"This was way too easy," Leon remarked.
By the time Terminus Est reacted, it was already too late. The contract between her and Leon had been sealed.
An emblem of crossed swords appeared on the back of Leon's right hand.
"Hya!"
Leon swung his blade with joy.
That graceful and razor-sharp movement was a supreme sword technique never before seen in this world—beautiful and devastating—just like the holy sword Terminus Est.
Even though Leon had forced her into a contract, Terminus Est felt no resentment. After all, she had already acknowledged Leon as a true master of the blade.
There was no real reason for her to resist.
"Master, be careful ahead!"
"Yes, something strange is happening!"
At that moment, Alpha and Claire cried out in warning. Not that it was necessary—nothing in that space escaped Leon's perception.
The pedestal where the sword had once rested suddenly exploded.
Billowing clouds of black smoke, thick with a foul stench, poured out. Not even the "Wind King's Eye" could disperse them.
Like writhing storm clouds, the smoke gradually took form, twisting into humanoid shapes and bizarre beastly figures.
"Hm? That sinister aura… could it be the Demon King you defeated thousands of years ago?"
Leon raised his brows and asked the sword in his hand.
Clang!
The holy sword vibrated in reply, as if to say yes. Its body was already shining with sacred light, ready to battle.
Leon immediately understood.
"I see… The reason you rejected every contractor until now was because you had the mission of sealing the Demon King. The moment you formed a contract with someone, the Demon King sealed within you would also be released."
Buzz!
The tip of the sword quivered again, confirming Leon's words.
Seeing this, Leon couldn't help but smirk. This blade grew more and more fascinating to him. Not only did it possess willpower, it also carried an immense sense of duty.
"Excellent. Truly worthy of being a legendary holy sword. But there's no need for you to think so much. This situation is perfect… This will be our first battle together."
Leon narrowed his eyes.
He counted every enemy within the black fog—seventy-three in total.
But this miasma wasn't the true body of the Demon King. Leon judged it to be nothing more than the lingering mana and grudges left behind by the Demon King who had nearly destroyed the world long ago.
According to legend, the Demon King was a spirit who commanded a total of seventy-two others. Including himself, that made seventy-three. The number perfectly matched the shadowy foes now before him.
"How could this happen? So the Holy Sword was actually sealing the Demon King's magic! What have we done? U-ugh, the world will be destroyed!"
Claire's face turned pale, her body trembling as she stared at the black fog with guilt and terror.
"No problem. Nothing will happen."
Alpha, however, remained calm. After checking her weapons, she moved behind Leon.
"With him here, forget the Demon King's mana or his servants—even the Demon King himself couldn't defeat him."
"Eh?!"
Claire's eyes widened. She didn't know whether to believe Alpha, but a flicker of hope still lit within her gaze. At the very least, she knew Leon's strength was unmatched.
Meanwhile, Leon opened his storage space and drew out another sword.
Alpha drew in a sharp breath when she saw it, before quietly abandoning her own preparations to fight.
"Today's a good day, so I'll give you a special present, my dear Ea."
"You're going to use that?" Alpha asked.
"Yes. It's been many chapters since she last appeared. Ea has been asleep for too long."
Leon poured mana into both blades.
Terminus Est radiated its holy, evil-purging light as Leon swung it toward the black fog—instantly erasing over a dozen shadowy monsters.
Even without charging, even without its blade spinning, Ea released a sword aura so devastating that a mere swing obliterated dozens more phantoms and tore apart half the battlefield.
In his left hand, Leon wielded a blade that could erase reality itself.
In his right, he held the holy sword that once slew the Demon King.
The left was absolute might.
The right was absolute practicality.
"!!!"
The Demon King and his followers roared in fury, unleashing waves of magic.
At last, freed from the seal of the Holy Sword, he was reborn—only to encounter this monster immediately upon his release.
Had it been anyone else, he would have crushed them without effort. But against this foe, even the Demon King of a thousand years past could only face destruction…
"Hahaha! Even if you're nothing but a cluster of grudges and mana, this still feels amazing!"
Leon was thoroughly enjoying himself.
The Demon King's servants launched their assault. Countless destructive attacks struck Leon, but not one pierced his defenses.
A dragon's shadow loomed behind him.
His entire mana was converted into draconic power, granting him overwhelming magical and physical resistance. With that, Leon could ignore nearly all enemy strikes.
It was as though he wore invincible armor. He didn't bother to dodge, charging headlong into their midst.
With Terminus Est in his right hand, every swing purified and destroyed the spirits it touched.
With Ea in his left, every thrust erased entire swaths of existence.
The Demon King and his seventy-two servants had once plunged the world into despair, their chaotic mana an unparalleled calamity.
But before Leon, these terrifying spirits with diverse powers were nothing more than insects with petty tricks.
Terminus Est's holy restriction was absolute.
And in Leon's hands, it unleashed its full might without restraint. Not even its previous wielder—the saint who defeated the Demon King—had ever drawn out such strength.
Finally, when the last spirit was destroyed,
Terminus Est, gleaming with holy light, pierced through the Demon King's chest, condensing power and purifying him completely.
Leon: "That's it. Your mission is fulfilled. You can leave this world with me now."
Buzz! Terminus Est trembled with approval.
Leon: "Excellent. I'll take good care of you, my favorite sword~"
Clang!
Was it an illusion, or did the sword just grow shy?
The next moment, Leon shook his head, speechless at himself. What was he even thinking? Could a sword truly turn into a girl?
---
(End of Chapter)