The environmental anomalies triggered by *Dragon Annihilation* distracted the trio of dragon king and queens, who were busy clearing out the *Dangerous Beasts*, causing them to glance over at Leon's direction.

Claudia gazed towards the night sky, now gradually eclipsed by dark clouds, as the last sliver of moonlight vanished behind the overcast veil.

The formidable power of thunder and lightning roared and bellowed, as if impatient to break free.

“This intensity of lightning magic… isn’t it a bit exaggerated?”

Even the well-traveled Claudia couldn’t help but marvel at the oppressive might of *Dragon Annihilation*.

She had combed through countless ancient texts and studied innumerable techniques that ancestors had proudly honed, yet none matched the awe-inspiring, earth-shattering majesty of the lightning magic known as *Dragon Annihilation*.

“That’s one of Leon’s ultimate moves he rarely uses. To this day, I’ve only seen him used it twice,” Roswitha said.

The first time was during the Rift War, where the Shining Star Dragon King Sta led the charge against Leon and Roswitha, the husband-and-wife duo.

When Sta found himself cornered and planned to perish together with his enemies in a blaze of glory, Leon, aided by the Silver Dragon Clan, unleashed the super S-Class lightning magic, *Dragon Annihilation*.

Back then, Leon couldn’t activate it independently. He had to rely on the Dragon Flame of the Silver Dragon Clan to alter the weather, forming cumulonimbus clouds to gather enough natural lightning for his spell.

But now, six months after Leon had returned from the future to the present, he could already wield *Dragon Annihilation* solo—

Even though he would be utterly spent afterward, even unable to walk, Roswitha’s memory of *General Leon* annihilating six dragons in ten seconds was etched firmly in her mind.

Thinking of it, a faint smile graced Roswitha’s lips, and her heart bubbled with a sense of pride.

“See that? That’s my husband!”

That said, it was still puzzling that Leon decided to use such a devastating move so soon after the battle commenced.

Were the trio of *Blade’s Edge* so powerful that they pressured him into seeking a swift resolution?

Or was Leon just impatient and uninterested in dragging the fight out, opting to end it directly?

As Roswitha pondered, a charred corpse of a fusion beast suddenly fell at her and Claudia’s feet.

This abrupt occurrence shattered her train of thought. She turned toward the culprit and found out that it was Constantine.

“My apologies for interrupting your admiration of someone’s greatness, but shouldn’t you deal with the matter at hand first?”

No one understood Leon’s strength better than Constantine. He had no concerns whatsoever about Leon’s battle, whether it involved *Dragon Annihilation* or anything else.

“The fusion beasts are multiplying, and it appears they can achieve a second phase of fusion,” Constantine said.

Roswitha frowned. “Second phase of fusion? What do you mean?”

As soon as she asked, before Constantine could answer, Roswitha noticed her shadow being overtaken by a larger one.

Turning around, the queen’s brows furrowed deeper, her expression even showing a trace of unease.

Behind her and Claudia were several fusion beasts creeping closer together, their bodies extending sticky black tendrils that wrapped and bound them as one.

Subsequently, their skin began melting like tar, merging into a singular mass.

As the process concluded, a colossal, horrifying monster composed of multiple fusion beasts loomed before the three Dragon King and Queens.

Its massive form was unnaturally irregular, with no fewer than three heads on its shoulders.

“Just as Leon anticipated, the Empire has even lower cards up its sleeve,” Roswitha remarked.

Previously, they only knew the Empire was experimenting on fusion beasts. They had never imagined those beasts could undergo a second phase of fusion.

Judging by the magical fluctuations emanating from the monstrous entity, its power rivaled that of a *Dragon King*.

As Constantine stepped forward, he aligned himself with Roswitha and Claudia.

The three of them stood in a line, facing the grotesque monstrosity together.

“Burn this abomination to ashes,” Constantine said.

Faced with such a formidable enemy, the Dragon King and Queens naturally coordinated without hesitation.

“Roar!!—”

The second-phase fusion beast emitted an earth-shaking bellow and charged at them with its massive black claws.

Yet Roswitha, Claudia, and Constantine stood their ground, their ethereal energies converging simultaneously.

A surge of overwhelming flames erupted forth, racing toward the advancing monster.

The three streams of fire coalesced into a singular, unstoppable fireball, consuming everything in its path.

**Tri-Dragon Flame Annihilation**—a synchronized technique!

As the fireball collided with the monster, a massive explosion erupted, incinerating the surrounding structures and illuminating the dark night as if it were day.

The scorching waves of heat lifted Roswitha’s silver hair and skirt. The searing temperature painted her delicate face while ember sparks floated past her silver eyes.

Moments later, the flames dissipated, leaving the gigantic blackened beast lying on the ground, barely clinging to life.

“Hah, all that noise, only to keel over this quickly?”

Constantine sneered, his disdain for the stitched-together creature evident—

Despite his own stitched-together body.

“Still… something seems off.”

Roswitha remained vigilant.

“Our side of the battle is in a stalemate. Claudia and I were still testing the opponent’s capabilities, so what reason did they have to unleash a second-phase fusion beast straight away?”

Claudia also mulled it over. Before long, she came to a realization.

“These creatures were forced into second-phase fusion not to fight us… but to—”

Before Claudia finishing her sentence, all three turned toward Leon’s battlefield several blocks away.

“They’re targeting Leon!”

No sooner had the words left her lips than hundreds of fusion beasts surged toward Leon’s battleground like a flood.

“Turns out we weren’t the only ones who noticed the overwhelming energy signature of *Dragon Annihilation*—even these so-called mindless fusion beasts sensed it,” Constantine remarked.

“But if that’s the case, wouldn’t avoiding such a massive power be more logical? Why would they throw themselves into the fray instead?” Claudia asked.

Roswitha’s pupils slightly contracted; realization quickly struck her.

“They’re… serving as shields for Blade’s Edge Trio!”

Having seen *Dragon Annihilation’s* power firsthand, Roswitha understood its terrifying force—it could even repel the suicidal attack of a Dragon King. No way could the Blade’s Edge Trio withstand it.

Thus, the controller of the fusion beasts must have ordered this expendable “cheap labor” to act as sacrificial shields for the treasured assassins.

With this in mind, Roswitha and Claudia immediately unfurled their dragon wings and raced toward Leon’s battlefield.

Constantine stood in solitude, bewildered in the wind—

Damn it! His patchwork body didn’t have wings!

It was Fael who carried him here earlier…

“I hate the Empire,” Constantine muttered as he began sprinting toward the chaos.

---

A thunderous lion formed from pure lightning emerged from the clouds above, baring its fangs and claws as it descended upon the *Blade’s Edge Trio* below.

“B-Big Bro! This thing’s range is too massive; we can’t dodge it at all!”

Gitte entirely skipped the default option of “Let’s work together to block this”.

Because anyone with even a basic understanding of magic could tell—

There probably wasn’t a *carbon-based lifeform* left on Samael Continent that could withstand the **Thunder Lion of *Dragon Annihilation***.

“Don’t worry, hold steady. Somebody’s bound to intervene,”

the older brother retorted.

“Intervene? How? Are we actually counting on those useless soldiers to shield us?”

“Of course not. I’m talking about—those things.”

Following his older brother’s pointing finger, Gitte’s gaze fell upon a swarm of fusion beasts and *Dangerous Beasts* rushing toward their direction. Along the way, some were even undergoing second-phase fusion simultaneously.

The one-armed youth, Gimme, shuddered instinctively at the sight.

“Even though it’s not the first time seeing a second-phase fusion, it’s still sickening enough to make me want to puke.”

“Better to puke than to get reduced to ashes by Leon’s thunder lion—”

“Watch out! It’s coming!”

The **Thunder Lion of Dragon Annihilation** finally descended, its brilliant radiance swallowing the entire district in an instant.

Even the ground trembled ceaselessly under the mighty force.

Waves of energy rippled outward from the impact point, threatening to destroy anything in their path. The nearest landship barely avoided being obliterated entirely.

Onboard the landship, King Kant fell flat on his rear, clutching his pounding heart in sheer terror.

“W-What do we do?! Even *Blade’s Edge Trio* couldn’t stop that move! Who else can stop Leon?!”

Elizabeth, however, stood firmly, her cold disposition unshaken. She shot Kant a scornful glance and sneered.

“Look at you. If ‘Master Shadow’ saw this disgrace, he’d surely regret entrusting the throne to you.”

Already on the verge of breaking down, Kant visibly froze for a few seconds when he heard the mention of *Master Shadow*.

“M-Master Shadow…”

“Relax. We’ll win this,” Elizabeth asserted.

“Look—the fusion beasts and *Dangerous Beasts* already shielded the Trio from that attack. And according to the Royal Sorcerer’s report, Leon’s earlier attack was already at his physical limit.”

The Queen smirked, her confidence evident.

“In other words, it’s time for us to strike back decisively!”

---

As the lightning dissipated, Leon stood silently in the middle of the street.

Before him lay dozens of large fusion beasts’ corpses, the air thick with the stench of scorched flesh.

Leon squinted his eyes slightly.

“So it was blocked?”

As the dust settled, the *Blade’s Edge Trio* emerged from behind the rubble, supporting each other.

Even though the fusion beasts had taken the brunt of *Dragon Annihilation*, the trio hadn’t emerged unscathed.

But it's still better than taking a direct hit—just look at the ground littered with the corpses of second-step fusion beasts.

"That was a powerful attack. We, brothers, can truly say we've experienced the strength of the strongest Dragon Slayer," one of the men said.

Ginny stepped forward. "But it's a shame—that move must have drained all your magic power, right? Don't think we haven't done our research on you. This is your limit, isn't it, Leon?"

Leon remained silent, simply standing there and listening.

Moments later, a silver-haired and a blue-haired figure descended slowly to either side of him.

Leon glanced left and right, then furrowed his brow. "Huh? Missing someone. Where's the dragon?"

"Constantine is on his way,"

"Oh... The pain of being without wings, I get it."

"So, what's the situation now?" Roswitha asked.

She looked at the scattered remains of the fusion beasts on the ground and asked, "Did these creatures take the brunt of that attack meant for the Tip of the Spear trio?"

"Exactly. They also seem to think my magic reserves must be depleted," Leon replied.

Hearing this, Claudia gave Leon a once-over. Judging by his unmoved tone and unchanged demeanor, she couldn't help but ask with some concern, "You didn't actually run out of magic, did you?"

"No, actually, I still have quite a lot left," Leon said with an innocent shrug.

The blue-haired woman rolled her eyes speechlessly. "Then why, just now, did you act like you were cornered and about to make a last stand?"

Leon smiled faintly. "To set the stage for the unexpected magic burst I'm about to unleash."

"... Huh?" Claudia clearly didn't follow Leon's logic.

"According to Rebecca, it's ‘to set up for some epic bluffing, making the enemy feel like they've been backstabbed,’" Roswitha explained with a serious expression.

"... Immature! How could you marry such an immature man?" Even Claudia couldn’t help but voice her exasperation.

The queen silently pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "The past is best left where it belongs, senior."

Leon stepped forward, raising his right hand slowly, his gaze fixed on the trio.

"So, just now, you said that I had reached my limit. Is that correct?"

Ginny froze for a moment. "Wait, don't tell me—"

Before he could finish his thought, a deafening screech, like the cry of a bird, echoed through the heavens. A burst of energy erupted outward, scattering the lingering dust around them.

The Dagger Special Forces trio stared in utter disbelief, their minds blank.

What the hell was this? This definitely wasn’t in the intelligence reported!

Based on the intensity of the magic just a moment ago, that attack surely represented Leon's limit.

But how was he now summoning a Chidori so effortlessly?

"Your intel on me must have stopped right after I emerged from the spatial rift. So, your understanding of my limits froze at that point in time," Leon explained calmly. "Back then, it was true—I could only manage attacks of that intensity. Even though I had split Dragon Annihilation into four stages, the total strength remained the same."

"Your analysis was correct," he added. "But... people progress, don't they?"

Even after hearing his explanation, Ginny still found it hard to believe. "There's no way a normal human could expand their magic reserves this much in just a few short years. You... You're bluffing, aren't you?"

"A normal human certainly couldn't achieve this growth in just a few years... But with some special methods? That's a different story," Leon replied.

Special methods referred to:

He’d carved an additional Dragon Mark onto his arm.

Shortly after the infamous "Leon killed six dragons in ten seconds" incident, the couple had inscribed a second Dragon Mark onto each other's bodies—specifically to store even greater magic reserves.

And this, of course, was intelligence that the Empire couldn’t possibly have gathered.

This also served as yet more proof of the value and power of the Dragon Mark.

"As for whether I’m bluffing—" Leon said, raising his right hand. Instantly, the sky began to churn once more. "Trust me, after what you did to my master, every attack I aim at you is with the intent to kill."

"So... if I unleash Dragon Annihilation again and you’re still standing afterward, feel free to ask me then whether I’m bluffing."

Leon’s murderous intent was as palpable as a steel blade, enveloping the trio in an overwhelming aura of impending death.

In that moment, even seasoned warriors who'd slaughtered multiple Dragon Kings felt a tremor of fear deep within their souls.

---

On the landship, King Kant swallowed audibly.

"The sorcerer’s intelligence was flawed. Leon's magic reserves are clearly still abundant! But we have no more fusion beasts left to block another attack."

For the first time, Elizabeth wore a grim expression, her delicate brows furrowing in concern. "Don’t panic. Didn’t ‘Master Shadow’ leave you with a trump card? Use it."

"But… but that would mean sacrificing the Dagger Special Forces trio," Kant stammered.

"Hmph. Kant, you’ve been a king long enough; how can you still not see the larger picture?" Elizabeth said coldly. "For ultimate victory, sacrificing a few pieces along the way is inconsequential. Do it. Ginny and his brothers will see it as the highest honor."

After brief hesitation, Kant reached into his pocket and pulled out a black dragon scale. "‘Master Shadow’... we're counting on your trump card now."

With that, Kant threw the black dragon scale down from the landship.

The scale silently descended onto the corpses of the fallen fusion beasts below.

The attention of Leon and his companions was immediately drawn to it.

"What’s that?" one of them asked.

Roswitha shook her head. "A black dragon scale? I’ve never seen one before."

Claudia squinted slightly and then gasped, realization striking her. "Oh no, that’s—"

Before Claudia could finish her sentence, the corpses of the fusion beasts began to writhe.

"What’s happening? The Dragon Annihilation attack should’ve killed them completely!"

The black dragon scale seemed to function like a key that opened the gates of hell.

And now, it was about to unleash the horrors from behind those gates.

Of course, such a release required a sacrifice.

The sacrificial lambs would be—

The Dagger Special Forces trio!

Caught off guard, Ginny and his brothers stared blankly at what was happening.

They were aware of the Empire’s strategy to induce second-step fusion but were completely unprepared for these scorched beasts to seemingly come back to life.

As confusion mounted, three tentacles emerged rapidly from the pile of blackened corpses, binding the trio tightly and rendering them immobile.

"What’s going on?! Are these beasts out of their minds?!" one of them screamed.

"Let go! These things are disgusting!"

"Big brother, what’s happening?!" the youngest of the trio shouted in panic.

Ginny looked up toward the land cruiser, where the king and queen stood.

"Your Majesty! Please, order these monsters to release us!"

"Now, Ginny, is the time for you to fulfill your ultimate duty to the Empire," Kant said with a chilling calmness. "You will gain unparalleled strength and form. Isn’t this what you’ve always sought?"

"Wh-what?!" Ginny’s mind went blank at his words.

In the next instant, the tentacles pulled all three brothers into the mountain of blackened corpses.

With the sacrifices delivered, the blackened death surged past the boundary between life and death, making its horrific return.

"ROAR!!!"

From the amalgamation of hundreds of Dangerous Beasts, fusion beasts, and the Dagger Special Forces trio, the abomination known as "Primordial Nightmare" was born.

The colossal monstrosity slowly rose, with countless writhing tentacles covering its titanic form. The heads of Dangerous Beasts and fusion beasts protruded haphazardly across its grotesque body.

At its apex loomed the twisted forms of the trio, fully consumed by darkness. Their lifeless eyes stared blankly ahead as the beast relentlessly drained the Primordial Power from their bodies.

A wave of oppressive force surged outward, forcing Leon and his comrades below to brace themselves defensively. Even seasoned Dragon Slayers found themselves awestruck by the creature’s unearthly form.

Within the Empire, panic spread like wildfire.

"What is that atrocity?!"

"The Empire’s been hiding this horror from us?!"

"Run... Everyone, run! That... That monstrosity isn’t something any of us can understand. Not even Leon can—"

Chaos erupted throughout the streets of the Empire. The citizens’ frantic cries seemed to aggravate the Primordial Nightmare.

With no restraint, it turned its horrific might against the fleeing crowds. From the countless maws scattered across its body, black and crimson streams of Primordial Power gathered and erupted, firing indiscriminately in every direction.

Fearing civilian casualties, Leon quickly shouted toward a nearby low building where Rebecca and her squad awaited.

"Have the Lionheart Association assist with evacuating everyone! Clear the entire Upper District!"

"On it, Captain!" Rebecca called out.

With the evacuation underway, Leon and the two Dragon Queens turned their focus back to the horrifying Primordial Nightmare before them.

"Such suffocating malice... I thought second-step fusion was the Empire’s limit. Guess I was wrong."

"And by the looks of this thing's resilience, even your Dragon Annihilation might not be enough to take it down."

"Yeah... And if that fails, my magic reserves might actually—"

"Wait, was that a setup?"

Leon let out a weak chuckle and shook his head. "No. Two Dragon Annihilations really are my limit... Shall we give it a shot?"

Leon rarely lacked confidence in his battles, and it was nearly unheard of for him to express doubt. Yet, before even engaging this creature, Leon and his comrades could feel its overwhelming presence.

This beast, an amalgamation of Ginny and his brothers' malice combined with countless Dangerous Beasts, was a force fueled by a profound hatred for all living things.

Against such a foe, there was no option but to risk everything.

"Wait," Roswitha interjected.

"You can sense it too, right? The sheer depth of the hatred emanating from this thing?"

Leon and Claudia nodded.

"So that means... it carries an intense negative emotion."

Saying this, the Silver Dragon Queen stepped forward and stood at the feet of the Primordial Nightmare.

Her frail figure was utterly insignificant compared to the monster that stood as tall as dozens of floors.

But in the next moment, a burst of radiant, rainbow-colored light erupted, and a powerful wave of righteous energy spread outward.

"Primordial Magic—"

The Queen held the seven-colored energy in her hands, her silver hair wildly billowing in the air currents. To stabilize herself, she unfurled the dragon wings behind her. It was a moment where a silver-white flower seemed to bloom in the midst of the battlefield, and her graceful figure resembled an angel descended upon mortal realms.

"Soul Judgment."

Meanwhile, Old Constantine was still jogging along the path to catch up.