Chapter 159: No other Choice
Chapter 159: No other Choice
"Both of you... get ready."
The moment Leon gave the command, Frenrir and Noira emerged from the Soul Sanctuary.
The sudden appearance of the two people caused the masked men to narrow their eyes. A flicker of surprise crossed their faces before their expressions quickly returned to their previous cold indifference.
Without wasting a single second, Noira transformed into her beast form. A terrifying surge of energy burst from her body, causing the surrounding air to tremble.
Several seconds later, Henry arrived at the scene.
The moment he saw what was unfolding before him, he froze in shock.
Frenrir calmly walked up to Leon and stopped in front of him.
"Master," he said in a solemn voice. "They’re too strong. You won’t be able to win without Fusion."
Leon silently nodded.
Frenrir turned around, presenting his back to Leon.
Leon slowly raised his hand, ready to place it on Frenrir and go for Fusion.
But at that very instant...
Whoosh!
Four of the masked figures disappeared from their positions. Their speed was terrifying.
Even faster than Leon’s. Leon’s expression stiffened.
’S-Class...’ His pupils contracted. ’All of them...’
Earlier, Leon’s attention had been completely drawn to the overwhelming presence of the leader, preventing him from noticing the others.
But now...
The terrifying speed they displayed made his scalp tingle.
They’re all S-Class Knights.
Two of the masked figures shot straight toward Noira. One thrust his palm forward like the blade of a saber.
Noira caught his wrist effortlessly and pulled him forward, preparing to drive her fist into his face.
But before she could...
Bang!
The second masked man appeared beside her and drove his knee into her abdomen.
The impact blasted the air from her lungs.
Her body shot backward like a cannonball before crashing into the side of a nearby building.
Rumble!
Part of the wall collapsed instantly, burying her beneath chunks of concrete and dust.
Meanwhile, the remaining two charged directly at Leon and Frenrir.
Everything happened too quickly. Leon didn’t even have time to utter the word ’Fusion’.
One of the masked men threw a straight punch at Frenrir.
Frenrir immediately raised his forearm to block.
Thud!
A dull impact echoed through the street. The sheer force behind the blow sent Frenrir skidding dozens of meters across the ground.
His entire right arm went numb. His blood churned violently from the impact alone.
At the same time, the last masked figure spun through the air and unleashed a powerful roundhouse kick toward Leon.
"Ice Shield!" A translucent shield of ice materialized before him.
Crack!
But it shattered the instant the kick connected.
The remaining force slammed into Leon’s body and launched him backward.
Boom!
He crashed into a parked vehicle, crushing its side and sending it sliding several meters across the road.
WEEOO! WEEOO!
The vehicle’s security alarm immediately blared through the silent street.
In less than three seconds...
Noira,
Frenrir,
and Leon...
had all been overwhelmed.
Noira possessed strength comparable to a peak S-Class Knight. Frenrir was roughly on par with a mid-level S-Class Knight.
As for Leon... He was only comparable to an A-Class.
How were they supposed to stand against four S-Class Knights...
Worse... There were five more S-Class knights like them, and one was even Disaster Class.
The leader of the masked figures finally moved. He calmly walked toward Jenny and reached down to pick her up.
"No..." Cecilia’s weak voice trembled through the air. "Don’t..."
Despite the blood covering her body, she forced herself to crawl in front of Jenny, desperately trying to shield her.
Unlike Jenny, she was still conscious.
The leader’s outstretched hand paused for a brief moment.
Then...
It blurred.
Neither Leon nor Henry could see what he had done. But the next instant, Cecilia’s body was launched through the air like a broken kite. She slammed violently into a nearby wall before slowly sliding to the ground.
Motionless.
Leon, who was pushing himself to his feet, saw it clearly, still not understanding why Cecilia was here in the first place. And why she was even trying to save Jenny.
The masked leader bent down, lifted Jenny’s unconscious body, and placed her over his shoulder.
"We’re leaving."
His hoarse voice echoed through the street.
Without another word, he turned around and began walking away.
The remaining five S-Class Knights, who had yet to make a move, silently turned as well and followed him.
Not a single one of them spared Leon another glance.
To them...
He simply wasn’t worth their attention.
Leon slowly stood up and wiped the blood from the corner of his lips. Several bones in his body were broken. Every breath sent waves of pain through him.
But none of it mattered.
His eyes fixated on something.
Jenny’s unconscious body being carried away.
He heard nothing else.
He saw nothing else.
Noira burst free from the rubble and charged at one of the S-Class Knights.
Frenrir did the same.
Meanwhile, Leon...
He leaned forward. The Frost Monarch’s Blade appeared in his right hand. ’I have no other choice.’
Crack!
The asphalt beneath his feet shattered as he launched himself forward.
"Berserk Mode..." His voice was barely above a whisper. "Activate."
Boom!
An overwhelming torrent of power erupted from Leon’s body, exploding outward like a volcanic eruption.
The masked leader stopped walking. For the first time... Shock appeared on his face. It was as though he had finally realized... He had mistakenly awakened a sleeping lion.
Leon’s speed skyrocketed. He vanished from sight. Even the Disaster Class leader failed to track his movement.
The next instant, Leon appeared before the very S-Class Knight who had kicked him moments earlier.
"First Form..." He swung the Frost Monarch’s Blade. "Sword Dance." A brilliant streak of white light flashed across the street.
The S-Class Knight had only just begun throwing a punch.
Then...
He froze.
A thin crimson line appeared across his waist. The upper half of his body slowly slid away from the lower half. Blood erupted into the air.
Leon had already disappeared.
Like a phantom.
Like a beast that had finally broken free of its chains.