
Jormungandr's furious roar echoed.
*RUMBLE—!*
Like a coiling snake, Jormungandr began to curl its body and spin.
*Zzzzzing—!*
Simultaneously, demonic energy began to shimmer from its body.
-I'll wipe you out along with this entire area!
*CRACKLE-CRASH—!*
A massive vortex of demonic energy formed around Jormungandr.
A calamity that literally pulverized everything around it.
Leo could feel the surrounding air being sucked toward Jormungandr.
Leo roused his spiritual power and pulled on Albus's reins.
*CRACKLE-CRACKLE-CRACKLE—!*
Crimson flames enveloped Albus, who was already cloaked in pure white lightning.
-The flames of a Phoenix?
Albus looked startled.
The pure white wings of the Pegasus began to burn fiercely.
They looked just like the wings of a Phoenix.
The flames of Jerdinger enveloped Albus, whose power had been amplified by Leo.
Just like enhancing a weapon with Aura.
Albus had obtained the mighty flames of the Phoenix.
-Good heavens!
Albus wore a look of shock.
“I told you I'd be handling you roughly, didn't I?”
-Ugh?!
The flames burned its wings.
The Phoenix is a phantom beast that immolates itself to annihilate wicked foes.
The Phoenix's flames caused Albus pain.
“Sorry, but bear with it.”
-I've made a contract with a preposterous Pacter!
Albus flapped its flaming wings.
“It's not over yet. Silode! Enhancement magic!”
-Y-Yes, sir!
A fairy's magic circle appeared on Albus's white body.
*Flex—!*
Maintaining his Super Sense while gathering all the Aura and spiritual power he could, the veins on Leo's forehead bulged even more.
-Incredible.
Silode looked on in astonishment at Leo, who was endlessly strengthening Albus.
But Leo wasn't finished.
“Elsie.”
*Gwoooooo—!*
At Leo's call, black mana erupted from Elsie's body.
“Crush him.”
-Yes.
Elsie spread her arms.
*Squeeze—!*
-Hrk?!
In that moment, Jormungandr's body froze.
Something was binding Jormungandr's body.
-What is this pathetic trickery!
Jormungandr twisted its body to break free from the binding force.
But despite its tremendous strength, Jormungandr's body didn't budge.
*‘You! What in the world did you do!’*
Jormungandr, eyes wide, glanced for a moment at its own shadow.
*Crunch— crunch— crunch—*
The shadow began to crumple.
As if someone were kneading it at will.
Jormungandr's shadow began to clump together in one spot.
Accordingly, Jormungandr's body was clumped together with it.
*‘The shadow!’*
Realizing the nature of what was binding it, Jormungandr turned its gaze to Leo, who was riding the flame-wreathed Pegasus.
*‘A Pegasus and a fairy! And he commands a Great Spirit of Darkness as well! What in the world is he!’*
Meanwhile.
*Drip—!*
Blood trickled from Leo's eyes.
-Kyle! Are you alright?
Albus asked urgently.
“I'm fine. I've just...”
Leo pulled on the reins.
“...pushed a little past my limits.”
*Crackle! Whoosh! Gwoooo!*
Leaving a trail of lightning and flames, Leo charged forward with Albus.
*Fwoosh!*
As darkness descended.
Charging at the colossal Jormungandr, Leo looked like a small, fragile speck of light.
The moment that thread of light pierced the darkness and struck Jormungandr...
*FLASH—! CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!*
...an immense flash of light created a massive crater.
*RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE—!*
A huge shockwave spread in all directions.
Giant trees bent away from the flash, then were torn from the ground, roots and all.
Incredible destructive power.
A single blow, squeezed out by strengthening a Phantom Beast King to its absolute limit.
Amidst the flames and lightning soaring into the sky.
Leo flew up into the air.
-That was amazing.
“It was.”
Leo replied to Elsie's murmur, tightening his grip on the reins.
-But it's not over.
Albus said coolly.
*Rumble, rumble, rumble—*
-Khuhuhuhuhuhuhuhu.
A low laugh came from the center of the explosion.
-Kahahahahahahaha!
A mad laugh erupted.
The body of Jormungandr shot up, its eyes rolled back.
Its body was melted and fused together, its face grotesquely distorted.
Despite the incredible regenerative abilities of a Legion Commander, the wounds left by the Pegasus's lightning and the Phoenix's flames prevented it from healing.
But even so, Jormungandr was still standing.
The blow Leo had squeezed out with everything he had.
It was a tremendous attack, that much was true.
But it was far from enough to defeat Jormungandr.
-By any means necessary, I will chew you up and swallow you whole!
Jormungandr's eyes gleamed.
It glared at its target with eyes full of hatred.
Nothing else mattered.
Its eyes showed its intent to annihilate Leo above all else, no matter what it took.
“The first condition has been met.”
This enraged Jormungandr will attack until Leo is dead.
“I'm counting on you, Lisinas.”