Chapter 495 Hero King’s Wrath [Part 3]

Leone panted for breath.

He could feel the bloodlust overflowing in his body.

He could feel the killing intent rising inside his heart.

He could hear the screams of the dying soldiers around him.

This wasn’t the first time he had experienced war, but this was his first time standing in its center.

As if to make sure he understood the gravity of his actions, the Earth Elemental Queen shared its senses with Leone.

Every time she killed someone, Leone would feel like he was the one who killed them.

Stepping on Magnus?

That was his idea. The feeling of crushing the Supreme Commander of the Aurelion Army underfoot made him feel euphoria.

After all, one of the people responsible for his Great Uncle’s death was now dead.

Leone didn’t realize that a crimson aura within his heart was slowly expanding. It was even materializing on his body, leaving a trail of crimson mist oozing from his clothes.

The young man’s blue eyes, which were once as clear as the sky, had also turned bright red, like fresh blood from a new wound.

He was hyperventilating as the flood of emotions washed over his body.

"Die!" Leone roared, and the Earth Elemental Queen roared with him.

With a wave of her hand, rows of jagged spikes rose from the ground.

With a stomp of her foot, the land shook, throwing those who were trying to run away off balance.

The barbarians watched this scene of absolute destruction unfold from a distance. All of them looked at the Earth Mother with awe and respect... but also fear.

She didn’t look like the loving and caring mother they expected she would be.

She looked more like an avenging War Goddess who had lost her precious son to the vile schemes of evildoers.

"Arion, come to me!" Yuni, who seemed to have sensed something amiss, hurriedly called out to the Pegasus as it flew to her side without hesitation.

Then, as if understanding her thoughts, Arion rose to the sky, flying toward the Earth Elemental Queen with eyes filled with determination.

*Squeak!*

Blitz, too, flew alongside Arion and Yuni, making sure to protect them just in case something happened.

Astravor and Maximus also followed behind them, leaving the barbarians behind.

Somewhere in Eden, Samuel gasped for breath, dragging himself away desperately.

He had lost his right arm and had also lost his right leg.

Yet, he still clung to life, for he didn’t want to die this way.

Suddenly, the bracelet on his hand shone faintly. Without a second thought, he hurriedly activated the one-way teleportation artifact that would bring him back straight to the Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Britannia.

He gave Leone one last fearful gaze before his body was covered with a faint light and disappeared completely.

Sensing the Guardian had escaped, Leone roared in anger and waved his hand toward the retreating Aurelion Army soldiers.

The Earth Elemental Queen imitated it, causing countless stone spears to rain down at them without mercy.

The moment Leone summoned the Earth Elemental, this entire thing stopped being a battle.

It was now a one-sided massacre.

As the smell of blood permeated the air, the crimson aura surrounding Leone glowed radiantly.

In his mind, the words "Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!" were being repeatedly said by a being that was pushing him onto the path of a slaughterer.

The surviving soldiers of the Aurelion Army all went down on their knees and begged the Earth Elemental Queen to spare them.

"It’s too late to ask for forgiveness," Leone said coldly. "All of you will accompany my Great Uncle in the afterlife."

The young man then raised his arm and was about to swat it down like he was swatting an insect that was on his path.

But before that hand could even move, a pair of hands wrapped around it, holding it in place.

"Leone, don’t!" Yuni pleaded. "They already surrendered! Please, show them mercy."

*Squeak!*

Blitz also held the young man’s hand, assisting the young lady who had come to save its Master.

Astravor used his wind magic to hold Yuni in place, allowing her to reach Leone before he completely lost his humanity.

At first, Leone tried to struggle and push her away. He was overcome with bloodlust and lost the ability to think properly. However, Yuni didn’t give up.

She called out to him. She held onto him.

She had a feeling that if she allowed him to finish off the rest of the soldiers of the Aurelion Army, she would lose him forever.

And due to her efforts, she finally reached him.

"Yu... ni." Leone finally recognized the young lady by his side.

The crimson aura slowly faded away, and soon, the color of his eyes returned to normal.

For a brief moment, Yuni and the barbarians thought they heard the Earth Elemental Queen let out a relieved sigh.

She then lowered her hand and stood still.

At that moment, the strength in Leone’s legs suddenly left him, making him almost collapse where he stood.

Fortunately, Yuni and his vassals were there to support his body, holding him in place.

"Is it over?" Leone asked as Yuni hugged her tightly.

"Yes," Yuni replied, fighting off the tears in her eyes because she truly felt like she had almost lost this young man in her arms. "It’s over."

Leone looked at the holy city of the barbarians that was now in ruins.

Death and destruction were all that he could see. And yet, he couldn’t feel anything except the hole in his heart.

He felt numb. Even Yuni’s warmth, whom he loved very much, was unable to warm up his cold body.

Daedalus observed its Master before heaving an internal sigh. They might have won the war, but the price of victory cost them dearly.

Leone had lost a mentor.

A friend.

A confidante.

A second father.

A pillar he could always lean on, no matter how heavy the burden on his shoulders became.

A guiding light who would show him the way when the path ahead was shrouded in darkness.

A protector who had stood between him and the dangers of the world, even when doing so meant sacrificing his own life.

A man who had taught him that strength was not merely about power, but was also about having the courage to protect the things that mattered.

And most importantly...

Leone lost someone who believed in him long before the rest of the world ever did.

Someone who had seen the potential of the mischievous young man who called himself Leone Frontera.

Someone who had looked forward to the day he would become a King worthy of his people.

Someone who wanted nothing more than to see him grow, stumble, learn, and eventually carve his own name into the annals of history.

That someone was gone.

And no matter how much wealth he accumulated, how vast his territory became, or how powerful he grew in the future...

There was one thing his kingdom-building power could never give him back.

And that was none other than his Great Uncle, Gundar.

Once again, a tear escaped the corner of the young man’s eyes as his consciousness slowly faded away.

Yuni kissed the young man’s forehead and hugged him tighter.

She used her body to protect this precious yet broken person, who had fought for everything she and the barbarians held sacred in their lives.

He, who wasn’t born in the Borderlands, fought more bravely and more passionately than any barbarian she knew.

Yuni knew that when Leone opened his eyes, he would never be the same again.

And yet, she still prayed fervently to the Earth Mother to watch over this young man, who had sacrificed so much for the people he had come to love.

As she held him close, Yuni made a silent promise to herself.

She would stay by his side, no matter how difficult the road ahead became.

She would help him carry the burdens that threatened to crush him, share the tears he could no longer hold back, and gather the broken pieces of his heart that had been scattered by the cruel hands of fate.

Even if it took years, she would do everything in her power to help him find those missing pieces.

So that one day, when the pain had finally subsided, and the wounds in his heart had begun to heal, Leone Frontera would become whole once more.

———————

Deep inside Leone’s sea of consciousness, a soft chuckle echoed through the darkness.

"Nice try, friend," the owner of the purple aura said. "You almost had him."

The owner of the crimson aura didn’t reply. He simply closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, seemingly unbothered by his failure.

However, if one looked closely, they would notice that the corners of his lips were slightly raised.

It seemed that he didn’t mind failing this time around in making the young man’s vessel his own.

One war had ended, but another would soon begin.

Such was the path of Kingship.

A path that the two beings inside Leone’s heart knew fairly well.